catch up

These days I feel like I am barely hanging in here. But other than my body being slowed down, I feel like my spirits and desire to run are still up to speed. We all got kind of sick after getting back from Utah. Unfortunately my sore throat has lingered most of the week and I've just been tired, but today I am feeling almost better (other than being tired since Coop got me up at 5 a.m. but ya know, I should be getting used to that by now!). My knee has been hurting too so I guess that was good timing, not feeling well in two respects, so I haven't run the last 2 weeks. But I did go swimming at Snowbird and I think I've seen the light on cross-training and not beating my body too much, too many miles/week running. I want to make a running a good thing, which means I need to have balance so I don't overdo it physically or emotionally.

I also finished John Bingham's No Need for Speed and was inspired. I've read some reviews that say this book is too dumbed down, but for me it was needed fresh air; I needed to know it was okay to have rest days, to build those in, to slow down and just enjoy the journey--life, running, everything. I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to run or who sometimes gets discouraged about their running. Sometimes I do wish I was able to do more or be someone else, but I am learning to be content and happy with where I am at; more opportunities and progress is to come. I just need to enjoy where I'm at now. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book that I think illustrates this well:

It was being a runner that mattered, not how fast or how far I could run. The joy was in the act of running and in the journey, not in the destination. We have a better chance of seeing where we are when we stop trying to get somewhere else. We can enjoy every moment of movement, as long as where we are is as good as where we'd like to be. That's not to say that you need to be satisfied forever with where you are today. But you need to honor what you've accomplished, rather than thinking of what's left to be done (p. 159)."
— John Bingham (No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running)

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
— John Bingham (No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running)

So recap the last little bit as far as workouts:

friday, july 11th:
3 miles
down to Valley View, up Battlecreek (1st hill in a long time! was pretty hard, when hit the top, felt like I could keep going, but didn't so I didn't kill my knee)
ended up accidentally running by Josh Byrnes house on the way down, which was weird (I'd had a dream about him the night before; I'm sure it was something Freudian :) ).
mid 70's (felt so good! had forgotten how good this feels. I definitely will miss the cool summer nights and mornings if we move to Las Vegas!)
5 min. warm-up, 30 min. jog
8:30-9 a.m.
Mom watched the boys (Coop asleep)

saturday, july 12th
ran with Jake (he sure ran slow for me! poor kid was practically walking! I really hope he'll do x-country and invest in his running, he has a lot of talent and has performed well up until now without much, if any, effort. we talked about this. i hope he'll do it! that'd be great for him, especially if he could run in college!)
2+ miles
down Battlecreek, up Nathaniel
upper 70's
9 a.m.
didn't time it! (yay! I got done and was almost worried, then told myself to chill out!!)

monday, july 14th
Snowbird, up to observation deck and back down around to Iron Blosam
right knee pain
5 min. WU, 25 min.
12 p.m. it still felt great outside (again, I sure miss running in Utah!! Vegas makes Utah summers seem cold!! LOL.)

wed, july 15th
x-train
10-15 min. swimming laps with Chris, teaching me breast stroke and whatever the normal swim stroke is called :)

thurs, july 16th
x-train! (go me! see I can do it! It's OK not to run!!! x-training is important too!! trying to remind myself of that!!)
15 min. swimming laps

friday, july 17th
x-train
10-15 min. swimming with Chris, not too hard though
right knee has still been hurting all this week, even though I've not done any running since Monday...trying to give it a break and less pounding with swimming instead of runs...

mon, july 21-fri, july 25
sore throat, knee still sore
by Friday my knee is feeling quite a bit better, still not 100%. I ran back to the house today in my flip flops to grab something and could tell it's still bothered. I can tell I need to be careful and ease back into things. I'm realizing maybe I pushed it too hard the last few weeks and have been going too long, too many days a week and really need to be building in rest days and cross-training, even just walking on the days I don't run, but even adding swimming in to my weekly workout (especially if I am really going to get scuba certified; because right now there is NO way I'll ever pass the swim test!!). I guess I just feel bad or guilty or like I haven't really worked out or won't be progressing in my running if I don't run. I left Val a message last week that said that--that I think there is another runner in the family because I think I am addicted. It had only been a week since the 5K and I was getting all antsy to plan and run another one! It's such a good feeling, but I know I need to be careful and not overdo it or I'll just end up hurt most of the time. For some reason I just feel like running 3 x/week isn't enough. But I know I need to give my body time to recoup in between. That and Chris and I are planning to do another 5K mid-September and I'm realizing it would be way more fun if we trained and ran the race together, which means I need to slow down and run at his pace (or walk, which none of this is a bad thing and is probably what I need!) so that we can have something to do together and build and strengthen our relationship as well as have fun and get in better shape. Pushing my body too hard right now isn't gonna get me where I want to be anyways, as much as I keep thinking I've got to do a ton to be a "runner" (remember the penguin!). But I really am excited to do another race and even more so, that Chris seems to be looking forward to it too! Yay! Shared hobbies!! If I can just learn to swim we'll be moving along swimmingly in our efforts to do stuff together!!