Happy New Year

I am not a fan of New Year Resolutions. I made this promise to myself back at the end of September. It just happens that it is New Year's Day when I realize that I'm all in. Back in September, I told myself that if I could get to 3 miles by the time registration opens for the OCNJ Half (February 1st) that I would go for it. Well, I managed that milestone in December so (on February 1st) I'm in. :)

Now that I've made 3 miles, I'm continuing my training in threes. 3 times a month; 3 days a week. I'm in an off week right now so on Saturday January 5th, I'll start with 4 miles. My plan calls for two weeks at the same mileage; plus one mile on the third week; then a week off. Then the plus one mileage for the first two weeks of the next session followed by another plus one and so on. So 4-4-5-off; 5-5-6-off; and so on. Pleasantly enough that brings me to 13 miles on August 31st - one month before the race. So I either have wiggle room or will run maintenance miles in the weeks leading up to the race. Win-Win.👍

The off weeks give me a chance to spend a weekend hiking, biking or other activity to break things up. When I first thought about training for another half one of my first thoughts was that I don't want to give up my hikes. Plus, the week off running gives me something to look forward to if when the running weeks feel rough. And let's face it, there will be some rough keep smiling keep moving weeks.

If your are still reading this you may wonder what 3 times a week looks like. Well since you asked.... LOL....Tuesdays are half the distance run on Saturday. Tuesdays will be the only day I time my run. My new Gymboss has a nifty stopwatch feature so I'll hit it on at the start; hit it off at the end and then write it down. On Thursday of the first two weeks I want to do hills or pace workouts for the time that it took me to run Tuesday's distance. Since the third weekend running is a new long distance; the Tuesday and Thursday that week will be simple fun runs of half the weekend distance. For the visual learner in the group (that's usually me) the first session looks like this:

Wk 1: Sat 4 mi; Tue 2 mi timed; Thurs a pace workout for the time it took to run 2 mi on Tuesday

Wk 2: Sat 4 mi; Tue 2 mi timed; Thurs a hill workout for the time it took to run 2 mi on Tuesday

Wk 3: Sat 5 mi; Tue 2.5 mi; Thurs 2.5 mi

Wk 4: off running

And so on. Fridays is date night so Fridays will stay open as much as possible. Sundays and Wednesdays will be used for whatever I need that week; perhaps a flex day for running when immovable objects mess with Tues or Thurs; or when all goes well some body-weight training or additional non-running time on my feet.

If you are still reading, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to spell it out. It's been in my head for weeks. Writing it down makes me feel committed.

Will it work? Stay tuned and you'll find out. I'm in it to finish.

Keep smiling keep moving,
Paula

I have no idea how to title this post!

Yesterday I purchased a new Gymboss. It's been a while since I've owned one. Now it not only has an interval timer but a stopwatch and a clock. Nifty.

Last night I set it up in anticipation of using it today. (Spoiler alert: I was successful in setting it up).

The challenge was deciding what intervals to use. I want to do one mile run; one minute walk for the OCNJ Half. It's a strategy that's worked for me in the past. However, running the streets of Media I have no mile markers. I have a good sense of a mile in my neighborhood but that's not good enough right now.

In my best running days I could manage under an 11 minute mile. My best running days are way behind me at the moment. If I keep smiling and keep moving long enough they might also be ahead of me. However, getting too far ahead of oneself is not a good way to train. 12 minute miles was my 'normal' back then. So I decided on 13 and 1 for today. This means that on a good training day I will go farther then a mile before taking a break. (Spoiler Alert: My sense of how long a mile is around Media tells me that today was a good training day. :) That's ok with me. It's better to run longer and slower for training. I also set the 1 minute interval for the first interval. It makes sense to me to start out walking. And on race day with all the people and the tendency to start out too fast in the crowd it will be good to start with a walk interval. And yes I just realized I'm talking like someone committed to doing the race. At the very least I'm committed to giving it my best shot. Registration opens February 1st.

My second walk came about a quarter of the way up Edgmont Avenue. This reminded me that a walk interval could come in the middle of the either side of the Longport Bridge on race day. Stopping the running motion and starting up again there will not be fun. Note to self: Practice walk breaks at the beginning and middle of hills.

I left the house around 7:15ish - as soon as it was light enough to see and be seen. There were quite a few other runners out. Including a pair in elf costumes. I had the company of the trolley along State Street as well as shop owners getting ready for the last Saturday shopping day before Christmas.

In other *news* this week, my pen ran out of ink. I used it from beginning to end without losing it or having it borrowed and not returned. It's the little things that keep life interesting.

Keep smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

I just wanted to be able to tell you I did it.

Today I ran 2 miles with a little help from friends and Wawa.

It's cold out today. 41 when I started with wind chills in the 30's. Either I really want to do this or I just wanted to be able to tell you all that I did it and that requires actually doing it.

I put my running clothes on straight out of bed to encourage an early outing. I waited for the sun to come up but I did not wait too much past that as the forecast is for the wind to get stronger and the chill to get chillier as the day wears on.

Last night I plotted my course. Since I'm not wearing any timing devices I also have to know my distances in advance if I'm not on a marked trail. I'm not a fan of out and back. The route I picked ended up being a partial out and back but finished at Wawa where I could pick up a coffee and walk back to the house. And 3/4 of the run was in one direction. Or so I thought. As I began to run, I started to review the distance in my head. It's 1 mile from my front steps to Wawa. All I needed was a half mile past the Wawa .... and then I realized I must have gotten half a mile stuck in my head and goofed. I had only planned a quarter mile past Wawa. If I turned around then I would only have 1.5 miles not 2. Now what?

• I could just do the 1.5. it IS more than 1 after all. But it was not the plan and failing on the plan is devastating to folks like me. (You know who you are, you recognize the symptoms). 
• I could guess how far another quarter mile is if I pay close attention to the feel of the first quarter mile. But if I don't guess right, I'm either still going to be short or unnecessarily disappointed the 2 miles felt awful if I go too far. (If you are still reading stop rolling your eyes at that. You are still reading after all and unless this if your first visit to my blog you should be expecting this). 
• I could do the quarter mile section out and back TWICE. "I am not a fan of out and back" (she said earlier). 

But out and back twice was the best solution. Oh and by the way I'm practically to the Wawa (and 1 mile in) by the time I have this figured out. (Over-thinking for the win!) Now to think myself through 2 times out and back. (Really, you can stop reading now. Continue at your own risk)

The first 1/4 mile is a slow very gradual downhill. Most people, especially those in a car, would not notice it. I can do this. And when I come around the second time it will be the final time. At the street sign poll for the turn around street I tried to touch the poll (because it's the rule at turn-arounds) but there is a waist high hedge in the way and I couldn't reach it. I air high-fived it instead.

The second 1/4 mile is a slow and not so gradual uphill. Yeah I know it's the same path I just ran but trust me it's bigger on the upside. Especially when you think about the fact that your brain cramp the night before is causing you to have to do it twice. And you haven't done any serious running in 5  years. I started wishing the traffic light where I would have to cross over to the other side of the street would be RED. At this point my brain jumped to something happening at work. My brain does that a lot. Left turn without signalling. I won't bore you with the details of the problem. Suffice it to say I solved it. 👍 But the traffic light was green WITH a walk sign. 😏

Ok. "Down" again on the other side. Relax and let gravity to it's thing. Hmmm before I knew it I was at the street sign pole that I could not reach. I air high-fived it again because consistency is critical. And now it's off to the final quarter mile. I'm feeling better than I thought I would at this point but still physically aware that this is the end of the longest run I've done in a very long time. Time to remind myself that the final quarter mile of the OCNJ Half will be flat as a pancake. You can do this. Then I saw the Rita's Water Ice sign which means I'm done "climbing" and could coast into the finish.

If you are still with me, thank you. I kinda wonder WHY...but thank you because "I just wanted to be able to tell you all that I did it."

Keep Smiling and Keep Moving
-Paula

For Pete - Between Opportunities

One day - years ago -  at a family gathering my sister's husband, Pete, who had just retired, told the youngsters that he was "between opportunities". There was something in the way he said it that made them giggle (which was his intention) and to this day it is what they think of when his name is mentioned.

On Tuesday, Pete died. Today was his funeral. I'm fairly certain that for Pete, this week was a time between opportunities. Today friends and family gathered to help my sister see him off to whatever comes next. After the mass, we gathered at the Flemington Diner. Pete loved diner food and this was one of his go-to places. Having been informed that a burger and fries was his favorite meal when he ate there, most of us ordered that.

I just returned from a run. Today's mile was dedicated to Pete. You see my plan is to run my full distance on the weekend and half of that distance twice during the week. Friday is usually a day off. But I missed my run yesterday because I worked late. Tomorrow it is going to rain buckets and then some. So today I ran "between (regular) opportunities".

Keep smiling keep moving
- Paula

Just a mile

Today I ran just a mile. It wasn't pretty. It was not fast. It was just a mile.

IF I'm going to make it to the Ocean City Half Marathon (9/29/2019) I have to start now. One mile at a time. And IF I make it to the OCNJ Half, I do not expect it to be pretty and I do not expect it to be fast. I will only expect to finish.

I've promised myself that there will be no timing devices until race day. I will train for this one by feel. 

My current goal is to get to a comfortable 3 miles by February 1st when registration typically opens for this race.

Good news for today. I did it. :) It was not UN-comfortable but I have some work to do to make it comfortable. And then I need to add at least two more miles to the total by February 1st.

I had to work this morning so I chose to run on the Chester Valley Trail immediately after. I did not want to give myself the chance to ponder things on the ride home. The CVT is less than a 5 minute from where I work.

It was chilly today. I will need ear warmers if this keeps up. But it was just a mile so I was ok. My right hip flexor barked at me a little bit. A gentle reminder that I will need to stretch daily and get up close and personal with my foam roller again.

So there it is. My goal in print. And it should be understood that this idea is still a big IF. But I have decided that I have to try.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving,
-Paula