I ran!

After almost 2.5 months without a run, I finally got one in, in Indiana County. I originally planned to run for 20 minutes, since I knew it had been a couple of months since I last run. But after about 10 minutes into it, I decided to try to run my usual route to see how long it would take.

I need to verify that I ran 3.1 miles (it might have been a tenth or two more or less). But knowing it was at least close to 3 miles and doing it in just over 31 minutes, I am calling it a success. It is good to know that Zumba and swimming keep me in pretty good shape.

Literally two steps into the run, my left knee hurt. Soon after my right foot hurt. Not long after that, my calves started to bother me, and during the last mile, my left foot hurt. Even though it sounds like a lot of pain, nothing hurt me too badly, and I completed the run in the sun without stopping, so yeah, me! I really need to get a new pair of shoes, however. I am thinking I have been running with these for about a year (I need to check the old posts), but considering how infrequently I have been running, I would think they still have some life left in them.

My guess is I won't be writing a running post again for another month or two, but you never know. I have been swimming 1 to 3 times per week as well as doing Zumba once a week, so I have not been completely lazy. :-)

Getting back into the swing of things

I cannot believe that I last wrote a post at the end of April. I ended that post hoping I would get in at least one swim that following week. Unfortunately, I don't think I did that. And if I did, that was my last swim for over a month. Work gets in the way, sometimes!

But the last week in May, I did get in two Zumba classes. The next week I did Zumba and swam once each. This week, I swam on Sunday and today. I am planning to do Zumba on Thursday and then another day of swimming. On a positive note, after swimming every other day for the past five days, I actually feel close to my "swimming shape." I did almost 30 laps, (12, 14, and 6), and I could have easily done more.

Running seems to be a distant memory at this point, but I am not giving up hope that I will jog-run a mile in the not-too-distant future.

Here's hoping!

I am getting out of swimming shape

For months I was swimming pretty regularly, typically three times per week, and every once in awhile I got in a fourth day. Then March came and the weather turned nice (actually, we had quite a few nice February days as well), so the indoor poor fell by the wayside. And when I started working about six weeks ago, the pool was almost forgotten. This week, however, thanks to bad weather and good timing, I managed to hit the water on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Because I did not have a lot of time and I was out of swimming shape, I managed to swim no more than 15 laps earlier this week. In fact, one day I think I completed only 12. But today, I was alone, the pool was empty, which is rare for a Saturday, so I got in a pretty full workout. I swam 20 laps, jogged in the pool for 10 minutes, swam 10 more laps, jogged in the pool for another 10 minutes, and finished with about six or eight minutes of leg and arm exercises.

It was a tough swim week for me; I can no longer swim 10 laps at a good pace and feel just fine. But the sort-of-good-news is because I have been exercising less in general over the past six weeks because I have been working, I don't feel obligated to push myself like crazy. I would have been happy to have gotten in 20 laps today, particularly considering how full I felt from lunch hours earlier. But since I had the time, I did what I could. And that meant going slower than I used to. But I was fine with that.

And even if I get in only a day next week, I think I will be okay with that too.

After all, anything is better than nothing.

Slow and steady finished the run

After over a month of not really running, I finally laced up my shoes this morning, two counties over. As I first set out in the cloudy, 55-degree morning, I decided I would try to run for about 20 minutes. But the more I ran (and by ran, I really mean jogged), I figured I might as well keep up my slower pace and go for 30 minutes.

About three minutes into the run (jog), I noticed a slight pain in my left foot and calf, but nothing unmanageable. Soon after, I realized I should have gone with a short-sleeved tee and shorts, rather than my long sleeves and yoga pants, but there was not much I could do at that point. I also ran with a bottle of water, something I do whenever I am at my mom's, probably because she uses bottled water and it helps. For whatever reason, I noticed I prefer to keep the bottle in my left hand and would often switch it back to that hand without realizing it. As my mind wandered, I tried to make a connection between my left-hand preference and my left foot hurting.

About 20 or so minutes into the run, I noticed my right foot and calf hurting, but they could have hurt before that and I just never noticed. Fortunately, the pain was minor.

All in all, I call it a good run (jog). I am glad I got out there and can still do it, even if doing it means doing it slowish.

I continue to slack off

Having started a part-time, temp job, I have less time than I used to (duh!). As much as I hate to slack off  exercising, I am afraid I have done just that. The week leading up to Easter I managed to swim in addition to the steps I last blogged about. But I am pretty sure that was it.

This week, which is nearly over, has not been any better. At the park on Monday, I ran around with my kid off and on for about 10 to 15 minutes, but that pretty much left me winded. I have no idea why I can run a few miles (not fast of course, but I manage some speed), but yet when I am trying to tag my kid or run away from her, I am so out of breath that I have to take a break after only a minute or two.

Yesterday, we went swimming, where I managed about 18 laps and some arm exercises. Again, nothing to brag about, but at least I was moving. This afternoon I will be Zumba-ing, after not having class last week. Since I work tomorrow, I guess that will be the end of my exercising. Admittedly, since late winter has returned, I am not that disappointed that I have not gone running this week. Getting some exercise is better than none.

A step and a run

I have not been exercising as much as I should be. Since I last wrote, I swam two times, did Zumba twice, and took a short (45 minutes?) hike at Frick Park. I did some running around with the kid at the park, but that is nothing to brag about. Today I was a little more productive.

I walked up and down the 65ish steps three or four times while talking on the phone. Once I ended that call, I ran up and jogged down the steps 10 times. It took me 8:19 to do that, which is respectable. Once I finished that journey, I jogged for about eight minutes on the mostly flat upper lot at school. Then, for the final three or four minutes, I sprinted for about 20 seconds at a time and then jogged slowly in between, for probably 30 or 40 seconds.

I felt okay for most of the running, though I was wishing I had on short sleeves and shorts. At first, as usual, I was thinking it was going to be too much, but since I decided from the get-go I was going to make only 10 trips, it made it easier mentally. As for the sprinting at the end, even that was not so bad. The downside is my heart rate did get up (around 180 bpm) every time I finished a sprint. But I like to think the old ticker is going strong.

And yet another beautiful day in Pittsburgh

Not a very original blog post title, but considering the fantabulous week of weather we are having, it seems appropriate. Still not sure how I feel about May showing up in March, but it sure has been nice to get out in the beautiful weather.

Unfortunately, I did not get a run in as I had hoped. However, I did get a second step run in.

I had only 20 minutes max to get my workout in, and I did not want to chance having a bad run and not making it back in time, plus the sky was cloudy, so I figured 20 trips up and down the steps would have to suffice. Besides, my legs are pretty tight/solid, which makes it well worth the struggle.

So struggle I did, but fortunately not greatly. I finished my 20 trips in 16:26, which I am okay with. I knew there was no way I was going to best Tuesday's time, particularly considering I don't normally (or maybe ever) have two step workouts within a three-day period. And it did feel a little humid.

All in all, a good workout week. One day of swimming, two days of steps, and one Zumba workout.