Nothing like running steps in 90-degree weather

In addition to running about 1.5 miles this week (along with a Zumba class and two days of swimming), I also ran up the 65-ish fun-filled steps 10 times. Several people told me I was nuts as it was 90 degrees. And I did not disagree with them. But I guess I felt as if I had something to prove to myself.

I kept the pace rather slow as I was sweating (so much for clothes that wick away perspiration) and struggling. In the end, I finished in 8:55, which I was happy with considering the temps. When I was finished and had a few minutes to catch my breath, I decided to run around the gym and up those steps four times. To me, exercising for only nine minutes hardly "counts." That too was no easy task considering the heat, but I was happy to get another five minutes of movement.

I wish I could be happy with walking as it is probably not a good idea to get my 40-year-old heart up to 180 bpm, but it seems so inefficient and boring. However, if the heat continues (and I don't think it will), then I may have to slow down the pace.

Stay tuned.

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.

A lot of swimming and some boredom

Since I last blogged, I have gone swimming three times. I swam 25 consecutive laps on Wednesday, about 30 laps on Sunday, and then yesterday, I swam about 15 laps and threw in some jogging for good measure. For some reason, my laps were sluggish yesterday. Whereas on Sunday, I did my 30 laps in about 35 minutes, yesterday it took me well over 20 minutes to get in 15 laps. I was okay going slowly, since my speed was pretty good the day before. But I was not sure what was causing me to languish, if you will.

Nonetheless, with this crazy weather, I am glad I have the indoor pool option. Right now it is about 50 degrees, but it has been raining all morning, so running is out. That means no exercise for me today; I definitely do not feel like getting in the pool three days in a row. Tomorrow, probably.

Resistance is futile!

I was not my usual exercising self over the past few weeks. I think I swam only three times between the days leading up to Christmas through New Year's Eve. As for running, I had not run at all for almost three weeks, back when I fought with the treadmill. And my last run outside was over a month ago, way back when I was still in my 30s!

But yesterday, not really feeling like swimming lap after lap as I had done on Saturday and Monday, I decided to jog in the pool instead. To save my knees some, I would jog up a lane and then over, and then I would jog backwards three lanes from where I started. When I am in 3', I can actually pump my arms and get some speed going. But when I get into 4' and beyond (I usually turn just before I get to 5'), it feels as if I am going through molasses, not that I have had first-hand experience.

For the last few minutes of my 30 minute "jog," I tried to run as fast as I could, perpendicular to the lanes, while in 3'. I never feel as if I get a great workout when I jog in the pool, mostly, I presume, because I am not doing it that fast. So hopefully with the speed at the end, I challenged myself enough. And I did manage to swim five laps after that, just because it would seem almost pathetic not to get in some laps.

It has been cold the past few days and crazy snowy on Tuesday, so running has been out this week. But maybe, just maybe, I can bring myself to run a couple miles on Friday, when it is supposed to hit the upper 40s. I won't have much of an excuse then.

That was pretty productive.

This morning after I dropped the kid off at school, I decided to go swimming. As I have probably mentioned before, the laps I do at the pool are between time spent playing with the kid at the pool. Typically I swim about 10 laps before taking a break to splash around. Some days, I may only manage six or eight before I am summoned to "play with me."

This morning, I decided I would swim at least 30 laps before calling it a morning. My last two times at the pool, I swam 20 and 25 laps respectively, so I figured I, being alone, should be able to surpass that.

I ended up swimming 45 laps, so yeah me! Most laps were at a medium speed, and some were even slow. I ended up doing only about a half dozen fast laps. As I have stated on this blog before, I could probably swim way more laps than what I normally do, so long as I go slowly; I have a lot of endurance.

When I finished lap #45, in about 55 minutes, I decided to run around the pool for 15 minutes. Before I started my swim, I considered going running this afternoon. But once I hit 40 laps, I figured it might be best to skip the run. Jogging back and forth the length of the pool is so much easier than pounding the pavement, and it still counts!

Since I was feeling pretty good, I spent the last under-10 minutes doing some walking lunges, split squats, regular squats, and push ups. All in all, it was a good workout.

But if I expect to run in the Race for Pace, which is two and a half weeks away, I better get myself motivated to run soon.

50 laps

No, I did not run 50 laps; more on that later. Instead, for the first time ever, I swam 50 consecutive laps at the pool. Well, technically, I stopped after each of the first three as I was having difficulties with my goggles. But after the eyepieces finally starting suctioning themselves to my face, I was in business.

Not surprisingly, I swam at a moderate pace, probably closer to slow than fast. Originally, my goal was to do 35 laps, the most I had previously completed, so I knew I could not swim quickly if I expected to achieve that. But once I finished around 30 and felt fine, I decided I should at least go for over 40. And once I neared that milestone, I decided it was 50 or bust.

During my last few laps, I probably could have been mistaken for a 70-year-old woman; I was swimming awfully slowly. And I considered asking the only other person in the pool to keep an eye on me in case I started to sink. But for my final lap, I managed to do my nemesis stroke--the butterfly. The butterfly as an insect seems light, airy, and graceful. I, swimming the butterfly stroke, look cumbersome, splash way too much, and breath like a panting dog.

No matter. I did my 50 laps. Yeah, me!

As for my not running, I am blaming it on the shoes. More on that later.