It's just across the riverbend!

How did within 12 hours we had three new posts? Man, I really need to get on it. So, yes, April and I decided to get together to run alongside the Riverwalk last night, and I'm so glad we did. After grabbing a quick bite from a nearby gas station -- $1.89 Slimfast meal-on-the-go bar, $.79 water bottle, some lame-o crackers ... (healthy!) I was off to April's house.

After picking up April and hopping into the car to drive over to the Riverwalk, April tells me, "Lauren, if you had said 'Let's stay in and watch TV, I would have taken you up on the offer.' " I began to feel that it was my duty and obligation to be the most motivating running buddy I could be. We started running (and by the way it's super humid out), and I started chatting it up, trying to think of all the fun tidbits I learned when I first started running three years ago. (With a two and a half year sabbatical in between ... )

"If you run with your arms closer to your chest, rather than up towards your waist, it's an indicator that you're getting tired!" I said. "If you need to give your breathing a break, give your upper body a rest and try to focus on running with just your lower body!" "Wow, we're already at the Blossom Street bridge -- half a mile down! We can do it!"

These positive tips of mine quickly became my downfall. As April and I encountered a few slight hills and some unexpectedly longer path to run, I began to get really frustrated with these environmental factors, as well as the humidity ("Ugh, it's so muggy!") and my breathing patterns ("April, can you hear my loud breathing?"). Soon, April turned into MY motivational running buddy ("Just a little more, passed the riverbend!"), which was awesome. I was really proud of my former roommate at that moment.

In the end, we ran 1.5 miles -- From the Gervais Street bridge, under the Blossom Street bridge, to the Pointe West bridge. I know that would have never run as far as I did had I been running solo. We're even planning another run tomorrow evening, too. I feel much more prepared and ready for our Labor Day run, especially with our cool buddy system we've got going (both physical and virtual!).

SuperGirl!

Sort of... I leaped from my bed this morning, donned my red running shorts and bolted down the stairs ready to conquer evil and my puny goals... only to hear the whimpering cries of a small member of Mulliganopolis. Her blankets had been tangled and her pacis flung during the dark, cold night... she was in desperate need of a Superhero! Mommy to the rescue! 10 minutes later I was out the door! I "flew" only a mile this morning, forgoing my warm-up and cool down in case the blanket twisting paci flinger struck again!

I ran the whole mile without stopping in... please don't laugh... 12:58.

Onward now to conquer the evils of breakfast, a well-baby check-up and the ever-menacing task of keeping the house picked up while waiting for company to arrive! Dunt duh DUH duh! Dunt duh DUH duh! Dunt duh duh duh duh duh... dunt, tah, taaaahhhhh!

New shoes make a difference

New shoes make a difference and so does having a buddy to run with. Lauren and I went to the Riverwalk and ran this evening. We were a bit whiney about going...ok, that was probably just me, but anyway, once we got going it was an awesome run. I had my new running shoes and that totally did help. They have a bit of a bounce. We ran from the New Orleans Restaurant side all the way to Point West bridge and I felt as if I could go farther. However, I didn't wanna push it ;-) Lauren and I also figured out after some calculating, that we ran 1.5 miles. We thought we were pretty awesome for that. Truth be known, we are pretty awesome ;-) Anyway, Lauren is supposed to blog more about our experience so I'll leave the commentary to her. Peace out, pals!

April

If I Were A Superhero, My Name Would Be "Sloth Girl"

Ah... feel like I had to start over this week after not getting in a run since LAST Tuesday... or whenever it was. I ran Monday morning, but it just did not feel all that great. I will be out again tomorrow morning and will, of course, let you know how it goes! I am still sticking with my goal of running a full mile without walking by Monday! I think I can! I think I can!

Oh, by the way, Ladies, The Cooper River Bridge Run is scheduled for April 5, 2008. Check those calendars!

I Reached a New Personal Best!

I ran Thursday and yesterday evening. Last evening, I reached a goal. I ran from the New Orleans restaurant part of the Riverwalk all the way to the Point West part. For me that was big considering the fact that I've never gotten that far and I've always given up before that point. I'll be honest, when I started running, I wanted to stop because it felt more difficult than normally. Then, after I got to the point that I normally stop, I caught a second wind and actually started to feel better so I kept going until I made it to that Point West bridge. I was pleased, but totally wiped out after that, so I started to walk back. I got a bit lightheaded walking back, so I realized I still have quite a ways to go. I made it back to my car without passing out or throwing up, so I counted the day as a good one ;-) I figure I'll take today off...maybe go try to find some shoes and let my body chill a bit.

Oh and on another note, if you are interested in doing the Labor Day 5k, get me your registration forms and check by Friday and I'll take them by Strickly Running and get our packets as well. Or you can do it yourself. I just wanted to offer that service since I plan on going anyway. If we get the registration in before the day of, we will only have to pay $20 for the 5k walk.

Keep on runnin', friends!

April

Rain is good, just not for running

So, I set my alarm for 5:40 this morning and actually got up. Unfortunately it was pouring rain, thundering and lightening. So I went and unplugged the appliances in the house and went back to bed. I think I might have actually made it to run this morning had it been a clear morning. Anyway, I was bummed because I didn't get to go yesterday since I was working on crap from like 6:30 in the morning till 7 in the evening or so...taking time to eat in between of course ;-). I did get to run the day before though I ran at like 2:00 or 3:00 in the sweltering heat. It was still a good run though. I probably ran a whole mile or more. I was at the Riverwalk so I didn't have mile markers. That was my only window of opportunity that day so I took though conditions were not ideal.

I think I'm starting to get a bit addicted to this running thing. If I don't do it, I miss it. I still dread it and hate it at the same time, but I also like it. Its a weird thing. If it keeps raining today, I may just have to run while a little wet. I'm really hoping to find time today.

Now that I'm getting on more of an exercise routine, I'm going to have to start the harder part. Focusing on diet. Grrrrr. Oh well, I'll report on how that's going later. Gotta jet!

April

The Sprinkler Got Me!

Thought that would peak your interest! I was out the door running this morning at 7:05. This is how I have been doing it: .5 mile warm up, 1 timed mile and .5 mile cool down. This morning half way through my timed mile, I got totally doused by a misaligned sprinkler... word to the wise: do not assume that everyone is watering their LAWNS... some folks apparently like to water their sidewalks as well! Anyway, I considered stopping. After all, I think getting totally creamed by your neighbor's sprinkler would have been a fabulous excuse. However, I decided it might keep me cooler and pressed on! I'm glad I did... my timed mile was run/walked in 12:05. Which, you may recall is quite an improvement over last time! I do fear, however, that at this rate, I may be the only one walking the 5K on Labor Day Weekend! Girls, I expect you to be at the finish line lifting a sister up in prayer if you finish without me. (Which I fully expect you to do if you can totally dust me!) Anyway...

I too, have been considering goals and decided this morning that I HAD to conquer this 1 mile thing! I am such a total wimp that if I begin to feel slightly uncomfortable, I just start walking. I must stop the madness. So, my new short term goal is to run my full mile without stopping by September 2. I am also going to start alternating my above mentioned 2 mile routine with a 3 mile "distance" run starting next week. In addition to getting past that "1 mile thing", I also have to start thinking about the fact that I am actually going to have to go 3 miles in the very near future! Hopefully, I will actually be RUNNING them! :) Run, April, Run! And you too, Lauren... and Anna! ;)

Eating is easier than running

ok, so i never ran after eating at palmetto pig. I didn't run Sunday. I was about to run yesterday, but got invited to Cici's pizza and went there. Thanks, Lauren! and Laura and Meredith. I wish I didn't need community so much. We did do a little Dance Dance Revolution but I definitely didn't do enough. Oh well, hopefully today is the day. I hope it stays as cool outside as it was a little while ago. It was nice.

So moving on, I'm posting links to the Family Funfest or whatever its called on Labor Day. I'm a little peeved at 89.7 WMHK for not really sending the promo e-mails out sooner. We've missed all the discounts for this 5k run/walk. We could register for the 5k walk just to start getting a feel for these things, but it will still be $25. I don't know how ya'll feel about it. I should be game if anyone else is. Even if we decide against the 5k, take a look around the site, there looks like there maybe some cool stuff to do later on in the day if anyone is interested in that. Here are the links: http://www.columbiafamilyfest.com/ and this one is the registration pdf for the 5k http://www.strictlyrunning.com/images/07LaborDay.Pdf
Give me your feedback..even if you aren't an author on this blog, you can still run with us if you want. Just leave comments and let us know. Peace!

April

I've added a new link

I added a new link on our sidebar about treadmill workouts because I'm getting really bored with the treadmill. Last Wednesday (the last time I ran -- geesh, that was a long time ago), I was on a psycho treadmill that was somehow set on to increase my incline or decrease my speed every minute. So, at first I was about to go mental because every minute, I had to keep pushing buttons to keep me consistent with my lowly 11-min mile pace and 0.00 incline. Incredibly frustrating at first, but with each minute, I had something to look forward to -- is Psycho Treadmill going to go up in speed or pace? It kept my mind off of what was really going on -- my running.

After conversing with April on this -- I'm going to start setting two-week goals for myself. I was able to reach my 1 mile goal quicker than I had originally thought (go me!), but now I think this is where that "Diminishing returns" principle we learn in school is going to set in. I don't think I'm going to be able to push out 2 miles for a while, so I'll set my new two week goal to this:

By September 4th, I will be able to run 1.5 miles. What's your goal?

Get Out There and Exercise!

OK, so I know there aren't any rules to our training program or what have you, but I definitely think that getting "out there" and exercising and keeping the old ticker at a healthy pace is what really matters! (Or maybe I am just trying to avoid straight up running at any cost) Today I played tennis for 1.5 hours and I think that was at least equivalent to a mile. My heart was definitely hammering and I was surely sweating so yea.
But what I am really trying to get at is this: if you find yourself in a rut and even the thought of running is painful pick some other form of physical exertion - perhaps one that you even enjoy - and go do it! Now that's not to say that you (and me) can stop running but mixing it up every once in a while surely couldn't hurt, right? Tell me if I'm wrong!
Well that's all for now, but let this thought be with you: run on, run on, run on...

PS Joeli, Todd and Moore open at 9 tomorrow and they don't close till 7! So I am going to check out the shoes at some point then. And to Lauren too (you told me you were looking for a new pair of actual tennis shoes)!

A Day of Rest

OK... So, it's Sunday and I STILL went out for a run this morning... at 6:50 am, I might add. However, since it is a day of rest, I did not really pay too much attention to my times. Actually, since it is the Lord's Day, I have to be completely honest: I started to keep track of my time and then forgot to stop my watch when I finished. So, then justified not knowing what my time was by figuring that it is more spiritual and peaceful and restful to run just for the sake of running! Ha! Whatever! At least I exerted some energy this morning! I really had to get back on the wagon! This was the first time since Tuesday that I ran! BUT - April and Anna will love this since we specifically discussed that one should NOT exercise twice in one day... especially on the Lord's Day - I swam laps this afternoon!! WooHoo! So, I figure that makes up for at least one missed day of running this week! I will do better starting tomorrow... when it is no longer A Day of Rest!

Anna, I think you should run with us...

So, yes, in response to Anna's comment, you should run. Afterall, Anna, at least you are still a student and get to take advantage of that Strom Thurmond Wellness Center track. Join us in this cause. Run, April, Run could become a national phenomenon...where we don't just run the race for running sake, but for LIFE's sake! Ok, I don't really know what I'm talking about, but it would be cool if other people want to join in our efforts...of running...and complaining about running. haha. oh wait, I'm the only one complaining. People can join me in that part, hehehe.

Soooo, anyway, I ran the day before yesterday and felt ok about myself. I didn't run yesterday, BUT I did some massive yard work in the middle of the hot hot day cutting those massively tall shrubs that Micheal was too much of a pansie to cut. My body hurts more from that than it does from running. In fact, I don't really get muscle aches from running anymore. I hope to get a run in this evening. I think I'm gonna go to Palmetto Pig tonight though (if Laura, my enabler still wants to go...or if anyone wants to go enable me that would be great). I'll need to run after that. Here's hoping I don't throw up all over the place...hehehe.

Oh and yes, run with us :-)

April

Making a Title for My Posts is My Favorite Part

So, I decided to get back on the ball and run yesterday. Remind me to bring my enhaler next time. Breathing did get a bit difficult and I started to yawn some which can be an early sign of an asthma attack. Man, I sound like a spaz. Probably because I am. Anyway, I made it through an entire mile of running without stopping. Yay me. Unfortunately it was a slow mile. Though I was not keeping time, I think it took me about 11 minutes because I got through three songs on my mp3 player. Ironically the last song I listened to during this mile long run was "God Help Me" by Rebecca St.James. Normally that's what I'm saying while I run. Fitting. When I was in high school, I could run a mile in 9 minutes. Still not majorly impressive, but way better than I am now. The realities of aging are harsh. Actually its not aging. There are some 50 year olds that run out there that dust me every time. Oh well, I'm sure there are other things that I can do better than them :-P

Moving on, I plan on going to run this evening as well. Hopefully I'll go a little farther today. That's the plan. I have to keep in mind that this thing is for endurance and getting through it, not necessarily speed. The lifeboat doesn't matter ;-)

I hate that I have to title my post every time

After my gym excursion yesterday, I strolled by the library and picked up a book on beginning runners and skimmed through it last nignt. That was a huge run-on sentence. It had a long list of reasons to run, including a few favorites:
1. You can get an efficient workout in 20 minutes by running
2. You can do it anywhere, anytime, inside/outside, with or without other people, with or without a gym.
3. It's the king of calorie burning exercises.
4. It will help to improve your posture.
5. It's an activity that can help other people (signing up for charity races)
6. It helps you create goals for yourself.
7. It builds confidence and self-esteem.
8. You almost always feel better after you run.

The last one is really true -- Monday, I decided to be a sloth and didn't run, and I felt incredibly sluggish, ate a little too much, and was sort of generally down about life. Yesterday, I ran after work and afterwards, I was more alert, didn't pig out from dinner, and I slept amazingly well. Kudos to running.

Day 2: Goal-Setting Is Important

6:00 a.m. - Hit snooze and seriously considered just turning off the alarm... who would even KNOW that I didn't run this morning?!
6:10 a.m. - Got out of bed... the Lord knows... plus I am not letting those young whipper-snappers make me look bad! I will do it for 30 somethings everywhere!
6:15 a.m. - Bolted out the door intending to awe myself with how much progress I had made in just 1 day of training! I am great in my own mind! And I WAS truly awed by how beautiful morning is and how much cooler 6 AM is than 6 PM!
6:17 a.m. - Was passed by a "real" runner in my neighborhood... thought, "What kind of a lunatic gets up at 6 in the morning to torture themselves like this?!
6:20 a.m. - Commenced to speed-walking... this is exactly what the "Real Simple"article said I am supposed to do when I get tired or feel like going home... walk, Joeli, walk...
6:25 a.m. - Saw my 10 minute mile dream fly out the window, but was still pretty impressed with how fast I was trucking along.
6:30 a.m. - Got a cramp! Aaaaahhhhh! OK... time for goal-setting...
6:32 a.m. - Dern cramp! Now my time is shot!
6:35 a.m. - Back home! Ended up run/walking a 13.3 minute-mile, BUT have decided that my goal is to be running an 11 minute-mile by Christmas... or maybe Thanksgiving... or Halloween... how long is that anyway? What day is it? Oh well... my heart is beating, my brow is damp and goal-setting is very important! Run, April, Run! And you too, Lauren!

Must be something about 23

Ok, so I didn't post my progress for last week, but here it is. Last time I ran was last Tuesday. I actually went twice. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon. However by the time the afternoon rolled around, I was not as energetic as I thought and realized that it was incredibly hot outside so I walked and pondered life. Sometimes I think that's part of my problem...I'm a ponderer. When I'm outside like that, the first thing I want to do is take a stroll and think and pray. I can't think and pray while running. Ok, i take that back, I can think and pray, but the thought is usually, "This sucks and when is it gonna end" and the prayer is usually, "Please, God, put me out of my misery." I can't seem to get past those two things while running to get any farther.

I've also realized that my body is way different than it used to be. For instance, I think I gain weight just by breathing in air now. I'm like the only person who I think could be thrown out into the middle of Africa with only a bowl of rice and a bottle of water and still gain weight. I truly believe that the cure for world hunger may lie within my metabolism. Perhaps I have a glandular problem. Anyway, I will hopefully have the opportunity to go for a run this afternoon. I dunno. I guess it depends on whether or not my glandular problem will allow me to do so.

April

The old woman is officially "in training"!

Whew! Speaking of really freakin' hot: I just spent 15... count 'em... 15 minutes outside in the humid, hot SC summer air running/speed walking as per Lauren's very helpful link to the "Real Simple" website. I guess I did all right. At least I started which was my big hurdle! And while 15 minutes may not sound like much, I must say that I am totally wringing wet, ready for a shower AND quite sure that my neighborhood has way more hills than I once thought it did! I will keep you posted! Run, April, Run! And you too, Lauren!

Hot hot heat

I'm gonna be honest. I've yet to run a second time this week, and this is going to come off sounding like an excuse (mainly, because it is) ... IT'S TOO FREAKING HOT OUTSIDE. There. I said it. Though I do feel guilty that I'm neglecting my poor withering body, I'm secretly smiling that I have a really good excuse not to run for a while. I'll get back on it soon as this cold front sweeps through.

Officially started!

Today was the big kick-off event for me in my running expedition. I tried to squeeze in an effective workout during my lunch hour -- and since I was running for half of it, I think I did okay. Here's how it all went down:

MIN --- ACTIVITY
0:00 -- Step on treadmill, begin walking. Music in the Blatt is PUMPING.
5:00 -- Start running at an 11 minute mile pace, decide that my goal will be to run for 5 minutes straight
11:00 -- Worn out, but passed my goal. Recovery walk = not FUN. Realized that I hate running.
17:00 -- Said, "what the heck" and gave myself another goal to run until I reached the 20:00 minute mark
21:00 -- Ran passed my goal again (I have low expectations of myself)
30:00 -- Finished up with some stretching, looked in a mirror and saw that I was sweating in that gross sort of way

I'm proud that I ran for a total 10 minutes, but tomorrow's personal goal will be to run for 12 minutes (not straight, but 12 minutes at some point in the 30 minute period of time).

Happy Birthday, Joeli!

I want to take a moment to wish our fellow book club member, Joeli a happy birthday. She turns 24 today ;-) teehee. You haven't been seeing posts from Joeli because she has been chilling at the beach with her family this week. Lucky her. Now, onto the progress...

I actually did run yesterday. I wanted to die for a while but felt better but it was hot so I probably didn't run for as long as I should have, but figured that I'm just getting started and need to ease my way up. (that was a massive run on sentence!) I thought about getting up at 5:30 this morning to run, but once my alarm went off, I decided against it. Its hard to get pumped at 5:30 in the morning. Perhaps I'll try during a week or day where I don't have so much work going on. I probably won't get to run today seeing as today looks like its gonna be a 13-14 hour work day. I have video shooting till about 9 tonight and they say it isn't safe for a lady to go running at night. I still don't have any pictures, but I'll get there. I'll also have to tell you about the epiphanies I've already gotten while running. I'll make you wait though. Till then, happy running and keep cool in the heat.

April

Things I think about while at church

My grand idea came today. I think I might splurge and go ahead and buy an iPod so I have extra incentive to run. I need something to get me going, and I feel a sense of urgency creeping in. I'm of the ADHD generation -- I'm a pretty decent multi-takser, and I can see how having an iPod would be a fantastic way to multi-task while working out. I could listen to free podcasts of cool lectures, famous speeches, old sermons, etc while I'm on the treadmill. Brilliant. I bet you a dollar there is a podcast out there with a mission to encouraging people while they're doing their workouts. "Come on! You can do! One more mile! That's the spirit!"

So I don't really like to run...

Ok, I must admit that I was a little surprised at the name of this blog when I found out about it, BUT I also died laughing. I'm all for humor at my own expense if it is good humor and I do believe that this is. Speaking of Good Humor, I could totally go for some ice cream right now. But I must resist. Afterall, I just finished off the ice cream in the freezer...and I'm in training apparently. In case you haven't noticed, I hate running. I feel like running should be reserved for things like emergencies...like say you're being chased by a murderer or something. Or it is good for sports. I can run while playing sports because I get fooled into not thinking I'm running.

"So, April, why are you going to try this running thing if you hate running so much?" you may ask. Well, to answer your question, 1) I give into peer pressure quite often and 2) losing a bit of weight would be good for me. Hey, it worked for Lauren! So, to inform you on where my progress is, I actually did run last Wednesday I think it was. I ran farther down the Riverwalk than I ever have and was pleased with myself. However today was a bit of a step back because after church, the Wendy's dollar menu was calling my name. I'm a sucker for cheap food.

I may try to redeem myself a bit later by going for a run...or maybe a walk. It is Sunday, the day of rest afterall. It just depends.

Hopefully I'll find some pictures or something to put here. We'll be on that soon...er or later. Enjoy are blog and keep checking back.

April

A funny thing happened at SFGKW

So ... as in introduction, let's go over the rationale for creating this blog:

April, Joeli and I meet for a book club session each Tuesday to discuss a chapter or two of the book we're reading (currently, it's Don Miller's Searching for God Knows What). We tend to ramble -- mainly Joeli -- but this time, we rambled onto a conversation about running 5Ks, which then turned into how we should collaboratively run and train for next year's Cooper River Bridge Run. Joeli went head over heels, as did I, but it took a little bit of prodding (a LOT of prodding) for April to buy in to the idea.

I decided to call this blog "Run, April, Run" -- not to pick (yes, to pick!) on April, but to remind us to be encouraging and supportive as we go into unknown territory. It's also an outlet where we can post our progress -- the small successes, the huge challenges, and the random thoughts to come to mind as we're running along ...