Go The Distance

Went to the Leisure Center yesterday thinking that I would knock out some good running... you know: no hills, no heat, no humidity... However, I underestimated the effects of not running for a week. As a beginner, I think consistency is a key factor in success... maybe I will write a book! Anyway... I ran the first mile (after walking .2 miles to warm up... I was actually thinking that I might just go for 10K since I had the time... thought I would go ahead and get that pesky .2 out of the way since I am no math genius and that lap counting gets tough!). However, my pace was totally off. So, I ended up running it in 10 minutes. Which is great except I ended up getting a cramp! So, I walked a half mile to recover, but when it was time to start running again, the cramp "flared" right back up (can cramps really even DO that?!). So, the bottom line is: I ran 1 mile in 10 minutes (after walking my .2... don't forget about that) and then walked another 2. Even though I didn't run like I wished I could have, I felt good and I think my elderly cohorts at "the center" were proud of me! ;) Anybody up for running this Wednesday night? Run, April, Run!

Oh... I was listening to WMHK yesterday and the DJ was saying she saw a bumper sticker that said, "Runner Girl" on it and how she thought it was cute and wanted to get one for herself. Then she says, "Of course mine would have to say: 'Walks Kind of Slow and Gets Out of Breath Easy' to be honest! No truth in advertising for me to put a 'Runner Girl' sticker on my car!" I was laughing my head off and thought of us!! Any way you can make a few of those up for us, April?! :)

MUST I Start Over Every Week?!

OK... so, it has been so long since I posted that Lauren actually sent me a reminder! How terrible is that?! I just told my sister-in-law this weekend that I will probably have to start over on all my goals after the week I have had! EVERY SINGLE TIME I tried to run last week my plans were foiled in some way! And then we were away with the whole Mulligan family from Wednesday afternoon until just this very minute! And frankly, I would look out the window of the beach house and just feel like I wanted to remain lazy rather than go put on those running shoes that I REALLY thought I would use when I packed them! HOWEVER, I AM starting over tomorrow morning! I will update you with ACTUAL running news then! Hope you all are doing great and running like crazy! Run, Joeli, Run! :)

Oh, man, the weather is so nice right now!

So I haven't had the adventure that Lauren had. And I fortunately haven't been sick like Anna has (not yet anyway...everyone seems to be catching something). But for some reason, my computer has some sort of security block where it doesn't want me to post comments right now, so I suppose I'll just have to mention them in here. Anna, I sure hope you are feeling better and that you will be able to find time to get out and do something fun and at least somewhat physically exherting (i dunno if i spelled that right but you know what i mean).

This weather is so great right now. It reminds me of softball training in the fall where I would either come home from school and practice in my back yard or I would go to Columbia to play fall ball. I thought about going to the leisure center to run today, but it was so nice out I went to the riverwalk. I went a little ways past the Pointe West bridge this time and hit another April Adams Riverwalk Record (haha). I made it to the call box this time, but fortunately didn't have to call anyone to come and get me. The lack of muggy air made it a lot easier on the breathing and it was pretty fun (never thought I'd say that).

Oh, and Lauren, are we gonna run the Ray Tanner Home Run or not? If so, I need to register. If not, I won't. (simple enough, huh.) Anyhooo, gotta go get some groceries.

Peace, friends!

April

My weekend of running

This weather this weekend just SCREAMED for me to go outside and run. So I did, both Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. Friday, I parked my car on the streets of Shandon and ran two miles (yay!). If anyone wants to join me for a neighborhood run, this is the place to start – Shandon has flat roads, shady trees, and each block makes it easy to keep track of your distance and set mini-goals for yourself. I also saw several people other people in the neighborhood either running, biking or walking their dogs. It was great.

Running on Sunday was a bad decision – maybe not the act of running, but the time and location I chose to run. I decided to run from my apartment to the med school campus – which is a little under a 1 ½ away. Great. I can do this. Before I went on my trek, I didn’t think about the lack of a sidewalk, and because of the rain two nights ago, the grass was still mushy. I didn’t think about the incline in the Hampton Hill area, and I didn’t think about how much traffic was on Garners Ferry and how the sidewalk on Garners Ferry is THISCLOSE to the road. Eek. My dad would have flipped out. But I pressed onward.

When I finally got into the campus, I was feeling like a survivor on one of those reality shows. If you haven’t been through the campus, it’s fairly large, and it has a lot of cool old buildings that make you wonder about the historical events that happened back in the day. There is a lot of land and several vacant old brick buildings that look like they were built in the early 1900s. There’s even an abandoned obstacle fitness course behind one of the lab buildings.

And then I got lost. Well, not technically lost – but I ended up going further than I originally thought I would. Did you know that the med school buildings and the VA hospital buildings are all connected? I kept trying to find an opening in between the two areas, but I kept running into dead ends that lead to loading docks, courtyards, and smoking sections. I even ran into (what I think was) the back window of the cadaver lab. Ugh, very frustrating. By this time, I just wanted to go home, but I was about 1 ½ mile away from my apartment.

I finally looped around the entire building … walking, running, walking, and running. And finally, I made it back home. I got into my car to see how far I went – 4.3 miles! Though I definitely didn’t run the entire time, I probably ran about 2 miles. It was an adventure, but I think I’ll stick with running in Shandon and the Riverwalk.

Strep, Strep...oh Stressed, Right!

Ok, so I have to go the doctor AGAIN tomorrow. I'm pretty sure that I have strep or some kinda crazy thing in my throat ( I just got over this fluid/not-quite-ear infection thingy)! But besides all that, I have been constantly thinking about running and why I am not.

I feel like I've become a fringe member lately due to all my craziness i.e. school, shool work, work, more school work, and the list goes on. But I do have something to add which I think will be really neat: Jingle All the Way 5K! It's on December 1 and through 11/16 it's only $20. You can register online at www.strictlyrunning.com I would post the cool flier but I am retarded and can't seem to manage it.

So, in conclusion, I may have strep, I want to run, and I may actually run tomorrow evening (if I don't have strep or a fever) So ladies, keep on running and I must say that I am really proud of all 3 of you - you guys rock my socks off!

2 Miles & A Baby

Are you sensing a theme in my post titles lately!? :) So, today, I went to the leisure center again while Caleb was at school. Yes, you noted correctly that I only mentioned ONE of my children being out of my presence... Kep and I decided to go workout! From 11:00-Noon daily the gym floor is open to Mommies and their strollers. So, I thought we would give it a whirl! It was just Keppley, me and a very nice older gentleman who left right about the same time we finished our first mile! The bottom line is: I spent my first mile walking with Kep in the stroller and my second mile alternately holding her in my arms, carrying her on my shoulders and running to and from her chasing a stray basketball! I have NO IDEA how I did time-wise, but I figure, any exertion with a 16 month in tow counts for something! :) I am TOTALLY up for meeting y'all to run tomorrow night between 6:00-7:00. Just holler! RUN APRIL RUN! And you too, Lauren! I'll be your buddy! :)

I don't which is which -- if I'm becoming more lazy about running consistently or that I'm just doing too many other things. I definitely staying active -- I play tennis and I'm taking a spinning class, but I'm beginning to see that when it's time for me to run, I tend to say to myself, 'There's always tomorrow.' ... Any suggestions? I've really wanted to do some running around the Shandon because it seems safer in a neighborhood and there's a lot of trees for shade. Also, I think the buddy system was the best thing for me! Maybe I need to rent a dog for a few hours so I'm not by myself when I'm running!

Lauren

Krispy Kreme & 5Ks

WooHoo! Let me tell you about my latest "workout routine"! So, this morning, I packed my running clothes thinking that I would run in Cayce while the kids were in preschool. I then decided that I wanted to do my Bible study first. And by the time I was done with that, I felt that the heat was getting to intense. So, I went to Krispy Kreme! :) While I was there, however, I remembered that I could walk/run at the Tri-City Leisure Center... no heat, no humidity, no hills! SCORE! So, I go over there and decide that I am going to run 3 miles: run one, walk half, run another, walk half to cool down. Get this... my miles were the BEST I've ever done - no lie! Granted: no heat, no humidity, no hills, but I personally think it might be the sugar rush... that's what I am going with! :) I ran the first in 11:40 and the second in 10:25!! WooHoo! So, anyway, I am thinking maybe we could meet over there once a week or so to get our distances up and our pace down. You know, just to condition ourselves without contending with the brutal elements! Anyway... I will be heading over there more often and I would LOVE for you ladies to join me! I am available and kid-free every Wednesday night between 6:00-7:00 pm... (Maybe we can meet at Krispy Kreme!!) Run April Run! And you too, Lauren!

Latest Update

Did my typical routine this AM with surprisingly good results! You know my routine is .5 mile warm up, 1 mile run and .5 mile cool down. This morning I ran the timed mile in 11:45!! I was shocked! I am still at an average 13 minute mile pace over the whole workout (mostly because I am still asleep for the warm up!), but I think that increasing the distance i.e. running 3.1 miles on Monday has helped me do better when I "go short"! Anyway... this running thing is pretty cool, I suppose! :) I am looking forward to going longer and getting faster! I mapped out a couple different tracks of varied distances from the church yesterday so I can do my runs from there while the kids are at school... at least on some days. Run April, Run! And you too, Lauren! Anyone heard from Anna lately?! ;)

Pictures from the 5K

The Labor Day 5K was pretty cool. It felt like way more than 3 miles though. Hopefully the next one that we do won't be so "hilly." No matter, we had a blast and were quite proud of ourselves for jogging during part of our walk. Here's some pictures from our "race." If you would like to see more, check out my Flickr site.


Rock on!


Run, Lauren, Run!


Runnin' on air!


Joeli posin'.

for more go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/apriladams/

Our First 5K!

OK! First of all, let me just say that the new graphic of us running across the Cooper River Bridge is TOO MUCH! I love it! Especially since I, apparently, am out in front of my two much younger running buddies!! Ha ha! Although I am a little perplexed at what April may be trying to say about hair... but we will leave that alone for the time being!

Did we rock out on our 5K walk/run today or what, Ladies?! We showed those elderly men and women, moms with strollers and folks who had been dragged along by some else who was boss! If only those pesky elementary school students had been taught to respect their elders! :) Seriously, though, I think we did GREAT and am proud of us, frankly, for just getting up at dark-thirty on Labor Day to go exert as much energy as we exerted! And, I was looking at some of the times on the Strictly Running post and we aren't that far off from a lot of the 5K runners. We now have a great baseline from which we can set goals and work toward getting better and better for our future races.

My favorite quote of the morning: "They're giving out prizes for the 5K walk?! You'll probably win one, Joeli... for your age category!" Thanks, Lauren! Thanks!

Run April Run!! And you too, Lauren!