lynnerz1030-blog

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Week 5

This week started the second quarter of my training plan!  I had to change up the days I run this week because I messed up my schedule at the end of last weekend by going to Boston.  I did my shorter runs on Tuesday and Thursday this week instead of Monday and Wednesday.

This week, I was on February break, so I had a little bit more flexibility with the time of day I could run.  On Tuesday, I ran 3 miles right before I met with my trainer.  Usually I don't like to do that, but I needed to get that run in.  Luckily, my trainer didn’t have too rigorous of a workout planned.  It was a lot of ankle/hip stability exercises, which I totally need.  On Thursday, the weather was pretty decent.  There was no snow, and the temperature was in the 30′s.  I ended up spending the day at my parent’s house because I didn’t have a car for the day.  I ended up doing my 5 mile run around the neighborhoods around my parents house.  I don’t know why, but this run seemed especially hard.  Well, let’s be honest-every run is hard.  This one, just seemed harder.  Plus, my phone died halfway through my run, so my music stopped.  I hate when that happens, because music is what keeps me going when I’m running.  I was a little nervous about my long run on Saturday based on this run.

I spent Friday night at my parent’s house so that way I would already be where I wanted to start my run when I woke up in the morning.  I also told my friends that I would not be able to hang out on Friday nights going forward, because I need to wake up on Saturday mornings to get in my runs.  There are a lot of places to run around my parent’s house, so that is where I like to go especially to do long runs.  I woke up around 7 and set out to do 10 miles.  I felt so great throughout my run!  It was a little bit slower than I wanted, but it was also windy out, so I was fighting that.  However, I felt so good and like I could have kept running forever.  I can’t count how many times I told my mom that day how great my run was.  I’m hoping this can continue as I build up to even longer runs.

I had such a great February break.  I spent a lot of time with people I care about, had a lot of fun, and was able to relax from a really stressful previous week at work.  Week 6 will be back to a normal running schedule!

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Week 4

What a week (and I don’t mean that in a great way)!  Monday was a struggle.  I had full day meetings at work, a few of which were pretty stressful.  One of my morning meetings included a confrontational parent.  I had to stand up for myself and other teachers to this parent, and although I was professional, I ultimately felt a little uncomfortable.  Later in the day, I talked with a coworker who was very upset at some other people we work with and how they were tackling a specific situation with a student.  I felt like I was in the middle, which often happens, so I was trying to work with my coworker to try to figure out ways that might help her meet the other coworkers in the middle.  I ended up having a meeting with these other coworkers later after school, which did not go that well.  I did try to stick up for my coworker (again, I was as professional as possible), but it seemed like the other coworkers were unable to see her side.  It was very uncomfortable and I left the meeting feeling very frustrated.  All I wanted to do was go for my run, but I had to be somewhere after school and did not have time.  That really set me off.

Thank goodness we had a snow day on Tuesday.  I definitely needed a day to recover from the stressful day I had before.  I was able to spend some time journaling and getting stuff done around the house, which was able to help me calm down.  I did go into to gym a little bit early that day before my normal Tuesday workout with my trainer.  I ran a mile and a half before my workout.  Although I would have liked to run 3 miles, I didn’t want to be too fatigued for my workout with my trainer.  In addition to working out/running helping with my stress, talking with my trainer always helps me to calm down.  He and I have been working together for quite a few years.  He has become a good friend and confidant, and I always know I can go to him about whatever.

I went back to school on Wednesday very nervous, as I had to confront some coworkers that I didn’t feel ready to.  However, it didn’t end up being as bad as I thought it would be, and I realized I worked myself up way too much.  Even so, it was still a crazy busy day, so my 5-mile run after school was just what I needed.  I did run a little bit slower than normal, but still got through it.

The end of the week signaled our start of February break, which I have been feeling like I really need.  First up was a trip to Boston.  We left on Saturday morning, and I was going to get up early to run first.  However, I knew that would leave me exhausted for traveling.  I decided to run at the hotel on Sunday morning.  Terrible idea...I should have just gotten up early to run on Saturday when I was at home.  The treadmills at the hotel fitness center sucked and I didn’t feel like a could sustain a run.  I ended up doing a 5-mile run (instead of 8), but I didn’t do a normal run.  I ran a warm-up mile, then did a cycle of running on a somewhat steep incline at a fast pace for a quarter mile followed by walking on no incline for a quarter mile.  I did this for 3 miles, then finished with a cool down mile.  Although it was not as long of run as I wanted, I found it to be challenging.  Sometimes, you need to change it up!

Boston was fantastic, but I ate so much.  Now, I need to get back on a good eating and running routine.  I’m also looking forward to the rest of February break and some relaxation!

[lynnerz1030-blog]

Week 3

My first two runs of the week were pretty typical; a 3-mile run on Monday and a 4-mile run on Wednesday, so not much to report.

I ended up doing my long run on Sunday instead of Saturday this week (7 miles).  However, I had lunch plans on Sunday, and the weather sucked in the morning.  I really didn’t want to go to the gym to run on the treadmill, and I saw that the weather was supposed to get nicer in the afternoon.  I figured I would go for my run after lunch.  Note to self: eating a cheeseburger and fries is not a good idea before a 7-mile run.  I felt very full and uncomfortable while I was running.  I ran much slower than I thought I could have.  I guess the good thing is, I didn’t skip my run altogether (which I thought about multiple times that day).  Another note to self: oatmeal chocolate chip cookies taste really good after a run!

[lynnerz1030-blog]

Week 2

Second week of training and I am still feeling good and excited about running!  This week, the Polar Vortex hit, so it was really cold outside.  I did my Monday run right after work in the fitness center on the treadmill.  It was only a 3 mile run, but I felt like I needed to get it done quickly because I had dinner plans that night.  When I got to the fitness center, one of my coworkers was there (she usually runs on the same days I run, and I know she wants to train for at least a 10k).  I will tend to run on the treadmill next to her so I can keep track of what speed she is running so that I can run faster.  I always start of my first mile slower than her just for a warmup, but I am able to ramp it up once I get to my second mile.  I finished my 3 miles pretty quickly, and she was still running.  I was a little bummed that she had kept on running because I felt like I hadn’t beaten her.  But then I have to remember that I don’t want to sabotage my training just because I want to be better than other people.  I have to stick to my schedule.

On Wednesday afternoon, we were told at work that the kids would have a snow day on Thursday because of how cold it was supposed to be, but staff would still have to come in.  I wasn’t upset about that, and I don’t think that most people were.  With that, we wouldn’t have to use up another one of our snow days (we only have 2 days left now and it’s only February!).  It was pretty cold on Wednesday afternoon as well, but after school activities did not get cancelled.  I went to the fitness center to run 4 miles, and was shocked when there was pretty much no one there.  I guess everyone was too cold to workout.  It was a little bit of a bummer, because I had no one to compete with on the treadmill.  I decided just to have an easy 4 mile run, and it felt pretty good.  I felt like I could have run much more (my music was really good this day), but again, I don't want to sabotage my training.

Tuesday/Thursday, I worked out with my trainer.  Friday was a typical rest day for me.  However, I did have plans Friday night, and ended up having a few drinks and staying out later than I thought I would.  On Saturday morning, I really struggled to wake up early to run.  My stomach was also really off.  Even though I did not have much to drink, I will have to take a note of this when I have to run more miles further along in my training.  I decided to rest on Saturday and run on Sunday instead.  It actually worked out pretty well, though, because it warmed up Saturday night into Sunday.  I was able to run outside Sunday morning!  It took awhile for my lungs to adjust, and my speed was definitely a little bit slower than on the treadmill.  But that’s okay, at least I got in 6 miles!

Still feeling good and ready for Week 3!  I got some good news today that my cousin is pregnant!  I’m due to see my counselor at the beginning of this week, and I have a lot of plans with friends coming up.  Lots to look forward to!

[lynnerz1030-blog]

Week 1

Marathon training has officially begun!  I was pumped to get started, knowing my end goal.  A while ago, I did some research, and found a 16-week running plan that I thought would work for me.  The plan includes running 4 days a week. However, I decided that I will only run 3 days a week, because I also kickbox and meet with my trainer twice a week.  I don’t want to overdo it, and either get too tired to run or injure myself as I get more into my training.  Now, I will run every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.  I see my trainer every Tuesday and Thursday, and will also go to kickboxing on these two days as well.

I was so excited to start running on Monday.  It was only a 3 mile run, which I knew would be easy for me since that is a pretty normal distance for me to run, and I have been doing it more regularly to get a base established.  I would really prefer to run outside, but the weather has been awful (cold/ice/snow) and I get out of work too late to be able to run in daylight.  I don’t like the treadmill very much because I don’t feel like I’m moving anywhere, and I can’t adjust my speed as easily as I would be able to outside.  It gets so boring, but I have to deal with it with our crazy CNY winters.  I went to the fitness center at the school I work at right after I was done and hopped on a treadmill.  I have a running playlist on Spotify that I have added songs to and changed up for years to keep me motivated while running.  I hit shuffle on that playlist, and somehow ended up with some really kickass songs to get me through the run.  I found that I wanted to run faster, and I was able to increase my speed consistently throughout my run.  I felt like this could have been a fluke because it was my first official training run, but oh well!  At least I got my first run done and it went really well.

Working in a school definitely has it perks, but when it is cold and flu season, watch out!  I am constantly using Clorox wipes on all the surfaces in my office, washing my hands, and using hand sanitizer.  Usually, I am pretty healthy (knock on wood).  Last year, I did get the flu and had to miss a couple days of work (I blame the flu shot that was only 10% effective last year).  On Tuesday during this week, I felt like crap.  I had a wicked headache, my whole body ached (not in an “I worked out yesterday and I am sore” way), and I kept getting the chills.  I kept thinking to myself that I was going to get the flu again, because this was exactly how I felt last year before I found out I had the flu.  I skipped kickboxing on Tuesday night, went home, took some medicine, and went to bed early.  I was convinced that I would be calling into work sick the next morning and would be out the rest of the week.

I woke up on Wednesday feeling much better.  I still had a little bit of a headache, but my body no longer ached, and I wasn’t freezing cold.  I went to work, and figured I would play it by ear if I would run after or not.  I made it through the day without feeling any worse and decided I would try to run.  I was scheduled to run 4 miles, but figured I would just run as much as I could until I felt like crap.  When I got to the fitness center, there were more people on the treadmills this time.  I’m the type of person that always feels the need to be in a race with the people that are on treadmills around me.  I constantly look at the treadmills next to me so that I can see what speed people are running at and make sure I run faster.  I made it a competition and was able to run all 4 miles.  I wasn’t too tired afterwards, either, which was nice, considering I thought I was sick.

I saw my trainer on Thursday, but did not go to kickboxing.  I also took Friday off to rest before my “long” run on Saturday.  I did go see a counselor for the first time on Friday, and I really liked it.  It was nice to go through my breakup with someone more objective.  I felt very validated about how I reacted to things, and I was able to see some things from a different perspective.  I felt like this session added to my motivation to keep running.  I will go back to the counselor in two weeks, so I am excited to see how I progress in that aspect, along with my marathon training.

On Saturday, I woke up pretty early so that I could get to the gym to get in a run before I went to Buffalo for the weekend.  I got to the gym around 7:15 am and got in my scheduled 5 mile run.  I always loved getting my run/workout in early in the morning so that way, I could have the rest of my day to spend however I wanted to.  For the past few months, I have really struggled with waking up early and even being motivated to do anything.  There have been so many times where I have gotten up and and decided not to go for a run or even workout because I thought it was too late and there were other things I felt like I needed to accomplish.  It definitely wasn’t easy to wake up this early on a Saturday, but I did it.  I think if I go with the mindset that my goal of running this marathon is to become happier again, I am thinking/hoping that will make it easier to get up in the morning to run and to stick with this routine.

Sidenote- I realized that there are a couple songs I will need to listen to on every run to help keep me motivated (even if I have to put them on repeat for a few times): LA Devotee-Panic! At the Disco and Diamond Eyes-Shinedown. Let me know if you guys have any other song suggestions!  

[lynnerz1030-blog]

My Why

Running has been a great outlet for me for quite some time.  When I’m angry or sad, going for a run instantly makes me feel better.  It gives me time to think about things, and then the endorphins kick in, which make me feel happier.   I think I really started to actually enjoy running in 2011. I started off with running some 5ks at the encouragement of my cousins (in all honesty, I really just wanted to prove that I could beat them).  As I started to run more races, I found that I really enjoyed the camaraderie among the participants, and all the free shirts and food at the end really helped.  I worked my way up to a 10k, and then my cousin suggested that we train for a half marathon.  That made me really nervous!  I remember feeling so tired after my first half marathon (2013), but so proud of myself for completing it.  I researched a ton of different half marathons that I wanted to eventually run.  So far, I have only run the Syracuse Half, but have done it six times.  I told myself that running 13.1 miles was great, but that I would never want to put myself through 26.2 miles.

Fast forward to 2016.  I was finishing up my first year as a real school psychologist.  I had become good friends with the school counselors in the district, who also ran.  One day, one of the counselors and I got talking, and he was telling me about how he had signed up for the upcoming Empire State Marathon in October.  He was trying to convince me, but I kept telling him that 26.2 miles was way too much and that I would never be ready.  He kept trying to convince me otherwise, and kept sending me emails with discount codes to enter into the race.  Eventually, I gave in and signed up for it.  I remember being so excited when I signed up-I went to see my trainer that day and told him the news.  He was shocked, but said he would come up with workouts to help support my training.

I spent the whole summer training, although I wasn’t as consistent as I should have been.  I spent a lot of time traveling and going to concerts.  It was hard to always find time to run.  I started the next school year so excited to run.  The first weekend of the new school year, I set out to run 21 miles.  At that point, I remember how easy it was to get through that first 13.1 miles.  Things were going great on this run.  Then, I hit the 21st mile.  All of a sudden, I felt this sharp pain around my knee.  Once I got home, I spent a lot of time icing and stretching.  I told myself that I would take a week off of running.  The next time I ran, I said I would do a “short” run-8 miles.  Well, I got 1/2 a mile in and was in so much pain.  At that point, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to race in October.  I canceled my registration, and started going to physical therapy.  My goal was then to get my knee better and ready to run a marathon in 2017.

2017 came around and I registered again for the race.  I started training much earlier than I had for the first one.  But then, I injured my knee again.  Again, no 2017 marathon for me.  I had my first bib on my fridge with a post-it note on it that said GOAL:2017.  I then crossed out the 2017 and changed it to “some point in life.”

With these injuries, I started to get discouraged from running.  I no longer set goals for myself in terms of races, and would run so inconsistently.  When I did run, I would go for about 2 miles before I got bored or too tired to continue.  I realized I needed a goal again.  I started with training for a half marathon (Syracuse Half in November 2018).  One of my friends and I had also been talking about training for a half in the spring of 2019, and even came up with the race we would run (Maine Coast Half Marathon) and who we could stay with (either her cousin or the guy I had been dating at the time).  We were so excited, and I was especially happy to get back into something I had previously loved.  My initial training started off really well.

And then came September 2018.  The guy I had been dating in Maine and I ended things after almost 2 years.  It was not a great ending.  He definitely went about things the wrong way, but then I took it a step further and wrote him the nastiest email I had ever written (I would recommend calming down and thinking before you make a decision like that-if I had done so, I probably would have never written that email).  I spent the rest of 2018 being so angry with him.  I told my friend that we no longer had to go to Maine to run a race, but she still really wanted to run, and reassured me that staying with her cousin would be fun.  We would just have a girl’s weekend, and I would no longer have the distraction of a boy.

Since September, I have cycled between being angry and sad.  Lately, it has been mostly sad.  I have since adjusted some medication that I was on, and will start to see a counselor soon.  I have also been reading another girl’s blog who has been going through similar things (yet she appears way more positive about the situation than I feel right now).  I made myself a goal to run the Maine Coast Marathon (rather than the half).  Although running a marathon has been a goal I’ve wanted to achieve since 2016, right now, I think I set this goal in hopes of becoming happier.  Only time will tell.