Learning to train

I have been working away here training for my 10K.  And then again, not so much.  But I  haven't given up!  The 8 week training plan I am going to follow just started this week so although I haven't pulled it out yet I am hardly behind at this point.  I have learned a couple things in the past couple weeks about my personal fitness.

Number One:

It turns out the longer I walk before I start running the longer I can run before my knee hurts.  So doing a 2 minute power walk and then cranking up the speed on the treadmill means I cannot run for 30 minutes but walking for 5 minutes or more before cranking up the speed means I am just starting to feel a little soreness 3 miles later.  In other words I need to park really far from the starting line and get in a good walking warm up.

Could be a life lesson in this.  Don't rush in to things too quickly.  There is some saying about walking before you run.  I always thought it had to do with kids learning to walk but who knows.  Maybe the real lesson is simply to know your body.

Number Two:

I could run at 5.5 miles per hour on the treadmill ALL DAY LONG.  I don't even have to engage my brain in the task.  I could just go and go and go forever.  Yet somehow I feel compelled to run at 6 miles an hour because I think that is where I am supposed to run.  I mean I can run quite a while at 6.0 but I have to concentrate so much harder.

After discussing it with my husband we decided that 5.5 is my optimum zone 3 fat burn speed.  It is the perfect place where I am not going so fast I am only burning sugar but not so slow I am doing nothing.  My perfect all day long mid point.  For the longer runs this is where you want to train your body to hang out.  Not sure that 6.2 miles is considered a long run by most people but it is long to me.
So I have no idea what that means for my training but I thought I would share.  I would love it if 6.0 was my optimal fat burn zone but apparently you don't get there by only running at 6.0 or higher which is what I had been doing all of last year.  I think I need to mix it up a little more.

I think I am going for the ultra simple 10K training plan which is really below my skill level but he next up is going to require more work of me than I really have the time to give it.  The point of doing a 10K at the beginning of the good weather season was to motivate me to get back into shape early and be able to really enjoy my running all summer long instead of spending the summer getting my running up to par only to have school and cold weather hit when I am at the top of my game.  And I think the simple plan will accomplish that just fine.  Well maybe it will be a hybrid training plan between the two since I am already half way through the novice training plan.  Either way, I am getting there.

Hello, Old Friend

Well, the time has come, again, to dust off the old workout paraphernalia. The baby is starting to sleep through the night, I'm not feeling so newly postpartum, and my gym membership is needing some attention.

So this morning was the morning. Ipod charged, shoes located, workout bras - oh, they still need replaced - but use-able. Gloria woke me up about 5:30am and after I fed her and got her back to sleep, I made a beeline for those workout clothes and ultimately, the gym.

Here's a few things that occurred to me during my inaugural 5th child workout.

1. I love to workout. Let me rephrase that, I love to workout to my tunes. Boy, get a little Janet Jackson running through my veins or plug me into some New World Son and I feel like I have lightning bolts shooting out of my fingertips. Seriously. You know in the movie Flashdance where she's starts running in place as the music starts blaring? That's ME! (You know, not as graceful or perfect-of-body) Especially this morning, when I haven't listened to my play list in almost a year. It's audible caffeine.

2. I think "moderation in all things" is such a wise way to live life. But when it comes to working-out, it's just not me. I walked into that gym this morning reminding myself that I had already accomplished my goal of just getting there. And that an easy 20 min. on an elliptical would be more than enough. Just to find myself, 35 min. later, talking myself off that thing.

3. I miss my expensive gym membership. Can I say that? I won't be going back. It was a wise fiscal decision. And this new "discount" gym is completely adequate. Actually more than adequate. It's even closer and I get to park closer than the fancy place. But this morning I missed the sleek locker rooms, the smell of chlorine in the air, the pulse of the aerobic class music that I was, one day, going to try out... My new gym will do just fine.

The best of all was feeling so accomplished and ready for my day so that when I see this sight, I'm ready for my day.