I guess that I am suffering from a bit of the winter blues. It is SO hard to get outside and run. I have tried different things on the treadmill. I did a speed workout that didn't make me crazy the other day. I need to try hill intervals. I need to "spice it up".
This past weekend was very busy. Lots of stuff on the calendar. I had no idea when I would fit a run in or IF I could fit a run in. My pal, Nancy, asked if I would like to run with her and the Kingstowne Striders on Sunday morning. I have resisted group runs, because I feel self conscious about my ability as a runner. She assured me that we would do our own "run" and just use the map that they had laid out. It was supposed to be a 10 mile run, but we were going to only do half. We decided to meet at 7:45 a.m. and hit the trails. I wanted to get a run in, especially to work on hills, and this would fit the bill.
I'm signed up to run "The Love the one you are with" 5K in Pentagon City on Sunday. It is hilly. It is outdoors. I didn't feel ready. My idea was to go trot up a few hills and feel better about things.
Holy Crap Bat Man! Did we do hills! I think we ran up the same major hill 3 times from 3 different directions in the 5.75 miles that we covered. I picked up a lot of hill running tips from Nancy, who is an experienced runner. I did have to walk up the last little bit of the biggest hill. I swear I thought I was going to die. When we ran by the funeral home, I felt like just laying on their front lawn and they could bury me right then. It was brutal. It was also still chilly and there was a lot of black ice. We had to run on the grass at times, which is like running in sand. However, I ran most of the way. With Nancy's encouragement, I made it back to our car.
When all was said and done, my pace was just a bit over 12 minute miles. Considering the conditions, I was happy with that. It was nice to run with someone. We chatted most of the way. I now am at least mentally ready for that 5K on Sunday. I know that I CAN run up big hills. That is a biggie for me.
On another topic, I'm back to counting Weight Watcher points. I love the new Points Plus program. I feel it is healthier and actually takes into account real physical activity. I think that my head is in a better place and I can count points without obsessing. We shall see. I need to shave off about 10 pounds that have slowly crept on over the past 3-4 years. With all of my running, you would think that would be easy. Ha! Not so! I've decided to take this seriously and get back to where I want to be by spring. Between careful eating (I say "careful" because I always tend to eat "healthy") and exercise, it should be a snap. Here's hoping.
