Is This The End of Running?

Well okay so I guess I need to take some time off from running since I have bursitis in my hip.  But of course me being stubborn and dumb still ran a 6 mile run in pain this morning.  I woke up and ran to work.  Knowing that I've been in pain for a week.  That overtime I get out of a chair I limp for a bit before I'm comfortable walking.  So with all the pain I ran 6 miles.   But I'll be taking a week or two off from running and I'm applying Voltaren Gel to my hip.  Hopefully I'll be running in a few weeks.  If not on my way to work on Thursday.  Kidding, sorta.
Since I was in pain I ran damn slow.  11:06 average pace.  Well I also have a few mishaps while running.  I dropped stuff while trying to adjust my water belt thingy.  I didn't need the belt for my water as much as wallet and phone.  My work clothes, a workout shirt and breakfast was waiting for me at work.  So I was all set.  I was working two short shifts in two different departments today and had 4 hours off in between.  So my plan was to take a class at 12:15 then grab lunch somewhere. 
Some damn chart about pacing and elevation which doesn't matter much when every step hurt.
Now the lower elevations are slower in pacing which so makes sense.  A little internet self-doctoring found me reading that running down hill has some relation to bursitis.  Whatever.  I'm no doctor or runner so what do I know?  I know how to feel pain and slow up! The first few charts are via RunKeeper GPS application while the one above is my Nike+ Sportband.  Yes, I use both to track my running.  Now I guess Nike+ is 5 Years Old and Nike is having a party.
When I uploaded my run into Nike+ I got this little graphic which then lead me to a Facebook page that when you like reroutes you back to Nike+ to join a challenge to win cool stuff:

Nike+ is turning 5. Let's celebrate by doing what we do best – running! For every 5 kilometers you run, you'll be entered to win a trip for two to Chicago or San Francisco, along with two spots in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon or the Nike Women's Marathon. Damn it!  I want to win cool stuff.  F' the bursitis I'm running!  I want to run the Chicago Marathon!  Anyways...if I stop running now for the month I missed my goal of running 10 more miles then last month by running the same extact miles as last month.  Grrr...

I had planning running this run again on Thursday and then again on Saturday.  But alas I guess not.  Or will I?

Now once at the gym I did Arms & Chest.  But I gotta say after running an hour I so don't feel like lifting weights.  At lunch I took the 30 minute Arms & Abs class then stuck around for a Balance Class.  I was the youngest person by at least 30 years.  I actually had a great time as I knew many of the class members.  The class isn't something I'd take again it reminded me of grade school PE class for people 70 and up. 

 

Back Off Helpfull Nudge! I'm Over You miCoach!

Okay so I didn't run before swimming this morning.  I know I said I was going to run.  But the 5am alarm came and went.  That snooze button is so friendly!  But I did go swimming so that is something.  Of course when I got back from swimming or actually when I checked email after swimming on the way home I found this helpfull little reminder that I'm a running slacker from miCoach
Yeah, Adidas miCoach I'm still running and my workouts actually don't miss me.  I just stopped using you because well, you don't update status reports to twitter while RunKeeper does.  So there!  Also I have friends who use either Nike+ or RunKeeper so we can challenge each other.  So sorry Adidas miCoach in my book you lost the running app race.

As for swimming today it was a decent day.  I actually liked the set.  Even though it seemed to take a bit before I was feeling fast.  Notice I said fast as my technique was just not there.

Warmed up a mixed 600.  Then we did a 200 Kick.  So 800 yard warm up.

Main Set - Okay so we had a choice.  Well I had a choice, sort of.  As did one other swim mate.  So one group of swimmers swam 5x50's on 55, a 500 on an interval then 3 sets of 5x50's each getting faster on intervals of 50/55/60 by group.  Myself and my lane mate swam a different set:

5x50's Free on 55.  To set the pace

3x400's on 6  minutes.  1st 400 swim paced.  Umm..so that didn't go so well.  I went out too fast in the 1st 100.  Couldn't find a pace.  Did it in about a 5:05.  2nd 400 Pulling.  I used paddles for the first 200 and was cruising.  I finished up with another 5:05.  Now my lane mate got to use fins for his 1st and 3rd 400.  Not me.  I was just a smidgen ahead of him till the last 75.  That's when he started to kick and pull ahead of me by a second.  He did a 4:37 and I was a 4:38/9.  We were out in about a 1:07 for the first 100.   I was just trying to stay below or around a 1:10 base. 

Then with an extra 30 seconds rest we regrouped with the other lanes to swim the last round of 5x50's.  So 1700 yard main set.  (1700/2500)  And then I just warmed down a 100 yards.  For 2,600 yards before getting kicked at 7:50 for the aqua aerobics / fitness class that starts at 8am.  Damn them!  Not like I was going to swim more but I just hate the fact they take the whole pool for like 6 people.

Thursday Morning Run...Oh Wait It's Only Tuesday

I don't know why I started to type Thursday.  Must be wishfull thinking.  But this morning I woke up and headed to the gym.  Actually back track to yesterday and I took the 3:15 spinning class.  The this morning I was up at 4:10am to get my gear out of bed and on the path to run.  I used my Nike+ Sportband and the RunKeeper app on my phone to see my run.  So 6.09 miles at a 10:12 pace.  Not to bad but not great.  At least I'm running!  Plus it's so early in the morning.  4:49am, isn't that the time I use to roll home at?
Okay so GPS with RunKeeper gave me a bit different result.  Starting and stopping of the devices did give me a full minute difference.  I like the 6.39 mile run at a 9:57 pace. Once again not fast but better.
More charts!  Elevation and my pace.  So I guess I slow up when going up elevation.  Well, duh!

I think I was jamming to the music at mile 5.  Since I was feeling good I picked up my pace or at least I thought I was picking up my pace.  I did get this cool email from RunKeeper after my run...
For the month I really need to step it up to make my goal of running 10 more miles then last month.  Hell, I hope I just run as much as last month now.  I've been a slacker!

Getting Into The Run Of Things! Motivating Myself

Motivating myself to get up and running is getting harder to do everyday.  Summer has arrived early with the high temps and high humidity.  Running earlier in the morning really isn't much help.  That is when I can wake myself out of bed to run.  The other day I had to trick myself into running by leaving work clothes and breakfast at work so I'd run the 6 miles to work in the morning.  Without putting money down on an upcomming race I don't have much reason to run.  For awhile using Nike+ I was running just to get to the next level but now I'm there and I won't move up till another 1,500 miles.  So that motivation is gone.  So I just gotta run to keep fit.  Such a hard goal to be motivated by.  So I'm trying to use different phone apps and social media services to keep myself going.  I'm still using my somewhat old Nike+ Sportband to keep the Nike+ going.  The other day I used the miCoach from Adidas app and today I used the Runkeeper app.  Both are free GPS phone apps that pretty much are the same.  But since I have more Twitter "friends" that use Runkeeper I may stick to that app.

Today's run was just a boring loop I've done many times before.  But since I overslept I actually did the run in daylight.  I never realized the boringness of this run till this morning.  Trees, golf courses, more trees, some boring houses, more trees and more trees.  I miss running in Los Angeles.  I felt like Eva Gabor on Green Acres!
The non-gps Nike+ Sportband gave me a 5 mile run.  I had to loop around the cul de sac a few times to get to that.  Now after this run I think the last run Nike+ error was human error and not something to do with the GPS interferring with the Nike+ signal.  I'm guessing.  Who knows?
Runkeeper gives me about the same amount of miles with a 5.17 mile run.  That's close enough for me.  Now since Nike+ Sportband is on my wrist and the phone is in a pouch in my water bottle I hit and pause the Nike+ first then the phone.  Then when starting again I do the phone first place it in the pouch and then unpause Nike+ and run.  So that is the difference in time/duration of the run.  It's a minor difference.  But since Runkeeper is GPS I get more data then the old Nike+ Sportband.
The elevation chart I guess will help me know if I'm slacking on hills or not.  Or whatever since it's pretty flat around here.
Meh, splits.  I guess once I go out on longer runs it'll be interesting to see how I run.  Hard to judge on a baby 5 miler.
As for motivating me to run I did get this little note via email from Run Keeper for my farthest distance achievement.  It was my first run using the app so whatever.  Maybe I'll get more down the road.  I used the Free RunKeeper app for my run but the do offer an Elite version for $4.99 a month.   I really don't understand why anyone would do that.  Do you really need to live broadcast your training runs to everyone on Facebook and Twitter?  Do you?  Okay so maybe I'd like to.  But not at $4.99 a month.  With that fee comes "clases" or training programs for marathons and other events.  Maybe that would be worth it as they have "time goal" classes.  Either way at least the free version will keep me running.  Run, Baby, Run!

But wait, there's more... I made my running goal for this month to run 10 miles more then April.  I'm way behind!  Guess I'll have to trick myself twice this week into running to work!

April In The Rearview Mirror - Running

So another month of running has gone by.  I gotta admit I haven't been running much.  This past month was the month of 1 milers.  I'd just warm up at the gym by running 1 mile.  No excuses. 
For the whole month I ran only 31.38 miles.  I've decided that since I can't get off my ass unless I'm under some goal gun I'm going to challenge myself to run 40 miles in May!  That's not a whole lot but it's more then this month.  This year hasn't been a good running year so far.
I've ran more in one month than what I've run so far this year.  Not having a marathon coming up really isn't motivating me.  I may have to enter a 1/2 or something to get my ass into gear.
All these little 1 mile runs.  So sad!  I've ordered an extra workshirt so at least once a week I'll leave clothes at work the day before my 8am shift.  Then that morning I'll run to work.  So that will give me at least one 6 mile run a week.  My shirt won't come into the end of next week but soon I'll start to do that.  Gotta trick myself into running!
Last year after the LA Marathon I ran for a month then gave up in May.  This year I ran a bit after the Disney and then the next month just stopped running.  So in some repects I guess I'm back on track.  Just want to run more then I have been.  Come on motivation!

 

I Want My Damn Nike+ Purple Colors!

For months I've been inching towards The Purple Level on Nike+.  Finally I only had less then 4 mile to run.  I told myself I had to do it today.  I had to end April on a somewhat high note.  I had to defeat one goal!  That was To Be Purple!  So after work and dinner I fought my inner laziness and hit the road.
I ran 4.53 miles.  I ran a bit extra to make sure I didn't miss The Purple Level.  So why is it still blue?  I'm still fucking blue!  I failed!  Nike+ is so fucking with me! I know that it rounds up and down.  The other day I was at 5 miles to go and then ran 2 miles and it then was 4 miles to go.  So then I looked up what I needed to run to get to The Purple Level and by my calculations had to run 3.83 miles.
See 1553 miles!  I ran 1553.71.  I'm PURPLE!  But it's telling me one more mile!  So tomorrow on May 1st I'll run 1 mile at the gym just to get this damn thing Purple.  But really Nike+ is so fucking with me as this video popped up...

Update:  I went back and logged into Nike+ to add up my running for April and it turns out I'm Purple After All!
If only they had a Pink Level!

The Illusive Purple Level

This afternoon it was time to hit the gym.  Wahoo.  Umm..yeah, right.  On the first floor of the gym they've set up some equipment in one room that has been slowly collecting dust.  No one uses them including myself.  So the gym has been running these 30 minute instructional classes on using the machines.  I keep missing the classes so today I planned my working out around the last session.  So I got to the gym after 1:30 knowing that I'd have less then an hour before the session at 2:30.  Well I was running a bit late so had a bit less then an hour.  I got on the treadmill and ran 2 miles.  I wanted to run more but I had my eye on the clock.
Now for months I've been so close to reaching the next level in Nike+ which is the Purple Level.  But this level has been illusive to me.  I haven't been running much so it's taking me forever which should have been over with months ago.  But now as I inch closer and closer the goal keeps moving.  Mostly because of rounding up and down.  A few runs ago it was 7 miles then 6 miles then lastly 5 miles.  Then I ran 2 miles today and it read 4 miles to go.  What!?!  I did the math and found out it's actually 3.83 miles.  Guess it has been rounding up and down on me!  Damn it!  So I gotta make a choice of running later tonight or waking up tomorrow and running.  No matter what I will have run another 3.83 miles by May 1st. 

After the treadmill I got in about 25 minutes of working on chest / arms weight training.  Then headed down for the session.  I sorta knew the equipment.  I've use them all at one point but figured I needed the referesher course.  Afterwards I realized I really could have skipped it but it's always nice to hear other people use the various machines.  Since this was only 30 minutes long I had my choice of Group Groove or Group Ride.  I decided to go for the fun one and try Group Goove.

Umm..I can't dance! But boy did I laugh at myself.  I had a good time.  Don't know if this is a class for me or not.  But I'll be trying it again.  I'll be a dancing queen, yet!

Inching Towards Purple!

It's the pre-chocolate egg eating diet plan workout.  Okay, not really.  But it was gym time this afternoon.  Once again got on the treadmill and ran a 1 mile warm up. 
Now I'm sounding like a broken record but I really need to run more.  I really haven't been running at all but a few gym warm ups.  I know I can't do everything everyday but I really need to pound the pavement.
I haven't done a decent run in ages!  It's been a lazy hazy April for me!  Which makes my running goal slowly chippering away.  I'm now like 8 miles to go!  I gotta do it next week for total runs.  By the end of this month I gotta get to the goal that I've pushed back countless times.  I'm only 8 miles from being a Blue Nike+ Runner to being a Purple Nike+ Runner.  Of course this was originally my goal to do by the end of 2010 and has been pushed back way too many times!  Eight miles in one week is nothing. 

Enough about running.  At the gym I did my arms and chest routine.  I was feeling good and pushed myself today.  Figured I'm not swimming till' Sunday so I can recover.  Feeling more comfortable working out.  Not easy comfortable but starting to feel more motivated to workout at the gym.  Which is a good thing!

Unmotivated Sunday

Well I should have swam today but I didn't.  Grrr!  I did make it to the gym. Really didn't feel like it but I know I needed to go.  Got on the treadmill but didn't stay on it for too long.  I don't like running on treadmills.  So boring.  Plus I don't like the type of treadmills we have at the gym.  They have touchscreen televisions and I just don't like the controlls on them.  The screen isn't responsive enough for my liking.  So I just gave up running.
After I did arms / chest weight training.  I jumped around to try some of the new machines that they have.  About two weeks ago they got some new machines. So I figured I'd try them out.  The variety of machines isn't the most broad of selections but more then good enough for me.  And that was about it. Tomorrow I so gotta go swimming! Motivated or not I gotta go!

The Good, The Bad and The Not So Ugly Workouts

Okay so after Wednesday's morning swim I worked for a few hours so I hit the gym for a quick warm up on the treadmill and then leg weights and some ab work.
I was doing a bit of speed work for me.  I mean I'm a slow slow runner so it's a slow fast run.  I gotta work on speed training.  I was going to do this running class thing at the gym till I found out it's like another hundred bucks.  Guess I'll just read up on how to run faster online or buy a book instead.

Thursday was just some weight training without any swimming.  I worked from 8am to 3pm.  One of my longer shifts at my part-time job.  So I decided to hit the gym when it opened at 5:30.  Figured I'd run on the treadmill then do my chest/arm weight training and have enough time to shower and eat my breakfast before work. 
I so thought I had the Nike+ Sportband on but realized about .78 miles into my run that it wasn't on. Doh!  I ran a total of 15 minutes or so.  Onoy got a few recorded.  Oh well!  But when I did sync it up I got a cool little pop up video

That was a first!  Those runs were all baby runs but still I was pretty impressed with the pop up encouragement.  On a side note I'm 18 miles from getting into the Purple Color Zone in Nike+!  I actually was going to run this morning but my bed was so comfy.  Actually after two days of waking up before 4:30am I slept like a log last night.  I was in bed by 8pm and didn't wake up to around 4am.  I woke up for a pee break then went back to bed till 6:10am.  Then I had to drag my ass out of bed and head to swimming.

Warm Up

200 Free / 200 Drill Stroke 25 / Swim Free 25 / 100 Swim / 200 Kick (700)

Main Set:

4x50's on 60 I did them Freestyle

8x100's on 1:35 -

1st 50 fly / 50 back

2nd 50 back / 50 breast

3rd 50 breast / 50 free

4th 100 Free pull

repeat

4x50's on 60 I did them fly, back, free and fly.

I sorta messed up the 100's.  The way posted above was not the way I was supose to do them.  OH well.  It made it more of a challenge.  I only had 5 seconds rest on the ones with a 50 breaststroke.  I forget how it was supose to be swam. (1200/1900)

I then did a 100 warmdown for 2,000 yards.  It was a somewhat easy workout.  Just what I needed.  No gym today!  A mini-recovery day.  I want to run tomorrow but who knows.  I may take the day as a full recovery day.  Then back on Sunday to reset the week.  Swim and Gym! 
On a side note I finally broke down and ordered myself a pair of fins.  I purchased the FINIS Zommers Gold.  I used a discount code so that sorta helped a bit.  Now I'll be able to kick with the big boys and girls!  Well once they arrive I'll be able to!