Lazy Bones Reed

Since I've been sick I have been a lazy bones. I tried to work out on Wednesday after work (when I didn't feel as bad as I do now) and I almost died. But it didn't seem to be from my cold. I keep getting these side stitches as on Wednesday I also had pain right in the center under my ribcage. It was so strange I decided not to push it. I think its time for me to run on a treadmill in front of a doctor or something or get some professional advice. This is getting ridiculous!

I want to be well again. I feel like hell but I keep trying to push through it. Even put on some mascara today ( I never wear makeup) so I might help myself look "alive". I feel mostly dead. I'm going to go home from work in awhile and work from home...I'm just waiting for a meeting this morning and then I'm out!

Hope everyone has a good weekend. I probably will take it easy all weekend because of the sickness, but we'll see. I have a trip to Ikea planned for Saturday, since they are having a 15% off everything sale for their 20th Anniversary. Yipee!!

Good News...Bad News...Running News

The good news is that I got my scores back for my grad school class test I had last week. I got an 88% on the test I thought I failed (I seriously didn't think I got any of them right) and 100% on the test I studied like a madwoman for (because I thought I had failed the other one) Yipee!!

Bad news. Woke up with a sore throat in the middle of the night and its been bugging me all day. I gave my friend Bill a ride for like 3 minutes on Monday and he said he had a sore throat and now I'm having the same problem. I choose to blame him, though its probably not his fault, but I tend not to believe that I just get sore throats out of nowhere. The weather is also nasty here so it looks like cold season has begun!

Running News-I've been doing a little research and I'm a little ashamed of myself. People just run so much faster and longer than I do, and seemingly have been trying for the same amount of time. I will cut myself some slack though because although I tried to be active, I wasn't horribly active all summer and have recently gotten back into working out consistently. Its become a habit now. I will keep trying, but I'm so sick of things not being easy. Sometimes I just want that easy button.

Running Post

Yeah, I've been running and haven't even mentioned it! On this, my running blog!

On Friday I was lazy and didn't do anything. No excuse. I had a test to take in the morning and I should have run that afternoon or evening but I didn't. I just lazy boned around the house-and it was great!

On Saturday I think we went to the drill hall, its hard to remember. Oh yes, I had horrible side stitches and a nice man came up to me and said he was a dr and said that I might want to check out my appendix, but then I explained to him that it was stitches and he agreed. I only ran about 15 minutes that day and walked the rest of the time.

Sunday, Marc and I made another attempt at the 10k, only this time we actually just did a 5.5 mile run b/c we liked this path better. It was so beautiful, right along the water on base. It was great. We ran a total of 4 miles, which isn't much, but its better than last time when we ran three walked three, so I feel like we made some waves. I wasn't having any side stitches or knee pain, but I was whining and tired, so it was still a treat for Marc. I just always feel like I'm holding him back when we run because I know he can run way better than I can!

Yesterday we went to the drill hall and I ran for 25 minutes, though I took about a minute or two break in there because the side stitches were bad again. I'm going to do a little studying on this issue because its really bothering me. I'm able to get over them really quickly and keep running, but I'd really like to be able to run without needing a side stitch breather! Today is an off day, but I'm back on for Wednesday!

Great Picture

So today is just a special day. I am really not a fan of my job lately...ok, since July. I currently work in an office on a rotation which ends in February and dear Lord I am counting down the days. Here are some things that set the tone of my job...

• I am an intern, which just means that I am in a great program where I get my graduate school paid for and I get to experience a lot of cool things that the Navy does. For example, I spent several days out on an aircraft carrier and actually landed and took off from it in a C-2 Greyhound. Despite popular belief, an intern isn't in college or HIGH SCHOOL as some of my co-workers have indicated to me. Every day I have to hear at least once "don't worry about Kate, she's just an intern" BLOW ME.

• I have been moved around 3 times in this rotation. I have to keep moving desks and changing phone numbers, which is really hard since I'm the Intern President and people constantly have to call me so it makes it pretty difficult. Most recently I got moved to this little tiny ass desk next to the complete and total jerk who has always been an ass to me. He's just a jerk who makes it very clear that he is a "Lootenunt Commandah" and dear God we should all bow to him. If I joined the Navy today I would be a LCDR, just so everyone knows. ASSHOLE. He keeps complaining because he had to move stuff out of his desk to make room for the "stupid intern". Little does he know, and I haven't told him that someone is going to be filling my place when I leave in February. HA HA!!

• Someone has made yummy food and it smells like a cookout. I want that food!

• I lost a notebook that I had written my name and phone number in. Someone overheard me complaining about it today and said "oh, I have that notebook on my desk back at my office" He works in another building. My main question for this is "Why Didn't He Call Me?" My name and phone number are in the notebook-this guy has had it for two weeks!! Its amazing to me that people take little care-thank goodness he was eavesdropping!

• Lastly, and what has to be my favorite, is that when I came on to the program they took my picture for the F/A-18 program office book. And this my friends is the picture these people have to show everyone how gorgeous the intern is. Oh my lord!

U2 Concert

I know that I want to keep my site on the topic of running and marathon training, but I just had to post this stuff. I'm actually considering revamping this blogger to be about all things "Kate" and focusing on my personal life, weightloss and running-but we'll see. My readership is pretty low anyway!

Ok, back to the concert. It was awesome. Marc and I went to see u2 at MCI Center in Washington, DC on October 20. It was just great. Both of us are pretty pissed though because our tickets said "no bags and no cameras" and dear lord if everyone (but us) had a bag and a camera. So I've pirated the pictures that other "bad kids" had taken during the concert since Marc and I followed the rules.

The played a ton of great songs that I never expected to hear live in my life. I really felt that the setlist was tailored just for me-they played a ton of songs off of their earlierist albums and that just made my night. My favorite surprise from the concert was that they played "Out of Control" from their first album Boy, which came out the same year I was born. Wow, I'm old (and so are they). But despite all of our ages I love them to pieces. It was so great to finally see them because as corny as it sounds, they guys are my friends and I listened to their music through a lot of good and bad times and they were very important to me. I don't look at them like "gods" as so many people do with rockstars and the like, but I look at them as my friends who held my hand throughout life.

Also, Bono, who usually pisses me off with his politics really impressed me that night. Condoleeza Rice was in attendance (so close to where we were standing-it was pretty cool) and Bono said several complimentary things about her and the President. He said despite his views on the Republicans that he couldn't deny the fact that money was contributed to the One campaign and the debts were relieved to many African countries. I finally looked at Bono as a reasonable human being and I was also very proud of all the work he's done. To hear him speak made me realize that he wasn't doing this for "fame and fortune" he really cares about these people.

So it was great. And I hope to see them again sometime, but I'm so glad that I could share this with Marc. I wanted to post a pretty cool picture of Larry Mullen Jr, my second favorite drummer ever (Marc being the first), but this damned blog won't let me. Poopy blog.

Victory is Mine!

After such a nice post from Marc, which I read today for the first time (though surely not my last as it was a great inspiration) I had the most awesome run ever. I did 25 minutes at 5.5 mph on the treadmill and it wasn't that bad. I didn't have to stop once, not even for a drink or anything. I was very happy with myself, and next time (probably Friday as the U2 concert is tomorrow evening) I will try to go about 5-10 minutes longer. Right now I think 5.5 is my speed though. I'm capable of going faster, but not for a long time and I'd really like to focus on distance first and then speed can come later. As I've said before, I don't want to win a marathon-I just want to finish. I don't care how long it takes, I want to know that I completed it all.
And now I'm one step closer. But I've got a billion steps to go!

Marc's First Post

I guess since I'm a contributing member of this blog, it's high time I contributed. Kate does a lot of worrying about her running, but truth be told, she's doing a great job. She has an entire blog setup to detail her "frustrations," but I just don't see much that she should be unhappy about. She's only been running for a few months and the improvement I've seen in her is amazing. She started out shuffling along (with her geisha steps) for maybe 2 minute bursts, complaining the whole time. Now she soldiers on for entire 5K's with a confidence I've never seen in her. Heck, I've been running for 2 years and I still suck at it.
You also have to take this in the context of her weight loss. She's been very successful with Weight Watchers, which has obviously helped her running. This past weekend we visited my sister (who we haven't seen since Christmas) and she said the same thing so many of our friends have- that they barely recognize her. It really is like she's a new person.
So I guess my point is this: take Kate's frustrations with a grain of salt. Running is hard, and really only fun in retrospect, but most people quit long before they achieve what Kate has. Like everyone else, her problems with fitness are real, but she is doing a fantastic job. I couldn't be more proud of her.

Some Running Questions (and Answers)

Not that ANYONE reads this...in fact, I can count you all on one hand...if I'm missing two fingers! But the blister socks questions came up and I did a little research to find them cheap.
The "just socks" website has some decent prices-I swear by the socks. I bought them for $7 at a running store in Jersey, but can't find them anywhere in this area, including Waldorf. Also, I just found this site to compare the sock prices.

I also had a question about chafing-embarassing maybe, but after a long run (I really only experienced when we tried our 10k) I feel really chafed and wondered if anyone had any good suggestions on how to not have that problem. I guess I could rub some vaseline, but I just feel like a sticky mess won't help me peform.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on shoes? My boyfriend and I both wear Nike Shox and we love them. We loved our first pairs so much that we bought other Shox as backup shoes, those we both chose different "models" to get a little variety.

Ok, enough with questions.

A Little Inactivity Never Hurt Anyone, Right?

Har har!

I didn't exercise very much this weekend. In fact, the only organized exercise I did was on Saturday morning-I ran for about 2.5 miles, but I was getting hot and had a blister on my foot. I always get a blister on the treadmill and I forgot to wear my awesome "Wright Sock-Blister Free" socks. I love those socks!

I walked around the mall for a little bit on Friday, but shopping hardly counts as exercise-at least not my style of shopping.

Sunday and Monday were spent painting our bedroom and bathroom so I didn't do much there, though I'll say my legs really hurt today from climbing the stairs at our house a billion times as well as climbing the ladder-apparently I don't often use those muscles.

Today I am going to go to the drill hall with Marc and run on the treadmills. Marc showed me some treadmills that are a little more springy than the treadmills that make my knees hurt (its like running on granite) Its been so rainy and nasty here that there's no chance of me running outside. Wish the weather would clear up...

Discouraged

I am not one who is patient by any means. I'm smart enough to know that so that should count for something right?

I'm also not a good judge of whether or not I should run...last night I shouldn't. My knee was hurting on the way there, and when I started jogging I was just miserable. My knee hurt, I was getting side stitches again, and was just miserable. I had to walk a lot more than I was running and I cut my normal out and back a little short as well. While I was walking I felt so guilty that I wasn't trying harder, and then I'd start to run again and my knee would hurt and I would stop, but then so would the knee pain. It was a vicious cycle of guilt and pain!

This morning I woke up and I could barely get down the stairs, and its not just my right knee. Its my right knee, thigh and calf, as well as my left calf-what the heck? I certainly didn't realize I could hurt myself even more with a light little jog!!

Marc keeps suggesting that I do the elliptical, but I find that they hurt my knees anyway and I don't get any satisfaction from it either. I guess that I could start running on the treadmill at home, but I just don't like it. I want to do an exercise that I enjoy...otherwise what is the point? I don't want my health to be a chore.

Another issue I am currently having is that I am a sucky runner. I just can't do it. How freakin' hard is it to move your legs? HOW HARD CAN THIS BE? I'll tell you-its really hard, at least for me. I am most dishearted by the fact that I have seen some extremely heavy people (heavier than I was when I was 210) jogging around and they look perfectly at peace with the world. They are going a little more slowly than I usually do, but still. They just keep going. Also, on a related note, a very heavy and lazy person has been reporting to Marc and I that he is running 5 miles at a time in 10 minute miles-and he just started running about 3 months ago. When I say heavy, I mean very heavy, so that's got to be a lot of work. Why the hell can't I do it? What do these people have that I don't? I really thought it would get easier as I was losing weight and practicing, but I just don't get any better. Am I just not cut out for running? Do I give up? Is this all a waste? Argh, so frustrated!!

I've Got High Hopes!

I have a lot of plans in the works and they are causing my brain to run on over-drive. First of all, I haven't run since Sunday because of my knee and my class, but tonight I'm getting back into the game. My knee is still kind of sore, but I guess I don't really have a choice on this-I think I must run with knee pain...that might just be my life :-)

Marc and I have decided to sign up for the 5k at Sotterly on October 22nd. Neither of us is ready for a 10k for sure, but I'm a little nervous that I can't even run a 5k. But we're going to do it for sure because I'm sick of being scared of failure. There's a couple of other races coming up in the area and I think we're going to try to sign up for a couple of them-at least those that are donating to charity.

I also found a link to a marathon that is being run in this county! That is exciting when you live in BFE! Its the Lower Potomac River Marathon and its March 12, 2006. I'd like to think that Marc and I could each run a marathon by that point, but I'm pretty sure we can't. There is, however, and option to do a two-person relay, and that sounds like a really neat thing for us to do. It would be great to train together, great to work as a team, and nice to get the experience of a half marathon before we attempt the "real deal" hopefully later that year.

I'm very frustrated again. I am just not sure that I will ever be a runner, and I'm not sure my body wants me to be. This whole crap with the knee pain is bugging me...but I'm trying not to let it ruin everything.

I will say, I have been so stressed out lately with school and work, and nothing feels as good to me as taking a run after work, just listening to my music and experiencing the scenery. During those runs the only frustration I feel is with the run itself, and its kind of nice to forget about the rest of the worlds ills.

Busy Running Weekend

I just have to say that I had a great weekend! Nothing spectaclar occured, but I just feel satisfied. And you know why? Because I was active. I am usually such a lazy bum on the weekend, but this weekend was great!

On Friday, Marc and I were both wanting to be really lazy. But after sitting around for an hour or so after work, we decided that we would just feel so much better if we worked out. We went to the drill hall, where Marc did the elliptical runner, and I ran outside from the drill hall to his office again, which is about a 3 mile jog. It was nice, I ran the first half without stopping at all, and then after I caught my breath for about a minute or two, I ran back to the drill hall. I really felt good out there-my breathing is getting better, as I concentrate on it I see an improvement in my stride, and though my ears are constantly popping I'm so used to it from the past two weeks that I hardly care. The only thing that really frustrates me is my posture. Years of low self-esteem have me living with rounded shoulders and I think they are fairly pronounced when I run. I am taking note of that and committing myself to correct it.

On Saturday I went to a wine fest and walked around, and was just too tipsy to run when we got home and by the time I was completely sober it was dark, so we just called it an evening. We watched Purdue get slaughtered by Notre Dame, and our shame for a defensive line that would just invite the Irish into the endzone was very discouraging.

Today was the day that I had been dreading, but was also pretty excited about. Marc and I had been looking at paths on base and decided that we would attempt to do a 10K. Both of us knew full well that we weren't ready to do one straight through, but we attempted anyway. We ran for about 2 miles, but my side stitches were really bugging me. So we walked a little bit and then ran some more, though my knee really gave out on me out there and for a second I thought Marc might have to get the car! But he didn't, and I was able to run/walk back to our car. All in all we ran 3 miles and walked 3 miles (according to our wonderful Garmin wrist GPSs). I'm proud that we did it, and slightly ashamed that I couldn't do the whole thing, but I guess I honestly did better than I had expected. Our intention is to just keep trying it, over and over again until we can do the whole thing-I know we can do it for sure. I felt bad because Marc is a better runner than me and I'm pretty sure he could have run more often, though I do take some satisfaction that he admitted that he rather enjoyed our walking breaks!

I did have a little breakdown out there though. It became painfully clear that I am really really far away from completing a marathon. I am going to complete a marathon in my lifetime. I'd really like to do one next year. But I was really frustrated out there today and afraid that I wouldn't even make it a mile without falling to my knees. As my tears were drying on my face I realized that in that moment, I was creating a memory that I would be able to look back on when I am running that marathon and think I can't do it. I'll remember how I thought I'd never do a 10K and it will help "fill my sails" and lead me to the finish.