"Why you runnin' like b****** with your tail up?"

I censored the title for the benefit of any kiddos who might be looking over their parents' shoulders while they're on Facebook. It's a lyric.

I'm pretty sure anyone who saw me in the Rec could not guess what I was listening to last night. I mean, would you guess (AND HEY IF YOU DON'T LIKE CURSING PLEASE DON'T CLICK THIS AT ALL, THE VERY FIRST LINE HAS A BAD WORD!):

Cypress Hill, Lucy? REALLY? But it's awesome workout music. Oh man it really is. It pumps you up and it has a really good beat. I was on one of those evil stair machines at the time I decided to turn this on and I was instantly revitalized!

I've been trying to push myself harder at the gym. I want my progress back. One of the problems is that I need to have a really good pre-workout snack, keeping in mind I can't eat anything for 90-120 minutes before a workout. Otherwise, stomach cramps just wreck me and I physically can't continue. I often roll right out of bed and out the door, workout clothes in the bag. I'll maybe eat an Erin Baker's Breakfast Cookie 90 minutes before. But that is not sufficient workout fuel, and I usually leave the gym not overworked but hungry. I'd rather leave the gym exhausted, but the stomach rumbling gets embarrassing and I can also get a little dizzy from physical exertion without enough fuel.

In three different short trips to the track, in between weight machines, I did about 2 miles yesterday. That's still not very good, and I remember doing 3 miles (with a break at 1.5) more than once last year. However, since I am adding in weights and stairs, I am exhausting myself on multiple levels. So I'm trying not to get too down about it.

This song pushed me to make the final trip back to the track. I'm pretty sure I almost threw up when I was done. I was at the gym for like an hour and a half. Oh well, it was worth it.

Well. I'm Embarrassed.

Oh. Hi there. Didn't see you for TWO MONTHS. Ughhhh. I failed. The end of the quarter rolled around and I just... yeah. I went to the gym in November and maybe like.. once in December? And then I went to Indonesia and went on the treadmilll once for like 20 minutes. And now I'm back and school's starting up and I started to wonder why I feel so lazy... UGH. I really felt justified in letting it go at the end of the quarter, because I really was overwhelmed. But then over break I didn't keep up, and I could say I felt justified not exercising in Indonesia, except there was a treadmill and stationary bike and weights RIGHT IN THE HOUSE. So I just fail.

But I'm back. Really. The second day of school I went to the gym, then took a day to rest and be sore, then was still sore on Friday and went to the gym again, and now I'm still sore from both of those combined days. And I love it. I'm happy. Part of the motivation problem is that the Rec Center, where I'm sequestered until this terrible thing called winter lets up, is on the other side of campus from me. In the summer I could leave my house and begin a jog right outside my door. But as I had mentioned in previous posts, I don't have Under Armour or the money for it, and there's currently a couple inches of snow on the ground. I'm not a winter person. I also hate our indoor track (see also: I feel like a betta fish in a glass running around this tiny little thing) but I'm not sold on treadmills. I run differently on them, because, well, I'm trying not to fall off. I also get WILDLY dizzy upon dismounting. Sooo I've been doing things like the stair machines and the silly ellipticals, and the thing that I DO like about going to the Rec, the weights. I don't do weights if I'm just jogging around outside. So that gives me a chance to work out my arms and develop different muscles in my legs, which incidentlally became complete TWIGS while I was off not working out. Working to fix that now. At least I've got 6 months to get a "beach body" right?? Never mind that I'll need an interview body more than a beach body in six months... Wait, what's an interview body? Whatever.

SO ANYWAY. It's my great hope you'll hear more from me now. I'm also taking fewer classes, so I really have no excuse not to work out. It's built into my schedule three times a week at the moment. Hopefully I can figure out how best to run indoors, since more than just generally working out, my interest DOES lie in running. I've lost most of my progress and am easily winded and super discouraged about it. Maybe I'll jump on the Couch to 5K program? Who knows.

The Jog of Shame

Ugh. In my last blog post it had been a week since I last jogged. This time it had only been six days (ONLY SIX DAYS? I'm still kicking myself) and I felt like I got worse. Maybe I didn't wait enough time again after eating. But yesterday I only jogged about .9 miles and I had to fight off strong waves of nausea when I finished. I was gasping for breath so hard on the last block that I wanted to stop. Now granted, it was a loop, and the first half was downhill, the second half uphill. But Mike and I have done this jog before with far fewer problems. I must've been tired, or had not eaten well. I don't know.

I was so upset when I got inside. It's official: college wants you to be unhealthy. I have been living the wake-up-go-to-class-do-homework-try-to-find-time-to-cook-go-to-bed routine for a couple weeks now. My dreams of jogging every other day are far from realized. I simply could not find the time until yesterday night around 9:30 PM to go out and jog for 10-15 minutes tops, and I almost threw up.

This quarter I'm taking 15 credits and working a part-time job. Next quarter I'll only be taking 11 credits with the same job, and in Spring only 10 with the job. So I'm in the roughest times of my senior year right now. My goal might suffer a little this quarter. But the thing about it is, this is a hobby for me. No, it's not the kind of hobby where I obsess over it and nothing else. It's also not the kind of hobby that I want to drop, leave behind, forget about. I'm frustrated that I can't find or make the time to do this as often as I'd like. But I will have more time in a couple of months. And I'm just going to have to live with that for now.

Even if I was jogging every other day, I don't think it's realistic to update constantly. I mentioned that in my last blog. I think 1-2 blogs a week is appropriate for what I'm blogging about.

I don't know when I'm going to get out jogging again. Next week is looking like a lighter week than I've had all quarter, so hopefully I can get some good time in then. Mike and I have been consuming produce at a much higher rate than before, which I feel good about, and it helps my peace of mind that if I can't exercise as much as I want, at least I can eat pretty well. RIDICULOUSLY well for a college student, at least, even on a pretty low budget. We're working on buying more in bulk, less packaged foods... other little cost-saving tips. I wish I could be a Coupon Queen who saves 80% every time she goes grocery shopping, buuuut I'm not.

I have no idea how to end this blog. Honestly, it's a Friday night and I'm exhausted. So: the end.

Oh right, I have a blog.

Oops. Hi there! I actually got up this morning earlier than I needed to. I don't think you understand the monumental status of such an event. THIS NEVER HAPPENS. And I had a good reason for it. I haven't jogged since last Friday.

Yes, I jogged a few times after my last blog post, but I figured that if I posted EVERY TIME I JOGGED you would get sick of me and I would run out of things to say. (Did you catch the pun there? Run out? I'm so clever.) Then Week 4 of school happened and I have been buried in mounds of deadlines since then, especially since my campus job recently started. I finally got a light homework evening last night, and naturally all I wanted to do was cook, bake and watch TV. All of those were very good ideas. (I made acorn squash stuffed with quinoa, hominy and bell pepper, topped with nutritional yeast--AMAZING--and then blondies--you know, brownies without chocolate?--with dried cranberries and flax seeds. My taste buds were writing me love letters.)

So this morning I don't have class until 11:30, but I woke up at 9:30 to go for a run. I can definitely tell that I haven't run in a week, which is why I insisted on going today. I felt like if I waited any longer I'd be back at square one. I only ran for about 15 minutes before I had to stop, but then after walking for 5 minutes or so I pushed it and jogged two blocks uphill before walking home. Morning air definitely has a terrible feeling in my lungs--oh yes, it's the cheese grater effect back for more. Blaaah. I tried to breathe in through my nose, as some had suggested, but I think that will work better when I get back to the condition I was in last week. This week I was so winded that nose breathing just was not delivering the oxygen fast enough.

Anyway, I still need to squeeze in a shower before class, but I just wanted to say hi and, you know, I haven't forgotten about you.

I wear my jogging shoes at night.

So last night, after a rather uneventful, gloomy, rainy day, Mike and I decide to go jogging. In addition to it being gloomy and rainy, it was then also dark. Normally I would protest, as even though I'm a native Seattleite, I've never gotten used to cold and rain--still hate it. However, the thought of the exercise spreading warmth through me, the same way a nice mug of hot chocolate does, put a smile on my face. I figured if there's anything I could enjoy in the rain, especially after dark, it would be jogging.

Face-sweater?

Sure enough, the rain pouring down my face as I ran was refreshing. It also made me feel like I was working harder. I'm not a face-sweater. ...Face-sweater? Hmmm that didn't come out like I wanted to; it sounds more like a robber's mask, or a sweater someone's grandma knitted Santa's face onto. No, what I mean is that during physical exertion I sweat from my armpits and back. That's usually all the sweating I do, so I don't get the dramatic Gatorade-ad style dripping face syndrome (especially not in bright green), which I typically associate with someone who's really pushing themselves. The rain provided that illusion for me. Anyone I passed last night must've thought, "There goes a brave, hardworking American." Okay, maybe not.

But the rain also adds to the idea that I'm in the midst of a cinematic masterpiece, running towards my long lost love, or away from a serial killer. A little imagination is always good for your endurance, I think. Anyone I passed might also have thought, "Go! Keep going! Don't stop! You can achieve your dreaaaammm!" They probably stopped right there on the sidewalk and applauded, tears of admiration streaming down their faces and mixing with the cool September rain. Or, you know, not.

I've noticed, though, that running at night seems to be harder on my lungs than daytime running. It must be the cold air, or maybe it's the dampness, but I get lung cramps instead of side cramps or anything else. I can push through them, though. I have to stop for side cramps, but the lung pain is just a nuisance. I also get an increased presence of the lovely cheese grater effect in my esophagus, or wind pipes, or whatever. I'm going to have to figure out how to remedy this, as fall and winter are a-comin' and nothing--including my sobs and futile attempts at harnessing the sun and pulling it closer--is going to stop them. I'm certainly not stopping my running just because it's cold out. It's going to be a game of chicken between me and the weather. Who caves first? Stay tuned. 

Uphill Battle

So, I want to run. I have always hated running, and loved the idea of running. I watched enviously as runners deftly sped past me on trails, sidewalks, campuses... They never seemed to be experiencing any stress, shortness of breath, muscle fatigue, or anything. How long have these people been running? Did they just run right out of the womb?

In gym class I watched the tiny preppy girls lap me. They would complete the dreaded mile run in 6 minutes or less. I lagged behind, wheezing, clocking in at 11, 12, 13 minutes. My muscles ached, and I felt some sadistic chef had drug a cheese grater down my esophagus and through my lungs. I hated those girls and their bouncy ponytails.

I think it's important to add here, though no offense is meant, that I am not, nor have I ever been, overweight. People don't realize that overweight and out of shape do not always go hand in hand. Just as there are "overweight" people who eat healthily and exercise, there are also "normal weight" or "underweight" people who just generally suck at all things physically strenuous.

I'm raising my hand. I'm one of them. I'm very nearly 5'6" and at my heaviest was probably 136 pounds. I am now about 127. I'm not trying to lose weight by running. I'm just trying not to lose my breath running for the bus. I want to be a runner.

I want to speed past bewildered citizens on the trails of Bellingham! I want to have the coveted runner's legs. I want them. I have skinny calves. I have friends who complain they can't wear those hot knee-high fall boots because their calves are too big. Well, they don't fit me either. They make me look like Spinelli from Recess.

I would really like to see her with her shoes off. What are those, size 15 mens?

So my fiance and I have started the journey small. Three times now we have run about 2 blocks uphill. It takes us ten minutes round-trip and we get the cheese grater-on-lungs effect hardcore. My leg muscles feel like they're going to burst through my skin, Alien-style. I feel like the weakest person, huffing and puffing, skin still warm from having just left the house. But it must be working, because today we ran flat on a trail for about 1.5 miles. And I wasn't winded. Such a feat has NEVER happened to me. Ever. I have the endurance of American Apparel underwear. (Which is to say, none. I bought a pair once and the elastic came out of the stitching on the first wash. Just stay away.)

I give you my humble introduction into my silly little venture. I want to be a runner, just to see if I can. So here's my dorky unflattering "before" pictures. I should have some of my legs probably, too. But this post is long enough already.

Oh yeah. No sucking in the gut here. Sexy.

I'm a sadface because I'm still a wuss.