my first race...

Here are pics from my first race (3K). I finished at 21:49.

My running time since then has digressed. This morning, I could only run for 15 minutes before having to walk. Maybe I'm running too fast. I felt like I was running faster than normal, but every time I tried to slow down, soreness started to creep into my calves.

another brick in the wall...

Last night, I could only run 20 minutes before feeling nausea coming on. So, I stopped at the pavilion, hydrated, then took off again. I was able to run roughly 3 more minutes before crapping out. The goal was 28 minutes nonstop.

It was so hot and humid. Maybe I'm not keeping myself hydrated enough. My pace felt natural. I didn't really have any leg/calf pain. My breathing was okay. I just felt like if I had kept going, I might have vomited.

I guess it's research time.

Clerance Chuckston...

This will change your life...
Clerance Chuckston
...

falling short...

I seem to have hit a wall. Sunday was supposed to be our last 25-minute run. We got started at 6:45pm, and it was roughly 95 degrees. I ran 21 minutes before I just couldn't go on. I attributed it to heat, and it didn't really discourage me much.

But this morning, while attempting to run 28 minutes, I crapped out again at 21 minutes. I still attribute some of it to the heat. Perhaps we should be starting even earlier in the morning. It's the hottest part of summer, afterall.

My first race is a 3K (1.86 miles) this Thursday evening at Kereiakes Park. Wish me luck!

6.2 miles?

I decided to train for the Medical Center 5K on October 25th. We're schedule to be done with the Couch-5K program on August 3rd. That gives us about roughly 3 months to train for the 10K. I found a 10-week program called the "One Hour Runner" that we'll start immediately after finishing the C25K.

It's exciting to be able to run 25-minutes at a time. That's translating to somewhere roughly between 2 and 2.5 miles. It's almost surreal. I seriously wasn't sure if running a 5K was going to be possible. Now that I'm almost there, I'm setting my sights on another goal to shoot for. The 10K is now that goal.

father/son...

My dad's 50th birthday party was Sunday. This first pic is my dad holding a cake that has his senior picture on it. And, of course, the second pic is of the cake itself. My dad, who used to rag me about my "longish" hair, adorned this stylish top in his eighteenth year.


It was a good weekend. I ran the 25-minute run Sunday morning with no problems. This morning, we began Week 7 (of 9). This entire week consists of 25-minute runs. My first race is more than likely going to be Thursday, July 24th. There is a 3K at Kereiakes Park.

So, running is going well.

The Dark Knight comes out Friday. We bought tickets to the IMAX online today for Saturday night. I'm all geeked out for this one. I've got a movie poster above my desk at work, wallpaper on my PC, a screensaver for my PC and my iPhone. What can I say?!?

Speaking of iPhones, did I mention my dad ordered himself one? The apps are amazing.

running man...

I just realized that tomorrow morning will be my last run with intervals. Tomorrow's run consists of :

5-minute warm-up walk
Run 10-minutes
Walk 3-minutes
Run 10-minutes
5-minute cool-down walk

After that, it is non-stop running...beginning Sunday with 25-minutes straight. Will I be able to do this? I will be in Muhlenberg Co. this Sunday, so I'll try to run it alone, but I have my doubts about that. Running alone at this point in my journey is really tough.

I did buy some running shorts, and that has made a difference in keeping me cool. Now I think I need to ditch the ol' cotton t-shirt. Don't worry, I won't go shirtless until it's a pleasant sight.

Proctor & Gamble says, "Pringles Are NOT Potato Chips"

Seeking to evade a 17.5% sales tax, lawyers for Procter & Gamble successfully argued that Pringles aren't actually potato chips. Even though all Pringles containers are clearly marked "Potato Crisps," Procter & Gamble's lawyers argued that "Pringles don't look like a chip, don't feel like a chip, and don't taste like a chip."

The absurdly hypocritical claims were made to weasel out of a British tax on potato crisps and other potato-based foods. London Justice Nicholas Warren ruled that Pringles were made, not of potatoes, but out of good 'ole fashioned American chemicals.

running man...

I ran Week 6, Day 1 (W6D1) last night, sans Josh. It almost seemed like backtracking after that 20-minute straight run, but I'm going to trust the program and stick to it. The run consisted of:

5-minute warm-up walk
Run 5-minutes
Walk 3-minutes
Run 8-minutes
Walk 3-minutes
Run 5-minutes
5-minute cool-down walk

Running seems to go in and out of being enjoyable during the actual run, but I always feel accomplished after. Last night's run was amazing. I loved every second of it. There was no pain. No discomfort. It's something that is becoming more and more addictive. I'm absolutely looking forward to running in the morning.

I may or may not end up running W6D1 again tomorrow morning, depending on whether or not Josh ran the equivalent on his own this weekend. If we move on, we are scheduled to finish the program July 31st, which is a goal I'd like to stick to. If we push it back, we'll finish August 3rd.

wal-mart...

Walmart "Junior" Panties Suggest That Your Genitals Are Better Than Credit Cards



Over at Feministing, a reader noticed these panties in the "juniors" section at the Wal-Mart on Kildare Farms Road in Cary, NC.

C25K midpoint...

Running:

Week 5 is complete. We ran for 20-minutes straight yesterday morning. What an accomplished feeling! I'm literally on a high right now!

About ten minutes into the run, I thought my legs were just going to give out. My calves were burning and a little tight. But somehow, I got over the hump and pushed through it. When Josh told me we had run 14 minutes, it pumped me up. Once I had reached that point, I knew I had to finish. And I did.

a pic i took...