Yes, again behind on posting. Well you should know by now how it goes with me. Sometimes I can get in a few times a week, sometimes once a month. It’s tough sometimes to make the time.
Anywhoo. TWO full training weeks have gone by! It’s been dynamic!
Week 7
Run one was a 15KM at 70 min D1 and 30 min D2. It seems like forever ago, but I did mention it on my last post so at least I covered that one!
Run two was 6.5KM at 45 minutes as a recovery run. I did this at the gym in 42 minutes. I honestly can’t believe how much I appreciate the treadmill these days.
Run three was 12.5KM at 75 minutes in D2. Ahem. Yeah. That didn’t work out. It was more like 1-4 at D2, 5-7 at D1, 8 – 10 at D2, 11 and 12 were practically walking and then I sped up a bit. It was a Wednesday morning; a good indication that I was already tired from early rising. This was definitely NOT a good run at all.
There should have been another run but there was a LOT going on at work. In fact it was insane. So much to do. So many meetings. Working overtime. I did not run again until…
Week 8
Originally in the plan was a long run, but I had signed up for the Dunea 10KM (a part of the CPC Loop – which is part of the series from Like2Run; same as the Rotterdam Ladies Run and the Bruggenloop that I’ve participated in in the past) so it was 10KM or nothing! Luckily my friend PP (who ran the Amsterdam Half when I volunteered) signed up as well, so I had the motivation to get out to Den Haag early on a Sunday morning to do it.
It was absolutely FREEZING cold. A huge change from the week before when we’d had really pleasant weather. Before I actually found PP I stopped off at the HipHardlopen Tent; I love these ladies so much! They sell the running skirts that I used to buy from the original company in the US, but not only that they are just like Cindy and Christy – they are runners and they know exactly what we women like and need to feel good when running! And I’ll admit it, I like that they remember who I am from 2 years ago when I met them in Utrecht before the Half Marathon. I think that’s a perfect way to make an impression and keep your customers coming back.
Anyway, we finally found PP and eventually it was time for us to start. We hardly did any true warming up, but at the same time we were moving and jumping around to stay warm so I suppose that did the trick.
We started off with PP just in front of me, but at a certain moment I decided to cut across and move around some “slower” groups just to get a good pace. I felt good and was happy with the surroundings – I lived for 7 years in Den Haag but never really ran there (only in the woods near my old apartment) so this was a special run for sure! My pace felt pretty fast and turns out it actually was. I made the 10KM in 1:00:50. My fastest 10KM to date. This beats last summer’s Westervoort Run which was 1:04:06. Honestly, I was pretty gobsmacked. After my last run the Wednesday before I thought I’d be in around 1:05 and that PP would come in before me. Gave me a very good feeling! Hubs could NOT stop talking about how impressive it was!
So that 10KM was Week 8 Run 1. Another friend met up with us and the beers afterwards were WONDERFUL…
Run two was 9.5KM, 40 min D1, 20 min D2. Thank dog for treadmills is all I can say. Pretty broken after that.
Run three was 12KM, 60 min D1, 20 min D2. Absolutely dreadful. Seriously. Not only again ruined by a dog, but two of them and one owner yelling at me that *I* was doing the wrong thing (this is not the moment for a lesson on how to handle dogs when 1) you don’t really like them, 2) you are slightly afraid and 3) they are jumping on you). There were tears folks. And a lot of walking. I never actually made it into D2 and only did 10KM.
Run four (yes! I made a run four!) was incredible! 6KM at lunch with colleagues. My fastest 5KM time and my fastest 6KM in total time. Even faster than Sunday’s race! 35:48. That’s faster than 10KM per hour.
So, it’s all over the place you guys. Good, crap, great. The whole spectrum.
Today starts Week 9. That means in three Sundays from now I will be running Berlin Half Marathon!
Today’s run was scheduled as 18.5KM 110 min in D1, 15 min in D2. Seems I got those switched up a bit because I only did 10 at D2. I also walked some, so I was about 7 minutes behind on target time. But I did it. I think that’s the important part. Total time 2:11:18.
Something I did for fun – on Saturday, which was a rest day, my stepdaughter asked me if I would go out in the park with her to run. She wants to see if she likes it, to better her condition, get a little bit more fit (I don’t think she’s unfit by the way, but apparently she’s having what I had when I was in school – getting low scores on fit tests and being picked last) and already even downloaded a few apps on the phone so she could try it on her own. I feel really good, that I actually had a positive influence on this kid – she’s seen me in my non-fit days and watched me progress, just like others in my family, so it’s very cool she wants to do this. We did some jogging/ walking and ended up doing 4KM in a half an hour! To me that says she’s already quite fit, she just needs to build up and learn some breathing techniques. I am definitely going to contribute to getting her a good pair of running shoes and have visions of us doing races together sometime!
It just made me think – my parents had zero influence on me as far as fitness was concerned. Not that they weren’t supportive, but I guess the encouragement wasn’t really there. I’m not blaming them, but I think now, at this age, it’s just so important to get kids to understand that their health really should be a priority. We didn’t have that sort of vision 30 – 40 years ago, the priorities were different. Both of my parents are different now – but when you find out you can actually control diabetes, for example, just with eating right and exercise, it changes your whole perspective.
Were you active when you were young? Did your parents encourage you?
Here’s a question for the runners – what’s your fastest 10KM ever?
Damn woman, you are rockin’ it! PRing your 10k and 5k in one week? You are too badass. I’m going to need to speed it up a notch if I want to keep up with you at Fitbloggin this year. :)
I think it is awesome that you are encouraging your step daughter. I hope you can help her find her love of running! My father was always a great influence on me. He is and will always be my favorite running partner. While I was in school we would do three miles together, then when I started increasing my distance I convinced him to do a half marathon with me. He isn’t int he greatest shape now, but I still enjoy being by his side for a short jog.
oh I’m sure you won’t need to worry about keeping up with me Michelle!!
it’s awesome you run with your dad! It was a brand new experience to go to the gym even with my dad in February! First time ever!!!
You look like you were freezing in that picture! Congrats on your 10K PR!!!
re: your questions – I came from a home where we ate a lot of packaged food and fast food. I wouldn’t say we were encouraged to be “active” for health purposes. It was more like – get outside and do something to “burn off energy” and stay out of my parents’ hair LOL Currently, I’m the only person in my family that’s at a healthy weight. My dad, mom and one of my sisters need to lose 50 pounds each. Two of my sisters need to lose 100 pounds each to be at a healthy weight. It’s frustrating :( Now, two of my sisters have kids and I see everyone repeating the same mistakes. My nephew is three…he has an Ipad (inactivity!) and my parents take him to McDonalds. UGH!
That is great that you are influencing your stepkids! That is the one thing I always made sure to stress in my house. My stepson is in mint shape and eats clean – won’t touch fast food. My stepdaughter put weight on in college, but lost 20+ pounds so far this year.
Since your parents didn’t encourage you, how did you start learning about health & fitness and decide to make changes?
I learned things in four stages:
1) my mom had a weight problem. She was on Weight Watchers often. I’m not sure this was a positive or negative experience for me. I think the most activity she did was bowling (not knocking it!). I think she also never was encouraged to be active mainly because she was a girl (boys were active and athletic back then) and she was sickly as a child. So I don’t blame her. Seeing the “dieting” already planted the seed in my head for when I started feeling bad about myself. Being negative about myself and my body started around the age of 10.
2) once I was older and really starting to feel “fat” (I remember, I was 20 and living off of ramen noodles, mac&cheese and tortilla chips with rotel and velveeta) I decided to make changes. It took a LONG time to find out the right way though. I think at some point I became a vegetarian, but more like I just hardly ate anything but pasta and cheese, drank a lot of espresso and smoked cigarettes. Oh I lost weight, but it wasn’t healthy.
3) I was 23 and living in the same town again as my mother, and we joined Weight Watchers together. So I started learning about food, but, still it was 21 years ago and WW wasn’t as advanced as they are now. That’s when I started walking and swimming. I was never really consistent, not like I am now – more like I was healthy/ fit for a couple of years, then got fat and inactive again, then started another fit/losing weight cycle, then fat gain. And… repeat.
4) When Michael died, that was the catalyst. I’m older now and I’ve seen a friend drop dead partially due to weight issues. That won’t be me.
Ahhh…we are similar in many ways. I watched my mom go on/off WW for many years (she still does this cycle). And, I did the “pasta-cheese” diet in my early 20s as well. Losing someone for those reasons is very eye-opening. And, consistency is key. Excellent points!
Oh – and the only 10K race I ran, my time was 1:02. I hope to run another this summer and beat that!
that’s a great time! I hope you realise that! I’m sure you can beat it though!!!
I plan to!