July 30, 2008 (Level 2 beginner and Sweat)

Things are going pretty well. I am confident that I am no longer a level one beginner. I'm definitely a level two beginner even by the Internet Twit's standards. Once I found out that I could run 3 miles on a flat surface last week, I went nuts. Marcella wants me to do the tread mill without holding on for dear life so I lowered the speed to 3.5 mph and walked. I must say that I walk like a drunken sailor when I'm not hanging on. (Once again, no offense, sailors. Remember that my dad and husband were both sailors. I know that not all sailors get drunk and not all drunks are sailors.) I did that for about 5 minutes, then decided to give jogging on the tread mill a try. I jogged at 4.5 mph for a half a mile (in one place). It was easier than walking because for some reason I can jog in a straight line but can't walk in a straight line.

The following day I tackled the trail. This time I jogged the first mile, then walk/jogged the hills the second mile, jogged the third mile, and walk/jogged the fourth mile. I was stoked!!! Unfortunately, I was fasting for some blood work and couldn't eat or drink for an hour after exerting that much energy. Thought I was starving to death by the time I could eat.

The next day (the day after two more teeth were pulled) I jogged a mile on the treadmill before doing weights. I rock.

The next day I tackled the trail again. This time I jogged up 1.5 miles then back for a total of 3 miles!!! (Jogging really does make the teeth pain go away for that moment.) I saw one of my students on the trail and was glad to have been jogging even if it was rather a slow jog. The army or marines were doing their drills again. This time they would pass me and I would pass them for the whole trip instead of only ever seeing the slow guys. This time, when I passed the slow guys, I never saw them again. I am an "in the moment kind of gal." A half mile into it I thought I wasn't going to make it. I told myself that I just needed to get to the next half mile marker, then the next, then the next... 20 ft from the end I was still telling myself..."It's only 20 feet. Surely, I can make it another 20 ft." I did.

Have you noticed how hard I worked out this week? Think about the sweat involved here for a second. During one of the runs I had a big old sweat ball on the end of my nose and accidentally breathed it in. I could have given Gilda Radner some lines for SNL skits involving sweat balls. Ewwww.... I don't think that you can get pneumonia from that. The day I fasted and did the trail I went home and showered before getting the test done only to have my clothes get damp from sitting in my own sweat again. Ewwwww. After running the trail for 3 miles, I came home and my husband asked me if it was raining.(He has asked that at least three times.) I am not kidding about looking like I could have fallen into the river. This time I remembered to bring a towel for the car seat. I took my shower and came to work. The first thing that I noticed is that I had sweat through the towel a little, it wasn't too bad. I sat down and put my seat belt on. Ewwww....the seat belt was wet. (I hadn't thought about that.) I got to work and my pants were damp even though I had used a towel to sit on while I was sweaty. I smelled my seat and it smells like sweat. It's time for Fabreeze. I will have to come up with another solution to this sweat issue.