March 1, 2008 Week 5

Rose Bowl AGAIN It's slightly drizzly today. We've been really, really fortunate to have great weather every Saturday. This is the first day that it's been kinda of rainy, although it's not too bad and just keeps us cool.

Today, we're doing twice around the Rose Bowl again. Bert, one of our coaches, talks to us about how to decrease our times so that we can make it under the 15 minute pace. I realize I am going to have to suck it up and start jogging. Bert suggests to look for landmarks, like the lightpoles, which are placed at equal distances around the Bowl, and try to run for 2 poles, then 3 poles, then 4, etc. Of course, the hard part about running is not the actual running, it's the maintaining your walking pace once you stop running. It's no good to run if you then slow to a crawl on the walk. So, NEWS FLASH: I actually jogged! Granted, it was for like 20 feet, then walking for 7 minutes, then another 20 feet of running, but still. The important thing is that I maintained a fast walk after the jogging. MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT !! For this, I will thank Mr. Stevie Wonder and Mr. Willie Nelson. "Uptight" "Sir Duke" "Whiskey River" and "Bloody Mary Morning" are all excellent pacing songs. And I got under 15 minute/mile pacing!!! And passed Ginger again when she went to the bathroom! See, beer drinking is good for something! It taught me not to break the seal.

I tried Gatorade this week instead of water and that's a big mistake. One sip is okay, but not for 6 whole miles. I also had to carry the iPod so that it wouldn't freeze again. Must get dorky fanny pack! That way I can have mostly water and a little bottle of Gatorade. And not carry my iPod. Afterwards, I don't know if it was the finally running, the carrying the Gatorade and iPod, lifting weights on Friday or tensing my shoulders during running, but I seriously could not lift my arm on Saturday afternoon. Soooooooo sore. I had to put a heating pad on my shoulder for about 6 hours. Of course, I injure my SHOULDER while running. That makes perfect sense. Next week, we're back to Griffith Park. 15 more minutes of sleeping!!

Monday, I took the dogs on a walk as part of my training. Decided to incorporate a little tiny bit of jogging. Like, from that trash can to the corner. Poor little Maggie is not a fan of the jogging. Maggie is a little tubby with short stubby legs, just like me! That's why we hate the jogging. So I had to wait for her at the corner a couple of times. Calvin does not mind the jogging, although it interferes greatly with his ability to pee on every rock and blade of grass in the neighborhood.