New Shoes!

I ran 3 km yesterday, after missing out for an entire week (it's going to be 3 weeks of exams from now on - I am a 3rd year Psychology student - the second faculty I am doing - after finishing my Computer Science masters degree).
I am sorry I couldn't run more, but actually I left my husband home alone with the two kids and I was afraid they would be restless (well... mostly the husband :D )....On the other hand, it was some of the fastest running I did in a long while. Strava reported personal records for 0.5 km, 0.5 miles, 1 km and 1 mile... so.. it was for the better :) .
Also, I have new running shoes. I ended up getting these:

They are Asics Gel Pulse 6 in Hot Pink... I like Asics as a company a lot (I think they got me with the fact that their brand name is a beautiful acronym for Anima Sana in Corpore Sano.... I am a sucker for meaningful Latin and smart acronyms). The Hot Pink is not necessarily my thing, but the local Decathlon didn't carry other colors.... I actually ended up linking them a lot (the color I mean... because the shoes themselves I loved a lot right from the beginning)... Now it's like I am running on tiny pink clouds.. They are perfect for me.... Quite wide in front, offer good support for asphalt running (not for trails though, you really have to watch your step if running on uneven surfaces), their shock absorbing capabilities are excellent. I couldn't wish for better shoes for where I am right now running-wise....

My first "high pace" 5k

I ran 5.7 km yesterday.
I actually miscounted my laps and did an extra one as I was aiming to go a little over 5k, but my intention was not approaching 6k.
Anyhow, now I know I have my second "plateau" somewhere between the 4th and 5th kilometer and I also know that things get significantly better from there. After stopping Strava I actually ran home (another couple hundreds meters), I "ran" inside the elevator and I really felt sorry for having to stop in front of our apartment door.
I read that once you do a 6k without stopping and without "breathless" episodes, your cardiovascular system is ready to fuel you for as long as your muscles and mind can go. I cannot say how delighted I was to read this.
Also, I was dreading shin splints (I had this condition in my right leg after one of my previous runs), but I am fine, almost 0 pain and close to no muscular strain at all.
It is getting clearer to me that I will attempt a 10k if I have the time by the end of the month (somewhere around the 30th of January, which is my birthday :) ).
Also, I am considering this run "high pace", because I managed to get an average of 6:31 mins/km, which is the best I ever did on a distance greater than 1k.

Running with an untrained mind

I ran 4.8 km today at -10 degrees Celsius. I am zooming in on the 5k now and I find that my body likes it.
I seem to be finding a good pace with which my muscles and lungs are happy. It looks like I have a "milestone" at 2 km and another one at about 4.5 km. By "milestone", I mean moments when my body feels tired and I almost loose the pace and start huffing and puffing, but once I get past those points, calmness sets in. Physically, that is... what happens in my mind is a completely different story. I really have to start training my mind too, because if I focus on running, I feel tired after 400 m and feel like stopping every step of the way. I'd like to look into NLP to see how that will be able to help me. I am also trying various visualizing techniques I've learnt while studying psychology, but they don't seem very effective for me. What works for now is listening to Weird Al songs and really focusing on grasping all the lyrics. My favorite track so far is Tacky , but I am sure I will get used to it soon and then I will need something else. But for right now, if I listen to it "around" the milestones I can keep running without any issues. I really have to get mentally stronger, by having a clear plan of what I should NOT be thinking about at certain stages of the race.
So, at this point, running a half-marathon 3 months from now seems possible physically, but I am really unsure whether I will be able to handle it mentally. Well... we'll see.

Running with crows

I ran 4.6 km today... almost 3 miles.. yay!
Because there was quite a lot of snow outside but the temperatures have risen to -1 degrees Celsius, I decided to run in the park instead of the streets (I figured that the paths will be cleaner, still having snow on them instead of the snow + dirt combination you can see on the streets when the temperatures rise slightly). I was right, the paths were clean and well beaten, except for 1-2 segments which I actually welcomed figuring that I can make a pretty good picture of what trail-running would be like this way (I intend to give trail-running a try also, provided I can complete the half-marathon I am training for right now).
It was sunny outside, but since the sun was about to set, the edges of the scattered clouds were painted the most unlikely shades of salmon.. It really was a great time to run and the final element to complete the picture perfect scenery were... the crows. A huge murder of crows (a flock of crows is also called a "murder") was circling above the park, Occasionally, smaller groups would fall to the ground (in search of food, I presume) and one would run very close to them, They are used to people, so some of them wouldn't even move as I passed them by. They are extremely intelligent birds.. if only they weren't carriers of certain diseases and infections (like most birds are) I would try to be friendly with them (but as of now, silent reverence is the name of the game). The whole park had a very daylight goth/picturesque feel to it. But come nighttime, I bet it looks scary.
I am wondering whether I should watch Hitchcock's "The Birds".. hmmm.. maybe not.
On another topic.. I saw the snowman we built yesterday with the kids (D's first sleigh-riding experience, first snowman built with V, first snow-angels...).. he was standing tall and looking happy... I wonder, don't snowmen get lonely and scared at night? Aren't they scared of the crows?...

Running on fresh snow

I ran 4 km this morning... It was fun, but some sections were quite difficult due to the fresh snow that had fallen the night before and the fact that the tracks were unbeaten (it seems like there really aren't very many runners where I live...).

I fully enjoyed some untouched portions (even as a child, I was fascinated by footsteps in fresh, untouched snow), but then I hit some segments that were "so-so" (not untouched, but not well beaten either) and advancing further became quite difficult. I eventually pulled it off without having to stop, but I really have to get a new pair of running shoes (I am prospecting some ASICS) and I will try to avoid such snowy areas if possible, because I really felt my foot unstable.

The good news is that I don't seem to be huffing and puffing any more, which means my body is getting used to running and my pace is appropriate for my capabilities. The bad news is that this pace may be too slow to complete the race I am training for in under 3 hours, which is their time limit... Ultimately, my goal will be to finish the race, even if I exceed the time limit.

Running in subzero (Celsius) temperatures

Today I had my first run for 2015 and it felt really great. There's something really special about going for a run in the middle of a city that seems deserted, given that in Romania, the 2nd of January is a bank holiday (I may detail this experience in a later post).

This year, we finally had some snow (even if a small amount) on New Year's Eve. We are really longing for snow so that D can have his first sleighing experiences. But besides the jolly fun, snow means subzero temperatures. This morning, my phone showed -6 degrees Celsius, also letting me know that it actually felt like -11 due to it being a bit windy outside (yes, I know how lame it is to check the weather on my phone instead of just opening a window, but that is how I roll nowadays :) ). So.. to run or not to run... I never ran on a weather this cold, but I decided to give it a try. I knew I didn't have the perfect winter attire, but still, I managed to put together a decent outfit (winter gear for running deserves an individual post). I was pondering the implications of wearing a balaclava (which, paired with my bright fuchsia running overcoat was bound to make a strong impression on any creature (mostly men and dogs) I would meet during my run)... So, as I was pondering the implications of wearing a balaclava, my husband announced me that he was going to go for a run too.
Having two small children, we can only run taking turns and since he procrastinates far more when it comes to running than I do, naturally, I suggested that he should go first. This then led to him spending a great amount of time picking an outfit and if I were to let him leave with what he had picked out, he would have looked like a yeti on the run (which would have made an even bolder statement on passers by than me in my fuchsia overcoat). So, he went out and ran 3.5 km and then it was my turn and even if the air felt really brisk at the beginning, the experience turned out to be extremely enjoyable. I only ran 3 km, but I felt I could easily run at least another kilometer.

I am thinking about trying to do a 5k by the end of next week and maybe I will attempt a 10k for my birthday at the end of the month...

So, all in all, yay to running in the cold, but appropriate attire is mandatory!  

From (postpartum) couch to half marathon in 4 months

As I commence this blog and this endeavor, my sweet little C is peacefully sleeping in the bed next to me (that's right, we co-sleep although he does have a nice crib, but that's another story). He will turn 3 months old in a couple of days and I just hope that what I am about to start as a New Year's resolution will not affect him in any way (I specifically refer to his precious breast-milk supply here).
Having got full clearance at my 6 weeks postpartum appointment, I decided to attempt one of my dreams, that of running a half marathon (the full dream, of course, involves a full marathon, but that will have to wait :) ... you see, I am not totally crazy).
Why so soon after giving birth? ... Well, why not? C is my second child (D has just turned 2 almost 2 months ago) and with the second pregnancy I had gained far more weight than I would have wanted to (about 20 kg) and I felt my bones, muscles and ligaments really struggle with the extra kilograms. The excess is almost gone now, but toning and proper fitness level are paramount for me as I feel that this is my way of trying to prevent postpartum depression (I've had postpartum depression with D to some degree, but nothing to serious. However, this time around I know for sure that if I don't take action, it will come about and it will be much much worse). I want to make this clear: I am not on some kind of diet.. I want to be a healthy breastfeeding mom... but my body was longing to get rid of the excess and I solved the problem with conscious eating and good hydration. I impetuously feel the need to engage in some kind of physical activity , but since my schedule is very busy and we live near a beautiful park with awesome trails, running is the answer. It requires no extra gear (except proper shoes and attire of course), it can be done anytime and I can run for as long as I have time to.
I am starting this blog to write down and monitor my physical activities in preparation of the race which will take place in the second half of April. I've already started running 2-3 times a week and I can run 4 km without becoming completely drained of energy, so I think that is a fair start.
Because my schedule is so busy, my entries will be brief and to the point (I am an engineer turned PM :) ), or at least I will try to keep them that way.
So, with God's help, let's proceed! (I've already signed up for the race and paid the fee, so if I won't be able to show up, I'll have something else other than pride to lose)