Jocelyn's 1/2 Marathon Journal

[Boss Man]

You eat Nitrogen in Proteins and Saturates. Most if not All amino Acid carry a Nitrogen Bond. The Nitrogen will convert to Uric Acid and can contribute in high enough amounts therefore to Gout.

Though I admit eating Bread created with a Nitrogen substance, normally present in Fertiliser, is pretty terrible.

Even Greggs probably don't do that and some of their stuff looks positively dreadful.

[sandigirl06]

Awwwww, Jocelyn I hope your finger is not broken!! I am really hoping you feel better! About the Subway...have you ever heard the saying..if it's too good to be true it probrably isn't?? Yep, how can something that tastes soooo good be good for you?? It isn't!!! I looove Subway but it is only a last resort. However, better than the pizza I will be forced to eat at my mom's today! I hope you have a great day and take it easy on your back!

[feelin-great]

Awwwww, Jocelyn I hope your finger is not broken!!

Definitely not broken! It does hurt worse today, though I really don't understand how I hurt it so bad. But I am really happy to say that my back is fine I wouldn't even know I hurt it...

I won't be working out tonight, I have company coming this evening. But I will be running with my co-worker tomorrow morning. I think I will do 3.5 miles tomorrow and then on Sunday I will shoot for 5 again

[fitoverforty]

I really don't understand how I hurt it so bad.

Maybe you jammed it when you fell, trying to catch yourself, or perhaps hyper extended it somehow. Is it swollen and bruised, can you bend it? It might be broken.

But I will be running with my co-worker tomorrow morning. I think I will do 3.5 miles tomorrow and then on Sunday I will shoot for 5 again

Sounds like a plan! I'm glad your back is better.

[feelin-great]

Is it swollen and bruised, can you bend it? It might be broken.

It is swollen and bruised but I can bend it normally. It's mainly along the left side of the finger - yesterday it was just hurting on the bottom portion (from the hand to the knuckle) but when I woke up this morning it as extended up to the next part of the bend ( I know, real technical terms ). I will keep icing it and hope it feels better quickly!

[feelin-great]

Broken fingers are fun and easy!

I take it you speak from experience... I have never broken a bone in my body, ever!

[feelin-great]

Don't feel too bad. I fell on my stairs once and landed so hard on my butt that there's now a permanent lump there.

I laughed so hard when I first read this because I thought you were joking - I was thinking I would use that one when I feel like I am having a big butt day - "Yeah, I fell down my stairs and landed on my butt" Then I re-read it and realized what you meant So I am glad to hear I am not the only klutz around here, sounds like there are a few of us!

[Boss Man]

Be nice to Nitrogen!

Hey, I'm all for Nitrogen in moderation .

I've never broken anything anyway. Good to know you're getting back to normal again Jocelyn.

Good luck and just keep doing as much as you can .

[feelin-great]

So I just got back from doing my 3.5 mile run and I must say, it was the ABSOLUTE WORST run I have ever had I ran with my co-worker and was not able to run the whole thing. On the return I had to stop to walk 3 times until I could recover, I haven't had to do that yet. I think there are four factors that played a part in this:

1) I had 1.5 glasses of wine last night - I drink maybe 2 or 3 times a year at the most so I think it really affected me.

2) It was a morning run - I am not a morning person, I always do much better in the evening. Unfortunately my 1/2 marathon is at 7:00 am so I have to get used to it!

3) It was soooooooo humid - YUCK!

And this is probably the biggest factor of what made it so difficult:

4) My running partner WOULDN'T STOP TALKING!!!!

Oh, my, it forced me to talk the entire run - she is a seasoned runner so these runs are a walk in the park for her so she doesn't realize how hard it was for me to breathe (especially since I have asthma!). After we started walking for the second time she asked why I was struggling so bad and I said "I don't know if it's the humidity or if it's because I am talking so much" LOL! I wasn't sure how to tell her to stop talking so I hoped that would be a hint. So she said she wouldn't talk the rest of the way - but that lasted about 30 seconds! I don't know how to tell her I run better by myself because she is such a sweetheart and she is so excited to be able to help me, but in a way she is kind of a hindrance. Luckily for the next two weeks we can't run together so hopefully by then I will be a little better conditioned, or maybe we will just stop making plans to run.

I didn't have my watch with so I don't know how long it took, but obviously since I walked a chunk of it my time was pretty horrible compared to normal. I am still hoping to get a 5 mile in tomorrow so we'll see how I do when I run by myself.

Hope everybody is having a great weekend!

[fitoverforty]

Sorry you had a bad run, but don't worry over it - not every run is going to feel great, and you will have times when you struggle. Remember the night before last you only got about 2 hours sleep - your body has probably not recovered from that yet, plus the fact that you had alcohol the night before when not used to it. I agree the humidity this summer is stifling! It is bad every where it seems - but the more you run in it the more your body will adjust.
As far as talking while you are running, that is something that either appeals to a person or doesn't. You may be the type of runner that prefers solo. As you get better conditioned it will be easy to run at a pace where you can sustain conversation - if that is what you want. When I run with a partner, or with a group, especially if their pace is a little faster than mine, I will just tell them beforehand that I don't mind if they talk to me....just don't expect me to answer very much, that it is taking all my energy just to run. Occasionally when I am struggling and they are just loping along talking up a storm and ask me something I just blurt out "Can't talk now, can't spare the air!" - that usually gets the point across.
And also, remember that not every run has to be about speed or time. Your long run should be at an easy pace, at least 2 minutes slower that your perceived "race" pace - because you are building endurance for distance, not speed. One of your weekly runs could be used for building speed, like running the whole thing at race tempo or at a pace that leaves you breathless and working hard (should NOT be able to talk) and the shortest run of the week can be used for speed drills, like sprints.
Just a few ideas. Whatever works best for you.
Have a good run tomorrow! I need to do a 5 miler sometime this weekend too.

[Boss Man]

Next time give her some Bubble Gum to chew. Something that can be chewed until practically the end of time, unlike a Toffee. That way she'll struggle to chew and talk at the same time and if she does it might fall down the throat causing a choking risk, so the thought of that risk becoming reality, should focus her mind on running and chewing only .

[EdgarHF]

So I just got back from doing my 3.5 mile run and I must say, it was the ABSOLUTE WORST run I have ever had I ran with my co-worker and was not able to run the whole thing. On the return I had to stop to walk 3 times until I could recover, I haven't had to do that yet. I think there are four factors that played a part in this:

1) I had 1.5 glasses of wine last night - I drink maybe 2 or 3 times a year at the most so I think it really affected me.

2) It was a morning run - I am not a morning person, I always do much better in the evening. Unfortunately my 1/2 marathon is at 7:00 am so I have to get used to it!

3) It was soooooooo humid - YUCK!

And this is probably the biggest factor of what made it so difficult:

4) My running partner WOULDN'T STOP TALKING!!!!

Oh, my, it forced me to talk the entire run - she is a seasoned runner so these runs are a walk in the park for her so she doesn't realize how hard it was for me to breathe (especially since I have asthma!). After we started walking for the second time she asked why I was struggling so bad and I said "I don't know if it's the humidity or if it's because I am talking so much" LOL! I wasn't sure how to tell her to stop talking so I hoped that would be a hint. So she said she wouldn't talk the rest of the way - but that lasted about 30 seconds! I don't know how to tell her I run better by myself because she is such a sweetheart and she is so excited to be able to help me, but in a way she is kind of a hindrance. Luckily for the next two weeks we can't run together so hopefully by then I will be a little better conditioned, or maybe we will just stop making plans to run.

I didn't have my watch with so I don't know how long it took, but obviously since I walked a chunk of it my time was pretty horrible compared to normal. I am still hoping to get a 5 mile in tomorrow so we'll see how I do when I run by myself.

Hope everybody is having a great weekend!

I have to agree with fitoverforty I am finding I am getting good runs followed by bad runs followed by good runs. Lets hope the next one is a good one.

[Bonnie]

I hear you on the breathing, I have asthma also & the entire time I am running I have ONE focus, breath in, breath out, repeat.Guess that makes me a single only runner

[feelin-great]

Lynne, I hadn't even thought about the 2 hour sleep night - that definitely would have affected me because I am usually the worst the second day after no sleep. I had completely forgotten about it

Boss - I don't think gum would stop the talking - she talks more than anyone I know and she is such a sweetheart so it's hard to tell her she is hurting my running! Luckily she has two kayaks and she took my kayaking last year a couple of times - so I think I will try to stick to the kayaking with her, that way I don't hurt her feelings too bad!

Edgar - I am really hoping today's run is better! I keep hearing everyone talk about having a bad running day and so far I have really lucked out, until yesterday that is. Hopefully it was just one of those days and today will be better

Bonnie - that is exactly how it is - with asthma all you can really focus on is your breathing! I struggled with asthma since I was born but grew out of it as a teenager. The doctors had predicted that, they said sometime in my late teens I would grow out of it, but then I would start to have problems with it again around 40 - unfortunately it came back earlier than they predicted I am only 32 and the problems started again about a year ago. That's a big reason why I started to work out again.

[feelin-great]

So last night's run turned out to be much better I can't find my watch so I don't know my time, but I am pretty sure it was a good pace. I ran 4.7 miles and didn't have any problems (at least not with running, that is). The first mile was flat but was a bit rough for me - the first mile usually is until I get into my groove. Then I turned and ran up the valley road where my sister lives - from the bottom it is .7 miles to her house and it is completely uphill Parts of it are gradual but parts of it are BRUTAL!!! But I made it, I pushed hard and didn't have to walk, so I was proud of myself Then I had to run back down the hill so from there on out the run felt great!!!! I really hit my stride and felt good, I would have run longer but the sun went down so I didn't quite hit 5 miles.

On the way back down the valley road I got mauled by a very large dog Almost peed my pants, she came barrelling out of the woods straight at me (I thought it was a deer right away because I see them a lot back there). It was a very large yellow lab, sweetest thing, but a little too happy to see someone run by her hiding spot She was taller than me when she wrapped her legs around my neck! Luckily the owner saw and came running over and she helped me get the dog off of me (which was quite a task!). So that slowed me down by a good 30 seconds or so... Then I continued on my way and suddenly a fox bounced out in front of me - I was kind of wishing I had worn Depends on my run There was a bear spotted in that valley a couple of weeks ago so I figured that would be the next thing coming out of the woods

So I think it is official - the reason I had a bad run is because of my running partner. I really think that I am meant to be a solo runner. I can focus on everything when I am by myself and I think that helps to push me forward. I am going to have to come up with a way to let her down gently - or maybe I can just do my short runs with her, we'll see.

I also learned another lesson last night - don't run before bedtime. I tossed and turned until almost 2:30 before I finally dozed off - then was up at 5:15. I am really dragging today I think I need to give myself more down time after a run so I guess I will have to run earlier (which means in the prime heat of the day). But I need my beauty sleep! I look frightening today

Hope everybody had a super weekend!