I must be the only mom on the planet not looking forward to the beginning of school. School mornings mean fighting to get the child up and ready, as well as myself. School days mean worrying in the back of my head as to whether the Child is following instructions, eating properly, getting her work done--all the while knowing that I have no power to change it. School evenings mean struggling to get all the chores done, deal with any infractions/struggles of the day, check homework, listen to the boo-hoos, get the Child in bed on time, reconnect with the Mister, and get myself to bed on time so I can get up on time to get my pre-dawn run in and start all over.
Summer is hot and humid, but it's get up and go.
I'm seriously trying not to have an anxiety attack about next week.
But this blog is about running, right?
This week I'm wrapping up the C25K program, and I'm amazed at how far I've come. I can run 30 minutes continuously. Not only that, but I have finally found a pace that I feel like I can sustain a good long time. Which is not to say that it isn't difficult. But every time I feel the "can't" rising, I take a swig of water; sometimes those canteens get low, but I keep going. The real test is going to be if I can complete a 5K while continuously running; I still tend to clock it at about 40 minutes.
Now I've got to start shifting into concentrating on distance. The program I'm using doesn't specify how to do that, just the mileage. I've tried going back to the 3-1 intervals. I've tried distance intervals. I'm not sure which I like better or which will be the most efficient. I'm very conscious that I've got 02:45:00 to get it all done. Right now I'm more scared of a DNF than coming in last; at least with last, I'll still have the accomplishment and the medal.
What I'm really struggling with is the cross-training on my non-running days. I still have some weight restrictions until September. I'm still finding that I'm recovering from my surgery whenever I do any core work; it's a pop and a burn that can be both painful and worrisome rather than a hey-I-worked-out ache. I've tried yoga, Pilates, even belly dance. Most of those things are sort of okay, but if I bend or twist too much, it hurts the not-good way. My midsection will puff and numb a little too, which I don't think is a good sign. Is walking enough? Should I try swimming again? (Again, treading water is okay; but if I do long strokes, the above pain returns.) It's all very frustrating.
On the other hand, I've gotten a couple of comments that my waist is a little more defined these days. I guess the word is moderation ... which I don't necessarily do well.
