So I can't remember what I last wrote about running but to recap, I had bought a pair of Merrels because they were on sale. Turns out they were lovely to walk in but hell to run in. Not their fault, I'm just not at the toe-stike running stage. Nor do I think I ever will be. So I returned them and have since bought a sweet pair of transition shoes. Behold th Nike Free Run (possibly II):
Bright enough for ya? Okay, but the thing is, the ones I got are even louder. I know, what?! Mine are limest green with hottest pink laces. They are so so SO ugly that I love them. The best part is they don't have a tongue as such- the shoe is kind of a sheath. So not quite like the ones pictured above...whatevs. They also lace up on a slight slant. Brilliant! They are super flexible but have a little bit of cushioning at the heel for when your feet get tired from being trained to land mid-stride. So far I've been able to run mid-stride fairly easily and no longer fear having to quit running due to knee injury. LOVE!
So my first race is a week away. Wee pause for freak out: WHHAAT?!?! But it's all good. Since my last running post I have worked myself up to running 3km straight, no breaks, no intervals. To be honest I kind of skipped the last part of that couch to 5 km training regimen as I just wanted to run, you know? So one night I put on my horrible old shoes and my great new watch and thought I'd run straight down my street to the end and loop back, with as few breaks as possible. Turns out it was 3km almost exactly! I ran 5 min intervals with a minute break that time and then the next time I just ran. The whole 3 km. With a handy sprint at the end! HOLLA! It felt awesome to be able to run that without stopping; clearly I'm actually improving. Sweet deal. So now I'm working on increasing my speed- I went from 20 to 22 minutes the first few times to 18 minutes with my fancy new shoes. See? Fancy new shoes really DO make you run faster! And ps the best part is these shoes were even cheaper than the Merrels-on-crazy-sale because they were last year's model. So awesome.
Clearly I am obsessed with those shoes and with becoming a better runner. In addition to running, I have also taken up strength training. This is to help prevent injury, but I'm just sayin' that to look serious. Really, the "strength training" is working out for 20 minutes to Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred. This is so that I can lose the rest of my baby weight by the end of this year...I was aiming for the end of this summer but that isn't really feasible and may not even be terribly healthy, what with the breastfeeding. So I'm trying to work on my abs, or lack thereof. Funny thing I discovered after doing the shred the first time? I will use any other muscle before I resort to using my abs. My abs didn't hurt AT. ALL. after that first work out but I could barely walk- cos my poor thighs took the hit! So now I'm trying really hard to isolate my abs, keep'em tight and work'em extra hard (that means crunches of all types on my rest days).
Wait. I should be clear: I don't really care about losing weight but I would like to lose the extra inches I put on. And I'd like a nice, toned stomach. Also, a bigger butt. And smaller boobs. And world peace.
So wish me luck in my race and I'll let you know how it goes...
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