Cause my coworkers demanded proof.
Nobody but us runners here
Runner’s World recommendation is add 10% weekly mileage, then every three to four weeks, give yourself a break – a recovery week, if you will.
But in reality, I need to run around eleven miles by July fifteenth. With that in mind, and incorporating the recommendation to chillax every four weeks, I’ve written up the schedule below as a guide.
Because I’m obsessed. OBSESSED!! !
| ## | Date | Runner’s World | Rain’s Twisted Reality | Reality In Miles |
| 00 | 02.05 | 4.08k | 4.08k | 2.54m |
| 01 | 02.12 | 4.49k | 5.22k | 3.24m |
| 02 | 02.19 | 4.94k | 5.35k | 3.32m |
| 03 | 02.26 | 5.43k | 7.49k | 4.65m |
| 02 | 03.04 | 4.94k | 5.35k | 3.32m |
| 03 | 03.11 | 5.43k | 7.49k | 4.65m |
| 04 | 03.18 | 5.97k | 8.62k | 5.36m |
| 05 | 03.25 | 6.57k | 9.76k | 6.06m |
| 04 | 04.08 | 5.97k | 8.62k | 5.36m |
| 05 | 04.15 | 6.57k | 9.76k | 6.06m |
| 06 | 04.22 | 7.23k | 10.89k | 6.77m |
| 07 | 04.29 | 7.95k | 12.03k | 7.48m |
| 06 | 05.06 | 7.23k | 10.89k | 6.77m |
| 07 | 05.13 | 7.95k | 12.03k | 7.48m |
| 08 | 05.20 | 8.75k | 13.16k | 8.18m |
| 09 | 05.27 | 9.62k | 14.30k | 8.89m |
| 10 | 06.03 | 8.75k | 13.16k | 8.18m |
| 09 | 06.10 | 9.62k | 14.30k | 8.89m |
| 10 | 06.17 | 10.58k | 15.43k | 9.59m |
| 11 | 06.24 | 11.64k | 16.57k | 10.30m |
| 10 | 07.01 | 10.58k | 15.43k | 9.59m |
| 11 | 07.08 | 11.64k | 16.57k | 10.30m |
| 12 | 07.15 | 12.80k | 17.70k | 11.00m |
A few caveats:
- These are the Friday (running for speed) distance goals.
- I have no idea how far I’ll run on Sundays (running for distance), but it’ll be more than the Friday run.
- I have no idea how far I run on Tuesdays (intervals). Let’s assume two third’s the distance of the Friday run.
- Therefore, I’ll run at least triple these numbers every week.
Ik heb geen idee if this is a realistic guide, but we’ll see, eh?
OBSESSED!! !
Run, Rain, Run
I realize you’re not on my Street Team on RunKeeper, so you have no idea that I’ve run:
- 1.18 kilometers on January 29th
- 1.71 kilometers on January 31st
- 4.08 kilometers on February 3rd in the snow in the dark at seven in the morning
- 4.0 kilometers on February 5th, and
- 4.08 kilometers this morning.
It seems my new exercise pattern is:
- Sunday | Running for Distance
- Monday | Strength Training with Ifat
- Tuesday | Running for Intervals
- Wednesday | Dance
- Thursday | Strength Training with Ifat
- Friday | Running for Time
- Saturday | Rest
And, as I just posted on my Social Medias, I have four exercise goals to prepare for the Tough Mudder.
- “At a minimum, we recommend that you are running regularly (3-4 times a week), work up to at least runs of 5-7 miles…”
- “…be able to do 15-25 push-ups in a row….”
- “…be able to bang out 6 pull-ups in a row….”
- “…and be able to swim 50 yards without stopping.”
The first week I ran, including for the race, my heart stayed up around 175ish. Whenever I hit the wall, my heart was above 180. To give a little perspective, my heart is craptastic because the resting rate is fairly low and the exercise rate is fairly high.
But worse.
When it hits 185ish, it drops to resting rate.
Which makes me pass out.
I’ve been to lots of specialists and had lots of tests, but the root cause remains unknown. But I’ve been working with Ifat since September and she’s been pushing my heart, and finally.
FINALLY.
I’m running.
For the first time IN MY LIFE for more than two minutes.
And the highlights?
- Noting my average heart rate for a run has dropped to 165ish.
- Running my first race and not walking or pausing AT ALL.
- Figuring out how to download PodRunner to my iPhone.
- Suspecting I might actually finish the Scotland Tough Mudder.
I am an idiot.
- I have a heart condition.
- I’ve never run a race ever.
- I have bad knees.
- I have a heart condition.
- I am a wimp.
- I don’t like the cold.
- Did I mention the heart condition?
But. I’m going to sign up for the Tough Mudder in Scotland. Because I am an idiot.
I discussed it, realistically, with my personal trainer today and she pointed out that I’m not in it for the speed or to run the whole time, but to experience it. That it’s okay if I walk a kilometer, run a kilometer, walk a kilometer, run a kilometer. And, as long as I think I can handle it mentally, she can get me physically there by July.
And, she said, if I decide I’m doing it, she’ll make sure I can do it.
We agreed that I’m to run, three times this week, and we’ll touch base next week to make the final decision.
Because the running is the part I’m worried about. That craptastic heart. Those poopie knees. The utterly naive inexperience.
A friend who, alledgedly, was NOT a runner, used Podrunner: Intervals to work up to 10k and has never had an injury. I’m going to start with week one, go three times, and I’ll check back in. In a week.
And it snowed last night. For realsies – sorta. Everything was covered in a fine white powder this morning and the days have stayed below freezing lately. BELOW FREEZING. And when do I get a wild hair that I’m going to become a runner? Of COURSE I don’t have a treadmill or a gym membership – it’s running outside IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES for me.
I’m SUCH an idiot.
Touched
I literally laughed with him. And cried a bit. And couldn’t eat my lunch because I was holding my breath.
The Shiny New Schedule (with some old school pictures)
When we first moved to Groningen, I created a schedule based on the following rules:
- eat within thirty minutes of waking up
- eat every 2-3 hours
- stop eating three hours before bed
- stop drinking water two hours before bed
- no exercise one hour before bed
That schedule was to ensure I didn’t go nuts NOT working, that I had a structured day, that I drank plenty of water and kept my sugar levels, well, level.
0630 :: up / snack / water
0700 :: yoga / meditation / water
0800 :: breakfast / water / meds
0830 :: shower / dress / organize day / plan dinner / study dutch
1000 :: snack / water
1030 :: grocery shopping / explore groningen / water
1230 :: lunch / water
1300 :: afternoon chores / laundry / dishes / clean house
1530 :: snack / water
1600 :: dance / pilates / journal / hobby / fun / water
1830 :: dinner / water
1900 :: socialize / date / fun
2100 :: quiet / no electronics / get ready for bed
2200 :: bedness
It was so ideal, so perfect, so unrealistic. Not only did I NEVER follow it, but it pretty much just made me sad I wasn’t doing it. By the end of December, I was staying up until two or three in the morning, sleeping in until noon or later and not exercising at all.
And now?
Well, it’s a new year and I’M WORKING. Ifat is back in town, as am I, and now I need that same structure, but now it’s to be as productive as possible. Rather than reactive, is proactive, and, most importantly, REALISTIC.
0630 :: up / snack / water
0700 :: yoga / meditation / water
0800 :: breakfast / water / meds
0830 :: shower / dress
0900 :: work
1000 :: snack / water
1230 :: exercise / lunch / water
1330 :: work
1530 :: snack / water
1830 :: dinner / water
1900 :: socialize / date / fun / dance
2100 :: quiet / no electronics / get ready for bed
2200 :: bedness
Further, my exercise schedule goal is the same as before, only it happens at the same time every day. Except Wednesday when I’m at the mercy of the studio’s schedule.
Monday :: Ifat
Tuesday :: yin yoga and warrior yoga
Wednesday :: modern dance class
Thursday :: Ifat
Friday :: yin yoga
Saturday :: conditioning
Sunday :: rest
Oh, yes, and since I missed the first three weeks of modern class, I’m taking ballet class AND modern class for the next three weeks.
Cause NO GUTS, NO GLORY!! !
Windsor Castle, the Long Walk, and High Tea
Just got back from a long three weeks near London, England, United Kingdom [and, boy, are my arms tired] and while the trip home in and of itself was its own adventure and utterly exhausting and unfortunately NOT uneventful, I’ll quickly sum up our kickass trip to Windsor.
We slept in. We moseyed over to the train station, missed our train by, literally, two minutes, and almost cried when we realized another wouldn’t arrive for an HOUR. Because it was Sunday.
Therefore, we chillaxed at a local pub, the Tilly Shilling, a Wetherspoon pub, with tea [yes, with milk] and biscuits [cookies] and almost missed the next train, but this time we RAN.
Wherein we discovered that Pontus is not as fit as Rain, which, considering Rain hasn’t done any conditioning, nay, ANY exercise in the past SIX WEEKS, is considerably UNFIT, indeed.
Upon arrival at Windsor, we attempted to enter Windsor Castle via the back gate. I don’t recommend it. Guards take their jobs as seriously as TSA Agents back in the States. No laughing. Very serious. Unless it’s time for pictures. Then it’s all silliness.
So we walked. And walked. And walked. And walked. Big castle, the Windsor Castle.
Eventually we found the front door. And the ticketing reception area. And the front gardens.
And I took a million pictures of gargoyles. Literally, a million. Literally.
Why aren’t there any pictures of the inside of Windsor Castle? Well, because you aren’t allowed to take any pictures inside Windsor Castle. But there aren’t any signs saying as much, you’re just supposed to know. Unless you’re a silly American with a shiny new camera, then you don’t know, so of course they’ll tell you. After you’ve taken a few inside.
Of course, since I’ve been living in the Netherlands a few months, the English scolding was as gentle as a summer breeze [if either country actually had gentle summer breezes] and I happily deleted all two that I took inside. Of the stupid dollhouse. And then we went back outside where I could take more pictures.
Then we left Windsor Castle [how many times can someone say 'Windsor Castle' in one blog post? Windsor Castle, Windsor Castle. Windsor Castle. Windsor. Castle. A LOT.] and asked for directions to this really long road we had seen in pictures of Windsor Castle [eleven; twelve, if you count the title] and found the Long Walk. Which is for walking. Long walking.
We walked, say, TEN feet, turned around and moseyed off to find dinner. But found the crooked house instead. Which I entirely did NOT take a picture of because my stomach was in charge at that point, saw they served high tea, and leapt into the establishment.
We sat right by the window, right at the front, on the second floor and therefore had the distinct pleasure of photo bombing countless photos of the Crooked House. I’m sure one will be used against me one day when I run for president.
First proper day back in Red Hat Global Support Services?
WIN.
Safely arrived in Farnborough
$SUBJECT
Let’s not think about the jetlag, shall we?
I felt this way a bit when I shot down to Amsterdam for the open source conference on Friday, then over to Germany for a Saturday of Christmas shopping a few weeks ago, but more so today, I feel… giddy.
Currently at the Red Hat office in Amersfoort, I’m shooting down to Amsterdam in a few hours to catch a flight over to London, then catching a train to Farnborough to begin my three week onboarding with Red Hat EMEA.
In February, I’ll shoot over to Munich for a couple of days of Red Hat orientation.
Later that same month, I’ll pop on back to the States and make the rounds (TN GA NC MD VA).
March is a visit from my twin, JacAttack and her husband of the awesome throatmeat, Chadleton. We may zoom down to the Mediterranean for a bit.
And then in April we’ll drive around Sweden with Ponte’s brother Fil and my favorite mother in law, Ulrika.
Another expat friend of mine observed how enthusiastic I was last night as I left her house to run home to pack. And I am. Excited about a flight that would be the equivalent of flying from North Carolina to Georgia back in the States.
EXCEPT I’M GOING TO LONDON.