Week 51: Day 3

cardio:

• bike ride to do errands (@ 10am) = 3 miles
• karate = 2 hours
• first (beginners) class = 7pm to 8pm
• second (intermediate) class = 8pm to 9pm

Today felt cool and tolerable enough that I wanted to take the bike out and ride a few miles to run some errands. It was actually nice weather for a bike ride too.

Week 51: Day 2

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 6:25am) = 3.14 miles; time = 36:25; pace @ 11:36

I don't know what's wrong with me. I took a break for a week recently...that really wasn't that long ago, almost two weeks ago. Not only am I still bored and unmotivated, I'm running slower. That's not good if I'm running slower than all of my previous runs. I want to run with other people, but at the same time, I don't really want to. I'd like to enter some races, but I'm also unmotivated to do that too. I'm bored and unmotivated, but I don't want to stop running!

Week 50: Day 7

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 6am) = 2.51 miles, time = 28:56, pace @ 11:28

Weekly Total Mileage: 8.91
Monthly Total Mileage: 34.86
Yearly/Shoe Total Mileage: 375.73

I almost didn't run this morning. It wasn't because I had no motivation, but I knew that it would be uncomfortably warm this morning, even at 6am, because the overnight low temperature would be 75! I figured if I did a short run, I would feel ok. Plus, I also wanted to log in my total mileage for the week, month, year/shoes, and I needed a run for today to give me an excuse to log and update that kind of info.

Week 50: Day 6

cardio:

• karate (@ 12pm) = 1 hour

It's too hot...I suppose I have an excuse to drink two gallons of water and have some ice cream today! Perhaps I should have gone swimming today too, but I took a shower before I thought of that. If tomorrow is much like today, I'll make myself remember to go swimming!

Week 50: Day 5

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 6:20am) = 3.2 miles; time = 35:44, pace @ 11:10

My leg is not sore anymore from the muscle cramp on Wednesday night. However...though...I really need to start stretching after I run. I used to do that before when I went to the gym after my runs. It should be easy to do it once I get home because I don't go to anywhere immediately, right? And the best time to stretch is immediately after a run when the muscles are "warmed" up and most pliable. My issue is that home has a lot of distractions like wanting to get in the shower right away. I'm not sure if the infrequent stretching had anything to do with the random, out of nowhere, one-time muscle cramp from Wednesday night, but whatever, I know that I should stretch after a run everytime...perhaps, try to stretch everyday.

Week 50: Day 4

I usually don't update my blog on days that I don't exercise, but I felt like making a post today anyway.

I didn't get a run in this morning. My right calf muscle still feels kinda sore from cramping up last night. That kinda dampened my motivation. I used my ipod on Tuesday, but I forgot to turn it off and it drained the battery. I didn't realize it until this morning when it wouldn't turn on because there was no battery power. That made me lose motivation completely. If my ipod dies (and needs to recharge) in the middle of the run, I have no choice to finish my run without music.

I suppose it's ok...I won't die because I missed a running day.

Week 50: Day 3

cardio:

• karate (@ 7pm) = 1 hour

I got a calf muscle cramp during class. It was the first time that I got one while doing some kicks. I don't know what happened or what I did (or didn't do) before because it never happened before. Two hours later and my right calf is still sore. I think I'll be fine for a run tomorrow morning, but that's so weird that it would happen while doing something that never used to cause muscle cramps.

Week 50: Day 2

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 6:20am) = 3.2 miles, time = 35:43, pace @ 11:10

The weather condition wasn't as bad as I thought it would be this morning. I still preferred extremely cold temperatures and I didn't run as fast as I would have liked, but it was still cool enough this morning that it didn't feel humid/muggy or uncomfortable. Now this afternoon may be a different story as I saw the weather forecast on tv that it would be 98 or 99 degrees!

Week 50: Day 1

cardio:

• karate (@ 7pm) = 1 hour

I'm not looking forward to running tomorrow. I don't know what the overnight temperature will be, but tomorrow will be 98 degrees. Surely, tomorrow morning at 6am will be warm, muggy and a bit humid. I'm trying not to be lazy and skip running by sleeping in.

Week 49: Day 7

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 6:15am) = 3.21 miles, time = ??

Weekly Total Mileage: 3.21
Monthly Total Mileage: 25.95
Shoe/Yearly Total Mileage: 366.82

I stopped my stopwatch when I was taking a restroom break during the last one mile of my run. I switched my watch to clock mode to check the time, and I forgot to switch it back to stopwatch mode, so I have no idea how long it took me to finish my run. It's ok, I don't think I want to know. I took a break for a week from running. I still feel bored and slow. I even felt kinda sleepy during my run.

Week 49: Day 6

cardio:

• karate = 2 hours
• first (beginners) class = 12pm to 1pm
• second (intermediate) class = 1pm to 2pm

I haven't ran all week. I needed the break. Hopefully, I will feel better about running tomorrow morning.

Week 49: Day 3

cardio:

• karate (@ 7pm) = 1 hour

I donated blood this morning. I was told that I shouldn't do heavy lifting or strenuous exercise. I thought that I would be ok for karate since I didn't think it was strenuous enough. There was a second class for karate, but I had a slight headache at the start of it so I did a lot of nothing and took it easy. I think it was mainly because I didn't eat enough today. Between 1pm to 7pm is a long time to go without eating, especially when you had just donated blood earlier in the day. I usually don't donate blood on days that has karate and I purposely take a rest day off when I donate on other days.

Week 50: Day 1

cardio:

• karate (@ 7pm) = 1 hour

I want to run tomorrow morning, but I also know that I need a break from running for a few days. If I don't run and if I'm not lazy, I'll do a different kind of work out tomorrow.

Week 49: Day 7

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 6:15am) = 2.2 miles, time = ??

For whatever reason, I stopped my stopwatch during my run, so I didn't record how long it took me to finish. I usually feel like I should time my runs because I always feel like I would easily quit if I didn't keep track. Luckily, I had my music with me. Otherwise, I would have really quit before I run 1/2 mile.

I think it's time to take another break from running. I felt tired and really unmotivated, and it's getting to the point that I feel like I HAVE to run instead of feeling like I WANT to. It seems normal that I would run into this problem every four to six weeks, sometimes eight weeks, especially when I'm not training for a race.

Week 49: Day 6

cardio:

• karate = 2 hours
• first (beginners) class = 12pm to 1pm
• second (intermediate) class = 1pm to 2pm

I didn't do a run yesterday. I think I should be fine for tomorrow's run since we didn't do anything difficult in karate that would make a muscle group sore.

Week 49: Day 4

cardio:

• hilly trail run (@ 6:30am) = 1.1 miles, time = 13:44, pace @ 12:29
• warmup/cooldown = 1.1 miles each

I'm getting faster on the hill run...now only if that can happen on the flatter runs.

So I was reading the San Gabriel Valley Tribune (local newspaper for certain cities only) and I saw this article about a dude attacking women and teenage girls walking/jogging....all in West Covina which is a neighboring city near me and I actually do occassionally run there, though not in the last three years. Most of them were attacked almost ten years ago and hasn't attacked anyone in a long while for various reasons (he left the area or was in jail for other crimes) until recently...as recent as March of this year. Based on the description that these victims gave to WCPD, all the attacks were by the same guy. So...if someone wants to attack me while I'm out running/jogging, bring it on because I'm ready.

Week 49: Day 3

cardio:

• karate (@ 7pm) = 1 hour

I was at the post office today. An uniformed sheriff deputy who was there dropping off some mail asked why I didn't run. I usually see several sheriff patrol cars driving around when I run and even though I usually can't see who's driving (they drive too fast (usually over 30mph) for me to see), I think I saw him driving around before. He's used to seeing me running and apparently he didn't see me running this morning because today is my non-running day. It's nice to see cops all the time when I run, but I also think it's time to change my route, not that I'm worried that a cop will follow me home.

Week 49: Day 2

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 6:15am) = 4.84 miles; time = 52:18; pace @ 10:48

June gloom in August? I thought August was usually the hottest month of the summer? It's ok, I rather put up with an overcast morning with cool temperatures than a sunny, muggy/humid morning.

Week 49: Day 1

cardio:

• karate (@7pm) = 1 hour

I've figured out why my quads were sore yesterday. We were doing lunges and one other exercise that involved the quads in Karate training on Saturday. I'm not old enough afterall.

Week 48: Day 7

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 6:15am) = 4.5 miles, time = 49:40, pace @ 11:02

Weekly Total Mileage: 12.40
Monthly Total Mileage: 12.40
Total Yearly/Shoe Mileage: 340.82

I think I'm getting old. I didn't run on Thursday because I needed to take a rest day and sleep in. I think because I took one day off to rest, it made me have a delayed reaction to get sore or achy quad muscles. My muscles were fine yesterday, but I woke up with them sore this morning. This seems to happen when I'm used to running a certain days per week for awhile and then take a day off from running for a much needed rest. My quad muscles are ok now that I've went running.

My right shin is getting a bit achy and I know this has to do with my shoes and I think it's time to get a new pair of running shoes. They're old and have racked up enough miles that it's time to retire them.

Week 48: Day 6

cardio:

• karate = 2 hours
• first (beginners) class = 12pm to 1pm
• second (intermediate) class = 1pm to 2pm

Why am I so tired? I managed to make it to class, even though I wanted to keep sleeping.

Week 48: Day 5

cardio:

• trail/road run (@ 6:15am) = 4.3 miles time = 47:37, pace @ 11:04

This morning felt a bit cooler or less humid. Although I am drinking my fair share of water, I wasn't drenched in sweat everytime I had to stop (for red lights, etc). I'm looking forward to the cooler temperatures/months when I can run without feeling uncomfortable!

Week 48: Day 2

cardio:

• hilly trail run (@ 6:15am) = 1.1 miles, time = 14:11, pace @ 12:54
• warm up = 1.4 miles
• cooldown = 1.1 miles

The last hilly trail run that I did, I wasn't exactly continuous. Took a short break at the halfway point, but I think my endurance is getting better since I didn't stop or slow down this morning. I also think it's time to change my hilly course. Not necessarily more difficult, just longer.

Week 48: Day 1

cardio:

• karate (@ 7pm) = 1 hour

First week as a non-gym membership user. Feels strange because when I have this urge to go to yoga class, but I know that I can't unless I pay up.

We had some new students today in class. I'm not sure if they will still be around after this month, but they are signed up for classes three times a week. It's going to be a long month with these kids. I must see it as a good challenge though.