Amazing what a difference a week makes

Fun hike with my little dog!

It was a week ago that I had to do my first run with NO walk break; 20 minutes.  It was SO. HARD.  I almost walked a dozen times, but I pushed through and ran the whole time.  My neighborhood is both killer and forgiving.  4 uphill climbs, but also 4 downhill dips.  Those downhill dips are ALMOST as good as a walk break:)

Saturday I pushed it extra hard (AND I rode the lazy horse earlier that day) and did 6 miles.  It was the first time I've ever gone 6 miles straight.  I've done a 5.3 mile hike before, but that was 4 years ago!  I actually mapped out 3 miles down the road from my house, and set off at an easy jog.  My Cto5K called for a 22 minute run with no walk breaks, so I focused on my music and my breathing and tried to ignore the fact that it was 3:00 in the afternoon in 90 degree heat in the full on blazing sun.  I made it.  It was probably around a mile and 3/4, don't think I made it past 2 miles, but I also didn't realize how much the road sloped upward ... with no downhill dips!  At 22 minutes, I walked, breathing so hard I felt a little light-headed.  Kept walking at a nice forward clip until I hit the 3 mile mark, then turned around.  Upon turning around, I decided to run another 8 minutes, for an even 30.  My legs felt pretty tired, but I had walked for about 10 minutes so I felt recovered enough to push through and do it.  I did it!  Ran 30 minutes, completed 6 miles, all in the blazing heat of the afternoon.

Surprisingly, Sunday I felt fine.  Not sore or anything:)  I had planned to take the day off so as not to overdo anything and hurt myself before the 5k, but I ended up taking my chihuahua to a local hiking trail called Pine Top Mountain, and hiked a nice 2 1/2 mile trek.  I don't care WHO you are, PTM is a nice little workout.  It felt great, I totally enjoyed the nice shady trail.

This morning, I pried my butt out of bed at 5:45, drank 8 oz of my coffee smoothie to get some calories in me, and set off on the 2nd to last week of Cto5k.  Run 25 minutes with no walk break.  And I did!  And unlike my first experience with running the entire time, I did NOT sound like an asthamatic about to keel over and die:)  I kept my breathing nice and easy, my legs kept moving without feeling like lead, and squeezed those butt cheeks as I crested the hills.  The downhills gave me plenty of recovery time, and I felt like I had some gas left in the tank when I finished.  Doing the same tomorrow, Wed, and Thurs then giving myself Friday as a break to recover since I'm skipping basically 2 weeks of the program to go straight to the 5k.

I'm beginning to feel anxious if I don't get that cardio burn.  I'm so encouraged by the loose clothes, I do NOT want to backslide and sabotage myself (for the umpteenth time).  I've still got a long way to go, TWO more pant sizes.  And technically, even though my size 12 shorts fit, and my size 13 jeans fit, I would NOT go to the store and buy a 12 yet.  ALMOST, but not quite.  I'm getting there, though, one run at the time:)

BTW, the soaking in epsom salt REALLY helped my left heel.  It's still very sore, but not near to the extent it was, so I will be doing that again soon, for sure.