Bigger Girls Can Run Too

Again, I know I've been absent and I feel super awful about it! *Please don't throw anything at me, I've been kicking myself about this all weekend- but sometimes life is just too hectic for me to be able to accomplish everything.* Friday I worked and then spent my free time crafting a friend's birthday present, well, really, one part of his birthday present. Then, on Saturday I had CPR and First Aid training ALL day long. It was actually a super informative class and I'm glad I went (even more excited that I get paid for it haha). I learned how to make a sling, perform proper chest compressions, administer rescue breaths, create multiple kinds of splints, and how to make a bandage into the head band thing Daniel-Son wears in the Karate Kid. *Be jealous- Kurt at Becoming An Ironman, has wicked awesome skills*

Continuing on with my crazy weekend, after we got certified, Chelsea and I headed back to her place to make a birthday cake for Sunday. One of our good friends had a birthday and we, aptly, celebrated it with him. Later on Saturday, I went to see the closing night of Chelsea's show (she was one of the lead's in Moon Over Buffalo and she was AMAZING!). Got home kind of late Saturday and had to finish the other part of my friend's gift, so I was up much later than I intended. Needless to say, I overslept and woke up at 11:15, which did not leave me any time to get in my long run like I wanted, as I had to be at Chelsea's for 1 so we could drive to the festivities. Our friend is a musical director at a school and his high-school kids put on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It was FANTASTIC! His kids are so talented and he just does a superb job with them.

I got home late again last night and I had to be at work for 10am today so I didn't have a chance to go running before work (I'm NOT a morning person, ask anyone who knows me, so even though I had good intentions about waking up early to workout, I hit Snooze instead).  I worked all day and had rehearsal for my chorale concert tonight and then, FINALLY, got to hit the gym for a run. I did 3.26 miles on the treadmill- not too bad, but not great either though.

I do have to say, I felt good for the first mile of my run, it didn't take much out of me, and I was able to go 1.6 miles before I had to stop and walk. And even then, I only walked for a few minutes before I ran another half mile or so. My recovery times are getting shorter, and I am able to run farther after walking than I used to be able to. Out of the 46 minutes that I was on the treadmill, I ran 35 of them. Holler! *dusts my shoulders off* I'm impressed with myself. It may not seem much to other people, but for me, who six months ago could maybe run 0.25 miles before I had to stop, this is a HUGE accomplishment!

And I don't mean this in an offensive way, but being a bigger girl, I have to say that it made me feel kind of proud when a skinnier, more athletic looking girl got on the treadmill next to me and only did 0.75 miles before she stopped and got off. Granted her time was lower then mine, but I kept running! It made me realize that I really am becoming a runner and I rather like it. I felt proud of what I have been able to accomplish so far, even with my extra weight tacked on. I'm contemplating changing the name of my blog to Bigger Girls Can Run Too. Thoughts? Suggestions?

For my run tomorrow, I'm planning on running to the local library... mainly because I have to return some books... and then running back home. It's about 4.4 miles for the entire run so it should, hopefully, take me about an hour. I find that I run better on the roads/sidewalks because my body can adjust it's own pace as opposed to being on a treadmill where I'm forcing myself to stick to one steady pace. I mean, it's good training to be able to run a steady pace for a long length of time, but there are some times when my body may want to go faster or slower and it can't do that on the treadmill- Well, not without me possibly falling off of it in a rather embarrassing and possibly harmful fashion and that would not be fun. As awesome as it would look in a youtube video, I don't think I want to risk it.