Week Two

Wow, I feel great! After only two weeks of running I feel as though I am functioning at a higher level. My brain seems very agile, grasping concepts quicker and with more clarity. This week and the next are both big study weeks and usually I would be stressed and grumpy. Yet somehow I feel calm and clear and even completed an assignment three days early. I'm guessing it's the exercise I have to thank. Oddly, my brain has been both a hurdle and a helper this week. Great on the study front, making things glide along easier than ever before.  Yet still a hassle when running.

I'm yet to conquer the trick of emptying my mind and just running. My brain is constantly observing, musing, and planning. Then my legs slow as I become distracted. One trick I've found is to think along to the lyrics of whatever song is playing. If you have any tips for me, I'd love to hear them. At this point learning to clear my mind is my main obstacle.

I also have heaps more physical energy than usual. I'm packed full of pep. Weird that by spending more energy I have gained more energy. The body sure is a complex machine. Anyway, here are my daily notes and times for this week:

Mon - Took it easy today since yesterday was so triumphant. Just did one of the 5km training sessions, but I did notice that I had more of a bounce in my stride, the inevitable bounce of pride.

Tues - Long day of work finished off by cheap beer and taco night at the Reverence Inn. Well deserved. When I mentioned my running, my friend replied with "oh yes, I meant to ask you about that. So it is real, because I thought your Facebook might have been hacked?"

I assured her there was no fraping or hacking going on, and we laughed at the absurdity of my mission and how it came about. Hopefully this blog will be doing it's job in reassuring people that yes, I have actually signed up to a run and am training. As unbelievable as it seems :)

Wed -These next two weeks are the end of a study term for me, so the distractions of assignments and exams are hard to battle. Still, I'm managing to squeeze in runs as often as I can, even if they are short. And this preamble is just to say I went for a short run today.

Thu - Went for a longer run today to avoid working on the assignment I have due in tomorrow. This was also my longest distance yet, beating last week's score of 6.4km. Slowly, slowly catchy monkey as they say. Now I'm off to the library to face the inevitable. Tomorrow may end up being a rest day as I struggle to hand in my work on time. Then in the evening I'm off to the footy with my dad to watch the swans get beaten by pies. That visual is probably more interesting than the actual game.

Looks shit, tastes shit. Why did I eat it?

Fri - At the footy I ate a whole box of fried food. I have regrets now, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Then I came home and drank good scotch whiskey by the fire. Damn, this was a good day.

Sat - Turns out, eating fried food then drinking past midnight does not a good runner make. Went for a pretty lame more-walk-than run today due to feeling somewhat queasy and dehydrated. Tomorrow I need to go two whole kms non-stop so I'd better pull my socks up.

Sun - Today was going well. I had just started in on my 2km non-stop when I felt a small, precise stabbing pain at the top of my inner right thigh, as if I had just been cut with a small knife. I had to stop running and walk and couldn't get back to a run without the pain returning. I'm guessing it's a pulled muscle type thing. I've heard people get that from exercise. So the training for this week stopped abruptly and the goal is left unreached.

Not to worry, either this strain will disappear by tomorrow or I'll have to book myself in for a nice, long massage. Gee, the life of a runner can be tough, eh?

Mon - 4.29km in 00:33:58
Tues - work/rest day
Wed - 3.87km in 00:32:53
Thu - 6.87km in 1:00:27
Fri - rest day
Sat - 5.26km in 00:49:42
Sun - 6.64km in 00:56:28