So I don't want to rehash everything I already wrote in my blog post about preparing for my first 5K, so I'm going to focus on my stats for each month with comments for the following months. For each month I'll also pick my best and/or favorite run.
(Seriously, who am I??? Never in my life did I ever think I would be a runner)
(Also, all my stats are from my Runkeeper app. I did have some runs on a treadmill and on my fitbit app that I'm not going to worry about and I'll explain those later)
So in the month of May 2014, I completed 13 runs which also included my first 5K. These runs weren't highly planned out and looking back on some of my routes, I have vague memories of having to cut several of my runs short because I couldn't make it. :) I also was trying to get my routes down. So I completed a total of 35.39 miles. My first run was a 10:51 pace and I remember being frustrated because my next 3 runs were at the same pace. I think finally broke through and my fastest pace for the month was my 5K (9:57).
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| First run! |
June 2014
Stats:
14 runs
34.88 miles
9:31 best 5K pace
3.12 mi longest run
This month I really started running around my parents neighborhood. It sounds crazy but I would run before Zumba. I know. It was the best way for me to run in the mornings when it was cooler and not have to worry about Claire. They watch her when I Zumba anyway so I would get there a little early and run then go to Zumba. I started out just running for 15sh minutes. By the time I caught my breath and got water and then drove to Zumba, I had about 30 minutes in between. I actually found that it wasn't too bad and made Zumba better because I already was warmed up.
This month was weird though because I had a mission trip during the day for a week and I was exhausted when I got home. By Thursday night though I just had to get out and run. We also went on a trip to Gulf Shores and I brought my running gear! It was fun running in a different location and by the beach but a little scary because I was running along a major street and not in my suburban neighborhoods! I'm glad I got out there even though I was on vacation and it made me feel better the rest of the day! (It's not always easy to make yourself get out there but you won't regret it!)
Because most of my runs were shorter, I did actually get some faster paces (9:09!!!) but I've decided to find my best 5K pace. At this point too I was still working on running the whole way through without stopping to walk.
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| Best run in Gulf Shores! |
July 2014
Stats:
17 runs
40.89 miles
9:22 best 5K pace
3.14 mi longest run
So in July I became more consistent with my runs and slowly began to increase my mileage on my runs before Zumba. I also got a jogging stroller. I only did 3 runs with it this month because it's hard!! I call them my conditioning runs. I easily add 2 minutes to my pace pushing Claire (who is 1 at this point and probably weighs more than 24 pounds). But it is nice to have the option when I want to go for a run. I also had to start getting creative with the times of some of my runs because of the heat. I ran one Sunday super early before work at church (the only time I did this) and and the end of the month did a Sunday night run. Oooo! And also this month I finally got running shoes! They were expensive but they made a HUGE difference and I love them!
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| Fastest pace!! |
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| Love my running shoes. |
August 2014
Stats:
28 runs
85.16 miles
8:53 best 5K pace
4.78 mi longest run
So in August I honestly ran too much. At the end of July, Blake and I got on the app My Fitness Pal and had a weight loss competition going. The more I ran, the more calories I got to eat. I finally realized that running everyday without a rest day was actually doing more harm than good. I also started using the jogging stroller more to help me get in runs. I also had my first long run. I started trying to work those in on Saturday mornings.
I got into my pattern of running around 3 miles MWF before Zumba. Running with Claire and the jogging stroller on Tuesdays. Resting Thursdays. Long run Saturday morning. 3 miles Sunday night.
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| First long run! Brutal but I felt so accomplished when I finished. |
September 2014
Stats:
19 runs
57.17 miles
8:33 best 5K pace
4.26 mi longest run
So I believe this month was when I really was able to run the whole way without stopping and it shows in my pace. I also ran my 2nd 5K which went well but not great. I got anxious and had trouble breathing. I still finished at a 8:45 pace. Before the 5K my knees started bothering me and after I had to take a week break from running to rest it so I went on walks. Took me about 3 weeks to get back to my pre injury pace.
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| Bearkat Bash!! Got 2nd in my age group... out of 5 people :) |
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| My dad and me. Our first 5K together! |
October 2014
Stats:
28 runs
92.91 miles
8:42 best 5K time
5.75 mi longest run
Pretty consistent with my runs. The cooler weather was nice and meant I could go with Claire in the jogging stroller in the afternoons. I had my first long run where I ran the whole time! It was a Sunday night and I felt good so I just kept running. I also got a FitBit October 13th which gave me lots of motivation to get out there. I went on longer runs/walks with Claire and walked on my rest days.
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| Amazing run. Dark which was kinda scary but felt great so I just kept running! |
Stats:
19 runs
75.69 miles
8:32 best 5K time
6.48 mi longest run
This was an interesting month. My pace isn't dropping dramatically like it did earlier but I was slowly working on getting it faster and focusing on my long runs. Had my 3rd 5K which was AMAZING! The weather was perfect and it wasn't very crowded so I ran by myself for a good distance which I loved. There is also a week which I have no runs recorded and it's probably because of bad weather. So I probably ran on the treadmill but I don't record my treadmill runs. Also, now that I'm running without stopping, I slowly worked on increasing my longest runs.
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| Bridging for Tomorrow 5K! |
December 2014
Stats:
20 runs
80.54 miles
8:31 best 5K time
7.1 mi longest run
I am surprised that I was actually able to get in this many outside runs in December. I did a lot in the afternoons and had a cotton long sleeve. Actually, running in a short sleeve shirt was best because after the first 1/2 mile, my body temp got warm enough. My run on New Years Eve I actually ran in a short sleeve shirt and added gloves and it felt great. I also did a couple runs in Wichita Falls and I could definitely feel the altitude. That's actually where I had my longest run/walk. Claire was napping so I just kept going. :)
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| Fastest long run! I was stressed before this run and felt so much better after! |
January 2015
Stats:
16 runs
56.75 miles
8:36 best 5K time
6.62 mi longest run
January is when the cold/rainy weather really hit so I did a lot more treadmill runs. Blech! This month I also did a couple of mile sprints to see how I could do. 7:45 pace!! I also got a thermal which really helped on the colder days. Before Zumba, instead of running 3 miles, I began to run for 30 minutes and see how far I could go. I would make sure and end close to the house and walk the rest of the way. This month I was going about 3.5 miles in 30 min.
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| Just...keep...going... |
February 2015
12 runs
43.89 miles
7:59 best 5K time
8 mi longest run
More icky weather so more treadmill runs but I began to see how these actually helped! After months of my fastest pace staying around the same and my runs becoming more consistent, my pace dropped dramatically! I even checked the GPS to see if it had messed up because I couldn't believe it. I also noticed that I got some of my faster times when I was wearing my thermal because it was colder so that actually might have helped too. I also made it to 8 miles!! That run was hard but I kept going and was pretty proud of myself.
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| Fastest pace!! |
March 2015
6 runs
22.27 miles
10:17 best 5K time
6.29 mi longest run
So in March I found out I was pregnant. We knew from the beginning that things were not normal so I didn't want to over do myself but I wanted to try and stay active. I'm hoping to do a separate blog post so I won't go into too much detail here but most of my runs included a lot of walk and many times I didn't feel up to running.
April 2015
11 runs
22.99 miles
9:00 best 5K time
So April was another weird month of course. Some of my runs got better but once I miscarried I of course had to take a week off. My runs after that were hard. I would lose my breath and have to stop and walk.
So that's it!! My first year of running! I'm happy to report that I'm able to run without stopping again and my pace is slowly getting back to where it was!
P.S. I love that I'm finishing this post almost 2 months after I started it! :)
