Nice 'n easy [Sept 29 2009]

Great day! Great run! I am not going to get carried away running away like a maniac. 4 miles today. Nice and beautiful.
Meals: Cereal for breakfast, Indian buffet for lunch, 3 paneer parathas for dinner. I have to admit I didn't drink my daily quota of water. But made sure to rehydrate soon after the run.

Also, meant to put this tip up: You keep going and in due course, your shoulders start having this sharp pain. Two ideas here. Press the tips of your fingers together as you run. Read this in the 13-week program manual. Strange, but it works. Another one, I think I don't swing my arms well enough. So I worked on that. And shoulder pain - gone! I think it has something to do with my upper body being too stiff during running. Well..one step at a time. Will work on that slowly.

Easy goes it [Sept 27 2009]

After that new muscle pull, and all that icing and anti-inflammatory pills, I decide to run ~3 miles.
Take off on Sunday afternoon. It was Madhura's long run day. (She pulled off a 10miler!)
Beautiful day. Sunny but not hot. Took Maggy with us and did an easy 3miles. Just a tingling of soreness. But good overall.
Meals: 2 eggs + tea for breakfast, BBQ chicken (that grille we got during the Shenandoah camping works great!) + paneer paratha + chicken curry (from last night) for lunch + masala dosa & chutney (at Malli-Chandrika's) for dinner.
Plan to do no more than 4 miles a day this coming week.

Take it slow [Sep 23 2009]

So here I was all upset because I could not run Tuesday. Decide to do 6 miles Wednesday. Chalked out this path and started off. Nice run! The fireflies added to the good scenary. It was hot and humid. I must have sweat a bucket.
It got dark pretty fast and somewhere during the run, I thought I took a wrong turn. The phone's map was not showing me the right location. Anyways, all was well.

Got a call at the end of the run and I couldn't do my stretches. And some freaking muscle on the outside of my arch (on looking it up...I think its called Peroneous Longus/Tetius Tendon) started paining like crazy! Iced it with the hope that its just an inflammation. Taped it before coming to work. Feels much better.
Food: cereal for breakfast, broiled flounder + fries + veggies + iced tea for lunch, cauliflower sabzi + roti + paneer paratha for dinner. Of course, tonnes of water throughout the day.

A smooth 7 miler! [Sept 20 2009]

Yeah yeah! 7 miles! Didn't feel a thing! Beautiful day (actually late evening)! Beautiful music! Beautiful wife! All this together on the run. Good pace. We could chit chat most part of the run.
We actually wanted to go for the run in the morning...but we just slept in. Had a party the previous evening...didn't feeling like getting out of bed. So...well...took off after the trip to the mall. It got really dark soon. But it was a very very refreshing run.
Food: 2 eggs + tea for breakfast; leftover sabji and roti from yesterday for lunch; beer+rice+rasam at night.

Walking - make or break

Couldn't run Thursday.
Ran ~3m with Madhura on Friday. The shoes work like a charm. Touchwood! Didn't need the shin guard either. Terrain was hilly. So I took a break to walk. And that was a mistake. Every time I thought I should stop...I did! Madhura warned me not to do that next time. Its easy to 'give up' by walking.
Food: Broiled flounder + fries + raspberry tea for lunch. Philly cheese steak for + beer for dinner.
I don't think I will run on Saturday. Nitin, his bro + family, and parents are coming over for dinner.
Should be a long run day Sunday. 

LOVE the new New Balance

So I go back to the shoe store and pretend I just want to exchange the shoes. This time its a new female and she lets me get the shoes. (Phew!)
Lesley helped me pick up the NB. Asked me to get a size larger. So I did. 
Couldn't wait to get in them and take them for a run. And BOY! I tell you! I never knew running could be SO much fun...and most importantly...painless!!! I could go keep running! Infact I was trying out different foot strikes just to see if the pain would come back. Zilch! Nada! Heavenly!

Ran 6 miles. I forgot to start the timer in time. But approx. 65min. It was pitch dark by the second half. Seriously thinking of using the mornings.
Meals: Lunch - a huge salad; Dinner - heat-n-eat Chicken biryani + paneer paratha + beer + lots of water.

No shoes...no run

Went to the store in Dover Mall to return the Nikes. The Asst.Manager tells me that the shoes have been worn. Worn as in worn? Or worn out? The former. Duh! I had to wear them on to try them out to figure out they don't work. I need to go back again after I scrubbed the soles of the little dirt. Lets see.
So here's the plan: 24 miles/week. (3 x 6miles) + (2 x 3miles). I carry that on till I can consistently run without the splints and the 6miles within 55min. And then I spike a mile every week. Sounds like a plan?
I am going to have to try to run in the mornings. Me not being a morning person...it sounds impossible...but atleast let me give it a try.

Enthused but 'splintered'

The 61:23 run on Saturday really got to me. I never even imagined I would clock over 60. So here's my plan - consistent 6 milers not more than 55min. (Thats going to be only during races)
I know with my shin splints, that is not a very wise decision. But am going to stick to a plan I have chalked out after reading up several sites. This is the first of my running blog diary posts. Hope to carry on till the goal is reached.
Ran 3miles (30:00) yesterday. The shin splints started like..almost immediately. I did the stretching, had the calf-shin sleeve on. But the new Nikes. Tried changing my stride, my strike, pace. Nothing helped! Stopped and did the stretches again and that seemed to help. Weather was beautiful! Well hydrated. Two 6" spicy italian from subway and 2 cookies. Slept at 11.
Am going to try and return the Nikes and get something different.

New goal Sept 15 2009

When I posted my status on Facebook about completing my first 10K on Sept 12, Swapna asked me what am I training for? Casual question, I am sure. But that set things rolling for me. More about that in Random Ramblings.
So here's a new goal: A 2:00 Half marathon by my 2010 birthday.
So, here's my running blog diary to keep a track of my training and keep me on it!
Meanwhile, a couple of pics from the Run Washington website:
Life Without Limits 10K - 1
Life Without Limits 10K - 2