Running with Bob

 I did it, I completed my 30 days of running. It took longer than I had planned through life challenges, stoma complications  and sickness...but in the end I think it works out better when pacing oneself rather than racing through everything, possibly enduring injury, potentially increasing sickness and complications, fighting fatigue or even just not enjoying the journey. I started slow and one mile at a time, worked my way up to three miles and even increased my time, worked in speed runs and intervals.  I am now enjoying running again, am comfortable in my body and it feels good to get out there and run. I no longer feel as if I'm dying after only one mile, even in the heat and humidity. Now a mile, which used to be a tough workout, is a nice easy warm up or cool down. It's feels incredible how far I've come these past few months; I'm glad I did this running challenge as it kept me accountable to get out there and keep it up. It was long enough to make regular runnin

 I am writing this nine days late and have not run again since Wednesday last week. After this last run I came down with a nasty cold and am still fighting against it. Having not been sick with a cold or flu in over a year, and the past week being so ill with sore throat, body aches, cough, laryngitis, low grade fever, I had gotten a COVID-19 test at work last weekend...at least it was negative! Anyway, I have basically been in bed all week, aside from cleaning my house, mowing the front lawn, doing laundry and of course taking Spot for his daily walks. I have not been running, swimming or working out and cannot wait to be fully recovered so I can get back out there!  Anyway, this run was the day before I started having the cold symptoms though I was feeling tired and unable to sprint as fast as I had been. I did a guided Fartlek run from the Nike Run Club app, then I ran a cool down mile to finish. I got rained on a bit, but made it back to my car just in time for the sky to fall with

I am actually loving these guided runs on the Nike Run Club app, which had surprised me. I was always one to just go out and run on my own. I never used anyone's training plans but would instead just go run however I felt; I did do a multitude of runs being intervals, tempo runs, long runs, fartleks and hill repeats. But I did it in a way that was just this internal coach and listened to my body and my energy determined the type of run for that day.  Today was my first guided "long run" which I put in quotations because it was "only" a little over three miles. Coming back to running after so many years of conditions, surgeries and complications that kept me from running, my ego had really taken a hit at first. I had to cope with the fact that I pretty much started from zero, my body is different in a way that makes me more tired and easily dehydrated...at least until I am completely recovered and back in shape lol which takes time, diligence in my workouts, rest

 Today I did my second interval speed run from the Nike run app. It was hotter and more humid today, definitely a sweaty run day! I ran a little further, as the second speed run adds in some two minute intervals, and I also ran a mile after for a cool down jog. It felt good! I actually feel like a runner now, I felt excited for this run like I used to be, anticipated the run and I think I'm finally getting the runner's high again! This is exciting and I'm so happy to be out running again. This is such an improvement from when I first started this run challenge. After my run I had a nice hour swim. And my one mile cool down jog was even faster than the other day! 

 Today was my first guided run using the Nike run app, and I chose the fist speed run which was eight 60 second sprint intervals with 60 second rests in between; the first few sprints I jogged my rest periods but I think it was around the third interval I began walking the rest periods because I was giving everything I had during the sprints, something I have not done in years. It felt so good! And then Coach Bennet from the Nike app added an extra bonus to the end which I was definitely not expecting though it really made me push myself even further than I thought possible. And by these run times, I am thoroughly impressed by what I actually was able to do. After the interval run I cooled down with a slow mile jog; actually stating that a ten minute mile is a slow jog, in comparison to how I felt when I first got started, is a nice improvement.  I did take four days off from all my workouts, running and swimming due to an unexpected and extremely scary complication of having an ileost

 Today would originally have been my last day of this running challenge, but I took a total of five days off due to a combination of a busy schedule, fatigue and knee pain. Here I will post my runs from Friday, Monday, Tuesday and today (Wednesday); I took off Saturday because people in my neighborhood got started early with 4th of July fireworks and they were already popping off before dark when I got home in the evening. Since Spot would've been too afraid out running the neighborhood we stayed home and had some cuddle time instead. I can't blame it all on Spot, though. To be honest, I was also super tired from the few days spent at the beach last week, getting home late Wednesday night and having to be up early for work the next day. Then Saturday was my second consecutive 12 hour shift. Sunday I had a family bbq straight after work, and of course consoled the dogs with many loud fireworks going on around us.  Taking some time off isn't a bad thing, and sometimes is nece