April 4, 2011
Ahhh April… the sun is shining, the snow is melting, the potholes are enormous and I got a new puppy! He is wonderful… I wanted to go as far from the Beagle breed as I could find since I have had the worst luck with Beagles. I actually was thinking of getting a female just too really change it up but my husband said “no more vagina’s in this house, I’m already outnumbered” so alas, my boy…
I pretty much went on Google and typed in “good with kids, small, low shedding, intelligent dog breeds” and a Westie is what came up. There were a few others, but I found the Westie to be what I wanted. He is of Scottish heritage so we've decided to call the little man "Laddie". He will be a dog I can take running with me when I’m not doing a “long” run. He’s been with us a week and I’m smitten. I’ve taken him on two walks without a leash and he just follows me.
Sunday was a “long run” day and after my epiphany of realizing that if I want to maintain any kind of endurance, then I need to do run/walk intervals I was a little worried about what I could accomplish. I talked to Miss E and she assured me that the run/walk interval training was a widely known and acceptable way to train for a marathon. I’m so lucky to have her in my corner. I would have given up long ago if not for her and her encouragement. After our group run was cancelled due to… well let’s just say “inclement” weather (it was disgusting outside to put it bluntly) I headed to the Y at 8am to see how 4 miles would go for me.
I started out with a 5 minute warm up and then started running. I went for 3 minutes and then walked for 1. I kept that interval as I could feel my lungs strain for the last 30 seconds or so, but not enough for me to start wheezing. I ran the 3/1 interval for 4 miles. I felt tired and was super sweaty and LOVED it. What a different feeling when you can actually accomplish something without feeling sick… When I tried running for ten minutes and then walking, I would be wheezing and coughing and couldn’t get enough rest (unless I walked for the rest of the workout) to get my lung capacity back. Tomorrow I will aim for a 4/1 interval. That’s how I will build up my speed, by spending more time running. If 4/1 is too much then I will go back to 3 and NOT WORRY about it. I’m running. I did the math after to calculate my WW points and I ran for a total of 45 minutes… So good for me!!
Having Asthma since I was 13 years old has wreaked havoc on a lot of things in my world. I remember the time I was on the ice and I hadn’t even skated a shift… there must have been something in the air that triggered it, but I went down like a ton of bricks and I could barely crawl to the bench. The attack was so bad my parents hucked me in the truck, in full equipment, and drove me to the hospital where they proceeded to cut off my equipment, hook me up to oxygen and pump me with drugs. My lungs just shut down… I was blue and scared and I think I gave my poor mother a coronary.
I was always the slow one. I was always the shortest shift. I hated track and field when it came to the running events because I always COULDN’T BREATH!! The worst part was that they never believed me. The teachers or whatever… No point in crying about that, if you’ve never had it you don’t get it. I remember I would have attacks and then I would be so exhausted. I would play a ringette game when my Asthma was not under control and I would suffer for hours, if not days after. I struggled to breath. Stairs were brutal, the cold wind, spring time, cats… it never f*cking ended. Finally my doctor realized that using my rescue inhaler 10-12 times a day was no way to live and sent me to the Asthma Clinic. There they put me on a daily Steroid medication and I’ve since had much more control over my Asthma. Haven’t had a bad attack in years.
Now I’m running. I’m developing my lung capacity, and sweating my ass off and I love it. I love that I am able to do this. I have a long way to go, but if I am anything, it’s determined, and I will eventually get there! Will I be slow? Yep. Will it likely take me well over 3 hours if not 4 to do the half marathon? Yep. But I will do it. That’s my goal this year. To finish. Now that I feel like I’ve found a way that I can train and progress, I am confident about the marathon. I don’t care if I come in dead last, as long as I don’t come in dead. Ha. As long as I cross that line.
On a side note, I officially got my P. Eng. Last week. After 5 years of University, Close to 60 grand in debt, 4 years of working (Miss A set me back a year, but well worth it…), after a report every 6 months, training courses, tests, references and a lot of waiting, it’s done. I actually closed my office door and cried a little. It’s finally done. In 2001 at 28 year old, I sold my house, quit my job and went back to school. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s over. I did it. Officially. P. Eng. Baby. BOOYA!!
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