Running on Empty

"I think I was spitting blood."

"No, it just tastes like that."

Add this to the list of conversations I never want to have in the first hour I'm awake ... Who am I kidding. That's on the list of conversations I never want to have again - EVER!

It all came from a HORRIBLE morning run today.

I didn't get my training run in yesterday, so when Kevin mentioned he was going to run a quick mile this morning, I decided to do the same. We left the house at the same time, but went in different directions: Kevin running to the left and me to the right (there is a nasty hill to the left!). I wanted to push my pace, but I knew I couldn't keep up with him.

So, I ran faster than I ever have.

I didn't even make it a full mile before I had to walk. Even my head was in a weird place. Honestly, I thought I was on one street when I stopped, but it turned out to be another. Breathing was hard, I was spitting out phlegm (but not blood apparently) with every other step and my head was pounding.

No more morning running for me! At least not unless I am MUCH more hydrated. It was awful. The walk home seemed to take ages even though it was only .33 miles. I was dizzy, nauseated, and my head began to REALLY pound. I've been coughing ever since and my lungs feel like they were raked across a cheese grater.  When I got home, I just laid on the couch and shook while Kevin got me water.

And I think that was the problem: I was running on empty. Though I'd had my usual two cups of water before heading out, it was not enough to fuel my run.

Running is awful for me if I'm not well hydrated. While training for my 5k, the hardest runs were on days when I didn't drink as much water as I normally do. Add to that the physical activity and you see the problem. Breathing was hard, my mouth would go all cotton-y and I would have to spit every few minutes (but it didn't taste like blood!).

I started buying powdered Gatorade to mix up before my runs and the difference was amazing. The spitting stopped almost immediately and the cotton-mouth disappeared too. My muscles felt better during and after. Running first thing in the morning however, means my body is less hydrated (not to mention caffeinated) and able to take on the physical exertion.

While morning runs may not be the best idea for me ... coffee totally is. Please, excuse me.....

One month update...

It's now been exactly 1 month since I posted my last blog about starting to do early morning runs instead of running after work. I am so happy (and proud) to say that I am still doing my morning runs at least 4 times a week and I even look forward to them everyday! It is still hard to get out of bed, but no harder than it was before. After the run, I am wide awake and ready for the day...that was never the case before. I also have all this time in the afternoons that I never had before. To top it all off, I have lost around 6 lbs this month! It's a win win situation in every direction!

So now that I have this fabulous new work out routine, what do I do next? I want to vary it by doing something different on the weekends like yoga, a work-out video or weight training. I want to start taking a multi-vitamin everyday. I want to increase my daily mileage at least once, if not twice, a week. Fabulous...I think I will start these today...I'm feeling very confident these days...it's a nice feeling.

Even my dog didn't want to go for a run!

I went for my first 6am run this morning. Even my dog looked pissed that we were running that early. She just wanted her post wake-up nap. I normally run right after I get home from work around 6pm, which means I don't eat until 7:30-8pm, sit down for homework at 8:30 and off to bed at 10. Cleaning the house, socializing, playing with the dog, gardening...nope, no time!

There just isn't enough hours in the day, so I have to change things up a bit. If I'm going to make working out a part of my life, I need to make sure it doesn't take up my life. I need time for the 3 H's...Homework, Housework and (soon-to-be) Husband. If I don't make time for the 3 H's, they get neglected and then I stop working out to catch up, then I just stop working out in general because once you stop it is hard to start again...it's a vicious cycle.

Starting now I am getting up 40 minutes earlier to add a 2-3 mile run at least 4 times a week. Then I can mix it up with long walks, bike rides or yoga on the weekends. Sounds like a good plan, right? I will have to figure something else out once it gets cold again, but I don't want to even think about that now. I'm too busy basking in the beautiful warm and sunny weather and enjoying an early morning jog, even if my dog isn't.