running over a new leaf

so this past weekend, i got trained. to be a trainer. more on that later. but back to running. with everything i learned this weekend, i've been thinking a lot about my runs and workouts. i've decided to modify my methods because i need to address some medical issues, and i haven't been seeing the appearance and performance results that i've wanted to.

as far as the medical issues go, i've had some flare-ups with bipolar disorder, and it's affected my training. as in i didn't train. what usually happens is that i have a TERRIBLE day and then i crawl under the covers. OR, if i try to run, i get overly worked up and either go too fast or just quit. so. remedy: start out with the idea of only going 10 minutes and go slowly. by and large, by the time i've reached the 10 minute, i've relaxed and keep going.

for appearance and performance results, i had to make a major mental shift. i've never really paid attention to target heart rates and fat burning vs. cardio zones; i should have, especially with the way my breathing has been lately. fat burning zones help people lose more weight because, since you're running slower to stay within a specific range, you can run longer than you can in the cardio and anaerobic zones. this, in turn, helps build my endurance for the races i've planned this summer.

so all in all, i did ~50 minutes, with a stop at rite aid toward the end to pick up my Rx. i went up the trail and down roland, and i tried to keep my HR in the fat burning zone. i felt pretty good afterward, and hopefully i'll keep this habit up.

excellent.n