Admit it, you missed me!

Guess what? I think I'm ready to register for my very first 5K!! Don't get too excited yet, I haven't been running in quite a while (it's been so frigging hot here, and Steve's morning routine changed and I'd have to get up extra early or run with Gus mid-morning- neither were options I was willing to do). However, it's cooling off and once Steve gets back from London, we've talked about training for a 5K after dinner/before bed.

So this morning I was looking through my email and I saw something about registration opening today for the Johns Creek "Night of the Running Zombies 5K Run." I immediately got excited about it and looked at the website to see more information. Here's the cool part: it takes place at 7pm. I think it sounds so fun!

I've sent an email to a few of my friends to see if they'd be interested in joining me and hopefully some will. Lesley said she'll think about it and she said she's not up for running it, but she'd walk it. I emailed Steve to see if he wanted to do it with me and maybe we could bring Gus. I don't know if it'd be too scary for him (probably not). We can put him in the jogging stroller and he won't even notice what's going on around him.

So that's the latest. I am excited about it and hoping that at least one other person will want to run it with me. I am not ready to run the full 5K, but I know I can do the run/walk combo for sure. It might take me an hour to do it, but I know I can do it. All my training runs were over 1.5 miles and it took me about 30 minutes to do them. I'm pretty certain I can double it.

The best part of this race is you have to specify if you'll be running as a zombie or as a human. The humans start the race and two minutes later, the zombies begin (as if the zombies are chasing the humans). You're not allowed to touch anyone (thankfully) so there's no real chase happening, but it seems like a lot of fun. I will be running as a zombie. What fun is it to run as a human??? LOL

I'll keep everyone posted on things... it's less than a month away, and I've got until the 15th to register and pay the lowest registration fee. Hopefully Steve will want to do it too and we can do our first 5K together!!

Back on the Horse

There are a couple of things that happened today before/during my run. I'd like to share.


1) I woke up numerous times last night (I was literally tossing and turning) because I was trying to decide if I was actually going to get up and run or not. When I had decided that I would, indeed run, I then had to think of my route.


2) When 5:20 arrived, I was in a DEEP sleep cycle and did NOT want to wake up. This is what kept going though my head (seriously):

So I got myself up and stretched and then headed out the door. The minute I stepped outside, I felt a raindrop. I had just mustered up motivation to run (it's been over a week since my last run), so I wasn't about to go back inside. However... I had no idea that I was about to embark on a run that would be 90% in the rain.


3) I learned that I DO enjoy running in the rain. It's actually kinda nice to have the rain to cool me off while I'm sweating and hot. What I DON'T like is running in the rain for the majority of my run, and then having it stop raining and become REALLY humid and hot for the last portion of my run.


4) I chose a new route today. I didn't think it through and I never even drove it to see if it'd be do-able. I just decided to go for it. Which, normally would be great. Today, was just stupid on my part.


5) I also started (unbeknown to myself) the DREADED week four of C25K. This takes you from running three minutes, to running FIVE minutes. It felt like I was running longer than usual, but I didn't intend on doing this week yet. I wanted to do another round of week three.


6) I RAN FIVE MINUTES. I didn't stop. 

7) My new route took me out to Sargent and then it was flat for about a second and then it went downhill. It took me five minutes of running and I was still running downhill (yes, it's a MONSTER hill). So I was doing great and feeling pumped... until I had to start running uphill. The uphill part wasn't too bad on Sargent. I tuned into my sub's other entrance, and it was flat for a bit so it was good.


8) Then it stopped raining. 


9) It was ALL uphill from that point to my house.


10) I was not prepared for such an incline and so much uphill running. I'm still very out of shape and carrying a LOT of extra weight... it was really hard. I had to stop because my heart monitor watch started beeping at me (it alarms me when my heart-rate is too high). I don't want to stroke-out or have a heart-attack, so I stopped running and walked.


Now, let's be real. My walking was really no slower/faster than my running at this point. LOL. But I was able to bring my heart rate back down to a normal range.


I stopped my run at 1.35 miles and didn't finish the 5 minute cool-down. I was out of space and didn't want to go a little only to turn around.


11) I realized how much I really enjoy the Greenway for running. Running through my neighborhood will have to do until the fall when it's cooler, but once we're back in cooler temps, I fully intend on going back to running around 8/9 am at the Greenway with Gus.


Before I cut my run off short-- I was averaging a 17.45 minute mile. My fastest yet!! I believe in the running world, this is called a PB. :-)

So now I'm done and just finished eating a whole wheat bagel and some strawberries. I'm ready to get in the shower and then Gus and I have morning plans at a sunflower farm!! My parents should be here in about 10 hours or so and I'm glad my morning run is over. It's going to be a high of 103 here today!!!

A Week Off

This week I didn't run at all.


I had all intentions of running on Tuesday morning, and then on Monday, Steve found out that he had an awesome opportunity at work, but it would mean he'd have to leave here by 5:30 instead of his usual 6:15/6:30.


This would mean that I'd have to wake at 4:45 so I could be back for sure by 5:30. I have my limits. Anything with a four at the beginning... not going to happen for this chick. So instead, I didn't run.


Now before I start getting hate comments... let me say that I was active with Gus. I made sure to run around with him and I was extra careful about that I ate this week.


So let me tell you what happened. I lost another pound!


YEAH!!!


One more pound makes my total 10 pounds lost so far!!


And to remind me that I didn't run this week Steve said, "And that's without running. Imagine what it would have been if you had run!" 


Thanks dude.  :-/


Anyway, I am very proud of myself and glad that I was able to lose, especially since I didn't run.


I fully intend of running this week. I'm going to run on Monday and then again on Thursday. Maybe my dad will want to get up with me on Thursday and run. Maybe. I'm sure he has his limits too.


And to top everything off, we're in the middle of the hottest heat-wave in Atlanta! Record-breaking heat... like 105-110. CRAZY hot. So, next week it's supposed to cool off. I don't know how cool it'll be at 5:30am, but it has to be cooler than it will be at 8am.


See ya Monday. I promise.

Tired!!

This morning when Steve woke me, I was in a DEEP sleep. I did NOT want to wake up. He said, "Do you want to get up and run?" I said, "NO." He then said, "Are you going to get up and run?" With that, I got up and got myself ready and headed out the door.


I used Songza today and I was so glad that I did. Not only did it save me from having to shuffle through my iPod, but there's a station specifically for exercising and the music was incredible. I didn't fastforward once and found myself really motivated to keep going because of my music.


My run wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. My calves and shins were on fire today. And if that wasn't bad enough, I found myself in desperate need of a bathroom... and I was only 1/2 way done. So instead of focusing on my surroundings and trying to enjoy my run, I was trying my best not to go while running. 


NO.
FUN.

I think I might go back to trying MWF for working out. I might run Monday and Friday and then walk on Wednesday, or do something around the house-- but going from Tuesday to Friday was almost too much time off. I weigh-in today, and I don't want to be too disappointed. 


I don't think I posted it on this blog, but my Charlotte Color Run date was announced and it's the Saturday that we're at Disney. I can't even begin to say how totally disappointed I was. Not just because I really wanted to do The Color Run, but because my dad and two cousins were going to be meeting us in Charlotte, AND Steve even said he'd maybe run it with me. 


Yes, there are other 5ks. Yes, I will keep training and will be running one this fall (that's my goal). But Charlotte was going to be special because it was going to be a meeting spot for us (me and Steve and Gus from ATL, Jes and my dad from MI and Mary from DC). Now we're trying to figure out a plan B.


I'm hoping that when my brother knows when he'll be in MI (he's in DC currently), we can find a 5k and my dad and Jes and I can do it together, and maybe Mary will be able to come up for it too. It's just hard because we can't come up to MI more than once this fall. And the main reason we're going to MI is to spend the week with Dave and the kids and Scott and his family. It'll be the first time in YEARS that we'll all be in MI at the same time for more than a day. I'm excited about it.


So... yes I ran today. I'm tired right now. It was hot today (already 70 when I started at 5:30) and I am a sweaty, stinky mess. I've got to get in the shower. Have a good weekend and I'll be back Monday or Tuesday. I haven't decided if I'm for sure doing MWF again (Monday is garbage day around here and it's GROSS to be running through the neighborhood and smelling hot garbage).

Blah.

This picture is my current motivation. I don't want to die young and I want to live a healthy, productive life. I want Gus to see that I'm active and exercising.


This morning was hard. I did NOT want to wake up. While getting up at 5:15 for a 5:30 run has so many more advantages than running at 9:00, it's still REALLY HARD to get up so early. 


I didn't want to wake up and Steve was so supportive and really pushed me/motivated me to get up and get going. As I headed out the door, I was still 1/2 asleep, which led to me not "feeling it" today.


I guess some days are good and some are bad. My knees started to hurt while I was running today, and I missed the first 1.5 minute run so it screwed up my entire morning run. I was sluggish and slow and had a lot of negative thoughts going through my head.


I've said it before, 99% of running is mental. Today wasn't a good day mentally. 


I'm now super tired and just want to crawl back into bed. Fortunately, today we have no plans and I can just loaf around if I want. I think I will. 

A Hard Run

Today was rough.

Instead of waking around 5:15 and having some time to stretch, get ready, WAKE UP... Steve's alarm woke both of us from a deep sleep at 5:30. By the time I actually knew what was going on, it was 5:35 and I needed to get out of bed.

My iPhone running band came yesterday, so I was excited to have it this morning for my run. I loaded my phone and headed out. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how cool it was when I started my warm-up. I think it was like 62 or something like that, which is so much better than 80.  :-)

I had to change my route a bit to make sure that I was getting enough distance in, but this morning it didn't matter. I was going so slow... and it's a miracle that I was able to complete the whole workout without cheating or stopping. 

I know that 99% of what I face is mental. However, my legs were like cement again and when this happens, it's so hard to push through the pain. It's days like today that I feel discouraged and upset with my weight and curse myself for not losing more and not dropping the weight faster.

But a few things happened during my run that actually made me proud of myself. First, When I got to the first 1.5 minute run, it seemed like it was over in a blink. Now, you might not think this is a big deal, but not too long ago, I was DYING trying to run 1.5 minutes. This morning, it was cake. I felt like I was just getting started and then it was time to walk.

I was able to run all morning without looking at my phone to see how much I had left to endure. This is a milestone for me. I was just running and trying to enjoy it.  ;-)

I found myself able to focus on my breathing today and it helped with keeping me going. I tried to push myself to go faster today as well. It didn't pan out too well, but I tried. It was so hard though.

I was able to get home and had a few minutes to spare before Steve had to leave. I was so worried that I'd make him late for leaving for work because I didn't get started with my run until 5:40.

I got in the shower and then laid down and I fell asleep. It was an hour of peace and tranquility and it made my whole day better. As someone who is NOT a morning person, the nap after my run and shower was the best thing ever.

When I woke up to Gus talking to himself, I decided to bite the bullet and do my weigh-in. To my utter surprise, I lost another pound! I'm now down nine pounds!! I'm very excited about it AND today was my cheat day (not calorie counting today). Not only did I not have to worry about calories at Christy's when we had a potluck lunch (always so hard), but we went to Outback to celebrate Father's Day... AND we went to DQ after for dessert!! So many good things in one day!!

I'm eager to take the weekend off and relax, and then I'll be back to running on Monday. I'll be finishing week 3 day 3, and then I'll be repeating again until I feel comfortable running three minutes. I'm scared for week 4-- it's running for 3 minutes, walking for 1.5, running for 5 minutes, walking for 2.5, running for 3 minutes, walking for 1.5 minutes, running for 5 minutes and the 5 minute cool-down.

I Did It!

Seriously.

If I had known last night that I'd be getting up at 5:15 to prepare for a run, I would have come to bed at 9:30 instead of at 11:30.

I had no intentions of running today. After all, it IS Tuesday and those of you who know me well, know that I run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. So when I woke at 5am to use the bathroom, I was certain that it was 2 or even 3 am, but it was 5.

Hmmmm.

So I crawled back into bed and ran over various thoughts, and decided to prepare myself mentally to go run. Toady was going to be the start of my new week on C25K and as eager as I was to test it out and see how it felt, it was a bit scary too. Could I really run for three straight minutes? And could I do it twice???

Steve got up at 5:20 and I took that as my cue. As he was getting into the shower, I stepped out the front door. No turning back.

It was DARK. I mean, REALLY dark. We live in a very safe place, so I wasn't worried about safety at all, but the encompassing darkness sent my senses reeling.

Today was full of a lot of firsts for me:

• First time running at 5:30am
• First time running in my neighborhood (with LOTS of hills-- versus the flat greenway)
• First time running in the dark
• First time running with music (YAY)
• First time doing week 3 of the C25K program
• First time running ALONE. COMPLETELY alone.

That's a lot of firsts for one run don't you think? 

I have to say, I love running with Pilar and Christy, but there was something wonderful about running by myself. I thoroughly enjoyed my music and letting the beat of my songs motivate me to run faster (and I do believe I ran faster today). I also didn't have to push a stroller AND a squirmy 30 pound toddler!

While I was running in the dark, a strange sense of calm came over me. I said a prayer before starting out this morning, and asked God to help make this a good run for me. There's nothing worse than a bad run and feeling like you've got legs like cement and no strength and no motivation.

Today was good. I really enjoyed myself (weird right???). I could hear my dad asking me, "Did you run today?" and having to answer him. Sometimes the pressure is a lot to deal with, but I am so grateful for all the people that keep me accountable, AND encourage and motivate me.

There's no way I'm going to do a 5K if I don't train for it. There's no way I'm going to lose weight, if I don't move my body. So getting out and actually moving isn't an option, I simply MUST stay focused and must stay determined. With family and friends taking a keen interest in my running, it's helped tremendously.

SO back to me and my run...  ;-)

I really liked this week's training. I started with the five minute walk (it's standard for every week of the program) and by the time I got to the sidewalk around the corner, I was breathing really heavy (I had to go uphill to get to the sidewalk). Then I walked downhill to Sargent road. 

Now... I had previously mapped out my run (not very well apparently), and throught if I made it all so the uphill was at the beginning, it'd be perfect to end with going downhill. Perfect logic right??

Well... my logic was correct, but my speed and timing was not so great. It took the five minute warm-up to reach Sargent and I headed toward Jones Bridge Road. I passed one runner, but other than that, the road was very empty and I was alone with the darkness. It was interesting.

The stretch along Sargent is relatively flat and even, and I was able to do my 1.5 minute run, 1.5 minute walk, and 3 minute run. I finished the run as I approached my turn and then it was uphill for a bit, but I was in the 3 minute walk part. Here's where the problem happened.

I was almost home.

So... I was 1/2 done with my run and almost home. No bueno.

I decided to turn around, and go back the way I came. Which would have been great, if it weren't for the damn hills. LOL

So I started my next 1.5 minute run and then 1.5 minute walk and I was back on Sargent for my 3 minute run. I reached the entrance to my sub and still had a 3 minute walk to complete and the 5 minute cool-down walk. I didn't think I'd have enough pavement to complete my run, and I wouldn't have, if it weren't for the damn hills.

Holy smokes. My three minute walk at the end was all uphill and what took two minutes to walk down, took the full three minutes to walk up and another two minutes of my cool-down. It was, in a word, a BITCH.

I had a downhill walk to my street, and then as my street curves to my house, there's a gradual incline. Not much if you're in a car, but when you're at the end of a run, it was almost a killer. Then the cherry on top is the steepness of my driveway. I had to mentally push myself as I took each step up my driveway-- it was rough!!

I completed just under a mile and a half and didn't skimp AT ALL on my running times. I am SO proud of myself. I was a sweaty beast when I was done, but I finished it and at 6:10 I was sitting down with Steve and enjoying a bowl of Cheerios. 

So my run for the day is done and I feel great. It's 7:14 and I've showered, I'm blogging, Gus is still sleeping, and my day has started. It's awesome.

For as hard as it was to wake at 5am to run, I'm so glad that I did. I'm definitely a fan of running without pushing the stroller and having to worry about Gus. Running this morning was "me time" and I really enjoyed being at one with myself and just taking in all the sights around me. I didn't have to talk to anyone, and I was able to just focus on my breathing.

Today I burned 451 calories. My max heart rate was 167 and my average was 126. I was "in the zone" for 25 minutes (I ran for 30). I'm impressed!

I'm eager to do nothing for the rest of the day and lounge around in my comfy clothes.

It's fine... I ran today.

:-)

A Morning Run??

Last night I had EVERY intention of getting up at 5:30 and going for a run. I had told Steve my plan and asked him to wake me when he was getting up-- that way I'd have time to get myself ready and then be out the door by 5:30. 


I'm on week three of the Couch 2 5K program and today's run was going to be walking for 5 minutes, jogging for 3 minutes, walking for 3 minutes, jogging for 1.5 minutes, walking for 1.5 minutes, jogging for 5 minutes, walking for 5 minutes, jogging for 1.5 minutes, walking for 5 minutes and a 5 minute cool-down. I was actually a little excited to start this new "round" and see how I did. 


Well... between the torrential downpour this morning AND Steve coming and waking me at 5:50... I didn't get out to run. When I asked him what time it was, he said, "5:50" and I knew there was no way I could go. It takes me thirty minutes and he HAS to leave the house no later than 6:20. I was still laying in bed, so I'd have to get ready and that would be at least 5-10 minutes and that'd make him late for work.


SIGH


So instead I said, "Okay... I'll just go later tonight." Well, it's been raining ALL. DAY. No kidding. 


I am determined to give this a try-- a solid effort (I mean I even went to bed at 9:30 last night so I'd be well-rested to run) and I shall try again Wednesday. (Why not tomorrow you ask??? Yep. You guessed it, RAIN.)

Ready for Week 3??

I didn't go for a run on Wednesday because Gus and I have been sick. I have had a headache and just felt run-down, so I decided on Wednesday that I wasn't going to do anything. We didn't go to my MOMS Club event and we stayed home and rested. It felt great.


I was ready to get back out today and thankfully, Pilar met me at the Greenway at 9am so we could go. I did week 2 again, and did the full minute and a half each cycle. I'm so proud of myself!!


So I think on Monday, I'm going to attempt week three. It's a five-minute warm up and then two repetitions of the following: jog for 1.5 minutes, walk for 1.5 minutes, jog for THREE minutes, walk for three minutes. We'll see... it's a 28 minute workout but I'm not sure about the distance. So far I've been getting about a mile and a half (1/2 way to a 5k) and it's been challenging.


I am contemplating running (alone) in the mornings when Steve gets up. It'd be like 5am and should be cool outside... and I could run without Gus (it's a lot of extra work to push a 30 pound child in a jogging stroller). Maybe just for July and August I could try it... I do LOVE running with Pilar and Christy, it's just hard with Gus sleeping until 8:30 and then by the time I get him up and dressed, it's a quick breakfast in the car while we drive the 25 minutes to the Greenway. By the time we actually start running, it's already in the mid 70s and humid. It's only going to get worse as we get into the summer.


So we'll see. I'm still waiting on Christy to give me her code to join the Y. Once I can join the Y, it'll be awesome because I can take Gus with me and go work out while he plays in the kid zone (it's supervised). Christy said she didn't know if they'd be sending out codes during the summer though, so I might have to wait until the fall. I think it's worth waiting because it's 20% and would make our monthly fee like $60. :-)


Anyway- I ran today and while I was super slow, I did it and when I finished I was glad that I did it. I'm looking forward to the zoo tomorrow and we'll get to walk around (I'll get to be active) and then we'll see what happens on Monday.

Rainy Run

This morning I ran in the rain. It wasn't raining when I started, but by the time I got into my run, it had started to sprinkle and then come down pretty hard towards the end. 

It was so much harder to run today. I felt tired, heavy, and had legs like cement again. In my head, as I was packing up my stuff to leave for my run, I kept saying, "It's fine, you can just walk today." But when I got there, I decided to just try running and see how I felt. 

Don't get me wrong, I was not enjoying myself, but I ran the full 90 seconds each cycle just like last week. I still cannot picture myself running for five minutes, much less ten or twenty.

I still don't get how people can just get up and go run. I'm not in that mind-set yet. I'm still in the baby-steps, gotta take it a day at a time, mentality. We'll see what Wednesday brings.

On a positive note, there's a chance that my dad and my cousin will be coming down to run the Color Run with me in Charlotte. I've asked them both about it and Jes is looking into it, and my dad just laughed when I asked him. Not sure if he knows I was being serious about it, but I think it'd be so fun. Steve and Gus are going to come with me and hopefully, we can make a nice weekend getaway out of it. I think it'd be fun with my mom and dad, and maybe Jes and her family will want to do it too.

We'll see. I'm tired though and I'm off to relax.

Back on Track

So our vacation to MI and IN has come and gone, and I'm pleased to announce that I only gained 1/2 a pound while we were gone. Not too bad. I will say that I tried to make good choices when it came to dining out (except for those fried pickles at Sidetracks) and I was able to go running with my dad and we got outside and played soccer and enjoyed ourselves at the park many times on our vacation.

Today I met Pilar and Christy at the Greenway and I decided to move into week 2 of the C25K program. For the last almost month, I've been repeating week one over and over. I started doing 30 seconds of jogging with a minute and a half of walking. Then we moved to 45 seconds of jogging and a minute and a half of walking. I did that for two weeks and then I tried one full minute of jogging with a minute and a half of walking, but it was really rough to sustain a full minute of jogging.

Today, my friends, I pushed myself the farthest so far, and I was able (for EVERY cycle) to do a minute and a half of jogging with two minutes of walking. I was so proud of myself. I had not been able to do a full minute for every cycle (there are usually 7 cycles), so pushing myself to do a minute and a half was incredible.

I'm not TOO excited about it because in the big scheme of things, it was not much, but for me it was tremendous. A month ago I wouldn't have guessed that I'd be able to run for a full minute and a half without dying. 

I was a sweaty beast today. It was hot and humid and I think we're going to have to do something about getting out earlier. I don't know how this will effect Gus and his sleeping. I don't want to have to wake him to go run, but I don't want to be running in the heat either. So I don't know what I'm going to do.

I burned 923 calories this morning. I started my monitor at 8 and then turned it off when I got home at 12. I ran from 9-9:45 and then headed to Kathryn's for a meeting and worked on some MOMS Club things with her. By the time I got home it was 12 and I was amazed to see 923 calories burned. 

I was in the zone for an hour and six minutes, and my highest heart rate was 168 and my average was 123. I'm not as sore as I thought I'd be, but my thighs are a wee bit sore. It feels good though, and I have to stay focused on the big picture... I WILL RUN A 5K.

The Color Run (the race that got me off my arse) is going to be in Charlotte, NC (three hours north of us) at the end of October and first Saturday in November. I think I'm going to do it. Lacey said she'd do it with me and Steve said he'd like to come and cheer me on. I think we'll get a hotel for the weekend and make a nice get away. I'm eager and nervous and excited. 

This is my new mantra. I have come too far to stop now... and I feel liberated knowing that I'm doing something for ME that's going to help me get fit and healthy.

A New View

This morning, Christy and I met up at the Greenway at 9am to run. We decided to see what the path looked like if we went to the right at the end of the entrance instead of our usual of going left. 

It was a different route, and I liked seeing new scenery. I was tired from a lack of a good night's rest and it showed with my energy this morning. I mustered through the run, but it was rough. I need another "GOOD" day so I feel re-energized. 

To make things worse, 1/2 way through my run, my heart monitor stopped working (not sure what happened). So when we were in the cool down phase, I looked to see my heart rate and it said I didn't have one. Apparently, I died on the run. I knew I felt like I was dying, but I guess I literally did die.

I have no clue how many calories I burned. I guessed in the 600 range, but I'm guessing it might have been more. Who knows.

Since we're not leaving for MI until Saturday, I will be able to run again on Friday and then I'll be on my own while on vacation. I will be going out with my dad and maybe my mom will walk with me on Tuesday and Thursday. 

I anticipate vacation being hard to stick to my calories and monitor what I'm doing, but I'm determined. I've lost almost eight pounds... and I am not going to gain it all back from being lazy on vacation. There's no rest for the weary!!!

I Am A Runner (Who Knew?)

I got a comment last week from Christy and she said that at some point I'm going to have to stop calling it walgging, and call it what it is: running. She's right. I don't want to discount the effort I put into jogging. It's hard. It hurts. 

This morning I was supposed to meet Pilar at the Greenway at 9:45. We had our last playgroup today at 10:30 at Christy's, so she wasn't able to join us. I got to the Greenway at 9:40 and pulled the stroller out, got Gus loaded up, and then Pilar called. She was running a bit behind, and she said to just get started without her. 

So I did.

Did you read that? I could have flaked. I could have cheated and just walked, but I started without someone else there to push me. I am so proud of myself.

I decided to try to jog for the full minute and see how it felt. The first two cycles were okay, but it was going on 10am and it was VERY humid. I had to take my glasses off because they were fogging up, and it felt incredibly weird to be walking and jogging without my glasses. My vision was skewed a bit.

I did a total of four cycles of doing a full minute. The rest of the time I did 45 seconds at a time, and then once Pilar arrived, she and I finished the session together. I did one 30 second cycle because my legs were starting to hurt and I was just tired. But I didn't give up.

I weighed myself yesterday and I am down another pound. I'm proud of myself and I have to just stay focused on each week. I decided to make Saturday my weigh-in day from now on. I'll weigh-in Saturday morning and then I'll be able to not worry so much during the remainder of the weekend. I'm on a MWF running schedule, and it's helpful to have Monday to get me back on track for anything over the weekend.

I've learned that soda is a killer when it comes to calories. I drink it too easily and it's empty calories. I'm learning to rethink about food. There are definitely times where it's worth it to indulge, but for the most part, I need to redefine my relationship with food. I don't NEED it to be happy. I need it to survive. 

I'm making better choices, and I'm starting to see results. I ordered a sports bra and a pair of capri running pants to wear in the summer (I have no exercise clothes). I had a pair that I was wearing in my usual size, and when I wore them running, they kept falling down (along with my undies). So I ordered a new pair, in a smaller size.

I was worried that they wouldn't fit, and would be too tight. I wore them today and they're actually comfortable. :-)  My bra is almost too big (weird right???). So things are happening inside me... but it's not always visible which is hard.

 

I saw this and thought it was so appropriate. I started running three weeks ago. So by this time next week, I should start to really notice some changes, and I'm excited.

We're going to MI and IN in a week and I'm excited to see family and friends. My dad said he'll get up with me each MWF and run with me. I don't want to disappoint him... I'm not a FAST runner and my jogging is hardly faster than walking, but I'm trying. I hope he appreciates the fact that I'm just giving it my best shot. I'm glad that I'll be able to stay on track with my C25K training while on vacation.

The eating is going to be a challenge. I think I just need to stay aware of calories, and keep logging what I'm eating.

Speaking of calories. Today... I put my heart monitor on as soon as I was up and dressed. I started the recording of calories/activity right away. Then we went to the Greenway and over to the playdate at Christy's. When I got home and looked to see calories burned... I had over 1400 calories burned in a five hour and fifty minute period of time.

Is that crazy??? I need to do some research on this because I'm scared my watch is broken and giving wrong info. Do larger people burn more than smaller people? Is that why it'd say 1400 calories?I know our bodies burn calories throughout the day, but I was shocked to see so many. Granted, I did jog for a minute instead of just 30 seconds or 45 second intervals, but would that really boost my calories burned so much? I don't know.

Anyway... it hurt and I am tired, but I finished and the feeling after I'm done is so worth the effort. I like feeling accomplished and like I worked myself. I was a sweaty beast, but sweat is good. I feel good.

I am a runner.

Legs Like Concrete

I've read that runners have their ups and downs and good days and bad. So far I've had pretty good days, with the exception of my very first day out. Today was rough.

We decided to meet at the Marconi Drive entrance to the Greenway today. None of us had been on this particular part of the Greenway. It was pretty, and there was a gorgeous bridge to cross, but it was a lot hillier and had more curves than the Haynes Bridge portion.

My legs felt like concrete and I found it so hard to stay focused and not feel like I was dying. I used my heart monitor watch today for my workout and I was pleased to see that I was "in the zone" for 31 minutes and 35 seconds. During my walgging, my heart rate was an average of 116 and my max was 166. Must have been all those hills and switchbacks at the end. :-)

I can't complain too much. I had my monitor running from the time I got up, until we left the greenway, and when I checked my calories burned, it was 640. I love that it's accurate to my body and it gave me some motivation.

I'm eager to spend the next two days "resting up" a bit before Monday. I weigh-in on Sunday and I'm praying that I lost something. Even if it's only 1/2 a pound again, it's something.

Back on the Trail

We decided to meet at 8:30 this morning to walk/jog/walk and I was so afraid I'd sleep too long and not make it on time. I got up around 7:30 and thankfully, Gus was still sleeping. I was able to get ready without having to rush or worry about him. Unfortunately, when I needed to leave at 8:00... he was still asleep!

I had to go in and gently wake him, which is NEVER a good idea. He was pleasant, but definitely out of sorts. As I was backing down the driveway, Pilar called to see if it was okay if I had Gus ride in her double stroller with Logan, so the weight was balanced. I believe she's having issues with her single stroller.

I didn't think it'd be a big deal, and I assumed Gus would enjoy riding with a friend. Of course, as soon as I put him in the double stroller, he was upset. He did not want to ride in the double. He cried the ENTIRE time that we were walgging.

It was definitely different to do it without a stroller and 30 pound child to push. I commented that it seemed to go by quicker today, and both Christy and Pilar said it was probably due to not having the stroller. Or that it could be that my body is adjusting.

We decided to do Week 1 Day 1 again and instead of jogging for 30 seconds each time, I jogged for 45. You wouldn't think that an additional 15 seconds would really make a difference, but by the time we got to the bridge (our turn around spot), I was exhausted. My legs felt like lead and I felt like I did back when I started.

Christy and Pilar like to do crazy exercises on the bridge, so I continued on without them and they caught up to me. I was alone, and could have cheated on my jogging, but I didn't. I know that if I cheat, I'm only cheating myself and it's not worth it.

We finished the cool-down period and let the kiddos out to run and be free. Gus fell not just once, and not twice, but THREE times. He has a bloody knee and took off the bandaid that I tried to put on his scabs. :-(

 

Gus on the path leading from the Greenway to the parking lot

 

Taken seconds before he fell for the first time

I'm back on the trail and starting back up on getting myself in shape. I lost .5 pounds at my weigh-in yesterday and I'm happy that I lost. I was off my plan Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, so even with those days of not 100% following my plan, I was still able to lose-- I was pleased.

I'm eager to stretch tomorrow and then it's back to the routine on Wednesday with Pilar. :-)

Blah- Rain!

This morning when I woke up, I heard the heavy downpour of rain outside. I immediately said to myself, "Oh no! I'm supposed to go walgging (my new word BTW)." I got up and looked outside and sure enough, it was coming down REALLY hard.

Hmmmm... what to do? I could still go, but Gus would be soaking wet and probably miserable in the rain. I could wait and see if it stopped, and if it wasn't too awful, still make the attempt. I could try to walk after Gus's nap. I could go after dinner. I could just go tomorrow or Sunday.

So many options and I wasn't sure. I decided to text Pilar and Christy and see what they thought, and Christy said she'd just see me at 10:30 for our previous activity that we had planned together. I called Pilar and she said with the rain, it'd be really wet on the path and the kids would probably be unhappy. If we tried to go after lunch, it'd be hot and probably REALLY muggy due to the rain. I asked if she wanted to go tomorrow or Sunday but she couldn't, so we decided that we'd all meet up on Monday to walk.

I'm disappointed, but it all worked out well. I hosted an event at my house at 10:30 and with our walgging at 9:30, it'd be cutting it really close to get back to my house and get things ready in time for my guests. The rain actually helped and freed up my morning. However... I have this "itch" to go walgging.

Is that weird or what? A week ago, I wouldn't have thought that I'd be looking forward to getting out and moving... and even on Monday I never would have thought I'd be wanting to go walgging. 

It's funny how priorities and motivation can shape your thoughts!!! So now I'm trying to decide what to do. It's still wet outside... but I might take Gus after he's up from his nap. We'll see.