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.