Today marks the beginning of our office competition- a version of "The Biggest Loser". While I was nervous about the weigh in, I was also pretty sure I knew what I would see on the scale.
Last Monday, I weighed myself at the gym. I used the dreaded "dr's office" style scale. God, I hate those suckers. The height and weight I'm at, I'm usually always wondering whether or not I'll have to move the big dial from "100" to "150" or the smaller dial up to the "50" marker. It's just a big head game and it usually always leaves me feeling pissed off at myself. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've been happy with the number on doctor's scales.
Anyway, so that number sucked. A nasty egg. 153. I worked out 4 times last week. Each time was a sweaty, heart pounding success (except of course the crappy run). And I really tried to watch what I ate. I wasn't perfect, but I certainly did a better job than I had been doing.
Today was like a freaking dream. I was expecting the scale to be pretty close, if not more than what I had seen last week. Surprise, surprise when it clocked me in at 145. I looked up at my office manager (who is keeping track of the weight loss for us) in total disbelief and said, "No freaking way". Of course, the only way I can really find out how accurate that scale is compared to the scale I used last week, is to hop back on the scale at the gym tonight when I go work out. I mean, sure it's probably "off", but it certainly can't be 8 pounds off!
And this little nugget of goodness I've been given today, has me totally motivated to kick a$$ and take names at this competition. Granted, I would have rather seen this happen NEXT week when it counts, but it's still got my spirits up.
With that number (and hopefully I'll get the same number tonight on the scale at the gym or at least a few pounds close to what the scale said), I've got 15 pounds to get to my goal and 20 to get to my "you must be kidding yourself" goal.
By the way, tomorrow is also the next "picture" post. Maybe I'll see a difference? I'll take a different picture by the way-less clothing this time. My husband, Steve, looked at my pictures and said, "You should wear just your sports bra and some shorts. Then you'll really see a difference in your legs, your stomach, abs and arms". I agree! No more hiding behind the tops for pictures! If the amazing and inspiring people on The Biggest Loser can get up there and bare it all-so can I! I may not like it, but hey-if you put it all out there, you've got nothing to hide!
Along with taking pictures of myself, I'm thinking about taking pictures of the delicious meals I've been preparing. I might actually tonight. My new favorite thing to prepare as a side dish is anything asparagus. I just LOVE it. Not only is it delicious, it also fills me up. I've wrapped it in bacon and my last attempt I wrapped it in prosciutto. I've prepared it with rosemary and bay leaf and last night I made it with 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 clove of garlic (pressed), and one jalepeno (seeded and chopped). Delicious!
Tonight's dinner is stuffed bell peppers. I made them with turkey, long grain rice, onion, one clove of garlic, diced tomatoes, with some shredded cheddar cheese on top. It looked amazing last night when I cooked it, so I can't wait to try it. So along with the bell peppers, I'll probably make asparagus (since I'm obsessed), and maybe some black eyed peas.
My "desserts" lately have consisted of either hot chocolate, a glass of wine, or a bowl of Kashi cereal.
Anyway, I'm feeling pretty good right now. Really proud of myself-even if the scale is a little "off". Now I just want to hit it even harder!
I just read a few really inspiring blogs about women who have run the Disney Marathon yesterday, and I have to say-it's got me even more motivated to start running again and just do it! I think I can! I think I can! :)
Can't wait to hit the gym!
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Training. Show all posts
Monday, January 11, 2010
Monday, November 2, 2009
Falling Off the Wagon
Technically, I didn't "fall" off the wagon...it sort of rolled over my foot and then my whole body.
It's been a good three weeks since I ran 11 miles. I was ready for my 1/2 marathon...just waiting for November 1st to get here. Of course, the very end of that 11 miles I rolled my ankle which I decided to lay off of for a week. So that week I took it easy. I tried to focus on getting better and getting out of my apartment. We moved that next weekend into our home. Of course, the move was not exactly smooth. We were without a fridge for a week and Saturday night, while trying to move a dresser, it was dropped and naturally landed on my big toe. I was seriously worried I was going to lose my toenail. It was really painful. Luckily, I still have a toenail...though it looks rather damaged..but of course that set me for another week of not running. :( I was still pretty positive that I'd be able to run the 1/2 the next week. Until...last Sunday. I woke up feeling a bit under the weather but was still determined to finally go for my first run in 2 weeks and my first run in our new neighborhood. Steve used to run cross country in high school, so he showed me the trails they used to run. We ran around Canyon Creek. It was perfect training! Hilly, lots of turns, good sidewalks...We ran about 6.7 miles before I decided "Ok, I'm really not feeling so hot. I think I'm done". It was a slow run, but I was still proud of myself for getting out there and running when I wasn't feeling exactly "stellar". But the rest of the day my body continued to go down hill. Eventually by mid afternoon, I was laid up on the sofa watching the Cowboy game trying not to move. I found out a few days later I had the flu. Big time bummer. I decided not to risk relapsing and skipped out on the 1/2 marathon that happened on Sunday.
Thursday, Steve and I went to Run On! and picked up my race packet. It was so depressing. I got this awesome shirt and my bib even had my name on it! "Mariah" over my bib number...how cute is that? I was like, "Oh my gosh! What a bummer!" I did get some pretty awesome swag, even though I didn't get to run the race. We got a discounted rate to go to any Stars game during the month of November, a few bottled drinks, a packet of Clif bar Shot blocks, and coupons for Run On!. Still, it's so anti-climactic to get your bib and swag knowing you won't be able to run the race in a few days. I woke up Sunday a little down in the dumps knowing that I could be running my first half marathon, but instead I was at my house taking it easy...
Oh well...There's the one in December I'm highly looking forward to. I'm determined to finish strong. It's also inspired me to look into signing up for more races. If I can do this half marathon, I can do a full. I've also decided to get back on the "diet" wagon. When I went to the doctor I was pretty disappointed the number on the scale. I'd like to see that change a little bit before the Holiday season approaches.
I'm starting my training again hopefully tomorrow morning. I'd like to run 4.5 miles to start out. I think it's hilarious when I say "my short run is going to be 5 miles". Seriously? Remember in July when that was my "long" run? Yeah, I've come a long way. It's great to look back and feel like I'm accomplishing so much and really proving myself every time I get out there and hit the pavement. It's really empowering. It's also incredible to look back and think that before it was like pulling teeth to get out there and run and now I love it. It's a great way to start the day. The cool air in your face, the beating of your heart, the sound of your feet hitting the cement. I love it. I really do. And I really miss it. I can't wait to get back out there!
It's been a good three weeks since I ran 11 miles. I was ready for my 1/2 marathon...just waiting for November 1st to get here. Of course, the very end of that 11 miles I rolled my ankle which I decided to lay off of for a week. So that week I took it easy. I tried to focus on getting better and getting out of my apartment. We moved that next weekend into our home. Of course, the move was not exactly smooth. We were without a fridge for a week and Saturday night, while trying to move a dresser, it was dropped and naturally landed on my big toe. I was seriously worried I was going to lose my toenail. It was really painful. Luckily, I still have a toenail...though it looks rather damaged..but of course that set me for another week of not running. :( I was still pretty positive that I'd be able to run the 1/2 the next week. Until...last Sunday. I woke up feeling a bit under the weather but was still determined to finally go for my first run in 2 weeks and my first run in our new neighborhood. Steve used to run cross country in high school, so he showed me the trails they used to run. We ran around Canyon Creek. It was perfect training! Hilly, lots of turns, good sidewalks...We ran about 6.7 miles before I decided "Ok, I'm really not feeling so hot. I think I'm done". It was a slow run, but I was still proud of myself for getting out there and running when I wasn't feeling exactly "stellar". But the rest of the day my body continued to go down hill. Eventually by mid afternoon, I was laid up on the sofa watching the Cowboy game trying not to move. I found out a few days later I had the flu. Big time bummer. I decided not to risk relapsing and skipped out on the 1/2 marathon that happened on Sunday.
Thursday, Steve and I went to Run On! and picked up my race packet. It was so depressing. I got this awesome shirt and my bib even had my name on it! "Mariah" over my bib number...how cute is that? I was like, "Oh my gosh! What a bummer!" I did get some pretty awesome swag, even though I didn't get to run the race. We got a discounted rate to go to any Stars game during the month of November, a few bottled drinks, a packet of Clif bar Shot blocks, and coupons for Run On!. Still, it's so anti-climactic to get your bib and swag knowing you won't be able to run the race in a few days. I woke up Sunday a little down in the dumps knowing that I could be running my first half marathon, but instead I was at my house taking it easy...
Oh well...There's the one in December I'm highly looking forward to. I'm determined to finish strong. It's also inspired me to look into signing up for more races. If I can do this half marathon, I can do a full. I've also decided to get back on the "diet" wagon. When I went to the doctor I was pretty disappointed the number on the scale. I'd like to see that change a little bit before the Holiday season approaches.
I'm starting my training again hopefully tomorrow morning. I'd like to run 4.5 miles to start out. I think it's hilarious when I say "my short run is going to be 5 miles". Seriously? Remember in July when that was my "long" run? Yeah, I've come a long way. It's great to look back and feel like I'm accomplishing so much and really proving myself every time I get out there and hit the pavement. It's really empowering. It's also incredible to look back and think that before it was like pulling teeth to get out there and run and now I love it. It's a great way to start the day. The cool air in your face, the beating of your heart, the sound of your feet hitting the cement. I love it. I really do. And I really miss it. I can't wait to get back out there!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Don't let the man (or your ankle) get you down!
Ugh! Before I go into why my ankle's getting me down, I guess I'll start off talking about my week.
After my terrible speed session, I thought I'd go the distance (5 miles to be exact) on Wednesday. Since it was yucky and wet out, I decided the treadmill would have to do. I used to run on the treadmill all the time and have no problems. I could be on it for an hour and not think twice about it. But getting on there and running for 50 minutes was a constant battle. I hated it. The entire time I wanted to stop and just get on the elliptical machine since it was at least somewhat more fun than the treadmill. But I knew that if I did that, I wouldn't run anymore that week and my long run on Saturday would be a beating. So I stuck it out. My routine went like this:
2 minute warm up.
.25 miles 5.8
.25 miles 5.9
.25 miles 6.0 (equals a 10 minute mile pace)
.25 miles 6.1
.25 miles 6.2
.25 miles 6.2
.25 miles 6.1
.25 miles 6.0
.25 miles 5.9
.25 miles 5.8
Then I repeated the cycle. For some of it I had the incline at a 1 or a 2, and then about 2.5 miles in I didn't like the inclines anymore and just kept it at a 0. :) I think what made me feel like I was on it forever was the timer. When I'm running outside, I completely lose track of time and just enjoy the feeling of the wind in my face, the way my heartbeats in my chest, and the way the air fills my lungs. When I'm running, I feel free.
It was a pretty good run, though. After the run I did shoulders and chest and then decided I was done for the day.
Thursday we didn't get to work out. But Friday I hit the gym after work and did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine. I should invest in an elliptical machine. It really is fun to do and I feel like I get a great workout out of it. After the elliptical I was going to do arms and back, but naturally in a small, limited gym that is my apartment gym, someone was on the back machine (I felt like he was on that for-ev-er) and then right when I was going to reach for the 10 lb hand weights (I know, I know..I'm a wuss...but I also just want to tone) an old man grabbed them. Oh well. I was hungry anyway :)
Saturday was my long run. I set out to do 11 miles. It was COLD Saturday morning. But I don't think I've ever been more excited and more nervous about setting out to do a run than I was that day. I think I get these mixed emotions of dread and nervousness and excitement to push myself farther than I've ever been.
The great thing about Saturday? I got to wear my running belt for the first time and my Clif bar shot blocks (in the flavorful black cherry). I decided to wear my long pants and my Nike jacket since it was pretty chilly and ended up wearing the jacket the whole time. While it was cold out, the wind kept me from sweating too much and the temperature was absolutely perfect for running. When we started our run, I don't think I was ready. My heart rate increased considerably and my legs felt like lead. This time it took me about 2 miles or so to finally hit my stride. I think doing the elliptical machine the night before didn't do me any favors... Steve and I kept a pretty good pace for the whole run. When we got all the way around, I turned back to go another 2 miles to complete my 11 mile goal and Steve went to go get Anna so we could take her on a walk. Here's where my problem occurred:
I was literally less than a quarter mile from the mile marker. I was so close to being done, I could taste it. And then all of a sudden I landed wrong on my foot and my ankle turned. Luckily, I was right by a tree where I could grab on and collect myself. I almost started to hyperventilate. The pain from it was probably not that bad, but I think I was caught off guard and also completely pissed at myself for not paying attention and running sloppy that while trying to catch my breath, I was freaking out. I could barely breathe and of course Steve was nowhere to be seen, which also worried me. I managed to continue walking/hobbling and finally I see Steve coming with Anna...Of course, we didn't really get to walk Anna at all, we just walked back to the apartment. I think it's a good sign I could walk on my ankle, but of course it really sucks that it happened...
I don't think I sprained my ankle. I think I just bruised it. I have limited use of it when I rotate it, but it's not painful to walk on anymore. So I just need to take it easy. Elliptical machine for the rest of the week, that's for sure.
On another topic, it looks like we're still set to close this Thursday on our home! Sunday we spent most of the day packing and getting things ready to go. I took Thursday and Friday off from work and I'm about to take Monday off as well to give us another day of rest/unpacking. I'm so excited to be getting out of our apartment and into something we can call our own. I really hope everything works out and that our closing is not delayed. I think I may cry if that happens! Keep your fingers crossed!!
After my terrible speed session, I thought I'd go the distance (5 miles to be exact) on Wednesday. Since it was yucky and wet out, I decided the treadmill would have to do. I used to run on the treadmill all the time and have no problems. I could be on it for an hour and not think twice about it. But getting on there and running for 50 minutes was a constant battle. I hated it. The entire time I wanted to stop and just get on the elliptical machine since it was at least somewhat more fun than the treadmill. But I knew that if I did that, I wouldn't run anymore that week and my long run on Saturday would be a beating. So I stuck it out. My routine went like this:
2 minute warm up.
.25 miles 5.8
.25 miles 5.9
.25 miles 6.0 (equals a 10 minute mile pace)
.25 miles 6.1
.25 miles 6.2
.25 miles 6.2
.25 miles 6.1
.25 miles 6.0
.25 miles 5.9
.25 miles 5.8
Then I repeated the cycle. For some of it I had the incline at a 1 or a 2, and then about 2.5 miles in I didn't like the inclines anymore and just kept it at a 0. :) I think what made me feel like I was on it forever was the timer. When I'm running outside, I completely lose track of time and just enjoy the feeling of the wind in my face, the way my heartbeats in my chest, and the way the air fills my lungs. When I'm running, I feel free.
It was a pretty good run, though. After the run I did shoulders and chest and then decided I was done for the day.
Thursday we didn't get to work out. But Friday I hit the gym after work and did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine. I should invest in an elliptical machine. It really is fun to do and I feel like I get a great workout out of it. After the elliptical I was going to do arms and back, but naturally in a small, limited gym that is my apartment gym, someone was on the back machine (I felt like he was on that for-ev-er) and then right when I was going to reach for the 10 lb hand weights (I know, I know..I'm a wuss...but I also just want to tone) an old man grabbed them. Oh well. I was hungry anyway :)
Saturday was my long run. I set out to do 11 miles. It was COLD Saturday morning. But I don't think I've ever been more excited and more nervous about setting out to do a run than I was that day. I think I get these mixed emotions of dread and nervousness and excitement to push myself farther than I've ever been.
The great thing about Saturday? I got to wear my running belt for the first time and my Clif bar shot blocks (in the flavorful black cherry). I decided to wear my long pants and my Nike jacket since it was pretty chilly and ended up wearing the jacket the whole time. While it was cold out, the wind kept me from sweating too much and the temperature was absolutely perfect for running. When we started our run, I don't think I was ready. My heart rate increased considerably and my legs felt like lead. This time it took me about 2 miles or so to finally hit my stride. I think doing the elliptical machine the night before didn't do me any favors... Steve and I kept a pretty good pace for the whole run. When we got all the way around, I turned back to go another 2 miles to complete my 11 mile goal and Steve went to go get Anna so we could take her on a walk. Here's where my problem occurred:
I was literally less than a quarter mile from the mile marker. I was so close to being done, I could taste it. And then all of a sudden I landed wrong on my foot and my ankle turned. Luckily, I was right by a tree where I could grab on and collect myself. I almost started to hyperventilate. The pain from it was probably not that bad, but I think I was caught off guard and also completely pissed at myself for not paying attention and running sloppy that while trying to catch my breath, I was freaking out. I could barely breathe and of course Steve was nowhere to be seen, which also worried me. I managed to continue walking/hobbling and finally I see Steve coming with Anna...Of course, we didn't really get to walk Anna at all, we just walked back to the apartment. I think it's a good sign I could walk on my ankle, but of course it really sucks that it happened...
I don't think I sprained my ankle. I think I just bruised it. I have limited use of it when I rotate it, but it's not painful to walk on anymore. So I just need to take it easy. Elliptical machine for the rest of the week, that's for sure.
On another topic, it looks like we're still set to close this Thursday on our home! Sunday we spent most of the day packing and getting things ready to go. I took Thursday and Friday off from work and I'm about to take Monday off as well to give us another day of rest/unpacking. I'm so excited to be getting out of our apartment and into something we can call our own. I really hope everything works out and that our closing is not delayed. I think I may cry if that happens! Keep your fingers crossed!!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Speed Session
So my initial goal yesterday was to make it to the gym to do some cross training, but that didn't really happen...here's why:
I got home from work yesterday and immediately got dressed to take the dog for a walk. I took her on a mile walk and then met up with Steve to go to the gym. I THOUGHT and I'm actually pretty positive that I DID tell Steve that I wanted to do 30 minutes of cardio and then do weights for my arms and chest. Upon walking into the gym, I decided, "You know what, I don't want to do the elliptical machine today, I want to do speed work". So I hopped up onto the treadmill and started my workout. About 20 minutes in, I see Steve staring me down. Why? Because he's done. So then I feel rushed to finish. I was hoping to go 5k in distance, but because of the impatient look on his face, I stopped just shy of 3 miles. I was still hoping to get to my arms and chest so instead of a cool down, I immediately started doing bicep curls. Steve motions to me when I start on my first rep for my left arm and says, "I'm done. You can do push ups at home". Ok, so that seriously pissed me off. Look, I don't know why he doesn't know this about me...maybe we haven't worked out together enough for him to realize this (not possible)...but when I'm in workout mode, do NOT mess with me and do NOT rush me. I'm in the zone. I put the weights back on the holder, grabbed my things, and walked out the doors.
Maybe I'm a little pissy right now in the first place, but I'm telling you what-last night, I was a force to be reckoned with. I was fighting mad that he rushed me though my workout and that I didn't get to do what I had set out to do last night. How do explain to my husband enough that I'm training for a flippin' half marathon-with a possible goal of running a full marathon in months to come? Seriously? I can't have my workouts cut short and he won't let me work out in our apartment gym by myself because he's "worried about me". Hopefully, after a few months when we move into this new house (::cross fingers::), I'll be able to afford going back to 24 Hour Fitness. I need my workouts. I need do to cardio AND weights. Not just one of the two. So frustrating. Someone out there has to know how I feel. I seriously hate being rushed, it just doesn't make me happy at all.
On the plus side, I managed to run a 9 minute mile. It took everything I had to finish it, but with some good tunes (Boston, Queen, The Beatles, Journey) I was able to keep on truckin'. I ran the rest, after some walking breaks, at about a 9.3 minute-9.45 minute mile. Not bad, not bad. I just need to keep that up. I also need to start doing some work on my legs with weights to help me get the speed up.
Today is supposed to be our 5 mile run. I'll be wearing my belt to try it out :) I'm pretty excited.
I got home from work yesterday and immediately got dressed to take the dog for a walk. I took her on a mile walk and then met up with Steve to go to the gym. I THOUGHT and I'm actually pretty positive that I DID tell Steve that I wanted to do 30 minutes of cardio and then do weights for my arms and chest. Upon walking into the gym, I decided, "You know what, I don't want to do the elliptical machine today, I want to do speed work". So I hopped up onto the treadmill and started my workout. About 20 minutes in, I see Steve staring me down. Why? Because he's done. So then I feel rushed to finish. I was hoping to go 5k in distance, but because of the impatient look on his face, I stopped just shy of 3 miles. I was still hoping to get to my arms and chest so instead of a cool down, I immediately started doing bicep curls. Steve motions to me when I start on my first rep for my left arm and says, "I'm done. You can do push ups at home". Ok, so that seriously pissed me off. Look, I don't know why he doesn't know this about me...maybe we haven't worked out together enough for him to realize this (not possible)...but when I'm in workout mode, do NOT mess with me and do NOT rush me. I'm in the zone. I put the weights back on the holder, grabbed my things, and walked out the doors.
Maybe I'm a little pissy right now in the first place, but I'm telling you what-last night, I was a force to be reckoned with. I was fighting mad that he rushed me though my workout and that I didn't get to do what I had set out to do last night. How do explain to my husband enough that I'm training for a flippin' half marathon-with a possible goal of running a full marathon in months to come? Seriously? I can't have my workouts cut short and he won't let me work out in our apartment gym by myself because he's "worried about me". Hopefully, after a few months when we move into this new house (::cross fingers::), I'll be able to afford going back to 24 Hour Fitness. I need my workouts. I need do to cardio AND weights. Not just one of the two. So frustrating. Someone out there has to know how I feel. I seriously hate being rushed, it just doesn't make me happy at all.
On the plus side, I managed to run a 9 minute mile. It took everything I had to finish it, but with some good tunes (Boston, Queen, The Beatles, Journey) I was able to keep on truckin'. I ran the rest, after some walking breaks, at about a 9.3 minute-9.45 minute mile. Not bad, not bad. I just need to keep that up. I also need to start doing some work on my legs with weights to help me get the speed up.
Today is supposed to be our 5 mile run. I'll be wearing my belt to try it out :) I'm pretty excited.
Monday, October 5, 2009
9.2 miles!
I'll admit it, I'm lazy. I'm a slacker. And I am not training like I should be. I should be running 3 days a week. Last week, I managed 2 runs. My Tuesday run of 3.2 miles and then my long run on Saturday.
Saturday morning was perfect. The weather was phenomenal, I felt great, and I was determined to run all the way around White Rock. Steve and I had breakfast, got dressed, and headed out the door (sans puppy-dog) to get our run on. I wore my Nike jacket to begin with since it was pretty cool outside, so it was great to see what it felt like to run with it on. I was hoping to get started around 7:30, but no sooner had we gotten down to the first gate, when Steve decided he wasn't ready yet and we had to go back up to the apartment. Ugh. I know it wasn't a big deal, but when I'm ready to go, I'm ready to go. You know what I mean? We finally headed back out a little after 7:45. And so began our trip. The Dallas Cross Country Club was having a 5k and a 15k race, so we had to avoid all the people around the quarter mile mark, but other than that it was a great day to run. It took me about a mile and a half to finally get in the swing of things. And about that long to warm up enough to be comfortable with taking off my jacket. I stopped only 2 times. Once about 3 miles in to grab a sip of water at a water fountain and the second time to get another sip of water about 6 miles in to get some water and walk for about 15 seconds. I'm not exactly sure how long and far I ran because my Nike iPod adapter is not working correctly and then my iPod died at the very end. But I'm thinking we ran the course in about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
I'm really proud of us. I honestly didn't feel like I struggled at all to continue running. My breathing was calm and my legs felt great up until about a mile left to go. At that last mile I knew if I stopped running, I wouldn't be able to start again. But to know that I can run 9 miles is so encouraging. I feel so confident that in 3 weeks I'll be able to run the half marathon.
Saturday, Steve even took me to Run On! in Richardson to get my first running belt!! I feel like a real runner!! I'm going to try it out some time this week, when we go for a run to see how it feels, but it's pretty cool :)
That's what I got. It holds 4 8 oz. bottles of water and has a tiny pouch for keys, food, etc. We also bought some Clif bar shots. I'll definitely need those about half way into my runs. They're 100 calories and they're equivalent to a cup of coffee. And hey, when has caffeine ever done me wrong? :)
I guess my goal for this week is to just work out more often. Tonight I want to do 30 minutes of cardio and some arm/chest weights. Tuesday, I'm hoping to run 4-5 miles at a faster pace. Wednesday is another cross training day. 30 minutes on the eliptical back and legs for weights. Thursday, I'd like to run a 5k at about a 9 minute mile pace. We'll see how that goes. Friday is either my day off or just a weights and cardio (probably bike). Saturday of course is my long run. Since I went over 9 miles Saturday, I'm hoping to run 10.5-11 miles.
You know what would be really nice? If I could stop eating a bunch of crap and start really losing some weight. I need to really start watching what I eat.
Saturday morning was perfect. The weather was phenomenal, I felt great, and I was determined to run all the way around White Rock. Steve and I had breakfast, got dressed, and headed out the door (sans puppy-dog) to get our run on. I wore my Nike jacket to begin with since it was pretty cool outside, so it was great to see what it felt like to run with it on. I was hoping to get started around 7:30, but no sooner had we gotten down to the first gate, when Steve decided he wasn't ready yet and we had to go back up to the apartment. Ugh. I know it wasn't a big deal, but when I'm ready to go, I'm ready to go. You know what I mean? We finally headed back out a little after 7:45. And so began our trip. The Dallas Cross Country Club was having a 5k and a 15k race, so we had to avoid all the people around the quarter mile mark, but other than that it was a great day to run. It took me about a mile and a half to finally get in the swing of things. And about that long to warm up enough to be comfortable with taking off my jacket. I stopped only 2 times. Once about 3 miles in to grab a sip of water at a water fountain and the second time to get another sip of water about 6 miles in to get some water and walk for about 15 seconds. I'm not exactly sure how long and far I ran because my Nike iPod adapter is not working correctly and then my iPod died at the very end. But I'm thinking we ran the course in about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
I'm really proud of us. I honestly didn't feel like I struggled at all to continue running. My breathing was calm and my legs felt great up until about a mile left to go. At that last mile I knew if I stopped running, I wouldn't be able to start again. But to know that I can run 9 miles is so encouraging. I feel so confident that in 3 weeks I'll be able to run the half marathon.
Saturday, Steve even took me to Run On! in Richardson to get my first running belt!! I feel like a real runner!! I'm going to try it out some time this week, when we go for a run to see how it feels, but it's pretty cool :)
That's what I got. It holds 4 8 oz. bottles of water and has a tiny pouch for keys, food, etc. We also bought some Clif bar shots. I'll definitely need those about half way into my runs. They're 100 calories and they're equivalent to a cup of coffee. And hey, when has caffeine ever done me wrong? :)
I guess my goal for this week is to just work out more often. Tonight I want to do 30 minutes of cardio and some arm/chest weights. Tuesday, I'm hoping to run 4-5 miles at a faster pace. Wednesday is another cross training day. 30 minutes on the eliptical back and legs for weights. Thursday, I'd like to run a 5k at about a 9 minute mile pace. We'll see how that goes. Friday is either my day off or just a weights and cardio (probably bike). Saturday of course is my long run. Since I went over 9 miles Saturday, I'm hoping to run 10.5-11 miles.
You know what would be really nice? If I could stop eating a bunch of crap and start really losing some weight. I need to really start watching what I eat.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
New Races!
So in a total attack of lunacy earlier this week, I signed up for 2 more races! I decided somehow I'd be able to complete the Dallas Running Club's Half Marathon on November 1st. EEEK! That's like 31 days from now!! Yikes!
The other run I signed up for was the 2009 Dallas Turkey Trot 8 mile run. I decided to do the unchipped run because I figured I'd just use my phone or some other device to calculate my total time. Plus, saving the $5 extra it costs for the chip, doesn't hurt either.
So now I've got these races:
1. DRC half marathon - November 1st.
2. Turkey Trot 8 mile- November 26th.
3. White Rock Marathon-half marathon- December 13th.
I'm contemplating doing the Race for the Cure 5k with a few girls from a message board I frequent in a few weeks. But it's the weekend of closing on our house, so I'm not sure if I want to commit myself to that. It's for a good cause though, so I'm definitely considering it. I keep looking at Luke's Locker and Run On! for more races and I want to sign up for everything! But it costs a lot of money to run these races, so I probably shouldn't. :)
So as for training-I'm a slacker. I should be doing cross training but I haven't been doing that at all. Tonight though, I'm going to run on the treadmill in our gym because it looks like it may be raining by the time the evening rolls around. I plan to go about 5-6 miles. Maybe do a little speed work. The other people in the gym are going to think I'm crazy...but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. I'd like to go to the gym again on Friday after work-but I know how I feel on a Friday after work, and I just don't see it happening.
Saturday I'm determined to run the whole way around White Rock Lake. That's a staggering 9 miles. Seriously. 9. Miles. 2 months ago I was running 3-4 miles and those were my "long" runs. I'm pretty proud of myself for being consistant and continuing to go farther than the weekend before.
That's it for now. I wish I could be this motivated in every area of my life!
The other run I signed up for was the 2009 Dallas Turkey Trot 8 mile run. I decided to do the unchipped run because I figured I'd just use my phone or some other device to calculate my total time. Plus, saving the $5 extra it costs for the chip, doesn't hurt either.
So now I've got these races:
1. DRC half marathon - November 1st.
2. Turkey Trot 8 mile- November 26th.
3. White Rock Marathon-half marathon- December 13th.
I'm contemplating doing the Race for the Cure 5k with a few girls from a message board I frequent in a few weeks. But it's the weekend of closing on our house, so I'm not sure if I want to commit myself to that. It's for a good cause though, so I'm definitely considering it. I keep looking at Luke's Locker and Run On! for more races and I want to sign up for everything! But it costs a lot of money to run these races, so I probably shouldn't. :)
So as for training-I'm a slacker. I should be doing cross training but I haven't been doing that at all. Tonight though, I'm going to run on the treadmill in our gym because it looks like it may be raining by the time the evening rolls around. I plan to go about 5-6 miles. Maybe do a little speed work. The other people in the gym are going to think I'm crazy...but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. I'd like to go to the gym again on Friday after work-but I know how I feel on a Friday after work, and I just don't see it happening.
Saturday I'm determined to run the whole way around White Rock Lake. That's a staggering 9 miles. Seriously. 9. Miles. 2 months ago I was running 3-4 miles and those were my "long" runs. I'm pretty proud of myself for being consistant and continuing to go farther than the weekend before.
That's it for now. I wish I could be this motivated in every area of my life!
Monday, September 21, 2009
I Did It!!!
I ran my first 10k race on Saturday! I was pretty skeptical all week. I flipped flopped a few times every day last week thinking, "Oh, I probably should push myself. I should just rest" and then I'd get mad and go, "No way! I paid good money to run that race and I trained hard! I'm doing it!" So Friday was my official decision time. I decided to do it and I'm so glad I did!
I woke up at 5:30 Saturday morning and started preparing for my run. I had some breakfast, washed my face, put my gear on. And then Steve, Anna, and I headed out the door. Since we live literally a mile from the Arboretum, we just walked the trails down to the race. I left Steve at a place where he could stand with Anna, while I walked on to where all the runners were piling up. I really wish he could have been with me on my run, I felt a little bit alone. But luckily I had my iPod, so I turned on some Randy Rogers and just tried to calm myself down (I was pretty anxious). I went and stood in the 10 minute + group and waited for the race to begin.
When the race started my heart started beating so fast. I watched as the faster runners went ahead and wished that someday that would be me up in the front of the pack. It felt like forever until we got to the start line. When I finally hit the start line, an overwhelming since of calm washed over me and I just started running. You wouldn't believe how much you have to concentrate and be aware of your surroundings at the beginning of the race. Everyone is just so packed up. It's like being in a sardine can. So you have to watch where you run, try not to trip over people's shoes or run into a runner, while trying to pass someone else. It was great to see Steve though. When I saw him I got a huge grin on my face. It's so encouraging to have him support me through this and let me do this on my own. Yes, I felt alone at the beginning of the race, but to know that this was MY thing, that he wanted me to have this experience on my own, was so amazing.
I started following these 2 ladies about 1/2 mile into the race. They were keeping a really good pace for me (not sure what it was-maybe an 11 minute mile pace) and so I focused on staying behind them until about 2.5 in. At that point, I decided I wanted to go a little bit faster and passed them. I think they may have been running the 20k anyway, so I'm glad I passed them when I did. By the time I got about 2 miles in I could see the first pack of runners already on their way back to the finish. I looked at them with longing. How can you run so fast? It must be incredible to have that kind of strength and energy!
There were 2 major hills in the course. There was the one I always encounter when I train on my long run days and then another one about .5 mile after that, which took us through a neighborhood for about a quarter of a mile. I made it up my first hill without having to walk, but that took all I had! Then when I saw the other hill, I got a little overwhelmed. I noticed a ton of people walking up the hill and about half way up decided I'd walk for a minute, too. I wish I hadn't. I probably could have paced it up the hill if I had just thought more positively. Oh well..what can you do? You live and you learn. I may be running that part of the race though more often...I think it's been really beneficial to run those hills when training instead of just staying on the main flat trail.
After those hills, I kept running. I can't tell you how good it felt to pass people. I know that sounds mean...but it just made me feel empowered. There were a few people I kept passing and then they'd pass me and we'd just do this merry-go-round. It was a little annoying with this one guy. He was sweating up a storm and he'd run really hard for a while and then the next thing I knew, I'd be passing him as he was walking. Then about 2 minutes later, he'd run past me again and I'd catch up to him not 2 minutes later-walking. Seriously, the guy was not pacing himself at all. There was also this other girl who kept the same pace as me. We'd pass each other a few times. I almost looked over and introduced myself and asked her if she ran around this area because she'd probably be fun to train with since we seemed to be at about the same level.
Towards the end I just kept focusing on how much farther I had left to go. I was most looking forward to seeing Steve again (since the race was a loop for the 10k-ers). And once I saw him again, it gave me even more strength to finish what I started! He told me later that I looked great and that I looked strong. That made me feel good. I can't remember exactly how I felt, but I remember thinking "I'm so tired. 5 more minutes, 5 more minutes" It was hard. But honestly, at about the last .15 of the race, I could see the finish and there were all these people around and I was determined to finish strong. So I did. It felt so good! I'm just really proud of myself.
A little over 2 months until my 1/2 marathon....so I really have to get on that. This next weekend, I'm pushing up the long run to 7.5 miles. Got to get the show back on the road! :)
Here is the result page:
http://results.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp?posted_p=t&numPerPage=100&page=2&rsID=84236&eventClass=10K+Open&division=F+25-29&queryType=division&pubID=3
I woke up at 5:30 Saturday morning and started preparing for my run. I had some breakfast, washed my face, put my gear on. And then Steve, Anna, and I headed out the door. Since we live literally a mile from the Arboretum, we just walked the trails down to the race. I left Steve at a place where he could stand with Anna, while I walked on to where all the runners were piling up. I really wish he could have been with me on my run, I felt a little bit alone. But luckily I had my iPod, so I turned on some Randy Rogers and just tried to calm myself down (I was pretty anxious). I went and stood in the 10 minute + group and waited for the race to begin.
When the race started my heart started beating so fast. I watched as the faster runners went ahead and wished that someday that would be me up in the front of the pack. It felt like forever until we got to the start line. When I finally hit the start line, an overwhelming since of calm washed over me and I just started running. You wouldn't believe how much you have to concentrate and be aware of your surroundings at the beginning of the race. Everyone is just so packed up. It's like being in a sardine can. So you have to watch where you run, try not to trip over people's shoes or run into a runner, while trying to pass someone else. It was great to see Steve though. When I saw him I got a huge grin on my face. It's so encouraging to have him support me through this and let me do this on my own. Yes, I felt alone at the beginning of the race, but to know that this was MY thing, that he wanted me to have this experience on my own, was so amazing.
I started following these 2 ladies about 1/2 mile into the race. They were keeping a really good pace for me (not sure what it was-maybe an 11 minute mile pace) and so I focused on staying behind them until about 2.5 in. At that point, I decided I wanted to go a little bit faster and passed them. I think they may have been running the 20k anyway, so I'm glad I passed them when I did. By the time I got about 2 miles in I could see the first pack of runners already on their way back to the finish. I looked at them with longing. How can you run so fast? It must be incredible to have that kind of strength and energy!
There were 2 major hills in the course. There was the one I always encounter when I train on my long run days and then another one about .5 mile after that, which took us through a neighborhood for about a quarter of a mile. I made it up my first hill without having to walk, but that took all I had! Then when I saw the other hill, I got a little overwhelmed. I noticed a ton of people walking up the hill and about half way up decided I'd walk for a minute, too. I wish I hadn't. I probably could have paced it up the hill if I had just thought more positively. Oh well..what can you do? You live and you learn. I may be running that part of the race though more often...I think it's been really beneficial to run those hills when training instead of just staying on the main flat trail.
After those hills, I kept running. I can't tell you how good it felt to pass people. I know that sounds mean...but it just made me feel empowered. There were a few people I kept passing and then they'd pass me and we'd just do this merry-go-round. It was a little annoying with this one guy. He was sweating up a storm and he'd run really hard for a while and then the next thing I knew, I'd be passing him as he was walking. Then about 2 minutes later, he'd run past me again and I'd catch up to him not 2 minutes later-walking. Seriously, the guy was not pacing himself at all. There was also this other girl who kept the same pace as me. We'd pass each other a few times. I almost looked over and introduced myself and asked her if she ran around this area because she'd probably be fun to train with since we seemed to be at about the same level.
Towards the end I just kept focusing on how much farther I had left to go. I was most looking forward to seeing Steve again (since the race was a loop for the 10k-ers). And once I saw him again, it gave me even more strength to finish what I started! He told me later that I looked great and that I looked strong. That made me feel good. I can't remember exactly how I felt, but I remember thinking "I'm so tired. 5 more minutes, 5 more minutes" It was hard. But honestly, at about the last .15 of the race, I could see the finish and there were all these people around and I was determined to finish strong. So I did. It felt so good! I'm just really proud of myself.
A little over 2 months until my 1/2 marathon....so I really have to get on that. This next weekend, I'm pushing up the long run to 7.5 miles. Got to get the show back on the road! :)
Here is the result page:
http://results.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp?posted_p=t&numPerPage=100&page=2&rsID=84236&eventClass=10K+Open&division=F+25-29&queryType=division&pubID=3
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Getting Stronger
So this weekend was a success.
Saturday was my long run. The night before I set my goal, which I thought was a pretty lofty ambition itself, for 6 miles in 61 minutes. I didn't want to be too ambitious because I knew if I didn't make the time I'd be a little disappointed. But I thought I could do it. Steve and I set out on our run around 7:30 Saturday morning. The weather was beautiful. It almost reminded me of San Francisco. It started off pretty well. I kept looking down at our Nike iPod adapter and being shocked that we were coming in at under 10 minute a mile. The hardest part for me was when we hit the bridge by Mockingbird. I was really struggling. The sun was beating down on us and it was starting to get hotter. Eventually, we made it to the halfway point, grabbed a quick sip of water and continued on our way. But about 1/2 mile after the halfway point I was still out in the sun, and started to not be able to catch my breath. I was probably going a little too fast, but my legs just didn't want to slow down. Steve convinced me to walk for a minute, so that's what I did. I probably walked about 45 seconds and then decided "Ok, I've got it under control. I've got a goal to reach, let's go!" There's another hard part and that's the hill coming back from the 4 mile marker. Oh my gosh, that hill is a doozy. It kicks my butt every single time. But I pushed through it and continued running. After that hill, it's pretty "easy-breezy". As "easy-breezy" as a 6 mile run can get :) Only one other "hill" and it's just a gradual incline that takes a few minutes to get through. The last mile is probably the best because it starts off downhill, in the shade, and the rest of it is pretty flat or downhill. When we got closer to the apartment and the 6 mile marker I felt my lungs open up and I knew I had it. I kicked it into high gear and left Steve in the dust. :) I finished my run at a 7.5 minute mile (I held that for about a quarter mile).
All in all, we ran our 6 miles in 60 minutes and 2 seconds. An average pace of a 9.58 minute mile and we ran a total of 6.24 miles.
To say I'm not proud of myself would be a complete lie. I think I'm still reveling in that run. I can't believe how well I managed to run it. It's my longest run to date. The longest run of my life. :) And I am just so stoked that I finished under my goal. I'm also really excited to know that had I gone another .16 mile, I would have gone the distance of a 10k.
Sunday, I cleaned our apartment. I vacuumed. I dusted. I even cleaned the baseboards...they were FILTHY. I cleaned our bathtub and swept and swiffered the floors. Then I went to Marshalls and Ross. I bought myself some more athletic socks for $6 for 3 pairs, a really cute hot pink Nike jacket for colder weather running, and a fun white, pink, and green Nike windbreaker/rain jacket for when I want to run and it's raining out. I also got this cute hot pink Puma baseball cap for keeping the sweat out of my eyes. Those jackets were orginally $65+ and I got them for $20 a piece! Gah, I could shop all day in Ross and Marshalls. I'm pretty positive that's where I'm shopping when we buy our house. After I managed to do some damage to our bank account, I went home and hopped on the Wii Fit. I did some hula hooping for 15 minutes and then unlocked this "free step" where I can do "step aerobics" for 10-20 minutes but watch TV at the same time. So I did that for 30 minutes and burned some calories.
We didn't get to bed early enough Sunday night to feel good enough to wake up early and run Monday...but I'm kind of glad we didn't. My calves were killing me yesterday and it took me all day to figure out why! That stupid "free step" I did on the Wii! Seriously, I was massaging my calves all evening after work, they were so tense and sore.
We did manage to get up this morning and go for a 4.17 mile run. We ran that in 40.37 seconds with an average pace of 9.38 minute mile. Pretty good. Another great run. Another beautiful morning. My legs felt so powerful. It's the first time I was running and really started to notice how my legs felt. I just felt so strong and almost light. My breathing was amazing and I probably could have held a conversation the whole time.
As we were on our way back from the halfway point, two bicyclists came by and I heard one of them before they passed us say, "runners" to alert the guy behind her. I don't know what caused it but I started grinning from ear to ear. I'm a runner. Yes, I am. I guess I just still have that feeling of "oh, I just try to run" "oh I'm not that good" "Oh, I can't even run all that fast". Why the negative attitude? Why the mental block? I don't know. I'm sure part of it stems from a very unfortunate event that is burned into my mememory when I was about 8 or 9 years old running back from my neighbor's house. A car passed by and someone yelled out their window, "Run, fatty, run". I guess sometimes I still feel like that chubby little girl, who never really ran, who wasn't really into sports, who would rather spend all day on her swing set, than try to swing a baseball bat. I've just never been athletic and it's hard to look at myself and consider that maybe now I am. I still look in the mirror and I still see my stomach with zero definition (of course, actually doing crunches could remedy some of that), I still see big hips, and a jiggly butt. I guess I'm just going to have to realize that "athletic" comes in all shapes and sizes and that yes, I am athletic, even if I'm not a size 2 and even if I don't weigh 115 pounds!
Saturday was my long run. The night before I set my goal, which I thought was a pretty lofty ambition itself, for 6 miles in 61 minutes. I didn't want to be too ambitious because I knew if I didn't make the time I'd be a little disappointed. But I thought I could do it. Steve and I set out on our run around 7:30 Saturday morning. The weather was beautiful. It almost reminded me of San Francisco. It started off pretty well. I kept looking down at our Nike iPod adapter and being shocked that we were coming in at under 10 minute a mile. The hardest part for me was when we hit the bridge by Mockingbird. I was really struggling. The sun was beating down on us and it was starting to get hotter. Eventually, we made it to the halfway point, grabbed a quick sip of water and continued on our way. But about 1/2 mile after the halfway point I was still out in the sun, and started to not be able to catch my breath. I was probably going a little too fast, but my legs just didn't want to slow down. Steve convinced me to walk for a minute, so that's what I did. I probably walked about 45 seconds and then decided "Ok, I've got it under control. I've got a goal to reach, let's go!" There's another hard part and that's the hill coming back from the 4 mile marker. Oh my gosh, that hill is a doozy. It kicks my butt every single time. But I pushed through it and continued running. After that hill, it's pretty "easy-breezy". As "easy-breezy" as a 6 mile run can get :) Only one other "hill" and it's just a gradual incline that takes a few minutes to get through. The last mile is probably the best because it starts off downhill, in the shade, and the rest of it is pretty flat or downhill. When we got closer to the apartment and the 6 mile marker I felt my lungs open up and I knew I had it. I kicked it into high gear and left Steve in the dust. :) I finished my run at a 7.5 minute mile (I held that for about a quarter mile).
All in all, we ran our 6 miles in 60 minutes and 2 seconds. An average pace of a 9.58 minute mile and we ran a total of 6.24 miles.
To say I'm not proud of myself would be a complete lie. I think I'm still reveling in that run. I can't believe how well I managed to run it. It's my longest run to date. The longest run of my life. :) And I am just so stoked that I finished under my goal. I'm also really excited to know that had I gone another .16 mile, I would have gone the distance of a 10k.
Sunday, I cleaned our apartment. I vacuumed. I dusted. I even cleaned the baseboards...they were FILTHY. I cleaned our bathtub and swept and swiffered the floors. Then I went to Marshalls and Ross. I bought myself some more athletic socks for $6 for 3 pairs, a really cute hot pink Nike jacket for colder weather running, and a fun white, pink, and green Nike windbreaker/rain jacket for when I want to run and it's raining out. I also got this cute hot pink Puma baseball cap for keeping the sweat out of my eyes. Those jackets were orginally $65+ and I got them for $20 a piece! Gah, I could shop all day in Ross and Marshalls. I'm pretty positive that's where I'm shopping when we buy our house. After I managed to do some damage to our bank account, I went home and hopped on the Wii Fit. I did some hula hooping for 15 minutes and then unlocked this "free step" where I can do "step aerobics" for 10-20 minutes but watch TV at the same time. So I did that for 30 minutes and burned some calories.
We didn't get to bed early enough Sunday night to feel good enough to wake up early and run Monday...but I'm kind of glad we didn't. My calves were killing me yesterday and it took me all day to figure out why! That stupid "free step" I did on the Wii! Seriously, I was massaging my calves all evening after work, they were so tense and sore.
We did manage to get up this morning and go for a 4.17 mile run. We ran that in 40.37 seconds with an average pace of 9.38 minute mile. Pretty good. Another great run. Another beautiful morning. My legs felt so powerful. It's the first time I was running and really started to notice how my legs felt. I just felt so strong and almost light. My breathing was amazing and I probably could have held a conversation the whole time.
As we were on our way back from the halfway point, two bicyclists came by and I heard one of them before they passed us say, "runners" to alert the guy behind her. I don't know what caused it but I started grinning from ear to ear. I'm a runner. Yes, I am. I guess I just still have that feeling of "oh, I just try to run" "oh I'm not that good" "Oh, I can't even run all that fast". Why the negative attitude? Why the mental block? I don't know. I'm sure part of it stems from a very unfortunate event that is burned into my mememory when I was about 8 or 9 years old running back from my neighbor's house. A car passed by and someone yelled out their window, "Run, fatty, run". I guess sometimes I still feel like that chubby little girl, who never really ran, who wasn't really into sports, who would rather spend all day on her swing set, than try to swing a baseball bat. I've just never been athletic and it's hard to look at myself and consider that maybe now I am. I still look in the mirror and I still see my stomach with zero definition (of course, actually doing crunches could remedy some of that), I still see big hips, and a jiggly butt. I guess I'm just going to have to realize that "athletic" comes in all shapes and sizes and that yes, I am athletic, even if I'm not a size 2 and even if I don't weigh 115 pounds!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
5:30 AM Run
Well another log for me. Steve suggested I start logging every run and the times for it since it will help me put things in perspective when I look back on all that I've done.
Today we got up and ran 4.03 miles. We ran it in 40 minutes and 38 seconds, with an average pace of 10 minutes and 2 seconds.
Of course, the way we go on our early morning runs is primarily pretty flat so I think that helped with my time. We'll see how I do on Saturday when I do my long run and I go a different way on the trails with more hills.
I'm pretty proud of Steve. He's been dealing with a sinus infection for the past week or two, so him being able to keep up and even run the 4 miles with me was impressive. He told me later on when I was making us breakfast that he had said, "I think I need to stop" about half a mile from the end but kept going. That's really impressive! :) I'm kind of glad I didn't hear him when he told me because that probably would have encouraged him to stop.
Yesterday I took Anna on a 2 mile walk. We were going to go to the gym, but that didn't end up happening. We really need to work on that. It's not that hard to go down to the gym for 30 minutes...it's just really hard to motivate yourself to work out in the evening. Especially, when Steve comes home hungry and ready to eat. If I'm going to work out in the evening, I'd rather do it right when I get home, instead of waiting around. There's more chance of talking myself out of working out if I don't.
Today we got up and ran 4.03 miles. We ran it in 40 minutes and 38 seconds, with an average pace of 10 minutes and 2 seconds.
Of course, the way we go on our early morning runs is primarily pretty flat so I think that helped with my time. We'll see how I do on Saturday when I do my long run and I go a different way on the trails with more hills.
I'm pretty proud of Steve. He's been dealing with a sinus infection for the past week or two, so him being able to keep up and even run the 4 miles with me was impressive. He told me later on when I was making us breakfast that he had said, "I think I need to stop" about half a mile from the end but kept going. That's really impressive! :) I'm kind of glad I didn't hear him when he told me because that probably would have encouraged him to stop.
Yesterday I took Anna on a 2 mile walk. We were going to go to the gym, but that didn't end up happening. We really need to work on that. It's not that hard to go down to the gym for 30 minutes...it's just really hard to motivate yourself to work out in the evening. Especially, when Steve comes home hungry and ready to eat. If I'm going to work out in the evening, I'd rather do it right when I get home, instead of waiting around. There's more chance of talking myself out of working out if I don't.
Monday, August 24, 2009
5 miles!
Another weekend down...another week to go.
Friday night, I drove up to Denton to hang out with a few girlfriends. We had a good time. It was nice to get out and hang out with girls. :) Girl time is much needed.
Saturday, I went home and Steve had deep cleaned the whole apartment. I was really impressed. We hung out for a little while and then decided to go to the gym. I did 30 minutes on the eliptical machine. I think I went about 3.5 miles. It was a good workout. I was going to do some weights, but was pretty tired after doing that cardio and decided I was done. Saturday night Steve and I got Lover's Pizza and a tirimisu from Maggiano's. We drank some wine and by 9:45 were in bed dead tired. :) Yeah, we're getting old.
Sunday I woke up around 7:00 feeling great and decided it was time to go 5 miles. So Steve set up our Nike iPod adapter and off I went. I ran 5 miles in 53 minutes. I stopped for a quick sip of water only 2 times and I never walked. It was fabulous. I felt so good and I was so proud of myself. What's even better was that I finished my run at a 9.30 clip which was pretty impressive. My average time was a 10 minute 30 second mile, which was perfectly acceptable. Each weekend I'd like to shave about 10 seconds from that time and add 1/2 mile to a whole mile depending on how I feel.
Today is gym day. I'll probably do 30 minutes on the eliptical and then I'll do my best to do some bicep/tricep work.
Tomorrow I'm going to wake up early and do about 3.5 miles. That 10k will be here before I know it!
Friday night, I drove up to Denton to hang out with a few girlfriends. We had a good time. It was nice to get out and hang out with girls. :) Girl time is much needed.
Saturday, I went home and Steve had deep cleaned the whole apartment. I was really impressed. We hung out for a little while and then decided to go to the gym. I did 30 minutes on the eliptical machine. I think I went about 3.5 miles. It was a good workout. I was going to do some weights, but was pretty tired after doing that cardio and decided I was done. Saturday night Steve and I got Lover's Pizza and a tirimisu from Maggiano's. We drank some wine and by 9:45 were in bed dead tired. :) Yeah, we're getting old.
Sunday I woke up around 7:00 feeling great and decided it was time to go 5 miles. So Steve set up our Nike iPod adapter and off I went. I ran 5 miles in 53 minutes. I stopped for a quick sip of water only 2 times and I never walked. It was fabulous. I felt so good and I was so proud of myself. What's even better was that I finished my run at a 9.30 clip which was pretty impressive. My average time was a 10 minute 30 second mile, which was perfectly acceptable. Each weekend I'd like to shave about 10 seconds from that time and add 1/2 mile to a whole mile depending on how I feel.
Today is gym day. I'll probably do 30 minutes on the eliptical and then I'll do my best to do some bicep/tricep work.
Tomorrow I'm going to wake up early and do about 3.5 miles. That 10k will be here before I know it!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Let the Anxiety Set In...
So I just figured out how long I have until each race. After making some tickers for a signature on a message board I frequent, I realized I have 4 weeks and 2 days until my 10k race and 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days until my 1/2 marathon. How crazy is that? That really freaks me out!
Tonight is a 4 mile run. I won't go until probably 7:45 though. Give it a little time to cool off and the sun to go down. It will be hard and since it's so hot, it will probaby be a slow run..but at least I'm doing something.
I've also figured out that each week I need to increase my long runs by at least .5 miles. So Saturday or Sunday (whenever I choose to do my long run this weekend) I'll be running 4.5 miles. I'd like to go ahead and up it to 5 miles, but don't want to push myself too hard and risk injuring myself in the process.
Tonight is a 4 mile run. I won't go until probably 7:45 though. Give it a little time to cool off and the sun to go down. It will be hard and since it's so hot, it will probaby be a slow run..but at least I'm doing something.
I've also figured out that each week I need to increase my long runs by at least .5 miles. So Saturday or Sunday (whenever I choose to do my long run this weekend) I'll be running 4.5 miles. I'd like to go ahead and up it to 5 miles, but don't want to push myself too hard and risk injuring myself in the process.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Weekend Craziness
I cannot tell you how awesome my weekend was. It was relaxing, it was fun, it was eventful.
Friday we took Anna on a short walk when we got home and then I cooked tacos. We watched some HP and relaxed. The storm also helped. I love when it rains...especially when it rains in July/August.
Saturday it rained some more and I was supposed to meet up with my friend/co-worker Becca to go shopping for going out clothes for her Bachelorette party this coming weekend!! Becca and her fiance just moved into a home in Richardson, so she invited us over. So while we went shopping at Northpark, Steve and Drew hung out. Becca and I had such a blast shopping together! We both got AMAZING deals on dresses at Macy's. Regularly priced dresses at $96...we got them for $20. We went to James Avery so that I could get my niece Rachel a bookmark for her first communion. And then we stopped in the Nine West store (I should NEVER go in there but once a year...I could spend all my money in that store). We found shoes to go with our dresses (also on sale-regular price $90-got them for $40) and then we headed back to her house to order pizza and play some games! We played Skip Bo and Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture. Seriously, we had a great time and being in Becca and Drew's house finally got us back on the house hunt wagon.
Sunday we got up bright and early at 7:00 and went for a 3.3 (give or take a little) mile run. We picked up the pace from earlier in the week. Steve's starting to get back in the groove...it won't be long until I'm trailing behind him again I can already tell. :( After that we got ready and went to Denton to see Clara's baptism and Rachel's first communion. They are the sweetest things. I'm so glad we were able to be there for that!
Here's my niece, Rachel! She was so happy to take her first communion!
Here's the family (minus Avery). Clara got baptised.
This week is a short week for me! Steve and I are going to go to Austin on Friday and spend the night there and then Saturday he's going to go hang out with his brother and I'm going to go and hang out with Becca and her friends for her bachelorette party! It's going to be so much fun! I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully this week will go by faster than it usually does :)
Friday we took Anna on a short walk when we got home and then I cooked tacos. We watched some HP and relaxed. The storm also helped. I love when it rains...especially when it rains in July/August.
Saturday it rained some more and I was supposed to meet up with my friend/co-worker Becca to go shopping for going out clothes for her Bachelorette party this coming weekend!! Becca and her fiance just moved into a home in Richardson, so she invited us over. So while we went shopping at Northpark, Steve and Drew hung out. Becca and I had such a blast shopping together! We both got AMAZING deals on dresses at Macy's. Regularly priced dresses at $96...we got them for $20. We went to James Avery so that I could get my niece Rachel a bookmark for her first communion. And then we stopped in the Nine West store (I should NEVER go in there but once a year...I could spend all my money in that store). We found shoes to go with our dresses (also on sale-regular price $90-got them for $40) and then we headed back to her house to order pizza and play some games! We played Skip Bo and Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture. Seriously, we had a great time and being in Becca and Drew's house finally got us back on the house hunt wagon.
Sunday we got up bright and early at 7:00 and went for a 3.3 (give or take a little) mile run. We picked up the pace from earlier in the week. Steve's starting to get back in the groove...it won't be long until I'm trailing behind him again I can already tell. :( After that we got ready and went to Denton to see Clara's baptism and Rachel's first communion. They are the sweetest things. I'm so glad we were able to be there for that!
Here's my niece, Rachel! She was so happy to take her first communion!
Here's the family (minus Avery). Clara got baptised.
This week is a short week for me! Steve and I are going to go to Austin on Friday and spend the night there and then Saturday he's going to go hang out with his brother and I'm going to go and hang out with Becca and her friends for her bachelorette party! It's going to be so much fun! I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully this week will go by faster than it usually does :)
Friday, July 31, 2009
Diet/Training Recharged!
Ok, so after my HORRIBLE diet day yesterday..God, I don't even want to know how many calories I enhaled...I went home and promptly took Anna on another run. I was going to just walk and then Steve was going to ride his bike and meet us somewhere on the trails since he gets home a little bit after me, but I decided walking just wouldn't do. I ran about 3 miles or so until Steve and I met up, and decided to walk the rest of the way, which was another mile (so 4 miles total). It was funny because Steve decided to run, too. So while I was running back I kept thinking to myself, "man, he should have caught up to us by now on his bike!" and then sure enough, I see him running up a hill to meet us.
I still made brats and mac and cheese for dinner. And had some, too. I figured "why starve myself at dinner? It will just come back to bite me in the butt tomorrow". Which has served me well. This morning both Steve and I woke up exhausted. Why? I don't know. Maybe with this working out we should start getting to bed a little sooner and also staying consistant with our vitamins.
Todays food is the following:
For breakfast I had my usual yogurt with strawberries and blueberries. Unfortunately, I'm out of flaxseed granola...
I'll have a cup of coffee here in a minute and right now I'm sipping on some grapefruit juice.
Lunch is a Lean Cuisine. I think it's chicken enchilada suiza. I've got watermelon and grapes to go with it. And for an afternoon snack I'll probably have a yoplait light yogurt.
Dinner is tacos, guacamole, and beer! :) Don't judge! I promise, I'll only be having one beer.
We're also going to take Anna on a walk. Probably another 2 miler.
As far as this weekend is concerned, I'm not sure what our plans are. I know that we need a rest day for real. I'm not sure if we'll either do it Saturday or Sunday. Sunday is my oldest niece, Rachel's first communion and my youngest nice, Clara's baptism. So that's a pretty big deal. We'll go out to Denton to witness that. But I do know that at one of the days is our long run. I'm pretty positive we'll do 4 miles. Looking forward to the weekend! It's almost here!
I still made brats and mac and cheese for dinner. And had some, too. I figured "why starve myself at dinner? It will just come back to bite me in the butt tomorrow". Which has served me well. This morning both Steve and I woke up exhausted. Why? I don't know. Maybe with this working out we should start getting to bed a little sooner and also staying consistant with our vitamins.
Todays food is the following:
For breakfast I had my usual yogurt with strawberries and blueberries. Unfortunately, I'm out of flaxseed granola...
I'll have a cup of coffee here in a minute and right now I'm sipping on some grapefruit juice.
Lunch is a Lean Cuisine. I think it's chicken enchilada suiza. I've got watermelon and grapes to go with it. And for an afternoon snack I'll probably have a yoplait light yogurt.
Dinner is tacos, guacamole, and beer! :) Don't judge! I promise, I'll only be having one beer.
We're also going to take Anna on a walk. Probably another 2 miler.
As far as this weekend is concerned, I'm not sure what our plans are. I know that we need a rest day for real. I'm not sure if we'll either do it Saturday or Sunday. Sunday is my oldest niece, Rachel's first communion and my youngest nice, Clara's baptism. So that's a pretty big deal. We'll go out to Denton to witness that. But I do know that at one of the days is our long run. I'm pretty positive we'll do 4 miles. Looking forward to the weekend! It's almost here!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Rest Days and Running Days
Steve and I feel pretty much the same about our "rest" days. While trying to build up our endurance and trying to train, we also know that sitting out the day of "rest" makes us a little stir crazy.
Tuesday was our "rest day" so we decided to go for a 2 mile walk instead. We walked a pretty fast pace for most of it, when we weren't trying to train Anna not to pull on her leash.
Yesterday was our 3 mile run day. I don't know how fast it was or anything considering we haven't invested in a good watch yet...and then there's Anna...and then there's Steve who hasn't been running in ooohhh 4-5 months. It was a really good run though. I felt great, I paced myself, I feel like I could have gone even further.
I am frustrated with the dog though. When it's just me and her it's OK, but when Steve is with us and one of us is either trailing behind or up ahead, Anna wants to be with us both. So while I was ahead of Steve, she'd keep looking back and try to stop to see him. That was really frustrating. And after running for a while, I'm hot and tired and I just want to let go of the leash and run by myself. At one point, Steve took her and I got to run without her and it was so liberating! :) I love my dog, but sometimes I wish I didn't have to worry about taking her with me on the runs. Maybe when we get a house I won't have to take her as much.
Today we were going to get up and go for a 2 mile walk since it's another rest day, but when our alarm went off at 5:50 I heard thunder outside and sprinkles on our window. Not another 10 minutes later the rain was pouring down, pounding on our window and the thunder and lightening was crazy. Hopefully this will all clear out and I can still take Anna on a walk when I get home from work. We'll be going to the gym this evening to do weights as well. So a busy evening lies ahead.
Tuesday was our "rest day" so we decided to go for a 2 mile walk instead. We walked a pretty fast pace for most of it, when we weren't trying to train Anna not to pull on her leash.
Yesterday was our 3 mile run day. I don't know how fast it was or anything considering we haven't invested in a good watch yet...and then there's Anna...and then there's Steve who hasn't been running in ooohhh 4-5 months. It was a really good run though. I felt great, I paced myself, I feel like I could have gone even further.
I am frustrated with the dog though. When it's just me and her it's OK, but when Steve is with us and one of us is either trailing behind or up ahead, Anna wants to be with us both. So while I was ahead of Steve, she'd keep looking back and try to stop to see him. That was really frustrating. And after running for a while, I'm hot and tired and I just want to let go of the leash and run by myself. At one point, Steve took her and I got to run without her and it was so liberating! :) I love my dog, but sometimes I wish I didn't have to worry about taking her with me on the runs. Maybe when we get a house I won't have to take her as much.
Today we were going to get up and go for a 2 mile walk since it's another rest day, but when our alarm went off at 5:50 I heard thunder outside and sprinkles on our window. Not another 10 minutes later the rain was pouring down, pounding on our window and the thunder and lightening was crazy. Hopefully this will all clear out and I can still take Anna on a walk when I get home from work. We'll be going to the gym this evening to do weights as well. So a busy evening lies ahead.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Half Marathon Training Guides
Here are a few training guides that I'll probably be basing my workouts on:
http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/index.htm
I really enjoy this one and Steve actually used this as his training in preparation for the White Rock Marathon's Relay last December.
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-258-6851-0,00.html
This one looks a little complicated. Lots of speed work and things that I'm not exactly interested in. I know it's going to take speed work to improve my time, but honestly, the only thing I'm really concerned about is finishing the 1/2 without having to walk and do it safely. Plus, I'm just not a fast runner. I have a feeling the fastest I'll ever get is about a 9.30 but even then I don't think I'd be running a 1/2 that fast.
I think the hardest thing for me is the "rest" days. I HATE resting. I feel like I need to work out in some way, shape, or form 5-6 days a week. So the in between days are probably going to be the hardest for me.
Today is my "rest" day. We kind of started on the wrong day for all of this training (a Sunday). Oh well, somehow I'll get on track.
Steve thinks we should do the intermediate 5k training to start out since we've both not been consistent with our runs. Though, I feel a little held back, it's probably best that we do take it slow in order to avoid burn out and injuries. We really should invest in a good watch to help us keep track of mileage/time/etc because of the drills. It's also going to be hard to do all this speed work when we don't know the distance. We may have to go to a school track to get that done.
Here's the 5k intermediate, as well as links to the beginners and advanced schedules:
http://www.halhigdon.com/5K%20Training/5-Kinter.htm
Honestly, I'm glad I'm taking a rest day. My legs were shot yesterday after running so much on Sunday and then busting major a$$ on the elliptical. I had every intention to take Anna on a walk, but since it rained most of the day it just didn't happen. I did do crunches, though (no push ups..I got lazy). I ended up taking a steamy hot bath around 8:30 to try to relieve my tight, achy legs. And also, my shoulders were so tense that Steve had to give me a massage. I have no idea why they were so tense, but it seriously hurts (even now, though not as much as yesterday) to lift my arms above my head.
Today Steve and I will take Anna on a 2 mile walk. It's our "rest" day, but we're still going to do that. Plus, we'll go to the gym and lift some weights. I'll probably just do our set of bicep curls and shoulder presses circuit that we got off of Men's Health. We were going to get up at 5:30 to do it, but the thought of getting up early 2 days in a row didn't appeal to me this morningh!
http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/index.htm
I really enjoy this one and Steve actually used this as his training in preparation for the White Rock Marathon's Relay last December.
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-258-6851-0,00.html
This one looks a little complicated. Lots of speed work and things that I'm not exactly interested in. I know it's going to take speed work to improve my time, but honestly, the only thing I'm really concerned about is finishing the 1/2 without having to walk and do it safely. Plus, I'm just not a fast runner. I have a feeling the fastest I'll ever get is about a 9.30 but even then I don't think I'd be running a 1/2 that fast.
I think the hardest thing for me is the "rest" days. I HATE resting. I feel like I need to work out in some way, shape, or form 5-6 days a week. So the in between days are probably going to be the hardest for me.
Today is my "rest" day. We kind of started on the wrong day for all of this training (a Sunday). Oh well, somehow I'll get on track.
Steve thinks we should do the intermediate 5k training to start out since we've both not been consistent with our runs. Though, I feel a little held back, it's probably best that we do take it slow in order to avoid burn out and injuries. We really should invest in a good watch to help us keep track of mileage/time/etc because of the drills. It's also going to be hard to do all this speed work when we don't know the distance. We may have to go to a school track to get that done.
Here's the 5k intermediate, as well as links to the beginners and advanced schedules:
http://www.halhigdon.com/5K%20Training/5-Kinter.htm
Honestly, I'm glad I'm taking a rest day. My legs were shot yesterday after running so much on Sunday and then busting major a$$ on the elliptical. I had every intention to take Anna on a walk, but since it rained most of the day it just didn't happen. I did do crunches, though (no push ups..I got lazy). I ended up taking a steamy hot bath around 8:30 to try to relieve my tight, achy legs. And also, my shoulders were so tense that Steve had to give me a massage. I have no idea why they were so tense, but it seriously hurts (even now, though not as much as yesterday) to lift my arms above my head.
Today Steve and I will take Anna on a 2 mile walk. It's our "rest" day, but we're still going to do that. Plus, we'll go to the gym and lift some weights. I'll probably just do our set of bicep curls and shoulder presses circuit that we got off of Men's Health. We were going to get up at 5:30 to do it, but the thought of getting up early 2 days in a row didn't appeal to me this morningh!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Another Log-Day 2
So I was supposed to get up this morning at 5:30 to go to the gym. Around 4:00 I heard a really yippee dog outside barking and every time I'd be *this close* to falling back asleep, he'd start up again. So when Steve's alarm went off at 5:30 I was NOT in the mood to get out of bed. He got up anyway and I finally felt guilty and dragged myself out of bed at 5:50. I threw on my workout clothes and my contacts and was on the eliptical machine by 5:59. I'm actually really proud of myself for just getting up and not being lazy this morning (when all I really wanted was to stay in bed under the covers). I did the eliptical for 30 minutes. I went about 3.5 miles and I'm not sure how many calories I burned.
For breakfast I had a piece of whole wheat, high fiber bread toasted with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a yogurt with strawberries, blueberries and flaxseed granola.
Surprisingly (for a Monday), I'm in an awesome mood. Could it quite possibly be that I wasn't a lazy bum this morning and got the blood flowing?? Probably. We'll see what kind of mood I'm in by 5:30 when I'm battling rush hour traffic on Gaston and Garland Road...if I'm cool, calm, and collected I'll know that my mood is directly related to how active I am (or also how many crazy, stupid drivers are out on the roads). :)
Lunch is a smart ones. Some shrimp thing I threw in my lunch bag. It looks yummy...I also have watermelon and grapes and I'll probably have a yogurt to go with it at some point.
This evening if it's not too rainy and muddy, I'd like to take Anna on a 2 mile walk. I also need to do my pushups. I've been putting those off for about a week and a half and then some ab work. Luckily, Steve has agreed to train with me and run this 1/2 marathon with me. I don't think I'd be able to do it if I didn't have a partner to run with or someone to keep me motivated.
For dinner it's baked chicken, rice (or potatoes...I'm in the mood for starchy stuff), and probably broccoli with cheese (those Steamer bags are AWESOME). More watermelon and sugar free jello for dessert/snacks.
So that's it for today. Yay for a solid day 2. I know once I get passed the first week, it will be such a routine that it will be hard to talk myself out of it. The first week is always the hardest.
For breakfast I had a piece of whole wheat, high fiber bread toasted with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a yogurt with strawberries, blueberries and flaxseed granola.
Surprisingly (for a Monday), I'm in an awesome mood. Could it quite possibly be that I wasn't a lazy bum this morning and got the blood flowing?? Probably. We'll see what kind of mood I'm in by 5:30 when I'm battling rush hour traffic on Gaston and Garland Road...if I'm cool, calm, and collected I'll know that my mood is directly related to how active I am (or also how many crazy, stupid drivers are out on the roads). :)
Lunch is a smart ones. Some shrimp thing I threw in my lunch bag. It looks yummy...I also have watermelon and grapes and I'll probably have a yogurt to go with it at some point.
This evening if it's not too rainy and muddy, I'd like to take Anna on a 2 mile walk. I also need to do my pushups. I've been putting those off for about a week and a half and then some ab work. Luckily, Steve has agreed to train with me and run this 1/2 marathon with me. I don't think I'd be able to do it if I didn't have a partner to run with or someone to keep me motivated.
For dinner it's baked chicken, rice (or potatoes...I'm in the mood for starchy stuff), and probably broccoli with cheese (those Steamer bags are AWESOME). More watermelon and sugar free jello for dessert/snacks.
So that's it for today. Yay for a solid day 2. I know once I get passed the first week, it will be such a routine that it will be hard to talk myself out of it. The first week is always the hardest.
This Time I'm Serious!
Alright...so I was doing really well around April or so and running about 4-6 miles every other day and then I got lazy. So I've put my healthy cap back on and I'm going for it! In December, White Rock holds it's Marathon. I'm determined to be participating in the half marathon in 4 short months.
I'm going to be logging in and trying to update whenever I can to keep myself accountable.
So Sunday was my official start to training. On my first day back in the game, I ran 4.2 miles in a little over 43 minutes. This was done on the treadmill. Zero incline. Started walking at 3.5 for 2 minutes, then began running at a 5.7 (10 minute 30 second) pace. I did that for about 10 minutes. I was listening to old school Madonna, so with each new song, I'd go up a point. So I went from 5.7-6.0 and then back down to 5.7. My last minute of running I sped up to 6.5. I also did a 5 minute cool down.
I probably ran too far my first day back in the saddle...but I also wanted to test myself to make sure I hadn't lost too much of what I had built up.
I'm also trying to eat more healthy foods. Yesterday we cut up a watermelon and had that for snacks and dessert last night. I baked some talipia and had rice, green beans, and a small salad with a tiny amount of Italian dressing.
I'm going to be logging in and trying to update whenever I can to keep myself accountable.
So Sunday was my official start to training. On my first day back in the game, I ran 4.2 miles in a little over 43 minutes. This was done on the treadmill. Zero incline. Started walking at 3.5 for 2 minutes, then began running at a 5.7 (10 minute 30 second) pace. I did that for about 10 minutes. I was listening to old school Madonna, so with each new song, I'd go up a point. So I went from 5.7-6.0 and then back down to 5.7. My last minute of running I sped up to 6.5. I also did a 5 minute cool down.
I probably ran too far my first day back in the saddle...but I also wanted to test myself to make sure I hadn't lost too much of what I had built up.
I'm also trying to eat more healthy foods. Yesterday we cut up a watermelon and had that for snacks and dessert last night. I baked some talipia and had rice, green beans, and a small salad with a tiny amount of Italian dressing.
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