Almost Done W9D2

I can't even begin to tell you how I feel. I went out this morning to run the trails. I am in Week 9 so I do a 30 minute run with a 5 minute warm up and cool down. It felt so comfortable. It felt natural. In minute 18, where I usually feel like stopping, I felt like dancing. Well Janet Jackson was playing at the time...and who doesn't like to dance to Janet?

It wasn't too hot for this time of year. It was 79 degrees and there was a breeze coming off the water. It was a Saturday morning so there were more people today than there were during the week but who cares! I no longer dread seeing people on the trails or when cars pass by or the landscapers are outside. None of that matters anymore.

If you are reading this and you are just starting Couch to 5K, be prepared to see some changes in your life. Be prepared to have more confidence. Be prepared to know how to listen to your body. Be prepared to start seeing food as not a comfort when stressed but fuel for your body. Be prepared to flood your body with endorphins and feel joy. Be prepared to be able to push through the hard runs because you know it gets eaiser. Be prepared to call yourself a runner. Pin It

W8D1 The one that got away...

I went to the gym tonight and ran my first 28 minute run. I tried running at a faster pace and succeeded. I was so proud. I ran about 2.8 miles. It was great. However, I didn't want my last minutes of cool down to be reflected on my run, yah know...PR junkie. So, while I was still on the treadmill, I felt around the buttons and I thought I saved it. But when I synced my Ipod, nothing happened. No updates. Bummer. That is what I get for becoming a junkie...I cheated myself out of a run. I feel like the fisherman that boasts about the one that got away. But it happened...really. Pin It

W6D1 and Ode to a Legend

Tonight I graduated to week six. It was a good run. There were no inhibitions about it because it seems easy (5-5-3-8-3-5-5). There were no double digit runs for this day. I think running on my treadmill at home is harder than running on the one at the gym. Maybe it is because my treadmill is over 10 years old. I am not sure. And yes, I have owned a treadmill for 10 years and moved it to six different homes and never used it to its full ability.

About seven years ago I started working out and would walk on my treadmill for 20 minutes about three times a week. But about four years ago, my business suffered a small setback and it caused alot of stress. The stress took a toll on my lifestyle. I couldn't focus, I started eating comfort foods, and I stopped working out. Four years and sixty pounds later, here I am.

But I am starting to see alot of changes in me and my family. Not just in my improvements in my runs but my home life. I am happier and my family is happier. I have the energy to keep up my household and my family helps more. Since we started working out, we encourage each other. Everything is a group effort as oppose to keeping score to see who did more or less in the household. We are far from perfect we are better.

I was shocked yesterday at the sudden death of Michael Jackson and Farrah Faucet's death. Farrah was part of my seven degrees of separation. Her parents were clients of my father. Farrah was often seen around our neighborhood doing everyday things. I grew up far from the Hollywood lights...small town in Texas so it was unusual to see anyone famous. But she was kind enough to give my daughter an autograph and we are both survivors...or we were both survivors. It still shocks me when someone that had cancer after I had cancer, gets cancer again and passes away. It just makes me wonder why I am still here. But only God knows. She will be missed.

Michael Jackson defined my generation. He defined how music videos should be produced and choreographed. I danced and sang to his songs throughout my teenage years. Yes, I know what they say he has done recently, I don't know if it is true, even so, another truth about him is that he was a great performer and I will celebrate that part of him. So, in honor of him, I put together a playlist of Micheal Jackson songs and ran to them today. Off the Wall, Black or White, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, Wanna be startin something...wooooo those songs took me back. Pin It

W5D3

I struggled with what title to give this entry. This entry has soo much for me.

• First time to run twenty minutes straight
• First time to run a complete mile
• First time to cry at the gym
• Tiger woods congratulated me on my best mile ever

Tuesday I was suppose to run my first full 20 minutes and I was scared. So on Tuesday night, I cleaned house like a mad woman and did the weekly grocery shopping. In other words, I tried to keep myself busy so that I didn't have to do it.

Wednesday rolls around and I know it is now or never. My Mini is giving me smack and the weight of the fear is worse than not even trying. I mean, in reality, if I have to start walking in the middle of it, who cares? How many times did I stop in W2, when 90 seconds seemed too hard, or during the three minute runs, I felt as if my legs were going to give? It happened too many times to count. So at 10pm, I got up enough nerve and went to the gym with my family. ( I love 24 hour gyms).

I got on a treadmill, decided I was going to do the run without the C25K prompts on a podcast or on my Iphone application, changed the TV in front of me to Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and started. The warm up was usual and then I started to run.

My pace was 3.3 on the treadmill. Believe it or not, the first 7 minutes were the hardest to run and I thought I wasn't going to be able to do it. To take my mind off the minutes, I started to read the closed captioning on the TV and before I knew it, it was 12 minutes into the run. I remember looking down at 14:51 minutes (this is the girl that died on the 90 seconds and now 171 secs go by and I don't even feel it.) I felt amazing. Because it was dark outside and the blinds were open, I could see my reflection in the mirror...I looked like a runner. When I hit minute 15, I knew I could do this. Mentally, I was saying, 5 minutes is nothing. Two weeks ago, 5 minutes seemed like so much to me. I am getting better and I am loving it.

At 19:01 minutes of running and the treadmill was at 1.21 miles, I hit my first big milestone. I had run a complete mile. I started to cry and yelled out "I just ran my first mile". Thank goodness the only people in the gym were me and my family. Oh, no, I was crying so much that I couldn't catch my breath and I was still trying to run...I had 50 seconds left. I felt great but just couldn't catch my breath. But I did it. I finished my run. My family heard me yell and they saw me crying so they gathered around me to congratulate me.

But you know what was my proudest moment? When I was looking at the reflection of the gym in the glass window, I saw my daughter behind me on an Arc trainer. She was watching me and smiling. Every once and a while, she gave me a thumbs up. And when she came over to my treadmill, she said, "Mama, I am proud of you. You did it." My husband said he was proud of me. He said he remembers me dying on 90 second runs and now through patience and perseverance, I am able to do twenty minutes. Even Tiger Woods congratulated me on my best mile ever.

This gal, whose comfort zone was the fact that she was too big to run, just ran 20 minutes. I couldn't believe it. I didn't stop when I got tired and pushed through. It felt good to run. It no longer was a struggle.

Running has given me back my confidence. Who knew I would become a PR junkie? I have to be honest with you. I have seen those initials everywhere in magazines and didn't know what they meant. They mean Personal Record. Yes, I am a PR Junkie. I also started biking and I want to Kayak. These are things I didn't think I could do and the Kayak thing scared me last summer. Now, I can't wait to try it.

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Lost Nike Plus receiver...Reward if found

Sigh. Today is W3D3 of my C25K and I couldn't find my Nike Plus receiver nor my armband. I know, I know. Why aren't they in your chest, you know the one you posted about last week?

I'll tell you why, because I was in a hurry on Saturday and took my nano to the beach in a pink belkin case I got at the dollar star. That's right. You know those cases you can get at Target or Best Buy for the Nano, the previous one to the newest version, for about twenty dollars? Well, because it is not for the latest and greatest version of nano, you can buy it at the Dollar Tree. No joke.

Anyway, back to the day it all happened. I was in a hurry and I remember switching cases but I don't know what I did with the armband one. And inside the armband, is the receiver. It has a place to hold a key while you run but I used it for the receiver when I am not using it.

So, I searched high and low for it and I can't find it. I wanted to use the new application I got for free for my Iphone that allows you to use your own playlist as it verbally prompts you to do run, walk etc. It was great and maybe when I stop fretting about my Nike Plus, I'll tell you about it. So I will give you the cliff notes version

• No nano
• Used C25K program on Iphone ( I really did like it)
• Played my own playlist
• I had to stop running on the last 3 minute run (stopped at 90 secs--another reason I love the application--tell you when I stop fretting what it does)
• Can't use IMapMyRun while using C25K app...bummer
• Couldn't get real time information on my pace...that really helps me stay motivated
• If I had my receiver I could use C25K and still get real time pace and distance information
• Used MapMyRun to map my run...Did 2 miles in 35 minutes.
• Bummer: My mini won't be updated
• Bummer: My goal of 24 miles this month will probably be reached but not recorded because it tracks from my Nike +
• Darn you Nike for getting me addicting to this too cool gadget. If I don't find it tonight, I'll have to go tomorrow and get a new one

So I will do W3 a few more times. So I didn't finish the last three minutes. Doing the 90 seconds was easy and it was hard last week. So I am improving.

Oh, on a side note A friend of mine asked me if me and my husband want to join her and her boyfriend in a Muddy Buddy race in Dallas, in October. Sounds like fun so I am going to do it. See if there is one in your area and sign up with a friend. It looks like tons of fun.

So much to say but I am bummed about the Nike +, need time to look for it.

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W3D1

Okay I finally moved up in my C25K and it felt good. It was hard but it was good. Here are my stats:
Distance: 3.34 km
Duration: 40'38"
Pace: 12'09"
Calories: 458
Average Heart Rate: 144
Maximum Heart Rate: 182

I can't believe it there were moments (that only last a few seconds) but there were moments where I felt in rhythm and seemed graceful. There was a song that was about 13 to 14 minutes into the podcast that really had a nice pace to it. I also noticed that my fingers no longer swell when I run.

Afterwards, I did Yoga for runners for the first time. I read an article in Women's Running Magazine that mentioned yoga helps counter some of the stress caused by running and it also strengthens the core. I tried yoga once before in my life and well...I just tried it. This article has about 9 poses and one builds upon the other. They were hard for me. (Fluffy has a lot of fluff that gets in the way but I focused on my core and that in turn improved my balance.)

Tip:
I have read some threads on the Weight Watchers Boards about lacking a routine for working out and thus not working out. One of the things I do I learned from my scrapbooking hobby. I keep my post important tools in one area. I have this small chest on my desk in my bedroom. It sits next to my computer. It contains all the gadgets I need and use to work out, my IPod, my hotsync chord, my armbands for my IPod and Iphone, my HRM, and my HRM band. I also leave my shoes on the treadmill. If I go for my run outside, I still take my shoes off and put them on the treadmill. Knowing where my tools are is just one less frustration and one less excuse for not working out.




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So you want to run....where to begin

I know I have mentioned Couch to 5K in a few of my posts, but I haven't explained what it is. Couch to 5K (aka C25K), is a beginner's training plan. It is plan designed to get you from being a couch potato to running a 5K in a little over two months. You can find all the details here.

You start at a pace that is comfortable for you and then build upon that pace or distance. My advice is to not look to far ahead. I scared myself out of doing this plan several times because Week 9 seemed impossible. Now, if you are like me, you clicked the hyperlink above and looked at Week 9. I told you not to do it. But now that you have, forget about it and focus on week one. And from this point forward, only focus on the week that you are running. And yes, call it running. I don't care how slow or how little distance you cover...you are a runner from this point forward. Oh, and if you feel you need to repeat a week or two, go ahead and do so. There are no C25K police that are going to hunt you down and force you to move to the next week. Remember, do this at your pace.

Along with C25K on paper, you can get an audible version of it. Robert Ullrey, is a gracious man that put the program to songs and he has audible prompts to tell you when to warm up, run, walk and cool down. You can find his podcast at his website or you can search them at Itunes, if you have an IPod. They are free...I know, I know. he is really gracious. If you don't have an Ipod but do have an MP3 player, no worries. You still can download them and use them. I love them because I don't have to keep looking down at my watch. Which, when you are running for the first time, can feel like watching a pot and waiting for it to start boiling. It just seems longer than it really is. So I love his podcasts. Pin It

W2D4

That's right...you read it correctly. I did another day in W2. I forgot to change up my workout playlist to include W3 instead of W2 so I just ran it. Here are my stats:

• Distance: 2.76 km
• Avg Pace: 13'05"/km
• Time 36'10"
• Calories Burned: 305

So the mind came along late in the game. But I am glad I did it.

ON A SIDE NOTE: I was on a message board talking about legs rubbing. I wear capri or crop length pants that I got from Wal-mart, Danskin Now. I would like to eventualy wear shorts. Now, I know I can buy a product called Body Glide, and it will help with the rubbing. But here is the deal. I have fairly large legs. I am pear shaped and I gained most of my weight on bottom. So it isn't just my thighs that rub, it is my thighs and all the way down to my knees. So, for now, I am going to keep wearing crops until the knees stop knocking. I also think the size of my legs cause me to run funny. I find that I have to carry my left leg around the right leg. Now, I don't know why I don't have to do that for the right leg....maybe because I start out with my right leg. Who knows?

Here is something I have noticed since gaining weight. My normal pace for walking has slowed down. I know this because when I started dating my husband, we would take walks at Niagara Falls or Lake Ontario and I never complained about him walking fast. Now, that is all I do. "Slow down this isn't a race." But beyond me having to lug around more weight, I think there is another reason. Another part of the slowness comes from the effort my legs have to take to walk "around" each other. My gait is shorter because part of the momentum of putting my leg forward is being used to go around the other leg. Now, I know it has been said the sexiest line between two points is a curve (Mae West) but it is not the shortest distance. So one leg having to curve around the other leg to go forward....well you see where I am going with this. That being said, I can't wait until my legs don't rub together.

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W2D3

What a roller coaster ride. I probably went through every emotion possible on today's run.
Happy: My husband came with me on my run/walk. He was very active in his younger days. Cross country, track, swimming...he even did a Triathlon Sprint when he was 40. That was ten years ago and he smokes. So I was glad to see him walk with me.

Thirsty: Dab nabbit if I didn't bring a bottle of water. Thank goodness it was only 85 degrees outside. Well, thirsty is not an emotion. But it overwhelmed my thoughts. "Is my throat closing up? Can you die from lack of water? Am I going to die of lack of water? Let me try gulping. I can't. Is that a sign of dying?"

Disappointed: I felt like my running intervals were slow and on my 5th and 6th one I was so tuckered out that I quit about 5-10 seconds earlier than I should have.

More disappointment: I heard my husband's voice in my head telling me I need to go faster, pick up my legs higher...come on. Now he wasn't saying this in real life. This was me and what I really felt about myself, and well I just put the blame on him. But I realized it and tried to focus on the run and how this Fluffy gal is doing it. (I had this moment in my 3rd run interval).

Crying/Shattered: I pooped out on my last run and I couldn't catch my breath. My legs hurt and I was far from home. Embarrassed because I just noticed this guy sitting in this truck, eating his lunch and he probably saw me die on my last interval and probably thought I was going to fall over from exhaustion because I was breathing so hard.

Tired: I just wanted to make it home (5 minutes away). Just let Robert Ullrey tell me it was over so that I can just quit.

As I walked through the neighborhood, I began to get my strength back. Robert had said good-bye and Brittney was playing. I felt enough energy to walk fast through the neighborhood. I was going at a good pace and I was trying to make up for pooping out before. I round the corner to my street and the Navy Hurrah starts up in a marching song and I feel it and I do it and I feel good.

Pride: As I click the center button of my Nano I hear Tiger Woods, "Congratulations, you just recorded your best mile ever." Who knew? In the midst of me feeling like a failure I exceeded my own expectations.

Never quit and don't listen to the lies we can often tell ourselves. You can do this. I can do this. Fluffy can do this.

My Stats:
Distance: 3.23 km
Duration: 36'18"
Pace: 11'13"/km
Calories: 342.0
Average Heart Rate: Unknown (HRM broken) Pin It

Started Week Two Day 1 or W2D1

Hey Gang! Today I started Week 2 and I have to admit, I was pretty scared about starting. You see, I have repeated Week 1 about four times. And yes, it was hard but not too hard. I did it and I am glad that I did.

My Stats:

Distance: 3.23 km
Duration: 40'07"
Pace: 12;23"/km
Calories: 342.0
Avg HR: Unkown

Some things that I didn't expect:

1. To be thrown for a loop because of the new music. I guess hearing the same songs over and over again became sort of a security blanket. But at the same time, I liked the new stuff.
2. That my pace would slow down. Well it was my first day at the new week so I found myself doing a slower run and then you walk for two minutes instead of 60 seconds. Oh well
3. That my shins and my calves would feel it. I have to remember to stretch before I run.
4. That I would look forward to Britney Spears "Circus" as much as I did. It means that I have finished the Couch to 5K program and starting to walk/run at my own pace.

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