speed racer.....

So, as I stated in my last post, I am going to sign up for my next 5k. Because the race is so big to have a timed run, you are supposed to be able to run the 5k in 35 minutes. I’ve looked over previous year’s results and this hasn’t always been the case, but I’d like to make a concerted effort to be as close as possible.

Why not just sign up for a non competitive run/walk wave and run it anyway you ask? Well, you can’t. The race is so big that you cannot find a rhythm in the main waves. My sister-in-law and I tried to run/walk it two years ago and gave up and just walked the whole way. And trust me, I need to take avoid any opportunity to give up.

So, I need to increase my mile time. I went for a run yesterday (I have been dying to be able to say that for years!!!!!!!!) and I wasn’t planning on a certain distance or a certain time, just going to a jog in the morning. I ended up running 1.77 miles in 24 minutes. So a 13.5 minute mile. This would put me at a 42 minute 5k. So I need to shave off 7 minutes of time.

I’ve done a bit of reading about this. I know that I shouldn’t increase my speed too much, or I’ll aggravate my shin splints, but I’ve been thinking about speed training. Running spring/jog intervals. Does anyone have experience with this? What works….what doesn’t.
Help!

race day

So, on Saturday I had my 5k race.

I woke up at 5:30 and couldnt' get back to sleep (the alarm was set for 6:00am). I got up putzed around, and got dressed. My stomach was a ball of nerves. I had planned on eating a half of a peanut butter and jelly sammie when we got to the race site. I knew I would need to eat before then so I forced down half of a banana. Here is my...i'm eating and I'm nervous face....

We got to the park, and were extremely early. I picked up my race chip, and walked around, stretched and went to the bathroom like 10 times before the 5k started. Prior to the 5k starting, about 100 women took off on a Half Marathon! About 20 minutes after they left, the 5kers lined up. I got behind the 12+ minute mile sign. The gun went off and it took me about 45 minute to cross the start line....and I was off...

It was hard for me to get my pace at first. My pants were a little loose and they kept sliping off until I started sweating enough for them to stick to me. Gross right? Anyway....It was interesting for me to run a course I've never run. It was so much easier to no worry about how far I had gone, or how long we had been running when I didn't know distance. I also didn't wear my watch. I was feeling pretty good through mile one. The course didn't have mile markers, but I had studied the race map relgiously, so I had an idea of where the mile markers were. Right after mile one we headed up a small hill. Post hill there was a water station...I remembered from the race packet that the first water station was supposed to be at mile 2. I thought there was no way that I had run 2 miles already, and that i didn't think that mile 2 was until further down the course. I had a gulp of water and threw my cup on the ground feeling like a real runner. At this point I was feeling tired. There was a group of three women in front of me and two women behind me. Both grous were run/walking and we kept passing eachother.

I wasn't too familiar with the course, but since I could see several people infront of me, I wasn't too worried about going the right way.....before i knew it there was an arrow on the ground (i'd been following them all along) but this one had the word "finish by it" at the point we re-entered the park and i knew i only had about half a mile to go. I fought every urge not to walk.

But I didn't. And I ran across the finish line!

The clock had 1:00 hour on it. It didnt' take me an hour, the 1/2 marathon had started 30 minutes prior. I was doing the math and realized It had only taken me 30 minutes! I could hardly believe it......

A volunteer handed me a medal, and took off my race chip. I was still in disbelief about my time. I was truly expecting it to take me 40 minutes. But...I didn't think about it too long and i was so proud of my self for not walking at all...


After the run Scott and I had a picnic with his parents. A ham sandwich at 9:30am has never tasted so good....

So....later that day, I was anxious to see what my race results would be, and I knew that they would be online at spondoro.com.

My chip time was 27:56. Meaning 8:59 minute miles. I was in disbelief. I pulled up the PDF of the race map and realized that there was no way we had run the whole course.

I was still feeling good about my race, but had a nagging feeling about my time and the distance. last week my practice 5k took me 41 minutes. No one cuts that much time off, even if they do run the whole way. I told my husband and he reassured me that even the first finishers had come in super fast. I formulated the theory that the course had been mismarked.

Today, I started feeling a little down about the whole thing. It's just not possible to run sub 9 minute miles on Saturday, when you were running 13 minute miles on Tuesday. While I was in the shower, my husband called the store that sponsored the race. They confirmed that "the course had either been mismarked, or the participants took a wrong turn." Damn.

I feel so jipped! I was so nervous about this 5k and I truly feel let down. I am proud of myself for signing up for the race and going and being prepared to run the whole thing, and running the whole distance regardless of how far it was...but I wanted an authentic time and authentic race.

It's ok though, I'm going to sign up for another local race that is in September. It's also a 5k. It's a HUGE race, literally 10,000 people (women only again) in the race. to have a timed race, you are supposed to be able to run a 35 minute 5k. So....that is my new goal. Aim for a 35 minute 5k in my training, increase my speed and endurance...and try again.

breathe in...breathe out....

This is the race I am running on Saturday. EEEEEEEEEAKLJASLDJALSKJDAS>
I am getting pre-race nerves. Like seriously. Not so much about my ability to do the race, but about having on the right clothes, and not forgetting my sunscreen and what the route is going to look like, and if the XL race t-shirt will fit, and where we are going to park.
Like I said: aajweroiukjanvbopaiufboieng!

I’ve been reviewing my race packet and printing off parking maps and looking at the sponsors website and it’s just going to be so cool!

So for the running part. I can jog 30 minutes with out stopping. But during those 30 minutes my feet only carry me about 2.25 miles. Right, less than a 5k. I’m not sure yet how I am going to work out the amounts of running vs. walking. I really want to run the whole thing without taking a walk break, but I don’t want to push my shins and back. I think my tentative plan, if I need to walk is to run for 20 minutes, take a 5 minute walking break and then run through to the finish.

Or just plod along slow and steady.
This weekend I am running for Chocolate and Champagne…both of which will be at the finish line…what do you run for?

...and I ran

Today I ran for 30 consecutive minutes. No walking, no stopping.
Just run for 30 minutes.
And I am so damn proud of myself.

n1h1, r2d2?

I'm bummed. I was all set yesterday to move forward with my training for my 5k. I got up at my normal time, went to the bathroom ,and realized I had some sort of stomach/digestive thing going on....and forced my self not to run.

That is right, I had to "force" my self. I have this problem, when I am excited about exercise and starting a new problem...I don't like to take a day off due to sickness. I'll take a day off if I don't feel like exercise, but if I feel like an outside force (illness) is forcing me to rest..I don't like it.

I stayed home from work, and told everyone I had swine flu, which of course i don't. I'm feeling better today, and debated doing my planned run from yesterday this morning, but I decided to wait it out one more day and do my scheduled run for Saturday.

Man....I was so stoked to use my new stopwatch to time myself too!

this and that...

Yesterday I completed week 3 (my first week) of the Couch to 5k program, for the training I am doing for the 5k I signed up for on June 20th.
Here is a picture of me after my run on Saturday Morning. It was pouring rain and I was sweating…hot isn’t it…
Tomorrow I start week 4. I’m a little nervous about week 4. Not the amount of running, the lack of tracking ability of distance that I have.
When you start the C25k plan, it tells you that you can train by distance or by time. (IE run either 200 yards or 90 seconds). I’ve always used the time option, but I realize that the training plan assumes you run 10 minute miles. HAHAHAHAHAHA. I do not run a 10 minute mile. I actually don’t know how fast I run a mile. My pace for the run/walk intervals of week 3 was 14.5 minutes per mile yesterday ,which is not much faster than my walking pace. I run sllllllooooooowwww.
So, I realize, if I really want the endurance to run for a 5k, I have to use the distance factor. The loop around my subdivision is .6 of a mile…..almost a half mile, so I’m just going to wing the distances.
I still feel good about the 5k and I was really feeling motivated after the Biggest Loser last night. If Ron, can walk for 13 HOURS! I can run for 30 minutes…

I’m changing topics with no transition now…..breakfast.
A few weeks ago I posted about how I’d been having green spinach smoothies for breakfast. I continue to do that, but this week my husband did the shopping and got the small box of spinach, so I’m spacing my smoothie eating out.

I’m sick of oatmeal. I just have no desire for another bowl of banana oatmeal with toppings for a while. But…I like oats for their whole grain qualities and their health benefits, so today I decided to attempt the famous “breakfast cookie.”
I used Meghann’s most recent recipe, as a base for mine. Last summer when I didn’t want hot breakfast I tried a bowl of “cold oats” that everyone around the blog world seemed to be eating and it was disgusting to me…cold and gloppy…so I’ve been wary of the “breakfast cookie”

My recipe:
½ cup oats
2 spoonful’s applesauce
1 spoonful peanut butter
Some craisins-didn’t measure..maybe 2 tbsps?
Cinnamon.

I mixed it all together, spread it out on a salad plate and put it in the fridge.
This morning I topped it with 1 spoon full plan non fat yogurt, ½ a banana and some pecans.
I didn’t count the calories in this bad boy….but I’m guessing it was around 500-550?

This was much better than I expected. It wasn’t soggy like overnight oats are, but it wasn’t hard either. Like a thin flat soft cookie…eaten with a fork. I think I’ll be adding this in to my summer rotation of Kashi cereal and Green smoothies.

now i've done it....

Well...I went and signed up for this race.

I first read about this 5k when I was in the See Jane Run store a few weeks ago buying my new walking/jogging shoes.

How cool is a race called "I run for champagne and chocolate."

I had kind of written it off, until this week. I recieved an email while I would out of town about the Wellness challenge that we've been having here at work. Our final "monthly challenge" is to put in as many miles (walking, running, biking, whatever) until May 15th. On May 18th we are going to have a 3.5k (random) "race" as a culmination to how of how fit we all are now. We'll after being in Georgia last week, and feeling motivated...I wanted to RUN that 3.5k.... Then I started thinking about running and that old bug to be a "runner" caught on again. So I looked up other races in the area...and found the See Jane Run 5k and remembered how cool I thought it was when I was in the store the other day.

So, I dusted off my old print out of the Couch to 5k training program...and on Tuesday I jumped in at week three. And it was great, and I felt great and I felt so motivated that today I signed up for the race. No backing out now!

So...now you know. I've signed up for my 3rd ever 5k.

Last time I did the couch to 5k program I was 20 pounds heavier and I crapped out on week four. I already know that I can do the distances of week four....but I'm still a little nervous!

I'll keep you all up dated on my training and how everything goes!

Spin me right round....

Ok,
It's my crazy busy time at work, getting all of my programs in order for the summer. But I'm still alive and reading blogs!

In the News Lately:
1. I moved to the 2nd level of the Shred today! LOVE IT! I took it back down to my 3lb weights for day one, but I can tell that I am going to want my six pounders for some of the exercises. I really like this level, it's more interesting to me, although VERY TOUGH!

2. I am going to Savannah Georgia in 3 weeks!!!!! I am going to visit my best friend, with our other best friend!!! I've never been to the South and I am super excited.

3. I bought new running shoes last week, from THE BEST STORE EVER! Awesome awesome store. And after 500 miles, on my old running shoes, these new shoes feel AMAZING!

poopy camera

My camera is being a poop. I can't make my computer acknowledge it's existance. SO maybe my computer is being a poop? Anyway..I had a great post planned about dessert...I'll save it in hopes that I figure out my technical difficulties.

So, I've been going to the employee workout room on my "sweat break." Today's workout was particularly satisfying.

Cardio: 5 minutes on elliptical, level 6

Bicep Curls: 3 sets 15 with 10lb weights

Crunches on the stability ball: 3 sets 20

Cardio: 5 minutes on the treadmill. Today I did 1 minute speed walk, 3 minutes jog, 1 minute speed walk. I felt so great during the jog. I think the song on my ipod helped. How did I live with out my ipod? I don't know.

Walking lunges, 2x back and forth diagonally across the room with 10 lb weights in each hand.

Yoga Plank (all the way up on my hands, not on forearms) 3 sets 30 seconds each.

Side Bends: 2 sets 15 with 10lbs weight.

Then I stretched my quads, calves and shins.
Ended with Down Dog...which if I am looking at Jenna's post of yoga poses correctly, I then "flipped" into full wheel. Thank you 8 years of gymnastics as a kid. I think I can do that, as well as other harder yoga poses due to gym. I've decided it's like riding a bike, once you teach your body to do certain things, it doesn't forget. I don't think I could still do a back handspring though. Maybe I'd be surprised.

Oh! I am SUPER excited about the new season of Biggest Loser....and one of the Teams is from Where I live!!!!

the RUN around

photo via: veer.com

I’ve talked several times on this blog about my relationship with running. I desperately want to be a “runner.” I think because my whole life I’ve associated “runners” with “thin people.” I also would just love to have the freedom of running as my cardio workout. You can do it anywhere….you don’t need the gym to run. You don’t need pavement to run. You just need you, and your gear.
When I first started losing weight, about a month in I decided I was going to “become a runner.” And then…the shin splints attacked. Also…running is hard when you weigh 255 pounds. So, since then I’ve solved the shin splint problem (at least the biomechanical part of it, my left leg is shorter than my right by 12mm, and I wasn’t using my heel lift. Smart, I know, talk about a messed up gait!), and I weigh about 15 pounds less, and I’m in better shape. I have an on again off again relationship with my running attempts. I take the dog for a walk every morning, currently we are doing a 1.5 mile loop. Now that it is dark out when I take him, I don’t leave my subdivision for safety reasons. I want my husband to be able to find me when my leg is broken! So, sometimes I run intervals, but not with any regularity or with any discipline (time, distance etc). I found the less rigid my running portion is, the better. I like to measure in mailboxes. Just run to one more mail box, that sort of thing.

I’ve also been running less in the mornings since I’ve been going to the employee workout room on my “sweat(lunch)break.” Well..the weather has been so nice this week (above 30 degrees and sunny) that I just can’t bring my self to spend my lunch break in the basement. It’s dark when I get to work at 8, it’s dark when I leave at 5…and I need some sun darn it! So, this week I am taking walks on my lunch break.
I was thinking about the lack of a higher level of cardio this morning on my walk. We walk 1 loop in the subdivision, then out and back on a cul-de-sac, and then around the loop again. I had just finished my 1st loop and the out and back, and was passing my house when I thought, “ I should run.”

So I ran. I ran the whole loop. I have never run the whole loop before. It is .66 of a mile. The farthest that I have run in one interval since I started this whole running thing. When I am serious about the interval thing, I usually total about 1 mile of running in .2 or .3 of a mile intervals. Because my mind tells me that I can’t go further. But I can! And I did!

Honestly, I thought about quitting a few times through the loop, about half way. But I thought about what Tina said, and what Margarita said. Tina mentioned that one of her tricks was that even when it was hard, just keep running. Even if you are shuffling along. I shuffled, in fact my normal pace is pretty slow, but I kept running. Margarita recently started running, and she shared one of her tips: she thinks about people (maybe her friend?) who can’t run. Who are in a wheel chair, or bed ridden, and how fortunate that she is that she can run ,and it always pushes her through one more lap.

I ran. And I did a happy dance while the dog looked at me like I was insane.

Sigh

So, the shin splints are official. I ran this morning, and it wasn't too bad...but they have been sore all day.

My issue with this is...I don't want to quit running for some other form of aerobic activity. The fact that I can't make this easy really frustrates me, and makes me want it more. But....I know better than to injure myself.

I've been doing some stretches and exercise for my shins, and I think I'm going to look into insoles that support my arches.....And it is almost time for new shoes.

Also, "Fit From Within" showed up on my doorstep on Saturday. A few days early! I'm almost 2/3rds through it now. I think that I'm going to read it twice. Once through, and then once back through with a pencil to underline.
The book is organized into 101 chapters, with her 101 ways to become "Fit From With-In" they are very short. I've been thinking about taking the chapters that are the most provocative and journaling about them. Probably on here.

WOOHOO!!!!

Ok, so I sort of have this "thing" about running. Umm..we aren't really friends, me and running. But I want to be friends, I want to be best friends. I want to be able to get on my running gear and run and exercise with out having to get on the elliptical machine, or bounce around a step class (not that I don't like those too). Anyway....I've written about this several times, so I won't go through it ...again.

Anyway..as part of my new summer exercise routine (3 days walk/jog outside, 2 days workout at the gym for strength training)...I used www.mapmyfitness.com and www.mapmyrun.com to see the distances of possible routes in my neighborhood. Fitness says it's 1.7 and Run says 1.3. I'm going to just average it to be 1.5.

So this morning I was planning on going to the gym...but I just couldn't get out of bed. I am not the type of person taht snoozes the alarm ten times. I get up as soon as my alarm goes off, if not before. But today that was not happening. I normally get up at 5:20 for the gym, but today I didn't get out of bed until 5:50. So, a brisk walk, it was.

I figured now was as good a time as any to see how walk/jog intervals worked out for me on the pavement, as opposed to the treadmill.
So, I walked and then I ran. And I thought, as I ran, what about this is so hard? It's hard to do other cardio exercises, and I do them. What about running is it for me? Yes, I do have the big boob issue, and the flat foot issue, but those are fixable. I realized it was mental. So, I told my self, that this was just like any other cardio, and to push through the "hard." I ended up running for about 7 minutes straight. This is a record for me (well...I suppose when I was younger I ran longer than that) and I was so proud of myself.
Running outside is so much easier for me, I gave my self little distance goals. IE run to the next car, run to the stop sign etc.

I'm excited for my new summer program! I will do this.