The Caffeinated Runner

Calorie Counting - Your Wake-up Call

2012-01-10T12:29:00.000-08:00

As you could tell from my previous posts, the first week of the new year didn't start out as well as I had hoped. I'm good at planning and knowing what should be done....I stink at actually doing it.

I needed a wake-up call so I decided to add a function to the Fit book log. In addition to recording my meals and snacks, I'm recording the amount of calories consumed for each meal/snack. The goal is to keep my total daily intake at or below 2,000 calories...which is significantly less than what I had been consuming on a regular basis.

Monday was great! I actually planned out my meals, wrote them in the log and then proceeded to follow that plan. The only derailment came that night when I snacked on peanut butter Girl Scout cookies. Since those are gone now, there's no risk of repeating that mistake. However, it proves how easy it is for me to jump off the wagon. Since my meals were well balanced yesterday, I still came in around my intake goal....the huge salad for dinner helped, not many calories there!

Today started out a little crazy. I was late getting up so I didn't pack a lunch. Breakfast was fine, I keep oatmeal and those cereal bars in my office for such occasions. Lunch, however.....

Did you know that a Quarter pound cheeseburger, medium fries and medium Coke from MacDonald's totals a whopping 1,040 calories?? That's over 1/2 my intake for the day. Pair that with the 160 calories from breakfast and my dinner options are pretty limited.

It doesn't matter how much water I drink or whether I manage to get the right number of servings of veggies and protein. I can qualify that lunch as one serving of whole grain, a serving of protein and a serving of dairy. What matters is the realization that I blew a lot of wasted calories on a lousy...and expensive...meal. After its all over I have to ask myself....was it worth it?

If you, like me, are struggling to ignore the Siren's call of fats, sugars and easy meals.....start counting calories for everything that goes in your mouth.

Good Morning!!

Resolved

2012-01-07T11:02:00.001-08:00

Finally I end the week on a good note!!

Hubby and I got up at 7am this morning and went straight to the gym. I proceeded to run/walk 1.5 miles on the treadmill (over a period of 32 minutes). The running portion consisted of three 1/8 mile stretches.

After the treadmill, I hit the mat and systematically did stretches from the arms down to the legs. John then helped me do some straight leg stretches to get the legs really worked out.

I'm hoping tomorrow will be as mild so we can go to the track and do the same workout. I'd love to see if I can run as far on the ground as I did today on the treadmill. That would truly be a great cap to an otherwise troubled week.

Healing

2012-01-04T09:14:00.001-08:00

Christmas day marked 6 months since we lost Mom. As hard as it was, it was also somewhat refreshing. Dad was with us and we made sure to keep the laughter flowing.

In June I never would have imagined that the healing would ever begin. I thought that the hole in my gut would never start to soften around the edges. Will it ever fullly heal...no. Nor do I really want it to. I don't ever want to wake up and realize that I don't remember her, or don't miss her.

That said, I know that I must start healing my heart. God has already shown me that its time; the rest of my true friends are starting to check in - pulling me out of mourning and back to life.

So - today I will remove the business cards I've been holding in my wallet since June. The card from the chaplin at the hospital and the card from the restaurant owner who took such good care of all of us, and who offered strangers prayer and comfort when they needed it most.

Let the healing begin..............

Stalled

2012-01-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

So - despite best intentions, I didn't do very well with the new resolutions yesterday, and today doesn't look like it will be much better.

However, I did finish Matt Long's book, The Long Run.

What an amazing read...truly, I read it in the span of 36 hours. Yet I want to pick up the book and read it again, and again, and again. One of the things I liked about the book was that it was written in such an easy way. The reader is spoken to in a very relaxed tone, complete with a twinge of Brooklyn accent. For a long time I felt as though I could actually hear Mr. Long verbally telling me his story.

Seriously, if he can come back from all he went through...then I can get my butt moving and accomplish my goals too. If you are looking for inspiration....

Best start EVER

2012-01-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

A lot has happened in just 24 hours!

My 40th birthday was earlier in the week, and one of my dear friends conspired with my hubby to throw me a surprise party on Saturday morning. The biggest surprise of all was the appearance of my Bestie!! She lives out of state and we don't get to celebrate birthdays together much.

The day continued in wonderful fashion...full of fun, laughter and time with friends. BTW - all the gals brought some very sweet gifts....all coffee themed of course!

Today, after a delightfully relaxing morning, my Bestie presented me with yet another present. See, I've mentioned before that in addition to being, well, besties, we've also been pushing each other to workout and lose weight. Typical of busy adults, we start and stop. We also regroup and try again...and again...and again. The best part is that we both support each other, understand our limitations and challenges, and help each other work around them. We also know when to back off and let the other person deal with their own challenges, and when to pull each other up and give a little push.

In keeping with this, my Bestie presented me with matching fitbooks for my birthday. Together, we lingered over coffee and created a new plan, organizing our first week of workouts and setting our 12 week goals together. While the book itself was a terrific gift, I truly cherish just having that time together.

The book itself is really nice...it combines a workout log with a goal plan and a nutrition checklist for each day and week of the 12 week cycle. The thing I like most is its apparent ease of use, requiring only enough writing to make sure you can accurately track your progress while being small enough to fit into your purse or gym bag.

Since this is the time of year when most are reviewing and setting fitness/weight loss goals, I recommend checking it out.

It will be fun to continue this journey with a new tool...even more fun to see progress!

2012 - A New Year, A Fresh Start

2011-12-31T05:14:00.000-08:00

I love the New Year. Its a time to start over...to try things differently, or not. Like a freshly clean chalkboard in school, the slate is clear and ready to be filled again.

This year I'm exceptionally ready for a fresh start. 2011 really took it out of me, emotionally and physically. Its never easy to lose a parent, especially so suddenly. But along with it came a ton of other emotions that popped to the surface like corks. Things that I thought I'd packed away for good. Everything has its consequence and for me its been weight gain, lack of interest in my usual activities and I've pulled away from many of my friends and my church.

While I know that time will allow me to work through everything, it always helps to have reminders. The few friends I've stayed in touch with have been wonderfully supportive. But I've also discovered a new blog, Marc and Angel Hack Life: Practical Tips for Productive Living, which has provided me with greatly needed food for thought. The advertisements are a bit distracting, but it seems that this blog is not supported by either Blogger or Wordpress, so I imagine the writers have to pay for their server space somehow. Regardless, once you get past all that, you will find words of classic wisdom - things that we all should remember but don't.

Take, for example, a post from earlier this December...30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself. Coincidentally, this post was followed by the more positive themed "30 Things to Start Doing for Yourself", complete with a lead photo of a woman running. [If that's not a nudge toward "getting back to my life" I don't know what is.]

While the blog is full of tidbits of wisdom, this post really struck me, especially given the time of year. This is the time, as I mentioned, of new beginnings. We always seem to sabotage our personal goals...every time. With what? With outside distractions and with things that we do to ourselves to set ourselves up for failure. Guaranteed that most of the time we don't see these traps but they are there! This list (both of them, really) is deceptively full of common sense. Everything on it not only makes sense, but examples can easily (and surprisingly quickly) can be found in my life.

So - as we start on the new path that is 2012 - I intend to pay attention to these things. Correcting those will undoubtedly aid me in achieving my other goals for the year!

Fresh Start (again)

2011-09-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

I am definitely in need of a fresh start, as you can probably tell by my extreme lack of posts lately.

The past couple of months have had me thinking about and reflecting on pretty much every aspect of my life. I've come to the sound conclusion that, at least in the diet and exercise portion of said life, I've been very lacking.

While my initial intention when I started this journey a couple of years ago was good, I discovered that I missed the mark entirely. Yes - I agree that any effort is a step in the right direction when it comes to our health, but I've also come to realize that it has to be a complete package to instill lifelong, lasting changes.

So - in typical "me" fashion, I hit the books. In this study, I'm using two books - the first is "The Runner's Diet" which covers the biological part of this venture. The second is "Made to Crave" which cover the spiritual part. Both parts make up the whole, so it makes sense to work on them both at the same time. Not only that - but I really do feel like I am developing an eating disorder and that just has to stop.

I decided to start with "The Runner's Diet". I'm dividing this study into two steps based on the visualization of a very simple store/business. [Hey...gotta use that MBA for something!]

The first I call "Taking Inventory".

The author is wonderful about taking the reader through various steps to determine where change is needed.

Step 1: Take stock of your diet. (Score = 14)

After taking a short quiz it was determined that my eating is out of control. Translation = I do a lot of mindless eating. TRUE

Step 2: Take stock of your exercise habits. (Score = 21)

Again, after a short quiz, it was determined that I lack consistency and will need to work on getting regular, modest activity as well as packing more into a limited time. The side note here is that I will also have to focus on my eating so that I can achieve a balance between the two.
Translation = Make more of my workouts so I don't feel overwhelmed.

Step 3: Overall score is a 35. A consistent plan will cause scores to be upwards of 45 and in the 50's most of the time. The goal is to have the score increase by 5 every two weeks until it stays at or above 45 each time.

Motivator #1: BMI = 38.65

Class II Moderate Obesity. ONE level away from morbidly obese. UNACCEPTABLE.

Ideal BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9 to be within a healthy weight range for my height and frame.

In conjunction with this book, I've also read the first couple of chapters of the book Made to Crave. While I haven't gone back to answer the Personal Reflections on the first chapters yet, I have tried to apply the first nugget of advise.

Basically - when I am craving something I need to check on whether I really need it. If the answer is no, then I find something to occupy my toddler mind until the craving goes away. Since I haven't been able to put the suggested prayer into practice, I have tried to focus on something else for a while e.g. drink a glass of water/tea/coffee and work/read/etc. If the craving does not go away, I have to work on finding a suitable, healthy replacement. Case in point - chocolate. I could have attacked a 6' walking chocolate bunny in broad daylight and not felt the slightest twinge of guilt today. However, I had a big glass of 2% (homemade) chocolate milk after dinner instead of reaching for M&Ms etc. It worked.

Like I said - I need a fresh start and I want to make this one work! I'm so tired of starting....and stopping....and starting....and stopping....ad nauseam.

MIANR

2011-08-17T17:07:00.001-07:00

Missing
In
Action
Newbie
Runner

That's me!!

Sorry, I've been horrible about writing. As you may have seen from my last couple of posts, I lost my Mom very unexpectedly this summer and it truly turned my world upside down. I'm still struggling to put things back in order and confess that I've only just started to think about getting back into the gym.

My goals are to get started at least walking within the next week...by August 27th. I am going "home" (Virginia Beach) this weekend to help my Dad with more of the cleaning out. [None of us live close by any more and we just don't like the idea of him trying to do it all by himself. So more of these trips will be necessary in the next several months.]

Since I know that I probably won't be able to keep a schedule while I am there, and since my hotel doesn't have a gym - at least, I don't think it does - I am not going to set myself up for failure. Instead, I'll work on getting as much movement as I can and start walking next week when I get back.

So - there you have it. I'm here. I've been forced to take several steps back...but I'll pull through. I've notice that each time I get stopped, the starts get a little stronger...so here's hoping for the best re-re-re-start yet!

PS - A HUGE thank you to run_dance_love for answering one of my questions about how she chooses races. While I don't know her in person, I have been loving her blog and getting to "know" her through her writing. She is so positive and so encouraging and this post is no exception. It was perfectly timed to motivate me that much more!!

Braver, Smarter, Stronger

2011-07-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

Its been a tough week.....my goals never even got considered this week, but I'm determined to keep trying.

In the meantime, I wanted to post this video.

It makes me cry, but I find myself going back to it when the pain of missing Mom elevates again. She used to read Winnie-the-Pooh to us - the original set! We had a number of the records too, and I can remember begging her to put them on the record player on rainy or cold days when I couldn't be outside. We loved it. I think her favorite character was Eeyore, she just loved the voice and the logic from that little guy.

Somehow, we are never too old for Pooh!

Summer Storm

2011-07-13T14:58:00.001-07:00

While I sit here in the dark as a summer storm rages outside, I ponder the ebb and flow of grief as it relates to the storm itself.

First is the notice that something is wrong - the change in color and feel of the air and sky around you. With the first clap of thunder, the event has started and emotions begin roiling in the atmosphere. As the storm gathers steam, people and animals run for cover, much like we run for comfort - something to help shelter us from the news we've just received or the event we've just witnessed.

The rain comes, pelting everything in its path hard enough to leave little dents in the sand or splash marks on the pavement. Like tears, the drops start as one or two but quickly become a downpour. The accompanying whimpers or wails mimic the thunder in the sky - louder now and closer together. Flashes of lightening produce angry energy, lashing out of the heavens in huge bolts that wreck the curtain of clouds like a toddler throwing his arms in a fit or a grown up tearing at her hair in the passion of her loss.

The rain continues on, sometimes slowing to drizzle then picking up again as if fresh memories turned the faucet handle anew. Slowly, the thunder gets softer and less urgent, the lightening less bright and fierce. There may be a few fresh downpours, last claps of noise and bright flashes but slowly, gently the storm loses steam over time. Soon, you don't even realize that the rain has stopped until the bright sun peeks through the gray curtain and perks the world up again.

Grief seems to do much the same. For a while it is fresh, almost tangible in strength as if your insides were literally ripped out of your torso. Episodes of anger, tears and heartbreaking pain cycle through the body causing one to audibly cry and mourn.

Slowly, gently, over time, the pain gets less noticeable, the tears dry and laughter escapes like a bubble under water. One day, everything seems clear and bright - almost normal. The storm passes, the world gets brighter again and life moves on. The only reminder is an occasional drop of rain from a roof edge, the scab on the lightening scarred tree and the rainbow that graces the sky.

Fruit Loops

2011-07-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

Yeah, weird title I know. I'm eating a bowl of 1/2 Fruit Loops and 1/2 Apple Jacks for lunch because I didn't know what I wanted and cereal just sounded good. Guess that's where the title came from.

It's Tuesday already. My short goals have been missed already.

I would say I'll try to get to the gym tonight but I know realistically that probably won't happen.

I'm in a really foul mood right now, and I think some sorting/cleaning out/organizing therapy is in order. A while back I updated the craft section of my loft but I had to put stuff away without reorganizing it. I think I'll pull it out and reorganize it tonight. That way I'll feel like I accomplished something and maybe it will help this mood.

Seriously - its that bad!!

I don't want to end this on a negative so....

I got to meet up with some old friends last night for coffee. We don't get to see each other much, and they are getting ready to move even farther away so it was really nice to chat and catch up!

Tomorrow morning I am scheduled for the water aerobics class. Maybe the fact that its a "class" will spur me to get there at 5:00 AM. I've always been the studious kind.

Short Goals

2011-07-10T19:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend was really nice...hubby was home and we took some time off to just relax and be....and sleep!! Things have been so stressful lately for both of us that it was really nice to just rest.

I am trying to take things one day at a time right now...it seems to be the only way to deal with the rollercoaster of emotions...so I'm focusing on short goals for the time being.

That being said, I'm setting up a schedule for this coming week.

Monday = Up at 6am, W1D1 of Couch to 5k training program.
Tuesday = Up at 5:30am, Treadmill- LOLO Beatburn - walk/jog & mix it up settings (this means hills and variable speeds)
Wednesday = Up at 5:00 am, Shallow water aerobics in the AM, W1D2 of Couch to 5k training in the PM
Thursday = Up at 5:30 am, Treadmill - LOLO Beatburn (same as Tuesday).
Friday = Up at 5:00am, Shallow water aerobics in the AM, Rest in the PM
Saturday = Up at 6:00am, W1D3 of Couch to 5k + walk to finish 3 - 3.5 miles.

I think I've gone nuts!!

Water Aerobics

2011-07-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

Ten things I learned at my first ever water aerobics class (thanks to my BFF and Angell at Angell's Fitness and Dance (class photo from their website above)!!):

1. The deep end of the pool will not swallow me whole - neither will the drains.

2. Do not eat prior to going - two to three hours before exercise is my limit.

3. I really need to clean my system out.

4. I really need to lose weight.

5. Grilled romaine is yummy - the first time.(See #2)

6. I need to work on my core.....REALLY need to work on my core.

7. I am a buoy in disguise.

8. The water really helped my hip...while a little sore today, it wasn't nearly as stiff as it has been in the morning. (I think I pulled my IT on the left hip...its been hurting.)

9. My YMCA needs to update their pool schedule online - its from Fall 2010.

10. Being in the water feels so good - and tires you out!

Starting Line

2011-07-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

Today was hot and muggy in central Virginia. Typical for this time of the year, so I felt right at home - if not a little melty.

My BFF and I have started a little tradition it seems. This will be the second time that I have not only gone down to see her for July 4th weekend, but also the second time we have done her neighborhood's 5k Spirit Run. This year, we added her 8yo daughter to the team. Like last year, we walked the whole thing. However, it is a very hilly route so I don't feel so badly!.

I was quite humbled to find out that the 8yo can run about 1/2 of a 5k on her own - even though she got pretty tired just walking this one.

Part of the reason we think she dropped back so much is because she couldn't see the finish line. The track, in her eyes, just kept going and going, hill after hill.

It dawned on me that life is like that to all of us. It keeps going day after day, hill after hill. Sometimes we are on the uphill when walking or running is tougher and other times we get to go downhill, when moving is easier. We never do see the finish line - but we know its there somewhere.

What is really important is what we make of the race from the start to the finish. We have options along the course - do we need to stop and rest or stretch, do we need to push hard through the hills or keep our pace while climbing, should we walk the downhills or can we run.

I just lost my mother last week - and in just that week's time I feel like I "get" so much more suddenly. We take so much for granted in this life....confident that we have time to do or say what needs to be done or said. Realistically, we often don't see that finish line until its too late to make better decisions while on the course. Like on the course, we need to pay attention to the signs and signals along the way. It might be hard to push up that hill - to admit if we are wrong, or apologize to someone we've hurt, or strive for that job we aren't sure we are even qualified for - but we have to. We need to make sure we stretch ourselves along the way, stop to take in some water, relax a bit on the downhills. We have to.

When we cross that finish line, our race is over.

Thankfully, when we cross the race finish line, we can celebrate, evaluate and start again. But I want to make sure I cross the final finish line happy, well rested and pleased with how I ran my race.

Dreams

2011-07-03T05:36:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in VA (my home state) visiting my BFF. She and I have been friends for 13 years, and has joined this journey with me. We actually started blogging together a long time ago, then created a private blog so we could chat, vent, cry and talk openly without fear of someone else finding out personal details about our weight loss journey. Its been terrific, and definitely is the kind of forum we both need since we live so far apart.

Anyway, we went to the beach for the day yesterday with her kids. Then went for sushi last night. I'm not sure why, but I had the weirdest dream!

I was running a 5k - BFF wasn't there - and apparently it was a familiar course with familiar people.The race, while very small, started out normally. Then I found myself running both inside and outside. It seemed I would only go a few feet and would have to go up a few steps and through a door to run down a hallway. Things then changed a little in the sense that there were people at certain doors telling me that the course had changed and I had to go a different direction - which led me to think that the dream me knew the course already.

Weird.

Maybe it was the sushi?

Maybe it was my brain telling me to keep moving forward even though I've had a huge change in my life recently. The fact that I knew the path tells me that subconsciously I want to keep things the same as they have been, but the course changes tell me that I must accept that some things will never be the same.

Wonder if anyone else has had running dreams and what they mean to those people.

Fresh Beginnings

2011-07-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

Not sure if anyone noticed, but I took the blog down for a little while. I just wasn't having any luck keeping up with it so I thought I'd put it aside.

Then I found inspiration in a blog written by a runner/student/pretty cool gal who lives in Chicago. So - here I am (again).

Honestly, I've played with the template a bit, but it will be changing again, and probably frequently, until I get it just right. I'm like that! Also, I can't promise I'll write everyday, but I'll do my best to make sure we stay updated.

Originally, this blog was resurrected as a way to be a resource for beginner runners, but honestly I'm kinda over that. I think I'm going to approach this more like an actual journal. We'll talk running, and my journey toward being a (much) better runner, as well as nutrition, gear and all the other things that you would expect to find on a runner's blog. But we'll chat about other things too.

After all....isn't writing a bit about self-discovery?

So - grab a cuppa and join me won't you?

June is Here

2011-06-02T19:54:00.001-07:00

June marks the start of the second half of the year. A significant year for me, personally. This is the year I turn 40 - *gasp*!

I will not be in the condition I am in - physically, spiritually or emotionally - by my birthday, which is, thankfully, at the end of the year.

My BFF and I started fresh on June 1 with a couple of initiatives.

First, we have new goals to work on. This is good because it gives us the chance to revisit our previous goals, ruminate on why they did/didn't work, and make changes if necessary.

Second, we have started a 365 project. She actually found this one online - you take a self portrait in the same pose and with the same background/same outfit every day for a full year. At the end of the year, you knit the photos together and see the time-lapse changes in yourself. Since both of us are very visual people, I think this will be tough at first, but promises to be very rewarding in the end.

So begins the adventure - again!! Will update more later....its bedtime now!

Changes

2011-05-10T03:41:00.000-07:00

It seems the purpose of this blog has, once again, changed. While I will still do posts about running and my journey toward being a true runner, I feel compelled to add a layer. I think its important to also discuss my journey toward becoming healthy. After all...that's why I started running in the first place.

A while ago, I picked up the book "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst. It had been recommended by a couple of friends so I thought I'd check it out. Right away, it spoke to me - like - DIRECTLY to me.

Typical of my nature, I'd been dancing around it, putting off getting started on it. The problem is that I've been called to it more and more, with a voice that has gotten more and more insistent...and loud. For me, that's God speaking. For you, it might be something else - and that's ok. For me, whenever I ignore God's voice, it comes back to bite me later. So - I started listening.

I've created a page here where I will journal my thoughts and answers to some of the questions at the end of the chapters if you would like to take this journey with me. In addition, I'll add posts to the blog itself about things that really stand out. That way, if you don't want to read the whole journal, you can still benefit from the wisdom in this book.

After all, we can't just change physically, we have to also change spiritually and mentally to be successful.

So - grab your coffee cup and let's go.

Spring into Optimism

2011-04-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

OK - I know how it is.

We get a little cushy (in my case, a lot cushy) around the middle, we allow ourselves a few too many chocolates or treats and a few too few veggies, and we allow ourselves to snug into the couch or comfy bed a little more than usual. For many, this trend invites other side effects - depression, self-doubt and general malaise or fatigue. All of these things can easily create a vicious cycle that can feel not only overwhelming, but all encompassing.

You are note alone!

Trust me.

Say it to yourself.... "I"..."am"..."not"..."alone".

Its true. Think about it. How many really good friends do we have who have expressed something similar? How many of us have watched the tearful confessions of the contestants on one or more seasons of the Biggest Loser? How often have you sat through those pesky diet commercials and thought - "if only that would work for me."

There is a way to break this cycle!!

Step one: Know that YOU want to make the change. Don't do it for someone else....do it for you. Do it because you realize that you can't keep going like this, because you know that you are only hurting yourself.

Step two: Create a team to support you and help you along the way. I suggest your BFF - be it family, spouse, friend. It doesn't matter who it is as long as it is someone who is not afraid to call it like it is when they see you mess up.

Step three: Try to stay positive. Focus on the smaller steps that make up the bigger goal. Make those steps realistic and measurable. Make sure your support team is helping you toward those same goals - not goals of their own.

Trust me, this too is easier said or written than done. Putting yourself back on a path of healthy living is work - sometimes its hard work. That's why we need to set those smaller goals. That's why we need a support team around us.

I have recently come to "know" a very dear woman who has had quite a struggle of her own. She actually inspired this post with a post of her own that I highly recommend you read as a final thought.

Trust me - you can do this!!

Week 2 Done - Bring on Week 3

2011-04-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

Last week went really well. I finished Week 2 of the C25k and even saw my time start to improve a little bit thanks to my efforts to increase my speed by just 0.1 each week.

I'm trying to make sure I do a minimum of 2 miles for each workout, which is helping my endurance and my strength. This is definitely something that is helping me. Here's what I did....

...Since I know that the first few weeks of C25k has the participant doing an average of 1.5 to 2 miles, depending on the speed of the individual, I opted to add an extra 1.5 miles to each workout.

1. The extra mileage is added at the Cool Down phase of the session.

2. No running is done during this extra mileage...only walking.

3. The settings on the treadmill do not change....the incline remains the same and the walking speed during the actual program remains the same.

4. After 1/4 mile, the speed drops only by 0.2. For example, if I walk at a 3.1 the speed drops to 2.9 for the remaining 1/4 mile.

5. Once 2 miles is reached, the incline on the treadmill is dropped to 0% and the speed drops again by a minimum of 0.4 for a period of just a couple of minutes.

VERY IMPORTANT - after each session, you must stretch out!

So, last week went really well.

Since I didn't get to go to the gym yesterday, today will be the following:

Day 1 of Week 3

Two repetitions each of
Jog 90 seconds, Walk 90 seconds,
Jog 3 minutes, Walk 3 minutes.

Speed settings = Walk 3.2, Jog 4.7.

Catching UP

2011-04-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been MIA lately. Its been really busy - good - but busy!

The good news is that I finished last week on target with my goals. The Couch to 5k program was started fresh. Each session I ran at a 4.5 on the treadmill with a 0.5% incline, and walked at 3.0. The cool down for each session was at a 2.5 and lasted as long as it took to complete a full 2 miles...which was usually about 8 minutes.

On Saturday, we went out with some friends and walked 2.37 miles at a pretty good pace. It was great training for a 5k we are doing on June 11 together.

While I'm working up to only taking two days off each week, I took three days off last week.

I definitely need to get the post about gear up, especially since I just got some new gear myself. Will do so soon!

Day...um, yeah!

2011-04-11T19:47:00.001-07:00

OK - this is positive proof of why I didn't want to give up a food item for Lent. Halfway through and I fall off the proverbial wagon.

I took a couple of weeks off...off of dieting, off of exercising. I think I just needed a quick break. Really, I'm not sure, but it sounds good right?

Actually, I kind of went introspective. More on that later since its past my bedtime....

Suffice to say, I got back to the gym tonight and powered through Week 1 Day 1 of the C25k plan. Since a workout was trying desperately not to be in the cards, I changed at the office and went straight for the treadmill. That way I couldn't back out on myself. Treadmill set at 1% incline for the first half - dropped to 0.5% when my shins started hurting halfway through.

Ran each set at 4.5, walked each set at 3.0.
Total distance with warm up and cool down walks (added an extra 3 minutes to the cool down and walked at a 2.5 the whole time) was 2 miles!

Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow I walk 3 miles.

Catching up

2011-03-28T19:06:00.001-07:00

Wow - time flies when you are having - um- fun?!

Things have been really hectic lately. I've been fighting some kind of bug, and work has been insane. I haven't been checking in because I haven't had anything to say. Its been really hard to get back to the gym on a regular basis.

After a break, I went back last week and it was horrible! I tried Day 3 of Week 1 of C25k. Suffice to say, as a runner you will have good days and bad days. This was a bad day. However, I pushed through and at least walked for 30 minutes.

I'm proud of trying hard to get back to it and I'm really grateful for my support team.

I think there are two really good lessons here for new runners:

1. Life will get in the way.
There are many people who can just decide to start a new habit and it works for them. They are successful at reworking their schedules and obligations, and they work the new habit into their routine easily. Then there are folks like me who really have to work hard at making changes. Life always seems to get in the way, plans for the better get turned into something else. Its hard - sometimes harder than making the change itself. For example - I might take my gym clothes to work, planning on going after work. During the day, an unexpected meeting is scheduled and I end up working later than normal. By the time I'm off, I'm too tired and too hungry to go.

The lesson - you have to just work through it. Take each day as it comes. If you don't make your workout - try again the next day. If you find that you consistently aren't making it, or aren't reaching your goals, then its time to re-evaluate and make some changes so that you do.

2. You need a support team.
You need to pick a few people whom you can trust to be honest with you. If you know they will be honest with you, it helps keep you honest with yourself. Make sure this is a group that you won't be nervous about confessing that you ate a box of Twinkies while watching chick flicks all weekend because you didn't feel like getting out of bed all weekend. Not only should they understand, but they should be the kind of person who is able to motivate you honestly and with your best interest at heart.

I'm very fortunate to have such a team. Even if we aren't talking every day, they all encourage me just by being themselves. We keep each other accountable - something we all need. Especially if you are like me and need the extra push! Keep in touch with each other.

So - where does all of this lead??

After chatting with one such teammate, I got mad at myself. I've made changes to help me get back on my diet, and I've determined to do some kind of activity every day...even if I can't get to the gym.

Two days down...many, many more to go!

Days 11 & 12 - Quiet on the Homefront

2011-03-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

Again, I'm keeping this one short. No workout yesterday or today - too wiped out yesterday and busy today. Had our Annual Meeting for work so no time today.

Well, technically I could have worked out yesterday but I made the excuse that I was too tired. I could have gotten up early today and gone before church - but laziness won out.

Must work on that!

Tomorrow is a new day.

Day 10 - TGIF

2011-03-18T17:09:00.001-07:00

Yet another busy day...the diet was not the best, but I did ok.

No time to workout today either - planning on going tomorrow to do Week 1 Day 3!!

Day 9 - Loooong

2011-03-17T19:33:00.001-07:00

I'm writing a very brief post tonight - its been a very long day. No workout - no time.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Day 8 - Hectic and Sore

2011-03-16T04:01:00.000-07:00

This week has been a little nuts. I have big deadlines at work and every night I have a meeting of some kind. Thankfully, tonight is an appointment for my hair so at least its a relaxing meeting. Well, it would be if I weren't too busy thinking about the coming workout - which is right after my appointment.

Week 1 Day 2 today. My legs were so sore from Monday's workout that I had a hard time getting up out of a chair, or climbing stairs. I"ll have to stretch out even better after today's session.

Gotta run!

**** UPDATE *****

I did it!! While I really didn't want to go to the gym, and even got within a block of home before turning the car around, I went and did Week 1 Day 2. My legs were sore at the start, then felt really bad around the middle, but settled down at the end. I also worked on pacing myself this time so I was able to get through the whole thing. Distance doesn't matter at this stage in the game...I'd rather work on endurance as distance will naturally increase as I am able to stretch out more and keep going.

Stretched and did some more modified planks and some modified pushups. Tried to ice my legs in an ice bath when I got home but found it was way too cold. Found a way to ice the legs without the whole bath thing.

Day 7 - Early Bird

2011-03-15T03:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the time change, I was awake before the sun this morning. Honestly, in the last few months I've noticed that I have been waking up to the alarm much better. While I still really enjoy the snooze button, I seem to not really "need" it. The days that I don't succumb to the soft, warm goodness that are my flannel sheets, I have no problem getting up and moving around.

OK - I'm still not a morning person, but its a nice feeling to be able to get up so early.

Maybe there is a chance for me to turn into one of those morning workout kind of people.

At least the gym won't be so packed!

Where's my coffee?

Day 6 - Back to It

2011-03-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

I usually post in the morning, but deliberately waited until tonight.

Why?

So I could proudly report that I finally got back to it and completed Week 1 Day 1 (W1D1) of the C25k!!

Coincidentally I have "I am Free" by the Newsboys playing on my iPod right now.

Yeah....I'm pumped!!!!

This is what its like to complete your first challenge, your first run, even your first race! You are wiped out immediately afterward, but then you hit an amazing high. Honestly, if I could only hold on to that feeling, I wouldn't stop and start so much....its that invigorating!!

I promised you a post on gear a couple of days ago. Due to my time constraints (I brought work home tonight - its that busy right now) I'll have to do that post later on this week.

*Happy Dance*

Day 5 - Sunny Day

2011-03-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Today everyone was groggy - I think its because we all lost an hour during the night so our internal clocks were a bit behind.

I had a busy, but lovely, morning at church. After service I got to spend some time with my "adopted" Mom - a very dear friend with whom I just don't get enough time.

My gear was packed and in the car - ready to go to the gym after I left church, but my head felt like it was going to split in half. I'd been fighting a headache all morning, and the medicine I took for it just wasn't doing anything.

So - I'm taking a nap this afternoon and we'll see what happens. If all else fails, I'll do a few sets of stairs.

Regardless, I'm determined to get to the gym. Will tomorrow be the day?

Y.E.S.

Day 4 : 5 Steps for Beginners

2011-03-12T05:33:00.001-08:00

Started feeling ill again yesterday. I'm really hoping this is just allergies and not a cold or strep coming on. When I woke up this morning the congestion was in my chest.

I'm determined not to let this derail me from the goal though. I have to go to work today, but will pack my gear so I can go to the gym this afternoon.

Last night I relaxed and browsed the Internet for some running blogs. I really expected it to be easier to find good blogs. Like one writer said a couple of years ago in his blog - they all seem to be geared toward the marathoners, tri-atheletes or ultra runners.

One look at me and you'd have a hard time even guessing that I was a newbie runner, much less think that I was a marathoner. HA!

Well, I'll continue the search and, in the meantime, try to make this a good blog for beginners.

Speaking of which.....if you are just getting started running I noticed that there is a lot of advice out there from different publications. So I thought I'd add my two cents by outlining some steps that I think are crucial to the success of your plan. Note that most of these have been learned more by trial and lots of error on my part. Hence the need to start C25k for the third (and final) time.

DISCLAIMER: Be smart - talk to your doctor before starting any kind of physical plan. After I had a full physical done, I jumped right into the running plan, which I think may be part of the reason its taken me so long to progress. This not only isn't smart, but isn't the best way to go. Each person needs something different. Your doctor can help you plan a progression that is right for you.

Step 1: Get determined. This is going to be tough. Especially if you are truly going from the couch to running without much exercise in between.

Step 2: Make a schedule and stick to it. If you are like me and don't get up easily in the morning - don't plan your workouts in the morning. Later on you can if you start finding it easier to get up, but for now, stick with what you know.

Step 3: Put a plan in place. I like the C25k plan (found here). Its tough but it works for me. That's why I'm going back to it.

Step 4: Schedule a race. There are a ton of races out there that are just for fun or to raise money for local charities. Join one - they are the most friendly and it won't matter so much if you don't have the "right gear" or if you don't feel like you fit the physical profile of a runner. Most in the field are out there to have fun and move. For me, scheduling a race even though I hadn't run a 5k EVER was incentive to keep going. Now, that race is my mile marker for improvement.

Step 5: "If at first you don't succeed..." Seriously, life will get in the way. Time will find a way to work against you, and there are days or weeks where you feel like you are battling the whole world in your quest to get out there and run. KEEP TRYING!!

Step 6: Get a journal! Seriously!! Even if you aren't the journaling type, a journal will not only keep you on track but show you, in writing, your progress over time. Its also a great way to log the mileage on your shoes. I recommend this one...its the best I've found so far. Very easy to use, and just enough space to write what you need.

Tomorrow we'll talk gear...even a beginner needs a few crucial items.

Day 3 - Stalled

2011-03-11T04:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't get to run yesterday. Hubs still wasn't feeling well when I got home. He had been up moving around the house all afternoon and, though some of his aches and pains had subsided, his head was still hurting and he was a little dizzy. We opted to take it easy since he had to go to work today and went out to the store instead.

SO - I won't be running today either. As I mentioned, I'm starting the C25k program over, which means running every other day. One of the mistakes I made the last time I tried to do this was trying to run everyday. I got tired and quit. When looking at the schedule I discovered that, if I were to start today, I'd have to work out on next Thursday. Next Thursday I have a Board meeting for work and won't be able to get to the gym or the track (weather pending). Therefore, I'm going to start tomorrow in order to stay on track without any interruptions.

How do you get back on track when life interrupts you?

Day 2 - So it begins

2011-03-10T04:28:00.000-08:00

It took a while to get to sleep last night, consequently I'm pretty tired this morning. However, I'm really excited...

...you see, Hubs has been my workout partner whenever he's been home from work. He was home yesterday. In fact, he was sent home from work early on Tuesday because he's been sick.

Which is why I'm excited.

This morning he mentioned that he was getting sore from being sick in bed and wanted to go to the gym and take a nice long walk. (Its still a little chilly outside.) I asked him if he wanted to go tonight and he replied in the affirmative.

SO - I'm officially starting my C25k program (again) tonight.

With the illness that's passed through our house lately, its only a week later than I'd anticipated. But hey - its right on time!!

Day 1 - Ash Wednesday

2011-03-09T18:29:00.001-08:00

Though I'm not Catholic, I have liked the idea of celebrating Lent since I first learned of it while still in high school.

Yes, that was a VERY LONG time ago, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Even if I like the idea of celebrating, I haven't always made it happen.

To me, there is something cathartic about challenging yourself to give up something. True, like many, the first thing that comes to mind is usually food related but when I really sit down and consider the hidden meaning behind the action, I often feel guilty and try to come up with something more meaningful.

Also, like many, I either fall off the wagon or give up entirely before Lent is half over.

This goes true with most of the life-changes I've undertaken in the last several years. With only one exception....

...running. (Sort of!)

Its been two years since I undertook the task of (attempting) to run.

Two years in March to be exact. Another Lent challenge for myself.

That year, instead of giving up a food item, I opted to do something long lasting for myself. Running seemed like an easy choice. Seemed like.

In all honesty, I really do like it. I just haven't been able to get myself to stay on track long enough to really break through. I'm still barely making a 1/4 mile at one stretch.

But this is where this blog comes in.

My bestie and I have a blog together. Somewhere we can chat, catch up, vent and encourage each other without reproach, fear, indignation, guilt or any of those other pesky emotions. Its been an amazing blessing and a wonderful way to keep in touch in spite of hundreds of miles and vastly different schedules.

This blog is the resurrection of that Lenten challenge a couple of years ago. Here I will check in each day and log my progress, muse over articles in the Runners World magazines I'm trying to catch up on, basically journal my efforts to finally break through those barriers that have held me back lo these past two years.

So...this year for Lent, I'm giving up my fears and inhibitions and turning into a runner.

Join me??