Week 4, Thursday

I did remember both the Tylenol and the headband today. No problems with the hair, but my hips were still stiff. Gotta think more about that challenge. (fyi, I ran inside today, but I'm trying to motivate to get outside to run!)

I tried something else new today. I thought that since the training required two miles run at about a 12 minute pace, I would just do my best on the two mile run and skip the 5k today. I expected to really kick butt, but here's what happened: I did my jillion situps (as I start up every workout), then warmed up by stretching before running. I walked for 5 minutes at a fifteen minute mile pace, then reset the treadmill. I set it for a 12 minute mile pace, and started running. I made .7 miles and my body started to feel too heavy. Maybe it's because of the workout on Tuesday (can that be an excuse?), or .....not sure. Be that as it may, I gutted it out....I'm a competitor! I walked a little, ramped up to an 11 minute mile and ran, and back and forth. I finished my 2 miles in 24 minutes, so the average running rate fit the goal for the day. Yeah! It wasn't pretty, but it was functional. I did it. I still have one more run to do this week, so my goal is to compete against myself and try to run straight through on the 2 miles on either Saturday or Sunday.

Just to add: my pedometer for Tuesday read 12,004, and today's is already at just under 7,000.

I'm still going to play volleyball tonight, so that will add steps and more cardio training. And bonus! I just talked someone else into training with me, so hopefully we'll keep each other motivated. SHE lives in Dallas though, so she can train outside! I'm jealous! I'm just making excuses...I could train outside as well. I just haven't tried it yet. Welcome to the training team Wendy!

Week 4, Tuesday

Two words: headband, and Tylenol. Let me explain. I discovered that I really need to use a headband when I run because those fashionably long bangs that I "sweep" to the side are really annoying when they fall in my face for several miles. Second word: Tylenol. Those same annoying bangs will be ignored if the aching in my hips from running starts early and stays around for the whole run...unless I take Tylenol before I run. Henceforth, both items will be in or on my body before running.

The plan for this week is running three times for two miles at a 12 min mile pace. I did one of the two mile runs today (within my 5K run) AND cut another minute off my 5K time so I finished in 42 minutes. Moving along like a herd of turtles here,....slow and steady.

This run is a stretch, but hey, if it gets my butt out of the house to move around...it will be worth it. Besides.....NYC! Now that's what I call motivation! A trip to NYC (without kids!)

My pedometer is already over 9500 steps at 3:00 pm. I'm sure I'll make 10,000 steps today!

Week 3, Sunday

This has not been as impressive a week as I had imagined on Monday. I started with a great workout and big excitement. Two blog entries later and it's the end of the week. As you read, I did do other physical activities that got me tired enough to produce naps (you know that moms never usually get to nap!). Yesterday, I worked with my kids to clean their rooms which unfortunately hadn't been done in a while. They are now really clean and I'm thrilled. I logged over 7000 steps "helping" with the cleaning, and have four bags of stuff to donate to Goodwill. Yeah!

I promise that this is not a weakening of my resolve to do the half marathon. I know that there are many of you reading this blog regularly and cheering me on, so that really motivates me. Thanks.

Forgot to mention....I couldn't give blood again. My iron count was still too low. Rats!

Week 3, Thursday

What happened to this week? I've been busy and I know that I started the week off well with a great workout. Then on Wednesday, I had a workout cleaning out an old house....and that counts as work! 16 garbage bags hauled to the curb from the kitchen! I'm working there again tomorrow for another three hours or so. This evening, I played a good sweaty game of volleyball and picked up about 7000 steps on the pedometer.

Tomorrow morning, I'm going to try (again!) to donate blood. If it doesn't work this time, I'll give it a month off.

I'm still motivated and active, but I need to get to the gym again. It's a bummer training for race in the dead of winter. On a positive note, the days are getting longer, so more sunshine keeps me in a more optimistic frame of mind. I can feel myself getting stronger!

Week 3, Monday

"(singing)...And I'm walkin' on sunshine....oh oh! I'm walkin' on sunshine....yea-eh!... And it's startin' to feel good!" (apologies to KC and the Sunshine Band) (that is who wrote it,...isn't it?)

Two minutes....I knocked two minutes off my 5K time! That's not even the part I'm proud about, even though I'm pretty excited about that. I went to Bally's, stretched, warmed up walking for 2 minutes, then ran 2.25 miles without stopping!!! (the treadmill said that it was a 12 min. mile pace) I finished up with walking a 15 min. mile, finishing the 5K at 43 minutes! Time was short, so I concluded the workout with a bunch of sit ups and got home to the kiddies hopping off the bus.


Lastly, my pedometer reads 9,420 steps at 5:00.

Week 2, Saturday

Ok, killer workout today. It's amazing the motivation you get from negative emotions. No, they weren't negative emotions about the training....they were about something else, and I knew that I had to get them out of my system before I could deal with them rationally. I think you've all been there. However, now I did a long workout and am sitting here at the dinner table snatching pieces of sushi and enjoying a little white wine while I write this blog. That's a "feel good" moment.

Details quick and dirty: 30 minutes on the elliptical for 2.25 miles, 25 minutes hard lifting, and 3o minutes on the treadmill for another 2 miles. Do ya' think I might be sore tomorrow?! That's ok. It's Sunday. I'm supposed to have a 4th workout in this week according to the schedule, but I may just make it an easy stretch of the legs around the block if it's warm enough.

So physically, I'm doing well....and emotionally, I'm calmed down a little. I won't bore you with the details. Maybe I'll just watch a chick flick tonight to finish clearing my head....or as the picture shows, some yoga.

Lastly, my pedometer is currently reading 11,000. Score!

Week 2, Friday

It all about the changes........

"Muffin top?" It happens when the waistband is too tight and the belly spills over the waistband creating a.....you get the picture.

The point being, after working hard and making a serious effort to make some changes in my eating, I am starting to see some changes. My favorite jeans are suddenly fitting differently....not a lot mind you, but enough to wear them all day without a muffin top. That's progress.

I don't want to give you too much of a visual, but my thighs are definitely more toned, as is my backside (or butt if you want to call it that, but my Mom would never let me use that word--too unladylike.) I like that! Gotta say, however, that it will take a few more pounds lost and several more work outs until those jeans are actually sitting on my hips the way that they are supposed to.

Changes with food.....my downfall is the kids' leftover Halloween candy! Is that not pathetic?! It's those little "fun size" (who really believes that's fun?!) that I can pop in my mouth. Rats! They need to be dumped! (can I do that without admitting it to my kids?)

There are some good changes with food. I had a salad almost every day this week topped with this yummy concoction of salsa (1 can each of: black beans drained and rinsed, Mexican corn, and Mexican spiced petit diced tomatoes) Darn yummy! (oh wait,...can I say "darn?")

I am still hoping to get a work out later today when all the play dates are out of the house from the cancelled school day. I'll write about that tomorrow....the work out, not the play dates.

Week 2, Wednesday

I was supposed to give blood this morning, but came up short in the iron department. Rats! I'll try again next week. That usually doesn't happen. If you feel inclined, this bad weather has a lot of people cancelling their appointments, so please consider donating blood.

I sorta blew off yesterday, but I suppose I could say that Tuesday was a "day of rest." Yeah....that's the ticket....it was a day of rest. That's OK, I made up for it today. I ran on the treadmill at Bally's for 45 minutes and did my 3.3 miles (aka 5K because it sounds more important)

I tell ya....I am just not understanding this running thing. I went in with determination to beat my 45 minute total, so I walked a quarter mile to warm up (after stretching of course), then ran a mile without stopping. First time I've done that. So far so good. Then I walked for another quarter, then ran another whole mile! (so proud of myself and figured that I would blow my time record out of the water.) Apparently, my walking was slower than previous days, because after walking another quarter (give or take), I ran the final half mile and barely finished in 45 minutes! I am so bummed at not beating the time, and proud of myself for running the two miles. I can't figure it out. Hey! I did work out a breathing rhythm today...through the mouth... (hope it didn't look like I was gasping) .... in for three steps, out for three steps.

Now that I'm actually a "real" runner, I suppose that the next step is to start a notebook in which I record the mundane details of my workout (like how fast I was walking/running and for how long.) I don't want to bore you, so I'll just comment on it if it's significant.

P.S. Pedometer 8100 steps so far at 6:00.

Week 2, Monday Addendum

It's real....I spent money on this...I bought an airline ticket to New York, so now I have to do it. I have to run/walk a half marathon....13 miles....I'm committed. (small intake of breath here....now a deep breath, and determined look appears on my face.) I can do it! (I still need your encouragement!)

Week 2, Monday

Training details: I did 35 minutes of lifting on the machines, and I was pretty aggressive. I set the weights high and rested very little between exercises. I have a feeling I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Then I grabbed 25 minutes on the elliptical. (had to get my steps in although I finished the day with a disappointing 7021 steps.)

OK, who has ideas? It's freakin' cold here in Wisconsin (below O wind chills) and I know that running on a tread mill is going to get old. I need some ideas here.....I'm still pretty motivated (those new work out clothes are still working their magic) but I'm only 1 week in. I want to have some ideas in my back pocket for about week 6 when Girl Scout cookies are delivered and the idea of sitting on the couch watching a chick flick and gorging myself on a whole box is overwhelming....(oh please....we've all been there...)

Questions about the photo today? No, it's not me....just a fantasy....especially here in the frozen tundra. I think I'll use this image for motivation today....for where I want to be (beach! anywhere!) and what I want to look like when this training is done. (OK, maybe not a white bikini, but a bikini nonetheless)

Week 1, Sunday

OK, I'm back. And I did it. I exercised. I ran at Bally's for my 5K again, in about the same amount of time (45 min.) Again, not impressive, but I did finish. I'm waiting to see what the training will be for this week. More Magazine e-mails it to me on Monday morning.

I talked to the man I live with who IS a runner (unlike me), and asked about this whole breathing while running thing. (no, I'm not having trouble remembering to breath, just trying to figure out how to do it correctly so I don't run out of it) I have to give him credit, he didn't laugh, but he did tell me that I just haven't run enough to be in condition to run for a while. In other words, I'm out of shape. Thanks for the message Captain Obvious. OK, so I finished bright pink-faced, but I still finished. I think I deserve credit for that. I ran half a mile, walked a quarter, and so on. (you get the picture)

Oh yeah,...I finished the day with almost 10,000 steps.

Week 1, Friday

I think I'll just chalk Thursday up to "a day off." The kids had a half day today, so (being the leader) we schedule a Brownie meeting to launch this year's cookie sale. (hence the picture) I ran errands like a crazy person in the morning getting everything ready for the meeting. I even baked (you guessed it!) brownies for the meeting. I won't bore you with details, but here's how it went: crazy morning, afternoon Brownie meeting, home for a quick dinner, throw son and husband into Cub Scout uniforms and head back to school for the evening scout meeting. All this with the remnants of a cold, and it meant crawling into bed at 9:15 after tucking in the kids. I was just tired. Friday is another day.

Week 1, Thursday

No Oprah yesterday, and no running. However, as you can guess from the picture (yes, those are my new workout pants), I did my weight lifting. (I need to protect my delicate hands after all!) I'm a little sore today, but not debilitated. I did 30 minutes of 3 sets of each exercise on "machines" (not free weights), then did the elliptical for 30 minutes just because I couldn't bear to record just a couple of hundred steps on my pedometer. I did 6432 by wearing it all day, including at Bally's. I really like using a pedometer. It shows me in black and white (OK, lcd) at the end of the day if I was a shlub or if I actually moved all my pounds around during the day. It motivates me.

I ate pretty well yesterday, but am still undecided on the WW dilemma. Any helpful comments in this area?

Not sure if I will watch Oprah today(I probably should...it's Suze Orman), but tomorrow's special, (on sex!) could provide helpful advice on horizontal cardiovascular exercise (wink, wink). Hey! I'm married! Aaaaand, it burns calories.......besides, they promise to tell me 5 things that I can do right now.....! (if the kids aren't watching)

Week 1, Wednesday

Thoughts are one thing, doing is another. I didn't watch Oprah again, but I did work out just as the training program suggested. I went to Bally's yesterday afternoon and ran/walked (mostly ran, I'd estimate at least 75%) 3.3 miles in 45 minutes. Now I know that it's not a land speed record, but I did finish, and didn't fall over. Most importantly, I'm not feeling like an old lady the day after, so I can do the training program's 30 minutes of weight training today. I also wear a pedometer every day....a habit my mom got me into last August (thanks Mom!)....to encourage me to move more. It read 8772 steps at the end of the day. You'd think that with running 5K (sounds more impressive than 3.3 miles, doesn't it?) it would be more, but it's not. I should be aiming for 10,000 steps a day apparently, but I'm pretty happy with it for yesterday.

I have a cold,....at least the remnants of one, and have blown my nose into being one sore, chapped, unhappy appendage. Ouch! I'm hoping that today is better. It took a lot of motivation to get me to the gym yesterday.

I'm hoping to lose a few pounds of my holiday weight (doesn't everyone....except my naturally skinny husband...gain weight over the holidays) in the next few weeks. I won't publish my weight, but I will record any losses or gains. I think that the picture on Monday makes me look attractive, but I could definitely lose a few pounds. (My favorite jeanns are tight.) I checked into Weight Watchers today and am trying to get past the $40/month price tag. Can I do it by myself? Do you really want to read about it? I think I'll ponder over it today, do the weight training this afternoon, and decide tomorrow. (I know,...it's not a cliff hanger that should bring you back tomorrow to read this blog, but come back anyway please.)

Week 1, Tuesday

OK, the excitement of actually learning how to create a blog is wearing off and the business of recording the journey of walking/running a half marathon needs to start.
Would you believe I actually watched Oprah yesterday? I did! She spent a good part of the show talking about her weight struggles and how she believed that her weight challenge actually starts with "balance." She maintained that she continually put herself last, and so she was not taking care of herself. I can relate to that. As a mom, I spend a lot of time "doing" for my kids although before any of you comment, I will say that I have very competent, able children who do a lot for themselves. However, there are many times that I feel more fulfilled at the end of the day because of how many items I have checked off my to-do list, than if I had done something for myself. It's a guilt thing, I think.
Today I am painting my kitchen (w/Kilz since I have already stripped the wallpaper), but I will go to Bally's today and get in a good workout. The training schedule that More provides says that I need to do 25 minutes of fast walking twice this week, or run 1.5 miles twice this week. I'm feeling very motivated right now, so I'll say that I will run the 1.5 mile commitment at least once this week, and fast walk the 25 minutes for the other. I did buy new running shoes for myself, and because I know that motivation can wane after a while, a new running outfit. (oh stop! you'd do the same thing! Besides, it was big-time on sale!) I'll see if I have the guts to have someone take a picture of me in it to post here later.
I think I'll watch Oprah again today.....

Week 1, Monday

Hi! This is me, the real me, on New Year's Eve, so it's about as current a picture as I have. This body (and mind) will be running/walking a half marathon in a scant 16 weeks. Whoa! Never done that before, so I'm blogging about it.