Showing posts with label C25k. Show all posts
Showing posts with label C25k. Show all posts
Monday, November 9, 2009
Eternal Optimist
So...today I start diet and c25k again. For the gazillionth time.
Here are the facts:
I weighed 250.2 this morning.
I have my A1c appointment in exactly 3 weeks.
My A1c was at 6.4 three months ago.
I want my A1c to be at 6.2 or lower when I get tested.
I also want to lose between 8 and 10.3 pounds by my test.
I stayed within my calories today, and I'm now trying to talk myself into changing my clothes and setting foot on that treadmill for the first time in months.
Why is that first step always the hardest?
I'll update you on my progress (and hopefully not the lack thereof) later tonight.
Ugh.
Here are the facts:
I weighed 250.2 this morning.
I have my A1c appointment in exactly 3 weeks.
My A1c was at 6.4 three months ago.
I want my A1c to be at 6.2 or lower when I get tested.
I also want to lose between 8 and 10.3 pounds by my test.
I stayed within my calories today, and I'm now trying to talk myself into changing my clothes and setting foot on that treadmill for the first time in months.
Why is that first step always the hardest?
I'll update you on my progress (and hopefully not the lack thereof) later tonight.
Ugh.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
"It ain't pretty..."
("Pretty Vegas" by INXS).
Well, it doesn't really require much of a post to tell you that I sucked this go round. 49:twenty-something. Bah. I'm sure there are many things on the list of why I ADDED two minutes to my time, not the least of which are the fact that I weigh 250 pounds and haven't ran since the week after my last 5k.
(As you all know, that's changing as of today - the official start day of my challenge!)
Anyway, I'll leave you with pictures, since I don't really have anything else to say on the subject of my suckiness...
Friday, July 31, 2009
I suppose we all just wear bed sheet togas...
The 5k I'm running in tomorrow is sponsored by a popular local running store. I went to the store today to pick up my race packet. Let me preface this little story by telling you that the store was pretty well populated...it certainly wasn't dead in there. Plenty of ears around for the following verbal transaction between myself and the older gentleman manning the packet pick-up table.
OG: Name?
Mrs. B: Mrs. B.
OG: Ah, here you are, Mrs. B. Shirt size, extra large. No...WAIT! ONE X?! I didn't know they made them that big!
Mrs. B: *stunned silence*
Really? Seriously?! The man was just kind of clueless. He really wasn't trying to be malicious or mean, but saying something like that out loud? Let alone loudly out loud? In a populated place?
Where's that brain-to-mouth filter when you need it? Ugh.
OG: Name?
Mrs. B: Mrs. B.
OG: Ah, here you are, Mrs. B. Shirt size, extra large. No...WAIT! ONE X?! I didn't know they made them that big!
Mrs. B: *stunned silence*
Really? Seriously?! The man was just kind of clueless. He really wasn't trying to be malicious or mean, but saying something like that out loud? Let alone loudly out loud? In a populated place?
Where's that brain-to-mouth filter when you need it? Ugh.
"A change gonna come"
"Oh, there been times that I thought I couldn't last for long,
But now I think I'm able to carry on,
It's been a long, a long time coming,
But I know, a change gonna come. Yes it will."
("A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke)
The mission: I will lose 30 pounds in 11 weeks.
The rules:
1. I will stay under 1,500 calories per day.
2. I will do a t5k at least four times per week. Every week.
3. I will eat salad for at least two of my meals per week.
4. I will eat lunch and dinner out only once per week.
5. I will take all of my medications as prescribed.
6. I will lose at least 30 pounds (2.74 pounds per week) at the end of 11 weeks.
The reward:
For each of the 79 days of this challenge (August 1 - October 18) that I successfully complete, I will deposit $2 into a dedicated bank account. If I have lost at least 30 pounds after 79 days, that money will go towards getting the tattoo of my dreams (which I am expecting to cost between $200 and $300).
If I have not lost 30 pounds after 79 days, the money I have collected will go into our regular savings account and I will have to wait until we can save up the money again and I have lost at least 30 pounds to get the tattoo.
My first wedding anniversary is October 18th - 11 weeks from this weekend. My original goal this year was to lose 60 pounds by this date, which would put me at under 200 pounds for the first time since high school. Waffling around for six months has made this goal less than realistic, and as I've always said, losing ANY amount of weight is a victory. If I did nothing more, I would probably finish this year saying I lost 10 pounds and ran two 5ks. While that's definitely progress over last year and pretty much every year up to now, that's just not good enough for me. I will finish this year saying that 2009 was the year I lost forty pounds and ran five 5ks.
Thirty pounds. Eleven weeks. One possible outcome: success (and a new tattoo to show for it).
I'm going to need your help, but I'm going to do it by and for myself. Are you with me?
p.s. A super-special-you're-the-bomb Thank You to Lyndsey for suggesting and unwittingly letting me steal her awesome reward idea...
But now I think I'm able to carry on,
It's been a long, a long time coming,
But I know, a change gonna come. Yes it will."
("A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke)
The mission: I will lose 30 pounds in 11 weeks.
The rules:
1. I will stay under 1,500 calories per day.
2. I will do a t5k at least four times per week. Every week.
3. I will eat salad for at least two of my meals per week.
4. I will eat lunch and dinner out only once per week.
5. I will take all of my medications as prescribed.
6. I will lose at least 30 pounds (2.74 pounds per week) at the end of 11 weeks.
The reward:
For each of the 79 days of this challenge (August 1 - October 18) that I successfully complete, I will deposit $2 into a dedicated bank account. If I have lost at least 30 pounds after 79 days, that money will go towards getting the tattoo of my dreams (which I am expecting to cost between $200 and $300).
If I have not lost 30 pounds after 79 days, the money I have collected will go into our regular savings account and I will have to wait until we can save up the money again and I have lost at least 30 pounds to get the tattoo.
My first wedding anniversary is October 18th - 11 weeks from this weekend. My original goal this year was to lose 60 pounds by this date, which would put me at under 200 pounds for the first time since high school. Waffling around for six months has made this goal less than realistic, and as I've always said, losing ANY amount of weight is a victory. If I did nothing more, I would probably finish this year saying I lost 10 pounds and ran two 5ks. While that's definitely progress over last year and pretty much every year up to now, that's just not good enough for me. I will finish this year saying that 2009 was the year I lost forty pounds and ran five 5ks.
Thirty pounds. Eleven weeks. One possible outcome: success (and a new tattoo to show for it).
I'm going to need your help, but I'm going to do it by and for myself. Are you with me?
p.s. A super-special-you're-the-bomb Thank You to Lyndsey for suggesting and unwittingly letting me steal her awesome reward idea...
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
"Ahh, ooh, push it..."
...p-push it real good!" ("Push It" by Salt n Pepa).
In May, I had a t5k best time of 52:39.
Monday, I broke that record with a time of 52:11.
Tonight, I shattered that record with a time of 51:20.
And damn, does it feel good.
In May, I had a t5k best time of 52:39.
Monday, I broke that record with a time of 52:11.
Tonight, I shattered that record with a time of 51:20.
And damn, does it feel good.
I was sabotaged by a dead man.
I had every intention (okay, almost every intention) of doing another t5k last night. Monday's went well...1:30 run/3:30 walk at an 0.5% incline, which left me with my fastest treadmill time to date: 52:11. For some reason, I can't seem to get under 52:00 on that darn thing. Anyway, it went well, and I was able to keep it up for the whole duration of the 5k, so that's a good sign of things to come.
And as I said, I had almost every intention of doing it again last night. But then...I was flipping through the channels on the TV and came across the Michael Jackson memorial service on BET. I ask you this: how's a girl supposed to get up and run/walk 5k while she's crying her eyes out?! Not that I'm a crazy MJ fan who is devastated by his death, but pretty much any death is sad. And then to see his family and how much grief they are feeling, and then you add in music? There was no chance. Brooke Shields' speech? Marlon (I think) singing "Smile"? Paris saying that her daddy was "the best daddy in the whole world"? While I might raise an eyebrow at that, you can't deny that three children just lost the only person they've ever known as their dad.
If that doesn't bring you to tears, I don't know what will.
Anyway, I plan on staying as far away as possible from any more coverage of the memorial. If for no other reasons than (1) my heart can't take it. I'm already an emotionally unstable mess with The Hubs being gone all the time, and (2) I really, really want to get back on that treadmill and (I absolutely hate this saying) git 'er done this week.
MJ, it didn't matter if you were Black or White. You took it in stride when the world was against you and said that you were Bad. They may have told you to Beat It, but you proved to them that you weren't a Smooth Criminal. You weren't a criminal at all.
You made the whole world want to Rock With You (all night), and I don't mind saying that You Rock My World with your music. Billie Jean may not have been your lover, but there were millions of other women in the world that wished they were. I will always Remember The Time you did the moonwalk at the 25th Anniversary Motown show, and I'll never lose The Way You Make Me Feel when I listen to your music. It's always a Thriller of an experience.
I hope that now, when you look at the Man in The Mirror, you see that You Are Not Alone. We Are The World, and we will always remember you.
P.S. Your daughter is such a P.Y.T.! What a cutie!
Rest In Peace.
And as I said, I had almost every intention of doing it again last night. But then...I was flipping through the channels on the TV and came across the Michael Jackson memorial service on BET. I ask you this: how's a girl supposed to get up and run/walk 5k while she's crying her eyes out?! Not that I'm a crazy MJ fan who is devastated by his death, but pretty much any death is sad. And then to see his family and how much grief they are feeling, and then you add in music? There was no chance. Brooke Shields' speech? Marlon (I think) singing "Smile"? Paris saying that her daddy was "the best daddy in the whole world"? While I might raise an eyebrow at that, you can't deny that three children just lost the only person they've ever known as their dad.
If that doesn't bring you to tears, I don't know what will.
Anyway, I plan on staying as far away as possible from any more coverage of the memorial. If for no other reasons than (1) my heart can't take it. I'm already an emotionally unstable mess with The Hubs being gone all the time, and (2) I really, really want to get back on that treadmill and (I absolutely hate this saying) git 'er done this week.
MJ, it didn't matter if you were Black or White. You took it in stride when the world was against you and said that you were Bad. They may have told you to Beat It, but you proved to them that you weren't a Smooth Criminal. You weren't a criminal at all.
You made the whole world want to Rock With You (all night), and I don't mind saying that You Rock My World with your music. Billie Jean may not have been your lover, but there were millions of other women in the world that wished they were. I will always Remember The Time you did the moonwalk at the 25th Anniversary Motown show, and I'll never lose The Way You Make Me Feel when I listen to your music. It's always a Thriller of an experience.
I hope that now, when you look at the Man in The Mirror, you see that You Are Not Alone. We Are The World, and we will always remember you.
P.S. Your daughter is such a P.Y.T.! What a cutie!
Rest In Peace.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Finally...
In this battle of good vs. evil, where good = actually getting my ass on the treadmill and doing what I need to do, and bad = sitting on the comfy couch and watching bad tv all night...
Good totally wins for once.
Treadmill 5k, here I come!
Good totally wins for once.
Treadmill 5k, here I come!
"Motivate me..."
"...I wanna get myself out of this bed,
Captivate me,
I want good thoughts inside of my head,
If I fall down, would you come around,
and pick me right up off the ground?"
("Motivation Proclamation" by Good Charlotte).
249.4
That pound I lost? Found it! God, why are they so easy to find?! Even with running a 5k this weekend (update later) I gained weight. Bah.
So let's talk motivation.
Somebody around here told the karma gods that I thought that 5k was going to be easy...and when I find out who it was, you're going to be in "big trouble, mister"! That 5k? Was so. not. easy. It probably could have been, had I been training. It's a simple case of cause and effect. And when you boil it down, the whole weight loss thing is a simple case of cause and effect, too.
Cause: I didn't train before my most recent 5k.
Effect: I pretty much felt like I was going to die and only, somehow magically, beat my previous time by 18 seconds. 18 seconds.
Cause: I eat crap and don't work out.
Effect: I weigh 249.4 pounds and have two chins and a bowl full of jelly.
So, my motivation consists of many things. Currently, though, my motivation is the fact that the last 5k totally, 100%, kicked my ass. I was miserable. I considered quitting. Like, seriously, considered turning around and going back. After less than a mile. It shouldn't be that hard. Especially when I've already done it once, and had another month to get in better shape for it.
My motivation is that I know I have to put myself through this hell three more times. And I know that I have the power to make it easier on myself. I can make it so that it's not such a horrible experience. It's going to suck, yes. But it doesn't have to suck that much.
Strangely, after the first 5k, I didn't want to get back on the treadmill. I was sore, and felt like I had accomplished a feat, so I deserved a break. That damn break quickly turned into a downward spiral into old habits. For me, that's probably the hardest part about this whole damn thing...I can never quit. I have to keep going. I have to make it to every single workout. And for the rest of my friggen' life. UUUUUUUUUUGH!
I can't think about that.
What I'm focusing on is this: after this 5k, I now feel much more desire to get my butt back on that treadmill, and back to t5ks and c25k, just so that in one month's time, I'm not wishing I could lay down in front of the leaders of the pack and get trampled - put out of my misery. Right now, it's not even so much about losing weight, as it is about getting my running back on schedule. (The plus side is that one leads to the other...)
I gotta Forrest Gump my ass into that next 5k. I want to finish in less than 46:00. I want to make progress that you can actually call progress. I don't want to feel like I'd rather drop dead than go out there and do it again.
And it's all within my power to do so. I just have to do it.
In other news:
The Hubs started 3rd shift last night. I saw him for about 10 minutes as I was getting ready this morning. The next time I'll get any extended quality time with him will be Friday night. Fun times.
And I think that's about it.
I hope you all are doing better on your journey than I am!
Captivate me,
I want good thoughts inside of my head,
If I fall down, would you come around,
and pick me right up off the ground?"
("Motivation Proclamation" by Good Charlotte).
249.4
That pound I lost? Found it! God, why are they so easy to find?! Even with running a 5k this weekend (update later) I gained weight. Bah.
So let's talk motivation.
Somebody around here told the karma gods that I thought that 5k was going to be easy...and when I find out who it was, you're going to be in "big trouble, mister"! That 5k? Was so. not. easy. It probably could have been, had I been training. It's a simple case of cause and effect. And when you boil it down, the whole weight loss thing is a simple case of cause and effect, too.
Cause: I didn't train before my most recent 5k.
Effect: I pretty much felt like I was going to die and only, somehow magically, beat my previous time by 18 seconds. 18 seconds.
Cause: I eat crap and don't work out.
Effect: I weigh 249.4 pounds and have two chins and a bowl full of jelly.
So, my motivation consists of many things. Currently, though, my motivation is the fact that the last 5k totally, 100%, kicked my ass. I was miserable. I considered quitting. Like, seriously, considered turning around and going back. After less than a mile. It shouldn't be that hard. Especially when I've already done it once, and had another month to get in better shape for it.
My motivation is that I know I have to put myself through this hell three more times. And I know that I have the power to make it easier on myself. I can make it so that it's not such a horrible experience. It's going to suck, yes. But it doesn't have to suck that much.
Strangely, after the first 5k, I didn't want to get back on the treadmill. I was sore, and felt like I had accomplished a feat, so I deserved a break. That damn break quickly turned into a downward spiral into old habits. For me, that's probably the hardest part about this whole damn thing...I can never quit. I have to keep going. I have to make it to every single workout. And for the rest of my friggen' life. UUUUUUUUUUGH!
I can't think about that.
What I'm focusing on is this: after this 5k, I now feel much more desire to get my butt back on that treadmill, and back to t5ks and c25k, just so that in one month's time, I'm not wishing I could lay down in front of the leaders of the pack and get trampled - put out of my misery. Right now, it's not even so much about losing weight, as it is about getting my running back on schedule. (The plus side is that one leads to the other...)
I gotta Forrest Gump my ass into that next 5k. I want to finish in less than 46:00. I want to make progress that you can actually call progress. I don't want to feel like I'd rather drop dead than go out there and do it again.
And it's all within my power to do so. I just have to do it.
In other news:
The Hubs started 3rd shift last night. I saw him for about 10 minutes as I was getting ready this morning. The next time I'll get any extended quality time with him will be Friday night. Fun times.
And I think that's about it.
I hope you all are doing better on your journey than I am!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Here we go again...
I should totally be in bed right now.
I've got to be up and out of the house by 6:45 tomorrow morning for 5k number two. And then I've got a wedding to go to. Yeah, it's gonna be one of those days...
The Hubs and I went and picked up my race "packet" today, which consisted of my race bib (Number 10 this time) and my t-shirt. What?! No freebie 5k swag?! I feel totally jipped. As we all know, I only run these things for the free samples. And as we all know, I'm lying. Still, a couple free samples would have been nice...
We drove the course after I got my number, and it actually seems easier than the first one. I know, I say that now, and then come in with a time in the 50's tomorrow, right? I'm so trying not to jinx myself right now, so if you didn't tell the karma gods that I said it looked easy, I'd appreciate it, okay?
The course is almost entirely through a compact residential area, and only one small section is on a main public street. There are maybe three or four hills, one of which is a little steep, but short. The others are all slight gradual inclines. I think, possibly because it winds through a relatively small residential area, it seems shorter than the last one, which ended with one big, looooong straight-away through most of mile 3. That might be playing with my head right now and making me think it's not as daunting as the last one. I don't know...
What I do know is this: I have to finish this 5k faster than my last one (47:37). If I do that, I'll be happy.
I also know that I've somehow got to muster the strength to attend a wedding and reception, where I'm sure I'll be required to Cupid Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, and Booty Call. (Yeah, that last one sounded dirty.)
As always, I'll let you know how it goes. If you're up and at 'em at around 8 am Eastern Standard Time, this chubby little runner sure would appreciate some 5k mojo sent her way. Think good thoughts for me, eh?
And if you read this after 9 am Eastern Standard Time? Wake up and move your butt! I already ran a 5k today...what have you done?!
I've got to be up and out of the house by 6:45 tomorrow morning for 5k number two. And then I've got a wedding to go to. Yeah, it's gonna be one of those days...
The Hubs and I went and picked up my race "packet" today, which consisted of my race bib (Number 10 this time) and my t-shirt. What?! No freebie 5k swag?! I feel totally jipped. As we all know, I only run these things for the free samples. And as we all know, I'm lying. Still, a couple free samples would have been nice...
We drove the course after I got my number, and it actually seems easier than the first one. I know, I say that now, and then come in with a time in the 50's tomorrow, right? I'm so trying not to jinx myself right now, so if you didn't tell the karma gods that I said it looked easy, I'd appreciate it, okay?
The course is almost entirely through a compact residential area, and only one small section is on a main public street. There are maybe three or four hills, one of which is a little steep, but short. The others are all slight gradual inclines. I think, possibly because it winds through a relatively small residential area, it seems shorter than the last one, which ended with one big, looooong straight-away through most of mile 3. That might be playing with my head right now and making me think it's not as daunting as the last one. I don't know...
What I do know is this: I have to finish this 5k faster than my last one (47:37). If I do that, I'll be happy.
I also know that I've somehow got to muster the strength to attend a wedding and reception, where I'm sure I'll be required to Cupid Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, and Booty Call. (Yeah, that last one sounded dirty.)
As always, I'll let you know how it goes. If you're up and at 'em at around 8 am Eastern Standard Time, this chubby little runner sure would appreciate some 5k mojo sent her way. Think good thoughts for me, eh?
And if you read this after 9 am Eastern Standard Time? Wake up and move your butt! I already ran a 5k today...what have you done?!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Running Down a Dream: Songs to run to
I've made my playlist for Saturday's 5k. I try to stick to music that is not only very upbeat, but that will keep me distracted interested throughout the duration. For this playlist, I also chose quite a few songs that are old favorites that I may not have heard for a while.
1. Proud - Heather Small (a.k.a. The Biggest Loser theme song)
2. I Know You Want Me - Pitbull
3. Buch Dich - Rammstein
4. Cupid Shuffle - Cupid
5. See You Again - Miley Cyrus
6. Crazy Bitch - Buck Cherry
7. Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
8. Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
9. Pussy Control - Prince (haven't heard it in forever and it's got a great beat. Don't judge.)
10. Let The Bodies Hit The Floor - Drowning Pool
11. Ladies' Night - Kool & The Gang
12. Gasoline - Kicking Harold (the song they play at the end of every Overhaulin' episode)
13. Push It - Salt 'n Pepa
14. Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
Let's get this show on the road!
1. Proud - Heather Small (a.k.a. The Biggest Loser theme song)
2. I Know You Want Me - Pitbull
3. Buch Dich - Rammstein
4. Cupid Shuffle - Cupid
5. See You Again - Miley Cyrus
6. Crazy Bitch - Buck Cherry
7. Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
8. Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
9. Pussy Control - Prince (haven't heard it in forever and it's got a great beat. Don't judge.)
10. Let The Bodies Hit The Floor - Drowning Pool
11. Ladies' Night - Kool & The Gang
12. Gasoline - Kicking Harold (the song they play at the end of every Overhaulin' episode)
13. Push It - Salt 'n Pepa
14. Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
Let's get this show on the road!
Monday, June 29, 2009
"Won't you come and save me? Save me."
("Man in a Box" by Alice in Chains).
*Warning* Please expect randomness. It's Monday morning, the weekend was ridiculous, and I don't quite have all of my faculties. The end.
248.4
That right there is a 1.2 pound loss for last week, and I'll take it! I only ended up doing t5k's twice, and managed to eat out for lunch every day last week. I half expected to gain that much, so losing it was a pleasant surprise. These 40's are kicking my butt, but I can't exactly complain since it's my fault I haven't been working out as much as I was in the 50's. The whole weight loss thing is pretty simple, really. Eat better, move more. When you don't do those things, you're either stagnant or, worse, growing.
Eat better, move more. Eat better, move more. Eat better, move more. Rinse and repeat.
I only have 5 more days until my second 5k! I'm not sure if The BFF has signed up for it yet, but I've been hounding her to...I hope she does! Before my last 5k (how cool is it that I can start a sentence like that?!?!?) I did t5ks every night except for Friday, and it seemed to work out okay. I think I'll stick with that plan, and we'll see how it goes.
I'm picking up my race packet on Friday and driving the course. Randomly, the residential section goes down the street of one of my friends at work, so she said she's going to make me a little poster to cheer me on. (She said there's NO WAY she's going to be up at 8:30 to do it in person, and with 6 kids, I don't really blame her).
My goals for this 5k are simple: (1) finish faster than my last time of 47:37, (2) get to the 2nd mile marker in under 29 minutes, and (3) keep up a running schedule.
Last time, my 2-mile time was 30:07. My average time for the course was 15:22/mile. My goal is to stay in the 14's for the whole thing. If I finished each mile in 14:59, my final time would be 46:27, shaving a little over a minute off my time. 14:30 would have me finishing in 44:57 - 2.5 minutes less! I know that while I'm here, comfortably sitting on my ass at work, shaving 30 seconds off my time per mile seems super easy...Saturday, it's going to be a completely different story.
As for keeping a running schedule, right now the plan is to run 2.5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes for as long as I can. When that gets hard, I will run 2 minutes, walk 3. When that gets hard, because I'm sure it will, I want to make sure I'm running at least 1.5 minutes of every 5. I know that I slacked with the running in the 3rd mile last time, so hopefully even if I'm running less in the beginning this time, it will average out to a faster time in the end.
I can't believe I'm less than a week away from running my second 5k. I won't lie...I'm pretty proud.
Goals for this week include:
1. Taking all meds. I did pretty awesome last week! Rock on.
2. T5k M, T, W, Th at at least a 0.5% incline.
3. Watch calories.
4. Get to 246 at next weigh-in.
5. Rock out at my second 5k.
Easy enough, right? Right.
On to other things: my weekend.
Friday:
Went with MFN and The BFF to Cheeseburger in Paradise. Horrible service, as we have found places with 'ambiance' to be consistant in that area - *ahem* Cadillac Ranch *ahem*. They're also horrible with nutrition information. They don't post any on their website, and don't make it available to you if you inquire. Yeah, there was pretty much no hope. On the plus side, afterwards we went to MFN's house and worked off a gazillion calories playing Rock Band. Well, at least I'm going to pretend I worked off a gazillion calories, as I had to sing the whole time. Hey, there was clapping involved.
Saturday:
The Hubs and I had Mongolian Grill (yes, again) for lunch. I snuck some carrots, broccoli, and sprouts in there, thankyouverymuch. Then we saw a Transformers 2 matinee. The Hubs and I both really enjoyed it, no matter what the critics may say. I'm sure we'll be buying it when it comes out on DVD. Mrs. B. Movie Grade: A-.
Sunday:
I'll spare you the long, dramatic details, but my 11 year old niece is in a Christian Children's Home about 3.5 hours north of where I live. Crammed in a backseat with my two "little" brothers, I rode up to see her with my Step-dad and Mom. The trip up was not fun, and then when we finally got there to visit, we were told that she had been taken with the rest of the kids to a baseball game about an hour away. If we wanted to, they would have brought all the kids back early from their trip, but of course we said no. My mom was really heartbroken because she hasn't spoken to her or seen her in about a month, and we were really looking forward to it. So now, we have to take another long trip up there sometime soon, in the hopes that we'll get to see her. Ugh.
And that brings us back to the present. Another day at work, another day on a diet, another day of life.
Which is totally better than the alternative.
In memoriam:
Ed McMahon
Farrah Fawcett
Michael Jackson
Billy Mays (yes, Billy Mays. He was annoying, but iconic).
*Warning* Please expect randomness. It's Monday morning, the weekend was ridiculous, and I don't quite have all of my faculties. The end.
248.4
That right there is a 1.2 pound loss for last week, and I'll take it! I only ended up doing t5k's twice, and managed to eat out for lunch every day last week. I half expected to gain that much, so losing it was a pleasant surprise. These 40's are kicking my butt, but I can't exactly complain since it's my fault I haven't been working out as much as I was in the 50's. The whole weight loss thing is pretty simple, really. Eat better, move more. When you don't do those things, you're either stagnant or, worse, growing.
Eat better, move more. Eat better, move more. Eat better, move more. Rinse and repeat.
I only have 5 more days until my second 5k! I'm not sure if The BFF has signed up for it yet, but I've been hounding her to...I hope she does! Before my last 5k (how cool is it that I can start a sentence like that?!?!?) I did t5ks every night except for Friday, and it seemed to work out okay. I think I'll stick with that plan, and we'll see how it goes.
I'm picking up my race packet on Friday and driving the course. Randomly, the residential section goes down the street of one of my friends at work, so she said she's going to make me a little poster to cheer me on. (She said there's NO WAY she's going to be up at 8:30 to do it in person, and with 6 kids, I don't really blame her).
My goals for this 5k are simple: (1) finish faster than my last time of 47:37, (2) get to the 2nd mile marker in under 29 minutes, and (3) keep up a running schedule.
Last time, my 2-mile time was 30:07. My average time for the course was 15:22/mile. My goal is to stay in the 14's for the whole thing. If I finished each mile in 14:59, my final time would be 46:27, shaving a little over a minute off my time. 14:30 would have me finishing in 44:57 - 2.5 minutes less! I know that while I'm here, comfortably sitting on my ass at work, shaving 30 seconds off my time per mile seems super easy...Saturday, it's going to be a completely different story.
As for keeping a running schedule, right now the plan is to run 2.5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes for as long as I can. When that gets hard, I will run 2 minutes, walk 3. When that gets hard, because I'm sure it will, I want to make sure I'm running at least 1.5 minutes of every 5. I know that I slacked with the running in the 3rd mile last time, so hopefully even if I'm running less in the beginning this time, it will average out to a faster time in the end.
I can't believe I'm less than a week away from running my second 5k. I won't lie...I'm pretty proud.
Goals for this week include:
1. Taking all meds. I did pretty awesome last week! Rock on.
2. T5k M, T, W, Th at at least a 0.5% incline.
3. Watch calories.
4. Get to 246 at next weigh-in.
5. Rock out at my second 5k.
Easy enough, right? Right.
On to other things: my weekend.
Friday:
Went with MFN and The BFF to Cheeseburger in Paradise. Horrible service, as we have found places with 'ambiance' to be consistant in that area - *ahem* Cadillac Ranch *ahem*. They're also horrible with nutrition information. They don't post any on their website, and don't make it available to you if you inquire. Yeah, there was pretty much no hope. On the plus side, afterwards we went to MFN's house and worked off a gazillion calories playing Rock Band. Well, at least I'm going to pretend I worked off a gazillion calories, as I had to sing the whole time. Hey, there was clapping involved.
Saturday:
The Hubs and I had Mongolian Grill (yes, again) for lunch. I snuck some carrots, broccoli, and sprouts in there, thankyouverymuch. Then we saw a Transformers 2 matinee. The Hubs and I both really enjoyed it, no matter what the critics may say. I'm sure we'll be buying it when it comes out on DVD. Mrs. B. Movie Grade: A-.
Sunday:
I'll spare you the long, dramatic details, but my 11 year old niece is in a Christian Children's Home about 3.5 hours north of where I live. Crammed in a backseat with my two "little" brothers, I rode up to see her with my Step-dad and Mom. The trip up was not fun, and then when we finally got there to visit, we were told that she had been taken with the rest of the kids to a baseball game about an hour away. If we wanted to, they would have brought all the kids back early from their trip, but of course we said no. My mom was really heartbroken because she hasn't spoken to her or seen her in about a month, and we were really looking forward to it. So now, we have to take another long trip up there sometime soon, in the hopes that we'll get to see her. Ugh.
And that brings us back to the present. Another day at work, another day on a diet, another day of life.
Which is totally better than the alternative.
In memoriam:
Ed McMahon
Farrah Fawcett
Michael Jackson
Billy Mays (yes, Billy Mays. He was annoying, but iconic).
Monday, June 22, 2009
"And I've made up my mind, I ain't waistin' no more time. Here I go again..."
("Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake).
Yesterday I made a deal withThe Devil my husband.
Seeing as how I've been a total bum with the whole diet and exercise thing, and also seeing as how I'm completely, hopelessly, 100% obsessed with getting pregnant, I decided to take matters into my own hands. And it went something like this:
Mrs. B.: Honey, I've decided something.
Mr. B.: (looks scared) You have? What?
Mrs. B.: When I get to 195 pounds, we're having a baby.
Mr. B.: (turning pale and pastey) We are?! How about 175 pounds?
Mrs. B.: No! I'll be happy under 200, so 195.
Mr. B.: Where are you now?
Mrs. B.: Right around 250.
Mr. B.: (calculating in his head) How about 190?
Mrs. B.: Seriously?! What's the difference between 195 and 190?!
Mr. B.: ....190?
Mrs. B.: Fine. When I get to 190 pounds, we're going to get me pregnant. Deal?
Mr. B.: Uhhhhhh....ehhhhhh.....weeeell....
(Mrs. B. gives Mr. B. "the look")
Mr. B.: Okay...deal.
And then, partly in the interest of full-disclosure, and partly because I'm an evil wife who sometimes might just get a tiny bit of enjoyment out of seeing her husband break out into an instant sweat, I added this little bit:
"You know, honey, if I really kick it into gear, I could be at 190 by the end of this year..."
...and I swear to you, I think his heart just might have stopped beating for a second. He recovered, though, and now I'm back in the game. I've got new purpose, and I'm ready to go. You know, sometimes I think you just have to procrastinate on something so much until you just can't possibly take it anymore, to really kick it into gear and make a difference. Table for one?! Because that's pretty much where I am.
My weigh-in this morning said 249.6. Today's the day that I start working on my "baby wait". I'm pretty darn excited!
My goals for this week are:
1. Take all meds daily.
2. Test blood sugar twice daily.
3. Stay under 1,600 calories daily.
4. C25k Week 3 Mon, Weds, Fri at 1% incline.
5. T5k Tues, Thurs, Sat at 1% incline.
Here I go again...
And in other news...(I think I missed my calling as a news anchor, don't you?)
The Hubs and I took The In-Laws to Bd's Mongolian Grill on Friday. I was seriously concerned about this, seeing as I'm one of the pickiest eaters on the planet. I barely eat "Chinese" food, sticking mainly to Sweet & Sour Chicken and fortune cookies. But, seriously, it was so good! The place was absolutely packed so I did feel a little rushed. I didn't get time to sample as many sauces as I would have liked, but in the end I was not at all disappointed by my choices. Next time, I'll add more veggies, since using a small amount of sauce is a great way to 'hide' them in the dish. The website has a handy dandy tool where you can create a bowl and it will automatically calculate your nutrition facts for you.
I talked MFN into going there for lunch today. Yay veggies! (Wait... what's that I hear? The flapping of tiny pig wings? The crackling of icicles in Hades? Did she just say, "yay veggies!"? I think she did!) Yep. "Yay veggies..." I'm not the person I used to be. And that's a totally awesome thing.
Saturday, I grocery shopped. I also just happened to cook the most awesomest meal I've ever cooked in the history of my wifedom. I made steak, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes, and didn't ruin anything! (Where's The MIL when I need her?!) It was so freaking good! I mean, yes, I understand that there isn't much skill in boiling corn or in putting a potato in the oven, but the steaks were awesome! My George Foreman grill is officially my favorite kitchen gadget. (After the Kitchen Aid mixer, of course!)
Sunday, we hung out at my Step-Grandparents' house for Father's Day, and then lounged around the apartment for some quality spouse time. The Hubs starts his first full week of the quarter this week, and now we've got to find him a new job as well. Needless to say, he's a busy guy. He's a busy guy who's going to have a pregnant wife to deal with as soon as I get my ass in gear.
:-)
Yesterday I made a deal with
Seeing as how I've been a total bum with the whole diet and exercise thing, and also seeing as how I'm completely, hopelessly, 100% obsessed with getting pregnant, I decided to take matters into my own hands. And it went something like this:
Mrs. B.: Honey, I've decided something.
Mr. B.: (looks scared) You have? What?
Mrs. B.: When I get to 195 pounds, we're having a baby.
Mr. B.: (turning pale and pastey) We are?! How about 175 pounds?
Mrs. B.: No! I'll be happy under 200, so 195.
Mr. B.: Where are you now?
Mrs. B.: Right around 250.
Mr. B.: (calculating in his head) How about 190?
Mrs. B.: Seriously?! What's the difference between 195 and 190?!
Mr. B.: ....190?
Mrs. B.: Fine. When I get to 190 pounds, we're going to get me pregnant. Deal?
Mr. B.: Uhhhhhh....ehhhhhh.....weeeell....
(Mrs. B. gives Mr. B. "the look")
Mr. B.: Okay...deal.
And then, partly in the interest of full-disclosure, and partly because I'm an evil wife who sometimes might just get a tiny bit of enjoyment out of seeing her husband break out into an instant sweat, I added this little bit:
"You know, honey, if I really kick it into gear, I could be at 190 by the end of this year..."
...and I swear to you, I think his heart just might have stopped beating for a second. He recovered, though, and now I'm back in the game. I've got new purpose, and I'm ready to go. You know, sometimes I think you just have to procrastinate on something so much until you just can't possibly take it anymore, to really kick it into gear and make a difference. Table for one?! Because that's pretty much where I am.
My weigh-in this morning said 249.6. Today's the day that I start working on my "baby wait". I'm pretty darn excited!
My goals for this week are:
1. Take all meds daily.
2. Test blood sugar twice daily.
3. Stay under 1,600 calories daily.
4. C25k Week 3 Mon, Weds, Fri at 1% incline.
5. T5k Tues, Thurs, Sat at 1% incline.
Here I go again...
And in other news...(I think I missed my calling as a news anchor, don't you?)
The Hubs and I took The In-Laws to Bd's Mongolian Grill on Friday. I was seriously concerned about this, seeing as I'm one of the pickiest eaters on the planet. I barely eat "Chinese" food, sticking mainly to Sweet & Sour Chicken and fortune cookies. But, seriously, it was so good! The place was absolutely packed so I did feel a little rushed. I didn't get time to sample as many sauces as I would have liked, but in the end I was not at all disappointed by my choices. Next time, I'll add more veggies, since using a small amount of sauce is a great way to 'hide' them in the dish. The website has a handy dandy tool where you can create a bowl and it will automatically calculate your nutrition facts for you.
I talked MFN into going there for lunch today. Yay veggies! (Wait... what's that I hear? The flapping of tiny pig wings? The crackling of icicles in Hades? Did she just say, "yay veggies!"? I think she did!) Yep. "Yay veggies..." I'm not the person I used to be. And that's a totally awesome thing.
Saturday, I grocery shopped. I also just happened to cook the most awesomest meal I've ever cooked in the history of my wifedom. I made steak, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes, and didn't ruin anything! (Where's The MIL when I need her?!) It was so freaking good! I mean, yes, I understand that there isn't much skill in boiling corn or in putting a potato in the oven, but the steaks were awesome! My George Foreman grill is officially my favorite kitchen gadget. (After the Kitchen Aid mixer, of course!)
Sunday, we hung out at my Step-Grandparents' house for Father's Day, and then lounged around the apartment for some quality spouse time. The Hubs starts his first full week of the quarter this week, and now we've got to find him a new job as well. Needless to say, he's a busy guy. He's a busy guy who's going to have a pregnant wife to deal with as soon as I get my ass in gear.
:-)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
"I guess you're just what I needed..."
("Just What I Needed" by The Cars).
Here's your Monday weigh-in, a day late. Yesterday was a little crazy, and it was all I could do to get the 5k recap in. Better late than never, and without further ado:
246.0
Yep, you read correctly. I lost FOUR POUNDS last week!
Having my little mini breakdown and having my 5k looming over my head was just what I needed to get myself back on track. Here's how I did:
-I did a total of 25k (20 on the treadmill and 5 on the road).
-I stayed within my calories all but one day. Although, I'm pretty sure that I was in negative calories on Saturday, having only eaten one meal and running around getting stuff done.
-I took my Metformin 5 out of 7 days. Saturday and Sunday it was mainly just because I didn't eat a 'real' dinner, so I didn't think about taking the meds.
-I did two workouts at a 1% incline. I need to up this this week!
-I absolutely failed at not checking the scale. I kept seeing it go down, so I wanted to keep checking it to make sure it wasn't a figment of my imagination.
This week, I've been really sore since the 5k, and in random places. Sunday night, it was my hamstrings/quads. Monday morning, it was my shoulders and back (I think I hunch over while running...gotta stop that!), and Monday night it was my inner thighs.
I actually kind of like being sore, because I know it means that I'm doing something good for my body. I can usually do a t5k and not feel that bad the next day, so I know that I was really working myself out at the race on Sunday. Now, the trouble is just getting on the treadmill and working through the soreness. I know I need to, and I know it will help, but I'm dreading it. Tonight it is, though!
I'm going to officially start c25k again this week, with Week 3. I'm going to do each workout at a 1% incline, and I'm going to throw in one more t5k. I'm going to keep my calories between 1400 and 1900 (except for yesterday), and I'm going to continue to remember to take my Metformin at dinner every night.
I'm not looking for another 4 pound week, but I'd really like to have a 2 pounder. My new short-term goal is to be at (or under) 240 by the 4th of July 5k. Totally doable.
In other (random) news:
I get to buy my new phone this week! I decided on the new enV Touch. The Hubs and I went to play with it last Friday at a Verizon store, and I totally loved it! I didn't think I would, because I hate The Hubs' Voyager, and the Touch is it's replacement. I'm super excited to get it; I can't wait!
Now that I've got a 5k under my belt, I have an incredible urge to buy all kinds of running paraphernalia. I really need a timing watch, I'd like a new pair of shoes, and some running pants would really come in handy! The money to buy all these things would come in handy as well. Bummer.
I wish I had the money to promise myself incentives for losing weight. Every year, Jimmy Buffet comes to town, and every year, tickets sell out in less than 10 minutes. We were lucky enough to get tickets last year, but this year we weren't. Now, if you want to go, you have to pay at least twice the ticket price. I would really like to be able to say "If I lose a total of 30 pounds by August 1st (the Saturday before the concert) I'm going to see Buffet!" The problem(s) with this are: (1) I can't afford to buy a ticket to Buffet, (2) I don't want to go by myself, so someone else would have to shell out a ton of money for a ticket, and (3) the closer you get to the concert, the more expensive tickets get, so waiting until the Saturday before the concert almost makes it impossible to buy them. Bah. I really need better ideas for incentives!
My dad and step-mom got a new doggie a couple weeks ago! I get to see her this Sunday. She's a Blue Weimaraner, and apparently she's the perfect little sister for our other Weimy, Winston.
Here's your Monday weigh-in, a day late. Yesterday was a little crazy, and it was all I could do to get the 5k recap in. Better late than never, and without further ado:
246.0
Yep, you read correctly. I lost FOUR POUNDS last week!
Having my little mini breakdown and having my 5k looming over my head was just what I needed to get myself back on track. Here's how I did:
-I did a total of 25k (20 on the treadmill and 5 on the road).
-I stayed within my calories all but one day. Although, I'm pretty sure that I was in negative calories on Saturday, having only eaten one meal and running around getting stuff done.
-I took my Metformin 5 out of 7 days. Saturday and Sunday it was mainly just because I didn't eat a 'real' dinner, so I didn't think about taking the meds.
-I did two workouts at a 1% incline. I need to up this this week!
-I absolutely failed at not checking the scale. I kept seeing it go down, so I wanted to keep checking it to make sure it wasn't a figment of my imagination.
This week, I've been really sore since the 5k, and in random places. Sunday night, it was my hamstrings/quads. Monday morning, it was my shoulders and back (I think I hunch over while running...gotta stop that!), and Monday night it was my inner thighs.
I actually kind of like being sore, because I know it means that I'm doing something good for my body. I can usually do a t5k and not feel that bad the next day, so I know that I was really working myself out at the race on Sunday. Now, the trouble is just getting on the treadmill and working through the soreness. I know I need to, and I know it will help, but I'm dreading it. Tonight it is, though!
I'm going to officially start c25k again this week, with Week 3. I'm going to do each workout at a 1% incline, and I'm going to throw in one more t5k. I'm going to keep my calories between 1400 and 1900 (except for yesterday), and I'm going to continue to remember to take my Metformin at dinner every night.
I'm not looking for another 4 pound week, but I'd really like to have a 2 pounder. My new short-term goal is to be at (or under) 240 by the 4th of July 5k. Totally doable.
In other (random) news:
I get to buy my new phone this week! I decided on the new enV Touch. The Hubs and I went to play with it last Friday at a Verizon store, and I totally loved it! I didn't think I would, because I hate The Hubs' Voyager, and the Touch is it's replacement. I'm super excited to get it; I can't wait!
Now that I've got a 5k under my belt, I have an incredible urge to buy all kinds of running paraphernalia. I really need a timing watch, I'd like a new pair of shoes, and some running pants would really come in handy! The money to buy all these things would come in handy as well. Bummer.
I wish I had the money to promise myself incentives for losing weight. Every year, Jimmy Buffet comes to town, and every year, tickets sell out in less than 10 minutes. We were lucky enough to get tickets last year, but this year we weren't. Now, if you want to go, you have to pay at least twice the ticket price. I would really like to be able to say "If I lose a total of 30 pounds by August 1st (the Saturday before the concert) I'm going to see Buffet!" The problem(s) with this are: (1) I can't afford to buy a ticket to Buffet, (2) I don't want to go by myself, so someone else would have to shell out a ton of money for a ticket, and (3) the closer you get to the concert, the more expensive tickets get, so waiting until the Saturday before the concert almost makes it impossible to buy them. Bah. I really need better ideas for incentives!
My dad and step-mom got a new doggie a couple weeks ago! I get to see her this Sunday. She's a Blue Weimaraner, and apparently she's the perfect little sister for our other Weimy, Winston.
Five-year-old Maisey is on the left, my dad's in the middle, and my nine-year-old 'brother' Winston is on the right. I can't wait to meet her!
Guess that's all the news for now. Have a great week, lovelies!
Monday, June 8, 2009
"And I ran, I ran so far away..."
("I Ran" by A Flock of Seagulls).
Update: My 'official' time was 47:37. Damn them for taking away those 7 seconds! It's all good, though...I'm still stoked!
This weekend was so screwey, and that's not what I was looking for right before I had to do my first 5k. Saturday, I had Chick-fil-a for lunch after we picked up our race packets, and then I was so busy with running errands and doing stuff around the house, I didn't even stop to eat dinner. I finally realized this around 9:45, and I didn't want to eat right before bed, and right before a race.
After tossing and turning in bed for an hour and a half, I decided that I needed to get up and at least put something in my stomach, so being the health-conscious, nutritious eater that I am, I had a handfull of honey roasted peanuts and hit the sack.
Let's just say I think I slept better in the middle of the woods with the possibility of animals eating me, and crazy murderers getting me. I could NOT turn off my brain. I wrote down everything I was thinking about before I went to bed, which usually helps, but nothing would work! I drifted in and out of sleep until my alarm went off at 5:50 am.
We were on the road by about 6:15, and we showed up at the race site at 7:00. They had told us to get there early if we didn't want to walk from a nearby Kroger parking lot, so we did. In the end, there wasn't very much competition for good spots, and our 3 cars all ended up making it into the right parking lot.
I ate a banana, had some powerade, and took 2 Ibuprofens about 1/2 hour before the race started, and then we all just kind of stood around in a nervous stupor for a bit. All of a sudden, I started to get really nervous, even though I know that if I just walked the whole thing, I'd finish in under an hour. I think part of it was that we were standing there, with that Scarlet R on our bibs, in the midst of 'real' runners. I guess I didn't want them to judge me, thinking that I think I'm a real runner like they are. I would have liked it to say, 'yeah, it says "R", but don't worry, I'm not delusional enough to think I'm as good as you..." but I guess that would have been too long to write on a bib.
So we stood there, and waited for the race to start. The BFF decided several times that she didn't want to actually do this, but she did it, of course. I believe Tonja mentioned the words "stroke" and "ambulance" a couple times, and I pretty much stuck to the nervous whine/wimper that I tend to do when I'm not quite sure I want to do something that I know I have to do.
As the race started, we stuck to the back of the pack because we didn't want to get passed by everyone.
I probably made it about 3/10ths of a mile before I decided to start walking. The BFF and Tonja made it farther than I did. Once I started walking, I sort of began to panic, because it felt like I wasn't going anywhere. I knew my legs were moving, but it felt like my scenery wasn't changing at all! I guess that since I've been training on a treadmill, I didn't realize how different it would feel when the earth under my feet wasn't moving for me.
I probably ended up running the most in that first mile, and when I made it to the 1 mile marker, I saw a lady sitting there. This being my first 5k ever, I didn't quite realize what she was doing there, but then I saw her talking to the lady in front of me. I took my earbud out long enough to hear her tell me that I was at 14:20-something. So many things were going through my head at that moment - 'oh my god, this sucks!', 'oh my god, I'm never doing this again', 'oh my god, did she say FOURTEEN?!?!?' - that I missed the actual seconds of the time she told me. Never in my life have I done anything less than a 16 minute mile, and here I am thinking I'm not moving at all, doing a 14-something! I kept going, thinking her time had to be wrong. There was no way that my lead feet were doing a 14-something minute mile.
Mile #2 was mostly through a residential area, with several long, rolling hills. I ran down the hills as much as I could, and walked up them. I was so scared that I wasn't moving my feet fast enough, that I just kept telling myself that I had to keep up the pace, no matter how long the hill was. "Don't slow down. Keep the beat of the music. You can't slow down. You gotta move. It's almost over - this hill is almost over!" And then the hill would be over, I'd run down as much as I could, and then continue on my walk. At the 2 mile marker, the man there told me "30:07".
Now, I'm pretty sure most people just hear their time and keep on walking like it's no big deal, but everytime I'd hear my time I'd say "Thank You!!!" and keep on going. If you're telling me that I'm doing 14 and 15 minute miles, you'd better bet I'm going to thank you for that!
Mile #3 was mostly straight away back to the church, but with a big, fat hill in the way. Tonja had long since been out of our sights - she Energizer Bunnied it through the course. The BFF was a little bit behind me for some of mile 2, and then she kicked it into high gear and passed me up. I was pretty much all alone for the rest of my trip, except for an older woman in front of me that I just couldn't catch up to.
Random note: Since the course was on a public road, and through neighborhoods, there were a lot of cars passing by. At first, I was self-conscious, thinking about all my flab bouncing around for all to see, and again, thinking "I hope these people don't think that I think I have the ability to actually do this". Why did I feel that way? Why did I want to negate what I was doing? I don't know why I keep acting like it's not a big deal that I'm attempting to run a 5k. It's like I just don't want people to feel pity for me, or laugh at me in that "Oh, that fat girl thinks she's going to run a 5k?!?! Bwaaaahahahaha!" kind of way. I just have this internal need to let other people know that I know full well I'm not going to run the whole thing. I'm not kidding myself. But, really, why does it matter?! That drives me nuts!
Anyway, like I said, at first I was really self-conscious. Then I started trying to look at it this way: maybe in one of those cars is an overweight woman who feels helpless. Maybe she wants to lose weight but doesn't think she can do it. Maybe she wants nothing more than to go out and see how far she can run, but she, too, is self-conscious about flailing flab. Maybe, just maybe, she'll pass me on the road and think, "Wow...look at her. She's bigger than I am, and she's out here running. She doesn't care about her floppy stomach. Maybe if she can do it, I can." (Of course, she would have no way of knowing that in my head, all I'm thinking about is my floppy stomach and trying not to die...thank god we don't have thought bubbles above our heads!) But that thought is what kept me running when I could. I'm not just doing this thing for me. I'm doing it for fat, flabby, self-conscious women everywhere.
I came up to the 3 mile marker and started running again right after I passed it. When I turned into the church parking lot, there were several finished runners ligned up cheering the rest of us on. That was a really nice thing to experience. I booked it as long and hard as I could, and crossed the finish line in 47:37. I was so out of breath that one of the workers had to take the bottom part of my bib off for me for scoring. I just couldn't even breathe well enough to concentrate on that.
The Hubs met me at the finish line and gave me a big hug and a kiss, and I came so close to crying because (1) I couldn't catch my breath, and (2) I had just finished my first 5k, 5 minutes faster than I'd ever done before.
After a while, I finally caught my breath, and we stayed for the awards. Would you believe it?! The BFF and I came in 1st and 2nd for women in our age group! Now, wouldn't it be mean of me to leave out the part where I tell you that we were the only two women in our age group? Oh well...
It was an amazing experience that I wouldn't exactly call "fun". That's all I kept hearing before the race..."5k's are so fun! You're going to have a great time! Enjoy!" Um, excuse me? Fun? Riding a roller coaster is fun. Going to a concert is fun. Practically killing yourself on a 3.1 mile trek at 250 pounds? Not exactly what I would call fun.
Rewarding? Yes. Worth it? Yes. Something to be proud of? Yes, but "Fun"? I'm not quite there yet.
All in all, I'm really glad that we did it. We've got the first one under our belts, and now we know what to expect from the others. The only thing that sucks to me is that you can't get a true comparison of whether you have improved from one to the next, since the courses are different. What if we do the 5k on the 4th, and it's chock full of crazy hills? Of course my time will be slower, even if I've been training harder. How do you compare that?
I don't really care how you compare it. All I care about is fulfilling the goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year, and right now, I can say "last year I ran a 5k". That's so much better than "last year I sat on my ass".
I'm a happy girl.
Update: My 'official' time was 47:37. Damn them for taking away those 7 seconds! It's all good, though...I'm still stoked!
This weekend was so screwey, and that's not what I was looking for right before I had to do my first 5k. Saturday, I had Chick-fil-a for lunch after we picked up our race packets, and then I was so busy with running errands and doing stuff around the house, I didn't even stop to eat dinner. I finally realized this around 9:45, and I didn't want to eat right before bed, and right before a race.
After tossing and turning in bed for an hour and a half, I decided that I needed to get up and at least put something in my stomach, so being the health-conscious, nutritious eater that I am, I had a handfull of honey roasted peanuts and hit the sack.
Let's just say I think I slept better in the middle of the woods with the possibility of animals eating me, and crazy murderers getting me. I could NOT turn off my brain. I wrote down everything I was thinking about before I went to bed, which usually helps, but nothing would work! I drifted in and out of sleep until my alarm went off at 5:50 am.
We were on the road by about 6:15, and we showed up at the race site at 7:00. They had told us to get there early if we didn't want to walk from a nearby Kroger parking lot, so we did. In the end, there wasn't very much competition for good spots, and our 3 cars all ended up making it into the right parking lot.
I ate a banana, had some powerade, and took 2 Ibuprofens about 1/2 hour before the race started, and then we all just kind of stood around in a nervous stupor for a bit. All of a sudden, I started to get really nervous, even though I know that if I just walked the whole thing, I'd finish in under an hour. I think part of it was that we were standing there, with that Scarlet R on our bibs, in the midst of 'real' runners. I guess I didn't want them to judge me, thinking that I think I'm a real runner like they are. I would have liked it to say, 'yeah, it says "R", but don't worry, I'm not delusional enough to think I'm as good as you..." but I guess that would have been too long to write on a bib.
So we stood there, and waited for the race to start. The BFF decided several times that she didn't want to actually do this, but she did it, of course. I believe Tonja mentioned the words "stroke" and "ambulance" a couple times, and I pretty much stuck to the nervous whine/wimper that I tend to do when I'm not quite sure I want to do something that I know I have to do.
As the race started, we stuck to the back of the pack because we didn't want to get passed by everyone.
I probably made it about 3/10ths of a mile before I decided to start walking. The BFF and Tonja made it farther than I did. Once I started walking, I sort of began to panic, because it felt like I wasn't going anywhere. I knew my legs were moving, but it felt like my scenery wasn't changing at all! I guess that since I've been training on a treadmill, I didn't realize how different it would feel when the earth under my feet wasn't moving for me.
I probably ended up running the most in that first mile, and when I made it to the 1 mile marker, I saw a lady sitting there. This being my first 5k ever, I didn't quite realize what she was doing there, but then I saw her talking to the lady in front of me. I took my earbud out long enough to hear her tell me that I was at 14:20-something. So many things were going through my head at that moment - 'oh my god, this sucks!', 'oh my god, I'm never doing this again', 'oh my god, did she say FOURTEEN?!?!?' - that I missed the actual seconds of the time she told me. Never in my life have I done anything less than a 16 minute mile, and here I am thinking I'm not moving at all, doing a 14-something! I kept going, thinking her time had to be wrong. There was no way that my lead feet were doing a 14-something minute mile.
Mile #2 was mostly through a residential area, with several long, rolling hills. I ran down the hills as much as I could, and walked up them. I was so scared that I wasn't moving my feet fast enough, that I just kept telling myself that I had to keep up the pace, no matter how long the hill was. "Don't slow down. Keep the beat of the music. You can't slow down. You gotta move. It's almost over - this hill is almost over!" And then the hill would be over, I'd run down as much as I could, and then continue on my walk. At the 2 mile marker, the man there told me "30:07".
Now, I'm pretty sure most people just hear their time and keep on walking like it's no big deal, but everytime I'd hear my time I'd say "Thank You!!!" and keep on going. If you're telling me that I'm doing 14 and 15 minute miles, you'd better bet I'm going to thank you for that!
Mile #3 was mostly straight away back to the church, but with a big, fat hill in the way. Tonja had long since been out of our sights - she Energizer Bunnied it through the course. The BFF was a little bit behind me for some of mile 2, and then she kicked it into high gear and passed me up. I was pretty much all alone for the rest of my trip, except for an older woman in front of me that I just couldn't catch up to.
Random note: Since the course was on a public road, and through neighborhoods, there were a lot of cars passing by. At first, I was self-conscious, thinking about all my flab bouncing around for all to see, and again, thinking "I hope these people don't think that I think I have the ability to actually do this". Why did I feel that way? Why did I want to negate what I was doing? I don't know why I keep acting like it's not a big deal that I'm attempting to run a 5k. It's like I just don't want people to feel pity for me, or laugh at me in that "Oh, that fat girl thinks she's going to run a 5k?!?! Bwaaaahahahaha!" kind of way. I just have this internal need to let other people know that I know full well I'm not going to run the whole thing. I'm not kidding myself. But, really, why does it matter?! That drives me nuts!
Anyway, like I said, at first I was really self-conscious. Then I started trying to look at it this way: maybe in one of those cars is an overweight woman who feels helpless. Maybe she wants to lose weight but doesn't think she can do it. Maybe she wants nothing more than to go out and see how far she can run, but she, too, is self-conscious about flailing flab. Maybe, just maybe, she'll pass me on the road and think, "Wow...look at her. She's bigger than I am, and she's out here running. She doesn't care about her floppy stomach. Maybe if she can do it, I can." (Of course, she would have no way of knowing that in my head, all I'm thinking about is my floppy stomach and trying not to die...thank god we don't have thought bubbles above our heads!) But that thought is what kept me running when I could. I'm not just doing this thing for me. I'm doing it for fat, flabby, self-conscious women everywhere.
I came up to the 3 mile marker and started running again right after I passed it. When I turned into the church parking lot, there were several finished runners ligned up cheering the rest of us on. That was a really nice thing to experience. I booked it as long and hard as I could, and crossed the finish line in 47:37. I was so out of breath that one of the workers had to take the bottom part of my bib off for me for scoring. I just couldn't even breathe well enough to concentrate on that.
The Hubs met me at the finish line and gave me a big hug and a kiss, and I came so close to crying because (1) I couldn't catch my breath, and (2) I had just finished my first 5k, 5 minutes faster than I'd ever done before. After a while, I finally caught my breath, and we stayed for the awards. Would you believe it?! The BFF and I came in 1st and 2nd for women in our age group! Now, wouldn't it be mean of me to leave out the part where I tell you that we were the only two women in our age group? Oh well...
It was an amazing experience that I wouldn't exactly call "fun". That's all I kept hearing before the race..."5k's are so fun! You're going to have a great time! Enjoy!" Um, excuse me? Fun? Riding a roller coaster is fun. Going to a concert is fun. Practically killing yourself on a 3.1 mile trek at 250 pounds? Not exactly what I would call fun.
Rewarding? Yes. Worth it? Yes. Something to be proud of? Yes, but "Fun"? I'm not quite there yet.
All in all, I'm really glad that we did it. We've got the first one under our belts, and now we know what to expect from the others. The only thing that sucks to me is that you can't get a true comparison of whether you have improved from one to the next, since the courses are different. What if we do the 5k on the 4th, and it's chock full of crazy hills? Of course my time will be slower, even if I've been training harder. How do you compare that?
I don't really care how you compare it. All I care about is fulfilling the goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year, and right now, I can say "last year I ran a 5k". That's so much better than "last year I sat on my ass".
I'm a happy girl.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
47:30
Yes, it's unbelievable to me, too! But I have witnesses! :-)
Thanks for all the support, you guys! I can't believe I just did that!
I'll blog more about it later, but now I totally need a nap!
Thanks for all the support, you guys! I can't believe I just did that!
I'll blog more about it later, but now I totally need a nap!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Please take a number...
It's official...I'm in the race. There's no going back now, buddy! (Well, I guess technically I could just not show up tomorrow and chock my entry fee up to a donation to the American Cancer Society...but I won't - I promise!)Tonja, The BFF and I all went to pick up our packets together this morning. Somehow, magically, even though our names are not close to each other alphabetically, and we all sent in our registration forms separately, we ended up getting sequential numbers: 1938, 1939, and 1940. I thought that was pretty cool...
See that "R" under my number? That stands for "Runner", and I'm not exactly sure they know how loosely that term should be used in my case, but whatev. I'll go with it.
Also in my 'packet' was this lot of runner swag:
A shampoo/conditioner sample, a travel-sized 30 SPF sunblock that is "Ultra Sweatproof" - thanks, I'll need that -, a travel-sized Dove Lotion, and a packet of PowerBar Carbohydrate Electrolyte Gel in Green Apple flavor - mmmm, yummy! (I'm seriously intrigued by this.) I'm a sucker for free stuff!
After we picked up our packets, we got in my car and took the route of the race course. This, of course, is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, now we know the lay of the land, what to expect, and how much farther we have to go until we reach the finish line. On the other hand, we now know how much farther we have to go until we reach the finish line.
Seriously?! 3.1 miles is a looooooong way, dude! I'm in a wee bit of shock, and it's my fault. My 5k's have been stationary - I've never been outside and mapped that distance, and to tell you the truth, if I had, there's a good chance I would have quit right then and there. But I didn't, and I won't, and tomorrow I'll give this thing everything I've got.
One good thing about this course - it's really pretty. It goes around a lake, past a horse farm, and past another lake before coming back to the starting line. The website says "rolling hills", and I'd say that's fairly accurate. Most of the course is pretty flat, with probably 3-4 long (not tall, but long) hills throughout.
Good thing #2 - this race is for runners and walkers, as I'm pretty sure most 5k's are. For me, this means two things: (1) there will be other people there with me in the back, and (2) there will be people there that I will be faster than! I'm just glad that I (hopefully) won't be the last person across that finish line. I may be the last runner, but if I beat the walkers, I'll be happy. Plus, having people there towards the end will help push me to keep going, to run as much as I can, and to finish faster than somebody.
Good thing #3 - the weather is supposed to be great! 62 degrees, mostly sunny, and only a 10% chance of rain. It doesn't get much better than that!
I'm really excited. I have no idea how I'll do, but at the very least, I'll be able to say I did it. That, to me, is what really counts.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Stats...
Monday: 1400 calories*, t(readmill)5k
Tuesday: 1200 calories, t5k
Wednesday: 3000 calories, sat on fat ass. (Good day all around!)
Thursday: 990 calories, t10k
Friday: 1100 calories so far, Steak & Salad for dinner, t5k
Saturday: Hoping to stay around 1100, t5k in preparation for REAL 5k
Sunday: REAL 5k @ 8am!!!
Monday: Weigh-in, hopefully around 247. (We'll see!)
*all calorie counts are after working out.
Have a great weekend, lovelies! :-)
Tuesday: 1200 calories, t5k
Wednesday: 3000 calories, sat on fat ass. (Good day all around!)
Thursday: 990 calories, t10k
Friday: 1100 calories so far, Steak & Salad for dinner, t5k
Saturday: Hoping to stay around 1100, t5k in preparation for REAL 5k
Sunday: REAL 5k @ 8am!!!
Monday: Weigh-in, hopefully around 247. (We'll see!)
*all calorie counts are after working out.
Have a great weekend, lovelies! :-)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Let's get this show on the road.
The BFF and I have had enough. We've re-committed ourselves to c25k. We're committing ourselves to five 5k's.
You read right.
Five. 5k's.
06/07: "Run For The Prize"
07/04: "4th of July Spectacular"
08/01: "Lady Distance Classic"
09/06: "Cincinnati Zoo Cheetah Run"
10/03: "Reggae Run"
All right. Let's go. I'm ready.
You read right.
Five. 5k's.
06/07: "Run For The Prize"
07/04: "4th of July Spectacular"
08/01: "Lady Distance Classic"
09/06: "Cincinnati Zoo Cheetah Run"
10/03: "Reggae Run"
All right. Let's go. I'm ready.
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