5K...check!

I finished the 5K! Whew! I had a few snafus, but pushed through and had a great run.

Here's the low down:

Snafu #1: My family was supposed to see me off and was late!

I was expecting this big group consisting of my sweet hubby, my 5 kids, my mom visiting from AZ, and my step brother sending me off with cheers and encouragement, snapping pictures and in general celebrating my awesomeness for taking on this challenge. What actually happened was I ended up leaving by myself for the race since no one was ready to go yet, then starting alone and my husband drove into a parking lot about 1/4 of a mile along the trail and snapping some pictures. Eh, not too big of a deal,  the end is the exciting part, right?

Snafu #2: Pandora would not work on my phone. "What?" you say..."Problems with Pandora? That's crazy!" Oh wait, it's not crazy and it happens to me all the time. I guess I should be a little diplomatic, it could have been my phone. Either way, NO music! Ouch.

Snafu #3: My family was not at the finish! That was kind of a let down, but I was so excited to finish it didn't bother me. I ran faster than I thought and so they thought they had about 5 more minute to wrestle kids into car seats and what not, but me being the speed demon that I am, they missed it. No sweat, we reenacted the finish for a pic and had our oranges and yogurt.

Now for the great part: the run! I felt at a good pace pretty much the whole time and not having music didn't cripple me as much as I thought it would. The race started at a little park, then went down a very steep long ramp into a beautiful canyon, then turned around to come back up the evil ramp and finish where we began. I walked for a minute down in the canyon and for sure up that crazy ramp. But I finished strong and my time was 40 minutes and 19 seconds, 67th place. Yay! The scenery was gorgeous, following a lazy river and it was overall a great experience. I have taken a little running break to do a step class, but I am excited to get back to running and improving my time!

2 days out!

I am now 2 days away from my first official 5K as I try to get back into real running shape. Whew, I am nervous! I decided I should do a little test run today. I finished all 9 weeks of my couch 2 5K program, but that gets you running 30 minutes and doesn't really keep track of distance, so I wanted to run a course I knew was 3 miles. It went pretty well. My 10 year old son followed me a bit on his bike. And by follow I mean rode in circles around me, went far ahead and came back, lagged behind to try and feed some cows, you know, the usual. Except for some Pandora problems (explicit lyrics just should not be on there!) it went very smoothly. And I got to absorb this view the whole time:

You can't ask for more than that! For some reason, scenery plays a big part in my enjoyment of running. Lucky for me I LOVE pastoral farm sights, so I obviously live in just the right place. :)

 My legs were having some endurance issues, so I may have taken this photo op to camoflage needed a teeny rest...but I ran again after and finished strong!

(the poor calves my son tried to feed grass but just scared the heck out of)

I am all registered and feel pretty ready for the run. My fam is coming to cheer me on and that is a great motivator for me. I defninitely want my kids seeing me do hard things and finish them.

I won't be first, but I will finish!

Venting (or whining...)

My runs have been getting way harder lately and it's getting difficult to not be discouraged. I am running outside exclusively and it is so SO different from treadmill running. Why did this not occur to me before? Duh! But I have not given up and I am still planning on my June 2nd 5K. I think sometimes we all just get into a self sabotaging frame of mind and set ourselves up to fail. At least I do! Here's a good example.

Today I put my run off till lunch time on THE hottest day of the year so far! It was 90 degrees today in lovely southern Idaho, and instead of taking my camelback like a smart person, I ate a Yakisoba (aka 25 lbs of salt shoved into one bowl of noodles) for BREAKFAST and decided 30 minutes wasn't that long and I didn't need water. Hello! Salt...heat...thirst...this is not rocket science.

I started of pretty well, even on the inclines, then my mouth became a dry, pasty pit of thirst and I really felt how hot it was getting. I still was plowing through until I started getting dizzy and since I was running in a rural area on the side of the road with no sidewalk, I decided passing out on the road was a bad idea. So I kept walking, then running again, repeat for the last 10 minutes.

Lesson learned: you can't have a good run unless you prepare for a good run.

Here are the things I need to do to have a good run:

1. Go to sleep at a decent time

2. Eat for fuel, THINK about what I am eating and how it will effect my workout

3. Plan for the temp! If it's going to be hot go in the AM

4. Water, when in doubt bring some

There you have it.   

As an update to my sugar challenge, I feel like some sort of traitor but I am not noticing a huge difference! We'll see if that changes...

To sugar or not to sugar, that is the question

Running is, of course, only one side of my trying to be healthy and lose weight. Eating, in my case, has a much bigger effect on my body than exercise. I have gained weight in the past while going to the gym every day just because I haven't kept track of my eating. Currently I am rocking my c25k thang, but my eating...not so much. I go to weight watchers and am a semi good tracker, but I need a little kick in the tush. So when a friend of mine asked if I wanted to join in a 10 days with no sugar challenge I readily said, "Count me in!"

Then later that day I went to the store and bought chocolate chips.

Oops.

I will save them for after the challenge.

Buying them kind of made me realize how much sugar is a part of my daily life. I don't even think about it. Not so healthy. So I look forward to avoiding it and gaining a little self awareness. 

I was also thinking about how this might effect my running. I have heard that sugar is a big cause of muscle and joint pain so I plan on paying very close attention to how I feel these next 10 days and maybe making this permanent. Well...not permanent because I'm not crazy like that, but maybe really limit the sweet stuff.

In other news, I am on week 8 of my training and am running 28 minutes with 5 minutes of walking before and after. It is going great! I am still going to the gym and doing it on the treadmill, mostly out of habit. I think I will try for a few outside runs over the next 2 weeks so I can get ready for a real live 5k. I even found one in my area to do on June 2nd. Wahoo!! I am really looking forward to it!

Not easier...

I found this saying while browsing on Pinterest the other day: 

 

It is SO true! I've been thinking, since I have been running regularly for about 7 weeks now, things should start getting easier. But the truth is, it's still hard! 

Those first 10 minutes of running still are tough. 

There are times during my run that I still think about quitting.

Some mornings I still think about skipping my run.

I think what I've gained over the last 7 weeks is the ability to ignore those pesky doubts and keep going. I've practiced rolling out of bed even when I'd like to stay in and running while those thoughts are going through my head. 

So I think I am getting better! 

Not super fast or super skinny, but stronger than my insecurities and excuses.

Plan A...Plan B...Plan C...Plan D...

Today's run almost didn't happen! 

Plan A: My alarm wernt off at 6, as usual, and I promptly grabbed it, set it for 6:30 and went back to sleep. My justification: I need to do more outdoor training, so I'll run outside which doesn't take as long as driving to the gym to run so I can sleep for 30 more minutes. Seems logical.

Plan B: So I got up at 6:30, got ready and headed out the door for my run...and came right back inside. It wasn't all that cold, but the wind was freezing! So I came back in and made pancakes. I thought I'd take my 2 little girls to the gym play place when it opened and do my run on the treadmill after all.

Plan C: So after a good breakfast (my son had an important test today!) and doing some housework, I took "Beanie," 2, and "Smoosh," 1, to the gym. No sweat. Smoosh was a bit fussy when I left, but that's not anything strange. As soon as I'm out of sight she calms down. So I was about 1/4 of the way through my run and in walks the poor kid's place worker holding a red faced sobbing Smoosh. So, I collected my girls and went home. Fate was definitely against me so I should just embrace it, right? WRONG!

Plan D: I bundled up the girls, got favorite blankies and strapped them into our double jogging stroller. And finally, while pointing out cows and talking to birds with Beanie, I started my run over and finished! Wahoo!

We are all expert ats coming up with hundreds of plausible excuses about why we can't exercise or why we don't have time to eat healthy. But it feels so great to quit that and finish something hard!



On the road

Last week I took a 4 day trip to my alma mater for a conference just for ladies. It was refreshing, amazing, and everything I hoped it would be! I was a little worried about maintaining my running schedule on the road, but my running soul mate (referred to in an earlier post) drove 2 hours to my home so we could drive the rest of the 4 hours together. It was so SO fun! So on the last day she and I had a run reminiscent of our daily runs way back in the day when we trained for a half marathon together. The big difference was...I was not as quick, thin, or had as much stamina as I used to when we would run. I'm going to blame this on the much higher altitude and the fact that we were outside rather than my normal treadmill. I pushed through and finished, but it was hard! I was glad to have a great motivator by my side. I realized I need to add more outdoor running into my routine. There is such a difference and I had a heck of a time pacing myself and dealing with the small inclines along the way.

The other new thing to deal with was soreness. During our conference we walked and walked and walked and trekked up numerous ginormous flights of stairs! Whew! So my thighs were pretty sore and I got my first little taste of running through the pain. No so fun, but definitely necessary.

Last post I mentioned cross training. I run Mon Wed Fri so I have been thinking of adding something on to my off days. I have done TTapp in the past and really liked it, but it's not a workout I enjoy doing alone, there's no music or anything so without some conversation it's a little boring. So I'm still mulling it over. My hubby does the gym on my off mornings so going there for a class isn't an option. 

I did a class before my run this morning and holy soreness Batman! It was a butt and gut class taught by a friend of mine and it was a killer! But I made it through and did my C5K run after. I am slowly pushing myself and not using my go to excuse of "I'm too fat to do that!" I will ALWAYS be too fat to do anything if I tell myself that all day! 

One step closer to distance running, one step closer to a healthier weight!

Lonley Runner Seeks Friend...

Today during my run a friend of mine came into the gym and occupied the treadmill next to me. I took out one of my ear phones so I could still hear my BFF on the C5K app telling me when to run or walk and we just chatted. It was great! It's been so long since I had a running buddy I forgot how great it can to to lose yourself in a conversation and then magically your run is done! I was a bit worried about today's run, it was my first week 5 workout so I had 4 5 minute runs and I did not even notice a difference! Nice! 

Also, my friend and I are at quite different fitness levels. She teaches a few classes at the gym and I am a classic "before" picture, but thanks to modern technology we ran side by side! :)

This isn't us, but you get the idea :)

For an update, I did get new running duds (thank you Old Navy stuff and save sale) and I do feel much more confident! The clothes I got are moisture control something-or-other and it's great. So, better temp control, better style, better running!

Next up on my training calendar: Cross Training

What to do, how much, etc.

What are your favorite cross training activities?

Do clothes make the runner?

Since I'm doing most of my running at the gym, I see a plethora (my hubby loves that word!) of workout gear. I personally don't put much thought into what I wear to the gym, black workout pants, whatever t shirt that's clean, the usual. But I was thinking today I may invest in a little spiffier duds. I've already established that I am poor AND cheap (a convenient combo) so I'm certainly not going to break the bank, but I do see the merit in investing a little money and feeling more confident during my runs.

Another issue is (this may be a bit personal) a great sports bra. If you are, like me, pleasantly plump, this is an essential piece of equipment. I have tried a million sports bras, even one endorsed by Oprah that felt like I was running in a corset. Seriously, I almost passed out! This topic may be on my mind since my sadly overused bra injured me when I was putting it on this morning! Looks like that will be on my shopping list as well.
So, do you feel like a better runner if you look the part?
We'll see...

Progress

Today I got this award in Weight Watchers:

I am not doing the best in WW so I was pretty surprised to be rewarded. I think it's called the stamina award and my leader asked me what I thought it was for. My response was, "Coming every week even though I'm doing terribly?" She laughed, and explained it was for coming consistently for 16 weeks. So this means in the course of 16 weeks I have lost 3.8 pounds. 

Ouch.

It's kind of made me evaluate my goals with weight loss and running and really think about what I am doing to achieve them. I may have only lost 3.8 pounds (that's a cumulative number, I've lost more but gained it back) but I am still trying. I am going at a ridiculously slow pace, but I am making and effort and heading, however leisurely, in the right direction.

The same is true for my running. Sometimes I am truly embarrassed at how slowly I am starting back. I mean, I used to run 8 miles no problem a few years ago and now I run in 5 minute increments! But I can sit on the couch remember how awesome I used to be, or get off my rear and make myself awesome again! Something is better than nothing!

So I keep plodding along, trying each week to eat a little healthier, run a little farther, and be a little better.

Backstory...

Ah, I love the smell of a fresh blog in the morning!

I am a 32-year-old mother of 5 who is a "bit" overweight (ie quite a bit) but still loves running. In my skinnier days as a mother of 2 I ran religiously and completed a half marathon. Enter baby #3 and it all went downhill from there. For my running, not my actual life...we do like kid #3! :) Enter babies 4 and 5 and forget about running, my overall health and weight have gone WAY downhill! 

So here I am, mother to kids ages 10, 8, 6, 2, and 1, wife to 1 amazing man, not as much energy as I'd like, definitely not fitting into the clothes I'd like, and feeling in general overwhelmed! I so want to recapture the feeling of accomplishment and in control-ness I had as a regular runner, but kept waiting for a significant weight loss before I got serious. And waiting....and waiting...and now I wait no more!

So here is my journey. I wanted to keep track of it to motivate/inspire myself and maybe do the same for people in my same boat.

For the last 3 weeks I have been running the Couch to 5K program and so far so good. I've done most of my runs on the treadmill at the gym, since it's still windy, cold, and dark here in Idaho in the AM. I'm a mother first and foremost, so I need to get my runs in before I have to be home and getting our 3 oldest off to school. I prefer outdoor running, but that will have to wait for the summer. I had some problems with shin pain during my workouts for the first few weeks and contemplated getting the fancy running shoes that analyze your step with a computer...then I remembered we are poor. So I headed to the store and picked up these for $5.50:

 

They made all the difference! I had a bounce in my step and had far less fatigue in my legs! Yay for cheap!

I am a runner that needs to be distracted. Chit chat, music, whatever. So since my running soul mate now lives hours away, I am forced to turn to music. I have yet to sit down and create a playlist, which I really need to do, so I just use Pandora. I have had some trouble finding a station that is peppy enough, yet has no nasty rap. For the sake of honesty (I promise to be honest on this blog!) I admit I have used my kids' Disney music stars station (think Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus...I know) which is super peppy and clean but embarrassing.  :)

Another great tool I've found is the Get Running App for my iPhone. It follows the Couch to 5K running plan I mentioned earlier and makes it so easy for me! Also, it fit into my budget ($2.99). This program starts out slow. I'm talking SLOW. 5 mins walking, 1 min running alternating with 1 1/2 min walking. I was literally not sore AT ALL (accept for the aforementioned shin pain during my workouts). This was great for me since before when I tried to get back into running, I'd go for a run and try to go 3 miles (my shorter run distance during my race training days) and either push myself to do it and limp for a week after, or not finish and feel defeated. Not motivating. Without soreness I was ready and usually excited for my next runs. With this app (and probably others, I don't know) you can listen to any music you want and a nice British lady quiets your music and lets you know "You have 30 seconds left of your run" "Start running now for 3 minutes" and "You have completed 4 out of 5 runs today, great job!" She even lets you know when the half way point is so you can turn back for home. Love it! 

This morning I completed workout #1 of week 4 on the program. With the help of Miley, Selena, and my new British BFF I ran 2 3 minute runs and 2 5 minute runs with 1 1/2 minutes of walking in between, plus the 5 minute warm up and cool down (distance wise that turned out to be about 2 1/2 miles). It was one of my best workouts yet. I felt some of the old energy I would get on my runs and felt like I could just keep going and going. I consider this quite an accomplishment since I am 50+ pounds overweight!

Join me on my adventure to not give up on my health and rekindle my love of running and moving in general. I promise to be honest about the ups and downs and share any insights I gain along the way!