Second Wind!

OK so I know its been forever since my last post....sorry about that trying to be better. As I have posted before I was in a super slump but things are better! I checked out like 50 (ok 4) books from the library and read up on some training schedules. I had been so frustrated because I felt like I wasn't really improving. I was questioning my plan. Good thing I did! The training manuals were such a help!
Apparently, I was doing it all wrong! Super pumped too because they say I should start off with like a 38 minute training! Way better then that 3 miles I was trying to pound out! Things will be different, things will be better! There is also this book written by a woman who was a couch potato that got off the couch and ran a marathon. I think its actually called something like "Get off the Couch?" Going to actually buy that one I think to have for myself.

In short I will be doing the new training plan starting tonight! Its a 26 week program, fingers crossed improvement soon to come!

I'm Back!

I know its been a long time since I've made a post. I was on vacation! But no more running vacations! As I said before I put up my neon pink poster board with my running dates and times. Every time I see it I feel super guilty seeing the big gap in the dates. So a new time will be put up today! Still working on sorting through the training guides on how I should be progressing. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

No Way....

Alanis Morissette is training for a marathon too! Except she has a whole bunch of peeps she pays to get her ready. That and she is running 15 miles at a stretch. Get this she says once she goes into training she'll be doing 20 miles....what the hooie is she doing now? 15 miles isn't training?!?! I'm so screwed. But she looks amazing, oh and she's doing it for charity blah blah blah.

I am STUCK in a RUT!

I am just wading through quicksand. Well, that is when I don't feel like taking a nap. What am I going to do? I'm frustrated and disappointed and honestly I don't think I'm improving! UGH!

OK so here is the plan. I ran this morning. It was only a mile but at least I did something. PS the creeper from my building was on the front steps with a red cup and a pint of Beam! A half empty one! It was 9:30 am! Anyways I didn't want to pass him three times. See that's one of the problems I don't want people to watch me. That's why I didn't run Friday because the park was busting with people. It was so nice and cool out. Friday night it was only 68 degrees.

Back to the plan...I am going to buy a book. I have been looking around and there is one written by a woman who didn't run and then did a marathon. Its a training manual, which I think I need. I don't think I'm improving. Am I starting with my goals too high? Should I focus on just a mile? Still try for a 5k by my birthday? I need a little more structure because I am flailing around here.

Apparently, there is a whole running section at Barnes and Noble? Going there today.

Replacing the Car with My Feet!

Tuesday night we went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter. We decided to see it at the Kentucky Theater instead of one of the mega theaters because we could walk to the theater! I even ran the last few blocks home!

I am fully aware that yesterday was Wednesday and that I didn't post my timed 3 mile. That is because I had to close at the store and I have decided running after 9pm is too late for me to be out. It just doesn't make me feel safe.

I was up super early today for a doctor appointment and thought of running this morning. Sunday I ran in the morning and was sweating ALL day (not super attractive at a bridal show). Today I am judging a beauty pageant (yay!) and decided I didn't want to risk sweating the entire day during interviews. Since its my day off and I should be done at the pageant relatively early I'm running tonight. So that will be tonight.

I worry that I am getting distracted, but I'm trying to work through it! Promise!

That's Right Check That Time Stamp!

Bridal Show vs. Running

I woke up this morning before my alarm clock went off after a disturbing dream. I dreamed my boss yelled at me about the wrapping paper chose and some bear shaped candles (I did have to get wrapping paper, don't know anything about bear candles). I thought, I'm awake! I could get a run in. Originally, I thought I would take my stuff, change at the show, then run after because Mouf wouldn't realize how long I've been gone. But this morning I had some time. I was itching to get out there. I went down to the car to get my ipod and the dream started getting to me.

WHAT IF THEY REALLY DID HATE THE WRAPPING PAPER?

That's it I had to run to Walmart and get some new paper. I could still get in a least 2 miles? Then I was worried about wrapping the stupid box. OK, a mile. Haunted by my new fear of the wrapping paper I got in a mile.

But the important thing is I got up early and ran! I feel pumped! OK not really pumped because my muscles were super tight. I can really feel the lapse I had this week. Its been a week of doubt, bu I'm back in the game. I'm going to do the other 2 miles tonight. It won't be a timed run and I probably will walk most of it so not to overwork from this morning....but I'm going to get 3 miles in today!

Who Knows Better?

Ok, so new section, who knows better. Let's be honest, I really have no clue what I'm doing. I mean, until about a month and a half ago I didn't know a marathon was 26.2 miles. That being said I want to open up to advice. I have different things I want to put out that I would like some feed back on, please feel free to share inputs on whatever strikes you...

First two topics:

When I run am I supposed to keep my arms still? I saw something in a mag about toning my core so my arms and body don't twist and slow me down...

Next, can anyone recommend a KICK BOOTY face wash? Running I am sweating so much more and my face is showing it....

Little Gimp Hobbles Along

Took Mouf for a walk, poor little thing just has so only so much in here. For those of you who don't know Mouf has 3 dislocated vertebrae in her neck so she is a lopsided. Plus her legs are only like 4 inches long. The trick is to tire her out then I can go out to run by myself. Which has been completely successful! She is down for the count.

Almost Better

Feeling much better today. Haven't run today but did opt to walk everywhere for date night instead of getting in the car. Tomorrow should be a good time to run. Won't be seeing Ben, work will end at a decent time, it should be good.

My Puke Should Warn Off the Muggers

Ok, so how embarassing? People finally are watching and for the first Wednesday in a month I can't make it through my timed 3 mile. I tried, I really, really tried! I took Mouf out earlier did a little walk felt okay. Then I got geared up, said to myself, take it slow....by the time I rounded the corner (maybe 20 ft from my front door) I was drenched in sweat, not the good sweat either. I mean I don't usually sweat that hard until at least the 2nd stretch of my run. After it took me like FOREVER to round the park I decided to head home. It could have been the massive restraint I was using not to belt out the Legally Blonde Musical (which would have been a unexpected delight to all the park goers!) but being dizzy means to head home.

Soooooo.....ugh and I shutter typing this....IF, big IF, if I am feeling better tomorrow I am going to do a solid mile in the morning before work. IF I'm still ill in the morning, then Friday before work I'll do a solid mile. And we're rainchecking the timed 3 mile for Sunday. Ben has a gig therefore date night has been reschedule for tomorrow night. Which should include a nice long walk...oh duh! Ben will be with me, I can go out late.

Warm Up Walk

Took Mouf for a walk to warm me up and get her out. My poor little gimp can't make it more then a couple of blocks. I have been feeling ill all day and all I could think about was "people finally look at the blog and I get sick and can't run?!?!" So Mouf was a test run, no pun intended.

I'm going to do my 3 miles but I don't think I can run it without puking. I'm going to try. Haha, how hard core would I be if I ran until I puked? We're also going to listen to Legally Blonde the Musical tonight as opposed to gansta rap, we'll see how it goes. Upbeat, but will it make me feel tough circling the park in the dark like the rap?

23 minutes until I head out

I've Gone Public

I did it! I sent out a big old email to all those who have ever even thought of being in my fan club. Maybe now I'll get some followers because every time I check out the blog and it says "No Followers, be the first" it bugs me. How lame would I be if I was the first, gasp, and the only?

Fingers crossed that will change. I mean, I can only be my own cheering section for so long....

Tonight, timed 3 miles. If anyone reads this we do timed 3 mile runs on Wednesday nights.

New Measurements

New measurements, no weight because I don't have a scale in my life. I think there might be some faulty measuring in the waist (fingers crossed its accurate)
Bust 42
Waist 35.5
Hips 46.5
Thigh 23.5

MIA

Last night went on a super long walk with Ben. Then tonight I was supposed to walk with him again, but he didn't tell me it was going to be at like 11:30pm! No way...so now its too late at night for me to walk alone and I'm itching to run. Maybe I'll get up early before work? Seriously doubt it since I've been off for 4 days and have been getting up later and later. This weekend was pretty much bust with all the rain. I can't believe falling behind has made me feel so poopy.

Laid Out on Day Off

Spent the afternoon at the pool, then did laundry. Don't worry though! Tomorrow I am walking downtown for all the festivities. On top of that I don't have to work again until Tuesday so lots of time to run! I also found myself a tennis partner, fingers crossed I'll play on Tuesday.

Completely forgot that we measured me again on Thursday. Not quite sure where they are but will find and post.



PS now when I eat sweets I feel like I am cheating on myself : (

Its Easier Now

I don't know if it was because it was cooler, that I ran with my ipod for the first time, or its just plain getting easier! Usually, during the first mile I start to think "maybe I could just do 2 miles? That would be good enugh right?" Tonight it didn't cross my mind. Ok it did for like 2 seconds but not enough to really register.

I ran more this time then any of the other times out. My time wasn't much better though. Is this because when I run then walk I'm walking slower from being more tired? Maybe I'm just not going to be shaving off minutes as fast as I thought.

My playlist helped, it needs to be more upbeat though...faster. If anyone has any songs they like to run with let me know. I started pacing with the beat. It was tough not singing along.

The support that I am getting is awesome...I appreciate it the most. Not that any of those people are following my blog. That's okay, this is for me to track myself, to hold myself accountable.

I can do this. I am going to do this.

Time: 3 miles 48:49:85

Tomorrow I guess I'll take my measurements again. I am NOT looking forward to it...probably have gained weight knowing my luck.

Cool Mornings

Its been nice and cool in the mornings. I should really be taking Mouf out in the mornings. Today I got up early enough to do so, just couldn't get myself out the door. Being up early is the first step, fingers crossed tomorrow we will actually make it out the door!

Only up in the 70s today, makes me anxious to run!

First 5K? Should I?

5k coming up in August, thinking about running it? Any opinions? If I stick to my training schedule I should be able to do it...could be good practice or humiliating?

Couch Potato

No run of any sort today. Took the day to do a whole lot of nothing! Have been thinking about my workouts a lot today. I need to set up a definite schedule. Wednesdays are a great day to run for me, but what day could be my second day? Sundays? That's date night.

Ok so here's what we're going for:
Monday ?
Tuesday - ?activity?
Wednesday - 3 mile Run
Thursday - Yoga (don't get excited next week will be my first class, not this week bc of work)
Friday - ?
Saturday - Walk if I don't work - church if I do
Sunday - Long walk (probably with Ben) & church if I don't go Saturday

I want to work tennis, golf, and horseback riding into my schedule. And of course yoga.

This morning it was so nice and cool that I am going to try to get up earlier to walk Mouf in the mornings.

I have been slipping on the sweets and the soft drinks...got to put my foot down!

Active in the Park

Yesterday was the company picnic. Didn't do laps but ran around in the sun all day! We had a massive scavenger hunt which involved LOTS of running...proud to say that I wasn't winded at all! And today when everyone was complaining about being sore, I could boast that I wasn't!

Drained from the sun though!

Should Have, Could Have

I realize today I should have posted the days I wasn't running. Wednesday I was in Nashville and had to hustle in fancy clothes up and down hills and a million staircases. I'm counting as a walk. My makeup was sweating off, my hair plummeted, and my calves were KILLING me! So it counts!

Thursday it stormed ALL day and night.

Tonight I went for my 3 mile run/walk. I just didn't make it. At first when I stepped out of my house I just wanted to start running that first step. I walked and added a new stretch of running.

My route just seemed more menacing. It was darker. This is all probably because it was Saturday night, not a week day. There were fewer people out and more cars on the road. It seemed that the people out were shadier and the cars en route party goers.

Then all these negative thoughts flooded my head. What if my time is LONGER then last time? Are these people passing me thinking how fat and sweaty I am? I hate these pants. What if I can't really do this? What if I don't follow through?

I only did 2 miles not the 3 I had set out to do. But, I am seriously reconsidering this plan. Not the running just the route that I have set up and my training. I am going to have to set up a firm schedule. I'm thinking doing the 3 mile runs twice a week. And I am going to have to start taking the girls up on working out. Mixing in some long walks.

TIME: 2 miles 34:03:32

Goals for tomorrow: to be outside and be active (its the company picnic)

Goals for this week: to set up a firm training schedule

Timed 3 Mile

Ok did the timed 3 mile last night. It started off rocky. I waited for Ben so we could run together (him walk slowly) and he showed up 30 minutes late wearing...wait for it....flip flops! So frustrated I went by myself even though it was like 11 o'clock at night. I did it though.

I have mapped out a 1.1 mile loop that starts at my front door and loops around Woodland Park. I did 3 loops last night. I speed walked most of it and ran the portions that are on the actual park. There is one long stretch and one short stretch. They are spaced enough apart that I can recoup between and they give me a visual distance to run.

It wasn't hard and it didn't hurt. I admit on the first loop by my house once I turned onto my street I was thinking, just go on in 1 mile is enough to judge right? But I kept going. I thought about all the people who said that I would never be able to do this marathon. I thought about how awesome its going to be to accomplish something like this. Honestly, I am not even focused on my body I just want to complete it. And I want to be able to be fast enough so that I can have one of those GPS trackers (which I will post online and ya'll can watch me bop on the little map).

I maybe ran 3/4 of a mile, but it was my first time out. So after much to do here is my time, my measurements, and GASP! my weight:

Weight: 208 lbs
Bust: 42
Waist: 38
Hips: 47
Thigh 24.5

Time: 49:56:03

Its projected that if I can do a 5k (3.1 miles) in 35:32:37 then I should be able to do the marathon in 5:23:37.

GOALS FOR TODAY: walk again tonight, pack a salad for work

GOALS FOR THIS WEEK: stay away from the sweets bc its that time period where all I do is crave them, buy a scale

I want to be able to do 3 miles nonstop running by my birthday, which is the begining of August

Oh So Far to Go

I created a mile loop not far from my house. Tuesday I took Mouf and Ben with me to do a timed walk. It roughly took 11 minutes. I say roughly because Mouf and Ben slowed me down immensely. Then Mouf got tired and I had to carry her. And we kind of took a wrong turn and had to back track.

Sounds like a lot of excuses right? Well, its what happened, if I'm not honest its not really worth recording. I also weighed and measured myself. I just don't feel exactly solid about posting them just yet.

Tonight no excuses taking Mouf for a walk which means Mouf will walk a couple of blocks then I carry her the rest.

The girls at work have decided to get on the marathon bandwagon. Tomorrow we do a timed 3 mile to see how much work I really need.

This is the begining...

There is so much begining that I thought I had to document it. This is the year that the five year plan MUST begin.

On New Year's Eve we wrote out our New Year's resolutions on posterboard then put them on my fridge. Ben's list, Mouf's list they have almost all been completed. My list is just a list of things I started or haven't started. Today is the begining. I bought new tennis shoes yesterday, running shoes to be exact. I took Mouf on a walk. I don't think that she will be to partake in the training because of her hurt shoulder.

For now I'm just going to focus on May 2nd...I don't care what anyone says I am going to run that marathon. My goal is to be able to run at least three miles by my birthday. That gives me 56 days. I guess if I'm going to do all this I should weigh myself to begin with, where do I find a scale? I certainly don't keep one in the house.

My goals for tomorrow are:

to get up earlier then usual

have breakfast, maybe that nasty yogurt to see if it kills me

pack a lunch

INSERT TIME AT WORK

finish stupid dishes

make dinner

walk again

Goals for this week:

get bicycle

walk a mile in a decent time (figure out what a good time is)

NO eating out NO soft drinks