The 11's!

Time: 36:41
Distance: 2.55 miles
Avg. Pace: 14:22/mi.

Today starts Week 5 1/2 of Couch to 5K training. Last week I followed the time suggestions for Week 5. This week I am following the distance suggestions. I ran three segments of 1/2 miles with two 1/4 miles segments in between.

I was super excited to see my paces for the first two 1/2 mile segments were 11:28 and 11:35! The last one was 12:20. I wasn't really pushing for the first two. I was just running at a pace that felt pretty comfortable. I LOVE it when I am running at what I think is a comfortable pace, and I look at my watch and see that it is faster than I would have ever imagined! Great confidence booster.

A couple other cool things to report this morning. Sunday is my "weigh-in" day. I say that because while I am following the Weight Watcher concepts, I am not signed up with the program and going to meetings. However, I'll still have my official weigh-in on my scale right in my bathroom on Sunday morning. And this morning?!!! I lost 3.9 pounds this week! Yahoo! Yippee! Yay! It feels good to eat well and exercise and see results!

Sorry about all the exclamation marks. I'm just excited! My goal is to lose 36 pounds before I'm 36 (Feb. 11). That means I need to lose about five pounds each month. I am well on my way (weigh!) to losing my five pounds for this month.

I can definitely say this has been one of my best eating weeks in a LONG time. My poor body doesn't know what to do with all these fruits, vegetables and fiber. Feels good, though. It also helps with digestion. I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago, and ever since then, digestion just isn't the same. Eating well really helps to regulate all that.

The last thing to report is I successfully drank at least 64 ounces of water each day since last Monday. The water challenge is great. I wake up craving water, it satisfies me, and I feel clean from the inside out.

I want to be especially mindful of my eating, water and exercise this week because we get to take a short overnight trip to the coast this weekend. We already have reservations at a steakhouse for dinner, and we'll be so close to Pismo, that it would be a crime not to swing by Splash Cafe for some of the most amazing clam chowder I have ever had in my life. I don't know how that will all pan out for next Sunday's weigh-in, but I don't care. Splash Cafe is to die for!

I hope to run at the ocean. Oh what a dream that would be to do every day!