Saturday, April 30, 2011

10K Maybe?

I set my alarm for 6:15 so I could get up and run 6.1. I hit snooze once, twice, and then heard a panicked 3-year-old screaming for me.

As a mom, you know the difference between whiny, tired, and SICK. As I ran in to Hudson's room, he was in the middle of puking all over his bed.

Ugh.

I got him cleaned up and the two of us got in the bathtub. He's all cleaned up, in fresh pj's and watching Pink Panther.

My run isn't going to happen this morning. Hopefully I'll get to it later today. I HAVE to get to it later today because I haven't run in two days.

Not quite the way I envisioned my morning. If I had just gotten up and out the door when the first alarm went off...

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Sweet Vacation

Ahhh, vacation! I love vacation! I don't like to proclaim online before heading out of town, because that is just like announcing, "Hey, we aren't home. Come rob us!" But now we are home, and I can share.

We got everything packed on Saturday night (after my amazing 10 mile race!) and headed out of town on Sunday. We stopped for Easter Sunday church service to watch my nephew receive his First Communion. Then we had a quick lunch with my mom, sis, future BIL, and future niece. The nephews were unfortunately with their dad for the holiday.

We headed out of town by 2ish and made it to Monterey before 5. And it was AWESOME!


Not the best photo, but it was our first peek at the ocean. I love it when we come around on Hwy 1 and start seeing glimpses of blue. It instantly calms and relaxes me.

We checked into our hotel. Spacious, vaulted ceilings and a fireplace. Nice!

Since it was still pretty early, I wanted to do something. Anything. So we parked at a little lot in between the wharf and Cannery Row and got out the bikes for a ride.


This picture is from our bike ride on Tuesday, but this is how I look in my new helmet. I figure since we are doing more and more rides, I better be safe along with the rest of the family.

We took off for an evening ride along the coastline. We rode all the way into Pacific Grove and got to see the seals with their pups. Pretty cool!

We turned around and rode back to the car and spent an hour running around the lawn area with a soccer ball. The kids had so much fun laughing and chasing after mom and dad. Eric and I were a bit in awe of ourselves for spending a day being so active with the kids. It makes me feel like a better parent to be able to run around with my kids.

I even raced Evan, and darn it if that little speedster didn't beat me! He is FAST. I blame my loss on the fact that I wasn't wearing my proper running bra. Wind resistance man!

I have more to share, but need to download photos from the other camera.

Today's run:
Distance: 5.2 miles
Time: 59:59
Run: 5 miles/56:19/11:16 avg pace

Monday, April 25, 2011

More

I ran four miles today. I was only going to do three, but it turned into four. This is the fastest four miles I have ever run.

I'll have better stories and explanations on Wednesday. I just wanted to get the stats down for logging purposes.

Distance: 4 miles
Time: 41:xx/10:20 avg pace

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Double Digits

Distance: 10 miles!!!!!
Time: 1:56:08/11:37 avg pace

Oh my goodness! I ran 10 miles this morning! I don't recall a single time ever in my life when I have run that far. Here it is over 12 hours later, and I am still feeling that "runner's high" I get after I finish a challenging run. Feeling proud today.

My training plan called for 8 miles. There was a race today at Woodward Park where there was a two, five, or 10 mile option. I figured I could either run five and go out for three more or run 8 and walk to finish the 10 if necessary. I chose option two.

The music director from church/school ran with me. This is our third race we've done together.


I'm in the pink hat and Elaine is in blue. I have a weird look on my face. Probably because I was cold and anxious to be running 10 miles.

From the get-go the goal was to finish. Elaine and I just trotted along, talked about everything under the sun, and enjoyed the day.

Last night we went to REI to purchase a fuel belt for me. With my long runs getting progressively longer, I need a place to store chomps and sport beans. I was really nervous about wearing something around my waist, but I LOVED it. I couldn't even tell it was there, and it held everything perfectly.

I had already planned to slow down and walk at miles 3, 6 and 8 so I could eat my chomps. Chunking the race into three and two mile segments made it so much more "doable." I liked the blueberry chomp better than the cherry flavored shot block, but neither gave me any stomach trouble. I also tried Nuun for the first time, and I really liked it. So much better than plain water, but no added calories.

We started the race with a one mile or so loop through the park before we headed out the familiar Eaton Trail. We crossed both bridges and headed down into a small valley before the turn around point. There was a swarm of nasty gnats flying in our mouth, eyes, and nose at that point, but we tucked our heads and kept going.

Quite a good way to spend Holy Saturday if you ask me. As we hit mile 9, Elaine made the comment, "We are heading for Jesus. They said He is risen and we are going to see him." It gave me chills. The quiet of the morning, the beauty of the skies, the effort of our breathing...it all seemed a bit surreal at that point.

My goal was to finish, and my second goal was to finish in less than two hours. Now, I know I said I needed to run 8 and the rest didn't matter. But I knew I was lying to myself. I wasn't going to walk the last two miles. No way! We reached the end in one hour and fifty-six minutes! I was so happy and proud.

And then my leg seized up just as I entered the chute. I've had a bit of trouble with the muscle on the outside of my right leg. IT band maybe? It was fine while I was running but started to hurt once I walked. I've been babying it today.

Eric signed me up for a post race massage, but I just wanted to get home so I scratched my name off the list. We stayed for the awards because Evan won first place in his race. I was running, so I didn't get to see his race. He got a cute little trophy. Then we headed home and I took an ice bath.

Rest, soccer game, and then home to crash for a few hours.

Such an accomplishment for me today. This gives me total confidence that I can finish a half!

Good Run Thursday

Distance: 5 miles
Time: 56:35
Run: 4.5 miles/48:10/10:42 avg pace

This was a good run. Faster than my previous 4.5. I had a half day at school for Holy Thursday, so it was nice to get home and do the run early. This also let Eric come home and be able to go out for a bike ride. Thursday is "my" day, but we both got a good workout done. Win!

***With this run, I have officially surpassed last year's running total! I ran more in the first 3 1/2 months of 2011 than I did in all of 2010. I am determined to continue on this healthy path!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Food

Distance: 5 miles
Run: 4.5 miles
Time: Pace was less than 11-minute miles

I went for a 4.5 mile run today. Felt decently strong. It was fairly warm at 75 degrees, so that is going to take a little getting used to. I was smart and took my water today. It was nearly gone by the time I got home.

I needed this workout today because my food has been not so hot since Sunday. This run helped to remind me of why am working so hard at all this, both exercise and weight loss.

I don't talk much about my relationship with food. I used to think for the longest time that I didn't have any food issues...but that is obviously false. You don't get to be nearly 200 pounds without having food issues. (I convinced myself that I just needed to exercise more.)

One thing Eric and I have done is pretty much rid the house of tempting foods. For me that means there is no candy in the house. I LOVE candy. Sugary, sugary candy. Chocolate is not my weakness, but things like jelly beans, Nerds, Jawbreakers, Zours, etc. are soooooo tempting for me.

A few weeks ago at the store, I put a big bag of jelly beans in the cart, walked five steps and then flung it back on the shelf. I know myself when it comes to these types of candy. I eat them until they are gone.

We enjoyed an early Easter celebration this past Sunday at my sister's house. All was going well until we walked in the door and she had bowls of jelly beans sitting in a bowl on the counter. Oh my goodness. And they weren't just any jelly beans. They were Starburst flavor and Hawaiian Punch flavor! I must have eaten 50 of those buggers without even thinking. And I certainly wasn't tracking points.

And they were good. Very good. I loved them.

I honestly didn't feel too guilty about my eating on Sunday even though I had jelly beans, marshmallows, hamburger with cheese and mayo, several deviled eggs, potato chips and dip, and frosting. I chalked it up to a day of overindulgence.

I know that I had every opportunity to not eat like I did. I'm not really sure why I told myself it was okay. Do I feel like I deserve it after so many weeks of being careful? Do I just like the food? Is it hormonal? Who knows. I'm not sure I even know. I just know those darn jelly beans did me in.

My issue isn't really with eating the way I did on Sunday. My issue is with the fact that it has been hard getting back on track for Monday and Tuesday. It's almost easier to just stay on the wagon rather than falling off. I didn't eat horribly the past two days, but it certainly could have been better. More jelly beans appeared at work, and they seem to be connected by a magnet to my mouth.

I also skipped working out yesterday which didn't do anything for my mental strength in resisting temptation.

So, weigh in is tomorrow. I don't know what to expect. Sometimes I can eat poorly and still lose. I don't have that confidence for tomorrow. However, it's a new day and a new week. I will continue on this path to be a better version of myself. I will continue to work to lose anywhere from 30-35 more pounds.

Why?

Because I feel better. I look better. I am stronger. I am happier. My kids see a better example. I see lots of sexy grins from my husband. I am wearing clothes that I haven't worn in four years. I feel proud.

I don't want jelly beans to mess with that. Jelly beans aren't worth all the things I just mentioned. NOOOOOOO to the jelly beans!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Seven!!

Total Distance: 7.5 miles
Run: 7 miles
Time: 1:20:11/11:27 avg pace

I did it! I ran seven miles today! By myself!

We have such a busy weekend that I knew if I didn't get up early this morning, my long run wouldn't get done. I set my alarm for the usual 5:41, hit snooze once, and got up at 5:50.

I got dressed, ate a Fiber Plus bar, drank a little bit of Diet Coke, and headed out at about 6:20 a.m.

I'm not going to lie, I was nervous about the distance, but I did it. I stopped at mile 3.5 to try Gu Chomps. They were pretty tasty, but by mile 6, my stomach wasn't too happy. I'm not sure if it was because of the Chomps or not. I did think the taste and the aftertaste were much better than the Sports Beans I tried a few weeks ago. I still need to give Cliff Shot Blocks a try as well. I have a long race next Saturday, so I'll probably give them a go there.

Once I got home, I soaked in ice for 15 minutes, and then I had to get ready for a track meet. We spent three hours in the sun watching Kid #1 race. He did really well and even gets to move on to the next track meet for the 100 relay.

Now I'm going to relax and watch The Fast and the Furious. I love this movie!

Friday, April 15, 2011

So Very Tired

Distance: Total 2.5/run 2.25 miles

I knew going into this week it was going to be busy. I just didn't realize how busy. And it has caught up to me.

Yesterday's 4.5 turned into 2.25. I just didn't have it in me to go further. I was disappointed, but exhausted. I guess 2.25 is better than 0. It took a lot of mental push to even change into my running clothes, much less run in them! I'll try to be proud that I at least did something.

Just for giggles, let me list the activities this week:

Besides working every day...
Monday - (the fairly easy day) Allergy shot, Evan track practice

Tuesday - all day field trip, physical therapy, school board meeting, ran 4.5 miles

Wednesday - Evan track practice, parent meeting after school, administrative meeting, Weight Watcher meeting, ran 3 miles

Thursday - before school parent meeting, field trip, physical therapy, night parent meeting, only ran 2.25 miles

Friday - soccer game

Saturday - need to run 7 miles, track meet, two afternoon soccer games

Sunday - early Easter with my family

Monday - staff meeting

Tuesday - physical therapy

Wednesday - my class presents a Stations of the Cross prayer service, staff retreat

Thursday - half day thank the dear Lord, the start of vacation

No wonder I'm near tears.

Vacation is close. Very, very close.

I am worried about the 7 miles on Saturday. Very worried.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Bondi Edition

I got two new Bondi Bands because Eric wanted some for himself. If we ordered five, we got a discount price. Works for me because Eric was using my "Short People Rock" band while he exercised. Ewwww. Gross. His sweat got on my Bondi Band.

Even more funny was the 6 foot 3 inch man wearing the "short" Bondi!

Anyhow, I got two new ones. Here are some photos of my collection.


Short People Rock...yeah, that's right.


I Love Running. I Hate Running. Repeat.


Cheaper Than Therapy. Way cheaper...and so very true.


Slow...It's The New Fast. I love this one. It's so me.

These suckers soak up sweat like nobody's business! They are pretty gross when I peel them off my forehead, but I guess that means they are doing their job.

I had two good runs the last two days. I hope I don't jinx myself, because I have one more run tomorrow night before my rest day on Friday. Then I plan to run an early seven miles on Saturday morning before starting the rest of our crazy busy weekend of track meet, two soccer games and an early Easter with my family. Easter Vacation just can't come soon enough.

Tuesday Run: 4.5 miles/total 5 miles
I was having a hard time motivating myself for this run last night, so I gave myself "permission" to run a mile and stop for a break. Then I got back on the treadmill and did it again. It was nice knowing I had to run just under 12 minutes, and I'd get another break. I think I set the speed at 5.1 for each of the segments. It took a while to finish, but it was worth it to feel happy rather than grumpy.

Tonight's Run: 3 miles/total 3.5 miles
I ran three miles in 34:24. Not bad considering it was a treadmill run. I always have a harder time on the treadmill. Running outside this week isn't happening considering I have three night meetings this week. I ran various speeds ranging from 5.0 to 5.5. Feeling good and strong.

Now if only I could convince myself to do legs and abs. I was really going to, and now I just want a bath. Gotta figure out how to work those in with some consistency.

And on the Weight Watcher front, I lost another 1.2 pounds tonight for a total of 35 pounds even! Yay! Eric has now lost over 40 pounds! We are both feeling so much better about ourselves and our family.

My goal weight is 125 pounds (unless I decide to change that number later on), so I am over half way there and need to lose 30 more pounds. Wow! I weigh less now than I did when we got married. Crazy to think about!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

1st Place!


The good news: I won first place in a four mile race this morning!

The bad news: I had a difficult time getting through the run and a pretty crummy attitude.

I'll start at the beginning and explain what happened, though.

I signed up for the "Show Me the Finish Line" run benefiting Armenian Relief. There is a very large Armenian population here in the Fresno area. I figured it might be a small race considering the lack of information about the race and it being on a Sunday, but I had no idea just how small.

We got to the park early and enjoyed watching the boys run their races. Evan took first in his age group and first place overall! Hudson got first in his age group also!

There were probably 15 kids running the 1/4 mile race. It's a pretty long distance for a 3-year-old, so as the kids were racing back I walked down to encourage Hudson. At that point, Evan was in 2nd place behind a bigger kid, but I knew he could go faster. I yelled at him to "push it," and he did! I was so proud of how he dug down deep and found extra speed to cross the finish line first. I was proud of Hudson for not being afraid of all the kids racing at the same time and for not quitting at all! He barely needed my help coming back!


First place in the 4-and-under boys age group.


First place in the 6-year-old boys age group and first place overall with a time of 1:47.


I'm not a proud mom or anything!! I couldn't be more proud of these two little stinkers.

We had 45 minutes to kill before my race started, and I had to pee, so we jumped in the car and drove to Starbucks for a bathroom and some Hot Cocoa. Then we drove back to the park with plenty of time before my race.

It was at this point that I started to psyche myself out because there were at most 20 runners doing the four mile run with me. I was so anxious. In a bigger race, there are many more people to "blend in" with. I don't stick out as a slow runner. And there has always been someone behind me in every race I have done so far. None of these things should matter, but they did and they do.


No one is going to mistake me coming down the road in my non matching ensemble! Bright pink hat, bright blue shirt and bright orange shorts! And no, I'm not color blind! I just don't care so much about matching. I care about comfort.

The race director didn't even have to yell to be heard. He just talked to us because the 20 of us were gathered around him!

We took off, and very quickly I fell to the very back. I was running pretty fast at this point. When I looked, I was clocking under 9-minute miles. Yikes! That's fast for me. As great as it is to run fast, it makes you run out of steam pretty quickly.

I knew there was one man behind me. (It turns out he came in about 10 minutes after me, but he was also over 75-years-old!) Everyone else was in front of me and increasing the distance between us. I plodded along at a decent clip of about 10-minute miles making it to the turn around point (which is not the half-way point...so irritating!).

I knew I was struggling, but I couldn't figure out why. My legs weren't fatigued. My breathing was only slightly labored. So what was the problem? Was I that bothered by the fact that I was second to last? Was I just tired? Was it just a bad morning for no particular reason?

I don't know.

Whatever the reason, I was near tears and wanting to quit. My music was bugging me so I shut it off. I started taking short walk breaks and texting Eric. He was great at encouraging me through the last mile. Texting him actually helped me a lot because then I didn't feel so alone.

No matter what, my family is always supporting and encouraging me. Thank God for them.

I finally made it to the finish line.

Here's the ironic part: my time was better for this four mile race than it was a month ago for a four mile race I did then. I improved by about a minute. My average pace then was 10:51 and today it was 10:39.

Starting out super fast must have made up for the times I spent walking and sniveling to myself.



Yes, I won first place in my age group. Granted, I was the only female in my age group. But hey, it's not my fault other 36-year-olds didn't show up! First place is first place!

I need to work on keeping my attitude in check. And I need to not freak myself out before the race even starts. I need to pace myself better at the beginning. I need to be proud of what I have been able to accomplish in five months of running.

And now I need to rest!

P.S. We enjoyed an amazing brunch at Marie Callender's after the award ceremony. Yummers!

Distance: 4 miles/10:39 avg pace/42:xx time. Can't remember the time exactly.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Mental Training

Distance: 4.5 miles
Run: 4 miles/5.0 speed

I could have run faster tonight, but I didn't feel like it. I just set the treadmill at a 5.0 pace (12 minute mile) and ran.

Granted, when I run at a slightly slower pace, it takes me that much longer to finish. I used the time to train my brain. Sometimes I think my brain needs more training than my body.

I was pretty tired by the end of the run, but I never thought about stopping. Okay...I never seriously thought about stopping! I knew I'd be able to finish.

The best part about tonight's run? I'm done with exercise for two days! Tomorrow is my rest day. I'll cross train on Saturday. I'll race on Sunday.

I drove over to the running store after my PT appointment today and signed the boys and myself up for a race on Sunday. I'll be doing four miles. The boys will each run a 1/4 mile.

Child #2 is still awake. I need to put him to bed and follow shortly after.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

No Excuses

Distance: 2.5 miles
Time: 32:29 min
Run: 2.0/22:29/11:15 avg pace

We had Open House at school tonight, so that meant I was on the go from 7:15 this morning until 8 p.m tonight. There was a huge part of me that wanted to give in to the excuses in my head telling me to skip my run tonight.

But I didn't.

I ran two miles, and I even kicked it up a notch for a few one minute sessions at a 6.0 pace. And I didn't die. Amazing!

I also did ab work and leg work. Good workout.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Physical Therapy

Distance: 4.5 miles
Run: 4 miles/avg pace 11:07

I just don't understand how I can run six miles on Saturday at the crack of dawn and feel fantastic, and then I do two miles this afternoon and feel like I'm slogging through mud. Ugh. Tonight's run was difficult.

I don't think I had enough to eat before the run, it was hotter than usual, and I was thirsty. I had to stop a few times, but I knew I'd finish. It was just rough. That's okay, though. I know there are good days and bad days.

Look at me being all kind to myself!

I started physical therapy last Friday. Today after school was my second appointment. I'm not sure what happened, but I have an impingement in my left shoulder. It had been aching for over a week. The pain radiated from my collarbone all the way down to my wrist.

I'm not one to go to the doctor very often for stuff like this, but it was not getting better. I got it checked by my doctor, and she sent me for x-rays and physical therapy.

I've never been to PT. It's interesting. They have me do several different weight bearing exercises for my shoulder. Then they use an ultrasound machine to rub cortisone into the muscle. I enjoy this part because it is like a mini massage. Then I get iced down. They have these really cool vest-like things that fill with super cold water. It's way better than holding an ice pack on my shoulder like I do at home.

Right now I am scheduled to go for three more appointments. We'll see if I need to go longer. Right now the therapist just wants to work on taking down the inflammation.

Icing all weekend definitely helped, so I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.

And this is totally off topic, but I can't wait for the movie Water For Elephants to come out later this month. I'll be on Easter break, so I think I'll be taking myself to the movies. I just saw the trailer on tv, and it made me excited!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

My First 10K Ever!

Today I ran a 10K for the first time. I was really anxious about the distance, but ended up having a great time and feeling so proud of myself!

The music teacher at my school, Elaine, wanted to run the race with me, and I was so excited to have someone to race with today. Elaine got me through two measly little miles back in a race in JANUARY of this year. After I hit the finish line in that race, she took off to run four more miles. She said she hasn't done any running since that race, so today's 6.2 was a bit of a struggle for her. However, Elaine kept jogging!

After waking up at 5:15 and pondering on how much I have changed (seriously...who am I getting up on a Saturday to run of all things!), we took off at 6 for the race located at a local private university. I have lived here for eight years, and I have never been on this campus or even knew where it was located for that matter.

I was preregistered, so I picked up my shirt and waited. I also ate an apple. (I don't wear the shirts because they are usually cotton t-shirts which aren't the most comfortable thing to run in.)


Me before the race feeling a bit anxious about the distance.

Elaine arrived.


Love this lady! She played the organ at our wedding nearly eight years ago!

This was a pretty small event. There were no roads being blocked off. There were no police. The race director gave us a few tips: don't fall in the canal, watch out for cars, and be careful climbing over the railroad tracks hoping there was no train coming! There was one water station at mile 3.

I'm not much of a canal bank runner, but this was a really pretty run. Very green, cool and shady. I stayed away from the edge of the canal. Some of that water was moving pretty swiftly.

Elaine was strong for the first three miles. It took me a bit to settle into the run. I was doing okay by mile 2, though.

We hit the water station at Mile 3, but I had my own water bottle and sport beans. This is the first time I have tried any type of fueling during a run. I had to stop to walk in order to chew, breathe, and swallow. I am getting better at drinking while running, but eating is going to take some practice.

The sport beans tasted okay, but I didn't like the after taste. I was only able to get about five beans swallowed. The rest of them went back in my water bottle pocket.

I don't know if it was the bean energy or the mental effect, but I felt GREAT after that. I was jogging along like I belonged there! Granted, we were running a bit slower since it was the end of the course, but I knew I'd have no trouble getting to the end. What a great feeling!

Elaine and I got back into the stadium, ran a half lap around the track, and hit the finish line with a good kick! Eric and the boys went to McDonald's for breakfast, but were back in plenty of time to cheer me on to the finish line! I feel bad making my family get up with me so early, but I love having them at my events!

My time was 6.23 miles/1:11:45/11:31 avg pace. I felt really strong!


I couldn't believe I had just successfully run six miles! Yay me!

Races leave me with a runner's high that lasted well into the late afternoon!

After the race, I came home, sat in an ice bath for 10 minutes, then got ready to go to Big Hat Days in Downtown Clovis. Eric and Evan rode their bikes, and Hudson and I drove the car. We had a great Mexican food lunch, walked around the street fair, and came back home for naps.

I got my nails done, went grocery shopping, and now I'm getting rid of gray hair. It's been quite the eventful day!

I forgot to mention that I skipped my four miles that I was supposed to run on Thursday. The perfectionist in me wanted to make them up yesterday, but I am so glad I rested instead. That gave me two days to be rested for today's race.

Also, I started physical therapy on my left shoulder. I'll try to remember to post about that tomorrow.