Weekend Away and Staying on Schedule!

Hello again! Thanks to everyone for their support! It's feels great to know that there are people out there cheering me on!

My husband and I got away for the weekend, but prior to our leaving, we ran on Friday morning. Since I got a Charlie Horse during my last session, I decided to cut back to week one training. I woke up early, had a good breakfast, sat around a couple hours, then hit the track. It was apparently the perfect amount of fuel for the run, because I actually felt good after we were done! There was a minute amount of soreness in my knees over the weekend, but it wasn't enough to slow me down.

I also ran today (So I'd like to give myself kudos for sticking to our schedule even though we were away!) It was raining a little too hard for my taste, so I went to the gym to spend some time on the treadmill...let me tell you that running outside on a track, and running on a treadmill feel COMPLETELY different. I pushed myself back up to the week two training, but hated the way I could feel every little step on the treadmill. I felt it WAY too much in my knees so I'm not sure I'll ever do that again! If the weather's bad, I'll either just suck it up and go out anyway, or I'll re-adjust my training days. I REALLY didn't like running on the treadmill!!!

My next training day is Wednesday...keep your fingers crossed for good weather!

Week Two - Day One - Charlie Horse - NO FUN!

I am my own worst critic...I've been told this for years. Tonight's run made this very evident. I should be proud of myself for even trying to accomplish this, but instead I get mad at myself for a minor setback.

I started week two training tonight. There are a total of six running cycles in this workout. I was doing great, feeling fine, pushing through the burn and POW! A monster Charlie Horse hit me in my right leg just as I was starting my fifth cycle! Talk about Ouch! I walked another lap around the track hoping it would let up, but it didn't so I had to stop.

The only thing I can think that may have caused it, is maybe I didn't hydrate well enough today? I ate well within my weight watcher points and even remembered to eat breakfast! Who knows? Grrrr. If anyone out there reading this has any ideas about what may have happened, I'd love to hear them!

I'm scheduled to run again on Friday...I'm going to give the Week two cycle another shot, and if it feels too rough I'll bump it back to week one for a little while longer.

Until next time, Ugh. Thanks for reading.

Random Monday Post

Today's random post is to let everyone know that although I had a small gain at Weight Watchers this week, I am down another shirt size! When I started Weight Watchers last summer (this has been a slow learning process) I was over a size 30! YIKES!

I had some money leftover from a Christmas gift certificate, so I decided I wanted to get a new comfy t-shirt. I tried a few things on in the size I used to be,and they were too big. I started trying on smaller sizes and couldn't believe it when I fit into a size.... (drum roll please)... 22-24!!!

YAY! Go ME!

Happy Monday!

Week One Complete!

Well folks, my first hurtle has been jumped and week one training is complete! The more we run, the more people join us, and it is really helping. Today we had seven people with us, and even had our own little cheering section. It really was a nice morning!

Here are a few things I've learned so far:

* Good gear is essential - this includes shoes, socks, clothing, and especially bras for the women!

* Music helps the workout go by faster...I recommend the various podcasts out there that tell you when to start and stop your running. My personal favorites are on the "Fat to Fit to Fierce" website. Here's her website:

http://runningintoshape.com/

* Stretching before your workout is VERY important. It's makes for a huge difference in your recovery time after each training session.

* Do NOT try to do this on an empty stomach, but also do not overeat before you train. I found this article today and it was very helpful:

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/EatForExercise.htm

* If you are doing this training and Weight Watchers at the same time, do not be surprised if you have a gain during your first week of training. Apparently this is normal and is part of your body getting used to this type of a workout.

Stay tuned for Week Two!
(I'm terrified, but excited! Woo Hoo! Here we go!)

Week One: Day Two - Am I running an obstacle course?

So today was Week One, Day Two!

I woke up feeling quite optimistic. I had a fairly healthy breakfast (Sausage Burrito and Fruit) and set out for work. This is where my first obstacle came in...Today was my co-workers birthday, so this meant I was eating out for lunch. I expected her to pick someplace local where I could order a salad. Nope. She picks a Japanese Buffet. Of all places! My husband and I had just treated ourselves to sushi last night, and I knew I was weighing in tomorrow, so I REALLY had to behave. It actually wasn't too bad. I ate a LOT of fruit and had a little bit of rice with some chicken. I also drank water! Yay me!

Dinner was obstacle two! Our friend is a teacher and she worked very hard with her kids to create an opera and tonight was the show. They were also having an Italian Dinner beforehand. I LOVE Italian Food!!! I am proud of myself because I actually didn't get any pasta...I stole a bite of my husband's, and filled my plate with salad. I drank water and allowed myself two rolls. All in all, not too bad for someone that could previously eat an entire box of spaghetti herself! Double Yay for Me!

After dinner and the show were over, we were off to run. I gotta say, there's something peaceful and calming about running at night. I don't know what it was, but I just really enjoyed tonight's training. I can already feel a difference. Tonight's run was still hard, but felt a lot better then the last! I even threw in a little sprint at the end just because it felt good. My ankles and knees will definitely be sore tomorrow so I think I may look into more support...maybe some type of light brace? We'll see how the next couple of days are before I make that decision.

I also need a sports bra (but I'll save that little detail for another day...and I promise to warn the male readers before posting so they know not to read!)

Tomorrow is my Weight Watchers weigh in day, so I can't wait to see what this is doing to my body. I've been told to expect a gain, but I'm secretly hoping for a loss. We'll see! I'll keep ya posted!

Fingers Crossed until next time!

Craving Carbs?

So I was a little sore this morning, but it is wearing off as the day goes on. It was mainly my calves and lower back. Maybe I'll take some Ibuprophen on Friday night after we run so I'm not sore the next day.

I'm noticing today that I'm craving carbs. It's a very weird feeling since I don't eat carbs as much as I used to. I had a small bowl of whole wheat pasta and allowed myself to have a garlic knot. I hope this satisfies it...I'm gonna go refill my water bottle and see if that helps. (I'm trying to teach my stomach the difference between being thirsty or really being hungry)

Tonight, we treat ourselves to sushi and then I'm going to hit the gym for a quick workout. I think light cardio and weights are the way to go!

Week One, Day two training tomorrow...YAY!

The "Real" Day One!

Well folks...I just got back from what we're considering the "real" day one. It definitely felt better then Sunday's run! I was still winded, but not quite as bad. I did have some cramping in my calves, but I think that was because I had a busy day and probably didn't eat as much as I should have. I will definitely have to find a better balance.

We had a few friends join us tonight, which really helped with the motivation. We started off thinking we would go to a local middle school and use their track. Turns out this would have been a good choice, but there was a soccer game happening! We all know I'm self conscious, so my friends were supportive enough to take me to a local park that had a nice little running area. This park was much closer then the one we ran at on Sunday. It was also less crowded and had a small incline in a few places. I think we will definitely be going back there!

I am definitely loving my shoes and have to say that for anyone wanting to do this...Good shoes are definitely worth buying! I can't imagine trying to run in the $10 WalMart shoes that I usually buy! Bo-Bo's definitely do NOT make your feet feel fine!

I have also figured out that these few days a week of training are not the only thing I need to be doing...I need to get back into the gym and do a few mild work-outs in between running days. Maybe do some weight training and light cardio in between. I'll keep ya posted!

We are set to run again on Friday...we also have a small obstacle to overcome. We have tickets to a dinner theater show that our friend has been working on. We'll have to watch what we eat, not over-do it on the pasta, and run after the show. Should be interesting!

Until next time...thanks for reading!

Thoughts for the Day

Tonight I will be running day one of the training program...I've downloaded the podcast, and I'm ready to go! I'm trying to eat right and hydrate today so I don't get sick after the run. Notice that I said trying...today is St. Patrick's Day and the office is celebrating. There are cookies, cakes, and sweets everywhere I turn! I'm trying to be nice and explain to people that I'm trying to eat right, but they don't seem to understand. They're all very nice, but I'm getting tired of hearing "One won't kill you...have some fun!" I'm just going to sit in my own little corner, eat my oatmeal, apples, and peanut butter, and give myself my own little pep talk! What a day!

Couch-to-5K: Our attempt at Day One (HA!)

We decided to train using the Couch-to-5K training program. It's very easy to understand, and has come highly recommended by a few people in our circle of friends. After buying our shoes, and getting my husband Todd some running shorts, this past Sunday was going to be our "Day One" of training.

We woke up that morning, had a light breakfast, and set out to find a track. I really didn't want to run in our neighborhood because I'm a bit self-conscious and I am terribly afraid of people staring at me. (Yeah, Yeah...I know I'm crazy, and it's all in my head, but I have to be comfortable or this just won't work!)

We drove from Mint Hill to the YMCA in Matthews. They have a nice gravel track, but it had rained the night before so the track was too muddy. Ugh! We then moved on to Butler High School, and Independence High School. Both of these schools have beautiful tracks, but they were locked! What's up with that? My husband and myself are both Northerners...I'm a Philly Girl, and he's from Baltimore. Up North, when you want to go running, you find the closest school and head for the track. Well, that's not the case down here! Double Ugh! Thank God for my husband's Blackberry! We looked up a few places, and finally decided to head to Freedom Park.

For Day One, this program has you walking for the first five minutes and then alternating jogging and brisk walking for a total of 20 minutes...sounds easy, right? Ha! Not! At one point Todd circled back to walk with me and I asked him how we were doing...he said "we're only halfway there." Yikes! Seriously? I had to force myself to keep going, and I kept repeating "I think I can, I think I can" over and over in my head! Then something wonderful happened...I saw my husband stop. He was my pacer, so lo and Behold I knew that we had made it! We were wore out, sweaty, and out of breath, but we both did it!

We've been a little sore the past couple days, but it's a good sore! We agreed that it was definitely harder then we had expected, but that it felt great to say we finished! We also agreed that we were putting ourselves on a schedule and restarting day one. Our new schedule will start tomorrow, and have us running on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. A few friends have decided to join us, so I look forward to sharing our experience with you!

Stay Tuned to hear about the "Real" Day one!

(PS - I promise that all of my posts won't be this long! I apparently write like I talk when I get excited...which is a lot! lol)

Surprisingly New Beginnings

So...my husband surprised me this week and asked me if I wanted to train and do a 5K with him this coming May. I was shocked for a moment, but immediately said yes! Soon after I decided to do this, a light popped on in my head...why not blog about it?

What, do you ask, is so interesting about me running a 5k? Well, for starters, I currently weigh just a little under 300 lbs. This isn't something you hear of too often. Typically, when you hear about someone training to run in any type of endurance race, a big girl is not the first thing that pops into your mind. Believe me, I understand!

My husband and I just recently started our weight loss and fitness journey with the goal of leading a healthier lifestyle, so this is a huge step for us! I am excited, and terrified all at the same time! Right now, I can't even imagine what it's going to feel like when I cross that finish line and complete my first race! I have complete faith that we can do this, so I wanted to share this journey in hopes that it will inspire more people like me to get out there and (pardon the Nike pun) Just Do It!

So....Let's start at the very beginning!

I haven't done any type of running since my sophomore year in high school! I'm in my early thirties now, so that should tell you it's been a while! In fact, it's been a while since I've done any type of real physical activity. I joined a gym in January, and occasionally attempt to make it through a Zumba class, but to train for this will require me to be much more dedicated. Yikes!

The first thing we needed to do was to go out and buy some running shoes. This in itself kinda scared me. What would people think when I walked into a store and said "I'd like to buy some running shoes...I'm thinking of running a 5K." I thought someone would laugh at me! Turns out, they didn't! My husband heard about this place in Charlotte called "Run For Your Life" where apparently they actually fit you for a proper pair of shoes. Well, not only do they fit you for size, but they also make a video of your feet running on a treadmill to make sure the shoes have the right kind of support for the way you run! It was an awesome experience and my feet have never felt so good in a pair of shoes! They also got me to buy running socks...who knew? I am going to include their link because they were such awesome people!

http://www.runforyourlife.com


Stay tuned...next up, exploring the "Couch-to-5K" running plan, and our first day on the track!