Hump Day!!!

Nothing real exciting to write about today. Had a terrible 3 mile run on Monday - just not a good run day - it happens sometimes. I am trying to forget about it because I have to run 5 miles tonight and I am not really motivated to do it because of Monday. I hurt Monday, could not get into a good comfortable pace and my right leg kept cramping. I did not think I would ever finish. Very frustrating coming off of a good run on Saturday. But it happens, so I need to get over it.

A new week

It is a new week and I am going to try to keep a positive attitude toward my workouts this week. We have 6 inches of new snow from the weekend and today it is cold. The rest of the week is not looking promising weather wise either. Cold, rain and some snow.

Looks like I will be doing my 14 miles this week on the dreadmill. Stay positive and just do it. I am also going to do some interval training on the elliptical along with weight training on my off running days. Different muscles will be worked so I am prepared to deal with the good yet painful soreness in muscles I forgot I had. Nothing better than a little Aleve to get you through the week.

Old Man Winter is back...

Woke up this morning to about 4-5 inches of snow. Damn. All of our snow was almost gone. I am hoping the weather man is right and next week it will warm up, rain and melt this crap. I really need to start running outside. I can't take the treadmill much longer since my miles are increasing now. Those couple of days of running outside made me want Spring to come that much sooner.

I finished week 6 of my training - only 10 more weeks. Monday was an easy 2 mile run (funny how now 2 miles are easy) Wed. was 5 miles and today was 6 miles. I finished my 6 miles today at 65 mins and some odd seconds - 2 minutes faster than last Saturday. I am slowing chipping away at the minutes - just a little under 11 min miles. God, what would not give to be able to run a 10 min mile in the near future - please? I will keep working at it and maybe, just maybe, someday I will surprise myself.

After doing some research over the last couple of weeks I have decided that in order to lose the weight I want to lose, I need to incorporate some interval training and weights into my weekly routine. Everything I read and a couple of trainers I have talked to say it is tough to lose weight while doing long runs. Interval training on the treadmill, bike, or elliptical is definately what will help take the weight off along with weight training. So, that is it, on my off days I will do 30 minutes of interval training on the elliptical - I don't want to do the dreadmill because I don't want to get hurt - I don't think my knees can take that kind of beating. After my interval training I would like to do at least 30 minutes of weight training. I hope to see some weight come off. Basically, I am looking at 6 days of training and 1 off day which will be Sundays.

Keeping my fingers crossed that this plan will work for me. Only 11 weeks until the 1/2 marathon and I would like to lose 10 lbs.

lean cuisine

Week in review

This week started off with a bang.... meaning I wanted to shoot Select Comfort. We purchased a sleep number bed and it arrived on Monday. We excitedly put it together and went to bed. I woke up in the morning looking up at Collin... WTF??? My side did not hold the air and I was flat. In the end all is good... we called Select Comfort and they sent us a new mattress overnight. It is working just fine and so far I like it.

My training went well this week. 2 miles, 5 miles, and 6 miles.... all on the dreadmill as we got some cold and windy weather this week. Collin and I ran together at the Y yesterday and I was so excited to finish my 6 mile run that I let out a rather loud "Whoo Hoo" at the end. I finished my 6 mile run in 67 minutes and only 3 minutes slower than hubby. This was officially my second longest run since I started running (my first leg of Ragnar last year was 9.5 miles) so I am rather happy. My knees were hurting pretty bad last night but I woke up this morning feeling great. Another good sign that I am getting into shape for the 1/2 marathon.

Today is a rest day for me and tomorrow starts another 13 mile week. 5 weeks of training down and only 11 to go. I just want the weather to improve again so I can do more of my runs outside.

Training update

I went to the Y this morning and did a 5 mile run on the dreadmill. It actually went really well. I finished in 55.40 minutes. My training plan called for a tempo run where I was supposed to run 3 miles at 10.17 min/miles. I did not accomplish that but I came close. I also included some interval runs in the last mile. It was a great run for being on the treadmill.

Last Saturday the weather was beautiful... it was 45 degrees with a little wind. Collin and I took off in the morning for a nice 5 mile run together. I needed him with me to motivate me and he did not let me down. He pushed me on some hills and also pushed me to run a little bit farther when I wanted to walk. We did 5 miles in 60 minutes. I had some problems with my hamstrings cramping but other than that it went well. It felt good to run outside but my body was sore the rest of the day. My knees needed some TLC so I iced them for about an hour and then they were good. My butt and my hips were a little sore too - it sure is different running outside, but that is my preference.

I really get tired of running alone. Now that my miles are increasing it is nice to have a running partner. I don't mind doing 3 miles alone. I wish I could find someone to run my long runs with. The problem is that I am not really fast... I avg about an 11 or 12 minute mile.

So we got a taste of what spring is going to be like. It was great while it lasted. Today it is turning cold and windy again and they are saying maybe some snow tonight. April can't get here soon enough.

Deep Water Fitness

I tried a new class last night at the Y - Deep water fitness. I loved it. I ran my scheduled 2 miles on the dreadmill and then off to the Y. You wear a flotation belt around your wast and you basically run in the water for 60 minutes while doing different things with your arms. In the end there is some ab work too. A very good all over body workout. I used to do a body pump class which is weight lifting to music and I really like it. But my instructor left the Y and I left the class because the new instructors are horrible and I cannot tolerate horrible when I am working out.

I will continue to do this 3 days a week - T, TH, and either Sat or Sunday depending on which day I make my long run day. If I still like it in a couple of weeks I am going to by special shoes that will give me more resistance in the water. I think this burned about 800+ calories but it felt like more than that... I was exhausted in a good way. It is great to go workout and have that feel good feeling... it is what keeps you going back.

Our new scale

Well it arrived yesterday. Our shiny, new, does everything but talk to you scale. If it talked it would have already been thrown out the window. If I were in better shape I would even call it neat. It tells me my weight, body fat %, BMI, resting metabolism, skeltal muscle, and visceral fat. Let me just say I have a long way to go to be even close to where I envision myself. The only good news was my visceral fat - everything looks good around my organs.

This is how my morning went. Wake up, get the kids up, off to the shower (so far so good), get out of the shower, hop on the scale.... that is when my day went from good to crap. I knew it was not going to be good news, but I did not expect the results that I got. I know I am almost 43 and that after I was finished with my child bearing years I did not do much to get back into shape. I became lazy in the workout department. That is my fault.

The frustrating and somewhat depressing part for me is that I am trying so hard to get back into shape. I run 3X a week and have changed my eating habits and I really thought I would see a payoff. It is not happening. I feel better and my hubby tells me he is seeing a difference, but that damn shiny, new scale is not showing me the results I want. Hmpf!!

Wake up call.... I obviously have to do more than what I am doing. I need to get back to what I was doing last year and that is going to the YMCA and doing more on my off running days. Tonight I am going to try deep water exercise. I am thinking of getting a personal trainer, but they are very spendy. So I have decided I will do more at the Y on my off days - doing my DVD's at home is not enough. I do better in a group because I am competitive and I will not quit even when I want to. At home, with no one to make me accountable, I quit sometimes - even if it is only for a minute.

With a lot of hard work I will get there. My goal is 15 lbs by 5/3 for the 1/2 marathon and then I will continue after that for a total weight loss goal of 40 - 50 lbs by the end of the year. I am not going to get caught up into the routine of getting on this scale everyday.. probably once a week for now.

Week 3 success

Yeah for me!! I successfully finished my 3rd week of 1/2 marathon training. 9 miles for the week and today I ran my 4 miles outside. Except for some icy sidewalks and fancy footwork off the curb it went well.

It really irritates me when people do not shovel their sidewalks. We have had 2 beautiful days in a row and you would think that at least one adult could get out there and FINALLY clear off their sidewalks. I think I am going to take my dog for a walk and hope she craps in their yard. Mean, disrespectful? Maybe... okay, yes it is. But it is not only LAZY to not shovel your sidewalk, it is against the law. I am thinking of taking my little notepad and writing down addresses and giving them to the police. We have not had snow for weeks and these people deserve a ticket after all of this time. Because if I fall, they better watch out... hmpf.

My only body complaint is my right knee is a little sore but nothing terrible. This weeks runs will be 2,3, and 5. The weather is going to get cold again so will probably be doing the dreadmill again. I hope the weather is better by the weekend - I would really like to do my long run outside.