Watch Me

After several thousand steps pushing my granddaughter in her stroller today while her mom had some minor surgery, I came home and napped. Woke, sucked down a cup of coffee and debated with myself whether to run today or not. I could have, technically, used the day as a rest day, I had walked all those steps as a manner of cross training. The wind was up a bit but was that an excuse? Needless to day, I laced up and got my run on. Because January 2014, I will be running the half marathon at Disney World, Orlando, FL...

Just watch me!

Week Two, Day One

I started my first day of Half Marathon Training Week two today. The weather was a smidge windy but it was tolerable. At least the gusts didn't blow me off the sidewalk like they did last week. This is the training schedule I'm following if anyone wants to jump in and join me.

Half Marathon Training Schedule for Runners and Walkers
Week Monday Tuesday TT Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
1 off 30 min run off 25 min run easy walk off 3 miles
2 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles
3 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles
4 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 2.5 miles
5 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 6.5 miles
6 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 3 miles with MM
7 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 8 miles
8 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 3 miles with MM
9 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 9.5 miles
10 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles
11 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 11 miles
12 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles with MM
13 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 12.5 miles
14 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 4 miles with MM
15 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 14 miles
16 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles
17 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off Half Marathon Race
18 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 5 miles
19 off 30 min run off 30 min run easy walk off 6-8 miles

I can't use those days of the week due to the 6 night work stretch I do every other week, but I plug the days into my own planner/calendar and accomplish the same goal. The off days are spent cross training. This is one of Jeff Galloway's training plans, I posted the link the other day, for those who want to read more about his plans.

I'm already beginning to worry about our move half way across the country in a month and fretting about what it will do to my training plan. Will I be able to run after a 12 hour driving day? Should I get up an hour early and run before each of the three days of driving. Maybe I should count those three days as my off days and totally screw up my body, LOL! I guess I'll just wait and see. I'm not going to be making excuses, that's for sure!

Watch Me!

Half Marathon Training Plan, week one, complete. A year and a half ago, if I knew it was okay to walk run walk run, I would have stuck with it, well, I would like to think I would have stuck with it. I figured I was too old, too out of shape, too busy. If I had continued to run, I would already be doing a half marathon! But, destiny, fate, whatever, things happen for a reason and maybe I just wasn't ready to take on the challenge. Regardless, I am so pumped up, getting fitter everyday. Psyched that Jeff Galloway actually encourages me to walk and run, and today, my first "long run" in the training plan, actually cut 2 minutes off of my 5K time! WTH! And it felt good.

I'm a gadget girl and usually if I like a gadget, I will eventually buy my oldest daughter one. Tabetha likes gadgets as much as I do. I love my Garmin Forerunner 10 watch, use it to see my pace. But with the training plan I'm using, I love an interval timer! I bought the Gymboss and set it for my run and walk time. I set it to vibrate and beep and I can actually hear it over my music plus I had it clipped to my tank so the vibration was nice too!. I found myself counting steps, or counting every other step to see if I could predict when the buzzer would go off. Might be my ADD but I can't just clear my mind and run. My shadow didn't run today, so I had to come up with other games to amuse myself and I'm thinking this will actually be a benefit during my half! Hope so anyway.

Relax, Train, Be Ready

The other night I tossed and turned, worried that I screwed up my time frame for a specific half marathon training program. Oh my god, I thought, the programs are for 28 weeks and I only have 26 weeks before my half. It would have been easier to just get up and look but I tend to worry myself into a frazzle. Of course, the next morning, sucking down my coffee, I scanned all the various training programs I've been collecting. Yes, I have quite a few because I like choices and then I like to tweak to my own needs. What I had failed to realize while tossing and turning and tying the sheets into knots is that I have already been running. Relax, train, you'll be ready. My running partner agrees! She sure does need a name though.

Today, I lacked time so I did my time on the treadmill. I listened to Jeff Galloways's training program. I have read several of his books and am impressed with his insight and theories. I might add, he is also the trainer for RunDisney. I'll use his program and tweak it as I need.

My running partner

I don't usually run in the evening but we had a Coast Guard function today so this evening it was. One of advantages of an evening run is that my shadow runs side by side with me. I have to say, she looks damn good lately!. She's a great conversationalist and she keeps pace with me, regardless of how slow I go. Today we discussed the Disney Half Marathon I registered for in January 2014. Looking back, I wish I had registered for the Princess Half, but I didn't so here I go. I have my training plans set and am feeling motivated. I laughed when I saw the first "long run", it's three miles. A shade less than a 5K and a distance I know I can do with relative ease. Will be a confidence booster, maybe

The weather was beautiful tonight and I will enjoy the lack of humidity as long as I can. I worry what the heat and humidity will do to my running when we arrive in Texas, about one month to go! I will adjust, this means too much to me.

After all...

Body Weight Exercises

These look like a great set of body weight exercises to do when I can't get to the gym!

Get health and fitness tips at Greatist.com.

Monday's Motivation

Celebrate each step!

Discouraged

I need to keep that in my head! After years of sedentary living, can I truly expect to make road runner paced progress? I had a crappy run today, allergies are making breathing difficult, my legs felt like sludge, and my mind was telling me I should be farther along that I felt today. Of course, instead of just chalking up the run as crappy, I have to over think the whole day. Am I lacking motivation, am I too worried about my pace and times, am I stressed because I should be going further and longer? So here is to small steps to progress and an occasional crappy run. Tomorrow is a new day and I will lace up and get my run on!

Cross Training, seriously

I'm quite pleased that hubby has taken my teasing to heart and become active. Understandably, after years on Coast Guard Boats, his knees are shot and while he has offered to run with me, cycling is a better option for him. I'm a road biker, a casual one, but also one who dreams of a sprint triathlon in my future. Maybe its time to take it more seriously. It will also give me some serious cross training time, as well as a more varied fitness routine than just strength training 3-4 times a week. Anyway, the last two nights we ridden together, 6 miles one night, 8 miles tonight (our anniversary and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate!). Maybe 10 tomorrow. I've run in the morning, got my ab workouts in and then when it cools off, the ride with hubby. A well rounded day.

I somehow thought that for my run this morning, I'd revert back to week 2 of Ease into 5K, thinking I would have a nice easy run. I found that I ran twice as fast and much farther in each run segment that I had to add on close to a mile to stay on track with the timing. Not quite an easy run but it sure showed me how far I've come! YEA ME!

First 5K Under My Belt

I did it! My first 5K done and out of the way. Scared to death right up until the starting horn went off! It was a 'fun' run and it *was* fun. Running proudly for two friends battling breast cancer in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The weather was beautiful and the crowds of people created an incredible energy that can't be described. As soon as my friend, her husband and I wormed our way through the massive crowd at the start, I waved them goodbye and wished them well on their journey to beat their PR. I, on the other hand, had a much less dramatic goal, to finish. And finish I did. Under my 45 minute goal even! My husband, Mark, remains my biggest cheerleader and he even snapped some pictures of the event!


And we're out of the pack and on our way!


Walking when I had to,


And running when I could!


And crossing the finish line!

Already looking for the next one!

Confidence Building

Several months ago I saw a pamphlet for a 5K for breast cancer awareness and thought to myself that it would be a good goal since I was just getting serious about running. I registered, and I ran. The time flew and this week I got into a panic knowing I couldn't run a 5K. It was especially disheartening to hear my friend who had agreed to do the event with me, share her desire to "beat her personal best and run the 5K in 27 minutes". I almost cried. I said...I just want to finish. Several days later I have come to peace. Realized that I am not there to race for anything but a cure. Not to beat times or run a 4 minute mile. I am there to 1. bring awareness to breast cancer, and 2. to accomplish my goal of finishing a 5K, and 3. to help me gain confidence to continue running. Today, I ran a 5K, just for me, no one around, and it showed me, yes I can! So Saturday, I will race for the cure, slow running, walking when I need to, and holding my head up high!

Time Management

So I work nights, 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is impossible for someone who works 12 hour shifts and drives 45 minutes each way. Add the desired workout and I'm lucky to get 6 hours of sleep, I function well on 5. Not good for my body, perhaps, but reality in the world of 12 hour night shifts. I also work 6 nights in a row and if I don't make time to exercise or run before or after work, that's a whole week of no exercise. As stated before, the past month or so, I have become serious about running. I've consistently and determinedly been following Ease into 5 K which is basically a couch to 5K. I'm on week 5 and doing well. Anyway, back to time management and trying to work and run. I have been trying to either hit the gym in the morning after work or getting up early to run. The summer heat is here this week so running at 4 in the afternoon kind of sucks. Hmm, plan B. I run my ass off at work for 12 hours (last night I logged 4 miles on my fitbit) and then came home and did a half hour on the treadmill. Tired, sweaty, only to do the same thing tonight.

I love my water infuser!

In my never ending quest to drink more water and stay hydrated, both in life and on the pavement, I've been adding lemon slices to my water bottle. It helps tremendously. But, I get tired of lemon water. I see Vitamin Water on the shelves of the grocery store and look at the ingredients. OMG, Water, crystalline fructose, vitamins, and a few random chemical concoctions like "natural flavoring". Uhh, no thank you. So I search the trusty web on how to make my own vitamin water and felt incredibly stupid. I *was* making vitamin water with no added sugar and real natural flavoring. I splurged on two water infuser pitchers and yesterday I did red raspberry water and today, mango. I should add here that I am from the east coast originally and mango is considered to be an exotic fruit, in other words, expensive, so I never ate one until moving to Northern CA. I wasn't sure how to cut it, if I should peel it, but since I ended up with some decent pieces that fit in my infuser, who cares, right? I will get more daring with my flavoring, I'm sure.







This was me today, hot, sweaty and pushing hard. I got called into work last night to help for a few hours and was afraid it was going to screw up my run time, my me time, my I am Fierce time! I had to run later and it was hotter but I ran. I start my work stretch of 6 nights tonight and time management will be extra important to get my workouts in.

Journaling

A year and a half ago the face in the mirror informed me that I was getting old, I was out of shape, and I was not taking care of myself. Fast food and I were on a first name basis, I smoked, my sleep habits sucked because I worked nights, and the most exercise I got was running my ass off at work. The only thing I had going for me was that I was small and underweight (although I say this is not any advantage and certainly not healthy) I woke up one day and bet myself I could run to the end of the street, I did it without dying. The next day I ran "to the next mail box". I was a casual runner for the next year and a half. This year I made the decision, silently, to only myself, that I was going to get healthy if it killed me! I quit smoking without all the hoopla, didn't tell my family until I was 5 days into being smoke free! It was not a struggle, I sailed through it because I was ready and was doing it for me! That was two months ago and the only cravings I have is when I come out of work in the morning after an incredibly bad night, the thought to smoke is fleeting and my brain is easily redirected. I then decided to get serious about running. I began consistently running/walking at least 3 days a week, and going to the gym 1-2 days a week. At this point in time, I run/walk 5-6 days a week, hit the gym 3 days a week, and have totally changed my diet. I still slide (I love cheeto puffs and jalapeno poppers, sigh) and some days I need more motivation than others but I will do this, I will get healthy. I will stay motivated!