My challenge for January was to run more. Simple, basic and easy to do right? Wrong.
I ran. But not as much as I would have liked. I had a few setbacks including being sick a few times. No excuses though. I should have done better. There is always next month.
I will classify this month as:
Image borrowed from here.
Sunday the 20th I participated in my first Rock and Roll Marathon. Granted I only did the mini marathon (5.4 miles) but it is something I’ve wanted to do since I moved here. Although my first, it was the 10th anniversary. I felt like it was a great time to join in a tradition. Next year I plan to do the half marathon. If I fill out a survey I get $10 off my registration!
I am also planning a half in November. It is quite exciting and scary to think about. 13.1 seems like so much more than 5 or 6 miles. I really hope I am able to complete it!
Here are two pictures I borrowed from MarathonFoto. I have been encouraged by several people to purchase at least one photo, just trying to decide which and what size (probably the least expensive size, lol)
There were so many people at this race. There was something like 20-some start corrals. I finished in 58:41 and 10:52 pace. Overall I was 472 out of 1366. 60 out of 157 in my division (age group I think) and 285 out of 962 females. I didn’t do terrible but I know I could have done better.
I struggled late. I realized I hadn’t eaten enough to fuel the 5.4 miles. I started feeling hungry about mile 4 and was feeling my energy go down. Although once I saw the finish line I wanted take off. Unfortunately that was not really an option as they kept telling the mini marathon racers to move as far right as possible. I passed one couple because they were running slower than I walk. But I was unable to pass anymore because I kept getting told to move to the right.
Oh and trying to look “normal” for the camera also backfires. It’s either me with mouth gaping open or with mouth tightly shut to avoid looking silly. These pictures will never be great but you looks good while running??
Tell me: Have you had any races you just were dying to do? What distance do you want to reach? What are your thoughts on race photos?
I love to read. I love to read all kinds of genres. I typically will read something from one area (say non-fiction) followed by some genre of fiction. Most recently I finished Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which requires some thinking and for the reader to pay attention. To follow, I wanted an easy, light read. I opted for Julie and Julia. (I will admit, I saw both the movies first. I usually try to do it the other way, doesn’t always happen.)
The last few books I have read in the “chick lit” genre have somehow involved cheating. What I would like to know is why does someone feel the need to cheat in order to get a good story line? How many great books have been written that do not involve this story line? And why do chick lit authors seem to use it as a go to? To me it seems like the easy way out, “I need conflict soooo let’s throw in an affair!”
It gets old. I have never been one to agree with or condone cheating. I believe in being faithful to the one you are with. And if you can’t handle that, get out. It bothers me that so many stories involve this but could still be good stories without it. I have read many a chick lit books throughout my life and I do not recall earlier books being so focused on that as the main conflict. Or maybe I am just not remembering right (which very well could be).
I will say that Tinker Tailor Solder Spy also spoke to an affair but it wasn’t the main conflict. It tortured the main character but it was secondary to the main plot. It also drove part of the plot and made sense in the overall scheme of the story line. Twice in Julie & Julia affairs have been mentioned by secondary characters and seem to have no point, go nowhere. Why did the author need to throw this in? Needless to say I only have about 50 pages yet and do not really see the point of these added affairs. I understand if it makes sense/drives the plot. In some books it seems thrown in to add another conflict or drama when not needed. In some chick lit books it is the driving factor. Sometimes it works, sometimes it seems like it is just done for the sake of having no other conflict idea worked out.
Do I need to give up chick lit?? I like it because it is usually a light, easy read. I just get tired of the cop-out of cheating. With as much cheating and affairs that go on in chick lit one would think that every person on this earth cheats. I know it happens but is it really as common as portrayed in books/movies/tv shows?
Do you feel that there is more of this in current chick lit? Do you like story lines that revolve around cheating? Do you think authors are starting to take the easy way out when they resort to using cheating as a conflict?
I had taken a three-week break from running. That was a mistake but I started running again on 12/30 because I had to get the lungs ready for my race on Sunday the 6th.
I got in a few 5Ks and two 1.5 mile runs before the Resolution Run. I was feeling ok but not great heading into Sunday.
The race was the smallest I had attended. Even though I didn’t really talk to anyone (except someone I already knew), it felt like a community. Everyone stayed after for the raffle and medal portion. There were people of all ages. I enjoyed it so much I am thinking of doing their Chinese New Years Run & “Wok”. hehe
The course was not flat, surprising in Phoenix. I was glad that I do the small inclines in my neighborhood parks. Of course they put the hills at the end of the course but I just kept pushing.
This was my worse race time. I guess you can’t PR them all. 😉 I finished in a little over 34 minutes with about an 11 minute pace. I actually am not sure how accurate it was as I did not see a timing mat at the start, just the end. If they did it by start gun time then I would actually be under 34 because I didn’t get across the start line for a few seconds. Also, because there were no corrals, I didn’t even get to start running right away. I spent probably the first half mile weaving around walkers. It was kind of out and back course so the drink stand was set up between mile 1 & 2 but it was on the out and back, almost right at the start. So I also had to battle people stopping for a drink after, maybe, a half mile. Even I didn’t need a drink that early!
Small and locally organized so I won’t fault them too much.
BUT.. the really exciting part! I was 4th in my age group! That means if one of the three people in from of me hadn’t run, I would have gotten a medal! I am really excited and proud of this. This will probably be the closest I ever get. I was still 10 minutes behind 3rd place and there were only 10 people in my age group but still! Let me have my small victories.
Here is to 2013 and running. Victories small and large. There really is no place to go but up from here!
What achievement are you are proud of? What are you looking forward to in 2013?
I have decided that each month I am going to challenge myself to something new, to do along with my running. Anyone is welcome to join me in these challenges. There really isn’t anything to hold you accountable, just you. 🙂 Of course you can always leave comments and let me know how you’re doing.
This months challenge is simple. Since January has already started I decided to make it easy on me. The other months I will put more thought into it.
January Challenge: Run More.
I got off track in December and have set myself back in my running. So my goal for January is to simple run more in order to get back on track.
My plan for the month is as follows:
Basic:
I want to run more days than I don’t. I want to build up my mileage.
Specific:
Currently I have myself scheduled for two races, 17 scheduled runs, 2 possible runs and 10 days off.
My rest days are based on days my BF has off or gets done at 5. I’ve come to learn that I have a harder time working out when he is here. Probably because we get so little time together so I value what time I do get.
As far as mileage I currently do a little over 3 miles. I want to build on that.
Below is my training calendar. The two * denote that I have completed that day.
If you wish to join me, you can run with me. Or if you aren’t a runner, vow to do more of what you do. Do you walk? Zumba? Kick butt with the weights? Whatever you do, do more! If you aren’t active, why not get out and do something? Even a 10 minute walk each day is a good start.
Tell me readers: What do you do to stay healthy? What are your plans/goals for the new year? What workouts interest you but you haven’t tried? What challenges would you want to participate in?
Yesterday, after much back & forth, I participated in the Hot Chocolate 5K. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the overall experience.
I had originally signed up for the race about a month ago, forgot (or rather didn’t realize) that it was this past weekend. I ran once this week, on Tuesday, in preparation. I was having back aches and feeling all around crummy most of the week. I really wasn’t feeling like running.
Saturday came and I started feeling better. I went and got my packet. I started to get energized about it. I decided I might as well run because I will regret it more if I don’t then if I do and fail.
I was a little worried. I had read that Hot Chocolate races were not well-organized. That packet pickup was a headache. That they ran out of finisher mugs (and really, why run this race if you don’t get the chocolate after?) My second run was highly disorganized after and it was not fun to finish 5 miles and get nothing. I digress. I thought the packet pickup was great. I went Saturday afternoon and did not have to wait in line. I was a little disappointed in the jacket. It looked so nice online. It will work for the little rain we get in Phoenix. I also got a free hat. It seems nice, although the brim is a little big for my little head. It is white and appears to be made of the wicking material. I will have to try it out when I attempt to run in summer. On the surface of the sun. 😉
Arriving at 6 am was not fun. I was up at 5 and left the house at about 5:15. Traffic was already heavy. I heard the 15Kers had a mile and half wait just to get off the freeway! Yikes. It was really cold. Colder than my races in Wisconsin last month. And it didn’t help that we had to walk through a grass field damp with frost. The moisture got in my shoes/socks and my toes were completely numb.
I did my stretching and walked a lot to try to warm up. Whatever I did, my warmup must have worked. I got a new PR: 32:52. I also feel I did pretty well for my age/gender (151/444 and 861/2847 respectively. Overall I was 1263 out of 3748. The run actually felt easy too. I started off slow and used a couple ahead of me to pace. I was also fairly numb for about the first mile and then finally my body seemed to get warmed up. At the drink station, I grabbed a Gatorade and had to walk/pause a bit because of the crowds but after that I kicked it off pretty quick then settled into a good pace. As soon as I saw that finish sign I again kicked it into gear.
I really liked the wave start they did. It was controlled. Each corral was by pace time and it seemed people pretty much stuck to where they were assigned. The let each corral go 3 minutes after the last so there wasn’t too much traffic rushing at once. The only bad part of the course was a small stretch that was split for each direction but it got very narrow for the start/out. Most runners were still close to running the same speed so it created a bottleneck. The finish/back part of the road was much wider and by this point the runners were more spread out. It seemed it would have made more sense to have it wider at the start.
My finisher’s mug was great. Although I would have liked a bit more fruit and less “treat” like items. And another napkin. Chocolate fondue is messy. 😛 It also was too much chocolate for me. It made my stomach upset to eat that much chocolate/treats (although I didn’t eat it all) after running. I felt bad for some of the 15Kers. They ran out of the fondue for them. They got the treats and hot chocolate but nothing to dip the treats into.
This was their inaugural run in Phoenix. I’d say overall it was a success. I would probably do it again, maybe attempting the 15K next time.
I am trying to plan my race circuit for the coming months. I have quite a few I want to do, including the PF Changs Rock N Roll Marathon which I just found out has a mini (5.4 miles)! I am planning to do the half in January 2014 but I just might do the mini this year. I am going to need to make a racing budget. Wow, if you asked me in high school if I needed a racing budget, I would have laughed at you.
I also wish I had a friend that would run races with me, even if we didn’t run together. I just would like someone to carpool with and hang out with before/after. I am an introvert and don’t go out of my way to meet new people at races. Since most races are on weekends, typically Saturdays, my boyfriend can’t come cheer me on due to work. I am ok with that so now I need to make my friends run muahahahahahaaha
This week I met a personal goal of mine. I ran my first, official 5K. I went home for Thanksgiving and I happened to be there when my college held its 5K. I never did it when I lived there. I was never confident enough in my running to sign up. I decided this would be a perfect first 5K. It’s fairly small and benefits a place I love. My dad decided to do it with me also. He ran with me the entire time even though he could have run faster.
I wasn’t fast but I did complete it quicker than I predicted. I said I would do it in 36 minutes. I completed in 33:30:15. That is a pace of 10:47 per mile.
Here is the line-up:
I looked through all the Facebook pics but couldn’t see myself in any. Oh well.
The race was so much fun. Everything I read about the adrenaline rush was so true! It was also fun to have people cheering you on. I was so glad I signed up for it. I also got my dad back into running. He has taken it back up. 🙂
I also signed up for another race, on Thanksgiving. The closer it got to the big day, the more nervous I became. This race was 5 miles. 5 miles! What was I thinking?? I haven’t run 5 miles in over a year. I was super worried that my asthma would become a problem, my legs would die or I’d end up walking the entire thing.
I surpassed my expectations and surprised myself. I ran the entire 5 miles. I ran it in less time than I had figured. I had given myself 55-60 minutes to finish. I figured I did a 10:48 pace for the 5K and I might have to walk a bit so I figured 11-12 minute mile average pace. Well, I finished in 54:05. Under my estimate! I am quite proud of myself. I was so worried and nervous the day before but I felt great completing the 5 miles!
I wanted to do the 5 miles to prove to myself I could do it. I’m glad I did it.
I also couldn’t find myself in the Facebook pics but here is what we saw on the last leg:
That would be the mighty Mississippi over there. 🙂
Both my runs had great views. I couldn’t be happier with my first two races. I plan to keep it up. I have my December 5K all picked up. I haven’t signed up yet but I will do so soon. I am going to do the Hot Chocolate 5K.
Sometimes I feel like just giving up. I don’t feel like I will ever lose all this weight. Does anyone else go through this?
I see the success others have, losing much more than I need to, and I have a hard time believing that I will ever reach my goal. Don’t get me wrong, I think the people who have lost hundreds of pounds are amazing and I am extremely impressed by what they have achieved. I just can’t visualize myself getting to where I want to be.
I enjoy my runs. I enjoy my P90X session. I enjoy healthy foods. Why can’t I enjoy the process of losing weight? Or even just appreciate what I’m doing?
I don’t want to settle. I want to get down to my goal. I want to be happy with my body again. Maybe the large amount of weight (relatively speaking) is too daunting. Is it because it’s not easy? Do I subconsciously not want to lose weight for some reason?
There are some days I just want to give up completely but I force myself to watch what I eat or get off the couch. I also have some things going on in life that are probably affecting how I feel about everything else right now. How do you stay on track when you just want to give up?
On a different note… I just might be a crazy person. I have my first, official 5K on Saturday morning. After I get into town on Friday at 8:30 PM. What was I thinking?
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! <— My theme for the airports tomorrow. But man, how I hate paying for water there! Why can’t I just bring my own? Thank you terrorists. If my 5K time suffers I am totally blaming Osama bin Laden, k?
And you know what else I did? I signed up for a 5 mile run on Thanksgiving morning. Seriously… what was I thinking?
I am getting a bit nervous about my first, official 5k. What if I mess up and knock someone over at the drink station? What if my asthma acts up and I can’t run? What if I hate it? What if I love it and become a racing fiend? I’ve already looked up ideas for all the racing bibs I’ll be collecting (coasters anyone?).
The 5 mile scares me because it is 5 miles. I haven’t run 5 miles in a while. I figure if I need to walk a half mile or so near the end, it isn’t the end of the world. All that matters is I tried my best (and forgot the rest, har har har) and FINISHED. That is more than I can say for some people.
My dad will be doing the 5k with me. I tried to get my mom to sign up and just walk but I don’t think she did. She was worried that we would have to wait for her. She is so cute. I just thought since I hadn’t seen them in a year it would be a fun family thing. I am doing the 5 mile run alone. My parents are hosting Thanksgiving so I will let them prep and cook while I run my butt off.
I have taken my training to the outdoors recently. I want to run 5ks and eventually half marathons (I don’t think I could ever run a full marathon) and to do so, I need to get used to running outdoors again.
It’s October and I am already worried about what I am going to do come summer. I am at a loss. In Phoenix you have to either go early in the morning or way late at night. You are luck if it gets in the 90s overnight during the summer. I get overheated easily when working out so this is a huge concern for me. I get up at 5 to get to work on time. I don’t want to get up any earlier (plus if I get ready for a run, the dogs will go nuts, wanting to go with me, thus waking the boyfriend). Good thing I have until maybe April/May to figure this out!
While running outside I have discovered a few items that would make my running easier. I am open to suggestions on these items and will be doing research on which items might be the best for me before I buy any of them.
So if anyone has any suggestions that has worked for them, please let me know. Or if you tried something and thought it sucked, let me know that too!
I have been seriously working on my weight for the past two months. I really started in May with just trying to get back into my healthier eating habits. In July I slowly worked in exercise. By mid-August I bought a scale and tape measure to really be able to track weight loss and body changes.
I would like to share with you my changes in the past two months or so.
| Mid August | Mid October | Changes | |
| Weight | 178 | 167 | 11 |
| Neck | 13.5 | 13 | 0.5 |
| Waist | 37 | 34 | 3 |
| Waist – natural | 42.5 | 40 | 2.5 |
| Hips | 34 | 30.5 | 3.5 |
| Bust – fullest | 40 | 38.5 | 1.5 |
| Bust – under | 36 | 32.5 | 3.5 |
| Thigh | 25 | 22 | 3 |
| Total Inches Lost | 17.5 |
I created a basic spreadsheet chart. For the measurements I used waist as where the belly button is (based on how most places measure you) and waist natural is where my waist naturally curves in. Obviously fullest part of the bust is over the boobs. This measurement has fluctuated a bit. Some weeks it goes up and then back down again. Bust under is right under the boobs. Thigh is the mid-thigh based on the pj shorts I always wear. My thigh also fluctuates. I’m not worried about the boobs and thigh as much as the waist and hips.
I weigh & measure every Saturday. I log all my food (to the best of my ability) on my fitness pal. I have calculated my TDEE and eat at around 20% below that. I have started my 5K training plan as I signed up for a race on 11/17. I am running three days a week now. The other 4 days are either rest (usually once a week) and I am going to restart my P90X program. I did two weeks of if, got a pinched nerve in my back and didn’t do it for two weeks.
I am quite proud of how far I’ve come in two months. When I look in the mirror I don’t always see the changes. I can tell I have lost a little. My body looks a little different and my clothes fit better. Others tell me they can see it in my face. But some days I see myself and I don’t see changes. Then I look at my numbers and I feel better. I am making a difference. I am changing my lifestyle and my body. I am proud of what I have accomplished so far. One day I will see the changes and I will be proud to share that day too.