This morning's run was much better. No, it was pretty great! I guess I am a morning person :) I was out the door before 7 a.m., warmed up with a 1/4 mile walk, then was off. I ran for just over 26 minutes. I am using Jeff Galloway's 10K training plan (starting on week 3 since I only have 11 weeks to the race) because I need to focus on building endurance, not speed work. I like how the easy runs are time based instead of distance. This helps me focus on just running. I barely even looked at my pace the entire time--because I knew it was wicked slow but I didn't care. I just wanted to ease back into running. Today's plan called for 25-30 minutes. I was going to stop at 25 because I was getting tired and I didn't want to push too much too soon, but I had to go the extra minute or so to make it to 1.75 miles. I like distances in 1/4 mile increments ;)
The run was relatively pain free, until my right ankle started to hurt about 10 minutes in. The pain is actually on the left side of my right food near the ankle. It only hurts when I run. I stopped for 30 seconds or so, walked it out, stretched a bit, and it went away. I got it again towards the end of the run, but was completely gone by the time I finished my 1/2 mile cool down walk. So it must be something with my form.
Any runners out there reading this have any ideas what it could be and how to avoid it?
It sure feels great to get back out there and be running/biking again. I didn't realize how much I missed it.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
On the road again ... (10K Training Week 1 Run 1)
Stitches Removed
I finally got my stitches removed yesterday morning, so I can start running and biking again. Yay! Apparently there are still stitches on the inside that I could tare and those take 60-90 days to dissolve so I need to be careful still and I won't be able to do pushups/crunches/weights for a while.
Running
I went running when I got home last night. It was not too hot/humid, but I only managed 1.5 miles. We wont talk about how long that took because the important thing is that I got out there and ran after 2+ weeks of being benched. The run felt really awkward, as if I didn't know how to anymore. *lol*
A few things could be the cause for this: 1) I didn't bring my ipod so had nothing to distract me, but it really wasn't that bad to not have music and I didn't even realize it until 1/2 mile into it; 2) I was carrying my new 12oz Amphipod water bottle and because of the lack of music the splashing of the water was driving me crazy--how do you guys deal with that!? I am not crazy about this bottle, but I think I am just not crazy about carrying it. I also got a bit of a side stitch towards the end, but I did it!
This was the official start of training for my 10K in October 12. Today is a rest day and I was going to get up and do an easy mile or two in the morning, since the plan calls for only 3 days of running and I plan to add an extra "no rules" run to the mix, but I decided to do that on Thursday since I want at least 24 hours between runs.
Nutrition & Weight Loss
I've been steadily losing weight by really trying to eat balanced foods according to My Pyramid Plan. I think this is working remarkably well, and is forcing me to vary my eating. I love it! I fully expected to put on weight during my running hiatus and was just focusing on not gaining, but my focus on healthy eating really paid off and I've lost weight. Below are my full stats, goals from last week and goals for the upcoming week.
Full Stats:
Height: 5'2"
Heaviest Weight: 164 (12/5/06)
Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Current Weight: 127.6 lbs
Total Loss: -24.4 in 179 days (6 mo)
(16% of body weight)
BMI: 23.3
Current Goal: 125
Lbs to go: 2.6
Goals met last week:
-- Meatless/Seafood Meals: 71% of main 3 meals/day (goal 75%)
-- Home Cooked Meals: 86% of main 3 meals/day (goal 80% -- exceeded)
-- Maintain weight: current weight 127.6 lbs (goal 129-130 -- exceeded)
-- Follow My Pyramid Plan: I did pretty well on this. I exceeded my fruits and veggies allocations but if I am going to eat more of anything it should be fruits and veggies, so I am happy with that. Amazingly, I did not exceed my meat/beans/nuts allocation. I fell short on grains and dairy, but I still had more than I usually do, so that is a win for me.
Goals for this week:
I decided to set my workout out goals in days instead of miles to simplify things and because is more important to get out there for a run than how many miles I do. I'll still track my millage, but I just want to run this week and get back into the swing of things.
Weekly Fitness Goals
I finally got my stitches removed yesterday morning, so I can start running and biking again. Yay! Apparently there are still stitches on the inside that I could tare and those take 60-90 days to dissolve so I need to be careful still and I won't be able to do pushups/crunches/weights for a while.
Running
I went running when I got home last night. It was not too hot/humid, but I only managed 1.5 miles. We wont talk about how long that took because the important thing is that I got out there and ran after 2+ weeks of being benched. The run felt really awkward, as if I didn't know how to anymore. *lol*
A few things could be the cause for this: 1) I didn't bring my ipod so had nothing to distract me, but it really wasn't that bad to not have music and I didn't even realize it until 1/2 mile into it; 2) I was carrying my new 12oz Amphipod water bottle and because of the lack of music the splashing of the water was driving me crazy--how do you guys deal with that!? I am not crazy about this bottle, but I think I am just not crazy about carrying it. I also got a bit of a side stitch towards the end, but I did it!
This was the official start of training for my 10K in October 12. Today is a rest day and I was going to get up and do an easy mile or two in the morning, since the plan calls for only 3 days of running and I plan to add an extra "no rules" run to the mix, but I decided to do that on Thursday since I want at least 24 hours between runs.
Nutrition & Weight Loss
I've been steadily losing weight by really trying to eat balanced foods according to My Pyramid Plan. I think this is working remarkably well, and is forcing me to vary my eating. I love it! I fully expected to put on weight during my running hiatus and was just focusing on not gaining, but my focus on healthy eating really paid off and I've lost weight. Below are my full stats, goals from last week and goals for the upcoming week.
Full Stats:
Height: 5'2"
Heaviest Weight: 164 (12/5/06)
Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
Current Weight: 127.6 lbs
Total Loss: -24.4 in 179 days (6 mo)
(16% of body weight)
BMI: 23.3
Current Goal: 125
Lbs to go: 2.6
Goals met last week:
-- Meatless/Seafood Meals: 71% of main 3 meals/day (goal 75%)
-- Home Cooked Meals: 86% of main 3 meals/day (goal 80% -- exceeded)
-- Maintain weight: current weight 127.6 lbs (goal 129-130 -- exceeded)
-- Follow My Pyramid Plan: I did pretty well on this. I exceeded my fruits and veggies allocations but if I am going to eat more of anything it should be fruits and veggies, so I am happy with that. Amazingly, I did not exceed my meat/beans/nuts allocation. I fell short on grains and dairy, but I still had more than I usually do, so that is a win for me.
Goals for this week:
I decided to set my workout out goals in days instead of miles to simplify things and because is more important to get out there for a run than how many miles I do. I'll still track my millage, but I just want to run this week and get back into the swing of things.
Weekly Fitness Goals
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
HYC Check In & Request
I keep forgetting to post these updates on time (or I remember too late and don't feel like writing it). The recovery from the cyst removal is going well. I go in to have the sutures removed on Monday; and, if all goes well, I'll be running that night :) Despite my best intentions, I have not done any exercise in almost 2 weeks, unless you count a 2-3 hour behind the scenes tour at Sea World last Saturday. I am hoping my first run won't suck too much because I need to get serious about my 10K training stat!
All that being said, I feel really good about my food choices this week. I had a bit of a slip on Saturday, but I've already shed those extra pounds and I am back on track. This week, I've really been focusing on following my pyramid plan
(customized for my lack of physical activity) in order to eat a more balanced diet throughout the day and maintain my weight while I can't work out. It calls for less fruits/veggies than I've been eating, because I had forgotten to adjust it for my current weight. It will go up a bit next week when I use an adjusted plan for the added activity of running and biking again.
I am still not counting calories and I not stressing too much if I don't meet each category exactly, but this serves as a nice guide to force me to vary my food, and limit my meat intake. When I get hungry, before I reach for a snack I take a look at my handy pyramid chart (yes, I made this because I am that anal =P) and reach for foods from the food groups where I am lacking the most for that day. This has helped me get more dairy (calcium) and grains. I feel really good about my choices these past 2 days and hope I can keep that up and ride easy street to 125 lbs :)
Request (semi unrelated)
Ever since I started to focus on my health/running, my photography has taken a backseat. While I am still doing the 365days self-portrait project, my motivation and creativity are waning. I am kinda sad that I've missed 4 days so far, but I am not calling this a failure yet as that is truly representative of life; and that is what this project means to me: a representation of one year in my life.
Anyway, I come to you for help and inspiration. Post any ideas you have for theme weeks or even a single photo. What would you like to see a picture of? Remember, I need to be in it if only in part. If it's related to this blog/heatlth/fitness all the better, but it doesn't have to be. I'll try to take and incorporate all your suggestions in the coming days, and post the pictures here as well.
All that being said, I feel really good about my food choices this week. I had a bit of a slip on Saturday, but I've already shed those extra pounds and I am back on track. This week, I've really been focusing on following my pyramid plan
(customized for my lack of physical activity) in order to eat a more balanced diet throughout the day and maintain my weight while I can't work out. It calls for less fruits/veggies than I've been eating, because I had forgotten to adjust it for my current weight. It will go up a bit next week when I use an adjusted plan for the added activity of running and biking again.I am still not counting calories and I not stressing too much if I don't meet each category exactly, but this serves as a nice guide to force me to vary my food, and limit my meat intake. When I get hungry, before I reach for a snack I take a look at my handy pyramid chart
(yes, I made this because I am that anal =P) and reach for foods from the food groups where I am lacking the most for that day. This has helped me get more dairy (calcium) and grains. I feel really good about my choices these past 2 days and hope I can keep that up and ride easy street to 125 lbs :)Request (semi unrelated)
Ever since I started to focus on my health/running, my photography has taken a backseat. While I am still doing the 365days self-portrait project
, my motivation and creativity are waning. I am kinda sad that I've missed 4 days so far, but I am not calling this a failure yet as that is truly representative of life; and that is what this project means to me: a representation of one year in my life.Anyway, I come to you for help and inspiration. Post any ideas you have for theme weeks or even a single photo. What would you like to see a picture of? Remember, I need to be in it if only in part. If it's related to this blog/heatlth/fitness all the better, but it doesn't have to be. I'll try to take and incorporate all your suggestions in the coming days, and post the pictures here as well.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Fitness Update: -23 lbs in 165 days (5.5 mo)
I totally forgot to update last week, but I am still here and have great news! I finally reached my goal and weighed 129 lbs this morning.
Full Stats:
I had a (benign) cyst removed from my shoulder blade yesterday, so I won't be able to run or bike until the sutures come out in 2 weeks. This means the blog may be a bit quiet till then and I need to be extra diligent about my eating so I don't gain weight while I am less active. I hope to at least do some walking. Once I can run again, I am official starting to train for Disney's Race for the Taste 10k in October.
In the healthy eating department, I've managed to meet these weekly goals for a few weeks now and I think they are becoming a habit:
Full Stats:
- Heaviest Weight: 164 (12/5/06)
- Starting Weight: 152 (1/29/08)
- Current Weight: 129
- Total Loss: -23 in 165 days (5.5 mo)
- Total % Loss: 15.13% of body weight
- BMI: 23.6
- Current Goal: 130 -- EXCEEDED!!
- New Goal: 125
- Lbs to go: 4
I had a (benign) cyst removed from my shoulder blade yesterday, so I won't be able to run or bike until the sutures come out in 2 weeks. This means the blog may be a bit quiet till then and I need to be extra diligent about my eating so I don't gain weight while I am less active. I hope to at least do some walking. Once I can run again, I am official starting to train for Disney's Race for the Taste 10k in October.
In the healthy eating department, I've managed to meet these weekly goals for a few weeks now and I think they are becoming a habit:
- Fruit Servings: 14 (2/day)
- Veggies Servings: 21 (3/day)
- Home Cooked Meals: 80% of main 3 meals/day (17/21)
- Meatless/Seafood Meals: 75% of main 3 meals/day (16/21)
- Water: 450 oz (~64/day)
Sunday, July 6, 2008
4 Mile Long Run
I've been a slacker since my last run on Thursday (except for the push ups/crunches, which I am definitely feeling today). I was supposed to walk for 30 minutes yesterday, which I was going to sub with biking, but neither happen. I failed to wake up this morning, so the run had to wait until tonight after an exhausting day at the beach. I didn't think it was going to happen. Since I had to wait to digest my dinner and there was no way to run before it got dark, I got Jason to run the 4 miles with me.
The run was rough. I walked for 30 seconds after mile 1 as scheduled. I started getting a side stitch around mile 2 and took another 60 second walking break after that, but had to stop again because the stitch was too much. I paused the watch and walked it out. I started running again convinced I would not be able to make it to 4 miles, and told myself to at least run 3 miles then call it a night. When I got to mile 3, I walked for a minute, maybe 2, then started running again. I slowed my pace a bit, but I finished the 4 miles running in just under an hour. I am sore and my feet hurt, but I ran 4 miles!
Splits:
The run was rough. I walked for 30 seconds after mile 1 as scheduled. I started getting a side stitch around mile 2 and took another 60 second walking break after that, but had to stop again because the stitch was too much. I paused the watch and walked it out. I started running again convinced I would not be able to make it to 4 miles, and told myself to at least run 3 miles then call it a night. When I got to mile 3, I walked for a minute, maybe 2, then started running again. I slowed my pace a bit, but I finished the 4 miles running in just under an hour. I am sore and my feet hurt, but I ran 4 miles!
Splits:
- mile 1 - 14:51
- mile 2 - 14:32
- mile 3 - 14:49
- mile 4 - 15:39
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Push Ups/Crunches Week 3 Update
I finally finished week 3, but barely. I had to postpone two of the workouts and this week was tough. If you look at the numbers, you see that the reps doubled from the previous week, but I somehow made it through. One more week, then I'll be out of commission for 2 weeks. I'll probably take the test when I recover and see where I am at, or just start a regular routine. We'll see.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
That is a great running t-shirt!
Today's Take it and Run Thursday at the Runner's Lounge is all about Running T-shirts. I don't really wear t-shirts; so other than the ones I got at 5Ks, I don't own any running t-shirts. But I've seen lots of great ones online and I am considering investing in some singlets I can run in with witty sayings.
Here are some of my favorites from https://www.onemoremilerunning.com
I should have worn this one to my first race: "Who Moved the Finish Line?"
I can't wait to be able to wear this one, hopefully in March: "13.1 Miles: Been There, Run That"
and hopefully I'll finish like this: "13.1 Miles and Still Smiling"
I should probably wear this one for my first marathon: "This seemed like a good idea 3 months ago"
Here are some of my favorites from https://www.onemoremilerunning.com
I should have worn this one to my first race: "Who Moved the Finish Line?"
I can't wait to be able to wear this one, hopefully in March: "13.1 Miles: Been There, Run That"
and hopefully I'll finish like this: "13.1 Miles and Still Smiling"
I should probably wear this one for my first marathon: "This seemed like a good idea 3 months ago"
Running 3 days in a row
Today was my 3rd run of the week, and the 3rd day I run in a row, as part of Hal Higdon's Spring Training Novice training plan. I have to be honest, I didn't think I'd be able to do it. Well, not physically, but I questioned whether running 3 days in a row was wise. And you know what, the 1st run was the hardest. They got way easier after that--go figure.
Yesterday was 3 miles, and I almost didn't do it because I felt crappy when I woke up. But I was already up and thought maybe the run would make me feel better. I ran slow and steady, took a 1-minute walk break after mile 1 and 2 and it it was a great pain free run.
Today was a similar story. I got a late start, but because it was only a 1.5 mile run, I went out anyway. I pushed myself a little bit more because it was a shorter run and it felt really good. Again, no pains of any kind and I was a bundle of energy afterwards. Lets hope this streak continues for my 4 mile long run this weekend.
I can't decide how often to blog about my runs. I know some people blog after every single run, but I also blog about them at the Virtual Run Club so it feels redundant to do it here too, even though I know not everyone reads that too. Maybe I'll just do weekly summaries or blog about particularly good (or bad) runs.
Yesterday was 3 miles, and I almost didn't do it because I felt crappy when I woke up. But I was already up and thought maybe the run would make me feel better. I ran slow and steady, took a 1-minute walk break after mile 1 and 2 and it it was a great pain free run.
Today was a similar story. I got a late start, but because it was only a 1.5 mile run, I went out anyway. I pushed myself a little bit more because it was a shorter run and it felt really good. Again, no pains of any kind and I was a bundle of energy afterwards. Lets hope this streak continues for my 4 mile long run this weekend.
I can't decide how often to blog about my runs. I know some people blog after every single run, but I also blog about them at the Virtual Run Club so it feels redundant to do it here too, even though I know not everyone reads that too. Maybe I'll just do weekly summaries or blog about particularly good (or bad) runs.
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