Summertime!

I really do love summer.  I love the warmth (Mike says I'm a reptile), I love the sunshine, the hours of light, the smells.  I do NOT love the mosquitoes.  They are annoying me already. 

Sarah and I are running together.  I'm really enjoying it.  We're doing the C25K (again for me) but this time it's all on the road which I haven't done before, I did most of it on the treadmill last year.  Road running is so different than treadmill.  One isn't better or worse than the other but they just are different.  I love having a partner to run with, it makes the time pass faster.  I didn't even mind the rain storm the other day, until it was raining so hard we couldn't see.  Luckily we made it home before the hail started.  Of course the power was out. 

I'm working on these last 20ish pounds to lose, but I'm really hoping most about toning the middle of me.  I hate my middle.  So if those last 20 come off, I'm hoping a lot of it is off that middle.  But overall toning and working out should make that happen. 

In addition to running I'm doing the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels.  It is quick and fits into the morning easily.  I WILL do a full 30 days without missing.  I do have pictures but we'll see if I'm brave enough to post the before pictures or just the after ones.  Yes I'm a chicken, yes I've posted pictures before but this feels different, more out there, more personal. 

In just 10 days we're having a party for our tenth anniversary and I'm wearing a great fun party dress that I could not have fit into when we got married so I know I should be proud of myself (and I am) but I still feel like this is always an up hill battle.  I'm not sure when or if it will ever be "easy" but it is something I NEED to keep doing for myself.  I like the way I feel when I work out, and I like the way I look thinner, oh yeah and I'm sure I'm healthier too (but lets be honest, most of us work out to look good, not be "healthy"). 

So for anyone out there thinking they can't do this, take a look back at the weight loss posts here and the pictures, the struggles and the successes.  I know that even when there is a set back I'm still LEAPS and BOUNDS ahead of where I was before I got off that couch!  So just do it!

W9D3

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." -John Bingham


Today I officially finished the C25K program.  I know crazy!  On June 18th I started this journey and I could barely do the run 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds enough times to finish the workout.  Now sometimes I run extra just because I feel like it! 

Most of my running has been on the treadmill which keeps my pace steady, so I'm not running too fast and wearing myself out, but I also can't slow down when I feel like maybe I can't do this anymore.  My new goal is to run on the road.  That way I can learn to self pace myself and be stronger. 

I need to do a local race, There's one in Tosa the end of Sept that I'm thinking about.  It's a fast downhill course so it's "easy" for a beginner :D  I'm running about a 13:00-13:30 min/mile so I'm not the first one done but I'm not the last one either (I hope!) 

This is just proof that even though I was never a runner before, I am now.  I. AM. A. RUNNER. say it with me!  I like it, I look forward to it and I miss it if I don't do it.  I can't believe that I think about it, dream about it even LOL. 

I have so far to go, and yet I have come so far.  Thank you to everyone who didn't give up on me, who encouraged me and who believed in me.  I'll need the encouragement now and forever too so keep it up!!! 

For recording sake

For the sake of recording things I need to put this down here so that I can find it at some point in the future that I'm not even thinking about yet ;)  Since I did something that one year ago I never even considered doing, that I didn't think was possible.  Something that 9 weeks ago was a pipe dream that I thought "what the heck give it a try"

HOLY COW!!! tonight felt good on the treadmill and ran a full 5k (including warmup and cool down time of course) Took me 43:41 to do the whole thing (I figure I wouldn't be the last person done right? :P) So I ran extra time just because I wanted to hit it so badly! Plus you can't quit when Christina Aguilera's "Stronger" comes on followed by Michael Jackson "Man in the Mirror"

I think I might officially be a real runner!!! I really did cry a little after I finished.

This was W9D1 of C25k (couch to 5k) There is not a smilie in the world for how amazing this feels.

Mental block?

So tonight I did W5D3 and it felt REALLY hard.  BUT I think most of it is in my head.  My legs felt okay during the run, and my lungs felt okay.  It was still hot but not as bad as it has been.

So now I have to push through the mental wall.  I mean I ran for 1.25 miles all in one shot tonight!  There's no way I could have done that 5 weeks ago so I know I'm making great progress.  I just wish the mind part was keeping up with the body LOL.

Maybe new music would help me push through, having new tempos and songs that I don't know the exact time to?

Milestone today

Today I did something I really didn't believe I could REALLY do, I mean I hoped I could but I wasn't quite sure.  It was so far out of my comfort zone and something I'd never done before.  Now I know that this is the first of many of these milestones.

I am HALF WAY through the C25k program.  Today I ran for 8 minutes (in a row!), walked 5 and then ran 8 more (in a row!) and I didn't die, I didn't collapse, and I didn't look like an idiot.

Of course I'm not feeling ready for the next one which is just to run for 20 minutes (in a row!) but that's really only 4 more minutes than I ran today, just cut out the random walking in the middle and I'd be almost there.  So whether I go straight to that, or I modify it somehow, or repeat today even.  I can do this!  I am strong, I am brave and I was born to be this way (LOL okay I got carried away with some Gaga but can you blame me?!)

So for anyone out there that's thinking "I can't do this" or "I'll never get there" you will!  You can!  It's not going to happen over night and there are going to be rough patches, times you feel like giving up but if you don't give up and you get back up when you stumble you too can do it!!  Every day is a new day and that means a fresh start.

I want to really say thank you to my husband for supporting me, and telling me that I was beautiful and sexy and smart and wonderful no matter how I felt, or how I looked.  I know that's true love ;)  I know that he's my biggest cheerleader (minus the skirt) and will always have my back.  We're a team.  I love you so much honey, infinity plus one <3

It's hot...finally

I'm weird, I like it hot. really!  I do not like humidity but in Wisconsin one goes hand in hand with the other.  Thankfully it's not TOO humid out (dew point is about 70 and humidity is 75% right now) but I'll take it over the 50 and 60 degree days we had all of June.  This girl needs some sunshine!!

Yesterday I was supposed to do W3D1 of C25K and I chickened out.  It was hot last night too and we'd been at the park for my Grandma's birthday party most of the afternoon.  Lame excuse I know.  So today I knew I HAD to do it no matter what because I'd had 2 days off already and if I go more then I won't want to keep doing it.  No fun plans today, until a friend called us.  Now I'm like "OHHH shoot, I need to do it now".  Of course it's the warmest part of the day and it's sunny.  So I decided to do the run on the treadmill, which is in the garage, so it's still HOT.  I turned the fan on and went for it. 

Uhh running on the treadmill is about a million times easier than running on the ground.  I even went faster today than I normally do (since I covered more "ground" by the end it's easy to track).  But I felt like I wasn't working as hard.  So that's good and bad.  Good because I was worried about this new week and this was a good confidence boost.  Bad because I'll want to do the treadmill instead of the road but the only way to do a real race is on the road silly!  So I'm looking forward to getting back to the road (sidewalk) tomorrow or Monday for the second day of this week. 

For today though, friends, food, and fireworks!  I can see fireworks 3 nights in a row if I really want, and I love fireworks so we just might!  Happy Independence Day to everyone! Have a safe holiday and remember to thank those that have served our country!

Thoughts about running and walking

So I'm still a very baby runner, honestly it's still more walking than running, but it's more running than I've done...oh ever.  I finished W2D3 (week 2 day 3) of the C25k program (couch to 5k) yesterday.   I feel like those 90 second runs are still super hard.  Tonight I think I'm going to do a 4th day in Week 2 just for the extra workout of it. 

Maybe each week I won't really feel ready to move on but how am I to know what's in my head and what's my body telling me I need to do an extra workout or an extra week?  How do I get over my own mind games?  It's super frustrating.  I just want to feel confident about myself and my (baby) abilities.  I don't like feeling like I'm floundering or unsure of what I'm doing.

I do know what my plan is.  My plan is to keep plugging along and to keep running and keep progressing through the program.  I know the program works for many people and I feel like it will for me.  I think that sooner or later there will just be a day or a week were I'm suddenly like "oh hai I can do this better today".  I'm looking forward to that day. 

Until then I'm going to keep my head down and put one foot in front of the other and see where that takes me.