Here's the skinny: I've been near 300 lbs. for years and need to lose weight. I'm married to a wonderful lady, and we have a family. One of our boys often asks if I'll run with him. I've always had to tell him, "No." In August of '09, my wife learned about a couch-to-5k running program, and I agreed to try it with her. This blog chronicles our progress on that training program. I hope I'll soon be able to surprise my son by telling him, "Yes, I'll go running with you!"

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Holiday Recap

Sorry folks for being absent so long ... it was tough finding some blog time with all the kiddos home!

I did a weigh in on christmas eve and was down about 3/10ths of a pound. I didnt get a weigh in the next week, but Im pretty sure I gained! Now its back to tracking calories and getting my eating under control. I didnt track the entire two weeks the kids were off of school -- oops!

On an upnote, I did get several runs in. One of the highlights was getting to run with my eldest son on christmas eve morning. He ran slow for his dear old mother but we ran together for 2 miles before he took off on his own. The week of christmas, I got 3 runs in. We had a major snowstorm that left us with 16+ inches of snow and I was pleasantly surprised to sneak some runs in! I ran Tuesday before the storm hit for about two miles. Then as Mr. F noted, we got a run in on Christmas eve during a lull in the snow. Then I got out on Sunday for another 3.6 miles. Ive started tracking my run totals with running ahead. One of my goals for this year is to run 500 miles. Its a pretty neat site and I love how it automatically calculates your minutes per mile for you.

I got an after christmas present of a new watch, so I have been enjoying the stopwatch features! I also got a new outer layer. I opted for a soft lined duo dry jacket from target. Previously one of my layers was a very light windbreaker, basically just the outer shell. So I tried out my new jacket on the run yesterday and it was great. I even left off the arm warmers and my fleece vest and was still plenty warm. Which really is amazing since it was about 1 degree!

I finally found a combo for pant layers that works. I borrowed hubbys spandex running tights and added those under my other layers and it works great! So I plan to eventually get a pair of my own. I wear those, then some warm wear, and two loose fitting running pants over the top of that.

Most of my runs have been in town now that its icy and snowy out. I find that when the traffic is light enough, I end up running down the lane of traffic to find the ice free road. Its interesting to me that my feet seem to automatically slow down as I come upon icy road patches. Even with the ice and the cold, I have been pleased that my pace is staying around 13 -14 minute miles.

I got out on the 29th and again on new years day. Each of those runs were over 3 miles. Im trying to work my way up to 4-5 miles on a run. Its been really cold here though, so its tough to run much longer than that right now. And this past weekend, it was dangerously cold, so I didnt get out to run. -23 real temp is just too much for me!

On another sidenote -- we finally ordered a treadmill. The really cold subzero temps and the plethora of ice around town prompted getting that in order. Im kinda excited! Im sure the lure of the treadmill will wear off after running in place for awhile. I like the idea of being able to run during naptime for the little ones while the preschoolers watch a movie or something. Plus I love then knowing how far I ran without either mapping it or driving my route in the car to map it! One of my wish list items is a gps watch ... although with the price range ... it will be a loong while before I save up enough for that one!

When we checked out the treadmills, we actually brought our running shoes in to try them out. I think it amused the store clerks to see such seriousness lol. We ended up with a medium range nordic track. Im hoping this will help Mr. F get back to running as well. Since we wont have to layer up for the run on the treadmill!

I got out for another run yesterday. Not quite as far, 2.86 miles, but I ran it in 36:51. So a good pace for the cold temps. My fleece scarf is a lifesaver on these really cold days. My total for the year, is 6.2 -- woot!

Keep on running folks
Mrs. F

7 comments:

  1. You are doing awesome! Way to go on the running during the break. I was not that good! I did not run once :-(

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  2. I got a pair of running tights at Target-Champion for 24.99, so look for those. Also, I got the cheapest Garmin 101 GPS watch at Target as well (in the hiking section) for right about $100. I absolutely love it. The shape is a little odd--oblong, but the display is great and I don't mind the bulkiness at all. It's an older model, but does all the GPS tracking, training helps, etc that you would want.

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  3. AMFR- We miss you on the Active.com threads. Come back to the 200+ forum, even if you are not training for that particular program. We're here to support you. Glad that you are getting a TM. Though many hate the dreadmill, it is better than freezing your butt off (not the preferred weight loss method) or slipping on ice. Hope to hear from you soon. - Jasmine

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  4. I've been using a new heart rate montior w/GPS as a dangling carrot for two years now! It's getting closer and closer all the time :) In the mean time, I've been using gmap-pedometer.com to map my runs. I don't know what you use, but it's worked great for me... Keep runnin'

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  5. Mr. FMR

    I must admit, sometimes it's tough sticking with "the program". I've been running since Dec. '08. I'm 52 and never ran before, not even in HS!. Due to a challenge w/ my 62 year old bro, I'm now training for the Pittsburgh Marathon. I plateaued w/ my wait loss after 20 lbs. No matter what I did, I couldn't drop the weight. Then I started Weight Watchers and am now down 40lbs (24 in 2 months). I'm still running, my system just needed a shake up.

    Guess what I'm saying is don't give up. Sometimes you need to look for other elements to keep it interesting/fun. I've enjoyed reading about your journey; I could swear you were talking about me! Ultimately though, you're doing everything for yourself and your family.

    Keep going, we're cheering you on!

    martij6

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  6. I got a Nike+ sportband for Christmas, they are about $60 but they track distance, pace, calories burned, and you can upload all your runs/walks to nikeplus.com. Also if you have an ipod you can just get the shoe sensor for about $20. It's small and functions as a watch when not in use for working out. You have to calibrate it at first but then it works great!!

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  7. Wow -- am I behind on responding to comments or what!

    Staci - Thanks, I almost had to get out and run and get a bit of time to myself. It was crazy with all the kids home for break.

    Jen-lo - Thanks for the tip, I will definitely look into that. 100 seems much easier to budget for than 350!!!

    Jasmine -- Thanks for stopping on by. We have the treadmill in the house-- still in the box though. Hopefully thats the impetus that gets Mr. F back on track. ITs a bit easier not having to layer up and go out in the dark.

    Kristen -- Im using mapmyrun.com and so far I like that okay. Im also using running ahead to keep track of my totals. One of my goals is to run 500 miles this year.

    Martij6 - thanks for stopping on by. Im excited to hear you are further on your journey of weight loss. Its tough to keep on the long haul somtimes.

    Candra -- Ill look into that. So far Im just mapping my run after I do it or sometimes before to give me an idea of what mileage im aiming for.

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