I had to go all the way back to November 20th to find our last posted weights. I know that we have weighed in since then, just didnt post it in the format.
Friday weight check (week 15)
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 283.0 lbs.
Today: 279.4 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -3.6 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 21.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 69.4
Comment: Mr. F isnt here to give me official totals from last week. So I estimated about where he was then. He will chime in when he returns.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 171.8 lbs.
Today: 169.7 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -2.1 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 13.1 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 19.7
Comment: I am so happy! My hard work, aka running, aka watching my caloric intake is paying off. I felt like I had a good week, so I was hoping for one pound down and was estatic when I realized it was 2!!!! It was so much fun to lower my culumative amount to lose below 20. Yay!!!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Although I haven't exercised...
Although I've not run or done my pushups in two weeks, I have some good news to report. Simply by returning to getting a full night's rest and by being a little more careful with my food intake, my weight has dropped back to where it was on November 13! It had gone up a half pound on the 20th, about another pound on Thanksgiving week (I only got to weigh on Wednesday that week, so I cannot be certain), and was up almost two more pounds by December 3. As of today, I'm back to 279.4! What a relief!
I won't have time to post our regular Friday Weight Check today. Mrs. F might try to get it up later this evening. At 2 PM, I'm off to pick up some things for our Boy Scout outing this weekend, and then two of our boys and I will head out about 5 PM. Our eldest son, our first cross country runner, decided to wrestle again this year, so he'll be at a tournament tonight. Mrs. F will drop him off in the morning.
Have a good weekend, all! I'm looking forward to a fresh start next week.
I won't have time to post our regular Friday Weight Check today. Mrs. F might try to get it up later this evening. At 2 PM, I'm off to pick up some things for our Boy Scout outing this weekend, and then two of our boys and I will head out about 5 PM. Our eldest son, our first cross country runner, decided to wrestle again this year, so he'll be at a tournament tonight. Mrs. F will drop him off in the morning.
Have a good weekend, all! I'm looking forward to a fresh start next week.
Really cold!
I did my first almost subzero run yesterday(technically the temp was 3 degrees!). I had the option of borrowing a friends treadmill but I really wanted to see what I could do in this kind of weather first.
This is a real change for me, I hate cold with a passion. So going outside in nearly zero weather is not first on my list, let alone running in it!
I added a few things to my running gear -- arm warmers, windbreaker pants, hubby's biking googles, and wrist bands worn at the ankles. I was looking for something to add as another layer for my arms, when I remembered that asics had sent us arm warmers. Bingo! Those worked great. I wore the wrist bands at my ankles since thats where my warm wear tends to ride up and i figured it would keep that area warm. I felt like a giant dork in the big ski type googles but hey I kept my face from getting frostbit.
I orginally thought Id just go two miles. The first mile and a half was great. I didnt feel cold and breathing was okay with my fleece scarf on . Although it did threaten to freeze to my face but since i kept breathing in and out, it didnt have a chance to. The run was feeling good, so I elected to go my full route of three miles. I did my alternate route through the neighborhood and out of town since hubby had both sets of the keys. My the time though I hit two miles, my thighs were pretty darn cold. Im wondering if its cause i put a cotton layer between the warm wear and windbreaker pants or if it was just that cold. Either way, I knew that walking would just make me colder, so i had no option other than running the rest of the way home.
There were challenges like the googles steaming up in spots but not wanting to take them off to clean them in the cold. Or my shoe coming untied. That always seems to make it extra challenging to get running again after stopping.
All in all, a good run. I went pretty darn slow and even slowed further at points when breathign was getting harder. I am pretty proud that I got out there and ran in that cold of weather. I, really , never thought Id be one of "those" runners!
After I got home, I remembered back to the early days of C25K and how some days, I could barely walk after running. And here I am doing 3 miles! Its pretty darn amazing.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
This is a real change for me, I hate cold with a passion. So going outside in nearly zero weather is not first on my list, let alone running in it!
I added a few things to my running gear -- arm warmers, windbreaker pants, hubby's biking googles, and wrist bands worn at the ankles. I was looking for something to add as another layer for my arms, when I remembered that asics had sent us arm warmers. Bingo! Those worked great. I wore the wrist bands at my ankles since thats where my warm wear tends to ride up and i figured it would keep that area warm. I felt like a giant dork in the big ski type googles but hey I kept my face from getting frostbit.
I orginally thought Id just go two miles. The first mile and a half was great. I didnt feel cold and breathing was okay with my fleece scarf on . Although it did threaten to freeze to my face but since i kept breathing in and out, it didnt have a chance to. The run was feeling good, so I elected to go my full route of three miles. I did my alternate route through the neighborhood and out of town since hubby had both sets of the keys. My the time though I hit two miles, my thighs were pretty darn cold. Im wondering if its cause i put a cotton layer between the warm wear and windbreaker pants or if it was just that cold. Either way, I knew that walking would just make me colder, so i had no option other than running the rest of the way home.
There were challenges like the googles steaming up in spots but not wanting to take them off to clean them in the cold. Or my shoe coming untied. That always seems to make it extra challenging to get running again after stopping.
All in all, a good run. I went pretty darn slow and even slowed further at points when breathign was getting harder. I am pretty proud that I got out there and ran in that cold of weather. I, really , never thought Id be one of "those" runners!
After I got home, I remembered back to the early days of C25K and how some days, I could barely walk after running. And here I am doing 3 miles! Its pretty darn amazing.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The run in the snow
There is a wicked winter storm heading our way. It did start this afternoon and should give us 6 inches or so, when its all done. So although, technically I should be running tommorrow - I elected to get out today before it got too deep to run.
We still havent gotten a treadmill yet, so options are limited. My friend, Amy, did let me know that I can come over and use hers though.
It was around 16 degrees and blowing snow. The winds were about 12 miles an hour. Given the weather conditions, I decided that I was just going to run 2 miles.
I grabbed my fleece scsrf for todays run. That helped tremendously!!! It kept my face much warmer and kept the pelting snow off my face. Overall, the run was great. The last 3 runs have been tough for me, so it was really nice to have a good one.
The only time it was particulary cold is where the trail is more open to the lake. At those points, the wind blowing off the lake made the snow hit me like ice pellets. I tried to turn a bit to prevent it from hitting me as directly.
Since my mp3 was almost dead and it was snowing(I didnt want it getting wet), I elected to leave it home. Im kinda glad I did, it gave me some good thinking time. I found my groove and I just ran. Its been several runs since Ive had that good of a groove. I had a good pace and I kept it throughout until the last half mile. Then I slowed a bit. I was feeling good, so I ended up going 3 miles today.
I thought for sure the snow would have made a tougher run. Apparently not!
Ive been doing a better job tracking calories this week, so im looking forward to seeing the scale on friday.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
We still havent gotten a treadmill yet, so options are limited. My friend, Amy, did let me know that I can come over and use hers though.
It was around 16 degrees and blowing snow. The winds were about 12 miles an hour. Given the weather conditions, I decided that I was just going to run 2 miles.
I grabbed my fleece scsrf for todays run. That helped tremendously!!! It kept my face much warmer and kept the pelting snow off my face. Overall, the run was great. The last 3 runs have been tough for me, so it was really nice to have a good one.
The only time it was particulary cold is where the trail is more open to the lake. At those points, the wind blowing off the lake made the snow hit me like ice pellets. I tried to turn a bit to prevent it from hitting me as directly.
Since my mp3 was almost dead and it was snowing(I didnt want it getting wet), I elected to leave it home. Im kinda glad I did, it gave me some good thinking time. I found my groove and I just ran. Its been several runs since Ive had that good of a groove. I had a good pace and I kept it throughout until the last half mile. Then I slowed a bit. I was feeling good, so I ended up going 3 miles today.
I thought for sure the snow would have made a tougher run. Apparently not!
Ive been doing a better job tracking calories this week, so im looking forward to seeing the scale on friday.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Monday, December 7, 2009
I am my own worst enemy
For the first time in over a week, I have the time to write here, but I find that I don't have the desire to do so. I just finished up a class last night, so this is the first night in a couple of months that I don't have a boatload of writing or reading to do. Technically, I could get a head start on the next class, but I just can't.
If it were not for the fact that one of our sons celebrated his birthday this weekend, I'd have no clue as to the date. I've not run in 10 days, and I haven't finished the second week of 100 Pushups. I've been staying up way too late, getting too little sleep, and have been using food to get me through the longer study nights. I'm up a couple more pounds, and I have no desire to exercise. On top of that, I'm dealing with a lot of personal stress on other fronts right now. I just want to give up, but I know I can't. I need to get back in the game. I need to stop the snacks and get back to healthy portions. I need sleep, and I need to exercise.
Please don't be mad at me. This is a real struggle for me.
I'm so tired. I want to give up, but I don't want to give up! That sums up much of my struggle. It's a battle in my head, and my life and health are at stake.
I guess I need to celebrate the little victories, even in the midst of my losses. I've gotten back to biking to work regularly. When my knee was giving me problems, I laid off on the biking. I resumed a few times, but would stop again after the next rough run. Now that my knee is no longer bothering me, I'm trying to ride every day, even though we're below freezing and expecting six inches of snow. I have some gaiters that both protect my lower leg and ankle from the wind and keep my pants from snagging in the chain, a light fleece balaclava that fits under my helmet and keeps my face warm, large snowmobile-type gloves, and (since I wear prescription glasses) ski goggles. Overall, it makes me quite a sight, especially in this smaller town where most people think of bikes as three-season transportation. Mrs. F got me a set of studded ice tires last spring, but I don't yet have a second set of rims on which to mount them. I'm keeping my eyes open for a used bike I can rig with them, so I won't need to worry about switching them off and on as the weather changes.
I've had enough for tonight. I need sleep. I've come to learn that a lack of sleep affects everything else--my mood, my energy level, and even how much I crave crappy foods. When I'm well-rested, I feel better and think clearer. To that end, I'm signing off now.
If it were not for the fact that one of our sons celebrated his birthday this weekend, I'd have no clue as to the date. I've not run in 10 days, and I haven't finished the second week of 100 Pushups. I've been staying up way too late, getting too little sleep, and have been using food to get me through the longer study nights. I'm up a couple more pounds, and I have no desire to exercise. On top of that, I'm dealing with a lot of personal stress on other fronts right now. I just want to give up, but I know I can't. I need to get back in the game. I need to stop the snacks and get back to healthy portions. I need sleep, and I need to exercise.
Please don't be mad at me. This is a real struggle for me.
I'm so tired. I want to give up, but I don't want to give up! That sums up much of my struggle. It's a battle in my head, and my life and health are at stake.
I guess I need to celebrate the little victories, even in the midst of my losses. I've gotten back to biking to work regularly. When my knee was giving me problems, I laid off on the biking. I resumed a few times, but would stop again after the next rough run. Now that my knee is no longer bothering me, I'm trying to ride every day, even though we're below freezing and expecting six inches of snow. I have some gaiters that both protect my lower leg and ankle from the wind and keep my pants from snagging in the chain, a light fleece balaclava that fits under my helmet and keeps my face warm, large snowmobile-type gloves, and (since I wear prescription glasses) ski goggles. Overall, it makes me quite a sight, especially in this smaller town where most people think of bikes as three-season transportation. Mrs. F got me a set of studded ice tires last spring, but I don't yet have a second set of rims on which to mount them. I'm keeping my eyes open for a used bike I can rig with them, so I won't need to worry about switching them off and on as the weather changes.
I've had enough for tonight. I need sleep. I've come to learn that a lack of sleep affects everything else--my mood, my energy level, and even how much I crave crappy foods. When I'm well-rested, I feel better and think clearer. To that end, I'm signing off now.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Weekend Wrapup
I managed to get in two runs this weekend - Friday and Sunday. That gives me a grand total of 10.6 miles for the week -- woot! I ran 4 miles on Wed, 3.3 on Friday and another 3.3 today.
It wasnt easy but it sure felt good afterwards. Both weekend runs were tough but Im thankful I pushed thru it.Fridays run was 3.3 miles in 42 minutes. I know I have done that stretch faster but the cold weather really does have an impact. It was 18 degrees and the wind was biting. My core was plenty warm, thanks to a new fleece vest from lands end but my thighs were ice cold!
I took my mp3 player out and got it charged. So I enjoyed having it on both of the weekend runs. My playlist consists of Go fish music. I love their upbeat fun music. I had on my christmas cd, Snow, and then snazzy and superstar as well. Some of the songs are so upbeat that you just want to run faster :)
Its a good thing that I started C25K in august. I know had I started in the cold weather I would have given up by now. Thankfully, I have learned to enjoy it and make it a habit, so the cold isnt as much of a deterrent anymore. Today it was 17 degrees, so chilly but less wind. I added an extra pant layer and that definitely helped. On my top, Im wearing a tech long sleeve shirt, then a light windbreaker and a fleece vest. On my bottom, Im wearing some warmwear, then my yoga capri pants and then a mesh long pants over the top of that. Top it all off with fleece gloves and a stocking hat!
The only part of me that really was cold today was my face. So next time, I think ill grab my scarf. I thought of it again today, but I just didnt want one more thing to mess with, if I got too warm while running.
I didnt have a watch today but I could just tell I was slower. The first mile was pretty good, as was the next .66. It was the 2nd half of the run that was just tough. The last mile in particularly was torturous. It didnt help that twice, my shoe came untied. So I had to stop and tie it, and walk some while getting my gloves back on. Its been a long time since I had the desire to walk, while running but it was strong today. Its good thing the bench that I run by was frosty or I might just have sat down!
To get through the last mile, I pulled out my mental trick of counting down 12 or 13 cement blocks. I picked a tree or spot ahead of me and then imagined hitting that block with a sledgehammer. That seemed to help me finish.
On an upnote, since its gotten colder, I rarely see people on the trail, other than an occasional dog walker. Today two doe bounded across my path, not even 30 yards ahead of me. It was really cool! Definitely can tell I live in a more rural area!!!
I need to do my weight post yet. I was pretty discouraged this week. Since I had the kids at the doctors office on Thursday,I weighed myself. It was an icky 176.2, another 2.2 lbs up. I hadnt tracked exceptionally well but still, it was disheartening. Well, on Friday, since I was going for a run anyway, I decided to weigh in my workout clothes, for the official weight check. I normally weigh in on fridays in workout clothes. Note to self -- Jeans are bad for weigh ins lol. And somehow, in the last 24 hrs, I dropped 4.4 lbs!!! I was down to 171.8. Strangest weigh in ever! Though that definitely made me get cracking on the tracking calories.
Still have to get back to the pushup challenge. Life is really really overwhelming right now. So its tough to do stuff like the pushup challenge that I really dont like at all. I still enjoy the running -- I get a break from the house and kids. So thats not too hard to get motivated to do.
Keep on running folks
Mrs. F
PS - Mr. F is writing his last paper for this class -- hooray! He starts another tommorrow but it only has 1 book, so its got to be easier!
It wasnt easy but it sure felt good afterwards. Both weekend runs were tough but Im thankful I pushed thru it.Fridays run was 3.3 miles in 42 minutes. I know I have done that stretch faster but the cold weather really does have an impact. It was 18 degrees and the wind was biting. My core was plenty warm, thanks to a new fleece vest from lands end but my thighs were ice cold!
I took my mp3 player out and got it charged. So I enjoyed having it on both of the weekend runs. My playlist consists of Go fish music. I love their upbeat fun music. I had on my christmas cd, Snow, and then snazzy and superstar as well. Some of the songs are so upbeat that you just want to run faster :)
Its a good thing that I started C25K in august. I know had I started in the cold weather I would have given up by now. Thankfully, I have learned to enjoy it and make it a habit, so the cold isnt as much of a deterrent anymore. Today it was 17 degrees, so chilly but less wind. I added an extra pant layer and that definitely helped. On my top, Im wearing a tech long sleeve shirt, then a light windbreaker and a fleece vest. On my bottom, Im wearing some warmwear, then my yoga capri pants and then a mesh long pants over the top of that. Top it all off with fleece gloves and a stocking hat!
The only part of me that really was cold today was my face. So next time, I think ill grab my scarf. I thought of it again today, but I just didnt want one more thing to mess with, if I got too warm while running.
I didnt have a watch today but I could just tell I was slower. The first mile was pretty good, as was the next .66. It was the 2nd half of the run that was just tough. The last mile in particularly was torturous. It didnt help that twice, my shoe came untied. So I had to stop and tie it, and walk some while getting my gloves back on. Its been a long time since I had the desire to walk, while running but it was strong today. Its good thing the bench that I run by was frosty or I might just have sat down!
To get through the last mile, I pulled out my mental trick of counting down 12 or 13 cement blocks. I picked a tree or spot ahead of me and then imagined hitting that block with a sledgehammer. That seemed to help me finish.
On an upnote, since its gotten colder, I rarely see people on the trail, other than an occasional dog walker. Today two doe bounded across my path, not even 30 yards ahead of me. It was really cool! Definitely can tell I live in a more rural area!!!
I need to do my weight post yet. I was pretty discouraged this week. Since I had the kids at the doctors office on Thursday,I weighed myself. It was an icky 176.2, another 2.2 lbs up. I hadnt tracked exceptionally well but still, it was disheartening. Well, on Friday, since I was going for a run anyway, I decided to weigh in my workout clothes, for the official weight check. I normally weigh in on fridays in workout clothes. Note to self -- Jeans are bad for weigh ins lol. And somehow, in the last 24 hrs, I dropped 4.4 lbs!!! I was down to 171.8. Strangest weigh in ever! Though that definitely made me get cracking on the tracking calories.
Still have to get back to the pushup challenge. Life is really really overwhelming right now. So its tough to do stuff like the pushup challenge that I really dont like at all. I still enjoy the running -- I get a break from the house and kids. So thats not too hard to get motivated to do.
Keep on running folks
Mrs. F
PS - Mr. F is writing his last paper for this class -- hooray! He starts another tommorrow but it only has 1 book, so its got to be easier!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Feeling dead tired (papers, papers, papers)
Last night saw me up until nearly 2 AM to get a paper in on time. I was up this morning at 6 AM, so I'm running on fumes. Less than four hours of sleep definately does not cut it for me. Work has also required some longer hours of late.
I have a research paper due Saturday and another paper due on Tuesday. It's not the school work itself that is getting to me, but rather the lack of sleep and exercise. I've really started to feel the difference between when I'm rested and when I'm not, and I now can also feel a difference between when I am exercising regularly and when I'm not.
I need to finish Week 2 of the One Hundred Pushups challenge, and I need to run. I've not run now for a week (since Thanksgiving Day). I'm falling asleep in my chair as I'm writing this. I need to get in early tomorrow, because we have a new employee starting and I was informed just this morning. I have yet much to do to be ready for his arrival at 8 AM.
Yikes! I need a break.
I have a research paper due Saturday and another paper due on Tuesday. It's not the school work itself that is getting to me, but rather the lack of sleep and exercise. I've really started to feel the difference between when I'm rested and when I'm not, and I now can also feel a difference between when I am exercising regularly and when I'm not.
I need to finish Week 2 of the One Hundred Pushups challenge, and I need to run. I've not run now for a week (since Thanksgiving Day). I'm falling asleep in my chair as I'm writing this. I need to get in early tomorrow, because we have a new employee starting and I was informed just this morning. I have yet much to do to be ready for his arrival at 8 AM.
Yikes! I need a break.
The run around the lake
I didnt get my run in yesterday -- life got the better of me and it didnt happen. Mostly cause when I did have time, my workout clothes werent dry yet. Then the evening flurry of activities occurred. This included a late night run to target for a black shirt for a holiday program and sheets for our new bed. I discovered I have no willpower whatsover at 11 pm at night.
I knew I only had 12 calories left but yet I found myself in arbys drive thru. Fast food is one of my weaknesses, so its a good thing we dont have any in town other than subway! I ended up with some mozz sticks and curly fries but at least I ordered a small and shared with my daughter. All said, i ended up 564 calories over -- yikes!
Mr. F wasnt going to be able to go with me tonight, so I took the opportunity to run when my big kids got home from school. I was excited to try to run around the lake. A bit scared that I wouldnt be able to complete it but still excited. The only bummer I had was that I forgot my mp3 that I just uploaded new music to.
I walked to my starting point, in this case, it happened to be city hall. That took about 8 minutes or so. I tied my shoes and I was off. I must say, it was a bit more intimidating for me to run in town. I realize no one probably thought anything of it, but it was a bit of mental battle for me. The route took me up a hill and then out of town, around the lake and back down my trail and into town again.
The first mile was particularly tough. I started out going uphill and it was an unfamilar route to me. If I measured accurately, the first mile was about 15 minutes. It was just about at the one mile mark, that I stopped to tie my shoes again and then walked just a little bit as I put my glove back on. Then back to the running I went!
The next mile was tough but a little easier. I was nearing where I could view the lake again and the road was far less busy, vechile wise. I had a bit of aches and pains during the run but nothing that caused me to stop, thankfully. I did enjoy running on the gravel road section, it was far softer than the asphalt of the first part of the run. That one seemed to be about 15 minutes as well.
The next part of the run was easier, since it was familiar territory. I ran the mile segment of my normal route on my trail. After having some different terrain(more hills and slopes), it was nice to get back to the mostly flat! I lost track of exactly how many minutes this took, but I think I was able to make some better time on this stretch, given the lack of hilly terrain. It was also encouraging to be able to see the city hall(where I started) and realize that I have made it nearly around the entire lake!!!
The last mile, was back on asphalt, and had a couple more hills. Though it didnt seem as difficult. I think part of it, was realizing, I was on the home stretch. At most, I only had a mile left. I was able to speed up the last stretch of hill by the lake park and finish strong.
My goal was to do it in an hour or less. It looked as if, I wouldnt make that goal. I told myself, that it was okay, after all Im out and moving and exercising. I finished 4 miles in 52:34!!!! I believe that calculates out to 13:08 miles. Woot!
It felt really good to complete that. In the beginning, I was a little unsure I would make it all the way around running. But I did! I even stopped in at our local pharmacy to encourage the people there that are doing couch to 5k!
The walk home though was cold!!! I was fine while warming up and running but afterwords it certainely was cold. The tempature today was about 32 degrees. I thought I would be colder than I was. I am encouraged, that baring 3 feet of snow, perhaps I will be able to run through the winter afterall.
Tracking calories is going better. I tracked yesterday and today again. It feels good to be getting back on that wagon and getting my eating under control somewhat. Dark peppermint truffles are a downfall! Even though I ate 9 truffles today, I got out there and moved my butt.
I plan to get back on track with the dreaded pushups tommorrow. So I will be finishing up week 1 of the pushup challenge tommorrow. Who's idea was this pushup challenge anyway(pointing the finger right at MR. F)
Keep on running folks,
Mrs. F
I knew I only had 12 calories left but yet I found myself in arbys drive thru. Fast food is one of my weaknesses, so its a good thing we dont have any in town other than subway! I ended up with some mozz sticks and curly fries but at least I ordered a small and shared with my daughter. All said, i ended up 564 calories over -- yikes!
Mr. F wasnt going to be able to go with me tonight, so I took the opportunity to run when my big kids got home from school. I was excited to try to run around the lake. A bit scared that I wouldnt be able to complete it but still excited. The only bummer I had was that I forgot my mp3 that I just uploaded new music to.
I walked to my starting point, in this case, it happened to be city hall. That took about 8 minutes or so. I tied my shoes and I was off. I must say, it was a bit more intimidating for me to run in town. I realize no one probably thought anything of it, but it was a bit of mental battle for me. The route took me up a hill and then out of town, around the lake and back down my trail and into town again.
The first mile was particularly tough. I started out going uphill and it was an unfamilar route to me. If I measured accurately, the first mile was about 15 minutes. It was just about at the one mile mark, that I stopped to tie my shoes again and then walked just a little bit as I put my glove back on. Then back to the running I went!
The next mile was tough but a little easier. I was nearing where I could view the lake again and the road was far less busy, vechile wise. I had a bit of aches and pains during the run but nothing that caused me to stop, thankfully. I did enjoy running on the gravel road section, it was far softer than the asphalt of the first part of the run. That one seemed to be about 15 minutes as well.
The next part of the run was easier, since it was familiar territory. I ran the mile segment of my normal route on my trail. After having some different terrain(more hills and slopes), it was nice to get back to the mostly flat! I lost track of exactly how many minutes this took, but I think I was able to make some better time on this stretch, given the lack of hilly terrain. It was also encouraging to be able to see the city hall(where I started) and realize that I have made it nearly around the entire lake!!!
The last mile, was back on asphalt, and had a couple more hills. Though it didnt seem as difficult. I think part of it, was realizing, I was on the home stretch. At most, I only had a mile left. I was able to speed up the last stretch of hill by the lake park and finish strong.
My goal was to do it in an hour or less. It looked as if, I wouldnt make that goal. I told myself, that it was okay, after all Im out and moving and exercising. I finished 4 miles in 52:34!!!! I believe that calculates out to 13:08 miles. Woot!
It felt really good to complete that. In the beginning, I was a little unsure I would make it all the way around running. But I did! I even stopped in at our local pharmacy to encourage the people there that are doing couch to 5k!
The walk home though was cold!!! I was fine while warming up and running but afterwords it certainely was cold. The tempature today was about 32 degrees. I thought I would be colder than I was. I am encouraged, that baring 3 feet of snow, perhaps I will be able to run through the winter afterall.
Tracking calories is going better. I tracked yesterday and today again. It feels good to be getting back on that wagon and getting my eating under control somewhat. Dark peppermint truffles are a downfall! Even though I ate 9 truffles today, I got out there and moved my butt.
I plan to get back on track with the dreaded pushups tommorrow. So I will be finishing up week 1 of the pushup challenge tommorrow. Who's idea was this pushup challenge anyway(pointing the finger right at MR. F)
Keep on running folks,
Mrs. F
Monday, November 30, 2009
Quitting
No - don't worry, running is the only thing right now that I dont want to quit. I know its a season but seriously I'm ready to give up on most everything.
Tracking calories and eating less is just plain hard. And the gain last week, really made me just want to give up. Thankfully, I still enjoy the running, so Im not completely sabataged.
Life is hard sometimes and I'm in a stage where I need to make some order out of chaos. My natural inclination is to hide and avoid. Thats really working well, I tell you.
I cant seem to get myself to do the pushup challenge either. I defitinely want to quit that! I managed to do the first two days of week 1 and havent done any since. Sigh ... I know I need to get back to it. It just feels like its one more thing for me to do. And I definitely have enough of those "things" to do.
I did get out for a run on Saturday. I was having a hard time, so it felt good to take it out in the form of exercise. I decided I was just going to run. I didnt have a watch or my mp3 player or even a specific goal in mind. I just started running. I ended up running the whole segment of trail and back and thats 3.3 miles. I briefly thought bout going on further until I remembered that I have to get back to the car lol!
One hour runner just doesnt feel challenging enough for me. Right now Im finding I want to run further and longer. Mr. F acknowledged too that hes nearly running an hour already. Im thinking bout creating our own plan. Both of us want to increase our distance, so we may work on that. Im just not sure and Im open to suggestions. I like the idea of following a program but OHR just doesnt seem to match well. I was thinking of first, running 3 miles, 3 times a week. Then adding in 1 mile runs on the off days, 1 extra day per week. So first week would be a total of 9 miles, then the 2nd week would total 10 and the 3rd would total 11 and the 4th then 12. So then, we would be running a total of 6 days a week. Still not sure on that though.
I find Im liking the longer distances. It takes a while for my body to find its stride and just run. So I think thats part of it.
Hope y'all have a great week, keep on running
Mrs. F
Tracking calories and eating less is just plain hard. And the gain last week, really made me just want to give up. Thankfully, I still enjoy the running, so Im not completely sabataged.
Life is hard sometimes and I'm in a stage where I need to make some order out of chaos. My natural inclination is to hide and avoid. Thats really working well, I tell you.
I cant seem to get myself to do the pushup challenge either. I defitinely want to quit that! I managed to do the first two days of week 1 and havent done any since. Sigh ... I know I need to get back to it. It just feels like its one more thing for me to do. And I definitely have enough of those "things" to do.
I did get out for a run on Saturday. I was having a hard time, so it felt good to take it out in the form of exercise. I decided I was just going to run. I didnt have a watch or my mp3 player or even a specific goal in mind. I just started running. I ended up running the whole segment of trail and back and thats 3.3 miles. I briefly thought bout going on further until I remembered that I have to get back to the car lol!
One hour runner just doesnt feel challenging enough for me. Right now Im finding I want to run further and longer. Mr. F acknowledged too that hes nearly running an hour already. Im thinking bout creating our own plan. Both of us want to increase our distance, so we may work on that. Im just not sure and Im open to suggestions. I like the idea of following a program but OHR just doesnt seem to match well. I was thinking of first, running 3 miles, 3 times a week. Then adding in 1 mile runs on the off days, 1 extra day per week. So first week would be a total of 9 miles, then the 2nd week would total 10 and the 3rd would total 11 and the 4th then 12. So then, we would be running a total of 6 days a week. Still not sure on that though.
I find Im liking the longer distances. It takes a while for my body to find its stride and just run. So I think thats part of it.
Hope y'all have a great week, keep on running
Mrs. F
Friday, November 27, 2009
Post Thanksgiving Day and Pushups
Well, today was the day after Thanksgiving, and I'm thankful that I had the day off. We woke up early--4 AM--to get in some Black Friday shopping today. It's the first time we've done it in a number of years. We knocked off a bunch of our gift shopping during the year through clearance purchases and our regular monitoring of bargain websites, so we didn't have a hard and fast list for the day. The way we approached it was with a number of door-buster items noted, but we'd be fine if we didn't get any of them. We figured it was some time together, for Marie and me.
Overall, that went well. We got plenty of walking in, and got some good deals. We were home before lunch, and the kids had kept the house in decent shape, so we decided we'd all go out to the budget theater to see G-Force. It was a fun film!
The later afternoon had me feeling exhausted. I couldn't concentrate enough on my reading to get my final chapters done, and I ended up falling asleep in my chair. The rest of the evenign went well, too. I don't have any aches or pains from yesterday's race, and that's a good thing!
Right now, it's going on 9:30 PM, and everyone is already in bed, including Mrs. F. I stayed up a bit later to get my pushups in. It's W2D2 for me, I did a total of 53 pushups tonight, in five sets (10-12-9-9-13). The final set (13) was the minimum required for that set, but I really had to strain to finish it, so I'm happy with that set. My next workout will put me 1/3 through this six week program. The earlier sets tonight were surprisingly easy. The fourth was tough, but not horrible. The final one really required some fighting to get through it. Instead of collapsing near the end, I paused in my up position a couple of times (after the ninth and twelfth), and was able to finish them all. I'm waiting to be able to see some of the benefits in my chest; some benefit is already visible in my shoulders (deltoids).
Anyway, I'm going to take this opporunity to get to bed early. I'm glad tomorrow is a Saturday and work free.
Overall, that went well. We got plenty of walking in, and got some good deals. We were home before lunch, and the kids had kept the house in decent shape, so we decided we'd all go out to the budget theater to see G-Force. It was a fun film!
The later afternoon had me feeling exhausted. I couldn't concentrate enough on my reading to get my final chapters done, and I ended up falling asleep in my chair. The rest of the evenign went well, too. I don't have any aches or pains from yesterday's race, and that's a good thing!
Right now, it's going on 9:30 PM, and everyone is already in bed, including Mrs. F. I stayed up a bit later to get my pushups in. It's W2D2 for me, I did a total of 53 pushups tonight, in five sets (10-12-9-9-13). The final set (13) was the minimum required for that set, but I really had to strain to finish it, so I'm happy with that set. My next workout will put me 1/3 through this six week program. The earlier sets tonight were surprisingly easy. The fourth was tough, but not horrible. The final one really required some fighting to get through it. Instead of collapsing near the end, I paused in my up position a couple of times (after the ninth and twelfth), and was able to finish them all. I'm waiting to be able to see some of the benefits in my chest; some benefit is already visible in my shoulders (deltoids).
Anyway, I'm going to take this opporunity to get to bed early. I'm glad tomorrow is a Saturday and work free.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Turkey Tagalong and this weeks catchup!
It got busy towards the end of the week and blogging took a back seat. I did get out and run on tuesday evening. I ran a slow 2 miles. That was a tough run for me. Not eating well, not having anything but coffee to drink and extra life stress took a big hit on me. Im just glad I was able to persevere and get out there anyway.
I decided, to do the weight check yesterday(Wed), mostly so I dont have to deal with it on Friday. Mr. F and I plan to get some time out shopping on Black Friday. Although after seeing the results of the scale, I may yet see if Friday offers me any better numbers. It was bad, like train wreck kind of bad. I gained 1.9 lbs!! I have not been tracking this week at all-- big mistake. Second factor is lack of sleep. Both Sunday and Monday, I was up until almost 1 am. Add in drinking more diet soda, less water. And the final straw was the stress of the week. I was so discouraged with everything last night, that I was ready to give up. Not so much on the running, but on the trying to lose weight.
Thankfully, some sleep last night and a good race today gave me a different perspective. I elected that Thanksgiving was not going to be the day to get back on track. Although,Im pleased to report that I couldnt finish my plate for dinner or dessert. Last year I would have eaten that and more. So baby steps. Tommorrow, I plan to start tracking again in my daily plate. Its far too easy to eyeball it and say you are counting. When in reality, you are not.
Wrapping up the week was our Turkey Tagalong. I wasnt sure what to expect. After all, I was up late making pumpkin pies and strawberry jello. I got into a disagreement with Mr. F and the kids werent cooperating either. All that the night before the race wasnt very helpful. I got up this morning, feeling rested somewhat but sore. I was a bit worried, since the sides of my legs were hurting. I thought well IM going to get out there anyway. Im really glad I did. I had an excellent race. The 3 big hills were tough but not unconquerable. There were not a lot of runners but the bulk of the pack took off fairly quickly. I kept reminding myself that i wasnt here to beat so and so. I was here for me. I was here to beat my own time and not worry bout passing that runner up ahead.
That being said, I did pick out someone ahead and work on running. Sort of like, there is my goal person. It just helped me keep moving, although I wasnt speeding up really. This race was far more informal, so I have no idea where I placed in the group of runners. It wasnt chip timed, they just used a stopwatch. My time though was 34:48!!!!! That is a full 40 seconds faster than my first 5k. I was extremely proud of myself. It really was a fun race. Im already making plans for our entire family to run/walk next year. I figure those that dont like to run, can walk with the stroller and littles!
My son took 2nd place. He missed first by one second. A 40 yr old marathon runner beat him! He ran with a 20:07 and beat his cross country coach who placed 3rd! It was fun seeing some of his teammates running today as well.
All in all, an okay week. Im glad I got out and ran a 5k today. I need to start a change jar to support my 5k running habit! Ive gotten bit by the running bug.
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
I decided, to do the weight check yesterday(Wed), mostly so I dont have to deal with it on Friday. Mr. F and I plan to get some time out shopping on Black Friday. Although after seeing the results of the scale, I may yet see if Friday offers me any better numbers. It was bad, like train wreck kind of bad. I gained 1.9 lbs!! I have not been tracking this week at all-- big mistake. Second factor is lack of sleep. Both Sunday and Monday, I was up until almost 1 am. Add in drinking more diet soda, less water. And the final straw was the stress of the week. I was so discouraged with everything last night, that I was ready to give up. Not so much on the running, but on the trying to lose weight.
Thankfully, some sleep last night and a good race today gave me a different perspective. I elected that Thanksgiving was not going to be the day to get back on track. Although,Im pleased to report that I couldnt finish my plate for dinner or dessert. Last year I would have eaten that and more. So baby steps. Tommorrow, I plan to start tracking again in my daily plate. Its far too easy to eyeball it and say you are counting. When in reality, you are not.
Wrapping up the week was our Turkey Tagalong. I wasnt sure what to expect. After all, I was up late making pumpkin pies and strawberry jello. I got into a disagreement with Mr. F and the kids werent cooperating either. All that the night before the race wasnt very helpful. I got up this morning, feeling rested somewhat but sore. I was a bit worried, since the sides of my legs were hurting. I thought well IM going to get out there anyway. Im really glad I did. I had an excellent race. The 3 big hills were tough but not unconquerable. There were not a lot of runners but the bulk of the pack took off fairly quickly. I kept reminding myself that i wasnt here to beat so and so. I was here for me. I was here to beat my own time and not worry bout passing that runner up ahead.
That being said, I did pick out someone ahead and work on running. Sort of like, there is my goal person. It just helped me keep moving, although I wasnt speeding up really. This race was far more informal, so I have no idea where I placed in the group of runners. It wasnt chip timed, they just used a stopwatch. My time though was 34:48!!!!! That is a full 40 seconds faster than my first 5k. I was extremely proud of myself. It really was a fun race. Im already making plans for our entire family to run/walk next year. I figure those that dont like to run, can walk with the stroller and littles!
My son took 2nd place. He missed first by one second. A 40 yr old marathon runner beat him! He ran with a 20:07 and beat his cross country coach who placed 3rd! It was fun seeing some of his teammates running today as well.
All in all, an okay week. Im glad I got out and ran a 5k today. I need to start a change jar to support my 5k running habit! Ive gotten bit by the running bug.
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Turkey Tagalong - Completed
Well, we finished our second 5k today. The course had a number of large hills, but it was not quite like the roller coaster we experienced a couple of weeks ago at our first race. It was, at the same time, a bit more fun and a little more intimidating to be running with people we know and people who know us. A number of runners from the cross country team were there, as well as the coach and his wife. We also saw someone from our church, and a number of other somewhat familiar faces from around town.
For me, the first mile was the worst. Between having done my pushups last night, being up late, and it being very cold this morning (at or below the freezing point), the first mile was simply misery. From being up early this morning and working our our turkey and other preparations, my back was already sore before we left. Needless to say, my lower back and pelvis were sore by the time I got up the first hill.
This was an inaugural run. We weren't quite sure how many to expect, but there was a good turnout! As before, I didn't finish last (though I was the last runner), and I didn't place on an ambulance. Time keeping was a lot less formal here. They timed me at 42:23, which is 10 seconds slower than my first race, but I'm starting to wonder if our numbers at Chaska were accurate. I definately finished ahead of my prior pace based on my playlist. Going by my playlist (which was easy for the Turkey Trot, since it switched to a new song right as I crossed the finish line), I actually finished that prior race in 42:53. I finshed 15-30 second earlier today, according to my playlist.
Either way, I have no complaints. Given my weight, my age, and my status as a newbie, I'm pleased with my numbers. Our son placed second overall. He was passed in the final seconds by a 40-year old marathon runner. Our son didn't have enough reserves to push any harder at that point. Mrs. F definately improved her time, but I'll let her tell you about that later.
Apart from the start, the hardest part of this run was in the final few tenths of a mile. The route had us running toward the finish line area, only to find out that we needed to go by (it was on an intersecting street) and run another block up before turning, running a couple of blocks down, and then rounding our way back to the finish. I had already started pushing it once the finish line was in sight, so it was hard to pace down and keep on running. I still had enough in reserve to sprint to the finish, though, and that felt pretty good.
I allowed myself to run faster down the hills today. I relaxed a bit and let my stride stretch out. I watched for any pain in my knees, but none came. I found returning to a regular stride after a downhill was tough. Going immediately into an uphill, however, was even tougher. I did agitate my right shin quite a bit during the race, but my left knee held well. Overall, it was a good race.
For me, the first mile was the worst. Between having done my pushups last night, being up late, and it being very cold this morning (at or below the freezing point), the first mile was simply misery. From being up early this morning and working our our turkey and other preparations, my back was already sore before we left. Needless to say, my lower back and pelvis were sore by the time I got up the first hill.
This was an inaugural run. We weren't quite sure how many to expect, but there was a good turnout! As before, I didn't finish last (though I was the last runner), and I didn't place on an ambulance. Time keeping was a lot less formal here. They timed me at 42:23, which is 10 seconds slower than my first race, but I'm starting to wonder if our numbers at Chaska were accurate. I definately finished ahead of my prior pace based on my playlist. Going by my playlist (which was easy for the Turkey Trot, since it switched to a new song right as I crossed the finish line), I actually finished that prior race in 42:53. I finshed 15-30 second earlier today, according to my playlist.
Either way, I have no complaints. Given my weight, my age, and my status as a newbie, I'm pleased with my numbers. Our son placed second overall. He was passed in the final seconds by a 40-year old marathon runner. Our son didn't have enough reserves to push any harder at that point. Mrs. F definately improved her time, but I'll let her tell you about that later.
Apart from the start, the hardest part of this run was in the final few tenths of a mile. The route had us running toward the finish line area, only to find out that we needed to go by (it was on an intersecting street) and run another block up before turning, running a couple of blocks down, and then rounding our way back to the finish. I had already started pushing it once the finish line was in sight, so it was hard to pace down and keep on running. I still had enough in reserve to sprint to the finish, though, and that felt pretty good.
I allowed myself to run faster down the hills today. I relaxed a bit and let my stride stretch out. I watched for any pain in my knees, but none came. I found returning to a regular stride after a downhill was tough. Going immediately into an uphill, however, was even tougher. I did agitate my right shin quite a bit during the race, but my left knee held well. Overall, it was a good race.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Race tomorrow, second thoughts, and pushups
Well, it's official. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we will be running our second 5k in as many weeks. Right now, as it is already two hours past when I wanted to be in bed, with a turkey that is still too frozen to dress and get in the oven (we traditionally sear the bird and then turn down for a long, slow roast), I'm wondering why were were so crazy as to sign up for a race on Thanksgiving morning.
Only our eldest son will be running with us tomorrow. The rest will stay at home, the younger ones in the care of the remaining elder ones. The race is early, so they'll spend a good chunk of our absent time eating breakfast and playing. We'll be back before they'll have a chance to get too antsy.
I started Week Two of the One Hundred Pushups Challenge tonight. My sets were 9-11-8-8-(min. 11). I collapsed during my 10th pushup during the final set, but after a few quick breaths, I got up and did three more, so I'll count that as 12. That means I did 48 pushups tonight. That's amazing considering the fact that I only managed six (6) during the pre-program exhaustion test.
We did preliminary weigh-ins today, just in case the clinic is closed on Friday, and it looks like I'm up a pound. I'll really need to watch myself tomorrow.
Good night, all, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Only our eldest son will be running with us tomorrow. The rest will stay at home, the younger ones in the care of the remaining elder ones. The race is early, so they'll spend a good chunk of our absent time eating breakfast and playing. We'll be back before they'll have a chance to get too antsy.
I started Week Two of the One Hundred Pushups Challenge tonight. My sets were 9-11-8-8-(min. 11). I collapsed during my 10th pushup during the final set, but after a few quick breaths, I got up and did three more, so I'll count that as 12. That means I did 48 pushups tonight. That's amazing considering the fact that I only managed six (6) during the pre-program exhaustion test.
We did preliminary weigh-ins today, just in case the clinic is closed on Friday, and it looks like I'm up a pound. I'll really need to watch myself tomorrow.
Good night, all, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 23, 2009
My first true solo run
If you've been following this blog for a while, you know that Mrs. F has done some runs on her own, but I've not. Sure, we've had some workouts where we ran separately along the trail, because her pace was (and still is) faster than mine, but we were always doing it together. Even on that one day where I asked her to drive the car so I could get in an extra mile, we started together and we were still out there together. This afternoon, though, the craziness overtook me. I got off work a bit early, put on my running duds, and headed out into the cool afternoon and the light drizzle. Oh, and I left my knee wrap off. My knee has been feeling good since our first 5k on just over a week ago.
We recently drove a route through our neighborhood out to one of the dirt country roads that connects back up to the Luce Line Trail. We noted the one mile point, but also drove it a bit further in the hope of finding a good route for a possible 5k in town (we'd like to organize one as a fundraiser for the local cross country team and for a charity). That's the direction I decided to head today.
Overall, it was a great route. The smell of manure from the farm along the way wasn't pleasant, but it's just part of life this far out. Besides, to me it beats breathing in car exhaust all day. I didn't do any real warmups, so I just started out slow. There was part of me that was a bit nervous about running in the neighborhood, but I told that part of me to shut up. I'm FatManRunning and I'm out taking action to become more fit and healthy. Where's the shame in that?
Pavement gave way to a dirt road about six tenths of a mile into the run. I finally found a surface that I like better than running on the trail. Perhaps it was because of the rain we've had, but the road surface was soft. It wasn't so wet as to be slimy or muddy. It was just soft.
I had already kicked it up a bit after the first three tenths of a mile, and I really let myself play with my pacing once I was on that dirt surface. I tried long, slow strides. I tried short quick ones. My left knee felt great, and so did my right shin. If anything, my right knee felt a little strain, but that eased over time.
When I hit the one mile mark, I thought about turning around. After all, I was planning on just an easy two miles, since I'd only run once (for more than a few minutes) since the race. Yet when I hit that point on the road, I was feeling really good. I knew that if I ran to an intersection less than a mile ahead, my return run would push me up over three miles. I suddenly wanted to go the distance, but I hesitated a bit since I have a 5k coming up on Thursday. I definately did not want to hurt myself before our next formal run.
I decided to go for it. I figured that I could always turn around earlier if I started feeling fatigued or experienced any pain, and I could always walk home if I needed to do so.
So, on I ran. I made it to that intersection and made my u-turn. I was still feeling pretty good. On the next stretch, for nearly the next mile, my body was just doing it for me. When I tried to think about my stride, it was if my body was telling me, "I've got this. You go do something else." That was an amazing feeling. I didn't worry about my knee or shin. Everything felt good.
As that next mile passed, I did start to notice some fatigue in my legs, and I started to notice my right shin getting a little tender, so I did slow myself down to allow myself to adjust. I started preparing myself for the final three tenths of a mile, through the neighborhood again. I figured it would be hard. I decided I would not sprint the final distance, because I did not want to risk injury. My playlist told me that I was passing the 43 minute mark, so my pace seemed slower than it had been at the 5k. I felt good about that, however, since this was supposed to be an easy run.
While that last portion of my run took some effort, I finally may have experienced a bit of that "runner's high" so many have experienced. Yes, it was hard, but I was feeling just fine. In fact, I probably could have run for another twenty minutes (if my body would have accepted the beating). As I got to the house, I slowed myself to a walk for the final few yards. Unlike other times during my training, and after the first race, where the end of the run left me drained and stuggling even to walk, I found my pace long and even, and accompanied by a really good feeling about overing the about 3.3 miles. When I got inside, I was tired, but not the I-need-to-collapse-in-my-chair type of tired that normally hits me after exertion. It was that good tired--tired from exertion, but not exhausted. My right shin was definately a little sore, but not too bad. I ran for 50 minutes without taking a rest, and I felt like I could have run for another 20 minutes or more! I just told Mrs. F that we might need to ditch One-hour Runner and take on the Gateway to 8k challenge instead. For now, I'll just be glad I had a great run, and I'll try not to get the cart before the horse.
It was still fairly early (I had gone in and gotten out early today), so I managed to trim my hair and take a shower before dinner. What a wonderful afternoon! As I write this now, my right shin is still a bit tender, but my left knee shows no sign of discomfort. Apart from dealing withe some teenage drama this evening, it turned out to be a very nice one.
The school load is slightly lighter this week, so I should be able to catch up on some reading, and everyone at my place of employment has the day after Thanksgiving off, so that should let me get some work done before the weekend. Of course, since I will have the day off, Mrs. F and I may try to catch a few bargains on that Friday morning, but we'll just need to make sure we are not out too long.
Today, for the first time, I really enjoyed running, and even imagined it as something I might do regularly for the enjoyment of it. There's a small city 17 miles west of us along the trail. I've got a bit of an itch to try running there someday!
We recently drove a route through our neighborhood out to one of the dirt country roads that connects back up to the Luce Line Trail. We noted the one mile point, but also drove it a bit further in the hope of finding a good route for a possible 5k in town (we'd like to organize one as a fundraiser for the local cross country team and for a charity). That's the direction I decided to head today.
Overall, it was a great route. The smell of manure from the farm along the way wasn't pleasant, but it's just part of life this far out. Besides, to me it beats breathing in car exhaust all day. I didn't do any real warmups, so I just started out slow. There was part of me that was a bit nervous about running in the neighborhood, but I told that part of me to shut up. I'm FatManRunning and I'm out taking action to become more fit and healthy. Where's the shame in that?
Pavement gave way to a dirt road about six tenths of a mile into the run. I finally found a surface that I like better than running on the trail. Perhaps it was because of the rain we've had, but the road surface was soft. It wasn't so wet as to be slimy or muddy. It was just soft.
I had already kicked it up a bit after the first three tenths of a mile, and I really let myself play with my pacing once I was on that dirt surface. I tried long, slow strides. I tried short quick ones. My left knee felt great, and so did my right shin. If anything, my right knee felt a little strain, but that eased over time.
When I hit the one mile mark, I thought about turning around. After all, I was planning on just an easy two miles, since I'd only run once (for more than a few minutes) since the race. Yet when I hit that point on the road, I was feeling really good. I knew that if I ran to an intersection less than a mile ahead, my return run would push me up over three miles. I suddenly wanted to go the distance, but I hesitated a bit since I have a 5k coming up on Thursday. I definately did not want to hurt myself before our next formal run.
I decided to go for it. I figured that I could always turn around earlier if I started feeling fatigued or experienced any pain, and I could always walk home if I needed to do so.
So, on I ran. I made it to that intersection and made my u-turn. I was still feeling pretty good. On the next stretch, for nearly the next mile, my body was just doing it for me. When I tried to think about my stride, it was if my body was telling me, "I've got this. You go do something else." That was an amazing feeling. I didn't worry about my knee or shin. Everything felt good.
As that next mile passed, I did start to notice some fatigue in my legs, and I started to notice my right shin getting a little tender, so I did slow myself down to allow myself to adjust. I started preparing myself for the final three tenths of a mile, through the neighborhood again. I figured it would be hard. I decided I would not sprint the final distance, because I did not want to risk injury. My playlist told me that I was passing the 43 minute mark, so my pace seemed slower than it had been at the 5k. I felt good about that, however, since this was supposed to be an easy run.
While that last portion of my run took some effort, I finally may have experienced a bit of that "runner's high" so many have experienced. Yes, it was hard, but I was feeling just fine. In fact, I probably could have run for another twenty minutes (if my body would have accepted the beating). As I got to the house, I slowed myself to a walk for the final few yards. Unlike other times during my training, and after the first race, where the end of the run left me drained and stuggling even to walk, I found my pace long and even, and accompanied by a really good feeling about overing the about 3.3 miles. When I got inside, I was tired, but not the I-need-to-collapse-in-my-chair type of tired that normally hits me after exertion. It was that good tired--tired from exertion, but not exhausted. My right shin was definately a little sore, but not too bad. I ran for 50 minutes without taking a rest, and I felt like I could have run for another 20 minutes or more! I just told Mrs. F that we might need to ditch One-hour Runner and take on the Gateway to 8k challenge instead. For now, I'll just be glad I had a great run, and I'll try not to get the cart before the horse.
It was still fairly early (I had gone in and gotten out early today), so I managed to trim my hair and take a shower before dinner. What a wonderful afternoon! As I write this now, my right shin is still a bit tender, but my left knee shows no sign of discomfort. Apart from dealing withe some teenage drama this evening, it turned out to be a very nice one.
The school load is slightly lighter this week, so I should be able to catch up on some reading, and everyone at my place of employment has the day after Thanksgiving off, so that should let me get some work done before the weekend. Of course, since I will have the day off, Mrs. F and I may try to catch a few bargains on that Friday morning, but we'll just need to make sure we are not out too long.
Today, for the first time, I really enjoyed running, and even imagined it as something I might do regularly for the enjoyment of it. There's a small city 17 miles west of us along the trail. I've got a bit of an itch to try running there someday!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
One hundred pushups - Week 1 completed
I just finished the final day of my first week of the One Hundred Pushups challenge. I did 42 in total between all my sets, with a maximum of 10 in my final set. I had forgotten just how much I can dislike pushups!
I did not get out running this weekend. Our kitchen sink broke--leaking cracks in both basins--so I lost some hours yesterday dealing with a run to Menards and the other shopping we needed to get done while we were in Hutchinson. Then my grad school work ate the rest of my day, as well as most of today. I just finished my paper for this week about an hour ago, but I decided to take a zero on the preceding week's paper. I had gotten permission to turn it in late, but I just did not have the time to write it while I was simply struggling to get the current assignments done. Technically, I don't even have all of the reading done for this week. My essay was on one specific text, so the other book was only general reading for the week. That puts me at a six chapter deficit going into this week, and, althought in includes the Thanksgiving holiday, we have no break from class. That's one of the things I really despise about this college's online courses. The on-campus classes get breaks for holidays, but the online classes don't.
I had really wanted to run, but just could not set aside any more time. Had the sink not given out, I would have had time for the run.
Mrs. F is going to be doing a little extra work this week. She's going to be emptying our bedroom so we can paint it. One of the stops we made on Saturday was to pick out a new mattress, as ours is the only one in the house that has not been replaced recently. In fact, we've had ours for over 13 years--and it shows! We also opted to get our first ever new bedroom set. You didn't think we'd paint just for a mattress, do you? If we manage to get everything other than the bed out of the room (and the closet) by next weekend, it can be painted. Of course, I'm likely to be tied up with homework, but the prof did promise a lighter courseload this week.
Oh, well. I need to get moving. I need to send an email message out to the other Scout families about a change in our meeting location for this week. That was a set of phone calls I was supposed to make this afternoon--another thing left undone due to my schoolwork. [Sigh.]
I did not get out running this weekend. Our kitchen sink broke--leaking cracks in both basins--so I lost some hours yesterday dealing with a run to Menards and the other shopping we needed to get done while we were in Hutchinson. Then my grad school work ate the rest of my day, as well as most of today. I just finished my paper for this week about an hour ago, but I decided to take a zero on the preceding week's paper. I had gotten permission to turn it in late, but I just did not have the time to write it while I was simply struggling to get the current assignments done. Technically, I don't even have all of the reading done for this week. My essay was on one specific text, so the other book was only general reading for the week. That puts me at a six chapter deficit going into this week, and, althought in includes the Thanksgiving holiday, we have no break from class. That's one of the things I really despise about this college's online courses. The on-campus classes get breaks for holidays, but the online classes don't.
I had really wanted to run, but just could not set aside any more time. Had the sink not given out, I would have had time for the run.
Mrs. F is going to be doing a little extra work this week. She's going to be emptying our bedroom so we can paint it. One of the stops we made on Saturday was to pick out a new mattress, as ours is the only one in the house that has not been replaced recently. In fact, we've had ours for over 13 years--and it shows! We also opted to get our first ever new bedroom set. You didn't think we'd paint just for a mattress, do you? If we manage to get everything other than the bed out of the room (and the closet) by next weekend, it can be painted. Of course, I'm likely to be tied up with homework, but the prof did promise a lighter courseload this week.
Oh, well. I need to get moving. I need to send an email message out to the other Scout families about a change in our meeting location for this week. That was a set of phone calls I was supposed to make this afternoon--another thing left undone due to my schoolwork. [Sigh.]
OHR - Day 3 Mrs. F
I took a different route today. I started walking from home and then running. The nice part about starting from home is you have to keep going until you get back home. You cant cheat if you get tired lol!
The different route gave me some different scenery and was a nice change of pace. The weather wasnt as nice as yesterday but still not bad. Mostly cloudy with a little bit of wind.
Neither of my sons could find their watch, so I really dont have an idea of time. I know though for distance, I did about a 5k. Mr. F and I had mapped out this other route with the car. It was about 1.6 out and 1.6 back. So I know I got a good 3 miles in. The first part of the run just felt slow and heavy. It took a good ten minutes to find my stride. After that, it was still challenging but I picked up my pace a bit.
I even had enough steam to sprint up a hill near my house!!!
I tried on some goal pants that tucked away for a couple of years now. I actually got into a pair of size 12's! I still cant wear that size in all clothing -- I have a ways to go for that yet. Im very excited though to be able to get into the start of that size!!!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
The different route gave me some different scenery and was a nice change of pace. The weather wasnt as nice as yesterday but still not bad. Mostly cloudy with a little bit of wind.
Neither of my sons could find their watch, so I really dont have an idea of time. I know though for distance, I did about a 5k. Mr. F and I had mapped out this other route with the car. It was about 1.6 out and 1.6 back. So I know I got a good 3 miles in. The first part of the run just felt slow and heavy. It took a good ten minutes to find my stride. After that, it was still challenging but I picked up my pace a bit.
I even had enough steam to sprint up a hill near my house!!!
I tried on some goal pants that tucked away for a couple of years now. I actually got into a pair of size 12's! I still cant wear that size in all clothing -- I have a ways to go for that yet. Im very excited though to be able to get into the start of that size!!!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Day 2 Push ups - Mrs. F
I didnt get my pushups in yesterday. I kind of just kept putting it off to do later. Well later just didnt occur. So I ended up doing them tonight. I was supposed to run today too but too many errands took up the bulk and energy of the day. So thats delayed until tommorrow!
Good thing its supposed to be nice tommorrow too. Just for the record, I really really really dislike pushups. Man, Im struggling just to do the minumum. I guess the real point though is Im down there on the ground doing them anyway.
Its neat to see our children follow suit. You know if Momma is going to be doing this crazy thing, so will they. So after I did mine,my 11 yr old, my 8 yr old, my 5 yr old, my 4 yr old and my 2 yr old were all down on the ground trying to do pushups. We truly do lead the way in terms of how to life our life! Its hard somtimes to put the computer down and get out there and exercise.
I really did want to run today. Even got up at 6 am to do it but the cold dissuaded me. When Mr. F asked me if I wanted to delay til later -- I responded with a definite yes. It didnt help that I didnt get enough sleep either.
So I need to work on making a distinct time to do things. Things wont change overnight. On a positive note, Im down 1.5 pounds -- woot! Im very excited to be nearly the next decade down of weight lose.
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Good thing its supposed to be nice tommorrow too. Just for the record, I really really really dislike pushups. Man, Im struggling just to do the minumum. I guess the real point though is Im down there on the ground doing them anyway.
Its neat to see our children follow suit. You know if Momma is going to be doing this crazy thing, so will they. So after I did mine,my 11 yr old, my 8 yr old, my 5 yr old, my 4 yr old and my 2 yr old were all down on the ground trying to do pushups. We truly do lead the way in terms of how to life our life! Its hard somtimes to put the computer down and get out there and exercise.
I really did want to run today. Even got up at 6 am to do it but the cold dissuaded me. When Mr. F asked me if I wanted to delay til later -- I responded with a definite yes. It didnt help that I didnt get enough sleep either.
So I need to work on making a distinct time to do things. Things wont change overnight. On a positive note, Im down 1.5 pounds -- woot! Im very excited to be nearly the next decade down of weight lose.
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Friday, November 20, 2009
Weight Check - Friday November 20
Friday weight check (week 12)
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 279.4 lbs.
Today: 279.9 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +.5 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 20.5 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 69.5
Comment: I hate stress!
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 173.3 lbs.
Today: 171.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -1.5 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 11.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 21.8
Comment: I guess last week was more water weight. I was pleased with todays loss(secretly hoped for higher) but 1.5 is not too shabby!!! I am starting to get excited to get below the 170 mark and the less than 20 to lose mark!!!
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 279.4 lbs.
Today: 279.9 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +.5 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 20.5 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 69.5
Comment: I hate stress!
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 173.3 lbs.
Today: 171.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -1.5 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 11.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 21.8
Comment: I guess last week was more water weight. I was pleased with todays loss(secretly hoped for higher) but 1.5 is not too shabby!!! I am starting to get excited to get below the 170 mark and the less than 20 to lose mark!!!
Note to self: read things through (and, a little extra weight)
Well, I was up early enough today to fit in my pushups before getting ready for work. I had been under the impression that the One Hundred Pushups challege would be similar to the Couch-to-5k program, so I expected that I'd need to complete the same number of reps today as I did on Wednesday. I was wrong! I need to remember to read things through before I get into them!
Today's workout was as follows (with a minute of rest between each set): 6, 8, 6, 6, min 7.
I completed the workout, but was only able to finish the minimum required in the final set. Of course, it did not help that our youngest girl was up and she decided to try to sit on my head and shoulders during that final set! That was a little extra weight I wasn't intended to lift. The ironic thing, however, is that her current weight just about matches what I've already lost (she's about 20 lbs., and I've lost 21 lbs.). I don't think I would have been able to start on level two before I started Couch-to-5k and lost the weight.
I could definately feel it in my arms and pectorals last night, so I wasn't sure how it was going to go. In reality, my first workout was only about a day and six hours earlier, rather than a dull two days prior, because my first workout was just before midnight on Wednesday. I want to do these regularly in the morning. I'll complete the third day for Week One on Sunday, and then will be on Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday for next week. On the following week, I'll switch to M-W-F, so I'll have T-R-Sa free for One Hour Runner with Mrs. F. I'm not quite sure what I'll do for running next week, when the days coincide. I might just do the runs anyway, since we'll likely run in the afternoons.
I hope to pick up running on Saturday morning with Mrs. F. The first three weeks of One Hour Runner are just 30 minute runs, so I know I can handle that. Times don't increase until Week Four, so we know that some Couch-to-5k graduates jump in there. We decided that we'll take the extra weeks to make sure we are giving our joints, connective tissues, and muscles time to adjust to running. Though, as you've probably noticed, I've not run for a week, since our first 5k. It's not that I've even been sore or injured. I've just been way too busy with my schoolwork (I'm now behind).
I've told the other Troop leaders (I'm Scoutmaster in a brand new Scout Troop that includes three of our sons) that I need someone else to take over program planning. I just don't have the time or ability to do that right now. I already stepped down from leading worship at church, but that's due to my internal struggles more than time. Work is a killer lately. Being the only IT guy, it falls on me to keep everything running, and we've had a number of hot issues lately. Thankfully, it's not as crazy as it was a year ago, when I worked the equivalent of extra weeks of work each in November and December.
I want to put a shout out to everyone at Active.com, especially in the 200+ lb. runners threads in the Newbie Cafe. I've not been able to post as much lately, but I am reading. Thanks for all of the words of encouragement. Yes, I know I need to get out and get running. Yes, I know my plate seems over-full, but I cannot comprehend of anything I can cut (ditching the Scout Troop would cause it to fold, because we are at minimum levels already). I have too much invested in my education to give that up, especially when I have only three or four classes (beyond the current one) yet to finish for my M.A. One of the downsides of taking a job close to home is that I now have less than half the vacation time I once had. How I so wish I could just take a few days off, catch up on my homework, and get back into a "normal" groove again!
I'll make it through. I always do. I'm going to try to negotiate the afternoon off for having put in time over the weekend last week and late work this week. That, at least, would help.
Blah, blah, blah...I could go on and on and on. Maybe one day I'll be able to set aside time for writing--not just this blog, but the fiction I love to write. Well, until then, I'll just keep doing what I can.
Today's workout was as follows (with a minute of rest between each set): 6, 8, 6, 6, min 7.
I completed the workout, but was only able to finish the minimum required in the final set. Of course, it did not help that our youngest girl was up and she decided to try to sit on my head and shoulders during that final set! That was a little extra weight I wasn't intended to lift. The ironic thing, however, is that her current weight just about matches what I've already lost (she's about 20 lbs., and I've lost 21 lbs.). I don't think I would have been able to start on level two before I started Couch-to-5k and lost the weight.
I could definately feel it in my arms and pectorals last night, so I wasn't sure how it was going to go. In reality, my first workout was only about a day and six hours earlier, rather than a dull two days prior, because my first workout was just before midnight on Wednesday. I want to do these regularly in the morning. I'll complete the third day for Week One on Sunday, and then will be on Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday for next week. On the following week, I'll switch to M-W-F, so I'll have T-R-Sa free for One Hour Runner with Mrs. F. I'm not quite sure what I'll do for running next week, when the days coincide. I might just do the runs anyway, since we'll likely run in the afternoons.
I hope to pick up running on Saturday morning with Mrs. F. The first three weeks of One Hour Runner are just 30 minute runs, so I know I can handle that. Times don't increase until Week Four, so we know that some Couch-to-5k graduates jump in there. We decided that we'll take the extra weeks to make sure we are giving our joints, connective tissues, and muscles time to adjust to running. Though, as you've probably noticed, I've not run for a week, since our first 5k. It's not that I've even been sore or injured. I've just been way too busy with my schoolwork (I'm now behind).
I've told the other Troop leaders (I'm Scoutmaster in a brand new Scout Troop that includes three of our sons) that I need someone else to take over program planning. I just don't have the time or ability to do that right now. I already stepped down from leading worship at church, but that's due to my internal struggles more than time. Work is a killer lately. Being the only IT guy, it falls on me to keep everything running, and we've had a number of hot issues lately. Thankfully, it's not as crazy as it was a year ago, when I worked the equivalent of extra weeks of work each in November and December.
I want to put a shout out to everyone at Active.com, especially in the 200+ lb. runners threads in the Newbie Cafe. I've not been able to post as much lately, but I am reading. Thanks for all of the words of encouragement. Yes, I know I need to get out and get running. Yes, I know my plate seems over-full, but I cannot comprehend of anything I can cut (ditching the Scout Troop would cause it to fold, because we are at minimum levels already). I have too much invested in my education to give that up, especially when I have only three or four classes (beyond the current one) yet to finish for my M.A. One of the downsides of taking a job close to home is that I now have less than half the vacation time I once had. How I so wish I could just take a few days off, catch up on my homework, and get back into a "normal" groove again!
I'll make it through. I always do. I'm going to try to negotiate the afternoon off for having put in time over the weekend last week and late work this week. That, at least, would help.
Blah, blah, blah...I could go on and on and on. Maybe one day I'll be able to set aside time for writing--not just this blog, but the fiction I love to write. Well, until then, I'll just keep doing what I can.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
One hour runner - Day 2 - Mrs. F
First of all, it was a good run. I didnt have any lingering pain so I was able to push myself some.
So I worked hard but it was a good run! I ran about 2.7 (estimated) miles in 32 minutes today. The first mile was wicked fast for me -- did that in 10:30!!! Then slowed it down on the next segment, got my breathing back under control. I sped up and slowed down several times during the run. I especially sped up during the 2nd half of each segment. I did the last mile in 12 minutes. Not too shabby.
Im very happy to report that no shin splints occurred during todays run. Whew! I was worried that would be a lingering problem. The lack of pain definitely helped me have a better run over all. My knees were a bit twingey but I think its still adjusting to be running.
Mr. F wasnt able to get out this evening -- hopefully on Saturday -- he will be able to get out for a run.
It really felt good to run off some life stresses. And to combat the food intake I have had lately as well. I think thats part of what I like about running, it allows me to consume more calories on the days I run. I like chocolate! There I admit it :) So I can continue my weight loss journey with a few indulges here or there. And it does feel good after the hard work of a run!
Keep on running
MRs. F
So I worked hard but it was a good run! I ran about 2.7 (estimated) miles in 32 minutes today. The first mile was wicked fast for me -- did that in 10:30!!! Then slowed it down on the next segment, got my breathing back under control. I sped up and slowed down several times during the run. I especially sped up during the 2nd half of each segment. I did the last mile in 12 minutes. Not too shabby.
Im very happy to report that no shin splints occurred during todays run. Whew! I was worried that would be a lingering problem. The lack of pain definitely helped me have a better run over all. My knees were a bit twingey but I think its still adjusting to be running.
Mr. F wasnt able to get out this evening -- hopefully on Saturday -- he will be able to get out for a run.
It really felt good to run off some life stresses. And to combat the food intake I have had lately as well. I think thats part of what I like about running, it allows me to consume more calories on the days I run. I like chocolate! There I admit it :) So I can continue my weight loss journey with a few indulges here or there. And it does feel good after the hard work of a run!
Keep on running
MRs. F
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