Well, it's official. The secret is out and our race is run! After the race and some recovery time on-site, we took a little road trip to the family's favorite Chinese restaurant in Buffalo, Minnesota. We just got home a little bit ago, and the results are already online.
My name is Andrew, but you know me here as FatManRunning; on Active.com, I go by AFatManRunning. My wife's name is Marie (known here as Mrs. F) b. We live in Winsted, Minnesota, about an hour west of Minneapolis. Today was our first 5k, the Chaska Turkey Trot, in Chaska, Minnesota. I finished below 45 minutes, and was not the final one on the course. Mrs. F also better than she hoped, coming in below even the 38 minute figure I guessed she could make. Some of our friends was there, and they took some pictures and video. We hope to be able to post some soon.
Our surprise came off very well, though we were not able to keep it a complete secret in the moments leading up to the race. When we arrived, our eldest son, who was registered to run, got out of the van right away and headed in to the registration table. As soon as the other nine (9) kids were out of the van, we made our way in. [Yes!, we have 10 kids.] Mrs. F three of our youngest four settled in the childcare room (what a nice service!), but we opted to leave our special needs child with our eldest daughter. She was instrumental to our being able to complete the Couch-to-5k program, as she was the one we got up at 5:30 AM on our training days so that we could fit in our workouts. [As it turns out, she's bummed that we have been running during the afternoons, because she had been using the early wake-ups as opportunities to catch a shower in the morning.] Our youngest girl just turned one, so we needed to have someone on the main floor who could respond to her if she started crying, which she did on more than a few mornings. Thanks, K!
I had prepped before we left, and just work overclothes to hide my running gear. Mrs. F opted to change on-site. So, after we were sure our son was checked in, and Mrs. F had the youngest kids in childcare, we sent the remaining kids out to find a place to park for the race. While she was changing, however, two of our middle boys came back in to complain about their sister (who was now in charge). They approached me as I was going through my running packet, and I could tell that one of them saw my race number. I tersely ordered them outside (likely creating a wonderful little pre-race show for some of the others around me), and went on working to get ready: chip zip-tied to my shoe, and number pinned to my shirt.
When Mrs. F came out, I informed her of our likely discovery. There was nothing we could do about it, so we kept on getting ready. Once we finished, we headed out towards the main entrance, but Mrs. F noticed our eldest son coming into the building and headed our way. We quickly turned around and made our way to one of the sponsors' booths so as to stay out of sight. When seemingly enough time had passed, we again headed for the door.
Everything was going well. We stopped not far from the door as we made some final preparations--hat, gloves, etc. I had just zipped my vest up over my number when our eldest son found us, and saw the number on Mrs. F's windbreaker. He was shocked, but pleased that she was running. I expressed dismay that she would sign up for such a race! After all, hadn't she just complained about how horrible her two minute run was (the one she owed our son due to his great race time). She played along, and he bought it. It didn't strike him funny that I had ditched my warmup pants and was standing there in my tech tights, shorts, running socks, and running shoes, or that my legs were clearly wrapped under the tights. He was too enamored of learning that Mrs. F was running to recognize the signs that were in front of him.
The call came out to head toward the starting line. Since J, our eldest son, now knew about Mrs. F's running, they headed off toward the start together, along with our friend, Amy. I commented that I was a bit cold, and headed off to the van to swap my vest for a windbreaker. It was not too cold out--in the 40s °F--but the wind was quite chilly. When I switched into the windbreaker shell, I moved my number to that shell where it was visible to all. As I approached the starting line, I realized that we would be running the opposite direction I expected, so I tried to stay to the outskirts so that J would not see me. I made my way to the back where Amy and Mrs. F were waiting. They had found themselves a position behind a group of ladies who had also completed the Couch-to-5k program. It felt good to know that we were not alone in our newness to running.
When the gun went off, it took us probably 20 seconds or more to get across the official starting line. The fast ones, including our eldest son, had been in the front of the pack, and they were all jockying for position. I just switched on my mp3 player and started running. It was slow going at first, as I made my way through the pack of runners and walkers, passing some and passed by others. Amy, Mrs. F. and I were bunched close together as our path began its way in front of the school. We noticed our eldest daughter, K, watching the race those in her care. The look on her face when she saw us running there was unforgettable. He mouth was literally drop-jawed, and she seemed stunned. We smiled, waved, and kept running. Amy and Mrs. F began pulling ahead of me. I could feel the adrenaline compelling me to run faster and to keep up with them, but I let rational thought prevail and I settled into my pace. Mrs. F was clearly running faster than her regularly pace (most likely to keep up with Amy), since she pulled ahead much faster than usual. Soon, though I was still surrounded by others, it was just my music and me, and what still seemed to be like a Herculean labor ahead of me.
The line of sight was clear as we came downhill from the starting line. We were going further downhill, turning a corner, and then yet further downhill before starting the first climb. It was no short little rise and was certainly no long, gradual grade. It was a full out hill that went up to a corner, turned and went on further. Thinking about the hill seemed daunting. It started about a quarter mile into the race and seemed to go on forever.
As I made my way up that hill, I remembered the advice Haselsmasher provided us: take baby steps. That advice seemed to help. I also remembered advice some of our sons' cross country teammates had provided: lean into the hill and swing your arms loose and low. I found that advice useful later on. At this early point in the run I had plenty of energy, so my baby step burst served me well.
On the way up the hill, I heard honks and shouts, and I saw some familiar faces and waves. Other family friends, the Andersons, were arriving and noticed me as they drove to the school. They turned around somewhere behind me, driving past moments later with more shouts and waves. I caught up with them at what I thought was the top of the hill, at an intersection. As I turned the corner, I told them that Mrs. F was up ahead. With that, they drove off. The trail continued uphill, and that caught me off guard. I had really been hoping for a level stretch, but this was the second corner where the trail continued uphill. I next saw them some distance later, where they had pulled off the road and were standing there to give some support and take some pictures. It felt really good to have friends who took the time to share the day with us! The trail did level off somewhat, but it continued with a set of rolling rises and falls.
About the time I saw our friends again, I saw the first mile marker. I considered taking a few walking steps, but reminded myself where the one mile mark was on our trail back home, and I opted to continue running. I wasn't "in the zone" or anything like that at this point. The long uphill had been pretty tough, but I was still moving. I passed a few and was passed by others. There was a threesome with which I kept leap-frogging through most of the course. I would pass them running, but they would run past me on the downhills, and I would pass them again on the uphills. All in all, it became a bit annoying, but I could deal with it. After about the third exchange, one of their number paid attention to where I was and started moving to one side. At least then I didn't need to run off the trail, which was, in a few spots, a fairly steep decline.
The second mile marker seemed further than I expected. The ups and downs continued. At one point, the return route came within a few dozen feet of the outbound route. I watched for any sign of Mrs. F--I figured our son was long gone--but I did not see her. I did, however, see a set of gloves and a hat discarded near a sign. They looked quite familiar, and I wondered if they were our son's. It wasn't the only discarded clothign I saw along the route. It seemed that a number of runners opted to discard items that left them too warm, rather than carrying them along for the journey. When I reached the marker, I again considered some walking steps, but now I was feeling fatigue, and I feared that slowing to a walk would keep me from resuming a run. Instead, I opted to slow my pace a bit more, so that I could breath easy and regain a bit of strength.
Around that two-mile mark, the trail started spending more time going down than up. It wound behind a building system (perhaps another school?), and began a serpentine path back to the finish. As I got behind the buildings, with so few immediately around me, I felt the desire to give up and walk. I had developed some discomfort in my knee, and a few landings toward the outside of my right foot caused that shin to become tender. I fought off the desire and ran on. As the downhill segment began to bottom out, those walkers passed me again.
[Given my weight, I was holding back on the downhill segments. I did not want to legthen my stride and use gravity to my advantage. I could already feel the impact through my left knee and even in my left hip. I figured that the extra impact force of me going faster would most likely increase my chance of injury, so I did my best to manage my pace accordingly.]
As the return route brought the outbound route into view, it was clear that there were no runners yet coming up that far behind. Whatever was left of the pack was now behind me somewhere, but I did not let myself look back (verifiably anti-Penguin, I guess). I passed that group of walkers on a short uphill segment. Then, to my surprise, I saw our eldest son. He was running toward me. Yes, those items I saw were indeed his, and he was running the course backwards to find them. He had already heard that I was running from his sister, so he gave me a big high five as our paths crossed.
A few minutes later, after I progressed perhaps another qaurter mile, he caught up to me and started encouraging me, telling me that the end was not far ahead. Then, he sped off toward the finish, leaving me and my music to finish the course much as we began it--surrounded, yet alone. Reaching the bottom of another hollow, and starting my way uphill, I found myself in a bit of agongy. It was not a specific physical pain, but more of a combination of extreme fatigue alongside the aches I was having in my knee and shin. I could not imagine going on, but yet I knew I must be getting close to the finish. I kept watching for third mile marker, or at least something to announce the final 1,000 meters. I had been holding back a bit for a reason--I wanted to be able to finish strong.
Unfortunately, there was no third mile marker. As I rounded a corner of the high school building, I could hear and then see that I was near the finish line. From the corner of my eye I saw someone starting to a sprint, so I called up my reserves and gave it everything I had. I did finish at a full sprint, but the other runner was able to pass me. My final time was 42:13, a 13:36mm pace. Given that the course was more like a roller coaster track than the trail on which I practiced, I was tickled with the time. I was neither last (I finished 423rd out of 445 runners) nor the first on an ambulance. Mission accomplished!
Mrs. F had a good run, too. She finished 389th with a 35:28. Our son finished 22nd overall (5th for the sub-16 age group) with a time of 19:01. The kids were definately surprised, and our eldest son was ecstatic! Oh, and yes, one of our boys had seen the number and figured out that we were running too, but he kept it to himself and didn't spoil the surprise for anyone. Way to go, Z-man!
Mrs. F just passed me our daughter's camera, so I have photos to upload. Our friend Amy's husband apparantly edited some video of the finishes, and they called to tell me that it should be sitting in my inbox. Our friends, Todd and Ruth Anderson, also tooks some pictures, but I don't know if they were using a digital camera. I'll be sure to ask them tomorrow at church.
Anyway, I yet have four chapters of reading to do and I need to start writing another essay, so I really must go. Thanks for all of your support! We'll post photos and more when we can. We'll also formalize our plans (still leaning toward 100 Pushups and One Hour Runner) and post the details here, too.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Race Day - Mrs. F
First of all, I want to get this out of the way -- I DID IT!!!!!!!!!
I ran the turkey trot with wicked hills in 35 minutes and 28 seconds. I not only beat my first goal of running the whole thing, I beat my time goal by almost 10 full minutes. WOOT!
It was challenging getting everything ready. I had all the kids put out their clothes, socks, shoes, and jackets the night before. I had the diaper bag and my bag backed. We woke everyone up at 6 am, so the kids could have time to eat some breakfast before we left. I had wanted to leave by 715, it was about 725 when we finally got gas and on the road.
I ate a half cinnamon raisen bagel with some cream cheese and a half cup of coffee. I also had a few sips of gatorade before the race( I plan on skipping that step next time).
As I arrived, my anxiety went thru the roof. I had no idea where to go, where to take the kids for child care and there were a lot of people who looked like they knew what they were doing. There was a bit of added stress trying to keep this all under wraps too.
Our cross country runner had went ahead and got his registration. Our friend,Amy, quickly distracted him and they went outside to do some warmups. Mr. F went to get our registration packets while I took the kids to the child care area. I got the little ones settled and the big ones sent off for a walk around the school
Our eldest daughter was going to be holding down the fort with some of the kids. Mr. F told her we were going to go shopping for a birthday present so we wouldnt be at the race. Shes like whatever. Afterwords she told me "Next time you tell me you are going shopping, Im not going to believe you".
Mr. F and I then took some time to figure out how to get the chip attached to our shoe, and our race tags pinned on our shirts. At one point, one son came in and saw the number but he wisely kept that info to himself. And at another point, we had to send Amy off to circumvent our cc runner as he was heading straight for us. Mr. F and I were standing next the to door when our CC runner shows up and points to my race tag and says "Mom, you're running?" with this incredulous look on his face. I tired to downplay it but he wasnt fooled lol. I actually said to him that I started running last week and that I was going to go from 2 minutes of running to a 5k. He was too focused on the race ahead to question me He told me he loved me-- aww how sweet. At this point, he has no clue that Mr. F is running, in face, he turns and hands his jacket and warmups to Mr. F to hold!
As the three of us(Mr. F,my friend Amy and me) positioned ourselves in the back -- we jockeyed for position with some other ladies. A conversation ensued after that and we discovered, they too, had done C25k!! That was pretty cool.
It was confusing at the beginning, after hearing the gun sound, but not knowing where the exact starting line was. So we took it slow on the start but the pack began thinning out. It was pretty amazing to see the sea of people ahead of me on one of the downhills!
I kept up with my friend for the first little bit and it quickly became apparent that her pace was faster. So I fell back, not too far, but far enough to find my own pace. I jockeyed positions with a few different people as I went thruout. Some people walked the big hills, but I ran them all! It was a bit discouraging when some young kids running with other adults, passed me. I just tried to remember that I wasnt here to place ahead of anyone, that I was just here for myself! That helped some.
The course was wicked. Big huge sloping uphills and downhills and very few flat stretches. I swear that first mile(they marked 1 mile and the 2 mile points) was the longest one Ive ever ran. It was a bit encouraging, though just as i passed the 1 mile marker, some other friends appeared near the trail cheering. That was just what I needed to keep running on!
I only got a glimpse of Mr. F once, when i was coming back down around and he was on the upper portion of the path. I was very happy to see that he has several people behind him and he was running well!
The emotional moment came though as I neared the finish line and I saw my friends, and my kids all there cheering me on. It brought tears to my eyes to hear their voices cheering their momma on. I was so concentrating on finishing that I didnt even see the clock. It wasnt until afterwards, that I asked my friends about time. They thought somewhere in the 35 minute range. I was estactic with that time. My friend Amy, who rocks, finished in 33 minutes!~ And ill leave Mr. F to share his time!!
Im sore and a bit stiff but no injuries to report! I still cannot believe I ran an entire 5k race!!!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
PS -- Pics and maybe even video to come later!!
I ran the turkey trot with wicked hills in 35 minutes and 28 seconds. I not only beat my first goal of running the whole thing, I beat my time goal by almost 10 full minutes. WOOT!
It was challenging getting everything ready. I had all the kids put out their clothes, socks, shoes, and jackets the night before. I had the diaper bag and my bag backed. We woke everyone up at 6 am, so the kids could have time to eat some breakfast before we left. I had wanted to leave by 715, it was about 725 when we finally got gas and on the road.
I ate a half cinnamon raisen bagel with some cream cheese and a half cup of coffee. I also had a few sips of gatorade before the race( I plan on skipping that step next time).
As I arrived, my anxiety went thru the roof. I had no idea where to go, where to take the kids for child care and there were a lot of people who looked like they knew what they were doing. There was a bit of added stress trying to keep this all under wraps too.
Our cross country runner had went ahead and got his registration. Our friend,Amy, quickly distracted him and they went outside to do some warmups. Mr. F went to get our registration packets while I took the kids to the child care area. I got the little ones settled and the big ones sent off for a walk around the school
Our eldest daughter was going to be holding down the fort with some of the kids. Mr. F told her we were going to go shopping for a birthday present so we wouldnt be at the race. Shes like whatever. Afterwords she told me "Next time you tell me you are going shopping, Im not going to believe you".
Mr. F and I then took some time to figure out how to get the chip attached to our shoe, and our race tags pinned on our shirts. At one point, one son came in and saw the number but he wisely kept that info to himself. And at another point, we had to send Amy off to circumvent our cc runner as he was heading straight for us. Mr. F and I were standing next the to door when our CC runner shows up and points to my race tag and says "Mom, you're running?" with this incredulous look on his face. I tired to downplay it but he wasnt fooled lol. I actually said to him that I started running last week and that I was going to go from 2 minutes of running to a 5k. He was too focused on the race ahead to question me He told me he loved me-- aww how sweet. At this point, he has no clue that Mr. F is running, in face, he turns and hands his jacket and warmups to Mr. F to hold!
As the three of us(Mr. F,my friend Amy and me) positioned ourselves in the back -- we jockeyed for position with some other ladies. A conversation ensued after that and we discovered, they too, had done C25k!! That was pretty cool.
It was confusing at the beginning, after hearing the gun sound, but not knowing where the exact starting line was. So we took it slow on the start but the pack began thinning out. It was pretty amazing to see the sea of people ahead of me on one of the downhills!
I kept up with my friend for the first little bit and it quickly became apparent that her pace was faster. So I fell back, not too far, but far enough to find my own pace. I jockeyed positions with a few different people as I went thruout. Some people walked the big hills, but I ran them all! It was a bit discouraging when some young kids running with other adults, passed me. I just tried to remember that I wasnt here to place ahead of anyone, that I was just here for myself! That helped some.
The course was wicked. Big huge sloping uphills and downhills and very few flat stretches. I swear that first mile(they marked 1 mile and the 2 mile points) was the longest one Ive ever ran. It was a bit encouraging, though just as i passed the 1 mile marker, some other friends appeared near the trail cheering. That was just what I needed to keep running on!
I only got a glimpse of Mr. F once, when i was coming back down around and he was on the upper portion of the path. I was very happy to see that he has several people behind him and he was running well!
The emotional moment came though as I neared the finish line and I saw my friends, and my kids all there cheering me on. It brought tears to my eyes to hear their voices cheering their momma on. I was so concentrating on finishing that I didnt even see the clock. It wasnt until afterwards, that I asked my friends about time. They thought somewhere in the 35 minute range. I was estactic with that time. My friend Amy, who rocks, finished in 33 minutes!~ And ill leave Mr. F to share his time!!
Im sore and a bit stiff but no injuries to report! I still cannot believe I ran an entire 5k race!!!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
PS -- Pics and maybe even video to come later!!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Another dose bites the dust (and Tomorrow is our Big Day)
Well, my weight loss has slowed over these past two weeks, but I've continued to make progress on another front: controlling my diabetes. Although my eating habits are still far from perfect, the twenty-one (21) pounds I've lost have had a positive impact on my blood sugar levels. I've been feeling hypoglycemic again during the late mornings, so I called the clinic today and they've reduced my meds again. That's great news. Another dose bites the dust!
Tomorrow is our big day. Not only will be run our first 5k, but we'll also be revealing our secret to our kids. Many of them were unhappy to learn that they'll need to be up early in the morning, but we were glad to be able to tell them, "Tough!"
Our digital camera died a while ago, so we will be relying on our daughter to have her camera with her. If we're lucky, one of our friends might have a camera, too. I might have an option for taping our finish, but I'm just not sure about coordinating that one.
Do I have any goals? I've already joked about two positions with which I'm concerned: I don't want to finish last, and I don't want to be first on an ambulance. Apart from that, I'd be really happy with anything at or under 00:45:00. I know that's the same time Mrs. F is hoping to break. In this case, I think she's selling herself short. Even with hills (unless they are killer hills), I figure she'll finish in 00:38:00 or less.
Dinner for tonight will be pasta and meatsauce. Mrs. F is taking care of that so I can get some additional reading done. In addition to our race and my coursework, I also have to put in some work hours this weekend, but I'm trying not to dwell on everything so that I become too stressed. Tonight's agenda will be a couple of chapters of reading, and then some time watching Aliens in the Attic with the family. That's all I had best think about for the evening. I plan to drink a couple of extra glasses of water tonight, and hope to get to bed by 10 PM, with a 6:30 AM alarm.
Good night, all!
Tomorrow is our big day. Not only will be run our first 5k, but we'll also be revealing our secret to our kids. Many of them were unhappy to learn that they'll need to be up early in the morning, but we were glad to be able to tell them, "Tough!"
Our digital camera died a while ago, so we will be relying on our daughter to have her camera with her. If we're lucky, one of our friends might have a camera, too. I might have an option for taping our finish, but I'm just not sure about coordinating that one.
Do I have any goals? I've already joked about two positions with which I'm concerned: I don't want to finish last, and I don't want to be first on an ambulance. Apart from that, I'd be really happy with anything at or under 00:45:00. I know that's the same time Mrs. F is hoping to break. In this case, I think she's selling herself short. Even with hills (unless they are killer hills), I figure she'll finish in 00:38:00 or less.
Dinner for tonight will be pasta and meatsauce. Mrs. F is taking care of that so I can get some additional reading done. In addition to our race and my coursework, I also have to put in some work hours this weekend, but I'm trying not to dwell on everything so that I become too stressed. Tonight's agenda will be a couple of chapters of reading, and then some time watching Aliens in the Attic with the family. That's all I had best think about for the evening. I plan to drink a couple of extra glasses of water tonight, and hope to get to bed by 10 PM, with a 6:30 AM alarm.
Good night, all!
Friday weight check (week 11)
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 280.0 lbs.
Today: 279.4 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -0.6 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 21.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 69.0
Comment: I closed my eyes when I stepped on the scale today. I really was not sure what it was going to reveal. I had some good days and some bad days this week. As far as eating goes, today was one of the bad days (free lunch at work never helps, and neither does leftover dessert pizza left in the breakroom!). I would have been at least a full pound down had I not overeaten today. Then again, can I claim that I'm carb-loading before a race? Do I get another weight check tomorrow after the race? Still, I'm glad to be in the 270s. I was about 270 when I married Mrs. F more than 16-1/2 years ago.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 172.5 lbs.
Today: 173.3 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +0.8 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 9.5 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 23.3
Comment: Eating candy bars, having less workouts, and not tracking my calories did not work out so well this week. I'm trying to remember that this is a long term process and I'm not going to let this set me back.
[FatManRunning says: Don't get down, Mrs. F. Even with this bump, you're still down almost a half a pound from two weeks ago!]
Last Friday: 280.0 lbs.
Today: 279.4 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -0.6 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 21.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 69.0
Comment: I closed my eyes when I stepped on the scale today. I really was not sure what it was going to reveal. I had some good days and some bad days this week. As far as eating goes, today was one of the bad days (free lunch at work never helps, and neither does leftover dessert pizza left in the breakroom!). I would have been at least a full pound down had I not overeaten today. Then again, can I claim that I'm carb-loading before a race? Do I get another weight check tomorrow after the race? Still, I'm glad to be in the 270s. I was about 270 when I married Mrs. F more than 16-1/2 years ago.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 172.5 lbs.
Today: 173.3 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +0.8 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 9.5 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 23.3
Comment: Eating candy bars, having less workouts, and not tracking my calories did not work out so well this week. I'm trying to remember that this is a long term process and I'm not going to let this set me back.
[FatManRunning says: Don't get down, Mrs. F. Even with this bump, you're still down almost a half a pound from two weeks ago!]
Friday Fun - Mrs. F
The weight check went as well as expected ... sigh... trying to remember weight loss is a short term goal. I learned the hard way that you cant eat candy bars, skip workouts and not track calories well in one week. It doesnt equate good results.
So Im allowing myself an off day tommorrow as we are eating out for lunch and then back on the wagon for sunday. Im still going to try to eat wisely today and tommorrow, Im just not going to track it all.
The details of the race are still falling into place. My cross country runner told me that he wants to be there at 730 am so he can go over the course. Um dude, that would mean leaving at 645 am. Not sure that one is happening. My goal is to get out of the house by 7, which gives me 15 minutes of leeway time and I would still get there by 8. I wish I was fast enough to catch up to him and just say hi son ... but Ill have to suffice with the look on his face after I cross the finish line!
I have two main goals for the race. The first, is to run the entire thing. I know that sounds simple but this course has hills and Im not familar with it, so that is the first goal. The 2nd is to do it in less than 45 minutes. Yes, I have run 3 miles in 35 minutes but people, there are HILLS!~ So I want to give myself some time to spare as I really dont know how Ill fare with those.
I spoke to a friend who had started doing this , after I told her and was able to encourage her to keep plugging away. She had some delays after dealing with her mom and a surgery. So I encouraged her to get back on the treadmill. She was going to go all the way back to week 3 , after starting week 4 two weeks ago. I encouraged her to just go with week 4! It was kinda neat to be able to do that!
Im praying the weather cooperates, if not we will be ready. After all we have run in rain and snow!
Keep on running folks
Mrs. F
PS - Reveal pics will be posted either tommorrow or Sunday depending on Mr. F's time availability!!!
So Im allowing myself an off day tommorrow as we are eating out for lunch and then back on the wagon for sunday. Im still going to try to eat wisely today and tommorrow, Im just not going to track it all.
The details of the race are still falling into place. My cross country runner told me that he wants to be there at 730 am so he can go over the course. Um dude, that would mean leaving at 645 am. Not sure that one is happening. My goal is to get out of the house by 7, which gives me 15 minutes of leeway time and I would still get there by 8. I wish I was fast enough to catch up to him and just say hi son ... but Ill have to suffice with the look on his face after I cross the finish line!
I have two main goals for the race. The first, is to run the entire thing. I know that sounds simple but this course has hills and Im not familar with it, so that is the first goal. The 2nd is to do it in less than 45 minutes. Yes, I have run 3 miles in 35 minutes but people, there are HILLS!~ So I want to give myself some time to spare as I really dont know how Ill fare with those.
I spoke to a friend who had started doing this , after I told her and was able to encourage her to keep plugging away. She had some delays after dealing with her mom and a surgery. So I encouraged her to get back on the treadmill. She was going to go all the way back to week 3 , after starting week 4 two weeks ago. I encouraged her to just go with week 4! It was kinda neat to be able to do that!
Im praying the weather cooperates, if not we will be ready. After all we have run in rain and snow!
Keep on running folks
Mrs. F
PS - Reveal pics will be posted either tommorrow or Sunday depending on Mr. F's time availability!!!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Our next 5k?
I don't mean to county our chickens before they hatch, but I just learned that some people in the next town north of us (about 7 miles) are organizing a 5k that will be held on Thanksgiving morning. The entry fee will be only $7 to cover the cost of a t-shirt. If all goes well this Saturday, I think I may just sign up for that one, too.
Thanks, Mrs. F, for sharing... ;)
Well, I officially have the sinus-cold-funk that had Mrs. F miserable for a number of days. To me, the timing could not be worse. I yet need to finish my coursework for this week, and I have our first race on Saturday.
We did not get out for a run last evening, and that was okay. We ran just one day prior, so it might have been best not to try our first back-to-back runs in the days prior to our big day.
Our sitter backed out on us, but the race lists that they have childcare available. Our eldest daughter will be there with us (she's been an unsung hero of our secret plan, but we'll touch on that more on Saturday), but the little ones just can't be expected to sit still for her for an hour on a cool morning. We're also not sure what to do with one of our litlte ones--our fellow with special needs who has a hard time regulating his temperature (he can get very cold, very fast). I would not want to foist him on the childcare folks at the race, since they'd have no preparedness for dealing with a child like him. Our friend, Amy, who follows this blog (one of two Amys listed as followers), will be running, too. Her husband will be there with their kids, so he might be able to lend a little support, if his kids cooperate.
Our eldest daughter is actually a little miffed with us, because we are forcing her to attend another one of her brother's races. I guess she'll be surprised as well! We've already told her that we need her there to watch the kids because we need to run an errand during the race. She looked confused when we told her that, but since one of the boys has a birthday coming up in a few weeks, we told her that we would be near a Kohl's store, and that we were going to sneak away to find a birthday present while our eldest son was running. She thinks we still hate running as much as she does, so I think she was just jealous that we were getting out of watching the race!
Oh, we will have so much fun!
I'm still not sure if we will let our eldest son in on the secret at the registration table, or after he finishes the race. Perhaps we'll tell him to stay near the finish, to cheer on neighbor Amy, and then Amy can ask him to stay with her to cheer on a couple of friends who will be finishing after her.
I already have a cover story for wearing our running shoes: we're going to wear them as a sign of solidarity, in support of his running. Of course, underneath my jeans and my chamois shirt, I'll have on my running gear, all ready to go.
We're even thinking about having ourselves a bit of a celebration lunch after the race. We're not quite sure about that, though.
Anyway, that's the end of my break, so I need to get back to work.
We did not get out for a run last evening, and that was okay. We ran just one day prior, so it might have been best not to try our first back-to-back runs in the days prior to our big day.
Our sitter backed out on us, but the race lists that they have childcare available. Our eldest daughter will be there with us (she's been an unsung hero of our secret plan, but we'll touch on that more on Saturday), but the little ones just can't be expected to sit still for her for an hour on a cool morning. We're also not sure what to do with one of our litlte ones--our fellow with special needs who has a hard time regulating his temperature (he can get very cold, very fast). I would not want to foist him on the childcare folks at the race, since they'd have no preparedness for dealing with a child like him. Our friend, Amy, who follows this blog (one of two Amys listed as followers), will be running, too. Her husband will be there with their kids, so he might be able to lend a little support, if his kids cooperate.
Our eldest daughter is actually a little miffed with us, because we are forcing her to attend another one of her brother's races. I guess she'll be surprised as well! We've already told her that we need her there to watch the kids because we need to run an errand during the race. She looked confused when we told her that, but since one of the boys has a birthday coming up in a few weeks, we told her that we would be near a Kohl's store, and that we were going to sneak away to find a birthday present while our eldest son was running. She thinks we still hate running as much as she does, so I think she was just jealous that we were getting out of watching the race!
Oh, we will have so much fun!
I'm still not sure if we will let our eldest son in on the secret at the registration table, or after he finishes the race. Perhaps we'll tell him to stay near the finish, to cheer on neighbor Amy, and then Amy can ask him to stay with her to cheer on a couple of friends who will be finishing after her.
I already have a cover story for wearing our running shoes: we're going to wear them as a sign of solidarity, in support of his running. Of course, underneath my jeans and my chamois shirt, I'll have on my running gear, all ready to go.
We're even thinking about having ourselves a bit of a celebration lunch after the race. We're not quite sure about that, though.
Anyway, that's the end of my break, so I need to get back to work.
Thursday -- prerace -- Mrs. F
Im starting to get a bit nervous. Not about the race itself really, but the details. Will child care at the race work out fine for our youngest? Will everyone be ready and up early enough to get out the door? The race is 45 minutes away. Stuff like that.
Its been an eating week too, so Im not sure how I will fare at the scale tommorrow. Less workouts, more junk does not equal a good combination. So time will tell on that front.
At this point, our goal is to get as much rest as possible between now and Saturday morning. So no more workouts this week.
We are still leaning toward doing one hour running and switching up our days we do it, so we have the long run on a weekend day. As well as the 100 pushup challenge. I can say with an emphasis, I am not looking forward to that one! I am looking forward to one hour runner -- I like the longer stretches of runs myself.
Well folks -- only 2 more days until the big race! I cannot wait to see the look on my sons face when he realizes his momma can run a 5k!
Keep on running
MRs. F
Its been an eating week too, so Im not sure how I will fare at the scale tommorrow. Less workouts, more junk does not equal a good combination. So time will tell on that front.
At this point, our goal is to get as much rest as possible between now and Saturday morning. So no more workouts this week.
We are still leaning toward doing one hour running and switching up our days we do it, so we have the long run on a weekend day. As well as the 100 pushup challenge. I can say with an emphasis, I am not looking forward to that one! I am looking forward to one hour runner -- I like the longer stretches of runs myself.
Well folks -- only 2 more days until the big race! I cannot wait to see the look on my sons face when he realizes his momma can run a 5k!
Keep on running
MRs. F
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The cold rebound?
Right as we've started to get some warmer temperatures, I seem to be getting a cold rebound. Either that, or the bug that his Mrs. F is a different variety and it has found its way to me. My sinuses have me wishing I had a pressure cooker safety valve on my face, I'm sneezing, and my throat is scratchy. This is absolutely not what I wanted.
Even with the bug, we might go out for another run tonight. We just ran yesterday, but were really hoping to have two in this week before our race on Saturday.
I'm not sure right now, however. My head is starting to scream "Go home and lie down you idiot!" I also have need to make progress on my coursework tonight.
Blech!
Even with the bug, we might go out for another run tonight. We just ran yesterday, but were really hoping to have two in this week before our race on Saturday.
I'm not sure right now, however. My head is starting to scream "Go home and lie down you idiot!" I also have need to make progress on my coursework tonight.
Blech!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Day 71 - Mrs F
It was another beautiful fall day -- perfect for running.
I managed to get the potluck contributions cooked up this afternoon,so I was free to sneak in a workout this evening. Its a good thing too, its really hard to portion potluck meals!!
I started out thinking that I would do an easy two miles but time was short, so started out with a shorter run on the 2nd segment of trail. I started out slow as we skipped our warm up walk. Then my body remembered how to run and my pace quickened. I turned around at the end of the segment, ran back to Mr. F and turned around again. I did that in two places, so all in all, I think I managed 1.5 miles today. I could have continued on runnign as well.
I was very pleased that my cold/cough didnt cause problems and I was able to run without any breathing or congestion issues. Whew -- seriously was concerned bout that!!!
As we neared the car, Mr. F asked if I would be willing to drive the car to the other end, so he could keep running. Since I had planned on taking it easy today due to being sick and the race coming up -- I said sure.
Im unsure if we will do a back to back workout tommorrow or try to sneak one in Thursday. Definitely want to do an easy one regardless -- no getting injured before the race!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
I managed to get the potluck contributions cooked up this afternoon,so I was free to sneak in a workout this evening. Its a good thing too, its really hard to portion potluck meals!!
I started out thinking that I would do an easy two miles but time was short, so started out with a shorter run on the 2nd segment of trail. I started out slow as we skipped our warm up walk. Then my body remembered how to run and my pace quickened. I turned around at the end of the segment, ran back to Mr. F and turned around again. I did that in two places, so all in all, I think I managed 1.5 miles today. I could have continued on runnign as well.
I was very pleased that my cold/cough didnt cause problems and I was able to run without any breathing or congestion issues. Whew -- seriously was concerned bout that!!!
As we neared the car, Mr. F asked if I would be willing to drive the car to the other end, so he could keep running. Since I had planned on taking it easy today due to being sick and the race coming up -- I said sure.
Im unsure if we will do a back to back workout tommorrow or try to sneak one in Thursday. Definitely want to do an easy one regardless -- no getting injured before the race!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
We made it (four days before the Turkey Trot)
Well, we managed to get a bit of hustle on while we were getting ready, and we got some help from the older kids so we could get out of the door (they were charged with having everyone ready when we returned). We set out with plans for an easy run, two miles at best, and neither of us took a watch or mp3 player. Because we both felt short on time, we decided to skip our warm-up walk and instead opted to start our run slow and easy. We parked by the dam today, and took off to the east since we had daylight yet remaining and since we knew that stretch was only 2/3 of a mile each way (out and back). We'd get in 1-1/3 miles today, and then would head home to get ready for the cross country banquet.
My knee was wrapped as usual, and I've started wrapping my right shin (in lieu of having a compression sleeve for the leg, something someone elese recommended). My knee gave me a bit of grief through the whole run--more of an ache than a pain--and my shin held out to the final few hundren meters. Those final meters, however, were not where we parked the car.
It took some time for me to settle in and find my pace. When I did, Mrs. F was pulling ahead of me again, but that was okay. We made it to the end--she played turnabout, as usual--and then we started back. As we neared our point of origination, I asked how she was doing. She indicated that she was doing well. We talked about going on, and she was willing, but I indicated that I didn't think I'd be able to get to the far end and back again--that would have been more than a 5k. She agreed to hop in the car while I continued on. She was planning an easy day, anyway, so it worked out okay. I moved on, across the road and onto the one mile segment of trail. I felt a bit of a thrill, because I was willingly running all alone. I knew she was neither behind me nor ahead of me. It was just me, all 280 lbs. of me, and the trail.
To me, there could be no better running weather. It was temperate, but on the cool side, but once I was running the air felt wonderful. There was a mild breeze, and the waning sun was tinting the western sky orange. By the time we made it to the road, I had found my stride. I did not want to stop, because I needed to make sure I could still handle more than two miles in a session, especially with the race coming up on the weekend.
On and on I ran. I paid close attention to my legs (my left knee and right shin), and made sure I was landing well. It seemed that the uphill segments made my shin a little tender. My guess is that it's because my foot angles higher on the incline, allowing those shin muscles to tighten even more. Still, it was not bad. I felt good when I got within a quarter mile of the end. Today, perhaps, I could have kept going. Mrs. F was waiting for me, however, parked along the curb alongside the park. I ran through the end of the trail and right up to the car. Yes, I'll be able to run a 5k this Saturday. Had I pushed on, I might have been able to do it tonight.
We made it back home in time to change and get to the event. There were many fun pictures and accolades for the various runners. Our younger boy, the one who joined after the season was underway, was lauded for doing well especially when he ran one meet in his casual shoes (he left one of his running shoes at home). Our eldest son was lauded for breaking the school's freshman time record for 5k, with an 18:46 at his last meet. He actually beat the old record, 18:57, twice this year. So, he broke the record early in the season, and then broke his own record at the end of the season. He's exicted about running again for track in the spring, and for cross country again in the fall. Our other son is not entirely sure. He's had a rough time academically this fall, so he told the couch that he might not do it next year. The coach told him that he should work on getting his academic house in order now, so that he'd be ready for the fall. Man, I could have kissed that guy for telling him that!
Anyway, I need to hit the books, hit the ice, and hit the sack. Have a good night, and keep running!
My knee was wrapped as usual, and I've started wrapping my right shin (in lieu of having a compression sleeve for the leg, something someone elese recommended). My knee gave me a bit of grief through the whole run--more of an ache than a pain--and my shin held out to the final few hundren meters. Those final meters, however, were not where we parked the car.
It took some time for me to settle in and find my pace. When I did, Mrs. F was pulling ahead of me again, but that was okay. We made it to the end--she played turnabout, as usual--and then we started back. As we neared our point of origination, I asked how she was doing. She indicated that she was doing well. We talked about going on, and she was willing, but I indicated that I didn't think I'd be able to get to the far end and back again--that would have been more than a 5k. She agreed to hop in the car while I continued on. She was planning an easy day, anyway, so it worked out okay. I moved on, across the road and onto the one mile segment of trail. I felt a bit of a thrill, because I was willingly running all alone. I knew she was neither behind me nor ahead of me. It was just me, all 280 lbs. of me, and the trail.
To me, there could be no better running weather. It was temperate, but on the cool side, but once I was running the air felt wonderful. There was a mild breeze, and the waning sun was tinting the western sky orange. By the time we made it to the road, I had found my stride. I did not want to stop, because I needed to make sure I could still handle more than two miles in a session, especially with the race coming up on the weekend.
On and on I ran. I paid close attention to my legs (my left knee and right shin), and made sure I was landing well. It seemed that the uphill segments made my shin a little tender. My guess is that it's because my foot angles higher on the incline, allowing those shin muscles to tighten even more. Still, it was not bad. I felt good when I got within a quarter mile of the end. Today, perhaps, I could have kept going. Mrs. F was waiting for me, however, parked along the curb alongside the park. I ran through the end of the trail and right up to the car. Yes, I'll be able to run a 5k this Saturday. Had I pushed on, I might have been able to do it tonight.
We made it back home in time to change and get to the event. There were many fun pictures and accolades for the various runners. Our younger boy, the one who joined after the season was underway, was lauded for doing well especially when he ran one meet in his casual shoes (he left one of his running shoes at home). Our eldest son was lauded for breaking the school's freshman time record for 5k, with an 18:46 at his last meet. He actually beat the old record, 18:57, twice this year. So, he broke the record early in the season, and then broke his own record at the end of the season. He's exicted about running again for track in the spring, and for cross country again in the fall. Our other son is not entirely sure. He's had a rough time academically this fall, so he told the couch that he might not do it next year. The coach told him that he should work on getting his academic house in order now, so that he'd be ready for the fall. Man, I could have kissed that guy for telling him that!
Anyway, I need to hit the books, hit the ice, and hit the sack. Have a good night, and keep running!
Will we make it today?
Well, I got off work at 4 PM. I need to wrap my leg, get dressed, and get out on the trail before we lose too much time. Although I have less coursework this week, between last night's meeting and tonight's cross country dinner for the boys I'm already feeling pressed to get my work done. Then my mind just realized that I'll be at our 5k on Saturday morning, so I'm really feeling stressed.
I need to pu that out of mind right now, and focus on getting out the door.
I need to pu that out of mind right now, and focus on getting out the door.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Sometimes it just doesn't work out the way you hope
I was looking forward to my run today. Morning was nice, and the noontime sun was welcoming and warm. By the end of the work day, however, I was feeling the stress of the evening. I got home around 4:30 PM. It takes me almost 30 minutes to get ready, including the time it takes to wrap my knee, so that would have put me to 5 PM. Dinner wasn't started yet (Mrs. F was working in the garage and the yard all day and she was feeling sick), and I had a meeting coming up at 7 PM. Doing the mental math, I knew we'd be pressed for time. Our run would take nearly an hour (short drive, warm-up walk, run, cool-down walk, short drive), and that would have put us back at home at or after 6 PM. The odds of getting dinner made and served in time to leave for my meeting by 6:45 PM were slim.
I made a call, and decided not to run today. Mrs. F and I will try again tommorrow, if she is feeling well. If not, I guess I'll have to go on my own. We'll push back our Wednesday run to Thursday, but then that will be all until the Chaska, Minnesota Turkey Trot on Saturday.
I made a call, and decided not to run today. Mrs. F and I will try again tommorrow, if she is feeling well. If not, I guess I'll have to go on my own. We'll push back our Wednesday run to Thursday, but then that will be all until the Chaska, Minnesota Turkey Trot on Saturday.
Day 70 - Mrs. F - Feeling sick
Im not feeling well today. I have a cold/cough but no fever. The bad part is that it feels as if its settling into my chest. Not good ... I will be beyond upset if I cant run the race on Saturday.
Im hoping that by pushing fluids and trying to get a little extra rest, that I can fight off the nasties.
Mr. F and I are still planning to work out this afternoon but it will be a slow easy run for me. Thats for sure.
Hopefully this doesnt take me out of the count.
On a side note, I ran my 2 minutes with my son. I ran painfully slow and played up how much it affected me. It was great fun! I told him I almost died!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Im hoping that by pushing fluids and trying to get a little extra rest, that I can fight off the nasties.
Mr. F and I are still planning to work out this afternoon but it will be a slow easy run for me. Thats for sure.
Hopefully this doesnt take me out of the count.
On a side note, I ran my 2 minutes with my son. I ran painfully slow and played up how much it affected me. It was great fun! I told him I almost died!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Finally, a relatively quiet and non-busy weekend
Well, neither Mrs. F nor I made a post yesterday. I think that's a first since we started. Usually, at least one of us manages to get one out here.
That's okay, though. Thankfully, our absence wasn't due to swine flu, an emergency room trip, or long hours at the office. I got my schoolwork for the week, including all of the reading, done by midday yesterday. I got to watch a movie at home with the family, and episode of one of my favorite shows, and got to vegitate a bit by playing the original SimCity (we found a CD for it at a rummage sale over the summer). Today, other than fighting with one of our boys over getting his chores done properly, it has been relatively quiet. Mrs. F led most of the crew to a park after lunch, so I got a little quiet time to start this week's reading, and I got to catch up on my online Scrabble games. Overall, it has been a nice weekend.
My left knee still hints at a bit of strain, but my right shin is doing fine. It was tender on Friday and into Saturday, but has felt fine today. In fact, I just ran my fingers down my shin as I wrote that last line, just to make sure. Mrs. F and I will be out for a run again tomorrow, but I'm not sure if we will do morning or evening. Since our runs are longer now, it's harder to fit them in during the morning without getting out even earlier. When we started, we were only gone for about 35 minutes. Lately, we've been gone 50 minutes (our short drive, our run, and our warm-up and cool-down walks). In fact, running after work on Friday seems to have become the norm for us now. I certainly don't mind that it is a bit warmer at that time of the day.
I'm going to end for now. We're still more than an hour from dinner, and then we have some family time planned for the evening (our Sunday evening ritual). The older kids are either outside or out of site (other than one who is grounded), so only the two youngest ones are nearby at the moment. For some reason, the noise they make is much easier on the ears than the sounds of older children bickering about anything.
That's okay, though. Thankfully, our absence wasn't due to swine flu, an emergency room trip, or long hours at the office. I got my schoolwork for the week, including all of the reading, done by midday yesterday. I got to watch a movie at home with the family, and episode of one of my favorite shows, and got to vegitate a bit by playing the original SimCity (we found a CD for it at a rummage sale over the summer). Today, other than fighting with one of our boys over getting his chores done properly, it has been relatively quiet. Mrs. F led most of the crew to a park after lunch, so I got a little quiet time to start this week's reading, and I got to catch up on my online Scrabble games. Overall, it has been a nice weekend.
My left knee still hints at a bit of strain, but my right shin is doing fine. It was tender on Friday and into Saturday, but has felt fine today. In fact, I just ran my fingers down my shin as I wrote that last line, just to make sure. Mrs. F and I will be out for a run again tomorrow, but I'm not sure if we will do morning or evening. Since our runs are longer now, it's harder to fit them in during the morning without getting out even earlier. When we started, we were only gone for about 35 minutes. Lately, we've been gone 50 minutes (our short drive, our run, and our warm-up and cool-down walks). In fact, running after work on Friday seems to have become the norm for us now. I certainly don't mind that it is a bit warmer at that time of the day.
I'm going to end for now. We're still more than an hour from dinner, and then we have some family time planned for the evening (our Sunday evening ritual). The older kids are either outside or out of site (other than one who is grounded), so only the two youngest ones are nearby at the moment. For some reason, the noise they make is much easier on the ears than the sounds of older children bickering about anything.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Day 67 - my run -- Mrs, F
It was a beautiful day for a run. The sun was shining, the temps in the lower 60s and a very slight breeze. I was really excited to get out and run today.
Im not sure what was different today or what even brought the thought into my mind. I realized today as I was running -- that I am indeed a runner. Im not sure if it was where I was, or how I was runnig or what. The thought just was there and it was a good feeling to realize I can do this!I am a runner. Im one of those crazy running people that prior to C25k, I thought were crazy too!
I pushed hard on the first mile, partly because I knew that I was only going 2 miles today. It wasnt my fastest mile time but 11:30 isnt too shabby. I deliberately took it slow on the return stretch. I wanted to try and run with Mr.F for awhile and keep it slow. Its really hard though for me to run slower than my normal pace. Trust me, my normal pace really isnt that fast. Its just hard to force my body to go slower -- when I slow down -- my mind screams you might as well walk then. So that was challenging.
By deliberatly slowing my pace on the 2nd mile, I had plenty of reserves for our final sprint. I could feel my stride lengthening, my legs speeding up and I went faster and faster. On all the other runs, where Mr. F and I were sprinting at the end, I had pushed hard all the way through. And I just didnt have anything left at the end. So this was a nice victory!
My legs and knees were a bit sore on the return jaunt. And I could feel the strain on the area above my ankle but on the side of my leg. All in all, not anything that overly concerns me. Just reminders that I need to be kind to my body and take it slow somedays!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Ps - One week until our big race and our reveal!!!
Im not sure what was different today or what even brought the thought into my mind. I realized today as I was running -- that I am indeed a runner. Im not sure if it was where I was, or how I was runnig or what. The thought just was there and it was a good feeling to realize I can do this!I am a runner. Im one of those crazy running people that prior to C25k, I thought were crazy too!
I pushed hard on the first mile, partly because I knew that I was only going 2 miles today. It wasnt my fastest mile time but 11:30 isnt too shabby. I deliberately took it slow on the return stretch. I wanted to try and run with Mr.F for awhile and keep it slow. Its really hard though for me to run slower than my normal pace. Trust me, my normal pace really isnt that fast. Its just hard to force my body to go slower -- when I slow down -- my mind screams you might as well walk then. So that was challenging.
By deliberatly slowing my pace on the 2nd mile, I had plenty of reserves for our final sprint. I could feel my stride lengthening, my legs speeding up and I went faster and faster. On all the other runs, where Mr. F and I were sprinting at the end, I had pushed hard all the way through. And I just didnt have anything left at the end. So this was a nice victory!
My legs and knees were a bit sore on the return jaunt. And I could feel the strain on the area above my ankle but on the side of my leg. All in all, not anything that overly concerns me. Just reminders that I need to be kind to my body and take it slow somedays!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Ps - One week until our big race and our reveal!!!
Friday weight check
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 280.2
Today: 280.0
Gain/Loss: -0.2
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative loss: 20.4 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 70.0
Comment: Seeing that I didn't track (or well manage) my eating this week, I didn't run on Monday, and had only a short run on Wednesday, I have no complaints. I honestly expected to gain a couple this week, so I'll take what I can get. I'm still on track with my planned loss of eight pounds per month, so I'll just get back on track from here and look forward to a better week ahead.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 173.7
Today: 172.5
Gain/Loss: -1.2
Goal: 150.00
Cumulative loss: 10.3 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 22.5
Comment: I was really happy that the Halloween candy didn't win. Ten pounds are gone, and I'm looking forward to saying goodbye to the next ten.
Last Friday: 280.2
Today: 280.0
Gain/Loss: -0.2
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative loss: 20.4 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 70.0
Comment: Seeing that I didn't track (or well manage) my eating this week, I didn't run on Monday, and had only a short run on Wednesday, I have no complaints. I honestly expected to gain a couple this week, so I'll take what I can get. I'm still on track with my planned loss of eight pounds per month, so I'll just get back on track from here and look forward to a better week ahead.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 173.7
Today: 172.5
Gain/Loss: -1.2
Goal: 150.00
Cumulative loss: 10.3 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 22.5
Comment: I was really happy that the Halloween candy didn't win. Ten pounds are gone, and I'm looking forward to saying goodbye to the next ten.
A nice evening for letting go
Well, if I ignore the fact that I got out of work an hour later than I expected, it was a nice evening.
The scale was not as cruel as I feared (I'll post our weekly weight check after this), so that was nice. Then, there was the run. Mrs. F just got an mp3 player today (a bargain we found on one of our favorite sites, woot.com), so she ran with it. I opted for a music free day, to see what it would be like.
My legs were feeling pretty good this morning, so I was a bit optimistic. The warm-up walk seemed okay. I stretched after the walk, and everything felt pretty good. I don't know how warm it was this afternoon, but it was mild enough that I only needed my lighter under-layer, my shorts, and my top. No need for my vest today; neither for my gloves.
As I began, I had a nagging concern I was going to hurt myself, but I simply decided to keep it slow. As Mrs. F started pulling ahead, I felt the urge to keep up, but I let it go. I let her pull ahead, and I kept a steady pace. My left knee was a little sore, but nothing beyond a nuissance. My right shin didn't bother me at all during the early stages.
Mrs. F was absorbed in her run, perhaps helped by the music she was using as background noise. She didn't see the grey heron that was perched on an old dock, and she didn't hear me call her attention to it, either.
That was the first thing I noticed about running without my music--I spent much more time looking around at the scenery. It was nice being able to do that. It was so much different than the first few weeks of the Couch-to-5k program, when it seemed like every run was a struggle that ended with me desperate for breath. I could hear every footfall and the crunch of the leaves and the aggregate.
When reach approximately 3/4 into our first mile, Mrs. F was about a tenth of a mile ahead of me. Again I had that urge to speed up, but I let her go. My knee had settled in. It was still a bit sore, but not bad. So far, my shin felt fine.
As I approached my pre-determined turnaound point (the one-mile mark), Mrs. F had already turned around and was running back toward me. When we met, she turned again and went with me to the end of the trail. Together we turned around and started back. Mrs. F glanced at the watch she was carrying: 14 minutes (she had made the first mile in 11:30 before turning around for me).
The return trip was a bit harder. Although I ran longer distances last week, I hadn't run on Monday and Wednesday was a disaster. Since the Turkey Trot is a week from tomorrow, I just didn't want to overdo it. My left knee was holding out, though a bit sore. Now, though, I could feel occasional twinges in my shin. As they came on, I felt myself tightening up. I resisted as much as was possible for me, deliberately trying to keep my leg relaxed. It seemed to work. As I felt that bit of pain and my leg wanting to tense up, I deliberately relaxed my leg and kept on moving.
Mrs. F had pulled ahead of me shortly after we turned around, but I did not let her get a full tenth of a mile ahead of me. I wanted to sprint and catch up, but I knew I would not be able to finish if I did that; it likely would have caused me harm, too. Instead, I picked out a landmark ahead of me on the trail, and I increased my pace until I reached that landmark. Although I wanted to keep up the pace, because I could see myself gaining on her, I let go of the urge and I slowed down. Soon, I picked another landmark and did the same again.
As we got to the final quarter mile, I was only about 20 feet behind her. I picked up my pace and brought myself even with her. By then, however, it seemed that she was starting to speed up, too. The end, after all, was in sight. I pushed harder. She sped up. I increased my pace. She increased hers. Pretty soon, we were both running at a sprint. Normally, I can pull ahead of her in a sprint, but she clearly had some energy in reserve. Though I pushed myself as much as I could, she pulled ahead of me and won our little race.
During that last segment, I definately felt more of a pounding on my left leg, and the shin splints on my right flared up. It was a short push, though, so it didn't seem too bad. In fact, my right shin hurt more at the end of our cool-down walk than it did due to the splint. It was good to be back at it today, and it felt good to let go of my baggage from earlier in the week.
The scale was not as cruel as I feared (I'll post our weekly weight check after this), so that was nice. Then, there was the run. Mrs. F just got an mp3 player today (a bargain we found on one of our favorite sites, woot.com), so she ran with it. I opted for a music free day, to see what it would be like.
My legs were feeling pretty good this morning, so I was a bit optimistic. The warm-up walk seemed okay. I stretched after the walk, and everything felt pretty good. I don't know how warm it was this afternoon, but it was mild enough that I only needed my lighter under-layer, my shorts, and my top. No need for my vest today; neither for my gloves.
As I began, I had a nagging concern I was going to hurt myself, but I simply decided to keep it slow. As Mrs. F started pulling ahead, I felt the urge to keep up, but I let it go. I let her pull ahead, and I kept a steady pace. My left knee was a little sore, but nothing beyond a nuissance. My right shin didn't bother me at all during the early stages.
Mrs. F was absorbed in her run, perhaps helped by the music she was using as background noise. She didn't see the grey heron that was perched on an old dock, and she didn't hear me call her attention to it, either.
That was the first thing I noticed about running without my music--I spent much more time looking around at the scenery. It was nice being able to do that. It was so much different than the first few weeks of the Couch-to-5k program, when it seemed like every run was a struggle that ended with me desperate for breath. I could hear every footfall and the crunch of the leaves and the aggregate.
When reach approximately 3/4 into our first mile, Mrs. F was about a tenth of a mile ahead of me. Again I had that urge to speed up, but I let her go. My knee had settled in. It was still a bit sore, but not bad. So far, my shin felt fine.
As I approached my pre-determined turnaound point (the one-mile mark), Mrs. F had already turned around and was running back toward me. When we met, she turned again and went with me to the end of the trail. Together we turned around and started back. Mrs. F glanced at the watch she was carrying: 14 minutes (she had made the first mile in 11:30 before turning around for me).
The return trip was a bit harder. Although I ran longer distances last week, I hadn't run on Monday and Wednesday was a disaster. Since the Turkey Trot is a week from tomorrow, I just didn't want to overdo it. My left knee was holding out, though a bit sore. Now, though, I could feel occasional twinges in my shin. As they came on, I felt myself tightening up. I resisted as much as was possible for me, deliberately trying to keep my leg relaxed. It seemed to work. As I felt that bit of pain and my leg wanting to tense up, I deliberately relaxed my leg and kept on moving.
Mrs. F had pulled ahead of me shortly after we turned around, but I did not let her get a full tenth of a mile ahead of me. I wanted to sprint and catch up, but I knew I would not be able to finish if I did that; it likely would have caused me harm, too. Instead, I picked out a landmark ahead of me on the trail, and I increased my pace until I reached that landmark. Although I wanted to keep up the pace, because I could see myself gaining on her, I let go of the urge and I slowed down. Soon, I picked another landmark and did the same again.
As we got to the final quarter mile, I was only about 20 feet behind her. I picked up my pace and brought myself even with her. By then, however, it seemed that she was starting to speed up, too. The end, after all, was in sight. I pushed harder. She sped up. I increased my pace. She increased hers. Pretty soon, we were both running at a sprint. Normally, I can pull ahead of her in a sprint, but she clearly had some energy in reserve. Though I pushed myself as much as I could, she pulled ahead of me and won our little race.
During that last segment, I definately felt more of a pounding on my left leg, and the shin splints on my right flared up. It was a short push, though, so it didn't seem too bad. In fact, my right shin hurt more at the end of our cool-down walk than it did due to the splint. It was good to be back at it today, and it felt good to let go of my baggage from earlier in the week.
What a difference a night makes
Having knocked off my main assignment for the week a few days ago, I've been left with reading. As last night rolled in I hit the home stretch. I nearly finished the weekly reading in the denser text, and that leaves me with just a few pages there before diving into the easier read that I should be able to wrap up in an evening. That being the case, I allowed myself to watch an hour of TV (Stargate Universe via Hulu), and even got to bed before 11 PM. I iced my left knee for about an hour before I went to bed, and I popped a few Ibuprofen tablets.
I felt much better when I got up this morning. The daylight savings time change has shifted dawn an hour earlier, and that does make it a bit easier to get up. When I stepped outside to go to work, and felt how relatively warm it was (compared to what it had been recently), I lamented that we didn't decide to run in the morning. Oh, what a difference a night makes!
We'll run this afternoon. I should get off work about 3:30 PM, so we should be able to run before 5 PM. I'm not sure how far I'll go today. If we keep to our pattern, this will be one of the last three runs before our 5k. Mrs. F read that one should not run two days prior to a major race, and, for us at least, our first 5k run is a major race.
Thanks for all the comments from everyone while I was feeling down. It's good to be reminded that there are good runs and bad runs. I also want to acknowledge that you shouldn't run with pain when you're as green as am I. I should have been more open with Mrs. F about not wanting to run the other day, and should have given myself the time to recover. Whatever I opt to do this afternoon, I'm going to take it at an easy pace--something maintainable. If I get hurt between now and Wednesday, my chance to run that Turkey Trot will gone.
I'm not expecting the scale to be kind today. I've not been tracking my intake this week. I'm bracing for a two pound gain. If it's higher than that, I'll need to swallow the bitter pill of responsibility for my own actions.
Well, good day to all. I have much to do.
I felt much better when I got up this morning. The daylight savings time change has shifted dawn an hour earlier, and that does make it a bit easier to get up. When I stepped outside to go to work, and felt how relatively warm it was (compared to what it had been recently), I lamented that we didn't decide to run in the morning. Oh, what a difference a night makes!
We'll run this afternoon. I should get off work about 3:30 PM, so we should be able to run before 5 PM. I'm not sure how far I'll go today. If we keep to our pattern, this will be one of the last three runs before our 5k. Mrs. F read that one should not run two days prior to a major race, and, for us at least, our first 5k run is a major race.
Thanks for all the comments from everyone while I was feeling down. It's good to be reminded that there are good runs and bad runs. I also want to acknowledge that you shouldn't run with pain when you're as green as am I. I should have been more open with Mrs. F about not wanting to run the other day, and should have given myself the time to recover. Whatever I opt to do this afternoon, I'm going to take it at an easy pace--something maintainable. If I get hurt between now and Wednesday, my chance to run that Turkey Trot will gone.
I'm not expecting the scale to be kind today. I've not been tracking my intake this week. I'm bracing for a two pound gain. If it's higher than that, I'll need to swallow the bitter pill of responsibility for my own actions.
Well, good day to all. I have much to do.
Day 67 - Mrs. F -
I plan to run this afternoon. The temps are supposed to be in the 60s and it should be nice out for a change! Mr. F may bike but Im not sure yet.
Today is one of the more challenging times. I am sick, just seems to be a standard cold, but the first day is always the worst. So its very tempting, to skip today. Either put it off til tommorrow or skip entirely. I really dont want to get into the habit of doing that, so Im planning on going but taking a slow run and probably no more than 2 miles. Thats part of the reason, I elected for afternoon, I figured I really needed the rest last night!
Im not sure bout the weight check today. Im so hoping to hit the 10 lbs lost point but on the same hand, it was halloween candy week. So im just not sure what the scale will read. Ill weigh in at lunchtime today.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Today is one of the more challenging times. I am sick, just seems to be a standard cold, but the first day is always the worst. So its very tempting, to skip today. Either put it off til tommorrow or skip entirely. I really dont want to get into the habit of doing that, so Im planning on going but taking a slow run and probably no more than 2 miles. Thats part of the reason, I elected for afternoon, I figured I really needed the rest last night!
Im not sure bout the weight check today. Im so hoping to hit the 10 lbs lost point but on the same hand, it was halloween candy week. So im just not sure what the scale will read. Ill weigh in at lunchtime today.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Still here
Despite having a lousy run last night, I'm still here. Perhaps Mrs. F was right in pushing me to get out. I felt pretty good this morning, though it doesn't seem as if that feeling will last through the day.
I was pretty terrible last evening. My attitude sucked, even before I went out, and that probably had a bearing on having a sucky run.
My knee pain (on the left) is different than what I saw the doctor for before. This is definately below the joint line toward the inside--it seems to be just to the inside of and extending slightly below the patellar tendon. My right shin is a bit tender this morning, but it is not bothering me while I walk. That's a good thing.
I have another headache starting. I think it's stress.
Sorry, Mrs. F. You were right. I needed to get out and get moving. I guess taking our runs late in the afternoon is okay, but taking yesterday's late in the evening just made it that much harder.
I was pretty terrible last evening. My attitude sucked, even before I went out, and that probably had a bearing on having a sucky run.
My knee pain (on the left) is different than what I saw the doctor for before. This is definately below the joint line toward the inside--it seems to be just to the inside of and extending slightly below the patellar tendon. My right shin is a bit tender this morning, but it is not bothering me while I walk. That's a good thing.
I have another headache starting. I think it's stress.
Sorry, Mrs. F. You were right. I needed to get out and get moving. I guess taking our runs late in the afternoon is okay, but taking yesterday's late in the evening just made it that much harder.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A miserable run (double-whammy)
I was not looking forward to running today at all. I had a headache most of the day, and by the time I got home from work, about two hours later than I had planned, I was just ready for bed. My headache was building again, and my left knee was still sore from last Friday's run. I even tried wearing the too-tight patellar stabilizer during the day today, but I had to take it off at noon because it was just too tight and too uncomfortable.
I should have known better than to let Mrs. F push me to run when my mind and body were telling me it wasn't a good idea. I know she meant well, but I just should have listened to my body. My leg wrap/tape combo didn't seem to help much today. As it turns out, both of my long-sleeve polyester shirts were in the laundry, so I didn't have my two base cold-weather layers. I had my loose-fitting long-sleeve orange shirt and a windbreaker shell--let's just say I was too bloody cold before the run and immediately thereafter.
As I stated earlier, I did not want to be out running today. I was grumbling and cursing under my breath because I was tired, uncomfortable, and sore, and because I knew I still had a load of reading to finish for my current class. I was slow on the warmup walk, and my knee was already aching. When I started the run, I gave it everything I had though, but I'm guessing it wasn't much. Mrs. F was still stretching when I got started, but that was fine because I knew she would catch up. However, as we progressed and I could either hear her coming or see her long shadow coming up behind me from either a car's headlamps or a street light, I pushed myself to go faster. Honestly, I was not really happy about being out there running and I figured I would at least make it a bit rough on her today. Not nice, I know, but c'est la vie. She almost caught up to me a couple of times, and each time I pushed ahead. I kept the lead through most of the first mile, even though my knee was painful and I could feel the shin splints in my right leg starting to flare up. She got to pull ahead as we neared the one mile mark. I was fine with that, because I knew I was done.
Today I felt like I did during one of the early weeks of the Couch-to-5k program--I didn't want to be out there, and I wasn't going to kid myself that I'm a runner. I'm a hugely fat guy who had been out there forcing himself to run for nine weeks, partly motivated by a fear of death and partly motivated by knowing that some people would think that I wouldn't be able to do it. Yeah, I got through the nine weeks, but who am I trying to kid now? Or, at least, that's how my thinking was going.
When we got to the end, I turned around and told Mrs. F I needed to walk. Maybe I could have run more if I had not pushed so hard on the way out, but by the way my knee was hurting before I got started, I don't think it's likely that I would have made the two miles anyway. Upon hearing I was going to walk, Mrs. F decided to run further on before turning around. Oh, how I envy her! She's really enjoying this, the running. I've had some good runs, but I can't say I really enjoy it right now, at least not consistantly.
So I started hobbling back. I yelled and cussed at myself in my mind (and probably out loud, at points). I knew I had run nearly three times as much before. Heck, I ran about seven and a half miles last week! There was no way I was going to keep walking.
That settled it. I decided to push myself back to a run. It didn't last very long, though. My face and neck were cold and my headache was getting worse. My left knee was sore with every footfall, but if I tried to adjust my stride so as to spare the knee, it aggravated the shin splints on my right leg. I tried to put the pain out of mind, and pushed on, but when a burst of burning pain erupted in that right shin, I gave up all hope of running. That was the double-whammy: my sore knee and the shin splints.
I slowed to a walk, but now the walk was painful for both legs. Having slowed down, I started to become more chilled (it was in the 30s °F). Including the distance of our warm-up walk, I was still a mile from the car. Had it not been so cold, I would have sat down on the trail and waited for Mrs. F to come by, and I would have asked her to get the car.
I made it back to our starting point, and back to the car, but I was not a happy camper. I was now even more tired and sore. Whatever good I did resting my right leg since Friday was undone--my shin splints are now as sore as they were then. If I can't get these issues squared away within the next 10 days, I've just flushed my 5k registration fee down the toilet.
I finished the evening icing my legs and reading my coursework. Because I got off work late and we took our run right away, I didn't eat until late and that has really thrown me off my pattern. It's now 10:32 PM and I'm not tired, yet I know I need sleep.
I'm not looking forward to facing the scale this week. I already figure it will be a few steps back. I'm just tired of it all. I've never been a thin guy. I'm just so tired!
I should have known better than to let Mrs. F push me to run when my mind and body were telling me it wasn't a good idea. I know she meant well, but I just should have listened to my body. My leg wrap/tape combo didn't seem to help much today. As it turns out, both of my long-sleeve polyester shirts were in the laundry, so I didn't have my two base cold-weather layers. I had my loose-fitting long-sleeve orange shirt and a windbreaker shell--let's just say I was too bloody cold before the run and immediately thereafter.
As I stated earlier, I did not want to be out running today. I was grumbling and cursing under my breath because I was tired, uncomfortable, and sore, and because I knew I still had a load of reading to finish for my current class. I was slow on the warmup walk, and my knee was already aching. When I started the run, I gave it everything I had though, but I'm guessing it wasn't much. Mrs. F was still stretching when I got started, but that was fine because I knew she would catch up. However, as we progressed and I could either hear her coming or see her long shadow coming up behind me from either a car's headlamps or a street light, I pushed myself to go faster. Honestly, I was not really happy about being out there running and I figured I would at least make it a bit rough on her today. Not nice, I know, but c'est la vie. She almost caught up to me a couple of times, and each time I pushed ahead. I kept the lead through most of the first mile, even though my knee was painful and I could feel the shin splints in my right leg starting to flare up. She got to pull ahead as we neared the one mile mark. I was fine with that, because I knew I was done.
Today I felt like I did during one of the early weeks of the Couch-to-5k program--I didn't want to be out there, and I wasn't going to kid myself that I'm a runner. I'm a hugely fat guy who had been out there forcing himself to run for nine weeks, partly motivated by a fear of death and partly motivated by knowing that some people would think that I wouldn't be able to do it. Yeah, I got through the nine weeks, but who am I trying to kid now? Or, at least, that's how my thinking was going.
When we got to the end, I turned around and told Mrs. F I needed to walk. Maybe I could have run more if I had not pushed so hard on the way out, but by the way my knee was hurting before I got started, I don't think it's likely that I would have made the two miles anyway. Upon hearing I was going to walk, Mrs. F decided to run further on before turning around. Oh, how I envy her! She's really enjoying this, the running. I've had some good runs, but I can't say I really enjoy it right now, at least not consistantly.
So I started hobbling back. I yelled and cussed at myself in my mind (and probably out loud, at points). I knew I had run nearly three times as much before. Heck, I ran about seven and a half miles last week! There was no way I was going to keep walking.
That settled it. I decided to push myself back to a run. It didn't last very long, though. My face and neck were cold and my headache was getting worse. My left knee was sore with every footfall, but if I tried to adjust my stride so as to spare the knee, it aggravated the shin splints on my right leg. I tried to put the pain out of mind, and pushed on, but when a burst of burning pain erupted in that right shin, I gave up all hope of running. That was the double-whammy: my sore knee and the shin splints.
I slowed to a walk, but now the walk was painful for both legs. Having slowed down, I started to become more chilled (it was in the 30s °F). Including the distance of our warm-up walk, I was still a mile from the car. Had it not been so cold, I would have sat down on the trail and waited for Mrs. F to come by, and I would have asked her to get the car.
I made it back to our starting point, and back to the car, but I was not a happy camper. I was now even more tired and sore. Whatever good I did resting my right leg since Friday was undone--my shin splints are now as sore as they were then. If I can't get these issues squared away within the next 10 days, I've just flushed my 5k registration fee down the toilet.
I finished the evening icing my legs and reading my coursework. Because I got off work late and we took our run right away, I didn't eat until late and that has really thrown me off my pattern. It's now 10:32 PM and I'm not tired, yet I know I need sleep.
I'm not looking forward to facing the scale this week. I already figure it will be a few steps back. I'm just tired of it all. I've never been a thin guy. I'm just so tired!
Day 66 -- Mrs. F
I ended up with a late evening run since Mr. F had to work late. We didnt get out til 630! It was weird running in the evening dark. Somehow it seems darker than the dawn light. It was a colder night, so that added to making it a little harder running.
I took an easier run today and didnt go as far. Mr. F elected not to stretch and took off right away. I stretched a little and began running. It took me at least 6/10th of a mile to catch up with him. It seemed just as I would start gaining on him, he would speed up!!
I couid feel the effects of too much halloween candy as well. It took me 5 minutes or more of the run to find my stride. And counting calories has gotten harder. I just want to eat and eat and eat. Ugh ... the honeymoon is over with weight loss.
The run itself was good. I went about 2.5 miles(estimated) and Im not sure on time. It was too dark for a watch and Mr. F didnt end up using the playlist for the whole run this time. It did feel good to get out there and run though! I needed that after too many snack size butterfingers. Those things may just be evil -- they are 100 calories apiece!
Hopefully I can redeem the week but Im afraid for Friday weigh in!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
I took an easier run today and didnt go as far. Mr. F elected not to stretch and took off right away. I stretched a little and began running. It took me at least 6/10th of a mile to catch up with him. It seemed just as I would start gaining on him, he would speed up!!
I couid feel the effects of too much halloween candy as well. It took me 5 minutes or more of the run to find my stride. And counting calories has gotten harder. I just want to eat and eat and eat. Ugh ... the honeymoon is over with weight loss.
The run itself was good. I went about 2.5 miles(estimated) and Im not sure on time. It was too dark for a watch and Mr. F didnt end up using the playlist for the whole run this time. It did feel good to get out there and run though! I needed that after too many snack size butterfingers. Those things may just be evil -- they are 100 calories apiece!
Hopefully I can redeem the week but Im afraid for Friday weigh in!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Post C25K Blues (and drowning in my studies)
The end of the Couch-to-5k program has been very anticlimactic for me. I'm a bit down, in part from that anticlimax, but also because my right shin is still sore and my left knee has gotten irksome again since Friday. I don't want to run tomorrow at all, but I know I need to do it. I've been swamped in my studies for the past two weeks--sitting in a chair and reading academic texts for six to eight hours on a Saturday sure seems to be a way to suck the vitality out of anyone. I've lost just enough weight from my butt over the past nine weeks that even sitting in my chair--my big, blue oversized chair--left me sore. Although I can't see it, I'm pretty sure I lost some padding back there.
The burden of my studies is one of the reasons I've not been writing as much here or at Active.com (that and being down). This is the first week I don't have an 1,800+ word essay due, so I'm hoping it won't feel so overwhelming this week. I was required to make a substantial post to our online discussion forum on this week's topic, but thankfully I was able to get that done tonight. I was the first one to post this week, and I'm usually one of the last because of how long it takes me to get through the reading. It helped that a significant chunk of the material this week was in the form of PowerPoint presentations with audio (basically, a recorded lecture put into a set of slideshows). Since I'm primarily an auditory learner, that gave me a leg up this week. Now I just need to finish the last two chapters of reading from last week and read the five I need to finish for this week (it sure beats the 18 I had to read for last week).
Enough of my coursework griping. I need to get my head back into running. Blech! I'd rather get my head into a bucket of Breyer's right now. I guess I'll just take it a day at a time.
The burden of my studies is one of the reasons I've not been writing as much here or at Active.com (that and being down). This is the first week I don't have an 1,800+ word essay due, so I'm hoping it won't feel so overwhelming this week. I was required to make a substantial post to our online discussion forum on this week's topic, but thankfully I was able to get that done tonight. I was the first one to post this week, and I'm usually one of the last because of how long it takes me to get through the reading. It helped that a significant chunk of the material this week was in the form of PowerPoint presentations with audio (basically, a recorded lecture put into a set of slideshows). Since I'm primarily an auditory learner, that gave me a leg up this week. Now I just need to finish the last two chapters of reading from last week and read the five I need to finish for this week (it sure beats the 18 I had to read for last week).
Enough of my coursework griping. I need to get my head back into running. Blech! I'd rather get my head into a bucket of Breyer's right now. I guess I'll just take it a day at a time.
Day 65 - Mrs. F
I discovered something today. Perhaps I knew this all along but Im an emotional eater. I got into an argument today and my response was to reach for the bag of truffles. I reached for the package of lefse and had a big plate of spaghetti.
Its much harder on days when things are stressful and Im tired. I just finished supper and i have 249 calories left. So if I can avoid the midnight munchies, I might just be okay.
Im looking forward to our run tommorrow. Depending on how early we manage to make it to bed, will determine if we have a morning or evening run.
A little sore today but not bad. I didnt even need to take ibuprofen.
Hopefully Mr. F's leg will be ready to go after several days of rest!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Its much harder on days when things are stressful and Im tired. I just finished supper and i have 249 calories left. So if I can avoid the midnight munchies, I might just be okay.
Im looking forward to our run tommorrow. Depending on how early we manage to make it to bed, will determine if we have a morning or evening run.
A little sore today but not bad. I didnt even need to take ibuprofen.
Hopefully Mr. F's leg will be ready to go after several days of rest!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Monday, November 2, 2009
Day 64 - My turn for a run with U2 - Mrs. F
Mr. F was feeling ill tonight, so he didnt get to run with me. I missed him! Ive gotten used to having the time to chat after our workout and digest the runs. So I missed doing that this evening.
I had a great run! I ran 3.1 miles(estimated) in 35 minutes and 10 seconds!!! I set out intending to just run 2 easy miles and well the run was so good, that I just kept going.
I borrowed Mr. F's MP3 player this evening, so it was my first run with music. I wasnt sure how I would like it. I have to say, I dont like dealing with making sure the headphones are right and the wires and all that but overall it was nice. Im not as in tune to music as Mr. F is, so it really just became background music for me. During the day, I often have the radio on in just the same manner -- background music. So it really worked well.
I took my sons watch with me again. I did the first mile in 10:50! I was flying. And I wasnt even breathing heavy, thats the amazing part. Then I made it almost to the end of my measured trail segment(within a block) before my 17 minutes(half of the 35 I intended to run) was up. I wasnt sure if I could do the return trip as fast. I was estastic when I realized I did!!!! It really was a very awesome run.
I really felt like I had a good pace. I encountered a dog walker, along the last segment, and I was able to talk just fine as I passed him. By the end, my breathing was a bit more labored but not bad at all. And something else, i realized last run, I havent had a sideache in forever! So I must be learning to find the right pace.
It was a little different running in the dusk due to the time change. I loved seeing the full moon reflecting on the lake as I ran by. By the end of the run, it was as dark as if I had run in the early morning hours.
The only pain I had at the end was along my leg, just above my ankle. But not bad, just a bit sore.
I guess it was just my turn for an unbelievable run with U2!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
I had a great run! I ran 3.1 miles(estimated) in 35 minutes and 10 seconds!!! I set out intending to just run 2 easy miles and well the run was so good, that I just kept going.
I borrowed Mr. F's MP3 player this evening, so it was my first run with music. I wasnt sure how I would like it. I have to say, I dont like dealing with making sure the headphones are right and the wires and all that but overall it was nice. Im not as in tune to music as Mr. F is, so it really just became background music for me. During the day, I often have the radio on in just the same manner -- background music. So it really worked well.
I took my sons watch with me again. I did the first mile in 10:50! I was flying. And I wasnt even breathing heavy, thats the amazing part. Then I made it almost to the end of my measured trail segment(within a block) before my 17 minutes(half of the 35 I intended to run) was up. I wasnt sure if I could do the return trip as fast. I was estastic when I realized I did!!!! It really was a very awesome run.
I really felt like I had a good pace. I encountered a dog walker, along the last segment, and I was able to talk just fine as I passed him. By the end, my breathing was a bit more labored but not bad at all. And something else, i realized last run, I havent had a sideache in forever! So I must be learning to find the right pace.
It was a little different running in the dusk due to the time change. I loved seeing the full moon reflecting on the lake as I ran by. By the end of the run, it was as dark as if I had run in the early morning hours.
The only pain I had at the end was along my leg, just above my ankle. But not bad, just a bit sore.
I guess it was just my turn for an unbelievable run with U2!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Day 64 - Week 11 C25K and beyond - Mrs. F
I will be running this afternoon. Im planning on taking an easy run of 2 miles today, rather than push it up today.
Mr F is still dealing with his shin splint, so IM not sure if he will still take today off or not. Im hoping he will come and run an easy slow run today as well!
Survived halloween weekend but the candy danger is still near. Im pleased though, I was able to have a few pieces and not go back time after time, as I used to. Pizza last night was a little harder. I tried to cut the pieces smaller, to give me the illusion I was getting more , even though eating the same amount of pieces as i used to. I ate 3 and was full. I should have stopped there but did go back for the 4th. I really wanted the taste more than I was hungry. But baby steps , folks, baby steps.
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Mr F is still dealing with his shin splint, so IM not sure if he will still take today off or not. Im hoping he will come and run an easy slow run today as well!
Survived halloween weekend but the candy danger is still near. Im pleased though, I was able to have a few pieces and not go back time after time, as I used to. Pizza last night was a little harder. I tried to cut the pieces smaller, to give me the illusion I was getting more , even though eating the same amount of pieces as i used to. I ate 3 and was full. I should have stopped there but did go back for the 4th. I really wanted the taste more than I was hungry. But baby steps , folks, baby steps.
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Busy weekend
Between Halloween, getting to the store for our bi-weekly shopping and getting my grad school assignments done, I feel like the walking dead. I just finished this week's assignments, only about 10 minutes early than I did last week. We have one little one sick and on Tamiflu, and others around the house are starting to cough, including me. If it really is H1N1, I'm in one of the primary high-risk groups (obese with other chronic health conditions). The only thing I have going for me is the fact that I've been running. I'm healthier now than I was nine weeks ago, including my pulmonary health. If I do catch the nasty bug, at least I'll be ready for a fight!
I must run off to bed now. I'm exhausted.
I must run off to bed now. I'm exhausted.
Day 63 - Mrs. F
We have had one of our little ones sick here, so that means a lot less sleep happening! Im pretty beat and was really thankful that it wasnt a running day!!
My diet seems to be far more challenging when Im tired. Yesterday I just wanted to eat an entire bag of halloween candy. I did resist but did indulge in a little halloween candy action but not the whole darn bag!!! I found myself looking up the caloric amount that it would take to maintain my weight. Thankfully I didnt go up to it but I had it in the back of my mind just in case.
Weekends in general just seem harder. Theres far more sitting and relaxing and hanging out with the kids, than there is exercise. I cant wait for the day when we can all go on a family run/bike ride/walk.
Our son finished up his cross country this season by gaining a personal best. He beat his previous time by a full five seconds! He ran an 18:50 at sections.(See why im confident we will never catch up to him in the race!!!) Im incredibly proud of him. And with that, comes my promise of running two minutes with him. I laugh now, I still remember, when 2 minutes felt like an eternity to run. Now its barely a start.
We are still debating about taking an extra day off to rest Mr. F's shin splints. I may run still but Im not sure.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
My diet seems to be far more challenging when Im tired. Yesterday I just wanted to eat an entire bag of halloween candy. I did resist but did indulge in a little halloween candy action but not the whole darn bag!!! I found myself looking up the caloric amount that it would take to maintain my weight. Thankfully I didnt go up to it but I had it in the back of my mind just in case.
Weekends in general just seem harder. Theres far more sitting and relaxing and hanging out with the kids, than there is exercise. I cant wait for the day when we can all go on a family run/bike ride/walk.
Our son finished up his cross country this season by gaining a personal best. He beat his previous time by a full five seconds! He ran an 18:50 at sections.(See why im confident we will never catch up to him in the race!!!) Im incredibly proud of him. And with that, comes my promise of running two minutes with him. I laugh now, I still remember, when 2 minutes felt like an eternity to run. Now its barely a start.
We are still debating about taking an extra day off to rest Mr. F's shin splints. I may run still but Im not sure.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Friday, October 30, 2009
Day 61 - We did it!
Well, it's official. After completing our run about 6 PM this evening, Mrs. F and I officially completed the Couch-to-5k training program. We're going to keep our secret a little longer (about two weeks) so we can surprise our kids when we run in the Chaska Turkey Trot on November 14.
Today's run was hard, but good. I managed to keep pace with Mrs. F through the first nine minutes of our run. In fact, as I tried keeping up with and alongside of her, I could sense her speeding up, so I would speed up some more. I let her start to pull ahead after that first bit of time, however, because I knew I would not be able to sustain the pace for the duration of the run.
Still, even though I let her pull ahead, she was not ahead by much. When we broached the one mile mark, she was ahead of me by about 30 seconds. I ran on, enjoying, as best I could, the scenery. It was starting to rain and even sleet a little bit as we began, so I left my glasses in the car. Moving into that next segment of leaf-covered trail, I had to be extremely cautious. I'm nearsighted (I don't see things at a distance well without glasses), so it was very hard to spot small branches on the trail among the leaves until I was nearly on top of them. The large ones gave me no trouble--we had some pretty significant wind gusts later in the day, and it cut at us as we ran. I'm glad I wore my nylon windbreaker shell today.
The halfway point in my playlist arrived, but I was still 20 to 30 meters short of the turnaround point I referenced on Wednesday. I yelled out to Mrs. F that we had hit the halfway point, but neither she nor I turned around. I continued on to my chosen spot, and then turned around.
Back across the road I went. My legs were tired and I could feel the muscle strain in my glutes, especially on the right side. I pushed onward. I kept hoping for a breakthrough to that state where the run is easy and all seems well with the world. If it came today, it was subdued. I had a segment where my stride didn't feel as labored, but my breathing just seemed a little off. I pushed through it.
From the road, someone in a pickup truck honked, and I think they waved. So it seems someone caught me in the act of running. A few moments later, as I continued down the trail, I saw some movement ahead of me. Then, quickly and quietly, a large doe came up from a low bottom near the lake, across the trail, and up the embankment and across the road. She crossed, perhaps twenty feet in front of me. My eyes scanned the terrain around me, looking for others. If they were there, I could not see them. On I ran.
Upon reaching the point where I let Mrs. F start to pull ahead on the way out, I really felt the fatigue hit me. My right shin had started to hurt a little earlier, and not it was a persistant nuissance. My left knee was holding out okay, but it was a bit uncomfortable as well. I pushed on.
As songs on my playlist changed, I refernced them against some of the notable points on the trail--a bench here, a side trail there, a paved driveway, a gravel driveway. It was clear that I was going to run out of music before I ran out of trail. That meant my pace was not as good today as it was on Wednesday, but I quickly let that thought go. I was, after all, running for time and not for distance.
Sure enough, the final song, my favorite one, began at a point I recognized as far too early. Still, I pushed on. At this point, I knew my body was tired and that it wanted to give up, but I vetoed that option. I turned and looked behind me. Mrs. F was there, about as far back from me as she had been when I turned around. No matter how fast or how far either of us had gone, we both were pretty consistant and maintained a steady pace relative to each other.
As the final song of my run ended, I pushed myself to increase my pace. I knew I could not sprint, but I could push myself just a bit more. My cool-down music started. On I ran. It, too, finished, so I quickly restarted it and ran on. Just before the end of the trail, I turned right along a paved trail into a park. I ran along its distance a ways, and then turned around, convinced to run back toward Mrs. F.
As I reached the trail, I saw her coming some distance away, but not too far. "I'm gonna keep running," was all I said as I turned right, and ran past the end of the trail and across the street. There I turned to the right, and began running back toward the car.
I don't know why I did it. It's not as if I was short on time. It's not as if I had this overwhelming urge to run, either. I was definately tired, but whereas, on many of our training days, my body was desperate to stop when I hit that virtual finish line, this time I did not feel the need to stop immediately. Perhaps it's because I did not sprint. In any case, I ran on.
I ran, and turned, and ran some more. I suddenly pictured Forrest Gump as he began his years-long run. Yet, on I ran. At one point, I turned to look over my shoulder and startled myself to find Mrs. F right there. She caught up to me and was only a little more than an arms-length away. Together we ran the rest of the way to the car. It was no super-human achievement, only 3/10 of a mile, or a sliver more, but the fact remains that I ran a distance I was not required to run. The extra time totalled seven minutes beyond my already 31 minute playlist.
All in all, then, if my estimate of my trail distance from Wednesday was accurate, I ran 2.8 miles today. Without any doubt, I clearly ran at least 2.7. I might be ready for that 5k in two weeks after all.
My right shin is definately sore, but I remembered to ice it this evening. Mrs. F and I have talked about taking an extra two days off going into next week (skipping Monday) so that I don't further inflame those shin splints, but all that is a worry for another day. Tonight, right now, I'm just glad to be able to say that I made it through--we made it through--we completed the Couch-to-5k running program!
Today's run was hard, but good. I managed to keep pace with Mrs. F through the first nine minutes of our run. In fact, as I tried keeping up with and alongside of her, I could sense her speeding up, so I would speed up some more. I let her start to pull ahead after that first bit of time, however, because I knew I would not be able to sustain the pace for the duration of the run.
Still, even though I let her pull ahead, she was not ahead by much. When we broached the one mile mark, she was ahead of me by about 30 seconds. I ran on, enjoying, as best I could, the scenery. It was starting to rain and even sleet a little bit as we began, so I left my glasses in the car. Moving into that next segment of leaf-covered trail, I had to be extremely cautious. I'm nearsighted (I don't see things at a distance well without glasses), so it was very hard to spot small branches on the trail among the leaves until I was nearly on top of them. The large ones gave me no trouble--we had some pretty significant wind gusts later in the day, and it cut at us as we ran. I'm glad I wore my nylon windbreaker shell today.
The halfway point in my playlist arrived, but I was still 20 to 30 meters short of the turnaround point I referenced on Wednesday. I yelled out to Mrs. F that we had hit the halfway point, but neither she nor I turned around. I continued on to my chosen spot, and then turned around.
Back across the road I went. My legs were tired and I could feel the muscle strain in my glutes, especially on the right side. I pushed onward. I kept hoping for a breakthrough to that state where the run is easy and all seems well with the world. If it came today, it was subdued. I had a segment where my stride didn't feel as labored, but my breathing just seemed a little off. I pushed through it.
From the road, someone in a pickup truck honked, and I think they waved. So it seems someone caught me in the act of running. A few moments later, as I continued down the trail, I saw some movement ahead of me. Then, quickly and quietly, a large doe came up from a low bottom near the lake, across the trail, and up the embankment and across the road. She crossed, perhaps twenty feet in front of me. My eyes scanned the terrain around me, looking for others. If they were there, I could not see them. On I ran.
Upon reaching the point where I let Mrs. F start to pull ahead on the way out, I really felt the fatigue hit me. My right shin had started to hurt a little earlier, and not it was a persistant nuissance. My left knee was holding out okay, but it was a bit uncomfortable as well. I pushed on.
As songs on my playlist changed, I refernced them against some of the notable points on the trail--a bench here, a side trail there, a paved driveway, a gravel driveway. It was clear that I was going to run out of music before I ran out of trail. That meant my pace was not as good today as it was on Wednesday, but I quickly let that thought go. I was, after all, running for time and not for distance.
Sure enough, the final song, my favorite one, began at a point I recognized as far too early. Still, I pushed on. At this point, I knew my body was tired and that it wanted to give up, but I vetoed that option. I turned and looked behind me. Mrs. F was there, about as far back from me as she had been when I turned around. No matter how fast or how far either of us had gone, we both were pretty consistant and maintained a steady pace relative to each other.
As the final song of my run ended, I pushed myself to increase my pace. I knew I could not sprint, but I could push myself just a bit more. My cool-down music started. On I ran. It, too, finished, so I quickly restarted it and ran on. Just before the end of the trail, I turned right along a paved trail into a park. I ran along its distance a ways, and then turned around, convinced to run back toward Mrs. F.
As I reached the trail, I saw her coming some distance away, but not too far. "I'm gonna keep running," was all I said as I turned right, and ran past the end of the trail and across the street. There I turned to the right, and began running back toward the car.
I don't know why I did it. It's not as if I was short on time. It's not as if I had this overwhelming urge to run, either. I was definately tired, but whereas, on many of our training days, my body was desperate to stop when I hit that virtual finish line, this time I did not feel the need to stop immediately. Perhaps it's because I did not sprint. In any case, I ran on.
I ran, and turned, and ran some more. I suddenly pictured Forrest Gump as he began his years-long run. Yet, on I ran. At one point, I turned to look over my shoulder and startled myself to find Mrs. F right there. She caught up to me and was only a little more than an arms-length away. Together we ran the rest of the way to the car. It was no super-human achievement, only 3/10 of a mile, or a sliver more, but the fact remains that I ran a distance I was not required to run. The extra time totalled seven minutes beyond my already 31 minute playlist.
All in all, then, if my estimate of my trail distance from Wednesday was accurate, I ran 2.8 miles today. Without any doubt, I clearly ran at least 2.7. I might be ready for that 5k in two weeks after all.
My right shin is definately sore, but I remembered to ice it this evening. Mrs. F and I have talked about taking an extra two days off going into next week (skipping Monday) so that I don't further inflame those shin splints, but all that is a worry for another day. Tonight, right now, I'm just glad to be able to say that I made it through--we made it through--we completed the Couch-to-5k running program!
Week 9 - Weight Check
FatManRunning
Last Friday: 280.7
Today: 280.2
Gain/Loss: -.5
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative loss: 20.2 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 70.2
Comment: I was really bummed, but I'll take a half pound. We had birthday cake around the house and I think last Saturday was the biscuits and gravy day, so overall, it could have been worse.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 174.7
Today: 173.7
Gain/Loss: -1.0
Goal: 150.00
Cumulative loss: 9.1 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 23.7
Comment: Right on target -- I cant wait to hit the 10 lbs gone though~! Im planning on continueing to eat the way I have been. Ive made the switch from drinking mostly diet sodas to drinking water. The diet soda now is more of a treat -- woot!
Last Friday: 280.7
Today: 280.2
Gain/Loss: -.5
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative loss: 20.2 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 70.2
Comment: I was really bummed, but I'll take a half pound. We had birthday cake around the house and I think last Saturday was the biscuits and gravy day, so overall, it could have been worse.
Mrs. F
Last Friday: 174.7
Today: 173.7
Gain/Loss: -1.0
Goal: 150.00
Cumulative loss: 9.1 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 23.7
Comment: Right on target -- I cant wait to hit the 10 lbs gone though~! Im planning on continueing to eat the way I have been. Ive made the switch from drinking mostly diet sodas to drinking water. The diet soda now is more of a treat -- woot!
Day 61 - Week 9, Day 5 - Graduation Run - Mrs. F
Perhaps I was cocky, perhaps it was really cold and windy, perhaps it was having a less active day -- who knows but it was hard!!!!
For almost the entire run, I felt like I was running slower than molasses. My legs felt like dead weight and I just couldnt move myself faster. On a side note, my breathing was fine, I could hold a conversation at the end just as easily as the beginning. Maybe I needed a slow workout today but man do I feel it.
For the first 8 minutes, Mr. F and I ran close together. Then I got ahead but not by far. I did make it to the same turnaround point that I did on Wednesday. I tried my concrete block idea from wednesday -- didnt help. So I sludged on.
It was cold and very windy. On the way back we were running directly into some major wind gusts!!! That has to count for extra calorie burn for sure!
I tell you though, I really wanted a blizzard to celebrate the end run! I did not succomb though. We came home and ate homemade turkey vegetable rice soup instead. Mr. F makes the most awesome soups.
This overall was a very hard run for me. I had some medical appts that left me sitting a good portion of the day in the office and the van. As well as a less active afternoon, so my legs really felt todays run.
At the end, Mr. F decided to run the distance back to our car as well. Well even though he was ahead of me, I decided to as well. Eventually I caught up to him and we ended together at the car. So all in all I did about 3 miles in 38 minutes. Not too shabby folks!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
For almost the entire run, I felt like I was running slower than molasses. My legs felt like dead weight and I just couldnt move myself faster. On a side note, my breathing was fine, I could hold a conversation at the end just as easily as the beginning. Maybe I needed a slow workout today but man do I feel it.
For the first 8 minutes, Mr. F and I ran close together. Then I got ahead but not by far. I did make it to the same turnaround point that I did on Wednesday. I tried my concrete block idea from wednesday -- didnt help. So I sludged on.
It was cold and very windy. On the way back we were running directly into some major wind gusts!!! That has to count for extra calorie burn for sure!
I tell you though, I really wanted a blizzard to celebrate the end run! I did not succomb though. We came home and ate homemade turkey vegetable rice soup instead. Mr. F makes the most awesome soups.
This overall was a very hard run for me. I had some medical appts that left me sitting a good portion of the day in the office and the van. As well as a less active afternoon, so my legs really felt todays run.
At the end, Mr. F decided to run the distance back to our car as well. Well even though he was ahead of me, I decided to as well. Eventually I caught up to him and we ended together at the car. So all in all I did about 3 miles in 38 minutes. Not too shabby folks!
Keep on running
Mrs. F
The original FatManRunning Logo/Avatar
In responding to a recent comment, I mentioned that I would post my original FatManRunning logo here. Here it is.
I created it in good old Microsoft Paint (that little utility that hides on PC users' Start Menus under Accessories). I don't know. It sort of made me look muppet-ish, especially the nose!
Day 61 - A brief note
Okay. Just a quick note as I check in here. We will be running later today, but we also need to get to the next major town and do our household shopping this evening, so we might not be able to post until late in the day (we'll try to get something up right after we run).
I was also thinking about the name of the blog today, and the page title. We're going to maintain our address (http://oursecretplan.blogspot.com/), but I think the title will need modification. After all, we'll be done with the Couch-to-5k program today. It will still reference my screen name, FatManRunning, but I need something more... A Fitness Odyssey? I guess I'm open to suggestions at this point.
I guess that means I'll also need to re-work my logo, even though it took me weeks to figure out how to get it to display as it appears today. lol! Such is life, I guess.
I'll catch up with you all later.
I was also thinking about the name of the blog today, and the page title. We're going to maintain our address (http://oursecretplan.blogspot.com/), but I think the title will need modification. After all, we'll be done with the Couch-to-5k program today. It will still reference my screen name, FatManRunning, but I need something more... A Fitness Odyssey? I guess I'm open to suggestions at this point.
I guess that means I'll also need to re-work my logo, even though it took me weeks to figure out how to get it to display as it appears today. lol! Such is life, I guess.
I'll catch up with you all later.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Evening update - Mrs. F - run postponed til afternoon.
Mr. F has more reading to do for his graduate class and I have a busy day tommorrow, so we will do our graduation run in the afternoon again. I dont mind so much, usually have warmer temps and the scenery is nice.
Thanks for taking this journey with us, it means a lot!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Thanks for taking this journey with us, it means a lot!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Day 60 (week 9) - What should we do? Help us decide.
Well, I feel pretty good today. My shin was sore into the evening and I neglected to ice it, but it feels good today. I'm still getting used to feeling more full at meals. We have some wonderful chocolate cake in the kitchen from a birthday celebration last evening, but I just don't have the room for a piece.
In talking with Mrs. F, we do plan to try the 100 Push-ups Challenge (http://hundredpushups.com/), but we have not agreed as to when we will start (whether next week or after our first 5k). Mrs. F is also leaning toward One Hour Runner (one site where it can be found is
http://mindplunge.com/c25k/one-hour-runner.html), but I've not looked at running options seriously yet. Up until last week, I was still concentrating on finishing the Couch-to-5k program.
If you have any ideas for programs we might consider, please let us know, but that's not the primary thing I want to ask our readers today.
What should we do about our little secret?
Should we let them know this weekend, when the Couch-to-5k program is done, or should we wait to surprise them at the race? We won't have all of our kids with us at the race (just too cold to have them sitting around outside for over an hour while also in a crowded place under the watchful eye of our eldest daughter alone), but then again the youngest ones won't have the capacity to understand the significance of our undertaking anyway. If we tell our kids before the run, our cross country runners could run with us while we train, and they might have some good pointers for us (we've tried to milk them for as much information as possible without raising their suspicions). There are definately pros and cons to both. I believe both will be a surprise, but actually getting them to the race (perhaps under the guise of going to watch our friend, Amy, and our eldest son run) would be a bigger surprise.
So, what do you think we should do to reveal our little secret? Should we do it this weekend, or should we wait to the race. We are open to either at this point, so we really would like to know what you think.
In talking with Mrs. F, we do plan to try the 100 Push-ups Challenge (http://hundredpushups.com/), but we have not agreed as to when we will start (whether next week or after our first 5k). Mrs. F is also leaning toward One Hour Runner (one site where it can be found is
http://mindplunge.com/c25k/one-hour-runner.html), but I've not looked at running options seriously yet. Up until last week, I was still concentrating on finishing the Couch-to-5k program.
If you have any ideas for programs we might consider, please let us know, but that's not the primary thing I want to ask our readers today.
What should we do about our little secret?
Should we let them know this weekend, when the Couch-to-5k program is done, or should we wait to surprise them at the race? We won't have all of our kids with us at the race (just too cold to have them sitting around outside for over an hour while also in a crowded place under the watchful eye of our eldest daughter alone), but then again the youngest ones won't have the capacity to understand the significance of our undertaking anyway. If we tell our kids before the run, our cross country runners could run with us while we train, and they might have some good pointers for us (we've tried to milk them for as much information as possible without raising their suspicions). There are definately pros and cons to both. I believe both will be a surprise, but actually getting them to the race (perhaps under the guise of going to watch our friend, Amy, and our eldest son run) would be a bigger surprise.
So, what do you think we should do to reveal our little secret? Should we do it this weekend, or should we wait to the race. We are open to either at this point, so we really would like to know what you think.
Day 60 - Mrs. F
I am a bit sore in the leg muscles today. I can tell its because I worked them really hard yesterday. I don't seem to be in the type of pain that indicates injury--just usage!
I'm feeling the lack of sleep today though. I didn't get to bed til 10:30, so I'm dragging a bit more today. It also could be the busyness of the week and it catching up to me.
I've been thinking more and more about one hour runner. The 60 minute end run of that program scares the snot out of me. Just as thinking bout the 30 minute runs of week 9 at the beginning of C25K scared me too. I remember thinking that I can't do 30 minutes but I can run for 60 seconds and I did. The beginning of one hour runner is 30 minute runs -- I can do that too!
Im excited for the weigh in tommorrow. If I lose 2 pounds exactly, I will hit the 10 lb mark and be 1/3 of the way through my goal. I dont expect to lose 2 (after all my goal is only 1) but I'm secretly hoping that just maybe. So likely next week for that!
Keep on running ,
Mrs. F
I'm feeling the lack of sleep today though. I didn't get to bed til 10:30, so I'm dragging a bit more today. It also could be the busyness of the week and it catching up to me.
I've been thinking more and more about one hour runner. The 60 minute end run of that program scares the snot out of me. Just as thinking bout the 30 minute runs of week 9 at the beginning of C25K scared me too. I remember thinking that I can't do 30 minutes but I can run for 60 seconds and I did. The beginning of one hour runner is 30 minute runs -- I can do that too!
Im excited for the weigh in tommorrow. If I lose 2 pounds exactly, I will hit the 10 lb mark and be 1/3 of the way through my goal. I dont expect to lose 2 (after all my goal is only 1) but I'm secretly hoping that just maybe. So likely next week for that!
Keep on running ,
Mrs. F
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Day 59 - Week 9,Day 3 - Mrs. F
Wow, to think I only have one more run and I will have completed 9 weeks of Couch to 5k! Thinking back, I wasnt sure I could do this... I thought I would likely fail and here I am at the end!!!! My mind barely comprehends that and my emotions are threatening to tear up.
I'll echo what Mr. F said -- it was a hard run today. Running in the afternoons leaves the full stresses of the day weighing upon me. I ended up picking up one son from practice, heading to the grocery store for milk and making a birthday cake for this evenings celebration all before our workout.
So the first mile was hard and I really had to push through it. I borrowed my sons watch today, so I had that to focus on a bit. I did the first mile in 11:15. So I based my next segment on halving my mile time. I orginally was going to run for 5.5 more minutes and then turn around. I quickly figured that would make the run way too long, so I cut it to 4.5 minutes. I made it further along that stretch of trail than I did on monday! I wasnt sure if I could do the return as fast. But I did do the next part in about the same 4.5, maybe almost five. Its hard to focus on the exact seconds sometimes.
I was shooting for 12 minute mile pace on the return. And I came in 20 seconds under that -- woohoo! So I did the whole run in about 32:41. I think I was somewhere between 2.75 miles and 3 miles. Its really hard to estimate on the trail. I was very pleased.
The last 7/10 of a mile was hard but not so bad today. I really concentrated on knocking down the wall. My strategy today was to focus on the idea that God has given me the strength to knock down the cement wall. So I would pick a tree, or sign or marker point and as I saw it coming closer and closer, I envisioned the cement block sliding further and further out. And as I passed it, I knocked it out with the sledgehammer. I randomly picked a number, 11, and then counted down my blocks from there. It really helped me to have something else to focus on. At this point,Im not running with music or anything. So having the mental calthenics of knocking out a wall was good!
I heard Mr. F call out once again and I picked up the pace at the end. Overall a good run!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
I'll echo what Mr. F said -- it was a hard run today. Running in the afternoons leaves the full stresses of the day weighing upon me. I ended up picking up one son from practice, heading to the grocery store for milk and making a birthday cake for this evenings celebration all before our workout.
So the first mile was hard and I really had to push through it. I borrowed my sons watch today, so I had that to focus on a bit. I did the first mile in 11:15. So I based my next segment on halving my mile time. I orginally was going to run for 5.5 more minutes and then turn around. I quickly figured that would make the run way too long, so I cut it to 4.5 minutes. I made it further along that stretch of trail than I did on monday! I wasnt sure if I could do the return as fast. But I did do the next part in about the same 4.5, maybe almost five. Its hard to focus on the exact seconds sometimes.
I was shooting for 12 minute mile pace on the return. And I came in 20 seconds under that -- woohoo! So I did the whole run in about 32:41. I think I was somewhere between 2.75 miles and 3 miles. Its really hard to estimate on the trail. I was very pleased.
The last 7/10 of a mile was hard but not so bad today. I really concentrated on knocking down the wall. My strategy today was to focus on the idea that God has given me the strength to knock down the cement wall. So I would pick a tree, or sign or marker point and as I saw it coming closer and closer, I envisioned the cement block sliding further and further out. And as I passed it, I knocked it out with the sledgehammer. I randomly picked a number, 11, and then counted down my blocks from there. It really helped me to have something else to focus on. At this point,Im not running with music or anything. So having the mental calthenics of knocking out a wall was good!
I heard Mr. F call out once again and I picked up the pace at the end. Overall a good run!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Day 59 (week 9) - Good, but hard
I'm still in a state of shock. We have only one workout day left before we have officially completed the Couch-to-5k program.
Because of my late night last night, we postponed our run until this evening. It was a very nice one, too. The temp was in the mid-50s and it was overcast, but there was no threat of rain. While there was a breeze when we started out, it was still during the return leg. With it being warmer, I left off my polyester long-john top, and I'm glad I did. With the layers that remained, I was sweating much, especially during the latter half of the run.
The start was hard, as expected. It was the typical resistance during the first five to ten minutes. I just reminded myself that I've run this far before, and reminded myself that we could do this--no problem.
Despite my positive self-talk, the run was stil tough. The first half felt pretty long, but that could have been due to my pace. For the first half of our outbound trip, I was within five meters of Mrs. F. During the second part of that outbound leg, she picked up ground, but she didn't circle back for me once today.
As we crossed the road near the dam, I felt a little boost of encouragement. I knew I was running further than I had run before. Mrs. F was still in sight. I wanted to identify the area on the trail where I turned around on Monday.
Running with the benefit of daylight was wonderful. Instead of just hearing the crunch-crunch-crunch of my footfalls, I could see the miriad of colors. Leaves on the trail, leaves yet in the trees and on the understory. I spotted my first landmark from Monday, then the second. I assessed my place on my playlist, and I kept running. I could see Mrs. F ahead of me--quite a ways, but not too far. I could also see something else in the distance--the road which is 1.66 miles from our starting point. I knew I could not make it to that point and back to our start in the time that remained, but it was heartening to know I was that much closer to a full 5k run. I picked my new turnaround point, where some downed wood was piled next to the trunk of a tree. It was something that would be easy to see when either Mrs. F or I ride back to the trail to measure the distance.
I shouted out to Mrs. F and then turned around. Moving, moving, moving with the crunch-crunch-crunch of the leaves. I looked forward to my good stretch, that point in the run where everything feels fine, but I only got a taste of it today. The difficulty of the run eased a bit, but not for long. It settled in as a long, hard run.
I fought some struggles in my mind, as I wanted to slow down, but all the while I kept going. I thought about taking 15 seconds of walking, but I kept running. I could tell my pace was slower on the return, but not the death-slog that seemed to settle in some days. I found that the slight uphill portions did not intimidate me any longer. [We learned this week that there's actually a 100' elevation change along the length of the trail, but since it is an old rail bed, the grade is very slight.] My favorite song, the last on the running section of my playlist, began. It was a bit earlier than I expected, but, then again, I had run further today. Although my heart lifted with the song, my body still felt heavy, as if rooted to the earth. Instead of increasing my pace, I was happy to simply be moving at a regular cadence.
As I reached one of the driveways that signaled my approach to the final stretch of trail, I turned and ran a few steps backwards, so I could view the trail behind me. I could see Mrs. F. She was still about as far behind me as she was ahead of me when I turned around. She would finish about a minute after me.
The end came into sight. I pushed myself, but could not greatly increase my pace. My song came to an end, but the trail was still ahead of me. While it still faded from my ears, I pushed to start a sprint. I was moving faster now, despite my body's objections, but it was not as fast or natural as some I have experienced. My body wanted to slow, but I insisted that it speed up. My music was over, but the trail was still ahead of me. Now I was sprinting. It was a hard, labored sprint. My body begged to slow, and I felt it trying to do so. "No!" I screamed in my own mind as I pushed to keep the pace up. The music for my cool-down walk had started, but I did not care. I pushed, and pushed, and pushed, until I finally reached the end of the trail. This time, I was somewhat winded.
With a slight bend in the trail near the end, I began walking back toward Mrs. F., but I called out to her before I could see her. Sure enough, about a minute after I had finished, she came to our finish line.
The cool down walk was wonderful. As I got into the car to drive, however, I noticed pain along my right shin. I know that pain. It has a name.
Mrs. F told me that I dropped my hat on a segment of the trail. She had picked it up once, but she lost it again at some point before crossing back over the road again. So, we drove to our parking place by the dam, and then got out and walked to find my hat. As we did so, I counted my walking paces to estimate my distance. We found the hat near where I turned around on Monday. I walked on to the point where I turned around today. It was, using my 5' pace as my scale, between two-tenths and a quarter of a mile beyond the one mile mark. So, my 32 minute run was between 2.4 and 2.5 miles.
As we turned around, I felt pretty good, and I started to run. Mrs. F joined me. We ran the distance back to the road, then walked over to the car, stretched and went home.
It was a good run, but if felt long and hard. Yet I'm so glad I was out there making it happen. Then we even added that short run at the end (after which my shin hurt more, by the way). Yet despite a little bit of discomfort, it was a good run. A very good run for a fat man who is hoping to leave that title, like the leaves on the trail, behind him.
Because of my late night last night, we postponed our run until this evening. It was a very nice one, too. The temp was in the mid-50s and it was overcast, but there was no threat of rain. While there was a breeze when we started out, it was still during the return leg. With it being warmer, I left off my polyester long-john top, and I'm glad I did. With the layers that remained, I was sweating much, especially during the latter half of the run.
The start was hard, as expected. It was the typical resistance during the first five to ten minutes. I just reminded myself that I've run this far before, and reminded myself that we could do this--no problem.
Despite my positive self-talk, the run was stil tough. The first half felt pretty long, but that could have been due to my pace. For the first half of our outbound trip, I was within five meters of Mrs. F. During the second part of that outbound leg, she picked up ground, but she didn't circle back for me once today.
As we crossed the road near the dam, I felt a little boost of encouragement. I knew I was running further than I had run before. Mrs. F was still in sight. I wanted to identify the area on the trail where I turned around on Monday.
Running with the benefit of daylight was wonderful. Instead of just hearing the crunch-crunch-crunch of my footfalls, I could see the miriad of colors. Leaves on the trail, leaves yet in the trees and on the understory. I spotted my first landmark from Monday, then the second. I assessed my place on my playlist, and I kept running. I could see Mrs. F ahead of me--quite a ways, but not too far. I could also see something else in the distance--the road which is 1.66 miles from our starting point. I knew I could not make it to that point and back to our start in the time that remained, but it was heartening to know I was that much closer to a full 5k run. I picked my new turnaround point, where some downed wood was piled next to the trunk of a tree. It was something that would be easy to see when either Mrs. F or I ride back to the trail to measure the distance.
I shouted out to Mrs. F and then turned around. Moving, moving, moving with the crunch-crunch-crunch of the leaves. I looked forward to my good stretch, that point in the run where everything feels fine, but I only got a taste of it today. The difficulty of the run eased a bit, but not for long. It settled in as a long, hard run.
I fought some struggles in my mind, as I wanted to slow down, but all the while I kept going. I thought about taking 15 seconds of walking, but I kept running. I could tell my pace was slower on the return, but not the death-slog that seemed to settle in some days. I found that the slight uphill portions did not intimidate me any longer. [We learned this week that there's actually a 100' elevation change along the length of the trail, but since it is an old rail bed, the grade is very slight.] My favorite song, the last on the running section of my playlist, began. It was a bit earlier than I expected, but, then again, I had run further today. Although my heart lifted with the song, my body still felt heavy, as if rooted to the earth. Instead of increasing my pace, I was happy to simply be moving at a regular cadence.
As I reached one of the driveways that signaled my approach to the final stretch of trail, I turned and ran a few steps backwards, so I could view the trail behind me. I could see Mrs. F. She was still about as far behind me as she was ahead of me when I turned around. She would finish about a minute after me.
The end came into sight. I pushed myself, but could not greatly increase my pace. My song came to an end, but the trail was still ahead of me. While it still faded from my ears, I pushed to start a sprint. I was moving faster now, despite my body's objections, but it was not as fast or natural as some I have experienced. My body wanted to slow, but I insisted that it speed up. My music was over, but the trail was still ahead of me. Now I was sprinting. It was a hard, labored sprint. My body begged to slow, and I felt it trying to do so. "No!" I screamed in my own mind as I pushed to keep the pace up. The music for my cool-down walk had started, but I did not care. I pushed, and pushed, and pushed, until I finally reached the end of the trail. This time, I was somewhat winded.
With a slight bend in the trail near the end, I began walking back toward Mrs. F., but I called out to her before I could see her. Sure enough, about a minute after I had finished, she came to our finish line.
The cool down walk was wonderful. As I got into the car to drive, however, I noticed pain along my right shin. I know that pain. It has a name.
Mrs. F told me that I dropped my hat on a segment of the trail. She had picked it up once, but she lost it again at some point before crossing back over the road again. So, we drove to our parking place by the dam, and then got out and walked to find my hat. As we did so, I counted my walking paces to estimate my distance. We found the hat near where I turned around on Monday. I walked on to the point where I turned around today. It was, using my 5' pace as my scale, between two-tenths and a quarter of a mile beyond the one mile mark. So, my 32 minute run was between 2.4 and 2.5 miles.
As we turned around, I felt pretty good, and I started to run. Mrs. F joined me. We ran the distance back to the road, then walked over to the car, stretched and went home.
It was a good run, but if felt long and hard. Yet I'm so glad I was out there making it happen. Then we even added that short run at the end (after which my shin hurt more, by the way). Yet despite a little bit of discomfort, it was a good run. A very good run for a fat man who is hoping to leave that title, like the leaves on the trail, behind him.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Day 58 - late - Mrs. F
We likely will do our run in the late afternoon/evening time tommorrow as Mr.F is bogged down with graduate work. That, in turn, means he wont get to bed as early as he would need to for a morning run.
It will be nice to run in the daylight so I will be able to see how much further I ran. I couldnt really tell how much exactly in the dark!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
It will be nice to run in the daylight so I will be able to see how much further I ran. I couldnt really tell how much exactly in the dark!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Day 58 (week 8) - Feeling it
Since starting week 9, I must say I'm really feeling it. It's not the same as the way things felt in the early weeks. No, this is something different.
You see, during the first few weeks, I felt it in my leg muscles and in my lungs. I lacked for breath. I often was beat as soon as I started. Getting into the driver's seat after a training session took effort. My legs just did not want to bend. That's not what I'm feeling.
During the middle weeks, I learned that my breathing would largely take care of itself. There were still muscle aches, but not as bad. The pounds were coming off. That's not what I'm feeling.
In these later weeks, there has been a different type of fatigue, and, at times, renewed fights for breath as I pushed further and further. There's been my sore knee. That's not what I'm feeling.
It really didn't hit me until last night. We made a turkey for dinner. Alongside it, we served mashed cauliflower with some pototo flakes mixed in, and a big pan of simmered acorn squash with a hint of butter and a touch of brown sugar. It promised to be a good, generally healthy, and filling meal.
I, for one, have always loved roast turkey meat. Aside from fresh fish fried over an open fire, it is my second most favorite food. Thanksgiving and Christmas were the only two times each year that my childhood family would make turkey, and they were my favorite meals. I loved the turkey even more than I loved the chocolate pudding, or the strawberry Jello with strawberries. To me, you could get rid of the rest of the meal--even the mashed potatoes--just so long as I got my turkey.
So, when I sat down for dinner last night, I helped serve plates for everyone, and then I surveyed the plate that held the mounds of turkey flesh. I spotted and selected a significant chunk of breast meat, perhaps 10 ounces in all. I had been logging my food intake for the day, so I knew I had plenty of calories available, thanks to our morning run. Then I turned to the sides. Of each, I measured a half cup serving, and placed them on my plate. Then I began.
Oh!, the marvelous taste of my favorite fowl!
Some turkey, then a bite of squash. Another bite of sqaush, then some turkey. I drank brewed tea that was mildly sweetened with Wal-Mart's Splenda clone, Altern. Then I took a bite of mashed cauliflower potatoes, and then some turkey. Then another bite of each, but especially the turkey.
That's when I felt different.
I looked down at my plate and saw about half of my turkey sitting there. I so much wanted to eat it, but as I just noted, I felt different.
What about another bite of squash? That was yummy. It looked appealing, but I couldn't get myself to take a bite. I felt different.
Different, you see, because I was full. I don't mean that "I've eaten enough and I'm satisfied" full. I mean that "I've eaten so much that I can't possibly shove another bite into my mouth" kind of full. That's right, after eating only about half of what I planned to eat, I couldn't fathom taking another bite!
I told Mrs. F I was full as I pushed away the plate. I sat there and stared at it a moment before getting her attention. "Just look at that," I said.
The evidence was pretty clear. Half of my turkey, half of my squash, and just under half of my mashed cauliflower were still on my plate, and I couldn't eat another bite.
That's when it dawned on me--I've likely changed during these past eight weeks in ways I can't yet imagine. There I was, the biggest person in the room, pushing my plate back after having eaten less than even the youngest of the kids (though the kids likely ate more of the squash and the cauli-taters rather than meat, I'm talking sheer volume/weight).
Then, today, as the lunch hour approached, I felt different again. I knew what it was this time, though. I felt hypoglycemic (the state of having too little blood sugar). We'd already reduced my evening meds because I was feeling that way later in the day a few weeks ago. Now, it seems that I'll need to reduce my morning meds as well (I placed a call into my doctor's office after lunch). When I got home, my sugar was 65, the lowest it's been before lunch in a while. I had seen the numbers creeping down, but that was really low for me. Two teaspoons of brown sugar had me feeling better in a jiffy.
After eating what would have been a small lunch a few weeks ago, I felt full again.
So, it appears that my stomach must be shrinking a bit, or perhaps my abs are finally getting strong enough to fight against my stomach's plans for imperial expansion. Either way, I welcome this new change. I'm so full right now that I can't even imagine eating supper.
This program definately has had an impact on my life. I'm feeling it.
You see, during the first few weeks, I felt it in my leg muscles and in my lungs. I lacked for breath. I often was beat as soon as I started. Getting into the driver's seat after a training session took effort. My legs just did not want to bend. That's not what I'm feeling.
During the middle weeks, I learned that my breathing would largely take care of itself. There were still muscle aches, but not as bad. The pounds were coming off. That's not what I'm feeling.
In these later weeks, there has been a different type of fatigue, and, at times, renewed fights for breath as I pushed further and further. There's been my sore knee. That's not what I'm feeling.
It really didn't hit me until last night. We made a turkey for dinner. Alongside it, we served mashed cauliflower with some pototo flakes mixed in, and a big pan of simmered acorn squash with a hint of butter and a touch of brown sugar. It promised to be a good, generally healthy, and filling meal.
I, for one, have always loved roast turkey meat. Aside from fresh fish fried over an open fire, it is my second most favorite food. Thanksgiving and Christmas were the only two times each year that my childhood family would make turkey, and they were my favorite meals. I loved the turkey even more than I loved the chocolate pudding, or the strawberry Jello with strawberries. To me, you could get rid of the rest of the meal--even the mashed potatoes--just so long as I got my turkey.
So, when I sat down for dinner last night, I helped serve plates for everyone, and then I surveyed the plate that held the mounds of turkey flesh. I spotted and selected a significant chunk of breast meat, perhaps 10 ounces in all. I had been logging my food intake for the day, so I knew I had plenty of calories available, thanks to our morning run. Then I turned to the sides. Of each, I measured a half cup serving, and placed them on my plate. Then I began.
Oh!, the marvelous taste of my favorite fowl!
Some turkey, then a bite of squash. Another bite of sqaush, then some turkey. I drank brewed tea that was mildly sweetened with Wal-Mart's Splenda clone, Altern. Then I took a bite of mashed cauliflower potatoes, and then some turkey. Then another bite of each, but especially the turkey.
That's when I felt different.
I looked down at my plate and saw about half of my turkey sitting there. I so much wanted to eat it, but as I just noted, I felt different.
What about another bite of squash? That was yummy. It looked appealing, but I couldn't get myself to take a bite. I felt different.
Different, you see, because I was full. I don't mean that "I've eaten enough and I'm satisfied" full. I mean that "I've eaten so much that I can't possibly shove another bite into my mouth" kind of full. That's right, after eating only about half of what I planned to eat, I couldn't fathom taking another bite!
I told Mrs. F I was full as I pushed away the plate. I sat there and stared at it a moment before getting her attention. "Just look at that," I said.
The evidence was pretty clear. Half of my turkey, half of my squash, and just under half of my mashed cauliflower were still on my plate, and I couldn't eat another bite.
That's when it dawned on me--I've likely changed during these past eight weeks in ways I can't yet imagine. There I was, the biggest person in the room, pushing my plate back after having eaten less than even the youngest of the kids (though the kids likely ate more of the squash and the cauli-taters rather than meat, I'm talking sheer volume/weight).
Then, today, as the lunch hour approached, I felt different again. I knew what it was this time, though. I felt hypoglycemic (the state of having too little blood sugar). We'd already reduced my evening meds because I was feeling that way later in the day a few weeks ago. Now, it seems that I'll need to reduce my morning meds as well (I placed a call into my doctor's office after lunch). When I got home, my sugar was 65, the lowest it's been before lunch in a while. I had seen the numbers creeping down, but that was really low for me. Two teaspoons of brown sugar had me feeling better in a jiffy.
After eating what would have been a small lunch a few weeks ago, I felt full again.
So, it appears that my stomach must be shrinking a bit, or perhaps my abs are finally getting strong enough to fight against my stomach's plans for imperial expansion. Either way, I welcome this new change. I'm so full right now that I can't even imagine eating supper.
This program definately has had an impact on my life. I'm feeling it.
Day 58 - Mrs. F
I feel pretty good today despite getting some interupted sleep. The kids did not cooperate with my plan of sleeping through the night.
My muscles are feeling fine and no lingering pain to report -- woot!
Overall logging my calories has been helpful. In the last week, I have only went over on my daily allotment on one day (biscuits and gravy day). I ended the evening with 740 left. I know there is a point where you are eating too little calories for your activity leval, but Im unsure of where that point is. I plan to try to continue eating under or at my leval and see how the scale responds. If I continue to lose as I did last week, then all is well. If Im not losing and Im consistly eating under my calories, then I will change it up.
Im noticing more often than not,I'm leaving food on my plate again. That hasnt happened in a long time! So its encouraging -- my body is finally responding to the cues I have been giving it.
This whole journey still has amazed me. Part of the reason I didnt tell my son in the very beginning was I wasnt sure if I could do this. And I didnt want anyone to know I tried to run and failed. So thus my secret was born. And as the weeks progressed and I figured out that I can do this, it changed. I think I thought orginally of telling him at the end of C25k but that quickly blossomed into surprising him at a race. And it took off from there.
I cannot wait to see the joy on his face when he learns of what we have done. He loves running with a passion. I dont quite have passion status yet but I do like it.
I never would have envisioned this point of our journey to look quite like this. Its exciting and fun and Im thankful others are taking this journey with us!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
My muscles are feeling fine and no lingering pain to report -- woot!
Overall logging my calories has been helpful. In the last week, I have only went over on my daily allotment on one day (biscuits and gravy day). I ended the evening with 740 left. I know there is a point where you are eating too little calories for your activity leval, but Im unsure of where that point is. I plan to try to continue eating under or at my leval and see how the scale responds. If I continue to lose as I did last week, then all is well. If Im not losing and Im consistly eating under my calories, then I will change it up.
Im noticing more often than not,I'm leaving food on my plate again. That hasnt happened in a long time! So its encouraging -- my body is finally responding to the cues I have been giving it.
This whole journey still has amazed me. Part of the reason I didnt tell my son in the very beginning was I wasnt sure if I could do this. And I didnt want anyone to know I tried to run and failed. So thus my secret was born. And as the weeks progressed and I figured out that I can do this, it changed. I think I thought orginally of telling him at the end of C25k but that quickly blossomed into surprising him at a race. And it took off from there.
I cannot wait to see the joy on his face when he learns of what we have done. He loves running with a passion. I dont quite have passion status yet but I do like it.
I never would have envisioned this point of our journey to look quite like this. Its exciting and fun and Im thankful others are taking this journey with us!
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Monday, October 26, 2009
Day 57, Week 9, Day 1 -- Mrs. F
Wow,can I just say it seems unbelievable to type week 9 up in the subject line? I did it, I have exercised for 8 weeks straight doing something that I absolutely hated with a passion at the beginning of this all. Now I can say I actually "like" running. I dont "love" it as my son does but I do enjoy it. Now thats not to say that its not hard, cause it still is. Im constantly pushing and challenging myself to work harder.
It was a good run. By my estimation I went 2.75 miles in 32 minutes. It is a bit hard to judge the distance in the dark on the trail. Today I doubled back for Mr. F 3 times instead of the two I normally do. And I went further on the 2nd second of trail as well. The first two minutes were a little hard and then my body kinda said "oh we are running,lets go". I really pushed in the beginning, it felt good to run fast and move. I was feeling it a bit by the time I hit the end of the first mile segment but not bad. I went on to the next segment and wasnt really sure where Mr. F was. The last run on Friday, he turned around at the dam segment, so I wasnt sure what he was doing today. I was very encouraged when I heard him call out behind on the 2nd section of trail that he was turning around there. I didnt even know he was still behind me running that part!!! I called back that I was going to go further yet before turning around. I knew we had two more minutes of running today.
Im really not sure exactly the distance, I likely will bike it to get a better estimate but I know i went further. I believe i covered another quarter mile with the return of that extra distance. It all felt pretty good until I hit the last half mile. Now today I figured out that must be my wall. It got hard and I wanted to quit and my energy just wasnt there. I didnt want to slow down but i forced myself to do it for a little while just to get my mental game and energy back up there. That helped some. It doesnt seem to matter how far I run, the last half mile is my killer. Thats okay -- now that I realize that this is my wall point -- I can up the mental battle to fight it.
I neared the end of the trail and I seem to be slogging on and I hear Mr.F call out some encouragment. Thats all I needed to hear -- his voice is powerful and I could hear him pushing me on. I picked up the pace and poured it on as fast as i could to finish the last bit strong! I couldnt see him when he called out, it was dark and he was further away but I could hear him! He then jogged the last part of the trail and we finished together.
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
It was a good run. By my estimation I went 2.75 miles in 32 minutes. It is a bit hard to judge the distance in the dark on the trail. Today I doubled back for Mr. F 3 times instead of the two I normally do. And I went further on the 2nd second of trail as well. The first two minutes were a little hard and then my body kinda said "oh we are running,lets go". I really pushed in the beginning, it felt good to run fast and move. I was feeling it a bit by the time I hit the end of the first mile segment but not bad. I went on to the next segment and wasnt really sure where Mr. F was. The last run on Friday, he turned around at the dam segment, so I wasnt sure what he was doing today. I was very encouraged when I heard him call out behind on the 2nd section of trail that he was turning around there. I didnt even know he was still behind me running that part!!! I called back that I was going to go further yet before turning around. I knew we had two more minutes of running today.
Im really not sure exactly the distance, I likely will bike it to get a better estimate but I know i went further. I believe i covered another quarter mile with the return of that extra distance. It all felt pretty good until I hit the last half mile. Now today I figured out that must be my wall. It got hard and I wanted to quit and my energy just wasnt there. I didnt want to slow down but i forced myself to do it for a little while just to get my mental game and energy back up there. That helped some. It doesnt seem to matter how far I run, the last half mile is my killer. Thats okay -- now that I realize that this is my wall point -- I can up the mental battle to fight it.
I neared the end of the trail and I seem to be slogging on and I hear Mr.F call out some encouragment. Thats all I needed to hear -- his voice is powerful and I could hear him pushing me on. I picked up the pace and poured it on as fast as i could to finish the last bit strong! I couldnt see him when he called out, it was dark and he was further away but I could hear him! He then jogged the last part of the trail and we finished together.
Keep on running,
Mrs. F
Day 57 (week 9) - What were we thinking?
It's hard to believe that, just over eight weeks ago, I agreed to start this seemingly crazy program. So much has changed in the intervening weeks that I almost don't remember what it was like when I started. I do remember it being hard, very hard, and I do remember things like being dreadfully out of breath after about half of the intervals. Yet here I am after running a little more than the required 30 minutes this morning (my playlist was 31 minutes long). When I finished, I was tired, but not out of breath or ready for a nap. In fact, by the time I got back to our car, at the end of our cool-down walk, I just might have been able to go out for another little bit of running!
What can I say about today's run? It started like so many of the others, feeling some resistance from my body, and dealing with my mind which was thinking about how comfortable the old bucket seats in the Tracer were. My knee felt fine, I found my stride fairly early, and I stayed close enough to Mrs. F that I didn't feel like she was getting away from me. When we got to the far end of the trail, where I would normally turn around, my body protested momentarily as I continued past the road. It full well knew that we normally turned around there, but since it was feeling pretty good overall, it capitulated and came along.
It was a bit eerie running that next segment. Between the trees which still held leaves, the cloud cover, and the fact that it was still well before dawn, the path ahead was dark and neary indistinguishable from the remaining night. Mrs. F pulled a bit ahead of me here, as I tried to gauge when I should turn around. Listening for a cue on my playlit to help me estimate time, I picked a stand of trees that stood against the skyline where the trees thinned to brush on my right. As I reached it, I felt I still had some time, so I picked the next landmark on the skyline and kept running. Upon reaching it, I called out to Mrs. F, so she would know I was turning around. I was close enough that she heard me clearly, and I heard her acknowledge my statement.
With that, I began running back. It was the segment of trail we used during our first couple of weeks. Perhaps my body remembered, because when I got to the road again, there was that same sense of "Are we done yet?" that I've experienced before. Yet, in my mind, I was excited. I had already covered extra ground, though I could not be sure how much, but I was still running. It was about then that I really found my stride and experienced a sense of strength and relaxation. I was running, and it didn't bother me. In fact, I was enjoying it--my pace, seeing the city over the water, seeing the airport spotlight circling on the clouds. It was something I would never have imagined possible in any exercise, much less running.
So, on I ran. The good feeling did not last forever, however, and I felt the fatigue come on me, along with new murmurings of my body to slow down. Knowing that slowing seemed to make me want to slow all the more, I tried the opposite--I pushed a little harder. When I increased my pace, ever so slightly, I found that things were better. As the feelings came on again and again I slowed, I did it again. Soon, I was in my final song, one that I really enjoy, and I picked up my pace again. The end of the song neared and I pushed into a spring. The song ended, but I did not stop. I sprinted through the finish line I envisioned, before turning to walk back toward Mrs. F.
Today, she was not as far behind me, though she had again covered more trail than I (including some shorter double-backs to me on our way out). When I saw her, I called out to her, and I saw her pushing to finish strong. She did, and that meant she ran at least a minute more than did I.
I could never have imagined such a run. I find that my fears about the next day's workouts are largely gone now, since I already know I can run for the alltotted time. The next few weeks, after this program ends, will be a challenge, but I believe I'm ready for them, and I'm looking forward to completing my first 5k race in November.
During those early days, and even during some in the middle, I used to ask myself "What were we thinking?" when we agreed to start this program. Well, I'm just glad we endeavored to persevere, regardless of what we were thinking at the onset, or while on the trail.
What can I say about today's run? It started like so many of the others, feeling some resistance from my body, and dealing with my mind which was thinking about how comfortable the old bucket seats in the Tracer were. My knee felt fine, I found my stride fairly early, and I stayed close enough to Mrs. F that I didn't feel like she was getting away from me. When we got to the far end of the trail, where I would normally turn around, my body protested momentarily as I continued past the road. It full well knew that we normally turned around there, but since it was feeling pretty good overall, it capitulated and came along.
It was a bit eerie running that next segment. Between the trees which still held leaves, the cloud cover, and the fact that it was still well before dawn, the path ahead was dark and neary indistinguishable from the remaining night. Mrs. F pulled a bit ahead of me here, as I tried to gauge when I should turn around. Listening for a cue on my playlit to help me estimate time, I picked a stand of trees that stood against the skyline where the trees thinned to brush on my right. As I reached it, I felt I still had some time, so I picked the next landmark on the skyline and kept running. Upon reaching it, I called out to Mrs. F, so she would know I was turning around. I was close enough that she heard me clearly, and I heard her acknowledge my statement.
With that, I began running back. It was the segment of trail we used during our first couple of weeks. Perhaps my body remembered, because when I got to the road again, there was that same sense of "Are we done yet?" that I've experienced before. Yet, in my mind, I was excited. I had already covered extra ground, though I could not be sure how much, but I was still running. It was about then that I really found my stride and experienced a sense of strength and relaxation. I was running, and it didn't bother me. In fact, I was enjoying it--my pace, seeing the city over the water, seeing the airport spotlight circling on the clouds. It was something I would never have imagined possible in any exercise, much less running.
So, on I ran. The good feeling did not last forever, however, and I felt the fatigue come on me, along with new murmurings of my body to slow down. Knowing that slowing seemed to make me want to slow all the more, I tried the opposite--I pushed a little harder. When I increased my pace, ever so slightly, I found that things were better. As the feelings came on again and again I slowed, I did it again. Soon, I was in my final song, one that I really enjoy, and I picked up my pace again. The end of the song neared and I pushed into a spring. The song ended, but I did not stop. I sprinted through the finish line I envisioned, before turning to walk back toward Mrs. F.
Today, she was not as far behind me, though she had again covered more trail than I (including some shorter double-backs to me on our way out). When I saw her, I called out to her, and I saw her pushing to finish strong. She did, and that meant she ran at least a minute more than did I.
I could never have imagined such a run. I find that my fears about the next day's workouts are largely gone now, since I already know I can run for the alltotted time. The next few weeks, after this program ends, will be a challenge, but I believe I'm ready for them, and I'm looking forward to completing my first 5k race in November.
During those early days, and even during some in the middle, I used to ask myself "What were we thinking?" when we agreed to start this program. Well, I'm just glad we endeavored to persevere, regardless of what we were thinking at the onset, or while on the trail.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Day 56 - getting ready for Week 9 and beyond
Well, it's late. I wanted to be in bed an hour ago, but there was something about an 1,800 word essay that had to be in before midnight... Let's just say I'm glad that one is done.
So, that killed any chance of getting to bed by 9 PM, but at least it's not 11 PM.
Tomorrow starts Week 9! We're in the home stretch. Mrs. F and I have talked about breaking the news to the family at the end of this coming week, but also about keeping the secret until the Turkey Trot. Our eldest son found out that a couple of our friends will be running it (Amy and Nathan who follow this blog), so now he wants to run it, too. We're just not sure how to work out the logistics. If he races, there's almost no way we could hide it from him. Sure, we'd be in back and he'd be in front, but we all would need to check in on race day. Logistics...
Anyway, tomorrow is the first day of the last week of our Couch-to-5k adventure. We'll by no means be done with running or our journey towards weight loss and fitness, but Couch-to-5k will be history... more than that... an accomplishment... a milestone... A monument!
We do plan on celebrating our completion, though we're not sure how. An ice cream cake from DQ just doesn't seem apropos!
Anyway, this week is the big one, well, the first of may big ones. The workout plan for this week? Run for 30 minutes without walking. Pretty simple,huh? Sure, now I can say it is, but earlier in the program I could have had a cerebral hemorrhage just thinking about it. We've come a long way from "Repeat 8 times: run 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds." Going forward, we're going to keep adding time, at least until we get through our 5k run.
Well, I need to turn in. Mrs. F is setting the better example. She didn't make our 9 PM bedtime either (in part, I think, because she was staying up for my benefit), but she did head to bed about 20 minutes ago now, so I had best follow suit.
Anyway, good night, all! Tomorrow brings the beginning of our final week of Couch-to-5k training!
So, that killed any chance of getting to bed by 9 PM, but at least it's not 11 PM.
Tomorrow starts Week 9! We're in the home stretch. Mrs. F and I have talked about breaking the news to the family at the end of this coming week, but also about keeping the secret until the Turkey Trot. Our eldest son found out that a couple of our friends will be running it (Amy and Nathan who follow this blog), so now he wants to run it, too. We're just not sure how to work out the logistics. If he races, there's almost no way we could hide it from him. Sure, we'd be in back and he'd be in front, but we all would need to check in on race day. Logistics...
Anyway, tomorrow is the first day of the last week of our Couch-to-5k adventure. We'll by no means be done with running or our journey towards weight loss and fitness, but Couch-to-5k will be history... more than that... an accomplishment... a milestone... A monument!
We do plan on celebrating our completion, though we're not sure how. An ice cream cake from DQ just doesn't seem apropos!
Anyway, this week is the big one, well, the first of may big ones. The workout plan for this week? Run for 30 minutes without walking. Pretty simple,huh? Sure, now I can say it is, but earlier in the program I could have had a cerebral hemorrhage just thinking about it. We've come a long way from "Repeat 8 times: run 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds." Going forward, we're going to keep adding time, at least until we get through our 5k run.
Well, I need to turn in. Mrs. F is setting the better example. She didn't make our 9 PM bedtime either (in part, I think, because she was staying up for my benefit), but she did head to bed about 20 minutes ago now, so I had best follow suit.
Anyway, good night, all! Tomorrow brings the beginning of our final week of Couch-to-5k training!
Day 56 - Mrs. F
Im hoping for a better calorie day today. Im not starting out the day with biscuits and gravy lol!
I would like to take a bike ride today but I think household responbilities will prevent that from happening. Time will tell!
I feel good overall. No persisting pain or muscle soreness to report.
Im looking forward to seeing what I can do tommorrow. I plan on borrowing a watch and trying to get a better idea on my time segments. Mr. F thinks Im faster than I think I am.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
I would like to take a bike ride today but I think household responbilities will prevent that from happening. Time will tell!
I feel good overall. No persisting pain or muscle soreness to report.
Im looking forward to seeing what I can do tommorrow. I plan on borrowing a watch and trying to get a better idea on my time segments. Mr. F thinks Im faster than I think I am.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
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