Long, dark winter

I've been away (mentally) for too long.  The pressure of finishing grad school is really getting to me. I've only taken one short run in the past three months.  Health issues are starting to press again.  Weight is still hovering on a plateau, though, so that's the only good news (beside the fact that I'm still upright and taking nourishment).  I've really come to hate the short days of winter, so am glad to see spring finally here (and even a bit early in our area).  I'm in a funk I just can't shake.

I have only 11 weeks of classes left, though I think I have a break in there somewhere for Independence Day.  I walk in May, but am not very excited about it (but that's another story).

Stress levels at home are high.  My fuse has been short, and I feel like a prisoner in my own home: every evening is defined by needing to do homework.  Unfortunately, I get distracted far too easily, putting me behind, and that adds to the stress.

[Sigh!]

The only thing that has kept me going is knowing that Mrs. F and I will be taking a canoe trip together in May, to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary.  It will be our first four-day weekend together, without the kids (and without a schedule of family or friends to visit) in ten or more years.  We're headed up into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA for short).  We'll put in as early as we can on a Friday morning, and paddle out on the following Monday.

Mrs. F has continued running.  She was already faster than me while we were doing the C25K program.  Now, I don't stand a chance of running with her again.  She's up to six miles, and I think I'd struggle through one now.  I don't want her to feel bad about it, but it just makes it so much harder for me.  This was really working when she and I were getting up and squeezing our half-hour in early in the morning.  With longer runs and longer times now, however, it's best for her to run mid-afternoon, right after the kids get home from school.  That's right before I get home from work, and I simply have no energy to run at that time.

I ran across an article in Newsweek (online) about Lesley Kinzel, who blogs at Fatshionista.com.  She was featured because of all of the recent discussions on childhood obesity.  She was overweight as a child, and it became central to her self-identity at a very young age.  In reading her story, I realized the same was true for me: from an early age, I was always "the fat kid", and that became how I see myself.  I was always "the fat kid", and, even as an adult, I still see myself as "the fat kid".

The real kicker is that I actuall dropped to a healthy weight for a while.  During my senior year in high school, I was studying karate and was biking everywhere.  Looking back on photos now, I see that I looked pretty good, but I still saw myself as "the fat kid".  How is it that we can get a self-image so far ingrained into our being that it becomes the permanent filter through which we see ourselves and our lives?

I have no clue what I weighed when that picture was taken.  All I now know is that I look at it and I want to cry.  Had I only been able to see myself as I was, versus how I perceived myself to be, it might have helped me keep the weight off.

About four years later I was around 230 lbs.  A year or two after that, I was 260 lbs.

Yet, to me, I felt no different at 260 lbs. than I did when that photo was taken.

Even now, as I hover just under 290 lbs., I feel just as fat as I've always felt--sometimes even bigger--even though I know my peak weight was 348 lbs!

There's a lot of pain tied up inside somewhere.  I hate being "the fat kid".  Right now, however, I have no energy or motivation to go out there and fight for a change.

This is how I looked during the summer of 2009, before I started the C25K program.  I can see the difference between the pictures, but my mind has always seen me the same way, regardless of how large I was. When Mrs. F posts family picutres online today, I still cringe.  I don't like the way I look.  I never have liked the way I look, because I remember that no one likes "the fat kid".

Here we were after our second 5k, the Howard Lake Turkey Tagalong.  This is after completing C25K and proving I could run over three miles.  Yet, I still see myself as "the fat boy". How can I ever reprogram that image? How can I ever get beyond that identity? I know many of you will think of your own journeys, and the things that worked for you.  I thought I had found a new life, but being "the fat boy" has been like a boat anchor.  The way I figure it, I'll  probably need to start C25K all over again, because I don't know if I can even run a mile at this point.  The bike has been in the garage, too.

Am I feeling sorry for myself? Is that all this is? Is it just a pity party? If it is, I wish I knew how to stop the music.  If this is a carnival ride, I want to get off. I'm madly envious of the success Mrs. F has achieved.  I just feel powerless to follow in her footsteps.  I'm back to feeling like I'll be trapped this way for the rest of my life, and I know that means it will be a shorter life.  That just feeds the depressive cycle.  I find myself craving more sweets and comfort foods because I'm feeling down.  I know they're no good for me, but I want them anyway.  I just want a little relief now--I'm not thinking about the long-term.  As I'm writing this, I'm beating myself up even more, because I realize how odd it must sound for a guy to be rambling on like this.  This struggle, and my self image, don't help me feel masculine.  Do other overweight guys simply never feel this way, or are they stronger than I so as to shrug it all off?  I wish it were possible for the old Simon and Garfunkel song to be true: "I am a rock. I am an island. / And a rock feels no pain. And an island never cries."

Weight check 2/12 - Mrs. F

Mrs. F
Last Friday: 166.8 lbs.


Today: 164.9 lbs.


Gain/Loss: -1.9 lbs.


Goal: 150.0 lbs.


Cumulative: 17.9 lbs.


Pounds to lose: 14.9

Comment: Woot! Im very pumped to see the lose this week. Last week,I didnt even weigh in cause it was a bad week! I got back on track this week, did two good runs and watched my intake. I love seeing the numbers go down! Almost 18 lbs lost, it still amazes me.

Saturday run

This week has been lighter on the workout front as Ive been dealing with shin splints on the side of my legs. Plus my knees were a bit achy. I thought it best to keep it slow and easy this week.

I did two runs on the treadmill on monday and wednesday at 2 miles a piece. I finally got my first outside run in over a week in today. I set out hoping to hit 3 or 4 miles today but my muscles didnt agree. I cut the run short and ended up going only 2.2 miles. My pace was 13:45 -- so I figured slow and short is good for this week.

I think I just need to ease back into upping my miles. I went too far too fast. I looked at my running tracking site and realized I doubled my output -- oops! I was doing about 6 miles a week and then the next went to 13, then 10. So thats likely why Im dealing with shin splints. My goals got a bit ahead of my body!

But I did put in 39.5 miles for the month of January. I am extremely pleased with that output. Ideally, Im shooting for 42 a month but I will definitely take the 39!

Keep on running folks
Mrs. F

Weight check January 29

FatManRunning

Last Friday: 280.9 lbs.


Today: 281.6 lbs.


Gain/Loss: +.7 lbs.

Goal: 210.0 lbs.


Cumulative: 18.8 lbs.


Pounds to lose: 71.6


Comment: My focus this week was homework, I only have three more classes to go.

Mrs. F
Last Friday: 166.9 lbs.


Today: 166.8 lbs.


Gain/Loss: -.1 lbs.


Goal: 150.0 lbs.


Cumulative: 16.0 lbs.


Pounds to lose: 16.8

Comment: I was dealing with some shin splints on the side of my legs so I deliberately took an easier workout week. I only ran 6 miles this week. I feel pretty good about not gaining as I seemed to eat a lot and worked out less! Hopefully I can get back in gear and get the numbers trending downward again.

FatManRunning and climbing and skiing...

It's so nice to have a free evening.  I got my school work in a day early this past week and am facing a lighter list of assignments for this week (one week before my finals).  Tonight's Scout meeting was also cancelled because of the weather (blizzard conditions here resulted in recommendations against any travel this evening and two of the other leaders indicated that they wouldn't be able to make it). That meant I was home on a Monday evening without any real pressure to be doing anything other than getting the treadmill up.

I was excited to learn that Mrs. F and our eldest son got a head start on putting the treadmill together.  By the time I got home, there weren't too many steps left to complete.  I let our son continue the fine job he was doing while I went upstairs and made some calls to make sure the boys knew there would be no meeting tonight.  When finished, I helped him finish the treadmill assembly.

Once it was up and running, I took the first run, and then a number of the older kids wanted to give it a try.  My run was very short (I inadvertantly activated a pre-programmed run and worked myself up to a headache within moments), but I got on for another one later. Mrs. F got a couple of miles in.  Since this was my first night of running in weeks, I opted for a single mile.  I started at four miles per hour, and increased my speed as I went on, until I finished one mile at seven.  I don't know why, but running that one mile on the treadmill felt longer than three miles outside! We do have the TV up on the wall now, though, so I was able to watch as I was running, so I did not focus on the clock or mileage figures in front of me. All in all, I finished with a 14 minute mile pace.

Since I've not been running, I kept it to one mile and will see how I'm feeling tomorrow before committing to run again.  On my last weight check, I was glad to find out I was within one pound of where I was back at Thanksgiving.  Since I've not been running--and have not been eating so well--I was afraid that I could have been up at least 10 lbs.

Last week, I chaperoned a trip with the local 6th grade class.  We had lots of fun, and activities included cross country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and climbing on an indoor climbing wall.  I've always wanted to try cross country skiing and snowshoeing, and was excited that they had gear I could use.  Both activities were really fun, and I hope I'll have a chance to try them again.  I never imagined, however, that I would ever try a climbing wall.  I was always afraid of heights when I was a kid, and I've always figured my size and weight would make climbing a 45' wall an impossible feat.  I agreed to give it a try (in part to try to convice one of the kids who was a bit fearful to try it), and I made it to the top! Wow!

That one activity helped renew my hope that I can yet get back on top of this weight loss initiative. I still have a hectic schedule ahead of me.  Finals for my current class are just a week away, and I have three more classes coming in rapid succession, so I don't have any illusions about it being easy.  I've also made it clear that I need someone else to take on my responisbilities with the local Boy Scout Troop, at least until I am done with my schooling.  Hopefully, that will allow me to set aside a little more time for running.

It's good to be back!

The treadmill run

Our eldest son did a good part of putting the treadmill together this afternoon before Mr. F came home from work and helped. It was very exciting! All the kids who were old enough were asking for turns on the treadmill. It was fun seeing them all run!

Mr. F got a run in as well, but Ill let him tell you about that. I was really excited to try it out. Overall I found it harder to use. I like the ablity to slowly increase my speed or lower it. But in general, it just seemed like my mileage progress was sooo slow! I think it will be great for short runs (1-2 miles) and great for bad weather days. I think I will stick to my outside runs for the long ones though.

I started the run with the intention of running for 45 minutes. I even let all the kids have their turns first, so that I could get my longer time in. Ha! After it felt like forever(really only 11:49 ) I got to the first mile point. I adjusted my plan to run for 30 minutes. At about 1.5 miles, I thought, forget it -- Im only running 2 miles lol! So I ended up doing 2 miles in 22:30 -- which is an awesome pace -- 11:15. Perhaps if I had slowed it down, maybe it wouldnt have seemed so hard. It just seemed to drag though.

My mp3 player wasnt charged. So Im looking forward to trying that option out. Mr. F also spent several hours getting our wires rewired so that we could get reception downstairs where the treadmill and tv are. I found it hard to concentrate though on the show. It might depend on how interested in the program. It would be interesting to run while watching biggest loser!

On the eating front, it was a tough weekend. On Saturday, I think I was about 300 calories over. Sunday -- I did okay during the day but watching the football game, gave in to the snack cravings. Eeek! Today, too, wasnt the best. But Im officially going to get back on track!!!


Keep on running folks
Mrs. F

Fridays run 1/22

I didnt get out as early as I normally do during the week. So it was a bit different running more in the dusk with the street lights coming on. I had to pick up Mr. F from the field trip, so timing was an issue. Im glad though that I pushed through and still managed to run.

I wondered if part of my problem on Wednesday, might have been that I was less active during the day. I had sat more than I was up and moving that day. Generally Im up and down the stairs lugging laundry, up folding clothes or loading the dishwasher. Those little things make a difference in warming muscles for sure! I still think Ive been pushing a little too hard and I need to back down on increasing my mileage so much but overall todays run was much better.

I didn't get any burning shin pain -- woot! I was really worried bout shin splints. I still got some pain on the side of my leg but that didnt start in til mile 2 or so. That periodically has been where I feel the strain, on the side of my leg and going up. Its almost like shin splints but on the side, kinda weird. Thankfully, it feels fine today, so I know I just need to slow down my adding mileage. Or if I do a long run, make sure I take a full rest day the next. I think if Im going to do multiple days in a row, I have to take shorter runs and only do one long run.

I did 3.31 miles in 44:25, thats a 13:26 pace. I tried to slow it down especially after my leg muscles were showing strain. That brings my total for the week to 10.6 which meets my goal of hitting 10 miles a week. Ive done 33.3 miles for the month! Im excited about seeing that number go up. I need 42 miles a month to reach my goal of 500 miles for the year. At first, the monthly number was going up so slowly, I was afraid I wouldnt make it. I think though I can do it!

Its raining today and with the potential of freezing rain on the radar, I wont be running today! If conditions are okay tommorrow, Ill try to do 2 miles or if Mr. F gets our treadmill up and running!

Keep on running folks
Mrs. F

Weight check January 23rd

FatManRunning

Last Friday: 279.4lbs.


Today: 280.9 lbs.


Gain/Loss: +1.5 lbs.

Goal: 210.0 lbs.


Cumulative: 19.5 lbs.


Pounds to lose: 70.9


Comment: I've been lazy and swamped with schoolwork. I'm not exercising regularly at all right now. I did get to chaperone a school trip with one of our boys, so I got to cross country ski, hike, snowshoe, and climb a rock wall -- all over two days. The treadmill is still waiting for my attention, as is the TV that we are going to mount on the wall (it's what most of the kids voted to buy with Christmas monies that came in). Once its up and running, I hope to be doing the same in the morning before work. I've not gained as much as I feared. I just feel pretty horrible right now.


Mrs. F
Last Friday: 167.2 lbs.


Today: 166.9 lbs.


Gain/Loss: -.3 lbs.


Goal: 150.0 lbs.


Cumulative: 15.3 lbs.


Pounds to lose: 16.9

Comment: I was pretty disapointed with today's weigh in. I really had hoped for at least a pound. I guess though overall, Im very thankful I didn't gain. Its likely that last weeks loss was artifically low(since i had been sick and undereating or not eating at all) and the regular eating put my weight back more stable. I thought I did well with my calorie counting but I know my sleep was dreadfully low. I dont sleep as well when Mr. F is out of town, so I tend to stay up later. That impacts weight loss as well. A friend pointed out that I lost 4.5 lbs over two weeks and if you list it that way, it doesnt sound so bad!

Wednesday

I really wanted to try and run 4.5 miles today. I modified my favorite in town route and got it up to 4.5 miles. The weather was bout 28 degrees (20 degree windchill) with bright sun.

It felt good for the first mile or so. Then I noticed my left shin was starting to burn a bit. I slowed down my pace and that eased up some then. Anytime that I upped my pace again, it started hurting. I was also having some muscle pain along the side of my leg, which has plagued me periodically.

After this not getting much easier by the 2 mile mark, I elected to ditch my planned route and cut it short. I really was disapointed. I so badly, wanted to increase my mileage, even if it was only .3 more. I kept telling myself though, that its better to run short today in order to run long another day. And I know for sure, that I dont want to mess around with shin splints.

I love running. So I have my mind on my next goal and its already jumping ahead of where my body is. I need to dial it back and remember that I just started running 5 months ago and Im doing great considering! AFter all I ran 13 miles last week, thats no small feat.

I ended up running 3.07 miles in 41:40, which is a 13:35 pace. I was pleased that I at least got 3 miles in . That brings me my total so far for the month of January to 30 miles!!!!

I think I will see how I feel tommorrow. My original plan was to try and run 2 tommorrow. I think, Im scrapping that and just going to run 1 if I feel okay. If Im overly sore, then I will take it as a rest day and run again Friday.

I wonder if I need to get back to stretching. As winter approached, i slacked on the stretching routine. So that maybe part of it and the other part might just be that Im running longer and farther.

Looking forward to my weight check on Friday. Mr. F is out of town chaperoning one of our sons field trips, so weigh in will be not until late afternoon.

Keep on running folks
Mrs F

3 days in a row!

I did get out and run on Saturday as well. So I made it 3.6 that day before I had enough. i think my pace that day was 13:30. That brought my weekly total up to 13 miles. Boy was I sore!!! I was pleased though, I had run 3 days in a row for the first time. I thought I might need two days of recovery but one was enough.

So I rested yesterday and began my new week today. I ran 4.2 miles in roughly 53 minutes. My watch disapeared between yesterday and today, so I didnt have as accurate of a time. I noted the time, on the stove clock when I left and then returned. So pretty close. That was a 12:23 pace!

Im thinking more about running the half marathon. Im still not sure I cna pull it off this year but Im thinking bout trying. Im trying to get my mileage up to 15 miles a week and running 5-6 days a week as well. Im aiming for 4 days this week as well, and then next week working my way up to 5. I plan on increasing my mileage slowly until IM running at least 3 miles every day.

I have been doing well on my calorie counting. So well that Im under on most days. Anyone know on the days you run or exercise, should you keep your net calories at a certain leval? Do you need to eat back some of the calories burned? Today, partly cause I skipped lunch and only had some peanut butter toast, due to crazy busy today, but after supper I had only eaten 957 calories and netted 257. I decided that was way too low especially since i ran a good distance today and then I ate a bagel. I know I need to work on eating regularly and not skipping when Im stressed or busy.

Keep on running
Mrs. F

An extra run and a weight check

I did get out and do a 1.13 mile run. The little neighborhood behind our house, loops around. I calculated that and it comes out to 1.1 mile if I run the inner circle as well. I could defnitely feel that I had run yesterday. It wasnt as bad as I thought it might be. I was glad to only be running a mile though! I did 1.l3 miles in 13:50, which translates on the running site to a 12:15 pace. Hmm, doesnt quite seem right but hey Ill take it!

Mrs. F
Last Friday: 171.4 lbs.


Today: 167.2 lbs.


Gain/Loss: -4.2 lbs.


Goal: 150.0 lbs.


Cumulative: 15.6 lbs.


Pounds to lose: 17.2


Comment: I was sick this week, so I definitely had a little extra help. Im a little nervous that once my regular eating catches up to me, that I might gain a pound or two back. I was so excited to hit the 15 lbs lost marker! It finally feels like Ive made a significant dent in my weight loss. Plenty of work to go!

Thursday's Run

The weather was great, even though the roads were a bit messy. It was 30.4 degrees, it felt heavenly.

I set out with no specific route in mind and with the intent of doing a minumum of 3 miles or at least 45 minutes. I was a bit brave today and went up one of the longer hills in town. I didnt really like that much but it was good to get it out of the way.

I varied my route again today in hopes that I would find one that totaled 4 miles that worked for me. And I did! I was looking for a route that didnt make me feel like I was doubling back. So I went from my house, up an east/west street and over and back down another east/west street. I also added in, an additional couple of blocks on another north/south street. And then went back to my traditional ending points. Overall it worked well. I didnt feel like I was doubling back, since I was on a different road rather than the one I started on.

I went 4.23 miles in 52:30. Thats a 12:25 minute pace. I was definitely pleased with that time! Im trying to build up my distance, so I can start the half marathon training. The treadmill hasnt been assembled yet so all of my runs are still outside. Once we get the treadmill up and running, then I want to add in my 1-2 mile runs on the off days on the treadmill. In theory, it should be easier to sneak it in during the day, while the little kids are watching a movie. Otherwise I have been going out after my big kids get home from school. I like running in the daylight and the warmth of the day but thats a tough time to be gone from the house. Its called the crazy hours, between 3-5 when the kids are a bit riled up! So Ive limited it to going out 2-3 times a week but I have been slowly increasing my distance.

I had a good tracking and eating day today. In fact, I probably need to eat some more since I burned a good bit with my run. My net is really low lol, I like having that problem. Im looking forward to the weigh in tommorrow. Im hoping for at least a pound.

Mr. F and our eldest son are off this weekend to a wrestling tournament. Im hoping maybe I can go over to a friends house and try out her new wii fit. It will be nice to try it, so I can see if I like it before I buy it. Thats on the longer term purchase list anyway lol.

Keep on running folks
Mrs. F

Catching up (again lol)

Ive not been able to get to blogging as regularly as I would like. I hope to get back into a regular pattern of writing again though.

Last week I was able to get out for runs on Monday and Wednesday. After that it got bitterly cold(-20 real temp) and I couldnt get out. I so wanted my treadmill!! On Monday, I ran just under 3 miles and Wed, I ran about 3.6. Its tough to find a good route that doesnt double back yet stays in town. I prefer to stay in town, at this point, since the roads generally are clearer and a little less icy.

I was really excited about wednesdays run. My pace was 12:02~! I was booking it! Usually the beginnings of the run are tougher and then I find my groove.

Thankfully this week, the temps went up to a balmy 21 degrees. Monday's run was foiled by an afternoon meeting. That really bummed me. I was so looking forward to getting out and running in the warmer winter weather. Plus I hadnt run since Wed and I needed to get moving.

Thankfully, yesterday's schedule allowed me to get out for a run. I had mapped out a route ahead of time to try to get up to that elusive 4 mile mark without running around the lake. It seemed a bit chilly at first, but I quickly warmed up. The fun part about running in town is Im definitely getting a harder workout with all the hills! I did 3.95 miles(running ahead rounds up the total to 4) in 50:51. Thats a pace of 12:58.

Once the treadmill is up and assembled, Im planning on trying to add in 1-2 mile runs on the off days. I want to run 3-5 miles every other day outside and then do 1-2 on the off days. My ultimate goal is to do a half marathon. I beleive though, I have to be running 25 miles a week before I can start the half training plan. So it looks like it will probably be the summer of 2011 before I get ready for my half.

Im rather sore and achy today. Not sure though if its the run or getting the stomach flu last evening. Not fun for sure! Thankfully I got my run in before I got sick! It started with our baby girl and of course at 14 months old, she cant hold her own throw up bowl. So momma got the duty of that one. Thus now its my turn to be sick. I have two others who have sucombed to this bug as well. I'm grateful though, that it seems to be a 24 hr bug and doesnt last long. Today, Im feeling somewhat better, just weak and dehydrated.

Oh almost forgot, my weigh in last Friday wasnt great. It could have been worse! Im up to 171.4. I just need to work off the holiday pounds and get back on track. There may have been some residuel water weight in there too. We shall see what this weeks weigh in brings. Im sure being sick will help lol -- not my preferred method of weight loss though!!!

Keepon running
Mrs. F

Holiday Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep on running folks
Mrs. F

White Christmas

Well, here in Minnesota it surely was a white Christmas.  We had about 14" of snow going into midday today. I'm sure glad I got my run in yesterday.

Yes, I got a run in yesterday, on Christmas Eve day. It was the first real run I've taken in a month.  I ran a bit over the weekend a week or two ago, but nothing major.  I guess yesterday wasn't anything major, either. Since it was my first run in a month, I stuck to a mile (actually, just a bit over a mile).  Since we had a break in the snowfall during the morning and the plows were keeping the roads clear, we decided to take a run through the neighborhood.  Mrs. F and I set out with our eldest son and our almost 10-year old daughter.  Josiah ran with Mrs. F, and Ariana ran with me.  I was pleased that I was able to keep Mrs. F and Josiah in my sights--at the end of my mile they were less than two blocks ahead of me.

I could have pushed further on, but decided to take it easy on my first day back at it.  Overall, it didn't feel too bad.  At the end, I finally felt myself rolling off of my legs.  I was tempted to keep running, but erred on the side of caution.  Sitting here as I write, I'm glad I took it easy.  My leg muscles are a bit sore today, but I can't be sure if it is from the running, or dealing with the snow yesterday, or helping to build some huge snowmen in the yard today.

I was up 1.9 lbs. this week, and my sugars have been edging higher again.  I really need to get back to my regular exercise routine.  I really need to get back to getting out with Marie, because if I'm left to do it on my own I'm more likely to just take a pass with the intention to try again the next day.  Argh! I guess I'll just be thankful that I had some time off yesterday and today, and am now looking forward to a nice weekend.

Whether you observe it or not, I hope you've all had a Merry Christmas day.

Friday 's run

Its been a very stressful week, so I was tempted not to run. I knew though, that I had a holiday party for Mr. F's work and probably needed to burn some calories before hand!

The temps felt tropical compared to the subzero stuff from before. Its amazing how relative tempature feels. I remember complaining bout running in 30 degree temps earlier in the season. Now Im particularly thankful for a 20 degree day to run in!

I ran my alternate neighborhood route. Basically I run from my house, through a neighborhood and out of town on a gravel/dirt road. It works well since the traffic ie really light and the roads are fairly clear of snow and ice.

Overall it was a good run, had a few slow spots but I did 3 miles in 44 minutes. Not too shabby for cold weather running. I keep reminding myself, its not so important how fast but that Im out there moving and improving my fitness.

Weight check went well. I was hoping for two pounds down but I'll take the 1.2!

I'm enjoying being in the 160s's even if its on the high end. Im down a total of 14.3 pounds. Seeing the weight come off definitely helps on the motivation end. Plus if I run, i can eat some chocolate. You know the important stuff!

Im hoping to get to run with my eldest son over break. Hes been super busy with wrestling, that we havent had a chance to run together. Im sure he will take off and meet me on the run back but hey, we can start together. Some of my younger kids want to come run too. They will likely not make it hte entire three miles but it should be fun getting out together.

Keep on running
Mrs. F

The run around the lake, number two

The temps were warmer, a balmy 10 degrees, and the sun was shining -- so I took off for my long run around the lake ( 4 miles). It was nice not having subzero winds blowing for a change.

The first two miles are the tougher of the 4. So I reminded myself of that as I was running. I didnt get to borrow a watch, so I carried the cell phone instead. That gave me a starting and ending time but I elected not to pull it out as I ran each mile. Good thing I didnt, it died right after that lol.

I was looking forward to the mile segment of the trail I often run on. Last time, I was able to make up some time on that stretch as its mostly flat. Not this time! The recent snows left the trail tough to run down. Snowmobilers had packed down some of the snow but it made it hard to get traction to run. The uneven terrain of snow bumps didnt help either. I ended up walking 3 different times during that segment. It really was just hard slogging along. I allowed myself those walking segments, for 15 or 30 seconds. I figured I was at least moving!

Next time I run around the lake, I plan to take the parallel road nearby. It will add some distance but not too much more. It seems to parallel the trail fairly closely. I think though I will lose my flatness and have more hills to run.

The last mile seemed the easiest. Perhaps cause I knew I was almost done or perhaps just getting back to the mostly clear roads. It was much easier runnign there, than on the snow covered trail.

All in all, it was pretty tough running it out but IM glad I got out there and did it! I did 4 miles in 58 minutes. For comparison, last time I ran around the lake I did it in 52 minutes. It was warmer and no snow too though.

I made some good choices on food today as well. I knew I wanted a bigger sandwich at mcdonalds (the crispy chix), so I elected to skip the fries and go with water as well. I did ask my son if I could have a few of his fries and that satified my desire for those. Been busier and more stressed lately and less time for snacking. All good for weight loss, I suppose.

Keep on running
Mrs. F

A short run

I knew I needed to get out last night, since I didnt run this weekend.

It really was an out of sorts day. I was really super tired and grumpy. So I elected to just go for 2 miles or so. It was getting colder and with the windchill warnings hitting like 30 below. I knew I wouldnt want to run in that!

It actually felt slightly warmer than when I went out in the 3 degree weather. I was dreadfully slow of course but I kept reminding myself that Im getting out there and moving!!!

All in all, I think it ended up being like 2.25 miles. I even got to try out my new headlamp since it was nearing dark.

I really enjoyed the run but coming home to chaos wasn't so much fun. My off day turned into the kids off day too. Sigh. Oh well, today is a new day.

I did semi okay on the eating. A bag of one of my favorite types of xmas candy did not help. Thankfully I ran, so i had a few extra calories of indulgence.

Keep on running folks
MRs. F

Into the new week

I woke up tired and sore yesterday, and woke up down today.  My calves are sore from running in my winter gear this weekend, and from hiking over many hills throughout the day.  I came home from work yesterday not excited to run, but ready to run, but then I realized that all of my tech undergarments were still in the wash from this past weekend's camping trip, so I took a pass on the run.  I made productive use of the time, however, and got nearly all of this week's coursework done by the time I turned in.  I now only need to stay active on the course discussion board for the balance of the week.  That will let me get a head start on next week's work.

I remember my mother being after me regularly to get my room clean.  Typically, when I set about to do it, I'd find something interesting that would take my mind off the task and the task would then drag on and on and on.  I think I started keeping my room better when I discovered girls, and was allowed to have an occasional visitor of the finer persuasion.  Perhaps it is only fitting that my kids seem pretty much cut from the same cloth.  Unlike my childhood home, where my mother would not let us do household chores apart from our rooms (she said it was her job, after all), our kids have been doing chores since they've been able to follow instructions.  There's enough of them to spread out the work (perhaps that's part of the problem?), so none of them are overloaded.  Each has one chore room or area to care for each week, along with one specific dinner-related chore (e.g., clearing and washing the table, washing up the little ones, doing the dishes, sweeping the floor).  They are on a rotation.  Yet getting them to do that oftentimes feels like trying to pull teeth from a velociraptor.  If we put our attention one one or two who are slacking, the others start slacking.  If one gets a room cleaned well and early, some others will toss some things in it or make it a complete mess again.  I now understand why one of my schoolmate's parents made some rooms of the house off-limits, but that's a policy I would not be able to tolerate.  Perhaps I'll resort to my mother's course of action: wishing that her kids would grow up to have kids just like them. No, I would not wish that on my kids, though should they ever have kids of their own they might finally understand why I could so often get so frustrated so easily.

Anyway, I just wish they would realize that they get more freedom, and more privileges, when they take care of the house and keep up on their chores.  Time spent on chores--doing them, doing them again, re-doing them yet again--is time that could be spent elsewhere.  The extra wear and tear on the house and furniture means we need to repair or replace things more often, taking monies we could have spent on other things.

To top it all off, I'm not super-handy when it comes to home repairs.  There are some things I can do (I really like mudding and taping drywall), but most things take me so much longer and are so far outside of my comfort zone that I'm always second-guessing myself.  When the budget allows it, I'd rather hire one of the handy fellows from the church to come over and take care of project A or B, but the budget rarely affords such luxuries.

I'm really starting to sense that being healthy goes way beyond nutrition, rest, and exercise.  It has to do with limits and margins; it encompases how you live in all areas of life, not just what goes into the body through the mouth.

The cabin this past weekend had no TV, no computer, and no phone.  Heat was a wood stove. While there was time for fun and conversation, much time was spent preparing meals and keeping the fire going (to keep warm).  It hearkened unto a much simpler life.  Admittedly, a much harder life, but a simpler one.  I would just love to figure out some ways to simplify my own life, without making a drastic change like joining the Amish or moving to a cabin in the woods.  I really believe that a lot of the inner struggles that plague me arise from all the craziness I've allowed to come into our lives.  Running should be one of those things that gives me a taste of that simpler life, but in many ways it seems more like "just one more thing" I'm supposed to be doing.

Until my outlook changes, I just need to keep my feet going, my intake limited, and my sleep regular.  For now, that's all I can do.

The weekend

Mr. F was gone for the weekend, camping with 3 of our boys. It was a looong weekend with doing some deep cleaning and not getting enough sleep. Sick baby girl added to the fun.

I found it much more difficult to make good choices and get out and run when tired. So I didnt run either Sat or Sun. And I ate an entire small supreme pizza -- no I didnt track that day! I really dont want to know how many calories I overate!!!!

But Im trying to get back on track today even though kids were up again last night. Its hard not to reach for food when you are tired. I already had an extra cup of my coffee. That added enough calories with my creamer!

Mr. F and I plan to run tonight. So Im hoping to get my body back into submmission.

Mrs. F

A long overdue weight check! (Friday weight check - Week 15)

I had to go all the way back to November 20th to find our last posted weights. I know that we have weighed in since then, just didnt post it in the format.

Friday weight check (week 15)
FatManRunning

Last Friday:   283.0 lbs.


Today:         279.4 lbs.


Gain/Loss:      -3.6 lbs.

Goal:          210.0 lbs.


Cumulative:     21.0 lbs.


Pounds to lose: 69.4


Comment: Mr. F isnt here to give me official totals from last week. So I estimated about where he was then. He will chime in when he returns.

Mrs. F
Last Friday:   171.8 lbs.


Today:         169.7 lbs.


Gain/Loss:      -2.1 lbs.


Goal:          150.0 lbs.


Cumulative:     13.1 lbs.


Pounds to lose: 19.7


Comment: I am so happy! My hard work, aka running, aka watching my caloric intake is paying off. I felt like I had a good week, so I was hoping for one pound down and was estatic when I realized it was 2!!!! It was so much fun to lower my culumative amount to lose below 20. Yay!!!

Although I haven't exercised...

Although I've not run or done my pushups in two weeks, I have some good news to report.  Simply by returning to getting a full night's rest and by being a little more careful with my food intake, my weight has dropped back to where it was on November 13! It had gone up a half pound on the 20th, about another pound on Thanksgiving week (I only got to weigh on Wednesday that week, so I cannot be certain), and was up almost two more pounds by December 3.  As of today, I'm back to 279.4! What a relief!

I won't have time to post our regular Friday Weight Check today.  Mrs. F might try to get it up later this evening.  At 2 PM, I'm off to pick up some things for our Boy Scout outing this weekend, and then two of our boys and I will head out about 5 PM.  Our eldest son, our first cross country runner, decided to wrestle again this year, so he'll be at a tournament tonight.  Mrs. F will drop him off in the morning.

Have a good weekend, all! I'm looking forward to a fresh start next week.

Really cold!

I did my first almost subzero run yesterday(technically the temp was 3 degrees!). I had the option of borrowing a friends treadmill but I really wanted to see what I could do in this kind of weather first.

This is a real change for me, I hate cold with a passion. So going outside in nearly zero weather is not first on my list, let alone running in it!

I added a few things to my running gear -- arm warmers, windbreaker pants, hubby's biking googles, and wrist bands worn at the ankles. I was looking for something to add as another layer for my arms, when I remembered that asics had sent us arm warmers. Bingo! Those worked great. I wore the wrist bands at my ankles since thats where my warm wear tends to ride up and i figured it would keep that area warm. I felt like a giant dork in the big ski type googles but hey I kept my face from getting frostbit.

I orginally thought Id just go two miles. The first mile and a half was great. I didnt feel cold and breathing was okay with my fleece scarf on . Although it did threaten to freeze to my face but since i kept breathing in and out, it didnt have a chance to. The run was feeling good, so I elected to go my full route of three miles. I did my alternate route through the neighborhood and out of town since hubby had both sets of the keys. My the time though I hit two miles, my thighs were pretty darn cold. Im wondering if its cause i put a cotton layer between the warm wear and windbreaker pants or if it was just that cold. Either way, I knew that walking would just make me colder, so i had no option other than running the rest of the way home.

There were challenges like the googles steaming up in spots but not wanting to take them off to clean them in the cold. Or my shoe coming untied. That always seems to make it extra challenging to get running again after stopping.

All in all, a good run. I went pretty darn slow and even slowed further at points when breathign was getting harder. I am pretty proud that I got out there and ran in that cold of weather. I, really , never thought Id be one of "those" runners!

After I got home, I remembered back to the early days of C25K and how some days, I could barely walk after running. And here I am doing 3 miles! Its pretty darn amazing.

Keep on running
Mrs. F

The run in the snow

There is a wicked winter storm heading our way. It did start this afternoon and should give us 6 inches or so, when its all done. So although, technically I should be running tommorrow - I elected to get out today before it got too deep to run.

We still havent gotten a treadmill yet, so options are limited. My friend, Amy, did let me know that I can come over and use hers though.

It was around 16 degrees and blowing snow. The winds were about 12 miles an hour. Given the weather conditions, I decided that I was just going to run 2 miles.

I grabbed my fleece scsrf for todays run. That helped tremendously!!! It kept my face much warmer and kept the pelting snow off my face. Overall, the run was great. The last 3 runs have been tough for me, so it was really nice to have a good one.

The only time it was particulary cold is where the trail is more open to the lake. At those points, the wind blowing off the lake made the snow hit me like ice pellets. I tried to turn a bit to prevent it from hitting me as directly.

Since my mp3 was almost dead and it was snowing(I didnt want it getting wet), I elected to leave it home. Im kinda glad I did, it gave me some good thinking time. I found my groove and I just ran. Its been several runs since Ive had that good of a groove. I had a good pace and I kept it throughout until the last half mile. Then I slowed a bit. I was feeling good, so I ended up going 3 miles today.

I thought for sure the snow would have made a tougher run. Apparently not!

Ive been doing a better job tracking calories this week, so im looking forward to seeing the scale on friday.

Keep on running
Mrs. F

I am my own worst enemy

For the first time in over a week, I have the time to write here, but I find that I don't have the desire to do so.  I just finished up a class last night, so this is the first night in a couple of months that I don't have a boatload of writing or reading to do.  Technically, I could get a head start on the next class, but I just can't.

If it were not for the fact that one of our sons celebrated his birthday this weekend, I'd have no clue as to the date. I've not run in 10 days, and I haven't finished the second week of 100 Pushups.  I've been staying up way too late, getting too little sleep, and have been using food to get me through the longer study nights. I'm up a couple more pounds, and I have no desire to exercise. On top of that, I'm dealing with a lot of personal stress on other fronts right now. I just want to give up, but I know I can't. I need to get back in the game.  I need to stop the snacks and get back to healthy portions.  I need sleep, and I need to exercise.

Please don't be mad at me. This is a real struggle for me.


I'm so tired.  I want to give up, but I don't want to give up! That sums up much of my struggle.  It's a battle in my head, and my life and health are at stake.

I guess I need to celebrate the little victories, even in the midst of my losses. I've gotten back to biking to work regularly.  When my knee was giving me problems, I laid off on the biking.  I resumed a few times, but would stop again after the next rough run.  Now that my knee is no longer bothering me, I'm trying to ride every day, even though we're below freezing and expecting six inches of snow.  I have some gaiters that both protect my lower leg and ankle from the wind and keep my pants from snagging in the chain, a light fleece balaclava that fits under my helmet and keeps my face warm, large snowmobile-type gloves, and (since I wear prescription glasses) ski goggles.  Overall, it makes me quite a sight, especially in this smaller town where most people think of bikes as three-season transportation.  Mrs. F got me a set of studded ice tires last spring, but I don't yet have a second set of rims on which to mount them.  I'm keeping my eyes open for a used bike I can rig with them, so I won't need to worry about switching them off and on as the weather changes.

I've had enough for tonight. I need sleep.  I've come to learn that a lack of sleep affects everything else--my mood, my energy level, and even how much I crave crappy foods.  When I'm well-rested, I feel better and think clearer.  To that end, I'm signing off now.

Weekend Wrapup

I managed to get in two runs this weekend - Friday and Sunday. That gives me a grand total of 10.6 miles for the week -- woot! I ran 4 miles on Wed, 3.3 on Friday and another 3.3 today.

It wasnt easy but it sure felt good afterwards. Both weekend runs were tough but Im thankful I pushed thru it.Fridays run was 3.3 miles in 42 minutes. I know I have done that stretch faster but the cold weather really does have an impact. It was 18 degrees and the wind was biting. My core was plenty warm, thanks to a new fleece vest from lands end but my thighs were ice cold!

I took my mp3 player out and got it charged. So I enjoyed having it on both of the weekend runs. My playlist consists of Go fish music. I love their upbeat fun music. I had on my christmas cd, Snow, and then snazzy and superstar as well. Some of the songs are so upbeat that you just want to run faster :)

Its a good thing that I started C25K in august. I know had I started in the cold weather I would have given up by now. Thankfully, I have learned to enjoy it and make it a habit, so the cold isnt as much of a deterrent anymore. Today it was 17 degrees, so chilly but less wind. I added an extra pant layer and that definitely helped. On my top, Im wearing a tech long sleeve shirt, then a light windbreaker and a fleece vest. On my bottom, Im wearing some warmwear, then my yoga capri pants and then a mesh long pants over the top of that. Top it all off with fleece gloves and a stocking hat!

The only part of me that really was cold today was my face. So next time, I think ill grab my scarf. I thought of it again today, but I just didnt want one more thing to mess with, if I got too warm while running.

I didnt have a watch today but I could just tell I was slower. The first mile was pretty good, as was the next .66. It was the 2nd half of the run that was just tough. The last mile in particularly was torturous. It didnt help that twice, my shoe came untied. So I had to stop and tie it, and walk some while getting my gloves back on. Its been a long time since I had the desire to walk, while running but it was strong today. Its good thing the bench that I run by was frosty or I might just have sat down!

To get through the last mile, I pulled out my mental trick of counting down 12 or 13 cement blocks. I picked a tree or spot ahead of me and then imagined hitting that block with a sledgehammer. That seemed to help me finish.

On an upnote, since its gotten colder, I rarely see people on the trail, other than an occasional dog walker. Today two doe bounded across my path, not even 30 yards ahead of me. It was really cool! Definitely can tell I live in a more rural area!!!

I need to do my weight post yet. I was pretty discouraged this week. Since I had the kids at the doctors office on Thursday,I weighed myself. It was an icky 176.2, another 2.2 lbs up. I hadnt tracked exceptionally well but still, it was disheartening. Well, on Friday, since I was going for a run anyway, I decided to weigh in my workout clothes, for the official weight check. I normally weigh in on fridays in workout clothes. Note to self -- Jeans are bad for weigh ins lol. And somehow, in the last 24 hrs, I dropped 4.4 lbs!!! I was down to 171.8. Strangest weigh in ever! Though that definitely made me get cracking on the tracking calories.

Still have to get back to the pushup challenge. Life is really really overwhelming right now. So its tough to do stuff like the pushup challenge that I really dont like at all. I still enjoy the running -- I get a break from the house and kids. So thats not too hard to get motivated to do.

Keep on running folks
Mrs. F

PS - Mr. F is writing his last paper for this class -- hooray! He starts another tommorrow but it only has 1 book, so its got to be easier!

Feeling dead tired (papers, papers, papers)

Last night saw me up until nearly 2 AM to get a paper in on time.  I was up this morning at 6 AM, so I'm running on fumes.  Less than four hours of sleep definately does not cut it for me. Work has also required some longer hours of late.

I have a research paper due Saturday and another paper due on Tuesday.  It's not the school work itself that is getting to me, but rather the lack of sleep and exercise.  I've really started to feel the difference between when I'm rested and when I'm not, and I now can also feel a difference between when I am exercising regularly and when I'm not.

I need to finish Week 2 of the One Hundred Pushups challenge, and I need to run.  I've not run now for a week (since Thanksgiving Day). I'm falling asleep in my chair as I'm writing this. I need to get in early tomorrow, because we have a new employee starting and I was informed just this morning.  I have yet much to do to be ready for his arrival at 8 AM.

Yikes! I need a break.

The run around the lake

I didnt get my run in yesterday -- life got the better of me and it didnt happen. Mostly cause when I did have time, my workout clothes werent dry yet. Then the evening flurry of activities occurred. This included a late night run to target for a black shirt for a holiday program and sheets for our new bed. I discovered I have no willpower whatsover at 11 pm at night.

I knew I only had 12 calories left but yet I found myself in arbys drive thru. Fast food is one of my weaknesses, so its a good thing we dont have any in town other than subway! I ended up with some mozz sticks and curly fries but at least I ordered a small and shared with my daughter. All said, i ended up 564 calories over -- yikes!

Mr. F wasnt going to be able to go with me tonight, so I took the opportunity to run when my big kids got home from school. I was excited to try to run around the lake. A bit scared that I wouldnt be able to complete it but still excited. The only bummer I had was that I forgot my mp3 that I just uploaded new music to.

I walked to my starting point, in this case, it happened to be city hall. That took about 8 minutes or so. I tied my shoes and I was off. I must say, it was a bit more intimidating for me to run in town. I realize no one probably thought anything of it, but it was a bit of mental battle for me. The route took me up a hill and then out of town, around the lake and back down my trail and into town again.

The first mile was particularly tough. I started out going uphill and it was an unfamilar route to me. If I measured accurately, the first mile was about 15 minutes. It was just about at the one mile mark, that I stopped to tie my shoes again and then walked just a little bit as I put my glove back on. Then back to the running I went!

The next mile was tough but a little easier. I was nearing where I could view the lake again and the road was far less busy, vechile wise. I had a bit of aches and pains during the run but nothing that caused me to stop, thankfully. I did enjoy running on the gravel road section, it was far softer than the asphalt of the first part of the run. That one seemed to be about 15 minutes as well.

The next part of the run was easier, since it was familiar territory. I ran the mile segment of my normal route on my trail. After having some different terrain(more hills and slopes), it was nice to get back to the mostly flat! I lost track of exactly how many minutes this took, but I think I was able to make some better time on this stretch, given the lack of hilly terrain. It was also encouraging to be able to see the city hall(where I started) and realize that I have made it nearly around the entire lake!!!

The last mile, was back on asphalt, and had a couple more hills. Though it didnt seem as difficult. I think part of it, was realizing, I was on the home stretch. At most, I only had a mile left. I was able to speed up the last stretch of hill by the lake park and finish strong.

My goal was to do it in an hour or less. It looked as if, I wouldnt make that goal. I told myself, that it was okay, after all Im out and moving and exercising. I finished 4 miles in 52:34!!!! I believe that calculates out to 13:08 miles. Woot!

It felt really good to complete that. In the beginning, I was a little unsure I would make it all the way around running. But I did! I even stopped in at our local pharmacy to encourage the people there that are doing couch to 5k!

The walk home though was cold!!! I was fine while warming up and running but afterwords it certainely was cold. The tempature today was about 32 degrees. I thought I would be colder than I was. I am encouraged, that baring 3 feet of snow, perhaps I will be able to run through the winter afterall.

Tracking calories is going better. I tracked yesterday and today again. It feels good to be getting back on that wagon and getting my eating under control somewhat. Dark peppermint truffles are a downfall! Even though I ate 9 truffles today, I got out there and moved my butt.

I plan to get back on track with the dreaded pushups tommorrow. So I will be finishing up week 1 of the pushup challenge tommorrow. Who's idea was this pushup challenge anyway(pointing the finger right at MR. F)

Keep on running folks,
Mrs. F

Quitting

No - don't worry, running is the only thing right now that I dont want to quit. I know its a season but seriously I'm ready to give up on most everything.

Tracking calories and eating less is just plain hard. And the gain last week, really made me just want to give up. Thankfully, I still enjoy the running, so Im not completely sabataged.

Life is hard sometimes and I'm in a stage where I need to make some order out of chaos. My natural inclination is to hide and avoid. Thats really working well, I tell you.

I cant seem to get myself to do the pushup challenge either. I defitinely want to quit that! I managed to do the first two days of week 1 and havent done any since. Sigh ... I know I need to get back to it. It just feels like its one more thing for me to do. And I definitely have enough of those "things" to do.

I did get out for a run on Saturday. I was having a hard time, so it felt good to take it out in the form of exercise. I decided I was just going to run. I didnt have a watch or my mp3 player or even a specific goal in mind. I just started running. I ended up running the whole segment of trail and back and thats 3.3 miles. I briefly thought bout going on further until I remembered that I have to get back to the car lol!

One hour runner just doesnt feel challenging enough for me. Right now Im finding I want to run further and longer. Mr. F acknowledged too that hes nearly running an hour already. Im thinking bout creating our own plan. Both of us want to increase our distance, so we may work on that. Im just not sure and Im open to suggestions. I like the idea of following a program but OHR just doesnt seem to match well. I was thinking of first, running 3 miles, 3 times a week. Then adding in 1 mile runs on the off days, 1 extra day per week. So first week would be a total of 9 miles, then the 2nd week would total 10 and the 3rd would total 11 and the 4th then 12. So then, we would be running a total of 6 days a week. Still not sure on that though.

I find Im liking the longer distances. It takes a while for my body to find its stride and just run. So I think thats part of it.

Hope y'all have a great week, keep on running
Mrs. F

Post Thanksgiving Day and Pushups

Well, today was the day after Thanksgiving, and I'm thankful that I had the day off.  We woke up early--4 AM--to get in some Black Friday shopping today.  It's the first time we've done it in a number of years.  We knocked off a bunch of our gift shopping during the year through clearance purchases and our regular monitoring of bargain websites, so we didn't have a hard and fast list for the day.  The way we approached it was with a number of door-buster items noted, but we'd be fine if we didn't get any of them.  We figured it was some time together, for Marie and me.

Overall, that went well.  We got plenty of walking in, and got some good deals.  We were home before lunch, and the kids had kept the house in decent shape, so we decided we'd all go out to the budget theater to see G-Force.  It was a fun film!

The later afternoon had me feeling exhausted.  I couldn't concentrate enough on my reading to get my final chapters done, and I ended up falling asleep in my chair.  The rest of the evenign went well, too. I don't have any aches or pains from yesterday's race, and that's a good thing!

Right now, it's going on 9:30 PM, and everyone is already in bed, including Mrs. F.  I stayed up a bit later to get my pushups in.  It's W2D2 for me,  I did a total of 53 pushups tonight, in five sets (10-12-9-9-13).  The final set (13) was the minimum required for that set, but I really had to strain to finish it, so I'm happy with that set.  My next workout will put me 1/3 through this six week program.  The earlier sets tonight were surprisingly easy.  The fourth was tough, but not horrible.  The final one really required some fighting to get through it.  Instead of collapsing near the end, I paused in my up position a couple of times (after the ninth and twelfth), and was able to finish them all.  I'm waiting to be able to see some of the benefits in my chest; some benefit is already visible in my shoulders (deltoids).

Anyway, I'm going to take this opporunity to get to bed early.  I'm glad tomorrow is a Saturday and work free.

Turkey Tagalong and this weeks catchup!

It got busy towards the end of the week and blogging took a back seat. I did get out and run on tuesday evening. I ran a slow 2 miles. That was a tough run for me. Not eating well, not having anything but coffee to drink and extra life stress took a big hit on me. Im just glad I was able to persevere and get out there anyway.

I decided, to do the weight check yesterday(Wed), mostly so I dont have to deal with it on Friday. Mr. F and I plan to get some time out shopping on Black Friday. Although after seeing the results of the scale, I may yet see if Friday offers me any better numbers. It was bad, like train wreck kind of bad. I gained 1.9 lbs!! I have not been tracking this week at all-- big mistake. Second factor is lack of sleep. Both Sunday and Monday, I was up until almost 1 am. Add in drinking more diet soda, less water. And the final straw was the stress of the week. I was so discouraged with everything last night, that I was ready to give up. Not so much on the running, but on the trying to lose weight.

Thankfully, some sleep last night and a good race today gave me a different perspective. I elected that Thanksgiving was not going to be the day to get back on track. Although,Im pleased to report that I couldnt finish my plate for dinner or dessert. Last year I would have eaten that and more. So baby steps. Tommorrow, I plan to start tracking again in my daily plate. Its far too easy to eyeball it and say you are counting. When in reality, you are not.

Wrapping up the week was our Turkey Tagalong. I wasnt sure what to expect. After all, I was up late making pumpkin pies and strawberry jello. I got into a disagreement with Mr. F and the kids werent cooperating either. All that the night before the race wasnt very helpful. I got up this morning, feeling rested somewhat but sore. I was a bit worried, since the sides of my legs were hurting. I thought well IM going to get out there anyway. Im really glad I did. I had an excellent race. The 3 big hills were tough but not unconquerable. There were not a lot of runners but the bulk of the pack took off fairly quickly. I kept reminding myself that i wasnt here to beat so and so. I was here for me. I was here to beat my own time and not worry bout passing that runner up ahead.

That being said, I did pick out someone ahead and work on running. Sort of like, there is my goal person. It just helped me keep moving, although I wasnt speeding up really. This race was far more informal, so I have no idea where I placed in the group of runners. It wasnt chip timed, they just used a stopwatch. My time though was 34:48!!!!! That is a full 40 seconds faster than my first 5k. I was extremely proud of myself. It really was a fun race. Im already making plans for our entire family to run/walk next year. I figure those that dont like to run, can walk with the stroller and littles!

My son took 2nd place. He missed first by one second. A 40 yr old marathon runner beat him! He ran with a 20:07 and beat his cross country coach who placed 3rd! It was fun seeing some of his teammates running today as well.

All in all, an okay week. Im glad I got out and ran a 5k today. I need to start a change jar to support my 5k running habit! Ive gotten bit by the running bug.

Keep on running,

Mrs. F

Turkey Tagalong - Completed

Well, we finished our second 5k today.  The course had a number of large hills, but it was not quite like the roller coaster we experienced a couple of weeks ago at our first race.  It was, at the same time, a bit more fun and a little more intimidating to be running with people we know and people who know us.  A number of runners from the cross country team were there, as well as the coach and his wife. We also saw someone from our church, and a number of other somewhat familiar faces from around town.

For me, the first mile was the worst.  Between having done my pushups last night, being up late, and it being very cold this morning (at or below the freezing point), the first mile was simply misery.  From being up early this morning and working our our turkey and other preparations, my back was already sore before we left. Needless to say, my lower back and pelvis were sore by the time I got up the first hill.

This was an inaugural run.  We weren't quite sure how many to expect, but there was a good turnout! As before, I didn't finish last (though I was the last runner), and I didn't place on an ambulance.  Time keeping was a lot less formal here.  They timed me at 42:23, which is 10 seconds slower than my first race, but I'm starting to wonder if our numbers at Chaska were accurate.  I definately finished ahead of my prior pace based on my playlist.  Going by my playlist (which was easy for the Turkey Trot, since it switched to a new song right as I crossed the finish line), I actually finished that prior race in 42:53.  I finshed 15-30 second earlier today, according to my playlist.

Either way, I have no complaints.  Given my weight, my age, and my status as a newbie, I'm pleased with my numbers.  Our son placed second overall.  He was passed in the final seconds by a 40-year old marathon runner. Our son didn't have enough reserves to push any harder at that point.  Mrs. F definately improved her time, but I'll let her tell you about that later.

Apart from the start, the hardest part of this run was in the final few tenths of a mile.  The route had us running toward the finish line area, only to find out that we needed to go by (it was on an intersecting street) and run another block up before turning, running a couple of blocks down, and then rounding our way back to the finish. I had already started pushing it once the finish line was in sight, so it was hard to pace down and keep on running.  I still had enough in reserve to sprint to the finish, though, and that felt pretty good.

I allowed myself to run faster down the hills today.  I relaxed a bit and let my stride stretch out. I watched for any pain in my knees, but none came.  I found returning to a regular stride after a downhill was tough.  Going immediately into an uphill, however, was even tougher.  I did agitate my right shin quite a bit during the race, but my left knee held well. Overall, it was a good race.

Race tomorrow, second thoughts, and pushups

Well, it's official.  Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we will be running our second 5k in as many weeks.  Right now, as it is already two hours past when I wanted to be in bed, with a turkey that is still too frozen to dress and get in the oven (we traditionally sear the bird and then turn down for a long, slow roast), I'm wondering why were were so crazy as to sign up for a race on Thanksgiving morning.

Only our eldest son will be running with us tomorrow.  The rest will stay at home, the younger ones in the care of the remaining elder ones.  The race is early, so they'll spend a good chunk of our absent time eating breakfast and playing.  We'll be back before they'll have a chance to get too antsy.

I started Week Two of the One Hundred Pushups Challenge tonight.  My sets were 9-11-8-8-(min. 11).  I collapsed during my 10th pushup during the final set, but after a few quick breaths, I got up and did three more, so I'll count that as 12. That means I did 48 pushups tonight.  That's amazing considering the fact that I only managed six (6) during the pre-program exhaustion test.

We did preliminary weigh-ins today, just in case the clinic is closed on Friday, and it looks like I'm up a pound.  I'll really need to watch myself tomorrow.

Good night, all, and Happy Thanksgiving!

My first true solo run

If you've been following this blog for a while, you know that Mrs. F has done some runs on her own, but I've not.  Sure, we've had some workouts where we ran separately along the trail, because her pace was (and still is) faster than mine, but we were always doing it together.  Even on that one day where I asked her to drive the car so I could get in an extra mile, we started together and we were still out there together.  This afternoon, though, the craziness overtook me.  I got off work a bit early, put on my running duds, and headed out into the cool afternoon and the light drizzle.  Oh, and I left my knee wrap off.  My knee has been feeling good since our first 5k on just over a week ago.

We recently drove a route through our neighborhood out to one of the dirt country roads that connects back up to the Luce Line Trail.  We noted the one mile point, but also drove it a bit further in the hope of finding a good route for a possible 5k in town (we'd like to organize one as a fundraiser for the local cross country team and for a charity).  That's the direction I decided to head today.

Overall, it was a great route.  The smell of manure from the farm along the way wasn't pleasant, but it's just part of life this far out. Besides, to me it beats breathing in car exhaust all day.  I didn't do any real warmups, so I just started out slow.  There was part of me that was a bit nervous about running in the neighborhood, but I told that part of me to shut up.  I'm FatManRunning and I'm out taking action to become more fit and healthy.  Where's the shame in that?

Pavement gave way to a dirt road about six tenths of a mile into the run.  I finally found a surface that I like better than running on the trail.  Perhaps it was because of the rain we've had, but the road surface was soft.  It wasn't so wet as to be slimy or muddy.  It was just soft.

I had already kicked it up a bit after the first three tenths of a mile, and I really let myself play with my pacing once I was on that dirt surface.  I tried long, slow strides. I tried short quick ones. My left knee felt great, and so did my right shin.  If anything, my right knee felt a little strain, but that eased over time.

When I hit the one mile mark, I thought about turning around. After all, I was planning on just an easy two miles, since I'd only run once (for more than a few minutes) since the race.  Yet when I hit that point on the road, I was feeling really good.  I knew that if I ran to an intersection less than a mile ahead, my return run would push me up over three miles.  I suddenly wanted to go the distance, but I hesitated a bit since I have a 5k coming up on Thursday.  I definately did not want to hurt myself before our next formal run.

I decided to go for it. I figured that I could always turn around earlier if I started feeling fatigued or experienced any pain, and I could always walk home if I needed to do so.

So, on I ran.  I made it to that intersection and made my u-turn. I was still feeling pretty good.  On the next stretch, for nearly the next mile, my body was just doing it for me.  When I tried to think about my stride, it was if my body was telling me, "I've got this.  You go do something else." That was an amazing feeling.  I didn't worry about my knee or shin.  Everything felt good.

As that next mile passed, I did start to notice some fatigue in my legs, and I started to notice my right shin getting a little tender, so I did slow myself down to allow myself to adjust.  I started preparing myself for the final three tenths of a mile, through the neighborhood again.  I figured it would be hard.  I decided I would not sprint the final distance, because I did not want to risk injury.  My playlist told me that I was passing the 43 minute mark, so my pace seemed slower than it had been at the 5k.  I felt good about that, however, since this was supposed to be an easy run.

While that last portion of my run took some effort, I finally may have experienced a bit of that "runner's high" so many have experienced.  Yes, it was hard, but I was feeling just fine.  In fact, I probably could have run for another twenty minutes (if my body would have accepted the beating).  As I got to the house, I slowed myself to a walk for the final few yards.  Unlike other times during my training, and after the first race, where the end of the run left me drained and stuggling even to walk, I found my pace long and even, and accompanied by a really good feeling about overing the about 3.3 miles.  When I got inside, I was tired, but not the I-need-to-collapse-in-my-chair type of tired that normally hits me after exertion.  It was that good tired--tired from exertion, but not exhausted.  My right shin was definately a little sore, but not too bad. I ran for 50 minutes without taking a rest, and I felt like I could have run for another 20 minutes or more! I just told Mrs. F that we might need to ditch One-hour Runner and take on the Gateway to 8k challenge instead.  For now, I'll just be glad I had a great run, and I'll try not to get the cart before the horse.

It was still fairly early (I had gone in and gotten out early today), so I managed to trim my hair and take a shower before dinner.  What a wonderful afternoon! As I write this now, my right shin is still  a bit tender, but my left knee shows no sign of discomfort. Apart from dealing withe some teenage drama this evening, it turned out to be a very nice one.

The school load is slightly lighter this week, so I should be able to catch up on some reading, and everyone at my place of employment has the day after Thanksgiving off, so that should let me get some work done before the weekend. Of course, since I will have the day off, Mrs. F and I may try to catch a few bargains on that Friday morning, but we'll just need to make sure we are not out too long.

Today, for the first time, I really enjoyed running, and even imagined it as something I might do regularly for the enjoyment of it.  There's a small city 17 miles west of us along the trail.  I've got a bit of an itch to try running there someday!

One hundred pushups - Week 1 completed

I just finished the final day of my first week of the One Hundred Pushups challenge.  I did 42 in total between all my sets, with a maximum of 10 in my final set.  I had forgotten just how much I can dislike pushups!

I did not get out running this weekend.  Our kitchen sink broke--leaking cracks in both basins--so I lost some hours yesterday dealing with a run to Menards and the other shopping we needed to get done while we were in Hutchinson.  Then my grad school work ate the rest of my day, as well as most of today.  I just finished my paper for this week about an hour ago, but I decided to take a zero on the preceding week's paper.  I had gotten permission to turn it in late, but I just did not have the time to write it while I was simply struggling to get the current assignments done.  Technically, I don't even have all of the reading done for this week.  My essay was on one specific text, so the other book was only general reading for the week.  That puts me at a six chapter deficit going into this week, and, althought in includes the Thanksgiving holiday, we have no break from class.  That's one of the things I really despise about this college's online courses.  The on-campus classes get breaks for holidays, but the online classes don't.

I had really wanted to run, but just could not set aside any more time. Had the sink not given out, I would have had time for the run.

Mrs. F is going to be doing a little extra work this week.  She's going to be emptying our bedroom so we can paint it.  One of the stops we made on Saturday was to pick out a new mattress, as ours is the only one in the house that has not been replaced recently. In fact, we've had ours for over 13 years--and it shows! We also opted to get our first ever new bedroom set. You didn't think we'd paint just for a mattress, do you? If we manage to get everything other than the bed out of the room (and the closet) by next weekend, it can be painted. Of course, I'm likely to be tied up with homework, but the prof did promise a lighter courseload this week.

Oh, well.  I need to get moving. I need to send an email message out to the other Scout families about a change in our meeting location for this week.  That was a set of phone calls I was supposed to make this afternoon--another thing left undone due to my schoolwork. [Sigh.]

OHR - Day 3 Mrs. F

I took a different route today. I started walking from home and then running. The nice part about starting from home is you have to keep going until you get back home. You cant cheat if you get tired lol!

The different route gave me some different scenery and was a nice change of pace. The weather wasnt as nice as yesterday but still not bad. Mostly cloudy with a little bit of wind.

Neither of my sons could find their watch, so I really dont have an idea of time. I know though for distance, I did about a 5k. Mr. F and I had mapped out this other route with the car. It was about 1.6 out and 1.6 back. So I know I got a good 3 miles in. The first part of the run just felt slow and heavy. It took a good ten minutes to find my stride. After that, it was still challenging but I picked up my pace a bit.
I even had enough steam to sprint up a hill near my house!!!

I tried on some goal pants that tucked away for a couple of years now. I actually got into a pair of size 12's! I still cant wear that size in all clothing -- I have a ways to go for that yet. Im very excited though to be able to get into the start of that size!!!

Keep on running
Mrs. F

Day 2 Push ups - Mrs. F

I didnt get my pushups in yesterday. I kind of just kept putting it off to do later. Well later just didnt occur. So I ended up doing them tonight. I was supposed to run today too but too many errands took up the bulk and energy of the day. So thats delayed until tommorrow!

Good thing its supposed to be nice tommorrow too. Just for the record, I really really really dislike pushups. Man, Im struggling just to do the minumum. I guess the real point though is Im down there on the ground doing them anyway.

Its neat to see our children follow suit. You know if Momma is going to be doing this crazy thing, so will they. So after I did mine,my 11 yr old, my 8 yr old, my 5 yr old, my 4 yr old and my 2 yr old were all down on the ground trying to do pushups. We truly do lead the way in terms of how to life our life! Its hard somtimes to put the computer down and get out there and exercise.

I really did want to run today. Even got up at 6 am to do it but the cold dissuaded me. When Mr. F asked me if I wanted to delay til later -- I responded with a definite yes. It didnt help that I didnt get enough sleep either.

So I need to work on making a distinct time to do things. Things wont change overnight. On a positive note, Im down 1.5 pounds -- woot! Im very excited to be nearly the next decade down of weight lose.

Keep on running,
Mrs. F

Weight Check - Friday November 20

Friday weight check (week 12)
FatManRunning

Last Friday: 279.4 lbs.

Today: 279.9 lbs.

Gain/Loss: +.5 lbs.

Goal: 210.0 lbs.

Cumulative: 20.5 lbs.

Pounds to lose: 69.5

Comment: I hate stress!

Mrs. F
Last Friday: 173.3 lbs.

Today: 171.8 lbs.

Gain/Loss: -1.5 lbs.

Goal: 150.0 lbs.

Cumulative: 11.0 lbs.

Pounds to lose: 21.8

Comment: I guess last week was more water weight. I was pleased with todays loss(secretly hoped for higher) but 1.5 is not too shabby!!! I am starting to get excited to get below the 170 mark and the less than 20 to lose mark!!!

Note to self: read things through (and, a little extra weight)

Well, I was up early enough today to fit in my pushups before getting ready for work.  I had been under the impression that the One Hundred Pushups challege would be similar to the Couch-to-5k program, so I expected that I'd need to complete the same number of reps today as I did on Wednesday. I was wrong! I need to remember to read things through before I get into them!

Today's workout was as follows (with a minute of rest between each set): 6, 8, 6, 6, min 7.

I completed the workout, but was only able to finish the minimum required in the final set.  Of course, it did not help that our youngest girl was up and she decided to try to sit on my head and shoulders during that final set! That was a little extra weight I wasn't intended to lift.  The ironic thing, however, is that her current weight just about matches what I've already lost (she's about 20 lbs., and I've lost 21 lbs.). I don't think I would have been able to start on level two before I started Couch-to-5k and lost the weight.

I could definately feel it in my arms and pectorals last night, so I wasn't sure how it was going to go.  In reality, my first workout was only about a day and six hours earlier, rather than a dull two days prior, because my first workout was just before midnight on Wednesday.  I want to do these regularly in the morning.  I'll complete the third day for Week One on Sunday, and then will be on Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday for next week.  On the following week, I'll switch to M-W-F, so I'll have T-R-Sa free for One Hour Runner with Mrs. F. I'm not quite sure what I'll do for running next week, when the days coincide.  I might just do the runs anyway, since we'll likely run in the afternoons.

I hope to pick up running on Saturday morning with Mrs. F.  The first three weeks of One Hour Runner are just 30 minute runs, so I know I can handle that.  Times don't increase until Week Four, so we know that some Couch-to-5k graduates jump in there.  We decided that we'll take the extra weeks to make sure we are giving our joints, connective tissues, and muscles time to adjust to running.  Though, as you've probably noticed, I've not run for a week, since our first 5k.  It's not that I've even been sore or injured.  I've just been way too busy with my schoolwork (I'm now behind).

I've told the other Troop leaders (I'm Scoutmaster in a brand new Scout Troop that includes three of our sons) that I need someone else to take over program planning. I just don't have the time or ability to do that right now. I already stepped down from leading worship at church, but that's due to my internal struggles more than time. Work is a killer lately.  Being the only IT guy, it falls on me to keep everything running, and we've had a number of hot issues lately.  Thankfully, it's not as crazy as it was a year ago, when I worked the equivalent of extra weeks of work each in November and December.

I want to put a shout out to everyone at Active.com, especially in the 200+ lb. runners threads in the Newbie Cafe.  I've not been able to post as much lately, but I am reading.  Thanks for all of the words of encouragement.  Yes, I know I need to get out and get running.  Yes, I know my plate seems over-full, but I cannot comprehend of anything I can cut (ditching the Scout Troop would cause it to fold, because we are at minimum levels already). I have too much invested in my education to give that up, especially when I have only three or four classes (beyond the current one) yet to finish for my M.A.  One of the downsides of taking a job close to home is that I now have less than half the vacation time I once had.  How I so wish I could just take a few days off, catch up on my homework, and get back into a "normal" groove again!

I'll make it through.  I always do.  I'm going to try to negotiate the afternoon off for having put in time over the weekend last week and late work this week.  That, at least, would help.

Blah, blah, blah...I could go on and on and on.  Maybe one day I'll be able to set aside time for writing--not just this blog, but the fiction I love to write.  Well, until then, I'll just keep doing what I can.

One hour runner - Day 2 - Mrs. F

First of all, it was a good run. I didnt have any lingering pain so I was able to push myself some.

So I worked hard but it was a good run! I ran about 2.7 (estimated) miles in 32 minutes today. The first mile was wicked fast for me -- did that in 10:30!!! Then slowed it down on the next segment, got my breathing back under control. I sped up and slowed down several times during the run. I especially sped up during the 2nd half of each segment. I did the last mile in 12 minutes. Not too shabby.

Im very happy to report that no shin splints occurred during todays run. Whew! I was worried that would be a lingering problem. The lack of pain definitely helped me have a better run over all. My knees were a bit twingey but I think its still adjusting to be running.

Mr. F wasnt able to get out this evening -- hopefully on Saturday -- he will be able to get out for a run.

It really felt good to run off some life stresses. And to combat the food intake I have had lately as well. I think thats part of what I like about running, it allows me to consume more calories on the days I run. I like chocolate! There I admit it :) So I can continue my weight loss journey with a few indulges here or there. And it does feel good after the hard work of a run!

Keep on running
MRs. F

100 Pushups - Day 1

I did not get out for a run yesterday, but I did remember to get my pushups in today.  I started at Level 2 of the program, since I completed six (6) pushups during my pre-test.  That meant today's workout looked like this:

6 pushups
  (1 minute rest)

6 pushups
  (1 minute rest)

4 pushups
  (1 minute rest)

4 pushups
  (1 minute rest)

Max pushups: 6

That final "Max pushups" is the final set.  Each day, you go through the prescribed set and then push through one last set where you do as many as you can.  Each day's final set has a listed minimum, so you have to do at least that many in the final set.  For me, today, that minimum was five (5), but I managed six (6).
I'm trying to do regular pushups, but am a little awkward on my flat palms.  I had dual carpal tunnel realeases about a year ago, and my body is still cautious about putting pressure on my wrists and palms.  It turned out okay, but I think I had my hands a bit too far foarward.  Mrs. F was already retired for the night, so I didn't have anyone to watch my form.  I'll keep it in mind for Wednesday. If I need to change things a bit, I can likely complete mine on my fists.

One hundred Pushups - Week 1,Day 1 - Mrs. F

I have a lot of emotional crap going on right now. I just want to eat my way thru a truffle bag. In fact, Im part way thru that goal... sigh.

Given everything thats going on, I wasnt going to do the pushups. I really hate pushups. I think I hate them more than I hated running! I was going to put it off and just not do it.

Im not sure what changed but as I was sitting here browsing the net,checking our blog for the billionth time, I saw the log. And I got up and just did it. My arms hurt!!!!

Im positive my form sucks but I guess IM trying at least. I only managed 2 on the intial test, so Im in column one. So it wasnt as horrible as it could be, my sets were 2 and 3.

Im looking forward to running tommorrow. It seems easier than pushups at this point. That makes me giggle a little :)

Mr. F is bogged down with graduate work and tech issues at his day job as well. So Im not sure when things will ease up for him, hopefully soon.

Keep on running
Mrs. F

One hour runner - Week 1 - Mrs. F

Mr. F graciously agreed to run the bank errand (Thanks honey) so I was still able to get a workout in tonight.

It was strange but fun asking my eldest son to babysit so I could go for a run. He of course, agreed :) Anything to have his dear mother running! He even let me borrow his watch.

This was the first workout of one hour runner -- all three runs this week are 30 minutes apiece. I got my ducks in a row and set off to our trail. I was in a bit of a hurry, so my warm up walk was fast. That may have contributed to the soreness I developed later.

My first mile was 11:45, not too shabby. I wasnt trying for any speed records today. At one point,my left shin was bugging me, so I slowed it down even farther. That seemed to help some. It took me 33 minutes to do 2.5 miles. I think my last mile back was 13 minutes. I was sore and it was getting dark too.

It really did feel good afterwords. The run itself wasnt easy and I didnt really find my stride. I am glad though I got back out there.

Keep on running,
Mrs. F

Its getting tougher-- Mrs. F

Its getting tougher to get the workouts in. We have come so far, I dont want to give up the progress, so that propels me on. Eventually we hope to purchase a treadmill, which will give us a little more freedom in when we can exercise. I still think we will try to do whatever runs we can outside but if time pressures mount, as they are today, then we have options.

I need to head into walmart today(30 minutes away) with the littles in tow in order to get some tights for my eldest daughter. We also need to do another errand and get to the bank as well. It just makes everything feel more stressed, knowing that these things must be done today.

Both Mr. F and I did our pushup intial test this morning. I managed a measly 2 and he managed 6. So we will start that tommorrow and get back to our regular pushup schedule(MWF) next week. Today will be the start of one hour runner. Thankfully its only a 30 minute run (who knew 12 weeks ago, that I would be able to say that woot!).

Keep on running
Mrs. F

Here are my wife, eldest son (J), and our friend Amy before the race. When J found out Mrs. F was racing, I acted surprised, too, and he bought it (even though I was dressed to run, too). I had my vest on and it was zipped up over the number, so that's the only thing that kept him from finding me out, too. In fact, he handed me his warm-ups so I could put them away while he headed to the finish line.

Thanks to Amy's dh, Nathan, for taking this pic and passing it on.

Mrs. F and I are agreed upon signing up for the 5k held just a few miles from home on Thanksgiving Day. We're looking forward to it!

Not only was I up with homework last night, but I had to put in three or four hours on an office project. In addition, we had to spend some time with our eldest daughter, who had a gentleman caller the night before who wanted permission to begin courtship. While she still is a little young, the idea behind courtship (vs. dating) is that he spend time with our daughter in the context of our family so that we may all get to know each other. We discussed my overall assessment, and agreed that this may proceed (cautiously). She's aware of the concerns I have, and we trust that the process will help clarify our understanding in those areas over the next few months.

Post Race - Mrs. F

Although our real names are revealed now, we've had these monnikers for so long,they are hard to shed!

My legs felt great this morning when I got up but as I walked to church, they were a bit achy. My knees and wrists hurt a bit but I suspect thats related to my lupus rather than post race concerns. My knees did not bother me at all when I ran and I cant pinpoint an acute pain anywhere, its more of a general ache. Thats why I think it may be related to my other joint issues from the lupus.

Im looking forward to running the 5k in the town near us on thanksgiving. I definitely have caught the running bug. Most of our kids either like running or are interested in it, cept for our eldest daughter. Shes not only my carbon copy in looks, she mirrors the same hatred that I had for running pre couch to 5k. I even offered up the dangling carrot - I swallowed my dislike and told her I would agree to read twilight if she would do C25K. She entertained it for a bit and nope, wont bite.

Oh well , I am looking forward to family run/bike/walk times. I figure we can cull together enough different ways of transport and get out there!

I believe the plan is to do one hour runner - t,th,Sat and then do 100 pushups on M,W and F. I know since we did c25k, we could start at week 3. Both Mr. F and I agree, that we want to build up endurance further and plan to start at week 1. So it will be more of 30 minute runs but I feel thats important to get under our belts. Im not concerned so much with speed(although getting faster is good :) but with building endurance and allowing my body time to get used to the impact running puts on it.

Keep on running,
Mrs. F

Post 5k update

Well, I'm glad to report no major aches or pains after running yesterday.  Sure, I have a bit of discomfort in my left knee and my right shin was a little sore, but no injuries and no problems moving around.  I really can feel it in my glutes and my inner thighs, though.

I've been tied to my books most of the day, and I yet have much to do.  Mrs. F and I plan to run on Thanksgiving morning in a new 5k race being organized in the next town.  We do plan to start the 100 Pushup challenge, but I need to set aside time for the pre-test.  One hour runner is our most likely course of action too.  I need to run for now.