Weight Check 9/24/10

FatManRunning

Last Friday: 278.8
Today: 277.1
Gain/Loss: -1.7
Goal:210.0
Cumulative: 24.9
Pounds to lose: 67.1
Comment: The loss was a pleasant surprise. With as stressful this week was at work, I ate more, and thought I'd be up. I managed to the afternoon off today because I have to work on Sunday, so I plan to enjoy the rest of the day.


Mrs. F

Last Friday: 147.9 lbs.
Today: 149.2 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +1.3 lbs.
Goal: 140.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 33.6 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 9.2
Comment: I overate on the weekend. Now that Im lower in my weight, it takes longer to work off the overeating. I did get two good runs in this week and was able to maintain my calories for the week. I guess a lb up isnt bad!

Weight Check 9/17/10

FatManRunning


Three weeks ago Friday: 275.6
Today: 278.8
Gain/Loss: +3.2
Goal:210.0
Cumulative: 22.2
Pounds to lose: 68.8
Comment: Do I get blame my wife's cookies? I didnt think so but they were really good.


Mrs. F

Last Friday: 149.0 lbs.
Today: 147.9 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -1.1 lbs.
Goal: 140.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 34.9 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 7.9
Comment: I worked a little harder at tracking food and calories this week. I was able to not eat into the late evening hours on a couple of nights. That definitely helps. I really didnt run this week. I managed to sneak in a run this afternoon though. Its really exciting to see the number going down, albeit slowly! Inching closer and closer to that maintaining point.

Im back

Its been a long month! Technically I was cleared for running as of last Wednesday, but I wasnt able to get out to run. Some of it was timing, first week of school and all but most of it was fear.

Strange, I know, but I just had this mental block. It wasnt that I was afraid of hurting myself, my body felt fine, but moreso afraid I couldnt run anymore. It all seems a tad silly now. So after battling the inner demons, I conquered my first run today.

I only went 2.3 miles at 11:15 pace, which is right in the ballpark for me timewise. You wouldnt realize I hadnt run for a month until you looked at my heartrate. Thats where it really showed! It averaged 200!!!!! I typically have a lower heartbeat, so this was a bit surprising. I am fighting off a cold still, so breathing was tougher. I didnt feel like I was going to die and my chest didnt hurt so I kept on running. By the end of the 2 miles, it was down in the 170s. I wonder though, if the strap just wasnt reading right. Even for not running for a month, it seemed really really high. My max was 239!

In addition to running this morning, I got away for a bike ride this afternoon.
I had taken a short nap and was feeling like a ride, so I did. I went 8.15 miles. At points the wind made it a much harder right, so I adjusted my route, so I had the wind at my back. Nothing like going all out for exercise!

We have 3 boys in cross country this year. Although N, my 2nd son, fractured his foot at the beginning of the season and is still out til at least next week. Z is in his first year and is running junior high. J has been running for several seasons and is running varsity. J pulled a 19:15 at his last meet for 3.125 miles and Z pulled a 14:30 for 1.8 miles. They both did really well. This was only the 2nd meet of the season, Im looking forward to seeing their improvements as the season continues.

Keep on running folks
Mrs. F

weight Check 9/10/10

FatManRunning


Three weeks ago Friday: 280.5
Today: 275.6
Gain/Loss: -4.9
Goal:Cumulative: 210.0
Pounds to lose: 65.6
Comment: Woohoo! Having that cold really helped.


Mrs. F

Last Friday: 149.2 lbs.
Today: 149.0 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -.2 lbs.
Goal: 140.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 33.8 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 9.0
Comment: I was disapointed in this weeks weigh in. Several factors including overeating on the weekend, not exercising and the lovely water weight likely contributed. Im cleared to run but have yet to get out there. Im hoping tommorrow is the day I conquer that obstacle. Its a little intimidating to contemplate running again after a full month off.

Weight Check 9/3/10

FatManRunning


Three weeks ago Friday: 278.5
Today: 280.5
Gain/Loss: +2.0
Goal:Cumulative: 210.0
Pounds to lose: 70.5
Comment: I invoke my 5th amendment right not to comment on grounds it might incriminate me. A new week begins tommorrow!

Mrs. F

Last Friday: 149.8 lbs.
Today: 149.2 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -.6 lbs.
Goal: 140.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 33.6 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 9.2
Comment: After such a large loss last week, I expected a lower drop this week. I didnt get out to exercise at all, so overall Im pleased with a half pound loss. I get to start running again next week -- woohoo!

Weight check 8/27/10

FatManRunning


Three weeks ago Friday: 277.0
Today: 278.5
Gain/Loss: +1.5
Goal:Cumulative: 210.0
Pounds to lose: 67.0
Comment: Honestly, the way the past few weeks have been going, I was surprised I wasn't back over 300.

Mrs. F

Last Friday: 152.7 lbs.
Today: 149.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -2.9 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 33.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 0
Comment: I am beyond excited! It took me almost a year to the day to lose the weight and reach my first goal weight. I will be posting some before and after pictures later. I am planning on still losing another 9.8 to reach my 2nd goal, so I will change the stats to reflect that after this week.

Monday Madness

I got up really early around 515 am yesterday to get out to do some exercise. I was going to walk while Mr. F ran. Since he didnt make it out yesterday, I elected to try out my new bike helmet instead.

Ive had some occasional aching of my knees over the last two weeks, so I was unsure how this was all going to go. They started out a little sore but eased into riding just fine. I decided to not push for a long ride although I would have loved the calorie burn of one.

I ended up going 5.7 miles, not too shabby for the start of my retun to regular exercise.

It ended up being a far longer day than intended. The morning was filled with some doctors appts for the kids which involved a long drive to the cities. Then the afternoon was filled with drama of a broken arm. Our 3 yr old fell while climbing over a bench and landed on a skateboard. This was my first of the "I know its broken for sure" moments since it was so badly deformed. And the first time I saw Mr. F unnerved by an injury. Hes always been the rock in our emergency situations and he didnt fail here either. But I could tell that this one was tougher on him. It really was pretty hard to look at. Mr. F and our eldest son set about to splinting the arm and off the ER we went. We returned 5 hrs later -- after hours in the ER, consult with a surgeon, a closed reduction surgery and a casted arm.

Needless to say, I did not get up to exercise this morning. I havent felt this exhausted in a long time! My follow up appt for myself is this coming wednesay and Im hoping for an okay to return to running.

Keep on running folks
Mrs. F

Weight Check 8/20/10

FatManRunning


Last Friday:
Today:
Gain/Loss: .
Goal:Cumulative:
Pounds to lose:
Comment: Mr. F didnt make it into the clinic this week either.


Mrs. F

Last Friday: 152.7 lbs.
Today: 152.8 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +.1 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 30.0 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 2.8
Comment: I havent exercised in two weeks and had a bad eating week, so Im very pleased with only .1 gain. In reality, thats basically maintaining where I was! Recovery is on the upswing and I hope to be able to get back to running next week.

Hanging in there

This surgery has thrown off my motivation a bit. The complications made well more complications to deal with . Im just not as motivated. I thought before the surgery, Id be all gung ho on getting out and at least walking. Its just not there.

Eating has been hit or miss as well. Meal times, Im doing okay, generally and still portioning. Its the other things, like snack size candy for family night or ice cream cookie sandwiches for snack. Its not that I cant have them, its the amount Im having. We all have bad days now and then, the mental battle though that Im dealing with isnt helping. Im finding myself just not really caring. Need to shake that for sure!

I havent been a complete slug, Im still doing laundry and cleaning and managing the army of children. Exercise though has taken a back seat.

Cross Country practice started this morning. My eldest, has been counting down the days and all excited. His two brothers, in comparison, not so excited! I resorted to a little deal making in order to convince them to try out CC this fall. They love computer and in particular a game called Guild wars. They love computer and one of my sons would live on it, if I allowed it. I told them Id get them a copy of trilogy, a game they want, if they complete the season by doing their best and having a good attitude. Ive reminded them several times this past week and again this morning, no one held a gun to their head to get them to sign. They made the decision. I made sure as I offered this deal, that I was clear that if they really did not want to run, they should not do so. Both of my middle boys elected to sign up.

Im pretty curious to how this morning's practice went. My eldest, loves running, and generally does what the coach asks. Im not so sure about the other two. I call them the bandit boys -- they are 15 months apart in age and fairly close. The problem comes when they are together, they become silly, hyper and well boys! I prewarned the coach that separating them might be helpful! They ran a mile this summer in 7:20 and did pretty well at the 5k race this month as well. So I know they can do it!

Keep on running folks,
Mrs. F

Weight check 8/13/10

FatManRunning


Last Friday:
Today:
Gain/Loss: .
Goal:Cumulative:
Pounds to lose:
Comment: Due to crazyness, Mr. F didnt make it to the clinic in time to weigh in. He may try on Monday, if he has time.


Mrs. F

Last Friday: 151.1 lbs.
Today: 152.7 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +1.6 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 30.1 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 2.7
Comment: Given the stressors of this week (surgery, period,overeating,no exercise and recovery time), Im surprised it isnt more. Im not that disapointed with 1.6 gain, considering, and it could have been far worse!

Its tough

I really want to run but I cant .... these two weeks are going to go by slow!. I can walk as I feel able to. I feel fine in that regard, its just a matter of getting up early enough to get out. The weather has been so hot and humid, that early morning really is the only chance to get out to exercise. And with having had surgery this week, well, Im just more tired.

So hopefully this next week, I can get some good walks in and keep my body moving and active. I expect my weight to be up this week. Many factors such as surgery, overeating, water weight and lack of exercise to name a few. Ill weigh in today anyway.

There are going to be weeks where Im sidelined for whatever reason, Im trying to look at this as training for those periods. I need to learn how to eat even if I cant get out and exercise!

Keep on running folks
Mrs. F

Mrs. F is down for a couple of weeks; challenge for next 5k

Mrs. F had a scheduled surgical procedure this morning.  While taking care of business, the doctor noticed something unusual, and ended up doing a little extra work.  It was nothing about which to be alarmed--just something odd enough to catch the doc's attention and have her conferring with her colleagues.  As such, Mrs. F will spend a night in the hospital for observation, and, based on the weather reports and the fact that we don't have air conditioning, I'm guessing she'll be much better off (and more comfortable) there. As such, though, she won't be running for at least a couple of weeks.

As for me, I'm oddly numb and stressed at the same time.  I did fine at breakfast, but because I was in to work an hour earlier than normal, I was really hungry and overate at lunch.    The kids are all at home (the eldest two are holding down the fort), and we're due for severe weather this afternoon.  I want to visit Mrs. F, but am also concerned about leaving the kids if bad weather does break out (I work only a half-mile from the house, so I'm close enough during the day for any issues that require immediate attention).

As some of you may know, I started a savings account this summer to start saving for a canoe.  One of our friends and neighbors, who also follows this blog, offered me a wager I can't refuse.  If I shave three additional minutes off my 5k run time at the Chaska Turkey Trot (coming up in November)--meaning a new personal best of 37:45 or better--she'll contribute $20 to the canoe fund.  I told her that she had best write the check and set aside the funds now. I always see bets like those as taunts that say "I don't think you can do this--enough that I'm willing to put money on it." That's probably not her motivation, but that's how I respond to such things, as if someone is telling me I can't do it.  Well, for me, that's a nearly certain way to guarantee I do something.  I love proving people wrong (yes, I'll admit it), and proving I can do what people think might not be possible.

Right motives or not, I need to work on my speed before November.

I knocked that record right out of the park!

My last 5k race time(last thanksgiving) was 34:48. I have been running thru the winter, thru the spring and training in the summer. I worked it. So I was anxious to see how my training paid off.

I ran todays 5k in 28:45 seconds~~~!!!!!! Thats a 9:12 pace and a full 6 minutes and 3 seconds off my previous race time. I am very proud of my whole family. My 10 yr old son ran his first 5k race today and ran the whole thing. He had never run a full 3 miles before. My 12 yr old son ran a 31:10 and my 13 yr old beat me with a 27:41!!! My cross country runner came in 3rd overall with a 19:01! And Mr. F beat his previous race time as well! Way to go Riemers!

Keep on running folks,

Mrs. F

Just a quick check-in after a 5k

My last run was on Monday, July 26, so I wasn't expecting much today.  It was cool and rainy, and I would have preferred being out fishing to racing today. Still, all said, I managed to finish with a 40:45, a 13:03mm pace.  That's my personal best in a 5k.

Weight Check 8/6/10

FatManRunning


Last Friday: 277.0 lbs.(Mr F went back to weighing at the clinic)
Today: 279.2 lbs.
Gain/Loss: +2.2 lbs.
Goal: 210.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 20.8 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 69.2
Comment: "Blech!" That all I have to say. I havent run at all this week and I have a race tommorrow morning.

Mrs. F

Last Friday: 153.7 lbs.
Today: 151.1 lbs.
Gain/Loss: -2.6 lbs.
Goal: 150.0 lbs.
Cumulative: 31.7 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 1.1
Comment: I didnt get our weight check posted last week due to our out of town trip. I was down .6 and Mr. F was up 7 lbs. (Some of which we attribute to switching scales) I was really really happy to see the scale go down again! Woot -- I worked hard to stay within my eating range even though I snuck in a mini blizzard. I am very excited for my race tommorrow.

Speedwork Wednesday

I did not want to get up and run today, let alone work on speedwork. I was tired and seriously contemplated staying in bed. Our sons alarm was going off though and since he sleeps like the dead, I went in and woke him up. since I was up, I then started getting ready to go out.

I did my typical half mile warm up walk and then jumped into my run. This week called for 5 miles but less speedwork time, so more mileage on the front or back end. It consisted of 1 mile warm up jog, 1/2 mile at 4:52 pace, 1/4 mile recovery(repeat that 3 times) and then 1.75 mile to cool down. I was feeling sore after 4, so I elected to cut the run short to preserve my muscles and legs for the race on Saturday. Then I just walked the last 1.4 miles home.

I managed to nail all of my 1/2 mile speedwork. It helped that a tired brain miscalculated the mile pace I was aiming for. I thought that 50 plus 50 equaled a whole minute, not the actual 1 minute 40 it was. So while I was supposed to aim for a mile pace of 9:46, I thought I was aiming for a 9:04 pace. I was booking it and it was hard but I did it! I pulled off a 4:32,4:38 and 4:31 respectively for those half mile segments. This left me with an overall average of 11:02 for the whole 4 miles. Not too shabby!

At one point, my chest was hurting and I thought I might just have a heart attack right there on the trail. So i looked at my heartrate, say that it was in the 160s and told myself that it wasnt possible lol. It really is amazing what our bodies can do.
I cannot wait to see what I can do for time in the race on saturday. I am down a significant amount of weight since my last race(I think at least 20 lbs) so I should be able to fly! Things that IM still pondering are what pace to go, what should i eat if anything and will my occasional sideache flare up. I think I just need to run :)

Well keep on running folks,
Mrs. F

Weekend recap

We left early early friday morning to visit family for the weekend. I knew from the beginning, trying to eat well would be challenging while on vacation so to speak. I didnt quite grasp how hard though.

I was away from the internet, so I didnt have access to my daily plate and my tracking plan. In the future, I think Im going to try and make a list of commmon foods I eat when away and take a checklist with me. I know enough portion control, that I could make some good choices but I felt lost without my calorie numbers. Friday was overall okay. Breakfast was big ... those breakfast sandwiches at fast food places are high in calories! But the rest of the day was pretty good, I ate one hot dog at lunch, and one italian beef sandwich. I did claim one victory that night, when everyone else warmed up leftovers at 9 pm and had more sandwiches ... I declined. Oh did I want that sandwich though!

It didnt help that my bil and sil kept saying eat more, you are on vacation. Or you worry too much bout calories or if you go away hungery its your fault. It wasnt a very helpful enviroment to watch my portion control in. Im still figuring out how to be away from home and my supports here and still eat well. Its also hard not to talk constantly in the framework of calorie counting and running and exercise. All of my good friends, it seems, including my husband are all trying to lose weight. Its a great support when IM home but when Im away from those people, not so helpful.

I got up at 6 am on Saturday to run. Mr. F was off to pick up our son at camp and I suited up and went for a run. I left my headphones in the cabin, we were sleeping in,so that distracted me enough, that I forgot bug spray. Oh did I regret that! It wasnt mosquitos, I only had one bite from that. It was the dreaded deer flies, there were so many -- I thought I might just get carried away. So the run wasnt enjoyable in that aspect, I was uncomforatable with all the deer flies. I was constantly picking flies out of my hair, brushing off my arms and legs cause they were biting me. At one point, one bit me on my behind and i went to brush it off, only to discover like 12 stuck to my shorts. EWWWW!

On a different note, since I was so distracted with the deer flies that I did not pay as much attention to my pace. I ran on a gravel road in the middle of the forest -- it was beautiful. One deer ran across the path in front of me. I neglected to notice the downhill slope on the way out so I was very surprised at the 1.5 miles of uphill coming back. I did an out and back route -- run 4 miles out and then 4 miles back. It felt long. At about mile two or three, I found somewhat of a stride and just ran. It wasnt easy by any means though but I did it. I ran 8 miles in 1 hr and 32 minutes!!!!!! I did it with an 11:31 pace and 152 average heartrate. I was very pleased with that. The 992 calorie burn didnt hurt either! Thats my longest run distance to date.

Saturday was a little harder on the eating front. Meals were at odd hours and I knew i had a huge calorie burn but no real way to track exactly where I was. I ended up eating two suppers ... not particularly helpful. Im thankful to have had the run burn that day though.

I did okay on Sunday til the drive home and then it was snack city and pizza for supper. We came home sunday night but Mr. F had monday off as well, so we did some fishing at a local park. I didnt end up doing my normal monday run. I was sore still from saturday and more importantly, I was exhausted. So I decided Im going to stick with the original running schedule and run again wednesday. It was only slated to be 2 miles on monday, so I think I will be okay. Our race is this Saturday.

Oh well ... today is a new day :) So back on track, I have my supports back and while i may not lose this week, Im sure gonna try.

Keep on running folks,
Mrs. F

Back from a nice weekend away

Aside from a trip to visit family over Christmas a couple of years ago, we've not had a week-long away-from-home vacation in nearly 10 years.  Typically, it's due to financial constraints.  Since changing employers a couple of years ago, limited vacation time has also become an issue. Still, we try to make the best of what we already have, so I took off this past Friday and Monday to allow us a long weekend away.  One of my brothers has a house in northern Minnesota, so we stayed there, with most of our gang divided between a little cabin (imagine two connected storage sheds remodeled to serve as a simple shelter with a bedroom, pseudo kitchen {no water}, and electric power), and a large tent.  Our eldest daughter was treated to a spare bedroom in the house.  My father lives there, and another of my brothers (and his wife) came up for the weekend, too.

All in all, it was a wonderful and relaxing weekend, though I'm sure my caloric intake was off the scale.  We had many family favorites, including Italian beef sandwiches, and fried fresh fish.  As much as I knew I should have limited my intake, I indulged in these familial delicacies, though I avoided some of the extras (sides) that were served with them. In some ways, it really felt like being home again (though my family was not from Minnesota), but all the pleasures of the weekend came with their share of stress.  Foremost among those also tied to food.  Our hosts have a "we'll eat when we get home" mentality, and they also tend to have only one large meal a day (my brother skipping both breakfast and lunch and then eating a large supper).  They didn't seem to understand that our kids, and especially our youngest and our special needs son, were used to a predictable schedule: breakfast not long after rising, lunch between noon and 1 PM, and dinner sometime before 6 PM.

We tried to be flexible.  When they told us they wanted to have the big fish fry around 7 PM, we figured we could make it work.  We packed snacks and even let the kids get desert before dinner (a little restaurant nearby has huge "small" soft serve cones for one dollar each).   Even with that extra food, nerves were frayed by the time 7 PM arrived, since we all were accustomed to eating earlier.  When we got back to the house, my brothers and their wives were nowhere to be seen.  We waited a bit, but when faced with growing meltdowns from the youngest ones (whose bedtime would normally fall around 8 PM), we broke out the food we set aside for our return-trip lunch, and served up homemade bread, cheddar cheese, good summer sausage (from a small processor, not mass market Yard-O-Beef type stuff), and a stick of pepperoni.  Soon, the kids were fed and the little ones were bedded down.  Our hosts returned around 8:30 PM and commenced with the fish fry.  They seemed surprised that we fed the kids, and that some were already bedded down for the night.  There even was wondering aloud why I didn't start frying the fish when we got back.  Besides not knowing which pots they wanted used for the frying, we had no idea what they were serving with the fish or what time they were returning.  So, I think we'll arrange to prepare all of our own meals next time, or at least make them realize that we need to stick to regular meal times, or at least the times agreed upon.

Anyway, I don't mean to rant here.  It was a good weekend overall.  I got to go out fishing on Friday night with my brothers--something I never would have imagined years ago.  It was the first time I was out trolling on big water for walleye in almost a decade, and the only time I've fished apart from my immediate family in six (or more) years.  The kids got to swin in a lake with exceptionally clear water, and we made our return trip at a relaxed pace later in the day on Sunday.  That gave us one more vacation day in our home area, so we headed off to a park in a neighboring town where we spent most of the day with the kids fishing and playing.  It was, by far, the most enjoyable vacation time I've used in the past year, and the best long weekend we've had in a while.

It's just a shame my available vacation days are so few--two weeks of personal time (combined vacation and sick time) with my current employer, whereas I had four weeks plus dedicated sick time at my former employer.  Of course, the cost of that extra vacation time was a commute that averaged nearly three hours a day, and that ate up far more time each year than four weeks of vacation (it was an equivalent of over 15 work weeks of travel each year!).

Anyway, I feel the weight (figuratively and literally) of how I ate this weekend, so I know I'll need to run it off.  Now that we're home, my portions are back to their controlled normal, and I'm looking forward to my next run...when it cools down just a bit.

Tempo run 7-28-10

Todays run comprised of a 1 mile warm up jog, 4 miles at tempo pace of 10:51 and a mile cool down jog. I can do a 10:51 fairly easily, the challenge comes in maintaining for that long of a span.

I got up around 6 am and discovered that I had forgotten to charge my mp3 player. I knew that long of a run without music would drag on and on, so I decided to charge it while I got ready to go, figuring some is better than none. It lasted til almost mile 5 -- so that was good!

Starting myself out, I kept having to slow myself down during the warm up. I ended up with 11:42 for the warm up. I knew i had many miles to go yet! Again, I had forgotten to set a pace alert for my garmin, so it was a bit more challenging to keep an even keel. The 2nd mile was in a 10:50 pace. It felt pretty good, not too hard, heart rate stayed fairly low. Although at this point, Im realizing in in for a long haul! My main focus was on staying below the 10:51 pace marker, if I was running 9:45, then so be it, but as long as i was under.

The 3rd mile felt the best. I really found my stride and was able to just run mostly without worrying so much about my pace. No real aches or pains at this point, just running. Dont get me wrong, this was definitely a "work" run but at times it felt good to just get out and run fast. I did that segment in 10:33.

The 4th mile wasnt without its challenges. My side started twinging -- with some concentrated deep breaths, I was able to keep the major sideache at bay. I was feeling a bit nauseous from the smells and running hard -- so I ended up stopping once cause I thought I was going to be sick. Another stop to tie the shoe. Just generally harder mile. I still managed to pull out a 10:59 pace for that segment though.

The fifth mile felt more challenging as well since I was starting to get tired. I didnt get to bed before 11 and 6 am rolled around far too quickly this morning. I knew though I wanted to finish strong, so I pushed myself a little harder. My side is still twinging a bit, so more deep breathing. Somewhere in this mile, the mp3 player dies. After that, the run seemed to go much slower. Probably due to the fact, I was concentrating on the distance! I decided i wanted to sprint the last tenth and pushed it into gear. I finished that mile in 10:28!!!

The last mile was hard. I was sore, tired and my mp3 player was dead. So the mile dragged on and on and on and on. At times I convinced myself to run faster -- not because I wanted the better time -- it was because I would be done sooner. I tried to speed up the last tenth but I had little energy for a full on sprint. I did get my time up to 10:40 but I couldnt push any harder than that. I finished that mile in 11:41.

Surpringly enough, I feel great now. My muscles arent sore at all. After some of my long runs, they have been really sore. So I expected that maybe this run would do it as well. The only thing bugging me is my sunburn from monday!

Im getting really excited for our race next weekend! Im still pondering how I should run it. It was far simpler when I didnt know as much and just ran. Now I wonder if I should do a negative split, or run the first mile slightly faster or run an even pace. Way too much info to wade thru on the topic.

Weight check will be early this week, due to leaving to visit family on Friday morning. The scale is being kinder to me today but time will tell on that front.

Keep on running,
Mrs. F

Weekend recap - Mrs. F

I ran 7 miles yesterday with my friend, Amy. She started couch to 5k at the same time we did, and has kept up running. She actually runs faster than me but runs close enough to my pace, that we can do our slower longer runs together.

We started off with the warm up walk before running. It was a nice change of pace to have someone to talk with along the way. Yes, we ran at a pace that we could talk. I will admit at times, it was more challenging than others though. The first 3.5 miles for me were harder, as is typical. Amy was a few steps ahead of me and it wasnt as hard for her, breathing wise as it was for me.

I found my stride around 3.5 miles and soon enough I was the one running a few steps ahead. I find that the further I go, the easier it seems to find that stride point. Perhaps I am meant to be a distance runner!

My strategy on these longer runs, is to go with the flow of my body, while keeping my heartrate in check. Basically, if I feel like running slower( as long as im not going over my prescribed training pace), then I do. If I feel like pushing it up a few notches, then I do that as well. My heart rate stayed pretty low, in the 150 range, so it works for me. My pace for this run was supposed to be 12:31, for my friend, 12:00. We ended up hitting an 11:44 pace, so below both of our targets!

Im really looking forward to next saturdays run when I get to try running 8 miles. Its exciting since it will be a new distance record for me. On top of that fun, I get to run in a new location, as we will be out of town visiting Mr. F's family.

Today, I took a 15.11 mile bike ride at 4:31 pace. Thats not only a new distance record for me but a pace record as well. It felt good to get out and fly on the bike. Ive now built up enough endurance on the bike, that Im starting to burn a good bit of calories. Last summer, I was much slower and didnt go nearly so far. I was shocked though when I took a look at my biking stats. I biked 41 miles this week alone and 75 miles for the month of july! Wow -- I had no idea that put on that many this week! The long bike rides add up quickly. Thanks go out to Mr. F though for sharing his bike with me! Im hoping to start saving up for a new bike for me soon.

Well thats all for now folks, Keep on running and biking!

Mrs. F