First 5K.

I did it. I completed my first 5K. It wasn’t pretty but I did it. I started at the starting line, finished at the finish line and in between I ran and walked. I now have a time to beat in my next 5K. I ran this in 43:29. I was not last in the 5K. I was lapped by 5 people running the 10K. One of the people I was passed by was a man pushing a stroller. I was nearly at the end of the 5K heading up this killer hill that they decided to run this race over that was within about 600 meters from the end. This is when the guy in the stroller passed, just running up the hill pushing the stroller like this was a walk in the park!

I know I haven’t posted anything in a while and I go straight for the 5K. And not only that, but I am posting about the 5K hours after running it. Let’s rewind about a week and a half.  We had family in town from California and Michigan. My mother-in-law came in on a Wednesday and my sister-in-law, her husband and two kids came in on Saturday. The MIL didn’t really interrupt the run schedule, I ran the 2 miles the day after she showed up! The rest of the family came in and we didn’t think about exercise much. The nice thing was we did do a family run on Sunday. Both my sister-in-law and her husband run. In fact her husband has run the Chicago Marathon. My sister-in-law hasn’t run in a while but was willing to go out and run with my husband and I. I told them all that they could start running and go without me. I know I am slow and I go at my own pace. I told everyone exactly what I was going to do and got started. It was crazy hot! I think that day ended up being in the 90s but the sun was blazing already when we went out.

I didn’t do too bad. Going out on the path is a mile to the turnaround so I wanted to run to at least the turnaround and I accomplished that. I figured in the heat I would just hold back and walk the mile back. I guess I really enjoy running now (go figure) and so I ran about another half mile on the way back. Hell, I completed two miles just a couple of days before. All in all not bad. Felt pretty good afterwards. Then nothing. Nothing until Friday. Family was all gone by Wednesday so I really didn’t have an excuse to not run, plus I knew I was running the 5K on Sunday. I wanted to run, but didn’t want to run far. I decided I would run the last part of the 5K. Starting from my house and following the 5K route up that blasted hill. Ran that night pretty well. Walked some, but mostly ran. Went out and measured it with the car (really accurate way, but it was what I had) and turns out it was 1.7 miles. Plus I was gone for like 20 minutes or so (although I wasn’t real sure as to the exact time that I left, so this is up for debate). Felt pretty good. I wanted to make sure that when I was coming to the end of the 5K race that I didn’t get so excited again (like I did for the 2 miles) that I started to hyperventilate and not be able to breathe for the end of the race.

I was feeling pretty confident that I could run the 5K fairly well with some walking, but not too much. Ha! I was wrong. On Saturday we went to the gym. Not to run or anything. I wanted to do some core work and some arm work. They had been being ignored lately and I didn’t think it would hurt my running the 5K. Truth be told I don’t think it had anything to do with my run today.

So the race starts off fine. I keep telling myself not to go with the crowd because they will be crazy fast for my speed. Did pretty good with that, but pretty quickly needed to walk a little. I mean I wasn’t even a mile in, not even down to the end of the street. I think it was nerves. I really need to work on that. Although that was kind of the whole reason for finally running a 5K so soon. Figured I would get the nerve thing out of the way. So I continued on and ran much more than I walked, but I did it. Faster than I expected. I was hoping to finish in at least 45 minutes and I beat that! So that is an accomplishment. I now have a goal for my next 5K. Also a good thing! I am happy. I wish I would have done better today, but I didn’t and I’m okay with that.

I am sore right now. Which I suppose is good because if I had written this after the 5K I might have been a little more pie-in-the-sky. Waiting to post about it has given me the time to look back at it and see it for what it was. An amazing accomplishment because I completed it. But it was also something that I could have been better at. Now I have something to beat. Shouldn’t be too hard.

TWO MILES. TWO MILES. TWO FRIGGIN MILES!!

I still can’t believe it. I ran for two straight miles. I wanted to get further than I did last time and boy oh boy did I. My skin is on fire right now trying to cool my big fat body down from what just happened. I’m sitting in front of a fan as I type this. I am so damn excited (sorry for the swear) I couldn’t wait to cool down and shower before getting on and telling the world that I JUST RAN TWO FRIGGIN MILES!

My only goal for this run was to run farther than a mile straight. I wanted to beat out my last run. So I got done with the first eight laps (that is the mile) and felt great. Told myself that we were just going to start knocking off laps one by one. Take them one at a time and just go until we couldn’t go any more. I really only thought that I might get in a mile and a half.

I started to trick myself though on that 3rd lap of the second mile. I picked up my water bottle for that lap and took a couple of sips as I ran the lap. Then put it down and picked up my towel the next time around. I then had to complete lap four so I could put down the towel. It was almost as if I wasn’t really running those laps because my mind was busy with the water and the towel for two laps. So then for laps 5 and 6 it was just running. By that time I only had two laps to go! Holy cow. I was about to run two miles. I figured since picking up the water worked to blow through a lap, I did it again. That seventh lap was tough. But I only had one more to go to make eight! So I put down the water bottle and picked up the towel again. About a third of the way round I started to get so damn excited about completing two miles I was having a hard time breathing! I literally had to start talking to myself to try and control my excitement and keep breathing before I passed out.

That would have really sucked. To be about a third of a lap away from completing the two miles and pass out because I got so excited I couldn’t breath. I can be such a dork sometimes. I know that those of you who reach these milestones know how I felt. The last time I felt that way I reached the top of Koko Head Trail. Although even then I didn’t get so excited before the end. I was happy that crazy hike was over. I cried at the end of that hike. I felt like crying from happiness at the completion of that last lap. My cheeks hurt really bad from smiling so hard! Even if this isn’t what they mean by a runner’s high, I am going to be walking on air for the rest of the day at a minimum.

Happy running to you all out there. I have to go think up my next goal to smash through!

Oh Well

Slow day today. Not too much to report. Wanted to run today but it just wasn’t in the cards. My mother-in-law is coming to town tomorrow. This meant some last minute computer help over the phone. This involves stress on the hubby’s part. Takes a while to come down from. Decided to go ahead and make dinner. This also means a delay, because running after dinner is just awful. It doesn’t matter what dinner was, running anywhere within three hours  of dinner makes me want to throw up and the run never turns out successful. So it was out to the back yard for a heavy rope workout.

I like the heavy rope, I really do. I was even looking into some Cross Fit gyms last night on the internet. (I know, I’m dreaming right now, but I do want to try it.) It just seems like I need to do something else along with the heavy rope. I took my kettlebells out the last time we did the rope. Problem is I couldn’t figure out how to fit them into the rest periods. So they sat on the ground while I looked at them longingly. No really, I did. Swung them a couple of times after we were done and that was about it. Figure if I go to a Cross Fit gym and learn some new moves I could do some of that at home. I have the kettlebells. I  have the heavy rope. I have a medicine ball (I would have to find it). Need some new moves. Some guidance on what to do would be of some help.

I missed running tonight. Ready to try for two miles. I’ll try in the morning. I’m off tomorrow and the only thing I have that is pressing is the plumber coming over and picking up the MIL in the evening. Gives me plenty of time to get in a run. I’ll let you know tomorrow how it goes.

Motivation Can Be A Dirty Word

I know it is Motivation Monday and I have had my Facebook feed full of motivational quotes all day, but what I did last night in preparation for Motivation Monday really defies all logic. I signed up for my first 5K. Not for later this fall, but for September 1! That is less than two weeks away! Talk about motivation. I need to be able to run over 3 miles in just under two weeks! I only ran a solid mile yesterday and today I can barely walk.

Motivation. “No One Ever Drowned In Sweat”. Are they really sure about that. I think I could do it. “The voice inside your head that says you can’t do it is a liar!” I always wonder about that. The little voice inside my head tells me I can’t all the time. Half the time I believe it, the other half of the time it pisses me off so much that I do it just to prove it is a liar. Oops, that was actually what it was supposed to do. Oh well.

I now have a goal. I have motivation to keep going. I didn’t really need the motivation, but with a goal so freakin close, the motivation thing took on a little different twinge. But I guess that is okay. I suppose if you never put yourself out there and take the risk of failure, you can’t succeed. That won’t make any motivational posters, but it is how I am going to think of this. I really want one of these races under my belt so I have something to show for limping around every other day. It will give me something to better. I just hope they don’t close down the course before I finish.

I’m considering the Pretty Muddy run in Columbus coming up on September 14. Would have done the one closer to home in Chicago, but it is on September 7. Wanted to see if I died from my first 5k before signing up for an obstacle course race. The Pretty Muddy isn’t a Warrior Dash or a Tough Mudder but for me it might as well be. I watched all the videos showing the obstacles and thought to myself that I could do that one when I saw them on the screen, so I figure if I survive the Labor Day Dash it will be off to Columbus. Just in case I’m going to adjust my September schedule under the impression I’ll be going. Motivation.

One Mile Has Been Broken

So while after my last run I was looking ahead and excited to run for eight minutes, I decided I would shake things up for my run today. My goal was to run until I couldn’t run any more, I fell down or I threw up. The mini goal was to at least run a straight one mile at the minimum. This meant eight laps without stopping. My five minute runs were about three laps. Eight minutes would have been about five or six laps. Eight laps was going to be a long time. I was hoping for more. I was hoping to run two miles straight. I didn’t even get two miles in today. So while I am happy about my run, I am also disappointed.

I started with a couple of walking laps just to get warmed up and then it was underway. Four laps in I was feeling good. I really thought I might make it for more than eight laps. By the time I got to that eighth lap I was ready for a small break. I didn’t want to take it but figured if I just slowed down for a bit and let my heart rate come down some and allow my breath to even out, since it had gotten a little ragged on that last lap, I might be able to get in another mile. Ha! My body told me my mind was getting ahead of itself.

I walked two laps and started to run again. Got four laps in and had to walk a lap again. My breath was good, my heart rate was okay, but my legs were starting to say no. They weren’t saying no, they were screaming NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! So I walked another lap and then tried to finish the last four laps to make a two mile run. Only got one lap in and my muscles started to freeze up. I battled through one more walking lap and gave up. Stretched out for quite a while after. Elated that I ran a solid mile. Disappointed that I couldn’t get the second one.

Amazing that not being able to run two miles would disappoint me. I should be shouting from the rafters that I ran a mile! Maybe I will because it is quite an accomplishment for me. I know this deep down and if I hadn’t had my heart set on a really lofty goal I would be happier about this run.

Good news is that I have committed to an obstacle run. I’m going to run in a Pretty Muddy race in Ohio. I am excited about this. I am not kidding myself about where I am at physically. But if I never go ahead and push myself, I won’t get anywhere! This is a mud race for women only. The obstacles are not in the realm of the Warrior Dash or a Spartan Race, but they will challenge someone of my fitness level. I will need to be able to complete the 5K by then! That is September 14. Thus the reason I decided to run as long as possible today. Tomorrow, I will run farther. Maybe only a lap, but it will be farther! Then another lap and another and another. I will run a 5K!

So Excited For Eight Minute Run

I can’t really believe that I am thinking it, but it is so true. Went to Week Five Day 1 a little early. Cheated and looked ahead to Day 2 which is two eight minute runs. I really can’t wait. Today was three five minute runs and I really didn’t want to stop in between. So I am hoping that two eight minute runs will push the limit of where I am and might make me back down from wanting to run a straight twenty minutes. That will be here soon enough.

Anyhow, the in between workouts with the heavy rope are good. We have a timer program set up on a smartphone so we get it over with quickly. Now though I am thinking I want to add in my kettlebells on the rest periods making them active rest periods. Could be interesting.

I still cannot believe that I am speaking like this. Just a few short weeks ago I was afraid to run for a minute at a time, now I cannot wait to run for twenty straight minutes. I have worked out before but for some reason this time I really am enjoying pushing myself and I feel great. I came up with a goal to add to others that right now are quite random. This new one is to climb a rock wall. I know I don’t have the strength in my upper body to do it yet, but that is what the in-between workouts are for. Running is for the 5K, 10K, marathon-one-day goals, the in-between workouts needed their own goal.

On the outside, I am still the fat girl who has started running, but on the inside I am a fitness freak. One day, the outside will match the inside. That is the ultimate goal.

Week 4 Day 2, All In All A Pretty Good Day

Thank goodness you get a second chance at all of these runs. Although next week and the week after I guess there are three different runs each week instead of the same run three times. That should be interesting. Today was a pretty good day. I put up six pints of bread and butter pickles before heading out to today’s run. Also had slow cooker blueberry butter cooking while we were out. Oh yea, this is supposed to be about the run.

So I looked at the liner notes for the music I am using just so I wouldn’t be surprised again by that last 5 minute run like I was a couple of days ago. I knew what was coming up and what I had to make it through. I think that makes it easier for me. I don’t like to be surprised. Guess that makes me a bit of a control freak. Whatever. The gym is open again so I ran today’s intervals on the track. All in all today’s run went well. Relaxed everything while running and the first five minute run went so well I felt like I could run an entire 5K already. Of course the second three minute run starts and it seems awfully long. That has me a little worried because I now only have 90 seconds before the final five minute run begins. I decide to drop my hand held water bottle and just try to power through. It was a long five minutes but I ran the whole time. That’s definitely better than the last time.

My lungs are now able to handle the running pretty well. I don’t get out of breath nearly as much as I used to which is what makes me think I can just keep running about 10 minutes in to the workout. It is my legs that don’t want to cooperate. They are like jello by the end. And since the running is getting longer and longer each week, they just get tired. But since I ran 16 minutes this time instead of something like 8 the first time I ran I would say that things are getting better. I always get that runner’s high now and I am getting really addicted to it. Might start pushing some of the days together and see how that goes. I know that you shouldn’t run every day on this program, but they run every day on the Biggest Loser and those people can get through it. I think I can too. I am going to have to step up my game if I want to not only run a 5K, but if I want to change the name of this blog from fatgirlstartsrunning to notsofatgirltrainsforamarathon. One day.

Running Isn’t Everything

I really shouldn’t have several days off from work in a row. I end up in the store buying things. Wednesday I bought chairs. One for the living room and two recliners for the family room. Yesterday I end up at Dick’s Sporting Goods because I really wanted to get a heavy rope. I figured that adding the heavy rope to the workout mix would be a good thing. It’s something my husband and I could do together since he mentioned doing exercises with one at some point in the last week.

The heavy rope was absolutely awesome. We used it out in the backyard, I am sure to the shock of our neighbors who happened to look out their windows and get a glimpse of the spectacle (I am thanking my huge trees for the blockage). If we can clear 20 feet or so in the basement, we can try it down there. I am not sure we actually have 20 feet of space that we can clear of all of the crap down there, but we will have to try. Here in the Midwest, working out in your backyard means getting all sweaty and attracting bugs like there is no tomorrow.

But bugs aside, the heavy rope was quite the workout and one that I am glad to have added to the repertoire. I say repertoire, but that repertoire now consists only of running and the heavy rope. I suppose I will have to go shopping again. Not really, that is really the other reason I have a membership to a gym. I do have some kettlebells so I will have to look into finding a good workout to do with them. I need to get pilates involved again. It sucks though because every pilates studio is quite a haul from home. There is a gym kind of near by that will be getting TRX soon. Wish my local park district gym would, but that is asking a lot of a small time gym.

Oh well, today is another Week 4 running day. The gym is still closed for maintenance and it is hot again today and it is supposed to rain. Running might wait until tomorrow when the gym opens up again. Maybe I’ll go clean the basement.

But Five Minutes Seems Like A Lifetime

So as you can see, I moved my blog. Decided to copy over the posts since there weren’t a lot of them yet. Those are below. Or to the left. Or maybe the right. Not sure since this blog is new and I haven’t settled on a theme yet.

So three minutes seemed easy compared to moving on to Week Four! Five minutes is a hell of a long time. Or maybe it was because we ran outside again in to a headwind and not too long after eating dinner that five minutes seemed like an eternity. Maybe. Probably.

I am a little ahead of schedule but I don’t regret moving on to Week 4 a little early. It was hard but I didn’t die. Each time I add time to my run I am amazed that I did it. One day perhaps it won’t amaze me. I know I have the power within myself to push myself and make it through but I still doubt it.

The gym is closed this week so yesterday was really the first day we had to exercise this week. Rain and heat were the excuses Monday and Tuesday. It was crazy hot yesterday and humid, but when we went out to run, the humidity had all but gone and left in its wake this crazy wind from the East. It cooled things off but was a bitch to run in to. It was at my back on the way back home, but that really didn’t help me through the last five minute run. At least now I feel the challenge. My run laughed at me yesterday and I didn’t like it one bit. Well, I will have the last laugh. Or die trying. It could happen. But I’m feeling bitchy so I won’t let it.

Bring it on five minute run. I am about to run all over you!

Three Minutes Isn’t That Long

From July 31, 2013

So I watched Extreme Weight Loss last night and this 327 pound woman was the focus of the show. Turns out she was from not so far away in Elgin. She also was completely averse to running. It was the one thing that we had in common. Okay, so we had more than one thing in common. Listening to her reasons for wanting to run reminded me of my own reasons. Her reasons were along the lines of wanting to do it because she hated it so much. I think that is why I started when I really think about it. But she started running from the beginning, at her heaviest weight. During the show, after her six month weigh in (which she was still just a little over 200) she ran a marathon. She did it without all the cheering crowds. She did it just to prove she could do it. So maybe one day, I will run a marathon just to run it. Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

So today was the first day of Week Three. Week 3 involved my first three minute run. I was actually looking forward to it after the TV show last night. That woman gave me inspiration. I knew I could do it. It was still scary as hell, but I’ve gotten used to pushing past what I think is my limit. Which really makes me wonder where my limit is. One day I might test that. But until then, the first of the two three minute runs today went okay. By the end of the three minutes my legs were toast. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to complete the second three minute run. I knew that I still had a three minute walk, 90 second run and 90 second walk before I had to start the next three minute run. By the end of the 90 second run I was worried. It was tough. I was really thinking that I was not going to be able to complete the second three minute run. Was talking myself into pushing as far as I could and if I had to walk some of it then, well, I would just have to admit defeat. Amazing how the mind works sometimes.

Oh boy, the 90 second walk came to an end and the music sounded the bells to start the second three minute run. As I started I literally got a second wind. The three minutes just flew by. I couldn’t believe it. When I finished the three minutes I felt better than I did after the first three minute run. Strange. It was really hard to figure out what had happened and where on earth I found the energy to get it done and not just get it done, but do it so easily. Once the program finishes I usually continue to walk around the track and rehydrate. After one lap I get the bright idea to run just one more lap around the track. Just for fun. Whhhaaaaaaaaattttttt????? Just for fun? Yep, just for fun. Good grief, what is happening to me? I put down the towel and water bottle and went for a run. Just for fun.