This week suuuuuuucked. Hard. Actually, it started off really well...then went to Hell in a hand basket.
Monday: Ran 3 minutes, walked 2 minutes; 10 times. Total: 4.26 miles in 53 minutes.
Tuesday: I switched my off day since my left hip and right calf were kill.ing me. Now picture me limping around all day. You're welcome.
Wednesday: Ran 15 minutes, walked 2 minutes; 2 times. Total: 3.35 miles in 42 minutes
Thursday: Off. Here is where disaster struck. I was holding my sweet, sweet son when suddenly, he turned in to a ravenous little squirrel when tempted by a box of raisins. As he reached for the raisins, he dropped my cell phone square on my pinkie toe. Somewhere between screaming "sonofab*tch" several times and scaring the hell out of my son, the thought crossed my mind that my toe may be broken. Luckily, it was just bruised but dang if it didn't hurt for TWO days. What the eff are cell phones made of these days?!
Friday: Ran 5 minutes, walked 2 minutes; 5 times. Total: 3.25 miles in 40 minutes.
I was worried about working out with my injured toe would be a bad idea but it was fine! I taped that sucker to my other toes and it was fine! The walking hurt a little but I was totally fine with the running - yay!
Saturday: 5 minute walking warm up. Ran 10 minutes, walked 5 minutes; 3 times. Total: Roughly 3.8 miles in 50 minutes.
Like usual, I did my Saturday workout outside. I'm not sure why I keep going back to the lake. The wind coming off the water is hellacious. On my last 10 minute run, I was convinced I was going to pass out. I quietly whispered to all who passed me that I might die right then and there. Fortunately, I psyched myself up just enough to make it to the end. I briefly thought about collapsing in a heap on the grass but I saw my boys waiting for me so I held it together long enough to get to them.
I think my problem with outside running is controlling my pace. I often found I would push hard up a hill and keep up that same pace on flat ground. That left me going a lot faster than I was used to which equals me out of breath. One good thing that came from this run?
I realized I CAN run 3.1 miles. I WILL finish the race. And I WON'T be last!
Okay, that was 3 things but you get the idea ;)
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
5K Training - Week 2
This week was tough. That's all I've got. I was exhausted and didn't give 100% at every workout. But I still did what I had to do. Here's the scoop:
Monday: 2 minute walking warm up at speed 3.5. Run: 10 minutes at 5.0. Walk: 5 minutes at 4.0. Run: 10 minutes at 5.4. Walk: 5 minutes at 4.2. Run: 6 minutes at 5.6. Total miles: 3.10. Total minutes: 38.
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: 2 minute walking warm up at speed 3.5. Run: 11 minutes at 5.5. Walk: 5 minutes at 3.5. Run: 5 minutes at 6.0. Walk: 2 minutes at 3.0. Result: 2.10 miles in 25 minutes.
Thursday: Walked 2.53 miles at various speeds for 40 minutes.
Friday: Off
Saturday: I took this workout outside. I have no idea how far or how long I ran. I just ran until I couldn't run any more. I have to say...I did pretty damn good!
I'm super excited for the 5k. I can't wait to see how far I can actually push myself. I do need to get a stop watch of some sort, though. It would be nice to be able to pace myself during runs at aren't on a treadmill.
Monday: 2 minute walking warm up at speed 3.5. Run: 10 minutes at 5.0. Walk: 5 minutes at 4.0. Run: 10 minutes at 5.4. Walk: 5 minutes at 4.2. Run: 6 minutes at 5.6. Total miles: 3.10. Total minutes: 38.
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: 2 minute walking warm up at speed 3.5. Run: 11 minutes at 5.5. Walk: 5 minutes at 3.5. Run: 5 minutes at 6.0. Walk: 2 minutes at 3.0. Result: 2.10 miles in 25 minutes.
Thursday: Walked 2.53 miles at various speeds for 40 minutes.
Friday: Off
Saturday: I took this workout outside. I have no idea how far or how long I ran. I just ran until I couldn't run any more. I have to say...I did pretty damn good!
I'm super excited for the 5k. I can't wait to see how far I can actually push myself. I do need to get a stop watch of some sort, though. It would be nice to be able to pace myself during runs at aren't on a treadmill.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Training - Week 1
This morning I finished my last workout of my first week of training. Overall, I feel pretty good about the week. I didn't stick exactly to the schedule. Dare I say, I feel like it's a little too slow for me. Anyway...here's how/what I did.
Monday: Ran 5 minutes, walked 5 minutes; did that 3 times. Including the warm up/cool down, my distance was 3.05 miles, average speed was 4.2, time was 43.5 minutes.
Tuesday: Walked only. Distance was 2.42, average speed was 3.6, time was 40 minutes. I also walked for about 40 minutes that night but I'm not sure how far.
Thursday: This is where I got off schedule. I wanted to see how far I can run without walking. The verdict? 2.5 miles in 32.5 minutes. Average speed was 4.6.
Saturday: I need to get in some out door running so I took this workout to the lake. I didn't track how far or how fast I was going but I can say I made it about half way around in roughly 20 minutes.
Running outside was easier than I imagined but still hard. My plan is to run outside every Saturday from now until the race. I'm also going to add in Pilates on my off days for some strength moves.
I'm really struggling with empowering myself. Every time I start running, my immediate thoughts are "This is too hard", "I'll never finish that race". Sometimes I can talk myself out of thinking that way but most days? It's hard.
Monday: Ran 5 minutes, walked 5 minutes; did that 3 times. Including the warm up/cool down, my distance was 3.05 miles, average speed was 4.2, time was 43.5 minutes.
Tuesday: Walked only. Distance was 2.42, average speed was 3.6, time was 40 minutes. I also walked for about 40 minutes that night but I'm not sure how far.
Thursday: This is where I got off schedule. I wanted to see how far I can run without walking. The verdict? 2.5 miles in 32.5 minutes. Average speed was 4.6.
Saturday: I need to get in some out door running so I took this workout to the lake. I didn't track how far or how fast I was going but I can say I made it about half way around in roughly 20 minutes.
Running outside was easier than I imagined but still hard. My plan is to run outside every Saturday from now until the race. I'm also going to add in Pilates on my off days for some strength moves.
I'm really struggling with empowering myself. Every time I start running, my immediate thoughts are "This is too hard", "I'll never finish that race". Sometimes I can talk myself out of thinking that way but most days? It's hard.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
My first 5K
On April 14th I will be running in my very first 5K race.
Say whaaaaaat?!
I'm scared. And excited. And nervous. But mostly excited!
This means I gotta get my you-know-what in gear and start putting in some effort so I don't come in dead last :) Not that there's anything wrong with dead last...someone's gotta do it. I just don't want it to be me. I'd probably cry.
Anyway...the race is 5 weeks from today. I'm using this schedule as my training guide. Except I have to modify it a bit. I'm starting on week 2 due to the time I have to train. I'm doing the running portion in the morning at the gym and the walking portion in the evenings outside. I need to get used to running outside so I figure it's best to start easier with the walking then gradually get to running.
My goal is to track my distance and average speed every day so I can see my progress. I'm going to do my best to write about it here but that will probably be on a weekly basis.
Anyone have suggestions on gear I'll need for the race? On my list are new running pants and a tank. Maybe a stop watch?
Say whaaaaaat?!
I'm scared. And excited. And nervous. But mostly excited!
This means I gotta get my you-know-what in gear and start putting in some effort so I don't come in dead last :) Not that there's anything wrong with dead last...someone's gotta do it. I just don't want it to be me. I'd probably cry.
Anyway...the race is 5 weeks from today. I'm using this schedule as my training guide. Except I have to modify it a bit. I'm starting on week 2 due to the time I have to train. I'm doing the running portion in the morning at the gym and the walking portion in the evenings outside. I need to get used to running outside so I figure it's best to start easier with the walking then gradually get to running.
My goal is to track my distance and average speed every day so I can see my progress. I'm going to do my best to write about it here but that will probably be on a weekly basis.
Anyone have suggestions on gear I'll need for the race? On my list are new running pants and a tank. Maybe a stop watch?
Friday, March 2, 2012
Finding time for us
Being a family with two working parents can be tough. Mark and I get limited time with Colin during the week so most mornings, evenings, and weekends we focus on him so much that we end up losing sight of ourselves and us as a couple.
Recently it hit me that I was missing something from my life: alone time with myself. To remedy that, I joined my local YMCA. I go early in the morning and either run or take a fitness class. It is blissful. It's so refreshing to have time where I'm just me. I'm not "mama" or "hon" to anyone at the gym :) I can't tell you how much it helped my mood. I'm handling stress better...I'm in a better mood...my tush is tighter. It's a win-win for everyone - ha ha!
Since I've carved out some time for myself, I turned my attention to finding time for Mark and I to be alone. We work for the same company which just so happens to give all employees 40 hours of Volunteer Time Off each year. That's 5 days a year when Mark and I can hang out together and help our community while still getting paid (!!!!!!!!!!!!).
So earlier this week we volunteered together at a local Goodwill store. We were able to talk and joke around while sorting through racks of clothes. At lunch, we talked about our hopes for the future. It was just what we needed: time to just be together. We also decided to have regular lunch dates - yay!And bonus, we didn't miss any extra time with Colin like we would have had we gone out on a Saturday night.
I can't figure out how it took us 15 months to realize we have all this extra time right under our noses that we weren't utilizing!
Recently it hit me that I was missing something from my life: alone time with myself. To remedy that, I joined my local YMCA. I go early in the morning and either run or take a fitness class. It is blissful. It's so refreshing to have time where I'm just me. I'm not "mama" or "hon" to anyone at the gym :) I can't tell you how much it helped my mood. I'm handling stress better...I'm in a better mood...my tush is tighter. It's a win-win for everyone - ha ha!
Since I've carved out some time for myself, I turned my attention to finding time for Mark and I to be alone. We work for the same company which just so happens to give all employees 40 hours of Volunteer Time Off each year. That's 5 days a year when Mark and I can hang out together and help our community while still getting paid (!!!!!!!!!!!!).
So earlier this week we volunteered together at a local Goodwill store. We were able to talk and joke around while sorting through racks of clothes. At lunch, we talked about our hopes for the future. It was just what we needed: time to just be together. We also decided to have regular lunch dates - yay!And bonus, we didn't miss any extra time with Colin like we would have had we gone out on a Saturday night.
I can't figure out how it took us 15 months to realize we have all this extra time right under our noses that we weren't utilizing!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Learning to walk
Colin will be 15 months old on February 25th. Average age for a child to walk is 15 months. Colin was no where near hitting this milestone. He wants to walk so badly. He stands by himself for a good 10-15 seconds and then it's like his brain catches up and he realizes he's standing. He freaks out a bit and then falls. Before he falls, his face lights up with excitement and he looks around for anyone watching. He really feeds off of mine and Mark's excitement so we always clap to encourage him and hold out our hands or a toy. But to no avail. He just won't take that first step. Recently I've noticed him getting frustrated with himself and that hurts this mama's heart.
This past weekend, Mark and I had a 3 day weekend thanks to President's Day. You've heard of the 3 day plan for potty training, right? We took this same approach with walking. We started Saturday morning by putting his favorite toys up on the table so he'd have to stand to reach them. Then we moved them around the table and over to other furniture to basically bait him to walk. That back fired. He just crawled to the other furniture and stood up on that. Smart kid ;)
We moved on to his toy walker. He LOVED it! Proof below!
I swear on Saturday night he made about 30 trips through the living room and around the kitchen. He laughed the whole time. It was awesome to watch! I definitely shed some tears because I was just so dang proud of him! After a few rounds, he gained so much confidence. If he tripped he got right back up and kept going!
Sunday was kind of a bad day. His teeth were bothering him and he just wasn't in the mood for walking. We tried a few time and he did make a few rounds but he got super mad whenever he would run in to something or trip. We didn't push him to try more, we let him make his own decision and if he wanted to stop, he stopped.
Today was so much better! He was cruising on everything while I was making breakfast and imagine my surprise when I turned around to see him whiz by with his walker! He would stop along the way and hold out his hand so I held out mine, letting him know I was there and I would help him. He needed my reassurance. We worked with his walker most of the afternoon and by dinner time, he had learned how to turn it on his own in order to keep going.
While he didn't take his first step, I think he made great progress! We'll keep working on it and practicing as much as possible. He'll walk when he is good and ready :)
This past weekend, Mark and I had a 3 day weekend thanks to President's Day. You've heard of the 3 day plan for potty training, right? We took this same approach with walking. We started Saturday morning by putting his favorite toys up on the table so he'd have to stand to reach them. Then we moved them around the table and over to other furniture to basically bait him to walk. That back fired. He just crawled to the other furniture and stood up on that. Smart kid ;)
We moved on to his toy walker. He LOVED it! Proof below!
Sunday was kind of a bad day. His teeth were bothering him and he just wasn't in the mood for walking. We tried a few time and he did make a few rounds but he got super mad whenever he would run in to something or trip. We didn't push him to try more, we let him make his own decision and if he wanted to stop, he stopped.
Today was so much better! He was cruising on everything while I was making breakfast and imagine my surprise when I turned around to see him whiz by with his walker! He would stop along the way and hold out his hand so I held out mine, letting him know I was there and I would help him. He needed my reassurance. We worked with his walker most of the afternoon and by dinner time, he had learned how to turn it on his own in order to keep going.
While he didn't take his first step, I think he made great progress! We'll keep working on it and practicing as much as possible. He'll walk when he is good and ready :)
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Finding myself again
Since Colin was born, I have proudly worn my Mommy hat for all to see. But in the back of my mind...I have a nagging voice saying "you're not being you".
Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love being that boys mama. It is my greatest joy. But that voice is correct. Being a mama is not everything that I am. I'm also a woman and I have desires/needs/wants that aren't currently being met.
Mostly I miss doing things that are just for me. I long to have a hobby. Something I can do that is only for me. I miss challenging myself, going outside of my comfort zone. I've become so used to having a baby permanently attached to my hip that I've developed a fear of doing things by myself (I can't explain it...maybe I'm fearful something bad will happen to me...who knows). One day last week I got so annoyed with being unhappy that I picked up the phone and joined the local Y. Whee!!!
There's free group fitness classes and amazingly nice, helpful, friendly people. I LOVE it! I refuse to miss any time with Colin (since I get so little during the week) so I wake up early and get to the gym by 5:15. On my second day, I took a spin class. Admittedly I thought the spin class was going to be so much easier than it really was. I literally almost passed out but I freaking loved every second of it. I could not wipe the smile off my face all day.
There was a moment in the class where I must have looked uncomfortable because the teacher mouthed "Are you OK?". I smiled and nodded my head. I was completely out of my comfort zone but I was OK. I was better than OK. I felt alive.
I look forward every day to having that hour to myself. I need it for my sanity. Every time I step through those doors, I get a little piece of my old self back.
It's the best thing I've ever done for myself.
Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love being that boys mama. It is my greatest joy. But that voice is correct. Being a mama is not everything that I am. I'm also a woman and I have desires/needs/wants that aren't currently being met.
Mostly I miss doing things that are just for me. I long to have a hobby. Something I can do that is only for me. I miss challenging myself, going outside of my comfort zone. I've become so used to having a baby permanently attached to my hip that I've developed a fear of doing things by myself (I can't explain it...maybe I'm fearful something bad will happen to me...who knows). One day last week I got so annoyed with being unhappy that I picked up the phone and joined the local Y. Whee!!!
There's free group fitness classes and amazingly nice, helpful, friendly people. I LOVE it! I refuse to miss any time with Colin (since I get so little during the week) so I wake up early and get to the gym by 5:15. On my second day, I took a spin class. Admittedly I thought the spin class was going to be so much easier than it really was. I literally almost passed out but I freaking loved every second of it. I could not wipe the smile off my face all day.
There was a moment in the class where I must have looked uncomfortable because the teacher mouthed "Are you OK?". I smiled and nodded my head. I was completely out of my comfort zone but I was OK. I was better than OK. I felt alive.
I look forward every day to having that hour to myself. I need it for my sanity. Every time I step through those doors, I get a little piece of my old self back.
It's the best thing I've ever done for myself.
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