3.75

In addition to mowing the front yard...not an easy task....I went out to Rossview and did 3.75 miles with Candi.

The weather was nice and cool and we did our run at a comfortable pace. We ran it in 46:10.

Next run, we are going up to 4 miles!

Working Towards 10K

I have continued to work towards the Wilma Rudolph 10K in June. We are up to 4 mile runs. Tonight we ran 3.5 miles in 42:44.

This is a fairly easy pace, we can converse while we run but what I like is that I don't feel whipped at the end. It is just over a 12 minute mile. In an actual race, I would be going faster but for training runs, this is great.

Today being Monday, I weighed in. I am down but it is slow going. My husband says I look a lot better and thought I had lost a bunch of weight (I wish!) I know I should ignore the scale and go off of how I feel and look but geeze, I want to see a jump in the scale!

Thursday I am set to run 3.75 miles. That should be fun pushing two kids but I am determined to do it.

Purity's Moosic City Dairy Dash 5K Run

I had to be up and moving by 5:45 am this morning so Rhys kindly woke up at 5:15 am instead. ::::sigh::::

I met my group at the Wal-Mart parking and we went down to Nashville. The race was being held at MetroCenter so it was pretty easy to find.

We picked up our registration packet, complete with a pretty blue shirt, and then got our chips. I learned from last week and made sure that I used two ties to secure the chip to my shoe. I also double tied my shoes.

The course today was a nice, flat course and it was a beautiful day out. We started about 8:20 am and it was pretty hot when you were in the sun. The course went through an industrial area so there were a lot of trees lining the path...I made for the shade.

My pace was a little slower than last week. My chip time was 37:21 which made my pace 12:03. I placed 21st in my age group, 263rd for women and 555th overall. I was pretty pleased with the race.

Since all of us had finished except one, we headed back out on the course and met her about half a mile from the finish line. We stayed with her until right before the finish line. We cheered her in as she crossed the line.

After the race, we got some free stuff from Outback and waited for the awards ceremony. One of my running group, Yvonne, placed second in her age group (55-59). She wasn't going to get her medal but we told her she had to.

There was a photographer there and so Monday I will see if any pictures of me were taken. I think they got everyone crossing this finish line since I saw several photographers there when I cross.

My next group run will be on Tuesday when we will be doing 3.25 miles to prepare for the Wilma Rudolph Memorial 10K run in June.

I did it!

Even though I have neglected to check in for quite some time, I have not faltered in my program.

I continued doing my three times a week run with my group preparing for a 5K race on April 9th.

Wowie, it was a lot warmer on the 9th than it has been. It wasn't the temperature so much as the fact it was a beautiful, clear day with the sun beating down.

Race time was at 1 pm and I needed to get my chip before 12:50. I missed our last run so I was not sure where my group was, which was not good because I wanted to be with my pace buddies. I found them and got my chip and Kaity's chip. Nicholas opted out of the 5K at the last minute. After I put the chip on and walked 2 steps, it snapped off so I had a mild panic trying to get back to the registration table to get more zip ties to get it on my shoe so it wouldn't flop around.

Since I am far from a fast runner, I lined up near the back with the strollers. Greg was at the first corner to get pictures and after looking, I look near death just as much at the beginning of the run as I do at the end.

Right after the first hill, the unthinkable happened, my shoe became untied! Now, never during training was this ever a problem...I never had it come undone. You betcha I double tied then.

I am not sure if it was the heat or what but I felt totally whipped today. I actually walked a few minutes during the course, I have not walked during a run for weeks.

My times were:

• 1 mile 11:18
  
• 2 miles 23:40
  
• 3.1 miles 37:12 I am not displeased with it but since I know I could do better, I was a bit disappointed in myself.

In the week since the run, I have continued my three times a week run and have actually improved my time. I did a 5K on Thursday and I ran it in 36:20! That is the fastest I have run it.

Since apparently we are gluttons for punishment, a group of us are running a 5K in Nashville tomorrow morning. We have plans to run a 10K in June, we are currently starting to increase our weekly runs to accomodate the increased milage.

I will post my race results tomorrow.

5K!

While I have been slack in keeping up here, I have not been slack on the exercise front.

I have been meeting with my group three times a week. Tonight we ran 2.25 miles, I finished in 28:10 which puts me under a 13:00 minute mile!

We met down at APSU on Sunday and had planned to run 2 miles. The plan was to run on the actual 5K course, go out one mile and then turn around and go back again. Before we started, several of us talked about it and decided to try running the entire 3.1 miles.

We got the okay from the trainer so we set off. We finished the entire 3.1 miles in just under 39 minutes, which was just about a 13:00 minute mile. We were very pleased with our efforts.

I weighed in on Monday, I was at 212.2 lbs so I really need to change the fat-o-meter over there!

Less than 3 weeks to race day...eeek!

Wow!

Time just has a way of slipping past so quickly. I have good intentions of blogging and then get distracted. By the time I get around to doing it, weeks passed.

I have actually not sat idle the last few weeks. I have been faithfully going to the gym on Monday and Wednesday while doing group runs on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Our group has now started running in 1/2 mile legs. I feel pretty darn good that I can make that without stopping. I know I was running better than 2 miles at a shot but I think I am running maybe a wee bit faster in this method.

This week, tomorrow, we are meeting at a house so that we can be introduced to hills. Heh, come run in my neighborhood...that is all there is.

I have to brag on my 9 year old daughter. She normally runs in the mile fun run in the race, all my kids do. This is a major event that the schools promote. She said that she wanted to run the 5K. She didn't realize it was 3.1 miles so my husband took her out to show her. He let her lead the pace after telling her where to turn. That little gazelle made it in under 30 minutes!

My 10 year old wanted to try it but didn't quite make it. He has been in remission for leukemia for nearly 3 years but he still doesn't have the stamina of a regular 10 year old. I think he will just do the mile fun run.

Yes, it is Monday and yes, I did weigh myself. I am now down to 213.8 It is a loss of .6 lbs and I can *FINALLY* move the red in the fat-o-meter!

Ramblings

There is really no theme or specific reason for the posting today. I plan to jump around and hit several things.

Yesterday was the first of two mid week runs with my training group. We did 7 sets of 90 seconds of running with 75 seconds of walking. All total, we went 2.27 miles. I actually think the front runners went further. Since there is a large gap in the running abilities of everyone in our group, we get really spread out during the running bits. When we get to a certain point, Grant has the front runners turn around and go to the back of the last runner. This is done several times over the course of the run so I think we run a bit further since Grant stays mainly back with the slower runners. He does come forward to the front people though.

I find it interesting that I am consistantly one of the front runners. Why do I find it interesting? Mainly because I know I am ssslllloooowwww as a runner, I really am. I know this for a fact but I am still up front during the run. I am not trying to keep pace either, I am just going at my own speed.

I have mentioned that I am on a plateau and I wonder if some of it is from adding weights into my routine. Muscle weighs more than fat and I know I am down inches if not pounds. I know my pants are looser too. People have commented that I look better.

My oldest daughter was stunned when she saw me in early January. I was down 40 lbs from the last time she saw me in August. Now, before you think I have some miracle weight loss secret, no such luck. She saw me right after I had given birth and a good portion of that weight was baby weight.

We get so hung up on the scale number that we watch that almost to the exclusion of all other signs of change and improvement. It is funny because with my children, who are smaller than they "should" be, I am always saying that the doctor should look at the baby not the scale. I guess we should heed that advice as well, look at the person and not just the scale.

My lil man Rhys was not feeling well today so I ended up skipping the gym this morning. Following dinner, I did go out to the gym. I got in 25 minutes on the elliptical and did my weights.

Am I the only one who finds it ironic to watch people heading into the gym, presumedly to get in better shape, smoking their last cigarette in front of the door before they go in? Beyond the yuck factor, it seems just stupid to be smoking prior to going in for a workout.

Tonight, in the weight room, I was waiting on the Ab Cruncher machine. It is a popular machine so I usually have to wait for a break between people and dart in to do my little sets. There was a woman hogging it tonight, yes hogging it. She would do a few reps and take a break, do a few reps and take a break. I know that is what you are supposed to do but the thing that really irked me about this is that she was yakking on her cell phone (loudly and in spanish) the entire time!! Get off the phone and do your workout or get off the machine to let others do their work out. I don't mind waiting if someone is working out but I thought this was asking a bit much. I finally did get my Abs worked out when she finally got off both the phone and the machine.

I do most of my weight work on my arms/shoulders since David, the trainer, said that my running will tone and work my legs. I start with a lateral pull down doing 30 lbs, 3 sets of 10. By the time I get to the last two, bicep curl and shoulder press, I am at 20 lbs and 15 lbs. It depends on which machine is open as to which I do last. Tonight it was the bicep curl and let me tell you, it was WORK to get 3 sets of 12 with 20 lbs.

Tomorrow is another run day, we are meeting at a local high school and I think we will be doing a track run.