I survived Christmas

I ate a tonne of food, spent some time relaxing with family, and managed to only miss one run. You know considering the mayhem that the holidays can be, I'm pretty proud of that. The old Jenn would have blown it all off.

So yesturday I did my first 28 minute run. I won't lie. It was hard. I was tired. I am still coming off my junk food high. My body was not happy with the lack of good nutrients it has been receiving.. but like the trooper I am, I overcame. I do my next run this week tommorow... and I have a feeling it will be a bit easier. I always find the first run of the week the hardest, which I'm sure is no suprise to anyone following the program.

Let me just take a moment here to reflect on how far I've come. It's been 8 weeks.. that's only two months. So in September, I was a lump on my couch. By December I am running 28 minutes and 4.5 km's in half an hour. This is an amazing feat! It's been totally lifechanging for me. Ifeel better about everything. I hold my head higher, because I know I have this secret strength. I can run. I brag about it every chance I get, and revel when people oogle over my amazing ability. I used to be one of those who oogled over those runners.. and now I am one. I may not be the fastest, and I may not be the strongest, but I am a runner none the less..

I was always of the belief that good things will happen if you can learn to put yourself first enough to make yourself a priority. I am bad at this. I take care of the entire world, on a daily basis. I am the first one to lend an ear, money, sympathy, help to anyone in need.. especially those I love. This journey has been one of learned selfishness. 3 times a week, I make a dedication to me and me only. I do not let anyone interfere. Some of my friends have thought it funny how unflexible I am, but I know this is the most important thing in my life right now. I am going to acheive this goal.. and I almost have...

So I enter week 8 with a clear sense of the finnish line. I am not going to let anything get in my way. I am going to be a graduate in the new year! I can't think of a better way to enter the new year.

Slacking.

I've been slacking on the blogging.. and I appologize for that. Well this is mainly just an appology to myself since I only have a few readers. Anyway who reads it doesn't matter, this is more for myself to be able to look back on.

On Friday I did my first 25 minute run. I won't lie. It was hard. I threw the towl over the time display and went for it. I got through the run, but really felt it! By then end my knees were actually aching, and this is a first in all of the running I've done.

Yesturday I went again. Since this is the week of Christmas I am trying to squeeze in my runs. I have a feeling I won't be able to do my last run until Saturday. Anyway, I did my 25 minute run and this time it was easier. Don't get me wrong, I don't compare with with a leisurely stroll in the park. But it was definately easier. This is encouraging.

On the weight front. I kind of wished I hadn't payed attention to it, because now I feel myself obsessing again. I think I need to put the scale away where it is not accessible. Last week I didn't lose any weight and I felt dissapointed. I am only 9 pounds away from being within target range for BMI... And that is all I've been thinking about. I have to believe though that the weight will come as a result of the healthy lifestyle. And for crying out loud, its CHRISTMAS! I am going to eat and enjoy the goodies! So no, the weight loss may not be happening... but I also havent gained any weight.. so I guess its an even keel. There now you see the obessing first hand.. tonight I put the scale away and don't look at it again for a while. Maybe once a month...

Jenn.

A true blooded runner.

It just hit me today sitting here. I am a runner. No more walking.. No more intervals. From here on out I run the whole way. Tomorrow is my 25 minute run.. (Don’t worry I am going to drink AT LEAST a litre of water during the day!!)… And Next week, is all 25 minutes. And the week after that... 28 minutes... and the last and final week.. 30 minutes.

I am going to enter the New Year as a runner! How exciting as that. I will be able to run 30 minutes within the first week of the New Year! What a great way to start off the year!

The worst run yet.

Monday was tough.. but I made it through o.k. I did find it hard to go back to intervals after doing the longer run though. I can understand what everyone meant by that now on the forums, it was hard.

Tonight however.. tonight was dreadful. As bad as Monday's run was, todays was much worse.
I knew it was going to be tough from the get go. I had trouble doing the first ten minutes. I was tired, my legs were tired.. and my brain was trying to talk me out of it. But I plugged though. I came out of that run dripping in sweat ( I know gross!) The three minute recovery was o.k. But the next ten minute run, well that was harsh. I was sweating profusely again but I pushed though..

This may have been a mistake. I got off the treadmill feeling a bit wobbly... Then I felt sick. Immediately I knew I was dehydrated, and grabbed a bottle of water. I realised I had only had 500 ml today. I usually drink a litre to a litre and a half a day especially on a run day. Thankfully I did get that water because I was NOT feeling good at all.

So Friday I will drink a tonne of water before that run!

Added bonus!

I kinda thought my pants were a bit loose, but hadn't really stepped on a scale.

I am down about 5.5 pounds.

This means I've lost about a pound a week, which is perfect!! To get into my target BMI range I needed to lose about 10 pounds, so I'm halfway there.

For fun I went to try on pants one size down from what I normally wear, I could get them on and zip and button!! But there were still a little too snug around my hips for my comfort, so I'll hold off on buying new clothes a size down for now. Lost weight last year and I knew it was time to go down a size when my pants would literally start to fall down on me and I contemplated a belt!

This is exciting. I am not looking to lose a lot of weight. I have that classic curvy figure. And I love that about me, I will never be stick thin. But to lose that ten pounds and be where I should be in BMI, lose maybe one pant size.. now that would be awesome!

Jenn

Booh Yeah!

Today I finnished week 5.. that means 20 MINUTES!

I won't lie.. it was hard! I put on an audio book, and covered the time on the treadmill and went for it.. I wanted to quit about halfway through.. I was literally dripping in sweat.. and at the end I got a nasty side stitch.. but I pushed through..

This is the most exciting moment in the journey so far. I have not been able to run 20 minutes since college. And that my friends is over 5 years ago. This feels better then it did back then, because I've worked so hard for this.

And you know what.. I'm going to finnish this.. I can see myself becoming a life long runner, I'm becoming addicted!

Jenn

Tis the Season

To eat a lot of junk. Man, it seems like good tempting food is everywhere. And I have to admit, I have indulged. I am trying, and I went shopping yesturday and stocked up on a lot of fruit and veggies. On my off run days I'm the worst. The days I'm running I know I need some good energy and lots of water so I've gotten better.

Last nights run well it felt hard. I'm using the word "felt" because according to my nike + its right up there as my second best run yet. I am really focusing on trying to slow it down. I know I push myself too hard. I am my own worst enemy and am highly competative with myself. I am actually thinking of dropping the nike + tracking so I do not have a clue how far I am going.. but I want to be able to look back a year from now and see how far I've progressed. And I am seeing progress... and this ultimately is encouraging.

Tommorow is that 20 minute run! I won't lie, I'm nervous about it. But I know that's all in my head, and I am sure I can do it.

Jenn

Think before you type.

Yesturday I meant 5 minute recoveries, but typed 3.. why I don't know. This is a Jenn quirk. I do this kind of thing all the time. Those who know me well would happily attest to the fact.

So I went and did the run. I didn't want to. I was exhausted from sleep deprivation due to circumstances not within my control (I won't rant about it here!). But I went and did it anyway. I decided to try listening to an audio book to see how I liked that, and it was o.k. I might do that again. We'll see how I feel tommorow. I might create a playlist with uppity type songs in case. I think I may have abandoned the podcasts all together now. It's good to have in case I need them, but I can time so easily on the treadmill might as well enjoy my own stuff.

Anyway back to the runs.. the whole point of this thing. The 5 minute runs were a lot easier last night. This is encouraging for me. My gym time is almost an hour though between the runs, changing and stretching. I take a lot of time to stretch, usually around 20 minutes. I have found this has really really really helped. I havent had a sore muscle yet!!

Anyway, tommorow is up to 8 minute runs.. heres hoping I can do it!

Jenn.

Monday Monday

I think Mondays are my worst days. On a Monday all I want to do is go home and curl up in bed with a good book. I do not want to go and run on a treadmill.

I did get some consolation this morning when I looked at the program for today. I'm sure the 5 minute runs will be no walk in the park, but the 3 minute recovery is going to make it a lot easier. Honestly my recovery time is really only about a minute then I feel ready to go again.. so the 3 minutes will be an awesome recovery.

This is the first week where the run changes each day too.. I'm a little nervous about that, since I'm used to the same old all the way through. I guess I'll let you know end of this week how it went!

Jenn.

Finnished week 4 with triumph!!

So yesturday I knocked out the last run of week 4.

I made sure to get plenty of sleep. I also drank a lot of water so I felt prepared as I got on the treadmill. I have to admit the first run was brutal, I didn't know how I was going to complete it. But I pushed through, and it got a bit easier on the next run. I completed the run, then checked the numbers on my nike +, and it was the best run yet! BOO YEAH! This has made me VERY excited for next week.. I can do it!

Jenn

When the going gets tough

Just keep going.

This was pretty much my mantra today, I think I said it a thousand times during todays run. I didn't sleep well last night, and I was very dehydrated.. So as you can see it was not a great start for a run day!

But I didn't let any excuse break my commitment. I hit the gym after work and hopped on that treadmill. And I was feeling it. The music grated on my nerves even more today. Sorry Robert, you other weeks have been fine, it just seems to be this week and coupled with my grumpiness from being tired.. yeah.. I was ready to chuck my ipod across the room. Anyway, I focused on the distance on the tread mill and kept pushing myself to do the next little bit.

So lesson learned, Sleep and water are important! I made sure to replenish my fluids and I'm off to bed once I finnish this post. One more day of week 4, then I'm in week 5 looking at the 20 minutes!

Jenn

Week 4 started

So after my little shoe fiasco, I went home found the shoe put on my gym clothes and headed to the gym for the run. I really wasn’t feeling it, but decided I needed to go anyway, no excuses!

So I get on the treadmill and I’m really dreading the first run. I decide to just take it easy go at an easy pace since I knew this run was a lot more running then I was used to. So the first 3 minute run starts and surprisingly I find it easy! Now just last Friday when I was doing this same interval I thought it was so hard! I took it a little slower then my usual pace and really focused on breathing. I came out of the 3 minutes feeling pretty good! I was even more scared of the first 5 minute run, but again it seemed to pass fairly easy! I think I will enjoy listening to my own music once I get done with the program, as I did find the music a little grading on this weeks podcasts, but other than that, I came through the 5 minute fairly nicely albeit a bit tired! I did the recovery and did the second round of runs and this is where I found it a bit more difficult.. especially the last 5 minute! But I pushed through, and really pushed the last minute of running. I was pretty proud of myself when I finished that run! I can actually start seeing the progress and really see that yes, I will be able to do the 5K!

In other news I have no Yoga until January now and I really miss it. I have some podcasts that I mean to do, from yogamazing. http://www.yogamazing.com. They even have one for runners which I will probably try on Thursday. They also have a morning one which I should really start doing to get me moving in the morning! But I haven’t got myself out of bed early enough for that yet! I do some yoga poses after the runs which I find are really great for stretching out. I never thought I would be one of those yoga people, but I have to admit it’s balanced out nicely with the running.

Cheers,

Jenn

Oh Mondays!

Sometimes I have to wonder about how I manage to get through a day.

I am getting ready this morning, I throw my stuff into a knapsack, grab my coffee, and am on my way. This is pretty together for me, considering it's a Monday morning! So here I am about halfway through my day, when I get this sudden idea I should check my bag.

Work out pants-check. workout shirt-check. towl-check. water-check. shoes-che...wait a minute!
I have one shoe. Just one running shoe. Now I don't remember taking my shoes out of the bag on Friday, but maybe I did. So now I don't know if I left the shoe at home, or at the gym! If I left it at the gym it's probably gone because my gym is horrible. I would call to ask them, but they are so useless, they probably wouldn't be able to check it for me. I may still call and see if I can get someone to check the lost and found for me. That will tell me if I have to go home to get it or can go right to the gym.

Grr to Mondays!

Jenn