See Fluffy Run

Relationship Status: It's Complicated

2011-07-18T04:51:00.000-07:00

It is 6:51 am, post boot camp and shower and I would have to say I still love boot camp. But it is an odd thing, this boot camp. I have never had such a complicated relationship with a workout routine. Usually, I just always hate it or always love it. Wait, I have never loved it. I have loved aspects of it and had some really good days but I have never loved it.

But boot camp is like giving birth. There is alot of pain and struggle during labor but afterwards...there is just love and a story. I wake up in the morning and my first thought...hang on...let's go back a few hours. I go to bed each night and think, "man it is so late, I should just skip boot camp. I can miss one day." And I purposely don't check my IPhone alarm app to see if the alarm is set. I figure I can use it as an excuse for why I didn't get up.

But thankfully my husband has to be at work at 4:45 each morning and he is not quiet about getting ready. As a matter of fact, I think he is noisy on purpose. But by the time he leaves I am just enough awake to warrant a potty break. And I figure, since I am up, I will get dress for boot camp. Even that is still negotiable at this point. "Oh, no I can't find an exercise bra...guess I can't go. " And then, "I can't find matching socks so I can't go." I do this all the way out the door. And today I was able to add, "They blocked the main road and the detour is 10 minutes out of my way." But I still go.

As I race into the parking lot (because all my negotiating with myself has made me late). I start to get excited. And by excited I mean, it's too late now to turn around. But I get out, place my mat on the ground, put the weights down, get my sweat rag out, take a big swig of water and start to stretch.

Our warm up is always a run somewhere. We run around the church, around the track, to the gym or gasp, around the block. Now remember, running is a technique and not a pace. And my pace...slower than some people who are walking the warm up. And I do this without any music so I can actually hear myself gasping for my next breath. I am not use to that. But I learn to gasp in rhythm and whisper in cadence...you can do it, yes you can, you can do it, you can you can you can...and then all I can get out is one syllable...can, can, can, can.

As the work out continues I am bombarded by many thoughts:
You can do this.
You can't do that.
You want me to do what?
Oh my Gosh, I am doing it.
I have to stop....
I'll stop in 10 seconds.
I can stop now and no one will say anything.
If I close my eyes, I can think about my happy place.
If I close my eyes, I think I will pass out.
I don't bend that way.
I did it.
I wasn't last.
I wasn't first to fall.
This is gonna hurt tomorrow.
This was easier than I thought.
This hurts more than I thought it would .

All these thoughts go through my head while I am there. Outwardly, I think I am the only one groaning and talking to myself...but who cares.

But when all is said and done and I am driving home and I see that I burnt 600 calories in one hour and I feel the strength in my arms as I turn the steering wheel or the muscles in my legs as I walk up the driveway, I know boot camp loves me and I love it back.

He had me at chocolate

2011-06-09T11:35:00.000-07:00

My mother always said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. To get to my heart, you have to pass my sweet tooth. So I was so excited when my boot camp leader said that a great inexpensive recovery drink was chocolate milk. Of course he suggested 1% milk, which is just FINE with me. It is high in protein and the sugar in the chocolate will raise your glucose which can become low after a work out.

I knew then that I was at the right place...TexasBootCamp. I was nervous at my first session. I imagined people yelling and cursing at me. I imagined that it was pouring and that I would be shivering in the cold rain. I imagined crawling through mud and holding a log over my head for hours on end. Then I realized...that was GI Jane.

Don't get me wrong, boot camp is tough but it is full of words of encouragement and praise. Michael plays Toby Mac and we end in prayer. I absolutely love it! It is tough. I won't lie. My legs hurt, my arms ache and my core muscles are sore but as my daughter says, "it's not pain, its progress."

Meet my friends Shame, Comfy and Fear

2011-02-24T06:32:00.000-08:00

I have been frustrated with my pace lately. By now I should be running circles around others. I don't know who those "others" are but I should be running circles around them. But I think I have become comfortable with my pace.

Now I love a comfy couch, a comfy bed and comfy chair. But I don't think my workouts should be comfy. Working out is about getting stronger and healthier and that takes breaking down muscle to build them back up again. There is nothing comfy about breaking down something. I mean comfy is what got me to where I am now...fluffy and unhealthy. Comfy says to sit on the couch and watch a good movie. Comfy says it is easier to sleep in than get up and work out. Comfy says it is easier to grab a few pieces of chocolate as oppose to a few pieces of fruit. Yes, comfy can be our enemy.

But comfy loves company. My comfy loves fear. Each day during my 3 day, I made note of how I felt during mile 15. I was tired. My feet hurt, my legs ached and I was just tired. And I told myself..."If you feel like this after 15 miles of walking, how are you going to feel after 13 miles of running?" You see, I had signed up a 1/2 mary in January. And well after my 3 day, Fear joined Comfy as my companions.

They became good friends. One would convince me that the bed was too comfy and the other would convince me that I couldn't do it. And they did this until 1 day before the run, when I went to pick up my race packet. Yeah you heard me, I picked up my race packet and went to the expo. Look, I may not be running but I want my t-shirt!

It was at the expo that Comfy and Fear met their bigger brother, Shame. Yes, I felt shame as I picked up my packet, knowing darn well I wasn't running. I felt shame as I went from booth to booth looking at things and people looking at me like "what are you doing here?". A few months ago I would have held my head high and said, "yeah I am fluffy but I am a runner!". Now, all I could do is agree.

And the next morning as I met all my friends to cheer them on during the race, Shame stood next to me. As my friend that just jumped back from a bad MS episode where she was blind and couldn't walk for long periods of time, came out dressed to run as much of the 1/2 mary as possible, Shame clung to me. She made it 6 miles, then had to SAG. But she had the courage to start and isn't that what Bingham says? The miracle is not that I finished but I had the courage to start?

So I am starting over. I want to increase my speed and get my passion back. I am going to attempt C25K again but at a faster pace. I am going to break out of comfy running (slower pace) and break into pushing myself.

I am doing WW also. Now I have been a member since 2009. I haven't followed the program but I have been a member. Well I started counting my points and realized...I eat alot. I eat more than I realized. It has been a week and so far so good. I am within points and I have lost 2 pounds. I figure I will be able to run faster if I have less weight to carry.

A week from now

2010-10-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

A week from now I will be with thousands of women and men...walking 60 miles for breast cancer. I can't wait. I think I am prepared mentally. I have trained, sacrificed and at times cried on my journey. I am not worried about pace or breathing but walking and enjoying the day. And when I walk, I reflect. I reflect on all the women I have met these past few months that have shared their stories with me. They have honored with the names of loved one that have fought this battle. I will wear their names on ribbons on my TUTU. I hope to share it with you this weekend. Next weekened I will Facebook my journey. I hope you will join me.

Enjoying the rewards

2010-09-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

In my other life, I love paper crafts. I love making mini albums and giving them away. I love scrapbooking and recording stories for my future grandchildren. And best of all...I love shopping for scrapping stuff. so when HSN announced they were going to have 24 hours of scrapping...well HELLO. I was going to be up for the whole event..that started at midnight.

So I started watching at 11pm CST. And when I got tired, I remembered that I can watch from my bed via my Iphone HSN application. So I forced myself to stay up until 2am. Then I had to be up at 4am to get my daughter ready for school and to get prepared for my 5 miler. I really didn't want to do it. And I mean I was so tired that I wasn't even going to make an excuse...I was just going to not do it...who cares?

Well the truth is, it shouldn't matter if my husband cares, my daughter cares or even that you care. (However, it matters to me if all these people do care). But there is something within that forces a person to believe it matters to themselves. And today it mattered to me. I needed to do it for me. I mean, it was my own dang fault that I went to bed so late.

And thank goodness I went. I love that time to myself. And when I reached my halfway point, the sun blessed me with his presence. Hello Sunshine!

The new Nike GPS...it doesn't get any better

2010-09-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, I told you I would be back with more information. I took my Nike GPS out for a test drive and I have to say....I am in love. I don't wear Nike shoes, much less Nike+ shoes and apparently, Nike heard us loud and clear. They could make so much more money if they would just acknowledge not everyone wants to wear Nike but many people want to use Nike+.

I honestly don't know what took so long to get to this point. People like MapMyRun and RunKeeper have been using the GPS technology built into Apple's Iphone for years...so why not them? But in any case, they have produced a GPS Nike+ and it works great.

Now this post is going to be pretty picture heavy. But I want you to see what it involves.

1) When you first open your application, you will see your total miles. My only gripe about this is that you don't see all your accumulative miles from the original Nike +. Which doesn't make sense to me since I use my same log in for Nike GPS.

2) If you choose "Start a new run". You get the above screen and you are able to choose a run by a time, distance or calorie, very similar to Nike +. It has preset goals or you can create a custom one.

3) Why you would only run a complete 5 minutes is beyond me but you can.

4) This screen if very familiar with those who have Nike+. You choose your playlist and location. If you choose outdoors, the GPS will track you. If you choose indoors, the GPS still runs but the accelerometer technology tracks your treadmill runs.

5) Once you finish your run, you can see your route, record how it felt with a smiley icon, the weather, what type of terrain and journal about it. I am not sure how many characters are allowed in the journaling area but I don't plan to write a novel from my IPhone. (See the little quote box on the top right? If you hit that button, you will hear an elite athlete tell you how great you did. I am really loving that feature.

6) But one of the best features is that you can view your run by mileage or pace. You can see where you slowed down or sped up. You can see where you hit your mile markers. Sure there is not much you can do with this visual but it is cool anyway.

The user interface is still the same online is still the same and provides the same information as it did with the original Nike+. You still get motivational congratulations from top athletes. And yep, you guessed it. Your little cartoon can still run on your blog or facebook when you run. You can still set up challenges and earn bragging rights on your facebook page etc.

I guess you could say I am a happy camper or should I say happy runner.

NIke is working...more later

2010-09-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

Ok I am so excited to share with you the new app from Nike plus the Nike GPS..OMG!! I have so much to tell you guys but I am at work. Suffice it to say, you can do so much more with this little application. I will post more information when I get off of work...

Still not a morning person

2010-09-03T03:52:00.000-07:00

Getting up at 4 am Monday-Friday does not make me a morning person. It makes me a person that has to get up at 4am for my daughter. So, needless to say, this non morning person would like to sleep in on Saturday. But alas, I cannot because that is the day scheduled for my long wog.

In the Texas heat, I have to be out of the house by 5am if I don't want to burn up during my wog. But I want one day of sleeping in until, dare I say 7 am? (You have got to understand that my weekends use to be spent sleeping until 11 am or noon). So this week I came up with a brilliant idea. I am going to switch up my running schedule. Why not make my long wogs during the week? I mean I am up anyway...why not be productive? So I shifted my schedule up two days so that my long wogs are during the week, Saturday is my DOR and Sunday is a short wog. Perfect!!!

I am loving it. Yesterday I did 7 miles in the morning and loved it. I started out so early that I stopped to take pictures, video, did some stretching on the beach (well it has no sand but it is on the shore line) and then I came home. What a wonderful way to start out my day.

Well hello, Sleepyhead

2010-08-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

Is what I said the sun when I saw it stretch its rays over the trees as if he was stretching to get ready for the day. My day had started two hours before when I walked to my daughters room to wake her up for school at 4:30 in the morning. But now it was 6:30 and I was out on the trails.

When I started this blog, there were a few things I said I would never do. I would never get up before the sun and run. I would never run if I felt a slight bit of discomfort. I would never run outside. Well here I was, up before the sun and wogging. Up before the sun and wogging with a knee that is not 100%. Up before the sun and wogging with a knee that is not 100%, on the trails. Whuda thunk it?

As a matter of fact, my goal today is to buy a reflector vest because I want to be able to run in the dark. I still think I am crazy.

Honey I shrunk the...

2010-08-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was feeling really good so I did my four mile route instead of my scheduled three mile route. I prefer the four mile because I am awarded with the view of the ocean. Whereas, my only reward for the three mile is a small glimpse of the ocean around the corner. Maybe, I should back up a bit. My view is not of clear blue water and white sand. No, it's the Gulf of Mexico for Pete's sake. So it is murky brown and there is no sand in sight. It goes from thicket to water in less than five feet.

So as I coming around the bend to the ocean, I looked up and realized, I look like I have been shrunken and I am surrounded by blades of grass. So I had to take a picture.

Doesn't that look like tall grass? Next time I will have to film all the crabs that crawl near me as I approach the water.

In any case, I did my four miles and didn't worry about my pace. For the first time ever, I didn't wear my HRM. There is such a freedom in wogging when you no longer worry about your pace but just enjoy the time out on the trails. I need to enjoy it while I can because I was one of the "lucky" people that one a spot in the Aramco Houston 1/2 mary in January. But I will save that story for another day.

Hill work

2010-08-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Some of my fondest memories of being a kid come from Hermann park. I remember they had this slight hill and we would grab a piece of cardboard and slide down the hill. If we couldn't find some cardboard then we just rolled down the hill. Ahhh those were the days. Going to Herman Park was special. Hills were special.

My husband laughs at us in flat Houston. Once while in Galveston, we went to a Pizza Hut that was off of the beach. It was elevated from the sea level on a little mound of land. That little mound of land created a 2 foot hill. You should have seen all the children rolling down for two feet. You see, we are so flat in southeast Texas that any little hill thrills us.

However, my 60 miler is in Dallas and it isn't as flat as Houston so I need to get some hillwork into my training. Hence the trip to the gym yesterday. I did the treadmill and watched TV. I did hillwork during the commercials of America's Funniest Videos and did speed work during the show. I have to say the treadmill is alot more pleasant at the gym and I love that I have my own TV to watch in front of my treadmill.

So my training is coming along. My knee feels better...except you shouldn't try to do MC Hammer hammer time when you are trying to nurse your knee. That is all I am saying, that is all I am saying.

SHHH I have a secret!!!

2010-08-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

I am not suppose to be running. I am suppose to be walking. I am training for a 60 miler...I need to walk. I can't keep running because let's face it, I have not done a 1/2 mary...I definitely am not going to do a 100K before I do a 1/2 mary. But my snobby self (yes I admit it and I am ashamed), won't let me just walk.

And my knee is retaliating. I am icing it 3 times a day and taking ibuprofen but I can still feel it. Driving even seems to aggravate it.

It's just crazy...this need to run. Where did that come from? I don't know but I like it.

And all that Jazz!

2010-08-07T10:35:00.001-07:00

While I am nursing my knee, I think I am going to have to do my wogging on the treadmill. My fear is that something will happen while I am on the trail and I won't be able to get back home. So the dreadmill it is.

I do love a few things about my treadmill. I get to travel light. No water bottle in my hand or phone on my arm. Oh, and I love wogging in 75 degree temperatures and not 90 degree with high humidity. Awkward moment...I am staring at my strange friend and I can't think of another good thing that I love about it. But sometimes it is an evil necessity.

Today as I prepared my to do my run, I went to my On Demand channel on my TV and looked for a good movie to watch. After several minutes...minutes I felt like I was wasting...I decided to watch Chicago. I love Richard Gere. I have had a secret crush on him since American Gigilo. Sure I was only ten at the time and he was thirty but baby, I thought he was hot. So I hit play on the TV and start on the treadmill and off I went. Well I didn't go anywhere, it was a treadmill but you get the idea.

I have never smiled so much and jazzed hands as much as I did during the movie. I really need to start video taping myself because I am sure I looked ridiculous. I think the first time I looked down at the treadmill, one mile was out of the way. Hallelujah! I did a mile on the treadmill without cursing the machine. More singing and jazz hands and mile two is done, then three and then 4 and then....darm treadmill...it stopped for know reason. Ok so the treadmill is over 10 years old but that is no reason for it to stop completely for no reason and jerk my knee. Besides, I promised myself I would not go over 4 miles and it was already 4.6 miles.

So 4.6 miles for this morning. I may get on again today. I really want to but I am suppose to be nursing this knee. Who knows.

Maybe I should listen to my body

2010-08-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

Well considering I was feeling really off on Tuesday's wog, my Wednesday and Thursday seemed to have been affected by it. My right knee is feeling a bit of a strain. So I have been taking IB and icing it and keeping it elevated on a pillow. The 3Day site has some wonderful training advice and says I should do this for a week.

So for the next week, I will only do four miles a week and then resume my training. I hate doing that but if I don't then I will probably become more injured and my goal isn't to run X amount of miles this week. My goal is to be healthy enough to walk 60 miles in November. And being healthy means getting the miles in but not injuring myself at the same time. So while this may really feel like a major set back in my mind, I have to stay focused on the real goal and realize it is small.

I have to remember this is a lifetime change and not just a seasonal one. So I will scale down for a week and start up again next week. Knees don't fail me now!

I'm Tired The good and the bad

2010-08-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

So Saturday I set out for a quick four miles. I was having breakfast with my sister and my dad so I didn't have much time to wog (walking + jogging). So I went out for a quick one. I felt as if I was flying. Despite the heat, I had so much energy. I was keeping up with some others on the trail and really enjoying my playlist. Who knew it could be this easy?

Well on Sunday I think I was scared of the mileage that was scheduled: 10 miles. So I got up before church and did the yard. I am sure the neighbors appreciated the lawn mower so early in the morning but it had to be done and I needed a reason to not do 10 miles. The idea of a double digit run just scares me but I need to do it.

So today I did 4 miles. The good news is that I did 4 miles instead of the scheduled 3 miles. I think I was feeling guilty about missing my run on Sunday. So I went out and got going. As I left the house, my legs felt like lead. I thought they would feel better after a mile or so but no. They just felt heavier. I felt heavy. I giggle at that statement. Fluffy feels heavy. Anyway, as I trudge down the trails I start to sing to myself "I'm Tired" as sung by Lilly Von Schtupp in Blazing Saddles. I even have the accent down as I trudge alone. And I am going slow..to the pace of the song and I look down and my HRM states I need to raise my HR but I'm Tired....Tired of running the trail....just so tired.

It's a dirty job and I'm a dirty girl

2010-07-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

I must have still been asleep when I left on my run this morning. It did not register that the ground was a bit wet, which indicates that there was a rain during the night. So when I hit the trail, it was muddy. I am not talking just a little damp but it had puddles that were too big for me to jump.

I must have looked ridiculous when I was trying to find the highest point within each puddle so that I could minimize the amount of mud I would encounter. Let's face it, I looked silly for nothing because I was muddy. The more puddles I encountered, the more I got dirty. Then I realized, hey I am earning my stripes. My rings of mud around my ankles and splashes of dirty water on my calves were my medals. Yes, I had been validated.

By the time I turned around and starting to run home, I just splashed as much as I could. Again, I must have still been asleep because when I got home, I realized that these muddy socks, shoes and bottoms needed to be washed. And I am the only one that is going to do it. Sigh. Oh well....another 3 miles on the books.

I also want to take a moment to thank all of those who are supporting my 60 miler training. It really means alot to me and the millions of women that are fighting for a chance to be cancer free. Thank you.

21 Miles in one week I burst my bubble!

2010-07-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

OK Ok I can't believe it. I did 21 miles in one week. I did then during a week that I missed a workout. I don't know what to say but "Thank you, Thank you. I would like to thank Couch to 5K for giving me a program that was doable and helped me believe in myself. I would like to all the women on the Heavy Weight Runners board at Weight Watchers and all the people on 200+ club at active.com. You guys are such an encouragement to me and I don't think I would have been able to do this alone.

Yesterday I did 8 miles. That is the most I have ever done in one day. And I really felt the last mile or so. When I got home I fell asleep in the whirlpool tub as the jets pounded my sore legs. And two weeks ago I did 7 miles, which was at the time, the longest wog ever and it killed me. But today I felt good. I was a bit tired but all in all I was good. As a matter of fact, yesterday I was quite stiff but I woke up this morning ready to go.

And I have discovered something about myself these past few weeks. Each mile is like a bubble. In the midst of each new mile, I enter a new bubble. As I enter that new mile, I push through it with everything I have. I did that for the first 400 yards, the first 800 yards, the first mile, second mile and so on and so on. But I learned that once I push through and pop that bubble each time I encountered that mile in the future, it seemed easier and easier. So that now 400 yards is nothing, a mile is just a casual short distance, two miles is a walk in the park. So if you are just starting out or training for an ultra...the principle is the same, once you burst that bubble, that distance will seem easier next time.

MapMyRun.com - Training Log for SeeFluffyRun

2010-07-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

MapMyRun.com - Training Log for SeeFluffyRun

Sometimes a cloud is a silver lining

2010-07-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

I would say that I woke up late today but who am I kidding. To say I woke up late implies that I normally wake up earlier. But I can't seem to get my rear into gear before 6am. And I have no idea how or why it takes me so long to get read in the morning. All I do is wash my face, brush my teeth, pull my hair back in a bondiband (if you haven't tried one of these bands for your hair...run to get one), fill my water bottle, put on my clothes, strap on my HRM, grab my phone, turn on my nikeplus or mapmyrun, turn on my HRM, drown in some mosquito repellent and head out the door.

But I finally hit the streets about 7 am. I really thought it was raining outside because the it was not as light as usual. But it was just a small cluster of clouds holding back the sun. Oh, how I loved those small clouds. Instead of running in 85 to 90 degree weather...it was a frigid 75 degrees. Can you even imagine the joy I felt running in July in Texas and it wasn't terribly hot and sticky? I was ecstatic.

There were quite a few people on the trails today. The Leukemia society was training on the trails. How did I know? They were all wearing their shirts...Team TNT. And it was then I realized that I need to get some shirts or personalized Bondibands that say "Tutu in Training" (TIT...get it?) or "Ask my why I am running or walking?" So that is next on my agenda...get some advertisement for my cause.

The plan was to do the four mile loop near my house, come home, change my socks and do another four miles. And that is what I did. Apparently I was going too slow for the clouds and they got tired of holding back the sun because the abandoned me in the last two miles of my run/walk. I never know what to call what I am doing. I run part of it and walk part of it. In any case, as I was contemplating my fate with the sun and realized my silver lining was the cloud, I realized that cancer was the same way for me.

I always describe my life with two major time points: before and after Christ and before and after Cancer. It is hard for me to separate them because my discovery of salvation was almost at the same time of my cancer. In any case, cancer is always thought about with a bit of a smile. While don't wish it on anyone, I wouldn't take it out of my life. During that time, I learned what is important in life....and it isn't the IPhone 4G or the bigger house or the size of pants I would love to wear or that much wanted pay raise. No it is about bigger things like children, husbands, parents, brothers, sisters and my relationship with my God. There was joy during my journey. The cloud became my silver lining.

So 8 miles were completed today and it felt great. Well, at the time it wasn't great. By the time I got home, I was very hot and tired. I tore off my clothes, turned on the whirlpool tub and jumped in and just laid there and let the jets massage my body. It was great and it lasted an hour. I then jumped into the shower then jumped into bed for a nap. (I mean...heck I was up at 6am on a Saturday...I deserved the nap).

Tomorrow I have 7 miles on the training schedule. And I will get up early to do it. Funny, when I started this running journey, I said I would never become one of those freaks that get up at the crack of dawn to run...well here I am ....getting up at the crack of dawn for a run.

On a side note: My IPhone 4 has a glitch and I cannot use Nikeplus to track my mileage so I am using Mapmyrun. While it uploads to face book, it does not upload to blogger. So until an update comes out on Nike site or Nikeplusedit starts working again, my girl is going to talk smack to me. But that is okay...I know what I have done.

Swamp Land and enjoying the journey.

2010-07-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Did you know Sam Houston moved the capitol of Texas to Houston in 1837. In 1839 it was moved to its current location, Austin. It is rumored it was moved because Houston was too swampy. And I believe it.

This morning I took off for my 5 mile run and I took my usual route and was surprised at how much of my trail is surrounded by water. Now, I am not talking about water in a distance or a lake nearby. I mean that if I step one inch off the path, I will be standing in water. There were little crabs crawling across the path. It was kinda funny and kinda scary. It is hard to run when you constantly have to jolt to the left or to the right. I was worried about twisting my knee or my ankle.

Along with the crabs and the water, there was this funky smell. I am assuming it was coming from the marsh. All I know is that it wasn't me. But I still enjoyed it. I don't know if I have shared before but years ago I heard an audio from Zig Ziglar, How to Get what you Want. The book was one of the first non-fiction books I ever read, uh I mean heard. But I remember him saying "You do not pay the price for success, you enjoy the price of success." I now understand what he means. Each time I go on a run, I discover new things on the trail. Sometimes, they are external, like the crabs or the rush of a tide coming in. Sometimes it is internal, like a new PR or just time to talk to God or realize that my body can do more than I ever expected.

Today I thought I would share an external one. The trail was surrounded by water because I happen to be running on the trail just as the tide is coming in. Before I moved to my little town by the water, I had never experienced this phenomenon. You see, when the tide comes in, it comes in suddenly. You will hear a low rumble that almost sounds like a whisper in the water. Then you start to notice that the land that was once visible is filling up with water and it is filling up quite quickly. You will notice the water rush past you and fill up the once muddy piece of land and turn it into a water way. So today when I reached the bay, I heard the whisper and watched as the water rushed in. I decided to record a bit of it for you guys. I consider this a part of me enjoying the price.

If you are on the fence about running outside, don't be. You are going to miss a lot of enjoyment. If I never took the runs outside I would have never seen this today.

It still amazes me

2010-07-17T21:44:00.001-07:00

I was reviewing my runs from last year and the beginning of this year and I am still amazed. I am still amazed that your body will respond, if you just ask it. Until I started to train for this 3 day thing, I mentally told myself that I could not go further than 2.11 miles. Seriously...2.11 miles. I don't know where I got that number but that was the magic number.

So each day I would go out and leave my neighborhood and take a right. I would make the loop and come home and my Nike plus would read 2.11 miles. And I was good with that. And that is okay. If that is what you do or you are still working up to that mileage...its all good. My point is that I was okay with staying with that mileage for months. I didn't try to grow. I think I thought I was all grown up.

But when I looked at my training for the 3day, I just accepted that it was what I had to do. I didn't question it or doubt my ability. When some expert somewhere says..."Hey, here is what you are capable of and just follow these steps." I just say, "ok".

So I said okay and now I am doing 3 miles on my "short" runs. Go figure. All I am saying is that you shouldn't limit yourself. Believe in yourself and your abilities and you will be amazed at what your body is capable of doing.

2010-07-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday I went on my longest wog ever. I call it a wog because I walked the first four miles and ran the last three. I think I should have ran first but I needed to know that I could reserve enough energy to make it back to my car.

Because this was my longest wog ever, I decided to make it special. I drove thirty minutes away to Galveston and parked my car at my sister's place. She lives a half mile from the sea wall. Now, I have never experienced mosquitos at the beach. I guess it is because mosquitos don't grow in salt water. However, they apparently grow great in grassy fields half mile from the ocean. So my first half mile was miserable. I have never seen so many mosquitos. Including the time I experienced the Battle of Seabrook. But I just prayed it would not be the same when I got to the seawall.

And thankfully, the mosquitos hate the ocean. So as I walked and listened to my book, Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker. If you have not read it...it is a good read. As I walked, I realized that mosquitos hate the beach but the sun, well the sun doesn't care. It just kept beating down on me. When I left the house, it was 78 degrees. By the time I started to walk it was 84 degrees and by the time I started running, it was 92 degrees.

My water became warm in my hands, I experienced horrible chaffing from my bra, and I started to dehydrate. I realized I stopped sweating at about mile 5 and started to have goose bumps at about mile 6. That is not a good thing. Next time I am going to take money with me so that I can buy some cold water on my run.

So my first seven miler is on the books and 40 miles completed in my training. Look out 3 day here I come!

Happy 5 on the 4th!

2010-07-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July everyone! I went to Hooters last night to watch Lesnar vs. Carwin. It was a good fight in one respect but seemed rig in another respect. Either way, it was a great date night for my husband and me but it left me tired this morning. So I slept in and did not run outside. Which is okay. It has been raining alot lately and I had a feeling the trails were going to be mud in some places.

So I watched Hot Tub Time Machine and did my 5miles on the treadmill. Thank goodness for the movie and my wireless headset for my TV. I was able to keep entertained while training. And I didn't have to crank up the volume on my TV to hear the movie. (I know my family appreciates it.)

So week 2 of training is on the books. And I have 30 miles completed for my walk. I only have 524 miles to go.

Now a word from our sponsors

2010-07-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

OK OK not really. But today is a cross training day and it is raining so I really have nothing to report so I thought I would share a blog post from someone else. She has graciously allowed us to repost it.

Many of you have seen me wandering around the Internet, hat in hand, begging for money to find a cure for breast cancer, jabbering something about "The Three Day". Once in a while, though, I've had to be reminded that the average person has NO IDEA what this thing I'm talking about actually IS.

So here's a go at answering that question: "What is the 3-Day"?

Let me start by saying, what is it NOT?
It's not a race.

I happened to be wearing a "Susan G. Komen 3-Day For The Cure" shirt at church the other day and had a fellow churchgoer look at me and ask "Have you been in the race?" I suspect she was thinking of the Race for the Cure, which is also Komen-affiliated, but not the same thing. The Race is a 5K fitness run; the 3-Day is about twenty times the distance and trust me, you're not running that.
And it's not some sort of weird "Last Woman Walking" stamina test. People sometimes get the idea that this three-day, sixty-mile walk is some sort of endurance battle. I've literally been asked if we're allowed to drink or eat while on the walk... and once I was even asked "Do they let you take breaks?" Yeah, no, it's not some sort of weird reality show contest, people. It's not a horror show out of Stephen King where we stagger blindly onwards, dropping out one by one until one remaining pink-clad zombie lurches over the finish line in the glare of flashbulbs.

Might get more TV coverage if it was.

Hmm.

Okay, no.

The 3-Day isn't about endurance and it's sure as heck not a race. It's first and foremost about grit, determination, and making a difference. Making a difference by showing friends and family and acquaintances that you're willing to go to a lot of effort in return for their donations toward the incredibly important cause of finding a cure for breast cancer. I mean, let's get real: if I told a bunch of people that I'd be ever so grateful if they ponied up the downpayment on a Porsche Boxster to help cure breast cancer just because I thought it'd be a really spiff-tacular thing to do I doubt I'd raise all that much money. But tell people you're going to go walk sixty miles over three days, camping in a tent two nights, while dressed from head to toe in fetching shades of fuchsia and cerise and hot pink, and tell them you have to raise $2,300 in order to do just that, they're going to go "Hmm. How much did you want me to donate?"

Okay, then they're going to go "And where will we be able to see photographic proof?", but that'll probably be a bit after the "and who do we make the check out to?"

Trust me: it works.

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day For The Cure is a three-day event, held in fifteen cities across the USA, where participants walk about twenty miles each day. It usually works out that one or two of the days is a bit more than twenty miles and in exchange, the last day is usually a bit less. Having a fifteen mile walk on the last day helps the thing wrap up by a reasonable time in the afternoon so we can all get together at the finish line for a big celebratory PAR-TAY and then head home to a strange land where people DON'T cheer you when you walk by on the street and where people aren't all wearing pink.

Or, to put it another way, it's not three twenty-mile walks... it's twenty three-mile walks. You start at a big outdoor opening ceremony where we throw everything at you short of Shamu leaping through three giant pink flaming hoops while whistling a medley of 1980s pop hits. Then you walk three miles along city sidewalks and streets. Then you stop at a "pit stop" and people you don't even know press cookies and bananas and Smuckers "Uncrustables" at you and pat you on the back and tell you how great you are. Then you walk three more miles. Then more Uncrustables. Then you walk three MORE miles. You're probably expecting even MORE Uncrustables at this point but no, we fake you out. This time you get lunch. Then you walk three more miles and maybe, just for variety, you get granola bars and orange slices and if you ask nice, some people will dump ice down your back to cool you off, especially if it's a hot day or you look like the kind of person who misses their sorority or fraternity hazing experiences. Then three more miles, then more snacks, then three more miles, and then you get to camp in a big sea of hot pink two-person tents. WOO!

And if along the way you can't make it because you simply become too tired, or it's so hot you're melting in your shoes, or your blisters become so large you start giving them names -- well, then, there are sweep vans and buses to take you to the next pit stop or to lunch or to camp. We want everyone to finish together even if they can't walk every inch of the route. I mean, some people practically come out of the chemo ward to walk the 3-Day: we're not going to say "HEY SLOWPOKE, GET BACK ON YER FEET AND KEEP MOVING."

If we did, they'd probably beat us up. Most of them are tougher than us. So there's that.

Oh, and throughout the day you get all the Gatorade you can drink. Various flavors. And if you mix them all together to make what we used to call "Bug Juice" when I was in the Girl Scouts (long story), no one's going to make fun of you. It's expected. Being silly is good.

I think you've gathered already that it's kind of important to wear a lot of pink during the walk. I didn't mention the rest, though ... and I almost feel like I shouldn't, because it's entirely possible that you -- yes, you -- might one day decide to come walk a 3-Day and I'd hate to ruin the surprise for you when you find yourself surrounded by hundreds of women all wearing 46-DDDD bras on the outside of their clothing. And not necessarily in the usual place, either. Sometimes on their heads. Sometimes other places.

And then there're the guys. Less said, the better.

This goes on for three days. In between all the walking there's lots of other stuff going on: spontaneous hugs, people stopping to stretch or treat blisters, people bursting into song while dressed like Goofy and Snow White and, for a reason I never entirely understood, Al Davis, the owner of the Oakland Raiders. You get to use all the port-o-jons you want, no charge. You get to sleep in a hot pink tent. Really. The 3-Day folks used to use regular old camp tents for the event, but decided it was more thematic to get pink ones, tents they give away to local non-profits after each walk. Lots of Girl Scout troops have surplus 3-Day pink tents. Not so many Boy Scout troops, but I imagine if the interest was there something could be worked out. There's even karaoke.

Surprisingly good karaoke, actually. Seriously.

But in the end, despite all the silliness and whimsy, there's a very serious undercurrent of absolute stone-cold seriousness. When you meet a walker who's got the photographs of each and every friend and family member they've lost to breast cancer pinned to their shirt -- and you can't really tell what color their shirt is... when you groan at the sight of a huge hill on the route and a scrawny, eighty-pounds-soaking-wet grandmother with no hair as a result of chemotherapy and radiation looks at you and says "it beats the hell out of chemo!" and powers right on up that hill... and when you walk into the Remembrance Tent at camp one evening and see people you've been laughing with all day bawling their eyes out as they write notes about loved ones they've lost to cancer... well, then, you realize that the fight against breast cancer is no laughing matter at all.

As I said above it's really about the grit and determination... the will to do something that matters.

I mean, get serious. When's the last time most people really did something that made a huge difference, a huge positive difference in the lives of other people... not just people they know and look out for, but in the lives of people they'll never know, never meet, people yet unborn?

Not real often, unfortunately. We go to work, we go home, we watch TV, we go to bed. Along the way we eat way too much unhealthy food and care way too much about stuff that in the end doesn't make a lick of difference in whether the world is a better place at the end of the day.

Sure, it's not the walking we do on the 3-Day that finds a cure for breast cancer. Okay, the publicity sure as heck doesn't hurt, because let's face it, no one wants to go back to the day 25 and 30 years ago where women and men with breast cancer just didn't talk about it because it was considered a shameful topic to bring up. The more conversations we start about it, the better, even if we have to be damn silly along the way. But yeah, walking doesn't cure breast cancer and publicity doesn't cure breast cancer, although it may help raise awareness and get people doing more to look out for themselves and get examined and treated before it's too late.

So what does cure breast cancer? What's the real goal of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day For The Cure?

How does close to $90,000,000 raised in 2010 for the fight against breast cancer sound? How does FIVE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS raised by 3-Day events since 2003 sound? With promising clinical trials and research studies going on all around the country, that kind of funding can have some serious bang for the buck. A cure for breast cancer, or at least a vaccine against breast cancer, is actually possible. In our lifetimes.

And that, my friends, is what the 3-Day is all about. A lifetime for everyone, a lifetime without fear of breast cancer. A world without breast cancer for our wives, for our sisters, for our mothers, for our daughters, for ourselves, and for the future. That's what the 3-Day all comes down to in the end: A WORLD WITHOUT BREAST CANCER.

13:48

2010-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today was W2D3 of my training for my 60 miler. I was suppose to do 5 miles at a moderate walking pace but I had to cut it short by one mile because I had to take my daughter to SWAT. But I am surprised I even got up at all.

At 6am, I hit the snooze button and thought about going back to sleep. But Alex is in the gulf and they sky looks grey so I need to check my email to see if swim practice has been canceled for 7am. While looking at my emails, I see I have a notification from CaringBridge. It is a website where Cancer patients can update their family and friends with what is going on in their treatment. My friend had updated her blog. I read her entry and was in tears. She discussed how she was told she had Stage IV breast cancer and that she didn't know if she was going to see her daughter finish 1st grade (she has a five year old daughter). And it reminded me of when I was told I had breast cancer and how my first thought was about my 26 month old. Was she going to remember me? Who was going to make her lunch, see her to her first day of school, hug her when she has a booboo, hold her the first time a boy breaks her heart, cheer her on in what ever she did, make a big deal out of her graduation, see her walk down the aisle towards her future husband and last but not least, who would hold my grandchild and who would they call grandma? At the time I was diagnosed...I didn't know. I was just almost certain that it wasn't going to be me. So I held my daughter in my arms and cried. I cried for all the moments I would miss with her and whispered, "I am sorry."

But it is twelve years later and I took her to her first day of school and reluctantly left the classroom as she shooed me away. (She said I was embarrassing her.) I have gone to eat lunch with her more times than I can count. I have sat for hours in the heat just waiting for the one 50 yard backstroke that last just a few moments and cheered her on. I was there the first time a boy broke her heart. I was there when she gave her life to Jesus. I am thankful for all these moments.

So with all this going through my mind, I got out of bed and threw on my running clothes and ran out the door. My intention was to just walk 3 miles because I knew I had to get home to drive my daughter to SWAT. So instead of listening to music, I turned on an audiobook and listened to it. But my ADD got the best of me and I just started thinking about everything...the tide (very high because of hurricane Alex) the cool breeze, the spray of rain, my dad, the rabbits...and then I heard my MAPMYRUN say "current pace 13:48" and I looked down at my feet and I was running. Not only was I running but I was running alot faster than I normally run. And I just kept running and running and running and it felt good. My breathing was great, my legs felt great, my shoulders...everything great. It wasn't until I got near my house that I decided to slow down. Because my Nike+ is not working right now, I had to do it on my own and when my MAPMYRUN came back on it said I was running at 16:06. I couldn't believe it. It was still a minute faster than when I try to run my fastest without dying.

So I ended my run at 4 miles and looked up and thanked God for another day and dedicated my run to all those that are fighting for their next one.

It was a mental thing

2010-06-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning ready to run. I had set my mind to running today. I planned on missing my daughter's swim meet and doing this for me. But my day didn't start out that way. I woke up and spent the first 30 minutes arguing with my family. They don't want to go to the swim meet and I am yelling that they have to go. I finally throw all my running gear down and say, "Nevermind! I will take you because I can't trust you to go on your own!".

Then something just clicked. I said forget it. I am not going to worry about you guys. I need to go run. And I threw on all my gear again.... I have alot of gear...and searched high and low for my water bottle...I still haven't found it...and went for my 6 miler.

I was pissed at my family. I hated that I was carrying this huge water bottle because I couldn't find my running bottle. I was disappointed in my family for not doing the right thing and going to the meet and I was mad at myself for getting caught up in their drama. I was upset that I started out 45 minutes later than I wanted.

But as I started pounding the trails the stress started to leave. I started to think about why I was out there. I was out there because I can be. I started to relive my days in chemo. There were days I couldn't get out of bed. There were days I couldn't eat anything. Heck, during reconstruction I couldn't even turn my head because it hurt too much.

It is the first time that running became a stress reliever. My usual form of relief is sleep or food. I have so much I want to share but I am really tired. I forgot to mention I have not been feeling well and not getting much sleep.

On a high note: I won a drawing on mommaof3ontherun. We met on the weight watchers board and have stayed in touch. I love her blog, it really resonates with me. Check her out. If you look to the right side of my blog, you will see a link.

Day 1 Week 20 of 3 Day

2010-06-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

First 3 miler for the Komen 3 day is done. It was hot outside but I loved it. There was a time when I feared running out in public. Now I look forward to it. I love saying hello to fellow runners. I love the thumbs up I receive. Or the "Wow, you have been running this whole time. That is great!" We all need fans or groupies every once and a while.

When I run on the treadmill, I watch TV. So this is the first time I have listened to my playlist in a while. It really gets me moving. My pace was a bit slower than normal but it's all good. So tomorrow is 4 miles. I am not sure if I am ready to run 4 miles so I will just listen to my body and see how I do.

But I have to say the more I read about this walk the more excited and pumped up I get. As a 12 year survivor, I can't even begin to tell you what this means to me. There was a time before I was diagnosed that I was just tired all the time. My daughter was just a toddler and I couldn't keep up with her. Then during my chemos and radiation and reconstruction I couldn't get out of bed for days.

But here I am, 12 years later, and I am going to walk 60 miles for all those that can't. I can't stop because I am tired or busy. You see, when you have cancer and you are fighting for your life, you don't get to say "Time out, do over." or "I am just too busy to sit in a chair for a few hours so that you can drip chemo into my body." No, you don't get those luxuries when you are fighting for your life. You just keep pushing on and moving forward.

So I can't say I am tired or too busy to train for this. There are thousands of women who are tirelessly fighting for their lives. I need to tirelessly train for them.

60 miles and 50 pounds

2010-06-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

I ran on Friday. It was not a great run. I still felt sluggish but I got my rear on the treadmill and ran. I find it hard to run and cough at the same time. So I only did a little over a mile and then called it day. Besides, I had to pick up my daughter from swim practice.

But Monday starts my 20 week training for Komen's 3 day 60 mile walk in Dallas on November 5-7th. I am really excited about this run. And the best thing...my first day of training is rest. Yes, you read that right...rest. Then the following happens:
Monday...rest
Tuesday... 3 miles easy walking
Wednesday...15 minutes of moderate cross training (bike ride)
Thursday...4 miles moderate walking
Friday...30 minutes easy cross training
Saturday...6 miles easy walking
Sunday... 4 miles easy walking

I am excited about this. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I will walk 20 miles each day for 3 days. So I will probably run bits of this training. I have a 5K coming up in July and another one is September and a 10K in October.

I am going to Puerto Rico in November, 10 days after my walk and I would love to be 50 pounds lighter. There, I said it. I want to lose 50 pounds by November 18th.

I can't wait to run

2010-06-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, this may get personal...sorry guys. But Saturday I was low on energy. There are certain, shall I say, times of the month that I just want to lie down and sleep for a few days. Saturday was the beginning of one of those times. Sunday rolled around and I wasn't any better. Monday came along and I thought I was just lazy. I didn't want to run, clean, cook or even jump on the computer (extremely out of character for me).

But then I realized I was not lazy. I was sick. I have bad allergies but this time my allergies turned into a sinus issue, which in turn turned into an infection. I am taking meds now so I feel so much better. Tomorrow I will run. And believe it or not, I can't wait.

The weird friend

2010-06-10T07:15:00.000-07:00

I am learning to love the treadmill again. And yes, it is a learning process. It isn't like my first meeting with my husband where I just knew I would fall in love with him and want to be with him for the rest of my life. No, no, it is more like the weird kid that showed up in school one day and you avoided them as much as you could. Then you were paired with them in science lab and over time you learned to appreciate some of their qualities...perhaps their ability to do all the gross things that you didn't want to do. And over time you became friends. Certainly not best friends but you said "hi" in the hallway or chatted with them at a party. However, if I remember correctly, the parties were so loud, you really couldn't chat. Anyway, that is the kind of relationship I have with my treadmill. It is the weird kid that showed up in my living room one day and now I have to play nice with it.

The other day me and my weird friend watched Bridget Jones Diary. I LOVE that movie! Like the love I have for my husband, sorry baby. I loved it the first time I saw it and I loved it just as much the 99th time I saw it. So it was nice to have my best friend and my weird friend all in one room and we were all okay with it.

After reading an article from Active.com, I decided not to push myself too much so I kept it a walk for the movie. (You were right, Mike). When I was in high school, I played on the Varsity Soccer team. (Ok I was on the Varsity team because we only had a handful of girls that wanted to play and not because I was any good.) Well at the last game, I injured my ankle. I wanted to get out of the game but the coach kept telling me, "Do it for the Seniors!". I was a sophomore and could care less about the seniors. Anyway, the trainer taped my ankle really tight, to numb it, and pushed me on the field. Every time, I would get to the point where I couldn't put any weight on it, they would tape me tighter. Any who, by the time all is said and done, 20 some years later, my ankle acts up. So while one the treadmill for my 3 miler, I felt something in that ankle. It wasn't pain but it was a discomfort. So the next day I only did 2 miles. Today I will try 3 miles again.

One of my friends from active.com (wideguy) is going to run with me tonight. Well he is in some place in EST and I am in CST. So about 6:20 CST I will be running. Hope to see you there...virtually. I'll be with the weird one.

One busy weekend down, Seven to go

2010-06-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how booked my weekends have become. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to do all the things I did but man I end the weekend wanting Monday to come so that I can get some rest. :)

This past weekend I came across a blog of the women that is losing weight or lost weight. She walked 4 miles a day and limited her calories to 1000 calories per day. Ok... I can't do 1000 calories per day and I am not sure if that is healthy. But I can do the walking or running.

I found that during the week, I can pretty much stay within calories with little effort. But the weekends kill me. On Friday, my daughter went to a wine tasting dinner with my father so I had to drive her his house...50 miles away. My dad insisted on buying dinner for me and my hubby. We ended up at BJs Brewery and had chicken lettuce wraps for an appetizer, I had a NY Strip for dinner with a bake potato and my husband ordered an apple crisp a la mode. So I had to have a few bites of that. I was stuffed. I had eaters remorse by the time I was done. all I wanted to do was run and try to feel better.....ok, I know...why didn't you order a salad with a vinaigrette, grilled chicken, steam vegetables and fresh fruit...But in my mind, when the food is free the calories don't count. So I still need a little work on my mental health but it gets even worse. I ordered a glass of water but drank very little of it. You wanna know why? Because I didn't leave any room in my tummy for a beverage. Say what?

So I started anew this week. And I started with a pound loss...so that is a good thing.

If LoseIt is my confessional then this is my Praise Report

2010-06-03T21:01:00.001-07:00

It is taken me over a week to come to terms with what I was eating and what I could do to change it. But this data junkie is turning this LoseIt app into a game. My inner nerd loves this application. I usually hate tracking my food. But I love charts and reports and I love to problem solve. And I get to satisfy all these needs with LoseIt.

As soon as I eat something, I run to my application and add it to my log. I then go to my PC and look at all the reports. How many fats have I had today or carbs? What is my favorite food? (And by the way...your favorite food should NOT be chocolate cake. I am just saying.) If I want to keep my meals to about 300-350 calories, then I problem solve. What vegetable can I have with a protein with complex carb that won't go over my limit...and will it taste good when combined?

The weird thing? I am finding my old self. This is a good thing. Every once and a while I have a glimpse of this gal that loved cucumbers instead of fries with her sandwich or turkey burger. I loved stuffed bell peppers that were baked and filled with seasoned turkey meat. I loved my treadmill and Pilate's videos and I really loved weights. I loved egg whites with bell pepper. Oh, and instead of tortillas, I used lettuce leaves to make tacos. I didn't even have sugar in the house and we drank Crystal Light and water. I don't know what happened over the last few years but something did and with it came all these bad habits.

But I am here to share my praise report, aren't I? I am hitting my calorie targets and quite a few times I am below it. I am working out daily and I don't feel hungry. Isn't that great? I don't feel like I am on a diet and I feel like I am living life. And I love all my new friends on the loseit application. I love seeing their progress and what kind of activities they are doing. I love that we can send eachother pats on the back or ask questions to each other.

I have also started to do 100 push up challenge. It is another application for the IPhone. I love my IPhone. I would really love an IPad but I digress...I can't get off topic. And my hubby and I are going to the gym daily. Ok, so it has only been twice but i t was twice in a row. :)

And to my lovely running friend Kris, good luck this weekend at your first 1/2 mary. I am so proud of you. You have worked hard for this and you are truly an inspiration to all of us. You have a full schedule with work, kids, wrestling and husband and yet you have chosen to make your health a priority. Enjoy your mary and don't forget to have someone take pics to share with us.

Forgive me LoseIt, I have sinned...

2010-05-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

I would like to think that something is wrong with my metabolism. That somehow, genetically, I have been created to collect fat and not disperse it. But this past week I started to take inventory of my intake versus my out take. And guess what? I eat too much.

I started to use the application for the IPhone, Loseit. I am able to track all my calories, make friends on the LoseIt forum and see how they are doing. In other words, we have our own confessional where we can confess our sins (when we indulge) or our praise reports (when we eat within budget). It is my first day with friends so I can't tell you how it is going. But I can tell you it is scary. For someone that struggles with eating, letting someone see how I am doing is like airing your dirty laundry for everyone to see.

While taking inventory, I discovered that I eat about 300 calories too much per day to lose weight. And this is when I am trying to be good. I have my LoseIt set up to lose 1.5 pounds per week. So I am allowed 1888 calories per day. If that is all I take in and don't work out then I will, in theory, lose 1.5 pounds per week. However, since I am going over about 300 per day (on average) I realize I am just maintaining....unless I start to work out.

I didn't do much last week after my calf injury. It was an excuse and not a reason. I could have done other things but I CHOSE to do nothing. I know that . There, it is out there. I CHOSE to do nothing. I can't blame painting my daughters room or too many things to do. I CHOSE not to take the time.

But I am a data person and this LoseIt gives me data and it is encouraging to know that if I eat like I have been and add biking or running, I will lose weight. Oh and there is one more thing. I can't stop at Donalds Donuts after church and eat four donuts and a bacon/egg croissant. I didn't eat them all at once but we brought them home and I ate them all day long. Four donuts are 1389 calories! That is crazy! and so not worth it. But now I know. And knowing is half the battle...go Joe! (sorry..unless you ever watched GI Joe, the cartoon, you have no reference for GI Joe).

Did you know there is a show called Biggest Loser?

2010-05-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I knew. Well I knew there was a show on some channel at some time about fluffy people losing weight. That is all I knew about the show. Every once and a while, when flipping through channels, I would catch a sound byte. And then move on. I didn't know who these people were and since I didn't watch for long, I had no emotional connection to them.

Well last Sunday I was trying to record a show on HGTV on my DVR and I couldn't. Apparently, I had no disk space. Say what? The only thing I record on a regular basis is Glee. So I went to my DVR and noticed that somehow, someway, I was recording the whole season of Biggest Loser. I erased Week 14 and then I decided...well I will watch one show.

Four days later, I am hooked. I am inspired and I want everyone of them to win on Biggest Loser. I felt connected to them...except for Melissa. I didn't start watching until mid season...when Lance went home. I didn't realize Melissa had been a contestant, I just knew she was his wife. It was something in her mannerisms with him that I got a weird feeling about her...I saw darkness. Well, next show when she comes back and I am introduced to her for the first time....I was right.

Anyway, it has inspired me. Some are more fluffy than I am...and some were but now are a heck of alot lighter. So I can do this...but the food is killing me and I know it. I acknowledge it. So now I watch the show and at commercial breaks instead of fast forwarding on the DVR I grabbed my step stool for my kitchen and I did steps. And every once and a while during my day, I would do some more. Well last night, I did it and I did something wrong. I felt a tear in my calf. Thank goodness it is not too bad. It is still sore but no where as sore as it was yesterday.

So this week I will let it heal and just do upper body work outs. Oh and by the way... I erased week 14 and now I wish I hadn't because now I don't know what happened.

Dear God, I don't feel like running.

2010-05-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to run this morning. I was tired. My alarm went off, I hit the snooze button and just started to stare at the wall. All these thoughts were going through my head. "Why do I have to get up? It is probably too hot. Do I have anything to wear? What if I do it in the evening? Is that a spider on the wall?" The music started to blare again so I hit the snooze button again and continued to contemplate running. "I know, I will run tomorrow. I am really tired, running while I am this tired is pointless...I won't get anything out of it. I should spend time in prayer each morning and not running....God, why did you give me such a slow metabolism? Father God, I am asking for favor in this situation. Please just miraculously make the fat disappear. If you can part the Red Sea, you can part my flab. I am claiming it now. When I step out of this bed, I will be thin and I will tell everyone how awesome you are and it will be done for Your Glory. Hallelujah Amen!

Music begins to blare again. I run my arms down my sides across my hips and thighs...nope, still flabby. Let's face it...if God removed my flab, I would celebrate with a huge wonderful Coconut Cake. I love coconut cake. I can eat a whole one in one day by myself. And God knows it. And if he changed my metabolism or miraculously removed my flab, I would just do more harm than good by celebrating with food. So I get up and run.

It was not eventful. I did it on the treadmill and I took some advice from an article from Active.com 4 Ways to Make Your Treadmill Workouts Fun. I put the TV on HGTV, strapped on my Nike+ and my HRM and started the treadmill. During the show I put the treadmill on incline of 5. During the commercials, I dropped down to an incline of 2. It was not fun but it was different and challenging. When you live in flat Seabrook, any bit of incline feels like Mount Everest. I am not kidding. If you want to do hill work around here, you have to run parking garages, run the Kemah Bridge, or travel to central Texas and find some real hills. We are so use to flat runs that a local running club hosts the Toughest 10K in Texas which is a course that loops the bridge twice. Yeah, I won't be doing that anytime soon.

Wisdom from Sue Sylvester

2010-05-08T07:29:00.001-07:00

Yes, you got that right, Sue Sylvester. If you are a fan of Glee, you will know who I mean. If you aren't, what are you waiting for? Sue is the Cheerios (cheerleaders) head coach. She is self-centered, shallow and very goal driven and she will run over anyone and everyone to get to her goal. But as crazy as it may sound, during her fits of selfish narrow mindedness, she has these amazing moments of wisdom. Last week, the Olivia Newton-John episode, was one of those times. She was in the midst of being laughed at by other teachers and for once in her life she felt weak and less than. Have you ever felt that way? I have and recently. Well, Sue decided the cure for her ill feelings was to help others. That the best cure for her own problems was to focus on other's problems.

And isn't that the truth? When you start helping others you in fact help yourself? All of a sudden your problems take the back seat and no longer keep you from reaching your full potential. So yesterday, while I ran, I realized that for all my praying for wanting to be quiet and not blog or share (I really spent too much time on the computer) that I was cutting off my life line...you guys. I love sharing with you. I love telling you about my runs and how I hated it or loved it. I love the comments that pick me up or make me laugh. I love sharing about new products that I love or ones that I hate. I love sharing my life with you guys. And according to Sue, that is not a bad thing.

So I am back because I need it. I need that sense of community. I need you. (Ok, now I am beginning to sound like an AA meeting.) I'll sit down now.

So what have I been doing? Running and biking. It has been a few weeks since I ran but I have started riding my bike a few times a week. My husband prefers to bike and we did this great Bible Study, His Needs Her Needs, and one week our subject was recreational activities. We were to rate over 200 activities between 5 and -5. 5 being love it. -5 being hate it. We are trying things that we both love. So we bought a nice camera (photography) and we got our bikes out of the garage. We love riding to the water and back.

I realized that my month of biking helped me with my running. When I ran yesterday, I was amazed at how strong my legs felt. Riding the bike really worked out my thighs and that helps my running. I have to admit that I was leery about running yesterday. I started with my 5 minute warm up. When I started to run, I told myself I would just run one minute. When I hit that minute, I added two more minutes, then five then twenty and before you know it, I ran the whole time. I was so amazed at myself. And I no longer felt bad for not running for weeks and only biking.

On a side note, towards the end of my run, I see my husband coming towards me on his bike and he is not wearing his helmet. Apparently when he arrived at the house from work and couldn't find me he panicked. He searched the house several times to make sure I wasn't dead and then took off on the bike to make sure I wasn't kidnapped. He took off so fast that he didn't take time to put on his helmet. His reason for panic?.... I left my IPhone at home and I NEVER leave home without my phone. Silly man.

I know you want me...blah blah blah

2010-03-31T18:42:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for flat Seabrook. My lack of running on a consistent basis isn't as bad when you run in flat Seabrook. You see, the only elevation or hill work that I get is the one up my driveway, 14 feet. That is the elevation of my home from the street.

Because I had to recreate my playlist, I decided to change it up a bit and discovered I have some new songs that I love to play while running. So apparently my daughter listens to this guy Pitbull. Now I don't like the lyrics nor the attitude but the beat is amazing. If you are a new runner or like me, trying to get your running feet wet again, their song I know you want me. I found myself singing, if that is what you can call it, the words to the song. "you know you want me, you know I want you." and so on. Thank goodness half of it is in Spanish because I would probably turn it off. But I don't so I just run to the beat of the music and sing what I can. Go ahead, down load it. I dare you.

It finally feels like Spring and the Psycho Dog

2010-03-26T03:42:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it!?!? It was 67 degrees yesterday and low humidity. So I went for a run outside: Good idea. I took Reba, my dog with me: Bad Idea.

It has been quite a while since I ran outside, so I wanted to take her because she really picks up my pace. Well, she must have short term memory because every little noise, person, car, piece of paper flying in the air just freaked her out. So she ran fast alright but in every direction. Sometimes I was being pulled forward. Sometimes I was being pulled backwards and sometimes I was being pulled sideways. It just depended where she believed she saw something scary. And then for some reason, right before we hit the midpoint, she freaked out and ran all the way home, while dragging me behind her.

Freaky dog. She remembers I use to take her for runs. It is quite funny to watch her. As soon as she sees me grab some of my running attire she starts jumping up and down and running to the hook on the door where I keep her leash. And by running attire I mean, running bra or shorts or heartrate monitor or Ipod. How she can tell my running bra from my regular bra, I have no idea. But she does. So she jumps up and down and anything that resembles a leash or collar, like my headband, she tries to put her head through it. But as soon as we get outside, she goes crazy. It is like she forgets what it is like to be outside and everything spooks her. And as soon as she sees the house, she bolts for the front door to get back inside. I think that is the only time I hit a 10 minute mile, on the way to the front door from the end of our street.

The good news is that my neighbors must think I run a 10 minute mile the whole time. When I leave the house she bolts towards the trails and I am dragged at a 10 minute mile, then she bolts to get to the front door when we get back. They don't see all the struggles I have with her while on the trails.

On a side note: A few weeks ago or maybe a month or two, I had to restore my computer. In the process, I had to restore my Itunes. When I sync my IPhone, everything seems fine but I have not synced my Ipod with my Nike plus on it. My fear is that my Nike plus will not sync. So I am going to sync right now. If my little person doesn't update, pray for my sanity because I hate losing runs. If she updates: well then no prayers needed. :)

Hello 200s!

2010-02-05T03:37:00.000-08:00

I wish it was eventful. That as soon as I hit 200 miles on my Nike+ that bells and whistles started chiming or confetti was falling all around me but no, it didn't happen. We have an issue with a cat peeing where she shouldn't be peeing. She has decided the corner, where the TM stands, is the perfect spot to do her business. Thankfully, my husband was gracious enough to clean it up and do his best to keep her from peeing there again.

In any case, it is too cold and rainy for me to run outside. so I am stuck on the dreadmill. I don't like the dreadmill. When I was a teenager, I played varsity soccer. I loved soccer. I loved chasing the ball, passing it to other players and I think my favorite year was the one that I played goalie. Well, it was until I let every ball get pass me during a game, even the one that seems to crawl across the line...even I thought I was an idiot that day. Anyway, I digress. Well during the off season they required the soccer players to run track. Yeah, I wasn't going to do that. I saw no point to running around a track. Why run around a track to end up where you started? It just seemed inefficient. And I am all about efficiency aka I am lazy.

So you can imagine my struggle with standing in the same place for over 30 minutes, exerting all this effort and not moving one inch. Are you feeling me now? Fortunately, when I do it on my treadmill in the morning, I get to watch Holmes on Homes on HGTV. No volume required for this show. He walks around, knocking down wall, painting, rewiring and wahla new room. HMMMM yeah that is probably the only benefit.

I have started posting to the Weight Watchers HeavyWeight Runners thread in the Fitness Getting Started Forum. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I started posting to it again. It had died out some time in November and when it died so did my desire to run. But with new life in the thread, came new life in my running. I reallythink I need community. What is that saying from the 80's or 90's, "It takes a village?" Yeah that is me. It takes a village to keep this runner running.

It is so wonderful to see new people discovering their running legs. and all their trepidation about running so many minutes or in public. I have so been there. If you read my early posts, I ran on the treadmill because I was scared of the outside world Now I love the outside and struggle with the treadmill. I don't get nervous around other runners, I feel a since of community with them. Once you get into a rhythm of running on certain days and certain times, you will begin to recognize the faces of those who run at the same time. Now I am not saying you become like close family...more like distant cousins who smile and maybe say hi.

1.6 miles...if I only knew

2010-01-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that today's run was a surprise. I woke up late and never chose the time to run. But at 3:55pm my friend, Mari, came by my house and wanted to know why I was ignoring her. I really wasn't. In fact, I called her and left messages on her phone.

In any case, she was dressed to run in her Vibram 5 fingers. They looked so cool. I want some. She said it was sorta difficult to run on the trail with them. She found it easier to run the grass next to the trail. But at the end of the run she said the bottom of her feet were a bit sore but her back was not. This is a good thing. She had an accident a few years ago that left her with back pain when she tried to do any walking or running. But she read Born to Run and she was convinced barefoot running was the way to go. So do I but I am chicken. Anyway, she did it and she liked it.

I did my normal course for the trails and ended up with a 2.11 mile run. It felt so good. It was weather like today that confirms to me that I love Seabrook for the mild winters. It was 65 degrees and low humidity. The sun was shining and a small breeze was blowing. Isn't' that perfect? I think so, too. But if I knew I was only 1.6 miles away from crossing the 200 mile threshold, I would have ran some more. Well, I run again on Friday so get ready to celebrate!

I almost talked myself out of it

2010-01-21T09:33:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning at 5:40 am. If you follow my blog, you know that I am not a morning person. But for the past week and a half I get up at 3:40 am and go to bed about 9:30pm. It seems to be working for me. So today waking up at 5:40 felt like a treat.

About 7am I started to debate about running on the treadmill. It was foggy outside so I knew I couldn't go outside to do it. So I decided to just hang out in my bedroom until about 7:40. And then I dropped my daughter off at school.

And here is where I fool myself. I got home and instead of going to work, I threw on my running shoes, strapped on all my monitoring devices and hit the treadmill running before my brain knew what was going on. It felt so much better than what it did two days ago. I felt more at ease. I think the fact that Holmes on Homes was on the big screen helped alot. But I am not going to lie to you...I kept my eye on the mileage and stopped as close to 2 miles as possible. I didn't want to be under but I wasn't worried about being over.

Taking the month or so hiatus really shows in my running. My pace is a bit slower and I slowed down to a fast walk twice. But I know from experience that it will get better. So I am not going to beat myself up over it.

When my hubby got home from work we decided to ride our bikes to the post office and back. By that time, the fog had burned off and the day was beautiful. The trails are still wet from the rain so it was tough plowing through the mud. We decided to take the roads on the way back because...well lets face it...I was tired. By the end of the ride we had covered 3.79 miles. Which brings my total mileage of movement for the day to 5.89 miles. Wuu huu!

She's back and I'm back!

2010-01-19T02:30:00.000-08:00

So it has taken me two weeks of getting up at 4am, on and off, to finally work out a schedule where I can make time for a run. My business is so fast paced right now that I barely have time to breathe. But I did it and it felt good.

Well by good, I mean, I didn't die. It was harder than I expected and I just have to face the fact that I lost some of my fitness level by taking a hiatus. But I did it and I had my Nikeplus this time. The last couple of times I ran, I only did a mile and a half and I didn't have my Nikeplus.

For someone, who started running with a Nike+, it is very hard to run without it. I feel alone without my coach telling me my current pace and time. And I love syncing my Ipod and seeing my little runner dance for me. But I am glad she is back, to cheer me on to victory.

My daughter started cross country again. They have ran 2 miles everyday the past few weeks, including the frozen days we had earlier this year. She is my motivation also. So today, my and my husband go for a bike ride when he gets off of work at 8:30 this morning. I can't wait.

Some of my Christmas Gifts

2010-01-15T21:47:00.000-08:00

Well the holiday season is over and I am sort of back to a normal routine. To say the least, I finally have some breathing room to make videos and show some of the projects I have made or in the process of making.

Many of you may have or are following Christmas with the Cricut, now called Calendar Girls Holidays with the Cricut. This blog is fabulous. Well over the holidays, I believe it was Mandy that did a project with shadow boxes. I simply loved it! I loved it so much that I made them for my brother and sisters. It is a picture taken at my dad's 80th birthday party. It was the first time in 10 years that one of my sisters has been back to Texas. So it was the first time in 10 years that we all got together. What better way to remember it than to give everyone a beautiful frame with a picture of the occasion? And think out of the box, you can do this for Valentine's day also for a loved one.

Has it been a month?

2010-01-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

Wow this past month just flew by. I am glad the holidays are over and time to get back to the real world. So I went running today on the treadmill. It was just too cold outside. I think it was 51 degrees outside. Now, now, I know that may not be cold to you northerners and God bless you for thinking that is warm. But I am in the South and have always lived in the South so it is frigid cold for me. So I ran on the treadmill and I must say, I impressed myself. I found my rhythmn pretty quickly. It felt good. I was sweating but my my heartrate was pretty low.

And then in inevitable but expected happened. My Nike plus froze....again. I have to say I love my Nike plus and it was pretty inexpensive. But you get what you paid for. I don't know if it is my Ipod (that is 3 years old) or my Nike plus but it freezes sometimes or goes silent. Sometimes I can hear the music but the screen is frozen and can't hear my coach. Or I can hear my coach but can't hear my music. so it went silent about 15 minutes into my run. Oh well.

So how many of you do New Years resolutions? I do, every year. Don't last long and then I feel like a failure. So this year I am doing just one. I am going to be a better steward of my time. I plan to start out by going to bed earlier so that I wake up earlier and work out in the morning. Start my work day earlier, so that I finish earlier and have time to cook dinner, a healthy dinner and then some relax time and back to bed earlier. Yes, I will scrapbook but only on certain days. Yes I will blog but only on certain days. TV and internet are time wasters for me. I can spend hours on blogs, forums and watching youtube videos. So I think being a good steward of my time is the key to changing things in my life. What are some of your resolutions?

The Dreadmill was calling and I answered

2009-12-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

Yes, I broke down and got on the dreadmill. I hate the dreadmill. It takes a while to get to a comfortable speed, I can't increase and decrease my pace as needed without pushing a button and well I don't like having only one thing to look at...the dusty tree decor. Sure I have the TV on but QVC only had jewelry and HSN had facial products (blah). Did I like it? No, but I did it, so I like me.

On a cute side note: My dog Reba saw me put on my gadgets (Ipod and HRM) and she started jumping up and down. She thinks me putting on my gear equates to her going for a walk. Poor baby, she looked so hurt when I turned on the loud dreadmill and she was left lying on her doggie bed.

Happy Birthday to me!!

2009-12-01T09:28:00.000-08:00

So today I turn the big 4-0. I wanted to become a runner and run a 5K before I turned 40 and I did. But it doesn't stop here. On to more 10Ks and 1/2 marys and maybe one day...when I grow up, I will do a marathon. But for now, my eyes are set on 10Ks in my near future.

So what did I learn in the past 40 years? That I should have started earlier. That it is never too late and I can't ever stop. This running thing isn't for a season or just a stage in life. This is something I want to do for the rest of my life. Sure, when I am old and hunched over...I'll start walking very slow but I am going to keep moving.

I find that my life is busy with family and work...so what? I may only be able to run for 20 minutes at a time (Christine, Rebekah and Kris.thanks for the suggestion). But I need to do it. Not just for me but for my daughter, my husband and for future generations.

My family has a history of obesity and lack of movement. We seem to pass on our love of fatty foods and hatred of movement to each generation and each generation just keeps getting bigger and less healthy. It is time to turn that around in my family. I will cook healthier, I will encourage my daughter to stay active but more importantly, I will become more active. I will become all that I want her to be and hopefully she will learn from example.

So, welcome 40! Look out 50!

I ran, Me, Reba and Joan Benoit Samuelson

2009-11-29T21:40:00.000-08:00

I have been out for awhile. Between my ankle injury, the flu and then a horrible cold or second strand of flu...I have been under the weather. And life also got in the way. But I think things are getting back to normal.

I have a 5K this weekend in NASA. It is the 5K Reindeer Run. I can't wait. I really need to get back in the swing of things.

I have to say I haven't felt this good in a long time. It feels good to run. Well today I was being dragged by my freaky dog, Reba. I really need to socialize her. Poor thing, she was running as fast as she could away from any sign of life...a deer, a cat, another jogger, a rabbit. It was crazy but apparently it was great for my pace because at the end of my run, Joan Benoit Samuelson congratulated me on the best run ever. Wuu huu Reba!

Running with Reba

2009-11-10T17:54:00.001-08:00

I really thought I wasn't going to get my run in today. I had planned to run after picking up my daughter from school. It was my understanding that another parent was going to drop off and pick up but no. I was dropping and the other parent was picking up. So I knew I was not going to have time to run before taking them, which means I would have to run in the dark.

Then I realized I don't have insect repellent and the mosquitoes were attacking me in the car. So I rush to drop the kids off and then rush to get repellent. Then I just cruise the streets looking for a park that is well lit. Apparently my area does not believe in being in parks after dark because none of them had lights.

So I came home and grabbed my biggest dog, which is my most psycho dog and went for a run in the neighborhood. Ya know, it is different when you are fighting a 45 pound dog and trying to force it to go forward. Oh, then she wants to chase rabbits and run from cars...it was very mentally taxing but I enjoyed it. And I think in the long run, so did she.

But I am worn. I have been on the go since 8 this morning and I am taking a short break to update my blog, read some forums..(Active.com is down again) and now I have to cook dinner and wash the sheets..and it is already 8PM. How does everyone do it?

Tomorrow I will run

2009-11-09T20:49:00.000-08:00

So I am pretty psyched. Tomorrow I run. I check my ankle everyday and test my range of motion. Considering all the walking I have done in the past few days and all the up and down the stairs...I feel I am ready.

My world has really changed in two weeks. During my hiatus, my husband took on a new job that has him away for quite a few hours, my daughter started year round swim and we have had a time change. Not to mention, I have started making tutorial videos for the Gypsy, a handheld design studio for paper crafters. So I am feeling out of sorts.

I really need to sit down and look at my schedule and prioritize the things that I do. I want running to be at the top of the list. Well running and work, oh and driving my daughter to her practices, oh yeah and making my videos..and don't forget paper crafting and yes the holidays. See what I mean? So hold me to it guys...I want to hear from you...I want you to scream at me...where is the run Fluffy?

On a side note: Here is the From the Inside Out Gang at the MS 5K. We were our shirts, inside out.

Kemah MS 5K Walk/Run

2009-11-08T15:50:00.001-08:00

We had a perfect day for a run yesterday. However, I am not completely healed yet so I did the 1 mile walk with some friends. Two of my friends have MS. One was diagnosed 20 years ago when she was in her twenties and the other was diagnosed about 9 years ago. She was also in her twenties. Looking at them, you can' t tell they have MS. They are beautiful and full of life.

Our team name was From the Inside Out. You see MS is weird that way. You can look completely normal on the outside while your body is at war with itself on the inside. You can be running a marathon one day and then be paralyzed on one side of the body the next. We had about 12 people on our team. I was going to run but my husband said I wasn't ready. And he was right. After walking the mile then going to Woofstock with my sister, my ankle was acting up again. So next week I will start out slow with just walking and go from there.

If you still haven't signed up for a 5K... get off your rear and do it. You see, I signed up for one and only walked 1 mile. So what? There will be more 5Ks? No one looked at me funny or felt sorry for me or talked about me. We all had a great time and built memories. So get out there and do it!

Where's Waldo, uh I mean Fluffy?

2009-11-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

I have been MIA for a few days. The good news is that I am 100% after my 10K. The bad news is that life has taken over my , well, uh running life. My husband started a new job this past week and is working long hours. We also run our own business and now I am doing it by myself...well and some employees also. My daughter has gone back to year round swimming so I am driving her around town in the afternoon. I am going to have to analyze my schedule and make time for running. It is a priority...like brushing my teeth and I miss it.

I have a 5K this weekend and I can't wait. I received my number this past week. So while I am contemplating whether to run or walk, I thought Iwould share some information for those that are signing up for their first 5K.

Don't wear your free Tshirt to the race. Save those for other races. They are usually cotton so you will probably want to wear a tech shirt anyway.
Have an idea about your pace and don't go to the front of the pack at the starting point unless you plan to run to win. People at the front are trying to win and to have to weave around walkers or slower pace people makes it difficult...you'll understand as you run and have to go around someone. I usually start near the back. You usually will get a timing chip, it doesn't start your time until you go over the mat at the starting line.
If you think you will take more than 45 minutes, take some water. There may not be water stops close enough to hydrate you.
Practice running and drinking out of a cup. I know it sounds silly but they handed me a small dixie cup on my first run and I found I couldn't get the water from the cup to my mouth...it ran down my chin.
Get there early enough to do a 5 minute warm up... you have a tendency to start running at the starting line because everyone else is running...but they probably did a warm up.
Adrenaline is your friend on this day. You will find you will run faster and longer on this day than on your training runs.
That being said...run your pace, not the guy's next to you. You could hit a wall if you start out too fast because you are trying to keep up with someone else.
It is okay to walk...there are no police to scoop you up if you stop to walk.
Most importantly, have fun and look for the free food at the end of the race...hey, you deserve it!

Happy Running!

It's not about the bike...Lance Armstrong

2009-11-01T17:31:00.001-08:00

Ok, it's not about the book either. However, it was a very good read. On my list of must read books for anyone starting to run, bike or do anything to their heart's desire. But I digress, this is not about the book.

Yesterday for Halloween I went on a late night bike with a couple of friends and my husband. It was my first exercise endeavor since my 10K. Sure I have mopped, hobbled, ventured through Walmart (which seems like a 10K to get from pet food to trash bags), climbed up and down stairs to help people with their software issues in the scrapbook world but just moving for the sake of exercise...not yet.

But yesterday after a nice quiet dinner with friends and handing out candy to kids, we went for a bike ride. It was so nice. I love bike rides. I love the feel of the wind in my hair, cruising a new neighborhood listening to the sounds of just everyday life. But the best part is I didn't feel any strain on my ankle or leg or knee. So while I still feel a little discomfort while walking, I now can at least ride my bike. So I guess I will do that for a while. Mentally, I will tell myself that I am training for a bi-athlon. Yeah, that's it. I am training on a bi-athlon. And for the next few weeks I will be focusing on biking...except next Saturday because I have a 5k.

That is right, a 5K next weekend. I may have to walk it but that is okay..I have proven to myself that I can run a 5K and and 10K. So if I have to walk, that is okay.

Oh, and a shout out to my online pals, Mr. and Mrs. F, they just completed Couch to 5K, check out their blog A Fat Man Running .

Warning: Running causes you to have more energy

2009-10-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

Now normally I would consider that a positive outcome to running. You can do more with your family, keep a cleaner house, more energy for other hobbies, and yes, more energy for running. Gone are the days where I sleep for two hours after I get off of work. Wake up feeling dazed and confused and go buy some fast food to feed my family. Then, I would succumb to the drunken feeling from the carbs and fatty foods and go back to sleep.

No, those lazy hazy days are over for me. I rarely take a nap, unless I stayed up all night on the computer and had to wake up at the crack of dawn. Gone are the days when Whataburger was a delicious meal. No, now I love lighter things and I love that I am not left feeling drugged after eating them. I love that I have energy to do all my favorite things.

Unless....I have a bummed ankle and can't do much walking. Then it just drives me crazy. I can't just sit anymore. So I try to do housework, since I can't run...but that requires moving about. I can't craft because my craft room is in the bonus room, which is upstairs. I can't run because I can't really walk yet. So I am left to my computer and TV. Hopefully I can become a street walker this weekend and do some trick or treating.

Nike Human Race 10K I did it!!

2009-10-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh what a rush. I woke up today and for the first time in a long time, I was scared to run. I knew that the Human Race was today and I had to log in a 6.2 mile run. You see I signed up for the 10K when I graduated from C25K. I even wrote an essay for Nike stating why I should be an ambassador. I didn't get one of the positions and I was glad. Over the last few weeks I have not been training as hard as I thought I should. And I was really relieved that they did not pick me. I didn't want that responsibility.

So I took off today and headed for the trail. Our trail is exactly 6.2 miles. It heads up to the ocean and then back to a park. My neighborhood is on the trail and I am smack dab in the middle. So I took off and headed North to the water.

I am so excited..so many things to share. So let me end this post with the letter I sent Nike on 07/28/2009. My reasons for being an ambassador:

It would seem crazy that I would even consider running the Nike Human Race 10K. I am not your typical lean athlete that you see running the Boston Marathon or gracing the covers of running magazines or advertisements. I am a middle aged, overweight, small business owner who has just discovered her running legs. Running has become my drug of choice for relieving stress. Being a small business owner, a soccer mom and a wife can be stressful. But in April I discovered Nike+ and the Couch to 5K training program and my whole world changed.

All of a sudden I was replacing my scrapbooking magazines for running magazines. I started to trade pancakes and eggs with yogurt and cereal. When I looked in the mirror I didn’t see an overweight defeated woman but a strong powerful Athena. Running had replaced lying on the couch. And loads of energy had replaced hours of feeling sluggish. Yes, running had changed me.

I found empowerment in all the small goals I accomplished. And they were small. First run 6o seconds at a time, then 90 seconds, What a rush when I could run a whole 10 minutes. I cried at the gym the first time I ran for twenty minutes straight and ran my first mile. My family stood around my treadmill as tears streamed down my face. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment and yes, dare I say I became a PR seeker. I found myself looking forward to hearing Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong or Joan Benoit Samuelson tell me that I had done well.

On July 18th, I participated in my first 5K. My goal that day was not to cross the finish line in first place. My goal was to just finish. And finish I did. I was second to last in my age group but that did not matter. What mattered was that I did it. I had a testimony of how this fluffy gal who couldn’t run to the end of her own block had just completed a 5K. I was proof that you can do it. You just have to try.

So on October 24th I want to run the Human Race 10K for all us fluffy girls. I hear them on different forums discussing the fear, embarrassment and shame the feel about themselves. They feel like they will be the only fluffy one in the race. They can’t relate to any of the runners they see in magazines or advertisements. My goal is to show them that they can do it. That I am right here, running the race for them and with them. I want to run to say “Yes YOU CAN!” From where you are standing right now, no matter where in the world, no matter what size, you can take one step forward and start running.

Just do it!!

2009-10-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

I didn't run yesterday. You know, life just happens. You wake up, you don't quite "feel" like running. You work, you eat lunch and think, "Hey I should do just a quick 10 minutes." But you don't. Then you get home from work, wander into the kitchen, grab a bite to eat, check your emails and well you just don't "feel" like working out and then you go to bed. And you tell yourself, "Eh, I'll do it in the morning." Then morning comes and you hit the snooze button and say you will do it at lunch...but that is where you were yesterday.

Well that is how Monday started out for me. Then I had to go to a Mom In Touch meeting this morning so I knew I was not going to go running before the meeting. Then I am slapped in the face with a mom, sitting on a towel at the meeting because she is still sweating. She had just run before the meeting and was still in her work out clothes. And yes I will admit it, I was jealous. She did what I kept putting off. It was my first time at the meeting so I made small talk about running. And I got the impression that she thought I couldn't run. But that could have been me reflecting, because I felt bad for not running.

In any case, I got back home from the meeting and started to work and then about 2PM I decided to leave my desk and take a break. I went into the kitchen and started to look around. Then I pulled the ole switcharoo on myself. Before I could talk myself out of it, I threw on my running clothes and headed out the door. I didn't give myself time to talk myself out of it. I always try to keep all my running apparel and gadgets readily available so that I can do a quick change. So I did what my husband tells me to do every time I don't want to do something. Bring the body and the mind will follow.

My run was uneventful except for the fact that initially I didn't want to do it. It's a mental game folks. And sometimes you have to trick yourself into doing it. I did and it worked. Talk to any athlete and they will tell you that many times and I do mean many, they don't feel like working out but they do it anyway. Remember when your kids were small and they didn't want to try something. You would tell them to do it for 5 minutes and if they didn't like it, they could stop? Pretend you are a child, go out there and do it for 5 minutes. If you aren't feeling it, turn around and come home.

Community

2009-10-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Have you every woke up to a perfect day? I did this morning. We had a rare day of low humidity, clear skies and cool temperatures. Let me define cool. It had not reached 80 degrees. Nuff said. So my run today was very freeing. I was free of exhaustive heat, high humidity and mosquitoes.

And can I just give a shout out to the men that work for the city and cut the grass at our city parks and along the trail? They are always so considerate to runners. If you run by them, while they are mowing or weed eating, they will stop their machines and wait for you to run or walk by them. I don't care if you are male, female, young or old. They will stop. I really appreciate that. I have bad allergies and try not to run on Tuesdays because that is their normal day to do the parks. But sometimes the rain prevents them from mowing on Tuesday and our schedules collide. Such was the case this week. So here ya go lawn men...Cheers for being so considerate!! You rock!!

It was a great day to run because I wasn't try to run from mosquitoes so I was able to focus on other things. I mainly focused on you guys. If you have never heard me say it before, when I run sometimes I think of you guys. All of you come to mind, Kris, Christina, Jen, Rebekah, Tina, Mr. And Mrs F, GoIrish, CarrieN, Bsrmm( i never get that one right), Libby and everyone else that logs into the sites that I visit. I think about how your last run went and what the weather is like on your runs. I do a little comparison. No snow here and no hills to conquer. I just have flat trails and great weather.

Last night at Bible study we talked about the church and aspects of church, such as community, accountability, encouragement and unity. And all of those traits ring true in our daily threads. We all encourage eachother when we have good runs, or when we can't seem to get out to run or just had, what we felt, is a bad run. We check in with eachother on Facebook or Twitter when we haven't seen someone in a while. We all seek to become more fit and to be more than what we already are. We check in daily in our thread to see how everyone is doing. Yes, what we have is community.

Now, you may not have the same belief system as I do or have any belief system but the good advice still rings true. If you haven't found a community of friends to share your running experience go out and get some. Go online to weightwatchers.com or active.com and make some friends. Or you can go to meetup.com and find some local running buddies. In either case, don't do this alone. You were built for community. You will find that as you run, you will do so much better when you aren't alone. Even if your running buddies are thousands of miles away.

Happy Running!

Hot and Steamy VS Cold and Wet

2009-10-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Someone posed the question, do you prefer to run when it is hot and steamy or when it is cold and wet. I have decided I prefer cold and wet. I ran today in a muggy 94 degrees and it was not fun. The humidity just seemed to weigh me down. And the mosquitoes, oh my goodness, they were so bad. You know my feeling about them...hey if they suck enough blood, maybe it will show on the scale as a drop in weight. I'm kidding.

We really didn't run today. It was really just a fast walk, which for me is a regular walk. But it felt good to get out and I am not going to become a running snob. I can go for walks and not feel defeated or less than. And when I see someone walking, I am not going to think less than them either. They are out there doing their thing. Good for them. It is better than my years sitting couped up in my house just watching TV or scrapbooking. Now, I am not saying to throw away your TV or stop your hobbies. Just do them in moderation if they require you to sit for hours at a time.

So, as I write this, I am listening to my playlist at playlist.com. It is all my running music. If you are ever in a rut and don't feel like running, surround yourself with running things. Have your playlist playing at work. If you can change your screen saver or desktop to something customized, change it to something inspiring. Have your workout clothes laid out somewhere visible. And if all else fails, go buy something cute to wear when you run. Nothing inspires me more than a cute Tee or pants. Heck in can be shoelaces or a headband. Check in with your running friends. If you don't have any, make some.

Happy Running!

I hear voices in my head

2009-10-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

I went for my first run in a week. It rained yesterday and I couldn't bring myself to run on the dreadmill. So I just jumped into running. It rained so hard yesterday that parts of the trail still had huge puddles that you couldn't jump. What a rush to run through the puddles!! I felt like I was in a Nike commercial to "Just Do It".

But I realized tonight, as I was reviewing my run from this morning, I remembered the little voice that I had during the run. You may know him. He is a Debbie Downer...hmm he may actually be a she. But he/she usually shows up about minute three of my runs. And he nudges me on my shoulder and says, "Hey, I want to walk to now." "Can we stop now?" Gosh, he just won't shut up.

So this is what normal run can sound like. I will begin at minute 3 of the run. "Excuse me, I am tired. Can we stop?" I say, "No, not yet, we will stop in about 3 minutes." He seems satisfied for awhile. I start thinking about the song I am listening to or the rabbit that just crossed the path when he nudges me again, "Hey I thought you said we were going to stop." I say, "Oh yeah, I forgot...hmmm...lets go up to the skateboard park and then we'll stop". And when we get to the park he asks me again and so on and so on.

My husband was a runner in his younger days. He mentioned that he constantly wanted to stop but wouldn't. I thought he was just crazy. When my mind use to tell me to stop, I stop. Who knows better than my mind what is good for my body? But now I know what he means. Running is just as much mental as it is physical. There are many times that my mind will try to limit what my body can do. I can't give in to the mind. I have to do what is good for the body.

I will be a street walker in 24 hours!

2009-10-08T19:40:00.001-07:00

I can't wait. Tomorrow is Friday and that means I get to test my ankle. Tomorrow I will try just walking a mile or so. If all seems good, then Saturday morning I am going for a run. I'll make sure to take my phone just in case. I don't want to get injured on the trail and then not have a way to call someone to come get me.

Send some good vibes my way!!

I am bored

2009-10-07T11:26:00.001-07:00

I can't wait until I can get out and run or anything. I hate being injured. I really hate that I was not injured while running. I was walking to my car. Say, what? Yeah, you heard me right.

Anyway, I don't even trust my ankle to bike or even go up my stairs at home. I originally figured that since I can't run, maybe I would do some scrapbooking. However, my studio is in the bonus room, which is upstairs. I can't get up the stairs, so I am stuck on the ground floor with my sicko family.

I think I will try walking on Friday and if it goes okay then I will run on Saturday morning. Praying for a cool front to come through so that it isn't so hot and humid.

Happy running!

We Boob Troop, Why don't you?

2009-10-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

So this weekend I ran in the Race for the Cure in Houston. Let me just start out by saying if you have not signed up for one in your area, leave my blog and go find one in your area and sign up. Here, I'll even make it easy for you: Click this Race for the Cure and find one in your area.

I don't care if you are a runner, a walker or just starting out. Sign up for the race. You wanna know why? Not just because I am a survivor, though that is a good selfish reason. Sign up because so many people run, walk or wog. There is no way you will feel out of place. There were over 30,000 people at the event here in Houston. That's right, 30K. Most people never run 5Ks except this one. They had a group of friends from work, church, school or some other organized group that said "hey you want to run with me in the Race for the Cure?" And they said, yes.

Now did they run? Well most of them walked, and I mean most of them. Why is that great? Because you won't feel pressured to run the whole thing. So you get the experience of a first 5K without the pressure of running the whole thing. Now, I am not going to get on my soap box about how your goal for the first 5K is to just finish. But you know how I feel.

So what better way to get the first 5K under your belt than to do one that is so unique and big that there is no way you will feel out of place. You know why? Because you will see all walks of life out there. Young kids, teenagers, moms, survivors, those still fighting, old men, old women, pink hair, no hair, size 2, size 22, tall, short, running, walking, skipping, walking with their dog, running with funny hats...you name it. There is no way you will feel "different".

Look I am fluffy. I totally can relate to being embarrassed by running in public. I have been there. I have been the one tugging at my shirt when someone past by or letting out a huge sigh when I thought I was alone on the trail and someone passes me or someone drives by me and they have to slow down to make a turn and in the back of my head I am thinking they are slowing down to get a better look at the fluffy gal that is running. Again, read my older posts.... don't worry about that. But if you still want to, then sign up for the Race for the Cure. You will never feel more accepted and loved than you will at this.

Every bridge you run under, every turn you make, heck every 10 yards, there are people cheering you on. There is loud music playing and people just having a good time. When you get your race bib, memorize your number. Every once and a while, turn the Ipod down and listen to them chant your number, "Go 264! You're doing great 264! You are amazing 264!" I even gave some of them my princess wave ( you know closed hand, just a slight twist of the wrist).

Now with 30K of people, it can take up to 30 to 45 minutes before you even pass the starting line from the time the gun goes off. That is okay. If you have a chip, then as soon as you touch the mat that runs across the starting line, your personal time will start counting. Then when you cross the finish line, it will calculate your personal time.

Oh and if you think it is too hard. There is so much activity going on around you, bands playing, people handing out goodies, different organizations performing, that you will forget you are running and just have fun....and running should be fun.

So on a personal note: my Nike+ failed me again and found myself running in silence at the end of the race. Of my team of 12, I was the last one in. I was about 7 minutes behind the person before me....so what? My finish time was 54:19. I finished in 3135 place out of 4142 competetive runners. And I am proud of it!! The longest time for the run? 2 hours and 24 minutes for the competitive runners. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

Look, I am not trying to tell you what to do, well actually I am. If you are just starting C25K or any running program or maybe you are about to finish, sign up for a 5K. If you can sign up for the Race for the Cure, please do so. This race is unique because it attracts more than just runners and even avid walkers. It attracts all different levels of fitness or lack of fitness and you are guaranteed to feel comfortable and welcome.

If you sign up for one, let me know when you will be running and I will make sure to cheer you one and see how you did.

Race for the Cure and so should you

2009-10-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to tell you what today meant for me. I went and ran with 30,000 other fabulous people. Yeah you got that right, 30K. My Nike plus failed me.....again. I was so upset. at mile 2.64, it just froze on me.

I will do a race post in a few hours. I need some sleep and rest.

If I turn my head just so and lift my left foot

2009-09-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about my allergies. I felt great this morning. I got up, ate some breakfast, sat at my computer and put in a mean 5 to 6 hours. Then it just hit me, the headache. And I was down for the count. I tool some meds in the afternoon and laid down.

About three hours later, the urge, the guilt of not running came over me. I got up and got out. Surprisingly it felt good. Sure I was a bit tired. I had not run since last Wednesday and that wasn't good. So I got dressed and ignored the pressure I felt when I looked down and off I went.

Now, go back to the very first post I ever did and it will say anyone who runs with pain or illness is just crazy. It states I am not that "kind" of runner. The fact that I was constantly aware of tilting my head just so and watching my foot steps contradicts that first post.

Ok feeling woozy again...back to bed. Ah yes Sudafed. Thanks Mr. F. I forgot about that wonderful medication.

Where in the world is Fluffy?

2009-09-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

I can tell you where she isn't. She isn't on the trails near her house. She isn't on the streets near her home. On the track? Nope. On the dreadmill? Nope.

She is in a coma on her couch. My allergies and sinuses have taken a toll on me. My head feels like it is going to explode. It hurts to turn my head, to look down or even to look up. I have slept all day. I got up to wake up my daughter for school. I worked for a few hours, picked up my daughter from school then took her to the library and came home and went back to sleep on the couch. I woke up at 9 pm. And if I hold my head just so.... it doesn't hurt as much.

I have to run. I have a 5K this weekend. I want to do 5k this week and then just a mile or mile and half on Thursday. "Only mile and half" hee hee. I remember when I completed Week 5 Day 3 of Couch to 5K and I cried, again. (It seems like I am always crying). But I cried because I had ran a mile for the first time. And now, my short run is a mile and a half.

So hopefully (fingers crossed) my head will be clear by tomorrow. So until then....Keep running.

I'm Fluffy and proud of it

2009-09-24T00:21:00.000-07:00

You ever have one of those perfect days? You know, when you get up earlier than usual and feel rested, you get all green lights on the way to work, you get everything done on your to do list at work, and then you have a great run? That is the kind of day I had. It was a perfect day.

Fall came in all his glory today. I woke up to 69 degrees and low humidity. And it stayed that way all day. By the time I went for my run at 5pm, it was still a good day. It is amazing how much easier it is to run when humidity is not dragging you down. There were several times I hit my Nike+ and it read "current pace 13:26 or 14:17". That just doesn't happen to me. It was a good run.

Part of it was due to my playlist. For whatever reason, my Nike+ started in the middle of my running playlist. (Maybe it knew I needed a change.) But I heard songs I rarely hear, like Don't Slow Down, I Got it From my Mama, Here it Goes etc. I was rockin' and rollin' out there. When "I Got it from my Mama" came on, man, I was running with attitude. As I ran, I thought, "yeah that is right. Here I am, live and in person. I am beautiful. I am powerful. I am fast. I am a runner." It was a great feeling.

Get out there. Be an example for someone else. I promise you that while you run outside, in all your fluffiness, there is someone driving by and they are admiring you. Deep down they wish they had the courage to do what you are doing. You are running Baby and don't stop!

Team Edward

2009-09-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

OK, this weekend was crazy. I was surrounded by teenage girls Friday and Saturday. And with teenage girls came teenage snacks. It was too much for me. I have been doing really good on the not eating bad munchies thing. But I had Chex Mix, cupcakes, Cheetos, hot dogs, dark chocolate Chex Mix (yes you heard me right, Chex Mix drizzled in dark chocolate). OH and Pringles, licorice, blow pops etc.

Are you following me? The junk food was everywhere. So I don't think I had one decent meal the whole weekend. And I feel it. I have a food hangover. I have retained so much water that I could dry emboss my whole body with a Cuttlebug embossing folder by just pressing it against me. (If you scrapbook, you will understand).

So I ran this afternoon and it was overcast for the beginning of my run. That is a good thing because I hate the sun when I run. As soon as it peaks out from behind the clouds, I feel drained. I don't know why. I know it is completely mental. Hopefully it won't be the same in the winter.

I also realized that my headset is going out on me, which is why sometimes I can't hear the voices on my Nike+. I guess that is a good thing. All I need is a new headset.

Pride and how it can hurt

2009-09-17T20:58:00.001-07:00

I started running with a friend of mine. I have always ran alone so this is new to me. Little things stress me out so the idea of having to plan my run against someone else's schedule is stressful. It shouldn't be but it is for me. So yesterday I met her to run. I ran on Tuesday morning so I wasn't expected to run again until Thursday. I figured I would meet her and she would run and I would walk. No biggie, right? Wrong!

There were quite a few people on the trail. It was during a time that I normally don't run so there weren't any of my regular group of people that I see during the morning. Well my friend, not a skinny mini but not my size, started to run and I started to walk faster. And then I left my insecurities take control. I started to think everyone was looking at me and they were thinking, "Poor fat woman. She can't even run along with her friend. Well at least she is out here." Ok that kind of thinking is so wrong at so many levels. First, no one really cares about me running. They got their own thing going. Second, being a runner makes you no better than a walker. They are just different techniques. So, I need to stop acting like a running snob. And third, even if someone thought that way....who cares!?!?!?

Because I let my mind take over my body, I started to run. And I started to run faster than normal. And I paid the price. I woke up this morning and my legs were sore and I felt it in my knees. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! So learn from me, if you are just starting out, don't do too much. Take your rest days from running. Walk, ride your bike, weight train or swim on those days if you feel a need to move. But by no means do you run.

Wordless Wednesday Favorite Things

2009-09-16T08:53:00.001-07:00

My Nike+ loves me again!

2009-09-15T23:14:00.000-07:00

So I went for a run at lunch time today and I did not have a heat stroke. That is a big plus in SE Texas. There was a cool breeze and the sun was not out. But the best part was that my Nike+ whispered sweet nothings to me again, while I ran. I had to change from female to male voice (according to forum on NIke site) and it worked. So while I ran, I heard the familiar "current time blah blah, current distance blah blah, current pace blah blah" It was great! Who knew I could become so attached to a gadget!

Ok it is late. I will post more later about my run.

09/11 A moment of silence

2009-09-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

(head bowed in silence) ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Glutton for punishment

2009-09-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

They say that a woman brought up in an abusive house, will stay with an abuser when she gets older. In some weird, wacked out way, that life is "normal" to her. Such is the case with my love affair with my Nike+. I grew up in my running world with it. I love my mini that is to the right of my blog. I love seeing the graphs. I love the cheers I receive when I do a PR or a longest run. I love being a member of the Nike+ community.

But it drives me nuts when my Nike+ ignores me. It doesn't record my run or acknowledge my longest run, as it didn't last weekend. Emotional abuse is what I am suffering. I try so hard to please my Nike+ but it just ignores me. Sure, there are times when I have it's undivided attention and it gives me tokens of affection. You know, my mini running over hurdles and saying how amazing I am. And I love those times. But lately, it's emotional detachment has me seeking affirmations in other places. Mapmyrun has become my sancho. But it doesn't fulfill me like my Nike+. So at the end of the day, I am left feeling empty.

So to the dismay of all my friends, that have heard me complain about the abuse I suffer at the hands of my Nike+, I am looking online at the new IPhone GS and Nano, with onboard Nike+. I imagine only the good times I will have it. I imagine running through the woods, just me and my Lovah...Nike+. With a gentle touch of my finger, he will tell me my current pace, distance and time.

I know, it is just a fantasy, but a girl can dream, can't she?

Nike plus or Nano failed me again

2009-09-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

I woke up late for my run today. That is nothing new for Saturdays. It is my one day I can sleep in so I do. But I got out at 11 am and ran. I decided to run to the beach front and back instead of to the park at back. I knew it would be about 4 miles. I seemed to be doing well. I checked my Nike+ (which runs on my Nano) to my Mapmyrun. At midpoint the Mapmyrun said 1.76 and my Nike+ only read 1.62. But about a 100 yards later, my music stopped playing and I looked down at my Nano and the screen was frozen. So I walked the next half mile in silence then decided to turn on the music on my Iphone. I don't know what I hit but apparently the Mapmyrun stopping calculating my run.

I love technology. I hate technology. When I got home and several hours later, my Nano was not frozen and it read run 1:14 minutes, distance 3.31. I was so happy I went to sync.....and nothing. nothing uploaded and nothing saved. It always disappoints me on my important runs. But all runs are important to me.

Anyway, thank goodness I could log it on mapmyrun because I can edit the run. It had the time right and length of run and the map shows the distance but the distance it is reading in total run is off, so I edited it. I also can depend on my Polar F6, which calculated 841 calories burned. Can I get an AMEN???? So I feel a little better but not much.

Ok first date night with my hubby in about 3 years and we are meeting my best friend and her boyfriend. I can't wait. I hope all is well in your running world.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-02T23:36:00.000-07:00

The Battle of Seabrook

2009-08-31T19:37:00.001-07:00

We have all faced different battles in our lives. Some have faced the battle of the bulge. Others battle insecurity or negative, destructive thoughts. Our country is in the midst of a universal health care battle. Our troops are fighting in a battle in the middle east. Today I faced my own battle. The Battle of Seabrook. I am a native to this territory so you would think I would have been prepared for this battle. I know my enemy well. I have lived among them for years. Each evening, our front line troops drive around conducting air raids on them. I do my best to keep my home secure from them. When one infiltrates my battalion I go into hand to hand combat with them. Like a Ninja, I sneak up on them and try to destroy them before they even know I am within reach. Yes, I know my enemy well

So what happened? How did I lose this one? I forgot that my only defense against my enemy, while I invade their territory is chemical warfare. I forgot my repellent. So as I ran through the woods, I looked all around me and the air was black with little jet fighters attacking me. My only defense at this point was to run faster and sprinkle my drinking water on them. I thought I was doing well until I got home and my husband took pictures of the back of my legs. It was total annihilation of my legs. I am sure the enemy left with alot of my blood. Should I be concerned about needing a blood transfusion? Just kidding.

But seriously, this was a big mistake. I thought about putting repellent on my legs but I was so anxious to get out and run that I dismissed it. And now here I am with welts. I knew better. I live in swamp area and it had rained on Friday and Saturday. The skeeter trucks didn't come by on Sunday so I knew there would be thousands of those buggers flying around.

But I am proud of myself. A few months ago, I would have turned around the moment I saw the first skeeter. I would have become upset and just quit. But I didn't. As a matter of fact, those moments when I looked down and saw 30 or more skeeters on my legs, I just ran faster. I looked like a commercial for OFF...only I was the unlucky person being eaten alive by skeeters.

So I lost the battle of Seabrook. But I learned my lesson.

Race for the Cure

2009-08-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Some of you may already know about my past. In 1998 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was Stage III and it had metastasized to my lymph nodes. For those who don't understand the stages, there are only four stages to breast cancer. I was 28 and had a 20 month old little girl at the time. I feared for my life but more importantly, I feared for hers. At the time I was diagnosed, ten members of my family, on my father's side, had already been diagnosed. Only one had survived. Within months of my diagnosis, she was in another battle with cancer and two of my cousins were diagnosed. My aunt lost her battle but my cousins survived. We know it is hereditary, I mean how much of a coincidence is it that fourteen of us from my grandmother to my generation have been diagnosed with it? But they don't know which gene. It has not been identified. And it doesn't just strike certain people in my family. My grandmother was in her 80's when she was diagnosed, my cousin Irma was in her early 40's, I was in my 20's and my cousin Leslie was a teenager. Yes, breast cancer is vicious.

That is why I have decided to join the Race for the Cure. You guys know me, I wasn't a runner until a few months ago so this is the first time I was able to do this. I am excited about it. I have created a team Boob Troup. I know I have had a late start but this is important to me and if you are a woman, it should be important to you. My biggest fear is for my daughter. I hope and pray that if she should share this gene with me, that her detection of the disease is early and her prognosis is better than mine was at the time I was diagnosed. If any of you have daughters, or even sons, I know you will want them to have a fighting chance against this disease. The more we can do to support research, the better hope we have in our children and our children's children to beat the disease.

Please join me at my Race for the Cure home page and make a donation. No amount is too small. As a matter of fact, it is the small amounts that matter the most.

I ran!

2009-08-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

You know, I went for months, dare I say, years, without working out and now a few days and I just feel out of sorts. Sure I went to the gym a few times last week but I didn't run. And I missed it dearly. So today after a few bumps in the morning, I was able to get my run on. So why is my mini acting like I haven't ran?!?!? I ran this morning but I fear my mini so much, that I feel a need to run again tomorrow morning...eventhough I am not suppose to run. But I am glad I ran this morning.

It gave me time to reflect over my past week. I loved seeing my family and getting ready for the new school year, just not at the same time. So getting out and turning on my Nano and just hitting the paths near my home was relaxing. I know, I know...how can running be relaxing? I can't explain it but it is, even for this fluffy gal. So what are you waiting for?

I have been abducted!!

2009-08-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Seriously, this is a busy week and I don't even know where to begin. So to make it quick and short, I am going to do it bullet style:

Picking up stepson from Alabama
Scanning 700+ pictures for video montage
Editing pics for video
picking songs for montage
creating video montage
taking daughter for school shopping
shopping for dress for dad's birthday
picking up sister from airport
taking daughter to school and wait 2 hours for book pick up
getting hair done
cleaning house for guests staying
firming up birthday party plans
making arrangements for family arriving from out of town, picking them up and bedding
translating song into English from Spanish (and I don't know Spanish)
Creating party gifts for guests
going to gym to work out
Cook for party tonight for Bible Study end of summer party

I am sure I left out a few but I have to go again. Miss all you guys! I'll be back on Monday.

Post Couch to 5K

2009-08-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I love trail running? I did my first trail run during W9 of Couch to 5K. I fell in love immediately with the trails. I don't think about the time and I feel less stress when I run. What I mean is that my run feels easier. I love running past the butterfly garden as the sun bathes them in a soft glow through the trees. I love running over the bridge and seeing all the baby crabs crawling below. I love running past the skate park and watch the kids do their dare devil tricks, or saying hello to fellow dog lovers that have normal dogs that can run with them. (Note to self: need to train one of my dogs to be normal enough to go out in public.) All of these small distractions make my run easier. It is so stimulating that I forget about the minutes on my Polar F6. All I do is enjoy the run.

So when I ran on the treadmill earlier this week, I struggled with each minute. In front of my was my fake tree and to the right was the big screen and to the left was the view of my backyard. It was boring. No new smells to discover or a breeze to feel grateful for blowing, just nothing. So it was a short run but I did it. But I made sure my next run was outside.

So on Saturday I woke up late and the heat had already made itself at home in my little town, so I had to wait to the evening. It was a great run. I couldn't wait to get out there. I loved taking a deep breath of the sea air or hearing the birds chirp, seeing the squirrels and just saying hello to cooler weather. By cooler I mean, it is not in the 90s. Since I have finished C25K , I am starting to work on my pace. So I tried to go just a bit faster. It was a dance really. I would get a quicker turn over on my feet, I would hit the center button on my Nano to hear my current pace, look down on my Polar F6 to check my heart rate and make adjustments. I did this several times for the first 25 minutes. Then in minute 26 I just ran. I ran until I couldn't run anymore. And when I couldn't run anymore, I stopped my Nano and there she was, Joan Benoit Samuelson. She was congratulating me on my new PR. 16:46 pace. I love running.

Week 9 Class of 08/10/2009

2009-08-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am a day late in posting about my final C25K run. Was I like a gazelle gliding through the trails on my last run? No. My day proved to be a Monday. I walked out the door and attempted to turn on my Nike plus but my Nano was frozen. My husband did not seem in the mood to go with me, which kind of hurt my feelings because this was a big day for me. I was running my last run on the program and I was hitting 100 miles on my Nike+. So, with all of that hanging on me, I trudged back inside and tried to reset my Nano but nothing worked. As a last ditch effort, I hooked it up to my computer and restored to factory settings. My computer had to download an update and then had to reload all 500 songs back onto my Ipod. Needless to say, I was not very happy. It was getting later, the sun was getting higher and the day was getting hotter.

But finally I was ready to head out the door. As I approached the front of my neighborhood, my husband rides past me, and he doesn't have the water. So, I am screaming, trying to get his attention to tell him to go back and get the water. As I proceed to walk, the funk just comes over me. I don't want to be out there. I feel cheated. This was to be a perfect run and it was becoming a perfect mess. Even the gravel on the trail felt deeper and seemed harder to walk through.

But that is where all my training from the prior weeks comes into play. I knew from previous weeks that you have good days and bad days. That sometimes you hit a runner's high and other days you just hit the wall. And I learned that it is okay to have those days. It doesn't make you a failure or make you any less of a runner. I have read hundreds of articles over the past few weeks, scoured blogs and know that all runners, even Olympic ones, have their off days. So my off day made me the same as Kara Goucher. (funny thing: I didn't even know who that was about 10 weeks ago). If you don't, google her.

So as I ran and the sun beat down on me, I felt sluggish. I started to try to chant to myself. "You can do it", I said over and over again. And for a while I believed it. Womanizer was playing on my Nano and I was finally hitting some shade, this was gonna be a good day. So I hit my center button on my Nano to get an update on my pace and this is what I heard, "Current time 25 minutes, current pace, 0 minutes per mile...." NOOOOOOOOOO, dagnabbit, what the freak? and every other word of frustration came to mind. What is going on? So I hit it every once and a while and it was all over the map when it came to pace. And my distance? It was off also. This was suppose to be my celebratory run and it was turning into a disaster. As a Christian, all I could think was , "Satan, get thee behind me!". He was going to try to steal my joy. He knows me getting healthier and fitter was going to give me more energy to serve and he wants none of that. But that ain't gonna happen.

So I finished my run yesterday really hot and tired. But you know what? I finished it. I finished it and I can't wait to run again. That is the difference between never running before and spending the last few weeks learning how to run and learning about my body, I know I was just having an off day. So what?

As the day wore on, I got out of my funk and found my blessings. I check in daily with two threads at Weight Watchers, C25K Daily Challenge and Heavyweights. I have met some of the most amazing women on these boards. Dare I say, some of us have become friends. We share our woes, our praises, our lives and family stories. I smile right now just thinking about all of them. There are those like Rebekah that have been where we are and shares a wealth of knowledge. There are those like Christina and Kris that just make me laugh. Then there are others like Lisa, Andie, and Amanda that I watched finish C25K before me and offered words of encouragement. Even all the news one, Christine and Beth that give me a chance to pay it forward and share anything that I may have learned on my journey. There are even the Nathans and Lisa's that I have not heard from in a while but still think about. All of them, and so many more, make up a big community of people that have found this love for running or are just discovering it, like me. Yes, I am truly blessed to know these people and to call them friends.

What a journey! When I started, I thought I just needed a pair of shoes and some clothes and just put one step in front of the other. Which is true to some degree. But I found that I could combine my love for technology with my new found love of running. I bought a HRM that is almost as important to me as the invention of the wheel. And not to be outdone, my Nike+ has been my little cheerleader and my data tracker. I can tell you what my pace was during any week of C25K, I can tell you what day I run the most, even what my average distance is during C25K. Yes, my Nike+ feeds my data junkie needs. I found new uses for my Iphone in MapMyRun, C25K application and progio. Yes, running has been good for my techno side.

Running is a whole other world. But who knew you could benefit from different clothes?!? I didn't even know what tech shirts were. I didn't know how different they felt from cotton when you are dripping in sweat. I didn't realize the difference a good pair of running shoes made when it came to comfort and preventing injury. And who knew that us gals that are well endowed could actually find a running bra that meets all of our unique needs. Did you know that there are even different types of socks? Yes, I know, who knew? Or running gear that has been created to massage certain parts of your legs, depending on how it is constructed. Crazy, right? Or get this....GU. I know, I know, what the heck is that? Apparently, it is nutrition on the go when you are out on a long run. Or that documentaries on Running the Sahara or books named Born to Run would be interesting? And I have just started learning about all this. So much still to learn.

But the best part of all this. I discovered myself. I learned to listen to my body as I run. I pick up the pace a bit and listen to my bodies reaction. My heart is beating a bit faster, my breath is becoming a little more shallow, new muscles in my legs are waking up and then I slow down a bit. I feel my breathing coming easier, my form is more relaxed and my overall feeling is just good. I travel a bit further and tease it alittle. I push it a little more and listen to my body. I change my form, while running, and listen to my body to see if it is making me more efficient or if it is struggling. I love the mental part of the run. Even when the Beast shows up and I have to figure out how to tame it.

I also discovered confidence. Each week presented itself with a new set of goals and each week I was amazed that I could meet them. Sometimes I had to repeat a week or I just flat out cried because I was embarrassed or it seemed too hard but it was worth it. My first run outside was scary. I didn't want anyone to see this fluffy gal trying to run.... and fail. I did whatever I could to avoid people. As they passed me, I tugged on every piece of clothing, I guess mentally trying to hide behind them. But I learned that all the ill thoughts that I thought they were having, were in fact, my own. What I learned is that, if they are runners, they admire and love any runners. I learned that they are ready to help out and offer advice if you ask them. And the only people that really smirk....are the people in the cars who can't run and don't understand...so who cares? They are not runners so they probably laugh at the slim and trim runner for running in the heat, the cold, time of day...you name it. They hide behind their sneers because deep down, they long to run and have probably tried and failed. I have been blessed with two friends in my Bible Study that are avid runners. They met in a running group, they have qualified and ran in the Boston Marathon (Again something new that I learned...you have to qualify for the Boston Marathon....and it is hard), and all they have done is love on me. They encourage me, they congratulate me no matter what my pace for finishing a 5K. They are good people.

It seems so surreal that I have completed Couch to 5K. It is almost scary. I mean, what do I do next to stay motivated? I loved the small goals each week in the program. They boosted my confidence and pushed me to do better. I am on to a search for a new program. The One Hour Runner, 10K training from Nike...who knows.

Almost Done W9D2

2009-08-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to tell you how I feel. I went out this morning to run the trails. I am in Week 9 so I do a 30 minute run with a 5 minute warm up and cool down. It felt so comfortable. It felt natural. In minute 18, where I usually feel like stopping, I felt like dancing. Well Janet Jackson was playing at the time...and who doesn't like to dance to Janet?

It wasn't too hot for this time of year. It was 79 degrees and there was a breeze coming off the water. It was a Saturday morning so there were more people today than there were during the week but who cares! I no longer dread seeing people on the trails or when cars pass by or the landscapers are outside. None of that matters anymore.

If you are reading this and you are just starting Couch to 5K, be prepared to see some changes in your life. Be prepared to have more confidence. Be prepared to know how to listen to your body. Be prepared to start seeing food as not a comfort when stressed but fuel for your body. Be prepared to flood your body with endorphins and feel joy. Be prepared to be able to push through the hard runs because you know it gets eaiser. Be prepared to call yourself a runner.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-05T10:14:00.001-07:00

Registration is open!! Nike Human Race 10K

W8D3 and counting

2009-08-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

So, I have been struggling lately with getting up early. I am pretty much jumping out of bed and running straight for the office and working. But I really need balance in my life. For whatever reason, I have taken up watching TV. If you knew me in person, you would know that I cannot commit to any TV show. I can't remember what day they air or what time or even what channel. I usually end up watching the last show of reality shows. You know get the whole season wrapped up in two hours. Work smart, not hard has been my motto.

Well, since I started running on my treadmill or the treadmill at the gym, I have taken a new interest in TV watching. I want to stay entertained for the duration of my run. So my interests in watching TV has caused me to research show and the times they air. I am such a geek.

But last night I went to bed early in hopes that I would get up early to run. I didn't. I was up early, about 7am but I wanted to be out of the door by 6:30 am. So I sat down and did my Bible Study...balance, remember? When I finished the study, I heard the DJ on the radio say it was only 84 degrees. Hot dog!! I threw on my shoes and got my husband and I went for a run outside while he rode the bike. It was nice.

I love running on the paths that go over small streams, past the middle school, through the woods and drop me off in front of my neighborhood. I felt so alive. There was so much to look at that I didn't constantly look down at my watch or calculate my pace. And by the end of the run, I felt rejuvenated. I didn't encounter the beast that I see on the treadmill. She did not show up and I was pretty glad. I can't believe I ran the whole thing. There was a time when walking that distance was a struggle. Now, it was like a walk in the park. (pun intended)

So I think for the rest of my Couch to 5K, I am going to try to get up early and run outside.

Naked Running

2009-07-31T17:44:00.000-07:00

Someone on the Weight Watchers message board was asking about barefoot running. I know, I know, the first time I heard it, I had the same reaction. I said, "Say what?" But after reading Born to Run, I get it. I don't do it but I get it. Nike apparently gets it also, in a funny way. I thought I would share this commercial. They are called Nike Free 5.0 V4.

Let's face it...I am a junkie

2009-07-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

junk·ie also junk·y
n. pl. junk·ies Slang
1. A narcotics addict, especially one using heroin.
2. One who has an insatiable interest or devotion: a sports junkie.
someone who is physiologically dependent on a substance; abrupt deprivation of the substance produces withdrawal symptoms

Hi, my name is Rozette and I am a Junkie. (Heard from other's in the room, "Hi Rozette") NO, I am not a narcotic addict. I am a data junkie, a Nike+ junkie. I live to see my mini run across my desktop when my screen saver pops up. I love to see her run on my blog. And when I can't feed her I get withdrawal symptoms. I have searched the forums at Nike+ there seems to be a workaround for this. However, I think when I updated my Itunes at the same time that I was syncing my Nano, something got lost in translation. At the end of this post you will find the directions on how to find your lost runs.

So while I know I did the run, I can't prove it to mini. My legs feel it, my mind know its but my mini doesn't.

The good news is that it will encourage me to get a short run in before I go to Ladies Night at On the Run. They are going to have representatives from Brooks, Asics and Moving Comfort. It should be fun. There will be food, talk about nutrition for female runners and walkers, shoe fittings, and bra fittings. I hope I don't step on any toes because I want to try the Lunarglides+ before I try the Brooks or Asics. However, I am interested in talking to the Moving Comfort representative since I have a bone to pick with them. They have discontinued their "extended size" clothing line. Bad move. They should read my blog entry from a few days ago or watch the recent entertainment news that says Fluffy is In.

So if you ever find yourself lost of a run in your Nike+ follow the following steps. I know they work because I was able to travel out to the saved runs but I think mine was lost in a Itunes update.

Here's how to do a manual re-upload using a Mac:
1. Dock your iPod nano to your computer, and note the name of your iPod nano. It will be visible under the iPod icon on the desktop, and will most likely have a name like "Clover's iPod."
2. On your desktop, click Shift + Apple + G to generate the "go to" prompt.
3. In the command window, enter: /Volumes/Clover's iPod/iPod_Control/Device/Trainer/Workouts/Empeds/Note that you'll need to substitute your iPod's name where appropriate. Note, too, that this field is case-specific. Don't forget the underscore in "iPod_Control!"If you're unable to open the folder from the Finder, we recommend that you download and install the Invisibles program, which allows you to navigate the iPod nano's hidden files and folders. It's a free download here:http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14722
8. Once you've accessed the Empeds folder, you'll see at least one subfolder with an alphanumeric name. Users with multiple sensors will see a folder for each sensor. (Note that the folder name actually corresponds to the serial number on the back of the sensor.) Each folder contains the workout data associated with that sensor.
9. The "synced" sub-folder will likely contain the run you're missing; its filename will reflect the date it was recorded, so it should be easy to locate. When you find it, drag and drop it into the "latest" folder.
10. Eject your iPod nano and close iTunes. After a moment, re-dock your iPod nano. The file should upload automatically to the account you specified in the last session.

Here's how to do a manual re-upload on a PC:
1. Dock your iPod nano and allow iTunes to launch. If it doesn't launch automatically, please launch it from your desktop or your Start menu.
2. Select your iPod nano from the source list on the left-hand side of the screen in iTunes and scroll to the bottom of the Summary page, which should be your landing page. In the "Options" section, please make sure that "Enable disk use" is selected; if it's not, please select it and click "Apply."
3. Launch Windows Explorer (Start > All Programs > Accessories > Windows Explorer). Please note that Windows Explorer is NOT the same program as Internet Explorer, the web browser! Windows Explorer is a utility that allows you to access the files in various drives on your computer.
4. Click "Tools > Folder Options" and select the "View" tab. Make sure that "Show hidden files and folders" is selected; if it's not, please select it and click "Apply."
5. Locate your iPod nano in the source list on the left-hand column in Windows Explorer. It should have a name like "Clover's iPod," and is most likely your E or F drive. Then navigate the folders as follows: Clover's iPod > iPod_Control > Device > Trainer > Workouts > Empeds.
6. In the Empeds folder, you'll find several folders with alphanumeric names. Each of these contains the workout data associated with one of your sensors. (If you're interested, you can even match the folder with the sensor by looking at the serial number on the back of the sensor; you can also work out this information by looking at the dates on the files within each folder.)7. Identify your current sensor and open the "Synched" folder. In it, you'll find xml files, titled by date. Identify the ones that didn't upload successfully on the first try, and drag and drop them into your "Latest" folder.8. Close iTunes and eject your iPod nano. After a moment, re-dock your iPod nano; the data that you just moved should now re-upload successfully.

W8D1 The one that got away...

2009-07-28T23:45:00.000-07:00

I went to the gym tonight and ran my first 28 minute run. I tried running at a faster pace and succeeded. I was so proud. I ran about 2.8 miles. It was great. However, I didn't want my last minutes of cool down to be reflected on my run, yah know...PR junkie. So, while I was still on the treadmill, I felt around the buttons and I thought I saved it. But when I synced my Ipod, nothing happened. No updates. Bummer. That is what I get for becoming a junkie...I cheated myself out of a run. I feel like the fisherman that boasts about the one that got away. But it happened...really.

Imperfect is the new Perfect

2009-07-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

So, I am all into this fluffy thing and empowering myself to see beyond my own size. And it is all good. But I guess you become more aware of things as you begin to own them. Lifetime has a new show Drop Dead Diva, about a beautiful skinny minny that dies and comes back as a plus size attorney. It is about her coping with it. I have to be honest, I have only seen about 15 minutes of it and I liked what I saw. Fox is premiering a new show, More to Love, which is about a bachelor who is attracted to all shapes of women, even fluffy. NBC's, The Biggest Loser, has been on TV for several seasons. Ok, I am not too sure about Dance my Ass off, on Oxygen but that is just me personally.

My point is that us fluffy gals are starting to be recognized in mainstream media. Fluffy is the new gay in Hollywood. Let me explain myself. There was a time in mainstream media that being a gay was something you did in the closet. If there was a character on a show that was gay, it was only hinted to or considered their dark secret. Then with shows like Will and Grace, stars Ellen De Generes and Rosie O'donell and numerous of pop singers that are pretty open about their lifestyle, it has become pretty mainstream. Now when you see a person on a show, that happens to be gay, they are just one more character on show ....and they happen to be gay Just like some happen to be brunette or blond or male or female. I don't want to debate whether being gay is right or wrong. My point is they are recognized as just a part of mainstream society.

Don't get me wrong, I love my size 2 or 4 or 6 gals on TV and in real life. But the average size women in America is a size 14. So shouldn't the average size women in the ads on TV and characters on TV be average sized? Ok, maybe we, as a society, won't accept it. But what about a good mix of all sizes. A mix so varied in sizes that it would be difficult to describe one of the characters on the show as "ya know that big girl." You wouldn't be able to single them out just on that one trait because that one trait would not apply to just one character.

So where am I going with this? Last week while trying to win a pair of Lunarglide+ on Twitter, I was sent to an article about Nike+ Human Race 10K on October 24, 2009 and their requests for Ambassadors. I am applying. We have to answer why we want to run the race. I have many reasons to run this race, my daughter, my family, those people that look at me funny when I say I am a runner, those gals who tell me that they don't think they can run because of their size. I want to prove to myself and to them that yes, I am a runner. Yes, I love to run. Yes, I am running the Human Race...we humans come in all shapes and sizes. There are soo many other reasons why Nike can choose not to pick me, but I don't want one of those reasons to be because I am fluffy.

So, I didn't win a pair of Lunarglide+ from Nike promo last week. However, one of my favorite bloggers, Cyndi, won a pair. WUU HUU.

Wordless Wednesday... A must Read

2009-07-23T12:43:00.001-07:00

It can change what you think about running.

W7D2...how do I do it?

2009-07-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back on the Couch to 5K program. Yesterday my stomach was a bit upset so I skipped going to the gym with my family and just sat on the couch to watch TV. I wasn't feeling 100%, so that was ok. Or was it? I guess not because 40 minutes after my family showed up at the gym, I walked in.

My run was uneventful. I had Everyone Loves Raymond on the TV in front of me and hit the treadmill. I found that I have to push through the first 8-10 minutes then it seems easier. At about minute 15 or 16 I get into a rhythm then about mile 20, I want to quit. I know, I know. Four to five minutes of real stride? But it is worth it to get that feeling that I am in the groove. I start singing the songs on my Ipod....outloud. I am sure it is weird to the other people in the gym. The largest gal in the gym, running on a treadmill, longer than anyone else, her flab bouncing everywhere, smiling and singing Womanizer or Did you miss me or Army Cadence. Who cares!

My day has been uneventful. However, it has been nice. I sat on the phone with my best friend today and we talked about running. We updated eachother on how are last runs went. We talked about 5Ks we want to sign up to do. It is nice to have my bestfriend, Julissa, having the same new passion, running, as me.

I finished my first 5K and lost to a three year old.

2009-07-18T14:42:00.001-07:00

What a rush! I never had a moment that I didn't want to do this. I just wanted to get it over and wow what an amazing experience. I don't know if I ever shared but I am not a morning person so not only was this my first 5K but I was running earlier than I ever had in the past. My daughter ran this with me. If you ever read my very first post, this is why I am doing this. I want to build memories with her. After years of pushing her in a stroller when I went walking, years of having her next to me while I did walking on a treadmill, in these teenage years, I had become unfit and couldn't run to my neighbor's house. I had to change that. She was becoming a runner and I am too big for a stroller, so I had to get moving.

When we get to the Johnson Space Center we meet up with our friends from Bible Study, Dianne and her husband Kelly. They give us some more tips. We are runners in completely differently leagues. This is my first 5K and they have qualified and run the Boston Marathon. So I really value the time and attention they have given me and their words of encouragement. I get teary eyed just thinking about how wonderful they have been.

While they were doing a 20 minute warm up, I hear my name being called. My best friend in the world,Julissa,was there. She started running about 2-3 months ago. She started doing 5Ks about two months ago. So we are both new runners but she jumped in before me. I was so glad she was there. We have never run together. I have a confession. Some people have drinking buddies. People that for whatever reason, when they gather, they drink. Well she was my eating buddy. When we got together, it was an eating experience. For years it was Johnny Tamales. They knew us coming in the door and probably knew our order before we did. When she moved out of the area, we made it a point to find a new place to eat and chat. We knew we had a problem when my daughter became Pavlov's dog. As soon as she saw Julissa, she was hungry. We have decided to meet on the weekends, for 5Ks. Speak it into your life and act if you do, even when you don't and it will happen. We said that for years and here we were today at a 5K and in two weeks we will do another one.

So I didn't do a warm up walk and I should have. People were running as they past the Start line. I forgot that this was a race. I kept a pretty even pace. My goal: make sure there is someone always behind you and I succeeded. There were 70 year old women and another girl like me, fluffy that were behind me. I think for the first mile and half, there were 15 people behind me but at mile 2 this group of seniors passed me and the EMT guys were riding along side of me. Seriously, they rode next to me for all of mile 2. But none of that mattered. What mattered was the three year old that I spotted in the middle of mile two.

There he was walking along side his father. So cute, so young, so much my nemesis. You have got to be kidding me!?!?! He has been ahead of me this whole time? Oh no, I am picking up the pace. And that is how mile two and three went. I didn't focus on the seniors passing me or the water people shutting down near me. I focused on him. When he sped up, so did I. When he slowed down, I thanked God and slowed down. And then the unthinkable happened. His daddy picked him up and put him on his shoulders. Not fair!!! No one was here to pick me up and give me a rest. For 10 yards his father carried him. Sure it was only 10 yards but apparently that was all he needed because when his father put him down, he took off. And in a matter of minutes he was fleeting speck in front of me until I couldn't see them anymore.

So I was left to my own devices to push on. I listened to Lose Yourself about 4 times to push through the last mile. About 1/4 of mile from the finish I saw my daughter coming back for me. I wanted to cry but I learned from W5D3 that crying takes my breath away and I needed all the oxygen I could get. She smiled and stayed back. Somehow she knew that I loved the support but this was something that I needed to do alone. In one of the pictures, you see me in the tunnel and she is hanging back. As I rounded through the tunnel to the finish, they were all there: Dianne, Kelly, Julissa, Jan (her boyfriend) and my husband. As I passed them, I yelled, "If this was an endurance race....I would be the winner!!!

I have truly been bitten by the running bug. I can't wait to do my next one. Well, there is one in two weeks on the trails in front of my house but August is the hottest month for us. Julissa says she is doing it and that if I don't, I'll have to make breakfast for them. As much as I love food, I hate to cook. So looks like I am running. So my goal, find that three year old and beat him!! LOL

One a side note: The 1/2 mary here in January is closed. It hit max within hours of opening the registration. So we are thinking of doing the 1/2 mary in Austin....hills. hmmmm

Addedum to original post:

These are things I fogot to mention in my original post:

I find it very hard to drink from a cup while I am running. Most of the water ended up on my shirt.
I hate litter so I found it even harder to throw my cup down onto the ground after trying to drink from it
Tuesday was the firt time I ever walked/run 5K, on Saturday, during my 5K in the heat, outside, Joan Benoit Samuelson came over my Nike plus to congratulate me on my fasted mile ever!! so I recorded my best pace time...Can you believe it?

How are you doing?

2009-07-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

I don't even know how to answer that one. I am excited about my 5K tomorrow and I am scared. Will I finish? Will I finish last? Will I even wake up in time for the race? All these questions and more. Where do I pin my number, on the front or the back? Do I carry a water bottle? Do I want my IPod? I don't know, I don't know, I don't know? Encino, Encino with long hair....oh wait that was My Big Fat Greek Wedding, not My Big Fat Self Running. LOL

I think I am over prepared. I don't want to look like a newbie but I will probably stand out. You know the people who try to look cool by trying to look like they are not trying to look cool? Yeah that will be me. A friend of mine is running in the 5K. Yeah, she did the Boston Marathon. She said when she finishes, she will come back and run with me. Well I didn't want her to run an additional 6K, so I told her to grab something eat, cool down, chat with my husband and her husband then come meet me. I should be halfway done by then.

I should be sleeping but I am too jazzed up. I hope it rains tomorrow morning instead of just waiting to rain. That would mean hot, muggy air. Just let the water fall and relieve us during our run. My understanding is that it is all on streets through NASA and between buildings, which means we won't feel the breeze from the nearby lake. Darn.

Some weight watcher buddies are running this weekend. Here is a shout out to Kris, Christina, Lisa and Valerie. You go girls. Show the rest of the runners what we are made of!!!! Woo Woo woo!!!

100 days and my first 5K

2009-07-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

I just picked up my packet for the Lunar Rendezvous 5k. I can't wait. I picked up my shirt and it is really big. I ordered the 2XL because I figures they were made for skinny mini runners and ran small. Boy was I wrong. It is huge but I don't care because it is mine. It is suppose to thunderstorm on Saturday. It figures. We go 80 days no rain and now we expect rain on the day of my first 5K. I guess I should be glad since lately the heat index is triple digits. This should cool it down a bit.

And yes, today is 100 days from the Muddy Buddy. Once I finish Couch to 5K, I will start really focusing on the biking. And yes, continue with the running. I love the running. I love saying, "I am a runner". Say it with me..."I am a runner!" Isn't it empowering?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-07-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

In my other cyberworld, scrapbooking, we have this thing called Wordless Wednesday. It means every Wednesday we post a picture of a great photograph we took, a page that we are proud of completing or altered art we want to show off. So I thought I would start doing that in my fitness world. So today, yes I know this is not wordless, I am posting pictures of the trail. It is a trail that passes in front of my neighborhood and ends at a public beach about 2 miles away. Whenever I mention the trails in my post, this is what I am talking about. These are pictures are near the end of the trail when it hits Pine Gully Park. It is about 2.15 miles from my doorstep. So we turn around and head home and get 4.3 miles in for the day. Remember the beauty I spoke about? This is the beauty at the end of my beast. If I didn't bike or run, I wouldn't be able to feel the joy of seeing the water each day (once it gets cool again). Sure I could drive to the water, but I wouldn't appreciate it as much because it took little effort. What is your beauty at the end of your beast?

Beauty and the Beast

2009-07-11T09:52:00.001-07:00

I would love to start this post by saying I was up at 6:30 am and was on the trail by 7:00 am but alas that is not my story. That is not how my journey began. It begins with my husband nudging me to turn off my alarm that has been playing for an hour and me looking for every reason why I shouldn’t go running. It is too hot already. No one wants to go with me. I can do it later on the treadmill. I just want to sleep.

But at 8:16 am I walked out the door with my daughter. I was like Get Smart with all my gadgets, my Nano and my Polar F6. We walked towards the 10K trail that passes in front of our neighborhood and I see all these skinny mini runners running past my neighborhood entrance. All I could think was, “Oh Lord, please don’t make me the only fluffy out here this hot morning.”

And like a combination of Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of beauty, and Athena, the Greek Goddess of wisdom and war, she rode past me on the trail. She was wearing spandex riding shorts, a tight biking shirt and a helmet as she rode past me on her bike. She looked strong. She looked confident. She looked beautiful and she looked like me, fluffy. How ironic that we fluffy gals always worry about what others are thinking when we display ourselves in tight fitting workout clothes. We think, “I hope no one I know will see me.” Or “Here comes someone towards me, I better tug at my shirt and try to hide everything I can. They are probably disgusted by me. Can they see my flab flopping while I run? Are they grossed out by how big my rear is in these tight shorts?” I am amazed at how easily we will say things about ourselves that we would never think or say about anyone else. Instead of being our best cheerleader, we become our own walking Debbie Downer. So I wonder if this Aphrodite, this Athena, knew that someone was watching her and that she was beautiful and strong. I wonder if she knew she was encouraging someone else to dig deep and find that confidence that somehow, sometime ago, went into hiding and only made rare appearances every now and then. No, she probably didn’t and I don’t know if she cared. But I did. I was glad that she past in front of my neighborhood when she did.

I continued on my run with more confidence. Was it easy? Heck no. I didn’t like holding my bottle of water in my hand. Whoever invented bottle water holders on treadmills was a genius. When I run on the treadmill, I concentrate on keeping my hands relaxed and not waste any energy by tensing my hands into fists. However, one hand is in constant tension when you are holding a bottle of water. But it was hot and only 3 water fountains on the trail and since Hurricane Ike, I don’t trust them yet. They have repaired the bathrooms along the trails, well actually they tore down the old ones because Ike destroyed them…some were just missing after the hurricane. They were completely gone, but I digress. They had fixed or rebuilt the bathrooms but the water fountains look the same, untouched, so I don’t use them.

The trails are nice. I saw squirrels, cranes, and these nasty little nat bugs that flew in my mouth. But the inclines were hard. I am glad I used my treadmill at 2% incline during my runs because I don’t think I could have done it outside without that. The sun was just beating down on me when I wasn’t under the shade. The good news is that when you live close to the water, you get a little bit of a breeze so the 94 degrees that felt like 104 in the humidity only felt like 98 because of the breeze. But when I had shade there was relief from the sun but it also blocked the breeze so I don’t know which I preferred.

I can’t believe how easy the first 10-15 minutes felt. I had a rhythm going. Sure it was hot and I was tired but there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to finish. And when I hit minute 18 of my run well hot dog…..I was on a slight decline. Thank you Jesus! And at minute 20, I stopped on the trail as it turned to go towards the water, and turned around. Only now the decline became an incline and instead of praising Jesus, I was begging for strength and cursing the devil. LOL I started my mantra…So much better I’m for you…from a Janet Jackson song. And then a military cadence song started playing on my Ipod and well, those always help with my pace. I finished my run and not a minute too soon. It was hot and I was really feeling it. My daughter was tired also. I walked home from there.

When I turned the corner to my street and saw my house, my skin was burning and I had a wonderful idea. I was going to jump into the garden tub and only turn on the cold water. If you have never tried that after a hot, hard run…I highly recommend it. I just layed there and felt the cool water just permeate every inch of me. Not one area was left untouched by the coolness of the water. I even felt the difference on my scalp between my hair follicles. I just closed my eyes and tried to get as flat as possible in the tub as the water began to spill over me. I was so hot that the water seemed to warm up because of my body temperature. Because us fluffy gals tend to float a bit, my back was not flat against the bottom of the tub and I could feel the heat radiating off my back, hitting the tub and bouncing back to me. What an exhilarating feeling. I could even feel the coolness between my toes. I closed my eyes, turned on the jets and enjoyed every minute of it.

Earlier during the week, I was listening to Zig Ziglar speech called “How to get what you want”. I first listened to it in my twenties and every once and awhile I listen to it again. It had been years since I heard it and had forgotten about his analogy about goal setting and using running and weight loss as his example. He said after months of running and feeling like he was sacrificing something to get back into shape, one day he was running on a college campus, on a beautiful day, and realized he was not sacrificing to get into shape, he was reaping the rewards. I finally understand that. If you read this and run to your tub and just turn on the cold water and step in…you will be miserable. It will seem cold and unwelcoming. But if you run first, in the sun and give the run all you have and then some, then come in and take a cold bath….oh what an amazing reward. Not including that you will feel more alive after the run, you will be healthier and have more energy.

The beauty and the beast belong together. The beast, those moments that you tell yourself you are too tired, it is too hard, is something to get mad at and beat. It is mental. Get mad at it during your run. Focus your energy on overcoming it. Then enjoy the beauty of it. Enjoy being alive and being able to run, whether it is for 1 minute, 10 minutes, 20 minutes or two hours. Enjoy meeting new people on the trails, the new found energy and say hello to your long lost friend, confidence. She has been waiting for you to call her. She knows you are beautiful. She knows you are strong. She was just waiting for you to realize it.

New Runner MIA.... Reward if found

2009-07-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what is up with me. I would like to say I have been really busy this week but that wouldn't be true. I could say I was sick but then I would be lying. I could say I injured myself on my last run...but again... a lie.

So why haven't I run all week? Why is my mini giving me smack? I am not going to make any excuses. Lazy... maybe. Scared? Perhaps. I have a 5K coming up next Saturday and I have not run outside in a long time. So I told myself I would start getting up early and run outside for Week 7 and Week 8. But I am not a morning person, so by the time I get up and see the time, I feel defeated and end up not running at all.

It's all mental. And I have to snap out of it. Get up in the morning and if I don't run anyway. Prove to myself that I can do this....I mean I have come this far and I can do this. I have a habit of starting things and not completing them. Not because I can't because I won't. Even with work projects, the last 5% of any project is a mental game with me. It isn't that I am tired or mentally drained or confused. I don't know what it is but it won't win this time. I have put safety nets all around me. I am prepared and I will finish.

You guys are one of my safety nets as well as my buddies on Weight Watchers and Nike plus. Thank you for all your wonderful comments. Kick me in the rear, if you feel I need it. I don't mind. :)

Week 6 D3

2009-07-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying, I missed the Michael Jackson Memorial. I hear it was beautiful and I have caught bits and pieces on CNN. His children are beautiful. It is so easy to forget that to them, he was just a father. He was daddy. They probably have memories with him like we have with our fathers. Laughing, playing, and just passing time. May he finally have peace.

Well I did Week 6 Day 3 last night while I watched track and field on Universal Sports. Was it easy? Heck no!!! I wanted to stop at 5 minutes, 11 minutes, 14 minutes, 16 minutes, 19 minutes, 22 minutes and 24 minutes...and probably every minute in between. There were times that I really had to talk myself through it. I would say, "Come on.....do it.....come on....come on....don't stop." My husband must have thought I was crazy. I would review in my mind my first weeks of this program. I would review how I cried in week 2, wanted to quit in week three and how I wanted to quit now. But now I know, I can't listen to my mind. Sometimes it will lie to me.

I am reading Born to Run and I am really loving it. Well, when I say I am reading it, I mean I am listening to the audio book. The author mentions a female Ultra Runner who calls the pain and mental anguish she goes through during her runs, the Beast. She says she loves the Beast and loves when it appears because each time she finds new and better ways to deal with him. Good analogy. I like it and will think about it when I run.

It felt good to go against my beast and win. I was drenched in sweat and felt alive. However, on a side note... I have to figure out a different way to wash my bras. They are fine until they are drenched and then they just smell funky. I tried washing in hot water, cold water and just soaking them and still....funkified. Any suggestions?

W6D2 and the IPhone 3GS

2009-07-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

So, I ran W6D2 yesterday. It was pretty uneventful. I must say, it is harder to run on my treadmill than it is to run anywhere else, including outside. I also realized I am looking forward to W6D3 because it is a straight run. Say what?!?!?! Yes, you read it right. I like getting into a rhythm and and just going. I don't want to start and stop. It is hard to get going again.

But this week and last week my thinking is kinda skewed. I am "squeezing" time to work out. Funny how I don't think I am squeezing time to brush my teeth or take a shower or watch Rate My Space. I don't want to lose my momentum. They say the busiest weeks at a gym are the first six weeks of a new year. People, trying to fulfill New Year's Resolutions, will usually stop after six weeks.

That is why I am glad I have all my online running friends, wonderful blogs to inspire me, my Nike + and my Polar F6. I am surrounded by motivation and encouragement.

But the best news, drum roll please, the new IPhone 3GS has Nike+ built in software. Yes, you read that right. If you run outside and like to use the Nike + but also like to carry your phone, now you can do both... in one device. That is right, apparently they saw my review of the Nike + and hating that it was not compatible with my Iphone and the acted immediately. I am kidding. But I am sure there are many Nike + users celebrating. Now if I can just convince my husband that a new IPhone is beneficial to my health and safety.

Nike also launched their new running site. I haven't played with it much but you can be sure that I will share any information that I can.

W6D1 and Ode to a Legend

2009-06-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight I graduated to week six. It was a good run. There were no inhibitions about it because it seems easy (5-5-3-8-3-5-5). There were no double digit runs for this day. I think running on my treadmill at home is harder than running on the one at the gym. Maybe it is because my treadmill is over 10 years old. I am not sure. And yes, I have owned a treadmill for 10 years and moved it to six different homes and never used it to its full ability.

About seven years ago I started working out and would walk on my treadmill for 20 minutes about three times a week. But about four years ago, my business suffered a small setback and it caused alot of stress. The stress took a toll on my lifestyle. I couldn't focus, I started eating comfort foods, and I stopped working out. Four years and sixty pounds later, here I am.

But I am starting to see alot of changes in me and my family. Not just in my improvements in my runs but my home life. I am happier and my family is happier. I have the energy to keep up my household and my family helps more. Since we started working out, we encourage each other. Everything is a group effort as oppose to keeping score to see who did more or less in the household. We are far from perfect we are better.

I was shocked yesterday at the sudden death of Michael Jackson and Farrah Faucet's death. Farrah was part of my seven degrees of separation. Her parents were clients of my father. Farrah was often seen around our neighborhood doing everyday things. I grew up far from the Hollywood lights...small town in Texas so it was unusual to see anyone famous. But she was kind enough to give my daughter an autograph and we are both survivors...or we were both survivors. It still shocks me when someone that had cancer after I had cancer, gets cancer again and passes away. It just makes me wonder why I am still here. But only God knows. She will be missed.

Michael Jackson defined my generation. He defined how music videos should be produced and choreographed. I danced and sang to his songs throughout my teenage years. Yes, I know what they say he has done recently, I don't know if it is true, even so, another truth about him is that he was a great performer and I will celebrate that part of him. So, in honor of him, I put together a playlist of Micheal Jackson songs and ran to them today. Off the Wall, Black or White, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, Wanna be startin something...wooooo those songs took me back.

W5D3

2009-06-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

I struggled with what title to give this entry. This entry has soo much for me.

First time to run twenty minutes straight
First time to run a complete mile
First time to cry at the gym
Tiger woods congratulated me on my best mile ever

Tuesday I was suppose to run my first full 20 minutes and I was scared. So on Tuesday night, I cleaned house like a mad woman and did the weekly grocery shopping. In other words, I tried to keep myself busy so that I didn't have to do it.

Wednesday rolls around and I know it is now or never. My Mini is giving me smack and the weight of the fear is worse than not even trying. I mean, in reality, if I have to start walking in the middle of it, who cares? How many times did I stop in W2, when 90 seconds seemed too hard, or during the three minute runs, I felt as if my legs were going to give? It happened too many times to count. So at 10pm, I got up enough nerve and went to the gym with my family. ( I love 24 hour gyms).

I got on a treadmill, decided I was going to do the run without the C25K prompts on a podcast or on my Iphone application, changed the TV in front of me to Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and started. The warm up was usual and then I started to run.

My pace was 3.3 on the treadmill. Believe it or not, the first 7 minutes were the hardest to run and I thought I wasn't going to be able to do it. To take my mind off the minutes, I started to read the closed captioning on the TV and before I knew it, it was 12 minutes into the run. I remember looking down at 14:51 minutes (this is the girl that died on the 90 seconds and now 171 secs go by and I don't even feel it.) I felt amazing. Because it was dark outside and the blinds were open, I could see my reflection in the mirror...I looked like a runner. When I hit minute 15, I knew I could do this. Mentally, I was saying, 5 minutes is nothing. Two weeks ago, 5 minutes seemed like so much to me. I am getting better and I am loving it.

At 19:01 minutes of running and the treadmill was at 1.21 miles, I hit my first big milestone. I had run a complete mile. I started to cry and yelled out "I just ran my first mile". Thank goodness the only people in the gym were me and my family. Oh, no, I was crying so much that I couldn't catch my breath and I was still trying to run...I had 50 seconds left. I felt great but just couldn't catch my breath. But I did it. I finished my run. My family heard me yell and they saw me crying so they gathered around me to congratulate me.

But you know what was my proudest moment? When I was looking at the reflection of the gym in the glass window, I saw my daughter behind me on an Arc trainer. She was watching me and smiling. Every once and a while, she gave me a thumbs up. And when she came over to my treadmill, she said, "Mama, I am proud of you. You did it." My husband said he was proud of me. He said he remembers me dying on 90 second runs and now through patience and perseverance, I am able to do twenty minutes. Even Tiger Woods congratulated me on my best mile ever.

This gal, whose comfort zone was the fact that she was too big to run, just ran 20 minutes. I couldn't believe it. I didn't stop when I got tired and pushed through. It felt good to run. It no longer was a struggle.

Running has given me back my confidence. Who knew I would become a PR junkie? I have to be honest with you. I have seen those initials everywhere in magazines and didn't know what they meant. They mean Personal Record. Yes, I am a PR Junkie. I also started biking and I want to Kayak. These are things I didn't think I could do and the Kayak thing scared me last summer. Now, I can't wait to try it.

Nike Mini Really Works

2009-06-21T23:51:00.000-07:00

I was going to take the whole weekend off from running. I had a full schedule. It went something like this:

Friday
4:00 pm get off of work
4:15 make side dish for pot luck dinner
5:00 get dressed
6:00 get to dinner party and stay til past 1 in the morning

Saturday
5:45 am get up for swim meet
7:00 am -1 pm---stay outside in 96 degree weather at swim meet

2-7 pm catch up on some sleep
7-10:30 go shopping for Fathers Day gifts

Sunday
9 am church...I didn't go because I over slept
10 am yikes notice my Mini is talking smack about me
10:30 washed clothes, cooked breakfast, cleaned house
3:30 get on treadmill for only 30 minutes
4:15 cook for Fathers Day dinner
6:00 travel an hour to dinner
7-11pm visit with family then drive home
12-2am come home to a house full of diarrhea. One of my dogs was sick and did it everywhere

I say all that to say this....being busy is not an excuse to not work out. 30 minutes is all you need. I would not have learned that lesson if my Mini was not holding me accountable and was visible to all you guys. I would have just let the weekend go by without working out and I would have felt justified. Find something or someone to hold you accountable....it helps.

Am I running?

2009-06-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

I am all over the Internet looking at running blogs. I want to learn all I can and get tips from those who are actually running. Most are encouraging blogs with great tips. Some seem to be just snobby. The "feel" I get from them is that they seem somehow justified in thinking they are above everyone. Case in point, I read a blog where the writer mentioned how he hated when people call themselves runners but their pace is X amount. Being the curious new runner, I decided to look up the definitions of running and walking.

According to Merriam Webster the definition of running is : to go faster than a walk ; specifically : to go steadily by springing steps so that both feet leave the ground for an instant in each step.

There was no mention of pace. It seems to come down to technique. And if you technique can be described by the above definition, then by God, you are running. You may not be running fast but if you are running. So if run across one of these blogs, don't be discourage. Speed or pace will come with time. Just do your best and try to improve on that. If you are consistent with your work out, then it is inevitable that your pace will increase.

And as time goes by, you may find out that not only will your pace increase but it will build confidence. Ever since I started running, I am seeing a different side of me. I go into Academy and I am not embarrassed. I feel as though I belong. I started to go biking, because there is no reason why I can't. I am seriously thinking about kayaking. There are no limits to what I can do as long as I believe that I can and set a goal.