Amusing Things Seen on My Runs

Today was W6D3 of my 5k training. 25 minutes straight running, no walking... and I did it!

I felt tired but good. My breathing was good, but my legs were getting close to Jello by the time it was over. All in all though, it felt really good. I'm convinced; I do better running, and for the rest of the day, if I can get my run in early. Must find a way to work that out!

Now, for the amusing part. I look around as I jog. It's one of the reasons I refuse to join a gym or buy a treadmill (aside from not having the money for such things). Generally, I enjoy looking at the scenery, waving to my neighbors, checking out others landscaping, watching kids play. There's also a house in the neighborhood behind mine which has two domesticated bunnies roaming around the front yard from time to time! Of course, there is the occasional unpleasantness; the dog incident for one, as well as the inevitable squished frogs, bugs and worms. I just try not to run through any of that... YUCK!

Today however, I saw two things that were puzzling, amusing, and rather funny! The first was during the last half of my 25 minute run. I saw something in the road. From a distance I thought it might be a small pile of leaves or grass; it just rained. Then I feared it might be yet another squished thing, only bigger. As I got closer, I realized it was moving... slowly. I had to get right next to it before I recognized what it was... A CRAWDAD! Now, there's a small pond in this area, but it's pretty murky, and this was still a good ways away from it. There it was, in the middle of the road, just goin' for a stroll! It was still there when I made my return trip. By far, strangest thing I've ever seen out on my runs.

The other thing that tickled me happened as I was cooling down, walking back down my street. I heard a Mockingbird warbling... and getting quite carried away with his song too (showing off for a female, I'm sure )! I looked around, and sure enough, there he was, on top of one of the Bradford Pear trees which adorn the front yard of all the homes in this development. The funny thing was, he wasn't just sitting there. He was literally dancing and flitting from the tippy-top of one branch to another! It struck me as so funny, that I had to laugh out loud!

Even though I depend on the weather to be nice (or at least not pouring down rain) and I have to wait around for childcare sometimes, I really love running outdoors. You never know what you'll see next!

5K Training - Week 6

Yes, it's Friday. Which means I should be on Day Three, but events conspired against me getting out and running on Wednesday, so here we are!

Monday was Day One.  And it kicked my butt. I don't know if it's because I had to run in the evening instead of morning, or if I just didn't eat right during the day, but it was HARD.

I was feeling really winded by the end of the 8 minute segment in the middle. And I actually thought about stopping. But then I feared if I stopped, I might not be able to start again, so I pushed on.

The last five minute run was agony. I don't know why, but I didn't like it one little bit. I felt like total crap, as bad as I felt at the end of the 20 minute run last week! But I am proud of myself for not giving up.

Today was Day Two and it was actually better than Monday. I figured it would be worse, what with my slacking in the exercise department this week, but it was good. Hard, but good.

Adjusting to this new schedule, and not being able to run in the mornings is difficult. When I could go out first thing in the morning, it started my day off RIGHT. I felt good all day, ate better all day, and was far less crabby during the day.

Now, having to wait until my husband gets home from work (and don't get me wrong, after three months of unemployment, I'm glad he's working!) puts a crimp in my style and I'm not nuts about it.

One of my neighbors, who homeschools her girls, offered to have them come play with the kids while I go run. Hopefully, I can take her up on that this week, and / or find the money to buy a used jogging stroller!

Since I'm now a day behind in my normal training schedule (which was already a week behind when I needed to finish it) it's time to step it up. I'll do day three on Sunday - one long 25 minute run with no walks! Wish me luck!!

Race for the Cure is just TWO WEEKS from tomorrow!  Please, if you haven't already, visit my page, and consider supporting me as I run for a really, really great cause!

5K Training - Week 5, Days 2 & 3

Day two was Wednesday. Since Rob was back to work, and it was raining in the morning, I had to wait until he got home, so I didn't jog until about 6 pm.

I actually felt pretty good. The 8 minutes stretches were not as hard as I thought they'd be. I don't know if I just psyched myself up for it better, was so anxious to get out there, or if it was because I wasn't running on an empty stomach, like first thing in the morning. At any rate, it was good.

Day three was yesterday. And it kicked my butt. Seriously.

I ran over by Mom's house, since Rob had an appointment, and I was over there anyway. So she watched the kids (or rather the kids watched Noggin over there for 30 minutes) and I set out for my first straight 2 mile jog.

It was TOUGH. Actually, the first 10 minutes weren't so bad, but I was ready to walk by then. But I didn't. I kept on pushing. I didn't get too winded, which is good, but I really felt the tiredness in my legs, and by the time my podcast told me my 20 minutes was up, I felt like puking. I was definitely feeling my legs, and ever so grateful that I took some detours down dead end streets when I hit the Great Big Hill going back up to Mom's house... it was hard enough to walk up it at that point, and I knew I wasn't going to be up for tackling that hill at the end of my run.

The route I took was a bit more hilly than the one I run here, so that could account for some of the tiredness I feel today. But it was the first time I've ever jogged a whole two miles in my entire life (I think the most I ever ran when I was in school was one mile... and I was in way better shape, and a good deal younger then! )

All in all, a good week. I'm trying to think of a way to safely step up my program a little, so I'll be ready for my 5K on time. I have 4 more weeks of training on this program, and the Race for the Cure is in 3 weeks! I really want to try to run the whole thing, so I think maybe if I cut out my day of rest on Sunday, and truly run every other day, I can probably accomplish my goal of finishing this program before the race, and still give my legs the rest they need.

So, tomorrow, I'll start Week 6, Day 1!

The Princess of Destruction

She'd be the Queen of Destruction, but for her age.

She's not even three years old, and she has wrought more havoc on our household than any 3 other children I know.

In the last six months she has:

- Colored on nearly every surface in her room, Charlie's room, and even my hardwood floors with crayon (thank goodness for Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!).

- Spilled nail polish on my couch.

- Colored on my couch, and my mother's ottoman with a Sharpie marker.

- Continually decorated my mother's stone coasters with pencil.

- Torn every flap from almost every lift-the-flap book she has.

- Torn pages and dust covers from books.

- Completely destroyed one of my foam toe separators (used on the rare occasions I have to do my toe nails).

- Torn little bits from one of my make-up sponges, accidentally left out on my bathroom counter.

- Completely emptied a vial of Afterbite (again, accidentally left within her reach).

- Broken every single crayon in our possession, assisted by her brother, but undoubtedly instigated by her.

- Completely destroyed several bead necklaces, bracelets, and a darling little purse that she loved, but tore up anyway.

And that's just what I can think of at this moment in time.  There has been much more destruction and chaos, including scattering clean clothes all over the floor (and we have 2 dogs that shed constantly, so the idea that our floors will EVER be totally clean again is completely foreign at the moment), taking every diaper from a new box and strewing them about the room, unraveling a brand new, jumbo roll of toilet paper all over the bathroom, scattering puzzle pieces and other parts of toys and games to all four corners of our home, rendering them virtually useless.

No amount of stern talking-to's, yelling, time-outs, or any other discipline measures seem to have any affect at all.  She keeps finding new things to destroy, and with lightning speed, and pinpoint accuracy I might add.  All of these incidents have occurred in the time it takes to transfer a load of laundry, unload and reload the dishwasher, take a quick shower, or some other such quick chore during which I left the children to their own devices, usually with Noggin as a reward / distraction / hopeful deterrent.

I'm thinking of scrapping my idea of making her ladybug costume for Halloween, in favor of dressing her up more aptly as the tornado she is! 

*sigh*

The Difference a Year Can Make

A little more than a year ago, I was at my heaviest weight, not counting pregnancy.

A year ago, I wore a size 24 pants, 3X shirts, and a 46DD bra. I rarely cooked at home. My family's diet consisted largely of take-out food. Pizzas, nachos, hamburgers and fries. Soda was my main drink of the day, except for my coffee with creamer and Splenda.

A year ago, I weighed over 250 pounds. I was miserable and unhealthy, and getting sick and tired of always being sick and tired. I knew I wanted better for myself, for my kids. And I knew what I needed to do... what I'd been needing to do for years, and didn't.

I was complacent. I was lazy. I was too lazy to change the things I needed to change. Until I got fed up.

I never had an "Ah-Ha" moment. I never had a sudden revalation that served as an inspiration to change my life. I just decided to change it. A little at a time.

Now, a year after I started keeping track of my progress, I'm just over 192 pounds. I now wear a size 16 pants, L-XL tops, and a size 40D bra. I'm now the same size I was when I got married almost 9 years ago.

This journey hasn't been easy, but it hasn't been hard either. I've never deprived myself of anything I wanted to eat or drink. I just started making better choices... a little at a time.

I've done "all or nothing". I've been on "diets". I've done Weight Watchers, and Jenny Craig, counting calories, and kept food journals. All of those things worked for me for a time, but I never fully changed my habits, and eventually, I grew tired of counting points and calories, of writing down every single morsel I ate, and I quit.

This time, I decided I was just going to take it a day at a time, a week at a time, and make small changes that, bit by bit, have added up to a healthier lifestyle. I'm not saying that these "all or nothing" programs don't work... I've seen them work. For other people. They just did not work, in the long run, for ME.

Things I've Learned

* What works for one person, may not work for everyone. That's why they have those little disclaimers on all those commercials for any kind of weight loss program or product. You have to find what works for YOU.

* There is no "Magic Bullet*. It took me YEARS to get fat... it's going to take time for it to come off. It's been more than a year... and I still have work to do.

* Inspiration is great... I've had a number of people who have inspired me in different ways. But you have to be ready for it. You have to be ready and willing to change your own life... in the end, all the inspiration and encouragement in the world is not enough if you are not willing to do the work yourself.

* It's not about "going on a diet". I'm convinced, calling it a "diet" or a "resolution" can and will set you up for failure. It's about LIFESTYLE. You're not going on a diet, you are changing your diet. And in the process, your way of thinking about food.

* It's not about deprivation, it's about moderation. You CAN eat almost anything you want, in moderation.

* Food is an addiction. You have to treat it that way. You can break the cycle of food addiction if you want to, but you have to have the right tools. You need to know the reasons for why you over eat, and deal with those underlying issues, in addition to changing your diet.

* Eating right starts at the grocery store. For me, if it's not in my house, I will not go out and get it. So I just don't buy the things I know I cannot control myself around.

* It is NOT that much more expensive to eat healthy. Just replace those unhealthy, prepackaged junk foods with healthier choices. You might spend a little more in the beginning, but over time, my grocery bill has actually gone down. Chips and soda and Pop Tarts are expensive... I don't buy them any more!

* Your body will adapt. Once you start eating healthier, you will literally be unable to eat the same greasy, heavy food you used to eat regularly. You may actually start to crave salads! (This came as a total shock to me!)

* Eating healthy does NOT mean eating boring food! I'm still discovering all the new and interesting ways to keep my diet interesting, and it's really much easier than I thought, once I opened my mind to trying different things.

* Finally, it's not enough to just know these things. I've known what I needed to do for a long time. You have to be ready to change. You have to want to change. You have to be willing to change. And then you have to actually WORK to change.

I mentioned inspiration before, and I feel I'd be remiss without mentioning someone who has been a huge inspiration to me, as well as one of my biggest cheerleaders on this journey. She has herself worked her ass off and lost over 100 pounds (thus providing the inspiration), and has been a constant source of encouragement, as well as providing me with a whole host of tips and yummy (yet healthy) recipes. Thank you, Kathryn. You are truly a great friend!

There are others as well... I'm very fortunate to have a close circle of girlfriends, some I've met, some I've not, but we all stay in touch via the internet, and they too have cheered and encouraged me as I've been working to change my life.

Finally, I have to thank my family. My husband and my mother and my sisters especially... all have been so supportive and encouraging, and they have truly made this process easier in so many ways.

As I said, I still have a ways to go. I have a number in mind, but one other thing I've learned is that it's not just about the number on the scale. That's only a fraction of this process. It's not just about losing weight. It's about becoming the person I want to be, a person I can be proud of!

5K Training - Week 5, Day 1

I think I'm going to have to start updating this at the END of every week.  Last week ended much as it began.  The 5 minute runs were hard, but I pushed through, and did not stop.

This week is different.  Every day is a different routine, getting harder each day.

Today was not bad.  I found the Podcasts over the weekend, and I can see where that's going to help a lot.  The music is pretty good, and it keeps my mind off wondering how much further I have to run! 

Day one of this week was comprised of three 5 min. runs / 3 min. walks.  Either my endurance is getting better, or the music really did help.  Perhaps it's some of each.

The rest of the week should be interesting.  Wednesday will have me running 8 minutes at a stretch, then Friday, 20 minutes (or about 2 miles).  That's a lot.  A LOT.

I need to get out and drive my route, and add a mile on somewhere, so I'll have enough road for the whole routine, working up to 3.2 miles!