Couch to 5k: Week Four (Again)

Photo by emples

Success!!!

I am so freaking proud of myself this week it is not even funny! 

And I'm sure it's only going to get better from here.

Except for the fact that I'm worried about this next week.

See...we are currently driving to my dad's house in Alabama for the week of Thanksgiving. (I'm setting this up to post tomorrow--Saturday--morning.

What's the problem with that you ask??

Well, being at my dad's house is not a problem. He has a treadmill and there's a nice trail about a mile or so down the road. I can definitely continue my training while at my dad's house.

However, we are driving to Kentucky on Tuesday, going to a graduation on Wednesday morning, then driving back to Alabama on Thursday. And we'll be getting back late on Thursday so I'm not sure I'll get up and run on Friday morning.

Although, I just thought that maybe I can do Monday, Thursday (before we leave) and Saturday. But then I won't have two days of rest before starting the next week.

I guess maybe next week will have to be week four and a half?? Who knows. I just know that I don't want to take an entire week off.

Anyway. Back to this week. 

I decided on Monday that I needed to focus and slow it down again. I have a tendency to want to go fast to get the run done faster. However, when you are running for a certain amount of time, it goes by just as quickly if you are jogging as it does if you are sprinting. You just hurt a lot more with the latter.

So I went at a jog pace as opposed to a full out run and it helped me make it through the running intervals.

I was on cloud nine on Monday when I was able to complete the whole thing. Then I did it again on Wednesday. Then again on Friday!

However, on Monday, the very last 45 seconds of my last run time I felt like I was going to die.

Then on Wednesday and Friday I thought I was going to die my last 2 minutes of my last run time. 

But no matter. I pushed through. I just kept telling myself that I was done after that. It was my last lap. My last minute. Whatever. 

I can't believe I ran 1/2 a mile in one shot! Woohoo!

Anyway. 

Week four of the Couch to 5k program is:

Warm up 5 minutes

Run 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds

Run 5 minutes, walk 2 1/2 minutes

Run 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds

Run 5 minutes, walk 2 1/2 minutes

Cool down 5 minutes

My week:

Monday: 2 1/2 miles 30 minutes 54 seconds

Wednesday: 2 1/2 miles 30 minutes 46 seconds

Friday: 2 1/2 miles 30 minutes 56 seconds

Woohooo!!!!

Did you notice my distance got better too?? Instead of 2 1/4 miles, I'm now up to 2 1/2 miles consistently.

So. All in all it has been a good week. 

I'm hoping to jump on here at some point while we are traveling as well. 

I don't know what this week will bring as far as my running goes but I am definitely going to try my hardest to get out there and get moving. There really aren't any adequate reasons not to. 

Wish me luck!

For Further Reading Check Out:

• Couch to 5k: Week Four
• Couch to 5k: Week Five

I Don't Have To Go Naked!

Hooray!!!

I did it!!!

I found clothes!

It was no easy task though, let me tell you.

After my first failed attempt, we went to 'town' this past Saturday.

I started with a haircut then we hit the mall. Sadly, I just kept walking into then out of stores. Nothing was hitting me.

I kept thinking The Hubble was watching and judging me.

I kept thinking that people in the stores were watching and judging me.

I was a poser.

What's a girl like that doing in a store like this??

I was able to get some jeans and some makeup.

I was especially excited to see that my favorite Old Navy jeans now come in a skinny option.

I ended up, after a few hours, walking out of the mall with nothing but my Old Navy and Sephora bags.

I was disheartened again. I kept thinking about how we are leaving for Alabama soon and I have nothing but jeans and t-shirts to wear. And a ratty, old, falling apart coat.

We met up with some friends for dinner and I had some sushi and sashimi. At the end of dinner I decided to order a glass of wine. That made me feel good...and bold.

I asked The Hubble if we could try just one more store. We hesitatingly walked into Dressbarn and started browsing.

About 2 hours and 2 huge bags of clothes later I was happily on my way home with all  my new sweaters, sweater dresses and pants.

We even stopped back by the mall so I could pick up a pair of black boots!

Source

Now I just need a coat and some dark brown boots and I'll be pretty set.

I'm excited about all my new clothes.

The good thing is that I feel awesome in everything that I bought. I tried everything on and each item makes me feel cute.

The bad thing is trying to figure out what I want to wear each day and where I can go so as not to sit in the house in my awesome new clothes. I mean, what's the point of wearing cute stuff if you have nowhere to go...which is probably why I'm still in my pajamas at almost 1pm today...nowhere to go.

Oh well.

At least now I have clothes to wear next week in Alabama and Kentucky! Woohoo!

And last, but definitely not least, thanks to everyone for all the supportive comments lately. Especially on that last post. I don't know what I would do without you. You are the reason I keep blogging. xoxoxoxoxo!!!

For Further Reading Check Out:

• Love and Acceptance Start Here

Couch to 5k: Week Four

Photo by emples

Fail!

Sadly, this week was another off week and I just didn't get the job done.

I went on a long walk with a friend Sunday afternoon and I'm starting to see a trend. It seems when I do something on Sunday, I just lose the week's running. 

When I had an off week for week three the first time I had done a yoga session on the Sunday afternoon before. Oh well. 

Monday, I got to the track and I was walking a lap to get my body warmed up before I started the intervals. As I was on the other side, 3 guys walked onto the field and started measuring. They spread string or something across the track. I asked them if I would be in their way and they said no, they were just finding the center of the track. Oooookkkkaaaayyyy. 

So I had to go around or step over their string. It was weird to have them just standing there. It felt like they were watching me. I was very distracted. I was able to do the first half of the intervals but lost it after that. 

I was hoping to salvage the week but when I arrived at the track on Wednesday there were Army guys training behind the bleachers. That usually doesn't bother me but one of the trainer guys had one of the trainee guys come run a couple laps while the trainer guy was timing him. 

So again, I felt like I was being watched (whether I was or not I just felt like it). I lost it. I just couldn't get it back.

When I took Little Butt to daycare on Friday, I came outside after dropping her off and it was raining. Seriously??

I called The Hubble and asked if I should just run in the rain, give it time to quit or just go home. He said give it about 10 minutes (where we live it does that, rains for 10 minutes then stops). So I drove over to the track. Sure enough, by the time I got to the track (about a 2 minute drive from the daycare) it had stopped raining. 

There was one guy on the track. No big deal right? I started to do my thing. Everything was good. Then this humvee with a couple guys drinking coffee decided to park right in front of the track and just sit there. There went my run. Blah!

Maybe I have performance anxiety or something. I just don't like it when I feel like people are watching me. It makes me feel...I don't know...weird. I get distracted and lose my breathing. I also feel like I need to do better so I think I run a bit faster and that makes things worse. 

On a side note though...I have decided that Army MP's really like pick up trucks. 

The track I run on has an MP building right next to it. So I watch the MP's come and go during the time that I'm there. When you look at their little parking lot it seems to always be pickup trucks. I counted on Monday and 5 out of 7 vehicles were pickup trucks. On Wednesday, 7 out of 10 vehicles were pickup trucks and the other 3 were SUV's. Friday they were off for Veteran's Day weekend but I'm sure there would have been a bunch. 

Okay. Let's get to how my week went. 

Week 4 of the Couch to 5k program is:

Warm up 5 minutes

Run 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds

Run 5 minutes, walk 2 1/2 minutes

Run 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds

Run 5 minutes, walk 2 1/2 minutes

Cool down 5 minutes

My week:

Monday: 2 1/4 miles 29 minutes 24 seconds (did the first half but lost the rest).

Wednesday: 2 1/4 miles (I don't know the time because my watch reset somehow. I ran the 3 minute interval then continued with 3 minutes throughout. Couldn't get to the 5 minute run).

Friday: 2 1/4 miles 28 minutes 40 seconds (ran the first 3 minute interval then made up my own intervals).

I will try again. I'm trying hard to become a runner and it doesn't seem to be working. The Hubble says to keep plugging away at it. I hope I get there. I'm trying.

Oh, I also found out I won't be able to do a Turkey Trot this year. My stepbrother is graduating Army Basic Training in Ft. Knox the day before Thanksgiving so we'll be traveling on Thanksgiving day. 

I found out there is a Turkey Trot here on the 20th but we are leaving for my dad's place in Alabama on the 20th. What can you do?? 

For Further Reading Check Out:

• Couch to 5k: Week Three
• Couch to 5k: Week Three (Again)

Love and Acceptance Start Here

This weekend I tried to go shopping.

With the weather turning cooler I have realized that I don't have any cold weather clothes. Well...I guess that's not true. I have a few items that I can wear.

Unfortunately, since I've gained about 20 pounds here in the middle of nowhere, nothing really fits.

Living in Texas for a year and losing a ton of weight didn't help either. You don't really need cold weather clothes in Texas. At least not if you spent the previous 5 years in upstate New York.

So...The Hubble decided that it was time to acquire me some clothes. We decided to try out a town we've never been to because they have a decent outlet mall. The outlet mall was pretty awesome but there were about a million people there.

Seriously. It was like Black Friday kind of crowds. It was insane!

I do not like large crowds. I either get overwhelmed and become timid or I get frustrated and start throwing elbows. Neither of these makes for a good shopping trip.

So after several hours of trying to look in stores, I walked away with no clothes. Unless you count the handful of outfits we found for Little Butt.

We are going to try again this weekend. But this time we will go to the mall we know.

I'm nervous.

I don't like shopping.

I especially don't like shopping when I'm feeling unhappy about my weight and my body.

It's annoying. I think I still have that "fat girl" brain that tells me I won't look good in anything that I like. So I don't even try.

I see something cute and I usually just keep walking. I will then pick up what The Hubble calls a "frumpy" shirt in an extra large size.

What's that about???

I mean, yes. I have gained weight here. But my pant size is still in the single digits (not for long if I keep going the way I'm going). I definitely don't need extra large shirts.

I need to embrace my body.

After having Little Butt my body changed drastically. I feel like I will never get rid of the squishy middle and muffin top (unless I pay for it).

I feel good about working out but I need to get my eating under control.

Either way, I need to be happy with me. Whether I accept me or change it.

When I was looking for a picture to put with this post I found one of the most beautiful photos I've ever seen.

Photo by meddygarnet

In the description of this picture she says that she's often unhappy with her body but her husband wrote that message to her on the mirror. 

She has inspired me to accept myself and understand that we are all different...but all beautiful.

We are all different shapes and sizes. Colors and creeds. But no matter what, we are all beautiful. Why can't we embrace our differences?? I wouldn't want to look exactly like someone else. I kind of like me (most of the time).

But if I'm not happy...only I have the power to change it.

So wish me luck with my shopping trip this Saturday! I need some clothes dang it!!

Do you have any hang ups with your body? Do you love the way you look?

Couch to 5k: Week Three (Again)

Photo by emples

Success!

I did it! I made it through week 3 successfully this week! I know I didn't do too well with it last week but I think my friend Gwen was right. I got my girlie problem this week so I'm thinking some crazy hormones were wreaking havoc on my body last week. 

Oh well. What can you do?? 

Tie up your shoes and try again, that's what!  

This week I decided to stop trying to go as fast as I possibly can in the time allowed and instead just focus on getting through the intervals. That means I took it a bit easier than I have the last few weeks. 

Don't get me wrong, it was still challenging. 

I was still able to do 2 1/4 miles each day. 

But I didn't feel so dead/drained afterward. And I think the walk intervals were faster because I didn't need as much recovery.

The only crap day I had was today. 

I woke up with the worst cramps I've had in over 4 years! I started out really tired. And it was about 30 degrees out this morning. 

Luckily, the gloves The Hubble bought for his Halloween costume have helped keep my hands warm (I can't find my gloves). 

But, the wind was pretty gnarly this morning and my ear buds kept blowing out of my ears. Annoying!

Again, I made it through. And that's what matters. 

Week 3 of the Couch to 5k program:

Warm up 5 minutes.

Run 90 seconds, walk 90 seconds. Run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes. 

Repeat once for a total of 2 repetitions.

Cool down 5 minutes.

My week:

Monday: 2 1/4 miles 29 minutes 24 seconds

Wednesday: 2 1/4 miles 28 minutes 48 seconds

Friday: 2 1/4 miles 29 minutes 07 seconds

Did you notice I broke the Wednesday curse this week???? Woohoo!!!!

So that's my week. I'm happy that I made it through but am still nervous about next week. I know that it just gets more and more intense from here. And the weather is just going to continue to get cooler and cooler. 

Also, my friend Wendy is considering doing this program and I just want to say....DO IT!!!! 

For Further Reading Check Out:

• Couch to 5k: Week Two
• Couch to 5k: Week Three
• Couch to 5k: Week Four

Halloween 2010

Little Butt decided she was going to be Cinderella this year. 

I just think my little princess is so beautiful.

The Hubble even got into the "spirit" of things.

I don't think The Hubble is as beautiful as my little princess. 

We did A LOT of walking and gathering of the candy.

 But thankfully we made it home before midnight. No one turned into a pumpkin.

But we were all pretty tired and frazzled by that point.

The Hubble even let us know how he felt about it all.

And I have to post this picture because he looks SO pretty! Not all of his makeup came off and he looks so sad and Emo. If you see him...just ask him if he's been crying. He loves it!