C25K: Day 5

So, I haven't run in several days, but I have been working out! I have been doing those Bikini Ready Makeover videos on Hulu. I did the Boot Camp Burn one a few days ago and really liked it. Thought it's really repetitive, so I'm pretty sure I couldn't do that workout twice in a row; I'd get annoyed. Plus, I've been doing 'mini-challenges' on MFP; 300 jumping jacks on Friday and 150 squats yesterday. Super fun!

I also got a job (no, not a career job with my hard-earned Master's degree, just a paying job) at Teavana in Charlotte. I'm really stoked about it because the people seem REALLY cool, and I pretty much love tea! Not sure how this is going to mess with my eating/workout schedule just yet, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. I'm just glad to have an income again. I love food and my dog, but I'm starting to mentally make a decision on what to cut back on first. Ha.

Day 5: 5 minute warm-up, alternate 90 seconds of jogging/2 minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes; Total miles - 2; Total time - 26:20 minutes

C25K: Day 4

First day of the second week which means upping the running/walking intervals. (Un)fortunately, Robbie is back at work and wasn't there to run with me today. I say that because it's both good and bad--good because I can run a slower-faster pace consistently every run interval, and bad because he wasn't there to push me past my own comfort zone. Oh well, have to learn to motivate myself.

I thought things were getting better with the crazy white dog on Wilson, but he charged after me again today. I've called animal control twice to have his owners put him in a fence or on a leash, but they seem to ignore that warning. I feel bad because I don't want something to happen to the dog, but I would like to be able to run or walk my dog around MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD without being chased by that dog. I don't even think his owners are home during the day; they just leave him outside all day to do as he pleases. C'mon people, take responsibility for your animals! I'll give it another week, then I'm calling again.

Day 4: 5 minute warm-up, alternate 90 seconds of jogging/2 minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes; Total miles - 2.06; Total time - 26:39 minutes

C25K: Day 3

Well, it took me two weeks to complete "week 1" of C25K, but it is done. This weekend was hectic, what with filming all day Friday and Saturday, so I didn't get any workout in besides holding a boom pole for 16 hours. But this morning, we went out and conquered the last of the 60 second / 90 second intervals.

One comment about running with someone faster than you: it's great that they can set a faster pace for you to follow, but they can also kill you with speed. Day 2's run was pretty good, running at a significantly faster pace than I could  set myself...but today was a mixture of extreme speed, medium speeds, and slow speeds. Because of this combination of paces, we finished the normal 1.91 mile route in less than the 25 minutes allotted for the workout; we made it back to the house in 24 minutes. Whoa. I'm pretty sure I was hauling ass at a 7min/mile for the first two runs...

Anyways, to compensate for the fast return, we added another .25 mile (3:30 minutes) to the workout at the end, just walking.

Oh, and I'm really restarting the calorie counting thing again this week. Really.

Day 3: 5 minute warm-up, alternate 60 seconds of jogging/90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes; Total miles - 2.06; Total time - 27:35 minutes

C25K: Day 2

Today, Robbie went running with me, which meant that I was running even faster than my fast pace. Ugh. He typically runs about an 8 minute mile, which is far faster than I ever even dreamed of running. Of course, we didn't quite run his pace, but I definitely was pushing harder than I usually do when I'm running alone. If I was doing a 10-11 minute pace by myself, I was probably achieving about a 9-10 minute pace today. I'm POOPED.

Day 2: 5 minute warm-up, alternate 60 seconds of jogging/90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes; Total miles - 1.91; Total time - 25:46 minutes

Two pictures today--

This is what I imagine Robbie & I look like running together, except maybe if one pug looked extremely pained that would be me.

Truth. I powered through all 9 intervals of running. And a little future inspiration for the longer runs :)

Let's start again

Well, I was traveling this past week, and even though I packed my running shoes, I never got the chance to run. It was go, go, go every day I was there. Therefore, I'm restarting my restart. I only got one day in last week anyways, and now I can start on a Monday.

Day 1 of C25K: 5 minute warm-up, alternate 60 seconds of jogging/90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes; Total miles - 1.91; Total time - 27:30 minutes

I also decided to start counting calories again. After being in Ohio for the wedding, I ate nothing but crap. I know I've probably put on a few pounds since moving, but I was trying to reset my metabolism in order to bust a plateau. Hopefully I've accomplished this and can start losing weight again. I should probably officially weigh-in, but I'll worry about that later. I'm more concerned with my stomach problems--not that they've gone away completely, but they have definitely gotten better since I moved. Now, whether that's because my stress level went down, I started taking the probiotic, or I changed my food habits, I have no idea. It worries me that if I start eating more raw fruits and veggies again that the issues may come back. I guess we'll see! It's a new week my friends: No excuses!

Running From Colorado to North Carolina

Okay, so maybe I haven't been running across the country since the last time I posted. Really, I just haven't been running. Every once and a while, I would hit the roads around my new neighborhood, but it was never more than 1.5 miles. I need to step up my game again. I don't think I could run a whole 5K at this point even if you dangled a muffin in front of me. (I also need to start back on my diet, but that's a whole 'nother story!)

So what's my plan? Why am I turning back to my running blog? Because I'm restarting C25K, that's why! Yes, I could technically jump into the program more than halfway through it, but I'm also going to try and quicken my pace. I figure if I restart the program and run faster from the get-go, then I will have a faster pace when I get to longer runs. That sounds like good logic, right? Let's hope.

Today's run: 5 minute warm-up, alternate 60 seconds of jogging/90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes

Off to run in the rain!

Last CO 5K: Cherry Creek Sneak

Well, it has come and gone--my last 5K before I move to North Carolina. I still remember the first one I ran in Erie near Halloween with Kirsten and her friend Chris. It wasn't even a whole 5K, and I was DYING about 10 minutes in. (Of course it was higher elevation and there was a fire nearby so the air quality was poor, but still, I was in no shape to run a mile, let alone 3 miles.)

My time wasn't spectacular at this race, but it was a really great course! I loved running through Cherry Creek and all the people standing around holding signs. I could have done with a few less young children running around me; I'm pretty sure I almost plowed into a few.

Overall my time for the 5K was 42 minutes and 10 seconds. (At one point, I thought I was being passed by people who ran the 10 miler, but I was wrong. That was a depressing few moments...) I placed 2358/3523 overall, 1359/2163 females and 81/101 in my division. [x] On average, my pace was a 13:36 mile, which is slow but I ran the whole thing so that's all I ask! Sadly, out of the 15,000 pictures taken at the event, none captured my epic trot. Oh well. Three complete 5Ks down, many more to go! :)

April Goals

I recently joined a group on MyFitnessPal that requested we list our goals for April. I decided to list them here as well because writing goals down sometimes makes them more attainable.

(1) Start running again to train for my 5K on the 29th.
(2) Get below 180 (Even though this was supposed to be met in March, I WILL meet it this month.)
(3) Keep switching up my exercise routines and stay on track with my new zig zag calorie plan.

Come on, April. Bring it on.

Hello Spring!

Okay, that title may be a little preemptive, but it is SO GORGEOUS outside today that I knew Spring has to be just around the corner. It's 60s and sunny, with a nice breeze. I'll take it! Because it was so nice outside, I couldn't fathom working out in the gym. I tried to figure out where to run, whether to drive to Wash Park or just run around campus or drive to a new park. Instead of wasting time, I just set off down Asbury Ave. I kept a slow pace so I could run the whole 30 minutes without stopping (minus stoplights) and ended up running all the way to Clarkson. Then, I turned around and headed back.

In total, I ran 2.23 miles in 29 minutes and 45 seconds. It felt great! I'm trying to get in some good workouts before Tuesday since I have to take a rest day after my procedure and might have to take it easy on Wednesday as well. We'll see...

NOW STOP READING THIS BLOG AND GO OUTSIDE! Geez :)

Does my timer have a stutter?

Since, once again, it was pouring down rain all over the city, I went to the Y to get my run in. Instead of the treadmill though, I tried the indoor track. 13 laps = 1 mile. I don't whether it is because I've been eating more (not really counting calories) or because of the oxygen level or because I haven't run in a few days, but I KICKED THIS RUN'S ASS.

My average lap time was about 52 seconds so I knew I was running less than a 13 minute mile, but I had no idea HOW fast I was really going. (Let's keep in mind here that my notion of fast and every other runner's notion are completely different.) My first goal was 30 minutes. Then 3 miles. Then 3.1 because I wasn't exhausted. I ran 3.12 mile (40.5 laps) in 35 minutes and 10 seconds. I double and triple checked my lap times. I did the math. Everything checked out. I cut FIVE MINUTES off my 5K time. HOLY COW.

Last night I got some really depressing news so maybe I was running off my lack of sleep and anger and disappointment, but whatever it was, AWESOME. Overall, I ran a 11.5 minute mile, which is 5.2 mph. If only this could keep up once I get back to Denver...

Happy Sunday, ya'll! :)

Turkey Trot 2011 Results

Yes, I just posted but I checked the race website and the official results were up [x]. Final race time was 40 minutes and 27 seconds! 13:02 pace. 71/73 in my age division (ouch!) but 1231/1553 overall. It's only the second whole 5K I've ran, so I'd say getting faster is better--I shaved almost a whole minute off my Fit 4 Fire 5K time! :)

PLUS, I shaved almost 2.5 minutes off my last Turkey Trot time! Progress is progress, man.

One Positive Thing About the Midwest...

Oxygen.

Seriously, God bless oxygen. I have been kicking some serious ass on my runs. I have to make this entry quick since I need to shower and meet a friend for lunch, but since I haven't blogged on here in a while, I thought I would update.

I came home to Indiana before Thanksgiving and haven't really been tracking my calories, but I've been working out and running still. Who knows (and who cares) if I'm still losing or whatever. A little break from dieting never killed anyone...well, that may not be true. REGARDLESS, I did another 5K on Thanksgiving (Turkey Trot) in unofficially 40:30. Plus, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill at the YMCA at at 4.7 pace AND I just ran 2.09 miles around my neighborhood at a 12:30minute pace. GO ME!

I'm probably going to get my ass handed to me when I go back to Denver and can't breathe again, but for now, I'm thriving! :)

Groundhog Day

I could seriously go for a "Groundhog Day" scenario right about now. If I could just repeat this weekend over and over and over again, I would be a happy woman. I'll try to keep my complaining to a minimum, but this happens every time. It's so hard to get back to real life after my boyfriend leaves. It's so nice to have him around and spend time with him, and then BAM, he's gone and I'm left wandering around my apartment all lonely and mopey like. UGH.

This sucks and there's too much snow on the ground and I have no motivation to start any of the work that I have to finish within the next three weeks. Pardon my language, but FUCK.

All right, public commiseration over. Recent exercise (despite not counting calories while Robbie was here): 90 minute hike up Mt. Falcon, 20 minute run around Wash Park, and today I trekked through the snow for a 2 mile run on the treadmill at 5mph. Neat.

Probably not going to weigh in tomorrow since the past five days were a wreck. Meh.

Say Goodbye to Outside Runs

This morning it was a gorgeous and sunny 56 degrees when I went for my run. Ran a different loop, west of campus, trying to avoid stoplights and people. While it was more hilly than I usually do, I liked it better than the loop around campus. Took me 31 minutes and 36 seconds to run 2.37 miles, which equals a 13:20 pace. Consistency is my middle name.

This could be the last time I enjoy running outside, since it is supposed to be in the 30s and snowing by Wednesday. Goodbye, Fall. Hello, Winter.

Quick Update

Supposed to weigh in this morning, but my scale battery was on the fritz. Hoping to buy a new one and weigh in tomorrow or something. I made a new goal: 190 lbs by Oct 27 (7 days from today) when Robbie comes. Not looking so good, but we'll see. One can hope anyways.

Also, ran 2.25 miles yesterday on the treadmill. Wasn't exactly easy or relaxing, but I did it.

That's it. Busy day. Just ate a Honey Grain bagel with Pumpkin Cream Cheese. OOPS.

The Results Are In

The title says it all: the results from the Fit 4 Fire 5K race are in. Official time was 41:19 minutes. Avg pace was exactly 13:20 minutes/mile. Damn. 21/29 in age division. 118/155 total.

Overall, I'm happy with the results. I shaved some off my total time and ran the whole thing. [x] There are also some pretty sweet pictures they snuck of me while I was running. A lot less attractive than the one Kirsten snapped at the finish line...

9AM: Start of the race...

9:41 AM: Approaching the finish line...
9:41AM again: Dead sprint towards the finish line...
I'm such an unattractive runner. LORD. Oh well.

This is What I've Been Training For

I RAN AN ENTIRE 5K WITHOUT STOPPING! Hallelujah. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't awful. I was prepared to run the path in Wash Park, but the road was a little steeper and a little harder than the dirt path. Regardless, I wasn't last. I sprinted across the finish line to have a time around 41:30 minutes (unofficially). And it felt goooooood. I was just reminiscing about the first 5K I did back in October of last year and how AWFUL I felt during/after. I think I only ran about half of it, and finished thinking I was going to die. Oh how far I've come!

Anyways, enough patting myself on the back. Time to shower, eat and get back to this paper writing! :) happy Sunday!

Oh, and GO PACKERS!

Run, Run, Runaway Run

Maybe someday I will find someone to run, run, runawaaay. Maybe someday, maybe someday. (Yes, I just quoted a Hanson song.)

Well, today was my last run before my 5K on Sunday. I was going to run inside on the treadmill and do some "speed" training, but it was so nice outside that I couldn't help myself. I just did the loop around campus, which is about 2.11 miles. Last time, I ran this loop in 27:21 minutes; today I finished the loop in 26:48 minutes. My pace was 12.7 minute/mile. Granted I ran the loop the opposite direction than last time, but honestly, I think this direction was harder.

Regardless, it felt good to run, and I'm still confident that as long as I keep my slow pace during the race, I'll run the whole thing no problem. :)

FALL IS HERE!

As you may have noticed, I didn't make a post yesterday about my Thursday weigh-in. These past few days have been HOT MESSES. I had my first huge media law exam, so we studied and drank wine/ate pizza the night before. Then, something messed up my back that night so I didn't sleep well, and I couldn't exercise. Then we went out AFTER the exam to celebrate surviving. Basically, I haven't exercised in two days AND I've been over on my calories for the past three days. Everyone wave with me as the wagon drives away. *waves*

But this morning, I knew it was time to step it back up. Got up at 7am and went for a run in the brisk, chilly 42 degree air at Wash Park. It was a little TOO cold at first, but once I got going, it was perfect. Unfortunately they are doing a lot of construction on the park's paths, so I had no idea how far I had actually run until I came home and mapped it.Turns out I ran 3.36 miles instead of the 3.1 I was aiming for, but that gives me hope in the 5K I'm running at Wash Park in a week. It took me 45 minutes and 30 seconds, which is a pretty slow pace of 13:50/mile. Now I KNOW I can run the whole 5K, no problem, but now it's the matter of keeping my own pace--I always have the issue of speeding up when others are running around me to keep up. BAD IDEA. We'll see.

And today I promise to be UNDER CALORIES! Well.....at least until tonight when I drink wine. Oops. :)

So I'm Feeling a Little Cocky

Maybe I should say confident. After my completion of a 5k in the gym this weekend, I decided to sign up for a real 5K in two weeks: Fit for Fire 5K in Wash Park on October 16th. It will be my 4th 5K, but I'm hoping that it's the first one that I run all the way through.

The first one was in October 2010 in Erie, CO. It was rough since I had JUST moved to CO and was still adjusting the to lack of oxygen and I had JUST started running and there were fires that made the air all ashy (okay, that last one might just be an excuse...). I have no idea how much I actually ended up running but I had my friend with me so she definitely pushed me farther than I would have pushed myself. Official time: 39:13 (technically it was only 2.8 miles) for a avg pace of 14:01/mile. I finished 387/490.

The second one was the Turkey Trot back home in Indiana on Thanksgiving morning. I ran it with another friend, though we were both kind of not super into running at the time. It was cold and rainy and not so fun. Regardless, I tried to run as much as I could; I ran the last half mile faster than normal since my dad doubled back through the course to catch up with me. Suddenly, I had the urge to impress. Official time: 42:57 for a avg pace of 13:50/mile. Better. 765/796. Wow.

The third one was "That Dam Run" which ran through Cherry Creek and over the dam. I ran the 5K while my friend ran the half-marathon. I was definitely more prepared for this one (March 2011), but it was the first one I ran alone. I ran the first mile straight, then broke the rest up into walking/running intervals. Official time: 42:44 for avg pace of 13:47/mile. Better. 401/441. I swear I must be the last "runner" to finish and the rest are walkers.

For this next one, I don't care about my time. I just want to run the whole thing. Even if I'm shuffling the last half mile, as long as I'm not walking, I'll be happy. My plan is to keep my current schedule: run Wednesdays and Sundays, hoping to run another 5K on the treadmill next weekend....

Pray for me. Ha.