Just 2 miles

Since I am training (again!) to be able to increase my running mileage from 3 miles to 6 miles (hopefully it will only take me 8 weeks to do this), I only ran 2 miles today. AND, since I only ran 2 miles I told myself I was going to see how much time I could cut off of my miles. Not a lot, but enough to tell a difference. AND enough to feel a difference. 🙂

Usually when I run I do so at a SLOW pace of about 12 1/2-13 minute miles. YEAH-real slow. But at least I’m running-that’s what I tell myself!

Today I ran 2 miles in 23:02 which comes out to about 11 1/2 minute miles. So I felt pretty good. I mean, I felt good about having run at that pace-not that I felt good while I was running! 🙂

Here is my training schedule, and I skipped week 1 and have replaced a 3.75 with a 4 miler this week.

WEEK 1: 2, 3, 2, 3, 3.25-Totally skipped using the schedule for this week because I just ran what I had been doing.

WEEK 2: 3.5, 2, 3.5, 2, 3.75-This is the week I am on and so far I have done 4, 3.5, and 2.

WEEK 3: 3.75, 2, 2, 3.5, 4

WEEK 4: 3.75, 2, 4.5, 2, 4.5

WEEK 5: 4.75, 3, 3, 2, 5

WEEK 6: 5, 3, 3, 2, 5.5

WEEK 7: 5, 3, 3, 2, 6

WEEK 8: 6.25, 3, 2, RACE DAY

I am using this training program to be able to run a continous 6 miles, NOT to run in a 10k race. That will have to wait until next year. I’m only planning on doing 5k races this year (hopefully 1 each month). Of course, I might have to repeat weeks once I try to run more than 4 because let me tell you. 4 miles is a KILLER right now!

This is probably the best way to describe my facial expression when I have run 4 miles (which has only been twice now).

LOL!

So far this week I have run a total of 9.5 miles in 3 days. Tonight I decided that YES! I am going to start doing SOME kind of strength training. I started REAL easy-just to say I had done something. I did some squats, some bicep curls and tricep thingies with my teensy weensy weights. I did 50 crunches. Whew! We’ll see if I can get up early enough in the morning to do it again (Have I mentioned I am NOT a morning person?). 🙂 I’m going to try to do this little strength training (and I really need to plan/write it out) about 2-3 times per week. Tomorrow I’ll try to post some before pictures and then after about 30 or so days I will post some after pictures. Here’s to hoping they look different! 🙂

Goodnight!

Ready for summer challenge Week 1

This is the first week of the Ready For Summer Challenge, and I’m so excited to have goals set. You can link up over at their blog if you want to and join in the fun!

The challenge has you set 4 major goals to hopefully reach in the next 10 weeks. This week is week 1 so I am breaking my goal down into manageable chunks for this 1st week. (Should have posted this on Sunday night-please forgive the procrastinator in  I’mme!) 🙂

1. Fit into size 6 jeans: This week I will increase my running mileage AND do strength training 2-3 times. The strength training will consist of using my body weight as resistance since I can do this at home. I WANT to do it in the morning to get it over with because I don’t look forward to this kind of exercise, BUT I’m not a morning person so we will see. 🙂

2. 137 pounds to 125 pounds-I need to lose a little over a pound this week.

3. 3 to 6 miles-I am going to s.l.o.w.l.y increase my running mileage so that I can run 6 miles at the end of the 10 week challenge. So this week’s schedule looks like this: 3.75, 2, 2, 3.5, 4 (Not necessarily in that order) Got this from a 10k training program even though I’m not planning on running in a 10k-just want to be able to run it on my own.

4. Healthier eating (fruits, veggies, protein)- I’m going to try and eat 2 veggies and 2 fruits each day. Haven’t decided on the protein yet-need to get to work on that.

So there are my chunks! Happy challenging! 🙂

My 2nd 5k race!!By the w

Oh yeah! I ran my 2nd 5k race yesterday afternoon. The Auburn University Pharmacy school was sponsoring it. It had some steady inclines throughout and some flat areas. The 1st incline was the worst. 🙂

My time-I think- was 34:30, but not exactly sure. My time in my 1st 5k back in February was 39:52 so I was PLEASED!!! Of course, today I ran 4 miles in 53 minutes-guess I was dragging from yesterday. 🙂

Here’s a picture of my bib.

Here is “moi” before the race:

Here is my wonderful husband who just LOVED going with me to this race! 🙂 Let me explain a little. He’s a country boy (if you can’t tell). He works 6 days a week in another state where he stays while he works. He comes home on Saturday nights and leaves at 3:30 am on Monday mornings headed back. We have 74 acres of land with cows, horses, donkeys. He also takes care of another guy’s cows on about 300 acres of land in a nearby county. Needless to say I was proud that he only made one negative comment yesterday concerning his “Sunday” that was pretty much taken up with my race. He said, ” I’m more behind this weekend than any other weekend.” That’s not too bad is it? 🙂 On a sidenote-he has interviewed with a company back home and goes for his 2nd interview this upcoming Monday (4/2/12). Please.pray. 🙂

I know he is thinking about me-NOT cows! 🙂

Here we come-of course I’m a “back of the pack” kind of gal!

 We’ve only just begun!

 Still smiling at this point!

The long stretch home!

I’m still running and almost finished!

I’m smiling again!! Because I can see the finish line!

Yes, I did it. I saw the finish line and sprinted toward it. It was either that or fall out before I got there. 🙂

January 1st was the beginning of this adventure in running and losing weight, and I’m so.glad. I.started. 🙂

By the way, one of the pharmacy students that I ran with for awhile asked me to come and speak at a meeting for their Alabama Obesity Task Force after I shared my story of 163 lbs to 136 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂

Thanks to my wonderful daughter for taking these great pictures!

 

Revisiting my summer challenge

I am modifying one of my goals for the 10 week summer challenge. This is great news!! The goal I’m changing is the one about fitting into a size 8 jeans. I am going to go for the gold and say I want to fit into a size 6 jeans!!! Why you ask? Because I was able to put a size 8 on Friday when I was getting ready to go see The Hunger Games!!!!! YEA!!! Now, does that mean I can fit into ANY size 8? I’m sure I can’t! My 17 year old daughter almost fell out when I put HER size 8 jeans on!! And she even gave them to me. How nice-conisdering I paid for them at one time. 🙂

So let’s revisit my 4 goals for this 10 week challenge:

1. Fit into a size 6 jeans

2. Decrease weight from 137 to 125

3. Increase running 3 miles to running 6 miles

4. Eat healthier-veggies, fruits, protein

 

Last week I actually weighed 136 on Monday, but then GAINED weight toward the end of the week because of being a woman, eating out TWICE including MOVIE POPCORN!!!! But I think I have my head back together, my mind is set, and I WILL do this!!! I felt so horrible Thursday and Friday because of how much I was eating. I mean-HORRIBLE!! Stuffed. Full. Sick. You get the picture. 🙂

I’ll be kicking off my 10 week challenge a day early this afternoon because I am going to run in my 2nd 5k race!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m excited!! And my husband will be able to go to the race with me this time. My goals for the race this afternoon are:

1. Finish without walking (you never know how many hills there are going to be!)

2. My time in the 5k in February was 39:52. I would like to be under that time. It would be nice to be under by a minute. 🙂

3. Have fun!!!

Wish me luck!!! 🙂 My hands are sweaty right now just thinking about it! 🙂

3 miles and BUNCO

My 3 mile run went well yesterday. Out of 3 hills, I only had to stop and walk up 2 of them! 🙂 And those two weren’t the steepest. Go figure! I decided to run down the dirtroad by my house so I had the woods on either side of me. It was very peaceful. If you don’t count the number of times that I thought I heard a snake or a creature. Tee-hee. 🙂

I did REALLY well on my calorie intake yesterday even though I went to play BUNCO!!! I still stayed at 1200. How cool is that????? I was so proud of myself!!! I ate little teensy weensy portions at BUNCO and still filled up. I guess my stomach has really shrunk!

Today is Tuesday, and I’m gonna go for the gold. I “plan” to try and run 3.5 miles after school, then train with one of my Couch25k buddies, then clean out little above ground swimming pool, then cook supper, then R.E.S.T.

We’ll see how it goes! 🙂

Ready for summer challenge

I just found a new fitness challenge to get ready for summer. You have until Monday, March 26th to join up at Ready For Summer Challenge.  The challenge lasts from March 26th-June 3rd which is a 10 week challenge.

There are 4 goals for the challenge:

1. Weight loss

2. NSV-Non-scale victory

3. Exercise

4. Nutrition

Here are my personal goals that I have come up with:

1. Bring my weight down from 137 to 125

2. Fit into a size 8 jeans

3. Work my way up from running 3 miles without stopping to running 6 miles

4. Eat healthier-lots of fruits, vegetables, and protein

So come along for the fun-join the Ready for Summer Challenge!

 

Trail walk

Yesterday I went on a trail walk at a local state park. It was 2.8 miles (I finished walking around the parking lot to make it an even 3). It was a BEAUTIFUL walk! I took pictures with my phone, but unfortunately I am technology challenged sometimes so I don’t have a clue as to how to get them on my blog! 🙂

I did not use my CardioTrainer app (don’t ask me why!), so I’m not sure what my pace was per mile or how many calories were burned. But I CAN tell you that this trail has A LOT of hills. That’s a good thing right? 🙂 The entire 3 miles took me about 54 minutes-I was not in a hurry. I think I might get addicted to this trail walking/hiking thing. AND-this park is only about 15 minutes from my house!

Anybody else out there that loves trail walks/hikes?

Update on my journey

I have posted my 3rd set of “progress” pictures on My Journey page. I now weigh 137 pounds-started at 163! Woohoo! 🙂

This morning I went to zumba (even though I stayed up til 4am THIS MORNING! Mapping out “part” of my next year’s science standards-I will be changing from teaching reading/language arts in 6th grade to teaching science to 5th/6th graders. I’m super excited! But DON’T let me get started about how the textbook is FULL of so much info that you couldn’t possibly teach it all and how one Alabama course of study science standard might be spread across 3 different chapters to meet the standard!!!! Oh, sorry-I did get on my soapbox!). So as I was saying-I went to zumba and then walked a 3 mile trail at a local state park. It was a good workout!

I have run 3 miles 3 times this week and walked a lot and gone to zumba twice. It’s been a good week!

 

Full of energy-hope it lasts!

So after 2 days of not being able to run more than 1.5 miles without stopping and walking-I’m baaaaaackkkk!!!!

Ran 3 miles after school. Jogged/walked 2 miles with a friend for her couch25k training. 1 hour of zumba. Quick ab workout.

I am super happy at this moment!!!!

I’m now down to 139 pounds from 163 since I started on around January 1st. I’ll be taking some more progress pictures in the next few weeks if I continue to lose and posting them on here. I’ll do my measurements, too, and update that. I feel so good!!! 🙂

 

Total miles in 2012

I keep up with my mileage/workouts on this fantastic website called Daily Mile. You need to check it out. It’s like a social media fitness site.

Since I started walking/running on January 1st my total mileage for this year is………………………………….

139!!!

Woohoo!! That’s 139 more miles than I have done in the last 15 years! I can’t wait to see my statistics at the end of this year. You better believe I’ll be posting them!