Not So Easy...

I need to get my lungs back. I need to find them. Not sure where I left them, but I bet they're around the house somewhere.

I've figured out that walking does not keep the lungs in shape like running. Sure C25K Week 3 was easy, but Week 4 is showing me how much I missed. What left me whilst I was walking away the pounds (ha!) and listening to Harry Potter on my iPod. My lungs.

Once could argue that I never had great lungs to begin with. I do have exercise and allergy induced asthma. At one point in High School I was only breathing at 60% of my asthmatic lungs' capacity and was put on an inhalant steroid to open up the little tubes so my lungs would fill up.

But c'est la vie. I will work back up to running for 36 minutes (my 12 minute/mile pace for 3 miles) straight, then continue to increase my mileage until I get to 72 minutes straight and I run that Great Race in Agoura Hills.

Oh and my mom got me the best Christmas present ever. She got me a pass to work out at her gym. At least I be able to mitigate most of the damage the tamales do...

It's Easier the Second Time Around

I just finished W3D3 of Couch to 5K, and it was easy. I actually briskly walked my recover walks instead of slowed to a snails' pace to suck wind. I was checking my watch so I didn't over run, instead of hoping I was done. All in all this was a wonderful week of almost running. Now I only have 5 more to go.

I did sign up, read put money down, on the Surf City 5K. This was going to be my first 1/2 marathon, but oh well. Maybe things happen for a reason. I encouraged one of my Weight Watcher meeting friends to start Couch to 5K, then conned her into signing up for this race in Huntington Beach on the morning of Superbowl Sunday. It's not always about football, you know. Oh and I really want one of those surf board metals. I think it's the closest I'll ever come to owning a surf board.

I'm hoping this, and mostly following WW new Kick Start program this week, will result in a loss on Sunday. I did not ingest fat-free cheddar (bleck) to gain or maintain on the stupid Monster Box (a term coined in my WW meeting for the scale) .

I'm also planning strategies for next week's Snack Table. It's a 4 (count 'em 4) day potluck. I think I'm only going to be there for 3 of those days, but it'll still be trouble. I heard someone might be bringing in a Chocolate MotherlodeCake from Claim Jumper. If there is one thing I can't resist it's a 6 layer chocolate cake with chocolate filling and frosting, topped with nuts. Someone else is bringing in baked rigatoni from another local restaurant.

I will be bringing in a modified Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle. Yes Paula Dean made it on her show, but no it does not contain 4 sticks of "butta". I leave out the brown sugar, use sugar-free, fat-free jello instant pudding made with fat-free milk. I also use cool whip free or cool whip lite. Everyone loves it and no one knows the difference. Of course no one's tried one made by the Queen of Cholesterol herself, Ms. Dean. They might die on the spot.

Your Neck is So Small

So we're sitting on the couch, eating dinner and watching Monday Night Football and Jeremy looks over at me and says, "Your neck is so small."

At first this weirds me out a bit as I the line, "I can snap you like a twig" or something like that from Dodge Ball comes into my head. But then he proceeds to encircle my neck with his hands. He couldn't do that before, he says. I think this is the first thing he's said about my WLJ that I didn't have to bring up first.

It's funny the things he notices. I realize he sees me every day, so the actual shedding of the pounds is as noticeable to him as it is to me, except I get the added feedback of clothes falling off.

Yesterday, on our way out to dinner he mentions that the difference between this time on WW and my last time is that I spend more time exercising. This is also true. Back in 2002, when I started WW the first time, I didn't really exercise at all, unless you call a corporate softball league exercise.

I just thought it was sweet that he was commenting on my success and determination, as he put it.

I've noticed him changing as well. We no longer go to In-n-Out or Wendy's when we "go out". We go to actual sit down restaurants where there are healthier options to choose. He picks fast food restaurants based on which place has the most food I can eat. He is even more adventurous in the kitchen. He doesn't make faces when I try a new recipe and is eating whole wheat pasta. Granted the only brand of whole wheat pasta he'll eat is bionaturae, but it's still whole wheat pasta.

A lot changes in 5 years. I'm more committed to make this lifestyle change and he's more committed to support me. Oh, did I forget to mention he takes out the trash without me nagging him about it? Is there any question why I love this man?

It really has been 5 years of wedded bliss...

C25K W3 D1 take 2

Blast-off!

Well, I bet it's more like taxiing to the runway.

I'm determined to ease back into running after taking this past month of to rest my IT band. I was so bummed during this time off from running that I don't want to be bothered by this injury again. I focused on walking and strength training. But today was the day. I started my "running" program at ~11am this morning. I decided not to jump right back in, like I wanted, and try to run 2 miles today. I decided to go back to the beginning. Almost.

In May of this year I started the Couch to 5K (C25K) from the Cool Running website. It changed my life. I found something I really enjoyed that I could do anywhere. So I went back to it. Today was Day 1 of Week 3.

I didn't start at the beginning, because I knew I was past that point. I still walk and go to the gym, so I have some endurance and didn't want to start all over. This time was easier than I remember. I almost thought I should have started at Week 4 or maybe run again tomorrow, but I'm going to restrain myself. Over training is what got me here in the first place. If I'm ever going to run that 1/2 marathon in 2008, I'm going to need to stay healthy.

My Personality Shines Through, Now...

My mother and aunt, yes they're twins, turned 60 this year. They are amazing women who I've looked up to for as long as I thought to look up to someone, but that's another blog topic all together. The reason I bring them up is because of the situation created by said birthday. A surprise party.

At the party I saw many people I haven't seen for a while, either 2 months, since my granny's 80th birthday party, or a whole year. One friend of the family, we'll call him Uncle, and his wife were there. Uncle commented on my weight loss, mentioning he thought it let more of my natural personality shine through. WTF????

Now at the time, I didn't really process it. I was too busy saying hi to everyone and trying to get everything settled down so the surprise could be pulled off, to really comprehend it. But I did have all weekend and Tuesday's 2 hour Biggest Loser to think about it.

To give Uncle some credit or leeway, he is from another country, even though he's been here since I was about 5. He may not have used the words he wanted to use. But the words he used made me think.

Who does my (or your) being overweight limit more? Me (or you)? Or other people?

Did I limit myself at 180 lbs or even at 195? Was I less funny, sarcastic or adventurous? I hiked and camped and indoor rock climbed, all before I lost 40 lbs. I made friends, joked around and went out, in short did things before I decided to lose weight.

Did Uncle say to himself, she's got a great personality, if only she wasn't so fat? Do/Did lots of people think, she's pretty for a fat girl? Was I oblivious to people snubbing me because of my weight, or appearance in general?

I'm glad my hiring managers were able to see my skillz and not just my appearance. I'm grateful that the wonderful people I call my friends, in real life and online, see me and not my weight.

I like to think people love me or hate me based on my attitude alone.

So now I'm at the meh/what ev phase of thinking about the comment. I've been offended by it, then disected it and now I'm over it. But I'd still like to hear what you all think.

Inflatable Decorations

So I stood silently by when I saw the first blow up Santa on a lawn. The next year there were inflatable sleighs, penguins, even snow globes. I think, seriously people? On what little front yard you have (and driveway) you're gonna blow up this thing? Then there were blow up decorations for Halloween. Hmm, an inflatable biker on a motorcycle with a jack-o-lantern, sure.

What I've seen now has taken the cake. It's an inflatable nativity people! Complete with animals. Although given a choice between the inflatable nativity and the plastic baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph with lights inside, I'd take the inflatable one.

As you might have guessed, a by product of my not running and only walking around the neighborhood is that I have time to notice the decor of my surroundings. And what I've seen kinda scares me.

I do love Christmas decorations, but don't stop by my house there aren't any up, inside or out, but I do draw the line at inflatable devices. Especially when there is no room to put them out on the lawn, so you put them on your roof. Not one or two, but three. Maybe more.

I'm really not a bah humbug, but sometimes I wonder why tact goes out the window during Dec.

600

No, it's not twice the scantily clad men in the 300, it's the amount of calories I burn, on average, when I work out with my trainer.

I love her. Jen knows how to push me and keep me motivated without making me feel like a big loser when I can't go the weight she picks out, etc.

We worked on my outer thighs today. She's trying to get my muscles stronger so we can kick the ITBS stuff to the curb once and for all. With her, my orthotics and resting until the new year, well almost the new year, I think we can conquer it.

The orthotics maker guy thinks that the severe overpronation of my right foot, due to an errant slide tackle in high school, she went after my ankle, not so much the ball, as well as over training may have contributed to the ITBS. It throws everything out of alignment.

So I have something to look forward to after Thanksgiving. I get to pick up my orthotics and get fitted with new running shoes. Then I only have a few more weeks to go before I can start 2 miles again. My goal is to get up and running a 5K by Superbowl Sunday. Although it really sucks not to be able to run, but I'm keeping my eye on the prize. I'm also not allowing myself to gain weight because my favorite form of exercise was taken away from me.

Man, I really have nothing to say when I'm not running!

Dinosaur Dash 2007

The Dinosaur Dash is a 2K, 5K, 10K race that raises money for the Tustin school district. I knew about it for a couple of months, but when I realized one of my friends I met at my WW meeting teaches for the Tustin school district, did I decide to sign up.

After recovering from the shock that the Dino Dash was on Sunday, not Saturday, I did pretty well on this 5K. I mean, 36:07 with walking 1/4-1/2 that last mile, amazing to me.

My lungs attacked first. Before I got through mile 1 I had to whip out my inhaler and take some puffs. Just because the air doesn't smell smokey I guess it still wasn't good for asthmatics. Especially asthmatics who decide to do a 5K at 8:45 in the morning, just 2 weeks after fires burnt near the race track.

I was not prepared for running up the freeway overpass, twice. So I walked up it when my ITBS decided to make it's presence known. Shortly after mile 2 my ITBS came to stay. I walked most of the last mile. However I am vain. When I turned the corner and saw the street lined with people coming to the finish line, 1/4 to 1/8 of a mile at the most, I ran. I couldn't bend my right knee so much, but I still ran. Had a little hitch in my giddy-up though.

This race was bittersweet. I finished, and in my shortest time yet, but I realize that 3 weeks wasn't enough rest for my ITBS problem. I already have my outfit for my Thanksgiving Day 5K, so I'll see if I can run the first 2 miles of that, completely flat, course. After that I'm swearing off running, for at least 6 weeks. I want to be ready to run a 5K in Huntington Beach with another WW meeting friend.

2 miles!

It's been a while since I've actually written about running. So here it is.

I ran 2 miles on the dreadmill. It's satisfying, but not as fun as running outside. I couldn't run outside due to air quality. The air quality is still bad, due to the fires that the firefighters hope to have completely contained later this week. Sometimes it smells smokey, sometimes you don't realize there's been a fire, but with my asthma, I'm not chancing it.

I'm sticking with 2 miles for Wednesday and Thursday, I have a 5K on Friday, the Dinosaur Dash 5K. (There's a 10k, but Mr. ITBS cancelled my plans for a 10K in 2007.) It's a fundraiser for a local school district in which my WW meeting friend teaches.

I'm hoping to be back on track for a 10K next year. I'm shooting for the Great Race of Agoura Hills 10K, maybe a 1/2 marathon before the Disney 1/2 in September.

Ideas of running grandeur may be taking root.

Saga de Ashcat

So many of you may have already heard (or were forced to hear) the story, but I'm telling it again and it's got pictures. If you have a queasy stomach, you may not want to look further.

One day in July, a Monday, Ash the cat is taken in for routine tooth removal and dental cleaning. They need to put her under. Blood tests were done and she's given a clean bill of heath to under go the anesthesia. Here is a before picture of her:

She was put under, but the tooth wasn't removed. It was put on a "watch" list. They cleaned her teeth and the procedure was done.

She didn't come out of it well. In fact when she woke up she was woozy and couldn't move herself. She would pee right where she laid. So she stayed at the vet. Tuesday was much like Monday. Wednesday found Ash dragging herself to the litter box, to relieve herself, but there wasn't much motion in the back legs and she wasn't sitting up. We started to talk about what we'd do if she never regained full use of her limbs. Euthanasia was tossed around, but we never thought it'd get to that. Wednesday also brought news of a sore the Vet had found. It was relatively large. It was on 1/2 her stomach and went up her side a bit. She got a bit better Thursday and Friday, but Saturday morning was the "miracle".

Saturday the Vet got in and Ash was sitting up. They took her out of her cage to do more kitty physical therapy and she was walking! It looked like a drunk cat walking, but she was still walking. The bad news, the sore was larger than they thought. They had shaved 1/2 her stomach and 1/2 the way up her side. The sore was gooey and she was confined to a bathroom.

I took her home, with some cream to rub in the sore. It still progressed. She lost 2lbs over the next 3 days, or it could have been since that first Monday, so over the 8 days since this thing began. The Vet was so concerned that they sent Ash, along with one of their vet techs, to a critical care hospital where she stayed for 6 days, at no charge to us. The sore was still gooey and smelly.

While she was at the critical care hospital, the sore, they found, actually went all the way up her side. She wasn't eating very well. Jeremy suggested taking her hard cone off. She needed a hard cone because she had started licking at the sore and it wasn't helping the healing process. She got a soft cone and started eating.

We brought her home and confined her to a bathroom for a bit. The Vet called about a hyperbaric chamber treatment, pure oxygen just like for people. We went to this second animal hospital for a consult. They determined Ash was a candidate for this treatment, they set us up with a 40% discount. I think I would have done anything at that point. She stayed at that hospital for 5 days, getting in that chamber twice a day. I hated having to leave her in another unfamiliar place, but I knew it was for the best. I was visiting her every day here, just like I did at the critical care unit.

The change was amazing. The sore was now a scab. Hard like a turtle's shell. It was still a bit smelly, but it wasn't gooey. The biggest fear at this time would be that the whole shell would come off in one piece, leaving a huge open wound that had nothing to protect it.

I should tell you at this time that her skin was dead. They didn't know how deep it went, but basically what happened was this: Ash threw clots, most likely a reaction to the ketamine injection which is a common way to sedate animals before applying gas anesthesia. One clot had landed on her nervous system, causing the temporary paralysis. The other clot landed on her arterial system, causing a lack of blood flow to the tree it blocked. In this case, it was the left side of her body. The clots break up on their own, which is how Ash all of a sudden started to walk again and why she has blood flow to the area of her body that is a sore.

So now it's August 25th. I took Ash back for her recheck, and a surgery consult with a soft tissue specialist at the second animal hospital. The soft tissue specialist as well as the on call surgeon wanted to do surgery to remove the scab and to start a process that would close up the resulting wound. My Vet and I had already talked about this and we said no. She thought that having the scab on there as long as possible would help her more.

You have to realize that, between the critical care hospital, the second animal hospital and our family vet, Ash had maybe spent 1.5 weeks at home during the month of August. We thought it would be best to let her rest and relax, as much as she could, at home before we stressed her with surgery. So I took her home and we waited.

I brought her in to my Vet every 3 days, just for observation. Ash continued to get better. She was walking around, a bit off balance due to the scab, she was jumping. We gave up keeping her in a bathroom. She was roaming around the house trying to be a normal cat. Her scab started to smell and separate from her body. It was getting pretty pussy.

Near mid-September, we boarded her for a weekend as we went to visit family. I put her in a hoodie that someone gave to our dogs. It helped keep the smell in and we didn't have to see the scab. Dual purpose. Everything went well during the boarding. They didn't really check her wound too much, as she seemed to be doing better.

I ended up washing the hoodie, putting it back on her and then tossing it the next day. It was so full of ick coming from the wound, it wasn't worth washing it again. I took her back to the vet that next Wednesday and the Vet decided to take the scab off. It was only connected by little threads of tissue and they decided it wasn't doing anymore good. The Vet thinks it weighed close to a 1/2 pound. Below is a picture of the wound after they took the scab off. That big white space near her tummy is 1 layer of muscle that separates her insides from the outside.

The clot affected more than just the layers of skin. It killed some of the muscle. There was an area on her body that was covered by only 1 layer of muscle. There should be 3 layers of muscle, then the layers of skin, then the top layer that contains the hair. They wrapped her up and we continued doing this for 2 weeks. I went for another consult with the soft tissue surgeon. We decided to insert sutures, 2 rows, that they pull together like a corset. This stretches the skin to cover the wound and also gives the Vet something to tie down the gauge bandaging to. They didn't have to wrap her whole body anymore, just change out this one area. The goal is to close the wound until it becomes a small laceration they need to stitch up.

She's still confined to a bathroom. With this procedure she's really supposed to be in a cage with food and water. Only being let out for supervised potty time. Jeremy couldn't get her back into the cage the second time he let her out. So we blocked the tub and toilet from her and let her have the run of the guest bathroom. She stays on her pillow most of the time. It seems to be better now that I blocked off the door from the other animals, but left it open. She gets more air this way and can see us.

This is where we are today. The wound had shrunk to about 50% the size it was when the scab was first removed. Which was already 25% smaller than it had been before the hyperbaric chamber treatment. It's looking so good that Monday, when I picked her up, the Vet told me they're already using some of the sutures from the second row. The Vet also told me that the area that was just covered by 1 layer of muscle has now shrunk to roughly the size of a dime. Once it starts getting covered by the second layer of muscle, we'll know everything should be alright.

Apparently Ash is like the Cheerleader in Heros. She's healing faster than anyone predicted. I credit that to her youth, she's only 4, and the hyperbaric chamber treatment.

I'll keep you all posted. Hopefully I'll have some after pictures soon!

Random Thoughts

So I know it's been almost a month, but I had a little set back.

I wasn't really back last time. My IT band was acting up again so I had a self imposed 2 week running ban. When I went to the doctor, she told me 2 weeks was a good start, but I might need to stop running for 4 weeks. I tried running on Thursday, made it about 1 mile and the pain/irritation was too much to ignore. So I'm back to doing other types of cardio.

I'm still walking the dogs and I've taken up the bike, stationary as it is. I'm going to get my bike back into running order so I can ride outside. I'm also gonna go swimming again. I think I may try a tri before the year (either actual or by next October) is up.

Some random thoughts I've collected:

I have chapped lips when I run. I thought it was the wind that did it. Turns out to be my exhaling.

I wish I enjoyed anything the way my dogs enjoy their walks or my cats enjoy lying in the sun, or anywhere for that matter.

My Mizunos were not fit properly and I'm looking forward to more running action in my Brooks, which are cuter anyway.

I can actually pass up cake, cookies or french fries. I am shocked.

Running makes me happy. I've been in a funk for the past, oh, 2 or so weeks. I wonder why? Didn't make the connection until I sat and thought about it whilst in traffic on the way home from work on Friday. I decided to enjoy my strength training and alternate forms of cardio. I really do like bike riding and I love walking with the dogs.

I've decided to enjoy my life. So I don't have the most exciting or fun job in the world, I love the people I'm working with and I'm going to enjoy them. So I'm overweight. I'm working on it, and if I was never overweight, I would never have met any of my peeps on the WW Boards or at the meetings. I would have never found running.

I'm back!

There have been happening here that have made me stay away, the least of all was my lack of running due to over training.

We were at my Grandma's birthday last weekend and that's when I stopped running due to pain. The pain is pretty much gone and I'm back to my 4 miles, or my trying to run 4 miles.

Oh and there was Ash getting her scab removed. As soon as I get pictures I'll post the whole saga in all it's boring details.

Well today is my DOR. I will be getting out and walking the dogs, because they deserve it!

On the DL

So I was off visiting family this weekend, it was my Grandmother's 80th birthday so we threw a bash. I was determined to stick to my running schedule, even if it was a bit modified as I missed my Friday run getting everything ready for our trip.

Well, either it was running on the dreadmill, after which my knees felt funny, or running in too small shoes, I'm trying to figure out if the fit is incorrect in my Mizunos, or I could be pushing myself to hard by increasing my distance too quickly.

Either way I think I'm experiencing ITBS, but I'm not completely sure. I may see if I can get an appointment with a medical professional that confirms my diagnosis. I don't want to do permanent damage to the tendon or my liver (with all the anti-inflammatory pills I've been popping).

I'm hoping to run 2 miles tomorrow, and I may need to dial back my plan to run that 10K in November.

Grr....

Yas Versus the Dreadmill

I ran on a treadmill today. It wasn't the most pleasant time spent running but I ran my complete four miles. Of course, the moment I'd stop for a breather, I'd face plant into the treadmill belt. (Do you call it a conveyor belt if it isn't on a conveyor?) Kinda motivates you not to keep going and not look like a dumb ass.

So the score is Yas 1, Dreadmill 0.

Not that poor DM ever had a chance, but I did do some trash talking between the 3 and 4 mile marks. I owned that treadmill. I owned it so hard I pwned it. (if you don't understand pwned, rest assured you don't play enough video games)

The reasons it was unpleasant:

Poor treadmill picking. I didn't get one right in front of a TV so I was constantly craning my head to see/read the TV to my right.

Yas was unprepared. I left the house without a towel, for sweat wiping off the treadmill and without lil (Red). So I was completely dependant on the music at the gym, which I could barely hear, or trying to read the captions on the tvs set to CNN. Don't attempt to read the captions of what the anchor is saying and the news ticker on the bottom of a news channel at the same time. It'll give you a headache.

My knees felt odd after the run. I can't say they hurt afterwards, but they felt different than they usually do after a street run. I feel like my knees took all the impact of the run, not my thighs. In fact my thighs didn't seem to hurt at all.

Afterwards I attempted an Abs Pilates DVD. Hmm, that score was Yas 0, DVD 1. Didn't even get through it all. I am weak sauce.

My First Weekday Morning Run!

I finally got up and went running first thing in the morning. Before you start applauding, I'll let you in on a secret, I didn't go into work today. I woke up an hour later than I usually do so it was easy to get out and run when the sun is already up. I did feel really great after the run.

I kept on pace with my 12 min/mile. Well 12:06, to be exact. Hopefully I'll be able increase my mileage so I can run that 10K in November. Just think of the pie I can have if I run a 10K on Thanksgiving morning!

Oh, and I ran with my new buddy, Lil' (Red). Here's a picture of her.

But don't worry, Go is getting out too. I still listen to books when I walk the dogs. Her mug is below.

Oh, and since I can here are pictures of my dogs:

And the cats:

Don't you love it when someone learns how to do something new and chooses to over use it!

4 Miles and a Gel Taste Testing

I ran 4 miles today. That's the longest I've run to date. It felt really great to complete it, but it felt even better to be running at 5:30pm with a temp closer to 79 degrees than one that was 95.

I plan to keep running these 4 milers for about 2 weeks or so, then increase my mileage to 5, and repeat the process until I can run the 10K. If everything goes well, I'll be running the 10K Run for Hunger on Thanksgiving day, instead of the 5K. But if the body says no, I'll listen. I don't want injuries, especially with my injury prone right ankle.

Another good thing about the break in our heat wave, I walk the dogs again. It was took hot for my hairy friends, even shaved down, to walk their ~2 miles at 8pm. And then there is always the issue of them being snacks for the wild life. We have had coyote and mountain lion sightings, by neighbors not us personally. At about 10lbs my dogs are snack size treats!

On to the tasting. Yesterday I bought 7 gels of 5 different flavors from 2 different companies. I chose Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Outrage, TriBerry, Lemon Sublime from Gu. From Hammer Gels I chose Vanilla, Chocolate, and Cinnamon Apple.

They all tasted pretty good to me. Both vanilla flavors reminded me of frosting. The chocolate is chocolate, although they both were more of a pudding consistency than the rest. The TriBerry reminded me of a berry jam, in flavor and consistency.

My least favorite was the Lemon Sublime, mostly because it was the tartest of the bunch. If I had it on it's own or with a lemon-lime energy drink I may have liked it better.

My favorite was the Cinnamon Apple. It reminded me of fast food apple pie filling. I say reminded, not tasted like, as it's still an energy gel. I'm not sure that I'd use this one on a run though, it's a dessert!

I'll try these on runs soon. I'm running a little over 45 minutes, so it may be on the borderline of actually needing them, but since I have them opened and in my fridge, I'll go for it.

Running in Skirts

I have a new product I love, running skirts/skorts. Skorts have shorts, skirts have panties, although both can be referred to as skirts.

I own 2 that I've run in, the Brooks running skort and the Running Skirts Athletic skirt. Both have two pockets and can eliminate the need for a waist pack, depending on how much stuff you carry with you.

I like the skirts because they give me all the benefits of shorts (meaning less clothes when it's freaking hot) without worrying about what the people behind me are seeing. I don't usually go crazy over something this fast, but I love it. I'll have to take a picture of me in one and post it.

Oh and I ran hills today. Really just 2 hills, they're reverse hills really. I run down, run flat for a bit, then run back up, repeat. It wasn't fun, but I was able to get up both of them. I'll try it again tomorrow!

Game Day - Disneyland 5K

Here are three reasons why the Disneyland 5K wasn't the best race evah:
1. It's a run/walk that didn't separate runners from walkers at the start
2. It's a Family Fun Run so it wasn't chipped.
3. It's full of funnels

Honorable Mention:
1. It was hot (high 70's, low 80's hot) and humid at 7am.
2. I had to pay the full $11 for parking.

I'm not an uber fast runner, but I'm even slower when I have to dodge walkers. I'm not discriminating against walkers, I just know that when I've walked, races the runners line up first and the walkers second. However, the stroller police were out in force, pulling people with strollers out of line. I didn't see a single stroller on the run.

It wasn't chipped, 'nough said.

There were many places along the race route where we narrowed and widened. I hated when I was finally getting into a rhythm and it was ruined by a narrowing of the route.

Things that went right:
I ran in my Brooks skirt with compression shorts and it was wonderful. I think I might have died if I wore pants. I got to run through Cinderella's Castle. My uncle cooked me yummy pancakes afterwards. And I beat my last time, if only by ~40 sec. I did have to use my rescue inhaler, but I didn't let myself stop running.

I think I would do this event again, but walk it. Or try to get there much earlier. I arrived at 6:15, but didn't get into line until 6:30. In talking to people there who were doing the 1/2 marathon the next day, I was encouraged to train for it. Apparently you get to run the through Angel's Stadium. When will I ever be get the opportunity to run on a MLB field and not get arrested?

Biggest NSV Ever!

I ended up at a mega sports store this afternoon, in search of new game day clothes. I was looking for a running skirt, basically a tennis skirt, which is what I ended up with. In a medium.

Why is buying a tennis skirt in a medium anything exciting, you ask. How would buying anything in a medium be the "biggest NSV ever"? I've never worn a medium in workout clothes. For as long as I can remember I was always L or XL.

Granted this tennis skirt is made for someone who's thighs don't rub together, so I'll have it for a bit, and it won't make it's game day debut on Sunday, but I'm still excited. The scale going down is one thing, buying a medium, or size 10 pants, is completely different. Maybe I'll brave the misses dept next time I'm at Nordstrom's.

But on to running. I woke up at 4:30am, but my legs told my brain that it hadn't even been 12 hours since I last ran and we'd pick up this morning running thing after the race. My legs made such a good point that my brain agreed and I got out of bed around 4:45am. See, I'm trying to train myself to actually get out of bed so this morning run thing will be successful.

I did get my easy 1.5 mile run in. I'm trying to build up my "tolerance" some people may call it endurance. I want to get up to running at least 3 miles everyday.

BTW, did I mention that college football started today. I am in heaven.

Wait 30 minutes before...

So tonight's run sucked. Most likely I didn't let my food settle before I hit the road. Maybe the old wives' tale about going swimming after you eat is really about running.

It was still hot at 7pm and now it's getting dark around 7:30ish. If the temperatures stay this high I may have to join a gym. I avoid the gym like I try to avoid the Vending Machine of Death.

I did manage to get in almost 3 miles in 33 minutes.

I'm going to try and wake up early tomorrow to run in the coolness that is the morning. Thursday will be 3 day's before race day, or game day as I like to refer to it.

I need to get my game face on.

Day of Rest

So apparently trying to do physical activity with only a non-fat sugar-free vanilla latte in your stomach isn't a very good idea. But I tried. Let's forget that I've been awake for 3 hours with nothing else in my stomach. I didn't think about that. All I thought about was the great weigh in I had. My car tells me it's 71 degrees outside, so we run.

We walk/run about 1.3 miles and call it a day. After drinking a fruit smoothie and eating a Vitatop, I'm off to walk the dogs their 2 miles. It starts to rain. I've decided someone is telling me this should be a Day of Rest. I take their advice.

I hate(d) running

Running was not something that you did because you enjoyed it. It's something you did because the coach told you to run around the pitch or the field for conditioning. It's something you did in drills. It's something you did in a game. It wasn't something you ever did outside of practice. I mean, it's nothing I ever did outside of practice.

After high school, I dropped running like a bad habit. Well, I wanted to drop running like a bad habit, but band had different ideas. Here was another "coach" making me run. But my running was short lived. After my freshman year, it was done.

Now, ten years later, I've started running because I wanted to. Although, that's not entirely true. I started running to launch myself off a weight loss plateau. I needed to burn more calories and I didn't want to join a gym I was going to quit in 3 months. I found couch to 5K due to some wonderful people on WW, bought some shoes and started running.

It was a challenge. I wanted to prove to myself I could stick with a program. It didn't hurt that one of my friends started at the same time and we were supporting each other. I graduated the couch to 5K program in early July.

Now running is my time. You know that propel commercial, where the guy's running and all the worries from the day are shed off him during his run? Sometimes that's me. Let's face it, most of the time that's me.

I ran my first 5K on July 28th, 2007 and my next race is coming up Labor Day Weekend.

I no longer hate running.