Again I find myself behind on my blogging...darn work. This week was another busy one. Went to the gym on the 23rd. Thankfully, it wasn't as full as it has been. The demise of resolutions is starting!! (I know I shouldn't be happy about that for those people, but I hate waiting for treadmills!) Set off on another 28 minute straight run. This time was not going to give into my old habits of giving up on what my body can do. I made it the whole 28 minutes without lowering my speed or my incline. It was truly a mind-over-matter experience. Something I didn't realize how important and significant it would be in the coming days.
Stats:
5 min warm
28 min run (5.1 MPH)
5 min cool
2.96 miles (or close to it)
Saturday was both a weigh in and the beginning of a new phase in the marathon training. It was the first day for the 10K training program. The program runs for 10 weeks and prepares us to run a 10K on April 6. I thought the whole "couch to 5K" program would prepare me for this, but I'm not really sure. The program has 3 levels - walker, novice, and intermediate. The intermediate group is described as those who have been running prior to starting the team and can do 6-9 miles a week without any major problem. So Mr. E and I decided to join the intermediate team. The program involves 4 workouts during the week and then a group run on Saturday mornings. Of course, the intermediate team meets first at 7:30 in the morning...ugh. This meant we have to get up early enough to go weigh in and then drive to the workout. After a really long week, with many meals out, I was up 0.2 pounds. Disappointed to be up, but this week hopefully will be better. That was the least of my worries ... we were off to run 2 miles, outside, in the 29 degree weather. After a short "warm up", off went the intermediate group, and immediately I was about 4 people from the end of the group. The course for the day was down a hill for the 1st mile, and in the tradition of all that goes down must go back up, the 2nd mile was almost all the way up hill (and not a small hill!). Although I pretty much almost brought up the back of the pack, I did manage to run the whole way and not walk. Towards the end of the big hill I came upon another woman who had smoked me the first half, but part the way up the hill she started walking instead of running. By the time I got to her, she started to run again, but I passed her and gave her a "come on we can finish this" and did end up finishing in front of her. My total time for the 2 (plus a little warm up distance) course, was 30:58. I didn't die!!!!
This week has 4 more workouts before next weekend's 3 (eek!) mile run. Here's hoping the course on Saturday doesn't involve "The Hill" (it deserves captial letters).
Monday, January 28, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Workout 1/20 & Weight 1/19
I'm a little behind on blogging...so I'm cramming it two into one. After not weighing in last week because of being out of town for a wedding, I was a bit apprehensive on Saturday. Thankfully, it was good news - down 2.0 pounds! That brings me back down to +23.4 and at least shows that dedication makes progress, even if it's slow.
As for the workout - whew, what a few weeks I've had. It's the new year gear up obviously! Anyway, Mr. E and I went in on Sunday to work out. The place was still pretty full - alright already, some people need to break those resolutions!!! We managed to get treadmills, but on opposite sides of the gym. I think I like that better. I know he's working, but I don't have to watch him as he smokes me! I was forced to watch some bizzare lifetime movie called "i accuse" about a small town where a woman accuses the beloved town doctor of rape. Seriously, not a good movie, at least without the sound. Did get me through my workout though. Upped the time this week to 28 minutes of running.
Stats:
5 min warm at 4.0
28 minute run at 5.1 down to 5.0 for the last approx. 1/3
7 minute cool (even 40 minutes total)
Distance 2.90 (or something close to it, I think....)
This weekend is the first run of a new training program for a 10K this spring. Although I haven't finished "couch to 5K", I feel accomplished because I've gone running at least 1 time a week since we began, with most weeks going 3 times. It's a step in the right direction, but I know there is a looooooooooonnnnnngggggg way to go before I'm even close to being ready for a marathon. One step at a time right....
As for the workout - whew, what a few weeks I've had. It's the new year gear up obviously! Anyway, Mr. E and I went in on Sunday to work out. The place was still pretty full - alright already, some people need to break those resolutions!!! We managed to get treadmills, but on opposite sides of the gym. I think I like that better. I know he's working, but I don't have to watch him as he smokes me! I was forced to watch some bizzare lifetime movie called "i accuse" about a small town where a woman accuses the beloved town doctor of rape. Seriously, not a good movie, at least without the sound. Did get me through my workout though. Upped the time this week to 28 minutes of running.
Stats:
5 min warm at 4.0
28 minute run at 5.1 down to 5.0 for the last approx. 1/3
7 minute cool (even 40 minutes total)
Distance 2.90 (or something close to it, I think....)
This weekend is the first run of a new training program for a 10K this spring. Although I haven't finished "couch to 5K", I feel accomplished because I've gone running at least 1 time a week since we began, with most weeks going 3 times. It's a step in the right direction, but I know there is a looooooooooonnnnnngggggg way to go before I'm even close to being ready for a marathon. One step at a time right....
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Workouts 1/13-1/15
Well the remainder of last week was shot between long work days and travelling to Oregon for a wedding. Actually it wasn't so much the travelling as packing. Mr. E and I were going to work out on 1/10, but by the time we got out of work we had enough to do just to pack for our pre-dawn flight the next day. Saturday was wedding day, not much time there. So Sunday we got up and hauled ourselves to the hotel gym. Get this, the hotel has 2 gyms. 1 which I'm sure is extremely nice, but they charge you an arm and a leg to use it while you stay there (I'm sure it goes towards buying nice things for the owner's grandaughters/daughters who can't seem to stay out of the press....), or they have the "other" gym where the rest of the world who's company isn't picking up the tab use. Mr. E and I got there and there were 2 treadmills open (out of 3) - good. I got on one and it was broken - bad. So I did 30 minutes on the elliptical machine while Mr. E ran. Monday we were to fly out at just after noon, so got up early and went back to the "other" gym. Same 2 treadmills open. This time I got the not-broken one and Mr. E did the elliptical. I'm not sure men can look manly on an elliptical, but that's another subject. Anyway, it actually went pretty well for having been away for 5 days or so.
Stats:
5 min warm at 4.0 MPH
25 min run at 5.2 MPH
5 min cool
Total distance (about) 2.7 miles
Then we were back at work on Tuesday (after getting home at about 1 the night/morning before.) Went to the gym after work. The new year's resolution crowd hasn't thinned out as much as I'd like yet. Mr. E was already there, but I managed to get the treadmill next to him. We've discovered that time goes faster if you're not staring at that annoying little clock on the treadmill, so I've become one of those people who covers up the display with the almost as soft as sandpaper complementary towel. I also have determined that not all treadmills are created equal and some are just either (a) faster or (b) lying. The same 5.2 MPH that I'd ran the day before felt sooo much faster! It may have to do with the difference between working out in the AM v. the PM, but seriously! I did slow down a bit about 2/3 the way through, but otherwise finished the 25 minute run. On the 17th we have the informational meeting for the 10K training team we are going to join, so that'll add a new dimension to training soon.
Stats:
5 min warm at 4.0 MPH
25 min run at 5.2 MPH reduced to 5.1 MPH at some point
5 min cool
Total distance 2.74 MPH (and I went slower...some machine is lying!)
Stats:
5 min warm at 4.0 MPH
25 min run at 5.2 MPH
5 min cool
Total distance (about) 2.7 miles
Then we were back at work on Tuesday (after getting home at about 1 the night/morning before.) Went to the gym after work. The new year's resolution crowd hasn't thinned out as much as I'd like yet. Mr. E was already there, but I managed to get the treadmill next to him. We've discovered that time goes faster if you're not staring at that annoying little clock on the treadmill, so I've become one of those people who covers up the display with the almost as soft as sandpaper complementary towel. I also have determined that not all treadmills are created equal and some are just either (a) faster or (b) lying. The same 5.2 MPH that I'd ran the day before felt sooo much faster! It may have to do with the difference between working out in the AM v. the PM, but seriously! I did slow down a bit about 2/3 the way through, but otherwise finished the 25 minute run. On the 17th we have the informational meeting for the 10K training team we are going to join, so that'll add a new dimension to training soon.
Stats:
5 min warm at 4.0 MPH
25 min run at 5.2 MPH reduced to 5.1 MPH at some point
5 min cool
Total distance 2.74 MPH (and I went slower...some machine is lying!)
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Workout 1/8
So the week of New Years kinda became a lost week with travelling and stuff. I did however run from the beach to the sandbar and back to the beach (ok, so maybe 100 feet) in the Gulf of Mexico on New Years Day with about 500 of my closest friends at Flor-abama. If you've never done a Polar Bear plunge, trust me, it gets the heart pumping!
As for workouts, went on 1/5 to run on the treadmill. Not very successful. 'Nough said. But, back to work and back to working out this week. I decided since I did all the 25 minute runs outside and because of the week off, I would repeat the 25 minute run week on the treadmill. UGH. It really showed me how fast you can lose your stamina and training. Only a week away and I was hurting. I think the fact that the gym was about 80 degrees did nothing to help the situation either. I'm really glad I started this process right before and during holiday season, let me get through the first few weeks with the gyms fairly empty because everybody was going to start "after New Year's". Well, unfortunately, it's now "after New Year's" and there's about 3 times the people at the gym. Now getting a treadmill becomes an exercise in human observation and strategy. I mean there's a sign up sheet, but you really have to pick carefully to get the next available machine. As I walked in last night I heard an older gentleman who's a regular (even in the off season) saying, "It's PACKED in here" to which the other older gentleman (also a regular) replied "Oh well, just wait 3 weeks." It got me thinking how quickly that old "I'm going to workout and lose weight" resolution just goes away. It'll be interesting to see how the crowds thin out over the next few weeks. I'm going to pay specific attention just to see what the result is.
Oh, and weight posts. I have to admit, I suffered from the "holiday glut". I didn't eat a ton of cookies or pies or anything, but we traveled to the south where apparently they haven't really learned that there are ways to cook things that doesn't involve tossing them into a vat of boiling oil. Many, many fried meals and very very few vegetables does not a successful weightloss journey make. I came back at my highest weight in almost 3 years. SIGH. But, I am back on track this week and hope to make good progress before my next official weigh in. So, as of Saturday I was +25.8.
Workout stats:
5 min warm (4.0 MPH/2.0 incl)
25 min run (started 5.4 MPH for first 10 minutes at 2.0 incline, reduced to 5.1 MPH and 1.5 incline after that)
5 min cool down
Total distance 2.7 miles
As for workouts, went on 1/5 to run on the treadmill. Not very successful. 'Nough said. But, back to work and back to working out this week. I decided since I did all the 25 minute runs outside and because of the week off, I would repeat the 25 minute run week on the treadmill. UGH. It really showed me how fast you can lose your stamina and training. Only a week away and I was hurting. I think the fact that the gym was about 80 degrees did nothing to help the situation either. I'm really glad I started this process right before and during holiday season, let me get through the first few weeks with the gyms fairly empty because everybody was going to start "after New Year's". Well, unfortunately, it's now "after New Year's" and there's about 3 times the people at the gym. Now getting a treadmill becomes an exercise in human observation and strategy. I mean there's a sign up sheet, but you really have to pick carefully to get the next available machine. As I walked in last night I heard an older gentleman who's a regular (even in the off season) saying, "It's PACKED in here" to which the other older gentleman (also a regular) replied "Oh well, just wait 3 weeks." It got me thinking how quickly that old "I'm going to workout and lose weight" resolution just goes away. It'll be interesting to see how the crowds thin out over the next few weeks. I'm going to pay specific attention just to see what the result is.
Oh, and weight posts. I have to admit, I suffered from the "holiday glut". I didn't eat a ton of cookies or pies or anything, but we traveled to the south where apparently they haven't really learned that there are ways to cook things that doesn't involve tossing them into a vat of boiling oil. Many, many fried meals and very very few vegetables does not a successful weightloss journey make. I came back at my highest weight in almost 3 years. SIGH. But, I am back on track this week and hope to make good progress before my next official weigh in. So, as of Saturday I was +25.8.
Workout stats:
5 min warm (4.0 MPH/2.0 incl)
25 min run (started 5.4 MPH for first 10 minutes at 2.0 incline, reduced to 5.1 MPH and 1.5 incline after that)
5 min cool down
Total distance 2.7 miles
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Workouts 12/26-12/31
I've fallen a little behind in blogging because I've been on vacation for the holidays. Regardless we did get 3 more runs in over the holidays, all at 25 minutes. I have no idea how far we went 'cause we were running outside in gloriously warm Alabama. 2 were around the neighborhood again and one was along a really nice nature trail. Anyway, back to civilization (also known as work), and the more normal schedule of Virginia. Runs will be inside again (too darned cold here!), but should blog on a more regular basis. The run on the nature trail was nice, hard 'cause of some hills, but it was nice to see how fast (relatively) the time went with the different scenery.
3 runs, 5 min warm and 25 minute run, varying cool down
3 runs, 5 min warm and 25 minute run, varying cool down
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