Still Sick

I’ve been wretchedly sick for the past six days. Haven’t exercised (barely have enough energy to stand, much less walk or run!), haven’t eaten much either. I lost almost four pounds in a week! I’m not exactly celebrating (or believing) this weight loss because I’m probably just dehydrated or my muscles are wasting away or something… but it’s still kind of fun and exciting to see numbers on the scale that I haven’t seen since, I don’t know, 10th grade! Total weight loss as of this morning: 14.5 lbs. However, I still look exactly the same to myself and my clothes fit the same as far as I can tell. When will I start seeing a difference? I don’t need to see a difference right away, because I can feel a difference in my fitness level and in the distances I can run, but it might be nice to see SOMETHING with my own eyes, you know?

 

Sick

My race is in two weeks, one day! I haven’t been training. Here are my (good) excuses:

-Tuesday’s toning class left me extremely sore. All over. I actually like that this class seems to always mix it up and work me out in a different and challenging way. I keep thinking that if I keep going I will get used to it and stop being so sore, but each time I’ve gone (4 weeks now) the moves have been different, and every time I’ve been crazy sore afterwards.

-My right calf really hurt the day after the class. It hurt to touch it. It hurt to stand. There was no way I was going to run on muscles that sore– I don’t want to risk injuring myself this close to my race.

-Wednesday night the muscle soreness got much worse, I started feeling chills and feverish. I took my temperature– 101.0. I called in sick to work and spent all day Thursday in bed coughing my lungs out, shivering, feeling generally wretched. Note to self: Never do a super intense ab workout right before coming down with a cough. Every cough felt like it was ripping me in half. I literally had to hold on to my abs when I was coughing because they hurt so much. It hurts to laugh, and it REALLY hurts to cough. Ow!

-Today, Friday, I feel a lot better. My fever is gone, my muscles are mostly better (right calf still feels tight, I need to do some more gentle stretches). I may be up for a gentle workout today, but I still have a sore throat and don’t want to overdo it.

In other news, the personal trainer at the gym hasn’t called me to set up an appointment yet (I signed up and paid over two weeks ago!) although considering how I feel right now it’s probably for the better. Blah.

 

Let’s not and say we did?

So, after being extremely disciplined about running every other day for about two weeks, I took the weekend off. Then I took Monday off because I was tired from being back at work. Today I ALMOST talked myself out of going to the gym… I’m on Week 8 of the couch to 5 k program and now I’m feeling the urge to quit? Maybe even write here that I’m done and not actually do it? I don’t know why, but I’m SCARED to finish the program. I’m scared that the 30 minute runs of week 9 will be too hard, I’m scared to be finished with it… it makes no sense, but I’m going to push through this fear and do it anyway. I am.

I went to the gym today, went to the toning class (good for abs and arms, some legs… no cardio involved though), then I thought that I signed up for a treadmill but I accidentally signed up for an elliptical. Oh well. Al of the treadmills were booked so I got on the elliptical machine and spent 45 minutes cruising along at a mellow speed. I kept my heart rate around 150 the whole time. I didn’t want to push it too hard since I want to run tomorrow and I want my legs to be fresh and not sore. American Idol was on and the time went by fast.

In great news, the scale continues to creep down bit by bit, I’m losing about a pound each week. I ate very well all during break, and on the days I didn’t exercise my appetite was significantly reduced, which made it very easy to eat healthy food and not over-do it. It was also a luxury to be able to prepare all of my meals at home. I find myself making less than stellar choices when I’m at school, haven’t packed a lunch, and have to choose something from the school cafeteria for lunch. I like eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch– I need to buy some more bread and keep that up. Along with an apple, it makes for a healthy, balanced lunch, and it helps me save a little money as well as a few calories.

I’m excited that the weather is supposed to be warm (50!) and sunny all week– I can run outside, enjoy the sunshine, and get my body ready for my first ever 5K race: 18 days away! Holy crap!

 

It’s warm out! Week 8, Run 1: 28 minutes

I set out from my house around 2 pm, excited to run outside in the balmy, 50 degree weather. I didn’t really have a route in mind, so I just moseyed towards the lakefront, thinking I would just turn around halfway or try to make some kind of loop. Rather than heading straight East to the lake, I turned South for a block or two, and right when my five minute warm-up walk was ending and I was about to start running, I came over the top of a small hill, and there in front of me–like an oasis in the desert– was a running track! A deserted, rubbery, oval-shaped running track, just waiting for me to run on it! I ran around the track in one direction. I turned around and ran on it in the other direction. I ran the outside loop and the inside loop. I tried to avoid stepping on a goose or any of their leavings. I thought “race, race, race!” in my head.

I got bored of the track right around the time a man with a stopwatch and some track and field supplies showed up and started setting up near me, so I jogged across the grass and back to the sidewalk, onward! I jogged in place while waiting for the light to change. When the light finally changed, I sprinted across the road, kicking up my heels in glee, hoping that the people in the cars weren’t checking out my butt, or if they were that it looked good. I got some new grey running pants from Target, and when I checked myself out in the full-length mirror, I thought “daaaaamn girl, looking fine!” but I know that what looks good standing still doesn’t always looks as good bouncing and shaking and jiggling across the road in front of traffic. Either way, I didn’t get any comments or whistles, and continued to scamper on my way.

I started feeling really tired about 20 minutes into it, my heart and lungs were really burning and working hard. I pushed through and made it to the end. I even stretched a little while holding on to a park bench, and did THREE push-ups on the park bench (the high, back-rest part of it) and three dips (also on the high part). Oof-dah. I need to start on some weight training to increase my strength, BIG TIME.

I power-walked home, chanting “fit-ness, fit-ness” in my head and grinning ear to ear.

 

Succession Plan

Using the Couch to 5K plan is the first time I have ever stuck to a workout plan, EVER in my life. I really like putting the burden of deciding how much to do onto someone else, and trusting the training plan to WORK and prepare me for each subsequent week of training. So far it’s been an incredibly positive experience. I only have two more weeks to go before I “graduate” from the C25K program, and if I keep going with running every other day, I will finish… April 5th! My race isn’t until April 19th, so I will of course need to keep training to be ready– I want to smile across the finish line, not grimace in pain! PLUS since I’ve been doing the C25K plan by time and not distance, and because I am running at a relatively slower pace, I need to train myself to run a bit longer to truly be ready for the 5K distance race.

I am already looking forward to future running goals– I’d like to run a 10k race this summer, and maybe even a half marathon someday! I have printed out Hal Higdon’s 10K race training program for novices, and I will start following that plan as soon as I reach the end of the C25K plan.

It’s funny, because I consider myself an independent lady who likes to do things her own way, and in her own time. When it comes to running I’m just the opposite. If left to my own judgment, I would decide that running 25 minutes straight isn’t possible, feasible or fun. But when the plan says run, I run. I believe in the plan. I’m not ready to be without one.

 

Week 7: Complete!

I ran on the treadmill at the gym this evening. The run started out well, the first five to ten minutes were great. My heart rate stayed relatively low and I felt really HAPPY, I actually had a big grin on my face. Every so often I would catch a glimpse of my reflection in the glare on the TV screen, and smile at myself. Looking like a real runner! The next fifteen minutes were more challenging. I started feeling hungry and exhausted, and I really had to push to make it to the end of the 25 minute run. I am a little tiny bit sore from Saturday’s extra-long outside running extravaganza, and I have a few small blisters on my feet from my new (cushy, awesome, Nike) running shoes. The last five minutes or so were intense, very sweaty, very hard-core. I caught another glimpse of my reflection in the TV screen, and you know what? I looked TOUGH! Looking forward to starting Week 8 on Wednesday.

 

The gym was closed…

but did that stop me? No! I had a crazy, kinda fun, strange, different, new personal-record breaking run tonight. I showed up at the gym around 8:15 pm, thinking that it was closing at 9 and I would have just enough time to get my 25 minute run in. As I was walking up to the doors, I noticed a person standing there in running clothes, stretching. “Gym’s closed!” he shouted at me.

“What? That sucks! What am I supposed to do now?” I asked him.

“Run outside? That’s what I’m going to do…”

“But, but…..”

So, I changed my shoes and left my gym bag in my car, and jogged off into the sunset (actually the pitch black evening) with my new jogging buddy, Zach. Zach proposed a route (to McDonalds and back) and we took off running. Talking kept my mind off my muscles, and Zach timed our run using the clock on his cell phone. Not wanting to look like a TOTAL wuss, I ran a little faster pace than I usually do, and within ten minutes or so I was feeling several side stitches, my lungs and heart were burning and I got that metallic “pushing myself” taste in my mouth. When I started to slow down, Zach would run in front of me a bit until I caught up. At some points he literally pushed and pulled me along by grabbing onto my jacket.

We reached McDonalds in about 15 minutes, tagged the sign and immediately turned around for the run back to the gym. After about ten more minutes of running, I felt like I was dying. I knew that it was probably around the 25 minute mark and time for me to stop and cool down, but Zach insisted that I keep running, and after a few more minutes it didn’t hurt as much. When we got within a block of the gym I announced that I was going to walk the rest of the way to cool down, but Zach said “No, let’s sprint!”

“I can’t sprint. This IS sprinting for me. I can’t go any faster than this,” I replied.

“Yes you can. Ready… GO!” Zach shouted. And you know what? I RAN!!!!

I shouted “FINISH LINE!!!!” and BOUNDED the last block as fast as I possibly could. I tagged my car and squatted down, gasping for breath, but smiling. Zach checked his watch– 9:03. We had been running continuously for 37 minutes!! Now that I’m home, I traced our route on Gmap-pedometer and discovered that we ran 2.9 miles. I was secretly hoping that we had run a full 5K distance, but 2.9 continuously is a new record for me (by a lot!) and running 37 minutes is DEFINITELY a new record for me (previous longest continuous run was 25 minutes!). I feel amazing right now– strong and powerful. I KNOW I can do that race on April 19th, I know that I can run longer and faster than I think I can.

I’ve been trying to convince all of my friends to start running, and I even posted an ad online looking for a running buddy at a similar pace. Today was the first day I ran with a buddy, and even though it was a complete stranger, having someone to talk to while I ran, and someone to nudge me when I wanted to stop, and someone to encourage me when I thought I couldn’t go any further made a HUGE difference in my running experience. I don’t know if Zach wants to be my regular running buddy (I think he probably wants to go a bit faster than we went today), but I really, really want to find a running buddy. Even for just once in a while. Especially on these longer runs– having a companion helped me so much! I’m secretly glad the gym was closed, and proud that I didn’t let that stand in the way of getting a great workout in. YEAH!

 

I’ve fallen behind…

in my blogging, but NOT in my running!!! Since the last post I’ve held myself to my personal commitment to run every other day. I completed Week 6, and today I ran Week 7, run 1. It’s been going well, although running 25 minutes straight on Tuesday and then again today seems to have made my calves a little sore and tight, and I’m feeling a tiny little twinge of shin splints. Tiny!

In other great news– I weighed myself this morning and saw a very exciting new number in the tens digit of my weight. I’ve officially lost ten pounds, and I haven’t seen this particular number in the tens digit of my weight for probably about eight years. My personal reward for reaching this milestone is a session with a personal trainer at the gym. I signed up for it today, but the trainer is out of town until March 28th, so it may be a while before I actually have my session. I actually signed up for two sessions; a fitness assessment and a training session. Having at least a week before the fitness assessment session will just give me a bit more time to improve my fitness before it goes into my permanent record at the gym.

Last bit of exciting and awesome news, I promise: I signed up for a race: I will be running a real 5K race Saturday, April 19th at 8 am. Very excited, nervous, apprehensive, and newly rededicated to training. Eek!

 

Week Six- Run 1

It’s Friday. I just ran for the first time this week. Crap.

Since starting the Couch to 5k plan I have been very disciplined about always fitting three runs into a calendar week, always leaving at least one rest day in between. I don’t know what happened this week… well, I do. I’m feeling a bit burned out at work as the end of the academic quarter approaches. I am babysitting twin seven year olds ’round the clock all week, which cuts my “free” time down to nil. The extra-curricular activity I advise had two big deadlines this week, with lots of extra hours spent working on stuff. I have a final project due for my photography class, and I have hardly anything to show for it. Energy has been low all week- PMS didn’t help any. So those are my excuses. I also think that NOT running may have contributed to the “bleh” feeling I’ve had all week.

The run itself was fine. I washed my fitness clothes for the first time in… a while, and everything was tighter. The sports bra was much more supportive, but everything else just felt clingy! I drank two bottles of water during the run– I need to start taking better care to hydrate myself throughout the day leading up to a run so I don’t feel super super thirsty like I did today.

Spring break starts Wednesday, and I’m issuing myself a personal challenge: Run every other day. No matter what. No exceptions. If I can do it, I will make up for this nearly-lost week, and continue to improve cardio fitness. If the weather is nice, I’ll run outside. Maybe I’ll even put out feelers for a new running buddy, since my first and favorite running buddy has been sidelined by a persistent injury (heal fast, L Runner!). After reading about push-ups in the New York Times, I’m inspired to start working up to doing push ups. Right now I can hold a plank for about, oh, two seconds before I collapse into a pile of pudding.

See you Sunday for Week 6, Run 2! I promise!

 

I did it! Week 5, Run 3: The dreaded 20 minute run…

It was super hard! But I totally did it! I did it! I did it!

I went to the gym this morning, hopped on the treadmill and jogged very, very slowly for 20 minutes STRAIGHT without stopping!!!

I still can’t believe I did it. Less than six weeks ago running for sixty seconds felt nearly impossible. I remember asking my running buddy, who held the timer, “How much longer?” after running for 45 seconds, because it felt like it had been forever, my feet, legs, and lungs were all on fire and my heart felt like it was about to explode.

I feel super good about the Couch to 5k program right now. I’m aiming to run every other day. That way if I have to push a workout back a day or even two days, I can still get all three workouts into a calendar week.

My endurance has increased incredibly, and I feel like it will keep increasing as I do the program. The only thing that hasn’t increased, and has in fact DECREASED is my running speed. I am now jogging at 4.6 mph on the treadmill, which equates to a 13 minute mile. I can run faster than that for a little while, but I tire out really quickly. Once I reach the first goal of running steadily for 30 minutes (a HUGE accomplishment for me!) I will still need to work up to either running faster or running longer if I’m going to be able to run in a 5k race. Running 5k at my current pokey pace would take just over 40 minutes.

There is another training program that I’ve read about online that several people have used in order to keep progressing after completing the Couch to 5k program called “Becoming a one hour runner.” I might start in on that one after I finish this program (four more weeks!!).

Just to reminisce a bit: I have just completed week five of the program. Over the past five weeks I have trained for 30 minutes, three times a week without exception. I have increased my endurance from barely being able to sustain jogging for sixty seconds to being able to jog for 20 minutes without stopping. I have lost NINE POUNDS of fat and lowered my overall body fat percentage by three percentage points. I have a long way to go, but I also have a lot to be proud of. I’m patting myself on the back right now.

Looking ahead: Monday! Week 7 (!!!!!), warm up, then run 5, walk 3, run 8, walk 3, run 5, cool down. 18 total running minutes. Easy peasy!