C - NO WALKERS

This past weekend was absolutely AWESOME. The Hubs and I journeyed to Philadelphia on Friday afternoon. We checked into our hotel at 3:00 after battling traffic for two hours, and then we strolled to the convention center for the expo for the Hot Chocolate 15K/5K. The expo was AWESOME - I'd never been to one before, so I was really impressed. This was also my first time seeing a SUPER smooth check-in process. RAM Racing has got this down. We walked in (and received a little chocolate square as we entered!) and showed our confirmation QR codes to any of the volunteers at the registration tables, and they selected a random bib for us, scanned it, and stuck on our stickers with starting corral assignments.

The biggest mug of hot chocolate I've ever seen!

After getting our bibs, we were able to pick up our hoodies and drawstring bags. They even had a "swag bag fitting area" where you could try on sample hoodies, and if your hoodie was the wrong size you could exchange your unopened hoodie at the "swag bag swap."

Then we had hot chocolate samples, chocolate fondue, and free sweet potato chips. They had vendors for headbands, compression socks, running belts, nutrition stuff, and even old Hot Chocolate merchandise at good prices. 

Post-expo, we decided to walk to the starting line area so that we could find it more easily in the dark on race morning. Luckily, it was an absolutely beautiful day - 66 degrees with a light drizzle - and we really enjoyed the walk. With all of our walking on Friday, we logged about 5 miles, plus the walking to get dinner and do a little shopping.

Saturday morning was an EARLY morning! We were up at 5:15 and on the sidewalks at 6:15 to walk a mile to the starting line. I was a bit nervous since it was still dark, but there were a LOT of people walking with us. It was about 50 degrees and really windy, and that did not change for a while. The only difference was that the sun came out right when the 5K started. 

The 5K was off and running promptly at 7:15. Each starting corral began 3 minutes after the previous corral. I had estimated a 10 minute mile for myself back in January when we registered and I was doing well with my training, but a 6 week break in training had caused me to struggle even running 2.5 miles straight. I was terrified when I saw my corral sign:

"C - NO WALKERS."

Something there made me decide that I really shouldn't walk this - at all - and I tried REALLY hard to believe that. I stood at the back of my corral, and at 7:21, we took off! There were a few hundred of us in our corral, so we were slow at first until we could get some separation. That separation happened about a mile into the event. We also faced a major headwind that literally pushed the runners in front of me... they all shifted from right to left! We assumed that we'd have a tailwind on the return trip, but that turned out to be a false assumption.

At a mile into the race, I realized my time was too slow to justify walking. If my first mile had been sub-10, I could have walked a bit to save energy to run another fast mile. Since my first mile was 10'55", I decided to keep running. I got to 1.5 miles in and realized I could keep going. I kept pushing myself, but at 2.5 miles I felt so exhausted. I contemplated walking, but I knew that I could finish the race running (not fast!) and that I would be really disappointed in myself if I started walking with half a mile to go. 

When we rounded the last turn, the finish loomed up a slight incline ahead of us. Because of the wind, the Start and Finish structures were down - one had blown over earlier in the day, so they kept them both down - so we had to guess, based on where the crowd was located, where the actual finish line was. After crossing, I headed straight toward the starting line. The 15K was going to start at any second, and I wanted to tell Jeff the good news -- I had run the entire race! I had set a goal of finishing in under 35 minutes, but I did better than that! He took off right after I got there, but since he was on the other side of the road, I didn't get the chance to tell him anything. 

Here are the stats:

Mile 1 - 10'55"                                     Mile 2 - 10'35"                                      Mile 3 - 10'19"

Gun Time: 39:39                                  Chip Time: 33:19
Gun Pace: 12:46                                   Chip Pace: 10:44

Overall: 1412/4042                              Female: 901/3112                                  Female 25-29: 190/488

I was THRILLED that my miles got faster as I ran. My Nike+ app shows a very consistent green line, which means I kept a pretty consistent pace throughout. This was my first time EVER running a full 5K. I sort of did in December 2013 at the Jingle Bell Run, but the course was shortened to about 2.86 miles due to snow.

While Jeff ran, I had the chance to sit on the steps of the art museum and think about the day. Looking out to the city and watching thousands of people finish was an awesome experience. Then I found Jeff at about 9:15, and followed him back to the finish.

After he had finished, we enjoyed our huge chocolate fondue mugs, posed with the Rocky statue, and ran up the steps at the museum. It was a great event!

I had challenged myself at the start of my event to truly belong in corral C - they said NO WALKERS, and I took that to heart. I met their expectations - and exceeded my own - to make this race my favorite race to date!

Rocky!

The steps don't all show up here... but there are LOTS of them.

Running the Distance - 2015 Goals

This year, I have decided to set my three main goals. Goal #1 is to be able to run a full 5K (in under 30 minutes) in the first half of the year. Goal #2 is to be able to run a full 10K by the end of the year. Because the distance is enough of a goal for me, I am not necessarily setting a time goal for that one. Goal #3 is to run a total distance of 579 miles this year.

I know some wonderful moms who made the goal last year to run to a certain point on a map. Many of them finished 2014 "on the beach" in Florida, having run the mileage to get from their homes in PA to a sunny place far south of us.

The distance from my house to Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Indianapolis Colts play, is 578.6 miles. My plan is to cover that distance in 12 months, which comes down to about 11 miles every week. Since I'm starting my 5K training now, my typical weekly toll is about 6 miles. In January I have completed 27.3 miles, so I need to pick up my distance. Once I get closer to the end of the year, my runs will become longer. I also want to "up" my running frequency to 4 times a week instead of 3.

Here is my map - from home to Indy. The pink part maps the portion of the journey I've already completed. I'm really looking forward to seeing the pink line grow every month!

Week 1 Update - 2015

My first week "back on track" is officially on the books. I was able to do my first full week of "Couch to 5K" and log absolutely everything I ate. It was much easier than I remembered!

I improved my time and overall distance this week, and logged over 9 miles from Sunday through Saturday. My goal is to average 11 miles per week, so I figure we are off to a good start considering I will be doing longer runs later in the year.

I am also pleased to report that I lost about 5 pounds in the past week as well. It makes such a huge difference!

Just a quick update today - I've got some work to do, but I wanted to post for accountability.

See you soon!

Fresh Breaths and Fresh Starts

::[breathe in]:: ::[breathe out]::

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, can you feel it? Fresh breath, fresh air, fresh start!

It is a brand new year, and pretty much everyone is focusing on new starts, new promises, or the idea of a "new you."

I know my posting has been sporadic at best, but if you've been following, you probably remember that I had my own "new me" 2 years ago. In late 2012 I decided I was going to get in shape. In early 2013 I really started to enact my strategy - watch what I eat (and log absolutely everything) and complete at least one 5K or longer each month.

In 2013, I experienced a huge personal success. I went from 202 pounds down to 155 at my lowest weigh-in. I went from a size 14/16 to a size 8. I completed Warrior Dash, and I did a total of 15 events, including a 10K. It was also the first time I ever ran the entire length of a 5K event, and I did so while pregnant. Most importantly, I had energy, and I was strong.

I had a very different experience in 2014. Even while pregnant, I completed a 5K each month from January through May. I had a baby in June but was back "running" in July, August, October, and November. My main problem during 2014 is that I was hungry all. the. time. Between pregnancy and then nursing, and hanging around at my house for 3 months while I was off work, I ate constantly. I was still able to go from my max pregnancy weight of 220 down to 195 pretty easily, but that was a far cry from where I had been one year prior.

Since our newest arrival, I have been able to drop another 10-15 pounds. It seems to fluctuate each day, but I have consistently been around the 183 mark for the past 3 months. The goal, now that our holiday feasting season is over, and now that I am back to 190 as a result of ham, taters, and far too many cookies, is to get down to the 150s or 160s again.

Today I began the New Year, New Me campaign by beginning the ZenLabs C25K app. I truly enjoy this app because it allows me to start small. So many times my training is sabotaged by my own brain: I go out for a run and don't get far before my brain chants cadences of "you're weak" and "you can't." I feel defeated, and after 10 minutes on the road I am back on my couch eating cookies, and my running shoes get buried under the piles of clothes that, for some unknown reason, remain too small for my body. However, with this app, you spend your first week jogging 60 seconds and then walking for 90 seconds. You repeat this cycle for 20 minutes, or 8 total cycles. Your workout begins and ends with a 5 minute warm-up/cool-down walk. Because you only jog in short bursts, and you spend more time walking than jogging, it is simple to complete without feeling discouraged. In all, it is a 9 week program, and if you can keep up with the program for 3 days a week, you will be able to run a full 5K (in roughly 30 minutes) within 27 workouts.

I completed 2.09 quick miles today around my neighborhood. I was so thankful for warmish weather (about 45 degrees, but in January, that is awesome!) that allowed me to run outside instead of on a treadmill. My 2.09 miles were completed in about 27 minutes, since I did not do the complete warm-up run. And that little fact brings me to my next topic: GOALS!

Goals are so important. One of the first rules in teaching is to clearly outline expectations and know what you want students to be able to do. You have to determine your "essential question" before you can even start thinking about what skills you are going to focus on. It is crucial to keep the end in mind. The same goes for exercise: you have to identify both long-term and short-term goals before beginning your exercise regimen or you are not working toward anything.

My goals are simple. Long-term (by the end of the year), I want to be able to run a full 10K event AND be able to run a sub-30 5K. I have accomplished this on the treadmill, but I want to be able to do this in an actual race event. Also by the end of the year, I want to reach my goal weight. My last long-term goal is to run to Indianapolis by the end of the year. I don't mean actually running there, but instead logging my miles. It is 578.41 miles from my house to Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Colts play, so I plan on logging that many miles through the end of the year. I figure I'll do about 578.5 so I can "finish" around the 50 yard line. Short-term, I want to start consistently logging my food intake again. I was great at logging before, but have done a terrible job of this since late 2013. I also want to be able to run a sub-10 minute mile by the end of January.

I look forward to checking back in after completing a few more days of C25K! Feel free to share your goals below.

Post-Baby Goals

One of the hardest parts about being pregnant after going through a huge transformation is the realization that you suddenly are back to your pre-transformation self again in some aspects - you instantly have limitations. Some are limitations put in place for the safety of you and the baby, and some are physical limitations; things you were able to do just a few short weeks before and all of a sudden, they seem impossible.

With running, that has been my struggle. I understand that I cannot push it and that I should not strive to go faster or longer than before, however, it would be nice to be able to go half a mile without panting.

The limitations I am experiencing now have inspired me for the future. I have been thinking realistically about what I want to do - and truly believe I can do - after baby arrives. Without further ado, my post-baby goals:

1: RUN a full 5K by Christmas, 2014. This will be made possibly by using the Couch-to-5K app -properly- this time.

2: RUN the Hershey 10K in April of 2015. Or just run a full 10K sometime in 2015.

3: Run a 10-miler, 15K, or some sort of longer race, sometime between summer 2015 and spring 2016.

4: RUN the entire Hershey Half-Marathon in October of 2016. I am determined to get a half-marathon under my belt before I hit 31.


Further down the road, I would LOVE to do a complete marathon - though I don't think I will be able to run the entire thing. I am trying to convince Jeff to head down to Disney for their Marathon Week when I am ready to take this on.

So there it is... a set list of goals that should help to inspire me to get back in to shape as soon as this little one is born. The fact that she'll be arriving over the summer should be helpful, because we will be able to go outside and walk/jog as a family. We already have our double jogging stroller!!!

I would also LOVE to prove that I am capable of doing Warrior Dash again this year - with a better result than last year's race. So far, Warrior Dash seems to be an other-imposed limitation on me - people don't think I can handle it 3 months after having a baby. I am hoping to maintain a healthier exercise routine throughout the rest of my pregnancy so that I will be able to conquer the course in September.

Exercise and Pregnancy - quite the combination

I had made a comment years ago that I wanted to get in shape before having a child. The response I received was, "Why? Why not just have the kid, then lose the weight once instead of twice?"

When looking at pregnancy, you want to be as healthy as possible. You want to eat the right foods (assuming you can keep anything down), and be fit. Many people realize, after becoming pregnant, that they need to infuse their life with physical activity. However, doctors will preach that you should not add any new activities to your lifestyle, and that you should not exercise more or with more intensity than you did before becoming pregnant.

With my first pregnancy, I had reached my highest weight in my adult life before finding out I was pregnant. I was going to the gym casually, but not engaging in any really intense activity. Because one of my symptoms was dizziness and lightheadedness, I quit my gym membership and decided I would just ride the exercise bike at our house, which of course never happened. I pretty much sat around all pregnancy, ate junk food, and gained 40 pounds.

Fastforward a few years. I reached the lowest weight of my adult life after almost 1 year of working out and eating better - down 47 pounds from November of 2012. I was running a few times a month, but eating right, and adding in some strength training and alternate cardio when I felt like it. I was also attending Zumba classes over the summer and into the fall.

Jeff and I completed the Warrior Dash in Virginia on September 28, 2013. In our hotel room after the race, I commented that I just felt like I was still moving, even though I was standing still. Jeff said he felt the same way and that it was probably a result of driving 4 hours that morning and another hour after the race to our hotel. We went out for dinner, but I still felt the same way afterwards- a little dizzy and lightheaded. We went for a run the next morning, but I felt so drained that I did a lot more walking than running. These two moments put together got me thinking, holy crap... I think I am pregnant - YAY! Sure enough, 2 days later, it was confirmed.

In the past few months, I have sat in the doctor's office with Jeff, asking, "How much can I do? How much is too much? What should I not do?" and every single time, each of the doctors has responded, "Do what you did before. Listen to your body. Don't do more than you did before. Stay hydrated. Stop if you start to hurt. Do not increase your intensity." Jeff worries about this, because I wasn't running daily (or even close to it) before, but he doesn't want me to overdo it. I appreciate his concern and the concern of so many others, who really encourage me to just stop altogether for right now, but I feel pretty good when exercising, and I don't push it too hard. I have still done a race a month since finding out we are expecting again, and I plan on doing one a month the entire year - though June/July I will walk the whole thing I'm sure. I started going to Zumba again, irregularly, to get in some cardio without the risks running carries with it. The nice thing about Zumba is that if a song is too hard, I can sit down. The thing that really stinks about Zumba is the jumping. I have taken multiple potty breaks during 1 song before. I really. hate. jumping.

Other than that, I am trying to keep some light weightlifting in my exercise repertoire. I'm motivated to not become a garbage disposal because I am going to be a matron of honor in a wedding just 3 months after our due date - so I want my arms to look good and want my belly to be as flat as possible. I focus on my arms when lifting, because the cardio works my legs. Then I am not worried about lifting too much.

It is difficult to find a balance between "enough" and "too much" exercise at this point, but it truly does come down to listening to my body. If running hurts, walk. If I feel like I am going to fall down, stop that exercise for a while. The center-of-gravity thing is a killer - regular exercises become more dangerous when you factor in additional weight up front. Talking to my doctor was incredibly helpful as well, because she really encouraged me to continue exercising with caution, though added that around week 20 we would reevaluate based on my size and condition at that point.

My journey in photos

 



January - Frozen Foot Series, Race #1 -
The event that started it all!



February's Frozen Foot Race!

 

 

Progress!

April's 10K in Hershey, with my boss.

Ben and Tim Day in August
-starting to feel like a HOT MAMA!-

NFL Run Series - Back to Football Run!
Had some of my best "stats," as far as my time compared to other runners.

Jingle Bell Run - just shy of 15 weeks pregnant.



All my race bibs for the year!