Week 2, Day 10 (revisited)

I know, I know. I’m a day off. I decided to hold off on the workouts for a few days in the hopes that my muscles might relax and quit making me want to die. I ran last Saturday but didn’t do any aerobic or strength training at all until today.

Yesterday I dragged my ass out of bed bright and early and took my mom swimming. I wasn’t in the mood and really didn’t want to, but I figured the warm water (of the smaller pool where the elderly folk do their water aerobics) would be good for my muscles. Turns out I couldn’t even do the breast stroke. Excruciating pain in my ribs and back. So I basically just walked the laps back and forth and moved my arms around in the water. 45 minutes later, the pain was still present, though it had lessened a good deal. On the plus side, the cute lifeguard guy was out back power washing the patio furniture, so I at least had something interesting to watch while I “swam.”

After swimming, I soaked for 15 minutes in the hot tub with one of the jets aimed at my sore spots.

This morning was the first time in almost a month that I woke up pain-free. I can take a deep breath without doubling over in pain. Guess I did something right.

So today I did my 20 minutes of aerobics and Tony Little’s lower body workout, then headed over to my sister’s. We had planned on going to the gym, but I ended up just running around the block. It was around 47° out there, mostly sunny and very windy. Recovery was quick and the runs weren’t too bad. Had a bit of a hiccup when I went to turn my iPod down and accidentally messed up the podcast. I couldn’t remember which run I was on, so long story short, I ended up running an extra interval. The only reason I know is because I’m usually done with the sixth run right before I get to my sister’s street. This time I ended up going straight and then turning around when the sixth run was over, turning left and walking back to my sister’s house for the cool down.

When I got back to Sis’s house, I went into the office to talk to her while I stretched and then badgered her into taking the dogs for a walk. So I got lots of outdoorsy exercise today. As I type this, I am very pleasantly sleepy. Tomorrow I will do my aerobics again and see how I feel about my upper body/ab workout. I’m trying to be vigilant about taking ibuprofen every eight hours, and I think that has helped out a lot. But if I feel twingy tomorrow, I won’t push it. I’ll just take Tank for a walk down the mountain instead.

So there we go! I’ll run again on Friday and Sunday. Looks like rain for Friday but it’s going to be pushing 60° so no biggie.

Food-wise, I had a smoothie with ground flax seeds for breakfast, a Tofu Pup and a huge salad for lunch and for dinner I'm trying out some soup with these Soy Curls. Never had 'em before. Hope they're good.

Before I go, here are some pictures to brighten up your horrible, boring lives. (Sarcasm! <3)

Week 2, Day 9 (revisited)

As of today, I've "run" 40 miles since starting the Couch-to-5k program last June. Go me?

Not much to report for today’s run. It’s gorrrrrgeous outside: 57°F, partly cloudy, just enough wind to keep me pretty damn comfortable out there on the track. And I had the whole place to myself. Church was in session, which meant the entire population (of 200) was in attendance. Except for the guy up on the hill mowing his field.

I had on a tank top and my running pants, so I got plenty of Vitamin D. Gad, it’s good to see and feel the sun again. Especially knowing it’s going to rain (again) for the next three days (again).

Anyway, my recovery time was a lot faster today, but I still felt kind of off. I felt really ... heavy. Bleh. And for some reason, my left eye wouldn’t stop watering. Weird.

For breakfast I had an apple (though technically it was 95% bruise, 5% apple) and some almonds and raisins. I wanted to get this entry in before I shower and scrape up some lunch because I’m going to the tulip fest (with my Holga) today and probably won’t have time to update later. But I just checked my stats at Running Ahead, and hey! I’ve run all three days every week this month! How’d I manage that!?

Week 2, Day 8 (revisited)

Didn’t feel it at all today. I’m really stressed out and pissed off and I had a lot going on. Just wasn’t in a good place. As soon as I got to the track, I wanted to go home. I was in such a nasty mood and it was, as we like to say in my family, fucking up my chi. But I said to myself, Self? Aside from the Red Wings game at 4:30, what else do you have going for you today?

So I ran. By the third interval, I was done in, but I pushed on. Felt really good for the fourth and fifth runs, and by the sixth I was in a better mood but really looking forward to going home.

It was 50° out there. Pretty windy, overcast. It was drizzling during my warmup which really didn’t help my mood any. Today really sucked, but the important thing is that, despite everything, I ran.

I haven’t had a chance to go shopping (no money, anyway), so for breakfast I had some sort of energy bar and a glass of rice milk. I used the rice milk in my smoothie yesterday morning because rice isn’t an arthritis trigger (whereas soy is), but it tasted like crap. Really watery. Bleh.

Before running I had a handful of almonds and raisins and now that I’m home, I’m having a “beef” burrito with bell peppers and some pico de gallo. I’m not sure about the combination, but it’s pretty much all I have to work with.

Now I’ve got my red shirt on and I’m all set to cheer on the Red Wings.

See you again on Saturday.

Week 2, Day 7 (revisited)

I was caught in the middle of a rock 'n roll track
I looked 'round, and I knew there was no turning back
My mind raced and I thought, what could I do?
And I knew there was no help, no help from you

Started out the day with a 45 minute swim at the pool with Mom and Sis. Sis and I originally got into the big pool but were kicked out because that pool doesn’t open until 11:00. So we were banished to the smaller, warmer pool where the old people do their exercises. Sis’s hip has been bothering her, and the horrible pain in my back migrated to my ribs, right under my right breast. So we figured swimming in the warm pool would loosen things up. And it did! For me, anyway. I feel a hundred times better. (Downside: there’s a cute lifeguard that works at the pool and I hate it when he’s there the same time I am. I feel like such a spud.) After swimming we all got into the hot tub for 15 minutes, then showered, dressed and got a bite to eat at the pub. I had a veggie wrap again, but this time I only ate half of it. Had some french fries again but I justified them by dipping them in malt vinegar instead of ketchup. Denial is such a wonderful thing. Oh, and for breakfast I had a Luna Bar. No time for anything else.

I should mention that my sister spent the night last night in order to drive us all to the pool; Mom’s car is dead and gone and mine is being repaired. So Sis drove us home after lunch. I ran inside and changed into my running gear and told her to drive me to the track on her way home. Her last words to me before I got out of the car were, ”I think you’re insane.” My response was, ”I’m pretty sure I am.”

It was 43° and raining pretty steadily, but I was determined to run. I had on my ugly orange shirt, my workout pants, my purple vest and my raincoat. And also my boonie hat, which I put on after I flipped the hood up on my raincoat.

I was all set to go.

Started out really well, but when I got to the third interval, I was pretty well soaked and miserable and felt like I was going to die. By the fourth interval, I was over it and though the fifth and six runs weren’t a walk in the park, I was still feeling pretty good. Instead of doing a full five minute cool down, I simply walked home. I stopped and stretched along the way (and didn’t have my headphones turned on), thank gad. The only thing that sucked was that there’s no shoulder on the road and though the speed limit is 35 (20 for the school zone), folks are always going at least 40 mph. A truck zoomed past me at one point and I’m pretty sure he deliberately drove through a big puddle in order to drench me.

Once I got to the mailboxes (half-mile marker, more or less), I turned on my iPod. The Bee Gees, the Doobie Brothers, Dobie Gray and Nick Drake got me through the hellish walk home.

What. Was. I. Thinking.

I nearly died, but jeebus crispy am I gonna sleep well tonight. When I got home, I resisted the urge to collapse in the front room; instead I peeled off my wet clothes, changed into dry sweat pants and my lucky red shirt and did a lot of stretching.

As of today, I’ve apparently “run” 38 miles. I put run in quotes because 99% of those miles have been walked. But it’s a start. And it’s a lot for someone like me. So here’s me patting myself on the back and giving myself a high five.

Looks like more rain forever the rest of the week, but hopefully I’ll have my car back by Thursday. I don’t mind running in the rain or walking home, as long as I don’t have to do them both on the same damn day.

Oh! And I found out there’s going to be a 5k walk (5/10k run) on Arbor Day! I really want to sign up for it. I can walk three miles for trees! I love trees!

Hockey at 4:00. LET'S GO, CAPS!!!!

Week 2, Day 6 (revisited)

Told you I was prepared. I just got back from my run. It was 47° and a little breezy. Lots of sun, lots of clouds, perfect day for a run. Too bad I had such a rough time. I was so happy driving down to the track, all set to go. There was a girl doing sprints when I got there, but she left sometime after I started my warm up. The first interval was fine, but I struggled through the rest of them. I blame the gym and the damn treadmill. Makes things too easy. I also felt like I was bogged down. I had on my ugly orange cool wick shirt, a sweat shirt and my fleece vest because the forecast was for snow, and I figured I could take the vest off if I got too warm. By the third run, I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I took the vest off and tossed it in the grass. I felt a little better after that, but it was still more difficult than I expected it to be. Maybe because I haven’t done strength training since Wednesday?

Despite the struggles, I’m incredibly happy I ran today. Here I thought I was only going to get in two runs this week, and I ended up doing all three of them! So happy.

I’m sticking with Week 2 again this coming week, especially since I won’t have a car and will have to walk to the track. It’s supposed to rain on Tuesday, so this oughta be fun.

I ate like crap this morning. Had some leftover potatoes from last night and that's about it. Not sure what I'm doing for lunch or dinner. I made chocolate almond crescent cookies last night (test recipe for a cookbook), and I'm proud of myself for only eating one of them (I had to test them, after all). The rest I'll pawn off on my family. Tomorrow starts week six of the Self Challenge, and I have lost almost ten pounds so far. Very motivating.

And now a quick shower before I watch the Red Wings play the Predators again.

P.S. 20 minutes after I posted this, it started snowing.

Penalty for icing

It alternated between snowing and hailing all day, so I stayed in and watched the Capitals cream the Flyers on NBC. I believe I’m at least 73% responsible for the win because I was wearing a red shirt and rubbed my cat’s Buddha-sized stomach for luck before the game started. I'll be rooting for the Red Wings tomorrow, but my red shirt is strictly for Caps games only.



It’s supposed to snow again tomorrow, but I’m going to be prepared for a break in the weather. I’m not kicking myself for missing one run this week. My broken left armpit feels much better, but now I’m having spasms in my back. I’ve had a constant, nagging pain on the right side of my back for a couple of weeks now. I attribute it to sleeping on an old futon mattress (and maybe also because of when I got t-boned on my way to work five years ago), and am hoping that once I get my bed moved up here, the pain will go away. It’s just that these past couple of days the pain has been pretty bad.

My mom is upset that she gained weight, so I’ve promised her that next week I’ll start taking her swimming again. I’m looking forward to it more now that I’ve got a new bathing suit. The old one I had was too big on me from the weight I lost last year and my boobs were in constant danger of making a break for it whenever I got into the pool. GRIM! The new one fits properly. It’s ugly as sin, but I don’t care. I just need something to swim in.

I bought the latest Discover magazine today because an article caught my eye: Visit Hog Hell.

Pigs really are dirty -- but only because humans make them that way. Hog farmers crowd animals, dose them with antibiotics, and spray out their drug-tainted feces, wreaking havoc on fields, streams -- and you. ....In the US, hogs produce more than 119 million tons of waste a year.

The Discovery Channel’s website also has an interesting (though short) article on how what you eat affects the environment.

Next time you find yourself standing in the grocery store, agonizing over whether your green conscience permits you to buy the garlic shipped in from China, relax. You’ll do more to reduce the greenhouse gas impact of your diet by taking the ground beef out of your cart .....shifting roughly a quarter of the 240 red meat calories the average American eats a day to chicken, grains or fruits and vegetables would have the same effect as going completely local.

You can’t argue with science. You can, however, bare-knuckle box it if it insults your mom.

Week 2, Day 5 (revisited)

Well, today kinda sucked. I spent all morning/afternoon at my sister's house helping her out with some stuff, so I didn't have time to work out at all. I should also mention that yesterday, I apparently overdid it on the strength training because I ended up pulling a muscle (or two) in my left arm. I'm pretty sure it's the Coracobrachialis. I don't really know what it's called, but thanks go Google, I can act like I know what I'm talking about. To put it simply: I broke my armpit. I iced it off and on yesterday and today it's a little better. To be on the safe side, I'm not going to do anymore strength training this week.

The Caps/Flyers game started at 4:00. I caught the beginning of it and then went to run some errands with my sister. Scored myself some vegan Doritos, by the way. Not the healthiest thing in the world to eat, but it's okay; I mostly got them just for the novelty of having them. I haven't eaten Doritos in ... about 15 years? These are way too spicy for my liking, but I'll give them a nibble every once in a while. Also got some almond meal from Trader Joe's so tomorrow I'll be making some chocolate crescent cookies. Again, not good health-wise, but they're a test recipe for a cookbook, so I'm simply doing my duty as a tester. See how I justify that?

Anyway. When we got back to my sister's house, the Caps were tied with the Flyers and the game went into sudden death overtime. Sis and I then decided it was time to go to the gym. We got there at around 7:30. When we walked in, all the treadmills were being used, but after we changed and came back out, a couple of them had opened up.

Do you know what they had on one of the TVs? Hunting. Who the hell watches hunting when they're working out!? I take my glasses off when I run, so at least I didn't have to see it. I got the third treadmill in, which is good because it's right in front of a big fan.

The run went well. It's weird, though. I always feel awkward and stumbly when I run on a treadmill, but out on the track or on the road, I feel fine. Maybe it's because at the gym, I feel like I have an audience. I'm good at tuning everyone else out, though.

At any rate, I had a good run. This time around I remembered the jog bra and my running shoes.

That's about all I have to say. Treadmill runs are boring.

Looks like rain on Saturday, and I think the news said something about SNOW? I just transplanted all of my sweet peas the other day. Now I gotta worry about snow? And I'm dropping my car off on Monday, so it looks like I'm walking to the track all next week. Last night, I took Tank for a half-walk down the mountain. I was feeling antsy and figured it'd be good for both of us. Tank is almost back to his regular slim self, the bastard. I wish I lost weight as easily as my dog!

Oh, and some guy is coming to till the garden, so yay for homegrown veggies! This'll be my first attempt at gardening. Wish me luck.

P.S. The Caps lost. The game on Saturday will pretty much decide things. Saw a guy wearing a Flyers jersey when I was out today and I wanted to kick him in the head.

Week 2, Day 4 (revisited)

Rain rain raaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiin. BLEH. 42° and crappy out today. Brief patches of sunshine, but none of them long enough to run around in. So it was off to the gym with me. Or so I thought.

I started out the day with a bowl of Breakfast Barley. It’s a recipe I’ve been wanting to try from Foods That Fight Pain, and I finally got around to buying dates and barley yesterday. It calls for rice milk rather than soy, because soy is an arthritis trigger. One of these days I’m going to do the elimination diet just to see how good I feel (or don’t feel). I’m pretty sure I have a wheat allergy.

Anyway. I’ve only ever had (pearl) barley in soup, which I love, so I was looking forward to seeing how it tasted as a breakfast dish. Pretty damn good, as it turns out. The dates added some extra sweetness and the texture was nice. I’m big on texture. Before I ran, I had some almonds and raisins. For lunch I had a big salad and some tortilla chips with FYH melted on top. Not the best lunch, but I was in a rush. I had a billion things to do, but I was determined to run. I went to my sister’s house but didn’t get there in time to go to the gym. (She had work things to attend to.) So while she was busy, I ran around the block. It was overcast and windy, but I didn’t care. All I wanted to do was run. I put on my baseball hat and headed out. Right before I got to the first run, I realized that not only had I forgotten to bring my jog bra with me, but I’d forgotten to put on my running shoes. So there I was, running in my crappy, two-year old gym shoes.

I could definitely feel the impact more when my feet hit the ground. Probably not good for my knees, but I didn’t have time to turn around and go back to the house since I had less than an hour before I had to drive into town to pick up my mom.

Despite all the setbacks, I actually had a really good run. I took Christie’s advice and got my fair share of protein yesterday, so maybe that had something to do with it. Or maybe it was psychosematic. Either way, I had a blast. The sides of my lower legs burned quite a bit, but I blamed the crappy shoes.

So...yeah. Not a whole lot to say about the run except that it was definitely easier than last time.

I’m taking my car in for repairs tomorrow and have no idea when I’ll get it back. Since I run Thursdays and Saturdays, I’m sort of forked for a ride to the track. Looks like I’m walking! It’ll be a two mile hike, round trip, not including whatever I put in on the track. Two miles is nothing. If you live in Nebraska. My entire walk home will be uphill, probably about a 300 foot elevation. If I don’t lose five pounds this week, I’ll be shocked. Wish me luck.

In other health-related news, I changed my workout this week. For the past month I’ve been doing the strength training workout from a Karen Voight VHS my sister bought many, many years ago, but it was starting to get stale (and I felt like I wasn’t progressing), so I decided to switch to Tony Little’s Fat Free DVDs. I know, I know. Tony Little. But I’ve got a bad back and bad knees and his exercises work really well for me. There are two videos: upper body/abs and lower body. They are each 60 minutes long. Factoring in at least 20 minutes of aerobic, I don’t have time to work out for almost three hours every day. So I’m going to alternate. On run days I will do the lower body workout so that my legs will have the next day to recover while I do upper body and abs.

So far it is working really well. My chest and arms are very sore today, so I know I got a good workout yesterday.

See you again on Thursday!

Picture time!

Took Tank for a walk around the track (after my run) on Saturday. You can see why I don't like going to the gym. (If you click on the pictures, it'll take you to flickr; you can see them better there.)



Tank was very interested in the dogs playing on the east side of the track.


It's kinda crappy, but it works for me.

Tank and I walked down the mountain again this afternoon. This time it was much easier. None of the pictures I took really show how steep this road is, but here you go:

I'm probably going to the gym on Tuesday. Blech. Hopefully it won't rain on my other run days.

Week 2, Day 3 (revisited)

I ran in shorts and a tank top today! I can practically taste the vitamin D.

I really should invest in some actual running clothes, though. These thrift store finds aren’t really runner-friendly. That’s right, I called myself a runner. I run, therefore I am a runner. Sure, the longest I can run right now is six sets of 90 seconds, but I’m still running. My sister bought me The Courage to Start yesterday, so now I’m even more pumped up and motivated.

That being said, today’s run was hellish. I blame the “heat.” I should have run early this morning, but I kept putting it off. By the time I got down to the track, it was 74°. Suddenly, I’m not cold anymore. When did that happen?? Next week it’s going to be back in the lower 50’s, so I’m going to enjoy the warmer weather while I can.

Anyway. When I got to the track, church was letting out and there were people all over the parking lot. I could see a group of people standing at the northern end of the track, too, so my anxiety was in high gear. It was so bad that I actually started to back out of my parking spot and go home. I knew I would hate myself later if I chickened out, so I just sat in the car for a minute or two and did some deep breathing exercises. I told myself it didn’t matter that there were other people around; I was there for myself and shouldn’t let anyone stop me from doing something that makes me happy. With that, I got out of my car and walked to the track.

I passed the people at the end of the track during my warm up. They were two couples with dogs. One couple had two standard poodles (one black, one white) and the other couple had an Irish Setter. The Setter couple eventually started walking on the track, and it was really weird because the woman was wearing dress clothes and was walking very, very briskly. The man had on a tie dye shirt and cargo shorts and was wearing hiking boots. Not that any of this matters. Just observations from the track.

I guess you could say I had a bad run today. After the first run, my lateral calves were burning, and while I had better endurance and quicker recovery, the runs still seemed to drag on a long time. I really think it was the people throwing me off, in my mind at least. Social anxiety sucks out loud.

But I finished my run and I did well. I’m definitely doing at least one more week of Week 2. Week 3 terrifies me. How will I ever get there!?

I’m running low on provisions, so I just had some soy yogurt for breakfast (I’m outta flax seeds! GRIM!). For lunch I had a big salad of mustard greens, romaine, radishes, tomatoes and cucumbers, plus a slice of pizza (got some Teese yesterday). Not sure what I’ll have for dinner. Pickings are slim.

I was watching the end of the Iron Man triathlon when I was eating lunch and the guy that came in second had 5% body fat. I know that shit ain’t good for a man. That shit ain’t even good for dead people.

Game two of the Eastern Conference quarter finals (hockey) is going to be on nbc tomorrow morning. I can’t even tell you how excited/happy that makes me. The Caps vs. the Flyers. Let’s go, Caps!

Week 2, Day 2 (revisited)

It’s 53° and (mostly) sunny out today: TRACK! I conquered Day 2. Okay. I can’t lie to you. It kicked my ass. Tried to, at least. I did my 20 minutes of aerobics and my ab workout, grabbed a handful of almonds and raisins which I ate outside while I walked Tank around the yard, then headed down to the track. There was another woman already there (walking leisurely), decked out entirely in black. Black down jacket, black pants, black knit hat pulled down around her ears, and I’m thinking, It’s almost 60° out here. What’s with Nanook of the North?

Anyway, I ignored her and got down to business. I felt really good going into it, but when I got to the third run, my asthma flared up and I had to take a pull off the old lung sucker. Felt like I was gonna die. I pushed through the fourth run, and by the fifth run I was feeling pretty damn good. When the sixth run came up, I breathed a sigh of relief. More like a pant, but whatever.

Stretched a little, came back home, stretched a lot more and here I sit. I took a quick shower and now it’s time for lunch. For breakfast this morning, I had a smoothie. For lunch I’ll probably have a boca burger on wheat bread and a big salad. Dinner is up in the air.

I got myself a new cloth tape measure so I can keep accurate track of my weight loss/measurements. I’ve noticed something, though. I find I’m becoming more flexible. I’m able to stretch farther than before. It’s cool. I feel so bendy.

I feel like I should have more to say, but I don't. Guess I'll go make some toffee or something.

Week 2, Day 1 (revisited)

Today my sister and I went to the gym and ran on treadmills. It was my first day back at Week 2, and I have to say, it didn't kick my ass. I blame the treadmill. It's easy to run on a treadmill since you're not really propelling yourself forward. I definitely prefer my track, but it's nice to know I've got the gym as back up.

A word on gyms: I hate them. I belonged to 24 Hour Fitness a couple of years ago. My sis and I went semi-regularly. We'd do the weight machines every now and then, but mostly we did about 25 minutes on the ellipticals and then did our cool downs on the treadmills. A couple of times, I got bothered by an employee pushing protein shakes, power bars and personal trainers. The last straw was when I was doing my cool down walk on the treadmill and an employee came over and started telling me I wasn't going to get a workout from walking that slow. When I informed him that I had HAD my workout on the elliptical a few minutes before, he acted like I was lying and kept telling me I should book an appointment with a trainer.

I canceled my membership instead. Hey, there's a fat chick on a treadmill! Let's automatically assume she's fat because she knows NOTHING about exercise and a healthy lifestyle.

So it was with a heavy heart that I joined up again. But I did it to support my sister, so I'm okay with it. And if someone tells me I need a personal trainer, I'm going to tell them a thing or two about fat chicks.

But I digress. This was our first time back at the gym, and for the most part, it was quite painless. We got changed and headed out to the treadmills. I started W2D1 and my sister stuck with Week 1. I guess this would make it Day 2 for her. The funny thing was, this tiny little woman hopped onto the treadmill next to me and immediately jumped into her run. The three of us were all going at the same pace, but the tiny woman was holding onto the bars of the treadmill for dear life. Weirdest thing I've seen all week.

Once we'd both finished our runs and cool downs, we stretched and my sister said she wanted to do 20 minutes on the elliptical. So I joined her. Except things have changed since I was last at this gym. They've got all new ellipticals and THEY SUCK. I've had easier times climbing up onto a horse, and I'm barely five foot one. Even after I turned the elevation and resistance all the way down, it still felt like I was climbing a flight of stairs. And the arms were awkward as well. I managed about 18 minutes on the damn thing before my right foot fell asleep and my sister said, "&$% these things, let's cool down on the treadmills."

So we did. All in all, we worked out for an entire hour. Not bad for a couple of fat chicks.

Here is where I would like to talk about what I did yesterday. Yesterday was my strength training day, so I did that along with my 20 minutes of aerobics. Afterwards, I had to take my mom on some errands and we decided to grab lunch at a pub near the university (because she had a coupon). I ordered the veggie wrap (mixed greens, onions, green pepper, cucumber and hummus wrapped in flat bread). It came with fries. I shouldn't have, but I did eat some of them. By the end of the meal I was feeling pretty gross, so I vowed to take Tank for a walk when I got home. My mom did a double take when I told her. Why? Because I live on a mountain. Not only that, but we're on a dead end. The only road to walk goes right down the mountain.

I used to walk Tank and Luke to the mailbox and back just about every day. The genius of that was, going back, I had a combined total of 140 pounds of dog pulling me up the mountain. These days, it's just me and Tank and the dry twist. Still, I felt gross and knew a walk would make me feel better, plus it's good for Tank. I live in a quiet little down. Hardly any traffic up here. Neighbors come and go once or twice a day. So I'm fine letting Tank off his lead for our walks.

Walking down the mountain bothered my knees quite a bit. I had a brisk walk going (which I guess can't be helped, going downhill); felt like it took me two minutes to get to the mail boxes. The walk back up the mountain was a lot easier on my knees, though my heart and lungs weren't too happy about the adventure. S'good, though. Meant I was getting a good workout. I stopped about halfway up, mostly to catch my breath but also to give Tank a chance to run into the woods after some rabbits.

When I got back home, I was surprised to find it had only taken us 27 minutes for the entire walk. I entered it in at Gmaps Pedometer and it is exactly 0.9604 miles, round trip. I burned 132.92 calories, too. What I find shocking is that the elevation at the mailboxes is around 385 feet. The elevation at my house is a little over 590 feet. That's quite a walk, people. (For me, anyway.) How am I not dead today?? My ass was a little bit sore, but I fully expected to be incapable of climbing out of bed this morning.

Very promising. I'm going to make this a regular outing for me and Tank. Here's an aerial of our route:

Oh, and I’ve come up with a reward for myself. I’m planning on running eight miles on August 8th, but given the way my life seems to turn around and bite me in the ass all the time, I’m willing to forgive myself if I don’t reach that goal on that exact date. So basically, after I run eight miles, I’m going to reward myself. And since I am now a hockey addict, and what’s more, a Slap Shot fanatic, I’m going to buy myself one of these:

That’s right. A Chiefs jersey. Number 18 because Jeff is the king of slot car racing and has a pet brick.

Week 1, Day 4 (revisited)

Many’s the day I took for granted
Breathing the air that silenced some
As the North Wind blew
With its head of thunder
Beating its breast with a war drenched song

Screw the gym - I ran outside today!

I made myself another whole wheat tofu scramble wrap thing for breakfast. Three bites into it, my arm decided it would be fun to knock my breakfast onto the kitchen floor (the same thing happened last week at the Red and Black Cafe, except it was a glass of water). Into the garbage it went, and as I was washing my plate, I noticed the sun was out. Without even thinking twice about it, I ran to my room, changed into my running gear, hopped into the car and drove down to the track.

It was a crisp 46°F, mostly cloudy, wind blowing in from the north (hence the Flogging Molly lyrics). I had on a long sleeved shirt, my fleece vest and a hoodie (plus a baseball hat to keep my head warm/the sun off my face). By the time I got to the fourth run, I had taken the hoodie off and had worked up a nice sweat. That was also when I noticed a battered old red pick up parked in the grass at the north end of the track. Kinda made me nervous, but I’m paranoid like that. I turned my headphones way down until I spotted a guy a few yards away, apparently pulling weeds. Since it was the middle of a field, I thought that was strange, but whatever. I kept going. My asthma was still acting up, but not enough to slow me down.

By the sixth run, a middle-aged man had joined me on the track, and by the eight run so had a woman and her incredibly happy Golden Retriever. I wasn’t too bothered by the company, mostly because we were spaced pretty far apart, and I was finishing up my run anyway.

I pushed myself for the last run, cooled down, did some stretching and then drove home. Had a glass of OJ and then did 20 minutes of yoga stretches. I'm really happy right now. I’ve been reading No Need for Speed, which I got from the library yesterday, and when I woke up this morning, all I could think about was running. And I did it! I ran all three days this week! Next week I’m definitely starting (revisiting) Week 2. It’s supposed to rain on Tuesday, but hopefully I’ll luck out like today and beat the weather.

Now it’s time for laundry and later? Sister Bingo.

P.S. Five minutes after I got home, it started pouring. SCORE!

P.P.S. Sister Bingo was a smashing success.

Rain Delay

I know, I shouldn't let a little rain stop me. I don't know if it's the change in seasons or what, but I've been having really bad asthma lately. I feel like I've come down with a cold as well, but it could be an allergy flareup. At any rate, I decided not to run today. It wasn't supposed to rain, but it is. However, I do have a gym membership, so tomorrow (since it's going to rain then, too), I'm going to drag my sister to the gym and try running on the treadmills. I have to say, though, I'm not looking forward to it. The thought of running indoors on a treadmill makes me grumpy. I want open skies and fresh air, not iPods and TVs.

My muscles are a bit sore today, which makes me happy. I pushed myself when I did strength training yesterday, so it's nice to know there was a payoff.

I was thinking about running when I went to bed last night, and I remember smiling before I fell asleep. Normally I fall asleep anxious with all my worries and troubles racing through my head. But last night all I was thinking about was getting up bright and early and going down to the track.

Week 1, Day 3 (revisited)

This week has been hellishly hectic, but I found time to run today (and I haven’t missed any of my workouts). The short of it is, I was at my sister’s house with an hour and a half to kill before I had to take two of the cats in to the vet (one for pre-neuter bloodwork, another for a possible UTI). I decided that my brief bit of spare time would be best spent running. Because I’m smrt, I’d brought along my running gear (stuffed into a stylish paper bag), so I changed into that and headed out.

It was another beautiful day in the PacNW. Probably around 62°, no wind, lots of sun. My sister couldn’t run with me, so I was able to go at my own pace this time around. I didn’t realize how much faster I was than her until I got to my last run and found I was almost back at her house, whereas when we ran the other day, we still had a bit more road left.

The run went well. I’ve been telling myself I don’t really need to revisit Week 1, but today I almost ate that sentiment. It wasn’t hard per se, but I did have some burning in my right lateral calf. The last two times I’ve run, my right shoelace has come untied, and after I stop to fix it, my muscles start screaming. Dead stops are not good!

At any rate, I felt really, really, really, really, really good out there. I prefer my track, if only for the even running surface, but I make do with what I’ve got on hand foot. After I got back to my sister’s house, I stretched briefly and then did my ab workout (with a proper bout of stretching afterwards).

I didn’t have a lot of time today, so for breakfast I had a thing of soy yogurt with a tablespoon of ground flax seed. For lunch, my mom took us to a local Indian restaurant for the buffet. I hate spicy food, and this place is particularly spicy, but I knew my mom was looking forward to it, so I sucked it up. Turns out the food this time around was pretty mild (to my tastes). I took a little bit of some sort of potato dish and some rice and that was about it. I wasn’t feeling full at all when I finished, but I didn’t go back for seconds. Still, I was feeling pretty heavy afterwards, and running helped.

For dinner tonight I had a big salad with tomatoes, cukes and sunflower seeds (with Braggs as dressing) and another whole wheat “chicken” wrap with lettuce and picante sauce and a side of carrots and red peppers.

When I think back to how I felt a month ago as compared to now, it’s awful. Running makes me so happy. I can’t imagine how I’ll feel once I’m up to running for several minutes at a time. And eventually miles! My clothes are fitting better and my sister tells me I look thinner every time she sees me. I’m really trying to encourage her to at least get out and walk every day. After I got back from the vet this afternoon, I suggested we all go for a walk. My mom was there, too, so Sis walked her dog (and then pushed him in his Doggy Ride) and I pushed my mom in her wheelchair while she held onto Tank’s leash. We didn’t walk as far as we normally do, but we all got out and got some sun and exercise, and that’s what matters. What I love about the Self Challenge workout log menu is that “pushing a wheelchair” is one of the options. Ha!

I’m a member of the Couch-to-5k community on Live Journal, and when I got home I read this entry:

I just read this online: ‘The miracle isn’t that I finished, it’s that I had the courage to start.’ ~ John Bingham

It seems like it should be the mantra for anyone who starts the c25k program! It’s kept me motivated.

I went to his website, liked what I saw, and put one of his books on hold at the library. I really like that line: That I had the courage to start. It hit home, today especially since I was really hesitant to get out there. I was feeling really self conscious. I’m used to my little track, tucked away behind a church in a tiny little down surrounded by foothills and forest. At my sister’s house, there are houses and people all around. But I knew that I would hate myself for slacking off, plus there were quite a few things I was pissed off about, and I knew that running would make me feel better. Once I got out on the road, I felt completely confident and happy.


That's all, folks. See you again on Saturday!

Week 1, Day 2 (revisited)

Totally forgot to post. I'm exhausted.

I ran today! Yesterday I told my sister she was going running with me, so I was hell bent on making that happen. This morning I did my regular 20 minutes of aerobic and then my ab workout. Then I called my sister to see if she was ready to go. I could tell by her tone that she really didn't want to run, but I drove down to her house anyway. We had a few things to take care of first. Sis informed me that two of our three geese had flown out of the yard earlier. One was in the road and the other was in the plant nursery across the street! She got them back into the yard and when I got there, I held them while she clipped their wings. Then we chased Piper off her nest and collected EIGHT of her eggs. The last thing we need is eight goslings to help bring about the Great Goose Apocalypse.

Once we were done with the birds, we took the dogs for a walk, figuring it'd be a good pre-run warm up. We have been taking Sis's dog, Meathead, for acupuncture treatments for the last three weeks, and he is doing amazingly well. We/she walks him for five minutes every day, and when he gets tired, he climbs into his Doggy Ride and cruises while we finish our stroll. My dog Tank walks the entire time, since he's still very able-bodied and also hates anything with wheels. Here's Meatie in his Doggy Ride (with a very happy-to-not-be-in-the-cart Tank):

The Doggy Ride is really an attachment for your bike, but you can also push it like a stroller (for a very large, hairy baby?). My sister and her boyfriend's bikes are trapped behind some boxes in the shed, otherwise we'd be pedaling around Portland with Meathead in tow. (Or even just around the neighborhood.)

Anyway. We walked the dogs for ten minutes, then dropped them off at the house and put on our running shoes. Sis hasn't run in ... I don't know how long. She's never done the Couch-to-5k program consistently, so this wasn't going to be easy for her. I got my iPod going and we set off on the five minute warm up walk. I had the volume up enough so that I could say when to run and when to walk, but low enough so that we could talk.

Usually I run at my old and busted track, but today I was at my sister's, just running around the block. It's a big circle, so it's kind of like a big track, right? Except with dogs and sheep and cows and pick ups with dirt bags behind the wheel.

Not much I can say about the run except that I'm definitely ready to get back to Week 2. I wasn't bored or anything, and my calves were burning a little, but mostly I felt like I was holding back. And I guess I was because I was trying to keep pace with my sister. For her part, I thought she did really well, though she said she was having a hard time the entire run. Mostly it was her shoes, which hurt her feet. She needs to get a good pair of running shoes, STAT. I'm making her run with me again on Thursday and Saturday, though Saturday I may make her come run at my track with me.

It was a beautiful day for running, though. About 50°, sunny with a little bit of wind. Worked up a nice sweat, too. Thursday and Saturday look to be just as gorgeous, so I'm very excited. I have to admit, I'm quite a bit discouraged about my goal of running eight miles on August 8th (at 8:08 a.m.? Too much?), but it's still something I'm shooting for.

Another thing I'm going to do, I think, is bring Tank on the runs with me. My sister accidentally got him fat while I was in Florida, so we both need to get back in shape. Plus, since losing Luke, Lady and Bernie all within two years, I really want to spend as much time as possible with my dog. He's not getting any younger, and how boring is it for him to sit at home while I'm out running?

I'm still doing well on the Self Challenge. My breakfast smoothies are still kicking ass. For lunch this week I've been having leftover Wonderful Winter Squash (plus brown rice and a big salad). For dinner tonight I had a whole wheat tortilla wrap with some grilled Morningstar Chick'n Strips, some picante sauce, lettuce, red peppers and carrots. Yummies. If I get a hankering for something sweet, I'll just have an apple or a handful of almonds and raisins.

Aaaaaand, I'm outta here.