Look Who's Running Now!

Spectator-ing, and Muzak

2010-05-22T10:06:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was the first in a month that I didn't do a race. However, I still went to watch one (I can't stay away!). A couple of friends competed in the Muddy Buddy race on Sunday, which is a 5 mile-ish duathlon/obstacle course/good-excuse-to-get-covered-in-mud-from-head-to-toe race. My friend actually asked me to team up with her many months ago, but I turned her down--the mud just didn't sound that appealing to me at the time, and I can't remember the last time I rode a bike. However, watching everyone have so much fun (minus the finish-line pukers--I don't think they were enjoying the morning), I may have changed my opinion. Perhaps I'll try it next year.

Here's the first male team:

They held hands across the finish line. Absolutely. Adorable. Especially since they were manly-looking men.

And the first female team:

Also adorable!

There were also lots of couples, who were adorable. Adorable-ness all around! :-p I didn't get a picture of my friends (I had to leave and go to work and they started in a later wave), but they finished and sounded like they had a lot of fun, so hooray for them!

*********************

In case anyone was wondering (you know you were), here's some of my fave running tunes:

On to the Next One by Jay-Z
Boys Boys Boys by Lady Gaga
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson
Video Phone by Beyonce feat. Lady Gaga
Telephone by Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce
3 by Britney Spears
Like a Boy by Ciara
Do I Do by Stevie Wonder
All I Do is Win by DJ Khaled
Rockstar by Rihanna feat. Slash
Drop the World by Lil Wayne feat. Eminem
Bad Romance by Lady Gaga (gotta love the Gaga!)
Helena by My Chemical Romance
Freak on a Leash by Korn
Brick by Boring Brick by Paramore
Bedrock by Young Money
Over by Drake
Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf
Drop It Low by Ester Dean feat. Chris Brown
Do It Again by The Fire and Reason

You can see my affinity for hip-hop and heavy bass lines. And Lady Gaga. ;)

What tunes keep you going, if any?

Chuy's Hot-to-Trot, and On Being a Grown-Up

2010-05-11T11:55:00.008-05:00

This past Saturday I did the Chuy's Hot-to-Trot 5K, which was a last minute decision for me. My biggest lure to sign up? The FREE $10 DICK'S SPORTING GOODS GIFT CARD. That means an addition to my Nike Tempo Shorts collection, of course. ;) The race was on the other side of town, and I had to get my packet before the race, so I made sure I left plenty early. Got there, parked (thanks to the extremely helpful volunteers directing traffic), and got my race packet with no trouble. I then made my way to the starting line via part of a running trail in the area (kinda funny, don't know why).

It was an unusually cool and breezy May morning here in Central Texas (about 65 degrees). I started in the middle of the pack in case they decided to turn off the mats a la the Bun Run last weekend. Started off at a nice pace, and gradually picked it up. The course was fairly flat (as promised), so that was nice. Started to get a little winded with about a half a mile to go, but I was okay with that since it meant that I was leaving it all out there.

Towards the end, I was kinda racing with a guy, and I could tell he was NOT okay with potentially being chicked. :-p I wasn't even planning on trying to pass him, since I was pretty pooped by then. But he kept looking over at me, and then took off. Had I not been trying to finish strong, I think I would have stopped and laughed. Anyway, I finished in 31:35, a PR for me. My slow-poke goal in the future? Break 30 minutes on a 5K! Grabbed a banana and some water, went home, had breakfast, napped, and went shopping for work clothes. Because...

I am now employed full-time.

Before, I was working two part-time jobs (I'm still keeping one of them for the extra funds) . Even though it almost added up to a full-time position, I never really felt like a "real adult." You know, one that gets up, goes to work, does stuff, has lunch, does more stuff, and comes home. This left me feeling a little aimless at times (and still in somewhat of a college/grad student mentality), but it also meant that I could run and workout pretty much whenever I wanted (weather permitting). But now, being a "real adult" and all, I'm going to have to put myself on some sort of schedule, like other real people do. I've got to decide whether I want to chiefly work out in the morning or in the evening, and stick to it. Maybe this fixed schedule will help me get out of a mini-funk I've been in with regards to exercise in the past few weeks. This week, I'll try evenings, and maybe next week I'll try some mornings. I'm not a morning person at all (I sometimes fell asleep in morning classes--in grad school), but it would be nice to have a workout done before starting the day (though it does mean starting said day at 4:40AM. Blech.).

Any thoughts on scheduling oneself?

A Multitude of Race Reports

2010-05-02T13:51:00.010-05:00

Since I've done 3 races since my last post (including one this morning), I figured I'd let you lovelies know how I did, and how I'm doing, and all that jazz.

Austin American-Statesman Capitol 10,000 (4/11/10):

(My dad made a point of asking me if the older gentleman on my right beat me. I'm sure he did.)

Good times had by all (or by me, at least). I ran this with some of my friends on a misty April morning, along with a crowd of about 30,000 people (gotta love the Austin running community!). We all signed up for the untimed, and did several segments of run/walking. Some of my favorite sights were the police academy running block and the Chinese dragon (that apparently ran the entire race together--this happens to be a big dress up/party race). We finished together in about 1 hour 35 minutes, and then went for pancakes (pancakes!!!).

Texas Round-Up 10K (4/24/10):

Maintaining my consistency in taking fairly bad race photos--and seemingly running with my eyes closed.

There was a torrential, but brief, rainstorm/cold front the night before, but it dawned to be a lovely, cool Saturday morning. I started off fairly slow (somewhat because of the large number of strollers and walking groups), and was pretty glad when the 5K course split off. This also meant that fewer people would see my panting face on the wicked hills to come, the wicked-est of these being a nearly-vertical three-block-long hill in the LAST MILE. I was really tempted to stop at the base and take a picture (alas, no camera). I'm sure it would have been amusing if someone had got a picture of my face--sheer terror, with a side of annoyance. However, I ran the whole way up, maintaining most of the rhythm that I had gotten into, and finished in 1:09:46. Slower than I hoped for, but it'll do (HILLS!!!). I even managed a negative split between the first and second half of the race. I then went shopping with a friend, which I regretted somewhat because my knees really started hurting. Alas, the pain of fashion.

Schlotzsky's Bun Run 5K (5/2/10):

Oh look! Another bad photo! Though, admittedly, less bad than the previous one.

I headed down to Lady Bird Lake this morning for the Bun Run (which I ran last year with my dad). My absolute favorite thing about this? The free bottle of hot sauce I got at the packet pick up! I may or may not have gotten my timing bib activated--somehow, they decided that the timed runners were going to start in the front, and they may have turned off the mats (I always like to start towards the back). Normally, they just start everyone at the same time and leave the mats on. Hmmm. However, I think I made it. Update: They just posted the results, and I made it across the mat in time. Woohoo! Started out at a decent pace, didn't make any water stops, and picked it up a bit on the second half. My legs were feeling a little heavy, but that's probably because I was an uber-slacker this week. ;) Finished with a PR of 31:59. I'll take it! My spirits were dampened a little when I returned to find a Big Red exploded on my car (who does that?!?), but I got it washed, and also treated my self to a breakfast taco (or two...).

My March 5K was rescheduled to 5/16, but I don't think I'm going to do it; a couple of my friends are doing a duathlon the same morning, so I figured I go watch them. I'm thinking of doing a 5K next Saturday, but that'll probably be a last-minute decision.

You Want Cheese with that Whine?

2010-04-02T18:46:00.004-05:00

Thanks for the support on my last post! It's been an interesting little journey, and one that I hope keeps on giving.

I keep wanting to start working on strength training more, but, to be honest, I just don't find it very interesting or engaging. I don't know why. It's not even the reason many women give of not-feeling-comfortable-lifting-weights-in-front-of-guys (in my mind, I'm not there to look cute, I'm there so I can look cute later. Hi-yo!). Maybe it's because I don't get the same rush I get from running and other cardio. The same feeling of immediate results. I keep meaning to try the Bodypump classes at my gym, which is a sort of group-lifting-in-rhythm (from what I can see through the class window). I'm not sure if I'm interested in a personal trainer, but that's probably because I'm not in a financially-advantaged position at the moment. I've got a couple of books that I could use (New Rules of Lifting for Women and Sculpting Her Body Perfect) sitting on my bookcase, gathering dust. So, at some point, I'm sure I'll just suck it up and cart myself into the weight room. Soon, because it'll be hot enough to swim in about a week or two, and I'm as vain as the next person in wanting to look decent in my swimsuit. But dontcha wanna hear me whine about it just a little bit more...?

So, yeah, my March race = FAIL. Last Saturday rolled around and I just decided that I didn't want to put up with running an impromptu 5K that I hadn't researched much and didn't know anyone who had done it and whose website I wasn't a huge fan of (and, and, and), so I did a 7-miler instead, then had a massive (well, a larger than usual) Tex-Mex breakfast at Juan in a Million (of Man vs. Food fame). As far as 7-milers go, it was pretty enjoyable. Nice spring weather, lots of people out, beautiful scenery...a great time had by all. I'm not feeling too guilty about the lack of a March race since I'm doing two 10Ks this month. The first one is next weekend and is more of a fun run for me. The second, two weeks later, will be a real deal. And I may even race the 5K that I originally signed up for, which has been allegedly rescheduled in May and will give me two races for that month. We shall see.

Any advice on getting oneself into the weight room and/or making it interesting?

Any good cheese-and-wine combos?

Before, After, and Maintenance

2010-03-15T20:50:00.008-05:00

I've been at the same weight for about 6 months (+/- a month), so I've decided I'm at my maintenance weight. It's tricky at times, but it does seem that this is where my body wants to be--between 125 and 130. Now, 125 puts me at a 98 lb overall weight loss, but I'm not sure I really feel the need to push for those last 2 lbs. right now to make it an even 100 lb. I've been working pretty hard for the past year and a half (almost 2 years, I suppose), so that I think it's time that it's time for me to just step back and reassess my fitness/nutrition goals.

In the spirit of this new phase, here's a little photo progression of my weight loss since June 2008 (apparently I really like to put my hands on my hips):

This was in June 2008, when I was about 223 lbs. I had just started working out at this point, and had probably started looking at making good food decisions (May I also mention that my hair needed a trimming).

This is from December 2008 (down 40 lbs.), when I was on my way to a friend's wedding. It was the first time in many years that I was able to buy a dress from the misses' section, so I was pretty excited.

This is just before my grad school graduation in May 2009 (approx. 65lbs. down). I'm thinking of getting this dress taken in to wear on Easter in a few weeks. Again, my hair is doing something funky.

August 2009, here in Central Texas in the beautiful hills (80 lbs. down). The first summer in about 5-6 years that I've felt comfortable wearing shorts (or that I've actually worn shorts). WIN.

11/15/09--Rock n' Roll San Antonio! About 90 lbs. down. I think I lost 3-4 lbs. in this race. Epic sweatfest.

A few weeks ago. At maintenance weight (about 127 that day, perhaps?). At my cousin's jazz/blues concert. Too bad I didn't get a picture of the boots I was wearing. :-p

So here I am. Maintaining at the moment. I'm running 4-5 times a week, (trying to) lifting weights 1-2 times a week, and cross training about twice a week. So, activity of some sort 5-6 times a week. My nutrition's been fairly constant for the past 5-6 months: I rarely eat meat, eat lots of fruits and veggies, and mainly drink water (expect when I have coffee or tea 4-5 times a week. And the occasional social alcoholic beverage). I let myself have a sweet once a day so I don't crave them (right now, Milk Maids!). So for the time being, I'll keep on truckin'.

I finally decided on a March race--the Austin Runner's Club Daisy 5K scheduled for next Sunday. HOWEVER, it has been postponed indefinitely (something about not being able to secure the course...?), so now I'm scrambling to find another March race. Hopefully I'll find something for the last weekend in March. It may require driving to another town.

Maybe in the future I'll do a post of bad race photos. 'Cause I've got plenty of those... :-p

La Twinge

2010-03-04T19:52:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago, I noticed a twinge in my left knee. It wasn't bad, just a slight, sharp pain on the very outside of my kneecap. Since I considered my right knee as my bad knee and my left as my good one, I didn't really think anything about it. However, over the next few weeks as I ramped up my mileage, I began to notice the pain more and more, especially towards the end of my runs. Finally, last week I just decided to take a few days off in order to give myself a rest.

I only ran about 4 miles last week, and spent quite a bit of time on the elliptical. On Tuesday I did 2 miles on the treadmill with no pain. Today I did 4 miles outside (67 degrees--sorry Northerners and East Coasters!) and felt a little soreness towards the very end, but that was it. So...I guess I'll just keep an eye on it, and ice it and take ibuprofen as needed. I've also curbed my mileage ramp-up just a bit, or I'll at least try to ramp it up more gradually. After last year's knee problem, I suppose I've learned my lesson. The story of my twinge.

In other news, I've stopped eating--well, eating so much, or eating when I'm not hungry. I'm still not sure what spurred my mini-binge, but I'm 75% sure it was TOM-related. And now I'm feeling quite bloated, thank you. As if you really wanted (or needed) to know about all of my bodily functions. :)

Most of the time, I love being a woman, but sometimes...I wouldn't mind not gaining and losing the same 3 lbs. every month. However, I think the joys of shoe shopping and Sephora more than make up for it.

Hide the Food!

2010-02-26T19:41:00.000-06:00

So...I've been eating a lot this week. Well, a lot for me. There's been a lot of snacking going on. Not entirely sure why, but I've got a few theories:

Pre-time-of-the-month
Less running/working out because of a twinge (which I'll discuss more another time)
Because I KEEP BUYING SNACK FOOD (namely, banana chips. Oh, how I love banana chips...)

Since I began making better food choices and, consequently, losing weight, I've developed a relatively strong willpower when it comes to not giving in to temptation. I've probably offended my coworkers more than once by refusing cookies and such (why do people always feel the need to make you eat when they see that you're losing weight?!? Anyone else have this problem?). But for the past few weeks I've just been, well, hungry. Hungrier than usual. To hold myself accountable, here's what I've eaten today:

Bowl of Special K w/skim milk
Coffee
6-8 malted milk balls (an anomoly in my pantry--a moment of weakness in the bulk food section)
Handful of carrots w/hummus
Bagel Thin w/peanut butter and blueberry preserves
Small salad
Banana
Apple
Fiber One granola bar

To my reconfigured way of looking at food, this just seems a little extravagant, mostly because of the malted milk balls. And I've felt kinda guilty all day, especially since I haven't worked out (yet). And especially since I haven't really been hungry all day, just kinda munching. Who knows, maybe I'm just nuts and have a skewed vision of food. But I do know that, at my current size, I really only need about 1800 calories/day to maintain my weight (if I don't exercise). I do find that when I'm consistently running/working out, I'm less prone to be hungry; thus, less munching. So, yeah. I guess I just wanted to get that off my chest. Blarg.

Anyone else have similar issues/theories? Anyone else tried Thomas' Bagel Thins (I'm partial to the whole wheat variety)?

Anyone else love BANANA CHIPS???

Sprrring!

2010-02-20T10:56:00.000-06:00

So, I've come up with a little idea for myself this spring: a-race-a-month, or at-least-one-race-a-month. Just to give me something to occupy my running self (and myself, in general). Here's what I've got lined up so far:

1/24/2010: 3M Half-Marathon (done)
2/14/2010: Paramount Break-A-Leg 5K (done)
3/??/2010: ???
4/11/2010: Statesman Cap 10K
4/24/2010: Texas Round-Up 10K
5/2/2010: Schlotzsky's Bun Run 5K
6/5/2010: Taco Shack Freddie Frijole Fun Run 5K*
6/6/2010: Austin Bat Run 5K*
*the last two will be either/or--I doubt I'll do both.

I'm doing two 10Ks in April because for one (Cap 10K), I won't be really running up to speed--I'm doing it with some friends who are beginner runners and we'll probably be doing more walking than running. Thus, the Texas Round-Up 10K, which I'll probably be doing alone (and at my own speed).

I'm still trying to decide on a March race. Right now, it's a toss-up between the Trail Setter 5K (3/7/2010) and the Austin Runners Club Daisy 5K (3/27/2010). The latter is geared towards moms and families, but I'm sure they'll accept a single lady. :-p Part of me wants to do the SARR Prickly Pear 10M Trail Run in San Antonio (3/13/2010). I've never done a trail run (though I've run on trails, at Lady Bird Lake), and I haven't run longer than 6 miles since 3M, but I still think it might be fun. And it's the first weekend of spring break, so I don't think I'd have to work that Saturday. Maybe I can convince my dad to do it with me. I should probably decide soon...or maybe someone can help me decide. Any suggestions?

Not sure what will happen after early June--don't know if I'll feel like racing in the nasty hotness that is summer in central Texas. Especially if it's anything like last summer (consistent 105s, anyone?). We'll see.

If I stick to my runs for today and tomorrow, I should be at 18 for the week. Huzzah!

Paramount Break-A-Leg 5K Race Report and Other Revelations

2010-02-14T13:07:00.000-06:00

This morning, I ran the Paramount Break-A-Leg 5K, which is put on in conjunction with Austin Marathon and Half-Marathon. It was kinda chilly this morning (about 43-ish--chilly for Texas), so I wore a technical shirt, a long sleeve t-shirt, and long tights. My plan was that I wouldn't be running long enough to get truly overheated, so I went for warmth. I also wore my new shoes, which are the same model as my old shoes (Brooks Trance 8), but in a different color. The race website made all of these dire warnings about parking difficulty ("You should plan to arrive by 5:30 or be tarred and feathered!" Not really.), so I left my apartment at 5:45 and got downtown at about 6:15 and found parking a few blocks from the starting line without a problem. I then sat in the warmth of my car 'til about 6:40, then went in search of the Porta Potties (which I found successfully).

The 5K started half an hour after the marathon and half (which started at 7), so, theoretically, you could watch the main races start and still be able to get to the 5K start line a few blocks up Congress. However, the fences surrounding the medical tent and finisher's village were set up so weirdly that I decided not to bother, and kinda peered down the road at the fireworks they set off at the beginning. Then the 5Kers lined up, and PRECISELY at 7:30, we were off (lovin' the promptness!).

Now, I should probably fill you in on something I discovered earlier this week: I'm a heck of a lot faster than I thought I was. Still not fast, or even middle-of-the-pack by most standards (maybe back of the mid-pack?), but much faster than I assumed I was. Like, a whole minute-per-mile faster. On Tuesday afternoon, I came home from work and decided to go for a 3-miler. I started out, and about halfway through, I was feeling a little winded. I thought to myself, "Hmm, maybe I just need more sleep...?" and kept going. At the end of my run, I looked at my watch, and was pleasantly surprised. This run clocked in a good 4-5 minutes faster than my usual times on that route. Holy cow! I hadn't run that route in quite a while, and had been doing most of my 3-milers on the treadmill. Subsequent outdoor runs this week confirmed that the 3-miler wasn't a fluke--my pace really is faster than I thought it was. For some reason, I guess I just hadn't been pushing myself for a while (the treadmill really doesn't require you to do that--which can be a crutch). Obviously, I need to get off the 'mill and get outside more, in order to realize my "potential."

Back to the race. I started off at my newly-discovered easy pace for the first mile, then kicked it into gear at around mile 2. I was definitely able to pick off a lot of the people who started out too fast, or started to fade toward the end. It feels weird passing people, because for the longest time I was always the one getting passed. As we neared the finish, I kicked it into gear. I actually had a lot of energy left towards the end, which makes me wonder (as I did in 3M) if I started out too slow. I guess I'll have to work on this "pushing myself" business. I PRed on the last 5K I did (which was in May of last year), by over 3 minutes, so...hooray! It wasn't as fast as my enlightening Tuesday 3-miler, but I'll take it. ;) This puts my mileage this week somewhere around 15 or 16. Tomorrow will be light cross-training (my knees are feeling a little beat-up), then back on to my quest for increased mileage.

Well, back to being an attentive reference librarian (someone's gotta run the joint on Sundays!), then home for minestrone, wine, maybe ice cream, and Jeeves and Wooster! Thanks, Netflix!

I did it again...

2010-02-06T11:42:00.001-06:00

...ran another half-marathon, that is!

Almost two weeks ago, on January 24 (the day before my birthday), I ran the 3M Half Marathon. Based on my first half-marathon experience, I was a bit dubious about the whole thing, but I absolutely had a blast! I had been chewing on the idea of an early-2010 half for a while, even before RNRSA. It was down to 3M or the more popular, and more expensive, Austin Half Marathon. It finally came down to cost--3M was $30 cheaper. And it didn't hurt that it boasts a mostly downhill course. So I signed up on New Year's Eve (before the price increased) and got down to some quick training. I got in about 3-4 long runs before the big day, and hoped for the best.

Race day dawned super-windy! So windy, in fact, that the vast majority of the road barricades blew over and the start of the race was delayed for almost an hour while APD reset them all. I must say, I was quite grumpy huddled at the starting line in the 45-degree-with-wind-gusts-up-to-30-mph conditions. But once we got going, it wasn't so bad. I maintained a decent pace for most of the race, and only walked through the water stations. My (infamous) right knee started acting up around mile 5-6, but settled down around mile 10. I took a GU around mile 8, and that definitely helped power me up the one significant uphill section of the race. On the final stretch, I saw a couple of my friends who live in the area, and that was a nice boost. And then...I finished, with an almost 30-minute PR over RNRSA! I think two things can account for that: 1) It wasn't my first long race, so I knew what to expect, in terms of fatigue and nutrition, and 2) the weather was significantly different for the two races. While the balmy, still weather in November drained the life out of me, the chilly winter breeze of January definitely helped push me along, or allowed me to push myself along. Something to remember for future races (including this one, which I hope to do again next year!). After the finish, I grabbed some fruit, got my drop bag, and hopped on a bus to go back to my car. Later in the day, my stomach acted up a bit, but I guess that was just delayed-onset of nerves, or some such business. My friend took me out for pizza later, and then I vegged for the rest of the day.

No time for rest the next day! I worked a textbook-lending event at a local community college library for 10 hours. I was kinda stiff in the beginning, but I think all the moving around, and reaching, and stooping for books really helped me loosen up. In fact I think I would have been much more sore and stiff had I not had to move around so much. That evening, my friends took me out for Thai food and ice cream for my birthday. Overall, I was quite pleased with the productive 48-hours that led into my 26th year of being. :)

For the spring, I've got some 5Ks and 10Ks planned, and I'd also like to work on building my running base to 15-25 miles-per-week. This week will make about 18.5 miles. Next Sunday, I'm running a 5K that's part of the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon. This way, I get to feel a bit of the excitement of the big races, but don't have to put too much wear and tear on me olde body, and I can also make it to work by noon. ;)

If you're in the wicked snow storm right now...become one with the treadmill. If you're in Texas right now, enjoy this beautiful weekend! I hear the upcoming week's supposed to be another wet one...

Thoughts from Weekend Runs

2009-12-20T12:32:00.000-06:00

Saturday's 4.5:

Oops! Forgot to lotion my legs.
They really should put a sidewalk on this side of the street. This grass is gross.
I wonder what they do at this particular Dell building.
How many uses are there for a tape measure? Apparently not enough for this one on the sidewalk.
What makes white cows white?
Oh boy, I hope those birds don't poop on me, although it is supposed to be good luck...
If I had a backyard, I would maintain it...probably.
Sometimes, I wanna run forever...

Sunday's 7:

Must look cool, must look cool, must look cool...
I bet this water bottle is making a lot of noise. Blissfully, my iPod prevents me from noticing.
Less strollers, please!
I always forget how nice the view is under MoPac.
Rowing? Perhaps.
Why can't I be turning around at this bridge? Or this one? Or this one?
Hills suck.
Hey dude, there's a door on that bathroom...
So that's what GU tastes like!?! Very...gooey.
When's it gonna kick in?
There it goes! Whoosh...
My knee does NOT like this downhill.
Wow, Mozart's Requiem sounds great whilst running under a canopy of bare trees. LOVE IT!
Wet dogs wet dogs wet dogs
Yo, Rottweiler...
Sometimes, I just can't run forever, but, man, that GU may have changed my life...

Other than running (and thinking), I baked up a mad storm this weekend. I made Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies twice, and Triple-Chocolate Cookies (America's Test Kitchen) once. Not all for myself, but for different occasions. I may or may not also may have ingested quite a bit of cookie dough and white chocolate in the process, but that's an occupational hazard. I'm normally not a baker (just a cook-er), so it's been kinda fun having my apartment smell like sweet delicious goodness. Tomorrow will be a rest day (from running--sadly, not from work), then back to it on Tuesday. On Tuesday or Wednesday I'll be going to my parents' house, so I'll get to enjoy the flatter terrain...and cope with humidity (oh South Texas). There's allegedly another cold front on the way, so that should be nice. I'm really enjoying this whole "winter" thing we're having this year...

So, About that Half...

2009-12-12T10:41:00.000-06:00

I did it! I was way slow (so slow, I don't think I'll mention my time), but I finished! It was super-humid and kind of warm for November; so warm, in fact, I'm not sure I'll do another long fall race, since Texas falls tend to be temperamental and you never know what you'll get (apparently, the 2008 Rock n' Roll San Antonio was extremely cold and rainy). But anyway, I made it, and learned some lessons along the way.

The day before the race (Nov. 14), my dad drove to my place, and then we drove together to San Antonio. My mom and brother were also supposed to go, but, in true teenager fashion, my brother remembered he had a band function at the last minute, so my mom stayed home with him (nerd). When we got there, we first went to the expo at the Alamodome to get my race packet. This was my first full-blown expo experience, so it was a little overwhelming. At one point, I remember kind of turning around in circles in place, trying to figure out where to go (with my dad laughing at me, of course). I did manage to score various granola bars, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Subway lip balm (???). After that, we checked into the hotel, which was really nice and connected to the Riverwalk (I've always wanted to stay in one of the Riverwalk hotels!). We then walked downstairs to get lunch/dinner at about 3. We stopped at a Mexican place along the river, with lots of other race people (there were expo bags everywhere). I got enchiladas and was pretty full, and didn't really eat for the rest of the day (which I would come to regret the next day). We walked around the Rivercenter mall for a little bit, then went back to the hotel and chilled for a little while (Dad napped with the remote, so I had to watch football and read magazines). I then laid out my race gear for the morning (I decided on a short-sleeve shirt and shorts, though it would be in the 50s in the morning), including my iPod, took a shower, and went to bed (meaning I got in bed at about 9, but fell asleep about 11, and proceeded to toss and turn all night).

Race day (Nov. 15)! I got up at 4 and got dressed. I wasn't really nervous, but mostly because I didn't really know what to expect. I just knew that I'd be running for a substantially long time. My dad got up with me and walked me to the shuttle stop, which was a few blocks away. I got there at about 5:15, and the line was already pretty long. However, it magically doubled as soon as I got there! I still wonder how all those people got to the race on time. The shuttle ride was about 10 minutes, and then we had to walk about a mile to the race start area, which was a little annoying. However, there were porta-potties everywhere! So that was a good thing. :) Once we got to the start area, I got a bagel, a banana, and a bottle of water, and sat down for about an hour. I still wasn't particularly hungry, and only ate half the banana, but maybe that was just nerves, or over-caution. Then I went to the porta-potty (the lines were pretty decent, from my limited experience), came back and sat down some more. The race was slated to start at 7:30, so I went over to my corral (22) at about 7:10. A mistake! Since I was so far back, we ended up standing there for about 45 minutes before we actually started, and my lower back started to hurt (as it does when I stand still for a long time). But, at about 8:15, corral 22 finally got to the start, and we were off.

Now, to be honest, the race itself has become a bit of a blur in the past 3 weeks. I ran for the first two miles (through downtown, so the crowds were out and it was pretty exciting), then took my first walk break to preserve energy. The first water station was at about mile 3 (maybe? I'm not sure). I made sure to get a little water at every station, just to keep myself hydrated. I remember thinking that the course was awfully flat for San Antonio (they weren't lying when they said "fast and flat" on website), and we ran through several neighborhoods. It wasn't the most scenic route, but it was relatively flat and there were several residents out cheering us on.

Around mile 6, I think I started walking much more than I wanted to. I was starting to get a little worn down, and the sun was rising in the sky. It was probably almost 70 degrees at that point, and still humid, so it wasn't so great. I tried to run as much as I could, though. Around mile 9 or 10 it got pretty tough, mentally. I remember thinking that I just wanted to stop moving. Propelling yourself forward for 13.1 miles is kind of intense, much more so than I realized. My back was still hurting from standing so long at the start, and I'm sure salt was starting to show on my face (I discovered this particular physical phenom after my 10 miler the week before). The thought of stopping definitely crossed my mind, but I knew I could finish, even if I walked the rest of the way. Somewhere between 11 and 12 we split from the full marathoners, and I remember feeling soooo sad for them, and wanting to give them hugs (delirium, anyone?). However, we also met up with the super-fast marathoners who were almost to the finish, so that was inspiring/annoying. They were also handing out GU at this point. I kinda wanted to take some, but I've never used it before, so I didn't want to risk a stomach upset. At mile 12 we got wet sponges, so away went the salty face. Finally, the Alamodome was in sight, and after an annoying uphill right before the finish (wtf?!?) we were done. Medals, water bottles, wet towels, get your picture taken, get some snacks, and there you go. I found my dad, and we rushed (or, he rushed me and I hobbled) back to the hotel so we could make our check-out time. Some friends of mine had come to watch me, and had seen me finish, but I wasn't able to meet up with them because of the checkout business (if you're reading this, thanks again guys!!! Love you!!!).

Now, I'm 98% sure I fainted sometime after I got back to the hotel. Though I did get some snacks in the after-race area, I didn't really want to eat anything (I have a really hard time eating after I run). My dad was trying to take pictures of me with my medal, and I remember feeling light-heading, breaking into a cold sweat, walking into the bathroom, closing my eyes, opening my eyes, and being on the floor. I got my dad to bring me some sports drink, after which I felt a bit better. I've had these pseudo-panic attacks a few times before, but usually only after someone tells me a really intense medical story (once it happened when someone was telling me about a graphic ski accident). But this is the first time I've lost consciousness. But, I was able to take a shower, pack up, and make it out by checkout time (you're welcome, Dad :-p).
We drove back home, got barbeque, and then my dad left. I think he had a great time being a spectator, for once. ;)

Overall, it was a great first major-race experience. I definitely learned that I need to eat something the night before, even if I'm not particularly hungry. I also shouldn't go stand at the start too early, since it will wear me out a little. And, in the future, I will probably take off my headphones near the finish line. I couldn't hear anyone calling for me, though my dad and my friends said they did. :-D

Since the race, I laid off running for a little bit, but I'm back at it because I'm kind-of, sort-of, maybe training for something in January. However, I'll keep mum on that for now since I haven't actually registered. I went for a super-chilly run on Thursday, for which I regret not wearing gloves, but which was also one of the best runs I've had in a really long time. I'm also trying to focus more on my overall fitness and working on the strength-training business. Although I'm still losing weight (though my grandmother made a point of telling me not to lose anymore at Thanksgiving :-p), I definitely need to work on toning. Tonight I'll hit the gym for some cross-training, and tomorrow will be a long(ish) run.

So, yup, there you go. Epic-ly long post, but epic updates too. :)

Allow me to Reintroduce Myself...

2009-10-12T11:49:00.000-05:00

I'm currently in the midst of my half-marathon training, about to start week 8. This weekend, training took on the form of a 10K, specifically, the Run Austin Run 10K (there was also a half-marathon and a 5K). I'd run the 10K distance before, but not in a race, and it was only my 3rd race ever, so I was interested in the outcome. The race was slated to start at 7AM on Sunday morning, so I got up at about 5:15, got dressed, ate a banana, got my stuff together, and drove to the race site. Now, here in Central Texas, we are actually having a fall this year (which we rarely ever have--it usually just sort of stops being hot sometime in November), so it was quite chilly. Chilly enough for me to endlessly debate with myself the previous day about whether or not to wear a long sleeve shirt. After talking to my dad (the uber-runner--and running purist), I decided just to wear a short sleeve shirt, since I would definitely warm up once I got going. Once I parked my car, I sat inside for about 30 minutes because I didn't see any point in standing around being cold for an hour (it was about 55--not cold, but chilly enough for our neck of the woods). About 25 to 7, I got out, put on my race number, reluctantly took off my jacket, and walked over to the starting area.

The start of the race was to be staggered--the half-marathon would start at 7, the 10K would start at 7:10, and the 5K would start at 7:15. However, the police officers working the route ran into a few delays in securing the route, so the half didn't actually start until about 7:15. So, I actually stood outside for about 45 minutes before the 10K actually got going. I put myself towards the back since I know I'm fairly slow. For about the first half mile, my feet were kind of hurting since we had been standing so long prior to starting, but that went away after a little while. Though I started at the back, I managed to begin picking off people that started too fast, so that was kinda fun. At one point, I think I passed a girl I knew in college who was doing the half marathon. However, I really hadn't seen her in about 4 or 5 years, and only knew she had taken up running due to that great bastion of social networking known as Facebook, so I didn't really want to say anything in case she thought I was a weird stalker or something. And I didn't want to slow down and talk (I might send her a message today and mentioned that I saw her and congratulate her).

So, the first 3 miles went by pretty well. I felt good and had warmed up, so I was glad I hadn't worn long sleeves. However, at about mile 4, we got into a hillier, residential section of town. I kind of expected the hills, but didn't really think they'd be that bad. Ha. I do most of my training on relatively flat routes or on the treadmill, so I haven't really dealt with hills too much. But these definitely made me walk more than I wanted to. There was one steep downhill that my knee definitely wasn't happy about. And it didn't help that cars were zooming around us in the neighborhood. I guess they didn't appreciate having a race course on their streets. :-p But there were a few folks outside cheering, so that made up for it.

Once we exited the neighborhood and headed for the last stretch, I remembered someone saying near the race start that it was supposed to be downhill. NOT. It wasn't brutal hills like those in the neighborhood, but it was definitely a steady incline. I ended up running a good portion of the last couple of miles with a lady pushing a stroller. She mentioned she'd never run this far with a stroller, so props to her! I'm sure she would have finished way ahead of me without it. Right before she crossed the line, however, she took her kid out of the stroller and they crossed together--I assume it was adorable, but I was too busy gunning for the line to see it. :-p Overall, my pace was slower than I wanted it to be, but I'll attribute some of that to the hills, and some of it to my slacking-off-in-training (which I'll talk about later). After they cut my chip off, I went in search of water, but couldn't find any (wtf?!?). So I grabbed a random protein drink and headed to my car, since I had brought water with me. It's probably lucky that I left when I did, since it started to pour shortly after I arrived back at my apartment. Very unfortunate for the half-marathoners. I took a quick shower, dressed, and headed out to a brunch with some friends who gave me all sorts of kudos for the race. :-D Then I went home, made chili, and vegged out on the couch for the rest of the day.

I had all sorts of outcomes from this race, other than the soreness in my glutes and hamstrings from those hills. A major thing I learned is that I need to be more focused on my training. A confession: I've been slacking off a bit during the past few weeks--and it definitely showed during the race. It would have been great to been able to tackle the distance with fewer walk breaks, and consistent training definitely would have helped with that. Training has been starting to feel like a bit of a chore, but now that I have a gauge of my current fitness level, I feel excited about where the remainder of my training will take me. I now understand the importance of completing the four weekly runs in my plan (especially the long run!), and also need to work on strength and resistance in both my lower and upper body (those hills!).

I also found out that I enjoy racing. Not necessarily being competitive, but running with other people who have the same goal as me. It inspires a sort of, "We're all in this together" feeling in me, which is fun. Normally I just trudge along on my own, but it was great to be out there with other runners, and not just fitness buffs at the gym. I'm looking forward even more to RNRSA, especially to the camaraderie I'll get to experience with thousands of other runners and spectators. Running really is a community.

Making Room for Real Life

2009-08-17T09:35:00.001-05:00

The week before last (first week of August), I managed to get in my first double-digit week in a few months. Sad, yes, but I take my little victories as they come. I was on track to continue the trend last week (in preparation for my half-marathon training that starts next week), but alas, life got in the way. I planned to do 3 miles on Friday and 4 on Saturday morning before my fam came into town. However, not long after I got up on Friday, I found out that one of my friends had been hit by a car the previous night and was in the hospital. She fractured her sternum and left kneecap, and may or may not have done something to one of her upper vertebrae. Luckily, the car was only going about 15 mph at the time, so she wasn't hurt worse (remember guys: be careful walking home at night!). She's at home now and seems to be feeling a bit better, and her mom flew in to be with her. Needless to say, most of Friday was spent in the ER waiting room, and Saturday I slept in.

Later Saturday morning, my parents arrived to drop of my brother while they took a weekend trip to nearby Fredericksburg for their anniversary. Now, my brother's 15, so I suppose he could have stayed home alone, but would you trust a 15 year old boy to stay home alone? Not this one, I wouldn't. :-p So I played the nice big sister and we hung out at the mall and got pizza and ice cream for dinner. Somewhere in there I managed to sneak to the gym to crank out 4 miles on the treadmill. Not as terrible as it sounds, since I broke it into three segments: 2 miles, water break, 1 mile, water break, 1 mile. However, my knee wasn't too happy at the end, so I made sure to ice it afterwards. It's still a little cranky today...

Yesterday, my brother and I got breakfast at a pancake place and I had this epic green chiles and swiss cheese omelette that had to have been made with about 5 eggs. I ate half, along with 3 pancakes, and I was pretty much full for the rest of the day. Though, later in the day, I did have a bag of Sun Chips. My knee was still bothering me yesterday, so I didn't do anything. I'd rather let it rest than aggravate it and have to sit out for 2 weeks.

I've mentioned this before: I'm not a morning person. I've decided to give running at sundown another try this evening, just to see if I can tolerate the heat. It seems to be about 95 around sundown. Although it is nice running in the morning when it's cooler, I'm not sure I've been feeling this alertness you're supposed to feel from getting your physical activity in before your day starts. Mostly, I'm just tired. So, I plan to set out around 8:30 PM for 3 miles, to test my heat tolerance and my cranky knee. If the heat's too much, then mea culpa, and it's back to 5:30 AM (at least until late September)!

So...though I didn't maintain the double-digit base last week, I was able to be there for a friend in an emergency, and I definitely think that's more important. You have to remember to stop and make room for real life, and just be grateful to have the ability to run when you can.

Motivation and Four-inch Heels

2009-08-03T21:43:00.000-05:00

So, I seem to keep losing motivation to run on Saturdays, when I've tentatively scheduled my long runs for half-marathon training. Everything's fine during the week, but then Saturday comes and I have no desire to get out of bed, let alone run in the morning. If I only had to do a short run that could be done on a treadmill later in the day, I don't think there'd be a problem. Or if it wasn't like the surface of the sun by 8AM, and I could just run outside later than 6... I guess I'll keep working on the scheduling of this training business, and we'll see how it works out. This week I'll either do my long run on Wednesday or Friday, with Saturday as cross-training. We'll see...

I was going to run this Saturday, but ("what had happened was...") my Dad was in town buying me a new car (!!!), and I figured I'd just stay in and make pancakes for him. After he left, I thought I might hit the treadmill at the gym, but...yeah. You get the picture. Later that night, I went out dancing for a friend's birthday. I haven't been to a club in ages, so I was kinda of excited to get all dolled up--which happened to include a rather fierce pair of four-inch heels. It was a fun night, with lots of hip-hop, dancing, and perhaps a few too many drinks. Since it had been so long since I'd been out to a club, I'd forgotten that my feet feel fine while I'm groovin', but the pain kicks in as soon as I slow down. Actually, it wasn't too bad, but I did decide to let my feet (and my knee, which also probably has a beef with the heels) a rest. Not to mention the fact that I didn't get home 'til about 3:30...

This week got off to a good start with a nice 3-miler this morning (would have been nicer if that lady's dog had been on a leash--who walks their dog at 6AM?!?). This week, I'll concentrate on getting my miles in before the weekend to avoid the end-of-the-week malaise.

How do you stay motivated during the weekend, when the temptation of laziness (or greediness?) sneaks up?

So I lied...

2009-07-23T12:50:00.001-05:00

...about using the Runner's World beginner's half-marathon training plan. After doing a bit more research, I decided that I liked Hal Higdon's Half-Marathon Training Plan for Novices (like myself) better. It's still 12 weeks, but it's rather simplified and flexible, allowing you to focus on mileage. I don't get to start until August 24, so in the mean time I'm working on building my base and cross-training.

In my inaugural post, I mentioned that I developed runner's knee back in February. Due to financial reasons, I was never able to have it treated by a physical therapist, so I've just been kind-of working through it on my own. For the most part, it rarely hurts anymore. But, as I've been upping my mileage, I've been noticing a twinge every now and then. Not enough to stop, but enough to say "hey, I remember what that feels like...it sucks." Hopefully strength training will help my quads become stronger, which will in turn help to support my knees. I don't want to be 25-going-on-75.

This morning I did 2 miles on the treadmill at Gold's while listening to the Runner's Lounge half-marathon podcasts. Wasn't sure how I'd do listening to people talk whilst running, but it didn't seem to pose a problem. And gave me something else to think about other than "in 2, out 2." Tomorrow I plan to do my "long run" of 4 miles, though I haven't decided if it'll be at the lake or near my apartment complex. Then, on to Nordstrom's! SALE!!! Lucky I got those gift cards for graduation...

There's No Turning Back...

2009-07-20T12:18:00.000-05:00

On Saturday afternoon, I finally did it. I took the plunge. I signed up for the Rock n' Roll San Antonio Half Marathon on Nov. 15. Holy cow! I'd been playing around with the idea for a couple of weeks, and had pretty much made up my mind to do it, but I just hadn't made the commitment and signed up. Then, on Saturday afternoon I was messing around on Facebook and saw someone's status message, which noted that the Aramco Houston 1/2 sold out in ONE DAY. I knew that the RNRSA was prone to selling out (though maybe not in such epic times), so I just decided to go ahead and seal my place. I put my estimated time as 2:30, so hopefully I can make that happen. My family plans to come and cheer me on (we've spent years doing the same for my dad at marathons), so that should be fun. It claims to be "fast and flat," but San Antonio is kind of in the Hill Country, so we'll have to see about that. Luckily there are plenty of hills around here to train on, just in case.

I've decided to largely use the beginner's plan outlined in this month's Runner's World. It's a 12-week plan and consists of 2 or 3 easy-moderate runs during the week, with a long run on the weekend, and 2 days of crosstraining and one rest day. This is about what I do right now, so it shouldn't be too difficult to officially call it training. The long runs start with 6 miles, but I'm not quite there yet (the longest I've gone is 4), so I'm starting out with 4 and I should be at 6 by the time the 12 weeks starts in August.

I was at my parent's house this weekend because my mom treated me to a spa day on Friday(!). She got a manicure and I got a pedicure, then we both got massages. Not a bad way to spend a Friday afternoon. ;) Later, we pick up my brother (in all of his 15-year-old perpetual summer laziness), went to Chili's, then went for ice cream. That morning I'd gone for a nice two mile run through our neighborhood (where I was spotted by one of my dad's coworkers, who later mentioned that she'd seen me--I think he got a kick out of that), so I felt ok about my ice cream treat. I can never feel too bad about ice cream...

I meant to go out on Saturday morning (and on Sunday morning, for that matter), but my body wasn't feeling it, so I went to the gym yesterday when I got back in town and got on the elliptical for a while. This morning I guess I started training (ooo, doesn't that sound hardcore), and went for 2.5 miles. It felt pretty easy, and there were a few other people out. Pre-sunrise really is the only good time to do anything outside right now, IMO. It was kinda windy, but the wind did feel really good. I was planning on going to the gym tomorrow for cross-training, but since I'm taking Wednesday off (hair appointment--don't want the sweat screwing with my relaxer!), I think I'll do another morning run tomorrow.

Let the training begin!

Traditional vs. Circuit

2009-07-16T21:28:00.000-05:00

I recently received an email from Gold's for a free PT session, so I went in today to use it. I wanted to see if I could learn anything about using the weight room and performing exercises using free weights. However, like the last trainer I worked with, he showed me how to do a circuit. He assured me that it would burn fat quicker than doing traditional resistance training, which involves doing 2 or 3 sets, then moving to a different exercise. As in the circuit that the previous PT demonstrated for me, this circuit involved small bursts of cardio. I'm sure I would have appreciated this more...had I not already done 25 minutes on the elliptical prior to the PT appointment. We did about 8 different exercises, doing one rep of each, moving quicking between each exercise, and did the circuit 3 times.

Overall, he was helpful, and did show me how to do a barbell squat (though I had to ask him), but I still really wanted to work more with the free weights and learn how to do traditional resistance training. I don't really see anyone in there doing circuits on their own, so are circuits truly where-it's-at? It makes me wonder if the trainers are supposed to tell all the free clients the same thing, then maybe cater more to their requests once they become paying clients. Or maybe I'm just thinking about that too hard. Conspiracy!

Anyway, I've been reading a couple of resistance training books geared towards women. The first, New Rules of Lifting for Women, gives you specific exercises to do in specific stages. The other book, Sculpting Her Body Perfect, recommends three different stages, but gives you a number of exercises to choose from in order to design your own routine. You do your whole body three times a week, using one exercise per area of the body. At the moment, I'm leaning towards Sculpting to get started, and maybe continue on with NROLW when I become more comfortable in the weight room.

I'm visiting my parents in the town where I grew up, so I'll get in a couple of runs on FLAT ground, which will be nice. I'll also get to run through our neighborhood, which is always an adventure, and kinda nice. And maybe, after these runs, I'll announce something BIG! Whoosh! Such a tease...

Catch-Up

2009-07-13T12:28:00.000-05:00

Stating the obvious: it's been a while. I keep thinking of things I'd like to say in a post, then neglecting to actually post them. I'm real lazy about the Internets (I often forget what I mean to do immediately after sitting down to my computer). Here's what I've been up to:

Went to the beach
Went to New Orleans to visit family (and eat a whole lot of seafood)
Due to the obnoxiously high temperatures as of late (consistent 105s, anyone?), have largely moved my running indoors--which I will address shortly
Have stopped eating bread daily (except for the occasional whole-wheat bagel)
Have started having smoothies for breakfast and soup or tuna for lunch
Am trying to eat more vegetarian dishes (hello, lentils!)
Weights!

I'm not a morning person. But, I do like working out in the morning. It's much less crowded, it's cooler outside, and I like not having to think about working out throughout the day. So, last week, I mainly went to the gym in the morning. It was nice, and would have been nicer had I been able to get more sleep at night (I've always been a bad sleeper). I ran on the treadmill or used the elliptical, and did weights, then came home, showered, and got ready for work. Hopefully my internal clock will adjust itself and I can sleep better, so I can continue this business. It's not like I have to study or anything... :-p

I live in Texas. It's hot. It's always hot in the summer, and I accept this, but this is the first summer I've had to try to run around said hotness. It's even gross in the morning. I made an effort up until about a week into June, then decided to move indoors, not unlike our Northern friends do in the winter. It was alright for a while, but last week I realized how bored I get on the treadmill after about 20 minutes. There's TVs and everything, and the treadmills at Gold's are on the second story, so you get to watch people weightlifting (which is always a hoot), but it still gets old. And when I get bored, I tend to get tired, which leads to me quitting early...no good. So this morning, I decided to venture out for an easy jog, just to see if I could handle it. At 6, it was about 78F and not too humid. There was even a breeze (!!!). I was slower than usual, but I chalk it up to waking up my outside legs (much different than my treadmill legs). So...I think I'll try to get outside at least 3 times a week, especially for a long run, and continue cross-training and doing weights at the gym. Weights!

So, I've been thinking about doing something, running-wise. It kinda depends on how this week goes, but I've mostly made my mind up. But more on that another time. :)

Gold's Gym and 4 miles (finally)

2009-06-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

On Friday afternoon, I finally made it over to Gold's Gym to start my 1-week trial. Well...it's a gym. Lots of strength training equipment and tons of cardio machines (which are upstairs and overlook the weight machinces--kinda cool), a decent-sized pool (with a sauna!!!), a basketball court, a few classrooms, a spinning room, and a smoothie bar. There's also a "Cardio Cinema," where they play movies on a huge screen in a darkened room while you do your cardio. I think this would be a little unnerving, because it's really dark in there and I'd be afraid I'd fall off a machine, in my typical clumsy style. I'll probably try it out one day, if I like the movie they're showing.

So, I got the tour from this dude who seemed more interested in trying to be super-cool (and flirty?) than actually telling me about the joint. Luckily I asked lots of questions and forced him to do his job (what a novel idea...). He also kept trying to get me to join that day instead of doing the week trial, which totally defeats the purpose of a week trial. I held my ground and signed up for the week trial. If I'd been a different person, this guy might have turned me off of the whole place. But I wasn't there to deal with sketch dudes, I was there to work out.

The next day I had a free session with a personal trainer, which more than made up for dealing with the sketch dude. This guy seemed to know his stuff and was able to give me tips on working off the last 10-15 lbs. He suggested that I eat less complex carbs, like cereal and bread (I eat cereal most days and bring sandwiches to work on whole wheat bread), and drink smoothies in the morning. He also suggested I incorporate resistance training into my workout regimen and showed me some exercices that I could make into a circuit. He was able to answer all of my questions and gave me very helpful advice regarding nutrition. I thought I was doing ok in that department, but there's always room for improvement. He then scheduled me for a follow-up visit for this Friday.

I had a friend staying with me this weekend who is a hardcore foodie, so there was lots of good eating and socializing to be done. Even so, I committed myself to finally getting in those 4 miles on Sunday morning. I got up at about 7 and set out. It wasn't hot, and it was cloudy and breezy, which made for a pretty nice time. I started out slow and took breaks periodically to avoid early fatigue. Even so, I hit a mental wall at about the halfway point. I think this was because I was doing 2 laps of a 2-mile loop, and I had to pass in front of my apartment complex, which made me just want to quit and go home. However, I took a walk break and continued on. For the rest of the time, I did a 5:1 run/walk breakdown which really kept me from getting really tired. I probably could have gone on another mile doing this, which is good to know for when I do go another mile. So...hooray! I went back to my apartment, ate cereal (I think carbs are kinda necessary post-run--I'll save the smoothies for the non-running mornings), stretched, showered, and went to church and lunch with my friend and her uncles.

This morning, I made my first smoothie with banana, frozen strawberries, skim milk, yogurt, and a little bit of protein powder. It was really (really) thick, so maybe less yogurt, more milk next time. For lunch, I brought one of those soup cups and my usual apple and yogurt. I also brought some carrots as an afternoon snack, so I won't starve until dinner. After work, I'll hit the gym for cardio and maybe do some of the circuit exercises. It will be interesting to see how things work when it's full of the post-work crowd.

Schooled.

2009-06-02T09:39:00.001-05:00

Ah, life lessons. And I thought all that learning business was over and done with after graduation last week. Silly me...

On Saturday, I woke up and drove to Lady Bird Lake with the intention of running 4 miles--my longest distance to date. Well, actually, I was going to use more of a Galloway "run/walk" approach, since I didn't want to wear myself out too early. I left my apartment at about 8:20ish and got to the lake at about 8:45. I munched on half a Clif bar on the way, and drank some water when I got there. Although it was only about 9:00, it was already 80 degrees, sunny, and kinda humid. However, since it was an hour earlier than my last (failed) attempt to run at the lake in the sun, I figured I'd be alright. WRONG.

I decided to do the Pfluger pedestrian bridge/I35 loop, which is approx. 4 miles. It also takes me along Riverside Dr., which leaves the immediate proximity of the lake and follows the street. I started off just fine, even after taking a wrong turn and ending up on Congress. However, when the trail veered off onto Riverside, I about fell over.

Problem 1: no shade (or not much). For some reason, I have a real problem running in the sun. Since I started running in November, when it was much cooler, it hasn't posed much of a challenge up to now. But since the temperature has started its rapid and sadistic yearly rise, I'm having trouble finding a good time to run. The last time I ran at the lake, it was about 10AM. The first half was fine, since it was in the shade. On the second half, however, I hit a wall on Cesar Chavez (not literally, but it probably would have had the same effect). I really think I need to just invest in a good hat. Or run earlier. Or in the evening. But more on that later.

Problem 2: Hills! But that's Austin. I need to get over that (no pun intended--or maybe it was).

So, I hit Riverside. And walked. Didn't get to 35, but turned around and headed back into the shade. Once I got back by the lake, I felt better and was able to run back to my car. Overall, I covered about 3.5 miles. Not 4 miles, but I'm ok with that.

Last night, I went out about 8PM to do 3 miles, as part of my plan to increase my mileage this summer. For this 3 miles, I just planned to do 2 laps around Dell. So, I started off great, saw a few other runners also trying to dogde the sun and heat, and generally felt good. I hit my first mile at 11:00 minutes, which is fast for me. So I slowed down a bit, but I knew the damage had already been done. At the halfway mark, I pooped out. I walked for about 5 minutes, ran a little more, walked a little more, then ran home at a pretty nice pace. 2.5 miles. Boo.

So, my lessons learned?

Get a hat.
Run before 8AM, or after 7:30PM (until about October).
Don't start out too fast (which I've been doing lately, and I really need to work on).

Tonight I start a trial week at Gold's Gym, since I can't go to campus anymore. I need to incorporate more cross-training and strength training into my routine, especially since I've got more time now (outside of job hunting...). Check back for a report on that.

One year, 67 pounds later...

2009-05-26T10:37:00.000-05:00

A year ago yesterday, I was bored and decided to go to the gym. Because it was Memorial Day it wasn't crowded. I did the elliptical for 20 minutes and the recumbent bike for 20 minutes. Then I went to Central Market, went home, and made curry.

Fast forward 366 (or 367-wasn't it a leap year last year?) days: I ran 3 miles this morning at 6AM. It was kinda trippy (almost literally) because I didn't wear my contacts or glasses, on the suggestion of my Dad. I thought I almost ran into a curled-up snake, but on closer examination it was just a dead bird. I stopped once, so my time was a little slower than my usual turtle pace, but I was ok with it. And I got back in time to not be late for work.

This past year hasn't been easy, but it also hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought it would be, as I had told myself it would be for many years. At the beginning of last summer, I set out to lose 10 lbs. I enrolled in a twice-weekly aerobics class at the university, and went to the gym twice a week. Though the aerobics class was challenging, I enjoyed moving, sweating, and feeling like I was doing something. The university gym was nice because it was summer and only a fraction of the student population was on campus. Thus, no lines for machines or general crowded-ness. So...I set out to lose 10 lbs. and I lost about 20. I went down at least one dress size, and when I went to visit family in August, everyone commented that I looked a little smaller. Success for part 1.

When school started again in the fall (the second year of my master's program), I re-enrolled in the aerobics class and continued going to the gym twice a week. I also decided that, after the aerobics course was over in early November, I would start running. And I did. A friend lent me The Runner's Handbook by Bob Glover, which has great plans to get started and to increase your mileage. Slowly, I built up to running 20 minutes, then 30. Then I developed runner's knee mid-Februrary, which sidelined me for a couple of weeks. I considered going to a physical therapist, but it just wasn't feasible on my grad school budget. So I just iced and ibuprofen-ed (and still do), and slowly started adding distance again. I continued to lose weight and inches. On Saturday, April 18, I competed in my first 5K. In the rain. Which wasn't so bad, though I smelled like a wet dog afterwards. Two weeks later, I ran the Schlotzsky's Bun Run 5K with my Dad, who has been running for 30+ years. We definitely ran faster than I would have alone, but I'm happy with that because now I know I can push myself further than I thought I could. Later this year, I plan on training for and completing longer races.

During this time, I've also worked on nutrition. I don't count calories, but just pay attention to what I eat. If I've had a big lunch, then maybe I'll just have a salad for dinner. I still love sweets, but only really eat them if I'm not at home. I don't buy ice cream, cookies, or candy from the store. This way, I view a sweet as a special treat to be purchased individually (no more Chick-fil-a shakes!). I've largely switched over to whole wheat grains, and I eat fruits everyday. Overall, I think my strategy has been to just eat less of things, and not stress and nitpick about what I eat. Otherwise, I'd overthink it and sabotage myself. I do allow myself treats, but in moderation.

So, here I am. One year and 67 lbs later. Sometimes I think that it's sad that I had that much weight to lose (and still more). But things happen, life happens, and you work through them and do what you need to do to thrive. I've learned many things over the past year:

Exercising and weight loss is 90% mental. I think everyone has to overcome whatever mental road block they've set up for themselves in order to be able to commit to any type of plan or program. For some reason, the "physical activity roadblock" switch got turned off in my head a year ago, and I've been able to commit to my goals moreso than previous attempts.
You really have to do what works for you. What works for me probably won't work for everyone. Some people really need to count calories or exercise with someone for support, so if that works for you, then go for it. My introvert tendencies lead me to prefer working out or running alone. That's just what works for me. If you choose to follow a plan, such as Weight Watchers, or South Beach, or Biggest Loser, don't be afraid to alter it and make sure it works for your pace and progress level. Otherwise, you could become discouraged at not making some prescribed goal.
Concentrate on being healthly, not being cute or thin. I've got diabetes on both sides of my family, so I knew that I was going to be a matter of when, not if, I was diagnosed if I didn't do something about it. I was also beginning to have trouble with my joints from carrying around so much weight on a 5' 3" frame. These aren't problems that one should be facing at 25 years of age. Once you're on your way to health, the weight loss will follow.
What's the hurry? It took me at least 7 years to put on all this weight (probably more), so I'm in no huge rush to take it off. While I do have a goal weight in mind, I don't have a goal date. I'll reach maintenance when I reach it.

So, the world according to Ari. Check back for further updates on my running progress (20 miles/week by the end of the summer), culinary efforts, and general musings on life, the universe, and everything (now that I've graduated and have time to muse on such things...).