So I lied...

...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...

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

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

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)

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.

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?

1. Get a hat.
2. Run before 8AM, or after 7:30PM (until about October).
3. 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...

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...).