5K for Orphans Training: Week 3

Week 3, Run 1: (5/23) Great run! I ran for 3 minutes straight! The first run I doubted I could do it. Second run, I made it to the halfway point and was like, I should pick up the pace...so I did
Average Pace: 17:57 minutes/mile

Walk: (5/24) Great walk! Just working on building endurance for those runs..

Average Pace: 19:40 minutes/mile

Week 3, Run 2: (5/25) Great run! Didn't think I was going to get it in today. But I'm glad I did, even after an hour of playing frisbee in the park.
Average Pace: 17:57 minutes/mile

Walk: (5/26) Great walk! Getting toasty already.
Average Pace: 19:53 minutes/mile

Week 3, Run 3: (5/29) Feels great to be running again after a forced 3-day break.
Average Pace: 18:39 minutes/mile

So, as you can see, I had to take a break from running and missed one day. My left calf muscle was really stiff and sore. My husband, thankfully, massaged it out, but I still felt like I should rest a couple of days before continuing to run. Best to not risk injury before a race.

So, next week (or Saturday really), I move up to week 4: run 3 minutes, walk 1.5 minutes, run 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes (do this cycle 2 times) +5 minute warm up and cool down. 

Friday I will resume my walking regime to help build up my endurance and leg strength and to assist in the weight loss process. :)

THIS WEEK'S PROGRESS
Total miles logged this week: 7.21 miles
Total miles logged YTD: 33.1 miles

5K for Orphans Training: Week 2

Week 2, Run 1: Great run! Up to 1.5 min runs now. Going to make it to that 5k for sure, even if I'm the last to finish! :)
At run 5, I wasn't sure I could do the last 3 minutes of running....before I knew it, I was done.
Average Pace: 17.34 minutes/mile

Week 2, Run 2: Great run! Missed running at 6 am today cause I couldn't sleep last night, even after an exhausting 4 hour day of yard work. Didn't really want to run today, but I did! And I feel great and am glad I ran.
I set my eyes on a goal for my last run and made sure I pushed to make it, so when my run coach app told me 15 seconds left, I ran faster to reach that goal.
Average Pace: 17.10 minutes/mile

I implemented my walking on days that I don't run, I saw a difference in my pace in Run 2, which is the day after I implemented my walking plan.


Week 2, Run 3: Great run! A little warm out there, but at least there was a nice breeze. My left calf was hurting during my first run, I just slowed my pace and it went away. Also had a side cramp - don't usually get those.
Average Pace: 17.36 minutes/mile

Missed a walk last night because of the storms. Will pick those back up starting tomorrow. I really need to leave a pair of walking shoes at work so I can do it on my lunch hour.

So far so good! Loving the runs. Totally clears my head! Now if I could only get up early in the morning to do them so I don't have to do it in the evening heat. Here's hoping I can do that on Friday. :)

Next run (on Friday) will be 2x: Run 1.5 min., walk 1.5 min. Run 3 min., walk 3 min. (9 minutes of running - which is what I did this week).

THIS WEEK'S PROGRESS
Total miles logged this week: 6.19 miles
Total miles logged YTD: 24.73 miles

Total weight loss: 1 lb. 
(my weigh-in day is Friday, I will try to remember to update this then, otherwise, look for it in Week 3's post)

5K for Orphans Training: Week 1

So I thought it would be fun to track my training in my blog (maybe it will also help hold me accountable to doing my runs as scheduled). Since I signed up for the 5K for Orphans (on May 9), which takes place on Saturday, June 21 (for more details, click here), I have been sticking to my runs. I know I have 18 runs left before race day...as long as I stick to that schedule, I will be running for 25 minutes straight.

The first week of runs went well. The schedule I followed was: 5 minutes of warm up; 1 min. of running to 1.5 min. of walking (repeated 8 times), then 5 minutes to cool down. I did this for 4 days...usually its only for 3 days, but since I deleted the app from my phone and re-downloaded it, the schedule was blank and I had done 1 run already. I wasn't quite sure I was up to running 1.5 minutes, which is next.

So, Week 1 is complete. I ran for 8 minutes total, each day I ran. I lost 1 lb. this week, so that's a step in the right direction, as well as running every other day.

I decided in order to help build up my endurance, on my non-run days, I would go for at least a 1 mile walk. Today was the first day I implemented this plan.

THIS WEEK'S PROGRESS
Total miles this week: 7.9 miles
Total miles logged YTD: 18.54 miles

Total weight loss: 1 lb.

The Dreaded Number on the Scale

I'm sure we all have a number that we hope to NEVER see on the scale. I have mine and I've exceeded it by almost 10 lbs. I come home from work, eat dinner, then plop on the couch with a book or in front of the TV. Then I wonder why do I keep gaining weight. Why aren't I losing it? I'm counting my calories and I've created that deficit of 3,500 calories per week (500 calories/day) to lose 1 lb./week, but I'm not seeing the results on the scale.

Two years ago I was running 30 minutes straight, then the weather got cold...I stopped running, not just outside, but completely. The 10 lbs. I lost since starting running in 2012, I put back on plus some extra. Last year, 2013, I tried getting back into running and failed. Why did I fail? I didn't make the time, I didn't set a goal, I didn't sign up for a 5K (something I've been saying I'm going to do and you can find evidence somewhere on this blog).

Recently on Facebook I've had friends posting things that have convicted me of my lack of running.

"I didn't have time" actually means, "it wasn't important enough."
-Seth Godin

Another friend put as his status: "Protip - prioritize your health before $/career. Seems so obvious but I see too few do so."

In addition to these comments, neither of which were directed at me, I've been reading a devotion from YouVersion titled, "God's Prescription for a Healthy Life"...I am on Day 10. Here is the description of the plan: "God wants you to get healthy in 2014! In this series of messages, Pastor Rick shares how to change your life - your health, the way you think, the goals you set, and the way you treat others - so that you can accomplish God's purpose for you and bring glory to him this year."

I also subscribed to Runner's World this year. I thought that might help motivate me and get me back into running.

I have run a couple of times this year, made it to week 2 at the end of March/beginning of April, then got busy and didn't make time for my runs. Today, I ran week 1 again. By June 21 I should be running 25 minutes straight.

Why do I mention June 21? Because that's the date of my first-ever 5K. My niece and her family are helping run the 5K and my great niece if most likely running this as her first 5K as well. If you want to learn more about this 5K, go here.

Now that I have a race to run, I should be sticking to my plan. So, thanks, Emily, for asking if I'd be able to run that race. Made me sign up and make it my first race. :)

So, to those negative thoughts I say, "Go away! Leave me alone! I'm doing this and you're not going to stop me!" To those times I'm going to mess up or miss a run, I'm not going to beat myself up about it, I'm just going to say "Oh well, tomorrow is a new day" and I'm going to start again. I'm not going to get discouraged and I'm not going to let that hold me back. I'm running this 5K and I'm going to run it as strong as I can!

To that dreaded number I see on the scale, soon you will be long gone and never seen again.