Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween!

A little disclaimer: This photo is not to assume affiliation with any political party. In an effort to be 'fair and balanced' in the neighborhood this evening, we WILL be sportin' a McCain pumpkin as well! I do not have that photo available at press time.

The McCain pumpkin is just as fabulous.... photos to be posted of all of Mike's 2008 pumpkins tomorrow!

It's been a crazy week. Had Grace in for an xray - all is well there, just a bad sprain and she'll be wearing a support brace for some time and doing some strengthening exercises for that ankle, which she has twisted FOUR times in the last 8 weeks. Nothing broken though...thank goodness.

I am home with my Chris today, and hoping he comes around for his big job tonight of passing out candy and showing off his dad's pumpkins! We will keep our fingers crossed! He's had such a fun, exciting week with his birthday and getting pumped for Halloween...the adrenaline got the best of his brain today unfortunately so we are resting up and hoping things start looking up for him as the day goes on.

I had a 'fight' with my Garmin this week....Wednesday evening I calibrated it officially to the treadmill and experienced a little 'letdown'. Turns out, over the last month, Garmin has been telling me I've been running faster and farther than I really have been. Significantly so. I think it's bothering me more than than my stupid 'Broken Scale'! I will get over it...it's just numbers after all, right? I am MORE than numbers, this I know. Enough said here!

I am looking forward to a fun evening with beautiful weather, and catching up with friends and neighbors - since we've all been hibernating recently because of the cold, windy, wet, dark days. The sun is out today, temps are on the rise - it's Halloween on a FRIDAY, we've been waiting years for a weekend Halloween!

I hope everyone has a fun evening and great weekend!

Cheers!

I Baked A Chocolate Cake This Morning...

.....for this handsome guy! Who happens to be 17 years old today!

Happy Birthday To Chris! (picture from September 2005)

I can't believe that I've been a 'mom' for seventeen years. The time goes by so fast! He was so excited this morning, he just loves his birthday. Tonight we will have a pizza party, and chocolate cake. I am looking forward to cake - I have not had cake in three months! I WILL be enjoying a small slice tonight, you can bet on that!

In other news....I think Grace may have a broken foot. (????) I don't know - if not, she hurt it pretty good the other day as it is still swollen on top of the foot and in the arch and it hurts her even when I touch it. UGH. I'm treating it like a bad sprain for now, but if it doesn't improve over the next 24 hours, we may be going for an xray.

I hope to get my easy 30 minute recovery run in this evening as well. If not, I will do a morning run tomorrow. It should feel pretty 'easy' after my hard run Saturday. It is cold, sleety/rainy, and windy here this week so looks like I'll be on the treadmill! I am also looking forward to getting some strength training in as well, as I've been 'slackin' in that department.

I am SO over my 'time' issue for my first race. In the whole scheme of things, it's not important. I'm running again on Thanksgiving, in Virginia with some in laws - and I've already decided that that will be a 'fun' race for me, and I'm not going to run as hard as I did this time. We have a lot of fun things planned for that weekend between the holiday with family, and sightseeing in DC etc. so I don't want to be 'recovering' for two days.

Thanks everyone for your positive comments on Alison's school situation....I feel so proud of her, and I feel it's important to find any way we can to make this work for her. Her excitement has not waned yet, and I can tell she really wants to do this.

I am woefully behind in blog reading, so I hope to be catching up with everyone around lunch time!

Life Stuff

I was up at the crack of dawn today...well, earlier than that! Just a lot of things going through my mind. Crazy work week ahead, Chris had a Bad Day yesterday so I was uneasy about if he'd be able to go to school today, but he seemed good and left the house with a smile. What a trooper he is.....


Grace sprained her ankle yesterday evening running around the 'hood. So she had a bad wake up this morning....And a little fight with her neighborhood friend while hobbling to school. UGH, Monday. Tears before 8am is never good!

And then, my Alison came home from a sleepover yesterday and dropped a bit of a surprise on us. She had tagged along with her friend and her mom to an Open House at St. Joseph's Academy (all girls Catholic high school). She fell in love with it. Immensely. I have never seen such excitement and energy radiate from her! She came running in the house with all these papers and brochures, bounding around looking for us...and asked me to sit down with her so she can 'talk about this'.

She had called me earlier in the day to ask if she could go along to this Open House and then come home after that. I was at the grocery store, and quite honestly, it did not really register with me WHERE she was going. I just heard 'with Rosie and her mom, St. Joe's....home after' and I absently said 'sure honey that's fine see ya later'. My mind was on Chris, what to make for dinner, catching up on housework etc.

So I sat down at the kitchen table with her, and she started talking. She had such great things to say, I was so impressed with her perspective. She says St. Joe's is 'so much better than Fairview'. I asked her to explain what makes her think this. She went on to very animatedly point out the school's mission statement, which 'says it all' Alison claims.


"We encourage each student to develop positive values and to articulate her thinking so that she can be a leader making constructive contributions to society. We endeavor to nurture the talents of each young woman so she becomes a woman of faith with global perspective who is striving for integrity and preparing for life'


"MOM" she says, "Fairview doesn't CARE about developing my CHARACTER, they just want us to make the grades to make our school rank well enough on the stupid state report card so the parents will vote for levys'.


????What????? What 13 year old has that kind of (somewhat accurate) perspective? She goes on to say:


"I would have so much more enrichment opportunities at St. Joe's than I would EVER get at Fairview. " Her example was how her 8th grade DC class trip was cut due to funding cuts, but at St. Joe's, she will have some sort of trip every year....annual retreats, trip to NYC, overseas trip as a senior....


Oh and then there is the 'block scheduling' that is set up in college schedule format, which she explained thoroughly to me. Four classes each semester, each class like 80 minutes long, so there is more opportunity for the teachers to use interactive teaching methods - rather than rushing to fit a lesson in to a 38 minute period. AND, it prepares them for college schedules as well. This was new to me, I did not know high schools do this, and well...it makes a lot of sense to me!


How did she feel about wearing a uniform?

"It would be so much easier than the stress of trying to be 'fashionable' every day'


No Boys?

' Half the DRAMA with my friends has to do with immature boys, so I wouldn't mind not having to deal with THAT. I would still have plenty of chances to hang out with boys, they just won't be in my FACE every day'


(Her dad LOVED that comment)


Leaving all your friends after 8, 9 years, starting with all new girls?

'I'm not really concerned about making new friends, that's easy mom.'


Yes, Alison is an independent, smart, intuitive, talented and energetic young girl with a strong drive to be challenged and to enjoy new experiences. How did I miss this? The thought has never entered my mind that she may be wanting/searching for a different direction as she enters high school? I feel guilty sometimes because we (have to) give so much attention to Chris and his needs....I easily forget that Alison has needs too of a different sort. She needs to be stretched. It never ocurred to me that our public high school would not fulfill all her needs other than the basic college prep education.

So....we agreed to sign up for the entrance/placement exam on November 8th. No choice really, as that is the last test date where she can be considered for tuition aid based on her test results. We will also start to apply for other need and merit-based aid because that is all due by the end of November! If she can get enough financial assistance to bring the tuition (*gulp*) down to a more manageable monthly payment, we will let her do it if she feels strongly about it. But I told her she still has to think very hard about this. Because of application and testing deadlines, we have to move forward with some things, but it does not mean she is officially going. She is also going to schedule a 'shadow day' soon too so she can spend a day at the school soon. I told her this is not a decision to make in one day based on one happy visit to the school - that I have not even seen yet.

The tuition is unbelievable outrageous! She has the grades and merit to get some assistance (I hope), need-based, who knows if we 'qualify' for that. We FEEL like we should ha! But most likely we won't...

This is one of those 'life moments' where we hope we make the right decision. Will this be a good investment toward's Alison's future? Absolutely. Will we have to make some sacrifices in order to get her this opportunity? OHHHHH YEAH...it just makes me nervous, in today's economy, trying to squeeze out that extra cash. When she can get a perfectly 'good' education at our public high school. Sometimes it's hard to be a parent!

I do have one running related mention for today...my official results were posted online today - UGH UGH UGH! It says 37:50!!!! What? My average pace was supposedly 12:12. What? Not once when I looked at my Garmin was I ever over a 11:50 pace! Can there be such a discrepancy between my watch and a race clock?

I guess I don't really care - I thought about calling but, it's not a big deal. It was my first race and the time does not matter, but it sort of changes my psyche a little? I have run that distance twice in training and did not work as hard as I did during the race, and finished better than 37 minutes both times. So I just don't get it. I can't imagine it took me 4 minutes to get to the start line...I am stumped!

Post Race Thoughts

I really did N.O.T.H.I.N.G. after the race yesterday, and it was wonderful! Sure there were chores to be done, tasks to do...but I gave myself the day and night OFF. Last night the hubs went to a neighbor's to watch the OSU game, my girls went off to their respective BFF's for a sleepover, and Chris and I just chilled quietly together.

So, some other sort of random race thoughts I'd like to get down....I am really feeling my hard effort in my body today! Wooh! It 'hurts good' as they say ha ha. Mike was asking me yesterday, what was the biggest aspect of the race that was unexpected for me (for as prepared as I thought I was....). Hmmm...good question!

I would have to say that I was not mentally prepared for how 'hard' it was going to be. Even having run the distance before, at an easier effort with a decent time....I am reminded that any time out on the road can go either way, race or otherwise. There are those awesome, light on your feet, I-could-go-all-day runs, and then there are those runs that are just HARD for any combination of factors. I think I was being a little hard on myself during and after the race because it was so 'hard' (the old 'perfectionist' me slipping back) and I really struggled to get things under control at some points. After thinking back to some of my other 'hard runs', those days where things just didn't 'mesh' right, even though I got the job done, it basically sucked....I realize that had yesterday been just my regularly scheduled run day around the 'hood...it probably would have been one of 'those' crappy runs. Race or no race...yesterday was just one of those days for me and that's the luck of the draw I guess! I still finished, and with a great, hard-earned time!

And then I have a 'proud mom' moment to share....apparently while my family was waiting around the finish line for me, Grace began to be concerned as all these people were coming over the line, and not me. "What if mom is last?' she asks Mike. (typical 9 year old concern ha ha). As Mike was formulating his careful, this-is-a-good-teaching-moment answer, Alison steps up.

"GRACE, even if mom IS last, WHO CARES! She's already ahead of every person standing HERE watching, or people still home in BED right now! (*gawd*)

Ahh...that's my girl! She GETS.IT. I'm so proud!

And then Mike tells me that he got a little teary-eyed when I left the start, and again when he saw me coming around the corner. He said he is so impressed and proud that I set this goal, and followed through and did it well. Again, this is The Big Picture I get to see after the adrenaline of the physical aspect of the race settles. Awesome! He also said he really felt like he was on the 'wrong side of the line' watching all these guys come over the finish, spent...falling to the ground under a tree...whoopin and high fivin'....his former athletic self was reminded of how good that feels, and he wants a piece of that now! That makes me happy.

So moving ahead...I've listed my remaining weeks of the One Hour Running program over to the right. Three runs per week, which includes an increasingly longer run each weekend. The purpose here is to continue to Build The Base, which will increase my endurance, and continue to drop some pounds. Cross training will be lunch hour walks , and a long walk on the weekend. So if I do the long run on Saturday, I will do the long walk on Sunday. Very simple, keeping it steady and not getting carried away yet with speed and crazy interval training etc. I'm STILL NEW! In fact, Bloggie Peep BeachRunner has a great analogy about investing in the long term, I encourage everyone to check out his recent post on the concept of base building.

And now, I'm off to read a 'First Race Report' for Bloggie Peep Bekkles, who completed her first mini-tri this weekend! I've got to give her big props here, because not only is Bek a wife, new mom, a doctor with crazy hours, recently moved to a new city...she somehow managed to prepare and complete a triathalon! How inspiring is that?

Happy Sunday all!

First Official Race Report!

Ok, well my first race is in the bag.....it was awesome! When I got up this morning, I was trying to view today's race as just my regularly scheduled run, just to keep myself relaxed - but it wasn't working very well! I had some serious butterflies. I went outside for a quick walk around my block just to get a little warmed up so I could stretch thoroughly before we left. The air was SO thick from rain overnight - ick! So, I thought it a good idea to hit my puffer before I left - just in case I experienced some breathing issues during the race.

I'm not sure if that was such a great idea, because throughout the race, my heart rate just would not settle into it's usual place, so I was working hard the whole 3.1 miles. NOW I know what 'race pace' is! This was by far the toughest run I've had EVAH, and I have never been this 'spent' after a run! I feel good though- just BEAT!

It was 52 degrees at race time, and a little breezy since we were right along Lake Erie. I wore under armour, a tee and a light wicking jacket so I was layered pretty good. There was a crowd of about 100 jolly people - maybe not even that many. A good mix of abilities - families with strollers, husbands and wives, hard core people looking for a new PR, old folks, a couple of run/walkers, little teams of people with matching shirts....right away I felt comfortable, but sort of 'lonely'. (Note to self - find someone to run with!) I of course started at the back of the pack where I belong, and kind of paced myself along with 3 women who were together. After about the first mile, two of them kicked it up a bit and moved ahead, so I told the other girl, 'I'm not going anywhere!' We ran along with me a couple of steps ahead of her, and I could tell she wasn't feeling chatty, and, well...frankly I needed to turn inward a bit and get myself 'settled' and relaxed. (I was definitely already way beyond the 'pace where you can still talk comfortably') At mile 2, I was thinking 'I don't know why this is so hard today', until I looked at my Garmin and checked my pace - YIKES! I was running at just over a 10 minute mile! I had started out WAY too fast for me. Again, somewhere in mile 2-3 I checked again, 9:50! I could NOT slow down!

I did some self talk, took some deep breaths, relaxed and then I started to feel better. I noticed I was starting to pull away from my 'silent partner' and I sort of turned around to check on her and she waved me onward with a smile. So for the rest of the time I was completely alone, except for some random kids on corners here and there, or yelling from their porches...it was fun! There were only about 6 people behind me I think, but I don't care! I was just happy that I've made it to this point, that I will only continue to improve and develop as a runner, and that I didn't have to walk! (I REALLY wanted to though). This is the great part about being a new runner - it will be quite some time (a year? two? three?) before I reach my 'peak' condition - whatever that will be. So EVERY race can be a new PR...that's the beauty of it!

So my finish time.....33:46! Woo Hoo! That's 37 seconds better than my practice run Tuesday night. I thought it very cool that race volunteers and other people were still at the finish clapping us stragglers in, saying things like 'way to go' 'good work' etc. Coming over the line, I see Mike fumbling with the camera in frustration (I thought, uh oh, no pics for my bloggie peeps!) and my kids all jumping up and down. Too cute! Grace was all 'are you ok mom? Do you need some water? Was that hard?' Chris was patting me on the back, high fives from everyone - very cool! Even 'Batman' was there at the last tenth of a mile, running along with us to the finish. (He had finished in something insane like 18 minutes or something crazy like that...) I did not finish *strong*, because I really ran too hard the whole way, except for maybe 1/2 mile of basically shuffling to save some of my steam for the finish. Too little too late though - but I still am proud of the time!

I have read that you should take one day off for each mile run in a race. And I thought why? What's the big deal? It's only 3.1 miles? What's to rest from? Ha Ha Ha - the laugh is on me, because NOW I get it. A race is a race because you run harder than you do in training. Even if you're not running against someone else....and boy did I run hard.

Ok, so my husband had issues with the camera....my rechargeable batteries apparently did not charge all the way. So this picture is the only good picture of like FIVE they took between the camera, and Alison's cell phone, in which she managed to get a lovely shot of my REAR going over the finish line! No head, no feet....just, my butt.

Grace did not do the mile fun run. There were so many kids, and she was a little intimidated I think - lots of boys! ;-) She said, maybe next time. The good news is....at breakfast afterwards, The Husband said that being there actually made him feel like starting to run! So there is hope for him yet ha ha....he's just worried about his bad knee, which he really does have an old injury, but - I told him he could at least try, wear a brace, take it slow...see what happens. I may have a running partner soon!

I want to thank all of you , my 'Bloggie Peeps', for cheering me on and encouraging me, and for taking the time to read all of my long rambling 'stuff'. :-) You all just rock and I feel lucky to have 'met' such great people from all over, here and abroad! I look forward to sharing more of my journey and also participating and encouraging you in yours!

And now....I actually need to go hit the couch I think! (how ironic, from 5K to the couch ha ha!) Hoping to score a good Saturday 80's movie or something!

Cheers!

Safety Reminder!

I don't normally post twice in one day, but I felt this warranted attention, especially to my female bloggie peeps. This incident happened within 5 miles from my neighborhood...a very quiet 'safe' and cozy area of suburbia. Reading this reminds me of the importance of 'Safety First' when running outside, especially now that it is getting dark so early, and is still dark in the early morning. Please be careful! As much as we enjoy running and get 'lost' in the moment, it is important to be aware of our surroundings always!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jogger Uses Pepper Spray To Escape Driver
POSTED: 4:28 pm EDT October 23, 2008
UPDATED: 11:10 pm EDT October 23, 2008


BAY VILLAGE, Ohio -- A woman jogging in Bay Village Wednesday night used pepper spray on a man who tried to grab her.
Police said the woman was jogging on a residential street at about 9:30 p.m.
She said a dark SUV approached her from the opposite direction and driver's window was lowered.
Police said the driver grabbed the woman by her jacket and shined a flashlight in her eyes as he attempted to open his door.
She was able to use pepper spray on the driver and she ran away.
The driver was described as a white man with a clean appearance, wearing a dark baseball cap. He is about 40 years of age.
Police are continuing to investigate.

Pre-Game!

I am just giddy with excitement about my first official 'race' tomorrow! I just checked the weather and it looks a little more promising....the rain clears out around 6-7am, and at 9am it will be 52 degrees and cloudy. Sounds perfect! Based on last year's online results, it looks like a little over 200 people ran this last year, which is twice as many as the year before that!

So I'm hitting up all the veteran racers around here...what exactly do I need to take tomorrow? This is only a 5K, so obviously I'm not showing up with tons of gadgety stuff like body glide, or gel packs and all that. I don't have a water bottle pack thingie, but since it's a short race, I can get fluid at the water station if I need it. So it seems like I just show up with myself dressed and ready to run? The husband will have the camera of course...what am I missing? Should I bring my own safety pins for the bib? Is there anything else generally that I should *know*?

I am not nervous about the running part - I've got my pacing strategy loosely mapped out for myself. I'm more nervous about the whole atmosphere in general...feeling like the newbie out of my league etc. I don't want to look like I don't know what I'm doing ha ha....I have also never run with anyone...except maybe people way on the other side of the track! Or passing someone on the sidewalk in the 'hood. So it's going to feel wierd running AMONG others - fun of course, but I will be self conscious at first. I am actually prone to some shyness in new situations....thank goodness I have developed some self-confidence over the last few months, or I would probably find some lame reason not to go do this!

My Gracie now wants to 'see' things before she commits to running the 1 mile Kid's Run. (I knew that would happen!) So I will do my best to encourage her to join in without forcing her. There will be other opportunities for her, and Alison for that matter! (who absolutely refuses to even TRY running since she "always has and always will hate running....") So, Grace is now on the fence about her little race, so we'll see how that all pans out. She told me last night, she just wanted some UnderArmour! *sigh* My kind of girl!

I'll be back tomorrow for my first ever race report! Can't wait!

Wednesday Weigh-In

It appears the scale is on the move again, as I am down two pounds this week! This is sort of a 'milestone weigh-in' of sorts. First, I am below 150. That's pretty sweet. Second, although I'm not a big fan of the whole 'BMI' thing, it appears I am now 'normal' (barely, ha ha). Also, my waist to hip ratio is officially out of the 'danger zone' of weight related health issues (again, barely, but OUT).

The fact is, as of today's weigh in I'm pretty much teetering between two worlds, old me and new me. One wrong move...and I could very easily slip back to the old me. By continuing my efforts and staying strong and committed...I can leave the 'old me' in the dust - For.Good.

I choose the latter....who is with me????? You ALL are, I know it. Let's all promise to keep up the fight, continue to make ourselves 'better' - whatever our 'better' is: weight loss, fitness, run faster, run longer, teach better, parent better, love better. We can always be 'better' if we make the time to focus on ourselves - we can all be Rock Stars! (I know a lot of you are MizFit readers...but if you have not been to her blog, today would be a good day to stop by and visit!)

Halloween 'Cheer' at My House!

My first view after dark of the monstrosity in my dining room window that the husband bought yesterday. Uh...there are actually two of these guys glaring out at the 'hood from my house. I guess they are kinda cool looking...right?

34:23...Hmmm...fancy that!

I just got back a little while ago from my run. It was awesome, windy and chilly. Note to self: I need something cool to cover my ears (I do not *do* hats), and cool gloves. I did my usual trek around my little suburbia, and surprised myself by doing a 5K in just over 34 minutes! Thursday I'm just going to do 2 miles easy and then I'll be ready for the 5K on Saturday. My original plan was to finish in at least 40 minutes for my first race...I think I've got that covered! ;-) My pace is improving and I feel faster and lighter on my feet. A long way to go, but I love the progress as time goes by. Some day I'll look back and say 'I can't believe I was so jazzed over 11 minute miles....' But hey, this is substantial improvement over 12 weeks ago, when it was something like 14 minute miles!

The weather naturally is not looking very promising for Saturday. This is October in Cleveland after all. Temps will be in the upper 40's and a huge front of rain is moving in. Oh well - a little rain is not going to stop me from doing this race!

I'll be back tomorrow to post my weigh in - I have refused to 'peek' this week in an effort to practice what I preach about 'the damn scale'. It was hard...and I definitely will be resuming daily weigh-ins ....

Cheers all!

What's on YOUR nightstand?

Share with me, friends....what sort of reading material is currently in your briefcase, nightstand, or by your recliner?

I went to the library yesterday afternoon and picked up a couple of 'running reads'. (aka Runner's Porn as I've seen mentioned around the Blogosphere....). I am currently reading 'How To Train' by Hal Higdon. This is a book I won't read cover to cover, but just chapters pertinent to me. Mainly, the chapters relevant to beginning runners, women's running, and training plans for 5 & 10K's and Half Marathons. I also have 'Run Fast: How to Beat Your Best Time Every Time' also by Hal Higdon. This one I picked up just for kicks, obviously running 'fast' is not my goal at the moment, but I can still read about it! (besides, there was nothing else on the shelf....)

I also picked up several back issues of Runner's World, combined with what I checked out last week - I am pretty much caught up with all 2008 issues! LOVE.IT.

Also on my night stand is an assortment of other health and fitness related mags: Health, Shape, Fitness, Self....and I also checked out a couple of 'Body and Soul' issues (a Martha Stewart publication) out of curiosity. I really support the concept of a well - rounded, holistic approach to good health, Body and Soul as it is....so I'm looking forward to checking out something new! (Something besides 'do this many sets/reps/miles to lose x number of pounds in x number of weeks.....)

So, to all my blogger friends, share the wealth! What are you reading now? Even if it's not health or fitness related, inquiring minds want to know!

First 5K Countdown and Planning Ahead

Back in July, when I started the C25K program, I had some serious doubts that I would *really* actually participate in a race. Now here it is...I'm just six days away from my first 5K! I'm excited, nervous...I have feelings of "I can't believe I'm really going to do this".

The race next Saturday is 'The Great Pumpkin 5K and Fun Run". My youngest daughter (9) asked me to sign her up for the 1 Mile Kids Run, which I thought was great! The 5K starts at 9am, and her run is at 9:45, so I'd better be finished in time to watch her run!

I know this is just the beginning, and I need to actually DO the 5K first but of course I'm already planning ahead! I would LOVE to meet up with my BBF (Best Blog Friend) Shosh in Nashville for the Country Music Half Marathon in April. That is 6 months from now - can I really be ready to run 13.1 by then? My original 'plan' was to run the 10K in the Cleveland Marathon in May! Well, it's worth shooting for - I am researching training plans now to see what's do-able for me. I do know that I need to start running more and adding distance (slowly).

For those more experienced runners....can I just add a fourth (easy) day of 30 minutes , or do I have to work up to that slowly too? I really think I should be running 4 days now. I believe most 1/2 marathon training plans have 4 days on the schedule.

Opinions anyone? Thoughts?

Happy Sunday all!

Three Month Pic

My daughter caught me in the kitchen last night, and told me I should 'Blog This'.

I guess this will serve as my three month update shot.....

Cheers!

Movin' Again!

I'm so happy...I got to run this morning! I won't get all wrapped up in numbers and distance and all that, because this was really just about MOVING again. My mind needed this more than anything else, really. I took it very slow, kept and eye on the heart rate. It ended up being a very nice 30 minutes and I felt like I was back, and felt energized physically AND mentally when I was done. The 'crud' is on the way out, so another day or two and I'll be 100%.

This is all another sure sign of my addiction to running - I was starting to feel like a junkie, desperate for a fix, after 5 days of nothing. Within minutes of starting, I was feeling calm, more centered, less 'scattered'...it's an amazing drug this running thing!

I've made no secret that I'm a big country music lover. I say it that way only because, a lot of people feel that liking country music is something they should keep under wraps....they'll like whisper to me, "you know, sometimes I find myself turning on the country station too for awhile but don't tell my husband...." Huh? What's with all the shame and embarrassment?

So I've decided to subject you all to the opening song on my running playlist. This is my Show & Tell that I didn't get to do yesterday. Really listen to the words (and enjoy the 'view' girls! *read: swoon)

This is my 5 minute warmup tune, by the end of the song, I feel like I can take on the world. If you're in a spot that you can't listen now - come back later!

'Shine' (Keith Urban)

What's the most inspiring song on YOUR playlist?

Ho Hum...Life's Boring without my Runs!

First, I have to give a shout out and thanks to RooBab, who posted a comment yesterday about my calorie formula which made me take a second (500th) look at my calculations. Bottom line is, my daily calories should be around 1,580, NOT 2,000. I used a weekly total for calories burned in workouts, instead of the total for a day, which would be 300 on run days. So thanks to RooBab, I will NOT be pigging out this week on 2,000 calories a day and lamenting a huge gain next Wednesday!


This has been a looooong week! I'm STILL trying to recover from this crud, in fact - I just made an executive decision to take a sick day today. Considering that my friends in cubeville are probably pretty tired of listening to me cough, I'm sure no one will mind my absence today. Maybe if I would have taken the time to rest earlier in the week, I'd be better by now. I am still just dumbfounded that I got so sick after taking such good care of myself. NO ONE else in my house is sick. They eat junk food (lol). I eat fruits, veges, whole grains, take a multi vitamin, OMega 3 capsules, EXERCISE....sleep 8 hours every night.....I'm just not very tolerant of being sick. Hey SuperDave, how long is this going to take to go away anyway? ;-) That's the great thing about blogging, 'friends in high places' ha ha. (side note, Dave's a pulmonary guy by trade...)

I have not run all week obviously, so that is getting to me. I feel 'blech'. So I'm really feeling the brunt of some other sort of stressful just 'life' stuff going on right now, which also probably explains why it's taking me so long to recover. I hope today's 'quiet' will be good for my psyche as well as my body. Basically, I've lost my sense of 'drive' and things are pretty boring without my runs to 'move' me. It just, well...to be frank - it just sucks!

I am normally a pretty upbeat person, so sorry about being a bit of a downer today - on FRIDAY no less. But, this is how I am TODAY I guess, and this too shall pass I know!

Hope everyone has a good weekend with great runs, awesome races (Go SHOSH!) and good weather for some fall fun!

Wednesday Weigh-In

Not surprisingly, there was no move on the scale this week for me! But, my body is under 'stress' from being sick, I am on medications galore: (Flovent inhaler, Albuterol inhaler, antibiotics, steroids....) so despite my basically liquid diet of the last few days, I've got nuthin to show for it on the scale! It's OKAY though...I am always preaching about The Big Picture, so today I will step back and look at the last 30 days. Since my weigh in on 9/17, I have lost:

Chest - 1/2"
Waist - 3/4"
Hips - 3/4"
Thighs - 1/2"

That's two and 1/2 inches 'less' of me. 2 1/2" that make my pants pretty saggy in the rear and thighs, as well as make them 'longer' lol. This same 2.5 inches amazingly translates to ONLY two pounds lost in 30 days? That's crazy science, but if I'm shrinking, I'm not complaining. (yet, lol) When I first started this journey, I had grand plans of losing 2 pounds a week, 8 pounds a month, reaching my 30 pound loss by about the end of November. Alas, I've only lost 2 pounds in 4 weeks. I'd be kicked off The Biggest Loser by now!

Since Wednesday posts always seem to be about numbers, I thought I'd share a little formula I came across this week, that sort of raised my eyebrows. I picked up some back issues of Runner's World from the library last week and have been reading through the April issue, which was the 'Weight Loss Special Issue'. They featured 4 people who wanted to lose various amounts of weight, from 5 to 25+ pounds, and outlined training and nutrition plans for each to help them reach their goals.

The woman who wanted to lose 25+ pounds and to 'stop a lifelong gain/loss cycle' of course matches my goals. The formula for calculating the calories I need daily in order to reach my goal is this:

1) Multiply goal weight by 10. (130 x 10 = 1300)
2) Add 20% to that number if you sit at a desk all day (1,560)
3) Add the number of cals burned during your workouts (300 x 3 = 900 + 1560 = 2,460)
4) Reduce the total by 15% (2,091)

So to keep it simple, this formula says I need 2,000 calories a day???? That seems like a lot to me. I would say I am currently taking in way WAY less than that. Hmmmm....dare I say it? What would happen if I actually INCREASE my calories closer to 2000 per day? I would say I average somewhere around 1600-1800 cals based on a quick review of my log. Sure, some days maybe I do get close to 2,000, other days it's way less. I'm at 22 points for Weight Watchers, but I would probably say, I am way too low on 'good fat' intake, and based on the formula above, not getting enough calories, especially given the still relatively 'new' demands I am putting on this body. Case in point, my average daily breakfast usually has TWO grams of fat. TWO.

It's a risk, but I'm going to try it for the next week. I've never been a calorie counter - points yes, calories no. But, I am curious about this whole 'make-sure -you -eat-enough' concept, so I'm willing to try it. What's the worse thing that can happen? I maybe gain a pound? Big deal...the only way I'm going to figure it out is by trial and error.

The food plan assigned, based on this formula is this:

Aim for four small meals a day that are about the same number of calories. Have at least 3 types of food in each meal...fruit/vege, grain, and lean protein. 55-65% of calories should be from carbs (whole grain, fruits), 10-15% protein and 20-30% from unsaturated fat (yikes). I will try this and report my result next week.

Aside from all this, I am starting to feel better, but not well enough to run. Maybe tomorow I will do a run/walk on the treadmill. The ER doc who treated me Monday afternoon said I likely have a 'reactive airway' type asthma (reacting to colds and virus)- and it can be allergy related too (indicated by my difficulty running outdoors on some days). Basically I need to schedule a follow up with my GP and get a plan in place to treat the sporadic asthma symptoms and of course, always have an inhaler available (note to self: don't let the inhaler expire or get buried in some junk drawer somewhere). I don't think I need long term daily treatment for asthma, but maybe a daily or seasonal allergy med, and the inhaler available as needed for the outdoor runs on high mold count days - which around here is pretty much between July and November.

I do feel as if I've done 1,000 sit ups in the last 4 days - my abs, back - my whole core is killing.me. Does coughing count as working my core? ;-)

Cheers!

Note to self...Don't Run When Sick!

First things first, I want to give a big shout out to Shosh and her rockin' mom and congratulate them on their first 1/2 marathon together in Baltimore this weekend! Stop by and give them a cyber high-five! They earned it!

Well...maybe I made an error in judgement by running yesterday, but I really felt fine while running and certainly took it way easy! I am sicker than a dawg today...mainly, I was up in the night with asthma-type symptoms, and still going on this morning. The only time I get this is when I'm sick...it is strange. And of course recently I've learned that running in humidity or high allergen times will aggravate it, but this is really bad today. No fever at all, just lots of head congestion and my chest is wheezy. I have not had to 'treat' asthma in a long time.

I just picked up some Primatene tablets (my old inhaler is, well, old...) and it seems to be helping a bit, but I am about to head home from work and get some much needed rest. The Hubby has Monday night football downtown tonight, so I won't be able to hit the bed until the kids go to bed. I'll definitely be hitting the couch though, no doubt about that! Every time I talk or walk, I start coughing UGH. I have achey joints - my knee was twingeing on me this morning and well...I just hope I didn't make things worse by running yesterday! I guess this is how we learn those lessons! Note to self...don't run when sick.

I pretty much have decided, no running until at least Thursday, and then only a very easy, shortened run. It may turn into Saturday, we'll see. It's going to stink being sidelined like this, especially with my first 5K coming up on the 25th.

Interesting theory on how I even have this 'sporadic' asthma in the first place. A couple of summers ago, we spent the weekend at my girlfriend's house, pseudo camping on their heavily wooded property. I spent some time in their hot tub before turning in for the night - and I woke up at like 2am barely able to breathe! Scary stuff. I ended up being sick for almost 3 weeks with this horrible asthma/bronchial type thing. Never had asthma in my life until then. I am convinced that inhaling the droplets from the hot tub irritated my airways permanently, and now every time I get 'sick', the asthma pops up. If any of my medically astute friends have thoughts on this theory, do share. ;-)

Oh well....I guess I have no choice but to roll with it, like anything else! Won't be the last time this happens, I'm sure. I figure I have not missed one workout since July 26th - maybe this is my body's way of telling me to take a break after 2 1/2 months.

Hope everyone has a good week!

The Best Laid Plans.....

...usually have to be changed. I am not getting my Metroparks run this weekend ~ Friday afternoon I started sneezing like crazy at work, my throat was becoming more sore by the minute and by Friday evening at 8:00, I was in bed! Woke up yesterday with a bad cold, and of course it's still hangin' around today. At least it's 'all in my head', so following the 'neck and up' rule of running when sick, I DID get on the treadmill today for a nice and easy 30 minute run.

I thought it would be better to run inside today, rather than risk all the allergens (leaves) outside making me worse. I wasn't sure how the run would go, as crappy as I felt, but I really WANTED to run anyway. So I did ~ kept my heart rate right at an average 143, my pace easy at 12:20, and just covered 2.5 miles. I'm happy I got my 'challenging' workout in on Thursday, and I'm relieved that I did not have to miss a workout despite this stupid cold! Still burned a little over 300 calories - and surprisingly, I felt BETTER after running.

I hope this is a short-lived little bug, because I do not tolerate illness well. I'd like to know where this came from - I'm eating healthier than ever, an orange every day, veges, a multi-vitamin - exercise...I mean what the heck?! No one in my house is sick (yet, ugh). A couple people at work have been though, plus I could've picked something up at the Clinic Wednesday. Who knows, but I am *mad* because I thought my immune system would be all good.

I've also been doing some piano playing this weekend. My daughter's middle school choir concert is Wednesday evening, and there is a possibility that their usual accompanist will not be able to play (soccer championship), so I am 'on deck' just in case. I've been practicing the three songs they are singing. This will be my first 'performance' since I was in college, so I'm a little nervous, even though the music is relatively basic stuff...I still have a bit of stage fright about getting in front of all those people! (read: parents who know me but have no idea I play the piano which means lots of talking to people afterwards and accepting compliments gracefully etc.) I won't know until Tuesday if I'm needed or not, so I could be wasting my time with my practicing, but it's been pretty enjoyable. Of course, to my DAUGHTER I am cool as a cucumber, 'no problem honey, I'd LOVE to do it'....not a hint of nervousness, just practicing to be prepared - setting a good example, and all that jazz. We'll see - I think I may almost be disappointed if the soccer team loses and I'm not needed to play! As nervous as I am, I am sort of hoping I get to play. It's sort of a personal challenge for me, putting myself 'out there', taking a risk of sorts - returning to an old comfort zone that I had many moons ago....it's all part of this journey I guess.

And so, this is my Sunday - I had hoped to have some great pictures from my day in the Valley, but, well, maybe next weekend!

TGIF - Show and Tell

Today's Friday Fact (AKA Show & Tell) comes from Mark's Daily Apple. The post today is very timely, given our volatile economic climate. I don't know about you, but boy do I get some heart palps in the check out line these days. Feeding a family of five takes a huge chunk out of the household budget these days!

It's shaping up to be a beautiful weekend here in Northeast Ohio! This weekend I hope to take the whole family down to the Cleveland Metroparks to 'play'. The Metroparks are affectionately known as 'The Valley' around here. Sadly, we don't take the time to enjoy this giant playground with our kids. My husband spent his entire childhood playing and causing trouble exploring in the valley. It is an excellent place to picnic, bike, roller blade, walk, fish and RUN.

YES! I am so looking forward to hitting the trails in The Valley to RUN, with like, OTHER RUNNERS. It's going to be so cool to run in nature, see the leaves changing, pass other runners (or be passed, in my case ha ha). While I do my 30 minute run, the hub and kids can explore the boat dock, hike, play frisbee - whatever. I am looking forward to it. The closest Reservation to us is the Rocky River Reservation which I am most familiar with and that's where I will do my first 'valley run'. Running the loop around my 'hood is great, but this is going to be my first real run outside my comfort zone of the neighborhood track, my neighborhood, or my treadmill.

Last night I had a great run in the dark - I ran my first 5K! My Garmin confused me, because when the data transfer ocurred - there were three laps showing up, so not exactly sure what that was all about because I never touched my watch while running, but anyway, my pace was under 12 minutes which was cool, my average heart rate was 150, and it looks like I did the 5K in 35 minutes! I was working hard, because for some reason, I can not slow down outside. It takes me about 10 minutes to get comfortable but the rest of the run went fast! Anyway, I will not do the 5K again until the race on the 25th, I was just curious to see where I was - hopefully I can do a little better after 2 more weeks, but I was pleasantly surprised to do it in 35 minutes quite frankly. I'd be happy with that - but perhaps after going all out in the last stretch of the race, maybe I can shave a little more off that. We'll see!

Random share....my new favorite snack: Oatmeal with 1 tablespoon peanut butter. I had this post-run last night, with an apple. YUM.

I hope everyone has a great weekend with great runs, great football and fun with family and friends!

Everything went well at the Clinic today. We really liked the neuro that Chris saw. She said she has a 'few tricks up her sleeve', and the list of meds yet to try is longer than we thought. There will be no surgery talk for a long while, if ever. (*whew*) We are introducing a drug called Lamictal. It has a good side effect profile, but the downside is that it has to be introduced very slowly - slowly as in, it will be 8 weeks before we get to the maintenance dose. Then we watch and wait, and if he is stable, then we will start to remove the Topamax. 1 in 200 kids get the 'Lamictal Rash' - which is why it is introduced very slowly. If we see the rash, we stop the drug.

Chris does not get random seizures here and there, he has seizures in 'clusters'. If he has one seizure, we know for certain there are more to come within in the next 24 hours. Usually 5-6. It is like a fire spreading in the brain...you think the fire is 'out', but it is still smoldering. All it takes is one little 'spark', and the flames rekindle, and his medication can't keep up with all the sparks, so it is not effective. That's why we give him the Ativan (like a valium), which 'quiets' the brain and stops the seizures. Obviously the goal is to stop the seizures from happening at all, but we may never achieve that kind of control.....or, as he gets out of adolescence - it may get better. Who can predict? All we can do is what we are doing, and of course, keep him safe in the process.

Grace will take her medicine every night now at bedtime. Last year, we gave it to her to 'abort' the stomach episodes as they happened. Now, the goal is to keep them from happening at all. Her doctor mentioned to me that abdominal migraine is very prevalent in Scotland and Sweden (?), very rare in the US. He also said the tendency comes from the maternal side. I just found this random mention interesting because I am adopted, and don't know my 'heritage'. My hubby asked me if I have bagpipes in my closet! ;-) Funny guy.

That's all ~ just wanted to post the update for anyone following the saga of my two kiddos. The third kiddo just goes about her 8th grade life, striving for straight A's and crushing on some boys, watching YouTube videos and John & Kate Plus Eight. OH to be young again....

Until next time....

Wednesday Weigh-In

You all probably have noticed that I removed the scale/tape measure logo from the layout. Somewhere along the way, each time I saw that picture, it felt not quite 'right' - I couldn't quite put my finger on it, until over last weekend during my run, it hit me. I thought, 'that scale is not what this journey is all about any more!' Whenever I see that logo, I feel somewhat detached or something? My journey is now about fitness, whatever I weigh - dropping pounds has become a 'perk' as a result of running. So is my good mental health, my positive emotional well-being, my ability to cope with life's challenges, and the fact that I now fit into my size 10 dress pants that are too big everywhere - except in the waist. I look more fit, and 'skinnier' than I did when I weighed 140 pounds three years ago. At 140 pounds, I was excited to be in a size 12!

Today, I weighed 150, down another pound - which is a great feeling, don't get me wrong, but I find myself 'obsessing' more about my level of fitness, then the number on the scale, or the tape measure. These are markers of progress, another guidepost to measure and achieve my goals, absolutely....but I think I have turned a corner in that, I am not ruled by those numbers any more! This is a great feeling for me, I get a sense of freedom from this. This is going to sound 'catty' and is not meant to be - but there are some blogs I have visited where the author is just SO. STRESSED.OUT over the number on the scale....almost to the point where it is an unhealthy obsession. I feel bad for those folks, and have often offered whatever consolation I can - I know it can be frustrating, I mean, wow - I've lived this my whole adult life! But becoming 'free' from those numbers on the scale has to come from within ourselves. No outside encouragement, no matter how insightful it is, is going to rescue someone from the scale. It all comes from within, I know that now!

So, pats on the back for another pound lost, but I'm MORE excited with how easy my 30 minute runs are becoming, and how comfortable I feel while running, and all the other 'perks'. Those are the things I celebrate now, the weight loss is a bonus!

Off to spend the day at the Cleveland Clinic! We've already been to the eye doctor and for haircuts this morning....it's a full day! I am enjoying being 'full time mom' for today though...

Cheers!

Monday rambling...

Well, things are 'amok' in the household these days. On top of Chris having a bad weekend (again), it appears that my little Gracie's stomach migraines are back in action. As the neurologist had predicted when we last saw her in June, things calmed down for Grace over the summer, and now that fall has arrived, she has had a couple of stomach aches over the past 3 weeks. The first three were really just 'mentions' of a stomach ache but she was able to push through the discomfort and go about her day. This weekend however, that all changed.

Saturday evening she was unusually tired and fell asleep at 6:30 on the couch. Grace is the Energizer Bunny - she will go go go go until she absolutely has to stop. She is never idle, always running, playing and busy. So for her to crash at that hour of the day is unheard of. I thought maybe she had stayed up too late at her little sleepover Friday night, but no - they fell asleep around 9:30 or 10. Then Sunday, she was a little 'sensitive' and sort of woke on the wrong side of the bed. Went to play with a friend in the afternoon, and when I spoke to her on the phone she didn't seem 'right' to me. Sure enough when she came home yesterday evening, she said her stomach had started hurting around 2pm. I knew then that a migraine was kicking in. I gave her some Periactin and Motrin and she went to bed early again. This morning, she was still uncomfortable and ended up sleeping it off at Grandma's all day today. By 2 pm today, she literally bounded off the couch and was a new kid. Interesting the stomach pain lasted exactly 24 hours. The fatigue and emotional stuff was the 'prodrome' to this episode.

So, the plan is to now put her on a daily med to prevent the episodes from happening at all. Both she and Chris have neuro appointments at the Cleveland Clinic this Wednesday. I find it interesting too that her stomach episodes start at the same time that Chris has a spike in HIS seizure activity. I really think it is all related to the change in available daylight (serotonin levels etc), weather patterns etc. The brain is a fascinating thing.

I am looking forward though to meeting a new neurologist for Chris - she is the Director of the Peds Epilepsy department at the Clinic. Her biography is filled with research, awards, and journals that she has authored. She specializes in epilepsy treatments for children and adolescents. I hope she can give us some new insight. I am hesitant about putting Chris on Depakote, but of course if this is her opinion too, we will go with it.

Both kids are happy as clams though now, so another 'storm' weathered for now! That's how it goes - you take it as it comes, do what you need to do, and march on.

I'm hoping to get a morning run in tomorrow. I felt antsy today and can't wait to get to the point where I can run more days. I know I can cross-train, but nothing appeals to me at the moment!

Cheers all!

A Most Excellent Run

I hit the pavement this morning before the sun came up, and it was truly a Most Excellent Run! (Any 'Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure fans out there?) It was a brisk 41 degrees and it felt great! Today, I just ran. That's all, just ran. No walk breaks, no breathing issues, a nice steady pace - it was the sort of run where you feel like you could just go all day. I ran 2.75 miles in 33 minutes, which paced me out at an even 12:00 mile. My heart rate hovered around 150 - which the Heart Rate Charts say is 'harder' than I need to work, but quite honestly, it does not feel that hard to me? Trying to keep my heart rate around 143 is getting hard - if I slow down much more, I'll be walking!

I love running in the dark. I loved hearing my feet hit the pavement. I love being a part of the dawn turning to morning. I heard owls this morning, I smelled a skunk, I smelled a fireplaceburning, or maybe the remnants of a backyard campfire from last evening. I saw rabbits. Yes, this was a most excellent run.

Yep, I've got it bad...I am completely, totally hooked! While I was running, I tried to formulate the best way to describe what I felt like at that moment.

Here is what I came up with.....

Miscellaneous update and the new 'Friday Factoid'

I woke early this morning to do some research on Depakote. This is a seizure med (also used for treating bi-polar disorder) that the neuro wants to start Chris on, and then taper off the Topamax. *sigh* This will be the 4th med we have tried for Chris, as we try to find the right 'cocktail' to get him seizure free. So, the Depakote? Not sure I'm liking the side effect profile. Chris is not a good candidate for surgery right now, so we have to work with the meds for as long as we can. Unfortunately, the list of meds is getting shorter for us. Our neuro has suggested that we go see the pediatric epileptologists at the Cleveland Clinic. Our neuro is a general peds guy, and I think he is starting to scratch his head over finding the best med combo for Chris. Today I will call them and see when I can get Chris in. I may hold off on the Depakote until we see them and get their recommendation.

In workout news...my Thursday workouts are evolving into interval training sessions. I again threw in some 5mph intervals (ranging from 1-2 minutes), and then came down to a slow jog to recover my heart rate for about 2-3 minutes. I only do this during the 2nd half of my workout. Doing this for my 30 minute run last night burned a whopping 325 calories! LOVE that. I like to practice running faster too. I will continue this type of workout once a week only, so I don't hurt myself! It feels good to run *fast*.

Every Friday, I thought I'd share something that I've read or interesting facts that might be of interest to anyone trying to be healthy, lose weight and get fit. I read read read all the time - online, magazines, books. It's good to share the 'love'.

The following link at WebMD talks about 'healthy oils' as being a 'flat belly' food. For those of us who are old school, and shy away from oil and fat, this article deserves a read! Even Weight Watchers has added in 2 servings of 'healthy oils' to their guidelines. Read on...

Meet The 5 Flat Belly Foods

Inspiring Others

It's a revolution of sorts....I'm noticing that some of the people in my life are suddenly on 'live healthy' kicks, starting or re-focusing on exercise and nutrition. Yesterday at work, the firm sponsored a health screening through our insurance company. For $10, they checked blood pressure, BMI, Body Fat %, Glucose and cholesterol. Unfortunately, I missed it (friend's funeral was yesterday) - but I had to chuckle when I reviewed my boss's calendar upon arriving to work and she had 'Official Start of Healthy Living' marked proudly on October 1st.

Her brother is a runner (big time), and she told me she talked to him about me. (?) She told him, 'I think she's in deep'. And I think her brother & I are now instant amigos, vicariously through running. He had all kinds of advice for her to pass on to me. It's important to note here that when my boss came back from vacation this summer, I had just started C25K and she didn't know that - but she was 'making fun' of her brother and his wife because of how they got up every morning and ran together for 'hours'. When she eventually found out that I was 'running', she had that 'oh that's nice, good for you' attitude. She meant it, but I don't think she really thought it would become a 'thing'.

Until the results start showing on the outside. NOW she is paying attention. Others are doing the same. Suddenly I hear, 'so what do you eat?', 'how long have you been running?' 'where can I find that 'couch' plan?'. Hey ~ it's all good to me! I became inspired to get off my rear when I read other people's stories and saw their progress pictures. Sometimes that's what it takes, right?

I don't want to force my lifestyle on anyone, kind of like religion or politics you know - this is what I do for ME, it's how I roll. But secretly it's kind of cool to think we've inspired someone, even indirectly, to do something good for themselves!

Wednesday Weigh In and Heart Rate Zones

I finally got to transfer my Garmin data last night, based upon learning (previous post edit) that there is a gliche in the website at the moment, so I used the alternative 'Garmin Training Center' software. Technology continues to impress me, as a page opens up with all this great data that I really did not see ANYwhere on my watch after my run! Here are the official stats for yesterday's run:

Time 30:00
2.43 miles
Avg Pace 12:21
Calories 256
Avg Heart Rate 142 (This falls in 'Zone 3' - best for optimal aerobic conditioning and fat burning)
Max Heart Rate 157 (Zone 4 - develops improved anaerobic capacity and improved speed)

All of this of course is also viewed in a slick graph on the site, which was cool also - everything appears to be 'nice and steady' in terms of my pace and effort. My pace is still a bit slow, but definitely improved over where I started. I am also happy to know that the numbers match pretty much dead on with my treadmill, and looks like I don't have to manually calibrate the watch after all thank goodness, because I would probably mess that up!

The data was also laid out by how much time I spent in each Heart Rate 'Zone' and this is where I learned the most already. The 'ideal' Zone for what I am trying to accomplish (fat burn and aerobic conditioning) would be Zone 3. I only spent 9:20 in this Zone, and I spent a total of 17:00 in Zone 4! Holy Cow...this reinforces my suspicion that I probably run harder than I need to. However, it's been working for me so far, I have not hurt myself and I'm pleased with my progress. It's just nice to know I can ease up a little and still be doing great work. I just need to balance the workout a bit more...I don't NEED to spend more than 1/2 my run in Zone 4 at this stage of the game. If I want to get a somewhat decent first 5K time, I DO need to work in Zone 4 a little bit though. Right now, based on my pace today, I'm looking at about a 36 minute 5K.

Here is my dilemma - I have NOT run 3.1 miles yet, nor have I run more than 30 minutes. My One Hour Running plan calls for 30 minute runs only for the next 3 weeks. My 5K is on October 25th. I am considering a 'long run' for this weekend, 3.1 miles - just to see where I'm at. This is more than a 10% increase over 30 minutes, and more than 10% of 2.43 miles. So I'm a little hesitant, but at the same time, curious to see where I'm at for the 5K. Any thoughts on this???? My feeling is that it's better to do it this week or maybe next weekend, rather than do it right before the 5K.

My Weigh-In this morning is a huge success! The scale moved again and I am down 2 pounds! At 151, I am only 4 pounds away from a 'healthy BMI'. (whatever) Journaling my food really helped and I am going to continue this for a bit. Unfortunately, another pound down, and my points allotment goes down to 20 points per day, but on my running days, I will eat my AP's. (I usually never eat the AP's - I dig in to the flex points)

This post is all about numbers, stats, and data...but it's fun. I love my Garmin now! It will make it so much 'easier' to hit the road and get off the treadmill!

Happy Wednesday all ~