Another 5K Down

Last Saturday morning running club 5K for a few months. I did not run the entire way - as was the goal. However, I feel pretty good. My recovery was much better this week than last week. Here's how Garmin broke it down:
Mile 1: 12:40
Mile 2: 14:13
Mile 3: 14:16
Last 0.14: 1:30
The official timers time was 42:39 - which is almost a minute faster than last week. Also, I have a list of other 5K races that are coming up, and a buddy to run with me - to keep me on the races.

Quick Friday Weather Update

Well, it is Friday morning. It is pouring and cold outside. 10 miles west of here it is snow/rain mix. 12 miles west of here is where tomorrow's 5K race will be. The rain should turn to snow overnight. And it should be done snowing by morning. It may hit 50 degrees by tomorrow afternoon. I'll be out there running no matter what - even if we get 6 inches of snow, or if it is 50 degrees at 8am tomorrow.

I have made much more effort to drink water, and avoid alcohol and caffienated coffee (I have to at least have decaf). Tonight, I'm planning to eat the last of the Easter Ham and a baked potato. My sister A reminds me that you don't have to eat the pound of spaghetti to carbo load. I'm not feeling so dehydrated today (the day before the race), but I think I will get better.

No weight loss this week. I am stuck nicely at 225 pounds. (This is my wedding weight, and lower than my pre-baby weight. I am happy with 225 - for now.) With the running and weight lifting I've added, I find I am hungry again. I have been eating more than when I was sticking strictly to weight watchers, but I am eating healthier than before. I'm not finishing the day with 5 scoops of ice cream, but I may have a scoop of light ice cream or ff/sf pudding. It is more like, for breakfast I eat an oatmeal AND a yogurt AND an orange AND a bowl of dry cereal. Previously, breakfast would have been just one of those. Or before WW, it would have been McDonalds.

I am still trying to keep to the WW plan, but the past three weeks, it has been extra hard. I have to work out the points I am earning. Because I think I am earning more points with excercise then I think. Extra eating, but no extra weight gain. Also, after losing 35 pounds, I want to settle for a little time. Then, I can jump start the next 10% weight loss. Imagine, if my initial training is 25 pounds more than what I will have when it is time to run the marathon!

Run Fat Girl Run

Oh, I forgot to mention: I saw an ad for a new movie. It is about a guy who is told he is too fat to run a marathon, and is about his training to get there. It looked funny, but I guess the idea of selling my blog for movie rights goes out the window. I only caught a bit of the movie ad before my hubby switched channels. I'll have to check it out more.

Home Running

I went for 2.5 miles yesterday with the dog. We did a really good first mile - 13:54 (same as the 5K), and I felt pretty strong. Then, we turned and went through an area with lots of dogs! No pace-setting there. I spent lots of energy just keeping the dog from running off to chase the other dogs. And I get really annoyed by un-leashed dogs. My sister A has commented on that. But, she was chased by big dogs. Instead, we were chased by two little rat-dogs. Ok, that sounds harsh maybe. But, one after another these two little dogs kept trying to bother my big dog (75 pounds to their 5 pounds). They'd run up to his leash limit and yap. Then pee and run off, just to come back again and do it all over. My dog wants to play and sniff, but I am affraid he would play too rough with them. They weren't bigger than our cats. And their owner thinks it is so cute. I just want to keep moving forward lady! Anyway, it wasn't a great run because of the dogs. But, it was 2.5 miles of moving and using upper body strength. And without the dog, I probably wouldn't go out at night. After the run, I did 3 sets of 10 reps with the weight bar. By the end, I was really having to call out the numbers. It was real work to get that bar up and down controlled. But, on the plus side - this is the third time I have done so many reps and this morning my arms don't feel like lead!

Runners are Great

I recently posted on my sister A's page about offering encouragement to people. She told that story of two women that she met on her run who cheered her on. Very random encouragement. I said we should all make an effort to cheer on someone we don't know. Yesterday, in the mail, I got an article from someone I have never met. When I volunteered at the 30K race, someone there set us up by email because we live in the same town and she has run Disney twice. We've emailed a bit. Well, she was reading an article, and thought of me. She looked for my address on line and shipped me the magazine. She had an old address - but the wonderful mailman we have from the old place brought it by.

Runners are great! All of us are really encouraging.

Another 5K Done

Well, the weather was cold and brisk, and there were some wind gusts, but, it was a nice day for a run. I did the 5K in 39:36 - which beat the previous time by 24 seconds. Garmin agreed with the time (within a few seconds - which was me havng to raise my arm enough to hit "stop"). I didn't run the whole way, but well more than half of it, probably three quarters of it. My average speed was 13:54. Better than needed for disney, but I couldn't have kept up the pace.

This week, there was a runner I'd met before that had hurt her knee when skiing the previous weekend. She stayed with me and we talked - she talked while we ran, then when I could talk again during the walking breaks, we would run again. She told met to just go my pace and she would keep up with me. I feel that maybe I would have run more often if she wasn't there. We did have a good conversation, and I could have used that breath for running. And, there were times when we ran maybe faster than I should have. BUT, she kept me motivated as well. We would set a goal to run, then we would high five when we made it. She was great to run with. Next week, I have to run by myself. I have to try to keep the run pace. At this point, I am not sure I will make that goal.

Things to work on this week - I need to get hydrated. I was feeling low on hydration from Thursday on, and it really hit me during the race. I also thought I need to try some Gu. I feel silly needing nutrition after 2 miles, but I felt like I lost steam past the half way point. I was wiped out after the race and I think that had something to do with it.

I need to get more intense on the dog walks this week. I have the Garmin now to tell me when I have gone two miles. I want to repeat at least the pace I had this week for two miles, but better to do three miles.

I have signed up to do a 5K in my home town - with many runners and not ones in my running club. I will give details on that later.

Saturday Forecast

Ok, it is Friday afternoon in New England. The forecast for tomorrow doesn't show snow & ice. It doesn't even show rain. That is encouraging!

I am psyched to run tomorrow's 5K. I did 2.5 miles yesterday, with 15 minute miles (until the cool down after 2 miles). I was running it a lot - but the dog kept wanting to stop.

I came home after and lifted the weight bar for three reps of 10 - well two reps of 10 and one of 5 - that bar was getting heavy. I can feel the burn today still.

I am not going to run the dog tonight - although it is hard not to run when I have all the gear on. Maybe I better skip the gear (i.e. the Enell) to keep from running tonight. I will have the Garmin on tomorrow and be able to give more details after the 5K. I have tomorrow's 5K, then the following week the goal to meet is running the entire time. Gulp.