Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A Strong 4 Miles

Time: 50:00 min.
Distance: 3.98 mi.
Pace: 12:33 m/mi
Time of Day: 6:20 a.m.
Weather: 63°F. cloudy, overcast, windy

I can't remember the last time I ran 4 miles. But I am working very hard to stick to my training schedule. I felt so good on my last 2 runs that I figured today would be a comfortable stretch and I was right. I should have eaten a banana before I headed out. I was feeling really hungry by the time I got back, even weak. I quickly ate a banana and drank some water but it took about 15-20 minutes before I felt better.  A lesson to be learned there.

Monday, April 25, 2011

At The Gym

I had a great strength training workout this morning. I really like the workout Kelly designed for me. Especially those little shoulder moves-the one where I do a total of 80 reps on each shoulder. Yeah, that one!

I meet with Kelly again Wednesday. No clue what she will have in store for me.

Oops! I Did It Again

Sunday's Run

Distance: 2.96 mi.
Time: 36:40 min.
Pace: 12:23 m/mi
Time of Day: 10:15 a.m.
Weather: 53°F, drizzling at start, cool, cloudy

The Love was concerned I would be cold when I appeared in running shorts and a short sleeved t-shirt. I assured him I would be fine. And, I was. A great run. It actually was a little over 3 miles, but I completely forgot to start my app until I had run a bit.

The Love dropped me off at the grocery store and I ran home. It gave me some different scenery and road to travel. With all the rain we've had a lot of the places I typically run are either muddy or flooded. So I'm pretty much running along the main road by house.

Oops! I Missed a Run

Friday, 04/22

Distance: 2.54 miles
Time: 30:04 min.
Pace: 11:50 m/mi
Time of day: 9:45 a.m.
Weather: 64°F, cloudy, rainy, windy

Today was a really good run. I ran at the school track and just for kicks I ran it the opposite direction. My breathing was good and my legs felt strong. This is a step-back week which is why I'm running in the 2-3 mile range.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

On My Own

I had a total bummer of a day yesterday. The thunder was rumbling with flashes of lightening when I got up. No running in the morning. The afternoon forecast looked better and I felt sure that I would be able to run after my Weight Watchers weigh-in. (That was a downer. I gained .6 lbs.) There were severe thunderstorm warnings all evening. We had a tornado close by and it rained up until after 10 p.m. So I missed Tuesday's run.

However, with my workout paper from Kelly in hand I sweat through the gym routine this morning on my own. As I told The Love later, "It's not nearly as much fun when you don't have your personal trainer encouraging you." But I did it and feel really good.

Not every day is perfect I realize, but I'm glad yesterday doesn't happen very often.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Mondays with Kelly

Monday's Workout

Second meeting with my personal trainer, Kelly. I had a great workout! Those biceps are going to be sore tomorrow! I'll workout on my own Wednesday & Friday this week. Due to a business trip Monday & Tuesday, Kelly & I will meet again next Wednesday.

I really like the workout she designed. It uses quite a variety of gym equipment. Free weights, machines, floor work, balance ball, and these little blue unstable disks I stand on to do bicep curls. It's also amazing how much I sweat! Apparently I wasn't working very hard when I was doing weight lifting on my own. I never, ever sweat that much.

This morning Kelly had me doing some side ab work. My right side was burning when she said, "O.k. now roll over and work the other side." To which I replied, "Yeah. I decided I only want my right side to be firm for the wedding pictures". She laughed and said, "Yeah, no!"

No Rhythm

Sunday, April 17

Distance: 2.01 miles
Time: 24:35 min.
Pace: 12:13 m/mi
Time of day: 6:30 p.m.
Weather: 73°F. A beautiful evening to run!

I was so sore Saturday evening from my new workout at the gym and then running Saturday morning that I could barely move. But Sunday morning I felt much better. My schedule didn't let me run until the evening but that was o.k. because it was beautiful outside.

Unfortunately, my run wasn't so great. I never hit a good rhythm. I was fast, then slow, then fast again. Breathing was just as erratic. My legs felt like big ole' tree trunks. But I stuck it out and made my usual Sunday 2 miles. That's a good thing.

2011 Dash for Diabetes 5k

Saturday, April 16

Distance: 3.13 miles
Time: 37:50 min.
Pace: 12:05 m/mi
Time of day: 9 a.m.
Weather: 40°F, overcast, drizzly, chilly

I set a goal recently to run one race every month. The half-marathon will be in October so I've scheduled 5k's and, hopefully, a couple 10k's over the next few months. Today's Dash for Diabetes was the first.

There was a really small turnout for the race, maybe 100 runners. Having never done this race before I don't know if this was typical or if some people skipped the race due to the weather.

The course was 2x around the perimeter of The Arch grounds. Thank goodness we ran down the one big hill. I'm not ready for any steep hills.

I had a great run and it's a great cause. Many thanks to the other runner who sprinted with me to the finish line.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Hi, I'm Kelly.

My first session with a personal trainer is over. It was so much more than I dreamed it could be. Kelly is easy to talk to, but I can tell she won't hesitate to push me.

It was quite an hour this morning at 7 a.m. I was sweating profusely when we finished up. We didn't do anything really, really tough. I didn't spend 60 minutes doing crunches. Instead, Kelly showed me how to "engage" my core while doing all my other exercises. She complimented me on good form and said I was stronger than she was expecting. Nice to hear. My big weakness (aside from the soft, fluffy abs) is balance. Yes, it needs a lot of help. The good news is that you can see improvements in balance pretty quickly.

Kelly offered a serious workout, but I don't think I'll be sore tomorrow. Well, ok, maybe a little. She's good about explaining the whys and hows of each exercise. So I'm excited about my next session.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

I'm Feeling Good About Me

How does Jennifer Hudson sing it on those Weight Watchers commercials? "It's a new day; it's a new dawn, And I'm feeling good." I feel good about me today!

I signed up for 10 sessions with a personal trainer at my gym. I want to work on my core. It's very soft and flabby and I just really dislike it all the time. I know that it's possible to have great abs under a thick layer of fat. So I'm working on the fat issue by following Weight Watchers new PointsPlus program. I rejoined a month ago and I've lost 6.2 lbs.

I was talking to Coach Jeni today and told her that for the first time in my life I am in a place where I am doing this for me and my health. Always before there has been some external motivation, or in some cases no motivation, only guilt. I believe I got to this point by asking a simple question of Jeni in November 2009. "Do you think I could run a half marathon?"

That simple, timid question on an early morning walk became a journey to a more healthy me. While I want to trim down and tone up my mid-section so it looks better, I am primarily motivated by a desire to improve my health. I have experienced the huge positive impact running has had in my life and now I want to experience the positive impact of even better physical and mental health.


It continues to amaze me how running is such a positive influence in my life. Although I struggled last summer and really slacked off during the long, bitterly cold winter, I have never considered not running on a regular basis. Running is one of the top 5 best things I have ever done to improve my life.

So I eagerly wait to hear when my first training session is going to be. I know I will feel sore after those first few workouts, but oh, the end result is going to be awesome!