Food Deserts and Nutritional Starvation

Food Deserts and Nutritional Starvation in America:

What Can Be Done?

               There is rising concern these days about the obesity epidemic occurring in America.  For the past 30 years, American’s waistlines have been expanding and citizens and politicians alike have been asking why.  Many believe the answer to this problem is educating children; teaching healthy habits at an early age in order to avoid obesity in their future.  Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign and the NFL’s Play 60 are two examples of organizations geared to motivate children to move their bodies and make healthier food choices.  Unfortunately, these organizations are only addressing a portion of the problem.  The federal government estimates that 23.5 million people in America live in a food desert and roughly 49 million Americans are suffering from nutritional starvation. [i]  A food desert is defined by an area without affordable fresh food or full-service markets. [ii]  Nutritional starvation occurs when a person isn’t consuming enough natural nutrients that can be found in fruits and vegetables.

Food deserts are common in both rural and urban communities that are typically defined as low income.  These areas may or may not have had supermarkets in the past, but a time came when the supermarkets decided it was no longer financially feasible to keep their stores in these locations.  Supermarkets were moved to the suburbs and small convenience marts and fast food establishments became the only viable options to local residents.  Large produce manufactures deemed it too inconvenient or costly to drive their semis out to the rural communities or into the densely populated cities.  With the lack of fresh produce available in these locations, nutritional starvation quickly became a problem in these low income areas.  Many low income residents lack the financial means to travel far distances via car or bus to the suburbs to shop in the well-stocked supermarkets.  If they are able to get out to the supermarket, they then have to deal with the challenge of rising food costs.  Because of farm bills and government subsidies, corn, wheat, rice, and soybeans have become cheaper for large food manufacturers to buy and to then produce nutritionally lacking foods.  Pair this with the declining food stamp program, and a family is forced to make hard decisions when it comes to nutrition verses feeding the whole family for a week. 

To buffer the rising costs of food and the declining food stamps, many people turn to charity run food pantries and soup kitchens.  While these charities are serving a need in their communities, they are often confined to giving or serving foods that are high in preservatives, sodium, and fat.  According to Janet Poppendieck the author of Sweet Charity: Emergency Food and the End of Entitlement, “A national study released in 1988 found soup kitchen meals frequently deficient in fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.”  She also notes the high percentage of snacks and sweets given out at many food pantries much to the chagrin of food pantry directors.  Supermarkets often donate bulk foods to food pantries and unfortunately, it is the junk food that sells in their stores, thus it is junk food that fills their shelves. [iii]  Again, it is what sells because it is what is cheapest for low income families to purchase.

The effect that nutritional starvation has on people, especially children, can be anywhere from temporary to lifelong struggles.  If a child is nutritionally deprived within the first three years of their life, their development years, it “affects their cognitive development and ability to get along with others, their stature, their weight, and their brain at a much deeper level.”[i]  Beyond the development age, hungry children have “significantly more episodes of fatigue, dizziness, headache, and inability to concentrate.”[iv]  For all age groups, a person could be eating a large number of calories, but nutrients are either completely missing from the diet or the once live nutrients have been destroyed in the food through methods such as added preservatives.[v]  This leads directly to obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure in adults.  In other words, if a cheeseburger, fries, and a soda can cost less than four dollars off the dollar menu at a fast food restaurant, while a bag of lettuce and a pound of chicken breast can cost upwards to ten dollars at the supermarket, a low income person is likely to choose the meal with the higher calories and lower cost.  When a person must choose this option on a regular basis, they are not getting the nutrients a healthy body requires to function properly and thus pounds are added over time.  Partner this with the low income families who live in food deserts and suddenly the dollar menu or convenience store becomes the only option as fresh lettuce and chicken breasts cannot even be found within the community.

So the question is, what can be done?  First of all, fresh foods need to be brought into the community.  Nationwide, local farmer’s markets are on the rise and many are occurring in or around food deserts.  Not only are these markets bringing fresh food directly to the consumer, but they are also cutting out the middle man…the grocery store.  Farmers as well as consumers benefit from this one-on-one interaction.  The farmer is getting paid directly, while the consumer is able to interact with the farmer and ask them questions such as how to prepare certain foods.  Plus, the cost of the food is more manageable to the average low income family.  Some markets have even evolved to accept food stamps so all may benefit within the community.

Community gardens are another tool being used today to help educate and feed low income families in both rural and urban areas.  But when farmers markets and community gardens aren’t available, it’s typically local charities that step up to provide fresh food to those in need.  In the rural community of Mulberry, Indiana, one pastor saw this need and decided to do something about it.  The Stone Soup Food Pantry in Mulberry is a small, two room operation that relies heavily on the donation of non-perishable foods from local organizations such as churches and schools.  Pastor Mike Crawford of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church had an idea to make the pantry better.  He began Katie’s Commons, a nonprofit community garden on Gloria Dei’s church grounds, where 100% of the produce grown will be donated to the Stone Soup Food Pantry and to be distributed among their clientele.  Pastor Crawford consults the food pantry on what to grow and members of his church and the food pantry help in maintaining the garden.  Along with giving fresh produce to those in need, Katie’s Commons also offers education on nutrition and gives out seeds to those families who wish to start their own gardens.

An organization with a similar mission is located in the urban community of Denver, Colorado.  The Metro CareRing Food Pantry also places a large emphasis on access to fresh foods and nutritional education.  Metro CareRing distributes between 4,000 to 6,000 pounds of food, baby items, and personal care products to up to 500 people every day.  By working with local grocery stores, farmers and gardens, 62% of that is nutritionally live food.  Along with food donation, the MCR places a large emphasis on nutritional education in the form of classes, one-on-one discussions with shopping assistants and allowing clients to get their hands dirty in the onsite garden.  In my own experience as a volunteer at the Metro CareRing, I can see how excited people are to be able to choose from a huge selection of fresh produce.  Many clients unfortunately need assistance from a number of food pantries and they mention how they have enough peanut butter and snacks, common items distributed by food pantries.  At MCR, each client is given a personal shopping assistant so they may pick out every item they take home.  Each is allowed to fill a large shopping bag with fresh produce and so many are grateful for the chance to eat healthy food for the week.

Unfortunately, charities can only do so much.  Jeff Bridges, actor and cofounder of the End Hunger Network, says, “Charity is a great thing, but it’s not a way to end hunger.  We don’t fund the Department of Defense through charity.”  Meaning we need to be looking beyond charities and to local, state, and federal government to assist us with this need.  The Food Research and Action Center has come up with seven essential strategies to achieve America’s goal of ending hunger, which will also help in ending food deserts and nutritional starvation. 

1.                      Restore economic growth and create jobs with better wages for lower-income workers.

2.                      Raise the incomes of the lowest-income workers.

3.                      Strengthen the SNAP/Food Stamp Program.

4.                      Strengthen the child nutrition programs.

5.                      Engage the entire federal government in ending childhood hunger.

6.                      Work with states, localities, and nonprofits to expand and improve participation in federal nutrition programs.

7.                      Make sure all families have convenient access to reasonably priced, healthy food.[i]

Until all of these goals are met, I believe everyone can get involved in this fight in one way or another.  Here are some simple ways to help out in your community: 1. Donate time or money to your local food pantry. 2. Discuss food deserts with your local city council members and what can be done to bring in fresh food. 3. Assist with a local community garden that is committed to donating its produce to those in need. 4. Support local and federal candidates who want to make positive changes with the SNAP/Food Stamps Program and with the Farm Bill/Government Subsidies.

While it’s true that America has a problem with obesity, it’s important to keep in mind that being healthy isn’t always an option for low income families.  Food deserts and nutritional starvation are a large factor in keeping the waistlines up in low income communities.  To combat this problem, we must first educate the general public on the growing number of hungry families in our own country.  Low income families aren’t lazy or unwilling to eat healthy.  They are nutritionally starving because they do not have access to fresh produce in their own neighborhoods.  Once we can solve this problem, then we can put more emphasis on nutrition and fitness education.  And then we will start to see a shift in the number of obese children and adults in America.

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[i] Pringle, Peter. A Place at the Table: The Crisis of 49 Million Hungry Americans and How to Solve It. New York: PublicAffairs, 2013. Print.

[ii] Gottlieb, Robert, and Anupama Joshi. Food Justice. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2010. Print.

[iii] Poppendieck, Janet. Sweet Charity?: Emergency Food and the End of Entitlement. New York, NY: Viking, 1998. Print.

[iv] Winne, Mark. Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty. Boston: Beacon, 2008. Print.

[v] Gabriel, Jon. The Gabriel Method. Pymble, N.S.W.: Simon & Schuster Australia, 2009. Print.

A Very Large Road Block

This has been a very hard week for me.  My boyfriend of 6.5 years and I ended our relationship.  The long and short of it is that Joe and I want different things for our future.  For the last 4 years, we have both been very honest about what we want and I think we've both been waiting for the other to bend to the other's will.  In the end, neither was bending and we knew it wasn't fair to either of us to keep waiting or change what we want in life.  This is especially difficult because there is still love between us.  He has been my best friend for 6.5 years and the thought of not seeing him everyday is extremely hard.

Both of us have decided to stay in Denver; I picked up keys to a new apartment today.  While we give each other the space we need to heal, we will also see each other every now and then.  Neither of us think our friendship needs to end just because our romantic relationship has ended.  That makes it a little easier...a little.

Once I am able to move out from under this crushing sadness, I intend to focus on me.  I realize that this is what I have been doing all year, but my results (in terms of body weight and inches lost) have been minimal.  The nutritionist Jon Gabriel follows the logic that a body that does not want to lose weight, will not lose weight.  He talks about finding out why your body is fighting you and why it thinks it needs to remain fat.  He said that any type of stress on the system can make your body think that it is preparing for a famine and it needs to stock up and save fat, but the famine never comes.  For months, I have been wracking my brain because I felt as though my stresses were behind me.  My crazy, stressful King Tut job was over and I have been working part time with plenty of time to eat right and work out.

I now realize that my body has been trying to tell me something.  In the past few months while I have been stagnate on the weight loss front, Joe has been experiencing hives, insomnia, and loss of appetite.  We have came to a point where we couldn't deny what we wanted any longer and our bodies were screaming at us to deal with our stress.  It clicked in me that our stresses were unfortunately each other.

I am going to allow myself time to grieve, move out, celebrate the holidays with friends, and then I am going to try again on everything I've learned this year.  I will distract myself from being sad with eating right and upping my workout plan.  Part of me just wants to curl up in a ball and eat chocolate chip cookies the rest of my life, but I now know what it feels like to eat well and workout regularly and I prefer that healthy feeling to the lazy cookie monster feeling, which I also know far too well.

I appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.  I know the fog will lift one day...it will just take some time.

Halloween is Over, Why Am I Still Scared?

My first 'running' 5K was a success.  Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way.  Having accomplished a task I once thought was impossible has opened my eyes.  If I can do that, what else can I do?

There are people who are born fearless.  They are jumping off of high ledges at 3 years old, making bike ramps at 10, trying flips off the diving board at 15, jumping out of airplanes at 21...and so on.  I am not now or have I ever been that type of person.  I think I was born with a yellow caution light blinking in my head.  I have always been scared to try new things...especially new activities.  My parents tried for years to get me to ride a bike.  There were agonizing days in the backyard with them trying to get me to ride a two-wheeler (backyard because the grass was softer than the street and I fell a lot).  Roller skating was definitely out of the question.  And let's not even discuss the horrific canoeing incident that single-handedly stopped my parents from EVER canoeing again...in a canoe that they owned.

I've often wondered where my fear originated from.  Perhaps in a past life I was a daredevil who died too young in some crazy stunt and vowed never to put myself into that kind of danger again?  Maybe as a baby I fell down one to many times and decided it wasn't for me?  Or maybe it was that time when I had the wind knocked out of me at a roller skating party?  Sometimes I feel like one of my biggest fears is falling.  I am terrified of walking and slipping on ice.  I'm scared of falling off of bikes and any other kind of apparatus that is supposed to be fun.  But you know what?  I've done those things!  I've slipped on ice many times, I've fallen off a number of bikes, and to be honest, I often fall while walking for absolutely no reason whatsoever.  I've never broken anything.  I've sprained an ankle or two, but I've never injured myself so bad that I couldn't then perform my daily tasks.  So again, why am I so scared?

I have had a few examples in my life where I have really put my mind over matter.  I don't know exactly what clicks inside of me that finally says, "Listen up, Crawford! You are going to do this and you are going to do this now and I don't care how scared you are!  Shut up and do it!"  The first time this happened, I was ten years old.  By this point, my parents had probably been trying to teach me to ride a bike for 4 years.  One day, I went out to the garage, rolled my bike down the driveway, got on and just rode it down the street.  Obviously, my parents teachings had worked and stuck in my brain somewhere, because on this particular day (with no one around) I just did it.  For some reason I decided it was time, I was ready, and I just did it.  (I also ran into a parked car while trying to ride around a cul-de-sac, but again, I survived.)  And I enjoyed riding my bike the whole summer.

When I was in college, my architecture class took a field trip to go white water rafting.  I was terrified, but all of my friends were going and I didn't want to be lame, so I did it.  It was scary, but exhilarating.  This past spring, Joe and his sisters and I went rafting.  As we were preparing to get in the boat and go down the river, I kept saying to Joe, "I'm so scared.  I'm so scared.  I don't know if I can do this!"  But I didn't want to be 'that' person who had to be driven back to the car and I knew I had gone rafting in the past.  So I followed Dr. Leo Marvin's (the movie character, not my cat) advice and took baby steps.  Baby step into my life jacket, baby step listen to the safety instructions, baby step the raft into the water, baby step get into the raft, baby step paddle paddle paddle!  At the end of the run, I felt awesome!  It was so much fun and exciting and I started to talk about doing it again.

And finally, running a 5K.  I've always hated to run and I never wanted to do it.  I didn't think I could do it.  I don't know if fear was the actual cause on this one, but self doubt was a major factor.  With the support from Ellie and Julia, I set my mind to it and trained.  When the day came, I really wanted to quit, but my mind kept me going.  During the first ten minutes of the run, my mind said some really nasty things, "Who are you kidding?  You can't run?  You look ridiculous.  Look at everyone pass you.  Was that a senior citizen that just passed you?  Is that dog sniffing you because it thinks you are dying?  You can't run up this hill.  Just stop. Stop. Stop. Quit. NOW."  Then I passed the mile marker and started saying, "You know what?  You've run two miles before...so just get to that point again."  And then once I passed two miles, my inner thoughts became much more positive, "You've never run this far ever before in your life!  You can do this!  Let's finish out strong!  Every step is one step further than you have ever done!  You're doing amazing!  The finish line is in your grasp!"  My 'fight' was never with my legs, feet, or even the road.  My fight was with my mind.

I need to learn to let go.  Let go of my fears, let go of my 'control' or lack there of, let go of my excuses.  Joe loves riding bikes and wants me to get a bike so we can ride together.  I've been putting it off because of financial concerns, weight concerns, crazy drivers on the road concerns...but there is an answer that can shut down each of those excuses.  I can buy a used (cheaper) bike, there is no weight limit to riding a bike (and it is an activity that could help me lose weight), and we don't have to ride on the road...there are a number of bike paths closed to motorists around here...this is Colorado for goodness sake!

Another thing I have been holding back on is enjoying winter activities.  There is a part of me (deep down) who really wants to be able to join Joe on the ski slopes this winter.  He has been learning to snow board and loves it.  Well, I want to learn to ski and go be on that mountain with him.  Again, I have been using my weight as an excuse.  Joking to friends that I don't want to be that person blasting down a mountain because my weight and gravity are having too much fun with me.  I'm also afraid of the ski lift and falling and finding snow pants in my size.

After some considerable thought, I came up with an even bigger fear.  The fear of missing out.  You know what is worse than falling down?  Waking up one day as an 82 year old woman who realizes that I've spent most of my life letting fear get the best of me.  Can you imagine what kind of regret I will feel after spending 50 years in Colorado and never once getting up the guts to ski down the beautiful Rocky Mountains?  Especially since I already feel the urge to try it as an overweight 32 year old?  That's 50 years of opportunity missed!  If I'm not going to live life now than what is the point?  I don't want to miss out!  I can no longer use my fear or my weight as my excuses.  The time for excuses are over.

If you know me at all, you will not be surprised to know that I have come up with a game plan.  I am a planner and I find that planning and organizing my thoughts and baby steps help me to achieve my goals, no matter how scary they may seem.  So here is my plan.  On the days when Joe goes up into the mountains to snow board with his friends, I am going to go to the nearby Nordic Center.  At the Nordic Center, I can rent snowshoes and hike around the grounds (and calculate charity miles!).  Once I am comfortable with that, I will rent cross country skis and I will ski around the relatively flat terrain.  Once I am comfortable on skis, I will book myself a ski lesson or two and I will ski down a mountain.  Now, I don't know if I will be able to accomplish this in one season or not, but it is a plan that I think I can follow.  And I won't be missing out completely on winter activities.

Oh, and I can cross one winter fear off my list because yesterday Joe and I were wandering around Breckenridge and I found a pair of snow pants in my size and on sale for 25% off.  There was only one pair in the whole store.  I saw it as a sign to join in the winter fun.  I tried the pants on, loved them, and bought them.  I am ready for the Nordic Center (after I purchase some gloves).

Finally, I think I am coming to the realization that I am scared of what will happen if I were to really truly follow through on all of my healthy habits I have been learning this year.  I seem to have weeks where I am great at getting my exercise in and then I have weeks where I am really great at eating only natural, non-processed foods...but the weeks never seem to match up.  Why is that?  Am I afraid of succeeding?  Am I afraid of people's comments when I succeed and their stares when I fail?  In my years of yo-yo dieting, I have learned that losing weight is not a quiet, personal journey.  It's right out there in the open.  Everyone can see how you are doing.  Compliments or words of encouragement while I lose weight make me uncomfortable because I know that if people notice my success now, they will definitely notice my failure later.  And let's be honest, when you get stuck in the world of yo-yo dieting, failure is always inevitable.  If I don't try, then no one can be disappointed in me when I fail.  If I just maintain my current status quo then I am just me as you know me right now.  I am nothing more and nothing less.  Perhaps this is why I decided to make my blog public.  Get ahead of it all.  Put my accomplishments, failures, insecurities, and fears out there in the universe.

Hello, my name is Beth. I am an inactive, over-eater who has allowed a lifetime of dieting and fear to over shadow my self worth and confidence.  I am on a journey to live my life.  The whole world can see me succeed and fail.  I am letting go of my fears.  I am letting go of trying not to disappoint others.  I am letting go of trying to control my body and I am going to start actually listening to what my body has to say.  I think it is saying it wants to have fun and eat well.

Group Pictures!

The first three are from before the race and the last was after we all finished. 

I did it!!

The full 5K...3.1 miles. I was able to maintain my run/jog for 3.1 miles! Without stopping or walking! I wasn't sure if I could ever get there, but I did! I averaged a run of a 16:21 minute/mile pace and finished it in 50:50 minutes. My goal was not to focus on my time but just to keep running the whole thing. And let me tell you, I'm pretty proud that I could do that. It wasn't easy. 

First of all, the course wasn't 'mostly flat' as the website made me believe. It was very hilly! And I felt like we were constantly going up! Never down. There were fast steep hills and slow gradual hills and little jerk hills who seemed to mock me.  

There was also an issue with cars. Since I was in the back of the pack, the cops were pretty lax about letting the cars go on the route. There were times the cars were right on my back and one time a cop let a car turn in front of me! I was not happy about that. 

Other than that, my biggest struggle was keeping up my mentality. The first mile was hard. I kept thinking, "Well, surely I've passed it and didn't see the sign." But I didn't. Once I finally passed it, I felt more in my groove and the rest of the race went faster.  After the two mile mark was the very long gradual hill. Luckily, Kelly Clarkson came on my iPod and told me, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." And that was enough to motivate me up that hill. Thank you, Kelly.

All in all, I feel pretty good. And I'm glad it's over. Ellie finished her race in 36:04 minutes and Juloa finished in 50:16 minutes. Below are pictures of me coming to and crossing the finish line. I will have close ups of our 5K Derby Gal costumes soon. We had tank tops made with the logos designed by Joe! They are so cute. 

 

Two Miles!

I am in Boston with Ellie and so excited to finally be here. It's been a long three months preparing for this weekend. With Ellie at work, I wanted to get a run in today. She suggested I go to a near by cemetery to keep away from the traffic. It was lovely. Such a crisp, cool fall day with all of the beautiful fall colors you'd expect from New England. Plus the cemetery was so peaceful and haunting. Perfect for late October. 

For my last run, I just wanted to run a mile. So for this one, my goal was to run two miles. And I did it! It took me 34 minutes. This is the longest distance and time I have ever run by a lot! Honestly, I could have probably run a little further but I didn't want to overdue it so close to the race. 

Julia arrives tomorrow and Ellie is taking us to her favorite running spot, the Esplanade. I plan to run 2.5 miles and then the whole 3.1 miles on race day. I feel encouraged enough today that I can actually do this!

Plus, I really enjoyed running today back at sea level. I felt as though I could breathe easier and go further. My breathing only got really hard when I ran up the hills in the cemetery. Not bad!

Can't wait to see what the weekend brings!

Rock & Roll Marathon

The Denver Rock and Roll Marathon is going on today so I decided to walk downtown to catch a glimpse of the action.  What's great about this event is that participants can do the full or a half marathon and there is even a bike route and a race similar to the distance of a 5K.  I got there about 3.5 hours into the race, so I got to see a lot of happy people crossing the finish line.  It was so inspiring knowing these people just completed 13.1 or 26.2 miles.  It makes me put my 5K next weekend into perspective.  If I start to feel like it is getting tough, I can think back to the people I saw today and the mileage they covered.

I also got down there in time for the headlining musician and I watched Atlas Genius perform.  Even though it was a little chilly, it was still fun.  After I had enough downtown, I walked back up toward my place and met Joe for lunch.  At the end of it all, I got about 4 miles under my belt today!

So the question is....do I want to do the Rock and Roll Half marathon next year??  I have walked a half marathon before and I did not enjoy it.  I hit my wall at 10 miles and was just miserable after that.  BUT, I also didn't really train for it.  If I had a year to plan....I don't know.  I will see how next weekend goes first.

Just Run A Mile

Look at what I woke up to this morning!  Beautiful snow...

I wanted to get a run in today, but I was worried about how the cold air would effect my breathing.  Also curious to how my mile time is going, I decided to just get out there and run a mile and to see how long it took me.  So I went for it and while I was right about it being harder to breathe, I was happy to be able run the whole mile in 16 minutes.  It was in the 40's today and it is supposed to be in the 60's tomorrow, so I hope to get out there tomorrow and to be able to run further than a mile.  Since I have been able to run for 20 minutes in the past, I know I can do it.

Here is a picture of me in my new winter headband. This cold can't stop me!

Eleven Days

Eleven days until our 5K race in Boston!  Ellie, Juila, and I have really surprised ourselves and stuck with our training.  I will admit that my last running day set me back and I really didn't want to try again.  But once again, the support and inspiration I get from Ellie and Julia made me get my butt back out there.  I did my 20 minute training again and this time I finished it and didn't have to stop due to mucus issues.  It felt good to complete the run and to be honest, I don't feel as exhausted as I have in the past.  I'm sure my walking everyday has helped me stay in shape this last week even though I wasn't running.  I am so thankful to my teammates for sharing their successes with me.  Julia just ran 28 minutes straight and Ellie ran 2.5 miles in 28 minutes!  Amazing!  And here I was feeling bad about my 20 minute run.

I can't tell you how excited I am to meet up with them next week in Boston and complete the 5K with them.  We have been working on our costumes and can't wait to show you all pictures of us together!

On Tuesday, I walked over to the Metro CareRing Food Pantry for my first day of volunteering.  I loved it.  First of all, it's a good walk over there (a little over a mile) and then once there, I was on my feet for 3 hours helping customers pick out their food for a week.  Everyone I met from the staff to the other volunteers to the customers were so nice.  It's such a great atmosphere and I love being able to connect with my community.  I was surprised with the 3 hours was up because it all went by so quickly.  I look forward to returning next Tuesday for another shift.  

It was snowing when I walked home from the pantry!  Unwilling to give up my walking to the winter, today I went out and bought some longer workout pants, long sleeve shirts, and a warm head/ear band.  If I have the proper tools, then I won't give up.

Gravity

There are days when gravity makes me feel like I can't move out of my apartment.  There are other days, like today, when Gravity, makes me get up and walk over two miles to the movie theater because everyone is talking about it.  It was a lovely, crisp day here in Denver and my brisk walk with Joe to the downtown theater was just lovely.  We got there in 2.289 miles (4.5 meals) and in 2.294 miles (4.5 meals) back.  In between walks we quite enjoyed the movie Gravity in 3D.  We had lots to talk about on our walk home.

Other days, I feel the gravity of what tasks I have taken on.  For instance, I am a mere 2% into my feed the hungry goal and I'm wondering if I set my sights to high.  I know I am only 2 weeks into the task, but sometimes trying to look at a whole goal or a whole year that lays ahead seems quite daunting.  I know I will make this goal, I just need to focus on my little successes, like earning 9 meals in one day.

The other situation that I am unsure about is my running in a 5K in 2 weeks.  My last run attempt scared me and I haven't 'gotten back up' since.  I realize that if I am able to run any part of a 5K and keep my time under 56 minutes (my last official 5K time) then it will be a success.  But I did hope I would be in better condition at this point in my training.  I feel like it only makes me see how much I really don't like running!  Which is probably why I made this new goal for myself that allows me to walk.  I enjoy walking.  I, of course, won't give up on running just yet...I just hope to have that urge to run one day like I have the urge to swim or walk like I do now.

Back to Running Week 7 Day 2

For a week now, Joe and I have been battling colds.  It hasn't been pretty.  Lots of tissues have lost their lives to the cause.  Because of my cold, I haven't been out running since the 1st.  I took a few days off and then slowly started back with 2-4 mile walks the last two days.  This morning I was feeling pretty good.  The sun was shining and the temperature was back up into the 60's.  I decided to do my 20 minute run and then complete the 5k distance.

Well....maybe I wasn't quite ready for all of that.  15 minutes into my run, I had to stop due to a massive mucus build-up (gross) happening in my breathing canal.  I know 15 minutes is still really awesome and something I couldn't do just a few weeks ago, but I can't say that I'm not disappointed.  I realize that I was probably a little too optimistic in getting right back out there after a week of being sick, but I hoped for better seeing as the race is just 19 days away.  I was nice knowing that I was over 1 mile in when I had to stop.

I did finish out the rest of the 5k and tried some power walking, but by the time I finished, I was coughing and wheezing.  Not cool.  I finished the distance in 56 minutes....on par with all my training.  I will go for a more relaxed walk tomorrow and hope to be ready for more running on Wednesday.  I did get to add 6.378 meals to my Feeding America goal, so as always, there is a victory I can feel good about.

My Journey and New Goal

I find it interesting how we stumble upon certain things in our lives.  How one thought can evolve into something new and start us down different paths.  When we look back to how we got 'here', isn't crazy to see the many side roads and detours and new highways that we've taken?

For example, my journey began in March at Green Mountain in Vermont.  My month there taught me that my lifetime of dieting had led me to have low self-esteem and an unhealthy body.  I learned to stop dieting and to focus on listening to my body.  I finally understood that I needed to feed myself 'real' foods and not the processed/preserved foods I had been eating for years. When I returned home from GM, I became obsessed with trying to get as much information as possible.  I watched a number of documentaries and read many books.  These led me to understand the term "Nutritional Starvation".  I was a classic example of someone who routinely starved herself nutritionally by not giving my body the proper fuel it needed....vegetables and fruits.

While I focused on my eating, I struggled to include the right amount of exercise into my new lifestyle.  In talking with my friend Julia and sister, Ellie, we agreed to start training for a 5K and to meet up at the end of October in Boston to complete a 5K together.  During our training, Ellie introduced me to the Charity Miles app that donates money to the charity of your choice for every mile walked or run.  I decided to join in the fun, because who doesn't like to help charities?

Meanwhile, the documentaries I was watching began to veer away from 'how to save yourself' and became more 'look at what's happening in America'.  I was learning more and more about 'Food Deserts' and 'Farm Subsidies' and 'Childhood Obesity Due to Nutritional Starvation'.  One documentary in particular ("A Place At The Table" on Netflix) really spoke to me.  It motivated me to sign up to be a volunteer at a local food pantry (Metro CareRing) and my volunteer training begins on Wednesday.

Also happening at the same time, I was looking for a topic to write a paper as part of my application to graduate school.  I have made the decision to apply to the University of Colorado, Denver to work towards a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning and a Masters in Public Administration.  While the application is looking for a writing sample that was probably written during undergrad, I have found myself in a unique situation, 10 years out of college, that I don't know where any of my old papers are located.  (Most likely in a garage or basement in Indy or Mulberry...)  So I decided to just write a new paper to get myself back into school mode.  Inspired by my recent journey, I chose the following title for my paper, "Food Deserts & Nutritional Starvation in America: What Can Be Done".

And now to finally get to my point....I went to the library today and checked out some books on my topic and in my readings I was just moved to do more.  What else can I do to help those in need in our country?  I don't have much money and I don't have any political influence...how can I possibly make a difference?  And how can I make a difference now while not neglecting my original goal of bettering myself?

The answer came to me in the form of an app my little sister turned me on to.  Charity Miles.  One of the charities I can and have been earning miles for is Feeding America.  For every mile I walk or run, Charity Miles gives $0.25 to Feeding America which is the equivalent to giving 2 meals to a hungry person.  ($1.00 = 8 meals)  I was already excited every time I did my 5K training and saw how many meals I had earned.  While I am walking/running off my meals, I am earning one for a hungry person in America.  How cool is that?

So here is what I plan to do:  I plan to walk/run 1,000 miles in 365 days to earn 2,000 meals for Feeding America as well as volunteering my time one day a week to the Denver Metro CareRing Food Pantry.  This comes to an average of over 2.7 miles a day or around 20 miles a week.  I know there will be days I won't walk/run at all and there will be days I walk well over 2.7 miles.  By giving myself a year to reach this goal, I will be able to balance out the high mile days (summer, spring, fall) with the low mile days (winter).  I will have running days when I train for my 5K's and leisurely walking days when I need to take it a little easier.  In the end, it won't be easy to walk 1000 miles, but I know I can do anything I set my mind too.

I will be tracking my progress on this blog and my only stipulation is that every mile has to be recorded into the Charity Miles app.  If I forget to turn it on, it doesn't count....because then the meals wouldn't actually be going to the charity.  I have decided to start my calculations on October 1st and will need to meet my goal by October 1, 2014.  I did my 5K training for Feeding America on the 1st and today I logged 4.9 miles in walking.  Check out my progress on the side bar and keep checking back as I strive to reach my goal!

Week 7 Day 1

I, Beth Crawford, am able to jog for 20 minutes without stopping. It's not a fast jog, but a jog none the less.

Though I am quite proud of myself, I can't help but wish my excess body weight would go down. I feel it holding me back. I haven't weighed myself in months (broken scale) but I measured my waist last week and it just isn't budging. What's up with that? Here are a couple factors that I believe are hindering my weight loss:  1. Though I train for a 5k, I still lead a rather sedentary life style working from home. (Unrelated note: my phone tried to auto-correct 'sedentary' to 'sexist act'. Praise The Lord I caught that!!)  2. My non-working lifestyle allows me more time to be social, such as going to trivia night, karaoke, art and music shows with friends.  3. I've stopped strength training...again.  4. My fruit and vegetable intake has gone down.  I am down to one salad with lunch these days...dinner sometimes has good veggies, but not always.

So here is what I need to do: 1. Stay active throughout the day.  Get up a go for mini walks around the building and walk on my 'off' days.  2. On the days I know I am going to be social, alternate a beer with a glass of water and probably try to cut out all carbs leading up to the evening.  3. Get my butt back to strength training.  Remember what Lynn Ann at GM said, "Do NOT stop strength training!" 4. Replace some carbs I am currently eating with more fruits or veggies.  Follow the GM plate model and listen to my body when it is full.

You may notice that I am attacking carbs here, and I know I shouldn't deprive myself, but I also know that carbs are a major issue for my whole family.  When I saw my mom last weekend, she said that she is trying to 'find her happy carb place', or something like that.  Meaning, the sweet spot where she can eat some carbs and still lose weight.  I think I am going to do a little research on what qualifies as a carb and just see where I can make small changes in my life.  Such as cut out my cereal (which is already a 'healthy' cereal) and instead have an omelet and a piece of fruit.  It will be so much more filling and substantial that I am sure I won't miss my cereal.  I may exchange my sandwich bread for a wrap...still carbs, but less.  And increase my lunchtime salad size and take out the chips or veggie sticks.  I will keep my rice and bean servings at dinner and just add a vegetable...and I think that should be a good start.

Aside from all of that, I am happy to report that I was one pant size down at the store and I bought two new pair of jeans.  So though I am not going down as much as I hoped, I am still in the right direction.

Week 6 Day 3

I lost count on what day I am actually on, but I just completed my week 6 in my 5k training app. It was a 15 min run/3 min walk/5 min run. I think I did pretty well. I completed it, but found myself going über slow at a couple of points. This was my first time going 15 minutes straight and while it was tough, I am proud of myself for sticking with it and completing it. Near the end of the run I was unsure if I could go on and I pulled out my phone to see how much longer I had and it said "29 seconds". Man did that feel good! So I finished the 15 min run without stopping. It then made the last 5 minute run feel like nothing. My next run will be my first 20 minute run with no walking intervals...as always, I'm nervous, but I plan to keep moving forward!

This afternoon I am venturing out to buy a new pair of jeans. My old pair has been too big for at least 4 months now and they have really worn out. I can't go in public with them anymore. So shopping I shall go. Wish me luck. 

Days 35-37

I did it! I just completed Week 6 Day 1 of my training app. Today was my first 10 minute run and I did two of them with a 5 minute walk between. 

The first 10 min run went really well. I was feeling good, I had my music up loud and I was trying to see if I could make it to my mile marker (w/ the 5 min warm up included). When the run got hard, I could see my mile mark!  When my 10 minutes were up, I was only about a block away from my mile marker. That felt amazing. It won't be long before I can run a whole mile! Take that, 8th grade gym class!

The 10 minute run back to my apartment seemed harder mentally. I was on a slight incline up the whole way and the time seemed to creep by. My body was slowing and I kept having to tell myself to 'keep it loose' and 'you can do this!'  I was about to give up and start walking and so I pulled out my phone to see if I was even close to 10 minutes and the exact moment I did that, it told me to start my cool down walk. That felt great knowing I didn't have to quit and that I ran two 10 minute intervals!  Also, I did exactly 2 miles today. Also awesome. 

I am back home now and will reward myself with a shower and lunch at my favorite deli. I know I'm not supposed to reward myself with food, but it is lunch time here and I have no food in the house.  If I wait to eat until after the grocery store then I may pass out. So I will have a BLTA (no chips, soda, or cookie) at Heidi's deli. Go me. 

Days 30-34

First of all, Joe and I are fine.  Thankfully the flooding in Colorado hasn't effected our neighborhood.  It has been raining like crazy here, but the storm sewer systems in Denver have been built to handle this extreme weather.  Joe told me that many years ago, the entire LoDo area would have flooded, but the city resolved that issue a long time ago.  We have been effected in just two ways, really.  First, the sewer line in our building overflowed or something and it has given us a wonderful smell to deal with.  Luckily, Joe and I are on the third floor, so the smell hasn't penetrated into our apartment.  Second, all of this rain has put a bit of a damper on my running schedule (literally).  I should have had two more runs in by now, but because of the rain, I am a day behind.

I did get out yesterday to do my Week 5 Day 2 run and was happy to see some sun and puddle-less sidewalks.  My run was down to three running intervals again, but this time was my first 8 minute run!  I did a 5 min, 8 min, and 5 min.  Again, I was nervous about the increase in time, but I just went for it.  And a wonderful thing happened...I finally experienced that moment of running when I didn't think about it and it just happened.  The first minute or so of each interval is agony and traditionally that agony lasts throughout my whole running interval.  But during my 8 minute run, at some point, my mind began to wander to other things and the next thing I knew I was saying to myself, "Oh wait!  This isn't total agony!"  But that got me thinking about running again and the agony returned.  But I recognized that I had that minute or so of ignorant bliss and I was just doing it.  So I know it can happen.  Perhaps when I get back out there (hopefully tomorrow?) and do my first 8 min - 8 min run, I can tap back into that moment of non-agony.

Days 25-29

Oh man...the 5k training is really kicking it up a notch now.  On Friday, Joe and I went for a hike on the Red Rocks Trading Post trail.  While most of the hike is scenic and lovely, the hilly parts of it really make it hard for me to breathe.  Thankfully, Joe is patient and will stop with me while I catch my breath every now and then.  I pretend we are only stopping to catch the breeze or look at the scenery, but let's be honest.  It's so I don't collapse and die in such a beautiful place.  (Maybe not a bad way to go....but not when I am only 32!)  The sun was super hot that day and so the hike was a little more grueling than other days.  All in all though, it was great and another reminder of why Red Rocks is my Happy-Inspiration Place these days.

Saturday was my Week 4 Day 3 5k training day.  I was not looking forward to it and I actually fretted about it all day and kept putting it off.  While the running portions were similar to the Day 2 training (3 min, 5 min, 5 min, 3 min), I just couldn't get my mind prepared for the run.  I ended up putting it off until 5:30pm, claiming I was doing so because of the hot sun and once I finally had my running shoes on, I sat on the couch for another 15 minutes trying to come up with excuses not to run.  I thought that maybe if I walked to the park with a magazine and sat and read for a bit, the inspiration would hit me and I would be up for it.  In the end, I yelled at myself to, "JUST GET UP AND DO IT!"   (Because in the end, I knew Julia and Ellie were doing it and they wouldn't take my lame excuses)  I told myself that if I couldn't make it through any of the intervals, I could just slow down and walk it out.  To make a long story short (too late) I got out and did it...all of it.  I didn't have to stop during any of my runs.  But I did feel like it was being tortured the whole time.  I would look at other runners who seemed to be moving with such ease and while they smiled at my, I glared at them.  I imagined people talking about me, saying, "I've never seen someone move so slow in my life!"  And I would project back at them, "I'M TRYING!"  I wasn't in a great mindset, to say the least.

When I returned home, mad about how gross I felt after the run, I texted Ellie and Julia and complained about how much I wasn't liking it...but I did it.  And Ellie said something that has really stuck with me.  She said, "I bet this is the point where a lot of people quit.  But we aren't those people!"  And Julia said, "We are fighters!"

So I took a couple days off (rested on Sunday and took a walk with Joe on Monday) and felt ready to move onto Week 5 Day 1 today.  Yesterday, while on my walk with Joe, I asked him to take a look at my run/jog and to tell me what he thought.  He said that I am looking good, just a little stiff.  He suggested I move my arms more.  My jogging intervals today were 5 min - 6 min - 5 min with 3 minute walks in between.  I took a new route and during my runs, I really tried to focus on swinging my arms.  And you know what?  I felt better!  I could tell I was moving a little faster and it felt better on my joints.  When I started to think too much about when the running interval would be over, I just said, "Move those arms!"  I did get some side stitches from moving faster, but in the end, I felt way better than before.  I went 1.82 miles at 3.3 mph, which is up from my average of 3.2 mph.

Many people have told me that all runners have good days and bad days.  I have obviously experienced both in my last two runs.  I just need to remember that the next time I have a bad day, that a good day is around the corner.  And right now, after a good day, I feel awesome!

Days 17-24

Do not fear!  I'm still here!  And I am still moving my body.  My trip to Indy was lovely.  I wasn't able to workout everyday, but I did get a total of three runs in and one strength training.  My last two runs in Mulberry were uneventful and I didn't get chased by anymore dogs.  I did quite enjoy the lower altitude as it made my breathing so much easier.  I felt like I was able to run better.

Yesterday was my first full day back in Denver and I decided to get in a run and my full body strength training to get back onto my training schedule.  Yesterday's run was my Week 4 Day 1 training on my 5k app and it was 34 minutes long with two 3 minute running intervals and two 4 minute running intervals.  During my first four minute run, I was really struggling with my breath.  I think I was pushing myself a little too hard being my first day back at a mile high altitude.  So I had to stop after 2.5 minutes in that run and walk it out because I was feeling like I may pass out for lack of breath.  After an extended walk and some positive self talk, I made it through the second four minute run and the last three minute run.  It was tough, but I was glad I didn't talk myself out of stopping all together.  Once home, I rested a bit and then got my full body strength done.

Today was the beginning of being back on track.  Since it is Thursday, I decided to complete my whole 5k route.  Today's training schedule was 36 minutes long with a three minute run, two 5 minute runs, and a three minute run.  I was really nervous about tackling my first 5 minute runs, but I tried to remind myself that it was all in my head.  I am happy to say that I managed to complete the whole exercise without stopping.  It was really hard.  My breathing was better today and I paid close attention to my side splits and slowed down a bit if needed, but I kept my jog on for the full 16 minutes!  I do believe that my recover walks were quite slow as I finished out the whole 5K in 57 minutes, which is what I had done before.  But my partners, Ellie and Julia, reminded me that we aren't focused on time right now...just training our bodies to do the motions.  And actually, during one jog, a man in a business suit passed me up.  That wasn't great for my self esteem...but completing all of my runs brought my self esteem back up.  :0)

Full body strength training tomorrow and Joe and I hope to go hike in the mountains or Red Rocks in the morning.  I am not letting this altitude hold me back!

Days 14, 15, & 16

I am in Indiana and happy to say I (and Ellie) are staying on track. I did my ST on Monday morning before my flight with no problem. On Tuesday Ellie and I planned to do our runs, but her luggage didn't make it to Indy with her and she didn't fancy running in jeans.  Once her luggage finally arrived, I showed her my strength training regime using some old weights found in my parent's basement and a resistance band I brought with me. 

This morning we headed out for our runs in good old Mulberry. There is a park behind my parent's house that has good shade so we headed there. After a warm up on the paved path, I decided to take a jog on a small gravel path. As I was finishing out my time on the path, I stepped on a big rock and rolled my ankle. Thankfully, I didn't fall and so I just kept going. I have often rolled my ankle in the past and I usually fall. So not falling today shows me that my exercising and strength training is strengthening my weak ankle. Good news. 

Then, while running by a house, an unleashed pit bull started chasing me! I was moving as best I could but that damn dog was on my heels!  I started to really panic and embrace myself for a bite when it used its nose to nudge my butt. As if it was saying, "And stay out!"  Needless to say, I didn't run by that house again. After my run I learned that the dog did the same to Ellie. She tried to warn me before I passed the house, but I didn't see her. Thankfully neither of us were actually bit...on the butt. 

Aside from those two set backs, I felt really good about my run today. My running intervals were two 1.5 minute runs and two 2.5 minute runs; with the walks my total workout was 26 minutes.  I'm happy to report that I handled all intervals well. The distraction of the dog got me through my first 2.5 minute interval. Plus, I noticed that I didn't have nearly as hard a time breathing as I normally do for my runs. Thanks to being back at a normal altitude! My training in Denver will help my Boston 5k seem easier than my training!

Day 13

Today's 5k training happened at Red Rocks! I used the amphitheater benches to zig zag my way to the bottom. I felt pretty good about my 6- 1.5 min jogs. I had my new playlist ready and it helped to keep me going. Plus, I was inspired by everyone else working out too. I'm happy with my workout, though I do seem to have slowed down a bit in that higher altitude. But that's not important. What's important is that I completed another day of training!

My awesome route, zigging back and forth at the amphitheater. 

My very red face post workout. And this is a good five minutes after sitting in the shade!

Days 11 & 12

Figuring out the best time to eat around a workout can be tricky.  I never want to eat too much and I don't want to eat too close to my workout time (fear of puking?), and since I have been doing most of my runs in the afternoon, I have been able to eat some cereal and then go work out.  One day it didn't feel like enough so I had a Cliff bar as well and then I was stuffed and I had to delay my run until I could digest.  Yesterday was a full body strength day and after my first few exercises, my stomach just started growling like crazy!  I had to stop my working, eat, digest, and then eventually finish my workout.  I honestly think my 45 minute workout took me 3 hours.  Thankfully that happened on a ST day where it is easy to stop between muscle groups.  I will need to continue to be mindful for my run days and come up with a solid plan before race day.

Today I have decided to rest.  I like that while I have put together a (very colorful) workout plan, I don't feel guilty for moving my 'rest' day around each week.  My 'plan' has me resting on Mondays, but last week I chose to rest on Sunday and this week on Saturday.  It helps me to know that I can have a life beyond my routine by just moving some days around.  I am a little anxious about the run tomorrow because my minutes running is being upped.  So I will take the time today to plan for it tomorrow and put together a really kickass playlist that will keep me pumped throughout the run.

Monday evening, I am flying to Indianapolis to hang with my family and friends and I plan to continue my routine while I am there.  I will be doing my ST Monday morning in Denver as usual, and then I will alternate my runs and ST days.  Because I can't travel with my hand weights, I will be bringing a resistance band for a modified ST exercise.  I am confident I can continue my training while on the road, especially since Ellie is going home as well.  We have been training miles apart for a few weeks so it will be cool to train together for a week!  (Hear that, Ellie?  No excuses!)

I will update again tomorrow after my run!

Day 10

Today was another 5k training day and since it is in the 70's today (and not 95 like it was yesterday) I opted to go the whole distance of a 5k.

I also got to try out my new water bottle pack!  Here are some pictures below:

I really liked having my water so easily accessible and I liked not having my backpack on which is what I had been using to hold a water bottle.  I will need to get used to the extra weight in one hand and may need to switch hands for each run so I don't accidentally pump up one arm and not the other.  The only other thing I will need to fix is that I need to put some sort of cloth between my hand and the plastic water bottle.  My palms were quite sweaty and that made it uncomfortable.  I really like that I can keep my iPhone and keys in the pouch.  It is easier for me to access the iPhone during my run than with my arm band I have been using.  I'll give it 4 out of 5 stars!

Today's workout was a repeat of Tuesday's workout with 4 - 1.5 min running intervals and 2 - 1 minute intervals (alternated with walking intervals).  I made it to the first mile marker in 16:10 minutes, which is a good minute less than last week!  Then I finished the whole 5k in about 56 minutes.  Which, I believe is up to par with last week.  Meaning when I stopped jogging, my walking began to slow as I tired.

While I am happy that I am able to run the full 8 minutes it is asking me to do right now, I can't say I am enjoying that jogging part.  I feel like I need to adjust my mindset so I can be more mentally behind my jogging.  Any suggestions on how to stay positive during my jogging so I will want to keep going?  My only incentive at the moment is that if I jog, my workout can be over quicker...and I don't think that has quite the positive spin I need to keep me motivated.

Day 9

Joe and I have been talking about playing tennis for a while now. Neither of us has picked up a racket in probably 10 years so we knew we would get a pretty good workout from chasing balls around. We stopped by Sports Authority and picked up some inexpensive rackets and balls and hit the courts in Congress Park. 

It was so much fun. It brought back many good memories for me from my high school years where I took tennis lessons for a number of summers. I quickly remembered how to hold the racket properly and my serve came back to me. (It wasn't that good back then either.)  If it weren't for the heat, we could have hit the ball around for a while, but alas we only got 45 minutes in before we ran out of water and the heat won. We look forward to many more tennis sessions, especially as the summer nears an end and fall comes back. 

Once home, I took a little nap and then completed my full body strength for the day. I'm feeling pretty good! Oh, and while at the sporting goods store, I picked up an awesome water bottle for my 5k training. I'll show a picture tomorrow. Off to make dinner now!

Day 8

Today's 5k training (W2 D1) went pretty well. It was my first time running for 1.5 minutes straight four times and ending in two 1 minute run intervals. I think I did alright for the first four intervals and then I started to lose momentum. But I stuck it out and ran all that I needed too. I am glad Thursday's workout is the same as today's. It will help me before I need to move on. 

My training today took me to the community pool where I met up with Joe. I had lunch packed for us and the swim in the pool that followed was heavenly. Much needed on this 95 degree day. I would say I didn't enjoy the workout of trying to put my swimsuit on my sweaty, exhausted body...but I conquered that as well. 

 The sun is starting to fade in this picture, but trust me, it was brutal a few hours ago!

Days 5, 6, & 7

Moving right along!  Week one is complete.  On Saturday I completed my Week 1 Day 3 5k training.  I was able to run all 8 - 1 minute intervals.  It was tough near the end, but made it through.  I was thinking of repeating week 1 this coming week, but I think I will move forward to week 2.  The first day still has me running for a total of 8 minutes, just spaced out differently.  So I am going to give it a shot.  If I feel like I am not ready, then I will go back to week 1 training the next day.

Yesterday I took a day of rest and quite enjoyed it.  This afternoon is was back to work and my full body strength.  I am feeling pretty good one week in and I am looking forward to keeping the momentum going into next week.  I try focus on one day at a time so I don't feel overwhelmed with how much training is left.

Well, I know this isn't a very exciting post, but I wanted to keep you updated on my progress!  Helps me to stay accountable.

Day 4

I got my strength training done today. Here is a picture of my sticker chart to prove it. :0)

I'm going to try to get up early tomorrow for my 5k training because it is supposed to get to 90 degrees. Something that I would have used as an excuse in the past. See how well I know myself?

We had some great motivational texts today between Ellie, Julia and myself. Ellie texted us that she was going to train today which helped her stick with it because our knowledge held her accountable. In turn, I said I would stop putting my ST off and get it done and Julia decided not to take Friday night off like usual and get outside for her training. Win win win. We are moving right along!

Day 3

This morning I mapped out a 5k route from my apartment and decided to try it out.  Joe joined me and ran most of the course and met up with me about 2 miles in.  The good thing about the route is that I know exactly where the first mile ends.  So while doing my training, I checked my watch at the mile mark and I had completed it in 17:20 minutes.

The running 1 minute intervals were still difficult today.  The first few segments I did alright, but in the 7th interval, I stopped running 30 seconds in and in the 8th interval, I was doing well but had to slow because I was at a street crossing.  So I would say that overall I ran about 7 minutes of my 57 minute 5K.  Not bad.  It's a start!

So my goal is to be able to do the 5K in October in 45 minutes.  I think a 15 mile is feasible for my fitness level and body type.  Ideally, I would like to make 5K's a habit and perhaps continue to train and improve upon that throughout the next year.  :0)

Meanwhile, Julia, Ellie, and I have had an addition to our little group.  Christine, another GM alum, will be driving in from Connecticut to join us for the race!  I'm excited to have more support.  We are trying to think of matching outfits and/or costumes because it is a race people tend to dress up for because of its closeness to Halloween.  If anything, we are going to get matching shirts because we are cute and cool.

My sticker today on my chart is a gold medal for completing my first 5k.  Woo!

Next Day Done

I am happy to report that I have just completed my first day of full body strength as part of my new training program.  I'm feeling pretty good about it.  I am glad that I will be alternating days between strength and jogging.  I think it will help me to not get bored too quickly.

I am going to make it a point to take different routes with my jogging, but I am also going to map out a 5k from my apartment and back so every now and then I can see how I am doing with an actual 5k route.  I have also gotten some good advice about not being afraid to repeat the first week.  My body has never been the body of a jogger, so it might take time to get there.  We have 10 weeks until the 5k and the training app is based on 8 weeks, so I plan to repeat week 1 and week 8.

My friend Laura also pointed out that when I get to the point in the app when I am jogging more than walking, it is important to remember that my biggest struggle will be mental.  My body will be able to handle the longer time running before my mind is able.  Again, I am going to try some visualization techniques to help be get over that hurtle starting today.  I am going to take 10-15 minutes a day just visualizing myself jogging for extended periods of time.

Another thing I noticed yesterday after my first workout, was how much easier it was for me to say 'no' to a cookie than normal.  There is a great mental boost to saying 'no' to bad foods when you've just spent so much energy.  Right now when I jog, I feel that I struggle most with getting a good breath.  When I was faced with a cookie yesterday, I just had this mental image of it not allowing me to breath any better if I ate it.  (That could be a good cartoon...a cookie literally choking me.)  Instead, I went for a lemonade.  Because there is sugar in lemonade, I got my sugar fix.  Plus, I can only ever drink one glass at a time, so I don't run the risk of over doing it on lemonade like I could with a cookie.  It was refreshing and filled a need and I moved on with my day with no desire for a cookie.  I'll be interested to see if this pattern continues as my training continues.  Or if I will start to convince myself that, "I worked really hard!  I deserve a cookie!"  I just need to keep in mind that breathing well while jogging is more important.  :0)

I am happy to say that Ellie and Julia have registered for the race and we are in constant contact over our activities via text.  I'm feeling pumped and am ready to tackle tomorrow's obstacles!

No Turning Back

I have completed Day 1 of training and it was....not fun.  But I just kept thinking that the more I stick to this the better I will get as the weeks go on.  I am going to use some of the visualizations that John Gabriel taught me in my book to visualize myself jogging the whole race.

Today's training was a 5 minute walk followed by 6 - 1 min run/1.5 min walks and then a 5 min cool down walk.  Thursday's run will be similar, but add two more of those run/walk intervals.  I'm not going to lie...by the time I got to the sixth 1 minute run, I wasn't moving too quickly.  I think a grandma could have walked faster than my jog.  But speed isn't the point.  I am trying to train my body to jog, speed can come later.

After my training, I walked around to find some stickers for my chart.  I eventually found some in the bookstore by my house.  When I got home, I hung up my charts and put my first 'All Star!' sticker on today's date.  I then bought my plane ticket to Boston and registered for the race.  There is no turning back now!  Julia will be buying her ticket soon and she and Ellie will be registering as well.

I'm a bit terrified that I have gotten over excited and way over my head, but as Julia said to me today, "The worse thing that could happen is that we walk a 5K."  It's true!  If I can run even a little bit of it, I will consider it a success.  Plus it will be so great to be with Julia and Ellie.  We will encourage each other and inspire each other to keep moving on our paths.

Tomorrow I will be doing my full body strength training....my fav.