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!