Deleted scenes from chariots of fire

Manchild Conquers a 5k

OC Fair 5K

Ok so this is my first actual race that didn't include mud. Can you say FUN!?!? I am now totally addicted. I know a 5K isn't really a long way for most runners, but for me it is a pretty good distance. So here is my recap:

Bill decided he wanted to push Jesse, so we called my mom to let her know and then told her she still needed to come to be our cheerleader. We got there at about 7:30am, registered and then went to get Bill some Kaopectate(sp?) for his stomach (he woke up in the middle of the night with...well..I'll spare you). We came back parked the car and got Jesse set up - Jesse was in a terrible mood since we woke him up at about 6:30am. I walked the the bathroom and waited in the women's long line while watching the men just mosey in and out of their bathrooms. We took our before pictures with my mom and got in line to run. I decided that it would be best if we were at the back of the line with the stroller...we hung out with all the other stroller people. And away we went!! I loved the fact that they let us all go at once instead of in layers....it really made it that much more exciting. Being in the back had its advantages too as it forced me to go out slow. We had to run around a lot of people, but since I didn't have the stroller it wasn't that bad. The course was very flat (nice for a beginner like me) and we got to see the super fast people at different areas of the course. They were flying by, it was so motivating and great to watch. I stayed steady the entire race, I probably could have pushed it a little more, but I wanted to stay the course and pace myself. I did, and when I saw the finish line I picked up the pace and booked it as fast as I could. It felt terrific!

I posted some after race videos Bill made with his phone...kindof fun...you can tell we had a great time.

My only gripe was that they got my time wrong, way wrong. They have me running 6:30min miles. Not even close. I finished somewhere close to 30-33 minutes.

All in all a great morning, but now I would like to sleep!

2 Miles Before the 5K

So I figured I could run 2 miles before the 5K tomorrow (I want to be as close to my schedule as possible)...and...yes...ouch...again. I sat in the Epsom salts, iced, and took IB Profin, glutamine and Omega 3's. I am still doing the 5K tomorrow, I will go slow and steady.

One of the things I realized when I run races, since I have run so many. Ok so when I ran the mud run, I went out too fast, also there was a big fat hill at the beginning of it so I was winded very fast. I heard that lots of people do it, and I am sure a ton of people will do it tomorrow since it is a 5K. I will vow to go slower then usual in the beginning then pick up the pace. We will see how that goes.

I posted the race on FB, but it appears out of my 200 and something friends no one wants to go. Whatever.

Bill asked me why I didn't invite my friends on FB to follow my blog, my answer: "Because it is personal and I would rather share it with people who are going through the same thing, who I do not know." What if I want to talk smack on some one? Then what? I have to watch my words? No thank you. I want to share everything here and not be concerned what someone might think.

I am staring to sound bitter, can you tell I need coffee?

3 Miles - A OK

I did 3 miles today in 30:19, feeling pretty good about myself. I think the rest did me pretty good. When I ran those 3 miles my muscles felt great, I didn't feel tired like I usually do. I have decided to run the OC Fair 5 K on Sunday. I am hoping to be able to register on sight - it looks like a fun run. I am still icing, sitting in Epsom salt baths and taking the glutamine.

I think Hal Higdon is right about the cross training thing (go figure), I think instead of running on my cross training day, I should be doing something else...I don't know what yet...but after seeing how much better I ran when my muscles are well rested, it seems to make more sense (at least for now) to pick something fairly easy for my cross training days. Hmmmm, I will have to think about that....

As far as my diet goes - I think I am doing fairly well. I am eating all the right foods, I may want to start looking at portions though. I am still losing weight at a good rate, so I guess when I start to plateau I will re-evaluate my diet.

In the Beginning...

So this is the last night of my just doing Yoga...I can say that I am truly ancey. I cannot wait to wake up tomorrow morning at 5:30am to give it a go again. I hope all this rest will do good things for me. I am also not too keen on falling behind schedule.

I started my weight loss adventure doing Atkins...well if you really want to start from the beginning, I have always been a little overweight - nothing major, just a little thick. When I got pregnant and then put on bed rest, I got...well...HUGE! I mean like 250 lbs + huge! I am 5 foot 6 so that is a lot of weight to carry.

This was me when I was 8 months prego (I was still gaining weight if you can believe it):



So after I delivered, I lost about 30 lbs in a month then I went on Jenny Craig and lost another 30 lbs, then stalled for a while and went on Atkins (which I loved) and lost about 15 lbs where I plateaued for a couple months, now I am doing my own thing and have lost another 5...bringing me to a grand total of 170.

My own thing consists of a low fat higher carb (low sugar, no white flour) version of Atkins. I liked doing Atkins since I had to learn how to eat more vegetables and less processed foods. Currently, I am still trying to lower the processed foods, hormones, and chemicals. I switched to higher carbs when I learned that I would need the carbs for distance - so I have incorporated fruits and grains. I thought I would gain some water weight when I switched, (carbs hold more water) but I started to lose weight again.

I started to run when I got impatient with walking. It really takes me too long to get where I need to go. Although I move slow running (fast walkers could keep up with me), I feel like I am moving faster. I have always liked being in sports and challenging myself, so this running thing seems to be a good fit.

I so cannot wait to try running again tomorrow - I am going to be slow and steady.

Yoga is Like Jillian Right?

So I just finished 30 minutes of Yoga and 15 minutes of sitting in a hot bath with Epsom Salts and I am feeling mucho better. I would like to get up and go running tomorrow...should I chance it? Hmmmm, something tells me "No! Dummy! Give yourself one more day." Then something else tells me, "Come one! It is on the schedule! You have already missed one day!" Crazy head conversations aside, I am thinking for the greater goal, I will take one more day off.

I have almost convinced myself to register for the HB Marathon, since it is far enough in advance and close to my house. Choosing which marathon I run first is so weird, it is like selecting a husband. As if I am going to spend the rest of my life with the marathon. Such a weird thing.

One of the major things preventing me from registering is the fact that I am still overweight and can barely run 6 miles. The thought of running 26.2 miles is so overwhelming. Also, I am so slow!! They ask the question of estimated finish time...how the hell should I know? I could imagine if I did it I would be running for more then 5 hours??? I think?? Holy cow - is there a lunch break in there? Union rules!

On the other hand, I have watched Spirit of a Marathon, some other PBS Marathon movie and Saint Ralph...I think if I really practice and work hard, I can do it. I feel like I have defeated all sorts of things in my life - I am an ex homeless junkie...I have quit smoking, earned my Bachelors degree, had a baby, and I am a wife. I say these things as if I did them on my own, but I did not. Not only have I had people in my life pulling for me, but I have had God pulling for me. Sometimes I feel like He is in the stadium of life with his big foam finger cheering me through life.