Ugly Ass Shoes

First off, I am getting really bad calf cramping.  I ran 10 minutes this morning and turned around to walk back home - it hurt super bad.  As I was walking home, I decided to Google calf cramping and read about it all the way back.  The best article was from Wikihow.  I came home, at a banana, drank a bunch of water and then decided it was time for new shoes. 

So after work I went to the running store.  I have not been to the store for quite some time and I am embarrassed to say that I am still wearing the same shoes and inserts I bought when I was actually putting mileage on my shoes (2 years ago).  I will spare you a picture of the old shoes - let's just say my pigeon toes started to eat the inward tread.  I did the run test and was told I have high arches, flexible ankles (this explains the random ankle twisting and fall), and pronate inward.  All stuff I kind of already knew.  He gave me a Rx for inserts and stability shoes.  I used to run in Brooks and I LOVE Brooks shoes....buuuut....I fell in love with the ugly ass shoes.  I am sorry Brooks, but my new Mizunos are crazy comfy.  They are ridiculously awesome and I love them.  I know they are horrid to look at, but who cares!?!?! 

I am already a full blown mess when I run.  I go early in the morning (5/6ish) , so I have an old band t-shirt, leggings, a green Kauai trucker cap, and makeup from the day before, I am fortunate that I never forget the sports bra.... and now I have these ridiculously ugly shoes to go along with all that hotness.  I'm sexy and I know it.  I think a picture of all that hotness will definitely be in your future. 

Awesome.

8 Minutes

My training plan had me scheduled to run 5 minutes, walk 3 minutes, run 8 minutes, walk 5 minutes and then run another 5 minutes.  It has been so long since I have been able to put together 8 minutes...I freaked - the longest I had run was 6 minutes, and by then I though I was going to die.  It has been that way for a couple weeks since I have been duplicating my workouts on the training plan, trying to take it easy on my ankle (which had a light sprain from the fall).  I have been worrying about running for 8 minutes for the past couple days.  Finally I though I will at least try, if I don't make it I can walk for a couple seconds and keep at it.  I did it!!

Its amazing to me that I can put together that amount of time - it makes me feel like I can get there again and very soon!

Falling

So I went for my run today and fell...

 

My ankle just gave out (probably from carrying all that weight around).  I just got back up brushed myself off and started walking then running.  The guy behind me probably thought I was a freak.  I have awesome compression socks, which I finally found the sister!  I did my run better this time though, but I still think I should repeat one of the days before moving on.  I'll run again on Saturday.

Yoga Morning

Is it just me or is Yoga booooooriing.....super yawn.  It does make me feel better though, so I will just push on.  I was super sore yesterday but decided to go out and do my run/walk app yesterday any way.  It was a total fail.  I am supposed to be up to 5 minutes of running and I kept having to stop halfway through.  This might be because I have been run/waling more days a week then the app says (3 days a week is not enough for me).  So today I took off and did some Yoga in the morning instead....bleck.

BTW I could only find one of my compression socks from the good old days and now I have one leg that feels ok and the other not so much.  Call me lopsidesy.  I guess that proves that they actually do work!  I bought a new pair on Amazon...it is just painful to dish out 40 bucks for a pair of socks.

Way Too Long

It has been way too long since I have been in he blogosphere.  I have gained several pounds and stopped running all together. Not good.  I think I need to get back into what was making me happy and keeping me thinner.  I had a Couch to 5K app on my cell phone...which I would use for a couple days and then give up.  I realized that part of the reason I was giving up was the treadmill - the other part was laziness.  I get really bored on the treadmill and hate what I am doing.  I really love to be outside.

 I started running outside and now I have made it through 4 weeks on the Couch to 5K program.  I am almost to the 5K running marker. Once I get there, I am not sure what I want to do...perhaps another half?  I really just like running for 2 reasons, (1) I like to be outside and (2) I LOVE to eat.  When you work a sedentary, inside job and factor in those two items, you will gain weight.  Which I have.

I am committed to finishing the program and I am now accountable.

Fruits, Veggies and a 5K

So. Ok. What's the deal with fruits and vegetables? I have never been a lover of eating colorful food, I am a lover of the brown, tan, white color. I am even ok if you want to splash some food coloring in my food...but natural colors have never been my thing. Just take a look at the lovely foodie pictures I took a few months ago, it's pretty depressing. I read a lot of blogs where the authors have major love affairs with a salad!?!? How does that happen? Is it innate? Learned? How much work will it actually take to make me have a complete change of the foods I am comfortable eating?


My other gripe is time. It takes me 3 minutes and zero mess to clean up when I eat a Lean Cuisine, but when I make a salad - I mean a salad that I actually enjoy - it takes me at least 5 minutes plus the mess, and that is just for the salad. Also, I just never think it will fill me up. If some expert happens to stumble upon my blog...please tell me how can an ordinary person go from a dough and sugar lover to a fruit and veggie lover without having some sort of major awakening?


In other news, I completed the HB 4th of July 5K in 33:57, even though I am 2 minutes from the goal for this race, I feel like I am making some progress. Now I just have to keep it up and work hard to get to my goal by next month. I have a feeling I am going to get very close even if I don't get there.

Blog Addict

Call in the 12 step program people, I have a serious blog reading addiction. Now that I have one of those Smart Phones I have been able to read every one's blogs via my Google Reader. I swear, I refresh the Google Reader more then I do my Gmail - which is another major addiction. I went out "shopping" for more blogs to read last night - I found some good ones by checking out the comments section on the blogs I read most faithfully. I found some good ones! I am going to see if I can find some more today. I am learning so much and it is so cool to see real people who are able to incorporate running and nutrition into their daily lives.

If only I could read or comment on my Google Reader from my phone, my life would be utterly perfect.


I have another 5K to run on Monday morning, my goal is under 32 minutes, which seems ambitious knowing that just a couple weeks ago I did a 5K in 36 minutes - on a 20 gram of carbs a day diet. Remember how I said I was president of the bad idea club? Racing and Atkins do not mix for me. I am hoping that since I have added carbs back to my diet (watching calories), that it will make a difference in my time. I have 1 more 5K scheduled in August, if I don't make my 27 minute goal by then, there will be more 5K's.

My training has been moving right along, I have been using the treadmill most of the time now, I think because it is new and I have been liking it more and more, plus I can run while Jesse is taking a nap. My longest run is 4 miles, so it is not like I am spending a ton of time on it. My weight lifting has dropped off though. I need to pick that up again - I'll make it a priority next week. Speaking of next week, I have a 5 mile run on the schedule! It has been a long time since I have run 5 miles, to me 5 miles is a big turning point in my running; once I get there, I feel like a runner.

My schedule is going to change soon, I have been interviewing for a full time role where I will no longer be working out of my house (with my own hours). While contracting has been great for me as a mom and keeping up with my industry, it offers no stability or benefits. Jesse started Pre-school 3 days a week and I think it is time, to be honest, I really miss working with a team and going in the office. It gets pretty lonely on my own.

When I finally get something, I am going to have to figure out a new running schedule. I will have to make it work since I am signed up for the LB 1/2 in October! I will not be running another 2:50 half, I would like to be close to 2 hours, but I will take anything under 2:30...I guess we shall see when we get there.

Alright, it is time to publish this post and get my fix from other blogs!