I Don't Generally Set Goals

It's true. I don't. Setting goals leaves room for failure and I don't really like to fail. Who does? Plus I've never seen myself as a goal-oriented person. Honestly, I don't know the effect goal-setting has on me.

But, I've decided to set a goal.

I may have been inspired by the "literature" from Brian, the head honcho of Adventure Boot Camp. (BC = Boot camp from now on)

Backstory break:
I found out yesterday that I wasn't on record with the BC people, even though I registered and emailed back and forth numerous times with someone in the office. I did some heavy-hitting following up today and requested all the crap I've been missing. Evidently, there's all kinds of support included with the BC package -- daily emails, a webcast, and ... well ... other stuff. So, I got three days worth of stuff today, including news that I was supposed to buy three sets of dumbbells (5, 8 and 12 pounds). Uh, $10 per dumbbell at Target ... SOOOO not buying all three sets. So I bought the set of 8 and I'll use my set of 4 and I'll be fine. The heaviest stuff is likely to be legs anyway and I'm heavy enough to add that extra weight on myself, so yeah.

We now return to regular programming ...

The emails I got today talked a lot about setting a few goals for yourself for the 4 weeks of BC. They suggested healthy eating habits, minor weight loss, strength goals, better running times, etc. I have to say, Boot Camp Brian (now BC Brian) is pretty motivational. Mind you, I'm quite cynical and usually don't take much away from cheesy, inspirational crap. But this stuff is good! He talks to the science behind exercise and nutrition. I like that! That's smart people talk, right there.

Okay, back to what I was saying. I've picked a goal. It's a mighty one. It's not one for BC, but one for the next 9 or 10 months.

Are you ready? (Because I'm not sure I am.)

I'm going to do the half Pig!

Aaaahhhh! 13.1 miles!!!!

I mean, I really think it's doable, people. That's a big deal for me to think that and to put it in writing, but I think I can do it. No, I don't expect to run the whole thing. Hopefully I'll run more than half of it, but mostly I just want to do it. Surely it's not all that bad to be moving in some way, shape, or form (running, walking, crawling, or wobbling) for 13.1 miles.

Right?

Oh boy.

Okay, now that that's in writing, I can give you a BC update.

Day 3 went pretty well for the most part. I was super sore when I woke up, and throughout the day, but once I got moving the discomfort diminished a bit. The workout felt easier today, but I really think that's just because the workout was easier in general, and because anything would feel easier than the first day.

One obstacle I ran into today (and yesterday and Monday, in fact) involves planks and push ups (images below for those who need visual aids). I can't do either. And for good reasons.

1. My arms don't hold up that much weight very well. In case you didn't catch it, I weigh more than the average bear. That's a lot of weight to hold up! I want to know what bench press weight is equivalent to lifting my mass off the ground. Anyone? Physics people?
2. My wrists hate me. Blame it on high school color guard or throwing shot put and discus or using a keyboard daily, my wrists don't like how fat I am any more than I do.
3. My knees hate me. There's something about the proper plank position that just puts a huge kink in my knees. Now, I grew up with Osgood-Schlatter disease, so I'm very familiar with that kind of kneee pain. This is not that. This is a sharp ickyness. I'm thinking it has to do with the angle of the pressure.

So, why am I struggling with this? There are lots of things I can't do. My problem is that everyone seems to be able to do them. I think I've reverted to gym class horrors again or something. It kills me to not even be able to hold myself in the girly-plank position (from the knees). What the heck? Plus, there are more BC exercises that start with the plank. That means I can't do those either. BOO!

Fortunately, Linda, the trainer (now BC Linda), is very good at giving alternatives to difficult positions/exercises. It's what BC is all about, apparently. Everyone should be able to participate, regardless of fitness level.

Okay, so I have a plan. I'm going to try push ups from the bench or the wall and work my way up to girl push ups. I'm going to work on stregthening my arms, especially chest press-ish things. Good plan. Go me.

That, folks, is enough blab. I'll check back in with you all in two or three days, unless something phenomenal happens. Oh, I'm going to try to run tomorrow evening, mostly because I miss it (CRAAAAA-ZY!)

Here are the pictures I promised (all stolen from various Internet sources; consider this their citation):

Plank position (essentially a push up in the "up" position)

A girly, or modified push up. Though this chick's butt is in the air, and that's not right.A push up against the wall. I think that sums it up.

Short But Positive

I can't write a full blog because I have to get ready for work, but I wanted you all to know that boot camp was exponentially better this morning.

Whew.

I had a half a bottle of Odwalla juice RIGHT when I got up (about 150 calories) and a piece of whole grain toast (which I will skip from now on ... it was too much). I got to camp really early and took my time setting up. Trainer Linda remembered my name and came up to me to say she was glad I came back. I apologized for my behavior yesterday and told her I was in panic mode. She said she could tell. Geesh.

Anyway, all was well. I even got to do a little jogging, which, sadly, made me happy.

Okay, gotta go. Thanks so much for all of your encouragement, folks! You've been so wonderful!!!

How Was Your First Day Of Boot Camp?

It was HORRIBLE folks!

I was completely miserable the whole time. Whiny and nauseated and weak and whiny and out of breath in a totally painful way and whiny.

Basically, I felt like I was back in the worst kind of gym class where the exercises seem pointless and everyone is doing better than you and barely sweating and you just want to go sit on the bleachers and pout.

A family friend said it best: "I will start crying and assume the fetal position at the mere mention of gym class."

Yeah, that's about right. That's all I wanted to do.

First of all, I couldn't breath. I don't know if I was holding my breath or what (no headphones = I can hear myself breathing = I try to over-control my breath = suffocation = death), but I was miserable! I couldn't breath in deep enough and was making that awful gasping sound and then started to panic and ... well ... it's all downhill from there. Plus, it was about 153% humidity out there this morning. UNGODLY!

Second of all, my legs wouldn't hold me up. I was wobbly-kneed from the get go. You'd think all this running would have taken care of that, but I guess I've been working different kinds of muscles or something.

Third, I was late. It took me longer to get out of my place in the morning than I thought, took me longer to get there than I thought, and I couldn't find the friggin' group once I got there. UGH! I was between 10 and 15 minutes late, so I started on a terrible note.

Fourth, mountain climbers and push ups.

Fifth, I wanted nothing more than to puke and then lie on the wet ground. My stomach was not prepared for a pre-dawn exercise fiasco.

Clearly I was unprepared in more ways than one. I wanted to quit. I wanted to retrieve my gift certificate and give it to someone else. In fact, I even tried to get it back at one point, asking if I could reschedule for a cooler time of year. The trainer wasn't pleased and told me that I was just working at a higher level than I was used to and that I should try to slow down. I immediately went into defensive, excuse-making 9-year-old mode, which really helped me get out of gym class when I was 9 years old. Trainer Linda, not so much.

So, I left unsure if I'd be returning or not. I rested on my living room floor when I got home, struggled to stay standing in the shower, scarfed my breakfast happily, then tried to avoid taking a nap on my drive in to work. I stayed in a bitter mood for a good 2 hours, too. I'm a champion at that.

Well, the bitterness wore off, and I'm feeling a little better now. A little. We'll see.

On an educational note, I reached out to my knowledgeable Facebook friends today for advice on pre-exercise eating. See, I don't like to do it. When I run in the evening, I like to get out there before putting something in my stomach. As long as I can remember, I've always had a negative reaction to exercising with food in my stomach. This could have, however, had something to do with my tendencies to overeat. It wasn't until recently that I realized I only need to down 100 calories to sustain the kind of workout I do. Well, yeah, that still upsets my stomach. Today would be the prime example. I only had water and an apple and I still got sick. UGH!

So anyway, here's an article my FB Friend, Lauren, passed along to me: Should You Eat Before or After Exercise?

The other ladies also had some excellent tips and provided me with a little comfort in knowing that other people struggle with the same eating/sick thing. So thanks girls! After reading their tips and what the article had to say, I've decided to try some full-calorie juices and/or a piece of toast and/or a piece of fruit before I leave ... whichever combination suits feels best. I'll also be trying to get a whole glass of water down before leaving the house. Blech!

So, tomorrow is another day. I'm going to try to keep my mouth shut, stop whining, slow down, breathe, and just do what I'm there to do -- FINISH!

Okay, I may still whine a little. At least give me that!

The Eve Of The Apocalypse ... Or Boot Camp

Ah geesh! Here we are. It's the day before ...

dun dun DUUNNNN ...

The first day of boot camp!

Tomorrow I begin my month-long (20 days, to be exact) torture session, otherwise known as Cincinnati Adventure Boot Camp for Women. I report at 5:30 tomorrow morning. Pretty sure it's going to be raining. Awesome. Whine, whine, whine.

Okay, let me tell you the truth. I really was trying to avoid it, but I figure this blog is supposed to be helping with accountability, and by sharing this, I'm hoping you can help me with this.

[deep breath]

I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful to see what happens, to see if my body is really impacted by what I'm about to do. Will I actually get smaller?

Since the beginning of March this year, I've been focusing solely on cardio -- running to be exact. I haven't done any weight or strength training. I haven't exactly dieted either. I've paid very close attention to what I eat, and even spent a good deal of time as a vegetarian. The combination of my non-diet and my new exercise habits hasn't exactly produced the results I expected.

Actually, I've been working out regularly since March 2009 (half of the time included weights, etc.) and that hasn't yielded visible results in my eyes either. (Okay, my body has changed shape a little here and there, but no numbers have dropped off.) I'm interested to see how a closely-monitored, trainer-led daily workout will impact my physical well-being. And I'm hopeful.

Hope is dangerous. It leads to disappointment. This is why I don't set goals and I often don't share my hopefulness. Sharing leads to joint disappointment ... and sympathy. I don't like those things.

This next month promises to be a difficult one for me. I don't really like not having control over my schedule. Being essentially forced into an every-day workout is rather off-putting. What if I don't feel good one day? Or three days? With running, I make my own schedule and decide whether or not I feel up for a run. Most of the time with running, though, I've impressed myself by ignoring those days when I don't feel so good and just press through the workout anyway. So maybe I've built up some kind of mental endurance over icky days. Maybe. This month will surely test that.

One good thing about this month, though, is freed up evenings. I'm not going to completely avoid an evening run, but I certainly won't feel pressured to get one in over the next month of scorching hot evenings. I'll be active for a whole hour each morning, so an evening run will just be an added bonus. I'm not going to strain myself in the evenings either; if I decide to run, it may just be a Week 2 workout instead of Week 3. Or I'll just jog at my own pace.

Blah. I don't want to think about it. I can't believe it's tomorrow already. I can't believe I have to get up at 5 a.m. and drive 5-ish miles in the pre-dawn to workout. THEN I have to try to cool down enough to stop sweating so I can look like a normal human being at work all day. (This will be the biggest challenge of all, I think.)

On that sweaty note, I bid you all goodnight. Please check back soon for a boot camp update. I predict I'll feel good tomorrow evening, but will feel like Hell Tuesday evening. We shall see!

A Plague of Gnats and Paparazzi

I’m having a fight with Firefox and Blogger right now. They’ve tagged up on me and are currently winning.

Shocker.

Anyway, I’m writing this blog entry on Tuesday night and will likely post it Wednesday morning. Frankly, I’m tired, getting crabby, and want to go to bed and refuse to wait any longer for technology to catch up. [*Update, I posted Tuesday night using an Internet sneak attack! Pow!]

So, despite that peppy intro, I’m actually feeling good (aside from a wicked exercise-induced stomach/lung ache … this one’s a weird one folks).

So, what’s up, Beck? Why the good cheer?

People, I just finished Day 1 of Week 3 for the third time. Better yet, I just finished Take 2 of Week 3 yesterday.

Confused? Don’t be.

Basically I’m trying to tell you that I just ran two days in a row. I believe this is a first for me. For some odd reason I’ve always tried to put at least one day between runs. I don’t know what delusion I was operating under, but clearly people run back-to-back all the time. But it was a little challenging. Whether it was the weather, my tired body, or me sneaking in some extra long runs (increasing 90 seconds to 120 in one case and tacking on an extra minute at the end of my last walking interval), today was a toughy. I’m predicting another 3 tries at Week 3.

But anyway, go me!

Today I brought along the paparazzi, otherwise known as my mom, (Hi mom!) to take pictures of me running. It seems so lame, and I have a hard time thinking that anyone would want to see me running, but for the sake of the blog and for the possibility that I will encourage others, here are pictures.

The very pretty pond at the new running path. Excellent shot, Mom!

In the poetic words of the Black Eyed Peas, "Let's get it started."

If you ever see this view of me, you're probably walking.

Check out that stride! I actually look like a runner here! Probably because I'm running down hill.

Where's Waldo?

I'll give you a hint: She's probably running toward the Cracker Barrel and Chik-fil-A signs.

A Rocky moment.

Post-run cheese. It's amazing that you can't see the massive drops of sweat pouring off my head.
Please don't zoom. =)

Me and the paparazzo, my mom.

Back to the running. Yesterday I encountered another “obstacle.”

Bugs. Ew.

My lovely co-worker, Sara (Hi Sara!) asked me not too long ago about how I deal with bugs on my run because she deals with them on her nightly walk. “Ummm … bugs?” [Insert dumbfounded look.] I haven’t had to deal with bugs yet, but boy did they make their appearance yesterday.

Open-mouthed panting + bugs = splatter on my grillz and wings in my peepers.

Mmmm … protein!

So yeah, thanks, Sara, for cursing me with the plague of gnats on my gnightly run.

Does anyone have any secret anti-bug-crunching tactic that I should know about? What dictates a run’s bugginess? Is it time of day? Weather? Landscape (soggy vs. dry)?

Also, could there be* a more difficult way to upload pictures? Am I missing an easy way to do this on Blogger? Ugh!

* "Look! I'm Chandler Bing. Could I be wearing any more clothes?

A Tribute, A Sacrifice, A New Place To Run

Today, I am paying tribute. In fact, I am so moved by the things to which I am paying tribute that I have decided to sacrifice my weekend run.

Please, a moment of silence.

Mmmmmm ...

Yes, that's right ... I'm skipping the chance to take a Sunday evening run for the sake of watermelon and beer. What you don't see is the frozen Newman's Own four cheese pizza cooking to a crisp in the oven. Health food.

What? It's Bud Select and watermelon is good for you. And, the pizza? It's just good.

So I actually have a semi-valid excuse for choosing not to run this weekend. I didn't do it yesterday because of a marathon shopping trip with friend-o Adrienne, a few hours by the pool, and because I had to say goodbye to my BFF Jeff, who is off to Sacramento to sing and dance his heart out for the rest of the summer. I'm not running today because I just got back to the store with my precious and delicious cargo and I must attend to it. Oh yeah, and because of this interesting problem I've run into.

Dude, the days are too long for running!

I love, love, love Daylight Saving Time and all that it symbolizes, but man it puts a damper on my workout schedule. I just can't wait until 8:30 or 9 at night to run for the sake of waiting until the sun goes down and the temperature drops. I'm a nine-to-fiver. A lazy one at that, who enjoys her sleep and is not willing to sacrifice it.

[I should note that as I sat here typing that last sentence it occurred to me that I should consider running in the morning to solve that problem. But, in light of my upcoming crack-of-dawn boot camp workouts, I'm going to ignore that idea. You understand, right?]

Anyway, this does not mean I will be giving up running for the summer. It just means that I'm going to eat pizza and watermelon and drink beer tonight. Because it's the weekend and I'm not going to stress about it.

On a positive workout note, I tried a new park on Thursday! Well, actually it's not a park. It's a running path at a corporate "park" in my area. I've driven by it many times but have yet to take the plunge to try it out. But I did, and I like it! Yay!

1. It's 98% flat (and 87% of all statistics are made up)
2. It's very un-busy

What's interesting to me is that un-busy part. It's both the reason I've been avoiding it and the reason I love it. I've been avoiding it because I'm still very scared to run alone in unfamiliar, not family oriented places (like parks with playgrounds). It's why I haven't gone running on the streets yet and why I haven't tried Five Mile Trail yet (that and it's apparently very difficult).

Now, there's part of me that realizes that I'm not exactly a primary target for would-be attackers. I'm not a "pretty young thing," to use the words of Mr. M. Jackson, and I don't think I appear to be easy to kidnap or anything--it'd take three people to pick me up and carry me away and I don't think attackers travel in packs, especially not in the 'burbs. So, what is there to be afraid of? I don't know. I'm paranoid. I also think, "What if I fall or get hurt some other way?" I run with my phone, so it's not like I couldn't call for help. Ugh, whatever.

Hey, so how do you handle this situation? Are you afraid to run on your own? Do you take special precautions?

So anyway, back to the new running path. It's flat, it's unpopulated, there are no snotty--I mean precious children bouncing about. It's nice! It goes next to the highway, too, which helps drown out my locomotive breathing. Judging by my experience running Week 3 at Veterans park, I think the shorter part of this trail is just under a mile. There's a longer path, but I think it probably goes over a mile. I opted for the shorter this time. I will be returning, probably this week.

I should note that Thursday's run was not an easy one. My body was not cooperating and I was getting really hot really quickly. (I think this is because of that extra-long daylight issue.)

Okay, my beer is probably close to frozen in the freezer, so I better go rescue it. Be jealous. =)

Week 3, Take 2

I ran Day 1 of Week 3 again tonight. Great run. Still feeling really great about my progress.

I also tried a new park. The track was a bit shorter, but it's also almost completely flat. Loyal readers, meet (or reacquaint your self with) Beech Acres.

I had to run an errand for the sake of my flea-bag cats and decided to try something new. I'm glad I did. There's something about new paths that make the run easier. Well, at least this time. I can't say the same for the Redlegs Run for Home 5K. That was hard. Blech.

Anyway, that is all! Happy short post, people!

I Had Wings ... And Not The Kind For Soaring

Just a quick update tonight. Okay, at least I'll try to be quick. We all know how that goes.

I ran yesterday. I actually spent the day being bitter about my inability to go to the pool when I wanted to. It was supposed to be rainy all day, so the plan to do laundry and bake didn't seem like such a bad one when I scheduled it. Too bad it didn't rain and all those things still needed to be done ... inside ... not at the pool.

Well, I got over it. I finished all my "chores" and still had time for an evening run.

It was hot, y'all. Summer is here.

But, at 7 p.m., it wasn't unbearable. I completed Day 3 of Week 3, and let me tell you, I'm so very tempted to go straight into Week 4. These 3-minute running intervals are a little too easy for my liking. It's a really, really weird feeling.

When 3 minutes was up, I could keep running.

What?

No0o ...

I make myself stop. I don't want to get ahead of myself and wind up being disappointed. Granted, I am taking smaller, slower strides during these 3-minute runs, but still. Blowing my mind.

I'm going to do Week 3 at least one more time before doing the stupid thing and moving up a week.

By the way, today I saw a picture of myself from about a year ago. I'm in a very sleeveless top and holy cow, my wings are flapping in the wind! Being fat since I was little has provided me with the flappy arms of an 80-year-old woman. Only my flappy wings have fat in them and aren't just skin.

(How's that appetite? Good?)

Anyway, I'm happy to announce, my arms aren't that big anymore! YAY!

Wait. Enough celebrating, because they are most definitely NOT in a good place now. Just better than before. I'll find out how much in two weeks.

Two weeks. What's in two weeks?

Oh, I don't know ...

Maybe THE BEGINNING OF BOOT CAMP!

Omigod, time to start freaking out. Two weeks, people! Two weeks until I'm up at 5 a.m. and sweating profusely outside by 5:30 a.m. Then, I will continue to be beet red and sweaty until approximately 6 p.m. when I walk into my air conditioned apartment later that day. Why? Because I don't cool down quickly, people. Not at all, in fact. Better yet, I just scheduled two vacation days from work during boot camp. Which means I'll be up at 5 a.m. on my two days off. Geeeeniuuuuus!

Okay, you got me. Truth is, I'm scared. And I feel like whining about it.

Excuse me while I curl up in a ball on the floor and suck my thumb.

I know, I know ... it's hard but it's doable and I'm such a strong person and I'll be awesome at it and I'll feel awesome and what a great opportunity.

Groan. Where's my blankie?

I Did It Again! Day 2, Week 3

First of all, I fixed my computer all by myself and didn't even have to do a re-configure or restore. Woohoo!

Second of all, I just finished the Day 2 of Week 3 and I'm kind of impressed with myself.

When I first started Week 2, I had a difficult time continuing the workout on Day 2. There is no change in interval times from Day 1 to Day 2, but it was still really difficult for me. This time, not so much. In fact, I did better today than on Tuesday (Day 1, Week 3).

I'm not sure to what I can contribute my success in that area, though. I think it's probably a cross between improved endurance, greater strength, and increased control over my body. I've also purposefully shortened my strides for those 3-minute intervals to avoid getting pooped out. So, something is working and that's kind of fabulous.

Not too long ago I was really doubtful that I could ever run for a long period of time without walking. In fact, I may have even posted about that doubt. But it feels much more doable now and I'm just tickled pink. Well, tickled beet red and sweating and panting, but still tickled.

I wonder how many times I'll need to repeat Week 3 before bumping up. Let's see what the workout is ...

"Warmup 5:00, run 3:00, walk 1:30, run 5:00, walk 2:30, run 3:00, walk 1:30, run 5:00."

Interesting. I like the shorter walk times. I'm currently doing a 3-minute walk after the 3-minute running interval, and it's just too long. Though that 5-minute running interval that Mr. C25K threw in there is really scary, isn't it? Running for 5 minutes straight? Whine.

I may be ahead of the game in planning this already, but I think I need to come up with a halfway workout between Weeks 3 and 4. Maybe I'll do what I just did for the end of Week 3: start running off the C25K program to see what I can do.

Perhaps.

For now I'll just repeat Week 3 until it bores me.

Okay, enough of that. I'll try to get a run in this weekend, but I think we just entered monsoon season because it's supposed to rain for the next week, including the weekend. There goes the pool idea. Gah!

I apologize for writing just a stream of consciousness today. Clearly I'm out of creativity. I promise to try to embarrass myself somehow while running so I can tell you all about it. Happy running!

Week 3!

I did it! I did it and it was easier than I thought.

I just finished Week 3 of C25K.

It has always seemed like a huge step up from Week 2--and I still think it is--but after running the 5K on Saturday, I was pretty sure I could pull it off.

Here's the workout as listed on my app:

5-minute warmup, then do this twice: jog 90 seconds, walk 90 seconds, jog 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes.

One thing I didn't count on today was my legs being dysfunctional. I'm guessing I wore them out more than I realized on Saturday or maybe flip-flops have exhausted some new muscles ... I dunno. Whatever did it, I was definitely running with baby steps today. No real pain or anything--they just didn't want to stretch out and go. Needless to say, I didn't gain much as far as distance goes with this next-level workout.

But, I'm happy with what I did. In fact, I think I realized something during today's workout.

I've been losing focus.

Once I started paying attention to the distance progress I was making ("OMG I completed 2 miles in less time today"), I kind of forgot my direction in running. In fact, I don't know if I ever determined a direction besides forward, but I'm going to determine it right now, darn it.

Beckey's direction: Lengthen running time, and as a side effect, lengthen distance.

What does that mean? Well, to me it means I'm going to focus on progressing through C25K by building up my endurance. I'm going to do these 3-minute intervals and I'm going to get better at them. As I get better at them, I'll take bigger and quicker strides. Those bigger, quicker strides will equate to further distance. The endurance will also help me do longer runs, like upcoming 5Ks and such.

So, that makes sense, right?

I wish I could say this was all my idea. Well, ultimately I had to have the realization and make the decision myself, but I had help. My buddy Jeff, who is leaps and bounds ahead of all of us in the C25K program and who is fabulously fit, has been telling me since I detoured into "I'll-just-see-how-I-do-without-the-app Land" that the app may take it slow, but it's helpful to see your progress and see how long you can run (long, not far). Yeah, I may have interpreted that differently than what he actually said, but it doesn't matter. What matters is I got something out of it.

It's funny that this topic (considering distance last) has come up now, seeing as how some of my coworkers are going through the same sort of challenge. My company is sponsoring/participating in a "Let's Get Moving" campaign this month and many of my teammates are wearing pedometers throughout the day. Their goal is to take 10,000 steps a day. Well, how far is that? Some people have longer legs than others, right? Right. In fact, my favorite story comes from an ongoing discussion between a very long-legged, tall woman and a "vertically challenged" woman on my team. Pauline (long legs) figured out that she gets one step for every two of Dana's, who--she admits--takes steps like a wiener dog. It doesn't matter though. Dana is getting the same workout Pauline is, regardless of the distance. They're both taking strides to their best capacity and using the body they have to do so.

So, I believe that circles around nicely to my situation. And I'm going to go ahead and encourage my readers to consider the same. Who cares if someone is faster or more advanced in their running or workouts? Are you working at your capacity? Are you meeting your goal time or goal steps? Then you're doing great! It's your job to judge what your body can do, not someone else's. Want to run a certain distance someday? That's great. But work on your endurance first. Get your body ready to take that challenge.

Sadly I must end this post now, though I'm sure I could ramble on. One, I'm tired. Two, my computer just decided to get a wonderfully awful virus and suddenly stopped functioning as normal. Worry not, my Avast is kicking it's butt right now, so hopefully I'll wake up in the morning to a solved or alleviated problem.

That being said, while my Internet Explorer, which I don't use, keeps opening up to ads for little blue pills, I'm wrapping this post up from a freshly downloaded blog app.

I love my phone. Have I mentioned that?

Anyway, I didn't get to go back through and add the plethora of boldex and italicizex words that make this blog worth reading, nor do I take responsibility for grossly misspelled words (touch screen and "plus sized" fingers a go-go).

Time for bed. Goodnight friends!

The Redlegs Run for Home 5K

Ahhh, I know there are a small hand full of you who have been waiting for an update. So, here it is!

• I finished the run!
• It was really humid, but overcast, which was very helpful. But the wind wasn't steady. Ugh.
• The course felt so long. (Jeff agreed.)
• I was never really in pain and my breathing was comfortable, but my body got tired, which is a new sensation for me.
• I saw all the buddies I hoped to see and my bestie Jeff did a great job!
• I'm really exhausted and the creative juices must have sweated out of my face during the run.
• Finally, my finishing time was 44:46, which I'm happy with.

So, here are some pictures. I'll probably post more fun stuff later, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. Happy Saturday, y'all!

Me and Jeffy before the run.
Please forgive the zero makeup and running hairdo throughout the rest of the photos.

Jamie B. and me, pre-race.

Crowd shots, pre-race.

Over half way there!

NASTY post-race shot. Blech! Jamie looks good though!

Meat Murderer

Ladies and gentlemen, I have some news. Many of you already know this from Facebook, but you're going to hear about it again anyway.

Hello, my name is Beckey, and I ate hot dogs on Monday. And some meat-like substance in a cheeseball today. And I'll be eating at Five Guys Burgers & Fries on Tuesday.

That's right. After nearly 5 months, I have abandoned the vegetarian-ish lifestyle (pesco-vegetarian, if you want to get specific -- I ate fish and dairy products -- there's your word of the day).

Before I get into the whys of my decision, I'd like to share this comment string from Facebook because it still makes me laugh.

Me: I did it. I had hot dogs. Nearly 5 months down the drain.

E.O-S.: you broke your vegetarian diet on a hot dog?! mine was pepperoni pizza :) i couldn't resist it any longer.

L.E.: Hahahahaha mine was bacon!

Pork seems to be the common vegetarian diet murderer. Odd.

So yeah, I guess I can close that chapter in my life, at least for now. I hate that 5 months doesn't seem like a long time, but I can truly say that I gave it one heck of a go. I did a good job. I just ... got tired of it.

Vegetarian food suited me well for a while. I like vegetables. I only feel strongly about one or three meat dishes. And I was on a change kick.

Well, beans get old, I'm over change, and those one or three meat dishes were making appearances in my dreams (hot dogs, pepperoni, hamburgers, bacon). Plus I found that I was more prone to junk food cravings that I've ever been. Not cool.

I struggled with the decision for a few weeks and battled mostly with the not-so-pretty images of the meat industry. And the meat industry ickyness still weighs heavily on my conscious, but I don't feel there's much I can do about it. Even grain-fed, cage-free chicken has problems. I'm not getting into it right now, nor do I want to get into heated discussions about it, but know that I'm okay with my decision and I do feel that I gave it plenty of thought.

I've also decided to be picky about meat and not just eat it because it's in front of me. It should be something I really, really love. Something that's "worth it." For example, I don't see myself sitting down to a steak dinner anytime soon, or eating pork chops or pork roast -- all things I didn't like much to begin with. No, no. Instead, I'll save my meat dishes for quality items, like buffalo wings, bacon, burnt hot dogs, really good burgers, and Italian subs at Penn Station. High class, no?

So, that's that. I know a handfull of vegetarians that have been doing it successfully for a long time, and who never see themselves looking back. But I know more people who have given it a really, really good try and have given up at some point. Those people, as well as my happily-carnivore friends, are not by any means bad people because of their meat-eating habits. I never have and never will think of those meat-eaters badly for the diet decision they have made. Therefore, I refuse to think of myself as a bad person for murdering innocent animals for the sake of a bacon fix. Humph. (It's worth noting that my vegetarian friends don't think badly of carnivores either.)

So, moving on ...

I have a big day coming up this weekend! The Redlegs Run for Home 5K is SATURDAY! EEEEK! I'm more excited than scared, but I'm still a little scared. Mostly I just can't wait for it to be over. To prep for the run (and for reasons surrounding a family situation), I took this week off.

I did run on Sunday, though. It was so incredibly hot at 10 a.m. that the run was a bit of a loss. The best part is that I finally got to run with my bestie, Jeff. He was kind enough to stick with me for the first lap and a little more before taking off to get a good 10-minute run in. This is the first time I've run with someone who's ahead of me in the game since my freshman year of college. He was kind enough to let me lead and set the pace; I felt supported by having him just hover next to me the whole time. I'm not sure if I did better, worse, or the same with the company. I did enjoy it, though, so thanks for joining me Jeff!

Oh, and I successfully ran for a good 3:45 before stopping, which is a new record for me. Yay! After that, it was all bad. Hot, hot, hot!

Okay, one excessively long post down, and it's time to hit the road. Please check back this weekend for an update on my first 5K!