Ketchup Blog

I'm way behind on blogging so I'm just going to catch up with a list. (Read the list and you'll be rewarded with pictures at the end.)

• My third grade teacher, Mrs. Chalk, didn't like ketchup. So if our class needed a "catch-up day" (ketchup day) she liked to call it mayonnaise day.
• Apparently, I can't spell mayonnaise without help from my computer.
• Seeing a pattern here ... this might not be such a succinct list after all, given my easily-distracted mood this evening. Ooh shiny ...
• I'm running a 5K this Friday ... in a Halloween costume. It's the Cincinnati Run Like Hell.
• It's my friend, Mr. PurulentSmile's first 5K and I'm uber excited for him. He's going to murder it. 
• Sarah is running it too! Yay!
• If you're in a donating mood, please consider using my friend Leslie's donation page for the Run Like Hell 5K, which benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Here's the link to her page. She's $160 away from her $500 goal. Oh, and her team (which I'm a part of) is called Marissa's Miracle, named after her daughter. Read Marissa's story on the page I linked above.
• My costume is almost ready. I'm taking two yards of tulle (the stuff that goes under tutus) to work tomorrow to get help from my crafty coworkers. I'm not crafty. Have I mentioned that? Then I'm getting a bunch of latex gloves from my cousin Thursday. (Have you figured it out yet? I'm guessing no. Hehe...)
• Tonight I met Caitlin for my last run of the week before the 5K. It went terribly for me.
• Here's when you know you have a great running buddy: Caitlin looked at me when tonight's run was over and said, "I was hoping you'd have a bad run tonight." Errr...thanks?  =)
• What Caitlin did was reiterate some advice I gave her a few weeks ago when she ran a 5K and met all of her goals (no puking, no walking, finish in under 40 minutes). She had a bad workout that week and was a little discouraged. I told her it was good because she got the bad run out of her system. See, bad runs usually travel alone. One and done ... for a little while. That one bad run could be REALLY bad and could REALLY discourage you, but it's only going to happen once...unless you let it defeat you.
• Speaking of the 5K Caitlin did, it was the day after my 30th birthday celebration, so I opted out. (recovery ... whew) But I did go to the run as a spectator, which I love. It was a beautiful day and I had the pleasure of bopping around the course with a fancy-pants camera dangling around my neck to play paparazzi for Caitlin. Super...super...FUN! Pictures below!
• I love that Caitlin wished a bad run on me. Punk.
• Caitlin is kicking my a$$ in running, more and more every time I see her. We tried speed intervals not too long ago. I failed miserably. She busted butt. And she may not realize it, but that one speed workout has kicked her normal running speed up a notch or three.
• In fact, everyone is kicking my a$$ in running. I'm slowing down. I'm not working out as much as I'd like, I've gained a little weight, and I'm just not improving my speed. I could work harder at this.
• I need to return to the land of losing weight. I've noticed a difference in the amount of effort required now versus when I was 6 pounds lighter.
• It's getting cold and dark out. I hate standard time. Seriously, someone give me a good reason why we should ever NOT be in daylight saving time. There is NO good reason. It should be all year round.
• Cold + Dark + Gaining Weight + Boredom Sneaking In = I'm joining a gym. Probably tomorrow after work. The gym down the street has some pretty good annual plans, but better yet, they have EXTREMELY reasonable month-to-month plans. I'm going to try to make nice with the dreadmills (read about my first treadmill experience here). I'm also going to take a body pump class. Basically synchronized lifting with a room full of people.
• I am extremely proud of my two running buddies. They're doing such a fabulous job and, as I've said, are completely annihilating me in terms of running ability and improvement.
• I can't spell annihilating either.
• I'm getting to be a very delinquent blogger, so please follow me on Twitter if you're the Twitter type. If you're not the Twitter type, my tweets show up on the right hand side of my blog page. I'm trying to improve the frequency of my posts there to compensate for my poor blogging habits. Plus, I often re-tweet or quote some really useful and insightful tweets from Runner's World, Women's Health, Eat This Not That, and other Twitter resources.
• This is a mighty long list, but I think I'm finished for now.
• This is my first blog post as a thirty-something!

And now pictures...

These are from the Warrior Run.

Caitlin before the race started.

At the start line. (Caitlin is in pink.)

At mile 1. This was the prettiest race course ever. Through a super cute neighborhood with fall leaves everywhere. =)

Finish line! (Caitlin isn't there quite yet.)

There she is! She had to elbow and shove her way through a pack of walkers. Atta girl!

Caitlin's cheering section. Her husband Jesse (pointing toward their hidden child in the stroller, Emalynn). To the left in the red plaid is Jesse's brother Jason. To the left again, creeping over Jason's shoulder, is Kevin, Caitlin's twin brother.

The paparazzi!

And here's a collage of pics from my 30th birthday party. I didn't party like a rockstar as I intended (due in large part to me going "too big, too fast," if you catch my drift. But I got to see most of my most favorite people in the world, no exaggeration here! Thank you for celebrating with me, peeps. Love you all!

Happy birthday to me!

Emerald Miles: Full Recap

So I had a bit of a goal going into this race. Blech. Goals. You know how I feel about those. I didn't make this one for myself, though. I kind of adopted it from Caitlin. I wanted to run the whole stinkin' thing.

Since she and I had a great 3.1-mile run two weeks ago, I knew we had a pretty good chance of making it happen.

So anyway, backing up a bit ...

I had some buddies in this run. Caitlin, of course. This was her first 5K and the one she wanted to complete before her birthday later this month. Matt also jumped on the bandwagon.

Caitlin in her first race T-shirt and race bib. YAY!

The three of us before the race. (Thanks for the pictures!)

We couldn't have asked for a better mid-March day to run the first race of the season. It was warm enough to leave the gloves, fleece vest, and ear-covering headband in the car. The sky was completely clear and the sun was shining.

The starting line at the start of the Purple People Bridge in Newport, Kentucky.

We found out mid last week that the mighty Ohio had overrun its banks so much that our race route was underwater. During packet pick up on Thursday, they assured us that there was a new path and that it was flatter than the old one (YAY!) Unfortunately, it wasn't all that much flatter. There was still a monster hill to climb during the last half mile of the run. Slow and long. Whew.

So yeah, unfortunately that hill had me pretty much convinced from the beginning that I wasn't going to be able to run the whole time. I'm wicked bad on hills, which should make the Pig really fun. I walked for a total of maybe 1:30 to 2 minutes in three different places. Two of those were really brief, one (on the hill) was much longer. I stayed in front of Caitlin until the hill up to the bridge where, as I predicted, she kicked my butt and got a nice distance ahead of me. Go girl!

As I finally got to the top of the hill (the middle of the Purple People Bridge), I could see the finish line and REALLY wanted to sprint to the finish. Yeah, turns out it was a bit further away than I thought. That was the hardest I've worked during a finishing stretch yet. My body just did not want to go any faster and I couldn't catch up with Caitlin.

Caitlin finishing. I'm in the white long-sleeved T-shirt over her right shoulder.

All in all, I'm pleased with myself. I set a new PR and I ran more than I could have dreamed I would at my last 5K. Very cool!

Me, post-run and post-post-run-snack, quite content to be sitting and leaving a monster butt print on the pavement.

Somehow they captured our finishing times and pace without timing chips. Someone will have to explain that to me. Anyway, here's the screen shot of mine and Caitlin's finishing times. Matt, the newest runner of the three of us, came in around 33 minutes (WOOHOO!) and kicked both of our butts.

There we are!

The good news is I won't be running another 5K until mid-May (Forest Hills 5K). That will be after a 10K, after a half marathon, and after completing another 4-week session of boot camp. I should be hot to trot! (Oh yeah, looks like Caitlin and I are doing the Rat Race 10K. Yikes again!)

And to wrap up, here's our group post-race picture.

Great job you two!

Non-Stop 5K At Juilfs With Caitlin And A Blowout

Oh good god. I'm so wiped right now. First, yesterday I did Jackie Warner's lower body workout on my lovely DVD. As my Facebook friends already know, I've been acutely aware of my butt today. Why? Because it has been screaming in pain all day, along with my quads. Ouch-ee! It's the "good" kind of pain though ... not injury pain.

Big news though. Caitlin and I rocked 3.1 miles tonight at Juilfs without walking, including two hills. I believe it kicked both of our butts (which made my sore one feel all that much better), but we did it and that's all that matters. It's the longest (time and distance) either of us have run straight, ever. It took just a bit over 40 minutes.

Here are some screen shots provided by Caitlin's phone. (By the way, I've confirmed that my iPhone's GPS is inaccurate. BOO!)

Map of our path at the park

All the stats. I'm loving that distance.

The elevation map. This is not what I pictured.

I also had a pretty interesting day in a way that has nothing to do with running, but I think the pictures are funny. I blew out a rear tire on my way in to work today. I was on the highway, traveling at 65+ MPH, but was very fortunate that the blow-out wasn't a violent one. No accident, no scary moments, all is well. And since my tires were 15,000 miles over what they should have been and were dry rotted, I had to dish out some serious cash for four new tires. Ouch.

Anyway, here are the pictures of my tire. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure I could have patched this up with some duct tape.





But I'm here and alive and just ran 3.1 miles straight. Tires schmires. =)

Challenge: 30 Miles In 30 Days

Well, I just signed up for something a little crazy. And it's goal-oriented, too, which is SO not me. The good thing is there isn't anything to lose. If I fail, it's no big deal.

That being said, I'd like to see if I can pull it off. Hopefully it doesn't make me angry or depressed, which happens to me if I start to fail at something. Thus the aversion to goals.

Anyway, here it is:

Banner from MapMyRun.com

I got an email this morning from MapMyRun.com, inviting me to join in the 30 in 30 Challenge. I did some quick math and figured that 30 miles in 30 days is not a whole lot more than I do now. I could totally pull that off, right?

Right.

If the weather cooperates. Unlikely.

If the weather cooperates and I can do another lap on my weeknight parking lot runs and maybe another lap or two on any daytime weekend runs, then yeah, I can do it. But if it snows or gets really cold (like it is right now), I could be out of luck.

Yes, I have a treadmill to fall back onto if the weather gets bad, but there's no way I can go longer on that thing. I hate it so much it's hard for me to stay on it for 20 or 30 minutes, let alone 40 or 50. Gah! Hate it! Patooey!

Oh. Sorry. Focus ...

But then I got to thinking of the positives of the challenge. It could really be a chance to get some longer distances in. I could be ready to fully run a 5K when the first one comes around in March. I could be putting myself in a good position to train for the half-Pig. I could lose some weight. I could get through January a lot faster (only to face friggin' February after that).

Interesting ...

So, despite all those ifs, I went ahead and signed up anyway. I wanted to post about it 1) so you all could check in on me and 2) in case any of you would be interested in the challenge. They have running, walking, cycling, and exercising challenges -- take your pick. Check out the MapMyRun.com NYE Challenges here! If you complete the challenges, you get entered to win stuff. Plus, if you haven't already made use of that website, you need to get on it. It's pretty great, as is its App on the iPhone (and maybe other devices).

So, wish me luck! And please do some anti-snow-and-ice dances/rituals/praying/bargaining. Let's work together to keep winter away, folks!

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Cincinnati

Hey all! Sorry for the delay on reporting my results. I'm experiencing home computer drama.

This will be a short update.

Exhibit A: Two different race paths. The official map differed slightly from the actual course. Please examine the following two links:
Course map

What we actually did

Exhibit B: My finish time was approximately 42:06. I say approximately because, despite electing to be a "competitive runner" during registration, there was no official timing device. Looking back, I can see how it might be impossible to chip time all 18,000 participants. That's like Cincinnati's Oktoberfest taking a jog at the same time. A lot of people. A lot of pink. I wore a blue long-sleeved tshirt. Oops!

I'm not thrilled with the time. If you use the official course map as a distance judge, my pace was nearly 14 minutes/mile. Boo! That number drops with the actual course map since it's a hair longer.

Exhibit C: The finish line was extremely anti-climactic. For non-survivors, there wasn't even a line to cross. They just ushered you off to the side. I know this run was for one very important cause, but couldn't they have put some kind of line on the ground? Meh.

I think that's all the exhibits I have. I'm in a bit of a running slump. I'm kind of discouraged at my lack of progress and the return of my leg pains. I ran yesterday evening, however, and returned to Week 4 of C25K; that went well. Whew. If it hadn't, there's a chance I would have pooped out on running for a while.

Okay, sorry for the poorly constructed post. I'm off to work!

Pink Ribbon Jitters

Tomorrow is the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and I'm oddly nervous.

Lovingly borrowed from the RFC website.

I think I'm mostly intimidated by the huge number of participants. Plus I'm getting to the point that I expect something of myself in these runs. My goals have expanded beyond "I just want to finish on my feet." Now that I've officially been disappointed in my 5K results, I'm worried about failure. (The Anderson Run to Remember ... I forgot to share the results but they weren't awesome. I didn't go above a 14 minute per mile pace, but I didn't improve either.) Stupid expectations.

Despite my fear of not meeting my own expectations and not improving, I'm going to set a goal. My BigK 5K pace was about 13:40. I'd love to hit 13 minutes per mile or less. It's kind of a big jump, especially considering my recent runs haven't been great. (I'm officially blaming the new shoes.)

So, think of me tomorrow morning. Send me happy leg muscle thoughts. Hopefully it will be as nice out as they're forecasting. And yay for long downhill finish. Also, if you'd like to donate, here's the link again. My sole donor is is probably getting a little lonely on the scrolling honor roll. =)

My donation link: http://rfccin.convio.net/goto/moretoloverunning

I'll check in after the run!

Beckey's Race for the Cure

On the eve of my next 5K (the Run to Remember at Beech Acres Park tomorrow evening), I signed up for yet another run. This one's a doozy though.

On Saturday, September 25, I will be participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. You know what this means, don't you? It means I'm fundraising! Wheeee!

Truthfully, I was hesitant to go this route because I so hate the feeling of guilt that comes with someone else's fundraising efforts and I'm not a fan of bestowing that guilt upon someone else.

But, I promise--right hand raised, crossing my heart--that you should in no way shape of form feel guilty or obligated to contribute to my fundraising efforts, especially if you are in no financial place to do so.

That being said, I am going to share my personal page in case you are looking for an opportunity to give. Yes, cancer is a terrible thing and fundraising helps find a cure. But there is no one that could possibly understand more how difficult it is to make ends meet without thinking about making donations.

So, here's the link: http://rfccin.convio.net/goto/moretoloverunning

Check it out. Sign up to run! Donate if you want to. Definitely think of me (sending happy breathing and not-sore muscle thoughts my way) on September 25.

And for those of you ladies who have gone running with me at some point ... I think it may be time to sign up for a 5K! This could be the one! =)

New Kicks, New Connection

After a three day weekend spent trying to get my new Internet set up, I can finally say that I have reliable service--except when it decides not to work. UGH! Technology and I are not friends right now. We're usually tight, too. For now--frienemies.


But, I hope you enjoyed reading my pre-written posts. At least the one about my weight loss. I've been thinking about it more over the last week, especially after finding a dress that really slims me down, and I'm really impressed with my weight loss, y'all! 35 pounds?! That's a lot! Granted, when you take into account my starting weight, it's like an average person losing 15 pounds, but still, 15 pounds is a lot for an average sized person to lose, right? (You'll have to fill me in here because I have no idea.) So, another pat on my back, please. Thanks. =)


Moving on ... I got another new thing this weekend! NEW SHOES! I was finally able to get out to Fleet Feet and get my monstrous feet fitted for some proper running shoes.


I have nothing but good things to say about Fleet Feet at this point. My shoe fitter (I think her name was Bridget) took a great deal of time with me on a busy Saturday afternoon, all for the sake of finding the perfect fit. I tried on somewhere around 8 to 10 pairs of shoes and took 5 or 6 of them for a spin on the sidewalk outside. She videotaped my feet as I jogged on the treadmill inside and we watched the video back in slow motion to analyze my gait. (Turns out I have a neutral, healthy gait instead of the rolled-out one I thought I had.) I can't believe it; I can actually run in a straight line!



Well, my healthy stride in mind, she set out to find me a pair of really cushiony, comfy shoes. Unfortunately I still had to get dude shoes because my feet are so big and fairly wide. Bridget (I'll just assume that's her name from now on) stared at my feet longer than I did at times. She didn't let me settle for "okay" shoes, which I tend to do with everything because I hate shopping so much. She paid attention to the spots where the shoes were snug and/or loose and found me the perfect pair.


I -- LOVE -- THEM!


Ladies and gentlemen, meet my brand new size 11 2E (men's) Mizuno Wave Inspire 6 running shoes.

Yes, this is a shameless and gratuitous promotion of my calf muscles at a demi-releve. I earned those!

(Actually, I've had the calves forever. I just wanted to show them off like my friend Anne did. And my calves' northern and southern neighbors have shaped up nicely recently.)

I took the shoes for a test run on Sunday afternoon on the Five Mile Trail (I only did 1.2 miles out and back, 2.4 miles total), and they did pretty well! I had a teensy bit of the typical new shoe toe numbness, but it went away before I finished. Then I got that burning sensation on the bottom of my feet ... totally a new shoe feeling too. I'm confident these will break in in no time since they're so squishy. Uh, and they're light! The shoes I was using before are technically cross trainers, albeit lightweight ones. I'm so ready to roll in these puppies. Bring on more 5Ks!

Speaking of 5Ks, I signed up for another one last week. It's the Run to Remember in Anderson Township and it's this Saturday at a nearby park. The course is a little lame, but it's flat and it's in my part of town. Plus it's, if you couldn't tell by its name, a run to remember individuals from Anderson Township who have passed away. I actually have a bit of a distant personal connection to two of the honorees. I went to school with Erin and graduated with her sister, Liz. My mom's former co-worker, Sean, was married to honoree Marty. Their stories, along with the other honorees' stories, are just so heartbreaking. Check out the website to read about them. I'll be thinking of them and someone else during my run.

My honoree

Hopefully it's a happy atmosphere so I can keep it together enough to breathe and see straight.

So, this week I'm hoping to get out and run at least twice before Saturday. I'm glad I don't have to wait until it's late in the evening to get outside, but I'm sad the long days of summer are over. Now I actually have to start rushing home (if I'm not being attacked by a to-do list at work) in order to get out in the daylight. I'll never be happy, huh?

Thanks for reading, and thanks for bearing with me during the Internet debacle.

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!

Update, Running Buddy #2, Redlegs, and Bathing Suits

I know, I know! It's been forever since my last post. Let's just say there are reasons and they are good ones. I won't even classify them as "excuses." Don't dwell on the past; look forward.

Well, I do want to look back for a moment more and point out that, while I didn't post about it, I did run this week. Twice. Tuesday's run was rough. It was warm out, but not too warm. It was humid, but not too humid. I had planned on making that run a difficult one, perhaps do 3 miles instead of just the normal 2. That didn't happen. My legs just weren't having it. They were sore or something, I don't know. So, I finished 2 miles in about 30 minutes. Below par, but still okay. Just a bogey.

I also ran yesterday with Running Buddy #2. It was her first time trying C25k and she just had a baby 8 weeks ago. She tackled Week 1 with great determination, pressed through those running intervals, and did great. I'm pretty sure she needs applause.

Go ahead, clap.

During our 5 minute cool down, Running Buddy #2 and I discussed why the program is a good one. It's running and running is scary, especially for extremely out-of-shape and even obese [spit, hiss, hack, booo!] people like me. C25K works because it's doable. The first workouts are so difficult to get past, but it's completely possible to finish them! You'll be tired, sweaty, and panting by the end, but you will have made it to the end, by golly. And for people who are used to not making it to the end, that's a big deal.

Speaking of being used to not finishing -- er, well, of being last to finish (this is a stretch segue, I know) ...

Running Buddy #2 and I also went to school together. We're talking all the way through. I'm thinking kindergarten or first grade or something. In fact, yesterday we shared our first reunion since graduating high school, which happened exactly 10 years ago. Creeeeepy! We grew up with the same gym teachers and, while she tried to steal my title of "always last to finish in gym class" yesterday, I put her in her place and she resigned to, "Okay, second to last." Anyway, I brought up to her that I think our childhood physical education might have been a lot more effective if it involved some kind of fun interval running like C25K instead of the wonderful, "Okay kids, go run around the gym while I sit on the bleachers and pick my nose." I'm pretty sure even tubby little me would have been able to keep up with the other kids and wouldn't have suffered from another self-esteem crash-and-burn. Yes, that might hold other children back a bit, but it's a progressive program and they wouldn't have to stop running, right? Right.

I welcome feedback on this topic. How did you feel in gym class growing up? Were you front, back or middle of the pack? How did it impact you?

I have another bit of information to share with you. I'm pretty sure Hell just froze over, because I just paid to run my first 5K.

I paid ... to run.

What? How? I never thought this would happen, EVER! AND, when I registered today, they had a tshirt that will probably fit me. This is a bigger deal than the 5k! Ha!

I'll be running/walking in the Redlegs Run for Home 5K next Saturday with my best bud, Jeff. He doesn't know it yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to force him to run with me instead of trotting ahead like the fabulously fit stage performer he is. Jerk. =)

So, this coming Saturday morning, please send happy breathing and muscle thoughts my way. As long as it's not thunderstorming and raining buckets, I'll be happy.

One more final piece of news for you. I put on a bathing suit today for the first time since last summer. (Sorry for the mental image.) But, I can now officially see a difference in my body shape. It's subtle, and most people probably wouldn't notice, but I do. I think fat rolls 3a and 3b have significantly decreased, or have become one with 2a and 2b. Maybe they got married. I hope they don't have any kids ...

Happy long weekend folks! Thank a soldier or veteran.

Otto Armleder Park ... And Girly Talk

Welcome to my advertisement for a new Cincinnati-area park. The only compensation I get for my advertising efforts is a free, sweaty run around the park's wonderfully flat bike/walk/run path.

So, as you might have gathered, I tried a new running path today. Otto Armelder Park is a relatively new park on the east side of Cincy. (The website is terribly un-useful.) A family friend of mine (Hi Debbie G.!) pointed me here, claiming it was flat and a convenient 2-mile loop. She forgot to mention that it's beautiful! Well, as beautiful as a flat plot of ground next to the Little Miami River can be, I suppose. Yeah, the river was a total surprise, by the way. There I am, jogging along, and whoa, the river is right there. It's a scenic river, too, so it was a pleasure to stumble across, unlike the Ohio. Yucko. So, I sacrificed my running time to take photos along the way.

The Little Miami River

I saw a few signs saying that the area was being reclaimed as a bird habitat, and they weren't kidding! I saw birds I've never seen before. (Side note: I'm hideously afraid of birds, butterflies, and pretty much all winged creatures, but I still think they're among the most beautiful creatures ever. Just keep your flipping, flapping wings away from me. Simple as that.) There were a few photographers and/or bird watchers around too, so the "habitat" must be doing pretty well. Here's one of the birdhouses along the way.

The birds were perched on top of them, like they were standing guard or something.

It also seems to be a popular place for cyclists. There were quite a few on the short path today; guess they can't handle the length or traffic at the very nearby Lunken Airport Bike Path (5 miles). No worries, though. The wide paths left plenty of room for runners and walkers. Unlike the super skinny path at Veterans Memorial Park.

A guy on a bike. Ooooh ... aaaaah!

It's also a nice, meandering path, so it doesn't feel sterile like a standard running track or anything. Always a plus. Also a plus are the sweet distance markers. 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 ... the path is marked at every two-tenths of a mile. Very helpful.


Now, let's talk about the actual run. I'm still baffled by my abilities lately! I got out of my car, found the "0-0" on the ground, and took off running. Again, ran for a good 3:30 before I stopped to take a picture of the river. I think next time I'm going to just try to keep running. I have a feeling it'd be less shock to my body than I initially thought. If you have advice on that, please share!

On to the girly stuff. Guys, feel free to end here.

What on EARTH do you gals do about cramps and running? Do you press through or do you call it a loss? Right around the 1-mile mark, I practically gave up.

Not comfortable.

I did keep walking, of course, and eventually, after my lengthy photography sessions, I felt better and started running again. I finished 2 miles in a half-hour, so clearly I didn't let it get to me too badly, but still ... I want to know how you deal.

So, the run went well enough today that I'm considering going tomorrow. This would be the first time I attempt two days in a row. Scary! But, gotta get ready to run some 5Ks baby! WOOHOO!

Also, has anyone run the File Mile Trail? Thoughts? How hilly is it?

I'll leave you with an amazingly red, sweaty, triple-chinned, gasping photo of me, mid-run.

Mmm ... attractive.
I'm posting this as proof that I really do fill the credentials of a More-to-Love Runner.

Breaking Free From Codependency!

Guess what I did today? Well, most of you already know from Facebook, but I totally just ran a 5K at my wonderful Juilfs Park. 3.1 miles. I called the park to confirm the track distance today and figured out that measuring 3.1 miles is quite easy. Running it is a different story.

This is a huge milestone, people! In fact, it's two huge milestones. One, I finally did more than the usual 2 miles. Two, I did it all without Mr. C25K, with whom I have a a relationship that was slipping into codependency. I found myself starting to think I couldn't run without his help. Well guess what! I can!

To top it all off, I just did it with some pretty impressive times. You should note that I don't think I've ever, EVER run as well as I did tonight. Not even when I was fit--oh wait, I was never fit.

Heh.

Anyway, here are my lap times (forgive the inaccuracy of the first two ... I haven't figured out how to use the lap feature of my phone's stopwatch):

Mile 1: 12 something
Mile 2: 26 something
Mile 3.1 (5K): 40:47

Congrats to Leslie for guessing so close on Facebook! WEEE! You're More to Love Running famous now! Shut the front door. Still in disbelief. I also stretched my first running interval out to over 3:30. I can run over 3 minutes at a time. What? Oh, and I'm pretty sure I did a few more that were over 2 minutes long.

And, I feel amazing right now. Nothing hurts. I cooled off quickly (I'm actually freezing because I'm sitting on my balcony) and with little sinus resistance (a topic for another post).

Now, it's important that I point out that it wasn't easy. Yes, the weather was great: it's a cold and drizzly kind of day. Yes, I was itching to run after an icky personal day yesterday and this morning. But yes, I had to work hard.

And ... it worked.

I did a lot of talking to myself:

"Just let your legs work; they'll tell you when to stop. Breathe. Keep going. If you stop at that tree, you're okay, but if you go to the next one, you're awesome. Just run, just run, just run, just run. Do it. Go. Run. You're doing great."

I always hate hearing how positive self-talk can help you, but I knew from the other day that negative self-talk can really bring you down. So, I thought what the hell, let's give it a go.

And ... it worked.

Oh, and I've mentioned before how important loud music is to me while I'm running. I breathe very, very heavily and really loud, and when I can hear myself breathing, I tend to try to quiet it. Not good. Well, there were breaks in my playlist today where I could hear myself breathing. Today's solution? "Get over it, Beckey. Breathe as loud and obnoxiously as you can. Make people look."

And ... it worked.

So, I'm freezing and starving so I'm going to call it a blog night. Here's something to look forward to, though. Today I decided to sign up for the Redlegs Run for Home 5K. It's a 5K run sponsored by the Cincinnati Reds. Rumor is you get to run across home plate when you finish. How cool. Thanks to Jacqi and Allison for reminding me of this run, and to Sarah and Nikki (and maybe Jeff) who I will be forcing to run with me. Love you! I'm friggin' paying to run? Are pigs flying yet? Oh that was a few weekends ago, right? Right.

HAPPY RUNNING!

Quick Update: A Setback in Week 2

Good afternoon.

Yes, that's right, it's a Thursday afternoon and I'm blogging ... because I'm not at work. I took two days off to move. Yes, that's right, still moving. Yuu-uu-uuck. I just took a brief lunch break and thought I'd take a few moments to ensure you all that I did run this morning as planned.

An interesting thing happened, and I'm not entirely sure why. I finished with a full minute on the clock, whereas last time I ran this workout (Week 2), I had a full two minutes on the clock. The difference between these two occurrences? I started the workout walking with someone else -- my mom.

Now, she's a slow walker, even by my standards (which is slow), but she walked quickly with me for the five-minute warm-up. I guess it wasn't quick enough and I didn't even realize that I might have been walking slower than usual. But, I'm thinking that's the main cause for my slowness. In fact, for a few of the running portions, I thought I was going quite fast.

Eh, whatever. It was gorgeous at the park today, so it was worth it.

One last thing. 'Tis the season for 5Ks, and I know I've brought it up before, but I need to decide if and when I can try one. Many of you offered great feedback on the kinds of runs I should try, and I defintely agree. I appreciate the advice too; I would never have thought to distinguish between a serious 5K and a fun one. But now that you've mentioned it, I know exactly what you all mean.

There's a 5K run/walk happening in my neighborhood, literally a baseball's throw away from where I live now -- okay a really LONG baseball's throw. It's at the end of May and the route is quite hilly, so I'm a little reluctant. There are also a few throughout Cincinnati that I'd like to take a shot at: the Reggae Run (organized by one of my professors), the Reds 5K, and the Hyde Park Blast. Basically, anything with a party at the end is going to be a safe bet, I'm guessing.

Okay, I must get back to packing and moving. Forgive the short and icky post; I'll do better next time. Check back soon for my feature on BBW* exercise.

*See the asterisk at the end of my last post.

Repetition is Good. So are Running Buddies.

There is some value to repeating the same intervals and venturing down the same path every time you run. I've learned that over the last few workouts. One, it's easy to see how your stamina changes -- how out of breath was I today compared to yesterday? Two, it's quite gratifying to notice yourself finishing laps quicker than you did before. That,to me, is the best motivation.

Holy crap! I'm actually getting better?!

I took it easy on my run today. I'm happy with that decision. Coming off a weekend full of nasty back pain, stepping back to Week 1 intervals felt like a safe, cushiony rest. That being said ... wow! The Week 1 workout was EASY! I barely broke a sweat! I cannot believe it. I even picked up my pace at one point to run briefly up and down a hill/dip. YAY!

Me? Running faster? Eh? Confused.

"Running" wasn't even part of my vocabulary until recently, let alone "faster."

Excuse me while I pat myself on the back (a tough feat for a BBW*). Sigh.

On that note, I would like to take a minute to thank my running buddy for today. This was a new experience to me. You see, my history of running with anyone else stopped when I graduated from high school. Something about spending 13 years being the fat girl in class who can't run with the rest of her classmates, and who was often left on the track as the rest of the kids made their way back to the gymnasium, and then being teased about it later, leaves a deep scar. Bullies suck, y'all!

Anyway, boohoo, it's over and past. Now I read and hear constantly about how running and working out with a buddy is beneficial. And I got to experience just a taste of that when I joined a gym with my co-workers. The accountability is one thing, but the chance to talk about the experience before and after the workout is another added perk. (And, of course, being able to make fun of the crazies in your step class is even better.)

Pardon the tangent. As I was saying, I ran with a buddy today. My buddy seemed to experience some of the same challenges I had two months ago when this whole running nonsense started. To her I say, speaking from recent experience, it gets worse. Ha! Not what you expect to hear, right? What I mean is the first run is the hardest, which might make you feel like stopping, but don't. Finish. Press on. Realize that you're not as bad as you think you are. You and I are already doing more than so, so many people do, and that counts for a lot.

Aside from keeping myself on track and counting on my readers to call me out on any signs of slacking, I hope that this blog can serve as encouragement for people like me. I hear it a lot, but it's true in this case: If I can do it, anyone can!

And with that, I have officially lost my writing mojo for the night. Hmm.

OH! One other thing. I've been thinking about running a 5K and I'd like your feedback on the topic. When should I try one? If I can comfortably do two miles of walk/run, can I manage the third? The thought of unexpected hills and bumpy streets is scary to me. Should I give it a try first? How will I know I'm okay to try the race? Again, your expertise is appreciated.

Well, I'll be running again on Thursday morning (two vacation days to move) so check back to make sure I did it. Okay? Thanks!

Comment, people. What are your experiences with running or just working out with a buddy?

* For those of you unfamiliar with this term, to me, BBW is "big-breasted woman." I will be exploring the challenges of being a BBW and being active at a later date.