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!

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.