Today I went out for a run with the intention of running four to five miles. I headed out to the park in town so that I could just run circles around the track until my legs were good and sore! I wanted to run for an hour and see how much distance I could cover. The last time I ran at the park, I could barely run a third of the half mile track loop, and this time I ran the entire loop plus some before I had to stop to take a walk break. This really showed me how far I have come in my running endurance. Back in October or November I never could have imagined accomplishing that.
The first mile went well and I ran it under my 12:00/mile goal race pace. At about a mile and a half however, I started having some pain in my hip. It started hurting really bad, so I took a break to stop and stretch before getting back on the track. I also decided that I would walk the rest of my time. I really didn't want to walk the rest of it because I was going for the most mileage I could accomplish in an hour, but I knew if I pushed it, I could end up seriously hurting myself. Plus, I have a 2-hour Zumbathon tomorrow night, so I need my hips in working order :-)
I kept walking the track for a while until RunKeeper told me that I had been going for 50 minutes and had gone 3.33 miles. At that point, my hip was feeling good, so I picked up the pace and managed to complete 4.18 miles in 59:45. While it wasn't quite what I was hoping to accomplish when I went out this morning, it is the longest run I have done so far, so that's an accomplishment in my book! Only .82 miles away from five! That 5 mile race is four weeks from tomorrow!
In the world of Weight Watchers this week I hit another milestone. This week I hit 26 pounds lost! When I stepped on the scale for my weigh-in (in my bathroom, I only do online, not meetings) I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had exceeded my goal of hitting the 25 pound mark. I am now about 10 pounds from my goal and it's really exciting and motivating to be this close to my goal.
Also this week, I made my decision on what will be my first half marathon. On January 20, 2013 I will be competing in the Tinkerbell Half Marathon in Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. I am so excited but I really realize how much work I am going to have to do to get myself up to being able to complete 13.1 miles. Having a half marathon on the horizon is going to be a huge motivator to get me out on the road and start logging more miles. I can't wait to complete the B.A.A. 10K (which I will register for on Wednesday) so that I will have a time to put in when I register for Tink. I also managed to convince my roommate to run this with me, so we will be taking on our first half, and first 10K, together!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
PR and it feels so good
This morning I ran the Race Against Extinction 5K race in Boston and I set a personal record that I can hardly believe! I ran my 3.1 miles in 34 minutes and 42 seconds, beating the time in which I ran my first 5K in November by FOUR minutes!
The race was at 11:00 am at Artesani Park in Boston with proceeds going to environmental organizations because after all, today was Earth Day! A looming rain storm had us a little nervous that the day may become a mud run, but mother nature held out and there were no drops felt as we ran through the park. Bib pick-up was quick and easy and we were surprised to also get a free WWF water bottle with our registration. We always love the freebies! There were not many participants, maybe around 200 people participating, but that meant that it was not crowded. People were also encouraged to run with dogs and strollers, so there were lots of dogs hanging around the course!
We took off at 11:00 am started our run through the park. Kristin yelled back to us "Meet you at the finish!" before she took off out on the course. Patty and I decided to keep pace with each other and we were each other's motivation to keep running harder and longer. I had RunKeeper going tracking the run, and when the 10 minute audio cue came up I could hardly believe that I had almost run a mile! We completed our first mile in only 10:11! It was great motivation to keep us going at that point. Patty and I kept up our run/walk pace and managed to average a 10:52 minutes per mile pace.
Overall, it was a great run and the weather held out for us, which was the best. People cheering us on towards the end (including Kristin who finished in an awesome 25:48) helped us keep up our run to the finish line.
This week was also another great accomplishment in the world of my Weight Watchers adventure. I needed to buy a dress for a wedding in two weeks and I have been putting it off to make sure that it'll fit on the day of, and Thursday night I bought a wicked cute polka dot dress... in a size SIX! Last year I started Weight Watchers the week of my birthday and the dress I bought to wear for my birthday celebration was a 10. All my efforts have resulted in two dropped dress sizes.
This has certainly been a great week for new personal records. I can't wait until my next run where I can try to set another :-)
The race was at 11:00 am at Artesani Park in Boston with proceeds going to environmental organizations because after all, today was Earth Day! A looming rain storm had us a little nervous that the day may become a mud run, but mother nature held out and there were no drops felt as we ran through the park. Bib pick-up was quick and easy and we were surprised to also get a free WWF water bottle with our registration. We always love the freebies! There were not many participants, maybe around 200 people participating, but that meant that it was not crowded. People were also encouraged to run with dogs and strollers, so there were lots of dogs hanging around the course!
We took off at 11:00 am started our run through the park. Kristin yelled back to us "Meet you at the finish!" before she took off out on the course. Patty and I decided to keep pace with each other and we were each other's motivation to keep running harder and longer. I had RunKeeper going tracking the run, and when the 10 minute audio cue came up I could hardly believe that I had almost run a mile! We completed our first mile in only 10:11! It was great motivation to keep us going at that point. Patty and I kept up our run/walk pace and managed to average a 10:52 minutes per mile pace.
Overall, it was a great run and the weather held out for us, which was the best. People cheering us on towards the end (including Kristin who finished in an awesome 25:48) helped us keep up our run to the finish line.
This week was also another great accomplishment in the world of my Weight Watchers adventure. I needed to buy a dress for a wedding in two weeks and I have been putting it off to make sure that it'll fit on the day of, and Thursday night I bought a wicked cute polka dot dress... in a size SIX! Last year I started Weight Watchers the week of my birthday and the dress I bought to wear for my birthday celebration was a 10. All my efforts have resulted in two dropped dress sizes.
This has certainly been a great week for new personal records. I can't wait until my next run where I can try to set another :-)
Sunday, April 15, 2012
slowly getting back in the game
Unfortunately I haven't really been able to run the past two weeks due to a case of bronchitis. But today I was able to get back out on the road and attempt a run. It wasn't the easiest, and it involved a lot of walking and a lot of coughing! Since the Run Against Extinction 5K is coming up in just a week, I am determined to get some mileage in these next few days. For today's run I was able to manage 2.32 miles in 33:25 for an average pace of 14:25 minutes per mile. Definitely not my best and not anywhere close to what I would like to accomplish next weekend at the race. However, I know that after two weeks of no running and getting over being sick, that it's going to take a little time to get back to my 12:00 miles.
As far as my Weight Watchers adventure goes, this week I have hit 22.2 pounds lost and it feels great. I'm hoping to be able to post a loss this week as well, but lots of treats and drinks at a bachelorette party yesterday may have derailed that. I'll just have to be extra good with my eating the next few days and resist the urge to eat the junk food! Luckily the bag of chocolate chip cookies is gone (they were so good).
My goal is to get at least two more runs in this week and attempt to get my speed up a little so that on Sunday I can run the 5K in at least 38:00. I'll make sure to have a full race recap next weekend!
As far as my Weight Watchers adventure goes, this week I have hit 22.2 pounds lost and it feels great. I'm hoping to be able to post a loss this week as well, but lots of treats and drinks at a bachelorette party yesterday may have derailed that. I'll just have to be extra good with my eating the next few days and resist the urge to eat the junk food! Luckily the bag of chocolate chip cookies is gone (they were so good).
My goal is to get at least two more runs in this week and attempt to get my speed up a little so that on Sunday I can run the 5K in at least 38:00. I'll make sure to have a full race recap next weekend!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
4.03
Today I accomplished 4.03 miles in 58:41. I walked most of it because today's goal was distance, not speed. For my first mile, I kept up with my goal pace of 12:00 minutes per mile, which is the pace at which I would like to run my next couple races.
I have never done more than a 5K and the looming 5 miler has been making me a little nervous. So when I tied my running shoes this afternoon I decided that I would do 4 miles in under an hour, which I succeeded in with more than a minute to spare! Now I just need to work on fitting an extra mile into that time frame, but I have almost two months to work up to that goal.
I have the Run Against Extinction 5K in Boston three weeks from today and I'm so excited! It'll be fun to run with my roommate (for her first 5K) and my friend who ran the Princess Half.
Today's run/walk showed me just how much work I have left to do if I'm going to do a half marathon in the next year and a half, but rather than it being a downer, it was motivational. After all, half marathons have awesome medals, and I run for the bling. :-)
I have never done more than a 5K and the looming 5 miler has been making me a little nervous. So when I tied my running shoes this afternoon I decided that I would do 4 miles in under an hour, which I succeeded in with more than a minute to spare! Now I just need to work on fitting an extra mile into that time frame, but I have almost two months to work up to that goal.
I have the Run Against Extinction 5K in Boston three weeks from today and I'm so excited! It'll be fun to run with my roommate (for her first 5K) and my friend who ran the Princess Half.
Today's run/walk showed me just how much work I have left to do if I'm going to do a half marathon in the next year and a half, but rather than it being a downer, it was motivational. After all, half marathons have awesome medals, and I run for the bling. :-)
Saturday, March 31, 2012
the big 2-0
So I didn't get in a run this week. I'm blaming the drop in temperature, it has definitely been on the chilly side this past week. However, the forecast is showing temperatures a bit warmer this week, so I'll have no excuse. Also, it's now less than two months until the Boston's Run to Remember 5-Mile, so I have to start getting some longer distance runs in to train for it.
It hasn't been a week of just sitting on the couch though. I did go to both of my Zumba classes this week. Zumba is one of my favorite workouts, it's an hour of fun and dancing where you hardly feel like you're working out because it's so much fun! Saturday morning Zumba class is one of the best ways to start my weekend.
This was a great week for Weight Watchers though! I hit the big 20 pounds lost and I am back to where I was the first time I lost. Believe me, I will not let those 20 pounds come back. Trying to lose it the second time is really hard. Willpower certainly prevailed this week when I refused a cupcake (I KNOW!) and made sure to be better about tracking the points. Tonight's dinner out with friends and tomorrow night's concert will be another challenge, but I think I'm up for it. I will refuse the fun and fruity drinks!
It hasn't been a week of just sitting on the couch though. I did go to both of my Zumba classes this week. Zumba is one of my favorite workouts, it's an hour of fun and dancing where you hardly feel like you're working out because it's so much fun! Saturday morning Zumba class is one of the best ways to start my weekend.
This was a great week for Weight Watchers though! I hit the big 20 pounds lost and I am back to where I was the first time I lost. Believe me, I will not let those 20 pounds come back. Trying to lose it the second time is really hard. Willpower certainly prevailed this week when I refused a cupcake (I KNOW!) and made sure to be better about tracking the points. Tonight's dinner out with friends and tomorrow night's concert will be another challenge, but I think I'm up for it. I will refuse the fun and fruity drinks!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
this is the beginning...
So here's the deal. I've been doing Weight Watchers since July and struggling a bit in getting to my goal weight. I'm also trying to work my way up to being able to run a half marathon.
A few years ago I did Weight Watchers and lost roughly 30 pounds and was so proud of myself. Flash forward to last July and I had put almost 20 of those pounds back on. Not good. So I set my mind to it to do the program again and succeed in keeping the weight off this time. At this point, I have lost 19 pounds and am hoping to go for another 15. It's taking more time than I had hoped, but maybe this time it will stick!
As far as running goes, I was never a person who thought that I would want to run a 5K, let alone have a desire to run a half marathon! Last summer my friend told me that she wanted to do the runDisney Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World. When I looked up the event, I saw that they also had a 5K that weekend. It sounded like it could be fun, so I signed up in October. I ran a "practice" 5K in November, the Concord Turkey Trot, and it was a tough feat, but I did it. I trained as much as I could in the cold New England weather and before I knew it, I was on a plane to Florida to run the Tangled Royal Family 5K. And that was it, I was now hooked on running.
So here it goes! I'm registered for another 5K in April, and then a 5 miler in May. I'm more than half way to my goal weight.
Let's get running :-)
A few years ago I did Weight Watchers and lost roughly 30 pounds and was so proud of myself. Flash forward to last July and I had put almost 20 of those pounds back on. Not good. So I set my mind to it to do the program again and succeed in keeping the weight off this time. At this point, I have lost 19 pounds and am hoping to go for another 15. It's taking more time than I had hoped, but maybe this time it will stick!
As far as running goes, I was never a person who thought that I would want to run a 5K, let alone have a desire to run a half marathon! Last summer my friend told me that she wanted to do the runDisney Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World. When I looked up the event, I saw that they also had a 5K that weekend. It sounded like it could be fun, so I signed up in October. I ran a "practice" 5K in November, the Concord Turkey Trot, and it was a tough feat, but I did it. I trained as much as I could in the cold New England weather and before I knew it, I was on a plane to Florida to run the Tangled Royal Family 5K. And that was it, I was now hooked on running.
So here it goes! I'm registered for another 5K in April, and then a 5 miler in May. I'm more than half way to my goal weight.
Let's get running :-)
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