a new 'tude

I'm abandoning my do it or die mentality for the moment. I normally go at things like the C25K with idea that I'll bust tail and victory shall be mine!! But, I have not been victorious over Week 3. I have hit a big wall (not litereally...lol..ouch) My unwillingness to go slower...and my bodies incapability to go faster have got me at a standstill and I HATE stand stills. So after a bit of thought...I decided to do week 2.5 instead. It's my little invention...slides nicely between week 2 and week 3....lol. It goes like this:

5 min warm-up

jog till 1:30
walk till 3:00
jog till 5:00
walk till 7:00
jog till 8:30
walk till 10:00
jog till 12:00
walk till 14:00
jog till 15:30
walk till 17:00
jog till 19:00
walk till 21:00

5 minute cool-down

I did week 2.5 day 1 today and it was much better. I was challenged but not so much that I felt like i needed to hang on for dear life. Before, during the 3 minute run portion...my body would be done running at a-minute-and-a-half then I'd beat myself along for another 30-45 seconds and have to hold on...with a whole nother minute yet to run. Doing week 2.5...when I feel like I need to hold on I look at the treadmill and see ..hey 15 more secs and I can walk...that gives me the strength to push harder. After my run I was pleased with myself. Week 2.5 will renew my spirit and when week 3 does come...and I make it through...it'll be that much sweeter coz I know how hard it is.


The Details:
5 min warm-up 0.26 miles
21 minutes 1.61 miles
5 minute cool-down 0.27 miles

~Pax Vobiscum

So much BAD

Valentines Day...oh how you coax me to be bad...and Oh how I love to submit to your wicked ways.

I'm shocked really....
I did it, I'm guilty. It's stupid I know. Valentine's day is nothing more than an over-commercialized event that tries to force people to show appreciation for their loved ones by spending hoards of money on them. I don't buy into that. I think acts of love and kindness should be sprinkled throughout the year not just on one silly day.
But sadly, I do enjoy Valentines Day it's reminds me how much appreciate my hubby and our great relationship. Which of course is cause for celebration. SO, like many other lovers across the land hubby and I celebrated with good food. A celebration that lasted all weekend. It was shameful. Yep that's right, I threw caution to the wind and jumped with both feet into a world of tempting food at a time when everyone says..."well that's okay, I mean it is Valentines Day." I'm pretty ashamed of myself. But, like a trooper I got back on the wagon Monday morning. I woke up and weighed myself. I was sad to see I'd gained a bit back but it strengthened my resolve to get busy and start working off those calories. Despite my self-induced set backs the scale hasn't been too mean to me. So it shouldn't be too hard to make it up.
As for my running, well lets just say it's hard to run with pizza and chocolate hanging outta your face. The C25k was pissing me off anyway so it's good that I took a little hiatus. I've decided to start week 3 over again. Coz last week sucked! So today was week 3 day1 AGAIN. It wasn't easy. I've hit a wall and hard!! That second 3minute run just isn't there for me. I run and feel like it's been about 3 minutes...and its only been A-minute-and-a-half. It's not my leg muscles either...they are still ready to go...it's my lungs. I control my breath for about A-minute-and-a-half. and then that's it...I slowly start to lose control and end up being short of breath and having to hold on to the treadmill to make it through. I even tried slowing my speed down that second 3 minute segment and I still couldn't do it....AGGGGHHHH. Stupid week 3...Stupid lungs.

The dirty details:
5 minute warm up at 3MPH
21 minutes alternating between 3MPH and 6MPH(and slowing down to 5mph at times)
5 minute cool down

Week 3 Day 1

Day 1 of Week 3 kicked my butt!
Ok it may have had something to do with the fact that I went to the gym and totally killed my arms BEFORE coming home and jumping on the treadmill to kick out W3D1. Nonetheless, week 3 was hard. I held on to the treadmill quite a bit. I may have to do week 3 again I dunno yet. I wanna stay at 6MPH coz that's a 10 minute mile. But, if I just can't I'll do this week at 5.5MPH and then do it again at 6MPH. Since I already did the C25k once I know I CAN DO IT.
I think I would have done much better if I would have ran before going to the gym. I didn't intend on killing myself at the gym either...lol. I just signed up for a free 7 day trial then set off to work out. I did 4 different upper body exercises. Got a 30 minute work out in and left the gym feeling great. I came home and I could feel my arms...like they'd done something. "This is good." I'm thinking. YEAY. Look at me go!
But, NOW my arms are dieing....lol. They have hardly any strength at all. I feel every movement I make...lol. It's not so bad that I feel injured or anything. Just wow did I give myself a work out today...lol.

W3D1
5 minute warm-up
21 minutes alternating between 3 and 6 mph
5 minute cool-down

Week 2 Day 3...

Friday's run was a mix for me. In some ways it was awesome but in others it's a little depressing. I felt like I got into "the zone" for A-MINUTE-AND-A-HALF. Running felt good, a I felt light and I wasn't focused on "whew...come-on...just 10 more seconds" it was nice to have a break from that and have that minute of the running zen that I used to get. But it was also depressing, the zen was very fleeting and it mad me angry that my body had lost so much stamina. Now running for a-minute-and-a-half straight seems so hard... nearly impossible at times,...and I used to be able to run for 30 minutes straight...not no more. Well I take that back, I prolly COULD if I lowered the speed to a light jog/fast walk. But, who wants to do that?
So that's that for week 2. Now I'm on to week 3 on Monday. I been trying to stick to running on Monday's, Wednesday's, and Fridays...and taking the weekend to rest.

Week 2 Day 2 ...

I made it through another day of C25K. Man, was I sweating today! Yep, got me a good work out in today. But, I'm feeling unsettled... I suppose impatient is a better word. I wanna run better, more like I did last summer...grr. Shame on me for being such a slacker. I really feel like a put the capitol "S" in Slack-ass-ory. But, I suppose it doesn't make much sense to sit here moping about   what I did   quit doing. I'm on the right path and I just gotta keep plugging along.

So, yah....

I been thinking about lotz of things, The River Bank Run, joining the gym. I dunno I think I have the "Blahs" You know the winter blahs. I just want some sunshine and warm temps. I miss spring!! Heck I even miss the muddy nasty mess that spring is here in Michigan...Oh what I wouldn't give to be worried about tracking mud in the house again...lol....it's been soooo long....lol. This weekend they are saying that we are supose to get all the way up into the 40's WOOHOO!! I hope they aren't fibbing, weather forecasters love to do that... juz kidding.


~toodles

The healing power of .... RUNNING??

I was feeling weak, defeated and overrun with negative emotions today. I forced myself on that dreaded treadmill once again to do my C25K training. As I ran my focus changed, I have to force myself not to look at the numbers on the treadmill it makes it harder…I HAVE to look at the time to make sure I’m getting my intervals right…but I don’t need to stare at it the whole time. So I looked out the window a bit, then I noticed a cob web ( I really should knock that down)…I thought about improvements I wanna make to the house… looked outside some more and thought about how it’s starting to look a little like spring. As I got sweatier I opened the window and I could hear birds chirping. Another sign of the approaching spring? Hope so!
By the time I got done running, I was a bundle of positivity and confidence.

With that all said, I have completed Week 2 Day one of the Couch to 5K. It still feels like it’s too hard…but I always manage to make it through…so, I’m pretty sure I’m working out at the perfect level. I don’t want it to be too easy. Still running at 6mph and walking now at about 3.2mph.
With the 5 minute warm-up and cool-down included I went 2.05 miles which took me 31 minutes.

Week2 Day2 is gonna be on Wednesday!