Sunday, April 27, 2008

As a newbie fitness person, I think I learn something new every day. It seems there is definitely an optimum time of day for me to get out there and move. The 7:00 to 8:00 am window seems to be the best. Today Jim and I started out at around 8:45 and it kind of messed with our stomachs. We were famished by the time we got back and it made us both a little queasy for the rest of the day. I want to make every exercise experience as positive as possible so I think I'll try to stick to that early morning time.

I'm supposed to start the walk 5 minutes , run 5, repeat, repeat thing this week. I've got to admit that I'm, well, scared. Scared that I won't be able to actually run for 5 minutes. Scared that my aged knees won't be able to take it. Scared that I'm a wimp. Scared that I'll hate it. I guess I just need to try it and see. This whole fitness thing is most assuredly as much mental as it is physical. Tomorrow I'll probably fill you in on one of the more memorable stories from the book and what it did for me.

For now, I best go clean my kitchen or get raking in the garden.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Encouraging Progress

This morning I got up at a decent hour, threw my shoes on and forced myself out the door. That, in itself, is progress seeing that it's Saturday. I drove down to my walk's starting point in the grocery store parking lot, donned my dufus gloves and started walking.....fast. I kept the pace up and mixed a bit of running into the first mile and a half. I changed the route up a little bit on the way back and arrived back at my car three or four minutes past when I had planned to be there. I was already a little discouraged because I had started to question if the route I had taken was actually a whole 3 miles. I had to find out.

I jumped in my vehicle (I use that term loosely), reset the trip odometer, and retraced my path. It wasn't 3 miles..........................It was almost 3.5!!!! Yeah, baby! I can't tell you how much I needed to see that I was pushing forward. It just makes it so much more enjoyable when you know it's achieving it's purpose............getting me in better shape! This route, like all of them in this town, is quite hilly, and I try to make myself run most of the inclines. While I hate the hills now, I figure that having trained in a hilly region will really help me come marathon time. The course itself is quite flat, the only 'hills' being the border crossings of the Ambassador Bridge and the tunnel--which runs a mile under water. It should be easy going in but a real pain running out uphill the last half-mile.

I am so excited about this.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Fuzzy Friday

Don't let the lack of posting fool you. I'm still walking and still on target. I really enjoyed my walk yesterday in spite of wearing clothing that was not nearly warm enough. My arms were beet red by the time I got home and my hands felt as if they had been dipped in liquid nitrogen. Alas, I made it, kept my speed up and got it done early in the day.

I'm about to lace up and leave. Today is the first day that the trees look fuzzy and green. It's beautiful! I'm hoping to be able to walk outside but if it starts raining again, I'll pop over to the Y and hop on the treadmill and either walk twice as long, go uphill the whole way, or run half of the time.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

I really AM pathetic but it's not stopping me.

I AM walking VERY fast. I am going out faithfully. I am going the distance. In that respect I'm not pathetic. But my goodness, I shouldn't be sore from that.....but I am. Not intensely. I just can't believe how out of shape I am.

If you're younger than me, DON'T WAIT! Get in shape now. I believe you can start at any age, but some are definitely easier than others.

Even though I'm well aware of my patheticness, I'm still excited about doing this and can't wait to see myself progress.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Progress

I walked this evening with Jim. We kept a decent pace. Because Jeff had plans and he was watching Carrie for us, we had to be back at a certain time .... so we walked right after a big dinner. That was probably not the best option. Walking in the morning seems a little better. I was just glad we went and that I was able to get all my pre-training in this week. Nothing is hurting. No blisters. I can't wait to be able to run a decent distance but I really want to take this slow to prevent newbie injuries.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

A Great Month to Get Started

Another beautiful day to walk. I pushed myself, ran most of the hills, trimmed my time a little bit, and felt fairly positive about this pursuit today.

Can't wait to walk again tomorrow. The best part is that for every thirty minutes I walk/run, I get two additional Weight Watcher points to consume. That makes it worthwhile in itself!

Even though what I'm doing right now isn't (or shouldn't be) particularly taxing, I can see that it is definitely needed to condition my body for the real training. My knees are definitely getting worked up to this slowly. I don't feel anything when I'm walking, but when I'm home I'm just shy of a pain sensation when I walk up and down stairs. Other than that, I just feel really good!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Taxified Tuesday

Due to a tax prep-related sleep deficit, I didn't walk this morning. I think I will walk the tax return to the post office, seeing that it is exactly 1.5 miles from my front door and my son has got the car at school until this evening (great planning, huh?). I deserve to be flogged for waiting this long to get the returns started. I will take it out on myself when I walk. Shame, shame, shame.

Tomorrow, after an adequate amount of self-abasement, I hope to return to this blog with sufficient sleep, a smile on my face, and a spring in my step! Wow, that was corny.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Monday Morning

What a beautiful day to be outside! It was a little cold but absolutely gorgeous outside. The walking was still a workout but I enjoyed it. I actually saw a few flowers this morning which is a long overdue sight around here. We actually woke up to snow yesterday morning.

I added to my dufus look this morning, not by design but necessity. I couldn't find my cream-colored gloves so I wore black ones. It was too cold for shorter sleeve shirt and the only long sleeve T I have is an old XXL one that my husband got from the Y for free when we joined. It was so cold that I walked the first mile with a paper cup of hot tea in my black-gloved hand. (don't laugh, I still kept my pace where it should be and walked via the extra hilly route).

I still can't imagine running for 6 hours straight, but now at least I'm starting to think that maybe, just maybe, running for 30 minutes might possibly be something I can probably attain. Sort of. Maybe. Kind of. Hopefully.

189 days to go! It feels good to be committed to this.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Running - Dufus Style

I looked in the mirror this morning before going out to walk. Oh my! I really need to get some sweats. I'm looking like a serious newbie dufus. I've been walking in a pair of lightweight cords with an old 3/4 length sleeve tee on, an Old Navy velour vest with my cell phone in the pouch (making my belly look bigger and misshapen)and some $1-a-pair knit gloves. Nothing wrong with the outfit per se, just a little ridiculous looking for running. I had to laugh. I spent a small fortune on my shoes, but the grand total for the rest of the outfit probably came in just under what I got the laces for. Not that it matters. I just know I looked like a dufus. All I need now are some big 70's-style aviator sunglasses to complete the look.

If you're ever in town, stop and say hello. Just look for the ancient, overweight dufus huffing and puffing while plodding ever-so-slowly over the terrain. For now anyway. Just wait!

'Hill'ford!

Now that I have walked several different courses around Milford, unable to find even one that doesn't have me running uphill BOTH ways, I am going to start a petition to have the town renamed.

This morning's walk was beautiful. A little nippy but nice. The wind was incredibly strong but it felt good.

I didn't quite get out by 'marathon time' because everyone's schedules were a little mixed up today. I did manage to get all of my time and mileage in. I would have liked to go a little faster but that will come with time.

My 6-yr-old did tell me I smelled sweaty, thank you very much. At least it means I'm getting a workout! I have to really get my heart rate up to break a sweat.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Oops

I know it's my second post for the day, but I was just looking back at an old post for a story I linked to and realized the link only led to a picture, not a story. The story is quite good so I wanted to provide the link here today. It's not real long and pretty inspiring for those of us who are a long ways from being 'elite' athletes. Here it is!

Training at Marathon Time

I was having trouble getting any consistency in time of day for my pretraining walk/runs. I decided the only way to do this was to get it out of the way early in the day. I decided that what I need to do is be out the door every morning by 'marathon time', or 7:15 a.m. ---the time of day when the marathon begins. That's what I did this morning and it was wonderful! At that time I've already been up for an hour, made lunches, Jim & Dave have both left, and Jeff is here for Carrie until he has to leave just after I get back. Perfect timing. This morning it was beautiful out. The sound of the birds back in town was just beautiful and I enjoyed the warm sun - nice for a change in these parts. I've felt more like Nanook of the North lately.

Jim and I mapped out a few more routes this weekend so I woudn't get bored with the same few miles over and over. I wanted to map a few plans that I felt comfortable with when I'm by myself....which, in reality, will be most of the time.

I must admit, I actually enjoyed my time this morning. That's a huge milestone for me. The next big milestone for me is being able to run a whole mile. (Hey.....I never claimed to be anything but pathetic when it comes to running). The milestone I'm waiting for the most, though, is a mental one. I can't wait to look at the map of the marathon and say....."Oh Yeah, Baby! I Can DO That!!!!!" I'm not there yet but I'm taking it one day at a time and I'm committed.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Ahhh! What a difference!

Since I tend to be ridiculously frugal when it comes to frivolous purchases, my dearest husband insisted that I spend some serious money and buy decent running shoes. I went into Running Fit, fully expecting to be a little bit of a cheapskate. When I walked in, I told the guy I needed help, I had never run before and I want to get a pair of running shoes. Him and another girl watched my steps for a few minutes then went in the back and pulled out about six pairs of shoes. I tried every one of them on. Usually when I do something like this, without even looking at prices, I generally find that the one thing I like best ends up being least expensive. Ha! Not this time. These blasted shoes were twice what I wanted to spend. I remembered my dearest's words. I remembered that my mom & sisters both have foot troubles. I remembered that I'm 49 and have never owned a pair of shoes worth more than $30. I realized that I've never spent a dime on anything sports-wise for myself. Then..........................I did it. I plunked down that debit card and bought them.

I just took them for a test drive. Oh my. Wow! They were amazingly comfortable. Now, more than ever, I'm really committed. I'm cheaper than I am lazy. I'm not spending that much on running shoes and not using them.

So, I've got a bib#, some shoes that are way out of my league, a supportive husband, and I'm on schedule to run that marathon in October. Wahoo!

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Where's Imelda When You Need Her?

Yesterday, being the first of April, I was determined to get my derrierre out the door to run whether I felt like it or not. So I quit my bellyaching and headed out the front door. I got about 5 houses past my own and a big chunk fell off the bottom of my right shoe. I had to turn around and come home. I haven't purchased my running shoes yet and since I'm not Imelda Marcos, I didn't have anything else to run in. So much for momentum.

I will get my shoes this afternoon. My car is going in the shop for repairs so I can't drive it. I'm going to get a rental after I'm done teaching for the day and driving it straight to Running Fit and I'm not coming out of there without shoes.

Jim (dearest husband) registered for the marathon as did Jeff, my third eldest. I'm not counting on Jim having the time to be able to do this but I'm glad he signed up. Jeff's all in. He's got his shoes. He's also got the endurance of.....well.....a marathoner. Always has. He can just pop out the door and run for miles even if it's been months or years since he last ran. Maybe he was switched at birth at the hospital because that trait didn't come from me, that's for sure.

So, I'll check in after I get the shoes. Temps are supposed to be a little higher today so it should be a joy to be outside. We'll see!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Yeah, right! Flirting with Futility

This morning while I was teaching, my mother called me because one of the local radio stations was interviewing a mom in her 40's on running and marathoning in that decade of life. Mom said it was very interesting and I should tune in or find it online. What she failed to tell me is that this runner/mom just happened to be supermodel Kim Alexis. Sorry, Mom. I think taking running/fitness advice from Kim seems silly. I don't think I'd have any trouble pulling this lard butt out to run a marathon if I looked like Kim Alexis to start with. She's a mom, she's in her forties, she has five kids.......but believe me, the similarities end right there.



Something uninspiring about a skinny beautiful model being able to still look that way in her forties. Nothing against Kim. I actually think she's a decent person. It's just that as women, our whole lives we tend to struggle with not being able to look like that no matter what we do or eat. I guess I just don't need to have a sense of futility while preparing for a marathon. I'm more inspired by some obese lady who took up running in her 50's and turned her future around by getting and staying in shape.

So, if you're out there and you've been less than thin or healthy most of your life and turned things around.....do inspire me. What is your story? Are you just an average person who decided to do something you never thought you could do? Do tell!

It's Official!!

I now have a bib number! No turning back. I'm all in. Registration opened yesterday and I am now committed (or should be committed, depending on how you look at it).

I'll be posting now every day. Sorry for the break. Too much going on around here. I was spending too much time blogging. Now I've got it scheduled into a certain part of my day.

See ya'll tomorrow!

Karen, mom & marathoner