Back in the Pool

I finally got back in the pool last evening, after overdoing it and injuring myself in a water aerobics class last weekend!

The water aerobics class had been a combination of hard work and fun. The instructor was very nice, introducing herself and asking my name before the class. During the class, we concentrated on cardio, a great workout, really. In the pool, I felt like I could keep up pretty well, and "keep up" or not, I was still part of the group of 20-25 participants. After the 60 minutes was up, most of us got in a big circle, and the instructor tossed 3-4 big, colorful beachballs into the air. We spent the next 30 minutes batting the beachballs around, trying to see how long we could keep them airborne. Lots of laughter, some splashing, a good bit of stretching to reach for the ball, an all-around good addition to the class, I thought.

Well, as we were finishing up, I noticed that the area on the inside of my left kneecap was hurting. I got into the hot tub for a while, but it still hurt! Ice and ibuprofen at home, still quite tender. *sigh* For the past week, it's hurt to walk down the stairs, get out of the driver's side of the car, etc.

So I went back to physical therapy Thursday morning, and when I explained the new injury, I got the hairy eyeball! Just for a second, but I recognized it. "Too much too soon," they said. but of course I figured that out already! *sigh* They encouraged me to continue exercising in the pool, but on my own for now, and doing the exercises they recommend.

I decided to go back to the pool last night, though I got to the gym 6, with only an hour before closing. I decided it was enough time to get an okay workout in and still sit in the hot tub afterward. I really like this pool, which is shallow enough to walk all the way across with my feet on the ground and my chin above the surface. Also, the pool and the hot tub are saltwater, certainly easier on the skin and eyes than pools with a higher concentration of chlorine.

So, I ended up walking 5 laps in the pool, including two laps backwards. Then I did several exercises (leg kicks forward, backward, to the side) holding onto the wall. All in all, a decent workout for me, starting back at Zero.

I wasn't alone either! I chatted a little with one lady (about my size) in the pool who was doing laps too. When she joined me in the hot tub, I learned her name was Grace. Several other people joined us, including a lady named Jacquie, who was about the size of my right arm, whose goal was to eat enough green food that her poop became a constant shade of green. That's when I decided it was time to go! :-) I had to make a quick change, since the gym closed in 10 minutes!

I hope to make it back to that pool today, so I'm going to get started on my homework now. That pool is part of my gym's network, but it's about 30 minutes from my home, too challenging to get to most weekday nights. There's a pool closer to home, but it's not as pleasant (and no indoor hot tub!). Still, I may use it some anyway during the week.

Week Wrap-up

Looking at my exercise log for the past week, I just realized that I had three 30+-minute cardio sessions, as well as some shorter walk breaks and such, in the exercise week ending today. I'm calling this a good exercise week, for sure! School starts this coming week, so I'm hoping I can keep the routine up. It'll be a little trickier, but worth it.

Morning Workout

I made it to the gym before work this morning, first time I've done that in months! I'd forgotten how good it feels to get a workout done before work! I did a little over two miles in 31 minutes on the elliptical, and it felt great to get the blood pumping!



Clipart from Clipartheaven.com 

Watching "The Biggest Loser"

As I write, I'm watching the season premier of the "The Biggest Loser" with a wary eye, but I am watching it. These contestants get to take time of from their jobs and family responsibilities to have all this trainer and nutritional help, so it's not "real life" by a long shot. Still, I'm watching for nuggets of inspiration, ideas for my own workouts and weight loss efforts. Some of the contestants' stories sound familiar, but I also hear the "excuse" factor, big time. Part of me wishes I could take time off to do the Biggest Loser, but then I'm glad I can work on it from home. Their first day workouts seem crazy intense; no wonder some of them are passing out. I'd be surprised if some of them don't get injured in no time.

Still, I like the team support on this show, and I'm looking forward to the Get Moving Challenge at work, which starts next week. I'm team captain of the Bookworms team again. Hope it's a good experience for the group!

Removing Temptation

Well, I am now 49 years + 1 day old! I've decided to make this year ahead a year of better health! So what did I do? I removed temptation. Hello, my name is Lesley, and I love pizza! I can now admit that I HAD the apps for both Domino's Pizza AND Papa John's on my iPhone. And guess what! I just deleted them! Will it keep me from ever ordering pizza again? Doubt it, but now it'll be a little bit harder! And some days, it is the little things that help make a difference.







Clipart from Clipartheaven.com.

Rock 'n' Roll Series Coming to Raleigh!

The Raleigh City Council gave approval on Tuesday for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series to do a marathon in Raleigh, starting in 2014. My first reaction was, "Wow! That sounds great!" My second thought was, "Will they have a half marathon too?!"  See, I've always wanted to do a Rock 'n' Roll race, just to see what it's like, but the total cost has been a bit over my budget. The race registration  for Rock 'n' Roll races is a little high, but the "official hotel" rates within close proximity to the start and finish lines are even higher, and sometimes require a 2-3 night stay. (That's the case for the Virginia Beach race, anyway.)

As word as spread through the local running community, I learned that feelings are mixed about a RnR race coming to town. Someone on Facebook compared it to Walmart coming to town, and out-muscling the local marathons. I'm not deep enough into the running scene to know if that will be the case or not. Time will tell.

Here's the story from wral.com.

I'd love to hear opinions from  local runners, as well those who have participated in Rock 'n' Roll races! What do you think?

Great Gym Workout

I made it to the gym yesterday for the first time in a while, and it felt great! I rode on the recumbent bike for 18 minutes, did some hammer and bicep curls and stretched in the weight room, then hopped in the hot tub. After several minutes in the hot tub, I got into the big pool, and stretched some more, then used a noodle to do some light strength training and a little more stretching. Dessert? Time in the steamroom! I felt so much more relaxed afterward, just amazing! My IT bands aren't fussy today, which tells me something! Yay!

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

2013 Race Schedule

I've been so inspired by the recent and upcoming fall races of many running friends, that even though we're not done with 2012 yet, I've already started plotting my running comeback in 2013. Too soon, you ask? Maybe, but I love the planning, love seeing how races map out on the calendar, love the possibilities!
I've been down and out for a couple of weeks with a collection of -itises that include coughing, congestion, and loss of voice, so both physical therapy and exercise have been put on hold lately. ON the plus side, I haven't felt like eating as much, so my weight is down a bit. While my voice is still gone, the coughing and congestion are better, so I'm finally to the point of THINKING about exercise! Yay!
I'd initially thought about some half marathons for the spring, but after looking at previous races, times, and training, I've decided to assume a slow recovery and build-up, working on 5Ks and 10ks this spring. If training and weight loss go better than expected, great, but I think I'd rather work toward building up slowly than crashing and burning due to overtraining.

My initial plan for the winter and spring is to shoot for the Second Empire Grand Prix Series Spring 2013 lineup, In this series, runners earn points for each race completed, and accumulate points throughout the season. The top 5 overall men and women, and top 3 point-earners in various age groups get prizes. Plus, runners who compete in 6 of the 10 races get invited to the nice Awards Luncheon at Second Empire as well. I'm shooting for the "6 out of 10" option, obviously! ;o)

My fall half marathon schedule will depend on how training goes over the next 10-12 months. Important things for me to work on:

1) Cardio
2) Strength training
3) Weight loss & better nutrition
4) Stretching when warmed up
5) Keeping running shoes pretty current

You may notice a lot of races in my "Races on My Radar" section. Don't worry, I'm not planning on doing all of them! The list is a work in progress, one I'll be updating in the weeks and months ahead.

Meanwhile, if you're planning to do the Second Empire Grand Prix Series this winter/spring, let me know!

Water Aerobics Class

I went to water aerobics class at the gym yesterday morning, and the 60-minute class was wonderful exercise that wore me out! My right IT band is being fussy now too. <sigh> I'll continue my physical therapy stretches and see what I can do about that. It was great to get some good exercise for a change, and nice to be part of a class too. I've missed running with the Raleigh Galloway group.


Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Physical Therapy Starts Today!!

I begin  physical therapy for my left leg and right ankle after work today! Yippee! I can't tell you how excited I am about moving forward with treatment. I've already started looking at spring half marathons, which may be overzealous (and I have to be careful about that!), but it's fun to dream.

Physical Therapy Starts Next Week!

On Tuesday, I visited the orthopaedist (sports medicine specialty) about my left leg, and she confirmed the diagnosis of IT Band Syndrome. I made my initial physical therapy appointment for next week. I've had PT before, with a high success rate, so I'm looking forward to that!

This afternoon, I saw a PA (physician's assistant) in a foot & ankle specialty office about my right ankle, which has been giving me problems since my spring Couch-to-5K. (I could've seen a doctor, but the wait was longer, next appointment was sometime in November!) I saw my podiatrist about the ankle in June, and he took x-rays ("clear"), poked and prodded (no tendonitis), and prescribed an expensive topical cream (which I've used sporadically).

I gave today's PA the history of my right ankle, and she looked at the x-rays as well as the bottoms of my running shoes. In hardly any time at all, she diagnosed my problem as "varus hindfoot." Basically, I run on the outside of my heels, and seem to be right-leg dominant at it, hence the right ankle pain. My bottoms of my running shoes revealed more wear/compression on the outside of my heels, too. She prescribed ankle strengthening exercises to my already-scheduled physical therapy, and suggested I stop at a nearby orthotic/prosthetic business, the Center for Orthotic and Prosthetic Care in Durham. I stopped in, and they were able to see me right then! Since I already have custom orthotics, they were able to add wedges to the back of the orthotics to help balance my heels. I could tell a difference (and improvement) immediately! Tomorrow will be my first full day in the adjusted orthotics, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that they still feel good in 24 hours.

I feel a big sense of relief that my leg and ankle will be well enough to start exercising again soon! Maybe I'll be able to do some spring races!

Back to the Doctor

Ouch! IT Band Syndrome is back, definitely in my left leg, and maybe in my right leg too. The ankle pain continues to be pesky too. So I have two appointments next week, one with a sports medicine doctor, and another with a physician's assistant at the foot and ankle place. So, it may be a while before I can exercise-doing cardio, anyway. I bet there will be some physical therapy in my future!

Meanwhile, I had an hour-long phone consultation with a nurse in Duke's DukeWell program this morning. This first health goal I'm going to work on is keeping healthy snacks on hand at work and at home.

September Progress

I'm pleased with my exercise progress in September, which included 14.48 miles of walking and 18.10 miles of stationary biking, in addition to some weightlifting. With the plantar fasciitis returning to my left foot and a fussy right ankle (which the podiatrist says is not tendonitis), I may be looking at other ways of tracking my fitness progress, like cardio and strength training minutes. I've been thinking about taking some group classes at the gym, including water aerobics (no mileage but a great workout!) to vary the exercise and take a load of the foot and ankle. (I've even thought about swimming laps.) Another option might be the cycling classes at the gym. They seem a little intimidating to me, but I'll never know until I try!

More Exercise in My Future

Today's my second at-least-30-min exercise day in a row! :-) As I mentioned in an earlier post, I went in for a physical recently, and my new doctor told me to do at least 15 minutes of walking per day. It's been hit or miss with life being so busy. I finally started tracking my blood sugars this morning (another doctor's order, delayed by a few days), and realized I should step up that exercise! Yikes!

I need to remember not to stress about the numbers (no help at all), but let the numbers bring out my inner geek. Stay tuned!



Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Hitting the Reset Button

I went to a new-to-me physician yesterday for a physical, my first general "wellness" appointment in forever. Oy. We'll I'll be working on some things for the next month, and will report back in a follow-up appointment the end of September. One of my new doctor's marching orders is to walk/exercise for 15 minutes every day. The fact that 15 minutes of daily exercise sounds like a lot should tell me something--that I need to do it, for starters! I can hardly believe how out of shape I've gotten! I can really tell a difference in my fitness, though, in two days of walking. Work and graduate school are taking so much of my time and energy, but I need to figure out how to take care of my health too.


Clipart from Clipartheaven.com 

Summer's Over

Even though I'm working fulltime now, summer's over now that my fall semester class starts tomorrow night. The calendar may say it's still summer, but the "free time" part of summer is officially over.

While my exercise time may be limited (what's new lately?), I have been working on eating better, especially in the Fruits & Veggies Department. Not matter what I do or don't do, exercise-wise, I aim to work on better nutrition this fall, as well as other things (like sleeping better).

I do miss running, and hope to work my way back to it. The ankle is still bothering me a bit. :-( I have a physical next week, so that's on my list of things to mention.

Back on the Bike

Cooks during the '12 Galloway Pancake Breakfast

I hopped on the recumbent bike at the gym for 4 miles (including several 1 minute intervals) this morning, followed by some light yoga/stretching, then a short workout with the dumbbells. Felt good to get the week off to a good start with some exercise! I missed working out this weekend but I had an okay excuse. Saturday morning, I volunteered to help with the annual Raleigh Galloway Pancake Breakfast. Since I'm not running with the group this season (yet), I figured it would be a great way to see everyone, and it was! Standing out in the sun for several hours took its toll on me though, and I didn't get around to exercising the rest of the weekend.

This is a new week though, and even though I have a final exam and a paper due on Wednesday, that's no excuse not to take care of myself, right?!

Fitting in the Exercise

Well, I haven't been to the gym this week as planned, but I have taken a couple of walk breaks at work, tracking the distance and time with the MapMyRun app on my iPhone. Even though it's been crazy hot the past couple of days, taking a few minutes to walk has made a difference. I'm down 2.2 pounds this week, to boot!

Walking Test

Yesterday I downloaded a Couch to 10K app on my iPhone, and it suggested being able to walk 30 minutes comfortably before starting that program. I decided to try walking for 30 minutes today, just to see how it went. I finished 1.4 miles in 30:19. It was a tiny challenge, but not by much. That being said, I was on the treadmill in an air-conditioned gym! I think I need to to some more walking, and see what my right ankle (subsiding pain) and left foot (plantar fasciitis) have to say.

After that, I did some gentle yoga stretches from a yoga app on my iPhone, then lifted weights on three Nautilus machine. I'm an inflexible wienie. I need to exercise more than just on weekends to see any improvement. Now I'm thinking about the Second Empire Grand Prix Series coming up this fall. Could I do it?

Back in the Gym

I made it back to the gym yesterday morning, and am not sore today, which is a pretty good thing, I guess. I'm still on the injured list with my ankle, but am going to the podiatrist today for another issue, and hope he can take another look at the ankle too. Meanwhile, the stationary bike and strength training seem to be good for staying active. Also, I received a new-to-me book in the mail yesterday, Yoga for Wimps: Poses for the Flexibly Impaired. I've been thinking about going to a yoga class at the gym, but I've been a big chicken. This book seems to be the way to go for now.

Cleaning Plus Elliptical

Yesterday afternoon I got a good bit of housecleaning done, and followed up with a 30-minute session on the elliptical machine last night. I was bushed afterward, and slept hard last night! It felt great!

I've been trying out a couple of new exercise apps on the iPhone/iPad lately, Nexercise and Slimkicker (which has an accompanying website). Both use a point system, and it's been fun having some new virtual gadgets to play with. I would recommend both so far.

Good Bike Ride Yesterday

I had a vacation day yesterday, and meant to get an early workout in to start the day off right! I ended up puttering around, though, just enjoying a morning where I didn't have to be somewhere by a certain time. So, I ended up at the gym around 1:30 PM, since it had gotten so hot! I hopped on the recumbent bike, and went 7.2 miles in 40:05 minutes. I enjoyed working up a sweat!

This morning, I've been cleaning up my blogroll just a little, deleting a handful of blogs where the blogging runners have decided to stop blogging and move on to other things. One or two decided to stop running for now, as their lives have gotten busy with other things. It's made me a little nostalgic about running buddies (in person and through the  blogosphere) that I've met over the years. Some I keep up with, but others I've lost touch with. That's life, though, isn't it?

Easing Back In

I went to the gym this morning for a short workout. After warming up on the recumbent bike for about 15 minutes, I ran on the treadmill for about 5 minutes. Since my ankle has been fussy (tendonitis), and the plantar fasciitis still peeps at me, I decided that less would be more today. So far, so good. Now I'm a little more hopeful about starting a 10K training plan soon. One step at a time, right?

Back on the Elliptical

I returned to the gym this morning, but got on the elliptical instead of the treadmill, and it was such a refreshing break! Wow! No plantar fasciitis or tendonitis pain! I'm looking forward to running again soon, but this morning's break was so refreshing! Wow! Meanwhile, I'm starting to look at 10K training plans. They look doable after that C25K! :-)

C25K W9D3 Complete

I finished the Couch-to-5K program yesterday on the treadmill, not at the New River 5K as I'd hoped. While my sore throat was a lot better, the plantar fasciitis and tendonitis, on top of being bone tired, had me wanting to stay close to home. George wasn't feeling on top of his game for the half marathon, either, so we decided not to make the 3-hour (each way) trip yesterday morning. So, I slept in and hit the treadmill at the gym in the early afternoon. 2 miles in 40:24 min, a decent pace for me these days. What's next? I plan to keep training, but may do some other cardio to give my foot and ankle a bit of a break. I've found a 10K training plan that looks good, so we'll see!

Sluggish C25K W9D2 Done

This morning's run was sluggish and discouraging. Plantar fasciitis and tendonitis were both fussy this morning, and I have a lingering sore throat (but no fever as an excuse). I also overshot my time, so I got in more than my 40 minutes! I'd planned to run the nearby golf course again, but some early golfers were out, so I had to change my course on the fly. I headed through the sunnier, slightly hillier neighborhood, instead. Not so much fun, but it'll pay off later, I hope. It was a training distance PR for me during this C25K, but it didn't feel very good. Some days are like that. Time to look ahead to finishing this C25K!

C25K W9D1 Complete

I can hardly believe I've made it  all the way to Week 9! This morning's run went pretty well, pretty flat course and overcast skies helped. Ran a little extra to hit 2 miles for the first time since Run for the Oaks!

C25K Week 8 Complete!

Had a really good run/walk on the American Tobacco Trail this morning! The skies were overcast, which really helped, especially since I got a late start. This is my longest distance outdoors since running the Run for the Oaks 5K at the end of Week 1. Glad to crack 21:00 avg. min/mile again with this run, as my pace had slowed lately. Just a really nice run.

Couch-to-5K W8D2 Finished!

I did C25K W8D2 after work this evening, 28 minutes of running plus 5 minutes of warmup walking and another 5 minutes of cooldown walking. I ran conservatively, since I woke up with some lower back pain the day after W8D1. The back did okay during the run, and I took an Empson salt bath when I got home. I enjoyed the American Tobacco Trail at dusk, lovely weather and enough company to feel safe. Ready to finish Week 8 up this weekend!

C25K W8D1 Finished

I finished C25K W8D1 on the treadmill this morning. I missed running outside, but it was cold, and I was a wimp. It was nice to be able to go a little faster, and I ended up hitting the 2 mile mark for the first time in this C25K. Whew! Now I'm tired, though, and I can tell the tiredness is going to linger today.

C25K Week 7 is Done!

I did C25K W7D3 this morning, after a fitfull night's sleep, a sore throat, and that pesky plantar fasciitis bothering me even more. I was tempted to quit, but decided to keep going, however slowly, and let the chips fall where they may. It was just a bad run, my slowest C25K run yet. Ah, well. Bad runs make us appreciate the good ones even more right?

I'm tempted to return to the gym machines because of the plantar fasciitis, but I really want to finish the C25K. Just six more runs. One run at a time.

80 Days is Too Long

Back on April 2, I mentioned starting an 80-Day Challenge for myself, but I've discovered that my own challenge was too long and broad, especially in the context of my current life, which has been so busy! So, I've decided to reset my challenge, as well as my weight loss goals, and shoot for 2.5 pounds AT A TIME! 2.5 pounds at a time is a little bit of a stretch (especially since I've been losing and regaining the same 2.5 pounds for a few weeks now!), but a doable goal. I won't feel progress immediately, but I should start seeing progress on the scales soon. Having short-term goals will help me tackle the proverbial elephant, one bite at a time.


Image from http://flog.cookingforceliacscolitiscrohnsandibs.com/scd-facts/how-to-eat-an-elephant/

C25K W7D2 In the Books!

Had a good run this morning, especially once I warmed up. (Plantar fasciitis in the left foot is still bothering me.) New-to-me course this morning, mostly on the golf cart paths of the Brier Creek Golf Course, quite nice! Overcast skies also helped make this my fastest pace outdoors for this C25K.

C25K W7D1 Finished

Ran/walked in Brier Creek today, but turned the opposite direction from my usual route. Today's run/walk interval was the same as Saturday's, but a little bit faster today. Nice to see some progress, even though this morning's route had less hills.

I can tell the heat and humidity are on the rise around here. Wish we could bottle last week's weather!!

C25K W6D3 Complete

Completed W6D3 today, a beautiful morning to run outside! This is the farthest I run outdoors during this C25K, but the slowest pace too. According to my BuckeyeOutdoors stats, it was the most ascent (966.7 ft) and descent (1020.3 ft) too. Lots of action for such a short run/walk. The 25-minute run interval was okay, especially considering I wasn't going very fast! The plantar fasciitis in my left foot is bothering me a bit, but not the toe pain from previous years. I did have a reflexology session last night, which I hoped would help with today's run.

I ran at Shelley Lake today, an old, familiar course, but first time doing it for the C25K. I parked at the Sertoma Art Center, since the lower parking lot was full. So my warm-up walk was downhill, and my cooldown walk was uphill. :->

C25K W6D2 Complete

C25K W6D2 by dukefan86 at Garmin Connect - Details

The link above has my numbers for this run. I almost ran on the treadmill, even drove myself to the gym! But them I decided to TRY running outside again, even though it was pretty windy. I ended up running at a slightly faster pace tonight than I did on Monday, even with more wind and more elevation. I'm pretty happy about that! Still a long way to go, though.

C25K W6D1 Complete

I decided to run outside again this morning, so I headed over to the Brier Creek area. It was such a beautiful morning to run outdoors! Today's run/walk intervals didn't seem so intimidating after the shock of Weeks 4 and 5! I still ran rather slowly, though, finishing 1.6 miles in 34:11 (21:24 average pace). Glad it's done, a nice way to start the workweek.

Couch-to-5K Week 5 Complete!

American Tobacco Trail, Durham, NC

This morning I decided to run outside instead of heading to the treadmill in the gym, since the weather was gorgeous and pretty cool! Where to run? I charged up my Garmin Forerunner and headed to my favorite running trail, the American Tobacco Trail in Durham. It was a gorgeous morning for being outside!

Although I take walk breaks outdoors at work with some frequency, this was my first run outside in ages, and definitely my first run outdoors since starting the Couch-to-5K program. I tend to push the pace on the treadmill a bit, plus it's easier for me to maintain a consistent pace on the treadmill. And of course, the gym's air conditioning helps! :-)

So, I was a little concerned about my slower pace, plus today's C25K plan was to warm up for 5 minutes, then run for 20 minutes straight, then cool down down for 5. I decided to go for it anyway, and let the chips fall where they may. 5K races are held outdoors, after all. Time to head for the trails!

I completed my run/walk, 1.55 miles, in 32:18 minutes, a paltry 20:50 pace, but I did run (okay, jog very slowly) the whole 20 minutes. I was concerned about running out of steam, but it ended up fine. Except that I'm a little embarrassed about my pace. But now I have a new benchmark to beat in time. I have to remember that I'm in training! Speed is not the issue now. At least, speed shouldn't be the issue. *sigh*

C25K Week 5, Day 2 Complete

I did the C25K W5D2 run/walk last night, a little slower than normal (even for me), but I'm glad I got it out of the way. The run/walk intervals were 8:00/5:00, and the 8 minute run intervals intimidated me before I even started. Last night's run was mental training as much as running training. It was a minor victory to complete it.

I continued my new habit of doing some weight training after the run, a benefit of running at the gym. Each time I've done weight training lately, I've made a point of trying one new machine or exercise with the dumbbells. It's helping keep things fresh with that part of my workout, especially after running on the less-than-exciting treadmill. I also like watching what the other people in the weights area are doing.

I miss doing other cardio, but I can tell that, for now, my legs appreciate the rest days. A lot.

C25K W5D1 Complete

I decided to go to the gym last night and take care of the C25K W5D1 run/walk, and I'm glad I did. The run/walk intervals were 5:00/3:00, longer intervals for running than I've done in ages! I took it a little easier and didn't push the pace too much, which I'm glad I did. I have some left in the tank again to do some much needed weight training. I'm still a novice at the strength training, but I'm having a good time trying different machines, in addition to the dumbbells.

80-Day Challenge!

I just decided to start an 80-Day Challenge! Why 80 days? Because I leave for the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim in 81 days. I've updated my weight loss trackers (I have several going, since I like how the data shows up on different sites, though FitDay remains my most consistent one), bought some more vegetables, and have pulled out a couple of cookbooks to get started with.

I do have a weight loss goal in mind, but am keeping the final end-of-challenge number to myself for now. You can track my progress in the widget on the right, though. :-) Other goals? More water, more exercise without getting injured, finishing the C25K program, completing another 5K. Rewards? Some new clothes and shoes for the conference, for sure. I need to build in some along-the-way goals soon!

C25K Week 4 Complete!

I completed the C25K W4D3 workout on the treadmill yesterday, and had my best pace and longest distance yet, 1.76 mi. in 32:05 minutes. So I stayed on at the gym and did some dumbbells and weight machines. I've been pretty tired today, which I guess is recovery from yesterday. I'd hoped to do a light workout today, but decided to skip it.

Week 5 of this C25K program looks to be pretty challenging! Look out!

Couch to 5K W4D2 Finished

What a difference a couple of days make! Today's C25K run/walk was much easier than Tuesday's. Go figure. It was still challenging enough, as I picked up the pace a little, and logged my best average of this C25K (18:18 min/mile). I changed the "trainer's voice" on my C25K app, and I wonder if that helped! This voice is more no-nonsense, get-'er-done about the run/walk commands.

Glad to have it on the books, and glad I'm feeling better.

Couch to 5K Week 4, Day 1 Complete

I finished C25K Week 4/Day1 this morning before work, and it wasn't as bad as I thought, but it was still pretty challenging! The run intervals were longer than the walk intervals (minus warm up and cool down), which was work for me. I'm still a little tired from it, but okay to get through the workday. Of course I have class tonight! I think I'll be sleeping well again.

I've been using a different app from the initial one. This one was created by Active.com, the creator of the "original" C25K program, so it goes for the whole 9 weeks. The other app I tried was an 8-week program. Check out more information on Active.com's app here.

C25K Week 3 Done!

Fitness Connection-North Hills

I'm happy to report that C25K Week 3 is done! I felt pretty strong today, but kept the pace low-key, still. I had a professional foot/reflexology massage last night, and that made a huge difference, I think!! I'm glad that Relax Foot Spa is near my home, as I'm sure I'll go back!

I returned to Fitness Connection at North Hills in Raleigh this morning, so that I could soak in the salt water hot tub after my run. I decided to do some upper body strength training after the run, so my arms enjoyed the hot tub soak as much as my legs!

Wheatgrass Juice with Cranberry Chaser

After my workout and soak, I decided to stop by Keva Juice, a smoothie bar next to the gym. I read about wheatgrass juice recently in the book You Are What You Eat, and I decided to try it out today. I ordered two ounces with a cranberry chaser, not knowing what to expect. When I got the plate on the left, I wondered how I was supposed to drink this stuff out of two plastic pill cups with a straight face without laughing! I took this picture first, then chugged the wheatgrass juice, followed by the cranberry. The wheatgrass juice tasted very "grassy," so it was nice to break up the aftertaste with the cranberry juice.

Afterward, George and I joined some other Raleigh Galloway runners who had run outside (in the rain!) this morning for lunch at Panera. It was great catching up with everyone!

Week 4 of the Couch to 5K program looks a little more serious, with more running. Look forward to seeing how I do!

W3D2 in the Books

I did my Couch to 5K run done late last night! I didn't get to the gym until about 9:00 last night! Ugh! So the run/walk was pretty tough, and my left foot started hurting me some. I'm suspecting plantar fasciitis again, though I can hardly tell why! I'm going pretty slowly, and only exercising 3 days per week, which is driving me a little nuts but I've been working hard not to overdo it!

I was late for my run because I didn't get up in time yesterday morning, and after work I attended a Happy Hour Mixer put on by the North Carolina Library Association. I'm so glad I went, because I met several nice people and got to see this cute Irish pub I've been wanting to go to. Late runs stink, though!

C25K Week 3 Day 1 Completed

I started Week 3 of the Couch to 5K Program this morning, and I'm feeling it a bit this afternoon. I'm a little tired, and my legs are a little creaky (especially feet and ankles). I think I'll take an Epsom salt bath tonight after class!

Meanwhile, I'm back to packing my lunch for work, except that one of my colleagues is leaving for Salem, Oregon, so I'm part of a couple of send-off lunch groups this week. Still, trying to eat better again!

Un-Race Report: 2012 Tobacco Road Marathon and Half Marathon

Ivy, George, Esther, & Teri

George and I went to Cary this afternoon to see one of our friends from the Raleigh Galloway Training Program finish his 100th marathon! It was great to witness this accomplishment, and we saw many other friends there, runners and volunteers alike. I'd signed up for the Tobacco Road Half Marathon, but two weeks into the Couch to 5K program, I definitely wasn't ready to tackle this. Still, it was fun to be there--and very inspirational, of course! I hope I can take part in this race in 2013!

Here are the rest of my photos from the finish line and post-race celebration.

C25K Week #2 Complete!

I finished Week #2 of the Couch-to-5K program at the gym yesterday! I decided to go to the Fitness Connection at North Hills in Raleigh, since they have a salt water hot tub (nice incentive to finish!). I used a different C25K app yesterday, this one from Active.com. Not sure which I like better; time will tell.

After the run, I felt like I had more in me, but last night I was feeling the run just a little. This morning, the day after, I'm feeling a little tired still. It's a good tired, though. My legs feel a little heavy, but not enough to keep me home. I keep debating about whether or not I should crosstrain on non-running days. I want to continue and increase the calorie burn, but I also want to get back into running races without coming in last place. To do that, I need to stay off the injured list, which means I need to give my body time to recover! I haven't had any trouble with my feet over the past two weeks: no toe pain, no heel spur pain. There's a lot to be said for that!!

C25K Week 3 has more running, of course. Can't wait to see how that goes! Wish me luck!

C25K W2D2 Finished

I did C25K W2D2 this morning, after a false start back on W1D1! Without my reading glasses on, I missed that the app had reset itself back to the beginning at first! So, I got a little extra walking on, no harm done. :-) I went a little faster today, and it felt pretty good. I'm a little more tired now, the good kind of tired that comes after a decent workout. It feels like I pushed myself just enough. I can make it through the workday just fine, but I already know I'll sleep well tonight! :-)

C25K W2D1 Complete

I finished W2D1 today with a new-to-me C25K app by Zen Labs. Enjoyed the app, which gave me voice commands to run 90 seconds and walk 120 seconds, and played my own music in between commands. I went a little slower than normal (ha!) today, since the running intervals were longer, plus I didn't sleep well last night. I have some extra energy left in me now, so I probably could've gone a little faster. :-)

Ran/walked 1.60 miles in 31:07 min.

Race Report: 2012 Run for the Oaks

Lesley, Nancy, and Karen (part of the corporate team competition)

I completed C25K W1D3 with a 5K! I did the Run for the Oaks 5K in Raleigh, NC, and also competed in the corporate team challenge with a couple of Duke employees. I'd paid for the 5K a while back, but hadn't gotten motivated back then, so I decided to participate for the team (minimum of three) but walk most of this race to prevent injury.

Early on in the race, a policeman pulled up me and gave me course directions, urging me to the sidewalk. Thank goodness the print was big enough for me to see without my reading glasses, which I don't run with. For a chunk of the race, I was able to see the people in front of me, but at one point in the race, there were a number of neighborhood street turns. I missed one turn and overshot by a block. Another walker slightly behind me and I asked a man walking his dog, and got back on track. *sigh*

A little more than halfway through, I decided to start run/walk intervals of 30/120 seconds. There were times when I ran a little more. This wasn't my normal 60/90 run/walk for the C25K, but  the distance was longer than I'm accustomed to lately, so I took it easy with the intervals until the last push when the finish line was in sight.

When I got near the finish line, I couldn't see the clock, but I kept running anyway and finished. When they announced the corporate team standings, our team wasn't called, as I expected us to be, so I went back to the finish area, and found Jim, the man who owns the timing company that did the race. I asked about my time, and learned that the official timing had indeed stopped before I finished (a first for me!). He asked if I had a watch time; thank goodness I had my Garmin Forerunner on! It had recorded almost 3.3 miles (thanks to getting lost earlier in the raced), but I didn't mind at that point, as long as our team got credit! I showed Jim my Garmin time (which he wrote on his hand!). A few minutes later, he motioned Karen and me (Nancy had already left) to follow him, and he gave us the 2nd place team plaque! Yay! Okay, there were only two teams entered in the open women's division, but it's still fun getting the bling!

So, I finished 3.23 miles in 1:04:20 yesterday, last by a long shot. Having to find my own way on the course was a little stressful, but I had a lot of fun otherwise. I'm happy to have a beginning time in an official 5K race, as I begin running again. It's great motivation, really. I'm already looking at 5Ks down the road.

I took my new iPhone 4S with me, and loaded some new songs beforehand to help me through this race and training in the months ahead. I took some photos with the phone before and after the race, and they turned out pretty well! One thing I like about taking photos with the iPhone is the ease of adding them to Facebook and Flickr!

After the race, I decided to stop at Big Ed's for brunch, where I had a veggie omelet with grits. Yum!

To see all four of my photos from the 2012 Run for the Oaks, click here.

W1D2 Complete

I completed Week 1 Day 2 of the Coach to 5K Program yesterday, and it wiped me out! I figured out why W1D1 was so easy for me, too. I did 30 sec/90 sec run/walk intervals instead of 60/90 on Day 1! So yesterday I did the assigned 60/90 run/walk intervals for the W1D2 workout. I finished the run/walk okay, but felt pretty tired afterward. The tiredness spread throughout the day, and I crashed and burned last night. I'm still a little tired this morning. I can tell that my fitness level needs big time work, and taking off the pounds will help a lot too.

Started Couch to 5K Program Today!

I completed Week 1, Day 1 of the Couch to 5K program this afternoon, and I'm feeling pretty good! It wasn't too hard, especially considering it's the longest I've spent on the treadmill in a while. The time went by pretty quickly, actually. One thing that helped was that I wore a new pair of running shoes today, birthday present shoes from my sister. I'd been waiting for some good reason, like more commitment to running, to pull them out. Ahhh, nothing like new running shoes! :-)

Anyway, I'm already looking forward to W1D2, which will be in another 2-3 days. My third run/walk of the week will be the Run for the Oaks 5K on Saturday. I'll do my assigned run/walk for the C25K program, then probably walk the rest of the way. It's all good! I'll have to pick another 5K in May to see my improvement! :-)

Running...Just a Little

For the second week in a row, I've added a little bit of running to my walking workout on the treadmill. Nothing long or fast, but just a nudge. No foot issues or other injuries to report so far, so I plan to keep at it, and see if I can build back up. Hoping to shake out the cobwebs in the weeks ahead!

Long Elliptical Workout

I hit the gym this morning, and ended up doing 60 minutes on the elliptical machine, for 4.54 miles. I hadn't planned on staying on it for that long, but I got into the zone, I guess. I needed an endurance workout like that, so I'm glad I stuck it out. I can feel it tonight, though, as I'm more tired than usual. (It's also been a busy week, though.)

I've been working on making better food choices, dumping meat and dairy best I can. I think I need to work on portion control now, as my weight has plateaued. Meanwhile, I've been giving a lot of thought to the differences between vegan and paleo diets, and how each camp has such strong supporters and advocates. Can they both be right?

5K Registration and Progress

This morning I registered from my first 5K of 2012! I'll be run/walking the Run for the Oaks in Raleigh, NC. I'm excited about having this accomplishable goal. Although I've registered for a couple of spring half marathons, they seem a little out of reach right now. But a 5K?! Ahhhhh! I'm smiling as I type! I've run this race before, and it's a good one. The weather's usually pretty good, and it's a well-run race. A couple of years ago, I organized a team from work for the corporate team competition that coincides with this race, and we came in 3rd place in the open women's division! That was pretty darn neat! We got a plaque at the post-race awards ceremony, even! (Okay, so there were only three women's teams entered, but it was still fun!) It gets better. There's a series of spring and summer races with this corporate team event, and we ended up taking 3rd place for the whole series, along with another plaque AND a $35 check to split between us! All this happened because we showed up and had fun. So yep, we're working on doing this again!
In other news, the Get Moving Challenge at work is going well, best I can tell. Several of us have started taking walk breaks together at work, and that's been fun! My plantar fasciitis is acting up now, though, so I need to be more consistent about treating it at home.

I'm still on the Engine 2 28-Day Challenge, and have gone 2.5 days without cheese! Wow! I've lost 2.6 pounds since Monday, so that should tell me something.

A New Week

I'm turning over a new leaf today! I'm starting on a new "way of eating" today, and I've already been to the gym this morning. Okay, I might be feeling a little smug!

There are a couple of things at work here. The Whole Foods Market near work has started an Engine 2 23-Day Challenge, which starts today. Also, the 10-week "Get Moving Challenge" starts at work TODAY, and I'm the team captain of the Bookworms again!

So, last night I shopped at two different grocery stores, trying to find all the ingredients for a couple of vegan recipes. (The "Engine 2 Diet" is a "plant-strong" diet.) I still didn't find everything, so I'm going to have to hit Whole Foods after work. I bet they have everything on my initial list, but I was hoping to go a little more cheaply. Grocery shopping is one of my least favorite things to do, so I'm hoping it gets easier with practice to buy healthier foods. Convenience has gotten the best of me, and I need to reverse the effects, despite being busy with work and graduate school!!

Stay tuned!

Engine 2 Diet: Who's Tried It?

It's that time of year again. Duke's employee wellness program is promoting another "Get Moving Challenge," starting on January 23. Employees across campus can sign up and join teams, tracking weight loss, exercise minutes, and/or walking steps for 10 weeks, ending April 1. Once we start recording in those three categories, we can see how we fare against other teams, so there's a bit of the competition element going on, too. Our team is called the Bookworms, because we work for the campus library system. :-)

Meanwhile, our local Whole Foods Market is starting a Engine 2 Twenty-Eight-Day Challenge, and it happens to start-guess when-on January 23! You have to register by January 15, and I'm thinking about it. It's a vegan diet, which can be a challenge, but I've done it before, so I'm pretty intrigued by the thought of trying it again. 28 days. Hmmm. Apparently this 28-day challenge is something promoted on the Engine 2 Diet website, and they've (smartly) teamed up with Whole Foods.

So, I've bought the Engine 2 Diet book by Rip Esselstyn, and it's the first Kindle version of a book that I've purchased, which adds to the fun. (I received an iPad 2 for Christmas from my awesome sister, Lisa, and the Kindle app on the iPad makes me feel like I'm reading on a Kindle!) I've also been exploring the website, as well as YouTube, which has a number of videos about the Engine 2 Diet. In fact, I watched one this evening, done by the author of the book, where he discusses "Prep Week." Much of Prep Week involves cleaning out the pantry and refrigerator of bad foods. He also suggests, in the video, a kitchen gadget he calls the Microplaner, which is actually a Microplane zester/grater. I looked it up on Amazon, and was about to order one, when I decided to check our kitchen drawers. Lo and behold, I found one! It's in great shape, too. :-) While I was going through the drawers, I decided to go ahead and toss some stuff and get them more organized. It's a start.

Here's the "Prep Week" video (click on the blue hyperlink to view), which has motivated me to start organizing the kitchen. (Hey, that's worth it, right?!) Meanwhile, I'm hoping the contest at work, and maybe this Engine 2 Challenge, will help with the winter-time (cold+dark early) motivation to eat right and exercise through the weeks ahead. My plans to run or walk the Tobacco Road Half Marathon are in jeopardy. Here's to a jumpstart!

Third Workout in a Row

It's back to work for me tomorrow, so I hit the gym again today, my third workout in a row. To be honest, I wasn't really into it today. I stuck it out for 25 minutes on the recumbent bike, coaxing myself through 5-minute segments. Then I did some hammer curls, bicep curls, and shoulder presses with 5-lb dumbbells. Still bleh. Now that I'm home, I'm glad I did it. But I'm not used to three days of exercise in a row, and I felt it in the workout. Maybe I just need to shake things up a little bit. And maybe I need some rest.

December Weight Loss Progress

I decided to make a point of weighing in and recording the number every day in December, with the intention of losing weight instead of gaining weight over the holidays. Well, this month also included final exams in  grad school early in December, a new twist. I succeeded in this goal, recording my weight every day in December for a "whopping" loss of 0.2 lbs! I'm disappointed that it's not a bigger number, but I'm happy I didn't have a net gain for the month. My weight did fluctuate a bit across the weeks, but I've been at a plateau for the past three days.

I had a good workout at the gym this morning, a good way to start the weekend!

Dis-ney-land

The past week's workouts went pretty well, with more time on the elliptical and less time on the recumbent bike. Elliptical workouts are a bit harder for me, but closer to the run/walk efforts I plan to do in the spring.

I've had mantras at times over the past few years, words or sayings to help me get through workouts or races. Well, I just found out last week that I'm going to a conference in Anaheim next June. While I'm there, I hope to get over to Disneyland. Now I want to be in the best shape I can be for walking around and riding rides at Disney (in case I get to go!). It should be good for motivation over the next six months, I figure! :-) 

Saturday Gym Workout

I had a well-rounded workout at the gym yesterday, which included some time on the stationary bike, the elliptical, some upper body strength training with dumbbells, and a little bit of core work. I don't feel as sore this morning as I expected to. Either I've gotten stronger or I need to push myself a little bit harder. Maybe a bit of both.

I tried a new elliptical machine there at the gym, one with a TV screen, but the mileage was quite off from another elliptical machine I normally use there. After 7 minutes, it said I'd only gone 2/10 of a mile! I'm slow, but usually go more than twice that speed on the elliptical. I got off that one (the TV screen turned out to be a nuisance anyway!),  went to do something else, and hopped on my normal brand of elliptical machine (sans TV), and had a good workout there.

I still have my eye on the half marathons in March and April (and hopefully May), but am enjoying my time in the gym for now, especially during this cold weekend here in central North Carolina.

Fun on the Elliptical Machine

I went to the gym last night instead of yesterday morning, thinking I'd do a short 10-min. workout on the elliptical, but I ended up staying on for 45 minutes. The music on my iTouch really helped! I'm encouraged by this endurance workout during the week, and I plan to continue. This is my favorite gym machine, because it gives me a great workout without bothering the plantar fasciitis in my left foot. It's also great for the calorie burn! :-)

I'm Gonna be a Flying Pirate!

I've signed up for another half marathon, the Flying Pirate next April 22, on the North Carolina coast! That's two half marathons (Tobacco Road and Flying Pirate) in two months (March and April). I may have bitten off more than I can chew, but I want to shoot for it! Truth be known, I WANT to sign up for a third half marathon in the North Carolina mountains scheduled for May, but I can't bring myself to fork over the money just yet!

More truth be known, this coming "spring semester" is the perfect time for me to shoot for membership in the Half Fanatics. I'm not in the best shape or weight for trying this at the moment, but thank goodness I don't have to do a half marathon right now, today. (Whew!) But since I'm only taking one grad school course next semester (and it's not a Saturday class), I'll have more time to train, so I NEED to make the time to train!

I've hit the gym more frequently in the past week, and am working on building endurance and burning calories without putting too much impact on my feet yet. (Earlier this year, the podiatrist told me that longer-than-normal metatarsal bones are causing my toe pain after 3-4 miles, and custom orthotics have been little help. Earlier this fall, I had plantar fasciitis.) One thing I've learned this past training week is that the elliptical machine gives me a great workout! I can tell because I'm kinda tired the rest of the day after a morning elliptical workout, and often the day after as well. This tells me I need to keep working on my cardio and endurance, but that, at least for now, I need to honor the Rest Day.

Good Gym Workout

I had another solid gym workout before work this morning, between the stationary bike and the elliptical machine. I love early morning workouts, since there's such a feeling of accomplishment at getting a workout done first thing. I tell ya, though, I'm tired! I can tell I need to work on my endurance. For that, I'm thankful for a gym with plenty of cardio equipment. Since I've had such an issue with my feet the past few years, I'm glad to be able to give them a break early in this half marathon training cycle.

Training for the 2012 Tobacco Road Half Marathon



Toni and Lesley during the 2011 Tobacco Road Half Marathon

Okay, I did it. I've signed up for the 2012 Tobacco Road Half Marathon! I did this half marathon last year, and it was my worst half marathon time ever. I finished it, and was happy about the finish, but there's a lot to work on, obviously! I missed the City of Oaks Half Marathon earlier this month due to plantar fasciitis and a busy fall semester with grad school going on (including a Saturday class!). I've signed up for spring semester, and am only taking one class (on a weekday night), and my foot is feeling much better, so I'm going for it!

I decided to buy a parking pass for the 2012 race as well. Last year, there was a big snafu with the busing people from the remote parking area. George and I got there very early, so we didn't have a problem with being at the race on time, but it was a hassle having to catch the bus back to our car. (Other runners were late to the race because of the buses running late.) I decided to park "on-site" this time. The parking pass was only $5, and since I signed up on "Black Friday," I got $10 off registration anyway.

So, I had a really good workout at the gym yesterday, and it felt great! I didn't walk or run, but worked on crosstraining for conditioning purposes. I'm going to work on conditioning for another week or two, and see how things go from there. I've also started working on my diet (again).

Meanwhile, I'm thinking about going for Half Fanatics membership this spring (starting with Tobacco Road). Here's hoping I can stay healthy! :-)

First Lake Lynn Walk

Lake Lynn

I got a late start to my workout  yesterday, but I still wanted to be a little adventurous, so I decided to start my workout at Lake Lynn, a lake in north Raleigh. I was glad I went, because it's very pretty, and turned out to be a very nice change of scenery! Since the community center there was closed, and I needed to use the facilities somewhere, I didn't stay as long as I wanted on the Lake Lynn trails, but I would love to go back!

Here are my pictures from the 1.26 mile walk around part of Lake Lynn. I hope to return to make it all the way around the lake sometime!

A New Use for Duct Tape

A New Use for Duct Tape, a photo by Lesley Looper on Flickr.

I took this picture before the 2011 City of Oaks Marathon earlier this month. George commented on this barefoot runner standing near us, and he showed us the bottom of his feet. I got permission to take a photo of the bottom of one of his feet.

Water Aerobics

I returned to water aerobics class at the gym on Monday night, and I'm still feeling the effects! In fact, my left hamstrings are a new soreness this morning! I won't go back to water arobics class this evening because my first final exam is looming on Saturday, but I hope to return soon. Good workout!


Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

My First Marathon Support Gig

George and Me Before the 2011 City of Oaks

While I've volunteered at a marathon before, yesterday was my first experience of supporting a runner during a marathon. George was shooting to complete his first marathon, the City of Oaks Marathon in Raleigh, NC. To help me help him, he developed maps with mile markers and ETAs, and packed a bag of possible supplies for me to have at each stop. It was fun to see him at each stop, though I discovered how tiring it can be! My advice: people doing support need to get rest before the race too! I stopped in at the Cafe Carolina at Cameron Village in between support points, and I actually fell asleep in the restaurant! (Glad I woke up in time to get to the next location!)

I'm sad (for George) to say that he didn't quite make it to the end. He suffered calf cramps for about 10 miles (Holy Cow! TEN?!) before finally deciding to call it quits after 21 miles. He's bummed, of course, but otherwise doing okay. He plans to get lots of R&R today.

I continue to be very proud of George and his running, and hope he recovers quickly. He does plan to try another marathon sometime in the future.

Thanks to Ashby for taking the picture above of George and me before the race started!

Picking Up Swag for a Race I'm Not Running

I visited the City of Oaks Marathon and Half Marathon Expo today to pick up my number, shirt, and other stuff for tomorrow's half, only I'm not running! :-/ As I've mentioned earlier, plantar fasciitis and grad school have gotten in the way in recent months, so it's the right decision, for sure. Still, it ended up feeling a little odd walking out with this stuff I'm not going to use tomorrow. I went with George, who's running his first marathon tomorrow, though, and it was nice to be there with him! I also saw several runners I know, so it was fun to be able to wish them luck in person, rather than on Facebook only!

Walking with Some Pain

I haven't been to the gym this week, as I've been busy with school (class and looming deadlines), but I have been taking some walk breaks at work. The weather's been great for it, and getting some fresh air during the workday is always nice.

The catch? I'm feeling the plantar fasciitis in my left foot, even though I haven't been doing that much exercise, AND in my RIGHT foot, I'm thinking it's a heel spur. *sigh* I'm already wearing good running shoes (even to work lately--lucky!), and have custom orthotics in them. Guess I need to work on icing and such when I can remember to do it.

Meanwhile, I'm going to look into some classes at the gym once this week's school deadlines are over. Maybe water aerobics? Spinning/cycling? Any other suggestions? I love being out in the fresh air for exercise, but I don't own a bike (and don't have a place to store it if I did).

Ahhh, Massage!

I had a professional massage a little while ago, my first one in several months! It feels like I have a new upper back! Holy cow!

Meanwhile, I've gotten a little more exercise this past week, and that feels good too. Here's hoping there will be more of that soon. Grad school continues to eat up a lot of free time, but that's definitely a priority right now.

Meanwhile, George is gearing up for his first marathon a week from today! Yippee! I won't be running the accompanying half marathon that I paid for, but it is what it is. I stopped running because of plantar fasciitis in my left foot, but classes and studying have quickly filled the void I've felt in the past when I stopped running to heal. So, I'm really looking forward to supporting George during next Sunday's marathon. I'm sure he'll do great!

Finally Back to the Gym!

I'm on staycation this week, so I finally made it back to the gym this morning, and it felt wonderful! My exercise regimen has fallen by the wayside, between work+school and an upset stomach, diagnosed as gastritis) this past week. I'm finally feeling better, with a new medication and a change in diet, so I'm on the mend and had the time this morning for a long workout! I ended up staying on the stationary bike the whole time, so not the most intense workout ever, but I stayed on for 65 minutes and completed 11.51 miles. Yay!

Late Workout

I had a productive afternoon of studying, but missed my morning workout. I decided to go tonight, even though it was about 9:15 PM when I got out the door! Had a great workout on the bike and the elliptical, and even tried a new machine, the Precor AMT (Adaptive Motion Trainer), for like two minutes. I'll have to practice on that machine, but other than that, a great workout to end the weekend!

New Shoes Ordered

I finally ordered some new running shoes. I've been needing some new ones, but have been putting off buying them, between giving the foot some rest and the hectic pace of grad school. I read a blog post this morning that reminded of the importance of making time for exercise, though, and it inspired me to make worn out running shoes an excuse of the past!

Stay tuned!

More Crosstraining

I'm still taking a break from running as the plantar fasciitis in my left foot heals. Meanwhile, I've been to the gym two days in a row now to crosstrain on the gym equipment, and it's been a surprisingly refreshing break from running. I think part of it is that I've been able to concentrate a little more on grad school, now that I've let go of my running training plan for a bit.

In some ways, I feel like I've traded in my identity as a runner for a new identity as a part-time grad student. I'm definitely enjoying grad school, though it's a lot of work and has wiped out much of my free time. I'm not ready to totally ditch running, but it could be that I need to adjust my goals for the next few years and concentrate on different ones. For instance, in my quest to run more half marathons, I have missed running the 5K races that I ran when I first started running again. One of the bright sides of training for shorter distances is that I'd run less chance of having the recurring pain in my right toes at distances of 3-4 miles (due to extra long metatarsals, not interested in bone-shortening surgery, thank you very much).

So, we'll see! Meanwhile, I'm back on the elliptical and the stationary bike, plus some weight lifting and other things. Maybe I'll plug into a fitness class or two for the social thing that I'm missing with the running group.

Plantar Fasciitis Strikes Again

I've been in denial, but now I've got to admit that plantar fasciitis is back in my left foot! I've been feeling the twinges for a while, but I wasn't able to finish my run last Thursday because of the pain. I ran for 20 minutes this morning, and while not as bad, I decided to stop running and hop on the bike before it got worse. *sigh*

I'm not sure what this will mean for my half marathon training, but meanwhile, grad school has me busy and distracted a bit from running. Maybe this is a good time to let my foot heal up a bit. I'll work on keeping up my crosstraining in the mean time.

On a side note, George and I went to Savannah for the weekend and had a really nice time! Check out my pictures here.

Weekend Update

Well, this weekend's run was delayed because of my first Saturday class for grad school. It meets every other Saturday from 9-3, and I was pretty pooped by the time I got out of class yesterday afternoon. It was also a busy weekend in general, as I had a birthday dinner to go to on Friday night, and a birthday party to attend last night. So, I delayed my weekend run to this (Sunday) morning! Since we were out late last night, I was slow getting to the track, and it had warmed up outside!!
I had 6x800 on my training schedule for this weekend. Since I was pretty tired this morning from the busy weekend, I thought about reducing the number of 800s, but I decided to get through them, no matter what (barring injury), for the mental training.

This morning's 800/Yasso/half mile splits:

1) 9:47
2) 9:48
3) 9:45
4) 9:41
5) 9:39
6) 10:17

As you can see, I tanked on the last one, but got it done. I'm now halfway through my training plan! Next weekend calls for 11 miles.

This Week's Training and Life Outside of Running

I've continued my training this week, although it's taken me a little longer to recover from Saturday's 9 miler. On Monday, I ran 2.45 miles in 50:04 minutes, for a 20:27 average pace. I see a pattern now where I slow down the week after a longer weekend run. I wonder if it would help if I changed my runs to Tuesdays and Thursdays before work, instead of Mondays and Wednesdays. Maybe.

This morning, I hit the gym and rode 5.15 miles in 35:01 minutes. I felt like I worked harder than the clock and mileage indicated, but I did ride on a different stationary bike today, and am still a little tired. Huh.

Meanwhile, my laptop got wet on Sunday night (rain from leaky roof came through my home office ceiling and soaked my computer!!), and while it booted up last night, it wasn't as happy this morning. I was able to turn the laptop on and putter for a few minutes before it shut down on its own, and wouldn't come back up at all. I'll try again tonight, but I'm not hopeful.

[On a side note, I haven't been able to sync my Garmin Forerunner to my online training logs to update them with my runs, but as soon as I get set back on a personal computer, I look forward to doing that. I'm at my geekiest with numbers about my runs!]

On a happier note, I'm starting graduate school today! I'll be working on my Master of Library Science (MLS) at North Carolina Central University in Durham, and my first class is this evening! This has been a goal of mine for over 10 years, so I'm feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness today. :-) I'll have a class on Tuesday evenings and every other Saturday, so I'll have to be creative with my half marathon training, for sure.

Longest Run/Walk of the Season

Yesterday I completed my longest distance of this training season, 9.09 miles! I'm still tired this morning, so it's a rest day from exercise. Still, it felt good to finish the distance yesterday morning.


George and I Before the Run
(Thanks to George for the kiss, and thanks to Ashby for taking the shot!)


I started early in the parking lot where the Raleigh Galloway group was starting, since I wanted to be in the annual big group picture at 6:30ish. I tried 15-sec/45-sec run/walk intervals as Jeff Galloway suggested for my recent Magic Mile, but it drove me a little nuts, so I went back to my regular 30/30 interval again. Maybe I'll try it again, or fiddle with it and try 20/40 later. (I wish I'd done that at the end of yesterday's mileage, now that I think about it!)

After the group picture, Ashby was kind enough to take the picture above of George and me! (Thanks, Ashby!) Then I headed off to another part of the American Tobacco Trail to finish my run/walk. I felt pretty strong for much of the run on the other part of the ATT, but started to fade toward the end. I ended up walking it in, but wish now that I'd just shortened the running interval. But I finished, and I'm relieved about that.

9:09 miles in 3:14:32, 21:24 avg pace

According the Magic Mile prediction calculator, I should be training at a 23:48 pace, so I'm pretty comfortably ahead of the game there. My predicted half marathon race pace is 21:02, which I still have several weeks to improve on. (And I certainly wasn't doing a race effort yesterday!) Maybe I'll try another Magic Mile this week.

Yesterday's Run

I did another 45-minute run around Brier Creek yesterday, knocking out 2.31 miles for a 19:30ish pace. I was pleased to get the average pace under 20 minutes again. I had to focus and push a little, which is good training too. I've gone back to a 30/30 run/walk ratio, after trying 20 second run/walk intervals once. I like the feel of 30/30 better.

I decided to pass on water aerobics last night, since it's usually a pretty strenuous class, and I don't want to risk injury at this point. Crosstraining is great, but not at the risk of injury or knocking me out of a run very often. I did miss the exercise time with George, though.

Bike Ride at the Gym

I hit the gym this morning and rode the stationary bike for 6.01 miles in 35 minutes, with a few intervals thrown in for good measure. While I was riding, someone on the treadmill said she recognized me running through her neighborhood yesterday morning! So we introduced ourselves, enjoying the small world factor. :-)

After the bike, I did a little core work, not a lot, but enough to get me restarted on it. I don't do the core work much when I skip the gym and run outdoors. I guess that's one of the negative trade-offs of hitting the roads. There isn't any good reason I can't do some core work at home, except for the motivation thing. When I'm at the gym, others are doing the same sort of thing and it's a reminder. (And sometimes I get good ideas from watching the gym rats!)

Another Monday Run

This morning, I cranked out a run in slightly cooler temperatures, which felt great! My pace was better than both of last week's mid-week runs, but it's still slower than the sub-20:00 runs I was doing before that. Part of it may be that I'm running for a [slightly] longer amount of time, part of it may be a lack of sleep lately. I can definitely work on the sleep...except that I'm starting graduate school next week! I'll do what I can in that area, though.

2.31 miles in 47:01 (30-sec/30-sec run/walk ratio)

I've also reset my weight loss goal on Fitday.com (where I have the most weigh-in data), and have decided to make weight loss goals for a week at a time. I've been setting long-term weight loss goals this year, and have mostly floundered. Now I have a weight loss goal for the next week, and a new target weight for next Monday, 8/22.I'll post how that goes.

First 800s Workout in the Books

In place of a long run on yesterday's training schedule, the assignment was to do 4x800s at race pace. So, I used my projected half marathon race pace per mile based on my current Magic Mile average, which is 21:02, which translates into a 10:31 minute half mile, 800, or "Yasso." I decided that, since I only had four of them to do on yesterday's schedule, I'd try to pick up the pace. After a walking warm up, I nailed all four of them, with some walking in between. I walked a half mile afterward to cool down.

Here are my 800/half mile/Yasso splits:

1) 0.50 in 9:51 min
2) 0.50 in 9:42 min
3) 0.50 in 9:47 min
4) 0.50 in 9:43 min


Not quite the negative splits I was going for, but not bad. I felt pretty decent afterward too, so either I didn't run hard enough, or I'm getting in better shape. A little of both, perhaps.

Mid-week Runs

I haven't blogged as much this week, but I have gotten my mid-week runs in. On Monday, I went to the American Tobacco Trail in Durham, and completed 2.44 miles in 48:01 minutes for a 20:36 min/mile average pace. This morning I returned to the Brier Creek area, and completed 2.30 miles in 47:01 minutes, for a 20:26 min/mile average pace. I was happy to get a little faster today, but I've been feeling sluggish in my run/walks this week. Last weekend was pretty busy, with a lot of time on my feet both Saturday and Sunday, and I think that has factored in. I need to work on getting my mid-week pace back below 20:00 min/mile, though, on the way to getting faster overall.

This weekend's Galloway training schedule calls for 4x800 in place of the long run. I have a love/hate relationship with speedwork, but I hope it will help! I need to decide which track to hit.

I'm a Weather Wimp!

Thunderstorms abounded this morning, so I decided to head for the gym treadmill instead of running in the rain. I missed the Galloway group, and was looking forward to trying out my new long run run/walk interval outside, but I enjoyed the air conditioning and dryness of the gym for a change of pace--at least starting out! The treadmill got boring after a while, but I managed to get my long run/walk DONE! The goal was 7.5 miles, and I finished 7.61 miles in 2:29:27. Week #3 of my training plan is in the books. Next week's workouts will be a little longer mid-week, and next Saturday the plan calls for several Yassos in place of the long run. Huh. I'll let you know how all of that goes!


Clipart from Clipartheaven.com.

Small Running World

I'm in the process of getting many of my medical check-ups out of the way before I start graduate school later this month at North Carolina Central University. Yesterday I had my annual physical with a new-to-me gynecologist, and it just so happens that he just ran his first half marathon, the Inside-Out Sports Classic, back in May! He's signed up for the Outer Banks Half Marathon in November, and I did that one last year, so we really hit it off with the running thing! I liked his bedside manner as well, and also enjoyed talking with the nurse who assisted.

Although "going to the doctor" isn't my favorite thing to do, it feels good to be getting my health ducks in a row.




Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

New Run/Walk Interval Today

I emailed Jeff Galloway yesterday to ask his advice about my run/walk interval for the long run, based on an average of my recent Magic Miles. I received a nice email back from him, and he suggested 15-45 sec run/walk intervals for my long runs, and either 30-30 or 20-20 intervals for my mid-week training. I've been run/walking at 30 second intervals lately, so I decided to try 20-20 this morning. It felt different, but the jury's still out on whether or not I like it better than my regular 30-30 intervals. I'll try it out again next week.

I ran on the American Tobacco Trail again, and went 1.81 miles in 35:01 minutes for a 19:23 average min/mile pace. Nothing spectacular, but it's done. It did feel slightly cooler this morning, and it felt good to be out in the fresh air. What a nice way to start the day!

Here's a YouTube video of part of the course I was on this morning, though I didn't go as fast as the biking videographer, of course! :-)

Anyone Tried MyFitnessPal?

I've just recently discovered MyFitnessPal, an online weight loss/food journal/exercise website, and decided to register this morning. It reminds me a bit of FatSecret, but with a much better name (especially considering my interest in fitness and running)! :-) It has an iPhone/iTouch app that I've downloaded, but haven't started using yet.

I've signed up for several websites of this kind, and I keep looking for just the right fit to keep me motivated. It's interesting to see what's out there, for sure. Maybe MyFitnessPal will carry me through! If you happen to use MyFitnessPal, I'd love to know what you think about it, and whether or not it's worked for you. My "handle" there is lllooper.

Another "Magic Mile" Test`

I decided to head to the American Tobacco Trail this morning for a change of pace and do a timed mile, known in Galloway lingo as the Magic Mile.It's a predictor of finishing times for various racing distances, as well as a way to figure out what pace someone should be training at for different race distances. Anyway, I'd put off doing this Magic Mile test on last week's training schedule because of the pulled muscle in my lower back. My back's much better after buying a heating pad Friday after work, but it's still not 100%, and I felt it this morning during that Magic Mile! (Boo hiss!)

I did warm up for a half mile, first with walking, and then with run/walk intervals of 30 seconds each. That felt pretty decent. On the timed mile, I ran as much as I could, and walked a little bit. I did have to cross over a couple of streets along the trail, but I lucked out with little-to-no car traffic. I ended up with a 17:30 minute mile, 8 seconds slower than my Magic Mile time last month. A bit disappointing, but I'm sure it would've been faster if my lower back hadn't been a little sore.

When I worked with a running coach, she used to have me do an exercise called "alternate superman" as part of my core strengthening routine, but I've gotten away from doing it! I need to start back and stick with that part of my training, because a sore back stinks (and probably could've been avoided)!

Here's an example of the alternate superman exercise I'll start doing again soon:



Back to the Magic Mile, the Jeff Galloway website suggests doing 4 Magic Miles over several weeks, then dropping the slowest and averaging the fastest three times for a more accurate snapshot of current ability. I did that and came up with a 17:32 average. According to the Magic Mile calculator on the Galloway site, I should be training at a 23:48 min/mile pace for a half marathon, which makes my 21:05 min/mile average pace this past Saturday look pretty good. It also predicts I'd finish a half marathon in 4:35:37 in a hard effort under ideal conditions. Considering that my last half marathon (back in March) was 4:50:06 (chip), I'd certainly take a 15 minute improvement!! Still, I'm not where I want to be, which is definitely a sub-4:00 half marathon finish (and that's just for starters!).