Back to the basics...

Being a teacher and having the summer off really is a blessing.  I know a lot of teachers who work during the summer, and every year I say I'm going to find a part-time job, but in reality, I really use this time to find 'me' again. I get 10 weeks to not be "Mrs. M", not the teacher who can come fix your computer or realign your smartboard, I don't have to worry about homecoming and prom, Friday football games (though I do love a good football game!), it's just me.

With the first two weeks of my break were wasted recovering, then a trip to the ER, and then back to recovering, I'm tired of recovering and want to really use this summer for what I can to get into the workout grind.  I do have to monitor my HR and BP closely, but that's reasonable enough.

I decided last night while hubs and I were walking that I am going to start fresh on the Couch25k program and see how that goes.  No skipping, no rush, just see.  If I still don't at that point enjoy running, then I'll stick to hiking and walking, and in a few months, try again.  The program is 9 weeks, if in 9 weeks I don't even slightly enjoy something, I don't think it's right for me at this point in my life.

I also got inspired by A Journey to Thin's blog and her 30 day challenge (actually, a lot of her progress and watching her transition has inspired me as a whole), so I will also challenge myself to do the 30 Day Shred for 30 days.  Ideally, 10 days on each level.  I will have to see how this will work with our mini vacation coming up, maybe do two one day, and two the day after we come home? Oh well - I will figure it out. And if somehow a day gets lost, I'll just tack it on at the end. I realize I can't control everything.

I also have my yoga lined up, at least twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday evenings) but once summer camp is back over with, I plan on going again on Mondays.  My Tuesday class always leaves me a little sore, so I like to take Wednesday off.

What do you do to recenter and refocus?

Related articles

• 10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Summer Break (coolcatteacher.blogspot.com)

To run, or not to run...

I have had a bitter sweet experience with running.  I have had major leg pain (shin splint? stress fractures? who knows).  I did my first 5K on such a humid, unshaded, run that I felt defeated, and yet, I managed to finish with a smile.  I finished. That's what mattered to me.  I enjoy nothing about running, and yet I feel as though I need to keep doing it.  And that one of these days, I'm going to finish a mile and go, phew, that wasn't so bad.  It's been a battle in my head.  Do I want to keep going? Is it all mental? Can my body really do it and I keep making it harder than it is? Or am I trying too hard and ignoring my body?

Enter friend w/ awful idea plan. Jen (the aforementioned friend) recently asked me if I'd run a leg in the Akron Marathon. I laughed.  She didn't.  Apparently she was serious.  I reminded her that you have to finish in 6 hours.  Which means a 13-14 minute pace. A pace I don't do. I settle in around the 15-15:30 minute marker as I chug along.  Then she countered with - but it's not until September. I'd have plenty of time to prepare.  True.  I can prepare if my legs will let me.  I said maybe.   I came home and looked at the course and relay stations.


 5-Person Team Relay

Relay Point	Leg	Location	Miles
Point #1	First	0 mile/Start	3.5
Point #2	Second	3.5 mile/High St.	5.7
Point #3	Third	9.2 mile/Brown St.	6.3
Point #4	Fourth	15.5 mile/Sand Run Pkwy	2.8
Point #5	Fifth	18.3 mile/Sand Run Pkwy/Revere	7.9

After looking a bit more - we decided that our friend Beth could do the last leg.  She runs closer to a 10 min mile, so she can help pick up some of the slack.  Brooke, another coworker, would be willing to do leg 4 - because it's the shortest.  She's never run before. I tried telling her it's hilly - that's the one area people have warned me about. They say over and over - the hills make up for the short distance.  She said she'd do it anyhow.   So that left me with the first leg.  I can't commit to running anything longer than that to be honest at this point. It's just not there.  So that leaves legs 2 and 3 unmanned.  She can do either, and we're trying to rope one more coworker into picking up the last leg.  He runs around or under a 10 minute mile as well.  So hopefully the two speedy runners could help compensate for me and Brooke.   Jen, can easily maintain the minimum pace to run for completion on time.

So I'm back to deciding. Do I run or not? I don't have to commit right this second, I have until August, but if I am planning on it - I need to prepare for it now and early.  I like that it's in September, and it's a Saturday so I have all Sunday to recover before work.  I also like that I'd get a medal for competing :) That'd be exciting.

My fear - not completing.  Actually, I know I *can* do 3.5 miles.  But can I do it fast enough? Can I do it so that I don't set an awful pace for the entire team to spend the rest of the day playing catch up?

Related articles

• Have You Ever Had Shin Splints? (fitsugar.com)
• You Asked: Running and Shin Splints? (fitsugar.com)
• Why Do People Do This? (chrislocurto.com)
• Marathon Training Week 1 (crazyrunninglegs.com)

My first 5K (and 100th post!!!)

I am super excited that of all my posts - this is my 100th!!!

Today I had my first 5K. It was the Tallmadge Memorial 5K.

I won't lie - I was not ready for this.  I was wogging once a week because my shin splints were so bad.  And then Wednesday, the week before I did a practice run outside and about 1.5/2 miles in I got so sick I had to stop. I was so dehydrated and got my BP up so high that I was terrified to even try the race after that.  I spent all Friday - Sunday chugging water.  Close to 15 servings a day.  I wasn't risking a repeat of Wednesday, especially when the temps were to peak around 90 today.

After debating, I decided to go through with the race.  I spent some time on YouTube watching videos from last year's run and watching people walk and suddenly wasn't embarrassed that I knew I would have to.  So I headed on Saturday morning to pick up my bib and goodie bag. The shirt is cute, but too short for my liking, not sure I'll ever get to wear it.

My sister happened to be in town from NY, so my parents, husband and sister were able to come to the race, which was great. I needed the support.

I met up with a coworker (the evil one who convinced me to register for this 5k) and we got ready to take off.

By 745, I'm not sure of the temp, but I will say there was ZERO shade.  It was just direct sun beating down on us.  A bit overwhelming.  So we take off and I am fumbling around with my ipod/nike +. ... I thought I had it going, found out about 5 minutes later I never started it..

There was a great crowd there. Everyone from your every day mom and her daughter to a 70-something year old woman who ran her first race (and yes, she finished before me!).  I took off from the line at the back, I didn't want to get run over. Mistake #1 -  I pushed myself a little too hard from the very beginning, ruining my pace and flow.  I couldn't keep up with my run 4, walk 2 almost instantly.

I'm not sure what I was thinking, or what possessed me to 'challenge' myself, but I had the bright idea to jog up the wicked hill, that I watched every non-seasoned runner walk up... That was mistake #2.

Mistake #3 - throwing myself a pity party at one point. Convincing myself I ruined my chances of finishing because I got so far back at one point.  There were probably ... 15 behind me, and at one point, in a loop through a neighborhood - there was no one.  No one I could see in front, and no one behind me (well I didn't look, but no one immediately behind me). There was no one cheering, it was just me.  And I wanted to quit. I wanted to quit so badly.  I convinced myself I would get to the corner and ask a volunteer to borrow their phone, call hubby and say I'm done.  But as I got closer to the corner, and the volunteers were cheering me on, I knew I couldn't.  I wouldn't forgive myself.

So I chugged along.  Shortly after, everyone kept yelling how close I was.  I was convinced they were delusional. There was no end in sight, there was no shade in sight (seriously - this is a quiet neighborhood, why are there are no shady trees on the treelawn folks?!?!).  It was just me, the sun blasting down on my head, and my, finally steady, breathing.  It took me until about 2.5 miles into it to get a good breathing pace down.  Just in time to finish. hah.

I finally saw the end... And my dad was coming over to cheer me on and give me a little pep talk.

With one more deep breath, I knew it was time to give it everything I had left. . .

Smile for the husband and family.

I don't quite remember what made me giggle.  I was not in a giggling mood, so it must have been hilarious to me at the time.

My friend Beth (who finished with an awesome time, wayyyy before me) and her mom were there on the sideline cheering me on.  Sadly - I didn't even see or hear them - all I could see was that black box finish line.


I don't know my official time.  Unfortunately with my ipod fiasco, I will have to wait until they post it.  However, I *believe* it was in the 49 minute range (and NOT last for the women!), which isn't too far off of my initial goal, which was to do it 45 min. Gives me a starting point, that's for sure!

There was a woman in front of me, and her shirt said something along the lines (I forget now) "I may not be first to the finish, but at least I have the courage to come to the starting line" and I thought about that most of the run.  I could have bailed and made excuses. But I didn't.  I showed up and I gave it what I could.  It wasn't what I hoped for, but it was all I could do at this point - and that's more than some people will ever be able to say.  So I'm OK with that.

After downing some gatorade and water - I was able to smile again ;)

I refused to go home, because I knew I'd spend the entire day sleeping, so I went with husband and family to Aurora Farms Outlets.  It was good. Now with these last few pounds lost, I had zero pants for summer, so I managed to get a few.  Good deals, but really just enjoyed spending time with my family. 

Husband asked if I'd run another one... I think I'd be willing to do another, sans that wicked hill and preferably one with some shade ;)  We'll see.. 

That Darn 2.4 Mile Mark

Today I went for a wog around a local park that I know the distance on.  5 trips around is 3.3 miles, but there's a walk way through the park that if you cut through, it's just about a 3.1.  I wanted to get a time of me doing it outside without the treadmill controlling my pace, and to deal with inclines and real distractions.  I choose this park also because it's not hard pavement and my shins appreciated it!

Here was my first trip (and again, I'm not 100% on the distance, it could have been a tiny bit less, and closer to the 3.1 mark)

And that couldn't be more true.  It was a minute or so into my third lap and I died.  I wanted to quit. I wanted to walk across the park and get in the car and head home.  I didn't, but I let it get to me, and I let it slow me down. I fought with myself the entire lap.  

I registered for my first 5K and it's in 3 weeks.  So I figure I will practice outside on Wednesdays and Sundays until the big day pretty much. My next trip out this Wednesday I plan on making a few changes. The first is that I will not walk 4-5 minutes in my warmup, like I did today. I will do a little back and forth, and stretch, but I want to take off on my first 4min jog, and see how that affects my time. Because I know I'm not going to take off at the race walking, so I want to get a better feel. 

I've been doing 4 min jog with 2 min walks.  Although on lap three, I pretty much walked most of it. I did like a min jog, and then 2 min walk, then jogged until my timer beeped again and then I proceeded to walk.  But I was determined to do the distance just to know that I could.  I know it's slow, and most people reading this would be shocked I'm going to do the 5k anyhow, but frankly I need to do it and get the fear of the first one over.  Who knows, maybe I'll surprise myself! 

I also know that when I'm actually there - my walking pace will be faster.  When I was walking today, by myself I tend to go much slower than I would with others around me.  Either way - it's my race, and regardless of how long it takes - I'll be the one crossing the line and I need to be happy with how I did. So I can't compare myself to anyone else. 

Husband was there to cheer me on, give me support, and of course, snap pictures.

And since I forgot to talk about the trail we went on the other day (which by the way was AMAZING, and intense) - here's some pictures.

This was at the Ledges trail, in Peninsula.  There are so many little side trails and connections that I couldn't remember them all or where which pics came from where.

I do NOT envy that dude running up. I died walking up the steps!

March Goals -

In January, I set a few goals. I adjusted them from my original because I was on the way to exceeding those regularly.  Well January took a shift and February was a crapshoot of issues, so I semi-met the goals...

My January goals:

• I'd like to regularly hit 7,000 steps, but I'd like to have a few days (maybe one a week) where I hit 10,000, 12,000.  (This will be possible when I meet March goal #1!!!)
• My goal is regularly hit 2,900 calories a day - again with a few days where hitting 3,200 ,3,500would be nice. 
• My goal is to have a day where I do 5 8 miles, and I'd like to have to an active score in the 900's.,1,000's. (This might be a bit more tricky ... will work on it this month as well! ) 

March goals: 

1. Walk 5x a week working on the pace I can do a mile in.  Ideally, by the end of the month I want to shave off 1:30, so I'd like to do it in about 15 minutes. (I'm figuring I can try to shave off 5 seconds each time I do it)
2. Calories, Calories, Calories.  We don't eat poorly when we're eating at home.  But this past month we were constantly going out to eat.  So back to our one time during the work week plan. Not only will this help save us $$ but it will be saving us calories big time!  This is going to be especially tricky because we're going to the gym on Tuesday/Thursday so I'll have to have something easy to prepare for right after work those days (or do it Monday/Wed night for the next night). 
3. Sunday - work out together.  Whether it's a bike ride (if this snow every goes away!) or even just a walk through the neighborhood or mall. 

And I am not buying one drop of new workout clothes (I'm addicted to buying them and rarely use them, I always wear the same things!) 

Related articles

• Calories Burned By Walking (brighthub.com)
• How to cut calories without slowing your metabolism (self.com)
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Run, Walk, Run? Just RUN

I've been wanting to run for a while now.  I originally just wanted to get out and run, and I've tried various  programs, like the Couch25K, and other various run/walk programs to the point where I could eventually run.  Well no matter what I try, it always seems too much for me at first, therefore giving up. So I've changed my mind and as soon as I'm cleared from the doctor to run again - I'm going to be starting again.  Instead of focusing on intervals and trying this, that and the other, I'm just focusing on speed and time.

I walk a 20 minute mile, sometimes faster, sometimes slower.  So my plan is to just constantly shave time off of that with my own little bursts.  Every time I get on the treadmill, even if it's just a few seconds, I'm going to shave time off of that - until I'm at a 10 minute mile. And yes  - I know, 10 minutes still isn't 'speedy' in many people's opinions, but you know what? A 10 minute mile, 6 minute mi, and even my 20 minute mi is still a mile, and that's a mile further than I'm going sitting here typing this - so I'll take it.  I really want to get down to a 10 minute mile so that when I only have 30-40 minutes, I can get a bit more in to my workout that a mile and a half.

I'll get there... eventually ;)

Related articles

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