And so the rain pours down - no run this morning. If it eases off I might try to get out...
...or not!
Anyway...onto more important things than the weather - me! Happy to report downward trend continues!
74.2kg - 163.2 lbs
That is pretty inspiring (love the way I inspire myself!) because it means that all those hard decisions (stay in bed or go for a run, have a wine or have a mineral water) that I am trying to make every day are paying off! Helps keep me going :-)
"I gotta hurry, hurry, hurry, now quick, quick, quick, just step on the gas, 'cause I don't want to miss this, this opportunity will only come once in my life..."
After a few days off, it was time to get back out there! I awoke with a start - what time is it? It was 7:30am, but already uncomfortable muggy and a lovely 23C.
I'm up to WEEK 7!! of Ease into 5K:
Pretty slow, I know, but I did push myself up the hill at the end of the path (the one I usually turn around before the start of). And it was hot. And I don't care how fast I'm not going. I need to remind myself of that - it really doesn't matter. The speed will come as I build up a solid, safe, injury-free base.
I spotted this on the Runner's World Magazine Facebook page, and it's true. I'm never going to be fast. I will always have a beetroot face. But I can be out there running - every day you run is a good day.
Bit of snow wouldn't have gone astray this morning...
"Way above, the clouds are black, they say it's going to pour but I haven't been keeping track"
Three posts in three days - what's going on?
I must be feeling good and yes, maybe even like a real runner, Beth! Because yesterday, when the link for the SMH Half Marathon came up on Facebook, I thought (ever so briefly) to myself "mmm....12 weeks away...I could do that". Perhaps not yet. I think I need to really take into account the words of The Penguin, John Bingham that beginner runners should:
Not run as fast as they think they can
Not run as far as they think they can
Run more often than they think they should
Or in my case, I look like this:
Damn - it was hot out there! Bring on autumn! But there were dolphins....
Trust me - they were out there - if you think I'm running with my Canon EOS500D zoom lens around my neck, you are having yourself on!
So, here are the stats:
I felt like I was running really well! But I guess I really do run like that little girl in yellow - or maybe I'm just destined to run like a penguin. But I'm running, and taking it easy, and stretching and foam rolling and trying really hard NOT to hurt myself again. Not fast, not far but at least 3 times a week (maybe I should try for 4?). And a half-marathon is in my sights...it won't happen overnight, but it will happen!
"One step forward, two steps backward, I won't wrestle, you won't talk back, three deep breath, I'm still alive and brilliant"
Another minor miracle this morning - the scales still showed a '74' at the start...
74.95 kg - 165.2 lbs
I'll take that - because I was expecting a big gain this week! My 20 minute run yesterday must have helped, plus I've been more or less back on the straight and narrow with my eating (it does make a difference you know).
Was it Einstein that said "the definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results"? Well, he was right - if I keep eating crap and not doing my exercise, how can expect the scales to go down, my body to look better and my health to improve?
PS: I have a new, added reason to keep going on the weight-loss journey - my 25 year (!) high school reunion is in October! I don't want to the be the one who they talk about..."gee, she's packed it on!"
"Movin' right, footloose and fancy-free, getting there is half the fun, come share it with me!"
Today was the day! The big "20 minute milestone" of Couch to 5K (or in my case, Ease into 5K). As the app said, a few weeks ago I was counting my running in seconds, and today I ran 20 minutes without stopping. Woot!
I won't say it was "easy" - but this time around, I knew I could do it. The uphill bits were, well, uphill, but I enjoyed the flats and downhills. Took the dog (he's done the whole thing this time too - so he should be ready as well) - first stop, poo stop. Sigh. Luckily it was only in the warm-up.
I made a "special" 20 minute playlist, so I only had "good" songs. It definitely made a difference as I could focus on my tunes (instead of how tired I was).
The dog had had enough by the cool-down - he kept stopping and wanting to head back to the car. It took some encouragement to keep him going!
I felt like a "real" runner today. It was only 20 minutes and it wasn't fast, and I felt all out of alignment and a bit sore, but I did it.
"This time, this void, I'm making my way through the muddy minutes, the pull is in my muscle, the ache is in my bones, it's hard to be alone - breathe, breathe - it won't be long now..."
After a huge thunderstorm last night, rain all through the night, I awoke to a sparkling morning!
My teacher-friends are off on a triathlon this morning, so I was just happy to be able to be out there running.
Next run - the 20 minute milestone!!! I remember being terrified of this last time around C25K - I can't say I'm looking forward to it this time, but I know I'm going to be able to do it!! And I know I'll be happy with myself after!
74 at the start of the scales! Yeah baby! It's a minor miracle given the champagne I drank and the camembert I ate the night before in the name of Valentines Day.
My legs are STILL sore from Monday's Bondi Bum, but I am progressing with my running - a hard run on Tuesday (tired legs) and I nearly didn't run this morning, but as usual, so glad I did:
You will of course note that I am not running any faster, not really run/walking any further, but I am running for longer. 9 minutes this morning and considering I didn't feel like going, it felt really good!
"I feel like walking the world, like walking the world; You can hear she's a beautiful girl, she's a beautiful girl"
"Things are getting weird, things are getting tough, nothing's making sense but you keep on looking up"
So after my run on Tuesday I've had a "big" gap! Meetings for work, rain, a case of the "blah's", husband's birthdays all conspired to make me uninspired. Which is a load of crap really, because I know I've just got to "do it" and overthinking things gets you nowhere!
So despite the 4 or 5 glasses of champagne and wine the night before (spread out over many hours I might add), I got up and did Week 5 Day 1 of Ease into 5K:
That's running for 18 minutes!! Although I look like I ran a marathon:
...and a bit cranky too (but I wasn't)
After much rain it was a stunning morning:
Although there was also a surf carnival on and nippers seemed to multiply and be everywhere by the end of the run all over my footpath!
And the good news is my hip/knee/ankle is behaving itself. This could be because I'm still stretching and doing my Bondi Bum videos:
After which I looked like this:
See - I do have more than one outfit!
Running again tomorrow morning and then we shall see what the scales bring on Wednesday! Loved this during the week:
"When things are getting tough, you'll turn it back around, you gotta turn it up when they tell you turn it down"
I'm so relieved and excited! I've been very good this week on my new Million Kilo challenge diet! I only fell off the wagon a bit when we travelled to Sydney, had wine with family and McDonalds gave me a Crispy Caesar Wrap, with small fries and real coke instead of the Seared Sweet Chilli Wrap, apple and water I thought I ordered. It was drive-through, so I only realised when we were already halfway down the highway. Ce la vie.
I have significantly cut back on my wine consumption (this is sooo tough for me), been doing my Ease into 5K workouts (missed Saturday due to Sydney trip):
and have been doing my Bondi Bum cross-training. This week's workout is:
All this hard work and super-dieting had better work!!! So, I'm pretty happy to have lost 1.6kg (that's 3.5 pounds!) since last week and 2.35kg since the New Year. Next step...74kg! Baby steps, baby!
"...makes my soul, makes my soul, drip, drip, drip away..."
I sooooo did not want to get up early this morning! Cool, cloudy, to bed too late last night...
But I did! I had to go to a meeting for work and so for the 3rd day in a row (yup, I'm hard core) I got up in the 6's!!!!
And did Week 4, Day 2 of Ease into 5K. Loved it - much cooler, enjoying finding my rhythm on the (slightly) longer runs (6 minutes). That's what I'm talkin' about, baby!
And after yesterday's disappointing weigh-in, guess how much I weighed this morning! Go on, what do you think, huh? 60.5kg! OK, so I might have a problem with my scales!
And I resisted temptation tonight (and my husband not helping) and did not have any wine! Go me! I find this the toughest part of the day - 5:30pm-ish, cooking dinner, and usually a glass of wine. But I had diet-tonic and light-cranberry and felt good about myself instead!
Loving watching Excess Baggage! And it was bizzare when Christine Anu came on shuffle on my iPod this morning! She is one year younger than me and back in the day, looked pretty hot:
And now...not so much:
She is 82.3kg (only a few above me) and together Christine and I are gonna kick butt!!
I was so excited for the weigh-in this morning - yesterday I was in the low 75's!! So this morning I got up (had breakfast before I remembered it was Wednesday) and saw this:
76.6kg - 168.5 pounds
It goes without saying I'm disappointed - is it the scales? But just you wait until next week - I'm on a downward trend, I tell you!
Oh, and I forgot to say how beautiful it was yesterday morning:
Because it was much nicer than this morning (although it would have been a nice cool day to run):
