A beginner's running blog for all us Gorgeous Fluffy Girls who want to run freely, laugh happily and live lively.
Friday, May 29, 2009
I was bored...so I ran...say what?!?!?!?
Now hold on, a few weeks ago I said I didn't understand that notion. And I don't know if I still do. But I know that if I am going to run on a treadmill, I want to see someone else hurtin' as much as me. But here is where it gets weird. Today was my day off. I didn't "have" to run. And usually I justify that with not having to work out at all. It was 9:48 pm and the time for working out had past. So I sat down on the couch and starting flipping the channels.
That is when it hit me. Why not get on the treadmill and do 10 minutes? Well 10 minutes turned into 20 then turned into 30. I was on a roll. I was listening to my own music and not the Robert Ullrey Podcasts and going at my own pace. And to my dismay, I jogged for 6 minutes. Say what? I know, I couldn't believe it either. I think I am a distance runner. I am not fast the first few minutes but about fifteen minutes into it, I really get my juices going.
So I went to Itunes and made an Imix to share what I was listening to while I was running. If you do a search for "See Fluffy Run" you should be able to find it. It is in the Imix area. I don't know how long it takes to publish it but hopefully not too long.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Polar F6
I waited a few days before venturing online to look for a new one. I almost felt as if I was cheating but I knew she would want me to go on with my life. So I went online to Heart Rate Monitors USA and bought me an F6. It is very similar to my A5 but it is pink. I usually don't buy pink things but my choices were black (masculine shape) or this funny green. I would have preferred it a brighter pink but it will do. There is a brighter pink one for the F11 but it has more bells and whistles than what I needed.
I have used it three times and I am in love with it. It has a diary that stores up to twelve weeks worth of work outs. It will tell me information, by day, by week or a summary of all. But that isn't even the best thing. I can upload, for free, all my workouts to the Polar Training Site. Now, I do this on my laptop and it has a sound card and a microphone, both are necessary to use this feature.
First you create a user at the training site and download the free software. You enter your login information for the training site into the software. Ok, here is where it gets cool. You open up the software, pick up your F6 and travel to your files and there is a "send" button. Click "listen" on your software then place the F6 next to the mic and press "send". You will hear a screeching noise and that is normal. But when it is all said and done, your work out information will auto populate to your online training site.
You can add other information such as distance (the F6 does not calculate distance), free text field for personal notes and you can name the exercise. I name it the day of C25K. For example, the one for May 28th is labeled "W3D2". It also can set up training for you. Just tell it your goals and it will do the rest. I will probably use that once I finish C25K.
It is a great little tool. It also gives me a better idea of how many calories I have burned and I am able to determine my AP points more accurately. If you are a Weight Watcher user, you will understand.
W3D2...Is it going to get easier?
It was too late. I was hungry and all sanity leaves when hunger enters the body. So I nuked a WeightWatchers turkey and mash potatoes dinner, which only took four minutes but it might as well have been two hours. So while I "waited" for it to finish, I made some toast and used real butter. Oh, did my husband but a sausage on the Foreman Grill? Well, maybe I need to put one on for me. Needless to say, thirty minutes later I wasn't hungry anymore. Oddly enough, I still was full of energy and wanted to work out.
So I gave my body an hour to settle down and got on the treadmill. I felt great. I was waving my arms to the music, I was smiling and had attitude. I was going to do this thing. Warm up...great. First 90 seconds were great. I kept at a moderate pace, for me. I breezed through the walking. When Robert said to start running my first three minute run, all was going well. Then I got past the first minute and I felt tired. I caught myself reaching for the handles and I refuse to touch them. I have learned from experience, that I cheat when I grab the handles. I use my upper body strength to hold me up and make the run easier. I wasn't going to do that. By the time I got to the next three minutes...I pooped out.
Here are my stats:
Distance: 3.55 KM
Pace: 12'22"
Time: 43'59"
Cal Burned: 429
AVG HR: 155
Max HR: 175
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Just a funny note
Lately, I have seen these really cute commercials and magazine ads about excercise and weight loss. This one just cracked me up because it is so me. The captions read"
Girl: So what are you training for?
Man: The Boston Marathon. You?
Girl: Boston Cream Pie
Hee Hee. I just love it.
Monday, May 25, 2009
W3D1
Distance: 3.34 km
Duration: 40'38"
Pace: 12'09"
Calories: 458
Average Heart Rate: 144
Maximum Heart Rate: 182
I can't believe it there were moments (that only last a few seconds) but there were moments where I felt in rhythm and seemed graceful. There was a song that was about 13 to 14 minutes into the podcast that really had a nice pace to it. I also noticed that my fingers no longer swell when I run.
Afterwards, I did Yoga for runners for the first time. I read an article in Women's Running Magazine that mentioned yoga helps counter some of the stress caused by running and it also strengthens the core. I tried yoga once before in my life and well...I just tried it. This article has about 9 poses and one builds upon the other. They were hard for me. (Fluffy has a lot of fluff that gets in the way but I focused on my core and that in turn improved my balance.)
Tip:
I have read some threads on the Weight Watchers Boards about lacking a routine for working out and thus not working out. One of the things I do I learned from my scrapbooking hobby. I keep my post important tools in one area. I have this small chest on my desk in my bedroom. It sits next to my computer. It contains all the gadgets I need and use to work out, my IPod, my hotsync chord, my armbands for my IPod and Iphone, my HRM, and my HRM band. I also leave my shoes on the treadmill. If I go for my run outside, I still take my shoes off and put them on the treadmill. Knowing where my tools are is just one less frustration and one less excuse for not working out.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
So you want to run....where to begin
You start at a pace that is comfortable for you and then build upon that pace or distance. My advice is to not look to far ahead. I scared myself out of doing this plan several times because Week 9 seemed impossible. Now, if you are like me, you clicked the hyperlink above and looked at Week 9. I told you not to do it. But now that you have, forget about it and focus on week one. And from this point forward, only focus on the week that you are running. And yes, call it running. I don't care how slow or how little distance you cover...you are a runner from this point forward. Oh, and if you feel you need to repeat a week or two, go ahead and do so. There are no C25K police that are going to hunt you down and force you to move to the next week. Remember, do this at your pace.
Along with C25K on paper, you can get an audible version of it. Robert Ullrey, is a gracious man that put the program to songs and he has audible prompts to tell you when to warm up, run, walk and cool down. You can find his podcast at his website or you can search them at Itunes, if you have an IPod. They are free...I know, I know. he is really gracious. If you don't have an Ipod but do have an MP3 player, no worries. You still can download them and use them. I love them because I don't have to keep looking down at my watch. Which, when you are running for the first time, can feel like watching a pot and waiting for it to start boiling. It just seems longer than it really is. So I love his podcasts.
W2D4
- Distance: 2.76 km
- Avg Pace: 13'05"/km
- Time 36'10"
- Calories Burned: 305
So the mind came along late in the game. But I am glad I did it.
ON A SIDE NOTE: I was on a message board talking about legs rubbing. I wear capri or crop length pants that I got from Wal-mart, Danskin Now. I would like to eventualy wear shorts. Now, I know I can buy a product called Body Glide, and it will help with the rubbing. But here is the deal. I have fairly large legs. I am pear shaped and I gained most of my weight on bottom. So it isn't just my thighs that rub, it is my thighs and all the way down to my knees. So, for now, I am going to keep wearing crops until the knees stop knocking. I also think the size of my legs cause me to run funny. I find that I have to carry my left leg around the right leg. Now, I don't know why I don't have to do that for the right leg....maybe because I start out with my right leg. Who knows?
Here is something I have noticed since gaining weight. My normal pace for walking has slowed down. I know this because when I started dating my husband, we would take walks at Niagara Falls or Lake Ontario and I never complained about him walking fast. Now, that is all I do. "Slow down this isn't a race." But beyond me having to lug around more weight, I think there is another reason. Another part of the slowness comes from the effort my legs have to take to walk "around" each other. My gait is shorter because part of the momentum of putting my leg forward is being used to go around the other leg. Now, I know it has been said the sexiest line between two points is a curve (Mae West) but it is not the shortest distance. So one leg having to curve around the other leg to go forward....well you see where I am going with this. That being said, I can't wait until my legs don't rub together.
9:34 PM and I don't want to work out
Came home and napped. Cleaned house, because it really needed it. Bought groceries and now at 9:35 PM, I have to do my work out. I am not feeling it. My body feels achy and I don't know why. I think I need to prime the pump. My new HRM came in today. I set it up. Okay enough gabbing...need to go work out. Hopefully, if I bring the body, the mind will follow.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Need a schedule...dont' want a schedule
After finally getting up and giving her, her present. (Is that correct?) I go back to my room and try to go to sleep but I can't. I am in one of these, still tired but too much going through my mind that I can't sleep, sort of mood.
Now, here is the thing I am realizing about Couch to 5K. I need a schedule. I know I am to run three times a week because the program goes from day one to day three for each week. I know, from reading other blogs, that I shouldn't schedule these days consecutively. So when do I run? That is the question.
Most of the time, I just run when I make the time. Notice I said "make" the time and not "find" the time. If I had to "find" the time, well, lets just say I wouldn't look very hard. But usually, I look at my day and say either "Great, today is my day of rest." or I say "Ok, I rested yesterday, so I need to make time today to run." Well, today is one of those days I can't seem to "make" the time.
With all the activities today with my daughter, I just don't have the time or energy. So I feel guilty for not running. Had I, in fact, reviewed my schedule before the week started, I could have made time on other days because I knew I couldn't do it today. If I knew ahead of time, I would not feel guilty.
My point is this: If you can pre-schedule your run time, go ahead and do it. It takes the guessing game out of the equation and you won't feel guilty if you have two consecutive days of no training. Or maybe you don't feel guilty. I know that I shouldn't. I know I will run it tomorrow. Well, I know that because I broke down and scheduled my workouts. Besides, I don't want my Nike Mini to talk smack about me because I have not ran for a few days.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Video 1 Nike +
So here is the first video. Here are some of the links I mention in the Video:
Nike + Store where you can view or buy gear.
DIY Nike Sensor pouch Instructions on how to make the homemade pouch.
FYI: You can use the Nike + on the previous version of the Nano. And uh, the shoes don't come in male or female. They are made for men and women. :)
This is my first video ever, so please be gentle. :)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
W2D3
Happy: My husband came with me on my run/walk. He was very active in his younger days. Cross country, track, swimming...he even did a Triathlon Sprint when he was 40. That was ten years ago and he smokes. So I was glad to see him walk with me.
Thirsty: Dab nabbit if I didn't bring a bottle of water. Thank goodness it was only 85 degrees outside. Well, thirsty is not an emotion. But it overwhelmed my thoughts. "Is my throat closing up? Can you die from lack of water? Am I going to die of lack of water? Let me try gulping. I can't. Is that a sign of dying?"
Disappointed: I felt like my running intervals were slow and on my 5th and 6th one I was so tuckered out that I quit about 5-10 seconds earlier than I should have.
More disappointment: I heard my husband's voice in my head telling me I need to go faster, pick up my legs higher...come on. Now he wasn't saying this in real life. This was me and what I really felt about myself, and well I just put the blame on him. But I realized it and tried to focus on the run and how this Fluffy gal is doing it. (I had this moment in my 3rd run interval).
Crying/Shattered: I pooped out on my last run and I couldn't catch my breath. My legs hurt and I was far from home. Embarrassed because I just noticed this guy sitting in this truck, eating his lunch and he probably saw me die on my last interval and probably thought I was going to fall over from exhaustion because I was breathing so hard.
Tired: I just wanted to make it home (5 minutes away). Just let Robert Ullrey tell me it was over so that I can just quit.
As I walked through the neighborhood, I began to get my strength back. Robert had said good-bye and Brittney was playing. I felt enough energy to walk fast through the neighborhood. I was going at a good pace and I was trying to make up for pooping out before. I round the corner to my street and the Navy Hurrah starts up in a marching song and I feel it and I do it and I feel good.
Pride: As I click the center button of my Nano I hear Tiger Woods, "Congratulations, you just recorded your best mile ever." Who knew? In the midst of me feeling like a failure I exceeded my own expectations.
Never quit and don't listen to the lies we can often tell ourselves. You can do this. I can do this. Fluffy can do this.
My Stats:
Distance: 3.23 km
Duration: 36'18"
Pace: 11'13"/km
Calories: 342.0
Average Heart Rate: Unknown (HRM broken)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Videos on their way
So if you have any ideas, leave a comment.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
W2D2
My Stats:
Distance: 3.66 km
Duration: 41'00"
Pace: 11'11"/km
Calories: 387.0
Avg HR: Unknown
I had one of those moments that I thought I would never have. During my first five minutes of warm up, I had a slight soreness in my groin area. Do women have a groin area? Anyway, I was worried about it but decided I would try to do the first two intervals and if it kept up, then I would stop. Well, I don't know when the pain went away. As a matter of fact, I forgot I even had the pain until I was watching a replay of The Biggest Loser and someone mentioned pain. But I pushed through it.
During my last run, I was kinda bummed because it was my first 90 second run interval and my pace was slower than my fastest pace recorded. I know because my Nike + usually has Tiger Woods or Joan Benoit or Lance Armstrong congratulating me when a do a best mile. Well, guess what? Today Tiger Woods congratulated me. I love hearing their voices because it means I have had a personal best, which means I am improving.
What I didn't expect:
- That I would ever push through a pain for a run.
- That I would be able to run a block and a half.
- That I would ever love running.
Oh, and by the way, my daughter ran with me tonight and she told me she was proud of me. What a great feeling.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Confession Time
My motivation to running is that I want to be a runner and I want to run with my daughter but in the back of my mind I am thinking...ya know if I start running miles and miles...I won't feel as guilty for eating the things that I do. I don't know if I am ready to give up the "good" stuff. I know I can. For Lent, I gave up sweets...and I am not even Catholic.
So there it is, if I run more, perhaps I won't have to get hungry.
Something I didn't expect:
I put on a bra that I had at the back of my closet because it was a bit too tight. Well I wore it all day today and it was comfortable. Which I did expect because if I am going to lose weight, I do it on top first, even though I gain it first on my thighs. I think when God told Moses to write down what went down in the garden when they ate the forbidden fruit, He left out part of the curse. ( "Oh and Eve, since you ate the fruit first, you will be the first to gain weight and Adam will lose it faster. And when you do gain weight, you will gain it in your thighs first but you will lose it first in your breasts." Who said God didn't have a sense of humour?
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Started Week Two Day 1 or W2D1
My Stats:
Distance: 3.23 km
Duration: 40'07"
Pace: 12;23"/km
Calories: 342.0
Avg HR: Unkown
Some things that I didn't expect:
- To be thrown for a loop because of the new music. I guess hearing the same songs over and over again became sort of a security blanket. But at the same time, I liked the new stuff.
- That my pace would slow down. Well it was my first day at the new week so I found myself doing a slower run and then you walk for two minutes instead of 60 seconds. Oh well
- That my shins and my calves would feel it. I have to remember to stretch before I run.
- That I would look forward to Britney Spears "Circus" as much as I did. It means that I have finished the Couch to 5K program and starting to walk/run at my own pace.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
See Fluffy Run
You see, this isn't going to be your typical running blog. I am a fluffy gal that is full of life and a different perspective to this running thing. I don't wake up everymorning and just want to slap my running shoes on and go for a five mile run. Heck no!! I like comfort. I probably wouldn't be fluffy if I wasn't a comfort seeker. I realized that the other day, when I watched my daughter in a cross country event. You see, as some of the girls came by me, they looked tired and two of them puked and kept running. Can you believe it? You see, that is where I differ and may be you can relate. If I am excercising and feel nauseous? Well, then I stop right then and there. I pack up my things I see my sick feeling as a justification that I pushed top hard and need a few weeks rest.
Do you see the difference? All that talk about hitting a wall and pushing through....well that is just crazy to me. But here I am. Not because running gives me a rush but because of a twelve year old daughter that I want to build positive memories with. It is a lifetime habit that we can do together and hopefully one day when she has a son or daughter she can tell them about how grandma and her use to run together. As she tells them as she runs with them...and so a tradition starts.
Look, whatever your reason, your motivation for starting this journey...have one. Think about it while you run, walk, feel like you are about to throw up and take that long wanted week off of training. You will find the desire to keep training will over come your desire to go back to that comfort zone.
Another reason I want to do run is that I will turn forty in a few months and I want to increase my fabulosity before that day. Currently, I get winded running to the end of the block but I imagine running in different cities while on vacation with my daughter. I imagine running at Niagara on the Lake and in Mexico. ( I am sure the swine flu scare will be over by then.)
So here I am I am Fluffy. I am lovable, cuddly, and full of good things. I hope to share all my experiences with you, the good, the bad and the ugly. Stop by when you can. Leave a comment. a comment is always encouraging to a blogger.