The Clouds Parted...and Sunshine Blasted From the Skies!

(no, I didn't take this picture)

After my food binge yesterday I woke up not feeling so good this morning, but I had already decided today would be the day to lace up the Sauconies and pound some pavement.  So, I did just that.  I cajoled my darling husband into joining me for a "walk" on the trails...only telling him after he agreed to go that I planned to test my running legs a bit, too.  Thankfully, he had already committed to going and didn't back out.  (He's an "off again" runner right now...I'm working on turning that into "on again".)

I'm surprised at just how nervous I was going out.  I just had no idea what to expect.  Would I be able to run?  Would I be starting completely from scratch?  Would it hurt?

My plan was to walk a mile, then (depending on how I was feeling at that point) run some.  I hadn't set any kind of goal, other than to take it VERY SLOW and not "overdo" it.  But, really--what the heck does that mean?  "Overdo" could have a variety of meanings depending on where a person is in their personal fitness.  And, I have NO idea where I'm at!!

I noticed immediately I was feeling good when I could easily walk at a 15:00 pace.  No aches, no pains.  When my Garmin chirped signaling one mile, I fired up the running legs--and they responded perfectly!!  Deciding to remember my "go slow" goal, I did some slow intervals the next two miles (3/2, 3/1, 3/2 2/2, 3/2, 3/1---plus or minus) When I got to the three mile mark, I had a quick 30 second "sprint".  I didn't just burn up the trail, but I just wanted to see how it would feel...and....all I can say is (press the play button)

Hallelujah Chorus Short sound bite  Music sound bites

Wow.  It felt GREAT.  It was slow.  It was only 3.41 miles.  But, there wasn't even one point in time in the whole thing I felt like I was pushing myself....and there wasn't one point in time in the whole thing I hurt.  I had a little grumble from a couple of spots...but they weren't "complaints", it was more like a forceful sigh!!  After I finished the loop, I really wanted to do it again!!  It's going to take a lot for me to slowly increase.  But...I can do it.  I can go slow.  I know I can.


I found a great blog post today titled, "I Run".  Yup, that about sums it up. 

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

Slipping Off the Wagon...Spending Time in the Mud

Didn't I just say YESTERDAY, "I'm not going to eat the food that's on my list"??  You know, the food I've found out I'm ALLERGIC to??  The food I have found out makes me feel like crap??

Well, the best laid plans....  I made a huge banana pudding to take to a 4th of July cookout-and didn't even so much as lick the beater blades, not even so much as a taste of the Cool Whip or Nilla wafers.   After I made it, I had a spinach/blueberry/rice protein/almond milk smoothie for breakfast.  Then I came home from church and made a salad for lunch.  I used more spinach, peeled and cut up some cucumbers and carrots, threw in come Canadian bacon and topped it off with Basalmic vinegar and a touch of olive oil.  I was sitting there all proud of myself because what I really wanted was egg salad on wheat bread (all bad for me).

My husband was cooking up some french fries and asked me if I wanted some.  I decided it was fine to have a couple of them...and did even though I had written in my food diary twice last week that I was sick of eating "garbage" food like french fries and potato chips.  (They don't contain anything that's on my allergy list, and feel like a "treat" but I don't really like them...do you know what I mean?)  Anyway...as I was eating my third fry, I told my husband they didn't taste as good as they have in the past.  He said, "well, it must be from using PEANUT oil instead of Crisco".....PEANUTS are on "the list".  Darn it.

Well...I was thinking it shouldn't really matter, after all, it's not like I ate peanuts.  Am I stupid?  It was almost an instantaneous thing-my nose ran, my throat hurt and I got really sleepy.  What did I do...ate more of the yucky fries...because if I'm already feeling bad, I KNOW I'm going to eat some of that banana pudding I made this morning!!

I was really trying to make good choices....but here I am planning my food binge.  I'm like a recovering alcoholic who's planning what drinks to have at the bar tonight.  How can I seriously be planning out something I know will make me feel like I've been run over by a truck??  Well...to answer my own question...because I feel like I slipped off the wagon so I might as well "enjoy" rolling around in the muddy muck while I'm down here.

I'll jump back on first thing in the morning.....

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

On Your Mark...

The doctor said 6-8 weeks of no running.  Monday will be five weeks...but I didn't run at all the week before Cotton Row, so I'm going to count that as week one and start back NOW.  I've been really good.  I've done Spinning, Body Pump, Extreme Abs, and Group Power...and the last two weeks, NOTHING (I've been on the longest road trip of my life, so I mostly did a lot of sitting in the car.)  I am more than ready to get back out there.

I.  Must.  Run.

I went ahead and ordered some Newtons.  They haven't come in yet.  I'm really hoping they'll be here early in the week.  I think it would be good to start fresh with them rather than start back with my Sauconys then switch.  But, if they aren't here soon, I'm not waiting.  I can't.

I.  Must.  Run.  (I said that already, didn't I?)


Great news on the food front:  Cutting out the stuff I'm allergic to, even though I have been on vacation, has "caused" (allowed?) me to lose a total of SIX pounds!!  I'm sure it's mostly water, but even so, it's six pounds of water I've been carrying around with me for well over six months that my body has NOT wanted to rid itself of....and I'm not going back to eating those foods, so the water that's gone shouldn't come back.  I think one of the main things that's got me super excited is that I've lost it even though I haven't been working out.  That "should" mean I "should" be able to lose more after I start working out again.  But, the BEST thing of all.....I feel GREAT.  ((Until I think I can have just one little bite of something on the list....which I've done three times now-once by accident, the other two where conscious -stupid- choices.  All three times, my nose started running immediately, my throat hurt, and I got very tired.))

What's coming up:


I'm going to mentor for a 5K training group.  (It's like the 10K group I just finished.)  I am really looking forward to it because most of the people doing this group are where I was in January (some might not even be there yet).  I'm excited to get to be a part of a new runner's training experience.  I met a new "neighbor" (not like on my street, but in my little neighborhood) today who has just started...I blathered on much longer than I should have, but she seemed just as excited about running as I am.  It's shocking to realize how much I've learned in such a short time!

Also....(if I can get back up to six miles by the end of the month)....I'm signing up for 1/2 Marathon training!!  I keep telling myself I won't push to be back up to six miles, and I'm going to do my very best to hold on to that plan....but I have this horrible disease.  It's called, "I-want-what-I-want-RIGHT-NOW"-itis.  It's awful.  But, as I'm finding out, the only cure is to practice patience.  We'll see what happens when I pound pavement (or trail) this coming week.

Naturally, I'll let you know.

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D