Officially Not My Day

Today I'm reminded of a boy I went to school with, Adam Stluka. When we ordered our class rings Junior year, Adam was the anxious one. From the time we ordered the rings, almost everyday, he asked some variation of, "So, think our rings'll be in today?" Then, months later, when the rings finally arrived, the side of his was engraved "Stulma." He had to send it back, and wait for another one to be made with the right name. I told you that story to tell you this one. Nine days ago, I ordered my first pair of running shoes. Since then, I've been checking Amazon for the tracking info several times a day and checking the mail with the obsession of Spongebob Squarepants. Today, my much-anticipated new shoes arrived. And they don't fit. I have to send them back, wait for the refund, and order them again, a half-size larger this time. Then, I have to sit back and wait, and hope THOSE fit when they get here. ~sigh~ Anyone else wondering if perhaps God is trying to tell me something? Like, "Running's not for you. Move on." Or maybe He's trying to tell me to do something more responsible with that 50 bucks than buy a pair of shoes. Heaven knows, there's a whole laundry list of crap I need to spend money on. Oh, well. Maybe I'll figure it out later. Right now, I'm just a little bummed.

I Feel Like SpongeBob. . .

". . .I'm waiting, I'm waiting, I'm waiting. . ." My shoes were supposed to be here today (pout). Instead, tracking information says they're still in Hazelwood, where they've been since 11-something yesterday morning. Kinda bummed. Today was a beautiful day, and I was kinda looking forward to taking my new shoes on a light test run. Oh, well. Maybe they'll be here tomorrow. New shoes or not, it's been a blessed day. I had a personal "moment", a spiritual breakthrough or message from Heaven of sorts, that I have been waiting on for a considerable amount of time, and I am now much more at peace than I was at the beginning of the day. Hoping to carry that with me for a while.

Starting Over (Awaiting the Arrival of New Shoes)

Okay, so I've been totally off track, and I no doubt will have to start over. I've had several weeks over this summer where things just didn't work out for me to run, but for some reason, I'm hooked on the idea, and I'll be starting again just as soon as my new shoes arrive, which, according to Amazon, should be tomorrow. This will be my first pair of "real" running shoes, so we'll see if the rumors are true and they're better than my beat-up old Dr. Scholl's. Well, almost anything would be by this point, as my old shoes are so worn that the first layer of sole is gone in places, lol. I guess that's the legacy my Depression-era-raised grandmother bestowed on me--I believe in wearing something OUT! But I am committed to saving my running shoes for running only, so I don't wear them out too quickly (I usually don't spend so much on shoes!). Anyhow, I was reading my DM friend, Rev. Run's blog today, and it reminded me that I really should get back on my own, since I'm going back to running very soon. Mostly, it's for me that I'm making this blog. A record of my progress from couch potato, "if I'm running, you'd better keep up" personality, to true runner, hopefully in the best shape of my life, lol. I currently weigh in at approximately 200 lbs. at 5'5'' tall. I have set no official goals for my ending weight, although I plan to maintain my current height. ;) Unofficially, I am thinking of trying to hit 130 lbs., but only because it would give me a loss of over 100 from my highest recorded at TOPS. Still trying to figure out how to get back to TOPS meetings, since they're held on Thursday, and I've started taking my son to karate practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Once again, being a mom trumps being so many other things I aim to be as a woman. Which is sometimes frustrating, but always totally worth it. I truly believe that there is no higher honor God can bestow, and I have a responsibility to live up to it. I just have to remember that modelling healthy habits for my children is part of that. Until next time!

The End of Week 3 (Nerves)

So, tonight was the final workout of Week 3. And I am NOT ready for it to be over. Week 4 scares me. The 3-min intervals of Week 3 are KILLING me!!! And now I'm supposed to make 3 minutes my short interval, and drop my walk intervals to 1/2 the time of the previous run. I already feel short on oxygen, and I'm just THINKING about it! But, I'm going to try it. That's my way. Try. What's the worst thing that can happen? That I won't be able to do it? Been there! Done that! Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as the saying goes. I do believe, however, that I'm going to have to get a renewed grip on my eating habits, 'cuz I think that's one reason I've been struggling so much these last couple workouts. Too much junk, not enough good, healthy food. I do believe that in a few weeks, I will look back on this post and laugh at myself, afraid of a little 5-min run. Looking forward to that day!

Redeeming Myself

So, the last couple weeks have been pitiful as far as exercise goes, and I've been eating like a pig, too. I gained 3/4 of a pound and kept it on, lol. This week, I have been determined to redeem myself, and I wonder if maybe I've been overdoing it. Out on the bike a lot with my son, and my quads (to say nothing of my ASS!) are KILLING me! Funny how you can do a trail one day, and it feels great, then the next couple days you try it again each day, and it HURTS!!! All the way down the quads into the knee. I'm trying to finish c25k week 3, but it hasn't happened yet. Today was supposed to be the last day, but time constraints and lack of energy messed it up for me, and I didn't finish the last 3-min interval. Oh, well. I think I'm gonna take tomorrow off (total rest day) then hit w3d3 Friday. Then gonna start using Tues, Thurs, and Sat as run days. I hope. Anyway, that's the plan. Wish me luck!

Week 3 (sort of) Begins!

Well, late last night I completed the first workout of Week 3 on the C25K program. Yay, me! I was nervous at first about the 3 minute intervals, twice as long as I have run in past weeks, but I got it done. It always helps to remember what I told myself when I wasn't sure I was ready to move on to Week 2. What am I afraid of? That I won't be able to do it? Been there! When I first started, I literally could not complete the Week 1 workouts. I had to work on it for a while before I could do step 1! And you know what? I have never again been unable to do the next level (yet, lol, it's still early). In fact, yesterdays workout was easier than the first day I attempted w1d1! I am SO happy with my progress! And yesterday's run/walk was on top of a bike ride I took with my son (still have a sore groin muscle from that) earlier in the day. Last Thursday marked my first weight gain in many weeks. I lost for 8 weeks straight before that. Not coincidentally, it was also my worst week for exercise since joining Daily Mile. That fact makes me especially surprised that I have been able to progress on schedule. I figured with so much time between workouts, I'd have to repeat some, but I haven't. Now, if I could just make it through without grabbing the handrails on the treadmill. . . lol. I have a 5K picked out in September. Hopefully, I'll be ready in time.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With a Single Step

I'm beginning this blog because a lot of my dailymile friends have blogs, and it has proven to be a good way for me to feel like I know each of them better. I want to give them the same opportunity to know me, and I also would like to have a record for myself of this place in my life. About 3 1/2 months ago, I made the decision to lose the excess weight I have carried (more or less) throughout most of my life. So, I rejoined my local TOPS chapter, because accountability to a group of friends is a motivator that truly works for me. I have been a member before, and I have seen losses before, but this time, I have made changes and, I guess you could say, personal discoveries, that I believe will make this time THE time for lasting success. Somewhere along the way, quite by accident, I stumbled upon dailymile.com, an online community of exercisers, both veteran and rookie, who are there for the main purpose of cheering each other on. I have found many new friends, and the peer pressure has been WONDERFUL for me! I signed up as a walker, but most of my first friends were runners, and so it was, at their encouragement, I found myself beginning the Couch to 5K (c25k) running program about a month ago. I confess, before this, I was a definite ANTI-runner! I had a bad experience with running in my 7th grade gym class (teacher was an ex-Marine, and I was NOT physical!), and I had made up my mind I hated running with a passion. When I first started, I could not even complete the super-easy workout assigned for Week 1. With God's grace, I am poised to begin the workouts of Week 3! I'm still no runner, but now I feel I'm on my way, and I CAN do it. I see improvements, even if I'm still not doing particularly well. As evangelist Joyce Meyer likes to say, "I'm not where I wanna be, but thank God, I'm not where I used to be!" Since March, I have lost about 34 pounds and 3 pants sizes, but I am not to my goal yet. I am aiming for a very ambitious 100-lb loss total, which would make me the smallest I've been since elementary school (no joke). And no, this is not an unhealthy goal. It is, in fact, the middle of the healthy prescribed range for my age, height, and build. With the support of my TOPS family and my friends on dailymile, I believe it is possible, and it is MY TIME. To ALL of you, thanks so much for the support!!!