I've been absent...and my 5k

It's been almost a month since my last post...boooooo *thumbs down* and about 3 weeks since I ran.  For some reason I kinda lost my mojo on running although I picked a great pair of running shoes from Fleet Feet. 

First and for most I need to talk about my first 5k -- my finish time was 43 minutes...which isn't horrifically bad but wished I finished in about 35 minutes.  I have to factor in that I was sick days prior to my race, I caught some kind of stomach bug that ruined my hubby's birthday dinner on April 9th, I had to leave work early when I was feeling icky.  I wasn't not fully 100% and I wore the wrong pair of shoes...

So I started off real strong first 2 miles were a cinch, the the last mile my shins, and feet were killing me...really I wanted to kick myself for even signing up for the race.  I was like "what the f* am I doing?" I've lost my mind.  I had a nice jog for 20-25 minutes that slowly turned into a walk, limp, jog for 2 seconds then walk.  I met a few girls from Sparkpeople that were there, I tell you these girls are monsters! Especially Salina, she ran a half marathon and recovered from a cold and still did the 5k. It was starting to get hot, my feet were killing me but I managed to push through and finished.  There isn't anything like finishing, I read it all the time -- but never really understood it until I crossed the finish line.  I was bummed about my time, and that I had to walk a part of the race but I tell myself, "it's a time!" and it's more than what some people haven't done.  So I do pat myself on the back for completing it.  The day after my right hip was in agony, I felt like an old lady but it only took two days to fully recover. 

There was a chevrolet sponsored area where you could get your photo taken I did, but it looks like one eye is bigger than the other and I look like complete dog crap, but what the hell I just finished a 5k :)

 And a pictures before the race, I was stoked to get my shirt and my bib #!

Waiting for the shuttle to take us to the race.

The start of the race.

Change in Plans....5k

I was just on my sparkpage and read that the Komen Race is on Sunday April 11th!! Well I knew it was coming up but never really considered running the race because I didn't think I was in good enough shape to do so! But I'm going to do it!  I have about a week and a half to train even harder before the race, well not too hard that I injure myself!

I'm really bummed because the Komen Race had a 6 week training session that started February 27th ...bummer! Well at least now I have no excuses to make my first run outside this Saturday.  I'm pretty excited but scared...YIKES!! I have to register by April 2nd, they will mail my bib number and my shirt :) It's sounding more and more official!! The name of our time is "Fight like a girl"

event details : http://www.komensaz.org/race/eventinfo.html

Breakfast!

I know it looks like mush but it was really good! Quaker Harvest Vanilla oatmeal, half an apple, some vanilla yougart, with Trader Joes organic Peanut Butter!! YUM...it was great and filling!

Week 4, day 2 today

Well...Well...I made it to WEEK 4 and today will be day 2.  So do I feel any differences from 3 weeks ago?  I will list them:

1. My hips, knees and feet don't hurt after each run
2. my cardio-vascular condition has improved as my heart rate stays mid-point now versus high (basically meaning my heart rate has dropped at my current pace, I need to push myself a little more so my heart rate increases.)
3. I am not snoring anymore!!

After every run though -- IT'S NOT FUN---really, I hate running I'm waiting for the day where I say "I love running..." NOPE, not anytime soon.

A few symptoms that still exist from the beginning of my training:

1.  My FEET STILL HURT

I have to find a good pair of running shoes that support my fallen arches...my feet have been my worst enemy during this whole training process, my heart, body, legs, say go...but my feet say HELL NO. 

So now the bad news...MY DIET STINKS! Well not literally but I have not been eating well at all, I have lost 3 lbs gained it back, lost 2 lbs gained it back...blah...blah...blahhhhhh. I need to get it in my head NO SUGAR! NO JUNK FOOD!  I am still playing games in my head when I'm presented with junk food, instead of saying "No I don't need that..." I say "Well, just a bite, a little won't hurt, I'll just run longer, I'll work...every excuse in the book." I need to constantly remind myself no junk food...

Back to running-- Sean suggested that I need to run everyday, and he's right I need to run everyday I need to figure out how much, how long, how many days etc. etc.  So I think I'm going to do short runs during the week M,T,W,Th maybe Fri, and do a long run on Saturdays outside.  I still haven't ran outside yet, because I'm still afraid to --- BOO...so Fail on running outside again.

So for today's training schedule run jog 12/1 3x
Eat well or at least ok to have enough energy to run afterwork, I've been noticing that if I don't eat well during the day at work, I'm pretty much junk when I get home for my run. No food = no energy...big NO NO!

Thanks for reading!

Finally got the Roses

We finally picked up the roses on Tuesday!! Yaye, now time for the planting.

Gain a pound, lose a pound

Good morning! One of the reasons I'm sure why I'm not losing weight...my tall vanilla latte with whip...sheeshh...Give me the power to stop drinking coffee altogether please!

Filler up...water that is

I hate drinking water when I'm not thirsty...I know I should be drinking water anyways but man it really sucks drinking water when you don't feel like it.  I'm on my lunch break and snacking away on Michlina's Lean Gourmet Pizza Snackers...can you say ""MMMMMM." Today is a run day bOOOOOOO (thumbs down on that) I still dread getting on the treadmill.  I hate the helpless, I can't do this, my feet, ankle and knees hurt, and I just want to get off feeling. I complain and whine everytime I get on, but I do anyways so kudos to me for just doing it.  I have been getting the itch to run outside but I have some fear about running outside for some reason.  The breathing? the people watching me while driving by? My fat doing the sling-shot motion that I hate so much?  The fact that I run and get so tired that I won't make it home? I don't look like a runner? Because I look silly? All very stupid reasons I know.  I will try it one day...hopefully sooner than later.

I imagine runners looking like this:

But I know runners come in different shapes and sizes, I have to get this mental block out of my mind.

Me and charley after my run

It is now week 3 of training! I have actually stuck to my running plan -- but one downside. My eating habits get an "F" -- this past weekend was full of junk food, crap, carbs, soda every bad thing I could eat I pretty much ate.  Last week I had to change my running and training schedule a bit, I was running M, TU, and Thursday but my feet were killing me!! I have flat feet so without a rest day in between I'm pretty much junk the next day.  So new schedule is M, W, F running and Thursday cross train.  Well I've up'd my pace to a wopping 4.1 mph!!!! whoo...hoo...and my pace at about 14.83 I think which is still pretty slow but that's where I'm comfortable at for right now.  Running 9/1, 10/1, 11/1 -- 1x -- which is a slight increase from 2 1/2 weeks ago (5/1 5x). 

Sean and I pretty much killed ourselves on Saturday working on our yard, we were pretty much beat up from the sun, lifting concrete bags, shoveling rock, planting, digging holes. We took it pretty easy on Sunday, I will need to upload before and after pics from a portion of the yard that we completed.

I leave you with a picture of Charley and I after my run yesterday!!
32 minutes
2.28 miles
4.1 mph
14.83 pace (I think)

Half a bagel banana slices with PB.

This is my late lunch a half bagel "bagel" (they are bagels that are normally half the size of what a normal bagel is! I was super excited to find these in bagel, bun, and bread form as I always eat one side of a bun when we have burgers. Within my bagel was a quarter of a banana sliced with some nutty peanut butter.

It is now week 2 of my 5k training and so far so good. Last Thursday I attempted to see if I would be able to run/jog 30 minutes straight and I did, it was quite suprising. My speed was at 3.7 which is really slow you can pretty much walk at this speed but my goal was to at least jog the whole 3o minutes and I did. But I skipped/neglected my cross training on Friday, which I told myself I would do Saturday, or Sunday but I didn't :( ugghh...That will be my last freeibie! Yesterday I ran 7/1 - 4 times. Which is basically run 7 minutes, walk a minute 4x. IT WAS AWFUL!! I almost didn't run my last 7 minute run but had a mind game and convinced myself to just do it and I did. I'm happy that I have continued and not stopped, the hardest part is getting going and just putting on your shoes, stretch and getting on the treadmill -- sometimes is daunting!

I have been reading a ton of blogs about staying fit, eating healthy, recipes, running, timing, training etc. etc. and it has helped me keep my mind straight. After yesterday's run, it has proven to me that I still need alot of training.

Monday, March 15th
30 Minutes
3.9 mph
1.96 miles (I think)

Most people run a 5k in 30 minutes, so you see I need some training, I keep wondering if I didn't have an extra 30 lbs if it would easier. So note to myself, to the 30lb lighter Lannie, ask yourself "Is it easier running with 30lbs less on your body?" Speaking of extra weight and telling whoever will listen to me about my new venture in running a 5k. I told my older sister Russlyn that I was training to run a 5k, and told her I jogged 30 minutes straight at 3.7 miles she was pretty stoked. She got a kick out of what I wear when I jog, I told her I wear a pair a of Nike running spandex to hold my chub together because it hurts to jog and your fat sling-shots back at you! LOL! Until next time....

Week 1, Day 2 done!

Yaye! I ran day 2. I didn't think I was going to because of the pain in my hips. But I tell you, my second to last 5 minute run was painful, and the last 5 minutes were worse. I wanted to stop...I was getting pains behind my left knee and both my hips. aghhh...I am so out of shape. I'm hoping my endurance and cardio vascular condition improves. I was reading a blog page from a friend on spark people and she wrote something that I hope I will one day realize. She wrote that she is beginning to find her inner athelete in running. She is training for a 1/2 marathon in about 4 weeks! She also said that running the first mile was a piece of cake now, and she ran a 3k on her treadmill in about 32 minutes! whoa! That's fast! Considering it takes me 30 minutes to run 1.70 miles YIKES!! TRAIN!RUN!TRAIN!RUN! I will get there too.

Week 1 Day 2: run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute -- five times

I wonder if it gets easier to run because your losing weight or if it's because your getting your body conditioned? Perhaps a combination of both. I tell you, while I was running yesterday the pain was there, but I truly felt it when I was done running. I tell you, I'm getting old or I'm just out of shape I don't know who to blame? I wore a pair of black slacks that I wore last week that Sean said were a little tight, they seem to fit a little more comfortably this morning?? This couldn't be the results of running two days straight could it? If so, YIPPEEE...keep on truckin!

Along with running, I'm trying not to eat so bad. No Sweets, no fast food, I haven't completely stopped carbs yet. But at least none of the bad stuff, I was hoping to add no coffee in this list but not just yet.

So as I said yesterday "if you can do it today, you can do it tomorrow."

Week 1, Day 1 done

So yesterday was my first day of running and training for my first 5k. So how was it you ask? It was a great start but I wanted to stop after three 5 min runs with a minute break in between each run. By the third I was dying...I started to feel pain on my right hip, all I could think of was my next 1 minute break. I reached my last 5 minute run at a measly 3.7 pace and was literally talking to myself, telling myself to keep going, "only 4 minutes left, " you can do it, push. "Only 3 minutes left," "if you can do this today you can do this tomorrow." Needless to say I finished!!! Was in a bit of pain, but I finished! I can't remember my time or how far I ran but I finished my first day of training. 5 minutes of running, 1 minute of walking, five times! After my run, I stretched out a bit, did 100 situps and called it a night :) Yaye for me! I did it! I have read blog after blog, from newbie runners that it gets better in time, the pain goes away, you have more endurance, and that you will get stronger in time but just stick to it!

I found a really great blog from a gal who starting running too and posted an entry about her first 5k, she was/is really encouraging. She is 5'4" and weighed 150 lbs, I'm a bit shorter at 5'2" and a bit heavier at 155lbs but let's just say, if she can do it, I'm sure I can. Check out her blog: http://graduatemeghann.com/2009/06/09/my-first-5k/

So this morning, my legs and hips are feeling the pain. I am debating if I'm going to run today because of the pain, I'm hoping the pain subsides so I can run this evening...I need to stick to the plan!! I will be ready for May 16th for my first 5k!

it's that time

My weight has slowly crept up on me... I am now 155 lbs I tell sean 150. WOW standing at 5 ft 2 inches I am overweight, the muffin tops are in full force. I have been wanting to run a 5k for the past year and never followed thru. I found a race it's the Tucson 500 and it's on Sunday, May 16th. So there you have it I found a nice training plan:


Week 1:Day 1: 5/1 x 5 (5 minutes run, 1 minute walk x 5, for a total of 30 minutes) Day 2: 5/1 x 5 Day 3: 6/1 x 5 Day 4: 40-45 min cross-training
Week 2:Day 1: 7/1 x 4 Day 2: 7/1 x 4 Day 3: 8/1 x 4 Day 4: 40-45 min cross-training
Week 3:Day 1: 9/1 x 3 Day 2: 10/1 x 3 Day 3: 11/1 x 3 Day 4: 45 min cross-training
Week 4:Day 1: 12/1 x 3 Day 2: 14/1 x 2 Day 3: 15/1 x 2 Day 4: 45 min cross-training
Week 5:Day 1: 16/1 + 12 min run Day 2: 18/1 + 10 min run Day 3: 20/1 + 10 min run Day 4: 45 min cross-training Day 5: 30 min cross-training
Week 6:Day 1: 23/1 + 5 min run Day 2: 24/1 + 5 min run Day 3: 25/1 + 5 min run Day 4: 45 min cross-training Day 5: 30 min cross-training
Week 7:Day 1: Run 26 minutes Day 2: Run 28 minutes Day 3: Run 30 minutes Day 4: 45 min cross-training Day 5: 30 min cross-training
Week 8:Your first 5K is this week! You're going to take it a little easier this week, so that you're well-rested for your big race. Good luck! Day 1: Run 25 min Day 2: 30 min cross-training Day 3: Run 20 min

I made a promise to myself that I will train and complete the race without walking is my goal, I want to finish without walking!

Renee's new akita puppy

So Renee had sent me texts this past week of Akita Puppys and didn't realize until this morning that she actually brought one home with her :) Oh how I love puppies!! Meet Aki, I think that's how you spell her name -- Aki has a big brother Akita Keigo.

LOL!

This picture was actually taken last week when I took Koda to get shaved! It looks fake!! HA!HA! Don't worry his coat was taken all off head and all !

New Rose Bushes

Sean and I went to the Rillito Nursery looking for rose bushes, and we were successful. We purchased a total of 6 roses bushes: Kardinal long red stem roses, Disneyland, Pope John Paul, Barbara Streisand, St. Patrick, and a Desert Peace. We are getting a delivery from Pioneer Rock of a top soil, mulch mixture. Roses should be planted by next week :)

Retaining Block Wall

This is a photo of what we are trying to achieve in our backyard -- but ours would be longer in length. I will have to post a picture of what it looked like before, and now! Sean has been working hard in trying to install an irrigation system in the back for grass and our garden area. Yes -- grass in Arizona! We are trying it out in a small area :)

Charley shaved and Koda with his Coat

This is the first time I have ever shaved the dogs, Charley was first since he is the most calm!! Not too bad for a first timer!

I did it!

But I don't know how I posted a pic and my blog :( -- trying this again...

I finally found it!

My dear Calamondin Tree aka Calamansi Tree from Home Depot! My quest to purchase a calamondin tree has ended! I had been on a search to find this tree for about a year and a random visit to Home Depot with my lovely husband has lead me to find it. We spend alot of time at HD -- we were actually looking for a Plum Tree and Rose Bushes for our new and upcoming garden! I am hoping our tree will flourish that way I can send some of the fruits to my mom and sisters.

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