Too sick to run, A Pre-5k 5k? and a really good book.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been on here…mostly because either myself or my son has been sick. *sniffle, sniffle, cough, cough* This has been a very trying winter for us; Kaulin has been sick since Christmas with pneumonia twice, double ear infections and various and sundry colds and puking/pooping episodes. I had a lovely case of the stomach flu where I lost 7 lbs in 5 days and now have the longest lasting worst feeling head and chest cold that ever existed. Thanks to hubby for sharing. And finally Hubby also had previously mentioned stomach flu and cold.  BLECH! So besides going stir crazy being cooped up in this dang house for the last week with a bunch of sickos, myself included, I am feeling very discouraged with getting my ass in shape for a 5K! I haven’t been able to get to the gym all week and trust me when I tell you that my family is suffering for it. I am a much happier mother/wife/friend when I can either get outside or get to the gym.

I did decide to sign up for a pre-5K 5K (you know, just to see if my “training” is working or if I need to ramp it up a bit before the big day). There is a C.A.R.S road race in April which will be just about halfway between when I started this harebrained idea and the 2011 Rock ‘N Race. Plus I have been informed that the April race is all flat so I know I can do it, it will help me with my pace and such.

By the way, if you were wondering what gave me the inspiration to run, it is an amazing book. I got it for free on my Kindle from Amazon…Run Like a Mother, How to get moving and not lose your family, job or sanity. I’ve already read it twice and I refer to it all the time for motivation. I highly recommend it!

Having second thoughts on running a 5K, Can I really do this?

I was all excited last night thinking about getting on the treadmill today (yes, I actually get excited to run now, weird I know). I’m pushing along at a 9.50 pace and start to think that I am never going to be able to do this so I throw in a few 1 minute bursts at an 8.54 and long about mile 2 I’m ready to stop. I’m bored as hell and I’ve shuffled through my iPod twice trying to find something to hold my interest, no luck so I let my mind wander just a bit. I am really out of shape since I’ve had Kaulin, hell who am I kidding? I’ve been out of shape since just before I got married. I’m having second thoughts on whether or not this was a good idea at this point. Running on the road is much more difficult than this stupid treadmill as I learned last week when I decided to take my life into my own hands and run on icy/slushy/wet (read, shitty) roads. I start going over the race course map that I had glanced at briefly two days ago…wait a minute …as I drive the course in my head…that is a long friggin way! What the hell am I thinking?! So now I’m ready to freak (this is why my mind is not allowed to wander off on its own) so I rope it back in and rationalize. I have three months to prepare for this (91 days exactly), there is no reason I can’t do it. I may have been out of shape for a while but that is exactly why I decided to challenge myself to run this race instead of walk, I want my old body back! And by “old body” I don’t mean the one that was skinny, I want the one that felt GOOD, the body that wasn’t depressed and didn’t have anxiety, the body that was full of ENERGY all the time! Most of all I am going to do it because I am setting a good example for my son, to live an active and healthy lifestyle and that you can do anything that you want to do if you just put your mind to it!  The sweat that has found its way back into my eyes is burning and snaps my out of my daydream, I look down and what do you know…time is up!

So with my new attitude in tow I set out to find new ways to keep my mind occupied while exercising. I’m looking forward to warmer weather so I can finally get out-of-doors and hit some trails. There are 24 trails in Concord alone that I want to attack this spring. The scenery is sure to stimulate my senses and Lord knows I love being outside! In the mean time I think I’ll increase the incline on the treadmill a bit to get ready for the warmer weather.

Stay tuned, I’m searching for speed training to start next week because I don’t want to finish last!

I DID IT, I DID IT!

I did my first official training session this morning and I am very proud of myself, starting is half the battle. I dropped my son off at daycare and hit the gym (only after fighting off the guilt of leaving him at daycare in order to have some mommy time). After a brief fire alarm, someone burnt some toast in the cafeteria, I grabbed a treadmill. I of course forgot to bring the cheat sheet that tells me what I’m supposed to do each week so I made it up from memory (fake it til you make it)! Brisk 5 minute warm up walk then cranked the tunes on my new iPod Shuffle and took off! I did intervals of 90 seconds jogging at 6.5 mph followed by 30 seconds of walking at 4.3mph for 20  minutes. I finished it all up with a 5 minute cool down and some really good stretching. All in all I only worked out for 30 minutes and only covered 2.5 miles but it’s a great start and every article I have read said to start out slow so you don’t get injured. I felt like I had just gotten into a good rhythm and it was time to stop, which I guess is a good sign. I’m so full of energy today that I’m planning to clean, clean, clean! I can’t wait to go back tomorrow night.

Training to Run a 5K in Three Months!

So I think I’ve found the training program that I need to whip my ass into shape for the 5K run in May! Its the Cool Running program, there is only one problem…I’m supposed to eat better so I don’t feel sluggish when it’s time to get moving, ha ha ha, thats a sick joke! My goal is to start next week and hit the YMCA gym three times a week. The training program recomends taking a day off in between sessions, which is impossible for me to do. I only have childcare Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday so I’m going to have to make it work.

The challenge was supposed to be running a 5K not eating healthier, this could be difficult…

Operation Organize…not a Resolution.

I don’t make New Year Resolutions for two reasons. 1.) I don’t have time to follow through and there are few things worse than letting yourself down. 2.) There are entirely too many things that I should resolve to do and I can’t just pick one!

So this year I have decided to make an honest effort throughout the year to organize my life. Now I realize this sounds an awefull lot like a resolution but I promise you…It Is NOT. So far I am doing well, my husband and I spent last Sunday cleaning the office, read as, completely hoeing out the place. It was a full days work but it feels really good to have an organized room to retreat to, I even downsized my desk so that there would be fewer surfaces to pile “things” on. Well that was all it took to start my husband on Operation Organize, today he hung 16 hooks in the basement stairwell so that we can move all of the coats, hats, mittens, bags, sweatshirts, work gloves, out of our already too small mud room.  It works out well because I don’t have to look at all the outdoor gear and the wood furnace dries all the wet stuff out in a jiffy. So since we were on such a roll…I cleaned all the carpets with the Rug Doctor, if you don’t have one I totally recomend it, then cleaned out a closet so we could store the dirty laundry in it and I won’t have to look at that pile either! FYI; clutter stresses me out! The laundry sorter we have is on wheels so I can roll it right into the laundry room when I need it and put it right back in the closet when I am done…Love It!

Now…if we could just finish remodeling the kitchen…