Turkey Trot 2015

For those of you following my Couch to 5k adventure you are probably wondering when I will actually run a race.  Well, the waiting is over, this post is for you.  As you know, we originally started doing the Couch to 5K program in preparation for the Rock 'n Roll race in Vegas. Due to some unforeseen circumstances our entourage (that includes my Texas family) did not make it to Vegas.  With all that running mileage under our feet we were itching to run something, anything! Fortunately, a Turkey Trot was happening in our neighborhood, literally within walking distance from our home.  And since we are hosting a belated Thanksgiving dinner on Black Friday there was no excuse for me to hide behind chores and cooking prep. I must admit I got nervous at the idea of a race.  I enjoy running at my own terms and to have to put that training to the test had me a bit intimidated.  What if I finish last, what if I don't finish at all, what if I forget how to run?  The what-if's kept running through my brain.  But the only what if I couldn't live with was what if I let fear take over. And then sanity hit me,  I've been running 5k's at least once a week,  there were even a couple of weeks when all our runs were 5k's! So I told myself that the only difference is that in the race I will be running with hundreds of people instead of just with my oldest child. To calm my nerves we decided to run the race route two days before the actual race.  It was a fun route and I actually enjoyed running it.  So the only thing left to do is to trust my feet and my training on race day.  It turned out great. My child set his goal at 26 minutes, he finished at 23:06. My husband set my goal at 35 minutes, I finished at 35:35 and in the words of my favorite running song by OneRepublic, I lived!  I have yet to come down from that running high and we're already looking forward to our next race.

Here is the rest of the story in photos:

it was a beautiful morning for a race, breathing in the calm of the morning

the sky matched my planned running outfit LOL

my planned gear that ended up being too warm so I had to change to something else as you will see on the race photos

pre-race massage for the oldest child, I got mine after the race (woot! LOL)

the husband had post it notes all over the house

 

this is my favorite

 

legit is my favorite thing to say, quite the hilarity for an old gal

this cheered me up at the last mile

WE DID IT!

 whenever I run I think of how amazing the human body is, mine gave me five children

new lugs, old lugs - my new shoes came the day after the race, I love these lugs. I seriously think that part of why I haven't yet abandoned running is because of these amazingly comfortable shoes.

new shoes, same fun colors. Newton forever!

How did you spend your Thanksgiving morning?

Life After Couch To 5K

A little over a month ago we completed the Couch to 5K program. For those of you wondering what I've been up to, we are still running every other day and lifting using P90x on non-running days with a day of rest tucked in there somewhere.

Without the compass of C25K, I had to piece together a weekly running plan inspired by blog posts and articles all over the internet.  For two weeks after finishing the program all our runs were 5k.  I had some good days (no walking, no cursing lol) and a couple of bad days (walked more than I wanted, got tired sooner than I expected).  The bad days were caused by a combination of things - starting out faster than I should (not pacing myself), did not properly eat or hydrate and running during the hottest part of the day. Those two weeks was when I really learned more about my body.

These past two weeks we have been working on learning pacing and speed.  We have been running three days of 1.5mi distance, saving the 3.1mi (5k) for the fourth day. The variety has been good for both my brain and body.  It's easier to challenge myself to run faster with the shorter distance. My best time so far for a 1.5mi is 14:29.  Not bad for my 45-year-old body. My 3.1mi is currently at 42:03.  My oldest is running 1.5mi in 11 minutes and 3.1mi in 31 minutes. On short run days, if I'm not completely exhausted I usually finish with either the P90x plyo or kenpo.  

My current goal, other than to keep on running, is to stay injury-free. This means making sure I warm up well, run at a somewhat comfortable pace, stretch adequately and continue the strength training. My husband has also been amazing with full-body massages.  He was a competitive track runner so he knows exactly how my body feels at the end of a good run.  It also helps that he is a nurse. I am more spoiled than I would care to admit.

There is no finish line for me. Running is now a part of my lifestyle and my commitment to move everyday. It's the only workout that I am truly excited to lace up my shoes for. And now with Fall here I'm looking forward to the cooler temps and the lovely vista that awaits me outdoors.

Happy running!

true story

 

The Couch To 5K Running Chronicles: Consummatum Est

As of yesterday evening, I officially completed Couch to 5K! It was an awesome final week. I ran by myself, sort of. The running buddy injured his heel (not running-related) so he rode his bike to keep me company. It worked out really well, he kept time as usual and cheered me through the whole thing. 

The final day was a bit weird, I felt so anxious for some reason. I had to remind myself to relax my jaw, lighten my step and enjoy the run. I think I was a little worried that once there is no longer a schedule to follow I might fall off the running wagon. That's a good fear to have, right?  It just means I have to keep at it and stick to a schedule of my own making. My immediate plan is to add an extra running day each week to work on speed. The bigger goal of course is the Vegas run so even if I finished this program the training is just beginning.

If someone told me nine weeks ago that I will be where I am now, fitness-wise, I think I would have laughed at them. I should have done this a long time ago! As someone who is no stranger to fitness programs I can say this may yet be my favorite (sorry P90x, Insanity and Body Beast!)  Okay maybe second only to Body Beast. I looked forward to lacing up my shoes on running days especially when the weather was beautiful. Autumn should be fantastic.

Speaking of P90x, that is also winding down to the home stretch. The plan is to switch back to Body Beast.  Strength-training is the perfect complement to running.  I eventually want to add some sort of dance program possibly in the Winter for variety.  Not sure which one yet. The over-all plan is to just keep moving and sweating.

And for y'all waiting to find the right time to exercise, there's no better time than now :-)

Happy Running!

this one's for you Gosling meme fans

The Couch To 5K Running Chronicles : Unplugged

We finished Week 8 today.  Hooray! This week was rough.  It might be the combination of the warmer, humid weather and an over-all fatigue.  For a few weeks I've been pushing harder and faster.  So when week 8 came along I was feeling the drag. Even my playlist wasn't helping.  I didn't want to fall out of love so early in the game so I decided to take a couple of days away from both running and P90x.  This break was in perfect timing with the homeschool mom's retreat I attended over the weekend. I had no thoughts of running or lifting weights. It was all homeschooling thoughts all the time.  That mental and physical break from exercise was a good thing.  In keeping with the spirit of retreat, for today's run I decided to turn off the music.  I have to admit dreading that a bit.  Music was my crutch. The last time I ran unplugged was back in week 4.  But we all know a big part of running is mental and I would like to think I'm mental enough to survive the silence. I'm happy to report that I had an amazing run! It was even better than that previously posted calming evening run.  

Running unplugged allowed me to be more in tune with my body. I wasn't trying to distract myself with music.  I was in the moment - sweat, sun, amazing blue skies and all. And I have a renewed appreciation for what our bodies can do.  Mine has carried six babies, endured a couple of surgeries with a life-long battle with hypothyroidism.  Running cannot even compare to how much my body has had to endure.  Those thoughts carried my feet, sustained my brain, and gave me a sense of gratitude and elation.  I won the mental game at the end of Week 8.

I'm so excited about the end of this program! It's almost a misnomer to say that it's ending because really I have just begun.  I hope Week 9 will be epic.  

Happy running!

photo source-Buzzfeed

The Couch To 5K Running Chronicles: The 80's/Bossa Nova/New Wave Playlist

We had a running epiphany.  We love running at night!  To be precise, just before sunset.  The evenings are cooler, the sky is awe-inspiring to watch and there's an over-all calm to a day that's just about to end.  It's crazy to say but I had a calming run tonight. My running buddy also pointed out that our success might have something to do with being well-nourished. Having adequate meals throughout the day gave us more fuel to run. I enjoy our morning runs but I can now appreciate not having to do it on an (almost) empty stomach. The night running can only be a good thing since the Vegas run is at night.  Let's not talk about the three-hour time difference.  Not sure yet how we'll address that.

I took my new playlist on a test-run today.  I felt like I was in high-school all over again minus the drama lol. Arguably the 80's had some of the best music.  I grew up in a very musical culture so my ears (and soul!) have a deep, abiding love for music of all sorts...except for rap, sorry y'all rap fanatics.  I can even handle some country but my ears perk up with rock 'n roll, indie/folk, jazz, bossa nova and just about anything I can dance to.  When I lived in Vancouver I was exposed to a lot of indie music so my heart is particularly captive to Canadian music.  Maybe I'll post a Canadian music playlist. 

Anyhow, getting back to the topic at hand, 80's music.  Putting the playlist together was such a challenge, there was so much material to dig through.  In the end I decided to narrow it down to what I loved the best in my teen-age years - New Wave.  I enjoyed pop music back then too but I figured it was more fun to run to New Wave.  And I was right!  It was the best run I've had so far. The running buddy was forewarned that I will crank up the volume and he needs to sign if he needs to tell me anything.  My feet got lost in Echo and The Bunnymen ;-)

I was a bit torn with my playlist fan-girl moment.  It was a toss up between The Alarm and Basia. Since Basia was the bigger deal back then (in the Philippines) I will dedicate this fan-girl moment to her.  Her bossa-nova style, which turned out to be perfect for running, balanced all that angsty Euro sound on this playlist. 

Without further ado, I present you my 80's running playlist - as always, if you want the Spotify link do leave me a note! 

• Whisper to A Scream (Birds Fly)- Icicle Works
• Digging Your Scene - The Blow Monkeys
• Breakout - Swing Out Sister
• Promises- Basia
• Time And Tide- Basia
• Half A Minute- Basia
• Until You Come Back to Me - Basia
• Cruising For Bruising - Basia
• Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
• Bedbugs and Ballyhoo- Echo and the Bunnymen
• Cities in Dust - Siouxsie and the Banshees
• Don't Go- Yazoo
• Rain In The Summertime - The Alarm
• Absolute Reality - The Alarm
• Deeside - The Alarm
• Rescue Me - The Alarm
• Regret - New Order
• My Ever Changing Moods - The Style Council
• In A Big Country - Big Country
• I Melt With You - Modern English
• I Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode
• Rock The Casbah - The Clash
• Dancing With Tears In My Eyes - Ultravox
• The Whole Of The Moon - The Waterboys
• Walk Out To Winter - Aztec Camera
• In Between Days - The Cure
• Lips Like Sugar - Echo & The Bunnymen
• Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
• Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
• Pride ( In The Name of Love) - U2
• Close To Me - The Cure
• Don't You Forget About Me - Simple Minds
• Tenderness - General Public
• Two Rivers - The Adventures

Happy Running!

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The Couch To 5K Running Chronicles: The Indie/Pop/Rock Playlist

Week 7 - all running, no more walking, for twenty five minutes. I survived. Woot! We took a different, longer route to accommodate this new goal. As usual, the weather was our friend, which is always helpful on these long runs.  The goal these first nine weeks is just to run for time, not distance. When we finish with the program the plan is to add two minutes each week to work up to forty minutes of running then work on distance. We want to find out how long it will take us to run a 5k as we eventually have to work on speed. I've been working on a faster pace since week 5 while the running buddy still comes home looking like everything is a walk in the park. Oh, to be young!

Last week I posted an all-praise running playlist.  This week I'm sharing with you the secular music on my running folder. My selection is completely random,  it's music I listen, dance, sing and do chores to when I'm not listening to chant or praise.  And as usual this will not be a complete playlist if I don't fan-girl over somebody.  That honor currently belongs to Imaginary Future whose newest album, Sunlight, is definitely run (and dance) worthy.  I mean, come on, how can I not fan-girl over an album with eleven beautiful songs written as a love-letter to his wife (the amazing Kina Grannis), one song for every year they've been together!? I may or may not have spent half-a-day on Youtube listening to them sing live together. Cough.

I'm a big fan of love letters.  My husband was a prolific love letter writer when we were courting.  Now if we knew how to set music to love letters Imaginary Future's future might be in trouble!

But I digress, so here is my running playlist - enjoy!

• 10,000 Summers (Demo) - No Devotion
• Forever On Your Side (feat. Kina Grannis) - Imaginary Future/Kina Grannis
• I lived- One Republic
• World Of Our Own (Single Remix) - Westlife
• You Bring Me Home - Imaginary Future
• A Sky Full Of Stars - Coldplay
• Shut Up and Dance - Walk The Moon
• Shots (Broiler Remix) - Imagine Dragons/Broiler
• Dangerous (feat. Sam Martin)- Robin Schulz Remix - David Guetta/Sam Martin
• In The End - Linkin Park
• Viva La Vida - Coldplay
• I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons
• Just Like Heaven - The Cure (for my husband who is a big fan)
• Waves - Robin Schulz Radio Edit - Mr. Probz
• Love Is Beginning - Imaginary Future
• Falling In - Lifehouse
• Between The Raindrops - Lifehouse/Natasha Bedingfield
• Stars (Live At Sydney Opera House) - Simply Red
• My Dear - Kina Grannis
• The Fire- Kina Grannis
• The One You Say Goodnight To - Kinna Grannis
• You Bring Me Home - Imaginary Future
• Better Together - Imaginary Future
• Real Love - Imaginary Future
• Beautiful Day - Imaginary Future
• It's Getting Better - Imaginary Future (pretty sure that's the last one! lol)
• No Matter Where You Are - Us The Duo
• Smile & Keep Your Head Up - Us The Duo
• Peaches - The Presidents of The United States Of America
• Waiting For Superman - Daughtry
• Breathe In - Frou Frou
• Fight For You - Fareoh
• Hey Mama - Mat Kearney
• Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
• Sadness Grows - Spirit Of The West (because I'm still a Canadian citizen) 

If you want a link to my Spotify playlist leave me a note. What songs are you dancing, listening, singing, folding your laundry to?

this is soooo me!!!  (source)

The Couch to 5K Running Chronicles: The End Is Near

Last week we ran a full twenty minutes with no walking.  Today, the last day of week six, we ran twenty two minutes with no walking. I barely recognize myself.  I can no longer claim to be a couch potato.  That's a good thing, right?

The end of week five left me achy and tired. I pushed myself harder with both the running and p90x in the name of outdoing myself. It left me with that good I-deserve-a-donut-and-I-will-nap-a-lot kind of achy tiredness.  It was great.  I'm still in running honeymoon.  I actually look forward to lacing my shoes and hitting the pavement.  Something that could not be said of my other fitness endeavors. I haven't yet found the meaning of life while running but I sure am learning how to push my body to cooperate with my brain.  I think it helps that I don't keep time.  My running buddy is responsible for giving cues as to how long we still have left to run. He cues me half-way and at the final two minutes. Any more than that would make me time conscious instead of trying to enjoy my run.  So I try to tune out time consciousness with fun music and thoughts of dancing. That's the only way I'm surviving the long runs.  

Week six finished today.  The weather was so pleasant. I tried to run faster despite the extra two minutes added to this week's run.  I think I deserve beer today.  From here on out there's no more walking!  Week seven is running for 25 minutes, week eight 28 minutes and finally, week nine - running for 30 minutes.  People, I wasn't running six weeks ago!  If you don't believe in miracles now is the time.  

We are looking at a couple of local 5k races prior to the big race in Vegas to put our training to the test.  For now, I have to run this program one step at a time.  

Off to grab a beer and put my feet up.  Happy running!

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The Couch To 5K Running Chronicles: The Playlist

In a couple of days we will be running my dreaded part of Couch to 5K - a twenty minute run with no walking! My brain is ready and so is my i-pod. I just hope my feet will follow my brain and get carried away with the music. We didn't run with music until this week after a friend on Facebook suggested I create a playlist (hi Joyce!)  The earlier weeks were fairly easy so we got away with chit-chatting while we ran.  Week 5 (this week) is a bit more challenging for me as the runs were longer and the walks shorter.  I needed a distraction from the time, distance and my tired body asking my brain "is it over yet?!"  I'm happy to say so far, so good.  But the real test will come Sunday morning.  Ora pro nobis.

I have a couple of playlists on Spotify but the one we used this week is all praise music.  With our premium membership we are able to stream unlimited music without ads and make the playlist available offline.  This comes really handy with the i-pod. The music I've chosen are not all heart-pumping which suits my running style just fine.  I suppose I could put in Eye of The Tiger in there but that might have to wait until race day.  For this particular playlist I selected those that have captivated my ears and made me think "I would love to run listening to this song".  Others were chosen by my kids because they listen to more praise music than I do.  I doubt Palestrina or chant will inspire me to run.  Better for cool down.

Without further ado here is the list, song title on the left, artist to the right.  Please ignore my fan-girling (not a word, I know) over For King & Country but I do believe, other than David Crowder, they are the rare gem who write praise music that is not formulaic:

• Not What You See - Kutless
• Awakening- Switchfoot
• Every Good Thing - The Afters
• To The Dreamers - For King & Country
• Fix My Eyes - For King & Country
• Hurricane - Natalie Grant
• Still That Girl - Britt Nicole
• Who You Say You Are - Britt Nicole
• Holy - Nichole Nordemann
• Overwhelmed - Big Daddy Weave
• He Knows My Name - Francesca Battistelli
• Light Up The Sky - The Afters
• You Carry Me - Moriah Peters
• To Leave It All Behind- Moriah Peters
• Steady - For King & Country
• Start Over- The Afters
• Every Good Things - The Afters
• I Feel So Alive - Capital Kings
• Greater - Mercy Me
• Burn Baby Burn - Mercy Me
• Born To Love - Capital Kings
• Light It Up - For King & Country
• Ready Or Not - Britt Nicole with Lecrae
• All the Way - Capital Kings
• Into Your Arms - Capital Kings

If you want a link to this playlist on Spotify or have music suggestions (doesn't have to be praise!) please leave me a note.
Happy running!

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The Couch to 5K Running Chronicles: Gearing Up

We are in the midst of week four.  This rainy Summer has been quite the challenge to our running game.  But we are back with a vengeance this week despite my earlier apprehension about surviving a full five-minute run.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I am learning to push myself.  By push I mean running harder and faster while my teen-age running buddy hardly breaks a sweat. Brat. He is at day camp all week and the wimp in me actually waits for him to get home because I cannot run by myself.  He did clarify with me that when we run the race he will not be running my pace.  The boy wants a medal and a record-breaking time, I just want the free donut.

Next week will be exciting. I am mentally preparing  myself to run for twenty minutes with no walking.  I'll be sure to bring a cellphone and have 911 on speed dial.

As promised on my last post I am here to blog about running gear on a budget.  Other than my shoes (which was a birthday gift from my sister), every gear I own was either purchased on clearance or found on the sale rack.  My many years of serving at the retail altar have taught me the art of not paying full price unless absolutely necessary.  I have yet to put running gear under the absolutely necessary list.  Except for shoes.  You have to get good running shoes.  I know most running experts tell you to go to a running specialty store to get evaluated.  I get the wisdom in that.  If you have the budget for that go for it.  I am currently running with Newton's and I love it.  If I don't fall out of love with running I see myself going to that specialty store.  For now Newton it is.  I only ever use it for running.  I have an old ratty pair of Nike's for P90x, found at the clearance aisle at Sports Authority.

My favorite compression capris are Avia that I found at TJ Maxx for under $10.  It's plain black but I am currently drooling over those trendy and fun printed ones.  Pretty sure I could run faster with fun prints. Old Navy has a couple that I have my eye on.  Speaking of Old Navy, that's where I buy most of my running tanks.  And they almost always have a sale. I get my sports bras from Target (clearance aisle, always).  I'm sure there are better brands out there than C9 Champion but I really have no point of comparison, it's all I've ever owned.  

Other than running shoes I think the next most important consideration is socks.  You must not run in ratty, non-surgical grade socks.  I just threw in the non-surgical grade for fun, I don't think they make surgical grade socks, do they?  Anyhow, the point is to wear good socks.  The most popular (and most expensive) brand is Thorlo.  I don't buy those for myself but we got it for (daddy's) girl when she ran track this Spring, found at TJ Maxx of course.  My feet are quick to get hot so my preference is for breathable socks that's not heavily cushioned.  I currently use these Asics ones - http://www.amazon.com/ASICS-Quick-Cushion-Single-Socks/dp/B00IGU7M66/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1436977978&sr=1-1&keywords=asics+womens+quick+lyte

The miser in me had this idea way back when that you can exercise in just about anything.  While that is true I am finding myself a little bit more motivated (by vanity first) when I feel good about what I'm wearing. Trust me, wearing my husband's Hanes t-shirts that quite literally did not flatter anything is not as motivating as tank tops that make you look good covered in sweat. And can we please say thank you to the brains behind sweat-wicking material?!  

As usual, my blogging time is up.  I need to get my rear in gear for P90x.

Alright, running experts let's hear your gear advice, those with unlimited budgets are free to chime in, we need to see how the other half live :-)

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The Couch to 5K Running Chronicles: Baby Steps

We have entered the third week of Couch to 5K. I am hooked.  We'll revisit that thought when I have to run for 30 minutes non-stop.  Just for today let me relish in the fact that I can run for 90 seconds without dying. Truth be told I didn't really jump from couch direct to pavement. I exercise regularly so I am in fair condition to start a running program. So instead of dying on my first run I was actually pumped and energized afterwards. I even look forward to our running days!

I don't think I would enjoy running or be motivated as much if I ran by myself.  Running with my oldest has been such a blessing.  He keeps time and he is good at motivational talk.  He's also patient with my pace, I'm sure he would love to run faster.  For now we agreed to just stick with time and work on a faster pace later.  The weather has also been kind to us and where we live is prime spot for running with lots of mature trees for shade on hot days.  We eventually want to run trails. For now we are taking baby steps.

We run three times a week, mostly in the morning.  On non-running days (three days a week) we strength-train using P90x.  I don't particularly find P90x cardio days challenging so the running is a good replacement.  I can't ask for a better hybrid.

After only two weeks I could already feel the difference.  I have more energy.  My posture is better. My clothes fit better. In fact I might already need to buy a smaller pair of compression capris (will write more about gear in a later post!) 

There are different versions of Couch to 5k running programs.  I've seen ones that have you running for 6 minutes on the third week. I don't think I am up to that yet.  The one we use is "gentler" and definitely more my pace.  Here is the plan we use via http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Week	Workout 1	Workout 2	Workout 3
1	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
2	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
3	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
4	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
5	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
6	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 22 minutes) with no walking.
7	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
8	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
9	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).

We run and lift for six days then on the seventh day we rest and I eat a sugary treat.  The rest days normally falls mid-week but we might change it up to resting on Sundays.  We are a work in progress.  Speaking of work my blogging time is up, I have to get off the couch and actually exercise instead of writing about it.  On the next segment of the running chronicles I will write about running gear on a budget.  Happy running!

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Go Big Or Go Home

Remember that excited post about a quiet Summer with no sports?  Um, well, I might have spoken too soon.  The older two boys were just not done with baseball after the Spring season ended.  And like the typical pushover I relented and said "yes" to Summer baseball.  I know...sucker.  To add a bit of complication to my life I have three boys playing baseball.  Because I can't deprive the seven-year-old the experience of coach pitch. Ahhh, coach pitch, how do I love thee?!  Not as much as I should.  I have forgotten how tediously amusing it could be.  The good thing is that the seven-year-old seems to be having fun.  He looks forward to every game and "trains" with the older brothers.  For that alone I could live through the tedium.

Remember when I said I don't run?!  Well, I think I've outdone myself this time.  I started running to train for a race in Las Vegas!  I know right? Go big or go home.  Peer-pressure is to blame for this momentary loss of sanity.  Early this year, my marathon-running sister told me that they have been thinking about doing an evening race.  When she sent me the link to the Las Vegas run I knew I have to do it (she also sent me very expensive running shoes!) Because we all know the last time I ran was 20 years ago, prior to babies, surgeries and battles with gravity this was the perfect moment for me to make a fool of myself.  Or to fulfill a dream.  Let's be positive here, people. This right here is mid-life crisis at it's finest.

My training buddy is my oldest son.  He will probably run with us in Vegas, he ran a race four years ago in Houston with my family so he is no stranger to this. We alternate P90x lifting days with the Couch to 5 K running plan. I am currently bff's with Ibuprofen.  But can I just say this?  I LOVE IT.  Not the ibuprofen but the adrenaline high.  I still don't know how I'm going to get to Vegas so watch out for a gofund me account.. JUST KIDDING!!! 

Anyhow, as with my endeavors with P90x and Insanity, I will blog about the training progress.  Believe it or not blogging about exercise helped me be accountable.  The race isn't until November so I don't have an excuse.  Pray for no injuries until then.  

As usual, I have pictures to share:

my sister is one of those people who when you compliment her on something she will give it to you.  I was admiring her running shoes and a couple of weeks later, for my birthday, she bought me the same one!  So how can I say no when she says we're running in Vegas?!

after November I might need a new bumper sticker.  I've had people chuckle about this one

If you have tips, tricks, caveats, etc you can impart to a newbie runner send them my way!