Freedoms Run 2017

I'm thinking about using this blog again to record my training for my next race! I've been using a paper training journal, but it doesn't leave much room for narrating. I signed up for Freedoms Run 10k, with my eyes on a December half marathon. It's hard to be running again, this time as a mom. I'm heavier than I usually am, with low motivation to diet. I'll be trying to focus on running, not weight loss, and will be trying to accept my slower pace. It's been really fun to look back over the past eight years of (off and on again) running. Heres a recap of my races: 2010 - Freedom's Run 10k in 63 minutes 2011 - Cherry Blossom 10 miler 2011 - Freedoms Run half marathon - 2 hours 26 minutes 2012 - Student Burse Association 5k - 25 minutes 2013 - Freedoms Run 5k - 36 minutes 2016 - Memorial 5k - 33 minutes Right now I'm focusing on simply finishing the 10k. I'm trying to Run about 4 mornings a week. If I wait until evening to run, it almost never happens. I'm exhausted but motivated! I miss being able to identify as a runner. It's been about 5 years since I've ran on a regular basis, but I'm ready to reclaim that title. Honestly I've ran more this summer than the past 4 years combined! I think I'll start feeling like a runner again once I can easily run a 30m 3 miler on a regular basis. That was my litmus test when I starates running 8.5 years ago, and I think it still holds true today. Today's run is a mere 1.5 miler. I'm completely embarrassed by the low mileage, but being as I haven't run regularly in the last half decade, I need to easer somewhere. It was helpful to reread old entries on this blog when I started training for my first 10k. I started at one mile, and added a quarter mile at a time.

Climbing back on

It's always so hard to get back on the horse after you've been away for so long. I didn't run FR this year, and literally did not run once the entire fall semester. Needless to say I have packed on a lot of weight and have lost a lot of fitness. I'm weighing in around 160, the highest in four years. Ideally I'd be back between 140 and 150. I think i'll go out for a run tonight. It's so hard to get back into it. Today I ate: 2 100 cal bars laughing cow cheese chips two pieces of bread one egg sausage animal grackers and icing yogurt doesn't really look like i'm trying, does it. :/ I think that today i'll try to get my butt out and do 2 miles. Goal for tomorrow: jillian in the AM 3 miler in the PM No food until Lunch at Betty's yogurt at 3

FR half training

For this fall's race I've been following the FIRST program. Three hard runs per week. Here's the rundown. 7/16: Tempo run. Three miles in 26:15. Felt good. Wore my barefoot shows and my calves were pretty wrecked. 7/18: four by four hundreds in 7:55. Felt exhausted and weak. 7/20: six miles in 63:14. These long runs are difficult mentally. Uneven effort and pace. Very tight hammy and HF. 7/23: four miles in 35:12. Awesome run. No recovery needed. 7/25: three in Antietam, untimed. Difficult, went out too fast. 7/27: seven miles in 71:12. Difficult mentally. Very tight HF. Had sport beans during first half. Not much recovery needed. All but the one were flat treadmill miles.

I misplaced my dental floss

And it' really bothering me since I had a popcorn kernel stuck in between my teeth. grr.

Well I didn't update yesterday because I took the day off. The night before was pretty horrible due to headaches and insomnia. I believe both were exercise induced; I had two pretty rigorous workouts that day.

So today I did my 3.5mi hill workout and will later do plyo, tomorrow will be my recovery run and sat will be my 8miler.

Yesterday and today my weigh-ins were the same: 150.6

SO CLOSE to dropping below that dreadful mark!! I'm just trying to keep on keeping on, and not cut too much food out of my diet. Also trying to keep in mind that not every week will be like last week!

Anyway, my new goal is to reach 140 by freedom's run. I would be able to run so much easier if I could delete ten pounds of body fat!! I think it's reasonably achievable. I mean, I'll be happy to be at or below 145, but being at or below 140 would just be so much better. It would also be my lowest adult weight!! But let's not get too ahead of ourselves here.

In other news, I am going to start doing some barefoot runs!! I walked home and back to the library barefoot today and it just felt so amazing. (other than a splinter and a few sharp rocks) So I'm going to prepare by walking as much as possible barefoot outside this week, and next Thursday I'll give it a go for my 2 miler. I figure that by then my feet will have some decent callouses and my calves will be more used to that form.

Speaking of my changing form, I ran all 3.5 miles in my new shoes, the correct way! WIN. and so far, no soreness. If they aren't sore tomorrow I am going to run in them again, but no matter what I am not using them for my long run on saturday. I want to be more focused on simply finishing than I am on form. Plus I don't want to overdo it, and I don't want to have to change shoes in the middle of a run.

I can see myself wanting to run barefoot tomorrow. we'll see how I feel. It might be good practice to run at least one easy day outside to get used to wind resistance and to hills. Maybe every thursday will be barefoot thursday. It would be really good for my form and for my muscles. Hm.. I'm going to do some research on this matter.

IN ANY CASE, 7.8 POUNDS GONE. WHADDUP.

Still Dropping

Today, my final weigh-in of week four was 141.2. That puts week 4's average at 152.8, a 1.5 drop from last week! This also happens to be the longest streak of consecutive drops, so I'm not exactly expecting it to continue! I just hope that by the end of this week I'm below 150 consistantly.. 150 is just the top weight that I never, evvver want to go over. Can't wait to see the other side of it - it's been over 2 years now!

Today's run was pretty good... hard though. Very tough. I'm extremely exhausted - sleeping has been difficult for me. I have a lot of issues falling and staying asleep, and when I am sleeping it's not very deep and involves a lot of tossing and turning. bleck. It was a hill workout, and I've decided that T's hill will be a steady progression for a mile, and then repeat it for the second mile. .75mi for both warm up and cool down. I wore my newton's for both the warm up and cool down.. they are ahhmazing. sqeee. I had zero energy for the hills this morning though. It took every ounce of self discipline to keep on keepin on. The second mile I alternated running for .2 and walking for .05, just to lower my heart rate. I don't feel hungry at all, but since i had a low BS and was working at an anerobic level... it just didn't mix well. I also will need a break soon from this crazy workout schedule.. that's what next week is for! I think that I'm just going to do 15 miles that week and not cut back on strength training. I'll do a 2-3-3-2-5 monday thru fri.

Aight. Back to the books for me.

"Grassroots"

So some exciting news.. Yesterday I participated in a "grassroots" commercial for Newton shoes! With like, 150 other runners and kids from my community. It was so deathy hot outside, it was 6 oclock and the heat index was still 100. We just ran a few blocks and did silly things like ran backwards, and at one point everyone took their shoes off and threw them into the air. It was awesome! I even got a free hat :)I was super nervous about it before hand, because I didn't know exactly what to expect. But I am so glad that I went!

In other good news... my weight loss is progressing quite nicely! I think it's because I am finally off of my period. Yesterday I weighed in at 152.6 and today I weighed in at 151.6. !!!! I know, right? I'm not expecting myself to be able to keep that off totally, just because that's too much weight to lose over a 3 day period. I'll honestly just be happy to stay below 154 for a bit before dropping more weight. :) So just one more day, and week 4 will be in the books. Here's what this week has looked like so far:
W 154
Th 154
F 153.6
S 153.2
S 152.6
M 151.6
T ?????
The average for this week is currently 153.1, and I would kind of like to keep the average about 153.3 or less, to make it one full pound lost from last week's average. Also, I am officailly half way done!!! I have to keep reminding myself that it will get harder the longer I am dieting, and that the key is lifestyle changes. I'm feeling really great right now though! Man o man. So I want to lose 6.6 more pounds and school starts in four weeks... this means that I am half way through both with weight loss and the school countdown. I really doubt that I'll be able to keep up and lose 6.6 in a matter of 4 weeks. I'll setting for four pounds :) I just want it to start making a difference in my clothing. I guess things have been tigher on me that I've realized, because nothing is baggy yet. My "love handles" are visibly shrinking though, my face looks thinner, and I think my chest is a tad smaller!

Okay so about running. I simply ADORE my new shoes. Honestly, they are amazing. Wearing these old Nikes SUCKS. However, I have to take my time and get used to them, since it forces me to land on my forefoot instead of my heel. This is much better for my knees, but not so much for my calves, which are very sore today! People have warned me to take it very slow with them, and to use my old sneakers to keep up with my training. Even right now I'm worried about those shoes up in my gym locker.. hope I remembered to lock it?! Those things were super expensive - 150! Defintely more money than I've ever spent on shoes in my entire life. I'm hoping it's a good investment though - they should last twice as long as ordinary sneakers, and the upper is supposed to break down before the bottom.

So later today will be plyo, and I still haven't decided whether I am going to do that at home or at the gym. We'll see how I feel later. I didn't bring lunch so I will be getting home earlier than usual. Oh, also I have to remember to do an ab workout - I keep neglecting that muscle group.

The shoos!