Little Old Fat Girl

You can find me here.

I can now be found on Wordpress, as An Uncommon Girl.

TB and I registered for a 5k on the Friday morning after Thanksgiving.  Here is a recap:

Weather:  very cool (37 degrees), with clear skies and very little humidity

Course:  It was a cross-country race, so it was very different.  We ran around a pond, several soccer fields and a bunch of baseball fields.  The terrain was made up of concrete, wet grass, dirt, and mud.

Physical condition:  I felt really good.  I never felt short of breath and my legs felt fatigued only very briefly while going through mud or uphill.  I purposefully started off slow to make sure my breathing stayed good.  I could have run farther, but I'm not sure how far (maybe another mile, but certainly not two).

Results:  I ran the WHOLE WAY!  I really still can't believe it.  I just set my mind that if I could run 25:00, then 35:00 or 40:00 would not be that much more - especially with a goal in mind.  I finished in 39:31.  I was very pleased with that, since my previous 5k race in September was 44:53.  I looked up the results this morning and found out that I came in 4th place in my age group.  If I would have been 11 seconds faster, I would have gotten a medal for 3rd place!  I really would have fainted if I got a medal on my first real race, but it gave me a little boost to run a little faster in the next one.

Tuesday (11/24)
Weight - 182.8
Swam - 50 lengths (25 meters) in 50:00
Ran/walked - 2.0 miles in 30:11

Wednesday (11/25)
Weight - 181.0
Spin class for 50:00
Swam - 50 lengths (25 meters) in 50:00

Thursday (11/26)
Walked 3.75 miles in 90:00 (3 different walks)

Friday (11/27)
Turkey Trot race - ran 3.1 miles in 39:31

Saturday (11/28)
Walked 1.41 miles in 26:42

Sunday (11/29)
Weight - 181.2
Walked 2.0 miles in 38:39

We had a great time at the fam's.  I ate way too much of the things I should stay away from.  Happily or sadly, I became sick on Friday afternoon.  I ate too much on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  Then, I ate too little on Saturday and Sunday.  It all evened out and I only gained .2 pounds.  At first I thought I was sick from too much rich food, but now I think I have strep throat.  So, I am going to lay as low as possible until I feel better.  Stay tuned for a race report!

Well, you may be wondering why I have been so quiet.  My computer crashed last Monday and it took until Thursday to have it fixed.  So, by Thursday, I was quite behind on everything.  I am leaving in the morning for a 5-hour trip - home for the holidays!  I have been very busy since the computer resurrection trying to push 10 days worth of work into 4.  I will give a brief training summary, then talk about the change of scenery:

Friday (11/13):
Weight - 183.4
Walked 2.0 miles in 38:00
Strength - BFL-UB for 20:00

Saturday (11/14):
Weight - 183.4
Ran/walked 3.75 miles in 75:00
Rode 12 miles in 35:49
Swam 50 lengths (25 meters) in 45:00

Sunday (11/15):
Weight - 184.3
Walked 2.25 miles in 45:00

Monday (11/16):
Weight - 184.7
Walked 2.0 miles in 35:00
Rode 10 miles in 30:00
Strength - BFL-LB for 20:00

Tuesday (11/17):
Weight - 183.6
Ran 2.0 miles in 31:50
Swam 50 lengths (25 meters) in 45:00

Wednesday (11/18):
Weight - 183.9
Walked 2.0 miles in 35:00
Spin class - 17 miles in 50:00

Thursday (11/19):
Weight - 183.0
Ran 2.0 miles in 25:49
Swam 50 lengths (25 meters) in 40:00

Friday (11/20):
Weight - 183.0
Strength - BFL-LB for 20:00
Did absolutely no cardio exercise - just partied down with the fam for my birthday

Saturday (11/21):
Weight - 183.9
Ran 2.81 miles in 39:56
Swam 50 lengths (25 meters) in 45:00

Sunday (11/22):
Weight - 3.75 miles in 56:00

Monday (11/23):
Weight - 184.3
Ran/walked 2.0 miles in 28:37
Rode 10.3 miles in 30:00

Tuesday (11/24):
Weight - 182.8! (finally off of 183!)

I think that I will be updating the training log portion every week, instead of everyday.  I will be posting other tidbits during the week, but I am going to leave the details for a weekly summary.  Also, I think I have ourgrown my goals.  I really can't even remember my goals, so I will restate or reinvent them here:

Running - I rock!
I have been following the Couch to 5k program and I am beginning the 6th week.  On Saturday, the program called for a 20:00 run.  Yes, from the same girl that was whining 2 weeks ago about an 8:00 minute run.  Something has happened, the light switch has come on.  I like to run - I don't even hate it anymore.  I have found that all of the "problems" of running - shortness of breath, creaky joints, "I'm gonna' die" - all evaporate after about 5:00 minutes of running.  When I get over the hump, it turns into joy.  So, I have found myself running on non-running days.  Last night, I was supposed to be walking, but I ran 75% of each 1/3 mile loop.  I ended up running my 2 miles in 28:37.  This was taking my 38:00 pretty consistently about 1 month ago.  Amazing!  So, I now need an adjustment.  I am not even going for the 30:00 the doctor had ordered.  So, I have determined to run/walk for 30:00 plus cool down - no matter how far that is.  I am even contemplating running to and from work instead of the dangerous biking I had been considering.

Biking - stale city
I need to find a new love for biking.  I am getting MB a bike for Christmas, so maybe that will get me more enthusiastic about it.  Or, maybe he will drag my butt out there for rides, even when I don't feel like it.  In the meantime, I need to get a spin workout for my iPod so that I can have a good workout when a class is not convenient.  Riding the regular stationary bike does not seem very challenging and I am not creative enough to come up with a spin routine on my own.

Swim - just keep on keeping on
This is going very well.  Nothing to shout about, but I like it and I feel good when I am finished.  I will probably keep on with my self-made, 50 lap routine until it becomes stale city.

Strength - Give in!
My strength training is sucking pond water right now.  I feel like I am going through the motions during weight lifting days and have been skipping the core workout days completely.  How much effort does it take to do a 15:00 minute routine?  I have been so sluggish in this area - why?  I am purchasing the p90x thingy for Christmas - mostly for MB.  I am making a threat to myself - if I don't do the p90x, then I am going to have to complete the 30-day shred and find a core workout routine for EVERY DAY!  So, maybe that will work.  You know how I love Jillian!

OK, so we're caught up.  I am leaving in the morning and will try to update with a race report from the 5k I am running on Friday.  Have a great Thanksgiving!

I wrote the following just shy of my 38th birthday last November:

By the time I am 40, my goals are:

1. Read through the Bible two times
2. Have a habit of daily prayer
3. Completed or prepared for a mission trip
4. Be physically fit and healthy
a. Weigh less than 200 pounds
b. Be able to walk 1 mile everyday comfortably
c. Be able to occasionally jog a 5k comfortably
d. Be able to do any normal activity (get off of the floor, tie my shoes) comfortably
5. Complete and pass the CPA exam.
I am 16 days from my 38th birthday. If I don't draw some sort of line, I will remain obese and miserable. My size and lack of physical fitness effects almost every part of my daily life. What is not effected by my lack of fitness and health, is effected by my prayerlessness and lack of Bible study. My prayer is that I can reverse these bad habits and patterns and celebrate my 40th birthday in a much better shape - internally and externally.

"Rules"
1. I will read the daily portion of a One Year Bible every day for the first year and choose a method to complete the Bible again in the 2nd year.
2. I will walk 1 mile everyday - no excuses.
3. After the first year of walking and exercise, I will sign-up for 5k races in this area.
4. I will do any type of exercise that will improve my fitness, flexibility and stamina at least 3 times per week.
5. I will eat healthy foods. I am not going to be caught up in a diet, but I will choose whole foods and try to reduce processed foods.
6. I will weigh on the 20th of each month. I am not going to be hung up about my weight, but I will chart it to make sure I am on track. I will need to lose at least 3 pounds per month.
7. I will begin a study that will allow me to pass the CPA exam before 11-20-10. I will begin taking the exam in April of 2009.

Well, I am celebrating my 39th birthday today and I have accomplished a lot of these goals - especially the fitness-related items.  I am extremely gratified that I made some goals, pursued them and have had success at them.

The areas that still need work are the Bible reading and daily prayer.  I am resolving today to take care of this one like I have the fitness area.  I will buy a One Year Bible today and just do it - blindly, without excuse, without fail.  I would be a much happier and more fulfilled person if I could get back into a stronger prayer habit.  I know it is necessary and I know that it should be at the top of that list.

CPA exam - I am just not sure about that one.  I really want to complete it, because it is something that I started and I like to finish things that I have started (and spent a good bit of money on).  I REALLY like my job, and I would like to retire from this job.  So, I don't need the certification for my job.  That makes it hard to get motivated.  The only real motivation I have is just completing a goal to say it is complete.  Another factor is that after I train between 1.5 and 2 hours a day, work, cook, spend time with the fam and sleep - there is not a lot of my time left.  I will have to decide on this eventually, but it is way back on the back burner right now.

So, there is my yearly summary of sorts.  When I made this last year, I could not imagine where I am now physically.  I am so fortunate to have lucked upon a doctor and medication that worked.  I know it is luck - I have tried LOTS of other things.  When I wrote this, I was determined to try this method and when it did not work then go onto lap band.  I am so glad that I did not have to do that.  Don't get me wrong, I would have and I would have been glad for the results, but I am happy that I did not have to "go under" and make a modification to my body's design.  You can tell by my goal, under 200 pounds, within 2 years that I was not feeling positive about my ability to get it done this quickly. 

Wow, what a good year!  I told MB the other day that it sure feels weird to be better as I get older.  You know how some people say, "when I was in high school, i could (fill in the accomplishment)".  Well, I have always been overweight to obese.  I ran my first mile at 38 - so it only gets better from here.

Weight - 184.1
Calories/fat grams - 1035/23.7

Swam 50 lengths (25 meters) in 45:00
Ran/walked 2.0 miles in 29:16 (couch to 5k - week 5, day 2) - kind of*
Strength - Around the world abs for 15:00

*Up until this week, the intervals have been the same every day during the week.  Yesterday, I started up my C25k app on my phone and took off.  On the first interval, where I would normally run 5:00, it kept going and going and going.  So, I took out my phone to check it out.  It said I had to run 8:00.  So, I turned it off and ran/walked the normal pattern 5:00/3:00/5:00.  When I checked on it later, the interval changes in the middle of week 5!  So, I kind of did it.  I will be repeating this week, so I am just going to shoot for 8:00/3:00/5:00/3:00/8:00, and not get too upset if I don't make it.  I will get another chance next week.