Weigh Day Week 9 - A MUST READ

Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 209.8

Current weight: 209.2

Weight loss/gain since last week: -0.6

TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -11.8


Well, it's something. That's really all I have to say about that :)


After doing 100 crunches on Monday, 50 crunches Tuesday -Saturday, and 100 again on Sunday I decided to re-measure my waist...

I LOST AN INCH! I am probably more excited about that than any weight loss so far since my extreme problem area is actually smaller!

Enough about weight, let's talk races...

Leslie and I ran the Pewee Valley Fire Department's Spring Training 5k. My goal was to be physically spent by by the end of the race, to feel like I had nothing left to give.

It was a really beautiful run. It was mostly back country type roads. You could hear birds chirping and at one point you could actually hear water flowing down a little creek.

Our first mile felt a little rough. We ended up hitting Mile Marker 1 with a time of 10:55. Neither of us were happy with that number so we took it up a notch.

At Mile Marker 2 we were pleasantly surprised. Our time was 19:55. A nine minute mile! I don't know if either of us have ever ran a nine minute mile before but it felt great! Starting off the last 1.1 miles knowing we had made such great time really pumped us up. Until we saw the hills...

It really is important to know the course before you run a race. That way you can mentally prepare yourself for the challenge before hand. We weren't mentally prepared for these hills at all.

The weren't massive hills or anything but it really felt like one after another after another. I kept chanting in my mind, and at one point said to Leslie out loud, "These hills are not a discouragement. They are a challenge. And when we make great time it will feel even sweeter to know that we made great time while conquering all these hills."

We pushed through and made it. Quite a few times I really felt like I wanted to just walk for a minute but I knew that I couldn't do that. My legs felt like Jell-o at one point and I am certain our pace slowed dramatically for a minute or two so we could recoup.

Then, miraculously, we were back on the main road. We knew it was flat and we knew the finish line was in sight. (The only feeling greater than this is actually crossing the finish line!)

At this point, I decided to kick it up a notch in an effort to make sure I succeeded in making myself feel physically spent. I pushed and pushed and pushed.

About 100 yards or so from the finish line I got into a foot race with another participant. She was a little older than I but at least a foot taller with long legs and I could tell she had been running for a while.

She had just started to pull away from what I assume was her husband and I didn't really consider taking her on until I heard him warning her that I was coming. "Coming on your left Barbara. Pick it up!" he told her.

It was SO on!

The finish line was in sight. There were a bunch of firefighters and EMS at the finish line cheering us on, excited about the action. I was peddling my 29 inch inseam about as fast as I could and was worried she was gonna beat me. Thankfully the old "Runner's High" kicked in and that adrenaline rush allowed me to overtake my competition right at the end!

I WON!

I heard some people talking and someone say "That is how you finish a race."

And about two minutes later, I had to puke. :) Then Leslie made me get my blood pressure checked as feelings from the aftermath of last years half marathon began to creep in a little.

Mission accomplished.


Before this race my personal record was 32:40 for a 5k. That was at the zoo race just under a year ago. The zoo is fairly hilly so I was glad that this race had hills that way I could consider it comparable to my the course of my PR race.

My time for this race...

31:25!

I am excited to have a new PR! That is running at almost 6 miles an hour!

This race was also (I believe) a PR for Leslie too! In celebration of our accomplishment we decided to stage a re-enactment of Ori and Elena's adorable race photo from the week before.

Thanks Leslie for crouching down so that people can't tell you are a good 6 inches + taller than me. And just so you know, even if I had photo shop, I wouldn't try to retouch my hangy arm fat. It is proof of what I have accomplished!

A little more about races...

I am committing to running this 5k race in Michigan in July. I would love, love, LOVE my Michigan readers to participate with me. I am hoping that this blog will pump you all up a little.

Here is my vision for this race:

My readers and I all meet at a specified location at 7 a.m. for a little pre-race pep rally. We are all sporting blue t-shirts of some kind, not necessarily matching but somewhat uniformed. We register for the race, and take a place at the start line. We are all smiling and probably sweating already since it is July.

We all know that at no point will we feel alone, ashamed, or embarrassed. Since we have all made a pre-race pact to "Finish Together and Finish Strong" there is no anxiety from those who have never done this before. There is strength in numbers so we will be strong!

We will have all agreed to some sort of goal before hand, something like two minutes walking, one minute jogging (subject to change:) so we all know what to expect and what is expected of us. Again, since we are going to "Finish Together and Finish Strong" we will know that every time that one minute of jogging comes up we can do it!

The one minute of jogging will be a very slow and steady pace. Since the true goal is to "Finish Together and Finish Strong" their isn't competition amongst this group. We are one!

The two minutes off will not only be a time to get our heart rates in check but to celebrate the fact that we all just ran together for one whole minute! Every one minute of jogging will be filled with determination. Each two minutes of walking will be full of celebration.

Our eyes will be on the prize as the finish line approaches. The sea of blue (or lake or pond or puddle, depending on the number of participants) will pick up the pace a little and crash against the shoreline as one and the race will be complete! (sorry for the water metaphors but we are sure to be sweaty)

We break out into loud cheers at our accomplishments and head off to Subway to continue our celebration! After lunch everyone heads home for a shower and probably a nap!

Who's with me?

Challenge:

Get ready for the race. Check out this article for tips on how to get yourself ready for July 12. It gives you an 8 week training routine to get ready for walking/jogging a 5k.

Begin focusing on MAY 19th

May 19th is 8 weeks before the race. That is when the training should start for the race.

It is important to gear yourself up for the actual gear up. Consider this time, up until May 19th as your pre-training and take some time to actually focus on what this goal will mean to you.

You might be the type of person who likes to think about all you will leave behind...

• no more being inactive
• no more laziness
• no more guilt
• no more "maybe tomorrow" 's or "next week" 's

You might be the type of person who likes to think about what you are heading towards...

• more energy
• a healthier you
• a sense of accomplishment
• a longer life

Either way, make the list now and post it somewhere you will be reminded of it daily.

May 19th is 8 weeks before the race. That is when the training should start for the race.

If you have someone in mind who you would love to see at the finish line with us, be sure to pass my link on to them!

*To all my readers both locally and around the US*

If you all wouldn't mind, I would really like a list of every one's email and mailing addresses. Not only would I like to be able to send the "Healthy Chelle's Challenge Challenge" winner their prize, I would also like to send something out to all those who participate and read this!

Email me at orismom420@yahoo.com with your mailing address. I will save your email address to my address book.

You all have been keeping me on my toes and I am having a blast!