Week 3 - The Start of a New Week (Rest Day)

Wow!! I can't believe it is the start of Week 3 / Day 14.  Only 2 weeks down and I feel really good.  My "bottom" area is a little sore from yesterday's 4-mile run.   Thanks to everyone for your advice and suggestions on how to fix the numbness in my feet. I decided to invest in a new pair of running shoes.  I bought a pair that is 1/2 size larger than my normal shoes as well as this pair has additional gel in the soles.  Who knew running shoes could be so expensive - $99.  I hope this works. 

Today I leave town for 5-days of business travel.  I'm a little nervous as to how this will effect my workout program.  It is difficult enough to balance one's home, family, work and a workout routine let alone add travel and longer working hours to the mix.  This will be a new speed bump in my workout program. 

Today is a rest day!! Remember... no walking, running or exercising today.  Just as it is important to train for a long distance race, it is also very important to give your body and muscles a rest.  

Tomorrow's workout is a run/walk for 45-minutes.  Have a great Sunday!

Happy Running!

End of Week 2 / Day 13 - 4 miles

Wow! It's the end of another week - Week #2!  How time flies when you are having fun!  Today's workout - Run/Walk 4 miles.  I've been dreading this workout for the last couple of days. I guess dread is the wrong word to use - probably nervous is a better word.  Today's workout is the longest run to-date in my training process.  For someone who is out of shape and not a runner for a very long time - 4 miles can seem like forever. 

Last night, I made sure I had a good night's rest to get ready for today's run.   I knew I was going to need all the energy I could store to finish 4 miles today.  I woke up around 8:30am this morning still nervous about my upcoming run. After an hour or two of drinking coffee and reading the newspaper, I finally decided that there is no time like to the present to get going on this run. 

After dragging my feet this morning, I finally got onto the treadmill- still very nervous with my workout.  I decided to change up my workout a little today.  Normally the run/walk includes 3 minutes of running with 2 minutes of walking and alternating this until the miles are reached. Today, I decided to push myself to see how far I could really go before taking a walk break.  My goal - finish a mile before a walk.  Did I make my goal? I did!!! Check out my stats and see how well I did today.


Workout Stats
Type - Run / Walk (Run a mile - walk 4 minutes)
Time - 74 minutes
Miles - 4
Pace - 18.50 minute mile

At the start of this week, my mile pace was 20 minutes. At the end of the week, I'm at 18.50.  I've cut 1.5 minutes off my time this week.  Since starting the training program -I've cut 6.5 minutes off my mile pace.  Wow! I did noticed today that my feet were getting numb as I reached the end of each mile.  Not sure what is causing this to happen.  It was the same feeling that you get when your foot or leg falls asleep. 
Any suggestions on how to fix this issue?

So this week I get (2) gold stars.  One for cutting 1.5 minutes off my mile pace time and the second star for loosing a full dress size in my first 10 days of training.  Loosing a dress size is definitely the highlight of my week - as well as I was able to run 4 miles.

Tomorrow is a rest day as well as I leave town for 5 days for a business trip.  I'm a little nervous about how traveling will affect my training program.  Stay tuned.  Have a great weekend.

Happy Running! 

Week 2 / Day 12- A Day of Yoga

Happy Friday!! Today's workout is cross training.  I begin today's workout with 20 minutes on the elliptical machine followed by 30-minutes of yoga.  This is my first attempt at trying yoga.  All I can say is WOW, what a workout!  I think I used every muscle in my body.  If I'm not sore tomorrow, I will be shocked.  I'm thinking that I should not have done yoga today and saved myself for tomorrow's 4-mile run/walk workout. 

Even though it is Friday night, I'm going to get to bed early and get a good night's rest. I'm a little nervous about my 4-mile workout tomorrow. I am going to need all the energy that I can get. 

Happy Running!

Week 2 / Day 11 - REST DAY!!!

The best day of the week - REST DAY!  I treat a "rest day" like it's a reward.  After (3) hard days of workouts, it's nice to see the light at the end of the tunnel and know that you can give your body a break.  My reward means an extra hour of sleep on Rest Days. That extra hour gives me the additional boost that I need to finish out the rest of the week's workouts - especially with a long run workout that is scheduled for each Saturday.

 My body is definitely more sore this week than last week.  I'm hanging in there and fighting back in my workouts.  What is the saying, "no pain no gain."  I'm finding that the trick to decrease soreness - water.  The more water I drink during the day, the less sore I am the following morning. 

Quote for the Day

"Rest is the sweet sauce of labor." - Plutarch




Happy Running!

Week 2 / Day 10 - Getting Better at My Mile Pace Time

Happy Hump Day!! I made it to the middle of Week #2.  Today's workout - Run/ Walk = 40 minutes.  I had a GREAT workout today.  My legs are starting to feel stronger and less cramping when I run during my 3 minute intervals.  The best part of my workout, I completed 2 miles in 38.5 minutes which gives me a 19.25 minute / mile pace time. In 10 days time, I've cut almost 6 minutes off my mile pace time.  This is wonderful and so unexpected. I never thought I would "chop" this much time off my pace in such a short amount of time. 

I know I know - before you even say it, I already know the question.  "Are you pushing yourself too hard?"  Answer:  No.  I sticking with my workout plans and not pushing myself beyond my set plan.   I think my time is increasing because my lungs and legs are getting better with every workout. I can run easily for 3 minutes straight without having to take a 20 second break at the 2 minute mark.  (which was my issue last week) I'm keeping my heart rate around 80% of my max level. 

Workout Stats
Type - Run / Walk
Time - 40 minutes
Miles - 2.18
Pace - 19.25 minute mile
*I completed 2 miles at 38.5 minutes.

Trainer Tip: Stretch after every workout when the muscles are warm to maintain or improve flexibility and prevent injuries.



Tomorrow is a well deserved rest day.  No walking or running allowed.  Rest days are a great thing to look forward to during a week of workouts.

Happy Running!

Week 2/ Day 9 - Woke Up Late Today - Not a good start!

Today started off on a "late" foot.  Last night we had very high winds at our house.  It definitely woke me up a time or two.  Sometime during the night, our electricity switched off which caused my alarm clock to reset. As I woke up this morning and looked at my clock, I noticed that it was flashing.  My first thought, "OMG, we've over slept and my son is late for school."  The good news is he wasn't late for school.  We had approximately an hour to get ready. The bad news - I missed my window for a morning workout.  So today's workout was in the afternoon. I really don't like the afternoon workouts.  One - I'm tired when I get home and it takes me longer to get motivated to workout. Second - I want my boost of energy in the morning and not the late afternoon.  All is good- and I completed today's training session. 

Crossing Training workout today.  A medium intensity workout that doesn't include walking or running.  The good ole' elliptical machine is my friend today.  I seem to get a great workout from this machine.  It's an excellent way to strengthen your legs and increase your heart rate. 

Workout Stats
Type - Cross Training
Time - 30 minutes
Miles - 1.6
Pace - 25 minute mile
*Followed by 15 minutes of upper body strength training - weights

On another note, today I signed up for the Bolder Boulder Race on Memorial Day.  This is a 10k race in Boulder, CO.  I'm going to use this race to test my strength for the upcoming half marathon. This is an excellent opportunity for me to test my strengths and weaknesses so I can improve for the Diva Half Marathon in August.  I'm excited!! My first race!! 

Tomorrow's workout - Run/Walk (35 minutes)

Happy Running!

Week 2 - Away We Go!

Today starts another chapter in this training journey - Week 2!  Only 152 days until the big race! I know the training time is going to fly by - another reason to value each workout day.   To begin the day - time to check the scale.  I'm curious to see how much weight I lost in the first week. The answer:   2.5 pounds.  I'm happy with that result. I wasn't expecting a big number like 5-10 lbs but instead I'm expecting baby steps in the beginning so my 2.5 lb loss is GREAT.

Next step, the workout plan for the week. 
Monday - Run / Walk (40 minutes w/ 5 minute cool down)
Tuesday - Cross Training & Strength Training (45 minutes)
Wednesday - Run/Walk (40 minutes w/ 5 minute cool down)
Thursday - REST DAY
Friday - Cross Training & Strength Training (45 minutes)
Saturday - Run/Walk (4-miles)
Sunday - REST DAY

Workout Stats - Monday (week 2)
Type - Run / Walk
Time - 40 minutes
Miles - 2.0
Pace - 20 minute mile
*No aches and feeling great!!
*On the same pace track as my run on Saturday.  

This week is going to be a little stressful at work with trying to get organized before I leave town on business travel.  It is going to be interesting to see how this will affect my workouts, energy levels, and weight loss.   For now, I just keep smiling because I completed a good workout.

Quote for the Week!

Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." --Oprah Winfrey

Happy Running!

Day 7 - The End of the FIRST Week!!! (Rest Day)

I'm am shocked that I'm already at the end of my first week of training.  This week has gone by so fast.  It's amazing to think that last time this week, I wasn't even exercising yet.  Everything was set in motion but I was 24 hours away from my first workout.

I started off the week a little slow but feeling good with very little aches.  My first Run/Walk workout was under 2 miles with a 25-minute per mile pace.  As the week went by, my pace time got better and better.  My first milestone came on Wednesday when I cut 2.5 minutes off my pace time.   The second (gold start) milestone came on Saturday's workout with a 20 minute mile pace.  In one week - I cut 5-minutes off my pace time.  WOW!! I never expected this to happen.

Even though it has only been a week, I can already tell a difference in my energy levels.  Prior to starting this training program, I was having serious issues with fatigue.  I just could find my "get up and go."  After one week - I already feel like a different person.  Remember - today is a REST DAY!  No exercising allowed.  However, a light walking the dog is acceptable.  Thanks to everyone for all your help and support.  Tomorrow begins Week #2.

Happy Running!

Day 6 - The Hardest Day of the Week

So, it's Day 6 and it's the hardest workout of the week.  The workout is a Run / Walk with no time limit but instead a distance limit.  Each week, the last day workout will increase in distance.  (next week 4 miles)  This is going to be my first training hurdle- adding another mile to my workout.  To date, my workouts have only been 45 minutes and averages 2 miles.  Based upon my workout pace this week, the 3 mile workout will probably take me 60-70 minutes.

Run/ Walk Workout (3 miles)
* Warm up by walking 5 minutes at an easy pace
* Main workout - run at a comfortable pace for 3 minutes followed by 2 minutes of walking at a brisk pace. Repeat until 3 miles are reached.
* Cool down with 5 minutes of easy walking

So before I stepped on the treadmill, I took a BIG deep breath and said to myself, "I think I can, I think I can."  What do you know, I've just become the Little Engine That Could.  The first 2 miles weren't so bad, but the last mile- I started to feel the burn in my calves.  For the last mile, I was more concerned about my time. I really wanted to have a 21-20 minute mile pace.  Did I make my goal?  Check out today's stats!!!  Other than my calves feeling the burn, I feel GREAT!!!  I'm hoping
                                          that eventually I can look back and laugh at these early days
                                          and say, "3 miles, that was so easy."

Workout Stats - Day 6
Type - Run / Walk
Time -  60 minutes
Miles - 3.0
Pace -  20 minute mile

So I made it out alive and I'm giving myself a gold star for cutting 5 mintues off my mile pace this week!  I'm soooo glad tomorrow is a REST DAY.  After 3 miles today, my body and mind are ready for a rest day. If I'm not sore tonight, somebody out there is really looking out for me.  It's hard to believe that the end of my first week is coming near.  Have a great weekend!!

Happy Running!

Day 5- Cross Training

It's Day 5 and I am getting closer to the end of my first week of training.  Last week at this time I was just thinking about doing the race and now I'm training for it.  The best part of today, my best friend - Robin, has agreed to run the race with me.  I'm so excited that we have the opportunity to do this together. 

Today's Workout - Cross Training (30 minutes)
* Remember no walking or running today. 

* Training choices -  elliptical machine, stair master, swimming, Pilate's, yoga, aerobics, etc

I'm going with the elliptical machine.  Tuesday, it took me on a good ride but today, I fought back.  Definitely feeling the burn in my butt and thighs, but overall I'm feeling great.  Today's stats:  30 minutes  / 1.9 miles / 15.78 minute pace.    
Tomorrow's workout: Run / Walk- 3 miles. 

Quote for the Day

"If you ever get a second chance in life for something, you've
got to go all the way."  Lance Armstrong





Happy Running!

Day 4 - REST DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only three days into the program and I already get a rest day!!  Lucky me!  Rest days are exactly as it says "rest."  No heavy running, walking or exercise allowed.  Just as you need a break and rest in life so too do your muscles.  A casual walking the dog is allowed but the important thing to remember is "REST!"  For me, it means an extra hour of sleep. 

Tomorrow's workout - Cross Training! 

Happy Running!

Day 3 - Experiment Day

Welcome to Day 3!  It's Wednesday and I'm feeling good.  I'm suprised that I wasn't sore last night after the elliptical machine kick my butt in yesterday morning's 30-minute workout.  My thighs and butt were feeling it after the workout but as the day progressed, I felt great.

Today's workout  - Run /Walk (45 minutes)
* Easy pace walk - 5 minutes (warm up)
* (7) sets = Comfortable Run - 3 minutes & Moderate walking pace - 2 minutes
* Easy pace walk = 5 minutes (cool down)

Today's workout is in the afternoon.  Why the change to afternoon?  I'm conducting a little experiment.
Experiment:  Is there a difference between working out in the morning vs. in the afternoon?
Conclusion:  Mornings are better!

During today's experiment, the first thing I noticed about the rountine switch is that I didn't feel as alert this morning compared to the other (2) days with a morning workout.  I felt a little more fatigued and not as much energy.   It totally sucks getting up at 4:30am each morning, but I like having that energy boost in the morning.  I also noticed that afternoons for me can get a little tricky. In my life, there is always something last minute coming up - last minute meetings at work, last minute baseball practice for my son, etc.  When you have a life of last minute things (that always happen in the afternoon or evenings) it is hard to set an afternoon workout routine.  With a morning workout, I know that it will get done with no interuptions or delays.  With an afternoon workout, you take a big chance that something last minute will come up that will interferre with your workout time that will either delay your exercise schedule to late in the evening or even force you to cancel due to lack of time.  For me, I can't take a chance to miss any workouts. I have less than 5 months to train for this race so I need every workout on my calendar. 

Another thing to consider for afternoon / evening workouts - watch the clock and monitor how close you schedule a workout to your bedtime.  For the best results, make sure you are working out more than 4 hours before bedtime.   Workouts under the 4 hour time slot might cause additional aches, restless sleep, and added hunger in the night.  Today's afternoon workout was set 5 hours before bedtime.  I definitely noticed a surge of energy in the evening.    I just hope I don't have a restless sleeping night.  Looking forward to tomorrow - REST DAY!! 

Workout Stats - Day 3
Type - Run / Walk
Time - 45 minutes
Miles - 2.0
Pace - 22.5 minute mile (Monday's time - 25 minutes)

Trainer Tip:
Stretch after every workout when the muscles are warm to maintain or improve flexibility and prevent injuries.

Happy Running!

Day 2 - It's All About Cross Training

Good Morning!!

It's day two and I'm still alive and moving around.  Yesterday was a great FIRST day.  Today it is all about Cross Training.  Why is cross training so important in your race training?  Cross training allows you to rest your running muscles while training opposing muscle groups and it reduces the risk of over training and injury.  It also helps speed recovery and reduces burnout.  With five months of training ahead of me, I need to eliminate burnout.

Cross Training Workout: 30 - 45 minutes
* No running or walking allowed

* Training choices -  elliptical machine, stair master, swimming, Pilate's, yoga, aerobics, etc

* Workout also includes strength training exercises for your upper body, core (abdominal and trunk) and lower body - remember to include this twice per week
Results - Increases lean muscle tissue, boost metabolism and prevents the dreaded muscle loss with age.  The more muscle we lose, the lower our metabolism sinks.

For my workout today, I decide to go with the elliptical machine (30 minutes) and strength training on the upper body (15 minutes).  I must say, the elliptical machine won the battle today.  I'm definitely going to feel the aches later on this afternoon. I kept my heart rate to about 164 during the peak times and 110 during the low times.  Today, I really noticed an overall workout for my entire body and not just my legs.  After the elliptical machine took me for a 2.5 mile ride, I moved on to my upper body strength training - weight lifting.  I didn't go over board with the amount of weight but instead increased my repetitions.  I used a 5 lb weight for all my strength training.  Lots of curls, over the head, side to sides, behind the back lifting and sit ups.  I did each exercise 15 times for 3 reps.  Can you say feel the burn?  I've been doing a lot of research on training and everything that I have read says that when you feel your muscles burning as you are lifting weights then you know it is working. 
Have a great Tuesday!!

Happy Training!

Day 1 Stats & Big Thank You!!

It has been a very busy first day. Thanks to all my followers and supporters. Your happy thoughts are very much appreciated and will definitley come in need the more that I get into this training program. THANK YOU!!!

After my first training day, I recorded all my stats for my body measurements and morning workout. I will update the blog with my daily workout progress. 

My goal is to loose 50 lbs before the race. That is 10 lbs per month.  I have a long way to go and looking forward to the finish line.

Workout Stats - Day 1
Type - Run / Walk
Time - 45 minutes
Miles - 1.8
Pace - 25 minute mile

Happy Running and See You Tomorrow!

First Day is Always the Hardest!

Today is the FIRST day of my new healthy life. "Firsts" are never easy and always the biggest hurdle to overcome when you start a project--especially an exercise project. So when the alarm went off at 4:30am, the FIRST thing I said was, "OMG, is it time to get up already?" After hitting the snooze button a couple of times, I finally got out of bed and begin getting ready for my FIRST workout. My workout went great. I am definitely out of shape and this is going to take some time - good thing I have 5 months to get ready.

My workout today was 45 minutes of run / walk workout. (See below for more details about the workout) I feel more awake and energetic this morning than compared to other mornings of no workout and just waking up and then immediately getting ready for work. No aches and pains yet but I now this is happen very soon. Running grocery list - definitely need a new pair of socks. Need a sock that is thicker and better for running then just daily walking. (Thanks Cousin Doug for the great tips on the socks).

How Does This Work?
Each morning I will add something newabout my workouts to my blog, Facebook and Twitter pages. I'm hoping that something from my journey will inspire someone else to get healthy along the way. Iwill trackmy exercise and body stats on a weekly basis and will make a stats post on my blog each Monday. If you are like me, you need to see actual results to know that something is working. I don't want the frustration of looking at my weight every day because I already see it everyday in the mirror, so I will only weight myself once a week - every Monday and I will make a post on my blog about my stats. Once a month, I will do a body mass count andtake measurements of different areas of my body andsee if the inches are melting away. Iam ona 1800-2100 calorie per day diet- eatting lots of protien, fruits and vegtables with limited starches and carbs.

Workout Plan
For the next two weeks, my workout remains the same so that I can getboth my lungs and legs in shape to add long term running into my exercise plan. The plan is a 5-day workout schedule with (2) days of rest.
Monday - Run / Walk
Tuesday - Cross Training
Wednesday - Run / Walk
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Cross Training
Saturday - Run / Walk
Sunday - Rest

Run/ Walk Program (45 minutes)
* Warm up by walking 5 minutes at an easy pace
* Main workout - run at a comfortable pace for 3 minutes followed by 2 minutes of walking at a brisk pace. Repeat this 7 times.
* Cool down with 5 minutes of easy walking

Cross Training (30-45 minutes)
* Includes any activity that is non running or walking. (cycling, swimming, Pilates, aerobics, yoga, strength training, elliptical trainer and spinning)
* Follow up with 15 minutes of strength training (weights, push ups, sit ups)

Rest Days
* Technically you are suppose to use this as a full rest day with no exercise, however, light walks are allowed. No running allowed on rest days.

So there it is. Everything is planned for my next 2-weeks of training. If you are interested in taking a look at the excel spreadsheet that I created to document my workout and body stats - send me an email at divarunner_2011@hotmail.com and I will be happy to send the file to you.

Thanks for your support and Happy Monday!

It's the Eve before the big day!

Tomorrow begins a whole new day for me.  The half marathon training begins.  I'm going to test the waters and see how I like morning workouts compared to afternoon workouts. The only buzz kill about morning workouts is that I have to get up at 4:30am.  OUCH!! Time to get a good night's rest as tomorrow is going to be a busy day!!

Welcome

Welcome and thank you forvisiting the Diva Runner blog - The Diary of a First Time Half Marathon Runner.  I am nervous and excited to begin my new adventure.   My goal - to begin training on March 14th for the Diva Half Marathon Race on August 21, 2011 in Vail, CO.  The race is 13.1 miles long and located at over 8,000 feet above sea level.  This is not going to be an easy task but I am up for the challenge. http://www.runlikeadiva.com/

To give you a little history about myself, I'm a mother to two great children, Jessica 22 and Ben 13 and a wife to my handsome husband Brad. For the last couple of years, I've been struggling with my weight, diet, hormones, fatigue, etc. You name it and I was feeling it.    I just felt so run down all the time.  After a couple of yearly physicals, I was diagnosed with the wonderful "M" word - Menopause.  Yes, you can go through this even if you haven't received your AARP card yet.  Up until today, nothing I did seemed to helped my "M" situation.   After my 2011 physical, my doctor told me to increase my exercise and try something different to increase my metabolism.  So here I am, trying something new to increase my metabolism.

I haven't been an avid runner since high school. (over 25 years)  My best friend of over 33 years, Robin, is a GREAT runner and I admire her for her strength and ability to run the various races that she does each year. She is a half marathon runner and has done both trail running and street races.  I will lean on her for guidance and wisdom as I train for this big event. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that our schedules will also allow us to run this race together.

You might be asking yourself, "OMG, what in the world made you decide to run a half marathon?  Why not take baby steps and see if you even like running and then decided to increase your distance?"  Anyone that knows me can tell you that I never start off a project in the mind frame of "small" but instead I'm always in high gear when I set my mind to do something.  So why should running be any different. 

I will be following the advice of a trainer and my best friend, Robin and I will stick to my weekly workout plans and not over do it.   I don't want to burn myself out before the race or hurt myself and not be able to compete.  I'm taking this new adventure very serious and I want to make sure my body and health are supervised so I can be in the best shape possible on August 21, 2011.

The purpose of my blog is to document my steps, defeats, frustrations, successes, weight loss, aches/ pains and running log throughout my five month journey to race day.   I am hoping that my story over the next five months might be an inspiration to others who have contemplated about trying something different and wanting to get healthy.   As a 43 year old woman, I know 50 is not too far away from knocking on my door. I don't want to approach my 50's or even 45 in the current health that I have been practicing.  

I'm looking forward to meeting new friends along the way and welcome any advice people have to assist me in my adventure.  This is going to be a lot of work.  I know some days are really going to suck and other days-- I will be doing a happy dance. 

Check back for daily updates to my blog as well as you can follow me on Face book & Twitter.

Thanks for your support and prayers. 

 Happy Running!