2009 Turkey Trot 10k

A couple of super-flattering pictures of me running:





The 10k was easier than I'd expected. I kept my pace slow and actually managed to run the whole thing! Time was 1:20:12, which was about what I was expecting, really. I'm happy.

W7D3

Today was the big one... the last big run before the 10k.

I left the house with Lucy just after 9. It was bright, sunny, and not too cool that I was worried about being cold in my sleeveless jersey. I kept the pace nice and easy, so even when I started feeling really heavy and tired around mile 4, it wasn't too difficult to keep going. I finished with an average pace approaching 14 minutes per mile, but still in the 13s.

Came back, took a glorious shower, made some more award-winning buttermilk pancakes, and spent the day painting the house.

W7D2

It was supposed to be an easy 2 mile run. Handling two excited, tugging dogs was a little more tiring than I expected. Was a nice sunny morning on the golf course though. I think I'm really going to enjoy my new jogging trail.

Also, new low this morning. I hit 163.2, an overall loss of TWENTY-EIGHT (28) POUNDS!

WOOHOO! That's almost "round-able" to 30!

Week 33 Weigh In

164.6 this morning, putting me down 0.2 lbs for the week. I'm at 26.6 total loss. It sure would be nice to start losing again...

My goal of being in the 150s for Thanksgiving is pretty hopeless at this point. I'm still proud of my progress, but it would have been awesome to hit that number.

W7D1

3 mile run on the golf course this morning. It was very cold, in the mid-50s. I was concerned enough to wear a short sleeve shirt and 3/4 pants, but I warmed up nicely halfway through.

Going Low!

Let's not talk about running this week. The weather is gorgeous, but I haven't made it outside much. Very busy between moving and meetings.

But I do have a new low to report! I'm at 163.8 this morning! Woo!

Week 32 Weigh in

yay! That pesky pound I gained last week came right off. I'm once again at 164.8, 26.4 lbs total loss.

Now if I could just drop into the lower half of 164...

Prom Dress is nowhere close to fitting

*sigh*. I was going through my closet tonight and tried on my high school prom dress for the first time this year. There's still a good 2" gap at the top 1/3rd of the zipper. Looks like I'm not going to be sporting it at any of this year's holiday parties.

I'll get there. Maybe next year.

W6D3

I postponed this run until Sunday morning because I enjoyed last weeks golf course run so much.

The entire golf course loop turned out to be over 5 miles. I swallowed a bug around mile 4, threw it up a few minutes later, and felt much better for the rest of the run. Average pace was 13:22. Not bad.

W6D2

I pushed myself and managed a pace of 12:25 minutes/mile for the first half of this morning's 2 mile run. The 2nd mile slowed significantly. It's HARD to run faster.

Week 31 Weigh in

I'm up a pound this week, at 165.8 *cries* (durn halloween!). Total loss at 25.4 lbs

W6D1

Very cold 3 mile run (13ish pace) this morning. I don't think I truly warmed up until halfway through mile 2. The sun was fully up though. YAY for daylight savings time!

I'm a One Hour Runner (W5D3)

The rain has been a real drag lately. I haven't run since the 3 miles on Monday morning, but I really want to progress with my program. I kicked myself out of bed at 8AM this morning with the goal of running 4.5 miles.

It was in the 50s, but bright and sunny. I grabbed shades from the truck and walked off toward the abandoned golf course/running path behind Scott's house. Lucy's tail was wagging happily and she reached her nose out to catch the light breeze.

I love being able to track distance on the Forerunner. The GPS helped me decide to turn around after reaching the end of the 4th section of the golf course (new territory for me). In all, I found that running 4 sections of the golf course gave me 4.2 miles. I doubled back on the close one to reach 4.5 miles. At that point, I was only 1.5 minutes from running for a full hour, so I kept going just long enough to give me that coveted 60 minutes!

My pace for the whole run averaged around 13 minutes/mile. I'm pretty happy that I didn't sink down to the 14s. I was feeling good, even at the end. I'm not at all worried about reaching 5 miles next weekend.

W5D1

I slacked a bit last week. Between a tight deadline at work, a really rainy day, and being exhausted come Saturday morning, my running schedule suffered.

I'm back at it this week. Today was one of the coldest runs I've ever done. The middle school marquee said 55°, but I got my 3 miles in. I averaged just over 13 minutes per mile.

A science blog I've been reading had a great post on running this morning: To Dad, from a Runner

I found myself identifying: slightly nerdy girl with her head always in a book got started running. We all get started for different reasons but in the end it all boils down to that daily challenge to get out there and get that run in. She's several years ahead of me in speed/distance and definitely an inspiration.

Week 30 Weigh in

Finally some progress! I'm again at 164.8 this morning, a loss of 0.8 for the week, 26.4 overall.

Plodding along

I equaled my current low this morning: 164.8. I'm happy to see that number again, but I have little confidence that I'll be significantly past it anytime soon.

Thinking back, I've always had trouble in the 160s. I was in the 160s when I left college in 2002. I was also in the 160s when I tried Weight Watchers again in 2004. I stopped my last bout with paid Weight Watchers when I'd been on it for a couple of months and had no progress out of the 160s.

This time it's different. The scale isn't moving, but I have no plans to give up. If I keep doing what I'm doing, it WILL move. It will! I just need to be patient and follow my plan.

W4D3

Another 4 mile run this morning. When I started just before 7, it was almost completely dark outside. By the time I finished, the skies were cloudy with big patches of bright blue. A beautiful mid 60s morning.

I'm happy to report that my average pace improved slightly to 13:50/mile. I'm taking these runs nice and slow. I'm even starting to look forward to next week's 4.5 mile run.

Week 29 Weigh in

Another week of little progress. I'm at 165.6, 0.2 lbs down, 25.6 overall loss.

I'm starting to feel like I'm not going to lose anything substantial in October. I've been faithfully avoiding all donuts, desserts, and halloween candy that has shown up at work. I'm eating mostly on plan with a couple of looser (but not overboard) nights each week. My running is going great.

*shrug* I guess it'll drop when it drops. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.

*EDIT*

Keep doing what I'm doing except for one thing.

I admit it. My water consumption has dropped off. I'm going to make it a goal this week to drink 3 full bottles of water each day at work. And then work hard at keeping fluid consumption up this weekend...

W4D2

An easy (and sunny) 2 miles this morning. I slept in a little and left the apartment a little after 9 AM. It felt good to go out in daylight without fear of overheating.

One of my neighbors was outside working on his truck. We chatted for moment before I took off. He was a little concerned that I'd be too cold (it was in the 60s) in my sleeveless running top (bathing suit material) and biker shorts. I assured him that once I got moving, I'd be just fine.

W4D1

Got up at 6 AM this morning to run 3 miles, mostly in the dark. Lucy was thrilled to see that the armadillos were out again. The jr high marquee said 80°.

Also, new low on the scale. At 164.8, I've dipped my toe into the bottom half of the 160s.

W3D3 - New Program!

With my 10k race coming up quickly and the new training monitoring abilities available on my Forerunner, I've decided to switch to another program: Hal Higdon's 10K Novice, but only for the running distances. Following the cross training schedule there is a little bit more than I can handle. I just know I'd be setting myself up for failure.

I started with W3D3 and a 4 mile run this morning. I kept my pace nice and slow, averaging 14:11 minutes per mile (56:48 minutes running).

For purposes of "goal completion", I'm counting this run as One Hour Runner W9D3 (54 minutes minimum). When I manage a 60 minute run, I'll consider OHR completed.

My legs have been sore all day. I really hope I didn't overdo it.

Week 28 Weigh In

No change this week. I'm again at 165.8, 25.4 lbs overall loss.

Strollin' Along

I was supposed to run 49 minutes this morning, finishing off W8 of One Hour Runner.

Patricia woke me up with a 7:15 AM phone call to see if I was still planning to run at Meyer Park. I'd forgotten to set an alarm and probably would have just run locally if she hadn't prodded me.

We met at Meyer at 9AM. I was eager to try out my new Garmin Forerunner 305, but not really feeling like a long run this morning. We managed 2.5 miles at 12:22 minutes per mile average. I have to call it a "short" run.

W8D2

Kind of a weird jog this morning. I had a 9AM meeting downtown, so I got going right after 6 to give myself time to commute. It was still very dark outside. I could see stars twinkling brightly between the clouds.

Armadillos were out in force. I think I saw more live armadillos this morning than in my entire ~4 years in Texas. Lucy was impressed and intrigued.

I also managed to swallow a bug. This kicked off several minutes of alternating trying to spit it's remains out, retching, and wondering if an allergic reaction was about to start. (It didn't. I think my nose was just having trouble dealing with the amount of air passing through it after I closed my mouth.)

I think I only ended up running two 12-minute pace miles before I gave up and started walking.

YAY! My Forerunner 305 should arrive today!

W8D1

It was pouring yesterday morning, so my Monday jog had to be postponed.

This morning was muggy and ugly. Soooo hot! Got my 30 minutes in and dripped my way back home.

Week 27 Weigh in

Finally! At 165.8, I'm down 1.2 for the week, 25.4 total loss. It's so nice to be moving again after 2 weeks of maintaining.

Komen Houston Race for the Cure 5k

There I am, bib #6801, moving along in the biggest crowd I've ever run in! Over 4000 people ran in the competitive 5k and thousands more were there for the walk that followed. Downtown was SUCH a traffic jam!

At 37:59 (2671st place, 212th in my age group!), I improved my 5K PR time by about 2 1/2 minutes. Sadly, I didn't manage to run the entire race. There were a couple of underpass hills that just looking at sapped my will to run. I did manage to hit the 3 mile mark in 36 (and change) minutes, so I'm now averaging just over 12 minutes per mile.

Goings on

A few quick updates:

I'm running in the Houston Komen Race for the Cure 5k tomorrow. I'm really hoping to improve my 5k time. We'll see how it goes.

I just ordered a Garmin Forerunner 305 wrist-mount sports GPS with HRM. This should help immensely as I kick off training for my Thanksgiving day 10k race. I'm looking forward to finally being able to train for time AND distance.

And I'm down to 166.2 this morning, once again hitting 25 lbs lost. I closed out September down only 3.2 lbs, but I'm happy with my progress. I'm in fairly new territory here and feeling great about myself.

SIOA - Mini-widespread faucets

Got a clunky ugly centerset faucet in your bathroom? Update with a mini widespread!

More mini-widespreads

SIOA - Dansko Shoes

New Category - "Stuff I'm Obsessing About" - where I toss up a quick post about something that has caught my interest.

Dansko's cool new shoe offerings-
Brianna Pump


Solstice Clog


More from Dansko at Endless.com

Week 26 Weigh In

Surprisingly, I maintained this week. 167.0, no weekly loss, 24.2 lbs total.

I think it's a fluke. I've been down around 166.0 twice, having weighed only 4 times this week. My body is doing weird things. It's not a gain, so I'm going to ignore it and see what happens next week.

Morning Run

I've got a 5k this weekend, so I think I'm going to redo W8 of OHR (One Hour Runner) next week.

This week I'm going to run 30 minutes on Monday and Wednesday.

This morning's 30 minutes would have been easier if the heat hadn't returned. The middle school marquee said 80° and there was no hint of a breeze. Yuck.

In other news, I'm down to a new low of 165.6 this morning. I doubt it'll stick for my weigh in tomorrow, but I'm pretty confident that I've lost more than last week.

W8D2

36 minute run this morning. The middle school marquee said 66°. It was actually approaching cold!

25 Pounds!

After a week in the 167s, I was ecstatic to see 166.0 this morning. Not only is it a significant weight drop since yesterday, it also marks 25 lbs down since I started this journey back in April.

Only 6 lbs to go til my next goal (and new charm for my bracelet)...

Week 25 Weigh In

Well, at 167.0, I'm only down 0.4 lbs this week, 24.2 total. Not the greatest week, but that puts me at a steady 1 lb/week for this month.

I feel like my body *wants* to break into the 166's, so that should happen tomorrow or Friday, I think.

Went shopping after work and found that I'm a solid size 10 pants even in brands other than my favorite(s). Didn't buy any though. I keep feeling like I should hold off on pants until I'm another size down. I have plenty of size 12s that should hold me over until I'm ready to stock up on 8s. Bought a couple of 3/4 sleeve tops. I'm feeling like Fall!

W8D1

Easy 30 minute run this morning. It was muggy and warm, around 80 according to the middle school marquee. There's supposed to be a cold front coming in, so hopefully my remaining runs for the week will be cooler.

167.0 this morning.

W7D3

Patricia and I planned to meet up at Meyer Park at 8AM. I got there a little early and started my warm up and jog. By the time I met Patricia on the path, I'd run about 10 minutes. We walked for another 10 minutes before beginning a 35 minute jog. Altogether, I ran 45 minutes.

The scale has been at a virtual standstill this week. I weighed in at 167.2 this morning.

W7D2

35 minute run this morning. Clear skies, started to warm up towards the end of the run.

Week 24 Weigh in

At 167.4 this morning, I'm down 1.4 lbs for the week, 23.8 total loss.

I'm pretty happy with how this month has been going. I'm having steady losses at a nice comfortable rate.

W7D1 and NEW LOW!

30 minute run this morning. I had a hard time getting out of bed so I started a little later than usual. Nice and cool out, overcast with no sun.

Also, saw 166.8 on the scale this morning. My first NEW LOW since late July! Yay! I hope it holds for tomorrow. That would be a two pound loss for this week!

Saturday Morning Run

I met up with Patricia for a run this morning in Meyer Park. After having run 41 minutes yesterday, I could tell halfway through the run that the whole thing was going to be painful.

I made it about 2 miles (25 minutes) before giving up. My calves were achy all day.

I'm supposed to meet up with her again next Saturday. My schedule has me doing a 45 minute run this Friday. I guess I can say to Patricia that I'm not up to more than 2 miles with her on Saturdays. She's getting in another run during the week (training for that same Oct 3rd 5k).

W6D3

41 minute run this morning. It was still so dark when I left the apartment that I kept checking my watch to make sure I wasn't off by an hour or something. I think the culprit was the completely socked in skies blocking any hint of a sunrise. It had brightened significantly by the end of the run, but still no sun. It was raining when I drove to work 1.5 hours later, so I guess I really lucked out.

This run was just a few seconds longer than my longest 5k, making it the longest I've ever run. I like milestones and they're going to start happening again frequently.

Speaking of milestones, at 167.6, I'm once again past my halfway point to goal. I'm only 0.6 lbs above my lowest weight from July.

W6D2

33 minute run this morning. A little muggy, but at least the sun wasn't out yet.

I had a little bit of weird calf pain around the middle of the run. I was focusing on it for a while, but then something distracted me and I forgot about it. It went away when I stopped thinking about it. Fun!

169.0 this morning. No real change, but I sure wish that it would stick to 168s (and below).

Week 23 Weigh in

Good Week!

At 168.8, I'm down 1.4 lbs, 22.4 total loss. I feel like I've finally left August behind and am making progress again.

W6D1

I was up at Scott's house this morning and didn't manage to get out of bed until 9ish. (AHHH lovely 3 day weekends)

According to the local newspaper website, it was in the mid 80s when I started my run out on the greenspace behind the house (former golf course). It was HOT. Not horrible, but much worse than anything I've run in since getting back from my motorcycle trip. Got in my 30 minutes and was soooo happy to get back into A/C and take a cold shower.

This appears to be working

Down to 168.8 this morning, past my "1 lb this week" goal. I just need to keep it up through Tuesday.

I've been working hard on monitoring intake and drinking lots of liquids. We're going to a party tonight, so we'll see how it goes.

I will try to run Monday morning at Scott's house.

W5D3

38 minute run this morning with temps in the low 70s. According to mapmyrun, I covered 2.8 miles. I don't know how accurate that is, but I like knowing that I did close to 3 miles at an easy jog.

I've been very good about food since Monday, with the only blip being a reasonable portion of homemade blueberry pie, so I was a little surprised to see that the scale has barely moved since my last weigh in on Wednesday. At 169.4, I'm down 0.2 since Wednesday, 0.8 since Tuesday.

I need to work hard on holding together (despite the long weekend) to have at least a 1 lb loss on Tuesday.

W5D2

32 minute run this morning. I was a little cold during my warmup, but settled into it when I started jogging.

Historically I'm a wimp about cold weather. I have a hard time walking out into it, even knowing that I'll warm up. We'll see how this goes.

I'm back into the 160s this morning: 169.6

Week 22 Weigh in

Ok, yuck. I'm up to 170.2 today for my official weigh in. That's a gain of 0.8 lbs, total loss of 21 lbs. Don't even ask about the results for August.

I blame all that sodium (more than usual) in my meals yesterday. Arrgh.

Ok, back to it. New month, new resolve. I'm gonna lose 5 lbs this month, durnit!

W5D1

It was fabulously cool this morning. The middle school marquee said 73°. No problems with the 30 minute run.

169.0 on the scale (down from the previous weigh in). I had a mixed week, so I'm just hoping to be down a few tenths for my official weigh in tomorrow.

W4D3

35 minute run this morning. There was just a little color to the east when I left the house. It's nice that it's so much cooler in the morning, but I wonder whether i'll still be able to do this when it's still pitch black before work.

W4D2

Easy 29 minute run this morning. The PE students were out running. I passed a guy who I think is their instructor twice. The first time got a "Good morning". The second time got a "You think you're tired? That dog has got to be tired!"

I was a little stung there. I replied with a "Oh, she's fine. We do this three times a week." As Lucy pulled me away from the encounter, I kept mulling over better responses. Arrgh.

Anyway, down to 168.4 this morning. Yay!

Komen Houston Race for the Cure 5k

I just signed up for my next 5k. It's on October 3, a little more than a month away.

Komen Houston Race for the Cure

Week 21 Weigh in

I haven't done an official Tuesday weigh in post for 3 weeks. I did weigh last Tuesday (the morning after getting back from my vacation) at 171.0 lbs.

My weight this morning was 169.4. That's a 1.6 lb loss, 21.8 lbs overall loss. Respectable. Now lets get back to 167, eh?

Little things

I've been having a problem with little things lately.

Little things constitute reaching into the fridge or the cupboards for a snacky portion of something low point, but over my points allowance. I was doing it all the week before my trip, and all the week after my trip.

I'm stopping that now. No more afterwork mozzarella cheese sticks, pirates booty, baked veggie crisps, etc. If it's 5:30 and I feel like snacking, it's time to make dinner.

W4D1 Redo

Screw it. That was easy. I'm calling it week 4.

The only hitch is that it was the first day of school, so there were buses and cars swarming all over my route. I may need to work on getting going earlier so I can miss the 7AM dropoff at the high school. (Or at least be on the starting end rather than the bulk of it.

I'm finally back down into the 160s this morning: 169.2

I'm back from my motorcycle trip

and back on it.

I weighed in at 171.0 on Tuesday morning.

My challenge for the next couple of weeks is getting back down to 168 and getting back into my running.

I'm journaling my food and drinking all my water. I'll be going grocery shopping tonight to restock.

For the running, I will do 1.5 weeks of 30 minute runs and then start back up at W4D1 of OHR. I'll run Thursday morning and Saturday morning this week and then do my normal MWF next week.

I ran!

I woke up at 6am this morning in Monroe, LA and went for a 30 minute jog (40 min total) on the frontage road by my motel.

Hiatus

I didn't like the number the scale spit out this morning. Not at all. I also didn't like that I only managed a 20 minute run last night (hacking and snotting the whole way). Yeah, it was hot. Yeah, I'm feeling a little off this week.

And yeah, I'm leaving for a 9 day motorcycle ride on Friday. I don't see any significant weight loss happening in the next two weeks. I'll be happy/lucky to maintain.

Therefore, I'm putting recording my daily weight on hiatus until I get back. This isn't an excuse to overeat and not exercise... It's a CHALLENGE!

For those who only read this blog and not my main motorcycling blog: http://rocketbunny.blogspot.com

Trip report posts should start Friday night.

July

I'm up a little today, finishing out the month down 3 lbs for July.

Currently I seem to be bouncing around 167-168 lbs. I'm not expecting a big loss for this next week, but am hopeful that I'm past that major low-170s plateau and can get back to a 5 lb / month loss rate.

No run today

I was all ready to run this morning. I got up at the right time and put on my jogging clothing. Then I realized that the headache (that was making my brain slosh around inside my skull whenever I made any sudden moves) was not going to be conducive to 35 minutes of running.

Instead, I took an easy 20 minute dog walk and called it a day. If I'm up to it, I'll run 30 minutes on Friday or Saturday and then redo Week 6 next week. 

I would just continue with OHR, but I really need to keep the long run days to weekends. I've also got a 10 day motorcycle tour coming up the 2nd week of August. I'm hoping to be able to run near my motel rooms and keep to my schedule, but that may not always be possible.

I essentially maintained overnight: 167.2

Week 17 Weigh in *WHOOSH!*

I just had my best week ever. Ever.

I weighed in this morning at 167.0, 3.2 lbs down since last week, 24.2 lbs total.

I'm almost afraid of what next week will bring. 

W6D1

My allergies seem to be running their usual course. I was extremely lethargic on Saturday and Sunday. The sore throat faded by Sunday night and the nose stuff began.

I went to bed early on Sunday to make sure I had enough energy for my 30 minute run this morning. Even so, it was clear that this run was much slower than recent ones. I did get it done, but didn't cover my usual distance. Hopefully I'll be feeling better by Wednesday for a 35 minute run. 

My weight is up a little this morning: 168.6. Let's just say I had a high point Saturday night out with friends at Texas Roadhouse and then wasn't especially tight with points yesterday. 

W5D3

The 38 minute run was HARD this morning. 

I woke up early enough to head over to Meyer/Collins Park. We did a couple of loops around the south side and the connector. I seem to be starting a round of allergies and had a bad sore throat, so even the first 30 minutes were pushing it. It seemed like the last 8 were taking FOREVER, but I somehow made it through.

Even Lucy was pretty tired when we got back to the truck after a total of 1:15 on the park paths. I gave her some water before getting in for the drive home.

A new low this morning: 167.2.

Pictures from the Lunar Rendezvous 5k

They're proofs, because I don't like any of them enough to actually pay for full size prints.  (and I really hope my extra chin decides to go away soon.)

HALFWAY!

I seem to be solidly in the 160s. Lucy and I did a short 30 minute walk this morning (I'll do my 38 minute run tomorrow, hopefully at the park).

I weighed in this morning at 167.6, past the halfway point to my goal.

It's amazing to think that on Tuesday I had lost only a pound in the entire month. I was frustrated and casting around for ways to up my rate of weight loss. Looking at the current (2009) Weight Watchers program (I've been using the 2001 program), I realized that I was eating 3-4 points below what my target should be. I increased my points by a few (call it the equivalent of an additional 200 calories/day). All of a sudden I'm down 4 pounds for the month. I might make it to 5 at this rate.

W5D2 and into the 160s!

From my pre-run weigh, I had some hint that I'd achieve the 160s today.

The run went fine. I was definitely tired at the end of my 32 minutes of jogging, but not horribly so. It was overcast and in the low 80s.

I was seriously ecstatic when I got on my scale after the run and saw 168.8! After floating around 171 for all of July, this is so, so sweet!

Midsummer NSV

My Mom commented on my ill-fitting jeans at dinner last Sunday. I'm not quite ready to buy a bunch of new long pants (would like to wait until I drop another size or two and buy at the beginning of winter), but I have been wanting some more capris for those hot summer days.

I stopped by one of my favorite stores after work today and tried on a bunch of clothes. I've been wearing a mixture of 14s and 12s. To my surprise, I'm now a size 10 (in some brands at least). Yay! I bought a couple of size 10 capris.

BTW, NSV = non-scale victory

Week 16 Weigh in

Good News! I'm down a full pound this week, 21 lbs total loss.

At 170.2 I'm just ounces away from the 160s! *crosses fingers*

W5D1

It was overcast this morning, with green spots (rain) on the radar map. As a precaution, I put my mp3 player in a baggie and zipped it into my camelbak waist pack.

The run went very well. At 30 minutes, my stopping point, I was shocked to find that I wasn't at all tired. Maybe there really IS something to the whole philosophy of "one long run per week". I'm actually looking forward to the increases One Hour Runner is making to my run times this week. (D2 - 32 minutes, D3 - 38 minutes)

I weighed in at 170.8 this morning. I'm hoping this means that I'll finally hit the 160s this week.

Lunar Rendezvous 5k

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...LIFTOFF!" and the front runners streamed away as astronaut Sandra Magnus started the 31st running of the Lunar Rendezvous 5k race. Held at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake, the course wound around the perimeter of the campus.

Anticipating being one of the slower runners, I held back and crossed the start line (starting my chip) about a minute after the race started. I'd warmed up by walking back and forth between the start line and the finish line (a little ways away) a few times and was feeling pretty good. I resolved to run at least the first 35 minutes of the race (following my "One Hour Runner" plan for the day). I also wanted to improve my 5K time.

I let my heart rate settle in the mid 160s during the first mile as we passed the rocket park and a long building with a line drawing of the Saturn V rocket it contained painted on the side. This building and others provided plenty of shady areas that really helped keep the temperature down. At the first mile marker, I glanced down at my HRM and saw that I was at just over 12 minutes.

The HRM slowly crept up into the 170s during the 2nd mile. I slowed down slightly a couple of times to bring my heart rate down, but I didn't worry about it too much. I know from my training runs that my heart rate will tend to rise slightly as I tire. I downed the second mile in around 13 minutes.

During the first half of the run, I noticed a pattern to the people around me. There were several people that jogged past me at a blazing pace. A few minutes later, I'd pass them as they slowed for a walk break. My pace was fairly consistent the whole time. I told myself that I was the slow and steady tortoise getting passed by a succession of hares (Yay Bunnies!). Sure enough, by the second half of the race, I was no longer seeing any of these people. They'd dropped behind me and their jackrabbit hops were no longer sufficient to pass me.

The last mile of the race turned into a mental battle to keep going. Somewhere around 32 minutes in, my legs were suddenly awash in a wave of lethargy. My heart rate was high (into the 180s) but my breathing was easy. I kept going.

My determination was rewarded a few minutes later when I got my second wind. At 35 minutes into the race, longer than I'd ever run before, I was good to go. Nothing was hurting, nothing was overwhelmingly tired, heart rate was high but not worrisome, and I could see the spires of the rocket park in the distance.

I jogged across the finish line with a chip time of 40:57, 22 seconds slower than my Dad's Day 5k time. I'm okay with that. It's only 7 seconds difference per mile, about as close as it could be.

I'm SO proud that I actually ran the entire 5k. A huge milestone has been passed that will give me extra confidence during my next 5k.

W4D2

I felt a little silly only running 29 minutes this morning (45 minutes total). It was nice to skip the last minute of my run, but I don't know how much effect it'll have. Whatever, it's part of the plan.

My next run is the 5k race on Saturday. Looking at the record from my HRM, I plan to try to keep it reading in the 160s during the race. I will slow down if I hit the 170s. The OHR plan calls for 35 minutes of running. If I can keep a 12-13 minute/mile pace, that puts me finishing in 36-39 minutes. I think that is doable. I just need to keep my legs moving at a jog and not let my mind convince me that it's time to walk.

171.0 this morning. No real movement. *chants* It'll happen. Keep going!

Week 15 Weigh in & *PLOD*

I'm down 0.2 lbs for the week, 20.0 total.

On the good side, it's my first "official" weigh in at 20 lbs. On the bad side, the month is half over and I've only lost 0.4 lbs so far in July. Arrgh. Oh well. It's progress.

W4D1

Nice easy 30 minute run (45 minutes total) this morning. The sun was just barely coming up so my sunglasses spent most of the run on top of my head.

I'm supposed to taper back to a 29 minute run on Wednesday. I suppose I'll just go to my normal halfway point and then start my cool down walk a minute earlier.

As I was running, I tried to quantify how tired I was during different segments. I'm very worried about mentally psyching myself out of running at least the first 30-35 minutes of the 5k on Saturday. I *CAN* run it. I need to be aware of but not listen to that niggling voice in my head that will say that I'm overdoing it or that it's different from a normal morning run.

I'm up slightly to 171.2 today. This is supposed to be my week (tomorrow) to weigh in the 170.X's, so I'm working hard to drink my water and stay on plan today.

W3D3

Yet again I didn't wake up early enough to drive over to the park for our morning jog. In fact, it was fairly late (7:30 AM) when Lucy and I left the apartment. The run was uneventful, although slightly warmer than earlier jogs.

I note that our start time corresponds with the start time of my 5k race next Saturday. If I can jog 30 minutes at home, surely I should be able to do it at the race!

Also, happy scale today. I hit 170.0 again (last time was Monday, 6 days ago). I'm feeling good about the prospect of dipping into the 160s next week.

W3D2 and thoughts

I had a kind of mini breakdown this week.

My cheap jogging MP3 player decided to paperweight itself after we went walking in the rain Tuesday morning. I didn't realize this until Wednesday morning. I couldn't face jogging without music, so I didn't. The scale was so dismal that morning (172.8!) that I didn't even record it. I've been over Points by 2 or 3 every day this week and I've been slacking on drinking all my water.

The good news is that I think BF pulled me out of it. I was lamenting my running schedule to him Wednesday afternoon. He mentioned that he had to be at work super-early on Thursday morning and I could probably fit in a jog at his place before going to work.

It was perfect! We got up just after 6 and he hopped in the shower while I put on my jogging clothes. I took Lucy out for a loop of the former golf-course behind his house. The air was completely still and very wet. There were bugs everywhere, but it was still one of the more quiet and scenic jogs I've been on. He was long gone when I got back to his house, took a shower, and got into the car to go to work.

I also skipped my weight training workout Tuesday night (went shopping after work and wasn't feeling it). I continued my weight training hiatus on Thursday night, opting instead to watch a fluff movie and sort email.

I'll jog again on Saturday morning and try to fit in a WT workout on Sunday night.

The good news is that the happy numbers on the scale are back as of this morning. I weighed in at 171.0, only the 2nd time I've been below 20 lbs. This was a "normal" morning (meaning no jogging or other exercise to help the weight come down) so I think it'll stick this time. I'm feeling MUCH more positive.

Week 14 Weigh in

Alas, this morning's weigh-in wasn't a continuation of yesterday's awesomeness. I'm down 1.2 lbs this week, 19.8 total.

I must have been dehydrated from sleeping in an apartment with no A/C and then running. Oh well. I'll be back there soon.

W3D1

The air conditioning in my apartment broke over the weekend. It was 89 degrees in there last night and this morning, even with the windows open as far as I dared (didn't want Cali-kitty to be able to scratch at the screens). The ceiling fans helped, but still...

Anyway, it was a little disheartening to go out for my run knowing that I'd be coming back and *cooling off* in a space that was actually hotter than outside.

I did it though. Nice easy 30 minute run, 45 minutes total. I seem to be sustaining that faster pace (13 minute mile) so things are looking up for my next 5k. It's only two weeks away now.

This is the last week of straight 30 minute runs on One Hour Runner. Next week will start with 30 on Monday, 29 on Tuesday, and then calls for 35 on the third day. I'll be doing the 35 minute run during the 5k race. I'm planning to attempt to stay with the program: run my 35 minutes, take a break, and then see what I can do to finish out the race. I've run 30 minutes often enough at this point that I feel I have very little excuse for walking as early as I did during my 1st 5k.

Unless it's unbearably hot of course. Or shade-free. We'll see.

20 Pounds!

Somehow, someway... I blew past 20 pounds this weekend.

I'm not sure how it happened. I just wasn't THAT good with all the Fourth of July BBQ/snacks eating.

I find myself at 21.2 lbs lost and on the cusp of a new weight decade (170.0). WOOOO! GO ME!

W2D3

Since I have the day off, I got all ambitious last night and set my alarm for 5:30 AM. The plan was to wake up and drive over to a local park for my run.

Well, 5:30 came a little too soon for me. I kept hitting snooze until I didn't have time to drive to the park and still beat the heat.

Had a nice 30 minute run (45 min total).

July WT #1 of 8

Not only did I do 3 sets of each exercise, I also did the first set at a higher weight!

It was much heavier, but I was capable of one set at 20 lbs vs my usual 10 lbs. Maybe in two weeks or so, I'll be capable of two sets at 20 lbs. :D

W2D2

Very overcast this morning, which helped. I brought my sunglasses, but they spent the entire run pushed back on the top of my head.

I seem to have improved my speed. I ran further this morning than any other of my recent 30 minute runs. Getting on the computer after the run, I discovered that I ran about 2.3 miles in 30 minutes, around 13 minutes per mile.

I'm also having a fantastic couple of days on the scale. I'm down another full pound this morning for a new low! Still not at 20 lbs lost, but I'm so close.

June WT #8 of 8

I made it! Not only did I keep my goal of 8 weight training workouts in June, I also improved my lifting ability. It's gotten noticeably easier.

I discussed buying another set of dumbbell rods a few days ago. I realized tonight that the smarter solution is to keep on with the amount I'm currently lifting, but add another set (I'm currently only doing 2 sets).

My goal for July is another 8 workouts, doing 3 sets of each lift.

My 2nd 5k

I just signed up for my 2nd 5k race, the Lunar Rendezvous 5K on July 18.

This race will be about one month after my first 5k. I'm really hoping to improve my time, but since it's still a summer event, I expect to face the same weather problems. I'm just hoping the course is a little more shaded. The event appears to start in the parking lot for Space Center Houston. We'll see if the slightly earlier (7:30AM) start time helps.

Week 13 Weigh in

Well, I guess this could be called a "happy scale" day. On the bright side, I'm down a full pound from yesterday. On the not so bright side, I'm up 0.2 lbs for the week, 18.6 lbs total loss. I essentially maintained this week.

I'm down a total of 4.8 lbs in June, matching my loss rate from May.

If I can keep up this slow rate of loss, I should still make it close to my goal by the end of the year.

W2D1

Ok, so the scale wasn't so good this morning. Up another half pound. Yuck. It was also horribly hot outside even at 6:30 AM. I ended up skipping the run and doing some cleaning around the apartment.

My plan for today was to drink lots of water (4 bottles at work plus many many glasses at home) and eat toward the lower end of my points range (ended up at 21). I also knew that I had to run this evening.

The computer was saying 98 when I left home at 7:30, but the marquee at the middle school said 89 when I passed it. It was actually one of the cooler runs I've done since spring. It was overcast with a nice breeze, and then we got rained on for the last 10 minutes.

For the first time, I didn't actually run the whole half hour. I ended up taking a 5 minute walk break toward the end, so I estimate that I actually ran 25 minutes, walked 20 minutes for a total of 45 minutes outside.

Anyway, I'm planning to get up and take a walk with Lucy tomorrow morning. I'm hopeful that the scale will get it's act together for my last June weigh-in.

June WT #7 of 8

Ok, so far so good. I just need to do one more WT on Tuesday and I've made my goal. Yay!

I'm thinking about buying another set of dumbbell rods. I think I'm ready to up my weights on a couple of exercises, but not on the majority. It's such a pain unscrewing the clips to change weights that it just won't be happening.

The weekend wasn't so bad pointswise. I went over because I'm never very strict on weekends, but not horribly so. Lucy and I did get in a walk each day. We'll see where the scale falls tomorrow.

W1D3 and Whoa Baby!

Some people have elaborate scale rituals. I don't really. I just go for the lowest number. My first weigh is usually immediately after getting out of bed (etc). This number gives me a baseline and is usually roughly a pound higher than the lowest weight I'll see that morning. I'll go exercise, or take a walk, or surf the web for an hour or so. I weigh again right before my shower and then again after the shower. These two weigh ins are usually very close, but sometimes I can get the magic number machine to spit out a low low number.

Anyway, this morning I knew I was in for a bad scale day when the first-weigh-of-the-day was MUCH higher than I expected. I shrugged, grabbed Lucy, and went for my 30 minute run. It was normal, no problems.

After my shower I finally recorded a weight that I last saw last week. Yuck.

I haven't been eating excessive amounts of calories, but I did have a fairly late/fairly big (on points) dinner last night followed by a late night weights workout. From this I conclude that dinner still needs to "pass through" and my muscles (which are pretty sore) are retaining water while healing. So Yay. I can ignore the scale and get on with my life. It will be better next time I weigh.

//not moving the ticker

It's True!

I ran in a 5k race!



//doesn't exist without pictures
//from Dads Day 5k 6/20/09

June WT #6 of 8

It almost didn't happen. I kept procrastinating, ignoring the idea that if I got it done, I'd feel so successful. First it was too hot outside to take that walk afterward. Then I was too hungry for dinner. Then I was too full from dinner.

Finally at 10pm, finding myself just aimlessly surfing the web, I put on my workout clothes and "got 'er done." I didn't walk afterward, and I didn't do the crunches (I hate crunches), but I can legitimately increment my counter and still have a chance of making my June WT goal.

W1D2 and some progress

Left the house at 6:45 this morning. Cloud cover was slightly more sparse than Monday, but still enough to prevent it from heating up too much while Lucy and I were out. The 30 minute run was easy.

After holding steady around 172.4 since last Friday, I'm at a new low this morning, 171.8. I've done two low point days, and I expect today to be slightly higher. Scott and I are talking about going out and seeing a movie tonight. I'm hoping the calorie cycling will get me to 20 lbs lost by next week's weigh in. I hardly dare imagine getting into the 160s this month. Inching my way along...

June WT #5 of 8

After getting off the weight training wagon last week, I hauled myself back up tonight. One more workout down, three to go for the month. Looking at the calendar, looks like I can still make it if I do one Thursday, Sunday, and next Tuesday.

YAY for building some flexibility into my goal!

Week 12 Weigh in

I'm up .2 from yesterday, but this is still my best week this month!

I'm down 1.8 lbs for the week, 18.8 pounds total. There is still a week to go in June. I'm excited to see where it gets me.

W1D1

Lucy and I kicked off One Hour Runner this morning. The run was the same thing we did all last week: 5 minute warm up walk, 30 minute run, 5 minute cool down walk. This will be the plan for the next 3 weeks. I'm going to steadily work on my endurance and see if I can speed up a little bit (ie cover more distance).

After several weeks of clear skies, this morning's patchy cloud cover was a welcome sight. The added shade helped keep the temperature down, especially in the last 5 minutes of the run, which are usually the sunniest.

Sidenote: I trimmed Lucy's nails last night, so I'm hoping the jog filed down the rough edges.

10%

If I were currently enrolled in Weight Watchers, I'd be getting my 10% keychain at my next meeting.

Despite a less than stellar weekend (traveling, Father's Day BBQ), the scale was down 0.2 lbs this morning, putting me at 19 lbs a.k.a. 10% of my starting body weight lost.

Dad's Day 5k Race Report (W9D3)

This morning's Dad's Day 5K race in downtown Houston was also my graduation run for the Couch to 5K program. 

Results:

Chip Time: 40:35

Gun Time: 41:16

Overall Place: 630 / 725

Division Place: 33 /44 (F 30-34)

I met up with friends Michelle and Jesse at the race start under the Wortham Arch around 7:40 AM. We were standing towards the back of the crowd (past the 10 minute/mile pace sign) so we hadn't been able to make out what the announcer at the front was rambling on about. When the gun went off at 8 AM, it was a little unexpected.

As the crowd started to slowly edge forward, I quickly put my headphones in and started my music. My trusty Polar F11 HRM was queued up, requiring just a one button push as I crossed the start line about a minute later.

I emerged from under the arch and was immediately presented with brilliant sunshine and a fairly steep (compared to the few other hills I've covered during my training) climb up and over 6+ lanes of Interstate 45 through downtown Houston. I knew I would be slow compared to other runners, so I stayed to the side, but I will say I was a little surprised at how very many people were passing me on each side. Michelle and Jesse quickly disappeared into the crowd ahead.

The run had started over an hour later than my training runs. The sun was beating down and there was very little shade on Memorial Drive. I estimate that it was already in the high 80s or low 90s. I kept telling myself that just like my initial *long* runs, this would be a mind over matter experience. I was capable, I just had to keep my mind on running and off my aching legs.

Passing the first mile marker, I was shocked to see that I had run it in only 12:15. This was my fastest mile ever, at least two minutes faster than my training pace. My heart rate was also much higher than it has been during my training. I started to constantly remind myself to slow down and save my energy for the rest of the race. I finally gave myself permission to walk about 16 minutes into the run when I glanced down at the HRM and saw it in the 180s, higher than I've seen it since my first week of C25K. 

I started paying a lot more attention to the HRM at that point. Even at a brisk walk, it was high, at running rates. During the rest of the race, I ran only in brief spurts. I'd set a goal: run to that water station, run to that overpass, etc. Once I made the goal, I'd walk for several minutes. Despite walking large portions of it, I took only 14 minutes to get through the 2nd mile.

Climbing back up the I-45 overpass, I spied the Wortham Arch in the distance and saw that my time was still under 40 minutes. I decided right there to make a big push at the end and try to come in under 42 minutes (14 minute/mile pace). A few moments after starting to run, I found myself getting chills, and thought "This can't be good". I ignored it and the feeling soon went away.

Michelle and Jesse were on the sidelines cheering me on as I approached the finish line. I'm still a little surprised that I had the presence of mind to hit the "end" button on my HRM as I crossed it. I didn't make it in under 40 minutes, but my chip/HRM time of 40:35 far surpassed my original pre-race estimate of 42 minutes minimum, 45 minutes probable.

After I'd cooled off a bit, I looked more closely at my HRM results and was slightly horrified to see that over the 40 minutes, I'd averaged 91% of my max heart rate and even hit 101% at some point during the race. To compare, my recent training runs have averaged 80% and maxed out at 89%. I know that none of this is where I *should* be running, but as my body continues to adjust, average HR is trending slowly downward.

Anyway, the 5k was a lot harder than I expected. I need to work on not getting excited about running in a group and keep my pace slower and more sustainable. I hate to make excuses, I but I feel the weather was a big factor in my inability to run as much of the race as I would have liked. Houston in summer is pretty brutal. The organizers might have done better to schedule the race an hour earlier.

I will continue to run and plan for another 5k in July or August. I'd like to improve my time and aim for actually running more of the race.

Mixed

I'm a little disappointed in myself this week. I really slacked on my weight training. I went shopping after work on Tuesday, meaning I got home too late to workout AND go for an evening walk with Lucy. I ended up skipping the weight lifting but did take the walk.

Last night I made plans to have an early dinner and then do my workout. Well, dinner (7 points worth of blackened tilapia, sauteed zucchini/carrots, and a small baked sweet potato) was too filling and I really didn't feel like lifting. So I just took a walk with Lucy and called it a night.

I woke up early this morning with the thought of doing a lifting workout. I dilly dallied around until all I had time for was another walk. So Lucy's been getting a lot of walking in lately, but my biceps aren't getting any bigger.

My current plan is to attempt to get in three weight training workouts next week. That should put me back on schedule for my June goal of 8 workouts.

There is SOME good news. The scale has been happy this week. I'm down to a new low of 172.4 lbs this morning. That's *almost* 19 lbs total. I've got a busy weekend ahead. I won't be home for another morning weigh in until Monday. I'm hopeful that this wonderful rate of loss will continue and this will end up being my first really really good weekly loss this month.

W9D2

That's it! I'm done with running until the 5K race on Saturday.

I started C25K on April 21st. I've been constantly amazed at the improvement in my cardiovascular system. I went from huffing and puffing and feeling like I was going to die if Ullrey didn't let me stop soon to just a mild ache in my calves.  I don't yet *love* running, but I have high hopes that if I keep it up, eventually I will.

I've run in the rain, mid-day heat, and cool evening. I've run in unfamiliar cities, various local parks, and from my front door. Every run has been a sniff-tastic adventure for my dog Lucy, who spends most workdays cooped up in her crate. I'm getting my first summer tan in years (the majority of my outdoors activity in the past has been spent completely covered up in gear, riding my motorcycle).

I've only lost around 10 lbs during the program, but I don't blame the running for lack of progress. I'm not very strict with my diet, trading slowed weight loss for an eating plan that I can truly *live* with.

Week 11 Weigh in

Oooh! I've broken out of my pattern. After having floated around last weeks number all this week, I actually lost!

I'm down 1 lb for the week, 17 lbs total. 

A challenging day ahead

Tomorrow will be challenging. There's a birthday in the office, so there will be donuts. Then we're going on a field trip to two work sites, with a stop at Smashburger (boss' favorite and he's paying) between sites.

I want to stay On Points after the weekend. Here's what I've got planned:

Breakfast: Cran-Bran Vitatop
Lunch: Smashchicken sandwich (no cheese, no mayo) and maybe maybe maybe the flash fried veggies (asparagus, carrot, green bean)
Snack: none
Dinner: broiled tilapia, potato, veggies
Dessert: sugar free pudding

I already input it into my food journal. Now I've just got to stick to it.

Wicked Weekend

Scott and I drove down to San Antonio this weekend, mainly to see Wicked at the Majestic Theater, but also for an Adventure! 

On the way, I introduced him to a true Texas BBQ joint, the City Market in Luling. After checking into the Hotel Valencia, we strolled down the Riverwalk to the Alamo. On the way back we stopped at Zuni Grill for dinner on the patio overlooking the river.

The show was great. I'd read the book, but had scrupulously avoided researching the musical so I was in for a surprise. 

On Sunday morning we waited an hour for a table at Magnolia Pancake Haus. We agreed that the place (which reviews called the highest rated breakfast in San Antonio) couldn't hold a candle to Kerbey Lane in Austin, but was still yummy.

Anyway, I sat down at my computer last night and calculated out that I ate an extra 20 points on Saturday and ended up 3 points over on Sunday (I ate my filling go-to 7 point dinner, refusing to risk triggering a binge)

About 15 of those extra points were liquid (an extremely refreshing and yummy frozen strawberry margarita (9 pts?) and a canned watermelon drink (6 pts)).

Not horrible. Worth it.

W9D1

Hoping to beat some of the heat, I got out the door a whole half hour earlier this morning. It was slightly cooler, but the air was very still, so no breeze to cool me down. 30 minutes (only 2 minutes longer than my runs last week) was no challenge. 

I'm still slightly astonished that I've made it through 8 weeks of this program and will be running my first 5K on Saturday. 5K! 5K! Have I been gushing about it too much? 

DL weight

Earlier today, as I was digging through boxes looking for something, I found a keepsake box with various high school mementos in it. In it I found my original provisional (under 18) drivers license.

I don't even remember filling out the forms, but apparently back when I was 16, I put down 130 lbs as my weight. Was I really that light? Will this be a future mini-goal? Hmmmmm...

W8D3

Very sunny this morning. Still muggy (84 degrees when I passed the middle school marquee). I'm wondering if I'm capable of getting out of bed an hour earlier for cooler weather. The 6:45 AM that I've been doing the last several weeks is awfully early for me.

I had none of the "just want to walk" thoughts that plagued me on Wednesday. In fact, I actually tried to sustain a slightly faster pace. In past runs I've continually told myself to keep it slow and conserve energy. This time I stopped holding back and just let it happen. I doubt I was that much faster, but the halfway point was further down the road than Monday and Wednesday.

No worries on the calves. They were fine this morning.

Two runs left before the 5K. I'm bumping to 30 minute jogs next week.

June WT #4 of 8

I feel like I might have over-extended my calves doing calf extensions tonight. Also a slight twinge in my lower back. The calves were fine after the 30 minute dog walk.

Hope I'm in shape to run tomorrow morning.

Lunch Victory

A rep brought in boxed lunches today. I got the "honey ham" box.

It ended up being a croissant with sliced deli ham, american cheese, a 230 calorie bag of Lays potato chips, a fruit cup, and a large M&M cookie.

I immediately put the cookie and chips into the common pot on the conference table. I picked the cheese off the sandwich (I don't like American anyway), discarded the mayo pack, squirted the mustard on, and enjoyed my lunch. My only add was a 100 calorie pack of Wheat Thins to give me the salt and crunch of chips.

The only part of the lunch that I still have doubts about is the croissant. It was probably higher calorie than I estimated, but I still feel proud of myself for having skipped the obviously off-plan parts of the meal.

What's Next?

I'm almost done with Couch to 5k and have been looking for a plan to follow after my first 5k race. 

I'd like to try for one 5k each month to give me an extra reason to continue with my running. I'd also like a structured program to help improve my speed and endurance. Eventually I'd like to consider a 10k and/or half marathon. A full 26.2 mile marathon currently holds little attraction for me. I doubt Lucy would be able to accompany me on training runs for that and exercising with her is one of my big priorities.

Podrunner has a nice program with interval running set to music. There's a choice of an 8k or 10k program, but I'm not sure I want to run short intervals again after working myself up to being able to run for 30 minutes at a time.

I think I've settled on One Hour Runner (OHR). It starts off with several weeks of 30 minute runs and then, over 10 weeks, works up to being able to run a once weekly long run of 60 minutes at a time. I'll have to time it with my HRM watch and supply my own music. According to research I've read, as I build endurance doing long runs, my speed should improve on short runs. I think Lucy should still be capable of this because she's never really running, just trotting along next to me. I will need to start waking up earlier and and earlier though.

I'm Overweight! Yay!

There's some more blue on the sidebar. I hit one of my published mini-goals this morning. At 174.0 lbs, my BMI is 29.9 (ie no longer in the "obese" range). I'm now "overweight" and will remain in that range until I hit my goal weight of 145 lbs.

My next major mini goal is 160 lbs (-31 lbs) aka my old California driver's license weight (TX doesn't put weight on licenses). That's 14 lbs away.

W8D2

Very muggy this morning. Already 80 degrees by the time I left the apartment at 8:15. I wanted to stop and walk so many times during the first half of the run. I kept telling myself that I didn't really *need* to walk, I just *wanted* to walk. So I didn't. Mind over matter. I made it through and was FAR more proud of myself for jogging the whole thing.

I've got to figure out something for the sweat though. Tons of sweat droplets (yum!) were running down my face during the cool down walk. When I got home, I grabbed a paper towel and promptly soaked it wiping my forehead.

June WT #3 of 8

I upped my sets today. Instead of one set (12 reps) of each lift, I did two. I almost wasn't able to finish the second set of shoulder press, but that was close to the end of my workout, which includes a fair amount of upper body. At least I'm confident that I'm using the right weight amount.

Tonight's workout (links to demonstration of lift on ExRx):
3 minutes of light intensity cardio (recumbent exercise bike)
2 sets of 12 squats
2 sets of 12 dumbbell row
2 sets of 12 dumbbell bench press
2 sets of 12 arm curls
2 sets of 12 dumbbell shoulder press
2 sets of 12 calf raise
2 sets of 12 bent over dumbbell row
2 sets of 30 crunches

I finished with a 30 minute dog walk. Lucy was appreciative.

Week 10 Weigh in

I finished out the week up a little from the preceding days, but I'm satisfied overall.

I'm down 1.2 lbs for the week, 16 lbs overall loss. The scale is definitely more exciting on running mornings, but probably more realistic on a normal quiet morning like this one.

W8D1

Only 4 more workouts until my 5K race.

My heart rate was a little higher than normal this morning. I don't think my body was ready to be awake yet. When I stopped running, my legs were infused with that lethargy again (the same I got after my first 20 minute run). I made it though.

Also, I dropped below 175 lbs this morning. That means (according to the older WW plan I'm following) it's time to drop my daily points range from 22-27 down to 20-25. Not a huge hardship, but I might need to start to substitute sugar free pudding for my daily ice cream.

Not the best weekend...

Foodwise at least.

I did avoid the pizza and stuck with water to drink on Saturday night. I skipped breakfast on Sunday morning so BF and I could sleep in late and then met some friends for brunch at a local restaurant.

I had an omelet with sausage crumbles, plenty of cheese, and veggies mixed in. The potatoes and high-end bacon on the side probably didn't help. I had a light 7 point dinner (chicken, veggies, wild rice) and have been guzzling liquids all day to try to get all that food moving.

At least I'm scheduled to run tomorrow morning. The scale has been kind to me in the past on such mornings.

(crosses fingers)

Choices

I went out with my parents last night. We decided on sushi/chinese buffet. I had a plate of assorted sushi and realized that I was already full, but just had to try a few bites of fried pork, calamari, and sesame chicken. I then topped it off with some sliced bananas with red sauce.

I ate WAAAAY too much... but I'm over it. Choices. Today I've been drinking my water and eating toward the lower end of my points range. I got on the scale this morning, groaned, and didn't write it down. Talk about too much salt and not enough water to wash it away.

BF and I were supposed to make a light Pad Thai for dinner tonight, but he just got a text from friends inviting us over for a pizza/movie night. We've already decided to get dinner on our own first and avoid the pizza.

If I can avoid the pizza, beer, and snacks, I should be ok for my next scale encounter on Monday morning.

There is one good thing about today worth mentioning. I did the Polar Fitness Test again this morning. My OwnIndex is up to 34 which corresponds with the lowest rung of "Moderate"  V02-Max, one of my minigoals. I updated my sidebar.

W7D3

Easy run this morning. Clear skies, plenty of shade. No problems. (I feel so boring: it was just a standard, run-of-the-mill run)

I'm really loving getting on the scale after a morning run though. Saw a new low. 16.2 lbs lost.

June WT #2 of 8

I'm probably not stressing my muscles enough, but starting out very slow has other benefits, right? If I don't dread the workout, I'm more likely to do it. Hmm?

Anyway, at least Lucy appreciated the 20 minute walk.

15! Fifteen Pounds! Ah ah ah ah!

I FINALLY made it to (past) fifteen pounds lost this morning. It took going for a run and taking a shower afterward, and the way it's been lately, I may not see that number again for a week... But durnit, I did it! It's MINE!

UPDATE - Here's the charm that Scott got me for 15 lbs. It's a round silver bead with inlaid mother of pearl hearts. The hearts can be different colors in different light, from white to green to pink to black. It's beautiful.

(The dangly heart is an older charm that I've had as long as I've had the bracelet.)

I know that Scott has already purchased 2 other charms, one for 30 lbs and one for my big goal of 45 lbs. Knowing they're waiting for me is huge motivation. I've GOT to make it there.

W7D2

Got up at 7ish this morning. It was overcast and muggy out, so no sunglasses needed. Still a bit of a cool breeze. No problems with the run after the light weight lifting last night. Phew!

New Goal : June Weight Training

I've been trying to focus hard on running lately, establishing a habit and all...

But I also really want to start weight training again. I plan to do two weight lifting workouts each week in June (total of 8 for the month).

I've reached back into my weight lifting history to Krista's (stumptuous.com) "No Fat Chicks" post along with ExRx for exercise instructions. Like the Couch to 5k plan, Krista starts you out slow with a couple of weeks of quick, easy workouts progressing toward harder, more reps on a 12 week schedule. I like this format.

I have everything I need at home: dumbells with some assorted weights, an adjustable bench, even a recumbent exercise bike for quick cardio warmups. I'm logging (weight, sets, reps) my workouts in a spreadsheet on GoogleDocs.

Krista suggests 10-15 minutes of cardio after the workout. Instead of more jogging or spinning, I'll take this as a directive to take Lucy for a 20 minute walk to the high school and back.

I did my first workout today after work. I'm glad that this plan starts out slow, because multiple sets of squats in the past have left me with shaky legs the next day. I'm running tomorrow morning, so I really really hope my legs will be up to the task.

Week 9 Weigh in

My body rallied to a surprising 0.2 lb loss for the week, 14.8 total loss. As I posted yesterday, I'd spent most of the week above my official weight for last week, so I was a little shocked this morning when the scale put me just below. Happy though. Maybe the pattern will hold and the weight will melt off this week.

W7D1

I'm in the homestretch.

Feels like it at least. After having been up half the night (til 3am) on a work project, I was worried that the run wouldn't go very well.

Well, it was no problem. The sun was on it's way down when I left the apartment at 7:30. It was actually *cool* with a nice breeze. W7D1 down.

On another note, I went to the grocery store today to restock. I'd heard that this other store had some interesting items. I wasn't able to find everything on my list, but it had the basics.

I'm cooking dinner right now and slightly saddened to find that HEB's (the place I went today) bulk frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts are noticeably smaller than Kroger's (my normal store). They're probably a more correct portion size, but still....

The Month of May

I lost 4.8 lbs in May. It seems agonizingly slow after over 10 lbs in April. I keep reminding myself that I started running in the 2nd half of April and my legs have been building muscle. I'll be writing down measurements tomorrow morning (a new monthly ritual, took my first measurements in early May).

I've noticed a pattern to my weight loss. I seem to alternate fantastic loss weeks with slight loss or slight gain weeks. I'll know for sure tomorrow, but I think I'm currently on a slight gain week.

I refuse to be discouraged. Even at a rate of 5 lbs per month, I'll still reach or be very close to my 45 lb goal by the end of the year. That's infinitely better than giving up and watching (or not watching) the scale go that distance in the other direction.

W6D3

Patricia and I met up at the park again this morning. We jogged the 1.27 mile loop and then around one of the ponds. There were tons of soccer players out. It was already sunny, but the angle of the sun meant there was plenty of shade. The cool breeze was nice.

It's amazing how fast these runs are going now. The first half of the 25 minute run was gone almost before I'd warmed up. The second half felt a little longer, but I had no problem keeping my legs going until Ullrey said it was time to stop. Other than that one run a few weeks ago, Lucy has had no problems whatsoever. I just wish I could get her to stop barking and lunging at other dogs on the trail.

On to Week 7!

W6D2

My ambitious attempt to wake up at 6AM this morning was foiled by my sleepy dismissal (not snooze) of the alarm. I did manage to wake up to my second alarm at 7AM. I got up and dressed for the run.

It was a little muggy out, but the concrete was cool (for Lucy) and there was still plenty of shade from the low angle of the sun. I had no problem with the run.

It's exciting to think that I'm now done with intervals. All I have left is long runs.

Week 8 Weigh in

It was looking sketchy at the beginning, but I ended up having a GREAT week. I'm down 3 lbs for a total of 14.6 lbs lost.

I'm also trying something new this week. I've been lamenting lately that it's such a pain to transfer my excel spreadsheet journal between work and home to track my points. I wish one of the online calorie tracker sites allowed me to count points, but Weight Watchers keeps a tight hold on that (and they charge for it).

The other night I discovered Google Docs. I uploaded my journal spreadsheet and can keep it open in a browser window on my desktop at work (instead of leaving an Excel window open all day). It automatically saves each time I change a field. When I get home, I just open it on one of my home computers for easy tracking in the evening. Aaaand, at the end of the week I can download it to my home computer for my records (or just leave it online). I've got a blank journal template online and can just save a copy at the beginning of each week. Yay!

W6D1

Lucy and I met up with my friend Patricia at Meyer Park this evening. She's a soccer player on off-season so running is no problem for her. We used to walk together frequently last year, until she had a leg injury that kept her on crutches for a while.

I put only one headphone in so that I could chat during the walks but still hear the verbal cues and music. The run went well. Even though Patricia is already a capable runner, she didn't make me feel pressured to go faster or further.

She may join me on Friday or Saturday for W6D3.

I would like to add that my dread of the long runs has pretty much dissipated after W5D3. I know that I'm capable of whatever time is required at this point. 25 minutes isn't really any different from 20 minutes. I'm at the point where I've accepted that "this run" isn't going to be "til the next corner" or any point ahead of me that I can see and mark with my eyes. I'll just keep going until told to stop.

WOOO

I dropped 2 lbs since Saturday morning. I'm moving again!

W5D3

Just as I'd thought, it was ALL mental.

I woke up before my 7:45am alarm and started getting dressed for my drive to shady (and soccer-enthusiast infested) Meyer Park. I put less water than usual in my camelbak lumbar pack. I figured that I'd take a few sips during the run, but the majority of water would be taken immediately after the run (with some given to Lucy in her portable bowl). I still wanted to carry it with me, but not full and heavy.

Anyway, the run was uneventful. I'd expected the first five minutes to be hard. They weren't, really. After that the run flew by. I plodded along, not focusing much on Ullrey's verbal cues for the other runs. By the time he told Day 1 to start the last five minute run, I was mulling over the idea of running an extra minute along with Day 1 and 2. However, I noticed that Lucy was starting to slow. At that time we were running what I consider the park's *squirrel gauntlet*, so she was distracted, but she may also have been tiring. When Ullrey told me I was done with my D3 run, all thoughts of that extra minute fled and I slowed to something that could NOT be called a "brisk walk".... but I did keep moving.

My legs were immediately infused with a sense of lethargy that lasted for a few minutes. I don't think I could have started running again at that point if my life depended on it. I sipped water from the camelbak and walked. I was nowhere near the car by the end of the cool down, so I put on another high energy song and continued along the path. My legs eventually recovered and by the time I got to the parking lot, I was walking briskly.

Arriving back at the truck, I figured that my workout had been a total of about 40 minutes, with a running distance of maybe 1 1/3 mile (I jog pretty slowly).

Looking ahead, Week 6 is looking pretty easy. After having gotten over the mental hump of the 20 minute run, two 10 minuters on D2 should be a piece of cake. The 25 minute run on D3 is just another matter of keeping going until it's time to stop. I can do it.

If I keep to the schedule of 3 runs per week, my 5K race on June 20th should coincide with my W9D3 workout. My graduation run will truly be my graduation!

Staying Positive

I'm glad that I haven't set any time-based weight loss goals lately. I lost 10 lbs in April (my first month). I'm doubting that I'll even make it to 5 lbs this month. I'm definitely bummed that the Pandora charm has been sitting wrapped on the night stand for so long.

I'm working on it. Promise! The scale just hasn't been moving much these days. Up a little one day, down a little the next. I still look forward to weighing each morning and I try not to be too disappointed if it's up.

At least I can legitimately blame it on the NM and Vegas trips. I made the choice at the time to be a little off program and I'm dealing with the consequences.

W5D2

"Our sport is your sport's punishment."

I've been lurking on Runnersworld lately and remember seeing this quote in someone's signature. It really hits home, mainly because I've been doing a lot of thinking about my early experiences with running.

The "President's Physical Fitness Test" was one of the most dreaded weeks of my elementary school career. They'd make us attempt to do pullups and other difficult exercises. The culmination of this annual humiliation was the "Mile Run". The teachers would lay out a course and time each student. I remember spending the majority of it walking, out of breath, and getting passed by other kids.

As I got older and participated in jr high sports and then marching band all the way through college, the penalty for screwing up was "take a lap!". I hated running. I hated the thought of running. I couldn't understand why anyone would want to do it.

Well, today I completed W5D2 of the Couch to 5K. I ran two intervals of 8 minutes with only 5 minutes rest between runs. It's no more than I ran last week (16 minutes) but just the first 8 minutes was the longest uninterrupted time spent running in my entire life. Furthermore, at the end of the first interval, I know that I *could* have kept going. Wow.

And I was fine. When I started the run, I reminded myself of the things that got me through W1, like keeping the pace slow. Sure, I was breathing heavily, but I was able to curb Lucy when she started pulling on the leash. I was able to look around. I was able to stay positive when Ullrey gave time warnings for the other runs on this week's podcast. I was hyped.

I am so incredibly excited about this weekend's run. I'm going to mow that sucker down.

Do Over

Much better. After really behaving myself for the last couple of days, the Vegas weight is GONE!. I'm down over a pound (1.2) since yesterday and at a new low. :D

I'm also proud of myself for last night. After exercising in the morning, I came home from work and had a normal (albeit early) dinner. I then geared up and went to a bike night where I (seriously too full from dinner to eat anything more anyway) guzzled two glasses of iced tea. I'd been avoiding bike nights because the food usually doesn't jive with my diet. It's good to know that I can go out with a group and be fine. I came home and rewarded myself with a planned 2 pt ice cream bar.

It IS a good week.

W5D1

The weather in Houston has been absolutely lovely the last few days. Cool (for summer) and breezy with clear skies. It won't last though, so I've made it one of my goals to start regularly exercising (running) in the morning.

I awoke this morning around 7am and stiffly rolled out of bed. According to the temperature guage, it was in the high 60s, so I decided to skip my new (bought yesterday) sleeveless running shirt and go with a short-sleeve cotton shirt. Lucy was happy to get out of her crate. She did some stretching and off we went.

The three 5-minute intervals were easy after my runs last week. I know I'm ready to do the 8 minute runs.... but I'm still debating if I want to stay with Ullrey's podcast for the 20 minute run. I know I'll be running along tracking the warnings for the other runs. Podrunner might be a good alternative. We'll see.

Week 7 Weigh in

Well, I knew it might happen. I'm up 0.8 lbs this week, for a total of 11.6 lbs lost. I'm obviously disappointed at the gain, but I'm happy it was less than a pound. That hazelnut creme brulee was worth it. So was the toffee fudge cake. And the carnitas sandwich with fried pickle chips was seriously spectacularrrrr.

Anyway, I'm feeling very successful with my other endeavors right now (all the way to W5 of C25K and staying on my exercise schedule even through the vacation) so I won't let it get me down. I'll have a loss next week.

W4D3

Just finished the 4th week of Couch to 5K. I'm feeling good about my running. 5 minute runs are hard, but I know at this point that I'm very capable.

I've decided that my small fanny pack camelbak is more than adequate for my running up to this point. The 70 oz backpack was bouncing around too much and definitely held more water than I needed.

Next week's schedule really ramps up the runs. On Saturday or Sunday I'll be doing my first 20 minute run. I'm refusing to be negatively apprehensive about it. I can do this!

W4D1 & W4D2

Woo! I was in Las Vegas half of last week for work.

I flew in on Wednesday afternoon, got to my hotel (Hard Rock) and immediately changed into my running gear. Just running "around the block" was a perfect distance for W4D1. Unfortunately I'd misgauged the amount of water I would need and ran out right after the 3rd interval. I was hurting a little bit at the end of the last interval but I made it.

I did W4D2 on Friday morning, after having been out dancing until 2am the night before. I woke up around 9ish and changed into my jogging clothes hoping that
A. It wouldn't be too hot already.
and
B. My legs and feet wouldn't be too beat from walking the convention all day Thursday (not to mention the dancing in 3" heels the night before).

Well, it was hot alright. Clear skies and the sun beating down at 9am, but at least my legs were fine. The five minute runs were a little harder, but I'm getting better at just ignoring the amount of time I have left and running until "the nice voice tells me to stop". At least I did manage to bring plenty of water this time.

Anyway, while I was NOT as good foodwise (too many desserts and rich foods) as I'd hoped I'd be, the scale this morning showed me down .2 lbs from my last weigh in back on last tuesday morning.

I'll do W4D3 tonight and finally get back on schedule of doing one week during one week. It'll help immensely that I don't have any more trips planned for the rest of C25K. Yay!

Week 6 Weigh in - And Stuff!

I had a fantastic week. My body bounced back from the New Mexico trip to a 3 lb loss, bringing me to a total of 12.4 lbs lost. Woohoo!

Other news:

I have the bestest boyfriend in the world. We'd discussed him selecting some Pandora charms for my existing charm bracelet (which I wear daily) as awards for 15 lb losses (I will have 3 to get to goal). I thought he forgot, but there was a wrapped package on the nightstand at his place the other day. I haven't opened it yet to see what he got me, because I haven't made it to 15 yet, but I'm very close. Only 2.6 lbs to go. Maybe next week?

I signed up to run in the Dad's Day 5K on June 20. I'm very excited. This will be my first ever 5K. I should be pretty far along in the C25K by then, so I expect to be capable. I might have to upgrade my running attire by then.

Aaaaand I'm jetting off to Las Vegas tomorrow. It's an annual thing that my office does. I'll be attending a convention and going to lots of parties and cocktail events. I've packed my running clothes, shoes, and a small camelbak. I'm hoping to squeeze in a run on Wednesday night and Friday morning. I should be able to run with Lucy again on Sunday night. If I stick to this schedule, maybe...just maybe I'll actually be able to start a D1 in the Beginning of the week instead of halfway through.

I'm going to work very hard to make good choices for breakfast and lunch, and I plan to avoid the munchies they pass around in the cocktail hours. I'm less adamant about dinner though. We'll be dining in 2 very fancy restaurants (paid for by product reps) and I intend to enjoy the high end cuisine. I'll be doing plenty of walking, dancing, and (hopefully) running, so any major calories should be offset with activity.

W3D3

It's pretty cool to think to myself: "Three weeks ago you could barely run for a minute at a time. Now you're jogging 3 minute intervals. In two more weeks, you will be jogging for 20 minutes at a time."

I'm now 1/3 done with the Couch to 5K and feeling great. All three workouts this week went fairly smoothly and I'm not at all intimidated by week 4.

Today's workout was a little different in one respect...

It started raining about 5 minutes after I left my apartment. I figured it was just going to be patchy, so I kept going. It rained the entire time, varying from light sprinkles to heavy drops. I had one wet dog, but at least she wasn't in danger of overheating.

W3D2

The temperature was saying 84 and partly cloudy, but I think a midday run is starting to be too hot here in Houston. I was fine during the run, but Lucy was noticeably slowing in areas of shade during the cool down walk.

She is always supposed to sit by the door to the apartment as I unlock it. This time she lay down and then collapsed again a few feet inside. I ended up bring the water bowl to her because I couldn't get her to come to the kitchen. Five minutes later she was moving around again, but I admit I was a little worried.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to finishing up this week and moving on to 5 minute runs. Now THAT sounds like an accomplishment!

W3D1

That was actually (dare I say it?) ...easy...

I wasn't feeling like driving all the way to the park (10 minutes), so I filled up the camelbak, leashed the dog, and stepped out my front door to make a loop around the local high school.

The first 90 second interval was nothing new, I'd been doing it all last week. No problem. 90 seconds was also plenty of time to recover and prepare for my first 3 minute run....and it was ...easy...

While riding my motorcycle for endless hours on I-10 last week, I spent a lot of time spacing out. I mean, I was always paying attention to the road and drivers around me, but the only way to get through that much boring interstate is to disconnect from the idea that you have "this many more miles" or "this many more hours" to go and by the way, don't obsess over your sore rump or how much your shoulders ache.

In both riding and running, music helps. As my eyes range over my ever changing surroundings, I stop thinking about time and distance. I just jam to the beat and perpetuate the movements my body is making.

During the last 3 minute interval, I was kind of annoyed when Ullrey jarred me back into awareness with his one minute warning. I didn't want to know how much was left.

I can hardly wait to do W3D2.

In other news, I have an old Polar F11 heart rate monitor that I used to exercise with frequently. A battery issue (I procrastinated getting the watch battery replaced) relegated it to my dining room table last year. I tried using it again at the beginning of this year when I first got Lucy, but it was the chest transmitter's turn to have low battery.

Anyway, I was planning to start using it again when I complete C25K (thinking that a beeping HRM was incompatible with the program). Reading over the manual this weekend, I realized that it has a "manual-HRlimits off" setting which simply records heart rate over the course of a workout.

I wore it today during this workout and occasionally glanced down at it just to see where my heart rate was during different stages of the intervals (just curious).

One of my big past issues with the HRM is that it wouldn't "let" me start running. As soon as I began to run, my heart rate would shoot up and the watch would start beeping like crazy. During this run, my max heart rate was lower than I've ever seen it during an attempt to jog.

I also tested my OwnIndex (basically a proprietary version of VO2-Max) and was shocked to find I'd improved by 10 points from the last time I tested (about a year ago) and was by far my highest ever result (that's good). I'm certain that this improvement has entirely happened within the last few weeks. I think the F11 is going to become a valuable motivation and fitness tracking tool for me in a month or two. I'm adding some VO2-Max goals to my list.

Willpower in the face of Danishes

When I walked into the office on Tuesday, there were two dozen Dunkin' Donuts sitting on the small conference table. I decided that they weren't in my plan for breakfast and managed to ignore them. For lunch I had a 3 point Amy's Organic Shepherd Pie and a 5 point chocolate glazed donut. I had my donut and stayed on plan.

Yesterday the donuts were still there, but someone brought a long cheese/raspberry danish. My coworkers were raving about it all day, but I decided it wasn't worth it. I didn't have a donut either, satisfied after Tuesdays.

This morning, there's a tray of mini-danishes: Svenhards. My usual, cheese, is 5 points. I know from past experience that it's probably not worth it. These danishes aren't *that* yummy and definitely not filling.

I WILL have my usual 2 pt bagel with cream cheese, yogurt, and coffee and make it through to lunch more satisfied. I can do this.

<10 AM edit>
A product rep just brought more danishes. French Bakery. I'm being good. So good.

Phew

Ok, much better. I'm back below 10 lbs this morning. :D

W2D3

Well, that was much easier than I expected, especially after not having run since Friday morning. I kept the nice slow pace I've been working at, but didn't experience the usual "out-of-breathiness" typical of past runs.

Maybe this is obvious to other women: I've been constantly annoyed by my "front" hair. It was escaping my ponytail and flopping into my face. Sometime this week I rediscovered the French ponytail (kinda like a french braid, but without the braid), where I first pull back the hair around my face into a high ponytail and then gather it and the rest of my hair into a standard ponytail at the base of my skull. Works much better!

I'm giving myself permission to continue my runs in order, even if a "week" isn't contained within a "week". I'll do Week 3 on Thursday, Sunday, and Tuesday. I'm flying to Las Vegas next Wednesday morning, to return on Saturday. With all the walking and dancing (in heels) I'll be doing while there, I can't even imagine my feet being capable of jogging.

Week 5 Weigh in

Well, considering the circumstances, I didn't do too badly.

I'm down 0.6 lbs since last Tuesday, but up 0.8 lbs from my last weigh in. (10 lbs loss - NOT YOURS). Overall, I'm down 9.4 lbs.

I feel like I made pretty good choices on my trip. I generally had a bowl of raisin bran with milk for breakfast and a Subway sandwich with baked chips for lunch. Dinners were sensible, with one exception. On the "official dinner" night, I caved and had chicken fried chicken. I was right back On Points the next day.

I'm also pretty dehydrated. I was riding long days and didn't want to have to stop every hour for a potty break, so I didn't drink as much water as I should have. (Sure would be nice to be a guy and not have to worry about finding a rest stop and taking off all the gear.) I'm working hard to drink my water today. Hopefully the scale will respond tomorrow morning.

I leave for Las Vegas in about a week. I'm leaning toward trying to behave for breakfast and lunch, but our dinners will be in high-end restaurants, paid for by product reps. I'm thinking that I'll probably enjoy myself at dinner and not worry about calories, just taste. I'll plan to get right back on the wagon on Saturday when we come back.

Anyway, I have a full week to prepare for that trip and try gaining back some of the ground I lost this weekend.