Running Again

It's been exactly one month since I last ran, but I got out in the cold with the kiddos to do it anyway.

I jogged 2 miles.

I thought I was going to die.

I didn't.

I also thought that I was only going about a mile. It's always nice to come home and track how far I ran to find that I went farther than I thought. I'm excited to get out and run again. Hopefully next time the breathing will be a little easier.

I'm Roped In. . .

And I don't know if I will survive.

My younger brother signed me up for a 1/2 Marathon. I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to do it. Don't get me wrong, I want to, but I'm afraid that my timing might be a little off. I was running before we moved, but the move threw me off completely. Which means I haven't ran for 7 weeks. I am mentally prepared to start running again, but I'm not sure I'm ready to train for this large of a race.

I want to be able to run/jog the whole thing. I decided a long time ago that when I tackled a new distance, that I would not go for the best time, but to finish while running. I'm just not sure I'll be able to do it.

I have two kids and the rest of my life to schedule around. Not to mention, it's WINTER. The last time I exercised and really dedicated some time to running was when I had NO kids. Finding a groove that works might take me longer than the time that I have to train for this race.

I'm just nervous for this one.

Fat People Anonymous

Hi. My name is Phannie.

I'm a recovering fat person.

And by recovering I mean, still fat, but working to get "healthier."

As you know, I have been running for the last 4 weeks. And I've been loving it. It's an addiction that I am welcoming back into my life. Well, let me get to the point. I was running last night at my local recreation center when I started to feel a burning in my thighs. Now, normally this is a desirable feeling as a runner trying to thin out in that area, but not last night. The burning got more intense as my run went on.

So, I slow down and only run 2.75 miles instead of 3 miles. Not that big of deal, right? I get off the treadmill and start to check my thighs. Only to find it was what I call, the "fat burn." (The Fat Burn is when a fat persons thighs are rubbing together to create a burning sensation that results in raw, painful thighs.) Yes, I have officially rubbed holes into the thighs of my nice running pants. Sad, sad day. I love those pants. And I'm still in pain.

Still Fat. But still going running tomorrow.

Spinach Salad

It was just so good I had to share! Today my Hubby and I ate a fantastic spinach salad. It was mostly his idea, but I added a few things to mine.

Ingredients:

Lots of Spinach
1/2 can of Tuna
1 small Roma Tomato
Almond slices
Poppy Seed Dressing

Layer ingredients on top of a large plate or in a bowl. Scarf it down. Enjoy!


Realistically I don't know how many Calories are in this salad, but I don't imagine there are many. And I ate it as my meal, I would use 1/4 of this portion if it was a side.

100 Mile Challenge

I have been running for the last three weeks with my wonderful friend Janet. Last night on our run, she said that she was doing this 100 mile challenge. It's to run 100 miles by the end of the year. And she wanted me to do it with her. I said,

"YES!"

I am a little nervous about the holiday festivities getting in the way of my required 10 miles a week, but I'm hoping that I will be able to stay on target. It will also help me to prepare for my first Half Marathon. My little brother asked me to sign up for it with him. I did. I don't know what I'm thinking. I haven't even done a 10K before. Oh NO! It's in 8 months, which is plenty of time to train for it, but I've never ran that many miles at one time. The farthest I have run at one time is 5.5 miles. This will be the first real challenge I have set for myself in a while. I'm excited to keep you updated on my progress.

I Had No Idea. . .

just how out of shape I am. After popping my Green Bean out, I have been feeling great. Ready to run, lift weights, and just sweat all over the place. So, after being cleared to do all these things, I started by trying out the Biggest Loser Cardio Max video.



Before I was even through the 5 minute warm up, I was huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf. My legs were burning and so were my lungs. I couldn't have guessed that I would barely be able to get through a 20 minute workout. I have been feeling so great. Even though it was hard and I wasn't sure I could get through it, I now feel fantastic. It feels so good to Sweating off those extra pounds. This will be a slow process, I know, but it will be worth the cardiovascular health that comes with it.

And There Was Light. . .

I have reached the end of my prego tunnel. I have been cleared to exercise. I can be active with my kids. I can get outside and enjoy the elements. Oh, the euphoria.

Today was Day #1. My little Sweet Pea and I did our Winsor Pilates and Walk Away the Pounds-2 Mile. It was pretty cute to watch my toddler kicking, walking, and raising her arms like the videos. She did well. However, I didn't feel like I did so well. I forgot how hard it is to start exercising after a c-section. The pilates was really my trouble spot. I didn't get through half of the video. Oh well. Next time I will get through at least half. It's hard. I did get through the whole Walk Away the Pounds video though. It felt great.

I love sweating. Have I ever mentioned that. Oh yes. I do. I'm not going to get into any workout plans yet (although I'm dying to try Insanity). I am just going to work on doing something every day to increase my strength and endurance. So that I can start running again.

It's so hard to do a lot of things in the winter. So, my goal this winter is to find fun ways to keep myself and my little ones active. Things that we can do every time winter rolls around.

Wish me luck!