Race last weekend

Last Saturday I did the 5 mile "Run 4 the Light" run at the beach near where I live. The course went along a paved "dune trail" along the beach for the last half, which was really nice. It was a fundraiser for a maritime museum.

I had to start off a little slower. I have this odd muscle pull on the front-left side of my leg just below the knee. If I take off too fast, it pulls (see the S'mores post). But I forget about it because it doesn't bother me on a day-to-day basis. But I started running, and AGGGHHH! It went. I took a few slow steps, took it easy, and within a a few minutes it worked itself out, and I kept going.

My 5 mile time at Lake Fair was 48:07, and that was a relatively flat course. This course was also flat, but not quite as flat as Lake Fair. There was one hill and then a few up-and-downs along the trail. My time ended up 49:45, so I can say it was still a sub 10 min mile pace...barely.

Waiting to start, and as you can see, Tyson had to come out to give me one last hug!

After the race!

This week has been a good training week. I ran 6 miles in my neighborhood on Monday; 6.5 miles on a new-to-me trail with a running friend; 6 miles with several hills and inclines on Saturday; and then Tues and Thurs I did 15-20 min elliptical then a 45 minute spinning class.

I am trying to get my eating under control. The harder I try, the worse it gets! I think the stress of getting my classroom ready for school is starting to get to me. Hopefully I can get myself back to a place of control and healthy food soon. We had a party, and now we have a ton of food left over that I feel compelled to eat. Well, I'll just keep running it off and hopefully it will all even out :)

This week will just be another week of exercise and running, but the plan for Saturday is a hike! Very excited about that. Then I have a few 10Ks lined up for September, which is really exciting because although I've ran 6+miles before, these will be my first 10K races! I'm looking forward to it.

Enjoy the week!

:) Jolene

My two not-so-favorite topics: weight and speed

Have you been watching the amazing running events in the Olympics? Elite, chisled-muscled athletes who can run these insane time, competing in the pinnacle of sports--the OLYMPIC GAMES!

Yeah, that will never be me. In fact, it won't be most of us.

You see, I've learned a secret about running...are your ready? Here it is: "You don't have to fast, and you don't have to be skinny. In fact, running doesn't necessarily make you skinny!"

Let's talk about weight first, since that seems to be the most fun to talk about, right? Yes, running will help you lose weight. Exhibit A: This is me from last summer taking my daughter to the American Idol concert. I have not shared this on FB or any other blog, so if you are seeing this, it means you are truly one of my readers, and I love you, so here you go:

Yep, that is THE picture. When Kirstie Alley said she didn't realize how fat she really was, that was me too. I had no idea. Here I am taking my daughter to a concert, and I truly had nothing to wear. I bought this cheap shirt thinking, OH, it's a T-shirt, it will look fine. I couldn't have been more wrong. And let's face the facts, it wasn't the shirt, it was me.

So from Aug-Dec, I exercised. I tried to start running, but I sprained my toe on the treadmill and had to do the elliptical for two months. Some people would have quit, and normally I would have too, but I set this crazy goal to lose 20lbs by December. Well, I made it to 18 lbs. Couldn't be too upset about that!

In January I started running, and at first the weight melted off. By June I had lost another 26lbs. Since June, I have lost no weight. In fact, I've gained 2 lbs. That's OK! I'm not going to stop running, especially since now that I've done some races, I see that people of ALL SHAPES AND SIZES run! It's not just the skinny, chisled Olympic athletes or the elite runners you see on TV commercials and magazine ads. It's EVERYONE--REAL PEOPLE.

So now I look like this...it's a blurry photo that Ty took on my phone as we were at one of his cleft appointments, but you can see the difference just in my face and arms:

Even if I never lose another pound, I'm not going to stop running. I may never be "skinny" or have that BMI that says I'm not overweight. I may still wear a pant size that is higher than the average for a woman. I'm OK with that because if you compare those two pictures, I think you can see the happier person. And I need to throw it out there...I love food. I love to eat. It's a battle everyday. Maybe if I did better with my eating, I could be a better runner...I'm not there yet.

Which brings me to the idea of speed. See this guy?

Probably not a speed demon, I'm just guessing. But maybe he is? That has been the other thing I've learned. You can be overweight AND FAST! I am not! But...I am gaining some speed. Speed does not equal fast, it just means my 12.30-13 min miles are more like 10.30-11.00 miles. It's progress. I could probably do even better, but I LOATHE speedwork. I just keep at it, keep going, throw in some shorter faster runs with a longer run each week, and it's helping. Again, look at my pictures. Who is the happier person?

I read one John Bingham's books, I think it was called "The accidental athlete". I highly recommend it. He talks about running in the back of the pack. It's actually really fun! Even for walkers and walk joggers, they are also competitive. One of my friends told me, "I saw these women, and they were NOT going to finish before me." That was her goal, and that's why races are fun. Once you decide you are out there for yourself to be all that you can be, regardless of speed, it's so much fun!

If you are ready to start, I highly recommend starting with walking. That's where I started. Don't overdo it, and explore some couch to 5K workouts. Sign up for a 5K when you feel ready so you have a goal. I will promise you...if I hadn't made that crazy half marathon goal, I'd have quit a long time ago. Goals are important. And of course, without my Lord and savior, none of it would have happened. I love it when God takes me on these crazy life journeys!

In fact, I have a 5 miler tomorrow! Wish me luck! I may not hit that 48 min mark, but I'd like to finish under 53 min.

Keep moving, keep smiling!
Jolene