Long Day...

Today was very productive and long. I ended up having to rush back home yesterday to get some grad school transcript stuff sent off from the juco back there and had to stay the night. This morning I had to race back to get to school so that I could get to the library and watch 3 films before my final at 4 today. I got back in like an hour and a half and was able to get to the library around 11am. I was on campus today from 11 til 4:30. UGH.

To Do List~
-Watch 3 Films
-Get Transcripts Sent Off
-Lunch
-Get Letters of Rec from two people
-Cram some more studying in
-Final
-Go Run!

I got home after my final and was about to pass out. I was so tired and not motivated at all. I made myself get dressed and ready to go to the rec but decided to lay in my bed after. The warmth from my goose down comforter was very inviting. Miles, my cat, curled up next to me and was ready for a nap also. After about 20 mins of laying in there I hurled myself up to go put my shoes on but ended up on the couch. After another 20 mins of slumping on the couch I decided I better go to the rec and get this over with....

I got to the rec and it wasn't as packed as most days because more and more people are going home for break. Got on the treadmill and was all ready to go. I was super excited and surprised with myself during my running. The first minute I ran I could actually breathe and ended up recovering really quickly! The rest of the workout was just smooth sailing! I still am scared about next week's running because its gets amped up another minute, but I'm hoping that two more days like this gets me ready for the next step.

Jello Legs

So I know I'm way out of shape and expected even the simple walk/run program to be a bit challenging and it was. This was the first day of the first week. It was like 18 degrees today and getting colder as the day went on. My parking lot is ice and I can just imagine that the park, even if I braved the cold, would still have been not safe. I decided I had to go to the dreaded rec. Because I have a plan and I'm sticking to it, no matter how bad I didn't want to go. I also found out today that not only do we have to pay rec fees of $300 bucks in our tuition, regardless of if we use it or not, they also make you have a parking pass between the hours of 7am-4pm, super lame. I was going to go earlier and just park at a meter but my headphones broke so I had to go to Wal-Mart to get some. I needed my headphones, my music helps me drown out my worries about going to the gym and all the crazy things I think people are going to think about some fat kid coming to work out. I finally made it out around 7pm and it was still packed with people. My friend told me to go around 8 or 9 when it kind of calms down but I couldn't wait any longer. So I found a treadmill with no problems, which was a relief, and just looked at it very confused. All treadmills or any machine are different from other gyms and it took me like 5 mins to figure out what buttons I needed to push to get my 21 mins on the screen and to get going. Today I am starting the first week of the walk/run program, like I mentioned earlier, and I'm glad I'm starting out small. All I have to do this week is walk 6 mins and run 1 min and repeat that three times. The first minute wasn't bad at all except for the fact that my pants would not stay up! So annoying! HAHA! I was worried about my apparel because I just want to be like Biggest Loser and wear and huge shirt and my spandex capri pants...I think that's what I'm going to have to do now since my pants are all the same and wont stay up and I don't want to deal with that. The second minute that I ran was a little more challenging and I could definitely feel how out of shape I was. I wasn't sweating very bad but my heart rate was very high and I knew I was working my body pretty hard for my level of performance. The last minute was something that I dreaded but knew I had to do it because if I didn't do it then I'd let myself slip or cheat on it again, I cannot let the happen. I was very elated that I was done and proud of myself for getting the first session over with. I also wanted to go lift after but there was no room. Huge guys, who look super juiced up, were crowding any space that was available. It's like they were protecting their weights...haha! My legs felt like Jello when I stepped off the treadmill and I was hoping if I took it slow I wouldn't fall or my knees wouldn't go out when I went back to the machine to wipe it down. I was successful at not looking like an idiot. Speaking of knees, my knee was totally fine. I could feel where it hurt and when I ran I could feel something was wrong with it but it didn't hurt when I ran or after so I'm very happy with that. It's still bruised and I'm going to ice it after I get done with this post but I'm just so glad I was able to run through the hurt.

Tomorrow's Day 2 and I'm really looking forward to the end of the week when this gets a bit easier.

Drunk Guy + Melted Snow Slush = Me With A Swollen Bruised Knee

So I'm supposed to start my running tomorrow and I have been super psyched about getting to this point and then last night happened. Walking in the Ville to the Purple Pig, about to cross the street, some drunk guy can't figure out how to walk and slips on some snow slush and decides that I'm going to not let him fall. He ends up pushing/pulling me down to the ground with him and I slammed my knee into the pavement..OUCH! It hurt so bad the rest of the night, I thought it was bleeding but couldn't look because my pants were tucked into my boots. I get home all soaked and hurting and just decide to go to bed. It hurt all through the night to where I cant even lay on it. I wake up to it throbbing and look at it, the whole bottom of my knee is black and blue. Not horribly swollen but hurts like no ones business. I'm still going to try to run tomorrow regardless because I have a deadline and I need to meet it. At least the running isn't super intense or anything but I know its probably going to hurt. Lame.

Bored

So I'm getting super bored with my plan of walking for the next two weeks. I have an itch that needs to be scratched and I think the only way to do that is to start my run/walk program next week or even maybe this weekend if the weather allows it. It was only 20 or so degrees here today but luckily the sun was out so it didn't seem that cold. This morning it was -18 degrees and this evening was just as cold. Getting into my frozen car after babysitting tonight was not fun at all. The defrost took its sweet time warming up and so did I. Brrrr! I'm hoping that some of this snow melts enough so that in any attempt to get outside I can do so without bringing great harm to myself or others.

My book that I had ordered isn't coming anymore because amazon messed up and my order got canceled. So I went to Hastings today to see if I could find it in there or something that would suit my book needs. Of course they didn't have it and there wasn't a section, or maybe I couldn't find it, of weight-loss biographies but I did find a book that I thought looked interesting and I had just happened upon it. I so believe in things happening for a reason and my journey wandering lost in the shelves led me to this spot where the book sat waiting for me to pick it out of the bunch. It's fiction and looks like it will be a fun read. It's called Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans by Jane Green. I haven't delved into it just yet but I'm hoping to do so tomorrow. I hope its good!

Snow Day..Boo

Today is another day of not being able to go walk for my 30 mins or 2 miles at least. I did walk to my last class before finals today. It takes me about 12 mins to walk to class and another 12 back so I guess you could say I got some walking in. But still stinks that it wasn't enough. Today I did see a brave soul running in the snow all bundled and breathing heavy. I hope he doesn't regret his decision and fall and really hurt himself...that's probably what would happen to me. The walk today was like walking on eggs shells, hoping not to slip or wipe out in front of anyone and get all soaked and dirty and embarrassed. I'm looking in to what our rec has to offer. But the resistance of going is very strong. The rec is always packed with tons and tons of students at all hours of the day. Everyone is on different schedules and there is never a break in the rush to be able to workout in a timely manner. Seriously, waiting for machines is the one of the worst things ever along with guys who harass you, being a girl, while lifting weights...ugh. And the "fashion show" that we like to call it where girls compete to see who's ass can hang out the farthest out of their shorts....haha, I'm telling you it's not an awesome place to visit but if the weather still persists and I can't do what I can outside I'll have to resort to the rec...boo. But besides all that, I got new boots today! Airwalk finally found out that I don't have skinny baby legs and made an awesome knit boot that fits all up my leg! haha.

Plan of Attack

Okay, so to be at a real "beginner" stage for training for any kind of marathon you have to have been running for 4-6 weeks and be able to run for at least 30 minutes. I am neither of those and not even close..haha. I have been researching and searching for training programs for true beginners and found one that I really like. I play basketball from time to time but for the most part I just shoot around for an hour or so, so my ability to run for long periods of time is still pretty low. So I think this one will be perfect for me.

Run/Walk program By Christine Luff
http://running.about.com/od/getstartedwithrunning/ht/getstarted.htm

1. Week one: Walk for 6 minutes, then jog at an easy pace for 1 minute. Repeat 3 times. Aim for three sessions with that same sequence for week one
2. Week two: Walk for 5 minutes, then jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Aim to do three sessions in week two.

3. Week three: Walk for 3 minutes, then jog for 4 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Aim for four sessions in week three.

4. Week four: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 5 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Shoot for four of those sessions in week four.
5. Week five: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 8 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four of those sessions in week five.
6. Week six: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 9 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Try to do four sessions for week six.

7. Week seven: Walk for 1 minute, then jog for 11 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four sessions this week.
8. Week eight: Congratulations on making it to week eight! For your first run this week, try walking for 5 minutes to begin and end the workout, and run for 20 minutes in between. By the end of the week, try to run for 30 minutes without stopping.

   Aim to run for 30 minutes four times a week, and you'll notice that your stamina and fitness will continue to improve. Soon you'll be ready to run your first 5K!

Even though I'm not running a 5K I'll be able to at this point. The next training schedule I found is a 12 week program to getting ready for a half marathon.

Half Marathon Training-By Hal Higdon, http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	2 m run or cross	3 m run + strength	Rest	30 min cross	4 m run
2	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	2 m run or cross	3 m run + strength	Rest	30 min cross	4 m run
3	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	2 m run or cross	3.5 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	5 m run
4	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	2 m run or cross	3.5 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	5 m run
5	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	2 m run or cross	4 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	6 m run
6	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	2 m run or cross	4 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	5-K Race
7	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	3 m run or cross	4.5 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	7 m run
8	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	3 m run or cross	4.5 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	8 m run
9	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	10-K Race
10	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	9 m run
11	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	10 m run
12	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	3 m run or cross	2 m run	Rest	Rest	Half Marathon

I'm not sure when I'm going to run the marathon. I'd like to be able to do it this coming spring around May when I graduate or whenever the next possible ones are after the spring. I'm not sure how ready I'll be to run which is my biggest fear. I plan on doing the work to get to where I would need to be but I'm not sure how ready I'll feel so I don't want to set a date just yet because I don't want it to be a disappointment or more pressure on myself than need be. I am not doing this marathon to see how fast or how many people I can beat or anything like that, I'm doing it to get myself back in shape and to accomplish something very challenging. As long as I can finish I will be unbelievably happy! I also wanted to say thanks to those people like Christine Luff and Hal Higdon who post training plans for people like me who need the help, Thank You!

I don't plan on starting the run/walk til after finals in two weeks. I don't even feel like I'm up to those standards. So for right now I'm trying to get out and walk for at least 30 mins or 2 miles around the park everyday. Today sucks because it decided to sleet/snow and its way too cold. Today I'll probably just resort to my Slim N Six workout dvd to get some exercise in.

The Trail

Today I went out for a 2 mile walk and did it in about 42 minutes. I did take some pictures along the way, to post on here, so I ended up being outside close to an hour.It might seem like a long time for my walk but lets hope that I can shave some minutes off of that time. I'm not even close to being at a "beginner" level for marathon training. I have to work my way up to running for at least 30 minutes before I can even start to really train. So that's what I'm working up to. It was so beautiful today, it's about 40 degrees here and sunny. The sun made it feel a bit warmer but it was nice to be walking in the awesome fresh air. I wish I could say today that I ran that 2 miles...I'll get there someday soon. Today was good and I'm proud that I'm actually doing this right now b/c I am so a person to be a slacker when I know I should be out being active. I'll be putting up my plan of attack for getting to the beginner level and then put up my plan for the actual training soon.

A Little Reading

So I've been looking online for stories that are similar to mine or as close as possible, just kinda checking out whats already out there. Well to my surprise there is quite a bit. I found a great book that I skimmed in Amazon and decided to purchase called The Weight Loss Diaries by Courtney Rubin. I'm so excited to get it and start reading! She talks about being 23 years old which is how old I'll be this year and that really grabbed my attention and, from what I was able to read off of Amazon's "search inside the book" option, I can relate to a lot of her feelings and stories. Hopefully it gets here soon!

The Story...

So I wanted to start this blog as another source of motivation. I have been struggling with losing weight for the last 3-4 years and finally had an epiphany. It's going to take more for me than just a decision to just workout and start eating better. So I decided that I need some kind of performance goal. The goal for me had to be very attainable but also something that is going to take time and difficulty. I need a challenge and I feel like running a half marathon will be a great one! I'm really excited and intimidated but ready to get started. This blog will be I guess a peek inside my transition from someone who HATES running to someone who appreciates it or at least tolerates it. I will be posting pictures and little posts to tell you all how things are going. This is going to be a long process but hopefully a funny and liberating one!

Background...
In high school I played four sports a year all four years and after my freshman year was on varsity teams in all four sports for the next three years. I was not super toned and built but I had size and muscle mass. I was always told to use my size and that I was bigger than any other girls at the time. Those are the things that get into your head and make you think things about yourself that are not necessarily full truths. Yes, I was bigger in a sense than most of the girls in my class but not near what I thought. If only I had just chilled and waited til college and let everyone else fill out I'd be good, but that's not what happened..HAHA. After high school I got to college and was free not to have hours and hours of practice and conditioning that I took FULL advantage of. I'm not exactly sure how much weight I gained in my first year but it was WAY more than the freshman fifteen. I was 180lbs at my best shape in high school and went into college being that. I didn't really notice that I had gained a little weight until my sophomore year in college. And it still wasn't something that was unusual for me growing up and having to get the next jean size or shirt size. But that's something I didn't separate, growing up and growing out...ha. Now in my 5th year of college I've gained about 120lbs since my freshman year! YIKES, I know! I stand about 5'8" and 300lbs. The weight has never kept me from doing anything or going out or not let me be able to live my life. I have some of the best friends ever and an awesome family that make me this crazy, fun person(or at least I think I'm fun..haha) and I would never let anything get in my way of having a good time. The only aspect of my life that has been hindered by my weight is a love life...but that's normal for most overweight people and to be expected, not surprising. So I've made this goal to be my second chance to get back in shape and making my life healthier and happier. I know I'm going to learn stuff about myself through this and hopefully find tons and tons of humor out of it. Lets get started!