Ran 1.26 miles in 16:55 @ 13:26 min/miles pace, weather was mostly cloudy, temperature around 87 degrees. Also walked 1.67 miles with Brittany this morning.

So I've run/walked a total of 2.93 miles today. Not all at once unfortunately, but at least I'm moving and training my legs and everything in them to support me as I waddle along. And that is very much what I'm feeling like these days - waddling. I feel big as a horse the more I try and exercise. I think this would be so much easier if I weren't lugging around the 50+ extra pounds that I am right now. I really wish I hadn't let myself get to this point.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Sigh.

Ran 1.01 miles in 13:02 @ 12:54 min/miles pace, weather was partly cloudy, temperature around 73 degrees. No air at work and a heavy dinner kept me from doing the 1.5 I wanted to run today. :(

I'm not happy with myself that I couldn't do the full 1.5 miles. The air was out at work all day today and so I worked for 8 hours in 80% humidity and sweating all the time. And then for dinner we went to Cracker Barrel and while it was super tasty, it was not at all good for me. It felt like a brick sitting in my tummy while trying to run.

I guess its a lesson that to be successful at this I MUST eat well. Sigh.

Cross-training

So today I did strength training at my local circuit gym and then did 15 minutes on the recumbent bike. Yes, you read that right, just 15 minutes. It totally kicked my butt! I had it set on a 30 minutes workout that varied difficulty as I went. And at 15 minutes my body said, ok, that's enough. I'm sure part of it was that I just finished 30 minutes of circuit training so my body was already fatigued, but it was a little disheartening to only last 15 minutes. I did go 3.24 miles in 15 mins tho, so I was going at a pretty good clip.

They also have an elliptical machine and a row machine so when the bike becomes too much or too boring on the cross-train days I can switch to one of those.

Tomorrow is a 1.5 mile run scheduled. Should be a piece of cake. :)

Wii Fit Rocks!

So today after dinner I did 30 minutes of Wii Fit Plus. I had a meeting from 10am - 4pm today (including a working lunch) and so I needed to do some kind of movement this evening. I hadn't done Wii Fit in over 100 days (so says the little talking board) and I had forgotten how it can actually make you break a little bit of a sweat.

I also made sure to stretch my legs out really well after. I did hamstrings and IT bands and everything in between. My legs feel really good now. Loose and limber. Got to remember to stretch daily. The more limber the legs the better and more stable the stride.

Tomorrow will be 30 minutes of strength training (circuit training) and 30 minutes of recumbent bike. Must remember to take a book to read while on the bike...

Pi-Lo

So today was one of my cross-train days of the week. On Tuesdays I go to a local pilates studio called Push Pilates and do the class called Pi-Lo. This is a combination of pilates and yoga which is fantastic. Today was my third week going. What I love about this studio is that, even tho I just paid the group class fee, today no one else showed up so it turned into a private lesson. Even when its not a private lesson there has only ever been one other student in the class.

Let me tell you, its a work out! I'm sweating and trembling by the end of the hour. Of course, since the idea of pilates is to use your own body weight, were I lighter I guess it would be somewhat easier, but since I've got a good number of extra pounds, it makes it quite a challenge. Some of the moves I can't hold as long as I should or I'm not flexible enough to get fully into position. But, never fear, I will get there! Once a week I will go, twist, bend and contort till I force my body into the position I want it to be in! :)

Sweet Freedom

Ran 1.26 miles in 16:39 @ 13:13 min/miles pace, weather was cloudy, temperature around 81 degrees.

And oh how nice it was! :) I could have easily gone longer, but per doc's orders I am taking it slowly getting back to running. I figure if I take it nice and easy for the next month, the the first week of September I will be ready and able to really start training for distance and speed.

I also did a full circuit, strength training today as well. That felt good too. The only machine I had issues with was the leg press and it didn't hurt - more discomfort. I have a feeling once my leg/knee gets stronger and more stable that will subside.

The Doc cleared me to resume normal activities (if you didn't catch that), but he does want me to take it easy for the next 3 weeks while I go through one more round of anti-inflammatory meds just to make sure its all knocked out of my knee. I'll start that round on Saturday (for reasons I won't go into here) and it will last 3 weeks.

Tomorrow will be an hour of Pi-Lo (pilates/yoga mix) and the studio. I like it a lot, but its wicked hard sometimes. My body just isn't made to bend like that I don't think! LOL

Failure!

Tried to go buy a bike today at Target. They had a super cute comfort bike (one that you don't have to hunch forward to use) with 7 gears for a price I wanted to pay. Well, Danny and I got it down and started wheeling it through the store and one of the tires was screwed up. I get a helpful associate to take it to the bike man who happens to be there that day. Turns out it was a defective tire.

So I go, with Danny, to another Target. This time the bike is on the top rack, so I have to get an associate to get it down for me. Well, I'm all excited, but this time when I start to wheel it around, when I go backwards it squeals. I mean, super loud, something wrong kinda squeal. Needless to say that one was a no go as well.

The problem is, Walmart doesn't carry a "comfort" style bike with any kind of gears, and its been 2 for 2 on problem bikes at Target. The bike stores all start at over $300 (way outta my price range). Where's a happy medium?? I really wanted bike riding to be my second form of cross training since its such a wonderfully low impact sport, but its looking like that is a no go. I can not use a mountain bike or a road bike anymore, the hunching over bothers my back way too much. Sigh. I'll have to figure something else out I guess.

I'm Free!

So, today I got cleared from Physical Therapy! Huzzah and happy day! I go back to Dr. Phillips on Monday at 1:30pm and hopefully he will clear me to go back to my regular running program. I know I'm gonna have to ease into it again to make sure the knee holds like it should. Today they got me up to a 5% incline on the treadmill (granted, walking fast, not running) but there was no discomfort or pain! I looked at my training schedule closer last night and the schedule I am gonna go with is as follows:

Monday: strength training and running
Tuesday: cross training
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: cross training and strength training
Friday: running
Saturday: long run
Sunday: rest

I know my Tuesday cross-training will be Pi-Lo (Pilates/Yoga mix) and I think on Thursdays I will be doing bike riding. My plan for this weekend is to get a new bike (a comfort one that I don't have to hunch over on) and Danny said he would ride with me once a week. Its great having such a supportive b/f. He has not once said I can't do something, but instead stood by me and given me the kick to the behind that I need when I need it.

So for the next month and a half, I will focus more on the strength training and cross training - but still run on my assigned days - so when my training starts in earnest the first week of September I will be strong and healed and ready to kick some asphalt! :)

Not Dead Yet

But am taking a break from running on Doctor's orders. I managed to strain my hamstring in my left knee right before the 10k race, and while they said I could go ahead and race it would hurt (and boy did it). So I'm in the middle of a two week hiatus from running which should (hopefully) end on Monday, July 12th when I go back to the orthopedic doctor.

I have my training schedule picked out for the 1/2 marathon training. I am going to be following John "The Penguin" Bingham's Run/Walk 1/2 marathon schedule. I think that will be the most realistic choice for me and I won't kill myself trying to do it. :)

I will be doing 4 days of running, two days of resting and then two days of strength training and x-training weekly. I think. I don't have the schedule in front of my right at this moment tho. I'll post my schedule weekly. My two kinds of cross training I'm going to be doing are Pilates/Yoga and bike riding. I'll be doing strength training at my circuit gym I already am a member of.

Just wanted to let you know (the few that read this) that I am still alive and I am still doing the 1/2 Marathon.

I've paid for it, dang it! ;)