Some Like It Hot...

...I DON'T!!!

It reached 100 degrees (by my car thermostat) yesterday in Michigan...which is uncommon. I had my C25K workout scheduled for yesterday night...and I knew that it was still going to be warm, but I wasn't expecting 84 degrees (90ish with humidity) at 9:30pm! However, I went out and did it anyways! I was bummed because I couldn't find my mp3 player so I had to go without music, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be without the motivational tunes. I usually don't take my water bottle with me...I leave it at the end of the driveway and get it on my way back, but I took it with me yesterday and finished the whole 24oz before I got back home! I was so proud of myself that I did it...and without walking during any of the running sections! I have to admit that talking to my friend Jessi helped motivate me to get the whole workout done. I had been talking to her on the phone just before leaving for my workout and she told me and that her husband and her had just gotten back from a run and turned back because it was just too hot. I told her that she had just given me more incentive to get my whole workout in so that I could brag about how I had finished when she didn't. She laughed...and I will be telling her that very thing at book club tonight. : )

I was a little slower but that's to be expected with the heat. Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday! I know I will...book club with a Greek food theme and then to the movies with the girls to see Magic Mike!!!

And Then...And Then...And Then

Sorry its taken me so long to write a new post. Sometimes I go through spurts of just not wanted to post. I wish I could dictate my posts and it would type out itself. lol

----------------------------------------------------------------




Ok...lets see....Monday was the first weigh in for Run with Jess's Lose a Marathon Weight Loss Challenge. My weight loss for the week was somewhat skewed because when I registered I had to give a starting weight. So I weighed myself half way through the day on Thursday, I believe, and for some reason I had shot up after last Friday's weigh in even weighing in the morning so it was a high 238 lbs. As a result, my Monday morning weigh in showed a 5 lb. weight loss! While I know that its 'really' more like a 2 lb. weight loss its very motivating and encouraging to see a 5 lb. drop on the scale. ; )



----------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday night I had my weekly Crim group training session. We walked our farthest yet...5.5 miles!!! It took us 2 hours!!! My poor neighbor wanted to come along and I tried to explain to her that we were very slow...the slowest walking group in fact...but she insisted and was still surprised by how slow we were. (She's currently training for a triathlon) She said she enjoyed herself though, talking to the other people in the group and answering some walking/running questions.

----------------------------------------------------------------

My next C25K training workout WILL be tomorrow night. I feel like it had been forever and I'm hoping that I will still be able to run 5 minutes straight. The last time I ran was Saturday!

----------------------------------------------------------------

I went in to see my neurologist today for a check up and to discuss starting medication for MS. He agreed that I had experienced another 'attack' about two weeks ago and because of that he has decided that I should start taking a different, stronger drug than he had initially planned for me to take. While I'm happy that this means that I will only have to inject myself three times a week instead of seven, I am very scared about some of the side effects of this stronger drug. Clinical depression runs in my family. I have had short bouts of depression a couple of times in my life, but its never lasted so long to be considered clinical and this drug can cause depression and suicidal thoughts...especially in those more prone to depression! That terrifies me!!! I think I am going to call my doctor tomorrow and ask just how often he sees patients suffering from this side effect and if he would still recommend me taking it if I'm prone to depression. He did say that I am NOT overdoing it with the exercise, to keep it up, and that I'm doing one of the best things that I could be doing for my overall health as well as for managing my MS. So that's good news.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------

I am currently trying to talk my husband into signing up for an 8 mile run around Mackinac Island in September. I thought that we could find someone to watch the kids and we could make a weekend out of it. Our first ever trip together (at age 19) was camping and we spent a day on Mackinac Island...even rollerblading all the way around (8 miles). He's worried about the cost...so I guess I'll just have to put aside some extra cash whenever I can to convince him that we can go. : )

On our first trip to Mackinac Island. I sure wish I was that size again!

Sorry this post is all over the place...but that's what happens when I wait several days to post.

I hope everyone enjoys their Thursday...I know David won't...he's getting his vasectomy tomorrow! (He's going to love that I shared this on my PUBLIC blog...lol)

5 MINUTES?!? NO WAY!!!

YES WAY!!!

I ran 5 minutes STRAIGHT tonight...not once...but TWICE!!!

I decided to go ahead and move on to C25K's week 4 workout. Which is 5 minute warm-up; 3:00 min. run; 1:30 min. walk; 5:00 min. run; repeat and then a 5 minute cool down. So that means that I ran for 16 MINUTES total tonight! I still can't believe it!

I got to use my new MP3 player this time, which I've convinced is the only thing that got me through the 5 minute runs...especially the second one (Thank you Nickelback). There are two bad things about listening to music while running, to me anyways. 1. I want to dance...and that's impossible while running and 2. I can't hear my Garmin beeping so I had to look at it frequently.

I was pretty slow, but I just wanted to finish without having to stop and walk during a running interval...and I didn't! HA...take that HUSBAND! David didn't think that I could do it. Booger!

Here are my splits. I was hoping for better...but hey, I've never ran 5 minutes straight so I'm happy! : )

		Day One	Day One
C25K Week 4	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
1	05:00.0	0.25	19:45
2	03:00.0	0.22	13:46
3	01:30.0	0.08	19:01
4	05:00.0	0.34	14:42
5	02:30.0	0.13	19:15
6	03:00.0	0.19	15:40
7	01:30.0	0.07	20:02
8	05:00.0	0.31	15:57
9	05:00.0	0.26	19:12
10	02:32.4	0.14	18:49

What's cool to me is that, total, I ran just over a mile tonight! : ) I have never ran a whole mile! Pretty soon I'll be able to run a whole mile straight! Its so cool to see my progress! : ) I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend!

SPLITS!!!! : )

I'm so pumped that I have to lead off with my splits!!!

I did NOT want to go out tonight. My feet have been really numb since the Crim group training walk on Tuesday (and they were already more numb than "normal" a week prior) and I had ate a pasta dinner 2.5 hours before and I could still feel the food heavy in my stomach...yuck...but I went anyways!!! I'm still surprising myself with how important I feel these workouts are. Even if I really don't want to go...I feel like I just HAVE to, no ifs, ands, or buts about it...and I LOVE THAT!

I thought the whole workout sucked...each run was pretty difficult. I couldn't seem to keep my breathing controlled the way I usually do and I just felt tired...and SLOOOOOW! I was not expecting to have my fastest times for this weeks training! It was a lot more humid tonight than it normally is when I've gone out, so I'm thinking that's why I felt so off with my breathing. It wasn't all that hot, kind of warm maybe, but the humidity is what makes you feel yucky.

I'm really looking forward to this Lose A Marathon Weight Loss Challenge...remember, you still have time to join in too...until June 25th.

I'm finally going to be able to go get a fitted pair of running shoes! YAY! I can't wait...now I just have to figure out when I can go. I don't really want to try and take three kids into a small running shop so I'll have to find someone to watch them for me. I'll be sure to post pictures of the beauties when I get them. : ) That is, if I ever find my camera's memory card. : (

I'm feeling really good about how my C25K training is going, but those of you who have done it know that you can either track your training by time or distance. I have been tracking by time so I thought I'd figure out how my distance compares to the distance that the C25K training states. I'm falling short on the distances. So now I'm wondering if I should continue to do week 3 training and aim to hit the distances instead of the times, or if I should just continue the way I've been going and move on to the week 4 workouts. What are your thoughts?

I hope everyone has a great FRIDAY! : )

Playing Catch Up

I realize that to people in some states, 90 degrees is either normal or 'cooler' than normal during the summer months, but in Michigan its FREAKIN' HOT and add that to the high humidity we have...UGH!!! I had my Crim group training on Tuesday. We were scheduled to walk 5.5 miles, which is what I had mentally prepared myself for, but when I got there, I was informed that because of the high heat index that we would be cutting the mileage in half (THANK YOU JESUS!). So we walked 2.67 miles...BUUUUUT...we walked the part of the Crim race course that has the infamous "Bradley hills"...they are not "hills" by Tennessee standards, but when you are running or walking (and I believe these "hills" are towards the end of the 10 mile race)...especially in the heat we were walking in...they SUCK!!! What's bad is that you go up about three separate times right in a row. It was NOT fun and I think since we were cutting the mileage in half because of the heat, we should have done the half WITHOUT the hills for good measure. ; ) All I know is that I was surprised by just how much the heat effects a workout! I figured that I'd finish the 2.67 miles no problem...maybe a little sweatier...but not super tired. Boy was I wrong! I got my first blisters on my feet and I could tell even though they had gone pretty numb, more numb than they have been recently due to my MS. I was wondering how the heat would effect my MS symptoms since I have been reading about how extreme temperatures can intensity symptoms...mine were, in fact, intensified. By the time we finished I felt like I had walked 10 miles!!!

I'm now debating whether or not to extend the Couch 2 5k week 3 for another whole week. I'm thinking that I may just do my third workout and then movie on to the week 4 workouts. *SHOCKING* I'm actually EAGER to move on!!! WOOHOO!

I was over at Marcia's blog, Minus One Hundred and she was talking about joining this weight loss challenge where you literally "lose a marathon"...in weight. No, not by running one...heck no people...I am NOT running in a marathon...hmmmm...YET! ; ) So I thought, eh, why not? Maybe it'll help with my motivation to get my eating habits in check...because its becoming painfully obvious to me that the exercise alone is NOT taking the weight off. So I headed over the Run With Jess and signed up for the Lose A Marathon Weight Loss Challenge. If you're interested you still have until JUNE 25TH to enter! It runs for 13 weeks...so about 2 pounds to lose a week...I can do that!!! (Ernie says with doubt...ugh)



I said in my previous post that I would explain a little better what happened with my son Jacob over the weekend in my next post. Well, we are pretty sure we was stung...but where and by what we have no idea. He went over to the neighbors house to play on her play scape. David ended up carrying him back after about 10 minutes or so and he was crying. David thought that he had hit his head while climbing in the play scape. Jacob started dragging his hands down his face and was itching his thighs. He kept saying how his face got a spider web on it and then his whole head started to hurt. *We do not believe it was a spider bite, and neither does his doctor.* He was crying pretty hard and would not stop dragging his hands down his face. I got worried when he got this weird look in his eyes and I started to notice some puffiness around his eyes. His heart was racing as well and I just told David that he needed to go to the ER. David said he would take him and they were gone within about five minutes, and by then he was starting to get little bumps all over his face.

 My husband sent me these pictures from his phone so they aren't the greatest (we have crappy phones).

What Jacob looked like after the short drive to the hospital. You can see the swelling and the bumps if you look close.

This was taken just after he got into a room in the ER. They took him right back so this was maybe 20 minutes after leaving our house.

They gave him benadryl (sp) and prednesone (sp) through an IV. : ( It took the nurse three tries to get the IV in.

 The ER doctor said it was a pretty bad reaction. When he came home he looked a lot better, with hardly any red bumps...but within a couple hours they were coming back to I had to give him the dose of benadryl and prednesone that the ER sent him home with. He's now on the last day of medication and I took him in to see his pediatrician today and they prescribed him an epi-pen and are scheduling him an appointment to see an allergist to figure out what it is that he's allergic to since we aren't exactly sure what happened. We never found a sting site.

*sigh* So there you have it...I think I'm all caught up now. : ) I should have a new post tomorrow on my C25K training.

Hope everyone has a good Thursday! : )

Quick Post

I'm very tired today...my oldest son Jacob had a severe allergic reaction yesterday to what we believe was a sting of some kind and had to go to the ER. David took him while I stayed home with Nathan and Isabel and they didn't get home until around eleven o'clock....so I didn't do my C25K workout last night...I did it tonight instead. Which means that I will probably be extending the week 3 workouts for another week because I don't think it would be wise to try and do it again tomorrow night and then have my Crim group walk of 5.5 miles on Tuesday...AND THEN start week 4 on Wednesday!

I was expecting to do worse for this second week 3 workout but was pleasantly surprised when I saw my splits! : ) It must have been my method for helping the three minute runs go by faster...I sang songs that I know by heart in my head. ; )

For those interested, when I'm not so tired, I will post in more detail about my son's scary experience and my workout.

		Day One	Day Two	Day One	Day Two
C25K Week 3	Time	Distance	Distance	Avg Pace	Avg Pace
1	05:00.0	0.27	0.23	18:41	21:44
2	01:30.0	0.12	0.12	12:29	12:19
3	01:30.0	0.08	0.08	19:09	19:46
4	03:00.0	0.21	0.22	14:29	13:45
5	03:00.0	0.15	0.15	20:08	20:20
6	01:30.0	0.11	0.12	13:15	12:24
7	01:30.0	0.07	0.07	20:35	20:40
8	03:00.0	0.21	0.22	14:08	13:52
9	03:00.0	0.14	0.16	20:46	18:43
10	07:00.0	0.34	0.36	20:35	19:25
11	01:34.0	0.07		22:20

I hope everyone has as good a Monday as one can have...given its Monday. : )

I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST DID THAT!!! : )

I just ran THREE MINUTES STRAIGHT....TWICE!!!

I was not planning to go out and do my workout tonight because my knees have been bothering me all day and because of the numbness I've been experiencing, but the more I thought about it the more I wanted to see if I could actually move on to C25K's week 3 workouts which consists of the following intervals:

1  -  5:00 Brisk Walk
2  -  1:30 Run
3  -  1:30 Walk
4  -  3:00 Run
5  -  3:00 Walk
Repeat numbers 2 through 5 once more
10 - 7:00 cool down (do equal 30 minutes total)

The first run is always the hardest for me. My knees don't really want to move smoothly, but once they warm up they are good. It went by pretty quickly...but so did the 90 second recovery walk after it! I was so nervous to try and run for three minutes straight. I made sure to keep my pace slow and as even as possible. I don't know about any other beginning runners out there but I concentrate mostly on my breathing during my runs. I always seem to start off with breathing in for 4 strides and breathing out for 4 strides. During my C25K week 2 training (which was extended) I seemed to go from the 4:4 breathing to 3:3 breathing and then for the last 10-20 seconds I would be breathing at a 2:2 ratio...which meant that I was just barely hanging on...praying for the Garmin beeps signaling the final five seconds of running. So when I started my three minute run I started with my usual 4:4 breathing ratio and I was worried about how I was going to be breathing after I reached the 90 second mark because that was as far as I had ever run before.

To try and make the time seem to pass faster I thought about anything but what I was doing (still always keeping count of my breaths), like getting started on the Summer Reading Program with my son and buying him a lunchbox and helping him prepare for what to expect when he goes to ALL DAY kindergarten in the fall...things like that...and before I knew it my Garmin was beeping!!! I had made it THREE WHOLE MINUTES without stopping...and I never reached my 2:2 breathing ratio!!! I finished with a 3:3 ratio. I was so FREAKIN' excited!!! I really enjoyed my three minute recovery walk. I don't know why but the shorter runs were the hardest during this workout. My ankles started to kill with about 30 seconds left of my second 90 second run...I know this because I glanced at my Garmin for the first time ever to see how much time I had to run left. I made the mistake of doing the same thing during my second three minute run and I still had 1:15 left...truthfully I think it helped me finish. I was really tired but I thought...I have just over a minute left, just 75 seconds left...I can do this! AND I DID!!! : ) I immediately turned around after the three minute run and started the final 10 minutes of walking. I didn't want to end the workout too far from home, and as it was I ended up having to restart my Garmin for another 1:35 seconds or so before I made it home. I'm glad I did because while my knees were pretty good through out the intervals...they did start to hurt during the last three minutes of my cool down. :(

I still can't believe I actually did it! I'm so happy that I ultimately decided to go ahead and go for it, even with how I've been feeling...especially today! Now, this does not mean that I'm not dreading trying to do it again on Saturday! The trend for me so far seems to be that the second of the three weekly workouts is the hardest to complete. I guess we'll see. For now, I'll bask in my three minute glow! : )

Here are my splits...I was so shocked! I really thought I was running SUPER slow, like a 16:00min/mile pace.

		Day One	Day One
C25K Week 3	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
1	05:00.0	0.27	18:41
2	01:30.0	0.12	12:29
3	01:30.0	0.08	19:09
4	03:00.0	0.21	14:29
5	03:00.0	0.15	20:08
6	01:30.0	0.11	13:15
7	01:30.0	0.07	20:35
8	03:00.0	0.21	14:08
9	03:00.0	0.14	20:46
10	07:00.0	0.34	20:35
11	01:34.0	0.07	22:20

I hope everyone has a great Friday. It's my hubby's birthday tomorrow, he's turning 29. He is going to a Tiger's game with three of his guy friends after work...I hope he has a great time...he truly deserves it! : )