I Just Wanted To Be Athletic - And Now, I Am! (comments welcome)

[corinnak]

I have a fear of starting something publicly and failing to follow through. Therefore, of course, I am not starting this at the beginning of my journey. I feel like at the beginning, I kind of have to tiptoe around myself so I don't scare myself off with too much enthusiasm or something. I am sounding a little jumpy and I'm not even through the first paragraph! Let me start with where I am right now. Where I've been may or may not be ultimately important.

Right now, I am a recent graduate of the Couch to 5K program. Since February (maybe March - talk about inauspicious beginnings - I don't even remember!) I have gone from being largely sedentary to being able to run 3.1 miles. I have lost almost 20 pounds - I seem to be at a plateau but I am so close to that 20 that I can almost taste it. I've been doing Weight Watchers online since the beginning of April when I decided that running would be easier if I weren't carrying around weight equivalent to that of my 2nd grader with me at all times. I have also been incorporating ideas from the Beck Diet Solution, but as Dr. Beck would say, I have some sabotaging thoughts about some of it.

Currently, I am at loose ends a bit. I ran my first 5K on May 13th and it was great, but I took a little time to rest and am now trying to decide what I should be doing next. Now that the C25K program is finished. I am trying things. Group cycling, weights, different running workouts including podfitness.com.

Events motivate me. I have another 3 mile fun run that I want to do on the 4th of July, I would like to run the Tower of Terror 13K and have booked a room but haven't registered. And my big, long-term goal has been that I would like to run the Disney half marathon. Right now it is looking like 2009.

I still have about 40 pounds to go and I'm trying to decide if it is more important to "Stay the Course" or "Shake Things Up" to get through this little plateau. And then, often I think that I'm not even going to worry about the weight - just keep on eating appropriate amounts of food for healthy weight loss and focus on becoming atheletic. It is hard, but I am trying to take the focus off my weight a little and focus more on becoming a stronger, faster, more energetic person. That helps a little with the discouragement.

OK - I am crummy with introductions. I am keeping this journal primarily as a place where I can reflect on my athletic pursuits so maybe I won't fill up my myspace blog with that stuff so much. On with the show!

 

[C_leen]

Hi Corinna-

I have only been on WISH for 6 weeks & it has made a big difference for me to hold myself accountable. I hope your journal helps you work out how you want to motivate yourself over time. I think our motivations change as we meet goals and reassess. You've met some big goals, and soon you'll settle on how you want to pursue being an athlete. Perhaps a meeting with a personal trainer or a dietician can help you tweak what great things you are doing to spark the weight loss again. You've worked very hard & you've earned a bit of a splurge!

 

[corinnak]

Thanks for the welcome and encoragement Colleen! I have considered getting a trainer - I used to have a trainer after my first child was born - I'm at a different gym now, and they have this form to fill out to get a meeting with a trainer and I just get hung up on that. It is such a small, silly thing to hold me back, isn't it? I even have the paper (this is the 3rd time I have picked up one of those!).

Today's Newsflash:
Today was a funny day because the scale is still a little up from the lowest I have seen it recently, but I measured my waist and it is down an inch from the last time I measured. I need to get a run in today, but have houseguests coming tomorrow and have a zillion other things going on this afternoon. It will have to be an evening run - that is all there is for it!

 

[corinnak]

Sooo the good news is that the scale budged this morning. Bringing my total loss to 20.6lbs. Yah! Now if only it will keep moving in that direction.

The bad news - we had the carpets cleaned yesterday and I did not get a run in. I am not sure I will manage today either. We have houseguests tonight. I am, however doing the frantic run-around to get things ready. Not the same, though. Not the same. I'd better get back to that.

 

[westcliffemom]

Don't be afraid of registering for the TOT. Having just completed my first events @ WDW, I would say go for it! You've already did a 5K, and you know how fun that was, doing an event at Disney is even more fun! Go for it, you won't regret it!

 

[corinnak]

One thing I didn't mention: I have been taking Kung Fu with my 8 year old son since the fall. We are lucky to be able to attend class together and today was our most recent belt test. DS has moved up to second degree yellow belt and I have moved up to GREEN! The adults apparently have a faster track, though I am not sure why - they pick this stuff up so much faster than I do!

I think I will go ahead and register for that 13K - thanks for the encouragement, Stacey! I really appreciate it. I was surprised by how fun the 5K was - and Disney knows how to throw a party, that is for sure!

 

[kimwim8]

Hey fellow C25K grad!! I'm so glad you started a journal! The support and encouragement you'll receive will help you push through the rough days...and you'll "run" here to post about the good days!

Congrats on deciding to register for the TOT 13K. That's exciting! Do you live in Florida or within driving distance? I wish I lived closer. The airfare is really what sets me over the edge with being able to afford the races at WDW. I am also shooting for the 1/2 in 2009. Let's do it together!!!

Keep on keepin' on, girl. You're doing great and you'll find your niche. Even though I'm guessing your niche is a little bit of everything and that you're a closet-athlete.

 

[corinnak]

Thanks for the note, Kim! It's always good to hear from you. I am not coordinated enough to be a closet athelete, but I am making a good effort!
I do not live in Florida - I'm in Minnesota. It's a haul, but there are some decent fares to be had. Not Southwest's famous "dings" but workable.

Speaking of which, I just did it - I registered for the 13K. I did not run tonight, but I did register and bought a plane ticket for October. I am all set for that thing - oh, except for the small matter of training up to that distance. But it looks like we have to finish in 2.5 hours which is something like an 18 minute mile? Is that right? I would LOVE to be able to run the whole thing, though. I guess if I can go from nothing to running 3.1 miles in about 2 months, I can go from running 3.1 miles to running 8.1 miles in.....5 months. Yup. I can do that. Uh huh. Yip yip yip. Uh huh.

I am devolving into quoting muppet aliens. Time for bed, dude.

 

[kimwim8]

I just did it - I registered for the 13K.

AWESOME!!! I'm so happy for you!!!

 

[corinnak]

Oh, and Kim? I am totally up for doing the 1/2 in 2009 together. Training, anyhow - you seem to be turning into a Speedy McRabbit these days! I not sure I could keep up, but it will be fun to try!

 

[corinnak]

Oh, and I forgot yesterday to give myself one of these:



getting there!

DH this morning tells me that he is down 8.6 pounds, too!

 

[kimwim8]

Hey girlie. I'm sorry I totally didn't say

CONGRATS on getting over the 20 pound mark! That's a great, great thing!!! Keep up the awesome work!

As for the 1/2 in '09....let's do it! I've gotten faster on my 2 mile runs, yes....but I can guarantee that I won't be anywhere close to speedy doing 13 miles. I was actually thinking I'll do it as a run/walk thing so that I can maybe enjoy some park time a few days after!

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

[corinnak]

Thanks for the big pink CONGRATS, Kim! I am going to a wedding this weekend - I hope I don't end up back on the other side of that 20 lb speedbump!

Yeah, you have a point about enjoying park time after, I suppose. I don't actually have any concept of what running 13 miles is going to do to my body. I would love to be able to run the whole thing, but it seems like it is such a fun event, you are missing out if you don't sort of take it easy and enjoy the characters and the crowd and everything. We will have to see how it goes. It would be fun to try to start together at least!

 

[kimwim8]

It would be fun to try to start together at least!

DEFINITELY! I absolutely want to soak in all of the "magic" going on around me during that race. I'm not out to beat any time, just hopefully not get swept!

I hope you had a great weekend and had fun at the wedding!

 

[corinnak]

Yes, Kim, let us strive together to avoid the sweepers. We have a year and a half - we can do it!

Well, I went and posted about the wedding on the C25K graduates thread. Very silly of me, I guess. Over here, though I will post that while the food was challenging at times - airport, wedding, graduation, airport - I managed pretty well and didn't pig out at all. Well, there was that post-graduation "lunch" of chees-its and cashews. I was about starving and that was the best I could do, nutritionally. At least it wasn't sugary, right? And I am back on pretty good track today.

I got a run in tonight. The podfitness lady is trying to kick my butt into shape. There were 6 sprints at 6mph, which is as fast as I've gone. I ran, walked, jogged 4.25 miles, so that was pretty good!

I was thinking, as I was running along earlier that the beauty part of being more conditioned, more athletic is that I am not interested in sitting on the sidelines anymore. It happened at the wedding when I decided I'd rather dance the night away than sit there and watch. I think it is likely to happen again this summer when I go to cub scout camp with my older DS. When I took him to a day camp in the winter - it was a COLD windy day - I didn't run around a whole lot, though it would have been my best chance for staying warm. I can anticipate getting much more in the middle of the soccer-like games and tag games that they play this summer. Cause my brain is moving to a place where I'd rather run around than stand around. Very cool.

 

[kimwim8]

AWESOME run, girl!!!

Also, congrats on the transformation you're going through. What a wonderful feeling, huh?

I gotta check out podfitness! It sounds really cool, and might just help me to love my treadmill.

 

[corinnak]

I gotta check out podfitness! It sounds really cool, and might just help me to love my treadmill.

That run actually FELT pretty good too!

It is a great feeling - I never would have believed it would happen!

Podfitness is pretty neat - and it does seem to fend off the drudgery of the treadmill a bit. They give you 10 workouts free before they charge your credit card, which, of course, they have to have before they give you your free workouts, though you can cancel at any time. But still, it is a nice way to try it out. I am still not through my free ones. What really baffles me is that the trainer says "OK Corinna, now let's get started." And he pronounces my name CORRECTLY. So many people don't. I don't know how they do that. And my name is not that common. Do they have the trainer say all the 50,000 names in the baby name books? It is a technological marvel!

 

[kimwim8]

That is SO cool!! Are they all meant for the treadmill, or do they have one for non-treadmill runs too? I guess maybe I"ll look around the site before I sign up.

You're really doing great and are my running inspiration right now. So, thanks girl!

 

[corinnak]

That is SO cool!! Are they all meant for the treadmill, or do they have one for non-treadmill runs too? I guess maybe I"ll look around the site before I sign up.

You're really doing great and are my running inspiration right now. So, thanks girl!

Kim, There are preferences where you can state what equipment you have access too. I assume if you don't select that you have access to a treadmill, they would give you a non-treadmill workout. They don't really let you see the nuts and bolts until you give them your info, unfortunately, and also unfortunately, I think the nuts and bolts is some of where they need some more work. It is not entirely clear how to mix a session the first time you try it, for example. I totally messed up my first one because I didn't know what I was doing. I am managing better now, thankfully! I am not sure how long I will want to stay with the service there, but it seems like a good thing at the moment anyhow.

That is so nice of you to say I am your running inspiration right now. I think we are inspiration to each other at various times on that C25K thread. I have been so glad to have become friends with you and Kat too!

 

[corinnak]

So tonight I did another podfitness treadmill workout. I end up feeling like they are a weird blend of tougher than I've been doing and easier than I have been doing. I guess that is intervals for you, but it is a vastly different experience from the slow and steady covering of the distance.

I learned today that I have a definite travel companion for the TOT race - my friend and running mentor Austin is registered now and has plane tickets. We are both RnRC fans, so hopefully we will finish with plenty of time to ride that a few times! Well, he will, I'm sure.

I am back to the place of doubting my ability to meet a certain distance within a certain amount of time. I'm trying my best to reassure my doubting self and take note of evidence that my body really is capable of doing this.

For instance, tonight's workout had me working hard, but I realize that four months ago, I wouldn't have lasted through the first 15 minutes. Tonight I finished it and added another 7 minutes of running cause it didn't seem like quite enough. THAT is progress.

I was doing crunches after the run and looked at my tummy - I am still not looking terribly model-like, nor even terribly athletic. However, there has been a radical change in my body and that is just not able to be denied. I am about to go down another pants size - I was snug in my 18's when I started. Now, the 16's are getting loose and I can zip some of the 14's. Yeah, I have clothes in every size at my disposal. Oh, actually, they only really go down to 14 in general. I might have a couple of smaller dresses, though.

It helps me, when I think of how far I have to go, to think of how far I have come already.