10K Training progress...week 8

This week I overdid it a bit on Sunday and my knee was really sore Monday so I took a few days off to make sure I could make it through the race on Saturday.

Sunday 9/9 - 10 mile bike ride (55 minutes @10.9mph) in the morning. Walked 5 miles around the lakes (1 hour 26 minutes @17:26 pace. 

Tuesday 9/12 - 3.03 miles on the bike (15 minutes).

Saturday 9/15 - Kemah Toughest 10K (15:51 pace). I mostly walked but did some running on the downhills and a few other intervals. My knee felt really good.

I'll be back to training this week. I am thinking about doing the La Porte half marathon in December but haven't decided yet. 5 weeks until my next 10K!

Until later, happy running!
Jamie

10K Training progress...week 7

After several weeks of not doing much, I had an awesome week working out!

I ditched the training I was working on and come up with my own plan for the 10K because it is up a bridge with a grade of 5%. With my knee issues I have decided to work more on distance (including walking) and also do some cross training.

Sunday 9/2 - 32 minutes - 2 miles over the Kemah bridge (16:04 pace). Tried out a little downhill running but mostly walked.

Monday 9/3 - 34 minutes - walked 2 miles over the Kemah bridge (17:05 pace).

Tuesday 9/4 - 45 minutes - 3.06 miles on the treadmill (15:01 pace). Worked on uphill walking (#5 incline) and then downhill running. Also did 15 minutes on the elliptical (1.15 miles).

Wednesday 9/5 - OFF

Thursday 9/6 - 30 minutes - 2.03 miles on treadmill (14:46 pace). Incline walking and then running intervals - ran 1/2 mile straight for the first time in a really long time today!!! Also did 30 minutes on the elliptical (2.5 miles).

Friday 9/3 - 30 minutes - 2.03 miles on treadmill (14:46 pace).

Saturday 9/4 - 30 minutes - 2 miles over the Kemah bridge (16:04 pace). Ran both sides downhill,

I'm pretty proud of my progress this week! I think I did around 17 miles this week between running, walking, and the elliptical.

Until later, happy running!
Jamie

Finding inspiration - Flintland blog post

During the Olympics I wrote a blog post about finding inspiration from Oscar Pistorius. I didn't think anything about my "finding inspiration" post until this week I found some more. So I think I will make this a regular thing...writing about people and things that inspire me.

This week I was reading a blog I really enjoy, Runs for Cookies, and in one of the comments, another reader mentioned this post called "Hey Fat Girl" from another blogger. From the title, it may not sound so nice, but really, the post is very inspirational! Here's a screenshot. Go read it, really!

Being fat, it's easy to feel inadequate working out next to all those fit people. At the gym, I used to wear my baggie t-shirt and sweat pants because I felt awkward...but you know what? Those clothes are hot and just get weighed down with sweat! So I started to wear workout clothes...and yes they are tight! And yes I look fat in them! (and by the way, finding larger workout clothes isn't so easy!) But I decided, SO WHAT?!? So what if I am wearing tight clothes and I'm fat...I'm trying to be thinner. I decided that if people want to stare and make fun of me, go ahead. But if someone decides to stare at me and judge, they will also notice I am at the gym on the treadmill and/or elliptical for a hour almost everyday. So judge that. :)

When I did my first 5K this year, I felt awkward about being fat because the only other overweight people (there were only a few) were like 60. But, running over the finish line at my best competitive time ever trumped that feeling of inadequacy - I felt strong and proud of myself, despite a "slow" pace compared to others. And for the first time in my life, I felt like a real athlete!

So Flintland's blog post really made me feel good knowing that those fit athletes are behind us fat athletes and that they want us to succeed. And we do appreciate the encouragement! Last night, I went to do my walk over the Kemah bridge in preparation for my 10K (over that very bridge next weekend) and there was a lady on a bike on the other side of the traffic from me and she gave me a thumbs up. I just smiled and went on my way, ignoring the fact that I was, right at that moment, feeling insecure about wearing tight clothes on a public bridge. So thanks lady on the bike! And thanks guy in my neighborhood a few months ago for cheering for me as he passed me on the walking trail. And thanks to my 2 fit buddies who workout with me everyday after school and encourage me. It makes a difference!

Until later, happy running!
Jamie

Back in Business

Thanks to that steroid shot last Monday, I'm back!

I has felt so good to getting back to working out. It is amazing how much more energy I have! I definitely lost a little cardio endurance by losing those three weeks, but I am slowly building it back up.

I have a 10K in a week and a half that I am still training for, but I am not so worried about running it. I decided that I really need to work on my endurance, especially since it is over a 3.5 percent grade bridge! So I have been working with the incline on the treadmill.

And today I ran for 1/2 mile straight! Yes! I can't tell you how long it has been since I could run that far! I also tried out doing 1 minute at 6.0 mph. Uh, that was really fast! How the heck do people run that fast normally? Crazy! I actually almost didn't work out today. I got to the gym with the girls and realized that I forgot my shoes! Nooooo! But I decided to make a quick trip to the running store nearby to get some new running shoes that I was desperately in need of anyway. So 45 minutes later, my new mizunos and I made it back to the gym. Aren't they cute?

Anyway, I feel great this week and I'm super happy that the scale FINALLY started to go down! I've lost 11 pounds since May and can't wait until I can squeeze in the next smallest size...it's on the horizon! I'm aiming for an hour of working out everyday - combining running and elliptical, and maybe swimming and biking too.

Source: Uploaded by user via Alecia on Pinterest

Until later, happy running!
Jamie

10K Training progress...week 6

I went to the orthopedist last week and he said my MRI looked great, absolutely no problems and that the pain was just coming from inflammation. He gave me a steroid shot and said that as long as I didn't notice the pain level higher than it has been (which is around a 4 at the most), then I was OK to push through it if I needed to and it was very unlikely that I would actually injure myself.

Sweet!

So I finally made it back to the gym with the girls on Thursday and attempted 2 minute running intervals. Yeah...it was hard after 3 weeks of not working out! It's crazy how fast you lose your aerobic capacity. I was doing at least five to six 3-minute segments before! So I was able to do only 2 segments before I got tired and out of breath so then I jumped on the elliptical for 45 minutes.

It's nice to be back! I still have 2 weeks to train for my next 10K so I'll be working hard to make up for some of the lost time.

Until later, happy running!
Jamie