Yeah Yeah

Yeah yeah, it's been since October since I posted anything. But I haven't been completely out of the game. In October I did a Zombie run which was fantastic and I will try to do again this year! Then I also did the Thanksgiving Turkey trot 5K. After that I feel like the holidays made me a bit lazier unfortunately.

I've been getting back at it though! Today I did Run For Cookies virtual 5K. 

As you can see it was incredibly slow, but I'm giving myself some slack since I helped my sister move today. 

No I haven't really lost any weight but I feel like my eating habits are getting much better. I would like to get back into the habit of blogging so I can keep track of my progress. All of this seems so much harder but maybe I don't remember how it really was. But no excuses. Time to get it back and feel good. 

I've been trying to find some races to reach for this year but haven't quite decided on any yet. I need a training plan soon though! 

Ironman Kona!

This Saturday is spent watching Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. If you want some inspiration check it out, here.

I've got to admit, I'm routing for defending champion Rinny Carfrae and American Tim O'Donnell.

But really the women's and men's race is going to be a tough one. Can't wait to hear about the age groupers as well, who can be so amazing.

Back to watching now!

Beckley 5K

Lordy, Lordy I've been busy. Things have been going well though. I'm down to 10mg of prednisone. Woot Woot! After blood work next week, hopefully I can reduce some more! I've been working on my running and a little indoor biking, but it's still hard. The extra weight mixed with legs that still feel like lead makes everything harder. But I will persevere.

I thought I'd share a few photos of what I've been up to lately....

Pumpkin Patch Fun.

Hiking with two kids and two dogs. I'm quite proud I didn't yell at anyone.

Inducing child labor. In my defense, he volunteered.

Tried out a new trail. Went for over 22 miles on the bike!

 I don't have a picture of the Beckley 5K that I did yesterday. It's the same 5K that I did for my very first race.

2011

The only thing good about this race is that I did beat my time from 2011. My time was 36.39, my first race in 2011 I came in a little over 39 minutes. It was just a hard run. It was once again freezing. I believe it was right at 40 degrees when the race began. My legs just kept feeling like lead. This race runs really close to my house and the thought of just running home did cross my mind! Mentally I was struggling as well. I couldn't get over how hard it felt and unfortunately I didn't have any support at the race to look forward to. I ended up walking a total of four times I believe. Of course, my watch was dead, so I'm not sure how long my walk breaks were. I finished the race though. Honestly, the pace of 11:48 is pretty consistent, if not a little faster, than what I've been running while training. So I shouldn't be too disappointed with my time. I guess I was just hoping that once I got out there, the atmosphere would pull me along and it would be less hard.

It might have hurt me that I haven't been very consistent with my running lately. I've been going to my niece's volleyball games during the week and trying to hang out with them on the weekends or I'll have some event or another. I haven't been as good as juggling my time as I used to be (mainly because I haven't been this social in quite a long time!).

But this race can be a good starting point. I know I've got to lose the extra weight and just keep at it. I went for a gorgeous two hour bike ride today on a rail trail in another county and it was so relaxing! The good thing about me being busy, I do work in activities that involve moving, but I still need to make sure I get my runs in so that I can get my heart rate up and my muscles stronger.

3.1 Miles

I may have skipped a week or two of my Couch to 5K today. Last week I walked 1 minute and ran 4 minutes, for 30 minutes. My runs were a little off though. I tried to squeeze one in while I was watching my niece and nephew after a trail walk, that only last about 20 minutes. The next day I did the full 30 minutes on the treadmill and other than sweating to death, it felt good to run for a longer period at a time. Then Friday I could only squeeze in 25 minutes before I had to go to dinner for my mom's birthday. And I did all of those runs in three consecutive days. I had a family reunion on Saturday and just wanted to make sure I got my runs in before that. My legs were feeling quite tired!

So I didn't run or do too much yesterday at the reunion, other than fail at playing volleyball. Today, my schedule was to walk 1 minute, run for 4, for 35 minutes. I did an out and back with my dog today. I went a little further out than I really needed to and when I was at 35 minutes I was really close to 3 miles, so I walked for my one minute and decided to just run for the next four minutes like I had been.

Obviously this was an extremely slow 5K, slower than my first official 5K even. But I did it!

This was my first time over three miles since the Biggest Loser 5K in June. This was also Mattie's longest run yet! My legs were feeling heavy, which seems to be the normal now, but I'm still hopeful that will get better with more running. I think I will keep my runs at 40 minutes for this week and then maybe keep the same routine for next week but add in an extra day.

Tuesday I go to see the rheumatologist. I'm hoping that the taper of prednisone will continue, maybe even at a faster pace. Starting today, I'm down to 30 mg, but I need to get under 10 for the side affects to lessen. I can't even tell you how much weight I've gained. The batteries quit working in my scale and I've decided to leave it that way for now. I'm still watching my food intake. I splurged yesterday at my reunion, but did well at my mom's birthday. Mentally I am not doing well with the weight gain. I just borrowed pants that are a size 16. Before all this, I was wearing 10-12's. I just hope I can get back to that. I don't think the weight is going to come off before I get off prednisone, but I can still be healthy! I'm just ready to feel like myself again. I feel uncomfortable all the time in my body. It just better be temporary.

Couch to 5K...Again

Week One:

Day One: 5 minute warm up, alternate 1 minute run with 90 seconds of walking for twenty minutes

Day Two: Supposed to be same as above, but I did more of 1 minute run with 1 minute walk for twenty minutes

Day Three: Same as Day Two.

Starting the Couch to 5K is definitely like starting all over. I'm out of breath quickly, my legs feel tired and heavy, and it's just hard. But I know this time around I can do it. So far I haven't had issues with being incredibly sore afterwards, maybe a little, but I'm fine the next day which is important. If I experience soreness for days, then I know I've gone too far and need to pull back.

I've been incorporating the bike on the trainer. I haven't ridden outside yet, just because my arms get tired easy and I don't want to have to deal with hills. I've also been trying to add in light hand weights and ab work on the stability ball.

My weight hasn't budged, in fact it keeps going up little by little. But I'm still pushing with keeping track of food during the week. I meant to start tracking this weekend, but friends coming in out of town just kind of threw me off. I've also been extremely munchy lately. I guess it's the meds, I don't know, but I feel out of control sometimes. But I'll keep forging on. I know I have to keep at it, even if my weight doesn't change, because if I were to just let go, I may gain fifty pounds instead of 15.

Week 2:

90 seconds run 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes. It ended up being more than twenty by the time I got home, more like 25 plus my warm up walk of five minutes.

I ended up running home after a charity game of kick ball.  There were some hills and oh my it was rough. I was really sore the next day. So Monday I didn't run but decided to do an arm workout. I did do some squats which caused some soreness the next day. I took Wednesday off just to make sure I wasn't pushing too far, but Thursday I felt just fine!

I'm thinking about following more of the Spark People 5K plan which is the plan I did the first time around. But we will see.

Week 3:

Walk 2 minutes and run for 3 for 25 minutes.

 This is more of the Sparkpeople plan.  Shew, it was tough. Three minutes seems like a long time when running. My knees are feeling the weight gain and my shin splints acted like they may come back. But once I got warmed up, I didn't have issues. I used this week to concentrate on form. Landing well on my feet and making sure I keep my back straight, with my should pulled back not hunched over which I can tend to do.

Week 4:

Walk 2 minutes and run for 3 for 30 minutes.

On Saturday I went on a hike and I definitely felt it on today's run! I was tired. I ran with Mattie, my dog, and a friend. Thank goodness for my friend. He pulled me through and made sure I didn't go extremely slow. We ended up with 2.36 miles in 30 minutes. This is a far cry from what I used to do. But I'm trying to remind myself distance doesn't matter right now. Going out for time and getting my body back is shape is what matters.

Overall, I feel like my legs are heavy all the time. It's easier on the treadmill, but I like going outside too much to keep to the treadmill. I'll get there though. On a good note, the running hasn't affected my muscles as far as my Polymyositis. All my blood work is normal. I've started reducing my prednisone, I'm down from 60 mg. to 40 this week. In two weeks, I'll get to reduce to 30. After that will probably depend on more blood work.

And to make this post a little more interesting, here is some pictures of my hike on Saturday. It was another gorgeous hike! 

Love it.

Mattie Loving Life.

Courtesy of my friend Brian

New River Gorge Bridge

Weekend Splurges

Prednisone aside, my weight gain has to be blamed on what's going into my mouth. I do well during the week, I even track my food, but come the weekend all bets are off. I tend to be very busy on the weekends with friends and family. This leads to eating out or ordering food and no matter what I choose, I tend to over indulge and my weight just goes up and up. Of course during the week my weight will come back down some, but not enough to make up for the weekend weight gain.

So what can I do to change this? Stop hanging out with friends and family? Become a hermit? Workout all day Saturday and Sunday so I can't overeat? I don't think those are the answers. I know it's all about balance, but sometimes trying to balance can lead to overeating!

This Saturday I went to the West Virginia State Fair. I had in my head to allow myself one treat. Well I started out well with some shredded chicken with just a tad of barbeque sauce on it, with a small roll, mashed potatoes (which I only took a couple of bites of), and green beans. Then I had roasted corn on the cob (truly the best corn ever!), due to it being so hot I got an ice cream cone. I was doing pretty well, until we went to see my cousin bull ride and I got a bag of kettle corn, which I ate my weight's worth. Then I had a few bites of a funnel cake! It could have been worse, but not as good as I wanted. Then on Sunday, I started out with a simple breakfast of toast with jam and fruit. I had a snack of these two blueberry fig bars (they are yummy) so I wouldn't get hungry while out on my kayak. Theeeen my boyfriend, a friend and I went to Dairy Queen where I had a grilled chicken sandwich, small curly fries, and a small ice cream cone. That wouldn't have been so so bad, except later that evening I had two and half slices of pepperoni pizza with two pieces of chocolate chip cookie. UGH! I just can't handle it! If it's in front of me I eat it!

So I thought it would be a great idea to share this article of what to we can do on the weekends to not ruin our eating habits: You can find the article here, from Sparkpeople.com.


1. Squeeze in a longer workout. The best part of the weekend is that you have more free time. So while you might not be able to squeeze in a 30-minute run over lunch during the week, you can use the weekend to go for a longer run at a beautiful park nearby. Or go to the gym to try a new hour-long class. Use the weekend as a time to refresh your workout and get more activity in without feeling rushed.

2. Eat like it's a weekday. When you think about it, it doesn't really make much sense to eat differently on the weekend than you do during the week—especially if your food choices during the week keep you fueled and energized. It can be easy to skip meals on the weekend and then make up for it later by overindulging at dinner. So, make a point to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner while sitting down. Pack snacks for when you're on the go, and follow a schedule just like you would during the week. Your body will thank you!

3. Stick to your usual sleep schedule. Are you someone who has a firm bedtime during the week only to stay up late and sleep in on the weekends? Changing your sleep patterns could throw off your schedule (hard to eat breakfast when you get up at noon!), and could also interfere with weight loss. Just think of all those times you stayed up later than usual, got hungry and ended up eating something unhealthy! Changing your sleep schedule can also make it harder to fall asleep on Sunday night which could set you up for a tired Monday.

4. Get outdoors. Because most of us work indoors during the daylight hours, the weekend provides a nice opportunity to get outside, see the sun and connect with nature. Heading outside can boost your body's production of vitamin D, plus studies show that people are happier when they spend time out in nature. So, get out there and enjoy the great outdoors!

5. Fuel yourself for weekday success. Ask yourself honestly if you pushed yourself too hard with workouts or restricted your food or calories too much during the week. If so, come Friday, your body may be hungry and tired, which can lead to overeating and underexercising on the weekend. Remember to practice moderation every day, eating and exercising in a way that you can sustain for the long haul—not just a few days or weeks.

6. Limit your drinks. While many of us forgo the soda, beer and wine during the week, we loosen up over the weekend and drink more of our calories. Just remember that the calories in beverages can add up quickly if you're not careful. Go easy on the drinks, or try healthier drink swaps if you just can't forgo that fancy coffee or sweet tea on Saturday! Practice moderation when it comes to alcohol, too. Just because you were "good" during the week doesn't mean that it's OK to make up for that with one night of all-out binge drinking. Here's what you need to know about fitting alcohol into a healthy diet.

7. Plan for relaxation. Most of us are busy during the week and even our weekends seem to become non-stop errands, chores, work and travel. So how do you find time to relax? Take the whole weekend (or at least part of it) to schedule some downtime for at least an hour or two. Whether it's practicing your favorite hobby, seeing a movie with friends or even meditating quietly, do something every weekend that recharges you. You'll not only feel better, but also beat stress (which may also ) help you drop a few pounds.

8. Break the on-again, off-again diet mentality. If you have a history in yo-yo dieting, make sure that you're not alternating between being "good" and "bad" throughout the course of a week. View the weekend as time for you—not a time to rebel or "cheat" on your diet and exercise plan. Remember that being at a healthy weight is about sustainable healthy lifestyle changes, not just a diet and exercise plan that you can maintain Monday through Friday. Revisit your goals and recommit to making healthy and realistic choices every day that set you up for success in the long term.

9. Weigh in Monday morning. If you need extra help being accountable over the weekend, schedule your weekly weigh-in for Monday morning. Knowing that you'll step on the scale at the start of the week can help you to stay accountable and be more aware of your weekend choices.

10. Plan for the week ahead. What better way to stay healthy on the weekend than by using your extra time to continue to set yourself up for success? Take a Sunday afternoon or evening to plan your meals, hit the grocery store, and do some big batch cooking for the week ahead. That way, when your busy week gets even busier, you'll already be ahead of the curve and able to stay on track! Don't forget about laundering your workout clothes, packing your gym bag, and getting prepared for workouts, too.


 I know I need to start scheduling my long workouts for the weekends again. I've not been doing that since I got sick. I think I also need to make sure I'm drinking enough water on the weekends. I'm probably more thirsty than I am hungry and then end up over doing it on food. With these tips, I'm hoping to make better choices this upcoming weekend! I'm still working on Couch to 5K, biking, a little strength training, and kayaking when it's not raining!

Here's a couple of pictures of where I went yesterday, Bluestone Lake in Hinton, WV. I went about five miles. I love it!

Source

Source

I've got to get ready for my run. Unfortunately, it will be on the treadmill since it's been pouring rain all day, but at least I get to run! Have a good and healthy week!

Outdoor Adventures

Hello there August, what happened to July??

Since I can't 'push' myself in exercise, I've been coming up with other ways to get in exercise. Of course I've been walking around my neighborhood, but I've also been trying to come up with more exciting avenues.
Hiking was the first adventure:

Please ignore my wet hair and no mascara!

I felt like a bad West Virginian. I've lived near some of the best trails in Fayette County, yet had never been on them. My friend remedied that a couple of weekends ago! I also tested out my Camel Back water pack. I liked it a lot, couldn't even feel it, but I still need to test it out on running.The trail we chose led to a shut down Coal Mines. It was really pretty and had the bonus of neat history.

Kilmoor Miner's Trail

There is a set of a billion stairs that we will have to go back and conquer when my legs are stronger!

That same day, due to a good sale, I bought this....

On the lake after I bought it.

I'm so excited! I've been wanting one since I did a Run, Row, Ride race. I took it out for over 2 miles the first time and that was after hiking 4.5 miles! Not too shabby. Unfortunately, it's been unseasonably cool and rainy lately, so I haven't had another chance to take it out. But I will soon darn it!

The next weekend I had a camping adventure. I haven't been camping since...too long to remember. My sister decided a while ago to go and it turned out to just me, her and her two kids. We were afraid of not being able to put up the tent or able to make a fire, but we did! We were proud!

We even took my niece and nephew for their first kayak adventure. I didn't bring mine, so we rented some.

We took a tram up into the mountains, saw various waterfalls, enjoyed some s'mores, went swimming, and even did a little fishing. We saw lots of wildlife too, including a raccoon that was trying to steal our food and come into our tent on Friday night! Little rascal. We had a great time, until it started storming Saturday around midnight or so. Turns out there was a small hole at the bottom of our tent. My sister got completely soaked. We decided to just get up get everything together and go home. We were out of there by 6:30 am.

Then today included a small kickball tournament, for Make a Wish Foundation through Starbucks. It was fun. I participated in two games. We lost of course, haha. Then I ran home as part of day three of Couch to 5K, that I started this past week. The plan is below. I did day 1 as is and then day 2 and 3 I ran for one and then walked for one for twenty minutes. I've continued getting my dog to come with me. She's been doing well. It's a little weird to run with her and the leash, but I hopefully I'll get used to it! I'll update as I get further along with my running. This post is long enough!

Day 1 of C25K Done!

Week	Workout 1	Workout 2	Workout 3
1	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
2	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
3	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
4	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
5	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
6	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 22 minutes) with no walking.
7	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
8	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
9	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).