Ele's Race preparations!

Ugh. I have been so busy lately!!! I've been dealing with summer activities, trips, kid's illnesses and a big project at work. My crazy schedule PLUS the crazy heat of 90-100 degrees has kept me from running and training for any of my upcoming races. BUT, that doesn't mean I've given up!

This weekend (Sunday 7/22) is Ele's Race which is a popular 5k in Okemos, MI. I'm going to be running in that race as a Team Captain for #run3rd (for more information check out this post on #run3rd). I will be wearing a shirt sporting the #run3rd name. I will also be listing all of the dedications that I get from others. These dedications are WHY I run on Sunday. I run in honor of every person, event or cause that I get. And I want to #run3rd for YOU!

If you have a dedication that you'd like to give me, PLEASE do so by Saturday night if possible.  I will be putting all dedications on my shirt and will be running with them in mind. Those dedications will keep me focused. They will keep me motivated. And they will keep me going. Especially with my lack of training this time around, I can use every reason to #run3rd that I can get! ;)

As of 11:00am on Friday, July 20, I #run3rd for:

• The Roy Family
• Grandma Jane, 1932-2012
• Loved ones that are missed
• 46 Mommas Shave for the Brave
• Aniridia Foundation International
• A cure for blood cancers
• Pregnancy...when you want it
• Vicitims of Aurora, CO shooting

A few of these are ones I have thrown in on my own to honor people I care about. ;) Send me more!!! And if you've given me a #run3rd dedication and I somehow left it out, PLEASE let me know!

I'll make sure to take some pictures and will post pictures on my personal blog and the Official Team #run3rd blog, so be sure to check back.

July weight loss update

Happy 4th of July!

I realize it has been a long time since I've checked in. After my half-marathon, I decided I wanted to start dieting with my exercise. So two weeks ago, I joined Weight Watchers. Unfortunately, with the heat I've had trouble fitting running into my days - never being able to find a time to run with a temp under 80 degrees. But despite that, I have already lost 8 lbs on Weight Watchers and am currently at 162 lbs. (Down 19 from my original 181) That is a BMI of 23.9, which is within the NORMAL weight range! Yay!

I have taken some newer photos to see if my body has had any changes. The changes are hard for me to see, but I FEEL like I have had some changes and my clothes definitely fit differently. Again, I put them on another website so I don't have half-naked pics of me sitting out on a blog. http://flickr.com/gp/heathermsu/QwQ9PN

As you may know, my original goal was to get down to 140 by June. I didn't make that goal, but I still am hopeful that I will be at my goal within 2012, which is good enough for me!

Good motto for me. :)

#run3rd

WHAT IS #run3rd?

#run3rd all started with the actor, Sean Astin (one of my first celebrity crushes - Goonies, Rudy, Lord of the Rings, etc). Sean has been running for most of his life but recently realized his only purpose for running has been for himself. He thought that seemed somewhat selfish and he reevaluated what drives him to run and keeps him running.

Sean realized he’d never really run on behalf of a specific cause or for a particular person. He thought about selecting a cause, but realized that seemed too exclusive – choosing one cause would leave out so many other important issues. So, he reached out to his Twitter followers. He asked them to submit dedications and said he would run on behalf of ALL of those causes/issues/people. He received a number of dedications for a wide variety of things – for a family member with cancer, for no bullying, for autism awareness. The list went on and on. And before his race, Sean read the list, printed it and ran with it as his purpose.

As a result of this, #run3rd was born:

Run FIRST for yourself. There are tons of physical and mental rewards.

Run SECOND for your family who wait for you, listen to your stories from the road and who are there for you.

Run THIRD for others.

Joining #run3rd means you want to honor someone else’s passions, concerns and loved ones as part of your running/walking.

• It’s about awareness – bringing attention to causes/programs/issues that are important to people around me. The more attention, the more people may want to contribute to specific causes/charities.
• It’s about respect – honoring people who have had diseases, conditions and situations affect their lives.
• It’s about celebration – not all dedications have to be negative! If you want me to run in honor of your new marriage, THAT is important too!

WHY DO #run3rd?

• Running a half marathon or a marathon is a big task for most of us (and for less experienced runners completing a 5 or 10k can pose a big challenge) so if you decide to run for others it can provide huge motivation during the training period. Let's face it there's going to be lots of occasions when a night-in on the sofa or a night-out at the bar is going to be more tempting than a 10 mile run on a cold wet night. However if you've committed to running on behalf of others, you won't want to let anyone down and are sure to pull on your shoes and head out the door. The motivation factor can be a huge help just at the times when your training is getting tough and you're thinking about chucking it or settling for a more modest time.

• High-profile races such as 5ks, half-marathons or marathons are fantastic opportunities for people to increase awareness about their cause. Runners wearing a charity's name on their shirt on race day can help raise the profile of the charity in the public's consciousness.

• Running long distances gives a person lots of time to think. Often times, you think WAY too much about yourself – how you feel, the fact that you want to stop, how hungry you are. However, when I’m running in honor of a cause/person THAT is what/who I think about. I think about how their lives have been affected by their situation. About any medical treatment they may have had to go through. Those thoughts give me strength and they keep me moving.

HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN #run3rd

Sean has recently decided to take #run3rd public and encourage other people to participate. He has selected team captains to start #run3rd in their areas at local races. Thanks to my sweet friend Leah, Sean selected me to be a Team Captain. I have chosen to have my team participate in Ele’s Race in Okemos, MI – a 5K run/walk that provides support to a community organization that helps grieving children. The 5K takes place on July 22.

I’m looking for other people who would like to complete a 5K walk or run with me as part of the #run3rd team! We will collect dedications from others and post them on our #run3rd shirts to raise awareness! We will walk/run for ourselves, for our families AND for others! And you don't have to walk/run the event in Okemos. You could do a different event near your home around the same time and still participate in #run3rd!

YOUR DEDICATIONS

You don't have to walk/run with me to participate. You also can give me dedications that will serve as my "reasons to run". Think of me as your own graffiti wall (stole that visualization from Sean). You can spray paint whatever you want on me. During my run, I will wear a shirt listing all of the dedications I receive. Not only will I be thinking about all of these issues during my run, but everyone that sees me will think about them too. The more aware people are, the more they may donate time or money to your cause!

Let me know if you'd like to join me in walking/running or have a dedication for me to add to my list! 

- Heather 

Bayshore Half Marathon - May 26, 2012

Friday, May 25, the Slawinskis headed up to Traverse City for the Bayshore Half Marathon. This is the big race I've been training for since February. The one I raised all of that money for. The time had finally come!

TNT Runners and Walkers

The Team in Training group stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge which THRILLED Kaitlyn. We checked in and I headed downstairs for a Team In Training group photo (which was kind of chaotic). Then it was off to an Inspiration Dinner to load up on pasta and other carbs while listening to inspiring stories about all of the people we helped  by raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We also got a final focus from Coach Ken. He joked about how nervous we'd be until the race began. He also reminded us that when we started the race, if we felt like we were at a good pace, we should SLOW DOWN. It's a very common problem to start a race going out too fast. 

The sign on my door

After shoving my face with food, I returned to the hotel room, set my alarm for 4:00 am, and settled down with the baby. It was tough sleeping - the air conditioner in the room seemed especially loud. But when my alarm went off I felt pretty rested. I got ready, ate a peanut butter sandwich, made some coffee and headed down to catch the shuttle to the high school at 4:55 am. Yes, it was very early and still very dark. When I left my room I saw the awesome sign the TNT coaches and staff had left on my door. It made me proud.

Waiting in the field

I climbed on the bus at the Lodge and headed to the high school. Once there, the half marathoners got on another bus to head 13.1 miles out on Old Mission Peninsula where we would start our race at 7:30 am. (The full marathoners were going to start the race near the high school at 7:00 am, run to the half-marathon start, turn around, and head back. This meant that the full marathoners would pass us on the way out on the peninsula, and the faster ones might pass us again as they head back to the finish) I got to the high school early and ended up on the first bus to the half marathon start. We settled into a rustic field to wait 2 hours until the start of the race. I ate a power bar and watched all of the people nervously waiting for the race. Some were pacing, some were sitting chatting with friends and many were using the long line of port-a-potties. As the time went on, I found some people I knew and was able to pass time talking. But the thought of those 13.1 miles looming in the near future was always there in my mind.

Finally, people started heading to the starting line. There were 2,300 half marathoners and almost all of them went faster than me, so I chose to wait until the very end of the pack and then join in and head to the start. Races these days are timed by chips - this chip was attached to our bib number. Your race doesn't officially start until you cross the start line with your chip. So I wasn't in a big hurry to start the race. When I finally crossed the start line, I immediately began running. It was a beautiful morning. It was about 60 degrees at the start. The sun was still working its way up in the sky so it wasn't strong and there was a forecast for clouds which is great for running. The road we run down is on the East side of the peninsula, right on the bay. The water was almost always visible on our left side (although sometimes it was blocked by trees). Several people lined the road with their morning cups of coffee and cheered on the runners going past their house.

My run started off great. I felt good. I felt like I was going SLOW which I thought meant I was going the right pace. The first two miles seemed to fly by. After the first mile, they were handing out Gu (which is an energy gel). I definitely didn't need any at that point, but I grabbed one in case I needed one later. I continued my slow run while enjoying the music on my iPod. I had loaded just under 4 hours worth of music to make sure I had enough to get me through the whole race no matter what happened.

At mile 4.5, I saw Bruce, the running coach for the Lansing TNT group (and my co-worker). I told him I was doing good and didn't need him to run with me, but he did for a little bit. I told him I hadn't walked yet and I felt really good! We chatted for a bit, then he went on to run with another person.

I eventually started feeling a little poking pain on a toe on my left foot. It felt like one toenail was digging into the other toe. I had heard many stories about runners losing nails and wondered if that was going to happen. But I knew that this tiny little thing wasn't going to make me stop!

Around mile 6, I had to go to the bathroom so I stopped at one of the port-a-potties. Its really tough to feel good enough to keep running but have to stop to use the bathroom. Plus, someone was already in there so I had to wait even longer. After I was done, I hit the road again. I couldn't help but notice I didn't feel as good as I had before I stopped. I hoped I'd be able to shake that feeling and feel better soon. I came up on a small hill and decided to walk it - my first time walking any of the race. I ran after I was at the top of the hill and noticed I still felt more worn down than I had before the bathroom break, but I kept going.

Me thrilled to see my cheerleaders! Kaitlyn is proudly holding her sign.

Around mile 7, we came up on a spectator viewing area. There were lots of people there cheering for us. It was great. As I turned the corner, I saw the best sight ever. My 5-year old daughter, Kaitlyn, holding a big neon yellow sign (that I had helped her make) that said "DON'T STOP, KEEP RUNNING MOMMY". She had written the word "mommy" and it was adorable. Her smiling face behind the sign was the absolute best part. I almost burst into tears. I ran over and hugged her. I saw my wonderful husband and said hi and kissed the smiling baby, Allison, on the cheek. Then I continued on my way thinking about how wonderful my family was.


As I continued the next mile, I started to feel exhausted. I kept thinking how I wished I could have just stopped with my family and spent the rest of the day with them rather than continuing this race. I let myself walk again. When I went to run again, I found it almost impossible. Nothing hurt - my legs, my arms, my feet - everything felt fine. But I was tired. Not just tired - completely drained. I looked around me and it seemed like everyone was walking. Not only were they walking, but they looked as though they had given up! They were walking SLOW. And here I was "RUNNING" and still not going any faster than them. I was frustrated. Why the heck was I working so hard to run to go the same pace these lazy people were going? So, I stopped running and walked. I walked fast, but I still wasn't running. 

I didn't feel like I could finish. I had over 5 more miles to go and didn't see how I could do it. My original goal for the race was to not walk at all. After I starting training, I had changed the overall goal to just finish within 3 hours, but the walking was still a huge disappointment. As I continued walking, I mentally beat myself up. I couldn't believe I was letting myself get away with all of this walking! But I was so slow when I ran, that it wasn't worth all of the effort. I started getting so down on myself, I was almost making myself cry! I TRIED reminding myself of all of the people with blood cancers and all they had had to go through. This race was NOTHING compared to that! That would keep me running momentarily, but them my mind would wander and refocus on the fact that people around me were walking and I should too. I knew this was a bad thing. Not just bad, horrible. The worst thing you could do during a race is to mentally beat yourself up - YOU need to be your own biggest cheerleader. I TRIED to get beyond it and decided to sprint past the people in front of me who looked as though they had given up. I didn't want to be surrounded by that negative energy. I needed a fresh view. I got past them and needed to walk after the sprint. I told myself that this could be my last half marathon. If I could get through this one, I wouldn't have to do another one ever again if I didn't want to. So, I started adding in more running here and there.

Unfortunately, the mental beat down continued. A woman behind me started cheering on all of the marathoners who passed us by yelling "Good job runner!". I took offense at this because I was trying to be a runner too! Just because those guys were going way faster, doesn't mean my running was any less impressive! I also started getting incredibly frustrated about how the people along the side of the road had stopped cheering for me and the other slow half-mararhoners. They were now only cheering for the marathoners and once they passed, they stopped cheering. It was disheartening. They saw what I was doing as not a big deal. And I took that totally personally. OF COURSE looking back on all of this I see it was all in my head. ALL of it. But at the time, it was just another reason for me to stop running and take a walk break...again.

When I got to mile 9, I checked in with my iPod (which has a running app) to see how much time I had left before the 3 hour mark. I had about an hour left. That meant I had to average 15 mintues per mile or less in order to meet my goal of finishing within 3 hours. I typically run around a 12 or 13 minute mile, so I saw this as just another excuse to walk more. I knew if I walked some, I could still finish in time. But I also knew I had to keep running here and there or I wouldn't make it. Once I hit mile 11, I tried to increase the running. Having 2 miles to go, I KNEW I could finish, it was just a matter of when. I had a former Team In Training runner named Tim come help me out and give me some words of encouragement, but he couldn't stay with me forever and then I was on my own again.

Turning the corner and seeing the huge crowd

Finally, I was within the last mile. I enetered the Northwestern College campus and felt very drained. With about half a mile left Ken, a TNT coach, came up and asked how I was. I was walking and told him "I'm supposed to be running." He came over and got me to run. He grabbed another TNT person who was walking and got her to run too. He made jokes and kept telling us about how the crowd was just around the corner and would be cheering our names. He told us to stick together and he went off to help another person. The other TNT girl took off going fast and I was left alone again. But I wasn't alone. Ken was right. There was a massive crowd cheering so loudly I couldn't hear my music very well anymore. Then I spotted Kaitlyn and her sign. It was covering her face! Tim took a picture of me then picked up Allison so she could cheer me on. Kaitlyn lowered her sign so she could see me, then quickly held it back up to keep cheering me on. Allison was VERY excited and was holding up her hands and yelling, but never actually saw me. She just thought the excitement was so cool! I turned back to my running and decided I had to finish this at a run. I followed the road to the track opening and had to go the last 0.1 mile on the track. I could feel how physically exhausted I was and I felt like I was DRAGGING myself across that finish line. But I could also see my time. 2:58 as I ran up. I think it went to 2:59 as I crossed under the Finish sign. I made it under my goal. And calculating in my delay in crossing the start line, I knew I was definitely going to have a time under my goal of 3 hours. I made it. I was so happy! I didn't have to run anymore! My body completely relaxed and I found it hard to keep walking to where I needed to go, but knowing I was done was enough motivation to get me to where I needed to go. I found my family and hugged them all. I loaded up on lots of food to reward myself (although once I had the food, I realized I didn't really want to eat it). I got my medal and my TNT finisher pin.

My big injury

I sat down and took off my shoes and found my toe was bleeding from the toenail next to it cutting into it. My sock was drenched in blood and there was blood in my shoe too. But there was no pain and I still had all of my toenails. The rest of my body felt fine. I breathed a sigh of relief. I had finished, and in one piece. My official result was 2 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. My average pace was a 13:46 mile.

Over the rest of the weekend I kept moving and still felt pretty good. When I woke up on Sunday, I felt like I had recently exercised, but I didn't feel bad at all. Now on Tuesday, I have a little pain in my left knee, but I'm sure that will go away in a day or two. Over the weekend, I researched the mental piece of running on the internet. I have two more half marathons coming up that I've already registered for: the Capital City River Run Half Marathon in Lansing on 9/16 and the Detroit International Half Marathon on 10/21. My plan is to start running again on June 1 and begin training for these upcoming races. I hope to get a tiny bit faster. But most of all, I hope to overcome my mental wall and be able to run with a positive attitude. That is going to take some work, but I know I can do it. I'm GOING to shake my negative thoughts and I am GOING to have AWESOME RACES!


While looking for information on training your mind for long runs, I found this quote: "If I am still standing at the end of the race, hit me with a board and knock me down, because that means I didn't run hard enough." --Steve Jones, former marathon world record holder. That's kind of how I felt after my race. I feel like I should have been more physically worn out. I had more to give physically, but my mind just wouldn't let me. But I plan to fix this next time.

Me, my girls and my medal

Despite being anxious to jump into the next half marathon and prove to myself I can do this, I am sad looking ahead to my future races knowing I won't have the wonderful Team In Training coaches, staff and volunteers there to help me along. Throughout my training I had people to turn to when I needed help. They motivated me when I was nervous. And they all but dragged me through the race. Their encouragement, motivation, humor, light-heartedness, understanding, enthusiasm, smiles, pats on the back and cheers will be greatly missed. I may have to do another TNT event in the future just to get that rush again. I sent an email to them thanking them for all of their dedication and assistance. In January, I SWORE I hated running. Now look at me. I'm taking less than a week off before I start training for my next half marathon. If you have ever considered a Team In Training event, DO IT. It will change your life.

Time for a weight update

A friend just reminded me it has been a while since I updated any information about my weight. On January 2, I was 181 lbs which equalled a BMI of 26.7 (overweight). I am now 167 lbs which equals a BMI of 24.7 (NORMAL weight). So over 4.5 months, I've lost 14 lbs. I'm not meeting my goal of losing 41 lbs by June, but I am getting in better shape and have lost a little bit of weight along the way.

When I signed up for the half-marathon, I made a concious decision to not focus on dieting (as I originally had planned), but to get into decent physical shape through exercise. My thoughts were that after the race I could start dieting while continuing to run. Guess that means I should start dieting again around June 1 (after I pig out after burning a ton of calories during the half-marathon).

I'll try to post some pictures later. There isn't going to be much change to see, but I swore I'd do it. Maybe once I do it, I'll get another boost of motivation. :)

Less than a week away



THIS Saturday, May 25 is the Bayshore Half Marathon in Traverse City, Michigan. This is the race I have been training for with Team In Training. With the amazing help of family, friends, people on Twitter and on Facebook, I reached my minimum goal and raised over $1400 to fight leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancers. But now comes the part no one can truly help with - my run!



Me with Kaitlyn at a race that we both did in April.
She ran 100 yards and I ran 5K!



I have done a better job training for this race than any other race I have participated in in the past. I got up to 10 miles in my training and those 10 miles actually went really well. I only walked up the hills and ran (SLOWLY) the rest! It was a great accomplishment for me! Unfortunately, I went on vacation shortly after that and ended up taking 2 weeks off from training! D'oh! I have gotten back into it and hope race day doesn't prove to be too difficult.

My goal is to finish the 13.1 miles in 3 hours. Yes, I know this is a slow pace. But its my pace. In the past, I have taken around 3:20-3:25 to finish half-marathons, but that always included walking. This time I want to do my "slow run" through the whole race, only walking during the hills, and finish within 3 hours. Statistics say based on what I run in shorter runs, this is possible. But I'll never know for sure until the actual race.



That being said, I am rather nervous. With the decline in training and the goal just within my reach, I fear having a bad run day. Plus, the weather has been so warm and it doesn't look like it will be cooling down. Heat is NOT my friend during runs. It actually makes me miss that hard, pellet-like snow in my face! But, I will stay hydrated and will do my best to keep the right pace. For those of you who don't run, races tend to make you run faster than you've ever run before. The adrenaline, the people going fast around you, and the determination to meet a particular goal all cause you to go TOO FAST when you're a beginner. I'll have to really concentrate to keep my normal pace.

One thing that will keep me running despite my sweatiness, achiness, and fatigue will be the thought of my two "Honored Heros". Matthew - a co-worker's son who was diagnosed with leukemia as a baby. He is now a teenager and is happy and healthy! And Josiah - a little boy who has fought leukemia and is now in remission. These two went through hell. Their families went through hell. And they made it. Running 13.1 miles compared to all of that is a piece of cake.

I will post a blog after I finish so that everyone knows how it went! Thanks again for all of your support!

 - Heather

Healthy Habits

Its been a while since I did a blog, so I figured I'd provide an update on how my New Years Resolution to get in shape is going.

I am still "running". I put it in quotes since I go so slow its hard to call it running. But I am trying. My friend was in a bind recently - she was supposed to run a 30 km relay with a friend (each person doing 15 km), but the friend got injured and was unable to run. She was looking for someone to fill in for the race. 15 km equals about 9.32 miles, so I hadn't run that far yet (only got as high as 5 miles), but I volunteered to help thinking I could run 5 or 6 miles and walk the rest.

The race was the 30K Around The Bay in Hamilton, Ontario. She started the race doing the first half which was flat but not in a very scenic area. I did the second half which had some hills but was very pretty. She did a great job and got to the relay point around 1:55 or so. I started my half with some walking (I was trying to figure out how to get an app on my iPhone to work) then ran super slow. Again, after 2 miles I felt great. I was hopeful I'd be able to finish the race feeling that wonderful. Unfortunately, I eventually got to 5 or 6 miles and started to get tired. It didn't help that I was still in the hilly area. Most of it wasn't too bad - they weren't very steep. But there was one KILLER hill. I swore all the way up. Luckily, it was the last one.

When I only had 1.5 km left, I could see the finish area. For some reason, that made my run SO MUCH HARDER. I know it now its purely psychological, but something about that last stretch makes me feel like I can't finish. I get SO tired and feel SO worn out. My music wasn't helping - I couldn't get my iPhone to play anything uplifting. While running, I was STRUGGLING to pass walkers. I was so slow. The race ended inside of an arena. We had to run past the arena, then turn and go into the service/truck entrance to the main floor. While I was running next to the arena, a fit man yelled to me "YOU CAN DO IT! KEEP GOING! IT'S JUST AROUND THAT CORNER THEN YOU GO INSIDE! KEEP SWINGING THOSE ARMS!" Some how, that helped. I replayed his words all the way around the corner, down the steep slope and into the arena seeing that it had taken me 2:14 minutes to get there. Longer than I had hoped for. Once I saw the finish line only feet in front of me, I started running FAST (for me). I kept going after I passed the finish line and a guy had to tell me to stop running. Ironic, eh? My pace ended up being 14:10 (meaning: my average mile took 14 minutes, 10 seconds).

Luckily, I avoided injury with that race. So despite my incredibly slow speed, I did something right with my form that kept injury away. This past week I've been able to continue with my training and haven't had any problems. *knock on wood* The only issue I have is figuring out how to run 5 miles tonight on a tight schedule with two kids and my husband getting ready for a work trip....

Along with my running, I started a Healthy Habits Challenge with some friends and hope to get more benefits out of that. Its a 10 week challenge with a list of healthy activities that can earn you points. Everyone competes against each other and the 2 people with the most points at the end of the 10 weeks wins $$! Its a fun way to be more conscious of how healthy I live my life. I hope I really do get some good habits out of this challenge! I'm already starting to think a little bit differently about my days - more veggies, no cell phone use in the car, etc.

I weighed myself before the Challenge began and I am STILL at 170 lbs. Down 11 lbs since the start of the year, and down 2 pant sizes, but not seeing many other changes. Hopefully I can lose a few more pounds while continuing to get enough calories/energy to keep running.

Off to get more water! Later!

Who in their right mind enjoys running?

Honestly, in the past I have sworn up and down there was NO WAY I would ever enjoy running. All that hard work, not to mention the damage it can do to your body? Playing sports was way more fun. Swimming too. Even walking was more enjoyable than running. The only thing I liked about running was when it was done. How can that be a good choice of exercise?

But suddenly I'm finding myself wondering if I might actually be able to enjoy running. If you read my previous blog, you see I finally felt a glimpse of feeling good while running. Then on Saturday, I went for my dreaded 5 mile training. I say "dreaded" because that's what I was doing. Dreading it. I fell behind recently in my training when the baby was sick. I didn't think I was ready for 5 miles. But my coach suggested just running what I felt comfortable with (4 miles if that's the case) and walk the rest.

It was incredibly windy on Saturday at 8am for my group training, so I opted to skip it (bad team member). I waited until I thought the wind was a little better and headed out from my house at 2:45. I got about half a mile and wanted to turn around - at least to get a ski mask. The wind was blowing right in my face and it was HORRIBLE. Bitter cold and strong. I fought the urge and continued hoping when I got to the part of my trail that was faced the other way, maybe I would feel better with the wind at my back. It did feel better and I decided to keep going.

I was mostly running during my training. I kept the percentage of 75% in my mind as my goal for running. That would equal running 3.75 miles and walking 1.25. I think I stayed pretty close to that the whole time.

My amazing iPod has a Nike app that can measure how many miles I go. I don't know how it works - it may just be a fancy pedometer - but it worked. When I got home I mapped my run on mapmyrun.com and it was exactly the same as the Nike app. When the app told me I had completed 2 miles, I was surprised. It didn't seem like it had been that long! I was very confident I could continue and finish the 5 miles with no problem.



Not me, but this is about how I looked!



I did run into some snow during my run. It was that pellet-like kind. Almost like little styrofoam balls. And it was blowing right in my eyes. It actually forced me to go down to a walk at one point so I could CLOSE my eyes as I went. I'm glad my race is in May and snow will be very unlikely. But I may need to invest in a baseball hat that will protect my eyes from rain (if it happens).

I continued through my run and found myself running for long spans of time feeling good. The only reason I had to walk at times was because of my bladder issues (again - I definitely need to see a urologist at some point). My legs and my lungs felt much better than I ever would have expected.

My iPod finally told me I had hit 5 miles and I was thrilled. I STILL felt good! I also still had half a mile to go before I got home. So I willingly CHOSE to run the rest of the way. (SOOOOO not something I would have done in the past)

I ended my run at home. I had gone 5.47 miles in 1 hour, 13 minutes. My average mile was 13:30 minutes. Translated to my treadmill, that's a 4.5 mph average WITH walking included. So apparently going 4.0 on my treadmill at home is not doing me justice. I CAN go faster and need to in the future.



After the run I felt amazing. My arch hurt a tiny bit on one foot, but otherwise my body felt great. And I was thrilled. I had actually ENJOYED the run. So much so that I was looking forward to the next one as soon as that one ended! I'm not totally sure this "love of running" will continue. I know everyone has bad runs at times. But I guess as long as I don't quit after a bad run and I keep with it, I MAY have more of these "fun" runs ahead of me!

 Heather - potential runner

That first mile

Ask even the most experienced runners and they will tell you "The first miles SUCK!" But long distance runners continue to enjoy running because after that first mile or two, things get easier, you feel better and you are able to "enjoy" the run.

Tonight was the first time I remember ever experiencing that sensation myself. Oh, I've felt the "SUCK" part plenty. But that feeling of relief and enjoyment after the first mile has never happened to me until tonight.

I started with a minute of walking then went into a run at 4.4 mph (faster than my normal 4.0 jog). I had a bit of extra energy thanks to my awesome husband who bought me an iPod for Valentine's Day. I finally got around to putting a bunch of upbeat songs intended for my runs. My rule is that I am not allowed to listen to those songs unless I am training. And I love these songs. So I have some extra motivation to run and I have lots of fun training.

Anyway... so I started off strong. I naturally also started panting. And sweating. No biggie, but its definitely not "enjoyable". About a half a mile into the running, my throat starts burning from my heavy breathing. My mouth is now dry. And I have a headache. This was not good news since I knew I had to do 3 miles tonight. I decided to stick it out through the end of the song that had just started (Firework by Katy Perry) and then I would walk for a little bit. As Firework started drawing to an end, my iPod and Katy Perry got all sneaky on me and the next song (Last Friday Night by Katy Perry) literally blended right in and started playing with no break. I wondered if I should keep running since the music never really ended. It was at this point that I realized I was feeling pretty good compared to how I had felt earlier. My throat wasn't on fire anymore. And I didn't feel like I was pushing myself to move - it felt more automatic now. So I decided to keep running through the next song. Then I continued through the NEXT song. It was surprising! When I finally slowed to a 3.5 mph walk, I saw I had run 1.16 miles! This isn't a big deal to a regular runner at all, but for me, this is HUGE! I normally have to take lots of breaks throughout my training. Run 0.2 miles, walk 0.1, run 0.2, walk 0.1. So to run 1.16 straight, it was a great improvement.

In my 3rd mile, I started to get pretty tired, but that's to be expected since I'm in TRAINING and I'm used to 2 miles. But I still ended up running the majority of the time. And none of it was as hard as that first mile.

So, I shall continue my training with a brighter outlook knowing that the first mile will always SUCK, but those next miles might actually be fun (especially with the right music)!

Non-Scale Victory

5 weeks after I had the baby, I tried on some of my pre-pregnancy clothes. I was horrified at how much weight  I had to lose just to be able to pull them on completely. Rather than continue to wear maternity pants (that I was having trouble fitting into because the fat from my belly was apparently dropping into my thighs), I went out and bought some pants that were a size 16, which is the largest I've ever worn. Prior to getting pregnant, I was wearing a size 12. Not tiny, but not overweight either.

Yesterday I had more than one person mention how baggy my size 16 pants looked on me. I agreed. They looked kind of pathetic and I was constantly pulling them up. So this morning, I pulled out the one pair of size 14 jeans I own. I told myself "If they don't fit, its OK. They will someday." THEY FIT! Yes, my belly is pushing at the waist more than it did before I was pregnant, but they are not too tight and I'd say they are my size!

I stepped on the scale and confirmed I have still not lost any additional weight and am still hovering at about 173. But I HAVE lost a pant size which is still a victory! Keep in mind when you're starting exercise or dieting that Non-Scale Victories are just as awesome and are a perfect boost to help keep you going!

SLOWinski

The first time I met my coach, he actually thought my name was Slow-inski. I admit it. I am a slow-a** runner. In fact, my brother questions if what I do can even be considered running or jogging since I'm so incredibly slow. I see his point. When I get on a treadmill, I start off by walking at a 3.5 miles per hour speed. Its a comfortable pace for me. When I run, I increase the treadmill to a whopping 4.0. I'm pretty sure some people WALK that fast. But that is my running speed. S-L-O-W.

In 2006 when I trained to run my first half-marathon, I started off feeling great. I had some days where I ran more miles than were scheduled and I kept pushing myself to try to go faster. Within a month and a half, I ended up with Achilles tendonitis, which is basically where your heel hurts anytime you take a step walking or running. I was told I got it because I tried to do too much too fast. I did physical therapy and got over it, but the therapists kept telling me I had to take it easy. Therefore, I am cautious increasing that speed on my treadmill now. I'm just starting out and my body may be working with me, but only because I'm being nice. I have a feeling if I over did it, my body wouldn't be so cooperative.

At this rate, it will take me about 3.5 hours to finish the half-marathon if I "run". Oddly enough, thats how long it took me when I walked the race with just a tiny bit of running too. People do say you go faster race day because you're so excited and full of adrenaline. So who knows? Maybe I can finish in just 3 hours (still only going 4.3 miles per hour).

So for now, I'm just gonna plan on settling in to the back of the crowd at the race. The fact that I have actually gotten on my treadmill and "run" most of a two mile distance is already an accomplishment. If I can do the same with 13.1 miles, it will be awesome. And I'll just have to constantly keep in mind:

Day 33 - Healthy Lifestyle Vs. Dieting

Many of you have already expressed your opinion on how you feel about living a healthy lifestyle versus being on an official diet. I've heard from many people that they think committing to live a healthy lifestyle is much more important than being skinny. Eating healthy fresh foods, exercising regularly and taking care of yourself in general are all extremely important and should be a part of everyone's life ALL of the time, not just when you want to lose weight.

I started this resolution exclaiming I just wanted to lose weight. I want to get down to a lower weight, then worry about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But with my busy life with time constraints and stressors everywhere, I'm starting to realize "dieting" may not be the best idea. I have also just joined Team In Training to train to run/walk a half-marathon, who highly suggests NOT dieting while training. This is because you are pushing your body to gradually run more and more miles. Therefore, the coaches want to make sure you have enough calories to handle those extra miles and strains on your body.

With all of this said, I am not dieting like I had originally planned. But that doesn't mean I'm eating everything I want. I am absolutely eating healthier. For example, this morning I had steel cut oats (yes Chris, I finally took your advice) and for lunch I'm having Nutrisystem chili. But I also let myself have a piece of brownie someone brought in as a treat. I'm not obsessing over the calorie counts right now. As my body gets more adjusted to the miles and I feel more comfortable, I might start counting calories again, but my TRUE hope is that if I stick with this TNT training program and do my strength training, I will STILL lose weight and get toned up.

At this point, I have not gained any weight since stopping my calorie counting about 10 days ago. I MAY have lost about 1 pound, but my scale is not digital and those little lines are hard to see with my aging eyes. HA HA! If I start to GAIN weight, I will definitely start counting calories again.

As for my training, it officially began on 2/1. I'm only doing 2 miles for my run/walks this week, but they have gone well. I have been able to run OVER half of the time! VERY good for me. And at our group training, the coach said my form looked good which is great to hear because it was NOT good in my last attempts at training. I actually felt really good at Saturday's training (although, I may need to look into seeing a urologist about the possibility of surgery).

Tonight, despite my ups and downs in success, I am getting a massage! This is my first "reward" of any kind really for the work I've done so far. I can't wait!

Finishing with a good quote that I need to keep in mind. Healthy lifestyle will get me there in the end. All I need is patience.

Day 24 - Rewards

I've decided on my reward for sticking with my diet for a month - a massage!!! My family bought me a gift certificate for a massage for my birthday but I never got around to using it. Now I'm going to let myself use it and enjoy it to the fullest! And I may have to make this my reward each month. I just LOVE massages. And with all of this working out AND coughing, my body aches and could use some relief!

Last night was nowhere near the silent night I hoped for. Although, it wasn't all my coughs fault. The baby was up whining for much of the night. While I was up with her, I tended to cough more. So much that my back hurts from all of the coughing I did. I was exhausted all day today and ended up going to the doctor. I'm now on some antibiotics and she gave me some cough meds with coedine. Hopefully I can kick this cough now.

One great thing about the doctor - I wasn't afraid to get on the scale! And their scale matched mine - 173 lbs! I'm hoping the next time I have to go to the doctor, I'll be at my goal! :)

Day 23 - Sick of coughing

Three weeks in and I have lost 8 lbs!! I know its not a HUGE amount and its not even really noticeable by looking at me, but its PROGRESS! And after sitting at the same exact weight for 7 months, it means a lot. I also like that its a "healthy" weight loss. No extreme measures or fad diets here, just true slimming!

I'm still battling my cold. I'm now in the coughing phase. And let me tell you, there is TONS of coughing. I stuck to my plan and did the treadmill on Saturday and my first Zumba class on Monday night. Zumba does seem to be a lot of fun and its a lot easier to keep up with than that aerobics class was. My only problem with both exercise days was that as I got deeper into the exercise, my coughing got worse. I had to skip Yogalates last night due to a scheduling issue between my hubby and me and had planned on doing Zumba tonight, but my cough JUST started to improve around lunchtime. I want to get over this cough so I decided to take the night off from aerobic activity to see if I can manage one night of sleep without having several coughing fits. So, I still have to exercise one more day before Saturday in order to keep to my "workout 3 times per week" plan.

Yesterday, I attended a meeting that my co-worker put on at lunch. It was an informative meeting about Team In Training which is a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society program that trains you to run/walk marathons or half-marathons while raising money to fight blood cancers. I've participated in two half marathons in the past and happen to work with the run coach for the Lansing area. Sure enough, I went to the meeting, heard all of the excitement from the staff person and the coach and signed up right then and there. I'll be participating in the Bayshore Half Marathon in Traverse City on Memorial Day weekend. At this point, I'm happy to just walk the race, but I DO plan to stick to training and if I get the desire to run at all, I'm not against trying to run. But right now, sitting here coughing as I type, I'm leaning towards walking.

Dieting is still my primary success. I've been able to keep my calorie intake low and my foods are healthy for the most part. I've been craving lots of vegetables lately, which is GREAT, but we don't have as many as I want in the house, so I need to make sure to include plenty on our weekend grocery trip. I'm still working on getting all of my water each day. But I've been doing an excellent job of not drinking any pop (even diet). I've only had 2 diet sodas since the start of my diet. That's pretty impressive for me.

Watching Biggest Loser this week, I heard them talking about The Biggest Loser Slimcoach. Apparently its a tiny device where you enter in the number of calories you want to burn for the day. Then you wear this device and it tracks the number of calories you burn and tells you when you've met your goal. I'm not sure how well this thing works, but it sounds interesting. I may have to look into it a bit more. Here is the link to see it on the Best Buy website: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/The+Biggest+Loser%26%23174%3B+-+SLIMCOACH%26%23153%3B+-+Black/4526204.p?id=1218480946018&skuId=4526204#tabbed-customerreviews

YUP! She's got a Sweaty Band on!

One product I DO know about is SWEATY BANDS! I saw them in a fitness magazine and decided to buy one at Playmakers (in Okemos, MI). These are workout head bands for ladies that actually stay put. They really DON'T SLIP! I was skeptical at first since their tag line is "OMG...they don't slip!" but I bit the bullet, shelled out the $$ (they are definitely more expensive than a cheap Goody hair band) and tried one during my Zumba class. I LOVE IT! Its cute AND it keeps my shorter hair out of my face while I work out! I highly suggest them to all women! http://sweatybands.com/




So enough advertising from me. I swear, no one is paying me. Although, maybe they should - it would help out with my fundraising! ;) Speaking of which, here is the link to my fundraising page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/mi/bayshr12/hslawinski Help me fight blood cancers AND get in shape! :)

I'm off to drink some Robutussin and pray for a silent night.

Heather

Day 19 - Burned out

Cue the whistling sound of a bomb dropping to earth and exploding with a loud BOOM! That's me and my exercise routine. I expected WAY too much of myself and I burned myself out. Many of you saw it coming. I think I even saw it coming, but I tried to ignore it. So, now I'm dusting myself off and trying again.

Maintaining the workout schedule I set for myself was unrealistic FOR ME. I haven't worked out in a very long time, and despite the fact that I THINK of myself as a decent athlete (albeit clumsy), I am currently out of shape. So, I have a new "plan" that really isn't much of a plan at all. I'm going to workout 3 days a week for the next couple of weeks. That is my only plan. I know one of the days will be my Yogalates class. Other than that, its a little bit up in the air. I have a treadmill that I plan to get on tomorrow morning. I also just found out about drop-in Zumba classes in my area. I'm going to try my first class on Monday. After that, I'll just feel out what works and go from there.

I originally felt like a failure falling off of the workout wagon. But then a friend (thanks again, Diana) sent me a link to this blog: http://blackgirlsguidetoweightloss.com/work-it-out/qa-wednesday-avoiding-workout-burnout/ This girl isn't an expert, but she IS experienced. And she is right. It helped hearing from someone else that burnout happens, but that shouldn't keep you from getting back up and doing it again until it sticks. 

As for dieting, I've actually been doing very well up until this week. Then Tuesday, I came down with a cold. When I am sick, I am miserable and doing math is difficult for my muddled brain, so counting calories throughout the entire day is virtually impossible. Plus, I figure I need all the calories I can get to fight off whatever bug I have. So, I took a break.

 

Today, I'm back on the diet. I must say, while being a little tedious, writing down every single thing I put in my mouth has been helpful. I use the MyFitnessPal app on my iPad. It keeps me accountable - it makes it much hard to just take a bite of some "bad-for-you food". Because if I take that bite, it may only take a second to eat it, but then I have to go to my iPad, look up the item, add it to my tracker and subtract those calories from the rest of my day. Pain in the butt. I highly suggest it to everyone.

I hope this hiccup in my plan doesn't discourage any of you from continuing your resolutions. I may not have met my initial goals, but I will not allow this to derail me from my end goal of losing weight and getting in better shape by June! I can do this! And so can you!!!

Day 11 - I'm Effin' HUNGRY!

Not sure why I was so "comfortable" yesterday and freakin' starving today. My day started out fine. But then I got to work and someone had brought in pound cake fresh and still warm from the oven. I had to try it so I calculated the calories and ate it. I had to run an errand at lunch and came back with almost NO time for lunch before a meeting. So I had to scrap my planned meal and eat a turkey and cheese sandwich from the snack stand in my building. About an hour into the meeting, my stomach started growling and ever since then, I've felt like I want to and need to eat an entire pizza or something. And I've had plenty of water and it ain't cuttin' it.

I WANT FOOD!!!!! I wonder how bad it would be if I ate my dinner now while my kids watched and starved. Hmm.... It might be better than me eating an entire bag of pretzels "to tide me over". ARGH!!!!

Day Ten - Getting Comfortable

When I first started this diet and working exercise into my life I felt really anxious most of the time. Unsure if I was eating the right thing, totally lost about where to start with excercise, and incredibly uncomfortable with how I looked. Over the past 10 days, I've started to feel a little bit more comfortable about the path I'm going down. My stomach appears to have shrunk a little bit because I'm not as hungry after eating my smaller meals. I also have learned that I feel much more satisfied eating proteins rather than carbs. I already knew this fact in my head, but I feel now I KNOW its the truth and if I need a snack, I turn to proteins first (banana with 1 or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter is a good one). 

I've recently admitted to myself that I'm lactose-intolerant. Unfortunately that means SlimFast is a little more challenging for me. I can't just buy the canned shakes. I have to buy the powder and make sure I have Lactaid avaiable (apparently soy milk isn't intended to be a substitute for milk with SlimFast. I think the problem is you don't get enough of the right vitamins/nutrients). I've run out of Lactaid at work and haven't gotten a chance to replenish it. And while the snack stand at my work has canned SlimFast, I can't really buy those (unless I want to feel crummy the rest of the afternoon). So I've just been watching my calorie intake. I think it helps to mix things up too. Not only do I get some variety in the foods I eat, I also keep my body guessing by mixing up the calroie intake at each meal (rather than emach meal being 200 calories exactly).

I'm still working on my water intake, but I found a idea that seems to be helping. I've put a Post-It note with the word "WATER" in my cubicle at work. Its in an area that I often see throughout my day (over my phone on my calendar). My rule is everytime I look at the post-it, I need to take a drink of water. And not just a sip. This seems to be helping get a little more water in me. Although, it also makes me have to go to the bathroom more. :P

As for exercise, I feel like I'm ready to attempt an aerobics DVD at home. I've been going on the treadmill as my "aerobic excercise" to build up my stamina after my partially-failed attempt at my morning aerobics class. I think I'm ready to try and jump around (a very little bit) and try and follow a routine. The only problem now will be figuring out how to do it at my crazy home.... ;)  I do have other ideas to try for aerobic activity if the DVDs don't work out. The YMCA does have Zumba classes that I may try the next session they offer it. I also am considering doing a Couch to 5K program, where you train to RUN in a 5K. And there's always other aerobics classes.

I have really appreicated all of the support and encouragement I have received from everyone. All of the comments, suggestions and "You can do it!" chants have really motivated me to stick with this plan. I also am getting a surprising amount of motivation from Pinterest.com. If you don't know what Pinterest is, it is basically an online bulletin board where you post things you find on the internet that are cool. Many people use the site to post fitness or motivation items and just looking through them gives me hope and encouragement. I'm including a few below.

First week - complete!

Here I am a week after the start of my diet, watching my DVR of The Biggest Loser again. But this time, I'M 5 LBS LIGHTER!!! Yes, I know a lot of it is just water weight, but it still gives me hope I'm doing the right thing! So, I'm now at 176 lbs. 36 lbs to go.

Now that the work week has started again, I'm definitely back on track with my diet. I'm still drinking Slim Fast for meals sometimes, but if I don't have it available, I'm just working on counting my calories. I'm still not perfecting the water intake, but I'm doing better.

I decided to not continue with my morning aerobics class. Its just too much for me at this point. I figure I will workout on the treadmill and build my fitness up a bit more before committing to such a high intensity class. Last night, I did the treadmill for 45 minutes to replace the class I skipped in the morning. I find the treadmill more difficult than it was before my second pregnancy. I'm not totally sure why that is. I don't know if its because I'm heavier than I've ever been so its more work, or because I've just been sedentary for so long (in comparison, during my first pregnancy, I walked a half marathon), or maybe its my low calories aren't providing enough energy, or maybe its just in my head. Whatever it is, I'm trying to listen to my body while still pushing myself.

I had my yogalates class tonight. I LOVE it. I don't sweat during the class...well, not heavily. But I definitely feel the strength work and love the stretching. I also feel successful in the class because there are some things I can already do fairly well, and some things that I can already feel myself getting better at. Its rewarding. After I told Tim how much I enjoyed it he said I should focus on that and find more class/exercises like that. He thinks if I do something I love, I'll be more likely to continue and be successful. He may be right.

Time to get my sleep! Good night!

UPDATE: After I posted this post last night, I opened a funny card from my mom and had to post here. Apparently not everyone loves yoga:

Day Six - Cheating

Well, I've cheated on my rigid schedule of working out AND eating. Friday night after trying to convince myself to workout, I ended up NOT doing anything. I just rested. But, I did wake up on Saturday morning and walked briskedly for 30 minutes on the treadmill. Today (Sunday) I haven't done anything yet, but I'd like to get on the treadmill again and maybe do my strength training on my calendar too.

Yesterday I also had a special mommy/daughter day with my oldest daughter. Having a baby definitely changes the lives of the older children. I wanted to give my oldest a special day just for her and me. And I decided it would include food. And I planned on eating that food. We started at Tim Horton's (my daughter's favorite place for breakfast) and I got the Breakfast Wrap with ham. It wouldn't have been too terrible, except there is a creamy sauce on it that I did NOT need. Next time I will remember to ask for no sauce. We went to a museum and walked around and then went for a special lunch - we went to Melting Pot and had cheese and chocolate fondue! It was so yummy and I think my daughter had a lot of fun - especially with the chocolate. I didn't hold back at all eating there. I have a belief that if a young girl sees her mom dieting all of the time, she may instill that as a necessary part of life and will make being skinny more important than it should be. Therefore, I've resolved to not make a big deal of my dieting. I'm also willing to break the rules, especially when it comes to my kids. So cheese and chocolate it was! We ended up having a great day together and I think the extra calories were worth it.

This morning I started off in a bad mood (a particular time of the month is not helping the situation). Instead of a SlimFast shake, I opted for eggs with tortilla. I am suddenly in a much better mood. ;) So, in order to be a decent person, I can't starve myself. This is something I learned previously on a carb-free diet too. No carbs or calories = bitchy Heather.

So, I've veered from my plan, but I'm going to get right back on it today. I've decided (after hearing lots of feedback from people responding to my blogs) that I'm not going to be hard on myself if I have a misstep, need to take things slowly, or need to change my initial plans. As long as I'm working towards eating better and moving more, I'm going in the right direction.

Now...if I CONTINUE to blog about cheating the next few days, please feel free to get on my case and tell me to get back on it. Thanks! :)

Day Four - Things to work on

The big test is coming up – the weekend. This will be a different schedule than I’m used to when at work. Plus, there’s a bunch of food at home for me to snack on. I'm a little worried. Hopefully I’ll be able to control my impulse to eat because I’m bored or eat unhealthy snacks. I’m also going to work hard to keep up my workout plan. It’s Friday afternoon and I’m already wishing I didn’t have to workout tonight (20 mins of aerobics and then abs work scheduled). I really just want to go home and relax and do nothing. I’ve worked hard the last….3 days. I guess it hasn’t been much, has it. *sigh* Fine. I guess I haven’t earned a big break yet.

So far with my diet, I really haven’t been craving food. I’ve been satisfied for the most part. It’s been great. It may be because I’m so focused on my workout sessions that I’m too preoccupied to realize how little I’m eating. I have had 2 days where my calorie tracker told me I was eating too few calories. I know this is a problem. I know if I starve myself, it might make my diet work AGAINST me rather than with me. I’m trying to add more than I originally think I need to make sure I get enough. Who knew my problem would be too FEW calories?

My other problem is water. I know I should be drinking a ton of it and I have a bottle or glass around a lot, but I’m just not drinking it. I haven’t met my water goal once yet. When I was pregnant, for ultrasounds you had to drink a bunch of water in a short amount of time before going to make it easier to see the baby. I almost wonder if I need to do something like that – drink a bunch at a time – in order to get all of my “glasses” in. If you see me anytime soon, feel free to yell "WATER!" at me to remind me to drink it.

Just in case anyone is wondering what my workout plan is (since I keep referencing it), I've tried to insert my January calendar below. The basic idea comes from a Shape Magazine calendar. I just tweaked it a bit to fit in my aerobics and yogalates classes. The link is in my first blog post.

Day Three - Achy

(Did you know "achy" was a real word in the dictionary? I didn't!)

The soreness from my yogalates and aerobics has set in. I woke up this morning after a decent night of sleep but exhausted because my whole body ached. Nothing hurts so bad that I can't move thankfully, but crossing my legs in my normal contorted fashion was a little more challenging than normal today. I also noticed carrying my 7-month old in her infant carrier was very difficult. It was tough to lift in high enough to get it in the van.

I haven't made a final decision on whether or not I'll be returning to the Mix-It-Up Aerobics class. For those who asked, I DID modify most of the exercises to make it easier and I still couldn't get past half of the class. The next class isn't until Monday. I may not return this month and will instead do some exercise DVDs at home until I get a bit more fit. A number of people have suggested Zumba, The Firm and Jillian Michaels. And then there's always the treadmill thats in our mudroom at home. I do think its much safer to faint/puke at home than it is in public. ;)

Despite my soreness today, I still did my strength training this evening. It didn't take long at all, but I was still panting by the end of it. I ended up doing it in my baby's room! It was the largest open space with minimal interruptions. Although, Kaitlyn did join me for part of it. I also did work with a foam roller. OUCH! THAT was tough. Its supposed to help mobility and feel kinda like a massage. It did around my shoulders and my back, but it KILLED on my calves. Not sure I'll ever be able to do that movement correctly.

My diet is still going well. I added a few more calories compared to my first day so that I have more energy when I workout. I also realized SlimFast has a lot of sugar in it and I really enjoy Lean Cuisines, so I'm interchanging those meal items when it fits my mood. Either way, those both will keep me under my calorie limit (which is approx 1200 calories/day).

Many people have let me know that they are also working on losing weight or getting into shape right now. I think that's great! It seems to make it much easier when more than one person is tackling the same challenge. I am using an app on my iPad that also has a regular website. Its called My Fitness Pal.  http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ You record your daily food and physical activities and you can have "friends" on the site who can see some of your information and help to hold you accountable! So if anyone wants to join me on that site and work on these goals together, you can find me with the user name of heathermsu98. Let's do this together! :)

Day Two - First Setback

I've faced my first disappointment with my resolution and its only the 2nd day. UGH!

I went to my yogalates class last night and I enjoyed it. It was really easy on my body. But I didn't break a sweat, and I know in order to burn calories I need to start sweating. So, my Mix-It-Up Aerobics was this morning. The teacher explained that "mix-it-up" means that each class would be different. We were doing HIIT (high intensity interval training) today. It started off with a set of jumping jacks. Not good. Since having a baby (or two), jumping up and down is bad news for me. The only exercise I seem to get is in my gut while I try not to pee my pants. Not exactly the point of the exercise. The jumping continued too. Along with that we did arm work and other leg work. After a while I started to get pooped out (not literally). Almost like I had used up all of my energy and water and my body was kaput. I also felt like I was going to throw up. Since this was NOT an episode of The Biggest Loser, I figured I'd run to the bathroom and see if I felt better when I returned. I felt even worse when I came back. I was dizzy and was sure if I continued I'd throw up. I sat down and never really felt better so I didn't get back up. I had made it through only half of the class (30 mins or less). When I went to take a shower, I STILL felt like crap.

In my mind, I came up with many reasons why the class didn't work for me today: I didn't get much sleep thanks to the baby, I haven't been taking in many calories, I didn't drink enough water, I haven't exercised in about a year and a half. Overall, I think I bit off more than I could chew for my first steps. So, I am now reconsidering this Mix-It-Up class. It may be too high a level for me at this point. I mean...even the teacher of the class wasn't able to continually do the intervals. She was moaning and taking breaks saying she just couldn't get through it. And the amount of jumping? I'm gonna need Depends to continue the class. Maybe I need to trade out this class for something that will ease me into cardio-workouts. Maybe walking/running (on a treadmill because its just too cold for me out there).  I want to make sure I do SOMETHING and I don't want to hate that "something" because I want to continue exercising.

If anyone has any suggestions or feedback about my thoughts on replacing my current class with something a little easier (while still being cardio) let me know.

I haven't given up. I'm just need to reevaluate the plan I drew up.