I received a very sweet email this morning from a gal who stumbled across my blog. She asked me some great questions about getting started on your own running journey, and I wanted to share her email - and my response - with you, in hopes that it might be an encouragement to someone else as well!
Here is her email:
Mama Sue!!! I got to your blog from another and have been inspired by your training and even after seeing your cute knitting I decided to finally teach myself to knit!!! i will never be able to do the cute things you do and will only be able to do squares or scarves (if i can last that long) but none the less it has taken my attention away from my want to eat at night!!!!!
From reading your blog I have decided I would like to push myself and run my first 5k. I haven't been the most athletic person in my life. I go to a trainer now but wouldn't call me a work out addict!! I do know I feel better on the days I go see him though. I am not by all means a thin girl either but want to be!!! or at least just want to be fit!!! I am working on that and becoming healthy so after marrying my fiance (finally after being together for 7 years) we can start trying on having a baby!!! Late in life of course at 32!!! But needless to say I have this fear and something keeping my butt from getting on the treadmill. How did you make that first move? How did you push yourself to start? Did you notice a quick change in your weight after starting to run?
I have never been a runner!!! Ever!!!! I don't even remember running that much as a child. but I want to be one!!! I want to do this and have that marked off my list of things I want to do or see if I can do them. I think it will give me that confidence and sense of accomplishment that I so need right now in my life! I have looked at the couch to 5K program and that first week scares me!!!! Why!!!! Is that the best way to start!!!
Whatever help you can give would be great!!! You are an inspiration and I am so looking forward to reading more of your accomplishments!!!!
Take care,
Kelly W
(Bethlehem, GA)
And my response:
Hey Kelly!
Thanks for sharing your questions with me! I'm glad to hear that my story has been encouraging. Believe me, if I can run a 5k ANYONE can. :)
My first attempt at doing the Couch to 5k program actually flopped. I was wearing the wrong kind of shoes, and was trying to start out with trail running pushing my huge baby in his baby jogger. By the first day of week 2 I was hobbling around with stabbing pains in my knees. I gave up and resigned myself to the Curves gym I was a part of at the time. That must have been Sept 2008 or so. I continued working out at Curves until April of 2009, when my husband and I decided to join a gym together that had childcare. We got a personal training package that had one session per month (for each of us) so we could get use to the machines and stuff.
I actually got back into the C25K on accident. :) I was using the treadmills for my cardio when I joined LA Fitness. My basic approach was to just get on and start walking. The treadmills at our gym have a heart rate monitor on them, so I watched my heart rate and aimed to keep it in the "fat burn" zone. The treadmill even had a whole display and chart, so all I had to do was adjust the speed or incline to get myself moving faster. I noticed as the days and weeks went by that I was having to increase the speed more and more each time in order to get my heart rate up. I was getting in shape! Then one day I had to push the speed all the way up to 4mph - which was CRAZY to me at that point. It actually felt more natural to jog a little slowly than to walk quickly. And so, without realizing it, I was jogging. :) I decided I'd pull out my Couch to 5k plan again and just give it a shot. After surviving the first workout, I re-joined an online running group I'd been part of on CafeMom.com. The ladies there inspired me to keep chasing after my goals and not give up. They even had a half marathon planned for March 2010... in DISNEYWORLD! After surviving the first week of C25K, which I never thought I'd do again, I figured maybe I could dream a little bigger and set a goal to do the half marathon. The gals in the running group reassured me that it was an attainable goal - as it was about a year away. So I looked at race calendars around my town and found a 5k that was 10 weeks out, and then a 10k ten weeks out from that. That way I had some smaller, manageable goals to work towards.
So that's how I got started. :) As far as tips or encouragement for getting started here are some basic things to keep in mind;
1.) Dream big, but start small
You don't have to run a 5k this week, or even this month. You can take your time. It's good to have a big goal in mind, and then to break that goal into smaller mini-goals that you can celebrate along the way.
2.) Plan your work & then work your plan
I'm really motivated by calendars and charts, so I took the C25K program and turned it into a pretty excel spreadsheet. Then when I finished a workout, I'd color it in and celebrate by writing a blog about it. It's good to know the "Big picture" of your total plan, and then to just focus on one step at a time.
3.) Show up
The hardest part about getting my workouts in is getting out the door at going to the gym. :) We've got so many excuses and things that hold us back - you just have to purpose in your heart that you're going to do it, and DO IT. :)
4.) Find a support system
If you have people that you can share your goals with, it helps make you accountable to someone. Plus, it's great to have a big cheering section when you do complete that first workout - or even that first entire minute of running!
5.) Celebrate your victories
One way that I celebrate my running victories is to keep up with my blog. I love to write about my experiences and hear about how they impact other people. You might consider starting up a blog, yourself! Races are also a "reward" for me. Especially when they are in Disneyworld. Haha!
As for your question about my weight - I actually didn't see a quick change when I started running. Weight loss is one of the most simple - and yet complicated - things. Since I started running back in April of 2009 I've lost about 20 pounds (which is on top of the 20 pounds I lost before that point by going to Curves). That weight has come off VERY slowly for me, and in weird little spurts. One pound here, 6 there, gain back a couple, lose a few more, etc. The big change I did see was in my body fat percentage. I recommend asking about that at your gym. Tracking your body fat percentage is really encouraging, because you can see all of the change going on underneath that you don't see on the scale. Running builds major muscle - which makes your body really hungry for protein and good carbs. I've had the most success with weight loss when I am keeping a food journal and aiming to get my calories in at a 50-25-25 ratio. 50% from carbs, 25% protein, and 25% healthy fats. Sparkpeople.com has an awesome calorie counting and meal planning feature. Running - and physical activity - is only about 10% of the weight-loss equation. 90% of it is dealing with the eating habits that got you where you are now. I'm still working on the food aspect of it all - and get overwhelmed with it all pretty easily. But I have noticed that by switching all my carbs to whole-grains (no white flour or white rice), and by focusing on eating vegetables twice a day - that makes a big difference. And I just FEEL better, too. I'll definitely be diving in to the nutrition aspect pretty hard after my half-marathon, and plan on sharing what I learn in the blog - so stay tuned!
As for your running journey - I'd say go ahead and just commit to spending two weeks playing around with the treadmill before you jump in to the Couch to 5k program (unless you want to jump right in!). You can play around with the heart rate monitor stuff and feel the change that happens in your fitness level as you work to push yourself. Then when you're feeling a little more ready to take the plunge - just go for it! You can always repeat weeks or take time off if you need to. The important thing is it get out there and get moving! And maybe invite your fiance along with you?
Feel free to let me know if you have any more questions. :) I'd love to keep in touch and here about how your running journey is going. And if you do end up starting a blog - please let me know! I'd love to follow along and cheer for you.
Best wishes,
Mama Sue
What a blessing to hear that my little blog, and my running journey, has been encouraging to another woman. Yay! And I am completely sincere when I say, if Mama Sue can do it - then anyone can do it. You guys must remember all of the doubt and whining and crazy-talk that I shared when I was pushing for that first 5k, right? Well if little 'ol sissy-pants Mama Sue can tough it out - you can too. :) So do it!
And in case any of you are feeling like trying your first 5k - I highly recommend the Couch to 5k program. I used a free download from http://www.djsteveboy.com/ in my i-pod while I was doing intervals. It was helpful for me to watch the clock at times, but it was also helpful for me to just "trust" the music and push through when I didn't know 100% how much longer I had to run. :)
If anyone else would like to share their running journey - or ask me questions about mine - please feel free! You can email me at beccasuester@gmail.com. Who knows - you might even make the blog!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Speed Training is my favorite
It's official: Speed Training workouts are my absolute favorite. Why?
I enjoy that feeling of sheer awesomeness when I'm sprinting my little brains out at what feels to me like "lightening speeds." And the speed workouts I've been doing are all timed, so I know exactly how long I have to hold out the pace. This helps me focus through the pain, the doubts, and the feeling of "oh-I'm-gonna-puke!" by reminding myself, "oh look, you only have to do this for 10 more seconds!" Then a few weeks down the road you can look back at how long you were able to hold out at the beginning, and see measurable results in your ability to maintain speed and to feel comfortable while doing so.
For the record - I'm not doing speed training for the purpose of achieving a desired time during my half marathon. There is a part of me that would sure like to beat 2:15:00, because that would beat Rebecca's (from Biggest Loser Season 8) time. But my primary goals for this first half marathon are to finish with a smile on my face (and not a barfy grimace like my first 5k... lol!), and to have FUN! I'll be in Disneyworld for crying out loud!
I was scheduled to do 8 miles of running this morning, including a warm-up and cool down mile (2 total) and 6 miles of speed intervals in the middle. It's tough to work 8 total miles into a workout when I'm on a 2 hour time-limit with the Kid's Club at our gym, but I can't let that stop me from trying, right?
Today I jumped back in to the C25K-ish speed intervals I've been doing with Daniel. He's on week 2, which consists of six sets of (90s jog + 2min walk). For fun, I like to shake up that 90 second interval and do 30 @ 5mph, then 30 @6mph, then 30 @ 7mph. The first time I tried that I was thrilled that I could hold out at an 8:34min/mile pace for a whole 30 seconds. Only about 16 more of those and I'll be able to do a whole sub-9min mile. Haha!
After completing those six sets, I was only about 2 miles in so I decided to try what I'm calling "super sets" in my head. I jumped up the times to 1 minute at 5mph, then 1 minute at 6mph, and then 30 seconds at 7mph. About halfway through that 6mph minute my booty and legs are absolutely burning! So I really had to dig deep and focus on running strong to get through the last 30 seconds of 6mph, and then to brave an additional 7mph for 30 seconds. It is crazy to see what our bodies are capable of if we will just risk a little and push outside our comfort zone.
After the first three sets I was feeling pretty strong. When I headed into the fourth one I started bargaining with myself about it being the "last one." When I get to that point in my mind, the best thing to do is to trick myself. lol. So I told myself I only had to finish the set I was on and then I could be done. After my two minutes of recovery walking, however, I was feeling strong enough to start into a fifth set. I did happen to pout my way through that set and was starting to feel all wimpy and whiney - but I made myself finish it anyway. "Surely this is the last one!" But after another 2 minutes of recovery walking I convinced myself, "if you've already done five, you can do just one more." So I did. If I had a trainer to blame I'm sure I would hate their guts, but it's a little confusing to be mad at yourself for tricking your own self into pushing harder than you thought you could.
Perhaps I am a little crazy? :)
In all, I finished 5 miles doing those intervals, and then hit some sort of mental wall. I could have dug a little deeper and pushed past it again, but I found the convenient excuse of "oh look- I only have half an hour left" and talked myself into biking the last three miles of my workout. I think I did those three miles in 15:03? Not 100% sure.
What a fun day!
I enjoy that feeling of sheer awesomeness when I'm sprinting my little brains out at what feels to me like "lightening speeds." And the speed workouts I've been doing are all timed, so I know exactly how long I have to hold out the pace. This helps me focus through the pain, the doubts, and the feeling of "oh-I'm-gonna-puke!" by reminding myself, "oh look, you only have to do this for 10 more seconds!" Then a few weeks down the road you can look back at how long you were able to hold out at the beginning, and see measurable results in your ability to maintain speed and to feel comfortable while doing so.
For the record - I'm not doing speed training for the purpose of achieving a desired time during my half marathon. There is a part of me that would sure like to beat 2:15:00, because that would beat Rebecca's (from Biggest Loser Season 8) time. But my primary goals for this first half marathon are to finish with a smile on my face (and not a barfy grimace like my first 5k... lol!), and to have FUN! I'll be in Disneyworld for crying out loud!
I was scheduled to do 8 miles of running this morning, including a warm-up and cool down mile (2 total) and 6 miles of speed intervals in the middle. It's tough to work 8 total miles into a workout when I'm on a 2 hour time-limit with the Kid's Club at our gym, but I can't let that stop me from trying, right?
Today I jumped back in to the C25K-ish speed intervals I've been doing with Daniel. He's on week 2, which consists of six sets of (90s jog + 2min walk). For fun, I like to shake up that 90 second interval and do 30 @ 5mph, then 30 @6mph, then 30 @ 7mph. The first time I tried that I was thrilled that I could hold out at an 8:34min/mile pace for a whole 30 seconds. Only about 16 more of those and I'll be able to do a whole sub-9min mile. Haha!
After completing those six sets, I was only about 2 miles in so I decided to try what I'm calling "super sets" in my head. I jumped up the times to 1 minute at 5mph, then 1 minute at 6mph, and then 30 seconds at 7mph. About halfway through that 6mph minute my booty and legs are absolutely burning! So I really had to dig deep and focus on running strong to get through the last 30 seconds of 6mph, and then to brave an additional 7mph for 30 seconds. It is crazy to see what our bodies are capable of if we will just risk a little and push outside our comfort zone.
After the first three sets I was feeling pretty strong. When I headed into the fourth one I started bargaining with myself about it being the "last one." When I get to that point in my mind, the best thing to do is to trick myself. lol. So I told myself I only had to finish the set I was on and then I could be done. After my two minutes of recovery walking, however, I was feeling strong enough to start into a fifth set. I did happen to pout my way through that set and was starting to feel all wimpy and whiney - but I made myself finish it anyway. "Surely this is the last one!" But after another 2 minutes of recovery walking I convinced myself, "if you've already done five, you can do just one more." So I did. If I had a trainer to blame I'm sure I would hate their guts, but it's a little confusing to be mad at yourself for tricking your own self into pushing harder than you thought you could.
Perhaps I am a little crazy? :)
In all, I finished 5 miles doing those intervals, and then hit some sort of mental wall. I could have dug a little deeper and pushed past it again, but I found the convenient excuse of "oh look- I only have half an hour left" and talked myself into biking the last three miles of my workout. I think I did those three miles in 15:03? Not 100% sure.
What a fun day!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
I made this shirt because I love you!
Hey Friends!
I've been sitting on a wonderful idea for the last several months and have finally found a way to make it come to life!
I used Zazzle to create my own custom running shirt to wear during my half marathon. If you'll check out the link below you'll see on the front it features that "Muffins & Love" group name. On the back are the names of all of the people who have purchased muffins, given supplies, or otherwise helped support me in making my dream of running the Disney race a reality!
I'm so excited!
And - I can still add names to it, in case anyone is interested in stopping by Operation: Love Muffin for some last-minute Valentine's Day shopping. (hint, hint!)
Want one of your own? I'm working on a special shirt for my friends, family and fans to purchase. I'll have to think of something really sweet and cute... something about you being my love muffin.
Could I be any cheesier? I propose that I could not!
I've been sitting on a wonderful idea for the last several months and have finally found a way to make it come to life!
I used Zazzle to create my own custom running shirt to wear during my half marathon. If you'll check out the link below you'll see on the front it features that "Muffins & Love" group name. On the back are the names of all of the people who have purchased muffins, given supplies, or otherwise helped support me in making my dream of running the Disney race a reality!
I'm so excited!
And - I can still add names to it, in case anyone is interested in stopping by Operation: Love Muffin for some last-minute Valentine's Day shopping. (hint, hint!)
Want one of your own? I'm working on a special shirt for my friends, family and fans to purchase. I'll have to think of something really sweet and cute... something about you being my love muffin.
Could I be any cheesier? I propose that I could not!
I'm on ZAZZLE!!
This preliminary link will take you to some of the products I've got up on Zazzle.com. Keep checking back regularly for more products!
See more personalized gifts from Zazzle.
See more personalized gifts from Zazzle.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Fitness Update!
Just a short one;
My body fat percentage dropped from 29.3% last month to 28.5%
I'm slowing inching my way into the "Fitness" range! Only 4.5% to lose, which translates into about 10 more lbs to lose. 10-ish. The formula I'm using isn't exact and neither is the measuring device I use at the gym - but it's better than nothing!
So - anyone want to place bets (or just guess) on how long it will take me to lose another 10lbs and officially be "fit?"
My body fat percentage dropped from 29.3% last month to 28.5%
I'm slowing inching my way into the "Fitness" range! Only 4.5% to lose, which translates into about 10 more lbs to lose. 10-ish. The formula I'm using isn't exact and neither is the measuring device I use at the gym - but it's better than nothing!
So - anyone want to place bets (or just guess) on how long it will take me to lose another 10lbs and officially be "fit?"
Speed Workout Today!
I finally managed to get in more than 3 miles on a weekly run today! After my break for my achilles and a slow return back, I'm finally feeling strong enough to really push it during the speed workout.
I did 7 miles total, and though my training plan called for 8 I am confident that I gave it my best and that it was a good strong effort.
After a one mile warm-up at 4mph, I did Daniel's C25K W2D1 intervals with him;
90 seconds running
2 minutes walking
(times six - for a total of 21 minutes)
I decided it would be fun to shake things up a little during the speed intervals, so I spent 30 seconds at 5mph, then 30 at 6mph, and the final 30 at 7mph. It was glorious! I tired myself out rather quickly and was feeling a good 'ol burn in my hiney by the time I'd hit the 7mph stretch. I love that feeling! I'm hoping it means we're burning calories... and I assume it has at least something to do with that!
After Daniel was finished he took off for some meetings and I did a lap at 5mph while I thought through what I should do for the rest of the workout. I decided to jump back into the same intervals and did another set of 6 of them. Somewhere between set 4 and 5 (or maybe 5 and 6?) I lost count and decided I'd just play around until I hit 7. On the next interval I added 5 seconds to each 30 second interval.
Then I got brave. I picked it up to 1 full minute at 5mph, 1 full minute at 6mph, and then 30 seconds at 7mph. What a doozy! I felt so strong and athletic! My time time I was nearing the end of the first 5mph minute, my legs and buns were all ready feeling fatigued. Near the end of the 6mph minute I was thinking, "I can't go on!" But I talked myself into at least trying and I did the full 30 seconds of 7mph. What a rush!
It sort of makes my head spin to think about possibly trying even faster speeds, but I think I'll hover around my 5/6/7 speeds for a while and play around until I'm comfortable. Then maybe we'll dig in, jump that speed up and chase the burn later? Haha.
So much fun!
Oh, and I finished the 7 miles in 1:37:53... I'll have to use a calculator to figure out average pace, but seeing as how that factors in quite a few segments of walking at 3mph for recovery and a couple laps at 4mph - I'd say that's actually impressive.
I did 7 miles total, and though my training plan called for 8 I am confident that I gave it my best and that it was a good strong effort.
After a one mile warm-up at 4mph, I did Daniel's C25K W2D1 intervals with him;
90 seconds running
2 minutes walking
(times six - for a total of 21 minutes)
I decided it would be fun to shake things up a little during the speed intervals, so I spent 30 seconds at 5mph, then 30 at 6mph, and the final 30 at 7mph. It was glorious! I tired myself out rather quickly and was feeling a good 'ol burn in my hiney by the time I'd hit the 7mph stretch. I love that feeling! I'm hoping it means we're burning calories... and I assume it has at least something to do with that!
After Daniel was finished he took off for some meetings and I did a lap at 5mph while I thought through what I should do for the rest of the workout. I decided to jump back into the same intervals and did another set of 6 of them. Somewhere between set 4 and 5 (or maybe 5 and 6?) I lost count and decided I'd just play around until I hit 7. On the next interval I added 5 seconds to each 30 second interval.
Then I got brave. I picked it up to 1 full minute at 5mph, 1 full minute at 6mph, and then 30 seconds at 7mph. What a doozy! I felt so strong and athletic! My time time I was nearing the end of the first 5mph minute, my legs and buns were all ready feeling fatigued. Near the end of the 6mph minute I was thinking, "I can't go on!" But I talked myself into at least trying and I did the full 30 seconds of 7mph. What a rush!
It sort of makes my head spin to think about possibly trying even faster speeds, but I think I'll hover around my 5/6/7 speeds for a while and play around until I'm comfortable. Then maybe we'll dig in, jump that speed up and chase the burn later? Haha.
So much fun!
Oh, and I finished the 7 miles in 1:37:53... I'll have to use a calculator to figure out average pace, but seeing as how that factors in quite a few segments of walking at 3mph for recovery and a couple laps at 4mph - I'd say that's actually impressive.
Long Time No Blog!
It's definitely been too long since I checked in with an update about my training. I should be in bed resting up for my speed workout tomorrow morning, but I wanted to make sure I dropped a little "update" for those of you who are wondering how I'm doing.
Did I mention I'm starting to get anxious about our trip to Disney? Not in the nervous way, but in the "I'm-SO-FREAKING-Excited-I-Can't-Even-Sleep-So-I'm-Blogging-At-1am" sort of way.
Weeee!
- I completed my first (of two) 10 milers last Saturday!
- When we hit mile 9 of that run, Kaylee announced the time (1:49:00) - 21 minutes FASTER than my run the week before. WHAT?!?
- My husband finished his first week of Couch to 5k - with me at his side - last week!
- My son has been spontaneously shouting "wun-een!" while walking around outside, and then bursting into a little baby-jog across the yard. I think he's ready for his race!
- On Monday I finished my two mile easy jog in less than 24 minutes - with a sub 12m/m pace. Yay!
- Oh - and there are now only 5 days left to get your entries in the Diamond Pendant Giveaway! Check out Operation: Love Muffin and email me at beccasuester@gmail.com if you'd like more info!
Did I mention I'm starting to get anxious about our trip to Disney? Not in the nervous way, but in the "I'm-SO-FREAKING-Excited-I-Can't-Even-Sleep-So-I'm-Blogging-At-1am" sort of way.
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