Half Marathon

So, I have been MIA for a bit...more on that later.  First, I finished my first HALF MARATHON! And let me tell you it was HARD!  So much harder than I thought, even though I trained for it and felt really prepared.  Originally I wanted to finish in under 3 hours and then I just wanted to finish.

My official time was 3:16:44 and I am happy with that (for now).  So I ran the Knoxville Half Marathon and I don't know if any of you have ever been to Knoxville (or run this race) but it is HILLY! I mean hill after hill after hill it felt like there was no down hill just up and flat.  I am looking for another race to run later this year that is a little less hilly and then to run Knoxville again next year in better shape and hopefully down some pounds to really see how far I have come!

I was supposed to run this race with my sister and college roommate....but they both bailed so I ran it alone and talked to a few people along the way.  I didn't even put in my headphones instead I decided to just enjoy the race atmosphere which was a lot of fun! I feel like I really have the running bug now and can't wait to do more races!

A bit of Everything

• We went to a wedding this weekend and my parents came and watched the boys so Chad and I actually had a weekend to ourselves.  It was a little strange to not be woken up in the wee hours of the morning when my kids for some reason enjoy getting up.  We went to Chapel Hill which was fun to see the campuses (UNC and Duke). Lots of fun and a beautiful wedding all around. We were happy to see our boys on Sunday afternoon though :)

• I lost a little weight this week (206) So at least that's a pound, even with all the YUMMY food that I was surrounded by at the wedding this weekend.  I don't have any major travel plans in the next few weeks so I am hoping to actually stay within my point plus range and get some weight off.

• I ran 7 miles today, ok well I walked some especially in the beginning and then ran the rest.  I read the Hunger Games this weekend and got a little freaked out being on the trail in the woods so I turned around and high tailed it back towards civilization ;)  So my last 3 miles were MUCH faster than my first 4.  I wore a pair of socks that I knew I shouldn't have they are far too thick and make my shoes feel too tight, but I wore them none the less and I have some wicked blisters on my my toes because of it, that and the fact that the trail was SUPER muddy so I ran through a couple puddles and got my shoes ( and therefore sock) wet which sucked big time.  Other than that I feel pretty good.  I walked about a mile cool down and stopped and stretched along the way and then did a long stretch after I came home and took a hot hot hot shower.

• Declan is getting so big!  He is taking after this brother and thinks that it is really funny to stick his tongue out and make spit noises.  Ahhh, life with boys they are both so cute and I can't get enough of them!

(These are not super recent pictures but they are so stinking cute I just love it!)

Weigh-In Wednesday: On Hold

Ok so we have been visiting my parents and getting our house in order to be rented so I was not at home on Wednesday this week and let's just say I really don't like my parent's scale.  I am pretty sure it is heavier than mine so rather than be discouraged I am holding off until next Wednesday when I will be home.  I have not done great with tracking my points this week, I think it is always hard when you are not at your own house with your own food etc.  We have a wedding next weekend so I should get back on track here soon!

In other news, 5k tomorrow!  I have been keeping on track with the Half Marathon training so running is getting easier in a sense even though the distances are getting longer.  I have a hard time motivating myself to run "fast"  when doing my training runs, especially since I run by myself.  I am thinking that this  5k will give me a pretty good example of what pace I am capable of running since I will actually be competing and I do have a rather competitive streak.  I would love to run the 5k in under 30 minutes, but right now I am averaging about 12 minutes a mile, which does not make me too happy knowing where I once was with running....but that is WAY in the past.  So maybe a little competition will get me moving faster...we shall see.  I will post my finish time sometime this weekend!!

Weigh-In Wednesday: Success!!

So this morning when I stepped on the scale I saw 207!  That's five pounds since last Wednesday!  I have been doing well exercising but Weight Watchers was just the kick I needed to get my eating on track.  For anyone struggling I highly recommend Weight Watchers.  I tried just counting calories and for some reason that does not work for me.  With the extra weekly points you get on Weight Watchers is allows you to enjoy going out while still being able to lose weight.

We have a wedding to attend President's Day weekend and my original goal was to be at 189, I am thinking that is not going to happen now since I didn't buckle down when I set that goal and am really just getting started.  So new goal is to be under 200, which should be doable since I have just over 2 weeks.  I don't expect to lose 5 pounds every week (wouldn't it be nice though) but I am super happy and the task now is to keep my head in the game so to speak because I tend to be a food rewarder and get lots of yummy stuff when I see a loss on the scale.

 I have decided that my 20 pound reward is going to be a new pair of running shoes.  I am hoping that 20 pounds comes right around the end of February which would also be around my birthday (Feb. 28 for those who care) so I will actually have money to buy them as well :)

With the Knoxville Half Marathon quickly approaching I have signed up for the Marietta Mardi Gras 5k on February 11th in hopes that a little competition will kick my butt into high gear.  I have a real mental problem when it comes to running and I always have.  When I am running I start thinking about why I am running when I could walk and then it becomes an internal battle to keep running, turning my music WAY up helps to drown out my inner voice but it is still a struggle.  Anyone have anything they do that helps keep them running, I am fully capable physically I just mentally struggle!

I am in week 4 of Hal Higdon's Novice Half Marathon program which means only 8 weeks until the race.   I really enjoy this program, especially since they have an iPhone app that tell me how far I have gone and how much more I have to go.  This is actually the longest I have stuck with a program on my own in a LONG time! Second 5 mile long run on Sunday we'll see how that goes.

Running, Running and more Running (Weigh-In Wednesday One)

This week on the half marathon training front has not been so fun.  The Knoxville Half Marathon is 12 weeks away and right now in the mountains of North Carolina it is COLD!  We have had some snow and temperatures well below freezing.  So this week I found a gym near town (actually on the Cherokee Reservation just outside of town) that was not crawling with resolution runners or really anyone else for that matter.  It is kind of hidden and does not look like it could hold all that it does from the outside.   It is a very reasonable price (only $40 a month) and they have everything I will need to lose weight/train for this half marathon.  I have talked to one of the trainers and will be meeting with him 2x a week and doing the other day of strength on my own.  It's a pretty nice set up.

That being said I HATE running on the treadmill!!!  I can run 3 miles or more outside with little mental effort, physical sure but mental no problem.  Ugh but running on a treadmill my mental capabilities just disappear, I run for a few minutes and just can't get into any groove or focus on anything other than how long I have been running, which really REALLY sucks. So here's hoping for temps above freezing soon!

Training actually starts 1/9 so next Monday I will really start following the plan instead of just running everyday, which will be a nice.  I hope that I also see some scale movement.   I took a fitness test at the gym and got weighed and measured didn't really like seeing those numbers.  Apparently my scale at home is much more forgiving.  I think I will go with its number instead of the gyms.  But that will help me keep an accurate record so I guess it's a good thing.

I think I am going to start calling Wednesday my weigh in day.  

So Weigh-In Wednesday One : 212.6 YIKES!! and that is all.