Thursday, January 16, 2014

Growing Stronger

Training with a group is great. You get to know other runners. I love hearing their stories about when they started running, what races they have ran, and what their future goals are. I find it extremely motivating. It also reminds me how far I have come in my own journey.

I started my running journey last February. So as I approach my one year mark I want to think back to all I have accomplished. I ran two 4K's,  five 5K's, one 10K and a half marathon. Not too shabby for a non-runner. I think I've finally earned the title of runner :)

Last night I met with the running group (Runnerdude's) to do a 45 minute progression run. This is the first time I have ever done one. I think I did pretty well for my first time. I'm excited to see how I improve over the next couple months.

For a progression run you start out slow and build to a faster pace towards the middle of the run and then go all out in the end to about 90% of your max effort. I think I need to work on starting out a little slower. The middle section was a little rough because of a pretty good sized hill.

Overall I'm pretty proud of myself as this is a great starting point.



Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Racing in the Rain

Saturday I had a new experience. It was my first long run with my running group. I was excited and a little nervous. It had been awhile since I had run over 5 miles. I was scheduled to do 7 miles but had decided to do 8 since it is easier to know when to turnaround.

We meet to run at 7:30 am. It is still a little dark at that time during this time of year. The weather was also very yucky. At first it was just raining a normal drizzle. Quickly it turned into a torrential downpour with some gnarly thunder and lightning. Many in the group turned around once they heard the thunder and lightning.

I kept going as I felt relativity safe on the greenway as it runs through the trees with no open fields. Only one other lady finished her 8 miles too. We laughed and talked awhile until she just wanted to get the run done and ran ahead of me. I would have loved to keep up with her but I just could not move any faster. I felt twenty pounds heavier with all the water. My feet were soaked. The funny part was that I felt pretty good and not at all miserable.

Coming back, the greenway was like a river. It was crazy and a little fun all at once. It was like training for a mud run or obstacle course race.

I'm proud of myself for getting it done. I felt like a true bad ass runner :)

Friday, January 10, 2014

UFIT Program

While training this time around I want to be better about cross-training. I got Cindy Whitmarsh's Complete UFit program for Christmas.

I started it on December 30th. So far I am loving it. The workouts are 20 minutes and the program follows a calendar. Eventually you do 2 of the workouts a day and then work up to 3. I had to make my own calendar to include my half marathon training. I had to modify the program some so I will not burn myself out and likely injure myself. I wanted at least one full rest recovery day.

Since December 30th I have lost 7 pounds. What has really helped me jump-start my weight loss is logging everything I eat on MyFitnessPal. For the first time since before training for my first half, I feel completely in control of my diet and fitness. I just gotta keep up this momentum and work on making it a long term change.

Back to the UFit program...

 I've liked doing Cindy's videos for a while now. My favorites are 10 Days to a Better Body and Less is More. She is upbeat and the workouts are great. I love how she talks about the importance of nutrition. There is a meal plan included with the  program. I opted to log all my food instead. I may still consult it for some meal ideas.

About the program (direct from her site):

What is UFIT Training? It’s an intense interval training method that uses targeted intervals to turn your body into a calorie-burning machine while building a sleek, toned physique!

The Ultra Burn program gives you two, 20-minute workouts! Calorie Crusher is comprised of two-minute intervals. You start with one minute of high intensity cardio followed by one minute of lower intensity cardio. This innovative sequencing helps you burn maximum calories and get RESULTS! During the Stretch & Sculpt workout, you lengthen, stretch and totally tone your entire body. This workout is a great complement to the Calorie Crusher workout!

The Ultra Lean program is two, 20-minute segments. Upper Body Bliss is totally focused on shoulders, biceps and triceps to carve that tank top or bikini body. Lower Body Blast burns away those saddlebags and leaves you with a toned, lifted butt and shapely, strong legs.

The Ultra Tight program consists of two, 20-minute programs. Hard Body is a full body workout of three-minute circuits. There’s one minute of intense cardio, followed by two minutes of “trouble-spot-toning” strength training. You’ll zap fat and tighten EVERYTHING! With 6-Pack Abs, you get a cardio ab workout composed of one minute of cardio followed by one minute of middle-chiseling abwork that creates the flat tummy you want.

I'll review this more as I go along. I'm currently finishing up week 2.

Hello 2014

Well it has been a while. I kinda fell off the healthy wagon after my half. The holidays did not help the matter.

Like millions  of other people, my New Year's Resolution is to be more healthy and lose some weight. I'm currently signed up for three half marathons and two 5K Obstacle Races.  It's all about lining things up to help keep me motivated. You gotta know yourself.

My first half marathon for this year is the Inaugural Raleigh Rock N' Roll Half on April 13. I decided I wanted to train with a running group this time around. My goal is to finish in under 2 hours. So I joined a group training for the same race. I'm really excited.

I did my first group run on Wednesday. I was supposed to be doing a 4 mile run with 2 miles at tempo pace. Well, I got talking to some other ladies and totally lost track. Oh well, my goal was also to meet new people that also like to run. Now I just need to make sure I can balance my two goals of meeting new people and doing what it takes to do a sub two hour half.

Here are a couple of pictures from my runs so far this year.

Jan. 1: Committing back to running
Jan 5: My second half marathon training officially began today. I ran in the rain.
I first set out to go for a 5k and ended up deciding to go for over a 10k.
Jan 9: A nice hilly run at lunch. Enjoyed getting outside
mid-day and it was 50° to boot