Three Things Thursday

1. We bought a pair of running shoes for Taylor at lunch today. Let me tell you, this is a huge accomplishment. The man cares NOTHING about sneakers/tennis shoes/whatever you want to call them. He has worn the same pair of New Balance shoes for the past 5 or 6 years. I knew the chances of getting him to a running store (the closest is 90 miles away) are nil, so we met at the local Rack Room Shoes and bought some neutral Saucony shoes. Seriously, we giggled through the whole thing because he kept saying "whatever you think" to which I would reply "but they're your feet - I can't tell what feels best." Good times, good times ...

2. Have I mentioned that I registered him, Kate and myself for the Sweetheart 5k on February 13? I have the ticker on the left but I don't think I've blogged about the fact that he's agreed to try running! I do hope he enjoys it ... I love it so much and want to share that with him. It will also be great to share a hobby together. The 5k has a couples division but I doubt very seriously we'll have a shot at being anywhere near the fastest couples there. Our team name: My Wife Made Me Do It. Kate will be running the 1 mile fun run and is super excited!

3. We are now a Wii family. This is by far the most popular of the Santa gifts. We've all had a blast playing different games, including the games on the Wii Fit Plus with the balance board. You should see my Mii in that game ... it's overweight just like me!

So that's it for posting in 2009 ... Happy New Year to everybody! Here's to a great 2010!

Operation Anything

I'm not sure which blog provided a link to KK's Running Through Life blog and her Operation Anything challenge. But I'm glad I clicked through because for the first time in a long, long while I feel that I have the motivation to follow-through on making some healthy lifestyle changes.

The reasons for my reaching this mindset are not revolutionary ... I've just finally reached the point of wanting to make these changes for ME. Obviously, I want to lead a healthy life so I can hopefully be around for a long time to be with my wonderful husband and children. I absolutely want to be a positive role model for my children so they don't grow up to be couch potatoes and have lifetimes of unhealthy habits. I've wanted that for a long time. But now, I want this healthy way of living and healthier body for me because I deserve it.

And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

So, my goal for Operation Anything is "Operation 150." I've reached that weight before and I can do it again. The last time was in 2002, but I fell off the wagon quickly after our beach vacation that year. Ah, yes, trips to Dairy Queen opened the door as apparently sweets are a "gateway" food for me. Once I go past moderation with sugar and chocolate, it's hard for me to stop and return to more healthy choices.

So, "Operation 150" fits in nicely with my weight loss resolution laid out in the prior post. (OK, Taylor, if you're still reading my blog posts from time to time, you do the math since I won't step on the scale or the Wii balance board while anybody's in the room! How's that for accountability? Heck, I might even put a weight loss ticker on the side.)

This week's goal-setting in "Operation 150" ... drumroll please ...

Complete the 4 runs scheduled between now and next Wednesday as part of my half-marathon plan (4 miles Saturday / 3.5 miles Monday / 2 miles Tuesday / 3.5 miles Wednesday)

I've done a good job on the plan so far although last weekend's 4 mile run was shifted from Saturday to Sunday due to a cold, misty rain. I only did 2.5 today instead of 3, but I really consider it a victory because I really, really, REALLY did not want to run today at lunch in the cold. If I had to fight it that hard today, this needs to be next week's goal to give me that little extra motivation.

That's the plan for now. Wish me luck!

It is what it is

As 2009 draws to a close, I can't help but think about many of the things that I did not accomplish this year. It would be much more positive to focus on all of the accomplishments instead, but as Kate would say, that's how I roll. I am way too critical of myself. Perhaps writing this blog post will help me change that focus a little bit.

Most importantly though, it's been another wonderfully blessed year with my family. Taylor and I just had our 15th anniversary earlier this month and I still can't believe sometimes that I'm married to the man who has been my best friend since we were children in elementary school. He is truly my soulmate and there is no one else in this world I would rather share my life. Kate and Will are two incredible, unique, wonderful children. Sometimes it's difficult dealing with Kate's constant stream of talking and Will's never-ending motion, but watching them grow and mature is a blessing from God. My most sincere desire is to be the best wife and mother possible. Without a doubt, it's the most difficult job I have ever had but is also the most rewarding.

Since this blog was started primarily as a place to capture my feelings on this running lifestyle I'm trying to incorporate, I need to write a little about that. I'm still enjoying running but continue to be a little disappointed that I'm still so slow and don't have a lot of endurance. But after looking back at my running log, I can see that some progress has been made during the past 12 months. January, August and December are the best months out of the year with a little effort made in February - June, September and November. I didn't run any at all in July and only did the 10 miler at Medoc in October.

Realistically, I can't expect to make a whole lot of changes with that lack of consistency. On a positive note, I am close to hitting 200 miles for the year and should reach that mark. My average per time per mile is also faster now than it's been all year, so I need to focus on that progress. I'm still slow at a little under 12:00 miles now, but that's better than the 13:00 plus in January.

Well, that's enough for the past. Let's look ahead to 2010 and I'll put my resolutions on the 'net ...

• Lose weight: realistic goal is 20 pounds, so-happy-I-would-probably-pee-on-myself-goal is 40 pounds
• Total miles: run 400 miles before January 1, 2011
• Race different distances: complete at least one at each of the following distances - 5k, 10k, 10 miles and half-marathon

The key resolution of those three is the first one. Losing weight is going to make running much easier and much more fun.

I guess that's it for now as my lunch hour is over. I'll be back a little later ... perhaps with another resolution or two.

Another night run

I think I'm beginning to enjoy these p.m. runs. It was a little after 7:30 tonight before I could go out for my 2 miles. This time I used my new headlamp & it worked great! I just need to tighten the strap a little so it doesn't slip down, but all-in-all, I was quite pleased. I ran a little faster than normal again tonight with an average time of 10:38 per mile. It was the same 2.06 miles as Monday evening, but a much more pleasant time without the cold rain. Total time was 21:55 ... may not sound fast to others, but I'm very pleased.

Well, that's it for now as I need to put the laptop away.

Oh, and 15 years ago right now, my wonderful husband Taylor and I were probably just leaving our wedding reception. Time really does fly by ... what a wonderful 15 years and many more to come!

Rain, rain, go away

Well, Monday evening's run in the rain and the dark may have made me feel a little hardcore, but I wasn't tough enough for tonight's rain. I'd planned on another 2 miles or so after work, but decided against it on the way home. I bought a headlamp at Wal-Mart today and am very anxious to try it out, but I couldn't find a better wind/rain jacket. Too much rain has moved into this part of eastern NC and now there's even a tornado watch. Hopefully I'll be able to fit in a run tomorrow.

On the bright side, I did do the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred tonight. Will "worked out" with me, too, which was a hoot. He may not have the techniques down, but he moved the entire 20 minutes. Such fun ... but I probably won't be able to move my arms tomorrow!

100 days until the Canal Trail Half Marathon! I haven't mentioned it yet, but I plan on following Hal Higdon's Half-Marathon 12-week training plan which will begin December 20. Yep, that's right, I'm starting it the week of Christmas. Not sure if that's brilliant or stupid ... we'll see if Uncle Higgie (thanks, Nik & Dan) works out for me. If any readers have any advice, I'd love to hear it.

So that was something new ...

Things I learned yesterday evening in the dark & in the rain ...

• I need a more wind- & rain-resistant jacket; the Wal-Mart special was not sufficient
• My new Droid Eris phone fits nicely in a snack-sized ziplock baggie
• The "softrace" app loaded on said new phone works great (even inside a ziplock baggie); it accurately measured a known 0.5 mile out-and-back
• I need a headlamp; it's not easy to avoid mud puddles in the dark
• Running in the dark just after sunset is not scary; I like it better than running in the dark just before sunrise (yeah, I'm a wimp & I'm not sure why 5:45 p.m. is better than 5:45 a.m.)
• Oh, that's right, I'm not a morning person; 5:45 p.m. will always be better than 5:45 a.m.
• Except when it's not raining at 5:45 a.m. & I should have taken care of these 2 miles at that time
• Running in a cold rain makes me faster; 2.06 miles in 21:44, 10:34 average pace - nice!
• My in-laws think I'm crazy; my husband & kids already know I'm crazy, so that's no biggie
• Running in the rain and dark makes me feel like a hard-core runner (ha ha ha ... that's a hoot!)

No running today ... maybe 30 Day Shred tonight? That's it for now ...