Week 5.....EEK!

So today I started week 5. I had 3 five minute runs with 3 minute walks in between each run. I must say it went fantastic! My legs had a burn, but a good burn. I felt tension free, my breathing was great, and my legs never felt like they were about to give out. If was far from being easy, but it felt really good.

On Friday, I move to on to 2 eight minute runs. In between each run, I'll have a 5 minute walk. Not so bad. I'm not really dreading it. I'm looking forward to it. The one that gets me afraid in Sunday's run. I am going to have a 20 minute non stop run! I have so much trepidation with this run. I've been fortunate to read about others, using the same app, make it so I know I most likely will. But, I'd lie saying I wasn't really nervous about it. From there the time continues to increase..EEK.

So from here on out...I'll be blogging about each run until I reach 30 minutes straight! :)

Who Would've Thunk It?

So this week, my running has increased to 5 minutes! I've been reading in my Get Running forum that it is a big jump. Boy was it. I started with a 5 minute warm up walk. From there I went into a 3 minute run, 1 1/2 min. walk....THEN 5 minute run, 1 1/2 minute walk. I do this twice!

My first 3 minute run went really well. My legs were feeling fantastic. I went into the walk and again legs were great! Normally I need that walk for my legs to recover. Now it was time for my first 5 minute run. I was ok at first. Then came the burn... then more burn...then more burn. Then the girl, Claire, came over my iPod telling me I was halfway down. What?!??! Barely halfway!!! I really didn't think I was going to make it. I slowed my already slow pace down to just a tad faster than a walk. I did everything to distract myself. I turned up the music and looked around the park I was running in. I made it through the 5 minutes! Yay me! After that first 5 minute struggle, my next two runs were a lot better. Maybe the initial burn and heat up of my muscles helped loosen then or what...but I even picked up my pace in the final 5 minute run. This has been the most challenging since week 1. I'm glad I survived it. Yay me again!


So that was yesterday. Tonight I had a kick butt workout with my coach. We did different rope exercises. If you've never done them, they are killer. They are intense cardio and it works your leg and arm muscles for sure. Back to running tomorrow. 

I realize looking now that I work out 7 days a week now. I got my boot camp on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I do my running on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Crazy. If I would've told the me from a year ago that she'd be doing that, she'd laugh at me. But I think the difference now is that I'm doing this for me. I'm not doing it because my family and spouse have encouraged me to and I want to shut them up. Not because I got teased for being overweight. I'm not doing it because I hate my body...I'm doing it for a healthier me. And it feels good to take care of me and love me this way.

My thoughts for you: Make sure that when you decide to get fit, it is for you, and loving way for you. If not, the probability of keeping it up will be slim. Do it because you want a better you. Do it because you love you. There lies your success.

One small step for Steph and for you

I realize that in making this blog, I've kinda put myself out there in the spotlight. My family, friends, and visitors would see my failures and successes. Well I was really afraid of not only failing this last week's challenge in running, but failing publicly.  
If you read my post No Pain...No gain...No doubt? you know that I've been doing this whole attempt at running. Last week I was plagued with fear and doubt. You see...I was heading into my 3rd week of running. Week 1 was just intervals of 1 minute jogging. Week 2 increased to 1 1/2 minutes of jogging. This last week, my jogging time doubled to 3 minutes of jogging! I really doubted I could do it. One and a half minutes was not easy at all. How was I supposed to double it?!

Well Wednesday the day came. I started off with a 1 1/2 minute jog and walk then it was time for the dreaded 3 minutes. I turned up my music and gave it the old college try! And guess what?!?! I DID IT! Man what a feeling! I can't explain how accomplished I felt by being able to do it! I was so excited and highly motivated. I couldn't wait for Friday to come to do it all again. Friday was just as good! 


Yesterday, I had my morning boot camp. My coach had us to an obstacle course at the local park. Part of it entailed going up and down a flight of stairs 7 times. We also had to do step ups on the stairs. Needless to say, my calves today were incredibly sore when I woke up. I did some stretching, drank water, and also put on my compression running socks for my running today. 

I headed to the park with my students (who are running the 5K with me) and did some more stretching. Off I went. The previous two sessions, my pace was slower since I was getting used to the new distance jogging. Today is shot back up to where I was in week 2. I guess my body is adjusting. 


Next week my time bumps up to 5 minutes jogging! Honestly that fear and doubt that I had last week is not with me. I am so looking forward to getting out there again Wednesday and tackling the new time! I'm also looking forward to my legs resting the next couple of days. I'm truly amazed at my progress. What was small step further in jogging, was a giant step for my confidence.


My thoughts for you: This journey to get healthy can be achieved by taking baby steps. Most people fail or stop completely when they try to do too much. Be realistic people. You can't be Superman (woman) over night. Your body is not built that way. It takes time and increased effort. Set realistic goals. Instead of saying I want to lose 50 pounds, start with a 5 pound goal. Celebrate it when you  make it and keep going. Don't make a goal of cutting out all sugar. Be realistic. Cut out a few things and then gradually increase it. Baby steps lead to a bigger distance covered. Start small and watch your confidence grow.

I am a runner? Are you crazy?!

If you read my previous post, you know that I've been in a boot camp for the past 7 months. This process has been insane. Let me first start off by saying that I really do hate exercising. Yeah I know I encouraged you to start, but I really do hate doing it. I'm not one of those people that has a smile on their face or asks their coach for more. Sorry it's just not me. I hate being sweaty. I hate having ultra sore muscles. I hate being out of breath..still. I hate when my coach announces the next exercise. I complain....in a humorous way, but nonetheless I never go a session without complaining. And for some amazingly STRANGE reason...I still show up. But I DO love what I see in my body. I do love the muscles I now feel. I do love my clothes loosening up.

"You can't cross a finish line if you stand at the starting line and refusing to move. 

Take a step, even if it is small, even if it's slow. Take the step."

Seeing yourself progress over time and getting stronger and stronger, strange things start to happen!!! About 2 months into starting boot camp, something birthed inside of me. I believe God put it there. I had this desire to run birth in me! I see myself go on long jobs to unwind. I see myself an athlete competing. I see myself with the wind in my hair, my earphones on, and losing track of time...running. My mind and spirit has this desire, but my body was not ready. You see...just walking half a mile left me with TERRIBLE shin splints. If you've never had them, pray you don't. It's this excruciating pain on the front of the legs. I got these from just walking. What usually causes them is a few things....really tight calf muscles (yup still got those), really weak tendons and ligaments in your lower legs, and the arch of your foot collapsing (from excess weight). Well I had all of these.

Running was not possible. But I didn't give up. I knew I needed to build them up. So I started walking. A little bit at first.

I'd show up early to my boot camp (which took place at a park) and got 2-3 laps around the park in. And then increased it. After months, a few laps turned into a mile...You get the picture.

Well one night on the Facebook, my cousin posted a link for a 5k race (3.1 miles). I felt my spirit stir. I needed to do this, even if I walked the entire thing. So I signed up. On Thanksgiving Day 2011, I completed my first 5K. I walked almost all of it, with a tiny bit of jogging. I mean, really...a tiny bit.

I finished my race in 56 minutes 17 seconds. I didn't finish in last place (yay!). But it was my baseline. I was now an athlete...wow did I just say that? Yup...I am now an athlete. I want to beat that time. What better way to do that? Sign up for another 5K!!!

So I signed up for a 5K set for February 18th. But this time, I want to work on eventually running the whole 3.1 miles. So I looked around for a way of training. My hubby got me a new iPod for Christmas and in my playing around with it, I found this fabulous app called "Get Running." How does it work you say? Well you get your music going, open up the app, and a trainer's voice comes on. The app starts you in increments. You start off with a 5 minute warm up. Then over the course of 20 minutes, you begin with a 1 minute run, followed by 1 1/2 minute walk, and back and forth. After the 20 minutes, you have a 5 minute cool down walk. Each week, then increase your running time. Eventually after 9 weeks, you should be able to run an entire 30 minutes without stopping! After that, you can work on speed. I started it last week and I'll share my experience more in detail later.

Here is my pitch to you: The Bible says that you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Which means this, you must think it, believe it, and start stepping out in faith knowing it will come. I am a runner. I thought it last summer. I believe it. I'm stepping out. It will happen.

Do you see yourself healthy and fit? Do you see yourself free of the ailments that come with being overweight? Do you really see it? Yes??? Then believe it and step out. You can't cross a finish line if you stand at the starting line and refusing to move. Take a step, even if it is small, even if it's slow. Take the step.