Going the Distance

I've decided it's time to get off my duff and actually sign up for a race instead of just perusing the race calendar. So, next Saturday morning I will be running in not only my first real race of the year, but my first 8K. I think I must be crazy. But, I figure I need to get out there and push myself. I won't run the whole thing, I will tell you that much right now. There will be lots of walking and lots of slowness. I'm ok with it, though. I am still determined to get my 12 races in 12 months goal. I only have until Race for the Cure in September.

If you are looking for a neat app for your smartphone, I have started using NOOM. I don't care for the diet/food portion, but I do like the workout stuff. It even tracks me at the track.

Have a good week and hopefully I will have a decent race report to make, and not one made by my hubs that says they found me on the side of the road!

Day 1

I loaded to Couch to 5K to my phone. I really need to get my base run back on track and thought this might be a good way. So, at 3 am I strapped on my trusty Asics and headed to the track. I turned on my "Shoop" channel on Pandora and started off. It has you do a 5 minute brisk walk for a warm-up. The next 20 minutes consist of 1 minute of running and 1:30 of walking. It ends with a 3:30 cool-down walk. I got in just under 2.25 miles. Not bad, but not great. But, I didn't hate it. I will say that I like how I can run the programs simultaneously. The running program beeps and tells me when to do what and doesn't interrupt my music. And, because I am little on the crazy side I will also being doing my 1 hour Zumba class at 9:30.

OK, Enough is Enough

I have been hanging around in this funk for way too long. I have been trying to force myself to run and don't drag myself out of the house. I'm finished with it all. Enough wallowing in self-pity. It's time to get out.

I was getting in the shower today and happened to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. It wasn't pretty. Now, I have never been a skinny person. Even at my thinnest, skinny is not a word to describe me. I have always been curvy and squishy. But, I think I am now beyond squishy and curvy. For the first time in a long time I really didn't like what I saw. It really sunk it that I have been off track for way too long.

So, today I wave goodbye to "FunkyTown". I have inhabited it long enough. I have made a list of local races that I am going to try to run in for 2011. For those of you that don't know (which since I only currently have 5 followers it isn't saying much), I have been offered a position as a police officer for the city in which I currently work. That means attending the police academy. At my,ahem, advanced age I want to make sure that I can keep up with all the young ones. So, that just adds to my motivation. I may end up being the oldest in my class, but the HELL if I am going to be the fattest and slowest.

So if any of you have any good training plans, send them my way. I have researched and researched and my eyes are starting to cross. I also need diet information. I don't have the financial means to try Jenny Craig or Sensa or anything of the sort. I need something that is easy to stick to and that I can incorporate into my life of raising three kids and working third shift.

Today is a new day for me. Please help me by being my kick in pants. Bug me every day and ask what I've eaten or if I am piling my miles. Hound me on Facebook. I will try to get hubs to take a before picture of me. No worries, clothes will be on. October 9th is closer than I think and I plan on rocking it at Prairie Fire.

Forgive Me While I Pout

My first race of the year was supposed to be this weekend. It was supposed to be my first half marathon. But, due to my back injury, that got nixed. So, I settled on a new race. It's called Run WITH the Law and it benefits the Special Olympics. It's a very small race (only 1.6 miles), it isn't being sanctioned by any of the local running groups. There aren't fancy chip timers and aid stations. But, it is for a good cause and we are only the second city in Kansas to take part. And guess what? I, being the golden child I am, have managed to come down with an upper respiratory infection just days before. Loverly. So, no running for me. I will still participate because I had some gracious donors. But, it won't count towards my 12 in 12.

On a happier note, I would like to wish all of my friends luck who are participating in marathons and half marathons from Canada to Oklahoma City and many places in between. You are all inspirations and maybe one day I can grow up and be like you!

In a Funk

I wish I had some great news to tell. I wish I had something inspiring to say. I wish I had a running report. But, I have none of these things. Apparently, I am in a running funk. I WANT to get out there and run my arse off, but I have no motivation. I get home in the mornings, take the kids to school and am just too exhausted to get myself back out the door. When I started this insanity back in July I would go out at 3 am. Yes, for real. I work third shift, so 3am is when I took my "lunch". I didn't have to deal with people on the track pointing and laughing...er...being in the way, so it was perfect. When I started running longer distances and wanted to get away from running in circles, traffic was minimal and all I had to worry about was my officers jumping out and scaring me. But, now I work by myself most nights, so I don't get a lunch break. And when I do, it's been too cold to get out. Now, instead of being conditioned to get out every day, I am sunk into the funk. Yuck. I have my first race the end of this month and am nowhere near ready for it. It's only a little over a mile, but it might as well be marathon. I don't know why this has become so daunting to me; why something I enjoy has become something I can't get into. I read all of these race reports from my friends or other bloggers and get pumped. Then I get home and it fizzles. I've bought books on how to coach myself and how to run better and faster and smarter, but I find myself distracted when I start to read them. I want to be excited to run again. I want my body to start getting antsy as 3am approaches because it knows that freedom is near. But here I sit; sunk in my funk and not sure how to get out.

Can I Get a Mulligan?

A do-over? Yes? Thank you! I am so thankful that when it comes to exercising and working out that even when I slack, I have a chance to start over; to try again. I started out my 21 days with great intentions. But,things didn't quite end up like I had planned. I'm not going to make excuses. I just screwed up. Don't get me wrong, I have been doing stuff. Just not running like I should. I have been doing a mini bootcamp 3 days a week and Zumba (LOVE) 1 day. But my running has suffered. Then it dawned on me that I have my first race in two weeks. Oops. Granted, it is only like 1.2 miles. It's a great new race called "Run WITH the Law" and it benefits the Special Olympics of Kansas. We are only the second city in the state to participate in it. I am still in need of donations to meet my goal, so if you are in the giving mood please click on my link!

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/marissa-wood/2011-derby-run-with-the-law

So, today I will (once again) start over.

A Fork in the Road

Last week I hit a fork in my training. I was doing well on my 21-day plan, but the fork got in the way. On Friday I took my physical agility test for police officer. Yeah...not in as good of shape as I thought. I still passed (yay me!), but not by much. I was told afterwards that I needed to work on sprints and weight training, especially for my upper body. Well, crap. I wanted to train for distances longer than a block. So, now I don't know what to do. I know I need to sprint and I need to increase my upper body strength so I don't get injured at the academy. I don't want to be bulky, though. I still want to practice my distance running, too. Ugh! Why does someone have to throw down a damn fork in the middle of my road???