No Excuses! How to Get Up and Get After It

I've been trying to vary my routine and not run every day, but throw in some days where I either just walk, or pedal on my recumbent bike in the garage.  A complete rest day now and then is a good idea too, but I'm still working on that one! 

Geared up and ready to go!

Since yesterday was bike day, I needed to run this morning, but it was 25° out there!  Since that was a far cry from the 72° but horrendously windy conditions at this time yesterday, I thought I'd hit the treadmill and watch some YouTube videos.  At the last minute I decided that if I gave in to it today, it would be easier to make more excuses in the days ahead, so I bundled up and off I went.

I didn't do a proper warmup, just a few drills in the house first, and I felt pretty sluggish out there, so wasn't expecting it to be a good run.  And honestly, it didn't FEEL like a good run.  I felt like I was on the struggle bus that first mile or so, but stayed with it, committing to get at least 3 miles in this morning.

Much to my surprise, my time was only slightly slower than my best non-race 5k time.  Huh?  There are a couple of reasons why that shouldn't have happened. 

1. It was COLD out there! (But thankfully, I warm up quickly)
2. I just didn't feel motivated to run, and had to push myself to lace up and go
3. I went out with friends yesterday, and even had a couple of drinks 

So why did it turn out to be a better run than expected?  There are a couple of reasons that might explain that too.

1. Not running EVERY day allowed my body to recover better (this was evident in an earlier run this week too)
2. I paid attention to form, and tried to increase my cadence a bit (more on this in another post)
3. I've been doing more strength training and working my core (more on that coming too)
4. The first song that came up on my running playlist was 'Warrior', by Hannah Kerr, which set the tone

Slow by most standards,
but a great pace for me

Every time I've not felt motivated to do much yet dragged myself out the door anyway, I always felt much better after that first mile, and either went a longer distance that I thought I would, or it just turned out to be a better run overall.  Sometimes just putting on workout clothes and lacing up is all the push you need to get out there and make things happen.  Taking that first step makes the rest fall into place.  Not every run (or other workout) will feel great, but there is no such thing as a bad run.  Go take that first step.

~ Marie Anne

Monday Ramblings: Every Runner's Nightmare

It was a frosty 26° this morning and since I had done plenty yesterday, I wasn't going to work out today, or at least not do much. I still need to pace myself so I'll be well rested when I attempt that 11-miler later this month. Of course by the time I went out for a haircut and a few groceries, it was bright and sunny and high 50°s, so maybe I would get out there after all.

I was hungry when I got back from town, so decided to fix a small salad. That would have been fine if I hadn't just made the decision to get a run in. I usually run fasted in the morning and have my healthy smoothie after I'm home and finished stretching, so running with something in my stomach is new to me. Still, this was just salad, nothing heavy, so I didn't think it would be a big deal, so rather than put it off, I laced up my shoes and off I went.

It was a big deal.

Within minutes of hitting the street, I felt like I had to use the bathroom.  I debated turning around, but I need to get a 3-mile run in three times this week for a challenge, and I really wanted today's run to count as one of them.  The distance needs to be run in one activity and there is a time limit, so taking a break to use the facilities and go back out might have taken up too much time.  I'd either have to nix the whole thing, or start a new activity and start the three miles over.

On any other day, the little extra would have been no problem; I normally run a 5K or 10K  (3.1 and 6.2 miles), and occasionally a mile or two more, but I just wasn't into it today.  I had it in my head when I stepped out the door that I was going to do my 3 miles and be done with it.

It was an absolutely gorgeous afternoon for a run, and other than worrying if I'd make it back to the bathroom in time, it might have been a good day for one of my longer runs.  Parts of me felt amazing, like I could go on forever, but other parts?  Let's just say that I was worried things might get a little messy (and because it was so nice out, I was wearing a short running skirt and short-sleeved shirt, and it's the one day I didn't have at least a handkerchief with me.  Hooooo boy).

I started talking to myself.  So ... speed up to get home quicker?  Or would that (gasp!) speed other things along too?  Maybe it would be better if I slowed down.  No, I just want to get home.  I opted to just maintain a steady pace, and pray.  It was touch and go for a bit, but I did manage to make it home without incident, and at a pretty good time for me while still keeping my heart rate on the low end.

To say I was relieved would be an understatement.  I'm normally prepared for just about anything that might come up, so I don't know why today was different.  I do know that I won't be going out for a run any time soon after eating a salad with kale in it.  I haven't eaten kale in a while, so I'm assuming that was what set things in motion, so to speak.

After a chilly start, it ended up being a pretty good day after all.  I took care of some errands, checked off one of the runs I need for the week, and grabbed some extra Vitamin D when romping in the yard with the pups.  Now I think I'll take their cue and jockey for a spot on the couch and find something to binge-watch.

~ Marie Anne

Another 5K in the Books

I completed my second 5K on Saturday, my time being just a little slower than the previous week, but I did complete it, so it's still a win in my book.  It was a really small race, and in all honesty, I'm reluctant to really call it a race due to the size and lack of management, but I'll cover some tips for both race coordinators and participants in future posts.

Saturday's race was also on asphalt, and I'm still leery of doing too much running on hard surfaces, but once again, stretching and warming up really helped.  I didn't feel any shin or knee pain at all, but wasn't happy to see the small hills scattered through the course.  Still, adding hills give you a good workout, so even if I didn't get a personal best out of the deal, it got me out there and moving, and that's never a bad thing.

© Marie Anne St. Jean

After doing that 5K Saturday morning, I did another 5K on the treadmill later in the afternoon at an even slower pace.  I had a weekend L4L goal to meet (30,000 steps over the two days), and knew Sunday was going to be a little busier with church activities both morning and evening, so wanted to get more than halfway to goal on Saturday.  I made my goal and then some without compromising worship time, so calling the weekend a win all the way around.  I thank God each day for every step that I'm able to take; He deserves all the praise and glory.

There are lots more races coming up within driving distance, but I haven't narrowed down which I'll enter yet.  Money is always an issue so I need to be smart and choose those that I really want to do and which are worth the entry fee.  I probably should limit myself to one race per month, but will see how that plays out.

Lots of ideas for future blog posts, so stick around!  As I mentioned in my opener, I'm anxious to cover some race tips for both runners and coordinators, to help their race be a better experience for all.  I'll also be doing some product reviews for fitness gear and tech stuff that I really like, and would love to hear about your favorites too.

~ Marie Anne

To run, or not to run

© Marie Anne St. Jean

So ... guess who's graduated to running again in the last few months?  This crazy ol' grandmother, that's who!  I'm not running far nor fast, but I have worked up to be able to do a 5K without stopping to walk, and that's quite an accomplishment for me!

I've dropped about 25 lbs since the first of the year, and it's definitely made a difference in being able to put one foot in front of the other.  I still have a good ways to go, but am confident that eating right and continuing to walk and run daily will get me there.

I had a bit of a scare after getting the results of my bone scan a couple of weeks ago.  I've been walking forever and had started running some weeks before, but knowing that my Vitamin D level is still low and I've already had the insufficiency fracture in my right tibia several years ago, I asked if we could do a bone density test to see just how bad it was before I stepped off to do much more running and risk another injury.

The results weren't pretty.  My spine is worse than my back, but I definitely have osteoporosis with radiologist reporting "high risk for fracture".  Hooo boy, now what do I do?  I freaked out for a bit, figuring this had me sidelined yet again.  It hurt to run on the road, but I'm ok on the treadmill, so after talking with my physical therapist, we decided it was ok to continue what I'm doing, as long as I pay close attention and stop if I feel pain.  So far, so good, and I even ran my first 5K last Saturday!

Since it was on a paved bike trail, I wasn't sure if I would be able to run the whole thing, so I prayed about it before heading out, and just hoped to beat 45 minutes total, even if I had to walk part of it. Well I surprised myself ... I DID run the whole thing, felt NO pain in shins or knees, with a finish time of 39:18 - I couldn't believe it!  That's an average 12:40 mile/4.73 mph pace, which is the fastest I've ever done, even on the treadmill.  After cooling down, I went back and manned a water station for the half marathoners, and jogged up and down a short patch of trail for probably another mile, then jogged the last 1.5 mile in with a friend who did the half.  I'm happy enough that I made it and in a good time for me, but the biggest praise is that there was no injury.  Thank you, Jesus!

© Marie Anne St. Jean

So ... I'm going to continue to march run and do what I can until my body says otherwise.  Because of the pain/time involved in getting back from the injury several years ago, I have to be really careful and pay attention for signs that I've done enough, but as long as I slow down or stop when that happens, I should be good.

Osteoporosis or no, I'm not ready to hang up my sneakers just yet.

~ Marie Anne

My first official/unofficial 5K race - for Jessie!

Well,  I'm going to do it.  Most of it will be done at a fast walk, and maybe a very slog jog for part of it, but I'm going to hop on the treadmill this afternoon and run my first 5K.  It will be my first official (well, with me officiating) 5K in decades, but since I'll be competing with myself here in my home and not in the actual race, my time will be unofficial by race standards.  No matter ... Just doing it at all and showing support for Jessie and her family is good enough for me.

Jessica Torres was severely injured in an auto accident several years ago, but her family never gave up on her.  I served with Jessie's dad years ago when we were both stationed in South Weymouth, MA, and Tony, his lovely wife Lenore, and their son Derrick are wonderful people who still believe the best is yet to come in Jessie's progress towards healing.  This 5K race for Jessie is one way we can help support them while they support her.  Even if you can't be in Tennessee for the race, you can still help with a donation, and of course prayers are always welcomed.

I'm still having knee trouble (with both knees now!) but have started physical therapy and ohmy, the therapists are working miracles.  Separate posts forthcoming about that, but I'm definitely glad I'm pursuing it.  I'm taped up with kinesiology tape and going to complete this 5K in one sitting if it kills me.  I just need to remember that pushing too hard is what got me into trouble in the first place, and pay attention to my body.  I know I can walk the distance a couple of times over with no trouble, so if I don't kick it into a jog for too much of it, I should be ok.  I want to do my best, but I also don't want to lose ground that I'm finally starting to gain after the knee injury more than two years ago.  It's been a long journey filled with setbacks, and I want to keep moving in the right direction.

So ... I'll be lacing my running shoes and revving up the treadmill at race time, scheduled for 5:00 pm eastern today (4pm Memphis time), May 30 2015.  I'll post my officially unofficial results later, embarrassing or not!

~ Marie Anne

Tights for the win!

©Marie Anne St. Jean

It's been bitterly cold here lately, and I'm so thankful that I bought the treadmill when I did, because it's kept me moving when weather conditions would have had me sidelined.  I've not been doing any real long or strenuous workouts, usually just a mile or so at a time, sometimes just walking, sometimes warming up with a walk and breaking into a slow jog for part of it, but it beats burying myself on the couch under a blanket.

I wasn't sure I'd do much more today than normal, between Sunday school, church, and having to run out to tend to chickens in cold weather every two hours at a minimum, and those dishes in the sink won't wash themselves, but I climbed aboard and started putting one foot in front of the other to see where it might take me.

Let me back up a minute ... I was angry at myself for not doing laundry the other day because I found I didn't have any clean longjohns to wear today.  Not only is it chilly in here, but my sweatpants fit better with an extra layer underneath because they're all so big and baggy.  Thinking about what I might be able to substitute, I remembered I had some warm tights that I picked up at a bargain price somewhere online - they're sweater tights made by Chinese Laundry.  They're almost like leggings (but they're tights, so have feet) so I said what the heck, let me give them a try.  I put them on and they fit snugly like tights, but they're heavier and warm, so I decided to forego the sweatpants altogether and just wear a long sweatshirt over the tights and call it good.  I wasn't expecting any deliveries on a Sunday, so no worries about the FedEx or UPS driver catching me in something I'd rather not be caught wearing.

They felt good.  I felt good.

I started off at a walk and thought I'd try to get a mile or so in at a minimum, not really wanting to do much more after the big bowl of chili I'd just eaten for lunch.  After the warm-up at a walk, though, I started to feel a little frisky, so kicked into a slow jog.  When I saw the 20 minute mark coming up, I decided to go for 25, then 30 minutes, then 45, and oh why not ... let's see if you can get to 3 miles and a 5K, MA ... and I did!

3.2 miles at a 3.7 mph pace

I stopped at 3.2 miles to try to get a picture of the console, then started back up at a slow walk to cool down properly, and ended up with a full 60 minute workout when all was said and done.

Full hour, including warm-up and cool down

Now my jog is still a slow one - today's jaunt was a 3.7 mph pace after the walking warm-up - but I'm 57 years old, still overweight (but working on that!), and only started working out a couple of months ago after the knee injury more than two years ago.  That I'm doing anything at all is a blessing indeed, and I'm grateful for how far I've come, and every step that I'm able to take.

So I made two milestones today ... I completed the equivalent of a 5K in one workout (although the first half mile or so was at a walk), and I worked out for a full 60 minute stretch.  My next personal challenge will be do the full 5K at a jog, and I'll be doing that in support of the family of a former Marine I served with many years ago (separate blog post coming about that ... and I'll throw down the gauntlet in a challenge to all of you).

I honestly don't think I would have done as much today if I'd been wearing my sweatpants that feel cumbersome flapping around my legs.  The more comfortable I feel, the more motivated I am to do more, and I feel good about myself.  There's another whole blog post in my head on that subject, so I'll leave that for another time, and instead leave you with this:

This is how I felt after completing my workout today.  Enjoy!

~ Marie Anne

When Is a Day Off From Training Not a Day Off?

I scheduled today as an off day from my training for the virtual 5K, so I didn't do a walk/jog, but I wasn't a total slacker, and actually ending up doing more than I'd planned.

This morning I got on the recumbent bike for 30 min, then later took the dogs for a walk for just under 30 min.  I have three of them now and it's really hard to get a good walk in when they're stopping to sniff or pee (and never at the same time), so I took each of them separately today.  Walking one at a time allowed for much more forward motion, rather than all over the road.  It worked out much better and I think I'll continue that, at least part of the time.

Since starting back up with watching my food intake and exercising more, I haven't really felt hungry at all, which has been a blessing.  Today, for some reason, I did feel hungry, and I'm not sure what's going on there.  I sipped water all day and will get my 8 full glasses in before it's over, so it's not dehydration.

To try to combat the hunger, I decided to get in another walk this evening, and even grabbed my 3 lb hand weights to see how that would work out.  It didn't.  I started off ok, but they're a bit too big to walk and swing my arms properly because they either hit each other if I swung to the front, or they hit my side.  I ended up dropping them after two minutes or so into the walk, then picked them up on the way back.  It wasn't so much the weight (although 3 lbs is probably too much to start with), but the actual size.  I think I'll look for some 1 or 1.5 lb hand weights to see if they might work better.

I'm still hungry, but since my day off from training turned out to not be much of an off day at all, I think I've earned a little snack while sipping the two remaining cups of water I need today.  I'm still within my calorie count for the day, so now just need to decide which to have -- peanut butter on celery, almonds, pistachios, or a hunk of cheddar cheese.

~ Marie Anne

Importance of Following a Training Program

Training programs were developed for a reason.  If you're new to any form of exercise, it's a good idea to look at programs designed by experts in their field and take their advice on how far and how fast to train towards a particular goal.  Doing too much too fast can result in minor injuries that can sideline you, or worse.  

Someone who is overweight and/or has lived a sedentary lifestyle should (with their doctor's blessing) be able to do some form of exercise and work towards getting faster or going a longer distance, but it's much better to start off slow and increase in small increments.  Training programs work for the majority of people, and they also keep you on track with mini goals at each level.

I've recently started back up with SparkPeople and signed up for the virtual 5K Trick or Treat Trot at the end of October.  I'm overweight and haven't done more than a short walk in years and no jogging at all, so when I saw they also had several fitness plans, I jumped on board with that too.  I know I can walk 5K, but I want to work towards jogging a portion of the distance, so I chose the four week plan designed for that very thing.  There are other programs available for those who just want to walk the entire distance, or who are more fit and plan on running.

The first week of training for my particular program calls for 4 min walk/1 min jog for three days out of that week.  Got that covered. The week starts new on Sunday, so I did my first day of week two yesterday, and did 4 min walk/2 min jog for about 32 min (program calls for 30 min).  I carry my cell phone with me and set the stop watch which allows me to easily see when I need to switch gears from walk to jog and back.  Being able to see those seconds ticking away works well for me; I tell myself just a few more seconds, you can do it! and it keeps me going.  I figure I can endure just about anything for two minutes.

What prompted this blog post is that I was looking over my charted exercise for the last few days and realized that I got ahead of myself - week two is supposed to be 4 min walk/1.5 min jog for a total of 27 min.  Oops.

Did I hurt myself by jogging just a little bit more than the program called for, and completing an extra couple of minutes?  Probably not, but I do need to be more careful.  With the added weight, I'm putting much more strain on my knees than I did during my fitter days in the Marine Corps, and if I do too much, I risk the chance of injury, which would set me back on my road to fitness.  I'll back off the rest of the week and on training days, do what the plan says and move up to the 2 min jog for training week 3.

Will every plan be right for every person?  Of course not, but it's a good place to start.  Fitness experts design these plans as a starting base for the average person, but if your body is telling you different, please listen.  If at any point during your workout you experience pain, stop and regroup.  You might be able to push through a bit of discomfort, but anything more is risking serious injury and isn't worth it.

~ Marie Anne

Disclaimer: I am not a fitness professional, so any advice I give is based purely on my own experiences with 21 years of Marine Corps physical fitness under my belt, my more recent experiences, and the advice of professionals.  As always, check with your doctor before starting any exercise program, and listen to what your body is telling you.

Weekend Workout Wrap-Up

Saturday was a beautiful day - cool in the morning, warming up a bit in the afternoon, then chilly once again as soon as the sun set.  Running errands made for a late lunch when I got home, so I put off the workout until later in the day.

I laced up my sneaks and headed out shortly before dusk and it was already cool enough that I put on a long sleeved t-shirt.  Still in week 1 of training for the virtual 5K walk/jog, I was supposed to walk 4 min/jog 1 min, and repeat for a total of 25 min.  Again I ended up doing just a bit more because I have to go up and down my road a couple of times and the timing didn't work out to get me back to the house.  I think I ended up with 3 extra min walking, two of a slow jog for a total of 30 min.

I follow SparkPeople's schedule where the week starts on Sunday, so today marked the first day of training week 2, calling for a 4 min walk/2 min jog, repeating for a total of 30 min.  The first 2 min jog had me going up a slight incline which sucked, but I pushed it on over.  I did fine for the next two sets, but the fourth set had me jogging up another incline for the whole two minutes, which wasn't fun at all.  I think I could have crawled faster, but still I didn't change my pace to a walk; I worked through it, even though it felt like I was going backwards.  The last set was on level ground, for which I was very thankful.  My jaunt today clocked about 32 min, probably 21 walking, and 11 at a slow jog.  I felt great when I was done, but glad it was done.

A couple of hours later I decided to hit the recumbent bike for an easy ride with a kitten for company (she's sequestered to that room, recovering from a broken leg). I pedaled for 30 min while reading, which always makes the time pass easily.

It was a good week.  I did awesome on the food front - never went over on calories, did well with carbs, and pretty good on nutrients overall.  I made my goal of 8 cups of water daily, and finished off with fitness goals on the high end.  I even earned a SparkPeople trophy this morning for going over 500 min of exercise already in September, and I think I lost 3 lbs this week.

My accomplishments might not seem like much by most standards, especially for a retired Marine, but with my current weight and pretty sedentary lifestyle of late, I'm pleased with what I've done.  I'm confident that I can keep up with the schedule and will rock this virtual 5K for the Trick or Treat Trot.

I'll be ready ... bring it!

~ Marie Anne

First Real Training Day for 5K Walk/Jog

I wasn't all that sore from my recon walk on Wednesday, so I took that as a good sign to get out on the road yesterday and shoot for the first real training day for the upcoming virtual Trick or Treat Trot 5K on SparkPeople.  The first week, I'm supposed to walk 4 minutes/jog 1 minute and repeat until I've completed 25 minutes, three days out of the week.

The first 4 minute walk was fine, but when I started into the jog, I was horrified.  I've never been a fast runner, but this 'jog' I was attempting was even slower than my regular walking speed!  I'm so heavy that it took a lot of effort to get my feet up off the ground, but I kept at it, no matter that any tortoise could have easily sped by me.

I was on my last jogging leg of the course and realized it was still a little ways to the house, so I went ahead and jogged 2 minutes instead of 1, then walked the rest of the way in.  I ended up with about 28 minutes or so instead of the required 25 for this training plan.  Certainly not much by any standards, but better than doing less.  I felt good that even as slow and awkward as it was, I did complete it.

I did this workout on my own street which has little to no traffic, but has a small incline in one spot, then dead ends going down a hill.  I had to go to the end of the road and back a couple of times to complete the route, but I made it work.  Once I go to the longer workouts, I'll have to go elsewhere to do it.

Since I started this later in the week, I'm not sure I'll get all three workouts in or not.  Maybe I'll adjust the starting point of the week to accommodate that.  

Once again I did well with food, not eating any junk at all, and made reasonably good choices for meals and snacks.  I drank my 8 cups of water, stayed within both my calorie and carb limit,  and didn't feel cheated at all.    The scale told me this morning that I'd lost another 1/2 lb.  I feel great.

Upcoming blog posts will touch on diabetic neuropathy, leptin, issues with cholesterol medications, and a host of other things that concern me.  I hope you'll stick around.

~ Marie Anne

Training for a Virtual 5K - Day 1 - Recon

Since I'm so overweight and out of shape and just getting back on the fitness trail after straying down the wrong path for a very, very long time, the word training seems like a pretty strong word for what I'm doing, but I don't know what else to call it.

I'm using SparkPeople to keep track of my food intake and exercise, and just signed up for a virtual 5K Trick or Treat Trot that is scheduled for the end of October.  I'll plot my own course locally, get some training in and then post my final run time on the day of the 'race', along with hundreds, if not thousands of others.   I don't expect to be running, but I'd like to be able to jog at least part of the distance by then.

Yesterday I went out to a local bike path and walking trail to see if it would work for my 5K route.  I'd never been on these trails, so it was virgin territory for me.  I walked what I think was just under a mile at a fast clip on the bike path, and while it didn't wear me out, the hard surface was unforgiving and I was wearing new shoes that I'm finding aren't the best for this sort of thing.  The nearby walking path is supposed to be 2 1/4 mi so I decided to tackle that too, which should have brought me to just about the 5K (3.2 mi) mark.

The walking trail was much easier on my feet, but since I had already had a bit of a workout, the few small hills that were thrown in had me wondering if I'd done the right thing by taking all this on my very first day out.  Prior to this, the only thing I'd done is a short 15 min or so walk with my dogs.  Still, I persevered and trudged on to finish the loop.

Uh oh ... the last half mile or so of that loop is the same bike path I had already walked, and the hard pavement was even tougher than my first go 'round with it.  By the time I got back to my car, I was more than ready to call it a day and haul my butt home.  I was already starting to stiffen up, but even as tired as I was, I felt a great sense of accomplishment at having finished my course.  

All in all, I was pretty proud of myself for the exercise I got in, as well as the food choices I made throughout the day.  I even treated my two dogs to a short walk at dusk, which helped relieve some of my stiffness from earlier.

Haven't craved any carb-laden sweets.  Made much healthier food choices.  Put one foot in front of the other, doing more than I have in eons.  Yes, it was a good day.

I can do this.

~ Marie Anne