Week 7 Day 2

So I didn't get up early this morning. I went to bed around 3am or so. I had my alarm set, but I turned it off and turned over. My friend, Angela, called this morning around 10am, so that's when I decided to get up. It took a while for me to get out the door. It was hours actually. There was no one playing that I just couldn't miss, so headed off to the Y this afternoon.

I figured I'd do the indoor track today, but that location is closed for the week. I didn't find out until I got there. So I drove all the way to the other Y in the county. There's no indoor track there, so I got on the treadmill. It was the first time I've done C25K on the treadmill. I was kind of scared of it before, thinking I'd roll off at some point. But I got over that from reading the Cool Running boards. A lot of people actually complain about how they can run 3mi on the treadmill, but not outside. I guess the treadmill is easier because it sets the pace for you. It's hard when you're out on your own trying to find the perfect pace so you can get into the groove. You may never get into the groove. I have to say that I haven't yet gotten to the point where I felt like I could run forever. I'm waiting for that moment to happen.

Since my routine was thrown off today, I completely forgot to stretch before and after the run. I didn't think about it until I was on my way home. So I ended up stretching when I got home. I'm a little sore now, but it's a good sore. And I feel so much better today than I did Monday. Hopefully, I'll feel even better on Saturday. I really wanted to swim this week, but it will have to wait. Being a girl can suck sometimes. I guess I'll just have to go with pilates or yoga.

Music: Earthtones mixed by DJ Lil Dave (A nice compilation of afro-latin house music)

Warm up walk: 5min or so
Jog: 25min
Cool down walk: 7min

Breakfast: Strawberry blueberry banana smoothie w/flax seeds
You'd think I would have added flax seeds sooner since they're in the freezer w/the berries. DUH!!

Pre-run: Cashews

Post-run: Half a can of chickpeas w/shredded carrots and dijon mustard vinaigrette
I don't know, I just had a craving.

Munchies: Lots of caramel corn and a few dark chocolate covered almonds
I really should have had PB&J instead. Maybe later.

Dinner: I think I'm going with tempeh, veggies and mashed potatoes w/gravy
And I'm pretty sure I'll be munching on something else after dinner.

On the Couch for Good Reason

I've spent the past couple of days on the couch watching the US Open. I haven't done anything remotely related to exercise. All bets are off on my period. Watching tennis is kind of motivating. I want to be an athlete. Or maybe I just want to have the body of an athlete. I guess running and more visits to the Y will get me where I wanna be eventually. I'm not getting any younger.

Anyway, I may run tomorrow. I felt like crap Monday and yesterday. I feel better today. I should feel much better tomorrow. We'll see in the morning. I have to get the run in early, because I have to get home in time to shower and catch the morning coverage of the Open.

So here's today's grub.

Breakfast: Cream of wheat w/cinnamon, sugar, raisins and flax seeds I figured I'd start the day with something rich in iron and good fat.

Snack: Strawberry blueberry banana smoothie w/soy milk

Lunch: Lentil patties and veggies w/mashed potatoes and gravy
I figured I'd get my bean on for more iron. Anyway, I wouldn't suggest eating this as a burger. The bread and fixings take away from it. I added garlic, but it needs some spices. I'll work on that next time I make it. It works well with the gravy though. The gravy was made from a no-salt Rapunzel veggie bouillon cube, corn starch, onion, garlic, and sage powders, thyme, kosher salt and pepper.


Munchies: Fat free caramel corn and a few dark chocolate covered almonds
This is what happens when you go to Trader Joe's hungry. Actually, I didn't realize I was hungry til I got there. But I had to restock my fu, soy milk, and dark chocolate covered almonds.

Dinner: I was gonna eat tempeh and veggies w/mashed potatoes and gravy, but I just may go for another smoothie.

Oh, and yesterday's grub consisted of: The last of the banana crumb muffins (I must make more), a couple of ACV cocktails (because it's good for this time of the month), lentil burger w/veggies, cantaloupe (which was really sweet), strawberry blueberry banana smoothie, cashews, a few pretzels and dark chocolate covered almonds, lentil patty, more veggies and mashed potatoes and gravy.

I just thought I'd share a group picture from yesterday's trip to Liberty State Park where I did some crap eating. I did end up walking around the park probably close to an hour, so that counts for something, right?

Week 7 Day 1

I was not feeling today's run at all. Ok, Week 7 consists of three 25min runs. That shouldn't be new to me. I just did it Friday. Well, for starters, I had a headache this morning. So when the alarm rang at 7am, I turned it off and turned over. My best friend called at 9:30am. I told her about my headache and she told me to run it out. So I finally got up. I chose the park today. I got out there after 11am. Too bad I couldn't make it out there earlier, because the sun was not agreeing with me. My pants weren't agreeing with me either. When you don't want to be bothered, every little thing annoys you.

Actually, let me rewind for a bit. I went to a picnic yesterday at Liberty State Park and had two Boca Chik'n patties. I know. The horror. It stayed in my stomach for a good portion of the day. Oh, and I did try a vegan Swedish coconut covered chocolate treat. Let me just tell you that one is 220 calories and 130 is from fat. We split one into fourths. So I had about 55 calories worth.

Okay, back to today. Yesterday's crappy eating along with this morning's crappy feeling was a recipe for a horrible run. I had 1min 52sec to go and I had to stop. I wasn't in pain. My breathing wasn't ridiculous. I was just tired. I was extremely hot and couldn't cool down fast enough. I skipped the cool down walk and went straight to my car to blast the AC. I drove home. Mind you, the park is like 2min from the house. But it's good to drive there so I can keep stuff in the car like house keys, water, phone, etc. Anyway, I pull up and sit in the driveway for a bit. It's like the AC was not cool enough. And then I thought, If only this could blow on my back too. I finally came in, stretched, showered, and plopped down on the couch to catch the US Open. I had to see this guy. Love me some Roger Federer.


Music: James Brown: 20 All Time Greatest Hits
Maybe if I had skipped to Get Up Offa That Thing, I could have finished.

Warm up walk: 5min
Jog: 23min

Pre-run: 1/2 banana and water

Post-run munchies: A few dark chocolate covered almonds and a few pretzels

Snack: Strawberry blueberry banana smoothie

Lunch: Finished the veggie stir-fry

Dinner: Tempeh and veggies w/mashed potatoes and gravy
I'm out of tofu. I'm never out of tofu. Well, I have been eating it a lot more. I'm trying to be more tofu savvy. Since I didn't feel like riding all the way out to Trader Joe's, I decided to use tempeh instead.

Snack: Another smoothie

P.S. I still have a headache :(

**Update**
Just got my monthly visitor, which explains why I felt so crappy today.

I remember when I used to work out a few years ago. When I got done, my appetite was off the map, and I'd have to eat a lot immediately after. I didn't make the best food choices then either. I ate more fast food then. I'd make the best selections off the menu, but it's no where near as healthy as cooking your own meal. I'm going off on a tangent. Anyway, I'm trying to figure out how my appetite isn't out of hand now. I'm doing more than I've ever done before and I'm not as hungry. I'm reading all over the Cool Running discussion board about how hungry people are after running. Is there something wrong with me not wanting to raid the fridge after a workout? Yes, I am hungry after working out, but I no longer feel like eating everything. Maybe it has something to do with the quality of food, fast food vs home cooking. Just wondering...

Just what I needed

After yesterday's run, I figured I'd go to bed early. My body needed the rest. Well, I fell asleep before midnight, so that's an improvement. I set my alarm for 7am. And what time did I wake up? 5:26am. When did I realize that I couldn't go back to sleep? About 6:30am. That's when I got up for good. It's weird because after last Saturday's 20min jog, I was beat for like 2 days. Sleep was my best friend. Now I can't get enough. It's not like I woke up tired. I'm just annoyed that I didn't sleep as long as I would have liked. I do have plans for today and don't want to run out of steam later.

Anyway, I got up, stretched, ate, and took myself to the pool. Being in the water felt so good. It felt as good as stretching. I should go after every run.

Swim: 30min or so

Breakfast: Cream of wheat w/cinnamon and sugar and a bit of soy milk

Snack: Pretzels w/peanut butter

Lunch: Stir-fry veggies w/tofu and brown rice

Snack: Chips and fruity alcoholic beverages
I was at a friend's birthday bbq. It's funny because her mom asked me,"Christie, are you eating?" I told her no. Then she asked me jokingly,"Are you vegetarian or something?" Ha ha, yes I am actually. Cool thing is that she has a garden out back. I really wanted to jack her for her eggplant.

Dinner: Pizza w/lots of veggies from Bertucci's (no cheese of course)
Alcohol munchies made me drive here on the way home. I've been craving it since I had it last weekend.

Week 6 Day 3

Good lawd was that intense. The route I jogged today was so much harder than the path through the park. There were so many hills and inclines. I walked the route back in March and I remember being annoyed by it then. It's nice scenery and all. I get to see the golf course. But that whole area is hilly. I guess it's not the best place for a beginner to start, but I did it anyway. My hamstrings hate me, but luckily, they didn't give out on me completely. I'm seriously going to have buns of steel. Yes, they're sore too. I did wake up a bit sore from yesterday's Pilates. But let me tell ya, Pilates ain't got nothin' on a hilly run. Next time, I should do the same course backwards so it's all downhill. I am definitely taking two days off. I'll be back on the trails on Monday.

Music: Musique, Vol. 1: 1993-2005 by Daft Punk
Warm up: 5min walk
Jog: 25min
Cool down: 2-3min walk back to my house
Today's route, from my front door and back, was 2.59mi according to MapMyRun.com

Pre-run: Strawberry blueberry smoothie
Post-run: I finished the smoothie
Lunch: The last of the tofu rancheros and black bean chili
Snack: Banana crumb muffin
Munchies: A lil bit of cashews
Dinner: Veggie tofu stir-fry

This little critter made it especially hard for me to do Pilates. She kept swatting and nipping at my legs and walking across the mat. Okay, so here's the deal I made with myself. I can have cake, but I need to do Pilates first. It's not like I have a weakness for sweets, but I figured it would get me to workout today. I'm not too motivated to do anything on my off days. All I wanna do is run.

Anyway, I'm so excited because I finally made Susan's peach upside down cake. I will definitely make this again. I used whole wheat pastry flour and added a bit more sugar (actually, the last of my good sugar). I've wanted to make this since I saw it in her blog. It's probably the cast iron skillet that made me wanna do it. Everything should be made in a cast iron skillet.

Pilates: 57min
I did the Accelerated Body Sculpting Winsor Pilates DVD. Next time I'll just do the 20min workout. I feel fine now, but I hope I'm not too sore for tomorrow.

Breakfast: ACV cocktail
This makes me feel like I've eaten. It takes so long for me to finish a cup. Apple cider vinegar is good for weight loss and a bunch of other stuff. But just so you know, I am not dieting. I do not diet, EVER. Everything in moderation, right? Anyway, I'm using ACV for other natural health benefits. I don't have any lemons, so ACV is the next best thing. And it's cheaper too. I always have some on hand.

Snack: A few nuts (cashews, dark chocolate covered almonds)

Lunch: Cake and tea
It's weird because I feel stuffed right now. It's probably the ACV.

Dinner: Veggie stir-fry w/tofu and brown rice

Late Night Snack: Strawberry blueberry smoothie
I've been out of berries for weeks now. I finally got some more.

Week 6 Day 2

Today was a good jog. For one, it's the last day of intervals in the C25K program. I had two 10min jogs with a 3min walk in between. In the middle of the first interval, I decided to do a full on run. I wanted to see how fast I could go. And it was pretty fast. I looked like an experienced runner for a moment there. There was an experienced runner on the track that passed me numerous times. But when I kicked into high gear, he was no where near catching up to me. That made me feel good. I just can't wait for my endurance to catch up. I'd be a running fool sprinting everywhere. And you know what else felt good about today? I can run fast and not feel the need to stop all movement to recover. I can't believe that I can recover from a slow jog. That has NEVER happened before. EVER. Any other time I've exerted a whole bunch of energy, and they'd suggest you march in place, I'd just stop and lie out on the floor, couch or wherever.

Now I am a little nervous about Friday's 25min jog. Yes, I know last Saturday, I jogged for 20min without dying. But it's weird because this week started back with the intervals, and it was harder than it should have been. Actually, a bunch of people on the Cool Running discussion board had the same issue. What is it about going from a long run back to intervals? And now coming from the intervals back to a long run has me thinking that 25min will be too much when I know that it's not. Ah well, let's just hope that the weather is decent enough that I can get to the park again. Maybe I'll be bold enough to leave the MP3 player at home since I need to be aware of my surroundings anyway.

Music: Robert's Week 6 Podcast (I'm using my own music after today. Thank goodness.)
Walk/Jog: 36min

Pre-run: Hot apple cider vinegar cocktail (1T ACV and 1T honey in hot water)

Lunch: Leftover black bean chili

Snack: Another ACV cocktail

Munchies: PB&J w/tea and a banana crumb muffin

Dinner: Broccoli and fried tofu in a spicy garlic sauce w/brown rice(because I've been neglecting veggies all week) and 3 orange wedges (it came with my check along w/the fortune cookie I haven't eaten yet)

I think I'm the only veg I know who has a hard time working veggies into a diet. I've always been big on beans, grains, and starchy veggies. Luckily, I'm not carb sensitive. It's not that I dislike veggies, but it's something I have to put more thought into when meal planning. I guess that's my problem. I don't really plan my meals. Now that I have free time, I should get working on that.

Lazy Day

I didn't wake up for Wai Lana yoga. I went to bed way too late for that. I set my alarm for 7:30am instead. And when it rang, I turned it off and turned over. I probably would have slept until the afternoon, but my friend called a little before 10am. What is going on with my sleep schedule? I know I'm not working now, but I'd still like to get up earlier. I feel like I'm missing something when I sleep late. And I'm not even a morning person. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I ended up napping on the couch yesterday even though I had coffee. Maybe some of this has to do with the weather. It's cold and rainy. And I actually wore a sweater yesterday and today.

So when I got up for good, I decided to do some yoga. I really needed a good stretch. I'm definitely feeling yesterday's workout. I found some poses on Yoga Journal. Some looked pretty easy, but let me tell you, they were not. I used to be flexible when I was younger. Well, that has come and gone. Or maybe yoga has a way of letting people know they're not as flexible as they thought they were. I guess the more I do it, the better I'll get.

I can't really say that I ate meals today. I can't label anything breakfast or lunch. It's just a weird day. So far, I had a bit of cashews. That was before noon, so I guess that's technically breakfast. On a day like this, you should have something baking in the oven, so I made banana crumb muffins. So not healthy, but I did veganize the recipe. That counts for something. I replaced the melted butter with corn oil. I used 1T of flaxseed w/3T of water to replace the egg. I probably didn't need an egg replacer anyway with the bananas. I added 1/2 t of cinnamon to the batter. I used whole wheat flour because I don't use white flour for anything. I cut that out of my diet ages ago before I went veg. I'm running low on natural organic sugar and saving it for another recipe, so I stuck with white. Earth Balance replaced butter in the crumbles, and I think that's it. Next time I make this, I'm going to sub apple sauce for the oil. Anyway, this is a very good muffin. I had one this afternoon with a cup of tea. I guess that's lunch.

Yoga: 25min (of trying not to break anything)

Week 6 Day 1

So Wai Lana Yoga comes on at 5:30am. I woke up 10min before. It usually takes a bit for me to wake up. First, I decided I was going to turn over and catch some more Zzz. I didn't sleep well. Thanks to the massive amounts of water I drank last night, I had to get up anyway. And by then I was up up and ready to go. I ended up doing only a few minutes worth of yoga. Girlfriend was standing on her head one too many times. So yeah, there were some things I could not do. But I hear she does different stuff everyday, so I'll have to check her out again tomorrow.

Later, I hit the outdoor track for what should have been an easy jog. It consisted of a 5min jog, 3min walk, 8min jog, 3min walk, then a final 5min jog. That's nothing I haven't done before, but I wasn't feeling it today. Maybe it has something to do with the weather. It's supposed to rain all day..all week actually. It was drizzling while I was out there, but if you're in it long enough you will be soaked. And I was. After jogging in the park on Saturday, it's hard going back to the track. It seems so much longer. Running the same loop numerous times is boring. At least at the park, I had somewhere to be. I needed to jog back to the car. And that's what I did.

Well, I stayed on the track longer than I would have liked. There was an interested man that I had NO interest in. I said "Good morning" as I passed him. That is the courteous thing to do in the morning, right? Well, he took it as an invite. I think I heard him saying something about waiting for me as I jogged away. And that he did. He sat in his car and waited. Ugh. So I stayed on the track, after the 5min cool down, switched to another music selection and went around the track a couple more times, only jogging for a bit. He was still sitting there. Then I decided I was going to suck it up and just be rude. I can't say that I enjoy being rude, but I do it so well. I started heading towards my car, and he was gone. Thank goodness. Wednesday I'm taking myself to the Y.

Music: Robert's Week 6 Podcast and DJ Lil Dave's ElectricSoul

Yoga for a few minutes
Walk/Jog: Maybe 45min (Did a lil bit extra to avoid the stalker. I wasn't counting. But the podcast was 36min.)

Pre-run: Water and a few sips of pineapple juice

Breakfast: Christie's Cinnamon Soy Latte

Lunch: Tofu Rancheros w/plantains again

Snack: Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds (I think these are making me sick)

Dinner: Mixed greens salad w/dijon mustard vinaigrette and more black bean chili leftovers

Resting and Thinking

I've decided that once the Couch to 5k program is completed, I'm going to move on to the One Hour Runner program found here. Why not? I've always wanted to be a runner. The first 3 weeks consist of running 30min 3 times a week before mixing it up. Some people tend to skip a week because that seems to be a bit redundant. Especially since the last week of C25k has you running the same program. But I think I'm going to stick with that and try to improve my distance during that time. Most people at the end of C25k can't run 3mi in 30min yet. There a lot of people following the program all over the Cool Running boards considering switching from time to distance. I think they're impatient and moving too fast. Yes, it would be nice to do a 10min mile but that will all come in time. Besides, I just started doing this a few weeks ago. And I'm doing better than I thought I would be. I swear that herbal iron supplement works wonders. And no matter how crappy I may feel while I'm jogging, something makes me want to come back and do it all over again. They say running is addictive. I think they're right. And it's all I want to talk about these days.

I didn't do anything but nap today, but I'm thinking of doing yoga on my off days. I went to my storage unit this morning trying to find my Rodney Yee yoga dvd. No such luck. But I did find my Windsor Pilates dvds and my yoga mat. For now, I have to depend on Yoga Journal. My aunt also told me about a yoga show that comes on at 6am during the week. Hopefully, I'll catch a show. My sleeping is a little messed up now. I've taken naps yesterday and today, and I woke up around 10am. That's weird for me. Maybe I need to incorporate some coffee back into my life. I don't know.

Here's today's grub.

Just to get started: Pineapple Juice

Late breakfast: Tofu Rancheros in a tortilla w/fried plantains

Lunch: Bertucci Leftovers

I used Cherie's idea and ordered pizza without the cheese and added a side of roasted veggies. The sauce was fabulous. I must have that again.

Snack: Dark chocolate covered almonds

Dinner: Black bean, sweet potato, quinoa chili and maybe a salad

Week 5 Day 3

Oh my. I am SO proud of myself. I completed the 20min jog. I didn't fall out in the middle of the jog. I wasn't cussin' and fussin'. I just did it.

Today, I had company. My aunt tagged along. She came over, we stretched and whatnot, and then left for the park. The weather is beautiful today. The high should only be about 80*. And of course, we were there before the warmest part of the day. Anyway, we talked during my 5min warm up walk. Then it was time for the 20min jog, so I had to leave her behind. It was nice to jog on the trail through the woods. There were little hills and whatnot too. Before I was worried about how I would handle it. I've been jogging on the track since the beginning. But I just slowed up the pace on those parts. And I made it through. I covered about 2mi. No, no, no, don't get all excited. Part of that distance includes the 5min walk. There were 1/4mi markers on the trail. Apparently, I covered a mile in the first 13min of the jog. I'm in no rush to do a 10min mile. I'm surprised I've come this far. I'll do what I can when I can.

Oh, and another good part of the jog was that I wore this shirt.

Yes, another IRunLikeAGirl shirt. I love it.

Music: ElectricSoul mixed by DJ Lil Dave (A nice compilation of house music by a local Philly DJ)

Warm up walk: 5min

Jog: 20min (WOO HOO!!!)

Cool down walk: more than 5min (lost track of time when I caught up with my aunt again)

Pre-run: Glass of OJ

Lunch: Tofu Rancheros in a multi-grain tortilla w/fried plantains

Snack: Apple w/peanut butter

Dinner: Bertucci's (I'm meeting up with a friend later)

Now that I feel like I actually did something in today's work out, I'm going to take a nap. I need my energy for eating and drinking tonight.

Is it just me or does chlorine make your hair dry faster? I swear, parts of my hair were bone dry before I got home. The Y is only 15min drive away. I wet my hair everyday in the shower. My hair is much easier to deal with when it's wet. But it never dries that fast even when I towel dry it. Today, no towel was necessary.

Anyway, swimming is still an intense workout. I definitely felt it in my arms. My inner thighs weren't affected at all. I'm surprised, but maybe I'm speaking too soon. I hope not. I really need all my energy to overcome Day 3's 20min jog. Let's just hope that tomorrow there won't be a bunch of cussin' and fussin' on the track and in this blog.

Swimming (aka keeping myself afloat): about 25min

Breakfast: The last of tofu scramble, wheat toast w/soy margarine

Pre-swim: Tofutti Marry Me Ice Cream Bar

Lunch: Salad of mixed greens (13 different kinds according to the label), diced tomato, shredded carrots and tahini dressing

Some greens I've never heard of. One of those curly leafed things tastes like a blade of grass. I've never had grass, but it tastes like the smell of grass, if that makes any sense. Never been a grass fan by the way.

Snack: Another Tofutti Marry Me Bar (Yeah, I know I'm so bad. I guess I just miss ice cream. And it's funny because I never ate a lot of it before.)

Dinner: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili (Because Veg*Triathlete's quinoa & adzuki bean chili reminded me of how much I miss beans)

In a cast iron pan on medium high heat, saute a diced sweet potato for a bit in olive oil. Then add a small diced onion. Let that cook for a couple more minutes. Add chopped garlic, shake in some cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and kosher salt. Add 1 can of black beans and 1 can of diced tomatoes. Turn down to low heat and let it simmer til it smells good. Add in cooked quinoa.

Since I need something to do to pass the time, I'm going to the pool today. I'm curious to see if jogging has improved my endurance in the water. I am not at all good at swimming. Honestly, I taught myself how to swim when I was a kid. I know how not to drown in a pool. That's about it. I have no skills. But it's still great exercise. My arms and inner thighs get one heck of a workout. I just hope I have enough energy to hit the track tomorrow after today.

Week 5 Day 2

I wanted to run yesterday, but I was too tired. I turned off the alarm and turned over. I got up about an hour and a half later to get ready for work. I wasn't there for long. At 11:30am, we were notified that our branch office was closing effective immediately. Ah, the joys of being in the mortgage industry. Well, that's another story for a different blog all together.

Anywho, today was more challenging, which is to be expected. This session consisted of two intervals of 8min jogging. I sped up the pace because of so many people on the track. There are only two lanes at the Y. You must stay in the inner lane unless you're passing someone. And since I didn't want to slow up the person I was passing, I went a little faster than I would have liked to. And just to clarify, I was passing walkers. I'm not that good. But I am SO proud of myself. There is no point in my life that I've ever jogged for 8min. Hell, I've never jogged for 5min until last week. And honestly, Week 1's 60sec jog was a challenge. It's hard to believe how far I've come. I am confident, but still not sure how I feel about Saturday's 20min jog. I guess I'll just have to get my butt to the track at the crack of dawn so I can have it to myself. I'm so much better at pacing myself when there's not a bunch of people to pass.

Music: Robert's Week 5 Podcast
Walk/Jog: 32min

Today was a crap food day. I'm a bad girl today. But it's not on purpose.

Snack: Glass of OJ
Pre-run Breakfast: Leftover tofu scramble w/home fries and half English muffin w/soy margarine
Post-run: Tofutti Marry Me Ice Cream bar
Mid-day Snack: Cup of coffee w/a friend (I couldn't turn it down. He grinds his own beans.)
Dinner: General Tso's Tofu w/brown rice (I was shocked it didn't include broccoli. The fu was good though. )

The good thing is that dinner came with some type of marinated cabbage and carrots. And they brought me 2 orange slices when they brought my check. So I had a lil bit of veggies and a lil bit of fruit, but definitely not enough for the day.

Week 5 Day 1

My running days are Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. But I just couldn't wait til Wednesday. So I got up at the crack of dawn and took myself to the Y. I had to do it. And it went great. I don't think I can wait another couple days to run again. This is getting addictive. I don't want to overdue it, but at the same time, I don't have any soreness whatsoever. So I think I'm going to run whenever I feel like it until my body tells me otherwise.

So today, I paced myself. It was cool. It's funny because I thought the walking interval was too long. It didn't take me long to recover because I wasn't winded in the first place. I actually breathed harder when I stopped jogging. My breathing is a lot smoother when I am jogging. Is that weird? Or is that the way it's supposed to be? Anyway, I can't wait to get out there to do it tomorrow. Right now, I think the hardest part is getting my butt outta bed in the morning. I really need to start going to bed on time.

Music: Robert's Week 5 Podcast
Walk/Jog: 32min

Pre-run: Trader Joe's Juice
Breakfast: Hazelnut Coffee mixed w/espresso (yeah, I know I'm wrong for this, but I brought soy creamer to work just so I could be wrong)
Lunch: Stir Fry Mixed Veggies in Soy Ginger Sauce w/brown rice @ Wild Rice
Snack: Couple bites of a peanut bar (needed something sweet for the ride home)
Snack: Banana (now that I'm home)
Dinner: Although I have food already prepared, it may be just an apple w/peanut butter (I'm really not in the mood for food-food)

IRunLikeAGirl

The best part of today's run was wearing this shirt in baby blue. I know it's small, but on the front it says, "IRUNLIKEAGIRL" and the back says "IRUN." You can check it out at www.irunlikeagirl.com. Someone posted the website on a Sparkpeople message board. And someone else had a signature that said something like, I run like a girl. Try to keep up. That is the coolest signature ever, and I might have to jack it one day. I can honestly say that I feel like a runner now. I hope the feeling stays with me.

Week 4 Completed

I finished up today and it felt great. I'm no longer scared of Week 5. This post in the Cool Running discussion forum helped A LOT. I could have queued up Robert's podcast again for another go around. Also, I changed something. I used to count every four steps to pace myself. But counting has become annoying. I didn't feel like doing it anymore. Today, I realized that if I can still jog while breathing through my nose only, then my pace was fine. If I feel the need to open my mouth to catch my breath, I'm going too fast and need to slow down. I may be completely wrong, but that's what worked for me today. I have to say that W4 D3 was the best run so far. Oh, and the best part was that I wasn't dragging on the last run. I felt stronger. On W4 D2, I just wanted it to be over. The end couldn't come fast enough. Now, I just want to get out there and do it again tomorrow. I don't want to go too fast and mess myself up though. But when I jog in the morning, by the end of the day, I feel like I should be heading to the gym for another work out. Why? Because it feels like I didn't do anything at all. I haven't been sore for weeks, and that was when I first started. But a lot had to do with swimming, which is a total body work out. I haven't been back to the pool yet. So I guess I have more energy to do something else.

Have you noticed that I haven't been strength training? Yeah, it's too boring. Maybe I'll check out yoga, or do The Firm instead. I have The Firm dvds. One of the dvds kicked my ass though. It's that damn stepper that was too much for me. Also, at that time, I wasn't taking iron. So maybe I'll be better at it if I try it again. We shall see. But I definitely need to do something else on my off days. Maybe I'll start tomorrow morning.

Music: Robert's Week 4 Podcast
Walk/Jog: 32min

Breakfast: Trader Joe's juice concoction and an apple
Pre-run: Cashews (because my stomach was talking to me soon after breakfast)
Post-run: Apple w/peanut butter
Lunch: Falafel w/tahini dressing on a bed of baby spinach w/diced tomatoes
Snack: So Delicious Ice Cream Sandwich
Dinner: Breakfast for dinner..tofu scramble w/tomato, home fries, and toast w/soy margarine

Week 4 Day 2

It cooled down a lot, so I went to the track this morning. I was killing myself on the first 3min run. I was going too fast. So I slowed the pace on the first 5min run. I didn't love it, but I made it through. I guess I just have to get used to it. When I pace myself, I feel like I'm not going anywhere, but I am. I do end up jogging past the walkers, so I guess I'm doing something. I am excited about finishing up W4D3 on Sunday. I actually want to finish up tomorrow instead. But I'm going to stay put and give myself a rest. Actually, I should flex my ankles in the mean time. I forgot I had weak ankles. Jogging has reminded me of this.

I'm not too excited about heading into W5. I'm trying to get my mind around the fact that next Sunday I'm supposed to jog 20min non-stop. Participating in a Cool Running C25K discussion forum has helped. A lot of people are on W5. They didn't know how they were going to do it, but they made it through. If they can do it, I can do it too, right? And besides, this is what I've dreamed of doing. I'm determined that this is what I'm going to do, even if I need to repeat W4 a couple of times.

Music: Robert's Week 4 Podcast
Walk/Jog: 32min

Pre/post-run: TJ's orange, peach, mango juice (I took a few sips before and finished the rest after)
Breakfast: Cashews, peppermint tea, and a banana
Snack: 2 or 3 bites of a leftover veggie sandwich from the other night (Threw it out because I just didn't want it in the first place)
Lunch: Stir fry veggies in soy ginger sauce w/brown rice (I went to Wild Rice)
After Lunch Treat: Starbuck's Vanilla Soy Latte (I needed something to keep me up)
Dinner: Tofu, kale, sweet potato w/Earth Balance

Week 4 Day 1

I woke up bright and early at 5am. I had a feeling that I'd want to get this run over with as early as possible. I was right. First of all, the weather was absolutely disgusting. It was 82* and ridiculously HUMID. So yeah, damn the track around the way. I went to the Y. Anyway, I get there to find this experienced jogger on the track. She jogged about 5 times around while I untangled my headphones, and probably 5 more times while I stretched. And I can't count how many times she blew by me when I finally made it on the track. It looked so easy. Didn't even look like she broke a sweat. I, on the other hand, looked like I had done some serious manual labor on a farm during the hottest part of the day. I'm just waiting for the day it becomes easy to me. Well, if you haven't already figured it out, today's session was a challenge. But you know what? I did it. That's the most important part. And you know what else? I can't wait to get out there on Friday to do it all over again.

During the run interval, I wanted to stop and walk. But I had to think about what it was that made me want to stop. It wasn't that I was in pain or that my muscles were burning. It all had to do with my breathing, like I couldn't breathe deep enough. So that's something I need to work on. I guess it would help to slow down the pace a bit too. I do have to say that I am proud of myself for stepping it up a notch for the last min of the last 5min run. It felt good to pick up my legs and go faster. Ah, but if only I had the endurance. It will come some day. But let me just say, at that pace, I could have given the experienced jogger chick a challenge.

Music: Robert's Week 4 Podcast
Walk/Jog: 32min

Pre-run: TJ's orange, peach, mango juice (which isn't as good as I thought it would be)
Breakfast: Christie's Own Vanilla Soy Latte (for the ride to work)
More Breakfast: Banana (finally at work)
Snack: Apple
Lunch: PB&J
Dinner: Tofu, kale, sweet potato w/Earth Balance

I'm sure I munched on something else, but I'm too tired to remember it all. Or maybe I thought about eating something else, but didn't. I don't know anymore.

I did strength training tonight. I was thinking I wouldn't do it at all. It's just boring. And the cat's make it more difficult. When I get on the floor, they want to play, and walk around me, between my legs, nibble on me and put their butts in my face. You know how cats do. Jogging is more challenging. I often don't care for a challenge, but I enjoy it more. I guess I just feel better when I get up and do something. I feel like I'm making progress. And I am. Plus, the cats can't get in the way. They don't know their way to the track.

Well, I did the usual routine, and added a few seconds on the modified plank. I'm actually surprised I could hold it longer. I do the modified plank after all the crunches. So my abs are already sore.

2 x 15 Crunches
1 x 15 Crunches w/Twist (Once on each side, but I did a few more than usual. I forgot to stop counting.)
2 x 20 Modified Plank
2 x 15 Modified Side Plank
2 x 15 Lying Leg Curls
2 x 15 Squats
2 x 15 Tricep Dips w/Bent Knees
2 x 15 Wall Push Ups
2 x 15 Standing Side Bend w/Towel (I actually did a little more of these. Again, I forgot to stop counting.)

Breakfast: The last of the tofu scramble w/spinach and toast
Hot Beverage: 16oz of peppermint tea (My tummy wasn't agreeing with me.)
Snack: Apple
Munchies: Dark chocolate covered almonds (I'm surprised they're not gone yet. I have a few left. I bought them over a week ago.)
Late Lunch: PB&J
Dinner: Kale w/tahini dressing, baked sweet potato, and tofu inspired by that balsamic vinaigrette dressing I made the other day. (I made a similar marinade for it, but added white wine and used less olive oil.)
Snack: So Delicious Ice Cream Sandwich (It's so hot, I could go for another.)

Okay, so I didn't cook a damn thing. I still haven't decided what I wanted to eat with my kale and sweet potatoes. I hadn't found a recipe to try mostly because I fell asleep. Napping is good. Too bad work gets in the way of napping. I hope I can fall asleep tonight.

Anyway, in my laziness, I opted for half a pita with hummus, baby spinach, tomatoes and shredded carrots with some orange, peach, mango and sumthin or other juice from Trader Joe's. I also had some edamame. I'm hoping to be done with snacking for tonight.

Week 3 Day 3

Week 3 is done. I was actually looking forward to today's run. That's weird. I guess I'm starting to like this thing. I can't say I really like it during. But I always feel better afterwards. Today, I did find myself wanting the last 3min run to be over. I'm not feeling too confident about Week 4's 5min run interval. At the same time, I don't think another session of Week 3 will make me feel any better about it. It's something I just have to go out there and do. We shall see on Wednesday. Hopefully I won't be on here with a jacked up attitude complaining about how much I hated it. I really, REALLY, want to love it. I've had numerous dreams about running (and singing, but that's another story). So I feel it's something I have/need to do. Something in me wants to do it. And with my iron situation under control, I'M GOING TO DO IT!! Hell, maybe one day I'll want to run a marathon. I've never wanted to take it that far, but who knows how I'll feel about it in the future. But for now, I want to stick to this so I can run 5 days a week. That's my plan.

In other news, I lost a bit more weight. I'm sure it's mostly water at this point. Weight loss was never the plan. I just wanted to tone up and be more active. But I guess weight loss is required for the toning up part. I figure to get the killer thighs I want, my overall weight loss will be about 10 lbs. I hope that's not too much. I'll just have to see how I look and feel as I go on. My weight/body structure is weird. I guess I have heavy bones because everyone underestimates my weight by 15-20 lbs. The average woman at my height/weight is chubby. So I never discuss weight because it won't make sense. I have to break it down in terms of clothes size. Otherwise, it's hard for someone to imagine a 5'5", 150 lb woman fitting into an 8. But that's me. Well, according to the Y's scale (like a Dr's scale), I'm 148.5 lb. I'm not sure where the weight went. And I'm not looking for it either. I have noticed that my arms are more defined and my thigh muscles are firming up. Those two things alone are enough to get me back on the track this week.

Music: Robert's Week 3 Podcast
Walk/Jog: 26min

Breakfast: Banana, pineapple, kale smoothie w/vanilla soy milk (I'm out of berries, so I had to rely on an extra ripe banana and canned fruit. I'm learning from Veg*Triathlete to add veggies to the smoothie.)

Lunch: Yesterday's tofu scramble w/spinach, multi-grain toast w/soy margarine, and a few cashews

Snack: A couple of those TJ cat's cookies

Dinner: Probably sauteed kale w/tahini dressing and sweet potatoes (I want to add tofu or tempeh to the mix, but I'm not sure how I should marinate it yet. Ideas anyone?)

Militant Vegan

I found this test in one of Veg*Triathlete's old blog posts. Apparently, I'm a militant vegan and I didn't even know. Hell, I'm not even vegan. Well, my diet pretty much is, but my lifestyle isn't. That's why I'd never call myself a vegan. I choose this diet for health reasons. I guess that's why I'm not too concerned if I slip up once every few months. One slice of pizza won't kill me. I just don't want to make it a habit. Yes, what happens to animals is very unfortunate, but that was never enough for me to choose a vegan diet. What upsets me most is people's ignorance when it comes to food choices. I'm all about my health, and I just wish people would be more health conscious too.

You scored as militant vegan, You are a militant vegan! Happy? Surprised? A vegan is someone who avoids consuming/using all animal products, including flesh, dairy, eggs, honey, leather, and so forth. Some avoid products tested on animals. Being a militant vegan means you have more radical views than most vegetarians, namely animal rights. You may be an activist already or on the verge. You are confident and unwavering about your ethics. Not a vegan? Perhaps you're one waiting to happen! Check it out at www.goveg.com militant vegan 50% health-conscious vegetarian 50% welfarist vegetarian 50% quiet vegetarian 39% vegan vixen 33% new veggie 28% lazy vegetarian 17% What type of vegetarian are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Week 3 Day 2

I didn't eat well today at all. I never have much of an appetite around this time. It's hard to eat when you feel like tossing your cookies. I didn't eat until almost noon and then again around 5pm. I'm surprised I took myself to the track. But I wanted to do it. It's weird. I was PMSy all day. I mean, attitude all tore up. Well, not that bad, but I did have a smart answer for every question. And the one thing I wanted to do was go home and take myself to the track to work it out. That's exactly what I did. I got home around 8pm, changed and went right back out. I drove to the Y just for the hell of it. Well not really, but I forgot they close early on Fridays. So I ended up at the track around the way by 9pm. The 90 sec jog was cake. The 3 min jog was harder than before. But I'm sure that has to do with my current state, today's food choices, and lack of sleep. I wasn't out of breath, I wasn't in pain, I just didn't feel like doing it. I guess that's normal. I did pick up the pace, I think. Or maybe I just picked up my legs. I actually jogged instead of trotted. I think my form is getting better every time I get out there. I just can't wait til I get to the point where jogging turns to full on running. By then, I should have the thighs I've always wanted too. I'm excited.

Music: Robert's Week 3 Podcast
Walk/Jog: 26min

Lunch and Early Dinner: PBJ on multi-grain bread and Vitamin Water
Snack: Lil bit of peanuts/raisins
Snack: Apple (after the work out)
Munchies: I had a few dark chocolate covered almonds

Dinner hasn't crossed my mind. I'm too tired to even make a salad that I'm not in the mood to eat. I'm craving salt. I think I'll be bad and have some chips. Oh well. I'll do better tomorrow.

Ugh, today was the first day of my monthly visitor, so I wasn't feeling too hot. I wanted to nix strength training today, but I didn't. I'm not sure about tomorrow's run yet. All bets are off during this special time. My thighs are a little achy from yesterday, which is not normal. And it doesn't help that I forgot to take my morning dosage of iron today. See, this is what happens when I rush.

Well, it took me longer to get through my workout. Actually, I took my sweet time while I watched tv. Hey, there's no time limit. Just as long as I do it, I'm good.

2 x 15 Crunches
1 x 15 Crunches w/Twist (once on each side)
2 x 15 Modified Plank
2 x 15 Modified Side Plank
2 x 15 Lying Leg Curls
2 x 15 Squats
2 x 15 Standing Side Bend w/Towel
2 x 15 Wall Push Ups
2 x 15 Tricep Dips w/Bent Knees

Breakfast: Banana
Breakfast 2: Oatmeal w/cinnamon and raisins
Lunch: Curried Tempeh-Mango Salad Sammich w/chips (I needed something salty)
Dinner: Salad again (I was gonna cook some dinner, but I just wasn't feeling it today)
Munchies: Dark chocolate covered almonds (I missed these yesterday)

I'm thinking about a Bahama Mama for a night cap.

Week 3 Day 1

I planned to hit the track this morning. I woke up bright n early and everything. But I forgot that I had to download the new podcast onto my MP3 player. It took forever. Then I had to convert the format, and after that, I couldn't find the damn thing on my computer. By the time I got it together, it was time for me to get ready for work. I really didn't want to do it after work, but I had to do what I had to do.

It was a tad too humid, so I opted for the indoor track today. I really thought I would hate it, but I didn't. Go me!! I didn't find myself wishing it was time to walk at all. I just had to pace myself. I've gotten into the habit of counting every four steps. If I can do that without wanting to pass out, then I'm good. And today, I was good. I wasn't breathing as hard, trying to catch my breath. I walked faster during the intervals. It didn't take me long to recover from the jog either. It was a slow jog, but dammit, I was jogging. And it was great. I felt great. Maybe my lungs are getting stronger. And maybe my iron supplement is just the best thing since sliced bread. Whatever it is, it's working and I'm glad for it.

Music: Robert's Week 3 Podcast
Run/Walk: 26min

Breakfast: Strawberry Smoothie (used the last of my berries)

Breakfast 2: Cinnamon raisin bagel w/soy margarine

Lunch and Dinner: Same as yesterday

Snack: Bananas

Munchies: More of those cookies

I'm still debating about dessert. I'll probably have another ice cream sandwich. Why not?