My first 5k!!!

I made being active and getting exercise a big (5 or 6 days a week) part of my life about 6 years ago. I really enjoy working out: mainly walking 3-5 miles a day outside or work out DVD's/running on the elipticle in the winter. I guess it's safe to say I wasn't "new" to exercise when I decided to dive in and start training for a 5k. But running was some thing I never really tried, it always left me discouraged.

Well as I've been losing the baby weight over the past several months I needed to kick it up a notch. Walking wasn't cutting it any more: it was boring/not challenging me. So I thought a 5k would would be a fun and interesting goal to shoot for. My hope was to be able to at least complete the 5k at The Ben Event . My family has for (many years) been close friends with the family behind this wonderful foundation. And when I heard they were doing a 5k (which I had already decided to run in one) I was so excited to be able to show my support.

All that to say I was nervous, new to exercise, no. But I am not exactly athletic. I HATE team sports and really don't have a competitive bone in my body. But I went into this determined to run the whole thing, and to have fun. I accomplished both goals!

My Mom joined me in training - she hasn't run in 30+ years but decided to dive back in. She did awesome even beat my time by 2 minutes!!!!!

Been there...Ran that, Got the Tshirt! :0)

I'm really really excited and proud of meeting this goal. It was fun! I'm already planning on signing up for another local 5k this fall (running in the July heat= hard on a nursing mama!). I was a tiny bit disappointed at how events unfolded this week. Extended family visiting: lots of extremely busy days, late nights, topped off with bad sleep (thank you Amity for cutting 2 new teeth ;0). I was hoping to finish in 30-35minutes as I have several times in training. But I finished in 38 minutes. In the end, all that matters is that I ran the whole way and had fun= goal accomplished there!

My favorite Lunch

Lost 2 more inches!!! I wonder why the weight won't drop but the inches do? Could I STILL be building up muscle mass?

Anyway I wanted to add a recipe of my favorite lunch right now

Sweet and Sour Cabbage 'N Pork(or chicken) "Egg Roll"

For dinner:

1 green cabbage

4 or 5 small sweet peppers (or a large one)

1 medium onion

a bit of sliced pork or chicken (1/4-1/2lb don't need much)

1/4 cup sweet and sour sauce

In large frying pan brown up pork (or chicken)

add some Extra virgin olive oil

add onions and sweet peppers let them soften/brown a bit

throw in well chopped (or shredded?) cabbage (about 1/2-3/4's of a head) cover for a few minutes and then uncover stir, recover until it's all cooked down still crunchy but chewable.

Add sweet and sour sauce.

Serve over rice

For Lunches (leftovers!):

reheat cabbage/ pork mix and put in a whole wheat (or not) tortilla (burrito size works best) enjoy! Deeeelish!

any recommendations? I made this revipe up and curious for some embelishments

Update!

Sheesh it's been over a month since I've updated. Life has been busy...I measured myself and I've lost another inch or two and dropped another pound. So the weight is coming off sooo slooooowly, it is what it is. BUT I'm getting stronger and stronger. I love how my body feels (broken record much?)

I am up to running a full 2 miles with out stopping WITH the stroller (which comes to about 70lbs of resistance on hills). AWESOME. I ran a full 5k about 2 weeks ago (wiht out the stroller- man that thing really ups my endurance!). Getting ready for the race in July. Now that vacations and travelling and all that have past I think I'll really make some headway in the weight loss department...It IS coming off, I haven't been gaining, just in a holding pattern, lose 2 lbs, holding pattern...

Measurements:
End of Week 13
waist: 35.5 in
hips: 42 in
bust: 41in
thighs: 24.5in
arms 12in

Current Measurements:
waist: 34in
hips 42 (ergh)
bust 40
thighs 24in
arms 12 in
so another 3 inches off the bod! I'd reall ylike to start seeing (now that my body is really getting in good toned shape) some actual poundage disappearing.
weight: 181lbs and total inches lost: 16.5inches since December and 14lbs...WOW!

I haven't forgotten you! I am still hoping to fit into my wedding dress by October, that's my goal! But the important thing is to keep going no matter how slowly the weight drops.

My mini goals every day are to eat my fruits and veggies and drink tea instead of snacking... I like it!

Now off to do 30day shred level 3 with 5lb weights: another accomplishment- the 3lbs weren't doing it any more. :0D And 2 mile run with the kiddos, it's a gorgeous day!

Oh and I've also changed how I'm eating quite a bit...An idea of my daily intake.

breakfast: oatmeal with raisins and tea
snack: avacado pudding (home made with a leetle honey) and a few blueberries

lunch : chicken wrap (with sweet peppers and onions and a bit of bbq sauce over a big heap of organic spinach and other greens).

snack: small blue berry pancake and tea.

dinner: beef stirfry with lots sugar snap peas and carrots served on a bit of rice.

dessert: freeze pop 25 calories.

Down to 182! :0) Sticking with it. Walking 5 miles a day: well that's my goal some days its' only 4...Also running 1.5-2 miles of that 5!!! Yay!

My size...

14 jeans are starting to get baggy in the butt.

Yay for being smaller- shucks because I still don't quiiiiite fit into my old jeans- soclose though!

Google Maps official:

I ran a mile today with out stopping!!!!!! I checked my route on google and I was surprised to see that I'd done that!!!! I've never done that in my life. And I felt fantastic and could have done more but hit a hill and pushing the girls up a hill isn't exaclty running thing yet. I did run more after that I ran another 1/4 of a mile after I got past the big hill. I did a lot of running today.

My goal is to get up to running my whole 2.4mile route through with out breaks...And then adding an extra 1/4 mile, and then 1/2, and then 3/4's till Im up to 3.5 miles running= 5k! And then eventually shortening my times. I'd like to be able to do my first 2 miles at 9 or 10 minute miles and my last mile and a half at 11 or 12 minutes by race time. I'd like by the end of May to be able to run the 5k and be working on shortening my miles by the end of June. We'll see one day at a time. Right now if I push it I'm at 12minutes... But Today was more like 13:30 minutes .

I just LOVE running! I know I feel like a broken record, but it is so empowering to feel myself with every stride getting stronger. AGH! I'm just so excited that all this work is really changing me. It's starting to not feel like work at all lately.

Slow going but I'm keeping on!

I haven't forgotten, I'm still keeping on. It's just been really hard to find time to post.

So I've finally cracked the 10lb mark and jumped right to 11lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY! Pretty pathetic that it's taken me 18ish weeks to lose 11lbs. BUT I've lost a lot of inches too. And the importan thing is that I just keep going! I'm really in this for the long haul, not just to lose it quick and be done with it. I want to really change. And I am. The Stella diet is really helping, I'm making tons of little changes- I'm thinking about how much some thing is REALLY worth and deciding to opt for some thing better. Like if I'm really craving some thing cold and sweet, instead of trying to fit the bill at home- I wait and even if it's not until the next day I am not consuming those extra calories!

SO fun new things.
1) I got a jogger stroller! YAAAY!!!!! IT IS AWESOME!

2) I ran 3/4's of a mile today with out stopping! I don't think I've ever done that, and I could have kept going but I got home and had to unload the groceries (yes ran 3/4's of a mile pushing the kids and a weeks groceries (minus the gallon of milk Ryan picked that up last night) in the carry basket under their seats. I'm quite amazed.

I've got to say, last weekend I was running and after 2 blocks (and I ran about 15 today- though not all straight) I was hurting and annoyed, and wondering what runners think is so awesome. It sucks!!!! Today, I am thrilled to say, I get it.
The kick you get while running, that really "WOW" feeling is seriously like nothing else. I find that it takes about 3 blocks to catch my stride and then I feel like I could go forever. Well not forever, but I feel free. I'm really trying not to push myself but I'd like to see if I could do the whole mile tomorrow....Or at least maybe over the weekend. I love how much (and this sounds obvious) FASTER running is. I love that what used to take me 35-40 minutes walking (to the grocery store) only too me 21 minutes with running intervals!!!!

Even if I some how can't make it to my goal by fall (and I really think I still can though this journey has definitley been slow) I am so proud of what I've accomplished. I'm so much stronger, I really truely do have a ton more energy. I'm so excited just to FEEL my body change.

Did I mention my waist is "down" to 35inches? Oh and I've lost another inch off my hips. That's slimmer than it was before I got preggo with dd2!!! Now if I could just lose about 4 inches off my hips all my old clothing would fit. I wear my weight so much differently than I used to...I used to carry it up in my upper tummy and things, now I carry it in my upper butt/hips and lower tummy. Ah well.

So here's to next week...We're going to Floriday in 3 weeks and I'd LOVE to be down to 178 by then- dreaming too big? probalby but it's still fun!