Kathybad

Hi All... I've been out of town for a few days, so am just getting caught up. Jane... I agree with Mac, mix it up and work on both. For the endourance part, use the outline of the couch to 5k program. It lists how long to run, how long to walk. This will help you build the endourance. Maybe do this 2x week and the speed run once or twice. You can find the outline on the link I gave a few pages ago. I slacked off while I was away, so have some running and strength training to catch up on!

Carol... don't stress about your run this weekend. Our bodies sometimes don't respond the way we want. Put it behind you and don't worry about it. Great advice for your friend! I had a huge running weekend. From Fri - Sun I ran about 20k total. My legs are sore, but I'm so proud!

I've been running for almost 1 year now. I looked back at the beginning of this thread and I started on July 17th... Well, one year later, and about 300km ran, I finanlly purchased a decent pair of running shoes! LOL! I've been running in a very good pair of New Balance "Walking" shoes! Well last week I started to notice my foot turning in, then I was getting some straining on my inner ligaments, so thought it was time. DH and I have a challenge with each other on Nike+ which I've called "To the Winner Goes the Spoils", where if I win I get a new pair of shoes and if he wins... I get a new pair of shoes! LOL. Well the challenge ends Monday, and we're very close, so today i went and got those shoes! It was great. I went to our Running Room store and they checked out my gait, watched me run in my current shoes, made me try on about 6 different pairs and test them out, then I narrowed it down to two, so they had me run with one on each foot then reverse them to decide. I just got back from my first run and they feel great. Much different then the old ones!

Jane... WTG! a 10min mile would translate to a 5k in just over 30 min. This is fast! So don't sell yourself short! My DH has been running for many years and his avg 5k speed is between 28-32min... so your first mile is a very good start! Keep it up, you rock! I have to admit, when Mac said her goal was 10 workouts a week and she was "only" at 8, I thought... OMG I'll never get to 8! Well... I'm at 5 with plans to do 2 today and 1 tomorrow... so I'll be at 8 this week if I do my plan! I can't believe it! Now, my strength training is no where near most plans, but its certainly stressing my muscles, as the ache alot!!! So Mac, you are my measure of success... so keep it up! I did a 5k run last night. The weather was so beautiful, I just kept going. I went backwards on my normal route and found it was really hard. I had subconscously planned my route to have the hills at the start, so reversing it put them at the end... and against the wind! But I did it. Today we're taking our DD (adopted) to visit with her birth siblings. She hasn't seen her brothers (2) in 2-1/2 years, but she has seen her birth sister a few times. Should be interesting. The boys have never met us or our son, so this could be a bit weird.

Carol... CONGRATULATIONS!!! I knew you could run farther! 34 min is great! Sorry about your friend, but again, great NSV to use running as the way to deal with an issue! MacMadam... you are so dedicated. Plus a full Olympic length Tri... that's a great goal! Suzanne... I have the same problem. I can run without any knee problems, but riding a bike or climbing stairs kills me. I have arthritis in both knees, but my right is the worst. I literallly have to climb stairs with the left leading each step. Going down in bad too... I lead with the right then. When I'm running outside and I hit stairs, my momentum sometimes makes the stairs do-able, but not always. I haven't been on a bike in years, so don't know how I'd do. But an exercise bike is out of the question, so I assume that a bike is too. My guess is the strain on my ligaments and joints in the circular motion is too much with the arthritic damage done to my knees. Ok, day 4 of my strength/cardio schedule, and all is well. I almost blew off the lower body workout last night, but pushed myself to do it. Glad I did. On Tuesday I went out for a run... the plan was to go for just a short run, but I got into it so much that I did almost 6k. It felt great! I also broke my race record time for the 5k portion. When I got home, I had such a runner's high going all night! Oh Yeah!!!

Malissa... Congratualtions! The way you look after a run is a "Badge of Honor"!!! LOL. Have you had your first "runner's high" yet? It took a few runs before I felt my first one. Believe me... it is worth it! Ok, I started my strength training program yesterday. I'm following "Body for Life". Its not too strenuous yet, but is ok for me, especially since its all at home with free weights. The program alternates between upper and lower body and includes 3 cardio days, but I'm upping that to 4-5 run days. It felt good to do some weights. So here's my dilemna now... due to the loss of my job last year, and securing a great job 4 months later, but at a much reduced salary, we've had some major financial difficulties, which included a "consumer proposal". So I've settled with the finance company that funded my lapband, but no longer have any services from them for fills, support, etc. So now I've got to find a place to do fills. Not sure where, especially since most places here are affiliated with "Credit Medical" which is the company that is now refusing services. Go figure, my band seems to be a bit too loose lately!

MacMadam.... CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Jane... welcome! Great goal for your first 5k. One of our friends on this tread made this suggestion, which I followed... write the word "Cancer" on the bottom of your running shoes, and every step you take you are stamping out cancer! I did it, cause cancer runs rampent in my family and its not going to catch me without a fight! Good luck. Lyn... glad you had a great weekend and congrats on the weight loss! MacMadam... yeah, glad the Nike+ is working.... aren't we ready for another challenge, or did we lose all of our challengers here?? Krtork... light at the end of the tunnel! Are you then off for the summer?

Now for my really cool NSV... I went to a family reunion yesterday. I saw my aunts and uncles that I haven't seen in 1-1/2 years and my sister & brother who I haven't seen since Christmas.... so a few pounds ago for sure! The women in my family have always struggled with our weight, and I've always been the worst offender. Most have been moderately overweight, where I was so obese it dwarfed them. The last time I saw them I was a size 22-24, now I'm a 14!!!! Well, they hardly recognized me... and I was the smallest, and get this... the HEALTHIEST!!! Anyone can be small, but it takes real dedication and hard work to be fit and healthy... it felt so amazing! Here I was surrounded by family that has always seen me as their "large" guge monitor, you know... the one they silently think... "as long as I'm smaller than Kathy, I'm ok"... that person we always compare to. Well, now I've changed the rules! Ha... I love it! Nice thing was, they were all genuinly happy for me! Envious, but happy for me.

Carol... you are doing great! Just from your posts, I get the impression you are a fairly causious person. Always making sure it is right before you move on. I'm going to challenge you to shake things up a bit... you can choose to take me up on it, or say no way... your choice. Try running for as long as you can. Don't stop when the time is up, just run until you can't! Then, when you're done, measure the time and distance. I did that on someone's advice, can't remember who, but they told me to try when I was a bit stuck on 25 - 30 mins. I did and went a total of 50 min without stopping. I was pooched, and my legs were rubber, but I did it, and it was 5k. It was my first unofficial 5k. At times my pace was almost a walk... in fact someone walking would probably have passed me, but I was in runners form if you know what I mean... only one foot on the ground at a time. Once I did that, I was able to build my speed, distance and time so much easier. I kind of blew away my mental barrier and knew that I was so capable of so much more. So I challenge you to thow out your plan, have a music playlist that is really long, and just run until you can't. The worst thing that could happen is you don't move any further forward. The best thing is if you do. Either way, its an experience worth the effort!

Carol, no self doubt allowed... you will do it!!! Malissa... welcome! Congrats on making the choice and doing your first run. If you haven't downloaded the podcast and outline, go ahead. Even if you don't use the music offered, the outline really helped me keep progressing. It tells you exactly how long to run and walk each week to progress. Here's the link. The first is to download the podcasts. The second is to download the outline. Podrunner: Intervals - Free Workout Music for 5K Training First Day 2 5K - Printable Outline Suzanne... hope the pain goes away soon. Don't worry about the marshmellow matter... once you're back on your feet, it will "burn" away pretty quick! I'm looking forward to a nice run tonight after work. Looks like the rain's going to clear up soon!

Carol, at about week 7 I switched to my own music. I couldn't stand the podrunner stuff any longer. I also didn't have a Nike+ at the time. So I just created a running list of songs that were the same length as what I wanted to run. So, if I needed to run 28 min, I made sure my music would last that long, and not much longer. So when I hit the end, I stopped. Then as I began adding time, I would just remember which song I ended on to know how long I ran. Hope it helps. It won't give you speed, but will give you time. I could have used a watch, but I can't wear a watch... I drain batteries!

Ok, is it just my computer or does this site look really weird?? I hope this is not permanent... it looks horrible. Renewed... enjoying your days off? Thanks for the suggestion of the DVD... sounds hard! Ahhhh! Carol... how's week 8 going? Suzanne... where are you? Lyn... how's walking? Georgia... where are you? It's beautiful here today, sunny, cool, and not humid. We're going to the park later and I'm going to get my run while DH walks with the kids.

Renewed & Lyn... I'm so glad you are both back posting! I missed you both. I haven't had a lot of time lately to post, but am always reading every day or so, and I always look forward to activity here. Its my lifeline to remaining focused. Renewed... I don't want to find a new nickname for you, just maybe a tapered down one - LOL, you and my DH are so alike!!! Your plan sounds good, just don't get too competitive with everything and you should be able to keep it sane!!! Lyn... ohhh gross! I imagin your leg will rebound quickly once you're able to use it again. Your fitness level has been so amazing that it should bounce back fast. Congrats on the weight loss! I have pretty much stalled out on my weight loss. I think this is as far as I'm going to get with my current exercise routine. I really don't want to change my eating at this point. I like the band where it is, loose enough to eat a wide variety of foods without too much difficulty, tight enough to save me when I binge eat. This seems to be my sweet spot. I also don't want to be ridiculously tight. So I think if I want to get to the "normal" body fat/BMI level, I'm going to have to change things up a bit. I have to be able to do this at home, as I can't afford the time or $$ for a gym membership. I wanted to get a used universal gym, but turns out I don't have the space for one. The only place it will fit is in my basement, and the ceiling is too low for any of them I've seen. So I'll have to do it with free weights. Anyone have a DVD that does strength training or something that I can do without a lot of equipment purchases? Send me the name of it, or a link for downloading if possible. I think this is what's going to get me the rest of the way. I really want to hit that "Goal" weight/size/BMI/Body Fat% measurement this summer, 2 years post banding. It's amazing... 2 years! Best decision I ever made, and a steady, healthy, amazing process!

Welcome back Renewed... I missed you! Congrats on the run, and thanks for your comments! Lyn... is the cast off?? How is the walking cast going? You'll be back up and around soon. Carol... congrats on week 7. Keep at it, you're doing so great. I had a run yesterday that was amazing. I did about 5k and my pace for the first 3k was so fast, and I felt really strong. I slowed down a bit after a really steep hill, but still finished really well. I felt great. I love those types of runs. the ones that you know in the first few minutes that everything's aligned right, and one that you enjoy it during the run... not just after the run. I also had a great runner's high afterwards.

Carol... good for you in getting out there, even though it was so late. I know what you mean about feeling pain after a long run. Mine is usually a few hours later or the next day, I'm a bit acky and stiff. However, climbing stairs is always a pain for me. Go figure... I can run 5k or more without knee pain, but I can't climb stairs at all. Arthritis. Funny how running doesn't hurt it but the motion of climbing up or down stairs does. I imagine riding a bike might too... don't know. Ok, I've just enjoyed some amazing red wine, an excellent BBQ dinner, and now the kids are in bed and my DH is grilling fresh pinnapple that's been marinading in maple syrup with cinnamon (sugar free). Ohhh this is going to be yummy. Its been a great day. Happy Memorial Day weekend.

Looks like everyone's disappeared!!! Must be a long weekend down there! Grrrrr... I'm so frustrated with my Nike+. For the last week or so, every run goes unmeasured. It starts out ok, and even many of them have ended right so I know my distance and pace, but when I sync it its just not there. I've reset my iPod a few times hoping that will work, but nothing so far. I'm wondering if the piece that goes into my iPod is broken. So frustrating!

I've been MIA as well Georgia... Its been very busy at work and home that I haven't had time to be online, but I have been running. My Nike+ died on me last week, but I think I've fixed it. I got home early today and it is beautiful outside, so I'm going to go for a nice run without the worry of getting home to get dinner on, etc... I just took my measurements and was pleased to see all the right things happening. Fat% declining, Muscle Mass increasing... yeah! I love running. Yesterday I saw my neighbors for the first time since last fall... they had a baby over the winter and haven't been out much. They were shocked at my transformation... I love those moments. "Here, can I help you pick up your chin" LOL!!! Keep up the great work everyone.

Fanny... congratulations in finding a method that works! I remember you stuggling a few months back, and I'm so happy for you! Keep it up!

Hi everyone... sorry for the MIA, its been one very busy week. Yes, I ran on Wed and again today, so I'm back! Thanks for the kicking! The runs weren't long, but just enough to keep me motivated. I've been burning the midnight oil trying to finish some work, but it was great to get outside and run. Suzanne.. what an amazing run! I'm on a high for you! It would be so great to have someone run with you to push you, and your time was excellent! I'm heading out of town this weekend with the family to visit my girlfriend. She was banded many years ago and has done so well with it. I've now surpassed her in weight loss and scale weight, but she is 5" taller than me... so go figure! I sent her the pics of me in my new dresses and she is so happy for me. I can't wait to see her, its been about 5 months.

Thanks for the kick everyone. I have a conf call in a few minutes and then I'm off for my run! Georgia... when you "hit the pavement in the fall", make sure its not "hit the pavement when I fall"!!! :smile2: Carol... there is a great website that you can map your runs and it will give you the distance in miles or km. Its a bit fiddly, but beats driving for distance. Click on the site link below and then type in your city into the search area: RunningAHEAD - Tools: Route Mapper You can also join for free and keep a running log. I used this a lot before I got my Nike+.

Suzanne... WTG!!! 36 min is EXCELLENT!!! Carol... Yeah!! 25min flat out! You're doing so great. Hard to believe you used to walk, and run a little bit! Georgia... Accident free... good for you! I hear you on the heat. Its still beautiful here, but summer's a killer Ok, its time to officially "motivate" me in your most un-gentle way! I haven't run since last Thur. I've been working way too hard this week, but have let that be the "excuse". I plan to run tomorrow... so again... kick me!

Carol... Good for you!!!! Everytime you make that choice to NOT give up, you've made such an excellent choice! I've got to run tonight, so if I come back on and haven't reported a run... feel free to "motivate me"!! LOL.