Couch to 5K RACE DAY!

Week 1 - 5 min warm-up 60 sec run 90 sec walk for 20 minutes
Week 2 - 5 min warm-up 90 sec run 2 min walk for 20 minutes
Week 3 - 5 min warm-up 90 sec run 90 sec walk 3 min run 3 min walk repeat once
Week 4 - 5 min warm-up 3 min run 90 sec walk 5 min run 2.5 min walk repeat once
Week 5 Day 1 - 5 min warm-up 5 min run 3 min walk 5 min run 3 min walk 5 min run
Week 5 Day 2 - 5 min warm-up 8 min run 5 min walk 8 min run
Week 5 Day 3 - 5 min warm-up 20 min run
Week 6 Day 1 - 5 min warm-up 5 min run 3 min walk 8 min run 3 min walk 5 min run
Week 6 Day 2 - 5 min warm-up 10 min run 3 min walk 10 min run
Week 6 Day 3 - 5 min warm-up 25 min run 
Week 7 Day 1 - 3 - 5 min warm-up 25 min run 
     Mon - 4.4 mph 1.85 mi
     Wed - 4.3 1.79 mi/4.1 1.72 mi
     Sat - 4.7 mph 1.94 mi
Week 8 Day 1 - 3 - 5 min warm-up 28 min run
     Mon - 4.6 mph 2.14 mi/4.3 mph 2.80 mi with warm-up & cool down
Week 9 Day 1 & 2- 5 min warm-up 30 min run
     Mon - 4.6 mph 2.28 mi/ 4.3 mph 3.02 mi with warm-up & cool down
     Wed - 4.6 mph 2.30 mi/4.3 mph 2.96 mi? with warm-up & cool down

Week 9 Day 3 - 5K
     Saturday - 41:39:77 3.15 mi/5K = 13.25 mi

I woke up this morning feeling a bit ill. We had stuffed peppers for dinner last night along with jalepeno poppers. Apparently my body didn't appreciate all those peppers.I made my green smoothie for breakfast and hoped that I wouldn't have backlash when it was all said and done. I think it helped settle my stomach though b/c I didn't feel too bad afterwards.

We had an assignment to help clean the church, and though it was my intention to pick up my bib and shirt then go clean, we left late enough that I got dropped off while Matthew and the boys went to the church. I was the first one from the LDS team to be there so I got the box of shirts and bibs to open and distribute. Simple enough :) 

The time went pretty quickly before it was time to line up and start. There was a fun run (1 mi) that started at 8:30 and then the 5K began at 9:30. There were so many people and so much noise that I think they played the national anthem then started the race. I couldn't tell. It was a bit of a surprise when all of a sudden every started going. I was not prepared. I was kind of towards the front (where all the runners are) so I had to run to not get run over!! As the crowd thinned out, there were some walkers that decided to go on the grass and let the runners pace. I thought that was a brilliant idea and joined them so I could start up my podcast. I decided to start with the week 7 and then let it move on to week 9 when it was over. I love the music in it and figured it would be motivating. Timing worked out well in the end. It was a good decision.

There were water stations at .85 and 1.85 mile points and time keepers stationed at each mile marker. At the end of mile 1 my time was 13.26 - not bad :) I was surprised to see people on their way back right before I'd even made it to the first mile.  Turns out there were 3 people who finished the race in the 17 min bracket! Holy cow they are fast!!! Once I finished my 5 min warmup, I felt like I had a pretty fast pace but was surprised at how much my inner thighs were sore. I am sure it is from the workout videos. 

Week 7's podcast was for a 25 minute run. By the time I reached mile 2 I was feeling more tired and slowed down a bit. My time was 26:30 or something like that so I knew I'd done the last mile in about the same amount of time as the first one. I was able to tell myself that I can run for 13 more minutes. No big deal. I was still debating in my mind how I wanted to handle the last mile. I thought about walking for 5 minutes and then finishing off the race, but decided to try and get to the end. It was a little weird walking through the cool down and warm-up, but the music was still fun enough that it wasn't really hard to do.

As I approached the final turns that would take me around to the finish line, I decided to walk just a bit. It was no more than 30 seconds but it was probably like 10 sec. Enough to get a drink and get going again. It was warming to see people clapping and cheering for us as we passed, encouraging us to keep going. When one person mentioned I still had .25 miles, I decided to walk a little bit more so I could run to the finish line. It may have been a minute or so, but it wasn't very long. Matthew was supposed to meet me at the finish line, and though I scanned the small crowd I couldn't see them. As I made the final bend for the last stretch to the finish line, I 'punched' it and sped to the line. I could see the official clock and wanted to make it before 41:40. I crossed what I thought was the line just soon after it turned. I was surprised when I saw my final official result was 41:39:77. Guess I made my goal after all :D

Crossing the finish line

My legs didn't feel like they would collapse under me when I stopped which was nice. I started walking around the parking lot when Aaron and Jared ran up behind me shouting "Mommy!" They'd been at the finish line after all :) I had told Matthew that I expected to do it in 45 minutes, but he thought I'd come in closer to 40 so he'd been there waiting. It made me feel good that he had that kind of confidence in me :)

Me and my running buddies

 Overall I feel pretty proud of myself. I have come so far. I am really grateful for my friend JG for starting me on this path. If she hadn't bought me those running shoes I would have quit a long time ago. And I am thankful for Jared & Aaron running/scootering/biking the neighborhood with me all summer so I could continue training. In fact, today they expressed some disappointment that they could not be with me. And I am thankful for Matthew supporting me in participating today. I feel very blessed.

9 weeks/26 runs down, 1 to Go!

Tomorrow is the big day. I feel so nervous, but I find that an odd feeling b/c it isn't like I am really competing. I guess I am competing with myself and the image I have of me crossing the finish line. It is funny b/c I had no problem feeling like I could do this when I thought that I'd make it with the 5 min warm-up and cool down, but once I thought that I wanted to actually run across the finish line I had issues.

I didn't really get a chance to play with the phone to set up my tunes, but I did move week 7 to play before week 9 since it has my favorite play list. I am still deciding how I am going to handle that. I was looking at the route and it is 3.15 mi and all flat. When I've run through the neighborhood there are some inclines, so I am hoping that a level field will make it more likely for me to run further.

Yesterday I did the Self video again and today I'd planned on biking but spent the day on my feet in the kitchen. I'd hoped to go to bed early, but it is even later than usual. Well, late as usual. Last night I was in bed and asleep by 9:45. Pretty awesome :D

Easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan
from WholeFoodsMarket.com

Ingredients: 

• 1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (about eight)
• 2 eggs, beaten with a fork
• 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (sundried tomato or plain)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil*
• 1 (25 ounce) jar pasta sauce (roasted vegetable or any variety)*
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese*
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 
  
• Method: 

  
  

  Preheat oven with a baking sheet inside to 375°F. Coat eggplant slices with beaten egg, then bread with panko crumbs. Spread oil on hot baking sheet and place eggplant slices on it in a single layer. Bake 15 minutes, flip and bake another 10 minutes.
  
  Increase oven temperature to 475°F. In an 8 x 10-inch ovenproof dish, layer pasta sauce, then eggplant, and top with cheeses. Repeat, finishing with cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and turns golden in spots, about 15 minutes.
  Nutritional Info: 

  PER SERVING:400 calories (180 from fat), 20g total fat, 8g saturated fat, 130mg cholesterol, 970mg sodium, 44g carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 21g protein

  ******

  I have discovered that I love the taste of eggplant and with the abundance of eggplant I've been getting from our crop share this summer, I have been experimenting with it quite a bit. Now that I know the secret to good eggplant dishes is to salt and drain them first, every dish has been delish. This one, however, had oohs and ahhs from everyone :)  

  I liked the simplicity of the dish. I did not dip the eggplant in egg and dredge it through the crumbs then roast it in hot oil. Instead I sprayed the with cooking spray, sprinkled bread crumbs on top and put them on a cold baking sheet and roasted them in the oven (but cooking and flipping according to the directions). I did at least remember to coat the baking sheet with cooking spray as well. Too many times I've forgotten that step and had vegetables stick :/

  I will definitely be making this again!

Couch to 5k Week 9 Day 2

Week 1 - 5 min warm-up 60 sec run 90 sec walk for 20 minutes
Week 2 - 5 min warm-up 90 sec run 2 min walk for 20 minutes
Week 3 - 5 min warm-up 90 sec run 90 sec walk 3 min run 3 min walk repeat once
Week 4 - 5 min warm-up 3 min run 90 sec walk 5 min run 2.5 min walk repeat once
Week 5 Day 1 - 5 min warm-up 5 min run 3 min walk 5 min run 3 min walk 5 min run
Week 5 Day 2 - 5 min warm-up 8 min run 5 min walk 8 min run
Week 5 Day 3 - 5 min warm-up 20 min run
Week 6 Day 1 - 5 min warm-up 5 min run 3 min walk 8 min run 3 min walk 5 min run
Week 6 Day 2 - 5 min warm-up 10 min run 3 min walk 10 min run
Week 6 Day 3 - 5 min warm-up 25 min run 
Week 7 Day 1 - 3 - 5 min warm-up 25 min run 
     Mon - 4.4 mph 1.85 mi
     Wed - 4.3 1.79 mi/4.1 1.72 mi
     Sat - 4.7 mph 1.94 mi
Week 8 Day 1 - 3 - 5 min warm-up 28 min run
     Mon - 4.6 mph 2.14 mi/4.3 mph 2.80 mi with warm-up & cool down
Week 9 Day 1 & 2- 5 min warm-up 30 min run
     Mon - 4.6 mph 2.28 mi/ 4.3 mph 3.02 mi with warm-up & cool down
     Wed - 4.6 mph 2.30 mi/4.3 mph 2..96 mi? with warm-up & cool down

A few years ago when I was exercising regularly and lost all the weight, one of my favorite videos to do besides P90X was called Self Bikini Ready Fast (or something like that). We had it on netflix, but once we got rid of that service it also meant the end of the video. Every once in awhile I would look it up online, but wasn't willing to pay the $10 to order it. It is silly because we paid that every month for netflix and it would be cheaper just to buy the video. Anyway, I never got it. Until last week. There is a store here called $5 and Below. It's like a Dollar General or Dollar Tree in that it has a little bit of everything and $5 is the most anything costs. They have a little exercise section where they sell weights and other gear. I happened to see a small stack (like 6) of DVDs on a shelf and noticed one of them was this Self Bikini Ready Fast. It was one of those moments where you hear angels sing and fireworks go off... yeah. I happily purchased it for $5. 

So yesterday instead of doing a P90X video, I did my 'new' video. *whew* I am sore today! The video is strength training with just a little bit of cardio (but they are plyo jump variations so perfect for my thighs!!) I woke up with my lower back and inner thighs muscle sore! I was a little unsure how this would effect my run, but decided to not think about it. I had an appt at 9:30 am, so I wanted to be out the door as soon as my boys were on the bus at 8 to be able to run and get ready in time for my appt. I would say that today's run was harder than Monday's, but at the same time I was able to really push it at times. In fact, the last 3 minutes I really pushed it and when I was down to the last 1 minute I felt a rush of energy and ran as fast as I could! I am not sure where it came from, but it came and I was happy for it. Of course, when it was time for the cool down I was slow as molasses, but oh well :) Overall my speed was the same as Monday, but I went just a tad farther in my run.

Since the 5k is on Saturday, I think I will take a break Friday to really rest my legs. I want to run across the finish line so I have been trying to figure out how to accomplish that when my running intervals aren't reaching 5K length. I have debated walking for the first 10 minutes and then switch to running for 30 minutes. I think I could do that, but I don't know. II could try to run to the end and not stop at the 30 minutes but I don't know if I could maintain it. It would be potentially another 10 minutes of running. I *really* liked week 7's music and have debated using it for the final run. The final song is so inspiring that I know it would help me get to the finish line, but I also really like the countdown and back slapping that happens on week 9 because we accomplished the goal. Hmm. Decisions, decisions.

After realizing what a disservice I'd done to myself by not riding my bike anymore, I have ridden the last two days hoping to strengthen my muscles for Saturday. We haven't been on a ride since the weekend before school - now three weeks ago. It is amazing how quickly our muscles atrophy. Even Jared ended up having to stop to give his legs a break. Aaron's bike chain keeps falling off which is a huge inconvenience. However, I am grateful that we made it through the summer with it and have only had the issues since Matthew got back and school started. 

Couch to 5K Week 9 Day 1

Week 1 - 5 min warm-up 60 sec run 90 sec walk for 20 minutes
Week 2 - 5 min warm-up 90 sec run 2 min walk for 20 minutes
Week 3 - 5 min warm-up 90 sec run 90 sec walk 3 min run 3 min walk repeat once
Week 4 - 5 min warm-up 3 min run 90 sec walk 5 min run 2.5 min walk repeat once
Week 5 Day 1 - 5 min warm-up 5 min run 3 min walk 5 min run 3 min walk 5 min run
Week 5 Day 2 - 5 min warm-up 8 min run 5 min walk 8 min run
Week 5 Day 3 - 5 min warm-up 20 min run
Week 6 Day 1 - 5 min warm-up 5 min run 3 min walk 8 min run 3 min walk 5 min run
Week 6 Day 2 - 5 min warm-up 10 min run 3 min walk 10 min run
Week 6 Day 3 - 5 min warm-up 25 min run 
Week 7 Day 1 - 3 - 5 min warm-up 25 min run 
     Mon - 4.4 mph 1.85 mi
     Wed - 4.3 1.79 mi/4.1 1.72 mi
     Sat - 4.7 mph 1.94 mi
Week 8 Day 1 - 3 - 5 min warm-up 28 min run
     Mon - 4.6 mph 2.14 mi/4.3 mph 2.80 mi with warm-up & cool down
Week 9 Day 1 - 5 min warm-up 30 min run
     Mon - 4.6 mph 2.28 mi/ 4.3 mph 3.02 mi with warm-up & cool down

Sunday morning I woke up and felt different. I felt good. Apparently a hormone release is what I needed and now I am back on track. Maybe the cold front that came through helped too. Once again I am waiting for comcast to make an appearance this morning so I couldn't dawdle getting out the door for my run which helped as well. Recognizing that last week was a flop in the run department and this week ends with my actual 5K, I wondered if it would be better for me to run for 28 min or just go on to week 9 and do 30. I started off on week 8 but then decided to just go for it and switched to week 9. And I did it! My legs were definitely feeling the lack of use, but it wasn't as hard as Wed on the treadmill. I didn't feel like I ever needed to walk for a break. It wasn't a piece of cake, but it was certainly doable. I think it helped that for the final 10 minutes she did a countdown so I could talk myself through each minute. I felt slow but I wasn't stopped and that's what counts :)