I Suck

The End. I hate being a flake. But I guess I like sitting on the couch more.

Will Friday be the day I "run" again?

Wii Fit, Day 6 & 7

Oops - forgot to log that I had a session last Tuesday, the 15th. It was ~54 credits, mainly focused on aerobics and yoga.

Last night I had a 43-credit session where I did aerobics and strength training. My weight was down a negligible amount. Hey - I'm nothing if not consistent!

I'm kind of getting in a groove of starting with the long run (although I unlocked free run last night, so maybe I'll try that next time), advanced step, free step, and hula hoop. Those definitely get me warmed up and my heart rate going. I've been avoiding the strength training exercises because several of them just plain suck. However, I had unlocked a ton of them while I was ignoring them, so I went and tried all of them again. I ended with the Lotus Focus balance game where you sit without moving for 1.5 minutes to cool down.

Felt good!

Wii Fit, Day 5

Weight down a little - not enough to blink at. I totally botched the balance test, though, and my Wii Fit age was 39!

45 credit session tonight.

I started with the long Basic Run, then Advanced step, Hula Hoop twice (once clockwise, once counter-clockwise), and advanced Rhythm Boxing. I then moved to the yoga section and did everything that I had unlocked so far: Half Moon, Sun Salutation, Warrior, Chair, Standing Knee, Tree, and Palm Tree (this one twice). I had unlocked Snowboard Slalom, so I tried that a couple of times, then worked on eliminating Bryan from the top 10 ski jump scores. I have 8/10 for now. =)

The balance games are the most fun, so I'm trying to use those as bonus for doing other stuff. I am definitely avoiding the strength section, and I need to stop that. Next time!

Wii Fit, Day 4

Last night, I had a 42-credit session. My weight had gone up a negligible amount. Go figure. (See? This is why having a scale around is annoying!)

I started with a long Basic Run, then hit the Basic Step. As I had hoped, that unlocked Advanced Step, which I did twice. Much harder, coordination-wise! Then I did the ski slalom a dozen or so times, trying to knock off Bryan's high score. I didn't, but I scored a 2nd place finally. In that process, I unlocked the Rhythm Boxing and did it twice. Fun!

I don't know that I'm going to make any major weight-loss goals doing Wii Fit, but it's fun, and we're filing it under "Much Better Than Doing Nothing"!

Wii Fit, Day 3

I just finished up a 32-credit session on the Fit. For the Body Test, I was down less than a pound, so essentially the same.

Today I started with Basic Step, Hula Hoop, and Basic Run. Next I tried to knock of Bryan's high scores on the ski jump and the balance bubble, then headed over to try out Yoga. The balance games are definitely the most fun, but I'm not going to spend all of my time there, obviously.

The muscles that were tired yesterday are sore today, so it felt good to warm them up!

Wii Fit, Day 2

It took me longer to get back to the Fit, but I finally carved out 45 minutes last night.

First, I did the body test, and I weighed exactly the same as last Wednesday night. I did better on the balance tests, though, so my Wii Fit Age was down in the 20's! Bryan has definite issues with how much credit Wii Fit gives you for good, even, balance. He's arguably in better shape than me and definitely stronger, but the Wii Fit loves me more. Thanks, Miss Melva, for all of the posture lessons as a young dance student!

Next, I tried out the strength training exercises. I did the single leg extension, torso twists, lunges, push-up and side plank, and jackknife. I barely got through the lunges, and I'm feelin' it today. The push-ups were the hardest, and I even let myself do girl ones. Hard!

Then I went to the aerobics section and did the hula hoop a couple of times, basic step, and a basic run. Hula Hoop was hilarious, and I can see how that would get hard. I think I will like step - I'll have to add arms. I think the run would be best as a warm-up. Running in place just isn't as hard as running outside!

Finally, I headed over to the balance games to try to top some of Bryan's records he'd stayed up late last Wednesday to establish. It took me 5-6 times to beat his best score on the Ski Slalom, and I also tried the ski jump. My legs were toast, though.

It took 45 minutes to gain 30 credits, so I'll have to remember that. For now, 30-credit sessions are my goal. I'm having fun just playing everything, but I should probably have a plan eventually. I know there are programs online you can use, so we'll see.

Wii Fit

Hey there! I really hate that I am a flake about this. Maybe I will pick c25k back up when it cools off? I don't know.

BUT! Since all of you read Crawford House, you know that we finally got the Wii Fit. We got it set up last night, and it was pretty interesting to see what it could do.

I went first. My balance was only very slightly back and to the left. I will be the first to admit that my posture stinks a lot of the time, but I do know what it should be. I grew up dancing, so there's some training in there somewhere!

The surprising news was that I weighed in (at night! just before starting my period!) at 151, which means I have lost 6-7 lbs since starting this blog last spring. That's good! It measured my BMI at 23.76, which put me on the high side of the normal range. Normal! I really thought I'd be overweight. Wii wants your BMI to be 22, which is 10 lbs for me.

My Wii Fit age was 34, only +1! Very encouraging.

Bryan set up his Mii, too, but I won't share his stats here. It was just nice to do together, and it will be fun to try to beat each others' high scores on the games.

Speaking of games, we gave the balance games a try. Harder than they look! Skiing was the most fun, but soccer was the funniest to watch. I'm looking forward to checking out the rest!

HOT

Obviously, I haven't been running. It is so hot outside that I can barely stand, let alone run. It's hot when I wake up, and it's hot when the sun goes down.

It's just not going to happen.

So... I need a new plan. I don't have a treadmill, gym membership, or the current pocket money for either. I still want a Wii Fit, but I'm needing to save for that, too.

Any ideas for air-conditioned, pretty close to free, fun ways to keep moving? I wonder if my old Tai Bo VHS tapes still work.

Week3, Day5

Aaaannnnnd... back I am at Week 3. But I did something! I am getting over some funk, and 3/4 of Week 3 was all I could muster this morning. I took the new trail behind the house for the first time, and it was pretty nice. It's still not 100% complete, but it was close enough to work. I only saw one other person, too!

I'm ready to get some of my, "Woo Hoo! Go me!" attitude back. I know you are all "Woo Hoo! Go Lindsay!" and that helps, but I need it to come from inside too, ya know?

The areas of my body that I skinned last week are mostly better, except for my left knee. I finally have a good scab, about the size of two quarters. It's doesn't really hurt, but it's annoying. I guess it had been so long since I'd skinned my knee that I had forgotten how long it would bother me!

Week4, Day4

On we go with Week 4!

This is what I did today:

Walk 5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 1.5 minutes
Run ~ 3 minutes
Trip and fall
Skin the heck out of both knees, my left hand and right elbow
Try not to drip blood as I walk the mile or so home

Argh.

Fat Pics

I am not this chubby in my own mind. AJC's belly = cute; mine does not. These make me sad.

Week4, Day3

I am so not loving this right now. I need some mojo back. I wasn't able to run on Wednesday for many reasons, but I went today. Here's what I did:

Walk 5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 1.5 minutes
Run 5 minutes
Walk 2.5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 1.5 minutes
Run 1.5 minutes/Walk 2.5 minutes/Run 1 minute
Walk 5 minutes

Obviously, I'm not ready to move on to Week 5, so I'll do Week 4 again next time. When will next time be? I'm not sure. Tuesday? We're going to be out of town all weekend.

Week4, Day2

Ok, so I may be on Week 4 for a while. I did my run Monday afternoon, and I still didn't quite finish the program. Here's what I did:

Walk 5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 1.5 minutes
Run 3 minutes/Walk 1 minute/Run 1 minute
Walk 2.5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 10 minutes

On one hand, I'm frustrated that I can't push through and do it. On the other hand, I'm happy that I did something and I did more than last time. That's success for me right now.

Oh, and I missed my weekend run because of our trip to Camp Shiloh. I'm aiming to run again on Wednesday morning.

Week4, Day1

I started Week4 this morning - sort of. Half-way through, it was time to turn around and head back towards home. Only that was into the wind, and it was so windy this morning it was difficult to walk into the wind. And it was raining on me. So I just walked home. So I essentially just did half today.

Here's the plan for Week 4:

Walk 5 minutes

Run 3 minutes
Walk 1.5 minutes
Run 5 minutes
Walk 2.5 minutes
Repeat once

Walk 5 minutes

For the walk home, I checked out the progress on the jogging trail that's going in behind our house, along the lake. It was supposed to be ready last weekend, but it's still got a ways to go. I'll be glad to run on it when it's complete, though!

Week3, Day4

Hey, I'm here! And I ran today! I got off track last week due to exhausted me, sick baby, and 3rd-birthday-party-exhaustion anticipation.

So today I went ahead and did Week 3 one more time. The two 90-second runs were almost, dare I say, easy. The first 3-minute run was ok! The second 3-minute run was awful, but I did it!

I am very intimidated by what's coming up in Week 4, but I'm sure by Week 8, Week 4 will look easy, too.

I can do this.

Week3, Day3

I got my last Week 3 run in Monday morning while Bryan was still home. Early! It was about 55 degrees outside, and I know I'm going to be missing that soon!

I made it through the intervals, but that last 3-minute run was pretty sloppy. I feel like I need to do this Week 3 plan one more time. Is that cheating?

I am still pleased with how quickly I seem to be recovering. That's encouraging. On the "down" side, my legs are very tired today, and my shins are still pretty sore. They aren't nearly as bad as before I got my new shoes, but if, for example, an almost-three year-old sits on my lap while I am cross-legged and puts any weight on my shins - OUCH!

Also, how can I avoid tomato-face? My face gets SO red and stays red forever afterwards.

Week3, Day2

I did my next run today at lunch time. I had originally planned to run yesterday, but the boys left late, it was raining, and my shorts were still damp in the dryer. Yes, I do need a second pair of athletic shorts!

Anyway, I did it! I'm sure I'm super-slow. Sometimes I feel like I'm jogging in place - especially on a hill and/or into the wind. But at least I'm doing it! Today was better than Tuesday. Yea for the program actually working!

It's a good thing I'm not watching a scale, because I don't think I've lost any weight. My clothes still fit the same. Losing weight is just one of my goals, though, so all is good. I can run for 3 minutes! I couldn't do that in March!

That sounds so pathetic that I couldn't run for 3 minutes. That's why I'm not advertising this journal. Only encouragement wanted here!

Week3, Day1

Ok, so I didn't run yesterday because it monsooned. So I did it today instead.

The pattern for Week 3 is:

Walk 5 minutes

Run 90 seconds
Walk 90 seconds
Run 3 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Repeat once

Walk 5 minutes

I won't lie - I was nervous at the 3 minute run. That's double what I did on Saturday. I almost made it. On both 3-minute runs, I gave up just before time was up. That's the downside to not watching a timer (I'm just listening to the podcast), I guess. If I'd known I only had 10-12 seconds left, I might have pushed through.

I'm pretty confident I can do it next time, though.

Week2, Day3

I did it! I went ahead and ran just after getting AJC up, because Bryan needed to go to work. On to Week 3 on Monday!

Well-Being Rewards

Bryan mentioned this months ago, but I finally got around to looking up the Well-Being Rewards program at work. You get points for doing things like getting an annual physical, getting your teeth cleaned, and 30 minutes of physical activity.

So I dutifully entered the things I'd done in the past 60 days (thanks for keeping track for me, Secret Blog!) and quickly racked up 75 points. Then I went to see what that was worth in redemptions.

Dude. They're worth $1/point! At real places I shop like Target and Amazon.com! Hello, Wii!

Looks like you max out at 340 points per year, and it's vague about whether they carry over between plan years at full value... my guess is they don't. And the benefit is taxable... no big deal.

I figure I'll rack up 15 points/week with my jogging program, and I'm scheduled for a teeth cleaning in May! Maybe Bryan can rack some up, too, and we can buy a new toy!

Tips for Shin Splints

Most distance runners land on their heels or midfoot and roll forward to the toe. Running up on the toes, by contrast, tends to be the form of sprinters. You'll find that if you try to run on your toes for too far that your shins will probably start hurting and your calves will get tight. (link)

Many new runners are preoccupied with their breathing as they run their first few miles. We get questions about whether it's best to breathe in through the mouth or through the nose ...
Don't worry about it ... You've been breathing all your life, and your body will figure out the best way to get the air it needs. Just breathe as naturally as possible and put it out of your mind. (link)

Do your best to stay off the pavement, or you may find your legs punishing you with shin splints. (link) [I can't wait for the jogging trail behind our house to be finished!]

For shin splints, there are a number of steps you can take to speed recovery.
first, to reduce the pain, ice your lower legs after you run. Use a commercial freeze-pack that you can wrap around your leg (or just put a wet towel in the freezer before you go out for a run). Keep the ice wrap on for ten to fifteen minutes, keeping your foot elevated. To help reduce the inflammation further, take aspirin or ibuprofen with food. Never take it on an empty stomach or before running. In the evening or at bedtime wrap a heating pad around your leg and put it on a low setting.
Cut back on your running. If you can stand it, you might consider taking a few days off altogether. The important thing is not to run through the pain. You'll only make it worse. (link)

Do wall pushups, and be particularly careful not to overstretch; ease into your stretches gradually. Do these several times a day, and especially before and after you run. To strengthen your front leg muscles, try the foot press and the furniture lift. (link)

Week2, Day2

Done! I had to take the boys to daycare for Bryan this morning, so I ended up running at lunch time. It's 90 degrees here today - made me wish I had run this morning!

My shins are pretty sore and tender to the touch. I'm hoping this will just work itself out? I think I'm going to poke around on the internet and see if anyone has any ideas for me.

Week2, Day1, Take2

Decided to bump back up to Week 2 today, and it was hard. It's embarrassing how difficult it is to run for 90 seconds. For real. BUT, I'm sticking with it, and I'm encouraged by how quickly I seem to recover. It was much warmer today. I'm not looking forward to 100+ degrees coming up soon!

So far so good on the shoes preventing shin splints! Thanks for the great suggestion, LauraC!

On Saturday, I didn't run, but I did the 5-mile Walk for Babies while pushing my baby in a non-jogging stroller. I figure that counted for something. =)

My Adidas

Who can resist a post with that title? Who?

These are my new kicks.

Week1, Day1, Take2

I'm back! My shin splints have finally subsided, and I'm not sick anymore. Time to get back on the horse!

I did the Week 1 workout this morning, and it was much easier than the first time I did it. I wore my new running shoes that were fit at a real running store, so we'll see how that goes. So far so good!

I probably won't run on Saturday because we're doing the 5-mile Walk for Babies. Maybe I'll run Friday instead. I haven't decided if I'm going to jump back up to Week 2 or not. I probably will.

Still out of Commission

Now I can feel a knot where JTC stepped on my leg. I guess it was swollen before that I didn't feel it?

Will I be back to square one WHEN I start again? I guess that's better than square zero!

Behind Already?

I'm frustrated today because this is the second run I'm missed. I have a lot of excuses today, but the only one I can't squash is the pain in my leg. I'm pretty sure it's just a shin splint, but the dull pain has been consistent since the other night when JTC stepped on it. Pushing on where it hurts feels like touching a deep bruise.

I'll hopefully be back on track for Wednesday morning. I'll try the Week2 workout again.

Incentives

As LauraC pointed out in the comments, some of the running "hurdles" are easier to overcome if you have the right equipment. For example, if we had a treadmill, it wouldn't matter if I had to stay home with the boys or the weather was bad.

However, I have a long history of being L-A-Z-Y. I don't want to be that girl who buys all the stuff for working out, then never does it. I want to earn the stuff.

So I've created a small incentive plan for myself. Each time I finish a week on the c25k program, I get to buy something. In honor of completing Week1, I have mentally awarded myself a new pair of athletic shorts.

In future weeks, I might like to have a pedometer or one of those arm bands to hold my ipod. As I get thinner (and stop nursing), I'll need new sports bras.

And if, at the end of the day, I can make this a habit, perhaps I'll get a membership to the brand new 24-hour Fitness Sport that is supposedly going to be built next to our new Target. Which is on the way to daycare. And has childcare available. And air conditioning.

Now, that's an incentive I can run for.

Ouch

Last night, I was sitting cross-legged on the floor, and JTC stepped on the inside of my right lower leg. Something... twisted. Ouch. Is it too late for ice?

I had hoped to do my Week2, Day2 run this morning after taking the boys to daycare, but it was a rough morning. Besides that part of my leg still hurting, I was both pooped and peed on. It was already 9:00 and time to work by the time I got the boys to school.

Bryan is out of town, so I'm not sure how I'm going to get my run done tomorrow morning. I may have to sub in a Gazelle workout again. I want to do something to keep my momentum.

Skipping is a slippery slope!

Week2, Day1

I did my Week 2, Day 1 run over lunch today, and it was not fun. I'd imagine the Day 1 runs are not going to be much fun as I go through this process! I do feel proud of myself for getting it done, though.

Week 2 looks like this:
5 minute walk
6 intervals of:
90 second run
2 minute recovery walk
5 minute walk

I've switched to using the Robert Ullrey podcasts. I was really distracted by the low production value of the indie Christian tracks. =b

Week1, Day3

Since I couldn't do the Day 2 run last Wednesday, I did it on Saturday morning. I felt great! My body felt tired for the rest of the day, but I never really got sore.

This morning, I did the same run for the 3rd time. It was harder than Saturday, but I can definitely do this. My shins were talking to me, but they seem ok now. I think it ended up at about 2 miles.

I'll be upping to the Week 2 program on Wednesday morning.

I've also been thinking through some other things I'd like to blog about:

• Inspirations
• Excuses (and how to squash them)
• Goals

I may have Bryan take a "before" picture for me, too. Be warned!

Week1, Day2

On this program, you're supposed to take a day off in between workouts. So today should have been Day 2 ... only it poured down rain all day today.

Instead, I did 30 minutes on my Gazelle. It's not the same, but at least it was something!

I'm a little sore in my calves from Monday, but it's a good kind of sore.

Week1, Day1

My blog-friend, Bridget, has inspired me to start the C25K program (link at right). I am a total couch potato, and I've never been one to work out. There was ONE summer in college where I regularly went to a gym. I've never felt more sexy than I did that summer - and I wasn't even dating anyone.

This program actually seems do-able. We don't have a treadmill, so one of my excuses has been "when would I do it?" There's no way I'm getting up before AJC, and I am in charge of the boys until DH leaves with them. Then I work. Then I pick up the boys and get them to bed. Then I have to stay home, because DH is not reliably home, and someone has to be there while the kiddos are sleeping. So I told DH that I need his help, and I'm going at 7:30 whether the boys are ready to go or not. We'll see how that goes. =)

I downloaded the podcast and the Christian idie track and did the latter today. The songs were not that great, but I like the verbal cues - much better than trying to time myself. Dude - it was HARD. I want to stick with it. It will get easier, right? I'd love to become addicted to running - it seems like it's the best way to keep in good shape. I feel like if I could just run for 30 minutes 3-4 times/week, I would be a lot healthier.

So I'm not going to blog about this on Crawford House. I want to have some outside accountability, but I don't really want to tell my friends/family here. I'm embarrassed, I guess, and I'd like to make some progress before I tell them.