Author Archives: bec2point0

Don’t Call it a Comeback…yet

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Yeah, it’s an LL Cool J kind of morning. You’re welcome for the earworm!

This week, I restarted C25K in preparation of a race next month and eventual half marathon training (11 months, holy…). Typically, my C25K starting point is actually the C/couch, where I have been perched for several months. And it’s hard. It’s so, SO hard. That first one minute run feels like an hour.

This time around, I had only been out of commission for 2-3 weeks, so that first one felt… good. And the pace was… pretty decent, actually. And immediately upon finishing, I made plans with my running pal, Sara, to go running again.

And then we did! Last night, I did my Day 2 run and it was still good. Pace was slightly slower, but still well below my usually Week 1 pace. And yeah, I was out of breath. And yeah, my calves hurt (I blame the wedges I was rocking at work yesterday). But it was just… good.

I like good. I would like to keep having it feel good. Because good feels good!

Here’s the thing. I’ve never made it past Week 6. I think this is because Week 6 sucks, but it could be because I am a habitual non finisher*.

And this time, week 6 coincides with my first race since the October, in which I finished last in my age group.

Last.

Yeah.

That was not a great feeling.

This journey has been full of plenty of great feelings (the first time I ran a full mile) and a whole lot of not so great feelings (last year’s Diva Dash). But it is always full of feelings. Always.

Right now, the feeling is anxiety. Not a lot, but I can feel it growing. I get ridiculous race-day anxiety, every time, to the point where I panic as soon as I start running and can’t continue (I can walk, and I always finish the course, but I CANNOT run). And it happens most days when I run at all, although not at the same level. I’m always anxious that I’m not going to be able to do it. (I’m not sure what my brain thinks happens if I can’t do it, but it is definitely scared).

Clearly, anxiety does NOT feel good. And I need to learn how to work around it. Which, in fact, is actually the point of the race I booked next month – to start getting used to it again so that next April, I don’t have a heart attack on the Atlantic City Boardwalk and run into a casino to hide.

I haven’t really found a way to get rid of the anxiety yet. Maybe there isn’t one, but I have to believe there are at least ways to make it more manageable. And once I get that under control?

I’m gonna knock you out šŸ˜‰ **

*Please note my not using the word quitter. I don’t want Meri to give me the look.

** Please pardon the cheese. It’s early and I’ve given up coffee. And cheese.

So, help a girl out? Tell Bec she’s not alone in the race anxiety. Tell her how you work through it. Tell her to suck it up and stop crying like a little girl with a skinned knee.

Couch to Excitement/Nervousness

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So, the C25K posts have been pretty lean the last few weeks. Which makes sense because the C25K has been pretty lean the last few weeks. And by lean, I mean I’ve gone running once.

There was a trip to NY, family out of town, date night, doctor’s appointments, prom dress shopping and well… there was also some laziness. I’ve been working very hard on my diet for the last few weeks, changing things and researching, so I’m not in a bad place.

Bec and Bffl, in New York. Not running.

Bec and Bffl, in New York. Not running.

I’m just not running.

Bec and the boy in Central Park. Still not running.

Bec and the boy in Central Park. Still not running.

But all that is going to change. It has to change. And this isn’t one of those ‘I need to get out of my own way and stop making excuses’ posts. Oh no. This is one of those ‘well holy cannoli (which I no longer eat), what the heck did I just do’ posts.

What the heck Ā did I do, you might ask? (I know you are insanely curious about theĀ minutiaeĀ of my life, folks).

I SIGNED UP FOR A HALF MARATHON.

Yeah, I don’t know how it happened either. But it happened. I am officially registered for the 2014 April Fools Half Marathon in Atlantic City.

And what’s even stranger? I’m actually excited about it. Nervous excited (nervouscited, it’s a word), but excited nonetheless.

I’m going to get to run with some of my fellow Scooters – read: behind my fellow Scooters – and with the Chicago-style Bec, Anne. And I’m going to accomplish a goal that I’ve had, running my first half before I turn 40.

Well… I’m going to accomplish my goal if I prepare.

So, that’s why there has to be running.

Delicious food Bec made while she was not out running.

Delicious food Bec made while she was not out running.

There has to be consistent running, at that. And since it’s been anything but, I’ve decided to go back a bit.

I’m going to reboot C25K. I took so many days off that the one run I did in the last three weeks? It was a horror show. I very much run ‘in my head’, meaning even when my body feels like things are okay, my head convinces me that it’s most definitely not okay. But in this case, even my body was not okay.

And that’s not okay.

So, bright and early Saturday morning, it’s C25K Week 1, Day 1 all over again. If you’d like to cheer me on, please do! That 30 seconds is going to feel like a full minute!

And we’ll go from there. And then we’ll keep going. And then we’ll run a half marathon.

What are your half marathon experiences? Have you run one? Do you want to? Do you think Bec is insane? Tell us all about it!Ā 

For The Love of Bacon – A post by a non preachy, aspiring, maybe, vegan

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As my fellow Scooters Jess and Meri can attest to, my love affair with bacon has been a deep and complex and downright torrid at times (Maple Bacon Donuts).

Maple Bacon Donut

There were mixed reviews on the Maple Bacon Donuts, but I was a huge fan.

Itā€™s also coming to a close. *cue sad violin music*

I know. I KNOW. No more bacon? Why would I do such a thing? What is this world coming to? This world, or at least my world, is coming to some realizations regarding my relationship with food.

I’m going vegan, baby. Maybe.

Yeah, I said vegan. And no matter what people tell you, vegan bacon, or any bacon that isn’t actual bacon, ain’t bacon at all.

Iā€™ve toyed with vegetarianism before, both in high school and about a year ago. But my previous attempts at vegetarianism (or pescatarianism… or flexetarianism… or veganism) were also specifically geared toward weight loss. I didn’t want to hear about the cute and fluffy animals and their feelings (and if you don’t, I don’t judge you and I promise, I’m not going to go there, so you can keep reading) and I didn’t care about the health benefits of plant based eating. I just wanted to be skinny. So, I would start eliminating foods that I thought were making me fat (meat) while continuing to eat foods that were actually making me fat (Little Debbie).

While I found that a vegetarian diet could be both satisfying and (sometimes) healthy, there was always some part of my brain saying ā€˜but we NEED meat!ā€™.

Okay, technically, what my brain was saying was ā€˜Get thee to Five Guys, wench!ā€™Ā My brain is kind of a jerk.

But, a few weeks ago, my brain and I sat down and watched a couple of documentaries on Netflix. Hungry for Change was enlightening with regard to the food and diet industries, but very fact based. The information isn’t Earth-shattering but there is a lot of it. It was a good documentary, and worth watching, but don’t expect to be blown away. Still, there was a lot of data so my brain was plenty busy processing the idea of eating a plant based diet, when I turned on the next one.

Vegucated, for me, was much more captivating. A documentary by a vegan, asking three non vegans to go vegan for six weeks and see how it goes (that’s a loose summary, at best). I won’t go into detail. If you want to watch it, it’s on Netflix instant. And maybe not everyone will take from it what I did, which is totally cool. But since my brain was so busy processing the previous facts and figures, that just left me to watch Vegucated. Well, me and my heart.

While being rather moderate in terms of footage and facts about factory farming, the part that I’ve always avoided looking at was there, and by the middle of the film, I was bawling my eyes out about baby chickens while my teenage daughter gave me the ‘seriously, Mom’ side eye. Ā (She cried too, she’s more like me than she cares to admit).

Vegucated = InstaVegan!

Okay, no. Not exactly. I didn’t go to the kitchen after watching the flick and immediately start flinging cheese and salami into the trash. Heck, I might have even flung some into my mouth.

But I did start thinking. And over the next few weeks, I kept thinking.

Could I be vegan, if I wanted to? Did I want to be? Was this yet another ‘diet’ idea that I would obsess on for a few minutes and then shove to the back of the pile with the rest?

I talked to people, both pro-vegan and pro-bacon, and tried to decide if this was something I wanted to pursue.

And I talked to Meri, who knows me well, and knows my propensity to jump into things without thinking. (Chick Mer is very wise, yo).

So, am I vegan? No. Not yet. And maybe not ever. I’m not sure yet.

What am I? Right now, I’m just a person trying to do my best at eating what I feel is healthy for me and working at making my body its strongest. Oh, and I’m a pescatarian.

I’ve completely eliminated cow’s milk dairy from my diet. This has been a long time coming since dairy exacerbates a medical condition that I have (I pretended it didn’t because I really like cheese). And I’ve eliminated meat (beef, pork, chicken, etc). I’m still eating eggs (which we’re starting to get from local folks that are nice to their chickens) and fish (which I don’t have a lot of warm squishy feelings about).

So what do I eat? Just about everything else I can fit in my face. Lots of nuts and seeds, almond Ā and coconut milk, grains, soy (not a lot). Oh and a lot of these…

cc73ffe0b1b311e19dc71231380fe523_7

Organic fruits and veggies, which I get through a local delivery service.

And I may have had an Oreo, which is totally vegan. Don’t judge.

I’m still learning. I’m learning what I love (vegan chocolate peanut butter bars from Whole Foods – shut up, nutritional yeast) and what I don’t love (beets, it doesn’t matter what color or what I do with them, they taste like dirt). I’m paying attention to my body and how it feels (today, it feels amazing). And I’m taking my time to decide if this is the lifestyle I want, one that I can sustain.

So for now, I’m a non-preachy, aspiring, maybe someday vegan. Who kind of misses bacon.

<3 Bec

P.S. C25K is not dead, I swear. I just haven’t run in a couple weeks. But I’ve been doing plenty of walking and I’ll get back to it.

What is your diet mentality? Tell us about it! And feel free to spam us with recipes!Ā 

Chick Chat: How else do we scoot our doots?

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Because we’re not just about running. In fact, some of us are barely about running. Ahem.

But when we’re not running (and working and raising kids and cooking and eating and talking about cooking and eating), we shake our little rumps in a variety of different ways!

We spin. We lift. We DANCE. So, here are the variety of ways we get our move on.

Meri

Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I wake up at 5:10. Twenty minutes later, I’m warming up with a couple of miles on either the treadmill or elliptical. From there, it’s stretching and keeping one eye out the windowed front of the gym, waiting for my trainer’s car to roll into the parking lot.

“Ron alert!” Our friends on the treadmill always call over to us.Ā  They strength train on other days so they know just how appreciated this “warning” is – it lets us mentally prepare for the next hour (and finish up conversation).

Within this hour, I shut my mouth and listen. I lift heavy weights, do lunges with sandbags on my shoulders, drive my knees up while stepping on a box, and hold planks for two minute stretches. Burpees, sprints, tire jumps, tricep dips. I count reps in my head and try to remember the order of the exercises, which is difficult when your mind is just wonderingĀ where is the coffee?

I’ve been working with my trainer for a year and it’s made me a stronger person, both physically and mentally.

comparison

Vic

When not running, I typically take a spinning class at the gym, walk with friends or toss around my trusty kettlebells. Iā€™ll do an obscene amount of crunches, often with a weight in hand and take an occasional yoga class. (Letā€™s face it. Iā€™m not flexible and my balance is all off.) But for my favorite non-running activity, I grab an oar and Ā row, row, row my boat with a few friends.

Crew is a team sport and I am lucky enough to live near some pretty fantastic waterways, the Genesee River and the famous Erie Canal and to row with some pretty incredible women. In the spring, summer and fall, we hit the water in a sweep shell (thatā€™s a 4-or 8-person boat where each rower has one oar.) Rowing is an incredible full body workout ā€“ it relies on a rowerā€™s core strength and technique, both of which take years to master. Nope, itā€™s not all about your arms, thatā€™s a myth.

I love rowing and the feeling of skimming across the water. I love that all rowers in a boat need to work together to pull as one.

In the winter, I often join friends at a local rowing center, in indoor tanks and to use the ergs, also known as rowing machines. As much as I try to pretend weā€™re on the open water, we never are. It not the same, but it is wonderful to have that year round option.

Vic Scoot Crew
Jess

I love to dance.

Let me repeat that: I. Love. To. Dance. If it were possible, my entire life would be one of those choreographed song and dance numbers you see in the movies. Flash mobs excite and delight me. I wake up in the morning singing (lately, it’s been JT’s “Mirrors”). I jam to my iPod on my commute to work. Sometimes I dance down the halls at work. What can I say? I’ve got the rhythm inside.

So, when I’m not running (which is quite often these days, as I’ve mentioned), I am dancing. I dance in front of the mirror. I dance for Bug. I dance for Bug and Mister Jess. Occasionally I dance for strangers, although this is purely accidental.

I have no idea how many calories I burn, or if I even burn any at all. I just love to do it, so I do. Wouldn’t it be great if that was the case for all forms of exercise?

P.S. I also do yoga, but dancing is more fun to talk about. JAZZ HANDS!

Ā Scoot Jess Dance
Cam
My other exercises are numerous. Ā Right now, I’m taking yoga, boot camp, boxing, Bulgarian Bag exercise and R.I.P.P.E.D.
R.I.P.P.E.D. is full body workout circuit. Ā It’s in its 11th season so the routine is constantly changing. Each letter stands for a set of exercises which is about 6-9 minutes long. Ā R is for resistance, I for intervals, P for Power, P for plyometrics, E for endurance and D for diet making for a 50 minute total body workout. Ā R.I.P.P.E.D. is by far the best all encompassing workout I’ve found. Ā It works every single muscle and it’s constantly evolving so there’s very little chance of plateau. Ā I’ve had the best results with R.I.P.P.E.D., I lost over 30 pounds and was certified as an instructor a couple years ago. Ā Whenever I’m feeling like my workout needs a kick in the ass, I go back to R.I.P.P.E.D. Ā There really is nothing like it.
Scoot Cam Ripped

Brooke

Does shopping count as cross training? No? Well, let me know if that changes, okay?

My pre-pregnancy cross-training consisted of stroller walking and theĀ occasional hot yoga class. Now Iā€™m trying to be smarter about it- itā€™sĀ not just about running, itā€™s about maintaining a healthy lifestyle,Ā right? Iā€™ve started lifting weights and doing squats, lunges and all kinds of ab work.

Iā€™ve also subscribed to Barre3 online workouts. Barre3 is a blend ofĀ ballet, yoga and pilates. The online workouts are awesome because IĀ can set my iPad on the kitchen counter and work on my fitness rightĀ there. And oh my, do I feel the burn with these exercises.

Bec

Iā€™ve always been sort of an exercise butterfly, flitting from thing to thing. I get obsessed with something and then it passes and before I know it, thereā€™s a pile of things related to that fad in the corner of my room, collecting dust.

That is, until I found Zumba. When I say I love it, I am not exaggerating. Not even a little. And if you had told me two years ago that love and exercise would ever come out of my mouth in the same sentence, Iā€™d have slapped you silly. Okay, well, Iā€™d probably just have shot you a really dirty look from my couch, but whatever.

For me, Zumba transcends exercise and calorie burn (although it is amazing in both of those respects). Zumba is like an awesome Latin/Hip Hop class for grown ups (with no scary recital costume at the end of the year). I have so much fun in a Zumba class that I forget Iā€™m working out until I feel the burn the next morning.

My schedule hasnā€™t allowed for as much Zumba as Iā€™d like lately, and my ā€˜fluffyā€™ class is no longer going on, so I miss it! (And I miss my Katie!) Katie was the best damn Zumba instructor ever. She played awesome contemporary music ā€“ lots of Pitbull ā€“ and just had fun with it. I even liked it a little when she played Fire Burning, the routine for which could knock me flat on my butt.

So, with my schedule dying down a bit, my plan is to head back to Zumba and shake this weight off, humming Pitbull all the while.

Scoot Bec Zumba
So that’s how we get our proverbial burn on. Besides running, tell us how you get yours!Ā  And remember, our Road ID giveaway ends tonight at midnight!

Couch to Spring

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YOU GUYS, IT’S SPRING. I seriously could not be happier. This was a long, LONG winter. Between snowstorms and colds (and my crazy schedule the last few weeks), I’m not quite as far along as I thought I’d be.Ā Well, my week off for illness turned into two weeks off (mostly illness, a little bit of lazy thrown in for good measure). But this week, it was time to get back on the horse. Or my feet.

C25K, Week 3, Day 1

Time 28:00 minutes, Distance 1.44 miles, Pace 19:27

Having taken two full weeks off, I was seriously scared to get back on the treadmill. I contemplated going back a week because, as those of us that C25K know, Week 3 means a 3 minute run. YIKES. But, I decided to just pick up where I left off and do what I could.

And it was good! Hit the gym with my daughter after her modeling class. I was tired and could have easily bailed, but Kay is my little Jillian and she was having none of that. While my pace wasn’t my best so far (about 20 seconds more per mile than where I left off), it was a good run. And I even pushed myself a little. Towards the end, I felt like I had some more run in me, so I did an extra two minutes!

Kay

My beautiful (hardass) baby girl.

C25K, Week 3, Day 2

Time 28:00 minutes, Distance 1.50 miles, Pace 18:40

God, I love when my pace number goes down. I really do. Before I started running, I didn’t even know what a ‘good’ pace was, much less that I would grow to care about my own and want to better it. I bumped up my treadmill pace and did the extra two minutes again, just to see it go down a little.

The feeling of being ‘a runner’ as opposed to someone who runs is starting to come back. And I’m not going to lie…

I LOVE THAT.

C25K, Week 3, Day 3

Time 28:08 minutes, Distance 1.69 miles, Pace 16:37

Yeah, I'm just a little proud.

Yeah, I’m just a little proud.

16:37! Picture me doing a little happy dance on the track. Because that’s a big drop from 18:40 just a few days before.

This was my first outdoor run of the year. I looked out the window and say the shining sun and the clear blue sky and thought ‘why on Earth would I want to go into the gym on a day like this?’

Of course, this being New England, it wasn’t quite as warm as it looked. But it was warm. 44 degrees warm.

Spring

The sky has gotten the message that Spring is here, and so have I. The trees, not so much.

I headed down to the local track and took off.Ā I’d forgotten how much more I enjoy running outside. No ‘hamster on a wheel’ feeling. Even though a track is a big circle, I feel like I’m going somewhere. And I don’t get any funny looks from fellow treadmillers when my Pandora starts blasting the dirty version of What’s Your Fantasy (which, btw, is an excellent running song).

But, I had also forgotten that I’m a faster runner outside. When I run on the treadmill, it paces me. I get all worked up by the speed and think ‘I can’t increase it, I’m not ready yet’. Ā Outside, I pace me. I run as fast as I am comfortable with, and I don’t look at the number on my phone.

I just run.

I’m certainly not alone out there, either. There was a little old woman running in pink sweats and a sunhat, a couple of teenage boys, some families out for a walk. AndĀ more so than when I run at the gym, I feel like part of something bigger when I run outside.

Spring2

My local track.

See that track? This is where I run. This is where I better myself, as a runner and as a person. This is where I become the athlete I want to be.

So, tomorrow, I start Week 4. Which includes a 5 minute run. I’m scared, but excited. And I’ll tell you all about it next Saturday šŸ™‚

<3 Bec

P.S. On the Dietbet front, I’m down 10 pounds in just under two weeks, which means unless I get assaulted by Ben & Jerry, I should make it!

Couch to Pride

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September 2012

Today, I did this.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edlBxl-Jgwk&w=560&h=315]

Pat my fucking head, would you?

Shape Diva Dash was awesome. It was hard. It was torture in some places. It was fun. It was challenging. It was an experience that Iā€™m glad to have had, and I got to have it with Heather, who rocked it.

On this hilly, sweaty, humid run, I had time to think. A lot of time.Ā 1:17:56.94, to be exact. (Thatā€™s 25:59 per mile, my worst race pace ever, and Iā€™m proud as fuck of it. And, I didnā€™t take the bail out on a single obstacle, not even the ones that scared the shit out of me.)

I kept something in my head all day.

ā€œI know that slow and steady isnā€™t always as much fun but apparently it wins races. Or something.ā€ ā€“ Meridith

I may not have finished first, but I finished, and thatā€™s a win in my book. Thanks, Mer.

But, all this thinking, and walking (there was minimal running), helped me to remember some things Iā€™d forgotten, things I desperately needed to remember.

Full post here.

Six Months Later…

It’s funny, I don’t remember feeling accomplished. I don’t remember feeling good about the fact that I finished. All I remember is feeling like that was my lowest, weakest point since I started running. I look back at that post and I know that was my attempt at a brave face.

There are things I didn’t write in that post. I didn’t mention that when I was in the woods (as much of this run was), I remember thinking “If I pass out in here, how the hell are they going to get me out?’ I didn’t mention that near the end, the paramedics pulled me aside and asked if I was okay.

I was not okay. I mean, I wasn’t going to have a heart attack like they seemed to think I might, but I was most definitely not okay.

And I didn’t mention that there was a moment on that course where I truly gave up. I finished the race because I had to get back to the parking lot, because there was no other option, but that race marked the end of my being a runner last year. After that, I wouldn’t run again when I restarted C25K this year. That day was a massive hit straight to my pride.

So, this week,Ā I did something that I swore I wasn’t going to do until I’d completed the Couch to 5K training program.

I signed up for a race. Two races, actually.

One, I’m not nervous about. I signed up to run the Jog ‘n Hog with Team Scootadoot in July. Because the idea of running two miles, chugging some ice cream, and running back sounds… fun? FUN!

But, I also signed up for the Boston Diva Dash again.

Some part of me needs this. I need to recreate that experience as a positive. I need to train and be ready and race and know what THAT feels like. I need run by the paramedics and have them not even give me a passing glance.

I need to get my pride back.

And I can do it. I really can.

But… I’m scared, man. Really scared.

<3 Bec

P.S. If you don’t mention the fact that there is no mention of runs this week because there were no runs this week, I won’t either. Except that I just did. We’ll get back to that next week. Because I have a race to train for.

Couch to Cash?

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And then there was no running.

This week did not go according to plan. There were Parent Teacher Conferences and doctor’s appointments and work commitments.

All of which I would have tried to work around, if I were not sick.Ā Which I am.

Feel my joy.

I am so, SO ready for the winter to be over. I want to open my windows and air out the germs we keep passing back and forth between the four of us. I want to run at the track (I thought about it last week… the track has not been cleared of snow). I want to eat salads and not feel cold.

I WANT PINKBERRY, DAMN IT.

Bring on the Spring. Bring on the warm weather. Bring on the feeling of rebirth that accompanies the end of winter.

BRING IT.

So, with no running to speak of, what shall we talk about?

Diet. And money.

These things are not related, Bec…

Says you. Pull up a chair and I will tell you how you can lose weight and make money at the same time.

Two words. Diet. Bet. Actually, on word. Dietbet.

I’ve been looking for something to jump start my journey to losing the weight, and I think maybe this is it. Maybe it isn’t, but I’m hopeful.

The basic idea is that everyone pays a buy-in fee ($25 in this case) and everyone that loses 4% of their body weigh in 28 days gets a share of the pot.

Have I mentioned that the pot is currently over $25,000?

Now, I have no illusions that of the 1000+ people signed up, I’ll be the only one who loses 4%. Far from it. But even if EVERYONE loses 4%, I get my money back. Anything less than 100% of the people reaching that goal means I make money.

I like money. And I like losing 4% of my body weight (50 times over will get me to goal). So, overall, I’m super excited!

This particular Dietbet challenge is hosted by Olivia and Hannah from Biggest Loser, both of whom are fabulous and have an awesome site, MyFitspiration. Both of these amazing women have transformed their lives and their bodies through diet and exercise. That’s what I want to do!

Biggest Loser never fails to inspire me. Is it sensational and heavily edited and manipulatively pulling at my emotions? Of course it is. But every year, I see someone up there that starts at my weight and kicks butt and I think ‘Bec, you can do this.”

I can do this.

So, we have a plan! Wait…that’s not a plan. That’s a goal.

What is the plan? I toyed with going back to Weight Watchers, either meetings or online, but the truth of the matter is, I don’t want to. I know Weight Watchers works for many people, but it’s never worked for me long term, and truth be told, I hate the idea of paying for something with such a basic principal.

I know what to eat. I know what needs to be kept in moderation. I know how to do this.

I just have to do it. (Why is it so hard, then???)

So, for 28 days, starting 3/18, I’ll be using My Fitness Pal to (religiously) track my food. If you are on My Fitness Pal, feel free to find me, friend me, and send me messages to keep my ass in line.

I’ll be eating a healthy, with as little processed food as I can manage. Because that’s not just good for losing weight, it’s good for me. And I’m going to try and keep it pretty low carb, since those are my downfall.

And I’ll be running, so don’t think this is the last of my Couch to _____ whining posts. Next week, we’ll be right back to Couch to Complete Insanity. Or Couch to Dead on the Treadmill. Or something like that.

So, wish me luck? Not that I need it. Because, while 4% loss in 28 days is no joke, luck isn’t going to get me there.

Work is. So, wish we success in making it work?

Yeah, that works.

Couch to Getting It Done

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Part of being a runner means planning. When to run, where to run, making time in your chaotic schedule for your run. This week’s schedule was even more chaotic than usual (and by that, I mean the kind of schedule that makes mere women weep. And I am mere women).

C25K, Week 2, Day 1

Time 31:25 minutes, Distance 1.50 miles, Pace 20:57

Sunday morning dawned again. My son had a gym appointment (rescheduled from last week) and this time, we were making it. My daughter’s swim was at the same time. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

I hopped on the treadmill and was grooving out to my Pitbull mix on Pandora. I was totally rocking this run. It felt so fast. There was a guy on the treadmill in front of me and he was running too, and he looked like he was going pretty fast too, and we’re running and we’re fast and HEY LOOK AT US, WE’RE RUNNERS.

Then, my son jumped on the treadmill next to me and started walking. Not super fast. Just walking.

And he was going faster than my run.

What the HELL?

For reference, my treadmill ‘run’ is about 3.4. My son was walking at 3.5.

Then I caught a glimpse of the screen of the guy in front of me, the one that I just bonded with in the glory of running a few sentences ago.

7.7

Apparently, I was not as fast as I thought. Or as fast as a ten year old walks. Or as fast as your gramma, most likely.

BUT… I was faster than I was the run before. And I have no desire to indulge in pace shame. I’m doing what I can, when I can, as fast as I can.

So dude with the 7.7, you were totally running faster. But we’re still both runners.

C25K, Week 2, Day 2

31.25 minutes, Distance 1.61 miles, Pace 19:31

And then I got faster.

Day 1 and Day 2 were back to back days. I never do this. But with the aforementioned crazy schedule, I knew running time was going to be hard to come by. So Monday night it was. My daughter came with me and she was totally faster than me, even walking, but she’s a 15 year old athlete, so whatever.

WHATEVER.

This run actually felt amazing. I was totally sore from the day before, but a good sore (the ‘good gawd, what was I thinking’ sore would come the next day).

And then I saw my pace under 20:00 and I was ridiculously happy I’d run back to back days.

And happy I started this.

And just plain happy.

C25K, Week 2, Day 3

Time 0:00 minutes, Distance 0 miles, Pace 00:00

It was supposed to be Thursday night. Mother Nature had other ideas (she and I are in such a fight).

Then, it was supposed to be Friday night. But it was still SNOWING. (I’m totally taking a hit out on her).

Okay, so Saturday, somewhere between brunch and my daughter’s modeling class at 2:00… oh wait, it’s at 1:00? Oh fabulous. Drive there, drive back, eat lunch. And I’ve got a date tonight with my husband, so I’ve got to get ready. Movie starts at 6:20 and it’s 3:20 and there is just no way I can pretend I don’t have time for this run.

Even though I kind of want to right now. That’s right, I’m typing up this post as part of my procrastination tactic.

But it’s not working. So I’ll be back…

Amended

C25K, Week 2, Day 3

Time 31:00 minutes, Distance 1.62 miles, Pace 19.08

Sometimes you plan and schedule and move things around and when that all goes to hell? You just get it done.

P.S. Next week includes a three minute run. If I die, it’s been nice blogging with you.

Breaking the Fast

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Itā€™s the most important meal of the day. Some people eat it on the go; others eat it for dinner. Heck, some people even eat it at Tiffanyā€™s (bucket list!). Whether you are in the ā€˜canā€™t start the day without a good oneā€™ camp, or your on the ā€˜hit the drive through if you have timeā€™ side, breakfast is something all of us at Scoot-A-Doot have been talking about (mostly on Twitter where we are like ā€˜Hey, Iā€™m eating…AGAIN!’)

We thought weā€™d share with you what our breakfasts look like. And hopefully, youā€™ll all be awesome and share with us what your breakfasts look like. We’ll beg for recipes. We have zero shame.

Vic

Iā€™ll be honest, Iā€™m not the best about getting a solid breakfast in my belly before work each day. Most days I pour myself two large travel mugs of coffee (donā€™t judge me) and run out the door to make it to work on time. I guzzle one cup in the car and the second cup shortly after arriving at my desk. I then eat a banana, or greek yogurt, depending on what I have in my pantry.

On weekends, when I have more time, I tend to make oatmeal (usually with bananas) or cereal. Sometimes I eat scrambled eggs. And lately, Iā€™ve been turned onto protein banana berry smoothies, so they may soon take over my breakfast and afternoon snack spot as well.

Brooke

You guys, I love all the breakfast foods. Omelets (with spinach and feta), french toast, waffles with fruit and whipped cream, pancakes with butter and maple syrup, and always lots and lots of bacon. I love the entire breakfast experience- sipping coffee and reading the paper (or facebook), while savoring these amazing foods that were (hopefully) prepared by someone else. Sadly, those kinds of meals don’t happen often. (And usually, it’s breakfast at dinnertime.)

My daily breakfast is almost always some form of oatmeal. My go-to is plain cooked oats with a sprinkle of cinnamon, some chopped almonds, a handful of fruit and a splash of milk. Meri introduced me to whipped oatmeal, which is so much better than my boring hot cereal, but takes more time than I have right now. More dishes to wash too!

Since the little dude arrived, I’ve been eating instant oatmeal (gasp). My favorite is Three Sisters Dark Chocolate, because it is sweet, filling and it’s ready in two minutes. I eat my cereal while I’m nursing the babe, and shove some fruit in my mouth while I’m driving the girls to school. Not the most enjoyable breakfast, but it works for now. See why I save the pancakes and bacon for dinner?

Cam

Smoothies! Ā I heart fruit smoothies for breakfast. Ā I’m not a morning eater. Ā If fact, I’ve spent the majority of my life skipping breakfast. Ā Unless it’s a pastry. Ā But pastries aren’t “everyday” foods, or so I’ve been told. Ā Instead I go all natural and get my sweets from a fruit smoothie. I have very limited time in the morning and blending up a smoothie takes less time than toasting a bagel or driving through one of those heart attack factories. Ā My recipe for deliciousness goes something like this:

Kefir yogurt drink. Ā Usually vanilla, sometimes strawberry if I’m feeling spunky.
Frozen mixed berries, either fresh that I’ve frozen or bagged.
A frozen banana. I put them in the freezer when they start to go brown. Ā I’m not a fan of ripe bananas.
One scoop of protein powder. Ā This can be tricky. Ā Finding a protein powder that you like can be a chore, but once you find a brand that floats your boat, you should stick with it.
Whole Flax seed, because I like the texture that it contributes. Ā Plus, it’s good for your bowels.

I usually just eyeball the proportions and toss in a blender. Ā If the mixture seems too thick, I add some water to loosen things up. Ā My kids love it and we can drink it in the car. Ā It’s my favorite breakfast on the go!

Meri

Jess and I were talking about BBQ food the other day and I said something to the effect of wanting it, just not at 8:49 in the morning (when we were emailing). Ā Because while BBQ is delicious, it just doesnā€™t lend itself well to being eaten in the morning. Ā However, breakfast? Ā You can eat that all day long.

And I would.

Smoothies, pancakes, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, omelets, scones, fruit, and BACON. Ā Yes, bacon. Ā I eat it occasionally. Ā And I love it.

Bring on the breakfast, brunch, brinner!

Jess

My idea of cooking is picking up the phone and dialing. I have zero skills in the kitchen, which is why I love breakfast so much. So many super delicious, ready-made options, and healthy ones at that. Look, Ma, I’m eating fruit!

My typical breakfast these days is a couple Nutri-Grain waffles (a little syrup in each square, thank you very much), a banana, and a tall glass of OJ. Get that all prepared – so easy, even a cooking-challenged lady like myself can do it – and then I shovel it all in my mouth before the baby wakes up from his nap. It’s simple, yummy and keeps my stomach full until second breakfast rolls around.

Bec

I am seriously a breakfast fiend. Most days itā€™s a healthy day smoothie (my absolute favorite is a Peach Pie Smoothie with chia seeds – frozen organic peaches, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt, chia seeds, sprinkle of cinnamon, sprinkle of nutmeg, blend, YUM. I’m with Cam, I don’t measure, just throw in there what you think will make the amount you want). But I love a big Sunday brunch with eggs and bacon and potatoes and EVERYTHING. I just love breakfast.

Love.

In the winter, Iā€™m big on oatmeal or a bowl of cooked grains (barley, quinoa) with almond milk and fruit. Now that the weather is turning warmer (I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER ABOUT THIS), Iā€™ll be doing overnight refrigerator oats. If you havenā€™t tried these, I can notĀ recommendĀ them highly enough. Easy, make ahead, versatile, healthy and crazy good.

Also, I have recently redeveloped a love of Poached Eggs on toast. Itā€™s so simple, full of protein and fiber, and tasty (even without theĀ CanadianĀ bacon and hollandaise).

Also, bacon. As often as I can get away with.

So, this is what we eat. If you want recipes for anything we mentioned, just let us know. Weā€™re good sharers. And if youā€™re a good sharer and want to inundate us with recipes and ideas, weā€™ll be forever grateful.

Now, who wants to make me a cup oā€™ Joe?

Couch to Carbs

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And so it begins…

C25K, Week 1, Day 1

Time 30 Minutes, Distance 1.30 miles, Pace 23:05

Sunday mornings in New England have recently been a complete snowfest. If you donā€™t live in a snowy area, you should know it makes a handy dandy excuse for not doing what youā€™re supposed to do. On Saturday, the forecast was calling for overnight snowfall. Yet, when I awoke Sunday morning, the roads were clear and my car did not resemble a small, white ski slope.

My reaction? ā€˜Quick, find another excuse!ā€™

The original plan had been to get my run in while my daughter was volunteering for Special Olympics (9:00 AM). This made sense, since itā€™s AT MY GYM. BUT… I needed to get a few things at the store and I desperately needed a Starbucks Vanilla Blonde and I needed a few minutes to sit in my car and play Ruzzle (i.e. lose at Ruzzle). So, I moved running to the afternoon, while my son was at swimming lessons (1:00 PM).

This was fine, and equally convenient, since swimming lessons are also at my gym. SCORE. Did my errands, brought my daughter home, picked my son up from his sleepover. He said he had an upset stomach and I could see the beginnings of a cold. No matter, Iā€™d go a bit later after I did my grocery pick-up (between 2:00-3:00 PM). Score.

My husband and daughter had an errand to run, so I was going to bring my son with me to the gym (to read in the ā€˜chill out, kidsā€™ area). But his cold kept getting worse, so scratch that, Iā€™d start dinner and then head to the gym once my husband was home (somewhere between 4:00-5:00). Score?

Dinner started, everyoneā€™s home, Iā€™m dressed in running clothes (which feelsl odd, since itā€™s been so long) and I head out the door to find… itā€™s snowing. Of course it is.

And that was when it hit me. Iā€™d procrastinated this all day because I was nervous. Now, it was my last chance for the day and New England had handed me the perfect excuse. It was snowing! I couldnā€™t be expected to risk my life just to get this run in, could I? It was already after 5:00, and getting dark fast, and…and…and…

Screw that.

It was barely snowing, and even as nervous as I was, this was a commitment I made and some part of me knew that if I took this one excuse, Iā€™d find a million others the next time.

Fast forward one hour and I left the gym. Sweaty, disgusting, already a little achy, and pleased as punch. My pace was worse than ever and I smelled like a camel, but I did it. Couch to 5K, Week 1, Day 1 was in the bag.

SCORE!!!

C25K, Week 1, Day 2
Time 30 Minutes 26 Seconds, Distance 1.50, Pace 20:17

Lawd, I did not want to run Tuesday. Like, at all. Nor did I want to stick to South Beach. Lots going on and emotions at an all time high made me want to dive headlong into a container of ice cream and my couch cushions.

I was trolling Twitter, which is always a good place to find excuses. Instead, I found this post by Holly, a woman who has lost over 200 pounds and just ran her first 5K.

You guys, I was SO inspired.

I read a few more posts, crying more than once, and continued to feel more and more inspired as I read. Hollyā€™s story is amazing.

Then, I did something Iā€™ve never done before. I sent off an email to a perfect stranger. Because I wanted Holly to know that not only had her story touched me so deeply, but that it had made it easy to make the choice I needed to make. (She answered too! Such a sweetheart!)

I hit send and headed to the gym. Because, as I said in my email, food wasnā€™t going to make this bad day better and exercise wasnā€™t going to make it worse.

It was a good run. A damn good run, for me, for Week 1 Day 2. I let my natural inclination to push a little more take over, increasing both my run and walk speeds.

And it felt…good. Really good. I remembered that running does something for me, something other than making me stronger and fitter. It makes me a little saner. That mindless focus on propelling my own body forward gives me a much needed break from the constant THINKING I do the other 23.5 hours a day (yes, even when I sleep).

Some days, Iā€™m not going to make that choice. Some days, Iā€™m going to opt for the oh-so-alluring ice cream/couch combo. Some days, Iā€™m going to let the emotional rollercoaster plummet me into a black hole of blankets and a bag of Cheetos.

And some days, Iā€™m going to say screw it all and just run.

C25K, Week 1 Day 3
Time 30 minutes, Distance 1.38 miles, Pace 21:44

And some days, itā€™s just a run. No magic, no epiphanies. Itā€™s just a run. And thatā€™s okay.

Tell me about your first C25K week?? Pretty please?

In non-running news, my relationship with South Beach Diet has proven, once again, to be a three night stand as opposed to a lifetime love affair. Not really shocking. I did make some amazing recipes (Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai, White Chicken Chili) that I will add to my healthy meals arsenal.

Hereā€™s the thing. I like carbs. Not just the horrible, bad-for-me, empty carbs, but the good, healthy, complex carbs too. Can I handle a meal without carbs? Sure. And I do, regularly. Can I handle weeks or months without carbs?

No. No I canā€™t. Nor do I want to.

So new plan this week. Iā€™ve got so much going on at home and the next few weeks are going to be more emotionally draining than any Iā€™ve had; I think Iā€™m going to employ some ā€˜do what you canā€™ mentality. I donā€™t have to be perfect, I donā€™t have to make the best choice every second. I just need to do what I can and let that be enough.

Or, Iā€™ll start doing Weight Watchers again because itā€™s my default. I just know that eventually Iā€™m going to show up at a meeting and confetti is going to rain from the sky when they say ā€œBec, you have signed up for Weight Watchers more times than anyone on Earthā€ and then they will hand me a free toaster.

And I will use it to make toast. With carbs. Because I can.

See you guys next week!