What’s Old is New Again

Back in 2012 PS (Pre-Scoot), I found my magic combination for weight loss/better fitness/improved health.

Weight Watchers. Running. And Zumba.

This combo saw me down almost 60 pounds from my highest weight.

Me, at my lowest weight in years, hanging out with Mer in Jersey.

Me, at my lowest weight in years, hanging out with Mer in Jersey.

This combo saw me finishing my first race ever.

Beyond proud of myself post Atlantic City 7K

Beyond proud of myself post Atlantic City 7K

 

I was feeling better than I had in years.

And then, I decided to add jumping into the mix. As in jumping right off that wagon and fleeing into a field of cookies. (Poetic license there, but you catch my drift).

That’s the thing, though. The rational thought is, if something is working, why would you stop doing it?

Because, life.

#soreal

#soreal

And then, I convinced myself that this combo, that was working for me, must have been inherently flawed, otherwise it would have kept right on working. And then, I though maybe the combo wasn’t flawed, I was.

In the following four years, I tried a lot of other things. I went to experts who told me that ‘diets don’t work’ and ‘Weight Watchers doesn’t work’. I tried tracking on My Fitness Pal. On paper. In spreadsheets. Not tracking at all. I tried 30 day walking challenges, and squat challenges. I tried to start running again. A few times.

And then, about a month ago, I decided to try this combo.

Weight Watchers. Running. And Zumba.

And it’s working.

#BOOM

#BOOM

 

And I’m working it.

Me and my workout buddy, Pitbull.

Me and my workout buddy, Pitbull.

 

I don’t know if this perfect combo will stay perfect forever. But I do know that right now, it’s working. I feel accomplished, and proud of my efforts. I see the effects on the scale. I see myself finishing races (we’ll talk more about that later) with that beaming look on my face.

For now, I’m partying like it’s 2012, and I’m loving it.

 

Don’t Call it a Comeback…yet

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 😉 **

*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

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  did I do, you might ask? (I know you are insanely curious about the minutiae 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! 

Chick Chat: Firsts

chickchat
Everyone has to start somewhere. When our friend, Shannon, asked us to share some information about first starting out, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for a Chick Chat!

When did you first start working out – running, walking, whatever?

Cam – I feel like I’ve been working out forever… it started with dance when I was a kid, then swimming and belly dance and yoga when I was a teenager.  I started R.I.P.P.E.D. after I had my daughter and worked with a personal trainer for lifting weights and strength training to lose baby weight.  The running came when my trainer suggested it for cardio.  I was skeptic, but my friend Jana asked me to do this awesome thing called Ragnar and I really didn’t want to be left out.  So basically I started running so I could hang out with my friends.

Victoria – I started walking  – then – running regularly a few years back  as cross training for crew. I first ran a minute, walked a minute. Then increased it to two minutes of each, then three and so on. Soon enough, I ran a mile. Then two. Then three.

Meri – When my elder son was 15 months, I learned of a new franchise called Stroller Strides. Within the first year I had such great success with the program, I went on to become an instructor. During the last seven years, I’ve picked up different classes along the way: Jazzercise and Bikram yoga.

I had a couple of false starts with running, I’d attempted the Couch 2 5k program once or twice. However, I first started actually running two years ago when I got my treadmill. My weight has always fluctuated but with running, I’ve been able to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and that’s important to me.

Jess – I started running in late 2011 because all of my friends were doing it, and they’re pretty cool chicks so I thought “I want to be cool, too!” It’s maybe not the best reason to start up a healthy habit (maybe I should have started because I wanted to be, you know, HEALTHY), but that’s what it took.

My love affair with yoga has been going on for much longer, since 2001 when I took a class my first semester of college. Prior to 2001, I was pretty much a bump on a log. Except when I was dancing, of course!

Bec – About five minutes ago. Okay, no, about 16 months ago, but I’m still very much a newb. All of my adult life, I’ve had an on again/off again relationship with exercise. But if I’m honest, it was mostly off again. I just… didn’t like it. Last winter, I started Zumba and my first C25K attempt right around the same time, partially because I felt like it was time to change my life and my body, and (bigger) partly because, like Jess, all of my friends were doing it. Baaaaah. Hee.

Brooke – I’ve been active my entire life- dancing, running, teaching aerobics, practicing yoga. I’ve gone through phases where I’m less active, or I’m more into one thing than another, but I’ve always exercised. I’m fairly athletic (and competitive, ha), so it comes easy to me. I also enjoy it, which helps!

Vic's first rowing regatta.

Vic’s (middle) first rowing regatta.

What newbie mistakes did you make?

Cam – Newbie mistakes would be under-eating and under-hydrating. I never took myself seriously as an “athlete” and kind of blew off any warnings about taking care of basic needs first. I was a horrible eater and didn’t properly fuel my body. As a result, I’d puke after every race. I now have this complex, when I see the finish, I get nauseated. It’s my greatest fear to toss my cookies in front of everyone at the finish line.

Victoria – One of my big newbie mistakes was not investing in decent running shoes right away. The proper support makes all the difference! I also didn’t understand the importance of replacing shoes every few hundred miles. The tread wears – for me, rather unevenly – so when my feet or ankles start feeling a bit sore, new sneakers are always my first line of defense.

Meri – What newbie mistakes didn’t I make? I started with the wrong shoes that created such pain and blisters that I was absolutely miserable. I figured since I was already miserable, I’d attempt barefoot running, on the treadmill, without any training or preparation. I signed up for a mud run as my first 5k. I didn’t cross train at first and had horrible IT band issues. But I feel like this is all a learning process and you just pick things up as you go. There’s many things that I try once and then say, “Well, I won’t do that again.” But so many more that I try and feel elation.

Bec – So many. All of them? Maybe. I ran faster than I was ready to. I ran longer than I was ready to. I did a Zumba class and a two mile run back to back (owwwwww). But the most common mistake I made, one that I’m still making today, is not trusting my body to tell me what it can handle when I’m running. My body is fine, chugging along, and my brain gets right in the way by thinking we’re not ready for this. Guess which one wins? I’m working on not running “in my head” so much, but that is definitely a work-in-progess.

Cam's first 5k - she's the one chatting on her phone on the far left.

Cam’s first 5k – she’s the one chatting on her phone on the far left.

What do you wish you knew then that you know now?

Cam – I wore the wrong shoes for so long, and lived with horrible joint pain. I wish I would have had my feet evaluated years ago.

Victoria – I initially tended to overdress, and overheat. It’s good to remember you’ll heat up generally 15 degrees while running, so it’s a GOOD thing to feel chilled as you head out the door for a 3-4 mile loop. You’ll warm up five or so minutes in and will be thankful you don’t have to haul extra layers along for the next few miles.

MeriFor so long, I just thought that I couldn’t run. I had such a lack of confidence when it came to running. I wish I’d gotten past that sooner because running is so freeing. To know that I’m capable of running great distances is incredibly rewarding. For me, it’s about doing it and I’m glad that I finally got to a point in my life where I believed and wanted it enough to do it.

Jess – My newbie mistake was giving myself permission not to be amazing at what I was doing from the start. I set really, really high expectations for myself, so it’s easy to get frustrated when I’m starting something new. Learning curves are not for the impatient, but I’ve learned to really force myself to just enjoy the process. I’m not going to be the fastest at the race or the most limber in class, but I can keep learning and growing within my respective practices. That’s what it’s all about!

Bec – That it gets easier. Well, no, it actually gets harder, but you get stronger and it doesn’t feel so hard. Yeah, that.

Brooke – The most important thing, for me, is consistency. You won’t improve if you’re only running once each week. Run easy, run hard, run fast, run slow, run/walk. Just go for a run! At least three times each week, if you can.

Once you finish your run, you have to stretch. Running tightens everything; you’ll feel great the next day if you take some time to loosen up while your muscles are still warm. I usually stretch for at least ten minutes.

Also, find some support! I don’t mean in a bra, or the perfect sneakers (though those are obviously important too). I mean, find a friend to run with you. Find a friend to talk to about running. Most activities are more fun when you have a buddy to do it with you and this sport is no different.

Mer's first 5k, the Philadelphia Down & Dirty mud run.

Mer’s first 5k, the Philadelphia Down & Dirty mud run.

We’re all at different points of our fitness paths. When did you start out? What sort of newbie mistakes did you make? What’s something that you wish you could tell your past self?

Couch to Spring

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. 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. 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’.  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. And 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 🙂

<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

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 I’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. 1:17:56.94, to be exact. (That’s 25:59 per mile, my worst race pace ever, and I’m proud as fuck of it. And, I didn’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.

“I know that slow and steady isn’t always as much fun but apparently it wins races. Or something.” – Meridith

I may not have finished first, but I finished, and that’s a win in my book. Thanks, Mer.

But, all this thinking, and walking (there was minimal running), helped me to remember some things I’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, 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 Getting It Done

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.

Couch to Carbs

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 don’t live in a snowy area, you should know it makes a handy dandy excuse for not doing what you’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? ‘Quick, find another excuse!’

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 it’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, I’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 ‘chill out, kids’ area). But his cold kept getting worse, so scratch that, I’d start dinner and then head to the gym once my husband was home (somewhere between 4:00-5:00). Score?

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

And that was when it hit me. I’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 couldn’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, I’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. Holly’s story is amazing.

Then, I did something I’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 wasn’t going to make this bad day better and exercise wasn’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, I’m not going to make that choice. Some days, I’m going to opt for the oh-so-alluring ice cream/couch combo. Some days, I’m going to let the emotional rollercoaster plummet me into a black hole of blankets and a bag of Cheetos.

And some days, I’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, it’s just a run. No magic, no epiphanies. It’s just a run. And that’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.

Here’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 can’t. Nor do I want to.

So new plan this week. I’ve got so much going on at home and the next few weeks are going to be more emotionally draining than any I’ve had; I think I’m going to employ some ‘do what you can’ mentality. I don’t have to be perfect, I don’t have to make the best choice every second. I just need to do what I can and let that be enough.

Or, I’ll start doing Weight Watchers again because it’s my default. I just know that eventually I’m going to show up at a meeting and confetti is going to rain from the sky when they say “Bec, you have signed up for Weight Watchers more times than anyone on Earth” 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!

Couch to 40

Saturday mornings are my happy place. My husband is off at work (hug your mailman!), my teenage daughter is sound asleep and my ten year old son is watching something that makes me ponder if wine can be considered a breakfast food. Even that cats are napping. All of this adds up to me having a little bit of what every mom I know craves.

Quiet time.

Saturday mornings are when I prep for the upcoming week, do laundry, grocery shop (online – Peapod pick-up, you are my life now), and get mentally ready for what’s to come. And now, I’m adding something back into the mix.

Blogging! And talking to you guys! *pats lap* *passes out cups of coffee*

Last year, I was going to Weight Watchers on Saturday mornings, and after my meetings, I would come home and blog on my personal health blog (insert shameless plug – http://undertwoby40.wordpress.com/). Weight watchers has long since been abandoned, but when Meri asked me to be part of Scoot a Doot, I was hit by just how much I’ve been missing the opportunity to pour my thoughts into a blog post and clear the clutter in my head.

So, here we are!

And what will this Saturday morning posts consist of, you might ask?

EVERYTHING!

Okay, well not everything, but lots of things. Couch to 5K, first and foremost. And cooking (South Beach Diet friendly, at least until I tire of that). And Zumba. And what it’s like to be a healthy person trapped in a morbidly obese body. And my overall plan for the next 650 days.

Wanna get started? Let’s do it!

Couch to 5K – If you’ve never heard of Couch to 5K, it is a training program intended to get you ready to run a 5K in 9 weeks, even if you’re currently a couch potato (which I am, once again). You start out slow, running a minute at a stretch and then walking in between the runs. I almost said ‘running only a minute’ but if you’re fairly sedentary, running for a minute is no joke. When I first started C25K last year, I couldn’t run a minute. I had to start at running 30 seconds and work my way up. But that’s kind of the best part of the program. You make it your own. So whatever you can do, you do. And you push yourself, but not the point of injury. It’s a fantastic way to build up your endurance and show you just how much you are capable of.

I’m starting again tomorrow. Last year’s efforts were met with success, and then success met with me, and the end result was…not what I had hoped. But I did get things out of that experience. I found out that I can run, and that I actually enjoy it. I found out that I prefer running outside, unless it’s disgustingly hot and humid. I found out that when I stopped running, I missed it. So, for at least the next nine weeks, I’ll be doing a weekly recap. Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday are my running days, and I’ll be throwing in a couple Zumba classes during the week.

FOOD – I’m such a foodie. I really do love food. Good-for-me food, bad-for-me food, you name it. I love to cook, especially for other people, and I have a collection of cookbooks that could land me on Hoarders in a hot second. I’ve tried a lot of diets, and I tend to get bored rather easily. For now, I’m doing South Beach (low carb, low fat). When I get tired of that, you guys can help me pick something new, deal?

650 Days – And then I’ll be 40 years old (hold me?). I’ve made a commitment to use the time between now and then to really transform myself, physically, and to make sure I am the best damn 40 year old I can be. Because if I have to turn 40, and it turns out I do, I think I should at least get to be a hot, fit, fabulous 40.

While the plan to get there is definitely a work in progress, I’ve got a goal. Under 200 pounds by my 40th birthday. It’s achievable, which is key. Most of the time, my goals fall along the lines of ‘to fit into the pants I wore as a high school freshman (150 pounds difference) in the next six weeks’. This time, I’m going for realistic. I’ve got a lot of weight to lose to get there, but I can get there. The other part of the goal is to run a half marathon on or before my 40th. I think that achievable, too. But since I’ve yet to RUN a full 5K, this may be slightly cart before the horse. Still, having things to strive for is never a bad thing. And, at some point, time TBD, I plan to do a SheRox triathlon. Preferably in Bermuda with a bunch of my girlfriends (ladies, who’s with me??)

So that’s a lot of talk about where I’m going. But, I think what’s even more important than knowing where you’re going is knowing where you are.

Where am I?

I’m in my happy place. Which, at least for today, because we have to start somewhere, is the couch.

<3 Bec

Who are these crazy chicks and why should I read what they’ve got to say?

Hey!  ‘Sup?  Thanks for visiting our little corner of the internet.  Maybe you found us through twitter, Facebook, or you’re related to us (hi Mom!).  Any which way, we’re glad that you’re here.

We’re all writers, in one sense of the word or another.  Fiction, news, emails, letters (yes, letter writers are among us!  They still exist!)… writing is a major form of communication for all of us.  Each of the six authors of Scoot a Doot are at different stages in their “healthy and happy lifestyle” – we believe that you’ll relate to at least one of us as you read.  Perhaps that person will change as we continue on our journeys; perhaps you will.  But we’re all good friends, cheering as we triumph and leaning on one another as we falter. We hope to create that sense of community with YOU, too; you’re as much a part of this as we are!

chicks

(Have you located your crazypants?  That’s how we roll.)

Look around, check out the About section to meet each of us if you haven’t already.  We’ve started posting race recaps that we’ve written over the past years and plan to share more as time goes on.  None of us are professional athletes, we’re just doing what we love (and, if we’re being completely honest, sometimes loathe) and the best we can with what we’re given!  That’s what Scoot a Doot is all about – moving it, shaking it and never faking it.  We’re keeping it real; you’ll be hearing everything – the good, the bad and yes, even the ugly.

Let’s do this!  We can and we will!