Correction to Last Week's 3.01 Mile Run Walk

So, once I came down from my Yee Haw High of being so fast, I went to Map My Run to enter my time and realized that my run was only 2.94 MILES!!  I didn't take a certain street during the route, which made me miss .07 of a mile.  Grrr.

I was determined that I would do 3.1 this weekend, so back at MMR, I set up a no-fail route, basically an out-and-back from my house.  It was actually 3.6 miles, but was able to see what street was at 3.1 miles, so when I was on the return trip, I'd stop my watch at that location.

All week, I was looking forward to this run/walk.  I made sure my MP3 player was charged, made sure my clothes were clean. I got myself psyched up so that I didn't let the couch suck me in. 

It started raining Saturday afternoon and was still raining Sunday morning. Sonofabitch!  I ate breakfast and waited for the rain to stop.  I checked my email. I checked my Facebook. Around 11:30, I gave up, did some dishes and ate lunch. Once I was comfy on the couch with my Publix Cuban sub, a handful of chips, a magazine, a cat and QVC - the rain stopped.  Sonofabitch!

After lunch, I threw on my gear and headed out the door, determined to beat my 52 minutes.  I walked down our street to Waldo and veered onto the greenway. It's nice and quiet, no creepy people who talk to themselves or smokers out for a stroll (I got stuck behind that guy last week...)  I was able to get in a few bouts of running, but even with the awesome new shoes, I think my ankles and shins just can't handle the sheer mass that they are being required to move so swiftly.  I feel like I'm near a 1:2 minute run-to-walk pace, which is good, but I know I can (and will) do better.

It seemed to me that the turn-around spot took forever to reach, but at the same time, I felt like I got there really quickly. It was kind of weird. I think it's because I drive that road every weekend and it seems weird to me to be ABLE to walk (next to) a road that I usually drive on.

As I paused to drink some water at the turn-around spot, I glanced at my watch.  I think it said 33 minutes. I knew then that I wasn't going to beat my 52 minutes.  I was kind of bummed, but used it as motivation to walk faster on my walk intervals and go just two or three more steps when I was jogging.

The walk back to the greenway exit was pretty fast, partly because I was now familiar with it's length and had made 'landmarks' in my head as I passed by them.  I could see street signs through the trees, so I knew when I passed the bread store or the flea market. I could SMELL when I passed Sonny's BBQ (I think I need to do lunch there one day soon, it smelled really good!) I began to see cars through the trees turning left and right, so I knew that the red light to my street was coming soon. It made me go just a little faster.

While I waited for the light to turn green, I checked my watch again.  I was about 5-6 blocks from the end of this walk and I was already at 49 minutes.  Bummed, still, that I wouldn't break that 52 minute mark, I powered on, running when I could until I finally got to the end of that 3.1 miles. I stopped my watch and looked down...

55 Minutes.

3.1 Miles in 55 minutes.Technically faster PACE than last weekend, but I didn't beat that 52 minutes.  Here's the pace breakdown.

2.94 Miles in 52 Minutes - 17.51mm pace
3.1 Miles in 55 Minutes - 17.49mm pace

However, I still must say that it is a lot better than I was expecting (I was thinking it would have to be at least an hour) and I did get a little choked up with happiness at that 55 minutes. I crossed the road when the light changed and made my way home.

I feel some trepidation about the upcoming 5k next weekend. I have a sad feeling in my heart that I will be dead last crossing that finish line, and I will probably get the pity claps and yells, but you know what?  I will have done the most important thing- I will have CROSSED THE FINISH LINE OF MY VERY FIRST 5k.  I will not quit, I will not give up, I will give it my all and I will cross that finish line, even if I am the very last person to do so.  There is no pity to be had, for I will have finished, and right now, that is the greatest thing in the world to me.

Then I'll go to Disney World :)

Being Frugal, but with Calories

Last week, as you know, I had to spend $110 on shoes.  It was a budget-buster for sure, but it was needed to ensure that there wasn't a bigger, joint-related budget-buster in the future.  Let's say that, after spending all of that money, we also went out for a fancy dinner on Tuesday, bought a new TV on Thursday and took a quick weekend-getaway to Disney - you'd think I was crazy!!!

Well, it's the same thing with calories.  So what if your office had cake for Secretaries Day (excuse me, Administrative Professionals Day)?  Why does that single slip-up make you feel it's okay to say "fuck it, I already screwed up" and then eat pizza and cheeseburgers for dinner the rest of the week?

If you look at calories the same way you look at money, I'd bet you would rethink a lot of what you eat.

The general recommendation for us is 2000 calories per day. That is 14,000 calories per week.  If you want to lose a pound per week, you need 3500 fewer calories per week, which is only 500 calories per day. Sure, you can starve yourself, or you can create a 500 calorie deficit with diet AND exercise.  If you burn 250 calories via daily exercise AND  you skip the 16oz Grande Vanilla Latte* from Starbucks, you have successfully created that 500 calorie loss (and probably saved a bunch of money, too!)

*Disclaimer - I don't drink coffee, so I don't even know if this IS a latte!

 However, we don't live in a perfect world and Lord knows I don't exercise every day. What I DO do, is to look at my caloric intake as a WEEKLY thing, rather than a daily thing.  Sure, we all have "oh crap, I blew my diet" days. I had one on Tuesday.  Our office celebrated Secretaries Day with cake and ice cream. I didn't go crazy, and only got ice cream, but it was still a 200-calorie splurge that I hadn't budgeted for, so it put me over my daily calorie limit.  However, because I could deal with it from then on, I ate a bit less for dinner the next few nights to compensate for that splurge.  I'm back on track with my calorie budget and didn't let a little splurge (don't call it an "oops" - that makes it seem like a bad thing) get in the way of my success.

On the flip side of this, I want to also say that, if you KNOW there will be a party coming up, or something that you want to eat that is hi-calorie, budget for it!  You know that vacation is expensive, so you budget for it. Food is the same way.  If I know that on Saturday, we are going out to eat at Cracker Barrel, I plan on eating lighter the entire week and splurging on Saturday.  It works both ways, folks.