Reality Hurts

There are times I make some lofty goals.  
You know, the whole dream big concept.
Only, I fall.  Or fail.
Or both.

Today is August 22nd.
I'm not even close to where I wanted to be.
Not on the scale, not on the miles on runs.

Honestly, I've been hiding from the truth.
I've been avoiding the whole come clean process.

Sure, I could fill this blog with some very valid excuses.
I could sit and tell you all how hard August has been.
I could tell you about my job and the crazy hours/days I've been working.
I could tell you about so much that has been happening (mentally and physically).

But where will that get me?

I don't want pity.  I don't want a way out.
I definitely don't need someone excusing my behavior.

Because frankly, my behavior has stunk.
Sure, I've been busy.  Who isn't?!
But I could have found opportunities to make the time for what's important.
I could have sucked it up and made it happen.

But here I am, wishing I would have.

And this feeling sucks.

I was supposed to be working to lose weight to head to Marco Island in December with Jason.  (Something I REALLY, really, REALLY wanted.)
I was supposed to be working hard to run and train for the St. George Marathon.
(Something I REALLY, really, REALLY wanted.)

Neither has happened.  I am most certainly not where I planned to be.
I'm embarrassed, I'm disappointed, I'm frustrated.

Dare I say it, part of me even wants to quit.
It's easier to just quit, you know.  It's easier to pretend like I don't care.

But the thing is, I do care.
I care about achieving goals I have set.

I'm not crazy enough to believe I still have a chance at hitting my goal by September 6th to buy my ticket to Marco Island.  And I'm not about to buy it anyway, just because I want to go and can afford the ticket.  I truly don't feel I've worked for it.  I've seen the work Jason has put in.  (Holy smokes, he's looking good as she shrinks away...)  It wouldn't be right for me to assume I can just go despite not putting in my end of the deal.

Does that mean I quit?  Does that mean I give up?
No.

I may not get to Marco Island, but was that the end goal?  No.  It would have been a nice perk!  But the end goal is finding myself again after this pregnancy.  The end goal is getting my healthy body back again.  And I owe it to my kids, my family, and myself to keep pushing for that.

Now about this other lofty goal....the marathon.

I'm not even going to pretend I'm going to be ready like I hoped.
I won't.
I haven't put in the miles to even consider making a "time" goal for the race.
So here I am.  Throwing it all out the window.
I'm determined to start that race.  And I'm going to give it every last ounce of effort I have within me to finish.  I will leave it all out there on the road that day.

And between now and then, I'm going to gain some laser focus.  A wise friend (who consequently is also running this race with me) reminded me today to stop beating myself up.  To stop thinking about what I haven't accomplished, and focus instead on what I have.  To focus instead on the time I have left and not let it slip away.

So here I go.

I make no promises.

I am making no loft, dream big goals.

My only goal right now is to focus each hour of the day, because at this point...that seems pretty hard to do!

Everything starts with a choice, right?  So each choice I make, the question will be....'will this bring me closer to finishing the marathon, or will this set me back?"

Honesty

Last week I spent the week in one of my favorite places EVER.  

Lake Powell

We had a fantastic time enjoying skiing

Tubing

Knee Boarding

Swimming

And so much more!

That being said, Lake Powell came at a crummy time for me.

You see, I was already a little behind on what I needed to be at for my weight in order to go to Florida in December.  But I gave it a valiant effort to stay away from all the delicious treats while I was down there.

Was I perfect? 

Nope.

Could I have been worse?

Ohhh yes!

Once I got home, I've been pre-occupied with some other things happening and didn't put anytime into focusing on jumping back into working out or eating well.

But yesterday was July 1st.  

And Monday, (the 30th) I started a weight loss competition with an old softball friend of mine.

So I figured new month, new contest, new focus!

Just a re-cap on last month...

I started the month off at:

I finished the month off at:

Pretty pathetic, right?  0.3 pounds down.

What that number doesn't show you is how low I actually got for the month.

What that number also doesn't tell you is the water weight I must have been holding on to from Lake Powell.  You see, between Monday and today (the 2nd) all that has changed is 2 runs, lifting weights, and a little extra caution with my diet.  (Read:  no grains, lots of veggies, lots of water)

I didn't weigh in yesterday.  But today I jumped on the scale after my 4 mile run and saw this:

I was pleasantly surprised to be starting July off at the lowest number I had seen in June.

Now for some work!

On Instagram I made some goals as part of a #JulyFitnessPhotoChallenge to help me continue to drop and stay focused:

1.  Run 4 times a week (marathon training)

2.  Lift at least 3 times a week (in our home gym)

3.  No grains for 6/7 days of the week (I'm allowing one free day)

4.  Be outdoors and active 1 day a week with kiddos/family (hike, swim, bike, walk, etc)

So there you have it.

My July plan.

Here's to seeing how much change I can muster up in the next 31 days 

(well...since today is already the 2nd, I guess I only have 29 days left.....)

Making Monday Count!

It's been 2 weeks since I last ran.
Actually, it's been 2 weeks and 2 days.

This is the longest I've gone without running in 3 months!
It's killing me.

Last night I went out for a walk.
My hip was sore to start, but eased up.
It gave me hope.
Today I'm going to try an easy run.
::gulp::

If I continue following the marathon training schedule I had planned, this week I have 2 30 min runs and then a 4-5 miler on Saturday.  (Depending on how I feel.)

Here's hoping I can get back in the swing of things easily.

In other news...I made a big change last Tuesday.
BIG.

I decided to eliminate grains from my diet.
My intake hasn't been perfect.
But, I've avoided grains, increased my veggies, and eliminated ice cream.
The results have been amazing!
Like ridiculous, jump-start amazing!
(I'll blog more about it, check back...)

Make your Monday count!  Do something to be proud of!

Time to work

This last week was rough.
My heart has wanted to run, but my body has said no.
My hip is feeling a LOT better.
I am able to walk upstairs without crying.
But I still can't walk completely without pain.
My physical therapist told me to hold of on a run until I could walk without pain.
So, I wait.
He said it could take as long as 3 weeks.  UGH!
(I'm hoping I can try it by this Saturday!)

In other news...
Things just got pretty serious around here.
Like I have a deadline to lose this weight.
2 marathons and a fall wedding, deadline.

Yep, you read that right!

Yesterday I found out I got in to the St. George Marathon!

I am SO excited.  This race was the one that really changed my life.  Now, I get to run it again...healthier, and happier!

This means I will be on a detailed schedule for training, including using weights to cross train so I can stay injury free.  This also means I need to be careful what I fuel my body with so I can make both of these races happen.

I am so excited, not only did I get in to the St. George Marathon, but so did my amazing friend Windee.  We will be meeting in St. George to do 26.2 crazy miles.

Some moments I'm excited.  Then others, I get a sick feeling in my stomach thinking about how far 26.2 miles is!  It's in those moments that I'm worried that I make myself remember that finish line.  There has been NOTHING that compares to the feeling of accomplishment that I had in St. George Utah in 2007.  Nothing.  Crossing that line, seeing my family all there to support me was one of the proudest moments of my life.  Now, I get to do it again.

I found this video yesterday, and it instantly filled me with all those emotions again!
(I plan to watch this video a LOT over the next few months...)

Diagnosis

I knew something was wrong Saturday after the half marathon.
My hip hurt.  Like bad!
It wasn't just the dull ache, it full on was a sharp annoyance.
And going up stairs...impossible to do without tears, or yelps of pain.

I did the logical thing.
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

I took ibuprofen around the clock.

Come Monday, I was walking a little better...but not much.
I opted to head in for a 90 min massage to work out my IT band, hoping that would help.
It didn't.
At least not a lot.

Yesterday I finally bit the bullet and went into a physical therapist.
He's confident I have an acute bursitis in my hip.
They did an electro-stimulation, put some heat on it, and taped it up.

I'm set to go back in on Monday too.

I'm pretty discouraged.
I planned to make this my best running month yet, but that is out the window.
He told me he thinks I'll be healed within a week or 2, once the inflammation goes down.
But until then, I'm only supposed to walk.
And even if I walk, it can only be if there is zero pain.

Well.  Right now, I never have zero pain.  So walking is out too.
Each day I stretch it, and each day it seems to feel a little better than the last.

Here's hoping the pain goes away completely so I can get ready for my next half!

Tulip Festival Half

Let's start off by saying that Saturday's weather = TERRIBLE.

I woke up to the sound of rain at 5:30am.  I knew I was in trouble.  I wished at that moment (for a split second) that I would be okay being a quitter.

I wasn't.

So I dressed, made my breakfast (toast, peanut butter, with a banana sliced on top) and got ready to leave.

Only, I wanted my running gloves.  And I couldn't find them ANYWHERE.  So I opted to grab hand warmers instead.  Note to future race self:  if it's scheduled to rain, find your gloves the night before.

I left the house, only to realize I left my garmin watch at home.  UGH.  So I turned back around because no runner can run without knowing their pace....right?

I arrived at Thanksgiving Point in plenty of time.  Honestly, I loved that I lived so close to this race.  It let me sleep in a little longer than most races.  I arrived at 6:30am (start time was 7:00am).  I sat in my car for about 15 min, gaining the courage to open the door to the wind and rain.  

Here I am pre-race.  Can you tell how excited I was about Mother Nature's little trick?  I had a space blanket to wrap up in, but honestly...I wished I would have had a poncho.  Or a garbage bag.  I was really, really dumb.  By the time I got to the start line (yes, the STARTING line) I was soaked.  I knew from there that it was going to be a long few hours.

As the race started, they warned us about hypothermia.  Yes, it was that chilly and wet.  

As the gun went off, I started my music and tried to get lost in in.  The first mile I felt good.  Real good.  My legs felt great.  Actually the first 3 miles were great.  I kept a good, steady pace.  There was a little bit of a climb, but nothing too bad.

By the time we hit 4 or 5 miles in, we were in the Thanksgiving Point gardens.  This was the point of the race I was excited about.  This was actually why I opted to do this race.  I had never been to the Tulip Festival but have seen pictures and heard it was beautiful and amazing.  We were able to wind all through the gardens on our run, seeing beautiful tulips like these:

The gardens are beautiful, and on a sunny day I probably would have enjoyed them even more.

I remember passing the huge waterfalls as we were getting ready to leave the gardens.  They were so pretty...this picture does them no justice.

As we left the gardens, we entered hell the golf course.

I read some other race recaps for previous years before this race.  All of the posts I read mentioned the terrible hills along the golf course.  I thought they were over exaggerating.  I thought they couldn't be THAT BAD.  

They were.

Miles 7-9 I hated.  Like full on cursing 4 letter words under my breath (and some 5 lettered ones too).  If you don't believe me, go golf Thanksgiving Point and imagine running a half marathon up those ridiculous hills!  And then imagine doing it in the POURING RAIN!

By this point in the race, I was over it.  I was so cold.  I was soaked to the bone.  There was running water coming down the hills, forming puddles at the bottom.  Yikes.

Hey.  On the positive side, several volunteers decided that I won the wet t-shirt contest.  All I kept thinking was thank goodness I wore my black sports bra.  Yikes, that could have been embarrassing...

At one point in the race, it was raining so hard that I tried to wear my glasses just so I could keep my eyes open.  Even that didn't work, the glasses kept fogging up.

Mile 8 was probably my most mentally difficult mile.  The hills were stupid.  I hated the weather.  I could see the other runners passing back on the golf course, headed to the finish line.  Blah.

At mile 10, my phone shut off.  Completely.  I lost all music and Nike+ and Runkeeper tracking.  I was bugged.  I knew it wasn't dead.  But it had gotten so wet that it powered off.  So the last 3 miles I spent music-less, in the pouring rain.  

At mile 11 I could hear the finish line announcer.  They were congratulating and awarding prizes to the ridiculously fast runners.  I hated them.  But I kept pushing.

My last mile, I have to say I was most proud of myself.  I wanted to quit.  I wanted to walk.  But I didn't.  In fact, I kicked it into high gear and it ended up being my 2nd best split time.  I was passing people left and right.  (Okay, not left and right....but I passed probably 5 people.)  By the time I turned to go into the chute I knew I was done.  I knew a hot bath awaited me!  

As I was running that last little bit, I got a little choked up.  I can think of 2 races where I've actually gotten choked up.  But I got all teary in this one.  As I reflected how terrible the weather was it reminded me of the marathon I did before (because the weather was of equal crappiness in both races).  I was proud of myself.  I was proud that I showed up for the Tulip Half in the crummy weather (many didn't!).  I was proud that I put one foot in front of another and finished!  I knew at that moment that the long journey I have ahead to lose all this weight would be one I could do because I DO HARD THINGS!  

(I crossed the finish line in just under 3 hours...2:56:54 is what my Garmin had me at and 2:59:06 is what the race chip had me at...I stopped a few times taking pictures so I'm going with my Garmin pace.  I originally hoped to be closer to the 2:45:00 mark.  And honestly, had it not been raining....and if there weren't those nasty hills I think I would have been pretty close to that pace.)

Originally Jason was planning to bring the kids to the finish line, and my mom had always been planning to come.  I knew this race would be slow for me even in the best conditions.  My pace just hasn't gotten back to what it used to be yet.  Then, when I saw it was going to be raining, I told Jason to keep the kids at home.  There was no sense in having them soaking wet.  And I told my mom to not worry about driving down either.

Well, my mom didn't listen.  And as I got close to crossing the finish line, I saw her with her camera.  (In her heavy coat, I might add...)  Thanks Mom!  As much as I told you to stay at home warm, I really loved having you there to support me.

So if this post wasn't long enough already....here are the good and the bad from the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Half Marathon:

The BAD:  

• clearly the rain!  and the cold!
• And the hills!!
• not having a hat to keep the rain out of my face
• not having a long sleeved running shirt!  (You'll notice I had a long sleeved shirt, but it was cotton.  And it held all the water in.  All my long sleeved running shirts were too tight and I wouldn't have been comfortable running in them.  Only, I didn't realize this until late Friday night.  So I ran, looking ridiculous in my soaked...and HEAVY...shirt.)

The GOOD:

• The tulips were beautiful
• The volunteers out on the course were energetic (even the little kids that had to be no older than 8 or 9 who were soaked!)
• The oranges!!  I can't say enough about the orange slices!  They had them at several aid stations and I was in heaven!  Every race director should have oranges along the course!
• The finish line food!!!  This race knew how to make a girl happy when she's soaking wet after the race.  They had chocolate milk, bagels, bread with jam, ice cream sandwiches (LOTS of those left...HA!), and cookies.  Ohhhhh, the cookies!  I was impressed because typically when I've ran a race at a slow pace, usually they have packed up all the food (or ran out!).  I was SO impressed with how much they had available to me.  Take note again, any future race directors!  Even the slow runners need food at the end.  So thank you to the volunteers who could have easily packed up in the rain and headed home.  Thank you for waiting it out, even for the runners who came in an hour after me!  It almost makes me want to run this race again.  Almost.
• The medal:

I LOVED the medal they hung around my neck!  The tulip is so cute.  And what I loved even more:  The fact that they had different medals for the different races.  (There was a 5k and a kids run this same day.)  I've seen other races hand out the same medal to all participants.  But Thanksgiving Point made sure to have a medal just for the half-ers.  (Another tip race directors should learn from!)

All in all, I'm glad I ran this race.  (And I'm even more glad I'm done with it!)

Would I run it again?  .........despite all the good (and there was a lot of good!) I don't know that I would because of those nasty hills on the golf course.  (And the rain is still hazing my thoughts too.)  I won't ever say never, but it would take a lot for me to jump into this race again next year.

My advice to anyone who is thinking of running this race:  go golf Thanksgiving Point's golf course first so you know what lies ahead as you start this race.....

Monday Marathon Training

Monday has come again, how did you do last week with your steps?  Remember, we are Springing for Steps this month...have you tracked all of yours yet?

This last week was pretty good for me.  And by pretty good, I mean I FINALLY made it back to the top of the FitBit leaderboard!!!

I've been competing against some tough, tough competitors!  And truth be told, I had to snap this picture early Sunday morning to catch myself in first place.  

As far as my training went...

Monday:  I opted to walk Monday with Jason.  We got in a good 2 mile walk.

Tuesday:  I knew I needed to run Tuesday since I skipped it on Monday.  I set out (with the DOUBLE JOGGER....ICK!) and went just over 2.5 miles.  It wasn't the easiest or best 30 min run, but I got it done.  (And have I mentioned, Connor LOVES our runs.  He gets so excited anytime he sees me in my running clothes, lacing up my shoes.)

Tuesday night:  Jason and I also went out for a walk with the kids.  We went 2.85 miles and I really enjoyed it.  

Wednesday:  This was another walk day, got 3.31 miles in.  

Thursday:  Because I bumped my run to Tuesday, it meant I was set to run again Thursday.  I went 2.7 miles (again with the stroller) and loved the weather!

Friday:  nada.  I opted to rest my legs for my long run.

Saturday:  9 miles!  I wanted to start this run early, I had a lot to do Saturday.  I got out a little later than I hoped, but was on the trail running by 9am.  The weather was perfect when I started.  Overcast, almost looking like it was going to rain.  (But it didn't.)  I knew I'd be out there for a while, so I opted to wear a tank.  This was my first tank top run of the season here in Utah...HOORAY!  

As I started, I knew I needed to pace myself.  I have a tendency to start my long runs off too fast.  I'm really trying to get the whole negative split thing down.  I want to be able to pace myself on long runs (and race runs) to start off slow so I can finish stronger.  But, that didn't happen.  I still started off too fast because when I came home each mile split got slower and slower after the 3rd mile.  

That being said, the run itself wasn't bad.  In fact, there was a race being held along the river trail I was running.  It was fun to see and cheer along all the runners.  It made me really appreciate this sport.  Runners are so friendly with each other.  When I'm running and pass another runner going in the opposite direction I always receive encouragement.  It's amazing!  Even when I get passed by a runner going in my same direction, they always seem to have some kind of uplifting words to share with me.  While running might be an individual thing, you are never alone in running.  It's like a club, once you've joined you get lifted up by all those around you.

Can you tell I love running?

Which is weird.  Really weird.  Because I never used to like it!

(rant over.)

So last week I was able to total my miles and felt really good about it.  

I ended up with 24.4 miles for the week!

It's crazy to think how far I've come just in the last month with my body...but even more with my mind!  This journey is SO mental.  And for a long time I dreaded every step I had to take along it.  Sometimes I still do.  But I can say it's gotten easier with each day that passes that I stay focused.  I am making this happen.  I don't know when I'll get to where I want to be, but it will happen...

Monday Marathon Training

How did your last week go?

Mine went according to schedule.

Monday, March 31st I was scheduled for a 30 min run.  I was worried about this run because of Saturday's crummy run.  But I actually felt really good come Monday.  I went 2.98 miles, and averaged a 10:30 mile which I haven't done in a REALLY long time.  

I bumped my second run of the week to Friday.  We were super busy trying to paint our living room and I just didn't make time for it.  Come friday, I hit the pavement for another 2.90 miles.

Saturday, according to my Jeff Galloway schedule, was a low mileage run.  I only had to go 4.5 miles.  It felt quick.  I ended up finishing with 4.65 miles by the time I looped around home.  I got out a little later than I hoped to on Saturday, but was able to finish before the rain kicked in.  This was the first run I've ever done on my own without my music.  It was strange, but nice to change it up.

For the week, with my scheduled walk day and my runs, I ended up with just shy of 13 miles.

This week I have my longest run to date scheduled.  Yikes.

Oh.  And did I mention...I decided to do something completely crazy.  I'm scheduled to do my training run on the 26th of April as a half marathon, NOW I'm also doing a half the next week too!  Groupon was having a killer deal, and Jason told me I should just jump in and do it.  So, I am.  And I hope I don't die.  Or get injured.  

I love that this 14 in 2014 is keeping me going!

Here's to another week of staying focused.....

St. Paddys Race

Back on St. Patricks Day, I ran my very first virtual race.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  But I knew I needed to add some virtual races to get all my 14 races in this year.  This race was done by Fib, Fab, and Lean.  Basically, I signed up then printed my bib for race day.  

With the virtual races, typically you have a range of dates that you can complete your race in.  I had a 3 mile run scheduled for the 17th, so I opted to make that my race day and do a little more to hit the 5k.  

The route I ran was one I had run before.  It started with a long incline of a hill.  But the second half was mostly all downhill.  I wasn't pushing myself, just wanted a comfortable run.  The weather was a bit overcast (as you can see from the picture above).  But I loved the route I ran, because as I turn and come down the hill toward the end of the run I get to see a view that is incredible!  There, in the distance is Mt. Timp and Utah Lake.  Each time I run and see this view, it makes me so grateful for where I live...for what my body can do!

I finished the race in 36:57 (11:48 min/mile pace).  Definitely not my fastest 5k, but I was pleased.  You see, I'm doing this to better myself.  And by getting out there and getting it done, I'm making the progress.

After the race I was mailed this awesome bling.  Normally, they send the bling out to arrive the week you are racing.  However, they had some quality issues with the original race medals and had to have them remade.  I just received my bling last week.

All in all, I was very impressed with Fit, Fab, and Lean's race.  I will be doing another race with them the end of May (only this time it will be a 1/2 marathon).  If you are looking for a virtual race, I suggest giving them a try!  They have a virtual race every single month.  The medals are GREAT quality, the race fees all go toward a charity.  It's a great cause if you're like me and like to run for bling!

(I was in no way sponsored by Fit, Fab, and Lean for this post.  Actually, they have no idea I'm even writing it.  I paid for my race entry, and all opinions are my own.)

Springing for Steps!

So all throughout March, I've been tracking my miles.  I wanted to focus on putting in the activity.  Yesterday was the last day of March, and I tracked my last #MarchingForMiles.

Can I just say, I was kind of impressed with myself, 57 miles in March.  If you look at the picture above, you'll notice my activity has double each and every month since January.  Not too shabby!

I have decided to continue tracking, and have made a little spreadsheet on Google Docs in case anyone wants to push themselves this month.  I will be referencing the sheet weekly, reminding people to track their activity.

You might be asking, what activity is acceptable to track?  ANY.  I did this last month, and some people tracked every step they took all month long and logged that.  Others tracked swimming and biking miles.  Some tracked only running or walking.

It is 100% up to you.  The key:  decide how many miles you'll go....then get to work!

While I think it would be awesome to double my mileage again this month...alas, my training does not have me doing that.  So based on what I'm scheduled to stick with for my training, I'm committing to 75 miles.

I would love for you to join with me!  Click HERE and it will take you to the spreadsheet.  You can put your initials...or your real name...or just your first name.

I promise, it will put a spring in your step.  Don't forget to use the hashtag #SpringingForSteps so I can cheer you all along!!!

Document.

So here I am.
Ready to document the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between.

When I said I wanted 2014 to be MY YEAR, I was serious.  And since then, I've eaten a lot of cookies.  (Dang Girl Scouts)  And I've eaten a lot of ice cream (Dang Ben & Jerry's).

But, I've also been doing a lot of consistent movement.

So here I am to lay this all out for you.

I've been hesitant, because in the past when I've said I had a plan....I then have fallen off the wagon.  So I spent the last month (since I've been home from Disney) being consistent to make sure I was committed.

I am.

Now, that's not to say I don't have work to do in areas.  I do.  Especially my eating!  But I can only focus on so much at a time.

I've made it known that I want to do 14 races in 2014.  I've gotten a few of them done.  I have others I'm registered for.  But it's not enough for me to just want to finish them.  I want to TRAIN for them.  I want to cross the finish line knowing I was consistent in my runs, and my cross training.

So I made a goal sheet.  And I have it hanging in my kitchen.  And each week, I'm prepared to report my progress.  I think I'll make it my Monday posts.  I'll call them Marathon Monday Training.  I'll give you a full re-cap on the prior weeks training and food consumption.  I'll be honest and real.  I'll let you know what worked, and what didn't.

Why am I doing this?

Because I want a step by step documentation of my journey.  Some weeks are going to be stinky.  Others are going to rock.  But the key is to keep plugging along, and that is what I'm committed to do.  What races am I running?  You can follow those HERE.  (I've already got 3 completed.)

What schedule am I following?  One from Jeff Galloway...

I love it because he has me running a full 26 miles just a few weeks before my actual marathon.  That means that I was able to sign up for a marathon for a "training run."  I couldn't decide between 3 marathons, all within a few weeks of each other.  His training schedule allows me to complete 2 of them!

So quickly, I'm going to give you a re-cap of the last month.  Normally, my Monday re-caps will be more detailed.  But I didn't want to bore you with that many details all at once.

February 25th weight:  210.2  (it was ugly when I came home from Disney World.  Very ugly!)
That first week after coming home, I began logging miles.



These images are from Dailymile.com.  I am kind of anal and have a few places I'm tracking...for different reasons.  I always wear my Garmin watch on my runs.  I also track the course and pace on Nike+.  I like to earn the badges on there and see my pace improve.  But, I don't track my walks or my cross training on either of those.  I wanted those 2 to be for running only training.

I use RunMeter to track my walks, and sometimes my runs if I'm needing a little extra boost.  You see, RunMeter links to Twitter and Facebook and when a friend leaves a comment or a "like" for you, it reads it to you.  It's fun...but I don't use it publicly all the time because I don't want to be THAT person.

DailyMile is a place I can sync all the miles I log in the same place.  It allows me to run reports on just runs, or all activities.  It gives me my mile totals (days, weeks, or months).  It is also where I track the miles I'm putting on my new shoes.

So, long story is...you can find me logging in any of the above mentioned places. :)

Back to training...

Week 2, March 3 -- March 9th:



Week 3, March 10 -- March 16


Week 4, March 17 -- 23rd:

And that brings me to the current week.

The only training run I've missed was March 8th.  I opted to spend the day at the running store, buying new shoes.  

My weight, one month later is 205.1.  Not as good as I'd like...but I can't complain because my eating has not been in check AT ALL.

So over the next month, that is my focus.  To watch what I eat.  Because I don't want to be doing all this moving for nothing!  You can't out-exercise a bad diet...food is ALWAYS the way to lose weight. So more veggies, water, and lean protein.  (And less eating out, cookies, and sweets!)

Check back on Monday for this last weeks detailed report on my Marathon Training...