Blacklight 5k

I'm finally doing another 5k.  Well maybe.  I've done this course before and it was easy enough that I doubt their measurements.

It's the Blacklight Run out in Bonner Springs KS.

I'm excited because of the people I am doing it with.  A group of sarcastic women who are not easily embarrassed.  It's so much fun to be with people who are not afraid to just have fun instead of worrying what people are thinking.  We are the Lightning Broads.  The kid is going.  Dan - my magician friend - described my  kid as Daria come to life.  I'm going to have to find that show for her to watch.

It's also exciting because it will be the first 5k for 3 of the women.  One used to weight 550 and now weighs 350 and did it WITHOUT surgery.  She's changed her diet and added exercise - giving herself a new lifestyle.  She's also dealing with why she got there.  I think it's rare for someone to get that large without an underlying problem.  Of course that comes from my own background and I know that it was more than just eating for fun.  That was some of it, but I was medicating with food.  And medicating with the wrong foods, some of which triggered more depression.   Currently I get severely itchy if I eat the wrong foods, so I have no problem staying away from them.  If only I had that reaction to cheese.  :-)

Back to the topic at hand.  I'm excited to have the opportunity to do this run/mostly walk with fun women who are actually interested in becoming healthy - not quick fixes.  I also remember how excited and nervous I was at my first race event.  It'll be fun to be there with race virgins who are experiencing it for the first time.  I love the running community.  Probably more than the running.  Actually a lot more than the running.

Getting my miles in

I've decided to bike/walk/run to Monterey, CA.  Well, not actually.  I don't have enough time or a high enough fitness level to do it IRL.  What I am doing is making a google earth video of the distances I did that day and making my own little log that way.  The first two days represent time spent on the exercise bike.

I couldn't figure out how to get the darn thing to exit at my exit and it looked like a truck cut me off, so that kind of worked.  Ended up having to make a u-turn.  LOL  Then I was on the wrong side of the road, but to heck with it.  I just left that one.

I also didn't start at my actual home, but rather the place we lived before this one.  I figure the miles are the same but then my address isn't quite so public.

On the second day I only went a couple of more miles.

now that I have my fitbit charger cord back I will start adding my daily miles from walking/running to the total .

2 days in a row

I have managed to drag myself out of bed and hit the road two mornings in a row.  Tomorrow won't make 3 because I have to drag myself out of bed and go to work.

Some pics from my mornings - just flowers, but there isn't that much to photo in my neighborhood.  Oh and I wasn't take walk breaks ..... I was "documenting my experience"  LOL

even the morning glories were not up yet!

Yay! Just Yay!

Just looks like a pipe in the grass, right?  Well it is, but the direction it's pointing is why I am so happy this morning.  The last time I went this path they had it pointed to the sidewalk.  The jerks who own the home put the exhaust pipe for their sump pump to the side of the house and aimed it towards the sidewalk.  Nothing like getting an ankle sprayed with someone's basement water when you go for a run.  It wasn't always like that.  At some point a year or so ago, they made this choice.  The sidewalk there was disintegrating and walking or running past was not pleasant.  Especially in the winter when everything would be ice.  That part may still be a problem since as you can see, it' still close to the road and still causing water to cover the sidewalk.  

For today it was nice to be able to run past and not have water spraying at me, but at the grass instead.

Did a couple of miles.  My first run since the milk fast.  Felt good and the weather was PERFECT.  It was also nice that my whole family, well at least those that live with me, were out of the house and on the road by 5:30am.  Kid did 1 mile, I did 2 and hubbie did 5.  Big kids all slept in at their respective apartment.s  

Training for Jane

I'm not into an official training program yet.  Will start one soon.

I'm so happy to see the sun.  Today I did 5 miles on the stationary bike and 3 miles on the road in my trusty VFF classics.  I know they don't make them anymore, but I found an overstock sale and loaded up on the ones in my size.  I love those things and have enough to last for awhile.

What did you do today?

slow is how you look at it

When I started it took me 35 minutes to do a mile.  And I was EXHAUSTED long before that mile was finished.  Then I got down to 15 on a good day.  I've not run in awhile, so it may be 17, 18 or even 19 now.  Still beats 35.  

To me at least.  I met a woman once who said that 15 might as well be walking.  I can see that but the motions are different.  I can actually walk faster than I run.  How odd is that?  While I do see where her thoughts were coming from, I was once again shocked by the number of people who like to discourage heavy folk from exercising.  It's like a mission with some of them.  Is it offensive that I try to exercise even though I can't always do it "right"?  What is it about a fat person trying to get healthy that brings out the need to criticize and put down?  I think maybe it stems from insecurity about what they are doing in their own life.  If I'm exercising and they are not, but they are fit and I am not - what does it say about them?  It's my best guess.  I don't care what other people do or don't do in their own life, and it annoys me when strangers feel free to comment on mine.

My goal is to be back down to that 15 min by the end of spring.  I'll set a new goal after that.