Christy

On Satruday, I ran in the Sisterhood Virtual EA SPORTS Active 5K! All of us who participated in the run, decided to blog about today, so make sure and check the out the Sisterhood so you can read everyone else’s posts. I’m sure there are some amazing stories.

Prior to the run, I diligently mapped out our route, trying to make sure we didn’t have too many hills to climb, a feat considering I live in the Hill Country. With the route set, Brian dropped Amanda, April and I off at the starting point. We laughed while we warmed up and were soon on our way.

I have to say I was more than  little nervous because my training wasn’t exactly what I wanted it to be. Five weeks ago I started, barely able to run 3 minutes without keeling over and dying, was sidetracked by the H1N1 virus, and managed to get myself to the point of running about 20 minutes (a little over 1.5 miles) non-stop this past week. My goal for the 5K was lofty. I wanted to run the whole thing without stopping and I was DETERMINED to push myself.

As Amanda, April, and I set out, our spirits were high! I mean, come on, we were totally hot in our stripy socks and bad-to-the-bone sweatbands. Total HOTNESS.

I’m happy to report I made it then entire way without stopping running. The most amazing thing is I never even felt like I needed to stop and walk. I was on a serious runner’s high – yes, I’ve come to realize they do exist, and WOW!!! As we ran, Amanda, April and I chatted, took in the amazing beauty, dodged a few motorcyclists, and trudged up one kick-ass hill. Or maybe it was an ass-kicking hill. At one point on the kick-ass hill, I felt like I was barely moving, but in fact, I was still putting one foot in front of the other. I kept thinking about Kirsten and her recent Nike Women’s half marathon. When she hit the big hill in her run, she told me that she thought of the Sisterhood and how much we had supported her in her training, and that we kept her going on that hill. Well, Kirsten, YOU kept me going. I knew that if you could conquer your half marathon and that  hill, I could conquer mine. When I reached the top, I pumped my fists in the air and picked up my pace. I was home free after that.

The rest of our run consisted of beautiful views, descending grades, and a little shade. Once the finish was in site, we all sprinted to the finish and celebrated our victory!! It was so amazing. Amanda and I finished in 36 1/2 minutes and April came in about 20 seconds after us. Not bad at all for my first 5K.

Here are some pictures (we didn’t take many) from before and after our run!

Before:

After:

Aren’t we HAWT?!!!

To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for this weigh in. I did manage to stay away from the Halloween candy, which is truly amazing. I think the fact that it’s still packed in my suitcase, has probably helped! You see, we went to Austin to trick or treat with Lisa and her family, and yeah, my bags are still not unpacked. But I totally blame that on the fact that April is here visiting now. I just don’t have time to waste on silly things like unpacking suitcases filled with Halloween candy! So anyway, I certainly wasn’t expecting a loss because I wasn’t really good when I was in Austin, and my 5K training has fallen a little by the wayside. When I stepped on the scale this morning and registered a loss, I nearly fainted, but instead I did a little happy dance in my bathroom before jumping in the shower! WOOT!!!

I’m happy to say that I have planned my 5K route, and it’s going to be a truly amazing, albeit tough, run. Lots of hills, but I managed to make sure most of them were in our favor! April and I will most definitely be taking some pictures during the run, so stay tuned for that!

Here’s my numbers:

Last week: 142
This week: 141.6
Loss: .4 (HALLELUJAH and AMEN)

Can I just tell you I’m SO excited about this challenge. SO excited because the Sisterhood has been around for almost a year and it makes my heart so happy to think of all the wonderful people I’ve met in shrinkdom! I’ve forged strong bonds with people who are so amazing and inspiring and just downright freaking awesome!! Without them, my life would not be as full as it is at this very moment.

So on to the good stuff!

My goal for this challenge is very conservative. The reason is that I’ve continuously set lofty goals for myself, and time after time, I fall short of meeting them. For once, I want to meet my goal and feel that victory!!! So my goal is to lose 5 pounds over the next 7 weeks. I feel good about that goal and I feel like I can achieve it.

As far as my EA Sports Active 5K challenge training goes, it’s been kind of hit and miss. Illness and rainy weather have tried their best to derail my efforts, but I’m staying the course. I might not be running the entire Sisterhood 5K come Sunday, November 8th, but dagnabbit, I’m going to give it my all. I’m going to push myself to make it as far as I can before keeling over on the side of the road and passing out!

Today’s Shrink-a-Versary Extravaganza starting weigh-in: 142 (up .8 from last week, if you’re keeping track!)

Good luck to all of you who’ve joined our fantastic challenge! I hope you find the kind of fulfillment I have here at the Sisterhood!!

I haven’t posted much lately about my EA Sports 5K training! Well, I’m doing it! Despite the setback of having the H1N1 virus sweep through our house, I’ve been training, and feel like I’m really becoming a runner. WOW!

The past few days, it’s been so windy, and living in a hilly area, the wind makes it so much harder. Add pushing a jogging stroller into the mix, and sometimes it feels like I’m moving backwards instead of forwards.

Today my run was awesome. I ran without the jogging stroller and my daughter, there was no wind and the sun was shining! It was in the mid-50s, so it was nice and cool, which is a bonus. Since I didn’t have the stroller, I took an off-road route I normally wouldn’t be able to take. Lots of hills, some rocky terrain, and complete serenity. When I started, my goal was to see just how far I could go without stopping. Well, I made it a whole mile in a little over 11 minutes, and it felt so good. I slowed to a walk for about 4 tenths of a mile, and at the 15 minute mark turned around and started running back towards home. I made it another mile without stopping. Truly unbelievable and so empowering! I finished off walking for a couple of minutes and then I stretched.

Total time: 30′ 11″
Total distance: 2.63 mi.
Average pace: 11:27 per mile
Calories burned:  268

I know all of this, because I use the Nike+ iPod software. It’s awesome and I pretty much want to make out with it! You can check out my Nike+ site here, and watch my progress. Seriously, check out my progress and keep me honest. If I know you’re looking at it, I’ll be less likely to skip a run, because I certainly don’t want to let anyone down!