Day 57 - Health Issues

Though the weather seemed cloudy, bleak and very cold, I still decided to go for my run. Yes, I am always motivated - before my run. I tried out my New Balance pair. The shoes hurt near the toes, that is, suppose one stands on her toes, the place where the shoe would bend is where it hurt with every step. It got better when I started jogging, and after the first mile, I did not care about my shoes, I was just very cold and breathless. By the way, I also realised that I cheat on my workout. The second half mile of my run consists of running down quite a steep hill, which I happily complete, so I shouldn't actually be taking the credit of completing a 3 mile run, it's more like a 2.5 mile run :(.

After returning, while flipping through the Health and Medicine section of an old US News magazine, saw an article on a triathlete. She moved to triathlons when she got bored with running marathons. The reporter also interviewed a Harvard doctor in the article who had studied Boston Marathon runners for years. According to him, moderate exercise is good for your health while marathon running is too much of a good thing. He, at one time, had studied 60 marathon runners bafore and after the race, looking at their heart rhythms and their blood for signs of heart damage. After the race, 40 percent showed evidence to indicate damage, though it reversed within days. The runners with less training showed most damage. The stress of running that long can promote systemic inflammation and blood clotting.

Now, even before coming across this article I was a little worried about the effect of all this on my body. I am obese and do think about the amount of work my poor heart has to do to pump blood to various parts of my body. I have told myself time and again how much more easier a run would be if I were just a little lighter, but my diet control is negligible and it seems that running a marathon is not motivating enough a reason to move to a healthy and balanced diet. I know, a sad story here.

Caroline, could you talk a little about your knee injury and what caused it. Also, I would like to request all long time runners to write about the lessons learned during their frequent running. What kind of health mistakes did they make and what could they have done to avoid the same, what negative health effects do they see on their body due to all this running. No, I am not demotivating anybody or going to be demotivated, I would just like to learn from other people's experience. Wise men learn from other people's experience, men learn from their own experience, fools never learn. I would rather be a wise guy in this case :)

Day 56

I am still on vacation, and yes I am trying to run.
I ran 2miles in 1/2 hour followed by walking to complete 5 miles on the 22 dec and 24 dec, inbetween walked for 45 min , so continuous 4 days of R/W. Took the 26th and 27th off due to travellin and now will try to R/W tomorrow again.Best part was my husband was doing the session with me and he just couldnot believe when I ran continuous 1/2 hour with him even tho it was a shuffle at 4.2-.3 mph.
Read thru GBs posts and comments, thanks guys for the vote of confidence and yes GB and NB will surely finish what they have started-those must be my vacation endorphins speaking.

Day 56 - New Shoes!!!

I have realised one thing about myself. If I undertake any task, I leave no stone unturned or spare no expenses in the preparation. Wait, let me explain in detail what I mean by preparation. If I have to take an exam, I'll get the most expensive books and all the accessories required to take the exam and then start with the actual studying. Similarly, if I am learning a new language, I'll make sure I have all the books, videos etc. and then I'll worry about the actual learning.

So in the marathon preparation scenario, I am focusing on getting all the right gear :). (Thankfully, I am trying to focus on the runs too). I had read about the sports speciality stores and so went to the Fleet Fleet store in the area to see what shoes they would recommend. They give one on one attention and then recommend the right shoes. Since I had a gift card (from NB) for Sports Authority, I went to that store to see if I could find some good shoes. At sports authority, you are on your own. I caught hold of one sports person asking him if there were any running shoes for supination or under-pronation (when one has high arches and the feet tend to roll on the outside). He said that 80% of the population has over - pronation (feet roll on the inside) and only 15% has supination ( I come in that 15 %) while 5% doesn't have pronation or supination. Since only 15% has supination, manufacturers have stopped making shoes for supination but do create shoes for pronation.

So I started looking into running shoes which were not for over pronation (he gave me a vague description to avoid shoes which had a gray band on the outside - midfoot to heel - of the shoes)and remembered in time that for high archs, extra cushioning helps. So after trying various shoes, came down with 2 pairs, one from Avia and the other from New Balance. From my past experience with New Balance and Nike, I have always preferred Nike over New Balance. But trying the various shoes, today I found New Balance to be more comfortable.

After reaching home, I realised that I had bought size 8.5 for both the shoes. Now, presently my running shoes are a size 8 and I think of my shoe size as a size 8 though I do go for 8.5 sometimes. So, I can't remember whether I tried the size 8 for these shoes or they were not available or they did not fit well, but presently I have two 8.5 shoes. I think they fit me ok but I am only concerned that since my shoe size is 8, will these be loose after some time? I am just confused. The store guy said that I can try them and return them within a week if they dont fit well. So maybe I'll do a short run and hopefully they'll be just fine. I looked up the web and did try to measure my foot size per the instructions. But according to that my shoe size is 7.5 which is absolutlely wrong :(. So now, I know that in the next few days I will be preoccupied with my new shoes and keep wondering whether they are a right fit or not. Uhh! time well spent :(

Thank you

Caroline, David, Ken, thanks for all your encouraging comments and guiding remarks. Being a former couch potato and a complete newbie to the world of running, I am sometimes at a loss to understand where I am going. With NB away for 3 weeks, I am trying to keep myself motivated, telling myself repeatedly that I can do it.
David, I watched the PBS Nova Marathon challenge. It was very interesting, informative, and inspiring. Thanks for Hal Hidgon's and passionforrunning urls.
I am planning to do a 5k, but to be honest, I feel I am not fit enough, and maybe, just maybe, I am scared. Just waiting for NB to return and push me to do it.
If by any chance I complete a marathon, the whole credit will go to NB and to you all to keep me going. Left by myself, I'll just endup on the couch watching tv

Day 54 - A run outside

I have been having a headache for some days now - started on friday. It's a dull ache, 3-4 on a scale of 10. I am thinking it may be because my eyesight is going bad. It is there when I go to sleep, it is there when I wake up in the morning, and right now the bright screen of the monitor is kinda hurting my eyes, hence the bad eyesight thought. It got bad on saturday and I had to take ibuprofen.
Today, I thought some fresh air would help and decided to go for a run outside. By the end of the run, even though my legs, ankles, feet were ok, every step I took felt as if a ball was bouncing in my head, so had to walk the last mile instead of run.
Again, I think running outside is much difficult than running on a treadmill. I was getting very accustomed and comfortable with running 3-4 miles on a treadmill, but today's run was different. Even though the aches were much less than that on a treadmill, I was out of breath much more earlier, one excuse can be that it was cold outside :)
While walking back, I had some thoughts as to whether I really wanted to run the marathon, was I really interested in the training....no answer. Though after I reached home, I had thoughts about how I would repeat the same run again till I was comfortable and I could do it in a much lesser time, also, how could I add distance at weekends etc....
But if I have to run the actual marathon outside, I definitely have to train outside.

Day 50 - A stupid mistake

Missed workouts on day 48 and 49. Day 48 was supposed to be a rest day while I didn't feel upto it yesterday. NB left for vacation yesterday. She gave me 'Marathon, You can do it' by Jeff Galloway as a Christmas present along with a panoramic jigsaw puzzle and lotttts of chocolates (bad idea!!!). Read the book's reviews - I hope I find it just as helpful.
Ok, now for my stupidity. I had lunch at noon, tea after that, was feeling hungry but went to the gym at 6.30 pm. So, of course I couldn't complete the 4 miles I had planned for today - Complete? I couldn't even start....Walked at 3.2 m/h to complete 1.5 miles in 27 mins. It was awful, my legs and ankles were aching as soon as I started. I don't know, I really have to look into this. If I eat 2-3 hours earlier than the workout, I tend to get side splits, if earlier than that, I am hungry - what should I do :(? Maybe something like eat a heavy lunch at noon and something light 2-3 hrs earlier than the workout, I don't know, have to figure this out....

Day 47

Wasn't planning to go to the gym today, but went as may not be able to go tomorrow. Completed 3 miles in 42 mins 15 seconds. Since it's getting cold, I wear a light sweatshirt about 2 pounds over my tshirt to the gym. When I remove the sweatshirt after 10-15 mins, I feel lighter even though the sweatshirt is about 2-3 pounds only. Realized again what a difference even a few pounds can make :(

Day 47

5W/10R/2W/10R/2W/2Rx4/Wto 45 min.

Not my day today, just could not run after 10 min ,wanted to stop 15 min into the session but kept on. Dont know why, ate Ok last night, no pain, no breathing problems, had 'the incredibles' on which I had wantd to watch, had taken water 30 min before. So I dont know what went wrong today.
Did the long walk outside on Sat-realised its difficult to do alone, got bored , GB ditched me this time. Weather was good. Felt Ok thruout but need someone to do it with me.
Getting ready for the vacation-thats a seperate stress added to the normal day.

Day 46 - 4 miles in 1 hr

Decided to complete a long run today. Decided on 6 miles, slow six miles to be completed at 4 m/h. Could complete only 3 miles at 4m/h, ankles started aching and hence had to run the last mile at 4.2 m/h with some walking at 3.6 m/h.

The Non-Runner's Marathon guide for Women - Review

Read the guide in the 5 days I wasn't running :/. Easy read, entertaining, but very repetitive. Didn't get any useful facts or knowledge out of the book.

The author does not give any facts about her height or weight and stresses the fact that she was a true couch potato who ate Cheetos and watched tv all the time. Also, she repeats the fact that she avoided walking or running at all times and took her car to work which was a couple of blocks away from her home. Makes me wonder - had she really been one with no movement at all, wouldn't she have been obese? And would it have been possible for her to run 11 miles at start of week 5? There was no mention of the speeds at which she ran. Her running speeds, her walking speeds, her speeds when she started the training, her speeds at various weeks, nothing, zilch. Another thing which was repeated was to eat as many carbs as you want when you are training for a marathon and you won't gain a pound. Unfortunately, I started implementing the eating part without the running part ;)

To be fair, there were a some important facts like hit your heels before the balls of your feet, stretch (there are some stretching exercises given), keep urself well hydrated and fed. Other than that if somebody is looking for useful, helpful serious information, she is going to be disappointed.

Personally, I am hoping that like the other things exaggerated in the book, the description of the actual marathon is exaggerated too. The way she describes her running experience and the marathon in terms of injuries scares me. She mentions her bad knee at various times, but other than that provides no details of the injury whatsoever. Though the description of the actual marathon was funny at times (I can't say that about the whole book, or maybe I just have a bad sense of humor :( , or maybe the fun went away with jokes being repeated), I am worried about the various injuries she describes.

All in all, a quick, light, sometimes funny read about the training experience of a marathoner.

Day 45

Went to the gym after a break of 4 days. Tried to complete the first mile at 4.2 m/h but could complete only .75 m due to side splits. Continued with the second mile trying to increase the speed, ran at varied speeds, at one time at 4.4 m/h for 5 mins, but had to end due to a sudden severe side split. Completed 3 miles in 45.5 min. Went back to the old blogs to compare and one month earlier had completed 3 miles in 52.5 mins. So not much of an improvement in a month.
Was discussing with NB that when I run, I have to end due to some ache instead of ending due to runningout of breath, for e.g. today side splits troubled me a lot even though I had had food about 3 hrs earlier :(.
NB is visiting family and friends for 3 weeks, so her training program is going to go kaput :(, but the upside for me is that I may be able to walk with her when she returns. I usually (always) slow her down when we walk/run together. I know, I m a meanie ;)

Day 44

W5/R25/W3/R2/W5 total 40 min

So today ran 25 min total and 2 min later total 27 min. Soon will be able to do 30 min, yes. absolutely. Getting up in the AM to do the session is the real battle yet. Have to be inspired to wake up that early and then move this lethargic body at the great speed of 3.5 mph.

Talking of inspiration, there is a lady in my neighbourhood who started walking her dogs about 2 years ago. She was heavy, her 2 dogs were heavy and they walked at a slow pace, like a caravan , all with their heads down, slowly moving forward. I saw them everyday after I dropped the kids at school. And I had a bet with my husband that she would lose her weight, to which he replied as I knew he would, that one-moving at that pace , she would never lose weight, and two, his pet dialogue- that those who can lose weight never gain it in the first place.
Well, you should have guessed the end of story by now- 2 years later, this lady and her 2 dogs are slim and fit, they still walk at the same slow pace, dont know what distance but whatever shes done its worked. Hats off to her. Now if I had the guts to tell her that.

So inspiration can be found anywhere you look, the point is to make it work for you.

Day 42

R/W 20min/5 min with rest of 2 min.

Didnt feel like doing it today, had a restless night and upper/mid back was hurting, more like a discomfort. Just wanted to curl and sleep, then talked myself into getting up. If I dont do it in the morning, that means its not going to get done. Thats the only argument I have against trying to sleep in any day.
Using the nylon socks I bought to prevent against the feet blisters. Bought 2 different kinds and GB will testdrive those too. So far they feel good and look good, blue and white matching my blue and white NB shoes. Thats the only thing which coordinates in my running wardrobe. Will get new 'running'togs when reach a mini-goal, maybe the half-marathon in May. Tho the pedicure for finishing the first month never happened cos GB doesnt believe in pedicures in the winter months. I will be getting mine this weekend .

Day 41

Easy day today, 2mile walk in 35 min. The walk was good, outside in the afternoon, the trees fall colored, the ground yellow,orange green and maroon of the leaves, the sun bright but not burning, the air crisp and cool, not windy or cold.I usually do the weekly workouts on the treadmill and the long weekend R/W outside so this felt good.
But ate too much-have to tell GB to stop talking about food with me. She mentioned the round orange flavoured chocolate, so what did I get for the gorcery store? the round orange flavored chocolate which I then had 5 pieces of, which amounts to 25o cal, and now the rest of it is calling my name. Then I wonder why I dont lose weight with all the activity I do.

Day 40

Wow guys! thanks! I am surprised at the run too. So today my body decided to be stubborn and would not move. I returned from work at 6 pm (had started work at 7 am) and decided to go straight to the gym. Just couldn't move - no energy and on top of that my soles started to hurt bad, so just a single mile. Reason (maybe) - I wore 3 inch heels after 7-8 months. Used to wear heels everyday to work for so many years and was comfortable in them, stopped for 8 months and now....but I am not sure, the archs of my feet were hurting not the heels or the front portion of the sole (sorry, can't remember what it's called, brain is fried). Hopefully, tomorrow will be better, I will be more rested and will be able to push myself a little more....
Yes, a blog is a wonderful way to track progress, but since I am laziness personified :( and sometimes don't feel like going through the old blogs to check the details, I created the spreadsheet, one look and I know what I did on which day - sometimes laziness can really make you work :). NB is the more active of us two (as if it wasn't obvious by now), with 2 kids and a husband (that makes 3), she has to be. So she patiently rummages through the old entries and can easily track her progress, and maybe that is the reason she doesn't make the effort to update the spreadsheet :(

Day 40

Ran for 15 min,W2min,R10 min,walked to complete 40 min. Cant tell if speed or mileage is right because of uncooperative tmill, very rarely have I completed 2 miles in 40 min before. Felt good tho' even tho the knees hurt -tightness for half the day. But no right foot tightness or pain noted today.
Was reading GBs post, this is my sister who rolled her eyes when I did my daily walk or moved in any way. This is my sister whose response to every suggestion I gave to exercise or eat right was either 'why' or 'then what'.This is my sister who for the last six months spent each afternoon after work laying on a saggy couch with a laptop on her lap, a t.V. 5 feet away and the remote next to her.Then suddenly one day she ups and decides to run a marathon. I took up the challenge before she blinked and changed her mind.

Fastforward 40 days later and the post yesterday happened- 2 miles in 29 min. I am soo soo proud of her. Ofcourse we still have to run the 26.2 miles 7 months later but this is one of the many stepping stones towards that goal.I think we will do it!!

Day 39 - Small achievement

Woke up with a slight headache - strange dreams, guess am just stressed out. Had planned to do a long run today (reason i missed yesterday), but got up late and had about an hour before had to leave for someplace. Went to the gym and ran at 4.2 m/h for 14.20 mins to complete 1 mile. Feel good, as about 40 days ago, it was difficult to run for even 2 mins at 4.2m/h. So completed 1 m at 4.2m/h, then walked, yes walked :) for 5 mins at 4.0m/h, then ran the rest of the second mile at 4.2 m/h. Completed 2 miles in 29 minutes which at one time (check my first week blogs) seemed impossible.
Thankfully completed the workout in the morning as the headache has worsened in the afternoon. Am going to log my headaches too in this blog to track the occurences. sometimes I think these are because of the cold weather, but waking up with a headache?

Day 38

1hr 40 min on tmill, approx 5.5 miles, I am sure its more because I felt I had exerted myself much more today than last week's LSD with GB. I usuallly run at 4.5mph and now even 3.8 mph puts me out of breath. I walk in between the running at 3mph!!Either the machine was wrong before and I am actually slow or its going too fast now and I cant keep up. I will have to go to GBs gym and caliberate my speed 'cos dont know how to make this tmill right.

Signs of my first blisters on the soles of my feet coming up so now a trip to the sports shop is needed to get the synthetic socks to prevent them. I broke my rule of not spending anything on a new hobby for 2 months, till I was sure I would follow it, by getting 'The nonrunners marathon guide for women'. It was a tossup between Jeff galloways 'marathoning 'and this one and I picked this one just because am not in a mood to be serious about running just yet.

Last week didnt go to well, ran only twice in the week, I think the tmill not working properly put me off. Read some coolrunning posts and started on this book, I think now is the time to start increasing the time of the workouts to atleast 40 min per session. 'Should' be doing it, but just 'cant' which is another name for 'wont', Ok I will do 4 workouts next week minimum 40 min each time even if the tmill doesnt start behaving.

The best part of all this movement is the eating, burnt approx 5oo cal, ate the yummiest egg sandwich with cheese! washed down by Oj. Guilt free!.Love that part.

Day 37 - Office stress

I was totally stressed out at my workplace today, the kind of stress when you are very quiet and just waiting to see how things turn out. Well, I stopped thinking about it as I left the workplace (at least I tried to). Came home, crashed on the couch, picked myself up in an hr and went to the gym. As luck would have it the only two machines I could work on were occupied, so turned away, walked a few steps, then turned back into the gym (gives the impression that I was very motivated, but actually had nothing better to do at that time). Went to an elliptical which wasn't working (the display wasn't), but surprisingly had the right resistance as I was sweating in 15 mins. Finally got the treadmill but couldn't run, no energy, so walked - walked at varying speeds, even 4 m/h. I think I am going to aim for a higher walking speed. :) I am going to aim for this, I am going to aim for that - don't know if I really achieve the goals I aim for in this blog :)

Day 36 - Headache

Too much stress at work. Had a splitting headache which has left me drained. Have been putting in 10-12 hours of work everyday. Was so excited about running a few miles today, but can't, head doesn't agree :(

Day 36

Yup, keeping track of the days like this is going to be difficult so may have to say-Month2, Day 6 or something- will get back on that.
Did the W6D2 session of C25k and just could not finish it. Ran the first 10 min at an Ok speed, cant tell exactly 'cos the tmill is still not set right, but the second 10 min was bad, had to walk after 5 min. Dont know why, I had actually eaten very sensibly last night but yes, missed the stretching/strengthening session on tuesday and yesterday just did not feel like getting out of bed in the dark and running on the tmill. So missed 2 days of working out and had to pay for it today-thats not fair!
Had planned to do 6 workouts each week for these 2 weeks before went for vacation but I guess you cant hoard the sessions. Now should I repeat W6D2 session again tomorrow till I get it right or do the W6d3 session of running straight for 25 min??. Will go to the coolrunning C25kers for this.

Day 35 - Hectic day

Today was a hectic work day. Worked from 9 to 5pm without a break. Was famished and knew would gorge once I reached home and then may or maynot go for the workout. Decided to have a mcdonald snack wrap on the way home (also to help prevent a hunger headache). Once home, changed and went for a walk (yeahh!). Was also implementing NB's advice about not running everyday :), so made it a little easier to go.
Walked around the area to see the Christmas decorations. For one subdivision, the lighting was amazing, each house's topping the other. Considering that we are trying to go green, the energy spent was wow!. But I loved it! Delightful!!

Day 34

It is difficult to keep track of the day number as now it doesn't correspond to the day of the month as it did in November.
Am experiencing right ankle pain after every run of a mile which goes away when I start walking, but my foot tends to slip a little in the shoe. I think it has got something to do with my shoes. Will start researching and maybe buy a pair of shoes over the weekend.

Day 32

W6D1 of C25k,5min running, 3walking,8R,3W,5R,5W.
Cant tell the speed because the treadmill went out of whack yesterday, I cant walk at even 3.7mph-its too fast, so it needs to be adjusted. Has to be done before the weekend because I will be doing my long weekend walk on it because the husband is again working throughout the weekend. Also will have to rent out a movie to watch while working the treadmill, already feel like a hamster.

Was going over the marathon goal, our goal is SFM on Aug 3rd, but the husband has applied for 2 weeks vacation during that time period so may not be able to keep that date,may have to look for one in Sept/Oct-well it does give us more time. Lets see.

Day 31

5.85 miles in 1hr 40 min, outside

So went for a walk/run in the morning at 7 AM. GB was so mad at me for waking her up early in the morning on a saturday, but my point is that the marathon is going to be at 5AM, so we can train our bodies from now itself to get used to running in the AM. Also its going to be only once a week and if you leave the long run for the rest of the day usually its missed.
Started from my house, knew the temps will be cold at 33 degrees but didnt realise, so cold! By the time I reached her apt the backs my hands, my forearms, my nose and cheeks and forehead was frozen. Next time surely will wear gloves and a scarf.
Ran/walked slowly,was surprised that ran for the most part even tho it was a shuffle and there was some incline too.Overall felt good at the end, actually cleaned house and ran some errands, hurt only when got up after sitting in the sun for 15 min, oh my poor back and my legs. Did some stretching and now feeling better in the evening.

Satisfied with the run/walk.

Day 30 -Month 1 review

W5 D3 of C25k - 5 min warmup at 3.5 mph, 20 min running at 4.5 mph, 5 min cool down at 3.5mph, total approx 2.2 miles in 30 min. Told GB and she said'what did you do after that?'. After that at the end of 30 min I was too exhausted to even move. Did look over my previous workouts and all have been just about 30 min. I think I will have to increase the length of the workouts to atleast 35 min next month.
Total 20/30 workout days.
Longest distance 4.6 miles.

Good beginning , I think.

Goals for Month 2 Dec 2007:
1- Finish C25k, be able to run 30 min continuous.Each workout 35 min.
2- Free weights 2 days a week.
3- Long run/walks 6, 7,8,and then 4miles.
4- 20/30 aerobic workouts this month.
So schedule:
Mon-C25k 35 min
Tues-easy walk/free weights.
Wed-C25k 35 min
Thurs- off/free weights
Fri- C25k 35min
Sat-long slow distance
Sun- off total
I may not be able to do all of the above because am going on vacation dec 19th onwards thru 1st week of jan but will try to atleast walk.
Cant believe did 20 min of continuous running, unimaginable previously. Did it at a regular 4.5 mph pace till the last 2 min which had to drag at 4.3 mph but still did it.

Day 29

Off day today, did 20 min of light yoga.

Read some interesting posts on coolrunning.com newbie discussions. A runner of 30 years experience urged all newbies to slowdown-first cover distance at slow speed and then increase speed gradually. Was talking to GB and it did work for her, she can run 10-15 min at a slower speed. I have to do 20 min tomorrow and am hoping to run at 4.5mph but if not may have to come down to 4.3mph. Most of the people agreed with his advice and shared their own experiences. So now I dont feel bad about going at a snails speed.

The challenge to not eat packaged foods ended even before it started. GB thought i meant packaged foods like breads etc also, whereas I only meant the processed snacks, so she did not take it up. We talked about it today and maybe she will join me. This is what happens to most of our challenges, they rarely see the light of the day because one or the other is not in the mood to make the effort. So actually this marathon preparation is doing pretty good, tomorrow will be 30 days completed.

Day 29

Ran for 15 mins at 4.1 m/h to complete a mile. Outer right ankle started hurting - walked for 5 min at 3m/h. Ran again for 10 min at 4.1m/h. Inner right ankle started hurting :), walked and ran to complete 3 m in 47 min.

I see some progress, let's see if I can improve on this or atleast sustain this.

Day 28 - Just walked

Didnt feel like running so just walked for 2 miles........

Day 28

W5D2 of C25k, 5 min warmup, 2 sets of 8 min at 4.5mph and 5 min at 3.7mph. That was the goal, but had to decrease speed in the second set by .2mph because of the shin splints. But i did finish the whole set, so that is good.
It doesnt get easier, atleast it hasnt in the last 4 weeks, but after the workout is great, I almost start smiling- must be the endorphins.
I want to do a survey- do the thinner unfit/deconditioned people who start running find it easier than the fitter heavier people. I keep thinking if I were 30 pounds lighter, I might not be panting at the end of each session, but then I also remember a walking session when I was 18 years old, being left behind eating the dust, by my middle aged , more active parents.
On the eating front, yay for me, did not touch the peanut butter Ritz bitz calling out to me. On the other hand did eat slivers of the brownie baked by the kids enough to equal a quarter pan but we will come to that later.
I am challenging GB to a week of not eating pre-packaged foods. Loser pays for the pedicures at the end of the month.

Day 27 - Sick Day :(

Had a sudden headache in the afternoon which did not get better in the evening. Slightly better but left me drained. After yesterday's workout, was looking forward to today's, but didn't happen. oh, health is so important in life - something we realise only when we are sick :(

Day 27

Easy 2 mile walk, 20 min free weights.

Did the weights in the AM, and walked in the afternoon. Smart move to do the walk at 3.30 pm while it was still sunny outside.

Moving is getting easier and I feel good after doing the exercise, but later on there is some stiffness and tired feeling.
Today on coolrunning forums somebody had posted 'A Joggers Manifesto' interesting discussion regarding joggers and runners, apparently speeds of less than 6mph are categorised as jogging, and covering 13 miles in 2hours was being considered slow. I did the math, 13 miles in 2 hours is what--6-7mph. Wow! then what are we?-the shufflers?coming in at 4-4.5mph.
I dont mind-call me by any name, runner,jogger,walker,shuffler,crawler, as long as I am moving towards my goal, I am fine.
The issue right now with me is the eating. Man! I eat a lot. Esp now that its cold, it seems as if my body wants to keep fillingitself to feel warm. So I eat everything in sight.And so I have gained weight.Running is supposed to be good for weight loss but I was calculating, 2 miles on the treadmill and I burn only 180 cal. which I can negate by eating one teeny snack. I always felt that I just cannot control my eating habits,that I am addicted to eating, which I guess I am, but now i have to take things in hand.The over-eating and the over weight is affecting my running, no one else can control it for me, running alone wont help me lose weight , I will have to work on this aspect too.
Will start with one small change- no packaged goods from tomorrow- no cookies,crackers, chips-my downfall, first thing I eat as I step into the house after work , easy to tear the pack open and hog.Will monitor for 1 week and see. Replace with hot green tea. Anti-oxidants will be good for me.

Day 26

According to NB, I don't work out or prepare scientifically enough. For me, working out, whether scientific or not, is a huge thing. I have literally been a couch potato for so long, most of the day passing with me laying on the couch, with a laptop on me watching tv. So working out, and on top of that scientifically, gets a little stressful ;)
Well, I did decide to give that a try, and actually it puts a little discipline in your workout. Did 5 rounds - Walking for 2.5 mins at 3.4m/h, then walking for 1.5 mins at 3.2m/h and then running for 6 mins at 4.1m/h. I was actually a little happy when I could run for 6 straight minutes at 4.1m/h 5 times. I remembered the days not so long ago when I could barely run for 2 mins straight, wow!!
I am trying to figure out why I felt pretty light and flexible today and did not struggle to finish the workout. Factors can be, lunch at 2 pm (pizza slice - I know, I know, bad!) and nothing after that till the workout at 7.30 pm, or an hour's sleep in the evening (had got up early today so had a slight headache). Don't know, but hope I feel like that at every workout :)

Day 26

W5D1 of C25k, 3 sets of 5min at 4.5 mph followed by 3 min of 3.7mph, 2.2 miles in 32 min.

Woke up at 5.30 AM to complete the workout, felt good after that. Now in the afternoon feeling so lethargic and sleepy.
Easy day tomorrow but the next session of C25k involves running for 8 min at a time. Lets see if I would be able to do it.

Day 25

Gym was closed. Went for a run outside. Was wheezing because of the cold (and ofcourse my fitness level). Ran and walked for about 4o minutes. Skipped gym yesterday. Day before yesterday weird aches cropped up as I was on the treadmill - back of right thigh, front of left thigh, right ankle ache etc, had to stop after 1.5 miles.
Things don't look very promising. It is said that it takes 21 days to form a habit, but didn't work for me - it's another thing that I missed quite a few of those 21 days.

Day 25

Easy 2 mile walk today in the PM , but the last 1/2 mile became a little hard by default.

I started walking at 5 pm and it was getting dark but I thought I would finish in good time. By the time I started walking back towards the house it was pitch dark and I had to pick up my speed. No traffic on the roads, no street lights, no other walkers/joggers/runners, I started moving faster and then had to stop because even the swishing of my own clothes was making me nervous.
Finished the walk today but made a note, no going out at night, am too scared to enjoy the walk then.

Day 24

W4D3 of C25k, 2 sets of 3min of 4.5 mph,2 min of 3.7, 5 min of 4.5mph,3 min of 3.7 mph, total 2.0 miles in 32 min.

Today was really tough. Dont know why since it was the 3rd time I was doing this session this week. Could be the heavy breakfast and lunch I had just 3 hours before the workout. Really, if the workouts could be done sitting in front of the computer or reading all the books and forums I would come out way ahead of anybody. But the actual putting into practice all that info is so hard.
What are the facts:
Food should be used as a fuel to make me run better, it will be there always till I throw it out, it will always be there in the stores, I donot have to finish it, I will not starve if I eat 2 less bites.
Workouts should be done in the AM so am done for the day and donot have to fight with the kids for uninterrupted time on the treadmill.
Have to do each workout to build up the endurance, missing a session once in a while is Ok but try not to make it a habit. For that have to follow the above. Was reading the coolrunning forums and people actually get up at 4AM to run- " get up from bed and feet go straight into running shoes."
Have to keep moving all the time, its no use doing the running and then sitting on the couch for 4 hours straight, have to make and effort to move some every hour.

Easy walk tomorrow along with some free weights.

Day 22 - Thanksgiving

Went to sleep at 2 am yesterday night. NB called at 7.30 am and then at 8.30 am pestering me to go for a walk with her. Relented and started at 9.15 am. Covered 3.2 miles in 50 minutes. NB covered 4.6 miles as she came to my apt first. For the first time I can say, the site she mentioned earlier IS a really cool site, it helps you map the distance you covered and many other things, haven't explored it fully yet. I'll try to put the link at someplace very noticeable on the blog http://www.mapmyrun.com/.

day 22

Went for a long walk today with GB interspersed with a few minutes of running. Approx. 5 miles. So this was the LSD for the week which I would have missed on Sat. because the husband is working through the weekend. Weather was beautiful, sunny, not cold, and we saw a blue jay which is supposed to be lucky. And it doesnt hurt that I can eat atleast one piece of the pumpkin pie without guilt.
Day off tomorrow.

Day 21

W4D2 of C25k, 2 sets of 3min at4.5mph ,2min at 3.7mph, 5min at 4.5mph, 3 min at 3.7mph , total 2.25 miles in 35 min inc.warmup and cool down.
Not a star workout, no just average, had to push myself at the end of each session of running due to the leg pain. Lets see how I do with the next one.

GB was reading my previous posts and she feels I write gibberish when I describe my workout as above. She has not read the very detailed reports of the experienced runners detailing the heart rates and the elevation , the daily,weekly and monthly mileage , the PR times for the 5k,10k,1/2 marathon and the marathons, the weather while running, the shoes and clothes they were wearing, what they ate and drank before, during and after the run, how they felt before during and after the run etc. The more I read about running and go on these various sites it seems as if the runners inhabit a world of their own with a different language and we still have to learn that.

Another thing I read yesterday-runners are not supposed to do yoga-they need some tension in their muscles and yoga stretches the muscles too well. This is as per Budd Coates marathoner quoted from The Complete Book of Running for Women. Dont really think that will affect me much as I am not regular with the yoga and when I do do it ,its minimal.

Planning a 3 mile run/walk tomorrow in the morning before gorging on the pumpkin pie whith whipped cream on top. Atleast I eat like a runner even tho I donot run like a runner ,YET.

Day 20 after 4 days of rest

After missing any walking or aerobic activity whatsoever for 4 days (no excuses for 3 days, headache on 4th day) I thankfully made it to the gym today.
Ran at 4.0/4.2 m/h, walked at 3.3/3.4 m/h for 5 mins each, warm up, cool down.....finally completed 3.5 or 3.65 m to be exact in 1 hr.....oh, howwwwww will I complete a marathon????????
Am thinking of running a 5 K in December, have to find one nearby.

Day 20

Weights and stretches for 30 min.

No running today but I found an awesome site http://www.mapmyrun.com/ I have to spend some time on it to use it more easily but I did map out a frequent route that I walked previously, I thought it was 3 and 1/2 miles or so, it is actually 5 miles!!. So this is another site I will be going to more often, Never knew it would be so easy to map my route. It is free registration so thats a bonus, I had thought I would have to buy one of those fancy gadgets to know how much I am running.They have a feature by which one can transport the map to the blog and hopefully this weekend I will have GB transport a few routes to our blog.

Day 19

W4D1 of C25k, 2 sets of 3 min at 4.5mph, 2min at 3.7mph,5min at 4.5mph,3min at 3.7mph. 2.25 miles, 34 min inc.warmup and cooldown

Was able to do it fairly easily, could be because have decreased the speed to almost a shuffle now. Or because took yesterday off,or because did the run not as soon as I woke up but 1 hour later, or because slept well last night. If I knew the reason I would have every workout a star one.Did get the tightness in the right leg but thankfully only at the end of the 30 min workout. Also I am giving myself atleast 5 min to warmup with a walk at a slow pace.
Then iced my legs again and feel so good.
Might have to add a couple of days of easy walking/elliptical/stationary bike to the program because with working out only 4 days a week, i am doing aerobic activity only 16 out of the 30 days in a month and my aim is to do atleast 20/30 days.
Today was a good day ,didnt feel heavy while running , no breathlessness etc. Should mark these days with a star or a happy face.

Day 17

4.2 miles, 64 min,LSD, some running, mainly walking.

The walking was Ok but again during the running felt the tightness in the right leg, slowed my speed to 4.5mph and was just thinking-Ok 20 more sec and will stop-when miraculously the tightness went away and I could actually run for 3-4 min. So that was good.By the end of the workout the legs were actually doing Ok but I was having trouble breathing smoothly.

Finished the walk/run early in the AM before starting the day. Feel good about that. Realised and maybe had read somewhere that these regular workouts are the building bricks for the marathon goal and each workout will help in some way to reach that goal. So no missing any.

Surfed the Jeff Galloway site for novice runners, so many calculations needed-magic mile, goal pace, speed workouts, pacing for the run/walk, for eg if goal is to run at 10 min/mile then workout should be 3min run and 1 min walk, but he didnt specify 3min run/1 min walk at what speed. Thoroughly confused, got some tips for novice runners and bookmarked the site for Jan 2008 when the actual 30 week training for the marathon according to his plan will begin.
The other thing learnt from his site is that the pace should always be at conversational level even at the end of the long walk-no huffing and puffing so as to finish strong. That means I shd be walking at 3mph!But I definately finished strong, I vacuumed and cleaned my house for 2 hours after the workout so must have done the right thing.

Off tomorrow, maybe will do some yoga/stretches.

Day 16

Today was off day according to old schedule so did some stretches and believe it or not did my weights at 9.30 at night. Dont know why had been feeling low for a couple of days, seemed not going anywhere with the program , feeling heavy. Why? its just been 15 days and we havent even started training yet. Then talked myself into moving, just for 10 min, and ultimately did the whole 30 min workout.
Tomorrow LSD 4 miles.

Day 15 - This is getting boring

Completed 3 miles in 49.5 minutes. Walked at 3.3, ran at 4 m/h. Warm up and cool down 5 minutes each.
Had been getting side stitches. Researched the web, things to be noted:
1. Raise your hands and stretch
2. I used to hold my tummy in and run and so couldn't breathe from the stomach (necessary to avoid side stitches). Stopped holding my tummy in, lo and behold, no side stitches since 2 days.
3. Don't eat or drink atleast 2-3 hrs before running. I never did, but still had the side stitches. So the above 2 steps worked for me.

Easy to understand description of side stitches at http://www.makeithappen.com/wis/readings/sidest.html

Day 15

W3D2 90 sec 4.7k,90 sec 3.5k,3min 4.7k,3min 3.7k, 33 min, 2.2 miles.

So the planning worked but at the middle of the last session got the tightness in the right lower leg again, but I just got the speed down to 4.5 and labored on. Read on the web:it can be either
1)exertion induced compartment syndrome
2)stress fracturs
3)shin splints.
Treatment is rest, ice, compression. I actually iced my legs today, man that felt sooo goood. I didnt know this. I stayed away from ice always because I just dont like being cold, my hands are ice cold in the ACed office, and no its not low thyroid, but wow this can become a habit.

So read more on all the above. If its shin splints then the above treatment should work.If its the other two then bye bye marathon and all the running glory, stay away from the symptom inducing activity unless you want surgery.

Also read on side stitches which GB seems to be having. Treatment is simple, try to avoid food atleast 1 hour before the workout, deep breathing, decrease the intensity of the workout for some time.

Reassessed my workouts, I cannot do back to back running workouts, not recommended.Also the fact that Nov 1st was a thursday set me off on the wrong schedule. So my schedule will change:
M:C25k
T: off/weights
W: C25k
Th: weights
F :C25K
S : LSD(long slow distance)
S: off.
Reassess in 2 more weeks.
But I need the rest days, just to let this old body recuperate the beating it gets on the treadmill.I was reading someones blog- he just took 15 days off in the whole YEAR. That makes me tired just to read. I like the coolrunning newbie discussion forums- there are others just like us and so one can get the encouragement needed.
'
And thanks Caroline, we have actually started looking forward to your comments, why dont you join us also?

Day 14

NB mentioned, it's also written in various marathon training blogs that while training, focus first on increasing the distance and then the speed. So completed 3 miles (in 52.5 mins) instead of the usual 1.5 or 2 I do today. That is the intention for the month of Nov - complete atleast 3 miles everyday going forward....walked at 3.2 , ran at 4 m/h
Left knee (my problem knee) started aching. Have to look into taking care of the knees. Don't want to have any problems with my knees. Health comes first.

Day 14

Missed today.
Woke up at 5 AM and then just could not make myself get out of the warm bed. Thought I would do the weights in the pm, after all its only 20 min, but then life took over. Had to go for the younger dtrs end of the year soccer party, ate too much pizza which was actually quite good and now am so stuffed that even lifting this small laptop upstairs made me short of breath.
And that brings into mind the other aspect, in the last 2 weeks havent lost an ounce, tho' havent gained an ounce either. Its been 2 weeks and I am losing my steam, for me this is the most dangerous part of any program, I lose interest around the 2-3 week period. The kid in me wants instant gratification-after 2 weeks I should be able to see some changes.The adult, patient, focussed me knows that changes in tone, stamina will begin to be noticeable around week 4-6. Do you think I can last till then?
Ok so recap of today--lesson learnt- those who fail to plan, plan to fail.
Plan for tomorrow--do the W3D2 of C25k.
Was surfing the web, there is a American River half marathon coming up in May , will have GB post the link, maybe that can be one of our small goals if it falls in the right time period.

Day 13

W3D2 of C25k,4.7mph for 90 sec with 90 sec at 3.7mph, then 4.7mph for 3min followed by 3.7 mph for 3min, repeated twice with a cool down of 5 min.
Wasnt able to do the last 3 min at 4.7mph,stopped because started feeling a tightness in the right lower leg, like a tourniquet and then felt as if I was dragging the right leg.Dont think its shin splints but its OK, will do it next time.
Stretching and strengthening tomorrow.

Day 12

Did W2D2 of C25K, i.e 90 sec of running at 4.7 mph with gaps of 2 min walking at 3.7mph repeated 4 times.Total 2.2 miles in 33 min.

Decreasing the speed from 5mph to 4.7mph really helped, I was able to repeat it 4 times nicely instead of dying by the end of the 3rd repeat.

Had a crick on the left side of my neck for 2 days, no, I dont think its a running injury, and its gone now. I am listening very carefully and intently to my body, any whisper of a twinge and I will back off the workouts. Dont know if am progressing at a good rate or too slow?

Day 11

Completed 2 miles in 33 mins with running at 4.2 m/h and walking at 3.2 m/h. Did a very slow extra half mile to start increasing the distance. Plan to jog/walk for 2.5 miles this week and then increase the distance to 3m.
Greg, you scared me here :). I have heard a lot about the injuries related to a marathon preparation or a marathon itself. I just keep reminding myself that my first priority here is health and then the marathon. As it is, I don't have very strong knees or a strong body for that matter.
But this is a 1 year goal for me. 20 years later I don't want to regret not doing this. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out, atleast I tried.

Day 11

Today did 20 min of strengthening with weights and 10 min of light stretches.

Was discussing with GB, strength training is required because we build the lower body with the run/walk and then there is an imbalance in the weaker upper body. But it is so BORING, just hate those dumbells.

Havent seen the SF marathon course, I am sure it will involve a lot of hills. Once we have built up a base of 30 min of continuous running in the next 2 months will start with the Jeff Galloway program for marathon preparation.

San Francisco marathon - Registration open

Was checking out the San Francisco marathon website. Registration is open. The site mentioned that slots fill up easily and that one should register early. Date - Aug 3rd 2008, registration fee - a steep 85$. Or maybe I am ignorant and all marathons cost something similar. I don't think I will register before February 2008, will come to know by then if I am serious about it. On second thoughts, I should register and then I will become serious :/
The website has all the details including the marathon course video and the marathon course map. I started watching the course video and my thoughts changed from 'Mile 1 - Oh, I can't do it, I am scared, it's a bad idea' to 'Mile 5 - I am already tired just watching it' to ' Mile 12 - Wow, if only I could do this' to 'Mile 22 - Doesn't look that difficult, and yes, I spot some short women like me in the race, I think I will be able to do this'
NB is the one looking into various websites and doing the research while lazy me is just maintaining the blog, but I think looking into the details of running a marathon helps - gets you mentally prepared - just look at the range of emotions I went through while watching the marathon course video.

Almost skipped day 10

Went for a movie yesterday - money well spent. Thanks for the encouraging comments Caroline. Helps keep us going.
Today, cleaned apartment. In the evening couldn't decide whether to vacuum the apartment or go for the daily jog/walk. So, I vacuumed, and then went to the gym (oh, me so good!!!). Found the right balance - walk at 3.3 m/h for 5 mins and jog at 4.2 m/h for 4 mins. Could complete this 4 times. Felt good. I agree with NB - If nothing else, atleast I have moved my body these past 10 days.
The other day my niece was jumping down from the stairs. Made me remember the days when I could jump down from the sixth step and used to compete with friends as to who could go till the 8th step (sigh!). I hesitantly tried jumping from the 2nd step which made me realise the bulk I carry :(.

Day 10

3.2 miles, 52 min, 3 sessions of 90 sec jogging with gaps of 2 min according to W2D2 of C25K program.
10th day of marathon preparation, if nothing else in the last 10 days I have moved 7 times, which is way way more than normal for me. And I am sorta kinda getting more concious of what I am eating, tho it could also be because I have run out of the halloween candy.
Surfed the web as usual, like the www.coolrunning.com newbie discussion forums. So many in the same boat doing the C25K program, finding each new level 'difficult' and 'unimaginable'.And then once they pass that level, the joy and exhilaration.
For me, today in the beginning did not want to do it, so even tho woke up at 5 AM just wasted the time away, day grew grey, decided to walk in the PM with GB, then it started raining in the evening, then the kids wanted to go to Borders, then I had to cook dinner, but in the end did do the workout. And feel so good after doing it-lighter.
Lessons learnt-finish the workout in the morning, or else life and the lazy part of my mind take over.I am the one who wants to run the marathon, so I am the one who will have to move-no one else can do it for me.And it always feels good afterwards.
Stretching and strengthening tomorrow.

Day 9

Day off from the marathon preparation. Not up to it - Going to watch a movie.

Day 8 - 2nd Week of marathon preparation

Today was the second week of the preparation for the marathon next year. Today I was supposed to walk for 5 mins and then run for 4 mins 3 times. I walked at 3.5 and then ran at 4.3 m/h easily, repeated this twice and started feeling proud of myself - wow GB what progress.....after that...I couldn't run for more than 2 mins the 3rd time, my body refused to..so walked at 3.1 for 5 mins and stopped.
I am 35 yrs old with a BMI of 31, almost inactive till last week when I started preparing. After today's workout, I feel I need to take it a little slow instead of trying to run at 4.3 mins. My advice - Take it slow - listen to your body.
I will be changing the table provided at the top of this blog to make it more feasible for real couch potatoes like me. Also, for people in northern California, I will attach the San Francisco marathon route to this blog so that we all know what we are aiming for.

Day 8

32 min, 3min 3 times at intervals of 2 min. Tried to do the 3 min 4th time and had to give up after 1 min of running. Total distance 2.10 miles. I might as well walk at 4mph and do a walkathon instead of a marathon.
The problems:
According to the C25K program I should actually be running 90 sec and walking 2 min and do this 3 times.What did I do-the above. As usual pushing too hard too soon. Now have the beginings of shin splints too.And havent actually made a schedule yet, so here goes:

Saturday-long run/walk
Sunday-weights and stretches
Monday-run/walk
Tuesday-easy walk
Wednesday-weights/stretches
Thursday-run/walk
Friday-rest day, nothing.

I hope this works, do not want to giveup,get burnt out or get injured.
Read a very nice thing yesterday-runners need to do regular progressive workouts and have patience with their bodies.
Didnt register that till after todays workout.

Day 7 of marathon preparation

Today is the 7th day of working out or should I say moving my body and I can see a difference. The first day it was very difficult for me to even complete 2 mins of running and I could not repeat that. Today, I could run for 3 mins after every 4 to 5 mins of walking. The improvement is not huge but atleast its there.
Some calculations - Let's say we want to complete a marathon in 6 hours i.e. 26.2 miles in 6 hours -->4.3 miles an hour. So either we run the whole marathon at a speed of 4.3 miles/hr or run at a higher speed and then walk for some time.....uhhhh......this does not seem very easy considering that today the speed at which I ran was 4.3 m/h and I was out of breath after every 3 mins I ran.....prospects of completing the marathon don't seem very bright considering my present height and weight :(
NB is taking this very seriously and would be very disappointed if this doesn't happen. Let's hope for the best and keep working on it.

Day 7

2 sets upper body with 5 pound weights, 2 sets stretches from www.familydoctor.org, 10 sun salutations, time 50 min.
Today will research shinsplints prevention and treatment. I start hurting when I am on the treadmill after 15-20 min.
GB is the gadget queen so she will find a way to 1) measure the distance for our long run/walks and 2) to measure the run/walk time sessions when on the road.
Feeling so good right now, why am I subjecting my 40 year old body to the rigors of running, I dont know, have 1 year to think about it.

Day 6

Ran 2 min 3 times with walking in between of 5 min each time, total workout 32 min.

Am soo tired today,its amazing, Didnt realise I was so out of shape. 6p.m and I just want to curl into a ball and sleep.Thankfully tomorrow is stretching and strengthening, i.e. easy day so will be able to feel better.
Keep thinking might not be able to do it. GB calculating-26 miles in 6 hours means a speed of atleast 12-13 min mile. That is too much. Just thinking about it makes me hurt.
But we can do it, we will. Today is just day 6 of the 300 days till SFmarathon. We will do it.
Almost finished 'The complete book of running' . Good pointers given on how to prepare for marathon if you are a beginner. They wrote a 18 week plan if you have been running a 15-20 mile week before starting the training. lets see, we have 2 months to start running and then 28 weeks to prepare.One step at a time, baby steps.

day5 pm

Feeling so sore today, just generalised tightness and lower legs are killing me. Had to take a nap in the afternoon to function in the evening.
Read about Katie Holmes finishing the NYC marathon in 5 hours,29 min. and then attending the premiere of some movie in high heels. As per the article she trained only for 2 months. 2 mths,I may be able to run 2 miles in 2 months if I keep at it.
Surfed the web and found this very helpful site www.familydoctor.org in which they have a section for injury prevention for runners with nice stretching and strengthening exercises. I read over all those and will do them on my days off-wednesday and sunday for strengthening.
Crosstraining is another thing to do along with running to build up muscles not used in running and to build endurance without the pounding effect of running on the joints.Maybe will incorporate some stationary biking later on, right now barely run 5 min total in a 30 min workout.

Day 5

Because of time change woke up at 5 AM and finished the walk/run program for today. Was watching a movie and the workout carried on for 40 min,followed by 15 min of stretching so can feel it now.But it feels good to be done for the day. Though I know that by evening I will be feeling sore and will have to stretch again.
Ate breakfast of cereal,milk and banana within 45 min of exercise . One has to eat within 30-60 min of the run to prepare the body for the next session. So protein,carbohydrate and vitamins done.
Love the daylight saving time. Now till april it will be easier waking up in the AM for the exercise,the marathon starts around 5 AM so this should help.
Will surf for more running info later and will post if find something good.

Day4 pm

We had our cousins over for lunch and it was GBs great idea to get a humungus Tiramisu cake for dessert. No prizes for guessing what happened, after gorging ourselves with the lunch, we then inhaled the cake. The couple kept looking at us in awe mixed with probably disgust as we ate plate after plate of the cake. Well, atleast it was good.
So for damage control we walked 2 miles at a snails pace and vowed, firstly not to have dinner tonite and then not to buy a dessert cake atleast till the end of this month. Notice I did not mention pies.
No, seriously, no more scarfing cakes and pies, try and decrease the intake of sugar. Research states that sugar ages you and affects the joints by making them stiff and weak.So TRY to eat right now.
NB.

Day 4

Today is off day, did 10 sun salutations for the stretching part, helped take care of the tightness and soreness my 40 year old body was feeling in the morning.
Then spent an hour surfing the web for running and strength training. Will have to incorporate upper body and lower body weights to strenghten and balance the running.Do NOT want to end up with a chronic injury because of this goal. Informative site found was http://www.completerunning.com/. They have an article'100 tips for begining runners' which is all the information one needs at the start of a running program.
The one point which I need right now is to limit my research on running and actually keep doing it. It is so much more easy and enjoyable to sit on the couch and let the fingers and the mind do the running.And that is the reason why we started off in the first place- to avoid the inactive state.OK time limit of 30 minutes each day on reading/surfing the web/blogging about the run.
So as far as strength training goes, have to get some ankle weights, I have 5 and 8 lb dumbells, and set up a training program.
Maybe later will go for a short walk today.
NB

Day 3

Went for a walk with NB. When we had got the idea of a marathon, I had thought ok, atleast it will help me lose weight. Today I walked the same path I had walked 2 months earlier when I was 10 pounds lighter. Revelation - I'll have to lose weight if I want to continue with the idea of running a marathon. With an extra 10 pounds on me, the same path almost killed me - I was totally out of breath. I don't know, sometimes the whole idea seems feasible and sometimes impossible.
News today - A glass of Beer after a run is absorbed faster than a glass of water and it replenishes the minerals and calories faster (yeahh!! for Beer lovers). A previous marathon winner Ryan Shay, 28 years old, died during Olympic marathon trials today in New York.

Did our "long" walk today approx 3 miles which did include a short hill in 50 minutes. Did run maybe 2 min in the whole duration but first have to build up the stamina.Apparently if you increase the duration of walking that helps the speed later on.
Again doubts of whether we will be able to do it, well, the goal is to finish, and even in the last 3 days we have moved twice which is good, so even if at the end of 1 year we have moved more, I will be happy.
I do yoga for 10-15 min in the morning to strtche but recently added the sun salutations, 12 of those are equivalent of 30 min of aerobic exercise, but I am more inteested in the flexibility benefits. Was surfing the web and came across nice site http://www.runnergirl.com/. Nice tips on injury prevention, nutrition and some hilarious quotes on running. That will be one site I will frequently visit.
As far as nutrition, will have to start reading on it-the only rules I am following are-eat some carb and protein within an hour of the workout, drink 8ozwater,2hours,1 hour and 30 min before workout, and once the Halloween candy is finished I will definately stop eating candy.
NB

Day 2

Day 2 of C25K, off day today, GB's b'day so had a lot of cake and totally forgot that we were actually on a challenge. GB is a year older and has become wiser, she told me -"we dont have to run to get slim, we will have to slim down to be able to run" Tomorrow will do a long walk of atleast 3 miles.Will try to do a bit of running in between. Yesterday's walk-run can be felt today but not as much as I had feared. NB.

Day 1

Ran/walked as per the schedule-5 min walk warmup,1 min running followed by 2 min walking repeated 3-4 times and cooldown walking of 5min.The dtrs were in soccer practice so I actually walked more than the stated 20 min, but the running took my breath away. I dont know wen in life I forgot how to do a basic function as running. My dtrs run with abandon and I envy them, with me even that 1 min duration was torture.

Today I learnt about 'camber'. Camber is the slope of a road.But its a bit confusing-if I am running on the road facing the traffic my left foot will be slightly lower than the right due to the way the road slopes, so when I turn back on the same side, my left foot will be higher and so balance the workout but now I will be running with the traffic . Which means I can only follow one rule of running-either always face the traffic but then risk injury since one foot will always be higher and the other lower or risk injury from the traffic-take your pick.
So have started, a marathon seems such a long distance and aug 2008 seems so far away, will take one day at a time.
NB

D-day tomorrow

So tommorow is Nov 1st, first day of marathon preparation.
Things I have found out-
One has to be running atleast for a year-20 miles a week, before thinking about a marathon,my snail paced 6-8 miles of walking a week, if that, does not count.Then it takes atleast 3o weeks to train to finish a marathon-just finish-which is what we want to do. If we do the SFmarathon in Aug 2008,that gives us 9 months i.e 36 weeks, so we should be OK if we are consistent, persistent and smart about the training.
One will have to be careful about diet and nutrition, load up on the carbs, so all the halloween candy I consumed today will surely help me run longer and faster. Jokes apart, the marathon training might not help me lose much of the extra 30 pounds I carry since my body will need the extra nutrition.
There are as many different marathon training plans as steps in 26.2 miles-approx 52,000. So I will have to use my brains while sifting through the information, and I thought this was all about brawn.The best plan I have found so far is the Jeff Galloway plan of 30 weeks which recommends 30 min of running 3 times a week and one long run on the weekend. Also he has different run/walk ratios depending on the pace you can keep.I am a bit skeptical because on paper it seems too easy.
NB

Don't want to do this - wanna be lazyyyyy

It's so so so difficult to take the first step. I just want to be lazy, be on my couch and watch tv allllll day long. I don't want to do this. I don't want to go for a walk let alone run a marathon. Oh, I am fine writing this blog as I can do this while lying on my couch and eating and watching tv. It's getting cold too. My sister asked me to think about the thrill of running across the San Francisco bridge. Why would anybody want to do that? or in fact run a marathon or for that matter, run when one is feeling perfectly well and happy cozy in her home having hot chocolate (I dont like hot chcocolate, I like hot coffeeeeee!)? Oh, I don't want to do this. With just 1 day to go :(((((((( - I have to start on Nov 1st, I have to mentally prepare myself. I had told myself I would start with small walks earlier than 1st (my sister is writing the blog too, so it was she who went on that little walk yesterday - I think she went today too), but I am just not up to it. Also, I have the excuse that I work, I mean I go to work...uhhh ok, I mean I go to work just like other people but I get tired by the end of the day, you know, like too tired to walk :(........ok, enough of excuses, I am going to do it.....or 20 years later when I really am old and tired, I'll regret not taking this first step.......oh, how I hate, hate, hate these rational thoughts!!!

Day of insecurities, woke up and felt cold in the chest, whole body aching, first thought 'is this the flu?'And then-it is to be expected because had made a decision to start a new habit and this is the first hurdle'.
Went for another short walk in the warm sun while the dtr played soccer.Ate a hot bowl of rice and beans and now am ready to face anything.
Got 'The complete book of running' published by Runners World and read the introduction , hopefully will move too instead of just reading the book.
NB

Just do it

I went for a walk today,slow paced, including one low hill, tried to run ,cldnt manage more than 90 steps at a time-yes I counted and 90 steps make a minute.Realised I need new shoes, the ones I have are made for walking.
Surfed the various websites, liked http://www.marathontrainingandnutrition.com/ by Billy Milton, esp. the motivational part-the most difficult thing and the most crucial is to make the start. No , in my case, I will make the start with a lot of fanfare but then lose steam around week 3-4 of the program.
Another site-www.Runnersworld.com has a feature-askcoachjenny and she has some good tips for a begining runner,-start slowly, mix walking and running, do the 'talk-test' to see if you are running too fast,have a goal, run with a buddy.
Its just like trying to lose weight-we know how to do it, we all have the knowledge, the problem is to use that knowledge and information.There is so much information on health and fitness,the world wide web has actually made it so accessible, but the doing is still in our hands and that is the most difficult thing. As nike says'Just do it!'
NB

Wrong date

The SF marathon is August 2008.
That is the 1st goal, and if not will look for another one as backup.
Always have a backup plan.

World Run Day is on Nov 11 2007.
http://www.runday.com/.
We might take part in the 1 mile run-actually might walk most of it.

Why??

Why? because its time, the time is right.It just is(thats what I am hoping)
What?The San Francisco Marathon
When?October 2008
Where?in San francisco CA
How?5k,10k,half marathon,Runner'sWorld, coolrunning.com,inspiration from other bloggers,running sites etc. and ofcourse we will be running.
Who?-NB and GB-the 2 bored inactive sisters.
There is the 7th question I should be asking , I have 4gotten what it was,maybe next time.

Pre-preparation

The idea (as of today :)), is to do all the groundwork and start the preparation of the Marathon (which marathon?-that again comes in the pre-preparation part ;)) from November 1st 2007. My sister was at my apartment with this idea and we decided to take the first step and create a blog. She is an avid blog/health magazine reader and will definitely do all the research required to run a marathon - whether she implements it or not is a different question ;).