Training for a half marathon by running once a week

I haven't posted in awhile, but I'm coming back to blogging because I'm doing a fitness experiment.  I am training for a half-marathon by only running once a week.  I am increasing my mileage by 10% each week and plan to run my first half in September or October--still haven't decided for sure which race I will do.

In addition to my once a week runs, I will continue to do Jillian Michaels' workouts, other similar workouts, pilates, yoga, ballet, etc.  

This week I did 3.6 miles...

We shall see how it goes :).

XOXO,

Happy New Year! & Active Day 1

This year, I'm going for 150 Active Days.  It doesn't matter if I workout once or 5 times a day, individual workouts no longer matter.  I want to complete 150 Active Days, and I'm going to!

My other fitness goal is to run a half-marathon.  I play to run for the first time in weeks on Saturday--a short 2 miles.  I gotta work my way back up to my previous mileage without rushing.  Otherwise, there will be more heartache.

Today, I did Ripped in 30 Week 1 and it was TOUGH!  I am very out of shape muscle-wise and definitely running-wise after my break to nurse my hurt foot.  I haven't been diligent with my glucosamine chondroitin either so my ankles were hurting a bit too.

I think I needed a break after being so hardcore most of the year.  Now hopefully I'm back on track.

XOXO,

Workout 209

I tried running with the inserts and it was a nightmare!  A half a mile in, I had to remove them because both feet hurt in the same spot my right foot hurt last week.  Plus, my right toes were completely cramped up!

I finished the first mile slowly and then quickly ran the second one, finishing in less than 20 minutes (which says something because I was going EXTREMELY slow on the first).

Long run this weekend!

XOXO,

Workout 208

Just did workout 208, 10 Pound Slimdown: Total Body.  My foot is feeling exponentially better, but I did not want to push my luck by doing a Jillian Michaels' workout that requires at least 6 minutes of bouncing around cardio.  Chris Freytag's workout does incorporate power drills, but they are easy to modify to make them extra-low-impact.

My muscles are hurting but my foot is not :).

XOXO,

Workout 206 and 207

On Monday night, I decided to do Ripped in 30 week 1.  I am obviously a little out of shape having not done weights, squats or lunges in awhile.  I was sore until yesterday!

On Wednesday, I decided to go for a 7 mile run on my treadmill and I did it!  The last 2 miles were a little painful because the bottom outer part of my right foot started hurting.  The pain is still there a little bit today, but for a couple of days, I was quite worried it was a stress fracture.  Thanks to advice from my brother-in-law, I went to one of the Dr. Scholl's Kiosks and was fitted for custom inserts.  Hopefully, my foot will feel good enough to do a short run on Tuesday.

XOXO,

Workout 205 - The Glow Run 5K

Last night, I did my 2nd 5K of the day, this time with Gavin, Kailee and my parents.  We did the Glow Run and it was a fun, blacklight, glowstick, night run.  Like the Color in Motion 5K, contestants were released in waves, though we all wore chips that activated when we crossed the starting and finish line.  I was so proud of Gavin!  He ran more than halfway before needing to walk.  Once he began walk/running, he also began complaining about being sleepy and wanting it to be over.  At that point, I did become annoyed because we had no choice but finish the race to get back to the car.  The last quarter mile was a lot of fun because onlookers cheered Gavin on--he really like that :).  He raced to the finish line and LOVED getting his participant medal.  That being said, he told me he does not want to do another 5K anytime soon, LOL.  We finished the race in 42:42.  He's six.  That's freaking amazing! So proud of my boy!

Oh, and it should be noted that Kailee walked the entire 5K at my mom's fast walking pace.  She also pulled her wagon (that was intended for her to ride in) for over halfway.  My mom said that Kailee was basically jogging the entire way.  She may be ready to do the C25K with my mom and Gavin soon :).

Gavin was so tired after we got home that he fell asleep at the table eating dinner. :)

XOXO,

Workout 204 - The Color in Motion 5K

On Saturday morning, some friends, colleagues and I ran the Color in Motion 5K and it was a messy blast!  If you've never done one, here are some things to note:

1. The color is corn starch powder, not liquid.
2. Entrants are sent out in waves and it's not chip-timed.
3. At various points, there are volunteers lining the path with color powder to spray on you.
4. You can get away relatively clean if you stay in the middle of the path.
5. You can get amazingly colorful if you run along the edges of the course.
6. You can get even more colorful if you dance around at the after party.
7. Bring baby wipes to clean up.
8. Bring trash bags to cover your car seats for the ride home.

It was awesome and we are planning to do the official Color Run in April in Dallas!  Anyone who wants to join our team, can and should!  Oh and we plan to dress up in tutus for that one :).

XOXO,

Workout 203 - Running & PIlates

On Tuesday, I decided to run a quick mile (8:48) and then do some pilates.  It felt great!

XOXO,

Workout 202 - Ballet Beautiful Total Body Workout

Um... So this workout kicked my butt.  And my abs, inner thighs, outer thighs, and arms.  I decided to skip the bridge section because my body is completely inflexible, but the rest added up to about 40 minutes.

I must admit, I REALLY enjoyed the workout despite its difficulty.  I love feeling my muscles working and they were the ENTIRE time.  It's amazing how fatigued my body is just by its own weight.

It's no wonder ballet dancers have such long and lean bodies.

XOXO,

Workout 201 - 10K!

Yesterday, I did the Arbor Day 10K in Plano with a lovely coworker.  She is about to run her 4th half-marathon this year and invited me to try the 10K yesterday.  I was nervous because my ankles/feet had been hurting pretty badly all week and because the most I've run is 5 miles.  It turns out, I had nothing to worry about.  We went at a steady 13-min/mile pace (this pace included stopping to walk at each water station) and finished in 1:24:44.  I began the race with my bloodsugar in the 300s and had to eat 12 Clif Shot Bloks to make it through, but otherwise, all was perfect.  It was a beautiful day and a perfect long run.

Now I can check off another item on the fitness bucket list :).

XOXO,

Workout 200!!!!

I just did my 200th workout - Total Body Pilates!  My ankles have been hurting very badly from all the running, and I'm pretty sure my left is badly sprained, so I've been making myself take it easy in preparation for my first 10K this weekend and my 2 5Ks the next weekend.  BUT, pilates is a good option when ankles are sore.  I also did some ankle strengthening moves that I found online.

I cannot believe I reached my goal already.  I have been obsessed with running and slacking on all my other exercise options else lately.  I am ecstatic to have reached this HUGE milestone!  Yea!

Now off to ice my ankles!

XOXO,

Workouts 197, 198 & 199

I haven't been diligent about blogging lately, but basically, I've been running twice a week.  All three of these workouts were runs on different days.

Saturday, October 27th - Workout 197.  I ran 4.5 miles in my new Brooks shoes and it felt AWFUL!  My feet were in excruciating pain for the first two miles but I pushed through.  This one was done outside at my mom's house.

Tuesday, October 30th - Workout 198. I ran 5 miles on the treadmill in my new shoes and it was painful and difficult with the diabetes.  I was 110 pre-workout, had 6 shot bloks before starting, at 6 more in the first 4 miles and finished out at 5 miles.

Saturday, November 3rd - Workout 199.  My ankles were killing me as I began so I switched back to my old shoes.  It didn't really seem to help other than making it easier for me to find my stride.  I knew my bloodsugar wouldn't last for a long run so I did 3.1 miles in just under 31 minutes.  Today my left ankle in particular is quite sore.  Honestly, I should probably go to a doctor, but that's just going to have to wait until Christmas break.  In the meantime, I plan to do a lot of ankle strengthening activities.

I have my first 10K on Saturday!  I'm super-excited and nervous with these ankles and having only run 5 miles!

XOXO,

Workout 195 & 196

Today, I am home with a sick kiddo which gave me a great opportunity to do a couple of at-home workouts.  I did Total Body Pilates and Stiletto Strength.  Since I'm now working towards a 10K, and after that will work towards a half-marathon, I need to make sure I maintain/build leg muscle.  Both of those workouts do just that :).

XOXO,

Workout 194 ~ Running

On Tuesday night, I decided to see if I could do 1 mile at 7mph and I did!  I did it in 8 minutes, 30 seconds.  Not bad for a 30-year-old non-sprinter :).

Before I began, I could tell my ankles were sore, but I did it anyway, adjusting my stride to lesson the pain.  Apparently, however I adjusted has now caused some pretty annoying heel pain.  Today or tomorrow, I plan to go to RunOn and get fitted for new shoes.  I have enough issues that justify the cost though I've been putting it off for awhile.

Tomorrow is Gavin's and my next Fun Run!  I promised him we can go as fast as he wants to :).  I'm going to GPS it and see how fast we actually go.

XOXO,

Workout #192 & 193

I had to edit this post because I forgot to blog about my workout on Wednesday.  I did Chris Freytag's 10-Pound Slimdown: Core workout and was sore like nobody's business on Thursday.  I know I need to incorporate more circuit training to maintain my muscles and support my running.

Last night I ran 4.5 miles!  I was only planning to do 4 but ended up doing an extra half mile.  I probably could have kept going but wanted to end feeling great since I have been ending feeling low the last few runs.

I started out with a bloodsugar of 322.  I did .8 units of insulin (because when starting out that high, exercise can actually raise bloodsugar instead of dropping it) and ate 1 Clif Shot Blok every mile (except the last half which was impromptu).  At the end of the workout, I was 148.

This Saturday, Gavin and I have another fun run on Saturday, though I'm not sure how long it is.  At $20/person it better be a mile and not a 1K.  I considered signing up for the 5K after but I promised Gavin we could run as fast as he wants to at the fun run, meaning I won't have the endurance for a 5K after.

XOXO,

Workout 191 ~ 4 miles

Last night, my bloodsugar was 238--perfect, or so I thought, for a run.  After the muscle strain a few weeks ago, I did not skimp too much on a warmup (did a 3-minute long one) and then jumped into the run at 5.5mph.  I finished out the first mile, and then an upbeat song came on, so I bumped up the speed to 6mph for mile 2.  At the end of mile 2, I dropped back down to 5.5, but did not quite feel myself.  By 3.5 miles, I knew I was low, but refused to stop before 4 miles--not my wisest decision, but I run on a treadmill in my house so treatment was steps away.  When I finished, I immediately tested and was 57.  That's a HUGE drop!

Thank goodness I ordered some Clif Shot Bloks to try out.  Basically, they come in 6-packs of gummies.  3 gummies = 24 carbohydrates.  I plan to have 2 after mile 1 and 1 more after mile 3 while running 4 miles--it's going to be trial and error so we'll see.  In a few weeks, when I increase to 5 miles, I will adjust the amount based on my trials and errors along the way.  I'm just grateful there are options like this that don't require filling up my stomach like I used to have to do with gatorade in high school.  I am going to carry these around in my purse too as a quick and easy fix for low bloodsugar on the go.  That box cost $30 on Amazon.com so I will use other options when available if I'm not running.

XOXO,

T1 diabetes will not stand in my way

I realized that the type 1 diabetes may become an issue while training at longer distances.  My goal is to be able to do a half-marathon next fall.  So... I did a little research, and found these informative and/or inspirational links.  If nothing else, I'm saving these to reference along the journey.  I figure it's better to be proactive than reactive.

A type 1 diabetic marathoner

Type 1 diabetes running advice from other diabetics

Another type 1 running story

Type 1 runner blog (Sept 2012 post has gear info)

XOXO,

Workout 190 ~ Running

Today, Gavin and I went out for another training session with the goal to complete 2 miles.  Well... He has a bit of a cold and kept wanting to walk.  We completed 2.19 miles in 30 minutes which all in all isn't too bad for a 6-year-old.  I'm thinking we need to start with the C25K Week 1 Day 1 workout and work up from there.  We'll give it a try and see how it goes.

XOXO,

My First 5K ~ Workout 189

Crossing the Finish Line, it's blurry, but notice the huge grin on my face

Yesterday was a huge day for me.  I completed the first thing on my fitness bucket list: a 5K.  When I began this blog, on December 24th, 2009, I had just gone for a short run the night before.  I found the Couch-to-5K running plan and had grand plans to complete it and get back into shape.  On January 18th, 2010, I realized my dream of getting back into running was not going to happen thanks to knee and ankle pain.

I did the elliptical for a couple of months and then got into Jillian Michaels and happily got into the best shape of my life over the next 2 years.  Then, this spring, at a wedding shower for my cousin, Ramsey, my Aunt Karen recommended I try Glucosamine Chondroitin for my joint issues.  I researched it and learned that it would take about 6-8 weeks of taking it to feel a difference.  I immediately ordered it and began taking it.  On May 6th, 2012, I went for my first run and was able to run 2 miles at a decent pace.  And so it began, my journey back into running.

All summer, I worked through the couch-to-5K running program (or really the Ease-into-5K running program with the iPhone app) and completed the program on September 5th, 2012, and yesterday, I ran in my first 5K race.

So how did it go?  Well... My friend Jessalea and her husband, Marshall, ran with me and we did a good job pacing the first mile.  I was shocked to learn we completed it in like 9:45.  At that point, we got excited and started going faster than we should have, making us have to slow down later on.  The last mile was a bit excruciating because a lot of it was at a steady incline and my lack of pacing for the 2nd mile made the 3rd that much harder.  BUT, we did it!  I ran the entire time (or jogged, only walking for 3 steps to down a bit of water at the halfway mark).  I finished in 33:28, 84th out of 172 finishers and 39th out of 102 female finishers.  Jess was only 2 spots behind me :).  Her in-laws came to cheer us on and thanks to them, I have documentation of crossing the finish line at my very first 5K!  :) 

I am so proud of myself for working towards this goal.  I took running for granted in high school.  I was never fast, but it came easy to me (not many people can say they transferred into cross country having only ran 1 mile a month before and were able to run an entire 3 miles with only mild problems--I refused to walk unless I had low bloodsugar and often would have to down 16 ounces of juice and then would continue running).  It was a fight to be able to run again, and I appreciate every day that I am able to run now.

Our next 5K will be November 17th, the Color Run in Dallas.  I can't wait!

XOXO,

Workout 187 & 188

I guess I never blogged about my last workout, but on Wednesday, I ran 3.1 miles at a 6mph pace and ended up with a badly strained something above my knee.  After 3 days of icing/heating it, I finally felt better yesterday, but waited until today to try to run again.

Tonight, I decided to be cautious and slow down my pace to 5.5mph.  I think I've found my pace!  I EASILY did 4 miles and would have kept going but I had VERY low bloodsugar at the end (it did not immediately occur to me that the racing heartbeat was from lowbloodsugar instead of the exercise).  I did not skimp on a warmup or cooldown this time and keep stretching just in case.

My first 5K is on Saturday and I'm sooooo excited!  My only goal is to run the whole time and finish.  Gavin will be competing in the 50-yard dash for which each kid gets a dog tag (or a small medal in Gavin's eyes).

XOXO,