Skunk!

Hubby and I went for a run yesterday evening.  It was a warm day so there were quite a few people out walking the path at twilight. The path we like to run is near the ocean and a creek so there are some wild life animals there like wild rabbits, birds and skunks.  So we ran up the path and turned around at the other end. We were running back down the hill when a baby skunk with its tail up came onto the path and sauntered over to the bushes on the other side of the path.  Hubby and I stopped dead in our tracks.  We didn't want to go anywhere near the skunk so we made a wide berth around it onto the dirt path that runs along the paved path.  Then we booked it the rest of the way down the hill. That was a lot faster then I wanted to run. My heart was pounding.  Hubby was right behind me!  I had a nice cadence going before we saw the skunk.  It messed up my running rhythm.  I was out of sync for the rest of our run. We made it past the skunk without getting sprayed.  Not sure if it had just sprayed something or it just likes walking with it's tail up. We didn't want to stick around to find out.

Healthy Changes

Three weeks ago hubby and I started using “My Fitness Pal” app to track our food intake.  After inputting my height and current weight, the app gives you how much calories I should be eating per day. So far I have lost 5.5 lbs.  So far this is working for me.  It is pretty easy to write down everything I eat so now I know exactly what I am eating. I noticed I am making better food choices, tracking everything that goes into my mouth and drinking lots of water.  I am also thinking about whether I really want have that food.

Along with tracking my food, last week I started run/jogging again.  I started at week one again using my “Couch to 5K” app. I haven’t done any running since the beginning of the year. It feels easier this time around.  I’m not getting side splits, tight ribs or searing pain in my lungs so I must be in a little better shape since the last time I used the app.  I’m enjoying going jogging this time and look forward to exercising. Hubby wants to sign up for a 5K.  So I think we will sign up for one after the 9 weeks is over.  I also want to start working on strengthening my upper body with hand weights.

 The other evening when we were coming home from running, we were turning down our street and a skateboard went sailing in front of our car.  We saw a guy on a skateboard turn the corner on our left.  We were wondering where the other skateboarder was so as we drove on we saw the other guy lying in the street not moving.  People come flying down the street so I was worried he might get run over. Hubby stopped and asked if he was alright. I got out of the car and went over to see if he was OK. He turned over and set he was OK. I asked him if he needed help getting up so I helped him stand up.  He said the skateboard had slipped out from underneath him.  He was limping a little. I think he probably got the wind knocked out of him.  I’m glad he was alright.

Shoes, Pizza, Shoes, Shoes and Shoes!

Today hubby, the boy and I went to Burlingame to look at a new running shoe store and maybe get new running shoes.  But first we wanted to go to T-Pumps. It’s a popular store that serves bubble tea (also called boba tea, for the tapioca balls at the bottom of the cup).  This was the first time we have been to T-Pumps or had bubble tea.  There was a line to the door and it took a while to get up to the register. Hubby got the pineapple coconut, I got the green tea with peach and the boy got green tea with chocolate cherry.  We all got the boba with it.  Boba has a strange consistency, soft and chewy, and sized to just fit the oversized straws when you suck them up.

Running or Lack Of

After my Divas 5K race in June, my running has been really inconsistent or not at all. I haven't been running in a long while so I started up again this week.  The first day I actually enjoyed it.  It felt like I was a runner.  Usually when I run it feels like a chore. I was able to let my mind go and not think about how much I'm not enjoying this and when will it be over.  It was easier jogging.   I am still in the jogging faze and run really really slow. The second day I went out it felt like I was trudging along and not enjoyable at all.  Yesterday I jogged a little faster, had a good pace and let my mind and body go without thinking about how I was jogging.  So maybe I am slowly getting to where I could enjoy it and not think of it as a chore that makes my body hurt.  I was keeping up with hubby who runs a little faster than me.  So two days I've actually felt good and enjoyed the jog this week.

Divas Half Marathon 5K Race Day!

Today was the Divas Half Marathon 5K race.  I woke up at 5:30 and ate some cereal and a banana.  Then we headed out.  The street parking was already filled up so hubby dropped the boy and me off on the other side of the park where the race started.  I dropped my phone getting out of the car but it seemed ok. We walked across the foot bridge which dropped us at the entrance to the park.  It was a sea of pink.  Runners were coming from every side converging on the park.  We made our way to the start and waited for hubby to show up after parking the car.  The half marathon runners started before us and there were a lot of them so it took a while to clear the course for the 5k. So 5k started a few minutes late. There were so many 5K runners that they had us start in 3 waves.  Fortunately I was in the second wave.  It was a little confusing at the start.  The first wave went then the guy didn’t call the second wave to start but everyone started moving forward.  There was some wave 3’s starting to move. Finally the announcer said just wave 2’s are starting.

It took a while to find hubby. I wasn’t getting his texts. We got together a few minutes before the race start and it turned out that the sim card was dislodged in the phone. My boy could fix it, of course, had to remove the battery to do it. So I was trying to reboot my phone and get my running append music player to start while I was shuffling in the crowd to the starting line.  Finally got them to start.  I started off a little fast. My upper rib cage was starting to hurt.  I got discombobulated with my running app, music player and the second wave hadn’t started lining up but already on the move.  All the runners passed me.  I was the only slow runner in the bunch.  I was running with the walkers who were very annoying.  They were passing me and then they would slow down.  The young girls ahead of me kept stopping to take pictures. Selfies, of course.  The ladies with the strollers almost ran me over. I finally settled in and before I knew it I was at the mile one marker. I found out my running app wasn’t working because it didn’t tell me that I was at mile one or what my splits were.  So I pressed on.  I got to the turnaround for the 5K and started heading back.  The 2 mile marker was at the water station and before we headed onto the path.  After that I knew it wasn’t that long until the finish line.

It was hard being bunched up with the walkers going over the little foot path and the bridge.  After the bridge the path opened up.  Right near the finish line was the tiara and boa station. Some lady and her kid were just standing in front the table so I couldn’t get my tiara and boa.  Finally got it then a little ways down I spotted hubby and the boy.  I crossed the finish line in 57:48.  That was faster than I thought I would be.  I thought I was running really slow.  Not bad for my first 5K run.  At the finish line they had shirtless firemen giving us our medals but I couldn’t get anywhere near them because of the walkers in my way.  Finally a cute fireman gave me my medal.  Unfortunately I didn’t get to have my picture taken with him.  There was a big mob of us moving forward.  We got our roses, then our glass of champagne.  Were stuck in a bottle neck waiting to get to the food station where they bananas, apples, pretzels, bagels and cookies.  Got through then I was trying to eat some food and drink my water but I had my hands full so I gave some of my food to hubby to hold.

It was a fun race but I am really, really, sore.  You would think that I ran the half marathon.  LOL!  Never did catch up with my friend who was running the half.  Next year I will be faster so I won’t be lumped in with the walkers.

T-Minus 1 Week Divas Half Marathon 5K

T-minus 1 week until the Divas 5K.  Winding down my training runs this week.  I ran the course a couple of times to get a feel for it.  Next week I will be tapering off and doing smaller runs. 

After 3 months of running I am starting to see some results, I am developing muscles in my legs, weight has gone down a little, I run better, my metabolism has increased a little and I’m lighter on my feet.

I’m nervous about the race I don’t think I’m ready to run it. Hubby thinks I will be able to run the whole distance.  I’m excited to be running my first 5K race. I think I should be able to run the whole 3.1 miles without walking. 

T-Minus 4 Weeks

T-Minus 4 weeks until the Divas 5K race.  Yesterday my hubby and I did a trial run on the race course so I could get a feel for it and so I would know where everything was.  See where the parking is and how the course goes. I have been running for 45 minutes for 2.25 miles.  I ran for 30 minutes to the 1.55 mile turn around but I had to walk back.  I just didn't have the energy to keep running.  It was a little warm.  This was the first time I tried to run the 3.1 miles.  Earlier in the day we walked to the boys school because they had a 5K race in the morning and a carnival afterwards.  They had the carnival on the field above the school so that is a nice little climb up there.  The boys dance company was performing a sneak peak dance from the upcoming show in 2 weeks so we stood around on the black top waiting for them to come on.  I think climbing up the hill, standing around and the heat did me in.  Hubby and I are going to do another trial run on the course again next week. Hopefully I will be able to run the whole course.  I hope I will be able to run the whole 3.1 miles on race day.  My goal is to run it without stopping to walk some of the course.