Sunday, May 18, 2008

Race for the Cure Update

I will have the total race report later. I want to be able to write it in my journal. But to make a long story short for right now, I did the 5K in 30:30!! That is 3 minutes and 3 seconds off my PR. This is after I ran the 1 mile fun run with Andy!!!

Sunday, May 04, 2008

I have done it!!

I have put in my application for the 2008 Utica Boilermaker 15K.

I don't know if I should be happy or sad. I have stepped up my training. I am up to 8.5 miles running. By the time the Boilermaker comes around. I should be around 12 miles then.

The weight loss is going at a slow pace. I am down to 189 lbs. That is a 38 lbs loss. Right now my goal is to get down to 44 lbs. That would be a 20% loss of my body weight from where I started. I just have to keep at it!!!

Friday, March 28, 2008

Running is getting easier

Ok that statement is not completely true. I still have to huff and puff off the treadmill. But I am running a lot faster.

Last Saturday, I ran 6 miles in the time of 67:17. I was beginning to think that it was a fluke. But yesterday I ran 5 miles in 53:56. See what a loss of 30 lbs can do.

I decided that I am going to train for 1/2 marathon so I can run a 15K. I know that it sounds stupid, but I have this mental block. If I train for the 15K, I would be huffing and puffing during the race and I would bearly make it. Remember the Bud Run? I was not mentally prepared for the race. If I train for 13 miles, I will be able to run the 15K? Heck, you have proved that you can run more than 9, so do it. This is to trick my brain. I'm sorry I have a Polish brain, you have to trick it some times!!!

My 15K will be the Utica Boiler Maker. My Ma said to me, "Are you sure that you can do it? Didn't someone die during that race?" Some confidence getter that is. I know that she only wants the best for me. But I have to prove that I can do it!!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

My new weight

With the hub-bub of Tipp Hill, I forgot to tell everybody about my new weight.

As of Last night, I weigh 195 lbs. That is a loss of 32 lbs. No wonder I shaved off time. That is almost a loss of my son Brian. Ok, Brian weighs 46 lbs. But it is close!!!!

I am now in a size that I was when I married Ron!!!

My next goal is 185. I only have 10 more lbs to go. I got 195 last Tuesday and I did not lose any weight this week. I did not gain anything either. So that is a plus.

WW is doing good by me! But it helps that I have friends that go to the meetings with me.

I will keep you posted on the progress.

Sunday, March 09, 2008

2008 Tipp Hill Run

We survived it!!

This year there was alot more people. Faster people, but that did not slow down my progress this year. I finished 914th but shaved about 4 minutes off my time. I can't beat that!!!

I believed that I was not ready for this race. I did not practice that outside on the hills that much this year. I did alot of my training on the treadmill. The Y has a new treadmill that has a Killer Hill program and when I can I have been training on that.

On Friday, I went to pick up the race packets at Nipsy's Bar. I picked up for Teresa and Rob (Teresa's Husband). Then I headed to the Fair Grounds for the Motor Sports Expo. The Car that Ron works on was there so we went to see it. I met the Ron and the Kids there are we stayed until around 8pm. With the bad weather and the slush everywhere, what normally takes us 1/2 hour took us 1 1/2 hours to get home. This was not a good thing right before the race!!

I try to get as much sleep as I can (which happen to be not much) and on Saturday, I meet Teresa and Rob at the Y. The roads are now 100% better than they were the night before. Now I'm thinking this might not be so bad. We decide to meet at the Y because after the race, Brian has a soccer game that I believe that I have to help coach. So to help me Rob drives to the race.

The race is near the Zoo and they have us park over in their parking lot. Rob parks in the Turtle section of the parking lot. Teresa and I tease him that we need to park in Tiger or something faster. But he pulls in and off we go to meet Bridget and Bill.

We are there about 45 minutes before the race is to start. We meet Bridget and Bill in the ice rink and start talking about how are think we are going to do. Bridget tells me that she has not run at all before this. But I have faith in her. With all the Pi-yo classes she has been teaching, she still has all that strength and stamina. I know that she will do good.

This year I planed it a little better with the clothing. I did not wear has much as I did last year. I believe that I won't get so over heated.

They call us to the starting line. Because Bill is faster, he is ahead of us. Bridget, Teresa, Rob and I head down the hill. Right before the race one of the houses is playing Eye of the Tiger from Rocky. This gets everybody going. They play the national anthem and Danny Boy....it's the shamrock run ok..and then the gun goes off.

Teresa and Rob take off, Bridget and I set a good pace. Bridget tells me if I have to go ahead, do so!! What little does she know that I'm thinking of saying the same thing to her!!! Bridget sets a great pace. It was perfect. It got me to mile 2 with no problems!!! This is even with some of the hills. What helps is that there is also a band at every bar on Tipp Hill!!! That means there is a band at almost every corner!!

We get past the Catholic Church and heads towards Nipsy's bar. This is where I start to loose it. Not physically. Mentally. I get up the hill by Nipsy's and Bridget is step by step with me. I'm starting to think that I will be ok. I turn the corner at Coleman's bar to go up to what Bridget calls "Big Mama" Hill and I lose it. I feel so sick. I tell Bridget to go....just go. I go over to the side and throw up water once Bridget can't see me. I stopped at the same spot last year!!! Damn!!! I do believe that I just have a mental problem in that area.

I then think that maybe I started to get over heated. I take off my dry-weave sweat shirt and cheap gloves (I threw them in the gutter) and start running again. I keep a slow and steady pace up "Big Mama" and do not stop at the top. One accomplishment over last year. I try to start picking up the pace at mile 3. I set my eyes on somebody and make sure that I try to pass them or at least keep them in sight. I get over by the zoo and think that it is almost over. I try to pick up the pace again. I then think of one of the things that Rob said when we got to the Zoo. I start to run faster. (Rob said that he was going to yell "Bear Loose" and just run like there was no tomorrow). This puts a smile on my face!! I don't remember much of the rest except crossing the finish line.

It took a long time after I finished for the lady to get my chip off. All I wanted was a drink to get that taste out of my mouth. As soon as that was done, there was Bridget to give me a great big hug!!! You can see that picture on Syracuse.com. It did not make the Oswego addition of the paper, but it shows the friendship that you have with your running partners!!!

So I get a drink of water and I get my time. Gun Time 44:53. Chip Time 43:50. About 4 minutes off from last year. Am I happy? Hell ya, I'm beyond happy on what I did.

So we had to leave the Tipp Hill party to see Brian's Soccer Game. But boy is was a good rush for now. Next is the Koman Race for the Cure. From last year, I can only do better!!!

Thursday, February 07, 2008

I started training for Tipp Hill

I started running hill on Tuesday. I hate to say this, but boy did it feel GOOD!!! I really need to run on Tuesday. Just to get rid of all the excess baggage that I had on my shoulders. I was in the zone on Tuesday.

I did our regular hill run near the Y. Each lap is .9 miles. I did three. Making the mileage 2.7 miles. Not once did I want to stop. I felt so good that I speed up the last 1/2 lap. I had to end at three because I wanted to change before WW. I did not want to add any extra weight onto the scale. I also did not time myself because I could not find my watch before I went out to run. But all and all, it was a great run!!!

Tonight I ran 3.5 miles in 37:something minutes. At the end I put the speed up to 6mph and was just watching the mileage to hit 3.5 so I could slow down. That is still alot better that what I could do when I was 20lbs heaver!!!

I just have to keep up with it. Saturday will probably be another treadmill run, but at the Y I can up the incline alot more that what I can do at home. Depending on how many people, I'm trying for 3.5 miles and do 1 mile at a very high incline!!

I'll tell you how I make out!!

Monday, February 04, 2008

I'm back again

Now that Christmas, Year end at Work, and our wonderful trip to WDW is done. I can finally sit down and write on the blog. At least for a little while.

Tonight I have a meeting at School, so I decided to write in the blog instead of staying at work!!!
This is a group that meets to try to make the school a better place. At least it is a good thought, this is only the 2nd meeting and it includes, students, teachers, parent/teacher club members, and members of the community. We help the district in making decisions on what they should do to make school a place for the kids to learn. We can only try and it is only once a month.

On the running front, I have been sick with a cold since WDW and I have only run a couple of times. I have signed up for Tipp Hill and starting tomorrow I'm going to run outside at the Y. I got my new sneakers and I feel the need to start saying "HILLS ARE MY FRIENDS" T is going to run it also, so this gives me more of an incentive to start practing!!

On WW, I think that I am doing great!! I have lost a total of 23 lbs and have lost 10% of my weight. Now my next goal is to get under 200 lbs. Yes, I am over 200 lbs and I run!! At least now I can run faster with the weight loss.

I do notice that I am going faster on the treadmill because of the loss. So that is a real plus.

I promise to write more later, but I do have to go to the meeting!!

On Dad, he is doing good. He has started his treatments before he starts radition. He did get Shingles before I went on vaction, but he stuck it out like a trooper.

I hope all is well and will promise to be better at this!!!