Jogging, Walking, SWEATING!

As most of you know, we had our assessment run last night. This was supposed to be a timed mile run, but since we are in the middle of a heat dome they shortened it to a half-mile run.

Photo by Lynn Hey

We got there (already sweating) and did a few warm-up exercises (even though we were already very warm). Then our herd of about 50 or so women took off towards the guy standing 0.25 miles ahead of us. Considering I've only ever jogged short distances, I though I did really well to make it all the way to the first stop jogging. That was 1/8th of a mile in 1:22.

Photo by Lynn Hey

Then, the heat started to factor in... breathing became harder, chest pain creeped up, sweat ran into my eyes, and my body felt heavier than ever. We managed to make it to the 0.25 mark, turned around and jogged a little bit more before bringing it in at 7:49. Everyone at the run was SO supportive. We even had an instructor jog beside us who offered tips along the way.

Things I learned...

• Do not push yourself too hard in the heat


• It's not so much about your legs as it is your mind


• Running socks and dry-wicking shirts make a world of difference


• Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

Overall, I am super duper proud of myself. I've always wanted to run, but never really saw it as an option. Now, it's really happening!

Week 11 Results

"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."

via

We are chugging right along. Both of us are down this week and have been moving forward. Last week, we met the Running Clinic leadership and learned about the process we'll be going through over the next few months. Our assessment run is tomorrow at 6pm and it will most definitely be a HOT run! We've practiced a little bit for it, but we're still at a beginner level. This will not only be a physical challenge, but a mental one as well. I'm sure we'll sound like the "Little Engine that Could" coming up those hills. But our motivation is strong and we have our goals in sight.

The week ahead:

• Running tomorrow
• Yard Sale / Photo Shoot on Saturday (Sounds like sweating involved!)
• Meeting with Jeannie Sykes on Tuesday
• Courtney will focus on diet and take it easy to recover from a pulled muscle in her back

Bah!! I'm injured :(

Looks like a strained muscle in my lower back from Body Pump yesterday... this should make the running assessment for Running School very interesting tomorrow. I'm pretty excited that my sister in law/bridesmaid and best friend/maid of honor will be doing the clinic with Lauren & I.

Until then, looks like I have to take it easy and focus more and more on my food choices... BOO! LOL.

Zumba Zumba!

Apparently our bodies are adjusting to our new activity levels.

Last night, Courtney and I went to the Zumba class. I love the atmosphere of that class. It's non-judgemental and FUN! I'm not going to say I don't have rhythm, but my body just does it's own thing... which doesn't always look like what the instructor is doing. BUT, that's the joy of this Zumba class. Everyone adds their own flair and we all look like we're doing something a little different. If you've never tried Zumba, I highly recommend it.

As I mentioned, Courtney and I have increased our activity levels. That Zumba class alone wasn't enough of a workout for us last night. So, we decided to train a little for the upcoming Running Clinic. After class we walked/jogged around the parking lot. I'm pretty impressed by how far we've come, from not even being able to jog to thinking about running in October! We will be running Thursday night for our first "assessment run" to determine which groups we'll break into for the Running Clinic. Women (sorry men, but it's only open to women)... if you haven't joined the Running Clinic yet, visit the website below (http://www.greensbororunningclub.org/womens/) and complete the application. There are 2 times left for the assessment run.

Come out and join us!

Week 10 Results

Time is FLYing by!! I can't believe we're 10 weeks in.

This week was much better than last week. We both lost multiple pounds and are thrilled! It just took a little extra "oomph" to get back on track. Now that we are getting much more traffic to our blog, it really feels like we have a lot of people keeping us accountable. (I guess I'll think twice about what I eat now).

Looking Ahead:

• Assessment run for the Women's Running School on Saturday morning
• Going up on weights again next week at BodyPump
• Making conscious food choices
• Eating breakfast daily
• Planning meals

Support

I just want to take a moment to comment on all of the support we have gotten from our co-workers, families, and friends. We have learned that we have the largest support group anyone could ever ask for. This has definitely made this journey easier and more enjoyable. When we were approached to begin blogging about our journey, I was extremely nervous that we would still struggle to make this happen. It has been extremely encouraging to be in a class one day or in the cafeteria and people approach us to say "Hey, we've been reading your blog. I'm proud of you." Those words of encouragement help me more than I thought. It is one thing getting support from the people you see everyday, like your family or immediate co-workers. When people approach you or send you an email you have never met, just makes me smile inside and out.

So please keep those encouraging words comments coming!! You are helping us more than we can ever explain!

I haven't posted a picture of myself in a while...

so here is a silly one :)

Run WITH us!

As you've probably heard us mention... we are joining the Greensboro Running Club and participating in the Women's Running School. It's a 10-week program in which Cone Health partners with GRC to help women train for the Women's Only 5K.

http://www.greensbororunningclub.org/womens/

If you are a woman interested in running, please come out tonight to hear about the benefits of this program and run alongside us! Neither of us are runners, but have a goal to be able to run the 5K in October. If you've heard of Couch to 5K programs, this is 10x better because there will be experts to help you along the way!

http://www.womensonlyrun.com/index.asp