Lovely Day for a Run

And suddenly, overnight, it's spring.

I went for a run just now.  I mean, I actually went for a run.  Twenty minutes duration, of which half was running, the other half brisk walking.  I chose the public footpath that parallels the creek at the bottom of my garden rather than the pavement, mainly because I hate being watched.  Even so, when I reached the paved section past the townhouses, quite a few people were out and about.  I always feel like someone's going to yell out "Yo, old fat mama, give it up!" - especially the skinny teenagers whizzing by on their skateboards/bikes/rollerblades.


Of course, five minutes in, my left knee started to hurt.  I should mention that the footpath is extremely uneven, being essentially a natural creek bank, and is criss-crossed with tree roots.  Anyway like hell was I going to give up before I'd even begun!  I sat down on the concrete ledge above the culvert and watched the mallards swimming down the creek, and the wild grey rabbits bounding to and fro.  I saw black and grey squrrels, as well as a variety of birds: redwings, robins, thrushes and cardinals.  I watched the sun shimmer through the delicate draperies of weeping willow.  Then I got up and started to run again.

As I reached the paved section, I remembered some advice from a runner friend (thanks Ashley!): put your heels down first when you run.  I made a concerted effort to do this; and lo and behold, the pain in my knee vanished!  I was amazed, and very pleased, and managed to run to the main road without pain.  I turned around, walked a bit, then ran again, turning off at the townhouses to take the footpath back along the creek, alternating run/walk until I reached my house.

All in all, I was quite happy with how it went.  It's been dry today, so my sneakers didn't get too muddy, and my new grey jogging pants from Winners are really comfortable and didn't make me too hot. 

In case anyone's interested, here are some photos of my running route.  (not taken today, of course - these were taken last year, but it's still the same)

Progress Report

Just got back from gym.  A little irritated that I've still only lost 2 pounds.  Today I made it to 20 minutes continuous 2-minute walk, 2-minute run sessions.  I was pretty pleased with myself because that pushed me over the one mile mark!

I'm trying to drink more water during the day, as I know I don't drink enough.  I was somewhat surprised to find that the traditional "8 ounces" that you're supposed to drink six of in the course of one day, is only equivalent to one standard cup measure, that is, 250 ml.  That's like, a tiny amount!  For some reason I always thought 8 ounces was one of those tall beer glasses?  Anyway I was quite relieved, because I think I could actually manage 6 x 250 ml a day.

But why have I only lost 2 pounds??!!  Surely it should be at least 5 by now?  Of course it doesn't help that my beloved husband surprises me after dinner with Haagen-Daz caramel chocolate ice-cream. 

I ran today.

No, you don't understand: this is a big deal.  I've never been a runner.  I've never been able to run.  I can walk for miles and miles, and I think my fitness level is pretty average - I go to the gym two or three times a week, I try to eat healthy.  But I used to be such a skinny minnie and over the years, well, the weight creeps up and the waistline gets thicker ... you know what I'm talking about.  I'm talking about what used to be called middle age spread.  Now, that sounds to me like something pretty disgusting that you slap on toast, but in fact it's that phenomenon where, when you hit a certain age, your belly suddenly starts to develop a roll.  Then before you can say double fudge brownie you bend over and you've got two rolls.  It's at that point when anyone with an ounce of self-respect says "Whoa!" and vows to take action.

As far as I can tell, running is the hands-down most effective way of burning fat and boosting cardio health.  Plus, it's the perfect excuse to spend money at Lululemon.  So, armed with some excellent advice from a runner friend, off I went to the gym.  I was amazed that her tips worked, and lo and behold, I managed to run!  Not very far, mind you - only a tenth of a mile at a time, then walk a tenth, run a tenth, and so on - but I managed 3 rounds over 10 minutes, which to me was a miracle of Biblical proportions.  I actually felt like I could have run more; I wanted to run more.  But I stuck to her instructions not to overdo it and carried on with the rest of my workout.  But man - running felt good. 

Now, cover your eyes, because I'm going to post some vital statistics, just so I can track my progress:

Gender: Female
Age: Older than Shania Twain but younger than Madonna
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 145 lbs
Pants Size:10

Goal Weight: 125 lbs
Goal Pants Size: 6
Particular Goal: to feel comfortable in a bikini again.

Okay, you can open your eyes again!  I really hope I can keep up with the running, and improve in increments.  I'll post progress as I go.