Stephany Writes

Categories: Healthy Living

Couch to 5K: Week 1

I restarted Couch to 5K last Friday. This will be my fourth attempt since I usually ditch the plan after Week 4 or 5, thinking I can do it on my own. This is true, I probably could, but I think the C25K plan is one of the best training plans I’ve seen. And since I’m still struggling to make it past 1 mile, I really want to see this to completion.

On Friday, I made the decision to just run. My plan was to run 3/4ths of a mile, walk to the 1-mile marker, and then run the 2nd mile. That didn’t happen. Instead, I made it a little past 1/2 a mile before stopping. My legs were on fire. And I was really disappointed in myself, thinking running was “not for me” and a stupid decision. Then I thought of C25K and how it really eases you into the running game. I’m going to make it work this time.

I think my mind is getting warped by all the marathon posts I’ve been reading. Folks, one mile is a long way to run. That’s 1,760 yards. Twelve whole minutes of running. (Well, more if you’re like me.) While I may not be running a marathon, or even a 10K, in the near future, I need to focus more on the process.

The C25K plan has you running 3 days a week, doing the same interval pattern on these days. It ups the intensity each week. For Week 1, I started with a 5-minute warm-up and then began the intervals of jogging for 60 seconds, then walking for 90 seconds, for 20 minutes. The program ends with a 5-minute cool-down. This would usually take me 1 and 3/4 miles, and I would walk an extra 1.25 miles to round my miles out to 3.

Friday, my run went so smoothly. I felt great, my pace was awesome, and I really felt like I was making a great decision to restart this program. (I also went for the run at 6pm.) On Saturday, I went to the park around noon and struggled a little bit more this time. It was a lot hotter and I had only eaten breakfast at that point, which I think had something to do with it. Tuesday was my last day in Week 1. I ran at 6pm and it was cool. I felt a cool breeze while I was running! It felt great, although I dealt with weird pain at the top of my right foot which made it harder. While it didn’t hurt while I was running, it was awful pain when I started walking.

For the first 2 weeks, I’ll be following the C25K app I have on my iTouch and then using the plan I found on Cool Running to run for distance, instead of time. The app only does time. My mom and I have been running at a park about a half hour away because it’s safe and the trail is marked perfectly. It’s a 1-mile or 2-mile trail with markers for every quarter-mile. I’ve yet to find a better trail in my city.

I’ve been disappointed with my shoes thus far. I am still dealing with arch pain, although it’s not as intense as before. And I’m once again dealing with shin splints. Again, they aren’t as painful and I’m usually fine once I stop running. And on Tuesday, I began experiencing pain on the top of my right foot up to my ankle. I tightened my shoes, hoping it would help which it somewhat did. My only problem with keeping my shoes tight is that it makes my feet go numb, which I’m guessing isn’t a good thing. I’m not sure how much longer I should give them before returning them for another pair. These shoes (with custom insoles) cost me over $200, so I kind of want them to be gold on my feet. The fact that I’m still experiencing a whole lot of pain is starting to annoy me.

How did you get started with running? Have you ever used Couch to 5K?

Categories: Healthy Living

A Change

For the past 2 months, I haven’t been going to Weight Watcher meetings, counting points, or writing down every morsel of food that goes into my mouth. I haven’t been eating as healthy as I know how to, but I haven’t been going crazy either. Instead, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I’ve been thinking about my eating habits, my unhealthy behaviors, and why I am the way I am.

Why am I fat? is the question I’ve been asking myself over and over again. Why am I sabotaging myself every chance I get? Why do I still not get it? The only answer I can come up with is that I don’t feel I have a right to be skinny. I don’t have the strength to do this. I’m forever destined to be the chubby, quiet girl who feels awkward and out of place because that’s the way I was made.

And those are all lies. They are lies that are so ingrained deep in my heart that it’s taken me years to get to the root of it. If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, I’m sure you know who the liar is. If not, it’s my father. My father, whose best nickname for me used to be Poochie-Poo, sent me a letter from prison when I was a senior telling me I needed to lose weight after I sent him my senior picture, and who constantly and consistently made me feel as if I was worthless.

I know they’re lies. I know I am a pretty awesome individual. I’m smart, I’m funny, I’m a great friend, and a compassionate listener. I have a variety of interests and skills. And I have worth. I am worth it. I can’t go on letting his lies infiltrate my mind and captivate my heart. I have so many other people in my life telling me I am worth it. I have my mom, my brother, my grandparents, friends, classmates, strangers, and you guys. There are days when I don’t know what I would do without the friendships I have made through blogging.

I’m glad I came to this realization, though. It has made me realize what I’m doing to myself, not just through my body but to my heart. And I know nothing in the world could make me more proud of myself than to make a big change to my lifestyle. I want to stop playing the victim and start playing the victor.

And so, I’ve come up with a list of my 5 most unhealthy behaviors. My plan is to take control of these five areas of my life and then I can start cracking away at other areas where I eat moderately healthy, but I could still use a little work. (Mainly, my lunch and dinners are pretty healthy and we usually eat the correct portions.)

1. Soda
Soda is my drink of choice. If I’m having a bad day, it’s soda I want, not any kind of alcohol. It tastes delicious and releases chemicals into my brain that signal everything is going to be OK. (Well, maybe not, but that’s how it feels.) On an average day, I would drink 2-3 cans. Two weeks ago, I began working to cut it out of my diet. While I will still have soda when I go out to eat and on Sundays, I don’t want it to be an everyday habit. I managed to go two days each week without any soda. I don’t want to quit cold turkey because the caffeine headaches I get are enough to make me think I can never do this. For this upcoming week, I’m looking to go 3 days without a soda and so on until I stop depending on it so much. This has been my main goal and I feel like I’m doing pretty well at achieving it.

 

2. Exercise 
After over 3 years of trying to lose weight, exercise still hasn’t become something I enjoy. While I have found certain types of exercise that I tolerate, it’s never been something that I’ve craved. Craving exercise? Really? There are people out there like this? But I want to. I want it to be more enjoyable and something I don’t dread with every fiber of my being. (And no, I’m not being dramatic. OK. Maybe I am.) I want to like exercise, I really do! For this goal, I want to commit to 4 days of exercise a week. It can get really complicated with my schedule (especially since I can’t exercise in the morning unless I want to wake up at 4am.), but I know I can do this. I just have to stop being so lazy.

 

3. Snacking
Oh, snacking! This is my weakness. I have fallen prey to portion control and 100-calorie snack packs which do nothing to fuel you, but do taste so very good! I want to drastically change what I consider a snack and make it something that really does perk me up and fuel me, and less about something heavy on fat and sugar. I want fruits and veggies, almonds and nuts, peanut butter and smoothies. This is an area that needs a lot of work, and it scares me a little to think about how many calories/points I waste on snacks.

 

4. Breakfast
My job makes breakfast very hard. First of all, I have to be there early so eating beforehand isn’t an option. Secondly, even if I do bring a satisfying, filling breakfast, I’m also the “Breakfast Girl”, as my boss likes to call me and I’m the one making and delivering breakfasts to all the kiddos. Sometimes, it’s something as simple as cereal and juice. And sometimes it’s French toast, or blueberry muffins, or my personal favorite, sausage biscuits. (Do you know what it’s like to cook FORTY sausage biscuits and not eat even one? Um, well, neither do I.) It’s hard. I bring breakfast, yes, but I also think I could make it a lot healthier. I have a hard time finding a super healthy breakfast since I hate oatmeal and can only handle yogurt in small doses. But I’m up for the challenge!

 

5. Situational Eating
I am really bad at eating, depending on the situation. I’m sad! I’m happy! Something terrible has just happened! Let’s celebrate! It’s Friday! I have the Monday morning blues! I’m a professional at justifying why I’m eating badly. I want to stop eating just because of a certain emotion or event. I want to be able to be sad and find another way to get a handle on my emotions. I want to be able to celebrate something good happening without blowing my diet out of the water. I need to find other ways to deal with my emotions. I think it’s a problem most people have with their eating habits and once that gets under control, controlling your eating becomes much easier.

So there you have it. For now, I’m working on the first two because I know if I can cut out the majority of my soda intake and ramp up my exercise, I’ll see weight loss and just feel better. And that’s my main goal. I want to feel good and know I’m treating my body the best way possible. I’m still eating healthy and still maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but I find that I’m less tempted to cheat and feel like the whole day or week is a loss with this attitude.

What would you say is your most unhealthy habit?


Credit: x, x, x, x, x

Categories: Healthy Living

The Right Fit

This post is all about the process of getting properly fitted for running shoes. It’s not going to be interesting for everyone, but I wanted to detail the process for me and for anyone who wants to do this in the future.

I’ve heard many runners say that one of the most important things you can do for your running is to get properly fitted for running shoes by a professional. And since I know I have weird arches and I’m doing something wrong when I run, I thought it would be a good idea for me to take the plunge and get fitted.

I can’t even express how happy I am that I did this. I learned so much about the dynamics of the foot, and what my foot strike looks like.
I learned of the running superstore, Fit2Run, when we had to go there to pick up our IronGirl swag in April. I was instantly in love. This store is Heaven for any runner. It is jam-packed with an indoor track, treadmills, shoes, Garmins and watches, socks, energy packets and bars, clothing, and basically everything you could ever think you would ever need for running. It also has Videotaped Gait Analysis, where employees work with you to figure out the perfect shoe for your type of foot.
I should admit now that I was a bad blogger and didn’t take any pictures during this experience. Nonetheless, here’s the breakdown:
Step 1: A short talk
When my mom and I got to the store, we were immediately greeted by a man named Keith who was more than willing to help us. He first just talked to us about our running and the problems we’re having. I mentioned the numbness and arch pain, as well as the occasional shin splints.
 
Step 2: Foot Mapping
I stepped onto the “Foot Mapping” machine in my socks to see what my foot looked like and where my pressure points were. The verdict? I place most of my weight on my heels. While my right foot looked mostly like the outline of a foot, my left one looked more like two little islands, with no arch to speak of.
Keith also had us step off the machine and bend down in a semi-squat without letting our heels touch the ground. It was there he could see that my ankles were turning in (i.e., overpronating).
Step 3: Videotaped Running
We ran on the treadmill for about 20 seconds at a 4.5 speed. A video camera was positioned from the calf down, which perfectly captured our foot strike.
 
Keith would rewind the tape and stop it when one of our legs hit the treadmill. He was looking for two things with this: a straight line from the calf down, and for our heel to hit the treadmill.
 
My left leg was looked at first, which showed a severe overpronation. It was so eye-opening for me to see how much my ankle curved inward when I was running! I had no idea! No wonder my arch would kill me and my foot would turn numb!
 
My right leg wasn’t so bad but did show that my heel wasn’t hitting the treadmill in the way it should.
 
Step 4: Trying on shoes
I had many eye-opening experiences during this analysis, and one such experience was finding out that shoe companies actually make shoes for overpronators. As in, they make the same style of shoe for people who have neutral feet (my mom) and overpronators. The trick lies in the gray shading around the arch. That signals extra support and stability that overpronators need.
I tried on a bunch of different brands: Asics, Mizuno, Brooks, and one other brand that I can’t remember. My favorites were probably the Asics, because I’m particularly fond of the brand. After running around the track with the different shoes, we settled on the Asics and Brooks as the two final possibilities.
 
Step 5: Personalized arch support insoles
Our next step of the process was getting personalized arch support insoles. This was a pretty neat experience and shows just how far running technology has come! First, Keith took a picture of my feet at three different angles (just standing, standing in a semi-squat, and with my toes lifted up). Then he put the insoles on a foam block, had me stand with all my weight on it, and then do a little see-saw motion of putting weight on my heel and then my toes, heel, then toes, for a few times. We did the same on the other foot.
 
Step 6: Testing out the shoe
The last step of the process was trying out the shoe with the insoles in it. At this point, I was pretty much certain I was going to get the Asics. They felt good, they looked good, and they weren’t as expensive as I imagined. So we tried them out on the treadmill. They did correct my overpronation quite a bit. It wasn’t perfect but it was so much better than before.
But Keith wasn’t happy. See, Keith is a self-confessed perfectionist. And he wanted my ankle to look as straight as possible. He brought back the Brooks shoes. I wasn’t too keen on them since I felt like my foot was sliding out of it but he promised me that it offered better stability for my foot. Since I know he’s a little more knowledgeable about feet and shoes, I put my foot fate in his hands.
The Brooks shoe made it a little bit better than the Asics did, and he got me a smaller size which I think was the whole problem.

Step 7: Trying not to cry at the price
I bought the shoes (Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10), as well as the personalized arch support insoles. I was also suckered into joining their membership club, which cost me about $10 more. (It’s $30/year, but a lot of that was figured into the shoe price) But this gives me 10% off all future purchases, plus I can return my shoes within 30 days and they’ll let me exchange them. (Otherwise, they would have to look unused.)
I spent more than I expected, but I’m really happy with my purchase. I ran/walked 5 miles in them on Sunday and my arch didn’t hurt at all! My feet also didn’t get numb, which it’s been doing more lately. Getting used to them is a process, but it always is.
I cannot even stress how important it is to get your foot properly fitted for running shoes if you’re serious about running. It was such an eye-opening experience to see how I was landing on my foot and how much I was harming it by not supporting it properly.
Have you ever gotten fitted for running shoes? What did you learn during your fitting? If not, would you ever get fitted for running shoes?
Categories: Healthy Living

Race Recap: Ace of Clubs 5K

Earlier last week, my mom approached me with the idea of participating in a 5K over the weekend. I wasn’t too enthused about it, but I figured, “Why not?” The worst that could happen was a horrible finishing time. I haven’t really been running (or exercising, for that matter) since my mom’s accident. I’ve been a busy little bee between school, work, and cleaning this place. (It still amazes me how messy our tiny apartment can get in a matter of hours. And I want to marry the person who invented the dishwasher.)

Anyway, I ended up trying to run on Tuesday but it was a pretty awful attempt. I made it half a mile before my calves began screaming at me to STOP, STOP, STOP! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP RUNNING! I wasn’t expecting much this time. I was just hoping to be able to do my usual run a mile, walk a mile, run a mile.

Well, that didn’t happen. First of all, I never saw a Mile 1 marker. Second of all, this was the hilliest course I have ever run on. The places I’ve been running on have been pretty even with a few slight inclines now and then, but nothing like this. And just when you thought you had climbed the mountain, there looms another hill. Hills are not my friend.

When I saw the Mile 2 marker when I figured I was almost finished, I knew I had no chance of beating my time in April. (I hesitate to say PR because I haven’t yet ran a 5K in a time I’m proud of. This probably isn’t the best way to look at things, but whatever.) I was just hoping to be a little close to my time.

I ended up walking most of the race, which I’m not happy about. But I also told myself that I haven’t been exercising or eating properly for the past month. I’m not in the shape I was even a month ago. And I need to stop taking these long breaks from running. I look back on my post in April, and cringe at how hopeful I sounded to be able to run a 5K by now. I’m disappointed in myself. For once, I want to stick to an exercise plan. I should be able to run a 5K by now, but I’m still struggling to even hit half a mile.

My official time was 46:40, which gives me a 15:20 pace which I guess isn’t so bad since I walked most of it. I just know I can do better.

My plan is to sign up for a race every month. At this point, I think I’m going to stick with 5K’s until I feel comfortable running 3 miles. I think it will keep me honest about training for them, if I know I have one coming up in just a few short weeks. And who knows? Maybe I’ll come in under 40 minutes. That’s a time I could call a PR.

Categories: Healthy Living

Fit Fridays, Vol. 6

I’m writing this at 9:30pm, which is unusual for me. I don’t like putting off my blog this late and I’m sure it’s not going to make much sense. I’m totally behind on responding to comments, commenting on blogs, watching VEDA vlogs and commenting, and cleaning. I could never be a single mom. #justsayin (OK, now I’m using hashtags on my blog. I need sleep.)

Want an update on my mom? Of course, you do! Here’s the breakdown:

  • Fractured elbow: We saw an orthopedic on Wednesday where the cute doc told her that if she had to break her elbow, that’s exactly how she wanted to break it. Basically, she broke the part of her elbow that rotates her wrist, although she can rotate her wrist pretty freely. It’s still very sore, though. She’s having another x-ray on Wednesday to see how the break is healing so lots of prayers will be greatly appreciated!
  • Stitches on her eyebrow: We went to the hospital – where my mom was treated like a celebrity by all the nurses we saw last Friday! – and got her stitches removed and that cut is healing very nicely. She’s going to have a pretty nice scar, but hey, it adds character, right?
  • Cuts on her knees/elbows/hands: Right now, we only have to bandage up her left hand, right elbow, and left knee. Most of them are scabbed up and now itching her pretty badly, which is a good sign to me! I do think I need to buy stock in non-adhesive bandages and gauze wrap. I’m also getting a pro at bandaging her up!
  • Sprained thumb: Her thumb is still pretty sore, and her orthopedic said it’s probably sprained. Her nail is hanging on, but still very bruised all around her thumb and wrist.
  • Glasses: I didn’t mention this, but my mom scratched up her glasses on the lens and frames. So we took them to Visionworks where she has new ones ordered. Thank God for insurance!

So that’s the gist of what’s happening with my mom. I’ve been busy taking care of her, taking care of the house, being the chauffeur, and cooking meals. I never realized how much my mom does around here! I really need to be better at helping her when I can, even though she never complains. She went back to work on Tuesday but is taking the next 2 weeks off her Saturday job since she works with her hands a lot more there. Her boss was very understanding, just wanting her to get better!

In Fit Friday news, this week was horrible, health-wise. I was all about eating my emotions and using stress as reasoning as to why I’m eating badly. Basically, I ate badly on Friday and Saturday and just called the rest of the week a wash. This is my biggest problem when it comes to weight loss. I don’t see it as a journey, I see it as a weekly report. I really need to work on this.

As for exercise, I only exercised on Sunday which was a poor attempt at a run. My main problem with that run was that I ran at 11am, when it was 95 degrees out. That was not my best idea.

I’m determined to do better this week. I don’t want to give in to my emotions and use stress as an excuse to eat poorly and not exercise. If anything, I need to exercise to release endorphins which will make me feel better about myself. And eating poorly, in turn, just makes me feel poor. And very sluggish.

I’m sticking to the goals I made last week: no water at work and exercise 4 days a week. I’m also going to add to my list to start powering down at 9pm. I want to shut everything off and just relax in my bed for a good period of time, letting my mind shut off slowly which I think will help me sleep better and feel more rested. I’m going to have a busy semester ahead of me, and I need all the energy I can get!

Weight
Starting Weight (as of February 21, 2010): 151.2 lbs
Current Weight (as of August 12, 2010): 146.2 lbs
Weight Lost This Week: +.2 lbs
Total Weight Lost: -5 lbs