Week 32 - Am I mad!??

I've only gone and signed myself up for a 10k run next year!! After my successful run on Monday and deciding to do the parkrun 5k this Saturday, I had another successful 25 minute run today (Tuesday) and decided I could probably do a 10k next year so I looked them up online and found one in Bushy park (my parkrun location) in March. I have now booked myself in and have no excuse. I guess I had better start training for it!
My run was very successful today although it took me a while to go out as the weather was looking very grey and windy. The thought of not going for a run was unthinkable for me so I went out and boy it was cold! I soon warmed up though. My fingers were the last to get warm even though I had luminous yellow running gloves on! As usual I quick march walked back, throwing in some jogs when I felt like it. Towards the end my legs were getting very tired, but thankfully, my lungs were fine. I have yet again gone to the athletic side of lung over leg capacity! Yay, it does feel good!

Tuesday
Exercise = run 2 week 7 c25k + walk/jog back over 5.58 miles/8.98km = 663 calories
Food = 1765 calorie (242 over - oops!)
Breakfast
Porridge
Tea
Lunch
Soup
bread
Afternoon
Pretzels
popcorn
Tea
Dinner
Fish
New potatoes
Carrots
Mince pie
Wine

Week 32- station run PB!!!

I did my station run in 16 minutes 21 seconds this morning! That is a PB for this run!! Woohoo! I am very pleased with that. I jogged all the way only to stop at the traffic lights. Tomorrow I will jog right from my front door and see if that makes a difference too.
The quality of food I ate today wasn't great but I was busy and didn't have time to do any shopping.
I have told hubby I want to do the 5k parkrun this Saturday and he is going to do it too. The only drawback is that we have his works Christmas party the night before......

Monday
Exercise = 186 calories
Food =  1501 calories
Breakfast
Toast
Tea
Lunch
Toast
Tea
Satsumas
popcorn
Dinner
Cottage pie
satsumas
Chocolate
wine

Oh and my niece gave birth to her little boy Travis this morning. That makes me a Great Aunty 3 times now!! :-)

Week 31 - 25 minute run - done again :-)

Friday and Saturday were rest days from couch 2 5k. I did walk to the station to get the car later in the day on Friday but didn't runkeeper it as I went via the shops! Both days involved eating out so I couldn't accurately calculate my calories. Well, I think I should have a rest day or two from calorie counting as well shouldn't I!?
I weighed myself on Friday morning and have lost 1lb this week so thats good. I have finally decided to change my weigh in day to a friday so the weekend is not a problem.
This morning (Sunday) I ran run 1 of week 7 couch 2 5k, a 25 minute run. As usual I ran one way and quick march walked back home after. I covered 5.41 miles/8.70 km and felt great afterwards. I do feel I am well and truly running (jogging) within my comfort zone and not pushing my self too hard. I wondered whether I should be pushing harder but hubby said to just get to the end of the 9 weeks then think about pushing it in the new year. I agreed, considering my back problem (although its 100% at the moment). I am also thinking about doing a 5k. There is a charity santa 5k fun run in the park next sunday and we are considering that. It was week 8 of c 2 5k that I did my first 5k back in June so I think I am definitely ready although it won't be a PB.

Sunday
Exercise = 620 calories
Food = 1500 calories
Lunch
Nicoise salad
Tea
Afternoon
Popcorn
Tea
Dinner
Fish
Rice
Satsumas
Wine

week 31 - 25 minute run - done.

Time was tight this morning as I had to do the station run, bring the car home and run run 3 week 6  of couch b2 5k and be back ready, showered and presentable by 10am for work. Typically, my client turned up 10 minutes early so my cup of tea lay on the kitchen side getting cold.

I walked my station run this morning because I had to go straight out and do a 25 minute run after I dropped the car off. For the first 3 minutes of the run all I wanted to do was turn around and go back home, but I continued on telling myself that if I still felt that way when we get to the first 5 minutes then I will stop, but, as usual, my body got into it and started to warm up to the jogging. My mind was away with my thoughts, the music on my iPod, the scenery of swans, ducks, geese, the rowers and the fishermen on the early morning river. It is beautiful down there. The minutes ticked away and before I knew it I had 60 seconds left of my run. So, thats the first of 4 x 25 minute runs done. I was very pleased I didn't cave in and stop in the first few minutes. I quick march walked back. 

For my walk back Runkeeper would not find a GPS signal at all. It's interesting that it will find a perfectly good signal in my bedroom with the lights off and the curtains closed but struggles in the clear light of day with the clear sky right there in front of it! Annoyed, I turned on my Runmeter app and it found a good signal immediately! Very frustrating. I rely so much on these apps for my progression I hate it when they fail so I am glad I have a backup app.

I was good with the food today too but unfortunately as hubby was out the wine was calling so I  gave in a had a glass or two!

Thurdsay

Exercise = 624 calories 5.77 miles/9.28km, mostly fast walk with 25 minutes jogging

Food = 1622 calories

Breakfast

Toast

Tea

Lunch

Soup

Tea

Afternoon

Banana

Tea

Dinner

Soup
satsuma
pretzels
wine

Week 31 - day 4 no wine :-)

My station run this morning was slower still than yesterday at 17.48 minutes. It was freezing this morning and I think my legs were too cold to move very fast. I also left the house later than usual and had to keep running around hoards of school kids on the way. Thankfully not one of them laughed at me or pointed out my wobbly thighs and bum as I lolloped up the road (at least I don't think they did anyway!). I didn't have another run to do as it is rest day from couch to 5k today plus I think my legs were still tired form Tuesday...


Wednesday
Exercise = station run 173 calories
Food = 1613 calories
Breakfast
Porridge
Tea
Lunch
Soup
Bread
Apple
Afternoon
Mince pie
Tea
Dinner
Soup
Ryvitas
mince pie
Satsumas

Week 31 - wk6 run 2, 738 calories

This morning I did the station run and ran a fair amount of it, but slowly, so I still only managed to cover 1.31 miles/2.10 km in 17.15 minutes. Still working towards that pb! I also did my run 2 of week 6 couch to 5k running 2 x 10 minutes. The run was good although I got very tired in the second half of the second 10 minute run. I wasn't going fast but it was a bit knackering all the same. I quick march walked back and now and again threw in a little jog when I felt like it too. My left calf started to tighten so I made sure I stretched properly when I got home. I stood in the shower for ages! Bliss..

Tuesday
Exercise = 738 calories over 6.11 miles/9.83 km
Food = 1341 calories
Breakfast
Porridge
Tea
Lunch
Soup
Bread
Satsuma
Biscuits
Tea
Dinner
Soup
Ryvitas

Week 31 - miffed.

Hmmm, I am a bit miffed to be honest. Last week I ran 13.64 miles/21.95 km, burning 1,617 calories and I still managed to gain! Yes, GAIN!!!! 3lbs! I did go over my weeks calories by 690 but that still is not enough for a 3lb gain. I stepped on and off the scales thinking there must be something wrong with them! Anyway, now I have calmed down and gathered myself a bit I have come to the conclusion that my body doesn't realise I have started running again yet. I think my metabolism is at least a week behind my actual physical exercise routine. Once it has caught up we will start seeing that last stone/14lbs off, I'm sure of it. After all, it took a while for the weight to drop off at the beginning, back in March. Anyway, we will push that to one side for the moment.
I started the week 6 runs of c25k on Sunday. It was very foggy out but very serene along the towpath. I was out at 8.30am with only a couple of runners and a few fishermen for company. It was also very cold (quite normal with fog). The run consisted of 2 x 5 minutes and 1 x 8 minute runs. All 3 runs were good. I did get puffed out and quite hot 2/3rds in. As usual I quick march walked all the way home. My next run is tomorrow (Tuesday) although I did do my station run this morning which covered 1.36 miles/2.18km in 17.02 minutes - not as good as last week but it was very cold again this morning and my teeth froze!
I have no social commitments this week until Friday which will definitely involve a bottle or two of wine. But, for now, Sunday to Thursday I am abstaining, I need to give my liver a rest! I am also going to do the soup for lunch, soup for dinner until Friday as it only lasted for Monday and Tuesday last week! God, I'm not very good at this am I?!

Monday
Exercise = 189 calories
Food = 1511 calories
Breakfast
cereal (fruit n fibre)
tea
Snack
biscuit
Tea
Lunch
soup + ryvitas
pear
tea
mince pie
Dinner
soup
Bread
satsuma

Week 30 - dead chuffed, I am a runner again!

Having had far too many wine calories on Wednesday night and not doing any running or proper food diary calculations on Thursday (hangover, so needed a lot of bread!) This morning I needed to absolve myself of said sins and do my run 2 of week 5. This consisted of 2 x 8 minute runs with a 5 minute walk between.
I set off and did my first run quite slowly not wanting to put myself off by going too fast. Quite quickly the half way marker came up and I thought to myself "great, I feel good, legs not aching, back not aching, lungs not hurting either". I continued on for another 4 minutes when, again, the last minute came round seemingly very quickly. The second run was the same but in the last minute I picked up the pace. I was definitley going slower than my legs could take me. I stretched for a bit at the end of the run then started to head back home.  In all honesty I felt as though I had cheated myself by going so slowly as to hardly get out of breath so I thought, bugger it. I'm going to do run 3 on the way back! This is a 20 minute non stop run.
The first time I did this run back in May it was such a milestone. I had never run so far in one go since my school days (quite a long time ago!). It's listed under "one of my proudest moments". Anyway today it was great. As each 5 minutes past I concentrated on the next 5 minutes until I saw the end in sight. I LOVE sweating properly! I LOVE having sweat patches! I LOVE having a shower afterwards! This is what I truly missed. The achievement, the sense of pride, the sweat and heat and the refreshing shower afterwards. Brilliant!

Oh, and to top it all off, hubby won £100 in a poetry competition!!!

Thursday = no exercise and I didn't properly count the calories but I know it was over!

Friday = 36 minutes jogging and 25 minutes brisk walking = 525 calories
Food =  1544 calories
Breakfast
Shreddies
Tea
Lunch
Soup
Ryvitas
Apple
Tea
Afternoon
pretzels
Tea
Dinner
risotto
wine (well, it is Friday!)

Week 30 - I burned 671 calories!

Wednesday
I did a faster station run of 16.51, just 20 seconds off my pb! I was very pleased with that. Later I did week 5, run 1 of couch 2 5k. I decided to skip run 3 of week 4 as I have been doing plenty of 5 minute runs during the station runs each morning. This run consisted of 3 x 5 minute runs all of which were  a challenge both mentally and physically. It is cold out now so it takes a bit more mental effort to go out in the 1st place and I think I need some gloves to run with. I was also a little bored because I forgot to put my music on. I had been learning French but runkeeper keeps starting it from the beginning which is very annoying.
I like that I am getting some muscle definition back in my thighs just above the knees and my calves have gone solid again. They quite quickly went jelly like when I was off the running. Its amazing how quickly your body changes and adapts. My endurance is getting better. On Friday I will be doing 2 x 8 minute runs which I am happy about - I think.

Exercise = 3.56 milesJogging and walking burning 671 calories!!!!!!!
Food = I overdid it as I was out in the evening - too much wine and have no idea how many calories were in my dinner!
Breakfast
Shreddies
Tea
Banana
Lunch
Soup
Ryvitas
Apple
Tea
2 x biscuits
Dinner
Healthy noodles with chicken from dim t - very nice
too much white wine

week 30 - so far, so good....

very pleased so far....

Monday
Exercise = station run 1.35 miles = burning 184 calories
Food = 1463 calories
Breakfast
Porridge
Banana
Tea
Lunch
Soup
2 Ryvitas
apple
Afternoon
2 ryvitas with peanut butter
Tea
Dinner
Soup with spinach and ricotta cannelloni
hot chocolate
NO WINE!!! :-)

Tuesday

Exercise = station run 1.35 miles = burning 177 calories

Food =  1257 calories 

Breakfast

Porridge

Tea

Lunch

Soup

2 Ryvitas

apple

Afternoon

bar of chocolate
Tea

Dinner
soup
2 ryvitas
apple

NO WINE!!! :-)

Week 30 - Soup and water week

The weight loss hasn't been going great over the last month or so. As my running is picking back up however, I am trying to concentrate again on the calorie consumption too.
I hit my best weight loss of 28.5lbs back at the beginning of September only to put on 6.5lbs by the beginning of November. I think, where my back problem is concerned, I was at the peak of my fitness levels so far at the end of July, so when my back went my body was still burning calories at a high rate even though I wasn't running. This continued throughout August. Then, during September and October, not only did my metabolism slow down but I started to eat more too and in particular, these last couple of weeks, started having one too many glasses of wine during the week. Back in the spring and summer I was only drinking at weekends. Basically I started to revert back to my old ways. But

I cannot let this happen, it is not an option!

Having said all that, I did however, lose 1lb last week, so I am very pleased with that. This morning I ran my station run in 17.11 minutes which I am also very pleased with. My pb for that run is 16.35 so I aim to hit that before Christmas.
This week to kick start my weightloss again, I aim to up the running by doing the station run 5 times this week and running all of it (or as much as I can) every time, plus I will complete the c25k week 5 runs by Sunday. 
On the eating front I will have porridge or cereal each morning then soup for lunch and dinner for all meals at home. My other thing I want to do is quit the wine until Friday or Saturday evening and drink much more water, although I am out on Wednesday so I may have a glass of wine then. You see? This is my problem! My social life does have a tendency to muck things up! 
So watch this space this week and see how I get on. If you need to lose a few lbs before Christmas give the soup option a go too. Im not talking about the flatulent, nasty cabbage soup diet but either make your own or do as I do, get delicious soups from the supermarket and have ryvitas with them. I like covent garden soups which I have 1/2 a carton (which is a serving size) for each meal plus 2 ryvitas and then an apple or a pear. I will diarise my food this week I promise. I know I haven't been good at that lately but I feel, at last, I am getting back on track! :-)

Week 29, Days 5,6 +7

I had a lie in on Friday and it was a rest day from c25k so I didn't do any exercise to speak of. My eating during the day was ok until the evening. I made  fish pie which was lovely but I ate too much of it and drank too much wine.
On Saturday we were up and out quite early, we had lunch and dinner out, I drank too much wine -again! Although I did quite a lot of walking on Saturday I didn't do my run because I didn't have the time.
I was up quite early on Sunday and was out of the door in my running gear at 8.45am. It was quite mild out and the sun was out. A beautiful morning. I did my c25k wk4 run2 which was a bit easier than the 1st run but still a good lung workout on the 5 minute runs. I did the whole session in one direction and quick march walked back home. Hubby caught up with me, having been out for his run double the distance of mine, and so I jogged a few times on the way back. All in all a very good mornings work out. It encouraged me to diarise my food intake properly too so I only have calories for Sunday.

Sunday
Exercise = 502 calories, c25k wk 4, run 2 +walk/jog back covering 4.66 miles/ 7.50km
Food = 1365
toast, soup, small roast dinner with lamb.

Week 29, Day 3 + 4

Wednesday
I ran most of the way to the station this morning and managed a great time of 18.22 minutes! I still need to beat my pb on the same route of 16.29 minutes, but it felt great to finally be able to run without fear of a flare up. I did sit down at the computer quite a lot too which made my back a bit stiff, but once up and moving about it eased up fairly quickly.
My eating was fairly good all day too but I overdid it in the evening by a couple 100 calories. It was however, within my allowance plus the calories burned by the run.

Exercise = 180 calories
Food = 1631calories

Thursday
Woohoo! I managed 17.40 minutes to the station this morning! I also went out for my run. I skipped run 3 of week 3 and went straight onto week 4 which is 2 x 3 minutes and 2 x 5 minute runs with walks between. I must admit the 5 minute runs where a bit tough on my lungs and my legs were getting a bit tight too. Towards the end of the runs the commentator on the running programme said "fantastic" at which point I, very gratefully, stopped running at which she then said "you have just 30 seconds to go!" Bollocks! I swore under my breath and started running for the last 20 seconds and stopped again. I am getting used to theses funny looks from passers by! I will do it again on Saturday though.
I think I have hit my lung capacity for running at the 5 minute mark. Before I did my back in I was able to fairly comfortably run for 50 minutes. When I started this running programme back in April this year however, I struggled to run for 1 minute! I am glad 3 months off didn't get me back to where I started! I hope to pick up my running times fairly quickly and without too much effort. The days are getting colder and although very autumnal and pretty by the river I do think I need gloves and a hat! Hmm that might have to go on my Christmas list..
Food intake has been good today although I am going out for dinner tonight so it will all go to pot.

Exercise = a whopping 430 calories!
Food = so far 770 calories but I haven't had my dinner yet!

Week 29 day 1 and 2

Monday was a rest day from running, but I was busy all day working anyway. Tuesday was run 2 of week 3. After Sundays run I wondered whether to skip straight onto week 4 which is 2 lots of 3 minutes and 2 lots of 5 minute runs but decided against it as I didn't want to over do it. I incorporated my run with getting the car from the station and it was fine. I had to finish the run circling around the car park a few times and got some odd looks but it was a good run. I think I will skip run 3 and go straight to week 4 instead. On the calorie counting front, I've been a good girl...

Monday
Exercise - work/rest day
Calories - 1442 consumed

Tuesday
Exercise  - wk 3 run 2 of c25k - 158 calories burned
Calories - 986 consumed

Week 29 - Goals

I decided yesterday that I would skip the 3rd run of week 2 of c25k and go straight onto week 3 day 1 which consists of 2 x 1&1/2 minute runs and 2 x 3 minute runs with walks in between. Hubby came with me to show me a new route. At the end of my run we had the usual quick march walk back home but I had loads of energy still so I jogged a fair amount of it instead. I covered 6.65 km/4.13 miles and it felt really good. The weather was really good for November too and perfect for a run by the river. I am really chuffed with the way my lungs are working again. I thought it would take longer to get back to my top fitness (although I'm not there yet), but it looks like I will be doing a 5k sooner than I thought, so I have decided to set my self some goals.

a) to complete a 5k before 2012
b) to get my 5k time to under 30 minutes (best so far is 37 minutes)
c) to lose 42lbs by April 25th 2012 (I don't believe in rushing things)
d) to complete a 10k in 2012

Week 28 - Still running :-))

Yesterday (Friday) I spent the day at a spa with a good friend of mine. She was bought the day for her birthday from her husband and needed someone to go with. I happily obliged. I brought my gym stuff just in case, but we spent the day in the water jets and bubbles and having massages and facials in the afternoon, bliss.
This morning hubby woke me at 8.30, him in his running gear having already been out for a 4 mile run, and asked me if I will be running today. Yes, I said bleary eyed and somewhat groggy from the wine I downed yesterday afternoon and later in the evening. I got up, got dressed in my running gear, glugged down a glass of water and set up hubby's phone to track with runkeeper and my phone to track week 2 day 2 of my c25k programme. The 5th of December can't come soon enough when I get my upgrade to an iPhone 4 and can use 2 apps at the same time! The weather was cool and cloudy but dry this morning. Perfect weather for a run. There were a few puddles to jump over but not too much. The run went well. I did the same as the last run - 6 x 1 1/2 minute runs with 2 minutes walk between. It was easy, relatively. I will complete week 2 tomorrow. It's supposed to be on Monday but I am fully booked with clients from 8.30 until about 8pm. On Tuesday I will start week 3 and I am quite looking forward to it! Yippee, I'm back on track!!! :-))))

Exercise - wk2 day2 of c25k and 2 mile return walk = 420 calories tracked by runkeeper.

Food - I haven't tracked the calories for Friday and today because of eating out, but I am trying to be healthy, well, apart from the amount of wine I drunk yesterday! We are in the cinema tonight so I have no choice but to be good!

Week 28 - week 2 day 1 of the programme - done.

This morning I jog/walked the station run. I looked up the weather first and saw it was supposed to rain all day with possible thunder and lightening so I decided to do some jogging first thing. I managed 4 x 2 minute jogs with 1 1/2 minute walks in between. The first couple of jogs where fine but then my lungs started to hurt. I think it will take a few weeks before I can get anywhere near the fitness levels I was at back at the beginning of July. My back was absolutely fine during the runs which is brilliant news.
I had some breakfast, pottered about a bit on the computer and what not then decided I would go out and do the first run of week 2 of c25k. I know I have only done 1 of the 3 runs for week 1 but I am better than that so I am going to skip them and start week 2. I was still in my running gear and the weather was windy but not raining .....yet. The towpath was very empty, just a couple of people fishing and a couple of dog walkers. Before long I had to strip off my top layer of clothing as it was quite mild out. It was lovely running my old route which I haven't done for some months! The run was a success. The only niggle I had was in my left hamstring which I stretched out well at the end of the run. I completed the run in one direction so had 2 miles to walk back home. I put on my runmeter app (runkeeper still not finding a signal)  to track my distance and calories. On my fairly brisk walk back I did get some tightness in my left buttock so I slowed down a bit until it recovered. All in all a very successful day for exercise! :-)

Excerise - 5.39 miles of walk/jog burning approx 537 calories!

Food = 1452 calories

Week 28 - Not going as well as expected

I feel a bit guilty having just read my last post. I haven't managed the second run yet because after the greatness of Sundays exercise and Mondays walk/jog I went to the apple store to pick up our new iMac. I had no idea how heavy it was! After putting it down, changing hands and picking it up again only to trundle a few more steps about 762 times to the car I got it home and started to unpack it and put the existing pc away. This, of course involved a LOT of bending down, picking up heavy objects and clambering under the desk. My back started to ache. It stiffened up quite a lot so I didn't run on Tuesday after all, through fear of having a relapse, then today (Wednesday) was a busy day for me, working till at least 7.30pm. Thankfully my back is better today so I WILL do the run tomorrow.

When I am running I am chopping and changing between runkeeper and runmeter to track my walk\jogs. I like runkeeper better but it keeps not finding the GPS signal where runmeter does almost immediately. I am due an iPhone upgrade in a few weeks so I hope this resolves the issue.

On the eating front I must admit I haven't been very good at tracking this week. I am craving carbs this week and eating them with gusto!!! I know this is a PMT phase so will only last a couple more days. The Genoa cake I bought from Waitrose was particularly delicious with a cup of tea. Note to self - never buy that again!