C25K Week 2 Day 2

Ok...so why was this day so much harder than the day before?  I actually remembered to turn on the fan so I wasn't as hot and I was wearing my correct running shoes.  I had tried some other shoes the day before and they are definitely NOT the right ones.  I'm starting to wonder if finding the perfect pair of running shoes is even possible.  My next big purchase is going to be good running shoes that are fit by a professional.  I wonder if it was due to the fact that I wasn't wearing my compression capris but just some Wallyworld special workout capris.  I really could feel all those bits and bobs moving while I was running.  That made me extra grateful for the treadmill!  I'd hate to be doing that in public!!

Today I was wanting to quit 10 minutes in and just had to push myself to do the entire 30 minute program.  My chest was hurting, my legs were hurting, and I was sweating up a storm.  Just crazy how one day is so different than another.  Oh well, I'm just proud of myself for finishing.

My next few runs will be at sea level since I will be traveling for work.  The place I'm staying is super nice and even has "chilled towels" in the fitness center.  I'm not exactly sure what that means but it sounds schmancy-dancy!!  One more day of week 2 and then it will be time for the 3 minute runs!  Yikes!!  I know I can do this because I got further than this just a few months ago.

My eating plan this coming week is lots of salads and a fair bit of walking.  My weight has been pretty steady for the last few months and that is not my goal.  I need to kick things in gear if I'm going to meet my goal of reaching my goal weight by my 50th birthday.  I have about 10 months to do it.  That means I need to lose about 5# per month.  I think that's really doable.

C25K Week 2 Day 1

Well...we are back from our two week visit with our in-laws and they sent us home with their treadmill.  It was an experience pulling a little trailer behind our car but we finally made it back!!  My son came over and helped us get the beast downstairs and I took a run on it the other day.  I can sure feel the difference in altitude being back home but I do have to say it was much cooler running here than in my in-laws garage!  I'm really happy to have the treadmill and I think it will help me be more consistent with my running.  I'm also really happy to have the little trailer they gave us.  That will make it much easier when we need to bring landscaping stuff home.  No more borrowing my son's truck!  

I'm still working on a schedule that works with running but at least I don't have to worry with outside issues.  I did this run at about 7:30pm and while that time worked with my schedule I'm not sure it's a good idea for me to exercise that late.  I had a very hard time getting to sleep because it hyped me up!  Maybe I need to get up earlier but I can't imagine getting up earlier than the 4:30am I already get up.  Oh, well, I'll do some more fanagling and see what will work the best.  This is important and I WILL make it work!!

Our trip was very relaxing but I came back with a 7# gain even though I think I ate pretty well while we were there.  I just hope it doesn't take me two weeks to get it back off again.  And...I'm off on another business trip next week.  My husband is staying home for this one so I think I will take this opportunity to eat lots of salads and spend extra time at the hotel gym.

Great Smoky Mountain Hike - Abrams Falls

Recently we were on vacation visiting my in-laws in Tennessee.  One day my husband and I went on a hike to Abrams Falls in Cades Cove.  Every time we hike at home he laments the lack of shade on the trails.  Now I understand why!  This trail was shaded nearly the entire length.  It was fairly challenging but the lower altitude (1,710 ft at it's highest versus the upwards of 10,000 ft we normally end up hiking) made up for the challenge.  The elevation gain was only about 350 ft but you did those feet in a couple fairly steep runs.

The falls themselves were wonderful and unfortunately the picture does not do them justice.  They are only about 20 ft in height but the volume of water is impressive.  At the base of the falls is a nice pool of water that my husband says gets very busy later in the day with swimmers.  As we were coming down the trail back to our car we saw quite a few folks going up with their swimming gear.

I'm really glad we did the hike early in the day like we did.  The combination of heat and humidity sapped me!  I did not plan well and ran out of water with about a mile still to go.  I was definitely glad another bottle of water was waiting when we got back to the car!  We saw lots of deer and even a couple bears.  Unfortunately my deer pictures did not turn out very well and the bear were way too far away for my iPhone to capture them.

It was a good workout and I definitely recommend this hike if you find yourself in the Smokies.  It took us about 3 hours and that included spending about 20 minutes at the falls.  I would also recommend some hiking poles if you have knee issues like I do.  It was very helpful to be able to take some pressure off those old knees on those elevation gain/loss areas.  I would also recommend you spend some time exploring the rest of this wonderful area.  The history here is amazing!  Check this out for further reading on Cades Cove:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cades_Cove

Here are some choice pics from the hike:

Beautiful drive into the cove

And this friends is why they are called the Smokies!

We did the 2.5 mile hike to the left - so sad that dogs aren't allowed :-(

Beautiful foot bridge at the beginning of the hike - I better not get used to this sort of luxury!

Stream under the footbridge - very serene

 

This is what most of the trail looked like - you did have to be careful though
because there were rocks and trees roots everywhere

Lovely trees!!

And here is where I wished there were more luxurious foot bridges
like the one in the beginning - I'm a serious scaredy cat on these things!!

Unfortunately the falls have proven deadly to swimmers who tried to
swim too close and were sucked under by the current

 

Unfortunately I forgot my Garmin so I had to rely
on my iPhone Health App for this information

C25K Week 1 Day 3

Thankfully today seemed a little easier to get through. It's not quite as hot today which really helped. I also mixed things up by using a video from YouTube along with music from the iTunes Radio app. The video is someone doing a trail and prompting you when it's time to walk or run. It's sort of fun to watch things go by even though you're on a treadmill. 

Here's a link to the video for week 1 in case you want to check it out:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nhuZPAVHGg&list=PLl7Hd30ASDAFnzS-18l7zjAhUsKE5hUN0

C25K Week 1 Day 2

I'm on track!  I just finished day 2 of week 1 in my restart of the program. It was just as hot in the garage but my FIL set up a fan for me and that helped loads. I used a new app this time and I think it will work great once I get a good playlist of music set up. It allows you to run your own playlist and then prompts you when it's time to run or walk. I've started a list of songs I think would be good to put on my playlist so the next step is easy.  I was using some great music from an independent band we discovered in New Orleans but their music isn't really running type music.  They are a great folksy bluegrass type of band that we absolutely love but I think I need some Lady Gaga and Katy Perry next time!

I looked back at the last time I did w1d2 and it was February. I'm so bummed that I didn't keep up with the program back then!!  I'd be so much closer to my goals right now - ugh!  But I am back at it and determined to do it this time. I've even found a 5K at the end of August that I'm going to sign up for. I know myself and if I don't have something to work towards that is fairly short term, it is so easy to procrastinate my workouts and then I'm right back here starting over yet again. I really don't want to repeat that history!!