See SG Run

So far I have done my “journey-to-jog-one-mile training” a grand total four times. That means I have done 80 minutes of my training. And jogged a total of 16 minutes of those minutes (a minute at a time). Yes. I have been running and NOTHING has been chasing me. I am growing as an athlete!

Being able to run a mile is so important to me. Why? I think there are a lot of real life situations where a person’s well-being really could depend on their being able to RUN AWAY. Could happen.

Also, running is so much more FUN than walking. It just is. Well, not for ME of course. For me it stinks. But if I were someone who could run longer than 60 seconds, it would be fun.

It’s also good for you. It burns so many calories. And studies by Stanford University show that running can improve bone and joint function. Running also has been shown to decrease blood pressure (*stupid stinking high blood pressure*), increase cardiovascular functioning, increase HDL (good cholesterol), improve aerobic endurance, increase muscle strength (especially lower body and core), and promote better sleep. All that sounds good to me.

But more than all that, I just want to DO it. I just want to be able to flippin’ DO it. Have you ever just really really wanted to be able to DO something?? Just to know that you could? Just to be able to say that you DID? Even if the only person you ever say it to is yourself?

I have been doing a lot of reading about running. So far, the most exciting thing I’ve read is this:

“TO BE A RUNNER DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO RUN FROM THE FIRST STEP OUT THE DOOR AND EVERY SUBSEQUENT STEP THEREAFTER.”

Wow. So, technically…I am a runner. I am a runner. As long as I keep up with my training and keep going and don’t GIVE up….I am a runner. Even if the day of my next 5K I can’t run a whole mile without stopping, if I can run a minute at a time, then I am still a runner.

In fact, walk/run programs are a really good option because they reduce your risk of injury and slowly help your body to adapt to running. Muscles, joints, connective tissue, and the diaphragm need to adapt to the more rigourous movement of running. THIS TAKES TIME.

Knowing that I am ALREADY a runner really makes this time go by a lot quicker.

Week 15 Weigh-In: +4 lb (244 lb)

no, im not crying. i stayed within my points for the week. and i did my jogging training and lifted weights. could i have done better with my eating? absolutely. could i have exercised more? of course. but i did ok.

ever since i was diagnosed with high blood pressure i have been very careful with my sodium intake. im supposed to get 1500-2300 mg a day of sodium. (stupid *flippin* high blood pressure!!!) to give you an idea of how difficult that is, 1 tsp of salt has 2300 mg of sodium. and there is sodium in food already.

but THAT is what i really messed up on this week. sodium. i lost count. when i weighed in this morning, my very cool scale told me that i gained FOUR stupid pounds. but it ALSO said that my body fat is 48%....which is horrible, i know. but it's always been over 50% in the past. last week was 50%. so i lost fat.

but that doesnt erase the side-effects of eating too much salt. my left hand/arm has been going numb and tingling a lot this week. which has not happened in months. scary.

becoming a healthy person is really really hard.

3 Things About Smasher Girl

1. i do not have the internet. how do i survive? well. like this: "aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!! i wish i had the internet!!!!" im kidding. (kinda) really, i spend a lot of time at the library up the road. its actually quite nice. AND i spend MUCH less time online when im at home than i would if i had it in my house.



2. i was introduced to blog land by Pasta Queen. not, like in PERSON (i wish). i just stumbled upon her blog. i cant even remember how. and was amazed. her blog is amazing. she lost 200 lb and took 3-D photos of herself along the way. i was hooked. i couldnt go a day without checking to see what she wrote. and the day i learned that i, too, could have my OWN blog. well. i was thrilled!



3. i live in a (*gasp*) mobile home. i know most of you are probably picturing this:

but really, most of them actually look more like this:











not the ritz...but not that bad. and it helps us keep a simple life (and me working part-time). the neighborhood is nice and we have a big yard. we really love our place!

and there is one more thing about Smasher Girl.

I WON!!! i won the BodyBugg from Laurie's Journey to Better Health. i am so happy, excited, and i cant wait to try it!


in the mean-time, i am plugging along on my "journey-to-jog-one-mile training" and its going pretty well. i have been running 1 minute and walking 4 minutes and repeating that 4 times. i have been walking at 2.5 mph (because i am DEAD after running a minute) and jogging at 4.5 mph (yes, i DO know thats ridiculously slow...but this isnt "journey-to-jog-the-fastest mile." just a mile.) according to the training plan, im not allowed to jog two days in a row. i need to recover.

on my non-jogging days i have been doing interval training on the treadmill. with mad-crazy inclines. like 18.5. and i have kept up with lifting weights.

after 6 weeks of lifting, i can NOT believe that i ever chose to NOT lift! its so fun. and really makes an hour of exercise fly. i feel stronger! i got a new weight program today. it involves those huge blue yoga ball things. and a bunch of new machines that i have NEVER tried before. fun!

i feel really good right now. like i can DO this.

Check It Out!

go to Laurie's Journey to Better Health and enter to win a body bug!! she is giving hers away. completely free!! (talk about showing love to your fellow bloggers!) the best part is, all you have to do is leave a comment. i posted this just because i couldnt keep quiet about how cool she is for doing that!

let me know if you win!

Weekly Weigh-In: -4 lb (240 lb)

happy dance!! i cant believe that i lost 4 lb this week! that makes my total weight loss 25 lb. i am so happy with that. it has been pretty slow going. i started 03/22/10. so its been 13 weeks. but that averages 1.9 lb a week weight loss.

thats why i was so surprised by what buddy texted me today. we signed up for the gym at the same time. and we make a lot of plans to go together. but i usually end up being there all by my lonesome...which i surprisingly dont mind so much any more. i think i might actually be enjoying my work out time! i dont usually tell people about my weight loss. but after she texted me this morning...to (*surprise*) say she was NOT going to meet me at the gym, i told her that i had reached my 25 lb weight loss mark (*woo-hoo*).

she sent back a message saying that it makes her really sad to think that if she had just persevered like i did, that SHE would be 25 lighter as well.

i really didnt know what to say to that. im glad she was honest with her response and didnt pretend like it didnt bother her. but it feels like my weight loss has been sooooo slowwww. i can hardly believe that some one else would have a hard time accomplishing the same thing. maybe im not giving myself enough credit. especially given some VERY exciting news!!!

my mom who is super generous and has literally bought me every dress i own (and i need dresses because as a jehovah's witness, i wear a skirt/dress when i go to my meetings) surprised me yesterday. she walked into my house with THREE beautiful dresses for me!!! the last time she bought me dresses from this particular store, i was a size 20 (which is a joke because i was more like a 26...but this brand runs really big...which i LOVE). so, this time she bought me size 18....and they were toooo BIG. yup. so we went to the store to exchange them. i got 3 dresses that are size 16. and they are BEAUTIFUL. gorgeous! when did shopping and trying on clothes become FUN??? granted...it DOES help when you dont even have to bring your purse because your amazing mother is paying (*thanks mom*). that really really strengthened my latest resolve.

i am determined. DETERMINED. to run a mile. yes. a mile. jogging. no stopping. for a whole complete total MILE. so. i did a little research.

many times in the past, i have tried to train to run a 5K. i tried the couch to 5k program. which is super cool. but too hard for my chubby butt. so i looked around for a training program to run JUST a mile. and i found one. on sparkpeople! there is a great article about training to run a mile.

many times i have wondered if i was physically capable. because, lets face it. im a bit of a chubster. i get kinda frustrated when training programs act like any one CAN run if they CHOOSE to. so not true. this article says, "You do have to be able to walk before you can run. Once you can comfortably walk for one full hour, then you're ready to start running." hmmm...ok. i can do that. so i guess i can start training. so i DID!!!

the training is 4 weeks. but i think i am going to need more than a month. so im doubling it. my training looks like this.

Time Involved: three 20-minute sessions a week, repeat each interval 4 times. 5 minute warm up, 5 minute cool down.

WEEK 1 & 2: jog 1 min/walk 4 min

WEEK 3 & 4: jog 2 min/walk 3 min

WEEK 5 & 6: jog 3 min/walk 2 min

WEEK 7 & 8: jog 4 min/walk 1 min

if i keep up with my training AND dont miss sessions, i should complete 480 minutes of training in 8 weeks (my little hula girl is gonna dance me to the finish line on the ticker in my side bar). and in theory, when im done with my training, i SHOULD be able to run a mile. straight. with OUT stopping....or (*hopefully*) dying. which brings me to my SURPRISE.

i am walking in a 5K august 15th for lung cancer. and i will JOG one mile of it with OUT stopping. crazy? maybe. really....i dont think i'll be able to pull it off. honestly. i dont think i'll be able to pull off week 5 and 6! me? jog 3 minutes??? not likely.

although, when i did my first training session saturday, i didnt think i'd be able to jog for a minute. and i did. i was sweating bullets. my knee was twinging (which it did NOT do today) and i had shin splints. today, oddly, it wasnt too bad. hard. really really hard. but i did it. some one must have saw me almost keeling over on the treadmill saturday...because there was a NEW SIGN in my gym this morning. SEE?? as scary as that is....its also kinda comforting :-)

out of the closet

i wear the same clothes everyday. really. every day. same clothes. so then why? why do i have clothes literally EXPLODING out of my closets?? piles of clothes EVERYWHERE! it was killing me. i could feel myself going into shutdown mode.

and its not just my clothes. its everything. somehow, i have way way too much stuff. it feels like i cannot breathe. i think as a culture or generation we just have too much. im POOR and i have TOO much! i need to do a major major de-cluttering of my house.

i started yesterday with my (**ughhhh**) closets. a good friend came over yesterday and helped. she sat on my bed and folded clothes and put them in appropriate piles. i think its hard when your weight is like a roller coaster. i had clothes that were too big, too small, too tight, too old, and clothes that still had price tags on them (mostly because they never fit to begin with). so i got rid of three huge garbage bags full of just my clothes and donated them to goodwill. i also put my "too small clothes" in order of size so i can go through them periodically as i drop pounds. (how optimistic of me!) i really feel soooo much better. now on to the rest of my house!

Dream Beach Gear

beach gear by smashergirl featuring Vera Bradley bags

Old Navy Womens Mix & Match Hipster Swim Bottoms, $17
HURLEY Only Plaid Womens Reversible Swimsuit Top, $47
Bonnie Marcus LIVE LAUGH LOVE FLIP FLOP, $25
Vera Bradley Sweet Handheld in Palm Beach Gardens, $71
Life's a Beach Shell and Multi Stone Bracelet, Dower & Hall, 398 GBP
D&G 8063 Black > D&G Sunglasses > 8063 501/87 > UK, 113 GBP
Amazon.com: OPI Nail Polish Japanese Rose Garden: Beauty