12 more months

Fri and Sat cross trained - 30 day shred. We had some snow and ice and today's windchill is -1 so I opted for indoor exercise. Plus, my arms really really need the strength training after not being allowed to lift much of anything since January. Tomorrow I meet a friend for a run. I'm hoping the black ice is gone by then. Brian was thrown from  his bike yesterday on his way to work from hitting an ice track left by a previous cyclist. He is OK except for some scratches on his face and a sore knee and jaw but ice scares me so much I decided just to cross train.

Seeing a little decrease in wt but I'll take what I can get.

Sun 6 with friends - just a little snow and ice
Mon 3
Tue 6 - snow and ice has melted.

I decided to train for 26.2 mile distance and run it 4-6 weeks before my training for the 50K start since that is what my 50K training plan recommends.  That puts me at beginning training in just a couple of weeks. I know I'll have to modify the long runs - like split them up or something- until my babies can handle longer times without nursing or are eating solids but at least a plan gives me something to aim for.

Also my new wt loss plan is what I have read in Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook and just realizing I can't restrict a ton but to eat a little less in the evenings. I just have to remember little things do make a difference and add up and be happy with 1-2 lbs/wk.

Not sure I mentioned it, but my daughter was born in 1993 and I didn't race again until 1999.  So no worries and no hurries.

Thanks Michele - good point. I know I don't have to do this and I don't want it to add stress to my life, I just really want to do it. I'll be flexible, though and just enjoy the running regardless. It is hard when most of my running group are 50 staters and running marathons pretty often.

My babies turned 4 mos today!

Hi Julie! You're young & have lots of time yet to run many miles & complete many races.

Thanks Dave. I am thinking about all of this and wondering if maybe I am pushing this race thing too hard, if I should just enjoy my short runs for awhile, while my boys need me so often and much and just enjoy this...I breastfed my daughter, too, and when she was 9 mos ran my first post partum marathon. I remember pumping right before the start and being all worried at the end about nursing her asap and all that, and it was fun to get back into it and it wasn't a bad trip or anything, but I don't know if it was any better than not doing it, you know? And now I have two babies, very little sleep and am extra-guarded about my milk supply. Maybe this is not the season for marathons and ultras and maybe by this summer it will be clear if I can train harder or not, but I don't know if this winter is the time to jump back into things. I am running about 5 days a week now, no injuries and even keeping up with my running group now (yay! love seeing them again!) but maybe I'll keep the training plan out but no pressure if I don't follow it or maybe I just shelf it. I don't know.

Oh but I got a Thanksgiving present today - I lost 4 lbs on Thanksgiving in spite of eating salty ham. I credit weaning off the meds. My feet and legs feel so much better getting rid of some of the extra water and now I just have 19 lbs to lose.

Don't overstress about whether setting race goals is a good or bad idea. The fact is, you're not going to know that until you've had more time trying to work running into your busy life. I'd suggest keep working the plan for now and see what happens.

Sat 6
Sun XT/shred
Mon 5 - good run with a good friend.

Mark you are right. I am such a planner which I should know better by now...I have the intermediate training plan printed and will follow it as long as it works out. If not, then oh well, right?

My parents should be here tomorrow with the treadmill, just have to find a place for it!

Tues 5
Wed 3 on my new used treadmill. Wasn't expecting to get so hot but it is of course much warmer indoors. 3 miles isn't long, I know but I guess I was breaking myself in gently.  It is so loud I couldn't hear the music I put on but It's OK. I'll probably go outside tomorrow. One thing I don't like is changing speeds since I am used to just doing all that without pushing a button. Oh well. Still have 19 lbs to lose and I'm completely off my meds as of today.

"...I'm completely off my meds as of today"

Yeah!!

Yeah unfortunately not making wt loss effortless but I have kept off the 4 lbs or so of water...I'm writing everything down and trying to be careful.

The last 2 weeks have not been good for running. Wind chill advisory today, about 7" of snow yesterday and just lots of sub-zero days. Plus I've been so tired I have been fairly unsuccessful with forcing myself out of bed. I have done some evening treadmill runs 3 miles/each and some xt with my 30 day shred dvd but it makes my knees sore.

Next week should be warmer  and I do plan to run on the treadmill or shred tonight. It's been working out pretty well while my husband is home.

Survived my 1st day back to work Saturday. Really hard leaving my babies but I got through it.  I'm only working a few shifts/month but still hard.\

My training program starts next wk. One of my friends is training for a 50 miler in KS. I am so far from being able to do that.

Transitons are always tricky. Whether it's starting up on a TM, shifting off the meds (woot!) or going back to work, it can be rough.

Keep moving forward. It'll get easier.

(I usually get soaked whenever I run on my treadmill. I see it as heat training, so I'm not caught totally off-guard when the temperature pivots from chilly to sort of warm like it does in the spring.)

I confess I spit on our floor my first TM run. I always spit outside and just forgot. Oops.

Julie wrote:I confess I spit on our floor my first TM run. I always spit outside and just forgot. Oops.

D'oh!

At least you didn't deploy the air hankie.  

Yeah I didn't go that far although that is another one of my outdoor running charms (can you believe before we dated my husband and I ran together, spit and all and that didn't scare him off?)

4 mi TM today, XT 30 day shred dvd last evening.

You are doing it!  Spitting indoors is funny - I have my TM in the garage and try to let them fly out of the door, but sometimes they don't quite make it.  Haven't figured out the snot rockets yet, but I keep a towel on the face of the mill for that.  Of course, it can be easy to forget and wipe your face with the same towel - blechhh.....

Hi John! Yeah, I have a towel too. It's weird to get hot running in the winter.

Last evening was my first outdoor run of the week, 3 mi then 5 mi this morning. Most of the more used roads are pretty clean and some of the sidewalks, more the residential than the business ones. Why some of these apt complexes etc don't clean their sidewalks is a mystery and a rather frustrating one but I made it. Thankful my husband is supportive of my need to exercise so he watches our kids in the evening between feedings so I can do something if I don't get up early a.m. I did exercise either TM, 30 day shred the other days this week. I've also been logging everything I eat on Fitday and lost 2 lbs this week! Still have 17 to go but glad to be moving in the right direction and all while keeping up my milk supply which is always a big thing on my mind.

Sun 3
Mon 4

I've been running more in the evenings. I don't have a huge window of time but it seems to work out pretty well for my family. The biggest downside is winding down for bed shortly after a run but it didn't keep me from sleep last night.

Lost another 1.5 lbs this a.m. I'm being careful with my eating but also think being off meds is agreeing with me. 15 lbs to go.

The pro soccer player spit all the time. I never paid much attention until some non-soccer fan mentioned it to me.  

Nice work, Julie! There was a time when I had to do all my runs in the evening (it was too hot otherwise), and it never seemed to rev me up too much to sleep an hour or two later.

Bet its nice to see some of that excess weight coming off, too. Keep it up!

Jerry - the spitting really grosses my mom out but among my running friends it's quite accepted as long as we don't hit a friend's shoes.

Mark - thanks! i didn't time myself last night or anything but I felt like I was going faster and it was easier so yay, Definitely helps to lose some weight and I know it'll be even easier when I'm at pre-PG wt.

I tend to do all of my runs in the evening, except for my long runs on the weekend. At times it can be hard to wind down, but I think running in the evening allows me to unwind from the day's stress.

It looks like things are starting to come back. Keep up the good work!!

Thanks Nick! I have found the stress relief to be true and this also feels more like a break for me vs me getting up crazy early to run before anyone wakes up.

5 miles yesterday and today and lost another lb today which makes 8 lbs since I quit my meds at Thanksgiving and still 14 more to go. I do feel a ton better and am happy to be in my "fat jeans" vs my smallest maternity jeans.

Good work, Julie.  You continue to amaze.  How are those sweet boys doing?  And Jocelyn, too, of course?