Saturday, March 27, 2010

Tiny Run under 12 minutes

I woke up after my 2nd night shift to get ready for my third night shift. I ran down to the treadmill and popped out a mile in 11:58! Yeah me. I know it's not fast for most people here, but for me it IS!! Now if only the Broad Street 10 miler lost a zero LOL! I am planning on adding mileage this weekend since I am off on Saturday night!!

I don't know why I signed up for an extra 12 hour night shift on a Friday night of all things. The last two nights were painful. I never have off on a Friday, but I guess the drop in temp and rain drove me to it. That, and the Las Vegas trip coming up :)

Thursday, March 25, 2010

1 mile under 12, carb free 3 days

So, I've decided to go carb free for the next 3 days. Protein only for me. Have I told you how much I loooooove my carbs? I love bagels, raisin bread....... So, I'm going to try it for 3 days and see if I can jump start some weight loss. I've been a maniac at the gym lately - only missing 3 days out of 20. But the scale won't budge!!!

I did my 3rd spin class in 2 weeks on Monday night (my second trip to the gym - after weights and the Arc trainer in the early afternoon). Man, I was soaked. It's getting easier and my but doesn't hurt quite as badly LOL! I Zumba'd on Tuesday after running the kids to 2 doctors' appts during the day.

I was up at 2:30 am on Wed morning after someone texted me from work about a birthday party on Thursday. Really???? I keep my phone on my night stand for emergencies. That was not an emergency. So I watched the hours flip by for the rest of the night. Valerian and Melatonin did not help me. So my but was lagging but I got to the gym and did a half an hour on the Arc Trainer, a major weight circuit and then back up to run a mile in under 12 minutes (read - fastest mile for me!!) I felt good and could have kept going except work got in the way. I left the gym feeling great!!

These 3 days off went by way too quickly - now back to work! :P

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Run, Spin, Butts and Guts, Children of the Corn


I was able to get to my second spin class on Thursday. Drenched again. I handled the "jumps" better too. The instructor also taught a "butts and guts" class next. Wow. It was a weight class that incorporated two body parts with every move. Lunges with shoulders, squats with triceps. Great class!!! I woke up at 4 am and I think that only the tip of my nose was pain-free :)

I was still able to run 4 miles on Friday!!!! Yeah me. I should say run for most of them. :) I still slow down at times but not as much and for a lot shorter time. That makes 14 out of 16 days that I made it to the gym. I only slept 3 hours on Saturday after a night shift and had to go back in for another 12 hours on Saturday night. I could barely keep my eyes open let alone make it to the gym :P But now I am off for a whole 3 days!!! Of course the sun is going into hiding and it is going to rain for 2 of them :(
We are getting the garden ready for planting - can't wait. Hubby grew THE best corn ever last year. It was a mix of yellow and white and was so sweet. Can't wait for it again this year. The pic popped up top. I call it - Children of the Corn!!!. LOL


Thursday, March 18, 2010

Running and potty breaks

I don't know what happens when I run, but the need to go to the bathroom hits more often than not. I can attack the elliptical for an hour at level 7 - no problem. Weights for an hour and a half - no problem. Spinning class - no problem. I worked Tuesday night and didn't sleep well on Wednesday day, so I didn't make it to the gym. So I hit the basement and the treadmill. I was going pretty well when that uh-oh feeling hit. I forced a mile before I jumped off and ran to the bathroom. Back to the treadmill. Not long after, it happened again. I mean really. I was feeling great and could have gone for 4 or 5 miles. But, believe this, my shoe came untied twice and the potty breaks....I cut it close to shower time and only did 2.5 miles. Blah.

I had a great two weeks at the gym. However, the scale has not really budged. I've cut the ETOH (that's alcohol for the non-medicals LOL) down to Sunday only. Since I work 3-5 night shifts a week, it doesn't leave me many days anyway :) I plan to do the same as I did for the Bridge Run and cut out the ETOH for the month of April before the Broad Street 10 miler. (Bummer, since the "Beverage Center" is almost finished in the basement.)

Hopefully I can get my neighbor to take the kids to CCD so I can make the spinning class again. For some good news, I think that the Sketchers have actually helped my plantar fasciitis (maybe about 75%.) Either that, or it spontaneously went away (not). I still have problems waking up - if I remember to stretch first and walk slowly - this helps. But usually, I jump up and run to pee :) Sitting for a while also stiffens me up. But it is a lot better - yeah!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Spinning class

I did my first spinning class on Thursday night. I loved it. I hung in there with everything except the "jumps." They were killers on my knees so I did every third one or so. Most of the spinning classes take place when I am still at work in the am or on nights when I am at work. It looks like Mondays or Thursday nights with a little juggling may work. I ran 3 times last week. With a 4.7 mile run on Friday. Probably not my smartest move with the spinning class the night before. I also felt like I was sitting on a pole for two days LOL!

I've been to the gym 7 out of the last 8 nights and was hoping to make it to the spinning class tonight. I ran 2.5 miles today with a half an hour on the elliptical. I had a mega gym day yesterday with the weights. I even fought off the meatheads in the free weight section LOL.

It's been raining for more than 5 days. However, sunshine and 60 degrees for the next 5 days. I hope to take advantage of this and run outside. Work has been crazy!!! I hope it relaxes a little bit soon.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Ran the Bridge

It was absolutely gorgeous out today - temps hitting almost 60 degrees! I decided to battle the Bridge today. It's 3 miles over and back. I haven't run it since the race in November. The weather was great, except for the winds that were kicking up out in the open of the bridge. It's a great workout with one big hill up and one big hill down. Then you get to turn around and do it again :) I was planning on hitting the gym for a Zumba class tonight but the granite contractor was late and I missed the class :(

I used my Garmin (like for the real first time) today and had the fastest pace as 9:42. Hahaha not on my best day. I probably hit that going downhill for like 2 minutes :) It was interesting to see the different paces. I think I'm going to enjoy using it - if the weather would cooperate more often.

My husband and I attempted to run with the dog last night. hahahaha Not happening. Remember the post about run sniff, run pee? Yep. We got her out in the street and were able to run for short bursts. We made it around run, walk, wait, for almost 2 miles.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Sketchers

So my new Sketchers arrived on Friday (I just ordered them Wednesday night). I put them on and off to work I go. Well the night from hell started with a car fire on the bridge and my 18 miles drive turned into an hour and 45 minutes. Not a happy camper. :(

The unit was super busy with really sick patients. A coding patient, a post-op patient who didn't want to have a pressure and then the dreaded hypothermia patient who was coding in the ER. Long story short - NOT a good night to try out my new Sketcher rockers. My pedometer read 7 miles by the morning and my legs and back were killing me. (Couldn't have something to do with the 672 pound patient - hmmm...)

I woke up to run to the bathroom and my ankles were on fire. Definitely should have worn them around the house!!! I hope they will feel better once I am used to them.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Signed Up for the Broad St. 10 Miler!!! :) Aunt again!


I'm an Aunt (again). Declan was born on Monday. Very convenient that my sister delivered at the hospital that I work. :)

Finally! I signed up for the Broad Street 10 miler. I also signed my husband up for it!! Surprise! The run takes place on May 2 and benefits the American Cancer Society.

I have been trying to get my hubby to add some cardio to his workouts. He has never been a fan of cardio (or even done any). He is at the gym 3-4 times a week - in the weight room. Well, he took it well (the fact that I signed him up too :)) and jumped on the treadmill. He came upstairs all sweaty a little while later and said he did 3.5 miles. Really, having never run before? Jeez. I explained that he should start out slowly and build.....blah blah. I told him he was going to hurt something and he laughed and said he'd leave me in the dust. Wellllll, the next day he was limping a little and I asked him what was wrong. He said maybe you were right, everything hurts. (Repeat that....I was what? LOL) We have to start with new shoes...... This is going to be fun!!! :) I'm not out to break any records, we can walk through water stations, etc. Although we may run fast for a few miles - the start of the run is not in the safest of neighborhoods. Chrissy, who started this whole mess, starts further up in a faster corral. I won't even see her so I'm glad to have the company!!

I had two runs last week 2 and 3.5 miles. My PF acted up after the 2, was a little better after the 3.5 miles. I had one run this week of 3 miles, weights, cardio and a zumba class. I'm hitting the gym later today. The weight is sloooowly coming off. I dusted off my Garmin. Hopefully the snow is done for the winter. It is almost gone outside. It's 29 degree out not - but is supposed to warm up in the next week. I drove through 3 nasty blizzards to get back and forth to work. That was not fun. I live 18 miles away and it took me 1 hour 45minutes to get there. :(

I am now charge nurse on night shift - what a headache. Sometimes I think, just give me my two ICU patients and leave me alone. Saturday night, I logged 12 miles of walking, running around the hospital. That is new record for me. I put the pedometer on when I hit the parking garage. We have a 630 pound patient who gain 42 pounds of fluid and now weighs 672 pounds. It takes at least 5 nurses with the use of a ceiling lift to move her. I should take a picture of that and put it on the fridge - that will make me run!! :)

Has anyone tried the rocker sneaks by Sketchers? Are they any good, help. I'm thinking they may help with me PF if I wear them for part of my 12 hour night shift. Two girls in work swear they've helped them tone up after wearing them for a few months.

Getting ready for my very first run!

After I renigged on my promise to run the Broad Street 10 miler with my friend Chrissy D - I decided to make it up to her by running the Ben Franklin Bridge 10k. Did you read below where I NEVER ran before? She told me that if I cancelled on her again, she would drag me across the bridge by my hair. Okaay then.

I was in shape until a work injury side-lined me (a patient decided to herniate two discs in my neck and tear my shoulder in two places - thanks!) So kiss that bikini goodbye. Pain and inactivity followed. I found myself unable to sleep and in front of the pantry at 3am - everything screaming "eat me!" My day consisted of Percocet, Valium, Red Bull. Percocet for the pain, Valium for the muscle spasms, Red Bull so I could pretend to play mommy for my children. So, physical therapy, epidurals, steroid injections and 40 pounds later, I decided that getting ready for this run was going to help me get back into shape. (I decided against 3 surgeries at this time.)

I had already conquered the ellipticals at the gym. I could do them for an hour on level 6 and barely break a sweat. Surely I could run a measely 6.2 miles. I moved on to the treadmill. I couldn't even run .25 miles continuously. This was a lot harder than it looked.

The Ben Franklin Bridge is almost 3 miles back and forth and it went up, up, up!! and then down. The first time I crossed it (walking, mind you) on the pedestrian cross-walk, my calves were cursing me in three languages. What did I sign up for - who was I kidding?

I downloaded inspiring, fast beat music to keep me pumped up and ready (Britney, Buck Cherry's Crazy Bitch (yep that's me), Pink, PCD, etc.) I decided that I would go for distance and not speed. I discovered that I had exercise-induced asthma when I pushed a little too far (anything at that time was too far). Soon I was able to run a mile, then 2 - at once. I continued to "do" the bridge and even took my kids a couple of times. I had to find a better way to keep my iphone close. They didn't make an arm band that I liked so I found a "runner's belt" online and soon had it. I tried it out one day in the park. My 11 year old was with me and started laughing when I put my iphone in it. "Seriously mom, a fanny pack?" It is not a fanny pack, it is a belt. It stays still, doesn't ride up and I can put my keys in it too. So there!

The weight was slowly coming off. I decided to take a drastic measure - no alcohol at all for the month before the race (oh no, what was I thinking.) My goal was 20 pounds by race day. I continued to plod along on the treadmill. I was up to 5k with almost no problems. However, when I tried to run outside, my body rebelled. The park trail was 1.3 miles - however, it was not flat (but hey - either was the bridge). I was a wheezing, sweaty mess .4 miles into the "run." I was running faster than I was used to on the treadmill. (GPS is a wonderful thing - an app I downloaded on my iphone let me know my distance, speed, and even mapped my route - love the gadgets!)

Strep throat struck my son (11) and he generously shared it with me two weeks before the race. I bought new sneakers (Asics Nimbus Gel 11) and my shins and calves let me know it was not a good idea to change things two weeks before the run. So I went back to my Nike Lunar Glides and made everybody happy. My 16 year old decided he would like to try on the Swine Flu one week before the run. My throat was still bothering me from last week and my chest was tight. I was having some serious doubts if I would be able to finish this race. Not to mention Lysol toxicity from degerming the whole house.

I completed 5.5 miles on the treadmill on my birthday, 6 days before the Sunday race, and for the first time I thought I might be able to do it. It rained for the next two days, so I didn't run the bridge (think shuffle up and run down). I worked Friday night and had off on Halloween. Was I ready? I made my goal of losing 20 pounds two days before the run - yeah me! (20 more to go!)
P.S. Read posts bottom up :)

Ben Franklin Bridge

Ben Franklin Bridge

Kids on the Bridge

Kids on the Bridge