Thursday

Hello out there..

We haven't ordered our treadmill yet but I think I'll make the decision on one this week.  I've been price comparing.  I'm a little low on energy this week.  I still striving to do this 5K in April.  My stamina just isn't there to even run a whole mile without stopping and truthfully, my run is really a "jog".  Everyone keeps saying that I could always walk it - which is true but it just wouldn't feel the same so push on, push on...

So much stuff going on with work and deadlines.  I just wanted to check in quickly.

Still Going

I'm back....

I've been busy with work and dealing with deadlines... have not had much time or energy to jump on here and talk.  I wanted to catch up on everything but I'll make it short and sweet.  I'm still at the jogging level...there really is a difference between running and jogging and I cannot run for any length of time - not yet anyway.  You know what might be a factor is lack of sleep and sluggish energy levels. I need to just stop working by a certain time each evening because I tend to work during the day and on into the evening . I'm privately contracted and I also taken on other work projects so I can do my own schedule - seems flexible but I still find myself working day and evenings nearly everyday....working on changing that too.

Here's some exciting news.  My sister and I have decided to purchase a good quality treadmill together.  I'll still have my gym membership and we'll keep the treadmill at her house.  I think this will help tremendously with running and with my crazy schedule - I see my sister every day so I know I can always jump on the treadmill  if  I'm going to be doing a late work night and won't feel like the gym.  My gym is 24hours but still after working all day/evening, sometimes the motivation just dies away and I'm just not heading out the house at 1 or 2 am to go to the gym when I know I'm gonna be up and at it again at 4/5 the next morning. 

I really want success with this goal and I'm believing in myself.  Some of my friends have gone M.I.A. but I want to see this through to the end.  It will be really great for me.  So even though I still feel like a slacker and slug I'm believing in me and expecting victory at the end of this journey.

Dig Deep Dig Deep

You know what... been so swamped with work that motivation is hard to come by.  But hey, sometimes you have to keep moving,motivation or no motivation.  I can't wait until I'm running for real because what I am doing is technically a simple jog with the walking intervals (remember that earlier  plan I shared). 

More snow is coming...go away snow....

Busy Busy Busy

I can't believe how incredibly busy I've been this week.  Maybe tomorrow, I'll feel like posting the details for this week. I know it's only 10:50 pm for me, but I'm tired--will chat about my challenges and everything else tomorrow.  This is my first time getting a chance to do something that wasn't work-related on the computer - my eyes are tired...

Nighty Night

Don't know what's going on inside my head tonight....but I feel really really drained.  So, I hate to say it but no gym tonight.  Brain Drain - maybe from too many hours in front of the computer working on my computer this week. My brain feels sluggish and tired. 

Thursday - Janell

Just a quick check.  I don't have anything exciting to report.  Still hanging there.  Still determined to be in a 5K in April.  And STILL this weird knee pain is somehow sticking around.  I think I will just for tonight/possibly Saturday do some walking or just other exercise .. I don't know??? Silly Silly Knee...

I want to do the half marathon but my progress is slower than I'd like.  I'm not going to give up though.  I will just keep working on maintaining a healthy weight and acheiving greater and greater fitness levels.  I think I'll do some pilates tonight too.  I like pilates.

Too soon for pain

Wow - I'm still in the early phases of training and now my knee (right ) is acting weird.  I have never had knee pain before.  I'm not a runner and usually do other types of cardio; I'm basically jogging.  I feel a twinge in it when I sit down.  I try to make sure I always to enough stretching before and after a workout.  I don't know???

Still planning to go to the gym but will just be aware and mindful of pain/discomfort that isn't "normal" - whatever normal is. 

Hello Monday

Didn't make it to the gym this morning...so here we go with a late night workout... tell you all about it in the morning.

Last Week it was....
WEEK 1


MON - rest

TUES- Walk/run 2 miles

WED- X-train

THU - walk/run 2 miles

FRI - X-train

SAT - Walk/run 2 miles

SUN - Walk/run 2 miles

This week the schedule goes like this: 
I'm switching things so that  Sunday will be my rest day, switching the schedule around
MON   walk/run 3 miles
TUES  Xtrain
WED  Run 2 miles
THU  Xtrain
FRI  walk/run 2 miles
SAT run 3 miles

I'm still struggling with actual running versus an easy jog.  If the struggle is just too apparent, I guess I'll have to switch up and go back to the other optional plan we have on here.  I have to try to keep the thought "slow and steady wins the race in mind" cause sometimes I want it all to happen too fast and get discouraged, craw before you walk Janell

Positive Thoughts..

Trying to maintain positive energy with this challenge.  This week is going to better than last week as far as training goes.  I didn't get a chance to get over to my brother's and get some pictures made (he's a photographer).  Aw man, well, hopefully this week it will happen, I'd like to visually track any physical changes on a weekly basis.  So this is officially week 2 but it feels like week 1.  It's going to improve though, my stamina will increase...

The team effort has turned into a solo flight

Soooo Tisha, Jan, Dar, Manda - where are you ladies?  No one has posted or checked in?  Well so it seems that this team effort has turned into a solo flight.  Winter in the midwest can be a bit of a turn-off cause it's cold--I get it, after working and ripping and running, dealing with families, kids, etc.--it's only too easy to just sit on the couch and settle in for the night...but I've got to push on. I might be doing the 1/2 marathon by myself but I've got to push on....I can't wait until I redeem myself and get my fitness level back where it used to be- before grad school... that's going to feel sooooooooo good!

Blah Blah Blah

That's how I feel...Blah.  It's a shame that I fell off the exercise wagon all over again.  I had gotton up to the intermediate/expert status.  It definitely feels like I'm starting over - again!  Gotta try to see this through.

I didn't make it to the gym tonight (well technically it's Friday already).  The gym is 24 hours but after being on the road all day and other rippping and running.....well you know.  I should not have come home first - should have packed the work out clothes this morning. 

I defintely think I'm going to have to switch back to early am workouts (4/5 am) and I need to purchase a treadmill as an exercise standby for training and just in general. 

Janell - Today I "just am"

That's about the best way I can describe me today.  So much juggling going on right now.  Repositioning lots of things and trying to balance all the critical areas of life so that life might be much more enjoyable than it is now. 

I'm very tired and I forgot to log last night.  This week is tough.  I can't wait until running becomes comfortable.  Running is different from jogging and with this training plan that I'm doing is supposed to be for those who have never run - you know a beginner's level. 

It's a little late but better late than never  - here is the week one plan I ultimately decided to go with:

WEEK 1
MON - rest
TUES- Walk/run 2 miles
WED- X-train
THU - walk/run 2 miles
FRI - X-train
SAT - Walk/run 2 miles
SUN - Walk/run 2 miles

As far as X-training goes, I've got a date with Billy Blanks tonight.  Doing one of his extreme boot camps workouts. If that doesn't work out Plan B will be to go to the gym.

JANELL - New Beginnings

So today is the "do-over" begins.  I think I'll start with the six week 5K training program for the rest of this month and try to switch over to the 1/2 marathon training in February - the half marathon training is a eight week "beginner's" program so we'll see.  While I'm doing this training, I'm going to think about who I really want to be in terms of a resting weight - at first I think the weight loss was very sudden (no complaining on that) and it took my head a while to catch up with the changes but now that I've regained weight back in grad school and my clothes are all too tight - well, I guess that was my reality check. 

The Year 2000 - Heaviest Ever!!!

Friends and family say "I like you better this way, you need some meat on your bone" but the way I feel at 150 versus having this sluggish heavy feeling with the 30-35 pounds that I chose to regain says it all.  I need to get and stay fit so that I can  enjoy my fitness boot camps, drills, and all the other extreme stuff once again.    I have some pictures below of me in 2000 and me in 2007 (almost 1 year into my raw vegan journey).  My plan is to track my physical fitness progress and I'll start with an updated 2010 picture this weekend.

The Year 2007 at 150 pounds

Another pic of me in 2007 at 150

Interesting Link

http://sweet-potatopie.com/

Check out the link.... It's supposed to be a Black women's guide to fitness, health, weight loss, and whining (not sure what the whining part entails but okay)

Gearing Up

Okay so I am prepared to take on this training plan - again.  There is no more room for slacking if I'm going to be ready by April to do a half marathon.  Technically, I should be going into week 3 of the plan tomorrow but instead, I'm doing week 1 over because my heart just wasn't in it.

 When life and deadlines got in the way, I just stopped, so enough of that.  The healthy Janell wants out for once and for all.  This is the fourth year of my raw vegan journey and I need to be consistent with my maintenance.

 I did too much nibbling on stuff I know I shouldn't have been nibbling on - stress eating while doing grad school and thinking about being temporarily broke. 

I'm ready to get back to "extreme boot camp level" again in terms of fitness.  Right now, I feel like I've been knocked back down to beginner's level. 

I'll start posting pictures next week just to track the "repair" work (that's what it feels like when you find yourself engaged in a "do-over" just because of the choice eat the wrong things one too many times - now my workouts seem whimpy.  I'm determined to get my fitness game back on point.

Redemption----

UGH!  We've been incognito!  This is not good but there is still time to turn it around.  So doing the training has been a challenge but somehow, somehow, we have to make time to workout on a regular basis if we want to achieve success.  There is no quitting.  I am accountable to myself --if no one else continues on this journey, I am accountable to myself.

Tish- Jan. 5-2010

Today we had to walk 3-5 miles; so instead of going to the getting on the treadmill I decided to pop in my walk away the pounds tape (the five mile walk).  It went great; however, the workout tape was somewhat boring (blah blah).

Tish - January 4th 2010

Oh Lord, the verdict is in I am very much so out of shape!!!  I went to the gym around 11 p.m. with my sister and we were able to manage to do 2.61 miles in 62.03 (something like that) minutes.  That time is horrible, but I am hopeful that it will get better!!

Off Day Today - Hooray!

Today is an off day according to the plan.  I'm glad because I can do my own thing as far as working out goes this evening.  I plan to complete my "All about me" for everyone this weekend. 

Janell - Tuesday January 5th, 2010

Week 1 - Day 2 (Tuesday)

On this day, the plan called for 3 - 5 miles of walking.  I settled for 2 miles but next week I will probably do the full 5.  I just get bored with just walking so I'll have to do a little something extra on these days spice up the workout.  I did the "Walk Away the Pounds" with my sister.  I was planning to do the full 5 miles because the tape is soooo simplistic but I couldn't take anymore of it, I get bored with routines that repeat the same stuff at each level.

(by the way, I know these check-ins are not dated on the actually days I did the workouts; had some technical difficulties the last few day with the computer)

Janell - Monday - January 4th 2010

Monday - January 4th Day 1 of Training

For starters, I didn't make it to the gym until around 11:30-ish p.m.  Week 1 of the 5K training is as follows:

- brisk/speed walking on the treadmill for the first mile

- once you reach mile 1, run for 2 minutes and thereafer, run 2 mins for every 1/2 mile you arrive at until you reach 3.5 miles

- once you reach 3.5 miles, walk the last 1/2 mile to end at mile 4

So I guess I was really tired or something I managed to do 2.61 miles in 62 minutes before realizing it was almost 1 a.m.  I stopped right there because I didn't want to be leaving the gym after 2 a.m.  I guess I could have pushed a little harder but I'm not really beating myself up over it because it's week one.  What I will do differently the next time around is kick up my walking speed to knock off some of the time.  If' I do workouts in the evening again I need to get to the gym by 10 pm so I can get home before midnight.

THE MOMENT HAS ARRIVED - THE JOURNEY BEGINS

It's going to be interesting to see what happens tonight at the gym.  I'm going to the gym around 10 p.m.  I'll check in later.   

Ready to take your place?

Well the race is on - almost anyway.  Here's the deal - there are 2 events that we should check into.  I'll post the links - we'll discus them at our meet-up.

www.teamintraining.org/mail

We should check into one regarding the Go St Louis Marathon and 1/2 Mararthon on April 11, 2010

Informational meeting in Edwardsville at the YMCA Esic Building on Wednesday Jan 13 at 6:30 pm.  The Go St Louis event does offer a 5K.  You can also go directly to the Go St Louis site here:  http://www.gostlouis.org/, contact person is Jeff Trammel: jtrammel@gostlouis.org

The next event is in June and it is the 2010 Komen Race for the Cure. It takes place on June 12, 2010. It is a 5K race.  Find out more details about it here:  http://komenstlouis.org/

There is also the Relay 4 Life event (which I know isn't a race but we can discuss possibilites there also)

Ready Set Go

I can't believe day 1 of the journey is almost here - let's hope we are ready.  Seriously, I'm probably going to pay for the choice to celebrate the new year with junk food instead of stopping with my  healthy choices.  Oh well, no looking back.  What we have yet to establish is which of us are doing the 5K and stopping there and which of us are continuing training to include the 1/2 marathon.  We'll be discussing this at our 1st meet-up which will be:
January 9th
3:30 p.m.
SIUE - meet on 1st level near Starbucks

Next Meeting date:
January 30th
3:30 p.m.
Location - to be announced

In addition to this handy dandy blog, we'll also try to get in at least one teleconference (if necessary).    Currently, everyone has a copy of the beginner's 5K training guide (thanks fitnessmagazine.com).  Just in case you forgot or misplaced it, we'll add the link:
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/running/training-schedules/beginner-training-plan-6-weeks-to-a-5k/

Please feel free to share your training guide if you've found something better. 
Oh yes, one more thing for now, let's go back to elementary school for a moment and create an "all about me" post on day one.  Tell us the good stuff - what bring you here, personal goals, challenges.... blah blah blah...

Happy New Year!

It's a Brand New Year - Hooray!  It's good to be alive.  Our start date is only 3 days away.  Don't forget the essentials:
1. Great pair of cross-trainers or running shoes
2. Exercise Bra
3. Water bottle (eco-friendly)
4. Great Attitude!