From the Couch to the Princess 1/2 Marathon.. My Journey

[Princess 1/2 Hopeful]

So hello there! My name is Stephanie, I am 25 years old and I have never been a very active person. I have struggled with weight since 3rd grade. Up and down, up and down, I'm sure there are many others out there that can relate. Well about 3 weeks ago I got the crazy idea to participate in the Disney's Princess Half Marathon in February of 2012. I have never run for any length of time or distance in my life but hey I decided that since all I seem to do is work, that I needed a goal to work toward. So after coming on the DISboards (since I'm a Disney fanatic) and seeing a few other journals of people who have completed the 1/2 marathon, I decided that I would start my own journal to hold myself accountable.

So here goes! I am using Jeff Galloway's Couch to 5K program to start out. I am on week 3 and just did my long run yesterday (I have to switch my days up a bit because of my work schedule) I am doing intervals right now of 30 seconds running and 60 seconds walking and yesterday I did 3 miles. My min/mile time right now is about 17:00. I know that Disney has a 16:00/mile pace that you must keep so I have a long way to go . My DH, Stephen, is also running with me and he is in about the same place I am. He also needs to lose quite a bit of weight and build up his endurance. Today will be a short day, 30 minutes of running/walking.

I will also be posting my weight loss on this journal. I weighed in last week at I was at 228.8 lbs. I am 5' 7 and I am hoping to get down to about 180 before the race.

Thank you for reading! I hope to be able to post my progress often!

 

[princessCKL]

Hi,
My name is Cheryl and I am also training for the 2012 Princess Half Marathon. I have never run in a race but the youtube videos on this one inspired me. I am 52 but I'll be 53 next year whether I run the Princess Half or not. I have lost 50lbs since last September using South Beach Diet and moderate exercise. My daughter who is in her early 30's is going to run with me. We hope to register as the Not So Evil Step Family. Just wanted to let you know, you are not alone in being an absolute beginner. My daughter and I are absolute beginners too.

 

[Princess 1/2 Hopeful]

Hi,
My name is Cheryl and I am also training for the 2012 Princess Half Marathon. I have never run in a race but the youtube videos on this one inspired me. I am 52 but I'll be 53 next year whether I run the Princess Half or not. I have lost 50lbs since last September using South Beach Diet and moderate exercise. My daughter who is in her early 30's is going to run with me. We hope to register as the Not So Evil Step Family. Just wanted to let you know, you are not alone in being an absolute beginner. My daughter and I are absolute beginners too.

Thank you for the encouragement Cheryl! I bet you and your daughter are going to have a great time doing the race together.. I just love your team name! Keep me updated as to how you're doing!

 

[Princess 1/2 Hopeful]

Today was a 30 minute run/walk day. As I live in Florida and it's summer time it has been hot hot hot recently! So my DH and I have been doing our workouts on the treadmill at the gym.. yay for air conditioning! So all together today I did 2.11 miles so my minute per mile pace was about 15:38, compared to 2 weeks ago where I started at 17:00 per mile, I'd say I'm making progress! Slow and steady wins the race right??

I have to work for the next 2 days, I'm a Respiratory Therapist and I work 12 and 1/2 hour shifts so needless to say it's tough to get a workout in on work days. My next run will be on Monday. I bought a pedometer this week so I can see just how much I walk at work everyday... I have a feeling it's A LOT! Also Monday will be weigh-in day so I'll be posting those results when I have them.

 

[skinnieminnie123]

Today was a 30 minute run/walk day. As I live in Florida and it's summer time it has been hot hot hot recently! So my DH and I have been doing our workouts on the treadmill at the gym.. yay for air conditioning! So all together today I did 2.11 miles so my minute per mile pace was about 15:38, compared to 2 weeks ago where I started at 17:00 per mile, I'd say I'm making progress! Slow and steady wins the race right??

I have to work for the next 2 days, I'm a Respiratory Therapist and I work 12 and 1/2 hour shifts so needless to say it's tough to get a workout in on work days. My next run will be on Monday. I bought a pedometer this week so I can see just how much I walk at work everyday... I have a feeling it's A LOT! Also Monday will be weigh-in day so I'll be posting those results when I have them.

The princess 1/2 marathon sounds like fun! I am working towards the one in 2013 since we are taking a Disney cruise in March. There is no way I could afford both. You sound like you are well on your way and I can't wait to see everyones progress.

 

[Princess 1/2 Hopeful]

The princess 1/2 marathon sounds like fun! I am working towards the one in 2013 since we are taking a Disney cruise in March. There is no way I could afford both. You sound like you are well on your way and I can't wait to see everyones progress.

A Disney cruise sounds like sooooo much fun! I wish I could go one one! I guess one day! Thanks for stopping by my journal!

Stephanie

 

[JaxJags08]

Hi! I just started the C25K program (just finished W1D2) and I have a not too secret hope of doing the 2012 Princess half. Keep up the great work! I live in FL too (Jacksonville) and the heat has been brutal!

 

[PrincessAndrea'sMom]

Hello Stephanie! I am in a simlair situation as you. In January, I choses the 2012 Disney Princess Half as my goal. When I started, I was at about 16 minutes a mile, but could only do about two miles. Now I am at about 13 minutes a mile and can do five miles...and still feel great, like I could keep going. I am doing my firt 5k in two weeks. You can do it! It feels so good to see your self improving! I have lost about 20 pounds since I started. I have been blogging about my training. Check it out. I have a great giveaway going on right now!

 

[J-2]

Stephanie~ I got that crazy idea too to run a half!

I'm starting week 8 of the C25K and think it is an amazing program. Good luck with your training and I'm looking forward to following along with your journey!

 

[Barbaramomof4]

Im just starting to really train too! My husband and I are going together but he isnt running. Im also doing weight watchers and hoping to slim down before the race as well. Look forward to following along your journey!

 

[Retye81]

You are well on your way! I've started really training in the last few weeks for a longer distance. I did the C25k about a year ago but after that really slacked off running. Now I'm starting to really focus on it again and I'm going to stick with it. I've already dropped two pants sizes from cutting out junk and running and bike riding!

I can't afford to do the the Princess 1/2 next year so my goal is to be able to do the distance by February and then spend all of the next year working on my speed so I'm all set for 2013! I wish you the best of luck and I can't wait to see how you are progressing.

 

[Princess 1/2 Hopeful]

Hi! I just started the C25K program (just finished W1D2) and I have a not too secret hope of doing the 2012 Princess half. Keep up the great work! I live in FL too (Jacksonville) and the heat has been brutal!

Good luck with your C25K training, I think it'll be worth it when we cross that finish line! The heat is the worst part about FL.. It'll be nice to be able to run outside in a few months!

Hello Stephanie! I am in a simlair situation as you. In January, I choses the 2012 Disney Princess Half as my goal. When I started, I was at about 16 minutes a mile, but could only do about two miles. Now I am at about 13 minutes a mile and can do five miles...and still feel great, like I could keep going. I am doing my firt 5k in two weeks. You can do it! It feels so good to see your self improving! I have lost about 20 pounds since I started. I have been blogging about my training. Check it out. I have a great giveaway going on right now!

Hey there! What a small world the DISboards are... I am already following your blog and looking forward to getting a princess band from you! Thank you for reading my journal, you have already been such an inspiration to me and I love your blog!

Stephanie~ I got that crazy idea too to run a half!

I'm starting week 8 of the C25K and think it is an amazing program. Good luck with your training and I'm looking forward to following along with your journey!

Thanks for stopping by! It is kind of a crazy idea isn't it.. especially when you've never run a day in your life!!

Im just starting to really train too! My husband and I are going together but he isnt running. Im also doing weight watchers and hoping to slim down before the race as well. Look forward to following along your journey!

Hi Ms. Barbara, keep me up to date on your progress as well, I just love reading about others successes!

You are well on your way! I've started really training in the last few weeks for a longer distance. I did the C25k about a year ago but after that really slacked off running. Now I'm starting to really focus on it again and I'm going to stick with it. I've already dropped two pants sizes from cutting out junk and running and bike riding!

I can't afford to do the the Princess 1/2 next year so my goal is to be able to do the distance by February and then spend all of the next year working on my speed so I'm all set for 2013! I wish you the best of luck and I can't wait to see how you are progressing.

That's awesome that you're getting back into the swing of things.. excellent job with your weight loss! I hope I can boast about dropping two pants sizes here soon as well Thank you so much for reading!

 

[Princess 1/2 Hopeful]

Hello again! Yesterday was a bit of a rough workout. I worked all weekend and it was brutal! I don't know if any of you can relate or not, but I'm a respiratory therapist and all weekend I was in the Intensive Care Unit and let me just tell you, it was NON-STOP!! So needless to say my legs were killing me after two days of working like crazy! The good thing is that Sunday I remembered my pedometer and I know they aren't super accurate but I was amazed to see that I had walked 5.2 miles by the end of the day! That's just insane!! My DH, Stephen, works 8-5 Monday through Friday and we always do our workouts together so I was home all day yesterday resting my feet and legs and made it to the gym around 5:30. Well that seems to always be the busiest time, everyone goes after work like we do I guess. Yesterday was a short run day, we got on the treadmill for our 30 minute run, I ended up doing 2.0 miles in about 33 minutes, I walk for the first 3 minutes. This time we did intervals of 35 seconds running/55 seconds walking. Even though my legs were tired (that's what made it so rough), and we went at a slower walking pace than we did last time, I can still feel my endurance building up so that was really encouraging!

Also yesterday was weigh in day, I started out at 228.8 and yesterday I was 222.9, thats a loss of 5.9 lbs!!!! I was so excited to see that! I know that the weight loss will slow down as I go but after such a rough weekend I needed that little bit of encouragement. And reading all your posts has been so helpful to keep me motivated as well! Thank you all again!

Today is rest day and tomorrow will be a 20 minute run/walk with "alternative" exercises, probably the bike. I've understood from the training program that the alternative exercises should be something where you're not pounding on your feet so since I don't have a swimming pool available to me, Oh how I wish I did in this heat!, the bike seemed to be the next best thing.

Coming up this weekend is the 4 mile run/walk!

 

[Retye81]

Also yesterday was weigh in day, I started out at 228.8 and yesterday I was 222.9, thats a loss of 5.9 lbs!!!!

Congratulations!!

 

[Princess 1/2 Hopeful]

Congratulations!!

Thank you!!!

 

[Vickibean]

Congratulations! It can be done! I'm proof.

I started running almost a year ago, after never being athletic in my life! My goal was the 2011 Princess, and I finished in just under 3 hours. It's a great experience. Now, I'm hooked. I'm running the R&R half in Vegas in December, and I'm going Goofy next January.

Good luck!

 

[Princess 1/2 Hopeful]

Congratulations! It can be done! I'm proof.

I started running almost a year ago, after never being athletic in my life! My goal was the 2011 Princess, and I finished in just under 3 hours. It's a great experience. Now, I'm hooked. I'm running the R&R half in Vegas in December, and I'm going Goofy next January.

Good luck!

Thank you for the encouragement! Congrats on finishing the Princess half! I can't believe you're going for Goofy!! I hope to get there one day

 

[Princess 1/2 Hopeful]

Well I worked Thursday and Friday and they were 2 more hellish days! So I walked all over the ICU. We never made it to the gym on Wednesday, it was mostly because I was tired and knew that I had to get up early on Thursday for work, I am still working on not making excuses. Yesterday was long run day and boy was it a long one for me! It was 4 miles! We did it on the treadmill again, it has just been so hot lately! My time was 1:05:45, that breaks down to about 16:30/minute miles. I am still trying to take it slow, I don't want to have an injury! I felt great afterward and I had so much energy the rest of the day!

I had a great experience today! I went to a little store called "Feet First" to buy my first ever pair of running shoes! The staff was so helpful. I walked in and was helped immediately, I tried on about 5 different pairs of shoes after finding out that my ankles turn in a little bit while I'm running and I needed a "support" shoe. I finally decided on the Brooks adrenaline GTS 11 running shoe. I was disappointed that they didn't have it in pink so I got it in baby blue. They are soooooo comfortable! I am going to try them out tomorrow during my 30 minute run/walk! I have 30 days to try them out and if I don't like them I can bring them back.

Today was also weigh-in day. I am now at 220.5, a loss of 2.4lbs this week and a total of 8.3lbs in 2 weeks! I of course, being the over-achiever that I am, would have liked more weight loss this week, but I am happy that I lost something and I am going to keep working at it! Here is my "before" picture.

I am going to be posting one once a month and I'm hoping there will be a noticeable change!

 

[mickey's miles]

Congratultions on your progress and weight loss! You are on your way!

I started running in May and did my first 5K on May 28th. When I started running my goal was to finish ... and then I wanted to finish under 40 min ... and I did. It is so exciting to see your progress!

I am training for the Princess ... and joined a running group so I can get a better idea of how to do this whole running thing. I love it so far ... and I love doing something I always struggled with (I always ran and when I felt tired stopped ... never knew about run/walk which makes soooo much sense!!)! Plus I love that this is helping me manage my weight.

Keep up the great work and enjoy the journey!!

P.S. - I am a NYer living in Texas .... sooooo hot and tough to run outside!!! I love the treadmill but would rather be outside.

 

[LeslieLou]

Hi Stephanie! Great job so far! It sounds like you are on the right track. I definitely know how a work schedule can interfere with an exercise schedule! It sounds like you're doing a good job of staying committed. I know when I miss a run day, I can definitely feel it during my next work out

It's so exciting that you've been able to lose almost 10 pounds! Just think, that's almost 5% of your body weight. YAY! Awesome! I haven't lost any weight since I started running, but I think I've lost inches. Size is all that matters to me

Keep up the great work! --Leslie