Please help warm my cold feet! (PHM first-timer)

[InspiredbyMadi]

Great job on day one!!

Remember when you run you should still be able to carry on a conversation. Not and easy one but you shouldn't be so winded that you can't talk.

Yes, excellent tip to remember! Before we stopped for our water break, we were definitely going too fast. Once we slowed down a bit and paced ourselves, we were able to somewhat converse. It was a great first day and I'm looking forward to Tuesday. Thanks!

 

[Davidg83]

Go for it! I started training in April for the Disneyland Half and could barely run a mile. Today I went out for my weekly long run and did just over 10 miles. You'll be surprised what you can accomplish in such a short period of time.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I start my official training tomorrow!
I've been so lax lately with this heat but I need to squeeze my workouts in.
Thanks for the reminder that I need to just get out there and do it Kelly!!

 

[TigerTown]

Aww, thank you Kyle! I'm very much looking forward to what's to come. Despite being so new to this, I really do think I'm going to fall in love with running in general. It's great! I appreciate the support of everyone on this thread and I wish you all nothing but the best, too.

You're welcome and if you want more inspiration here is a recap I did for my first half last year (Wine & Dine).

 

[RangerPooh]

I'm in a similar situation. I'm a pooh sized mama who started C25K in January and became frustrated with it early on, but kept at jogging on my own. While I have not lost the weight I have kept at jogging a few days a week. In May I completed the EE Challenge, and last month a Color Run. This month I have a mud run and another color run on the calendar. Today I signed up for the Tinkerbell half marathon. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was scared!

My plan is to train multiple days a week, and I think I'll take a look at the Galloway Method. I just have to keep my miles to under 15 minutes each. This is to avoid being swept, to be able to use the restroom, and to take character pictures. Something I didn't get to do during the EE Challenge due to time.

 

[laura428]

Yes, excellent tip to remember! Before we stopped for our water break, we were definitely going too fast. Once we slowed down a bit and paced ourselves, we were able to somewhat converse. It was a great first day and I'm looking forward to Tuesday. Thanks!

Can't wait to hear how it goes!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I'm in a similar situation. I'm a pooh sized mama who started C25K in January and became frustrated with it early on, but kept at jogging on my own. While I have not lost the weight I have kept at jogging a few days a week. In May I completed the EE Challenge, and last month a Color Run. This month I have a mud run and another color run on the calendar. Today I signed up for the Tinkerbell half marathon. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was scared!

My plan is to train multiple days a week, and I think I'll take a look at the Galloway Method. I just have to keep my miles to under 15 minutes each. This is to avoid being swept, to be able to use the restroom, and to take character pictures. Something I didn't get to do during the EE Challenge due to time.

Keri I think you will be happy with Galloway. Today I did 1/1 intervals at 5.6/3.5 mph and my pace was 13:49. I have found that my pace hovers around 14m/m even when I slow my walk down to 3.

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

Hey everyone! Just popping in on a quick break at work to say hello. I was away from the computer all day yesterday but will catch up on the latest posts tonight. In the meantime I wish you all well on your training! I have a funny update on our "Day 2" of training from yesterday... Will post tonight.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

anxiously awaiting Day 2 posts.

My day 2 is tonight. Hopefully the rain holds off because DS17 and I both have a night run planned.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Ugh, supposed to do a run tonight at the park but its pouring!
Do I go out or do I skip it and do the treadmill?

ETA: Rain let up so DS17 and I went for it. We had probably 30 runners show up.
DS ran a 5 miles with the rest of the group, I did 2.6 miles in 35 minutes on my own.

As soon as we crossed the finish and got back in the pavilion, this happened.

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

BernardandMissBianca, I'm so glad you were able to finish before that torrential downpour! Wowza!

Sorry for the delay in updating...I'm not quite sure where the last 48 hours went to be honest.

Buuut, I DO have an update now! This will be a long post so I apologize in advance...

I'll rewind to our Day 2. Let me preface this with the fact that we pre-planned our training days for the entire month of July. Everything is neatly mapped out on the calendar that Jen so kindly created for us. At the time of our planning, we thought it would be A-OK to bring our children along with us for a few training sessions. [Insert raised eyebrows here.]

Tuesday, Day 2, was the first day we brought the little ones along and I guess this is where I should admit that all three children are under the age of five. I know, right?! What on earth were we thinking?! Needless to say, we quickly discovered how horribly skewed our idea was. Our girls were on their bikes while Jen's son (age 2) was in his lightweight stroller. Note: her amazing jogging stroller was fully functioning the morning of but her hubby accidentally over-inflated the front tire and it blew. We figured we'd manage with the lightweight stroller but it quickly turned into a disaster filled with side stitches, arm cramps and general frustration. Not to mention, both girls were running into each other with their bikes, speeding up and stopping suddenly in front of us, and pulling off to the side exclaiming they were tired. What an absolute nightmare that was. Luckily, Jen's son was an angel! He was our saving grace. To say we were disappointed in our effort is an understatement. We were beyond disappointed until I checked my pedometer and realized we had covered two miles. Not bad considering we were a borderline circus act!

Here comes my epiphany... Did we really just drag our little ones along for this?! Yes, yes we did. *sigh of guilt* Ensue apologies to the girls for getting so annoyed with them. They both looked at us as though we had lost our minds. Thanks to the playground at the park, they forgave us as we sent them off to play and cool down. Oh what a mess we were!

Here is a photo that sums up Day 2...

Okay, here's one that makes everything all better. The girls on our cooldown -- I'm sure they were mapping their escape plan from their crazy mamas...
(My daughter is on the left, Jen's is on the right. They're two weeks apart and BFFs, too!)

Now Day 3 was supposed to occur yesterday but poor Jen has been battling a sinus infection so we decided to hold off until today to give her an extra day to rest up. We planned to set out for our favorite park at 6AM sharp. Both of us were so excited for this morning, we hardly slept. I received a text message from Jen around 5AM informing me that our park would not be open until 7AM (she has to be home by 7AM to get ready for work). Doh! Talk about upsetting... Instead of fretting, we decided to delay our training until this evening. It's not what we prefer but without a backup plan, we had no choice.

Fast foward to 4:30PM and Jen texted me to inform me that she had forgotten her socks at home. Instead of having her swing by her house, I offered to bring a pair for her. You forgot your socks? Why, I have an extra pair just for you! That's what best friends are for. (Love that girl.)

Our third session went off relatively well despite the fact that a thunderstorm almost ruined our plans. We were prepared to run rain or shine so long as the lightning stayed away. Luckily, we beat the storm. Yay!

Jen had some frustrations because of her congestion so we slowed our pace down which was no problem whatsoever. I know she felt disappointed but things happen and this is all a part of our journey. Poor thing, I know she was miserable but she rode it out and pushed through. I'm so proud! Oh, and I forgot to mention...I'm pretty sure we each swallowed a few dozen gnats. They were out in swarms tonight. YUCK.

Here is a photo of the storm headed our way...

All in all, I think it's safe to say we have had a successful Week One. We've progressed over the course of our three days and despite a few trials along the way, we did not waver. Here's to the start of Week Two: No Kids Allowed! (That is, for the time being.)

Sorry it was so long... If you made it through, I owe you a cookie. And as always, best wishes to EVERYONE on their training! Update me along the way. I love reading about everyone's progress. Let's keep each other going!

/novel

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

IbM - Your story about trying to train with the kids cracked me up. I have tried to take the dog on walks. It works okay for a bit, but it's not ideal for training purposes. It's just too hot.

The other day when I was doing my 4 miles in the park, this girl was twirling her batons while strolling down the path. I kept having to go around her and I was afraid every time I'd end up with a baton in my eye.

 

[laura428]

BernardandMissBianca, I'm so glad you were able to finish before that torrential downpour! Wowza!

Sorry for the delay in updating...I'm not quite sure where the last 48 hours went to be honest.

Buuut, I DO have an update now! This will be a long post so I apologize in advance...

I'll rewind to our Day 2. Let me preface this with the fact that we pre-planned our training days for the entire month of July. Everything is neatly mapped out on the calendar that Jen so kindly created for us. At the time of our planning, we thought it would be A-OK to bring our children along with us for a few training sessions. [Insert raised eyebrows here.]

Tuesday, Day 2, was the first day we brought the little ones along and I guess this is where I should admit that all three children are under the age of five. I know, right?! What on earth were we thinking?! Needless to say, we quickly discovered how horribly skewed our idea was. Our girls were on their bikes while Jen's son (age 2) was in his lightweight stroller. Note: her amazing jogging stroller was fully functioning the morning of but her hubby accidentally over-inflated the front tire and it blew. We figured we'd manage with the lightweight stroller but it quickly turned into a disaster filled with side stitches, arm cramps and general frustration. Not to mention, both girls were running into each other with their bikes, speeding up and stopping suddenly in front of us, and pulling off to the side exclaiming they were tired. What an absolute nightmare that was. Luckily, Jen's son was an angel! He was our saving grace. To say we were disappointed in our effort is an understatement. We were beyond disappointed until I checked my pedometer and realized we had covered two miles. Not bad considering we were a borderline circus act!

Here comes my epiphany... Did we really just drag our little ones along for this?! Yes, yes we did. *sigh of guilt* Ensue apologies to the girls for getting so annoyed with them. They both looked at us as though we had lost our minds. Thanks to the playground at the park, they forgave us as we sent them off to play and cool down. Oh what a mess we were!

Here is a photo that sums up Day 2...

Okay, here's one that makes everything all better. The girls on our cooldown -- I'm sure they were mapping their escape plan from their crazy mamas...
(My daughter is on the left, Jen's is on the right. They're two weeks apart and BFFs, too!)

Now Day 3 was supposed to occur yesterday but poor Jen has been battling a sinus infection so we decided to hold off until today to give her an extra day to rest up. We planned to set out for our favorite park at 6AM sharp. Both of us were so excited for this morning, we hardly slept. I received a text message from Jen around 5AM informing me that our park would not be open until 7AM (she has to be home by 7AM to get ready for work). Doh! Talk about upsetting... Instead of fretting, we decided to delay our training until this evening. It's not what we prefer but without a backup plan, we had no choice.

Fast foward to 4:30PM and Jen texted me to inform me that she had forgotten her socks at home. Instead of having her swing by her house, I offered to bring a pair for her. You forgot your socks? Why, I have an extra pair just for you! That's what best friends are for. (Love that girl.)

Our third session went off relatively well despite the fact that a thunderstorm almost ruined our plans. We were prepared to run rain or shine so long as the lightning stayed away. Luckily, we beat the storm. Yay!

Jen had some frustrations because of her congestion so we slowed our pace down which was no problem whatsoever. I know she felt disappointed but things happen and this is all a part of our journey. Poor thing, I know she was miserable but she rode it out and pushed through. I'm so proud! Oh, and I forgot to mention...I'm pretty sure we each swallowed a few dozen gnats. They were out in swarms tonight. YUCK.

Here is a photo of the storm headed our way...

All in all, I think it's safe to say we have had a successful Week One. We've progressed over the course of our three days and despite a few trials along the way, we did not waver. Here's to the start of Week Two: No Kids Allowed! (That is, for the time being.)

Sorry it was so long... If you made it through, I owe you a cookie. And as always, best wishes to EVERYONE on their training! Update me along the way. I love reading about everyone's progress. Let's keep each other going!

/novel

I can't imagine taking my kids with me when they were that young! DD7 likes to go with me now, but when I plan on logging serious mileage at a decent speed, I try to go it alone so that neither of us gets frustrated.

Glad to hear that your first week went well! Training has been going well for me, and I've recruited one of my best friends to come with me. Yippee!!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Lol I hear you about taking the kids! One course we run is a 1.6 mile loop, every time we get 1/2 way all I hear is I'm tired, I'm bored, can we go back. Sure we can go back, but it's a loooong walk!! And these kids are all cross country runners!!
DS17 goes with me but he hates the loop because its boring, but he has to run it 4-6 times to get his mileage in, I just do 2 loops.

I'm jealous that you have Jen to run with, I don't really have anyone. They either don't run or run way faster than me.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Lol I hear you about taking the kids! One course we run is a 1.6 mile loop, every time we get 1/2 way all I hear is I'm tired, I'm bored, can we go back. Sure we can go back, but it's a loooong walk!! And these kids are all cross country runners!!
DS17 goes with me but he hates the loop because its boring, but he has to run it 4-6 times to get his mileage in, I just do 2 loops.

I'm jealous that you have Jen to run with, I don't really have anyone. They either don't run or run way faster than me.

The loop I used to train for the 2010 Princess is only 0.5 miles around and completely flat. It was soooooo dull, especially towards the end of the training when I did my 10 mile run. 20 laps in one morning.

The only thing more dull is a treadmill facing the wall.

I'm looking for some other parks to try this time around to mix it up a bit. One park has a walking path that I think is 0.25 or so around. I think I just might lose my mind at that one. Another has a loop of 2.0 miles and another has a loop of I think 1.75 or so.

And as dull as the other park is, I will miss the familiarity of it. Another good thing is that I can pretty much see the entire park at one time, so it's easy to be aware of my surroundings.

I don't really have anyone to run with right now either.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Do you have any rails to trails paths or air line trails? We have a few. We also have an out and back path that's at the end of a small airport and around a reservoir.
I haven't done any of those yet though because I don't want to go alone.

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

I can't imagine taking my kids with me when they were that young! DD7 likes to go with me now, but when I plan on logging serious mileage at a decent speed, I try to go it alone so that neither of us gets frustrated.

Glad to hear that your first week went well! Training has been going well for me, and I've recruited one of my best friends to come with me. Yippee!!

Haha! Kids are currently on hold from attending any further training sessions. In hindsight, I still haven't figured out what we were thinking. LOL!

I'm so happy to hear your training is going well and so very excited for you!

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

The loop I used to train for the 2010 Princess is only 0.5 miles around and completely flat. It was soooooo dull, especially towards the end of the training when I did my 10 mile run. 20 laps in one morning.

The only thing more dull is a treadmill facing the wall.

I'm looking for some other parks to try this time around to mix it up a bit. One park has a walking path that I think is 0.25 or so around. I think I just might lose my mind at that one. Another has a loop of 2.0 miles and another has a loop of I think 1.75 or so.

And as dull as the other park is, I will miss the familiarity of it. Another good thing is that I can pretty much see the entire park at one time, so it's easy to be aware of my surroundings.

I don't really have anyone to run with right now either.

LOL @ your comment on a treadmill facing the wall. You are so right, it's awful! My treadmill has been quite lonely sitting in the corner of my dining room. Now that my spare bedroom is vacant, it's now my office/workout room and hopefully my treadmill will get more use. I refused to place it in a corner or facing a wall. A treadmill in the corner is like being in time-out.

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

Boy oh boy, has my morning been an eventful one! Jen and I met up for our first day of Week 2 at 6AM this morning. Our run/walk/run was smooth and enjoyable. We ran with the wind for the first mile and against it on the second. The wind in our face on the return was wonderful! We pushed ourselves a bit more today and felt great after. Yay right?

No sooner did we finish our high five, I remembered my trunk was set to valet mode and I hadn't reversed that setting prior to tossing my keys into it this morning. Oh nooo! My key fob and interior trunk release were useless.

Jen headed home to get ready for work while I stayed back to try to access my trunk through the folding rear seat. I skinned a knuckle trying to feel for the lever to release the seat and it was nowhere to be found. A quick peek at the owner's manual and I learned the lever is IN the trunk! Real frustration started to set in but I maintained my composure. Heck, I just had a great run!

Jen picked me up on her way to work so I could go home to find my spare. Apparently I hide important things too well because it took me an hour, a few tears, and several outrageous locksmith quotes later to finally remember where I put my spare key. All is well now, right?

My mother-in-law brought me back to my car where I discovered my spare works for the ignition but NOT the trunk. I called my mechanic to ask about the key (because I had never heard of such a thing) and he recommended a locksmith close by. My spare is actually a valet key. Valet shmal-aye! By now, I'm sick of hearing the word "valet".

The locksmith was amazing and adorable in more ways than one. From the moment I walked into his shop, I knew he'd be the one to save my day. Imagine an elderly man tinkering in a haven of thousands of keys. He was sitting on his vintage stool working on something and I swear he was my knight in shining armor. After asking some questions and looking into the keys used for my car, he said he was perplexed but would experiment around. Thankfully he got it right on the first experiment!

I immediately located and de-activated the valet setting inside the trunk, retrieved my keys and wallet, and pranced into the man's shop to pay him for my new key.

Lessons learned today:

Never, ever toss your keys and wallet into your trunk without first checking your settings. The valet setting can be good OR bad!

Check your spare key. Do you have a valet key or a legit-does-all spare key?

Research runner's belts...

And finally, despite trials and tribulations, push forward and RUN ON!

 

[InspiredbyMadi]

Just popping in, hoping everyone is coming along well!

Jen & I had a successful run/walk/run this morning. Uneventful yet successful which is just perfect. LOL!

Now the Royal Family 5k is tempting me...