Stacie's Journey for Weight Loss and the 1/2 Marathon Jan 09!

[larry's girl]

Hey, girl! First of all (since I don't think I've said it yet), CONGRATULATIONS on your 20-pound clippie. That is AWESOME!! Does that include the 1.6 you lost this week? If not, CONGRATULATIONS again! That's 21.6 pounds you won't be carrying around when you ROCK the 5K this weekend. I SO wish I was going with you, but it is what it is. My heart will be there and I KNOW you will do SO GREAT and be addicted to running for life!

Hang in there with your eating plan and workouts. Do the best you can around the rest of your schedule and then ENJOY THE TRIP!! Not sure what day you are leaving, but thought I'd get that in there now just to be sure I said it before you left!

Hope you have a great day - love you!

Susan

 

[hockeygirl]

Hey Stacie--just wanted to say that I hope you have a safe trip down to WDW! When are you leaving? We are both staying at POP (at least I think that is where you are saying)...so we will probably see each other a bunch of times!

Can't wait to meet you and Matt on Friday at Pecos Bills! Good Luck at the
5k on Friday....I know you will do great and I can't wait to hear all about it at lunch!!

 

[postesf]

We are flying out tonight!!!! I am so excited!!! I won't go on and on about how stressful my day was yesterday or how we were up til after 11 pm packing and how I got up at 4:30 this morning...

I do want to say though that I am losing my mind!!! Yesterday, I grabbed my USB jump drive out of my computer at home to bring it to work. I was checking the weather and thought, hmm, I don't need to forget that, so I grabbed it and I don't know what I did w/ it!!! It had work stuff on it, my Disney Itinerary, My In-laws Disney Itinerary and other various stuff on there. I don't have a clue where it is! Then, this morning, Matt decided he would take his cute little Disney name badge/guest of honor badge in case he decided to wear it. I had laid it out for because I wasn't sure if he would want it or not. I took mine and put is somewhere so I wouldn't forget it and I have no idea where it is! His reminded me about mine and I don't remember packing it, but it was no where to be found this morning! argh! Susan bought this for me last year as a surprise and it really irritates me that I can't find it. I mean, I can always buy another, but this was a gift! What is going on? I grab stuff so as not to forget it and then I lose it!!! What the heck!

ok--rant over! On a positive note, we hastily bought a slimmer camera to bring w/ us. A Canon Elph Power Shot 750. It lots smaller than our Kodak (a 10x zoom...yes it was quite large). I put it in the same bag that we kept our Kodak in... Our Kodak barely fit--could barely zip it and now this Canon is swimming in there! I hope the pics turn out pretty good. The Kodak had great pictures, but I just wanted something less bulky. I want to bring it to the 5K and Matt can possibly put this in his pocket. If not, he (or I) can carry it and it's not to heavy.

Speaking of the 5K. What should I eat for breakfast??? If I workout in the mornings, I don't normally eat before... Someone said before maybe a bagel or something??? Any suggestions???

Happy dance since we're leaving today!!!

Laurie, Scott, Amy...See you guys Friday! Can't wait! As an FYI...Look for a short, brown-haired girl w/ a tuquoise blue shirt on. I'll be with a taller, thiner (not too thin anymore though! lol) guy w/ a very, very, very short hair cut!

Oh, the anticipation is about to get me! I cannot wait to get on the plane! New resort, new people, new experience and NO driving!

Ok--all for now..Busy day at work.

 

[ScoJo15]

Stacie!

Wasn't sure if you were going to be back on here before you left...

GOOD LUCK ON FRIDAY!!!!

Have a very safe trip on the way down.

As far as the pre-race meal....just eat what you'd normally eat before you run. Don't change anything!! You never know how certain foods will react or sit with you while running. That's the best advice I can give you

Can't wait to meet you guys!! See you on Friday!

 

[larry's girl]

YOU GO, GIRL - YOU ARE SO GOING TO ROCK THIS 5K THANG!!!

And don't worry about the stuff you can't find - it will turn up eventually.

We already "talked" this morning, so I'll just say (again) - my heart is with you. Have a safe trip and a GREAT TIME and I want to hear ALL ABOUT IT when you get back (plus I get to see the medal when I go to NC in two weeks!!!) - LOVE YOU LOTS!!!

Susan

 

[toystoryduo]

Have a great time Stacie! We're cheering you on from Ohio!

 

[postesf]

We're back!!! So...I made it! I did the 5K! I ran most of it and only walked for a few minutes around 2.5 miles (stupid numb feet!) and then again just around 3 miles. ugh... I was getting so tired! You could hear the FINISH though, so I picked up my pace and started running. I finished in 46:17. I'm not sure exactly how long it took since we started a minute or two after the official start. You line up in order of your speed, so obviously, we were toward the back.

There were sooo many people!!! I know it was probably close to 4000, maybe more. It was so exciting to be there, meet some fellow WISHers, run with all those folks. It was very endearing to see some of the young kids doing it.

This really is a hug accomplishment for me. Something I never thought possible. What a great thing to run your first 5K at WDW!

Matt was great during the entire thing! He would stay behind to take pictures/video and then run and catch up w/ me or he would run ahead to take picutures/video... I'm so thankful that we have these picutres to remember it by! He was also my waterboy. Instead of me having to slow down at the water stops, he would grab us each a water and catch up with me. He'd even hold mine until I wanted it...

This was one of the hardest things I've done, but also one of the most rewarding. It just goes to show that with a little discipline, endurance and determination, that whatever you put your mind to, you can do.

Amy, Scott and Laurie...It was really great meeting you guys!!! I can't wait to hear how you did!

Here's the link to my 5K Journey for any of those interested...

http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh153/postesf/Disney%205K%20Trip/?action=view&current=fd7f3ae0.pbw

 

[toystoryduo]

Congratulations Stacie!!!! You did it!!!!! I am so proud of you!

Thanks for sharing the pictures of your 5K. They are great!

Have a wonderful week ahead!

 

[larry's girl]

Congrats, kiddo. I KNEW you could do it! You are SUCH a great inspiration. I promise you that you are the ONLY reason I haven't already given up (again) with this weight loss/exercise thing.

Keep going - you can do ANYTHING you want to do now, no matter what!

LOVED the pics and video - is Matt going to be the photographer/videographer in May?? If so, I'm going to have to get some new workout clothes - I'll look REAL bad compared to you guys if I don't!!!

Congratulations again - I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

Love ya!!

Susan

 

[hockeygirl]

Hey Stacie!!! First of all, I want to again say CONGRATULATIONS!!! You did awesome in the 5k and should be very proud of yourself!!!! It was so awesome to meet you and Matt on Friday, lunch was great!!!

I love the pictures, Matt is a great photographer!! Now I just have to convince Gregg to run with me so that he can take pictures of me!

I have to agree with the comment what better place to do your first 5k than WDW!!!!! This weekend was awesome!!

Keep up the great work!!

 

[kimwim8]

GREAT job, Stacie (and Matt )!! I'm so proud of you! Thanks so much for sharing the pictures too (I'm a huge picture person). What a great way to remember the events of your first 5k!!

 

[ScoJo15]

Hi Stacie!

It was a pleasure meeting you and Matt! CONGRATULATIONS on your first 5k!!

I've really enjoyed reading along with your journey and although I don't like to see anyone have to deal with aches/pains/adversity, it's been a big inspiration to watch you fight through any roadblocks that have stood in your way.

Keep up the great work and be sure to take the necessary time to revel in your accomplishment, you deserve it Way to go!

 

[postesf]

Thanks guys! You really mean a lot to me!

So...I've been thinking...yes, this is sometimes dangerous! I had a great time at the 5K. At this point in my life it's one of my greatest personal accomplishments. I should feel really great. I do feel good, but not that euphoria I was expecting. Maybe my expectations are too high?

While we were there, we met Amy, Scott and Lauire. We talked about the marathon, the Goofy... On Saturday and Sunday before we left, we saw runners with all this BLING hanging around the necks, we saw them running... I guess I have this bad tendency to compare myself to others. Sometimes this is good as helps bring out the best in you, but it does make you put alot of pressure on yourself. Coming back off this trip, I felt good, but almost felt the 5K just wasn't enough though. It's a walk in the park for a lot of the folks that did the half, full or goofy. Even some of the folks I work with run 3 miles a few times a week just to stay in shape. So, was it really this big accomplishment? Compared to myself, my history--YES. Compared to some others--NO. Should this matter--NO. So...why does it?

I still have a lot of weight to lose. As of today, 60lbs. I need something to help me stay focused and get there.

As afore mentioned, we are going to Disney in May. Just so happens it coinsides with the Minnie Marathon weekend and my anniversary . My sister, mom and myself are doing the 5K (and Matt too). I had thought about the 15K, but couldn't decide. I am here to tell you, that the 5K was hard. It wasn't a walk in the park for me, but I did do it. I'm still a bit undecided and have NOT registered yet...but, I have decided to go ahead and start training for the 15K.

I checked out the Hal Higdon 15K training plan (Novice of course!) and adjusted the days to fit a bit better with my schedule. I've decided to keep my normal routine for now, and then 10 weeks before the 15K, to start his schedule. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or if I should start now??? My thinking was to continue to walk/run/aquacise to work on my endurance for the next month before increasing my miles.

Amy, Scott, Laurie...anyone else...SUGGESTIONS HERE!!! If you have any better ideas, training plans, please pass them along!

So. Here we are. Bottom line. The 5K was fun. It was a great goal to help me stay focused and lose 20lbs and it did just that. Now I need something more. So now, here I go...I'm training for the 15K.

Now if I could just figure out how to change the title of my journal...hmmm...anyone know???

 

[kimwim8]

While we were there, we met Amy, Scott and Lauire. We talked about the marathon, the Goofy... On Saturday and Sunday before we left, we saw runners with all this BLING hanging around the necks, we saw them running... I guess I have this bad tendency to compare myself to others. Sometimes this is good as helps bring out the best in you, but it does make you put alot of pressure on yourself. Coming back off this trip, I felt good, but almost felt the 5K just wasn't enough though. It's a walk in the park for a lot of the folks that did the half, full or goofy. Even some of the folks I work with run 3 miles a few times a week just to stay in shape. So, was it really this big accomplishment? Compared to myself, my history--YES. Compared to some others--NO. Should this matter--NO. So...why does it?

Ok, here's my two cents worth, as a self-proclaimed professional novice runner. Every one of those runners in the Donald, Mickey and Goofy started at some point. They all ran their first 5k at some point. And absolutely none of them started running in the past 4 months! I am also guilty of comparisons. Sometimes I read other people's journals and feel like a complete failure for posting that I ran 2 miles, or posting that I struggled on my "long" run of 4 miles. I felt like an even bigger failure for somehow getting bursitis in my hip when I clearly don't run a lot compared to other people. But we have to let that go. We need to only focus on ourselves. As women, I think we don't do that enough in a LOT of areas, but thats another topic for another day. But your post really made me see how I would probably feel the same way you did, even with knowing what I know.

It's completely frustrating to be in the beginning, when you want to keep up with the "big dogs". But WE will have our day, my dear. I know we will, and it will taste sweet! Part of the sweetness is the journey. So lets you and me make a pact....we try not to be so down on ourselves and we just put the blinders on and enjoy the journey. What do ya say?


Oh, and I have no idea how to change your title, but you can post a question on the tech support board and they'lll definitely be able to help you!

 

[ScoJo15]

Yay!! Go Stacie!!!

First things first....to change the title of your Journal....go to the first post and edit, then select 'go advanced' and whaalaaahh...you'll be able to edit the title

Additionally, I can see how the 5k could be overshadowed by all of the events surrounding the weekend but do NOT let that take away from your tremendous personal accomplishment!! You did so great...be proud of that!!

Now...for this 15k...you can totally do it!! It's so cool to see you challenging yourself (I know...you haven't totally committed yet...). As far as training plans go, I've heard that Team Phoenix offers a GREAT plan for all levels and all distances Do you run the entire time or do you do a run/walk mix? How many days a week do you want to run? Are you looking to cross train on the days you aren't running? Give me some info and we all can look at the variables...I'd love to help figure out a nice plan for you :

 

[postesf]

Thanks for the tip. That was easy enough... Don't know why I couldn't figure that out! Scott--I'd love for you to help me too! Lord knows, I need it! lol!

Kim--Thanks!

So, Sunday is best LR days and Tues is aquacise. Thursday is just so busy for me, I made it the REST day. Wed is hard to get to the gym right now, but I can run at my mom and dad's house. Monday would be a good gym day. So I started with Sunday and kinda worked backward and adjusted my schedule to work w/ the H. Higdon schedule to look like this... Not quite sure that I love it though. It sure does make a pretty spreadsheet though!

Mon--Stretch and Strength
Tues--Cross (Aquacise)
Wed--run
Thurs--Rest
Fri--run and strength
Sat--Cross
Sun--Long Run

Monday is a good gym day for me which would be good for Cross, but I couldn't figure out how to make it work in the right order... In my C25K plan, I ran on Mon/Wed and usually Sat or Sun, I also did aquacise on Tues. The other days weren't really planned. I know I need to change that to get in more cross training for the 15K.

My runs I'm sure will be run/walks because of my stupid numb feet. I know I can run 2 miles before they go numb. I'm not dead set on having to run it all. I just want to complete the 15K and not get swept and if that means run/walking I'm fine w/ that! Not out to set any records!

I think I'd prefer to keep it at a 3-day run w/ a little cross training on the other days and one rest day.

Ideally, I would do this, but I don't know if it's smart or not...

Monday--Cross (elliptical at gym)
Tues--Cross (Aquacise at gym)
Wed--Run
Thurs--REST
Friday--??
Sat--Run
Sun--Long Run

That would be my runs back to back and I'm not sure if that is recommended or not... Fridays are always up in the air and sometimes I may not be able to get a workout in and therefore wouldn't prefer a run for that day. Obviously, I'll try to stick as close the plan as possible, but you never know what life is going to throw your way!

So...Did I confuse anyone or just myself???

 

[MIdanceMom]

Hi Stacie,

I know I am the last to the party, but CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You did a fantasic job, and should be very proud of yourself. Cherish the sense of accomplishment you earned. When things get tough, know that you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to.

Great job!

Take care,
Beth

 

[AmyBeth68]

Stacie I'm SOOO proud of you. And I have to say that it was both a pleasure and an honor to meet you and Matt last weekend. It was such a highlight .

As for your comments...I completely understand that competitive feeling. And I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with having that "spirit" of wanting to do more. That doesn't mean that what you accomplished last weekend wasn't AMAZING. All runners have to start somewhere...and for most of us that first 5K is a catalyst...memorable in that we surprise ourselves at what we can accomplish AND memorable in that it makes us crave more. You saw all the pageantry associated with running a disney event and it makes you crave even more. I think that even myself...I want to go back and do it again .... to run faster and smarter. It's just part of the running game...and I LOVE it.

I know you can definitely do the Minnie . Go for it...and follow-up with Scott...he's great at creating training plans. I'd trust him 100 percent!!!!

 

[ScoJo15]

Wow Stacie, you've done your homework!! Nice job

I look at it this way....you've got 16 weeks until the 15k. I'd try to work up to and maintain a base during those first 8 weeks...then adjust the final 8 weeks based on your level of comfort with your progress and how your body is reacting.

In my opinion, the keys to a successful running plan include a nice dose of cross training, solid core training, good nutrition (nevermind that burger and coke I had at Pecos Bills LOL) and resting as needed & listening to your body the entire time to try to stay injury free. You've pretty much got all of that in the plan that you made yourself.

I'd be cautious of running back to back, especially before a long run. You do have to work with your non-training stuff though...can you plan on running on Friday's and then switch it to Saturday in the event that LTO? If there is anyway to avoid the consecutive running days, I'd do it.

Also, have you put any thought into how you want to approach the runs? Do you want to try and complete a mileage amount or do you want to just run for a certain amount of time? I like the idea of running for a certain amount of minutes on the 2 shorter runs (like 20 or 30 minutes) and then shooting for a target mileage on the long run (starting off at 3 or 4 miles).

I think run/walking is a GREAT plan and something I still do to this day. I like 4/1 (4 run/1 walk) but you can do 3/2, 2/3, 1/4 or pretty much any combo that feels good to you. It breaks up the runs so much & makes them a bit easier to swallow.

As far as the strength training...I'd scrap anything that has to do with weights, at least at this stage in the game. Your body will naturally strengthen itself where needed with the running. I'd definitely advise core training though as your core is what holds everything together and has a huge impact on your endurance. Pilates is AWESOME, but any plan that works out those abs, obliques and back would be great (Amy...any advice here?)

Hope this isn't too much to throw at you at once, but you just seem so motivated and I'm really excited to see you ready to tackle this challenge! I KNOW you can do it!!!

 

[postesf]

Thanks for the input there Scotty! Yeah, I knew the back to back runs wasn't a great idea, guess I just needed someone to confirm that. The Hal Higdon training plan does all mileage, but I do like the idea of the first couple runs being timed and the LR being mileage. I'm super slow though so I'm not sure how that would compare to all of them being mileage?

OK...more details. 8 week base, and then 8 week training... Ideas??? I am such a schedule, rigid person, I feel like I need a plan...all typed out and stuff for me to follow. I typed out the Hal Higdon one and it's on the fridge! Although now, I think I may need to alter it. Throw it all at me. I can sometimes be a both feet first type of person. So... how much do you charge for a personalized training plan? he he

I like the idea of scrapping the strength training (other than the core--obviously!) I don't care for weights too much and I think right now I would view it as a bother--one more thing to do.

Thanks everyone for checking in!!!

Stacie