Tag Archives | seattle

Jingle Bell Run with Tara & Jord

By on December 14, 2010 in 5K, friends, R2P4, running

Y’all know that Sunday, I reluctantly participated in the Jingle Bell Run with Tara and Jord.  Well, actually, if you read my blog often and know how much of a sissy I am about running in the rain elements, you might not have known that I actually participated, since you might have expected me to wimp out.  I almost did!

I woke up at 5:30, heard the deluge pounding my bedroom window, and almost rolled over and went back to sleep!  Seriously – it was raining hard.  In Seattle, we get a lot of light, drizzly rain and very little hard rain like that.  I don’t have rain gear.  I don’t like being wet, and I really don’t like being wet and cold!

I dragged myself out of bed with the consolation that I didn’t have to run.  I gave myself permission to totally bail on the running-in-the-rain part of the day, and decided that seeing my girls was still worth the treacherous trip slightly dicey drive into the city.  After all, we had brunch planned!  A late celebration of Tara’s birthday – how could I miss that?!  I texted Jord on the way to pick her up (at a red light, Mom, don’t worry!) with this message: “I love u guys but if it’s raining this hard, I’m wimping out! OMW.”

We picked Tara up at 7am and parked near the starting line of the run around 7:15.  Due to a random snafu with my race packet (which Jord had tried to pick up the day before!), we had to head to the registration area to get my packet and then headed back to the car to stash all our stuff.  And then…we waited!  The run didn’t start until 8:50.  It makes me happy to run with these women who are totally on board with my let’s-get-there-so-early-it’s-insane MO.  (I hate being late.  No, I mean…really, really hate it!)

We claimed a great spot inside Westlake Center and hung out there until about 10 minutes before the gun.  We made our way to the start line and were soaked within 5 minutes of standing there!  I swear the last 5 minutes went by so slowly…we were all screaming (internally, of course) at the announcer to quit jibber-jabbering and get on with it already!  And finally they did – the air horn sounded and we were off.  Did you know that Seattle’s Jingle Bell Run is the largest in the country?  Neither did I until Sunday; and let me tell you, as we headed up the first hill that extended for the first .75 miles of the run (seriously, who do I need to kick for that one?!), that entire stretch of road up the hill was a sea of runners.  It was pretty cool to see!

It was still pouring rain (did I mention how much I hate running in the rain??) and windy, so we were thankful that it was 58 degrees on Sunday!  Once we turned into the express lanes tunnel, the wind died down and no more rain landed on us for about 2 miles or so (that’s how much of the run I’m guessing was in the tunnel).  Except for the parts of the tunnel where there was a drainage crack in the roadway above – then it was like running through a mini-waterfall!  The first mile or 1.5 miles of the run was the hardest for me – my legs just take a while to get warmed up and that’s where I have to be mentally strong – it’s early yet, my legs are fine, yes they’re burning, it’ll go away, no I don’t need to walk – you know the drill, right?

Anyhow, I wasn’t convinced I’d run the entire thing.  Between my whiny bad attitude about the weather and the fact that I’ve focused more on general fitness the last few weeks than on running, I just didn’t know how the run would feel.  And I won’t lie – it felt hard!  Especially because downtown Seattle is littered with these evil things…you may have heard of them…they’re called…*gasp* – HILLS.  Ack.  I rarely train on hills (note to self: this is why it’s important to train on hills!), so making it up those puppies was tough, but the reward was running down the other side.

The best part of this race, besides the fact that I got to run with Tara and Jord who did not say one word about my incessant weather complaints, was the fact that the last .25-.5 miles was downhill across the finish line.  We put on the after-burners and sped up for that last stretch, which felt great!  I doubt we were running much faster than maybe 6 or 7 MPH for that last little bit, but for me that is flying!  And Tara found the race results yesterday, and my time was 36:12 – that’s a PR by 34 seconds!

So, moral of the story?  Shut up and run, Valerie.  Have fun with your girls.  Quit being a wimp about the weather.  Because when you do, who knows?  Maybe you’ll end up with a PR out of the deal!  And even if I hadn’t, the chance to run and spend time with these girls?  Priceless.

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Countdown to Christmas Challenge – 3 Weeks Left!

By on December 9, 2010 in challenge, consistency/commitment, eating, goals, R2P4, working out

It’s that time again – time to recap my week for the Countdown to Christmas challenge hosted by Scale Warfare and Bella!

You may remember the rules:

1. Choose a specific, realistic goal that you can achieve by December 31st.
2. Post weekly updates (you choose the day) about your progress.
3. Add the challenge button to your blog post/sidebar.
4. Decide on a gift (reward) that you’ll give yourself when you meet your goal.

I am currently working on the following goals:

  • Commit to and follow-through on four structured workouts/week from now until the end of the year.  I have some travel time coming up, along with the normal scheduling challenges that we all face during the holidays!  So my goal is to make at least four structured workouts (and by structured, I mean “official” and not just a walk – trainer, weight lifting, running, gym, something) a priority in my schedule no matter what.
  • Be in bed by 10pm Sunday through Thursday nights.
  • Get up no later than 6:30 Monday through Friday mornings.
  • No snacking on the couch – the only eating allowed is a planned, pre-plated meal.
  • Shut my pie hole by 8:30 p.m. every night – no more eating!

In order, here’s how I’m doing:

Workouts: I had this one dialed this week, with three great training sessions and a run with a friend on Friday.  Can I tell you all (and myself, really) how much better I feel when I am working out regularly??

Bedtime: Last week I had been struggling with this since Thanksgiving, but I’m happy to report that this week, I’ve only missed doing this one out of my five nights – woo-hoo!  Does anyone else have a “problem” with reading in bed?  The kind where you start reading, get totally engrossed, and then realize it’s almost midnight and you’re still reading?  Yeah, that part of the equation is still an issue.

Early Wake-up: I mentioned sometime in the last week that I don’t really know if I am committed to this goal for the right reasons, and I still haven’t figured that out.  Regardless, I have not gotten up by 6:30 a.m. every morning during the week – I’m about 50% on this one.

No Snacking on Couch: Also something I struggled with last week, I am doing much better on this one this week.  I may look at choosing not to do any eating on the couch with the TV on; I’ll keep you p0sted.

8:30 p.m. – Kitchen Closes: This I am doing well with this week after struggling last week.  In fact, yesterday I “closed the kitchen” at 8:00 p.m. because I actually got home at a decent hour!  It takes some serious willpower for me, but I know I feel better when I don’t eat too close to bedtime, so this goal is definitely worth it for me.

So that’s my week – I’m doing pretty well.  My workouts are better than my eating, but I know that this LCJ (to crib Tara’s TLA) (that’s a Three Letter Acronym) (oh, the first one means Life Changing Journey)…okay, wait, what was I saying?  Oh, yeah – this LCJ is a process and I am giving myself lots of grace and never giving up so who cares if there are hard days along the way?  It’s not like I’m gonna quit.

How about you?  How’s life in your corner of the ‘net?  Anything we can help you with?  Any brags you want to share??

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A Perfect Workout

By on June 18, 2010 in R1P2, working out

Have you ever had a perfect workout?  I’m sure you have.  You know what I’m talking about – the kind that feels good and hard and challenging and even…pleasurable?  The kind that is over too quickly, before you know an hour has gone by?  Close your eyes and think back to a workout that felt like that for you.  Can you see it?  Yeah, that’s the kind.

I had a perfect workout today.  I worked out with my trainer.  Okay, tangent: have y’all heard of SassyFit in Seattle?? They’re amazing!!  They have a studio where they do bootcamps, yoga classes, Zumba, and training.  But even better is that they will come to you, wherever you are – home, work, or the park! – and train with you there.  They rock, and if you’re in Seattle and even considering getting a trainer, please hit them up and give them a try.  You won’t be disappointed.  But I digress.  (I often do.)

My last workout with Shannon was one where I realized that being on HCG might actually present a challenge for me with high intensity interval/circuit workouts.  I realized a number of other things, too: (1) That 90 minutes of Bikram was definitely not realistic for me right now given how I felt after 60 minutes of high intensity circuits! (2) That I wanted to keep training with Shannon because she is knowledgeable, interested in helping me achieve my goals, and I loved the challenges she walked me through during our session.  (3)  That maybe 30 minutes of high intensity circuits + 30 minutes of yoga would be a decent way to accomplish my current goals – regular strength training, meeting with Shannon twice per week, and doing yoga/stretching twice per week.

We were going to meet outdoors for our workout today, but as per usual in Seattle lately, the weather is drearier than you can imagine, so I went to the SassyFit studio.  We started right in with squats to warm up and Shannon led me through three or four (I can’t remember, thankfully she does all the counting!) circuits of 3-5 exercises each.  It went like this: Circuit #1 x 2, Circuit #2 x 2, etc.  Before I knew it, it was time to transition to the yoga part of our workout, so we removed our socks and shoes and got down with our badass selves on the mat.

It was challenging and hard and felt wonderful and then it was over – *poof*!  I couldn’t believe how quickly the hour had gone by.  I felt great throughout the workout; like I worked to my full capacity, albeit in two different ways, for the entire time.  Like I was loving on my body by being there and doing what I did.  That, my friends, is my perfect workout story.

How was your workout today?  Do you have a perfect or amazing or badass workout story to share?  What kind of workouts are you loving the most right now?

HCG Update

HCG Start Date: 6/1/10
Starting Weight: 252.5
VLCD  Starting Weight: 255
R1P2 VLCD Day 15: 234.8
Total Weight Lost: 17.7 pounds

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HCG & Running

By on June 14, 2010 in hcg, R1P2, running

Hello, friends – welcome to Monday!  Monday gets such a bad rap.  Yes, it’s the day that ends the weekend.  But it’s also a day that gives us an opportunity for a fresh start.  I know, I know – every day does that, every minute even.  But somehow, Monday always feels like it could be a day filled with promise for a new beginning.  (Yes, I got enough sleep last night so I’m unbearably chipper – if that annoys you, come back after your second cup of coffee/morning run/whatever makes you feel human!)

HCG & Running

I promised you an update on my first run while on the HCG protocol.  I went running Saturday and it was great! good!  First off, let me share some photos of the gorgeous location and weather where I was running in Seattle on Saturday (please excuse the crappy iPhone photos):

I thought I’d run for about 30 minutes, which in Valerie-slower-than-molasses-running-time translates (usually) into about 2 miles or so.  What I didn’t account for was the heat!  I made the mistake of going running at the height of the heat for the day, so it was close to 80 degrees (yes, I know, that’s not terrible, but it’s HOT for Seattle where we’ve been drenched in 55-60 degree weather and rain for weeks!).  And where there is usually a brisk breeze or wind on Alki?  Nada.  So what would have been a great run was “only” good because I did get hot and tired towards the end.  My first mile was just over 13 minutes – quite fast for me when I’m jogging several.  My second mile was just under 15 minutes, and I walked the last 1/2 mile to my car since it was just too stinking hot.  And I got lost on my way back to my car.  And I had to walk uphill in the sun for about 1/4 mile.  I was out for a total of just under 40 minutes.  Notes to self: bring water when you run outside in warm weather!  Don’t be a doofus and get lost!

Overall, though, I can’t say that I noticed a difference from how I would have felt pre-HCG.  It’ll take a few more runs under varying circumstances to confirm it, but if I had to opine right now on whether HCG will affect my running, here’s what I’d say: for normal jogs, easy runs, etc. I don’t think it will have any affect.  For longer runs or high intensity intervals (i.e., speedwork or hillwork), it’s too soon to tell and I guess I’ll find out.

One thing I do know for sure:

It felt AWESOME to get out and run!
I have missed running.
I love running.  <—– And those words right there still make me feel like, “who am I?!?”

Another thing I know is that who I am?  At least part of the answer to that question is that I am a runner.

HCG Update

HCG Start Date: 6/1/10
Starting Weight: 252.5
VLCD  Starting Weight: 255
R1P2 VLCD Day 11: 238.4
Total Weight Lost: 14.1 pounds

Comments { 5 }

Monday Run Report

By on April 12, 2010 in Uncategorized

Happy Monday, y’all!  I hope you’re all rested and ready to meet the challenges of the week ahead.  To start my week, I want to recap my run from yesterday.  As you may remember from this post, Sunday I was scheduled to do my “long” run, which is currently 3 miles.  I decided to get down with my bad self and run a 5K, which is 3.1 miles.  The setup: it was sunny, windy, and about 55 degrees.  I ran on Alki Beach, which is flat and paved (and also insanely packed when the weather is nice), and where I have run a couple of actual 5K events before, so I know the exact route for that distance.  Here’s what it looked like:

Only imagine this scene with a bazillion people milling around!

My intention for this run was to go really slow and steady.  And even thought I was super excited to run in the beautiful sun and just to be outdoors, I was also feeling kind of low energy.  So I gave myself permission to stop and walk pretty much anytime I needed to.  Then, as I started running, I remembered what I shared with some friends a couple weeks ago about how the first 10-15 minutes of a run, for me, are always the hardest.  Once I get through that part, running almost starts to feel easy.

So my next “bargain” with myself was to just get to the halfway point – then I could walk if I wanted.

Every time a great song came on my iPhone, I caught myself speeding up and consciously slowed down – I really wanted to run at about a 15 minute pace.  (That’s roughly the pace I’ll have to run the 10K in order to finish within the 90 minute time limit.)  Just after the halfway point, I ran into a friend from my old book club, which gave me about a 2-3 minute break since I stopped to chat and coo at her new baby.  Then I started running again with the mindset that if I just wasn’t feeling it, I could walk if I needed to.  I wasn’t worried about speed – I just wanted to finish 3.1 miles and see how it felt.

Well I’m sure you’ve probably guessed by now that, with the exception of that short social break, I ended up running the whole 3.1 miles without stopping.  The last 90 seconds were the toughest, but by then I figured I could do just about anything for 90 seconds so it would be silly to stop running then!  And my time as I crossed the “finish line” of my 5K?  45 minutes on the nose.

How did I feel?  During the run I felt great!  Just after, I was tired, so knowing that I was meeting a friend for a walk and dinner about an hour later, I gave myself an hour to sit and relax knowing that I wouldn’t get too stiff since I’d be walking again soon.  I felt a little twinge in my right knee towards the end of the run, so I’ll be watching that this week to see how it feels with my other workouts and shorter runs.  Today, the morning after, my hips are a bit sore but otherwise, I’m just feeling slightly stiff and slightly sore – exactly how I should feel after back-to-back, challenging workouts.

The best part about my run yesterday was following through on my training plan.  Keeping promises to myself is something I struggle with, so every kept promise to myself is like gold.  The next best thing was knowing that all I have to do in the next 5 months is double what I did yesterday, both in distance and in time, and I will be able to finish the 10K without a problem.  THAT is definitely within my reach.

Running always provides me with ample time to think, too, and I’ll be sharing some of my thoughts from yesterday with you all this week as I write through them for myself and get them down “on paper.”

How was your Sunday?  What did you do this weekend to step towards your goals?

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