Couch to 5k Week 5 Done: Oh hell yeah!

I RAN 20 MINUTES STRAIGHT!

Well, I mean, I didn’t run straight the whole time, I ran around my neighborhood so I actually went in circles a little, but you know what I mean. I ran 20 minutes without stopping.

I almost didn’t do the 20 minute run. The 20 minute run was week 5 day 3, and I almost repeated week 5 day 2. I just couldn’t imagine that I was ready for a 20 minute run. I’d almost talked myself out of trying, and then I told myself that I should at least TRY. If I can’t sustain a jogging pace for 20 minutes, fine, no harm done, but I should at least TRY. And I tried, and I did it!

I look back at the fact that I almost didn’t try it, and it makes me wonder how many other things in my life I didn’t do because I didn’t think I could do them. I suspect I’ve missed out on a lot because I was scared I would fail, and failing seemed worse than not trying.

That is so messed up.

So anyway, I ran! And it was good! I was grinning like a fool when I finished.

Truth be told, I ran slooooooowly. I’m not sure I’m going as far as I’m supposed to go each time I run. The program is set up where you either run a certain distance or a certain time, and I’m going with time so I don’t know if I’m getting my distance in. But I’ll worry about that when I’ve finished the program – I can work up to running faster/longer. One thing at a time, right?

Hmmm, what else do I need to tell you guys? It seems like ages since I’ve checked in. I completely fell out of the blogosphere for almost 6 days. I have a lot of catching up to do on everyone’s blogs … my Google reader overfloweth! If you’re reading this and I haven’t been to your site yet, I promise I’ll stop by soon.

My time away was lovely. I had a great time with my brother and the rest of my family. I hadn’t seen my brother since Christmas, and guess what the first words out of his mouth were? “Hi, skinny! You’ve lost more weight!”

I love that man.

I took the day off work on Wednesday, and it was fun. We didn’t do anything too exciting … we met some old friends for lunch, then did some shopping, met some other friends for dinner, and then went to see the Spiderwick Chronicles. I bought myself a couple of treats … I got a Nike+ gadget for my iPod that will track my run distances. I don’t have the special shoes, but I found something on Amazon that I can attach to my shoes that should do the trick. The attacher thang should come in this week – when I get it and I’ve had a chance to play with it I’ll let you know how it all works. I also bought myself an on-sale skirt from Old Navy in a size 6. Woo hoo!

On Thursday I went back to work, but my parents and brother came over and spent the night that night, then my brother flew out Friday morning. It was a great few days. Over the weekend I had to get caught up on work … with a day off and people in my house for part of two work days, I was a little behind.

I’m still a little behind, actually. I have a TON to do at work. It’s going to be a busy week.

Oh, and did I mention that my eating got a little off track during the family time and the weekend? But it’s all good; I’m back on track today. I have to say that any gain was worth it. Last week was a great week.

I hope the last week has been wonderful for all of you, too!

Where am I? (Volume 3)

Happy Tuesday! It's the Healthy You Challenge stats check day.

Weeeeell ... I had a kick-ass week last week, but indulged a little on Sunday and a little on Monday (damned bagel), and now the scale is up a bit from late last week. The official numbers are a-OK, though.


Drum roll, please!



Weight loss since last Tuesday: 1.4 lbs (139.2 vs. 137.8)
Woo hoo! I'd set the goal of trying to get 1.2 lbs per week for this week and next week in order to earn a couple badges next week, and I made it! Next week I need to lose 1 lb to stay on track. Possible, but it might be challenging with the long weekend this weekend.

Weight loss since fall 2007 (most recent leg of weight loss journey): 14.6 lbs (152.4 vs. 137.8)
Wow, 0.4 lbs until my 15 lb badge.

Total weight lost (entire weight loss journey): 29.2 lbs (167 vs. 137.8)
Ooooh, 0.8 more lbs until my 30 lb badge.

Hmmm, I'd said I needed to lose 1.0 this week to earn my badges, but it looks like it is 0.8 instead. And I do math-y stuff for a living. How embarrassing.


Last week I also set out to earn my exercise badge. I'm doing the couch to 5k, and I wanted to do those three runs as my cardio workouts plus two strength training workouts. Unfortunately I only did 3 cardio + 1.3 strength workouts (since my strength workout was interrupted Saturday). Oh well. Next week! Next week I will earn the exercise badge. Same goal - three runs/cardio workouts plus two strength training workouts.


Oh, I did earn one badge this week - I had a definite non-scale victory. Ta daaaa!

I talked about this in my post yesterday. I went in to the office (a rare event), and one person said I look thinner (yay!) and taller than I used to look, and another person mentioned I looked “about a foot taller.” Taller ... crazy eh? Grumpy Chair asked if I'm doing pilates because apparently that makes you stand straighter and feel and look taller and leaner, but I'm not doing pilates. I’m interpreting taller as thinner + well-fitting dark pants + boots with a heel. Hey, and (even sans pilates) maybe I am holding myself better. I'm feeling a lot better about how I look these days.

Maybe feeling better about how I look is a kind of non-scale victory, too. I am no supermodel, but when I look in the mirror I like what I see. I'm back in 95% of my old tops, and I can wear my old jeans now since they have stretch through my thighs, which are my trouble spot. I have shorts and pants that are still obscene, though. My fingers are crossed that a few pounds from now and a few more workouts from now, I'll be back in those, too.

You can call me the jolly green giant. Except I'm not green. Or jolly, even.

I work from home, and Friday afternoon something very terrible and yet potentially wonderful happened. My laptop went on the fritz! I get up from in front of my computer late in the afternoon, I walk away, and when I walk back the laptop won’t stay powered up, and in the few moments it is powered up I have a very very very dark screen. I fiddle with it, I mess with it, there is much rebooting … nothing.

With a non-functional laptop, I had no recourse but to go into the office this morning. HORRORS!

I suppose I should be grateful that I have an office to go in to. I work from home because I work for a department that isn’t located in our local office. When I used to go into the office, I found I could go for days without talking to anyone in the same building as me (except for the occasional “hi” in the hallway, and sometimes not even that). I did get to know 6 or 7 people, but not well and I didn’t actually work with them. When I made the point that I could work during hours I’d otherwise be commuting, folks up the ladder agreed that my working from home would be a-OK.

Anyway, I get in to the office this morning and Mr. IT man and I figure out that if we change the power supply and use an external monitor and keyboard, the computer works.* I have to take some parts and pieces home with me, but I should still be able to work from home.

The potentially wonderful part? Mr. IT is implying to my bosses that my department should buy me a new laptop (although he’s not pushing it at all since they have to pay for it). WOO HOO! I hate my laptop. I swear it was designed by someone out to break my back – the thing is so danged heavy that every time I take it on a trip I’ve lost all blood to my arm by the time I get on a plane. It’s like hauling a very small, dense dead body around with me all the time. I broke down and got a backpack, which helps evenly distribute the pain but doesn’t go very far in the “try to look professional” department.

It isn’t a done deal that I get a new laptop … many people up the ladder have to approve the request, and I’m afraid some of those people will think repairing it is a good idea. The idea of getting this one repaired makes me sad on two levels – 1.) it is heavy. Very heavy. I don’t want to have to haul this monster everywhere anymore. Did I mention it’s heavy? But also, 2.) if I have to send in my laptop to be repaired, how am I supposed to work? If the laptop is far away, how do I function? Do I have to go into the office every day and use a crappy loaner computer? Please no!

Everyone, please send lots of “approve the new laptop request” vibes out to my company.

In the meantime, if I have to travel, I have no idea how I’ll manage an external monitor, keyboard, and the docking station I need to make my computer function. Anyone know of a good Sherpa I can rent?

Oh, a side note. While I was in the office I ran into three of the people I know. One didn’t say anything about my weight, one mentioned that I looked thinner (yay!) and taller than I used to look, and the third person mentioned I looked “about a foot taller.” Odd about the two taller comments, eh? Although it is tempting to try to believe I’ve had an abnormally late-in-life growth spurt, I don’t buy it. I’m interpreting taller as thinner + well-fitting dark pants + boots with a heel. So hooray for all that! I’m good with being taller and thinner!

On a not so bright side note, I didn’t resist the bagel shop I passed on the way into the office. I used to love bagels and I haven’t had a bakery bagel in … man … I can’t think of the last time. My only hope is that my couch to 5k week 2 day 2 run tonight combined with my training session will offset it somewhat. I’m sure I’ll have to use some flexpoints, too. Grr. I hate using flexpoints on a Monday (which is day 1 of my week).

Back to my point. Please remember … think “Approve the request for a new laptop, approve the request for a new laptop, approve the request for a new laptop …”


* You fancy techie folks who might think “oh, I can totally fix that” … you guys can just shut it. I want a new computer.