Completed the Austin Marathon

Here is how I felt run/walking 26.2 miles...
I was nervous/sick to stomach and anxious to get started
I waited around for the start...and then I waited with my group for the crowd ahead us to clear the way
I got a cramp the first minute in my stomach, ease up after three minutes
Then my left ankle hurt, then that eased up
I started with a 4 minute walk and then a 1 minute run up hill
I took one hill at a time, then later took one minutes at a time
I felt good for the first 11 miles maybe 13 miles
Then I realized I have a blister forming on my feet, the right foot worse then the left
I was tired, exhausted, hurting, and plugging away the miles
I was excited after mile 18 because it was one more mile I hadn't accomplished before
YEAH 19
YEAH 20
YEAH 21
YEAH 22
YEAH 23
YEAH 24
YEAH 25
YEAH 26
YESSSSSSSSSSS FINISH LINE!!!!!!!!

So I had a pit crew aka my mom and dad who where there to support me and give me anything I asked for. I looked at the start line for them, but didn't see them. I looked for them at mile 2, but didn't see them. I knew for sure that I would see them at mile 6. I saw my dad and he told me mom wasn't feeling well so he drove her home. I was still in good spirits and aware of my surroundings. I requested a half of a cliff bar. My dad and I said see you in 6 miles. I saw him at mile 10.8 because the course had a cut off time and he needed to know if I made it threw that. He passed me a water bottle and I drank that quickly. I asked watchers on the side of the road if they could recycle the bottle if I passed it to them, they said sure. By that point I was ahead of my group and never saw them again.

The next time I saw my dad was mile 16, my mom had join him and she said she was feeling better. I scream 200 yards away that I needed a half of a cliff bar. As I approached I said you need to meet me in 2 miles with salt pills and water. I remember that from 10.8 to 16 miles was too long of a time period and I had no way of getting a hold of him to get to me sooner than that. I remember telling myself he will be there I just have to keep going until you see him. I was getting a headache, I think because it was so hot. I remember closing my eyes when I walked and ran due to being tired. When I made the statement 2 miles, it was all I could think of handling. My feet were feeling like blisters were forming and I was hurting. As my mom told me later she was worried I wouldn't make it and pass out on the course because of my eyes closing. [note: police and EMS golf carts drive the course back and forth to make sure no one is down]

My dad meet me a little after mile 17 (my mom waited in the car across the highway) with Advil and salt pills and water. I remember run/walking down this stretch of road and seeing a red shirt looking like my dad's, but it disappeared and I thought he had left, like he missed seeing me, but I was just seeing things. I also had a time card for a 6 hour 30 minutes finishing time in my shorts and it was hard to focus on the numbers to see what it said, it took me a little to get down the numbers. I remember saying to him I have blisters. He was like you want to stop and rub some cream on them and I was like no. He said meet you in 2 miles, I said good.

During the next 2 miles my blisters had gotten worse and my right foot popped and stung, but I keep plugging away. I saw my mom and dad right before mile 20. My mom had a water cloth to rub my face, I told them about me blisters, I got water and half a cliff bar. My mom later said I perked up a little, so she wasn't as worried. My dad thought that I was going to start walking the miles, but every time he meet me I was on the same pace and I was still doing the run/walking (3 minutes walking 1 minutes running). Right before we separated and meet in 2 miles my dad talked to me about my pace and how I was keeping it. He also put numbers out there and some other stuff, but I have no memory of what he said except you are going to finish this before the cut off time, which was 2pm. We agreed to meet in another 2 miles. All I keep thinking was I have already gone so far. I was looking so hard for Duval street (I have train on it so many times in the past 6 months, I know the hills and the streets), I knew that if I got on Duval I would know where I am and then the end was near. I got some extra energy somewhere, do I know where? Nope.

I do remember receiving a high 10 from a little boy in a spider-man costume or maybe it was spider-man. ha. He gave me the encouragement to keep going. It was nice to have the spectators still out after so long of a time. I mean this was like hour 4 or 5, the fast runners finished 2 to 3 hours ago. The next meet up was mile 22, I remember always getting water, and wiping my face with a cold cloth, I think I got a half of a cliff bar. During the the 2 mile stretch, I realized I had rub raw under my arm and after every water station there was medic stations with Vaseline. I gave a rubbing signal to one guy who caught my understanding. I was to tired to communicate long sentences. I said I can't see it can you put it on and he did. He asked if I needed the other side, I said no. I said thank you and left. Right before the water stop, it felt like my skin from the popped blister flipped over (it didn't come to find out), but it stung and hurt worse. I keep going.

Before I meet my parent for the last time at mile 24. I got excited after mile 23, I had reached Duval. YEAH DUVAL! I knew there was no way in hell I was NOT finishing this thing. Ohh Duval. As I worked my way down Duval, there was a point I saw ahead that they were stopping runners because of traffic. I thought maybe I would get there and wouldn't be stopped, but it didn't happen. The policemen was like we have to ease traffic up. So I stopped and swayed. He was like you okay, do you need to sit down. I was like if I sit down I won't get up. I hadn't stopped this hold time, just go, go, go. I was like jello a little. He finally let me threw and I kept going. I saw my mom and dad told them about the policemen, they gave me water, a wet cloth, and gummy bears. They said see you at the end. I said ok. As I headed to the home stretch.

The final 2 miles were hot. I remember just plugging away. I knew the first hill I went up would be the last hill I went up. I put my head down and walked it. I don't remember feeling it like the first time I went up that morning 6 hours ago. As I reached the top the mile 26 marker was there and I knew I needed to run it. So I headed down 11th street turn right into home stretch down congress. One more block. I saw my mom and dad cheering. I tried to smile and look happy crossing the finish line. I stopped my watch 6 hours 18 minutes and 10 seconds. I had done it. I ran/walked 26.2 miles and I didn't die nor did I DNF (Did Not Finish). I didn't cry, I didn't collapse, I just kept walking received my metal and walked to the side waiting for my mom and dad. They hugged my sweaty body and congratulated me. I was hurting.

I don't think it really has hit me yet, I can tell you that my body knows that I did 26.2 miles. It is sore, tired, and hurting.

Enjoy the picture below, taken by my dad during and after the race.

Mile 6, feelin' good...hanging with my group (from left to right: John, Suzy, Myself, and Ingrid (who is a very fast walker))


We made it to the split in time(had to be there before 10:15 or they routed you to the half marathon pace we got there at 9:45 roughly)...Mile 10.8.


Home Stretch...I am running it in. NO WAY I AM WALKING IT! Few moment later...


I received my metal and congratulations from my pit crew aka mom and dad. An what do you get when you mix, 6 hours 18 minutes and 10 seconds of run/walking, a hot day starting at 60 degrees and a high of 80 degrees, and sun in Texas....


A nice sunburn...whooo and a ouch.

WHIPPED IT, BEAT IT, CLOBBERED THE 26.2 MILES WITH BLISTER, SORE MUSCLES, AND A SUNBURN AT THE END....COMPLETED!

Completed the 3M Half Marathon

I had a few worries before the race. One was would my knees hold up. I have had some painful weeks where my knees hurt or would click or there wasn't strength in them. Second I was worried about the top of my foot. For some weeks now my left foot has felt like a hammer is hitting the top of my foot. I have tried to re-lace my shoes, but nothing seem to fix the whole problem. Thirdly, was actually finishing a 13.1 mile race. Would I be able to? Has my training paid off? Did I slack when I should have pushed harder? All my concerns didn't come to fruition, it was a great run and hope to have the same feeling when doing the Marathon in about 2.5 weeks. My knees didn't hurt, my foot didn't hurt (even though I had to re-lace my shoes to get the right feel in the beginning when the race hadn't started), and I made it through without much issue.

I finished in 2 hours 53 minutes and 58 seconds. I was trying for under 3 hours, then as the miles went by I decided to up my tempo from 3 minutes walk and 1 minutes run to 2 minutes walk and 1.15 to 1.30 minute run. By mile 9 or 10 I realized I might get under 2 hours and 55 minutes, so I pushed to do it.

Also along the way I had a great support team with signs and bells. My mom and dad meet me at mile 6, mile 9, mile 11, and at the end. It was great to see them along the way. I could hear my mom, then hear my dad with the cow bell scream "GO KATIE!" "YOU CAN DO IT" "WE ARE PROUD OF YOU" "LOOKING GOOD, KEEP GOING"and I would wave and high five them as I passed.

Here are some photos at the end at home:

CONQUERED AND COMPLETED 13.1 MILES!

Completed IBM Classic 10K

Checked off my list. My dad and I ran together at my walk/run speed, which we did 3 minutes walk 1.15 run. We finished the race in an 1:22.34 which was a personal record from last years 1:31.23. Well, off to relax and go to bed. I have a long week ahead of me.

Statesman 10K

Run/ Walking hasn't been a top priority, due to injury, emotional ups and downs, exhaustion from work, and overall excitement. I still occasionally run/ walk and I am doing 2 minutes walking and 1:30 running. So not so bad. I will see what happens on race day. I am going run/walking today. The last time I did this route I made is a 2.8 miles in 35 ish minutes. I didn't go as far as I wanted because I had a time limited to get back home. Now I am trying to do 3 miles, hopefully under 40 minutes. I will see....Okay I am back and I did 3 miles in 40 to 50 minutes. - written the 9th two days prior of the race -

I also started trying to do pilates/ab workout. Not a lot, only a total of 10 minutes every day. The first day was tough. It was hard to laugh and to touch my stomach, luckily it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I didn't know how this also would effect me in the 10K (6.2 miles).

Here is a picture of us on race day.


We decided to walk 3 minutes and run 1:30. In the beginning of the race, we zigged-and-zagged through the walkers. We kept up pace of the 3/1:30. In the end I was falling apart. My breathing wasn't bad (meaning my lungs weren't burning), nothing was overly sore or hurting me to stop, I just couldn't seem to have the energy to pick-up my legs. BUT, dad was there say 'you can do it,' 'you aren't on your reserves--yes dad I am--do you feel like throwing up?--no dad--then you are not on your reserves yet,' and 'you are almost there, just a mile or two left or just around the bend.' I am glad I had support, because without it I would have walk when instead I ran.

Dad made a goal of doing it in 1 hour and 30 minutes. I told him I did 3 miles in 40 to 50 minutes, which means we wouldn't finish in that time frame. When we hit mile 1, I thought I cannot, I mean CANNOT keep up this pace. Dad says we are going up hill that is why mile 1 feels tough. We did mile 1 in 14 minutes, mile 2 in 13 minutes, mile 3 in 14 minutes, we missed mile 4 marker and mile 5. I couldn't tell you the time when we hit mile 6, but I was ready for it to be over with. I was spent. We official crossed the finish line at 1 hour 23 minutes and 55 or 56 seconds depending on which watch (dad or mine)...I am going with mine at 55.

This was a faster time that the IBM 10K which I finished in 1 hour 31 minutes and 24 seconds.

Taking a break from doctors appt.

I decided to take a break from doctors appts.. I wasn't really doing the stretches at home and I felt like I wasn't getting really much out of the sessions. I am going to try it at home for awhile. I started back up with my exercising. I only went 30 minutes- half was run/walking 4.00min : 1.45min and the other half was walking and talking on the phone. I didn't want to push me knee. I am hopeful that I can get back on track for training without hurting myself more. I am debating about joining a gym. There is a 24 hour fitness that is close by (maybe 2-3 miles) and their monthly rates are $32. There is also a planet fitness about 8 miles away and it $1 to join and $10 a month. I am weighing the desire to join. I realized that I would spend more money on weight watchers in a month than the gym. I just don't know how fully committed I am to the gym, but I need strength training and I do like treadmills and ellipticals. Hmmm...tough decision.

I also joined the pound for pound challenge (click here). I thought it might make me more motivated because other are depending on me (or might make me fail) either way it is a commitment to something other than myself. I have lost focus on weight watchers, I am slow getting back to the reason why I started, are they still the same reasons, and where do I want to head now.

UPDATE:
Not going to join a gym, at least not right now. I am not fully committed to going and being there. I will contemplate it at a later date. Saving my pennies right now.

Knee Pain

Since December 5th I have had pain in my knee. I ran/walked 7 miles one day, then 8 miles the next. I took two days off, one day I was sore on my thighs, then my knee started hurting the next day. It has been hurting ever since. It ranges in pain from 'please cut off my knee' to 'why does it not hurt now? *confusion*' Finally after 11 or so days I decided it was time to go to a doctor no matter the cost. I needed to get it checked out. Yesterday I went to the doctor, they took 4 x-rays and checked out all my muscles. The doctor stated that I have runner's knee. I now have to go to a physical therapist to strengthen my inner quad muscle, pictured below. (note: not my knee- it is a female bodybuilders knee- nor will I be making my muscles that big)

Hopefully with the physical therapist the pain will get better. Unfortunately, I have to take my run/walking easily or not at all. I have to try to stay away from going downhill until this is better, unfortunately I live in a area that has hills. I think it is better if I take time off from my run/walking because even walking a short distance I have pain in my knee. Generally, this is just a frustrating time. I think after the physical therapist I might join a month to month gym membership or YMCA. I don't know yet, but I need more strength training in my routine.

I know, I blog about my weight a lot...but

I was bored and thought, why don't I look back at all my photos and see how my weight loss has changed. I started with the beginning of college years, but my weight has been a problem since I hit puberty at age 12 or 13.

The first picture was freshman year Halloween, I hadn't gotten my make-up and hair done. I went as an electrocuted doctor. I didn't like how I looked, but I dealt with it. I picked this costume because it was something that would fit me, it was comfortable, and I hadn't figured out at the time, but I guess Halloween for older people isn't about crazy or scary it is more about being sexy. I didn't feel sexy at that moment.

The second picture is a year later during Halloween, 2004/5. Yes, I actually went out in that and No, I didn't smoke the cigar. It was real, but was never lite. I tried to be more sexy, but not slutty. At this point in my life I was big into drinking on the weekends. I never went to parties, but I liked to drink with my friends even though I wasn't 21 at the time. By the end of the year, I still drank, but I wasn't so much into it anymore. I figured there was more to life than that.

The third picture was taken in 2006 when Kim visited me in Texas. I remember trying to figure out things to do. I played a trip to schlitterbahn (a water park) and then we did a spur of the moment trip to Corpus Christi on the coast. I remember trying to find something I would be comfortable in while at the water park and then the beach. I didn't want my picture taken all that much. I would even try to open my mouth a little and put my tongue at the top of my mouth so I wouldn't have a double chin. I would turn to the side so I wouldn't be as wide in the picture as I was. The tricks I did long before this picture was taken and after it.



The next three picture are below. The fourth picture or first in this set was taken in 2007, 2 to 3 weeks before I started weight watchers. I had finally come to the end of my rope with my weight. I needed a change. I couldn't run backwards up the slide with my niece (best friend's daughter). I couldn't fit into any clothes (I was a size 16/18). I couldn't sleep well at night (I had problems with my hips). Overall I was tired of being tired with myself and how I looked. So I decided to change and only I could do that for me.

The next one was taken in 2008. I remember and still do this to the day. I look back at old photos and I wonder how I could have lived that way. It is easy to gain the weight, it is harder to figure out why you did gain the weight. I figure out some of why I gained, but it is personal. I still have much more work to do at this point. I haven't figured out that I am not that 190 person anymore. The body image in my head is so different from what I see in the mirror. At this point, I was a size (12/14). I stayed at this weight for about a year to a year and a half.

Then is the most recent photo of me that I have, it was of course taken in 2009. I decided I wasn't happy anymore at the weight I was in for about a year to year and a half. So I went back on weight watchers(not to the meetings, just on my own). I lost the weight, but then I gained it back. I finally admitted to my self that I need the meeting and the support system. Also, be accountable for every week weighing in during the good, bad, and ugly times.



I have struggle with food during emotional times, times of gathering with family, stress, boredom. I don't have the button in my head that says, 'That's enough, your full.' I only have that when I am stuffed. I am fully committed to this until the 3rd week in February (my half marathon is February 14th---there is also one on January 24th too). I am hoping for a few more pounds. I have a goal and I am hoping I can get myself back on track and kick butt. I did this past week after the Thanksgiving holiday/ funeral/ eating out binge morning, noon, and night.

I am still training for my running class. I have had some set backs with the side of my hip hurting and pain in my knee cap. My hip isn't bothering me anymore, but this knee thing is a killer. I am on the mend, but taking it easy. I am hopeful to run/walk 10 miles on Saturday, but I am not going to push it. I don't want any of my injuries to be chronic.

I apologize for another blog about my weight, but I like to see how far I have come. It makes me want to keep doing what I am doing. I don't want to go back to being that girl. I wasn't happy and I am trying to be happy now in this moment. I want to keep being who I am and improving myself either with the weight or with other stuff in my life.

p.s. Also changed my background again, the black was to overwhelming. Enjoy.

Slowly adding running gear to my collection

My dad and I headed out to do some errands yesterday, one of the stops was Run Tex. It is a local running store that offers both apparel and classes. I have tried to stay away from buying a lot of things because how if I don't want to do it anymore. I also am tyring to save money not spend it and running apparel is very expensive. The First purchase I bought for my classes was clothes, which was a big help. It is better to have lighter feeling clothes on your body that big bulky basketball shorts and a heavy cotton shirt. The Wick technology is amazing. Anyways, I have been using old shoes that I use everyday for work and now my walk/running. They were getting worn down, but I thought ehhh I could keep going. Well I finally gave in yesterday and bought new walk/running shoes. I have had a chance to try them out, but here is a picture. Mine are pink and grey.

I am hopeful that they will work. I am also scared that I spent a lot of money and they won't work. Either way I am sure to find out sometime this week. I am not sure when to wear them because I know I have to break them in. Do I start with 4 miles or should I do more cross training with them then start walk/running with them. All questions I need to figure out.

I was kicking butt today...

Okay, I have good days and bad days with my running. If I work too much my body doesn't work well on Saturday mornings. Sometime during the week I struggle to do my exercise, I do them just not in the way I should because my body doesn't cooperate. Other days are a breeze, I can walk/jog 6 miles and feel good about it. Today I had my Saturday class. We had to do 7 miles. It was fun, well fun isn't a good word, it was fun with torture, exhausting, and burning mixed it. I did 3/1.15 or 1.30(depending on how I was feeling, I tried to keep it to 1.30. I did this from the start, threw the capitol, on to MLK, San Jancinto, and Duval up to 35th street. I thought when I got there I would do 2/1.30, but I couldn't. So I continued with the 3/1.30 until the capitol.

That is when I started my 2/1.30, wow was that a breeze mixed with effort to keep going until the end. I had moments in my run where I was flying and other time I felt like my head was not getting enough oxygen, my legs were struggling to pick themselves up and I just hoped 1.30 would come quicker than it was. But those small moments when it was a breeze it was nice. I liked it. I was also surprised that I could run 1.30, I have been sticking to 1.15 and just shortening the intervals of the walking part. I am glad I stuck with the 1.30 because it is a boost of self confidence in your running when you can do something. It was also the farthest I have gone walk/running. 7 MILES, go me, go me, who would have thunk? Yes...me...to do 7 miles...HA. Well the next week I will be doing 8 miles, so hopefully I can have small moments of it being a breeze.

I also wanted to say that on 10/18/2009, I did a walk/run 10K or 6.1 miles in 1 hour and 31 minutes. I did my 7 miles in 1 hour and 32 minutes. I figured it was about a 13 minute mile I did today. The previous 10K was 15 minute mile. So I am improving on my walk/running. Go me!

IBM Classic 10K

Okay, this morning, my dad and I completed the IBM Classic 10K in 1 hour, 31 minutes, 24 seconds. That time is what our clocks said not the official time with the electronic chip. We finished so that was good. Yesterday I had to do 6 miles with my running group and lets just say it kicked me in the butt. I just couldn't run, I forgot my watch, forgot my music, and just overall was off. I think it was from exhaustion. I had been working very hard on the dock, processing boxes and boxes of materials coming into the store. My dad and I did my pace of 4 minutes walking 1 minutes running, which equal about a 15 minute mile. I am not fast, but I have long stamina than runners (or that is at least what I say to myself).

Here are some before and after shots:

My dad and I waiting in the car, we got there early.


About to head out the the starting line, we left like this than got there. I said I was cold and walked back to get a jacket and gloves for my hands.


After the race, I like this shot because you kind of see our numbers, but our faces (mostly mine) are in shadows.


Final picture at the end, ready to go home and take a shower and relax.

Thank gosh I don't have work tomorrow, but I do have a weigh-in and then lunch with a High School teacher at freebirds. So either I will be celebrating or eating my feelings. Which ever way I am sure I will be fine. I have to push on threw.

Cold in Texas...it was 55 degrees

This morning I did my suppose-ed 5 mile, but I just mapped it and it came out to be 5.45 miles. On Thursday I did a 5 miler in 1 hour 16 minutes and today I did it in 1 hour and 19 minutes. So I did pretty good. I am working on running longer, but because it was cold I started with 4:1 (walking : jogging), but on the way back I did 4:1.30, which wasn't bad. I didn't feel like I worked hard the only tight spots I get are my shoulders sometimes and the top part of my thigh where the pelvis and leg meet on the front. Other than that most thing are fine.

Still on my path to completing this course. I think when the weeks get to 10 to 12 miles I hope I can get pass them with better ease than these smaller mileage. I am going back and forth on doing a half or full marathon. I know, I know I am crazy and the weird part is that around where I live I choose to do hills, I like the feel of my muscles getting tired and the soreness as I run up the hill. I also can run on the pavement and not have to worry about light poles and lots of people. All I do have to worry about it the traffic when I am running on the streets either on the side or in the bike lane. When I am downtown it gets frustrating to stop for the traffic lights and then you have to avoid any people and overall seems more difficult to finish the amount of walking/jogging I have to do. But I do it anyways because it gets me out of the house. I have a busy week this week with Macy work so working out is going to be a 'first thing I do when I get home' kind of thing.

Quick Step, Jog, Quick Steps, Jog

Saturday was rainy and wet here and yet there was still my running/walking class. I am a little weird I don't like cold rain on my neck, but if I am totally drench then I don't mind. When I first stepped out of my car, I didn't like it, but once totally drench I was fine. I walked quickly for 3 min and jogged for 1 min.. The only bad part about the exercise was that a few of us were running up congress avenue towards the capitol and it was frustrating to hit every red light. Also we had to be careful not to slip on the granite, 'slippery when wet.'

My new thing to learn this week is that I can't slow myself down to walk/jog with someone, I need to go at my own pace. This week is going to be tough to get through. I had Monday off from work, but not exercise I went swimming. The rest of the week I am working full 8 hour days Tuesday thur Friday. Then after done with work I need to do my exercise. I just have to commit this week and even if I am tried, I need to go out and go for it. Saturday is my sleep day.

My songs for jog/walk:
Charice "Notes To God"---warm up and stretching and 2 min walk
Cobra Starship "Good Girls Go Bad" ---love running up hills with this song
Keri Hilson "Knock You Down"
Jordin Spraks "Battlefield"
Miley Cyrus "The Climb" --- like this song when I see another freaking hill in the distance and it is a good song about reaching for something you want, it is just fitting in my life
Jay Sean "Down" ---plays at Macy's and I loved it and FINALLY know who sings it
Journey "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" ---love the beginning, got to love drums

Weight Watchers
I am still on weight watchers, I hit a semi-milestone last week, I am under 150. Yeah me. Not far under, but under. I am working hard on it, but I am still struggling with the control over food. I am obsessed with food and will eat until I am fully stuffed. I don't like the feeling so I am working on eating when I am hungry and to stop when I am satisfied. I have learned that if I drink a lot of water and that doesn't satisfy the hunger pains then I need a little bit to eat. That small amount might hold me for 15 minutes or 3 hours, just depending.

When I first started weight watchers I was 187 and I am 2.2lbs away from losing 40lbs since 2007. I am also 2lbs away from hitting my 10% target for this time around, which it 16lbs. So soon I will be hitting bigger milestones, so stay tuned. Hopefully within the next two weeks.

Labor Day and Triathlon Volunteer

Happy Labor Day!

Today in downtown Austin there was a triathlon going on. It was both a Olympic and Sprint, which was open to both men and women. My dad and I were volunteers, we both worked in the transition area when the competitors change from swimming to biking. At some parts it was slow and others you couldn't screaming enough to tell them where to go. I also almost got run over by two or three bikes as they were coming in to the bike area to then go to the run. I think I stayed longer than I would have at the event because I was volunteering, but it also gave me another prospective on the whole idea of the event.

Someday I would like to finish a triathlon, but right now I am working on the running aspect and when I feel I am ready to add either swimming or biking to my routine I will. I need a bike though to do the biking, anyways small details, right? At the end it wasn't that fun, my dad and I had to corral people a certain way because even though the faster people were ready to go home and leave, there were people still on the course working their butts off, no pun intended. The best thing at the event for me was the different shapes and sizes that were competing in it. I even saw some Sprint people that could do the Olympic (they were fast). I guess when you think of any race you think all these skinny small bodies that are toned. Yeah they are, but not all of them. Gives me some ideas.

I know if I say I am going to do a Sprint Triathlon I will need a wet suit, swimming cap, goggles, bike, biking shoes, butt pad for bike, helmet, water bottles for bike, running shoes, running clothes (I use cotton right now), and get use to eating goo packages or electrolytes. Lots of things and lots of money I don't have. The one thing I am proud of, even though you watch the great competitors, is that I was not discourage to do a triathlon from all the exhausted faces I saw going out and in from the bike race/ride.

Future goals in the making.

Saturday's Blog

Went 3.1-3.5 miles this morning

I am in a group that walks 2 minutes and jogs 1 minute. I finished in 46 minutes and 30 seconds, from now on will write my time like 46.30. I didn't do the whole course as 2 min and 1 min., but I tried and I completed, so yeah for me.

In a gross way I enjoy this torture with the sweat rolling down my body. It feels like I am doing good for my body. What I need to work on now is my cardio. So next week that is my goal for the cross training, I will be jog walking hills...yeah? and maybe swimming, if I get a pool key from the management company that runs our development. We will see how it goes.

Joined a running/walking group

For sometime I have gone back and forth with myself about exercise. I am not fond of it, but I have to do it. As I continue with my Weight Watchers, I have found losing weight here at home harder rather than when I was at school. The only thing different is the exercise, at school the amenities were walking distance away, here at home most things are driving distance. So after looking at all my option and debating if I should or shouldn't spend the money, I went for it. This program prepares you to run or walk either the Half-marathon or Full marathon. I am going for the Half-marathon.

The plan is laid out for me. The next six months roughly, I will be doing walking/running on my own and on Saturdays meet with everyone in this large group (about 125+ people-which then separates into 50 or so a group depending on your run time). I like the schedule because for the next 25 weeks, I know what I have to do everyday and I don't have to think about it.

Now I have told my parents and friends about this program. My friend Kim, sent me a link to MapMyRun.com. It is useful and great. Today I had to do 20 minutes of exercise, but I didn't know the distance I went. I do know the time it took me because my dad was nice enough to buy me a Ironman Timex watch that shows me my lap times.

First Saturday August 29th: Ran/Walked 1 mile 15.02

Sept. 1st: Ran/Walked 1.4 miles
Lap one 10:32.96
Lap two 10:10.03

I am crossing my fingers that with joining this group that I will keep up with the exercise and make it all the way to the Half-marathon in February. Slowly will keep updating, maybe just on my Saturday times.