Conquering the "Heroic Moment"

Have you ever heard of the "Heroic Moment"?  The moment when your alarm goes off or the sun wakes you up ... and you struggle to get out of bed.  You know you should, but just a few more moments of sleep are begging to be had.

Depression, stress, tiredness, and loneliness have plagued me for the past four weeks.

I'm at 36 weeks now and I'm starting to wonder if I'll make it to the end with my sanity and strength still intact.

Today, I am hopeful.  The last two days now, I've conquered the "Heroic Moment" and I feel so good about that small accomplishment:  waking up at sunrise and walking two miles.

One Year Anniversary of Running!

November 12, 2009, I started a run / walk program.  Thirty minutes later, I finished 1.8 miles.  A 16:40 pace.  All this was done in my dark basement.  I used the PodRunner:  Couch to 5K on my iPod to let me know when to transition from walking to running.

I've looked and looked for a picture of me before I started this journey.  I tend to take all the pictures so there are very few of me.  These two are the only ones I could find:

Yesterday, I ran my 'long' route of 4.0 miles.

Stats:
Feb. 6:  58:51 (14:43 pace)
Mar. 20:  48:42  (12:10 pace)
Apr. 12:  45:28  (11:22 pace)
May 17:  44:54  (11:14 pace)
June 17:  44:09  (11:03) ... now classified as easy run in my training log
July 6:    44:11  (11:02)
Nov. 11:  43:44  (10:56)


Mr. T took this picture of me this summer.  The fence in the background is what I was working on the summer before in the picture above.  You can notice a big difference in my face.

Milestones:

• December 02, 2009 - Intervals of 90 seconds of running with 2 minutes of walking
• December 25, 2009 - Intervals of 3 minute of running with 1 minute of walking
• January 9, 2010 - Intervals of 6 minutes of running with 1 minute of walking
• January 27, 2010 - Ran for 0.8 miles without stopping
• January 30, 2010 - First run outside.  Temperature was -5 deg and sunny.
• February 13, 2010 - Visiting in the in-laws and ran outside for 5.4 miles (longest run at this point)
• March 6, 2010 - Continued to get my runs in even on vacation in Wisconsin Dells
• May 26, 2010 - Weighed in at 155 pounds; compared to 195 pounds in November 2009

Month           Miles       Avg Pace     Weight     Calories Burned 

Nov 09         21.8           16:02            194.0       1,980   treadmill
Dec 09          48.5           16:01           181.6        6,504  treadmill
Jan 10          48.9            14:56           170.2        5,728  treadmill
Feb 10         42.6            13:30           164.8        6,370  all outside
Mar 10        48.7            11:40            161.0        6,059
Apr 10        64.5             11:16            161.0        8,751
May 10       80.8             11:43            155.0      13,642
Jun 10         97.2             11:31            158.0      11,449
Jul 10          97.3             10:59            162.4      10,923
Aug 10        47.1             11:03            158.6        5,578  tendon injuries
Sep 10        70.6             11:11            160.0        8,348
Oct 10        85.2             11:29            160.0       10,369  changed form to a forefoot strike

Total miles ran in my first year:  753.2
Total calories burned:  95,701

This year, I have ran many races which I will summarize in a Year-in-Review post at the end of the year.

What happened to my kids?

The morning started off nice with a P90X Core Synergistics workout.  I need to strengthen my core more in order to improve my running.  Wow, what a workout!  After my shower, I had some time to sew before the kids and I started school.  (Yes, I get up early)  When I sew, I do not sit in a chair but on a exercise ball.  I definitely did a core workout, because I noticed that it took more effort to sit upright to sew.

After sewing for an hour, the kids and I started school.  I'm not sure what happened, but everyone was focused.  When I asked something of someone, I got "Yes, Mom.  Right away, Mom"  Where are my kids??  We were finished with school before lunch today!  Granted, there's been a bit less of work because we are finishing up various things as the school year comes to a close.

Next I hear, "Can I watch Lots of Hair for you, so that you can sew some more?"  Um, ok?  So I did a bit more sewing before lunch.  I had only to make my own lunch today too.  The older kids fixed lunches for everyone else.  After lunch, Lots of Hair went down for a nap.  I announced that I was going to go back down to sew some more.  Lil Chef was practicing the piano when Mr. T came up to me and asked if he could do her chores.  Um, ok.

So far, there's not been any fighting.  This is amazing.  Lately, we've been focusing on treating each other as if they were part of the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, & Joseph).  Today, I see fruits of our labor.  What a blessing today is!

Weight Loss Update

With the season finale of the Biggest Loser tomorrow,  I thought that I'd give an update of where I was and where I am at now.

It's been seven months since I've started this adventure.    My kids ask me why I still run, since I look "normal" now.  I tell them that I run to feel good, to help me become a better runner, and to help me become a better mom.  Also, I don't want to go back.  I like the energy that I now have and how my clothes feel.

Yes, I'm a numbers nerd (the engineer in me)

Stats:

             11/07/2009     5/24/2010

             -----------      -----------

weight    195 lbs            156 lbs

chest       43.5 in              37 in

waist      40.75 in            33.5 in

hips         46.5 in             39.5 in

pant size     18                8 or 10

Wow, I'm sure glad that I did keep track.  One of the hardest challenges for myself now is to get my mindset out of my "old size".  When I arrived to pick up my packet for my first race, I looked at the t-shirt that I ordered => XL.  Fortunately, I was able to exchange it for a medium.  A medium!!!!!

What's next?  Well, I would say that I am in maintenance mode and fine tuning.  I need to do more core workouts to keep my back healthy and to help improve my running.  I have been trying to incorporate P90X into my routine.

Children Are a Blessing

Lately, I've been waking earlier than the household to get my workout done before husband goes to work.  My almost eight year old, Mr. T, lays in our bed with the baby, Lots of Hair.  Sometimes though, Lots of Hair wakes up and her sister, Trouble, joins her.   So Mr. T brings whoever is awake downstairs and occupies them until I am finished with exercising and a shower.  I have been so grateful to have older children helping out with the younger ones so that I can improve my well-being.