Sore throat hit me on Sunday morning. Extremely painful for 3 days. Yesterday it lessened in intensity. Started to get a bit of a cough. Today it still hurts but isn't as bad as it was. Still have the occasional cough, which just makes that sore throat feel lovely. I've been doing my best to get extra sleep, extra fluids and extra vitamin C. I don't know if it's helping, but at least it makes me feel like I'm doing something. 8 more days to get better.
I had a great run yesterday. The Heart Run is this Saturday. My friend talked me into doing it. It's a 5k. He asked me what I thought my time might be, to see if maybe we could run together. I had to think a little. How fast can I run a 5k? I guessed 27 and then said maybe if I pushed it I could do 26. So for my short run yesterday I ran a mile warm up to the coastal trail, then 1.5 out to the mile marker just past that first parking lot, so you have to go up the earthquake park hill and up a little bit past it. Turned around and bombed back down the 1.5 and jogged the last mile super easy. So it wasn't a full 5K because I'm missing the .1 or whatever...but my time was 25:35. Never ever ever would I have thought I could run at that pace. It was super hard. I was breathing really heavy, huffing and puffing in my asthmatic way. But it felt good.
It may not look like much to some, but that's a significant improvement over the last year. I don't think I've ever broken 9's for more than 2 consecutive miles.
And today I weighed in at 147.6. Which is just about where I was last week. Which is great. I was trying to hit 145 before the race but this is still a lot lighter than where I was in February. So I am very very pleased. And the body fat% said 25. The lowest it's ever been. Which means I've actually lost some fat this go around.
And I've officially lost 60 lbs since 2007.
60.
There are people I meet now, that can't imagine that I ever weighed over 200 lbs. "But you're so active!" Well, I didn't used to be!
Our family should be getting ready for the Clendaniel Mile pretty soon. An annual running event our family does.
This is me running it 3 years ago. Probably at about 195. I had lost quite a bit between 2007 and 2009, and then I went back to school. And gained a lot back. A lot.
For many runnings of the Clendaniel Mile I would be extremely happy if I could get my time close to 10 minutes. For one mile. I think Joyce and Zareena are about to lap me here.
Last year I ran it just under 8. And I just about cried with joy.
No clue how this year will unfold. I'm more fit, I weigh less, but my breathing still holds me back. The legs are willing, the lungs are not.
I'm doing things I've always wanted to do. I have always wanted to be someone who ran regularly, who bike commuted instead of driving. I always wanted to be someone who hiked up mountains for hours. I never really shared that much with anyone. You look at someone who's pretty overweight and not active and you don't think that there greatest desire is to run a marathon.
I know that I really need more time to fully prepare myself for my Ironman. Another year of training and I'd probably do fairly well. Especially on the bike. But I don't know when I'd have the opportunity to do one in the future. The timing was right for this fall. And even if it takes me 16 hours and 59 minutes to finish, I'll have finished. And I'm going to finish.
And I'll be broke. I won't have a job. And I'll be heading out on a new life adventure. They say doing an Ironman changes you. Let's hope it's for the best.
On a side note...I would really appreciate little notes or letters to open up and read the morning of my race. I won't have any of you with me in person, but a few words would be very welcome. Don't have to write much, just a little. Hand it to me in person this next week (I leave super late on Wednesday night) mail it to me, or email it. I can't think of a better way to start the morning.
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