Half Marathon Training Day 1

So I've decided to run another half marathon and am going to blog my way through my training.  I feel like this will help me process the difficulty, celebrate and track my progress and hopefully help me run a great half!  My first half marathon was May of 2011 10 months after Jude was born in Eugene.  I had an AMAZING experience and was so proud of my 2:35 time.  This time I'd like to go for 2:21.  I've decided to run the Mermaid Half Marathon in San Diego.  It looks pretty flat, runs along the ocean (BIG plus), is in San Diego (great excuse to visit family there) and gives me enough time to train.  February 9th......that's 6 full months and a few extra days of training.  Perfect!   So training started today.....

Oh I should also mention....this is a journey to train for a half marathon but it's also a journey of weight loss.  I'm READY to reach my weight loss goals!  I'm going to be tracking my weight, hopefully my food intake (though I'll be tracking that at home on paper as well) and how I'm feeling.  The thought of typing my ACTUAL weight (not rounded down 20lbs....haha....) is a bit daunting but I have to face reality and do this.  Since I'm not quite 8 weeks post-partum I can at least blame some of the extra on my sweet little bundle of baby joy. :)  But I've got to do this.....so.....more about that late but here's what I did today.

August 2nd 2012-Day 1 of Half Marathon Training
Goal: To run for 15 minutes
-Since I'm JUST starting my training and haven't run for about a year (10 months of pregnancy and 2 months post-baby) I decided to ONLY focus of time spent running.  I'd like to get to 30 minutes of very comfortable running and then I'll track my pace and start to increase my pace and add mileage.  For now though....just tracking how much time I spend running.

What I did: I woke up 6:30 to feed Rowan and decided...."today I'm going to start my training" (been stalling for awhile now....).
7:00am-Out the door and onto the road, decided to just run around my neighborhood, in the future I'd like to get to the trails.
I ran for 5 minutes and walked 1 minute.  I did this 3 times fo r total of 15 minutes of jogging and 3 minutes of walking.  Felt like maybe....12 or 13 minute mile pace?

How I felt: It felt slow and sluggish for sure, but it was just exciting to be able to run that much without it hurting or without peeing my pants (TMI...sorry but if you've had a baby you know what I'm talking about....).  One major setback was i couldn't find my beloved Anita sports bra this morning (got me through my last half marathon) and so instead I squished into 2 old crappy sports' bras and a sports bra top....all of which were too tight....OUCH.  Oh well it kept things in place. :P

Weight: .....before I start this leg of my journey I feel like I should explain.  I've always struggled with my weight.  Up and down, Up and down...I've mainly controlled my weight through exercise and I've NEVER really reached my weightloss goals.  Oddly enough though I HAVE reached my fitness goals.  I've completed 3 triathlons and ran the Eugen half marathon in 2011 and reached my goal of 2:30.  I did this at a weight (195lb) that is probably considered about 50lbs overweight for my height (!!).  I've just always been able to do things I've tried to do even if I'm WAY far from the weight I'd like to be (or should be).  So I started thinking about how much I'd be able to do if I actually lost the weight I'd like to lose.  The lowest I can remember being on a scale was 165lb.  That was my junior year of college and I felt AMAZING.  So my goal weight is 160lb.  That's my LONG term goal weight.  Right now I'm taking it 5lb at a time.....

Before I got pregnant with Jude I was 199lb.  I gained 31lb during that pregnancy for a total of 230lb right before I delivered him.  I lost the weight fairly quickly (about 4-5 months) but never dropped below 195.  I felt pretty good at this weight (ran the half marathon) but obviously not fantastic.  I got pregnant again RIGHT after the half marathon but we lost that pregnancy.  I was pregnant for about 12 wks (tho baby never developed past 6 wks).  Between hormones, pregnancy gain, feeling depressed ect. I gained about 10lbs and never lost it.  I got pregnant again 4 months later and this time I was 5lbs heavier than my pre-preg weight with Jude.

I gained almost EXACTLY the same amount of weight with Rowan, weight in at 235lb the day he was born (before delivery).  I came home and weight 226lb (you'd think you'd lost more right away with an 8lb baby but....nope.)  SOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo......all that to say.....that's how I got where I am right now...there are MULTIPLE factors to why I went from 165lb in college to 195lb pre-baby but I'll blog about those things later.  Back to the weight-in.....
Weight: 220.4   this is my weight as of today, Day 1 of training.  I can't wait to see that # drop!
LT Goal Weight: 160lb
ST Goal Weight: 215ob

Thanks for tuning in!  I'm planning on blogging every day to keep myself honest, but I'm sure there will be days I can't get to it.  I'm NOT going to quit though.  Even if I fall off the wagon for a week I WILL return.  I have to do this!