Early bird catches the heat

So I figured I'd get out nice and early for my long run today since the heat drains all my energy after the 3rd mile. I was going to get to the park around 7am, but then I was worried about being the only one out there so I pushed it back to 7:30. Surprisingly there were at lot of people there which made me fell better. I didn't want to be completely alone in the middle of nowhere.

I had a big dinner last night which probably wasn't the best idea for an early run, but it was sooo good I just couldn't help myself. Usually, I'm really paranoid with what I eat over the weekend since I usually weigh in on Mondays, but since I've met my goal I don't really have to weigh in anymore. So I lived a little, I'll still get weighed but if I gained I don't need to share. One more week of the competition. I'm going to try and be really good this week and weigh in on Friday. We'll be away next weekend so I don't know how that's gonna go.

So back to the run, on top of a big dinner I had a decent breakfast and not much time to digest. I had a small 150 calorie bagel, a banana and some iced coffee for a boost. First mile went by fast, but then I slowed up to make sure I could last the whole 8 miles. By mile 4 my hip had already started to bother me so I started taking more walk breaks. Even though it was early the heat was still an issue on the second half of the run.

I guess I'm just going to have to deal with the heat. I do need to get now shorts for running. I only have one pair of actual shorts and some crop pants. I did buy some tank tops so that'll help as well.

Tried another type of on the go fuel. This week was energy gels. These worked better for me. I can't eat and run at the same time, plus the gels weren't as sweet. I checked to labels to make sure. I just can't take really sweet stuff anymore. As per the directions, I had one before I ran and one halfway through. I was OK with the first one, but I think I need to take my time with a pack mid run. My tummy wasn't too happy, so I'll try and spread it out longer next time. I was smart and brought extra water this time, but I need to bring more still. My water was in the freezer overnight and didn't have enough time to thaw out before my run was over. Oh well, still learning what works.

Next weekend we are in upstate NY so I need to find a good place to run. I'll have to check the maps and see if there are any parks in the area.

Seven miles

I really love running wildlife reserve. It's such a nice stretch with minimal hills. I started out around 9:30 on Sunday and it was a nice cool morning, but 3 miles later the sun had come out and was beating down on me on the open stretches. I really need to get out sooner. My goal was 7 miles with an average pace of 12 min/mi. Well I did 7 miles (yay), but at about 12:20 min/mi. The last mile or so was tough. It was so hot sometimes I could barely breath and I must remember to use the bathroom first!

I'm so happy that I've kept up the running and I've been able to shed 40 pounds since last October. I am now the lightest I've been since I was a little kid. I think I was up to 195 when I was about 10 and I'm down to 188.1 now. I probably could have lost more if I was more strict with my diet, but you gotta live a little. Plus they say to make small changes along the way so I focused on running/exercise and after a while the healthier eating just fell into place. I didn't want to eat crap and ruin all the hard work I'd done.

The hubby and I plan on adding a little one to the family soon. I hope I've made this enough of a habit to stick with working out through my next pregnancy. With my first child I didn't want to do anything the first couple months due to nausea. 

I might skip the run tonight, feeling kinda icky and I don't want to push it. Also, vacation time is coming up and I'm trying to figure out where I can run while we're away. Our work competition is almost over and I want to finish strong.

Too long

Wow I can't believe how long it's been since I posted something. I really wanted.  This to be a journal of my runs, but life gets in the way and I forget to write. Sometimes it's hard enough just trying to fit in a long run, never mind trying to write about it.

Since my last post I've had a few good runs, but some crappy ones too. I've been back to the wildlife reserve and had a not so great run. I felt like a was running in slow motion. I don't think oatmeal is very good fuel for a long run. I tried the bagel for breakfast the following weekend, but by the time I got out for a long run it was in the afternoon so I couldn't tell if the bagel and coffee were better for energy.

It's getting pretty hot now. Pa in the summer can get brutal. If it's not the heat, it's the humidity. So my hubby bought me a water bottle belt. So now I feel like a real runner when I go out. :-) The heat makes such a difference when running. I felt slow, not as bad as when I ran at the refuge, but it was a struggle to get through sometimes. I even had trouble this weekend at the gym. It wasn't only hot, but it was like there was no air. I think there was just too much body heat because it did get better when people started to thin out.

Must always keep legs ready for shorts in the summertime because running with long pants is ridiculous. I thought I would be ok indoors, in the morning, but was I wrong.

My 10k is in August, but it's in the morning so I hope it's not too hot by the time it starts or when I finish.

When we get a cooler day it makes the run seem so much easier after dealing with the heat and humidity. When I was out on a hot day I didn't realize how much the heat affected the run until the next time I ran in cooler temps. It was like an ah ha moment. It wasn't me necessarily, it was the weather.

Overall, I do feel much more fit. I can't believe I can run 6 plus miles. Also, as of yesterday I met my goal for the office Biggest Loser competition. I'm officially down 36.6 pounds. 5 more pounds and I'll no longer be considered obese, just overweight. I've been obese or even morbidly obese since I was a small child. Still a few weeks to the competition so if I push myself maybe I can get there.