And another one bites the dust!

So I finally did it. I walked thirty minutes at roughly 3.0 (sometimes 3.5, sometimes 2.9)mph at the highest incline (on a five-adjustment treadmill). I took Al's advice and listened to music while I was on the treadmill. This made it a little more bearable. I listened to a Buckcherry CD. When I work out I love to have rock music on...I have to find my Disturbed CD because that would have made it even more enjoyable.
I kept staring at the little display that told me how long I had been on the treadmill. It was driving me crazy how slow it was going by. Not nearly as slow as when I wasn't listening to music, but slow enough to irritate me. At around 20 minutes in, I decided that I had to wait two more songs before I would allow myself to look at the display again. So I stared at the wall in front of me and counted the little stupid rub-on stickers on the wall that the previous renter had put on there and didn't take off. We don't use our upstairs for much, so we haven't bothered to do anything about it. We're renting the house with the option to buy from my husband's uncle. It's a nice four-bedroom, 2-bath house that was built in 1901. Okay, so back to those stupid little stickers. I had attempted to take them off once, but they weren't coming off. I'll probably have to scrape them pretty hard. They're like little lady bugs and butterflies. I think it was the 16 year old's room. On one wall there were roughly 19 of them.
I asked Ryan if tomorrow night he could figure out how to set up the TV up there. I'll have to turn the treadmill around so it's facing the other way. While I was walking I kept the remote in my hand for the CD player and every time one of the slower songs came on I would have to switch the song because then I would catch myself walking slow. Because I was facing away from the entertainment center, I had to kind of twist myself while walking so that I could use the remote to change it.
I could feel in my right foot that my arch was hurting a little bit. My toes didn't necessarily go numb like they usually do, but they did start to cramp a little bit. And my boobs started to hurt. It had been an hour or so since I nursed Kennedy so I was a little fuller than usual and I think the bra I'm wearing is too small. I bought it in the hospital, it's a Bravada and it feels really good after I've fed her, but otherwise it's way too small. It's a 38C, but I think when I'm full I'm more like a medium-large D.
I messaged the owner of The Runner's Flat on Facebook to see if he knew any moms who nursed while training for a marathon. Hopefully he gets back to me soon, because we face some unique challenges (long runs??? during the actual marathon??). I remember seeing photos of male runners with bloody shirts from their nipple irritation, I can only imagine what it'd be like for someone whose nipples are irritated anyway! OUCH!!
Those measily 30 minutes have been utterly exhausted. I think I'll indulge myself in a little bit of Real Housewives of the O.C. on DVR and go to sleep! Goodnight!
Kate

Whew! What a week! I didn't get a whole lot of treadmill time in this week, but I did get some other exercise in. I got the family a Wii for Christmas (including Wii Fit), so I've been having a lot of fun with that. I rock at boxing--no one can touch me! However, now my shoulders and back are incredibly sore from it. This morning I did roughly 24 minutes of Yoga. My favorite is the warrior pose!
I made a wonderful ham for Christmas, and I didn't eat any pie!! Woot woot! Now if it were a pie I liked, that would have been a completely different story. Ryan's mom made a pumpkin pie and some yucky chocolate pie with meringue and a graham cracker crust. I asked her not to make one, because I wanted to make an apple pie. I found out two days before that she was bringing them anyway. Yuck.
Kennedy will be 15 weeks old this Tuesday...I can't believe it! Where does time go? Another amazing thing is that I'm still nursing! It is so much easier after we get over the 'hump'. With Kahri I only nursed her for roughly 6 weeks or so because of latch issues and lack of support. So far with my marathon training it hasn't seemed to have affected my breastmilk. Supposedly high levels of exercise produces enough lactic acid to affect the way breastmilk tastes and many babies don't like it.
Before getting on the computer I had just got done walking at a good incline (highest setting on a 5-position treadmill) for 20 minutes at 3.2 speed. This may not seem like much, but I burned over 200 calories. Right now I am just trying to get my muscles aclimated to the motion of exercise. I have a week or two to work up to doing 30 minutes of walking, then slowly I incorporate a few minutes of running alternating with walking. At around 6 minutes I wanted to quit. My head was (well, still is)throbbing (I don't take any meds for headaches only because I can't ever remember which ones are safe to take while nursing!) and it seemed like the easy thing to do. But then I remembered in the Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer book that any time you start to feel that way, just to say "but it doesn't matter". So I said it, and it went away. But then again around 16 minutes I felt that way again because not only my head hurt, but my toes were starting to go numb. I googled this a month or so ago and apparently it's more-than-likely Morton's Neuroma. I need to find shoes with a wider box, and buy shoes about a 1/2 inch bigger. If all else fails, I need to see a podiatrist for it. I went another 4 minutes before my head got to be too much.
I can't wait to be able to go outside to run instead of inside. Supposedly one is not supposed to listen to music while running (besides obvious safety issues) because you'll start to sync your tempo with it. That, and a lot of races don't allow them so it's best not to get used to running with music. Running on the treadmill is incredibly boring to me. We have a TV with a dish upstairs but I haven't figured out how to hook it up yet. So I just run in my little corner of the small, square room that also houses the bowflex. We had an ice storm today, and now it's snowing like crazy. And prior to this week temperatures were -30 with windchill (about -12 without). That's a little too unsafe for me to train in.
Well, this headache will probably go away if I quit looking at this computer screen and get some shut-eye. Goodnight!
Kate

Obstacles

So tonight I put our three year old to bed and then laid our newborn down to sleep. I was upstairs on the treadmill for roughly 10 minutes when my husband yelled up the stairs for me that the baby was awake. Normally he would have put her back to sleep and consoled her for me, but he was busy doing homework. :( I thought to myself Maybe I have taken on too much. But then I just kept thinking about how this is just a minor roadblock and I can always do more tomorrow. After all, I still need to get some better shoes because I could feel my blister on my left heel right away.

The little bit of exercise I'm getting is helping though, because I'm down 3.6lbs since Wednesday--I'm now 234.8lbs! Yeah, yeah...water weight always comes off fastest, but it still feels good!!!!

So I suppose I should talk a little bit more about my running history. Or my weight history, for that matter. I've always had weight issues. My senior year I was thin (very athletic--155lbs at 5'10") and I went out for track just because they needed extra people. I did shot put, discus, open 200 and 4X200. I was also a cheerleader. I was in the best shape of my life. Mind you, this was just in 2004! :) I was a State Finalist for Miss Teen Iowa-USA and Miss Iowa-USA the summer after graduating high school.
Then, I met a man (who is now my husband) and got pregnant during my 1st semester of college. I gained 85lbs, and lost 60lbs of it 2 years later just in time for our wedding October of 2007. I did run a 5k at around 210lbs June of 2007 and I finished AND didn't come in last!!! Sure, my time was exactly 47 minutes, but I felt good crossing that finish line.
I got pregnant right away after the wedding and gained a little over 60 lbs. So now here I am!
Well, I had better be off to bed now. I'm going to try and get up a little earlier so I may get my treadmill time in early.
Kate

Couch potato to marathon in under a year

I want to run a marathon, and so I'm going to. It's a little embarrassing even bringing it up to anyone. I keep thinking about what's going through their heads when I tell them. A marathon? She's huge! or Haven't you got enough on your plate already?
I've been longing--searching--for something for a long time. It didn't click until now. I think it is human nature to want to be more, to test your limits. And that is why I am going to train for and finish a marathon.
Why is this so significant? Because those who are even fit sometimes don't even fathom running a marathon. I am 238.4lbs, and at only 5'10", I am obese. Sure, I had a baby 13 weeks ago, but I am definitely in no shape. So that's why I'm starting slow.
There is a marathon class offered every few years at the University of Northern Iowa that is world-renowned. It is very hard to get into, so I bought the book based on the class. The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer, by David A Whitsett.
Before beginning my official training program, I have to get to that level. I walked today for 12 minutes at a pretty good incline on my treadmill at 3.0mph. I really need to get different shoes--my toes go numb. I read that's probably because of the small box on my shoes. I'll have to go to The Runner's Flat in Cedar Falls for some shoes. They can video tape how I run and fit me for a good pair of shoes. I just have to get the courage to go in there first. Isn't she a little too fat to be training for a marathon? I added one of the owners on my Facebook. Maybe I'll send him a message on there in private and explain my situation. After all, he probably is fully aware of the marathon class and the book--since UNI is right in Cedar Falls.
The little bit of walking today has me worn out. I have a blister from my ill-fitting shoes. I should go to bed now because there's a huge winter storm going on, so I'll have to leave much earlier for work in the morning. I must get more sleep than I have been! Damn internet...
So, for now, bye bye!
Kate