Long overdue update .. not the good kind either

Well I started the year off with a bang... was totally digging the working out.. running on a treadmill and just life in general. Then May come along, now let me preface by saying prior to this I had no issues with the month of May. Anyway, my right knee just started hurting. I took a couple weeks off running and there was no improvement. There was no swelling and no bruising, but also no improvement. Matter of fact it was slowly getting more and more painful. I was become more and more limited. Stairs were not an option, it was stiff and sore. It would catch and randomly I would drop from it just not working right. After about 8 weeks of this nonsense, I relented and made an appointment with my orthopedic doctor. A few thousand dollars and one mri later, I found out I tore my meniscus (again!). I had surgery in the middle of July. At this moment, I have very little cartilage left in the knee.

I am just under 8 weeks out from surgery. I was told no running for a good while, so I just started back up. My style is off and totally notorious. I looked so bad the other day some guy stopped and asked if I needed a ride. It will be a slow process back into running full time. And even when I get back into it full time, I was informed that I really need to cut back on my running. :-( My knees are just too damaged and can't handle the strain.

So why this sounds like a debbie downer update, I am actually okay with it. I am running lightly to rehab for now and plan on getting into cycling in the spring. Less impact and still a damn good workout.

Hopefully everyone's summer went a bit better than mine....

Update time .. I know you have missed me..

Well I figured I would post a general update since it has been awhile. I still read blog posts from everyone, just to keep up to date on things. I also infrequently comment. Things here have continued status quo and I have been working towards dominating 2011. What can I say, it was a wonderful goal to have ;-)

I ran a 5k the other day, my time was in the 29 minute range. This wasn't a race, just around town. I am actually happy with that time, sure I was better at the end of last year, but hey I can still do it. The weather has warmed up, so I am adjusting back to running outside. The treadmill is just different. I usually run about 4 times a week of a morning before work. So far, I am not getting bored with it. Let's hope this trend continues.

This past weekend I also learned to rollerblade. I never really learned to skate at all, whether it was ice skating, rollerblading, or rollerskating. So this was an adventure, though I did catch on rather quickly. Right now I am just slow and have only had 2 wipeouts out of about 2.5 to 3 hours of rollerblading. Neither of which left a mark. So I deem this a success. Slowly I am going to work on getting a bit faster and smoother. I am going to try and go for 4 times a week after work. I have a friend, who taught me, that is enjoying the exercise. So for now we rollerblade together when the weather is favorable. Also on the agenda, learning to ice skate. However my motivation for this is somewhat girlish. The hockey team has skate with the players nights after some of the games, so well being the girl I am... knowing how to skate will only put me closer to those boys.. haha

I also purchased a bowflex, by far the best investment ever. It has really aided in trimming and toning and is not a killer on my knees. I have a quick workout I do 5 times a week that lasts about 20 minutes. It is enough to hit all the major muscle groups. In a few more weeks, I will add some more exercises to it and make it more difficult. However, decided to somewhat pace myself as with all the running and other exercise, I quickly run out of steam some days.

Speaking of all the exercise, my resting heartrate is right at 60bpm. The low end of normal. Quite the accomplishment. My blood pressure has also continually dropped, though it was never "high".

My weight has been holding steady for the most part. Usually fluctuates between 135 and 140, however I have toned up significantly since the addition of the bowflex to my routine. I am hoping to be in the low 130's by the beginning of June. I have really buckled down and I think I can make that happen.

Well I think that is about it for now. I think that is all I have had going on. I will try to be a lil more frequent in the updates, however it likely won't be weekly unless something shockingly cool happens.

Hope all the runners out there are still doing good... Keep up the good work!

Its a New Year... Good Bye 2010!!!

Well first a recap on the events of 2010....

~Lost 50 lbs. Final weight on the year 136 lbs. Finally in the "normal" BMI range.
~Size 17 down to a 7... XXL or XL shirts to Med.
~Lower Heartrate...all around healthier
~Finished the C25k running program
~Ran a 5k (not a race) in 28 minutes and XX seconds. I can't remember the exact time. Either way impressive, since Jan 1 2010, I couldn't run a mile without dying.
~Bought a treadmill
~As much as I want to say I "enjoy" running, I haven't quite hit that state yet. However, it is getting easier and more enjoyable than it was one year ago.

Now to conquer 2011...
For a resolution for this year, I am slacking. I do want to maintain or loose a little more weight. However, that goal isn't as "big" as it was in 2010. I want to continue running, however I can run a few miles now, saying I want to do it faster just doesn't seem like a substantial goal. I was seriously puzzled on what I was going to do. In the end, I decided to dominate 2011. No real goal other than to live life and actually enjoy it.

I plan on dropping more weight, running more miles, and taking more adventures. I want to go skydiving. A few vacations are starting to be planned and things are just falling into place for once. I am happy, things are going well and I just want to enjoy it.

On that note, I likely won't blog too much more. The purpose of the blog was to track my running, that it has done. I don't really have a program to follow much. Well I do have the 8k program, however the support and tracking isn't as necessary anymore.

I wish anyone who continues to run, the best of luck!!!!

Broke into the 130's... 8k training is spectacular ... and my heartrate can become freakishly low...

Such an awesome title we have here... so lets recap...

Well after many months of teetering the line and lots of running and hard work.. I have officially broke into the 130's. I am talking weight. For the last week or so, I have weighed around 138.X each morning. These last 5 pounds have been stubborn, so I am hoping this is the start of another downward trend.

The 8k training program has actually be fun and enjoyable. Things just seem to get easier once you can run for 10 minutes straight and not die. Nothing overly noteworthy has come from training yet though.. except for the fact I am still enjoying it.

And finally my heartrate. Awhile back I said my resting heart rate was 73ish. This was after strolling into Walmart or Kroger to their lil machines to measure it. Or at my parents place after getting up moving around etc. So the other day, I borrowed a machine. Resting heart rate, first thing in the morning was 58. I was stoked.

Well short and sweet and to the point, but that is it for now.. Hope everyone is enjoying their runs...

8k training has started...

Well since I was getting pretty good at my 5k time (getting it in under 29 now). I decided to start working on an 8k (around 5 miles). While I can run this, it is in anything but a timely manner. So this week I started training for it. This weeks intervals were 7 minutes of running, 1 minute walk, repeat 4 times with the standard warm up and cooldown. This workout was relatively "easy", it amounted to 28 minutes of running, right around 3 miles, with a little walking. My goal is to get the 8k in about 45 minutes.. We will see how this goes...

More running.. some with a weighted vest .. some without... boy this is getting interesting.

So I caved and bought a weighted vest. Just a 20lb one, adjustable though down to 5 lbs. But lets face it, I am way too lazy to adjust it down to 5 lbs, so it shall stay at 20 lbs. The first few days, I just walked with it on. Roughly a mile each day at a pace of about 3 mph. I really didn't want to push it and get hurt. So I slowly worked into it. Then I decided I would lightly jog in it. I jogged a mile in 12 minutes with it on. I thought this was mildly impressive, however I was not pushing it. The vest is as tight as it goes, however is still a lil loose on me. So when I run it kind of moves around, making it a bit more difficult to run. So now 3 or 4 times a week, I run a mile with the vest on. I will also just wear it around the house when I am cleaning and such as it tends to add a bit resistance and has helped build some strength.

Also, in randomness, I have realized I never really timed myself running a 5k. I usually just run for a time and report back my distance. So yesterday I decided to run a 5k and see my time. It was 30 minutes and 47 seconds. I was okay with this, however had a few holdups. I couldn't really find my rhythm and settle into the run. For that reason, I decided to redo the run today. Slightly different route, however same distance 5k. I managed to run it today in 29 minutes and 45 seconds.

I am also possibly planning on registering for a 5k jingle bell run on 12/04. I am kind of waiting to see how cold it is going to be. Due to asthma, extreme cold conditions suck, however if it is "decent" out, I will be running. I can't wait!...

Weighted Running Vest? ~ Opinions???

Well I have been researching weighted running vests to use during some of my shorter more manageable runs. They have them in adjustable weight and I hear it is a good way to build up your strength and endurance.

I was curious does anyone have personal experience? Are they good or bad? Is it difficult to get used to? What things should I look at when buying one?