132.4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last week I was at 137, so for those of you who aren't mathletes, that's a 4.6lb loss*. And only need to get another .4lbs off and I'll officially have lost 60lbs total! Let me tell you, at 192lbs and 7 months ago, that seemed impossible. I am incredibly proud of myself.
*Disclaimer: This is not a normal loss for me. I know that the healthy range for a weekly loss is .5-2lbs. I credit this huge loss to it being the week after time of the month. So there.
On to my running realization.
I am an internet stalker. I love, love, love reading blogs (running, fashion, everyday life types). I find a blog I like, and take the time to go allllllll the way back to the beginning and read every post in order. My girlfriend recommended Hungry Runner Girl and from there found Skinny Runner. Skinny Runner has a feature called "Cat Lady Blogs", where she showcases other blogs. I found Running Off The Reese's and One Upon a Lime (just 2 among about 20 that I want to read). I've finished the first 3, and working my way through OUaL right at the moment. Yesterday, I read a great post that Sarah put up about how running isn't suppose to be easy.
It was like a light bulb went off in my brain. Of course running isn't suppose to be easy-otherwise everyone would do it. And to be completely honest with you, I had been taking it easy. For months now. Of course when I started, it seemed impossible. I could only run for about 30 seconds before I started to die a little on the inside. Yes, I can now run 6 miles with no problems, and yes, my pace has gotten much better. But I was still pacing around an 11:00/mile, which isn't fast at all. (When I started, I was more around 457835927987372957:00/mile.) I had been convincing myself the past few weeks that I was ok with how slow I was running (more like jogging). I know I will never place at a race, or even get under an 8:00/mile. I was just proud of myself for getting out there, working on it, losing 60lbs, and finding a new hobby that I love. (And new ways to spend a ton of money on running stuff.)
After I read her post, I knew I hadn't been pushing myself. I was taking it easy. I quickly decided that on my 3 mile run last night, I was going to make myself "comfortably uncomfortable". I was going to up my pace, and try to hold it for the full run, but if I couldn't, that's ok. At least it would be the beginning of working to make myself even better.
I set out last night, hoping to at least get one mile under 10:00, and I completely surprised myself. I pushed myself, and even though I was out of breath, and thirsty as all hell, I was able to finish strong. Here's my time:
29:42!!!!!!!!!!
Mile 1: 9:59
Mile 2: 9:49
Mile 3: 9:50
Average Pace: 9:53/mile
For all of you seasoned runners out there, that might not seem too fast, but it's fast for me-considering my last run I averaged a 10:54 pace.
Now I KNOW I can do it. I can push myself, and my legs won't give out, my lungs won't collapse and I won't die on the sidewalk, leaving Kyle to wonder what the hell happened to me.
I won't be pushing myself at that pace every time I get out there and run. Tomorrow I have a 6 mile run and a 7 mile on Sunday. I will actively try to run faster, but I'll save those super-speedy (yeah, right) miles for my short runs. And who knows, maybe my version of speed work will help me become an even better runner. I'm just proud that I was able to push myself out of my comfort zone. :)
On that note, here's what was waiting for me on my desk when I got to work today:
And this is what it looked like approximately 7.2 seconds later:
I usually avoid the chocolate samplers like the plague, unless they have the little chart saying what each chocolate is. I'm what you call a picky eater, so the 'surprise' of what's inside usually scares me. But I've been so good lately that I chowed down. And they were all delicious.
My goal for the rest of the holiday season is to maintain my weight. If I lose, great. But I just want to stay where I am. Which means watching what I eat, and not skipping on any running days.
Yeah, right. Especially since I have an 7 mile scheduled for Christmas day. I'm
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