I wrote this note on Facebook a while back, and thought it would make a good start for my tumblr account…
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So I’ve made a few changes recently to get in better shape, and some people have asked what I’m doing. I’m still just getting started toward my goals, but I feel like I’ve made a good start. And it really makes my day when someone wants to know what I’m doing. It excites me to have the opportunity to help someone else meet their own goals, and I want to tell them EVERYTHING I’ve had to learn the hard way. However, sometimes I don’t have the time to write a detailed response, or I end up forgetting to mention certain things. So I decided to write this note to share with folks.

One thing I worry about is overwhelming folks with information, so I’ve divided this e-mail into two parts - the digested, short version and the more detailed, hold-nothing-back, long version. Here goes…

The short version

I started training in January 2009 for my first 5K that was to be held in April 2009. I used a program called Couch to 5K (C25K) and was able to run the whole thing in a little over 35 minutes. I kept up the running and also started working out at the Wellness Connection in July 2009. I lost a little bit of weight and was in much better shape, but hadn’t really made significant improvements. In late August 2009, Brook and I started the South Beach Diet. In late September, I committed to training for a half marathon (13.1 miles) that is organized by the Wellness Connection. Between South Beach and the half marathon training, I lost about 40 pounds from September to December 2009. I ran the Frostbite Half Marathon on January 23, 2010 in 2 hours and 23 minutes, and finished in the first 200 participants to get a medal! I’m still running and think my next goal event will be a short triathlon this summer, although I may do a few more half marathons in the meantime. I’m tentatively planning on my first full marathon to be the St. Jude Memphis Marathon in December 2010.

Here are a few things I’d suggest to folks who want to give running a try.

1. There are many resources for Couch to 5K (C25K), including podcasts - free music you can download for an mp3 player that has the time cues built in to tell you when to walk and when to run. It’s MUCH easier than trying to keep up with it on a stopwatch. There are also applications for certain devices - I have the one for the iPhone that told me when to run and when to walk.
2. The #1 piece of advice that I think I can give people is to go to a good running store and have them help you pick out the right shoes for YOU. Everyone has a different gait, and if you have the wrong shoes, it will cause injury. I struggled with shin splints for MONTHS until I got the right shoes for me. Running a couple miles would have me limping for days. Now I run 13 miles and have no shin pain. Make sure they watch how you walk without shoes on. How your arches do, your pronation, etc.
3. When you do get pains, R.I.C.E. - rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Invest in a good ice bag and ace bandages with velcro. And ibuprofen regimen. We have used the reusable gel ice packs, but have recently found the bags you just put ice in can work much better.
4. It’s hard. Mentally and physically. But a lot of it is mental. You’ll want to quit when you really can keep going.
5. But sometimes, you really do need to stop. I majorly injured my left hip flexors and just ran through the pain because that’s what I thought I needed to do - no pain, no gain right? Well really, pain can mean you need to stop or it might sideline you for a while if you push too hard. I had to take off over a week just before my half marathon and missed running with Brook for her first 5K because I hurt it so bad. I was having to pick up my leg with my arm to get in the car.
6. If you can find someone who will commit to it with you, that might help. I find it really hard to run by myself. It will take you a while before you are able to talk while you’re running, but it just helps to have someone there beside you while you’re doing it.

The long version

I’ve always wanted to be a runner. I’ve tried doing it on my own before and got nowhere. I ran a bit with a good friend in Birmingham before we both moved away, and then I stopped again. I’ve started a running program called Couch to 5K (C25K) a couple times but never got very far before stopping.

In January 2009, the MSU Student Health Center started a program called Know Your Numbers that would conclude with a 5K to commemorate its end. I looked at my calendar and the 5K was exactly 9 weeks away, just enough time to finish C25K. So I decided this was it, and I told everyone that I was doing it so that I couldn’t back out. I even posted each individual training run on my Facebook when I did it so that people could track my progress and hold me to it. Although I’m not certain a single person looked at it, it kept me going knowing that I needed to post my progress. Here’s what I had by the time I was finished.

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I’m training to run a 5K and thought I’d post on here so you guys can hold me accountable and make me stick with it. Feel free to check in on my progress, or just bug the stew out of me to make sure I’m carrying through with it. I’ve started this program several times and never finished it, but this time there’s a 5K exactly 9 weeks from now - just enough time to finish the program and run the race.

Starting date 2/2/09
Date of 5K - 4/4/09

I’m training with the Couch to 5K program:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
http://www.c25k.com/

I’ll post the individual dates below as I finish each day of the program:

5K - 4/4/09 - 35:15 - DONE! :)
Week 8, Day 3 - 4/1/09 (track - 2.75 miles)
Week 8, Day 2 - 3/30/09 (track - 2.6 miles)
Week 8, Day 1 - 3/27/09 (track)
Week 7, Day 3 - 3/25/09 (track)
Week 7, Day 2 - 3/23/09 (elliptical)
*Bike around campus - 3/21/09
Week 7, Day 1 - 3/18/09 (track)
*Minor shin splints - taking a break till at least 3/18 :(
Week 6, Day 3 - 3/14/09 (track - 2.25 miles)
Week 6, Day 2 - 3/11/09 (road - Bulldog Circle)
Week 6, Day 1 - 3/9/09 (road - Bulldog Circle)
Week 5, Day 3 - 3/6/09 (track - 2 miles nonstop!)
Week 5, Day 2 - 3/4/09 (track)
Week 5, Day 1 - 3/2/09 (track)
Week 4, Day 3 - 2/28/09 (road - Bost/Athletic complex)
Week 4, Day 2 - 2/26/09 (road - athletic complex loop)
Week 4, Day 1 - 2/24/09 (track)
Week 3, Day 3 - 2/21/09 (track)
Week 3, Day 2 - 2/19/09 (track)
Week 3, Day 1 - 2/16/09 (track)
Week 2, Day 3 - 2/14/09 (road - Bulldog Circle)
Week 2, Day 2 - 2/12/09 (track)
Week 2, Day 1 - 2/10/09 (track)
Week 1, Day 3 - 2/6/09 (track)
Week 1, Day 2 - 2/4/09 (track)
Week 1, Day 1 - 2/2/09 (track)

By the way, if anyone knows a better way to post this to my Facebook profile, please feel free to make suggestions.

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Wow, looking back on that makes me remember how HARD it was! Week one consists of running 60 seconds and walking 90 seconds, repeating for a total of 20 minutes. And it was HARD. Now I run for almost an hour straight on my SHORT runs during the week. It’s not uncommon for me to run 2 hours straight on my weekend long runs. It’s all about perspective and building up. So back to the story…

I had a few setbacks training for that first 5K - primarily shin splints which would continue to haunt me for months. More about that later when we discuss shoes. But I finished the training and ran that first 5K in just over 35 minutes. What an awesome feeling it was to finish that race!

 
Know Your Numbers/Run Wild 5K finish - April 4, 2009

After the Know Your Numbers/Run Wild 5K in April, I continued to work out sporadically but didn’t maintain the full distance that I had been running. I backslid a bit, but decided to do another 5K in June (the Kim Gee Ovarian Cancer 5K). I picked back up with the running (I think by repeating the last few weeks of C25K to build back up, although my memory is a little fuzzy now). The day we showed up for the 5K, there were terrible clouds and about the time we were going to start, the bottom fell out. It POURED. We were at the MSU Sanderson Center, so it was decided we’d run the 5K on the track upstairs over the basketball courts. Now that track is only 1/8 of a mile, so to get 5K in takes 25 laps. That would be 25 LONG, BORING laps. Lucky for me, my buddy Nick DiColandrea was there too and ran the entire 25 laps with me. I was very grateful for Nick, who ran part of the 5K backward while coaching me along! We finished in just over 36 minutes - very near the end, although I still contend that there were a lot of folks conveniently losing track of how many laps they’d gone (to their advantage).

Shortly after the Kim Gee 5K, I joined the Wellness Connection to try out some classes called Agility Challenge that a couple of my co-workers had been attending. The day I went to check out Wellness, I left rather unimpressed having grown accustomed to the very nice Sanderson Center. However, as I was pulling away, I saw some activity down the hill from Wellness. I drove down the hill and witnessed what I would later come to know as torture by Corey. Those people were going at it, and I knew that’s what I needed. I signed up right away and started attending Corey’s and Byron’s Agility Challenge classes three times a week. Agility Challenge lived up to its name. But it was FUN! I met some of the most amazing folks in that class who continue to inspire me, challenge me, and cheer me on. The classes were great because the trainers would help you bring it down to your level, but push you to improve all the while. The other clients cheered you on when you struggled, celebrated successes with you, and asked about you when you couldn’t be there.

So I was getting in better shape as far as my abilities, but I wasn’t really losing any weight having not changed my eating habits (although at least I was no longer getting fatter!). I decided that I was going to have to change how I was eating, and so Brook and I started the South Beach Diet on August 27, 2009, with me weighing in at 222.5 pounds (at 5’9”) - not good. And this was after having lost some since I’d been running and working out the entire year. We’d done South Beach before and knew what we liked and what we didn’t. We decided we would stick to the allowed foods, but would only eat the stuff we’d enjoy. No more gazpacho for us!

 

This is after finishing the Turkey Trot 5K in November 2009.

Now when I started this whole deal, I thought running a 5K (which is 3 miles) was the pinnacle of fitness. In late September, the Wellness Connection started advertising for the upcoming Frostbite Half Marathon to be held on January 23, 2010. Since my longest run to date had been 3.1 miles, I was a little hesitant to commit to a half marathon, but I talked to Elaine, another great trainer at Wellness, and she encouraged me to do it. By this time, I had started going to the gym on my lunch break with Kacey and she committed to running the Frostbite too. We began running Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and going to the gym for Agility Challenge on Monday and Wednesday during our lunch hours.

This whole time I had been going to Wellness, I had only been doing these Agility Challenge classes. I hadn’t been running at all. Our first training run for the Frostbite was to be 3 miles, and I honestly didn’t know if I could do it. I hadn’t run any sort of distance since the Kim Gee 5K on the Sanderson track, only the occasional short runs we did in Agility Challenge. So we map out a 3 mile run around the office and Kacey and I take off. We finished our 3 mile run in 30 minutes and 10 seconds! Both my 5Ks had been 35-36 minutes, and I just hammered out 3 miles in 30 minutes having not been running at all in almost three months?!? Agility Challenge was working.

We continued training on our own and with our friend Amy for the Frostbite until we had built up to farther distances. Once we got up to about 6 miles for our long runs, we started going out to the Boardtown Running Club on Saturday mornings. Finding this group was another major milestone in my running. Mike and Marcie and all the folks that run on Saturday mornings are just great. They are so welcoming, have water stops set up every few miles for the run, and there’s great food and fellowship afterward. It has become one of the highlights of my week to get up before 6am on Saturday mornings to go pound out 10-12 miles (even in the freezing cold right now). My goal for the Frostbite was to finish the whole thing running, and I did it!

 
Right before the Frostbite after party - January 23, 2010.
 
I got a medal!

So there were a few setbacks along the way - continued issues with shin splints, strained hip flexor, and currently some knee pain - but it’s all been great, and I look forward to so much more. Brook started running about 3-4 months ago, has done her first 5K and is currently working toward a half marathon herself. She’s doing great, and I’m so proud of her. My little brother Turner who is 14 years old just started week 3 of C25K. I really hope he will stick with it. His football coach won’t know what to think when he gets on the field next year! We’re looking to run his first 5K together on April 10, 2010 (the day before I turn 29).

 
Brook’s first 5K on January 9, 2010. I didn’t run because of my injured hip flexor, but I wore my number anyway!

Below are a few things I’ve had to learn the hard way that I’d like to share with others to perhaps spare them some trouble.

1. Shoes are SOOO important. I had new shoes, but turned out I had the wrong ones. I struggled with shin splints to some degree for months almost every time I ran until my mileage forced me to do something about it when training for the half marathon. I would suggest going to a knowledgeable running store - Fleet Feet or something like that. Folks who don’t just sell shoes but actually know what they’re doing. I went to Trails and Treads in Tupelo. They should ask you to take your shoes off and walk around in just socks to check your gait, how your arch does, etc. I had a shoe that provided support that I didn’t need - which caused my problem. Turns out, I just needed a neutral shoe with extra cushioning. I run 12-13 mile long runs now with no shin spints! Oh, and shoes wear out long before they look worn out. It’s suggested that running shoes be replaced every 300-400 miles. That’s not very long when you get your mileage up there. So only wear your running shoes for running, and keep in mind how old they are.

2. Accountability - I posted every one of my C25K runs on my Facebook page so folks could see how I was doing, ask me about it, etc. I don’t know if a single person actually looked at it, but it helped me knowing it was there. I posted it on the info tab so that there was a running record in one place. It was a good record for me too to see the weeks ticking off. I still post status updates with my run info so people can comment on it - usually with the info from my Garmin GPS watch.

3. Advancing in the C25K program… I see a lot of people say that they are going to repeat weeks because the week they just finished was too hard. If you have an injury, that may be necessary. But I think a lot of people just aren’t pushing themselves. I’d say try to always go on to the next week and not repeat a week. If you absolutely can’t do it, maybe repeat a day. I scheduled my 5K for exactly 9 weeks away so that I HAD to stick to the schedule. We did the same for Brook’s. Having said that though, it might be a good idea to build a little flexibility in there so you don’t push yourself when you really shouldn’t. See below…

4. BUT!!!! With that said, listen to your body. DON’T get hurt. I pushed through some pain a few weeks before my half marathon on a 12 mile run thinking it was just one of those things you tough out. Turns out I stressed my left hip flexor. Sidelined me for a while before my half marathon and still bothers me a little now. There’s a difference in mentally not wanting to keep going and physical pain when you’re body is telling you to stop and you should listen. I think the mental is what you push through - and if you’re like me, you will definitely WANT to stop. I would say in regard to ability, I never thought I would be a runner. But I also have a friend who had a previous injury that tried to do this and just couldn’t. After she really hurt her knee and went to the doctor, he said she was crazy to even try. I think you will have to just listen to your body - but know that it’s supposed to be hard.

5. You’ll probably have some minor pain that’s not too much to worry about - so don’t let it stress you out. Just remember RICE - rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Have ice packs and ace bandages on hand before you get started, because you’ll probably need them. But maybe not if you start out with the right shoes - unlike me. The gel cold packs you freeze and reuse are good - especially the ones that come with an elastic pouch where you can strap them wherever you need them. Ace bandages with velcro are good too. Recently though I got an ice bag from the pharmacy section that you just put ice and water in. It stays much colder, much longer than the gel ones and you don’t have to remember to put it back in the freezer so that it’s ready for next time. Ibuprofen helps with inflammation.

6. I think there are different runner personalities when it comes to this - and you just have to figure out what works best for you. I really like to run with someone and talk (although you probably won’t be able to talk much in the beginning!). Some people prefer to run alone and maybe listen to music. If you have an iPod, make a running list with some good running music. I’d be glad to tell you what’s on my running play list.

7. Check out the C25K group on Facebook pretty often for encouragement. I like to read Runner’s World articles for motivation and info. Let me know if you’re thinking about starting something and need some motivation. I have several people right now that I try to check in on at least once a week to see how they’re doing.

I’m not sure how much weight I lost before starting South Beach. When I started South Beach at 222.5 pounds in August 2009, I set a goal to lose 50. I’m currently at 177 (February 2010) - just a few pounds away. I’ll get there eventually!

Brook and I both LOVE to talk to others and help them reach their goals too. It excites us so much when people ask questions or for advice, so feel free to ask if you need anything. Not that we know everything by any means, but we will try to find someone who does know the answer!

 
This is a picture of me taken around May 2009 I think.
  
Staff Leadership Program graduation - December 2009

By the way, I recently had to wear this suit again. But I had to trade the size 40 pants for size 34!