I’m big on setting goals. Measurable goals. For as much as I pick on MQD and the SCIENCE (imagine I said science with jazz hands and a hint of feigned terror in my voice) I love a good graph.
When I decided I was ready to hop back on the fitness train I returned to Couch to 5K. Couch to 5K is a training program designed to take you from the couch (no way! Me? the couch? I didn’t gain almost sixty pounds with this pregnancy at the gym!) to running a solid thirty minutes without stopping in nine weeks. I have a tendency to overexert myself. A training program is necessary to keep me from deciding to try and run six miles after three leisurely strolls around the block has me thinking I am in tip top shape.
The trouble with the Couch to 5K? It ends. After nine weeks where do I go from there? Without the magical iPhone telling me to Run (which is laughable as my jogging speed has been known to be slower than my walking speed, but whatever!) I am lost.
But something crazy has happened to me. I remember when Em was teeny. She wasn’t big on napping. I decided training for the OBX Marathon was a good idea. The jogging stroller was my idea of a vacation. Every day, no matter what else happened, I had an hour on Bay Drive. If you go to the Outer Banks and you have never driven down Bay Drive and admired the homes and the sunset and the sound side living you are missing out. (Oh, how I miss you, long, deliciously flat Bay Drive…) It is happening again.
I finished the Couch to 5K on June 5th. 
And then I did it again, every day for the next FIVE days!! I am keeping it up. I am motivated not only by the health benefits and the uninterrupted Me time, I admit. The number on the scale has me a little freaked out. I haven’t ever said that number out loud here. I showed you my stretchmarks, but that number? It is like pooping in front of someone. I don’t do that.
But I am done hiding. I weighed 226 the day before Lucy was born. I’d hit an all time ten year low of 167 before we got married. I weigh a lot, and I am okay with that. I have size 10.5 feet and D cups, they come with a price.
I avoided the scale immediately after Lucy was born. I know my tendency to get antsy about my weight and I knew I needed to be eating well and frequently in order to establish and maintain a milk supply those crucial first six weeks.
My six week post partum visit greeted me with a 197. What the shit? I’d had a baby six weeks ago!! I was horrified. I hit the ground running, literally.
And then shortly after I hit the ground, I hit the store. I wrote about my new shoes. But I haven’t mentioned my new found love of the running skirt. It makes me feel like a cheerleader. I never was a cheerleader but I imagine this is what it felt like. “Hey you, my ass is almost showing but it is all in the name of sports!! Check me out! But don’t talk shit, I’m an athlete, bitches!” Did I say that out loud? So help me, I am wearing day glow running skirts and I don’t even know who the hell I am anymore.
This morning I downloaded the “Bridge to 10K” app. I need to keep going. I have to keep going. It might take me longer than the six weeks it suggests. But I’ll get there. And if you look at the screenshot on the right, in the top corner, it’s a graph!! A GRAPH! I am as happy as a pig in shit. Or a middle aged, 184 pound mom of two in a hot pink running skirt. And let me tell you from my experience, that is pretty happy.
Excitement on the side 
Hells yeah you need shitty club music to run to. How do you think anyone finishes those effing races?
Try Bangarang by Skrillex. Or Daft Punk. Anything by Daft Punk. The Alive 2008 album is pretty dope.
Madvillain is good. SO IS KANYE. EVERY PARTY NEEDS SOME KANYE.
Just sayin’…
This makes me happy. If you listen to shitty music then somehow it is acceptable.
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PS, I want that skirt!
It was cheap cheap Old Navy. I’ll let ya know what happens when I wash it. ;)
You are awesome and you are making me want a running skirt big time. I did get to wear one in my past life as a field hockey player, though, so I can attest to their great power. I am not much of a runner–more of a gym rat–but another app that is changing my life lately is called MyFitnessPal. I also have a Fitbit and it is pretty awesome too. It can adjust the daily calorie counts on MFP with more or less exercise but I skip that aspect of it. Check ’em out if you’re looking to add to the mountain of cool apps!
I have heard about My Fitness Pal. I tracked my calories and exercise in Lose It for a long time. But I am trying really hard not to worry about what I eat. I can get a little nutty about food and with feeding the wee one, I am trying to eat when I am hungry. I am intrigued by the FitBit. And oh man, I miss the gym…
This app looks very cool. I’m going to download it now! And congrats on the weight loss. Sheesh. Impressive! I wish my excess weight were in the form of a D cup. Sigh. The first thing that happens when I lose weight is that I go from a smallish B to an A cup. How’s that for demotivation!
If you start it lemme know. It is pretty awesome. I have had a lot of success using run/walk training programs.
I used the bridge to 10K app today (I fancied myself too advanced for the ease into 10K since I just did 8 weeks of Insanity DVDs :-)) Great app! Did you notice though that the walk part only lasts for a few seconds before it tells you to run again? Is it a bug or was I doing something wrong? I upgraded to the GPS feature to do distance and pace – I don’t think it’s that accurate bc it said I did 5 miles, even though my avg pace was higher than 10 mins a mile and I only did 50 minutes – does not compute. But I like all the functionality and having the timing, integration with music, journal, etc. Thanks for the tip!
I haven’t had that glitch. I upgraded, as well, and ran another app Map My Run simultaneously to check their accuracy. Nerd Alert. ;) it all checked out. Maybe delete and reinstall?
Interesting. I wonder if it’s because cell reception is so awful down here that it messes it up. Once the freedom tower is done and they put the cell towers on top, our phones are all supposed to magically start working well again…I will give it another whirl today and try the map my run simultaneously too. By the way, Insanity def works – I haven’t run since christmas (when I ran around burke lake!) and it was a breeze running those 40 minutes. Aside from the boredom and the unhelpful fact that I only had 1 album on my iphone and it was Adele.
Ha! Adele probably doesn’t do it for you. You need shitty club music to run. Or Outkast. Fingers crossed that the cell towers fix things. I thought it messed up this morning (the app) but it turns out I just ran through the walk. Whoops.