Intimidation Anyone?

So as you've been reading, I'm trying to become a runner. I'm still not sure if long distance running will be for me, but I'm willing to try it to see. But I can TOTALLY see how some people don't want to try new things. New things are intimidating. New things to me make me feel stupid. I hate feeling stupid so I usually resort to not trying it rather than looking stupid. Right now I'm reading all of these runners blogs and running sites. They speak in another language that I just don't get. I called my ultra athletic sister-in-law last night for some advice and she made me feel even more overwhelmed. I always thought running was just running but it's NOT apparently. Here are some examples:

Runners usually just use their outer leg muscles and are off balance with their inner leg muscles and so I should do some downhill training or else I can get a knee injury.

Runners do either in-outs or point to points.

Tempo runs

Gentle pick ups

Recovery food

Cross training

Luckily, when I started running I didn't do any research, I just ran. If I would have read all of this 1st, I would have dropped my head in shame and continued working out to my DVD's, at home, in private, where I wouldn't feel incompetent.

Today is a rest day in my training, so I did weights instead. Here's my workout for the morning:
100 push up challenge day 1:
10
10
8
6
10

2 sets of 15 dips on my stairs

Then the following with my 8 lb. weights, 2 sets of each:
squats
lunges
bent over row (thanks to Miz's blooper reel)
overhead press
alternating bicep curls
pull ups
single leg squats (oh this takes some serious balance)

1 set:
plank position tricep kick backs (again thanks Miz for the demo on the vid)
I actually worked up a sweat lifting at home. That may be a first! When you all do weights, do you at it at home or at the gym? How many days a week do you lift?

The Word for the Day is: OUCH

So in my last blog I was talking about my apprehension of taking on a 1/2 marathon so soon after my tummy tuck. Right after I blogged I wondered, "How far can I run without stopping?" So at first my goal was a half an hour (I have been able to run up to an hour straight prior to surgery) and then see how I felt. Then I went for 40 minutes and could keep going. I finally ended up running 5 miles in 50 minutes. This is not my usual pace, but again I got out of shape recovering from surgery. I did have to stop briefly 2 times due to "minor" interruptions (my kids wanted breakfast...the nerve :) ). With warm up and cool down it was a total 5.8 miles and an hour of cardio. Oh, and I did my cool down holding a 30 pound weight by the way :) (His name is Noah and he also had his blankie in his hand. He has issues too).

As if that weren't pushing myself enough, I went to the gym yesterday since my mom was here to watch my double trouble. Lately when I've tried to go to the Y, they have been politely asking me to leave since my boys love me soooo much, they won't stop crying when I leave. So I was so excited to be able to go without the minor interruptions. What's the first thing I went for? The stairmaster (and FYI MizFit, I don't hold the handle grips, I use my arms) that looks like a set of stairs. Again, at first I did 5 min. warm up..then 25 min...then another 25 min...finally a 5 minute cool down walking on it backwards. Then I did 2 sets of the weight machines, arms, legs, and back (can't do crunches yet)! Am I insane? OMG why did I over do it??? I let my ambition/stubbornness get the best of me. Needless to say, I will be doing a LOT of stretching today and perhaps soak in my tub at nap time. I will try to at least walk to loosen up my muscles.

When I talked earlier about being bad about weights, I like to do weights, it's just that I do cardio 1st and then run out of time. Now that I'm not training for a race, I don't think I need to do cardio 5-6 days a week. Or at least, I can shorten a cardio time or 2 to add weights. I get Shape magazine which is great and has great workouts, but can I be frank? They will show a picture A and picture B and give worded directions, but sometimes I still don't get it. I have to watch that exercise be performed in order to do it myself. I think they have demo exercises online that I"ll have to check out. And another shout out to Miz... watching your Monday face time weight demos are good tips too! When people at my work see my arms, they ask me what I did to get them.

As of right now, my workout consisted of lifting 2 30 lb. weights on each arm :).

I will be working on doing actual weights though. Just..not today because...O-U-C-H!!!

Oh, and I'm hurting because due to my competitive nature I was up to 2 am trying to find the answers to MizFit's scavenger hunt! Being up that late, I suddenly was HUNGRY. Not bored, actual hunger pains. I don't think I had enough protein during the day and the result was a food freak out. I don't freak out often, but when I do it's quite impressive. My TOM probably didn't help either, but next time I need to hide my kids' box of Cheez It's is all I can say!