Can't Stop Me!

First, let me say this is not the best photo!  lol

But I got new workout clothes and wanted to share my fun shirt.  It says, "Can't Stop Me".  I was thinking while I was running earlier that I need to add a "You" before it and then write "but I can" on the back in little letters with a sad face.  Aren't we our own worst enemies?  And then I smiled to myself, said, "Self - we can DO this!" and proceeded to run one half mile and a little more without stopping, and at a decent stride, not shuffling.  And I wasn't completely winded when I slowed down, either.  I considered going a little further, but I was at the corner and had to cross a busy street.

As usual, I have jumped into the middle of a story with both feet.  Let me back up a bit.  It has been a VERY long time since I've written - since Feb 20th - 7 1/2 weeks.  Some things have happened since then.  On 2/21, we ran the Run, Feed, Love 5k at Gruene with a pace of 46:59, and then we ran the YMCA St Patty's 5k on 3/14 with a pace of 48:02.  You may remember the first one, Salute to Service Members on 1/17 with a pace of 46:15.  It's not hard to see that I am progressively doing Worse, not Better, on chip-timed runs.  *bleah*  However, the 3/14 course was half up-hill and a veteran runner told us that "we did good, considering...".  Thanks.  lol

I also seemed to be consistently GAINING pounds, not losing them.  I thought I was doing everything right.  I guess I wasn't - I was fudging more than I realized and have pulled it all way back.  That means watching my eating (and snacking) much closer, getting out the door (almost) every day.  The weather has still been a challenge on that one, but I've gone a lot more since 3/14 than I did before.  One other thing we have realized - On a regular, training basis, CpnRusty & I do not/can not run the same pace together.  His legs are longer and when he tries to keep my pace, it hurts his knees and muscles - he needs to stretch out his step more.  When I try to keep up with him, I get too winded too quickly - just not there yet, as I take about two steps for each one of his.  So we are now training separately, and will start the chip-timed races together and then meet again at the finish line.  We are still doing it 'together', just not necessarily side-by-side.  That's Okay!  Some things must be individual journeys, even if it's along the same path.  (And maybe, just maybe, by the end of this year, I will be the one waiting at the finish line for Him!) [Stop laughing, Honey - it could happen!]  

Summary:  # of Training Runs for Jan 5k = two.  # of training runs for Feb 5k = four.  # of training runs for Mar 5k = zero.  # of training runs since Mar 5k = twelve.  The scale has finally started moving the 'right' way (down), I do feel better and it seems things are finally starting to click.  My step counter is close to or over 10,000 most week days (still not conquering Sat & Sun).  

We do not have another chip-timed 5k planned until May.  Next up is the big Relay for Life event that we do each year to raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society.  It is an all night walking vigil, not a 'race', but CpnRusty & I are going to try to 'run' a 5k without stopping, if we can. We do laps around the track at the football field, most walk, some run, etc.  We will 'try' because there are also special laps and ceremonies taking place and it might not be possible to go enough laps for 3.12 miles without stopping.  We'll do our best.  We also need to pace ourselves for the "all-night" part.  lol  

Bottom line:  We must each do what we can, when we can, as long as we DO!

#runningtowardsfifty