January Catch-Up

So I didn't post too much last month because I've been running around like a crazy person. I am strongly considering purchasing my first home when my lease is up at the end of June (yay!) so I've been looking at houses and getting my finances together.

I did meet my weight loss goal for January - woohoo! - so I lost 8.4 pounds over January. Of course, that was basically getting me back to where I was pre-Boston and holidays, but I'll take it. Since then I've been not so good (lots of takeout) but I'm back on track hopefully all the way through to St. Patrick's Day! I've got about a month and I'd really like to lose 8+ pounds, which is definitely doable. Of course to meet my February goal I have to lose about 7 pounds in the next two weeks, which is maybe not so doable, but we'll see. Maybe I'm carrying a lot of water weight? Ha, wishful thinking! 

I'm going to post a few of the recipes that are getting me back on track, and I need to start training for the Warrior Dash 5K in April. As of now, I still can't run and still have no upper body strength, so that is not going so well overall. I'm thinking about signing up for the Run On! 5K training class. It's every Tuesday and Thursday and it's $100 - and I would have to miss 2 of the classes since I'm going to have company through the week before St. Patrick's Day...if I could just force myself to finish Couch to 5K I'd be fine, but there's not a place to run safely outside near my apartment and I HATE running on the treadmill at the gym - I feel like some sort of ogre crashing through the forest. It's so loud and the whole machine shakes, and I just hate it, okay?! 

I'm going to try to be better about updating in the future, since I love love love my new phone hopefully that will make it easier. Wish me luck!

Another 5K! Hotcake Hustle in Addison Circle

The starting line!

This morning I walk/jogged another 5K - the Hotcake Hustle in Addison Circle - and finished! I also BEAT MY GOAL and finished under 45 minutes! My official time was 44:24 (at a pace of 14:19 per mile), compared to 49:16 in December. I was definitely worried I wasn't going to make my goal, so I'm totally stoked right now! And hungry.

I Met a New Year's Resolution Today!!

So at the beginning of the year I set a few goals for myself for 2011. One of these was to finish a 5K at some point this year. I kept putting it off for whatever reason...I planned to do the St. Paddy's Day Dash on Greenville before the parade - it didn't happen. Then I was going to sign up for one in May. That didn't happen either, and then of course it was way too hot to do anything during the summer. October and November I was out of town for work or vacation, and suddenly I was facing the end of the year.

A few weeks ago while I was at home I looked up races before the end of the year and found the Frosty 5K and Fun Run in Frisco. I signed up for the 1 mile Fun Run since I hadn't trained at all for a 5K and figured at least I'd get used to a race-day atmosphere and how the whole thing works. 

This morning I woke up at 6:30AM...on a Saturday...when it was below 30 degrees outside. I got ready and drove out to Frisco. I went up to the registration booth and figured...I'm here, I might as well do the full 5K. So I paid the difference, got my tshirt and goodie bag, and went back to my car to take a nap for an hour (apparently when they say registration starts at 7, it's ok to get there at 7:55).

And...I finished!! They haven't posted official times yet, but I used my phone to unofficially track myself and I think I ended up around 48 minutes. I really wanted to finish in under 45, but I was close! I walked most of it, but I did run some, I was not last, and it was fun. Very, very cold. I did not bring gloves. Mistake. I will post my official time and pictures (?) that were taken during the race. The only picture I thought to take while I was there was this one, when I decided it was way too cold and way to early for me to process nonsense like this:

It was 30 degrees outside. As if these shorts would be ok otherwise.

I signed up for another one in Addison on January 14th - the Hotcake Hustle. I really didn't hesitate after I found out there will be free pancakes and hot chocolate at the finish line.

UPDATE: Official time was 49:16, woot! My goal for the January 5K will be to finish under 45 minutes!