Monday, May 9, 2011

Sprint Get Fit challenge

I was quite tickled to see my employer introduce a fitness challenge.  In it you put together teams and everyone tracks the number of steps, minutes of exercise and percent of weight lost. 

This comes at a really good time for me as it provides a kind of boost to get me going back downward in weight.  I have been sitting on this plateau the past 2 to 3 months.  I mean, its been a decent plateau in that while I haven't lost any weight my afctivity level has definitely improved.  I'm very pleased at how I kept to the training for the 5k and all.  I am getting out and playing tennis with Emily about once a week and I feel like my fitness level is way up from a couple months ago.
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Sadly I think I've let the increased activity become an excuse for getting sloppy with my diet.  I haven't been terrible I don't believe but I do think I find myself thinking that okay, I ran 3 miles... its okay to cheat a little. 

So, I'm pretty excited about the program at work because I think it gives me a sense of focus to look again at ALL aspects of my personal fitness.  Week one has just passed and I walked 65,000 steps, exercised about 660 minutes and lost 4 pounds.  Not a bad start but I want to do 70,000 steps a week.

So, there's something to shoot for next week eh?

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

My first 5k

I made it!  L

Sunday was the Cherry Creek sneak and the one I targeted to be my first official distance run...  And I was able to run the whole thing.

Granted, the word "run" is pretty much relative, there were probably people who walked it faster than I ran it.  A few weeks ago Janiece and I were running at a park and a lady passed us walking.  But that's okay.

My last training run I ran in just over 46 minutes though I walked the first half k.  So, I thought 45 would be a reasonable goal.  I was thrilled to come in at 42:13. 

When Janiece and I met she was training for her second half marathon.  When we'd go out together, me for a walk and her for a run I remember being so wistful and more than a little envious as she'd run on ahead.  Because of the knee problems I'd had in the past I figured those days were gone for me for good.

Needless to say I'm just a little psyched!

Now the question is what next? Focus on 5k's and on getting my times down?  Work up to 10k's (our longer)?  Duathlons?

Maybe all of the above...