It has been 50 degrees in DC the past couple of days, which reminds me that Spring is near, which then reminds me that my Baby Phat jumpsuit can (and will) soon make an appearance.
Prepping to wear more JLOesque attire means it’s time to get with the program and tighten up. The holidays are over, so I should probably stop shoveling cookies dipped in Nutella, topped with ice cream into my mouth. I ended up losing 15 pounds with the help of the MyFitnessPal app, but a few of those have made it back onto my hips.
I got a Nike Fuel Band for my birthday and it has tricked me into thinking that active=in shape. The Fuel Band goes around your wrist, tracks your movement and tells you how much “fuel” you’ve earned. It’s supposed to motivate you to be more active. For more details (and a giggle), read what Dan Catt has to say about it.
Anyway, in case you’re wondering, you can earn 6,000 fuel points cleaning your house and going to kids birthday parties but that does not mean you’re in shape.
Back when I was running several times a week, I decided to sign up for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to start training. Shouldn’t be too bad, right? I’ve been killing it with fuel points. Apparently that’s not how t works.
I actually had to ice my legs after a 3 mile run. Luckily, I have a lot of support:
- My daughter, Lira, who asked (after a personal best in my first 10K) “Why do you race when you’re not gonna win?”
- My husband, Dave, who takes me to the track for sprint workouts and then says things like “is that seriously the fastest you can run? What are you going to do if somebody’s chasing you?”
- My mom who refers to any race I sign up for as a marathon. (“When’s that marathon? How’s marathon training going?”)
- My running buddy, Katie, who’s an overachiever and says things like “don’t worry, I’ll make your Elmo headband along with my Big Bird one so we can look extra awesome when we run!” (overachiever)
So I’ve done some serious math (we’re talking calculus-level) and have figured out that, if I add a mile each weekend, I’ll run 10 miles for the first time ever on race day. This past weekend I ran from my house past the Capitol Building, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and ended at the DC WWI Memorial. This exercise taught me a few things:
1. 5 miles is a lot and only halfway to 10.
2. People would really be jealous if they knew I could just run by this cool stuff whenever I want (which is obviously why I’m sharing)
3. It’s hard to complain about your legs hurting when you’re at a war memorial. I mean, it’s not like I just died fighting for my country.
I think Lira summed it up best. Why race if you’re not gonna win?
See you at the finish line.
LizD says
This is all so true, so true.. .What track? I would like to go!!
momindcity says
The track at Eastern High School. I’m sure Dave would be happy to come play “coach.” Come borrow him anytime– I’m over the spring workouts.
Katie Hollar says
I may or may not have a velour jumpsuit. It’s Juicy though, not Baby Phat. #teamjumpsuit > #teamhighlighter ?
momindcity says
Yes, but do you have Apple Bottom jeans? Boots with the fur? #dontbefooledbytherocksthatigot
lisacng @ expandng.com says
Wait, so are you running 10 miles or 10 K in the Cherry Blossom run? I bet that’s gonna be BEAUTIFUL! I’ll be at the sidelines taking pics of the blossoms ;). Anyways, good luck! You’re doing great! Your family has the most funny commentary!!! HAHAHA. And I am jealous of the monuments you get to run by! What time of day to you run? I can’t seem to stick to a consistent routine.
momindcity says
10 miles, Lisa. What was I thinking?!
Sometimes when I’m running I want to take pics of the scenery, but I’m not coordinated enough to get my phone out of my armband while running.
And I’m not consistent with running times either. Sometimes I run mid-afternoon and come back to work. On the weekends, I try to get it done first thing in the morning.
Are you still running?? I’m always amazed when people run while pregnant. I could barely get myself off the couch.
lisacng @ expandng.com says
Hey, how was the run? We went down to see the trees and ran into road closures, saw runners, and totally thought of you!!!
Since this post, my hubs and I joined the gym across from my work. We aim for going 3x per week, but sometimes it’s much less than that. I won’t even call what I do running because it’s pretty slow and pretty quickly done. Since I go at lunch, I’m always conscious of the time. Nevertheless, every bit of exercise helps with my energy level :).
momindcity says
The run was good, although I don’t think I’ll be signing up for any more long runs for a while. I lose interest after an hour.
I can’t believe you’re still running! When I’m pregnant my only exercise involves shoveling cookies into my mouth– massive amounts of them so I really get a good arm work out.