Biggest Loser - week 1

I feel like a proud mother today. We're getting to the end of week 1 of the Spring Biggest Loser Challenge. For perhaps the 3rd season, I'm leading the mighty BLUE team, a group of 24 women and 1 brave man. I haven't been a very good leader in the past and am trying to change that this challenge.

Today I just felt a surge of pride for all the folks on my team. Many have been on this journey for awhile and are struggling right now. Since we are spread out across North America, several are experiencing some nasty winter weather right now, and the winter blahs are still lingering. But they all have chosen to spend the next 9 1/2 weeks facing those challenges and pushing forward.

Trying to encourage them also has a positive effect on me. I want to do better for them -- so I'll push those extra 5 minutes in cardio or do that extra set of my ST routine in effort to set a good example.

I would really like to be pre-marathon weight before the half in April. Looked like I may just make it. Dropped 5 pounds this week (held steady all last week, so I know sodium/water retention has a lot to do with the BIG drop) which will be a pretty good way to end week 1 -- and weigh in isn't until Thursday. Woot! From there, I'll have a little over a month to lose 8-10 pounds.

Testing the limits

I run my LSD runs at a faster pace than my weekday shorter runs. I suppose that means calling then long, slow days is inaccurate. But having long fast days and short slow runs on weekdays sounds ridiculous -- even if it is true.

Running with a partner pushes me to go beyond my comfort level. I can't get away with an easy pace because I'm accountable to someone else. So I (mostly) rise to the occasion. I will my legs to go faster and my lungs to keep working. I start estimating where the next quarter mile falls and staring at that point until I reach it -- and discover I've gotten worse at determining quarter miles!

We ran today's 4 miler in only ten minutes more time than last week's 3 miler -- and given that our pace is generally slow than a 10-minute mile, this is an exciting thing. It means we were faster this week.

Tiffany, who often morphs into my personal trainer, told me -- as she sped up -- that she had a goal for me to shave 15 minutes off my half marathon time. Days like today remind me it is possible. I'm faster in community, and I like that. Nice little theological moment showing how much we really do need each other. I need Tiffany to believe for me when I feel my body is going to give out -- it never does, but it's hard to believe that alone. She needs me to say "hey, guess what -- we're going to be marathoners." I guess I believe for her that we can tackle distance. Who knows, without each other, she may be content to be a 10k runner, and I'd be a happy 13 minute miler! With her -- as she so kindly pointed out -- I get to test my limits. And so far, I'm crashing through the barriers.

3 more pounds down this week. Hoping to lose 20 by race day...

Registration... check!

Finally took the time to register for Go! St. Louis. Active.com registration always includes the question "is this your first half marathon or marathon?" It was fun to be able to answer "no" for the first time.

Now that I'm over the winter season depression, I'm really looking forward to this race. Last time I ran a half marathon, the distance was brand new. Those last miles were REALLY hard. After completing the marathon, running 13.1 with thousands of other folks in downtown St. Louis just sounds fun. And while I plan to train hard and hope to set a new PR on the course, realizing that this race will be just for enjoyment really makes me happy.

It is strange not to have the "oh no! what did I just do??" feeling after hitting the "submit" button on registration. Half marathon, you no longer scare me! (someone remind me of that the week before race day!)

St. Louis, here I come

Things have been quiet around here, as the off-season isn't very exciting... especially when said off-season is WINTER and holiday pounds and seasonal depression kick in. Saturday starts my training for the Go! St. Louis half marathon. My eating habits have been back on track all week, and I took the plunge and joined a gym today.

Since it is too cold to bike or swim, and I get bored with fitness videos, I finally decided it would be worth my dollars to invest in a gym membership so I can have access to strength training equipment and actually do cross training. Spinning classes are first on my list!

I have an appointment with a personal trainer at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning to evaluate where I am and what steps I need to take to improve fitness and shed some pounds.

Also chatting with a new friend from my favorite justice organization about running future races on behalf of WaterPartners. I'm proposing some crazy ideas about setting up a far less elaborate version of Team World Vision. We'll see.