Finished my first 5k.

Wow. It was hard. But I feel really good for accomplishing this goal. I ran my first 5k in 38mins and 35 sec. When I say "ran" I mean jogged/walked. I did it in intervals, just trying to keep myself going the whole time. It was cold and foggy around Lake Washington, but as I started on my second lap, the fog began to lift, and you could see the beautiful lake. I am all set to sign myself up for next month's 5k, and hope to be able to improve my time. Maybe by then I will be able to run (jog) the whole thing without stopping. So that's my next goal. Not necessarily to have a better time (though, that would be nice) but to keep my feet going at the same pace the whole time. The next event is February 13th. That's about 4 weeks away.
I also know that now, I need to implement some incline changes into my treadmill routine so that it resembles more closely a real race trail. Thanks to the Skyline Running Club for setting up the event at Magnuson Park in Seattle, Wa. There was something for everyone (kids, animal lovers, runner's with strollers etc) and it was well organized and friendly. Here is the link for anyone out there looking for a friendly and fun event for all levels of runners http://www.magnusonseries.org/
Can't wait for next months run.

My first 5k this Saturday.

So in keeping up with my goals for the year, I entered into a 5k race to help me stick to my daily exercise. I am a little nervous because I don't think I have competed/ran/ thought about/ a race since I was 8 years old. To prepare for this momentous occasion in my life I looked up some running websites that help someone like me train for a 5k. In fact, I think the one I have been following is called "the couch to 5k" or something similiar. I modify it a bit so it works for me, but so far, it has. I have already improved my time alot just in the past week and a half of doing it, and I am feeling pretty good. I am not going to push myself too hard on Saturday, as I know running on a treadmill is completely different than running on real turf with differnt kinds of inclines/declines and smooth/rough terrain.
I really hope it's not pouring out. I want the sun to be on my face, I think it will help my experience be great if the sun is out, well, it will at least make my mood better to begin with.
Wish me luck!

A New Year, a new family goal

Every new year, our family has the tradition of setting some family and personal goals (NOT resolutions). We talk about what we know will happen during the year (such as Colata graduating from school) and things we need to work on (ie Jada being obedient the first time she is asked to do something and not the fifth) and then we try to come up with a theme that will help us achieve our goals.

So, the family theme is one taken from Spencer W. Kimball "Do it. Do it right. Do it right now." It is very fitting for us as a family and for me personally. We are trying not to focus too much on things that are out of our control, but more on the things that are within it.

So that's about it for now. I have lots of things I am personally working on, that will always be a work in progress, such as eating right and exercise. This time, I have a friend who is coming along for the journey, and it is really great to have someone to talk to and confide in who is going through the same things I am. We are also going to do a 5k run next Saturday. I know, I know, we haven't even trained properly for it, but this way, we will get our "base" rate, and hopefully improve from there. The organization that is running the 5k has events every month at the same park, so we plan on doing one every month. On Earth day, they have an half-marathon. I don't know if I'll be ready for it, but it will be a good goal to set to get there (I think that Earth day is in April) I am hoping that since I have something to work towards in the exercise department, I will be more consistent because I won't want to go slack and hurt myself trying to do it when I am not ready or prepared.
I am also doing Weight Watchers. I really like the program, because you don't have to sacrifice any of the foods you love, you just learn how to eat it without overdoing it. The key to being successful with WW is writing everything you eat down and going to meetings every week. If you get lazy with your writing, you stop losing the LBS. Another thing that I am doing to help me stay on track, is that I have a "food" notebook that I plane my weekly meals in. Then I go shopping according to that list. Also, it really helps me during the day. When I wake up, I check what's for dinner and pull out items out of the freezer if necessary and dinner is much quicker. I learned that if I don't know what I am making for dinner before lunch, I am more likely to make something processed and junk and i snack and nibble a lot more because I am so hungry and dinner isn't ready yet. The other change I have made that I am hoping will help me is that I won't have any sweets in the house. If anyone in the family is wanting ice cream or cupcakes etc, we will just go to the store and buy a single serve. It can seem a little pricey, but it is a lot better for me because if a whole box of oreos is in the house i can't keep my hands off them. So those are the things I am "doing, and (hopefully) doing right, and I am doing right now." If anyone out there has any more suggestions, I will be glad to hear it!
I hope everyone out there in cyberspace has a great new year!