5K race? Check!

Well, I get to check something off of my New Year's Resolution list today...I ran my first 5K!  And afterward I felt great and still had energy.  As Susan, my quasi-coach, coworker, and friend says..."We finished in the upright position, without vomiting, and wanting to do it again!"  I was nervous about finishing without taking a walk break, I'll admit it.  But I did it!  I'll tell you what, having cheerleaders every mile was nice, and coming down the final leg to the finish line with people cheering for you and clapping is an awesome feeling!  

Before the race...

 After the race!  A little more red in the face, but otherwise no worse for the wear!

It was also a pleasure to have been able to do some fundraising for such a wonderful group.  It was a solemn thought...after the race and festivities they released balloons with messages attached to the little ones that we've lost.  There were a lot of balloons.  To think that every person there had been touched by the loss of a baby...solemn indeed.

The boys did great in their races, too!  They got little medals and I'm hanging their bibs on the wall in their room.  As for mine...it's on my Board of Inspiration on the wall beside my desk.  :)  Oh, and I'm off Whole30 for the weekend, starting back on Monday.

Rolling (and running and studying) merrily along...

Warm weather has returned to the Valley!  I'm not especially happy about this as I'm a definite cold-weather gal and I detest the insane power bills that are sometimes unavoidable in the summer in an area where triple digits are the norm.  But warm weather brings pool fun and summer vacation for the boys, so I'm happy about that.  As things heat up I'm going to have to either get used to running in the heat, buy a treadmill, or join a gym.  

Speaking of training, not only is my first 5k only TWO WEEKS from now (squee!), but Trav and I are going to sign up for the Warrior Dash in Hollister happening this October.  I'm really excited about this as it gives me a goal toward which to train.  I've learned that that is THE key to sticking with working out...I need a goal.  Not just a weight loss goal, but a point on a timeline at which I MUST be finished with something that requires training.  Registering for the Angel Babies 5k has really helped me break through my running barriers and keep going.  Oh, and if you'd like to donate to support this wonderful group and us as we run, please click here.  I'm only 2 weeks from the run and only at 10% of my fundraising goal...yikes! Anyhoo, there is a group from the Neuroscience unit who is signing up for Warrior Dash (along with their spouses and even grown children), and we're going to run it together.  It is a 5k obstacle course (think Tough Mudder but only half of it), and I'm going to really have to work on my upper body and core strength in order to complete it.  Oh, and we'll get a fuzzy Viking helmet and a metal when we finish...how stinkin' cool is that?

This is not us...just so ya know...

I'm two weeks in to this Whole30, feeling great and going strong.  True to my usual stick-with-it routine, I weighed myself this morning (yeah, I know, I know...not supposed to weigh for 30 days...but it helps me stay encouraged!!).  I started this Whole30 at 186 lbs (yup, put a few pounds back on during my week off last time), and I am now 178!  I have broken the 180's plane!  Woohoo!  Not only that, but this number puts me only 4 pounds away from my first weight loss goal of 174 lbs.  The link is to my blog post explaining my goals and why I set them.  So, 36 lbs down, 4 more to go till 40 lbs/BMI category of "overweight" instead of "obese"/first goal!  My first goal also puts me just short of the halfway point in my weight loss journey.  NOW, I know that the point of Whole30 isn't weight loss...weight loss follows if you're eating healthier and have excess weight, naturally.  So I have to put in a plug for the health effects of eating clean.  We got a bug.  Typical cold/upper respiratory crap.  And it has been so mild for me that I've wondered several times if it wasn't just allergies.  I've been drinking Kombucha every day and eating well and drinking plenty of water...and it just seems like I'm kicking this bug better.  Nice.  Oh, and I'm not bloated and icky-feeling.  Nice, too.

My scars from my accident have proven to be a pain in the butt...or ankle/shin to be exact.  The area where the boat prop severed three tendons in my ankle has become filled with scar tissue, and the posterior shin splints that I was getting were improving but still present.  Certain movements were causing my ankle to literally lock up and I'd be hobbling around like I had injured myself.  So I went to Ruste, my trusted, wonderful, best-ever-in-the-world chiropractor.  She does crazy myofacial release and I was hoping that she could work wonders on the scar tissue in my ankle.  And work wonders she did!!  It nearly made me cry, and I broke out in a cold sweat from the pain, but I have NONE of the problems that I had before!  Love that lady!

Long-winded post, I know.  But I have one more thing to add.  I joined the birthy group in the area, the Childbirth Resource Network.  This is something that I've been wanting to do for a long time, but I always felt that I wouldn't really be settling here, so why bother?  Well, we've been here for 4 years, so I figured it was time to stop procrastinating.  I want to be involved.  I want to be a part of the change.  I want to help.  I'm excited.

Was it really worth it?

Creme brulee at Fleming's?  Bread?  Cheese?  Holy moly, I have felt like crud for the last 24 hours.  But it was sure fun while I was partaking!  I woke up congested and feeling generally bad, didn't drink hardly any water today, didn't eat really great today either (as in an egg and sausage for breakfast with no veggies, two hard boiled eggs and cantaloupe for lunch), then went running when I got home from work.  I increased again, running in 9-minute increments.  I really feel like I'm getting past some invisible duration hump!  However, around 2.5 miles in my inner calves along my shins started cramping up.  I sat down for a minute and massaged out the muscles.  I attribute this to eating poorly for the last day and drinking next to no water...I think my muscles just didn't have the fuel to make it through!  I did, however, finish my run and didn't bail out in my increase.  Woohoo!  Go me!  Oh, and Whole30 starts again tomorrow.  Booyah.

So, my buddy-ol-pal has entered the blogosphere!  Please go show The Clucky Housewife some love!  She's a real hoot, a fabulous woman, and a wonderful momma to her chicks.  And she has an amazing VBA2C story that will bring tears to your eyes!  I've been friends with her since she was pregnant with her first baby (and me with my second), so I've gotten the privilege of seeing her make the journey that she has made to being an informed, strong, knowledgeable mother.  Go watch her stories/montages about her c-sections, her plan to homebirth, then the subsequent birth of their third.  It's worth your time.   

Another term bites the dust!

That's right!  Another term down!  I got As in all three classes, and I'm totally stoked that I have only 2 classes this coming term.  This last one was not easy...Research wasn't nearly as much fun as I thought it would be.

Well, I'm wrapping up the first of my two back-to-back Whole30s.  It ends Tuesday officially.  Although it wasn't quite over, I weighed myself this morning for the first time in nearly a month and found that I am down about 12 lbs this round, making for a total of 30 lbs lost since I started this journey.  Yup, I weighed somewhere between 183 and 184 this morning, and I started at 214!  That's really a lot of weight.  Pick up a 30 lb bag of dog food and carry it around with you for a little while.  That's how much extra weight I was carrying around EVERY SINGLE MOMENT of my life.  It hardly seems possible.  You know what also hardly seems possible?  I fit into a size 14 now!  I started at a 20, could squeeze into an 18 but it was tight.  Now I fit comfortably into a 14.  I can't even recall the last time I wore a 14.  I'm pretty sure it was before I started having babies!  :)  I'm trying to get a couple of friends on board for my next round of Whole30 starting April 4th.  That way we can support each other.

My weight loss so far...

I'm on Week 5, Day 2 of C25K.  I've gone from running in 30-45 second intervals to 4-5 minute intervals.  Next run will be my first 6 minute interval.  I slacked off for a little more than a month due to sickness (pertussis then norovirus...it was a rough month or so) and traveling out of state.  But then I registered for my first race, the 8th annual Angel Babies 5k run to benefit Hind's Hospice's Angel Babies program.  I thought that would be good, and significant for me having an angel baby of my own.  It happens May 5th, and if I stay on task with C25K I will be finished with the program a week before the race.  So when I really don't feel like running, I do it anyway because I HAVE to in order to be ready for my first race.  I also signed the boys up for the kid's fun runs...they get their own t-shirt and bib and everything.  They are so excited!

After I finish that, it's on to Bridge to 10K (B210K), then the half-marathon.  I hung a list of my New Year's resolutions in my office and at my desk at home to remind me.  I really need to stay on it in order to be ready in November.

My new niece, Emma!

So I went back home in February for the birth of my niece.  Little Emma was born while I was there...the day before I left, actually.  My baby sister is a mommy!  She pushed that 8 lb, 3 oz baby out of her tiny little body and I am so proud of her!  It was an action-packed trip that will require a post of its own.  Lots of family stuff.  But one family-unrelated thing happened that was SO awesome.  I went by Rosemary in hopes of recharging my emotional batteries and seeing Harmony for the first time in about 4 years.  She was there and it was so good to see her again!  She showed me the things that had changed and gave me the encouragement and wisdom that had come seeking.  Then the unspeakable happened...she offered me an apprenticeship!  This is something I have been thinking, dreaming, and praying about ever since I started midwifery school, but I didn't know how to ask or if it would even be possible.  It will not count toward my clinicals, but it will be a balancing experience that I NEED.  She offered for me to come down for a month or so during their busiest time to offer another set of hands and to get some practical homebirth, LM-guided midwifery practice.  I tell you, I was walking on air.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Well, 2011 is officially coming to a close.  It's hard to believe, as it feels like the year just started (with me awaiting the birth of my youngest).  In less than a week we will celebrate my babe's first birthday, and a few weeks later the fourth birthday of my middle son.  Amazing.

As for me, I've been AWOL due to end-of-term followed by a week-long trip to the in-laws followed by some time off with the family for the holidays.  I return to work on Monday.  *sniff*  I wish I could just stay home.

I've been off Whole30 since Christmas and have not been running regularly for a couple of weeks, again due to holidays and trying to get things done while I'm home.  I can't WAIT to go back to Whole30 on the January 1st! 

I have a couple of resolutions for this year.  The first is to do two Whole30's back-to-back for a total of 60 days.  I can't think of any way to start the year out better health-wise than to eliminate junk from my diet again.  Although I've been staying off of dairy and (for the most part) grains, I've had sweets and forbidden foods off and on over the last few weeks.  C'mon, green eggs and ham and french toast for Christmas breakfast/brunch is a tradition!  (as are peanut butter balls and ginger-pecan biscotti).  In spite of all of the above, I haven't gained an ounce and have continued to eat well between treats.  The second is to complete C25K and Ease into 10K.  I'm going to go back to week 3 and start from there to get back into the groove next week.  Then my third resolution is to run my first half-marathon (the Two Cities half-marathon) in November of 2012.  I know I can do it.  And I can't wait to cross that finish line and hang my medal on my board of inspiration!

I'm trying to get organized for the coming term (which starts in a week and a half).  In the process of this, I decided to steal an idea from a fellow student and post my program of study on here.  You'll find it in the left-hand column.  I am exactly two years away from being done with school, if I finish on their timeline.  That's two years away from boards.  Two years is NOT long!  I'd actually like to finish a little sooner if possible.  I have a minimum of 675 clinical hours to complete.  If I gauge it just right and end up having to do just that many or slightly more, I'll need about 4.5 months to finish all clinicals at the rate of 40 hours per week (full time).  I don't know yet where I'll be doing clinicals or the work circumstances I'll have going on when I'm doing them, but  if I could do more hours I could get done sooner.  I don't know.  We'll see. 

Anyhoo, back to cooking and organizing! 

I'm Baaaaaaack!

Well, I'm in Phoenix, Arizona for the next couple of days.  My boss sent me and two coworkers to the 30th Annual Barrow Neuroscience Symposium.  Today was the first day, and it promises to be really good!  So far the speakers have been engaging and the topics have been excellent.  I've also gotten to know the newest member of our team better.  She came from Michigan a couple of months ago to fill the Manager position for the unit.  She's literally old enough to be my mother, but we have SO much in common!  It's been really awesome to find out that she loves so many of the same things that I do, and we actually think a lot alike.  She is a very strong personality which I know some people might misconstrue, but I really think she has the well-being of the unit in mind.

So, I started running again today.  Week 2 Day 3 of C25K after a 2-week hiatus due to runner's knee.  I'll tell you what, that was no stinkin' fun.  Since I'm in Phoenix and don't know my way around or the degree of safety around here, I just ran on the treadmill in the fitness room at the hotel.  I wore my new shoes and compressive braces on both knees.  It went very well!  I still have a tiny hint of residual soreness from time to time on my right knee, but otherwise I feel 100%.  My right ankle has been on the weak side ever since my accident and I feel like I land a little harder on that foot than I do my left.  I don't know how to fix that, but I am trying to be aware of it and step lighter.

I'm going back to hard-core Whole30 eating when I get back home.  The bloating and gut issues have been really uncomfortable and it's just not worth it to eat those foods.  Well, the blueberry bread pudding at Switch last night was worth it.  Very worth it.  I DO make good choices though...for dinner I had lettuce wraps with fresh veggies and lamb, and they were super tasty!  I've been eating good food as a whole, with a little wheat here or a little dairy there, etc.  Ick.  Just not good for my body.  So this time the family is going to gradually join me, whether they like it or not.  Ha.  I'll splurge a little at Thanksgiving and Christmas and during our week with the in-laws, but that's all.  Need to eat clean.  Wheat and dairy hate me.

My milk supply has been good so far.  I don't think I brought enough bottles for my expressed milk.  Oops.  I'm going to have to buy some bags.

Well, it's time to study.  Got stuff due this week and I need to make good use of all of this quiet, uninterrupted time.  I miss my crazy family, though.  Really.  A lot.

Um...ouch

Long story short, I developed a very painful case of runner's knee and some additional pain on the inside of my knee because of my weak-ish thighs.  Nice.  Nothing like a reminder that you're out of shape.  Anyhoo, when the knee pain progressed to the point of near excruciating, I stopped.  I figured it had moved from just pain to injury, and needed a break.  I got some supports for my knees and went to Sierra Running Company for gait analysis and new shoes.  They hooked me up with a pair of shoes that should help to correct the slight overpronation in my ankles, and hence help my knee pain.  I'll tell you, taking those short runs on the treadmill and around the store were misery.

So, nearly two weeks later, with the help of Aleve, knee supports, and ice, I'm back to 100% and ready to start running again next week!  Although I haven't run during this timeframe, I do not feel as if I have let anything go or quit anything.  I'm really looking forward to running again!  I have found something that I actually enjoy, and I have goals that I'm reaching toward.

Today is the Two Cities Marathon, Half-Marathon, and Relay.  I have several friends running (or "wogging" as one friend put it!) and it's really inspiring to me.  I WANT to reach that goal for next year.  I WANT to join them!

I went out with a couple of friends Friday night and had some of my favorite food at a favorite restaurant, Rousseau.  Part of this meal was the bruschetta with fresh mozzarella, the goat cheese with roasted garlic and crostini, and the pot de creme, a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate worth-every-bite dessert.  I paid for it the next day, but it was sure yummy!  Again it was confirmed that I don't miss bread, but I LOVE my cheese!  I'm learning that lactose and I don't really get along so hot anymore though.  I weighed myself yesterday, and although I had some candy and a funnel cake at Halloween and the afore-mentioned meal, I haven't gained any weight.  I haven't lost, but I haven't gained.  That's a good thing I guess.  I need to be stricter in my diet (my daily food is Whole 30-compliant, but I have some cheats here and there) and start working out again.  Family pictures are in 20 days and I'd love to lose a little more weight!

My bonding leave starts December 5th.  It'll be nice to have a month off.

I'm flying out to Phoenix tomorrow for a conference.  It'll be the first time I'll have been away from my whole family, including the baby.  I'm bringing my pump, but I'm concerned about my milk supply.  I guess I should bring my More Milk Plus tincture just in case.  It'll just be Monday evening through Thursday evening, but that seems like an eternity.  I plan on getting a lot of school done during the nights, though.  I have some catching up to do.

Anyhoo, that's it, by way of updates.  I hope my re-introduction to running goes smoothly!

Theories and cultures and midwifery, oh my!

It's my homework!  I have assignments due in my Theories class and my Health Promotion class this weekend, plus work on a Power Point and a lot of reading for my Role of Midwifery class.  The assignment for Health Promotion was to read a book from the list they provided about a culture different than my own and then write a "cultural desire" essay about it (this is basically a reflection on their culture and mine and an examination of my feelings toward other cultures, etc.).  I went back and forth between a few books, to be honest.  "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" was really appealing because I deal with that type of situation often...I live miles away from the town where the book was based out of, I know the Hmong people because we have a large population of them here, and I'm a neuro nurse so seizures are right up my alley.  But then I realized that kind of defeats the purpose of this assignment...I needed to pick something TOTALLY different.  So I read this book, "A Midwife's Story", about midwifery and the Amish.

Can I just say right now that I would be totally happy to be a midwife in an Amish community?  They're a fascinating group, really!  My husband and I drove through Intercourse, PA on our way to our honeymoon spot years ago.  I bought some beautiful little things from the shops, ate some great homecooked food, and passed on through.  I was surprised at how withdrawn the Amish seemed.  The girl behind the register at one of the shops had downcast eyes and did not speak to even to me, a girl close to her age (I was 20 at the time).  I brushed it off but it always stayed with me, that although I know that their behavior is linked to their beliefs, the women seemed on the oppressed side.

This book was not only very enjoyable, but a real eye-opener.  The midwife in the story (a true story, by the way) was not Amish, wore pants, and wasn't religious...and yet she was accepted into their fold with open arms because of the work she did and the respect she had for their ways.  It's a very good, light read (I read it in less than a day) if you have the time or the want-to.  It'll bring tears, so keep your handkerchief close.

For Theories my group is exploring the middle-range theory of Comfort as it relates to a broad scope of health situations.  I'm stoked about the journal articles we chose, and my work on that is almost done for this module.

Speaking of my Health Promotion class, I have to journal this week on my self-management plan, which was starting jogging three days per week.  Like my Whole30, I'm really proud that I've stuck with this.  I find that C25K has been very helpful in keeping me on track with my goals.  I bump up the intensity today, going from running in 60 second increments to 90 second increments.  My knees are still a little sore, nothing bad, but from the people I've talked to and the stuff I've found on the web, it sounds like I need to be fitted for some new shoes.  I hear it can make all the difference in knee pain.  The pair of shoes I have now are nearly new, but I can save those for walking to the park with the kids or whatever.  Seems like I need some real running shoes to haul my big self around with less pain.

The weather is lovely this morning...partly cloudy, somewhere in the high 60's to low 70's...I'm going to get a bite of breakfast and run while it's cool.

P.S.  I'm going through a certain blog/site called The Clothes Make the Girl...she has a ton of clean recipes and I'm feeling the need for something out of my ordinary.  I found this recipe for her Paleo Pad Thai, and I'm nearly giddy with the excitement of trying it!!  Hello, comfort food!!

Whole30 - Day 31

That's right!  So I jumped on the scale this morning, and the final damage was 19 lbs lost!  :)  I can't believe I went from 214 lb to 195 lb in just 30 days!  In this last week it REALLY tapered down, but I'm sure that's normal.  I've continued on my way though, thrilled at the change the folks over at Whole9 promised I'd have...the life-changing experience of learning to view your food in a whole new way.

For example, my hubby swung us by Wendy's on the way home from work/school.  Once upon a time I'd get a sour cream and chives baked potato (loaded with butter and sour cream, of course), a small chili, and a small frostie.  Instead, when we drove up all I smelled was chemicals.  I picked up the baggy of pistachios that I had stashed away and started noshing.

At work, people are saying "You're done!  Now let's go to Starbucks and celebrate!"  I happily tell them that I'm off sugar and dairy and am staying off because it does weird things to my body.

I am SO grateful for this experience.  It has completely turned the way I view my food, a turn for the better.

I have to say that I celebrated a little bit by frying up a pan of organic uncured bacon...bacon is really less than ideal and this particular one had a little bit of sugar in it.  But it was DELISH.  I am saving all but the couple of pieces that I ate for the soup that I'm making tonight.  And I saved the fat so I can use it to cook eggs again.  I love poached eggs, but dude.  You get a little tired of them day after day.  It would figure that mere days before I was to be done they decided that grass-fed organic butter is fine if it's been clarified.  Wish I had known that 30 days ago!  But it will make the following months a little easier.  Cooking eggs with olive oil is only slightly less gross than cooking them in coconut oil.  Blech.

Time to run.  Week 1 Day 3 of C25K today.  I'm going to try to start improving my time/distance a little bit.  I just need to push myself.  Next run after this starts the next "notch up"...longer runs, shorter walks.  Bring it on.  I'm ready for this!

P.S.  This is post-run Jessica speaking.  My knees are feeling it a little bit today, not so much during my run but after.  I improved both my time (by about 30 sec/mile) and my distance (2.18 mi) today.  I have to admit that I had my first encounter with vanity while running.  I was plugging along on my run segment when two very decent looking men came running toward me.  Just as I was almost to them, my app told me to switch to a walk interval.  They looked at me and cheered me on (must have been looking a little haggard) and told me I could do it...so I kept running...hahaha!  I switched to a walk about 60 feet after we crossed paths, but I must admit I laughed at myself later...and told Trav and he laughed at me too.  It's amazing what a little vanity will do for you!  

Today I learned...

1.  That swallowing and/or inhaling gnats and/or other small flying creatures isn't really that bad.
2.  That swallowing and/or inhaling them is far preferable to getting them in your eye.
3.  There is a camaraderie among runners/joggers when they see each other on the road or sidewalk.  It's like the biker mini-wave, except all they can muster is a glance and a nod.
4.  I really CAN go a month without sugar (and grains and legumes and dairy).
5.  I'm not the most physically fit person, but I surprise myself sometimes.
6.  Being outside in the heat in Fresno is a bummer.  It's even worse if you're exerting energy or breaking a sweat.
7.  Those nifty little iPhone holder arm-strap dealios are pretty cool...and useful.
8.  Bruises inflicted by my chiropractor feel much better than the IT band craziness I had before I saw her.

Well folks, I'm on day 29 of my Whole30.  Tomorrow is the last "official" day.  I haven't weighed myself for several days and I will not until Thursday morning.  And I'll have to take an "after" picture too.  I still have a LONG way to go, but every day I'm encouraged by positive comments and the support of others around me.

Week 1 day 2 of C25K today.  Nearly killed me in the heat.  I was slower than last time, but dang it was hot!  As soon as I stepped outside my house I decided to go on a different route, a big circle around our development instead of to the park and around the track several times.  I did this mostly because I knew if I did, then I couldn't just go home early.  I had to keep going to get home.  It wasn't the funnest thing ever, but I really didn't feel that bad after.  It was just the "during" that was the killer.

I have gotten a lot of inspiration in the last few days from a blog that my mom sent me called One Twenty Five.  It's written by a chica who was obese, albeit 10 lbs lighter than I was when I started.  Her goal is to get to 125 lbs.  She has had a tremendous journey, and she started running as well.  She's done MARATHONS, dude.  Whole marathons, not halves.  Crazy.  She's not to her goal yet, but looks fab.  I love her blog.

Headache and homework so off I go.

The big picture (and the short view)

This week should be a good one.  I hope.  The Neuroscience Symposium that I've been planning and working on for about 6 months is done now.  HUGE deep sigh of relief here.  Until about February, that is, when I'll begin planning all over again!

I need to catch up on school.  That crazy Symposium was a huge time-suck, and I'm a little behind now.  Time to get Dropbox up and rolling and take At Your Cervix' advice and print out notecard-sized notes.  Brilliant.

I also come to day 30 of my Whole30 on Wednesday.  I can't believe I've actually stuck with it.  It's a huge thing, you know.  I'm the ultimate procrastinator and never-finisher.  But like I keep saying, this is my year.  It's time to get my stuff together.

I officially started my C25K program today.  Holy crap that was brutal.  I'm WAY out of shape!  I ended up going a little over 2 miles with 1 minute of running followed by 1.5 minutes of walking.  I'm going to do this three times, then up the ante, as described in the C25K program.  I got a handy-dandy app on my iPhone that lets you play your own music (iPod, Pandora, whatever) but there's a voiceover every however-many seconds/minutes that tells you to run, walk, or cooldown.  It even tells you when you're halfway done!  So, 9 weeks to 5k.  Then I'll bump it to 10k, then a half-marathon.  Yep, it's officially my goal.  I want to run in the Two Cities marathon/half marathon next year.  I also want to be able to run for various groups (for instance, the American Heart Association and Susan G. Komen for the Cure have 5k's in my area every year).  I've joined gyms and not gone, I've tried working out at home and not sticking with it.  Dang it, I'm going to run.

Being that Trav wants to stop at 4 babies, I may only have one more pregnancy and birth ahead of me.  I want to go into that (whenever it is) healthy and fit.  I want to experience labor not as a huffing, puffing, out-of-shape momma.  I want to labor strong.

C25K?

Anyone out there done it?  It sounds appealing...the CoolRunning guys say than almost anyone can go from "Couch to 5K" in 9 weeks by following their plan of gradual activity increase.  I figure it sounds pretty good.  The weather is nice which certainly helps.  I had my jogging goal as part of my Health Promotion class, and I think the C25K just gives it a little more structure.

My sister is a marathon runner, very slim and naturally athletic...pretty much my polar opposite in that regard.  She weighs less than 100 lbs soaking wet.  Anyhoo, we were talking tonight and I was telling her about my goals, asking how long it might take to train for a half-marathon...did she think I could do it in a year?  She felt that a year was enough time, but that I should start smaller.  Try starting with a 5K, then work my way up to a 10K, then a half-marathon.  I thought that was good advice.  So I think I'm going to do it.

I've been a casual runner in the past.  I mean, the only equipment you need is a good pair of shoes.  The rest is icing on the cake.

I have to say that I'm really excited about this!  I'm losing weight, roping in my eating habits, starting to exercise...this really CAN be my year!  I'm serious...by the time I turn 31 I want to be looking nice and feeling great.  If I can manage to keep this up then I can be successful!