Fall is here!

Fall is here! It is such a beautiful time of year, however it sure is cold in the morning. The last couple mornings when I ran, it was in the low thirties. That is nothing compared to winter, but it's a big change from summer! So many people I know are starting their 'break' from outside running now. I don't plan on taking any breaks, because that means I'll have more work to do in the spring, plus I'm still working on getting back into shape. I will admit I have a ways to go.

I am being a little pickier about my workouts these days though. I want to see results, so I'm not doing anything that isn't a challenge for me. I also have to add that I'm not working out with people I don't care for either! It sounds rude, however I've been working out with a few people I really don't care for. They are so into themselves and very competitive. I don't understand what they are doing comparing themselves to me, a lady who had a baby four months ago. I love a little competition, but at my age, 30, the only person I have to compete against is myself. I do the best I can and don't compare myself to others, because I know what I'm up against and it's not the same as other women I know.

Anyway, I've had a rough morning, so I'm ranting a little. I do have some good news though. I only have 5 lbs to lose!! My goal is to have those pounds gone by the end of October and keep them off! Hopefully I can start the holidays eating what I want guilt free. By that time, I'll be in a good groove, so my workouts won't seem inconvenient. Right now, partly because of the lack of sleep, my workouts seem harder to fit in. I really need to get into a good routine where the time to workout isn't hard to find. I know it will come as my baby gets a little older.

Slow progress, but still seeing progress

It's been a while since I've had time to post, however I am still working on the post baby body! It is getting there, but some days it doesn't seem fast enough! I have noticed a change in my hips, finally!! Of course that is the last part of my body to shrink down. I am comfortably wearing my size 6's now and can fit into my 4's, but tight around the bottom/hips.

I started lifting weights more the last couple of weeks. I felt like I wasn't seeing as much progress as I should. I am definitely getting stronger. Since I am stronger, I've been doing more squats and lunges, which I think is why I'm seeing my hips/bottom starting to shrink. I am also noticing more muscle tone in my arms, thank goodness. I love seeing muscle definition in my arms, so that is making me very happy. There is still some extra skin on different parts of my body, but that too is shrinking away. I'd love for it all to happen faster, but I know I need to be patient.

I am still runnig, doing spin classes, trying to swim and I did the Incline for the first time in over a year a few weeks back. I really didn't know what to expect, but my goal was to do it in 45 minutes. I did it in 40:37!! I am so great :-) Ok, I had to toot my own horn a little. I still have 10 minutes to shave off, but my training partners from last summer are proud too. It felt great getting back on the mountain. I really miss being up there every week, so I need to make an effort to do the Incline more often. It is hard to do during the week and I have some races coming up on the weekends... I guess between races. We'll see how it works out, but I need to do it!

How do I feel today?

Well this morning I woke up feeling alright. I thought I would have some muscle soreness, but it's not what I thought. My shoulders are sore and my right hip hurts, both of which were hurting during the run. Toward the end of the run when I was tired, my shoulders got very tense. It's just one of those things that happens to me when I'm tired... I work on it, but it doesn't always make a difference. I could tell I was tensing up and my posture was getting worse and worse as I got closer to the finish line. And my hip... not sure what is going on there. Around mile 9, it started to hurt, so that's when I walked. Overall, I'm very pleased. I was worried that I'd be very sore today, but it just seems to be a few aches and pains.

Up until mile 9, I was running around a 9:15 mm pace. The races I have planned over the next few months are much shorter than this one, so hopefully I can improve on my speed. I'll be working on that, along with losing the rest of this baby weight.

I did it!

I did it! I did it! I completed my first race after having baby number two!! I'm very proud of myself, and my hubby is proud of me too. He said "honey, I don't know any other lady who would choose a half marathon as the first race after having a baby. Most would do a 5k." That is a very nice compliment coming from him :-)

The race went pretty well. When I registered, I guessed 2:05, however I came in a little under 2:11. I did spend almost two minutes in the potty around mile 8, so I'll give myself a few minutes for that. There really isn't anything I would have done differently. I was as prepared as I could be and I didn't go out too fast. I think I did the best I could with having a 3 month old infant. I did lose my drive around mile 9, but that was mainly because I was getting tired. At that point, I walked about a third of a mile and then it just wasn't the same. In the future, I just need to keep running along. It will be easier though when I have more strength and have built up more endurance.

So from here, I will work on getting stronger. Next Sunday, the ladies I run with will be doing the incline. That will be great leg strengthening. The last 2 or 3 weeks I have been lifting weights more, so I will keep that up. I'll be back at my spinning class tomorrow morning. I plan on keeping that up and trying to get more runs in. Before this race, I was only running 2 or 3 times a week and I need to do more than that.