When I'm Running, This is What I'm Listening To. . . Blog Day #21

I love my iPhone.
I love music, both playing and listening.
I can't play the piano while I run, but I can listen. . .with my iPhone.
God Bless the iPhone. Because I need the music to keep me going to the end of the workout. . .Especially Christian music. . .
Here's the mix I made for myself. . .I'm not in love with all of them, but they have a steady beat and all have great messages. . .Some are slow, but I love the fullness and depth of the musicality so I set my breathing to them. . .Happy listening, and smooth running:

Manifesto- Introducing The City Harmonic
Stronger- Mandisa
Hey Devil- TobyMac
Crazy Enough- MercyMe
Changed Forever (feat. Nirva Ready)- TobyMac
Funky Jesus Music (feat. Beckah Shae and Siti Monroe)- TobyMac
This Life- MercyMe
Divine Romance- Phil Wickham
Love Somebody (An 80s Tribute)- Press Play
Move- MercyMe
Tonight (feat. John Cooper of Skillet)- TobyMac
Getcha Hands Up- Press Play
Gimme That Funk- Group 1 Crew
The Generous Mr. Lovewell- MercyMe
ShowStopper- TobyMac
Start Somewhere- TobyMac
Critical Emergency- Group 1 Crew
Change- Group 1 Crew
Can't Shut Up- Anthem Lights
Captured- TobyMac
City on our Knees- TobyMac
Can't Get Over You- Anthem Lights
Break Open the Sky (feat. Israel Houghton)- TobyMac
Wonderin' (feat. Matthew Thiessen)- TobyMac

Total time is approx. 1hr20min.

 

Running for the Un-Athletic. . .Blog Day #20

I can say, for the first time in my life, that I'm a runner. Not a fast runner, but a runner none-the-less. . .Now when I say fast, I mean running more than a few miles at 10 minutes or less per mile. . .I myself am an average runner.  Not fast, not slow. . .I am capable of running 6 miles at 13 minutes per mile.  That, so far, has been my greatest accomplishment of 2011.

This is a lot to say for someone like me.  Since I turned 22 years of age, I have gained over 50 pounds 5 times. The body I had when I graduated college is no longer in existence. (Now, of course, this weight gain was to sustain 5 little lives, but it's still an impressive thing to say. )  Each time I gave birth, and weaned, I shed almost all the extra poundage.  Almost. . .so the little that I kept, added up. . .until now, after my fifth baby, I'm left at 20 pounds from my BK (Before Kids) weight. . .

Note: I've already had to lose 20 pounds to get to pre-4th child weight. . .so to get to BK weight, the total loss needed as of January 2011 was 40 pounds total, oy! Whoops, let's not forget to add the 5-10 pounds I gained over the holidays (getting older is no fun). So when I reach my goal, that will be 50 pounds total lost.  That is an atrocious amount, especially for a Chinese chick.

I wish I could say that I took a special pill that I got in bulk at Costco. I wish it was as simple as spending a few days on the potty cleansing my colon. I even wish that I just drank some fake milkshakes 3 times a day and the fat just melted away. . .Just goes to show you that the easy way is not always the best way.

No, I decided to start running. A big feat for someone who could barely run down the one block to the stop sign. Even at 16 years old, swimming 30 second 50's, I couldn't run a mile. So how was I to get past my own body and run like my much envied friends? How would I run a 5k race when I couldn't even control the jigglies during aerobics?  Not to mention my hips were a little messed up from delivering the last child, who was 9lbs 14oz.

Couch to 5k. . .My friend suggested it. . .I tried it, and it worked. So a non-athletic, mom of many, hay-fevered asthmatic, married single parent, homeschooling and living solely on her husband's income woman learned to run 3 miles.  In fact, she's learned to run 6, and counting, miles without stopping or collapsing. The only obstacle left is to push through the sore muscles and rest enough to get past the 6 month mark, where I hope my body will finally get used to the impact involved in running.  If that's the only obstacle left, then I've got running in a bag. Yay!

I've been asked what running schedule I've used.  So here it is, and following is a list of my running mix. . .I've also read some informative and useful articles on running.about.com. To sign up for walk/run races in the Sacramento area, www.runsac.com is great. Now the following schedule is not cited because I cannot, for the life of me, remember exactly where I got it. . .but I believe that Cool Running is very useful. For you iPhone users, I use the RunKeeper app.  There is also a Couch to 5K app.

Invest in some great running shoes, socks, compression shorts and some supportive tops and get ready for a fun 10 weeks:
The Couch to 5K Training Plan

Week 1

1. 5 min walk, 2 min jog, 5 min walk   
2. Relax!   
3. 5 min walk, 2 min jog, 5 min walk   
4. Relax!   
5. 5 min walk, 3 min jog, 5 min walk   
6. Relax!   
7. Relax!

Week 2  

1. 5 min walk, 3 min jog, 5 min walk   
2. Relax!   
3. 5 min walk, 4 min jog, 5 min walk   
4. Relax!   
5. 5 min walk, 5 min jog, 5 min walk   
6. Relax!   
7. Relax!

Week 3  

1. 5 min walk, 6 min jog, 5 min walk   
2. Relax!   
3. 4 min jog, 5 min walk, 4 min jog, 5 min walk   
4. Relax!    
5. 5 min walk, 7 min jog, 5 min walk   
6. Relax!   
7. Relax!

Week 4   

1. 5 min walk, 7 min jog, 5 min walk   
2. Relax!   
3. 5 min walk, 8 min jog, 5 min walk   
4. Relax!   
5. 5 min walk, 9 min jog, 5 min walk   
6. Relax!   
7. Relax!

Week 5   

1. 5 min walk, 9 min jog, 5 min walk   
2. Relax!   
3. 6 min jog, 5 min walk, 6 min jog, 5 min walk   
4. Relax!   
5. 5 min walk, 10 min jog, 5 min walk   
6. Relax!   
7. 5 min walk, 11 min jog, 5 min walk

Week 6  

1. 5 min walk, 11 min jog, 5 min walk   
2. Relax!   
3. 13 min jog, 5 min walk  
4. Relax!   
5. 15 min jog, 5 min walk   
6. Relax!   
7. Relax!

Week 7   

1. 15 min jog, 5 min walk   
2. Relax!   
3. 8 min jog, 5 min walk, 8 min jog, 5 min walk   
4. Relax!   
5. 16 min jog, 5 min walk   
6. Relax!   
7. 17 min jog, 5 min walk

Week 8   

1. 17 min jog, 5 min walk   
2. Relax!    
3. 18 min jog, 5 min walk   
4. Relax!   
5. 20 min jog, 5 min walk   
6. Relax!   
7. Relax!

Week 9  

1. 20 min jog   
2. Relax!   
3. 12 min jog, 5 min walk, 12 min jog   
4. Relax!   
5. 24 min jog   
6. Relax!   
7. 25 min jog

Week 10   

1. 25 min jog   
2. Relax!   
3. 27 min jog   
4. Relax!   
5. 30 min jog   
6. Relax!   

Race Day!

Tips

• Stretch after every workout to avoid injuries.
• If you start developing an injury, STOP running before it gets worse and take a few days off.
• This is only a rough outline of the perfect plan for you. You can change it as you need to.
• Don’t push yourself too hard when you jog. Go at a comfortable pace.
• Hydrate properly and energize yourself at least an hour before you run. 

Because of the length of this post, I put my music set on Blog Day #21. . .

In the Mind of Yours Truly, Part 3 of 3: Autumn. . .Blog Day #19

It is my opinion that the seasons of life don't really go in any particular order. I think that the stages in our life can change at random, with the circumstances varying and determining what season it is. When I had three toddlers, no money, preggo brain, and a stressed out hubbie, I was definitely in a bitter, dry winter. But I don't think that spring followed, where everything was green and colorful. More like summer. . .free-spirited, sunned. And the growth was the kind the kids go through in between school years: I filled in spiritually just like kids fill in physically.

The beginning of this year went back to a mild winter. Cold and windy, sometimes stormy, but not necessarily bitter cold.

Quite honestly, springtime is short lived for me. I barely realize it when I'm there.  And besides, as much as I love mild weather in real life, I have mad allergies in the spring.. . I don't even know how to finish this metaphor.. .

Back to now, this present time, this very moment.  Autumn.

I think of harvest, the huge harvest moon, the best time to plant and prune and hide those bulbs. Time when reds, oranges, yellows, browns are the colors filling in the scenery. Time when families prepare to assemble and break bread together, despite conflicts and drama. Time when even the stingiest humbugs start reaching deep into their wallets to see how many places they can reach out to. And it just seems like the whole world is getting ready to cozy up and be tucked in.

Autumn is my favorite season.

And this  "season" of life, despite all my moanings and groanings, seems like it's going to be my favorite.

Here's why, in list form (sorry, I'm beat tired)

• My older kids are showing signs that their training has sunk in. I am starting to reap a little of the harvest as they make good decisions, learn from their mistakes, and go out of their way to love others the way God wants us to. Being a purposeful, Bible-guided and balanced parent is exhausting. It's nice to see little snippets of the spiritual "grain" they are "storing" for their futures. While sometimes the emotional aspects are hard and it's difficult to let go, parenting older children doesn't seem as intense and demanding as parenting toddlers. 
• I love the conversations that I'm having with the 9 year old. They are becoming so deep, so warm. Our relationship is changing, where I am now walking behind her in support rather than leading in front. Like I said before, we're cozying up and tucking in. No matter how stormy and cold it is in the world, we'll always have each other to stay warm.
• I listen to the kids play together and they love each other. Life just wouldn't be the same if they didn't have each other. We have family council once a month and we share a snack, talk family  business, prepare for future events, share in the family spoils (allowance) and we end by singing songs together. As a child, I often wondered what a happy family unit looked like. A family unit that always expected to be together, that broke bread together, that welcomed the good and the ugly.  Now I know. 
• Not only is there harvest in the fall, but I've learned that Autumn is the best time to plant.  Bulbs are hidden in the ground, not to re-emerge until spring.  Trees bear down for the winter, shedding their leaves and appearing to go to sleep. It's as if the world is turning the warm colors of red, yellow, orange and brown in a cheerful,"Farewell, see you in the spring."  I'm in that stage now, where much of the training (at least with the older ones) is finished. I'm no longer tilling the ground, making sure it doesn't dry out, etc. . .In fact, my job is to provide cover if there is a frost coming.  And just as something "imaginary" happens to the bulbs and trees and dormant plants during winter, something "imaginary" is happening in the kids. . .I can't wait to see how they sprout and blossom and bring beauty to the world.

Exciting things are going to happen. I love preparing for them. God promises that all will be well in the end for those who obey.  Though the coming winter might, once again, be bitter and dry, I know I've prepared well and my obedience will produce abundant color and trees that will bear much fruit.

Thank you, Lord, for you lovingkindness. . .