“A runner must run with dreams in his heart.”
– Emil Zatopek
I run with dreams in my heart. My first goal in running was to run more than 45 SECONDS without falling and/or crying. It took me a week of calling the “Voice of C25K” every name in the book, to be able to do that… that was back in January. 8 months ago. I had been walking, in fact FAST walking, but I hadn’t run. And I truly couldn’t run 45 seconds without gasping for air. Some of the things I said to myself then:
- I’m never, EVER going to be able to do this
- EVER
- This sucks
- I hate you C25K lady… you’re a liar!
- It’s been MORE than 45 seconds, dammit!!!
And then I got on with it. Because I’m not a quitter. And I set my next dream, which was to finish Couch to 5K (C25K). And then I signed up for my first 5K in March… scheduled for June 9th in Ocala, while I was home.
I completed Week 8 Day 3 of C25K on April 22nd, just one day after meeting my True Weight goal! Triumphant! Crying HAPPY, HAPPY tears. There were 24 different runs in C25K leading up to the completion. I ran 22 of them in the rain and most of them in the rain and under 50 degrees Fahrenheit! Oh, in the hot summer, do I long for those days now… 😀 This was me after completing a run in the rain:
Lots of emotion finishing a run!
Then on May 9th I had my liposuction surgery done and couldn’t run for 2 weeks. I didn’t feel like running, either! I did walk… every single day, because that’s what you do to keep the weight off!
On May 24 I ran for the first time in 2 weeks and couldn’t take in enough air. Just didn’t seem like I could get a full breath in! Ack! I was running a 5K in a couple of weeks!! But run I did… and I kept running, even though I wasn’t able to run more than 10 minutes w/o slowing my pace to a walk.
June 9, I ran and walked my way through my first 5K! I didn’t do as well as I wanted. I just couldn’t catch my breath and took off from the start too fast. I HAD A BLAST! I met a lady in her 50’s doing her first 5K and we chatted while we ran a few minutes/walked a few minutes. We then ended up walking and picking up trash… LOL. My time was 48 minutes. I had been averaging 44 minutes before my surgery.
Well, last night I did this…
Yes…. a 5K in 37 flippin’ minutes!!! WOOT, WOOT!!!
Here it is in miles… LOL
A record for me 🙂 And the RunKeeper reevaluated and gave me more calories burned!
I actually walked for about 5 minutes to cool down after reaching 5K, but I stopped my RunKeeper on purpose to preserve this moment 🙂
This is what I wrote to Anna this morning:
I bawled my eyes out when I realized I hit 37 minutes 🙂 My Chinese neighbors must think I’m nuts… LOL. Although the security guards have watched me transform over the past year and always say encouraging things while doing a thumbs up (I presume they are encouraging me… lol). Running is super emotional for me, for some reason. When the C25K lady says “walk now” at the end of the long runs I get very teary… last night was a bit different… I KNEW I was WAY ahead of my norm… and I wasn’t winded. I knew it because I take the same boring route every night and was getting way past the usual 5 minute updates from RunKeeper. I actually did 5.3 kms, but purposefully stopped it right as it rolled onto 5K to see how I did… I then let out a series of woots and then cried, with a huge smile plastered on my face. 😀
I find running very emotional. Not sure why. But it’s an awesome emotional, not a bad one! These are things I say to myself now, when I’m running:
- It’s only 40 minutes
- Just get your shoes on and walk out the door
- You can stop whenever you want (I never do!)
- Yes, Yes, Yes!!! You’re doing it girl
- You’ve got this
- You totally rock
- WOOOOOOOOOO! I DID IT!!!!!!
You get the picture. I say these out loud. They are affirming. They are gifts to myself. They push me to the next level. They, apparently, are working 😀
My new goal/dream… running a triathlon with Anna, Sandra and Cindy in August 2013. What a great way to celebrate the year I turn 50! I am so looking forward to seeing this dream come to fruition!
Ciao!
Flamidwyfe's Blog 
you are just awesome, I hope you realize that!
Thank you, Joss :)I’m just living life to its fullest!
YOU will see all your dreams come true.
Thanks, Mom xoxoxo
I swear you wrote this post for me today 🙂 So, I’m going to get my big girl bra on, strap on my HR monitor, lace up my shoes, and harness up my Dulce and we’re going to go out for our 1 mile recovery run. 12 minutes? I can do that. THANK YOU! I may just have to print this out and put it on my wall.
Yay! Go run… It’ll do you and Dulce some good! Report back and let me know how it went 🙂
We did our 5 minute warmup, followed by the mile, followed by a 5 minute cool down. Thanks for the motivation. It was warm (85), but if you can run in 101 heat index, I can do 80s!!!!! Thinking about signing up for a half marathon . . . .
Yay! Good for both of you! A half! Wow, that would be amazing! I did the 4/1 last night. Slower than the night before with straight running, but I can see where it would increase your speed over time. I’m going to alternate long runs with interval training.
Oh, and I cannot wait til next year, too. We’ll both be in the 50-54 age group! WOOOT!!!
So much fun! I can’t wait to have a planning chat about it! Wisconsin bound August 2013 🙂
Woooot!!!!!!
WOW!!! Sandi that is a spectacular time!!! Look how your self talk has morphed as you’ve grown and changed… That is HUGE!
When you wrote me the other day and said you’d done so well it prompted me to get out there and kick some butt. I ended up doing the 6mi and did not realize til you mentioned it that equals a 10K! How funny that I’ve been daunted by 5K….For me the thing was mental. I did not take anything but water and the pup. I looked at the clock when I left and when I got home. It helped that the weather was perfect.
Your cathartic runs are probably very healing 🙂 Keep it up.
There will be three of us in the 50+ age group next year…not sure what age grandma races in (?)….I’m getting psyched already 🙂
Today I did the same 6 mi on my bike w/ dd….a whole ‘nother story.
I’m so happy for your wonderful success Sandi! We are gonna be rockin’ our 50’s gal!
*anna
Actually, I’ll turn 50 in December, so I’ll still be in the 45-49 range. That is cool since I won’t be competing with you and Sandra in our age class. 🙂
Congrats on your long run! I bet the pup loved it. 6 miles seems daunting to me, but I’m going to keep working on my bridge to 10k program and get there… Eventually, lol.
daunting to you!? nah…it was a mixed run/walk as you know. You will be 50 this dec? or 49? I thought we were 6 mo. apart. YIKES I don’t really want to think of competing against Sandra, she’s done way more tris and has been coached well and and and…. I think I’ll just compete against myself and the clock to keep it simple.
The pup LOVES a good jaunt!
*anna
I’ll be 49 this year, 50 in December 2013 🙂 Yeah, I’m not thinking of it as a competition, really… that was the wrong word to use… It really is one more step in an amazing direction!
I’m hoping to get some good training when I get home… my goal is to finish… LOL
What an improvement! I needed this today. My PT cleared me for running again last Thursday and I still haven’t been out (lots of walking though with the Olympics). But first thing tomorrow morning, I’ll be out and run! 🙂
Tatjana… You’ve been running all over London taking amazing Olympic pictures! Glad the PT cleared you. I’m sure when the Olympics are done you’ll be delighting us with your stories about runs through London again! 🙂
You are AMAZING!
I feel the same about yoU!
Hi! Found your blog while searching for news about TS Haikui which also made a lot of damage in my country.
Then I found out upon reading some of your posts that you are a runner as well. It brought me so much joy that I just have to write to you. It’s amazing to realize that despite our age difference, we have some similar goals and aspirations fitness-wise.
I wish you luck with your triathlon training! And may you be blessed in all your endeavors. 🙂
-Jenn from Taguig City, Philippines
Thank you, Jenn and may you succeed in your fitness endeavors, as well. As a midwife I can tell you that you are on the right track for treating your PCOS. Being fit is step 1 🙂
so what app is your ‘running’ app? how does it work? any extra hook ups? how do you get it on your blog? — I am picking up the pace, in spite of my screaming knees, maybe this will make it funner 😉
Christy, I use two apps while I’m running. The primary one is RunKeeper. I get it on my blog by taking a pic on my iPhone of the screen. If you don’t have an iPhone you can log onto your RunKeeper.com acct, do a screen shot and share it 🙂
And I alternate between couch to 5k, which I completed in April but still run in the 7th and 8th weeks, and the bridge to 10k program, which I’m slowly working my way through.
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