Post #40 Mini Rant on Speed Shaming, plus some other stuff

Fitness

Today is the 2 year anniversary of when I started using a FitBit. The FitBit company sent me a Happy Anniversary E-card. I kind of wish they had also included some statistics on how the past two years have gone; how maybe days I hit my step count, how many miles I have logged, or at least my average daily step count. Regardless, two years of tracking my fitness with the FitBit.

In August, I will mark three years since I started running. I started the ZenLab's Couch to 5k app in mid August 2016. I don't use the ZenLab apps anymore, but they were very helpful for the first two years of my running journey.

I did a ten mile run on Saturday, and then Michael and I went to breakfast at a DC institution - Jimmy T's. I love it, they only take cash, but I love it, and I hope Michael and I can start going there regularly, maybe once a month or so. While we were there, there was some guy sitting behind me talking down about someone who did a 5k at 13+ min/mile pace. I was about to attack him!

I would never speed shame another runner, even if it is only a 5k. I do a little passive distance shaming, but speed shaming is something I cannot stand for. I finished my first marathon with at 17+ min/mile average pace. Sure I have come a LONG way since that March finish in Little Rock, but I am still a run/walker, and I truly believe if I can do it anyone can.

When it comes to running, I like to believe the only person I am competing against is myself. I am getting faster, and I can't compare myself to anyone else. I also need to keep in mind that my progress can be gradual. I am not going to wake up one morning and pound out a sub 30 minute 5k, that isn't me.

For me, my run:walk 1:1 pace is exactly what works. You know what else works for me, chicken and beer as my meal the night before a long run. Two weeks ago my 10 miler was only 5 miles long, this past week I had chicken and 4 beers the night before and my 10 miler left me feeling really good. I have another 10 miler this weekend.

My monthly 18 miler will be on the 22nd. I need to make sure I get out early for that one. I am flying to Santa Fe, NM the night of the 22nd - my flight leaves at 8 pm. I am looking forward to running in Santa Fe again, it will be interesting to see how I do in comparison to last year.

As of yesterday I weighed in at 144 pounds, I ate a bunch of candy today so I am not particularly happy with myself; old habits die hard.

Makeup

As of today I have used up $710.68 worth of product, that is 143 items. I have only purchased $220.41 worth of beauty products, this includes three shampoos and 3 conditioners that I will have purchased before the end of the year (I did "subscribe & save" on Amazon).

Post #39: Another long hiatus

Today is May 24, 2019, my last post was on June 1, 2018. It has been almost a year.

Erie Canal Half (5/19/19)

At one point I was pretty good about blogging fairly regularly. There is a part of me that wants to get back to that. Not for any useful reason, but I think blogging about my running, my makeup, and my career can be interesting to random people, or my future self.

Updates since my last post, using the last post as an outline:

I said I would try to be more consistent at blogging. Since it has been 8 days short of one year since I last posted I am gonna say that I failed miserably at that. Maybe I will do better this year.

Step Count

I did not make it to 100 days in a row with hitting my 10,000 steps per day. I made it over 50 days, but then failed. For the year of 2019, I have hit my 10,000 steps per day everyday except for (pause for counting) 16 days. That is 16 days out of 143 days I did NOT hit 10,000+ steps. I am pretty proud of myself for that.

Houston Half (1/20/19)

Running

I have also been running a lot more. I ran the Boilermaker 15k last July. I did the Houston Half Marathon in January. I did the Marine Corps 17.75k in March. Just this past Sunday I ran the Erie Canal Half Marathon. I run daily and actually feel pretty terrible when I don't run. I am training for the Marine Corp Marathon (Oct 27). I expect the majority of posts over the next 5 months will be about my marathon training.

Fitness/Health

I am also 40 pounds lighter than I was when I last posted. My last weigh in was at 147 pounds. For those of you doing the math, I am officially a healthy BMI. I am loving it, and I have lost enough weight where I have actually had to do a wardrobe refresh. I have spent over $200 in the past month or so on new clothes.

Wardrobe Refresh

Makeup

I stopped tracking my makeup use up and purchases last year, but I have been doing it this year. As of today I have used up (pause to check spreadsheet) $623.98 worth of product, that is 124 items. I have only purchased $137.65 worth of beauty products (44 items - 18 of which are eyeshadows in a palette), this includes face wash and hair care items too. I was able to resist the temptation of the Sephora VIB sale.

 Work/Career

The Boyfriend and Me at a baseball game

I am still trudging through the life that is Graduate School. More on that as information becomes available.

Other

Now for something completely different: I have a boyfriend, he is wonderful!

Well, back to writing and working on a presentation for my next conference. 

Post #26: Marathon Training v. Suzanne Point Oh

I registered for the 16th Annual Little Rock Marathon at 9:24 EDT on August 1st. Technically, I registered for the Marathon/5k combo. I was lucky enough to get ten percent off the price too, because I had signed up for the training program.

The theme is Medieval, and to reveal that they did a cute video that was Monty Python themed. A lot of people were confused or upset about the theme, poo on them!! I loved the video and I am super excited for the theme. Thank you to the Chicks in Charge #CIC for loving what they do and having fun with it!!

I started the "ramp up to training" training on August 7th. The ramp up training is particularly for first timers, and people who are not at the point of running/walking/crawling 6 miles. I specify running/walking/crawling because from now on when I say running, I am channeling Hobbit, and I mean all it: running/walking/crawling, getting through the milage. I would love to be able to run all the way through all of my training runs, but all I am gonna focus on is getting through the milage. The actual training started on September 18th.

09/08/17 Update: My 3 mi build up training run yesterday (9/7) I ran the whole 3 miles, no walking, at a 13 min per mile pace.

10/19/17 Update: As I have already mentioned, I am using the marathon training program provided by the Little Rock Marathon. The focus of the training program is mileage, not time. Sure it is going to take me 5+ hours to finish my 20 miler on February 10th, but you know what I am gonna do it.

Things I need when I go for my long runs (> 6 miles):
1. Water
2. Running GU(s) (1 for 10/12/14 milers, 2 for 16/18 milers, 3 for 20 miler, and 4 for my marathon)
3. Sweatband/sweat towel
4. Lip balm

10/23/17 Update: One year ago today, I finished the ZenLab's Couch to 5k training program. If you had asked me on that day if I would ever run a marathon, I would have laughed in your face. I never intended on running a marathon. It wasn't until June (after I started listening to podcasts regularly), that I stumbled upon the Not Real Runners Podcast and after 5 weeks of listening I decided 'Why not?' It was them talking about the Little Rock Marathon in the first episode 34 (the one from July 11th) that put it in my mind that I wanted to complete a marathon.

I use the run/walk method for my weekend long runs. I don't have a nifty watch that tells me when to run and when to walk so I rely on the ZenLabs Marathon Trainer app. In the app it has daily training prompts, including short runs (45 - 60 minutes), cross training sessions, rest days, and long runs. The long run days are the only ones I use. In particular, I am using Week 11 Day 6 for runs less than 11 miles and Week 20 Day 7 for all above 11 miles. Week 11 does 23 repetitions of run 4 mins, walk 2 minutes. Week 20 does 52 repetitions of run 4 mins, walk 1 minute.

5k Costume?

As of now, 4 ish months before my Marathon weekend, I am thinking of doing a plague skeleton for my 5k costume and a Monty Python Spanish Inquisition themed outfit for my Marathon 'costume' (red shirt, red bottoms, running with a cross, and the hat).

Clif Energy Gel Reviews: I got the multi pack from Amazon so I could try out a bunch of different flavors. (1) Chocolate Cherry w/caffeine: 10/22, not bad, but a little too heavy on the chocolate taste, could have used more cherry flavor. But to be fair, I am not a chocolate fan.

Marathon Costume?

Post #17: Run Suzanne, run!

I am going to run a marathon!

So contrary to what I wrote in Post #13, and then again in Post #15, I have decided to run a marathon. The decision was thanks to a podcast I listen to: Not Real Runners. The two hosts have made running a marathon seem accessible, and after episode #34 I decided. So, as soon as the registration for the Little Rock Marathon opens up, I am registering. I think having this goal will help me stay on track with my running.

As of right now I have a couple goals in mind:
1. Finish the 10k Trainer by ZenLabs by the end of October
2. Pick up with the Marathon Trainer, also by ZenLabs, after completing the 10k Trainer
3. Take at least 57,000 steps on one day per week from now until March (when the marathon is)

After completing that first goal, I am going to go and get myself a real pair of running shoes, getting them fitted and everything, that I use just for running.

I worked on my vision board for this plan over the weekend, and I am almost done with it. The only thing that is missing is the marathon theme. The race directors have not released the theme yet. This is important because it will be the theme my costume is based on. When it comes to my vision board half of the content is the training for the marathon itself, and the other half is brainstorming my run costume.

A back of the envelope calculation, with running 3 miles/walking 1 mile, has me finishing 26.2 miles in 5 hours, 38 minutes, and 24 seconds - which is a 13 mile/minute pace, totally realistic - I think.