Getting Healthy Challenge

It's been a little over a week since I started the "Getting Healthy Challenge". Marci Fillmore in our ward had participated in the program with her sisters and sent out an email wondering if any of the women in the ward wanted to start a 'round'. We've been split up into teams and our program lasts 7 weeks. We receive points each day for the following categories:

2 pts: Contact with Teammate
5 pts: 64 oz Water
5 pts: Stop eating before 8:30 pm
5 pts: 5 fruits and vegetable Servings (1/2 cup per serving)
5 pts: No Sweets/Sugary Treats - Bonus 20 points if you go 6 days without
5 pts: 30 min. exercise OR 7 pts: 45 min. exercise (6 days)
5 pts: Healthy snacking (up to 2 snacks a day: morning and afternoon, healthy, at least 2 hours before meal)
3 pts: Not over eating all day (eat until you are 80-90% full)
3 pts: At least 7 hours of sleep from the night previous
2 pts: Flossing once a day
5 pts: Scripture reading (at least 15 min.)
5 pts: Journal
6 pts: Prayers (3 for morning, 3 for evening)

After the 1st week there is a rotating 'area of focus' that's worth double points. For this 2nd week (which started on Monday) we receive 10 pts for exercising 30 minutes or 14 pts for exercising 45 minutes. I am so excited about this program because it's helping me improve in areas of my life that should be high priorities but sometimes get shoved to the 'if I have time' category.

I'm proud of myself because the challenge started at a difficult time for me. We only received a couple of days notice that it would start on Memorial Day which was 2 days after Brooklyn was born. And of course I'm not at home. I could have made excuses about why I couldn't do it, but I just decided that it was too important not to start and give it 100%. Lindsey and Thomas have been very supportive while I've been here in Boise. Thomas was my exercise partner last week which gave me a great start.

We just got an email with our weekly totals. Although our team "Mission Slim-Possible" didn't do particularly well as a whole, two of the members of our team made the top two for points, me and Dadra Clement (go Clement women!!)! Both of us got 100% on our points plus lost weight. Dadra had 432 points and I had the top spot with 438 points because I lost 7 pounds. I know much of that may be water weight lost, but I'll take it! I also know that the weight loss from here on out will be much slower, but that's all right too. I'm trying to eat healthy, sensible portions and with the exercise each day I'm sure slowly but surely the weight will come off.

Being the oldest member of my team it's kind of thrilling to be setting the bar high for the rest of the ladies. I realize that their lives may be more complicated on a regular day to day basis (with young families), but this first week, my life was pretty complicated too. So, I'm just going to be prideful and bask in the limelight for a second here!

I'm still in the process of my Couch to 5k training program. These past weeks I'd been walking and running about 30-35 minutes three times a week, but with the Getting Healthy Challenge, I've increased my daily exercise time to 45 minutes six days a week. With the sidetracks I had coming to Boise for Brooklyn's birth it's taking me a little longer than the cookie cutter program, but I can't beat myself up too much about it. After all, 8 weeks ago I could barely alternate jogging 60 seconds and running 90 seconds for a total of 20 minutes. Now I'm running (at a snail's pace mind you, but still running) 28 minutes in a row. That's certainly progress and I will persevere! After I 'graduate' from the c25k program I'll have a couple of weeks that I'll work on increasing my distance and then I'll begin my 10 week half marathon training.

I still can't imagine running for a total of 13.1 miles. I'm committed to running the Indian Summer half marathon in tri-cities toward the end of September. I have two goals: finish the race and don't finish last! If I have to jog/walk then so be it, but I WILL finish!

I don't want to end up being one of those sedentary old people taking handfuls of medication and watching life pass them by. And "If it is to be, it's up to ME!" So, I'm going for it!

C2 WHAT...???

I must be having a mid-life crisis finally...or something! Somehow I got the hair-brained idea that it would be a good idea to run a 1/2 marathon, yeah, me the aging non-runner! Speaking of hair-brained, that's kind of where the story turns!

As mentioned, I have never been a runner, never even really entertained the thought of becoming one. Yes, I did sort of train to 'run' the Wenatchee 5k a few years ago, but I really didn't believe that I'd run it, just that I could give it my really best 'speed walk' effort. I was, after all, raised by Mr. Speed Walker himself, Jerry Larkin.

When I was a kid if you wanted to go anywhere with Dad, you darn well better have your tennis shoes on because there was no 'lolly gagging' around. No sir-eee, WE went places with a PURPOSE! Anyway, that was pretty much the extent of my life long training except when I was getting ready for the Wenatchee race and did some speed walking with a tiny smattering of jogging...UNTIL I went to my hair dresser this spring.

So...I go to Danna just to get a haircut mind you and the darn girl inspires me to add a 1/2 marathon to my bucket list! You see, Danna has never been a runner either, but in 4 months she prepared herself to run a 1/2 marathon. Now keep in mind, my hair dresser is a friend of my daughter Lindsey. They are in their 20s for pete's sake not approaching 50! So in my warped aging mind I figure, well Denise if Danna can prepare in 4 months and you're older than she is, you should give yourself a little extra time. So, in a moment of generosity I decide that 6 months is plenty of time for a 49 year old total couch potato to prepare.

I still don't understand what came over me! But, I'm happy to report that I started the runners journey on April 7th with the Couch to 5k program (aka c25k). This is my first baby step to preparing for a 1/2 marathon, because it's really hard to run 13.1 miles if you can't even run from the front yard to the back! I'm determined to achieve my goal and have made sure that even when I have sick days I do makeup work so I stay on track. I committed (paid my entrance fee) to run a 5k in the Free Wheeling Run in Eagle, ID on June 9th when I'll be in Boise for Lindsey's baby Brooklyn's birth. My final c25k training day is on Wednesday the 6th and then race day on Saturday!

I have my eye on the Indian Summer Run in Tri-Cities at the end of September for my 1/2 marathon (registration doesn't open until June). That would keep me within my 6 month goal and would have me running a 1/2 marathon a few weeks before my 50th birthday. That'd be a pretty good way to celebrate a milestone birthday, don't you think?

My oh my!!