Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts

Monday, December 06, 2010

Half Marathoner!!!

I'm in a posting mood tonight! This is my 3rd post in the past hour.

 
Anyway, I ran am now a Half Marathoner! I completed my first half marathon almost two weeks ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I ran 13.1 miles in 2 hours 57 minutes and 10 seconds. And, it felt GREAT!!! I am already preparing for half marathon #2 (in Fort Worth, TX in February) and #3 (in St Louis, MO in April). I love running and I love being an athlete for the first time in my life!
Posted by Dana Leeds at 9:02 PM 3 comments
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Monday, November 08, 2010

Marathon Miner

I loved hearing about the story of Chilean miner Edison Pena. He was one of the miners who was recently trapped for 69 days in a Chilean mine. During that time, he modified a pair of boots and ran up to 6 miles a day. "Pena believes that competing in the NYC marathon will be his gift to God; a tribute to a merciful God that spared him of a terrible fate deep within the mines."



As I'm preparing for my Half Marathon in less than 2 weeks, I find Pena to be a huge inspiration. I am continuing to pray that God helps me to train smartly and stay injury-free as I train. Thanks for all of your comments and prayers!
Posted by Dana Leeds at 10:53 AM 1 comments
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Wednesday, November 03, 2010

In Training... for a Half Marathon!

Yes, I am in training for a Half Marathon. And, my HM is 'just around the corner!' I'll be running 13.1 miles on November 21st!

I just started running at the start of June. Since then, I have participated in three 5Ks and lost 19.5 pounds! My brother went with me to the Komen Race for the Cure in Dallas and took some photos. (I have a wonderful brother!)


This is my 'famous' "Believe and Achieve" shirt. I say it is 'famous' because I have it as my profile picture on my exercise/weight loss/goal setting site (SparkPeople!) and another person recognized me at a race of 40,000+ people because of the shirt!

 
This was taken right before the finish. I set a new personal record on this run. Actually, each time I've competed I've set PRs! Anyway, I can't believe it, but I actually RAN for 9.5 miles yesterday! And, I WILL run 13.1 runs in just two and a half weeks! I'd love some prayers that I stay healthy & injury free!

Oh, and since this is a homeschool blog... where do I find the time to train? (I've been asked that quite a bit from other homeschoolers.) Well, Alex has co-op on Tuesdays & Thursdays. I teach in the afternoons (1:15 both days), but I drop her off at 9 am. So, I have a long morning free. And, I train on Saturdays & Sundays. Even for long runs I'm usually home before dd or dh wake up! Same with biking! Also, I'm trying to fit Alex into my workouts more so we sometimes go to the gym together or go on a bike ride.
Posted by Dana Leeds at 9:03 PM 8 comments
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Saturday, October 09, 2010

Komen Race for the Cure 5K

The Komen Race for the Cure raises money for breast cancer research, which is a great cause! This was my 2nd 5K race.
 
the classic pink ribbon on my cheek

 
I didn't take any photos at the race, which was AMAZING and HUGE! But, here's a post-race photo.

During the race you can run with signs of loved ones who were affected by breast cancer. My top one says "In Celebration of Lillian Hunter", my husband's grandmother. The bottom one says "In Memory of Evelyn Kaechle", my grandmother.
Posted by Dana Leeds at 8:05 PM 0 comments
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Friday, September 17, 2010

My "First" 5K!!!

Earlier this summer I blogged about Spark People (or SP). Spark People is an incredible, free, online group that helps people lose weight and live a healthier life. You learn to set goals and achieve them! In fact, I have been working towards weight loss, and have lost 13 pounds since starting on June 1st! 

 
Another goal was to learn to run AND to be able to run an entire 5K... 3.1 miles. I started a program (through SP) called Couch to 5K (or C25K). With the program, you run 3 times per week. At first you are running 1 minute at a time and you work up to 30 minutes. Well, I could BARELY run for 1 minute at a time back in June, and now I run about 50 minutes, or a little over 3 miles, every weekend!!! And, I entered a 5K last Saturday.

 
I actually participated in 2 other 5Ks about 7 years ago, but I wasn't a 'runner' then. I would run as long as I could (a couple of minutes) then walk until I could run again. This time, I was hoping to run the whole 3.1 miles. But, the heat and the speed (I was going faster than usual!), got to me and I walked a lot of the last mile. Anyway, here is my timing chip on my shoe... I had to find a kind runner to help me figure out how to put it on. I later returned the favor and helped someone else!

 
This run was at a high school and it was neat having the band playing, the cheerleaders cheering, and the track team running! The cheerleaders helped us line up by holding signs for various paces. I lined up with the 10+ minute runners. The group behind me was the walkers. My pace is usual a 15 minute 30 second mile, so I knew I was slow. As a matter of fact, I ran with the walkers... a lot of them could keep up with me! But, I will get faster!


Alex took this photo of me when I got home. There were a lot of snacks on tables after the race, and I helped myself to fruit, a protein drink, and half a muffin. I always feel like eating healthy after I run!

So, I have another 5K coming up in 2 more weeks. My time on this race was (a slow) 46 minutes 30 seconds, but I did it! My pace was slightly under 15 minutes per mile. I'm hoping to do a little better next time... maybe under 45 minutes? It's a Komen Race for the Cure so it'll be HUGE! Actually, even this local race had almost 1,000 runners!!!
Posted by Dana Leeds at 7:46 PM 5 comments
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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Goal... 5K!

I set a goal this week. I will be running my first 5K this fall!


These are the bibs I have from two 5Ks I participated in with my brother in 2004. I walked probably two thirds of each of them. This time, I plan on running the entire thing.

What got me motivated? Well, my sister-in-law was here two weekends ago and she has lost weight and is really getting in great shape. She was getting ready to go on a 25 mile bike ride the following weekend. I was really impressed! She looked great and felt great. And, I wanted to look and feel better, too.

So, I rejoined SparkPeople. Are you familiar with them? It is a FREE program that offers an online diet plan, calorie counter, and lots of health advice. You get to earn virtual trophies and points for sticking with your goals and for exercising. The best part of SparkPeople are the PEOPLE! You can blog at SP or join forums and you get a lot of positive feedback. It isn't just for people wanting to lose weight, but also for those who want to live healthier lives and just create and meet goals.

On Tuesday, I joined a SP group called "couch to 5K" (or C25K). I am now on a 9-week training program to run my first 5K. On Wednesday, I was talking to a friend at Alex's swim practice and she is now joining me on my runs! Then, yesterday, I decided to approach the swim team and ask other parents to join us for a 5K in October. We will be running in the Komen Race for the Cure. I already have at least 4 potential members and I hope to get 8-10. We'll see!

Is anyone else training for a 5K? or a half marathon? or a mini triathalon (something I'd like to do in the future!)? or some other event? If so, I'd like to cheer you on! We can do this!
Posted by Dana Leeds at 7:26 PM 9 comments
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