Monday Night, Day One

Worked out for 30 minutes tonight. Started out with walking in place for a bit, then to jump rope. Didn't really keep track of reps or minutes for this work out, just moved from exercise to exercise. Did wall squats, normal squats, lunges, rows, bikes, push-ups, armstrongs, jumping jacks and a couple of yoga poses in between. Feels good. I know it isn't an amazing workout. It isn't organized or anything, but I feel it is a good start. (And my arms are shaky, so that is sort of a good sign that it wasn't TOO wimpy!)

Exercise Help

Since my grand plan to have a workout buddy has mostly failed due to time constraints/schedule conflcits, I have decided to turn to the internet to assist in my weight loss/fitness goal.

http://www.divine.ca/en/health/exercise-finder/c_266/

I found this website and I think it would be good to do a main work out, then one exercise from each body area as finishers. And if I don't do a "main workout" I can just do more of these.

Example:

Main workout:
Run 20 minutes (to begin with, of course. I want to increase this gradually)

Finishers:
One exercise from each body area, 10-20 reps each.

We'll see if this is do-able. Maybe I won't stick to this plan exactly, but it is still good to have a source where I can see what exercises I can do to target my main body insecurities.

Status Update #1

Current weight: ~145
Goal weight: 125
Dream weight: 120

I think it will be good for me to post this once a week in order to stay aware of my goals.

Well. Okay.

So far my super great awesome flawless exercise plan has not been so super, great, awesome or flawless. My running buddy happens to also not be very good at keeping a cell phone around all the time. (can't blame her too much, I'm pretty lame at remembering to reply also). But it has now been 3 times that we were supposed to go run and I never hear back. I know that at this point I should just go run by myself. But my self-motivation needs some obligation. Hopefully we will have mondays set up for our running day. It isn't twice a week like I hoped, but I am also taking a cycling class on wednesdays. So maybe I can add just one more work out day, and be happy. I think exercising 3 times a week is pretty reasonable. Not too little, not too much. Juuuuust right!

Motivated

Feeling super motivated about everything. I want to bike and rock climb and do yoga and run and play soccer! This new motivation comes from my boyfriend's friend from class who now works with him and is so motivating and positive. She is really athletic, but wants to run with me and today was our first day. We ran a mile then did some little exercises after. It made exercising much more fun and I hope we get a schedule together so we can do it throughout the coming semester! I am taking a cycling class mondays and wednesdays, so hopefully we can run on tuesdays and thursdays! I want exercise to become part of my routine and something that I feel weird if I don't do it. I want it to be SUSTAINABLE. I don't want this to go on for a couple of months then nothing happens for another 10 months. Hopefully having a super energized exercise buddy will help! Feeling happy. p.s. like the new banner?

Ogden 5k

I ran the Ogden 5k with my sister, Erin. We stuck together for the first 2 miles but she is fast! Our first mile was 9.30, our second about 10. (Keep in mind I usually average a 12 minute mile while running 5ks and 10 minute mile running 1 mile at a time.) The last mile just about killed me. I got a huge side ache and my right shoulder ached. My lungs and hips felt tight. BUT, after all of that misery of the 3rd mile I still finished FOUR MINUTES fast than last weekend's 5k and TWO MINUTES faster than my goal of 36 minutes! I need a running buddy more often!

ONC 5k

This past Saturday was the Ogden Nature Center's 5k. And I ran in it! It was fun. Actually, parts of it were not fun at all. But I'm very glad I did it. The parts that were fun were the parts of the course where we were running in the trees. The parts that were not fun was when we had to run past the neighboring field being mowed and dust and bits of grass flew in your face as you're trying to run. Not so cool. Something else that was frustrating was the fact that they held the children's 1k at the same time as the 5k, and therefore for the first loop of the race (there were 2 loops) you were running with a bunch of kids. This would be fine if the trails were wide but they were narrow so at times I had to stop running altogether. That was frustrating and I felt that it hurt my time. However as with all 5ks, I forget that it doesn't really start for you individually until you cross the start line, and since I was back quite a way I started my watch a little early. My time ended up being 38 minutes. I feel that I could easily improve this time for the Ogden 5k, which is this Saturday! My goal: Run it in less than or about 36 minutes. That would be an average of a 12 minute mile and just about right for me. At least for now!

Starting over

I'm up to 2 miles. Usually I run about a 12 minute mile, but on this run I ran a little under a 11 minute mile, which is good. I think if I slow down my pace a bit the 3 miles of a 5k won't be too bad. I have a 5k coming up this Saturday and the Saturday after, too!

It Is What It Is

The half marathon has gone and past and I did not run in it. In fact, I didn't even run in the 5k which I switched to. But it is never too late to start. And now that spring is here and school is out (although not for long) I feel a renewed motivation! My Plan: Run at least 3 times a week. Bike at least 2 times a week. Hike at least 1 a week. Do finishers after every run and bike ride. Pretty simple, yes? I think before I would get discouraged because I would miss a day and it felt like the whole week was messed up. This way if I miss a day, it doesn't matter as long as I fulfill the quota for the week. I think I will start out pretty easy, too. 1 mile is as far as I'll run for quite a while until I jump up to 2. My goal is to get to 10, but if I don't, it isn't a big deal. The main thing is to be healthy, to eat better, to gain endurance and to help myself feel better physically, mentally and emotionally!

5 mile run

I haven't run 5 miles in a long time, and I just did today, but it wasn't easy at all. My feet started going numb and burning early in the run which I predicted since I didn't change my shoes, but I thought maybe it would be better the second time. Also, I felt pretty weak from the very beginning. I need to make sure I am drinking plenty of water.

Overall, I am glad it is over. It makes me discouraged about more than doubling that amount for the race. Hopefully things get easier.

7 Weeks

Just realized there are 7 weeks left until race day. Freaks me out. I need to really step up my game. I realized recently that although I should be able to run on Wednesdays in the morning because I don't have class until 12:30, I am just not a morning person, and I'm especially not a running morning person. You'd think that I could at least run in the mid-morning, but by the time I get up I don't have time.

I think it is do-able to get in the mileage I need for the 1/2 marathon, but that doesn't mean I am entirely confident that it will happen. Especially with the race being the week of finals. Eek

EDIT: Although I DID just realize that if I run 5 miles this week, which is picking up from where I left off, and I increase the max number of miles every week, I will end at 11 miles, which is just 2.6 miles less than the race. I think that is do-able. That last bit might be a struggle, but I think sheer will to not embarrass myself at the finish line will urge me on.

Back in the Saddle Again

First run since foot problem. Only 2 miles, I was hoping for 3, but I am pretty okay with 2. I have brand new shoes and in the first mile my feet started going numb so I thought I needed to loosen the laces, but then in the second mile they felt like they were on FIRE. They were burning up, so I decided that 2 was enough.

The encouraging thing out of this, however, is that if my feet weren't on fire, I feel like I had plenty of energy to keep going. Feeling good. I forgot how good it feels after a run. (especially after eating about a dozen dark chocolate no-bake cookies)

Set back

Well, it has been more than a week since I hurt my foot and it has been feeling better. I'm still scared of running on it, but I hope to run this weekend. I have a week's worth of allowance, which helps. So technically I am just one day off of schedule, but I'm worried that I'll run and won't be able to go a long distance.

I am also thinking of using an elliptical because it has sort of the same motion, but is not as hard on joints, and hopefully not as hard on my foot.

Also, I have been feeling sick the past week. Nothing huge, but very running or stuffy nose, sore throat and headaches. I hope it doesn't develop into anything different.

We shall see.

Injury

I somehow hurt my foot yesterday and it still really hurts to put pressure on it. It started hurting when I was wearing my normal street shoes but I figured when I would change shoes it wouldn't hurt. Then when I went on my run it made it much worse. I may go get an x-ray of it. I am really worried about what this will do to my schedule.

I really can't deal with a set back.

Shoes

I am looking at buying new running shoes. HMMMMMM...

Delay

I hit my head last night and I have had a headache since then. Today I was supposed to run 4 miles, but I think it will have to wait until tomorrow. I really worry about getting off schedule, but sometimes it is just impossible. I figure as long as I get the miles in by the end of the week, hopefully that will work.

Trick

I got out my portable DVD player and set it up in front of the treadmill. IT WORKED WONDERS. I didn't even look at the time until about 20 minutes in. I felt much better. I only put on a cartoon that lasts about 20 minutes, but will play consecutively. I've decided to wait to play movies when I increase mileage and need something to keep going. 144 minutes, to be exact. I am also thinking of playing TV shows that run an hour instead of 20-30 minutes, such as Torchwood. It will be good to play those again because I haven't watched them for a while.

Anyway. Feeling good. Feeling tired. But much more confident than last Wednesday's run!

Maps

Google Maps is a liar. I am frustrated because I mapped out a lot of routes for different distances, but when I made some very basic short ones it said they were much longer than I KNOW they are. Which means that it is probably doing that to all of them. WHICH MEANS that the runs I went on for my long run and my easy run were both wrong.

I am just really worried I'm not going to get my mileage up by the time of the race. I'm going to work this week to figure out the real mileage and create new maps. They give insurance. It gives me a plan, which makes things seem less impossible and intimidating.

Lesson #1

I have learned a lesson today. When you go to bed at 1 in the morning and when you wake up you don't eat any breakfast, running is really REALLY miserable.

This seems obvious, but for some reason I thought I'd just spring out of bed, run and then have a nice big rewarding breakfast. Instead, running for only 5 minutes made me feel weak and made my hearing weird. I was supposed to run for 30 minutes (2.5 miles at my 12 min/mile setting on the treadmill). Instead I ran/walked for 30, running a combined 20 minutes, although there were walking breaks in between. (sigh)

I'm trying not to beat myself up, because had I slept and eaten better, things would've probably been fine. But I still feel discouraged.

I have an "easy" run at the end of the week, but I was thinking I might just rest instead of have an easy run. Now I am thinking that maybe I will keep track of the amount I didn't run during the week, and make up the difference on the easy run. That way I still run the total amount of miles for that week that I'm supposed to, but it gives me some cushion. We'll see.

First Post

This is my new blog to document my journey of training for a 1/2 marathon. I haven't run for at least a year, and so I am starting new. The race is in 12 weeks, and I am very nervous but very excited to get into shape and to accomplish something that I have had as more of a dream than a goal for so long. Wish me luck!