End of the Year

Well. I did not run a marathon. I cannot do a handstand press. In fact, I have not steadily worked out since about August. Since then I have been busy working two jobs while taking five classes (passed with very high grades, thank you very much!).

Looking back, though, I am pleased to see I did stick (somewhat) to my goals.

I cut back on my Internet time. I successfully cut out my former favorite website, and I managed to read two books per month. It is not a lot, but it is more than I was reading!

I took more pictures. Hundreds of pictures. It makes me happy to look back on all the things I have done with friends and family.

I sewed. Not much, but some. I made some clothes for my doll. Anything counts!

I worked out. I ran two races and at one point this year was in the best shape of my life.

So I was there. I just failed to maintain the fitness aspect. That is partly due to my busy schedule. I could have made time, though. I have no excuse now. Perhaps I will make time today?

Week 4 Day 6

This week got all jumbled. I was supposed to run 6 miles on Thursday but couldn't because my friends deceived me about how long we would be at the beach--and really about going to a beach at all! So instead I hiked about and spent half an hour in a paddle boat.

No worries, I thought. I can just run 6 miles today after work! Well, that didn't happen. Instead I went to a festival with my boyfriend.

So that leaves me running 6 miles tomorrow then 11 miles on Monday.

At the beginning of training I decided to do my long runs on Sundays. Every single week it's been pushed back to Monday for some reason or another. Should I fight this schedule, or just let it be?

Race Day

One year ago today I ran my first mile. Since then I've run hundreds of miles. And tonight? I ran my first race.

Well, almost my first race. When I was in 7th grade I joined the track team. I never took practice seriously. I was always faster than my siblings so I thought I didn't need to practice running. Instead I'd mosey about and socialize with my friends.

At the meet we were all lined up for the event, the only event I was registered for. If I recall correctly it was a 200 meter run. I was confident and ready to beat my competition. Ready...set...go!

Within a couple of meters I was already falling behind. I was stiff, slow, and crampy. The pack finished a full 100 meters ahead of me. I wanted to quit, and hide in shame.

So I did quit. I avoided gym class and all other sports throughout junior high and high school.

But that was then. Tonight my practice and work paid off.

I finished 2nd in my age group, with a final time of 25:25.

Sorry, the pic is a bit dark.

Week 4 Day 3

Tonight I ran a quick 5k. It was my last training 5k before the race on Friday. I did a faster than normal pace without throwing it into high gear and finished with a 25:38 time. I still have a mid-length easy run tomorrow, 6 miles. I'm going to take a slow pace, probably about 9:30 min/mile so I'm not sore for Friday.

Here's to hoping everything goes well for the race!

Also, I used the stick again tonight and discovered a rather nasty knot on my calf  that I didn't know existed. I'll have to keep working at it.

Week 4 Day 1

I took a couple days off. Why? Honestly I just wanted a break. My lower legs were hurting a bit so I wanted to rest them. Then last night a Dairy Queen blizzard sounded infinitely better than a run.

I got right back on the wagon today and ran 6 miles with absolutely no lower leg pain. It was no easy run, though. My heart felt like it was working harder than normal even though I had a slow pace. I blame a combination of the high noon sun and the fact that I haven't gone running since last Wednesday.

After my run I experienced the greatest pleasure known to mankind.

The Stick!

It arrived on Thursday. It's a waterproof and flexible stick with rollers designed for deep massage. It came with a chart on how to use it on different muscle groups.

I used it on my lower legs and my neck.

Oh man it felt amazing.

Week 3 Day 4

I had planned to run 5 miles today. However, I took an impromptu vacation to the Mall of America! So I had plenty of cross training today.

I walked about 2 miles in the mall, then took advantage of the fitness facilities in the hotel. I started by swimming for about ten minutes. Can I let you in on a secret? I never actually learned how to swim! I've just taught myself to stay afloat. I'm sure I'm exerting more effort than necessary, but it gets the job done. Then I went to the fitness center and biked 6.2 miles. 

And the best part?

THE STICK IS FINALLY HERE

Unfortunately it arrived right before I left so I haven't used it yet. Bummer. 

Week 3 Day 3

Tonight I ran 3.1 miles.

At the half mile mark I literally ran into a pack of dogs. My neighbors were out walking and had one collie and two boxers off-leash. One of the boxers followed me and kept jumping up my leg! I stopped for a bit to pet him.

My upper body felt great during the run. It was nice and easy with no heavy breathing. However, I'm still having some soreness in my lowers legs. I'm not sure exactly what's causing it, but I have three theories:

1) The newness of marathon training. My weekly mileage has increased so much in the past few weeks. Maybe my body is just getting used to it.

2) Shoes. I've been running in the same style shoe for almost one year with no prior problems. Could it be that this shoe just isn't good for lots of running?

3) The need for massage. The Stick will be here tomorrow so I'll see how massage helps me out. I'm also considering a foam roller.

Week 3 Day 1

I think this way of logging what day I'm on will be easier than saying 'Day 15' or whatever it is because I'm sure I'll lose track eventually.

Today I got my 9 miles in. Actually, it came out to be around 9.5 miles. I did a decent chunk of the run without my GPS running so the exact amount is unknown. I also took a few walk breaks due to the heat. I stopped by the park twice for water and took four walk breaks all together, adding up to about a mile or a mile and a half. I'm glad I took the breaks. The sun was hot, and I had a side stich, so I didn't want to push myself too hard. But thanks to the combination of walk breaks and the lacking GPS I have no idea how long I was outside for. Oops!

My legs feel pretty good right now. I did my usual stretches afterward...standing pike, high lunge, pigeon pose, mermaid pose, and some lower leg stretches.

High Lunge

Standing Pike

One-legged pigeon pose

Mermaid pose

Lower leg stretch

Can you tell I'm kinda into yoga?

I'll add in The Stick to my post-run routine soon. It's supposed to arrive on Thursday!

May 27th: Conclusion of Week 2

Today I was supposed to run 9 miles.

Bad news?

I only went for 5 miles.

Worse news?

Of those, I only ran 2.5

I feel like a failure. An absolute failure.

I have my excuses, to be sure. I had planned on running around 7:30 when then sun starts to set. It was a really hot day so I didn't want to run with a high sun. However, my boyfriend wanted to go out for dinner tonight so I bumped my run up to 5:00.

I brought water in anticipation of the heat. But something just wasn't right. My stomach felt full and achey after the movie theatre popcorn I had this afternoon. The full and achey feeling combined with the high heat just left me feeling uncomfortable and sickly.

Excuses, excuses.

I stopped running at the 2.5 mark and started the walk of shame back home. I could have shortened the walk home but I wanted to punish myself for quitting.

I feel disappointed in myself now. I cut this run down. I missed one earlier this week. Why do I keep letting myself do this?

I'm regretting telling people my plans to run a marathon. If I fail I'm not just going to disappoint myself. I'm going to disappoint them as well. I don't want this to turn into yet another thing in life that I've attempted and failed at. I don't want people to say 'I told you so.' I just want to do something that will make people proud of me for a change.

I promise to myself week three will be better.

Monday May 28th: 9 miles
Tuesday May 29th: Rest
Wednesday May 30th: 3 miles
Thursday May 31st: 5 miles
Friday June 1st: 3 miles
Saturday June 2nd: Rest
Sunday June 3rd: 6 miles

May 25th: Day 11

Today was a 5 mile run. I intended to do it yesterday, but I went to the beach with some friends instead. Plus it was insanely windy yesterday. Running would have been no fun!

It was a nice run. It's about 70 degrees out, overcast with some sprinkles, so I had no worries of heat or sun in my eyes. 

Lately I've been having some tenderness in my lower legs. Last Saturday I woke up in the middle of the night for some water. I stepped on the ground and...ouch!...my ankle hurt. It's persisted for the past week. And now as my weekly mileage has increased from 5 miles in April to 11-20 miles in May my lower legs feel sore. I'm no physician and never took an anatomy course so I can't say exactly what it is that's bothering me, or whether it's a muscle or a tendon. I spent extra time today stretching and ordered the stick. It should be here in 3-5 business days! 

All I have to say is...ugh. 

May 23rd: Day 10

Today was a short 3 mile run. I picked up the pace considerably from Monday's pace, and even a bit faster than my normal pace! The first two miles were both 8:00 flat, but then I just...got overwhelmed. I tend to do that on short 3 mile runs. I think 'it's only 3 miles I'm almost done. If it's only three why are you working so hard? It's only 3. That's nothing compared to a marathon.' Then I start freaking out, my heart rate goes up, and I feel like quitting. It's horrible, and a mental block I need to get over fast. My last mile was 8:50. 

Ugh.

My body felt fine after. No soreness. My breathing was back to normal within a minute. It's not a physical limitation I experienced today. It was a mental one. 

I need to get over that mentality during short runs! 

May 21st: Day 8

Yesterday was supposed to be my first long run. However, my boss had some personal issues come up so I had to work the late shift.

So I did my long run today instead!

The run was 8 miles long. I started with my usual route through my neighborhood. I start every run on the same path just for the sake of familiarity. I then headed out to the nature trail. I've gone on the nature trail before, but only a few times. This time I went further than I've gone before and took the trail into the city before turning around.

I kept a slow and steady pace throughout my run. I've read that when running the marathon and when training with long runs it's best to add a minute or two to your usual mile pace. So instead of my usual 8:00-8:30 min/mile on shorter runs I kept a 10:00 min/mile pace. I didn't feel winded at all. Not once did my breathing get rough. I was barely sweaty by the end, more so thanks to the sun than anything else. I think for my next long run I should keep a slightly faster pace, perhaps around 9:30 min/mile.

My body felt great after the run. Immediately after I stretched, of course, but now several hours later I'm not sore at all. The only part that 'hurt' was the bottom of my feet. That felt more like the discomfort that comes from standing too long, which makes sense considering my feet were already sore from working 48 hours in the past week!

May 18th: Day 5

Note: I want to write about every day of marathon training, or almost every day. I wrote elsewhere but not on the blog every day this week, so today I'm posting a cliff-notes version of what I have done so far. From here on out I'd like to give a more detailed report.

Right now I have two pairs of running shoes. I have this pair from Nike. I had found them on sale at TJ Maxx last year and fell in love. Naturally I bought the same pair this year when the old ones wore out. I also have a pair of Nike Free Run 2.

Today I ran in the Frees.

It was a short run, just a 3 miler. I ran the first half-mile with my boyfriend. He's been running a half-mile almost daily as stress relief. He's not fast, and it's hard for him, but he enjoys it. I ran the rest on my own.

I did my usual post-running stretches, and right now I'm having some shin pain. I don't think it's shin splints, but something is definitely not right. I'm still new to the Frees--I've only ran in them maybe six or seven times--so I'm thinking this pain is related to the change in shoe style. The second time I ran in them I had intense calf pain for several days after.

Tomorrow is a rest day, then I'm doing the long run in my old shoes. I'll give the Frees another chance, but I might retire them, and just keep them as 'fashion' sneakers...very expensive fashion sneakers.

In the meantime, I'm going to consider the stick.

May 17th: Day 4

Tonight I went for a 5 mile run. I miss night runs! I sweat significantly less, and I love how it feel like I'm floating on the sidewalk. My favorite part of night runs is running through the lawn sprinklers. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite warm enough for that tonight.

And what's even worse, my phone died! So it was the second run in a row where I don't know my exact distance.

It was really a relaxing run without my music. I was able to get lost in my own thoughts and fall into a robotic state of running. It makes me wish the marathon was happening at night, and not in the hot beating sun!

May 15th: Day 2

I'm not exactly sure how far I ran today. I was chugging along, feeling pretty good, when I realized that my GPS hasn't told me how long it's been. Huh, that's odd. It certainly felt like I had reached the 2 mile mark. I looked down to confirm that my GPS had gone haywire. It said I had ran 215 miles, burning a total of 18,000 calories. Hmph.

I kept running for what I think was a little over 3 miles. I felt so anxious not knowing how far I had gone. It made the run not enjoyable at all.

The Official Start of Marathon Training! May 14th: Day 1

Today is the first official day of marathon training! So what's on the schedule today? A whole lot of nothing.

I'm following Hal Higdon's Novice 2 training program. Mondays are rest days. My day will be spent in the dentist's chair.

I can't wait to get started tomorrow!

Keep this in mind

Last week I was out running with a friend. At the very end she started walking and said 'I can't!' as I waited for her at the end of the sidewalk. Then a man and his dog ran by. He said 'don't give up now!'

She finished the run.

Does shopping count as cardio?

I had planned on going for a 3 mile run and then hitting up the weight room today. However, shopping took longer than expected!

My mom and I headed out to an outdoor mall. I really got some good bargains! Most importantly (in my mind) are the running shoes. Last June I decided on a whim to start running so I went to TJ Maxx and got a pair of Nikes on sale for $80. They were perfect. Today I found the exact same pair at the Nike store on sale for $59.99. However, they rang up for $44 at the register. Score!

I also got...two pairs of jeans (from LOFT and Banana Republic), two t-shirts, four sweaters, one long-sleeved t-shirt and a sleeveless shirt.

On the way home we stopped a local general store for homemade cookies, bread, and preserves.

Promise I'll workout tomorrow!

Trying new things

Sorry I've been incredibly absent lately. I keep forgetting that this blog exists! I'll try to keep updating my workout progress as well as my other goals. For whose sake? My own, really. I realize that maybe two people read this blog (Hi, Mom and Grandma!)

This week I've tried a few new things.

1) Weight lifting. I mentioned a few weeks back how I was utterly terrified of the weight room. I was good at squats and tried the dead lift, but still felt out of place. Well, that has been conquered. I took my friend to the gym with me today. Somehow having someone else to show around and teach gave me confidence. We did squats and dead lifts, then I bench pressed for the first time in my life. It felt great.

2) Handstands away from the wall. I've been practicing handstands to reach my goal of a handstand press but haven't yet done handstands away from the wall. Yesterday I practiced with a friend and was able to stay up on my own for a few seconds!

3) This delicious recipe. They were an instant favorite.

Things I need to do on Spring Break

Yup, a list post.

1) Steam clean the carpets. I need to do the living room and sunroom. Good thing I made the investment in a steam cleaner! Renting a Rug Doctor can get expensive.

2) Organize office. I've just been throwing things in there. Definitely need to get organized.

3) Search for holes in fence. And repair it, time permitting.

4) Prune bushes.

5) Work on group project for counseling class.

6) Work on literature review for Research Methods paper.

7) Read Girl, Interrupted

8) Finish reading Making History

I took a break

On one hand, it was nice to take a break from my workouts and really focus on school. I had some big tests and papers to do, and absolutely nailed them!

On the other hand, wow, I kind of regret that. It was 68F and sunny today so I went for a run. 2.3 miles left me feeling a little winded. Not good! I'm making a detailed fitness plan for the next month, and then I'll transition into marathon training. I'll probably post the training plans later this week.

And now for unrelated news: today we welcomed the newest edition to the clan, my niece Kaylie. Happy birthday, baby girl!

Some thoughts on today's food

Health Iowa is offering a program on campus this semester called Passport. Each week there are nutrition and fitness goals. Reaching goals earns points, and if at the end of the nine weeks enough points are earned you get a prize! So of course I signed up.

This week's nutrition goal was to take in the recommended daily amount of fiber, which is 25g-35g. I knew I wasn't getting enough in my diet before. So this week I started keeping a journal (mostly just in my head, though I did write down a few days) of what I was eating. I tracked calories, fiber, and protein. 

Why these three categories? I've mentioned before that I have a problem overeating every now and then. For my age, weight, and activity level I should be eating around 2000 calories per day. I surpass that quite often. I wanted to see where my calories were coming from throughout the day. Then I tracked fiber for two reasons. First, I wanted to keep track for the Passport program. Second, I know that fiber is important for a healthy digestive system. My boyfriend has health problems with his gut, so healthy digestion is important to me. And finally I decided to track protein because it is necessary for muscle development and recovery. It's important to consume protein after a workout, and it will become more important in my life as I slowly overcome my fear of the weight room. 

Let's take a look at today's food.

Total calories: 2580

Total protein: 99g

Total fiber: 24g

...yeah. 

There were successes today. I got pretty close to the recommended amount of fiber. I know better than to dive right in and consume 30g after not eating much. It can cause some intense stomach pain and bowel issues. I'm on the right track by building up to it. 

Downsides? Oh, lots of downsides. 

First, let's start with the calorie intake. I went over by nearly 600 calories. Let me tell you how: donuts. About 10 minutes before I left work tonight the local donut shop sent us over a box. I had a "few." There's my overeating coming in to play again.

Second, let's talk protein. I overdid it. The fitness community I hang around (www.reddit.com/r/fitness) likes to recommend you eat your body weight in grams in protein. That's all broscience. There's actually a nifty little equation found here to figure out roughly how much you need. Someone like me really only needs 45g per day. I doubled that. Why so much? As if all those donuts weren't enough after work I also took home an extra large order of chicken strips. They fit my calorie goal but they pushed me way over the edge for protein. I guess I didn't realize just how much protein things like milk and cheese contain.

These will all be lessons to learn from tomorrow.

* Further information on how much protein you need
* And some information about fiber

Fear

Such a chicken in the weight room

Health Iowa visited my Personal Fitness class today. Health Iowa is associated with Student Health and offers many fitness related services on campus such as fitness testing, goal planning and evaluation, and personal training. Today we did some fitness testing. There were three main areas of evaluation: cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility.

For cardiovascular fitness we first took a resting heart rate then did a step exercise for 3 minutes. We then took another heart rate to see how our bodies handle the stress. I scored in the average range.

For strength testing we did grip strength, upper body strength (pushups) and abdominal strength (curl ups). All the females were forced to do kneeling pushups. I did 35 before I got bored and stopped. I scored well above average for that category. For abdominal strength we did as many curl ups as possible in one minute. I took it easy (because I HATE crunches and anything that resembles a crunch) and scored above average. I scored average for grip strength. 

For flexibility we took a few different measures: trunk lift, trunk extension, toe reach, and arm reach. I scored at the upper end of average in all categories except the toe reach in which I scored above average. 

After the fitness testing our class headed out to the track to either run or walk. I ran 1 mile in 7:23, my fastest timed mile!

When class ended I went up to the weight room. I wanted to do some upper body work and then try the deadlift, which I chickened out on last time. I started off okay. I did some machine chest flys and some lat pull downs. But then I spotted Tyler. Tyler is in my Personal Fitness class and he definitely intimidates me. He's very buff and works around the machines and free weights like a pro. I hate to say it, but I was embarrassed to work out in front of him. I was afraid he'd judge me for only squatting 65 lb. So I finished up with what I'm familiar with and left, tail between my legs. 

I need to make myself familiar with the weight room machines, norms, and etiquette and grow myself some confidence. I can't let fear of judgment get in my way of a good workout. 

Join the club!

Today my mom told me that my little brother wants to take up running. He isn't so little. He's 18 and a freshman in college, the same college I go to. He lives out in the countryside with my parents so he'd start running on some pretty intense rolling hills. I think it would be fun to go on a brother-sister run on campus some time. Maybe we could even run a race together this summer!

On another note, it's my boyfriend's birthday today! We've had sooo much food today. I picked up Dairy Queen for a snack (a medium Strawberry Cheesequake blizzard for him, a mini Reese's blizzard for me) and then an apple pie. We both had a slice. Then I picked up Outback Steakhouse for dinner. I definitely indulged with a bacon cheeseburger and fries. And I ate all of it. Regrets? Maybe a little. But it was all delicious and for a special occasion.

I'm feeling horrible about my diet

I've long had a problem with overeating. It's not so obvious by looking at my body. But it's there. I had this problem in high school where I would eat an entire box of Ho Ho's. The problem got worse when I got to college and had my own apartment. I now routinely eat a box of Kraft mac and cheese for lunch, or eat six chocolate chip cookies for snack. Just a few weeks ago I ate five donuts in one afternoon. Five.

I have a serious binging problem.

To me, junk food is a compulsion. If I see it I have to have it. Leaving it, or not eating it, simply isn't an option. I take home pizzas at work so they don't get thrown away. Any time we have sweets in the house I devour them all often before the boyfriend has any. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing that he doesn't like sweets. I know the cookies aren't going any where, and that I can always make or buy more, but I feel the urge to eat them all NOW.

Why? Why??

I have two theories. First, my dad and brother ate a lot of sweets when I was a kid. A double batch of chocolate chip cookies only lasted two days in our house. So I ate as many as I could because I know they wouldn't be there long. Perhaps I'm still afraid someone else will eat them first, even though I know no one will (the exception being at work)?

Second, and what's probably the real culprit, is that I'm addicted. It's been shown that fatty foods release dopamine in the body. Here is a study where people were shown pictures of fatty foods and their brain activity was recorded.

"In the junk food eaters, the decision-making area of the brain (the orbit frontal cortex) released a surge of dopamine as they looked at high-fat foods. This is the same reaction drug users get when presented with cocaine."

Further, a study was conducted on rats.

"They discovered that when the fatty treats were presented to the rats, they began binge eating them, even though they had an unlimited supply of nutritional food." 

According to the research, my brain reacts to fatty food the same way a drug junkie reacts to cocaine or cigarettes. And even though I have plenty of healthy food at home, my addiction keeps me binging on fatty foods. There's only one way to break an addiction, right?

I got a library card today

My Human Sexuality class requires four books, and papers to be written about these books. I checked out the prices on Amazon and in the bookstore and weighed my options. I could pay $50 or so to get all the books. Or I could just get a library card, which I've been meaning to do any. I went with the library card. I haven't had much time for free reading this semester, but hopefully I'll be able to squeeze some in!

Today's workout: my personal fitness class did run/walk intervals on the track. Everyone else eventually quit running, so I ran a couple laps on my own. We then did supermans, wall sits, leg raises, and crunches. I hate crunches.

Funny running sayings

Click over here for some hilarious shirt suggestions for runners.

My favorites include:

• It's cheaper than therapy.
• This isn't sweat, it's liquid awesome
• And on the seventh day God did an easy three.
• I like running because I really, really like dessert. (I have this one on a water bottle!)
• If you see me collapse, pause my Garmin.

Second trip to the weight room

It's Valentine's Day...and I just got out of the weight room.

Tuesdays are long for me. Thanks to my commute I leave home at 8:30am and return around 9:30pm. I have two classes in the morning followed by a six hour long break, then a night class. Here in a few weeks my personal fitness class will end so I'll have a seven hour long break. I spend the afternoons working out when my fitness class isn't hard enough, studying, and lounging.

Today in my fitness class we talked about nutrition instead of working out. It was all very basic stuff, such as how much fiber you should have in a day (25-35g), how big a serving of meat is (similar to a deck of cards), and why vitamin D is important (helps your bones absorb calcium). So afterward I went to the weight room.

I was still pretty scared and unsure of what I was doing but this time didn't have my teacher to cling to. I started off with an easy 7:40 mile on the track before heading upstairs. I did 3 x 12 leg curls with 40 lb weights, 3 x 20 calf raises with 15 lb weights, 15 lunges with 15 lb weights, and a progression of squats. I started with just the bar, then added 10 lb, then added another 20 lb. I wanted to try the deadlift today but chickened out. I'll definitely get it next time.

Later tonight my boyfriend and I will celebrate Valentine's Day. He's going to make spaghetti dinner and he has a gift for me, presumably roses.

Not a very healthy day

I had to stay late at work last night. My restaurant had a corporate inspection this morning so I had to make sure everything was cleaned properly. I didn't leave until 3am! I then had to wake up early to call my doctor. So I only got about five hours of sleep. That certainly isn't good for a person!

Why did I have to call my doctor so early? Well, look back at this post where I mentioned some pain. I had the same pain back in October, and again about two weeks ago. It was off and on during those months. Each time it seemed to come after intense physical activity, such as a long run or heavy lifting.

I saw a doctor at the free clinic after that post only to be told that my IUD was missing! Her first thought was that it had travelled somewhere beyond my uterus and that I would need surgery to have it removed. I was terrified. Beyond the prospect of possibly being pregnant, I may now need to have surgery? Yikes. I went to the hospital for an xray (after a negative pregnancy test, of course) to see where the IUD had gone. Nothing was found on the xray. I called my gynecologist, not the free clinic, and she talked to the technician who did my xray. She wondered if IUDs would actually show up on an xray, but decided it must have slipped out.

Well. After I went to the weight room yesterday I had that same pain. What's going on? I was told the thing had fallen out. I decided to check it myself only to find that the IUD was actually in place! I had it removed this afternoon. Hopefully that takes care of the pain issue. If pain after physical activity persists I'll now know that it's due to something other than my IUD. I have to keep in mind, though, that I may have some pain in the next month due to my uterus recovering from having the thing yanked out.

Thanks to all that I didn't work out today. Plus my food choices were atrocious. I had: two clementines, three slices of pizza, four Little Debbie heart cakes, three small pieces of chicken breast, homemade potato wedges, and a bunch load of chocolate chip cookies. Ugh, my tummy aches.

I could probably eat an entire box in one sitting

Tomorrow it will be far too cold for an outdoor run, but I will do some kind of exercise at home.

Adventures in the weightroom

Junior high P.E. was a blast. It was before my rebellious days of refusing to dress out in high school. In high school I would 'forget' my clothes then sit grumpily on the bleachers reading books while everyone else threw straight and could run laps without dry heaving.

Junior high was different. In junior high everyone was energetic and wanted to have a good time. There were no favorites on teams because jocks hadn't yet come to be. We all participated in some after school sports (for me it was a short lived week in track, and then a year of cheerleading) so when it came time for P.E. we all played together. We had lessons on the rules of football, dodgeball, hockey, and jump rope. And then there was a two-week lesson on the weight room. Even in the carefree days of junior high I was intimidated by the weight room. I tried the bench press. I tried the overhead press. But I found myself most comfortable with leg exercises. My friends and I spent the two weeks hanging out on the leg press and leg curl machines.

I've been wanting to try weight lifting for some time now. Every now and then I do some exercises at home with dumbbells. But I know that to increase my performance with running, and to do a handstand press, I need to do weight lifting. Resistance training in general is so good for the body. It increases muscle endurance, build muscle mass, and increase bone mass which can prevent osteoporosis.

Yeah...not nearly that much weight

For the first time today in over a decade I went to the weight room. And I was so intimidated. I just stared around at everyone, my classmates included, moving around with ease and comfortable with what they were doing. I clung to my teacher like she was a lifeboat guiding me to safety. She showed me a couple different machine exercises such as chest flies and lat pull downs. She had me do the familiar leg curls. And then we moved on to squats.

I know squats are one of the most important exercises out there. Along with bench press and deadlifts they make up the core of most weight lifting routines (see Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe). These are all known as compound lifts. Unlike curls which isolate and work only one muscle, compound lifts work multiple muscles and therefore accomplish more. A curl will work the bicep, but a bench press will work many muscles in the chest and arms.

I've done body weight squats at home but have always second-guessed my form. So my teacher walked me through how to do squats with a barbell both over the shoulders and in front of the chest. She said that for the most part my form is good, though I do have a tendency to cross my toes over my knees. I did 3 sets of 5 with just the bar (45lb) then added on 10lbs for another 3 reps.

While I didn't do many lifts, today was a huge step forward to me. Hopefully next time I step foot in a weight room I won't feel so intimidated.

It's a beautiful day

It's supposed to reach the upper 40s today! However, I won't be running outside. Boo! 

I had it all planned out to run outside today. Go run at 12:30 which would give me an hour to run and stretch. Come in and shower. Leave for class in time. But for some reason I just wasn't hungry today. I could still go for my run at 12:30, but I know it's a bad idea to run on a completely empty stomach. I've done it before, and those runs just don't go over too well.

So instead of running this afternoon I'm eating a giant bowl of steamed broccoli and working on some readings for class. I'll run on the indoor track in between classes tonight. 

Slacker

Every post I've written this year has related to fitness. That's a good sign that I'm dedicated to my fitness goals. But I made other goals as well! I'm definitely slacking on those other goals.

I finally picked up my camera today for the first time in weeks. I managed to snap a few pictures at my mom's surprise birthday party. I guess I haven't done anything too picture-worthy lately.

I've read one and a half books so far this year. I read Once A Runner, which was a Christmas gift from my brother. I got half way through Making History by Stephen Fry but haven't read at all since the semester started. I think I will read a bit tonight. I really need to make a point to read at least 15 pages per day. It's not a lot, but that would put me on track to read one or two books per month depending on length.

And I haven't sewn at all! My sister's new baby is due in March and I'd like to make something for her. I really need to pick a pattern and get to sewing!

Check out these pictures

Here's a link comparing olympic athletes from all different sports. It's very interesting to see how athletic bodies vary!

Why do I run?

I ran an easy 4.25 this afternoon. It was snowing, a wet and slushy kind of snow. By the end of it my gloves were soaked and my legs were covered in mud. Afterwards I did 40 pushups, 100 crunches (even though I hate crunches. I just really wanted to complete a quest on Fitocracy), two sets of plank, and side plank. It was a good workout. Intense enough so I don't feel bad about eating so much chocolate today, but not too intense to leave me feeling wiped.

My boyfriend asked me why I run today. The short answer, and the true answer, is simply because it's fun. If I didn't enjoy it I wouldn't do it. I'm happy when I run. Even if I'm in a horrible mood, such as last week when my dog ran away in below zero wind chills, a good run will cheer me right up. Some people look miserable when running. Hell, I probably look miserable when running, too, with all the sweat, snot, and what have you. This is what most people look like when running.

But this is what I feel like on the inside.

I feel like I'm constantly smiling when I run.

Plus there are tons of health benefits to running. It can help with weight loss, improve your cardiovascular health, increase stamina and endurance, build leg muscle, so on and so forth.

But why do I really run? Sure, for all the reasons listed above. But honestly? It's when I feel like I'm doing something worthwhile with my life. My life has been full of mediocrity and failure. This is especially evident when compared to my high school friends. Four of us girls were so close in high school. Brenda just graduated and is searching for a 'real' job. Annie is currently in a Master's program. Jenn is graduated with her own business and getting married in June. And where am I? I'm a part time pizza manager. I failed out of my university, went to community college for one year, and am now about a year from graduating from the university. And I didn't get a wedding invitation.

I was a slacker in high school. I didn't take class seriously but passed all the tests with flying colors thanks to my good memory. I thought college would be different. I'd be surrounded by people like me, and I'd be challenged intellectually. But I was also a slacker in college. I thought that since class wasn't required it wouldn't be necessary. Then when I started falling behind I was afraid to reach out for help. I had always been yelled at for failing to play the role in high school whether role was student or proper young lady. Doing things wrong, or not doing things at all, always landed me in trouble. I thought my instructors and advisor in college would be mad at me for being an awful student. So I avoided them. I felt guilty. I slept a lot and cried for squandering opportunity. For three fucking years. It took me completely bottoming out to realize what I was doing wrong with my life.

But that's not who I am anymore. I'm studying hard, working and saving money. I'm not afraid to say 'help me' when it's needed. I'm still far behind, though, both in school and in life as a whole.

So I run. When I run I can forget my problems. Nothing matters for the next 8 miles. Nothing matters as I sprint around the track. Running makes me happy. Running makes me feel productive. I may not own a business, be engaged, or be writing a Master's thesis, but I can run. By the end of this year I'll have a marathon under my belt. 26.2 means something. It's an accomplishment. Amid failing out of college, an overpriced humanities degree, and a slave-wage manager position, at least I can take pride in what my body is capable of. Running makes me feel worthwhile.

If anyone asks, just tell them I do it for fun. Okay?

Maybe I'm just doing it wrong

Anyone who knows me can tell you I have horrible time management. I consistently show up 5 minutes late to work. If I tell you I'll be there at 11:00, expect me closer to 11:10. Thanks to my awful time management I only had 40 minutes at the gym, not just to work out but also to shower and change.

Of course I headed straight to the track. I ran my first mile in 7:45 and then my second mile in 7:55. But here's where I went wrong. Instead of going for another mile I decided to hop on the stationary bike. Maybe I'm doing it wrong but I get nothing out of the stationary bike. To be fair, I only spent 10:20 and 3 miles on it. I had it set to level 10, though I'm not sure what the means exactly in terms of resistance. Maybe if I spent half an hour on the bike I'd get more out of it, but just sitting there is just as boring as running on the treadmill. I really don't think it's for me. I've tried the bike at the gym before, but I'd much rather be running. It's not nearly as bad as people think!

On the other hand, I can't wait until the snow and ice is gone so I can take out my new bike! There are so many bike paths around here I'd like to explore, and then some!

Today and yesterday's workout

Let's begin with yesterday: I went to the rec center around 5pm. Oh goodness, was it crowded! There wasn't a single locker open in the locker room. The track was absolutely swarming with people, a good majority of them being walkers. I managed to run 5k in 25:30 then did a long plank and side plank. I wanted to follow up on the stationary bicycle but literally every machine in the building was taken.

Now for today's workout: let me preface this all by saying I was having some severe pain this morning. I was unable to sleep last night because this sharp stabbing pain in my lady regions kept me up. It's an intense pain that I've experienced before that comes in waves. I've never experienced child birth, but if I had to guess, I'd say it feels like contractions. It persisted in the morning but thankfully went away by the afternoon. And yes, I'm going to go see a doctor. Don't worry. 

Despite all of this I still had to go to my personal fitness class. The teacher set up 18 stations throughout the room. We spent a minute and a half at each station before moving immediately to the next. The stations were (in the order I did them): oblique heel reaches, jump squats, arm circles, mountain climbers, v-ups, bicycles, skipping, jump rope, body weight squats, high knees/butt kicks, pushups, jump overs, body weight lunges, superman, jogging in place, jumping jacks, calf raises, and grapevines. Even though I was tired and still experiencing pain I gave it my all. No half-assing. No giving up. No laughing because I felt silly. I did it all. 

Mixed feelings of today's workout

This afternoon I couldn't decide what to do for a workout. So I logged on to Fitocracy (I have invites if you want one) and decided to knock out a quest. I decided on the As Seen On TV! quest. Jumping jacks, bodyweight lunges, bodyweight squats, pushups, plank, crunches, and bicycle abs. That's not too bad. I did more reps than required by the quest plus added in side plank. I much prefer plank for core building over crunches, but I did the crunches today solely to complete a quest. I'll explain my dislike for crunches at a later time.

Afterwards I wasn't satisfied with my day's workout so I hopped on the treadmill and ran a mile. I ran it in 8:40 with a 2% incline, later increasing to 3% incline in the last quarter mile. I really hate the treadmill. First, it's boring. I just stare at the wall and try to find my happy place. Second, and more important, it's limiting. You're stuck running at one speed, unless of course you want to adjust buttons the entire time. You can't truly push yourself. You're just running with the belt. I much prefer running outside or on a track where I'm truly in control of how I run.

I cooled down from the run by walking a quarter mile at 4mph with a 6% incline. I then moved to stretching. I love stretching. My post-run stretching is very yoga-inspired. It relaxes me so much. After today's stretching I was so relaxed and happy. I felt very at peace with myself.

Overall, today's workout isn't something I typically like. But at least it ended on a good note.

A whole lot of running today

Today I ran a lot, but almost none of it was recorded properly.

First, my boyfriend woke me up around 7:45 saying that my little dog had escaped. His tie-out wasn't attached properly so he ran away. The little dog thinks it's a game. He thinks its funny to run around and have me chase him. I would normally walk around leisurely until he decides to come in, but today it was 0F and windy, plus I had class! I spent roughly an hour running through snow banks, up hills, and over ice chasing him. Sometimes I sprinted. Sometimes it was a nice easy jog. For an HOUR. Yes, an HOUR. I didn't catch him. So I left to go to my next class, leaving the poor boy outside in the cold (it's okay, though. My boyfriend stopped by on his lunch break an hour later and caught him. He's safe inside right now).

I was in a horrible mood by the time I got to my second class. Thankfully, that class was Personal Fitness and today was running day. We ran a timed mile where I clocked in a 7:43. Best in the class! I ran an easy half mile (un-timed) to recover. We went back out to the track a few minutes later where everyone did their own thing. Some people walked the entire time, some people walked half the time and jogged half the time. I chose to do intervals. I did two laps easy followed by one lap sprinting. I lost track of how many intervals I did, but it came out to be roughly 15 minutes of intervals.

I wish I had times and distances for everything. Oh well. It was a good workout on an otherwise awful day.

I had a bad day

I had a bad and very long day.

Today was the first day of the semester. My first class is Quantitative Data Analysis. My second class is Personal Fitness. I then have a long break (to be consumed by working out and studying) before my final class of the day--Counseling for Related Professions.

However, I missed all of these. My boyfriend's health hasn't been too good lately so we spent today at the hospital. That's okay. I e-mailed all of my professors and they were completely understanding. I'm doing some school work now!

My time not spent at the hospital today was spent shoveling snow from the driveway, taking care of dogs, and cleaning the house. So now I'm cold and exhausted.

A lot of little things have been bothering me lately. By the time we got home from the hospital tonight I was so upset at expectations placed on me. There's a lot more to this story, but it's something that I don't have the finesse to explain in blog form. So this week instead of having goals and a to-do list in the side bar, I'm simply going to list things that make me happy. I'll probably add some more throughout the week. That small list is a start.

Enjoy some kittens.

And puppies!

Today's workout and new purchases!

This morning I did a little shopping! I went to the mall to pick up the bracelet that my sister gave me for her wedding. It was too big so I had it shortened. I stopped by Victoria's Secret to check out the semi-annual sale (ending soon!) but didn't see anything worth my hard earned money. Yeah, there were plenty of cute things, but nothing that I absolutely HAD to have. The same thing happened at TJ Maxx. I didn't go home empty handed, though. I picked up another sports bra and pair of knee length running tights at Target. They are my absolute faves. I also found a pullover hooded sweatshirt on clearance for $9! I snapped it up and might go back for another! I wore it today while running and absolutely loved it. The only downside is it's a bit difficult to take off when sweaty.

These are my old running tights. I bought the exact same pair today. I love
how my butt looks in them!

I also picked out a new planner. For the past two years I've been using the same Moleskine weekly planner. It's absolutely perfect! However, I wasn't able to find it in any stores and really need it before the semester starts tomorrow. I found something with a similar layout at Target. Let's just hope the quality holds up all year long. My planners tend to take quite the beating.

I ended up skipping my workout yesterday. It was far too windy to go running, and I was unable to find the motivation to do anything else. I did get out today, though! I ran 4.3 miles in 38:41 then did 30 pushups, plank and side plank. I'm getting kind of bored of just doing pushups, plank and side plank. I need to reach out and do some different post-running exercises!

I practiced some wall handstands as well. My first few days doing them I rushed to get off the wall. Now I'm more concerned about the strength required, so I'm just focusing on staying in the hand stand position against the wall for extended periods of time.

Sh*t girls say to personal trainers

Warning, there's some inappropriate language, but it's funny!

I guess it could be worse

It's supposed to get up to 39 today, so I guess it's not too bad! However, my town isn't too good about clearing snow and ice. I'll have to bundle up and take it slow so I don't injure myself.

Or...you know...puss out and just do body weight exercises indoors.

Today's workout: exhilarating and disappointing

Today I had to go to my college town to buy a text book for class. Classes start next Tuesday! While I was there I hit up the recreation center for a yoga class. Since I arrived a few minutes early I ran a few laps on the track. I lost track of laps and wasn't keeping exact track of time, but I think I ran roughly 1.3 miles in roughly 10 minutes. I was keeping a faster than normal pace. On the last three or four laps I gradually picked up the pace with each passing lap until I was absolutely flying on the last lap. I wish I could have kept going, but I had a yoga class to make!

I've practiced yoga many times before. I've only taken one class before with this particular instructor. Today's class was calmer than what I'm used to, but it was still invigorating and worked the entire body.

What I did today was good. I worked my body, pushed the pace with running, and tried new poses in yoga. The run was absolutely exhilarating! However, I didn't feel sore or tired from any of it. As I was showering in the locker room I kept thinking 'that's it? Why am I showering? I hardly broke a sweat!' I actually feel a bit disappointed in myself for not doing more after the yoga class.

Who knew I'd ever consider running a mile and an hour of yoga to be disappointing. Me from just one year ago would be in disbelief.

A beautiful day before the snow

This afternoon is was 52F and not a cloud in the sky. Right now? In the teens, windy, and snow on the way. Boo!!! Oh well. It's odd how long we've gone without Iowa Winter setting in. I'm ready for the snow, blustery wind, and numbing temperatures.

I had a good run today. I did 5.25 miles in 46:15. I came inside for plank and side plank. I reached a new personal record on plank of 180 seconds! I wanted to do much more, but I got called in to work early.

I'm hoping that at least the wind backs off so I can keep running outside. I'd like to do another 3-5 mile run sometime this week, and then do a longer run on Sunday. I'm at work all day tomorrow (plus the bulk of the snow comes tomorrow!) so I'll be doing body weight exercises indoors.

Now a quick shout-out to one of my fellow newbie runner friends who ran 23km today! That translates to a little over 14 miles! Great job, girl!

Today's workout

Today I ran 4 miles in 35:20. It was a nice easy pace as I was experiencing some side pain. For a while there I was convinced my appendix was going to burst, so all through mile 2 I was imagining what I would want to bring with me to the hospital. Turns out I'm fine.

I then picked up my little dog and headed to the park for some hanging leg raises, pushups, plank and side plank. Also at the park was a mom with a darling toddler and two big dogs. Jack was intent on sniffing and playing with the dogs, but he can't be trusted off-leash. After our time at the park we went walking for one mile.

When I workout I tend to listen to the same music. For example, when I run I listen to Lady Gaga. Every run starts with 'Marry The Night.' When I practice handstands I listen to '4 Minutes' by Madonna and Justin Timberlake. Normally when I do any other kind of exercise I listen to terrible pop music like Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus. However, I've been really into rap lately. For the past several workouts I've been using Eminem during my pushups, plank, and side plank. It might be the new 'normal' for me even though I'm not usually a rap fan.

Today's inspiration

Calf muscles are feeling better

Tuesday's workout left my calf muscles aching, and it was only exacerbated by running on Wednesday. I spent the past two days limping around like a zombie. I woke up this morning to a little soreness and tightness in my calf muscles, but decided to run anyway.

I did 5k in 25:30. I then took my dog to the park and did 30 pushups, 35 hanging leg raises (with bent leg), plank, and side plank. I tried to run with my dog but he was being uncooperative. We ended up running for about 3 blocks, then walked the remaining 3 or so blocks home.

My calf muscles are still aching a little bit. I'm also having a little soreness on my right ankle. I finished my workout two hours ago, and it's gotten no worse. I'm hoping this won't develop into a few more days of zombie walking.

Today: nailed it

Yesterday's workout left my calves feeling very tight. They are so bad in fact that I can hardly lower my heels in down dog. It hurts! Normally when I do calf raises I do them from a flat floor or from a piece of wood. Yesterday I decided to do them on the stairs. Ouchie.

I went for a run anyway today. And oh boy, was it a good one.

I mentioned a few days back that I've been falling into a steady and easy pace with all my runs. Today was one of those days where I felt like kicking it up a notch, but again not to full exertion. Mile 1 was 8:15. Mile 2 was 8:09. And then, of freaking course, my phone died. I use my phone to track runs (using Endomondo) and to listen to music. So I ran the remain 1.1 miles with just me and the pavement. I've done this route many times before, so I know it comes to a full 5k. And I also kept up the pace.

I left at 2:36. I came in at 3:01. So that's a 25 minute 5k right there. My usual 5k time is 26-28 minutes.

I wanted to go to the park for some hanging leg raises and chin ups, but a train was passing by. Instead I did plank (150 seconds!) and side plank (60 seconds both sides).

My calves still hurt, though.

I can recognize my procrastination

I can recognize my procrastination, yet fail to do anything about it. This afternoon I was playing on the internet, and found myself clicking link after link for some form of entertainment. One more picture, one more interesting article, one more laugh. Why? I had so many things I wanted to do. Read a few more chapters of Once a Runner, do the dishes, clean up the dog's mess, workout...but I kept clicking links and wasting away the afternoon.

I was finally able to snap my butt into gear if only for a bit. I read 20 pages of Once a Runner and then worked out.

Today's workout started with 20 pushups. I practiced handstands against the wall (and did a few handstand pushups against the wall). Then I did calf raises with 15 lb weights, lunges with 15 lb weights, russian twists, plank, side plank, and 20 minutes of yoga. The entire yoga video is 40 minutes, I think, but I ran out of time. Also I set a new personal record of both plank and side plank! I held plank for 100 seconds and side plank for 70 seconds on each side.

This is the yoga video I followed.

I'm sure I've posted it before. It's one of my favorite videos! It is part 1 of 4. You can look for the entire series on youtube by searching 'yoga for weightloss.'

Just not feeling it today

Today is one of those days where I'm just not feeling it. Things that happened at work last night have left me feeling very stressed and upset. I know some people relieve stress throughout exercise, but for me...exercising when feeling this kind of stress just leads to more stress.

I would have liked to go for a nice long run, but it's even more windy today than it was yesterday. I ran 1 mile on the treadmill at 7mph, then did 45 pushups, 30 jumpsquats, plank and side plank. I started doing a yoga video on YouTube but just couldn't stay focused. I know I can do better than this. I know my body and my mind are capable of more. I'm just letting stupid things cloud my mind today. I think I'm going to try some meditation before I go in to work tonight. And fingers crossed that the person who caused all this isn't there.