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!