So far so good with my Holiday Running Streak - I've managed to run 1 mile or more every day since Thanksgiving so far! Yippee!!! I rarely run every day, so I was a little concerned about whether or not I'd be able to keep up with this, but it's honestly been easier than I thought. 1 mile is like 10-15 minutes of my day, so even if I'm in a hurry, there's no reason I can't spare that small amount of time, right?
The part I wasn't expecting was my apparent inability to take it easy every now and then once I get outside on the trail or hop on the treadmill. Tonight was supposed to be my rest day because I haven't really taken one since I started this streak. I was a starting to get a little worried that I might injure myself by not resting, so I tried to be serious about the rest day today. Gaaaahhhh!!!! I vowed not to run over 1 mile, and to take it slow. I stepped onto the treadmill and walked to warm up, then set the pace to a nice even 6 mph for myself. As I started running, though, I had one of those out-of-body experiences where I could see my own hand reach out and bump up the incline on the treadmill, even though my mind was yelling at it and scolding me. My head was saying "go slow", but my hand (aka my competitive side) was hyperventilating at the thought of not giving it my all. And so I ran my slower, shorter run for my rest day at an increased incline. ....Sigh.....
At least it was better than my attempt at an easy day earlier this week. I have been running 4 miles now, so I was just going to run 1 mile, but make it intense. I didn't want to over-do it on the distance; I'd heard that runners shouldn't increase their weekly mileage more than 10% per week, which meant, I couldn't run 4 miles every day. So 1 mile it was. To satisfy myself, I was going to make it a hard mile though and really go all out. I took off at 7mph (the speed I usually try to end my runs on as my last-ditch push), and it felt fast. Really fast. I felt like I was sprinting. As I ran/sprinted, I quickly figured out in my nerdy accountant brain that I'd finish my mile in around 8:30 at this pace. Wait - what?!?!?!?! I'd never run a mile that fast in my life. Sweet! Now I had to do it. Because that would be totally awesome. :o)
The only problem was, that my crazy lady mind thought it would be even more awesome if I could keep that pace for 2 miles. Because that would mean I would run 2 miles in around 17 minutes. 17 minutes! Yes, you read that correctly. (My previous best for 2 miles was somewhere in the upper 18 minute range.) That seemed so completely outrageous to me, that I decided I was going to do it. I was dying, but I could make it. I mean, I had to be almost 1 mile in by now. Except when I looked down, it was way closer to a half mile in - and I already couldn't breathe. I wasn't going to make it 2 miles like this. But 17 minutes!!! That was more than 11 minutes faster than I could run 2 miles when I first started running. It would be AMAZING! I looked down again. Still not close to the 1 mile mark. BREATHE!!!
I closed my eyes for a second, took a deep breath, relaxed my shoulders, and tried to convince myself that 7 mph was a nice, easy pace. I wasn't sprinting. I could do this. I just needed to relax. I opened my eyes, and although I wasn't much closer to reaching a mile, I felt better. I alternated back and forth between relaxed and within inches of sure death, past the 1 mile mark, and past the 1.5 mile mark. I was so close. I couldn't give up now. I just kept thinking of the 17 minutes. I hadn't tortured my body for a mile and a half to give up now. So I concentrated on breathing and relaxing rather than on my legs, which wanted to just give out. I started counting down the tenths of a mile. I couldn't even kick up the speed the last couple tenths of a mile, but I didn't care. I was going to make it - and I did. I ran 2 miles in 17:09 that day. Despite the fact that I wanted to fall over the side of the treadmill in exhaustion or sit right down even though the belt was still going, I was full of smiles and felt fantastic! I was pretty sore the next day too, but it was so worth it. :o)
Now I just have to keep the streak going for another few weeks until the end of the year (scary that it's so close, actually!), and I'll have conquered another goal in my running adventure. I never thought I'd be where I'm at right now, and I have no idea where this journey will take me next. But I'm excited to find out!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Friday, November 23, 2012
Going Streaking!
I almost forgot! I saw this great challenge on the internet the other day from Runner's World: the 2012 Runner's World Holiday Running Streak. (2012 Runner's World Holiday Running Streak)
The idea is to run at least 1 mile per day, every day, from Thanksgiving until New Year's day. And I almost blew it on day 1 by not running today! Haha! I didn't run or work out yesterday, and I was SO not in the mood to do anything at all today other than sit on the couch - I didn't even get out of my pajamas until 4:00pm when my parents were on their way over to eat some leftovers. I was in that danger zone of trying to rationalize not running or exercising today either when I was browsing my Pinterest page and happened to catch a glimpse of my own pin for this Running Streak Challenge. Holy cow! How could I fail on day 1 of a challenge I'd decided to commit to? Pretty lame. I couldn't handle being that lousy person who gives up before they even start, so I sighed, mustered up all my strength, and got off the couch to change into my running clothes. I went downstairs and did my push-ups for the day (from the Hundred Push-Ups Challenge I'm also doing), and then stared at the treadmill. Ugh. My head hurt and I just wanted to go back upstairs to be honest. As I stood there contemplating my next move, I thought, what the heck - 1 mile is only like 10 minutes. Could I really not suck it up for less than 10 minutes? So I got on the treadmill and decided I'd just run for 2 miles today. The thought of 4 miles again today was daunting. I was already tired, and I think the length of the 4 mile run was what was scaring me away. 2 miles would be under 20 minutes - I could handle that. And it would help me keep (start) my streak for the Holiday Running Streak challenge.
So I decided that if I was only going to run 2 miles, I'd at least make it worthwhile and run fast. Plus, it would be over quicker that way! Haha! I ended up finishing the 2 miles in 18:12 - a personal best - and starting off my streak on a good note.
Who's going to join me? This will help keep me motivated and on track during the holidays, and after all, 10-15 minutes to run or walk one mile really isn't so bad. If I can't spare 10 minutes of my bad, that's a pretty lame excuse. That's worth waking up 10 minutes early for just to keep the streak going! Let's go streaking!! :o)
The idea is to run at least 1 mile per day, every day, from Thanksgiving until New Year's day. And I almost blew it on day 1 by not running today! Haha! I didn't run or work out yesterday, and I was SO not in the mood to do anything at all today other than sit on the couch - I didn't even get out of my pajamas until 4:00pm when my parents were on their way over to eat some leftovers. I was in that danger zone of trying to rationalize not running or exercising today either when I was browsing my Pinterest page and happened to catch a glimpse of my own pin for this Running Streak Challenge. Holy cow! How could I fail on day 1 of a challenge I'd decided to commit to? Pretty lame. I couldn't handle being that lousy person who gives up before they even start, so I sighed, mustered up all my strength, and got off the couch to change into my running clothes. I went downstairs and did my push-ups for the day (from the Hundred Push-Ups Challenge I'm also doing), and then stared at the treadmill. Ugh. My head hurt and I just wanted to go back upstairs to be honest. As I stood there contemplating my next move, I thought, what the heck - 1 mile is only like 10 minutes. Could I really not suck it up for less than 10 minutes? So I got on the treadmill and decided I'd just run for 2 miles today. The thought of 4 miles again today was daunting. I was already tired, and I think the length of the 4 mile run was what was scaring me away. 2 miles would be under 20 minutes - I could handle that. And it would help me keep (start) my streak for the Holiday Running Streak challenge.
So I decided that if I was only going to run 2 miles, I'd at least make it worthwhile and run fast. Plus, it would be over quicker that way! Haha! I ended up finishing the 2 miles in 18:12 - a personal best - and starting off my streak on a good note.
Who's going to join me? This will help keep me motivated and on track during the holidays, and after all, 10-15 minutes to run or walk one mile really isn't so bad. If I can't spare 10 minutes of my bad, that's a pretty lame excuse. That's worth waking up 10 minutes early for just to keep the streak going! Let's go streaking!! :o)
Happy Thanksgiving!
I feel like I'm finally beginning to recover from the chaos of Thanksgiving yesterday. For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to cook Thanksgiving dinner myself this year rather than making the endless driving tour back and forth between different family members' houses all day long like we end up doing every holiday. I thought it would be so nice just to stay at home and enjoy my holiday by having all the family come to us. I think I severely underestimated the amount of work that goes into cooking a Thanksgiving dinner for 11 people - and the amount of space in my oven. Nevertheless, I pulled it off, even if my back was sore from standing on kitchen tile for 8+ hours and my feet and ankles were pulsing with so much pain and soreness that it was keeping me from sleeping even though I was really tired. And I was right - it actually WAS really nice to have everyone over our house for once.
And because I was in charge of the menu, I decided to take advantage of that and make it a healthier Thanksgiving than I could get somewhere else. I was bound and determined to show my family members that I could make a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner my way and that they wouldn't even miss all the fat, butter, etc. that is usually synonymous with the holiday. I spent a good deal of time searching for a healthy turkey recipe and some healthy side dishes to go along with it and was finally set. The whole menu would feature only 2 tablespoons of butter - risky, I know, but I was hoping it was going to be worth it. Here is a list of the recipes I used:
Cute, right? I love it, but then again, I tend to have an odd sense of humor! :o) Otherwise, I think there were a couple things I would improve upon the next time around (the herbs on the potatoes were a little strong, but then again I was doubling the recipe; and the stuffing wasn't quite as flavorful as I was hoping), but I didn't poison anyone, and no one was sitting around feeling like they were in a health food store. If nothing else, I at least stood my ground and was able to show everyone that healthy food can still be good - and that you might not even realize it's healthy - and it doesn't have to be a tofu turkey.
On the downside, I failed to get in a run or any other type of workout on Thanksgiving. I promised myself I'd be sure to take a break and get in at least a mile or a plank and some push-ups. But I was having a hard enough time trying to wrangle the platters in and out of the oven, juggle pots and pans on the stove, and getting everything ready on time, that I was sweating from the intensity of the chaos. And the fact that it was 77 degrees in the house even though we had the windows and door open, and the a/c on at 70 degrees. And by the time dinner was over, everyone was gone, and the clean-up was under way, it was all I could do just to get the dishes washed and tables torn down. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I actually dragged one of the kitchen chairs over to the sink and sat on it to finish the last of the dishes!!!! Hahaha! My feet and ankles were so sore that running was definitely out of the question. And then I made the mistake of sitting down on the couch - and couldn't get up after that. Total fail in the workout department yesterday. Which means I better get my butt off the couch now and go do something!
And because I was in charge of the menu, I decided to take advantage of that and make it a healthier Thanksgiving than I could get somewhere else. I was bound and determined to show my family members that I could make a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner my way and that they wouldn't even miss all the fat, butter, etc. that is usually synonymous with the holiday. I spent a good deal of time searching for a healthy turkey recipe and some healthy side dishes to go along with it and was finally set. The whole menu would feature only 2 tablespoons of butter - risky, I know, but I was hoping it was going to be worth it. Here is a list of the recipes I used:
- Herb Roasted Turkey
- Healthy Stuffing
- Herb Roasted Potatoes
- Green Beans with Miso and Almonds
- Lemon Thyme-Tinged Corn
- Ratatouille Polenta Bake
- Fruit Turkey(haha - this was just something silly)
- Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
- Salad
Cute, right? I love it, but then again, I tend to have an odd sense of humor! :o) Otherwise, I think there were a couple things I would improve upon the next time around (the herbs on the potatoes were a little strong, but then again I was doubling the recipe; and the stuffing wasn't quite as flavorful as I was hoping), but I didn't poison anyone, and no one was sitting around feeling like they were in a health food store. If nothing else, I at least stood my ground and was able to show everyone that healthy food can still be good - and that you might not even realize it's healthy - and it doesn't have to be a tofu turkey.
On the downside, I failed to get in a run or any other type of workout on Thanksgiving. I promised myself I'd be sure to take a break and get in at least a mile or a plank and some push-ups. But I was having a hard enough time trying to wrangle the platters in and out of the oven, juggle pots and pans on the stove, and getting everything ready on time, that I was sweating from the intensity of the chaos. And the fact that it was 77 degrees in the house even though we had the windows and door open, and the a/c on at 70 degrees. And by the time dinner was over, everyone was gone, and the clean-up was under way, it was all I could do just to get the dishes washed and tables torn down. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I actually dragged one of the kitchen chairs over to the sink and sat on it to finish the last of the dishes!!!! Hahaha! My feet and ankles were so sore that running was definitely out of the question. And then I made the mistake of sitting down on the couch - and couldn't get up after that. Total fail in the workout department yesterday. Which means I better get my butt off the couch now and go do something!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Injured Abs and Broken Cars
So it's my day off work, and I had grand plans to sleep in, relax, and get myself ready to host Thanksgiving at my house. Yes - I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year - first time for everything, right? I'm surprised, though, because I'm not even a bit nervous about cooking for 11 people. All this experimenting I've done with cooking over the past year has really given me a strange confidence in cooking new recipes! I've never in my life cooked a turkey (just watched my mother and grandma cook theirs), and I've only made one of the other side dishes I'm planning for that day. Yet - no nerves whatsoever. In fact, I'm excited! (For anyone who knows me well, the thought of me being excited to cook for 11 people is mind-boggling.) But seriously - I can't wait to show everyone how awesome my healthy cooking can be! Sad, I know - but these are the kinds of things that get me stoked nowadays. :o)
Anyhow, instead of sleeping in, I've been awake since 6:00am, tossing and turning, and finally got out of bed at 7:30. Not only were there a thousand things running through my mind about Thanksgiving, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, etc., but I couldn't stop thinking about the impending doom from the car service shop that was headed my way this week. My husband's truck died on his way to work yesterday, and my dad and I were able to figure out that the fuel pump is bad and needs replacing. Now my dad is pretty handy when it comes to fixing cars, but he just doesn't have the right tools and equipment for this job, so we had to take it in to the shop. Ugh. If there's one thing I hate, it's the thought of car service shops. Especially as a girl. Those service guys automatically assume they can pull one over on you because you're female. Never mind that I know how to change my own oil, rotate my tires, identify headers on a hot rod, etc etc. I must obviously lack car knowledge because of my gender, right? (Read with heavy sarcasm...) Grrrr. My dad also estimated for me that the repair would probably cost anywhere from $400 - $800. Ouch. Not something I'm looking forward to, especially right before the holidays.
On top of all that, I was so uncomfortable that I couldn't fall back to sleep. I'm not sure exactly what I did, but at some point yesterday or in the last couple days, I must have over-done something, and injured a muscle in my abs. I first noticed it last night. I had run really hard on the treadmill yesterday evening and not had time to properly cool down and stretch, since I was trying to be on time to pick up my husband from work (the other joys of the truck being out of commission). Later last night, I got ready to do my exhaustion test for the Hundred Push Ups Challenge after completing Week 2. I got in plank position, noticing that my abs felt tighter and more sore than usual, but didn't really think anything of it. Until I got to push-up number 4 and felt a stabbing pain in my right side mid-ab muscles. I held myself up for a few seconds and took a deep breath, then attempted another push up, only to feel the same stabbing pain. I'm not talking sore muscle pain here, folks. I can deal with that and push through it for a few push ups. I've never experienced this before. So I tried to make the safe choice and postpone my exhaustion test. I laid down to stretch out my abs and vowed to try again the next day. Maybe I just needed some rest and was over-doing it with the push ups challenge, the hard run today, and a plank a day. Unfortunately, the pain has yet to go away. It's not that I feel it every minute of every day, but normal activities like going from sitting to laying, laying to sitting, or bending at the waist to pick something up produce the same sharp pain. So while I'm tossing and turning in bed this morning, I got the stabbing pain in my abs every time I tried to move myself into a different position. It just wasn't working. So I got out of bed, even though I feel like a zombie right now. I have more than enough to do this week to keep me busy, but a nice day of sleeping in sure would have felt nice.
On the positive side, my run yesterday was fantastic. I was in a hurry because I knew I had to pick up my husband, so I set the treadmill to a pretty decent pace. I was feeling good, and about a mile in, I went to check the time and realized I didn't have my watch on, my cell phone was upstairs charging, and there wasn't a clock anywhere in the basement. Crap. I started racking my brain to remember what time I'd ventured downstairs. I knew it was after 7:00pm, but how far after that? I needed to leave the house by 8:00pm, but I also wanted to get in 3.5 miles, and I'd already used up 5 minutes on warming up before starting my run. So I settled on the fact that I'd started my warm up at 7:15pm (a nice conservative guess in my opinion), and from there realized I needed to hurry if I planned on changing out of my sweaty workout clothes before leaving the house! So I kicked it up a notch, and every time I got tired, I reminded myself that I really really wanted to get in 3.5 miles (since today is supposed to be the day I transition to 3.75 miles), and that I was limited on time. There was no room for slacking. Too bad if I couldn't breathe or my legs were tired. And you know what? It totally worked! Haha! I finished 3.5 miles in record time, hopped off the treadmill without cooling down, skipped the stretching (I know I know - both mortal running sins! don't kill me!), and ran upstairs to change and head out the door (still sweating, actually). But despite the rushing around, I felt awesome. It was a great run, I was exhausted and worn out, which meant I was smiling and refreshed.
Hopefully I can get over whatever is aggravating my ab muscles ASAP now. I am a firm believer in resting if you're injured, but I'm making such good progress in my running, planks, and push ups that I hate to see it all disappear. :o( Think happy, healing thoughts for me! I'm off to the grocery store and to run some errands. Hoping to get outside and run today too, since it's supposed to be in the 50's! (Heat wave - lol!) Have a great day!
Anyhow, instead of sleeping in, I've been awake since 6:00am, tossing and turning, and finally got out of bed at 7:30. Not only were there a thousand things running through my mind about Thanksgiving, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, etc., but I couldn't stop thinking about the impending doom from the car service shop that was headed my way this week. My husband's truck died on his way to work yesterday, and my dad and I were able to figure out that the fuel pump is bad and needs replacing. Now my dad is pretty handy when it comes to fixing cars, but he just doesn't have the right tools and equipment for this job, so we had to take it in to the shop. Ugh. If there's one thing I hate, it's the thought of car service shops. Especially as a girl. Those service guys automatically assume they can pull one over on you because you're female. Never mind that I know how to change my own oil, rotate my tires, identify headers on a hot rod, etc etc. I must obviously lack car knowledge because of my gender, right? (Read with heavy sarcasm...) Grrrr. My dad also estimated for me that the repair would probably cost anywhere from $400 - $800. Ouch. Not something I'm looking forward to, especially right before the holidays.
On top of all that, I was so uncomfortable that I couldn't fall back to sleep. I'm not sure exactly what I did, but at some point yesterday or in the last couple days, I must have over-done something, and injured a muscle in my abs. I first noticed it last night. I had run really hard on the treadmill yesterday evening and not had time to properly cool down and stretch, since I was trying to be on time to pick up my husband from work (the other joys of the truck being out of commission). Later last night, I got ready to do my exhaustion test for the Hundred Push Ups Challenge after completing Week 2. I got in plank position, noticing that my abs felt tighter and more sore than usual, but didn't really think anything of it. Until I got to push-up number 4 and felt a stabbing pain in my right side mid-ab muscles. I held myself up for a few seconds and took a deep breath, then attempted another push up, only to feel the same stabbing pain. I'm not talking sore muscle pain here, folks. I can deal with that and push through it for a few push ups. I've never experienced this before. So I tried to make the safe choice and postpone my exhaustion test. I laid down to stretch out my abs and vowed to try again the next day. Maybe I just needed some rest and was over-doing it with the push ups challenge, the hard run today, and a plank a day. Unfortunately, the pain has yet to go away. It's not that I feel it every minute of every day, but normal activities like going from sitting to laying, laying to sitting, or bending at the waist to pick something up produce the same sharp pain. So while I'm tossing and turning in bed this morning, I got the stabbing pain in my abs every time I tried to move myself into a different position. It just wasn't working. So I got out of bed, even though I feel like a zombie right now. I have more than enough to do this week to keep me busy, but a nice day of sleeping in sure would have felt nice.
On the positive side, my run yesterday was fantastic. I was in a hurry because I knew I had to pick up my husband, so I set the treadmill to a pretty decent pace. I was feeling good, and about a mile in, I went to check the time and realized I didn't have my watch on, my cell phone was upstairs charging, and there wasn't a clock anywhere in the basement. Crap. I started racking my brain to remember what time I'd ventured downstairs. I knew it was after 7:00pm, but how far after that? I needed to leave the house by 8:00pm, but I also wanted to get in 3.5 miles, and I'd already used up 5 minutes on warming up before starting my run. So I settled on the fact that I'd started my warm up at 7:15pm (a nice conservative guess in my opinion), and from there realized I needed to hurry if I planned on changing out of my sweaty workout clothes before leaving the house! So I kicked it up a notch, and every time I got tired, I reminded myself that I really really wanted to get in 3.5 miles (since today is supposed to be the day I transition to 3.75 miles), and that I was limited on time. There was no room for slacking. Too bad if I couldn't breathe or my legs were tired. And you know what? It totally worked! Haha! I finished 3.5 miles in record time, hopped off the treadmill without cooling down, skipped the stretching (I know I know - both mortal running sins! don't kill me!), and ran upstairs to change and head out the door (still sweating, actually). But despite the rushing around, I felt awesome. It was a great run, I was exhausted and worn out, which meant I was smiling and refreshed.
Hopefully I can get over whatever is aggravating my ab muscles ASAP now. I am a firm believer in resting if you're injured, but I'm making such good progress in my running, planks, and push ups that I hate to see it all disappear. :o( Think happy, healing thoughts for me! I'm off to the grocery store and to run some errands. Hoping to get outside and run today too, since it's supposed to be in the 50's! (Heat wave - lol!) Have a great day!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The Good, the Bad, and the Impromptu Rest Day
I had a great run on Monday this week - I ran pretty fast, and I felt pretty fantastic both during the run and when I was done. So I couldn't wait to get back on the treadmill Tuesday night. All last week I'd been noticing a little soreness in my legs during the day, especially in my upper inner thighs. I didn't want to over-do it on Monday, but I felt good, so I wasn't too concerned. I just focused on stretching a lot better and longer Monday night. No soreness Tuesday during the day, so I hopped right back on the treadmill, ready to run another 3.5 miles in an awesome time.
I'm not sure what happened, but last night was just one of those runs that doesn't feel good at all. I wasn't running as fast, but I felt like I was running so much harder than usual. The treadmill was set on a pace and incline I should be able to handle and have handled in the past. I've handled harder. But not last night. I was exhausted only a mile in. My legs were tired, I was breathing heavily, and every time I looked down at the treadmill display, only a tenth of a mile had passed, even though it felt like an eternity since the last time I looked. I tried speeding up the pace a bit, trying to make the miles go by more quickly, but I only ended up slowing down to walk for a sec. Well that backfired.
I still went the whole 3.5 miles, but was disappointed. Not only was I slow, but I felt terrible. I guess it was just one of those days, and I decided not to put too much stock in it. Well I slept terribly last night, and probably only got 4 and a half hours of sleep (if that); combined with my terrible run yesterday and sore legs today, I made what I consider a logical and educated decision to make today my rest day. And of course, I ate a sub sandwich and cookie for lunch instead of the healthy spinach salad, greek yogurt, and blackberries I had brought with me; I totally caved when everyone was discussing the type of sandwich they were ordering from my favorite sub shop. So needless to say, I'm not expecting much from the scale tomorrow morning!
On a more positive note, I made a pretty cool dinner tonight. I stole it from one of the Weight Watchers cookbooks I bought (I feel that even though I'm not doing the Weight Watchers program, there's no reason I can't use the recipes, right?), and it's called Hungarian Style Pork Chops with Baby Spinach (recipe here: Hungarian Style Pork Chops with Baby Spinach). I had no idea what to expect from this recipe, since it was one of the ones that didn't have a picture (I hate that!), but it sounded pretty easy, which is always a big factor in my decisions of what to make. :o) So I dug through the freezer this morning and pulled out what I thought looked like pork chops to thaw. To be honest, I wasn't sure it was pork. These chops were huge, and I'd already taken them out of the store packaging, so there wasn't a label to refer to. Oh well - I guess if I was wrong, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Looked like we were having Hungarian Style Mystery Meat with Baby Spinach. Haha! Turns out I was right, and it really was pork (whew!). And it was pretty darn good too! Different than the things I usually make, but in a good way. I took a picture, but it really doesn't do it justice, so I won't bother to share it here! I don't want to bias anyone's opinion.
So after dinner I was feeling guilty about not running or at least doing my Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred workout. I decided I at least needed to do my scheduled push-ups workout from the Hundred Push-Ups Challenge. I've made it to week 2 day 2, and I'm not going to lie - I'm struggling. I'm barely keeping up, and it's getting harder very quick! I can honestly say though, that I've noticed an improvement in the number of push-ups I can do consecutively. My max in my initial fitness test was 8, and now 8 seems fairly easy. I've made it up to 14 today on my last set for my max! Still just barely keeping up with where the program says I should be, but I'm going to be proud of my improvement anyway. :o)
Well, they say sleep is an important part of your health, so I guess I should probably get in bed early tonight - maybe try to catch up on some of that sleep I lost last night. Hopefully I'm recovered and feeling better enough tomorrow to get back on that treadmill. Sweet running dreams!
I'm not sure what happened, but last night was just one of those runs that doesn't feel good at all. I wasn't running as fast, but I felt like I was running so much harder than usual. The treadmill was set on a pace and incline I should be able to handle and have handled in the past. I've handled harder. But not last night. I was exhausted only a mile in. My legs were tired, I was breathing heavily, and every time I looked down at the treadmill display, only a tenth of a mile had passed, even though it felt like an eternity since the last time I looked. I tried speeding up the pace a bit, trying to make the miles go by more quickly, but I only ended up slowing down to walk for a sec. Well that backfired.
I still went the whole 3.5 miles, but was disappointed. Not only was I slow, but I felt terrible. I guess it was just one of those days, and I decided not to put too much stock in it. Well I slept terribly last night, and probably only got 4 and a half hours of sleep (if that); combined with my terrible run yesterday and sore legs today, I made what I consider a logical and educated decision to make today my rest day. And of course, I ate a sub sandwich and cookie for lunch instead of the healthy spinach salad, greek yogurt, and blackberries I had brought with me; I totally caved when everyone was discussing the type of sandwich they were ordering from my favorite sub shop. So needless to say, I'm not expecting much from the scale tomorrow morning!
On a more positive note, I made a pretty cool dinner tonight. I stole it from one of the Weight Watchers cookbooks I bought (I feel that even though I'm not doing the Weight Watchers program, there's no reason I can't use the recipes, right?), and it's called Hungarian Style Pork Chops with Baby Spinach (recipe here: Hungarian Style Pork Chops with Baby Spinach). I had no idea what to expect from this recipe, since it was one of the ones that didn't have a picture (I hate that!), but it sounded pretty easy, which is always a big factor in my decisions of what to make. :o) So I dug through the freezer this morning and pulled out what I thought looked like pork chops to thaw. To be honest, I wasn't sure it was pork. These chops were huge, and I'd already taken them out of the store packaging, so there wasn't a label to refer to. Oh well - I guess if I was wrong, it wouldn't be the end of the world. Looked like we were having Hungarian Style Mystery Meat with Baby Spinach. Haha! Turns out I was right, and it really was pork (whew!). And it was pretty darn good too! Different than the things I usually make, but in a good way. I took a picture, but it really doesn't do it justice, so I won't bother to share it here! I don't want to bias anyone's opinion.
So after dinner I was feeling guilty about not running or at least doing my Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred workout. I decided I at least needed to do my scheduled push-ups workout from the Hundred Push-Ups Challenge. I've made it to week 2 day 2, and I'm not going to lie - I'm struggling. I'm barely keeping up, and it's getting harder very quick! I can honestly say though, that I've noticed an improvement in the number of push-ups I can do consecutively. My max in my initial fitness test was 8, and now 8 seems fairly easy. I've made it up to 14 today on my last set for my max! Still just barely keeping up with where the program says I should be, but I'm going to be proud of my improvement anyway. :o)
Well, they say sleep is an important part of your health, so I guess I should probably get in bed early tonight - maybe try to catch up on some of that sleep I lost last night. Hopefully I'm recovered and feeling better enough tomorrow to get back on that treadmill. Sweet running dreams!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Hundred Push-Ups Week 1 and Crock Pot Halibut Stew
Well, I'm officially done with week 1 of the hundred push-ups challenge I started, and I'm surprised to already be seeing some improvements. I'll be honest - as I was completing day 1 of week 1, and even the next morning, I was pleasantly surprised. It didn't seem so bad while I was actually doing the push-ups, and I was only mildly sore the next morning. As the day went on though, more and more muscles began to ache, and the aches all kept getting worse. I was struggling to put on my jacket or change my clothes by the time work was over. I was certainly humbled at that point! I had sore muscles in places that I didn't even know I had muscles to begin with. I'll admit - it was tempting to throw in the towel and say I wasn't cut out for it. But why give up after just the first day? I couldn't do that. I just convinced the hubby to give me an extra long back massage that night and the next, and made sure to really focus on stretching out those muscles. I was on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule for the program, so when Wednesday rolled around, I woke up still feeling quite sore, but not nearly as bad as the evening before - I could at least wash my hair and put on my own coat! I made sure to really stretch out my upper body after work on Wednesday, and even though I was skeptical (and a bit afraid of hurting myself), I headed down to the basement to do my push-ups before my run. I'm not going to lie - I was still sore. And it hurt while I was doing the push-ups this time. But you know what - I still did them. On the 5th and last set each day, you're supposed to max out - do as many push-ups in a raw as you can without injuring yourself. I couldn't do anymore than before this time, but I made it through day 2 of week 1 anyway. No glory there, but lots of guts! Lol!
I felt surprisingly good on Thursday, despite all the anticipation of feeling just as terrible as I did on Tuesday. Friday was super busy for me, and I was exhausted, so I opted to move my Friday push-ups to Saturday (completely acceptable according to the lay-out of the program). Saturday's program was week 1 day 3, and it was intimidating. I was schedule for sets of 8, 10, 7, 7, and a max of at least 10 or more. I hadn't done more than 9 consecutive push-ups yet, so I was glad I'd decided to take the extra day to recover. I truly surprised myself. Not only did I make it through the first 4 sets as scheduled, but I did 12 consecutive push-ups on the 5th set for my max-out! 12! I'm not sure if you saw that, so I'll say it again - 12! I know this isn't really many, but for me it was. And it meant I was already seeing improvement over my initial test (max of 8).
I snuck a peek at week 2 day 1, which I'm scheduled to do tomorrow, and it's another intimidating one of 9, 11, 8, 8, and a max of at least 11. Whoa! And by the end of week 2, I need to be able to do at least 15 on my max set. Yikes. I figure all I can do is try. I don't really expect to be able to do 100 push-ups by the end of the program, so if I have to repeat a couple weeks, that's okay with me. No matter what, I'm building up some muscle capacity in my upper body and core, which was the goal anyway.
On another note, since it was Sunday, I decided to bust out the Crock Pot again - it seems to be a Sunday favorite of mine. This was the recipe I chose for today: Slow Cooker Halibut Stew. There wasn't any halibut at the store, so I used cod instead, but I doubt that matters. Now I'm not the most advanced in the kitchen, which means I don't have any suave and sassy knife chopping skills. That being said - this prep took FOREVER! Everything needed chopped or diced. Some needed peeled first. It probably took me twice as long as it should have, but it was finally all in the crockpot. Whew. I was actually a little ticked at this point because I wasn't really expecting much from this dish. It was a stew of fish, after all, and I was only anticipating an average outcome. Not worth it for all that prep. HOWEVER, when dinner time rolled around, my husband and I got quite a shock. This stuff was fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was even spicy, which we love!!!!!! I thought for sure this was something he'd hate and offered him the option of eating some of the leftovers in the fridge from earlier this weekend. But he tried it, and we were both amazed! :o) This immediately went on the "make again" list. This was the picture from the website where I found the recipe, and the real outcome actually looked pretty similar:
So after the excitement and chaos of last week, I'm hoping to get fully back on track this week. If the rest of my cooking this week is as good as that halibut (cod) stew I made tonight, it shouldn't be too hard. I just need to stay away from the cookies... :o)
I felt surprisingly good on Thursday, despite all the anticipation of feeling just as terrible as I did on Tuesday. Friday was super busy for me, and I was exhausted, so I opted to move my Friday push-ups to Saturday (completely acceptable according to the lay-out of the program). Saturday's program was week 1 day 3, and it was intimidating. I was schedule for sets of 8, 10, 7, 7, and a max of at least 10 or more. I hadn't done more than 9 consecutive push-ups yet, so I was glad I'd decided to take the extra day to recover. I truly surprised myself. Not only did I make it through the first 4 sets as scheduled, but I did 12 consecutive push-ups on the 5th set for my max-out! 12! I'm not sure if you saw that, so I'll say it again - 12! I know this isn't really many, but for me it was. And it meant I was already seeing improvement over my initial test (max of 8).
I snuck a peek at week 2 day 1, which I'm scheduled to do tomorrow, and it's another intimidating one of 9, 11, 8, 8, and a max of at least 11. Whoa! And by the end of week 2, I need to be able to do at least 15 on my max set. Yikes. I figure all I can do is try. I don't really expect to be able to do 100 push-ups by the end of the program, so if I have to repeat a couple weeks, that's okay with me. No matter what, I'm building up some muscle capacity in my upper body and core, which was the goal anyway.
On another note, since it was Sunday, I decided to bust out the Crock Pot again - it seems to be a Sunday favorite of mine. This was the recipe I chose for today: Slow Cooker Halibut Stew. There wasn't any halibut at the store, so I used cod instead, but I doubt that matters. Now I'm not the most advanced in the kitchen, which means I don't have any suave and sassy knife chopping skills. That being said - this prep took FOREVER! Everything needed chopped or diced. Some needed peeled first. It probably took me twice as long as it should have, but it was finally all in the crockpot. Whew. I was actually a little ticked at this point because I wasn't really expecting much from this dish. It was a stew of fish, after all, and I was only anticipating an average outcome. Not worth it for all that prep. HOWEVER, when dinner time rolled around, my husband and I got quite a shock. This stuff was fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was even spicy, which we love!!!!!! I thought for sure this was something he'd hate and offered him the option of eating some of the leftovers in the fridge from earlier this weekend. But he tried it, and we were both amazed! :o) This immediately went on the "make again" list. This was the picture from the website where I found the recipe, and the real outcome actually looked pretty similar:
So after the excitement and chaos of last week, I'm hoping to get fully back on track this week. If the rest of my cooking this week is as good as that halibut (cod) stew I made tonight, it shouldn't be too hard. I just need to stay away from the cookies... :o)
Saturday, November 10, 2012
On the Road (or More Accurately, the Bike Path) Again
I am just beyond excited. My luck couldn't be better these last few days. For the first time in a LONG time, the nicest weather of the whole week is falling on the weekend - which is huge, since it's now too dark to run outside after work. Even better, I got out of work early on Friday and made it home well before sunset. I couldn't believe my luck - after 3 straight days of continuing professional education training out of town, I was more than ready to let go and forget about it all with a good run. A run outside would make it that much better. I ran inside when I got home, checked the clock and the temperature, and quickly changed into some running gear without even bothering to bring my suitcase into the bedroom, let alone unpack it. It was a bit chilly, so I threw on an under armour shirt just to be safe. As I started out, my hands and face got pretty cold, but I didn't even care. I was so caught up in the joy of being back outside that it didn't even phase me! (Plus, they warmed up pretty quickly as I started to sweat!)
I was exhausted from those 3 long and boring days of work, but decided I was going to take full advantage of the opportunity and run the full 3.5 miles scheduled for today. I was pretty sure I had the time before it got dark, so it was just a matter of my body making it. To be honest, I didn't know how well this was going to go. I'd just gone 3 full days without having much choice in my own diet for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, since they were all being provided, buffet-style, by the hotel/conference center we were staying at. I did my best - with quite a few downfalls consisting of candy, a cookie, a soft pretzel, and even some popcorn - but was able to avoid burgers and hot dogs, white bread, butter-soaked vegetables, pizza, fried chicken, and taco meat. Needless to say, there wasn't much of a selection left after ruling out those things, so I ended up eating a lot of lettuce. Then, because I didn't have anything very filling or protein-packed, I'd start to get hungry and resort to the snacks and sweets that were available. I had brought some of my own healthy snacks, including some whole grain crackers, apples, and organic chocolate bars, but those ran out pretty quickly, considering the circumstances. All in all, I wasn't feeling so hot by Friday afternoon, and I was pretty sure my crappy diet was going to have a negative effect on my performance.
Leave it to me to prove myself wrong. I'm not sure why, but I actually felt really good while I ran. Maybe it was being outside; maybe it was letting go of the work week. Who knows. Whatever it was, I finished my 3.5 mile run in 32:59. Oh yeah! There I go, validating my treadmill times! Haha! As I walked to cool down, I was amazed at how awesome I felt. I don't mean that I wasn't exhausted, because I was. I mean that sense of accomplishment and satisfaction after a good run. Reveling in my exhaustion and celebrating it. For some reason, it dawned on me that this felt WAY better than it did when running inside on the treadmill. All of a sudden, I remembered why I had become addicted to running in the first place - it was this feeling!
And so when today rolled around with a forecast of sun and mid-60's for a high, I couldn't wait to get back outside. I had some stuff to clean up in the house while I waited for it to warm up, and then I tackled some yard-work I'd been putting off because of the cold and rain, but I raced through it all and got back out on the bike path, ready to run again. This time, I ditched the under armour gear and was able to run in just shorts and a t-shirt - the warm(ish) air felt fantastic on my skin, and I was loving every minute of it. I was only scheduled for 2 miles today, and although I wanted to run outside as much as I could, I stuck to the plan. I could tell my legs were pretty tired from yesterday and I didn't want to over-do it After all, tomorrow's still supposed to have some awesome weather, so I can take a longer run tomorrow again! I finished my 2 miles today with another fantastic time (18:56) - just short of a personal best, and then walked another mile just to enjoy the nice weather.
I also found some time to try another new, healthy recipe. I know the hubby puts up with a lot from me and has had to give up some of his favorite meals that I won't make anymore, so I was so excited to see a healthy recipe for barbequed pulled pork sandwiches, which he loves! There was no actual barbeque sauce involved in this recipe (Chipotle Pulled-Pork Sandwiches), so I was a bit skeptical, but I figured it was worth a shot.
I was even pleasantly surprised by the amazing smell in the house when I walked inside after being out for a couple hours while it cooked in the Crock Pot. Yum! I just hoped it was going to taste that good. Now, I'm going to be honest here - I didn't buy the organic tomato sauce the recipe called for. I saw it in the store, but opted instead for a low sodium non-organic version because I was shocked at the amount of sodium in the organic brand. I also had absolutely no idea what the recipe meant by "chipotle chiles in adobo sauce" in a 7 oz can. I'm not even kidding when I tell you I spent half an hour in the grocery store looking for this. I walked up and down all the food aisles twice. I must have looked ridiculous. All I was able to find were some chopped green chiles with all the taco ingredients, and I'm not sure that's what I was supposed to get. I don't think it ruined the end result, which I was pretty happy with. I will say that the sandwiches weren't as flavorful or spicy as when made with barbeque sauce, but they were still good. And we were both happy, because I had my healthy sandwich, and my husband simply added some barbeque sauce from the fridge over his before eating it. Success! I'd probably make this again too, but I need to think of a better way to make it spicy and more barbeque-like - without ruining the healthy result.
Well, I think it's finally time for bed for me. I've had a long week, and with all this hotel staying, weather changes, and bad diet choices, my body can't decide if it's getting a head cold or not. I'd MUCH rather it not, so I'm trying to be sure I get enough sleep! Sweet running dreams!
I was exhausted from those 3 long and boring days of work, but decided I was going to take full advantage of the opportunity and run the full 3.5 miles scheduled for today. I was pretty sure I had the time before it got dark, so it was just a matter of my body making it. To be honest, I didn't know how well this was going to go. I'd just gone 3 full days without having much choice in my own diet for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, since they were all being provided, buffet-style, by the hotel/conference center we were staying at. I did my best - with quite a few downfalls consisting of candy, a cookie, a soft pretzel, and even some popcorn - but was able to avoid burgers and hot dogs, white bread, butter-soaked vegetables, pizza, fried chicken, and taco meat. Needless to say, there wasn't much of a selection left after ruling out those things, so I ended up eating a lot of lettuce. Then, because I didn't have anything very filling or protein-packed, I'd start to get hungry and resort to the snacks and sweets that were available. I had brought some of my own healthy snacks, including some whole grain crackers, apples, and organic chocolate bars, but those ran out pretty quickly, considering the circumstances. All in all, I wasn't feeling so hot by Friday afternoon, and I was pretty sure my crappy diet was going to have a negative effect on my performance.
Leave it to me to prove myself wrong. I'm not sure why, but I actually felt really good while I ran. Maybe it was being outside; maybe it was letting go of the work week. Who knows. Whatever it was, I finished my 3.5 mile run in 32:59. Oh yeah! There I go, validating my treadmill times! Haha! As I walked to cool down, I was amazed at how awesome I felt. I don't mean that I wasn't exhausted, because I was. I mean that sense of accomplishment and satisfaction after a good run. Reveling in my exhaustion and celebrating it. For some reason, it dawned on me that this felt WAY better than it did when running inside on the treadmill. All of a sudden, I remembered why I had become addicted to running in the first place - it was this feeling!
And so when today rolled around with a forecast of sun and mid-60's for a high, I couldn't wait to get back outside. I had some stuff to clean up in the house while I waited for it to warm up, and then I tackled some yard-work I'd been putting off because of the cold and rain, but I raced through it all and got back out on the bike path, ready to run again. This time, I ditched the under armour gear and was able to run in just shorts and a t-shirt - the warm(ish) air felt fantastic on my skin, and I was loving every minute of it. I was only scheduled for 2 miles today, and although I wanted to run outside as much as I could, I stuck to the plan. I could tell my legs were pretty tired from yesterday and I didn't want to over-do it After all, tomorrow's still supposed to have some awesome weather, so I can take a longer run tomorrow again! I finished my 2 miles today with another fantastic time (18:56) - just short of a personal best, and then walked another mile just to enjoy the nice weather.
I also found some time to try another new, healthy recipe. I know the hubby puts up with a lot from me and has had to give up some of his favorite meals that I won't make anymore, so I was so excited to see a healthy recipe for barbequed pulled pork sandwiches, which he loves! There was no actual barbeque sauce involved in this recipe (Chipotle Pulled-Pork Sandwiches), so I was a bit skeptical, but I figured it was worth a shot.
I was even pleasantly surprised by the amazing smell in the house when I walked inside after being out for a couple hours while it cooked in the Crock Pot. Yum! I just hoped it was going to taste that good. Now, I'm going to be honest here - I didn't buy the organic tomato sauce the recipe called for. I saw it in the store, but opted instead for a low sodium non-organic version because I was shocked at the amount of sodium in the organic brand. I also had absolutely no idea what the recipe meant by "chipotle chiles in adobo sauce" in a 7 oz can. I'm not even kidding when I tell you I spent half an hour in the grocery store looking for this. I walked up and down all the food aisles twice. I must have looked ridiculous. All I was able to find were some chopped green chiles with all the taco ingredients, and I'm not sure that's what I was supposed to get. I don't think it ruined the end result, which I was pretty happy with. I will say that the sandwiches weren't as flavorful or spicy as when made with barbeque sauce, but they were still good. And we were both happy, because I had my healthy sandwich, and my husband simply added some barbeque sauce from the fridge over his before eating it. Success! I'd probably make this again too, but I need to think of a better way to make it spicy and more barbeque-like - without ruining the healthy result.
Well, I think it's finally time for bed for me. I've had a long week, and with all this hotel staying, weather changes, and bad diet choices, my body can't decide if it's getting a head cold or not. I'd MUCH rather it not, so I'm trying to be sure I get enough sleep! Sweet running dreams!
Monday, November 5, 2012
3.5 Miles and 100 Push Ups
Mondays. Blah. Mondays after a week off work - even more blah. But such is life - bills must be paid, so off to work I went today, mourning the end of my time off. As expected, it was an exhausting return to the office, and I came home feeling quite drained. But as I packed up my stuff and headed out the door, I was hit with the realization that it was suddenly pitch black outside already. And no, I wasn't leaving work late. I was leaving at 5:30pm just like every other day. Oh the fun of living in Northeast Ohio in the fall when the daylight savings time change hits. I was now faced with the reality that running outside after work was officially over for me until the spring. Heck, doing anything outside after work was over until the spring. Cue: the treadmill. I have a feeling the treadmill and I are going to become quick friends.
Even though I was exhausted, I was excited to get home and hop on that treadmill. To run the day off and relax a little. My plan to increase my distance to 4 miles had me trying 3.5 at a time again this week, and I was looking forward to it. But before I got going, I had some push ups to do. Over time, the more I've focused on running, the more I've noticed the toning and muscle in my arms and upper body diminishing. I've been neglecting them and thinking for awhile now that it's about time I do something about it. Last week while perusing some of my favorite motivational pages on Facebook, I came across an individual that was starting a challenge called the Hundred Push Ups Challenge. The premise is that by the end of the 7 week program, anyone should be able to perform 100 consecutive push ups. This seemed amazing to me, and I continued to read on. Looking over the plan, it really didn't look too bad, and there were different plans for different fitness levels, depending on how many push ups someone could do consecutively before starting the program. I was pretty sure I'd fall into the 0-5 push ups level for this initial test and would have to do one of the modified versions throughout the challenge. I admit - I was intrigued. So on Saturday, I decided to take the initial test - just to see how many consecutive regular push ups I could do (no modified versions). I ended up surprising myself with 8! And these were true push ups. No knees, no bench. I'm not sure if I had the absolute best form or if I was going down quite far enough for the last few, but I was pleasantly surprised. At that point, my mind had been made up for me. I was going to try this challenge. Somehow I don't think I'll be able to complete 100 consecutive push ups by the end of it, but even more than 8 would be pretty fantastic. I basically have to do the challenge now because I'm curious to see the outcome! :o)
So before I hopped on the treadmill, I got down on the floor and followed the plan for week 1, day 1 of the challenge for my initial fitness level. It was 5 sets of push ups - 2 sets of 6, 2 sets of 4, and then 1 set of the max possible - with 60 seconds of rest in between each set. My max this time was 9. You can see the whole plan and try it for yourself here: One Hundred Push Ups Challenge. If I follow the plan and do my push ups every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I'll be done right before Christmas. I can't wait to see how many push ups I can do by then! I tried to get the hubby to try it with me, but he just looks at me like I'm out of my mind. :o)
I felt surprisingly good for doing this many push ups, and with my spirits soaring, I got right to my run. I felt really good. I was forgetting that I was tired from my first day back in the office, and the time was going by pretty quickly. I started to pick up the pace and ended up completing the 3.5 miles in just over 33 minutes. Not too shabby! I was tired, but feeling good about myself. As I cooled down, I realized that I wasn't overly stressed in the cardio department; I mean, I was breathing heavy, but not so much that I didn't recover pretty quickly. Whereas my legs, on the other hand, were very tired. I'm going to pay more attention to my legs and breathing the rest of this week, but I'm thinking that I might need to adjust my plan to increase my distance. I know I ran more than usual last week because I was on vacation, so maybe my muscles are still recovering from that. Either way, I might need to stick with 3.5 miles longer than this week if I really want my body to adjust properly. I'd so much rather adjust my original plan than injure myself. In the mean time, I'll just keep on running... :oD
Even though I was exhausted, I was excited to get home and hop on that treadmill. To run the day off and relax a little. My plan to increase my distance to 4 miles had me trying 3.5 at a time again this week, and I was looking forward to it. But before I got going, I had some push ups to do. Over time, the more I've focused on running, the more I've noticed the toning and muscle in my arms and upper body diminishing. I've been neglecting them and thinking for awhile now that it's about time I do something about it. Last week while perusing some of my favorite motivational pages on Facebook, I came across an individual that was starting a challenge called the Hundred Push Ups Challenge. The premise is that by the end of the 7 week program, anyone should be able to perform 100 consecutive push ups. This seemed amazing to me, and I continued to read on. Looking over the plan, it really didn't look too bad, and there were different plans for different fitness levels, depending on how many push ups someone could do consecutively before starting the program. I was pretty sure I'd fall into the 0-5 push ups level for this initial test and would have to do one of the modified versions throughout the challenge. I admit - I was intrigued. So on Saturday, I decided to take the initial test - just to see how many consecutive regular push ups I could do (no modified versions). I ended up surprising myself with 8! And these were true push ups. No knees, no bench. I'm not sure if I had the absolute best form or if I was going down quite far enough for the last few, but I was pleasantly surprised. At that point, my mind had been made up for me. I was going to try this challenge. Somehow I don't think I'll be able to complete 100 consecutive push ups by the end of it, but even more than 8 would be pretty fantastic. I basically have to do the challenge now because I'm curious to see the outcome! :o)
So before I hopped on the treadmill, I got down on the floor and followed the plan for week 1, day 1 of the challenge for my initial fitness level. It was 5 sets of push ups - 2 sets of 6, 2 sets of 4, and then 1 set of the max possible - with 60 seconds of rest in between each set. My max this time was 9. You can see the whole plan and try it for yourself here: One Hundred Push Ups Challenge. If I follow the plan and do my push ups every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I'll be done right before Christmas. I can't wait to see how many push ups I can do by then! I tried to get the hubby to try it with me, but he just looks at me like I'm out of my mind. :o)
I felt surprisingly good for doing this many push ups, and with my spirits soaring, I got right to my run. I felt really good. I was forgetting that I was tired from my first day back in the office, and the time was going by pretty quickly. I started to pick up the pace and ended up completing the 3.5 miles in just over 33 minutes. Not too shabby! I was tired, but feeling good about myself. As I cooled down, I realized that I wasn't overly stressed in the cardio department; I mean, I was breathing heavy, but not so much that I didn't recover pretty quickly. Whereas my legs, on the other hand, were very tired. I'm going to pay more attention to my legs and breathing the rest of this week, but I'm thinking that I might need to adjust my plan to increase my distance. I know I ran more than usual last week because I was on vacation, so maybe my muscles are still recovering from that. Either way, I might need to stick with 3.5 miles longer than this week if I really want my body to adjust properly. I'd so much rather adjust my original plan than injure myself. In the mean time, I'll just keep on running... :oD
Thursday, November 1, 2012
A Small Victory! :oD
So I know I just wrote 2 hours ago, but I'm so excited that I just had to share! After my earlier post, I headed downstairs to take a run on the treadmill. Since it was already 10:00pm at that point, I decided I would just run 2 miles tonight and then make sure I ran 3.5 tomorrow. But to make it seem worth my while, I'd really push it for those 2 miles. So I got on the treadmill and set it at a pace to beat my previous personal best of 18:59. Well....as I was approaching the 2 mile mark, I couldn't help but realize I still felt incredibly good for running at that pace. So - I decided to keep on going. I told myself I'd at least get to 2.5 miles and then see how I felt.
Well I got to 2.5 miles and just couldn't give up at that point. I'm such a sucker for competition. I was getting pretty tired, but in my mind, the hardest part was over - I only had 1 more mile to go. I could do that, right? Well, I wasn't so sure but decided to try it anyway. I don't think my legs have been so tired in a long time, and I honestly thought about slowing down, walking, or outright quitting a couple times. But I couldn't disappoint myself like that. Plus, I knew if I slowed down or walked for a few seconds, I'd probably ruin my pace from then on out. I just had to suck it up and stick it out the rest of the way. And guess what? I did! I even picked up the pace for the last couple tenths of a mile. I ended up completing the 3.5 miles in 32:47 - more than 2 minutes faster than any of my previous attempts!!!! :oD
It's times like these I realize that I sometimes hold myself back because I'm afraid of starting out too fast. I'll probably be sore tomorrow, but it'll be worth it. Just had to share my small victory!!!
Well I got to 2.5 miles and just couldn't give up at that point. I'm such a sucker for competition. I was getting pretty tired, but in my mind, the hardest part was over - I only had 1 more mile to go. I could do that, right? Well, I wasn't so sure but decided to try it anyway. I don't think my legs have been so tired in a long time, and I honestly thought about slowing down, walking, or outright quitting a couple times. But I couldn't disappoint myself like that. Plus, I knew if I slowed down or walked for a few seconds, I'd probably ruin my pace from then on out. I just had to suck it up and stick it out the rest of the way. And guess what? I did! I even picked up the pace for the last couple tenths of a mile. I ended up completing the 3.5 miles in 32:47 - more than 2 minutes faster than any of my previous attempts!!!! :oD
It's times like these I realize that I sometimes hold myself back because I'm afraid of starting out too fast. I'll probably be sore tomorrow, but it'll be worth it. Just had to share my small victory!!!
A Lot to Think About
Sometimes I get bored when I run on the treadmill. I don't like to watch TV, and I hate listening to music, so there's not much else to do but think. You wouldn't believe the ground my mind covers in such a short amount of time. With so much rain this week, the treadmill and I have spent some real quality time together - which means I've had lots of time to think too. And I had an epiphany yesterday during my 3 and a half mile run on the treadmill. Ok, maybe epiphany is a bit strong, but I definitely came to a realization. Warning: this is the part where I get all sappy and reflective - so stop now if you're not all about that.
Anyhow, as I ran and watched the miles and time pass by on the treadmill's display, I started to think about my first few attempts at running when I had first decided this was something I wanted to do. The decision at that point had been purely about losing weight. I'd wanted something intense and quick to get the pounds off, and it certainly has served that purpose. But what I didn't anticipate was that running would actually change my life (I told you it would get sappy and reflective). I know that sounds SO incredibly cliche, but I can't think of any other way to say it. It's no longer just about the weight loss for me, but has oddly become part of my life in a way I never thought it would - kinda like a part of my identity now. From the time I was a kid and for as far back as I can remember, I've never had great self-confidence. My parents loved me, spoiled me, and praised me, so it wasn't that. And I got straight A's all the way through grade school, high school, and even college. But no matter how much my parents loved me and how many A's I got in school, I always felt like I wasn't as good as everyone else. I don't really know why or how to explain it, but I've always constantly dis-credited myself and my achievements because I feel like I'm not good enough. It still affects my life today - it's one of my biggest obstacles at work, and even though I am 100% sure my husband loves me more and more every day, there's always a part of me that can't understand why he'd want to. Don't get me wrong, it's not debilitating. It's more of a nagging feeling inside me that always causes me to second-guess everything I am and everything I do.
All that to say that my great epiphany on the treadmill the other day was that running has actually helped me make significant improvements in my self-confidence. For the first time in my life, I actually feel good about myself and what I'm doing. Every time I PR, every time I run a little further, every time I fit into a smaller size pants, or just any time I think back on how far I've come, I am amazed at myself. I am proud of what I've accomplished and can't wait to share it with anyone who will listen. I love to brag about my PR's and how far I can run now. I actually ask my husband to take pictures of me these days, and I show off to him how my old clothes fall off of me. I'm starting to like the way I look and want to show it off. I brag to people about not using butter in my cooking for over 6 months, and I love to have people sample my new healthy cooking when it turns out well. I have never in my life felt so good about myself, and this is the first time that I've actually felt like something I'd done was worth bragging about. My husband has noticed that I'm a happier person in general and has commented that he's noticed the difference in me. I am truly amazed at what my body has shown me it can do and I can't wait to push it farther. Never in a million years did I think I'd be running 3.5 miles on a regular basis - and planning to run 10k someday in the near future. For something that started out as a weight loss goal, it sure has been life-changing. Which I guess is why I haven't stopped even though I've reached my goal weight range at this point. I'm not sure what my ultimate goal is yet for running, but I'm just going to keep pressing on towards my next goal (the 10k). I don't really anticipate ever wanting to run a marathon, but I guess I'll cross that bridge if I ever come to it. For now, I'll stick to being satisfied with seeing my progress along the way and building my own path in life. My journey has been so full of sweat and exhaustion, but I've enjoyed every minute of it. For all you sappy people out there like me, don't be afraid to be proud of yourself - you deserve it. Even if you haven't reached your goal yet - or like me, don't quite know your ultimate goal - be proud of your progress along the way.
Anyhow, as I ran and watched the miles and time pass by on the treadmill's display, I started to think about my first few attempts at running when I had first decided this was something I wanted to do. The decision at that point had been purely about losing weight. I'd wanted something intense and quick to get the pounds off, and it certainly has served that purpose. But what I didn't anticipate was that running would actually change my life (I told you it would get sappy and reflective). I know that sounds SO incredibly cliche, but I can't think of any other way to say it. It's no longer just about the weight loss for me, but has oddly become part of my life in a way I never thought it would - kinda like a part of my identity now. From the time I was a kid and for as far back as I can remember, I've never had great self-confidence. My parents loved me, spoiled me, and praised me, so it wasn't that. And I got straight A's all the way through grade school, high school, and even college. But no matter how much my parents loved me and how many A's I got in school, I always felt like I wasn't as good as everyone else. I don't really know why or how to explain it, but I've always constantly dis-credited myself and my achievements because I feel like I'm not good enough. It still affects my life today - it's one of my biggest obstacles at work, and even though I am 100% sure my husband loves me more and more every day, there's always a part of me that can't understand why he'd want to. Don't get me wrong, it's not debilitating. It's more of a nagging feeling inside me that always causes me to second-guess everything I am and everything I do.
All that to say that my great epiphany on the treadmill the other day was that running has actually helped me make significant improvements in my self-confidence. For the first time in my life, I actually feel good about myself and what I'm doing. Every time I PR, every time I run a little further, every time I fit into a smaller size pants, or just any time I think back on how far I've come, I am amazed at myself. I am proud of what I've accomplished and can't wait to share it with anyone who will listen. I love to brag about my PR's and how far I can run now. I actually ask my husband to take pictures of me these days, and I show off to him how my old clothes fall off of me. I'm starting to like the way I look and want to show it off. I brag to people about not using butter in my cooking for over 6 months, and I love to have people sample my new healthy cooking when it turns out well. I have never in my life felt so good about myself, and this is the first time that I've actually felt like something I'd done was worth bragging about. My husband has noticed that I'm a happier person in general and has commented that he's noticed the difference in me. I am truly amazed at what my body has shown me it can do and I can't wait to push it farther. Never in a million years did I think I'd be running 3.5 miles on a regular basis - and planning to run 10k someday in the near future. For something that started out as a weight loss goal, it sure has been life-changing. Which I guess is why I haven't stopped even though I've reached my goal weight range at this point. I'm not sure what my ultimate goal is yet for running, but I'm just going to keep pressing on towards my next goal (the 10k). I don't really anticipate ever wanting to run a marathon, but I guess I'll cross that bridge if I ever come to it. For now, I'll stick to being satisfied with seeing my progress along the way and building my own path in life. My journey has been so full of sweat and exhaustion, but I've enjoyed every minute of it. For all you sappy people out there like me, don't be afraid to be proud of yourself - you deserve it. Even if you haven't reached your goal yet - or like me, don't quite know your ultimate goal - be proud of your progress along the way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)