New Year: New Workout!

Good morning! Okay, so it's not quite the New Year, but I'm starting a new workout routine today since it's the start of a new week. Since I just finished Insanity and I took the holiday's off for working out for the most part, I did some digging to find my next workout challenge. I actually didn't have to do much digging at all, as the answer arrived in my mail box. I'm going to try Fitness magazine's Lose 10 Pounds workout that is published in the most recent issue (January 2013).

But first off: breakfast. Let's just say my holiday's left me *cough* four pounds heavier *cough* Not a huge gain, but this does not make me a happy camper! Eating healthy again starts today! Today's spread includes two of Van's whole grain blueberry waffles, half a cup of nonfat Fage Greek yogurt, half a cup of fresh blueberries, a dash of cinnamon, and a little drizzle of raw honey. Delish! Also, note the adorable dishware I used today. The "Mrs." mug and plate were a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law. You can't see it, but the plate has the Eiffel Tower on it along with little French owls wearing berets. Love them! I'll probably be eating breakfast exclusively off these plates from now on!

But back to my new workout routine... 

The Plan 

The plan is laid out in black and white and is very time-friendly. The workouts include separate strength sessions and pick-your-own cardio sessions. For strength, you do 8 different moves as a circuit and repeat it once for a full circuit, doing it three times a week on non-consecutive days. For cardio, you can pick any cardio you want - running, biking, elliptical, etc. - as long as you do the minutes of cardio required for each week. You also have the option of adding an abs routine as an extra each week as well. Each week ramps up cardio and strength reps from the week before. The plan looks like this: 

• Week 1: 60 minutes cardio (at 30 min. each), 12 reps of each strength move 
• Week 2: 90 minutes of cardio (at 30 min. each), 14 reps of each move 
• Week 3: 135 minutes of cardio (at 45 min. each), 16 reps of each move
• Week 4: 150-180 minutes of cardio, 18-20 reps of each move 

Besides an intense looking workout, the diet plan includes eating healthy fats, whole grains, a lot of fruits and veggies, at around 1,500 calories a day. The best part? It's all laid out easy-as-pie (or, not eating pie, I should probably say) with this super-organized calendar to mark it all off! This baby is going on my pinboard, asap! 

There's a checkbox for strength workouts, cardio workouts, the abs routine, and eating healthy. There's a place where you sign your name and write the date you start the program as a kind of contract with yourself and the routine (in the yellow box). It lays out all the instructions for each week on either side. It's so easy! I absolutely love when workout plans include a calendar. It makes my little organized heart burst with happiness! 

Why I Chose this Plan 

There a ton of workout plans I could have tried, but I chose this one and for good reason. While this is called the "Lose 10 Pounds" workout, I am not doing this with the intention of actually losing 10 pounds because I don't need to. I'd like to lose five pounds because that's all I really see that I "need" to lose. This plan is much less about losing weight, though, than it is about a challenge and sculpting an awesome body. I chose this plan because... 

• I haven't done a plan that has separate strength and cardio sessions for a while now. Insanity has strength and cardio combined. When I trained for the half-marathon, I was doing only cardio for the most part. And some other workout DVD's I've done have been all combined HIIT training. Time for something I haven't been doing for a while now!

• It's not a workout DVD. For most of 2012, I was reliant on workout DVD's. This is definitely not a bad thing, but I'd like to be able to workout on my own too and step outside the box, literally. 

• The idea of ramping up cardio and reps each week seems challenging to me. Anything that's a challenge inspires me!

• The workout calendar was too good to pass up. I mean, it's just screaming for me to check all these awesome workouts off my list! 

For me specifically, I think I am going to try and have M/W/F be my strength days and T/TH/S be my cardio days. For cardio, I am going to try and run as much as I can, but considering that New England just dumped a foot of snow - we'll see about that. I have access to a treadmill, though, so hopefully I can still eek out the mileage. I'm also going to track my food on the My Fitness Pal app to keep things in perspective. Overall, if I can eat generally healthy (or at least better than I did over the holidays!), complete all the workouts, and have fun while doing it, it will be a month well spent. Off to try my first strength session! 

• Question for you: What are your fitness goals for 2013? What workout plan are you following now? 

Finished: Insanity Round 2!

Hey folks! Two weeks ago (has it been that long already?), I finished my daily morning workouts with Shaun T, aka the Insanity 60 day program workout! Again, I'm proud to have finished this program. For those of you who don't know what Insanity is, it is a Beach Body workout DVD program that lasts 60 days. There are 12 videos that you rotate through six days of the week. The videos are usually about 40 to 60 minutes long. The workouts include high intensity interval training, where you work through a mix of cardio and strength exercises together without stopping. I had great results and got addicted to Insanity earlier this year, so I decided to do it again. Here's my quickie review!

What I love about Insanity 

- Foolproof: the calendar that you print out is super easy. It tells you what to do on every day. I would write the date at the top of the day when I completed the workout to know what days I did what.

- Consistency: It forces you to workout 6 days a week, which I really like. Although that seems like a lot of commitment, it creates a great routine/habit of working out consistently every week.

- Great Results: I have cuts in my legs and am more toned all over. The last time I did this workout, my whole body shape changed. I didn't lose a lot of weight either time (but I wasn't really needing to lose), but it really transforms your body shape and muscles. This time around, Insanity kept my sleek runner's legs toned after the half-marathon.

- Variety: It's not too terribly repetitive. There are 12 or so different videos that you get to switch through. They are all similar but they all vary a little. Some videos are more intense than others, and there are even recovery day videos. It's a good mix to keep you going.

- Stretching: Each video starts with stretching after the warm up and ends with stretching. It's very yoga based stretching, which helps flexibility and muscle recovery. The stretching at the end was always a great way to end the workout in a relaxing and calming way.

- Positive leadership: Shaun T is a great role model for this series. He is positive and uplifting. He is motivating and not annoying. He just has a great attitude that made me feel like I could get through any workout. The people in the video were also pretty positive too, which makes for a good experience every time I did the workout.

What I altered about the Program

- Loud moves: Because I'm in an apartment, I would occasionally alter some of the moves that were just too thud-inducing. If there was a jumping squat, sometimes I would just do normal squats so as to not thud ridiculously. (P.S. This is NOT an apartment friendly workout, although I did it fine. My neighbor below me did complain, but nothing ever came of it. I just tried to be aware of when she was home or not when I worked out.)

- Fit Test: I didn't do the "fit test" days. The fit test was basically a video where you tried to do as many reps of certain moves. You'd keep track of your reps and try to do more and more as the program went on. I'm not all that motivated by doing as many reps as I can. I often find I have bad form when I do this or it hurts something. This video is only 15 minutes long too, so I never saw it as an actual workout. I just used a different video on the fit test days.

- Weights: Insanity doesn't use any weights, which I missed at times. I felt the program toned me but didn't build muscle much. I added light weights the last two weeks to certain moves that would accommodate it to build extra muscle and give me a little boost.

Bottom Line

The first time I did the program, I was so nervous and thought I wouldn't finish it. The second time around, the only doubt I had about doing it was about whether or not I would get bored since I had already done it. Yes, Insanity is challenging and tough for sure, but its doable. No, I can't get through a single video with perfect form without stopping yet. Sometimes I still have to stop and catch my breath or take a quick water break. But that's what makes the workout great - its challenging enough to keep pushing me, but not enough to totally kill me. I would, without a doubt, do Insanity again in the future.

For those of you who have done Insanity, what did you like or not like about it? For those of you who haven't, would you ever consider this workout? 

My Year in Fitness: 2012

Being close to the end of the year (and an amazing one at that), I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately. Reflecting on how I've spent my time, and the progress I've made in certain areas, especially in fitness. 2012 was an amazing year of fitness for me. This and last year were the first years that I truly worked out all the time with a specific plan and accomplished specific goals. I've really come a looong way in terms of fitness. I went from nothing to half-marathoner in just a few years. I'm proud to look back on this year and see what I've done - literally - with my body!

My Year in Fitness! 

• January

- I worked my way almost all the way through Jillian Michaels' Ripped in 30 DVD. I really liked this one as it was harder than the 30 Day Shred, which I did in 2011. But I got really sick my last week and a half, so I kind of fizzled out of that one, but there was nothing I could do about that one.

• February - April

- Started and finished Insanity (60 day program) before my wedding in June
- I love Insanity. Period. I was so afraid I wouldn't be fit enough to do it or that I'd hurt myself, but it was so worth all the effort. It wasn't that scary, either.
- I got such awesome results that I had to get my wedding dress resized a month before my wedding (eek!) because my strapless gown was literally falling off of me. I didn't actually lose much weight at all (maybe 3-5 pounds?), but it transformed my body from head to toe. My body was just a different shape after and it was awesome.

• May

- wanted to keep my results from Insanity but not start a crazy workout plan since I was busy doing wedding stuff
- did a combination of Hip Hop Abs & Turbo Jam, which was really fun to switch things up. I liked both videos for the variety but I probably wouldn't do either again because I felt they were too easy in terms of fitness but also too hard to follow since I'm not a born dancer.

• June

- again, right before my wedding so I didn't have a lot of time but...
- I did a combination of cardio (either outdoor running or indoor elliptical) & Jillian Michael's Blast Fat, Boost Metabolism and her No More Trouble Zones (both changenging hour long circuits that I LOVE)

• July - October 

- Signed up for the Boston Half-Marathon on July 11th (I remember because I had to sign up that day at a specific time because it sold out in only a few hours!) 

- Officially started training for the half on July 16th with Hal Higdon's 12 week plan

- Finished the half-marathon on October 7th! Byfar my favorite personal accomplishment of the year besides getting married :) 

• October (after the Half) - December 

- started round two of Insanity on the 16th 

- threw some running in once in a while when the weather was nice enough

And that's my year in fitness! In the next 19 days of the year (omgosh), I plan to finish Insanity on December 19th, then while I'm on vacation I will probably just take a break from working out besides a few runs, and I might throw in some old Jillian favorites if I have the time!

Some things I learned about myself & fitness this year are: 

• Good workout clothes are totally necessary and worth the price (usually). Without the proper gear, workouts aren't fun! This definitely goes for shoes too. I had to get new shoes when I trained for the half, but it was one of the best purchases of my life! 

• Sometimes I'm motivated, sometimes I'm not. But what keeps me motivated, personally, is having a plan. If I have no plan for a workout that day, I am waaay more likely to not workout at all. Making a calendar or schedule in advance has been totally key to my success in completing so many programs. 

• Even though scheduling workouts is good, I've never followed a schedule perfectly. This was especially true with my half-mararthon training. Some days, I could only eek out 3 miles when I was "scheduled" to do 4. Oh well. Stuff happens. You do what you can and you move onto the next day with a smile on your face :) 

• Running is awesome. Yes, I learned this this year. But it's been a truly valuable lesson. Running is one of the very few things that clears my head, which I have trouble doing these days. The mere thought of running right now makes me excited, motivated, and yet focused. I love it. 

• I am not a super-fast or "really great" runner, and that is okay with me. I can run, and however I can do that is super awesome. No comparing. No shame. 

• The lady who lives below me hates my fitness addiction. ;) This is where you either laugh or cringe. 

• I can really only workout in the morning, period. Other times of the day = no bueno. 

I love sharing my success with others because all this that I've written about has changed my life. I can only hope to encourage and connect with others with my accomplishments. That being said... 

• Question for you: What's your fitness goal(s) for 2013? 

I did it! Musings of a Half-Marathon Runner

After twelve weeks of training...

I did it!!!! I ran 13.1 miles and lived! Hooray! 

Morning of the Race 

Nervous as ever. I really felt prepared for the race, but my body was kind of freaking out on me. For breakfast, the hubs and I had a bagel with peanut butter and a protein smoothie. I was surprised I could even eat as early as it was and as nervous as I felt. We parked, and got to the start line area - total chaos of people walking around and it was freeeezing! It was about 53 degrees, give or take, and I was cold! This made me even more nervous because then is started questioning my clothing choices and wondered if it would make the run harder. After we waited in line for a long time to use a lovely port-a-potty, we lined up for the race. They organize people by pace time (ex: 9-min mile pace). We got into our designated spot, but people just kept piling in. I started to feel like sardines in a can right before the race started. There was hardly room for me to turn around. There were over 6,000 people at this race!

And they're off! 

When we started to move, at first all we could was walk because we were still too close to everyone else. But when I started to run, it was the most surreal feeling in the world. I was like, Okay, I'm running. Wait! I'm running! It was just so odd because I had thought about this race in my head so many times - and there it was, in reality, happening. The first five miles of the race went really well. We had really good pace, but then we had to stop for another port-o-potty around mile 6. This threw us off a little because stopping and then starting again is so hard. I also had to wait in line to go to the bathroom, which was awkward to run for 6 miles and then just stop suddenly. We picked it up a little again, but miles 11 and 12 were pretty rough. Mile 13 seemed to last forevver because this particular mile winded runners through a zoo, and there were all these loops and turns. It was also really narrow in spots, so it took runners longer to get through at that point.

Weird Race Things 

I can't really come up with a better heading than that, but there are some "weird" things about races like this that I didn't expect or realize, and just some other cool facts.

• Volunteers provide water and Gatorade. At this race, it was every two miles. The volunteers just stand holding a cup out to their side, waiting for someone to grab it. It was so weird to just grab a cup of liquid from someone and keep running! It seemed rude, but that's just the way it works. 

• Then after you drink the water/Gatorade, you can just throw the cup wherever you please! 

• There's photographers. I didn't realize this before hand. It didn't bother me at all, but you'd see one and be like, Oh, I bet that was a great picture... when I wasn't paying attention. Yes, they caught some lovely pictures of me. No, you can't see them. 

• Other people didn't get in my way at all. I was expecting to be cut off or trampled or something, but it was all fine.

Post-Race 

We finished in about 2 hour and 19 minutes. This is definitely not a fast time, but it was better than I was expecting. I am actually thrilled with that time because it's less than 2 hours and 30 minutes, which is what I thought I would run it in. I am just so glad I finished. I could care less about the time!

I will say, the one bad thing about the race was stopping. Oh. My Goodness. My body was just screaming What did you just do to me?!?! I kind of wished I never had to stop, just to avoid that feeling... Right where we stopped, there was also a medic tent with tons of people getting ice bags taped to them, which just made me feel even worse, like all of us runners were broken or something. Both the hubs and I agreed that we felt "broken" afterward. But volunteers also gave us medals, and then we got to walk through a bunch of tents of free stuff, so it wasn't that bad.

Among the free stuff, they had bagels, bananas, trail mix, Power Bars, granola, and probably some other stuff I didn't see. And of course tons of water and Gatorade. I can honestly say the Gatorade I had afterward was the best Gatorade of my life. Never had any tasted so good!The broken feeling did go away after the Gatorade, a banana, and a Power Bar. :)

Why it was Awesome 

Honestly, it was a great race. Nothing went wrong. Imagine that! My shoes never came untied. I never got too hot. And the cold went away after about two miles. The weather was actually perfect - no rain, not hot, not freezing after a bit. My iPod magically played all my favorite songs, and the music really kept me going. The hubs ran by me as much as he could (I am a wee bit slower than he). When I felt like my legs were going to give out, I kept going. When I saw mile 12, I got a huge rush just thinking about how close I was to the finish line. When I saw mile 13, I was overjoyed! The hubs and I finished the race holding hands with our arms in the air!

Overall, the race was like nothing I ever could have predicted. It was actually very different than I thought it would be. I had twelve weeks to envision the race, but what the race was actually like was so much cooler and not as scary as I envisioned. This race proved to me that I can do it. Physically, mentally, emotionally. I can push myself that far. When most the time my mind is saying Stop! I don't want to do this! or my body feels like it can't possibly go further, I remember that I am in the one in control - I am the one with the power inside me. The completion of the race gives me so much power and hope for my future progress. If I can commit to twelve weeks of training and running an awesome race - I can do anything then, right? That's how I feel anyway: empowered. Strong. Determined.

Of course, now that I've done it, I've already been asked if I would do another one. My answer is: absolutely. If I can do it one, I can definitely do it again, and hopefully better than before. Would I do a full marathon? I'm still not convinced on that one!

Have you run a half-marathon? Would you ever want to if you haven't before?

Last Running Update before the Half!

Whew, has time flown by! Just eleven weeks ago, I signed up for the Boston Half-Marathon. It's already been that long? I'm in utter shock that the Half-Marathon is nine days away. Less than a week! Eek! I know my anticipation about the half is way scarier than actually running it - or so I hope. In attempt to collect all my thoughts about running since training began, here is a list of things I've learned on the journey.

5 Things I've Learned about Running

1. Running and training is not perfect. 

I used Hal Higdon's training plan to prepare. I made a lovely colored calendar with workouts posted in little boxes to check off. Did I do each one of them? No way. Did life get in the way of running sometimes? You bet. No, I didn't do every single workout exactly as I had planned, and I knew that would happen. Sometimes the weather isn't good for a run. Sometimes I was in pain or recovering. I went on vacation and that threw me off a bit. But I did the best that I could.

Furthermore, something is always not perfect. My shoes are too tight. My shoes are too loose. I'm hot. I'm cold. I'm thirsty. It starts to rain. Someone's dog just cut me off. I tripped on a stick. I start to feel pain and have to stop. My iPod dies. You get it! But instead of focus on how all the conditions may not be perfect, I like to focus on that I am running at all - and that in itself is greater than all the imperfections that bother me.

2. Running better takes a while.

I thought that one day I would just magically love running and be really good at it. If that day is ever to come, it has not yet. Running does not ever really feel easier to me. I run better now. I have better form, I know different techniques, but "easy" is not something I ever think to describe my runs. Running longer distances takes a long time to work up to. When I started training, a 3 mile run was killer to me. Now, 5 mile runs are my "norm." But that took 11 weeks to get to!

3. Stop comparing. 

I'm a slow runner. It's really easy for me to start comparing myself with other runners around me (if there are any), or just compare myself to "other runners" in general. I've really had to take a step back and tell myself that my personal best is the best. I can't want someone else's personal best because, well, I'm not them. I've gotten to the point where I don't want to compare myself to anyone else anymore. I'm just happy that I ran that day, however slow or fast it was. Basically, there will always be someone faster and slower than you. Where you are - if you're giving it all you've got - is the best.

4. I can actually run at different times of the day. 

I am very used to working out early in the morning. If it gets too late, I basically have had the attitude that it's "too late to work out," regardless of if I have the energy. However, some mornings if the weather isn't great, I have to wait until mid morning or even the evening to get a run in. Adjusting the times when I run was not fun for me. I personally believe I have the most energy in the morning. But some of my evening runs have been really great too. Allowing for changes in my running habits has forced me to step outside of what I prefer, but I realize now that it is possible.

5. I like running! 

Before training started, I was not a runner. I ran sometimes, but not regularly and I didn't like it one bit. I never thought I could run 3 miles well. I never thought I could run 5 miles, but I do 5 mile runs often now. Sometimes I don't always like running while I'm doing it, but when I'm done - I am so happy. I feel so accomplished and empowered. I totally get runners now. Running just gives me power. And when I run, I feel at peace with myself and powerful for going on a run at all. Overall, running makes me feel in control of myself regardless of what anyone says. Running is my little happy place that I didn't have before!

9 days before the half-marathon. Yes, I am kind of scared. But I'm also pretty excited about it! I can't wait to see what it's really like! Wish me luck :)

Daily Imperfection: No Run for Me!

Well, here I am, sitting at my computer in my workout clothes - not working out (somehow this is happens too often). I was mentally dreading the run I was planning on going on all morning. I haven't run in a few days and I've been feeling super lazy and blob-like. You know, like when you dread wearing anything but the biggest pair of shorts or sweatpants you own because you are so blobby. Yeah, that. I knew I should run today, but I just kept putting it off. I finally decided to don the running clothes when I realized, Uh, I can't go on a run. I don't have my car! The hubs car is in the shop and he took my car today. Duh.

Haha!

Can I say that I am disappointed? Well, yeah because there are only 41 days until the half marathon and last week was a pretty pathetic week of training for me. I skipped my long run and just didn't have a single "really good run" last week. So I am "slacking" in my head (or just being really hard on myself, but that's how I justify my mindset).

Could I run down the street instead of dream about running at the peaceful pond I normally venture to? Sure, I could, but at this time of day (late morning) there are a lot of cars driving by and it's hotter than running at the pond, which is mostly covered by trees. I don't like the thought of running next to traffic because of the danger of it and because of car exhaust/pollution. Running down the street is a lot less motivating and more distracting for me too. I also have to dodge trash cans and light poles. Super fun! Not. (Photo from here.)

So, I suppose I am left with good old Jillian Michaels DVDs (Killer Buns & Thighs, anyone?) and my apartment gym. Yes, I could run on a treadmill there, but that is about as effective as eating a candy bar on a diet. Yeah, my "perfect morning run" dreams are long out the window. May I convince the hubs to go on an evening run with me tonight? I can only hope! Wish my training stems some luck this week!

Half-Marathon Training Update

This is week 5 of my 12 week training program before the half-marathon! I can't believe it's already been five weeks. I'm so glad I still have 7 weeks until the half, though! Over the course of the last five weeks, here are some things I've learned:

- I can get better at running! When I started, I was running at about an 11 and a half minute mile pace (yes, I am dreadfully slow). Yesterday, I (almost) ran my first under ten minute mile pace. Woohoo! My pace actually is improving!

- I've started to understand the concept of a mile or just the concept of distance better. I currently run around a pond that is two miles around. Now that I run that route often, I understand what it feels like to run two miles. Now I know where the half mile and mile points are, so I can think to myself "I'm a quarter of the way there!" It's just starting to make sense to me, whereas before I was thinking "Two miles? That sounds so long!"

- Running makes me feel strong. I have the strength to carry and propel myself for miles. It's just an awesome and empowering concept to run.

- Running definitely chills me out. I do still think on my runs, but sometimes I feel like because my body is working so hard, my mind can't work as hard. The harder I think, the less my body seems to move. I less I think, the better my body works. And sometimes when I run, I just get this feeling like, Wow, I'm just happy to be alive. Maybe that sounds kind of corny to you, but to me, running has been really freeing of anxiety and self-induced stresses.

- It's still really hard. I would say I'm at the point where I definitely don't hate running like I used to, but I don't really love it either. I like it after I get going, but I'm still trying to fall in love with running (will I ever? Who knows).

New Shoes! 

Love my new shoes!

Since I've run almost 50 miles in the last 5 weeks (whoa!), the hubs and I decided it was time for new shoes for the both of us. I had been using some decent shoes, but they were probably close to two years old. They looked fine, but all the cushion was gone and it was starting to become painful to run in them. We went shoe shopping and - of course - hubs finds his shoes in the first hour we are shopping. It seems he can always decide quickly and find something whenever he needs to! I on the other hand took three different shopping trips to find the perfect pair. I am pretty picky when it comes to shoes (and everything?), and since I want good shoes for the half, I definitely didn't want to settle for just anything.

I had to completely un-train myself to think in terms of style and instead think in terms of comfort while I was shopping. I tried on some of the ugliest shoes I've ever seen just to see if they were the right ones! But obviously, I will sacrifice looks for comfort on a run any day. Thankfully, the ones that happened to be really comfortable weren't super ugly, and they even came in pink and black, which go with my running clothes. I got the Saucony Grid Cohesion 5's. So far, so good, but I'm still breaking them in.

Progress 

The best part of training so far has been actually seeing progress. I try to track all my runs with a running app so I can keep tabs on my pace and mileage. For me, it's so easy to feel like I'm not making any progress if I have one bad run or if I'm just in a bad mood. But when I look back and see how much I've run and how far I've come, I start to realize that I actually am progressing. It's a cool feeling to start being less intimidated by distance runs and instead think Yeah, I can go an extra mile today. Running really is becoming empowering for me. In just five weeks, I've proven to myself that I can go longer and faster than I think. It's definitely a slow progression, but progress is progress!

I'm still a newbie runner in all aspects, but I'm starting to actually feel convinced that I not only will physically make it to 13.1 miles, but that I will mentally make it there too. Running is not perfect, though. The last five weeks have left me sore, cranky, and super tired sometimes. I've had a few bad runs due to weather or being under-prepared (dehydrated, not eating enough beforehand). But right now, at five weeks, I can say that I see my progress and I'm happy with where I am now. I can only hope my next 5 weeks deliver just as much progress as the first five weeks have.

Run, run, and run some more...Right?

As I mentioned earlier, I'm going to get into detail about my training plan for the half. I got a training plan right away, as I only had 12 weeks from sign up to the half to get my butt in gear. I took Hal Higdon's training plan and adapted it to fit my schedule (as pictured). I'm currently using the RunKeeper app to log my runs and see my progress. Tracking things (food, exercise, etc.) are really helpful for me to see my progress. My training was going well, and I ran almost 12 miles in one week, which for me is unheard of! Keep in mind that I've never run more than 5 miles at once (although I will this weekend!) and I've probably never run more than twice a week every week until just a few weeks ago. Yes, I have no business running a half marathon! And that makes it all the more fun :)

So, training was going well for the first week. I had the urge to get out and run. I didn't waste time getting out the door. I just headed to a nearby pond every day and did it. I felt accomplished when I was done. I feel happy to see other runners running the same trail. It was all good. Then my shins said "what the heck are you doing every day to me?!" Yeah, shin splints like nobody's business. Sure, I've gotten them before, probably from walking, but not like this. One of my legs was actually in pain while I was sleeping. I ended up elevating my legs while sleeping and icing the sore areas a few times, and that worked wonders. The pain really got me down, but after a quick Pinterest sweep for running information (wait, quick Pinterest sweeps don't exist... oooh, chocolate covered marshmallow recipe... oh, sorry), I wasn't so down about the splints anymore.

I realized that the shoes I'm using are probably shot for running purposes anyway. I have a nice pair of Nike Airmax's, but I've had them for over a year and a half. I used them for gym training, so they are still in great condition, but they're not taking the impact of my stride. I also realized I was definitely not warming up enough. Confident to run even with the splints, I did a Jillian video (Yes, Jillian Michaels. I love it. There, I said it), and I felt so much more warmed up and ready to run. I was not a happy camper during the video, but my run went great afterwards. That was yesterday, but I'm still recovering from the splints so I took the day off of running today and spent it with good ole Jill again.

Side note: something else that's been bugging me is the overwhelming number of sites that show you shouldn't up your mileage by more than 10% each week. Okay, got it. Small increases. So why does every training program have you upping the mileage well over 10% each week? I feel like upping my mileage way too much too soon has definitely caused my splints. I don't really know how to avoid this though, because I need to keep my mileage up. I guess I've just got to see how my body does and try not to push it too hard. 

So, what's imperfect about running? Um, gee, about everything! Here's a list to humor you (but mostly me).

What's Imperfect about Running 

1. You get sweaty. Really freaking sweaty. I never sweat more in my life than when I run (except maybe when I did Insanity).

2. Then your clothes are super-must-wash-them-now-and-not-wear-again nasty.

3. Usually, your brain wanders into can-I-stop-yet mode after about two minutes. (At first. This has already started to go away...sometimes).

4. You bounce. All of you. Do I need to say more?

5. You have to pay attention to a million different things at once: your stride, your breathing, the dog about to run into you, the fire hydrant you're about to run into, making sure you don't trip, passing people, your iPod, when your shoe comes undone...

Okay, I could go on, but I won't. I just had to get that out there. Sometimes the pessimist in me comes out and takes over. I could choose to focus on all the imperfections about running, and trust me, I feel slightly frustrated by the things mentioned in my list every time I run. But the truth is, running is great. While I do feel bogged down by focusing on a lot at times (#5), sometimes I feel like my mind just clears and I am free when I'm running. Sometimes my run is the most perfect part of my day, where, no matter what happens, I had that time to myself to prove to myself once again that I can do it. Now I just need to re-read all that before I run 13.1 miles :)

What's your pet peeve about running? What do you love about running?

The Boston Half Marathon

A few weeks back, I signed my life away to something I am going to affectionately call from now on "the half." The half being the Boston Half Marathon. Yes, I will attempt to try and run thirteen point one miles in one given time period. And I'm scared to death about it. Am I a previous marathon runner? Nope. Do I run all the time and enjoy it? Not entirely. Am I out of my mind for even dreaming of running 13.1 dreaded miles (even though I've never run that far before in my life)? Sometimes I think so... Here's the full story.

Some friends of ours invited my husband and I to run the marathon with them, which really excited us. The hubs and I were all for it, months in advance. Well, we may have forgotten about it with our wedding and some travel thrown in there. Then our friends reminded us that sign up was next week (at the time)! I felt a little mentally unprepared to sign myself up for something so "big" in my mind (just a year ago, I could barely run a mile without whining like a baby, mind you). Usually, I like my plans to be well-thought out. I like to mentally prepare myself for what's coming next. But no - the sign up was in a few days - and since I had forgotten about it, all my mind could say was no. But thankfully, my heart (and my husband) said yes.

Before I sold myself on signing up, I looked up some training schedules to see what my life would (and now, does) look like if I indeed signed my life away to the half marathon. I found all these programs saying they were good for "novice runners" who "ran 13-20 miles a week. All I could think was uhh, that's not me. Where's the super super novice training plan?! Looking at all the training plans freaked me out and intimidated me beyond belief. But, thankfully, our friends who we're running it with sent me a training plan that actually made sense. It is, as seasoned runners know, Hal Higdon's training plan, found here. While this is still a committed training plan, it was a lot less scary than others sounded. His plan has a nice introduction that tells it like it is. The plan is flexible and realistic. He cuts right to the chase, but his honesty didn't scare me. It empowered me. After reading through the plan, I realized it was 12 weeks long: exactly the amount of time I had until the half marathon. Coincidence? I thought of it as God's gentle whisper saying Now is the time. Recently, I have been searching for something meaningful to fill my time with, and I don't think it's a coincidence at all that this marathon landed in my lap right at this time. So Wednesday, July 17th - shaking (From fear or too much coffee? I'll never know) - I signed up for my first half marathon.

Now, I'm not going to get all high and mighty sounding just because I signed up for running my butt off for what will definitely take me over two hours (two...hours...running...). But this is a big step for me, personally. I was the girl in gym class who finished the mile run by walking or who puked afterward. I was never taught how to run, and quite honestly, I think it's ridiculous that students are required to run a timed mile when no one teaches students how to run in the first place (at least they didn't at my school). But my husband has changed all of that. He's a much more natural runner than I am and probably ever will be. We started running together last year, a little over a year and a half ago now. He taught me good running form and gives me motivation to keep going. And if he hadn't signed up for this with me, there's no way I would have gotten myself into this in the first place!

The sign up process was definitely not perfect. But the timing of this event coming into my life really is perfect in a way. I have something to work towards, and I have a whole lot of running to do every week! Since this post is getting a little long, I'll save my training updates for my next post. For all you non-runners out there, do you ever think you would commit yourself to a race to see what you are capable of? For past race runners, how did you feel about signing up for the event? As crazy as I did?