mental realization

i like to peruse some popular running blogs, just to read their stories- how they got into it, how they stay into it, how they train. yesterday, as i was doing this, i realized: i could run a half marathon if i wanted to. if i really put my mind to it, i could. so i think i'm going to try to work up to it. i'm not going to set a deadline, or sign up for a race, but i'm going to try to add half a mile or so to my longest distance every week or so. just see where i can go.

i went to yoga last night. great decision, because my body was really aching from those barre classes i took over the weekend. i'm taking another barre class tonight, and going to try to run early tomorrow morning. i'm headed on vacation through sunday, so i'm hoping to keep up with my early morning runs!

barre beat me up

i went to two barre classes this weekend, for the first time in the while. as much as i'm enjoying running, i need some variety and some full body workouts. i am so beat up right now. i love barre, but it totally does conquer your entire body.

just for reference, i go to barren9ne in andover and danvers, ma. such great instructors- i've never had a bad class there. and there's good variety- each class is different and unique. i'm going to try to fit in some more classes each week. hopefully alternating each day with running and barre. i'm also intrigued in trying a tower pilates class on the reformer.

water update

sooo i've been slacking on this "drink more water" thing. i'm working on it, but it's just not part of my routine yet. hopefully i'll be better over the next week. i'm moving today, and away next week. i'm hoping to stay in my running routine, although it might have to shift to evenings rather than mornings, as my commute is wayyy longer now

week 4, day 2 (workout 11)

i'm not sure that i should label this post week 4 day 2. i missed the cue to change from jogging to walking, so i ended up running for 9:30 straight, walked for 2 minutes, 30 seconds and then ran again for 9:30, because the first set felt pretty good. i'm not quite sure what to do next- should i follow the rest of the program or build off of this because it went well?

i'm also really proud of myself today. i'm moving this afternoon, and even though i had planned on running today, i was so stressed last night that i thought to myself "if i don't run tomorrow morning, it's not a big deal". i gave myself an out. and this morning, i woke up before my alarm (getting into a routine here!!) and lied in bed. i thought, do i want to go outside? i checked the weather, and it was a little chilly (60 degrees), and for a moment, i thought: i'm going to skip it tonight. not a big deal, it's just a run.

but then i thought: it feels so good to have a run done. it's 30 minutes of my day- i can do this. so i got up and out the door and did it. and do you know what- it feels pretty freaking good to have it done.

i'm really proud of myself. i think the last three weeks might change the way i approach exercise. i think today was a big internal breakthrough, and to be honest, a big physical one as well- i almost ran 10 minutes straight- weeks ahead of time!!

how to spend your next $18

through this adventure so far (getting close to that magical number 21!), i've learned a few things. i've talked about what i like to wear (more on that tomorrow), but i haven't talked about the whole hair issue. let's start with my hair: it's short (just below my chin) and can get curly and frizzy out of control. a pony tail works, but needs to be combined with a headband, otherwise pieces fall out and get in my face and i feel gross and disgusting.

but i've found the most magical thing: the lululemon bangbuster . it seriously keeps your hair out of your face, plus it looks pretty cute. mine is white with little black polka dots- new colors come out every week, so keep your eyes peeled! i really really love it and it works incredibly well.

week 4, day 1, workout 10

i hit double digits on the workout count!! woohoo!

i completed it. i really wanted to walk for part of that second 5 minute section, but i didn't. i had the worst stitch right by my rib, and checked the time left and saw i had three minutes to go, but i toughed through it. i do want to do some research into how to work through a cramp and not let your workout suffer. i think i'm still at a pretty quick pace and i should try to slow down a little more. through the whole workout (31 minutes, walking included) i covered a little over 3 miles. but i figure, if i'm feeling okay i should go with it for now.

i'm going to do day 2 tomorrow and see how it goes. i do find that for the 5 minute jog sections, i get into a better groove and think i go a little faster than the shorter ones, because i have a little more time to settle in. minor problem- this means i have to do laundry tonight because i've run out of socks!

also is it weird i like to listen to rap when i run? it might be, but whatever... i like it.

if you have any tips or tricks for powering through a side stitch, let me know!

not happening today

i really wanted to start the week 4 workouts today, but woke up and my body was just tired. after running for over 3 miles yesterday morning, i walked over 6 miles in the afternoon, going to get lunch and then doing errands. so i woke up and i could definitely feel all 10 of those miles i covered yesterday. i know that might not be much to some, but my body was tired from it. and i really want to do the first workout of each week when i'm feeling good, so i know i can conquer it. sooo long story short, i'm off to start week 4 tomorrow. OR ELSE.

i am disappointed i didn't hold myself to what i had planned on, but i do think i am better off with this new plan.

week 3, day 3 (workout 9)

it finally cooled down!! just about 72 degrees when i went out for my run and it felt amazing!! today's workout went great. i downloaded the app mapmyrun because i was curious to see how far i'm running. i'm definitely running way too fast. with the walking breaks in this workout, i was averaging 10 minute miles, so i can definitely slow down and i think that will help me with me as the runs get longer.

next up is week 4: jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, jog 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes, jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, jog 5 minutes.

so working up to less rest, and longer runs!! wish me luck. i think i'm going to attack this one tomorrow while it's still cooler out, so i'll let you know how it goes!

too too hot

too hot to run today, so i'm taking today off. it cools off tomorrow though, and i'm going to run no matter what! i can't let myself fall back into old habits.

this humidity needs to goooo

update: definitely finishing up week 3 tomorrow- it's going to be around 70 degrees at 6am so i'll get up early and hit the road. definitely one of those weeks when i wished i had a treadmill, but not worth paying for a gym pass when i can go outside!

week 3, day 2 (workout 8)

not too bad today. it's insanely hot out, so that wasn't great, but i felt like i was really getting in a groove. it's cooling down this weekend and next week, so i think that will help me out too. still quite proud of myself for coming this far. i'm excited for the next step up!

surprised so far

i've had quite a few surprise so far. i didn't think that i would actually be okay with getting up early for a 30 minute jog. i thought i would dread it and put it off, and to be honest, i thought i wouldn't come this far. i know i'm only in week 3, but that's almost 1/3 of the way there!

behappy.me

now, this might seem like a small accomplishment to some, but i'm proud of myself. i'm on my way towards making running a habit, not a chore. and if i got that out of finishing the couch to 5k program, i'd be ecstatic.

i took today off, as planned. i've sort of powered through the program this far- i've finished 7 workouts in 10 days, so i wanted to give my body a day to rest, but i'll be right back at it tomorrow. i'm excited to see if the second day of my 3 minute run is better. i think it will be.

water

while i'm on this running kick, and it's going actually pretty well, i thought i'd try one more thing to encourage myself to be heatlhy. i decided to focus on something small and i chose to focus on drinking more water.

now, i don't drink soda. not because i'm morally against putting chemicals in my body (if you knew the kind of food i ate...) but because i don't like the taste of soda. plus the bubbles make me feel sick. on a normal day, i drink an iced tea (sweetened, i like my sugar!) and water. but i don't drink that much. on the whole, i'm probably on the dehydrated side, so i'd like to focus on drinking more water.

i'm going to keep a full water bottle next to me at work, and another one in my room at home. i think that will help. plus i want to make sure i drink before and after i go on a run. i always drink a lot when i'm at barre and yoga because the rooms get so hot and i have water next to me on the floor, but when i run i usually skip that step.

i think this is something i can actually improve on. i like that i'm taking these baby steps to change habits. like they say, it takes 21 days to make a new habit. so this is day 1 of water drinking.

week 3, day 1 (workout 7) aka i can run for 3 minutes!!!

workout for week 3: five minute warm up, jog 90 seconds, walk 90 seconds, jog 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes, repeat again, cool down.

i can run for 3 minutes. i actually did it! i ran the whole time, i didn't stop, i didn't walk. i'm so so proud of myself. i know someone out there is probably thinking "three minutes? is she kidding? you can do anything for three minutes" but this is an accomplishment for me. my only previous running experience was really middle school gym, something i've conveniently blacked out of my memory.

this was great because by the time i finished the first 3 minute set, i was halfway done! i think i was a little conservative with my effort on this one, so next time i do it i'm going to push it a little more. right now though, i'm just on cloud nine for finishing this one strong!

don't judge me.

when i run in the morning, there are always a lot of people out and about, sometimes headed to work, sometimes headed home (no, i won't judge you for your glitter dress and high heels...), sometimes on a run themselves. i've noticed some "real runners" with their oakley sunglasses on and high tech gear, give me some looks that made me a little sad. no, i'm not going to run a marathon tomorrow. no, i haven't run my whole life. no, i'm not in as good of shape as you are. 

but i don't think that i, or any novice runner (see, i consider myself a runner now ;)), should be judged for starting out. everyone starts somewhere, and for me, i start as a petite 21 year old who runs for 90 seconds at a time. it's not about how far you go or how fast or for how long, it's the fact that you are going. i wish there was more support from the "real runners". a simple nod, smile, rather than the up-down look (are we in middle school here?). 

but i'm going to stick to my goals. and that's just to get up on the mornings i say i'm going to and get up and moving. maybe i'm not the fastest and i don't have the best endurance, but i'm not sitting at home sleeping in anymore. i'm up and going somewhere. 

behappy.me

urgh?

on my way to work, i came to the realization that for week 3, i'm expected to run for 3 minutes straight. that's doubling the amount i've done for week 2. 

a little nervous, yes, but i'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. my goal is to keep running for the whole 3 minutes, no matter how slow i go. no stopping allowed. deal? deal.

week 2, day 3 (workout 6)

today was so much better. i don't know if it was taking a day off between, or just in a better mood, but i felt like i could do another set or two after i was done- i just felt like i was cruising! it was definitely a relief to get back to a happy running place, because i'm really determined to finish this program and i don't want to do something i hate ;)

i think it helped that 1) i ran earlier when it was cooler out and a little less humid but also that 2) i ran around the boston public gardens. it's fun to see the swans out and it's just nice to be in the shade for a little more time. plus i see other people and that always motivates me to go a just a little bit harder!

i'm excited to move on to week 3. i felt so good today i think i'll do it tomorrow! running for half an hour is a great way to start my day!

week 2, day 2 (workout 5)

i hit a wall today. i finished the workout, and i ran every part i was supposed to run, but man it was hard. my body was sore, and i just mentally was not into it. i need to start coming up with a better running playlist- i've realized how much of a difference that makes for me. i'm glad i mentally got through it, but it was certainly not my best run and i hated every minute of it.

but i finished it and that's what counts for me right now. hopefully the next day goes better!

inspired

i'm inspired by november project. their workouts look hard. i've limped through stadiums before and it's just not for me. but wow. maybe one day.

week 2, day 1 (workout 4)

week 2 has officially begun! it was definitely harder to run those last 90 seconds, but mentally easier because it was only repeated 6 times, not 8. i was able to complete it without any problems (except that my shoes do not stay tied even when i double knot them!). this week is definitely harder than last week though.

i think i'll probably go for a 30 minute walk tomorrow. i'm not sure i'm ready to do 3 days in a row, but i like starting my day with some exercise now, instead of waiting for a class to begin. i'm still tempted to maybe do a barre class though-  i love the whole body workout.

and clearly i have trouble finding matching socks. at least these ones are in the same color family!

no one mentioned the blisters...

so i came to the realization that i've never worked out with shoes on before.

yeah, weird i know. but my feet hurt. maybe i need to get new sneakers? i don't know, but the back of my heels are killing me and it's just been a few runs so far!! i miss the padded mats of barre.

on to barre.
LITERALLY THE HARDEST WORK OUT EVER TODAY.
the arm sequence went on. and on. and on. i always try to power through and stop as little as possible, but that just was NOT happening. i had to stop and rest my shoulders frequently.

but i have realized that barre has taught me to follow the beat of the music, something that i think will help pace myself when it comes to longer runs. still need to work on finding the right music to run to.

week 1, day 3 (workout 3)

week 1 is over! i completed day 3 today- the same workout as the first 2 days (60 seconds running, 90 seconds walking). week 2's workout is 90 seconds running, 2 minutes walking. i think i can bump up my running by 30 seconds!

i'm so excited to get started on week 2 that i think i might do it tomorrow! i'm really happy with how things are going. yes, i know i'm 3 days in, but still i've worked out when i've said i was going to (without dragging myself to a pre-paid class!) and i haven't completely died yet!

i wore my lululemon speed shorts today. i sometimes get a size 2, sometimes a size 4. i definitely need to wear my 2s when i'm running. i wore a pair of size 4s today and they were falling down! not fun pulling your pants up while running. i also wore a power y tank. i think i like the run swiftly better, as there's just a little more breeze and it doesn't cling to your skin as much. so i'm off to get another one today i think!!

i've also learned humidity just isn't my friend. i don't mind the heat, but when you feel so sticky it becomes really hard to push yourself!

and a quick picture of my favorite place to run so far- seeing these ducks make me so happy!!

day off

i decided to take today off. the couch to 5k program is supposed to be 3 times a week, but so far i've felt great so i've been doing it a little more frequently. this morning, though, i got up and dressed and when i went downstairs it looked like we were in a cloud! plus it just felt wet out. i decided i could make it a day off then- plus i was proud because it wasn't like i slept in- i was ready to go!

so back to it tomorrow for the final day of week 1.

in other news, there are christmas lights all over the trees outside my office... what???

clothes part 2

so for workout 2 i tried a different pair of bottoms- i tried the lululemon inspire 2 crops

i was actually pretty happy with them. they have a little pocket in the back and my keys fit perfectly back there. there's also two little pockets right in the front, so i slipped my phone in there and could still feel the vibrate when it was time to change from running to walking back to running. 

only thing i didn't love was that i felt like they fell down a little around my waist towards the end- i was yanking them up a little bit. also, i wish they didn't have the stripes around the legs. i just don't think it's the most flattering. but on cool days i'll definitely be using these! you can feel a breeze through them and they were pretty comfortable!

week 1, day 2 (workout 2)

so. day 2- the same workout as day 1, so it's 60 seconds of jogging, 90 seconds of walking, repeat 8 times. not too bad again. this time i ran early in the morning (6 am) and it's much cooler out, so i wasn't dying just from the humidity. it was definitely easy again, but i tried to push myself more during the jogging phase, and tried to speed walk as much as possible.

lesson of the day: i suck at tying my shoes. they must have come undone like 3 times!

clothes clothes clothes

i confess. i'm a lululemon addict. i stalk all of the blogs (luluaddict, lulumum, etc.) to see what items are coming in, to get reviews, etc. but i've also realized the clothes i've relied on so much for barre and yoga just won't work for running.

wunder unders are amazing, but a little too much when it's 80 degrees and sweltering out. so i'm trying out new clothes. i really like the run swiftly tank. it's so lightweight and such a nice material. but now it's a matter of finding my favorite shorts to wear.

i really like the free to be bra too. i don't need a lot of support and i find it's really comfortable- no pressure on my neck at all!

things to do:

• find shorts.
• come up with a running playlist- my usual country just isn't cutting it.
• find the best shady paths to run in.
• stick with it.

week 1, day 1 (workout 1!)

week 1's workout is: 5 minute warm up, jog 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds (repeated 8 times), 5 minute cooldown.

so. i survived. i actually ran the entire time i was supposed to ran. i did a power walk the entire time i was supposed to walk. i went into this thinking i couldn't do it and it would be hard, but somehow it wasn't. this is not to say i think they'll all be this easy- i am really really sore today, but i'm relieved i got off to a better start than i had anticipated.

it's so so so hot and humid out here, so i did this one in as much shade as possible. it's nice that it's 30 minutes total. i think that'll keep me on pace. i can wake up 30 minutes earlier than normal, that's not too bad. i'm hoping to do all of these in the morning when it's coolest out.

it's good to just follow the couch to 5k plan. it's sort of like my favorite classes, where you aren't in charge of the workout, but rather just following the plan. it's hard not to have my favorite instructors there to push me to go harder, to push myself more, but it's a good challenge to learn to do that myself.

so. that's day 1.

introduction

hi.

i'm a 21 year old girl with aspirations to run a 5k. in 10 weeks from now. the only other time i've run before was for the 1 mile test in 7th grade gym. pretty sure i didn't break 10 minutes then, pretty sure i still won't now. but for me, it's not about the time, but the distance.

i've always taken exercise "classes"- i'm obsessed with barre (and that's not going anywhere while i do this), i've taken yoga, pilates, reformer. pretty much anything where i can rely on those around me and my instructor to push me.

and now i've decided it's time that i push myself.

so here we go. i'm going to follow the couch to 5k program and document each day here to hold myself accountable and stick to the plan and achieve my goal. cheesy yes, but i want to do it!

so off we go...