Monday, January 31, 2011

getting into half.

this is week #5 and that means this week is the halfway point for my 10wk goal. i'm very proud of the progress i've made so far. this week is also my cross-training week, which i like because it gives me the "change up" i like.  as of last week, my total miles is at 39.14.  not too shabby for me!
i finally ordered new shoes today and they should be here in the next day or so.  (thank you zappos!)
oh and i don't know if i shared this or not, but since i started running over 7 months ago, i've been chewing gum while i run. i've found that it helps regulate my breathing. weird, maybe? all in my head?  i don't know. either way, i think it's been working for me and thought i'd pass it along as a tip.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

the track.

i like running because it gives my mind time to roam. today i realized that even though i'm only just beginning week 4, i've gotten a bit off track already. i realized that i've been focusing on the wrong thing. i've been focusing on how many miles i've been running, instead of my original goal--which is to be able to run 30 minutes without stopping. i'm not sure if it's the blog, or the run schedule that i have hanging on my fridge that i fill out each day or what..but i've been feeling like i have to compete with each day, each week and see an increase in my mileage. but that's not the point of these 10 weeks. i know that i can run 2 miles with a good time and speed.  but can i keep up that speed for 30 minutes? no, probably not...at least not right now.  yes, i like seeing that daily number on the treadmill, on my schedule and being able to report how many miles i ran in a week, seeing the number go up, impressing myself...  but...again, i'm missing the point of my own goal.  i'm not competing in a race. i'm not trying to pass a fitness test.  i'm not trying to beat anyone..except for myself and to meet this goal.
so today as i was running, i decided to keep it at a slower, but steady/even pace. and even though i didn't get the exact mileage in today that i wanted to, i kept up the pace the entire time.  and THAT'S what my goal is all about. so i'm glad that i got back on track today and re-focused my brain on what i'm striving for. it's not about the miles. it's about the distance..ha..does that even make sense? well, it does to me.

Monday, January 24, 2011

a new week.

i ran 3.25 miles today. it was a good run/jog combination.  my inner left thigh is sore, which means i either needed to stretch a bit more before i ran, or pilates opened some muscles up for me that i hadn't used in awhile. either way, it was a good workout. i'm still nowhere near ready to run at a fast pace for 30mins without stopping, but i'm on my way.  and i'm running more than i have in the past months and pushing myself to run farther and longer, so that makes me proud of myself.  i wish i didn't have my "little sidekick" to attend to, otherwise i'd be able to devote 100% of my attention and focus on my goal, but alas, wishful thinking doesn't make anything better. and i'm doing the best that i can with the situation, so that's all i can ask of myself.
i still need to go and get new running shoes.  i may do that at the end of this week. oh, and i did really great with my arm placement today. i held onto my mp3 player while i ran, so i think that's the key for me until i get used to it.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

finally!

geez! it's about dang time! i FINALLY got a good pilates workout in this morning.  yay!!! i'm very happy with myself for getting that done. i dug the dvd out of a box that all my workout dvds went into once we moved into this place (since it has a gym) and as soon as the "little sidekick" went down for a nap, it was ON! i can't remember the last time i did pilates.  it's been such a long time. i think it was probably right around the time that we moved in here, so...april, maybe? either way it's been quite some time and i'm hoping to make this an every sunday ritual. so even though i disappointed myself with only 6 miles this week, i did manage to get my pilates done that i've been talking about doing for the past few weeks, and that satisfies me. and hopefully this cold/snotty thing goes away quickly, so i can bump it back up to my regular miles.

ps..the three pilates highlighted links are the dvds that i have.  the one by Brooke Siler is my favorite!

Friday, January 21, 2011

FAIL.

i failed today. no workout at all..unless you count all the dancing that i did with the "little sidekick" tonight.  ha! i just felt dumpy, didn't sleep well, all stuffy/snotty/gross..yeah, i know. i'm playing the blame game. i could've totally gotten up and worked out.  but i didn't. so today is a major FAIL for me. and i hate that i disappoint myself like that too. and i hate that i'm so hard on myself.  i'm such an "all or nothing" type of person.  so basically, in my head i totally sucked this week and that's that.  but tomorrow or sunday i'm hoping (crossing my fingers!!) to get some pilates done.  i love one of the dvds i have and i miss doing it.  so that's my plan.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

cold and stuffy.

so i have a cold and i'm all stuffy and i have a sore throat. this has been going on for a few days now, but i can't complain too much because its been about 8 months since the last time i had a cold.  despite being all icky, i still got up and had a decent workout. i took it a little bit easier on my run since it was harder to breathe, but i got that done and abs as well. oh and along with my stuffy cold...i was COLD when i walked into the gym this morning..the thermostat said: 55 degrees.  BURRRRRR.

Monday, January 17, 2011

good change.

i had an awesome workout today...despite the fact that the gym temperature was at 75 degrees! yes, 75 degrees! i was starting to sweat just doing some stretches! ick. i hate it when people jack up the temperature in their just because it drops a little bit in the mornings and at night. so frustrating. but i powered on and was dripping by the time my workout was done. i did circuit-like training today..i ran a little, did some ab work, ran some more and did more ab work.  it was a nice change. i've been debating if i should do this for a week (except switch up the abs for arms/back work every other day) or if i should just alternate for the week and do that every two weeks? idk...both sound good. not sure which is best though. i guess i'll have to decide that before tomorrow! so yeah, despite the sweltering temp, it was a good workout.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

switch gears?

ok, for the past two weeks i've been doing my running schedule and then trying to get my ab/arm/back workouts in on the weekends. well..that hasn't worked out too well this past weekend, so i'm changing it up this coming week.  i think what i'm going to do every two weeks is have a week where i still run, but for a shorter time and that way i can get my other exercises in as well.  i've gotta compromise my schedule a little bit because i've come to realize over the past weeks that my "little sidekick" isn't so little..and i'm HER schedule..not mine! :)  so i need to be flexible with this (even though my OCD wants to adhere to a rigid schedule..) because if i don't bend a little i'm going to end up ignoring the other workouts, not be happy, etc, etc.  so yeah.  that's what i'm going to do.  just little switching of gears, but nothing major.  and as a wise woman recently told me, "don't forget to cross-train!"

Friday, January 14, 2011

something new.

i tried something new today to help with my "migrating arm" problem. i decided that instead of putting my mp3 player on my arm like i normally do, i'd pull the strap as tight as it would go and slip it around my hand and sort of hold on to it. funny enough, it actually worked! i'm not sure if it was because i was holding it or it forced me to think about it more so i wouldn't drop it or let the armband/mp3 player slip off my hand, but it worked. i did that for the duration of my run. it felt odd at first because i'm so used to having it around my arm, but it felt even better having my arms in the position and at the level they should be at. so i'm definitely going to be trying that again on monday.
as for my total miles this week: 12.16 miles--an improvement from last week! yay!

oh and i won't even go into the whole ordeal of realizing i forgot to wash laundry and had to wear the "granny panties" of workout clothes today..you know what i mean ladies--when you have to wear certain things because you have put off doing laundry!  my "last resort" pair of workout pants--which i found out after putting them on this morning, that they are about 3 sizes too big, with no waistband tie either.  oh and i had to wear a crappy t-shirt given to me by my sister (some promotional shirt) and the shirt is way too short.  oh and i had none of my good running socks clean either.  and apparently i slept all ridiculous because my hair was atrocious looking..sticking up and out all over the place and it's too short to "pullback" or do much of anything with.  needless to say, i was a HOT MESS. and i never go to the gym looking all put together with makeup or anything, but good lord.  a decent fitting pair of pants and shirt along with somewhat cooperative hair is the basic necessities. ahhh...a great end to the week.
i'm hoping to squeeze in a pilates dvd workout tomorrow while the "sidekick" is napping.  we'll see.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

migrating..in more ways than one.

got a good run in today. nothing major to report other than i really need to find some good thigh stretches for the backs of my thighs. they have felt super tight this whole week. i'll have to google that later today. but also i noticed that my arms were migrating back up again.  grrr. why would someone want to run with their arms so high? it's not like their by my face or anything, but i can tell the difference of when i keep them at waist level compared to not paying attention to it at all (which i didn't have complete focus on that today, i guess.) and i can see in the window of the gym that my arms were getting about chest high...good lord. it just makes it that much harder of a run and i know that..just gotta re-focus and keep at it.
but another little side bit of the title of this blog in regards to "migration." yeah..when i was stretching after my workout, i felt something hit me.  it wasn't a hard it, but i could feel it. i looked up and my "little sidekick" decided she'd had enough of the gym, stroller, and everything else so she was throwing the "discards" of her cereal (and by "discards" i mean the lucky part of the lucky charms..she only likes the charms marshmallows..weirdo child.) so i looked up and yep..sure enough, she was throwing them at me, and all over the gym floor. GRRRR.  ah, the joys of being me.  :)

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

tough tread.

today's workout was hard.  not hard as in a good workout (don't get me wrong it was a good workout) but it was hard as in i had to pretty much work for every single stride i took. i just wasn't into it today. i was really comfy in my bed and tired and just felt like sleeping in. but i didn't! i got up, powered through my run and got it done. it felt good afterwards to write my miles on my schedule. and i know that i would've felt disappointed in myself if i didn't get up and do a good job.  so that's what i did.  but i'm not gonna lie, it was a struggle the entire time.  i just wasn't into it and on days like that..man, it's tough.
i think i am going to get new shoes soon. and then i can rotate them and then probably end up retiring the older pair eventually. sooooo..that's really all i have for an update. i just need to get into a "routine" of sorts and just get used to this new schedule. before i really didn't have a "schedule" that i adhered to, i just made sure i got my workouts in and didn't have a set goal that i was working toward.  and that's what makes it that much harder, but that's what drives me that much more too.
tomorrow is my rest day.  :) yay!

Monday, January 10, 2011

week two..whoo!!

i'm starting week two of my new schedule.  and i started off wonderful! a great run/jog that i managed to get 3.03 miles in.  :)  i'm really proud of that because normally i do my 2 miles and focus on the speed, now i'm focusing on stamina and endurance building. distance is still a priority, but not as high as the other two.  i'm also still keeping a watch on my form; mainly my arm placement and i'm happy to report that i'm doing pretty darn good with that thus far.  as long as i'm conscious of where my arms are and how high/low they are, i'm good. and pretty soon keeping them where they need to be (waist level) will become like second nature and i won't have to think about it as often..hopefully! :) and yes, i've fully accepted that "little sidekick" is my tiny obstacle in this whole journey, but even if i do have to stop for a few seconds to attend to her, i refuse to let it ruin my mindset and make me think that i'm failing on my ultimate goal. it is what it is for now and not letting it deter me is all i can do at this point.

oh and my numbers for last week: 9.68 miles (crappy because i had a bad workout on friday that had to get cut short.) but i did get ab/arm work in on saturday and sunday so i'm proud of myself for that. normally, i reserve the weekend for no workouts at all, but it's more than doable for me to get those "tiny" workouts in while "little sidekick" is napping. i may even try to get a pilates session in one of these weekend. i really miss that, but alas..dvd workouts aren't in my routine anymore due to "sidekick" issues. but my pilates dvd may be workable on a low volume.  hmmm..maybe this weekend!

Friday, January 7, 2011

little pain and even littler patience.

today i could've totally skipped my workout due to many reasons..i have a busy day and the baby needed to sleep as much as she could so she's not crabby, the babysitter is coming at 830am, i have numerous appointments today and my left foot is a bit sore. but, i got up at 540am with my alarm anyway!  :)
one because i KNOW that it's part of my run schedule to do 4 days of running and i already had my rest day on tuesday.  and i don't workout on the weekends, except now i'm going to do ab/arm workouts on the weekends since i'm focusing all my attention on my runs during the week. so back to the topic.  i got up, we walked down to the gym and i it was then that i realized i forgot my "sidekick's" snack.  crap! i never forget that and today i did..oh well.  i was hoping that she wouldn't notice and let me get through my workout regardless.  so i'm running and i notice that my foot feels a bit sore.  i'm thinking it's either because i've ran 3 days in a row (pushing myself pretty hard too) or that it's time for some new shoes.  i've been thinking about new shoes for the past few days now just because i know that i've had them since July and i think you're suppose to replace your shoes every so many miles/every 6 months.  idk.  but either way, i'm going to take my rest days this weekend and see what monday brings.  if it's still hurting (it's really just a dull pain, like i pulled something) then i'll be getting new shoes.
so as i was running and my foot was bothering me, my "sidekick" was getting crabbier and crabbier..so i decided to cut my run in half for her sake and mine..both sanity and foot reasons.  :)
at any rate, i did my 4 days this week and i'm happy with that!  i could've totally said, "screw it" today and i didn't.  :)  so that has to count for something!

i'll do another short blog with my tally of miles for this week, which won't be spectacular, but it's my first week on my new schedule and i had to cut today short, so it's to be expected.  hey, that's life.  and that's the life of being a determined solo parent!
tallies to come later, friends!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

my buddy.

i had a good run today. with the exception of having to stop twice due to my "little sidekick" being a bit obnoxious.  which made me realize that as the weeks go on, am i going to be able to run for 30mins without stopping? physically, yes. but realistically, maybe not.  and i'm not being negative nancy, i'm saying it because it most likely will be true..due to the fact that even though i may not have a workout buddy, i do have a "sidekick" or as i affectionately call it, my "baby arrest band" (which is similar to a house arrest band, where you can't leave home without it!) and because of my special circumstances, it is a reality that i may have to occasionally stop for about 20-30seconds to "fix" whatever is wrong with her. although i'm not ok with this and it does make me feel a bit like a cheater so-to-speak..because i have to stop, not because of me or that i need to, it's because i HAVE to. so i'm trying to get past that and take into account that i am running toward my goal that i set up for myself, but it will be altered a little bit because i don't have any other choice.  it does make me sad. i guess i got lucky the first few days when i actually didn't need to attend to her and she stuck it out just fine, just like i did! but i should have known that it was pure luck that it happened that way, because normally i do have to take a few seconds out of my workout numerous times to "adjust my arrest-band" and keep things ok, so i can finish my workout.
and after realizing all of this--yet again--i come back to the wish of having a workout buddy.  and not one that is sitting in a stroller, watching me from the reflection in the gym windows. a buddy that is working out along side me, pushing me to do better and vice versa.  but again, reality sets in along with my special situation and i know that a workout buddy isn't in my future. so my focus and motivation come from within myself, the goals i've set for myself and wanting to fill in my run schedule/chart with good numbers and so i can see the stats that i log on my fitday account and so i can blog about how i'm progressing.  so in actuality, i'm my own workout buddy.  or my chart, fitday and my blog are my buddies. it's what keeps me going.  plus, it feels so good to know that i'm doing this just because.  i'm doing this because I WANT TO. not for any other reason other than i want to see what i'm capable of accomplishing. i want to push myself to be better at something. and the next 10wks is about pushing myself to be a better runner.  and for those of you that know me from way back..this is coming from a girl who said that she would only run if she was being chased.  ha..and look at me now!  crazy how things change and how you evolve into a different person than you were even just a few years ago.  transformations and changes are awesome.  and in my opinion, absolutely necessary to keep you going.  to keep you from being stagnant and complacent in your life.  to keep you from being mediocre and to keep you on track to becoming the best version of yourself that you can be.  and once you think that you're finally at your best, you end up finding something else that keeps pushing you to go above and beyond what you thought was "your best,"  that's what it's all about.
life is an adventure.  and i'm definitely running toward all that is amazing and waiting for me to discover along the way.  yes, i know that there are times when you need to slow down and enjoy the adventure.  but at the moment..i've got so much momentum going and know that my goal is waiting for me to meet it that i'm not stopping until i do.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

we're off. and then we're running.

with my 10wk plan there are rest days included, so my body has time to rest (duh!) and get stronger. yes, you do NEED to rest so your body has time to repair, strengthen and get ready for the next workout. my plan is to run 4 days out of the week and then on my off days do ab/arm workouts.
well, my original schedule had my run days to be monday, tuesday, thursday, friday. and my rest days would be wednesday, saturday and sunday.  well, yesterday my body must have needed the rest because i totally slept in past my 540am alarm and slept until 8am.  sleeping that long is not like me at all.  i'm normally an early bird, which i inherited from my parents and my kids have inherited from me. so, yesterday was my rest day.  :)
i had a good workout today. my plans are to increase the times that i run versus jog as the weeks go on. the one thing that i'm excited about is seeing my weekly mileage totals. having my run schedule on the fridge and having to fill it in with my miles each day will definitely be my motivation.