Category Archives: Progress

Preparation

advlogoToday was all about preparation. I exchanged some running capris I got for Christmas at the Nike Store. I went to my new favorite store, Road Runner Sports for the first time… ADDICTED!!! Can’t wait to go back and get some new running garb after the Goofy. I bought a new waist pack, some gel blocks and a few packs of recovery drink.

I have an 8 miler tomorrow morning, and then the packing will commence. I have a lot to pull together, but I am excited to get it moving. The hardest part of all this: trying to live on Eastern Standard Time on the west coast. Knowing that I have to get up about 2:00 am EST to get to Epcot to run, I have been preparing myself by going to bed earlier and getting up earlier… like 4:00 am. Tomorrow I am set for 3:30 am. Hoping I can get into the workout room that early and get my run in. I love being in there when no one else is, which is rare.

There are lots of things I want to start with the new year, but I know it is in my best interest to wait until after next weekend. My lifting workout will change. I am also going to do another Advocare 24 Day Challenge, as that has helped me drop a significant amount of weight in the past. I have exactly 79 days until I turn 30, and I am going to look better, feel better, and just be better by the time that gets here.

I will let you know how tomorrow goes… Or let myself know anyway, when I read this sometime in the future.

 

Catching Up On Past Due Issues

Goofy LogoI am attempting to update my “Upcoming Runs” page tonight for the remainder of January. We will see how far I get, but hopefully I will have it totally done by the end of this weekend.

I am super excited for my runs this weekend, as they will be my final long runs before the Goofy Challenge begins next Saturday. Tomorrow, I am starting out with about a 4 mile jaunt, but I will be running on a treadmill, as I have to try out my warm weather clothes since I don’t think I will need my arctic wear in Florida this year. Sunday I will double my distance from tomorrow (I am assuming an 8 miler) and again test my warm weather wear indoors on the treadmill. I am super pumped about this final weekend, but I am even more excited to re-evaluate my goals when I get back, and work on scheduling the remainder of my races this year.

Here’s to a great weekend for runners everywhere!

How the West was Won…

So a lot has happened since the last time I wrote on this blog. I moved 1,600 miles across the country for a new job. I am now a California resident, and for the two weeks that I have been here, I have loved every minute of it. It is always fun to move someplace new. Reinventing yourself is something that I think everyone should get the chance to do. I am so grateful for this new opportunity.

Over the past year, I have worked so hard for so little money. I spent countless hours helping others, and I have truly been rewarded for my work. 80 hour work weeks plus school on top of it is just overwhelming sometimes. I have found myself again. I get to run, watch tv, and be creative in my new job. I am enjoying my life so much right now, and I am truly grateful for this wonderful opportunity.

I am hoping to post more about my training experiences from now on, so look for more to come.

Every New Beginning…

I had the opportunity to watch an amazing move 2 nights ago. It was called Spirit of the Marathon, and if followed the journey of 5 individuals as they trained, prepared and ran the Chicago marathon in 2004. It brought back so many good feeling of my training. After running a few races, I have come to realize why I keep doing it. I race to train, not train to race. The training is what makes you a stronger, more self-empowered person. The training is where you strength is gained. The race means nothing. That is hard to understand sometimes, but it is exactly how it should be… It’s not the destination. It’s the journey.

I have a marathon scheduled for September 2nd in Columbia, Missouri, and my official training starts next week. This was such an awesome way to gain momentum going into my training cycle. The summer will be hard. Hot, windy training will be the name of the game in Northwest Kansas. I am ready.

Bring on the challenge…

My Nose Bleed Run

So I have been doing well, lifting, running, getting in shape in general. I had a night off last night, and decided to walk my dogs, Lucy and Milton to the baseball game then run back home. The distance was just over a mile, not very far, but a good way to loosen up my legs after a few days of lifting heavy. We made our way to the game (a trick in itself with 2 bulldogs) and enjoyed the 80 degree evening watching the Fort Hays State Tigers beat Washburn.

A side note here: let me tell you, it is quite a workout with those 2 dogs. Both are about 45 lbs of solid English bulldog muscle, and they like to sniff and pee on stuff…

Finally the time came, and I took off on my run. It was a great run! My quads were a little tight, which I should have expected, and the felt tired, I’m assuming from lactic acid, but other than that, I was cruising. I got close to the house and decided I would just keep running for a bit longer.Unfortunately, my plans were suddenly derailed. My nose started running, which was unusual, since it wasn’t cold, and after wiping the drippiness on my hand, I realized that I was bleeding, and not just a little bit! My nose was pouring. I detoured my long run back to the house and took care of my crazy nose.

Who would have thought! I guess crazier things have happened… I have class tonight, but I may give it another shot.

And So it Begins…

Training is hard work, but I have yet to find anything in this world that feels more rewarding when you are done. I love lifting, I love running, I love practice. I am now training MMA, and I can’t wait to actually get to use it in competition. Finding a way to push my body is something that I crave. I’ve started doing some shadow boxing and am okay at it. It interests me, and its something different to try.

I found a great boxing workout to try today, and since my trainer is gone, I get to see if I can push myself a little bit… http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/3-powerful-boxing-workouts

Pain is temporary… (I just have to remind myself sometimes.)

Making Even a Small Amount of Progress is Still Progress

I haven’t made any huge strides in my fight to be fit since the last time I posted. I have made what I consider a small amount of progress though. Tuesday night I did a Nike Training Club workout, or most of it anyway. I was sweating, and the next morning my calves were very sore.

Yesterday and today I took the dogs for a nice walk. It may not seem like a lot, but I haven’t done that much recently, so a good mile walk or so feels very good.

The point is that exercise doesn’t have to be crazy. Doing something is doing something, or something like that. I have done housework all day, and done quite a bit of moving around, so the walk was a great end to the day.

Tomorrow is something new. I can’t wait to see what it brings…

New Year, New Me

Wow… I failed miserably at the 2011 Running Year. It lasted a whole 22 days into the new year. Well it is January 3rd, and I am gonna try it again. 2011 was a very hard year for me. I faced many challenges, and I realized who I am and how strong I can be. Life throws you things that you don’t expect sometimes, and after going almost a whole year with not enough exercise, I am excited to get back into my formerly healthy ways. So here is how the year is going so far.

I have decided to take it slow. No sense jumping into this at 1,000,000 miles an hour if that is not going to help me stick to it. On January 1st, I took Lucy on a run, only about a mile, but it felt good. Today I did a Nike workout, and I am planning a run for tomorrow.

You have to start somewhere, and I am doing ok… I’ll keep ya updated.