::[breathe in]:: ::[breathe out]::
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, can you feel it? Fresh breath, fresh air, fresh start!
It is a brand new year, and pretty much everyone is focusing on new starts, new promises, or the idea of a "new you."
I know my posting has been sporadic at best, but if you've been following, you probably remember that I had my own "new me" 2 years ago. In late 2012 I decided I was going to get in shape. In early 2013 I really started to enact my strategy - watch what I eat (and log absolutely everything) and complete at least one 5K or longer each month.
In 2013, I experienced a huge personal success. I went from 202 pounds down to 155 at my lowest weigh-in. I went from a size 14/16 to a size 8. I completed Warrior Dash, and I did a total of 15 events, including a 10K. It was also the first time I ever ran the entire length of a 5K event, and I did so while pregnant. Most importantly, I had energy, and I was strong.
I had a very different experience in 2014. Even while pregnant, I completed a 5K each month from January through May. I had a baby in June but was back "running" in July, August, October, and November. My main problem during 2014 is that I was hungry all. the. time. Between pregnancy and then nursing, and hanging around at my house for 3 months while I was off work, I ate constantly. I was still able to go from my max pregnancy weight of 220 down to 195 pretty easily, but that was a far cry from where I had been one year prior.
Since our newest arrival, I have been able to drop another 10-15 pounds. It seems to fluctuate each day, but I have consistently been around the 183 mark for the past 3 months. The goal, now that our holiday feasting season is over, and now that I am back to 190 as a result of ham, taters, and far too many cookies, is to get down to the 150s or 160s again.
Today I began the New Year, New Me campaign by beginning the ZenLabs C25K app. I truly enjoy this app because it allows me to start small. So many times my training is sabotaged by my own brain: I go out for a run and don't get far before my brain chants cadences of "you're weak" and "you can't." I feel defeated, and after 10 minutes on the road I am back on my couch eating cookies, and my running shoes get buried under the piles of clothes that, for some unknown reason, remain too small for my body. However, with this app, you spend your first week jogging 60 seconds and then walking for 90 seconds. You repeat this cycle for 20 minutes, or 8 total cycles. Your workout begins and ends with a 5 minute warm-up/cool-down walk. Because you only jog in short bursts, and you spend more time walking than jogging, it is simple to complete without feeling discouraged. In all, it is a 9 week program, and if you can keep up with the program for 3 days a week, you will be able to run a full 5K (in roughly 30 minutes) within 27 workouts.
I completed 2.09 quick miles today around my neighborhood. I was so thankful for warmish weather (about 45 degrees, but in January, that is awesome!) that allowed me to run outside instead of on a treadmill. My 2.09 miles were completed in about 27 minutes, since I did not do the complete warm-up run. And that little fact brings me to my next topic: GOALS!
Goals are so important. One of the first rules in teaching is to clearly outline expectations and know what you want students to be able to do. You have to determine your "essential question" before you can even start thinking about what skills you are going to focus on. It is crucial to keep the end in mind. The same goes for exercise: you have to identify both long-term and short-term goals before beginning your exercise regimen or you are not working toward anything.
My goals are simple. Long-term (by the end of the year), I want to be able to run a full 10K event AND be able to run a sub-30 5K. I have accomplished this on the treadmill, but I want to be able to do this in an actual race event. Also by the end of the year, I want to reach my goal weight. My last long-term goal is to run to Indianapolis by the end of the year. I don't mean actually running there, but instead logging my miles. It is 578.41 miles from my house to Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Colts play, so I plan on logging that many miles through the end of the year. I figure I'll do about 578.5 so I can "finish" around the 50 yard line. Short-term, I want to start consistently logging my food intake again. I was great at logging before, but have done a terrible job of this since late 2013. I also want to be able to run a sub-10 minute mile by the end of January.
I look forward to checking back in after completing a few more days of C25K! Feel free to share your goals below.
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