In between my attempts at craftiness, I've begun training for my next 5K run {Hey there, right sidebar list: I'm coming for you!}. I'm running this at Cantigny, a beautiful park/mansion/gold course in early November. It should be an absolutely beautiful run. I'm running it with my cousin, her fiance and my husband {affectionately referred to as The Bromance, because they pretty much love each other more than they love us girls}.
Training is going really well {knock on wood}. I've busted out my Nike+ running chip, and have figured out how to use that in addition to the C25K app on my iPhone. It's pretty sweet. The C25K app times me, and audibly announces when it's time to run, walk, jog, or cool down. With the Nike+ app running in the background, it tracks my pace, distance, and calories burned. I'm trying to see if I can get it to track my splits, too. They're pretty phenomenal combined.
I have high hopes for the race, and am hoping to run it under 40 minutes. I know that's not really a fantastic time for a lot of people, but for a girl who always struggled to run a single mile, even when I was swimming for 3 hours a day and in the best shape of my life, it seems like a reasonable but tough goal. I've also made a really, really hard choice to aid in my training: No Fast Food. Dabbling in veganism has certainly reduced the amount of fast food I eat, but I've gotten lax with this lately {mmm...Taco Bell!}. This new rule means anything with a drive-thru is a no-go. The hardest part? I had to say Sayonara to my fall favorites: Dunkin' Donuts Pumpkin coffee and Sbux Pumpkin Spice Lattes {which sadly, sans milk and whip, are not vegan}. It's a pretty terrible image, but when I'm out running, all I picture is my skinnier self, in my post-race gear sipping a pumpkin latte. {whatever works, right?}
I'm now accepting volunteer applications for someone at the finish line holding a poster and a latte.
Showing posts with label workouts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label workouts. Show all posts
9.16.2011
7.12.2011
3. Analyze This
My brain never shuts off. I'm not the type that is constantly having brilliant, groundbreaking academic thoughts, nor am I inundated with witty one-liners. Instead, my brain is just always on, typically filled with worries, over-analysis, or negative thoughts. The problem is so pervasive that I have trouble falling asleep and concentrating on tasks, even of the most mundane nature.
I've grown up thinking this was normal. {Really, it's all I've ever known.} Even as a baby, my mother confirmed that I rarely slept, but instead, would just sit in my crib and stare. {Awesome, the freak genes started early.}
Part of my problem when preparing to attack a goal, be it something simple like "Clean out the front closet" or more intense, such as "Lose the body weight equivalent to two husky toddlers," I over-analyze the task beforehand, making it that much harder to begin. So on Sunday, I did something extraordinary. I stopped thinking. Another barrier to me attacking a problem {weight loss, for example} is not being prepared. So Sunday morning, I asked my husband to create an intense workout program for me. Directions were simple: write it down in a notebook where I had to check off workouts and make notes on progress, weights, etc., and bug the shit out of me if I'm not following it. And he did. Then the remarkable happened. I didn't think about the workout ahead of time, I didn't make excuses why I should instead just rest on the couch and zone out with crappy reality tv {Have they made a Real Housewives of Cook County, yet? Why not}. I just did the workout. And let me tell you: I did the workout like a boss.
Tom supervised, offering tips on my form, miscounting my reps, etc. He told me that he was so impressed by my squat form. Me! I have an impressive squat form. {Yes, I know there's a possibility he's complimenting me because we share a bed, but whatever. I'm taking it.} Last night, I took a look at the holy grail workout notebook, determined I could workout in our garage {weightlifting chamber of doom}, put my shoes on, and got it done.
Isn't it funny how our defense mechanisms can sometimes be our own worst enemy? Lesson learned.
I've grown up thinking this was normal. {Really, it's all I've ever known.} Even as a baby, my mother confirmed that I rarely slept, but instead, would just sit in my crib and stare. {Awesome, the freak genes started early.}
Part of my problem when preparing to attack a goal, be it something simple like "Clean out the front closet" or more intense, such as "Lose the body weight equivalent to two husky toddlers," I over-analyze the task beforehand, making it that much harder to begin. So on Sunday, I did something extraordinary. I stopped thinking. Another barrier to me attacking a problem {weight loss, for example} is not being prepared. So Sunday morning, I asked my husband to create an intense workout program for me. Directions were simple: write it down in a notebook where I had to check off workouts and make notes on progress, weights, etc., and bug the shit out of me if I'm not following it. And he did. Then the remarkable happened. I didn't think about the workout ahead of time, I didn't make excuses why I should instead just rest on the couch and zone out with crappy reality tv {Have they made a Real Housewives of Cook County, yet? Why not}. I just did the workout. And let me tell you: I did the workout like a boss.
Tom supervised, offering tips on my form, miscounting my reps, etc. He told me that he was so impressed by my squat form. Me! I have an impressive squat form. {Yes, I know there's a possibility he's complimenting me because we share a bed, but whatever. I'm taking it.} Last night, I took a look at the holy grail workout notebook, determined I could workout in our garage {weightlifting chamber of doom}, put my shoes on, and got it done.
Isn't it funny how our defense mechanisms can sometimes be our own worst enemy? Lesson learned.
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