A Brief History of Last Week (Part 1)

Hello! I’m a little late getting this post all typed and ready, but in the words of Shaun T, “This is Insanity.” Insanity is definitely the word to describe the last week and a half!

If the above picture doesn’t make much sense to you, then let me do my best to explain it to you. The first number represents the week of our Getting Running workout, and the second number describes which run of that week we are doing on what day. For example, today’s 4-2 means that we did the 2^nd run of week 4 (two 3-minute and two 5-minute runs, if you recall).

So far, we’ve stuck super close to the schedule, and if you look ahead to Friday of this week, we’ll be running 20 minutes straight!

If you’re confused by this running schedule, just know that we wanted to simply see if we could be prepared to run a 5K in just 3 weeks instead of 9. Crazy, right? :D

Now on to Insanity! The picture above shows what our workouts should look like, but what do we actually look like during the workouts? Have a look:

Pitiful? Definitely! But are we trying? You betcha! Wow. I think anyone who has ever started Insanity has been thrown off by how hard it actually is. Ugh!

Basically, every time you do Insanity, you shorten your life by about 5 years or so. At least, that’s how it feels. The instructor, Shaun T, tries to harshly encourage us, but it’s hard to hear him when you’re too busy dry-heaving. It’s a good thing we don’t eat until AFTER the workout!

*******************BONUS********************

Here’s a list of terms for Insanity and what they mean:

Plyometric: Impossible

Hip Flexor: Bend your legs until your body can’t possibly support itself any longer, and then hold that pose

Compromised form: The way that any normal person would do an exercise, which, consequently, happens to be the wrong way to do it

Let’s gooooooo!: Shaun T’s (somehow) encouraging chant at the start of every video

(In a seductive voice) Beach body: It’s just simply fun to say this along with the voice

Tanya: A woman with the strength of about 3 rhinocerouses

Chris: A man who is constantly put to shame by Tanya

**Part 2 coming soon!**

3-Week Challenge of FUN!

Guess what? It’s August already! That’s right, 8 months have passed since I published the first post in this blog. And in that time, a lot has happened, both athletically and non-athletically. In May, I graduated from high school, and, a week later, ran in my second 5k! In June, I flew to Seattle and spent almost a month out west, seeing all there was to see! Finally, we’ve reached August, which means the start of college for me! I leave in exactly 2 weeks to the campus of Johnson University, where I will be studying this fall, but I didn’t want to leave home without first challenging myself to something fun. :D

(Trumpets are blaring) Welcome to the 3 Weeks of FUN Challenge! This challenge is meant to prepare not only the body, but also the spirit, so the more people who do it together, the better!

This challenge has 6 rules that are as follows:

1.    Spend at least 1 hour in scripture and prayer daily

2.    Go running every day

3.    Do Insanity every day

4.    Drink only water/water-mixed drinks

5.    No junk food

And the last one’s not a rule so much as a retractor:

6.    On Sundays, rules #2-5 do not apply. Rest.

And there you have it! At the beginning of this week, four of us chose to do this challenge together, and now, there are six of us. We’re growing!

In the next post, I will explain the running routine and the Insanity routine. But if you’re interested in doing this 3-week challenge, then go right on ahead! Just remember that every journey, no matter how large it may be, all SW1S!

Re-constructing!

After 3+ months of inactivity, I find myself playing catch-up here on SW1S. Here's the lowdown, Reader's Digest version:

• I conked out sometime in early May from the B210K program.
• I ran my 2nd 5k at the end of May in sweltering heat
• My runs gradually decreased their distance and times through June
• I took 1 month off of running (July) since starting last December
• Now it's time to get back in the swing of things!

So here we are! I've started Get Running all over again in hyperspeed (more on that later), and this time, I have a whole team that's helping me out! I hope to give you a detailed update tomorrow or sometime soon! In the meantime, you'll notice some aesthetic changes and updates throughout the blog. So get ready, because it all Starts With 1 Step... version 2.0!

Spandex, Scenery, and Sign-ups (#s 4, 5, and 6)

Spandex

A couple weeks ago, I decided to use the last of my Amazon credit to buy a pair of Under Armor shorts. Twenty-five bucks and five days later, they arrived! I gotta say, these things are an answered prayer! My running has gotten much smoother and less painful (if you know what I mean…)!

If you are just starting to run, buy a pair of Under Armor shorts. Trust me. It’s one of the wisest investments you can make in your career as a runner!

Now, on to…

Scenery

Since I’m making up for three runs that I’ve failed to log (talk about lazy! But I’ve really been busy and running, I promise!), I’ll take you back to my 2^nd run this week, when my older sister (home from spring break) decided to ride her bike along with me as I ran.

I made it through my first of three 15-minute runs and was about to turn around and restart the same loop, when Rachel said, “Why don’t we go down this gravel road instead?”

I said, “Sure! Let’s do it!” But I was really thinking, I hate gravel I hate gravel I hate gravel. But I wanted to show her that I am her dauntless and brave younger brother, so we headed down the (ugh) gravel road. The gravel road, as I’ve been told by my family, is .9 miles long. Yes, folks, that’s .9 miles of loud, foot-pounding, teeth-crunching gravel. Then I had to turn back around and do it again to get home!

You may be asking yourself, So, why did he post such a pretty picture if he’s only going to rant about how awful it is? Well, I may not have enjoyed the awfulness of all the rocks under my feet (for such a long time), but the scenery made it all worth it! I live in Illinois, and while there are no mountain ranges, beautiful streams, or illustrious landmarks, the rolling pasture can really take your breath away! Now that spring has sprung, it the world has turned beautiful, and my runs have become quite a bit more enjoyable!

And, finally…

Sign-ups!

The decision isn’t 100% final, but I’m about to send in my registration for my 2^nd ever 5k race! And, this one is also really close to home! I finished my last one in 32:47-ish, and I’m determined to bring it down to under 30 minutes. The date for this race is May 26^th, so, if everything goes according to plan, I’ll be done with Bridge by then, and still have a couple weeks to get my time down even lower!

Well, that’s it for this weekend! I hope you keep doing great things and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah starts with 1 step!

Bridge, Boredom, and Bugs (#3)

Since starting running in December, this week has been the week that I have hated the most. I’m not trying to be a Debby Downer, I was just extremely unprepared for how much time each workout would entail. But I guess I’ll get used to it! :D

Well, spring has sprung! And with it, so have all the bugs. The 1-minute “breaks” between runs turned out to be a chance for mosquitos, gnats, and flies to take over my face and show me their newly-metamorphosed bodies. I wasn’t that thrilled with them. That means I’m going to have to start lathering in vanilla before runs from now on! (Really, vanilla works better than any bug spray! Just put some on a cotton ball and cover your face, arms, and legs with a thin layer! As a bonus, you’ll smell really good while you wear it!)

The worst part of running for longer times isn’t the time, the distance, or the energy that I spend. In fact, I just get plain bored while on the route. I listen to music, but find that I get bored of hearing the same songs. Maybe I just need to come up with some stories to keep going in my head! Then I can write them and become a best-selling author and be rich! Yeah…

I can look forward to next week and see that each day consists of three 15-minute runs with breaks of 1 minute between each one. Maybe running three runs instead of four will be of some help to relieve the boredom!

So don’t be a Debby Downer! Instead, be a Positive Polly! After all, she’s much more fun to hang around; it’s because she knows that her journey, no matter how large it may be, all starts with 1 step!  

Bridge 2

They say that every hour you exercise, you extend your life by one hour. That means that, since I started running, I have extended my life by about… one day. Well, I can only hope that that day is jam-packed with incredible things! :D

During Monday’s run, I hadn’t yet worked with my B210k app, so I was music-less the entire time. Wow! A ten-minute run seems much longer when there’s no music! You can be sure that I was glad to have it back today!

Honestly, because of how long Monday’s run seemed, I was dreading today’s run. I didn’t want to do it, but I know that I’ll never get to 10k at a time without some discipline. So I put on my shorts, tied my shoes, and headed out. I walked to the park, ran 4 laps (I think) around it, and headed back for home. I spend the entire time singing along to my music and playing guitar in a pretend concert, so time passed much quicker than it did the other day! Four 10-minute runs and three 1-minute walks later, I was done!

It feels like I’m right at the beginning of Get Running, only this time, I’m running ten minutes at a time instead of one minute! Each run will only get me farther on my journey! I just gotta remember that it all starts with 1 step!

Bridge 1

After a month of the same workout, I was looking forward to today’s first run of the Bridge to 10k program! However, I seem to have forgotten how big of a task it is to extend a run by 10 minutes.

The last time I was in the habit of writing on this blog, the weather was still gloomy and ever-changing, as winter always seems to be around here. Since then, however, flowers have bloomed, the grass has turned green, and the weather has warmed about 30 degrees! Yep, spring is in full bloom! As an added bonus for my runs, the smells of flowers and freshly-mowed grass only encourage me to keep going!

As for today’s run, I quickly learned that my new coach isn’t as sweet as Claire. She’s a very “to-the-point” kind of coach, with single-word instructions such as “Run!,” Walk!,” and “Cool Down!” (not a single word, but you get my point). Until I come up with a name for her, as I always answer back to the iPod (strange, but fun!), I’m just gonna call her Claire.

The running part of my run consisted of 4 10-minute runs, with a 1-minute walk between runs. The runs were easy as far as running is concerned (and over the past month, more people frequent the park, so I get to greet them and smile!), but I could feel myself running slower during each run, as I apparently didn’t ration my energy well enough. But I have to remember that I’m back to the learning stage of things, so I’m going to have more difficulties than I’ve been facing while running my 5k route over and over.

By my next run, I’ll hopefully feel better and be more able to save my energy for the later runs. But until then, it’s time to rest and enjoy the wonderful weather with which God has blessed us! As for you, remember that your journey, no matter how large it may be, all starts with 1 step!

Part 2!

A month ago, I signed off from this blog, asking you to follow me on the next part of my journey. I am pleased to announce that it’s finally here! Welcome back to “Part 2” of my journey to become fit!

So, let me fill you in on what the last 4 weeks have involved… I’ve run at least 3 times each week, varying my workouts ever so slightly. The first week after Get Running,  I stuck with the workout for week 9, pushing myself to run just a little faster in those 30 minutes than I did the week before. The second week, I started pushing myself to run farther distances than the week before. I went slower but farther. These past two weeks, I have been working on combining the speed with the distance, working up to 3 miles (5k) in around 30 minutes!

Those past 4 weeks have worked up to today, which was a rather special day. This morning, I ran my first 5k race!

People are right when they tell you that nothing beats the excitement of running with so many others, and then screaming at the finish when they are cheering you on! It was such a refreshing experience! And I wouldn’t have done a step of it, had it not been for the past 13 weeks of training that all started by downloading an app on my iPod.

So, what now? I am ready to push myself harder, and I have a plan for it! Starting on Monday, I begin the first of 6 weeks of running the Bridge to 10k program. I downloaded it the same day I downloaded the Get Running app, and at that time, I wondered if I would even use it. But here I am, and I’m ready for this! I only hope that you’ll join me in my journey by trying something new!

Don’t get discouraged, and always remember that your journey, no matter how long it may be, all starts with 1 step…

On your mark, get set, GO!

Week 9, Run 3

Exactly 60 days ago today, I walked inside my house, cold, sweaty, tired, and defeated. I had to admit to the fact that I was completely out of shape. I could barely run for a minute straight, let alone do it eight times in one session! In those next few days, I would dread walking through the house, and cringe at the thought of walking up or down stairs. I wasn’t feeling very committed to this whole running thing yet, but I made myself push through the first couple of weeks, just to say that I tried.

However, once I reached the end of the first week, something strange happened. I felt like I had done something. I felt like I could do it for another week. So that’s exactly what I did that week. And the week after. And the week after. And so on.

The hardest part of those weeks was week 5. That was the week where my mind and my body decided that we were in this thing for good. Running had become a new part of my life, and I wasn’t about to let go of it. Right about now, this post might sound a bit too sentimental and cheesy. But that’s okay, because it’s the truth!

So, today I went for my run. Run #27 out of 27. I’ve looked ahead on my calendar the past few months, and thought how far away today seemed. But, just like other days, this one finally arrived, and I was ready for it! So, I got started on week 9, run 3: running for 30 minutes with no breaks.

During those 30 minutes, the strangest things happened. My iPod broke. It started snowing. It stopped snowing and rained a little. The sun came out and warmed me so much I had to take of my jacket. Claire stopped talking.

But I overcame all these things, because I’ve learned how to cope with obstacles during the past 60 days. I realize that persevering is more important than getting bogged down by your surroundings. You can’t choose what happens to you, but you choose how you respond to what happens. This might be one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my life. Perseverance. I only hope that others will be impacted and choose to persevere no matter what happens. A Bible verse that has really helped me in the past few weeks is Hebrews 10:36:

”You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

So, these are my closing words for this part of my journey. Thanks for joining me as I’ve progressed, and I hope you’ll choose to join me when it’s time to take another big step. As for you, keep it up, and remember that your journey, no matter how large it may be, all Starts with 1 Step.

Week 9, Run 2

****BLOG UPDATE: The past 8 weeks have been a blast! I’ve had the time of my life running and seeing where all my journey takes me. Sadly, I have been becoming more and more busy as of late. Due to this, from now on, I will only be updating my blog about half as often as I have been. I don’t have a strict schedule to follow, so I’ll just upload as I have time! Thanks so much for following me, and I hope we continue to have tons of fun in the weeks to come!****

Alrighty! It’s week 9, and that means I’m becoming a “pro” runner! It makes me excited that, whereas several weeks ago I had trouble lasting the whole time running, now my biggest problem is to finish the run without getting bored! :D

Aside from boredom, today’s run went extremely well! Simply thinking about the fact I’m running 30 minutes straight gives me the energy I need to continue! Also, along with running for 30 minutes, I achieved a new distance record! Instead of my (becomingly) normal 3 laps around the park, I made it through 3 ½ laps today before Claire told me I had finished! I’m not exactly sure of the distance in terms of numbers, but I’m definitely improving!

I don’t have much else to report for today, except that Friday is the big day! I can’t wait to be able to say I’ve stuck with it and actually finished this program!

Week 9, Run 1

A day off of school! I thought I would be sleeping rather late this morning, but my body decided it was ready to run nice and early, and I guess I’m fine with that!

So, today marks the beginning of week 9, a milestone I never thought I would attain! 30 minutes of running was a feat I could barely manage back when I ran cross country back in junior high. So I headed outside in my t-shirt and shorts today, ready to aim for success!

I almost felt horrified when Claire’s voice announced on the “prep talk” that she would only be talking to me every 10 minutes (as opposed to the normal 5). I didn’t want to go for such extended periods of time without hearing how far I had gone! But I decided that it might actually make the run seem shorter if I heard from her less often.

Also, today I ran with my dad’s GPS-enabled phone in-hand, to see how far I was running. My goal was to at least hit the 4-kilometer mark before my run was over.

So I started running! And running… and even more running. At about the 12-minute mark, I started to feel side stitches. I haven’t had much of a problem with side stitches, so I tried to slow down my breathing and take nice, deep breaths. Thankfully, the stiches went away almost instantly, so I continued my run!

Boy, 30 minutes can go so slow, but then fly by! That’s what happened today, at least. Once I heard Claire’s voice tell me I had finished, I felt amazing! I was still apprehensive though, as I worried I hadn’t run far enough. So, once I looked down at the phone, I saw that I had run 4.5 kilometers! That means I have 4 weeks to add half a kilometer to my time! I think this will be easily attainable!

With only 2 runs left in this program, I feel as if I’m actually accomplishing something impossible! This only goes to show that my long journey, no matter how long it seemed at first, all started with 1 step!

Catching Up... Again!

I promise I haven’t been making a habit of this, but… Okay, I really don’t have an excuse. So, I guess we’ll just have another “catch up” post today!

Week 8, Run 2

Wednesday’s run went well! Not a whole lot to say about it, since it was pretty much typical. My biggest problem with long runs has become boredom. I’ve listened to all my songs so many times that my runs all feel the same. So I’m working on changing it up!!

Week 8, Run 3

I went to school for only half a day on Friday, so I pushed my run back to early afternoon. I’m sure glad I did, because Friday was an absolutely gorgeous day! In fact, it was the first time since starting “Get Running” that I’ve run in shorts and a t-shirt. The temperature was perfect, the sun was shining, and I was looking forward to my run. These factors only helped contribute to an absolutely perfect run! I only hope that the wonderful weather of spring brings many more great runs!

Catching Up!

Welcome! I feel as if I’ve been gone forever! It was just time for an impromptu break from the online world, and it’s been quite beneficial! I’ve gotten so much done this past week, and my running has even improved! Well, I’ll start with Friday (I’ve decided to put off the Health Check until this Thursday) and work my way up to today! 3 blog posts in one! :D

Week 7, Run 3

I woke up Friday morning to a bunch of birthday balloons surrounding my bed! Two months ago, if I had told myself that I would be running 2.5 miles on my 18^th birthday, I’m sure I would have laughed. But that’s exactly what I did! I felt great all day, having made it through four 25-minute runs! I even pushed myself to achieve the same distance goal that I had reached on Wednesday! I’m counting that as a large success in my book!

Back & Forth 7

Only 2 weeks til I finish the program, 6 weeks til my first 5k, and 12 weeks until I can supposedly run a 10k! The numbers are slowly decreasing, and I’m getting more and more excited! I’m not fully sure what I’m going to be doing after I get done with Bridge to 10k, but I know that it will definitely involve me working to improve my running!

This past week made me feel rather successful! I ran a total of 75 minutes (the first week I was barely running a total of 24! That’s less than ONE of my runs this past week!), and felt absolutely amazing! As winter slowly turns to spring, my runs are filled with just a little more light each time I go running!

I’m not sure how I’ll be at the end of next week (actually, it’s this week, but who’s keeping track?), but I can definitely see myself improving on my distance!

Week 8, Run 1

Yesterday’s run had an added surprise! A few weeks ago, my neighbor who’s a few years younger than me got started using Get Running. His sister, who is my age, decided to go running with him, and they’ve been running partners since! And since the three of us are all running, my sister decided to start running, too! It’s become an epidemic!

So, we all decided to get up nice and early yesterday to go running before school! Talk about encouragement! The four of us all ran together and witnessed the sunrise, and got to have some healthy fun along with our chats! I was having so much fun that I forgot how long I had been running. I honestly had absolutely no problems finishing the 28-minute run!

My pace was kind of slow yesterday, but I still ran a couple of miles (I think), which is 2 miles farther than I was regularly running 2 months ago! My, how things have changed, and for the good this time!

Motivation Tuesday… is gonna have to be pushed back until next week. Sorry, I’ve run out of time and need to prepare for tomorrow’s run!

If you have any doubts about starting a running program, push them all aside and get outside! There’s no shame in walking, hobbling, or bouncing around! Know that you can ALWAYS do it, and remember that your journey, no matter how long it may be, all starts with 1 step!

Week 7, Run 2

All day, I’ve been guilty of the fact that I’m a living contradiction. Yesterday, during my motivational talk, I said, and I quote, “My morning runs have turned from agony to pure amazingness!”

Yeah, that’s a lie. After today’s run, it is! :D

On Monday (just a refresher; all my runs are 25 minutes straight this week), I felt great during the run. My legs felt as if they had plenty of energy to spare. So, I decided to put some of that extra energy to work during today’s run!

Remember in week 5 run 2, when I was running an entire lap around the park, per 8-minute run? Well, since the times of my runs have increased, my pace has steadily decreased. Lately, it has taken me closer to 10 minutes to run a single lap. This isn’t a bad thing for now, but I knew that I was going to need to start working on my speed (just a little) for my 5k next month (?!?!). So that’s what I did this morning!

I started lap 1 at a steady pace, feeling good and excited for my run! At the 5-minute cue, I started to feel a little bit tired, but still had plenty of energy. The 10-minute mark came and went, and so did I! By the time I only had 10 minutes, however, my legs were ready to walk. But I wasn’t! So I kept pushing on!  With only 10 minutes left, I had just finished my 2^nd lap, and my pace had considerably slowed from when I started. I knew that, if I let my legs go slow on the last lap, I wouldn’t make it any further than usual, so I made myself up the ante a lot to get through the last lap.

10 minutes later, I had broken my distance record by half a lap (.4-ish miles)! I think I’m actually improving on my already-mind-blowing 25-minute runs!

So, my legs have burned immensely from today’s run, and I’ve even had a little trouble walking. But it’s all good. I know that I’ll be more than ready to get back out there and show myself what I’ve got on Friday!

If you’re new at this, stick with it; you most definitely won’t regret it! Start as slow as you need, and always remember that your journey, no matter how large it may be, all starts with 1 step…

Motivation Tuesday!

Week 7… I’m still shocked that I have only 3 weeks of running until I can (supposedly) run a 5k without stopping! After my run yesterday, my family commented that they can’t believe that I’ve actually stuck with this program! And honestly, neither can I! :D

In past weeks, Tuesdays have been Challenge Days. But, as I’m down to my last 3 weeks of normal blogging (sniff, sniff), I think I’ve challenged myself enough; now  it’s time to work on any future newcomers. Long after I finish this program, it is my hope that many more people will stumble on this blog and decide to start running! (If you are one of those people, please keep reading!)

So, for the next 3 weeks, we’re going to have MOTIVATION TUESDAYS!

Now, buckle up, get in a good mood, and get ready to be motivated!!

This week we’re going to focus on legs!

As you go from nothing to running, a big transformation is going to take place in your limbs; particularly, in your legs. The first week of running, my legs were not used to being up and moving, so they instantly put up a rebellion. By the second run of week 1, I getting out of bed was like climbing a mountain, and walking through the house was the equivalent of swimming across the ocean. I was in AGONY.

Week 2: My legs started realizing that I wasn’t going to quit running, so they quit the rebellion and gave in to my objections. (I later found out that during this time, my legs were building up muscle that hadn’t existed before, so it was a painful process. I guess that, when you start running, your muscle “rips” apart to make room for new muscles to join the party! It’s painful, but makes the difference in your running.)

Week 3: My legs no longer hurt. In fact, I quit dreading my morning runs and was ready for them.

Jump ahead to weeks 6 and 7: My legs LOVE running! I feel a “burn” after each run, but it only excites me even more for the next one! My morning runs have turned from agony to pure amazingness!

I’m not guaranteeing that you’re going to see the exact same results, but you’ll never know how it will turn out for you until you get out and try! If you’re in pain the first week, you might be discouraged, but never give up!

I hope you get outside (or on the treadmill) and find out what YOU are capable of achieving! Do your best and always keep persevering! And most of all, do something great for yourself! Don’t be discouraged and always remember that your journey, no matter how daunting it may at first seem, or how long it is, it all starts with 1 step!

Week 7, Run 1

Another Monday, another 3 weeks of running! Week 7 is finally here, meaning that I’m down to my last 9 runs!

This morning’s run was pretty much amazing! My amazing little sister (okay, not so little; we’re only a year apart) decided to come running with me. I’m pretty sure that running with a partner makes the running time seem half as long as normal! Bekah ran with me half way before deciding to head home (which was about 15 minutes of running for her; there’s no way I could have done that when I started!). By the time I started the second half of running, I was feeling energized and pumped about continuing! The rest of the run was pretty uneventful, as both my legs and lungs felt very good!

I can’t believe that I’m able to say that 25 minutes really isn’t that bad! Only 7 weeks ago, I could just manage 1 minute! I think I can definitely agree that this program is AMAZING and should be followed by anyone who wants to get off the couch and on the road!

Back & Forth 6!

These past 168 hours have seemed like the longest in my life. I can’t even begin to remember everything I’ve done, and it’s all been less than a week ago! Which is why I’m going to bed at 9 o’clock tonight.

Improvement is a word that has definitely been more firmly added to my vocabulary this week! It seems like the nerves have just stopped before each run, and I actually look forward to the next one! Also, I ran my first 25-minute run this week… inhaler-less!  My distance is slowly improving (there’s that word again!), and my lungs and legs feel great! This only goes to show that there are benefits to sticking to a good running regimen!

So, if you’re just starting running, hang in there! I promise that you’re going to feel like a new person in just a short amount of time! The first few weeks may feel terrible, and you might even have days when you feel like you can’t walk another step. It’s what you do during those days that counts the most! Keep persevering, because I know you can do it!

This week’s Back & Forth has been a tad bit short, but I’m ready for bed (and another week of wonderful runs!) Have an absolutely amazing week, and always remember that your journey, no matter the distance (or how daunting it may seem), all starts with 1 step…

Week 6, Run 3

Running is a lot like raising a child; it’s a lot more fun to talk about than it is to actually do. :D

Surprisingly, I hardly worried when I saw that today’s run was 25 minutes straight. In fact, I actually looked forward to it!

I got up earlier than normal this morning (6am), since today’s session was going to last 35 minutes, and I wanted to have some extra time to rest before school. I headed out in the dark, “warmed up” for 5 minutes, and then started running!

Coach Claire came on with a cue after 5 minutes, and I felt great! I thought back on how, 5 weeks ago, my breathing was awful. I was hacking and wheezing my way through all my runs! Then, I remembered that I’d forgot my inhaler today! But my breathing felt completely fine! If you remember a few weeks ago, I forgot my inhaler on one of my runs and suffered quite a bit. After that run, I had to hurry back to use my inhaler, since I thought my lungs would explode! But today, I didn’t even feel like I needed any medication all through my run, and I even didn’t use it once I got back home! Talk about exciting!

The rest of the run went very well! After Wednesday’s run, I learned that I really need to pace myself. So that’s just what I did today: I kept my legs at a nice and slow pace the whole time.

I’m now at the point where my runs are all continuous and slowly increase to 30 minutes! I can hardly believe I’m down to the last 3 weeks of the program! This has all been so fun!

Health Check 5!

Well, the groundhog didn’t see his shadow. At least, not around here, he didn’t! So, if that means 6 more weeks of the weather we’ve been having, I am completely okay with it! :D

Lookin’ at my handy dandy calendar, I can see that it’s Thursday. And you know what that means! You’re right, it’s Health Check 5! Let’s get going!

WEIGHT: I completely goofed and forgot to check my weight this morning, so I’ll just weight (get it?!) til next week to update.

WAIST: 37” Same as the last two weeks! This is becoming quite humorous. So, this leaves me at 1 ½” to date.

ARMS: 13 ½” Again, same as the last two weeks! This keeps me at 2” to date.

NECK: 16” Headed down from last weeks 16 ½”! So, now I’m at 1” to date!

CALVES: 17” Up a half inch from last week, and I am definitely counting this as muscle! Haha! This puts me at a gain of ½” to date.

I’m happy with this week’s results! Then again, simply feeling healthier really contributes to my outlook! I’m looking forward to future weeks! Until then, remember that your journey, no matter how long it may be, all starts with 1 step!

Week 6, Run 2

I can’t believe this morning was this morning! My, how it’s been a long day!

I had a dream last night that I completely slept through my alarm, missed my run and, in turn, had an awful day because of it! I think it’s kind of funny that even my subconscious is actually looking forward to the runs! I guess I’ve finally found the kind of exercise I actually enjoy :D

This morning’s run was two 10-minute runs with a 3-minute break between. Before starting this morning, I thought, haha, I just ran 20 minutes straight less than a week ago with ease, so doing it in two steps will be twice as easy, right? WRONG! I got overconfident during the first run, and over-paced myself. The result? I didn’t have enough energy to keep up that kind of speed during my second run. My legs screamed at me to stop and walk for just a couple of seconds, but I did my best to force them on. It also helped that the song “Slow Motion” was playing during this time (the song mentioned on my Motivation page). It gave me just the boost of inspiration that I needed to keep my legs goin’!

On paper, today’s run might seem like a drawback, but I’m most definitely counting it as a big step forward! I finally pushed myself to the point where I felt I had no remaining energy, and then some! My legs have felt the results of today’s run all through the day, and I love it!

*****BREAKING UPDATE!*****

Okay, so it’s not too breaking, but I had to keep your attention for just a couple more paragraphs. :D Today, my family started a “Biggest Loser” challenge to see who could lose the most weight. I know that weight loss isn’t my main goal in running, but I figure that this might motivate me to stay on a healthy eating track while I run!

I’m not sure how this will work yet, but I’ll try to post my standings in the contest each week (most likely on Saturdays). I’m up against some tough competition (hehe!), but I’m takin’ them all down! The competition ends sometime in April, which will end just around the time I get a good start on Bridge to 10K!

As always, keep up all the great work you do! Keep persevering on your journey and remember that no matter how long your journey may be, it all starts with 1 step!