Off-Day Exercise!

Happy Tuesday, all! It’s been a stressful day, so I’m glad I at least I have a run in the morning! WHOA! Did I just say that?! This running program is doing strange things to me! To think that I’m looking forward to EXERCISE??? Weird!

That brings us to today’s challenge! I can gladly say that my legs are at the point where they don’t hurt during my days between runs. This has led me to the great idea that I can do some other sort of exercise during my off days!

I don’t care if I go walking, or work on strength, or if I even do a “no presh sesh,” but I would like to keep myself moving, even on the days I don’t have to exercise! For this reason, I’m implementing today’s challenge:

Do at least 15 minutes of some kind of exercise 3 days a week, on non-running days.

I’m really looking forward to this one, as it gives me another reason to enjoy the beautiful weather we’ve been having lately!

If you are a “couch dweller,” I don’t look down on you at all; I’ve spent a lot of my own life on the couch! However, I fully encourage you to get out a few days a week, may it be only a few minutes here and there, to get some fresh air and exercise! Don’t worry about what you can’t accomplish; just do what you can! After all, every journey, no matter how enormous, starts with 1 step!

Week 6, Run 1

This morning was SOOO beautiful! God is the BEST artist!

First thing this morning, I found myself smiling about today’s run. At the beginning of it, when Coach Claire was briefing me on the run, she referred to the 5-minute runs as short! And to think that when I started, 5 minutes seemed like an eternity! I guess it only means that I’m improving, even when the steps toward this success seem slow.

This was my 4^th “pre-sun” morning run, and I’m feeling a lot less nervous about running in the dark. In fact, I look forward to seeing the sunrise at the end of my runs! The beauty of the morning light is another motivation to get myself up and out in the morning. J

So, for the actual run: today’s workout was a 5-minute, 8-minute, 5-minute run with 3-minute walks between. I was looking ahead to today’s run as being easy, after last Friday’s (AMAZING!) 20-minute run. I just knew that I had to pace myself on the shorter runs, or I would use up all my energy before my last run. So that’s exactly what I did. During the first run, I felt that I had plenty of energy to go a lot faster, but I still made myself go slow. Thankfully, I had just enough energy to zoom through the last run. I even “sprinted” the last 10 seconds!

It’s like a miracle that I no longer gasp for breath, and I actually enjoy breathing in the fresh air while I’m running along! Also, my legs even feel good after a nice run, and I feel so much more energized throughout the day!

If you’re reading this, and you’ve just started the Get Running program, you’re in for a wonderful ride! There will be a lot of ups and a lot of downs, but thankfully, the ups always outweigh the downs! For me, the first two weeks were pretty much one giant down, but it’s been a great upward climb since then! Again, if you’re new at this, keep your spirits high. You CAN do it! Always remember that your journey, no matter how large it may be, starts with 1 step!

Back & Forth 5!

What a week this has been! Just yesterday alone, I ran for 20 minutes straight, finished my K-LOVE 30-Day Challenge, got to see my Mom’s entire family (first time since ’08), and finished our family’s long-sought after Calvin and Hobbes collection! And yesterday was just a single day from this week!

On the only down-note to this post, my eating this week has not been healthy. At all. I had fast food twice this week (funny, how I would have considered this a good thing a month ago!). Next week, I’m going to focus a lot more on what I put into this body of mine, so I can continue on my journey to great health!

The biggest lesson I learned this week was that, no matter how tired my legs tell me they feel, I still have enough energy to finish the run. It’s all a game of “mind over matter,” and if your mind knows you can do it, then you definitely can!

I’ve spent all yesterday and today with family members (Happy 70^th birthday, Nanah!), so I’m quite a bit worn out and ready to hit the sack. I don’t know how next week can be better than this week, but I don’t doubt that it will!

May God bless you in all your endeavors! Remember Him as your go on your journey, and also remember that no matter how far your journey may be, it all starts with 1 step!

Week 5, Run 3 (The Big Run!)

I’ve got to say that God has definitely been helping me with my runs; I’ve yet to have a day where the conditions were too bad to go running! This fact has helped me greatly, as I fear I’ll have less discipline if I get off track with my running.

This morning was no exception to the nice weather! It was almost warm enough for me to run in a t-shirt, even in the dark (I still chose sweatshirt, too)! I got ready as quick as possible, so I wouldn’t be too awake before my (GASP) 20-minute run!

I arrived at the normal time and set out on my warm-up walk. It surprised me that coach Claire came on to give me a “pep talk” before my warm-up was even over! But, before I knew it, she told me it was time to start running. So I started running. And running. And running. Before I knew it, Claire told me that I’d already run for 5 minutes! I must have spaced out in that time, because before I thought about how long I’d been running, the 10-minute cue came on! Then the 15-minute cue! I didn’t even have time to worry about how far I’d gone when coach Claire told me that I’d made it! I didn’t have to count down the minutes or anything! Claire told me something special, and it’s made me feel amazing! (If you wanna find out what she said, you’re gonna have to run this run :D)

One thing I’ve noticed: my breathing has gotten SOO much better over the past 5 weeks! My resting heart rate has definitely lowered, and I no longer gasp for air during my runs. It’s absolutely wonderful!

My legs have been tired today, but I’m ecstatic that I can feel the results of my run today!

One thing I can say: I’m a real runner now!

Keep up your own good work, and remember that no matter how long the journey, it all starts with 1 step!

Health Check 4!

Good evening! Or morning, or whenever you’re reading this!

What’s today? It’s Thursday! And you know what that means…. Health Check 4!

Here’s the measurements!

WEIGHT: I’m down 1 pound this week! That puts me at 222 lb, with a total of 3 lb. lost to date.

WAIST: 37”. Same as last week, which keeps my total at 1 ½” to date.

ARMS: 13 ½”. Still the same as last week, keeping my total at 2” to date.

NECK: 16 ½”. Funny! Since it’s the same as last week, I’ve lost ½” to date.

CALVES: 16 ½”. They’ve gone up an inch bringing me back to 0” to date.

So, I’m not sure if some of these measurements are supposed to be going up, or if they’re supposed to be going down. Either way, I just report ‘em as they are!

Hope you have a great day!

Week 5, Run 2

You know that feeling you get when the President tells you that you’ve just won the Congressional Medal of Honor? Yeah, me either. But that’s the kind of rush I felt this morning after my run!

I’m still dealing with the fact that I have to get up so much earlier than I’m used to, and my body doesn’t like it one bit, but I’m coping with it! Thankfully, my brain is usually still sleeping, so my run is almost over by the time I’m awake! Also, seeing the sunrise is pretty much  the only motivation for running first thing in the morning, because that phenomena is so beautiful!

As you can see from the picture above, it was nice and dark in the park when I started this morning. My first lap around the park each time I go is a test to see where all the icy spots are. From there, I develop my route and keep reminders in my head as to where I should be running, lest I fall on my behind. :D

In my pre-running days, 8 minutes was nothing! It was just one segment of a TV show to sit through on the couch. In running minutes, though, 8 “normal” minutes is somewhere between 3 and 4 lifetimes. At least, that’s what it felt like!

But, thanks to the afore-mentioned “not-awake-ness” of my mind on early-morning runs, the 8-minute runs seemed easy! During both runs today, I made it all the way around the park, which is quite a distance (for me) for 8 minutes!

My legs have been sore throughout today, but I think they’ve completely deserved it! I’m going to let them rest before I get back out there and try to survive Friday morning’s (GASP) 20-minute run!!

If you’re just starting and need motivation, don’t worry at all! Do what you can handle and take it as it comes! Do your best and always remember that every journey, no matter what the distance, starts with 1 step. God bless you!

How are you?

Here’s a typical conversation:

Person #1: Hey, (name here)!

Person #2: Oh, hey (name here)!

Person #1: How are you?

Person #2 Good! And you?

Person #1 Good!

*End of conversation*

Really? I look up at this and think, Gosh, that is so insincere. It would be stupid if people actually talked like that. Well, they do! I do.

I think you can see where this week’s challenge is heading. And you might think, isn’t a weekly challenge supposed to benefit my health in some way? What does all this have to do with my health? Well, this week’s challenge won’t benefit your physical health, but you can bet it’ll impact the way you live socially. Imagine having a real conversation with somebody! Instead of talking with one-word answers, let’s try to be REAL!

Still clueless? Well, here’s today’s challenge:

When somebody asks you “How are you?” you are to respond with AT LEAST 5 words.

As a society, we each speak thousands of words every single day, so now it shouldn’t be hard to add 5 more here and there!

In order to be sincere people, we have to build relationships that last. Admit it or not, great relationships aren’t built by saying words like “Just fine,” “good,” and “great!”

This week’s challenge might pull me (and whoever chooses to follow) out of our comfort zones, but by following it, a difference just might be made in the world.

Time to be sincere!