When I run, I feel invincible. I feel like I’m capable of anything and everything. I feel like nothing can touch me or ruin my day.
I was never in very good shape growing up. I was thin, but had no real strength. We had this test in high school where you had to try to run a mile in under ten minutes. Forget it! I couldn’t jog for more than a minute or two at a time, let alone that distance in that time! Over the years, I just grew to believe that I couldn’t run, that it wasn’t in me.
Then my sister started training for a 5k. I thought she was nuts, but I soon followed her progress with pride. I wondered if I could do the same thing, but I had a few false starts. I didn’t research properly and both times I started a training program, I suffered pain and slight injury. It turned me off to running even more.
However, I thought I’d give it one more try. This time, I did my research first and talked to my sister (now pretty much an expert in running). Then I started the Couch to 5k program. I was amazed that it was both challenging and fun! It was difficult, but not to the point where I couldn’t do it. Jogging for 1-2 minutes at a time was something that was feasible for me, and continuing from there wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
Today I finished my Week 4, Day 1 training. I jogged two intervals of 5 minutes at one time! I never thought I could do that! I’m proving to myself everyday that I’m capable of more than I ever thought I could do. There’s this rush when I’m running, this awesome feeling of, “I can do this! I can do anything!”
Sure, it’s hard at times, and I can’t say I’m never sore from this training. It’s so worth it, though, for that exhilarating, invincible feeling and for knowing that at the age of 30, I’m probably in the best shape of my life!
I’m almost halfway through this 5k training program, and I’m looking forward to each running day. By the end, I’ll be jogging for 25 minutes at a time! Right now, that seems a little scary to me, but so did 5 minutes, and I did that today! I know I can do it.
I can’t wait for my first 5k race! And eventually I’m going to do that ten-minute mile!
Couch to 5k Program!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
You live, you learn.
My husband and I both thought we'd be okay to go slightly off our "diets," by splurging at my birthday party on Sunday. Problem is, we started Saturday and didn't get back on track until today!
We feel terrible! Not guilt, but physically, we feel icky. We're both bloated and having intestinal pains and stuff. Nothing dire, just a general feeling of discomfort. Sometimes you don't realize how great you feel when you're eating healthy until you fall off the wagon and splurge on stuff that's not so good for you.
We did have plenty of healthy options at the party, fruits & veggies, sushi, and ginger chicken. But we also had chocolate cake and cookies and lots of pasta... They're okay in moderation, but we didn't feel like moderating ourselves. (Oh, and the splurging on Saturday started with a trip to McD's...)
Oh well, it's a new week, and we're even stronger in our resolve to eat healthy. We want to feel good again!
I started a new 30-day challenge on EA Sports Active yesterday, and I'm enjoying it. I moved up to medium-intensity so the workouts are a little longer with more reps of each exercise. I also set a goal to do 1200 fitness minutes for February, and two days in, I've got 107 minutes, so I think I'm doing well on that.
I also started the couch to 5k program again. I think I'm a little past the "couch" starting point (I know I can jog in place at least 5 minutes), but that's where I'm starting anyway. This program involves alternating periods of jogging and walking 3 times per week, gradually working in more jogging and less walking, so that by the end of the 6 weeks, you're jogging 5k (3.1 miles). More info: www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
Stats (now that I'm back on track):
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Kelloggs All-Bran Complete Wheat Flakes with a banana and soy milk
Lunch: Bean and Pasta Soup (recipe: www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/B
ean-and-Pasta-Soup ) and a big salad
Dinner: tuna salad on Arnold's multi-grain sandwich thin
Snacks: 1/4 cup mixed nuts, 1/2 c whipped pineapple dessert, 15 wheat thins fiber selects crackers
I can still have 350 calories after that to reach the top of my range, and I need more protein, so I'll probably have more nuts or some peanut butter or something. (I'm working tonight, which explains my small dinner)
Fitness:
EA Sports Active: 25 minutes, 97 calories
Wii Fit Yoga: 10 minutes, 17 calories
Wii Fit Strength Training: 10 minutes, 22 calories
Wii Fit Aerobics: 11 minutes, 36 calories
Wii Fit Games: 4 minutes, 9 calories
Total: 60 minutes, 181 calories burned
So, the positives of falling off my healthy lifestyle for a few days are: I know that I feel tons better when I'm eating healthy, and at least I didn't gain any weight from splurging. Lesson learned!
My twin and I at our 30th birthday party!
My husband and I both thought we'd be okay to go slightly off our "diets," by splurging at my birthday party on Sunday. Problem is, we started Saturday and didn't get back on track until today!
We feel terrible! Not guilt, but physically, we feel icky. We're both bloated and having intestinal pains and stuff. Nothing dire, just a general feeling of discomfort. Sometimes you don't realize how great you feel when you're eating healthy until you fall off the wagon and splurge on stuff that's not so good for you.
We did have plenty of healthy options at the party, fruits & veggies, sushi, and ginger chicken. But we also had chocolate cake and cookies and lots of pasta... They're okay in moderation, but we didn't feel like moderating ourselves. (Oh, and the splurging on Saturday started with a trip to McD's...)
Oh well, it's a new week, and we're even stronger in our resolve to eat healthy. We want to feel good again!
I started a new 30-day challenge on EA Sports Active yesterday, and I'm enjoying it. I moved up to medium-intensity so the workouts are a little longer with more reps of each exercise. I also set a goal to do 1200 fitness minutes for February, and two days in, I've got 107 minutes, so I think I'm doing well on that.
I also started the couch to 5k program again. I think I'm a little past the "couch" starting point (I know I can jog in place at least 5 minutes), but that's where I'm starting anyway. This program involves alternating periods of jogging and walking 3 times per week, gradually working in more jogging and less walking, so that by the end of the 6 weeks, you're jogging 5k (3.1 miles). More info: www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
Stats (now that I'm back on track):
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Kelloggs All-Bran Complete Wheat Flakes with a banana and soy milk
Lunch: Bean and Pasta Soup (recipe: www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/B
ean-and-Pasta-Soup ) and a big salad
Dinner: tuna salad on Arnold's multi-grain sandwich thin
Snacks: 1/4 cup mixed nuts, 1/2 c whipped pineapple dessert, 15 wheat thins fiber selects crackers
I can still have 350 calories after that to reach the top of my range, and I need more protein, so I'll probably have more nuts or some peanut butter or something. (I'm working tonight, which explains my small dinner)
Fitness:
EA Sports Active: 25 minutes, 97 calories
Wii Fit Yoga: 10 minutes, 17 calories
Wii Fit Strength Training: 10 minutes, 22 calories
Wii Fit Aerobics: 11 minutes, 36 calories
Wii Fit Games: 4 minutes, 9 calories
Total: 60 minutes, 181 calories burned
So, the positives of falling off my healthy lifestyle for a few days are: I know that I feel tons better when I'm eating healthy, and at least I didn't gain any weight from splurging. Lesson learned!
My twin and I at our 30th birthday party!
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