It's amazing how a simple chore like going to the store and buying groceries turned into such an ordeal. But I finally got it done! I have so much fresh fruit, I'm not sure how it's all going to be eaten before it goes bad. This has been a delicious week: I ran 12 miles (including one five miler), drank plenty of water, and ate much better than what I consumed during weeks one and two. The negative: my coffee intake went back to the usual three gallons/day, I only ran four of the seven days (I stayed with the softball team at the Galt Hotel on Friday and they had the nerve to charge $5 to use their gym, so I had to take an unplanned rest day), and I'M SO SORE. I feel like a 93-year-old woman every morning. It's not that my body isn't used to the stresses of running; I think it's just the accumulation of miles that's starting to wear on me. I might even have to invest in some new running shoes. I made the switch from Nikes to Asics last fall, which has done wonders for my feet but is now wreaking havoc on my back. I'll probably have to start using the dreaded cold tub after my longs runs...ugh.
This next week, I start my official half-marathon training schedule. Today kicks it off with an easy three mile run. Here is the link where I found the plan: http://greatist.com/fitness/i-want-run-half-marathon.
Until next week!
Monday, February 24, 2014
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Week 2: Small Successes
This week was leaps and bounds better than the last as far as my goals are concerned. The positive: I upped my mileage to 14.5 miles, drank more water, and got lots of sleep every night. The negative: I am still terrible at feeding myself.
It didn't take a lot of effort for me to fall back into the "I have to workout today" mentality. Getting good and sweaty has always been the best release for me at the end of any long and frustrating day. And this week, there were some very looooong days. In addition to the 14.5 miles of running, I also fit in some bodyweight circuits as post-run workout boosters. Nothing crazy, just exercises like squats, Russian twists, planks, etc. I ran and did these circuits 5 days this week, which is the same work-to-rest ratio that my half-marathon training plan operates on, so I'm feeling good about the progress made there.
You wouldn't believe some of the meals I scrounged up out of my pantry and fridge this weekend. I won't even disclose the things I ate because I'm pretty ashamed. On Tuesday, I actually went to Wendy's after my workout, and I hated myself for it. But most days, it was either workout or go grocery shopping. And to be quite honest, working out is easier and much more enjoyable for me! On Thursday, I loaded myself onto the EKU Softball bus and we all headed for Birmingham, AL, for our second tournament of preseason. So far, I've been pretty good about monitoring the meals I order, ad sticking to the "healthier" side of the menu (as long as we don't count tonight's burrito from Moe's Southwest Grill). I haven't been able to cut back on the coffee intake though; that habit will be much harder to break, seeing as those hot cups of coffee have become more of a comfort than anything.
Overall, I'm ecstatic with my ability to jump back into the daily workouts this week. My new goal for the upcoming week is definitely to go grocery shopping, and purchase ingredients as opposed to pre-packaged meals.
Until next week!
It didn't take a lot of effort for me to fall back into the "I have to workout today" mentality. Getting good and sweaty has always been the best release for me at the end of any long and frustrating day. And this week, there were some very looooong days. In addition to the 14.5 miles of running, I also fit in some bodyweight circuits as post-run workout boosters. Nothing crazy, just exercises like squats, Russian twists, planks, etc. I ran and did these circuits 5 days this week, which is the same work-to-rest ratio that my half-marathon training plan operates on, so I'm feeling good about the progress made there.
You wouldn't believe some of the meals I scrounged up out of my pantry and fridge this weekend. I won't even disclose the things I ate because I'm pretty ashamed. On Tuesday, I actually went to Wendy's after my workout, and I hated myself for it. But most days, it was either workout or go grocery shopping. And to be quite honest, working out is easier and much more enjoyable for me! On Thursday, I loaded myself onto the EKU Softball bus and we all headed for Birmingham, AL, for our second tournament of preseason. So far, I've been pretty good about monitoring the meals I order, ad sticking to the "healthier" side of the menu (as long as we don't count tonight's burrito from Moe's Southwest Grill). I haven't been able to cut back on the coffee intake though; that habit will be much harder to break, seeing as those hot cups of coffee have become more of a comfort than anything.
Overall, I'm ecstatic with my ability to jump back into the daily workouts this week. My new goal for the upcoming week is definitely to go grocery shopping, and purchase ingredients as opposed to pre-packaged meals.
Until next week!
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Week 1: Traveling is Rough
Well, it's only been one week and I'm already late on my post...so there's a mediocre start. Anyway, for my first week, I didn't do an awesome job. The positive: I drank more water and got plenty of sleep. The negative: I only ran three days out of the week and didn't cook for myself at all.
Last weekend was my first road trip with the EKU Softball team, which has both positive and negative impacts on this goal-setting project. I was only home from Monday to Thursday afternoon. Most of Thursday was spent on a bus, but once we got to Georgia I was able to fit in a three mile run on a hotel treadmill. I probably made my roommate think I was a freak though, seeing as I started my workout at 10:30pm...oops! I did the same thing the following night, but only ran two miles. It's much more difficult to fit in time for workouts when the team is on the road, because I'm technically "on the clock" all weekend. Usually, there are athletes in my hotel room all night (until bedtime) and all morning. I'm thinking that the solution to this problem will be setting specific times during which the girls can receive treatments, just like when we're at home. And I'll probably have to become a morning runner (gross), which will be especially difficult as I usually have much more motivation to wrap up my day with a workout than to start my day with a workout. However, seeing as my half-marathon will start around 8:00am, I might as well start getting used to being a morning runner! So that "negative" aspect of traveling might just turn out to be a "positive."
As far as the cooking goes, I pretty much had to finish up all the sandwich and spaghetti stuff last week so I can focus on buying higher quality groceries this week. On the road, I ate pretty well, opting for lighter dishes that are high in protein (I tend to indulge in carbs when I don't cook for myself). I was able to drink a lot more water, since that was usually the only option during games or at the hotel. I also slept amazingly in that hotel bed, and managed to get at least six hours a night.
Yesterday, I got a good start on week two by running a 5k on the treadmill and doing 15 minutes of strength circuits. We travel to Alabama this weekend, so I'll let you know how I do on my second road trip. That's all for now!
Last weekend was my first road trip with the EKU Softball team, which has both positive and negative impacts on this goal-setting project. I was only home from Monday to Thursday afternoon. Most of Thursday was spent on a bus, but once we got to Georgia I was able to fit in a three mile run on a hotel treadmill. I probably made my roommate think I was a freak though, seeing as I started my workout at 10:30pm...oops! I did the same thing the following night, but only ran two miles. It's much more difficult to fit in time for workouts when the team is on the road, because I'm technically "on the clock" all weekend. Usually, there are athletes in my hotel room all night (until bedtime) and all morning. I'm thinking that the solution to this problem will be setting specific times during which the girls can receive treatments, just like when we're at home. And I'll probably have to become a morning runner (gross), which will be especially difficult as I usually have much more motivation to wrap up my day with a workout than to start my day with a workout. However, seeing as my half-marathon will start around 8:00am, I might as well start getting used to being a morning runner! So that "negative" aspect of traveling might just turn out to be a "positive."
As far as the cooking goes, I pretty much had to finish up all the sandwich and spaghetti stuff last week so I can focus on buying higher quality groceries this week. On the road, I ate pretty well, opting for lighter dishes that are high in protein (I tend to indulge in carbs when I don't cook for myself). I was able to drink a lot more water, since that was usually the only option during games or at the hotel. I also slept amazingly in that hotel bed, and managed to get at least six hours a night.
Yesterday, I got a good start on week two by running a 5k on the treadmill and doing 15 minutes of strength circuits. We travel to Alabama this weekend, so I'll let you know how I do on my second road trip. That's all for now!
Monday, February 3, 2014
Setting Goals
Two years ago this March, I made the decision to take full responsibility for my health and well-being.
In high school, I was a multi-sport athlete and an extremely active person. I had always taken solace in physical activity. In fact, when my grandpa died my senior year, my method of coping was to run down to the soccer fields and kick the s*** out of my ball. When a boy broke my heart, I went for a run. Sweating has always been more satisfying to me than crying.
The transition from high school athlete to college student was a difficult one. Without a coach watching over my shoulder, I couldn't discipline myself into an exercise routine. I gained some weight (the classic "freshman 15"), and my skin broke out. Being away from home was difficult, and I wasn't happy with the major I had chosen. All in all, it wasn't a pretty year for this girl. After a whole school year of feeling unfulfilled and unattractive, I started coping with exercise again. I was still undisciplined and my exercise schedule was nowhere near regular, but it was a start. The next year found me working part time as a group exercise instructor, running on a regular basis, and studying the brand new (to me) field of athletic training. Until March of 2012, I would go through phases of physical activity. I'd run for a couple months, then get bored and take a break. Then I'd become unsatisfied with myself again and find a new form of exercise for a couple months, then take another break. It was a stuttered regimen, but the breaks grew shorter and I began to push myself harder. It was like learning how to be an athlete again.
Like many others, the catalyst for my lifestyle change was a terrifying medical emergency, which I'll talk about later. Since then, I have run more than 500 miles. But exercise isn't enough in any case. If I am to accomplish my long-term goal of being a good example of health for my loved ones, there are many smaller, more short-term goals I must reach:
In high school, I was a multi-sport athlete and an extremely active person. I had always taken solace in physical activity. In fact, when my grandpa died my senior year, my method of coping was to run down to the soccer fields and kick the s*** out of my ball. When a boy broke my heart, I went for a run. Sweating has always been more satisfying to me than crying.
The transition from high school athlete to college student was a difficult one. Without a coach watching over my shoulder, I couldn't discipline myself into an exercise routine. I gained some weight (the classic "freshman 15"), and my skin broke out. Being away from home was difficult, and I wasn't happy with the major I had chosen. All in all, it wasn't a pretty year for this girl. After a whole school year of feeling unfulfilled and unattractive, I started coping with exercise again. I was still undisciplined and my exercise schedule was nowhere near regular, but it was a start. The next year found me working part time as a group exercise instructor, running on a regular basis, and studying the brand new (to me) field of athletic training. Until March of 2012, I would go through phases of physical activity. I'd run for a couple months, then get bored and take a break. Then I'd become unsatisfied with myself again and find a new form of exercise for a couple months, then take another break. It was a stuttered regimen, but the breaks grew shorter and I began to push myself harder. It was like learning how to be an athlete again.
Like many others, the catalyst for my lifestyle change was a terrifying medical emergency, which I'll talk about later. Since then, I have run more than 500 miles. But exercise isn't enough in any case. If I am to accomplish my long-term goal of being a good example of health for my loved ones, there are many smaller, more short-term goals I must reach:
- Drink more water (6-8 glasses/day) and less coffee (2 cups/day)
- Cook more and cook "healthy" (I have only cooked for myself twice since moving to KY in July)
- Get at least 6-8 hours of sleep every night
- Stick to the half marathon training schedule (start on February 24)
- Run a half marathon in May and finish in 2 hours!!
This might seem pretty simple, so let me break it down. As a graduate assistant athletic trainer for a small Division I university, my hours are wicked. In addition to my full class load, I also work 40-50 hours during the week, and cover all games on the weekends (including travel). So I tend to replace sleep and water with coffee. Seriously. It's not unusual for me to consume 3-4 cups of coffee before noon, and then I'll wash down my mediocre lunch with a couple more cups. So that just needs to stop. You might be able to imagine, knowing what you know about my work weeks, that it could be a bit dodgy trying to stick to a training schedule. But if I'm going to run this half-marathon in May, I need to discipline myself. As for the cooking (or lack thereof)...my teensy-but-adorable apartment is equipped with neither a dishwasher nor a garbage disposal. I HATE doing dishes, and I HATE having to scoop out little remnants of food from my drain. So naturally, cooking gives way to eating sandwiches, canned soup, and spaghetti. Waaaayyy too much spaghetti.
This blog will help me overcome a lot of these obstacles simply by holding me accountable. And hopefully, over the next 14 weeks, the adjustments I make to my daily schedule will harden into habit. I plan on continuing my use of the MapMyRun app to log my running, and I'll blog about food and water intake and sleep schedules.
Yesterday was a pretty ok start for me; I ran 3.3 miles but did not drink any water or cook. I'll have to try a bit harder today. I was able to get 6 hours of sleep, but it took forever for me to fall asleep.
Yesterday was a pretty ok start for me; I ran 3.3 miles but did not drink any water or cook. I'll have to try a bit harder today. I was able to get 6 hours of sleep, but it took forever for me to fall asleep.
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