Something small and you could lose it all

Injuries are scary.  The threat of injury is scary.  How do you figure out of stretching is a good idea?  Don't do it and see what happens. 

I had this goal to run 3 miles today.  My knee had other plans.

I was running my speedy mile in Campus Rec, and on about lap 3, my knee started to twinge.  I thought it was just warm up pain.  Then around lap 5, it got worse, it wasn't muscle growing pain, it was legit pain, like when you run up the stairs to fast and your knee buckles.  I tried to hurry through my lap 6.5 to make a mile, and I did, but boy was that stupid.  At that point the pain had subsided, but I knew continuing running was not a good idea.  I couldn't run more than a lap at a time after that, and towards the end of my half hour workout, I couldn't even make it the full lap.   

While I was walking, after my life flashed before my eyes, I started thinking (another bad idea).  What would have happened if I had hurt my knee?  What if I did?  I'll tell you what, it's scary!  I know what injury is.  And I was scared then too.  I talk about it in this post, right before my shoulder surgery, more than two years ago. 

Injuries (or the threat of them) are depressing!  They have the ability to take all the wind out of you.  I'm not sure even if my knee hadn't been hurting if I'd been able to run the rest. 

It's just a lesson that I have to be careful.  I can't be paranoid, but I can't be stupid either.  There is some pain you can push through, like side stitches.  Joint pain is NOT one of those kinds of pain. 

In other good news though, my 1 mile run has been consistently under 10:30!

Until next time,
:)

My own personal guiness record

There are times I know the title of the post before I know anything else about it.  Then there are times I open up the editor and know I'll struggle with the title until the bitter end and finally come up with something. . .manageable, mostly because after writing it I'm sick of staring at it.  :)

Don't let today's (possibly) bad title fool you.  It's been a great day!  I woke up after hardly sleeping, the water main near our apartment caused the entire complex to be without water for almost 6 hours, it's the end of the semester and I'm currently in the library, OH and I ran 1 mile in 10:10.  Did you see what I did there?  :)

I RAN A MILE IN 10:10!!!!!!!  That's the fastest mile I've run in..well I wouldn't want to show my age; but A LONG TIME! ;)

I was holding out on working out because I was feeling a little lazy, and because the water was out, I wasn't going to be able to take a shower (or use the restroom, or [you get it]).  So finally, at 4:30, when the water still wasn't on, I packed my computer bag for studying later, my backpack for class before studying, and my gym bag, and ventured to the campus gym to run my fastest mile and then shower.  What an interesting experience.  Then I went to class, then the library, got stuff accomplished, and here we are.  Still totally overjoyed at today's running success.  And after I thought I wasn't going to run at all.  I certainly didn't make the 30 minute goal, but that's OK.  I did something, and if you ask me (who else would you ask???), that's pretty darn tootin' awesome!

I'm now going to go home, and sleep.  Maybe :)

Until next time,
:)

Consistency is a runner's best friend

I'm pretty sure I'd rather run two 12 minute miles than one 10 minute mile and one 14 minute mile, even though the pace is still the same. 

When I run, I try to use splits so I have more to go on than just the average pace.  It gives me a pace at different times of my run, and helps me with smaller goals.  Instead of "I want a faster pace", I can start small.  "I want to run that segment faster".  Work on one at a time, and eventually, the average pace will follow. 

I also try to split in the same spots - makes sense right? :).  Today, I had two 1 mile segments because apparently today I'm technologically challenged.  To give myself credit, I was RUNNING trying to push buttons.  Maybe I ought to get one of those little fancy-schmancy split watches.  WISH LIST! :) Back to my splits: one mile was 12:23 and the other 12:24.  Um, yes, please.  This is especially awesome because my overall pace was 12:18 :).  Yesterday, I ran a .31 segment in 3:45, today 3:47.  Sweet.  Yesterday .43 in 5:05, today 5:06.  Woot! 

As my times become faster, the over times will go down, and not be the same day to day, but it's nice to see that for now; and it's always nice to see consistency inside a run.  :)

Until next time,
:)

Look out world - I'M BACK!

I've got my running groove back!!!  And it's better than ever!

This freedom of not training for anything specific:  No race deadline or goal marker, except of course to beat my previous times, is...well freeing!  It also helps that I'm not running in circles around my parking lot anymore.  While that had its time and place while I was getting my running legs back under me, I'm on to bigger, better, and more importantly, more exciting things.  I'm running on campus now.  The far outside loop of campus is over 3.5 miles, and I have several smaller loops mapped out. 

My play list?  You know those songs you hear in movies that give you goosebumps and motivate you to take over the world?  The ones that you turn up all the way and sing along in your car (or wherever)?  For example, in Legally Blond, when she's becoming the successful bookworm proving everyone wrong, the song they play is Watch Me Shine by Joanna Pacitti.  My play list is made up entirely of those.  Upbeat, awesome, I rule the world songs.  Um, because I so do.  I end up smiling while I run, and I can't wait until the next time I get to hit the pavement.  I'm in my running clothes now, trying to get to a good stopping point in a program I'm writing, so I can go run! 

I don't hurt.  I avoided running for a while because I was convinced it hurt my shoulder and back and on and on.  I'm being careful, but for the most part, since I'm concentrating on my form and breathing, it doesn't hurt to run.  Which is fabulous.  :)

And because I'm the mix-master in the h-iz-ouse (couldn't resist), I have them timed just right so when I'm needing a special boost of motivation, the next song is just that. 

So I'm sure you're curious to the results of all this dedication.  Yesterday I ran 2.5 miles in 30:20.  I'll help you with the math, because I'm a geek.  That's a pace of 11:59.  That would be over one minute FASTER PACE than my fastest ever 5K pace.  EVER.  Like all of them.  Here we go again.  :)

I am participating in a challenge on Map My Fitness (www.mapmyfitness.com).  I may have mentioned it in a past post.  The challenge is to do 30 minutes of some kind of activity 20 days out of the month of December.  It's a motivation to keep moving through the holidays.  Yesterday was day 1.  Today will be day 2.  And look at that.  It's December 2nd.  I'm on a roll :)

I think I figured out the motivation behind all this change.  I changed the rules of my own life.  No more games, no more bull...stuff.  :)  I am no longer putting up with it.  From anyone else, or me!  I deserve better.  I deserve the best.  And it starts with how I treat myself.  Anyone is welcome to try to play games with me, but you better watch out; the house always wins :) and I WILL come out on top!

I DECIDED I would be happy, no matter what anyone said or did.  And I am!  I had left it up to other people, then wondered why I was disappointed.  I'm making friends with the voice inside my head.  I'm making friends with her.  And no, I don't have multiple personalities, and I am not weird.  I think we all need to talk to ourselves a little more.  That voice makes a lot less trouble when she gets attention.  She plays nice now :)

I have a few quotes, some I've heard, some I've come up with.  I keep them on my white board and look at them regularly.  I always thought that things on a white board or mirror wouldn't work because once you see them so many times, you know they're there.  But if you look in that direction, you know what's there, and it puts it at the front of your memory, whether or not you have to actually read them.

"Remember why you're on the journey, and how you'll feel at the finish line"
"It is a marathon until the finish line is in sight.  Only then is it a sprint"
"Focus on form and distance.  The speed will come"
"Don't hurry, don't worry, and don't forget to smell the flowers"
"Don't think about how far away the finish line is, think about how far beyond the starting line you are"
"It's a CHOICE"

Until next time,
:)

Having an audience does wonders for one’s running performance

I find the title to be somewhat self-explanatory, but for the sake of …well I like to talk to I'll explain it anyways :). 

Yesterday, I decided to run on campus instead of in my parking lot.  So I got dressed, planned my route online (www.mapmyfitness.com), and drove to campus.  And ran an 11:28 minute mile.  Uh, that would be a pace that is 45 seconds FASTER than my fastest time to date.  TO DATE.  That’s all of them.  ALL.  Every.  You get it :) 45 seconds!  Okay, now I’m done. 

I was performing for an audience.  Take driving.  Never mind, I should stay away from driving :).  You get the idea though.  

I have come to a turning point if you will.  I am choosing to eat healthier, to listen to the signals my body sends me.  It’s quite fascinating really.  I have green beans.  I choose to eat all of them instead of just half.  I’ve had chocolate in my apartment for weeks.  Ice cream?  Not interested.  Munching.  No longer a problem.  Thanksgiving.  Didn’t overeat.  I’m not sure what happened, but I’m not messing with it.  Maybe it's because I don't watch TV anymore.  That's mostly because I don't have time.  No, this would not be a "you don't make time" instance.  I quite literally do not HAVE time. 

I don’t know what my total weight loss is.  I couldn’t tell you how much I weigh.  All I know is in the month of November I lost 5 pounds.  3 of the 4 weeks were losses, and I maintained (true maintain) one week.  That’s all I know.  I’m not focusing on the big picture long term goal weight almost a year down the road.  I’m focusing on right now.  Today.  Tomorrow.  This week.  That’s it.  That’s all the brain power I can allocate anyways.  Lose weight daily.  Exercise regularly.  Make choices.  Sit in a bouncy desk chair :).  (Just thought I'd throw that one in for fun).  Last night, I actually only bought the items on my list at the grocery store.  I didn’t even think it was possible. 

I think sometimes we try to equate “healthy” with “complicated”.  It doesn’t have to be, but you have to WANT it.  It's not a diet.  It's a life style change. 

Until next time,
:)

What happens when you don't eat for 12 hours?

Good question.  I know people who can go all day without eating and not blink an eye.  Yesterday I would have told you I couldn't make it 6 before not being able to function.  Guess you could either call it anemic, blood sugar issues, or God's blessing me with the inability to have an eating disorder because he knew I get distracted.  College has taught me a lot about eating, and the issues that I face eating at odd times.  Last week, it had only been 2 hours since I had eaten, but stress, anxiety, and adrenaline running out made me totally crash. 

Today, I ate breakfast around 7.  I went to class, came back, worked on a few things, left for my next class at 11, just like normal MWF.  Then after class I had a heart to heart with one professor, got help from another and by the time I made it home to change out stuff and head back to school to work on a project, it was almost 2.  No food since 7.  I worked on school stuff for hours, until time flew and it was time to leave the library for my 6pm class.  Still no food.  Still walking.  I made it home without incident around 7:30, and fixed two pieces of pizza.  I had to force myself to fix it, much more to starting eating it.  It had been so long since I'd eaten, I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of food.  I've made it through the first piece and I think I might just be sick.  I'm hungry and full at the same time.  No appetite at all.  I don't even want to eat the chocolate cake I brought in here to save my sugars if they started going haywire.  Now that's just depressing all on its own. 

I think this might have something to do with the fact that the last 24 hours have made me ridiculously happy, I have had 3.5 hours of sleep on the day, and I still have hours of homework to accomplish before getting shut-eye. 

ONLY 10 class days left.  I can make it, but where did the semester go?!?!?

If I had been careless, who knows how long this could have gone on before my body gave out!  I guess, for the most part, that's why I'm lucky enough to not be able to go long periods of time without eating before my body starts shutting down, guess today was the exception, but I can't count on having this good fortune in the future.  Crashes really freak people out, they tend to overreact and send me to the ER, and that's the last thing I need. 

I'm off to finish homework, try to eat some more to fight off a losing cycle of no food, no strength until I get sick. 

Until next time,
:)

I kindof don't like carrots.

I'm trying out the Blogger app, so show mercy on my spelling, please? :)

I'm pretty sure when I see carrots, I become a 5 year old, whining and all. Truth is, I don't like carrots unless each bite includes ranch dressing, or something. Which really defeats the purpose of eating them, since that purpose is an almost zero calorie snack. Why can't there be almost zero calorie ranch dressing? Maybe because then we would have to add something tasty. So I think I'll just stick to my raw green beans (the ones that snap) for my zero calorie snack. I could eat a bushel of those!

I'm not sure why this little fun factoid about me seemed like a good post, but it seemed like a good idea, so I went with it. Maybe it's because I just felt like talking, and since that itself was a rare thing, I decided to run with it. That and it was a perfectly good excuse to try out this nifty app. :)

So I've decided that when I eat dessert, it's a really good idea to eat it in a very, very, very small bowl. If it comes close to the top of the bowl, I feel like I'm indulging, but not in a guilty kind of a way. That kind of way that you curl up with a blanket in a comfy chair and your dessert and you can really appreciate the taste kind of way. Of course the best dessert for this is a warm brownie with a small scoop of ice cream. YUM.

Today really threw me off, I'm not sure I buy that it's Thursday night, maybe tomorrow it'll sink in; hopefully I go to the right classes! I think, well heck, I don't know, there's a lot going on upstairs, so I'm gonna log off before I start rambling. :)

Until next time,
:)