Cleared Paths and Bubble Baths

Hey Look! I have found me a little piece of motivation! Now if only I could get it blown up to 6'x4' dimensions to hang on my ceiling I may actually be inspired to get up and get moving in the morning instead of throwing my alarm across the room and hiding under the covers. Why did I choose this picture as my motivation, you ask? Well, Lucky for you I have made a list for your convenience:

• The sunrise makes me think of new days, and new chances. Doesn't matter what happened yesterday, today is a brand new day!
  

• Oh.. it's a sunset you say? Well then... sunsets make me think of the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have made it through another day. Looking into the distance, you can see just how far you have come, and the road ahead doesn't seem so far.
  

• Hello - It's the open road. What better symbolism could there be for the endless range of possibilities that every day holds. What better way to show that life really does have direction, and you, my friend, are on that path! Only one way to go - forward! So get moving.
  

• It's purty.

• Yes, I'd like to be running on that road. But I'd also like to be driving on it. It makes me think of the cross-country road trip Big_Shoes and I are taking this August. The road trip symbolizes the end of my Master's program, the completion of a major life goal, the reward of adventure, and my first chance to see my family in over a year. Being healthy and energetic for this trip of a lifetime makes me WANT to go out and run, and reminds me of other dreams I am accomplishing.
  

Just looking at it makes me want to go out and run right now. Except not. Because I already got a great run in today. I am officially on the second week of C25K, and I tweaked the program just a little so that I am running for two minutes, walking for two. Not much different from what I was doing before - but it feels good to be making PROGRESS! Big_Shoes had to go into work today for an hour this morning, but we decided that when he was done we would meet in town for lunch at this new restaurant we've been dying to try. Yesterday, I stumbled upon a GREAT little bike path near our apartment that goes straight into town and is kept clear all year round, and meeting for lunch gave me the perfect opportunity to try it out. It was the perfect length/time, I didn't have to worry about ice or traffic, and most importantly, there were plenty of cute PUPPIES to look at!

Once I got into town, I met up with Big_Shoes and we had the most amazing - although ridiculously unhealthy - lunch at an amazing deal, thanks to my new favorite website, Groupon. Each day they offer up a new deal, almost always at least 50 percent off at restaurants, bars, spas, gyms and all sorts of other services for the city you live in. We paid $15.00 for $30.00 worth of food, and I got my coupon emailed to me in a couple hours! Okay, so perhaps it's not "running" or "fitness" related per say, but I have seen some great deals on gym memberships, dancing classes, ski trips etc. so that is how I justify this particular shameless plug. Plus it helps me save up for those new running shoes, right? Yeah..

Anyway, after we gorged ourselves on pulled chicken sandwiches (me) and pig and cow ribs (him) we took the much-needed walk home, and enjoyed the time laughing and joking with each other. We stopped by the Salvation Army on the way home- we were hoping to pick up the waffle maker we've been eying for the past couple weeks but it was gone! - and I found the coolest old bathroom scale, probably from the 70s at least. It was in fine working condition, according to the grimace on my face when I hopped on, so for $3.00 it got to come home with us, along with a nifty 1980's style ear warmer that they threw in for free. So now I will be able to protect my ears from frostbite AND track my progress in a whole new way.

After all of that excitement and productivity (and cholesterol) I can't think of anything better right now than a hot bath and a good book, followed by my first **gasp** OFFICIAL weigh in of 2010.

Dragging my feet

I can feel. my motivation. slipping.

I didn't blog yesterday - which is a good indicator that I didn't run either. I wasn't too worried about it then - the C25K program recommends days off, and I had a ton of research to dig through for my teaching assistantship next semester anyway. But in the back of my mind I was worried that one day off would mean two, and then three. And then my running shoes would get pushed back into the depths of my closet, never to be seen again until January 1, 2011.

That fear is not unfounded. I have a long history of short, energized bursts of physical activity followed by long periods in a relatively comatose state. Still, I usually last longer than a WEEK! So in spite of a lack of energy or motivation, my running shoes are on and I'm getting ready for my last Week 1 workout.

I am finding that I just can't over think it. If I spend too much time thinking about when to run, or where to run, or what to wear while running, I'll just talk myself out of it. Instead, I make this deal with myself: I tell myself that if I get all ready to run and am standing outside ready to go and I STILL don't want to run, I can turn around and go back inside, no questions asked. By the time I'm down there though, it just doesn't make sense not to run, and I almost always end up doing it. Even if I start out feeling pessimistic and grouchy, I always end my run feeling proud, energized, and accomplished.

So that's where I am now. Feeling unmotivated, but hoping that a self-imposed run will help me to beat some of that and start being productive with my day (hmm.. a clean apartment would be nice...). I think I'd eventually like to make a list of ways to motivate myself, and keep it handy for days like today, when my butt would rather park itself on the couch with the laptop than truck its owner up a hill in the name of recreation. Now there's some good thinking material for my run.

Cheesecake Diaries

Great run today. Still icy, but enough clear pavement to make it work. Technically, it was my third workout of the C25K program, but it has not yet been a week ... so I'm stuck with whether I should move on to the second stage or continue with "week one". From all that I read, there is more risk to moving too quickly than taking it too slow, so I think I'll do at least one more run at the stage 1 before moving on. For those who have no idea what I am talking about right now, here is the first three weeks of my running schedule from the Cool Running website that I posted before.

Although while I'm running I consciously focus on envisioning the air in my lungs and the beat of my heart rather than the jiggle of my thighs, I'd be lying if I said I didn't care about the physical as well as mental benefits of running. So I'll go ahead and take the hit for being the broken record that reminds you that "exercise is only 50% of a healthy lifestyle". A modest supply of common sense and a few foggymemories from my Nutrition 101 class as an undergrad secured this little pearl of wisdom firmly in my rational, conscious brain. I am very aware that no amount of exercise that I am currently capable of can account for one too many of those late-night trips to the freezer, spoon in hand (We all know it's not the frozen peas I'm after). I just wish someone would tell this to my wholly irrational and subconscious stomach. I'm not a horrible eater. I don't eat any red meat or pork, I RARELY touch fast food, I love vegetables and am a huge fan of whole grains. I also just so happen to love devouring a slice of brownie double fudge cheesecake every now and again (and again, and again).

All of the reading out there - or at least the small slice of it that I have skimmed- suggests food journaling as the best way to get a realistic picture of the caloric and nutrition content of what actually goes into your stomach. But the idea of carrying around a little notepad with a list of every french fry and cheese puff that comes anywhere near my mouth makes me nauseous. See, I tend to misplace things, and call me judgmental but I can't imagine finding something like that and NOT thinking that person had issues. My solution? Online journaling.

For the past year, I've been using FitDay.com on and off (okay, mostly off) to keep track of what I eat. Sometimes you have to find the approximate measurement for something or find the closest related food, but for the most part it sets up a pretty accurate picture of your nutrition intake and ...yes, calorie count (if you're into that sort of thing). I will say that I, for one, refuse to count calories. But that may have more to do with my childhood insecurities about performing simple math than the actual merit of calorie counting itself. Anyway, When I'm using FitDay, I love it! But even though I have fun doing it and it helps keep me on track, I always seem to stop using it after a week or two..

But to hell with it, I'm climbing back on that horse, at least until it bucks me off again. I don't plan on changing my diet drastically or restricting my calories (because that would require counting) but I do think it's important to know what exactly I'm eating. Maybe just knowing will result in subtle, subconscious changes, who knows? So back to food journaling it is, but if anyone out there has any tips for sticking with it this time, I'd love to hear them!

Running off into the sunset...

... is not as romantic as it sounds. I was a slacker today - after sitting around watching made for TV movies, eating a balanced diet of top ramen and leftover stocking candy, and attempting to catchup on my research, I looked at the time and realized it was FOUR O'CLOCK! After confirming that I had not inadvertently missed some obscure daylight savings time (wouldn't be the first time) I kicked myself in the butt, double knotted my running shoes, and hit the pavement in time to see the sun well on it's way to setting behind an urban horizon of brick buildings and telephone poles.

Shit. I don't even have glow-in-the-dark shoe laces.

But I was already out there and I was already freezing my butt off, so I figured at the very least a run might help restore the circulation to my extremities. Even better, maybe I could get hit by a car so that I would have something to blog about when I got home. In the end, it wasn't that eventful. By the time I did the 20 minutes of walking/running intervals, the last bit of daylight was all but gone but I had successfully avoided all oncoming traffic. The patches of compacted snow turning to ice under my feet were more treacherous than the darkness itself.

Being the proactive type that I am, I waited until I got home from this adventure (and had time to thoroughly de-thaw my fingers) to Google safety tips for running in the dark, and found a long list of tips for night time running. Among the many precautions that I failed to take were:

• run against traffic (I know this... but I run on a lot of one way streets! I should get points for avoiding the busy roads though).
  
• wear white, yellow, orange and other bright colors (I went for black and grey).
  
• run with a buddy (well... there was that stray cat that followed me for a few yards).
  
• carry a cell phone (I would have, but I couldn't operate the tiny buttons with gloves on!)
• wear a headlamp/reflective vest (ahh.. now THAT would really complete my ensemble).
  
• stick to a familiar route (I had the bright idea of trying something "new" today).
  
• carry identification (I misplace my license enough as it is, do I really need to stick it in my shoe while I'm jaunting around town?)

Now before you start slapping my wrists, I will say that these all sound like reasonable tips, and (hand over heart) I promise to do my best to follow them the next time I find myself trying to sneak in a run late in the day. That said.. I think I'll stick to day-time running for now, especially in this weather, where a couple of hours can mean the difference between cold toes and numb legs. So I guess that means in the future I will either need to procrastinate less and get it done early in the day or resolve myself to spending many more wonderful evenings in front of the TV with the lovely Ms. Ten Minutes.

... Neither option is particularly appealing at this moment.

I'd Rather be Running...

As predicted, even more snow today. If you're thinking I did not choose the best time of year to "become" a runner, I won't disagree with you. What I really need are a pair of YakTrax so that a quick jog does not amount to a possible threat to my life. Unfortunately, I am unwilling/unable to spend $30.00 plus s/h for a pair, so I'll be without until a sweet deal comes up on craigslist, amazon or ebay.

What started out as a quick run yesterday, soon became a careful walk, and I was determined to find a better solution for today. I considered running the stairs in my apartment a few times, but they are old and creaky, and I didn't feel like ticking off all of my neighbors at once (my neighbors could also be described as old and creaky I suppose). After running in place for all of 15 seconds, with my two cats running in between my feet, I crossed that off my list as well, in part for the safety of my cats but mostly because I felt like a moron.

I finally got the bright idea to search my Netflix instant queue, and sure enough, there are a decent amount of workout videos on there. Note: I said a decent AMOUNT of videos, not that the videos themselves were decent. The best of the mix - and the one I eventually decided on called "10 Minute Solution: Target Toning for Beginners" with some ripped, spunky blond woman on the cover.

From the 5 or so options, I chose to focus on legs and arms, which meant I got to spend 20 lovely minutes with said spunky blond girl. Thought about doing abs, but after looking at the trainers 8-pack, I decided I didn't want to go there. We'll wait for the next snowed-in day for that one. It got the job done - didn't feel like much cardio, but definitely worked the muscles. It may be that I was doing the floor exercises on the hardwood, but my knees started to hurt after a bit (not real pain, just achy), so I guess I'll keep an eye on how they feel. Ten Minute girl was obnoxious, but the time did go by quickly, and I would have done a third session if I could have figured out how to put the subtitles up and mute her voice.

All in all, running was more fun, more fulfilling, and more motivating than rolling around in front of the TV with two cans of kidney beans (What? I don't have hand weights...), so I genuinely hope the weather cooperates tomorrow. Uh oh, Big_Shoes is supposed to be home soon and I promised to start dinner! Better hop to it!

Snow Day

So it doesn't appear as though it will stop snowing today. After waiting it out for awhile, Big_Shoes and I decided to give it a shot, and hope some of the side streets are not too slick. We're hoping to continue with the C25K program (60 sec. running, 90 walking) but it may just turn into one brisk walk if we can't find a decent place to run.

Might be a blessing in disguise because despite having tons of energy, my butt and my sides are pretty sore (damn incline!) and I don't want to wear myself out too quickly!

Resolutions Schmesolutions.

Great run today. Thanks to some great online forum advice, I found this website, which gives a great outline for a "Couch to 5K" running program. Looks like you can buy a more interactive version, but I of course will be using the free one!

I was also more prepared for today's run - even though it was a toasty 33 degrees outside. This site tells you exactly what to wear based on the temperature and running conditions, which I found to be a great resource for the clueless runner (me). Of course I don't have all of the ultra specialized gear that the site "recommends" but a trip into the dark depths of my closet provided some pragmatic substitutions. The best addition was throwing on some black leggings under my shorts - it really helped the circulation to my legs, and I felt the difference in my stride. The whole look was a bit ... special, which was of course exactly what I was going for.

Since he had the day off, my burly fiance Big_Shoes joined me for the run. It was nice to have a running partner, and even though I was the one with the stopwatch he seemed to do a better job estimating intervals. This program works well with a partner, because you aren't running for a long enough period to get too separated, especially since Big_Shoes has a stride at least twice the length of what my 5'3'' frame can do.

Anyway, per the program, today's run consisted of a brisk five minute warm up, and twenty minutes of running for 1 minute and walking for a minute and a half. The snow left quite a few of the sidewalks too precarious for running, so we opted to run on side streets - which made our route a bit longer, but didn't slow us down as much. Total distance was 2.3 miles, and it took us about 35 minutes. The only change we made to the program was in sprinting the hill to our apartment on the way back, finish line style. I had slowed down for a few steps going up the hill, but finished strong. I will conquer that damn hill, just not today.

I was surprised to see only one other runner on New Years Day (Don't gym memberships skyrocket after the first of the year?), but I'm guessing that the weather kept a lot of people indoors, nursing their hangovers. My own champagne-induced headache, however, disappeared a minute or two into our run. With that out of the way, I spent most of my run thinking about the achievements of my past year and my goals for the approaching one. (Cheesy, yes, but hear me out!) It would be easy to classify this little experiment as a New Years Resolution - and I don't know if I could argue against that. The timing is what it is, right? It may just be my natural skepticism for resolutions in general, but right now I picture running as the means to achieve my goals, not the goal in of itself.

Now even the most adamant resolution critic should have goals, and certainly have goals of my own, although they may not fit neatly into the 365 day time line of a resolution. While running a 5K is a short-term goal of mine (I'd like to run my first this spring) I see it as a step toward reaching my longer-term goals. Feeling healthier and better about myself will give me more confidence to go after my goals and more energy to accomplish them. Daily runs can help me beat the stress that usually accompanies any goal, and give me time during the day to reflect on the direction of my life. I have a feeling 2010 will not be lacking in challenges and new experiences. I will be finishing up my Master's degree, moving across the country (again), living with the parents while I find a job and a house and eventually planning a wedding. And of course, the things that are not foreseeable are often the most challenging. But maybe... running can be my rock. And maybe it can help me accomplish some of these things, and get to the places I want to be, or places I never imagined. Or maybe I'll get bored or busy in three weeks and give up.

There's only one thing I can say for sure: It can't hurt to give it a shot.