A productive week (well, for me at least!)

I ran 3 times this week, totaling 8.7 miles. Now I know this may not seem like much of an accomplishment to most runners but it has been more than I have done in a while! My runs were 2.7 miles, 4, and 2. The 4 mile run was by far my best and favorite, it felt awesome. Today for my 2 miles my legs were somewhat heavy but I got out there regardless, having to talk myself into it. Next week calls for 4, 3, and 5 miles. I may try to throw in a 2 miler for speed work...maybe.

Tomorrow starts 33 hours of weekend hell. I am going to prepare some healthy alternatives to the food work offers me. I end up eating 6-carb and fat loaded meals there a weekend (breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus various crappy snacks). I will pack some Special K cereal, banana, yogurt, hummus, applesauce, tuna on a wrap, stirfry, and light popcorn.

Yummy. Happy running everyone and a happy Easter too!

It is so much easier to plan than to do!!

This week has been my spring break from graduate school. This week was to be so productive when in actuality I have done nothing but sit on my butt! I had a week of health planned, 4 days of running, 3 days of strength training, hiking, yoga, eating healthy, well you get the idea.

NONE of that happened. I sat around, doing even less than nothing. I didn't even fold laundry! A few things have inspired me to get a move on, but maybe this is like what my title says...it is so much easier to plan what I want to do and it is so damn difficult to actually carry it out.

So here is my list of motivating "things"....and mind you, I say that very loosely:

1. Getting a subscription to "Runner's World" magazine
2. Set up an actual goal for 2008; 500 miles
3. Decided to use www.sparkpeople.com again to help count calories and plan nutritous meals
4. I am going to make a set weekly schedule (with room for flexibility) so I can build it into my day.
5. I may make some inspirational posters for myself to hang up around the house.

Now I can't promise myself that these things just won't be things I am merely writing in my blog but I am going to try my damn hardest!

I think all of this stems from a small, or rather large desire, to Boston Quaify. Hysterical thought, I know. That is why I wrote it so tiny, so not too many people will pee their pants laughing. This is with their best intersest in mind.

Oh, and I ran a whopping .33 miles today. Yup, 1/3 of a mile. My motivation didn't hit until after I was back inside.

Not sure if I am giving it my all...

2 miles for me today in 21:35. Not bad, something like a 10:48 pace. Side stitches were still there but not nearly as bad, did some ab workouts yesterday too. I ran 10 minutes, walked 2, and then walked again for 1 minute at minute 18:00. Not sure if I am pushing myself as hard as I could but I still got out there and hit the road!

Wil ran with me today too, well not really. He left me after about 1 minute, apparently I am way too slow for him. Stupid man. I am accepting the fact that I will never be speedy or be able to keep up with him but I am up for the challenge of trying!

I also got off to a really great start today with a healthy breakfast (Special K with o.j.), ran, ate a yogurt...so far so good!

Life is too busy

In my last entry I stated I would run the following day, that did not happen but I did run 1.66 miles on the 29th in 18 and change. That was pretty sweet, my pace was just over 10 minutes.

I also ran today, 3 VERY slow miles. It took me 39:56 minutes!!! I used a 5/2 split but had to walk from 26 minutes until the end due to horrible side cramps. I have got to work on building my ab muscles. Also, I must better hydrate myself, I was salting as opposed to sweating. Though I stink just the same. :)

It is starting to get pretty warm here and humid too, it was 70* at 9am, which wasn't too bad but the humidity kills me. Can't wait to move!

So as I was saying, life is too busy. I am constantly on the go and can't seem to figure out where I can cut corners. I work full time + overtime and am in graduate school full time. Neither can be shortened. Then I have a marriage that needs attention, a puppy who is almost a year, so he is full of energy. Forget about me time! Squeezing runs in to my week is imperative but at times, that is an added stress too.

This summer worries me, I will still be working, taking classes, PLUS have internship for 40 hours/week. How I am going to do all of this without losing my running time, I have no clue. I may just go insane.

Running seems to = productivity

Last week was my "triumphant" return to running. I had said in my previous post that I would run the very next day, nope it was a week later that I finally got out there. I allowed for glitches in my schedule to completely throw off my plans. It rained, I had to go to the grocery store, my husband skipped class so now we could hang out, etc. Lesson learned.

I am going to make every effort to get out and run first thing in the morning so it is done and over with, allowing for Murphy's Law to occur during any part of the rest of the day that it desires. I won't care because the run will be done.

Today I got out there in the glorious 50* that Florida rarely sees. I loved it! I did 3.1 miles in just under 38:00 minutes, certainly nothing to brag about but I will brag nonetheless. That is over 4 minutes slower than my best 5k time but I could give a shit, I ran.

For my first run back last week, I did 3/2 and 5/2 running/walking splits, today I only did 5/2 splits and actually ran for the full last 9:53 minutes. Pretty sweet. This run helped me accomplish many things off my list that I had not previously had the energy to do. Dare I say that I was entering a period of depression? Hopefully some activity in my life will help me to feel better. I also threw in some abs work and attempted some push-ups.

Tomorrow I will run again, not sure if I want 3.1 again, or a slower 4 miles...