Sunday, November 1, 2015

November Plans

I've been teetering on the border of depression for a few weeks now, and a forced break from running has started to push me over the edge. It's been an awful few months. The challenges I'm facing at work are the most difficult things I've encountered professionally to date. Personal issues are weighing heavily on me. My stress is at an all time high - so high that I experienced my first panic attack two months ago. Things aren't great, but I'm tired of complaining about it. There's a lot of external stuff going on that I can't control, so I need to focus on the things I can.

I'm taking November to recharge. My Ultimate Fitness Challenge ends this week, so I'm about to lose that accountability. I'm proud of what I accomplished these last 3 months (down 10 lbs!), but it's time to find some motivations from within. So I'm looking at this new month as a chance to realign my work/life balance. I need to find a new way to stay healthy and fit while I recover from a stupid (and avoidable) injury. I need to remember how to let go of work when I'm at home - a huge challenge when I live with a co-worker. I need to get back to being happy.

Fitness Goals:
1. I've signed up for the #30daysofyoga challenge (from Yoga with Adriene).
2. I've also signed up for Pile on the Miles with one of my favorite bloggers (Run Eat Repeat).
3. I have a few more physical therapy sessions, and plan to be diligent about my homework.
4. I still have my personal training 2x/week.
5. I'm staying very hopeful about walking the Atlanta Half Marathon, but I'm also trying to be flexible/realistic that I might just have to walk the 5K. 

All of this isn't really going to equal the miles I was putting in training for the 10 Miler and Half Marathons, but it's what I can do right now. On top of all of this, I'm going to try to meditate daily, a practice that really helped control my stress over the summer.





In other news, I'm participating in the SoleMates fundraiser for Girls on the Run, and I'm excited about my chili cookoff next Sunday. Hoping for a good turnout. Interested in learning more? Check out my fundraising page.

I have more stuff brewing in my brain, but I'll save it for another post.

Monday, October 26, 2015

Another Sad Update

The Atlanta 10 Miler was yesterday, and I didn't run it. I started training for it back in August, but my training failed me. Let's be real. I failed me.

When I was training for the Peachtree Road Race, I took a million yoga classes. I signed up for a 21 day challenge - and completed it - and made a habit of going at least once a week, if not more. And shockingly, I did not develop any significant knee pain.

So when I started really considering the Triple Peach, and training for the 10 Miler and the Half Marathon, I knew yoga had to be part of my training routine. And yet. Life gets in the way of best intentions, right?

I ended up making time for a personal trainer twice a week, running 2-3 times per week, and doing a fun cardio session with friends once a week or so. And no yoga. None. On top of that, my long runs were inconsistent, and I don't think I built my mileage up safely.

Last Sunday, I planned to run 8 miles. Only 3 miles in my knee popped, and I knew it was over. I could barely put any pressure on it for the rest of the day. My knee had been getting more and more sore after every run, but I kept thinking I just needed to push through. So stupid.

I had previously scheduled a doctor's appointment that Monday to get checked out and hopefully get some info on how to train a little better. Instead, the doctor told me to stop running completely. I need 5-6 weeks of physical therapy, and I can start training again after that. He did say I could try pool running or finding a place that has a zero gravity treadmill, but neither of those options are affordable on TOP of the physical therapy co-pays and personal training.

So yesterday, I toed the starting line to walk the Atlanta 5K with my friend. We ended up using the run/walk method, and from a cardio perspective, I felt fantastic. I could have kept going for hours like that. My knee felt alright as we jogged, but right at the end, I told Kristy we should sprint to the finish line - terrible idea. I felt a shooting pain, obviously, and my knee was sore for the whole rest of the day. I'm sure you're all shocked.

I hate that I can't run. I especially hate that I did A LOT of cross training and still injured myself. I hate that I'm trying to lose weight, and my easiest and best option for cardio is out of the picture for the next month. I hate that I'm going to lose all the speed I worked so hard to get.

I'm really, really bummed out.

BUT. I'm going to attend my physical therapy sessions and my personal training sessions, and throw myself into getting better. Then I'm going to find a really fantastically fun race and train smarter.

I don't want to end on a sour note though, so here are some positives that came out of yesterday:

1. Slumber party with my BFF so we could get ready together in the way early hours of Sunday morning.
2. 7:00 AM dance parties at the starting line.
3. Kristy had fun running and wants to do it again!
4. I got to hang out with a ton of friends and cheer on strangers to the finish line.
5. I still got a 5K medal, and my Triple Peach Medal.*
6. I also still got a pretty rad 10 Miler zip up.**
7. Epic brunch with mimosas (err...I mean ORANGE JUICE).
8. Epic nap.
9. Inspired to find some 10Ks to train for before next year's Triple Peach.

Also, after seeing a ton of walkers finish the 10 Miler, I'm going to attempt to continue training to walk the half marathon. If I'm not fast enough (the cut-off time is 15 min/mi), I can easily switch to the 5K.

*I'll still be participating in the 3 events, so it sort of counts, right? 
**I've been looking to purchase some winter workout gear, so this was an excellent surprise edition.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

ATC Half Marathon Training Tweak

Training is underway! I'm doing a few weeks more weeks of conditioning before I start logging some big miles, but I'm definitely focused on November at this point.

I have some fun news! Eric, Kristy and I are part of a fitness challenge set up by our friend Curtis. The gist is that we had a fitness profile done by a professional trainer, who then gave us specific, personalized goals. We have until November 15 to meet these goals. If we fall short, give up, or don't put in a decent effort, we will have to donate $25 to a presidential campaign we vehemently and actively disagree with. There is also a Grand Prize (one month gym membership) for the person who shows the most overall improvement, based on the assessment of the previously mentioned trainer.

So. My personal goals are to lose 24 lbs of fat and gain 5 lbs of muscle. AND ALSO TO FINISH A HALF MARATHON.

So last week, Eric, Kristy and I were sitting around discussing how we were going to avoid losing our money to a cause we opposed. We talked about doing group workouts, hiring personal trainers, keeping tabs on each others' diets, etc. I mentioned it might be a good idea to look at hiring a personal trainer to do small group sessions, and that way we could split the cost. We all agreed it was a good idea, but might be too expensive.

Cut to the very next morning, I'm doing my daily morning Facebook browsing, and I see a post from a guy in my neighborhood offering personal training sessions. Not only that, but he does group sessions AND he will come to your locations.

SERENDIPITOUS.

So I called, the price was right, and we scheduled to meet with him that very night. We now have a personal trainer that we will meet with twice a week! I'm so excited.

What does that mean for my training? Well, I was very clear that while I want to lose weight and gain muscle, my number one goal is to finish the half marathon...without injury. I need some nutritional guidance, as well as muscle strengthening in my legs. We had our first session the following afternoon, and I was really pleased with the workout AND his advice on our diet. He's very against processed foods, but also allows for moderation and cheat days, etc.


Also he's like the most non-judgmental laid back fitness professional I've ever met.

So I've had to revamp my training schedule slightly. Here's the new version:


With that said, here's my workout recap from last week!

Sunday: Rest

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 2.41 miles - run
  • For this workout I ran 2 miles straight! I think that's the first time I've ever done that. Ever. It was really exciting. I didn't go too fast, but reserving my energy made it possible to finish the workout. I was very proud of this run considering how much a struggled the week before.

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Personal Training
  • This was a TOUGH workout. I don't remember the full details of what we did, but there were a LOT of squats, running up stairs, some ab work with crunches, bicycles, and leg lifts, push ups, and this weight lifting thing called Thor's Hammer, which was pretty fun to do. My legs felt like jelly afterward, and I was sort until Monday!
Friday: 2.31 miles - run
  • The personal training was only about 12 hours before this run, so my legs weren't sore yet. Instead they we just weak and wobbly. I started the run slow and steady and kept a 12:48 pace for 24 minutes straight. Not bad considering I couldn't feel anything below my waist. 
Saturday: 2.61 miles - walk
  • As part of the fitness challenge, we have an open invite to a Saturday morning Cardio Blast at the gym that provided us with our profiles. Cardio Blast is a 45 minute bootcamp style workout that nearly killed me the first time I did it. I'm being dramatic, but it was blazing hot that day, and we did so many leg workouts that I cried every time I had to sit down for a week. Eric, Kristy and I were all still sore from our workout with Coach Court, that we decided this "Blast" wasn't in the cards for us. Instead, we took a nice stroll around Grant Park to shake out our legs. The weather was gorgeous and we had a good time reflecting on Thursday's workouts and what we hope to gain from this challenge.
Total Running Miles: 4.71

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Half Marathon Training and Why I'm Running

Hi, friends! As I mentioned in my last post, I've decided to run the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon. Because I'm a crazy person, apparently.

I've been working on a training schedule, and I think I finally have it nailed down. I've pulled from a bunch of different beginner training resources, including Hal Higdon, Girls on the Run, and the Atlanta Track Club. Here's where I'm at:


As I think I mentioned, I'd like to build up to running about 5 miles straight, but then run/walk the 10 Miler and Half Marathon. My A goals for both races is to keep under 13 min/mi average pace, but just finishing without injury or being dragged away will be a huge accomplishment.

Are you an avid runner and/or coach who has stumbled on my humble blog? Please feel free to leave feedback with your thoughts on this training plan for a beginner.

SO THEN ALSO. What else?

Oh! Why am I running?! That's a good question. I'm running for health and fitness and because I'm 31 and I want to stop letting my body waste away on the couch. But I'm also running for Girls on the Run (GotR).


"What is Girls on the Run?" you may be asking yourself. Well, GotR is a nationwide non-profit after school care program, with local chapters, that helps girls build confidence and a healthy lifestyle through a fun running curriculum. How cool is that? They target under-resourced areas, and show girls that they can accomplish big things if they work hard and believe in themselves.

Their mission is so important to me for several reasons. I came from a really poor background - like we lived in someone else's trailer because we couldn't afford our own kind of poor. When I was in elementary school, my mom worked A LOT. So much so, that I couldn't participate in sports or other activities because she couldn't take me. And also because we had no money. By the time my mom raised us up to a decent living wage, I had no interest in joining teams. I was too slow, too out of shape, too embarrassed to even try.

Now that I'm ::cough::in my THIRTIES::cough:: I've found that running gives me confidence and makes me feel strong - and it's not just physically. Mentally I feel tougher, and so proud of what I've accomplished.

I want that for these girls. They should get to grow up knowing what's possible.

Another reason I'm running is to educate my community about this program. GotR is amazing and targets neighborhoods just like mine. I want my neighbors to become involved and start a chapter here, in SE Atlanta.

GotR offers its program for FREE, but they need help. By registering as a SoleMate, I've committed to raising $500, but my personal goal is to raise $3,000 - enough to sponsor an entire team for one season. If you would like to help, please head to my fundraising page here. Literally any little bit helps, and I have a long way to go.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

I Did a Crazy Thing

I ran the Peachtree Road Race on Saturday, July 4th this year. I had set a goal for myself to complete it in under 1:20:36. I wanted to stay under an average pace of 13 min/mi, even if only by a second. I finished in 1:20:09 (12:55 min/mi). And I finished strong. I know that if I hadn't been dodging 8 million walkers ON THE FAR LEFT while sprinting to the finish, I could have gotten my time down even lower.

Somehow I decided that finishing the Peachtree at a respectable pace meant I could do anything.

At first, I decided to make this the Fall of 5Ks. I'd decided to run a 5K in September, October, November, break for the holidays unless something piqued my interested, and then try the New Years 4 miler or Hot Chocolate 5K in January.

PERFECTLY. REASONABLE.

I planned to do speedwork and run a 30 minute 5K by January.



But then my dear friend, Jerod, started talking about his plans to run the Atlanta 10 Miler. You see, as an Atlanta Track Club member, he gets discounts on various races, and while he didn't have anything major on the horizon, he wanted to keep up his mileage.

So I thought - discounts on 5Ks AND guaranteed entry into the Peachtree next year? Sign me up! And now I'm a track club member. Me. A 30 year old adult who has never been anything resembling an athlete in her entire life - I've now paid my hard earned cashmoney to join a group of other people to run with our feet and legs and stuff. Me. Who as a teenager was on a softball team that forfeited or lost 9 out of 10 games in a season, and who was on the swim team, sure, but only ever swam in the exhibition lane during meets.

Yep. I'm now a grown adult human woman who puts sneakers on and moves her feet as quickly as possible for free t-shirts and/or medals.

So that was a big deal. But then Jerod kept talking about the 10 Miler. And then so did Eric's sister, Kate. And then this very nice gentleman at work talked to me about the Triple Peach. The Triple Peach is a race series which includes the Peachtree Road Race 10K, the Atlanta 10 Miler, and the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon. You get a medal for each race, and then they all combine to make on ginormous medal when you've completed it. Sort of like the Power Rangers Megazord, but without the sword and racist stereotypes.

Pictured: Not a race medal.

This coworker basically repeated things that Jerod said - if you can run 6 miles, you can run 10. And if you can run 10 miles, surely you can run 13.1.

So I finally agreed and signed up. I've basically been training for the last 2 weeks. My goal is get up to running 5 miles straight, but for longer runs and race days I plan to run/walk.

I've had mostly good runs for the last few weeks (with one glaring exception this past Tuesday). Both my speed and endurance are slowly increasing, so I'm kind of pleased with myself. I've been slack though. I know the only reason I was able to complete my Peachtree training without injury to my right knee is yoga. So much yoga. I started going regularly in March, and then signed up for and completed a 21 day challenge back in April/May. It was exhausting to incorporate into my training, but totally worth it. Since then though, I've only gone back to the studio occasionally, and it definitely won't be enough in the coming weeks when my mileage really starts to climb. So my goal in August, besides sticking to my running plan, is to re-incorporate yoga at least once week, but preferably twice. I love the yoga studio I was going to, but traffic to and from is such a deterrent that I've lost the motivation. There's a studio within walking distance from my house that I plan to try next week. Fingers crossed I like it.

So here's my race "calendar" for the rest of the year.

Sept 26 - Red Hare Chase 5K*
October 25 - Atlanta 10 Miler
November 26 - Atlanta Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon!

I'm also planning posts about my training plan, my fundraiser(!!) for SoleMates, and some lifestyle stuff - like more on meditation, decluttering and finding joy outside of material things.

*Oh, did I forget to mention? I left this 5K on the calendar to gauge my progress AND(!!!!!!) Eric is running it with me! I'm so excited!

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

A-Z Survey

A – Age: 30 (for a few more weeks!)
B – Biggest Fear: Spiders
C – Current Time: 7:50 AM
D – Drink You Had Last: Coffee
E – Easiest Person To Talk To: Kristy, my BFF, always
F – Favorite Song: Wagon Wheel by The Old Crow Medicine Show or Bodies by Soul Miner's Daughter
G – Grossest Memory: One time, I put my foot into my pair of faux-Uggs, and when I took a step I squished something and it felt cool. I was absolutely sure I'd just stepped on a roach IN MY SHOE. Turned out it was a packet of ketchup. Still gross.
H – Hometown: Marietta, Georgia
I – In Love With: Mr. John Frederick Agel III
J – Jealous Of: I wish I could say I was beyond jealousy at this point, but truth be told, I'm jealous of friends my age who comfortably own their own homes.
K – Kindest Person You Know: My next door neighbor. She has a huge heart and gets really upset when we talk about killing spiders and mice in our house.
L – Longest Relationship: Eric, 6 years TODAY!
M – Middle Name: Claire
N – Number of Siblings: Nada
O – One Wish: To find it within myself to stick to my goals (exercise, saving money, yada yada)
P – Person You Spoke To On The Phone Last: Work colleagues (conference calls for life)
Q – Question You’re Always Asked: When are you guys getting engaged?
R – Reason To Smile: I feel like I'm finally living my life, not just waiting for it to start.
S – Song You Last Sang: Something from Fall Out Boy, most likely.
T – Time You Woke Up: 6:15 AM
U – Underwear Color: ...
V – Vacation Destination: Cashiers, NC, always. It's the only place we can afford to go because it's free for us!
W – Worst Habit: Biting my cuticles. Gross.
X – X-Rays You’ve Had: My right knee.
Y – Your Favorite Food: Anything of the Asian variety - Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, etc. etc. Or a good steak with Caesar salad.
Z – Zodiac Sign: Leo


Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Peachtree Road Race 2015

Oh, hello. How are you? Haven't seen you in a while. Let's skip the rest of the formalities, the apologies, the excuses. Let's just jump right in to life right this very minute.

This weekend was AMAZING.

Thursday:

Thursday I worked from home while Eric took half a furlough day. Around 5:30, after an averted work catastrophe that could have derailed my entire weekend, I hopped offline and we walked down the road to one of Atlanta's newest breweries - Eventide.

Eventide is a half a mile from our house. This is going to be dangerous, and we are going to collect way too many pint glasses over the course of this next year.

ANYHOODLE.

We were joined by some great friends and enjoyed several 6 oz. pours of everyone's favorite summer beverage.

 Happy Super Fun Times.
 We wish there were more beer tickets.
 Eric does not like getting his picture taken, but what a fox.
Drew likes getting his picture taken. Also a fox.

We had an adventure trying to find dinner in town, but ended up back in Grant Park for some tacos and margaritas at my favorite place.

Overall, the evening was a really fabulous way to kick off the long holiday weekend!

Friday:

So, Thursday involved beer and margaritas, right? So Friday morning involved coffee (& water), couch time, and The Fall

Since the Peachtree Road Race was only 24 hours away, I tried to start hydrating. My last 6 mile run ended with my feeling sick for the entire day and losing motivation to run for an entire month. I didn't want to end up dehydrated and defeated on the 4th, so I avoided alcohol (with a tiny exception) and drank #allthewater.

Around noon, Eric and I peeled ourselves off the couch and drove downtown to check out the race expo and get my number. I anticipated a long line, but our only issue during the whole expo was actually the traffic trying to get there, and the ridiculous parking fees.

Once inside the expo, I had my number within minutes. We walked around, purchased some reasonably priced Thorlo socks, did NOT purchase some unreasonably priced (but super adorable) tank tops, and just generally enjoyed the atmosphere. I think attending the expo helped get me more excited for the race the next day.

Once we got home, I made a stirfry for lunch with a (large) side of ramen noodles (#allthecarbs), and Eric and I spent the rest of the day hanging out, watching TV. For dinner a made a large bowl of spaghetti, and at some point I started laying out my race day outfit, along with all accessories. I made sure all batteries were charged, safety pins were in place, and the post-race bag was packed.

USA! USA! USA!

I called it an early night.

Eric started celebrating his Independence early.
 
Saturday:

I woke up around 6:45 with a plan to head out by 7:15. I drank a small cup of coffee and had a roast beef and cheese roll up for breakfast. Eric was an absolute sweetheart and drove me to the start of the race - or as close as we could safely get. I had about a mile walk from the drop off point to my wave.*

After nearly settling for the L wave, I decided to make a break for it and run up to K. I'm so glad I did, because I found Jenn and Jerod! We chatted for a minute before our wave could go, and I think that gave me a little motivational push to start strong. There was a huge bolt of lightning right before the clock ran down, and I was a little nervous they were going to delay the race. Later waves were actually diverted to the local malls, but we were able to start on time.

I had a perfect Spotify playlist ready to go, but I forgot to make it available offline. With 54K other runners, plus spectators, I couldn't stream so I had to adjust my plan. I ended up listening to an old workout mix, which was delightful because I hadn't heard most of those songs in a few years.

So our wave started, Jerod ran ahead of me, I ran ahead of Jenn, and we were off. Spectators were few and far between this year, due to the weather, which was a little sad. The Peachtree is such an Atlanta institution, and when the weather is good, the entire 6.2 mile stretch is lined with folks shouting encouragement, clapping, handing out popsicles, beers and hugs. As it was, there was a speckling of folks throughout the race, but not nearly as numerous as usual.

I stuck to my interval running throughout the race - 3:1 - and I kept my pace reasonable. The entire first half of the race felt like a slight downhill, which was very surprising. I ran the race back in 2009, and walked it in 2013, and I thought I remembered it being more hilly. There's a slight incline around mile 2.5, and then "Cardiac Hill", which is a more intense uphill in front of Piedmont Hospital, around mile 3.  Even so, "Cardiac Hill" was not nearly as hard as I remembered either, and I ended up running most of it.

Once we got to the lower numbered streets (17th St, etc), I realized I was feeling really strong and still had a lot of reserved energy. I hadn't even had a lot of water. The constant downpours and lower temperatures helped a lot too. I decided that when my phone said I'd reached mile 5, I was going to try to run the entire way to the finish. Any you know what? I did.

Eric and our neighbor, Aram, had gotten a table at TAP on Peachtree and 14th St. so as I ran up, I looked to my right to see if I could spot them. Like smart people in a thunderstorm, they were inside staying dry. That just gave me more motivation to push myself, go a little faster, and finish the race so I could join them for brunch!

I took the turn onto 10th St. and felt that familiar drop in my throat. I always get a little teary toward the finish of a race. I was never an athlete growing up, so every time I accomplish some athletic feat I just get really surprised and happy for myself. Whatever. I'm a weeper.

10th St. is always longer than I think it is. Right around the 6 mile mark, photographers are set up to take your finishing photos, and you can see them as soon as you turn the corner. But you still have .2 miles after that. I always forget that. So I sprinted to get my photo, and then honestly felt a little drained. I moved over to the right and walked for about 5-10 seconds, but then picked it back up and sprinted to the finish.

A quick note here - if you're ever walking in a race and you know there are runners behind you - MOVE TO THE RIGHT. ESPECIALLY in the last stretch. My finishing time was 1:20:09, and I honestly think I could have shaved 15 seconds if I wasn't trying to dodge walkers the last half a mile.

Regardless, I wanted to finish with an average of 12:59/mile or better. I just desperately wanted to get under 13, and I did. I'm so proud of myself. I was smiling all day long.

After the race I grabbed my t-shirt, wandered into someone's proposal (seriously - ooops), and then walked about a mile in the pouring rain back to TAP. Brunch was fantastic, and I was so happy to see Eric and tell him how I did. Jerod had finished about 15 minutes before I did, and was already seated (in dry clothes!). Jenn followed about 30 minutes after me. The five of us (don't forget Aram!) had great food, good drinks, and then headed home.


Cold and wet, but finished!

I spent the afternoon trying to take a nap, and then fell asleep about 10 minutes before I was supposed to get up - doh.

Saturday night was spent with Chris and Lisa, watching newly legalized fireworks from their front yard, eating absolutely delicious food, and hanging out with a warm and lovely crowd of people. This year was probably one of the best Independence Days I've ever had.

No comment necessary.


SUNDAY:

Sunday. Sunday. Sunday. There was more coffee. More couch, snuggles and The Fall. Around 1:00, we decided to talk to a local restaurant, Dakota Blue, for brunch. We split a really filling burrito, homemade hashbrowns, and Dos Equis. I took a trip to a local running store in an effort to buy a new pair of shoes, but they are closed on Sundays "for long runs". Bummer. So we spent the rest of the night in, watching the USA DOMINATE IN THE WORLD CUP FINALS!

SERIOUSLY.


MONDAY:

I took my furlough day on Monday, and lucked out when my friend Mark said he had the day off too! And so did his fiancee! We all met for lunch at a Thai place near his house. I've seen Mark a few times this year, but hadn't seen Gabriel since last spring, so it was wonderful catching up. And again, the food was so good! Very flavorful. Highly recommend it.

So Gabriel, who is awesome anyway, happens to work at the local running store (Big Peach Running Company), and offered to take me and fit me for new shoes! Back Story: I bought my running shoes in 2011, and have trained for 2 Peachtree Road Races and countless 5Ks since then. Eric's sisters were appalled (in the most supportive way) when I told them that earlier this year. I promised myself if I finished my training and stayed active for this race, I would reward myself with new shoes.

Old and busted (but also, work horses!).
 
So we walked over to the store, and I told Gabriel about my running habits, my knee issues, what I was looking for, etc. I ran in a neutral pair of Nikes while he did a gait analysis, and then he brought out four pairs for me to try on. The first two were awesome - a pair of Mizuno...I want to say Inspire(?) and a pair of ADIDAS Adizeros, both trainers. I loved how lightweight they were, and while my feet are incredibly wide, they both felt just roomy enough, while staying snug in motion. He also brought out a pair of Mizuno Hitogamis and Nike Zooms. The Nikes ended up being far more bulky than I was looking for. The Mizuno Hitogami I remember feeling alright in, but I was already sold on one of the first two pairs I tried on.

I tried both the Inspires and Adizeros again, and the Adizeros just felt like slipping on a glove. Gabriel also told me that they were likely to last 600-700 miles, as opposed to the Mizunos' 400. That was the deciding factor. I really thought I'd go with the Mizunos since they're such a big and trendy name right now, but apparently old school ADIDAS is where I'm at.

New hotness.


Big Peach had a $10 off coupon at the Peachtree Expo AND they give 5% off if you give them your old pair of shoes, so I received a pretty decent discount.

AND BEYOND:

So that was pretty much my weekend. It was really, really awesome. And I took my new shoes for a test drive last night, and while it was too hot for a serious run, my feet felt great!

*There was a mix up when my number was sold last year, and so the system put me in a SUPERFASTELITE wave, when I probably should have started closer to K. So as not to slow down the SUPERFASTELITE runners, I decided to put myself further back.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Reflections for the New Year #2 & January Resolution

I started 2014 with a lot of good intentions. Some resolutions really framed my year, while others became less of a priority.

So I'm not going to have a whole 2015 annual resolution. 12 months is a long time, and a lot of things can happen. I don't want to look back on a whole year and see mostly failures.

Instead, I have one big intent for this year - and it's a pretty good one. I want to live more purposefully. I want to spend every day working towards making myself happy, making those around me happy, and just generally living a more fulfilling life. I want to break myself away from being defined only as a consumer. I want to break myself away from defining myself as my weight, or as my fashion, or as my house. But that intention isn't really a S.M.A.R.T. goal, and it's not a very good resolution. It's just the way I plan to frame my actions this year.

I'm going to try something a little different for 2015. I'm going to attempt monthly resolutions. They say it takes 30 days to start a new habit, right? Seems like a smart approach. I don't know what all of my resolutions will be yet - just the first one. My plan is to start my resolution at the beginning of each month, reassess after 2 weeks and change anything necessary to keep me successful. I'll track my progress, and report back here at the end of the month. By that time, hopefully I will have formed a habit that will continue for the remainder of the year - if I decide it's still a priority.

With that said...

January Resolution:

Spend at least 5 minutes, every single day, doing something active.

Why 5 minutes?

5 minutes doesn't seem like a very long time, but that's entirely the point. Most health blogs talk about a 10 minute rule, but 10 minutes to me seems very daunting when it's cold and rainy outside. And this is January in Atlanta. So every day I can go for a 5 minute walk, do 5 minutes of jumping jacks, do 5 minutes of physical therapy - whatever. As long as it gets me into the habit of doing something, anything. I can then build from there.

Why is this resolution important?

This isn't about weight. I have only one body that's going to get me from my first day to my last on this earth, and I'm not treating it very well. My shoulder is hurting me, my knee is hurting me, my back is hurting me. And I'm only 30.

So, I'll track my progress for these 31 days and report back. Wish me luck!