8 Common Running Myths Busted!

Myth: You Should Always Stretch Before You Run
The Truth: “Static stretching is not the optimal way to warm-up before you run,” Olson says. Believe it or not, you could actually strain your muscles with static stretching, and it might even slow you down. Instead, focus on getting oxygen to your muscles and warm them up—literally, Olson recommends. “Start out by walking and trotting: swing your arms; shrug your shoulders and slowly elevate your heart rate for about 10 minutes before you pick up your pace.”
That doesn’t mean you should skip stretching completely, Olson says. Just make sure to do it after your run, when your muscles are very warm and full of oxygen and nutrients; and then engage in static stretching, focusing on your leg, hip, and low-back muscles
.
Myth: Muscle Cramps are Always Caused by Too Little Potassium
The Truth: Muscle spasms can certainly put a cramp in your running style, but that doesn’t mean you need to load up on potassium to prevent them. “Cramps are primarily caused by either being low on glucose (the form of sugar your muscles thrive on for energy) or low water and sodium levels,” Olson says. When you are working out very hard (like lifting weights or with intense intervals), you use up glucose faster than what can be delivered to the muscles, and this causes that muscle-burning lactic acid to form. The best way to get rid of cramps caused by low glucose levels is to take a 60-90 second break to help rid your body of lactic acid and allow glucose to travel to the muscles, Olson says.
To prevent cramps caused by excessive sweating during steamy outdoor runs, be sure to stay well hydrated and nourished, Olson says. “When you sweat, sodium is also excreted, and water and sodium go hand-in-hand. Losing significant levels of potassium is actually quite hard to do. Potassium lives inside our cells and is not excreted as readily as sodium. Sodium, like water, resides outside the cells in your body.”

To read the rest click on Shape below :)
Shape

Sprinting Vs. Long Distance Running

Running can be used as a tool for weight loss, no matter your goals or your current conditioning. The speed that you start out jogging or walking depends wholly on your beginning fitness level, but will likely increase with time, endurance and practice. Either way, lacing up your running shoes and heading out the door is a step in the direction toward improved health and weight maintenance.

Beginning Stages of Running for Weight LossIn the beginning of your running regimen, you can likely only run for short periods of time. Implementing a walk/jog cycle into your early stages of running will help you run further and, therefore burn more calories. Jeff Galloway, Olympian and running coach, estimates in his book “Galloway’s Book on Running” that “running burns about 100 calories per mile,” no matter the pace. Particularly in the beginning of your training, walk and jog to build exercise endurance.

Slow, Steady-Paced RunningAs your endurance increases, you will be able to jog further for longer periods of time between breaks. The more miles you are able to accumulate during your runs, the more calories you will be burning and the more unwanted weight you are going to be able to shed. At this stage in your running, keep your pace slow and steady. Do not push yourself to go faster than you easily can, as that will keep you from running as far or for as long as you could at a slower pace. 

Speed WorkAs your body acclimates to running, your pace will likely increase naturally. According to authors Michael Mejia and John Berardi in their book “Scrawny to Brawny,” high-intensity running burns approximately 1,323 calories per hour and low-intensity running burns approximately 514 calories per hour in a 150-pound person. The harder you push, the greater the calorie-burn, even if you have to take breaks between high-intensity run intervals.

The Fast vs. Slow DebateFast or slow, you will be burning essentially the same number of calories per mile when running. The harder the effort, the fewer miles you will be able to cover, and vice-versa. Keep in mind that your body tires of doing the same workout every day, no matter the sport. If you head out to run three miles every day at the same pace your body will slow its response to your efforts, and your weight loss and performance will likely plateau. Change your training up from day to day, incorporating fast and slow days into your weekly run plan, and your body will continuously respond to your training.

Running for Weight LossGalloway states that in order to mobilize fat and lose weight, “it is better to run 40 to 60 minutes three times a week, than 20 to 30 minutes six times a week.” These longer training sessions help you to lose unwanted weight while building endurance and overall fitness. You can incorporate 40 to 60 minute runs into your training through long, slow distance or speed work with periodic rest breaks, and your body will respond by burning calories and losing weight.

Source: Livestrong.com

10 Tips For Running In The Cold

1. Get Motivated
“Make a date to meet someone for a run,” says Jean M., a reader in Colorado. “There’s no wimping out when someone is waiting.” John Stanton, the founder of the Running Room in Edmonton, Alberta, says the club’s Wednesday and Sunday group runs are popular in winter, when the average high is 17°F. In January and February, the Running Room hosts the Hypothermic Half-Marathon, which attracts 3,500 runners in 14 cities across Canada—even at temps as low as -40°F. “There’s a big, free brunch afterward,” Stanton says. “People will do anything for omelets and pancakes.” Solo? “Tell yourself that you can go back inside after five minutes if it’s really bad,” says Patti Finke, a coach in Portland, Oregon. “Usually you stay out there.” Of course, not everyone objects to winter weather. “A night run during a light snowfall is one of the most peaceful things you can experience,” says Justin Lord of Kenmore, New York.

2. Arm Your Feet
To keep warmth in and slush out, run in shoes that have the least amount of mesh. If you have shoes with Gore-Tex uppers, all the better, says Mark Grandonico, president of theMaine Track Club in Portland. Wear socks that wick away wetness but keep your feet warm. Runner Joe McNulty of Philadelphia swears by nonitchy SmartWool socks.

3. Get Dressed
You want to be warm without sweating so much you get a chill. “The rule of thumb is to dress as if it is 20 degrees warmer,” says Maine Track Club president Mark Grandonico. “You should be slightly cool when you start.” Think layers of technical fabrics, to wick sweat, with zippers at the neck and underarm area to vent air as you heat up. You’ll learn your own preferences, but readers Darrell Arribas, of Cumberland, Rhode Island, and Eric Maniloff, of Stittsville, Ontario, both helped create these general guidelines. Assume you always wear gloves or mittens and a hat.

30 degrees: 2 tops, 1 bottom. Long-sleeve base layer and a vest keep your core warm. Tights (or shorts, for polar bears).
10 to 20 degrees: 2 tops, 2 bottoms. A jacket over your base layer, and wind pants over the tights.
0 to 10 degrees: 3 tops, 2 bottoms. Two tops (fleece for the cold-prone) and a jacket. Windbrief for the fellas.
Minus 10 to 0 degrees: 3 tops, 2 bottoms, extra pair of mittens, 1 scarf wrapped around mouth or a balaclava.
Minus 20 degrees: 3 tops, 3 bottoms, 2 extra pairs of mittens, 1 balaclava, sunglasses. Or, says Arribas, “Stay inside.”

4. Be Seen
With limited daylight, chances are you’ll be running in the dark (Alaskans, sadly, get only a few hours of dim light per day). Tall snowbanks on plowed streets make you even harder to see. Wear reflective, fluorescent gear, and don’t be shy about lighting yourself up like a Christmas tree, says RW’s own Ed Eyestone, who runs in snowy Utah. Says Adam Feerst, a coach and trail-race director in Denver, “I use a headlamp or carry a flashlight, less so I can see where I’m going and more so people can see me.”

5. Warm up Prerun
Move around inside enough to get the blood flowing without breaking a sweat. Run up and down your stairs, use a jump rope, or do a few yoga sun salutations. A speedy house-cleaning works, too, says D. A. Reng from Kentucky. “The cold doesn’t feel so cold when you’re warm,” says Laura Salmon of Akron, Ohio. If you’re meeting a group of running buddies, don’t stand around in the cold chatting before you run. “We sit in our cars,” says Denver’s Feerst, “waiting for one person to get out before we all get out.”

6. Deal with Wind
Start your run into the wind and finish with it at your back, so the breeze doesn’t blast you after you’ve broken a sweat. To avoid a long, biting slog, you can break this into segments, running into the wind for about 10 minutes, turning around to run with the wind at your back for five minutes, and repeating. You can also seek man-made wind protection. “When we get wind here, it can be like a hurricane,” says Chuck Bartlett, the team director of Seattle’s Club Northwest. “The buildings downtown block it.” Protect exposed skin. “I use BodyGlide on my nose and on my cheeks to prevent frostbite,” says the Canadian Stanton. Other options include Vaseline (a bit messy) and Kiehl’s All-Sport Non-Freeze Face Protector.

7. Forget Speed
“Winter running is more about maintenance miles than speedwork,” says Feerst. In very cold weather, look for “inversions,” places that are elevated and where the air will be warmer. “Even 300 feet up, the air can be 20 degrees warmer, which makes a big difference,” says Steve Bainbridge, the trails liaison for the Fairbanks, Alaska-based Running Club North, the northernmost running club in the United States. Bainbridge’s coldest run took place in minus 50 degree weather. “My eyelashes were freezing together,” he says. If you can’t run in the middle of the day when the temperatures are warmest, run twice a day, says Stanton, three miles in the morning and three miles in the evening: “That’s better than doing one long six-mile run where you might get very cold toward the end.”

8. Change Quickly Postrun
Your core body temperature drops as soon as you stop running. To avoid a lingering case of the chills, change your clothes—head to toe—as soon as you can. Women need to get out of damp sports bras quickly. Put a dry hat on wet hair. And drink something hot. “We go to a coffee shop after our runs, and take turns using the bathroom to change,” says Grandonico. “Then we all relax with coffee and bagels.” Driving to a run? Bring a thermos of green tea or hot chocolate in your car.

9. Deal with Rain
Runners in Mobile, Alabama, the wettest city in the United States, are always prepared for rain—67 inches per year, in fact. “In my car, at all times, I have a spare pair of sneakers, a running outfit, and three beach towels,” says Allyson Lamey, a member of the Port City Pacers club. “When it’s raining, I slip my stocking feet into plastic baggies, then put on my running shoes,” says Darryl Dalcerri of Lompoc, California. “The baggies keep my feet dry even when I run through puddles.” Most Port City Pacers rotate pairs of shoes. If you have to dry shoes overnight, crumple up newspaper and cram it tightly into your shoes, with the insoles removed. The newspaper soaks up the moisture.

10. Go Someplace Warm
For runners in the South who want to race close to home, winter is the only time when temperatures are moderate enough to go after a personal record, which is why Florida alone offers seven marathons in February. Not up for 26.2 miles? Other popular races include theLos Angeles Chinatown Firecracker 5-K/10-K, the Hilton Head Half-Marathon and 10-K, and the MyoMed Ragnar Relay Del Sol in Arizona. Or go to the Race Finder to choose your own distance and destination.

What more motivation do you need?

Source: Runnersworld.com

106 days

It has been 106 days since I got serious about eating healthy and exercising.

I've lost 17 lbs and 19 inches
** update** I feel silly venting yesterday about my weight....this morning I woke up to find I was at 135.8 sooooo I am happy. I have the motivation now to keep pushing forward. It WILL be so worth it in the end, especially doing it the HEALTHY way :)**

I honestly wish it was more but considering I have completely slacked this past month I'm happy. A loss is a loss and I'm going to be proud :).

Here's to more success and more POSITIVE thoughts in the future for everyone :)!

Hope everyone is having a GREAT Tuesday :)

just keep spinning, spinning, spinning...

So the spinning class I went to Saturday ignited the flame to my old passion for spinning classes. I am IN LOVE right now and it is such a NICE RELIEF for my Achilles Tendon. I did learn some exercises to help strengthen my tendon so that I can get back to it :). I am just taking it easy with running right now to avoid rupturing my tendon. I have HIGH hopes that after a few weeks I'll feel as good as new :)!

Anyway, SPINNING is my saving grace right now. I have been SO DOWN because of my injury and not being able to run without pain. So I now look forward to my classes and my weight training! I woke up at 5:30 am, willingly, to go to Gold's for a spinning class. BOY did that teacher KICK MY BUTT! She totally blew the teacher from Saturdays class right OUT OF THE WATER...seriously that was cake compared to this morning. I literally had no time to think about my butt being SO SORE from Saturday because we were UP almost the ENTIRE time. My legs they were a BURNIN'! A good burning though :). I LOVE nothing better than starting my day off all sweaty and exhausted...it makes me feel like I could conquer the world! I had a protein shake and LOTS of WATER, and been snackin on my fav...CASHEWS :) not too many though. I want to go do some weight training now...see who needs energy drinks?? I could bounce off the walls right now from pure adrenaline and excitement for exercise! Seriously who is the person that I have become?! Never thought I would be OBSESSED with working out and wanting to be so HEALTHY....I'm not complaining at all, just shocked at where my mentality has decided to take me lol. I dream about running LONG distances and running FAST and now to also be toned and STRONG. It would be nice to give my husband a little bit of a fight when we "play", because I am such a weakling right now lol.

Well I AM DETERMINED and I KNOW I WILL GET THERE. I just have to stay consistent and stay POSITIVE :). I CAN AND WILL overcome any obstacle that gets in my way :)!!

Weight training tomorrow with a short run...(pray for no pain) and then Thursday in the a.m. is SPINNING!

See you tomorrow!

my life four years ago and the journey to NOW

I hit 138 this morning (yes, I am obsessed with weighing myself everyday, working on that). I have not weighed this since November 2008 when I was first pregnant with Bugaboo. Granted 138 is 15lbs more than I weighed when we got married in March 2008 (those 15 lbs were apparently "happy" lbs :)). None the less I am SO HAPPY to have lost ALL the baby weight from my two precious babies that I had in TWO years! Haha, that'll teach me to not lose the weight quickly after having a baby because....surprise you may be pregnant again a short 6 months later :). They were and ARE completely worth it though and although I was SO upset about the weight it has been an awesome, long, HARD, sometimes depressing but such a LIFE CHANGING journey to get here today. Is it weird to say I am so grateful to have been where I was because now I no longer take my health for granted and I've come to enjoy the HARD work it takes to see results. It has seriously been LIFE CHANGING. Still didn't run today because of this dang head cold...Do any of you runners out there still run when you're sick? Or have any suggestions of how to get over this SUPER FAST? I'm SERIOUSLY running tomorrow no matter what...I just NEED to.

Okay I am going to go back a few years for my journal purposes. This is something I have never written down and it should be done. I haven't talked about these things with very many people. I believe now that it is better to embrace your past and move forward knowing that you are doing the best you can do NOW. So please don't feel like you have to continue reading :).

After I had my twins at 21 it took me a year to lose all the weight...a year! I was going to spinning almost everyday(I really miss that, spinning really does KICK your butt! It's AWESOME!) and going to use the elliptical on my off days from spinning. BUT I however did NOT change my lifestyle. I still ate SO BAD and felt down about being a single mom, rather than embrace it and move forward...which I did eventually with help :). I was living at my mother's house in IF town and life was HARD. Anyone who has moved out and then had to move back in with their parents knows that it is NOT easy, especially when you have kids. My mother graciously took me in and helped me through a VERY TOUGH time in my life(so please don't think I'm ungrateful, because I would have been lost without her at the time. I appreciate all that she did for me!), but as I became more confident as a mother of two little girls my own mother wasn't willing to let me "spread my wings" and be the mother I wanted to be. She wanted and needed to have control of how things were done with the girls, so long story short we were at each others throats every single day. It was AWFUL. I KNOW it was hard on everyone involved. So my step father got me and the girlies into a nice little townhouse in IF. I LOVED IT! Yes, it was built in the 70's and had nice orange-ish/brown shag carpet and super old appliances, BUT it was OURS :). It was such an awesome feeling to have my first place with just me and the girls :).

Now I was so happy to have my own place, to be working at Vicki's and to be going to school at BYU-I. But all throughout this I was STRUGGLING with my weight. I had it in my head that no one would want to be with me if I was "fat". To top it off it was a very lonely life after all the chaos subsided and the girlies were down for the night. Sure I enjoyed most of my quiet nights in my living room doing homework or just relaxing lol, but there were many times where it was just too lonely for me to bare. I had a routine that I followed to a "T" every day, and I knew that was the only thing getting me through the days.

Daily Schedule back in 2007
6:00 am wake up, shower, do hair and make up
6:45 am get the girlies up, dressed and fed
7:15am get the girlies off to daycare, which was just down the street
8:00 am be at work for morning meeting or at school for classes depending on the day.
Some days our routine started an hour later because work wasn't until 9:00 am
5:00 pm get off work or out of class
5:30 pm pick girlies up from daycare
5:45 pm start dinner
6:15-30 pm feed girlies
7:00 pm bath, story time(if I had the energy)
7:30-45 pm bedtime for girls.
8:00 pm homework, sitting on couch alone :( or just going to bed.


So, LONG day but every parent knows how that goes right?! Now I enjoyed the chaos very much because I got used to it and it kept my mind off of things like, I'm a single mom living in IF(this fact bothered me the most I guess, although IF does have its moments for me and some special people who are very close to my heart live there), I hate feeling so alone and like I'll never find someone to accept me and my girls and how I was always so tired. Throughout the day I have to admit that I was VERY bad at making sure I took time to eat. I liked things being busy busy so I did not want to pause for food, only for coffee, green tea and energy drinks. I also did not want to eat dinner until I could relax and that was after the girls were in bed. I felt like I had such little time with them that I didn't want to waste any of it by me eating( my thought process was a little warped). By the time the girls went down I realized I needed to get LOTS of homework done so there I sat on the couch with my laptop working hard...while my body was working hard at giving me a HORRIBLE headache. This was a normal occurrence due to my lack of food intake. So I would think about eating, but then thought how unhappy I was still with my weight and how much happier I would be if I didn't eat and weighed less in the morning. So I was excited to go to sleep and couldn't wait to wake up to weigh myself. I had become OBSESSED. I felt like my weight was the key to my happiness and THAT was something I COULD CONTROL. It's not like I never ate, but I ate very little and surprisingly did develop some healthy eating habits along the way. I just wasn't getting enough nutrients and energy drinks are SO BAD for you. I can't tell you how many times my coworkers told me to stop but I never listened...surprise there, NOT. Because I was basically starving my body into losing weight I started to notice things like my nails would break very easily and my hair seemed to fall out in larger quantities and more often. Even though I knew what I was doing was NOT healthy it didn't matter to me because I had lost weight and felt so good about myself. I was so shocked and so happy that I weighed less than I did before I got preggo with the twins.

November 2005 (when I got pregnant with the twins) I was at 128 and November 2007 (when the girls were 16 months old) I was at 119. I look at pictures of myself and I think wow I look skinny but also no muscle tone, just soft and flabby. So moral of my story is: Starving yourself is NOT the answer! Working out, running and EATING is! Fortunately Kevin came back into my life in January 2008 and I felt so HAPPY :). My whole world changed and I loved eating with him(he can eat a lot and stay slim...so jealous lol). We got married in March 2008 and I had gone up to 123 lbs. and then in November 2008 I was 138. So I gained 19 "happy" lbs. from living life and not depriving myself of food anymore. I used to think why on Earth would I gain weight if I'm happy?! I honestly was quite upset at first but it was SO much fun to eat right along with him :). If Kevin hadn't come into my life again I'm not sure where I would be right now. I know I was headed down a bad road and things were most likely going to get worse. Kevin has been such a BLESSING in my life and in a way he saved my life :). He is my ROCK and my soul mate. He supports me in all my new "adventures" even if he may think I'm a little crazy at times lol. I still can't believe how blessed the girls and I are to have such an AMAZING man come and save us from our situation. Yes, we made the best of it, and yes we had hard times after we got married, but we have come such a long way as a family and are CLOSER and STRONGER now then we've ever been. I am grateful for all our struggles and the opportunity we have had to grow from them.


I've really gone on and on but this is something I have always thought about and kept telling myself to write it down. Its hard to face the fact that I had a real problem when I tried so hard to disguise it and lied to myself saying I was "happy". I refer to those days as me just going through the motions. I clung to my routine and if it got messed up I was a wreck. Poor Kevin will tell you how hard it was when we first got married...I had a hard time letting him in and allowing him to help with the girls. I was so used to doing everything on my own and I needed to be in control of that. So like I said we had struggles but we got through them because now I am more than happy to let him do anything and everything :) I welcome it with open arms now lol!


My point from all of this rambling is that it means SO MUCH MORE to me to have lost this weight this time by HARD WORK, DEDICATION and a LIFESTYLE CHANGE. I can't believe I still eat so much and LOSE WEIGHT! It literally boggles my mind lol! Well not really anymore but I can't believe I didn't try this a long time ago. I can now say that I am HAPPY WITH MY BODY :). Granted I am not going to stop working on it because this is a lifestyle NOT a diet and yes, I do mess up from time to time...like eating Goldfish Crackers more often than I should lol! I'm far from perfect and I am always trying to work on myself but that's what is so fun about it. I started measuring myself on July 11, 2011 with the first 2 WEEK CHALLENGE and I remeasured myself on September 2, 2011 and was pleasantly surprised! I have never done this before but let me tell you it is SO MUCH FUN to see how many inches you have lost! I recommend everyone do it and just be amazed at the results. It is WAY more fun then stepping on the dreaded scale lol.


Body Measurements and Weight July 11, 2011:
Arms L/R: 12 and 3/4 in.
Calves: 16 in.
Hips and Butt: 41 in.
Chest: 39 in.
Waist: 36 and 1/2 in
Thighs: 24 in.
weight: 152.8 lbs.

Body Measurements and Weight September 2, 2011:
Arms L/R: 11 and 1/2 in.
Calves: 15 in.
Chest: 36 in. (why do we women have to lose it here so quickly lol??)
Waist: 35 in.
Hips and Butt: 39 in.
Thighs:21 and 1/2 in.
Weight: 141.6 lbs.

Today's Weight: 138.6 lbs.
























p.s. love my new Hello Kitty shirt, can you tell? lol :)

See you here tomorrow!

fearful to fearless

Ok so I have not been running because I got a fun little cold. I am waiting for it to clear up before I go out and run in the cold mornings again. I feel TONS better today :) So maybe tomorrow :)

So since I have not been running I have been doing workouts at home. Honestly I love them and am now obsessed with push ups and the results I am seeing in my arms. I broke 140 yesterday and got to 139.4 so I am not going to jump for joy quite yet since I barely got there. None the less I will take ANY progress I can get :)

I have started a Tumblr(click Tumblr to view) page and I LOVE it over there! There are so many awesome pages about running :) I spend my down time at work just reading and dreaming about being as fantastic as these runners are!

Check out a few of my favorites :) click on their names to check them out :)

runningismyboyfriend

prelives 

and 

Chasefear

The girl from chasefear is amazing, all these women are amazing, but her story is SO motivating and makes you WANT and NEED to go out and RUN! Please watch her video below :)

 

Dirty Dash 9/24/2011

I am SO EXCITED to announce that I will be running in the DIRTY DASH this September 24, 2011 at 11:40 am!!!! A friend of mine(my 2 week Challenge leader :)) won a free team from Gold's Gym so we are going!! Now I'm definitely not one for getting SUPER DIRTY but what the heck?! It looks like a BLAST and I can not wait to laugh my butt off with our FUN team :)!

SO EXCITED :)!!!

rest day

So I have been a lot better about taking my rest days. I tend to overdo things and that is why I keep getting hurt. I am now following the run every other day schedule and I know it is the best thing for me. Last night my one ankle was pretty sore and swollen so I iced it on and off all night. It feels much better today, so by morning I will be good to go for my run.

Darn Achilles Tendon is just driving me NUTS! Why can't they just stop getting inflamed and hurting me....? You WOULD think that my body was getting used to running..but apparently no. I suspect it is my shoes since they are cross trainers and not actual running shoes. Maybe someday when I get some "extra" money(because that will happen right lol?) I will go to the Salt Lake Running Co and get fitted for a nice new comfy pair of running shoes :). At this point that is a dream but I'll get there...eventually.

Sorry I go from being positive to negative to positive to negative...I'm just wishing that running would go smoothly for me and that my body would just handle it. I wish I could go buy a new pair of shoes and an arm band so I don't have to carry my phone...I wish that people would believe me when I say I am not wanting all the expensive gadgets and top of the line shoes. I just want to run without pain and get back to enjoying running always. I switched from my Nike shox, which are HORRIBLE for running(bulky, heavy and not meant for running) so I am using what I have on hand. I have however had more ankle pain since day 1 of using these cross trainers...but I will survive. I need to stop complaining. I don't like the pity party I'm having so I'm DONE. Keep in mind I don't let these things keep me from running. I still run, these are just things that irritate me...at least right now.

I will just take it one day at a time and be happy that I am able to run at all. Here's to a new day tomorrow and a NEW RUN.

                                                     photo I <3 to run 

Whatever. There are no tricks. Run because you have to. Run because you love it. Run because you want to be fast. Run because you want to be skinny. Run to find some quiet time. Run to sweat. Run to eat. Run hear your heart pound in your ears. Run because you're a runner. Run because you gotta keep the streak. Run because you don't know why the hell you're running. Run because you fought with your partner. Run because your job is shitty. Run because you got no money. Run for the sunrise. Run for a race. Run because it's impossible. Run because it's easy. Run instead of doing the laundry. Run instead of watching TV. Run because no one else understands. Run because the cool kids do it. Run because you're tired of talking. run for numbers. Run for feel. Run to prove something. Run because it f**ing hurts. Or don't run. If you got something better to do.

- Jeff Edmonds


See you tomorrow!

Overcoming obstacles

So I had an interesting 4 days off. Although my Achilles tendon was on the mend I stayed away from running to let it heal properly. At first it was hard because the road seems to call my name and I just can't resist. But then I became comfortable with staying in my warm bed and the idea of running outside in the cold and dark, which it is at 6 am, began to scare me. Yes, I said scared me....I don't know why but the idea of being out there alone, which used to make me feel empowered and full of life, now made me feel small and vulnerable. Maybe I am losing it but it was really a STRUGGLE to get myself to commit to going out this morning. Although when my alarm went off at 6:00 am I rose out of bed quite alert. Now maybe it was the nerves but whatever it was it helped, A LOT. I got dressed and did my stretches and decided that I was going to give the clubhouse treadmill a spin. That idea made me feel lots better until I walked in the clubhouse which was pitch black and so quiet. I turned a bunch of lights on and that calmed my nerves, BUT the treadmill is BROKEN.... So frustrating. I however took that as a sign that I just NEED to run OUTSIDE. Now I weighed out my options which was 1. go back home and get another hour of sleep and feel yucky having not worked out yet again, or 2. just RUN OUTSIDE and GET OVER my weird issue! Well I choose option 2 :)

I went back home and grabbed my hoodie and then was off. Now I was still skiddish about being out there which is ridiculous because I live in a GREAT community with some AWESOME people. Still I have issues decided to say heck to my usual routes and just run around the complex a couple times. I was half way around my first time and straight ahead of me I could see the Timpanogos Temple. Even from the distance it looked so BEAUTIFUL all lite up on the hill. I immediately felt calm and happy. Almost like my old self decided to re inhabit my body. I stared at the temple the entire stretch and when I turned the corner I decided to go on part of my route. It had started to get a little lighter out which helped but I know that seeing the temple is what really helped me to realize that I don't need to be so afraid and paranoid. I know that if I am living my life righteously and doing the things that I should that I will be OK. I finished my run with a decent time and a 2 mile total. I was not so worried about those today like I usually am. I was focused on myself and overcoming something that has been quite the obstacle.

I allowed my fear to keep me from doing what makes me happy. My hubby and I are on a journey towards something so AMAZING for our family( to learn more about what I believe go HERE) and I now know that this will not be the last obstacle that I face. It took a lot to overcome it and I'm sure tomorrow morning will be another struggle, but I've learned in my life that struggles MAKE YOU STRONGER! I know that I can overcome anything that comes my way.

Also I felt so GOOD after my run! I always do and never regret it. 



photo:
Just Run.


See you tomorrow!

p.s. I started a 4 week challenge today. Here is to eating healthy and tracking it through myfitnesspal.com!

a case of the Mondays, except it's Tuesday

It has been tough getting back to reality after the long weekend. Back to school, back to eating healthy and back to work... Last week I loved working and everything seemed to just fall into place and this week is just strange. Well maybe it is my mood that is strange. I feel so antsy and in the need to go do something exciting. Perhaps I have been spoiled by all the weekend trips we have taken recently, and now a normal relaxing weekend at home seems dull to me. I hate that I even think that because being will my family is never dull! My children are so full of LIFE and excitement over the smallest things. We had a movie night last night and watched Rio, which was pretty cute. The kids cuddled up with their blankets and laid on the HUGE teddy bear their daddy bought them from Costco :). It was a nice night and it was a nice weekend.

So why I feel this way is driving me crazy....I did not run yesterday which I've noticed always seems to make me sluggish and not so motivated. So I ran this morning and it felt good. For a moment I almost didn't want to go but I couldn't stop thinking about it while laying in bed, so I took that as a sign to GET UP and GET OUT. I wore a hoodie this morning because it is getting CHILLY! I LOVE the fall and it is so nice to run in the cool morning air. I am SO intimidated by the thought of running in the afternoon heat so I just don't do it. After the first .5 mile I was pretty warm but did not want to take off my hoodie and carry it, so I just continued to run feeling a little uncomfortable from the warmth. As I've said in previous posts I have been struggling to get back to where I was before I hurt my knee, which was last Tuesday so one week ago today. So today I took it easy, slow pace and not too much thinking, just running. I surprised myself and did not have to struggle or fight to keep going like the past runs. I enjoyed myself and just said to myself that where I get is where I get and to be happy with it. Its so hard to not worry about distance when you know its .35 miles to that patch of grass, or 1.1 miles to that corner. I was trying so hard to not have a goal and to just run but of course I did have a goal for myself...I just tried to ignore it lol. Today I ran 1.81 miles with no walking. I walked the rest of the way home which put me at 2.02 miles total for the morning. At first I was not excited but then I realized that I had not struggled or fought for it I just enjoyed the run and it felt easier. The last time I ran that far without stopping I pushed myself so hard that I hurt my knee and had to sit out for 3 days. So I am very happy with my run and know that I will continue to build up my endurance if I am CONSISTENT.

Up until now I was in a total funk at work but writing this has brought back the feelings from my run and made me feel SO much better. Thinking about my children and my hubby makes me so excited to get home and be with them :). I don't know why I allow things to bring me down and make me moody, but I am so glad I always have my amazing family and they deserve the happiest me I can give them. They are my everything and running helps bring me back to the mother and wife I want and should be for my family.

No longer feeling melancholy but feeling incredibly BLESSED to have a healthy family and to call them mine :)!

See you tomorrow :)!




                                                               photo: whittyalacity


p.s. I did not gain 10 lbs from my pigging out this weekend...I gained 2 lbs! I had gotten to 140.6 and now I am at 142.6 sooooo I am in for some punishment workouts. Can't say I'm not excited though I LOVE working out now.....who would've thought I would ever say that!

Still think all that yummy food was worth it! :)

Time to be real...

Ok sooooo it was Labor Day weekend and I may or may not have cheated for oh you know 3 days.... Yea it's true, I ate some YUMMY, HIGH CALORIE, MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I'M IN HEAVEN food :)! I did not go CRAZY meaning eat so much that I'm going to weigh 10 lbs heavier in the morning! Just that I THOROUGHLY
enjoyed myself and did not feel deprived this holiday weekend one little bit!

We enjoyed Costa Vida, this may be taking my taste buds away from Cafe Rio...yea so good! We had the BEST PIZZA EVER from Pier 49, the Nod Hill pizza with fresh veggies, white sauce, chicken and cheesy bread sticks :)! I may have nibbled on my kids Five Guys but I did refrain from stuffing my face with one of their awesome burgers, I had a LITTLE self control this weekend ;). To top off my wonderful eating weekend was an AMAZING Magnum :), the melt in your mouth double caramel chocolate ice cream bars! Yea those are what make cheat days SO WORTH IT!

Ok I'm done going on and on about my pig fest lol! No but really this was over the span of 3 days, so I didn't sit and stuff my face non stop for 24 hours....I do however have a bit of a stomachache since I NEVER eat like this anymore. So fun and really needed, because let's face it I LOVE to eat and there is nothing wrong with enjoying a treat(or a few ;)) from time to time.

I will however do a little punishment workout tonight and will get to running in the a.m. Also will probably do a cleanse day tomorrow.

Such a fun weekend :)! Now back to school and work tomorrow!

See you tomorrow :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday run day

Ok so I realize running on Sunday isn't the best idea I've ever had since Sunday is a day of rest. BUT I missed 3 days last week so I decided to just do it. I ran 1 mile walked a couple minutes then ran another mile. No pain in my knee....yay :)!

This was a HARD run, but then again all my runs are hard lol. I feel like I just started running for the first time though. I get winded so quickly and it's hard to ignore that voice in my head telling me to quit every 5 seconds. I'm sure I will get past this bump in the road as long as I stay consistent!

Something that helped was not looking at my GPS very often. Also looking at the asphalt while I ran, for one because it was bright and two because seeing how far I had to go was really messing with me. I need to switch up my routes a little.

Overall a good run and well worth the fight!

2.00 mile total

Tomorrow is family fun day bright and early so I'm thinking I may rest tomorrow.

So see you TUESDAY!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

finally...

I FINALLY broke 143. I have been up to 145 then 143 and back for DAYS now...and it has been SO frustrating to say the least. I finally did it though and got to 142! The cursed 143 will NO LONGER haunt me when I get on the scale.

Today marks the day that I've lost 30 lbs since April and 50 lbs since mr. man was born. We celebrated his 1st birthday Saturday so it took me a year and a few days to lose 50 lbs. That is so long but it was SO HARD for me. Granted I did not get serious about losing weight until the beginning of April, so I basically wasted 7 months being depressed about my weight rather than getting up and doing something about it!

I'm not going to sugar coat it though because it was not easy. When you're depressed about your weight it is the HARDEST thing to motivate yourself! I was talking to the hubby the other day about how hard it was for me to actually want to try to lose weight. He thinks that if you're depressed about your weight that you should just get up and do something about it. Now he does have a point and it should be that simple and well it is, but when you are depressed it is just so hard to want to do anything for yourself. I know when I was depressed I had lost all motivation and I would have days where I would just hate on myself and cry out of frustration. I tried cleansing, cutting calories and I never stuck with anything. I just lacked the motivation to push through the times when it got hard.

Well one day back in January probably while we were living at our oh so depressing old apartment(that living situation would make anyone upset lol), my wonderful hubby came home with two VIP memberships to Golds Gym. They had a fun play room for the kids so we could go workout together :)! I was so excited and also a little intimidated because there are a lot of people at the gym and I am embarrassed to say I just didn't want anyone seeing me. SO when we first started going I would go into the women's only area which was nice. I didn't feel like everyone was staring at me and that was HUGE since I was SO self conscious. Now I won't go into my day to day details about the gym but we would try to go every day. We then got sick for over a month thanks to sick kids in the gym daycare and I refused to take my kids back until we were all 100% better. Then in May we moved to a MUCH nicer place and I have to say that I have been SO much happier. Amazing how your surroundings can affect you, I mean I should've just made the best of what we had but like everyone I had my good days and my bad days. Ever since we moved things have just seemed to fall into place. I started out with running in the clubhouse on the treadmill and now I LOVE running outside. I love the area we are in and for the first time in a LONG time I feel like everything is on the up and up :). I know our kids are happier with where we are and that is the MOST important thing to me. I've been a happier mom and I know they can tell. I feel so guilty looking back at how I was, not wanting to do much and being so sad all the time. It was not fair to them and I will forever have to live with the memories of when mommy didn't want to go out and play. It breaks my heart just thinking about their sad little faces....but those days are GONE.

I SO wish I had made these changes earlier but I just have to look ahead and keep moving forward. We are a happy little family again like we were in AZ(oh how I miss AZ), we love Utah though and are so blessed to be able to live so close to family. Utah has so many wonderful things to offer and our favorite is driving through the canyon and getting out to explore. Our kids have grown to LOVE the outdoors and that makes me so incredibly happy. Being active together as a family is the BEST thing you can do, in my opinion anyway.

It's not always fun to look back on the past but is sure is fun to be here in the present :)! We are so blessed to be able to look forward to positive things that are waiting ahead of us.

Back to running soon soon SOON!

one step at a time

This morning I did not get up with my alarm at 6:15. I attempted to go back to sleep because I have been SO TIRED lately, but I laid in bed and all I could do was think about how I needed to get up and have more time to run. It was this nagging voice that would just not let me go back to sleep! So I did it I begrudgingly got out of bed and got dressed. I did my stretches, got my gum(have to run with gum in my mouth, it really BOTHERS me when my mouth gets too dry), opened my imapmyrun app, got my iPod ready and stepped outside. Immediately I knew I had made the right decision, the air was so cool and smelled so fresh from the rain during the night. I was a little apprehensive about my run since I took Saturday and Sunday off, I wasn't sure how it was going to go... I walked for the first 15 seconds and then I found my running partner for the morning...Safetysuit :) I must have listened to their song "Apology" 4 times in a row because it was just doing wonders for my running! I got so into it at one point I was basically sprinting, which by the way felt AWESOME! I did slow my pace back down so I didn't burn out too quickly. I recommend everyone sprint from time to time because it is such an adrenaline rush! Again I focused more on my breathing and my stride which has REALLY helped me. Since I got out earlier I didn't feel rushed to get my run done so I added a little to my route which was nice. So today I ran 1.6 miles without stopping once! I am SO beyond happy with myself right now! Step by step I know I will one day be running a marathon because I know with dedication and time I WILL get there. I walked for a minute after that(and again I DID NOT look at my GPS until I stopped to walk, this is SO helpful!) I was thrilled to see 1.6 staring up at me :) After my minute walk I ran until I was well pretty exhausted...I saw another runner(which I LOVE, seeing other runners out is a HUGE motivator for me) so that pushed me to run past my usual quitting point on the way home which put me at a total run of 2.53 miles, my farthest yet!

Let's break this down for memory sake:
ran 1.6 miles = 11:36 mins/mile (slow but it used to be 13!)
walked .1 miles
ran .62 miles
walked .21 for cool down
Total run 2.53

So it was a GREAT run and I feel FANTASTIC! Hard to believe I used to hate running outside because it was SO HARD for me. It is still a CHALLENGE but that is part of the fun! Who wants to do something that is easy?? It's so much more rewarding to accomplish something that was SO HARD :)!


Lesson learned today:
I enjoy running so much more when I'm not rushed and I can focus on everything. Running for me has turned into my "me" time where I can think and just relax(relax while running? I know who thought that would be possible lol :)), every parent knows how important it is to still make time for YOU and to continue doing things you enjoy. I once lost who I was, yes I am a mom and a wife, but I didn't know who I was besides that. Some probably think that should be enough and for a long time that's what I kept telling myself, I thought that making time for me was selfish and that mothers shouldn't do it....WRONG! Moms need time for them, I now know how IMPORTANT it is. I am a MUCH happier mother and wife and I KNOW it is because I make time for ME. I challenge every mother out there to make time for herself this week and see what a difference it makes. Whether you run, walk, shop, read a book, take a hot bath...whatever just make time for YOU! I promise it will make a world of difference in your life and the lives of others that you affect.

I PROMISE myself to never lose who I am again, to never get lost in self pity and to never feel worthless again...because we all ARE WORTH IT!




                                                                    photo via I <3 to run
See you here tomorrow!

Facing the Giants

I <3 to Run on FB just posted this video "Facing the Giants". It really got me thinking about whether or not I TRULY give my ALL in my runs.

I'm going to be honest with myself and admit that I am NOT giving my all. Sure I stop and walk when I'm really tired but I know I have not given my all. I allow myself to give up too easily. Part of the accomplishment in my eyes is pushing to the end, pushing PAST your limits and finding out that YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK. I had a moment on Friday when I hit that milestone of running over a mile without stopping. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop pushing myself to go further. That just gave me the motivation to keep moving FORWARD.

This video was incredibly inspirational to me. I got the chills when the coach was yelling "don't stop till you got nothing left!". On Monday during my run I will remember this and I won't stop till I've got nothing left!

Facing the Giants video GO HERE

                                                              Photo via I <3 to run
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Runners High

I can now say that I just experienced the runners high to the extreme. Besides loving being outside and running, I ran over a mile without stopping! Now I know that is no huge feat to most runners lol, but for me it was a HUGE moment :)!

Let's start at the beginning. When I first started my run I was TIRED, and my body was yelling at me to quit just after the first 45 seconds. That was tough, really tough. Running is so much of a mental game as it is physical. If I had not forced that voice out of my head and kept saying to myself I CAN DO THIS then I would've quit and walked feeling defeated. The old me would have done that in a heartbeat, simply because I did not have the motivation and had no idea how running really made you feel. I always took the easy way out and was afraid to push myself and to have something be HARD. Now I've done some pretty HARD things in my life and they have been the BEST things to ever bless my life. Looking back I really appreciate pushing through the hard times because they made me stronger. I would not be who I am today without all my struggles. So why was I SO afraid of running? It literally made my stomach go in knots and I would panic at the idea of running. I used to think ok people run for fun?? REALLY?! Lol all I can say now is that you will NEVER know unless you JUST GO FOR IT! I'm seriously taking baby steps and it is BY FAR the most rewarding hobby I have ever tried. I see progress with my weight loss, I have A LOT more energy and I am just HAPPY ALL THE TIME :)! Yes, running is hard but it is worth every step, every drop of sweat and the burning in your legs...its A-MA-ZING. So its official I am HOOKED and I couldn't be happier!

Now back to my run today lol.... After I got out of my head and just focused on my run things went so much better. In between songs when it was quiet I focused on my breathing, which I don't do nearly enough. Sometimes I tend to panic when I can't get a deep breath and I am reminded of my days as a kid with asthma, but if I relax and just focus on slowing down my breathing then its smooth sailing. Today a miracle happened and I actually had a rhythm with my breathing and my running. I felt so in sync with my self, lol if that makes sense. I know that is why I was able to go 1.3 miles without stopping once. Also I did not look at my GPS a million times to see how far I have gone(I have a BAD habit of doing that. It can be very distracting and discouraging SO I don't recommend it) I just held my phone in my had and did not look at it until I walked for 1 minute. I was so EXCITED when I looked down and saw 1.3 on it. I about jumped for joy! I have been so upset that I couldn't even run 1 mile without stopping for a minute. So I was just so ecstatic to see that and that gave me the motivation to run the rest of the way home which was .8 miles. So I got a total of 2.1 miles in this morning :). Also I took 3 minutes off my time from yesterday and I even had to slow my pace so I wouldn't wear myself out too fast. Lesson learned here today...NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOURSELF!

Seriously though baby steps. I admire the people who can jump right in and run long distances in no time flat, but for me it is a journey and I am definitely enjoying the ride :).

Photo I <3 to Run

See you here tomorrow!