My Lazy Week in Review

Hi everybody! Long time, no blog. I know, I'm sorry.

I hope everybody's had a good week. I feel like mine flew by!

I have a really long run tomorrow, so I'll be taking it easy tonight, and hydrating a lot.

This week has been bad for my running, which is evident for you all, in the fact that I didn't post a million times a day saying how proud and happy I am.

This is normal.

I keep having to remind myself of that.

Having a bad week is ok, just don't let it be the end.

So, I have my class tomorrow, where I'll be attempting 4.5 miles, so long as my sore throat goes away.

If it doesn't, I'll still be running, the shorter distance perhaps, but I will be running again.

Alright, that's my motivation for today. It's not the best, but it's something.

Some Runs Are Better Than Others

Today I ran a couple miles, but mostly I walked them. And I didn't really keep track of how far I exactly went and I definitely didn't keep track of my speed. 

I only even went out because I was stressed out. 

Today reminded me that I should always be planning for my next run. 

I should always be hydrating for my next run.

I should always be eating like I'm going for a run later.

I should always be staying warmed up by stretching throughout the day.

I didn't do any of those things today. 

I ate a big dinner. I didn't hydrate well today. I didn't stretch at all today. I didn't start out slowly. 

I made all of the mistakes I know better than to do. 

I paced way too quick at the beginning and burnt out. 

I kept trying to start again but maybe only ran half a mile in any given stretch. 

My calves and shins were super tight, too. 

I had a diet soda at dinner, which totally didn't help hydrate me. 

I know running when I'm stressed is helpful. It's really been nice in the past, and has totally helped me get my best pace and distance. I just have to remember that I'm living my life as a runner now. I need to make decisions based on being a runner! I celebrated my birthday, and with it, I celebrated my health! I am making so many healthy decisions all the time that I can't let unhealthy decisions hold me away from my goals. 

Today was a stepping stones, a learning requirement. 

Mistakes are only mistakes if you never learn from them.

More cliches.

Good luck to you all, don't let a bad day stop you!

How do you get past feeling discouraged?

Some Days I Should be Resting...

But then those days are my birthday and I eat too much and get embarrassed with myself and have to run. 

Luckily, just when I thought I was going to go to bed early for the night, I saw my neighbor walking home and asked if she maybe thought running sounded like a good idea and she was totally down!

It was the hardest workout so far! 

Surprise runs are the best, though. I don't get to spend all day nervous about the weather or my asthma or if I'll find somebody to run with or any of that. The run just happens and I go. 

And it felt SO GOOD!! 

But because I didn't plan on it, I didn't hydrate before... so I got a little light-headed. 

I hate getting dizzy, and I always try to just blame it on my asthma, even when I totally know it's my fault. 

When I get dizzy, I always just focus on my breathing and remind myself that it won't last forever. 

Now don't get it twisted!

I would never keeping running while light-headed if I was out by myself! 

I only keep going if I have a partner that I know will help me if anything serious happens.

I ALSO don't run without my ID band.

It has my full name and birth year, my dad's phone number, my boyfriend's number, my insurance plan and number, and a reminder to "just keep trying."

So it's pretty cool and I like it and it keeps me feeling safe.

I like to think it brings peace of mind to my running partners knowing that all of my vital info is right there and available.

Pictures to come tomorrow!

Night!

PS- I got this picture from my bestie!

The Best Way to Celebrate a Birthday!

I just got back from the best run!

But before I get to that I want to tell you about my first Tuesday running class! 

We got there and went around the circle and introduced ourselves and then we had a light warm-up run around the track. 

After that, we did a TIMED MILE!!! WOOOOOOOO!!!

I was super nervous, but like I said earlier, my goal was to be able to finish in under 12 minutes. 

Not only did I finish in 11:28 (WHAT?!), but I RAN THE ENTIRE TIME!!!

I think it's important to celebrate the things that you're proud of, even if it doesn't sound like much. 

This is especially true when it's a step towards your goal, because you need to be proud that your getting closer instead of unhappy that you haven't gotten there yet.

After my class I got froyo, where I did some much needed venting, and it was delicious, but something about the sugar and the emotions and the cold breeze had my nerves kind of shaken... eep.

Anyways, I was on my way home from getting froyo with a friend of mine, and I realized I still had some weird anxious nerves in me that I hadn't felt in a while... So I knocked on my neighbors door (she reads this blog and is gonna be tickled that I didn't think of a blog name for her, lol) and she happened to be going on a run. So being opportunistic, I totally went for a run with her! 

We did my best distance in a half hour thus far!

I was hoping to do 5k tomorrow just to feel confident in my ability to be ready for a real one in a few weeks, but after doing the math, it turns out that I did about 4 miles cumulatively today. 

If you don't know, that's about an entire MILE over a 5k!

What up!!

Happy Birthday to me!

Needing Some Inspiration

Sunset is in an hour!

For every comment I get by 7:30, I'll do a mile. 

So who's gonna help me out?

Comment! Comment! Comment!

Update: I did 2.8 miles, but it took a really long time! I got 2 miles in and had tummy problems...
...but it meant I got to watch Brave with BR2! Woo!

I HATE Drinking Water!!

I think water is boring. And plain. 

But that's not the only reason I'm on a water rage! 

I live in an area that uses well water, but it's an agricultural area, so the water's actually pretty gross.

Doctors tell pregnant women not to drink tap water here. No joke. \

But since this is an attempt at a fitness blog, I'll tell you what I do to make it bearable.

I love Crystal Light Energy! It's great in the morning, or especially in the afternoon when I hit that 4 o'clock lull... They have 4 flavors, but I love the peach mango the best!

I also am digging nuun! It's a great way to help hydrate, as it has tons of vitamins and good stuff. They can tell you all about it on their website. But there are a TON of flavors, and the ones that I've tried are super yummy. See for yourself!

I also do things like eat a lot of raw vegetables that have a high water content (CUCUMBERS ARE SO DELICIOUS!!), add extra water to smoothies and stuff, and I drink fat free milk. I love dairy. It's kind of embarrassing how much I try to eat cheese and yogurt. Haha.

Another trick is to get a water bottle. Nothing to flashy, this isn't something to splurge on. Trust me, I love spending money. Haha. I'll tell you when you can save so you can buy more later. Wooo!! 

But so you have the water bottle, and you should probably get a few, ALWAYS keep them full. When the water bottle is empty, you might not bother 

When there are full water bottles around, you can just curl up in bed with a bad movie and it'll be convenient to hydrate! Another reason to drink water? It helps with weight loss! I'm sold! 

What are your hydration tips?