Mini Goals

Last week on Facebook a Runner’s World article popped up that couldn’t have been more perfect for me to read. Click for Article

I am especially in need of a goal in my life right now. Nothing big or crazy but something! I met all of my huge life goals in a matter of 2 weeks and now I feel slightly lost. This six week commitment will be perfect.

The challenge is to pick a number of miles you want to run in 6 weeks (I picked the amount I did in my best month of running this year and averaged it to 6 weeks).  I landed on 250 miles (which may be a little ambitious but we will see).

Then you commit to doing this same amount of minutes of stretching in that time.  This comes at an incredibly appropriate time since I am still trying to shake this hip/groin this I have going on.  (Sidenote: we did some dry needling in our capstone seminar today and I think it may have really fixed the problem.  We will see tomorrow morning when I run!)

Lastly, you add a 0 and commit to that amount of pushups in that time.

The final product for my 6 week goal:

250 miles

250 minutes stretching/yoga

2500 push ups

Bring it on….who’s with me!!

A Few New Favorite Work Out Moves…

I have recently become obsessed with the Nike Training Club app after seeing it on Julie’s blog, PBFingers.  

There have been a couple of exercise moves in these programs that I have never done and am quite fond of.  I just wanted to share my top three favorites with you.

Single Leg Clock Squats

Push Away Balance

Suitcases

Man she looks like such a stud.  I could do Suitcases from now until the 4th of July and I would never look like that but hey, what can you do!

If you like these exercises, there are so many more awesome ones available through this app.  I would highly recommend checking it out.  Plus its free so even if you think I have lost my mind and it is awful, no harm, no foul.  Pretty sure this won’t be the case though.

Tried out Advanced Get Toned: The Edge tonight after a 3 mile easy run and I am fully expecting to struggle to get out of bed in the morning!

Turning 24

Saturday was my 24th birthday and boy was it a great one.  Usually we are in Casey’s home for Thanksgiving for my birthday but this year we were here for the first time since moving to Charleston and it was one of the best days!

I started out on a longish run with Maribeth to the lighthouse on Folly Beach.  After a run in the 70 degree weather on November 23rd in a tank top we hit Lost Dog Cafe for breakfast.  I was pretty dehydrated after the run and was craving fruit so I got a fantastic parfait (which I finished for lunch today) and a cinnamon bun.  We also enjoyed some mimosas and coffee to round out the morning.  Thank you again MB for such an awesome morning.  Only a runner can understand the need for a good run to start the year.

Such a perfect start!

 

After getting home from breakfast I showered really quick and Casey and I headed to meet everyone to see the second Hunger Games movie.  I loooooved it, and loved that it came out around my birthday so I could make Casey come with us.  I don’t think I have ever sat through a movie two and a half hours long and had it fly by so fast before.

Post movie, we came home and changed before all meeting back up for dinner at one of my favorite Charleston restaurants, Coast.

Sangria Pitcher for the girls!

Scallops with mashed potatoes…delicious!

JK and I at dinner

Linds and Nicole

After dinner we went out to do some dancing and had such an amazing night.  Thank you girls (and guys) again for making this a birthday to remember!

The girls

 

Thought this was too cute…

 

…and this!

 

Thanks everyone for such an awesome birthday.  Back to reality for another two days before Thanksgiving holiday!!  Hope everyone has a great short week!

Every Little Bit

In the August issue of Runner’s World magazine there was an article called Sitting is the New Smoking- Even for Runners.

Photo Credit: Runner’s World

This is the second time I have talked about this on my blog so obviously it made a big impression on me.  Lucky for me this “sitting disease” will only be an issue for me for the next few weeks.  I am fortunate enough to have a job that will keep me on my feet but most people don’t.  I do make an effort in my day while I am still a student to get moving through out my day.

In addition to my 6x 400 intervals today I took four 12 minute bike rides (to and from class twice) and a half hour walk to get back to class one more time.  So after my half hour of running I got a bonus hour and 15 minutes of exercise that I didn’t even think about.  I realize again that this is the luxurious life of a student and this is not realistic for the average person.

So what can people with “normal” jobs do on the reg?  Once an hour try one of these:

• up and down 2 flights of stairs
• 10 squats at a desk chair
• 10 walking lunges
• 5 minute walk around the office
• 20 calf raises

Another trick is to just drink a lot of water so that you have to get up and use the bathroom more often.  These are all quick and simple and won’t take more than a few minutes from your work day.  They will also help you feel more energized and are a more effective jolt than a cup of coffee might!

Every little bit helps, remember that with every extra step you take in a day!

Feel free to leave other alternatives you may do through your day to keep you active at your desk job!

Where do all those ‘best intentions’ go?

This morning started with an absolutely gorgeous 8 mile run at marathon pace.  I ate half a banana then headed out the door to meet two friends of mine at 6:30 am and we set off.  It was ALMOST chilly when we started.  There was a nice breeze blowing, there was absolutely no humidity, it was maybe 75 degrees. You couldn’t ask for better conditions.

Post run, I had some Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats, a cup of coffee (with almond milk now, I’m getting off the creamer!) and got ready for my day.  I had a meeting from 9-10, class from 10-1 and then I was off see a patient I have been treating in our free clinic.

Once I got home, I felt like the pup could use some fresh air so I packed up a text book, put on my bathing suit and took Scarlett down to battery park!

Pretty girl!! Sorry if you are sick of the pup pics, I just love her!!

But as for the whole point of this story…

A few weeks ago you may remember a post I had called Keeping The Knee Pain Out of Running.  I created a quick, easy circuit to protect the knees during distance (or really any running) training.  Now, you may ask how many times I have done this since the post.  That would be TWICE!!  What the heck is wrong with me.  I can’t even take my own advice.

I spent some time today trying to think about where it went wrong and I think I figured it out.  I started running in the morning religiously and in order to not have to get up too early, I make sure I get up with just enough time to get my run in.  So since I used to strength train after running, I lost then when I moved all my runs to the morning time.

I have decided that since I am going to hot yoga once a week, I probably only need to get through this circuit 1-2x per week.  I am either going to start doing this in the afternoon one day a week (even though I will have run in the morning) or do these on Sunday when I don’t have any commitments and have an easy run.  The second option is probably the most practical and what I am most likely to follow through with.

Isn’t it funny how you can have the best intentions about things and then all of a sudden they are out the window without you even realizing the windows were open?!

 

Addicted to Running

Over the past few weeks I have had a few people express what I am calling “concern” about my running habits.  People have said I am “addicted” to running and that it may be an “unhealthy” attachment.  That I am “obsessive” about getting on the road.

In each of these pictures, there is nothing but pure joy on my face.  The picture on the far right is during mile 24 of the last full marathon I ran and I was in excruciating pain, but I was happy to just be running.

I am a 23 year old student with 10,000 commitments (most of them self inflicted).  Unfortunately, as a student I am largely sedentary, though it could be worse if I wasn’t in physical therapy school.  By the time I am done a day of classes I need release.  I need to MOVE MY BODY!  I need to do something outside of staring at my computer screen which will inevitably consume the rest of my night.  I need fresh air, sun on my face and a little soreness in my muscles.  I need to let my mind go.

So if you ask me if I am addicted to running, I will tell you absolutely, 100% yes.  I am addicted to the joy if gives me and the stress relieve I am afforded through it.  But remember this,

So you can call me obsessed if you want, but I know that means my dedication is showing.  My dedication to myself, to my health, to my future kids and to the entirety of my life.

Burpees are my favorite…said no one ever!

My friend Jenna sent me this the other day and I died laughing.

womp womp

I would certainly consume a lot less food if I knew their burpee equivalent, thats for sure!

Which has inspired me to make a new circuit work out that will include, you guessed it, BURPEES!  Check back tomorrow for the newest circuit (I like to test them myself before I post)!

Fitness: Not for the Faint of Heart

The other day I was talking to a friend about working out who said, ” I am just not ever going to be like you, I don’t wake up every day excited to work out.”  I laughed, out loud, literally.  I have to tell everyone that is working to get into a routine of fitness, those of us that do it 5 or 6 days of the week aren’t doing it because it is rainbows and butterflies all the time.  We don’t get up at crazy hours before work/school because it is the best thing that happens all day (some days this is true, but I would say no more than half)! We don’t live to work out, we work out to make a life worth living.

Some days are glorious and amazing, some days I am dragging myself out the door and some days I am just grinding it out.  Some days I am 30 minutes into the work out and I’m still thinking, I wish I had just stayed at home.  But never, not once have I gotten home and stood in the shower and not felt amazing about what I had just done.  Some workouts, my sole motivator is to get to that shower where I can feel good about what I have accomplished.

Some days runs take me to views such as these…

…and others I’m at the gym watching things like this…

…which remind me that running can be really fun!

The when I reach for things like this…

Made these today to take to Casey’s parents tomorrow (link to recipe from another blog)

…I reach for 1 instead of 3.  Not because I think that it won’t be amazing in the moment, but because I will lay in bed that night and know I enjoyed the one I had and didn’t over indulge.

At the end of the day, your motivation is what is most important and what will keep you going.  My motivation isn’t to fit into a size 0 pants, or look good in a bikini or never eat a single sweet for the rest of my life (that would fail in 2.2 seconds).  My motivation (at the ripe age of 23) is to be able to run around with my kids and teach them how to play lacrosse, to be able to hold my grandkids one day and see them get married.  As crazy as that is to think now, I feel like I have a head start to being successful.  These are so much more meaningful to me than the bikini and the tiny pants (although added bonus if this happens along the way).

I urge you to find your motivation.  Know that every day won’t be easy, but every day added up will be worth it!