Personal Best

Just a quick post to notate that I reached a personal best this evening. After 3 weeks of hardly any training, I increased my times and mileage last week. This week, I not only increased my mileage, but I hit a personal best time for my 5K. 39:30. It's still slow, but considering I was running an average of a 42:00 5K, I'm stoked.

I logged 10 miles last week, and hoping to log at least 12.5 this week. Let's hope!

Stress Run

Now that I'm back on track with 10 miles logged and the weekend isn't even here, I'm feeling great. After 3 weeks of sickness, exhaustion, and life just taking over, I put my foot back into the gym. Switching between the treadmill and the elliptical, I'm getting my mileage clocked and my speed is picking up. My runs have been helping me relieve my stress of a not-so-great start to this year and my little one's upcoming surgery.

Today, I had a pure stress run though. Dealing with allergies, work and mental things I could not get out of my head, I hit that gym with a vengeance. I had to be pushed because I really wasn't feeling it at first, but the moment I walked in, I realized I was right where I needed to be. I only had time to do a thirty minute run, but I pushed myself harder than I've pushed in quite awhile.

I didn't think at all. I turned up my music as loud as my ears would let me, and I ran. I ran through the stress; I ran the pain of my muscles burning, even ran through the cloud of doubt to make an improvement today. I was there to just clear out my mind, sweat it out and make myself tired.

I succeeded too. I left the gym more ragged than a Raggedy Ann doll. Afterward, I came home, drank my favorite recovery drink (chocolate milk), sat down and logged my miles. Within 10 minutes of getting home, I felt clear. I pushed out the stress.

I love stress runs.

Run, Lift, Stretch, Repeat.

Even though I am on a high from my workouts this week, I feel the repetition sneaking up to me...already. Run on Monday, Run on Tuesday, Stretch and Strength on Wednesday, Run on Thursday...you get the picture. I love to run, but I hate repeating...especially on the treadmill.

My favorite new friend? The pre-programmed runs. It makes me work or I fall off. It adds the little bit of variety I need to keep running. The incline, the resistance, the speed changes. I like them. I like them enough to consider running indoors a bit more. Considering I hate the treadmill and would rather run outside, but the weather is just a bit iffy in March, I'm up at the rec center, running like a hamster in her cage. I'm okay with that though.

A Year Later

Lately, I've been beating myself up for gaining pounds instead of losing. It was my own fault. Skipping workouts to relax from a busy schedule. It's no excuse. I need the exercise, and this month I vowed to attack my workouts like I attack on the soccer field.

Yet, as I was updating my weight log, I took a look back to the first time I entered my weight on the log. March 23, 2009. I was at 165 and could barely run without stopping for walks. Fast forward to March 1, 2010. I'm at 148...still 17 pounds less than a year ago, even with the gain. 22 pounds less than when I started in January of last year. I'm playing soccer again. I'm running 3-5 miles easily. I'm running races. I do 30 minute weight sessions. I do an hour of yoga. My "workout" schedule is renamed my "training" schedule. No, I'm nowhere where I wanted to be by this time, which was gearing up to run a half marathon. I've postponed my half marathon a month or two, but I'm gearing up for a 5K and a Warrior Dash this Spring. A half marathon IS in my near future.

So, when I take a long look at the big picture. I have become successful. Losing weight is the easy part.