Puddle Jumping

Let me tell you, today's weather in Waukesha was nearly PERFECT for running in the middle of the winter.  It's that strange warm and rainy combination, which means that the cold air doesn't kill your lungs, but you can still jump in oodles of puddles!!  (Talk about bringing back your childhood memories!)  Ok, so wet feet aren't exactly the most appealing thing in the world, but I had a blast! 

It felt so good to get outside again, especially after having to run on a treadmill for many of my past extravaganzas.  I covered around 2 miles, with a fairly good pace (especially on the 2nd mile), and am determined to knock out a long run within the next couple of days.  I think that I've inched my way back into the pattern of running, so now I need to buckle down and jump back into my weekly running schedule.  I almost "ate" ice within the last 100m of my run, but thanks to my super awesome agility skills, I showed that ice what was up!

As the New Year approaches, I have the feeling that many people are going to begin working on their "resolution."  In my personal opinion, I think that today is a great day to start that resolution.  Why wait another day or two, when you can start it now?  Get up, get out, and get active!! 

An Oldie But Goodie!

1. It's Christmas Eve.
2. Due to a day of travel, my body has been lucky enough to continue functioning off of 2 fast food meals in one day.  Considering the fact that I typically consume fast food once every few weeks, you can only imagine how my tummy feels after the double up in less than 24 hours.
3. I'm in a foreign land (or so it feels), so I had the privilege of running on a treadmill, once again.

Luckily the hotel that I'm currently residing in has a workout facility, meaning a treadmill, elliptical, and bike -- stellar!  (Honestly though, I can't complain.  A treadmill is better than nothing!)  As the week has progressed, I've been working my way back into the training plan that was created back in October. Despite the cold weather, my running is falling back into place, slowly but surely, and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the warmer weather! 

Rather than focusing on distance today, I worked through a mini Fartlek (speed training) workout, and jumped into some cross training on the elliptical, all while watching THE best Christmas movie of all time -- A Christmas Story.  Seriously, who wouldn't be motivated to run to an old fashioned Christmas movie, with nerdy little boys, and a Red Ryder BB gun that will most likely result in one shooting their eye out?!?  I guess that I can be considered a nerd, but there is something about a little piece of your childhood that manages to keep your attention when it is needed most.

I've come to 1 major saddening conclusion that relates to my current location and A Christmas Story ...
   (Chinese restaurants aren't really open at Christmas.  No Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra for this 
   girl!)

Emotions Running High

It's amazing how much more productive a run can be when you're experiencing a roller coaster of emotion (a treadmill run at that).  I've come to find that when I'm experiencing sadness, frustration, or stress in my life, I am able to run away from my emotions for a brief time.  I push myself 100 times harder, because I know that the overall run will be seen as an accomplishment, all while the endorphin rush digs into my optimism and happiness.

Luckily, my run allowed me to escape from the thoughts running through my mind.  I challenged myself with sprints, incline changes, and speed alterations, and proudly completed 2.5 miles.  I pushed myself past boundaries that seemed nearly impossible to conquer.  I did it.  I proved myself wrong.  I found the happiness to my day.  Tomorrow is awaiting me, and it's going to be a new day full of new emotions, new challenges, new moments of happiness, and a new run.

"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

   -- Matthew 11:28-30

Fire Burning!

I must say that it was absolutely phenomenal to go for a run today!  Not being able to fit running into my end of the semester schedule during the past 3 weeks has been depressing to say the least.  While the distance wasn't anything to brag about, I am still proud of being able to whip out 1.5 miles without much difficulty.  Then again, when you factor in the cold Wisconsin winter weather, ice on sidewalks, and rude drivers, I can admit that the run was a bit more difficult than what I was facing about a month ago.  (I sure do love challenges!) 

And the title of this post, "Fire Burning," it's clever, don't you think?  Of course there is a method to my madness!  There wasn't a fire burning on the dance floor this time around, rather it decided to house itself in my lungs.  Asthma, cold air, and physical exertion are not exactly the best combination, unless you want to sound like you've had emphysema for a couple of years!

I'm happy to have jumped back into my training plan, and am looking forward to conquering my future challenges.  It's time for me to re-balance my life, make time for myself during this busy time of the year, and embrace the little things that mean the most.  Happy Holidays!  :)

8 Minute Mile!

I jumped back into running today, despite the cold weather outside, and knocked out my first 8 minute mile; thank you Fartlek training! :)  I was so proud of the fact that I finished the first mile as quickly as I did, especially considering the fact that I've taken the past week off.  I was a little under 1/4 of a mile short of making the second mile an 8 minute winner too, but I was close, and I now have a goal for my next day of Fartlek training (look out next Thursday).

My lungs didn't particularly enjoy the cold air, but my awesome ephysema-esque cough subsided after a couple of hours.  (I understand if you're jealous!)  As of now, I'm debating the long run in the morning, but if I push the 6 mile run back to next weekend, I may just go for a leisure run tomorrow -- not for time or distance, but for pure pleasure!  I suppose that only time will tell!  :)

Week of Rest

As I'm sure that many of you have noticed, I haven't posted in the last week.  Due to homework constraints and school burdens, I was forced to lose a week of training, and the running simply would not fit into my crazy schedule.  But, it's ok!  My body has more than appreciated the time of rest and relaxation.  :)

I hope to jump back into training tomorrow or Sunday, and get back into the swing of running 4 or 5 days a week.  With the cold weather quickly approaching, I have found that it is more and more difficult to bundle up and face the cold.  I have my fingers crossed for some semi-warm days, because I don't want my training to suffer with treadmill training (treadmills = sheer boredom).

Thank you for the continued support and encouragement!  The kind words and prayers have kept my motivation in line and my training on track, all while enhancing my positivity and self confidence!

The Switch!

So I've decided to switch up some of my workouts this week, due to school and personal needs, but am more than ready to make the attempt in conquering each of them.  I took a day of rest yesterday, to rejuvenate and relax.  It was a much needed day of rest, and I appreciated the day of rest more than I thought I would.

I had a 3 mile run inside (on a treadmill) tonight, due to the cold weather and dark skies, and once again found that I was bored around mile 1.  I came to the conclusion that gyms need to create some sort of device that will keep your attention for a long period of time.  There are TVs, but apparently they don't do the trick for me!  I faced the mental block (similar to that of my first treadmill run a while back), but still finished the run.  I will face a 6 mile run tomorrow, as I need to accommodate for a Thanksgiving Feast with my NextGen group on Sunday (I'm super duper excited for this event), and will suffice with a 20 minute speed training session, on Sunday, instead.  Thankfully it's short enough that I can fit it in before all of the yummy holiday food!

I'm definitely experiencing mental blocks more than I did in the beginning of my training.  I'm overwhelmed and stressed out with school; I need a break from academics; and, the weather is getting colder and colder.  I'm bound and determined to keep fighting through!!

Blah!

I am definitely not proud of the run that I had today.  I'm currently facing this thing called "senioritis" and have realized that it's beginning to take over my life.  I only had to run 3 miles today, and about 2 miles in, I just stopped.  I walked for a block, and then realized that I stopped for absolutely no reason at all.  I finished the remainder of the run, but am frustrated with the fact that I would even let myself stop.  I didn't experience any sort of physical block, but rather suffered from the "lack of motivation" mentality.  I need to plow through these next 3 weeks, so I can experience some relaxation and sanity.  I am not ready to lose the battle against myself, and am determined to fight off whatever attempts to stop me in my endeavors -- running, personal, or academic.

I Did It!

Sunday = long run day, and today's task was 5 miles, but 5 miles of pure domination at that!  I was severely lacking motivation to get outside (hello cold and rain), but I knew that I couldn't cheat myself by skipping my run.  The first mile was rough, considering the 4 hills that I traveled up, but once I hit my pace around mile 1.5, I was good as gold.  I had the motivation of a hot tub awaiting me at the end of the run, and was more than excited to soothe my muscles.  The rain drizzle started to kick in near the end of my run, so by the time that I had finished, I couldn't tell if I was sweaty or if it was the rain.  Hmmm!

I have become more and more proud of myself with each day of training.  I've made it through nearly a month, and have conquered mountains that I never thought that I could even climb.  It's amazing how you can accomplish such a great task when you put your mind, heart, and soul into it.  Here's to another great week, 15 miles of running, and pure satisfaction of accomplishing new challenges each and every day!

Cold and Sore

I had another 3 mile run today, and felt that I held a fairly good pace throughout my whole run.  I was excited to get back to my apartment to measure the time that it had taken me, and I was POSITIVE that my time was going to blow Wednesday's run out of the water.  Sadly, that wasn't the case; instead of shaving my time, I added an extra 3 minutes.  I know that 3 minutes isn't that big of a deal, but it placed a mini damper in my excitement.

Today was also day two of icing up my body.  I think that I'm extra sore because I'm adjusting to a new pair of shoes, but I have to say that I'm looking forward to not being sore after running.  Who would be excited to run another 3 miles, when you know that your body doesn't want to move for a while?  I can definitely say that as of right now, that 5 mile run on Sunday is looking more daunting than exciting.  I'm sure that I'll be much more fired up after a day of rest, but only time will tell!

Short Run/Cross Training

First, I must share my excitement for the beautiful weather yesterday!  I didn't think that I would have the opportunity to run outdoors, in a t-shirt, again this season -- but I did!  I had a fairly rocking pace for a short run, and felt nicely refreshed by the time I made it back to my apartment.  Another 3 miles can be checked off of the training plan!  Honestly, it's amazing to see how much my training supports my happiness, optimism, and outlook on life (even when the stressors of school come and go).  I now have a never ending shower of smiles to share :)

To switch training up, I enjoyed some time cross training tonight.  I chose to "ellipticize," because ellipticals are the coolest thing since walkmans!  (You know that you agree with me!)  It was nice and easy on the joints, and more than pleasurable.  I came to the conclusion that going to the gym at 10pm isn't the best idea that I've ever come up with.  I danced my way out of the gym, and am still full of spit and vinegar.  Tomorrow's 6am wake-up will NOT be enjoyable at all, to say the least.  But, I completed another workout, so the lack of sleep will all be worth it (I hope)!

The 4 Miler

I completed my FIRST EVER 4 mile run yesterday, and am more than proud of myself!  I continue to surpass goals that I never thought that I could accomplish, and am more and more amazed of myself each day.  This whole running adventure has definitely begun to show me that I can accomplish anything that I set my heart to, even if someone or something tries to bring me down.

My dad decided to join me on my run, and I am very thankful that he took time out of his day to do so.  It isn't often that we have father/daughter time together, so I love it when we do embrace our limited time with one another.  Memories of my athletic past came flowing back, as I once again experienced the constructive feedback that my father had to offer.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it when he presents me with new ways of looking at training, but I sometimes get frustrated with how they are presented.  I feel like so much of what I have done, athletically speaking, never meets his standards.  I know that deep in his heart, he wants me to be as successful as I can be.  I honestly think that his way of encouraging and coaching me along, is by providing me with more challenges than I have already chosen to take on.  We aren't given our fathers to merely provide us with limited encouragement, support and love, but rather to challenge us when we think that we can't push ourselves further, to support us in any choice that we make, and to love us unconditionally -- no matter the circumstance.  I love my daddy more than any other man in this whole world, and while I may get frustrated with our relationship at times, I will never let those frustrations ruin the irreplaceable relationship that we have with one another.

Home Sweet Home

Today, I had the pleasure of running in my hometown, and it was absolutely wonderful!  I didn't think that I would have the opportunity to come home for a weekend, but a last minute change in plans allowed me to do so.  Nothing beats the feeling of one's childhood comforts and home environment.  :)

I'll admit, it was quite cold (35 degrees), but I warmed up quickly and started sweating about 1 mile in.  It was entertaining to see how many people were breaking their necks trying to figure out who the "crazy person" was.  Unfortunately, I don't think that many of them were successful!  By the end of the 3 mile run, I was a sweaty mess!  It's strange how you can get so sweaty, even when the weather is near freezing!

Tomorrow will be a day of relaxation -- sleeping in, homework, laundry, shopping, and whatever else I can fit into my schedule -- and I'll face my first 4 mile run on Sunday.  I've never run that distance before, but I have faith that my body won't let me down!

Short and Sweet

Another day of Fartlek training has been crossed off of the list!  While the workout duration was the same length as last time, I'm pretty sure that I added in an extra 1/4 of a mile today -- woo hoo!  With that said, I almost knocked out two 8 minute miles, something that I don't think that I've ever accomplished throughout my lifetime, even as a tri-sport athlete.  My next Fartlek training session isn't for two weeks (thanks to an addition of cross training next week), but I am determined to break the 8 minute mile mark, twice!

It has been an absolutely fabulous week, and I am more than thankful for all of the wonderful things that have been happening.  Thank YOU for being a support and encouragement to me thus far.  As I continue through this journey, my support system is growing right alongside my progress, and I know that each of you are the extra motivation to keep my legs moving, even when they don't think that they can run another stride!  :)

:)

When I woke up this morning, I had a feeling that today was going to be an absolutely wonderful day, and I'll admit that my intuition was correct.  :)

My run was awesome, and ended up being a tad longer than planned -- 3.25 miles.  Not only was it GORGEOUS outside, but I felt amazing from beginning to end.  There was never an urge to stop running, rather, I wanted to keep going and going and going (if only time allowed).  I swear I've turned into the Energizer Bunny!  I feel so phenomenal when I have a successful run, and trust me, I'm much friendlier to be around too.  :)

I've begun to realize how much more difficult it is to sit in class for hours on end, especially since I've started this new journey.  Physically, my body doesn't want to sit and listen to a professor lecture about the topic of the hour, but wants to be up and moving around.  I never thought that I would have to battle having too much energy, but I guess that I'll have to figure out that obstacle next!

Calm and Collected

Another 3 mile run has been crossed off of the list!  It was an absolutely gorgeous day for a run, and I'm happy that I chose to wear a long-sleeved shirt instead of a hoodie, otherwise I would have been an even sweatier mess!  Even though I ran solo today, I was able to take the time to truly embrace the neighborhoods that I traveled through, the strengths and weaknesses in my life, and the beauty and support of my family and friends. 


As I'm working through my daily life, I'm trying to place my life, actions, and decisions in God's hands, and while my music selection for running may not have been the biggest step, I feel that each and every song that I heard had a purpose to my run today.  Typically, I create playlists with an abundance of upbeat songs, because they keep you motivated and help you to run at a fairly good pace.  Instead of using one of my pre-made lists, I decided to put my iPod on shuffle mode, and asked God to play the songs that he felt would motivate me on my run.  All of the songs that I heard were not typical to what I would run to -- they were calm, soothing, and had deep and emotional lyrics.  I began to get discouraged after I heard slow song after slow song, but about 1.5 miles in, I realized that I needed to enjoy the beauty of what I was doing.  I sometimes forget that I'm not running just to knock out an awesome workout, but I'm doing this to improve my relationships and to make myself a better me.  After I came to this realization, and I began listening to the lyrics of the songs, I found that each song was telling me something about where I stand in my life right now. 


The last song of my run stuck out to me the most, and brought a huge smile to my face.  I realize that I shared a song last week, but I'm going to share this one with you as well.  We often forget about the beauty within ourselves, and are constantly seeking to change ourselves for other people.  Take a stand for yourself.  Love you for you.  You are strong.  You are beautiful!

Mommy ♥

While today's run was nice and short, a mere 2 miles, I had the BEST company ever -- my mommy!  It's amazing how much better your days are when you spend some quality time with the woman that you look up to the most.  I've truly treasured the moments that I've had with my mother throughout the past 21 years, and know that I wouldn't be the young woman that I am today, without her help, support, and guidance.  Thanks mum!  :)

We took a stroll towards the river walk, and once we arrived, I took off on my run and met back up with her 2 miles later.  Even though she wasn't able to run with me, it was amazing to be able to spend some quality fitness and mother/daughter time together.  We made a couple of pit stops on our way back (all of which were more than entertaining), and finished off the walk with a good show -- compliments of the WPD.  I have to say that they need to work on a better ending next time!

The internal motivation had continued to remain strong and ever present in my daily life.  This journey is positively changing so many aspects of my life, and I am more than proud of myself for taking on this challenge!  End of Week #2 -- Check!

Hello Hurricane, Nice to Meet You!

Seriously, who decides to run outside when there are 60 mph winds?  I guess I can once again call myself crazy (tally of craziness has now hit 2), but there was NO way that I was going to run indoors on a treadmill, twice within one week!

I had my first day of Fartlek training, and for those of you who don't know what this is, it is a form of interval training, in which you work on building endurance and speed.  It was definitely an interesting workout compared to the distance workouts that I've had over the past week and a half.  I may have had the wind working against me, but an overabundance of frustrations from the past 24 hours of my life, more than motivated my legs to move quickly.  It's amazing how much events in your life can bring you down one moment and then motivate you the next.

This may be a random side note, but I want to share the following song with you.  When I woke up today, I would have rather stayed in bed all day and lounged around my apartment.  But, I set my hopes high for the day, jumped in my car, and heard this song.  It brought me to tears, but it helped me to once again realize the beauty and support of God, even when you don't think that he is with you.

The Treadmill

As a courtesy to my body, I decided to run my 3 miles on the treadmill today, and absolutely despised every second of it!  The fitness room was so unbelievably hot, lacked circulation, and merely provided me with the view of a beige wall -- how exciting!  I have come to the conclusion that treadmills provide some form of mental block, because I had so many thoughts of wanting to stop running.  It could have been the dehydration and boredom that were setting in, or the fact that I was sweating like it was 100 degrees outside, but no matter the circumstance, I'd prefer to run outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather! 

I'm happy to report that I survived the 3 mile run, and am amazingly enough looking forward to my next running workout on Wednesday; I'll just make sure that the next one is outside!  :)

It's Meant to Be!

In church, we have been working through a series entitled "ME," which focuses on gradually working towards "the me I long to be" all while ridding of "the me I don't want to be."  Each week, I have found that one specific passage or concept addressed by Pastor Guy has had a significant meaning to my life.  Today's passage nearly knocked me out of my seat -- the passage itself was clearly placed in today's sermon for a much better reason than I'll ever be able to understand.  Let me share it with you ...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."

- Hebrews 12:1

After reading the passage, Jamie and I looked at one another, and all we could do was smile.  Clearly, I am working through a journey that was meant for my life, and thanks to today's sermon, I am even more excited to continue pushing myself beyond limits that I never thought I could conquer!

End of Week #1

Today's workout brought my first week of training to an end!  I worked through muscle pain at the beginning of the week, managed to increase my speed, and conquered several 2 mile runs.  Not too shabby for the beginning of the program!  I'm happy to announce that I have more excitement and passion for this whole experience, even only being 1 week in.  I'll admit that I've had days where I was absolutely exhausted and have had troubles with working my runs into my overzealous schedule, but I'm living proof that it CAN be done.  If you find something that you are passionate for, you will make time in your life, and will eventually work your life around activities that mean the most to you.  This is my way of taking time for me, and yes mom, I've finally listened to your advice!  :)

I plan to enjoy my weekend, take a couple of days off of running (it's all in the running program, I promise), and mentally prepare myself for the week to come.  From this point on, I will gradually be increasing the mileage each week -- typically 1 additional mile per week -- and it's a scary thought, but I know that I can do it.  Thank you for all of your support up until this point!  1 week down and only 25 weeks to go!

Absolutely Gorgeous ...

While running today, I came to the conclusion that I absolutely LOVE running in the fall.  It's not too hot or too cold.  The leaves are gorgeous hues of gold, red, orange, and brown, and make the most calming crunching noise under each of my strides.  Each leaf falls flawlessly from the tree above and gracefully makes its way towards the ground.  And then there is the smell of fall.  You know, that distinctive smell of fall.  It's so hard to describe, yet it smells so amazing.  All of these elements mesh together with one another and create a serene and calming environment -- something that makes each run more and more enjoyable.

I rocked another 2 miles today, and it seemed so simple.  It was a stellar run, and I was even able to pick-up my pace quite a bit compared to my past couple of runs.  I'm not sure if it was subconscious ambition, or the lingering fact of knowing that I had to be to work within the hour, but no matter the reason, I am very proud of my accomplishment.  It's not going to be nearly as much fun running indoors, on a treadmill, during the bitterly cold Wisconsin winter days, but I'm going to enjoy the beautiful weather that I have now, and face that battle when it comes.

Motivation!

First and foremost, I have to give thanks to Jamie, not only for her encouraging slogan for my challenges in life (the current title of this blog), but also for being my running buddy.  Jamie and I started swimming with one another last spring, where she pushed me beyond limits that I never could have imagined.  Then, we decided to go running one day, and I was able to return the favor.  :)  We've clearly discovered that she is the swimmer while I am the runner, but both of our strengths will be supportive to each other's weaknesses.

Even though the running program didn't start until today, we decided to take a leisurely run yesterday, and managed to knock out 1.5 miles without any issues.  It was definitely a good confidence booster so early in the journey, especially because I haven't hit the pavement in a couple of months.  Today's run rolled around, where we ran our first 2 miles of the training program, and I began to realize that this is really it.  I'm working my way towards achieving a goal that I have set for myself and my life.  Although my legs are sore and my sleep is no longer going to be of any issue (aka - this girl is going to crash as soon as she hits her pillow tonight), I'm excited to see how I change over the next few days, weeks, and months to come!

The Journey Begins ...

So I've been contemplating running a half-marathon or marathon for a while now, but haven't had the ambition or drive to even think about training for such a significant race.  Honestly, it's crazy to even think about running 13.1 or 26.2 miles, right?  Well, I guess that I can now consider myself crazy! 

I've faced the battle with my weight for as long as I can remember, and in turn have lacked self-confidence in my daily life.  Both family and friends are uplifted by my positivity, smile, and ambition to help others succeed in their lives.  While it is flattering to know that I inspire others, I have realized that I must begin taking care of my own needs, because if I don't, I will be unable to help others in the days, weeks, and years to come -- one of the many things that I strive to do in my life.  By becoming a healthier, more confident, and beautiful woman, I will develop into a more positive and inspirational role model to many.  

It's going to be a long journey, filled with happiness and frustrations, tears and smiles, plateaus, fears, support, love, and passion.  While training, I am hoping to improve my relationships with my family, friends, and God, become a healthier me, and come to find and love myself throughout the whole process.  Here's to the next (and possibly best) journey of my life!

"The only journey is the journey within." 

Rainer Maria Rilke