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!