Monday was a great recovery for me from my sad runs last Thursday and Friday. I really wanted to finish a solid three miles and on Monday I did just that. I felt so much better than I did the week before. It was long, I wasn't in love with it, but I DID IT. And I stayed positive the whole time. I didn't let myself start thinking how incapable I was, instead I just blocked those thoughts from my mind.
I need to improve my eating! It is making my workouts more difficult and I want to feel strong during them! Once I start eating better I think things will fall into place.
I am just proud that I am DOING IT. I am taking care of myself and tackling a goal that I have been dreaming of for several years now.
OH - and a very important change in my plans took place on Saturday. Sarah and I decided we would do the seven in one day. She suggested it and I am glad she did. I think we can TOTALLY DO IT. Our thought was - we don't want to have to hike four one day and three the next. Plus what if we are feeling strong on day one and want to do more? We figured we will shoot for five and if we feel strong and have time to finish all seven we will. Now that the decision has been made and I have had time to think about it I am thinking we will do all seven! I know we can. I am very excited about all of this. Finally something I am pursuing just for ME! I love it!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Baby Steps
I am so proud and feeling a bit better about my training! I had a great hike Saturday, just me and the beautiful trail. It took me about an hour and a half and I have no clue how far I went but it was great! I just sort of let the trail carve out my path and challenged myself with a mountain when I felt ready. I bet I did at least five miles hiking around North Mountain area! I want to get a garmin 305 so that I can better track my distance and my speed.
After the hike I met up with my sister for breakfast at Scramble and at the last minute my mom joined us. Breakfast was so good! And it was so fun to catch up with my family!!!!! We need lots of girl talk time and it was way overdue! Mom and Kel helped me put together my hutch with all of the unpacked wedding gifts and it turned out beautiful! Sometimes you just NEED your mother's touch! We went to Hobby Lobby afterward and I picked up some knew knobs for the hutch because I wasn't feeling the ones that came with it. Mom, Kelly and I also decided that we would sew aprons together and picked out a pattern. We each chose different fabric and that was SO MUCH FUN. I can't wait to sew them and install a hook in my kitchen to hang it on.
Sunday was my rest day. I didn't feel totally warn down but I stuck to the plan. I'm glad that I did because it gave me the strength for a powerful Monday workout! Stay tuned for details on my Monday workout later this afternoon!
After the hike I met up with my sister for breakfast at Scramble and at the last minute my mom joined us. Breakfast was so good! And it was so fun to catch up with my family!!!!! We need lots of girl talk time and it was way overdue! Mom and Kel helped me put together my hutch with all of the unpacked wedding gifts and it turned out beautiful! Sometimes you just NEED your mother's touch! We went to Hobby Lobby afterward and I picked up some knew knobs for the hutch because I wasn't feeling the ones that came with it. Mom, Kelly and I also decided that we would sew aprons together and picked out a pattern. We each chose different fabric and that was SO MUCH FUN. I can't wait to sew them and install a hook in my kitchen to hang it on.
Sunday was my rest day. I didn't feel totally warn down but I stuck to the plan. I'm glad that I did because it gave me the strength for a powerful Monday workout! Stay tuned for details on my Monday workout later this afternoon!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Listening
Boy did I have an unrealistic expectation of what to expect for week one. I took a much needed rest day on Wednesday and did a short mile and a half run this morning. It was good, but I was feeling well so I cut it short and I so glad that I did.
It's hard to listen to my body, because I am the type of person who likes to make a plan and stick to it. I tend to beat myself up when I don't, so this is a tough concept for me. Instead of focusing on what I didn't do, I used my time to do things that I have wanted to do.
On a normal day when I skip a workout I would just sleep until the last moment when I absolutely must get out of bed and get ready for work. Then I would rush around like a maniac and usually be late. Instead, on my rest day I used the extra time to watch the news and copy some recipes into my recipe book. This made me so happy because I have been dying to do it!
Today my run was a short one and a half miles, so I had a lot of extra time when I returned. I piled the boys into my car and took them to the dog park for some much needed play time. It was refreshing to be outside while it was still cool and very fun to watch my boys play. It definitely gave me a sense of satisfaction because I won't be home until late tonight and I feel good knowing they got exercise.
Listening had some great benefits for me in the last two days, and I am hoping that I can get even better at listening to what my body is telling me.
It's hard to listen to my body, because I am the type of person who likes to make a plan and stick to it. I tend to beat myself up when I don't, so this is a tough concept for me. Instead of focusing on what I didn't do, I used my time to do things that I have wanted to do.
On a normal day when I skip a workout I would just sleep until the last moment when I absolutely must get out of bed and get ready for work. Then I would rush around like a maniac and usually be late. Instead, on my rest day I used the extra time to watch the news and copy some recipes into my recipe book. This made me so happy because I have been dying to do it!
Today my run was a short one and a half miles, so I had a lot of extra time when I returned. I piled the boys into my car and took them to the dog park for some much needed play time. It was refreshing to be outside while it was still cool and very fun to watch my boys play. It definitely gave me a sense of satisfaction because I won't be home until late tonight and I feel good knowing they got exercise.
Listening had some great benefits for me in the last two days, and I am hoping that I can get even better at listening to what my body is telling me.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Making Allowances
I have to admit that when Mike and I planned out the training plan for this week I felt like it was not enough. I suggested several added exercises and changes but he ultimately decided that it going to be tough and that I didn't need to pile on more. I went with it, and boy am I glad that I did.
You never know how you are going to feel about a planned workout until you are doing it. It's easy to modify and adjust during a workout to suit your needs at that time, as long as you are willing to allow yourself to. This also requires another important skill - you have to know the difference between what you can do, pushing yourself to accomplish new challenges, and what is physically beyond your ability in the moment.
Mike is my motivator. He is such a great encourager and without him I couldn't do this. Today I had this feeling like I couldn't take a short cut. I wanted to finish exactly what we had planned, and be okay with adjusting my pace so that I was able to do it.
Today we ran one mile on the track and ran the stairs on one set of bleachers each time we came to them. The bleachers had three aisles for spectators to go up and we ran up and down each set of stairs. The first time around we ran the small stairs, second time we ran up the actual seats. It was like running every other stair and it was HARD. I didn't really run the stairs except for the first time around. I went as fast as I could, and that was ok with me.
When we would reach the top of the stairs, we could see into our backyard because we live that close to the football field. We left our two dogs back there when we left and we could see them! Mike called to them and they saw us! It was really neat. I was exhausted but I still felt proud of my performance. It wasn't the fast paced super tough workout I had envisioned (because of course I saw myself like a super in shape athlete zooming around the track and up the bleachers), but I was satisfied.
I made ten grain pancakes with blueberries and peanut butter for breakfast and they tasted amazing! The dogs liked them, too! =)
You never know how you are going to feel about a planned workout until you are doing it. It's easy to modify and adjust during a workout to suit your needs at that time, as long as you are willing to allow yourself to. This also requires another important skill - you have to know the difference between what you can do, pushing yourself to accomplish new challenges, and what is physically beyond your ability in the moment.
Mike is my motivator. He is such a great encourager and without him I couldn't do this. Today I had this feeling like I couldn't take a short cut. I wanted to finish exactly what we had planned, and be okay with adjusting my pace so that I was able to do it.
Today we ran one mile on the track and ran the stairs on one set of bleachers each time we came to them. The bleachers had three aisles for spectators to go up and we ran up and down each set of stairs. The first time around we ran the small stairs, second time we ran up the actual seats. It was like running every other stair and it was HARD. I didn't really run the stairs except for the first time around. I went as fast as I could, and that was ok with me.
When we would reach the top of the stairs, we could see into our backyard because we live that close to the football field. We left our two dogs back there when we left and we could see them! Mike called to them and they saw us! It was really neat. I was exhausted but I still felt proud of my performance. It wasn't the fast paced super tough workout I had envisioned (because of course I saw myself like a super in shape athlete zooming around the track and up the bleachers), but I was satisfied.
I made ten grain pancakes with blueberries and peanut butter for breakfast and they tasted amazing! The dogs liked them, too! =)
Working my way UP
As excited as I was to start training, I was tired and uninterested when I woke up on Monday morning. Mike and I carved out a plan to run just over three miles by our house. We brought Mr. West, my toy poodle with us. He LOVES to run. =)
I felt SO WEAK!!!!! My muscles were tight and I didn't run very strong, but I finished it. The weakness I feel is typically what prohibits me from continuing. After a bad run I just don't want to run again for a while. But I chose to think of it differently this time - I decided that I really wanted to remember this horrible run as a starting point and not an ending point.
At church on Sunday a guest speaker talked about how the holy spirit intercedes for us, describing it as if he is covering us with prayers for the things we need. As I ran west I felt the sun at my back and I felt as though in that moment it symbolized the holy spirit covering me, interceding for me, with prayers for strength during that really tough moment.
And while I truly did not enjoy the run, I felt so proud of myself all day and full of life for having finished what I had planned out. I enjoyed my day more because I felt accomplished. And I felt like if I could finish that run, surely I could tackle more workouts like it.
I felt SO WEAK!!!!! My muscles were tight and I didn't run very strong, but I finished it. The weakness I feel is typically what prohibits me from continuing. After a bad run I just don't want to run again for a while. But I chose to think of it differently this time - I decided that I really wanted to remember this horrible run as a starting point and not an ending point.
At church on Sunday a guest speaker talked about how the holy spirit intercedes for us, describing it as if he is covering us with prayers for the things we need. As I ran west I felt the sun at my back and I felt as though in that moment it symbolized the holy spirit covering me, interceding for me, with prayers for strength during that really tough moment.
And while I truly did not enjoy the run, I felt so proud of myself all day and full of life for having finished what I had planned out. I enjoyed my day more because I felt accomplished. And I felt like if I could finish that run, surely I could tackle more workouts like it.
Training Begins
I am NUTS!?!?! My friend Sarah asked if I wanted to participate in a local hiking challenge - the Phoenix Summit Challenge - an event that I have thought about participating in for several years but just never did.
I am a perfectionist to a fault. Everyone who knows me will vouch for this. Although this gift from GOD has brought me a great deal of blessings in so many areas, it has also crippled me in others. Fear of failure has held me back, but I am not going to let it continue to grip me any longer! After thinking for a while about if I wanted to participate, trying to forget about it, it just kept NAGGING at me! I finally gave it to the call and committed to the challenge that is just over three months away.
In this blog I am going to track my progress - my thoughts and my workouts. I needed a place to track the experience and this just fit me so well. If any of my family or friends want to follow my journey, I encourage you to =)
I am so blessed with such a wide network of friends and family and I hope that maybe through my STRUGGLE to tackle this obstacle just one heart might be encouraged to follow their own dreams. I now know that this nagging at my heart was a call from God and I stopped ignoring it! Maybe it's time for you to acknowledge the calls of your heart =)
I am a perfectionist to a fault. Everyone who knows me will vouch for this. Although this gift from GOD has brought me a great deal of blessings in so many areas, it has also crippled me in others. Fear of failure has held me back, but I am not going to let it continue to grip me any longer! After thinking for a while about if I wanted to participate, trying to forget about it, it just kept NAGGING at me! I finally gave it to the call and committed to the challenge that is just over three months away.
In this blog I am going to track my progress - my thoughts and my workouts. I needed a place to track the experience and this just fit me so well. If any of my family or friends want to follow my journey, I encourage you to =)
I am so blessed with such a wide network of friends and family and I hope that maybe through my STRUGGLE to tackle this obstacle just one heart might be encouraged to follow their own dreams. I now know that this nagging at my heart was a call from God and I stopped ignoring it! Maybe it's time for you to acknowledge the calls of your heart =)
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