Iron Man

Now that I have successfully ran a mile I have great expectations for myself. Matt and I have decided to do the Lazy Man Iron Man in preparation for the Color in Motion 5K. For those who do not know, the Lazy Man Iron Man is a triathlon where you sign up to run 26 miles, bike 112 miles, and swim 2.4 miles in a month. You do it at your own pace and you record your efforts. If you are one of the first 100 people to complete it, you get a free t-shirt but I know enough people who got it last year and the shirts kind of sucked so we decided regardless, we are going to make our own.

I am really motivated to get in shape. This week Matt and I have been prepping for the Lazy Man Iron Man by running a mile, biking 2 miles, then swimming about 200-300 meters. We calculated that in order to complete the Lazy Man Iron Man without working out on Sundays we will need to run a mile a day, bike about 4-6 miles and swim about 3-4 laps (approximately 100 meters). We figure if we are better at one of the three exercising activities that we can get them done quicker so we have more time to work on the ones we struggle with. I am a strong swimmer, always have been, so I will probably get my swimming done faster however I have always had a hard time with running so that will take a lot of motivation to get it done faster than the month. Biking is a breeze but it is a lot of biking so having the time to bike more will be nice.

Matt and I really wanted to run in the mornings but with work and school it has gotten really hard to have motivation and time to do so, especially now that we are going to be doing the triathlon, going in the mornings would mean waking up even earlier to go to Rexburg. But, we have found something that not only works with our schedule, but really pushes us and gives us a solid workout while also helping us get in shape for the 5K. Things are looking up! We are really happy with the way things are going.

Conquering My Fear

Last week Matt and I did some good exercising, going to the gym and running instead of driving to his parents house. (I apologize for not blogging about it! I didn't think about it and got sick)

Matt and I want to run the Color Run 5K in July, but we were unsure about whether we could run that far so we looked up how long it is (3.1 miles). Feeling a little intimidated, we decided to think about it seeing as it's in less than 2 months. Today we went to the gym to work out. As I was running on the treadmill, I wanted to run more than normal, kick it up a notch. As I passed the 1/4 mile I thought "Hey, maybe I can run at least a half a mile before having to walk." Soon enough, I hit the 1/2 mile and still had energy to keep going, so I decided no matter how hard it was, I was going to run that full mile. The first half was easy. The second quarter was a bit tougher, but I kept saying to myself "I am better than my weaknesses!" so when I got to 3/4 of a mile, I cranked the speed up, then again at .8, .9 and .95. The last .10 of the mile was the hardest. Matt was cheering me on and I ran my heart out and I DID IT! To most, a mile is no biggie (including Matt). That mile was a HUGE stepping stone for me. As I have previously stated, I was not a big fan of running. To now be able to run a straight mile, I am dang proud of myself. It took me 14.5 minutes to do it, but gosh darn it, I ran a flippen mile!

I now feel like running the 5K is something I could and want to do. I want to run as much of it as I can, so I am going to be running a lot more miles. If I can run a mile straight, then a half mile, then like 3/4 of a mile, that would make me so happy. I think one of the things that helped me reach my goal was I constantly drank water while running which helped my breathing. I breathed from my belly when it got hard to keep up and kept my breathing steady.

Running in the 5K will be an even bigger step for me. I never imagined myself running in anything and now I have a very reasonable and exciting goal in my sights. Conquering a weakness has never felt so good and rewarding. This semester has been jampacked with things that push me beyond limits I never thought possible. I can't wait for more obstacles to get over and for more growth in the future.

Animal Attack

On Tuesday, Matt and I went to go for a run and a stray cat came up and started being super friendly, so I pet it, naturally. However this cat not only followed us, but walked purposefully in front of us so we had to pet her and when we did, it laid on our feet. Ha! Silly cat. As far as the run went, it was a very solid run. We had a couple of things to get from Broulim's so we ran there, picked them up and ran back home, probably about a mile run. 

This morning we actually were able to get up before work and classes and went for a nice run on the green way. When we first started running, about 10-20 feet away was a big ol' beaver! It had light tanish/yellow fur and a big tail coming off the end of it. I couldn't believe that after living 16 years in Oregon, the beaver state, I never saw one, not until I was in Idaho. We were so surprised and excited! How often is it that you see a beaver? For both of us, it was a first. We also saw two HUGE pelicans with a baby one sitting in the middle of the river on a grassy patch. They must have been at least 3-4 feet tall, I mean these things were big. 

Aside from the fun animal sightings, our run this morning was good. I have a bit of a head cold coming on so I didn't go run with Matt yesterday (I'm so proud of him for running even without me) and we did a shorter run this morning. My whole body felt heavy and with every step I could feel my whole body shake which pounded my head, but gosh darn it, I did it! You know, something I realized is that if someone is running at least a mile a day they cannot physically be fat. It is just impossible. I gotta remind myself that fact when I have those moments of self doubt. I am awesome, skinny, and cute dang it! Don't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

I am Stronger Than my Weaknesses

On Saturday, Matt and I went for a run in the morning and what a difference it made! We both got a lot more out of it and were really sore when we got back home. We tried to go running this morning but accidentally fell back asleep after waking up. Yesterday we only went for a short jog because Matt hurt his knee on Saturday. 

I cannot explain the way I feel when running. I really do feel skinnier, like I was when Matt and I first met. I feel like I can go for ever, running with him along the river. It's funny how something I used to HATE I now love and get excited for and it's helping me a ton with being focused and doing well in my studies. It doesn't burn like it used to. Of course it burns, but it isn't from me being an inexperienced runner, it's from my fat slimming down and getting my muscles more tone.Maybe some day I will be able to run like my sister (the cheetah). 

My goal for every time I run on the green way is to always make it to the 1/4 mile marker before walking again (if not farther!) and to run for a 1/4 of a mile each time. I believe in myself! Saturday was such a productive, amazing day and I know it accounted back to running in the morning. Starting my day off like that with a good, strong run was the kick I needed to getting all of my homework and Sunday school lesson done.

It's amazing how when you truly desire to learn something and make a weakness a talent, the Lord will bless you and help you along your way. I now no longer fear the things I am bad at. If I can make running a hobby, something that never ever ever in my wildest dreams ever did I see myself enjoying, then I can do even smaller things. Anything is possible if you set your mind to it!

For the Love of Running

I never ever thought I would say this: I love running! It feels so good! And I am so happy that it finally feels good to run. Conquering a weakness feels amazing. Yesterday, I thought to myself when I started to get tired "you had to run so much more than this when you were in soccer and you did it, so why are you being a wimp now?" With that state of mind, I was able to run longer and harder than I have since we started running. What an incredible feeling! I did not mention this in my first blog, but one of my short term goals is to be able to run a straight mile. So far I can run 1/4 of a mile straight. I'm 25% there! 

I love how supportive my family is (especially my husband!). My dad read my last blog and gave me some awesome tips, including a super healthy cookbook. It feels so nice knowing that my family is aware of my triumphs and struggles and that they give support and advice when I need it. One thing he told me which I hadn't thought about before is that it's better to run in the mornings so your body is using fat to burn calories instead of food. I am going to start running in the mornings again on the days I don't have my early class. I also love exercising in the morning because it gets your day started right, with good energy, endorphins, and more time later in the day to get things done.

I love feeling sore the next day. Today, not only did my abs burn but my calves did as well. Progress! We did "pyramid" crunches yesterday after our run. For those looking for a good ab workout without machines that gets all parts of your abs, you should try it! You start with your feet on the ground, typical crunching position, doing 12 crunches. Then you lift your legs to a 90 degree angle, then straight up and finally butt lifters. Then you descend your legs back down, repeating the straight up, 90 degree, and normal positions all while doing reps of 12. You then repeat this doing reps of 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2. If you want a really intense workout, go back up from 2 until 12. Super effective! Happy exercising!

 

Let's Get Down to Business

I will not let anything get in my way! I am going to get in shape. Matt and I went running around the neighborhood yesterday and it felt wonderful. When we got home we did crunches, pushups, and butt exercises I learned in ballet. It felt really good to be exercising, knowing I am in control. Even if my metabolism has slowed and I haven't seen improvement yet, I know I will. I just have to be patient and understanding with my body.

It is wonderful to love running. One thing we learn at BYU-Idaho is learning to love learning. I have learned to love running. It may seem weird that I have"learned" how to run, but running for a warm up versus running to get in shape are two different things. You have to learn proper form, how to push yourself, what and when to eat, and most importantly, you must learn to love it. 

While it was hard to see that I had gained weight, I can have rest assured because I am healthy, regardless what the numbers say. I eat healthy, get good sleep, exercise, and do things that make me happy. It is far more important to be healthy rather than skinny. Granted I want to be healthy and in kick-butt shape but first and foremost you must achieve a healthy state for your body before you can get your muscles all toned and beautiful. And seeing improvement can take a while because a lot is happening that you cannot see. 

DON'T LET NUMBERS STOP YOU. I have to keep reminding myself that. It's okay to struggle, everyone does. The only thing that isn't okay is to give up. That's just pathetic.