Running: Day 2

Motivational Quote: "Turn your wounds into wisdom." - Oprah Winfrey

Favorite Running Song of the Day: "Best of Times" by Styx

Run Time: 21:01

Distance: 1.92 mi.

Average min/mi: 10:55

Calories Burned: 185

~~~

 

So, I was a bit slower than yesterday.  It was harder to get up this morning.  I really just wanted to sleep.  My bed was so warm and it was ten degrees colder than it was yesterday.  I'm all warmed up now.

 

I don't want this to turn into a blog where I just say how great I'm feeling after a run.  True, I do feel great, but running sucks.  Sometimes I hate it.  It was cold and my fingers were cold because I forgot to grab my gloves and my legs were kind of cold.  I thought about going back to the house after my first lap and getting my gloves, but I knew that if I did, I wouldn't come back and finish my run.

 

Push through the pain, right?

 

Even now, though, I still want to crawl back into bed.  Tuesdays are sometimes harder than Mondays.  I feel with Mondays, we get all excited for a new week or motivated to get things done; but with Tuesdays, all the motivations and excited feelings have left because we used it up on Monday.

 

Yesterday was fairly productive.  Because I had gotten all my homework done Sunday, I was able to actually participate in class discussions.  My science lab got out a few hours early and my plan was to get some homework done, which I did, but not enough because I was dinking around on Facebook for about an hour.  Facebook and Pinterest are my weaknesses.  I could have stayed up later and gotten the reading done, but ever since I quit Dairy Queen, I told myself that I would try to go bed at a reasonable hour.  I need my sleep.

 

I think that's what mostly been behind my energy to get up and go is the fact that I'm getting the right amount of sleep every night.  Even though I get up around 5 am, I go to bed at 9 pm.  It's great.  I kind of feel like an old lady because I know most people my age don't go to bed that early, but I don't care.  I'm getting sleep and I feel great.

 

Today should be a bit more relaxed.  I only have one class and work and a meeting.  The Humanities Division is putting on the Humanities Bowl, which basically means that all humanities students and the professors get to go bowling for free.  Free food, free bowling, it's great.  Plus, we get to interact with the professors on a more informal level.  One of my professors is crazy good at bowling.

 

Shower and then homework!

 

Here we go.

 

Kelly-Rae

Running: Day 1

Sweaty Pic of the Week

Motivational Quote: "Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking nor outright purchase." - Joseph Pilates

Favorite Running Song of the Day: "Already Gone" by The Eagles

Run Time: 21:00

Distance: 1.99 mi.

Average min/mi: 10:33

Calories Burned: 194

 

~~~

 



Oh man.  I felt like I kicked some butt this morning.  I was going really strong too, in the beginning.  Once I got to about set four, I was ready to quit.  But, I was already kind of half-way through, so I had to keep going.

 

I feel great.  I always love the feel after a run.  That feeling where you can fly or like you're going to burst open and become another world.  Maybe that's just me.

 

I saw a bunny on my run this morning.  How cute!

Two of the hardest things for me to do are to keep my shoulders back so my chest is open and to tuck in my tummy.  If I flex my ab muscles, then it's kind of like training them to stay like that.  I was getting there a few months ago, but then I got sick and everything went to pot.

 

But, today is a new day.  I'm going to try to eat a bit better however, we'll see how that goes.  I don't have a lot of room in the fridge at the place I'm staying in Lewiston.  There are four people here, including me.  Sometimes it feels crowded.

 

That's besides the point.  The point is, is that today is going to rock!  I'm going to take a shower and have some time left to finish the rest of my homework.

 

Yeah!

 

Here we go!

 

Kelly-Rae

Update: So far, today has been awesome.  I do not regret running this morning.  In fact, I never regret running, but it's always so hard to get up.  I glad I had the motivation to do so today.

I have a lot of homework to get done this week, and if I stick to my schedule, I will most likely finish everything by the weekend.  I hope none of my homework conflicts with my workout schedule.  I like to go to bed early, because apparently being in my almost mid twentys means that I'm tired by 9 pm.  I remember when I used to run on four hours of sleep and nothing more.

Anyway, if my science lab doesn't go too long, I should be able to get some reading done before heading off to sleep.

Background: Part II

I've always led a pretty sedentary lifestyle.  I'm a reader and a writer, not a runner or a sports player.  I did play soccer when I was in second grade.  It was all my decision, too.  My team was terrible -- we lost every game and the only position I wanted to play was goalie because I didn't have to move a lot.  Maybe that's why we lost.

I like swimming and volleyball, but nothing competitive.  I got out of my swim team's meets because I can't dive (it's a silly fear) and apparently I can't do the breast stroke right.

See, I've always been that way.

My brother, on the other hand, is the most active person in my family.  He was on swim team, he plays pool, he can run faster than I can.  At least I think he can, we've never really tested it out.  I must have left all the activeness in the womb and he gobbled it up.  He drives me crazy because he's so good at everything and he doesn't even try.  But, with a face like that, how can you not love him?  We're pretty incapable of taking normal pictures.


My mom and I used to hike a lot when I was in high school, but it was only during the summers.  It was a lot of fun, but again, I was left trailing behind.  My mom is a beast when it comes to hiking.  I mean that in the best possible way too.  She would just go, go, go until we were done and she'd have to wait for me at the top of the hill where we parked.

When I move back home for a year, my dad and I are going to try working out together and eating clean together.  Hopefully by the time I move back I will have this running thing under control and I can focus on eating better.  My dad is the best.  He's always been so supportive of me and my goals.  Actually, he's one of the reasons I want to get back into exercising.  I want to show him that we can do this and it doesn't matter how slow we take it, everything will work out.

My family is my rock, and I love them a bunch.

Tomorrow is the official day I start running.  I've been running on and off this past month, but nothing has really stuck.  I just can't seem to get out of bed.  As I mentioned in the last post, this blog should help keep me motivated to run.  Here is a picture of my running schedule.  I've skipped a few days.  Instead of moving on to week three like I originally planned, I'm going to stay with week two for this week.  Then, everything will proceed as normal.  Of course, I'll be a week behind, but I'm okay with that.  As long as I'm running, I don't care what the end-date is.

This is my last rest day for five days, so I should soak it up and prepare for tomorrow.

Here we go.

Kelly-Rae

Background: Part I

I hated running when I was a kid.  I hated gym and I hated exercise.  I was always one of the last kids to finish when we ran the mile, which really meant we ran around the field four times.  My gym teacher sent out some of the boys who had already finished and made them chant, "Let's go Kelly-Rae, let's go!"  It was supposed to be encouraging, but was super embarrassing.

I have always felt like the awkward person in the corner when I'm exercising with people.  I'm not flexible and I'm not very strong.

Throughout elementary, junior high, high school, and most of college, I never once enjoyed rigorous activities.  Mostly because I felt like everyone was looking at me and judging me.  I also felt uncomfortable in my workout clothes because they were the long gym shorts from high school.  They stuck in places where shorts should not stick.

Pinterest actually got me motivated to begin exercising.  I found all these great motivational sayings and some quick exercises.  It was small stuff at first, but when I discovered POPilates, I really got into it.  Cassey Ho is a life saver.  She inspired and encouraged me to keep going.  I loved her workout videos because she was so upbeat and she looked like she was having fun.  I never thought anyone could have fun while working out.

So it began.  My on and off romance with getting healthy.  I didn't know it would ever be such a struggle.  I hope this will be my last struggle and I hope this blog will keep me accountable for the times I skip.  I also hope I won't skip.  I hope the newness of this blog and the excited feeling I get from wanting to post in the morning will not wear away.

It's not that I want to tell the world about my habits and my downfalls.  There are too many blogs like that.  This is for me.  If I happen to help others along the way, then that's great.  If I'm the only one who looks at these posts, that's great too.  This blog isn't to inspire anyone but me.  I'm not expecting to have millions of followers, though it would be nice.  I'm not expecting to be famous.  My only expectation is to keep pushing forward.

I don't run on Saturdays and Sundays -- they're my rest days.  But, I figured I would post a little about my background before I got started.  Tomorrow I'll probably have more to say.

Here we go.

Kelly-Rae

Here's the thing . . .

I'm not fat; I'm just not fit.  I'm not in desperate need of losing X amount of weight.  I weigh 130 pounds, give or take a few, and I think that's a good weight for a twenty-three year old female.  But, I got tired of sitting down and feeling uncomfortable; I got tired of seeing this bulge over my belt; I got tired of feeling winded going up the stairs; I got tired of being unable to touch my toes. I mean, come on.  I know I don't need to lose the weight, but I want to keep my body healthy.

Almost a year ago, I was introduced to working out and eating clean.  The problem was it happened so fast that I didn't really know what to do.  I thought I had to do everything at once, and that meant I failed many times.  There was so much information going around and I wanted to know it all, but I didn't realize that I had to slow down and take it one step at a time.

I ran the Color Run last October.  It was a blast and I'd love to do something like that again someday.




My mom and me post Color Run.

 

I started running and then combined it with Pilates.  I discovered Cassey Ho's POPilates, and she motivated me more than she'll ever know.

My problem is that I keep starting over.  I'm tired of starting over, and I don't know how many times I've said those exact words.  This blog is an attempt to motivate me to keep pushing through.  Even if I get sick, even if it's raining or snowing or if the weather is just crap.  I need to learn to keep moving and keep going.

So, here we go.

Kelly-Rae