Month 1 Recap

Today marks the end of my first month in working towards my goal of reaching 1000 miles by the end of this year! 

See recap below:

I use a spreadsheet app on my iPhone to keep track. It's called iSpreadsheet (catchy).

You can also see on here that I included the time it took me to complete my mileage. It averaged out to about a 10:30 min/mile. I counted warm-up and cool-down walking, and all times are rounded up to the next minute. So for example if I finished a run in 34:30, I just put 35 down. Next month, I'm going to record it accurately and hope that keeps me under a 10 min/mile. 

I finished strong today with a 4 mile run in 33:30 (8:22 min/mile). 

With next month being a short one, I'm going to have to push myself to run a little further than usual. 

Thanks again for reading my blog! It's a huge motivating factor and I enjoy the encouraging words. 

01/31/2013: Miles run - 80 of 1000. Miles remaining - 920 of 1000

3 Mile Personal Record

Today I set a personal record! 

After the past 2 day of having average-to-slow running times (about 9 min/miles), I decided to switch some things up today to see if they'd make any kind of impact on my time. 

I was right! :) I completed my 3 miles in 24:45 with an 8:14 min/mile (The closest I've come to that was a 3.5 mile run I did 2 weeks ago with an 8:24 min/mile). The first mile of today's 3 was completed in 7:40, which I don't think I've ever done before!

So what did I change up? 

Factors that may have impacted my time today:

1. Weather - 55 and sunny. My definition of the perfect running weather...minus the wind. I could have lived without the wind...especially going against it and uphill, but I was thankful for it when it was behind me and I was going downhill. 
2. I had cereal and fruit for breakfast instead of my normal protein shake - sometimes I think having a lot of liquid in my stomach a few hours before running can make me feel a little funny inside. Instead, I had my shake afterwards for lunch. 
3. I took Body Pump last night at Gold's Gym. While I thought it might make me sore and weak today and have a negative impact on my run, quite the opposite occurred. I felt strong and powerful.
4. I put on my "old" running shoes. I think this had the biggest impact for me today. I decided to bust out the ol' green and gold running shoes I wore last year just for kicks (pun intended). Every shoe fits differently and it was nice to have a new feeling on my feet after having worn my current shoes for the past month. These shoes aren't old or worn out, I just found a new pair I liked to replace them, so they have a few more miles left in them. I think I'll start using them at least once a week just to shake things up a bit and give my feet a change of pace (pun intended, again! I'm on a roll). 

1 more day in January! I have 4 miles to do tomorrow in order to reach my monthly goal and stay on track for 1000. 

01/30/2013: Miles run - 76 of 1000. Miles remaining - 924 of 1000

Running in my sleep?

I've always thought of myself as a fairly calm, quite sleeper. But last week while I was in Pittsburgh, I was surprised to learn that I had started "running" in my sleep. No, I wasn't actually running down the street like I was sleep-walking (or should I say sleep-running? hardy har har), but rather dreaming about running and kicking my legs in a running motion while in the bed. Jon notified me one morning that I was kicking him in my sleep, but then continued to notice that it wasn't just a one time, accidental occurrence. My legs kept going....How is my body supposed to recover from running when I'm still moving?! 

I feel like this guy:

Maybe I have RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome), but I think I can contribute my unpleasant sleeping motions mostly to my 1,000 mile goal. Talk about DEDICATION! Logging those miles and getting a workout in in my sleep...score! (Kidding) I'm just thankful I'm staying in the bed while running and not running around the house or outside in my sleep...I'd like to keep it on the safe side.

01/29/2013: Miles run - 73 of 1000. Miles remaining - 927 of 1000

Case of the Mondays

I hate to start the week off on a negative note, but today's afternoon run was not a good one. 

It started off great, with my first 2 miles each being 7:58 min/miles, but it went downhill from there. 

I planned on getting 6 miles in today, but only managed 5...and that was pushing it. A few factors that I believe contributed to my slow time of 46:30:

1. Since I've been in Pittsburgh the past 8 days in 15 degree weather, I haven't run outside in 10 days. It's a challenging change going from treadmill to terrain.
2. The weather here in Texas is 75 today and I haven't run in that kind of weather in months. 
3. My left knee was bothering me a bit - Unfortunately, I've had to cut back on taking the Glucosamine and Chondroitin because it was causing me to have an upset stomach (one of the side affects listed online). I will gradually work my way back into taking the full daily dosage, but for now I'm cutting my tablets in half.  I'm hoping my joints can deal. 
4. The bottom of my iPhone armband case broke mid-run, so I had to hold my phone (for tunes) the last 2 miles so it wouldn't fall out. 
5. Yesterday I traveled back home to Texas. I didn't get home until 1:00am and ended up only getting 6 hours of sleep (I usually am lucky enough to get 8-9 hours). I was exhausted this morning. 
6. Our neighbors have horses and it smelled like CRAP outside (literally), making it harder for me to breath. Oh, the joys of living out in the country. 

Yes, some of these factors are me complaining, while others may seem like excuses. But I'm taking today with a grain of salt and listening to my body. I will do better tomorrow! 

Only 3 days remain in January and I have 11 miles left to stay on track with my goal. I do have to say, I'm proud of myself for working out every day while in Pittsburgh, with the exception of yesterday and traveling. 

Side Note - Movie Review: If you read my post Friday, you know that the boyfriend and I went to see Gangster Squad. It was a really good movie and I highly recommend it. Ryan Gosling was beyond adorable. We also went to see Zero Dark Thirty on Saturday night. It was even better than Gangster Squad and I was surprised I was able to follow the entire story (usually with war movies, I get a little lost...especially when they use names and locations I can't understand or say). Both were fantastic flicks and get nothing but good reviews from me. 

01/28/2013: Miles run - 69 of 1000. Miles remaining - 931 of 1000

Making Time

Today has been a very busy work day for me. For those of you who don't know, I am fortunate to have a job where I can work from home. Usually, I can make time to squeeze in my runs and workouts during my lunch hour, but today I found it challenging to find a time to do so. I even found it difficult to find time to make a quick meal to eat at my desk for lunch. 

Tonight, Jon and I are going to dinner and a movie (we're going to see Gangster Squad - I can't wait to see Mr. Gosling in action!), so I knew I wouldn't have time for the gym tonight.

Oh, hello....Here's lookin' at you, kid!

I ended up having a short 30 min. gap in my work schedule to knock out a quick 3 miles on Ol' Reliable in the basement before returning to my desk. By the way, the basement FREAKS me out! There's nothing in particular about THIS basement that's creepy, I think it's just basements in general that scare me. Even though this "lunch break" occurred at 2:30pm, it still felt great to take a moment to do something non-work related and have a change of scenery to clear my head (even if that change of scenery is a dark, cold basement).

It's important to make time for yourself to do whatever makes you happy. In my case, that thing is running...whether I have 10 min. or an hour, I always feel so much better afterwards. 

I love this quote:

Have a great weekend!

01/25/2013: Miles run - 64 of 1000. Miles remaining - 936 of 1000

Ol' Reliable

Since it was 14 degrees out last night, Jon and I opted against braving the cold for a trip to the gym. Thankfully, there is some quality workout equipment in the basement that we were able to use. 

Jon lifted weights while I used the 500 year-old treadmill. :) Okay, so maybe it's not 500 years old...but it's definitely not one of the fancy ones you see at the gym. It's about 10 years old, give or take a few decades. I can't help but laugh when I use it because there isn't an up and down button to adjust my speed. Instead, my speed is measured by "turtle"or "jack rabbit." I'm not kidding! See for yourselves. 

Pardon the dust!

Needless to say, my 3 miles ended up being a tad slower than usual, due to the fact that my speed was "unknown". I DO know, however, that it was faster than a turtle, and slower than a jack rabbit. But, no complaining here...it got the job done!

Nice little set up, don't you think?

Has older equipment ever prevented you from getting your workout in?

01/24/2013: Miles run - 56.5 of 1000. Miles remaining - 949.5 of 1000

Zumba Zumba Zumba!

Other than running, I would say Zumba is one of my favorite workouts to do.

Last night, I went to a one-hour class at LA Fitness with my boyfriend's mom. I've taken many Zumba classes in the past at a few different locations, such as Gold's Gym, Uptown Energy Fitness in Dallas, and now LA Fitness, and every time I go it is always something new and exciting. Zumba is NEVER boring and always fun! It gets my heart rate going while making me think I'm just dancing, but it is actually doing quite a bit of work in my muscles (especially my legs). It can be a killer workout if you go "all out".

The music is upbeat and infectious, the instructors are usually very entertaining, and time flies (when you're having fun, right?!). I can burn anywhere from 500-1000 calories in an one-hour class. It tightens and tones my entire body without me even knowing it, by incorporating certain moves, such as lunges and squats, into the routine. Other workouts out there can be very difficult and when I feel like I can't do certain things, I get discouraged and don't go back again. Zumba is addicting, enjoyable, and I always look forward to going. There is usually a wide range of ages and ability in the classes I go to and everyone can adapt and do Zumba at their own level and pace. It's also not uptight at all and can be quite the social event! 

There are Zumba classes all over the world that you can take, but if you can't find one close to you, you can always purchase a DVD and do it right in the comfort of your living room on your schedule and time frame. There is a great Zumba package on Amazon you can order below to get started!

And by all means, we can't forget the cute workout attire! This stuff actually is affordable (unlike other brands out there).

Really quick Thank You to my blog readers! Over 2,000 page views in 3 weeks! Awesome :)

01/23/2013: Miles run - 53.5 of 1000. Miles remaining - 946.5 of 1000