Ok, not really. I'm actualy a pretty big nerd. But, I did finish week 2 of the C25K today and THAT is pretty coool... which makes me cool by association right? Right?
I've attempted the C25K challenge three times now and this is the first time I have ever finished week 2. It's a great feeling of accomplishment. It's also a bit scary since this means I have to move on to week three. Mayeb I should begin developing my mental pep-talk now.
As a side note, I noticed after this morning's workout that my calf muscles are getting a little bit of definition to them! Maybe this isn't exciting to other people but I'm over the moon about it. That litttle bit of definition is proof that my body is feeling the effects of all this new exercise and I'm on the right track.
Also, while driving around lost trying to meet Steve for lunch this week I found a park! I will be checking this place out. Maybe I can try running outside for a change.
I leave you with the songs that helped me out today. The first is Misery Business by Paramore which played as I was streatching and warming up... it got me very much in the right mindset. The second is Eye of the Tiger. I have no idea who it's by just that it's an amazing song and it came on during the last 3 minutes of my workout and helped me finish with a bang. Sorry there are no links... I have faith in your incredible youtube skills until my computer decides to cooperate. :)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
can I get your opinion please?
Since I haven't had my hair cut since before the wedding I've decided that it is time to make a change. The only thing is... I'm a little bit indecisive and I have a hard time determining what looks good on me.
So.... I've narrowed the choices down and would love it if those of you who read this blog could vote for which option you think would look best.
Option #1 - revisiting a cut I've had before:
Option #2 - something a little more simple with no bangs:
Option #3 - a more blunt cut. Still simple but with bangs. And don't worry... I would keep it brunette. :)
leave your vote in the comments!
So.... I've narrowed the choices down and would love it if those of you who read this blog could vote for which option you think would look best.
Option #1 - revisiting a cut I've had before:
Option #2 - something a little more simple with no bangs:
Option #3 - a more blunt cut. Still simple but with bangs. And don't worry... I would keep it brunette. :)
leave your vote in the comments!
starting week 2 strong
I survived the first day of C25K week 2! This week the schedule has me running in 90 second intervals with a two minute brisk walk in between for recovery for a total of 20 minutes.
Let me just say for the record that this program is no joke. It continues to kick my butt each day I get on that treadmill. In some weird way though, I'm starting to enjoy it. I feel so proud of myself when I'm done for being strong enough to push my body like that... for not giving up when it gets hard. That feeling is addictive.
I've also come to the conclusion that my music is a major tool in keeping me going. When I get to about the 15 minute mark I have found that from that point on I need some strong music to help me push through to the end. Today the two that really helped me out were Saving Jane's Girl Next Door and No Doubt's Hella Good. The second song in particular really gave that extra push I needed.
BTW, please direct your attention to the left of the blog. I have made a special section to display the songs that really help me push through my workouts. I know I love hearing what helps other people when they run and I figured I couldn't be the only one. This way people don't have to sift through all of my posts just to find the link they want. If anyone has anything they would like to recommend you are more than welcome!
Let me just say for the record that this program is no joke. It continues to kick my butt each day I get on that treadmill. In some weird way though, I'm starting to enjoy it. I feel so proud of myself when I'm done for being strong enough to push my body like that... for not giving up when it gets hard. That feeling is addictive.
I've also come to the conclusion that my music is a major tool in keeping me going. When I get to about the 15 minute mark I have found that from that point on I need some strong music to help me push through to the end. Today the two that really helped me out were Saving Jane's Girl Next Door and No Doubt's Hella Good. The second song in particular really gave that extra push I needed.
BTW, please direct your attention to the left of the blog. I have made a special section to display the songs that really help me push through my workouts. I know I love hearing what helps other people when they run and I figured I couldn't be the only one. This way people don't have to sift through all of my posts just to find the link they want. If anyone has anything they would like to recommend you are more than welcome!
Friday, January 22, 2010
TGIF!!!
It's finally friday!
So far it looks like Steve and I are in for a quiet weekend at home and that is just fine with me. :)
It seems like we have been going non stop since Christmas and it will be so nice to have two days to just take it easy and enjoy life. Of course, it won't be ALL easy since I will be running Saturday morning and attempting the 30 day shred on Sunday... but still, not too much to ask out of an entire weekend.
This week, my husband rocks because he figured out the issue with my phone's memory card and made it work again. The music playing while I work out is all thanks to him. :)
So far it looks like Steve and I are in for a quiet weekend at home and that is just fine with me. :)
It seems like we have been going non stop since Christmas and it will be so nice to have two days to just take it easy and enjoy life. Of course, it won't be ALL easy since I will be running Saturday morning and attempting the 30 day shred on Sunday... but still, not too much to ask out of an entire weekend.
This week, my husband rocks because he figured out the issue with my phone's memory card and made it work again. The music playing while I work out is all thanks to him. :)
Thursday, January 21, 2010
success!
Yesterday I finished up week 1 of the C25K program! Woo hoo! Saturday I start week 2 which, although I've attempted the C25K twice before, I've never gotten past the middle of the week. Finishing week two of the program is definitely a big mental hurdle for me but I'm up for the challenge.
Speaking of challenges that I am up for, I've decided on the 5k I would like to sign up for as a sort of C25K final exam. Before I tell you about the 5k I want to show you what I plan to wear while running it:
Cute right?
Anyway, I've decided to sign up for the Fallen Heroes of Georgia 5K sponsored by Operation One Voice. The organization benefits the families of those who have given their lives for our country and the proceeds from the 5K will go towards their various programs. So.... this means I have an official date set for my goal of running a 5K and that is April 10, 2010.
Speaking of challenges that I am up for, I've decided on the 5k I would like to sign up for as a sort of C25K final exam. Before I tell you about the 5k I want to show you what I plan to wear while running it:
Cute right?
Anyway, I've decided to sign up for the Fallen Heroes of Georgia 5K sponsored by Operation One Voice. The organization benefits the families of those who have given their lives for our country and the proceeds from the 5K will go towards their various programs. So.... this means I have an official date set for my goal of running a 5K and that is April 10, 2010.
Monday, January 18, 2010
bittersweet
Let me preface this by saying, I am not going to allow the negative to overtake the positive. However, I'm also not going to ignore the negative completely because it's unhealthy and will only hinder my progress.
Today was my second C25K workout and it was HARD. It wasn't so much the physical difficulty (although, make no mistake, I was definitely pushing myself in that respect) but the mental aspect. For some reason I could not get my brain on board with the concept of working out. I got up and stretched and got my music going but I could not get myself in the right mindset.
When I did week1 day 1 on Saturday the music was awesome, I kept cheering myself on throughout and it was great. Today was the complete opposite of that. I kept trying to rationalize walking the rest of the 30 minutes or even stopping all together. I must have come up with a million excuses. Finally, I convinced myself that I would at least finish today's workout and evaluate how I felt about it afterwards.
After running and doing pushups (part of the 100 pushup challenge) I still felt like running sucks and my arms were tired and I didn't want to do it anymore. This sour mood followed me while I was getting cleaned up and into the kitchen for breakfast. Mad at myself, I reached for the cocoa puffs cereal. At that moment my mind screamed at me "running doesn't suck nearly as bad as living with diabetes would".
It was enough to shake me out of my funk and I am happy to report that I had a bowl of oatmeal instead of the cocoa puffs and I'm still planning on keeping my date with the treadmill Wednesday morning. True to my discovery the other day, it seems that my success with this attempt to get healthy depends on my desire to avoid diabetes and other chronic health problems more so than anything else.
I would also like to say a big thank you to the people I know who have done or are doing this program. It's awesome to read your blogs about the ups and downs of getting healthy and knowing I have such a great support system through this.
Song for the day: Defying Gravity - Glee cast
Today was my second C25K workout and it was HARD. It wasn't so much the physical difficulty (although, make no mistake, I was definitely pushing myself in that respect) but the mental aspect. For some reason I could not get my brain on board with the concept of working out. I got up and stretched and got my music going but I could not get myself in the right mindset.
When I did week1 day 1 on Saturday the music was awesome, I kept cheering myself on throughout and it was great. Today was the complete opposite of that. I kept trying to rationalize walking the rest of the 30 minutes or even stopping all together. I must have come up with a million excuses. Finally, I convinced myself that I would at least finish today's workout and evaluate how I felt about it afterwards.
After running and doing pushups (part of the 100 pushup challenge) I still felt like running sucks and my arms were tired and I didn't want to do it anymore. This sour mood followed me while I was getting cleaned up and into the kitchen for breakfast. Mad at myself, I reached for the cocoa puffs cereal. At that moment my mind screamed at me "running doesn't suck nearly as bad as living with diabetes would".
It was enough to shake me out of my funk and I am happy to report that I had a bowl of oatmeal instead of the cocoa puffs and I'm still planning on keeping my date with the treadmill Wednesday morning. True to my discovery the other day, it seems that my success with this attempt to get healthy depends on my desire to avoid diabetes and other chronic health problems more so than anything else.
I would also like to say a big thank you to the people I know who have done or are doing this program. It's awesome to read your blogs about the ups and downs of getting healthy and knowing I have such a great support system through this.
Song for the day: Defying Gravity - Glee cast
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Call me Columbus, I've made a discovery.
Last night Steve and I watched the season premier of the Biggest Loser for this year (don't you love DVR?). This morning I was motivated to wake up early and get back on track with the couch to 5K program.
After I finished my workout (week one, day one completed... woohoo!) I got to thinking about why the biggest loser was so motivating and my closet full of clothes that don't fit is not. Why pictures of me at my skinniest wearing a bikini at the beach don't encourage me to get up and run but watching a 526 pound guy weighing in on the BL ranch does.
That's when I realized that each time in the past that I got physically fit and healthy was the direct result of negative reinforcement. For those unfamiliar with the term: if I do something good, then something unpleasant will be taken away.
Case-in-point: When this picture was taken (when I was at my goal weight)
I was working as a nanny and walking a couple miles each morning to entertain the children while downtown and then running around all afternoon playing with them. Both of these actions kept them from screaming all day. Negative reinforcement.
I think that my motivation to run this morning may have been so strong because I'm hoping that by doing so I will avoid becoming like these people
or being diagnosed with a chronic disease like diabetes. Maybe if I focus on what consequences I'll avoid by getting in shape rather than than the benefits I'll gain I'll be more successful and stick to the plan.
Stay tuned for the results of this experiment...
On a side note, I'd like to thank Britney Spears for her song "Piece of me" and Jem for her song "They". Those songs came on during the last two running intervals of my workout and helped me push through and finish the workout without cutting corners.
After I finished my workout (week one, day one completed... woohoo!) I got to thinking about why the biggest loser was so motivating and my closet full of clothes that don't fit is not. Why pictures of me at my skinniest wearing a bikini at the beach don't encourage me to get up and run but watching a 526 pound guy weighing in on the BL ranch does.
That's when I realized that each time in the past that I got physically fit and healthy was the direct result of negative reinforcement. For those unfamiliar with the term: if I do something good, then something unpleasant will be taken away.
Case-in-point: When this picture was taken (when I was at my goal weight)
I was working as a nanny and walking a couple miles each morning to entertain the children while downtown and then running around all afternoon playing with them. Both of these actions kept them from screaming all day. Negative reinforcement.
I think that my motivation to run this morning may have been so strong because I'm hoping that by doing so I will avoid becoming like these people
or being diagnosed with a chronic disease like diabetes. Maybe if I focus on what consequences I'll avoid by getting in shape rather than than the benefits I'll gain I'll be more successful and stick to the plan.
Stay tuned for the results of this experiment...
On a side note, I'd like to thank Britney Spears for her song "Piece of me" and Jem for her song "They". Those songs came on during the last two running intervals of my workout and helped me push through and finish the workout without cutting corners.
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