So Many Things

Get ready for something big!

This morning, I finally went running for the first time since August 17, 2013!!!

Since this blog is supposed to be about running, and a healthy lifestyle, I figured I should probably start running again....

My run was a little pathetic since it was only 1.11 miles.  But, after not running for almost 3(!) months, running has gotten a little bit tough for me.  I decided to start super easy, as not to discourage myself if I didn't do well, and just run 1 mile for a week, or maybe two.  I'll evaluate how I feel after this, and will then decide to add more mileage, or stick with the mile for another week.

My goal with running such a short distance, is to just get my body accustomed to running again.  Get my lungs used to consistent breathing while running.  Getting my knees and legs ready to carry the extra 10lbs I've put on since August.  Even though I only ran just over a mile, I pushed myself.  I finished in 10:28 with an average pace of 9:26.

I'll be honest, for only 1.11 miles, it was a tough run.  With my plan though, it will only get easier!

In other news, I have started working on my 101 in 1001 list.

31.  Go through my books and clothing, and donate what I no longer need/want. 

Check!  I donated 2 grocery bags of clothing, and 53 books.  For anyone that knows me, the fact that I     got rid of  a handful of books is a big deal!  Yes, 53 is a just a handful for me.

Just a portion of living room that was used during the sorting...

53.  Try 15 new kinds of beer. (I am by no means a beer connoisseur. I just like to drink it)

I had New Belgium Brewery's Coconut Curry Hefeweizen last night.  This is what NBB's website says       about it,  "The aroma is bold and big with coconut and curry tones and a hint of banana from the hefe         yeast.  With a vast spice list of cinnamon, coriander, fenugreek, ginger, kaffir lime, and cayenne pepper       this beer carries a bit of heat but the alcohol soothes the finish.  Coconut Curry Hefe will leave an           inquisitive smile on the drinker's mug."

I didn't think it was spicy at all, but you could taste a lot of cinnamon in the after taste.  I had a piece of       cheesecake while I was drinking the hefe, and the sweetness of the cheesecake really brought out the           sweetness of the banana/hefe yeast.  An interesting beer that I wouldn't mind having again.

54.  Try 15 new kinds of wine.  (Once again, not a wine connoisseur.)

Over the weekend, I had the Little Penguin Pinot Grigio.  Not going to lie, I only bought it because the         bottle was super cute!  I love penguins so this little beauty easily caught my eye is the grocery store.  It         was cheap too, $5.99, but it was also really good!  The pinot grigio had a nice light, not too sweet, crisp       flavor.  I know most white wines are best when chilled, but I had this one at room temperature.  It had a       great taste, and I would think that chilling it would have brought out the sweetness a little more.  I liked         this wine, and I'm excited to try some of their other flavors.  

82.  Buy a new winter coat.

 I have had the same winter coat since high school!!  When exactly I first got it, I cannot remember, but I        have had it for far too long, and it has seen better days.

Exhibit A:  Freshman year of college circa 2005

Exhibit B:  Thanksgiving 2012

Right there is 7 years with the same coat.  Besides having at least 7 years of grime and dirt washed out of it, and the fact that it was slowly falling apart, there really wasn't anything wrong with the red beauty.  I have been saying for past two winters though that I should get a new coat.  This weekend, I finally did.

I got a lime green ski jacket from Burlington Coat Factory for $39.99!  It was a fricken steal!  The jacket has an inner fleece lining and outer shell that can be detached from one another and the sleeve are nice and long, and actually go over my hands a little bit.  Since I'm tall, I have a lot of issues with finding pants that are long enough, and long sleeves, like sweatshirts and coats, and have long enough sleeves.  The coat also has a removable hood which is great for when I forget my hat!

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18.97/150

1.11 Mile Run

.70 Mile Walk w/Dogs

        

So. Much. Sweat.

Monday workout:

25 minute walk with dogs

30 minutes on stationary bike

Tuesday workout:

3.23 mile run – 33:44

Today will be a twofer day.  Two posts in one day!  One of my goals this week is to blog every day, and well, I didn't post anything yesterday.  There just were not enough hours in the day yesterday, so I didn't have the time to sit down and write anything.

Monday night, I finally went to the gym.  Nick and I walked the dogs before I went, and after that walk, I had a whole new appreciation for the gym.  It was so humid and sticky, and I was drenched in sweat, just from walking the dogs for 25 minutes!  Besides being ungodly hot, the mosquitoes and gnats were out in full force and made the walk a living hell!  It felt glorious to work out in the air conditioned gym.

That being said, I sweat more than I have ever sweated at the gym before during that workout.  When I do the stationary bike, I usually do intervals, but this time I did the fat burn program so I was at a constant resistance rather than getting breaks every couple minutes.  It was definitely a tougher workout, but it is what I’ll be doing from now on.  Even though I was sopping wet afterwards, I felt awesome!

Not the best pic, but do you see all that sweat on my shoulder!  That covered my entire body! In AC!

Tuesday morning, I actually got Nick up to run with me before work.  I usually run in the late afternoon/night, but I’m trying to switch over to the morning.  Once I get home from work, the last thing I want to do is go for a run.  That feeling has been 10 fold now that summer is in full swing and it is so hot outside.  This mentality has really affected my training because I have skipped so many runs by using the excuse that it is too hot.  I hope that by running in the morning, I will just beat the heat, and will have extra energy throughout the day.

I usually don’t like running with Nick because he drives me crazy when we run.  He likes to try to control the run by choosing the route and setting the pace, and it really bothers me at time.  Nick only runs because I ask him to.  He is not running to train for anything, but I am.  When he tries to control the run it frustrates me and I get extremely pissed off at him. 

So, why did I run with him?  I knew there was no way in hell I was going to get out of bed at 5 am if I did not have some support.  If Nick was not going to get up with me, I was just going to turn the alarm off and fall back asleep.  We discussed the control issue before hand, and he agreed to let me run the show.  I did let him control the pace this time because he is a bit faster than am.  I am trying to work on my pace so following his will only help me to run quicker.

    

Even though I have only done it once so far, I definitely prefer running before work rather than running after work.  I felt so much more energized at work yesterday, and it was not so unbearably hot!  I still got super sweaty, as the picture below shows, because it was already pretty humid at 5am, but it was much more bearable.  I wanted to run again this morning, but I forgot to reset my alarm for the early time.  I have to run 6 miles today, and 30 minutes is definitely not enough time to run that far.  

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, and keep your eye out for a Weigh-In Wednesday post later today!