I am saddened (and excited) to announce that I now hate a dear, old friend. One that has helped me through my running struggles and helped me become in better shape. That's right...
I hate you, treadmill.
After taking a run on the track at BYU, I can't stand running on the treadmill. I loved not having the numbers constantly mocking me in my face, and I loved that I wasn't worried about looking at them the whole run. It almost seemed to make my run easier. Saturday night during my run I had to actually cover up the numbers with my jacket so that I could just run and not worry about when 1.2 miles was going to turn to 1.3.
I am so glad that the weather has warmed up, because now I can run outside and enjoy running more.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Magic
About a week ago I attended a "Diva Night" at a local running store. I wanted to go to look at some shoes and get some free stuff while I was at it! It was so fun and I really learned a lot about the world of running. I talked to the owner a bit about some shoes but still think I'm going to wait a while, mostly because they're so darn expensive!
One thing I have to share about this diva night was the message I got. There were all kinds of businesses trying to advertise themselves at this Diva Night and one of them was a new gym called Anytime Fitness. They have a message therapist on site there and she was giving free messages at Diva Night. I, of course, waited in line for my turn and it was worth it.
I had been having these weird abdominal pains. They were like nothing I had ever felt before and I was fearing I may be pregnant. When I got the message the therapist was commenting on how nice and loose my shoulders were and then she got down to my back and said "oh my gosh!" I wasn't sure what to do because I've never had a message before so I just said "what? bad stuff?" haha. She said that I had about 10 knots in my lower back. She did some deep tissue work to get rid of them and as we talked about it we realized that that's where my abdominal pain was coming from. It was strange because I felt in the front, but she said I pulled this muscle that lays UNDER my abs all the way around. She said I probably bring my hips forward with every step I take when I run and most likely torque those muscles. She told me to watch my form closely to see if it doesn't get better.
IT DID! A miracle! Who would have thought? The pains I was feeling were so bad I had to take a couple of days off of running, and I never would have guessed that it was my form making my stomach (what felt like my ovaries) hurt.
I would recommend getting a message from a therapist who specializes in atheltic messages to anyone. It was amazing. The best part? She called me last weekend and told me I won a 50% off coupon for a message!
I should probably call her back....
One thing I have to share about this diva night was the message I got. There were all kinds of businesses trying to advertise themselves at this Diva Night and one of them was a new gym called Anytime Fitness. They have a message therapist on site there and she was giving free messages at Diva Night. I, of course, waited in line for my turn and it was worth it.
I had been having these weird abdominal pains. They were like nothing I had ever felt before and I was fearing I may be pregnant. When I got the message the therapist was commenting on how nice and loose my shoulders were and then she got down to my back and said "oh my gosh!" I wasn't sure what to do because I've never had a message before so I just said "what? bad stuff?" haha. She said that I had about 10 knots in my lower back. She did some deep tissue work to get rid of them and as we talked about it we realized that that's where my abdominal pain was coming from. It was strange because I felt in the front, but she said I pulled this muscle that lays UNDER my abs all the way around. She said I probably bring my hips forward with every step I take when I run and most likely torque those muscles. She told me to watch my form closely to see if it doesn't get better.
IT DID! A miracle! Who would have thought? The pains I was feeling were so bad I had to take a couple of days off of running, and I never would have guessed that it was my form making my stomach (what felt like my ovaries) hurt.
I would recommend getting a message from a therapist who specializes in atheltic messages to anyone. It was amazing. The best part? She called me last weekend and told me I won a 50% off coupon for a message!
I should probably call her back....
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Milestone!
I'm proud to announce a new milestone I hit last night. It may not be a big deal to most of you running folk, but to me it rocked. I, for the first time ever, ran two miles!
Tony had an intramural basketball game last night and we got there a little early so that I could change it up and use the track. I ran my first mile easy, walked a lap, then ran my second mile. It was so much fun. I really liked running on the track instead of the tredmill. I tend to just stare at the numbers on the tredmill and it's kind of like the saying "a watched pot never boils", a watched tredmill never hits a mile.
Even though this was only two miles, for my goal it was BIG! A 5k is about 3.2 miles, so I'm almost there. It was really fun to be able to run last night. Wahoo for running!
Tony had an intramural basketball game last night and we got there a little early so that I could change it up and use the track. I ran my first mile easy, walked a lap, then ran my second mile. It was so much fun. I really liked running on the track instead of the tredmill. I tend to just stare at the numbers on the tredmill and it's kind of like the saying "a watched pot never boils", a watched tredmill never hits a mile.
Even though this was only two miles, for my goal it was BIG! A 5k is about 3.2 miles, so I'm almost there. It was really fun to be able to run last night. Wahoo for running!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Wanna come?
My husband and I watched The Biggest Loser last night, and I'm now inspired! Bob's team hiked to Subway! I know it was just a crummy commercial, but man does that sound fun! I have no idea where a Subway is around here, but I'm totally running there when the snow stops coming down. Maybe during my time in St. George this weekend I'll take a jog to a local Subway. I'm so excited!
Last night I took it easy on my workout. I made myself be perfectly content with a walk instead of my running program. I walked for 20 minutes then pumped some iron. :) It was fun and it was really nice to be able to walk home without limping. I think that tonight I'll do the same, then take my usual Thursday rest day to do some weight training, then start back up on Friday. I am really excited to start running again, but I'm also really glad that I'm listening to my body!
Last night I took it easy on my workout. I made myself be perfectly content with a walk instead of my running program. I walked for 20 minutes then pumped some iron. :) It was fun and it was really nice to be able to walk home without limping. I think that tonight I'll do the same, then take my usual Thursday rest day to do some weight training, then start back up on Friday. I am really excited to start running again, but I'm also really glad that I'm listening to my body!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Road Block
As you all know from reading this blog, I am working on a running program that took me from "couch to runner" in eight weeks. I have been quite successful in completing my program, progressing as I should every time I run. This past week(end) I moved onto the phase were I walk for one minute, then run for five and repeat for thirty minutes. For some reason my body does not want to do this! When I went from walking three minutes to walking two, it was no problem! For some reason my body isn't letting me complete my one and five workout. My calves are aching, and (strangely enough) my lower abdomen kills. It doesn't feel like a lack of ab workout issue, it feels more like my "innards."
Today I think I'm going to ice down my legs and just take it easy. Maybe a brisk walk for my thirty minutes so I'm still moving, but not killing myself.
*UPDATE FROM LAST POST!*
My last post was kind of, well, angry. I was extremely frustrated and felt like my efforts were all for not. I researched what Jillian said about muscle gain not being the reason you gain weight and it seems that most of the fitness world disagrees with her. Now I disagree with her! A couple days after my weigh-in, I stepped on my scale again and I was down 1.5 pounds. I really think that my body built muscles because I'm running more, and muscles DO weigh something! So, I'm no longer frustrated. I'm gonna keep on runnin'!
Today I think I'm going to ice down my legs and just take it easy. Maybe a brisk walk for my thirty minutes so I'm still moving, but not killing myself.
*UPDATE FROM LAST POST!*
My last post was kind of, well, angry. I was extremely frustrated and felt like my efforts were all for not. I researched what Jillian said about muscle gain not being the reason you gain weight and it seems that most of the fitness world disagrees with her. Now I disagree with her! A couple days after my weigh-in, I stepped on my scale again and I was down 1.5 pounds. I really think that my body built muscles because I'm running more, and muscles DO weigh something! So, I'm no longer frustrated. I'm gonna keep on runnin'!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Frustration
I am running to be healthy, to lose weight so that I am in a more healthy weight range. I am counting calories and putting healthy foods filled with fiber and whole grains into my body. I have been "dieting" for 8 weeks now, and I've lost 7.2 pounds. Pretty good, right? Right. Today, I am kind of ticked off.
Today is the day I do my "official weigh-in". This has been my hardest running week in a while. I've been increasing my time and mileage a lot and I can actually feel my body changing. I feel stronger and my clothes are fitting looser. So today stepping on the scale should have been an easy thing. I was expecting to have dropped my usual pound. NO! The scale I have shows me I've GAINED 2 pounds. What the heck?!?
I watch the Biggest Loser, and this past week one of the trainers, Jillian, made a big deal about how trainers trick their clients into thinking that because they've gained muscles that's a good excuse for not losing weight. She basically informed America that it was a bunch of bull ****. I feel like I've gained tons of muscles and the measuring tape proves that I've shed some inches. But what about the scale? Did I gain muscle? Does muscle gain really give me agood excuse for this gain I'm experiencing? I didn't "cheat" on my diet at all, so I'm not sure what's going on.
All I know is that it is frustrating the heck outta me!
Today is the day I do my "official weigh-in". This has been my hardest running week in a while. I've been increasing my time and mileage a lot and I can actually feel my body changing. I feel stronger and my clothes are fitting looser. So today stepping on the scale should have been an easy thing. I was expecting to have dropped my usual pound. NO! The scale I have shows me I've GAINED 2 pounds. What the heck?!?
I watch the Biggest Loser, and this past week one of the trainers, Jillian, made a big deal about how trainers trick their clients into thinking that because they've gained muscles that's a good excuse for not losing weight. She basically informed America that it was a bunch of bull ****. I feel like I've gained tons of muscles and the measuring tape proves that I've shed some inches. But what about the scale? Did I gain muscle? Does muscle gain really give me agood excuse for this gain I'm experiencing? I didn't "cheat" on my diet at all, so I'm not sure what's going on.
All I know is that it is frustrating the heck outta me!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Stick
I recently came across a site that informed me of a product ALL runners beginner through marathoners should own. The Stick. I thought this sounded really silly, but read on, saw the pictures and had to wonder if I needed one of these sticks as badly as this site said I did.
So, for all you expert runners out there, do you have The Stick? Would you recommend it? Sitting here with sore legs after my run, it kind of looks nice! Let me know what you guys think, leave a comment!
So, for all you expert runners out there, do you have The Stick? Would you recommend it? Sitting here with sore legs after my run, it kind of looks nice! Let me know what you guys think, leave a comment!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Lovely Low-Fat Buffalo Wings!
I made this recipe last night and it is AMAZING! It tastes just like Buffalo wings, but without the deep-fried, sauce-covered fattiness.
I will add that the dressing is a little blah with just these ingredients. I added some garlic powder, pepper, and some of the left over taco seasoning to give it a little more flavor. Also, if you leave the dressing overnight, it tastes much better because the flavors have time to get to know each other. The leftovers are also great on a salad!
Serves 4
Don't succumb to traditional,
artery-clogging wings. Simply bake them in a
tangy rub and then dip them in
lightened-up dressing.
Ingredients
Cooking Spray
12 oz. skinless
chicken wings
1 1/4 oz Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup Fat-Free Sour Cream
2
tbsp bleu cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp fat-free skim milk
4 medium stalks of
celery
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place chicken wings in a zip-close plastic bag, add taco seasoning, seal bag and shake to coat.
Transfer wings to prepared baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 18 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to prepare dip, whisk together sour cream, cheese and milk.
Serve wings with dip and celery on the side.
Yields about 3 wings, 3 tablespoons of dip
and 1 celery stalk per
serving.
I will add that the dressing is a little blah with just these ingredients. I added some garlic powder, pepper, and some of the left over taco seasoning to give it a little more flavor. Also, if you leave the dressing overnight, it tastes much better because the flavors have time to get to know each other. The leftovers are also great on a salad!
Serves 4
Don't succumb to traditional,
artery-clogging wings. Simply bake them in a
tangy rub and then dip them in
lightened-up dressing.
Ingredients
Cooking Spray
12 oz. skinless
chicken wings
1 1/4 oz Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup Fat-Free Sour Cream
2
tbsp bleu cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp fat-free skim milk
4 medium stalks of
celery
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place chicken wings in a zip-close plastic bag, add taco seasoning, seal bag and shake to coat.
Transfer wings to prepared baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 18 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to prepare dip, whisk together sour cream, cheese and milk.
Serve wings with dip and celery on the side.
Yields about 3 wings, 3 tablespoons of dip
and 1 celery stalk per
serving.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Hello!
I thought it would fun and interesting to begin a blog about my fitness journey. I have a blog, but wanted to use that for personal events that family and friends would want to read about. This blog I have dedicated to my running and healthy eating adventures so that people who actually want to hear about my fitness journey can. Hope you Enjoy!
I am getting really excited about running! Lately I have been day dreaming about the 5K I'm planning on entering this spring. I know that I won't win the race, but the thought of me actually finishing a 5K, running the whole thing, is amazing! It's taken a lot of hard work for me as I prepare for this race. Heck, I'm still only on the PRE-5K training! I am still shocked at how much I really love running now, because I used to HATE running. With a passion.
I began my current "From Couch to Runner" 8-week training regiment last, oh, May. I got pretty far into it, probably to about week 3 or 4, and then my husband and I took off to Bulgaria for a study abroad internship for my major. Being terrified of going out alone in this new and strange place, my running came to an abrupt end. I "knew" that when I became more comfortable I would begin my program once again, get back on track, and complete the program before returning home from Bulgaria. Long story short, I probably ran 5 times total in the three month period we were there. Ugh.
I got back into the workout blues slump and I actually kind of missed my running days. It was incredibly difficult to motivate myself to run again. When we got back to the U.S., I attempted to run on a tredmill a couple times, but living with my in-laws made that kind of awkward/difficult because I didn't want to interrupt anyone, other people were using it, etc. I know--no excuse. I did, however, begin eating much healthier and committing myself to that. It's been fairly simple and easy for me, surprisingly enough. When we moved into our new apartment I began hitting the gym and I'm now on week 6 of my program! (I didn't have to start from the VERY beginning again)
The amazing thing about it is that I look forward to my runs every day. They aren't the 12 mile practice runs that a lot of hard core runners do for their workouts, but they make me feel proud, and they give me time to relax and meditate. A lot of people talk about different getaways they have where they can just go and forget about the worries of the world. Temples, bedrooms, bathrooms, the mall, etc. Mine is going running!
I have a lot to accomplish with my running to achieve the goals I'm aiming for, but I know they will be fun.
If you'd like to see the 8-week "From Couch to Runner" program I'm following, head to Running Planet. I have put this program into a nice, easy-to-read table. If you'd like a copy, leave a comment. Thanks!
I am getting really excited about running! Lately I have been day dreaming about the 5K I'm planning on entering this spring. I know that I won't win the race, but the thought of me actually finishing a 5K, running the whole thing, is amazing! It's taken a lot of hard work for me as I prepare for this race. Heck, I'm still only on the PRE-5K training! I am still shocked at how much I really love running now, because I used to HATE running. With a passion.
I began my current "From Couch to Runner" 8-week training regiment last, oh, May. I got pretty far into it, probably to about week 3 or 4, and then my husband and I took off to Bulgaria for a study abroad internship for my major. Being terrified of going out alone in this new and strange place, my running came to an abrupt end. I "knew" that when I became more comfortable I would begin my program once again, get back on track, and complete the program before returning home from Bulgaria. Long story short, I probably ran 5 times total in the three month period we were there. Ugh.
I got back into the workout blues slump and I actually kind of missed my running days. It was incredibly difficult to motivate myself to run again. When we got back to the U.S., I attempted to run on a tredmill a couple times, but living with my in-laws made that kind of awkward/difficult because I didn't want to interrupt anyone, other people were using it, etc. I know--no excuse. I did, however, begin eating much healthier and committing myself to that. It's been fairly simple and easy for me, surprisingly enough. When we moved into our new apartment I began hitting the gym and I'm now on week 6 of my program! (I didn't have to start from the VERY beginning again)
The amazing thing about it is that I look forward to my runs every day. They aren't the 12 mile practice runs that a lot of hard core runners do for their workouts, but they make me feel proud, and they give me time to relax and meditate. A lot of people talk about different getaways they have where they can just go and forget about the worries of the world. Temples, bedrooms, bathrooms, the mall, etc. Mine is going running!
I have a lot to accomplish with my running to achieve the goals I'm aiming for, but I know they will be fun.
If you'd like to see the 8-week "From Couch to Runner" program I'm following, head to Running Planet. I have put this program into a nice, easy-to-read table. If you'd like a copy, leave a comment. Thanks!
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