Thoughts While Running Outside

In my last post I mentioned that I've been using the treadmill as a sort of security blanket. Because of that pesky ADHD, sometimes I think too much.

So, in the spirit of keeping it real, here are thoughts that go through my head when I'm running in public:

Oh my god, is that my breathing?

Shit, this is hard.

Ooh a lizard/cat/cool bug!!! I must stop and look/pet/chase after it.

Oh my god, there was big rock right there. What if I'd tripped on it and hurt my ankle? 

(Imagine and re-imagine said scenario for at least a quarter of a mile)

Seriously, I sound like a wildebeest.

Faster. I need to go faster.

 OMG I'm awesome.

Okay too fast.

That person is going to think I need medical attention thanks

 to my abnormally loud breathing. 

I better say hello as loudly as I can so they know I'm okay.

 

Why am I veering to the right? (Imagine I'm a car with alignment problems. 

Figure out what kind of car I would be.)

I hope I don't stumble off this 2 inch curb and hurt my ankle. 

(Dwell on new scenario for another quarter mile.)

DONE!

I am a total badass.

It doesn't take an expert to figure out that I'm self-conscious of my breathing and terrified of hurting my ankle again. We all have our issues...the important part is that I get out there, get my miles in, and feel super awesome afterwards.

My new training partner!

Look what I got!

Finally bit the bullet and got a Garmin Forerunner 220. I think it's going to prove to be a good investment with my running goals and training plans. I debated for a very long time between the Forerunner 15 and Forerunner 220, but, ultimately the 220 won out thanks to Bluetooth and the vibration alerts.

One of the reasons I wanted a running watch is because I've been using the treadmill as a security blanket (more to come on that in a future post about what goes through my head when I run outside).

I noticed that being able to control my running environment was a detriment in a few different ways:

- pushing my pace was harder because I had to overcome what *I* think is a fast number on the treadmill (ie. "I can't go that fast!")

- no variation in the terrain, wind, etc., will do absolutely nothing to prepare me for future races.

I dare you to watch the whole video and not laugh

Not to mention:

- I was getting really freaking bored looking at my empty walls- music or no, I was really needing a change in scenery to motivate me.

- When I did run outside, I was doubting the accuracy of the running app on my phone and pulling my phone out of my sports bra to check my pace was really irritating (and occasionally embarrassing).

Today was a rest day but I really wanted to take her out for a run, so I ran a little more than a mile. I loved it! Really looking forward to using this on my longer runs and being able to enjoy the gorgeous weather (until the scorching heat forces me back on the treadmill).

Workout log for this week

 It's that time of the week!

Monday- 30 minutes walking
Tuesday- Ran 2 miles, 30 minutes walking
Wednesday- Ran 1 mile, 40 minutes walking
Thursday- rest
Friday- Ran 2.5 miles, 30 minutes walking*
Saturday- rest
Sunday- 3 miles

My first week with just a basic mileage goal and no specific plan...went pretty well! I'm proud that I added walking back in. I was a little short of my 10 mile weekly goal because I had dental work done on Thursday morning and was a total baby all day (I was so traumatized from my root canal 2 years ago that I've been putting off the crown this whole time).

I am taking this time to build my base, but also work on my speed. On Friday's 2.5 mile run, I told myself I really wanted to finish it in 30 minutes. I knew that would mean I'd have to run a 12 minute pace the entire time which seemed, while not impossible, at least a little difficult. I started at a 13 mile pace, but quickly ramped it up to 12:00. With my goal in mind, I added some faster intervals in throughout the run and finished in 30:09.

Friday was an insanely active day. I wore my Bodymedia Fit Link armband (which they don't make anymore, since they were acquired by Jawbone) the whole day, because I was curious to see how much I would burn doing my workouts plus grocery shopping and cleaning. My activity by the end of the day was insane:

I'd love to see every day be so active! I have such a love/hate relationship with my armband. I love that it measures calories burned and activity level any time it detects an increase in activity- which is why it counts cleaning and shopping. And it's supposed to be extremely accurate. I hate how bulky it is and definitely don't like wearing it with short sleeves or anything with tighter sleeves.

Today was my long run. I did 3 miles, in beautiful (but warm) 80 degree weather. I ran my favorite neighborhood path which goes past the citrus grove we go to for our delicious oranges.

the citrus grove is on the right

thanks for the allergies asshole

Also, my early bird experiment is a definite success. I am getting hooked on being up earlier- the days are longer and I can accomplish a lot more.

Definitely going to keep going and hopefully it will become a habit!
 
Are you an early bird or night owl?
Did you have a great week of workouts?

Excuses, Excuses

I think I've declared this to be a weight loss blog. That is my hope for it, at least. I may have lost 80 lbs, but I'm still technically obese, and have at least 50 more to go. My total weight loss since June has been... 0.0 lbs.

That's right, folks. I've been in a plateau for over 6 months.

I do realize that not being able to properly exercise for around 4 months didn't help. I am not one of those who can lose weight without working out. I have read countless times that weight loss is 80% diet, 20% exercise.

Seriously, try telling my body that. I eat far, far healthier than I did 2 years ago. And I'm a much, much more active person than I was back in early 2013.

But lately I've decided that it's time to get real.

When I was routinely losing weight last year, I was walking at least a half hour every morning and/or afternoon, and doing 30 minutes of more intense cardio- running, or videos (usually T-25 or Jillian Michaels), and hiking most weekends. Now I sometimes walk when I can fit it in (the last month or 2 it's been around once or twice a week), run, and hike most weekends. It's time to add the extra walk back in there on top of my runs, and round out my running rest days with either an extra walk, video, or a bike ride.

I can guarantee you I don't look this adorable on a bike

As far as eating goes, while a vegan diet naturally lends itself to be healthier for the most part, it doesn't make the weight magically fly off.

But we've found ourselves eating out more than usual. When we eat at home, we've been doing a lot of quick meals that aren't as nutritious. I still eat more fruits and vegetables than the average person, but I know there's a ton of improvement to be had.

This week I said enough with these excuses, ramped up my activity level, and ate cleaner. Also, and this may sound counter-intuitive, I've decided to take a break from the scale. It affects how I feel way too much. I know I'm working really hard, and my body will catch up eventually.

To help myself in getting these changes to stick, I'm going to make weekly goals and check in with you guys either throughout the week or at the end of the week.

My goals this week are:

- continue going to bed early/getting up early
- do at least one HIIT workout
- keep taking my extra walk at least 4 of the 5 weekdays
- eat (nutritious) meals at home at least 5 of the 7 dinners

 

 Share your goals for the week, health or otherwise!

Arizona Love

I fell in love with Arizona the first time I visited in 2008. The sunshine, blue skies, the mountains, the scenery... it was all so different from everything I'd ever known growing up in the midwest. We ended up going back to visit 3 months later, then a year after that, and finally in 2012. In early 2013 we decided we were tired of constantly vacationing here (and the post-vacation sadness was getting more and more pronounced) and decided to make the jump! We finally arrived Memorial Day weekend 2013 after 3 days in a minivan with a hyperactive 8 year old, 2 dogs, a bird, and a lot of stuff.

This past week Arizona got a lot of press as we hosted the Super Bowl- the first Super Bowl in a long time to have ticket prices actually go up as the game neared! I also played tourist a little since my aunt was in town visiting.

We went to Sedona

 

Orange picking at the ranch/citrus orchard down the street

 

 Walked around Old Town Scottsdale

 Visited Lake Pleasant (on a uncharacteristically cloudy day)

Drove around by the stadium to see the Super Bowl setup

Do you love where you live? If not, where would you move if you had the opportunity?

Rethinking my training plan

I know I've said ad nauseam that my training plan is going great and I'm super proud that I've stuck with it for the last 3 weeks. And I am!

However, there was a fantastic article in the latest issue of Runner's World discussing the importance of building a good running base (especially for new runners) and it got me thinking. I'm still more than 4 months out from my 10k, and the earliest I'll be racing a 5k is April. The article recommends that newbie runners get a base of 10 miles a week, with a long run of at least 3 miles (or 30-40% of total weekly mileage), 2 medium runs (20%), and one or two short runs (10%) each week. That is basically what the last 2 weeks have been and it's felt like a really manageable amount of running while still challenging me. I think that for the next month or so I'm going to stick to these numbers; keeping my long runs in the 3 to 4 mile range, moderate runs around 2-2.5 miles, short runs 1-1.5 (aiming for 4-5 runs a week). Then in March I'll ramp up the training so I can properly race a 5k in April and prepare for June's 10k.

I'm honestly thrilled with the fact that I'm in a place where I can even run 10 miles a week! Back in August-September, I was severely missing running and anytime I thought about it, I would promptly burst into tears.

picture a pink cast on his leg and you've got August-September Julie

I have a follow-up appointment with my surgeon tomorrow, and I'm super excited to finally circle a 10 on the "how happy are you with your surgery" survey (note: do not ask patients that question when they are less than a week post-op, you won't like the answer). I'm also looking forward to (hopefully) getting reassurance that my raging ibuprofen addiction won't result in multiple stomach ulcers.

Happy Monday!

Workout log for this week

Sunday- Rest
Monday- Rest
Tuesday- 2.5 miles (hills)
Wednesday- Rest (although I did a crapton of walking around downtown Scottsdale)
Thursday- 1.5 miles (speed)/.5 mile scenic hike
Friday- 2.5 miles (I had to do this in 2 parts and it sorta felt like cheating...)
Saturday- off
Sunday- 4 miles

Total mileage: 10.5 miles
Goal: 10-11 miles

Let's take a moment and celebrate a few things:

I got my mileage in this week!

4 miles is my new longest distance ever.

I'm still following my Run Longer plan??? This is unprecedented.

For my 4 mile run today, we went to the White Tank Mountains and I ran a .5 mile loop 8 times- slightly boring, but the trail is really soft and sandy without any huge rocks to dodge. My main goal was to finish- I didn't have a time goal and in fact, I'm not even sure what my pace was. I took a couple 15-30 second walk breaks (recently read about the Galloway method, color me intrigued), and a few stops to snap some photos and look at a lizard.
 

obligatory selfie at mile 3

My little guy ran with me the last few minutes

The weather could not have been better

Remember when I said that running is a huge mental game for me?? That was never more apparent than today. I told myself I'd do half my run on the trail and the rest at home (honestly, doing that loop 8 times seemed insane at first). On my third loop, I told myself "yeah, I'm definitely stopping after four, just have to get to four". After four, I got some water and told my husband, "I think I'm going to keep going!" After five loops, I decided I might as well finish my run on the trail. And so I did. So much unnecessary thinking and cajoling and bargaining with myself.

Glaringly absent this week are both cross training and strength training. I'll get there...hoping my early to bed, early to rise plan helps with that.

Did you reach your goals for the week?