Day Five + Day 4 Recap

I finished. It's done. I'm done.
These are the words that I repeat as soon as I finish those middle ten minutes. I'm breathing heavily, my right calf is cramping and I am done. That's it. I don't have to do it again until tomorrow. Today's run was harder than Wednesday's by a lot and as I was walking home I think there are some answers for why this was.
1. I ate a sno cone about 2.5 hours before I ran. This sno cone was packed with sugar and I just don't think that was my best idea before a workout (and not a good food choice)
2. I slept. I woke up from a nap and was out the door within 30 minutes. Nap felt great, but also don't think was the best idea.
3. I didn't hydrate as well today, my mouth felt really dry during the run and my muscles were crampy
4. It's friday. The last thing I wanted to do was go run/crawl on the side of the road, but- I did it!

Yesterday: Literally was the sloshiest day I've had in awhile. Didn't do anything, not even homework! It was also a Thursday which meant all my friends were going out so no one wanted to walk the greek with me. Maybe another day....

Tomorrow is my first distance run and I'm not gonna lie I am pretty nervous. I am also anxious to see how long it will take me, to get a better idea of my pace.

Cheers to progress and not quitting!

But the Lord stood with me

and gave me strength

2 Timothy 4:17

Day Three + Day 2 Recap

I guess we will start with yesterday. Yesterday was one of those days that everything just seems to pile on you out of no where and I had zero motivation to get anything done. I had an exam today that I had to study for, but I was feeling confident about it(over confident in hindsight) so I wasn't stressed. I went to study group and did my review and felt pretty good about my few hours of studying. Then I decided to go out for dinner when I started to get a migraine. I think I get headaches way more often than the average semi-healthy college student, meaning I probably get 3-4 a week. My migraines have a way of making my eyes hurt and it becomes painful to read, drive and I become very light sensitive. So I did what every girl does best: I called and cried to my mom, then took a long shower and slept while the advil did it's thing. Long story short, my plan was to go for a decent walk yesterday and do some ab/arm exercises but life got in the way. I had a pretty good food day yesterday so I won't call it a total waste! I also hauled my 20 pound backpack 15 minutes across campus and back, a semi workout?

But, today was a victory! I ran today! I didn't really want to because I was in a good amount of pain from Monday's run. My muscles, which hadn't been used in ages, were sore and I was walking funny around campus from it. It was also really humid out(yay Texas heat) and looked like it was going to rain. But never the less, I finally put my lululemon clothes to work and got out there. The run wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was less negative and it didn't take me as long to recover. But, I also ran at a slower pace. That is one thing I miss about running with people, you have incentive to keep up with them. 

On another note, I had a pretty terrible food day. I had a donut and half a bagel for breakfast(carbs) with a sandwich and macaroni for lunch(carbs) and cereal and chips as a snack(carbs)!! The only positive is that I am realizing what I am putting in my mouth, which I have to consider a small victory. I recognize what I am doing wrong(only eating carbohydrates) and need to eat more protein and things that come from the earth. I also am upping my water intake, so I am curious to see how that will make me feel. So far, just have to pee a lot. 

Cheers to progress!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand,

that he may lift you up in due time.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7

The Running Plan + a Smoothie

I don't know who in the world is reading this blog or if anyone is at all, but if you do and you too need 40 days to get 5K ready then I am attaching the plan. You can of course adjust the dates to work for you as needed.

Running Plan

Cheers!

Also I ate this for dinner(with a grilled cheese) it wasn't that bad actually. It was:
1 Cup Peaches
1 Cup Mango
2-3 Cups Spinach
Water
Yogurt

Forty Days to 5K: Day 1

I know what you are thinking- "40 days to a 5K? Is this girl joking? I could run a 5K today without training." I know, it is embarrassing that it is going to take me 40 days to muster up a 5K but believe it or not, I actually used to be quite the athlete. I played every sport growing up and as I got older I chose to focus on cheerleading, competitively and school cheer. Then I went to college. I went from working out 10+ hours a week and eating whatever I wanted- free of consequence, to coming to college and working out 0 hours a week and still eating whatever I wanted(aka froyo, cinnamon toast crunch, and the chocolate cookies in the BLUU). So I went from looking like this(senior year):

to this(sophomore year):

needless to say I put on some weight, lost every ounce of muscle mass I ever had and was not pleased with the way I looked.  I bitched about my weight and look constantly. I would complain about how fat my arms were or my double chin or my cheeks, my love handles, my cellulite.. the list goes on and on. My friends and parents were always supportive with the "you look fine" and "you aren't fat" but I think I knew I was loosing control of the way I looked and it was time to do something about it. I was sitting with my mom and parent's weekend in a restaurant and began to tear up about the way I looked. So here we are. I have decided to change it. Which brings me 40 days to 5K.

This is a running plan I have done before(the spring of my junior year) so I know that it works. I can't and have never been a good runner. I don't like running, I'm not fast, I don't have a long stride. There are zero things enjoyable to me about crawling alongside the road to the beat of a pop song. BUT if I want to change the way I look and feel, I have to do something. So I am officially picking running as my catalyst.  I plan to run 4 times a week according to a plan(seen below), and the off/rest days walk and do weights.

I do not expect to look dramatically different in 40 days. I am a science student, I know that is not the way the body works. But hopefully I will feel different and be on my way to looking different in 40 days time. I am going to try to make better eating choices and make time in the Word each day to round out this plan for a happier, healthier, more confident me.

So today I walked 10 minutes, ran 10 minutes and walked another 14 minutes. I forgot how hard running was and how out of shape I am. I maybe can't even call it running because I ran at an 11 min/mile pace and was hunched over similar to that of an old lady. But I finished. I didn't quit and I will do it again.

Cheers to progress

(don't let the smile fool you- I was crying on the inside)

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.

Psalm 28:7