back on the wagon

Today I laced up & went running for the first time since before Thanksgiving. I’m not sure exactly why I went on a two month hiatus, but I think it had to do with the intense amount of training I was attempting (I jumped into a 10k training program after my 5k), not to mention the stress of finals, holiday traveling, and of course, cooler temps. I mean, the temperature isn’t too bad around here of course, but the earlier sunset meant my evening running routine didn’t work as well.

Now that the holidays are over & we’ve had extraordinarily mild weather, I knew I needed to hit the pavement. But I kept putting it off. And putting it off. Then last night I had the worst time trying to fall asleep, and I knew it was time. Sleep should not be hard to come by if you are healthy! The straw that broke the camel’s back though was this morning when I was moping around the kitchen, head in my hands, having a little self-pity party, feeling super depressed for no reason at ALL. Moody as I may be, I’m smart enough to recognize annoying behavior in myself and I knew right away that today was the day I needed to get back out there! My moods are always so much better when I’m exercising regularly.

My run went well, but my break added a few minutes to my 5k time. It’s amazing how quickly you can lose all that training! I feel great though, and only felt like I might throw up once. Excellent!

Now I don’t feel quite so guilty about devouring that super-size vegetarian lasagna.

Photo: livehealthyworkhard

5k

I did it! And I loved it! Perhaps best of all was that I beat my own personal best time – finishing at 28:17:03, averaging 9:08/mile and placing 11th in my division (25-29F). I think I placed 135th out of all females & 429th overall, which isn’t quite as impressive, but I was running alongside some elite athletes, and this was my FIRST race! I didn’t know my time until many hours later today, and to say I was shocked would be an understatement. When I saw a dad with a baby stroller pass me, I thought for sure I was going to have a super low ranking.

It was a truly awesome experience, and as soon as I caught my breath, I wanted to go again. I think I am addicted! I am so looking forward to the next, and training for a 10k!

Huge thanks to my husband for waking up at 5am with me on the day after he got home from his work trip in Chicago, just so he could watch me cross that finish line. I love him!

(that’s me in the blue shorts, looking sweaty but triumphant)

happy early birthday

I have the cutest husband ever. Woke up this morning to find a little polka dot package on my desk.

It was an early birthday gift from J, an iPod nano, which I had expressed interest in a while back because of how challenging it is to run while holding my phone. I kind of knew he would get it for me, so he wanted to make when I got it a surprise (my bday is still 2 weeks away). How thoughtful is he!

I also had no idea what color he’d pick. All I said was, “no pink!” but I was secretly hoping he’d get this pretty orange one! I was so happy. I can’t wait to go running again on Monday night. I was so excited, I registered for my first 5k immediately after. 28 days til the big race!

goal: reached!

It’s been a very busy week so far, as I anticipated! Lots of scrambling around trying to get into the rest of my classes (all the animal science classes are full, but so far I’ve gotten into two of them, maybe 3!) But so far, I love love love school. I mean, sure I haven’t really started the hard work yet… but even talking about the material and being around people that share my passion is so energizing.

Speaking of energizing, I’m just popping in to update that I ran for 31 minutes tonight! Yes, I officially passed my running goal!! I wasn’t planning on it at all, I was planning on doing a 28 minute run, but when my time was up, I just kept going. I ran until I got to my house and it turned out to be just about 31 minutes. The craziest thing is, I didn’t even feel like I had to stop… I could have totally kept going. The past couple runs have actually been oddly easy… I’m not sure if I passed some kind of a threshold or what, but all of the sudden it’s like my body remembers what’s going on and pushes through without any problem. Even the hills that I usually struggle on are a piece of cake. It feels unreal… I don’t mean to brag, but I am so, so proud of myself! I guess this means I need to start working on a new goal. Speed, perhaps? Or I might integrate cycling into my “off” days. We’ll see.

Hope you’re all having a great week! Xo

Photo: Nike ad from 1988. Found here. 

desperately seeking fitness motivation

I’m going to go out on a limb here and try to talk about something I know very little about – fitness. I’m what would be classified as “skinny fat” – thin enough to appear in shape, but out of shape enough to get out of breath after climbing a couple flights of stairs. I have zero muscle tone and my heart and respiratory system could stand to be challenged by a bit of exercise. But it’s just so hard to doooo.

what does marilyn have to do with exercise? nada

My dilemma is the same as many – I work all day long, which leaves two options for bonafide exercise time – early am, or late pm. If you know me, you know I’m not an early riser. Try as I might, I just can’t seem to get my sorry butt out of bed in the morning (the only thing that gets me up early is when I know I am going to drive some sweet cats to the vet for Kitten Rescue). And after a full day of work and a starving belly, exercise is the last thing on my mind as I come crashing through the front door with all my stuff I carry around (purse, laptop bag, sweater, coffee mug – I’m like a bag lady really).  Plopping on the couch, cooking dinner, even cleaning are all more appetizing than going for a run or heading to a – gulp – gym.

I am no dummy, I know the physical (and mental) benefits of healthful living and regular exercise. My father is a martial arts instructor, my other father hits the gym every morning at 5am on the dot, my brother cycles, swims, and runs multiple times a week, even my mid-70s grandfather goes to the fitness center each and every morning (he’s a retired Colonel, die-hard and disciplined.)  It should be in my blood!!  But alas, I am lazy.  And having a husband with a no-maintenance-required physique is not helping matters.

So what’s a girl to do? Something’s gotta give. It’s time for change. I’m concerned for my future 60 year old self, and my current 28 year old self, for that matter. I have no plans to quit my job anytime soon, so I’ve got to find a solution that works for my am-or-pm schedule. I’m thinking am. After all, I’ve always WANTED to be a morning person, I quite enjoy lazy evenings (and eating dinner at a normal hour).  Plus, for the month I did a 6:30am bootcamp back in 07, I felt fantastic all day long and reveled in the fact that I could eat enormous breakfasts everyday.

So what’s my plan of attack? I’m the type of person who likes to lump changes together – therefore I think moving into our house is a great starting point for my ~*new fitness routine*~.  Plus, we are moving to a much more run-friendly neighborhood (as opposed to the sketch-tastic Sunset Blvd and dreaded La Brea/Santa Monica corner), which should be great, considering I want to accomplish this:

• Mon-Fri: wake up early (no later than 7am) and go for a run/walk, followed by stretches.
• Supplement with yoga classes and/or hiking at least 1-2 times a week.
• Buy a bike by the end of the year and go for regular rides.

We’ll start there. Yoga is a no-brainer, easy-peasy, solution – being a neurotic nut who tends to worry herself sick (literally), I am familiar with the emotional and physical payoffs of yoga.  I even bought a great deal on Living Social this weekend – $45 fora month of unlimited yoga at Earth’s Power Yoga, a studio within walking distance of our new house. If only exercising were as easy as online shopping, right?

But running – this will be a challenge for me. I was that scrawny girl in high school who couldn’t run a quarter mile without dry-heaving (I actually joined track team in ninth grade and quit after a month, big surprise). But a couple years back, I watched my girlfriend Francesca complete the LA marathon and was mega-inspired.  I wanted to be one of those people with that kind of endurance, that kind of discipline, with those kinds of sculpted legs! So I started running around my sketchy block in the evenings. At first, I couldn’t run for more than a minute and a half without having to stop, and after a mile I was so out of breath and light headed I felt like my ears were bleeding. It was fun I tell you. But after a few weeks, I was able to run 3 miles – not in one straight shot, but I got it done eventually. I felt great. I looked great. I was in a good mood.

Then I stopped. And anyone who has quit a workout routine knows that the longer you go without it, the harder it is to start back up.

My brother, who is used to me asking him for the “secret” to fitness motivation, recently shared a quote with me from one of his Air Force bootcamp instructors. When asked why he kept running if it hurt so badly, he said “I run because it hurts.” Get it?  It’s about embracing the pain and letting that be your motivator to keep going. It only gets better from there, right?

Let’s hope so.  Anyone want to join me?

Share your own fitness motivation or tell me your secrets for tricking yourself into waking up early and/or getting your booty moving!