Busy Busy Busy

Hey All! I have to apologize for my lack of post yesterday! This week is filled with all kinds of chaos and business that I literally did not have enough hours in the day to do a post.

Monday I headed over to a friends house to hang out and celebrate my friends birthday! It was a relaxing dinner with cheese stuffed shells, salad and funfetti cake! Dinner was super delicious! I wish I had taken a picture for everyone to see!

Yesterday I had a 5 mile run that I needed to get in for my scheduled run.  I went to the gym right after work and was pretty pleased with myself.  Instead of doing the 2:1 ratio that I have been doing in the past, I did a 3:1 ratio and cut a few minutes off of my time! By the last mile, though, I started to fatigue a bit and went back down to the 2:1 ratio.  

A new growing favorite thing for me about going to the gym for a run is getting to watch HGTV.  Yesterday during my run I was able to watch Million Dollar Rooms and it was so fascinating.  I can't believe some of the things people spend their money on! BUT, I was pretty impressed with a few of the rooms.  My favorite was the living room with a pool in it that connects to an outdoor pool! Can you believe that? I would love to be able to just hop in my indoor pool and swim right to the outdoor one!

Well,  I've got a ton of stuff to do before I head out to my Weight Watchers meeting this afternoon!

Here are my running results:

Distance: 5 miles

Time: 57:03

Calories Burned: 623.3

Average Speed: 5.2

Time of Day: 2:30pm

Any Painful Spots: the top of my left foot again.  I think there is a bruise

Song of Choice: Obviously none since I watched HGTV

Well, thanks for checking in! 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far!'

Over and Out.

Strawberries Anyone?

Hey  All! I hope everyone's weekend has been as enjoyable as mine has! Yesterday we were rudely awoken by the landscaping staff at our complex trimming the bushes back.  I am not sure why they had to do this at 8:00 in the morning on a Saturday, but that is what they decided to do.

None-the-less, I had to get up somewhat early so I could get my run in for the day.  According to my running schedule, I was to do 10 miles yesterday, but I didn't quite make it that far.  About 8 miles into the run the top of my left foot starting aching REALLY badly and instead of forcing myself to go the last mile and a half, I decided to just stop running.  I was afraid if I kept running I would end up doing some real damage to my foot.  I did, however, make it for 8.5 miles, so that is pretty good if I do say so myself!

After the gym I headed out to run some errands and get the ingredients for a cake for my mother-in-laws birthday! Her favorite cake is a carrot cake and I had NO idea what I was doing for the cake but it ended up turning out pretty good!

Today we surprised my mother-in-law and took her strawberry picking! I haven't been strawberry picking since I was about 5, so I was really looking forward to going today and the strawberries were super delicious! Look how delicious our berries looked!

It was so nice to be outside and getting some good exercise bending up and down to get the berries.  We ended up with 6.8 pounds of berries so when we got home we divided them up and gave away some to our neighbors.  It was nice to share and they were all pretty excited to get some fresh picked berries.  

Once the excitement of the berries died down Justin and I settled in for the evening to do laundry and work on cleaning the house.  I also had a project to work on for a friends birthday celebration tomorrow, but I will have to post a picture another day because she reads my blog! 

This week's running schedule is going to be a little off because I am literally busy every.single.day this week.  I think tomorrow I am going to try to go do some CT so I can make sure that I worked out at least 5 times in the last week.  Tuesday I am supposed to run 5, Wednesday is 3 miles, Thursday is 4 miles and Saturday is 11.  I am not sure how Saturday is going to work because we are going to Chicago for his cousins wedding reception and we have to get there at a semi-decent time.  We shall see what happens!

Well, I really should go back to cleaning the house even though I have no desire to!

Here are my results from the run:

Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

Distance: 8.5

Calories Burned: 980

Average Speed: 5.1

Any Painful Spots: top of left foot, right rib cage

Song of Choice: Still hooked on HGTV

Time of Day: 9:00 am

Goals for this Week: Get all of the week day runs in.  I am not expecting Saturday to be successful, but I will aim to get at least a short run in!

Well, that's all for now! Thanks for checking in and I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Over and Out.

Just Dropping In

Hey all! Just doing a quick post tonight because it's already almost 10 and I am SUPER tired!

Yesterday's weigh in at Weight Watchers was less than satisfactory.  I ended up gaining 2.2 pounds which is pretty upsetting to me because I have been working so hard at running and trying to eat healthier (though I have to say I wasn't all that good this past wekend.  I was pretty upset that I went up in pounds and I have to say I was about ready to just quit.  

I decided to just get some sleep to reset everything and I have to say today was definitely a new day and I feel so much better.  I decided last night that it would be good for me to start keeping a thankful journal for all of the things that I am thankful for.  In the Drop Dead Healthy book , A.J. Jacobs talks about how studies have been done on keeping a thankful journal.  I figured I would give it a try and see how much it changes my attitude and if it will help me not take for granted the things that I have.

Today while I was running I ran into some of my dear friends at the gym and got distracted (I have to say it was a good distraction) and ended up not keeping track of my time or anything, so I can say that I did at least 2.5 miles but I can't tell you the calories or anything.  I can honestly say that I am okay with the fact that I didn't finish my run.  Sometimes spending time talking to people is more beneficial to your health then the actual exercise.

Well, I've got a busy day ahead of me tomorrow, so I am off for the night!  Thanks for checking in and I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!

Over and Out.

Drop Dead Healthy

Guess who is officially a graduate student?! I am! While I was headed to my hair appointment yesterday I got an e-mail stating that I was accepted into the I/O Psychology Master's program at Wayne State University located in Detroit, MI.  I could not be any happier that I got into the program and I've been doing all kinds of research for financial aid and all other kinds of research on scholarships.  I think we are going to celebrate this weekend by going out to dinner with some family and friends.  It's going to be pretty low key, but I look forward to spending time with people I love.

I got back on track and went on a run today and I have to say it was rather enjoyable.  I really should have gone running this past weekend, I am sure it would have put me in a much better mood.  I would have gladly headed outside for a run today, but seeing as it was 98 degrees when I got home from work, that didn't seem like the wisest idea to me.

Last week I was checking out the PBFingers blog and she had mentioned what the book club book for the month of June was going to be.  The readers decided on the book, "Drop Dead Healthy" by A.J. Jacobs.  I have been reading a lot of fiction, teen oriented books lately and when I saw PBFingers book choice, I thought it would be a generous change of pace, and it definitely was!

If you haven't heard of this book, I would definitely recommend it! Jacobs's quest to be the "healthiest man on earth" is one of great research and comedy.  There was rarely a point in the book where I found my brain wandering onto other things and the times I did was because my phone was ringing and I had to answer it.

I love how often Jacobs references his family in the book and while you read it you begin to feel like you are really there talking with his Grandfather or his Aunt and wish that you actually knew them in person.  Jacobs does an excellent job of taking what would normally be a rather boring read and turns it comical by saying things like, "What else can I fix? What about that chin? It sort of flows smoothly into the throat, creating a combined chin/throat: a choat".  I literally laughed out loud at that sentence.

If you are looking for a book that will give you a wide variety of research on health and the body then this book is definitely for you.  Jacobs does an excellent job taking all different ideas into consideration and does not cross them off until he's tried them or they have been deemed not safe.  So if you are looking for a lighthearted, knowledge wealthy book this is it!

On that note, here are my results from today's run.  I do have to say that the timing is beginning to level off and I am averaging same times for same distances to within seconds of the other runs.  This makes me feel pretty good that at the very least I have an average time to be looking for in the long run.

Time: 47:07

Distance: 4 miles

Calories Burned: 481.4

Average Speed: 4.1

Time of Day: 2:30p.m.

Any Painful Spots: left rib cage and shins a bit

Song of Choice: No music, just HGTV  (Gotta get my fill!)

Question of the day: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Thanks for checking in! I'll be back tomorrow.

Over and Out.

I Was Bad This Weekend

Hey All.  So I was really bad this weekend and didn't do either of my scheduled runs.  For the last week I have been in a major funk and have had no desire to do anything.  As you could tell from the previous post on Thursday, I had no desire to even get my rear end to the gym.

I have to say that I am rather disappointed in myself for not at least going to the gym to work out at all, but sometimes you just have to take a break.  Yesterday Justin and I had a graduation party to go to and headed to my parents house to celebrate Father's Day with my step-dad.  The graduation party was very nice and I was able to be somewhat moderate with how much food I consumed, but I could have been better.

After the graduation party we headed to my parents house for dinner.  My mom made a delicious roast with corn and sweet potato.  I always love eating dinner at my parents house because she always cooks the best meals.  After dinner Justin and my brother went out side to shoot blow darts at a box.  Typical boy stuff right?

 

While the boys did that, mom and I headed out for a walk and we ended up going for about 3 miles.  I typically am supposed to do 3 easy miles on Sunday, so I considered that 3 miles my "easy" run for yesterday.

I originally was supposed to run 9 miles this weekend and just did not have it in me.  I think the stress of not knowing about graduate school is really wearing down on me.  The application deadline for Wayne State University was this past Friday (June 15) and I've been a nervous wreck ever since I submitted my application the week before.  I am really hoping that I can get in this time around because last time I applied my heart really was not in the application; however, I REALLY want to go back to school this fall and be working toward my master's degree 

I guess I will just have to play the "waiting game" with them until I get an answer and as soon as I know I will be sure to let everyone know on here as well!

I will leave you with this picture! We always try to have a good time together :)

Have a great week everyone and I will be sure to report back to you when I get my next run in!

Over and Out.

Victory is Paid for in Sweat

Hello all! I want to first start off with this:

Yesterday I was seriously lacking the motivation to do anything after work, so I posted on my forum looking for encouragement from my friends and this picture is what they sent to me (amongst others). I do have to say that the picture helped me out a lot and I did end up doing the 4 miles I was supposed to for the training process.

Yesterday's run was not easy, but it wasn't hard either.  I did the standard 2:1 ratio at 5.8 and 3.8 and have been averaging just under a 12 minute mile for the longer distances.  Ultimately, I would like to be able to run a 5k without stopping once.  I think I am going to sign myself up for a 5k in July and make that my goal: run the whole 5k without stopping.  Now I just have to find one that I could do!

Yesterday during my run I started getting pain in my shins again, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the last time I had the pain.  I made sure to spend extra time stretching and rubbing my shins so that when I run on Saturday my shins will not prevent me from finishing.  I need to make sure to get my long run in because I honestly feel that those are the ones that count the most.

Here are my results for the 4 mile run yesterday:

Distance: 4 miles

Time: 47:02

Calories Burned: 479.6

Average Speed: 5.1

Time of Day: 3:00 p.m.

Any Painful Spots: Shins a bit, left rib cage

Song of Choice: none today, just HGTV

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I will make sure to post on Sunday!

Over and Out.

Under the Never Sky

Hey All! Yesterday I didn't have a scheduled run so I didn't have much to post about.  I had a rather frustrating day at work though so I quickly headed out to the gym after work to burn off some of the steam I had built up while at work.  I did 40 minutes on the elliptical then headed off to the weight training area and lifted some weights.

I haven't been doing much weight lifting since I started training for the 1/2 marathon and figured it would be appropriate to start toning out those "flabby" muscles.  I did a lot of upper body work and then did some squats/lunges and weight machines for my legs. 

 

 As promised, I am going to do a quick review of the book, "Under the Never Sky" by Veronica Rossi.   

Brief Synopsis

Since she’d been on the outside, she’d survived an Aether storm, she’d had a knife held to her throat, and she’d seen men murdered. This was worse.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland – known as The Death Shop – are slim. If the cannibals don’t get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She’s been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He’s wild – a savage – and her only hope of staying alive.
A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile – everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria’s help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

My Review

 This book catches your attention within the first 10 pages.  You are brought into the story and are quickly introduced to the two main characters and get a basic understanding of what type of people they really are.  Because the book is written third person limited, you are able to "hear" the thoughts of both Aria and Perry throughout the story and begin to wish you could know more about what they are thinking.

When I wasn't reading the book I would find myself often wondering what I would do if I was thrown into the wild where I had no knowledge of how to defend myself and how I would handle being lead by a complete stranger through the woods to a place that I have never seen and learning to trust a complete stranger and be aware of my own surroundings and my body. 

Rossi does an excellent job of developing a romantic side of the story by showing Perry talking and sharing things with Aria.  Throughout the first half of the book Perry hardly says a word to Aria and by the end of the book he can't stop talking to her and it is through her incessant desire for him to talk that he learns how to communicate with other people.

I would definitely recommend this book to you avid readers out there.  It has everything you could want: adventure, romance, mystery and suspension.  Definitely take a minute to check it out!

Thanks for checking in and I look forward to sharing my next good read  with you!

Over and Out.

I Can't Believe I Missed it!

Hey All! I completely zoinked on doing a post yesterday because I had some last minute plans come up and Justin and I didn't get home until much later than I had expected.  BUT! The unplanned plans ended up being much more enjoyable than what we had originally planned for the evening.  

Yesterday after work I headed to the library to pick up my book hold that had come in.  After reading Read.Breathe.Relax's guest post on PB Fingers I went out to my local library, got a card, and put a hold on as many of the books Lisa recommended that were similar to The Hunger Games series.  The only book I didn't put a hold on was "Under the Never Sky" by Veronica Rossi.  I went ahead and bought that book right away.  I just finished this book last night so be looking for a book review later today!

After hitting the library for the books, I headed to the gym to get my 4 mile run in for the day.  For whatever reason my legs were having nothing to do with my run and kept cramping up on me.  I was getting a little frustrated because I made sure to spend extra time stretching before the run since I hadn't stretched since Saturday.  But I did finish the run yesterday in what I feel was a pretty decent time!

After my run I headed out to the grocery store to grab some groceries that we desperately needed.  Yes, I did go to the store immediately after working out.  And the store was surprisingly busy.  I have to say I am pretty excited though because they had clementines! Justin and I love clementines and I haven't been able to find them anywhere for a couple of months! While I was shopping, my mother-in-law called me to ask if we would be interested in going out to dinner to P.F. Changs! Of course I said yes, as this is one of my favorite restaurants ever!
 

As I am sure you all remember, my sister and brother-in-law are having a little girl this upcoming October, so after dinner we headed out to shop for some cute girly clothes! This is what we came up with!

 All of these dresses were under $20 a piece! What in the world! They are so adorable and I cannot wait to see them on her!


So it turns out that yesterday was National Peanut Butter Cookie Day and I totally missed it. :( I absolutely LOVE peanut butter cookies and would have definitely made a few dozen in honor of such a wonderful holiday. Maybe I will do that today?

 What is everybody's favorite Peanut Butter Cookie recipe? I am always looking for new ways to make them even better!

I do not have a scheduled run for today, but I think I am going to try to get 3 miles in just in case.  I didn't end up going on Sunday, and I could use this as my "make-up" 3 miles.  Anyway, here are my results for yesterday's run:

Time: 46:36

Distance: 4 miles

Calories Burned: 584.3

Average Speed: 5.1

Any Painful Spots: My shins are acting up.  This is frustrating

Time of Day: 3 pm

Song of Choice: None today! Watched HGTV again haha

Anyway, I am off for now.  I will do a book review post later!

Over and Out.

S.M.A.R.T

Hey All! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! I was supposed to go to Cedar Point yesterday, but the plans fell through last minute and it ended up working out well.  Instead of going to Cedar Point, I went to the mall with a few of my friends and my hubby to go see a movie.  

Before we saw the movie my friend needed to get some new shirts/ties for his new job and I had a blast helping him pick out clothes.  We all pitched in and helped him pick out a few shirts and ties and this is what he ended up with:

You'll have to excuse the facial expression.  He was asking us which tie he should buy and I caught him at a weird point in the picture.  After we went to pick out shirts for him we headed to the movies.  We ended up seeing Snow White and The Huntsman.  Overall, the movie was pretty good and I would recommend everyone to go see it.  You definitely get involved with the characters and who doesn't love looking at Chris Hemsworth? He is just such a beautiful human being.

My scheduled run for Saturday was 8 miles and I have to say it was pretty difficult.  I got through the first 6 with no problem, then my legs decided that they had other plans for me.  During the longer runs I have been using the 2 minute, 1 minute principle and it has been working pretty well.  I run at 5.8 for 2 minutes then walk (briskly I must add) at 3.8 for 1.  The system was working great because I would average a 1/4 mile every 3 minutes.  I know that this isn't a very quick pace for the run, but when I am going longer distances, it is better than killing myself the first 2-3 miles then not being able to finish the rest.

This run was rather frustrating for me though.  Right in the middle of the run my hips/knees decided that they didn't want to go any further and I was forced to change the 2:1 ratio down to 1:1.  I could hardly get to the one minute mark by the time I reached the last mile, but I was able to finish and I am super proud of myself for doing so!

At the last Weight Watchers meeting they asked us to set a weight loss goal for the rest of the summer that we would like to meet by Labor Day.  It seems to me like Labor Day is a million days away, but at the same time oh so very close.  One of the things we talked about was the SMART principle in setting goals and it really struck me as a good general rule to live by.  What does SMART stand for you ask? Well let me tell you!

S- specific

M- measurable

A - attainable

R - realistic

T - timely

S - Specific.  When relating this principle to weight loss your goal needs to be specific.  We all understand that you want to lose weight but if you do not have a specific number in mind then you will most likely not meet your goal.  Specificity allows for you to focus on one point

M- Measurable.  Your goal has to be measurable.  In the case of weight, it could be the number on the scale, the number of inches off of your waist, or the size of your clothing.  You have to be able to track your progress otherwise you will lose focus.

A-Attainable and R- Realistic go hand-in-hand for this type of goal.  If I said to you that I wanted to lose 50 pounds by Labor Day you would probably think that to be a bit ridiculous.  In fact, I would have to lose over 1 pound a day to reach that goal! That is almost impossible, but more importantly, NOT HEALTHY.  You want to set a goal that that is within "arms-length" otherwise you will become frustrated and give up on your goal.

T-Timely.  This one, I think, is very important.  If you do not set a time frame for yourself, you will never reach your goal.   

My goal is to be down 15 pounds by Labor Day.  I chose this number because between last weeks meeting and Labor Day there are 13 weeks.  I would need to lose just over 1 pound a week to meet that goal.  To me, this seems like a reasonable goal to try to achieve.  Ultimately, I would like to be down 9 pounds by July 25, but I would have to lose about 1.25 pounds a week.  I think this is a reasonable goal, but I also don't want to over stress myself about meeting this goal.  We shall see!

Anyway, here is my weekly picture:

Again, I can't visibly see any changes, but I am sure I could if I looked at the first picture, then put it next to this one.

For Saturday's run, here are my results:

Time: 1 hour 58 minutes 54 seconds

Distance: 8 miles

Calories Burned: 944.6

Winded (scale 1-10): 7

Time of Day: 9:30am

Any Painful Spots: rib cage a bit.  No other spots though!

Song of Choice: None, watched HGTV again

Additional Notes: None today. :)

What types of goals do you have? Share them with me if you'd like and we can talk ideas on meeting our goals!

Thanks for checking in and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Over and Out.

Trying to Get Motivated

Good Evening! As you can tell from the title of this post, I haven't done my run yet for the day and it probably isn't going to happen.  This week has been so absolutely chaotic for me that I haven't been getting nearly enough sleep every night, and because of the lack of sleep I have been dragging ALL day today.  I was not a pretty sight this morning when I rolled out of bed.

On top of being exhausted from lack of sleep, I am physically exhausted.  Yesterday after my run I decided to do some weight lifting and I apparently worked much harder than I realized.  I love the feeling of having sore muscles, but it's never good when walking becomes difficult.  

Today was such a beautiful day! The sun was shining and the clouds were the white fluffy kind that you want to just lay on the grass and watch roll by.  I was able to snap a quick picture of the sky on my way home from work today.

 Isn't it just beautiful? I really should have just went for a run right when I got home.  I think I'll be kicking myself later for not going.

On an exciting note, I got a new planner today! I've been waiting for it to get closer to July because that is when the new yearly planners come out.  I love having a place where I can write everything down and keep track of it (especially as the summer starts getting busier).  This is my planner!

 I actually had one identical to this my last year of college and it served me very well.

Today I finished my graduate school application! I am so nervous.  The application is officially due June 15th, but I wanted to get it out of the way so that I was not scrambling at the last minute to get my application in.  The only bad thing about putting it in a week early is that I now have to play the waiting game.  The last time I applied to this school they had an answer for me the day after the application was due (I think because I was declined acceptance), so I am actually kind of praying that I don't get an answer immediately after the due date.  We will have to wait and see on that one though!

Well, I think I am going to make an attempt to work out some.

Have a great day!

Over and Out.

Happy National Running Day!

Hey All! So today is National Running Day and I definitely did my celebrating today by heading to the gym and getting 3 miles in! If you're interested in learning more about National Running Day check out this awesome site: Check Me Out!

I wish I had known a little sooner about National Running Day because I would have taken the time to find a group and gone out with other people today.  Oh well, at least I will be prepared for next year!

On an interesting note, I got my first blister today in a spot that I've never had one before.  Here is a picture!

As you can see, the blister is on the inside of my toe.  I honestly am not sure how it happened, but it was very amusing when I noticed it.  Tomorrow when I do the run I will have to put something on it to reduce the rubbing and hopefully eliminate the blisters.  Luckily for me, the blister is not painful, so even if it does come back, I won't really notice it all that much.

Today's run was rather enjoyable.  I've been in a funky mood lately and going for a run every day has been helping me get out of my funk.  That and I got to watch HGTV while I was running on the treadmill today.  We don't have cable at our house, so it is always a treat when I get to watch HGTV or TLC. 

On a VERY exciting note, I had to weigh in today at Weight Watchers and I was down almost 2 pounds! This is so exciting because I have been kind of stuck in a rut for 2 months and today on top of losing 2 pounds I FINALLY got out of the rut.  At Weight Watchers they have little bells that they ring when something good happens and they rang the bell for me today.  It was such a satisfying feeling having them ring the bell to celebrate my weight loss!

Here are my results for today's run:

Distance: 3

Time: 34:17

Calories Burned: 377

Average Speed: 5.2

Time of Day: 2:30pm

Winded (scale 1-10): 4

Any Painful Spots: Right foot again and my hips have been bothering me a little lately

Song of Choice: "On Top of the World" Imagine Dragons (when I wasn't watching HGTV)

Anyway, it's rather late and I've got a busy day tomorrow.  Thanks for checking in!

Over and Out.

Awesome Belated Birthday Present!

Hey All! Sorry I didn't do a post yesterday.  I ended up having a really rough day and just decided to take the day off and relax, which turned into spending time with my best friend.  On an exciting note, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law announced that they are having a little girl in October! They originally had a plan to do a mini get together and announce it then, but they ran out of time and weren't able to plan a party, so they video chatted with everyone and this is how they announced what they were having:

My nephew is absolutely adorable, and they honestly couldn't have done it in a cuter way! I can't wait to go shopping for a little girl! Little boy stuff is cute, but little girl stuff is CUTER!

Last night after I heard the great news I headed over to my best friends house to spend some time with her and catch up.  Because I hadn't seen her in a while she gave me my birthday present a little late, but I LOVE IT! Take a look!

It's a shoe charm and a 5k charm! She said she had to look all over for them, but she finally found them on Etsy! I was super excited because I had pinned something like this on Pinterest a while back and showed her because I thought it was such a neat idea.  I can't wait to be able to add more charms to it down the road! Such a thoughtful gift of her :)

As promised on Sunday, here is my weekly picture:

Nothing too major has changed in my body in the last week.  I am starting to see a difference in my arms though, especially from the elbow to the wrist.  It's nice to start seeing my arms toning out since I've been doing a little bit of weight lifting after I run.  

I few posts ago I mentioned that I wanted to start sharing recipes with you! Last night my husband and I had White Bean Turkey Chili for dinner and it is DELICIOUS! You can find the recipe here: Delicious Chili! It is one of my husbands favorite recipes and I often find him asking me to make it for him.  What I love about this recipe is it is only 5 points for a cup of chili and it is SUPER filling.  I can get away with only having one bowl and be full for the rest of the night.  That, and it is really good as leftovers too!

Today I had a four mile run and it wasn't all that great.  For some reason, I felt extremely fatigued today while I was running and kept having to slow way down in order to be able to keep going.  I had a goal to finish the 4 miles in 45 minutes and I was over my goal by about 30 seconds.  That's not too shabby if you ask me!

While I was headed to the gym I heard a song on the radio and decided to check out more of the band's music and I fell in LOVE with another one of their songs! The band is called Imagine Dragons and the song is called "On Top of the World".  Talk about a motivating song! It's all about reaching your goals and "being on top of the world".  After having another rough day at work, it was so nice to find this song and be able to completely change my attitude about everything.

Well, this blog is getting a little hefty, so I will end with my results for today:

Distance: 4 Miles

Time: 45:23

Calories Burned: 510

Average Pace: 5.2mph

Time of Day: 3:00pm

Winded (scale 1-10): 6

Any Painful Spots: left rib cage and right foot again.  The painful spot is getting less and less so the shoes are definitely braking in!

Song of Choice: "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons! This song ROCKS and is great for running!

Notes: I have a weigh in tomorrow and I am interested to see if I am down.  I honestly will be surprised if I am not, but I will be able to say that I worked hard this past week and that is more than good enough for me!

Thanks for checking in and have a happy hump day tomorrow!

Over and Out.

7 Miles and Still Going

Hey All! So this weekend was pretty busy but I had a wonderful time! Yesterday I got myself up at what feels like an early time on a Saturday (9:30) and headed out to the gym.  I was determined to get my long run in since I haven't been able to get them in the past few weeks.  I can honestly say that I have never ran 7 miles consecutively in my life and am proud to say that I was able to finish in what I think is a timely manor.  

After I got my 7 mile run in I came home and basically collapsed from exhaustion.  My left calf and my right foot were pretty sore so I had to put my feet up and just relax them for a bit.  Once I was more relaxed I headed up to shower and get ready for the wedding I was headed off to.  My friend asked me to be his date to a wedding and I gladly accepted because I knew the bride and groom very well.  Their wedding was absolutely beautiful and she was radiant! Here are some pictures from their wedding:

I love this dress I wore to the wedding.  I actually wore it for one of my bridal showers last year and it's so comfortable.  The amazing thing is when I tried it on it was a little bit too big! What a great feeling! 

Today I slept in pretty late because I was exhausted from all of yesterday's excitement.  When I got up my body was not too happy with me.  The plan was to get up somewhat early and head to the gym for my 3 mile "easy" run.  Unfortunately my legs were not having any of that today.  I will just plan on getting the three miles in tomorrow.

Well! Here are my notes from yesterday's run!

Distance: 7 Miles

Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Calories Burned: 870.8

Average Pace: 5.0mph

Time of Day: 9:30 am

Winded (scale 1-10): 8 because I am still fighting the cold

Song of Choice: Trojans by Atlas Genius

Any Painful Spots: Left calf again and my right foot.  The pain in my right foot didn't start until the 7th mile which I was very thankful for.

I've been doing laundry all day so I cannot take my Sunday picture, but I take one tomorrow after I get my run in at the gym.

Anyway! Thanks for checking in and I hope everyone has a wonderful week! 

Over and Out.