Saturday is a Special Day...

Today was a good good day!

Woke up, turned on the tv, and did my new stretches routine! Running has been really tough on my body. Though I don't feel sore, I definitely notice that some of my muscles are a bit stiff. I took my time on these this morning, and did some again after my run! So refreshing!

In other news, I ran my 8 miles today! It was difficult, and I will admit that I was a little excited to be done. As soon as I hit that 8 mile mark, I kinda just wanted to cry! I was so happy I had done it and it was so hard, I kinda just wanted to collapse into my little ball of joy. But there were people around, so I just cooled down instead :P I was proud of myself because I was watching a tv show (there are like 10 tvs and you plug in your headphones to this cable box on your treadmill) and then the attendent like looked at me watching...and then he turned the channel of the tv I was watching...and then looked back. I was like "what, I still have four miles left to go!" and then he just started laughing and changed it back and then changed a different tv for someone else instead. I guess it's kinda silly to be proud of that, but like I am running forever, I am not just going to sit there and be miserable. Own ittttt.

Running in general has been going very well. Up until....

my sock....

Doesn't hurt one bit, but I have been getting a blister in between one of my little toes and every time I run it bleeds a little! At first I was freaked out when I took off my shoes, but then I was kinda excited. I am pretty hardcore! haha :)

After my run today, I got to go to lunch with Eric, and then we went to his house and played games and, while he finished up some homework, I got to look at pinterest on his iPad :)

Speaking of pinterest, today I made a pin to post!

I have been thinking this saying over and over this past week when things get hard. I made it up myself! It's a little dorky, but I like it :) I was excited when I was looking on pinterest at Eric's place because I saw it had been reposted 36 times within 3 hours! Yay! I have been building up my "fitness" board on pinterest for a while so I can look at it for inspiration.

You can see it --->here<---



After Eric's homework was done, we played Halo some more, and then it was time for me to go home. Church tomorrow! Let's hope I am not too sore from my big run today!

Life...

I've been a busy little bee these past few days! Between school, running, and having fun, I've been pretty worn out!

Yesterday night I went on my first 5 mile run ever. 10:08 pace, so still a pretty relaxing speed, so I got done in just over 50 minutes. Including warm up and cool down, I did about 7 miles! I am so so excited about this. I used to think that by "second wind" was about at the one mile mark-- but boy, this isn't true!

@ 0-1 miles, you are just thinking "I can't believe I am going to be doing this for the next hour!"
@ 1-2 miles, I always find myself thinking "keep going...keep going"
PAUSE. Up until the past week or so, this is all I had really experienced from running. But wait, there's more!
@2-4 miles, somewhere in there, things start to change. It's like it isn't hard anymore....isn't that weird?
@5 miles, you don't need to stop. That feeling that you need to take a little breather or something, that is totally gone.

After finishing my first 5 miler, I definitely felt like I could keep on going if I needed to. I have heard this a million times before, but it really is all in your head. If your body is strong enough to do 3, it can do 4. If it's strong enough to do 4, it can do 5. Since I did 5, I know I can do more!

 Like I mentioned on my daily mile post, I did use Gatorade Prime for my workout. Terrible decision. The stuff tastes a little syrupy to begin with, but I was willing to push through the gross taste. Now I am just going to be honest about it because hopefully it will help someone else avoid the pain- this stuff made me have to burp pretty darn bad. I drink water with my run and don't have issues, but this was terrible. I felt like I couldn't get a deep breath because I was all uncomfortable, and at one point I thought I might have to throw it up-- YIKES. So I guess this isn't the thing for me. I will be trying other sports products that work with calorie, carb, and electrolyte replacement, so we will see how that goes!


After getting home from the gym and getting all cleaned up, I decided to try out my new Bengay. I had been having some joint pain, which is pretty typical, and some pain in the arches of my feet. The latter is probably because of my shoe situation (which isn't BAD by any means, just maybe not optimal for long distance). So, I put on my knock-off brand from Walmart and got all tucked into bed. When I woke up this morning, I felt GREAT! My legs weren't really sore in the first place, but my joints feel so much better. No stabbing pain in the knees or ankles. Woohoo. And this is a few bucks cheaper than the brand-name, so totally worth it.

School today wasn't half bad either. Quizzes in both my American History and Geology classes. Think I did quite well on both. I have another quiz tomorrow in History of Rock that I have to study for, but other than that, nothing too bad.

Unfortunately in all the excitement of school and running, my room  has gotten a little messy :( Going to tidy up while finishing my episode of The Biggest Loser, do some studying and home work, go to a church activity tonight (Ward Dinner, my favorite! :P ) and hopefully do just a little bit of yoga when I get home. Today is my rest day as far as training is concerned, so I am going to really enjoy it and get all ready for my upcoming runs.

Happy days!

Running Schedule

Just thought I would share a little about my 7 week training program for my half. This is a "moderate" difficulty plan. Before training I could run about 3 miles at a 35 minute pace.

Week 1: Jan 22-28
Sunday- Rest
Monday- 4 miles*
Tuesday- Cross Training**
Wednesday- 5 miles
Thursday-  Rest
Friday- 4 miles*
Saturday- 8 miles


Week 2: Jan 29- Feb 4
Sunday-Rest
Monday- 4.5 miles *
Tuesday-  Cross Training**
Wednesday- 8 miles
Thursday- Rest
Friday- 5 miles*
Saturday- 6 miles


Week 3: Feb 5- 11
Sunday-Rest
Monday- 5 miles*
Tuesday-  Cross Training**
Wednesday- 9 miles
Thursday-  Rest
Friday- 6 miles*
Saturday- 10 miles


Week 4: Feb 12-  18
Sunday- Rest
Monday- 5 miles*
Tuesday-  Cross Training**
Wednesday- 8 miles
Thursday-  Rest
Friday- 4 miles*
Saturday- 10 miles


Week 5: Feb 19-25
Sunday- Rest
Monday- 5 miles*
Tuesday-  Cross Training**
Wednesday- 10 miles
Thursday-  Rest
Friday- 5 miles*
Saturday- 12 miles


Week 6: Feb 26-Mar 3
Sunday-Rest
Monday- 4 miles*
Tuesday-  Cross Training**
Wednesday- 4 miles
Thursday- Rest
Friday- 3 miles*
Saturday- 12 miles


Week 7: Mar 4-10
Sunday- Rest
Monday- 4 miles*
Tuesday-  Cross Training**
Wednesday- 3 miles
Thursday- Rest
Friday- 1 mile *
Saturday- Half Marathon Day:13.1 miles

*warm up by walking 1 mile, cool down by fast walking 1 mile
**low impact cardio for heart health, upper body weights to avoid shoulder strain

13.1

Ohhh boy. I am just so excited! I have been holding off this post for a while because I was nervous about committing-- BUT here goes... I just registered for my very first 1/2 Marathon! I have been thinking about it for quite a few days, and finally went for it.

I have never been what I thought of as a "runner". I enjoy working out because it makes me feel great afterwards, but when it comes to running, it's kind of like eating gross veggies-- it's good for you! I always felt like I wasn't one of those people that could run long distances, and that it would be impossible to even run for such a long time!

So how did I go from thinking all that, to signing up? First off, I know these two girls in my ward at church who are doing one. I was telling them how I admired them for doing it, and then one of them basically said all of my thoughts. She told me she had just run 7 miles and that was the furthest she had ever gone, and she never thought she could, but now she really wants to do more! I kinda thought she was a bit crazy at first...but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it must be true. Everyone has to start somewhere. When I first started running 1 mile, I thought that was lame. Then I started running 2 miles. Then 3 miles...

And today, I ran 4! I have never ever ran more than 3.2 miles, and even then I don't think I ran them without taking any breaks or slowing down. Not today folks! Four miles in 40 minutes. Not the fastest of speeds, but my goal was to run without stopping and I did it! Not only did it prove to me that I can run longer than I think, it also showed me that its alllllll in your head. I never thought I could do it, but once I had the goal, I DID!!!

Four miles is a small feat compared to the 13.1 that I am doing March 10, 2012 (Happy birthday to me! :DD) at the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon. I am nervous, but so so thrilled to be doing something I never thought I would be able to!

Now, I am nervous for a few things:
1) Boredom- Just me and my ipod, for about 2.5 hours. I better get some good tunes
2) Puking- Gotta admit, I am pretty nervous I will spew. I guess that is why we train!
3) Joint pain- Running is pretty high stress on my knees (which are already a little weak) and ankles. I am doing cross training to help strengthen my body, but maybe taking advil before I start my race is a good idea. Thoughts?
4) Water- Luckily, this particular half has nutrition stations every 3 miles with water, fruit, bars, etc. I feel like hydration will definitely be important. I haven't gone on long runs yet, so it's also something I have to practice, making sure not to get a sore tummy from all that water sloshing!

Whenever I think about it, I can just imagine how happy I will be crossing that finish line knowing I did my thing! The race is taking place on my 20th birthday, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend it! I will have more to celebrate than just being old :)

Stay tuned for updates!

A Good Good Life

Fun day today!

Stayed up until 3am last night watching funny shows...
Okay, I know this is a little ridiculous, but I really enjoy staying up late. Happy days!

Slept in until 11am and woke up to beautiful sunny day...
Sun is already starting to melt the snow- makes me happy because (although I think the snow is lovely) it has really been taking a tole on my knees! I also haven't really been able to get to the gym because it's far too cold to walk in gym clothes, no place to store boots and coats if I do bundle up, and parking spots have been a bit iffy latey-- I get stuck everywhere I go! I felt so well rested and happy when I woke up this morning. Nice!

Spoke at a baptism of one of my new, dear friends...
Pictures were taken but I don't have them yet!!! Started meeting with a girl about my age named Becky about a month ago. I knew from the second I met her that she would get baptized- weird how that works! I am so excited because this is the first time while I have been a ward missionary that I have seen an investigator all the way from meeting them when they stumble into a church activity for the first time, to their baptism. We have a lot of converts here in Pullman, probably about one a month, and it has been really fun for me to work closely with Becky and many others as they learn about the gospel. I have never spoken at a baptism before so I was a little nervous, but I definitely had a lot of fun and can't wait to do it again!

Went Ice Skating with my church Stake...
As soon as the baptism was over, we had all planned to bring a change of clothes and head straight to the stake singles ward activity, ice skating in Pullman! Probably the most fun ice skating I have ever had. Everyone is so friendly, there were free cookies, and of course I got to go with my ex-hockey player boyfriend who taught me to skate "like a Canadian" hahaha. I even learned how to skate backwards! Oh boy! Definitely going back there again sometime soon!

Dinner?
After skating, it was already about 10pm. Eric and I hadn't had dinner so we got Taco Bell (for me, mmm!), which they don't have in Pullman so I was pummppeeeddd. And Eric got McD's....Here is the exciting part- We even used a coupon!!! Eric's mom gave him some living social deals to use (Thanks!!!) so he got free large fries! I may have stolen a fry or two ;)

So much fun today, it makes me smile!

Feminism

The "belief in the need to secure rights and opportunities for women equal to those of men, or a commitment to securing these".


Why did this:

....go to this:

I am, and always have been quite perplexed by the desire in many feminist women, to act less like a lady and more like a man.

What part of equal rights for women is "Hey, if you really want women to be equal to men, chop off your hair, wear men's baggy, ugly pants, and just let yourself go." I may not be feminist cheerleader number one, but to me, feminism should be about accepting all the wonderful things you are (the things that make you DIFFERENT from a man) and not allowing it to hold you back from success.


Show me a woman who is kind, gentle, successful, and proud of who she is, and that is what equality is all about. Let her attend school. Let her have a job. Let her raise a family. And for heaven sake, let her curl her hair and wear cute skirts and shoes. Seems like me message should be "let me show you how well rounded I am" instead of "let me show you how much of a man I could be".


"Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity."  Margaret D. Nadauld
Love that quote. Read the whole talk here.

Maintenance?

I did it, I did it, I did it, hooray!

After about 3 months of some hard work, I finally got to my goal weight! I was never like fat fat or anything (except for a few chubby stages in the teen years), but this is officially the smallest I have been in my adult life! I was especially happy because it happened over CHRISTMAS of all times. I have done really good about staying away from unhealthy foods (mostly because I have a sensitive stomach, not will power) and going to the gym (which is basically my favorite). I think over break I was just trying so hard not to eat junk food that I probably ended up eating less than I usually do here at school. After managing to maintain that number for the past week and a halfish, I think it's safe to say, I legitimately made my goal weight! I am excited, and even more excited to beef up the muscle (A BIT).

So yesterday, I did about 30ish minutes of cardio, got back to the dorm, had fun with friends and everything, and then I had the biggest realization. For breakfast, I had a 200 cal granola bar, for lunch, a salad, and then went to the gym and burned like 400 calories. I felt pretty good, but then I realized that unless I eat something, I am just going to get TOO small! Went to dinner with Eric, and I had pesto chicken, green beans, a banana, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and some chocolate milk. It was basically a feast- sitting at about 700-900 calories. Do I regret it? Not one bit!

All of this time, I had been so focused about trying to cut calories where I can, exercise when I can, I never thought there would come a day when I might need to look for healthy and hearty foods, but also foods that have some calories to keep the meat on my bones!

If I continue moderate exercise for 30-60 minutes a day (which I should, and likely do just walking around campus alone), I need to be eating just over 2000 calories to MAINTAIN the weight I am at. Seems crazy to me, someone who typically eats 1000-1200 calories a day. That's like another meal! So I guess we will see how this goes. I think as long as I remember to fill up on lower fat stuff and not hamburgers (which is always my weakness...) I should be fine!

My goal through all of this is not to be tiny, but be healthy! So I am glad I could be in a healthy range. Wish me luck as I enter this new stage- Mmmm....food again :)