Mile marker 250

Today I was feeling the after effects of strength training... my legs protested every time I tried to stand up or sit down. I decided to skip Zumba and opted for a run to get in my hour of cardio today. Thanks to the endorphin fueled runners high it was the only hour today that my legs felt really good. But that isn't what this post is about... at the end of my run I took my ipod out of my pocket and scrolled down to "End Workout." If any of you have the Nike+ ipod attachment you know they have famous athletes give you a little "good job" at the end of a workout that was a personal best (distance, time, duration, whatever). Today I was not expecting any kudos from one of these athletes because my run was nothing special. I was surprised when Lance Armstrong's voice came through my headphones and congratulated me on running 250 miles.What is more I don't always use my ipod when I run so I have actually run further than 250 in the past 6 months.

I have run over 250 miles! That is like running from my little town in Northeast Wisconsin to Chicago. If you had told me at this time last year that I would run 250 miles I would have called you insane.

Sometimes you surprise even yourself.

Thumbs up

While on my run today I found motivation from a passing motorist. I was close to the end of my run and happily enjoying the endorphin fueled runners high, feeling like I could even kick Chuck Norris's ass if given the opportunity. I hear a car horn so I turn around and a guy driving past me gives me a thumbs up and nod. I liked that a lot so I thought I would pass along a virtual thumbs up to all of you who did something healthy for yourself today. Passed up that cake at work, went for a run or a hike, went to that Zumba class... whatever you did for your health today. Good Work and Thumbs up!

Hate it Hate it Hate it

So if you can't tell... I hate "it". With "it" being running on the treadmill at the YMCA. I love having a membership to the YMCA mostly because I enjoy the variety of classes. Having the ability to take any class from aerobics to zumba has really helped me stay motivated. When the bad weather hit this week, dumping a foot snow over the area it was enough to keep off the roads (probably a wise decision). Then freezing winds kept me indoors for several more days, it was really getting me itchy for running. So I headed to the YMCA early and jumped on a treadmill before Zumba class. I could barley stand 20 minutes but struggled through 30. It wasn't more difficult, I wasn't more winded or more sore. I just hated it. I was bored and the treadmills are directly in front of a mirror so I just stare at myself running. I had my ipod on but it wasn't helping I was just plain annoyed.

When I run outside I think about things... like what my wardrobe will be like when I get to my goal weight, what I would do if I won the lottery, what it will be like to show up at my class reunion thinner than I was in high school... and I run. I don't get bored or frustrated. I enjoy it. I can easily do over an hour without realizing how much time has passed.

I either need the weather to change and the ice to disappear from the sidewalks or I need to learn to enjoy the treadmill. I don't want running to become a chore but I also don't want to stop running for the winter months.

aghhh... what a week

I like to run... I run for fun... I run for fun in the hot hot sun.

Dr. Seuss poems aside I haven't been running in the hot hot sun for over a month I have actually been running in the cold cold wind but that doesn't really rhyme. Anyway, I changed up my run a little this week mostly because it gets dark so early now and I don't get done with work until it's fairly late. When I work days I can often talk myself out of running since it's late, I'm tired and it's dark (and kinda creepy) on some of the streets along my route. So this week I was working days and I decided I had to patch this loop hole before I fall completely in and lose my running motivation for the winter. So instead of in increasing my mileage this week I attempted to increase my pace with speed intervals. It takes me about an hour to run 4.7 miles so instead I found a 40 minute program that takes me through a warm-up, a set of speed intervals, an endurance run and another set of speed intervals. The speed intervals are ten minutes long with one minute at a slower pace and one minute at a fast racing pace. I figured with a workout that is 20 minutes shorter I would be less likely to talk myself out of running when I get home late and am dead on my feet. So I did better with running this week but only had time for one Zumba class... working a swing shift kinda sucks sometimes... but now I am on my 7 days off... working swing shift is kinda sweet sometimes.

I did my weigh-in this morning and the scale showed 206.4 that is a 2.2 pound loss for the week and it's about what I expected. Still well on my way to accomplishing the Hot 100 goals of being less than 200 pounds and increasing my running distance to a full 10k. (I am hoping to find a 10k route that I can run/walk at least once this week while I am off).