Remember This Feeling...

So, starting week 2 of Couch to 5 K was delayed a bit. I know the following are excuses but to me they seem like legitimate reasons. First, it got a wee bit chilly and with that came a whole lot of rain. I will run if there is a chance of rain, but I won't go out if it's already raining. I'm not that hardcore of a runner yet. Second... lady problems. I allow my body to rest during the first couple of days of Aunt Flo's visit. I suffer from fatigue during that time. It's not just being tired. It's full on fatigue. My whole body gets tired. Therefore, I allow myself to rest. Anyway, I finally feel like I got my normal energy back. Week 2 started today.

I went out at about 10 am before it got really hot. Today's high is somewhere around 87. I ran on the trail and remember that the trail is even more friendly than I originally thought. It's very much shaded and there are only a few spots where I'm running in direct sunlight. It's cooler than running around my neighborhood which lacks tree lined streets. After the run, I came home and put Slim & 6-pack and Slim & Limber in the DVD player. Those two workouts are part of the Slim in 6 workout program sold by Beachbody. I will be incorporating Slim in 6 on non-running days to get some resistance training. I'm a firm believer in a balanced workout regimen. You will never see me just doing cardio.

Now, that brings me to the purpose of this post.... I need to remember how I'm  feeling right now because I feel AMAZING!! and ENERGIZED!! and dare I say it... HAPPY! The workout was just hard enough to challenge me, but not so hard that I felt worn out and exhausted at the end. Today's workout did exactly what a workout is supposed to do. It's a feeling I haven't felt from a workout in a long time. However, the happy feeling could be from the Hawaiian Tropic sun block I put on. It's like coconut or something. It makes me think of being at the beach or by the pool which are places where some of my best memories occurred. Regardless, if I can just remember how I feel right now, I just might want to workout everyday.

Oddly enough, I actually wanted to run... Excuse me? Did I just say that? Hmmm... Yup! I did! I wanted to run, which is something I never thought I would say. Pretty friggin' awesome! I'm enjoying the time outside. I've always liked being outside. Now, I like being outside running and feeling the breeze on my face during my cool down. OMG! I've found something I enjoy doing that gets me outside. This is something I'm very happy about.

So... That's about it about running. I plan on posting an Intuitive Eating update in a few days.

Until then, get out and get happy!

Week One: Couch to 5K: Things I Learned

Today, I finished week 1 of the Couch to 5K program. Today's run was definitely better than the first. Somehow I was passed by the same guy twice... and the trail is straight and I hadn't turned around. Not sure how that happened since I definitely didn't pass him. Anyhow... Here are a few things I learned in my first week:

1. Don't start too fast. Today, I shortened my strides to reduce the pain that I felt on Friday night after my first run. Turns out... It worked and the running portions were alot more manageable. I also didn't run as fast. I have to remind myself that speed will come. Right now I need to focus on becoming more comfortable with the running movement. I've never been particularly good a running. The motion is a bit outside of my comfort zone and it is going to take a little time to get accustomed to it.

2. Running up hill sucks! Aside from the reasons I mentioned in my last post, I also like to run on the trail because it's flat. Saturday was a lot dreary and a little rainy. As a result, I opted to run around the neighborhood so I'd be close to home instead a mile away from my car in the event that it started to rain hard. I knew it would happen. The second the app says "start your first run now," I find myself staring up a hill. Turns out that most of the running portions ended up being up hill....

3. I need some bug spray before my next run. The trail where I run is wooded and next to a creek. Guess what happens when you're in the woods.... You get bit by things. Well... I get bit by things in the backyard. It's like I'm made of sugar. And when I get bit, I get welts. Today's bites weren't so bad. You can't even tell they're there,  but I'd prefer not to get bit.

4. I can't wear the pants or the top that I wore on Friday. The pants were falling down and the top was riding up. I may have shown some crack to the guy behind me, but I'm not sure.

5. Having pepper spray might be a good idea.... Maybe? Ok... I'm on the fence about this one. My mom suggested it since I run by myself. One of the reasons I run on the trail is because there's always people on it. It feels safer when there are more people. I think the chance of being attacked goes down when there are witnesses. I'm not too concerned about the dogs. All the dogs I come across on the trail are well trained and controlled by their owners. Also we're quite a ways from the big city so the crime rate in my area is pretty low. I'm not sure if I really need it...

6. I might need a membership at Planet Fitness so I can have access to a treadmill if I need it. Summers here are hot and humid. Today wasn't bad. Though the temperature was around 80 and it was a little humid, there was a nice breeze that made it comfortable. Thankfully tomorrow isn't my run day. The forecast is 88 degrees (F) with high humidity. However, summer is coming and I know for a fact that if it's 90.... 95.... near 100, I will not want to run outside. Just something to think about since we won't buy a treadmill until it's certain that I'm actually into this running thing.

7. I need to run earlier in the day. I often workout in the afternoon because that's when I finally get my shit together, however it would be better to run when it's cooler out. Also, I'll need to run earlier if I want to prevent a gym membership and the dreaded treadmill running.

All-in-all I'm pretty proud of my first week. I ran in some rain and in humidity that makes it a little hard to breath. A few things that, in the past, I've used as excuses not to run.  My next run probably won't be until Friday since we're supposed to get thunderstorms on Thursday.

And... There you have it. 2 posts in one week! YAY!

Me.... Running?!

Yesterday, I started the Couch to 5K program. Yup... I ran.... if you want to call what I did running. I think I can walk faster than I run. I went to the nice paved trail near my house. I feel that it's safer than going around the neighborhood. There are always people on that trail on nice days, there are no cars (obviously) and the people who walk their dogs there know how to keep them under control. It's in a wooded area so you're under trees alot of the way. It's really quite nice. It has some old historical buildings and a creek along it. There are little paths that'll take you down to the water where you can sit... or fish (which I see often). I walked this trail a few weeks ago. My pace yesterday was 26 seconds per mile faster than that walk. So.... I guess not that bad since most of the workout was walking.... If you really want to know, my pace was 14:44 min/mile.

The result? One red, sweaty, hot mess. LOL!! It looked worse in person than in this picture.

Gotta say... My mascara held up very nicely! (and no I didn't put makeup on to go running. I ran late in the afternoon after running errands for which I put on the makeup) Anyway... I'm a wee bit stiff and sore today. It's mostly in my hips. I even get sore there when I walk. I think my stride is too long for my short legs. I like the idea of running. The whole "just strap on some sneakers and you're off." No need for extra equipment and no annoying trainer on a DVD trying to tell you that you have more energy when it's clear that you don't. Just me, the voice prompts from the Get Running app, and my dubstep playlist (don't judge the dubstep. It puts me in a good mood and the tempo makes me want to move faster). So that's about it. I won't make a decision on whether or not I enjoy running until I get accustomed to it. I'll give it a couple weeks and I let you know then.

My plan is to run every other day. On the days I don't run, I want to do some yoga or pilates. Finally, on the 7th day, this bitch rests. :D I'm a strong believer in a full rest day per week. The body is not a machine. It's needs to time to recover. I'll even go so far as to say that I'll take additional rest days if my body is telling me to.

Lastly.... I'm hoping to post more often.... Maybe... I want to write more. I've come up with a few ideas since my last post and then it's crap when I try to write it. Sometimes the words just don't flow like you want them to and I refuse to give you something I'm not happy with or something I wouldn't want to read myself. That whole "quality not quantity" thing.

So I'll leave you hoping and wishing with all your heart that you'll see a new post from me sooner rather than later.

Stop Trying to be Perfect!

Yes... I yelled at myself today. I'm learning to love my body the way it is and have switched my focus to my face. I have been struggling with redness and dryness for a while. For the last month or so, I've been obsessed with finding a foundation and concealer combo that'll hide that little imperfection. All I got for my efforts was something that was worse than what I had started with. So, I'm going stop trying so dang hard and embrace that fact that I don't need to wear blush. I'm going to stick with a little foundation and powder and call it a day. Besides... It doesn't look as bad as I think. I've seemed to have lost touch with the concept of "enhance not hide."

Why am I obsessed with making my skin look perfect? Well... I don't know the answer to that. Probably something to do with the perception of beauty and the crap I see portrayed by the media. However, loving oneself means loving all of yourself and accepting your flaws.

STOP TRYING TO BE PERFECT!! It's a phrase I'm sure all of us need to hear and could be applied to any number of areas in our lives. Striving for perfection leads to stress and then the feeling of failure when the desired result isn't achieved. I used to strive for the perfect diet and the perfect workout to achieve the perfect body. Guess what... All that striving for perfection didn't give me what I was taught was perfect. You know what is perfect? Me.... Just the way I am. or You. Just the way you are. All I can do is what's best for my mind, body and soul. I will always strive to better myself. There's nothing wrong with that, but there is something wrong with trying to squeeze myself into society's notion of who and what I should be. So... No more! Screw society and their stupid molds! Be unique. Be you. It's what makes the world an interesting place.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous week! Lots of love! MUAH!!