Friday, December 27, 2013

What Year is it?

Um, wow, how time has flown! I can't believe my last post was Thanksgiving. This holiday season has been absolutely insane. And we're not done yet! The fiancé and I plan to head to Lake Placid for a few days, but we're not certain of our New Year's plans yet.
But let's catch up on the past month! This beautiful wonderful delicious creation is called a hootenanny pancake! Or a German pancake, depending on what you prefer. I like hootenanny. Much more fun. This glorious concoction kicked off my Christmas, and many more feasts followed! However, I wasn't as good about exercising as I had planned to be. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't terrible, but I skimped a little on the workout and overindulged on the consumption.
 
However, I must give myself credit because today was the second day this week that I got up and worked out before work! That hasn't happened in a long time, and I'm very proud that I did it twice this week! As far as my skimping goes, it's mainly been Christmas Eve and Christmas Day where I didn't do anything. At all. Like barely walked to and from the fridge. I planned on taking one of the days off, so that wasn't terrible. We stayed up north at my moms though and I forgot that it's usually colder up there and didn't bring enough cold weather gear. The time I planned to run, the temperature was a brisk -4 degrees and I only had base layers and light gloves. NO THANKS! I'm trying to forgive myself and move on though.
Oh, and my cat stretched with me. :) He's my yoga buddy!
Anyway, with New Year's approaching faster than an object in flight when someone yells, "head's up!" I've been trying to contemplate my next resolution. 2012 held no soda, and I succeeded. I wasn't too bad of a soda drinker though, so while it was a challenge it wasn't too hard. 2013 held no fast food. Meaning, no luscious, extraordinary, super-scrumptious McDonalds or other fast food chains. Now, you have to understand. I've lived in the country all my life where fast foods and even Walmart and grocery stores were always a 20 minute drive, minimum, going 60mph on back country roads. So when I moved to "the city" (a more populated town, lol) it was hard to resist fast food like 3-5 times a week. When you can get there and home within 5-10 minutes, dinner in tow, it's difficult to pass up! So I became slightly (okay, quite) addicted to McDonald's burgers and Taco Bell. So far I have not had any fast food this year. No Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy's, McDonalds, Arby's, or anything of the sort! I have four more days, but I'm confident I can last that long, after 51 weeks and 3 days of abstaining.

I'm really not sure what goal to make for 2014. I'd like to say I'll cook two nights a week, but I'm not sure if that's doable with my schedule, and hopefully starting my MSW. I'll find out about that a few months into 2014. I'd also like to eat more veggies, but I'm not sure how I'd measure it. I already work out pretty frequently, and with my knee issues I'm trying to take it slow and steady. Well, I've got four more days to consider what I'd like to improve upon in the upcoming year. Suggestions are welcome!

Safe and happy running!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Thanksgiving, Thanksgoing, Thanksgone!

Wow. So much running stuff to happen in one week! Shall we start with my Turkey Trot? I was met at the start by two friends and we couldn't wait to start running in the frigid air. It was 13 degrees and felt even colder with the wind chill.
Ignore the woman in capris. She was insane. I'm the one in red with the face mask and I was so cold! All in all it was successful though! Definitely burned off the turkey :)
The day after Thanksgiving I did another run because my fiance and I went for a second Thanksgiving at a friends house. My solo do-over turkey trot was 3.22 at a 9:37 pace. I'm making a comeback with my speed! And my knee has been feeling better. I've taken great care to listen to my body and be sure and stretch after my runs, even if only a little.

Then Sunday I enjoyed a wonderful morning run with the running group! Just two runners again this time, but one walker. Yesterday after work held a 1.89 mile run with Ziggy. All was good for the first mile but then I noticed him limping a little so we walk/jogged the rest of the way home. Once we got back to the apartment he was completely fine though, tearing through the rooms like he didn't just go on an almost two mile run/walk. A friend on Dailymile mentioned that perhaps he got some rock salt on his paw and the salt stung. I'm thinking he's right because yesterday was a warmer, slushier day so people definitely salted the sidewalks.
Once I dropped Zig home I went back out to get my heart rate up, since the run with Zig didn't really do it. 2.03 miles later at a awesome 9:01 pace, I was satisfied. I'm so happy I'm getting my speed back! It won't be too much longer before I start speed work and hills again and hopefully see a time drop! I'd like to be under 25:30 for a 5K by the end of next summer, maybe even under break 25 minutes! Meep! The possibilities are endless!!

And finally, today I went 2.23 miles with my friend Heather and Ziggy. It was the first run with Zig that involved another person. He was pretty distractable and misbehaved for the first quarter mile but then he settled into it. Not only was it the best run Ziggy's ever done in terms of speed, it is the farthest he's ever gone too! I was so excited not to have to drag him the last mile. He kept the pace up and seemed like he was ready to go further at the end. In the next few days I'm pretty sure I can have him running 5Ks with me! I don't know if I'll take him for runs longer than 5Ks. Heather on the other hand misbehaved the entire run. She really didn't like being on a leash, haha! :p

Tomorrow the running group meets and hopefully I will have enough gumption to join them. I won't be running in the morning due to an early staff meeting for work so my day will start an hour and a half earlier than normal. I still really enjoy my job and am getting more comfortable and competent every day! I started teaching my first group of boys. It should make for an interesting few weeks.

Tell me about your Thanksgiving!
What goals do you have for the winter running season? Any big ones for the summer?

Safe and happy running!