BICYCLE, BICYCLE!

Today I went for a bicycle ride with my dad along the trail near my house that goes out towards Suttons Bay. We did not ride the whole trail but managed about eight miles out and back, sixteen miles total. Today was only my fourth time riding my road bike this year. A few years ago I had accomplished weeks worth of frequent riding time by this point in the summer. Sixteen miles would have been an easy ride for me back then, but it certainly wasn't easy for me today.

About half way out towards Suttons Bay the trail runs into Lakeview Hills Road. Before they paved the middle section of the trail a few years ago this was the turn off point for road bikers. You could take Lakeview Hills down and around and eventually connect back to the paved trail. This alternative route was slightly longer and a lot hillier, so when they finally paved the entire trail choosing to stay on the straighter, flatter path became the easier choice. Before I noticed, I had gone months and then years without taking the Lakeview Hills route. So today my dad and I decided to ride up the first two hills before turning around to head home.

Guys, I forgot how hard it is to climb hills. Years ago, after riding the same hills all summer I started to feel like I could climb anything. Unfortunately, time quickly erases those physical talents we once worked so hard to achieve. The first hill was deceptive and I conquered it pretty easily, but that second hill almost killed me. I was about one third of the way up the second hill when I started slowing down and felt a little like everything inside of me was falling apart. You know those cartoons where the character is driving along in a car and suddenly parts start falling off until the car is just an axel with wheels and a seat? Well that's how I imagined my ride up that second hill. I downshifted until I couldn't anymore and then all I had was the pedals and my feet. The entire time I was panting and kept thinking, "just keep going, just keep going." We have two choices when confronted with a challenge, we can either give up or keep pushing forward.

Eventually, I made it to the top of the second hill. As I tried to regain my breathe I was able to look out over the bright blue water and distant tree cover hills thankful that I didn't give up. Sometimes being able to see the world a little better is worth the pain of climbing a hill, especially if you haven't done it in a while. I finished today's ride with sore muscles and an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment.

-S

Exercise? What is That?

While I was sitting in my chair at work Monday I felt the slow creep of sore muscles start to ache along my back and shoulders. The kind of soreness that presents itself in knotted muscles and stiff necks. Every time I moved I became more conscious of the state of my body, and when I wasn't moving it seemed to be even more painful. Certainly I've felt worse in my life, after particularly tough workouts or long days of dance rehearsals, but Monday shocked me. Monday reminded me how long it's been since I exercised. I mean really exercised not just been active.

Remember how this used to be a fitness blog? I find that hilarious now. It's not that I don't like working out but I found it dull to write about. Reading fitness blogs is fun, actually having to work out and then share those lame work outs with people is another thing entirely. Props to all the great fitness bloggers out there that keep it interesting. Plus when you don't exercise it's painfully obvious because you have nothing to write about.

I go through phases of exercising and not exercising. I know it's not ideal but I'm still trying to get better about it. Winter is especially difficult for me. In the warmer months I can get outside and be active in little ways. I ride my bike to work and I walk places whenever I can, so even if I don't feel like doing a full circuit work out I still get my heart rate up and my muscles moving. However, in the winter months the cold temperatures and snowy conditions aren't as convenient for outside exercise. I'm not about to go risk my life trying to run on the ice.

Over last weekend and into Monday we had a bad snow storm roll through town. Snow fell over an inch per hour at times and it built up fast. For about an hour on Monday I was outside shoveling the driveway and paths around my house. Eventually, I had to stop because I was drenched in sweat and my arms felt like they were going to fall off my body. Okay that might be a slight exaggeration but they didn't feel great. Also I was freezing, if you've never been sweaty when it feels like one degree outside then you might not understand but it does not help the situation. Last winter I shoveled all the time, my arms slowly got used to the heavy snow and my stomach got tighter with the continued motion, but this year hasn't required as much shoveling (yet). When I got done I could already feel my muscles stiffening and in my attempt to get warm I didn't even think about stretching. I've been paying for that mistake all week so far. Yup, still sore. It's pathetic, but I also haven't done any stretching since then so I'm clearly not helping myself.

I know this time of year everyone always claims they're going to get fit and go to the gym more often. I however, am not usually one of those people, or I haven't been for a while. At this moment my only desire is to find a type of exercise that is sustainable throughout the entire year. Classes get expensive but working out from home is such a challenge. There's just not enough motivational factors to keep me exercising on my own. I may have studied behavior in college but when it comes to applying those principles to my own life, well... it's easier said than done.

What kind of exercises do you like best? What are the best sources for workout inspiration or follow along exercises to do at home?

-S

Post Workout Cider Tasting

I had the pleasure of catch up with my amazing fake sister/chummy, Sandy, tonight for a cardio dance class at Yen. Sandy has been busy running around wedding planning, putting family first, and rocking at her job so much that I haven't been able to see her for weeks. I've been begging her to take a class with me and was super excited she had time in her schedule (even though I completely understand when she is being busy).

Since I still have quite a few classes to use up, I feel like I've been going to Yen a ton lately (even though I really haven't been). Tonight we took a Cardio Trio class which was new for both of us. Going in I was confident knowing that my dance background would be helpful and I could manage even though I was pretty sore from last nights class. The real shock was my sudden total lack of coordination, I guess those 16 years of dance weren't so helpful after all. I think I need to take next week's class just to redeem myself. Despite all the slip ups on my part the class was still fun; Sandy and I both loved it.

After class we jumped over to Northern Naturals, a Cider and Wine company, just right down the street from Yen. We sat at one of the tables outside, which was perfect since it had cooled off a bit from earlier. Sandy even convinced two groups of passersby to stop in as well... they were easily persuaded. I'd definitely recommend the restaurant/tasting room for anyone in TC; the food and drinks are all natural and locally sourced, plus the atmosphere is super friendly. Sandy and I both got the Veggie flatbreads (yum artichokes) and a cider flight. Nothing like an impromptu after workout dinner and cider tasting.

Overall it was a fun night and I can't wait until next time!

-S

Today's Bike Ride

I went on my first ever solo bike ride over 5 miles, which seems silly that it's taken me this long. I don't know why I haven't gone on long rides alone before. Probably because I usually just wait until someone wants to go with me, but I was kind of proud of myself for going it alone.

Got my two water bottles and my granola bar and I'm ready to go.

I ended up going all the way to Suttons Bay and back, which ends up being 32 miles total. 

Boy was it a beautiful day for a bike ride!

The weather was really nice and the wind died down later on. I absolutely love riding this trail and would recommend it to anyone. The scenery is gorgeous any time of year. I always feel so lucky to live in such a wonderful place. One of these days I'll have to stop more along the way to really show you guys what I mean.

Me and the cat after the returning home. He looks so thrilled....

My legs were killing me after all of that, it's crazy to think I rode twice that for 4 days straight last summer. I definitely need to get out on the trails more.

Hope everyone had a wonderful day!

-S

Trying to Keep Myself Busy

Unfortunately, I am still not working so I have had lots of time on my hands lately. Even though I don't particularly like my current situation, I often try to remind myself to look at all the positives. I don't have to wake up early (even though I typically try to), I don't have to be indoors on nice days, I can go hang out in coffee shops all day, I can workout whenever I want, I can catch up on all the TV shows I'm behind on, and lastly I can read all the books I want. Sure, there's lots of good things about not having a job but it also gets boring and stressful, and I'm definitely sick of feeling like I'm doing nothing with my life.

Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about with this post was how I went for another run today! I just keep reminding myself of the Disney Princess Half Marathon (well that and my friend won't let me forget about it). Going to Disney World and running in a tutu is definitely a good way to get me off my ass and out on the trails. I'm very lucky to live extremely close to some of the major trails in Traverse City, so I never have to worry about driving to a good running or biking location.

Today I decided to switch it up and run away from the water and downtown. It ended up being a great decision because I didn't have to worry about crossing many busy roads or maneuvering around the construction by the Marina. I did another interval workout using the RunKeeper app. The warmup was 5 minutes of walking and then 1 minute of running followed by 2 minutes of walking and finishing up with another 5 minutes of cool down walking. Running didn't feel completely awful, although I still feel like I'm not as relaxed as I used to be during my running intervals (maybe that's a good thing?) I am getting faster though, which is exciting. I just hope that I'm not increasing my pace too much too soon. I definitely don't want to exacerbate any old injuries.

Overall I managed to do 2.8 miles (minus walking to the start of the trail and back) in 43 minutes. I would like to at least start finishing 3 miles by the time I finish the 40 minute interval session (which I'm sure will be easier to do when I increase the length of the running intervals).

Now I'm off to try and be a little productive today, then later I'm going to a cookout for my friend's birthday. Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful day!

-S

About How I "Hate" Running

I always forget how horrible running is when I haven't done it in a while. I just got back from a 2.5 mile run/walk that took me 40 minutes total and just felt awful the whole time. I usually try not to put much thought into what others think of me while I'm exercising in public, but today I'm sure it was obvious that I just wasn't feeling it.

I feel like running is one of those ideals. Most people I know, when they want to "start working out again" just start running like it's something easy to pick up. If they can't run for a full mile they come close to it and running a 5k without walking seems like a random afternoon workout and not a big deal like it is to me. Sometimes I feel like everyone and their mother can run faster, longer, better than me (I don't even know if what I'm doing can really be considered running). Then I try to remind myself that I'm not the only one that feels this way, and the more often I run the easier running will become. After a while I can even trick myself into thinking I "like" running.

Running has never come easily to me. Ever since I was little I despised running. My legs are short, my lungs are weak, my knees are bad, and I'm prone to shin splints. In fact, every time I've stopped running in the past has been because of either knee or shin pain. The only that has improved is the tricks I've learned to prevent these injuries for at least a longer period of time. I consider every pain and injury a learning experience. New shoes, insoles, tape, foam rolling, stretching, cross training, not pushing too hard too soon; these things have all become important for me to remember. If I'm going to run and keep my body in good working order, I have to take precautionary measures.

The most important thing to remember is: everyone's body is different. I can't compair myself and my running goals to other people. It is okay to start off slow and walk a lot to begin with. And lastly, doing something is always better than doing nothing. Just don't give up, before you can try.

-S

Big Bike Trip Day 4

Here we are, the last day of the trip.

The home stretch felt equally good and bad. My body was hurting and I was getting weird tan lines. It was definitely time to be done. Oh and day 4 included an extra challenge for us... wind.

 This is a picture of me smiling pretending like I'm still having a ton of fun.

Luckily day 4 ended up being a shorter day... I think it was 60 miles (I probably should have written this stuff down sooner before I forgot... whoops). Anyway, we rode 25ish miles then stopped for lunch at McDonalds (we're super healthy lol). From there it was a rather interesting ride along Route 66.

Our original plan was to hop right on the old highway (right next to the new Route 66) and take it all the way into Normal, IL. Unfortunately for us, the historical highway went about a mile then was covered in grass. After our nice photo excursion (seen below), we made the executive decision to just stay on the new highway (with barely any shoulder) until we could find a good road to get off on.

 I really don't know why I look super awkward in all these pictures, but they're good ones of my dad and brother

The highway was definitely a challenge with the head-wind and cracked, pretty much non-existant shoulder. We had to go further than expected before getting off; all the side roads ended up being dirt, but we finally made it to a restored part of the old highway that went on for two miles. After the restored section there was a perfectly paved road that was quiet and slightly sheltered from the wind by trees. It started sprinkling while we were on 66 but luckily it was light and didn't last long.

After all our riding the end came sooner than I imagined. My dad kept pushing me to kick up the speed and I was totally not feeling it until he said "hey look there's aunt Pam and Eric." My aunt and cousin had rode out a bit to find us and bring us in to the subdivision. At the end all I cared about was not stopping until we made it to their house for fear my legs would refuse to pedal any further (this is most definitely an over exaggeration I would have made it further if I had to and it wasn't that bad).

Our "we finally made it, now lets jump in the pool" picture

And that's exactly what we did, went straight for the pool. Water is a wonderful thing. 

So that's it, we had a great weekend in IL with the family and now it's all just good memories. This trip had it's challenges but it was totally worth it. Now it's on to planning the next adventure. I'm thinking coastal tour (on bike of course).

Thanks for listening.

-S

P.S. I think I might post a separate entry about what kept me motivated during the trip so look out for that. 

Big Bike Trip Part 3

So here we are at day three.

My first priority of the day was to come up with an attack plan for the eye allergies. My dad suggested bringing a wet wash cloth and my eye drops along for the ride. The idea was a definite success and my eyes stayed painless (although still itchy) for the rest of the trip.

On day one my mom had bought a lime slushie for lunch and that spawned the slushie obsession. I don't know what it was about those drinks, but they were a perfect way to get cool and refreshed. In fact, the only way I kept going on day three was because my dad suggested stopping and getting slushies at Dairy Queen for lunch. I also shamelessly broke down in a mini fit when my parents suggested we keep going and eat outside in a park instead of actually stopping for lunch. Hot days on the bike deserve cool drinks in an air conditioned building.

The rest of the day included more of the same.... corn and soy beans. Oh and more getting lost. We had to reroute a few times because we got trapped in a maze of corn.

this went on for miles

I kept a slower pace on the third day until we passed the town we were supposed to end up in. We decided to get a head start on the next day instead of having to do so many more miles on our last day. I was also able to beat my mile 69 curse. My dad and I battled it out at the end until his computer said 70, and I happily avoided any upsets to the day. It felt good to finally accomplish a successful day.

Big Bike Trip Part 2

So, I was just about to get to day two.

We left the campground around 10:30 and decided to ride 20 miles to the next town in order to stop for breakfast. I think we all had a moment of panic when we first got on our bikes and our butts were already sore from day one, but luckily the pain went away after a few minutes. It was also replaced with the surge of adrenaline which came from riding alongside a busy highway for the first mile or so. That's pretty much how we started off every morning of our trip, getting our blood pumping as semi's went whizzing past threatening to knock you over or suck you up. I learned quickly to follow close and keep your eyes focused on a straight line in front of you. Also pay attention to cues (my dad typically rode in front of me and would point out pot holes or rocks).

The second day was all through Indiana and more corn mazes. I liked how peaceful it was back through all the corn. It may not have been quite as exciting as riding next to a busy highway, but I enjoyed the times we all got to ride side by side. There weren't many cars around for the majority of the day. After breakfast at Bob Evans and a nice rest, we got back on the bikes and kept on riding.

I noticed when I'd do longer (30- 40 mile) rides in TC that my fingers would go numb after a bit. Mostly my left pinky finger. That started happening after my first day and just continued for the rest of the trip. Although other parts of my body, like my butt or my quads, were sore from time to time nothing hurt, or was more annoying, than having a tingly finger the whole trip. I tried moving my hands around or shaking out my arms from time to time throughout the day, but nothing seemed to work. I would be interested in knowing if it was a common thing or if there's anything I could do to prevent that from happening. My brother said his did the same thing, but my dad's fingers all seemed to remain normal. I'm assuming it's some sort of pinched nerve or something.

Day two also had some bad moments for me. Actually day two may have been the most disappointing day on the trip. I knew my allergies would get really bad, like they did last year when we visited my cousins in IL so I tried to come prepared this time. I was supplied with medicines and all sorts of eye drops. Unfortunately though, the pollen and sweat must have built up in my eye and after about 50 miles it became a real problem. I tried pouring water in my eye, but every time I would look up at the road my right eye would blink and blink and it became painful to move my eye at all. At mile 53 I was desperate and that's when I cracked. I couldn't see and because the pain was so severe I was worried something serious may have happened to my eye. I didn't want to stop. I knew 53 miles wasn't even close to the end for us that day, but I had no choice. My mom came and picked me up and we drove on to find a motel. I think at this point I was crying more because I felt like I gave up that day than the pain I felt from my eye.

I can't say it was all bad though. Being able to finally take a nice shower and just sit and relax felt pretty good. By the time I got out of the shower my mom had to go back to pick up my dad and brother, so I was left alone in the hotel room to eat my Jimmy John's and watch the Hangover 2.

My dad and brother went on to ride 85 miles on day two. I was also grateful when my dad said my brother kept him at a 18 mph pace from a long ways. We averaged about 12mph for the whole trip.
No way I'd be able to do 18mph unless we were going downhill. They also had to ride for a few miles on a dirt road. We hit a dirt road earlier in the day that we ended up having to ride, but it was just a mile and I was really glad when it was over. I can't imagine how uncomfortable that'd be for a longer stretch.

Big Bike Trip Part 1

Finally. I found some time to actually sit down and write about the experience.

You may not care, but I'm kind of proud of myself for completing those four days. I knew biking four days straight for such great length would be a challenge... especially with the lack of training I managed to do. I do have Shawn T and Insanity to thank for helping me build up my cardio though (and for reminding me to "dig deeper" when I didn't think I could ride another mile).

The story really begins in high school when I met a guy (roommates of a friend's cousin who was attending U of M) who was telling us about how he was training to ride across the country. And then a year later when I ran across a blog about a group of friends about to do just that. Being the dreamer (and obviously delusional) person that I am, I went straight to my parents and declared that I wanted nothing more than to ride across the country on my bicycle. Originally I set my sights on that summer (I think it was '09), but that came and passed and so did the next summer and the next. I had put my dream on the back burner, but I refused to say it would never happen (well still refusing). This may not have been a bike trip across the country but it was a bike trip through three states and miles of corn mazes with allergies and busy highways and crazy dogs and two great companions (well really three counting my mom who we could have never done it without).

It started out on Tuesday morning, not as bright and early as we would have liked (but it wasn't a total disaster), around 11:30 from the KVCC parking lot in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Here's us at the start. Brother, Dad, and Me smiling like we have nothing to worry about

My dad had gotten what he perceived to be a good route down, which was good until we started hitting dirt roads and having to reroute. Thank God for gps and smart phones. The first day also consisted of many hills, some bad Michigan roads, and some unfortunate road kill ride-bys. On the good side though, the first day consisted of some gorgeous scenery, mostly secluded roads covered by trees, downhills (big smile for this one), and the nice smell of Concord grapes.

Me and the brother by some grapes

At the Michigan/Indiana

We met my mother for lunch in the middle of no where and then kept on riding. I wasn't feeling too bad until we got around mile 60. Before this trip I hadn't ridden longer than 40 miles, and my energy was in short supply. With that and a clumsy mistake on my part, disaster struck at mile 69. I was attempting to put my water bottle back into place when it almost slipped from my hand. My dad and brother were not far ahead waiting for me at a stop sign, which was located at the end of a small decline. In my attempted to put back the water bottle and slow myself down I managed to slam my hand on the left brake and went head first toward the pavement. At first, nothing hurt (well not too bad) but when I got up everything was in pain. I had somehow managed to save my face, arms, helmet, and sunglasses from any damage (I'm giving the thanks for this one to all those falling forward squat pushup things I had to do the day before in Insanity); but I did get a good blow to the ribs from my handlebars, a bunch of random scrapes all over my legs from various things (ground, gravel, bike, chain) and one massive bruise (that still has a hint of color to it) on my right inside part of my leg just above my knee.

 This was the big bruise after a day or so.... the picture really doesn't do it justice

I couldn't believe I had been so stupid and I was so worried about the fate of the rest of the trip. All I could focus on was how disappointing this was (and how bad my ribs hurt and how the worst pain was coming from that tiny scratch on my ankle). But after getting the blood cleaned up, covering myself in bandaids, and wiping away my tears I got back on my bike and rode another mile to where my mom picked us up. At this point I knew I could would be able to finish this. If I could crash and get back up, I could manage the next three days. Although I was pretty thankful to be done after all those miles.

The first day ended in a camp ground in the middle of Amish country, Indiana. My mom and I slept in a tent, until half way through the night when I realized I couldn't breathe because my allergies had become so bad. That's when I moved to the upright position in the front seat of my Dad's truck my mom was driving for the trip. Needless to say it wasn't the best night's rest.

- - -

I'll finish the rest of the story tomorrow but this has already become the longest blog post.

Till next time

S.

Olympics, Summer School, and Insanity

I've been kind of MIA in blog world lately but it's been for good reasons. I had two more exams this week for my summer classes (which by the way are even harder to study for when the Olympics are on.) My Survey of Behavior Analysis Research class has proven to be a test, and after huge doubt in my ability to pass the class, I managed to pull off a B on my 3rd exam on Wednesday! I don't think I've ever been so happy for a B before. Two more weeks to go and I'll be done with classes and getting to head home for a bit. Three weeks or so until the big bike trip (more about that later). About Four weeks before Fall classes begin... time flies!

This past week was full of fun roommate moments. In a few weeks my roommate Amanda is moving into a two bedroom in the same apartment complex and my roommate Nikki is moving to East Lansing. I'm gonna miss having these girls so close, but Amanda and I already have study dates and Insanity nights planned. The three of us started the Insanity workouts almost two weeks ago now. After experiencing the pain of Insanity last summer (and the payoffs) I was nervous but excited to get back into the routine and try to finally finish all 63 days of the workout. I'll have to take a few days for long bike rides and ultimately the bike trip but they'll be totally worth it.

The Insanity Countdown Calendar. Almost two weeks down! Jeah!

Lastly a few words (and pictures) about the Olympics. From gymnastics, to beach volleyball, to diving, to swimming I love the summer Olympics! It's always exciting to watch people's dreams come true and to band together as a country. For me, swimming is probably my favorite event. Lochte, Phelps, Berens, Adrian, Soni, Franklin... I could keep going because the whole USA team this year is awesome!

Jones, Adrian, Lochte, and Hansen

It's no question Ryan is my favorite

Nathan Adrian is like a hot teddy bear. He's just adorable. And that smile!

I think I might be heading to Dunham's this weekend to purchase a one piece swim suite in order to start working out in the pool. My roommate used to be a swimmer and I'm hoping she can teach me a few moves and we can push each other even harder. I just keep imagining what my body will look like after all this Insanity, biking, and swimming. Rock hard hopefully. 

Gonna get my Missy on!!!!!!

Run It

Short and quick for documentation sake.

Mile Breakdown:

• 3 minutes walk (warm up)
• 5 minutes run
• 2 minutes walk
• 1 minute run
• 1 minute walk
• 1 minute run (end mile 1)
• 1 minute walk
• 1 minute run
• 2 minutes walk
• 1 minute run
• 5 minute walk
• 1 minute run
• 2 minute walk
• 1 minute run
• 3 minute walk (end mile 2)

Indoor Bike Ride

Oh the joys. Sitting on a stationary bike is about as exciting as running on a treadmill, that's right, it's not.
I mean, I guess it's probably better that the bikes at the Centre have monitors on them so you ride a virtual trail, but still. I did 5.5 miles and was done. Biking indoors can be hard, so don't judge me. I actually put my feet in the straps of the pedals this time too, mostly because I didn't even notice they were there before.  I was just surprised and how it almost made it harder, or made different muscles work I guess. I just can't wait to challenge myself this summer with this trip and hope everything works out for it to happen.

-s

It Might Sound Pathetic Comparatively...

But to me it's a big deal. I ran for a straight 5 minutes tonight, meaning straight half a mile. It felt good too!

I didn't plan on going to the gym tonight, but I couldn't focus on hw and I didn't know how else to clear my mind. I'm hoping it stays clear, although I doubt it. I kind of feel like my brain's been taking a trip on the TARDIS lately.

Anyway... I miss running like that and I definitely want to do it again soon. Hopefully I can build up some mileage again. I only went for 1.3 miles or so, 20 minutes. A short and sweet (or should I say sweaty) homework break.

So I guess here's the mile breakdown:

• walk 3 minutes
• run 5 minutes
• walk 2 minutes
• run 1 minute
• walk 2 minutes
• run 1 minute (finished the mile here)
• walk 6 minutes

I've been on a roll with this and I'm not gonna let it stop anytime soon. I just keep hoping my knees and shins will stay pain free... although I am definitely feeling a bit of tension in my right shin (the one that always gets hurt). Definitely need to rest it tomorrow and make sure I build up strength.

Exercise Log: Week 1 of Intervention

Well I made it the minimal requirement of 3 days for week 1 so far and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I'm definitely struggling more than I used to and can tell it will take some work to get my stamina up for running or biking any sort of distance.

On Friday I went to the Rec to bike for 2.5 miles (although I swear it was lying to me because I was on there for roughly 40 minutes). 

Sunday I just worked out at the Centre's gym for half an hour, alternating running and walking. As well as some core and arm exercises.

Tonight I started out on the treadmill for 10 minutes at an incline of 4-5 walking, then I moved onto the stationary bike for just over 20 minutes and 5 miles. I couldn't believe how bad my my legs hurt just after that little ways. So much time ahead of me. I'm definitely going to have to get to the gym more than 3 or 4 days a week.

I just wish I had my actual bike here to ride outside on a trail. Which reminds me that I need to find a bike shop around Kalamazoo so I can go get fit. If anyone knows of any let me know. Also if you have trails to recommend, I'd appreciate that as well. 

This Will Hurt

A few things:

• I had to come up with a behavior to modify for a Health Psych project so I chose exercise. I set a goal of 3 days a week (T/F/Sun) for at least 30 minutes for the first 2 weeks, and 4 days a week (T/Th/F/Sun) for at least 30 minutes for the second 2 weeks. For each week I make my goal, I get to buy a song on iTunes.
• Since today is Sunday, I needed to workout. The unfortunate thing being St. Patty's Day was yesterday, which left my body a little less apt to workout... but I did it anyway. 
• My dad called tonight to remind me to get spinning because after some research he discovered it's about 320 miles from Kalamazoo to Normal, IL. So what we thought was going to be a two maybe three day ride is now a four day ride... 80 miles each. That really will hurt, even after training I'm thinking.
• I will train train train train train!
• This is just a warm up for my across the US ride one day.
• Why do I insist on dreaming so big again?

3.1 Training Run

I told you I would do it.... 3.1 miles in 45 minutes, with like a 5 minute break in the middle because my side of my calf would not loosen up and I didn't want to pull anything or cause damage to it right before the race.

It was a little rough, but I think the first time you run longer than you have been running it's going to be challenging.

Here's the breakdown:

• walk 3 minutes
• run 8 minutes
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 2 minute (mile 1 done at 13.5 minutes)
• run 1 minute
• walk 3 minutes
• run 1 minute
• walk 2 minutes (another .5 mile done followed by 5 minute break)
• walk 1 minute
• run 2 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 2 minutes

That's a total of 23 minute of walking and 22 minutes of running. Hopefully I can push a little bit harder on Thursday and finish around 43. But really whatever time I get, I finished and that's what is important.

Run, Run, Running

Another logged run. I went to the gym thinking I was going to go on the elliptical but they were all being used, so I hopped on the treadmill instead.

I should have had Josh there to motivate me.

Anywho, here's the breakdown for anyone who cares:

• walk 3 minutes
• run 7 minutes
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute (the first mile was really more 13.5 minutes... every second faster counts)
• walk 2 minutes
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 3 minutes (finished .5 mile in 2.5)

A little over 1 and a half miles logged in 22 minutes.

I will run 3 miles next time.

I will run 3 miles next time.

I will run 3 miles next time.

But seriously it's happening.

t minus 7 days.... did I say it was 7 last night too because I'm pretty sure I meant 8 haha

till next time,

S

Forth Training Run

Short and sweet.

Just over one and a half miles in about 23 minutes. Ran a mile in 14 minutes.... pretty sure that's the fastest I've done it in quite some time (even though that still seems incredibly slow I'm sure for a lot of people)

• walk 3 minutes
• run 3 minutes
• walk 1 minute
• run 2 minutes
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute (1st mile done, water break)
• walk 2 minutes
• run 1 minute
• walk 2 minutes 
• run 1 minute
• walk 3 minutes

Longer run tomorrow or Saturday. We'll see when I have the time, can't believe I only have 7 days till the race!

Third Times a Charm

aka. 3rd Turkey Trot training run or When running feels good

Today's run went off way better than I had hoped for. My legs didn't hurt so bad, my hips weren't aching for me to stop, my back felt fine, my shins did not feel like they were splitting open.... all was good. Granted running is still running and there for I still had to stop and take breaks. Sometimes when I'm running for a while I get light headed or dizzy which is never good and I always take it as a sign to slow down or stop. Today was a 2.5 mile run done in 40 minutes, not the greatest but better than last time (besides being less painful). My legs actually kept begging me to keep on going when they're usually telling me to stop.

Here's the breakdown:

Mile 1

• walk 3 minutes (warm up)
• run 7 minutes
• walk 2 minutes
• run 1 minute
• walk 2 minutes

Mile 2

• run 1 minute
• walk 2 minute 
• run 1 minute
• walk 3 minutes
• run 2 minutes
• walk 4 minutes
• run 1 minute
• walk 1 minute

Last .5 Mile

• walk 5 minutes
• run 1 minute
• walk 4 minutes

That's a total of 14 minute running and 26 minutes walking. I'm hoping to at least get to where I can run 3.1 miles in 45 minutes (even though I'd really like my time to be less than that). I'd say today I would have been right on track until the last half of a mile :) Hopefully Thanksgiving will be a good running day for me.