This weekend was a whirlwind trip back east, where I saw tons of family and friends. It was a little more than 48 hours full of so many lovely people.
FRIENDS
FAMILY PICNIC
Off to the woods we go!
Blair Witch 3: Attack of the Perfectly Normal Wildlife
Double white square…what does it all mean??
NYC.
So in case you forgot, my sorella is getting married. This means I need to whip into shape in a mere 14 weeks so that I can impress the crowd with my good looks to distract from my nervous speech.
Anyways, so starting this week, I am going to be adding challenges here so that I can challenge myself to a more active lifestyle. It’s summer. It’s time to get moving.
Challenge 1: Walk 10,000 steps 7 days in a row (running included.)
This challenge is brought to you by my pedometer, which I bought a few months ago thinking it’d help me walk more. For a few weeks it did, but I need to have a goal to reach to get motivated. Normally my steps are around 1.5 miles, which is about 3,000 steps. Embarrassing. But that’s not including any running I’m doing. But I don’t run every day. So starting today, I am going to get my 10,000 steps (about 5 miles) in every day until next week.
Who’s with me?
This is what my neighbor said to me as I walked by his apartment building this morning. (And contrary to what I’ve said in the past about meeting my older neighbors in the street, I was actually running early, if you can believe it.)
It was pretty hilarious, and I did all I could from laughing out loud.
I have found in the past few weeks that as I have started running outside, I have become more familiar with my neighborhood, and extended neighbors. Although I am still waiting on a route that doesn’t include a million lights (the much needed break while waiting for a light to change is doing nothing for my endurance) I am enjoying the path. I basically run to the gym, and back, which is about 1.6 miles, and is a hilarious thing, if you think about it. Running to the gym. But it’s been cool enough out to do so, so I am counting my blessings before I am punished by 90 degrees and have to hop on a treadmill.
The running, by the way, is going. I run a little further each time, and want to kill myself a little less. I have tried to mix up my iPod mix, but I need a little help (mixes? suggestions? anyone? hello?) and I also have tried to make sure I actually stretch before I leave so I don’t get halfway and have to embarrassingly have to stop and stretch in front of the police station that is about halfway. So, we’re working on it. Feet have been hurting less, although I tell you I don’t understand how one person can sweat that much. Also, Nikki, the headbands you gave me are magical, and I can’t believe I lived without them.
In other news, last night I had a salad for dinner that was giant, in the biggest Tupperware I own, because “losing weight for weddings” is officially on. No dressing, just veggies, nuts, and fruit. I am on this diet for the duration. Minus Thursday, when I plan on eating the rest of the cupcakes that Mary and Rebecca made, because I can because calories don’t count on the day of your birth.
Tonight we’re back to yoga, since Sunday yoga was canceled due to the gym reflooring it’s classroom. In the next few weeks, I’ll be venturing to a new yoga studio that I bought a GroupOn to, so we’ll see how that goes.
Crow, here I come. What are you up to?
In A Christmas Carol, the Muppet version, during the last scene, Gonzo/Mr. Dickens is holding the reveal. Did Tiny Tim make it? Or did he have a date with death? Gonzo lets us know, by stating: “And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die…” It’s probably one of the funniest Muppet moments, and certainly one of my favorite movie moments. It was even funnier this year when we watched it with a large group of my friends and Gonzo delivered his perfect line to a perfect crowd: everyone erupted into laughter, and my friend Scott and I still get the giggles (or whatever the giggle equivalent is for men) when one of us mentions it.
Anyways, my point is, on Friday, I ran 3.1 miles. It was on the treadmill. It was at zero incline. Flat surface. I had to stop twice to loosen my shoes and stretch my calves, for one minute each. I wanted to quit at mile 2. I wanted to quit at mile 2.5. I wanted to quit every second of the last half mile. But I prevailed because I had to. So I did the 3.1 miles. I was supposed to do 3 miles, but you know, I figured I should probably know whether or not I could actually go 3.1 miles just in case maybe that last .1 mile is really what was going to push me over the edge.
It took me 39:24. That’s an average of 13 minutes and 8 seconds. Slower than my best mile (of 11:35) but faster than you know, walking. Less than my original (arbitrary) goal of 45 minutes. It’s not fast. It’s not fancy. But I did NOT die.
The three miles were a little faster than the 13 minutes and 13 seconds it took me on Wednesday to run two miles. And my two miles today were a little faster, at 25:45, which was 12 minutes and 52.5 second average. These two miles were 58 seconds slower than my fastest two miles. Which is a smidge discouraging, but it’s better than nothing. Am I right? (Let’s hope I’m right.)
Jeff and I went to Michael’s today to get stuff to make Nikki and I shirts for the run. So at the very least, I’ll be well dressed. Less than a week left. Here goes nothing.
My sister text messaged me the other day.
We should run a race.
She says this a lot. She was ill. I chalked it up to fever.
Then she switched to other topics. Hometown gossip, mainly. I let it go.
Next day, I get an email about her birthday. Snuck into the bottom is,
Also, Jennie, Mikie, and Jon, here is the race I have decided upon…
A 5k. In May.
It included this: So stop being pansy babies and start running.
So I did the only logical thing one can do with older sisters: I started running. She sent me a training schedule that I knew I could not start, because Step 1 was run a mile and a half. Doubt it. So I found a website on “How to Run a Mile” which was exactly what I needed. I am not following it exactly – I am basically running until I can’t run anymore (which is not very far, don’t worry.)
Here’s what it comes down to. I started on Friday. I ran a mile on the treadmill. It took me 15.5 minutes. I took Saturday off, rock climbing instead, and ran again yesterday. I ran outside, and it took me 17 minutes. I chock that up to weather, shoes, and terrain. And because my arms were so sore I could barely lift them. And because I am bad at running, mainly.
Today’s an off day, and since my arms are still sore, I took it as a completely “off” day, but I did get this yesterday at REI, so I won’t be having many “off” days from now on, since I am going to want to run this sucker up.
Tomorrow, I have to face the treadmill again. Not looking forward to it, but I’m determined. Or maybe I am just scared of my sister…