tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91580725471756238182024-02-19T12:43:50.319-06:00Jul's Fitness Journey"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way." -Theodor "Dr. Seuss" GeiselJuleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-58466229416182954162011-07-24T20:39:00.000-05:002011-07-24T20:39:47.879-05:00Long RunsI figured I was in fairly good shape when I started my half marathon training. And I think I was kind of right. I can run 3 miles, no problem. Four? Doable, but I'm breathing pretty hard by the end of it. Five? Haven't <i>quite</i> made it there yet.<br />
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The biggest problem right now? The heat wave! It's already approaching 90 degrees before 8 am, and the humidity is insane. You remember that expression, "it's not the heat, it's the humidity!" Well, I'm pretty sure that was written about Chicago. Even though it's rare that the <i>actual</i> temperature will be in the triple digits, the humidity is always like, a million percent. And <u>that's</u> why running outside in July/August is awful.<br />
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So I've been running on the treadmill at the gym.<br />
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I hate treadmills. Always have.<br />
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Jules = not so happy.<br />
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I would much rather be running outside, but I seriously have no intention of waking up at 4:30 am just so I can run in weather that won't kill me. And since I hate running on the treadmill, it's been a little harder to make myself run and a little easier to find excuses. Such as planning my neighbors' going away party. Or just plain catching up on sleep.<br />
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I recently bought a one-piece swimsuit (basically a swim team practice suit), goggles and a swim cap so I can do laps at the gym. I figure I'll do the 45-minute lunchtime spin class, then rinse off and hit the pool for some laps.<br />
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I went on Thursday and swam for 30 mins. Not bad, considering I'd just done a spin class AND I've <b>never</b> gone to a pool with the intention of swimming laps. Well, except for one summer on the country club swim team when I was five. But that doesn't count, it was almost two decades ago. Yikes.<br />
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But I'm looking forward to getting back into the pool and working on my aqua stamina! I just wish I had someone to sort of coach me on my swimming, you know, observe my form and give me pointers, or straight up work with me to improve my strokes.<br />
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If you live around Chicago and want to do that for me, let me know!!Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-63689393594109876472011-07-14T12:20:00.000-05:002011-07-14T12:20:07.865-05:00How To: Combat ChafingAs I said in my last post, chafing is a problem for me. My dad-- who (in his prime) used to run, row, sail, cross-country ski and more-- suggested I just rub some Vaseline on my skin. I usually think he's nuts, so I went ahead and bought some compression shorts from Nike.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJFXUCohG0eXJw8_OEOXwBUboMSNn9844k9gkmBHwDoYbxOcPRICnBGOhyPxBqsc_KmVJFrxx3R15WMtfJpLPQrDWLc9V80s1U0o_9E31AYkhVkSRnZtNxgTO1FYbmkakFxigTczbm_w/s1600/Nike+shorts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJFXUCohG0eXJw8_OEOXwBUboMSNn9844k9gkmBHwDoYbxOcPRICnBGOhyPxBqsc_KmVJFrxx3R15WMtfJpLPQrDWLc9V80s1U0o_9E31AYkhVkSRnZtNxgTO1FYbmkakFxigTczbm_w/s320/Nike+shorts.png" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the ones I bought, about $25-$30 but they fit <i>really</i> well</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Well I don't feel like washing those 4 times a week, so I thought I'd try the Vaseline trick on my shorter runs and see if it helped at all.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgFoZmwfdxyf1vsrlH76J3BglIw21SkaTAc0Nb9Q8kKDcV8qGXrBXAftfw0exbI3Jef6ymyLogubhkpvsXwStEwFSm2FCXYKOV0kcGx2vw7G4T7LZgZ8S6x2QTx1OI15uL4zqo-P4gnk/s1600/Vaseline.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgFoZmwfdxyf1vsrlH76J3BglIw21SkaTAc0Nb9Q8kKDcV8qGXrBXAftfw0exbI3Jef6ymyLogubhkpvsXwStEwFSm2FCXYKOV0kcGx2vw7G4T7LZgZ8S6x2QTx1OI15uL4zqo-P4gnk/s1600/Vaseline.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good ol' fashioned petroleum jelly</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Turns out, it does! I had no problems on my 3-milers later last week and on Tuesday, or on my 4-miler this morning :) I'm still going to wear my compression shorts for my longer runs-- and <b>definitely </b>for the half marathon-- but it's nice to know there's another option that requires less laundry!Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-40659685840103053252011-07-08T15:12:00.001-05:002011-07-08T15:12:51.218-05:00New Plan: Half Marathon!So back in March, I was disappointed to learn that registration for the 2011 Chicago Marathon had reached maximum participants. Last year's 5K was waaaay too fun for me to <i>not</i> run another race, but I knew I had to aim for a longer distance in order to really challenge myself. After a quick survey of my friends on Facebook, I learned that several people were already registered for the half in September- and I decided to go ahead and register, too! I found two 10 week HM training programs (one is from Runner's World magazine!) and am almost done with week 1 :)<br />
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As an experiment, I decided to see just how bad it really would be to run at lunchtime on Tuesday. And I learned exactly why you either run early morning or late evening: 86 degrees with a TON of humidity and lots of sun made for a <u>miserable</u> half hour. Yuck. Never again.<br />
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Yesterday I ran around 8:15am. It was partly cloudy, about 76 degrees and <b>much</b> less humid. It was a GREAT run except for one thing: my thighs were chafing something fierce! I'm slightly knock-kneed, so chafing is pretty much unavoidable.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1lkYDc0BTwAHwodw42YJ1UBINN-I5j1RvBO4kteetQ3An9znEItS8D1Y_u808AwaoFMZvyN38Sd_B3G9E8rnLDXdsbNCxzKlK0eO7vBezV6xIHGlD22RLQdvoj-FA0vhgSNS9pd6QkI/s1600/Knock-Kneed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1lkYDc0BTwAHwodw42YJ1UBINN-I5j1RvBO4kteetQ3An9znEItS8D1Y_u808AwaoFMZvyN38Sd_B3G9E8rnLDXdsbNCxzKlK0eO7vBezV6xIHGlD22RLQdvoj-FA0vhgSNS9pd6QkI/s320/Knock-Kneed.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm the one on the left - my thighs touch by default</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's super frustrating, because my knees, ankles and lungs were handling the 3-miler just fine, but my legs were objecting <i>painfully</i>. I still have a Nike giftcard from Christmas so I'm going to the outlet mall this afternoon to see if I can find some compression/lycra shorts so they'll stay in place even if my running shorts ride up!<br />
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I'm also going to see if the Nike outlet has any competition-style swimsuits. My gym has a pool so I'd love to swim laps or take the "aqua fit" class as part of my cross-training, but the only swimwear I have are bikinis. We'll see if the Nike outlet has what I need or if I'll have to look elsewhere!<br />
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My best motivation for morning runs is to set out my shorts, tank, sports bra and socks before I go to bed- what do you do to get up and go?Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-38071591886267997672011-03-03T09:46:00.000-06:002011-03-03T09:46:31.961-06:00BummerSo I just got an email from the Chicago Marathon (since I'm on their list), and I'm so bummed! Just a month after opening registration, they've hit the max 45,000 participant capacity :( Since I don't know when I'll be going on the road for work-- and how long I'll be gone-- I didn't want to register and risk missing the marathon. Looks like I'll have to find a different 2011 race and wait for Chicago 2012! On a good note, we had our office Biggest Loser weigh-in this morning and I lost 1.2 pounds since last week's weigh-in!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf60nSOnVvaFOL5uh1gqmD8rCSqo2XUkPjRmPSzCVgWfLzEgmYdXmfrX9x_hY4t6oTiJDueeU98B2f-Yz2bBKxCOqVqq-FdhDYOUsi_4YsutjC186tO9dtYRHzh0Paa4sTsNrR5yAHFw0/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-03-03+at+9.32.32+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf60nSOnVvaFOL5uh1gqmD8rCSqo2XUkPjRmPSzCVgWfLzEgmYdXmfrX9x_hY4t6oTiJDueeU98B2f-Yz2bBKxCOqVqq-FdhDYOUsi_4YsutjC186tO9dtYRHzh0Paa4sTsNrR5yAHFw0/s320/Screen+shot+2011-03-03+at+9.32.32+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-55651259579303538802011-02-04T12:07:00.000-06:002011-02-04T12:07:37.731-06:00Losing at Losing...So we had our weekly weigh-ins, and both last week and this week I gained half a pound! Over the last two weeks, I've gained a pound back. I know that doesn't sound like much, and everybody says your weight fluctuates, but our weigh-ins are at the same time each week and I wear basically the same thing each week to be consistent.<br />
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How did I gain it back? The answer is simple.<br />
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<ol><li>I spent the entire Sunday two weeks ago (aka Bears-Packers playoff championship game) at a bar with girlfriends watching football. That involved a burger, french fries, a mozzarella stick or two, and several "souvenir mugs" of Miller Lite. Looking back, I should've stuck to a beer I actually like and NOT gotten the sweet Bears mug that's now taking up space on my closet shelf.</li>
<li>Monday through Thursday last week I sat in on training for one of our street teams. Lunch was catered every day (so no Lean Cuisines) and there was a big bowl of "fun-size" candy in the middle of the conference table..... I probably ate more candy last week than I did around Halloween.</li>
<li>Snowpocalypse 2011 hit Chicagoland, preventing my daily gym trips. I'm so glad I didn't even try-- the Prudential Fast Track bus, Union Station, and every train were ridiculous on Tuesday and Thursday. The closest I came to a workout was romping around in the snow. There was a 10-foot mountain of snow in front of my neighbor's house that my 20-year-old brother and I were climbing (and throwing each other off), and I deliberately.... umm, swam?..... through the deepest snow each time I traveled between our house and The Mountain.</li>
</ol><div>So it's pretty obvious to me how I managed not only to <b>not </b>lose weight but to put some back on. I've decided I'm going to lose the most weight by our next weigh-in. The only downside to that goal is that I'm going to Indiana to see Josh this weekend.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I'm pretty sure I gain about 20 pounds every time I make that trip. We tend to eat in restaurants, go to bars with friends, and not workout at all. Granted, this makes for very fun weekends, but not very healthy ones. My plan is to enjoy myself this weekend without overindulging. We'll see how it goes!</div><div><br />
</div><div>How do you manage to eat right and even squeeze in exercise when you're on a mini vacation??</div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-63188722449323388792011-01-05T00:38:00.001-06:002011-01-20T14:07:17.907-06:00The Biggest Loser?So I dropped 14 pounds (yay!) in the process of training for the 5K and taking weekly classes at the gym... But I've gained a good chunk of it back in the past couple weeks =/ I've had an eye infection lately, so I've been confined to my glasses, which means no gym time-- I'm self-conscious enough at the gym as it is, I can't imagine being able to focus on anything but people's judgment of me if I showed up in my glasses.<br />
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Thus, between the Holiday food and drinks, and zero workouts in the last 2-3 weeks, I am no longer able to see my defined abs or slim thighs. I hate how quickly I gain it all back!!! But luckily, my body is pretty used to being fit, so I hope to lose it again in a couple weeks :)<br />
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Anyway, our office has an annual "Biggest Loser" competition, so I've decided to participate as extra motivation. It's $30 to join; the weekly winner gets $5 and the overall winner gets the whole pot at the end of 16 weeks-- but for every pound you gain each week, you have to put $1 into the pot! My goal is to reach 120 pounds (I'm around 140, probably) by the final weigh-in, on April 28. This seems reasonable, it's 5 pounds a month, nothing crazy!<br />
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Beyond just our office competition, two of my New Year's resolutions involve running. First, I will run the Rock & Roll Chicago Half Marathon in less than 1:31 (so under 10-minutes per mile). Second, I will finish the 2011 Chicago Marathon. Yep, those are my goals. I don't think they're too ambitious, and I plan to do a 10K and maybe another 5K this spring to cover all my bases :)<br />
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I'm excited for a fit and fabulous 2011- happy new year, everyone!Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-37053635431888245002010-09-27T14:49:00.001-05:002011-01-20T14:06:52.947-06:00We Did It!Two weeks ago, my friend Liz and I ran the 5K at the Chicago Half Marathon. It was our first race- for both of us- so we weren't running it for time or anything, just to get a feel for what a race is like :) It was so much fun! I wish I had more money; the change in scenery, number of people, benefit to self & others, and swag definitely make runs fly by!<br />
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More than anything, I'm proud of how far I've come. I started out about 150 pounds and unable to run more than a quarter of a mile without feeling like my lungs were collapsing. Now I'm around 139 pounds and still trying to shrink. We did 3.1 miles with zero problem (actually, we felt awesome afterwards!) and each week I've been increasing my run by a quarter of a mile.<br />
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Now I've joined LA Fitness and take morning classes 4-5 days a week. I'm still running, aiming for twice a week- although, sadly, now it's on a treadmill- but this week will be 3.75 miles. I'm really excited- I love my workouts and finally fit into clothes I haven't worn in 3 years.<br />
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I still have a long way to go, though. For Liz and me, our next goal is the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Chicago next August- and I hope to run the 2012 Chicago Marathon. I hope to lose at least 15 more pounds in the coming months and shrink a few more inches, but for now I'm quite pleased with my progress <b>and</b> my ability to finally stick with it!Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-76308639024503823622010-07-08T21:48:00.001-05:002010-07-08T21:51:45.960-05:00One month into it!Hooray! I'm well into my fifth week of the <a href="http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml">C25K plan</a> and doing a different strength workout each week. A couple weeks ago I bought pretty new running shoes, a New Balance pair from <a href="http://www.runningcompany.com/">Naperville Running Company</a>. They're doing a lot better than my old Adidas shoes, even though I found out the hard way that a 9-mile walk may not be the wisest choice for the 3rd day of wearing new shoes (pics and details at my <a href="http://juliaohaver.tumblr.com/post/787217429/after-two-weeks-of-the-couch-to-5k-running">tumblr page</a>).<br />
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Since it's been a few weeks, here are the strength workouts I've done up to this point:<br />
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<ul><li>June 7-13: <a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2009/12/slow-down-to-firm-up-slideshow#slide=1">90 Seconds to Slim</a></li>
<li>June 14-20: <a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/05/stop-cellulite-slideshow#slide=1">So long, cellulite!</a></li>
<li>June 21-27: <a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/07/anna-paquin-workout-slideshow#slide=1">Anna Paquin's True Blood workout</a></li>
<li>June 28-July 4: <a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/07/vanessa-minnillo-bikini-body-move-slideshow#slide=1">Vanessa Minnillo's Bikini-Ready Now!</a></li>
<li>July 5-11: <a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2009/11/sexiest-curves-slideshow#slide=1">Sculpt the sexiest curves</a> (this week's workout)</li>
</ul><div>And if you live around Chicago or Naperville, there are all sorts of fun, free fitness activities on Saturday mornings:</div><div><ul><li>In Millennium Park, there are Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, and Dance Aerobics from 7-10 am (schedule and info <a href="http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/event_landing/events/dca_tourism/millennium_park_weekly.html">here</a> or <a href="http://www.millenniumpark.org/documents/workouts.pdf">here</a>) through September 11 on the Great Lawn</li>
<li>On the North Avenue Beach, <a href="http://chicago.flirtygirlfitness.com/chicago_html/">Flirty Girl Fitness</a> offers Yogalates from 10-11 am (info <a href="http://chicago.flirtygirlfitness.com/chicago_html/june17/Yogalates%20Event%20Poster%20III_web.pdf">here</a>) throughout the rest of July and August</li>
<li>Also, <a href="http://www.lululemon.com/naperville/naperville">lululemon athletica</a> in Naperville has yoga at 9 am (Tweet <a href="http://twitter.com/lululemonNaper/status/17613730118">here</a>)</li>
</ul><div>Well that's about it for me tonight, I wish you all the best in your fitness endeavors!</div></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-64414766472362111632010-06-16T12:54:00.000-05:002010-06-16T12:54:48.196-05:00Frustrated!On Monday I said:<br />
<blockquote>This week on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday in between my C25K runs, I think I'm going to do a <a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/01/let-jillian-michaels-train-you-slideshow"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Jillian Michaels workout</span></a> from Self Magazine. I figure if I change up my workouts every week, it'll be easier to stay motivated and not get bored!</blockquote>Well, I tried that JM workout yesterday, and all I got was <b>frustrated</b>! I got through the first move (<a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/01/let-jillian-michaels-train-you-slideshow#slide=1">Knee Trap</a>) just fine, but I couldn't do the second move (<a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/01/let-jillian-michaels-train-you-slideshow#slide=2">Wheel Push-Up</a>) assumedly because I don't have enough upper body strength to push myself up upside-down. Eventually, after a few curse words, I modified the move by simply bending backwards over my exercise ball and doing the push-ups that way. Close enough, I figured, on to move three (<a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/01/let-jillian-michaels-train-you-slideshow#slide=3">Ab Slide</a>). I admit that I am probably the single least-flexible human being you will ever meet; since I can't even touch my toes, I had to modify this one by bending my knees a little and walking my hands out instead of sliding them. No big deal, I still definitely felt that move!<br />
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Since I'm doing C25K MWF, I decided to skip the cardio bursts and just go to move five (<a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/01/let-jillian-michaels-train-you-slideshow#slide=5">Dragon Stance</a>). This is where my supreme frustration from the Wheel Push-Up reared its head again. As I twisted down into the first rep, my <b>knees</b>-- not my quads-- started to really hurt. I did a couple reps on each side before surrendering to the ache of my knees and bringing the printed workout downstairs to show my mom.<br />
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At this point, I'm pissed off by this workout. I know I'm out of shape, but there's no reason that at 23 years old (and NOT overweight), I'm completely unable to do this full workout. My mom worked out for years and years and has always been in <b>really </b>good shape, and she knows when a workout is good or bad for someone. I showed her the workout and she agreed; unless you're in amazing shape (read: Jillian Michaels) you could get seriously hurt attempting these workouts, especially without an instructor nearby. I skipped ahead and showed her move nine (<a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/01/let-jillian-michaels-train-you-slideshow#slide=9">Jackknife</a>), at which point she said that <i>she</i> had hurt her back for weeks doing a move like that.<br />
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Long story short, I tried that workout but decided to scrap it to avoid any further frustration or potential injury. If you're in great shape, maybe you can do these moves. If you're like me, though, and working to get back <i>into</i> shape, <b>do not try these</b>! If JM was there with me, spotting me and offering tips on how to perform each move, <i>maybe</i> I could've done them. I just got back from the SELF website and found a new workout for tomorrow & Saturday: the <a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/05/stop-cellulite-slideshow">Stop Cellulite wokout</a>.... I'm sure this'll be a better success than the JM workout!<br />
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Good luck, fitness friends!Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-1979377549501480822010-06-14T11:45:00.000-05:002010-06-14T11:45:19.270-05:00Week 2Well, it's week 2 of the <a href="http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml">C25K</a> plan, and so far I have worked out every day for the past 8 days! This is definitely a success for me :) I haven't seen any changes in the mirror yet but I can try to be patient!<br />
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This week on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday in between my C25K runs, I think I'm going to do a <a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2010/01/let-jillian-michaels-train-you-slideshow">Jillian Michaels workout</a> from Self Magazine. I figure if I change up my workouts every week, it'll be easier to stay motivated and not get bored!<br />
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Let me know if you're doing the C25K too or if you have any stories/tips!Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-54798035837258474592010-06-08T15:18:00.001-05:002010-06-14T11:35:44.819-05:00For real this time...I've said it in pretty much all of my posts but I'm actually starting to workout this week. I know that what I've needed all along has been a stable and constant schedule so I can workout consistently each day. Having started my internship at <a href="http://www.almosthomekids.org/">Almost Home Kids</a>, I got the chance to set my own schedule. I chose to start each day at 9 am, so I am waking up at 6:00 each morning to workout before heading to the AHK house. I am alternating cardio workouts with strength workouts, plus I'm trying eat more protein, fruits and veggies, and less carbs, sugar and fat!<br />
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Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I'm doing Cool Running's <a href="http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml">Couch to 5K Plan</a>, which introduces sloths like me to running without killing ourselves.<br />
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I'm doing strength workouts. I'm going to do a different one each week; this week's is SELF magazine's <a href="http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2009/12/slow-down-to-firm-up-slideshow?mbid=enws_mow0506#slide=1">90 Seconds to Slim</a> workout.<br />
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On the <a href="http://www.cararuns.org/">CARA Web site</a>, I found three 5K runs that I'm going to choose from: the <a href="https://www.signmeup.com/site/reg/register.aspx?fid=T42V1K7">Joshua Kurby Charge for CHARGE 5K</a> in Carol Stream on 8/14, the Peapod Project's <a href="http://www.thepeapodproject.org/events">Walk.Run.Help</a><span id="goog_765310786"></span><span id="goog_765310787"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a> in Chicago on 8/28, or the Noon Lions' <a href="http://www.5klaboroflove.org/">Labor of Love 5K Run/Walk</a> in Downers Grove on 9/6. I'd love to do all three but I just don't have the ability to pay three registration fees; no job = no money.<br />
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Since it's only been two days so far, the only signs of progress I've noticed are that my core and quads are sooo sore... But it's a good kind of sore, the kind that means I've been working out!Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-77333192529027931902010-03-09T10:30:00.000-06:002010-03-09T10:30:51.351-06:00Finally starting to train!On Sunday it occurred to me that the 5K is in six weeks. SIX WEEKS! That only gave me 42 days to get into shape to run the 3.1 miles. With interviews, babysitting 6 days a week, and trying to get work done for Rankings Guru, Price Benefits and Cress Creek Links, the last few weeks have been a big failure for me. I've been trying to eat healthier but I didn't get out to exercise. Not too smart.<div><br />
</div><div>But yesterday I decided to start the <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/">Runner's World</a> five week 5K training <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/images/cma/beginner5k_table.jpg">schedule</a>. Yes, I realize that I have six weeks to train, so I'm doing week 1 this week and next week, then starting week 2 on the 22nd, week three on the 29th, etc. Yesterday I decided to kill two birds with one stone: I had to go to Target to pick up a few things so I walked there. It's about 2 miles round trip, so I ended up walking (quickly- I was sweating!) for half an hour.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Then today I was supposed to run for 10 minutes. Turns out that being sedentary for three months means you can't run 10 minutes straight through. I did a 5-minute warm-up walk, then ran for 4 mins, walked for 2 mins, ran for 3 mins, walked for 2 mins, ran 3 more mins and walked the last 5 mins home as a cool-down. The whole trip was about a mile and a half, and although I'm embarrassed to say that I can't run 10 consecutive minutes anymore, I did manage to run 10 minutes total and walked briskly in between, so it wasn't a total failure!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Tomorrow is another 20-minute walk. I plan to follow it with some weight training so I can build my strength back up. Finally I've gotten motivated and finally my plan is underway!</div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-23021985528230960962010-02-18T19:35:00.000-06:002010-02-18T19:35:21.846-06:00I need to get my act together!So the <a href="http://www.self.com/challenge">SELF Challenge 2010</a> began today... And of course I forgot about it until I got an email a little bit ago. I've been really busy the past couple days with Josh here, moving furniture, informational & job interviews, writing work and more, so I haven't exactly started working out yet. I did eat pretty healthy today (except breakfast because I don't think I could ever give up Cap'n Crunch) and I chose to walk from the train station to the Aon Center and back for my informational interview at <a href="http://www.ketchum.com/">Ketchum</a> yesterday, which round trip is almost 3 miles. Now that I'm aware that the Challenge has started, I'm going to try their workouts and recipes, get my butt running again, and get down to 120 pounds!<br />
<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-65999620946689624052010-02-13T01:51:00.000-06:002010-02-13T01:51:27.263-06:00Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!I realize that Dr. Seuss's "Oh! The Places You'll Go" can be quoted for just about anything, so I'm going to apply it to my fitness journey.<br />
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<blockquote><b>So be sure when you step.</b> Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left. <br />
<b>And will you succeed?<br />
Yes! You will, indeed!</b><br />
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)<br />
Kid, you’ll move mountains!<br />
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!<br />
<b>Today is your day!<br />
Your mountain is waiting.<br />
So…get on your way!</b><br />
</blockquote><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158072547175623818.post-46269563652989058702010-02-13T00:13:00.001-06:002010-02-13T01:53:03.274-06:00The Beginning of the StoryOk so I moved back home with my parents on Sunday, December 20. Since then, I've been focused on finding a job and trying to combine all of my college stuff with a selection of high school stuff in my bedroom (which is way easier said than done, believe me). With no floor space and no TV/DVD player set up in my room, and our treadmill absolutely buried in the basement, my fitness routine has gone from minimal to zero.<br />
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In the fall, I made up a fitness plan for myself. I attempted four days a week of cardio and three days of weights, but usually ended up working out only 3-4 days a week. Nonetheless, I lost about 5 pounds, was in the best shape I'd been in throughout college, and started to fit into my clothes a little better. But then I graduated and moved back home, and my workout plan ended.<br />
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Now, my friend Liz and I have decided to get ourselves back into shape so we can run the 11th annual <a href="http://www.ncospringahead.com/">NCO Spring Ahead Run</a> on Sunday, April 18. It's here in Naperville and we've decided on the 5K race because at this point, 3.1 miles is much more achievable than the 6.2 miles in a 10K. In addition to getting my butt back on the treadmill, I'm going to do the 2010 <a href="http://www.self.com/challenge">Self Challenge</a> which starts on Thursday, February 18. My basic goal is to lose about 5 pounds a month so I can get down to the 120-125 range and a size 4-6 by my 23rd birthday on May 28. I'm sick of my belly and love handles and need to get back into shape - wish me luck!<br />
<div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><div id="refHTML"></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16829338445672389654noreply@blogger.com0