Motivational Monday: My Thoughts on Running

In September, I decided to do the Couch to 5K so working out would not get lost in the shuffle of life.  Trying to make it to a class and hoping there is space available was jus too difficult, and 30-45 minutes 2-3 times a week on the treadmill seemed doable.  I just wanted to keep sane and not gain weight.  I never expected to love it.

And if I'm being totally honest, I didn't think I could do it. I have friends that were talking about running 5K during a workout or even a race, and, to me, that was equivalent to running to California and back.  I just didn't think running a 5K was a fitness goal that I could reach.

Right before Christmas, I completed the Couch to 5K program by running 3.92 miles.  I felt amazing! I did it!  I accomplished this feat that seemed unrealistic and totally out of my league.

It was not easy: the first 15 minutes of each run make me wonder why I am torturing myself.  Once that wanes and the endorphins kick in, and I feel like the synapses for sadness become rewired. I feel happy. 

I even kept it up during the holidays, which is totally unheard of in my book.  I usually let the mental stress get to me and just try to sleep and eat as many cookies as I can.  

Then I hit a snag and haven't run in 2 weeks.  I blame Snowpocalypse along with a sinus infection/headache that was slowly sucking my motivation to do anything.

During these two weeks, my head is fuzzy.  Never getting off the couch and staying in my fleece jammies under a fleece blanket seems totally reasonable. I'm tired so I must need more rest, right!?

This is a lie.

I've been down this path before. The one where my body says it's time for hibernation. 

And I'm not falling for it this time.

Running makes me stronger. I feel focused.  I want to drink less coffee. I fit into my jeans.  I feel more mentally stable. I feel confident that I accomplished something I never thought feasible.

That warm, fuzzy blanket and cozy couch will be there when I get back.

But now that I realize how I feel when I run, I know that today, practicing kindness looks like going to the gym and running myself back to normal again.

Do you struggle with wanting to work out and relaxing? What keeps you motivated?

Thankful Thursday: Trees, Kids, and Running

 All the thankful Facebook posts have inspired me for November. I unfortunately, at this time, cannot be trusted to do anything daily except breath, feed my kids, and remember to drop them off and pick them up on time. And by time, I mean with a 5-7 minute grace period.  Eight and  a half minutes - tops.

So instead I thought I would create a Thankful Thursday series for the month of November. Without further ado, I give you this week's list.

I am thankful for this beautiful tree outside of my kitchen window. I grew up not too far from our new home and was used to lots of trees. As a kid, I remember that totally carefree feeling of jumping in piles of freshly raked leaves. When we moved into a city that had no trees, I realized what I had taken for granted.  Now when I see this tree in our very own yard (or any tree in our neighborhood), I feel little happier inside.

The tree I get to look at every day out of my kitchen window.

I am so thankful that the kids are going through a lovey phase with each other. They are playing nicely with each other. It is one of the most awesome feelings in the whole world. They make up creepy dances to Halloween music. They are agreeing on Netflix shows. They are asking each other how their day was.  It is quite magical (which means it could end as mysteriously as it started).

I die from cuteness.

I am also thankful for running.  All I was looking for was a way to keep physically fit in the least amount of time and effort.  So I started the Couch to 5K Program.  I never meant to start loving running.  This actually should have a whole post devoted to my realizations about running, but for right now, I’ll leave it that I am thankful for it.

Hell yes!

Is there anything you are feeling thankful for this week?

Speaking at the Rochester Writers’ Conference and Training for a 5k

 This weekend I will be presenting at the 6th Annual Rochester Writers' Conference. You would think that being a teacher that I would be comfortable with public speaking. But I'm not. 

 This perplexed me. Isn't presenting and teaching the same? After much pondering I am able to say that they dynamic between teacher and class versus speaker and audience is different. There are no repercussions for an audience member that does not pay attention. The last time I spoke in public the man in the second row was reading a newspaper. I wanted to die.  In order to reset from this horrible experience, I have create this play list.

That is right - Razzle Dazzle ad Roxie from Chicago right along Eminem and Macklmore/RyanLewis
These are the songs that make me feel like a boss.

So with that kind of pressure along with my kids adjusting to the move (see this post why I cancelled our trip), I decided this was the best time to start a new fitness routine.

I know, I know. It sounds crazy. But in my head, it makes perfect sense. During times of extreme duress, my workout routine becomes last on the list. When the storm passes, I am covered in cookie crumbs and wonder why pants feel tight. 

I don’t want to go down that path again. Not only do I feel bloated, but also I feel sad. I discovered that physical activity keeps me on the upside of mental health. So instead of giving in to my ice cream therapy, I decided to set a new fitness goal so I stay exercising by downloading the Couch to 5k app.  Which I hope will lead to me feeling more balanced after this stressful time.

After staying up until midnight with emotional kids and working on my presentation.
Then getting up at 6am.  I would say that is rock star determination.
But that badge does not exist. Yet.

If I wait for the ideal time to start, I never will.  This is my middle finger to life’s challenges.  This is me digging in and making sure I don’t become unglued in the face of chaos.

How do you deal when you have a lot on your plate?