Training Tuesdays: Week 4 on the Road of "I can do better!"

Four weeks ago I got back from vacation and I sorted through the pictures. As I looked at them I thought, while I have been doing ok with the whole healthy getting in shape route I have pursued, I could do better. It was the kick in the butt I needed.

Last fall I had registered for the Rock n Roll Philly Half Marathon. The race this year is in mid-September. Instead of starting training at the end of June (12 weeks from race day), I decided to start at the beginning of May with the C25K training program. This program will dovetail nicely into my normal half marathon training and get me where I need to be providing a solid foundation for the 12-week program.

This week begins week 4 of my foundation training and it is going well, except the weather. Here on the mid-Atlantic, we have had the soggiest May ever. Rain, Rain and more Rain. Somewhere in the last several weeks, I became a runner who would get out there in light sprinkles to get a run done.

Additionally, each week I have added a new component to my training program. Week 2 was stretching/yoga. Week 3 was strength training. Week 4 as the C25K program kicks it up a notch with more running than walking it will be focusing on listening to my body as I run, strength train and stretch. Next week will focus on fuel, how the food I eat affects my training and make tweaks to  what is on the menu.
I chuckled when I came across the quote from Tony Robbins I used for the Quotable Monday post this week: "The path to success is to take massive determined action." That is exactly what I am doing in a slightly measure way. My goal is to be strong (mentally/physically) and healthy. I am not going to focus on the scale or a weight goal. That will only provide a distraction and frustration.

Weekly training log: Weeks 1 - 3

1	5/1/16		W1D1 C2k5		W1D2C25k
2	5/9/16	W1D3 C2k5	Stretch/Yoga	w2D1 c25k		Stretch/yoga	W2D2 C25k	W2D3 C25k
3	5/16/16	Yoga	W3D1 C25k	St Training	W3D2 C25k	St Training	W3 D3 C25K

Feeling stronger each day!

Resolutions, Gold Stars and Shiny Objects

2014 has decided to come in with a bang, or shall I say a Polar Vortex? Being a transplant from Southern California I am not sure my body will ever get use to the normal cold that January in the Mid-Atlantic can offer. However this Polar Vortex thing is enough to make this girl rethink her geographical choices.

A New Year brings New Year’s Resolutions right? No, I hopped of the resolution express a long time ago. Why create more pressure in my life? I was already very accomplished at doing that without resolutions adding more.  Why set myself up for failure? So several years back I tweaked my thinking after being hard on myself for not sticking to my resolutions, and started focusing on goals I wanted to accomplish in the new year. At the end of the year I would check back to see what I goals I accomplished and those I had not, what I learned over the course of the year and set new goals for the upcoming year.

So let’s take a look back on my 2013 Goals:

1) Set personal bests (PBs) in two half marathons (√ & √)     
2) Hit the gym or run at least 3xs per week (√)                 
3) Take French classes (√)                                                       
4) Taking cooking classes to improve my culinary skills (√)
5) Travel to a place I have not been to (√)
6) Don’t be so hard on/Cut myself some slack (half √)
7) Buy a home (swing and a miss)

With the exception of 7 and well maybe 6… I can give myself half credit on 6. I checked off most of my goals for 2013. Gold Star!!!

 

What did 2013 teach me? It taught me how to shift my focus and find things that stretched my abilities and learn new skills that would enrich my personal life (French lessons, culinary classes, PBs and traveling) instead of focusing on just my career. 2013 also taught me, once again, to embrace serendipity that life throws at you. Something good will come of it whether it is an adventure, a new skill or new friends added to your life.

The one and half goals not accomplished are a little harder to explain. The purchase of a new home… well let’s just chalk that up to the year got away from me. The “Don’t be so hard on/cut  myself some slack” goal almost wound up in the not accomplished heap. I have the duo of bad habits of over scheduling myself and over estimating how much I can get done in a given time period. I do not factor in breathing room, so one mishap and my to-do list can easily derail. Instead of adjusting things I still try and do everything and when that fails, well cue the self-scolding. I was on the express train to self-scolding over holiday cards this past December.  But a moment of clarity and encouraging words from a few friends, just as I was about to beat myself for not planning ahead and getting my holiday cards created and mailed well before the holidays, helped me refocus. I took a deep breath logged on to the website where I create my cards and found the New Year’s templates that helped me achieve my goal of sending out cards to friends and family while buying me about two weeks more time to create them and send them out.  

What are the goals for 2014? well the goals and half not accomplished last year are at the top of the list.

1) Buy a home.
2) Continue to break the habit of being too tough on myself.
3) Continue my French lessons and cultivating my culinary skills.
4) Participate in 3 half marathons (two are already picked and I am registered).
5) Travel to a place I have not been before.
6) Be consistent in posting to this site.
7) Improve my photography skills (I will master manual mode!!!)

Check back in December and see what I can check off!