Motivation is Motivation

Oh the pear shape woes. Every time I think I'm starting to accept all this pearness, I catch myself in the mirror at the wrong angle or see myself in a picture, ass first. It's so frustrating. It also doesn't help that my running partner has a much, MUCH smaller butt.

The upside of this though, is that this small but significant fact gives me all the motivation I need to stay ahead of her on our runs. This way I don't spend 6 whole miles being tortured by her small and perky toosh.

On another note, I'm finally either starting to overcome my fatigue, or my body is getting better at adapting to it. My maintenance run the other day was kind of tough but I'm looking forward to my 5 miles today.

For December it seems like a pretty nice day out, maybe even warmer than during my 6 mile run last weekend. I also think my weight training is starting to pay off, I really feel like my legs are getting stronger. It's especially noticeable on the hills.

I'm trying to talk myself into another strength training class tonight after my run. If one of my goals for 2009 is to get into scuba diving, that means I'll also have to get into a scuba suit. Worse, it means that at some point next year, I will have to actually wear a swimsuit...IN PUBLIC. Just the thought of that makes me want to get up and do squats right now. I have't worn a swim suit since I was 16...and I'm almost 29.

So, if signing up for a half marathon, being forced to run with someone with a smaller tookas and visualizing myself in a swimsuit sometime in the next 6 months doesn't motivate me...I don't know what will.

Off Days...

I'm starting to understand why they call them off days. It's because you're so tired from your workout the day before that you need some time to rest and recover. Too bad I'm also seeing this journey as one of weight loss so I don't get many off days. Besides, it's vacation, so it seems like the perfect time to get in as many workouts as possible.

Yesterday was supposed to be an easier day, 8:1 X3, but I pretty much struggled through it. It's a good thing that afterwards I treated myself to an afternoon with my friend Devin and her new son Aiden. I'm hoping my run tomorrow, 5:1 X4 will be easier. In the meantime, I'll try to get to the gym today and get in a good cardio and lift session.

Where's the Motivation?

Just two days ago I was running six miles. So why is it so hard for me to get out of bed right now to run 2.5? Maybe because it's vacation? Or I am just lazy? I keep finding other things to do and what I haven't quite found yet, is my motivation. And this is a problem. Because I have this whole list of things to do today that start with getting my ass out of this bed and putting on my running shoes. Deep breath. Here we go.

Did I Forget to Blog...Again?

It's almost the end of the year and I've done a lot better at the running thing than the blogging thing. I've even set a goal, I'm running a half marathon in March. I picked up two books and have been actually sticking with my running schedule. This weekend, Kianga and I did a long run of 6 miles. It wasn't nearly as tough as I thought it would be. I was able to keep my pace and felt like I had really accomplished something once I was done. I actually can't wait to get my mileage up and challenge myself in a way I haven't really thought possible.

Did I mention Kianga was an unbelievably good sport? She ran track in high school and college so I thought she would be fine to put in six miles. Her body is used to this right? I think she just about died. I actually enjoy running alone, its the only time of my day that I get to be alone so I cherish it. I'm not one of those runners who likes to chat, I'd rather just know you're there and hope that you're feeling as good about it all as I am. So when I turned around at mile three and didn't see her, I was actually surprised. But she eventually caught up and we finished with smiles on our faces.

I'm hoping that 2009 will bring a lot of good changes to my life. Better yet, I hope to initiate a lot of good changes in my life in 2009. I took the LSAT this past February but wasn't thrilled with my score. I'm not studying for the GMAT and am seriously considering business school over law school. Either way, I'll start applying to programs right around the time of the half.

I'm also looking to completely transition out of non-profit into business consulting or government contracting. I've had a few leads but nothing solid yet, I know how long this could take...

And last but not least, I am PROMISING myself that this year I will do more things that I truly enjoy, no excuses. I am sometimes too easily discouraged and need to learn how to fight more for what I want. There's always something in my way, not enough money, not enough time...and, of course, the fact that I've been in a fulfilling yet challenging relationship for the past few years. It's difficult to love someone who doesn't exactly love all the things you like to do. For too long I've used that as an excuse to not do the things I love and I've decided to change this as well. Hopefully in the next few months I'll be blogging about the scuba lessons I really want to take...

Shin splints or a stress fracture?

So I've been running, but not blogging. Go figure. Today is a good day to pick it back up. For the past few days my legs have been giving me a lot of trouble. So I've been doing a lot of (online) research about lower leg pain. I've had my fair share of shin splints but this feels different. It started with cramping in my right calf when running, and has progressed into what feels like pain in my actual bone. Could it be a stress fracture? NOT good news.

I'm not sure if this is happening because I've upped my number of runs per week or if the new shoes aren't the best thing ever. In this new fitting I was told I should be in a more neutral shoe even though I have really high arches. I've noticed since then that after a run, my arches are a little sore so I'm kind of confused. I'm thinking about going back to the running store to see what they say.

Because of the pain I tried to take it easy in my workout today. Saturday mornings I usually do 50 mins of cardio and then lift for another 30. I tried to concentrate on putting less weight on my right foot to protect my calf. I'm icing it now, so I guess I'll know if that helped later today. Maybe I'll try the treadmill for a few days...

The first day of the rest of my life...a la blog!

This is my first blog post. Ever. I'm doing this for a couple of reasons. For one, I have a lot of great ideas. A LOT of great ideas. The kind of ideas that sound so promising when you're talking about them, but then two months later you wonder why none of them actually turned into anything. Well, this is my attempt to actually do some of the things I've always wanted to do, and said I would do, over the last few years. First up? I've always wanted to be a runner. Not one of those women who jumps on the treadmill a couple of times a week, miraculously never breaking a sweat. No, one of those women who has hundreds of miles and a few races under her belt.

I can't exactly call myself an active person so becoming a runner will be a journey for me. But isn't all of life a journey? Let's run!