Finding Motivation

Posted on April 10, 2013 by HHRunner

I had a rough day on Monday. I know that it isn’t uncommon for women to struggle with self-esteem issues from time to time – and I definitely am not immune to this. For the most part I am pretty positive – I know that I don’t have a perfect body by any means, but I am proud of what my body allows me to do. However on Monday [and really Tuesday if we’re being honest] I had one of those mornings where I pulled out outfit after outfit trying to find something – anything – to wear that looked good. Nothing did. I ended up in jeans and a shirt that I hated. I was in a terrible mood. I didn’t really put any makeup on, I just ran a straightener quickly over my hair and I left for work feeling supremely underwhelmed with myself.

This didn’t stop when I got to work. I was frustrated, stressed out and wanted nothing more than to go home, curl up in my bed and sleep away the rest of the day. I just wanted to hide from the world.

Work stretched on for an eternity [isn’t it funny how some days fly by and others seem impossibly long?] and when I finally got home I did exactly what I had been wanting to do all day – I pulled myself into a tight ball on my couch and I took a nap. After I had a glass of wine. At 3:45 in the afternoon. When I woke up the absolute last thing I wanted to do was go work out. No matter how many times I told myself that it would make me feel better, I just couldn’t get motivated.

I texted my friend Britt lamenting my lack of desire to work out, I complained to Sean and I moped for a solid 20 minutes. During my texting with Britt, I somehow managed to find enough motivation to actually change into workout clothes and finally had to cut my conversation with Sean short because I knew if I sat and talked any longer I wouldn’t make it out the door.

unrelated picture of my favorite person!

On my way to the gym, I gave myself a good, stern talking to. I reminded myself that I work out because I want to – no one is forcing me to do this. Out of all the things that find their way on to my to-do list, working out is one that I put on there out of desire, not necessity. Everything else is a task to be completed – a chore. But working out is a privilege, something I’m lucky to be able to do and something I do because I truly enjoy it. The hour, give or take, that I spend working out each day is a chance for me to escape from all the other stressors in my life. It’s a chance to forget about anything that’s nagging at me. It’s pretty much the only me time that I get during each day – especially weekdays – minus the 15 minutes I spend enjoying a cup of coffee before I truly begin my days.

a picture of coffee! because every post needs pictures!

And you know what? I ended up having a fantastic workout. All of the energy in the room was electric – I soaked it all up. When I left the gym, my favorite [not sorry about this little piece of information one bit] Taylor Swift song was on and I rolled down the windows and sung my heart out. I walked into the house humming [Sean may have been a little weirded out by that one – I don’t think he fully believed that I was that happy just because of a workout].

instant mood enhancer! not sure I’ve ever had endorphins from weights before, but monday I sure did!

It’s so easy to fall into the mindset that working out is something that you have to get done – to view it as just one more thing to cross off of a list. But that’s not really the case at all – no one pays me to work out, no one is forcing me to do it. Sometimes you [ok, I] need a little reminder that there are plenty of people out there that can’t work out. My body allows me to do some truly amazing things. And for that, I’m thankful.

Monday Moves

Posted on April 8, 2013 by HHRunner

*go enter the Esprit de She giveaway while there’s still time!*

Yeahhh buddy, starting off the week on the right foot this week since I was super motivated [I say that lightly – it doesn’t exactly take a lot to recap workouts, even if my inability to regularly do so makes it seem that way] and posted my workout wrap-up yesterday.

Which means I actually have to figure out my plan for the week today. I’ve decided that I think I’m going to drop my running down to 4 days per week instead of 5, though there’s really no good reason for that. If I add in additional running, great. If I don’t, fine.

Onward to the schedule:

this is my favorite.

Monday: BodyPump

Tuesday: easy 15 minute run before work, 45 minute interval run after work

Wednesday: 3 mile run in the AM + Happy Hour Spin Class

Thursday: Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 L2 + maybe some running? but maybe not. we’ll see how I feel. Last week I tried to run on Thursday and I ran for a full minute before deciding that I didn’t actually feel like running. so I didn’t. Sean was impressed with my great mental fortitude and ability to stick it out.

Friday: nothing! gotta rest up for the weekend, obviously.

Saturday: I’m gonna shoot for 6 with the running group + BodyPump

Sunday: 5-6 easy miles, probably with the same ‘you aren’t allowed to use the watch for anything other than tracking mileage’ mentality.

[via]

[almost] wordless wednesday

Posted on March 13, 2013 by HHRunner

wake up! 15 minutes every morning. short, sweet & better than coffee.

sometimes you need a little pick-me-up. especially when you’re trying to pretend you’re young and hip. [news flash: I am not.]

this girl. i. freaking. love. her.

he is cute. and intently watching the squirrels outside.

and lastly…

get. it. done.

Hope you’re all having a fabulous Wednesday! Share a good workout or tell me something good about your week

Welcome, February!

Posted on February 1, 2013 by HHRunner

After the half marathon in January I decided that I was going to do two things for the remainder of January:

1. Start Tina’s Best Body Bootcamp – I actually started it a week or so before the half marathon, but I modified it because I didn’t want to kill my legs and then I spent the entire week after the half going on walks. So, I decided to start everything over from the very beginning that way I could get the full effect of her bootcamp. So far: it’s killer. In a good way. I’m a fan.

via

2. Take it easy on the running front and only run when I felt like it. Then, in February, I would start to ease back into running more consistently while still focusing on gaining strength via Tina.

What ended up happening was that the first week of Tina’s bootcamp went flawlessly. The second week (this week), however, wasn’t quite as flawless. I felt obligated to run – I mean, that’s what I do, right?! – and my legs were TORCHED because I jumped straight back into lifting legs. So I went for a super short run on Tuesday in place of the cardio Tina recommended and took Wednesday off. I also got a 90 minute massage on Wednesday. I was fully expecting to be ready to go Thursday.

But when yesterday rolled around I was feeling a w f u l. So I took a nap when I got home from work. And then I ran for one minute – one full minute – and then I got off the treadmill and went and took another nap.

The good news? Yesterday was still January so I don’t feel that bad about it. Today, on the other hand, there are no excuses. Time to kick it into gear.

That being said, I do have some things that are worth noting and some things I need to do:

via

1. I joined the same running club that Tara runs with. I haven’t run with them yet, and won’t til next week, but I did join. And I’m excited.

2. I’m putting myself on a budget. A yet to be determined budget.

3. I’m going to do more freelance writing.

4. I’m going to make time to blog.

5. I’m going to do at least one thing outside of my comfort zone this month.

6. I’m going to try one new thing that I’ve been wanting to do [going to a trampoline place, going hiking with my mama, something like that].

7. I’m really focusing on good nutrition right now. Obviously, I don’t expect to be perfect by any means, but I am going to try to be more mindful of what I’m eating.

8. Finish cleaning out our office. And then determine which room to focus on next.

And really, that’s that. So there was really only one thing worth noting and then several things I need to do.

Also, this post seems really boring now that I’ve read it, but I’m posting it anyway because I need to be accountable and having it all written out will help. It will also help when I promptly forget all the things I said I would do, and I won’t have the excuse of not remembering what I said. Because it’s all right here. So BOOM, SELF.

Mid-week Motivation

Posted on October 17, 2012 by HHRunner

It’s Wednesday!! Hallelujah, that means it’s the halfway point! After staying up (I use the term “staying up” loosely, I might have been asleep on the couch) late on Sunday night to watch the abysmal Texans game, having a particularly crappy night of sleep Tuesday night, and getting home late from a dinner with my girlfriends last night (we went to Melting Pot and I am officially maxed out on chocolate) it’s safe to say I’m pretty tired today. So I’m glad this week is on the downhill. And I am definitely in need of a pick-me-up for my workout this afternoon. Which is why I think this is perfect:

Hmmm… I kind of wonder if this is applicable if you don’t even want to start your workout though?

Also, thank you all for your outpouring of support over my recent race, I appreciate it! Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside Smile

Who’s racing this weekend? How are you motivating yourself through this week?

Psssttt… I have a secret!

Posted on October 16, 2012 by HHRunner

Yesterday was all about celebrating little successes, but today it’s about celebrating a semi-big one.

You see, I have a secret. Saturday I did something that I haven’t done since January 15, 2012.

But first let me back up a bit…

Since I started running again I’ve approached it very differently then I did pre-injury. I started heart-rate training at the urging of my doctor, which has made for some pretty slow (miserable) runs. If you’re unfamiliar with heart rate training, in a nutshell you have a max heart rate that you can hit while you’re running. You aren’t allowed over that heart rate during your run. Essentially, you train your body over time to run faster and faster while maintaining the same heart rate. Sounds easy enough, right? Except it’s not that easy. In fact, it’s hard and it sucks. The first time I ran by my heart rate I clocked in a 13 minute mile. For me, that’s painfully slow. Like, I want to sit down and cry slow.

But I’ve kept at it. Every Tuesday I go out and run 5 miles. The first Tuesday of each month, I compare the splits from that 5 mile run with the previous month’s 5 mile run. And at the beginning of October something magical happened – I got faster. To give you a taste of what I mean without getting too far into heart rate training, here are the splits from September and October:

Month 1: 9:29, 9:59, 10:51, 11:50, 12:18
Month 2: 9:04, 9:31, 9:50, 10:18, 10:22

So I’m getting faster.

Now that I’ve explained how I’ve been running, it’s time to get to the good stuff. On September 10 an email hit my inbox that made the wheels in my head start to turn.

I ran the FBC Greater Things 10k last year and PRed at it. And I started to think, what if I ran this race – which is ridiculously small, right by my house, and no one has to know I’m running it – and I PRed at it again. I weighed the pros – it’s close, it’s cheap, I could back out of it if I wanted, and I would tell no one so there would be no pressure – and then the cons – what if I was still hurt, what if I did terrible – and ultimately decided to pay the 10k entry fee (it was like $25) and then if I ended up not racing it was no big deal.

I debated back and forth all month. Remember: I haven’t run a single mile faster than a 9 minute pace in months. I got super nervous. I thought about not running it.

Finally, I went to see Dr. Hinson Thursday on my lunch break for a pre-race tune-up where he told me to run the race for fun, not for time (AND I MET LEXY!!). I laughed out loud. I am way too competitive to ever run a race “for fun.” I continued to consider not going.

Friday night I ended up going to bed early and Saturday morning I woke up a bundle of nerves. What if I had completely forgotten how to race? What do people even take to races? WHAT IF I BONKED?! What if I had to stop and walk? What if I PRed…

Looking at a race map for the first time in 10 months isn’t intimidating AT ALL. Wait, how do I read one?!?!

I went through the usual rituals – bagel, peanut butter, banana, bathroom, warm up mile on the treadmill, wake up Sean, get out the door, drive over to the race, try to ignore the butterflies in my stomach…

And we waited. And waited. The race ended up starting about an hour late (con of being a small race that is a family fun run and not a serious race) and before I knew it I was toeing the start line for the first time in almost exactly 10 months.

Probably one of the most flattering pictures of me ever taken. Here I am, just awkwardly standing around, picking at my fingernails. Where do I go? The front? The back? Where is everyone? Do you like my shoes!?!

I lined up near the front and waited as they counted down…

Time to say a prayer. PRAY PRAY PRAY THINK MOTIVATIONAL THOUGHTS PRAY PRAY PRAY!!!

…and then we were off.

Everyone else is starting their watch, so I shall too! Also, I am starting to smile BECAUSE I’M FREAKING STOKED!!! I’M RACING!!!

And I felt like I was flying. And then I looked at my watch and realized I was… 7:21? You need to slow down.

There I gooooo!!!!

I reigned it in, let some people pass me and settled into a comfortable, quick pace. Miles 1-3 I was focused solely on maintaining a sub-8 pace and enjoying the scenery.

Mile 1: 7:44
Mile 2: 7:51
Mile 3: 7:53

Around the halfway point I started a mental battle that stayed with me for the next two miles. I kept telling myself that I was done, that I couldn’t sustain that pace because I have been running slow – not fast – for months, and that I should just give up. I countered all of that by arguing that the mind gives up far before the body does, that I was capable of doing this, and that I needed to catch the girl in front of me.

Mile 4: 8:01 – caught the girl and passed her
Mile 5: 7:59

At mile 5 I started doing fast math in my head, which is not easy considering I am a writer, not a math person. I figured out I could still PR and I freaking lost it. I got so excited that not even the fact that I felt like I couldn’t possibly speed up was enough to hold me back. I started trying to speed up, passing the 5k runners left and right.

Dr. Hinson!! Do you see me?!?! NO HEEL STRIKING!!

I turned the corner into the parking lot that the race ended in and I almost cried.

Mile 6: 7:33

Dr. Hinson!!! CHECK OUT MY FORM!!!

At that point I started sprinting. When I saw the time clock my stomach dropped out of my body and I broke into a huge grin while pumping my fist.

Last 0.2: 6:51

I was too fast for Sean to even catch me cross the finish line. OK, if you look closely you can see me dying behind the left hand pole of the finish line.

Overall time: 47:05
Last year’s time: 48:54

I have never been more grateful for my body allowing me to run in my life. This race was far from perfect – I clearly have a lot of mental work to do because it was a battle – but it proved to me that the way I’m training right now is working for me and that I still got it.

Monday Motivation

Posted on September 10, 2012 by HHRunner

I’ve been on a teensy bit of a hiatus the past week. Getting back into the swing of things, especially blogging, wasn’t easy after being on a cruise for 5 days, and I spent the majority of last week playing catch up at work. But it’s time for a fresh start and another round of some Monday motivation.

This weekend I had one of the best runs that I’ve had in a loooong time. I got up Sunday morning to ideal running temperatures – which I’m sure you’ve heard from any runner living in Houston – and drove over to the park to cover 11ish miles. They weren’t my fastest 11 miles, but I felt good and I loved every single step I took. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to say that.

I’m in a bit of a weird spot with running right now. My primary focus at the moment is building up endurance again, and my speed is decreasing by the day. I finally had to stop posting my times on DailyMile because it was getting to be too much for me to handle when it came to drawing comparisons against myself and other runners. While I wish I could say that pace doesn’t matter to me, that’d be a big, fat lie. I worked hard last year to get fast and it can be a little defeating to see all the gains I made disappear while everyone else is getting speedier, so until I’m feeling more confident in my pacing abilities I’m just going to focus on the distance. Eliminating my times from DailyMile has relieved a lot of pressure that I felt before, which is nice. I also am hesitant to get back into racing right now, so while I have a few races on my radar, I haven’t bit the bullet and signed up for anything yet. It’s going to be an interesting couple months, but I’m confident that everything is going to play out exactly how it needs to Smile . And (God-willing) hopefully the weather will stay nice so that us Houstonians can continue to enjoy some humidity-free, cooler running weather!

How’s the weather where you are? Good running temps, or still battling the heat?

reason #547 why you should move in the morning

Posted on June 26, 2012 by HHRunner

alternately titled: the longest blog title ever

So. I had a nice, snazzy little post written out once already today.

I managed to delete the entire thing when I was about 5 minutes away from publishing. This means I had already edited and everything and was basically giving it a final gloss-over before hitting “post to blog”.

!$%^&*

There is nothing that frustrates me more than the fact that I am an idiot and don’t periodically save documents in the middle of them. This is entirely my fault… ok and Live Writer’s… how I managed to delete an entire post from existence with no way to bring it back from the dead is just beyond me.

rant over.

You can thank Heidi for this post even existing because I just can’t say no to her.

Anyways. Yesterday was not a good day for me. I woke up in a fog, managed to crawl out of bed and do some things around the house, throw in a k-cup and then crawl back onto the couch until I absolutely had to leave for work.

I stayed in this funk all day yesterday. At work I was irritated and unmotivated, and I stayed this way right up until I threw myself onto the treadmill for 20 minutes. I don’t even think I came to until about minute 18 of my 20 minute jaunt. (by jaunt I mean walk, by the way).

This morning was a complete 180.

I woke up and forced myself out of bed and onto the treadmill to walk/run. I had coffee, checked emails, showered and put on adult clothes (a big step, I always wear t-shirts to work), and generally went through my morning quite happily.

I was productive at work, in a good mood, and have managed to cross the majority of the things I need to do off my to-do list.

So what is the point of this otherwise pointless post, I’m sure you’re wondering.

The only differing factor between yesterday and today was that I worked out in the morning.

I’ve been a longtime advocate of morning workouts and this is a prime example why. It is absolutely incredible to me how much of a difference breaking a sweat in the morning makes. I know everyone says that they can’t get up and workout in the mornings, and maybe you truly can’t because of time constraints, but if you can do it!

And if you need more reasons other than a phenomenal mood boost, try these:

- you start off the day already knocking off an item on your to-do list

- you jumpstart your metabolism

- you are more alert because you’ve already gotten your blood pumping

- it’s DONE.

Those are all really scientific reasons, promise.

Do you notice a difference when you work out in the mornings?

Monday Motivation: RUN.

Posted on June 18, 2012 by HHRunner

Since I’ve been injured you would be amazed at how many people have tried to tell me that it’s time that I give up running. I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve heard that I should find something new to conquer, that I’ve already run a marathon and should move on to the next big thing, or that clearly my body is trying to tell me to stop.

Depending on the day my response toggles between frustrated and amused, because if they truly understood the passion that I feel for running they would never tell me it’s time to stop. I didn’t run a marathon to cross a goal off a list and move on, I ran a marathon because I wanted to run it. I don’t run because I hate the act of it but want to burn calories, I run because every step that I take – whether it’s good or bad – propels me forward and makes me a better person. And I don’t believe that my body is trying to tell me to stop, I believe my body is just telling me that I need to adjust and that soon enough I’ll be running again… faster, more effectively, and stronger.

If you never sign up for your first race, decide to run farther, try to run faster, push through a musicless 18 miler, run 20 miles on Christmas Eve in the rain, or suffer setbacks and celebrate victories then you’ll never understand the pure accomplishment that comes with running.

Do I think it’s for everyone? Heck no. But I know it’s for me.

do you have to deal with people berating you for running? I’m not even running right now and I do.

monday motivation

Posted on June 11, 2012 by HHRunner

little late today, but better late than never, right? I feel like, especially in the “healthy living” blog world, we go through phases feeling this pressure to fit into a certain mold, eat a certain way, work out a certain amount… but living under such restrictive confines 100% of the time isn’t really living, now is it? while I completely embrace “healthy living”, I think there’s a time and a place to let go of that too and just let loose. which is exactly what I did this weekend. and exactly why I’m still paying for it now. Smile

hope you all had a spectacular weekend! what’d you all do?