Bind & CrEATe

This month was a doozy in terms of running. It was the first official month of half marathon training, and I had 72 miles slotted for the month. I ended up running 57 miles (with another 4 tomorrow, bring it to 61) because I skipped a few runs when I was sick and in California. Ultimately, I’m pretty pleased with this mileage, and I’ve completed almost 1/3 of my goal in just three months. Training for a race really racks up the miles.

I’ve learned a few things about myself as a runner this month. Running has given me hours to think and ruminate, so I have plenty to say about my experiences.

It’s extremely helpful to have a running partner who is a tad faster than you. It’s motivating & inspiring, but also sometimes annoying. Kristen can talk more than I can, and sometimes I feel like a weak link in our running conversations. But she’s always fine when I tell her, “I can’t talk this mile.”

Hill running is important, necessary, and I should stop avoiding it. I’ve had two of my most favorite runs this week on the same trail in Schenley Park. I had to walk for 15 seconds, but I’m okay with that. I can tell I’m getting faster and gaining more endurance by running this awful hills.

I am not eating enough protein. It shows in my diet, lack of energy, and lack of muscle rebuilding. I’m working on ways to include protein powder into my mornings and more lean meats throughout the day. I don’t want to feel so depleted the day after a run.

Running is helping me lose weight and stay fit. I’m maintaining a five-pound loss on Weight Watchers and consistently losing each week. Even better than that, I’m wearing a pair of jeans today that used to be uncomfortably tight. An added perk.

I am more at peace. I think this might be the most important thing I’ve learned. I feel restful. I feel more at peace and calm when I run. Running is my therapy (in addition to my real therapy). I don’t have a lot of work stress, but I do worry about what people think sometimes or stupid things like that. When I’ve finished a run, most of those worries or insecurities have completely left me. I especially like that.

In April, I am scheduled to run 100 miles. Wow, that sounds insane just writing it out. But I’m running high mileage on Sundays, and I’m still only running 4 days a week. I like this schedule quite a bit. Here’s to a good half marathon time (I’m hoping for 2:25 or better. That would be a 10-minute improvement from three years ago, and I think I can do it!)

EDITED TO ADD: I just realized there was one more day in this month, which brings my grand total up to 61 miles this month!

I’m so thankful Andrea tipped me off to Elise Blaha’s blog. I want to try all of her ideas, and the word for the year is just a start.

Patience. That is my word. In 2012, I am going to learn how to be patient.

 [source]

I want to be patient about where I am at 27. Maybe it’s not what I envisioned at 18, but it’s my present. I want to accept this and not wish to rush the future.

I want to be patient about my space. I have the rest of my life to have a sunroom, a canopy bed, or a chalkboard wall where I can write my weekly menu. For now, I want to focus on enjoying the time I have with my roommate in our shared, eclectic (sometimes too small) dwelling.

I want to be patient about my writing. For it to be well-written and affecting, I need to take my time. Both at work and at home.

I want to be patient with others. I have high expectations – of myself and those close to me. Sometimes, that guard needs to be let down. Everyone’s allowed to be human, and disappointment happens.

I want to be patient, financially. If I’m smart, I can put $2,000 into my savings account (a goal I have for the year).

I want to be patient in my relationship. I spend too much time imagining what it would be like if BF and I lived in the same town, if we had the same schedule, if we lived together, closer. I need to focus on the present: the weekend dates, the phone calls, Skyping on a Wednesday just to see each other’s faces.

I want to be patient with my body. Sometimes, I can’t entirely control weight fluctuations. I’m getting older. I take medications that don’t help. But each day I try to improve my eating, and I continue to move my body. I am healthy and strong, even if I am down on my appearance sometimes (I am human).

I want to be patient about my future. It’s coming. But, I am where I’m at for a reason. I’m not done working on me yet.

What is your word for the year?

Has it really been three weeks already? Here’s my motivating moment of the week: BF was impressed by my muscles. This is an accomplishment because he has muscles. His eyes really widened when I made him feel my bicep. Then he called me “Roids Rose.” That was fun.

Also, I completed a double workout on Thursday. That is very unlike me. I haven’t done that in years, probably.

Exercise

It’s week two. I’m surprised at how already, so soon, my body is adapting to the changes I’ve been making.

Exercise
Things went really well this week. In fact, my routine was kinda easy. I was really proud of myself for going to a new trail on Sunday morning and getting up early enough to run it. It’s been a long time since I did that.

Since things got routine at the gym, I decided to push myself a bit more where and when I could. However, I’ve been avoiding the “chest” lifts that BF assigned to me. There isn’t a convenient bench in the gym where I workout, plus I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m wondering though, if my runs are less effective because I stay at the same speed the entire time (between 5.5-6.o on the treadmill). Thoughts? I forced myself to run faster on Thursday, which was pretty great. I was done quicker and felt better!

• Sunday: 4-mile run on a South Side trail
• Monday: 2 mile run, lifted weights (back)
• Tuesday: 2-mile run, lifted weights (shoulders)
• Wednesday: 2-mile run, lifted weights (arms)
• Thursday: 3-mile run (31 minutes)
• Friday: A planned 2-3 mile run, or time on the elliptical
• Saturday: OFF

BF and I had planned on running the Jingle Bell 5K tomorrow AM, but with the funeral, we aren’t going to do that. So I think I’ll take my off day then, as it will be a busy one being around family, followed by a friends’ birthday party in the evening.

Food
This went pretty well besides the fact that I ate the same thing for lunch every day this week. Even though it’s healthy, I think I might need more variety, right? I need to get my metabolism moving a little more.

I did have one minor setback on Wednesday night where I ate a bunch of little foods that were completely unnecessary (the bottom of a bag of salt and vinegar chips, an ice cream sandwich, etc.) I thought about why this was happening as I was eating and realized that TV seems to be a trigger for me. The less I watch TV, the less I snack mindlessly. The next night, when I was hungry, I opted for a banana-strawberry smoothie with non-fat plain yogurt. Better choice. I also worked on my holiday cards. A better choice than being a TV zombie (though I think TV is a good release in small doses).

Overall
For starters, I have a lot more energy now that I’m working out nearly daily. You’d think it’d be the opposite, but the gym actually gives me a boost. I’ve been keeping busy (with high energy) almost every night this week. In fact, it seems my body/mind can’t slow down at the moment until it’s time for bed. I’m sure there are people who’d tell me this is a bad thing, but I feel better this way.

Secondly, certain foods are affecting me differently now. When I have any sort of sugar (especially late at night), it keeps me awake. That never happened before (when I was consuming larger amounts of it). This prevents me from eating something sweet before bed. I sort of like that. I don’t need sweets all of the time. I like eating them more when it’s a special occasion.

I think throughout this process I need to remember that I’m human, and sometimes being 100% healthy won’t be an option. I figure if I work hard (especially during the week), those moments during the weekend won’t be as bad for me. I don’t think a dinner or two out a night will completely sabotage my efforts, as long as I am true to myself during the week.

Future
I should be fine this week in terms of my healthy life!

Since writing my coming out post about finding my inner healthy me, I’ve been hard at work coming up with a healthy living plan and following through on it. I’m considering this a challenge, of sorts, and although I haven’t instituted a strict or rigid diet plan, I’ve changed my movement quite a bit from weeks past. I hope to document my progress each Friday, and I hope you’ll join me in sharing your successes or challenges throughout your healthy week.

Exercise
My exercise was on point this week for the first time in a long while (months, really). Since Black Friday, I’ve only taken one day off from the gym (Sunday). Today will be the second rest day. I will eventually post my weight-lifting plan in detail (created for me by the BF). Right now I’m only focusing on my upper body with weights since I run pretty regularly and can easily build leg muscles through that cardio. Here’s what I’ve completed this week:

• Sunday: Off
• Monday: Ran 1 mile, Lifted Back muscles, 5 sets of 10
• Tuesday: Ran 2 miles, Lifted Shoulder muscles, 5 sets of 10
• Wednesday: Ran 3 miles, Lifted Arm muscles, 5 sets of 10
• Thursday: Hip Hop Class, 1 Hour
• Friday: Off

My weekend plans include working my chest muscles tomorrow with a run attached, and I hope to complete a longer run of about 4-5 miles on Sunday.

For each weight workout above, they only take about 15-20 minutes to complete. That puts my total gym time at about 1 hour per day, which is optimal for weight loss. I’m not trying to go crazy, but I am aiming to lose around 10 lbs, which would be a much healthier weight for my frame.

Food
Eating was very different for me this past week. I was very aware of what I was putting into my mouth, though not psychotic about it (not counting calories). I had one sweet treat throughout the week that was low-calorie, and I only drank one soda. This is good for me, considering I was guzzling down diet cokes several times a week and not paying any attention to what I was eating just two weeks ago.

I’ve replaced my rushed morning cereal with homecooked oatmeal again, that I’ve been eating leisurely while I check work emails. I feel like I’m digesting better. I’ve been struggling with lunch a tad, mainly slowing down when I eat. I often don’t take a lunch break and eat while I’m working, which causes me to eat quickly. I want to remember to slow down. Thankfully, my Bento Box lunch container keeps my portions in check.

My biggest accomplishment came in the form of Primanti Brothers. I went there with BF to watch the Pens game (I don’t have cable). Usually when I go to Primanti’s, I eat a sandwich or gyro (no matter what). But I knew I had a weekend ahead of me where desserts and rich foods were on the menu. Instead of having several days straight of eating not-so-good-for-me foods, I decided to order a Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken. The meal satisfied me, and I noticed how long it took me to eat. Normally, I would shovel a sandwich down and be on my way. Taking my time helped me keep in better check with my fullness.

Overall
I’ve actually noticed immediate improvements. I’ve had more energy. I’ve been sleeping better. My digestive track seems in better order (a constant problem for me). I weighed myself a few times, saw no real changes on the scale, and decided that I don’t want to weigh myself regularly. I don’t want to measure my success that way. Today, I’m wearing jeggings that were much too tight last week. Today, they are still tight but I don’t feel uncomfortable in them. Mentally, I just feel better. I’ve been spending more time at home working on my personal projects, and that brings me a lot of joy. I’ve also seen a few friendly faces this week and will see my family this weekend. You can’t ask for much more.

Future
Today is a day of sweets. I’m going to two events involving desserts and rich foods. I’m going to eat and enjoy them without feeling guilty. Next Saturday, Dec. 10, BF and I will be running our first 5K race together. I’m excited to get back into racing.

Other Challenges
Other folks are feeling the same way as me this month. Janetha is hosting a Dedicated December challenge, where you “check in” and say how much exercise you’ve performed. My friend Emily is hosting a Project: Food Budget to keep your grocery bills in check (I need to join). I think we’re all feeling the need to be our awesome selves this month.

until next week.
xoxoxo