Experimenting

I'm doing a week long experiment starting now.

I've noticed lately that I haven't been too interested in running. At all. What's up with that? It's just so unlike me, and I can't figure out if it's because I'm just too overworked with school, or I need a mental break, or my body is trying to tell me something. I just don't know. So my experiment is that for a week, I'll only run when I want to run. If I feel like walking, I'll walk. If I feel like biking, I'll bike.

I need to figure this out...

Breakfast on the Deck

• 2 c. kashi heart to heart
• 1 c. plain, ff yogurt
• 1/2 a banana
• handful of blackberries
• 2 T. almonds

...add this up and you equal one of my breakfast faves:

Eating breakfast outside in the warm (?) weather on the deck totally made my day. All week we've been stuck in the 40's, and all of a suddenly this weekend it's supposed to reach the upper 80's. You can bet I'll be out there running and taking in the sun for sure. :-)

Meanwhile, in other plans, I have the entire weekend to spend with my sis at her apartment. We plan on renting girly movies and just relaxing. I can't wait. :)

I also need to recover from a bad case of procastination syndrome. I don't know what's up with me lately, I just can't seem to focus on homework. Not good since there are only 2 weeks left of classes before finals, with lots of presentations coming along this week and next. Ahh...gotta get movin'!

Enjoy the weekend!! :-)

This is just a quick post, but I had to leave one to avoid keeping it on the Debby Downer post that I wrote yesterday.

This morning I went for the most wonderful 3-mile run. My legs feel tired and a little sore now, considering it's been a while since I took to the streets. But it's a good feeling, and I'm happy to say my own motivational reminders kept me going through the hills. :)

Stay tuned for a Day In The Life post soon!!! ;)

Gettin' with the Groove...

I can't figure out what's up with my running lately. I just haven't been in the mood at all! I've been walking plenty, but haven't felt like pumping through the hills like I normally do. My poor running sneaks have been tucked away in the closet for 4 days now!

I had to remind myself of why I fell in love with running in the first place. So I came up with this list:

• Because I'm healthy and able to run and should never--ever--take that for granted.
• Because it makes me feel confident and strong.
• Because I like to be able to run up a flight of stairs without being out of breath.
• Because it's nice to know I can always head out for a long, 1-hr. run if I need to get away for a while.
• Because it helps me think but not think at the same time.
• Because I love food. ;-)

So what are your reasons for exercising? And what do you do when motivation runs low?

~~ ~~ ~~

I'm in the gaining weight phase again. If I don't stay on top of things, my weight tends to drop slowly but surely. So I'm planning on remaining strong with strength training, a lil' cardio, and bringing up the pounds. And when I say a 'lil' cardio, I'm referring to anywhere from 10-12 miles run a week. Of course, referring to this week, that would be 0 miles! ha...

Not to worry though. My motivational reminders are going to get me out the door bright and early tomorrow morning, rain or shine! Food science lab was cancelled which gives me time to fit in a nice and early morning workout. Can't wait! :)

Soul Food

This is what I craved on my road home from school today:

• can of tuna with 1 tsp mayo
• slice american cheese
• 2 thick tomato slices
• lettuce
• 2 slices stoneground whole wheat bread from whole foods (tastes like sourdough! :)
• veggies on the side

Grilled to perfection. All melty and gooey and heavenly. Soul food of the day. :)

Summed Up Sundays

Goergeous weather outside today! I wanted nothing more then to keep on running after 2 miles but that's what I decided on covering before I left the house, so that's where I stopped (bummer!) But I had planned on logging just 16 miles this week and didn't want to go over too much. My plan is simple: increase mileage without increasing injuries!!!

So my Sunday Sum Up this week has been 16 miles of which I'm pretty happy with. Next week is supposed to be rainy, so I have a feeling my mileage might shrink back a bit. I like a nice gentle rain to run in, but I'm a wimp when it comes to cold downpours! The gym and my sister will probably see a bit more of me today too. ha...

Okay, off to study some before the school week starts again!

My Weekly Running Thoughts

This week covered all the bases of running.

On Monday I ran 4 miles of complete bliss. I was happy, light, energetic...the sun was warm, there was a cool breeze, and I was running in my shorts!!! for the first time this year. The neighberhood was alive which made it easy to 'keep on pushing' through some mental blocks. I love it when there are a ton of cookouts going on. I usually try and guess what people are eating for supper. :)

So that was my good run.

Then on Tuesday I ran at the gym which was incredibly hard, both physically and mentallly. I kept on trucking, but just couldn't get into the rhythm of things. Blah.

That was my bad run.

Wednesday I just relaxed and ate kashi pizza and orange soda with my sister...these days are needed. :)

Thursday was my ugly run...see? I covered the good, the bad and the ugly all in one week. It's kind of how it normally works for me, which is a nice cycle because by the time I get back to a new week I'm covering the good runs again. ha...

It was ugly because I underfueled throughout the day. No, I didn't starve myself. But my carb intake was low and my protein/fat intake was a bit higher. I also had a scattered schedule of classes and didn't get a chance to eat lunch until in the afternoon. By the time I came home for supper I was starving and decided to eat before running. Next time I'll stick to a light snack to give me some pep without weighing me down, and eat dinner afterwards.

Can we say heartburn??? It gets me every time I eat a big meal (especially in this case, with it being shrimp marinara!) Add a salad (fiber!) plus a whipped three musketeers bar, and I was a wobbling, bloated blimp! Sad, but true...

Today's run?? It was 3-miles of contemplation and thought. Sort of the period to the end of the sentence of running for the week. :) I covered 14 miles this week which I'm happy with...I might add on 2 miles tomorrow and bring up that mileage for a week or two before increasing my long run a bit more. Kind of excited about that....:)

On that note, off to panera to indulge in good food and friends...:)