You can do it! I hope....

At some point I'm sure everyone reaches a point in their training where they wonder if they can even do it anymore...

I have reached that point.

Luckily, I have this blog to keep me going, because I don't want to lie. I don't want everyone who has been reading to suddenly be filled with disappointment because I gave up. To have those that I have hopefully inspired to suddenly quit too. No, I will keep going.

But the main, most utmost, and probably most important reason I will keep going is for myself. Which I believe should be every one's reason when exercising or training. There should be no "I'm doing it for others" or "I'm doing it so I can look good in a bikini". No. While those thing might help motivate you, you should ultimately do it for you. To know you CAN do it, if you just try.

Which, I DO know I can do it. And I want to do it to prove to myself that I can. That anything is possible. And I'm finding it is, but as the old saying goes "Nothing is easy, everything you want or have, you have to work for. And while it might not be easy, it'll be worth it."

Anyway, you might be wondering, "How did you reach that breaking point."

In all honesty my strength training has been going great! But running...UGH! I kick myself for not joining track in high school when I had the chance because I'm sure it would've helped me now. Running just kicks my butt. I always lose breath way too fast it seems. And then of course I end up most of the time doing a walk/run thing. I know I'll get there eventually as long as I keep trying, but unfortunately I have one of those minds set where I want it to happen NOW. And thus I get frustrated when the next time I run, I barely improve. Notice I said BARELY. I am improving. Which is the thing I should focus on.

I also have gotten in the habit of trying to ride my bike every chance I get when it's nice out. So far I've ridden at least 8 miles every time I've gone. And that's great for me because the first time I did it I thought I would be so warn out but I wasn't. So I just kept going. Right now the 8 miles is to and from my parents house. So I do have a set path. I'm hoping to go more soon. I have to if I want to do that LATE night ride this year in Chicago.

As far as the dieting goes, it's still pretty good! I'm eating a lot healthier. I have pop maybe once in a month, if I have any at all, which has greatly helped with the training. I think water might have become my best friend...

Ahh, friends. My friends and family have also been great supporters. Which always makes it easier when you  have that kind of support. Sort of makes you feel like you can do anything....

Anyway, I now weight 136. I usually look back at a past blog and see if I progressed, but we'll just leave it at that now.

Endurance level: Pretty good (minus running)

Pant size: 7-8 (Which is strange...I wonder where this weight is fading away to? It can leave my thighs anytime.

Me since I've been working out. 6 pounds lost! I can not tell the difference in all honesty. But I feel the difference.

 

 

 

And the motivation from this week from tumblr!

 

Happy Training! :)

The bad days and good days.

Well hello all,

So I could update you on how great my training has been going. But that would be lying through my teeth.

The honest truth?

I took a week off of training because I was sick and completely unmotivated, and I'm still trying to get back into my regular routine. With Mitchell being home, it makes it harder. I don't know if it's just me, but I hate working out in front of people.

^The above pretty much sums up what I feel like when I'm running, or exercising in general. Because I have it in my mind where I'm constantly changing my form on new moves to make sure its accurate...and I'm sure the first time I do a new move off the video, I look beyond silly. However, I still do it because I know I have to in order to do these runs and bike rides that I so desperately want to do.

Thankfully, my junk food intake is practically at a zero. I say practically because, I'm human and I have urges that I just can't control sometimes. Especially when it comes to like freshly made cake, or yummy donuts...I like donuts.....and candy.....ugh....darn urges. And, yes I could control them...I just choose not to.

But, I still feel better. I'm capable of running further than what I use to. And I have a bike thanks to my awesome brother and his wife! :) So, I'm all set to ride in the Late Night Ride in Chicago this year. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to ride it this much due to the strange weather Indiana is having (seriously do states get bipolar disorder? I wonder about Indiana with this weather). Just to give a taste of what we have been having, it was 77 degrees yesterday with rain. Today, it is snowing outside with high of 37 right now. And more rain. So, biking/running haven't really been the most willing things I want to put myself through.

However, I will hit on this: We all have reason to run now. When I'm out training, and when I go to Knightsville to the Zombie Run, I will push myself even more. I will do it for the victims of the Boston Marathon. To die or get injured doing something you love, is unimaginable. I pray for those that we're effected by that horrific attack. I dont know why they attacked a race, of all places, but they did. And if they think that will hinder us...well they're wrong. If anything they have given me the power to push harder for those that got hurt. To support them. I hope to make a shirt that says "I run for Boston". Maybe people will take it the wrong way, maybe they wont. But other than just saying I'm praying for those victims affected by it, it's my way of showing support for them. That we haven't forgotten them.

One last thing I want to hit on before I go, is I think I found a new race to enter in. Of course not till next year, but it looks so awesome. I think I might need to train a lot more than what I am this year for the zombie race. I mean...you jump over fire in this one. CRAZY! It's called........The Spartan Race! Check it out!

http://www.spartanrace.com/

Pushing the Limits

Hello all,

So, the good news is that I have only two more days until I am done with week one on my training video! (I'm actually done with a week of it, I'm just doing two more day to ensure my body is use to moves before going on to week 2).  Visually, I'm only showing small amounts of change. My legs are just a tad bit smaller, my stomach is slowly becoming more tone than what I had seen before, my arms are beginning to show the slightest hint of muscle. They may not be noticeable to everybody else, but to me, I grant even the smallest change as a big accomplishment.

But that is not my biggest. The way I feel, has changed drastically. I'm having so much more energy now at work and when I get home. All I want to do is skip around and just DO something now, where as before just sitting at the computer was good enough for me. My self confidence is beginning to grow. People compliment me and I believe it. I hold my head up, knowing what I've done the night before, feeling it in every stride. My muscles don't ache now, but rather rejoice in the movement. It's a feeling I can't really describe. I guess I just never knew I could feel this good after working out. And feel like I actually WANT to work out.

......and all of this, is just after a little over 2 weeks....actually a month if you count what I did beforehand. But I'm pretty sure my form was so flawed on those routines, that I'm wary to count it.

However, I don't want everyone to think that it's easy. It's still very hard. I'm sweating like a pig after I'm done every night. Even if I find the routine easier, it's still burning calories and you're still rapidly increasing your breath, sweating, panting, craving water, feeling your muscles tighten....pretty much all the things in which are the reasons people don't exercise.

In fact, the other night, I ate and then almost directly afterward, worked out (and I made more food than what I've been eating. Carb load!). I don't know if I've said this before, but I did read you should wait at least 30 minutes after you eat before you exercise. Well, Monday, I was just so hungry and mostly because it was that wonderful time of the month for me (I just love being a girl at this time). So of course, I was bloated, wanted food, was a tad moody, and was beginning to get a splitting headache. In my mind, I knew I should've used this day as my break so that I could let my body recover from the hormone change. But, I have this bad habit of not listening to myself. So, as soon as I ate, I felt even more bloated than before, and the need to work out just over whelmed me because I hadn't felt so bad in awhile. I thought it would help.

...I was so wrong....

I ended up working out for about 15 minutes before I ran to the bathroom and puked up every thing I had for dinner and I'm pretty sure lunch. My headache had got so bad from working out and sweating that my stomach just couldn't take the pain, which in turn made me sick. I just turned off the video, took a shower, and went to bed that night.

So, my lesson learned is LISTEN to your body. It knows better than you what it can and can't handle. And it will let you know, if you don't listen to it. Sometimes in the worst possible way imaginable. Don't push those limits so far that you'll harm yourself in some way. It's not worth it.

But as I said before, DO push yourself to get that motivation to get up and exercise. Make that first step. Take that first stride. I read somewhere someone said, "One minute of exercise is better than none". It's just all up to you. Your body will do it, if you make it do so.

And by the way, even walking for 10 minutes in one day burns up 90 calories. In one week, every day thats 630 calories burned. And in 30 days that's 2,700 calories. That's about 2-3 pounds per week. So about 6-8 pounds you could burn. If you aren't physically inclined at all and want to lose wait. If you are working out and fit, I doubt you'll be able to lose wait like that.

Below I've attached a Calorie burn calculator to help everyone see what calories their burning doing daily activities.

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

Anyway, stat time!

Weight: 139

Pant size: 8-9 (Still no real change in that besides that I can fit in 8's more now)

Endurance: Slightly Mediocre (Still got a long way to go running wise, but weight lifting wise it's pretty good).

 

Everyone have a good week!! :)