Hell yeah!!

Ahhh...for the last few weeks we've been consistently going to Cardinal Fitness and running on the treadmill. I started at 10 minutes...then I started going by distance instead of time. I got up to 2.2 miles (last week sometime). This week the sun has been out and melted a bit of the snow & the temp has gotten up into the 30s and 40s, so we decided to head back outside to run. It turns out that I run faster & better outside! This past Monday, I ran 2.8 miles!!! I didn't time myself, but I knew what songs I ran through on my iPod, so I just went into iTunes to add up the minutes, and realized it only took me 28 minutes to do that!!!!! That is absolutely amazing. At the gym I was pushing it to run a 12-minute mile. Outside I'm doing almost a 10-minute mile...I think it's because on the treadmill you're constantly thinking about it and looking at the display to see how fast you're going, how long it's been, how many tenths of a mile you have left to go, and on and on so it feels more difficult than it should.  Anyway, today we backed off and did 2.2 miles...we're going to try and do 2 easy runs a week (like today), and a 5k for our long run. Also!! We officially signed up for the Ringing in Spring 5k (April 2nd)!! And as soon as I have the money I'm going to sign us up for the Flying Pig in Cincinnati, which is a 5k, 10k, Half & Full marathon. Steve's cousins John & Karen are going to run it with us...it's May 1. We're hoping to do the 10k in that one...so our plan of action is to continue running 5ks once a week for the  next couple weeks, and then to transition into the 10k training schedule. The hope is that we'll be running 10ks before we even run our first official 5k. That way we'll be on track to be ready for the Flying Pig, because there's only a month between the two & that would be a tall order to go from 5k to 10k in four weeks.

Phew! Anyway :) I also signed up for the Avon Walk again, which I'm soooo excited about because Steve is going to do it with me this year!!! We need to scrounge together the money to register him so we can form a team and start getting donations. It makes me happy to be doing healthy things together as a couple :) What an amazing man.

Gotta get going! Teaching 2 classes this afternoon!

Healthy living, happier outlook!

Lord do I love to run! Now, I'm not very fast, and I can't go very far. Yet. I will get there, though, because I choose to! I did my third run today with my IT strap...about 15 minutes, about 1.12 miles. ZERO pain!!

I've also been harping on Steve about how I want to include a lot more veggies in our diet. In the past we've failed at this, I think, because we try to buy all fresh veggies & they go bad. But from what I've been reading, the frozen are just as good, if not better sometimes, because they're flash frozen at their peak. So we're making a casserole tonight chocked full of carrots, broccoli, cauliflower & onions...with chicken & brown rice. Om nom nom!  We also had a snack after our run of baby carrots w/french onion dip. And I'm drinking nothing but water and iced tea (no sweetener!).

It's amazing what good food & exercise do for your attitude. I feel infinitely happier & more energetic. And we're going to sign up for our FIRST RACE EVER!! We're going to do the Ringing in Spring 5k in Valpo on April 2nd. I'm soooooo stoked! w00t!!

Bring it on, world!!

The glass is half full :)

w00t w00t! First, Nikki worked on my legs & butt a couple weeks ago to get rid of the irritation and everything. Then I got the IT strap in the mail. I signed up for Cardinal Fitness because the sidewalks are just too shitty to run on. On Wednesday (the 19th), I ran ten minutes!! And today I ran 13!! With 100% NO PAIN!!! Fingers crossed this is the turning point. You will never see me without that strap on my leg! :)