Whitney

I’m a Ninja Turtle

I was at the gym a couple weeks ago, plugging away on the treadmill at an easy pace, and guys kept jumping on the machines on both sides of me–might I mention that there were about 10 other empty treadmills nowhere near me?)–and running 5- and 6-minute miles. I hope they felt good about themselves. 🙂

I signed up for a Halloween half marathon this year, and quite honestly, I’m terrified yet excited to be running that far. I’ve been loosely following a training plan, which seems to be working out well. My long runs are up to seven miles–a distance that I never thought I could run.

But . . .

I only ran 2 miles today when I was supposed to run 8. Why? Well, I think I might have another injury in my foot–even though I’ve been increasing my mileage by only 5-10% each week leading up the Halloween Half. My foot started feeling a little wonky in August, but I have just run through any discomfort. And I didn’t feel “pain” per se until last week’s seven-mile run. Sigh. I’m hoping that a couple weeks off of running will help my feet recover and that I’ll at least be able to finish the race. We’ll see. I’m still looking forward to the race though because I’m going to dress up as Donatello!! Super excited to be going as my favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!

I’m back.

Well, after I twisted my ankle, I ran/exercised a handful of times before the end of the year. It sucks sometimes what injuries do to you, doesn’t it. This one made me just plain lazy, and since it was the holidays, I thought it totally necessary to gorge myself on holiday yumminess. So, all my progress went practically out the window.

Anyway, I’ve pulled myself away from my sugary treats for the most part, and I’ve started a couch to 5k running plan so I can get into the habit of running again. I started week 1 on Saturday and finished it today. I really think it will help me get into running shape without overdoing it and putting tons of strain on my weak ankles. I am also signing up for a fitness program at our local university. It’s a great program that I’ve done before. It provides some great cross-training and will help with getting more cardio. I’m also going to start lifting at the college’s gym. It’s really cheap per semester, and since I’m an alumna, I can still join. Yesssss. Oh, and lets not forget that I’m a co-chair of my church’s women’s fitness group.

Thank goodness I love working out, or this might be overkill.

Did I mention I’m overhauling my diet too? No, I’m not dieting, but I am making better food choices. In fact, here’s a great article from Harvard about our daily nutrition. It outlines 10 tips for healthier eating and has links to other parts of the site.

Happy 2012!

FitWhit

p.s. I’m running the AF Canyon Half Marathon on June 23, 2012. Very excited!

Getting there . . .

I’m starting to get it. 🙂

You pretended the snooze button didn’t exist. You dragged your butt out of bed while others slept. While others ate their pancakes you had a feast of protein, glucose and electrolytes. You double-knotted. You left the porch light on and locked the door behind you. You ran. 5ks, 10ks, 26.2 miles. Some days more, some days less. You rewarded a long run with a short run. And a short run with a long run. Rain tried to slow you. Sun tried to microwave you. Snow made you feel like a warrior. You cramped. You bonked. You paid no mind to comfort. On weekends. On holidays. You made excuses to keep going. Questioned yourself. Played mind games. Put your heart before your knees. Listened to your breathing. Sweat sunscreen into your eyes. Worked on your farmers tan. You hit the wall. You went through it. You decided to be a man about it. You decided to be a woman about it. Finished what you started. Proved what you were made of. Just kept putting mile after mile on your internal odometer. –Nike

I found this quote on the I ♥ to run Facebook page. I think it sums up the life of a runner. I admire everyone who is dedicated to what they love. I hope to improve and follow their examples. 🙂

FitWhit

p.s. My ankle is still sprained. I think I’ll try running on Thursday or Friday and see how it goes.