Oct-snow-ber

First glance out the window in the morning shocked my eyes - snow! Snow laying on the ground! Snow falling from the skies! In October!! I grabbed the camera and took a picture. Nothing like needing to rake leaves and shovel snow at the same time.

Given the snow I did not go outside to walk or run; it looks like I've transitioned into the 5 months where the Treadmill and me are the best of friends. I walked 1.0 miles at 1% incline in 14:39 (4.1mph) 164 cals.

New Miles: 1.0
Total Miles: 471.5
Miles Remaining: 1428.5
Weight: 139.8

I'll run today

Sunny, wonderful Autumn day with temperatures in the 60s. Enjoyed myself a 1.0 mile lunch time walk. Fresh air, beautiful sky. The sun does make me so happy and refreshes my energy.

Excited to get home and run, which I forced myself into since over the last few days I felt in a rut of thinking "I'll run tomorrow." rather than thinking "I'll run today." To get myself away from that mental state I got myself out and running, the nice weather was a helpful motivator.

I donned my Montour Trail long-sleeved shirt and my Adidas 3/4 length pants and my safety vest. Half mile to the school track then 2 miles there and then home. I ran 1.0 miles in 8:15! I knew I was running decently fast but it felt good and not too strenuous and half a mile in when I saw I was at just 4:08 I was shocked and was motivated to keep going strong. Then I took an easy lap. Then I did 100m hard run/sprints straight away and slow jogged the curves. I didn't time them but it felt speedy. Total Workout: 3.0 miles in 34:01.

New Miles: 4.0
Total Miles: 470.5
Miles Remaining: 1329.5
Weight: 138.2

Army Strong

1.0 mile walk on treadmill in 14:19 163cals 1% incline because I finally got myself to do something. 

Since minute 6 did 1 minute full arm extension overhead (arms separate and then together) with my 5 lb weights, 15 sec rest, 1 min bicep curl (extended out left and right of body), 30 sec rest, repeat. 3 sets. A nice easy 1 mile in terms of walking, a tough mile in terms of my arm but glad to build some arm strength.

New Miles: 1.0
Total Miles: 466.5
Miles Remaining: 1033.5
Weight: 138.8

Pretty covered in Pink

Pink shoes, white socks with a pink Nike swoosh, pink shorts, pink long-sleeved shirt, black head band, blue safety vest. I walked up the hill to start my run and when I reached the top I looked off into the distance and saw dark, scary clouds. I debated for a few seconds and then all parties agreed to not run outside in case the clouds were a storm. So back down the hill and into my house and onto the treadmill I went. I opened the curtains and opened a window and got some breezes of the cool evening air.

I ran the first mile at 1% incline and 6.2mph. I then lowered the incline and kept the pace, and then I increased the pace, running at 6.3mph for a while then in the last mile constantly increasing the pace until I ran 2.5-3.0 at 7.0mph. I did 3 miles in 28:30. Then I walked for .25. Total Workout: 3.25 496cals 32:05.

New Miles: 3.25
Total Miles: 465.5
Miles Remaining: 1034.5
Weight: 138.6

Worthwhile Distractions

Decided I needed to take a walk, so went on the treadmill at 1% incline and walked for 2.75 miles in 40:15 450cals. I wanted to do 3 miles but before I could Ryan informed me our friend was having a backyard fire so I stopped, changed, put on some warm clothes, and then sat in a back yard and talked with friends for a few hours.

New Miles: 2.75
Total Miles: 462.25
Miles Remaining: 1037.75
Weight: 139.8

Awesomeness Daydream

Out of work at 3pm. Went running 3 mile loop 4:30-5:00. I wore my green shorts and my long sleeved Montour Trail Half Marathon long-sleeved shirt. My legs were a bit chilly to start as it was quite windy and a standard nice Autumn day, but by the second mile they were fine and my arms were overheating even with my rolled up sleeves.

I ran by a church where somebody had just gotten married. Bubbles blew in front of and then around me. That was fun. I used those people as motivation - hoping I'd be at the far end of my loop when they were leaving the church so that they would be like "Woah how'd that girl get down here? She was just up there!" which is a daydream I often have that makes me feel like I am awesome. And I am like "That's right. I did indeed run that far. Cuz I am awesome.". And yes, this is just 3 miles, but this awesomeness daydream is applicable for any distance. It's purpose is to make me feel good about who I am and what I am doing - to give me that boost of self-confidence and energy - and it works every time. Total Miles: 3.0 in 28:17.


Most Motivating Thought: The Awesomeness Daydream (I also think some Dierks Bentley helped me along but his motivating powers were second to my daydream.)

New Miles: 3.0
Total Miles: 459.5
Miles Remaining: 1040.5
Weight: 138.8

To Spite Myself

Rainy day with gray light. Pretty much no motivation to do anything. But I had told myself I would run today, so a little after 7pm I hopped onto the treadmill and set out to do a minimum of 3. I set it to 0.5% incline and started with a walk and quickly transitioned up to a run, did .5 miles then walked for a minute, did another .5 miles and walked for over a minute, got close to 1.5 and walked. Then from 1.5 to 2.0 I ran and kept mentally trying to break myself thru the desire to stop and walk at 2.

I worked hard for that .5 miles and did manage to tell myself "Look, you are only doing 3 miles. At most that is another 10 minutes. So you better run this." And run on I did. Finally at mile 2.8 I passed the point where I didn't have to constantly tell myself I wanted to run and had to run, I actually wanted to run. Go figure. You tell your brain you are doing 3 so when you close in on that 3 your brain gets happy. It also helps to have finally found a motivating instrumental song that I looped. So I ran it out until mile 3.1 just to spite myself, err, challenge myself. Then I walked to 3.3 and was so re-motivated to run  that I took it back up to a jog and did .5 at 5.5mph. Then I walked it out to 4.0.

Most Motivating Songs:
The Known World "Synesethsia" (3x) - This is the one that got me into the mood to run.
The Shins "Sleeping Lessons" - This is the one that took me from my cool down walk back into a jog.
Ram Jam "Black Betty" - This is the one that waxed me nostalgic for soccer and I couldn't help but want to keep running as I cooled down.

New Miles: 4.0
Total Miles: 456.5
Miles Remaining: 1043.5
Weight: 139.6

Walktober

Monday, October 10 - 1.0 mile walk during lunch.

Tuesday, October 11 - 1.0 mile walk on a nice Autumn day; cloudy but with a warmth still in the air but with leaves turning colors and falling oh so subtly from the trees. At night I watch Season 12 "The Biggest Loser" and for 1.5 hours I did a semi-cardio workout with my 10lb weights and many squats, crunches, punching, random.

New Miles: 1.0 + 1.0 = 2.0
Total Miles: 452.5
Miles Remaining: 1047.5
Weight: N/A

Sunbuddy

Continued glorious weather and so ran in the early evening from about 5:30-6:00pm outside. It was hot out! So great! I did my 3 mile loop in 28:47. Inside I did the woodblock chop 10 each side with the 10lb weight and then did one more set of 10 each side. 100 crunches.

New Miles: 3.0
Total Miles: 450.5
Miles Remaining: 1049.5
Weight: 137.8

Autummm to Awwwtumn

1.0 mile walk during lunch in such nice weather - in the 70s! At night it was still nice out and so to soak up the nice Autumn night I went and ran my 3 mile loop. I met my neighbors and talked for 5-10 minutes then I ventured out and along my journey I said "Hi" to no less than 5 people. I got home in 28:53.

Nice weather is such a motivator and makes me so energetic! I love the warmth and the sunshine and the happiness of the air. Rain gone and replaced by sun changed my feelings from Autummmn to Awwwtumn.

New Miles: 1.0 + 3.0 = 4.0
Total Miles:  447.5
Miles Remaining: 1052.5
Weight: 137.6

Walktober

Continued rain but warm out so I went out on a 1.0 mile walk during lunch. The fresh are was refreshing.

At night I ran on the treadmill since it continued to rain and was dark and dreary early. 2.5 miles in 27:36 390cals 1% (for 0.5 miles) then 0.5% for the rest. 15lb kettlebell throws - 10 each arm then 10 quick upright rows.

Then I hopped onto our "new" exercise bike my parents gave me/helped me load into my car over the weekend to get it out of their house. It is a burnt orange 1950s Vitamaster Exerciser with a stuck odometer and a speedometer with speed ranges of "Warm-up", "Normal", Vigorous" and "Limit".
I biked "Normal" for 2 minutes.

Into the living room I went and did an ab workout with my 2 5lb weights in my hands and the "woodblock chop" - arms raised up over my head and to my right then quickly moved to my lower left as I went into a squat. I did 10 from my right then switched to my left for 10. Very hard to do but felt like I did something good. Followed by 100 crunches.

Most Motivating Song: Brad Paisley "Welcome to the Future"

New Miles: 1.0 + 2.5 = 3.5
Total Miles:  443.5
Miles Remaining: 1056.5

Weight: 138.8