Goodbye 2012 Walk

Still in this walking phase... did 1.0 in 14:18 1% 162cals.

Also, final Indulgent Cookie-Eating Day. New Year's Resolution: Eat fewer cookies!!!

New Miles: 1.0
Total Miles: 1277.0
Miles Remaining: 223.0
Weight: N/A ...still haven't gotten batteries...

29th Birthday Walk

After a nice breakfast at home with my family, discussing my birth and our family tree, I got back home and walked 1.0 in 14:20 1% 163cals.

New Miles: 1.0
Total Miles: 1276.0
Miles Remaining: 224.0
Weight: N/A

Night Walk

Walked 1.0 in 14:18 1% while playing Solitaire.

New Miles: 1.0
Total Miles: 1275.0
Miles Remaining: 225.0
Weight: N/A... didn't buy batteries yet...

Inspiration for Motivation

In listening to Science Friday on NPR during the day I found the inspiration I have been feeling like I've been missing recently. On the program they talked about New Year's Resolutions - and how about 40-46% of people actually stick to their resolutions. If the resolution is realistic it is more likely to be stuck with. Then you build confidence you can stick with it, even if you slip a few times.

Listening to this it re-inspired me to really get back into gear. I have been telling myself I would get back on track after the new year. But there really is nothing stopping me from doing it now, and I am already really ready to get back into things. So I made note of this program and kept it in mind as I got home and got running - to move myself "from contemplation to action"."Inspiration is short lived; after that it is 90% hard work - inspiration may get us started but it doesn't keep us going; that is where Motivation comes in." All of this resonated with me, and I felt good like I have been happening to follow all the right things to keep myself going, and then when they said to record your progress I knew I have been on the right path. There is nothing like recording every single mile and quarter mile for 1500.0 miles to keep you going -- a nice long term goal to look forward to meeting. I also liked that the program touched on my idea of "Monthly Resolutions" in that they said the resolution doesn't have to start on January 1 but on any time. "Successful resolutions are ones you don't have to be mindful of; you've integrated it into your lie - a new healthy, daily habit." "Resolutions are marathons"; or in my case - many, many marathons. (Hmm, that got me to get the calculator "out" (on the computer) and divide 1500.0 by 26.2. Apparently when all is said and done I will have done 57.25 marathons. Neat!) Anyways, that's enough quotes from the program, for more go here: http://www.sciencefriday.com/segment/12/28/2012/making-resolutions-that-stick.html

Finally after work, and an hour after a grilled cheese dinner, I started off with a jogged lap then a stretch. And then I started running, and at .43 miles in my right ankle decided to get out of place. I took a few steps more hoping it would just go away, but it didn't. So I stopped. Left the treadmill. Hobbled to the living room, sad, but determined to get my ankle to pop back in. So I loosened my shoelaces, and walked a little and it popped and, after a squeak for the pain, I was happy. I got back to the treadmill and started running again. I ran at 6.5mph. For the next 3 miles it was a struggle to get myself to keep going. And somewhere around mile 2 I bumped up to 7.0. When I started I brought up Pandora on the Kindle and queued up some Popular Cultural music and ran - and the beats were perfect for getting lost in the run. As I reached my goal of 3.0 miles instead of slowing down I decided to bump it up and get one more hard lap in before cooling down. I went to 7.0 for 30 seconds, 8.0 for 30 seconds, 9.0 for 30 seconds, and then 10.0 for 30 seconds. Then I went down to 6.0 to try to recover for a little. Once I got my breathing under control I went back up to 7.0 and for several laps as I ran the laps I said "One more at this pace" and then I said "Well keep doing this for 4.0 at least". Then as I thought again about cooling down I realized I felt good and felt like I could keep going - and knowing that I haven't done distance in a while now was a perfect time to get a high mileage night in. And so for the next mile I said "One more lap at this pace; you can definitely do 5.0 like this." then "You need to do at least 5.0 at this pace. Then you can slow down and jog and then walk" and then "Wow that's a good song for running, keep going." then I decided to cool down and my sister called -- and so I decided to run a lap and then as I cooled down I would call her... and then .4 laps later I dropped down to 6.5 and called her back and we chatted as I ran. And that got me to do a few extra laps - which brought me up to over 5.75. And as we chatted a little more I calmed it down to 4.2mph, wrapped up the call, and wrapped up the walk. Total Workout: 6.0 miles in 56:04 936cals 1%.

...When I set out to write this post I thought I would write a number of my awesome thoughts I had while I was running, but after many many words I realize I didn't get into any of that... So I guess I might as well make part of this post interesting. Here are some thoughts: (1) Why is pop music all about love/getting with someone or breaking up? (2) Why do people overproduce their voices? (3) Why am I not writing songs? Because I am pretty sure I could come up with 4 lines of lyrics that can then just be repeated for 3 minutes, interspersed of course with odd, driving beats/sounds that make you want to run (away) (4) My St. Bernardus 8 beer I will drink after this will be well earned and delicious. (5) I wish I could reach 1300.0 miles by the end of December. (6) I need to buy batteries for my scale; I am disappointed the store was all out of the kind I need. Because I need to weigh myself before the end of the year! (7) I am disappointed that I allowed myself to enjoy December so much because I gained back a number of pounds that I worked hard to get rid of in the first pace. (8) I am so ready to re-up my motivation and commitment to myself in 2013, but I am also going to get a few more cookies in before the stroke of midnight going into January 1 (which is my cut off point for cookie over indulgence). (9) Let's see how well I do at not eating more than 3 cookies after this run.

Most Motivating Song:
Mumford and Sons ...whatever the popular one is right now (You know why I like it? Because it wasn't about love/breaking up)
The Script "Hall of Fame" (You know why I like it? Because it wasn't about love/breaking up)

New Miles: 6.0
Total Miles: 1274.0
Miles Remaining: 226.0
Weight: N/A ... gah! I need scale batteries! Apparently it takes CR2032 batteries which apparently are popular based on their out-of-stock-ness at the store... Ok, so I tried to see if I could sucker another weigh-in out of the scale -- and it worked! ...though it made me sad: 132.0 (Let's call this end of day weight with pants and shirt... which hopefully adds 2.0+ pounds so I am not as disappointed as I currently feel about all this.... ah well, let's drown my sorrows with a cookie (or two)...)

Leisurely Treadmill Stroll

Cleaned the living room in preparations for a few cat sitting days ahead of us, loaded the dishwasher, then quickly lost all energy and so took a nap. 20 minutes later I was up and the cat arrived. Then eventually still in a tired, dazed state I decided to take a leisurely walk. The fact that it would be leisurely made it easy to get myself to do it. Total Workout: 1.25 in 17:54 1%.

I had intended to just go 1.0 miles but I was so caught up in Solitaire that I didn't stop at exactly 1.0 and so having gone like .05 past it I figured I might as well walk the rest of the 0.2 to round out the lap, especially since that would bring me back to an even mile total.

New Miles: 1.25
Total Miles: 1268.0
Miles Remaining: 232.0
Weight: N/A... because the scale battery is dead...

Large Inclinations

I finally got up from sitting around feeling no motivation and watching episodes from Season 5 of The West Wing. I then finally got myself up, brought the laptop with me, then walked and continued watching and wrapped up the season. I walked 2.0 at 4.2mph 1% then to somewhat prepare for the April 25K I upped the incline to 5% and grabbed the 2lb weights in each hand and then walked at 4.0 for 0.5 miles then I upped it to 7% and did another half mile. I thought I'd cool down but then decided to bump it up to 10% and I walked .25 there and then I brought it back down to 1% and cooled down with a lap. I could feel the added demanding nature of the inclined incline, but I only really felt how hard it had been when I brought it back down to the comfortable 1%. Total Workout: 3.5 miles in 51:10 550cals 1%, 5%, 7%, and 10%.

New Miles: 3.5
Total Miles: 1266.75
Miles Remaining: 233.25
Weight: 131.6 (after filling myself with 5 chocolate chip cookies, 1 beer, and 1.5 grilled cheeses)

Jingle Bell Jams

In the mid-30s, dry. I put on my Sansa clip and cued up the local alternative radio station and listened to Christmas songs as I ran along. It was a pleasant way to spend time outdoors on Christmas, a great 30 minutes of personal time to breathe in the fresh Christmas air.

In the first few steps I had my doubts about running, as the air felt like it might be a bit too crisp. But then after 1.5 miles I was warm and toasty and no longer needed my hood. Total Workout: 3.0 in 25:02.

New Miles: 3.0
Total Miles: 1263.25
Miles Remaining: 236.75
Weight: N/A

Merry Christmas Eve

Loads a free time but all I managed to "find time" for was a 1.25 mile walk, so I worked off a cookie or two.  Total Workout: 1.25 in 17:54 1%.

New Miles: 1.25
Total Miles: 1260.25
Miles Remaining: 238.75
Weight: 128.8

The Weather Outside's Delightful

After a nice, long breakfast at home with the whole family decorating honey cookies I got home and got running. Sunny warm-feeling day, even though it was only 37 degrees. The ground was mostly dry and most of the snow was melted away, so I didn't have to worry too much about ice. As I ran I got a side stitch, as I have been getting on my walks recently - I think from the cookies and not enough water  - but it eventually went away.

Since about 85% of the time a cop drives past me during my runs I've decided I should start waving hello. And so while I ran today one came down the road and I waved. The guy had aviator shades on and his window down and he waved back. Mission Accomplished. Total Workout: 3.0 in 24:57.

I got home and still had energy to move around and so I got onto the treadmill and walked. I brought the Kindle and so I listened to music and played Solitaire. Total WorkoutL 1.25 in 17:52 205cals 1%.

New Miles: 3.0 + 1.25 = 4.25
Total Miles: 1259.0
Miles Remaining: 241.0
Weight: 130.0ish (131.0 with my pants and layers on)

Afternoon Walk

I got a walk in on the treadmill. Total Workout: 2.0 miles in 28:34 1%.

New Miles: 2.0
Total Miles: 1254.75
Miles Remaining: 245.25
Weight: 130.0?