June Goals

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There aren't any strict running goals for June. As I've mentioned previously, my training doesn't start until July 1st. June will pretty much just mark the winding down of my conditioning program and a renewed focus on training.

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Stay Motivated

For this month I hope to stay charged and ready for what lies ahead. The last week of June I feel like I should cut back on my running distance, although I haven't definitively decided yet. Any running program starts off slow and then gradually increases.

So when I start training I'll go from 3 months of pretty adequate intensity to suddenly starting from zero and then climbing back up. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that. Of course I don't want to lose fitness but I don't want to push myself too much either.

What I'll probably do is just incorporate an extra day of weight training into my routine to maintain the intensity. Then juggle things as needed once training starts to increase in mileage.

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Rest Better

Another thing I've been thinking about for June is to switch one of my long runs from the weekend to the week. Once Saturday hits I'm so exhausted from running and working that the thought of waking up early yet again doesn't appeal to me.

Instead of missing a day of running, or being inadequately rested for the following week, I think running on Friday will be perfect. All my days will stay the same except I will do a low-intensity run on Monday (switched from Friday) and my Saturday long run on Friday.

That way I will have one day of the week where I can sleep or simply not have to think about running or work!

What are your goals for the month ahead?

"Tómalo Con Calma"

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 Exactly, so why does every training day have to be the hardest training day? Well, it doesn't, and most importantly, it shouldn't because your body won't be able to fully recuperate.

 

I've written a few articles on this topic (such as Beginner Runners Part 2 -- Start off Slow, and, I am not invincible) and I keep coming back to it because:

1. It is so important and
2. I forget every now and then

The days that I take it slow are just as important, perhaps even more important, than the days I have to kick my own butt. 

In theory, about 70% of the miles (or kilometers) I run each week should be at a comfortable pace. 

This will help me to run faster on the days I need to and I will get more out of my training, according to my beloved Runners World magazine.

Currently, I only have 1 fast run per week, 2 slow runs, and 2 long runs at a steady pace, which I tend to run slower than my race pace. (Check out my conditioning program for more details.)

However, I have it in my mind that every time I run it has to hurt and I have to exert the maximum amount of effort possible. If I don't than I feel like I failed or that I didn't get the most out of my run.

It's crazy because I genuinely appreciate the days that I can take it a bit easier. In fact, I notice the difference in how my feet and legs feel when I do. 

They don't feel as tight, don't ache as much, and I have a lot more energy to do other things like spend time with my husband, go out, and go to work.

To help me slow down I've been running with one of the women I work with who runs at a much slower pace than I do. I run at her pace so we can chat while running and I don't even think about how "slow" I'm running. 

When I can't run with her I have to really focus on my speed. I pretty much know how long it should take me to run my current route when I'm running at a normal pace. So I concentrate on running slower than usual by looking at my watch and seeing how long it takes me.

I'm doing well, I think. It helps when I can read things that tell me that taking it slow will help, not hinder, my training.

So just some further reinforcement once training starts again this summer. My goals this time are to learn from past mistakes and not make them again!

How do you take it slow when your body needs a break?

Conditioning Program

Here it is finally, my current running schedule:

Initially I set out looking for something that would keep me in shape until I started training again. I, roughly, know when I want to run another race (in the fall...more on that later) so I just needed to coordinate it with training.

This program lasts about three months and has me running five days a week.

I like it because one of my goals this time around was to increase my running frequency. There's an option of cross-training one out of the five days and I use it as I need it. I don't want to do too much and injure myself before I even start training! So I'm very mindful of how my feet and legs feel.

Another reason why I like this program is because it's not focused on distance. It's focused on endurance, which is measured in minutes. I run for a set time period and don't concern myself with miles (or km where I am!) at this point.

Each week I increase my time by roughly six or seven minutes (an increase of about 10%). I do two, shorter, less intense runs during the week along with one day of fast running. The fast run can include tempo runs, fartlek, hill repeats etc. So far I've only done fartlek but I plan to start hill training this week. I also continue to weight train three times a week.

Right now I run: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday but once the school year ends I'll run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday because I prefer to have a rest day before the long runs on the weekend.

I've been on this program since March and I feel good. I plan to start training in July so I'll let you know if this kept me in shape. So far so good.

January Goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I've been MIA with good reason: I have been enjoying my time off work! I had Friday off and I have today (Monday) off as well. So Chema and I have just been relaxing and avoiding the Internet.

So I have tons of posts to catch back up on like: the Things I'm Loving Series (which will be December and January combined this month),  my hair update, my long run recap, weekly update...and some other odds and ends.

But first here are my goals for the month of January. I don't "do" resolutions so these are just my overall goals for the month. Just like I did for November and December. So check those out if you haven't already.

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1. Stay Injury Free -- This one is my overall goal until I run my marathon in February. I keep it on the list to simply remind myself to stay within my limits.
2. Get Race Day Meal and Clothes Together -- I wrote about how I love Sport Beans in my long run update last week. So I need to get more of those and get my gear together so I can start practicing in it. I'm also purchasing some new runnning shoes this week that I need to break in as well.
3. Book Hotel and Rental Car -- The marathon is so close now! I have 3 more weeks of training and then I start tapering. I definitely need to start getting some of the paperwork stuff out of the way so I'm not stressed about it. It would be quite unfortunate to not have anywhere to stay! Luckily, the marathon website provides a pretty complete list of hotels.
4. Finish Scarf -- This is a pretty random goal but I'm learning how to crochet. My mom and sisters are pros at it but I was never interested in learning. They've finally convinced me and I'm making a scarf. The most annoying thing about crocheting is that what you are making never seems to get finished! My goal is to finish this scarf and move onto something more challenging like a hat.
5. Get Another "artsy" Activity -- The scarf making has inspired me to take on some other art activities. I am not a creative person, at all. But I figure if I can learn how to make a scarf...anything is possible! So I saw how to make some cute button earrings and crochet earrings on youtube. They make it look so easy that I want to try it. Plus, I'm trying to save money anyway. Why buy earrings when I can make them?
6. GET LICENSE -- It's coming down to the wire people. This month is the month of truth.
7. Redo RSS Feeds -- One of my goals last month was to reconect with family and friends and other bloggers. Well, Chema reformatted the computer and it didn't register that I would lose all my RSS feeds! Now I have to go back and try to remember who I was subscribed to or just find new people to follow. I welcome any and all suggestions.

Do you make New Years Resolutions? What are some goals you've set this month? For 2012?

Helloooooo Out There!!!!

Googleimages: (How cute is this??!!)

 
I've missed you all! I know I've only been MIA for 4 days but it seems like so much longer!

Somehow I feel that with these "shorter" days I have less time! Don't ask me how that works out but it's true!

Anyway, last week was pretty much recovery after the marathon. The goal was to not run, but still stay active. I lasted until Thursday. I ran on the treadmill for about 20 minutes. 

I also accomplished one of my November Goals of trying new classes. 

I went to spinning on Tuesday of last week. It kicked my butt.

However, I went again today and it REALLY kicked my butt! 

I couldn't quite figure out the whole resistance thing my first time. So this time I made sure that it was all off before starting. That way, when I had to "add more" or "take some off" I was doing it to my needs. My shirt was soaking with so much sweat that I was able to wring it! 

Gross, right?

The next class I went to was Pilates.

I love Pilates! 

I've been wanting to try it for so long because it is great for flexibility and strength. There is a lot of balancing and core work that is just great for runners. Well, Pilates is great for anyone really.

It a nice low-impact workout (meaning no jumping around) so that even those that have injuries can do it. In fact, a woman who was having knee surgery was in class last week.

That was it. I did nothing else for the week except on Sunday for my long run. Those 6.5 miles felt really good. I ran it in about 51 minutes. 

This week I'd like to try a group weight training class.

My goal for next week is to try a new class everyday, single, day.

I'm trying not to be too hard on my legs this week because I have an important run on Sunday: 14 miles.

Another one of my goals for November is to start adding on miles. I don't want to do too much too soon. But I want to start preparing myself. With my foot injury, and the move, I feel like I'm a little behind on my marathon training. I'm probably not, but I feel like it.

The last bit of news is that I signed up for a holiday race on December 10th. It's a 5K. I wanted to run another race to stay on that high before the BIG ONE next year. Then again, something far enough away so that I can recuperate.

 So that's it. Short and sweet just to say hey and to let you guys know that I'm doing fine and feel fine. I'm injury free and still on that marathon training mission.

How is your week shaping up?

November Goals

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Yesterday I glanced at the calendar and realized:

I have a lot of crap to accomplish this year before my marathon!

February seems like a long way off (although next week is my half marathon!)...to me anyway. But the calendar brought it all back into perspective, which is a good thing. I function rather well with goals and to-do lists. It's so satisfying to accomplish something and then cross it off a list. So satisfying.

To help jump start myself this month in preparation for the rest of the year, and the following year, I created a check list. Many of them are on-going but that's OK. I want to at least be thinking of them and acting on them.

1. Try more hairstyles -- Obviously not marathon related but also important to me. Read my post Week 23 Hair for more detail.
2. Try different gym classes -- At first the gym membership was mainly to get my mom to the gym. She's one of those I-have-to-go-with-someone-else-or-I-won't-go people. That's fine, however, I'm enjoying going to the gym now as well! There are a lot of class offerings that I want to try. So even if my mom isn't interested we are going to have to go solo. To ease her into the transition I scheduled us up for a pilot class: Pilates. It's on November 10th and I'm really excited because I've been wanting to try it for awhile. Since it's a pilot class we will be given special attention. There are only 6 people to a class and we get 30 minutes.
3. Re-incorporate Fartlek -- I need to find a track! The same problem I've had since moving to the States. There are a few near me so I need to make more of an effort to incorporate them into my routine and my schedule.
4. Vegan recipes -- The first vegan recipe I made (with no help from online searches!) really inspired me. I am committed to this vegan challenge and motivated to find more vegan recipes. I made a new one last week and will post it to the blog on Thursday so check it out! There's also a cookie recipe I can't wait to make. I now follow a few vegan "experts" on twitter and have bookmarked a few recipe databases for vegans. Check out: peta.org and vrg.org (Vegetarian Resource Group) if interested.
5. Go out more -- Yes, the hubby and I are in a rut. We need to get out more.
6. Stretch -- This is something I always promise myself and I'm good for about 2 weeks and then I get lazy. This week in preparation for the half marathon I'm not doing any running. I'm going to the gym and doing some cardio in classes or on the static bike, maybe elliptical, and STRETCH. I want to have refreshed legs come Sunday. After the half marathon I'm still going to stretch because I'm sick of having tight legs all the time!
7. Foot exercises -- Also been lazy in this area. All the exercises I'd like to incorporate into my regimen are written down and organized. But I haven't done even one. I haven't even put them on the blog! So this month I'll share with you all what I plan to do from now until the marathon.
8. Tapering -- This part of marathon training is a mystery so I need to start researching it.  I've already decided to start tapering January 29th 2012.
9. Energy -- I am super curious about all the gels, jelly beans etc. that marathoners out there use to stay hydrated and fueled during their runs. I want to try some of it to see if it works for me. Mainly because I don't like the feel of water slushing around in my stomach when I run. So I usually don't drink anything, which is a bad practice.
10. Winter gear -- I went running at 7am on Sunday as part of my last "mock run" before the half marathon. I wore some shorts over leggings, a moisture-wicking shirt (that also maintains your body's temperature) and a long-sleeve shirt over that. I WAS FREEZING! Mostly my fingers. I couldn't finish the last 2 miles because I thought my fingers were going to fall off. Never again, so I need to get some winter running gear. I got injured around the end of November last year so I have no experience running in colder temperatures. That long run was learning the hard way.
11. STAY INJURY FREE AFTER THE HALF MARATHON! -- Self-explanatory. :)

So those are my goals. Let's see how these 4 weeks pan out.

Do you have any goals for the upcoming month? The end of the year? Tomorrow?

How to Stick to a Workout Program

The main ingredient in sticking with any workout program is:

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How does one get this? Well, for me...

Changing things up 

• I always change my workout program every 3 months anyway to prevent plateauing. But when I do I don't only increase the weight or the repetitions. I look for something completely different. I like exercises that hit various muscle groups at once, so I go through them in a circuit and then repeat as necessary. 

• I hate to spend a lot of time exercising. For me, quality is more important than quantity. I will always choose short, intense, workouts over workouts where you are in the gym for hours. 

• I've also added new tools to my routine such as: fitness balls, fitness bands and steps. I'd also like to get a medicine ball and a jump rope at some point. Check out Fitness Tip: Trying something new for other tools I plan to add to my routine. 

• I'm even thinking about joining a running club! (More on that later)

Set goals 

• This was one of the most important things I did for myself. I've always been into exercise and healthy living. However, I did gain weight when I left college (2006). Not a ridiculous amount, but it was 10 pounds too much! 

• So in 2009 I gave myself a challenge: by the same time next year (2010) I wanted to be back in shape. I organized a routine by setting smaller goals for myself. That's when I started running. From there I wanted to run longer and faster, and so set my sights on races. 

• It's good to have an overall goal to get in shape, lose weight or get a toned body. But you have to set smaller, mini, goals throughout your process to stay with it.

 Try new things

Reward yourself 

• For me this was going on vacation last year. I went to a few differerent cities in Portugual and then travelled to the north of Spain. After all that hard work I needed to give myself a pat on the back, as they say. Even though I still exercised during the trip in hotel rooms, it helped to reinforce why I was doing what I was doing.

• Maybe your reward can be buying new clothes once you lose that weight or treating yourself to an ice cream once you've run that race you've always wanted.

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Don't give up 

• There have been TONS of times throughout my process where I've wanted to quit, didn't feel like exercising, and just wanted to gorge on a whole box of cookies and say to heck with it! But I didn't. Maybe on a truly lazy day I would grab my husband and tell him to come with me on his bike to motivate me to run.

• Even though he wasn't running with me I felt like I had that support to get off my butt and hit the pavement. He helps me by keeping my pace, with his encouraging words, and also carries water so I don't have to!

Reach out to others 

• It is so rewarding for me to be able to help family and friends by sharing my knowledge with them. They saw how dedicated I was and how I had reached and surpassed many of my own personal goals for my health. So they wanted help in their own lives as well.

• I love going to the gym with friends and showing them how to use the machines. Or maybe giving them an exercise program full of ideas on how to get in shape. Many people come to me saying they want toned arms or to lose weight or to get healthier. So I just give them advice, things that have helped me. I always recommend that people do their own research.

• This blog, for example, is not only for me to document my journey, but to also help anyone who needs it. Why hoard information when you can share it?

While motivation comes from within, external sources (friends, family, aquaintances, even strangers!) can help you out. Do whatever you can to stay positive and you will succeed!

What are some things you do to stay motivated?

Fitness Tip: Do what you like

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Always do what YOU like!!

It sounds simple but many people engage in exercise programs out of some form of obligation. They may want to lose weight, get healthy, do a competition...which are all worthy enterprises. Nothing wrong with that. But you will not reach these goals if you don't do what YOU like! 

I always talk about running because that's what I like! Because I like it, I research a lot about it and want to get other people excited about it too. I know nothing about riding bikes, for example, so I don't write anything about bike riding. However, my husband loves riding his mountain bike. So he does that. I can't get him to run with me because he doesn't like running. I'm okay with that. I would like him to ride his bike more though.  

Whatever you like, do it and stick with it.

I have a student who bought a gym membership. He's trying to lose the 20 pounds he gained after leaving college. He goes out of obligation. Sometimes he goes running but he goes out of obligation. He hasn't been to the gym, or running, in more than 3 months! 

What he loves to play is tennis. Granted, tennis is an activity that's hard to do solo. But I say grab your racket and a wall and start hitting it around. Maybe do some sprinting on the court and some side shuffles to get your heart rate up if no friend is around. Join a tennis club maybe.

Bottom line: if you don't like it, you won't do it.

The most important thing is to be active. So play a sport or take a class and switch it up! Be proactive about keeping yourself interested. Boredom is an athlete's nightmare! Activities that you can do in pairs or a group are always more attractive. 

But deep down YOU HAVE TO WANT IT. Or you won't stick with it.

If this helped you leave a comment and let me know how it goes!

I hope you enjoyed your Fitness Tip and will add it to your Recipe for Health