How to Stay Motivated No Matter the Weather

I came across this Women's Running post this morning - and what great timing! It offers some great tips for keeping up your running motivation all year round. 

Thanks to Daylight Savings, this week has been especially challenging to get out of bed and get to they gym! What better motivation for ignoring my 5 o'clock alarm than the pitch black darkness outside? Seriously, it was a challenge.

This Monday will be one month since that fateful fitness assessment. I plan to post a formal one month reflection, to help me identify the progress I've made, and the progress that I still need to make. But in general, I'm excited about the plan I'm following. This Women's Health Body Transformation guide (which will hopefully produce results!), gives me sort of the "big picture" fitness plan, spanning the entire year. But because it's broken up into month-by-month plans, it keeps my focus!

For me, the hardest thing to deal with is my diet and I really haven't figured out how to keep on track. I'm also going to figure out how to train for my first marathon, and stick to this Women's Health plan. The WH plan requires three days of interval training, which I know is great for losing weight, so how do I combine with a beginner's marathon training plan... TBD. 

Why I run

Runner's World has a great campaign going on this week, #RWNewbieWeek, complete with tips for new runners, training plans, and inspiration. If you've been on the fence about getting started running, or have been running for awhile and need some extra inspiration, these are must-reads.

It got me thinking about why I started running originally. Despite brief stints in cross-country and track doing the "long-distance" 800m and 1600m (it was the cool thing to do and it got me out of gym class!), I never considered myself a runner until recently. I focused on field hockey in high school and college, and, while running was always a part of my life, it was more of a means to an end, than an end in and of itself. We warmed up with a three mile run, went through drills, scrimmages, and ended with sprints. In this mindset, I never embraced running.

But two years ago, the D.C. Young Republicans were putting together a team to run the Arlington 9/11 Memorial 5k, so I signed up. I thought it would be a good way to encourage me to get back in shape, and a fun way to meet people outside of the usual happy hours. Thanks to the encouragement of friends I met doing that run, I quickly followed up with more races including the Marine Corps 10k, the Hot Chocolate 15k, and the Rock n' Roll Philadelphia half marathon.

Now I'm hooked.

I love having the motivation and sense of accomplishment that comes with completing an organized race, but I'm completely addicted to the morning training runs these races require.

Last summer, I was training for the ING Hartford Half Marathon, preparing for my wedding, living with my in-laws after just moving to Connecticut, and working from home. I had no car, didn't know anyone in the area outside of my now husband's family, and was pretty overwhelmed with the stress of wedding planning. While I knew training was important to get me ready for the half marathon, I was also motivated by the chance to be on my own for an hour or so each day, clear my head, think through any issues I might be having, and just enjoy myself. Every run was a freeing experience that honestly saved me from a lot of regretted words or would be fights during that stressful time!

I had a few key revelations that made my enjoyment possible around this time:

• Focus less on how fast you go, and more on how far you go. It's about personal improvement, and conquering new challenges you never thought were possible.
• Running is a blessing. Your body is capable of amazing things, don't waste it.
• Workout clothes can be affordable, as long as you don't care what you look like. I've been rocking some neon pink Under Armour spandex lately. I think someone comments on them every time I wear them, but hey, they were $20. 
• Find a plan and schedule that works for you. I run first thing in the morning, so I'm out the door before I even realize what's happening. After work, I always seem to be able to think of something else that needs doing (or a glass of wine with my name on it), so I've found these morning workouts are most effective for me. 
• Running is free! Cross-fit, yoga, and even my beloved gym memberships, can all be expensive, especially when you're living on a tight budget! For under $100, you can get yourself a nice pair of running shoes and go for a run - any time of the year. Track your progress for motivation with a free app - I use Nike+. 
• The more you run, the more you can eat. Nuff said. 

What about you - why do you run? What tips do you have for new runners, or those who need some extra motivation?

Foam Roller Fun

This week, I went to what can only be described as a brutal bootcamp. Think: suicide bear crawls and TRX hip lifts. While stretching, someone suggested doing a few minutes of foam roller afterwards, and I readily agreed.

(Image from Rumble Roller.)

Honestly, I've never understood what a foam roller does exactly, other than it delivers a sort of hurts so good pain. To manage your expectations a bit, you will not be smiling when you use a foam roller. My expression is more of a grimace, eyes closed, hoping no one is watching me. Foam rolling helps your muscles recover, so these exercises are very important, especially after an intense session where you know you're going to be sore the next day!

Shape Magazine recently posted a how-to video for foam rollers that I find pretty helpful. The main thing to keep in mind is to keep shifting your weight around until you find the sweet spot for you - it will be different for everyone and depending on your recent workouts. Enjoy!

Figuring it all out

There are only a few blogs I am really committed to following (read: a few blogs that I remember to visit again). When I think about what these blogs have in common, it's that the authors have it all figured it out. Whether writing about running, cooking healthy, or fashion, they know exactly what works for them and share those experiences with others.

So I'm kind of wondering what I'm doing writing a blog.

I definitely don't have it all figured it out. I'm nowhere near my dream body right now, still trying to conquer my sweet tooth and commit to regular exercise. I'm no crossfit-convert or ridiculously flexible yogi (is that even what you call someone who does yoga?), and while I like to think of myself as a runner, my track record and lack of marathon experience might beg to differ.

Why I am doing it? Well, for two reasons. First, so many blogs I read document amazing results - a picture of a woman once pushing 200 pounds who is now nearly unrecognizable at a healthy, thin weight. But you rarely get to see the process - the weight is already lost, the lifestyle changes have already been made, the problem has been conquered. While these stories inspire me, I think seeing the process is important - like the monthly check-ins you see magazines do. They establish camaraderie, and help show you what sort of results are possible month by month. 

Second, a more selfish reason, I want to hold myself accountable. Sure, I don't really know that anyone will see this, but it's possible they will - and so I have to keep going! In the past, I've worked toward a certain event, like a race, and then completely fallen off my fitness goals, or everything is going well until that week-long work trip and suddenly I'm full of excuses when I get home. I know it's not healthy for my weight to keep fluctuating, even if just a few pounds now, as I get older, it's just going to get worse. I'm trying to establish this habit now - stay accountable to the blog. 

So here goes. I hope you'll follow along and share with your friends! I need the encouragement!

Back at it

After a couple of false starts this year, I finally took the plunge and joined a gym. Knowing I have a lot of work to do and we're under a tight budget, I weighed a few different factors - focusing mainly on monthly cost, class schedule, and proximity to our house. The gym I chose is less than a five minute drive, the cheapest option in town, and has a bare bones class schedule. I guess you've gotta sacrifice somewhere!

After signing up, I was excited to do a complimentary fitness assessment with one of the trainers. Boy, was I in for some unsettling news. 

We went through some basic exercises - push-ups, squats, and planks, and it was clear that my core strength was... not what it could be. Stepping on the scale, I knew I was above my comfortable weight, but I'd stayed within five pounds of that, so not too shabby, right? Wrong. He then pulled out a little torture device - calipers - to measure my body fat and the truth hurt. For those not familiar with calipers, check out this video. 

My fitness assessment: below average. 

Well, technically, on the border of below average for a woman my age, but still. I went home and cried. Productive, right? 

I looked up a training plan, based on what the trainer recommended - cardio, core, and weight lifting. Apparently, my "just keep logging more miles running," strategy wasn't the right one. 

I settled on this Women's Health workout program, and have been following it for two and a half weeks now. My diet could be better - I'm still struggling with the urge to binge and a strong sweet tooth - but I'm getting there. I can already feel a difference, not only in my strength, but in my happiness generally. Now I need to keep at it! 

I have a "check-up" with the trainer in a week and a half. Four weeks from our first one - time enough to make a difference, but not too far to lose focus (hopefully!). 

I'm back at it, now I just have to keep at it!