Tag: MLgoals

LENT

I thought long and hard about what to “give up” for Lent. Some folks suggested I could “take on” something instead.

I contemplated about giving up a food again. Last year I did sweets. However I generally now already try to avoid sweets and soda and a bunch of other things.

I decided I wanted to use this Lenten season to try and create a new habit. So for Lent:

I am giving up SNOOZING my alarm AND will also be adding MAKING my bed to my morning routine.

This morning I did not snooze, however I laid in bed for like 10 minutes, which still made me run behind. So I am updating it to give up SNOOZING and GET out of bed when my alarm goes off in addition to MAKING my bed.

All 3 are good habits. All 3 are good habits I USED TO HAVE. All through High School I made my bed. I even made it pretty regularly in college and grad school. I also NEVER EVER SNOOZED until I started using my cell phone as my alarm as opposed to an alarm clock – which wasn’t until I was out of school. Plus I used to set my alarm for the time I NEEDED to be out of bed. I had no choice but to get up in that moment. Somehow I changed that when I took up snoozing.

I hate starting my day running late, feeling rushed or being behind. I am very excited about this Lenten season!

I’m off to head out for ashes on my lunch break!

54 Days and Counting

Officially registered for the Race for Hope 5K in DC on May 1st!

I am stupid excited to be running it again this year. This was the FIRST race I ever ran. And now in the year since my 2010 Race for Hope I will have run 9 races(including 3 half marathons) making 2011 Race for Hope my 11th race.

Last year’s time 33:29

This year I’d LOVE a sub 25:29 min 5K with a secret hope of shaving a full 10 minutes off of last year’s time – which is POSSIBLE, just not probable.

After my half on April 3, I plan to spend the rest of the month working on speed training.

No pressure AT ALL, but if you want to donate – Race for Hope benefits brain cancer research. Brain cancer fortunately has not directly affected me, but my love of American Idol winner David Cook (who lost his brother to brain cancer the night before the the 2009 race) inspired me to get involved. David Cook has been this weird fitness inspiration over the years and I feel very strongly about supporting this cause so close to his heart.

http://www.braintumorcommunity.org/site/TR/Events/RFH-DC?px=1939701&pg=personal&fr_id=1651

2011 Goals

I touched on some of these, but I rather have them in list form right here:

  • Run over 1,000 miles in 2011
  • Hit and maintain my UGW of 155
  • Run a marathon
  • Get my finances/debt in order
  • Continue to search for/find a new job in a city closer to home with increased responsibilities and good challenges, while trusting that the timing will work out how it suppposed to
  • Open myself up to love (and the pain that may come with it – see previous goal)

WIW – Hot Damn Edition

After a few weeks of plateaus, the first half of November and I am beyond excited to put up 2 sweet losses in a row. I love seeing numbers like that, however I really wouldn’t mind seeing a gradual loss every week instead of ups and downs.

Last Week: 178.2
This Week: 175.9
Change: -2.3 pounds
Total Loss: 46.8 pounds
Left to Lose: 7.8/22.8

At this rate I REALLLY MIGHT be able to hit 168 on January 3 (my goal weight to hit at the 1 year mark of this journey). Say WHAT?!?!

I’m off to go hike in a state park with a friend and then knock out a 5 mile run before meeting W for dinner and perhaps shopping at my favorite store New York & Company for some new pants. Thank goodness the closest NY&Co is an hour away.

Full Marathon Training

Is it weird that I always refer to a marathon as a “Full Marathon”, but I also think it’s weird when people ask me about how my “marathon” went (I want to be like it was ONLY a half, but then I realize it wasn’t ONLY anything and I need to remember not everyone is as crazy as we are).

Anyway. Full marathon training kicks off in less that 2 weeks. I’m going with Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 training plan. It’s 18 weeks, but I’m giving myself 21 weeks in case of unforeseen circumstances and holiday travel/drama etc.

My preference is to run the Los Angeles Marathon (3/20), with a back up plan of the National Marathon in DC (3/26). I have friends in both places and the marathons are a week apart. Since I don’t know where my life and job will be in 5 months I’m hesitant to register for either. Suggestions on how “close I can cut it” without it being sold out? Are there any rules of thumb?

Full Marathon Plans – For Real

You can blame tumblr for eating my post and I didn’t get to fix it before I left for more interviews.

So my 2nd half marathon is this Saturday which got me thinking I need to start looking ahead. Having something to train for has been a KEY factor in my success. I have decided my next challenge to take on is a full marathon and wait until spring and warmer weather to train for a triathlon. With that being said I am seriously considering running the Los Angeles Marathon on March 20, 2011.

Some of the reasoning for this is:

  • I will have plenty of time to train and be ready
  • The weather should be favorable in LA in late March
  • If I’m still working here – it would fall on the tail end of spring break so I could take time to be in LA a few days prior to the race.
  • I’d get to visit a good friend of mine who is a writer for How I Met Your Mother. Last year I toured the set and he gave me an open invitation to come back for a filming and maybe even get to be an extra!
  • Finally my UGW date is March 21, 2011 the first day of spring and what a great way to celebrate my “rebirth.”

There are a number of factors to consider – like if I will still be in my current job in March. However I really think all of these things other factors are quite serendipitous. I also feel like if I got a new job between now and then I would mention I have a registered for a full marathon and would hope folks would be understanding. However if I plan to do this, I want to register sooner rather than later so spots don’t fill up and so I can’t back out 😛

PS – also David Cook (who won American Idol in ‘08 and is my future husband) lives in LA and he really got me motivated to run my first 5K – he has run Race4Hope the past 2 years in DC to raise $ for brain cancer awareness….he lost his brother to brain cancer the day before the race in 2009. So I kinda want to like get to his “people” and share my success story and maybe have him cheer me on…is that lame? I’m lame.

5K goals

I was thinking about my 5K that I ran last weekend and how far I’ve come. So similarly to 365to30 I’m gonna throw down the gauntlet and challenge myself to knock 10 minutes off my original 5K time when I run in the same 5K in May.

I ran my first 5K in 33:29 so I’m gunning for 23:29. I’ve already knocked 6 minutes off my time. So I have 6 months to knock off 4 minutes. Which means a 7:33 average pace per mile. SCARY!