A good update

You would think that my absence for the last week means that I’ve lost sight of things, but the truth is that I’ve really been busy, and I haven’t lost sight of anything. In fact, on Saturday, I had a triumph: I ran my first timed 5K in 31:42. That’s 10:13 min per mile! I was, needless to say, THRILLED that I did it. And I’m already excited about my next chance to run a 5K. I’m not sure when that will be – maybe not until the spring – but I loved the energy and the excitement of running with a huge crowd of people. I was so nervous before the gun off, and then felt like I was going to accidentally overexert myself in the first five minutes. I forced myself to listen to my body and find my pace, without paying attention to the people passing me or the people I was passing. I took careful strides, listened to my music and concentrated on my breathing.

The biggest triumph? I didn’t take a single step at a walking pace – I jogged the entire way! I was so worried I would allow myself to slow down, but I didn’t. I kept my pace and felt good up until the very end of the race. Now that I know I can do it, I’m going to try again this week on one of the courses I have worked out around town, and see if I can run it without stopping. It helps when I have someone to run with, however, and Greg isn’t big on running.

I definitely felt like a rock star after that was done. Now, if I had only stopped acting like a rock star, it would have been all right. Unfortunately, I drank and ate for the rest of the day, and nothing that held a lot of nutritional value. That was a mistake. I could have done so much better.

I think I’m going to return to weekly goals now that I’ve gotten myself back in the swing (sort of), but continue updating throughout the week. So this week’s goals:

1. Bring my lunch and avoid the company cafeteria to reduce calorie intake as much as possible - no desserts at work other than fruit!
2. Drink coffee black if I drink it at all.
3. Try running 3.1 miles without stopping at least twice during the week. (Tuesday and Friday?)
4. Go to the gym twice during the week. (Thursday and Saturday?)
5. Start doing exercises while reading – bicep curls, squats, lunges, leg raises, etc.

That’s a hefty list, but it’s doable and by no means too much for a single week. I’ve only got a little over a month left to get my butt in gear for this wedding. I haven’t tried on the dress recently, but I have a feeling I’m on the right track.