Good Morning!

I am beyond pumped!! Today could not have had a better beginning. It would have been impossible. I woke up feeling well-rested before my alarm went off, which I love! I let Matt sleep in another 15 minutes while I got up to eat my pre-gym snack and get ready, and what did I hear? BIRDS!!! I had just thought to myself as I drug myself in from work, that maybe I just can't hear birds chirping in the morning now that I live in an apartment building, but I am so glad I was wrong. I absolutely love the first time I hear birds chirping in the morning each year. AND today is the first day of Spring! It is fate! I know that it is supposed to get cold and snow again this weekend, but for now I am going to revel in this glorious morning.

I started off with a great workout in the gym. I even did my abs, which I have been neglecting a little too much lately. I came home, had a small breakfast, watched an episode of Dance Moms (Guilty pleasure!), and then set out for a quick 3 miles. And let me tell you, I was booking it. I am not fast in the grand scheme of things, but for me, I was really pushing it today. My right shin was getting so tight by the 1.5 mile mark, that I didn't think I was going to make it at first, but I stretched quickly and walked it off, and I still had a faster 5k time than I have had so far this year. I was so glad to get in a good run because I just came off those terrible elliptical workouts last week. I have also had low energy so far this week, so it was great to finally break out of the fog I have been stuck in for two days straight.

When I got home, it just kept getting better. I checked my email, and I had my March Newsletter from the Delaware Marathon, and I had a race registration announcement from Bryn Mawr Racing Co. I really wanted to do the Midsummer Series last summer, but I didn't get to. They do three Thursday night races spread throughout the summer, and although my last Bryn Mawr racing experience was less than courteous to slow racers like me, I am still excited to do this series. I even signed Matt up to run with me. Hope he's as pumped as I am...hahaha! I should really just be glad he puts up with me. Thanks for sticking with me through all my craziness, running related and otherwise, Matthew!

Time to shut up and put up!

I have decided that there is no turning back at this point; I will not get back on the treadmill this season. Although the temperatures have plummeted again, I am adamant that Spring is here. Although Spring doesn't officially start till Wednesday, I am still annoyed that it snowed yesterday. I wasn't going to let it get me down. I put on double layers, zipped up my windbreaker, pulled my balaclava up over my nose, and I was ready to take on the roads. I looked fairly comical, but I was determined to run outdoors, and as I've warned before, you've gotta check your shame at the door, people!

I am the purple running ninja.

I was miserable from the first step out the door. I had shin splints today, and my face was burning from the wind despite my balaclava. I have a little charm on my shoe that reads, "Running for Grandma," to remind me when I get tired that I am dedicating my marathon this fall to my Grandma. I kept telling myself that my grandma went through things so much worse than running 6 miles in the cold, but then I clearly heard my grandma's voice in my head. I heard her saying, "Now Michelle, you just go on home." I only heard my grandma raise her voice in reprimand once in my entire life. (Of course directed at my brother, not me.) We always knew she meant business when she started a sentence with "now," so I went home.

I finished off my workout at the gym, but I still refused to get on the treadmill. I hopped on the elliptical with a fast paced playlist blaring through my headphones. My legs were screaming around 2.5 miles, and I wanted to stop again already, but I realized that a certain point you have to just shut up and put up. I decided to block out the voices in my head, and knock out the rest of my 6 miles. Sometimes it's the small victories that amount to the most in the long run, but one thing is for sure, I cannot wait for Spring to show up for good!

Spring Fever

Today's run was beautiful. I had one of those runs today that I look down at my watch and suddenly realize I've been running for an hour. I love getting lost in a run, and these days I really can get lost in a run. I got the Garmin Forerunner 410 for Christmas, and I love not having to map and memorize a route before I head out the door.

I haven been anxiously awaiting spring, and I was so happy to see the signs of spring all around. There is a slight chill in the air, the sun is shining, the birds are beginning to sing, the buds are popping up, and the fever is catching. Spring fever is running fever for me. I am so happy to be running outside because I am reminded of how much I love running. Sometimes when I am stuck on the dreadmill or fighting the biting cold or wet ground that comes with winter running, I forget how truly amazing it is.

Never in my life would I have pictured myself becoming a running junkie. I have also posted in the past that my family and friends never thought I would either, but I am so glad that running has transformed my life. Let me tell you, if you want to really learn something about yourself, then step outside, and go for a run. At first, you might be slow, maybe even out of breath and in pain. And some of us ::cough, cough:: ::me::  maybe couldn't even run a quarter of a mile before we stopped to walk when we first took up running, but I am now at the point where I can jump in to a half marathon training schedule two weeks late, and look down at my watch to suddenly realize that I have been running for an hour, and it is time to steer back home.

So, what have I learned so far in my journey as a runner? Nature is beautiful. Water tastes amazing. Pain is in fact temporary. Spandex is strangely my friend and not my enemy. A trash bag works just as well as any windbreaker jacket. It doesn't matter what other people think. I am strong. I am happy. I am determined. A pair of running shoes can make me feel way better about myself than a pair of heels. Moments should be cherished. And it's true that reaching your goals is often an issue of mind over matter.

Lee Ann Womack may hope that you dance, but I don't.

I hope you run. 

Runner's Rambles: Running Makes Sense

Sometimes, it's nice to just get lost in a run. Being outside, running, thinking. It's a release from the confines of the chaotic rush of our society. There are days when I blare music to fit whatever mood I'm in, or whatever problem I need to work out. There are times when I run tech-free, and I just get lost in retrospection. Sometimes I let my thoughts run wild, run out of my head. Then there are the times when I want something to really distract me from the thoughts of wanting to quit early in my run, so I listen to NPR podcasts. I love NPR because I love learning new things, and I can easily get lost in their programming. Podcasts and audiobooks are also great for running because there isn't an underlying beat, like when listening to music, so it doesn't throw off the pace of the run.

Today, I decided to listen to a podcast of This American Life as I ran. I listened to episode #488 Harper High School, Part 2. It was about gang violence, and how it affects students at Harper High School in the Englewood area of Chicago. As I ran, I couldn't help but think of kids I work with every day in one of the projects in West Philly. The thought of what so many kids sadly go through is another thing that pushed me on.

It seems odd that the troubles of another person push me on, but when I feel there isn't really any difference I can make in a situation, it is like running is there to give me a bit of a beating. It is something that I can make myself rise to and above the challenge of. I know that running is nothing compared to the struggles they face. I often think of my grandma and how she struggled with the loss of her mobility near the end of her life, and I ran then too. I was thousands of miles away, and what could I have done even if I was there? There was nothing that I could have done to give her back her mobility, and so I ran. I have a pendant on my shoe now that reads, "Running for Grandma." I know I need to push myself now, take advantage of my mobility now because I could lose it at anytime.

In my experience, running makes sense of the senseless, and when it can't, it at least gives me a distraction from the senseless. There are many things I don't understand in this world, but do I have to?

This girl can't dance.

Well, I think it's fair to say that I suck at Zumba. I have given myself multiple opportunities to look like a fool, and I have decided that Zumba should probably be reserved for my living room only. I bought one of the Zumba games for Xbox Kinect, and it is a lot of fun! If you have a Kinect, then I suggest giving it a try. I believe they also make one for Wii.

I was lucky enough at the Zumba for ALS charity event to be only one of two people who showed up. I am sad that more people didn't participate, but it ended up being more like a mini personal Zumba lesson just for me. Despite having my own private lesson, I left with the feeling that I wasn't very good at Zumba. The instructor insured me that I did a good job, but when I thought back on the class, I couldn't think of a single dance I did well. I am not smooth enough to do the Salsa, Samba, or Mambo style routines, and I lacked the attitude for the hip hop routine. Sadly, I think the belly dancing cool down may have been even worse. The instructor did encourage me to come back on a Wednesday night though, so I decided that if I ever made it home from work early enough to go, then I would try it again.

Of course that means that the very first Wednesday following my self-deal-making, I just happened to get home with plenty of time to eat dinner, let my dinner digest some, change into gym clothes, and head to Zumba class. I figured since the instructor was new, and she said they were adding a class, that it would probably be pretty empty after Saturday's showing. I was most definitely wrong. Full class, my friends. Oh, and the new instructor, the one who actually explains the dances before she starts in with complicated moves, she wasn't even the one who was there.

I literally hesitated in the first 30 seconds of the first routine as I tried to decide how noticeable it would be if I walked  out right then...but my resolve kicked in, and I stayed through the class. I still suck at all the dances I said before, but this instructor also did more calisthenic exercises added in the dances. At one point, it felt like I was the kid on the playground who they tell to pat her head and rub her tummy...She had us doing stationary lunges while doing the salsa-like hip shaking that I suck at so much. I had fun to an extent, and I was glad there was an old man who sort of made me look good, but I know for sure, that only my empty living room should be witness to my Zumba endeavors from now on.

Getting Real and Getting Results

I went in today for my one month check in at the gym today to monitor my personal training results, and although I was feeling like I hadn't made much progress, I was happy with the results I have achieved so far. I explained my reasoning behind getting a personal trainer in a post last month. It has been a great experience so far with both physical and mental ups and downs as I continue on my path toward living a healthier life.

I know that I am a stress eater. Because I know that about myself, it is something that is a continuing war in my head, and this month I won some battles and lost some battles in that war, but the important thing is that I continue to fight for myself. And when I lose a battle, it doesn't mean I get to beat myself up about it, but I have to accept my failures and do better next time. I've said before that I have realized that I get to choose how I live my life, but I have to choose to be healthy, and not just once. I have to choose every day.

I have also been working hard to begin eating several small meals a day, which has forced me to be more organized and prepared each week. I work at a job where I do not have access to a fridge or microwave, and I work during normal lunch and dinner hours. I have accepted the fact that I need to just adapt my diet to that situation, which means being prepared, and packing a lunch and snacks. It also means knowing what's for dinner and preparing ahead as much as possible so that there is no guessing when I get home because guessing leads to going out to eat. I give some ideas for things I do to be prepared in another recent post.

So, where am I now physically? Overall, I have lost 6 inches. That's not my waist people, it's my overall body measurement of hips, waist, shoulders, neck, thighs, calves, chest, and biceps. I already have more definition in my arms and legs, but I am excited to see how things progress for me with even more work. My body fat percentage went from 30.2% to 27.5%, which I am excited about improving even more. That was one of the saddest realizations from my initial evaluation. And I saved the things I am most excited about for last. I can tell that I am getting stronger, and it showed in my strength test. My max upper body strength was at 65 lbs, and it is now at 85. My lower body strength was at 295 lbs, and it is now at 315 lbs.

Watch List

First, I am still holding off on doing lots of running, but I am really looking forward to seriously training for my spring half marathon, which I am sure will come with both insightful and funny experiences for me to share with you.

Secondly, I am going to try a Zumba class today for the first time despite my knee still recovering. Thanks to my handy KT tape I am going to give it a try for charity to support the Augie's Quest campaign from MDA. As I am not the most coordinated person, I am sure this will be quite the experience to share.

Lastly, I am still working on getting everything together to start fundraising for a charity that I will be running my marathon for in memory of my grandmother. I will probably be getting all of that together and ready to share later this spring or early summer.

2013: My year of thanksgiving

Ok, so I've been pretty busy lately. I haven't had a whole lot of time to post, and I haven't been able to think of anything that I should share since my workouts have been fairly uneventful. It is that time again to start Spring Half Training, but I managed to hurt my knee walking up an escalator last week, so I am hitting the stationary bike and starting my training a week later. I am the type of person who tends to let things like that really get to me. I have realized over the time that I have been writing this blog that my health involves more than just the physical workouts. I have to work on my mental and spiritual well-being in order to have a balanced life. Which is why I made my new year's resolution to make this my journey toward being a more positive person.



When I was home for Christmas, I told my Anything for 10 Sister about my intent to spend this year becoming a less stressed and more positive person. I also told her that I could feel a difference during the month of November when I did the Facebook Month of Thankfulness challenge in November. I could tell that when I spent my days focusing on what I could and should be thankful for, that things just seemed to roll off my back a little easier. She gave me the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp to read as I started my journey of thankfulness and positivity. I highly recommend the book to anyone looking to take a good hard look at their life.

I have been keeping a journal since January 1st of things I am thankful for. I am making a list of 1,000 things, big and small, both easy and hard things that I am thankful for. I spend a little bit of time each morning either before or after my workout looking through the list and spending time actually being thankful for the things I am so blessed to have and experience in my life. Obviously people don't  change over night, but I am slowly making progress, and I am thankful for that as well.

What's Up With Michelle?

Spring Half: 10th Annual Delaware Marathon Festival Half with my fiance Matt! Yay! Running with Matt is never dull. Thanks for running with me, Matthew! Training technically starts this week. Check out my training schedule!

Zumba for ALS: I have never done Zumba, but I am going to do a Zumba class on 2/23/13 because the proceeds go to the MDA Augie's Quest Campaign to fund ALS research, which many of you know is a cause close to my heart after my Grandma's battle with ALS. It is a nation wide partnership event between the MDA and LA Fitness. It is open to members and nonmembers, so if there is an LA Fitness in your area, then sign up now!

Personal Training Update: I will keep you in the loop as I get closer to my goals working with my personal trainer and in working toward becoming a personal trainer myself.

Marathon Madness: I am simultaneously pumped and terrified to run my first Marathon this fall with my Anything for 10 Sister, Grace, and one of my awesome cousins, Choppo! Tulsa, here we come!