Project LB (Living Better)

It wasn't pretty, but I did it.

I think I need to try and focus on time rather than distance. I was looking at the coolrunning.com "spreadsheet" and realized they're basing their distances on a 10-minute mile. And I'm not there yet. I can't even do a full 15 minutes at 5mph (a 12 minute mile) - I have to drop down to 4.7 or 4.8 for at least 30 seconds. Or I have the past two runs.

Saturday - which will be early as I've got Lilith Fair tickets starting at 3pm - is the two 8-minute run segments. And then Monday will be the first 20 minute run. EEK!!! Definitely making Sunday a rest day before that!!!

I suspect that part of the issue may be that I've been something along the lines of a slug as of late on my non-run days - and not doing the Yoga thing after my runs. Must get back on doing more workouts! Like TOMORROW!!!

So today was Day 1 of Week 2 on C25K. It was tougher than I'd anticipated - especially the later intervals. I did drop the speed from 5mph to 4.7 or 4.8mph in the last couple of intervals. BUT I made it all the way through the run.

I don't know if it was all the jump or if it's the way the program is set up so you have two days off between weeks, but I definitely struggled. Oh well...if it's not a struggle, I guess I need to push harder to make it a struggle, right?

Still, I came home and did Yoga Meltdown too. Not gonna lie - I was shaking through that workout like I haven't before (I managed to hold both of the T-stands, though I did fall out of one during the Rolling T part). I'm sure it was because of the running earlier - that combined with the heat and humidity probably. Yes, I was drinking plenty of water. Yes, I had a snack (a luna bar). So I'm sure it was mostly the added stuff from the running.

But I made it through both workouts, and I'm still standing. I feel proud.

Rumor has it that we're getting our first summer school checks tomorrow (I'm sure the mayor or chancellor or whoever decided to go with the 7-10-15 day split on the checks so they'll ultimately get more taxes from us than the 10-10-12 split we had last year), and if that's the case, I'll have my first "real" running shoes either tomorrow night or Saturday!! :) Woohoo!!!

And now? This melted little girl is off to take a well-deserved shower!

I think I've decided I really like this combination - go to the gym and do my walk/run in C25K, then come home and do Yoga Meltdown! :) It makes me happy and feel really good!!

Got up this morning - at 6:30ish, but considering I went to bed at 9ish last night, a full night's sleep, and my body really wasn't having any more sleep at the time. Drank my banana breakfast shake (LOVE!!!!) and some water and some green tea, then got changed and headed off to the gym.

Did Week 1 Day 2 of C25K. Today I decided to try and push my running up from 4.5mph to 5mph, and I succeeded! :) Granted, there were times I was having to visualize Jillian or Bob standing there pushing me to finish a running interval (seriously? one or both of them need to do a C25K podcast!!!), but I made all the way through. The weird thing (? or maybe not so weird?) is that while I was really struggling and wishing the next to last couple of intervals were over, the last interval seemed to fly by.

My left hip muscle is protesting a little bit, but I think it's because it cramped up badly last night - or I slept on it weird...not sure which, but I woke up with it screaming at me and had to manually move my leg around. I pulled it back in 7th grade, so it's been susceptible to cramps ever since then. Weirdly it didn't cramp up the night after my first run, so I'm leaning towards I somehow slept on it weird. At any rate, it was ok for the run, so woo! And yes, when I get paid on the 15th, I'm hitting a running store that does video analysis for fitting and getting my first "official" pair of running shoes, so if it IS my shoes (though again, why a day later) that should get taken care of soon.

Then I went and stretched a good bit before heading back to the subway to come home.

Got home and did Level 1 of Yoga Meltdown. Completely love that workout!!

Now I should probably go and fix lunch since breakfast was about 4 hours ago. :P

While my brain thought it was just a peachy keen idea to do both levels of YM yesterday, my legs and shoulders begged to differ this morning. (They're still begging to differ if I'm being honest.) I'm trying to convince them that it's a GOOD thing...

So today I decided since they didn't seem to be too happy with yesterday's option, today was BFBM (Burn Fat Boost Metabolism in case you forgot). Man...that is a tough workout. I was drenched when I finished it.

Take that muscles!!! :P

On another note, I was looking at gym options. Through the Department of Ed, I could get a "discount" on NYSC membership - $72/month. When I was going to Trader Joe's this morning, I was on the bus and actually SAW the Brooklyn Planet Fitness - I'd figured it was somewhere hard to get to, being stupid and not hopstop.com-ing it. Turns out it's an easy 4-stop subway ride or short bus ride from my apartment. AND I can go there directly from school without having to change trains! AND for a membership at that club only it's $10/month. So I went to check it out today. It's new, it's got cardio equipment upstairs and downstairs, and it seems really friendly. And did I mention it's $10/month? It doesn't have classes, but realistically with my DVDs (soon to include Bob's new series which I ordered today), I' not going to be taking that many classes anyway. So...

I signed up! :) I'll go tomorrow after summer school orientation!

AND since I've now got access to treadmills, I'm going to teach (train?) myself to run! I've always wanted to, but haven't really managed to succeed - mainly because I've not had access to a track or treadmill on a regular basis to get in the habit. I've found a schedule for a C25K (Couch-to-5K) program I'm going to use.

And I'm shooting for my first 5K to be in early September. I'd thought I'd do the WTC Run to Remember on 9/5 - registration for that isn't open yet. Then I was doing some more investigation and discovered that the Komen Race for the Cure is 9/12. We're out of school that weekend (Thursday through Saturday), and I'd planned to go up to Provincetown, coming back Sunday...but now I'm not so sure. I've done the Komen before, but as a walk. Because I've been close to several people who have had breast cancer, it would mean a lot to make that my first one. So...I'll need to make a decision soon about that.

But at any rate, I hope that by this time on 9/12 I will have finished my first 5K...running.