Excuses not to Exercise

We all have them, don't we? Excuses not to get on the treadmill or go for a bike ride or to lay down and do some crunches or stretch. I know I do. Last night I did several things before I got around to getting on the treadmill for my 30 minute run. All of them were things that "had to be done" before I could get my workout in. Ha! If you know me, I don't have things that "have to be done". In fact, most of the things I "have to do" I do as a very last resort to put of doing something else I don't want to do.



1. Clean the bathroom

2. Empty the dishwasher

3. Vaccuum

4. Take off my nail polish

5. Organize my closet

6. Clean the litter box

7. Review and delete unwanted shows on my DVR

8. Water my plants

9. Update itunes on my computer

10. Call mom to tell her I loved her veggies on Sunday :)



So now that all of the above items are done, I shouldn't have any more excuses right? HA! HA! Next to the above items that I really don't like doing I should add that I hate changing in to workout clothes. It is at the top of my list of excuses for not working out. Why, you ask? I have no idea actually. It's not like I am trying to get scuba gear on. It's shorts and a tank top! How hard can that be? Well, believe me, I have made it a real effort to get changed. I will get all of the items listed above done before I will change my clothes to workout. I just hate doing it. I would rather exercise in my clothes from work...it's not very comfortable though. :)



Maybe if I had cute workout clothes... no, still probably wouldn't want to change to workout. :) Scratch that.



The weirdest thing is that I do like to exercise. I am not quite sure what causes the anxiety in me that prevents me from doing it before I do anything else...especially cleaning the bathroom. I mean, who likes to clean the bathroom?

I love how I feel as I get warmed up and my muscles start to work. The best is once I have been running for about 15-20 minutes and the endorphins kick in (yes, exercise really does release endorphins) and I get into a steady rhythm and nothing else seems to matter.



I feel sad sometimes that the workout is over and wish that I could do it over again. I feel excited knowing that tomorrow is another day to work out and I can't wait for tomorrow to come so that I can. But, knowing me the way that I do, I will start the process all over again when it comes time for the workout to begin. I will find other things to do. I will create excuses to put it off and avoid changing into my workout clothes. Finally, when the clock shows how late it is getting and I know that I could technically just go to bed early and put it off until tomorrow, I will force myself to change clothes, lace up my shoes and push start on the treadmill.



I fight the excuses just like everyone else. I think the key is to not beat myself up over having them. As long as I eventually override the excuses and get the workout done everything will workout just fine and my bathroom will stay very clean. :)



CuteRunnerGirl

Stephanie Miller

My spirit

Did I fall off the wagon? Of course! But I am human and it's what we do positively with our mistakes that make us a success. I have decided today to make my health and well being more of a priority. I thought that it was about how far I could run or about how good I looked in my clothes. It isn't about that.

I struggle with stress and sometimes it overwhelms me. What the past month has taught me is that i am not indestructable.

Let me back up a bit...at the beginning of the year, I told friends and family they should keep me accountable for showing up to family events, parties, camping trips and any other social gatherings. I am notorious for burning out at the end of a week and flaking on plans. :) Don't do it on purpose, but I love my job and pour all of what I am into it every day. This sometimes leaves me with little left on the weekends to give.

Since my proclomation to attend all events possible and my family's promise to keep me from bowing out, I have discovered that I can't do it all. I love what I do get to do socially and I am happy while I am doing it. When the weekend ends, however, and a new week is dawning, I frantically search my soul for nourishment to get me through another week.

This is what has led me to where I am. I want to be capable of jumping for joy every day that I am employed doing what I love. I want to partake in social gatherings without fear of falling apart before a new week begins. I want to be content, satisfied, fulfilled, and happy. How the heck do I do that?!

By taking better care of myself physically and mentally.

Running is, for some people, about how far they can run or how fast they can run. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I have just discovered that for me, it is about letting go of stress, getting stronger, building endurance, and channeling my inner spirit.

Who cares if I run in a 5k or a marathon? Who cares if I have skinny, toned thighs? No one. But, there are people who care if I show up to work. Not just my boss, but my clients....and me. There are people who care if I come to their 6th birthday party. Not just my mom, but my first nephew...and me.

So, starting today, I am going to run for health and wellbeing. What does that mean? Well, no heart rate monitor to make sure I burned enough calories is one thing. No running calendar to track how far I went and how long it took is another. I am going to put one foot in front of the other for me.

Remembering what is important in life is key. Skinny jeans, while being able to fit into and look good in them, are not imporatant. :) Being healthy is! Here I go, off into the land of fitness to ensure a healthy, happy, well-balance me. Stay tuned to see how it goes.

Cute Runner Girl
Stephanie Miller

Back on Track

I have said it many times in my life....I am getting back on track....but right now I actually am. Two weeks and still running. I gave up on the run/walk thing and just decided to run. Some days I really don't want to do it and every minute seems like an hour and some days the run flys by.

I will admit I am only up to 25 minutes at one time but for me that works. I do need to build up to 35 minutes so I can get ready for a 5k in July....can I do it? Well, at the 5k I won't have a choice but for now I will just run.

My goal is to enjoy running. My goal right now is not to train for anything in particular like speed for example. I may or may not do a marathon someday. Right now, I just want to enjoy it. And I do. :)

cuterunnergirl

Starting to Love It!

Or maybe that is just the endorphins that just kicked in. Ha Ha. I'm not sure but today's 5 and 1 run went really well and I feel so good right now. I had to do some extra stretching and use the foam roller on the IT band because I can already tell that it is getting tight after only a few weeks of short runs. But the stretching and foam roller, I am hoping will keep me pain free and allow me to continue on this journey.

Well, as we all know, I don't read directions very well and evidently I have been supposed to have been running 4 times a week, not 3. LOL! I am not following this program to the letter, am I? Oh well, atleast I am getting something done. What I figure is that I can finish out this week as a 5 and 1 - 3 times and next week start the week over again with the 2- 5 and 1's and the 2- 6 and 1's I am supposed to do. :) This program is going to take me longer than 8 weeks but I am having fun with it so I guess that's ok.

If anyone is interested, I am doing the 8-week beginner runner program from runnersworld.com. So far, so good for me. If you want to become a runner, maybe you should try it. :)

CuteRunnerGirl

www.cuterunnergirl.blogspot.com

5 and 1

This week it is a run 5 minutes, walk 1. Can I do it? Of course I can. Do I want to? That's debatable. LOL to myself. I want to, I think.

Over this past weekend I spent an incredible 30 minutes doing a Yoga video with my sisters-in-law and my mom. Now, I am not a fan of Yoga but I thought it would be fun to do this and my mom really wanted us to. I figured it would be no big deal and I would go about my weekend with no issues.

I was wrong! Sunday morning I woke up with sore abs and sore low back muscles...not because they were hurt, but because I evidently don't use them enough. I am so adding Yoga into my workout routine! Woo Hoo!

Tomorrow I plan to start this weeks running plan...please everyone, think positive thoughts. :)

CuteRunnerGirl
www.cuterunnergirl.blogspot.com

Where Have I Been?

Where have I been? Running, of course. Well, not the whole time since my last blog, but part of it. I have a lot on my plate these days and getting the runs in can be a battle with my mind because I sometimes would rather go home and take a nap or after work go home and eat some ben and jerry's. But I can honestly say I have been keeping up with it.

I am on Week 3 but technically redoing Week 2 because I didn't read my directions all the way through. That is another weakness I have. But I am considering it a strength in this case because it has provided me with another week of running at a pace I can handle before pushing me on to a pace that will me tougher for me. Baby steps. :)

So right now I am doing 4 min run/ 1 min walk and I love it. Next week is 5 min run/ 1 min walk and that might be a bit more of a challenge but it is only one measley minute, right? That's what I will tell myself.

I am going strong with the running and I'm not ready for a marathon or even a 5k but I am on track and that is what I promised myself.


CuteRunnerGirl

http://www.cuterunnergirl.blogspot.com/

On A Roll

I am going to toot my own horn because not only did I complete Wednesday night's scheduled run, but I did another one last night. No, it was not on my training schedule, I was supposed to walk, but I really felt like doing it, so I did it and it was great!

I have a scheduled training run for tonight that I will do and then I will have the weekend off. Now that Week 1 is almost over, I am very much looking forward to Week 2. I think I will have better luck with Week 2 this time around. :)

CuteRunnerGirl

Woo Hoo! Recelebrating Week 1

I will admit that I really didn't want to run tonight, but I will also admit the silly reason why. I did not want to change into my workout clothes. Silly, right? But it gives me more time to talk myself out of running so I don't like to do it. I decided to put running pants on and run in my work shirt. :) Then I hit the jackpot....the wedding of Jason and Molly from the Bachelor! Who can resist something like that. Needless to say, my mind was totally on wedding and lovey dovey stuff and not really on my run, which seemed to fly by!

I am so glad I did it. I feel like I am back on the wagon, last week was not a total loss and I can do what I set out to do, which is learn how to run for 30 minutes. :) Now if only I can get a certain someone (you know who you are) to go to the Y for 30 minutes. :) I would be a most happy camper. Well, that is all you get for tonight. Great run for repeating Week 1, tomorrow night I cross train. Have a great Tuesday!

CuteRunnerGirl

Week 1 - Repeat

I am pondering how my week will look. I have received my newest issue of Runners World, which of course gets me all in the mood to go run! I am remotivated to work around my schedule this week to make my runs happen, even if it means running in the middle of the day. I watch many of my clients make their workouts happen in the middle of the day because it is the only time they can fit it in....while I much prefer to workout at the end of my day as a stress reliever, I may have to become a convert of "exercise where you can". Stay tuned to my repeat of Week 1, I think it will be a great refresher and remotivator. :)

CuteRunnerGirl

Week 2...A bust

Well, week 2 did not go as planned. Not a major setback but it definitely is forcing me to review my barriers to running. Time of day, being tired, and mixed up priorities seem to be the big ones. So how am I going to deal with those? I am going to sleep on it and have some answers tomorrow.

In the mean time, I am going back to week 1. I will repeat what that week calls for rather than bumping up what little intensity there is not so much as punishment for not moving ahead, but more as a way to keep my body moving at the pace it is supposed to. I am human and I have set this goal to run and as I proceed with this goal, I have to remove the barriers that are in my way. I talk to a lot of my personal training clients about their barriers to exercising and eating right....I have to do the same thing for myself. Week 1, do-over. :) I don't mind, its extra practice and it will pay off in the long run.

CuteRunnerGirl

Slow to Get Going

Yes, it is Wednesday and I have yet to start Week 2's running plan. I know what it is and I am totally planning on doing it, I just haven't yet. Last night I got sidetracked playing with the doggies I am dog-sitting for and then I realized just how tired I was and with a 645 AM client this morning, I just wasn't ready to rev up my body and have it keep me up all night.

So, will tonight be the night? I sure hope so because I really want to run! This week's plan is run for 2 minutes, walk for one. Ooooo, can you stand it? It's gonna be tough! (sarcasm). They really should invent an icon for sarcasm. If they already have and you know what it is, please pass it along.

I would appreciate positive thoughts from everyone today that I will get Run 1 for Week 2 completed today. Given that I was up at 6 am and work until 7:30 tonight, it could be quite the challenge for me.

I will update all tomorrow! I know you are on the edge of your seats! :) Have a great Wednesday!

CuteRunnerGirl

Week 1 is Complete!

I did it! I finished week number one. It wasn't really that hard given that all I had to do was walk/run, but anyone that knows me knows that I like to start tasks and then follow them in the order I decide, not in the order given. :) In this case, I followed the directions to the letter and feel pretty good.

I haven't looked at my 8-week Beginner plan for Week 2 yet but I doubt the walk/run will be that much different than last week, probably just a few minor changes to get my endurance up a smidge without hurting me. That is the ultimate goal here....endurance without getting hurt. :)

So, tonight I will look over my runnersworld.com plan, decide what nights will work best and set my schedule around the plan. Short post today, but wanted to celeberate out loud that I actually completed week 1!

Pat on the back for cuterunnergirl!

Starting from scratch....

No, I am not baking, I am running....again. Well, sort of. I have been through my share of injuries over the last two years with running. I have tried new shoes, new stride, cross training, not training, overtraining, stretching, not stretching, ice, no ice...you name it, I tried it. Finally, I just plain gave up, on all of it. Exercise in general. I was angry that my body couldn't do something as simple as put one foot in front of the other quickly.

So, with new resolve, I have decided to once again lace up my running shoes and start over because when at first you don't succeed, try, try, again, right? So, I am at the beginning. Like I have never run before. I have downloaded an 8 week beginners runner program from runnersworld.com designed to get me in shape to run for 30 minutes straight...starting with walking for two minutes, running for one minute.

Now, I know I could run for longer than one minute, in fact, I am sure I can. However, this time around I am going to try it this way and see if I can't get it right this time around. I am bound and determined this year to run without getting hurt. Not promising a marathon this year, only promising to run.

My first goal is to complete the 8-week beginner program and decide from there. Maybe I will be a 30-minute runner only, maybe longer. Time and training and patience will tell. Stay tuned to the never ending saga of my life as cuterunnergirl. :)