Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
A Guest Post over at Kate Schmate
My friend, Kate, recently had a beautiful baby girl. To help the new mommy out, I was delighted when she asked me if I would do a guest post for her wonderful space on the internet, Kate Schmate.
Of course I said yes and of course I stuck to what I (try to) know best: healthy living.
If you are so inclined, mosey over to Kate's blog and read my guest post on exercise motivation here.
Of course I said yes and of course I stuck to what I (try to) know best: healthy living.
If you are so inclined, mosey over to Kate's blog and read my guest post on exercise motivation here.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Diary of an overweight runner - Beginning half marathon training
This is the final week of the 5Kin100days program. Today I ran 4 loops around the library/park across the street from my neighborhood. 1 loop is a little less than a mile, I think, so I'm estimating 3.5 miles or so.
The run was good. Great even. I only wanted to die at the end and I'm ok with that. I'm no exercise expert, but I'm a firm believer that it should be hard. You are building your endurance. If you are training and your walk/run is easy then how are you improving? If it's easy are you honestly pushing yourself?
What's amazing to me is that today's run (10 minute fast walk/warm-up, 2 x 16 minutes with 1 minute of walking in between). I've found 80% of learning to run has been mental for me. Case in point: during rest weeks, I always think to myself, "oh, 4 minute intervals, this is easy peasey." And then it kills me. That's what happens when you go in over confident. I'll learn....maybe.
This weekend I will switch gears from 5Kin100days to my half-marathon training for the Disney World Half Marathon in January. It is 18 weeks away from this weekend and I must train to run 13.1 miles in under 3 hours. This frightens me, but I know this race is going to be one of a lifetime because A) my 3 very good friends (and first time half-marathoners) will be doing the race as well and 2) well, it's Disney World. Enough said.
I don't have a training schedule yet. Anyone out there want to build one for me? (I kid...sort of) This week at least I'll start with 4-5 miles of run/walking. I plan to do 3 runs a week + continue yoga/strength training.
I'm trying not to think about how I'm going to juggle a crazy work schedule and 10-20 miles of training a week. The important part is I know I can do this.
The run was good. Great even. I only wanted to die at the end and I'm ok with that. I'm no exercise expert, but I'm a firm believer that it should be hard. You are building your endurance. If you are training and your walk/run is easy then how are you improving? If it's easy are you honestly pushing yourself?
What's amazing to me is that today's run (10 minute fast walk/warm-up, 2 x 16 minutes with 1 minute of walking in between). I've found 80% of learning to run has been mental for me. Case in point: during rest weeks, I always think to myself, "oh, 4 minute intervals, this is easy peasey." And then it kills me. That's what happens when you go in over confident. I'll learn....maybe.
This weekend I will switch gears from 5Kin100days to my half-marathon training for the Disney World Half Marathon in January. It is 18 weeks away from this weekend and I must train to run 13.1 miles in under 3 hours. This frightens me, but I know this race is going to be one of a lifetime because A) my 3 very good friends (and first time half-marathoners) will be doing the race as well and 2) well, it's Disney World. Enough said.
I don't have a training schedule yet. Anyone out there want to build one for me? (I kid...sort of) This week at least I'll start with 4-5 miles of run/walking. I plan to do 3 runs a week + continue yoga/strength training.
I'm trying not to think about how I'm going to juggle a crazy work schedule and 10-20 miles of training a week. The important part is I know I can do this.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Right choice vs. the easy choice
Yesterday on the way to work it was gross and raining out. I left early to arrive with enough time to prepare for a 9am meeting. About half-way to work - BAM - some chick rammed her Crystler Pacifica into the rear end of my car.
I'm pretty sure I shouted a million expletives after impact.
I missed my 9am meeting and coupled with the fact it has been a busy week at work, I was thrown off the rest of the day. Also, I left work late to make up for the time I missed that morning. Who wants to go to the gym after THAT kind of day?
I didn't want to. But I did.
What makes us choose the right choice verses the easy choice? Over the last 4-6 months I've worked really hard to eliminate excuses from my decision making. If I would have chosen to NOT go to the gym and walk my 4 miles last night, then I would have been making a piss poor excuse. There was no physical reason why I couldn't go to the gym. Because I had a bad day? Wrong - exercise relieves stress. Because I left work late and wouldn't get home until 7:30 pm if I went to the gym? Suck it up, eat a snack and get to the gym.
Yes, I did get home 12 hours after I left my house that morning. And yes that sucks, but did it hurt me? No.
When you want to make an excuse and take the easy way out of something, I encourage you to take a look at really WHY you are making that excuse and evaluate if it's the right choice or the easy choice.
I'm pretty sure I shouted a million expletives after impact.
I missed my 9am meeting and coupled with the fact it has been a busy week at work, I was thrown off the rest of the day. Also, I left work late to make up for the time I missed that morning. Who wants to go to the gym after THAT kind of day?
I didn't want to. But I did.
What makes us choose the right choice verses the easy choice? Over the last 4-6 months I've worked really hard to eliminate excuses from my decision making. If I would have chosen to NOT go to the gym and walk my 4 miles last night, then I would have been making a piss poor excuse. There was no physical reason why I couldn't go to the gym. Because I had a bad day? Wrong - exercise relieves stress. Because I left work late and wouldn't get home until 7:30 pm if I went to the gym? Suck it up, eat a snack and get to the gym.
Yes, I did get home 12 hours after I left my house that morning. And yes that sucks, but did it hurt me? No.
When you want to make an excuse and take the easy way out of something, I encourage you to take a look at really WHY you are making that excuse and evaluate if it's the right choice or the easy choice.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Motivation in weight loss
I've been having a rough week on the motivation front. I was sick earlier in the week (and I still have an earache) and the weather in Nashville is cold, cold, cold. This makes me want to eat macaroni and cheese and stay in my warm and fuzzy bed all day long - but alas I have to go to work, I haven't had ANY mac and cheese and I've been hitting the gym to walk.
So how do I get out of this lack of motivation funk? Cindi suggested I write out my goals (i.e. smaller clothes, feel better, look better, be healthier).
This prompted some major introspective thinking on the treadmill last night. What are my goals? Why am I putting all this work in? Immediately I remembered my next milestone I'd like to reach: lose 50 lbs by July 1st. It sort of freightens me this is such a huge goal, 50 lbs in 7 months (7.14 pounds a month) is more than I've lost in such a short period of time. However, I didn't blindly make up this goal.
The reason why I put this date on my goal of losing 50 lbs is because my sister is expecting her second child in July and I couldn't be more ecstatic!! One of my reasons to change my unhealthy lifestyle back in 2008 was because my neice was just a few months old and I realized I wanted to be able to run around and play with her effortlessly. I didn't want to be the fat aunt. I didn't want to pass on unhealthy habits to her that have been passed around my family for generations.
I hope thinking about WHY I am doing this is motivation enough to get back on track and get the scale moving in the right direction. I hope my long 7-8 mile walk tomorrow will help even out my week, as I haven't been as diligent with food choices.
I think motivation is the hardest thing about weight loss - it provides dramatic ups and downs to boot. What motivates you? How do you keep your motivation alive?
So how do I get out of this lack of motivation funk? Cindi suggested I write out my goals (i.e. smaller clothes, feel better, look better, be healthier).
This prompted some major introspective thinking on the treadmill last night. What are my goals? Why am I putting all this work in? Immediately I remembered my next milestone I'd like to reach: lose 50 lbs by July 1st. It sort of freightens me this is such a huge goal, 50 lbs in 7 months (7.14 pounds a month) is more than I've lost in such a short period of time. However, I didn't blindly make up this goal.
The reason why I put this date on my goal of losing 50 lbs is because my sister is expecting her second child in July and I couldn't be more ecstatic!! One of my reasons to change my unhealthy lifestyle back in 2008 was because my neice was just a few months old and I realized I wanted to be able to run around and play with her effortlessly. I didn't want to be the fat aunt. I didn't want to pass on unhealthy habits to her that have been passed around my family for generations.
I hope thinking about WHY I am doing this is motivation enough to get back on track and get the scale moving in the right direction. I hope my long 7-8 mile walk tomorrow will help even out my week, as I haven't been as diligent with food choices.
I think motivation is the hardest thing about weight loss - it provides dramatic ups and downs to boot. What motivates you? How do you keep your motivation alive?
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