10 Things Week 7: 50 PERCENT RUNNING!!!

My new Lululemon non-treat socks:-)

It was a big week for me. Lots of milestones ( and I seemed to need lots of pats-on-the-back from family and friends for the accomplishments. Thanks:-)

I am just finishing Week 7 of exercise and Week 6 of my Running Plan. May I first say how amazing my online running coach is. Hiring her to create a personalized plan and to have as a support to check in with, etc. has been so important. The brilliance of the plan she created for me after she learned all she could about me is amazing. It has been absolutely perfect so far.  And she seems to know just the thing to say. So, I can't write another post without giving Tonia at TMB Endurance Training a shout-out.

1. So, it is not a treat week. I get a treat every other week that I meet my exercise goals. But I did get some great new Groove pants at Lululemon as my treat last week and I had to have them shorten (did I tell you they shorten for free:-)  They were ready for pick up on Thursday, so I picked them up on my way to the airport (I traveled to Houston for an NCTE meeting this weekend.). They were ready so I just changed in the dressing room there. I must say that traveling is a much happier experience when you are wearing Lululemon clothes. While I was there, I remembered that I only had one pair of clean socks when I packed. So I decided to pick up a pair. I love them even though they are ridiculously expensive for socks. They amuse me--they say "run" and "fast" on them. Hah! I love that you get that message as you put them on before a run. I have not worn them to run but I can't imagine I'll be buying many of these. So, these are not a treat, but a travel necessity.  They are quite fun and I do love them, but a little expensive.

2. So, I hit a big milestone this week. I got to the point where I am running as much, if not more, than I am walking. I began my program running 30 seconds and walking 2 minutes.  I've increased every week or two in both length of run and length of time. This week, I finally got to the point that I am running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. This was big for me. I am actually running half which feels good:-)

3. Breathing seems to matter. I learned this last week and have worked on it a bit this week. Focusing on my breathing to make it more even. Up until this week, I just seem to gasp when I need air, which is always. This week, I read a few things and talked to a few people and tried to at least find a pattern to my breathing.  There were several resources on the Livestrong website that gave me the basic idea. It will be something I need to work on for a while, but breathing definitely matters.

4.  I need to do more of my workouts on the treadmill.  It seems it keeps me at a more even pace and I get a better workout.  I maybe should even do most of my workouts on a treadmill. Seems more effective than on the indoor track.

5.  I started a book that I think I will love. Friend, Samantha Bennett recommended it to me while we chatted at CCIRA. It is called WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING by Haruki Murakami.  So far I love it. I am reading it on the Kindle so will share quotes when I finish. I think it is going to be a great read.

6. My biggest breakthrough this week was my travel workout. I had a meeting in Houston with the NCTE Executive Committee. I had 2 runs in and hoped to get on the exercise bike or something but it was a packed trip and only about 48 hours. On Friday, our meeting ended a bit early--at 4 instead of 5. And we didn't have a dinner until 6.  So, I thought about my options. Normally, I would just rest in the room, take a short nap and be even more tired at dinner. But I decided to go to the fitness room at the hotel and try to get my long run in. I had a power bar in my purse.  I went down and I did my long run on the treadmill! I felt so good getting it done, and while I was traveling.  And I felt so good at dinner afterwards-after exercising, showering, etc. I wasn't exhausted through dinner.  I must admit that I was TERRIFIED that I would see someone I knew at the fitness center. I ran slower than the guy next to me was cooling down and I didn't want anyone I knew to be part of watching me run/walk. I also didn't want anyone to see the obnoxious ponytail on top of my head. But no one I knew was there (or if they were they pretended not to see me.) And I may be over the stress of seeing people I know when I am so out of shape.  It was worth it to get the run in.

7. February is always a month that is hard for me when it comes to healthy living. It is always so busy and crazy.  This February, I had two weekend trips, lots of evening commitments, and we host our annual DUBLIN LITERACY CONFERENCE in February. One of my favorite months of the year but also one that always knocks me off of any health kick I may have began in January. But, it is past both sets of travel and I see to be getting through it okay. I haven't done yoga as much as I've wanted to but plan to jump back in this week and jump in with more classes after next week. I think I've learned a lot about staying active during busy weeks, even if I have to skip a few workouts.

8. I was so excited about getting to the 50/50 mark when it came to the amount of time that I was running, that I decided to celebrate some other numbers.  I looked at the number of minutes that I've done a walk/run workout in this 6 week period and it s 473 1/2 minutes. Yay, me!  Even at a 15 minute mile, I hit over 30 miles so far. I know that isn't a lot but it is fun to add it up and to see how much more it was than I was doing before!

9. I am still reading HEALTHY AT EVERY SIZE and I am learning lots. Someone sent me an article about The Fat Trap in the NY Times that was also interesting. I am trying to synthesize all of this and really think about what is possible and what isn't. I also have FORKS OVER KNIVES on my to-read/to-watch list.  I am not sure I believe that you can never maintain a lower weight if you've gained but I do think that the emphasis on diet is very unhealthy as a way to live. And I can see the impact of healthy eating on so many things.

10. I am not a big fan of flying.  I get stressed out when there are bumps, noises, etc. and Thursday's flight was a bit bumpy. And I was on a small plane. Not terrible but while it was bumpy and I was feeling myself tense up, my running playlist started playing in my head. It was so odd. Like it was a trigger to relax me. And it kind of did. I don't know what this means, but I think my brain is starting to connect running to positive things. That has to be good, right?