As I walked into my apartment on Monday, the last thing I wanted to do was work out. I dropped my bag on my bed and collapsed next to it. I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling and after taking a few minutes to breathe, I jumped up and got dressed to work out (I couldn’t skip a workout in the first week of Work Out Wednesdays!).
I made my way to my neighborhood park. The air was crisp, but not cold and being outside on a September evening started to feel really good. I walked as quickly as I could and I could feel my body wanting more, so I pumped my arms above my head to increase my heart rate. This was my third workout of the week and instead of feeling drained my body seemed to be wanting something more intense.
That’s when I remembered a comment on last weeks post from “G/W” who said:
CeCe, seriously. I mean this with all my heart- start running.I never thought I’d ever be able to run, it was one of the things “athletic” people do. But it’s one of those workouts that always challenges you because there’s always a goal to hit: running at X speed, running for X minutes, at X incline or beating X laps or X miles. And the weight just melts off.
So I ran. Well, I jogged… for like three minutes! It was the push my body needed My heart rate soared (in a good way) and I felt like I was pushing myself. I’m going to continue with this jogging/running idea, but I feel like I need to do some research on how to do it safely and correctly.
Anyway, this week was a good start. I got three work outs in instead of four, but I’ve really been watching my eating. So as of this morning, here’s where I am with my goals:
Work Outs: 3
Pounds Lost: 2
Next Weeks Goal: Jog and take a Yoga class
How did everyone else do?
Hey! Great job. : ] I felt the same way. As someone who was overweight AND had a bad knee I thought I'd never be able to run. But now I run intervals regularly. I've lost almost 50 lbs, 4 pant sizes, and I can run 40 minutes of 1/1 intervals now! : ] Keep after it girl – I'm proud of you.
Love,
B
Awesome! I'm getting ready to hit the gym myself. I was thinking of skipping today but reading your post has just encouraged me to get going. I'm holding strong at running for 10 minutes and as much as I hate the treadmill, running is really the best way to get your heart going. Just make sure the 'girls' are strapped in tight, or else you'll have a terrible backache. Kudos to your 2 pounds lost!
-T
The thing my husband always says is that you need to have good posture when you're running.
I'm thinking I need better shoes for my workouts. I did 2 bellydance performances over the weekend and being barefoot for that long has played hell with the tops of my feet and shins. I've worn sneakers to work and Zumba the last couple days but they're still killing me.
As for working out, I had dance practice Wednesday night, took Zumba on Thursday, dance performances on Sunday and Monday, and another Zumba class last night.
I recently quit smoking so I'm hoping to get into the running thing as well.
Good shoes, and always remember to stretch.
Also, if you are just starting to run I would recommend finding a podcast on iTunes called "Couch to 5K" there are a few others as well. But it helps you become a runner by narrating timed intervals between walking/running and a warm up/cool down. Plus its free.
If you jump into running too quickly you up your chances for injury.
I'm very happy for you!
Me on the other hand still has my gym bag sitting in the car. I'm thinking about doing weight watcher b/c I think I need some accountability! Most of My friends are naturally slim or just don't want to workout. Some can eat all day and never gain a pound. So it's pretty hard getting that push or competition I need to go workout.
But I gotta get back into it. UGHH! Next week I'll have something to report.
Yes, Ma'am! This is a wonderful post and I love that drive! I think the first time I attempted a run, I maxed out after 1 minute, lol. BUT, I kept building on it and am still pushing to do more and more – to this day.
Awesome, keep it up lady!
Way to go!!
Sometimes we really have to dig deep and push ourselves. keep it up
Nice! Usually work out every other day and it consists of intervals on the treadmill (walking and running), StairMaster work, and some weight training. I felt like my body stopped responding to it, however, so I'm trying something my friend suggested.
Her brother lost a ton of weight and got really fit by training his body to work longer and harder. The idea is stay at a constant run for as long as you can, for me it was 7 minutes. Make note of that time and run that full amount every day for a week. Next week add one minute to that time and run that new time every day for a week. And so on and so forth. Her brother started at 10 mins and now he can run for 20!
This is so exciting! I remember a time when I felt that motivated. I've been going back to the gym but I must admit. After a long day I come back and the couch wins over the gym pretty consistently. How do I get my mojo back?
@Single Much- go straight to the gym after work. Don't give yourself a chance to sit on the couch. 😉
You go girl! For real!
You should try Yogatothepeople studio on St Marks. It's a super chill studio, with a few different floors so it's never actually full. It's a wonderful workout. Inside and outside!
I don't work for them, lol, just go there a lot and enjoy it!
xx
jamie
@ Becca: You are soooo dedicated!
@ShoeJunkie: I have to remind myself that I cant afford to skip workouts, but its HARD!
@Mandiferous: Congrats on quitting smoking!
@Melissa W: Being with friends who dont need/want to diet can be annoying. They get to "cheat" and not be affected. grrrrr
@Madame: ♥ 🙂
@Tee: That's so cool! Running for more than 5 minutes seems like such a huge goal, but I'm going to do intervals and see where I go!
@Single Much?: I feel like I get my Mojo back every Sunday and then by Thursday, its gone :-/
For my accountability is the best motivator. Setting a goal and knowing that eyes are on me to reach it has worked for me in the past.
Its a constant struggle though… maybe the key is to do it even when our Mojo is gone?
xoxo
Good job!!! Keep it up!
Yay, I made a positive contribution 😀
3 minutes is better than I did my first time. I think I ran for a minute, walked for five and then ran for another one before calling it a day. It's all about the baby steps 🙂
As for reading up on it, you definitely should. I kept throwing out my knee because I wasn't running properly. I recommend reading up the livestrong.com blog for advice. And my own little two cents: running used to be a chore until I utilized my mp3 player. Now I spend the time daydreaming away.
My workout this week: I ran for a full 20 minutes for the first time! I couldn't do it the next time (made it to 15 minutes) but I'm getting on the treadmill soon to give it another go. I told myself if I can do it 3 more times, I'm going to the local running store and buying myself some shoes!
I just wanted to THANK YOU for writing about running!! I ran today for the first time in years!! I think I thought that I couldn't run anymore. I've been walking for a few months now.. trying walk further and faster. And this morning half way through I started running. And tomorrow I plan on running even more! It felt amazing!! Hope your work outs are going great this week!
So well done, that's great! Very inspired 🙂 xx
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