Mmmmmhmm!

Gosh I'm getting so good at this optimism thing.

It's 8:30, I've gone running, worked out some . . . and have plans to do it all again tomorrow. For now, though, it's off to take a nice bath and unwind for bed.

But I'm getting better at the running thing, too. Still haven't quite made it as far as I'd like, but I'm getting there . . . Getting there. Soon I'll be at 2 miles . . . then 3 . . . then 4 . . .


I'm working my way back and I'm really excited about it. :o)

Yeah, buddy!

I ran again! :o) I did a little more than last time, which is a gooooooooooood thing. I know I'm not blazing trails, but I'm proud of what I accomplished today. I gotta start somewhere, right?

I had some technical issues in the sports bra department -- namely that I might be a little too busty for the one I was wearing, but it will have to do for a while.

I haven't calculated how far I've run, but I'm sure I'm scratching close to that one-mile marker. Writing that made me chuckle, knowing that one mile used to be a "warm up," but for now, I'm taking it where I can get it. Eventually I'll be back at that level again.

Another milestone run!

Basically, I'm having to rebuild my running base -- that's how long I've been out of it. I've signed up on SparkPeople, which I'm really hoping will help me meet my fitness goals.

I'm really excited about the new year. I'm going to do a marathon relay in April and hopefully a full marathon in June or July . . . Maybe in the fall. I guess it depends on how quickly I'm able to feel comfortable running again. My goal is five miles a week. I know that's not much, but I figure it will be easier to set the bar pretty low to start and build up from there. It's also more motivating to know that I did the (very short) run that I wanted to do -- because running what I CAN run tends to leave me feeling grumpy about it . . . I know I can do it, but I'm so out of practice that it leaves me stiff and sore and not wanting to lace up my shoes for a while.

So tomorrow, not today, I'm going to run again. (Because I ran yesterday, you see.) And hopefully I'll do a little more.

Goals for this week:
- Do a 1-mile loop focusing on form (because I'm sure mine's all over the place)
- Strength train 2x this week
- Yoga at least once this week

Crossing fingers!

A marathoner in recovery.

Tonight, I barely ran a mile. I mean B-A-R-E-L-Y. It seems like soooooooo long ago that I crossed the finish line at Big Sur. Yeah, I didn't do that the way I ought to have, and yes, I walked a bit, but I still did it right?

Tonight I was huffing, puffing and moving slowly -- partly because I'm out of shape, partly because I've been eating a LOT of junk lately (what is it about company that encourages "vacation" eating habits?), and partly because I'm getting over a cough.

I know it's a step in the right direction, but here I am . . . taking the path out of inactivity and still feeling like I have so, so very far to go just to get back to where I fell from.

Slacker.

I'm a slacker. Haven't run in . . . well, I can't really even remember.

Tonight, I will run. I might not make it a mile . . . I might not make it a foot. But I will run! :)

(I promise.)

Good hair = good luck?

Friday, I drove out to the Employee ID office for Stanford University. I'm technically a hospital employee, but in order to use the Arrillaga sports facility, you have to have a separate ID card.

I had anticipated a $20 fee, but I was happy to pay for it because it was a one-time expense for unlimited access to an amazing gym. They didn't charge me anything -- it really was my lucky day!

So this morning as I was getting ready for work, I threw exercise pants, a sports bra, a shirt into my tote bag (the shoes were already at the office) and I'm ready to roll after work! :)

Goals for today:
- Lower body exercise machines (the little gym at my apartment complex only has upper body weight machines - I've got big guns already)
- 1 mile on either the track or the treadmill (they have an indoor track)
- pilates when I get home (I really do hate the DVD I have, but I don't know how willing I am to give it up yet . . .)
- Maybe (maybe) do a bit of boulder work -- though I don't have shoes or chalk yet, so I don't know how well that will work out . . .


On an unrelated note -- it's been a good hair weekend. Have been wearing it curly for several days straight and I'm finding that when I do this, it's much more agreeable, less frizzy (probably because I try not to shampoo it when it's going to be curly) and all aroud more cooperative.

And really, when it's a good hair day, isn't it just a good mood day all around?

Not today.

I just couldn't sleep last night. I couldn't shut my brain off. Or rather, I couldn't come to the conclusion last night that I need to be proactive. That I could be doing more. This two-way street is indeed two-way and that the best thing I can do for myself is to keep busy, stay positive and make myself just a bit less available.

Time for myself -- much needed. Running? Yes. Other activities? Yes.

But until I realized that just a few hours ago, I couldn't sleep. I woke every 20 minutes, tossing and turning and frustrated. So I'm not planning on running today.

I hope you understand . . .