Running Hurdles

Very few people who start an exercise program are completely roadblock free.  I think that those hurdles look different to everyone.  What's most important is to find a way over them (or around them).  I have two inspirational friends in Tara and Kelly who have made great strides in their exercise life.  I live in Austin, which is an amazing city that loves runners and outside activities.  Seriously, there is some sort of a 5K or marathon every weekend in the fall, winter and spring and runners/bikers year round.  Most importantly, I like to run.  So starting a running regimen should be easy right?  Ehh... not so much. 

My hurdle is medical.  Nothing that would qualify me for a Wheaties box or an inspirational commercial during the Olympics, but challenging none the less.  My main issue is that I get migraines.  This is bizarre because most people find that regular exercise helps to alleviate migraines.  Exercise is what causes mine.  No joke.  Exercise and heat.  Did I mention that I live in Central Texas?  So in the past, I would work out and feel wonderful while doing it but then about 30 minutes after start to feel like complete and utter death.  Once I made that connection, it was hard to motivate myself to work out.  To get past that hurdle, I've had to work with a neurologist and be put on daily migraine medicine.  I have to monitor my workouts carefully to make sure I don't get overheated.  And at this point, I still can't run or workout outside during the warmer months.  There is a lot of start and stop with the C25K plan.  Technically, I'm still in week one and even though my legs want to go longer and faster, I can't be sure that my head is up to it.

I don't share this for the sympathy vote, but just so that if you are facing an personal struggles you know that you are not alone.  At the end of the day, keep on finding a way to get over the hurdle or around the hurdle.  Or if you must, plow into the hurdle and fall to the ground, but make sure you pick yourself up and keep on going.

Running on the Go

From 6/26 - 6/30 I was in Indiana for a professional development conference. This happened to be right when I would be starting Week 3 of the Couch to 5K Plan. Because I finally feel like I might sort of like this running thing, I did not want to miss a beat of the plan. So I packed up my running shoes and stuck to it. (I was also lucky enough to have a fellow runner on the trip with me to keep me honest.)

I loved that I could so easily get my work out in even though I had to change my schedule a little bit. I had been running on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but we would be flying back to Tallahassee on Wednesday. Knowing I would not want to make that day any longer than it was already going to be, I did Sunday and Tuesday. I will do day three tomorrow. Then next week, I will probably go back to the original schedule.

The run to and through Indiana University's campus was absolutely gorgeous, and I may have left with a little bit of scenery envy. While it was still pretty humid out there, the weather in general was much nicer than Florida's which made what I expected to be a rough week a little better. Plus, there was plenty of neat architecture, scenery, and bunny rabbits to make the run a little more entertaining. (Who knew Bloomington, IN had so many cute creatures around?)

I am also pretty excited because the running this week was better than I thought it would be. I was a little afraid of the three-minute run portions of this week's plan, and the first day was a little tough. However, Tuesday I was surprised when my podcast told me my last three-minute run was done and I was not panting and wishing for it to be over.

Of course, I still have tomorrow to do W3D3. So we will see how that goes after being tired from traveling, but I am happy to report that I feel like I am really making progress. I love that I may have found a new way to be healthy on the road. That was one of my goals in starting this program. So chalk one up for progress!

All this to say, you do not have to use vacations or travel as an excuse to not stick to your goals. I know I definitely ate more than normal, but I do not make myself feel guilty for it because I am still accomplishing my overall goal of being healthier.

 See the bunny?

Making a Plan

Given my hectic schedule, I have always found it hard to find time for exercise. I like sleep too much to force myself to get up before 6:30 a.m. I rarely have enough time to eat with all of my work commitments outside of the regular 8-5 office time. But I am no longer using these as excuses. I have spent hours researching different programs, which is how I came across the Couch to 5K program. During my search, I also came across different articles regarding strength training.

I have a gym membership. I'm lucky if I go to the gym once a month. That's going to change. Why? Because I have a plan. Want to know what it is? See below:

Saturday - C25K Cardio / Abdominals

• Stretching
• Warm-Up
• C25K
• Cool-Down
• Stretching
• Medicine Ball Seated Twists
• Crunches
• Ball Rollout

Sunday - Chest / Neck / Shoulders

• Stretching
• Cardio
• Bench Press
• Dumbbell Pullovers
• Incline Dumbbell Press
• Incline Flyes
• Push Ups
• Shrugs
• Arnold Press
• Front Raises
• Side Raises
• Stretching

Monday - C25K Cardio / Abdominals

• Stretching
• Warm-Up
• C25K
• Cool-Down
• Stretching
• Air Bike
• Crunches
• Medicine Ball Wood Choppers

Tuesday - Back / Biceps

• Stretching
• Cardio
• Back Hyperextensions
• Lat Pulldown
• One Arm Row
• Seated Row
• Concentration Curls
• Hammer Curls
• Preacher Curls
• Stretching

Wednesday - C25K Cardio / Abdominals

• Stretching
• Warm-Up
• C25K
• Cool-Down
• Stretching
• Side Bridge
• Crunches
• V-Up

Thursday - Legs / Triceps

• Stretching
• Cardio
• Squats
• Hamstring Curl
• Leg Extension
• Leg Press
• Calf Raises
• Lying Triceps Extension
• Triceps Pulldown
• Overhead Triceps Extension
• Triceps Kickback
• Stretching

Friday - REST
This week I am going to start my plan. I am going to make time in my schedule every day to fit it all in. I will adjust the plan as needed.
Feel free to join me in this quest for overall fitness.

Welcome to the Active World

The first step in making this blog successful is to post. So here we go! I just wanted to provide a little background on how this was started.

A few weeks ago, our fellow contributor, Tara, started the Couch to 5K Plan. This is designed to get even the most inactive people up, out, and running in about nine weeks. When I heard about it, I was immediately intrigued. I have always envied runners, but could never get into it myself. After much debate with myself, I decided to join her in the adventure. We figured that even though we live in different states, we could still be motivators for each other.

I started doing it after completing the nine week challenge on EA Sports Active - More Workouts. I loved the original Active as well as the new version. However, for the summer, I have a good amount of traveling to do. I figured the Couch to 5K would not only (hopefully) get me to enjoy running, but it would also be a workout I could do anywhere while I traveled. All I need is my running shoes! I may be a little crazy for starting to run in the summer in Florida, but I have been running early in the morning. It hasn't been too bad, yet.

As I started the plan two weeks ago, almost every time I mentioned I was starting people either said they had done it, knew someone who had, or were interested in doing it.This included our other contributor, Susan, and some friends and coworkers of mine here in Florida. I now pass a friend of mine who lives in my neighborhood every morning, and even went with her and another friend to buy running shoes last weekend.

All of the talking, and need of support and motivation, gave me the idea for this blog. This way, those of us who want to share and find support can do so even if we do not all live in the same place. I also figure that with so much out there about getting active now, it may be good to have a more down-to-earth spot to talk about what is working or not working for us. We certainly are not here to tell people how to get their butts moving. We just know we are trying to do it, and sharing never hurts!

If anyone is interested in contributing, let us know! We are open to adding anyone interested in adding to the fun!