Old Wethersfield 5k...

So today my sister and I did another race together and it was honestly really nice that it got to be just the two of us! After our last race all my sister could do was talk about how she wanted to beat 40 minutes for her 5k time. She had only beat her previous 5k time by 3 seconds during the last race and so over the past six weeks or so we have been meeting at least twice a week at the track to run together (my way of training her for the race today). I could have told you a week ago that she was more than ready for this race (although I am not sure that she was truly convinced until last night), but I hadn’t realized how all this training work I was doing with her had really helped me get back in running form. Today I felt great during the race…and it was the first time in almost six months where I felt ready to take on longer races again (which I must say is perfect timing with the Hartford Marathon Relay Coming up fast)! Isn’t it funny though that in helping someone else gain their confidence I also gained back some of my own!


We ended up running today’s race in intervals of 3 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking (which is about the time it takes us to run around the track once followed by walking half the track…..the way I trained her). Turns out even with the run/walk intervals, we smashed her old PR (personal record) for a 5k by over 2:30 minutes!!!

To my big sis…I’ve said it once and I’ll probably continue to say it again and again….You did AWESOME today and I am so PROUD of you!

Done and Re-Begun...

Yesterday I officially completed my first week of training for the upcoming Hartford Marathon Relay (check out the picture to the left to see my new motivation wall where I mark off my workouts). I was actually kind of proud of myself too because most times I tend to start these training programs and then after a day or two kinds of give in cause life gets in the way. This week I was all about making myself a priority…and doing what I need to do to get where I need to be…and for once I didn’t feel bad about it. My goal at the beginning of the week was four days of running and four days of weight training, with one day of cardio cross training. I ended the week having worked out five out of seven days. I ran a total of 9.5 miles for the week. And got in my one day of cross training in on the elliptical. Funny thing is, in the process I also lost two pounds…although weight loss wasn’t my goal, just a perk!


Tonight I continued training by going for a 2 mile run around my parent’s neighborhood and then following it up with a 40 minute video (the Biggest Loser’s Last Chance Workout)! Tonight was a perfect fall night….granted it’s only August…which made my run quite enjoyable and I finished feeling like I’m actually ready for Sunday’s 5k, even though I still have a week more to train! I wish I could say I felt so perfectly fit doing the video…but I didn’t. I find that I become lazy towards the end of my workouts and if it hadn’t been for the fact that my nephew and his friend were also down stairs working out when I was, I probably would have slack off a bit more than I did (I guess it’s a good thing they were there huh?!).

Tomorrow I am going to plan a morning workout since I have plans in the evening. We’ll see how that goes….

Jess

That loving feeling...

Tonite was my first official “Long Run” for the Training program I am following to get ready for the Hartford Marathon Relay in October. It seems almost silly to consider 3 miles “long”, especially when it’s a pretty normal distance for me, but none-the-less I did it. Actually my sister Denise and I ran together tonite (as we are both preparing to run a 5k a week from tomorrow) and so she did it too… and I have to give the girl some major props for beating the 40 minute mark for the first time on a 5k run after not running in over a week (since she was o vacation)…YOU GO BIG SIS!!!

One thing I noticed tonite after our run though…when I was actually stretching for a change (GO ME…hee hee)…. is that my legs are starting to get back some of their muscle tone!!! Honestly I doubt it’s from the running, I’ve been running forever…but this week on top of running I started doing work out videos with weights again and I can already feel the difference! It’s not easy for me to add new things to my work out time…I like structure and order, but what I’m finding is the more I do, the more I want to push myself to try more…and boy have I missed that feeling!!!

A Funtastic way to work out!

  So today I continued my quest of trying to find new and fun workouts by trying out Active Sculpting with Steve Maresca.  This was a 20 minute video that certainly got the blood pumping and me sweating but I have to admit it was the first time in a long time that I felt like a workout was too short!  Granted maybe my workout went by so fast because tonite I had an amazing workout partner....the wonderful and talented Marissa (that would be my three year old niece)!  I wish I had a video camera so I could have taped her pumping iron with her high heel weights (the instructor said "Pick up your weights" and she said, "Okay I have to get weights" and picked those high heels right up and seriously worked out with them)...but the picture will just have to suffice (see picture to left)!  I guess it was also a good thing that before the video I went for a 2.5 mile jog around our neighborhood ....which sounds nice except I ran up to the heights which like it sounds has a lot of hills!  So to break it down (cause I'm a numbers girl) in about one hour (actually 55 minutes) I burned 626 calories... pretty good for a night I almost talked myself out of working out!
Jess

Turn that Frown Upside down....

  So the plan today was to get off of work...come home...make dinner...and then get in my workout.  Instead, after a not so great day I came home feeling kinda depressed and figured staying home would probably result in my just sitting on the couch eating crap and not working out...so I got in my car and headed to the track for a nice, easy two mile jog (I'm following a 10k training program and I'm feeling pretty lucky that the first week or so, short runs are less than what I normally run). 

 Minus the fact that the track was pretty busy tonite (a night when I just wanted to be alone) and the pop warren football teams were practicing in the field right next to the track so the breeze carried the distinct smell of sweat (who knew it could smell like a gym outside), I actually was feeling a little better by the time I was done (thank God for endorphins!).  Infact I felt so good that I decided to come home and try out another new work out on exercise TV.  Tonite it was 10lb slim down upper body with Chris Freytag...and in the words of those cheesy 80's work out videos, I could seriously "feel the burn"!

  After that it was getting pretty late so I decided to make some dinner and pretty much got into all out cooking mode.  I ended up making baked cod fish with tomato and basil on top, with a side of blanched broccoli and another side of steamed spinach with mushrooms and feta cheese on top.  It was so YUMMY (see the picture to the right...although it certainly doesn't give the dish enough justice)! 

And that my friends is how you turn a craptastic day into fantastic one!

A little of this... a little of that...

Over the past several months my workouts have consisted of running, running and more running. And although I’ve wanted to get back into doing more types of strength training and different types of cardio…I haven’t really found anything that has really grabbed my attention and made me want to work out. So I decided that this would be the week that I tried out a bit of everything…. Starting tonight.


So for a workout tonight I tried two different types of workouts off of exercise TV. The first was 20 minute sweat with Holly Perkins and I have to say….it definitely lived up to the name. Basically set up in such a way that you do the same exercise for 30sec to 1 minute and then move on to the next exercise…this workout definitely had me sweating. The only drawback was that it was so short I barely burned any calories.

Next I tried out Calorie cardio burn with Kendall Hogan and I have to say this workout was really fun! It’s 30 minutes but between the instructor’s energy and moves that even a klutz like me can pick up, the time just flies by. Plus you burn a crazy amount of calories while basically dancing…it doesn’t get much better than that! I would highly recommend this to others and will definitely be doing it again myself!

A Different Kind of Frame of Mind....

So for most of my life I have been quite anti-relationships. I’ve always sort of felt like people are always going to disappointment me and hurt me… and I am going to do the same to them …and ultimately in the end the pain isn’t worth the momentary pleasure of our time together. In the past few years or so my heart has slowly begun changing and now I am at a point in life where in these past few weeks I literally feel my heart breaking and aching for others in a way I can’t even begin to explain. It seems I can’t quite get a handle on all the love I feel in my heart for people… and the desire I have to truly know others and be known by them.


The other day I received in the mail some information and a video from Show Hope an organization that helps with international adoption as well as providing surgery and other special care for some of their special needs orphans. As I read thru the pamphlets and watched their video I literally sat on my floor weeping for these kids….orphans just longing for someone, anyone to love them… and these families who have stepped up to the miracle of adoption. I thought about how beautiful of a picture it is of a child being so lonely…so desperate…and then finding all their wildest dream and more met with a family. I thought of how that picture translates into my relationship with God and those around me….and I wept some more.

I read another story in a magazine today about an army vet who had always dreamed of running a marathon but was injured in the line of duty so much so that that it caused severe mental retardation. His friends…brothers in this war with him… took a stand together and trained to push this man, wheel chair and all, 26.2 miles so that he could fulfill his dream. I thought about how he gave his life to fight for his country and how it could have gone completely unnoticed…as so often it does…but his friends chose make it matter. I thought about how his friends must have loved him so much to do this for him knowing full well that he would never be able to thank them and quite possibly would never recognize what they had done! I thought of him in his mind screaming out a thank you that would never be heard but only see through his eyes….and I wept.

Then I sat in a fellowship meeting at my church tonight and I looked around the room and thought about how much of a miracle it is that all of us were able to meet and come together like we did. I thought about how individually unique everyone is in their thoughts, gifts and outlooks on life. I thought about how much we all have to share and to offer our group….and how so often we cover up our true selves for fear of being rejected and hurt. And secretly in my heart I ached as I thought about how much I truly want to know these people and to have us walk out this life in communion with each other. God says he places the lonely in a family and as I looked around the room tonight I was filled with the love that I can only really explain as the love one would have for their family. Then I got in my car…and I wept.

Now I’ve always been a emotional person….I’ve always take things personally and took on other peoples pain….but this is something so much more than that and I know that because for once I don’t find myself looking for comfort in food or longing for the escape of working out. Instead I find myself content…on my knees….in prayer….and I think for now that is where I need to stay.