This is how you know you had a badass run.

Changes

Some people have been asking me if I'm still running.  My answer to you all: hell yes.

It's been about three or four months now and I figures I would be really brave and show off my results.

The first picture is the very first night I started running. The last one is from about a week or two ago.

Pip

I got written up for not getting enough customer emails. It's on the fridge. #don't care #coorporate bullshit.

For Anastasia

This is a blog entry, not about running. Just for you!

In other news, my clothes are feeling much looser these days. Such a good feeling. Also, I really really want to see avengers.

Thoughts on the Park

So I just took a longer through the park today.  Turns out, I'm a lot slower off a tredmill. Like add three extra minutes per mile, slower. It's okay though, it's much harder to run on pavement, so I'm not going to beat myself up over having a shitty pace. I have decided though that I need to run outside more than I run on a tredmill, after all, races aren't run in my brothers basement.

Things to remember for next time:
1. I need a completely empty stomach. I had a super light lunch before hand and I still wanted to vomit and got stomach cramps.

2. Must find a way to bring water with me on the run, dry mouth makes it much harder to keep running.

3. Wear capstick.

4. Buy an armband for my ipod, super annoying carrying it.

5. TAKE ALERGY MEDICATION. I could barely breathe because I was so congested and kept coughing.

6. Must find a better way to carry my car key than in my sports bra.

7. Friction is not kind to yoga pants, find higher quality material that will hold up longer.

I really liked running in the park, it's beautiful, and the time seems to fly much more quickly.  It also seems more enjoyable and less like a chore.

My Mirror

I like to write things on the mirror of my bedroom. For the longest time I had written "you are beautiful". I would look at it, and wrestle with my self esteem.  How can what I am seeing in the mirror be beautiful?

Took me a really long time to see the beauty in myself, inside and outside. God had a lot to do with that.

I finally don't need to be reminded everytime I look in the mirror that I'm beautiful, I'm getting pretty cocky about it now. So now it's time for a reminder.

Be Strong. And Do The WORK.

I'm fighting against low expectations and goals. I will put in the work and I will make the effort

Week Five

I'm trying to update my running progress, not so much because it's thrilling to read, but because it's easier than keeping a journal.

I was told running usually gets easier after the first six weeks. This was my first run for week five, I did pretty well, but I seem to be at a stand still. I'm not getting any faster, and I can't seem to run any longer. I was hoping it would at least be easier, and I guess it is a little, but not significantly.

The nice thing about the first three weeks of running was I saw instant results. Even if the run was harder to accomplish I was constantly improving. Now I'm in this place where I feel like I'm not getting better, faster, or able to run longer. This is the point where I would usually give up.

But I will not stop. I don't care how hard it is, how long it takes me, I have goals and I am going to reach them. I've worked so hard to even get this far, I know I can be good at this. I desperately want to be good at it. I need to prove to myself that I have what it takes to be a runner.

Cookie

I love going to Mike and Jens place for a number of reasons. Hanging out with my family, seeing the kids, petting the cats, going for runs, but what I love most about their house...they always  have these delicious maple leaf cookies and I steal one everytime I go over.

Running Songs

These are some of my all time favorite songs to run to.

Girl Named Tennessee by Needtobreathe

Knights of Cydonia by Muse

City on Down by O.A.R.

Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet

Baba O'Reiley By The Who

Sweet Child O Mine by Guns N Roses

Alligator Pie by DMB