Week 1 Done!

The first week of classes (and of my running routine) is over!!! And I'm proud to say that I successfully tackled the gym 5 days of last week. Surprisingly, the 5 days at the gym routine went pretty well - I felt a lot better knowing that each day I was active. I started out going to the gym in the morning, but found that for me personally I'm more productive when I head to the gym right after classes. Every day except Thursday I have class until 3:30 and I headed to the gym around 4 pm. This schedule works perfectly for me because then I get a break from school and can be productive again after my work out!
What I did in the gym:
The short version is, I did a little bit of everything. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I stuck with my 1.5 mile run (as per Hal Higdon's 5k program) and then followed that up with some floor work (crunches, stretching, pushups, planks, and things of the like) and occasionally some elliptical or stairmaster. Thursday and Friday I did 30-40 minutes on the elliptical and then followed this up with much the same as my runs. Sometimes this routine included some weights or some squats and things of that nature - as long as I kept moving. If i felt up to more cardio, I threw it in. If i felt up for ab work, I did that. Right now, I don't have a specific goal for what I want to improve - my only real goal is to be active and keep moving for one hour a day. I think that for me, this is a great goal because it doesn't put too much stress on the end goal. Instead, it focuses on a more holistic approach and overall improvement. And I think that for me personally this is a healthier and more productive way to look at my work outs.
Foods!
In terms of my eating, I haven't been perfect. Yes, I did have the Chili's. But, I've also made quite a few small changes that I think together are significant. For example, instead of munching on a bunch of starches, I've leaned towards nuts and fruits to keep me happy throughout the day. I've been drinking a lot more water (yay!). I've been trying to pay more attention to eating when i'm hungry, not when i'm bored or stressed. And when shopping, I've been paying more attention to what i'm buying so that I'll eat generally better things for me. I know that my eating will never be perfect (who isn't tempted by that sweet tooth every now and then?). But, I can make small changes and choices that will help me to be a healthier person. For future reference: Spinach and cheese omelet = delicious; frozen grapes = delicious (I wonder what those would be like in a blender... slushy???)
However, I think that the most important thing that I've realized this week is that I will never be a skinny mini girl. And you know what? That is okay. The fact of the matter is, I'm at a healthy weight for my height, and I am a fairly (and hopefully in the future, very) active person. In my life my goal is not to be skinny. My goal is not to have a dream body. Because I've realized that for me, those goals are destructive. They make me look at myself in a negative light when it just isn't necessary or healthy. My goal is to be at a weight that is healthy for my height and to be active. My goal is to wake up everyday and do good things for my body so that all of my tomorrows will be better than today. I want to look back and be proud of the choices that I made. I want to be a runner for life. I want to be running when I'm 60 and happy with how I feel. Because to me, I'd rather feel great than look good.

I know this was a long one. So, to finish off I'll leave you with this quote:

I love this quote because I feel like something that I struggle with constantly is my overwhelming ability to underestimate myself. And I truly believe that being a runner has made me a better person by helping me to fight that demon. What better way to prove to yourself in such a tangible way that you're capable of so much more than you thought than with miles?
See you all later!
Keep Smiling <3 Brandi

Hal Higdon's Training Program: http://www.halhigdon.com/training/50933/Novice-Training-for-your-first-5K

"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy. I'm telling you it's going to be worth it."

This image is pasted from Pinterest where I get a lot of my motivation! Note to self: if you're ever lacking motivation, poke around Pinterest. It just puts me in a kick butt mood!

Plan for when I get back to school: post this in my room somewhere. So that each day when I get up, feeling like I don't want to run. Or I don't want to do schoolwork. Or i'd really rather just go get Chic-Fil-A than cook a meal that will actually nourish my body. I'll remember why I started.
Last summer, I made a choice. I decided to train to run a 5k while I was home from school. By the end of the summer, after completing an 8 week program by Hal Higdon who was recommended to me by my brother and sister in law (half marathoners!) and running for several weeks prior to that just to meet the starting requirement - 1.5 miles - I could finally run 3 miles straight. Incredibly proud of my accomplishment, I went to school telling myself that I would continue to run 8 miles a week (3 Monday, 2 Wednesday, and 3 Friday) in order to maintain my 5k pace (and maybe improve it) and so that during the following summer, training for a 10k would be my next step. And I did for a while. But, as the weeks wore on, and the school work (ahem, chemistry) began to get the better of me I found myself putting off runs because I had convinced myself that it was okay to bypass the workout in favor of school work or other activities (by this point I was just out of the groove of things and was making excuses NOT to run). Looking back on it now, despite the stress of last semester, there was no reason for me to give up on my road to improvement. I was so proud of how I looked and what my body could do, and I gave up on this because I simply wasn't willing to make time for it. The short version is, I had myself convinced that school was more important. And while my education is a very important part of not only my future but who I am, my own well-being has a direct correlation to everything that I do in my life.
So, this semester I'm not saying that I won't skip a day. Or that I won't get tired or rundown and want to stop. And maybe I will for a day, or even two. But I'm making a promise to myself and my friend (and accountability) Kaitlin that I won't give up entirely on this road. I will get back in the gym and make a commitment to take care of myself. Because I'm the only one that can do that, and quitting isn't an option. There will be set backs. But it is my goal to be a better planner this semester so that I can get everything done that will help me to be a happy and healthy person. And the fact of the matter is, when i'm being active and i'm nourishing my body as opposed to just eating to eat, I feel better. And isn't that the point?

To wrap things up, I challenge myself and I challenge you to do something today that makes you a happier and/or healthier person. Because every day that I wake up and do something good for my body, or my heart, or my spirit I'm moving forward in such a positive way.

And doesn't that just make me feel unstoppable.

See you later! :]
Keep Smiling <3 Brandi

Hal Higdon's 5k Program that I used (and plan to start up again): http://www.halhigdon.com/training/50933/Novice-Training-for-your-first-5K
Kaitlin's blog: http://www.positivelyperplexing.blogspot.com/