Wicked Workout Wednesdays may be temporarily postponed :(

Well, what a week, and it is only Wednesday. Will there ever come a time when I do not feel that I am working for the weekend? Because right now, that seems to be all I do, and my weekends aren't even that fun... oh well...

So Monday morning fail turned into a very sad evening. My faithful training partner, who calmed the storms of University, allowed me to run when it was rainy and dark outside, was there for me at all hours night or day appears to be on the verge of retirement...

After many years, long mileage runs, and two a days it appears this old girl has served her faithful time and is ready to be let go... I do not know how I feel about this and after Monday's speed session (speedy for me... 9 min mile, 3 x 8:44 min miles) I haven't gone back to try her out. Between the loud noise the belt makes when it is going through, and the fear of busting my knee by having my foot get caught, I think its time for me to bring my running clothes to work and start using the facilities here, or go outside during lunch... ya I don't know how I feel about either of those options as I'm used to busting it out and looking a hot mess in the comforts of my own home with no one watching....

Alas, moving on! DVD Tuesday began yesterday (after being postponed for two weeks) and it was awesome! Thank you Jillian Michaels, I don't think I will be able to sit and not engage my core muscles today.... I  have decided that along with DVD Tuesday, Tuesday will be my weekly weigh in as my friends scale tells me the numbers I actually care about... Body % Fat and BMI.... now those are numbers I can focus on and try to improve, weight on the other hand, well, muscles weighs more then fat blah blah blah you get the point.

So now with a treadmill temporarily out of order, how am I going to fit in Wicked Workout Wednesday... I have a feeling things are going to get creative, and weights, a deck of card, balancing ball, and skipping may be involved (yuck) oh well! A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, and sometimes, you just gotta make it work with what ya got.

Anywho! Happy Wicked Workout Wednesday, we are half way through the work week (if you work a mon-fri job) and January is almost over! All in all plenty to be thankful for and Spring to look forward to :)

When All Else Fails... Exercise with Friends

With the busy holiday season upon us, I have the best intentions to exercise on weekends or outside of work, and completely forget the plans I have made. This Saturday, instead of doing a long luxurious run outside I slept in till 8:30 and went for brunch with friends. So much for a great run day.... Later that day it was Sugar Cookie decorating at Grandma's followed by Family Dinner. All of my great planning, tossed out the window.

Thankfully, during this great season I have friends to come along and motivate me. So Monday morning, instead of sleeping in because I had the day off, I awoke at 6:30 to exercise in a friends basement (thank you Beach Body Workout and Andrea for holding me accountable). I often find that my biggest issue when it comes to exercise is getting to the point of doing it. Why am I so exhausted prior to putting on my running or exercise clothes? Yet once I'm doing the exercise, typically I am so happy that I started! I feel great, sweat begins to drip down my face if I'm really pushing it the head band isn't even a match for the sweat as it inevitably runs into my eye balls. Oh the stinging of sweat! Thats when you know your doing good!

So, during this holiday season, I have concluded that my friends and I who are trying to not tip the scale this holiday season are going to do active things together. I mean, we still get to hang out, but rather than drinking an Eggnog Latte will burn some of the calories we would have otherwise consumed. Its a win win for all, hanging out, enjoying the holidays and heck even if it is 'just' walking, that's better than doing nothing. So here's to the holidays, hanging out with friends, family all while doing some fitness. So bring on the Snowboarding, walks and group runs this holiday season!

Being friends with a Runner (it can change things)

As many of my friends can tell you, it is not always easy to be friends with a person whose idea of a picturesque weekend involves double digit mile runs (while looking fabulous in neon florescents).

When I was training for my first Marathon, we began to joke that training was my boyfriend, as a lot of time was spent laying a solid foundation which I could build up from. Instead of hanging out after work or going for coffee on a Saturday morning I was either pounding the pavement or making a splash in the pool. If you add up the hours I spent running and cross-training it may be alarming at first, but the reality of it is, what else would I have been doing with my time? Now don't get me wrong, there were plenty of times when I didn't feel like running or swimming. Or I would start feeling fantastic and then 5 minutes in be experiencing a complete mental lapse and spend the next hour or so thinking what was I doing and why? But at the end of the day, a runner is something that I wanted and want to be; therefore, I pushed through the bad in hopes that the next one will be better.

The fact of the matter is that if I'm in a slump I know it is only a matter of time before I fee like I'm flying when I lace up my shoes. 

But back to the friends thing, being friends with a runner can be annoying. I realize this, and my friends are fantastic. They appeased me and listened to my talks of training runs, the things I was experiencing and allowed me to grow. Now this is great, but the best gift my friends have given me is picking up the challenge of running and joining me in living a more active lifestyle. Just as my relationship with running has involved, so has my relationship with my friends. We find, try and swap healthy recipes, and enjoy nights in of fantastic food experiments that are full of flavor, protein and veggies. A friend of mine even went as far as to deem Tuesdays as running and pizza night (she lives on a massive hill/mountain that equipped me for the hills of San Fransisco). Another friend of mine has begun a couch to 5 km program, which although I would like to say I inspired, the truth of the matter is that she has decided that this is the year that she is going to make a lifestyle change. As a runner, I have to thank my friends and family for inspiring me to do things I never thought possible by listening, believing in me and pushing themselves outside their comfort zones.

So I warn you, if you are friends with a runner, do not be surprised if they try to talk you into trying it out, and do not ever compare yourself to someone else. While it is good to set goals, be realistic and remember that even on the worst work out or running days, at least you did it! There are plenty of people who wouldn't have even gotten out the door or put their workout gear on and tried. And if you don't want to run, that's okay too!  So if you are friends with a runner, thanks for listening to us oddballs and pretending you care about chaffing, dry fit, compression socks and fueling.