Working It Out: My First 5k

So, I ran my first 5k this weekend and I didn’t finish last, I didn’t puke, and I didn’t die!  Based on all of these things, I pretty much won.

Truth.

I was all ready for it.  I picked up my packet the day before, I downloaded some terrible, yet well-paced music and synced my ipod, I went to a nice hour-long yoga session to stretch loosen up, I carbo-loaded (which was the real reason I signed up for a race in the first place) and I even went to bed at a (fairly) reasonable hour, at least for me.  I woke up on time in the morning, got myself ready, ate some breakfast, and sauntered on over to the race.

But, uh, here’s the thing.  I was a little late.

So, listen.  I SWEAR the lady who gave me my packet, T-shirt, and instructions told me to BE THERE at 8 am.  Turns out, she told me the race started at 8.  I showed up at about 8: 05 am and the race had already started. 

.

Whoops.

This was pretty typical of me.  I am not known for my punctuality (which is a major fault that I’m well aware I need to work on) and I really should have double checked the time the night before, but I didn’t, so the joke was on me.  By the time I pinned my number on and got my bearings 10 minutes had already gone by and there were no racers in sight.  I didn’t even know which way to go and the people working the event weren’t really keen on giving me directions or telling me what to do.  No one wants to help the one asshole who was late.  But then, miraculously, a group of runners came around the corner, so I just sprinted to where they were and joined the race!

If only the people at my race were this helpful

Once I was in there, I just followed the other racers and made my way around the track.  The race was actually being held at my alma mater, so I was familiar with the layout and took off.  I kind of alternated between jogs, sprints, and quick walks.  When I was training, I got myself to be able to do the 3.1 miles in about 35-40 minutes at a steady pace with no stopping, which was a pretty huge accomplishment for me because I’m definitely not a runner.  However, I did the bulk of my training on a treadmill in an air-conditioned gym.  Running on uneven pavement in the Florida sun is a bit of a different story.  I had a hard time keeping a steady pace, but I did okay.  I ended up passing the finish line at 31.54, which is great–better than I expected!  Of course, since I joined the race 10 minutes late and just jumped in when I saw people, I don’t think I actually ran the full race.  After the race was over and I got that time, I realized that I must have jumped into the beginning of the line when everyone else had already been running for about 10 minutes.  My true time was probably closer to 41:54, which is exactly what I was expecting.

Pictured: Line Cutter

So, my first 5k wasn’t exactly how I planned it to be, but I’m definitely not sorry I did it.  After I passed the finish line I kind of felt like throwing up, but I didn’t, so that was a huge success. Since I suspected that I skipped the line I felt like it would be prudent of me to pay penance by going to the gym after the race, so I went and did 45 minutes of spinning and an hour of power yoga, then I went home and cleaned my house.  Later on, I helped my best friend move the last of the stuff from her apartment to her new house.  I did all of this because I’m completely insane.  By the end of the day I had technically done four workouts equaling to about 3.5 hours of pretty sweaty work.

Then I had a cupcake.

All in all, it was a good experience.  I’ll definitely do another one and next time I’ll even show up on time.

Maybe.

Working It Out: Goals for February

It’s February 4th.  The groundhog already predicted an early Spring, the gym is clear of the well-intentioned January joiners who are now at home eating bon-bons, and my rent is due.

It’s also time for February goals!

In January I resolved to find a place to volunteer for, sign up for a 5k, eat fresh veggies with lunch and dinner every day, and amp up my cardio.  I’m glad to say I met all four of my January goals.  I started volunteering for a great organization that helps kids, my first 5k is on February 26th, I ate all my veggies every day, and I worked out a lot of cardio.

I fucking rule.

This picture is saved on my computer as "fuckyeahirule.jpg"

Goal #1: Eat more protein, eat fewer carbs: I took Your Nutritionista Leah up on the personalized consulting deal she was offering last week ($40 one time consultation with two weeks of email correspondence) and we had a great 45 minute chat on Sunday.  Leah reviewed my exercise and eating habits (I filled out a form on her site that was super easy to use) and then she called me for suggestions and tweaks.  Leah pointed out that as a vegetarian, I’m a little too reliant on carbs (and sugar) and that I’m simply not getting enough protein and fat in my diet.  This was something I kind of already knew, but didn’t want to admit because change is hard and carbs are delicious. Leah made some really good suggestions and reassured me that it’s totally cool to eat a whole avocado or three scrambled eggs cooked in butter in one sitting.   I’m notably less hungry and snacky already, so this plan might just be working.

Goal #2: Include more gentle workouts: In January I amped up cardio and started training for my upcoming 5k.  Leah reviewed my pretty strenuous schedule and pointed out that the sheer amount of cardio I was doing might possibly be working against me because cardio makes you so hungry–and really, sometimes I feel like an eating monster after a spinning session.  She encouraged me to keep exercising of course, but to include a few more gentle workouts, like yoga and swimming, and to do more interval and strength training instead of tons of steady cardio.  Less sweating, stronger muscles, non-monstrous appetite?  Sign me up!  I’m still doing cardio several times a week, but I’m planning on replacing a few of my regularly scheduled long sessions (45-60 minutes) with shorter and more intense bursts of cardio and a few gentler workouts.

Goal #3: Unplug earlier: I work at my computer all day and I have a smartphone.  I’m constantly plugged in, and yet, I often don’t take the time to unwind at night–I just stay plugged in.  I am ridiculously productive in the evenings sometimes, but on the whole, especially on weeknights, I think I need to give myself an 11 pm cutoff time and go to bed with a good old fashioned book.

Goal #4: Give myself more time in the morning: I love that snooze button.  I want to marry it.  I love it so much, I sometimes have about five minutes to do everything I need to do to get ready in the morning.  As a result, I, uh, am kind of late sometimes.  Rushing in the morning is definitely not the way to start my day, so I’m resolving to give myself at least 45 minutes in the morning to actually get up, make a good breakfast, do my makeup and all that, and get to where I need to be, instead of making a mad dash every morning and feeling rushed for the rest of the day.

February is a go.

Goals for January: With Resolve

Whew.  Happy New Year, y’all.  I just sobered up.

All right, that’s not true.  I’ve been sober this whole time, actually.  I didn’t even get drunk on New Year’s Eve.  Talk about a fail.

I’ve been out of commission since the beginning of the new year, but I’m working on getting back to life, starting first and foremost with a few goals for January.

In December I made goals to get back to yoga, to write more, and to cut down on guilt.  I did make it to a yoga class in December, but only one; that being said, I went to the first Saturday yoga class of the new year and I’m planning on making it part of my regular Saturday routine again.  I felt much better after yoga this past Saturday and I’m looking forward to doing it again.  I did some personal writing in December.  I didn’t do as much as I would have liked, but I did get words on paper, so it’s a start.  That’s something I’m going to keep working on.  I definitely cut back on my workout guilt, but I find that I just feel better on days that I work out.  I got a lot of work and writing done in the evenings during bouts of insomnia I’ve been having (even with my Lunesta!) and while I have a lot of progress to make, I at least feel like I’ve been productive in my professional life lately, which is good.

So, I’ve thought a lot about New Year’s resolutions.  The last post I made in December highlighted some of my resolution suggestions for those who are looking to make realistic and very helpful changes.  Those were all changes I made in 2010 without resolving to do any of them.  Like I said in that post, I didn’t make any resolutions last year, but when I look back on everything I accomplished without making arbitrary promises about them, I’m fairly pleased with my progress.  As a result, I’m not going to make resolutions this year either.  If I could just pretend like New Year’s never happened, that would actually be ideal, so that’s what I’m going with.

I am, however, going to make goals for January, even though we’re already 11 days in.  Better late than never, y’know?

Goal #1: Find a place to volunteer for–This is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time and since I do tend to have extra time on my hands due to a flexible work schedule, I really have no excuse not to do it (other than laziness.)  I have a meeting with a volunteer coordinator at a great organization that helps children who have lost a parent or sibling this afternoon and I have high hopes for it.  I’m also thinking about volunteering with animals in some capacity, but I’m kind of afraid I’ll end up with 200 cats and 75 dogs.  There’s no risk of me wanting to bring children home, ever.

Goal #2: Sign up for a 5k–I got beautiful new cross trainers for Christmas and my trick knee hasn’t been hurting nearly as much.  It’s amazing what a good pair of shoes can do for your workout.  As the case happens to be, I think it’s time that I finally find a 5k to sign up for.  The real lure for me is the pre-race carbo-load, but I’d also really like one of those pictures of myself decked out in my exercise gear with the number pinned to my chest. Also, I guess it would be some good exercise.

Goal #3: Eat fresh veggies with lunch and dinner every day–Since the holiday madness is over and I’m no longer feeling entitled to participate in “All You Can Eat Week” it’s time to seriously lighten up.  I hate it when I get to dinner and realize I’ve had many fruit servings, but no vegetables.  I definitely gravitate toward fruit, but vegetables make me feel good too, so I declare the need for fresh veggies with lunch and dinner every day. Today I paired my Amy’s Alphabet soup (it’s awesome) with slices of red pepper and cucumber along with a package of my latest awesome discovery, Wholly Guacamole 100 Calorie Snack Packs.  I’m not usually a fan of 100 calorie packs of anything because they’re usually complete bullshit, but these are great!  Guacamole isn’t known for keeping well, so I always feel compelled to eat all of it if I make it from scratch or if I buy the regular sized pack of Wholly Guacamole, which means I’m taking down 300 or 400 calories for a snack, and that’s not including the vegetables or chips.  No good.  These are 100 calorie packs that are really worth the extra money. They’re perfectly portioned and you don’t have to worry about storing leftover guac that will just turn sad and brown.

Goal #4: Amp up the cardio–Of course, I’m all about the strength training now because I realize what a huge difference it’s made in my body and my overall exercise routine, but if I’m going to do this 5k I’m going to be able to endure, you know, running a 5k.  I’ve been adding bursts of cardio after my strength workouts (usually a 30 minute jog on the treadmill) and of course I’m still going spinning 2-3 times per week.

Tune in for February’s goals, in what?  Two and a half weeks?  Jesus Christ, it’s practically 2012 already.

Slow down, everyone.