C25K: Week 2, Day 3

Whatever happened to "Day 2" go, you ask? Mwah-ha-ha! I will tell you. Week 2, Day 2 was "relax" day, and I did that with flying colors. :) I mean, I meant to go to the gym yesterday... but could justify holding down the couch thanks to the "Couch to 5K" instructions. It felt good. It's been pretty busy/stressful at work so I was happy to have some down time.

Week 2, Day 3
Walk: 5 minutes
Jog: 4 minutes
Walk: 5 minutes
 I forgot to grab today's post-it, but was able to remember 5/4/5. I'm smart like that. 

... and then I walked for another 47 minutes. Yes, I'm proud of myself.

Some more details about today's workout. At my gym each of the cardio machines has its own television. During the first 5 minutes of my walk, I turned the TV on and planned on flipping through to find something to good watch. But when I tuned in, Spike TV's "The World's Wildest Police Videos" came on screen. Clearly, I am not the target audience, but it was surprisingly good stuff to watch while jogging and walking briskly (I also enjoy watching "The Walking Dead" while working out. Or anytime, really). Also that show reminded me how many wild stupid crazies there are out there.

Another fun anecdote from my workout. There was a very toned and active-looking guy on a treadmill behind me. Well, he must have either lost is stride or tripped or tried sprinting too fast, but in any case, he made a loud stomping noise and fell off the treadmill. I turned around just in time to see him slide off the rear of the treadmill. I didn't know if I should laugh or rush over there to see if he was okay, but he popped up pretty quickly and gave a thumb's up that he was fine. It sort of reminded me of watching people two- or three-times his size faint and fall off treadmills on "The Biggest Loser." It made me glad it wasn't me who fell off, and glad to see it happens to slender people, too.

C25K: Week 2, Day 1

I have 9 weeks until my first 5K. Aaaaaaaaaaah!  So I found a SUPER EASY Couch to 5K Program to complete. However, it's a 10-week program (dum-dum-dummmm), so I'm starting on week two. I think it should be fine since I'm relatively physically active. Heck, I even went to a TWO-HOUR-LONG Zumbathon last Friday!

I created a little tool to help me track my work outs. I took a sticky note pad and put each day's assignment on its own page. Looking at the program as a whole is a little overwhelming, but the change from one post-it to the next doesn't look too hard. This is what the top one told me to do:

Week 2, Day 1
Walk: 5 minutes
Jog: 3 minutes
Walk: 5 minutes

It felt good to get going on this program, but I was already fatigued since I went to my 50-minute Zumba class right before the treadmill workout. At least the 3 minute jog went quicker than I expected.

OH SUGAR!

OH SUGAR! I know I shouldn't eat it, but I have a terrible sweet tooth. Additionally, I work in an office where people like to bring in treats. For example, I declined a piece of cake on Monday, a donut on Tuesday, and a cookie today. That is a step in the correct direction, right? Right?

According to my daily food diary I consume WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR. After I looked a little closer, I realized it is usually natural sugar from fruit. I try not to worry about those sugar grams, but it does add up. All things in moderation* and I need to be more moderate with my sugar intake.

My greatest downfall is chocolate. I looooooove a good chocolate. Chocolate and peanut butter, chocolate and almonds, chocolate ganache, chocolate donuts. Okay, enough of that. It is NOT helping!

What does seem to help, however, is dark chocolate. Specifically: Dove Promises. I think the special combination of a slightly sweetened piece of chocolate with an uplifting message really allows me to slow down and enjoy that bit of sweetness.

*Even moderation itself, we all have to let loose sometimes. 

5K!

I just signed up for my very first 5K. Eeek! It is scheduled for Saturday May 18, 2013. I was surfing Facebook and saw an update from the race page reminding followers that prices are set to go up at midnight. I figured it was a sign, especially since item number 21 on my "30 before Thirty" list is to run a 5k, and I just posted the list last night. (Bonus motivation: my boyfriend already registered for the half marathon.)
This 5K is a part weekend events for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. Who knows, maybe this running thing will stick with me and I can do the Marathon some day... we'll see how this 5K run goes first.
Something which is really appealing about these races is they end with a lap around inside Lambeau Field. I love the Packers and really look forward to seeing their home again.

http://www.runningmap.com/widgets/permalink.html?id=496964

30 before Thirty

Here is my not-so-long-anticipated "30 before Thirty" list. Taaaaaaa-daaaaah! I have been compiling and working on this list since last summer. I hope to have everything crossed off by my thirtieth birthday on September 28, 2013. Along the way I will be writing about these activities/goals and will share my progress as I make positive changes in my life.

30 before Thirty

1. Lose 30 pounds
2. Learn how to play chess
3. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
4. Knit or crochet a scarf (at least 4 feet long) or 3 wash rags
5. Make cheese
6. Make soap
7. Complete Adobe CS6 tutorials on Lynda online training
8. Participate in a Polar Bear Plunge 2/23/13
9. Swear off soda for a month, and greatly cut back afterwards January 2013
10. Learn how to drive stick shift
11. Travel out of the country (and, renew passport!)
12. Sew myself a skirt or other clothing item
13. Get makeup lessons
14. Create a 2012 yearbook (and, take more photos!)
15. Create a important information binder
16. Pay off student loan (or have enough money saved to do so)
17. Submit my childrens book for publication
18. See a “big” live concert
19. CPR/first aid certification
20. Competence in rock beat on drumset
21. Run a 5k
22. Run a “fun” 5k
23. Attend a Brewers Game 9/29/12
24. Attend a Packers Game 12/9/12
25. Go to 6 Flags Great America
26. Go to a Medieval Times Dinner
27. Beat a 10 minute mile
28. Visit a state I've never been to
29. Bike to work for a whole week (preferably become a habitual activity)
30. Lose another 30 pounds (yes, 60 total)

10 Pounds Down!

Boom. There it is. THE BIG TEN! Two hand fulls. A decade. Double digits. The Perfect 10 (well, maybe not that, at least not yet). Ten!

Okay, so I have a looooong way to go, but it is important to celebrate these little milestones.

My goal is to lose 60 by my thirtieth birthday on September 28th, 2013. I have a "thirty before thirty" list (remind me to post about that soon!) and I put "lose 30 pounds" on there twice. Because I can. And because I should. (It seems I also start sentences with "Because" and "And." Because I can.)

After I lose these 60, I'm going to shoot for 30 more. Eeeek, 90 pounds? That is a lot! But I guess that's why I set these smaller goals, but 60 makes a good medium-length goal.

Jennifer Lawrence's hilarious Winner's Press Conference

So human, so funny!

Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer

Have you seen this banana slicer yet? The item itself is nice, sure, but the comments are HILARIOUS!



Follow this link to read all the funny comments on Amazon.com: Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer

MyFitnessPal

I'm switching to using MyFitnessPal for tracking my calories and exercise. I've used a few others in the past, but this one seems to best fit my lifestyle, and is free. I love free.

Here's my progress this year so far:

Created by MyFitnessPal - Nutrition Facts For Foods

Whaaaaat? Hello 2013!

I tried having a "real" blog a couple years ago. Yeah, the kind with its own paid-for domain name. I was unemployed at the time and treating it as a pet project and as an online portfolio for my work. I'm not a good blogger, or maybe I just haven't found the right subject to blog about.

As with other expressive forms (creative writing, visual art, etc.) what seems to matter is the honesty. It's not just about entertaining, but also feeling "real." Each of us can easily rattle off the name of one poser or another. To myself I must be true, but do I have to be true to people stumbling across my random blog postings? 

Honesty can be painful. For example, one of my most wonderful and touching paintings is also one of my most painful ones. I let out my insecurities. Geesh, I even have trouble thinking about it. Now I have an urge to post a photo of it here... too bad I don't have a photo of it. Yet. 

So that brings me to wonder if blogging would be helpful for me. I could blog about my real life. The personal stuff I struggle with. That idea scares me.

If nothing else, adding an online portfolio of my work and experience somewhere is probably not a bad idea!