So, This Year  2013, I started doing what I never thought I would I would do: running. 

I now have a passion for running after many years of chanting "I don't run".

Now the biggest hurdle in my way is my desire to run early in the morning before work.  This is what competes with my sincere love of sleep. 

Why you may ask would I even want to run first thing in the morning?  well, for many reasons!  Physical exercise first thing in the morning can be the most effective thing we can do for our bodies in terms of weight loss.  Also, it can be so liberating to step out into the cool morning air and breathe in the freshness of the day that is to come. 

This past Saturday morning I was at the Newport Beach pier at 5:30am, why is a different story - I'll stick with the point.  I saw some very committed people come out in the running gear, to their morning stretches and go for a long run in the cool morning, beach breeze.  I thought to myself "How great they must feel during and afterwards". 

So after years of wishing I liked running, to starting to jog, to running a 5k, to training for 10k & then a 15k, I want to wake up bright and early (may not be bright - daylight savings time) and run in the crisp morning air.

I am also signed up, as of yesterday, to do The Aloha 5k Run in San Diego in September.  The race starts at 7:30am - so I better be ready for morning cardio!  The coolest part of the run, there is Hawaiian music/bands playing at every half mile - I can't wait.  Sign up and run with me!

So the point of my blog is to ask my friends to push and pressure me into doing it.  Encourage me to get up and "be the change I want to see".  Cheesy, but meaningful.  So I urge you, push me, get out with me a run!  but meaningful in some respects

That's all.

First 5k in 2 days!

Whew!

This month has just flown by!  I have quit my hotel job and accepted a job working for a credit union (an 8-5 job!) Hooray!  This new change has allowed me to be more pro-active in my life.  I'm able to relax a little bit in the morning and I have cut communte down from 50 minutes to 12 minutes!  What a relief this has been. 

I have been working out at my gym Chalk Fitness along side some of my best friends and my husband so I can be prepared and sucessful in my run.  I have gone for a few mile runs and I have integrated Fartlek and Interval training which has helped my speed, my breathing and my endurance.  I am anxious to see how my very first 3.3 mile race is going to treat me.  Being the planner that I am I have secured the following for my ease and comfort:

Android Phone equipped with Google Music *Running Playlist
Smart Phone Arm Band

Meelectronics Ear Buds






And of course, a Big Thank You to Victoria's Secret
Gotta Keep myself safe and secure!

See you on race day!

I Run My First Ever 5k in 20 Days!

All throughout growing up I hated running.   Flat and simple - hated it.  I tried to like it, but it never prevailed.  In high school we ran the mile - 4 laps around the field I was always one of the last 5 people to finish (side note - I weighed less than 115lbs in high school - I should have been faster).  There were times I put a leash on our late dog Lucy and go a jog, but she would make me run with a jerk of the leash.  This was that time where Discmans were popular and oh yeah you bet I had one of those - the cd skipping everytime I landed on my feet, the way it would bounce against my body in that neoprene waist case - the memories.

I always wanted to get into running because whenever I talked to people who ran, they loved it.  There is an untouchable joy you see in a runner that is so desirable!  The advise was always the same, "just keep getting out there and run for a little bit, one day you'll find joy in it."  So I kept trying, not on a serious regular basis, but I have the drive to find the love of running. 

I have been pining away with the desire to run a 5k - because lets face it, if I ever want to be a triathlete, I have to start somewhere.  So in the fall of 2012 I signed my husband (hehe) and myself up for the San Diego Hot Chocolate 5k on March 24th.  I am so excited!  Check out what's going to be in my goodie bag:

And for those of you who know me well, know that I LOVE Orange! Afterall, it was my wedding color!  OH, and check out the amazing Finishers Mug we'll get when we pass the finish line:

So you see - I get to run my first ever 5k in San Diego, a beautiful and cool city, receive a fantastic hoodie that I'll wear alot, and at the end of it all I get a finished mug with hot chocolate, fruit and other sweet sweet treats!  AMEN!

So, in my training for my first ever real "run", I have hounded my husband to get out and run with me.  So finally this past Saturday, 4 weeks before the 5k, we ran a mile (1/3ish of a 5k) with intervals of fartlek training.  Fartlek, a Swedish term that means "speed play," is a form of interval or speed training that can be effective in improving your speed and endurance. Fartlek running involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs.   This was a great way to enhance my endurance and leg strength.

More running & training to go!  I will finish the race in a great time and NOT be in the last group to finish.  Times have changed my friends and it changed me radically.

As soon as I run that 5k, I will post pictures and stories of my experiences - then we'll plan the 15k.  EEP! :\

Sign up for the Hot Chocolate 5k and run with me!