Lessoned Learned

Now that spring semester is over, it is time to get into the full swing of things again. This summer I took 16 credits... bad idea! I didn't have time for anything but studying. Now that it is over and I have learned my lesson about not taking that many and the importance of taking care of myself, it is time to start working out again!

I did get to have a few adventures through the summer so I will share those here!

First, we participated in the Millie Princess Foundation 5k. This is an awesome race that the proceeds all go towards a prince and princess who has cancer. It was a great and happy day for these kids! Plus, I got to sign up for the Bone Marrow Registry with Be The Match. I have been wanting to do this for years so it was great to have such inspiring people around at the race to encourage me to do it.

 Signing up and give a DNA sample for Be The Match.

  The cool thing about these medals are that Millie designed them!

We also did a midnight run! It had awesome glow in the dark medals and glow in the dark cotton candy! Don't worry, it was just glow sticks in the middle of the cotton candy. It was a really fun race and being at midnight only made it more fun! It wasn't my best time, but for only running twice in 3 months, I was okay with it!

 My mom placed 3rd in her age division and got a bronze medal! Definitely motivation for next year!!

I placed 4th in my age category and 45th overall. Time: 40:41.4 (13:08 min/mile)


I have decided to not do a 5k in August and to train for a 10k. Its time to up the goals a little. I feel that it is time and that I have to in order to get ready for the 1/2 marathon in April.

Week 2 - 5/11/15- 5/18/15

Hello All!
So, as I said in my last post, I have decided to change my approach to training. Those who I have talked to know that I like the Jeff Galloway method and it is also an approach that Run Disney encourages. For those who don't know what the Jeff Galloway method is, it is the idea that you alternate walking and running. So you are scheduling your walk breaks to be at a certain time along your run. For example: run 3 minutes, walk 30 seconds. More information can be found on jeffgalloway.com
I overall plan is to start from the beginning again.... except instead of starting at week one, I'm staring at week 5. The reasoning behind this is because I can do a 5k. I've done them multiple times at this point. So, I will use the 5k training starting at week 5. From there, I will expand my training to the 10k schedule Jeff Galloway has made. Finally, I will move into the 1/2 marathon schedule. I figured the beginning is the best place to start and with a year to train, why not start right?! ;)

Monday (5/11/15)- Saturday (5/23/15)
UPDATE

Okay, Monday, I decided to go for a 5k walk (zero running whatsoever). I have had new shoes for a couple weeks now, but these shoes made my feet hurt so bad! My feet have hurt pretty bad at band camps and such, but they've never felt like this. It hurt for DAYS to walk! I decided to take them back (yay 30 day warranty!) and got new ones. With letting my feet heal and school starting I have been  SO busy that I seriously haven't had a second to go run. I decided to sign up for an early class that started on the 11 and so I tried to get as much as possible done with that before school started. Now, I am just trying to get into a schedule so I can see when I can possibly add running/exercise into it. It looks like the only way to add it into my schedule is to wake up and get it done bright and early in the morning. I guess this will be good though, because what 1/2 marathons start in the late morning/afternoon? NONE! It looks like I will be waking up at about 6am so that I'll be able to get a run in!!! Yay!...??? ;) That is my fault though. Why I took 14 credits in the summer... idk...

This starts TOMORROW!

this is seriously how I am feeling!

Week 1 work outs 5/1/15-5/10/15 - rocky start indeed!

Howdy! 

So my goal is to post every Sunday about the past weeks (Monday-Sunday) work outs. I figure if I post the past weeks stats and information I'll better be able to track progress and stay motivated. Because this first week started on a Friday, this blog will be a little longer.


~Friday (5/1/15):
Swimming day!!! Went swimming for 2 hours with my friend, Amber! We alternate between using the kick board to build our legs, swimming with just our arms, and different strokes! LOVE the water and the bonus is getting to relax in the hot tub afterwards!! 
I also walked to laps around a local park. This added up to 2.76 miles.
Total steps for the day (swimming is not included): 12,544

~Saturday/Sunday (5/2/15, 5/3/15): Because I have had knee problems, I decided to take both of these days off to let my knee recover from swimming. Instead, I used a foam roller, ice, and electrodes on my knee to release any knots there might be and get blood flow to the area. 
Total steps for Saturday: 4,861
Total steps for Sunday:3,585

~Monday (5/4/15): I may have done too much today! Nearby, there is a large hill... (yes, you know that a sentence starting out like this can't be good!). I decided to ask a friend to go with me to run up the hill. Eating right before doing this wasn't the best idea I had today! I pretty much ran up it three times before deciding that it sucked and that I was going to work on half the hill before accomplishing the whole thing. This consisted of walking up forwards/backwards up this hill and bear crawls up the hill. It wasn't my favorite! It'll definitely take some serious motivation to go back and do it again. However, after reading reviews, I have learned that there are many hills int he 1/2 marathon I signed up for... this hill needs to become my friend! 
After running up the hill and going for a short walk, I decided to go for a 2 mile run. My plan is to train with the Jeff Galloway Method, so for this run I ran 1 min and walked 3o seconds. Yes, I am slow. haha. However, I have not gone for a run in about 3 weeks, so this is expected and to top it off, I forgot my inhaler and my knee began to hurt at .75 miles.... This is why we ease into these things! I have finally decided to go have a massage on my leg to loosen up the muscles in hopes it'll help my knee... This is huge for me! I HATE being touched! It better help! 

The hill we decided to run up... 

The picture really doesn't do the hill justice! This hill is a BEAST! 

Total steps for day: 12,319

~Tuesday (5/5/15): Running on treadmill. Run 1:30 min. walk :30 seconds. 2 miles 

Total steps for day: 11,236

~Wednesday (5/6/15): Because of knee pain, I'm going to take a couple days off. 

Total steps for day: Fell short of the goal my wrist band had set. Goal: 7,445 and I hit 5,475

~Thursday (5/7/15): OFF 

Total steps for day: Again, fell short of the goal that was set for me. 5,318. Goal was: 7,346

~Friday (5/8/15): Went and got a massage. Apparently my knee pain is due to tense muscles in my hips and gluten. Foam rolling apparently needs to be done a little more often than once every two months :( Foam rolling is not my favorite thing. I find it extremely painful, but I guess that's the point, isn't it? 
I decided to take it easy and get the rest of my goal steps in by walking on the treadmill. 

Total steps for day: Goal: 6,978   I only hit 5,702

~Saturday (5/9/15): After getting the massage yesterday, I decided that I needed to work on massaging my muscles and getting my knee back to where it needs to be. The massage therapists thinks that it is IT band problems due to tight muscles in my hips and bum. 

Total steps for day: Goal: 6,629  I hit only 6,146

~Sunday (5/10/15): Since it was mothers day, I didn't really have time to do anything. SO, I am staying up late tonight to write out my new plan for exercise! I'll explain it in next weeks post. I also worked again on massaging my muscles in my leg so that they will be ready to go next week! Yes, I kind of fell off the wagon this week because of my knee, but I am excited and ready to get back starting in the morning! This next week, it'll be my goal to not over do it and to keep my knee happy! 
Today was also the Tinkerbell Half marathon in Disneyland! It is my goal to do the tinkerbell challenge. The challenge consists of a 10k followed by a 1/2 marathon the next day. I figure if I'm going to be there I might as well make my time worth it!!! Perfect motivation for training for my 1/2 marathon! Hopefully one of these next couple years I'll make it! I'd LOVE to do it next year since I'll already be training for a half. 

I WANT THESE!!!!! 

Time to get back on the wagon!!! 

(picture is from Run Disney - 2015 Tinkerbell Half Marathon Facebook Page)

Total steps for day: Goal: 6,459 I hit only 4,232 (as of the time right now!) 


I like that this week has been a trial run of my work out journal! Now I know how to do it better in the future! Yay for being patient with me! :) I hope to include a picture to represent every day's work out. I think the pictures really add something on top of a great trigger for my memory. 


With better hopes for next week,
~Natalie 

Blast from the past ~ Spring 2015

Hello All,

So I decided I would post pictures from my 5k's throughout the spring of 2015. 

Chasing Cupid was my first one! While the first 1/2-3/4 mile was all up hill, it was still a great course and the down hill at the end made up for it...Plus, as you'll see in the pictures, the scenery wasn't too shabby either! ;) 

My second 5k was the Think Pink 5k. Although the photographers location was NOT ideal (at the top of a hill on the last .25 of the race) it was a decent course and for a great cause! All proceeds were donated to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. 

Finally, I signed up for the Salt Lake City Marathon's 5k race. I happened to get sick the week of the race and had a difficult time with my knee, but it was probably one of my favorite courses so far! 

I still have a few more 5k's this summer planned and will post those pictures and a review of the race once they have happened, but they are for great causes so I cannot wait!  

My FIRST 5K!

Jessi is amazing and so kind to help me

through my first 5k! Thank you Jessi!

After having to stop for a crossing donkey... yes, I'm serious...

We finally were able to continue running for the finish line.

Because of hurt knees and a crossing donkey, we crossed at about

49 minutes from what I remember. My PR for my worst time.

(you have to celebrate the good and the bad!) 

Lets just say the scenery of the race wasn't too shabby! 

Race #2. I got my momma in on the action! 

She was a champ and finished with a good time! 

I donated bras for those who need them. 

I know I sure don't need these particular ones anymore!

 To this day, this is still my favorite medal! 

My new PR. 39 minutes. For my second race EVER, 

I think it's not TOO bad! I was happy with it because 

I took 10 minutes off my time! Baby steps...

Race #3. I was SO excited to have my friends join me on this one!

It was Sadie and Heidi's first 5k and they ROCKED IT! 

Waiting for the race to start! We had to be there at 6am... 

it was an early morning! 

Thank you Alaska Airlines for giving us free pictures!! 

Shout out to Tropical Sno. It was the very first day being open

and they were so excited to have their first customer (Heidi)! 

WE DID IT!!! 

Up Next:
Because of finals and needing a couple days to rest after the let down, I have not done any exercising so..... Training officially starts tomorrow!!! I have made a calendar with what is to be done each day and I am excited to officially start this journey! My calendar includes swimming, running for distance, running up local hills, the bike, and weights. Let this crazy year begin!

I hope you all stay tuned!

~Natalie

The Beginning/Introduction

Hello Friends! 
This is my first attempt at a blog. PLEASE be patient with me! :) I think I can probably only get better!

First things first. Introduction time! 
I am 22 years old and new to the running community. After doing marching band for 8 years (4 years in high school and 4 years in college), I have decided to try running as a new way to challenge myself. I LOVE the mental aspect of running and that is why I chose running over other sports. 
I've done multiple 5k events (3.1 miles) throughout this spring and will continue participating in events throughout the summer/fall/winter (I also have a strong belief in cross training). For those who know or don't know, running in these events becomes addicting (addictive?) and so I have decided to sign up for a 1/2 marathon. Yes... a half marathon... 13.1 miles... Yes, at this point, I think I'm crazy too!!! 
I am creating this blog as a way to have one location to gather all my pictures, statistics, and thoughts without overloading my Facebook page/friends. Plus, with a public post like this, I feel like I am more likely to be accountable for my training as well as tracking my mileage. With that said, I hope that you, my readers and old/new friends will keep me motivated and accountable!  
My 1/2 marathon is approximately 1 year away. Although I do not have the exact date, it is estimated to be the 2nd weekend of April 2016. With the experience I gain from this 1/2 marathon, I would love to use my training to travel to the Tinkerbell 1/2 Marathon in Disneyland. I am a Disney fanatic (as you will see in my posts) and this would be an amazing experience and something to cross off my bucket list! 

With all of this said.....

WELCOME TO MY YEAR LONG JOURNEY! 

~Natalie