So, I took a very long hiatus. Too long if you ask me. I started moving, working, working, working and my running to a back seat.

This past weekend, I went down to Charlottesville VA to visit my BFF.  The same weekend, we did a 5k together in her neighborhood, which contains lots of hills.  The race course itself was mostly on the golf cart paths in the neighborhood, which equated to more, shorter hills than if the course were set along the main roads. 

Must be nice weather, my posts are far and few between!

...and so it seems that must begin my quest of finding new running shoes.

It seems like running has become more than a sudden spur to try and keep myself from getting fat.

This was a good week and a good start to a more determined schedule. 

After a bit of a hiatus due to scheduling and life changes, I'm back in the saddle (so to speak) and more determined than ever.
Its really good to step back and re-evaluate your life from time to time. I find that we tend to take the wrong things seriously, and it serves to be a detriment to our entire being. The short story is that I was getting too stressed about the wrong things. Something as silly as a bad workout would send me into a funk of self-evaluation. Not good. I'm determined to take things one step at a time from now on, and learn how to keep control of the things that I can control. The rest will just fall into place.
That said, my hubby is on leave this week, which has been really nice. He is a tremendous support and has gotten me motivated so early in the mornings to do my workouts. (Have I mentioned that I usually can't focus my eyes before 8am, much less think about tying on my running shoes?)
We've done two workouts this week, one was doing hills at a modest Level 1 on the treadmill for 45 minutes. My goal was to stay above a 3.5 the whole time. I was able to stay at a 3.8 pace for 10 minutes, and keep around 3.6 the rest of the time.
The second workout was from the C25k plan. I did a Week 3 workout since I've never really been able to conquer that one more than once a week.  To aid in my training, I set the treadmill to a 0.5% incline. I was pleased to note that I finished the whole workout without taking a break - keeping at a 4.4 runing pace.
This week, I'll be doing another hills workout and another Week 3 workout, finishing with a 5k on Saturday. My goal is to try running intervals of 5 min on Saturday to see if I can finally move up to Week 4 on C25k.

This week I had the opportunity to train two friends, who are running their second 10k. We started running down Monument and they asked me “how are you able to run long distances?”

I've been struggling a bit lately to stay on task not only with my training, but specifically with my diet. Starting a new job where I really haven't had a chance to get things organized and settled in has hindered my "normal" work routine, so I haven't taken in any of the snack I keep on hand. Consequently, I've fallen to the eating out trap and made poor choices. 

So, its been a while since I posted last.  I managed to make it through my first 5k of the season, with decent results...

You mastered the art of the stretch and remembered that breathing matters, essential before any workout. Now you are ready to begin your 10k training, but even before “the run,” it is important to set milestones and establish a workout routine you can commit. The purpose is to plan according to everything else you are doing and a great method to measure your progress and success.

[caption id="attachment_4032" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Monument Ave. 10k"]<a href="http://gayrva.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MonAve10K_FeetGroupShot1.jpg"><img src="http://gayrva.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/MonAve10K_FeetGroupShot1-300x100.jpg" alt="Monument Ave. 10k" title="Monument Ave. 10k" width="300" height="100" class="size-medium wp-image-4032" /></a>[/caption]Whether you have been training with the YMCA 10k training team or training yourself, the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k is finally here. During race week, take it easy and that means taking care of yourself and your body. The last thing you want to happen is to get sick or injure yourself. You do not work out vigorously, eliminate cross training, and do not worry about logging additional miles. Get mentally and physically prepared. 

It's Music Monday again on Twitter my friends! Need a new exercise playlist to help you gear up for the 10k or 1/2 Marathon? No fear, here is what is on my latest workout playlist. An eclectic mix of today’s hip hop, pop, and electronic dance music to get you hyped and keep you in the zone!

So, I "bit the bullet" and signed up for a 5k on March 27. 

Last week was not a good week. I missed most of my scheduled workouts, I didn't eat well...etc. 

This past week was tough. I started out the challenge strong and completed 20 each of the 100 required situps and pushups, as well as the first two sessions of Week 3 for the C25k. However, I hit a bit of a stumbling block by catching a virus that kept me sick the remainder of the week. 

So, this week saw the start of Lent, and though I'm not Catholic, I decided it was a great time to renew my resolve to continue running and getting healthy. 

On Valentine's Day we all seem to focus on those we love, but too often we don't focus on ourselves.  

UGH...isn't it frustrating to get rolling on something only to be stopped in your tracks!! 

Saturday, I truly felt like a runner for the first time ever. I leveled up on the C25k program and managed to increase my walking and running pace to 3.5/4.2 on the treadmill (respectively).  It felt amazing.