I know this blog has covered a lot of stuff: wedding planning, house-buying, master's degree-earning, job- saving, and even Europe-traveling! Well, it's still going to cover a lot of the random events and activities in my world, but will also focus a lot on my new-found obsession: fitness and good health.
I'm constantly trying to lose weight, I have been for most of my life. Some times are more successful than others, obviously, or I wouldn't still be struggling with it. But I set a goal for myself to increase my activity, specifically my cardiovascular activities.
I had my annual physical in January of this year, which included blood work. My doctor wanted to have a detailed cholesterol test done, since my family history is not great in this area, and sure enough, the bad cholesterol is rearing it's ugly head (thanks Mom!). The foods that I eat are pretty healthy as it is (lots of whole grains, very few fried foods, lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins), so the one area I could do a lot of work with is my exercise. I am a big fan of yoga, but hadn't been getting my heart rate up with any intense exercise on a regular basis.
So, in came my goal for the year: to train for and run a 5k.
I found the Couch to 5k Running program, which looked great to me. It is intervals of time, to build up endurance gradually, walking and jogging until you are able to run 30 minutes non-stop. I LOVED it! I still love what it did for me -- it made me LOVE running! I've tried jogging before, and hated it. And I think that's because I tried to do too much, too fast.
I finished the program in May, and have done three 5k races and one 4-mile race so far. I'm now changing my goal (adding on to it, really) from training for and completing a 5k to training for and completing a 10k! I just registered for one on October 1, and have been looking at training plans to get myself ready. I've been doing boot camp classes for cross-training, and am loving that "oh, I'm so sore" feeling from my muscles being used in new ways.
