Ease into 5k = COMPLETE!

I am so happy to report that I've finished all 8 weeks of the Ease into 5k program. As I've mentioned previously, I tried this program in the past, and didn't make it past the first few weeks. I just didn't have the motivation to continue.

When I decided that I wanted to RUN a 5k, and not just complete one via walking, I decided to give the training plan another try. But since I failed previously, it was clear that I needed to make some changes. So, what did I do differently?

• I completed the training plan outside. (Last time, I was completing the plan on an indoor track.) 
• I didn't get discouraged at how slow I was running - it was all about building endurance, regardless of the (ridiculously) slow pace. 
• I didn't want to fail/quit a 2nd time. Because I quite the first time around, I was more motivated to see it through this time around. When I was hesitating to go out for a scheduled run, I reminded myself that things needed to be different this time.

All of these things made a difference, but I honestly think running outside had the most impact. It takes discipline to run on a treadmill or run indoors.. and I'm still not at that point. If I feel like a hamster on a wheel, I'm going to get bored and I'm going to constantly focus on how much time is remaining.. and I'm more likely to give up because it's just not enjoyable.

When you're running outside, it's just more enjoyable - even when it's cold.

I finished the last training run with another 5k. I finished this one in almost the exact same time as my first 5k (38 minutes). But I still ran the entire time, and now I can focus on building endurance and increasing my speed.

I do have another 5k scheduled on January 16th. So, I have a few weeks to keep training and see if I can improve my time! And from there, I'm thinking about starting a 10k training plan.

Overall, I found the training plan to be quite doable, as long as I didn't worry about my pace. If I just focused on moving forward, it really wasn't too bad. I slowed down when I needed too, I just didn't let myself walk unless it was the portion of the plan that asked me to walk.

So if you're thinking about the Ease into 5k program - give it a try! If I can do it, then you can too! 

My 1st (official) 5K

Yesterday, I ran my first 5k.

While I have done several 5k races in the past, I have always walked the vast majority of the course. So, I consider this my first 5k because it is the first race in which I ran THE ENTIRE TIME.

And that was my only goal for the race. I just wanted to be able to run the entire time, without slowing down to a walk at any point.  I'm happy to say that I did accomplish that goal in 38 minutes. So, it wasn't a fast pace by any stretch, but I didn't walk.. and that's what I was focusing on since it was my first race.

According to my watch, my 5k time was 37 minutes, and my overall distances for the race for 3.22 miles. Since I ran on the outside edge of the course, I got a little extra distance over the route. I'm not going to lie, it wasn't easy. There were multiple points along the route that I thought I might want to stop and walk for a bit. There were multiple hills, and while the temperature was actually quite nice, we had cold wind blowing right into our faces the entire race. It probably wasn't the best route for someone that had never ran 3 miles in their entire life.. but I managed to make it work - and I had my husband supporting me all along the way. You can see him in the photo, telling me a story to keep my spirits up. It was also really nice of the organizers to take the race photos toward the start of the route, while I was still excited and energized.

I ran this race a little earlier than scheduled. I actually still have a week left of my 5k training plan (Ease into 5k - which I recommend). Yesterday, I was scheduled to complete Week 7, Day 3 of that plan, which is a 27 minute run (plus a 5 minute warm up + 5 minute cool down). Basically, I counted the race as my scheduled training run, but ran during the warm up and cool down portions instead of walking them.

I wasn't sure if I should sign up for this race because I wasn't fully done with the training plan. And, I was already registered for another race next weekend. But we decided to register just a few days before the race and go for it anyway! And I'm glad that I did, because I've proved to myself that I can run for 3 miles and not die. I hope that will give me some added confidence going into the 5k race that we are registered for on Sunday (Dec 13th).

So, even though I've proved to myself that I can run the 5k distance, I'm still going to finish out the training plan. I'm in the last week at this point, it would be silliness not to just finish it up!  And then next week, I want to continue running with the idea of building up my distance and endurance to the 10k distance. In addition, I want to work toward running a faster 5k.

For most, it's not a big deal to run 3 miles. But for me, it was a huge accomplishment. And now, I'm ready to move forward!

Health Philosophy

One of the goals that I had outlined for myself was to develop my health philosophy.

What does that mean? Well, everyone has their own idea of what it means to be healthy and to have healthy habits. To some, it means eating a specific diet and participating in a specific workout regimen. The point is that the notion of what it means to be healthy can vary from person to person.

So, what do I think it means to be healthy? What specific principles or habits are most important to me when living a healthy lifestyle?

You might be thinking: that's not that difficult - why on Earth did she set a goal to address a question that only takes a few minutes to answer? Well, because I really wanted to give it some thought. I wanted to think about my past experiences and come up with a legitimate answer that both makes sense and that I can strive to achieve every day.

- The majority of my diet needs to come from fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.
- Sometimes, it's okay to have beer and pizza. But it should be the exception to the rule.
- Take a walk, every day. Even if it has to be a short one.
- Practice deep breathing.
- An exercise routine is key. 
- Sleep is important, and quality sleep should be made a priority.
- Spending time on hobbies or relaxation is absolutely necessary. 
- It's okay to make adjustments to decisions and priorities as circumstances change. 

Now, let's talk more about eating healthy for a minute. From my perspective, healthy means eating REAL food. And by real food, I mean food that isn't overly processed. For example: To me, eating full-fat yogurt is healthier than eating low-fat (HELLO, added sugars) yogurt. I understand that not everyone has this same viewpoint. If you are calorie counting, you might go for the lowest calorie version, and that's understandable.

But to me, making healthy food choices is more than just the caloric content of a food. It's about the fat content (not just amount, but type), sodium content, sugar content, and the number of artificial ingredients. It's a bigger picture than just one or two items on the nutrition label.

In addition to food choices, exercise is also important FOR ME. I know individuals that have lost weight and created healthy lifestyles for themselves without exercise. But I need exercise to stay energized and motivated.

And of course, things like rest and relaxation are important too.

Lastly, flexibility is key for me. For example, when I first started losing weight, I didn't worry about exercise. I wanted to get my eating under control. As I started to accomplish that goal, I added exercise to my list of priorities. As I started to exercise more, I switched from walking to running. As I progressed, I made changes that allowed for continued growth. And still have a lot of accomplish in that arena.

It's necessary for me to revisit my health philosophy and make changes along the way.

To summarize, my health philosophy is that health is holistic. It's not just about diet and exercise. Of course, that's a big part of the picture. But it's also about things like sleeping well, taking time to relax, spending time on hobbies, and living a more simple life.

Clutter.

Do you ever feel that your life is full of clutter?

I'm not just talking about physical clutter here. I'm also talking about electronic clutter and mental clutter.

Of course, I have plenty of physical clutter. There are many things in my home that aren't used and could be donated or thrown away. The items that I do use and need to keep could be much better organized.

But I also have a lot of mental clutter - there always seems to be a million thoughts running through my head at any given moment. I'm always thinking about things that need to be done, ideas for future projects, fun things to do on the weekends, etc. It can be difficult to focus when my mind is full of so much clutter!

And then, there's electronic clutter. I have documents saved in many different places, often times without any thought or organization.  I have more social media profiles than I could possibly monitor: Blogger (obviously), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Nextdoor, Goodreads, Pinterest... oh my! There are likely even more profiles out there that I've totally forgotten. In addition, my phone is filled with applications, music, and other content that I almost never access.

Why do we fill our daily lives with so much clutter? Would it make a difference if I were to skim things down a little bit? And if I were to do so, where in the world should I even start?

I think that another social media break might be on the horizon. I think that would be a good starting point, as well as allow me to think about which platforms I really use on a regular basis, and which I could stand to delete.

Thinking and Stuff

For someone that enjoys writing, I really tend to fall behind on this blogging thing.

Sometimes, it seems that there's really not too much for me to say - and then there's the fact that I don't have any readers. But for some reason, I still feel compelled to keep this thing going.

It doesn't make any sense - but it's the truth.

I'm thinking about making some changes, reinventing the blog. I'd like to start talking about a little more than just my list of goals (which are still important).

So, I'm going to do something thinking on that - write a few new posts, and make some changes soon.

NW Arkansas is surpisingly cool.

Hello, friends!

August (the busiest time of the year for me) is now in full swing! But that doesn't mean that I haven't taken the time to have a little fun and accomplish some of my goals. Here's a few snapshots of what I've been up too lately:

A few of the photos are from our trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. I would not have imagined that Arkansas would be a good place for a fun weekend trip - but I was so wrong! This town is filled with super friendly people, gorgeous scenery, and some stunning artwork.

We stayed at the 21c Museum and Hotel, a cute little boutique hotel with its own little art museum. One of the fun things about this place is their green penguins - they're about 4 ft. tall, and they're everywhere. The hotel staff (and guests) will move them around, too. Don't be surprised if you walk into the elevator and find one waiting to take a ride with you! In one photo, you will see that one of them had dinner with us during our stay. We named him in Antonio, and we shared our complimentary post-meal cotton candy with him (isn't that so much cooler than after dinner mints?).

We were also able to attend their First Friday, which is more like a giant block party than the art-infused First Friday events that we have in Kansas City. But our friends have a booth for their business, so we were able to see them in action and enjoy a nice dinner with them at the Flying Fish (which has excellent fish tacos).

On Saturday, we spent some time on the hiking trails and went to the Crystal Bridges Art Museum. This was the primary reason for our trip, and we were not disappointed. It was a stunning facility with a top-notch art collection. Their temporary exhibits, Warhol's Nature and Jamie Wyeth, were very impressive. One of the photos above is a Warhol painting (oil on canvas) of a boxer. Since we have a boxer, I thought it was an appropriate photo to share.

Before heading out on the trails, we stopped for breakfast at Crepes Paulette, which is a food truck that happened to be set up right outside of our hotel. We kept hearing about this place from the locals and from TripAdvisor reviews - and it too did not dissapoint!  In fact, it was so tasty that we actually ate there twice. For breakfast, we enjoyed savory crepes, and then we back to try a sweet crepe. There was a long line before they even opened up for business. It's a must-try if you find yourself in the area.

On Sunday, we went on one last hike before enjoying breakfast at the Pressroom. The breakfast was tasy, and the coffee was excellent!

Anyway, I highly recommend Bentonville to anyone that enjoys nature, art, or both.

In terms of the list accomplishments, you'll also see that we finally managed to assemble a scarf wall and hang our Sporting flag. These were two smaller house projects that had we just hadn't taken the time to accomplish, so it felt good to get those done.

Annddd.. I've officially lost more than 30lbs! I know that it can get tedious when someone talks about weight loss too much, but I'm so proud of this accomplishment and happy that I've finally made a serious effort to become a healthier version of myself.

That's all for now! Soon, I'll be able to tell you all about our upcoming jaunt to visit our neighbors to the West - Colorado.

Woohoo for Weight Loss

It is with a lot of happiness and optimism that I report that I've now lost over 20 lbs! I actually hit this milestone two weeks ago, so I'm a little behind on this post, but I'm not any less excited now than I was when I first saw the number on the scale. At this point, I'm officially down 23.2 lbs.

In terms of the overall amount of weight loss that I'd like to achieve, that is really just a drop in the bucket. But that doesn't mean that I can't be proud of the progress that I've made and celebrate this achievement.

Not only am I eating healthier, I'm making it a priority to take care of myself. As a result, I'm going on more walks (which helps both mentally and physically), I'm sleeping better, and I'm better able to handle the stress in my life (working full time and teaching classes on a part-time basis can take its toll).

I just feel better. And it is wonderful.

Now it's time to keep moving forward and focus on losing the next 20 lbs!

New Adventures!

In my last post, I talked about being very close to paying off our store credit card. Well - mission accomplished! We actually paid it off the day after I wrote that post. This means that we can now shift the focus of our financial goals toward saving instead of debt payoff.  We do still have some consumer debt (vehicles, student loans, and mortgage) - but we don't have much in savings at this point and we're going to take some time and make that the priority.

While it's not on my list of goals to accomplish, I do have another big change on the horizon. I've resigned from my current job and will be starting a new job on June 15th. I'll still be working in the same industry (higher education) but will be at a different institution and a slight change in position. It's closer to home, an increase in pay, and will allow me to diversify myself professionally. I've worked at this same institution for 5 years, so it will be difficult to leave, but I'm also looking forward to the change.

I'm trying to choose a random item on my list to focus on next. Perhaps a 30-day photo challenge for the month of June? Or to take a week off from social media? Trying 5 new local coffee shops? Tackle an organization project?

There are plenty of options. I just need to pick one and make it the focus.

Guess who's back? Back again.

And yet again, here I am after a long absence. While I haven't been blogging, I've still been working hard to accomplish my goals!

In the last 10 weeks, I've lost 14.8 lbs. Now, I know that doesn't seem like much, but because I've been wanting to lose weight and improve my health for quite some time now, this is a big accomplishment for me. I started the Weight Watchers program at work - and I'm really enjoying the plan. While there are moments that are difficult to stay on the plan, those are few and far between. Since the program is at work, I have the support of my coworkers, and that has made all the difference as well.

My hope is that in just a few weeks, I can write a blog post about having lost 20 lbs! It might take several more weeks, but as long as I'm making consistent progress every week, I'm happy and proud of my accomplishments.

And what else have we (husband and I) been working toward? I'm proud to say that we've paid off our credit card! It look several months of being quite frugal with our expenses, but we made it happen. We still have one more credit card (a store credit card) with a balance, but this will be paid off at the end of this month! We just started aggressively pursuing this goal in January - so if you ask me, paying off two credit cards in 5 months isn't too shabby!

From there - we need to decide which financial goal is our priority. One of our cars is scheduled to be paid off in April 2016 - so we could choose to work toward paying this off even earlier. Or, we could focus on building up our savings since our car will be paid off in a short time anyway. Either way - we are making excellent progress toward our financial goals and we are proud of those accomplishments.

It's also time for us to sit down and revamp our budget. We have now owned our home for one year, so we really have a better idea of the monthly expenses Now that we've gone through all four seasons in our home, we can develop a pretty consistent and accurate budget!

Anyway, that's all for now. It's time to get to work (at my job and with accomplishing my goals!).