Because I like numbers (unless I have to do real, actual math... barf), a fun breakdown for you today:
-101 days
or
-2,424 hours
or
-145,400 minutes
That's how long it's been since I ran my last mile, a mile that was one of 3.1 during the Turkey Trot in November.
And now, another set of numbers:
-2 miles
-10:16 pace
-0 pee breaks
That's how I finally broke the longest no-run streak I've had since 2008 after I got a thumbs up to running from my doctor yesterday.
This is both the worst and best photo I've ever posted.
Kevin took over Charlotte duty as soon as he got from work so that I could head to the gym. Choosing a running outfit last night was akin to picking a prom dress in 2001. I hemmed and hawed over what my debut threads would be. Yeah, it's superficial. But after 6 weeks of nursing bras and muffin tops, I'm all about seizing an opportunity to look good and feel comfortable, so I went with my tried-and-true grey Nike Pacer shorts and my favorite black Nike Pacer tee. Love that Pacer series.
My plan was to run at least two genuine miles and not die. I succeeded. Here's what I did:
-5 minute warm-up at 4.0 mph (= 0.3 mi)
-20:33 run at various speeds (=2 mi and yeah, I negative split those bitches! #littlethings)
-4 minute cool down at 3.0 (.2 mi)
It wasn't easy, but it felt darn good. Every step breathed a little bit of life into my depleted muscles, and when I finished, I kind of felt like I'd just run Boston.
Let's just pretend for a hot minute that I actually know what it feels like to run Boston.
So that's it. My triumphant return to running.
What am I going to do from here, you ask? I've got a two-fold plan:
Fold One: hit the gym or head outdoors (since it's warming ever so slightly here in the Mitten) for runs 2 nights a week and go for a long run on Saturday or Sunday.
Fold Two: add in strength training sessions twice a week as a part of Tina Reale's Best Body Bootcamp
I signed up for the challenge on a whim yesterday after realizing just how sorry my triceps are. College was the last time I took weight lifting seriously, and since our gym is typically filled with douchey teenage boys wearing flat-billed caps doing one set of bench presses every 15 minutes in between texting their girlfriends (who are presumably named Mackenzie), I've continued to shy away from that side of the fitness hub.
Tina, a former binge eater and personal trainer, designed this program to whip participants into shape over an 8-week period with a series of strength training and cardio workouts that can be done at the gym or at home using simple equipment. I received the first phase of workouts last night, and I have to applaud her: everything is laid out explicitly and includes exercise modifications, videos of the moves, nutrition advice, and suggestions for those on limited training schedules.
To boot (pun intended), participants can win weekly prizes from some fabulous sponsors like Coach's Oats, Mizuno, and Champion just by completing their workouts and successfully meeting two other health-minded goals.
My two goals?
1) Eat 3 servings of produce per day
2) Drink 72 oz of water per day
Finally, I'm going to attempt to update the blog with my workouts and bootcamp progress once a week to help keep me accountable. Feel free to send me a virtual kick in the pants once in a while when I start to seem lazy.
Sorry for such a long Tuesday post, but it helps to lay it all out on the blog table.
So...
-What do you love most about returning to working out after a hiatus?
-Anyone else doing Tina's Bootcamp? What do you think so far?