New Best Time!

Sometimes, there can feel like no reason go on, there can feel like no reason to keep trying.  I start to wonder why I am trying so hard.  I start to think there is something, wrong, different, insane about me.  Then, I look around, and I realize that it is true---- that I am different---I want to accomplish positivity.

Positivity, sadly, isn’t a state of mind that is rampant in America.  It’s something that we constantly reinvent within ourselves.  We wake up every morning, look in the mirror, and try to salvage a relationship with the greater unknown within the time context of a day.  We wake up everyday and can only try, to our greatest extent, to be the best that we can be.

There will still be people out there who are telling us that we aren’t trying hard enough.  There will still be people out there who will tell us that we don’t even know what trying is: but we do.  We do know what trying is, we do know what positivity is, and the best that we can do is try—and that is how we know that we do everything in our power to do the best, and sometimes that isn’t enough….

…And sometimes it is.

This weekend, I was able to beat my time from a meager 30 minute mile to a 26:52 sec run!!!  Very exciting stuff.   It’s made me realize that I can change gears.  It’s just that sometimes positivity turns out to be in a different direction than you wondered or hoped for.  But I still keep reaching for the stars, because it’s where I want to be.

Godspeed to you all.

Fear

Sometimes, I wonder if it's all going to come together.  I worry that all my work I put into this is in vain.  It happens more frequently than I have wanted to believe, that there is stronger possibility this won't happen.

I would consider myself one of those people who doesn't like to put the word can't into their vocabulary.  I don't believe people have to take the word "no".  I don't believe people have to settle or stay in a job that they do not like.  I don't believe that people can ever become lost when they follow love or passion.

However, there are days, like today, where I wonder if my motor-mouth can compete with the true action of what I can do.  I wonder if I can get out on the trail tomorrow and do my 6 mile run like I have planned, and I wonder if on Friday I can do my mini-tri.  As the time clicks closer to the real triathlon in June, I become worried that I won't fruition into the person I need to become. I am constantly fearing the bad demon on my shoulder, telling me to stop, to give up, to just relax.

But relaxing is something I am very good at it, and if I get too used to it in time, I won't do anything anymore.

When I saw the movie "The Spirit of the Marathon" last July---I told myself that I would do a marathon.  I've become so confident in my goals that I have started telling friends I am going to run the Chicago marathon in 2012.

But what if I don't?

And it's that tiny voice inside of me that I have to abolish.  I have to kill.  One of the most liberating and saddening maxims I ever learned was "You are your only obstacle." 

But sometimes it feels like there are more people out there than just me.  Sometimes, in a time of non-achievement---I feel and fear that those around me don't think I can.  Sometimes, I think my major motivation in life is to prove those around me wrong.  It sounds strange, I know, but when people tell me that I can't do something, I go do it. 

I don't believe in boundaries.  I don't believe in settling.  I don't believe in sitting back and watching the clouds go by (in some cases).  I believe in pushing myself to new levels---that if I am upset with something in my life, I should change it.

I am not going to try to run this half marathon in the Fall to prove people wrong;  instead, I am running it to try to prove to myself that the power of love,will, and destiny exists.

Here I go, I guess.

As always, please feel free to share your personal experiences or comments. If you have a story, rant or thought that you would like me to post here, feel free to email it to me at amy@marathon-girl.com.

Fighting to Win

It’s a great feeling when you learn that you are beating your best times. I’ve recently done some 5k races and made some good times. My first time at 28 minutes shocked me! My second time, a meager 32 minutes, is something that I know I can do better with.

I have a new race coming up on Saturday. I will be running a 5k and then going camping for Memorial Day Weekend. Tomorrow, I am going to Bikrahm yoga to improve on my flexibility before I do the rest of my workouts throughout the week. This week, I am still only doing 6 mile runs, and on Friday, I am going to do a “mini triathlon”.

A mini triathlon is a smaller version of the sprint I will be doing in June. Instead of a 3.5 mile run, 10 mile bike ride, and 400m swim, this Friday I will be doing a 2 mile run, 10 mile bike ride, 300 meter swim. This pumps me up for the true work that I will be doing at the triathlon in June.

Triathlon training works well with half marathon training. The importance of cross-training is huge. If I haven’t been working different muscle groups the way I have been doing until now, I doubt that I would be doing as good.

I attribute a majority of my success to (1) God and (2) Bikrahm Yoga. This hot intense calorie burning session manages to sculpt my muscles, detox my body, and improve my flexibility in just a 90-minute session. I used to have major back problems during my runs, but it’s my weekly Bikrahm Yoga session that really takes the kinks out of my spine, and helps me prepare for my long runs during the week.

Weight Control App Review

The Weight Control phone application by MobiDala is a great and simple way to remind yourself about your weight every day.  Research suggests that those who weigh themselves more frequently are better able to maintain or achieve a their dream weight.

This simple app includes a place to input your weight every day and the time of day you took the measurement (out of bed, before lunch, before bed, ect.).  The application can then create a graph showing the results of your weight loss efforts over time, and will even draw a line to your goal weight.

I've also found that posting on the internet can help.  3fatchicks.com is a great website filled with lots of weight loss resources---and their forums are the best I have ever seen!  If you are look for a free method to get that "support" you need---(you know, the support the hubby won't give you)---then turn here because all of these women are working so hard together to reach their weight loss goals.  They even have some threads where women post their weight every day.

While the app is great for your own personal use, there is something about sharing weight loss experience with other people.  It makes it feel more like a game than a chore.  :)

Fast Food on a Diet

"Fast food on a diet??  You must be crazy!" is what you are probably thinking, and for the most part, it is.  No one should ever really eat fast food in the hopes of losing weight, but let's be honest: Fast food is cheap, easy, and darn tasty!

Eating fast food on a diet can seem like an impossible feat.  However, with the correct tools, it can become increasingly easy to do.  There are many tools available on the internet to make eating fast food easy, such as caloriecount.about.com or fat secret.  Fatsecret has an amazing phone application that holds all sorts of information about any chain restaurant imaginable.  I've quizzed my husband on it.  I say "choose a place to eat", he does, and I still manage to find some stuff to eat that is under 400 calories.  Here are some of my favorite fast food dozies:

Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Wendy's
350 calories

Panda express Bowl with Peppered Chicken and Steamed Veggies,
350 calories

The thing is, when you are only putting 1500 calories a day into your body, it's important to get creative.

14 Best Fast Food Meals Under 500 Calories

5k Run!