Month: July 2012

30 Day Running Challenge: Day 2

Why did you continue to run?

At some point, I feel like you can’t really stop.  Each run became a chance to be better than I had been on my last run.  A bad day could easily be washed away with a good run (unfortunately, a bad day could be worsened by a bad run, but let’s focus on the positive).

I guess I continue running because I worked so hard to become a runner, and nothing can beat that feeling of accomplishment after a great run 🙂

Perfectly said!

30 Day Running Challenge: Day 1

When did you start running and why?

I started running officially the summer after my sophomore year of college when I was 19, about to turn 20 (2004).

I have always been very active and thrived on playing sports in high school, but adjusting to college life when I had no organized sports to keep me moving really shook up my lifestyle. I would rollerblade and go to the gym with my roommate, but it just wasn’t the same.

I somehow missed out on the freshman 15, but was hit by the sophomore 25.  I saw a picture of myself at a party with a friend and could not believe what I saw!  How could this be me?  I’m an athlete!  Alas, I was an athlete with no athletic activity.

That May, I moved into my first apartment as a sub-leaser, and as luck may have it, my new roommate was a dietetics major who was an avid runner.  She ran 6 miles every day without fail and was running a marathon at the end of that summer.

For me, it was easy to pick up an active lifestyle while living with someone like that.  I went out and moved every day for at least a half hour.  Rollerblading, riding my bike, walking around campus, it just became a part of my daily life, and the weight started to roll off. 

I loved running when I was in elementary school.  I was one of the best runners in my class, but somewhere in middle school I started to HATE running, and that mindset had stuck with me.  But in my mind, the fittest people were always runners.  It represented discipline and determination, so one day, I went for a run.  I only made it about 3 blocks (this was right before I realized I had severe asthma).  But the next day, I made myself go 4 blocks.  Soon, I was running for 5 minutes, then 7, then 10, and before I knew it, I was doing 2 miles without thinking about it.

I still remember the day I ran 4 miles for the first time, and the time I ran for an hour straight for the first time, my first double digit mileage run.  I was suddenly a runner.  A day didn’t feel successful unless I ran.  

I realized that I was completely in love and addicted. 

#running

Need an oil change?

Most people know that cars need routine maintenance; gas to make it run, and consistent oil changes.  Then there are a select few that religiously get the tune ups, the engine flushes, tire rotations, break inspections, the things that a car can continue running without, but not for very long.

This is how I feel about the human body in some regards.  Most people know that you have to eat to survive, the better the fuel the better you perform, and most people will workout once in a while because they know it is good for them.
But unlike a car, we can’t get a new body when our current one breaks down from improper maintenance, or trade it in when we want a new body style. This is why it is SO important to take care of the one we have!
Just like you would take your car to a mechanic for the things that go beyond your knowledge or skill, I firmly believe everyone should see a personal trainer, or some other guru of what I like to call “natural preventative medicine” to learn how to make and keep your body at its best.
We only get one body, and unlike the car I have that I am very terrible at maintaining, I want to do everything I can to make sure my body performs at its peak for as long as it can.
You know you need to work out and eat healthy, but do you know why you need a certain type of carb or protein after a workout?  Have you ever thought about the flexibility of your spine or your hip mobility?
I used to be a pretty average gym person.  I would go, stretch, do some cardio, and do some weights… but there is so much more than that that should happen to get results and reap the benefits of fitness!
There is an overload of information out there on fitness and nutrition. There are always the latest fads, new workout crazes, but there are also the tried and true methods of how to keep your body healthy and at its best.
So, if you want to keep your “engine” running at its peak, take the time to do the maintenance and find a credible professional you trust to help you out and show you the way.  
Remember, you only get one body, and there is more involved in maintaining it than gas and oil changes. 
10 Foods that help you burn more fat

Healthy Buddha: 30 Day Running Challenge!

Borrowed from an amazing blog that I follow here on tumblr, the 30 Day Running Challenge!!!

healthybuddha:

  1. When did you start running and why?
  2. Why did you continue to run?
  3. What ultimate running goal would you like to accomplish?
  4. Tell us about your first race or when you plan to start!
  5. What’s your favorite distance to run or race and why?
  6. To you, what’s the hardest thing about running?
  7. Who…

Healthy Buddha: 30 Day Running Challenge!