moving forward & guest post – 5 things I love about running.

Well, now that the cat’s out of the bag, and life has “slowed” down to about 80 miles per hour, as opposed to the 100 mph speed of the last two months, I feel myself coming out of the clouds and back into blogging. I still don’t know how much of it I will do on a weekly basis but I hope to write than I have in recent months.

So what else is new with me?

Other than receiving one of the biggest blessings EVER – my pregnancy – I’ve sort of just been in survival mode due to the nature of work. The beginning of the fall semester came and went, and I emerged from it unscathed. The brutal Texas heat and the nervousness that comes with a first time pregnancy prevented me from running but I’ve managed to keep a pretty steady exercise routine (though there ARE some morning where I choose to sleep in). Knowing that I would be very tired after a full day’s work, I started a routine of getting up between 5:30 am and 5:45 am, to do a 30 minute “walking” and strength training DVD. Most weeks I do it 3x a week but this week, only once. That’s okay, though. I’ve managed to incorporate a lot of walking through each day, like taking a 20 minute walk with a colleague after work hours, enjoying a much quieter campus after most of the commuter students went home. I have to tell you something, though . . .

I miss running!

Though I consistently ran for 12 solid months leading up to my pregnancy, not having run the last two months have definitely set me back. But, it’s all for good – as I’m learning each day how to listen to my body more, to take care of the little one inside of me. Tomorrow, to hopefully ease my way back into running (glorious 68 degree temps should be making its way to North Texas next week, hurrah!), I’m joining a friend of mine, this lovely lady, on a 5k “race”. I definitely don’t plan on racing. My goal is just to slowly jog for 1 minute, then walk for 3-4 minutes, alternately, throughout the 3.1 mile course. If I’m too tired, I’ll just stop jogging, walk and enjoy the beautiful morning weather. It should be real fun and I’m glad to have a chance to catch up with my friend Britt and to cheer her on during her first official chip-timed 5k.

Speaking of running, I have another wonderful person to write a guest post for this here little blog. Emily of Relishments is a new blog friend and one who continues to inspire me, even through the world wide web. She’s written her thoughts on running so without further ado . . .

5 Things I Love About Running

If you’d asked me 6 months ago if I wanted to become a runner I probably would’ve looked at you as though you had 5 heads.  My, how things change.  Last April I agreed to walk a 5k with an injured friend and before the end of that race I knew I was falling in love with racing.  There are a lot of reasons for my decision to start running and a lot of reasons why I enjoy it, but I’ve managed to narrow this list down to just 5.

1.  Doing it anywhere

One of running’s biggest appeals is that I don’t need to go anywhere special to make it happen, all I need to do is walk out my door.  The lack of commute removes one of many excuses for not exercising and I can squeeze a run into only a few spare minutes.  I can also run on vacation, indoors on a treadmill, or up and down the stairs of my apartment.

2.  Being outdoors

I have a gym membership that I still use, but there’s something so awesome about being outside and watching the scenery change as I run by.  The air is fresh, I always see something interesting and I get a little vitamin D as well.  After spending all day indoors at work (in a windowless room, no less!), there’s nothing better than clearing my brain by spending some time in the sunshine.

3.  Buying new clothes

When I showed up for my first 5k, one of my friends pointed out to me that it’s not really ideal to run in cotton.  Who knew?  Since then I’ve purchased a few clothing items designed for running, including my favorite item: running pants with a pocket.  Running clothes don’t have to be expensive either; I’ve scored a lot of great deals at discount retailers like T.J. Maxx.

4.  Hanging out with friends

It was only because of my friends that I started running.  The fact that I know a lot of runners keeps me running.  So far I’ve run 2 races in New York with some of my best blogger friends and I’m running my third 5k next month with one of my friends and my husband.  The shared experience of a race, plus having someone next to you to keep you motivated, is invaluable and makes it that much more fun.

5.  Competing with myself

Yes, there are awards and medals for those runners that cross the finish line first, but the most enjoyable part of running for me has been beating my own records.  When I walked/ran my first race, I had no idea what my time was going to be.  For my second 5k, I actually tried to be fast and I improved on my time by 8 minutes.  I don’t think I’ll ever be the first person to cross the finish line, but I’m looking forward to trying to finish 3 miles in less than 30 minutes.

Her most recent 5k a couple of weeks ago and she actually met her goal! 29:41 – isn’t that amazing? Make sure you stop by Emily’s blog and say hello! She doesn’t just stick to running on her blog but posts quite a few things about her food adventures (Emily, can I just say I’m living vicariously through you right now with all your cooking? Yum!).

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

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