I meant to write this post a few days ago because I wanted to recap how running has been going lately! I've been getting my miles in and I'm slowly starting to feel more confident about my mini coming up. I do wish I had waited to sign up for the Indianapolis Mini because it seems like a quarter of my classmates are running it but instead I went for the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati - can you say hills on hills on hills? 

I've been training in Indianapolis which means most of my training has been flat - at least in respect to Cincy - the City of Seven Hills! It will definitely be a challenge but I'm going to do it!

I'm also toying with signing up for the Indianapolis Women's Half on June 6th - about a month after the Flying Pig and a week before the wedding. I read somewhere that if you are training for a mini or a marathon, you might as well sign up for another one since you'll already be conditioned for it. I'm going to see how my first one goes and then sign up if I'm still alive (I will be).

Honestly, it isn't the distance that is scary anymore. It's the part when I STOP running and my body figures out what I just put it through. Last week I did 8.25 miles which wasn't horrible. As soon as I started walking though, I started to get a little nauseous and my legs were very unhappy. I proceeded to take a warm bath and eat a snack which made me feel TONS better. I wasn't nearly as sore as I thought I would be the next day thanks to some foam rollin'  

Snack time!

If there's one tip I can provide as a newbie to running: make sure you are cross training!  Just do something other than running. Strength training and interval training has made all the difference for me - both physically and mentally. I feel more empowered when I challenge my body in ways other than running.  

Running is definitely hard and makes me feel accomplished but there is something about lifting weights that really kicks it up a notch for me.  Maybe it's because I'm starting to shed the self-conscious attitude at the gym - I hate knowing that people can watch me!  I wish I could workout in my own private gym. Hey Heather, care LESS. 

Nice BR shot.

On to the recap!  

Last Saturday morning, I ran the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure 5K with my med school team members! Thanks to some very generous family members, I was able to exceed my fundraising goal of $250 which was very exciting! 

I love charity races and this one was particularly special because there were so many cancer survivors participating and many family members dedicating their walk/run to affected friends/family! 

As far as the run part went, it felt quick! I remember running my first 5K last June and having to stop to walk because I burned myself out too quickly. I'm getting much better at pacing myself and ignoring the other people around me.  Just run. 

I was thankful that the course did have a few hills - I need the practice! As I neared the finish line, I was surprised that I wanted to keep running - the course just felt too short. What a stark contrast to where I was last year when 3 miles seemed impossible... 

My unofficial time - 33:15. I think it was more like 34:00 because I started my app late. We underestimated the time it would take to get to the start line from where we decided to meet so I ended up sprinting to the start and weaving in between all the walkers - this event was MASSIVE! I really want to buy a GPS watch to I'll have something more reliable to train with! 

The best part about the race? CHOCOLATE MILK at the end! I'm obsessed with Kroger chocolate milk but since I don't usually eat dairy these days, I never buy it. I was one happy camper!

After the race, Nick and I headed to Bloomington to enjoy the beautiful spring weather and check out the Bloomington Craft Beer Festival - craft beer from all over the state of Indiana. (including my new favorite - Three Floyd's that my dear friend and MOH introduced me to in Munster, IN).  

The event was being held in an old mill close to the Indiana quarries (Indiana is well-known for their limestone quarries). I love industrial spaces like this so it was super cool just to be there and walk around! 

We also made a quick visit to our favorite Bloomington spot - Nick's!

Empty tasting glass! (Nick hates that face).

I thought those letters were the coolest and then I found out they used to be on the old Bloomington Hospital before it was bought by IU Health and the name was changed! 

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you already know how nostalgic/ warm & fuzzy I get about Indiana, Bloomington, and my college years. I swear there is something special about B-Town. I love it! I get so happy going to visit - especially during the spring and fall. I'm getting all teary-eyed just thinking about it!  

And that's that! A quick visit and it was back to the books. I managed to get a workout in before we left the next morning so I think I balanced the trip out nicely.  

What's next on the running agenda? Two more long runs - 10 miles & 11 miles (plus my shorter training runs). And another 5K.

My school is sponsoring this 5K next weekend which several of us will be running! Then it's taper week and the big half marathon!  I can't believe it is so close!

Have a great weekend and Happy Easter!

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Hello everybody! Welcome to Weigh-In Wednesday!

Please go check out my sweet co-host!

Ash @ A Step in the Right Direction

If you're new to the link-up, please leave a comment!

Whew, these weeks are going quickly! I don't know where to begin! I'm in week 2 of bootcamp and things are going well! I've gotten used to waking up at 4:45 am three days a week. On Monday, my phone updated during the night and my alarm didn't go off. I ended up waking at 5:15 am which meant I wasn't going to make it to boot camp in time - instead of going back to bed, I marched my butt to the school gym for a 2 mile run and some weights! (and then I went to boot camp Tuesday to make up for it). I call that a personal victory!

Weigh In time: Down about 2 lbs from last week! But still stuck in the same 5 lbs that I've been losing and gaining for the last two months. Hopefully this is the start of something new...

My eating has been SOOOO much better lately - I've really been trying to reign it in this week. (but I still make room for my chocolate milk treat after boot camp!)

I forgot to mention, a couple weeks ago I ran my third 5K! My last 5k was July 4th which I ran in 35:45. This time, even in the cold & rain, I managed to reduce my time by 1:39! Slow and steady progress, right?

 

Ready to Run!

My next race is the Thanksgiving Day Race 10K! I hope I will survive it! I haven't run over 4 miles yet so I definitely need to be getting those long runs in the next three weeks! Hopefully this Boot Camp business will help me get through it! I'm really nervous.

Now it's wedding time! (I think I need to change this to Matrimony Monday or something! This is too much for one post). 

I made a quick trip back to Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon because Nick and I had plans to meet with the priest and go to mass at the church we are looking at for the wedding. We'll probably be putting a deposit down there this week! 

It's a very historic, gorgeous church at the top of a hill that overlooks the whole city! Perfect for us. I love how traditional Catholic churches are - I can't wait to start planning our Mass and doing our marriage prep! That will be the fun stuff :)

As for all other details, those will wait until Christmas Break! 

The view of Cincinnati - from Mt. Adams!

I'm linking up for the first time with the ladies at I Don't Go to the Gym! Go check them out!

Quick Five:
1. Happy 4th of July!
I hope everyone had a safe and fun Fourth! Nothing exciting to report here - I had to work. Surprise! I don't get too worked up about holidays so I doubt I would've done much without being at work. I definitely don't sound like the usual patriot and lover of liberty that I truly am. Woof.

Nick and I saw The Heat yesterday with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. We both thought it was pretty funny! I'm all about girl power and girls being hilarious but the plot was pretty generic. I will also proudly admit that I have a long standing girl crush on Sandra Bullock. How can you not love her? 

2. I've been eating like a goober.
The past few days of eating have been sub-optimal. I've been snacking a little bit more than usual and letting myself eat things I really shouldn't eat at this stage of the game like the sucky Mexican food the night before my race. Pretty sure carb loading is not required for a short race. Get a grip, Heather. Anyway - today it's back on the wagon (GASP! on a Friday?). Why wreck everything that cleanse did to jump start my efforts?

Reuben Sandwich - I only ate half but still...

3. Weigh In Wednesday Update/Thank You
When I weighed in on Wednesday I was practically the same as when I finished the cleanse right before the weekend (lost 0.2 lbs) so that's good news! Now I need to keep going :) I would love to make it to Onederland by August!

I also want to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who commented, tweeted, emailed, etc. such kind messages about the cleanse and my weight loss thus far. I cannot express to you how full my heart is with your thoughtful comments. This blogging thing is really scary sometimes but connecting with you all makes it worth it and I hope we will all continue towards our goals together!

4. My 2nd 5K
Yesterday I ran my 2nd 5K! Well, I ended up walking a little here and there but that made me damn determined to take my training seriously, suck it up, and run the whole thing next time! 

I think my biggest problem is that I haven't been able to "get in the zone" with my running yet. I can't block out all the other people so I push myself a little too hard at the beginning and end up running a lot faster than my training pace (hovers between 11:30-12:30). I get tired too easily and end up walking. Granted I did improve my time by 1:15 (I finished in 35:45 which is an 11:32/mile) but now I need to focus less on speed and more on endurance. 

5. Training
My next 5K is August 2nd and then I'm toying with running a big 5K in Indianapolis on August 31st. I'm going to start Hal Higdon's Novice 5K training on Monday which will prepare me up to the second 5K race since I'm kind of over C25K. After that I'm going to start training for the Thanksgiving Day 10K Race also using Hal Higdon's Novice 10K. I like his free training programs because they include cross training in the schedule. As much as I enjoy running, I will never rely on running for my only workout and he says cross training (and rest) are what really help you improve - I agree. 

Five Workouts:
Monday: Ran 1.3 miles until I got rained on (hence why you should check the weather)

View from my car

Tuesday: Ran 1.25 miles in my cross training shoes which was a terrible idea and I had to stop. Then it rained. 
Wednesday: Boot Camp (45 min) I finally got a legitimate workout in!
Thursday: 5K Run
Friday: probably TurboFire & Strength

What a crappy week of working out! Every time I motivated myself to go run, it got cut short by rain or something else. Kind of a slumpy week so I'll definitely need to fit something in this weekend! 

My 5K Playlist:

This is what I listened to as I ran. Some old and some new. I'm a pop alternative girl. Fun Fact: At the height of the Avril Lavigne craze, my best friends and I would go to school dressed like Avril - eyeliner, lots of bracelets, Hot Topic type clothes, and even that stupid tie. I kid you not. I wish I could find a picture...7th grade was an awkward time for me.

What do you listen to while running?

How long did you train for your first 5K/10K?

Any new running tips/tricks?

Hey Popsicles!

Today I'm linking up with Kristine @ Heart Shaped Sweat for her virtual 5K.  She is just plain awesome and so inspiring! Go check her out, along with the other 5K participants!

You can read my blog post about my experience here.  This was my first official 5K. I don't count The Color Run or a local 5K I did in college. I didn't train or run those.  

I ended up with a time of 36:58 which was under my goal of 40:00 minutes. My pace was about 11:56 which included about 35% walking, 65% running - I didn't run the whole thing but that's my next goal.  Hopefully by my next race I can get under 11:30 min and run the whole time.  Small progress!

I was nervous before...so awkward selfie is warranted.

One reason I was able to get in under my original goals was because of my music and adrenaline!  I started out wayyyy too fast and burnt out despite all the advice I read about not doing that... 

Here's the playlist I used!  Some oldies and some goodies since I like a little mix of everything.  Kiss You by One Direction is my power song.  I don't know why...it just makes me run faster!  

There's one song on here that you probably don't recognize.  This Is Indiana.  Shameless plug for my school...how can you watch this and not be an IU fan? 

I decided to make a new goal.  I'm going to run a race once a month for the rest of the year!  Here is my tentative plan.  If you will be running any of these or have other suggestions, let me know!  I'm so excited :)

These dates/races are subject to change. I tried to schedule around my exam schedule but a few of these occur right before or right after an exam so I may have to switch things around. I at least want to get a few more 5Ks in and definitely the Thanksgiving Day Race.  The rest will be extra!

So I guess you can say my first 5K experience was very positive since I want to keep going. Even though I'll probably never be some elite runner, I know I have a new hobby just for me that doesn't involve Netflix or copious amounts of glitter.

I'm only putting this up to prove I was there...I look disgusting. Sweaty gross hurr

I wasn't all that athletic growing up (hand-eye coordination is a foreign concept for me) so running and working out make me feel like an athlete.  I can train for something and actually see progress, even though I'm just in the beginning stages.

Who am I kidding, though?  I just want the T-Shirt...

Hey Popsicles!  I had a super exciting weekend - I ran my first 5K!  (well...I ran-walked but I finished!)  I'm going to be linking up with Heart Shaped Sweat for the Virtual 5K on June 11th so look for a fun post about my experience then!  

I was really, really proud of my time!  My goal when I started training was to be under 40 minutes.  I think I started out with a 15 minute mile (granted, I was walking most of the time at the beginning of Couch to 5K).  

My unofficial results from my Nike + app

My official time was 36:58 minutes and an average pace of 11:56/mile. This is huge for me. But it also gives me a lot of room for improvement.  Had I stuck to my training program religiously, I think I could've run the whole thing or at least most of it. I'd say I ran about 65%, walked 35%.  I made a classic rookie mistake - I let the excitement and pump-up music push me to run faster in the beginning.  I burnt out too quickly!  

My official results!  Nick was nice enough to point out that I got beat by a 9 year old and a 59 year old

Honestly, I'm just glad I did it.  I think I've said it a million times now - I'm not a runner.  At least, I wasn't before.  Now I want to be. I loved seeing people of all different ages, shapes, and sizes getting together to achieve the same goal. I loved the feeling of crossing the finish line - it made me want more.  I want to keep improving and challenging myself.  I'm in the process of finding a 5K to run in July.  My next goal is to run the whole thing!  

As for the rest of the weekend, it was relaxing and very chill.  I finally had Friday off work which is the first time in what feels like months and I slept at home two nights in a row!  AHHHHH. 

Now, I'm trying to recover. I'm a lot more sore than I expected to be - everything is aching including my back and shoulders.  I have so much cleaning and picking up, grocery shopping and meal prep, and workout planning to do today.  Really, I just want a nap.  Hopefully I can fit everything in before work!

I thought it would be fun to do a quick link up with everyone through Sunday Social at A Complete Waste of Makeup. I love reading her blog and I love answering questions so what a perfect combination!  Happy one year for this link-up!

1. What is your favorite Social Media outlet?  
I used to love Facebook - not so much anymore.  Now it's either Twitter or Instagram.  I never tweet on my personal account but I love connecting with people on my blog account!

2. Do you subscribe to any daily news reads? If so which ones? 

I love Skimm - they send you a summary of the daily news. I also use Bloglovin' to follow my favorite medical journals and websites like KevinMD.com, Medscape, and New England Journal of Medicine.

3. Favorite Magazine to have by the pool? 

Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Shape, Self, & Rebook

4. Favorite summertime song? 

Drunk on You - Luke Bryan & Summertime - Kenny Chesney

5. Best Summer concert you’ve been to? 

Hands down - Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney last summer (2012) at Paul Brown Stadium.  Grace Potter & The Nocturals and Jake Owen also performed and it was one of the most fun times I can remember.  They were amazing!

The weeks are starting to get shorter and shorter now that I have a pretty consistent schedule in place.  I can’t decide if I want time to speed up or slow down...

Saturday night, Nick and I went to the Tim McGraw concert! Love & Theft and Brantley Gilbert (with a surprise appearance from Justin Moore) also performed. Everyone sounded awesome and it was just a really chill concert.  Is it just me or does Tim McGraw keep getting better with age?  

Have you noticed that I don't take very many full body shots?  Just faces...that's all that matters right now :P

I think the best part about the concert besides the obvious stuff is the people watching.  I felt like I was in a people zoo just absorbing all the interesting fashions and behaviors...

On the whole, our eating left something to be desired as usual.  (plus the copious amounts of cheap beer - piss water as my friend calls it - and the fried pickles that shred the roof of my mouth.)  It could have been worse, but I'm still going to have to work extra hard Monday and Tuesday to make up for all that drinking...

Speaking of which, I'm going on an adult beverage hiatus for a couple weeks.  Even though Saturday is really the only time I even get the opportunity, I'm sure it isn't helping my weight loss goals very much.  Plus, we have weddings and more concerts and a trip to Atlanta to worry about...in the mean time, I have to continue taking the clean eating seriously.

So other than the concert, nothing else happened this weekend.  I had a super productive weekend in the cleaning department - cleaned the kitchen, did tons of laundry including my sheets, cleaned the bathroom, and picked up.  It feels good to keep things nice and neat.  For a while, my mom and I were living in a Hoarders-esque nightmare...no, not really.  But it felt like it.  If your environment is a reflection of what's going on inside your mind then we were pretty nuts.

I'm finally running my 5K this coming Saturday!  Nick and I were supposed to run together but he hurt his ankle last weekend.  This is probably a good thing for me - I can set my own pace, run as much as I want, walk when I need to, etc.  At the same time, I'm pretty nervous because I've never done this before.  I always told myself I couldn't make it or I couldn't run.  Well guess what?  I'm going to do it!  I'm hoping to get under 40 minutes.  Not a lofty goal by any means but I haven't been very diligent with my training.

This is also my last week babysitting on Tuesdays & Thursdays.  I'm going to miss my kids but I'm so happy to be done.  It's amazing how 10-12 hours a week can eat up so much of my time.  I'll be glad when I have more time for sleep and relaxing...or working out.  That's cool too.

We might be a little crazy!

Happy Memorial Day!