Congratulations on making it through week two of training with Strong Together! We hope you are feeling more energetic and excited about the rest of the journey. We asked our bloggers to tell us how their routines have changed over the past two weeks. Many of you will relate with Kristyn, pictured left, who is traveling for business this week and hasn't had much luck following her training regimen.
She's proof that even if you've wavered from your original plan, it's not too late to get back on track. Let these posts encourage you to make new habits!
From Georgeanna: The first step is the hardest one. Always. Beginning a new program can be intimidating. And it takes continued commitment to stick to it, to make it work. If this is your first time trying this "running thing" or even if you're used to pounding the pavement, we all know how hard getting out the door can be.
Getting started, just making the commitment to give running a try can be the hardest part. But now that you've done it, keep it up! I'm sure you've had to make some adjustments in your life to make it happen. But it's worth it! Any time you spend to better yourself is worth the sacrifice.
I spent years not taking the time to get started. Afraid to try anything. Afraid to fail. Afraid to get out of my comfort zone. I am so glad that you are not making the same choices I did.
I've found over the last year and half, as I've invested the time in myself to get healthy, I am happier than I've ever been. I'm healthier, fitter and thinner than I've been in years. But what really feels the best is knowing I'm worth the time and effort I've spent to get there.
As the weeks go by, don't forget why you started. Don't forget what prompted to want to get out of bed and lace up those running shoes. Don't forget why you are willing to make time to get your running in. There was something in you that wanted to get started, so keep that in mind when you don't feel like running.
You've done the hard part. Keep up the good work! Take the time to invest in yourself. You're worth it!
From Courtney: For me, an early morning is a secret weapon—the kryptonite of soundly, snoozing daughters and daddies alike. Before joining Strong Together, I didn’t always take advantage of these “slept-on” moments. But now, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, I wield my weapon fearlessly. I tiptoe down the stairs and out the door to complete my run for the day, neutralizing my “I don’t have time to workout” excuse in a single blow. Pow! When I’m done, I slip back in the house and start making breakfast for Parker. No one is the wiser.
That’s one way my personal routine has changed since adding exercise. There are other changes that I’ve made too. I seek out accountability partners within my family. The night prior or before the day gets too crazy I tell my husband what training activity is assigned. He holds me accountable and suggests times when I can workout, if the morning isn’t an option. He knows that if it gets too late my motivation will fizzle. So on cross-training days, I try to escape to the gym in the afternoon or early evening for 30 minutes.
If I don’t plan for the little things, I can easily get transported to that lovely nation—procrastination. So, I’ve already registered for the Redbud Classic. It was painless, fast and cheaper now than it will be after March 1. It has been added to my calendar and I’ve even told my friends and family I’ll be running in it. Taking care of tasks like registering for the race, marking my training on the calendar with reminders and planning ahead for child care if my husband will be working, all help me eliminate distractions and focus on achieving my Strong Together goals.
As we continue our training, I encourage you to take a look at your schedule and find the time your family has discarded and make the most of it. I’m so not a morning person. But if I want to defeat my arch nemesis—distractions—I can’t “tap to snooze.”
From Mae: The excitement of beginning this training program has worn off a bit and nervousness has set in. I ran last fall and got up to running 2.5 miles without my kids. Now that I am running with my kids and am up to about 1.5 miles, I am starting to doubt my ability to do 3.1 miles in a little over a month. Can anyone else relate?
A couple things are helping me to stay motivated. I have already paid for the race and I don't want to loose my money by backing out now and I feel so good after completing a run I don't want to miss any. It has taken a little work to adjust my schedule to include running and especially running with my kids. Before running with my kids, I would get up early in the morning and run around our neighborhood. But now that I run with my kids, I want to run during warmer parts of the day. So after looking at my schedule, I decided that the best time for me are Tuesday and Thursday after school. That is the warmest part of the day right now and it frees up our mornings for kid-centered activities. It is a lot of work sometimes. I have to load up my double jogging stroller and all our winter gear in the car. But then I remember how good I feel after the run and how much fun my kids have playing at the park, and I get myself in gear.
Now that I have been running in the afternoons for a couple weeks now I have found it much more convenient than the mornings. I have to admit, when I run in the mornings it is hard to find time to get ready after the run and before we have to be someplace; unless I go extremely early and I prefer to run when there is a little light. The result was I found myself just staying in my workout clothes all day, which wasn't much fun. Now, I can still get ready in the morning and change for the afternoon work out. It just works better for me.
Hope you all are finding routines that work for you. Happy running and walking.
From Kristyn: I wish I could respond by saying that since we started this journey, I have carved out time for a few training miles each day, but I can’t. You see, I’m writing this from an Amtrak train somewhere between Washington D.C. and New York City. For the last few days, I’ve been attending a real estate conference in D.C. and now I’m headed to NYC for a few days of fun with girlfriends, not exactly the "in training” mode I should be in at all.
I had the best of intentions before I arrived, packing my shiny new running shoes and gear into the very last available space of my suitcase. My plan was to get up early every morning, lace up my shoes and run the streets of our nation’s Capitol and maybe Central Park. That didn’t happen. Winter Storm Pandora happened. A busy conference schedule happened. Co-workers inviting me to dinner happened. Sightseeing and tours happened.
Sometimes life happens while we are training for a race. When it does, forgive yourself then get right back on schedule as soon as you can. For me, that will happen this weekend.
