A fresh start

There is a statistic floating around that somewhere around 80% of people have already given up on their New Years resolutions.  Sadly, I was one of those people and was sort of wallowing in disappointment that I had already ruined my initial goal.  Then a wise and encouraging friend reminded me that just because the calendar doesn't say January 1st it doesn't mean you can't make a fresh start.  A year doesn't have to follow a calendar year.

So here we are, January 24th (well, now it is the 25th since I didn't post this yesterday) and I'm starting a new year.  How?  I'm counting today as the fresh start of my original goal to get at least one intentional mile per day.  I initially had this goal because I am a part of a team for "Run the Year". The goal of that team is to run/walk 2018 intentional miles as a team in 2018.  The only way we'll get there is committing to intentional miles daily.  I had honestly done pretty well, but getting sick threw me for a loop.  I basically hadn't moved since Saturday and was frustrated with myself.  Then I saw my friend Carla post about running a mile today and a challenge.  Curious about what her challenge was, I learned that she is joining Vaughn in a challenge/goal to run one mile every day for a year.  I don't think it is coincidence that my Fleet Feet family (who have helped me get/stay on track before) are the ones who are involved in a similar challenge/goal that I had initially set for myself for this year.  They reminded me that there was no reason to throw away my 2018 goal just because I had already screwed it up by January 24th.

So January 24th was the start of a new year for me. A year filled with getting at least one intentional mile a day.  Some days I'll walk, some run. Sometimes with the kids, sometimes with Fleet Feet, sometimes on my own.

To start my new year, I walked yesterday at the Monroeville Mall.  I had the kids in the stroller, so I was pushing around 60 pounds of toddler plus however much the stroller weighs.  But I went for it.  I started my garmin and I looped around the ground floor until my watch buzzed for a mile.  I felt good so I pushed it and went for two.  It felt so good to get in some physical activity when I could have easily veged out instead.

I'm excited for this new challenge and look forward to getting my intentional miles in every day.

Well, it is a start

I definitely knew that basically taking the month of December off would impact my fitness and running abilities.  I just didn't realize it could cause such a significant drop in my pace.

I used my Garmin for an outdoor run for the first time yesterday.  Since it was finally warm enough to spend some time outside, I decided to go for a run when my husband got home from work.  The daylight was weaning, so I knew I couldn't do much.  But I was eager to get out there and pound the pavement while enjoying some fresh (although still a little crisp) air.  Anyone that has been to my neighborhood knows that it really is quite hilly.  And honestly, I haven't done any hill work in a while.  I had thought about totally avoiding the hillier portion of the neighborhood, but that would essentially only be cheating myself.  So I sucked it up and ran/walked through most of the neighborhood in loops.  At one point while going up "the big hill" (it would have been huge to me in Buffalo, but in Pittsburgh probably barely rates as a hill) my pace was over 20:15.  I KNEW I could pick it up.  I didn't want to overdo anything since I hadn't had a real run in a while, but I also knew going that slow wouldn't help me at all in terms of my training.  My goal was to do at least a mile, but once the watch buzzed that I had hit a mile, I knew there was enough daylight and I had enough energy to keep going and hit at least 1.5.    Which I hit about two houses away from home.

My initial thoughts when I hit "done" and saw the workout summary was frustration and disgust.  This was MUCH slower then I had been running in the not so distant past.  I wouldn't dwell there, though.  After all, it was my first run in ages and, more importantly, I was out there doing something.  I could have easily chosen to stay at home on the couch and not be active.  Instead I chose to take some "me" time and run.  1.5 miles of time to reflect and pray.  1.5 miles of relative peace and quite.  1.5 miles of fresh air and a setting sun.  1.5 miles worth of calories burned and steps taken. 

Was it where I was hoping to be?  Absolutely not.  But it is a good place for a fresh start.  I'll take yesterday's run, reflect on what went right and wrong and focus on how I can improve on my next one.  I have A LOT of work to do in order to be able to participate in the Pittsburgh Half Marathon in May, but I know that if I keep moving (even if it is slower than I was hoping) I will reach my running and fitness goals.

 

The little things are important too

For some, fitness is an all or nothing scenario.  Every bite they put in their mouth has to be perfectly planned and healthy.  They have to get a full three or five miles in for a run or it "didn't count."  I applaud anyone that this type of scenario works for, but I am SOOOOOO not that way.  Maybe that is the reason I lose weight slowly and still haven't broken my desired pace of a 45 minute 5k.  But I also know I won't last more than a few days if I try to be so incredibly drastic in all of my food and fitness goals.  I'm much more likely to stick with things if I know that I can occasionally have some of my favorite treats (like ice cream or chicken wings).  It is important, though, to be mindful of those things.  If I choose to make a less then favorable food choice I still log it into MyFitnessPal.  Sometimes I cringe when I see the nutritional content in my daily food log, but it is a good reminder about why I shouldn't make it a regular choice.




I also think it is important to remember that the little things matter and count towards your overall fitness journey as well.  I had to work from 9:45 until 8:00 today.  It is epically crappy outside, so there was no way I was going to wander the streets of downtown Pittsburgh to help achieve my goal of one intentional mile per day.  So do you know what I did?  I started my Garmin in indoor walk mode and wandered the halls of the Benedum Center basement until my watch buzzed that I had reached a mile.  Was it a fast mile?  Nope.  It took almost 18 minutes.  But a mile is a mile.  And it is one mile closer to a healthier me then I would have been if I just sat at my desk playing on my phone.

The other thing that I did today may seem small to many, but it was huge for me.  I'm working on kicking my Diet Pepsi habit.  I've done it before, so I know I can do it again.  I've definitely cut way back, but I often find that it creeps back in.  Today I have been Diet Pepsi free.  I still needed caffeine, though.  And the artificial sweeteners, sugar or other things that we often put in coffee can be just as bad as if I had simply had a Diet Pepsi.  So today I tried something that I honestly had never done before.  It might sound like a simple thing, but I had a coffee with no cream or sugar added.  Just a plain Keurig K Cup of coffee (in my super fun "mom fuel" mug that my Sister in Law Carolyn bought me for Christmas).  I do have to admit it was a flavored pod, so I wasn't drinking straight black coffee, but it was still an improvement from my usual way that I get a hit of caffeine. 
I guess what I'm trying to say in probably a lot more words than are necessary is that small changes are important in our fitness journeys.  Little things can make a big difference in our overall success.  Don't overlook the simple things you can do to help make a difference towards a healthier you.  Take time to recognize and celebrate the small victories that you have along the way.  Because those small victories eventually add up and help you reach and maintain your goals.