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Workouts & Reflections Jan 10-16

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This week has been a good week of workouts for me.  I feel like my body is making some really nice changes and ones that I am really starting to see.  I am happy with the way things have been going.  I hope to keep this up.  I actually have been sleeping better and am a happier person at night after I run a few miles.  I guess I do need to do something to get rid of the stress of the day.  Then I can focus on my family and be there for them.  It’s weird how totally exhausting myself helps me to be a better mom.  But when I am healthy, I feel better and can be better for my family.   

This is how my workouts looked this week:

Sun: treadmill run 7 miles, core
Mon: back, biceps, legs, 2 mile treadmill run, core
Tues: 5.7 mile treadmill run, 2.3 mile treadmill run, core
Wed: Legs, glutes, core
Thurs: 6 mile treadmill run, 3 mile run outside, core
Fri: chest, shoulders, triceps, legs, biceps
Sat: run, core


Reflections:

Sunday’s run was one that almost didn’t happen.  I really did not want to run on the treadmill that day.  I am having a really hard time getting used to running on it again, but with the cold temps that have finally come to Wisconsin and my fear and anxiety of icy roads at 4:30am, I am trying my best to learn to love, well at least enjoy, running on the treadmill again.  It’s been a huge struggle and that struggle really is mind over matter.  I know I can run on it.  I’ve done it a million times before.  I just need to get out of my head about it.  Once I get going I am able to do it and it’s never as bad as I make it out to be.  So for Sunday, I convinced myself that I only had to be on it for an hour and then I could be done.  I got going and took some walking breaks, but once I actually got myself closer to 5 miles, I felt pretty good.  Then I got to 6 miles and still felt pretty good, so I went to 7 miles.  I kept the pace at 5 mph which is really easy for me.  (However, this day it felt really hard.)  I actually could have kept going after 7 miles but I didn’t want to be on the treadmill all morning and it was pushing 10:30 am, so I let it be 7 miles today and I’m ok with that.  

One thing I have noticed this week is that I am making some really nice gains in my arms and my legs.  I’m sure these gains started earlier, but this week I seem to have noticed them the most.  Maybe it’s because I have upped my weights, I’m not sure.  I know I have definitely been sore this week.  I noticed Monday after Back and Biceps that my arms are really getting muscular.  I am noticing that I have less and less flab on my underarms and I am totally stoked about that.   My arms have been one of my problem areas that I have been trying really hard to work on.  Being a teacher, I have always been fearful of the teacher arm jiggle.  You know, when a teacher is explaining something or erasing the board and all you can focus on is how her underarm flab giggles while she’s doing it?  Yeah, That!  That is my biggest fear.  And I know I have had it.  I’m so glad to see that that is going away.  I noticed also in my legs just how muscular they are when I was pulling my leggings on Wednesday morning.  Granted Wednesday was leg day, but still, there’s some nice definition coming in my quads!!  I know I already have pretty nice calves from all my running.  But my thighs have always been chunky since I tend to carry my weight in my lower half.  Well, I can definitely see and feel the muscle definition in them now and not so much flab!  I am so excited. I know my legs will always be muscular and I am finally ok with that.  They have carried me through more training miles than I care to think about and a full marathon.  And they are going to carry me through so many more miles this year!  I can’t wait to see what they look like in December!

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Thursday the temps hit 40 degrees here!!  I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to run outside after I got home from school!  Let me tell you those 3 miles I ran were the best 3 miles I have run in a while!  It was so amazing to be out hitting the pavement!  I am so not a fan of winter running!  But 40 degrees I could totally deal with!  I loved this run and felt totally refreshed, energized, and like a new person afterwards!  I definitely cannot wait for the warmer temps to come back so I can get outside again. I am missing my outdoor runs in the mornings.  Although I am really enjoying watching Friends on the Ipad while on the treadmill.  I honestly could watch that show over and over again all the time.  It does make my time on the treadmill more enjoyable!

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Saturday, I finally faced my fears and did 10 miles on the treadmill.  I probably could have gone outside, but I let myself sleep in and then the hubby had an appointment to get to so I opted for the ‘Mill instead of the cold.  It actually was a really great run!  I was really surprised by how good I felt and how much I ran instead of walked.  I even pushed the speed up some to get it done.  I was a really nice run and now I know that I can run 10 miles on there.  I know I have done it a bunch of times before but it’s been about a year since I did that.  I would so rather run long distance outside, but I’m glad I know, again, that I can do it on the treadmill and it’s really not that bad.  I mean this is one of the reasons that I have a treadmill!  And let me tell you, I am so thankful for it and my family is as well.  If I didn’t get my run in, I can become a very unhappy person.  I know they like me more after I run, and shower!  Cause I stink for sure when I’m done!   

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As always, thanks for reading.  
If you have something that you would like me to blog about, please leave a comment!  I’m always looking for good ideas!

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Run on,

Laura

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