Ugh...

Well, once again I have failed to blog regularly or for that matter, run regularly. What can I say? Life happens. I didn't run the 5K on January 22nd, but I am still planning on running a half marathon in May. I have been walking twice a week for the last two weeks, but I know that really isn't helping anything. Here's to restarting again.!

My Running Playlist

Okay-if you know me at all there is one thing I love: MUSIC!!! I love all kinds of music (except country for the most part) and there is never silence in my car or house. The radio is always playing and I will switch stations constantly to hear something I like. When I started running I used my iPod on every single run-even the half marathon that I ran in the rain. I started training for a marathon and we weren't allowed to use music. I loved my coach, but I missed my music. Now even when I take the baby in the stroller I have the iPod going so we can both jam out. There are a few songs that are on every playlist I have and I must listen to them when I exercise. Here are some of my favorites:

"Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga-this is my most played song on iTunes. I LOVE LOVE this song-no matter how many times I hear it. My rule of running is that when this song comes on, I must run for the entire song.

"Sound of Madness" by Shine Down-ever had a bad day? This song is a great shouting, pulse-pounding rocks song to get your adrenaline pumping.

"Jai Ho" by A.R. Rahman-the feature song from the "Slumdog Millionaire" soundtrack. When I listen to this song, I remember how uplifting the movie is and it helps me get through my run.

"Enter Sandman" by Metallica-another great rage running song

"Tik Tok" and "Your Love is My Drug" by Ke$ha-when I first started running in 2009, these songs were so catchy and upbeat. On mile 10 of my first half-marathon (when I wanted to stop) these songs helped get through to the finish.

"Lose Yourself" by Eminem-one of my favorite motivating songs.

"Renegade" by Styx-oh mama....do I really need to say anything more?

"Then He Kissed Me" by The Crystals-short, sweet, and easy to bounce along.

Some more without my commentary:

"Thrash Unreal" by Against Me
"You Shook Me" by AC/DC
"Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith
"The Dogs Day are Over" and "Shake It Out" by Florence and the Machine
"Raise Your Glass" and "Just Like a Pill" by Pink
"Poker Face" by Lady Gaga

My new favorite song is "We Are Young" by Fun.

Basically music helps me forget the pain and gives me my "pace" when I forget my watch. I

All about this blog-redo...

I started this blog last January in an effort to document staying fit during my pregnancy. Well, that was an abyssmal failure to say the least. I don't just mean the blog, but staying fit during pregnancy. I was good for about five months, then I lost my wonderful library job and was put on restricted activity for the remainder of my pregnancy. I was unable to run or enjoy any of the "forbidden" outlets while pregnant and stressed so I ate and ate anything I wanted for the last three months. My bad behavior and job loss (thanks again Rick Perry for slashing education funds in Texas) resulted in a total gain of 40 pounds while pregnant. I couldn't believe I gained half of what I had worked so hard to lose. To add insult to injury I lost nothing, yep that's right zero pounds while in the hospital, and have only managed to shed about 15 pounds in the last seven months. I am tettering on that edge of not being able to shop in the regular sizes and I gave up trying to squeeze myself into my 12s and bought some 16s just to be on the safe side.

As far as the exercising has gone-it hasn't gone anywhere. I signed up to run a 10K in October with almost no training and managed to pull out a 1:33 which shocked pretty much everybody, myself included. My goal was anything under 2 hours. I signed up to run a half-marathon in November, didn't do that one at all. I have been beating myself up over that, and I have now decided to move on. I have been walking pretty consistently prior to Christmas break and managed to walk about 4 times (at least 2 miles each time) during the holidays. Last night was the first time I made a concentrated effort to run with a plan.

I want to run a 5K in 19 days in under 45:00. My plan is to walk 1/4 mile, jog 1/4 mile for 2 miles, then walk the last 1.1 for 1 week and gradually bump up to walk/run for the entire 3.1 miles. My first training run went okay, but it was soooo cold I cut it short by about 1/3 mile.

Right now my main obstacle is time. Once I get off work, pick up the baby, and get home I only have about 2 hours before it is time to put him to bed. It is hard for me to give up my playtime with him. The other part is that there is laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, more laundry, more cleaning and the occassional cooking that takes my time away as well.

Today I went and ran without the baby at the track. It was very windy and hard to run because the boys' soccer team was practicing on the football field and I was afraid I was going to get hit in the head with a ball. I only ran a total .75 miles, but did 2 miles total. I am really sore in my back and my chest. I hope to go at least 3 miles tomorrow, but I doubt I will be running too much.

New Year, New Life, Newness....

I have a love/hate relationship with resolutions. I love to make them and hate it when I break them. I resolved to run/walk at least 5 times a week building up to a half-marathon in May.

I waited until about 5:30 this evening to go and run. Not smart, with an almost seven month-old it was too cold. I managed to get in two mile in 30:29 with 1/2 of that jogged very slowly and then I let the baby go in and warm up. I went ahead and walked/jogged another mile, but only jogged about 1/4 of the last.

It felt good to get out and actually try to run. My short term resolution is walk/jog a 5K on January 22nd in under 45:00. After that, we will see.