Sarah’s Fitness Journal

Another challenging workout...warm up, 8 minutes running, 5 minutes walking, 8 minutes running, cool down. And tomorrow is 20 minutes running with a warm up and cool down! I can’t believe how quickly this program is progressing. I guess I must be ready for it. Today wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, so we’ll see about tomorrow! Also, tomorrow I weigh myself again. I’m not expecting the same high number as last week because you always tend to lose more in the beginning. I’ve exercised every day, done all of my core work and stayed on my diet. So we’ll see! Hoping for 3 lbs.

So for the past few days, I’ve been worried about moving to the next level in my Couch to 5K program. I felt exhausted during parts of my previous level, and I was doubting if I had enough endurance for the next level. I decided to give it a try anyways, figuring I could always just alter it during the workout if I was too tired. It was 3 intervals of running 5 minutes with walking in between. And I did it and actually felt pretty good! Really proud of myself! I can tell my endurance is getting better! Something that my kids’ running coach has suggested was to run in fron of a mirror. It helps to focus you on your form issues and reminds you to correct them. I’ve found this really helpful. I’m remembering to keep my hands down, arms driving straight, shoulders relaxed and right foot going straight through it’s swing. Now I’m finishing my core work and going to a trail with my dog and my youngest son for him to do his run. He’s been working very hard too and that inspires me! 

  I felt a little better in this workout today. I think I’ll still do this workout again tomorrow, but I’m not sure.

Today was the same workout as yesterday, and it was still really tough. I know that eventually it won’t be hard to run 3-5 minutes straight, but that’s definitely where I am now. Again, I’m very proud that I kept at it. I’ve been feeling really good about my choice to stay away from social media. I was definitely addicted to it, and so much of it was contributing to my depression. I’m saving a lot of time from not being on it now too. And I’m taking that time to focus on healthier activities for me, like cooking healthier new meals for my family and myself, cleaning and staying on top of the house, exercising and getting to bed early (which is helping get rid of my insomnia. A couple of nights ago I slept solidly until 4 AM, and that is unheard of for me.) Tonight we are making salsa chicken again. Evan loves it for dinner and he loves it for leftovers too. We will probably make it once a week. Tomorrow night I’m making Moroccan Chicken...another recipe recommended by my friend, Karen....

I knew that would be a tough workout, and it was. I know in a matter of a few weeks, this workout won’t seem like much, but it felt like a big jump.  Three minutes has been the most I’ve run so far at a time, and there were 2 of those. Then 2 five minute intervals, and shorter rests between. Phew. Proud of myself for completing it. That being said, depending on how I feel, I might do this same workout this whole week to build up my endurance instead of moving on to the next in 2 more sessions. We’ll see. Then, there were 2 more hightlights from today. For a few years now, I’ve wanted to get a new laptop, but I’ve been too overwhelmed at spending the money and doing the research. My husband reassured me that I should go ahead and do it, and I actually had the energy recently to figure out the one I wanted. I’m really happy about it. Second, my husband and I made Beef Barbacoa in the Instapot, and OHMYWORD, was it good. (My friend, Karen, shared the recipe with me.) The whole family ...

So, the diet is going very well, and I’ve done the running/walking and core every day. I can run the minute and a half intervals without trouble, and I run the 3 minute intervals, but I’m a lot more tired by the end of them. It makes sense for sure. After all, it’s only day 9. However, tomorrow, the workout is a lot more challenging. Like I’m not sure if I’m ready for it. So I’m trying to figure out if I should repeat the workouts I’ve done the past few days, or go ahead with this one. This workout is intended to be one where you only run 3 days a week, and I’ve been running every day, so I’m not sure if I should delay this. I guess I’ll decide tomorrow based on how I feel. This is the workout... The rest periods are shortened and the runs are a lot longer. We’ll see. It might be a good challenge. 😊

It was the first time I stepped on a scale since I started eating clean and exercising, and it showed that I lost 7 pounds!! I am only weighing myself once a week (on Fridays) so that I don’t get discouraged by any ups and downs. I know that weight comes off easiest in the beginning, so I won’t be losing that much every week, but it was definitely encouraging to see that number today...185. It is the second highest number that I’ve ever seen on a scale for me, but we are going in the right direction now, and I’m proud of myself for it. 😊❤️ Just got a new measuring tape...my waist measures 42 inches, my thigh is 25 inches, and my upper arm is 14 inches. Exercise is going great! It’s still alternating walking and running, but I’m up to running 3 minutes in a row now. Strange that a few years ago, that was nothing for me, but it is a big achievement for me now. Looking forward to being able to run miles at a time someday soon. I’ve also increased my core work...40 modified push ups, 40 s...