Resolutions for the new year, and a treadmill workout

Happy 2013! Our New Year's celebration was quiet. We got the little man down to bed at a decent time and then we watched a documentary on Netflix called Deep Water. It's about a weekend sailor who decided to compete in a first-of-its-kind round-the-world sailing competition in the late 1960s. The ending was totally not what I expected; I couldn't believe I'd never heard of this guy before now.

We made it to midnight, but barely. Apparently we were not alone. As I checked Facebook, I saw a lot of "It's only 9 p.m. but I can't stay up any longer and by the way I'm officially old"-type posts. 

Resolutions: Do you have any? Or anything you want to do/change in 2013? My only resolution at this point is to keep up the activities and habits I took up in the last part of 2012:

• Continue going to Xtend Barre classes 4 times a week (I continue to love, love, love this class... Who knew I'd grow so fond of ballet and Pilates?)
• Find my next race. 5K? Half marathon? Trail run? Not sure yet, but I'm hoping that I'll decide on something close to home, and relatively soon.
• Finish up my 30-day vegan challenge! I'm on Day 16 (I think), and so far, so good. My only slip-up was when I ordered a salad at Panera and discovered too late that it had feta cheese on it. My least favorite cheese! Argh. I hate wasting food so I ate it anyway. More on the Vegan Challenge in the next few days.
• And lose a few pounds. I guess that one's new, but I don't want to get too caught up in thinking about it. I'm using the Lose It! app on my iPhone to track my calories and workouts. More on that in the coming weeks, too.

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I'm one of those runners who is not too keen on running in supercold weather (and by "supercold," I mean anything less than 30 degrees F - since moving to the South, I've become a winter wimp). I ran on my treadmill instead and made up my own interval workout as I went along. I was pretty happy with it. There was enough variation to keep me from getting too bored. This would be easy to modify based on your own moderate baseline pace:

Easy Does It 60 Minute Workout:

* 5 minutes walking (moderate effort)

* 5 minutes 5.5 mph, 2 minutes walking

* 5 minutes 5.6 mph, 2 minutes walking

*5 minutes 5.7 mph, 2 minutes walking

* 5 minutes 5.8 mph, 2 minutes walking

* 5 minutes 5.9 mph, 2 minutes walking

* 5 minutes 6.0 mph, 2 minutes walking

* 1.5 minutes each of 6.0 down to 5.5 mph (9 minutes total)

* 4 minutes walking

Seven miles, students, and Steve Jobs

Yesterday I ran seven miles, the farthest I've run in at least a year or two. My lungs felt good throughout; my legs got kind of rusty at the end. But I finished feeling more refreshed than tired. It helped that I was running outside. The weather was perfect - sunny, cool, breezy - and the falling/blowing leaves made it all the more invigorating. Today I kept it simple and followed up with a three-mile walk on the treadmill.

As I walked, I thought about my students. I've been teaching college students in some capacity for the better part of 10 years. When I started out, I was only a year or two older than the seniors. It didn't take much to intimidate me. I worried about whether they liked me, whether they thought I was lame, whether my classes were "fun" enough.

This is the first year where I look at my students and think, "They're so young." When I'm around them, I don't feel old, per se, but I see how I have changed in the last decade as an instructor. I feel more comfortable in the role, more capable. If they act out, I don't take it personally. I see their insecurities, their worries, and their frustrations. I see their creativity and their unique way of approaching problems. I think they are all incredibly smart and talented, though in different ways. And I really like each and every one of them. This semester I got lucky with my class: no-one whines (or if they do, they're smart enough to whine out of earshot of me), and they work hard enough.

I thought of them, and me, and life in general, when I read part of Steve Jobs' 2005 commencement address to Stanford graduates (I know he talks a lot about death here, but this quote is really about life): "Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart... Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

2.2 miles

That's what I managed to do today, and I walked it. Not that that's bad - it's better than nothing - but I was hoping to do more. Now that school is in session, I'm realizing that I'm probably not going to be able to accomplish everything that I want to do every day. School is a priority. My family is a priority. Sleeping six to eight hours a night is a priority. Three huge priorities. Working out? Also a priority, but not as big as the other ones.

I keep thinking that I will just run a lot on the weekend. I envision myself going to the park and busting out five or six miles on Saturday and on Sunday. The reality? A top priority on the weekend is sitting in front of the television for four hours, chowing through several bowls of cereal, chugging coffee, and hanging out with my son. Yeah, can't wait for Saturday. That sounds divine right now.

Although I wish I had more time to myself, I do love what I do. Sometimes it's stressful, but usually it's a good kind of stress - stimulating as opposed to oppressive or overwhelming.

Wednesday's mileage: 2.2 miles
Week 3 mileage: 8.9 miles
Cumulative total: 52.6 miles

8.5 miles, two days, still feel crappy

I managed to run five miles yesterday, meaning that I met my Week 2 goal of running/walking 22-23 miles. Today I walked 3.5 miles and adjusted the incline for more of a challenge.

Part of the reason I run/jog/workout/move is because it helps keep me balanced and mitigates the anxiety I often deal with. If I'm feeling low, exercise gives me a boost; if my head's all over the place, running gives me a point of focus. Unfortunately, that didn't really work today or yesterday. I stepped onto the treadmill feeling crappy and I stepped off the treadmill feeling pretty much just as crappy, albeit somewhat proud of myself for making the effort to regulate my mood. Plus, I've had this low-grade headache that's stuck around for most of the weekend. Really fun! Or not so much.

My totals are as follow:

Saturday's mileage: 5 miles
Week 2 mileage: 22.3 miles

Sunday's mileage: 3.5 miles
Week 3 mileage: 3.5 miles
Cumulative total: 47.2 miles (almost halfway there!)

Tonight's dinner: baked Mahi Mahi with onions, tomato, and almond slivers over wilted spinach and tomatoes. Really flavorful and very easy! I made it in the toaster oven.

Must... eat... more...

I love food, but for some reason, eating slipped my mind for most of the day. I had a small bowl of cereal for breakfast, an apple and some cheese for "lunch" (not a true meal, as I was too busy putting away Christmas decorations to prepare something substantive), and a couple handfuls of cashews and cranberries. Definitely not enough for me. I think part of the problem was that we'd run out of a lot of the food that I can actually eat (since I don't consume soy, corn, or gluten). I'm usually a creative cook, but sometimes I lack ideas, and putting off eating until something yummy magically shows up in the pantry or fridge seems like the easiest (not the smartest) option. :-/

This afternoon I walked 3.2 miles at an incline of 2-4. By the time I was done, I felt nauseated, not to mention ravenous. I'm planning to eat a big dinner... just haven't decided what that will be yet. My SuperRunner husband is at the grocery store right now. We're supposed to get a hefty winter storm tomorrow night, and we want to make sure we're prepared. Winter storms in the South are always interesting. :-)

Today's miles: 3.2 miles
Cumulative miles: 21.4 miles - this is also my first weekly total. I'm happy with it! Next week I'll try to walk/run a total of 22 or 23 miles.

ETA: Tonight's dinner: egg scramble. Onions, potatoes, spinach, hot sauce, a little bit of Monterey Jack cheese, and of course eggs. I also toasted up a couple of tortillas for my husband:

Going the (short) distance

First day back to work/school after a ridiculously relaxing holiday. I eased back in with some journal reading and sample preparation. Then I came home and walked/ran 2.2 miles on the treadmill. My plan was to just walk, but I get impatient - I like to get to where I'm going, even if I'm... going nowhere. I hiked up the incline to 3 and averaged a speed of about 4.6. Not speedy, but that's okay.

While I was exercising, I read The New Yorker and Scientific American, then checked Dean Karnazas' blog. Between the jogging and the reading, I was able to get out of work mode. Running always makes me feel so good - and more balanced.

Tonight's dinner: Rice pasta and tomato sauce (pumped up with some onion, tomato, and chopped spinach). This is a staple meal in our house. It's inexpensive, tasty, healthy, and filling.

I think my favorite part of cooking might be browning the onions. I love how they smell.

Today's mileage: 2.2 miles
Cumulative mileage: 7.2 miles

I've decided that once I reach my 100-mile goal, I'll reward myself with a new pair of running shoes. I desperately need them... It's just hard to make such a pricy purchase. Maybe this way I'll feel like I've earned them.