[heavy]

So, if you haven't noticed by now, then let me explain. Each title to my blog post will also be the title of a song. It won't necessarily be a song that has been stuck in my head, but it will definitely apply to whatever I'm blogging about. Today's title, "Heavy" by John Mayer, accurately describes my physical state at the moment.

Heavy.

Ew.

I most definitely do not transition well. And this transition from Denver to Chicago was a BIG one. This summer was so unscheduled and so stressful with trying to get licensed in Illinois and find a job all before the start of the school year, that I ate like a raging maniac and ran only sporadically, if at all. Needless to say, I ballooned. Ooops.

Now, before I had left Denver, I had my ducks in a row. I was running every day, constantly improving my mile time. I was eating healthy and light, and therefore trimmed down significantly. I bought clothes, because I was absolutely drowning in my old digs. So now, the pressure is on (for real - that waistband is no joke) to trim back down to my pre-move status. I'm even hoping to shave some more inches off so that I'll be slim and trim for the 1/2 marathon I'm running at the end of October. My ultimate goal: to be able to run without a shirt on.

Shhhh.

That one's a ways away yet.

But here are a few recipes and exercises that I'm going to incorporate into my weekly routine, as well as my half marathon schedule. Hal Higdon, renowned distance runner and trainer, has put together a great training routine that incorporates both strength training and speed training, both of which are essential to putting in faster mile times, as well as long runs and cross training. I feel really confident with this schedule, and when I was implementing it with fidelity in Denver I was seeing big results. Here's the link.

http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51132/Half-Marathon-Intermediate-Training-Program

I found this little beauty of a workout on Pinterest, and though it looks killer, I anticipate major results. It is a workout inspired by crossfit, taken from Blonde Ponytail's blog (which I highly recommend you check out for any fitness inspiration needs - she's totally legit.)

http://blondeponytail.com/2012/04/feisty-50-at-home-crossfit-workout/

 

This next workout, from Back on Pointe's blog, looks super useful for those days that I can't necessarily make it to the Y to workout but still want to put in some time strength training (which should be done at least two to three times a week - I know Hal's running schedule says twice, but up to three times a week is good for you!)

 

This next beauty describes how best to implement portion control - this one's gonna be a toughie. I have had next to no portion control in my life, and it's caught up with me. Fast. So using this as a guide, I'll be able to eat the right amounts of lean meats, healthy carbs, and delicious fruits and veggies. I'm nixing the popcorn, chips, and pretzels, though. I don't really like those things anyway!

While I am not quite on the eating bandwagon yet, I did put in my own 3 mile run this morning at 5:45, in the slightly muggy, but still cool Chicago air. While not the prettiest or easiest of runs, it sure did feel good knowing that I was putting myself back on the right track. That's one of the beautiful things about running, the more you do it, the better it feels :) I can't wait be completely immersed in my training, really amping up those speeds and logging double-digit runs in race preparation. There is also a slight element of competition, as my husband is out on his run right now. He, having been a cross-country star runner in high school, can put in some blistering speeds in any 5k race he attempts. One day, I hope to at least match his speed, so that we can run off into the sunset together.

 

 For now, I will continue to plod along, slowly building speed and loving (almost) every minute of it.