No more excuses

Alright y'all it's about to get real. The fact that I'm from upstate NY and breaking out the "y'all" is really saying something.

I ran a half marathon on June 2, which I had trained for for over 2 months. I was running a lot. I continued to run throughout June and ran a couple 5K's. Most of those workouts were recorded on this blog. I worked my mileage back up and on July 8 I ran 8.26 miles, my longest run since the half. I was happy with my progress and my goal was to run at least one ten-miler each month.

I started walking more and recording those workouts on MapMyRun. I think walking is great. But I want it to be in addition to my running, not replace it. For the month of July I ran/walked a total of 46.37 miles, most of it running. Then I hit a wall.

Since I started running back in January 2006, my goal has always been to finish a half marathon. I did that. I accomplished what I set out to do and now what? Maybe I could focus on speed as opposed to distance. Work on finishing a 5K in under 30 minutes or a 10K in under an hour (2 goals I have). But how can I work on speed while pushing 40 pounds?

I was tired of pushing the stroller, convinced that if I could run alone I'd be able to run farther and more often. I was having a lot of aches and pains due to wearing shoes that were more than 3 years old. It was hot and I was tired. I needed a break. I started walking more and running less. So far for August I've gone 22.49 miles. But most of that is walking. I didn't run for 2 1/2 weeks. My clothes started feeling tighter. And I was eating more poorly than I had been.

I blamed it on my sleep patterns. During the Olympics I was staying up until midnight or later watching the games and was super tired during the day. I had no energy. I lay with my son until he falls asleep and lately it's been taking him an hour (sometimes more!) to fall asleep. More often than not I was falling asleep too. I'd wake up early but not feel rested and would sleep on and off until about 7. I was laying in bed for close to 11 hours each night but not feeling very rested. I was sore from lack of movement! I told myself that if only I could get Jack to sleep on his own or if he would fall asleep more quickly, I'd be better off and would have time to do a workout DVD. I was making excuses!

So I stopped.

Last night I ran 3 miles. My first run in 2 1/2 weeks. At the end of the run there are 3 hills and then a park that I stop at so Jack can get out some of his energy (and as a reward for him sitting for more than a half hour without complaint!). They're not pretty hills but I've gotten used to them. After finishing the last one I felt nauseous. The run was hard. It opened up my eyes! I've taken too long of a break and I need to get my groove back!

Last night, instead of accidentally falling asleep with Jack while trying to stay awake, I purposefully went to bed with him. And I set my alarm for 5:20. I got up at 5:30 and did day 1 of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I even had time to wash the dishes before Jack woke up. I'm going to do the same thing tomorrow, minus the dishes. :) I ate a healthy breakfast and packed myself a healthy lunch (and snacks). I feel great! I'm excited for this new plan of go to bed early and wake up early. I really think it's going to work and I'm looking forward to sharing more of my journey. I even took before pictures last night that I'll be posting soon. I might wait until after I finish the 30 Day Shred so I can show the before and after together. I'll still have a ways to go but I'm curious to see what, if any, changes occur due to the shred. Stay tuned for the results!

I'm done making excuses! Please help keep me motivated by following along and sending encouragement. I'm gonna need it! Please follow me on Twitter @ReneLeigh and on Instagram @leigh44 where I'll be posting more regular updates.