Workout #17: Make a Run for It!

Even when I was little, running was my enemy. I remember running in the Presidential Fitness Challenge every year and I could never run faster than a twelve minute mile. I used to feel so bad when my friends would run beside me and try to get me to run faster, but I never could.

My sister is almost as bad as I am, but not quite. She's never been over weight but she's never been a great runner either. I was more than surprised to hear that she decided to run a marathon. On her way home for the Easter break, she texted me and asked if she wanted to go for a run the next day. My first thought was "Is she crazy?" I was going to immediately say hell no but I ended up texted back that it sounded like a good idea.

The next day she woke me up, tossed me a pair of sneakers, and pulled me outside. We walked down one house and then we made a run for it. Needless to say, I was ready to quit only a few houses down from that. I started to slow up, so my sister ran a little faster and I struggled to keep up.

We didn't talk much, so I ended up listening to my neighbors around me and focusing on my breathing. Eventually, I managed to steady it and fell into step with my sister. I kind of liked the sound of our feet hitting the pavement in unison. Every now and again she told me to slow up and pace myself or, when I started to feel like stopping, she'd tell me to focus on one thing at a time. Rather than focus on reaching home, she'd tell me to get to the next mailbox, and then I could slow down if I wanted to.

The thing was, after I reached one mailbox, I wanted to run to the next one, and the next one, and the next. Before I knew it, my house was in view. She told me earlier on in the run that we could walk from there, but instead she decided we'd sprint. I struggled to sprint but didn't slow up until I got back through my front door.

While I don't plan to run any marathons just yet, I don't mind training with my sister for the time being. Maybe I'll be running one in a couple years.

Tip #17: Set a Plan and Act on It!

Its so easy to make excuses for why you don't exercise. You're tired! You're too busy! You're bored with your usual workout! I do the same thing. We all do! I know I've talked about Sparkpeople on this blog before but I had to share something new I discovered about it. There is a fitness tracker on it that can give you a set amount of calories to torch in a week! It works like this:

You enter in the amount of days you want to work out and select about how long you plan to exercise (shoot for half an hour to forty minutes four days a week! I exercise Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday because I usually have the most time to work out). Then the tracker calculates the minimum number of calories you should be burning in a week. For me, its about 800. I know it sounds like a lot, but its easy to burn off if you break it down. Try to even go a little over if you can! Think about it like this: 40 minutes of kikboxing is about 400 calories, 40 minutes of Barre is 340. You are at 740 and you only completed two of your workouts! Its a lot easier to met your goal than you think! Plus its a lot easier to force yourself to get your butt off the couch when your workout for the day is put down in writing!

Now, you don't have to use Sparkpeople (even if it is free!) so you can just write down a page of your planned workouts for the week in your food journal! Also, set a reminder on your phone! No excuses that you forgot to or are too busy to workout when you schedule it in! Good luck and have fun with it!

Workout Playlist of the Week!

This is a new feature I decide to put in the blog: the playlist of the week!

Thinkin' Bout Somethin' - Hanson
I Can't Get Enough - Rooney
Rich Girl$ - Down with Webster
Oh Glory - Panic! at the Disco
Can't Box Me In - Honor Society

Cool Down Song-
I Wish I Was the Moon - Neko Case

If you have any songs you want me to write, comment on the post and I'll add them next week!

Tip #10: Get Some Inspiration!

I love to try new things, but sometimes I just run out of ideas! It happens to everybody! Like today, for instance, I woke up thinking that I'd go swimming, for a half an hour straight like I've been doing for the last few days. Of course, I had to scrap that idea because it is pouring outside! I had been planning on doing that, bathing suit on, cell phone out to time myself, and then my workout plan was completely wrecked for today. I was kind of discouraged, because I kept going down my list of workouts that I usually do but I couldn't find one I really wanted to do. Dance? Nope. Yoga? Just did that yesterday! Kickbox? Did that two days ago!

Some days that just happens! This is the best opprotunity to try something new! Try and get some new ideas! I love to try health quizzes to get an idea of what's out there to try. Quizzes help to find workouts that are tailored to your personality!

Try this one http://www.seventeen.com/fun/quizzes/health/fitness-personality-quiz which helps to find what type of workouts you might enjoy! You are either a trendsetter (like me!), busy bee, fitness beginner, sports star, or chill chick! After you take the quiz, go to seventeen.com/fitnessfinder and find a workout made for the category that fell into!

Or maybe this one http://www.seventeen.com/fun/quizzes/health/summer-workout-twin which matches you with a celebrity and tells you how they stay in shape!

This last one http://www.seventeen.com/fun/quizzes/health/workout-classes-quiz gives you a workout class. So if you feel like going to the gym, take this quiz and give the class a go!