Workout Day One!

I was so excited to officially start running again today that I decided to go out and buy the Runner's World magazine to get myself motivated. Summer classes have made it really difficult for me to stick to a set training routine. :(

I hoped to run between 3-4 miles today but, surprisingly, I felt really good and just kept on going! I ended up running around 5.7 miles today. However, I try to run for time instead of distance. That way, if I'm having a bad day and don't reach a certain mileage, I won't beat myself up over it. Or, oppositely, if I'm feeling really good, I'll get the added bonus of getting in those extra miles!

If I'm curious to see how my times match up, I'll visit MapMyRun.com, trace my training course and let the site calculate the distance for me. It's completely free and simple to use. The site also offers a lot of other cool training features to members. Here's the user-friendly layout:


When I got home, I figured it would be a good idea to keep a training log on an Excel spreadsheet, so I can keep track of the date, my time, distance, pace (calculates itself), course, and a few notes (how I felt, the difficulty of the course, etc). It's always important to listen to your body and be honest with how you feel. It definitely will help you to understand your training needs and what works for you. Here's the final product:


I love these! I can see how I feel at the end of each week and adjust my training routine accordingly. It's also good to have goals in mind when you train. My goal for the summer is just to keep building up the mileage each week so that I'll have a strong foundation for the upcoming cross country season. For the first month or so, I want to get in 2-3 days of hills per week to build muscle. On "rest" or easier days, I plan to cross train (either swim or bike) so I don't feel like such a couch potato this summer!

I can be a bit of an organizational-freak sometimes. But, I figured I would need somewhere to start! One thing that isn't such a good idea is running blind; it's good to have a plan in mind before just going out each day and running. It helps keep track of how many days per week your doing distance, workouts (if any) and rest. (Rest is especially important.) Plus, it's so motivational to see the progression over the course of a few weeks, months or even years! I created another excel spreadsheet for a tentative summer workout plan (which I will probably end up tweeking a bit):


*LSD stands for "long, slow distance." As you can see, I end up tapering off by the end of the schedule to make sure I am not completely exhausted before the cross-country season starts! Hope this inspired you to take control of your running and map out your own plan. :)


Today's fuel went like this:

• 10:30 AM: Breakfast was quick! I mixed together a 6 oz container of Plain Chobani Yogurt, about a cup of Kashi GoLean cereal and a handful of raspberries.

• 2:00 PM: After spending most of the morning and afternoon running around to B&N, Costco, etc. I came back and couldn't wait to finally make lunch. I used Toufayan WW pita bread and packed it with sliced deli turkey, lettuce, tomato and shredded mozzarella cheese. I was out of the house soon after!

• I spent the evening at my Italian grandma's house and helped cook a pizza for her. ;) She insisted that I "mangia" and share a piece with her. I was more than willing! (How could I turn down an offer from grandma, especially when it sounds so sweet in Italian?)

(Above: Me and grandma) I love her!

• When I returned home at 4:45, I grabbed my iPod and set out for my run. I felt great; I even ran for longer than I expected to. I forgot how good it feels to run without limits--that is, until the last two miles! My stomach started to cramp up and I struggled a bit to finish. I always like doing the second half of my run a little faster than the first, but it didn't quite happen today.)

• 6:30 PM: After I showered, I couldn't wait to eat. My mom had prepared stuffed tilapia and a side dish of linguini with tomato sauce. I also dipped some pita bread into my tomato sauce. I was craving something chocolaty too, and what could be a better choice for a post-workout drink than chocolate milk? A great mix of carbs, to replenish lost glucose, and protein, with calcium!
  

• 9:15 PM: Mom came home with MORE Chobani yogurts. She's the best! She even bought my favorite: blueberry flavor. I think I'll have one now...and a couple of these delicious store-bought Costco cookies! Ciao belles.