GOAL #4
This goal is pretty generic so I don't have a lot of specifics about it. I simply just want to continue on my journey to overall well-being! This goal encompasses not only health and fitness, but also my mental well-being. My half marathon and triathlon goals will obviously contribute to the physical fitness aspect, but to me, overall well-being isn't about just the physical being-- it includes your mental health and stability as well.
My mental state of mind is very important to how I react to situations and how I live my everyday life. If I'm upset, my day is ruined. If I'm happy, I'm on top of the world! I want to become a more well-rounded person and start looking for more volunteer opportunities within the community. When I was younger, I did a lot of volunteer work and community service. I want to be that person again. I want to help the community grow and I want to grow as a person. Community service always made me feel better. I loved knowing I that whatever I did, I was helping the community and its citizens. I was helping people less fortunate than me, people who couldn't get by without visiting the food pantry, people with disabilities, people in need of help. Knowing that I offered just an inkling of help meant a lot to me.
I'm hoping to find at least one organization to work with and be an advocate. I've got a few ideas rolling around in my head. The thing I would really love to do but know if I could handle it would be to work with the local pound or animal shelter. I would LOVE to play with the furbabies but I don't know if I could make it one day without bringing home a brother or sister for little Maxwell. And Tom would kill me. I'd also be really sad to see the animals that don't get adopted. I think I would get too attached to my favorites and cry when they don't get adopted or if they were there for awhile, I'd bring them home. And again. Tom would kill me. So I went to my next thought: a local food pantry. When I was in high school, I volunteered at the food pantry every week, usually two nights a week. I helped them organize their food, pack up families' requests, unload new loads of foods, the list goes on. (I also reconnected with an old friend when I volunteered there so it contributed to my social life as well.) I'm also thinking about doing some sort of community service (if it exists) to advocate addiction awareness and education. Because of Tom and what I've learned about addiction, I want to share with others the knowledge I've gained to help them in living with an addict. I want to start by going to Al-Anon meetings. I should have started going a long time ago, but better late than never, right? I want to find a mentor to help me continue to grow and is someone I can turn to when I feel overwhelmed. I then want to locate an organization in the area to join, if one exists. If not, I will continue with further educating myself about addiction to be able to offer the necessary support for Tom. These are my starting points for community service and hopefully those will lead to even more opportunities.
In addition to community service, I want to look into joining local community organizations. I want to look into joining Kiwanis, a Rotary Club, or possibly the Chamber of Commerce. I want to network with more people and become a more active figure within the community. I want to be someone that is viewed positively within the community, someone that can help make an impact. I'm hoping that by the end of 2012, I'm involved in at least one volunteer organization and one community organization! Wish me luck!
Happy Friday!
Britt!
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Friday, February 17, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
2012 GOAL #3!!
GOAL #3!!
I want my fitness goals for 2012 to be realistic but ambitious. I'm no longer in the "losing weight" mentality but rather in the "let's get in even better shape" mentality. If I happen to slim down while toning more, so be it, but I'm not really trying to lose additional weight. I'm at a very healthy weight for my height and I'd rather weigh a little bit more and have more defined muscle. It's all about how your clothes fit anyhow, right?!
That being said, my next fitness goal for 2012 is to train for and complete a sprint triathlon. A triathlon consists of three parts: swimming, cycling, and running. However, I didn't know until doing a little bit of research into triathlons that there are different types of triathlons because they vary in distance. The longest is an Ultra Distance Triathlon (3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and a marathon run), which is more commonly referred to as the Ironman Triathlon- no thank you. It involves running a full marathon and maybe one day I'll do a marathon (let's be realistic though- I doubt I'll ever have the desire to do a full marathon), but at this juncture in my life, I have ZERO desire to run a full marathon. Next we have the Long Course Triathlon which consists of 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike ride, and a half marathon- still no thank you. The Intermediate/Standard Triathlon, more commonly known as an Olympic Triathlon, consists of a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike ride, 10K run. This is doable in the future but I'm talking baby steps here. Then we have the Sprint Triathlon which is more my style for 2012. It consists of a 750 m swim, 20 km bike ride, and a 5K. Assuming I do well on that and don't feel like dying when it's over, I may consider pushing myself a little more and do the "Olympic" Triathlon.
I've always enjoyed swimming. I used to swim competitively back in the day (middle school era, ha) and dabbled into water polo when I lived in California in my early high school years. It's a great way to stay in shape and is one of the hardest sports out there. I haven't done any swimming for fitness though since I lived in Jacksonville, FL which means I haven't swam for fitness since 2008 (we moved to Atlanta in March 2009 and that is still too cold to be in an outdoor pool in Florida). The next feat would be getting past the bike ride. Ever since I fell off my bike on a camping trip summer before 4th grade, I haven't really had much of a desire to hop back on the bike! I know I can still ride a bicycle thanks to my parents owning them and I decided one day to ride the bike down the driveway and around the cul-de-sac. Keep in mind this was probably in summer of 2009 after they moved back to Atlanta so it's been a few years since I've ridden a bike. The running part will be no problem because as you all know, I have been running consistently for about a year and a half, so I'm not worried about that.
I think the part of the triathlon about which I'm most concerned is the biking. I almost have this irrational fear of falling off my bike again like I did when I was 8. That little spill resulted in 14ish stitches and a nasty scar on my left leg (thank goodness it's faded a lot over the past 19 years). I wasn't hurt too badly but to this day, it has left an impact on my feelings toward riding a bike. I don't want to get an injury so I've just always stayed off the bicycle unless it's stationary. It'd be pretty difficult to fall off of a stationary bike! To conquer this fear, I am going to start by working on the stationary bike (I plan on looking into a spin class) then I can take that training onto the open road! Let's hope it helps me get past this little bicycle issue I've had for almost two decades!
I will more than likely put off the training for this until summer so that I can complete the triathlon in early/mid fall as I don't want it to be too hot come race day. I also need to buy a onesie bathing suit (or a competitive swimming 2-piecer which I think I'd prefer). Another area of concern is the "transition area" between the triathlon components because I have NO idea how to effectively change from a bathing suit to bike clothes then bike gear to running gear. I guess I'll learn that when I start a training program as I definitely do not want everyone and their mother seeing all my goodies! I'm not necessarily worried about how quickly I can finish (even though I am ULTRA competitive and want to be the best at everything I do); I just want the self-satisfaction that I have completed a triathlon, a new milestone in my fitness journey. If anyone has ANY experience in triathlon training, I welcome any advice!! I'm looking forward to training for it though! It will certainly be tough, but I welcome it! Just as with the half marathon, I can't wait to say I'm a TRIATHLETE!
More to come when training is underway!!
All my love,
Britt!
That being said, my next fitness goal for 2012 is to train for and complete a sprint triathlon. A triathlon consists of three parts: swimming, cycling, and running. However, I didn't know until doing a little bit of research into triathlons that there are different types of triathlons because they vary in distance. The longest is an Ultra Distance Triathlon (3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and a marathon run), which is more commonly referred to as the Ironman Triathlon- no thank you. It involves running a full marathon and maybe one day I'll do a marathon (let's be realistic though- I doubt I'll ever have the desire to do a full marathon), but at this juncture in my life, I have ZERO desire to run a full marathon. Next we have the Long Course Triathlon which consists of 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike ride, and a half marathon- still no thank you. The Intermediate/Standard Triathlon, more commonly known as an Olympic Triathlon, consists of a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike ride, 10K run. This is doable in the future but I'm talking baby steps here. Then we have the Sprint Triathlon which is more my style for 2012. It consists of a 750 m swim, 20 km bike ride, and a 5K. Assuming I do well on that and don't feel like dying when it's over, I may consider pushing myself a little more and do the "Olympic" Triathlon.
I've always enjoyed swimming. I used to swim competitively back in the day (middle school era, ha) and dabbled into water polo when I lived in California in my early high school years. It's a great way to stay in shape and is one of the hardest sports out there. I haven't done any swimming for fitness though since I lived in Jacksonville, FL which means I haven't swam for fitness since 2008 (we moved to Atlanta in March 2009 and that is still too cold to be in an outdoor pool in Florida). The next feat would be getting past the bike ride. Ever since I fell off my bike on a camping trip summer before 4th grade, I haven't really had much of a desire to hop back on the bike! I know I can still ride a bicycle thanks to my parents owning them and I decided one day to ride the bike down the driveway and around the cul-de-sac. Keep in mind this was probably in summer of 2009 after they moved back to Atlanta so it's been a few years since I've ridden a bike. The running part will be no problem because as you all know, I have been running consistently for about a year and a half, so I'm not worried about that.
I think the part of the triathlon about which I'm most concerned is the biking. I almost have this irrational fear of falling off my bike again like I did when I was 8. That little spill resulted in 14ish stitches and a nasty scar on my left leg (thank goodness it's faded a lot over the past 19 years). I wasn't hurt too badly but to this day, it has left an impact on my feelings toward riding a bike. I don't want to get an injury so I've just always stayed off the bicycle unless it's stationary. It'd be pretty difficult to fall off of a stationary bike! To conquer this fear, I am going to start by working on the stationary bike (I plan on looking into a spin class) then I can take that training onto the open road! Let's hope it helps me get past this little bicycle issue I've had for almost two decades!
I will more than likely put off the training for this until summer so that I can complete the triathlon in early/mid fall as I don't want it to be too hot come race day. I also need to buy a onesie bathing suit (or a competitive swimming 2-piecer which I think I'd prefer). Another area of concern is the "transition area" between the triathlon components because I have NO idea how to effectively change from a bathing suit to bike clothes then bike gear to running gear. I guess I'll learn that when I start a training program as I definitely do not want everyone and their mother seeing all my goodies! I'm not necessarily worried about how quickly I can finish (even though I am ULTRA competitive and want to be the best at everything I do); I just want the self-satisfaction that I have completed a triathlon, a new milestone in my fitness journey. If anyone has ANY experience in triathlon training, I welcome any advice!! I'm looking forward to training for it though! It will certainly be tough, but I welcome it! Just as with the half marathon, I can't wait to say I'm a TRIATHLETE!
More to come when training is underway!!
All my love,
Britt!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
2012 GOAL #2!!
Goal #2: Run a Half Marathon
So for those of you that know me, I'm already a runner. I started running in August 2010. I never EVER would have thought way back when that I would become a legitimate runner. I am by no means an Elite runner and never plan to be an Elite runner. They can run a mile in 5-7 minutes and MAINTAIN that pace throughout an entire race. That blows.my.mind! I'm happy with my 8 minute miles! That being said, when I started running, my goal was just to simply complete a mile. I started in baby steps. I remember the very first time I ran when Tom and I were out on a walk. We ran the last half mile back to my parents' house (yes, we lived with my parents for a period of time when I lost my job until I found a job and we could get back on our feet) and I.was.dying! I could not believe how out of shape I had become. I'd been walking for a few months and I STILL was really out of shape! But because I was starting to plateau with walking, I wasn't feeling like I was getting in a good workout. When I'm at the gym or out on a run, I like to sweat. And I sweat a LOT when I'm running (my trainer makes digs at me because of how I sweat more than a leaky faucet). A good sweat makes me feel like I've actually done something. Anyhow, from my half mile running venture, I added small increments of distance (quarter mile to half a mile) every 1-2 weeks, depending on how I felt after completing the current week's distance. Unfortunately, I didn't know about the Couch to 5K (C25K) program, but I made my own C25K program. I ran my first 5K on Thanksgiving 2010, Henry's Huffin' for Stuffin'. I finished in a little over half hour (33ish mins I think), so about a 10 minute mile. I continued to run my little heart out and build more distance. My next 5K was the Sacred Journey Hospice St. Patty's Day 5K. My goal was to finish in under 30 minutes and I did! Barely. But I did. I finished in 29 minutes and some change. After that, I ran the Kaiser Permanente Corporate 5K in September 2010 and finished in 27 mins and some change. The same weekend (KP 5K was on a Thursday), I ran the Vinings Downhill 5K and finished in 26:42, 23rd in my age bracket (out of 104) and 89th in the women's division (out of 529). I don't know though how I did overall as the results weren't broken down that way. In October 2011, I ran the Spooktacular Chase 5K and finished in 27:34, 74th out of 311 overall and 5th out of 28 in my age bracket. Because I am entirely too competitive with myself, I wanted to beat my previous 5K time, but I was happy with my results for one reason only: I'd been sick as a dog the entire week prior and it was 28 degrees outside when I ran this. It probably wasn't my smartest decision to run in those kinds of temps, but I'd already paid for it and I wanted my long-sleeved technical shirt!
Since that last race, I've continued my running journey and I'll be running the upcoming Chattahoochee Road Runners 10K on March 3. My goal is to complete it less than an hour, which is definitely doable! Right now, I'm maintaining around 8 min miles (range is from 7:30 on some miles and up to 8:20 on some miles, depending on terrain and how I'm feeling that day). Even though I'm just now "starting" a training program for a half marathon, I'm planning to run the Publix Half Marathon in Atlanta on March 18 (assuming we're still in Georgia and assuming it isn't too expensive by the time I'm able to register). I've compared a few training programs and even though I haven't been following a training program exactly to the tee, what I've been doing for the past 6 weeks is pretty close to both training programs (running 4-6 miles on each run). I'm going to start following it more closely but starting in week 7. That means I will have an 8 mile run ahead of me on Saturday and it will only go up from there! I can't WAIT until the day I can say I've completed a Half!! I have a consistent runner's high now but I'm sure I will be on a cloud in Heaven when I finish my first half marathon! It will be a huge accomplishment for me considering how out of shape I was a few short years ago!!
Running for me has become a catharsis, an outlet for me to relieve stress, anger, frustrations, etc. I never in a million years thought I would enjoy running but it just makes me feel so much better about myself. Living a healthy lifestyle in general makes me feel better about myself! So for me to go from being inactive a few years ago to where I am today is already a HUGE accomplishment in and of itself! I love setting new fitness and running goals for myself so the completion of my half marathon will be an even bigger accomplishment for me! I will let y'all know how I do in the Chattahoochee Road Runners 10K in a few weeks! I'm very excited to run my first "official" 10K! I've run 10Ks on my own in the past, but never in an organized event, so I'm looking forward to having an official 10K time!!!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!! Updates to follow!!
Love and Laughter,
Britt!
So for those of you that know me, I'm already a runner. I started running in August 2010. I never EVER would have thought way back when that I would become a legitimate runner. I am by no means an Elite runner and never plan to be an Elite runner. They can run a mile in 5-7 minutes and MAINTAIN that pace throughout an entire race. That blows.my.mind! I'm happy with my 8 minute miles! That being said, when I started running, my goal was just to simply complete a mile. I started in baby steps. I remember the very first time I ran when Tom and I were out on a walk. We ran the last half mile back to my parents' house (yes, we lived with my parents for a period of time when I lost my job until I found a job and we could get back on our feet) and I.was.dying! I could not believe how out of shape I had become. I'd been walking for a few months and I STILL was really out of shape! But because I was starting to plateau with walking, I wasn't feeling like I was getting in a good workout. When I'm at the gym or out on a run, I like to sweat. And I sweat a LOT when I'm running (my trainer makes digs at me because of how I sweat more than a leaky faucet). A good sweat makes me feel like I've actually done something. Anyhow, from my half mile running venture, I added small increments of distance (quarter mile to half a mile) every 1-2 weeks, depending on how I felt after completing the current week's distance. Unfortunately, I didn't know about the Couch to 5K (C25K) program, but I made my own C25K program. I ran my first 5K on Thanksgiving 2010, Henry's Huffin' for Stuffin'. I finished in a little over half hour (33ish mins I think), so about a 10 minute mile. I continued to run my little heart out and build more distance. My next 5K was the Sacred Journey Hospice St. Patty's Day 5K. My goal was to finish in under 30 minutes and I did! Barely. But I did. I finished in 29 minutes and some change. After that, I ran the Kaiser Permanente Corporate 5K in September 2010 and finished in 27 mins and some change. The same weekend (KP 5K was on a Thursday), I ran the Vinings Downhill 5K and finished in 26:42, 23rd in my age bracket (out of 104) and 89th in the women's division (out of 529). I don't know though how I did overall as the results weren't broken down that way. In October 2011, I ran the Spooktacular Chase 5K and finished in 27:34, 74th out of 311 overall and 5th out of 28 in my age bracket. Because I am entirely too competitive with myself, I wanted to beat my previous 5K time, but I was happy with my results for one reason only: I'd been sick as a dog the entire week prior and it was 28 degrees outside when I ran this. It probably wasn't my smartest decision to run in those kinds of temps, but I'd already paid for it and I wanted my long-sleeved technical shirt!
Since that last race, I've continued my running journey and I'll be running the upcoming Chattahoochee Road Runners 10K on March 3. My goal is to complete it less than an hour, which is definitely doable! Right now, I'm maintaining around 8 min miles (range is from 7:30 on some miles and up to 8:20 on some miles, depending on terrain and how I'm feeling that day). Even though I'm just now "starting" a training program for a half marathon, I'm planning to run the Publix Half Marathon in Atlanta on March 18 (assuming we're still in Georgia and assuming it isn't too expensive by the time I'm able to register). I've compared a few training programs and even though I haven't been following a training program exactly to the tee, what I've been doing for the past 6 weeks is pretty close to both training programs (running 4-6 miles on each run). I'm going to start following it more closely but starting in week 7. That means I will have an 8 mile run ahead of me on Saturday and it will only go up from there! I can't WAIT until the day I can say I've completed a Half!! I have a consistent runner's high now but I'm sure I will be on a cloud in Heaven when I finish my first half marathon! It will be a huge accomplishment for me considering how out of shape I was a few short years ago!!
Running for me has become a catharsis, an outlet for me to relieve stress, anger, frustrations, etc. I never in a million years thought I would enjoy running but it just makes me feel so much better about myself. Living a healthy lifestyle in general makes me feel better about myself! So for me to go from being inactive a few years ago to where I am today is already a HUGE accomplishment in and of itself! I love setting new fitness and running goals for myself so the completion of my half marathon will be an even bigger accomplishment for me! I will let y'all know how I do in the Chattahoochee Road Runners 10K in a few weeks! I'm very excited to run my first "official" 10K! I've run 10Ks on my own in the past, but never in an organized event, so I'm looking forward to having an official 10K time!!!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!! Updates to follow!!
Love and Laughter,
Britt!
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