#bloggingbreak

4 Things To Do When You’re on A Blogging Break

I’m quite familiar with blogging breaks now. I’ve talked about why every blogger deserves a break from blogging time-to-time plus even about the disadvantages I had of taking a long blogging break. As bloggers and writers, we often get to face those annoying writing slumps when our brains don’t seem to think of new and creative ideas, there are also times when we just get so busy in our real life…

kind of a quick Stein/Medusa picture for my roommate Jay (not the straight one) for her birthday tomorrow. hope you like it and all that stuff haha. 

impromptu 10 day blogging hiatus!

but never fear--- for what i have lacked in posts over the past 10 days, i have made up for in miles :)

suffice it to say it's been a crazy week and a half--- had a crazy week at work followed by a crazy weekend full of work followed by another crazy week at work followed by a weekend in vegas.  just got back this morning.  it's been GO GO GO!

and the old me would have used the chaos as an excuse to take a break from the training schedule... but i'm so happy to be able to say that i took it all in stride.  literally.

the highlights:

-stuck to my schedule, only skipped one day of running because i literally worked from 8am-midnight--- and didn't let myself feel guilty about it, which i feel is healthy.

-did my first at-work run--- 2 miles on the treadmill at lunch and i instantly regretted it.  all i wanted to do afterwards was take a shower but instead i had to finish out the rest of the workday.  it wasn't too bad once i cooled down but eck, won't be doing that too often.  

-i have a new PR for longest run!  yesterday while i was in vegas i ran 4.5 miles on the treadmill in my brother's condo complex.  i was kind of dreading this weekend because i knew i'd have to run indoors (no thank you 115 degree las vegas heat) and of course it was going to be my longest run yet.  up to this point i've done pretty much everything outside, and have really just been stuck in the opinion that treadmills are a bummer.  but i got myself into a positive mindset, and i have to say it was probably the best feeling run i've had thus far in my first 2 months of training.  the first couple of miles were the same as always-- a little rough, but bearable-- but once i hit mile 3-onwards... it just felt so great.  i was running at a pretty relaxed speed of 5mph, but then for the last mile i pumped it up to 6 then 6.5mph and it was really a run.  i felt my legs stretching out and my strides were so long.  so full.  it was actually this amazing feeling that i hadn't yet experienced--- i got to that sweet spot where i was completely warmed up and nothing hurt.  the biggest surprise for me was that i didn't cramp up at all, even with the increase in speed.  usually when i'm running on the road, if i am not careful to keep a consistent speed, or if i speed up too abruptly, i instantly get a stitch.  but yesterday i didn't get any cramps at all, even though by the end i was full-out running, not jogging.  i don't know if i'd call this a "runner's high" persay... but it definitely felt great.  i could have kept going, and the thought of continuing didn't scare me.  which makes me feel so hopeful for the future!

-i broke down and let myself get on the scale... something i had been trying not to do thus far.  for me, i don't want this experience to be about weight loss.  i mean yes, losing weight will be great, but i am really trying to be careful to keep this about the running, and the fitness, and the discipline, and the achievement.  i want any weight loss to just be a happy byproduct, but not a focus.  WITH THAT SAID, i've lost 10lbs since i started running... and somehow it feels more meaningful than any other weight loss i've ever had.  because i know i'm doing it the right way, if that makes sense.  i'm being mindful of what i eat, but i'm not counting calories, and i'm definitely not going to bed hungry or anything like that.  in the past, weight loss has always been equivocated with sacrifice, or deprivation for me.  and for the first time, i am getting into shape and losing weight by being active, and it just feels great.  so i'm going to go back to ignoring the scale... and maybe just check in once a month, out of curiosity, just to see what's happening.  but for now, i'm feeling really positive about the changes going on with my body, because i know i'm improving my health, and that is so incredibly fulfilling.

so today is a rest day, but back at it tomorrow!  weekday runs still haven't really picked up yet... but i think it starts ramping up in august.  so i'll try to enjoy the rest of this conditioning period while i still can...

total mileage: 58 miles