First off, a big thank you for everyone that wished me good luck and congratulations on my first 5K run. It definitely made me feel happy to read all the words of encouragement. So, now what’s next now that I ran a 5K? Run another one! There’s another 5K that I’m planning to run in the beginning of November, so I’ll be sure to sign up for that.
Today I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill for about 15 minutes, with a 5 minute warm up walk and I was able to run straight for 15 minutes which made me feel really good. I really want to work my way up to running 2 miles without stopping, but I was able to run 1 mile without stopping, so it’s definitely a start. It’s hard to believe that almost a month and a half ago, I could barely run for 8 minutes straight. I really enjoy running and hope that I could improve my stamina and time even better in time.
As for strength training, I really need to improve that. Working out at home kind of makes me slack off (not always, but I know I can do better), so I’m going to try and start strength training at the gym next week. I also want to try to go to the gym in the morning hours instead of after work in the evening, but that’s another challenge because I tend to sleep late the night before. I think working out in the morning will definitely wake me up, the gym will be less crowded and I’ll get more things done once I get out of work.
Slowly but surely, I am seeing a difference in my physique. It’s definitely motivating me to do more and I am actually enjoying fitness, as well as eating healthy!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I have trouble lifting at any time of the day other than first thing in the morning. I can’t deal with the crowds at the gym; I’d rather have room to move around and be able to stick to the rest intervals for the workouts I write up for myself.
If you’d like some advice for a new lifter:
1. Hire a personal trainer, even if for only 1 session, to teach you how to do different exercises.
2. Stick to free weights; if you don’t use good form, then it will hurt and you’ll either fix your form or move on to a different exercise. The machines lock you into a limited range of movement that doesn’t give you as good of a workout to begin with and can cause injuries if you don’t have it adjusted perfectly.
3. Stick to the basics: Lunges, Squats, Deadlifts, pushups, pullups, bench press, etc. Compound movements are great for you because they make your muscles work together (as is natural) and you get a better workout.
4. Eat something as soon as you finish, preferably with a 2:1 or 3:1 carb:protein ratio. If you don’t eat something, then you wasted your time. Another benefit of eating directly following your workout is that your body will continue to burn fat after you finish for a much longer period of time; you’ll burn more fat after the workout and than you did during it. Be sure to drink enough water as well.
Good luck preparing for the next race! You’ll be running 3 miles straight by November, if you want to be.
That is great info Blaine! Thanks so much, I never liked the machines at the gym, I actually do prefer free weights as they can be used for many different exercises.