July

“Some days it’s not about speed or miles, it’s just therapy… “

I cannot believe how fast June has gone. As I sit here updating my blog, I can’t believe it is time to look back at June and figure out what I want to change in July. To be honest, I am pretty unimpressed with my running and gym routines from this past month. I did not apply myself nearly as hard as I should have. I could sit here and make excuses about it being finals week, Alex graduating from WWU, or the gym not being open for the week of intercession. These are all valid concerns, but at the end of the day it has been my decision to not get out and go for an extra run or get creative in how I work out.

This is something I will change this month. I have a feeling being back on a set schedule will help with this. I will have access to the gym everyday of the week and will be on the same class schedule, which should help me figure out when the best time to go to the gym will be. I am thinking around 4 when my last class gets out will be the best option. Below is the schedule I have made for myself for the month of July. Unlike last month, I didn’t end up printing out a copy of this calendar. For July, I am hoping by printing out the weekly calendar below as it will motivate me to get out and workout each day I assign to myself.

Here is what I came up with for the month of July:

Monday- Long Run (3-4 miles if not longer)
Tuesday- Gym day (Arms, Abs, Cardio, Legs)
Wednesday- Run (2.5 or more miles)
Thursday- Rest day when Alex is here OR gym day (Arms, Abs, Legs, Cardio)
Friday- Abs and Arms
Saturday- Run (2.5 or more miles)
Sunday- Gym Day (Arms, Abs, Cardio, Legs)

I know this will change throughout the month, especially when I go on vacation and will have to alter what I do, but I do hope it gives me a good outline of what a “normal” week should look like.

Let’s hope July brings more results and motivation than June did and bring on that summer bod!!

Monthly stats

July saw my worst week so far this year with week 28 of seven rest days. Luckily this has not been a recurring habit and I don’t think it will be for the remainder of the year. The rest of July saw a good spread of gym, run, and rest days.

Week 26

June 24th- Rest

It’s my last rest day for awhile. I have come to that conclusion in the past few days. I have taken over a week off and tomorrow it is time to get back into a solid routine.

This routine will consist of going to classes Tuesday- Thursday and hitting the gym Monday- Sunday. I am going to deter from my original June calendar and make up a new routine for this week. I want to incorporate longer times at the gym and doing more than one activity.

My goal for Tuesday is as follows: Run at least 2.5 miles, dumbbell arm workout, and end with a quick core workout.

June 25th- Gym Day

Here’s how my Tuesday gym day went: I started off with a 2.5 mile run, did my full arm workout with dumbbells and ended with a 5 minute ab workout. I wanted to do a little bit of everything today at the gym to see how I liked it.

After completing the entire gym routine, I actually wasn’t a huge fan of it. The run was fine, but everything after that seemed a lot harder than normal. I think from now on I will only do these run days if I do a shorter distance run around 1 mile or so. If I do this, I have a feeling I won’t be as tired and skip out on arms and abs.

June 26th- Gym day

Alright, I tried the same thing I did yesterday but ended up focusing more on arms. I actually ended up using most of the arm machines, including doing my dumbbell workout. By the end of doing all the arm machines my arms were shaking and I could tell I wasn’t going to be able to lift anything else.

To help spread out the arm workouts and give them a rest, I ran a couple of laps around the track. I liked putting this in here because it gave me a break from lifting, allowed me to move around, AND I got to get some cardio in!

Towards the end of my gym routine, I also used the stair climber for a bit to help tone my legs. I was on there for about 10 minutes and could feel the burn after about 5. I ended with another 5 minute ab workout. With swimsuit season here, I thought abs should become another main focus of mine while I am at the gym!

June 27th- Rest

Today Alex came back up to Bellingham for the weekend, so I decided to try and spend as much time as I could with him before he goes back home Monday.

June 28th- Gym day

Instead of going to the actual gym, I downloaded a few different workout apps and tried them out. The one I decided to use today included abs, arms, and butt. I was actually really surprised at how hard these workouts are. I did a 5 minute timed session for each and was sweating a lot by the time I was finished.

These apps are something I need to keep in mind when at the gym! They have a lot of good routines and they actually go by pretty fast since you are switching what you are doing every 30 seconds.

June 29th- Rest

Today was another rest day. My abs are actually really sore from my workout yesterday, which is a good thing but it definitely put me in a not-so-motivated mindset.

June 30th- Abs

I used the app again to get a good ab workout in. I did another 5 minute session and could feel the burn. The ab workout is something I want to try and do almost everyday during July.

I am still in need of making a July calendar, but am hoping to get to this tomorrow (as tomorrow is already July 1st!) Where has the time gone?? It feels like June flew by!

Week 23

June 3rd- 2.7 Mile Run

Lake Padden Run BABY!! I was able to get out and enjoy the nice weather today by doing a quick loop around Lake Padden.

Today I decided to run the trail the opposite way I normally do. It was interesting to see how new the route felt and how fast it went by because of a new perspective of all the scenery.

This is also the first time I have ran in awhile and I couldn’t believe how freeing it felt. I’m not sure if this was exactly the “runners high” or just because I haven’t run in awhile. Either way, it felt really good to get out and enjoy the fresh air and sun.

I could definitely feel my lungs were unconditioned. This was apparent after my run when I got in the car to leave and my diaphragm felt like it was burning. This is normally the feeling I get when I haven’t run in awhile…. something I need to break the habit of!

GET OUT AND RUN!!!

This is going to be my motto for the week and I am going to stick to it for this whole week and the following week of finals.

June 4th- Rest

Today, again, was filled with group meetings and finishing up group projects. I met with one of my groups for three hours to work on video we need to submit Wednesday night. Before I knew it, it was 5pm and I was headed home to finish up some work for another class. It is that point in the quarter where crunch time starts to take over my entire day. I have been on the go since 9am and the time is starting to catch up with me.

I am the type of person who likes to get things done early, unfortunately a lot of people don’t function this way and it is starting to get to me and stressing me out. Once this week is over I will be home free for a couple weeks before the start of summer quarter hits. I can’t wait to have some time off to refocus and get on a solid running schedule before summer quarter hits.

June 5th- Bike and Run

This morning was a weird mix of a workout. I rolled out of bed and reluctantly headed straight for the gym. I got there feeling tired and not fully awake yet, so I decided to hop on the bike for a bit. I got about 10 minutes in and was feeling board of not moving anywhere and staying stationary. I decided to move to the treadmill and got a little over a mile in. This transition from bike to treadmill felt really weird on my thighs and made my legs supper tired for my run.

It probably wasn’t the best mix of exercises, but I was having a hard time figuring out what I wanted to do at the gym today! I also finally made my June calendar for the month, so I am hoping that will help alleviate some of the uncertainty and lack of motivation to workout.

June 6th- Rest

I decided to take my rest day today instead of Saturday. I got done with my presentation and decided to take the rest of the day off. It was. It was nice to get this break, but I need to make sure I hold myself accountable this weekend and hit the gym!

June 7th- 2.7 mile run

I ran to Fairhaven Park and back this morning. I got out of the apartment around 10:00 am and was surprised at how good it felt to run somewhat early in the day. The cold air felt good as it hit my face and filled my lungs.

When I got back home, I felt refreshed and ready to start my day. This was the best feeling! As it starts to get warmer out, I am hoping to try and get more of these morning runs in. I usually have a hard time getting up in the mornings, but if I get on a good schedule I am hoping it will become a part of my everyday routine.

June 8th- 20 min bike ride and weight lifting

Today was gym day, as I decided to take my rest day on Thursday. As I was biking, I decided I wanted to try and lift weights again to see whether or not that cyst would be affected.

I decided to use 10 pound dumbbells and do my normal bicep workout. It felt really good and I didn’t notice my cyst hurting. I am hoping the cyst doesn’t get bigger and I can continue to tone my arms again.

Overall, today was a good workout day. I felt accomplished picking up the weights again and am looking forward to hopefully integrating dumbbells back into my workouts.

June 9th- Rest

I ended up spending most of the day studying for my final on Tuesday and tying up loose ends in another class. It was a day well spent preparing for Tuesday. I can’t wait to get this test over with and have a week break until summer classes begin!

June

May seemed to go even faster than April or March. Looking back on May, both at my studies and also my running, I can’t believe how busy I have been.

This is no excuse for all the “rest” days I have taken, but this quarter has definitely been way busier than the last one. I have been a part of so many group projects and finally realized how much time these can take up.

Looking back at May, there are a few things I wanted to reflect on. These are things that I am both proud of, and also things I need to work on this upcoming month.

Positive things I accomplish in May:

I started May off with a 3.8 Mile run and found a new route because of it!
I did more biking this month compared to April

Negative things I need to work on:

I took a lot of rest days
Need to keep up my motivation to run

With summer and summer classes right around the corner, I need to make sure I am still getting my running in on a daily basis, or at least doing something to be active. With this being said, I decided to write out a full calendar schedule for June. I hope to follow this calendar and accomplish the goal I have set for each day.

I believe one of the best ways to complete this goal is to make the calendar pictured above and physically cross off everyday after I have completed the activity. This will give me motivation I need to push myself to get the task done. When it is completed, it will give me the feeling is satisfaction; knowing I completed everything on my to do list that day.

I am hoping this calendar will be the push I need to successfully complete my June workout schedule and meet my goals.

With this being said, here are some of my goals for the upcoming month:

Run 4 times a week (one of which will be a long run around 4 miles)
Bike 2 times a week
Abs– I have fallen behind on ab workouts to the point where I have stopped doing then altogether. On the days I bike, I want to also complete 5 minutes of ab exercises to help keep my stomach in shape.
Hydrate with the warmer weather starting, drinking water is going to become very important and make my runs a lot easier. This is a must as summer approaches.

I am hoping to continue the progress I have made over the past 5 months. Lack of motivation will be a key player in this process and it is something I strive to overcome every day this month.

Monthly stats

June was a good month, but there were a few weeks with a lot of rest days. I am hopeful to change this in the next few months.

Week 19

May 6- Rest

Today was stressful and instead of doing what I told myself I would when I get stressed (i.e. go to the gym) I skipped and continued to stress for my OPS 360 test I have tomorrow.

I ended up studying most of the day in between my classes. I should have made time to go to the gym and run off my stress, but I thought studying was more important. As I look back at my previous months, this seems to be something I continue to struggle with: figuring out when I should run because I am so stressed. Instead I tend to hone in on how stressed I am and often forget that running with make me feel better. Just the idea of going on a run stresses me out even more… How do I get out of this mindset? I need to work on this and really be mindful of it in the next couple of weeks to try and make a habit out of it.

May 7- 2.54 mile run

Today was so beautiful out!! It was mid 60’s and sunny which means time to run outside! I actually ended up convincing Alex to run Lake Padden with me. We took it slower (as he isn’t as much of a runner compared to me). It felt really good to get outside and soak up the sun. I know Alex wasn’t too thrilled about the run, but it felt good to have a running buddy for once.

To treat ourselves, we ended up going to a movie later that night and saw the new Avengers. I am not caught up with the other movies, but overall I thought it was pretty good.

Today felt really good to not only get outside, but also spend time doing something we both wanted to do: I got my run and Alex got his movie.

May 8- 30 minute bike ride

Tonight I opted to bike instead of run. I ordered new running shoes, which were delivered today, but I wanted my first run with them to be outside and not on a treadmill. I can’t wait to try them out tomorrow!

One thing I want to do with these shoes is track how many miles I put on them. This is something we would occasionally do in high school, but I think it would be fun to do again. I have a feeling it might be a good motivational tool to use in the future!

May 9- 2.54 miles

Wow was it warm out today! As I sit out on the deck in the sun to write this, I am starting to sweat which is actually a bummer as I just got out of the shower after my run around Lake Padden.. Might need to take another one later tonight.

I got done with classes around 4 and texted Alex asking if he wanted to go on another run around the lake. To my surprise, he said yes! So him and I headed over to the lake and ran the 2.5 miles. It was fairly warm out when running, but luckily most of Padden is shaded.

As it starts to get warmer out, it is going to be important to start drinking more water and staying hydrated throughout the day. While this is something to keep in mind, I do want to take a second to acknowledge my difference in my workout habits this week compared to the last few. I have been trying to hold myself more accountable to getting out and being active everyday. I am going to try and keep this habit up for the rest of this quarter and into summer as well.

May 10- Rest

Today was gorgeous! Not having classes made today that much better. Alex and I went out to Fairhaven Park for a picnic lunch and some time in the sun. Before we knew it, we had been out there for a little over and hour and were ready to get out of the sun for awhile.

We also went back out later in the evening to stroll around Fairhaven and check out Boulevard Park. There were a lot of people out, but is was really nice to make it back outside for a bit after dinner and walk around. Although I didn’t run today, I still feel like I got a workout in by walking so much and being outdoors. I know I took a break from running today, but it still felt good to get outside, walk around, and enjoy the sun and fresh air.

Tomorrow I am planning on doing a longer run, hopefully around 4 miles or so. This will be good as I have been mainly sticking to 2.54 miles around Lake Padden.

May 11- Rest

It has been awhile since I have updated the portion of my blog and I honestly can’t remember if I went to the gym this day. Because of that, I am going to assume I took another rest day. I need to get better at updating this everyday, but the last couple of weeks have been really busy with classes and a social life.

May 12- Rest

Again, since I did not keep up with updating on a daily basis I can’t remember what I did last week. I am going to try and get better at this.

Week 18

April 29- Bike

I haven’t biked in awhile and thought I would give it a shot today. I biked for 20 minutes and was surprised by how much of a sweat I was able to work up! It felt good to give my shins and knees a break from all the harsh pounding from running on the treadmill or outside. It’s a great way to recover and something I should keep in mind as I work towards running everyday instead of weight lifting.

My wrist still has that cyst and sometimes I notice a dull ache in it. I am hoping it is not getting worse. It doesn’t seem to be getting bigger, but I wish I could do more arm workouts to keep them toned.

April 30- Rest

I was more sore than I thought I was going to be from biking. On my walk to classes this morning, I couldn’t believe how tired my legs felt. After my six hours of classes, I was beat and had so much work to do that I opted out of going to the gym. I have a feeling with this week being midterms, it is going to get pretty hard to go on runs. On the other hand though, it is supposed to be really nice and sunny this week. Hopefully this will hope motivate me to get outside and run!

May 1- 3.82 mile run

I got lost on my run today… I found a new trail and didn’t realize it was going the opposite direction I wanted it to. I turned my ideal 2.5 mile run into a 4 mile run. Although the run took longer than I had planned, it did feel really good to be able to go out and explore a new trail.

I am hoping to figure out a more direct route that can incorporates this trial as the weather continues to get nicer.

May 2- Rest

I wasn’t able to get out and run today. I got too wrapped up with classes and trying to catch up on homework and meet with various groups for upcoming projects. The quarter is picking up big time and a lot of my time is going to group projects.

This Saturday Alex’s family and I are signed up to do the Haggen to Haggen 5k. It will be good to get back into a racing mindset and run competitively. This is something I hope to do more of once I get more money (as some of them are a little expensive…).

May 3- Rest

This week I am really struggling to make my runs… I had to meet with a few groups today and by the time I was done I was exhausted and not wanting to go back out. Next week I really need to make sure I hold myself accountable.

May 4- Haggen to Haggen 5k

This run felt really good! I ran it in 26 minutes, which felt fairly fast but was so rewarding to sprint across that finish line. The one thing I noticed while running was how competitive I get when others are racing around me. I was pushing myself harder than I normally do when running alone. It felt rewarding passing people all the way until the finish line. The first mile of this run was mostly downhill which helped my time. It felt good to coast the first mile and push hard on the last two. I couldn’t believe how motivated I felt during this race and how much I was able to push myself to keep the 8:30 or lower mile pace.

Having the tough mindset is something I want to continue implementing into my weekly runs. This is what will make me a better runner and allow me to push myself longer distances.

May 5- Rest

Today was homework and chores all day. I spent time catching up on classwork and also spent time studying for a test I have on Tuesday. Most of my time on Monday will be dedicated to studying. I am still going to try and make it to the gym everyday this week though!

May

I can’t believe how fast April went! As I look back at what I did this month, here are some highlights I wanted to point out:

Longest run: 3.6 miles
Increased the weight on dumbbells to 12.5 pounds on each side

With progress comes things I still need to work on: I took WAY too many rest days this month… about 2 or 3 a week. This is too many and I need to hold myself more accountable to my workouts. It is always hard to fall into a solid routine at the start of the quarter, but now that we are about a month in getting to the gym should start to become easier.

As I focus solely on running, due to that ganglion cyst on my wrist.. bummer 😦 I want to make sure I continue to increase my millage. By the end of April I want to be running around 4.5 miles consistently; meaning at least two times a week.

As it starts to get nicer out, I will be able to run outside and push myself to find new routes and easily get in a four mile run.

Another goal I have for this month is to hike a lot. I am hoping at least once every two weeks if not more. Many of these hikes will have to be local, as Mt. Baker is still too snowy.

I can’t wait to see what results May will bring me, especially as we start nearing swimsuit season!!

Monthly stats

May seemed to be full of rest days, especially during weeks 18-20. The majority of these weeks were rest days. But I did finish the month out strong on week 21 with a steady week of workouts. I’m hopeful this will NOT be the case for June!

Week 14

April 1- Rest

Happy April Fool’s! Today is Monday and the day before spring quarter starts. I decided to not go to the gym until tomorrow, as Alex has to buy the gym pass and it won’t activate until tomorrow. Today was spent reading through syllabi, getting notebooks ready, and trying to memorize by schedule.

Hoping this quarter goes as smooth as the last one did. I am also looking forward to the warmer and sunnier weather towards the end of this month and into May.

April 2- Run 3.1

The first day of classes went well, so I decided to hit the gym on my way home. I got done with classes around 4 and was done at the gym around 4:40. Usually I don’t like going around this time, as this seems to be the peak time where everyone is at the gym, but when I am only using the treadmill, it really isn’t that bad.

This run was definitely a little harder than I remember, since it has been over a week and a half since I last ran or worked out at all. This feeling is always bitter-sweet. I hate how much harder workouts become after taking time off, but when the workout is over the sore muscles is a nice reminder why I should be trying to workout every day.

I have a feeling this week will more of a challenge to go to the gym everyday as I have a whole new schedule to work around. By the end of this week, I should have a better idea of what my weeks will look like and be able to put together a gym schedule for this quarter.

April 3- Rest

After class today, I felt overwhelmed by all the information given out in classes. I decided to not go to the gym, but instead focus my time on organizing my planner and figuring out what is due when.

I still need to make a schedule for April. Hopefully I can get around to this sometime this upcoming weekend.

April 4- Full body circuit

After classes ended at 4, I hit the gym to do my arms and legs workout. I took it a little easier today since it has been so long since using weights. I used the 10 pound dumbbells and the stair climber. It felt good using these muscles again.

It feels good starting to get back into a good routine after taking so much time off over spring break. It makes me start to wonder what summer will be like, I am thinking I might need to get a gym membership somewhere around my house to do my weight workouts!

April 5- Rest

It’s Friday and that means no classes! Welcome to four day weeks and three day weekends!! Today I spent the day sleeping in, doing some homework, and then headed down to Seattle to spend the evening and weekend with my family. My grandma had a heart attack earlier last week and this weekend we are going to go visit her in Wenatchee.

April 6- Day trip to Wenatchee

The drive over to Wenatchee seemed to take forever, we ended up hitting some snow at the top of Stevens Pass which got the nerves pumping and after that it was dumping rain the rest of the way. We got to Wenatchee around 12, just in time to join my grandma for lunch. The afternoon was spent socializing and eventually time for dinner.

My family ended up going out to a local pub in downtown Wenatchee called Saddle Rock Pub and Brewery. The food there was SOOOO good! I would definitely recommend their pizza, salads, starters, and of course their beer. I also really liked this sign they had on one of their walls:

We got home from Wenatchee around 9:30pm. After the long day, we were all fairly tired and worn out from the 6 hours of being on the road. It was good to see my grandma, and I am glad she is doing okay after being in the hospital.

April 7- Back up to Bham

Back up to Bellingham I go. I feel like I have done so much driving lately. Between our trip to Spokane and the back and fourth from Wenatchee and Bellingham I am exhausted from driving! It will be good to be back in Bellingham where everything is accessible by bus or walking.

I used to day as a personal day. I got back up to Bellingham, did some homework, and just relaxed for the day. I am going to make sure I get on a consistent schedule this upcoming week and try to get around to making an overall schedule for April this week.

Week 12

March 18- Finance Final

It’s Monday and I am ready to get this finance final over with. My final is not until 3:30, so I spent most of the day studying and preparing for it. It is also one of my roommates birthdays, so I am planning on celebrating after my final is over.

Update: the final went well and now it’s time to celebrate! We took our roommate out for pizza and beer. It was chill and a great way to spend the evening.

Because of today’s crazy schedule, I didn’t make it to the gym. I was looking at the weather for tomorrow and it looks like it will be 67 and sunny. I can’t wait to get outside and run in the sun! It is going to feel so good getting out and running in the fresh air instead of the stuffy gym.

March 19- 2.5 miles around Lake Padden

WOW was it beautiful today! Alex and I started our morning off with brunch at Mt. Bakery Cafe in Fairhaven, WA. It was our first time there and it definitely didn’t disappoint! I am hoping to post pictures of it in the photography section later this week!

After brunch, was walked around Fairhaven for a bit and made our way down to Boulevard Park. It’s only 11 and already getting warm, it feels good getting a taste of spring weather.

After our food coma wears off, the plan is to do a slow jog around Lake Padden (as Alex and I are both VERY out of shape from being sick). I am excited to have the opportunity to not only spend time with Alex today, but also get out and go for a run while enjoying the sunny weather while we have it!

Lake Padden was a success, we ran 2 miles and walked the last 1/2 miles in the 70 degree, sunny weather. It was way warmer than I thought it was going to be, I was overheating in a long sleeve. I think next time I run outside I might need to break out shorts and a tank top… What a weird thing to even think about, as it was just snowing two weeks ago!

March 20- Rest

Today I decided to take a rest day as I was studying for finals and getting ready for Friday’s endeavors. I did do a quick ab workout tonight. It seemed a little more challenging than normal. I need to get back in a better routine of doing this, as it only take 2.5 minutes.

Tomorrow I am going to run Lake Padden again, I feel like I need to redeem myself from walking the last 1/2 miles on Tuesday. Can’t wait to get back out there and enjoy the sun!

March 21- 3.1 miles around Lake Padden

I decided to run the lake going the opposite direction I normally do. By doing this, it allows me to run a little over 1/2 of a mile extra around the lake before ending up at my car. I am able to rerun the flat 0.3 miles that I run at the beginning of the trail and back which gets me to an even 3.1 millage.

I was really motivated to run today and actually got really good times! I finished in 27 minutes and 44 seconds with an average mile pace of 8:55. This seemed fairly fast for me, as I am usually running a constant 9:20 mile on the treadmill. I guess this just goes to show how important it is to push myself harder on the days I am stuck at the gym on the treadmill due to weather. Fortunately, I don’t think this will be an issue as spring time draws closer!

It felt really good pushing myself. I usually try to take it slower on the uphills and speed down the downhills, but today I pushed myself on both parts. This was a challenge, as the uphill killed my lungs. I could feel the burning in my chest from my lungs trying to push oxygen throughout my body and it felt really good! I haven’t felt that feeling since running races back in cross country during high school.

I was in a racing mindset today. I could feel myself pushing past the burning in my legs and lungs and it felt really good. It made me miss racing competitively. This is the mindset I want to have during all my runs. I am not quite sure what made me more competitive today, maybe it has to do with being sick and not going to the gym as often I have wanted to these past couple of weeks.

I am excited for what the rest of this week will bring for my running, I am hoping to maintain this mindset and continue to push myself for better times and longer distances. I want to get up to running 4 or more miles again, but being sick really set me back. Hopefully by the first week in April I will be back to the longer runs.

March 22- Psychology and Marketing Finals

This morning was packed with back to back finals from 8am until 12pm. After these tests I was pretty tired and decided to take the day off from the gym. I finally made it to spring break and I can’t wait to go to Vegas with my family and then head over to Spokane to see a friend at Gonzaga!

This spring break will be very busy and I don’t think I will be able to make it to the gym most of this week… But I am excited to spend time with family and friends!

March 23- Packing day

The plan is to head home to Seattle tomorrow, so today was spent relaxing and slowly packing for my trip. I also just found a great show on Netflix called Scandal which I have been binge watching today.

I am excited to head home tomorrow and see everyone again!

March 24- Home to Seattle

Today was spent driving home and catching up with my family. I am hoping to run Green Lake tomorrow in the morning before we fly out on Tuesday to Vegas.

I can already tell this week will be too packed to make it to the gym, but I am going to make sure to run tomorrow to get one last workout in before the week picks up!

Week 9

February 25- 3.45 mile run

It was so nice out today! It was about 40 degrees and sunny, so of course I decided to run outside. It is so easy to get in the rut of running on the treadmill so being able to get outside was much needed. I did my favorite route from my apartment to Boulevard Park.

The route seemed shorter than I remembered. Maybe I’m just more in shape this time around while running it? It was almost 3.5 miles, and it felt good! It makes me yearn for spring and summer where I can go run outside everyday!

February 26- Full body workout

I hit the gym and was able to successfully complete my entire workout. I ran a mile around the track, did my arms, and finished off with my legs. I am still working towards doing a pull up. It is taking longer than I thought it would to build up to it. It is a little disappointing, but I know with more training I will be able to get there! I am hoping to keep the motivation to keep pushing myself to work towards this goal.

I can’t wait to see the progress I will make in March!

February 27- Rest

I didn’t take the time to get out and run today. Instead, I spent the time catching up on class work. It is that time in the quarter where classes start picking up again with finals and prep for finals in three weeks. It felt good to take time to get on top of my classes.

February 28- Full body circuit

Today I got to the gym around 5pm. It was a little busier than I thought it was going to be. I was able to finally get the dumbbells and complete my arm workout. This is starting to feel easy with the 10 pound weights, I am thinking I might need to increase to 12.5 soon! I also got a solid leg workout in with a few of the machines. I am still working towards a pull up and decided to push myself a little harder and complete another rep than I normally do. This means I did three sets of five instead of two. I know this doesn’t sound like a lot, but I am making progress and working towards a full pull up.

March 1- Run 3.62 miles

It was hard to get motivated to run today. I pushed myself to head to the gym and was really glad I did! I hopped on the treadmill, got into a good rhythm, put on a Netflix episode, and started running. This was the first time I have ever watched something on my phone while running and it made the time go by really fast. Before I knew it, I had already run 3 miles!

I was amazed at how easy this run felt today. It proved to me how important it is to train your mind when running. Many times I end my runs with the idea that I went far enough because I am out of breath and tired. In reality, it seems like I should be pushing myself further knowing my body can handle it. If I change this mindset, I believe I will be more happy with how far I am running and the results I am achieving.

March 2- Rest

Today my parents came up to celebrate my birthday a day early with me. We spent the day stocking up on food, celebrating with champagne, and going out to dinner at the marina in Bellingham.

It was a fun day spent with my family, and because of that I decided to take the day off from running. With my 21st birthday being tomorrow, I think I may take tomorrow off as well. It will be my cheat weekend, but come Monday I will be at the gym running off all the food and drinks acquired over the weekend!!

March 3- Birthday rest day

It’s my 21st birthday and it was a day well spend with Alex and friends. I went got coffee with some friends and had dinner with Alex at Boundary Bay (one of my favorite restaurants in Bellingham!)

We spent the night eating good food and tying a bunch of different kinds of beer. I’m excited for next weekend to continue the celebrations next weekend!