Turnaround

I've had a turnaround in my mindset that I'm very happy to report. At the beginning of the week, I'd missed one of my practice sessions for my upcoming 5k with my mom, and the weather forecast for home on Saturday is cold with a 50% chance of rain. My mom doesn't want to do it if it's cold AND rainy. After she said it, I found myself wishing that it would pour on Saturday, the run would be cancelled, and we could just skip the whole thing.

Then I made my first appointment to try on wedding dresses. I KNOW I'm not going to be happy with the size I have to try on. This seemed to help me up my motivation level again, but this afternoon, after working all night, I woke up to a cloudy, windy day, and I didn't want to go to the gym to meet my trainer. But I did. I think having a trainer may be the missing link to my working out success and here is why:

-It's like having a doctor's appointment. You may not want to go, but someone is counting on you to be there, so you do the right thing. Ultimately, I have a great workout and end up being very glad that I showed up.

-My trainer is very low-key. She motivates me, but she's not overly peppy or annoying. And that is perfect for me. She knows when to push me, and knows when to back off. She can tell when I'm about to puke, or need water, just by looking at my facial expressions. I am grateful for that.

Today I trained with Ginger and we did abs, chest and arms. Then, I sucked it up and did my practice 5k at a granny slow pace. It took me about 45 minutes running at about 4.2MPH up until the end when my iPod was about to die and I really wanted my Nike thing to record my 5k on there! So I jumped up to about 5.5MPH for the last several minutes. I cooled off and just felt amazing afterward! I'm so proud of my accomplishment. Oh, and I had absolutely, positively NO shin splints!! I think slow and steady is the key!

To celebrate my new-found motivation, I bought a pair of red running pants! The 5k is Christmas oriented and our entry fee is a toy for a needy child. I'm pumped again and really want to do this race! One of the physical therapists that works with my mom said it's really a lot easier than just running a 5k alone, because your adrenaline is pumping and it's such a fun atmosphere. I'll head straight from the race to my BFF's baby shower and then off to try wedding dresses! Pictures to follow!