Fail fail fail. And then a win.

Ahhhh now it's been even longer since I posted! Almost a whole month!

I apologize for my disappearance, and I wish I could say that I haven't been posting just because my school has been keeping me crazy busy, which it has. But because of that crazy busy-ness, I also, sadly, have not been running. SO BAD. I had gone a whole month and only missed one day, because I was at Disneyland, but then my last day running was the 6th, because on the 8th, I was definitely going to run, but that day was crazy because I was at school till 3, then had to go to my hospital to pick and research a patient for the next day (oh nursing school) and didn't leave there till like 5, got stuck in traffic on the way home (of course) and had to be at Tempe Marketplace by 6:30 for a special preview screening of a new and coming this summer Disney/Pixar film! So I didn't get the chance to go home like I wanted in between all those things to run. Then of course that Sunday the 11th was MY BIRTHDAY and I was Disneyland/driving home from Disneyland, and so there was no running that day either.

Then last week was just murder, complete and total death. And I should have run this past Sunday but I was like IT'S SPRING BREAK AND I'M A COUCH POTATO TODAY.

And then of course I felt all bad about it, and I was like UGH I don't WANT to run but I CAN'T GIVE UP ON THIS THING, so I came here and read my friends' blogs and got some motivation and then I ran! Woo hoo. I did not run yesterday though because it was HUNGER GAMES DAY and I was busy making cupcakes and doing party things with my buddies. But I will run on Sunday and I will be getting back on track now. For reals. I AM NOT GIVING THIS UP, NO WAY NO HOW.

The end.

Tired girls make slow runners

Sorry it's been so long since I posted; last week was crazy! However, just because I don't post doesn't mean I'm not running. I have now been running three times a week for three weeks, and have only missed one day, on which I was at Disneyland, walking around the whole time anyway. lol

Today was not my best day. I have been very tired all day because yesterday was my first lab day for the Adult Health part of my semester, from 7:30-2:45, and then Bonster and I had a TV marathon afternoon and didn't go to bed till like 11:30. BUT I REGRET NOTHING. It was awesome, but then of course it caught up to me today since we had to get up at 7:45 to go to school and I have been awake since. So I was kinda slow, but at least I still got out there and ran. But guess what I did, which I have been doing since Thursday?

I CAN JOG A WHOLE MILE WITHOUT SLOWING DOWN.

I am amazed at myself. It just was something I did on Thursday, like every day I've been trying to take my first jogging stretch a little farther, like to the next stop sign or whatever, but I just kept looking forward to the next one and thought, yeah I could get to there at this pace. And so I did. Until I got to Pita's house. And then it was like, I was so close to the mile mark anyway and so I just did a whole mile at the same speed! So I've been doing that for the last week I guess.

And now my fastest mile, from Tuesday, is 11:41. LESS THAN TWELVE MINUTES.

High school Jovanie, who dreaded the days they made us do 12 minute miles in PE, thinks that Present day Jovanie is a goddess.

Lastly, and this might sound weird, but my butt hurts! Not so much now as when I was actually running, but I think I'm getting butt muscles! WHO KNEW THERE WERE MUSCLES THERE!?!?!?

(well I mean, I did, because hello I took Anatomy, but... it was supposed to be a hypothetical question. Whatever.)

SUPAH STAAAAAAR

Today I ran two whole miles.... WITHOUT STOPPING.

I KNOW. It's crazy for the past two weeks, I have done the first mile, then stopped to drink water and sit with my grandmother for like 10 minutes and then be on my way again, back to my house. But today, my grandmother was still on her way home from the hospital (minor stroke, she's totally fine though), so I didn't have a place to stop, and so I said to myself, "SELF! You are just going to keep going today!"

AND I DID, AND I DIDN'T DIE.

And I didn't even want to kill myself or anyone else at the end! I was just like so pumped up that I DID IT. And then I had some water and a victory shower and it was AWESOME.

New records (per my Nike+ GPS app):
Farthest run: 2.07 miles
Longest run: 26:34
Fastest 1K: 7:05
Fastest mile: 12:44!

I AM A CHAMPION!
My very dear friend/boyfriend's sister Fredi has invited me to Pat's Run with her. Pat's Run is 4.2 miles, and it is, coincidentally, exactly two months from today. And I think I'm going to do it. It's not nearly as expensive or as exhausting and impossible sounding as the Tink 1/2, but it's sounds like a totally doable first step! I am really very excited about it. I shall probably register for it next week.

Also next week, I think I might try to add in another mile. Start pushing myself a little more. However I may wait until Thursday or Sunday of next week, because I will not be running on Sunday because I will be at DISNEYLAND. Booyah. I think it is okay to skip that day though since I will be walking around and on my feet all day anyway, and I plan to download the pedometer app on my phone so I can track how far I walked! So that will be fun.

But I can't believe I've been running for two weeks. I mean, look at all my pink little runing stick figures!

The pink marks before the 9th were for other things;
pay attention only to the little running men!

THIS

GUYS! I didn't run today, but I did find this, and I just had to share with you:

The Last Place Finishers at the first Tinkerbell Half Marathon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUmrVGsrR-o&feature=youtu.be

Sorry it won't let me embed it because it's an unlisted video on YouTube, but it is so worth watching and so motivational! Except that it kinda motivates me to finish last! hahahaha

That is all. I just wanted to share that and now it's back to studying! 335 more days... !

The right outfit makes all the difference!

I AM OFFICIALLY A RUNNER! Wanna know why? Cuz I officially have legit runner people clothes! Check me oooooooooout!


I had to do something to it to make it stay right side up.
For some reason the picture just really wanted to be upside down.

No I did NOT add the wings and the sparklies... That just happened. :)

But isn't that cool!? My parents brought me back an actual Nike running shirt and running shorts from Las Vegas! So now I'm official. :D It makes me very happy. And the shirt is GREEN! My favorite, and Tink's favorite.

My running continues to be awesome. I keep pushing myself a little bit further with my run/jog segments and then continue to like power walk between. My fastest miles now is 13:19, and I have officially run more than 10 miles! GO ME. My parents drove by me when I was running home and they waved and gave me thumbs up. It was nice. I love to have so much great support. :) My left knee started to bother me a bit so today wasn't my fastest, but I kept up my pace, not fast, just steady and not walking or running, somehwere in the middle for most of the way home.

But anyway, I have awesome running clothes now. And it made me so psyched yesterday to run today. Like I was jumping around and running around the house in them being like "YEAH TADA TADA YEAH I'M AWESOME."

And that's the end of that.

Don't Stop Believin': an appropriate song

You know how people always say that exercise can give you more energy? I've never really expected that to be true, because, you know, it just sounds counter intuitive. Like I'm going to get energy by going out and expending all this energy running around? Does not compute.
BUT IT'S TOTALLY TRUE.

Today I was making flash cards before the time I had planned to go run, and I was like FALLING ASLEEP in my chair. This is probably because I was up super late making adorable geeky Star Wars Valentines for my friends, but whatever. I was so tired, and I was like, UGH NOW I GOTTA GO RUN, but I got up and I did it and MAN did I feel energized after that! Myth: Confirmed!

Anyway, sorry I haven't posted since like Thursday, but FEAR NOT! I continue to run/jog/walk! And I am feeling so good, because HEY I have run a whole week's worth of running! I have run SIX WHOLE MILES so far! And I keep getting a little faster and less tired/winded/sore each time! For example, first day running, my legs were like HOLY CRAP JOVANIE WHAT DID YOU DO TO US WHY DID YOU DO THAT WE HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING TO DESERVE THIS TORTURE. And they kinda kept making me go ow ow ow for like three days. Then on Sunday, they were like Ahhhhhh well this is still uncomfortable and we still hate you for it but okay. And then not sore really after that. TODAY, they are like, oh we ran today? That's cool, I guess we could do that again! And I am no longer having CRAZY COUGHING FITS after running! That happened the first two days which I forogt to mention; is that normal? But today that did not happen to me. So that was nice. Also, have a look at these numbers please:

On the way to my grandma's house, 0.9 miles:
Thursday: 12:09
Sunday: 11:58
Today: 11:29!

On the way back from my grandma's house, 1.1 miles:
Thursday: 16:13
Sunday: 15:05
Today: 15:27

Just getting teeny tiny bits faster every time! Yay! The last one is not really as exciting as this little detail: SOMEHOW I managed to run my fastest mile today! 13:42! Which surprised me a lot because I knew on Sunday I'd do better than Thursday's time because Thursday my ankle was hurting, so I went from I think 14:11 to 14:05, but today, it was REALLY COLD outside, for Arizona, and I've never run in the cold and my wardrobe is not equipped for running in the cold! So I was out in my tiny shorts with a sporty track jacket I've had (but never deserved) for years, and I thought I was going much slower than usual, but I think I'm just getting better at pacing myself with the running/jogging vs power walking. So when the little app voice went, "One mile completed. Time, 13 minutes 42 seconds," I was blown out of my mind! It feels awesome. Lance Armstrong gave me the little vocal high five at the end of my run, congratulating me on my fastest time.

I am feeling very good about myself and all this. I'm drawing little stick figures running on my calendar for every day that I run and that's fun to look up there and see the little pink running stick men! Except the first one wasn't very good, and looks like he's falling over, which I suppose is appropriate.

Oh and Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I'm glad I get to share my stories with people I love and who love me. Hopefully by next year, my Valentine will be with me and not very far away. And maybe we will go on a romantic run together. :)

Two whole miles!

I'M NOT DEAD!

I know, I'm amazed too. But I did it, I ran (some) and I survived! I ran two whole miles!

Well that's not exactly true. My total distance was two miles, but most of it was fast-ish walking with a little bit of speediness in there every now and then, especially at the beginning and at the end. And it wasn't two miles straight; I went to my Pita's house (that's my mama's mother), which is exactly 0.91 miles from my house. Then I sat with her for a bit to catch my breath and drink my water and then I came home, adding in a loop around a nearby cul-de-sac to make it an even two miles.

My Nike+ GPS app tells me that my average pace between the two runs was 14'07", it took me 28.22 minutes, and I burned 247 calories! Which is sad because I feel like I should have burned like A BAZILLION CALORIES. But oh well. PS if you are a runner, or like me, are starting to run, and have an iPhone, I hope you have the Nike+ GPS app, and if not, get it! It is awesome. It breaks down everything about my run, from my average speed to my fastest and slowest, as well as showing me on the route I ran where those fastest and slowest areas were. Like so!

On the left, my run to Pita's; much more green.
Then see that big stretch of red on the right?
That's when my ankle started hurting.

Also whenever you finish, it gives you a little motivational HURRAH from some famous runner or other. Which is very sweet. When I finished my run today I heard "I'm Ellie Golding, and as a fellow runner, I wanted to congratulate you on your fastest mile. Keep on shining." She is apparently British and it was just a nice little unexpected thing that happened. So get that if you can!

Anyway, it was a pretty good run! I had to slow down a lot, like you can see, but overall pretty good. Unfortunately my right ankle started acting up on my way back, and that was no bueno. Especially since that's not even the one I've sprained twice! But when I got home I got some water and an ice pack and went to cool off by lying on my mom's bed with the ice pack on my ankle. And then I took a victory shower! And then it's now.

I DID IT. Which feels awesome. I can already feel the soreness, especially coming up and going down the stairs. Oh and I took the stairs up 4 floors to the parking garage and have had at least 4 glasses of water today! It's the little things too.

Let's just hope I can walk come tomorrow!