Recipes

I’ve heard rumors that people actually enjoy running. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. Yet. I’m convinced I could be one of those people though! I’m just not sure if I can make it to that point.

Last night I started Week 3 of the Zombies, Run! app and it was HARD. Week 2 was a combo of run for 30 seconds, walk 1 minute with a free form walk/run at the end of the workout. It was doable, but I felt like I was pushing myself too.

Unfortunately, due to scheduling, I had to take last week off from running outside. I don’t like to run in the dark and that was really the only time I could workout. The gym ended up winning every day.

When I got home last night, I laced up my sneaks and set out to start Week 3. Then I got sidetracked. I started messing around with my phone, answering emails, and basically doing anything that didn’t require me leaving my house. When I finally got my foot out the door it was much cooler than I planned and the sun was starting to set.

The format of this week wasn’t that much different. Run 1 minute, walk 1 minute. Nothing too tough. However, the minute I started the warm-up walk I knew it wasn’t going to go well. For some reason the app was stuck on playing Taylor Swift’s I Knew You Were Trouble and I am all Swifted out. I kept with it though. I finally hit a spot on my normal path that I usually start to really enjoy the workout.

Not so much last night. I came across a weird swarm of bugs that kept getting in my eyes, nose and mouth. I’m not exactly sure but I’m pretty convinced that there is a dead body around there. I didn’t look because I just can’t be on the news looking like a hot mess.

The rest of the workout continued on in a similar fashion. I tried to hop over a puddle only to actually miscalculate and land right in it. The puddle was definitely not made out of just water. If you have ever been to New Orleans around Mardi Gras time then you know the kind of puddle I am talking about.  As I ran past a park where they were playing softball, a ball flew out into the path and I thought it was some weird bird trying to attack me. I screamed and they laughed. A dog ran up to me and sniffed my crotch.

All in all…not a fun night. By the time I got home I was tired and grumpy. I had also only covered about 2.5 miles. Great. Plus, I had some kind of weird stomach cramp that made me want to just lay down and cry.

On a bright note, I wore my Boston Strong tshirt for the first time. I also managed to get a bathroom selfie. Bonus for all of you.

I wallowed in my own self pity for a bit in my big red chair. There were a lot of thoughts along the lines of not being built to be a runner and how do people run for hours on end without stopping. I thought about how proud of my BF I was when he finished his half marathon and at the same time in shock that he ran for 2 hours straight. I tried to remember why I wanted to try running in the first place. I had flashbacks to boot camp and having to run laps around this stupid little patch of grass.  I’m a firm believer in allowing yourself to be miserable for a few minutes and I can do it like a pro.

And then I have to snap out of it! Which is what I did. I got off the couch, finally showered (I found a bug in my hair) and made dinner. The entire time I thought about how far I have come since January (only 4 months!!!) and how far I know I am going to get in losing weight while getting fit. I also thought about how proud myself I will be when I actually *run* an entire 5k without stopping. One night of a crappy workout isn’t the end of the world. I’ll just try again on Wednesday! Right?! I will also be removing the Taylor Swift song from my phone. *Shudder*

It should be noted that I only have about 7 songs on my phone for some reason.

-Whistle by Flo Rida
-Scream & Shout by Will.i.Am
-Ho Hey by The Lumineers
-Thrift Shop by Macklemore
-I Love It by Iconic
-Come & Get It by Selena Gomez

This does not accurately represent my taste in music and I would be so embarrassed if someone found my phone and mistook it for a 14 year old girl’s phone.

For dinner, I threw a few things together and was pleasantly surprised by the results. Things were starting to look up at the end of the night.

Grilled chicken w/ goat cheese, salsa and a little bit of lemon juice & Green Beans w/ Garlic and 1/2 a Laughing Cow wedge.

I sprinkled S&P with a little bit of Coconut Oil cooking spray over 4 oz of chicken and then baked for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Once it is almost fully cooked I squeezed about 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice over the chicken and topped it with one Trader Joe’s Goat Cheese Medallion (1 oz) and 2 tbsp of Trader Joe’s Salsa Authentica. I stuck it back in the oven for about 10 more minutes and it came out perfectly cooked with a nice cheesy topping.

Once I was done eating I was feeling in better spirits. I made a promise to myself to at least finish the 8 week Zombies training app. Once I am done with that I can make the decision to continue hating running or continue on in my journey to become the next Olympic athlete. Or run a 5k without wanting to die at the end. You know. Whichever comes first.

Runner friends…please tell me that I will get better if I stick with it! I can spin, lift heavy weights, and yoga with the best of them. I will eventually be able to add running to my resume too, right?! Please share your lazy to runner story below, if you have one. If running comes easily to you…just keep that story to yourself.

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