Little steps ...

I have many different projects going on this week. One of them is finding a good strength training plan. I was doing a great 30 day strength challenge, but stopped after day 21. I was having some pain in my back, I think mostly because of the plank exercise. When you are supposed to do 3 minute plank and can barely do 1 minute, you end up doing it incorrectly and your back suffers. And I no longer saw the point of doing over 200 squats. Sorry, that is just silly. So, I’ve been reading through all my sport magazines and my running books and googling and youtubing. Finally, a friend introduced me to the 7 minute workout. Fantastic idea. I will give it a try, it can even be found as an app. Here is a link to it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECxYJcnvyMw. I will keep track of my progress and revise if necessary, but I really like the way it is set up as it’s easy to follow.

So, now my weekly training plan is ready.

Monday: Walk + strength

Tuesday: Run (intervals/hills)

Wednesday: Rest (short walk + strength)

Thursday: Run (intervals/pyramid)

Friday: Walk + strength

Saturday: Run (long run)

Sunday: Rest (short/slow walk)

Looks good, right?

And yeah, I almost forgot. I’ve now officially signed up for the Reykjavik marathon, half marathon distance, on the 23th August 2014. Paid for it and all, so now there is no backing out but just full speed ahead with training. It will be so much fun, I’m sure.

I’ve also been focusing a lot this last week on food. Doing research on the internet, googling and youtubing everything and more and have found that a plant-based diet, like the one I’m working on, is very interesting and probably the best decision I could have made. It doesn’t mean that I think it is for everybody, but it looks like it will work for me. Not only for health reasons, but also for ethical and environmental reasons. This last couple of weeks I’ve been having some meat cravings, but my data collection on the benefits of plant-based diet and casting out processed food for good has kept me on the right track. In case any of you are interested to look into plant-based diet, here is a link to a video with the author of the book The China Study. Basically, it states that we are what we eat. There are, of course, some critics of the book and I’m not here making any claims that it is 100% correct, but it seems to make sense to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzrWGOKK3E8

I’ve also been watching some video from this ultra fitness guy, and a vegan. All the claims that you don’t get enough protein from plant-based diet sure don’t seem to fit him. His name is Rich Roll, you can check him out if you want, on YouTube. So far though, I’m far away from veganism but excited about the journey and the experience. I’ve started to fair a little better with my chocolate habit, it is on the right track. And now I also really have to face my coke light habit, again! I have found out that those two habits go hand in hand. They complement each other, the pleasure of eating chocolate without the coke, and drinking the coke without the chocolate, is not the same as consuming the two together. I think I’m almost there, something is stirring in my brain and I’m confident that before long there will be no more chocolate and coke light for me :)

Have a great week everybody, and remember: Be the change you want to see in the world!

Summing up January

I started February off with a great (although slow) 5,5 km run around my neighbourhood, following it with day 19 of my 30 day strength training challenge. That one included 160 squats and 70 sit-ups, among other things. I have to admit that it is getting more and more difficult, although it is also great to feel that I’m getting stronger and stronger every day. I can also feel the improvements in my runs, very tiny improvements but they are there. What I feel mostly is that I’m not as tired afterwards as I was in the beginning. I’m still very slow but I’m sure speed will come with persistence.

In January, I had three challenges to overcome, or goals to reach. The strength challenge is ongoing. Number two was getting into a routine of running/walking no less than 3 days a week. I’ve gone way over that goal and seem to be running/walking 5-6 days a week now. Which is making me feel fantastic. The last goal was to document all my kilometres on Endomondo and share it on Facebook. This I have also succeeded to do. And I think I will simply just keep it up. I walked/ran 85 kilometers in February, can you imagine that. So fantastic, I'm over the moon with pride of myself. Good job, Bryndis!

After the 30 day strength challenge, I’m looking into a strength training program specially designed for runners, and plan to put that into action immediately after the challenge is over. I also had other goals in January, that are not directly connected to my half marathon training, and I’ve reached all of them. I’m working hard on creating the future I want for myself, and on the kind of person I want to be. That includes becoming more confident and not being afraid to follow my own path even if that may be difficult or not what other people might do. And I’m definitely on my way with that goal. My vegetarianism goal is also going strong, and I simply don’t miss meat at all. There are so many good vegetarian recipes out there, and of course as I’m still eating fish I suppose I’m not feeling the true effects of vegetarianism yet. These are, however, things I look forward to dealing with and I think I am more than ready. At least I fell wonderful knowing that I’m not contributing to the horrible conditions factory chickens have to live in!

Obviously, as now we are in February, I need to find more goals and challenges for myself. In spite of all my exercise in January, my weight and measurements have not changed one bit since January 1^st. I suppose that has something to do with my sweet tooth! Because, as much as I’m concentrating on eating well, I also eat bad. And not just sometimes. I am completely and totally addicted to chocolate. So! One of my goals and challenges for February is to only eat chocolate (and any other sweets) on Saturdays. Putting my self-discipline into overdrive and seriously challenging myself. One has to think big to achieve big! I’m sure this will be successful and I look forward to logging in my success at the end of this month! Another goal I will be working towards is writing down my goals everyday as well as planning my day in advance. This advice I got from Brian Tracy, who I’m now hooked on. I got myself a spiral notebook and started off this morning by writing down 10 goals for this year, as well as writing down what I will be doing today. Fantastic.

I hope you are all having a good day and are striving towards something meaningful in your lives. Remember, the number one enemy to achieving anything is the comfort zone so I challenge all of you to step outside of it and reach for the stars. That is what I’m doing!

Now, I've gotta run ;) Gonna have a great day with some great ladies.