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I ran my first 5k yesterday morning at 8:15am! My main goals were to beat my professor so I could get extra credit AND run it without stopping or getting completely out of breath. I ACCOMPLISHED THOSE GOALS! I ran my race at 32:22, beat my professor and didn’t stop to take a break or walk. I really was hoping to run the race in under 30 minutes but considering the 38° and windy weather, I’m pretty happy with my time. Thank you all so much for being so supportive throughout this journey! Every year I do the MS Walk which is either a 1 mile or 3 mile walk. Some people walk, bike or run and maybe this year I’ll run the 3 miles if I’m feelings healthy enough! 😊 This whole experience has taught me that checking in every week really holds you accountable and keeps you on track.

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The 5k is less than a week away and I ran my best mile on Tuesday! 8 min 52 seconds. I was so proud of myself because I wasn't too out of breath and I felt confident in my running form and my ability. My goal for this week is to run the full 3.1 miles either outside or on the treadmill at least once just so I know what it feels like to run that far.

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This week has been very stressful for me because it is the week that I worked the most, had to sign up for classes and figure out my schedule and also make sure my grades are on track for all of my classes. I did manage to get in a few sessions at the gym this week but I only ran once. Only 1 mile this time because I was exhausted. 5k is only 13 days away and I'm starting to get discouraged with myself about how slow I'm running but if I can push myself these next 2 weeks I know it will pay off!

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This picture really has nothing to do with the actual running itself that I did this week, but I did want to show everyone what I'm dealing with...FLOODING! It is flooding season so I have had a pretty busy week trying to get sandbags together for my house just incase the water got too high. Thankfully I think it will crest tonight and hopefully start slowly heading down on Monday. That was an off topic story but I was able to run outside this week which I was super happy about. I had no idea how hard running outside is VS. running on a treadmill. I had no idea how to pace myself and I was only able to run 1 mile outside because I just wasn't used to breathing in the colder air and not having a set speed. Im hoping this week I will be able to get outside more and run a longer distance. My boyfriends family are all runners and I have been leaning on them for support and tips. His brother recommended to stop trying to worry about my time and just run for 10 minutes and see how far I can go and then run 10 minutes back and try to run even farther. Bring on the week of nice weather!!! :)

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I am so so happy and proud of myself. I ran 2 miles this week under 20 minutes which means that I will hopefully make my goal of running my 5k under 30 minutes! This coming up week is spring break so I'm going to try my best to work hard and make it up to 2.5 miles. Last week was a tough one for me because of midterms but I finally feel like I'm back on track with my lifting and running. Bring on next week!!

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I love weightlifting, it is my favorite form of exercise and my favorite way to stay physically active. Of course I am still training for my 5k but I kind of lost myself in the process by not doing what I love the most. In my exercise physiology class I have learned so much about how having stronger muscles helps your run faster because your body will become less fatigued and that spoke volumes to me. I can't train for a 5k by just running, I need to still do what I love which is lifting weights and getting stronger. I'm starting to feel like I am finally making progress. I have found that right now I can comfortably run on the treadmill at a 5.5 mph speed for a 1.5 miles without just absolutely dying at the end. I also found that I can't listen to music while I run on the treadmill because I get too bored, watching an episode of the office has been my favorite thing to do while running! I'll check back in a week....hopefully I'll be up to 2.0 miles by Sunday! :)

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I've been working really hard towards my goal of running the 5k. I have been incorporating running into my daily fitness routine. I started out running 1 mile each time I worked out but now I am pushing myself to run 1.5 miles to keep building up my endurance. I am proud of the work I have been putting in but not satisfied with my time results. Once I am able to run the 3.1 miles without stopping or getting too out of breath I will focus on speeding up my time and pushing myself to run faster!! Here comes another week of running!

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Did my second mile yesterday, 2/8/19. I ran the mile in 9 minutes and 5 seconds, 40 seconds faster than on 2/2/19! Little progress but at least it's a start. Going for a run again tomorrow, shooting for under 9 minutes! Like I mentioned in my post before, "hopefully in my next picture I will be smiling," and here I am with a grin and a thumbs up! Nothing is more rewarding than finishing a run, absolutely exhausted and sweaty but knowing that at least you finished it and finished it faster than last time. I definitely don't think 9 minutes and 5 seconds is "fast" but I am very proud of my improvement. I'm getting a lot of positive support from my friends and family and that just pushes me to keep going. These next few weeks are going to be pretty hard to stick to my goals as my dad will be getting ready for surgery but fitness keeps me sane and I will push through!!! :)

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Today I implemented my new fitness habit into my fitness regimen. I love lifting weights...cardio and running...not so much. With that being said, I decided to implement running into my gym routine as I am trying to prepare for a 5k at the end of April. This 5k is required for my Exercise Physiology class but if we beat the professor, we get extra credit! I have never done a race before and I thought, since I'm required to do it, I might as well make it fun and challenging! Today I ran 1 mile in 9 minutes and 45 seconds, not very impressive but it's a start. As you can see in my picture, I look exhausted and defeated and although I was extremely exhausted I was so proud of myself for following through today. (Hopefully in my next picture I will be smiling :)....) Here's to many MANY more running sessions!!