Saturday night musings

Well, I'm trying to blog more - so here I am.

Thanks for all of you who sent me notes of support on my return to the blog. It means a lot to me that so many of my friends care about this thing and God if you people don't motivate me to keep going and keep running, I don't know what would!  It's pretty cool how connected we've all become thru this running thing.

So after my "bringing sexy back post" I did go on to break out of the 2 mile rut and ran for four and then I did 2 yesterday, only because I was pretty pressed for time (and feeling a little tweaking in knees and stuff from the four the day before.)

This running/fitness/life in general thing is one great journey. In the best of times I'm feeling great and in the worse of times, I'm learning tremendous life lessons about myself. It's really all good.

I'm looking forward to seeing where the road will lead me.

This week I have to run five miles at some point. Will keep you posted.

The honeymoon is over, can this running relationship be saved?

Forgive me friends for I have sinned, its been about almost a month since my last post and I've seriously neglected this poor little blog. Which isn't right. This blog helped me run a marathon for the love of God! It helped me shed nearly 20 pounds and it helped me find a little confidence along the way.

So what happened?

It lost that loving feeling... whoa that loving feeling. 

Actually I lost that loving feeling. 

When I first started running, it was like a new shiny relationship. Interesting, unexpected, no grasp on where things might lead. Every new day was met with a little rush of excitement... Friends cheered me on, there was always new gadgets to learn about, a new tip to take in, a further milestone to reach!

Then we got into a good groove. I loved running and running loved me.

Eventually, we (me and running) got married. Partners for life - I will run forever! I do!

The running "marriage" was great at first. I knew what to expect, I knew how hard I could train before "feeling it," I knew what songs got me going, but the "kiss" began to be not quite as exciting and slowly, I've started to take the "relationship" for granted.  

I'll often think to myself, "Eh, I'm not going to go as far, try as hard today. Two miles is good enough for exercise. I've already got a ring on it. I already ran a 1/2 marathon - I have nothing to prove anymore. Tomorrow I'll throw on the lipstick and heels. Today, I'll just coast."

Bad. Bad. Bad.

The honeymoon might be over but as any of us who's ever been in a long term relationship (with an actual person) knows, this is the part where the work really counts. You can only get by with complacency for so long before things start to melt away without even realizing it's happening. I need to keep challenging myself, finding ways to keep the relationship fresh and keep on going or before long my sneakers will be sleeping on the couch and I'll become a lump and wonder where it all went wrong. Or something like that.

It boils down to passion. Passion for running, for life, for love... without passion, we are merely existing and not living. Sometimes passion doesn't fall into our lap, it's up to us to make it, fake it or take it anyway we can. 

You may lose the "thrill" of the first kiss but there's something to be said about the warmth that comes from the confidence, security, dedication and commitment from being in a supportive, solid relationship. Running has given me a foundation, its up to me to maintain it.

I gotta bring sexy back. So, I'm putting on some lipstick and lacing up the "heels" (or sneakers) and I'm working on saving this relationship!

XO

Jen

What do you do to re-energize your exercise programs?

Hello world! I'm still standing (and running!)

Hello and sorry for the lapse. I think of this blog often but with 10 blogs to write a day over at nj.com - I'm usually all blogged out.

Here's some good news - I'm back to running. I'm still not running for hours a day but have been managing to run about a half hour at a time a few times a week.

Also, thanks to Frannie, I've taken the plunge and "officially" signed up for JC 1/2 marathon in September - so, I've got to start getting seriously trained, ASAP!

And the best news - my weight loss journey is continuing in the right direction and I hit the down 75 pound  mark this past Saturday. I've only got about 10 pounds to go to goal! :0)

It hasn't been easy and it never will be but I am proud of myself for never giving up.

Hope you are doing well.

XO
Jen

Running around like crazy... figuratively

Hello there...

I've missed you guys and this blog. I've been crazy busy the last few weeks. With ten blogs to write for NJ.COM (hey, it's fun and they are paying me!) and a script rewrite for a producer I work with and OH YEAH, a whole company (Media Meld Studios) to run (with my partners) while working our tails off to get a few very viable projects off the ground, its no wonder I'm slacking a little.

So anyway, yeah. The running, this blog, its all been kind of sorry. I've been getting to the gym and still attending WW so I'm doing OK managing my weight loss. I've experienced a few weeks of colds, toe injuries, etc.. (lots of good excuses) to keep me from really running like the rock star I know I can be.

Oh well. I'm not giving up and really, that's all any of us can promise.

Jen

PS:
If you get a chance, check out this trailer for the movie I am a producer on called, Happy On The Ground: 8 Days at GRAMMY Camp. It's an intense look at talented teens passionately working to make their musical dreams come true at a prestigious music industry camp; while dealing with the rocky future of music and the dying of music and arts education in America.



If you like the trailer, consider getting involved by supporting the film by clicking here for more information.

New Challenge 30 minutes / 30 days

Hi all -

Sorry I've been MIA -I've been blogging like a crazy person for my blogging job. It's been great and rewarding. They even asked me to take on more writing because they've been pleased with my work.  :) The downside, it leaves me with little "extra" time and this poor blog is suffering.

I've been keeping up with running. Although I haven't been running for as long as I'd like. Because it's so hot, I've really been forced to keep it on the treadmill and I get bored. So I find myself doing around 30 minutes. I'm going to sign up for that 1/2 marathon in September and its about time I start training for that... hopefully getting back on a running regime will help me to work past that "block" at around 30.

In any case, 30 minutes of exercise is still good for the heart and helping manage weight.  So with that said, I'm challenging myself to a 30 day challenge. A minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day for 30 straight days.

I'm on day 2.  So far so good!

How are you guys doing?

XO
Jen

Drive by blogging

Sorry I haven't been around - been super busy, caught a bug and have had a packed week!

Ran twice this week - and once I even broke the 3 mile mark :) Yay.  I had to slow down then, because I spiked a fever for a few days.  Feeling ready to gear up and get back on training track.

Lost another 1/2 pound at Weight Watchers this week - so things are going in the right direction.

That's all I got for now.  In the middle of date night with hubby, which due to budgetary reasons, has been reduced to sushi from Shop Rite and a $1 movie from Redbox.  Good times.

XO
Jen

Three lessons I've learned: down 4.4 this week and back on track!

Last Saturday my weigh in wasn't my greatest achievement: I was up 3.4 pounds and told you all about it.

This week, I'm down 4.4 which means I lost the gain and a pound as good measure.

This is great motivation.  I am soooo happy! Yippee.

The weight watcher / running gods have conspired to help me get my groove back, which just a few days ago, I wasn't so sure of.

Thank you, thank you universe.  I did run on Thursday which I failed to blog about for some reason and I did a lot of general running around while keeping an eye on food.  But because I was still feeling down about backtracking, I wasn't noticing or appreciating all the things I was doing right this week.  Turns out, I must've done a lot right.

Which brings me to a few valuable lessons:

1.  Never be so focused on the bad that you miss the good.
We all do this.  We beat ourselves up for "only running" x amount of miles, or the pace was only --- whatever.  Maybe you ate too much cake or blew it at dinner.  How about celebrating what you did right.  Lacing up your sneakers when you much rather had watched a marathon of The Hills, or you may've eaten too much at dinner but the rest of your day was healthy and controlled.  I did it all week and instead of feeling good about it all, I lamented about, "where was my groove," when it was there all along.

2.  Someone else is watching
Last week, after my 3.4 gain weigh-in, A woman who hadn't been at our meeting in almost 2 years came up to me.  She hadn't seen me in more than fifty pounds.  She had tears in her eyes, apparently we had joined around the same time, a few weeks in, she gave up.  She said she remembered me because I had said in a meeting early on, "no matter what, I'm coming every week."  She was doubtful that I would still be here and when she saw me, she said that I was so inspiring to her, because I did it.  Even though, I was feeling low from the gain.  She didn't see that.  She didn't see my internal struggle with feeling like a failure.  She saw me as an inspiration.  Your failing is someone else's inspiration - even if you never know it.

3.  Slip ups and Set backs are simply times to reflect and learn something - Not a time to quit
I know this isn't radically new and I've said it before but it's worth reiterating.  A "never give up" attitude is a must.  Set-backs, hills, bumps in the road, getting lost -- all a part of the journey.  Whether you lose your way for just a meal or even a month, there's always a way to get moving forward again.  Our set backs need to be viewed as great opportunities that we learn and grow from, that will eventually propel us to greater heights instead of a reason to quit.

XO
Jen