Progress! (when I wasn't looking)

I ran for over a mile today. I wasn't fast. It probably wasn't pretty, but I ran for 12 minutes and I managed to run for just over a mile. I went to the gym today as it was already almost noon when I decided I was ready for some exercise and murderously hot out. So I put the treadmill on 5.4 miles/hour, just over a fast walk, and jogged. And jogged. And before I knew it I was at more than a mile. And I can't wait to do it again.

I thought I wasn't getting stronger. I have yet to be able to run a full half mile while outside (which made me feel awful and like I hadn't made any progress), but I know dang well I couldn't run a mile on the treadmill when I started this. I couldn't even run for a quarter of a mile. First I need to get up to the 5K and then I'll work on speed and incline. Meanwhile, I'm going to continue training. I know I can do better!

Oh yeah, and I have only 9.4 pounds to go until I'm below 200 pounds for the first time in almost ten years. It's a pretty good feeling.

Fitness goal of the week: Run half a mile

I fell off the bandwagon pretty hard this past weekend, but I'm going to run run run in order to get over it and move on. Fitness goal of the week is to jog, not run hard core, just jog, an entire half mile this week. I think I can do it. I've managed a quarter mile in about three minutes, so aiming for a six minute half mile would be jogging at a 12-minute pace, which isn't too bad, though faster than I've been going. Come on, self! I can do it! (Will post once I've achieved success).

Trying not to be *that* girl on Facebook

So, I attempted to start running. And have kind of succeeded. I'm rather embarassingly slow, but I'm trying to get up to running a 5k by the end of August. I can almost run a quarter mile, straight, which is a HUGE accomplishment compared to when I started. So far it's all thanks to a Zombies Apocolypse running app, which has two options to choose from, running straight out or training for a 5k. The 5k one has been hugely motivational. Nothing more motivational than thinking a zombie is running behind you. Well, shuffling. Still.

The difficult part as I hit milestone (haha, milestone. and it's real miles) achievements is not becoming *that* girl we all know and dislike intensely on Facebook. You know, the one that posts every time she's going to the gym or has done something healthy, then moans if she made the wrong choice? I love love love the marathon photos and updates, but I don't need to know whenever someone has sweated. That being said, the high when you achieve a goal is something I totally get being proud of. So I'm working at milestones so I can track them and quietly celebrating as I feel my body getting into at least a little better shape. Today I averaged a just over 15-minute mile walking/jogging. Going for 14 min mile by the end of the month. Small, small steps. But real ones.

And it always helps that I hit 211.6 on Friday during my most recent weigh-in. WOOHOO! 20.4 pounds down. I may not make it to 90 pounds by the end of the year, but that's still 20.4 pounds that is no longer with me. 69.6 to go!