fortune cookie

My fortune cookie (from my free, much-anticipated, post-workout treat, orange chicken) says, "You set your sights high, and enjoy striving for the best things in life."  Apropos, don't you think?

Day 5

Tonight I was able to squeeze out 1 mile on the treadmill and some weightlifting as well.  This is actually turning out to be a bit harder than I anticipated.  There are a number of factors contributing to this, however. First of all, it has been rainy all this week (and that's not supposed to change for a while, apparently, if the weather forecasts are to be trusted).  In fact, all this rain just might hit a new record for Palm Beach County's May rainfall.  In any case, that means that I've definitely had to run on the treadmill rather than outside.  Which, I mean, who's to say I would have been running outside anyway?  It's hot and there's the sun and all. In any case, it's been a challenge to not have some variety.  Secondly, I think my body is still adjusting to running daily.  I'm pretty used to working out every day, but I tend to prefer the elliptical at the gym.  I'm also in the habit of taking a day or two off completely from working out each week which won't be an option until after this challenge is over.  Hopefully when the rain tapers off a bit, I can run a bit more casually outside and that will help.  (For the record, I rarely hope for rain to stop altogether as that seems very much like a be-careful-what-you-wish-for kind of thing.  Also, my yoga teacher noted the other day that she got in the elevator with someone and they said something along the lines of, "This week's been terrible!  It's been raining all week!"  To which my yoga teacher thought, "These are the problems we should be having."  Because, let's face it, if the rain is the biggest of your problems, life is pretty good.)

Day 4

For a second, I forgot what day I was up to.  Which is kind of sad, but as long as I'm doing my mile+, I suppose it doesn't matter.  In any case, I got in 2.7 miles at the gym tonight.  Now for a shower!

Day 3

How many miles did I run today?  2!  And then rode the stationary bike for another half hour.  Win!

Day 2

I hit the gym this morning and knocked out 20 minutes of weights and 1 mile on the treadmill.  Rockin' it!

Running streak Day 1

To start off the big running streak, I got up early this morning and drove to Palm Beach to run.  I got in about 2.7 miles in 35 minutes which makes for an average speed of just under 13 minutes per mile.  So when I say "run", I really mean "jog" or "jog and walk some", but for the sake of my ego, I prefer "run".  Then I walked another half mile on the beach and the quarter mile back to my car, bringing my total on-foot distance to 3.58 miles.  All before 8am.  I then came home, showered, and got back in bed.  But I ran - and that's the important part!

Back by popular demand!

That's right! Katy's back and better than ever! Ok, I suppose only time and posts will tell about that, but I am indeed back by popular demand. Mostly my mom's requests. But maybe a few others will read as well. In any case, this is my new blog. 

This blog is different from my previous library/career/travel-related blogs. This blog is a bit more personal. This blog is aimed at chronicling and keeping me motivated on my fitness regimen for the summer...and beyond!!! Well, honestly, I've been working out regularly for a few years now - it's really a habit now - so motivation isn't too terribly necessary. What makes this different is that this summer there are a couple of fitness challenges that I will be taking on and I'd like to invite others to join me and/or follow me. And, like I said, my mom's been requesting blog posts again.

So, the challenges! The first, the Runner's World Summer Run Streak 2013 begins tomorrow, May 27th (Memorial Day) and entails running at least a mile every day until the 4th of July. I'll be honest, despite my current level of activity, I still suck at running so this will actually be a decent challenge. I've already plotted out a good half-mile route (out and back makes 1 mile, obviously) from my apartment and between the gym at my complex and Planet Fitness, I have ample access to treadmills so the weather will be no excuse. I also just bought new running shoes so that should keep me going as well.

The next challenge begins in a couple of weeks (June 10th to be exact) and it is Yoga Journal's 21-day Yoga Challenge. I already signed up for the intermediate challenge. This one requires sign-up and you get yoga videos delivered straight to your inbox daily, for 3 weeks. I've actually done yoga almost daily before, and I love it, so this one should be pretty awesome.

So there you have it. I'd love for people to join me on this summer journey or just follow me and send motivating thoughts/comments/donations for awesome workout gear...just kidding...sort of. In turn, I will be posting updates, photos, and all kinds of fun stuff (by the way, if anyone has suggestions for fun stuff I might post, please let me know!). The photos should be particularly neat once the yoga challenge begins - because, let's face it, photos of running aren't terribly exciting. But awesome yoga poses are!

Right, anyway, I'm also seeking suggestions for clever blog names as I am currently lacking creativity in that department (keep an eye out for improvements to the blog itself as well). And with that, let the fun begin!