Just dropping in

Happy Tuesday everyone! What a busy couple of days...

On Father's Day I went out to dinner with my sister, Dad, and his side of the family. 

My hair looked good for the first time in my life so I took a few selfies. Okay the collage makes me look conceited. Somehow when I signed onto blogger this picture was under "my phone pictures". I never made a collage. Magic? Yes.

Yay for wearing makeup and anything besides running shorts! (;

Yesterday I had my first day of SUMMER RUNNING with the cross country girls!! 

The first page of workouts...

I had a blast. Everyone is so nice, and there is even another Type 1 diabetic! (: I am not the slowest one there, so my fears were irrational. There is a group of "beginning runners" who run a pace that is perfect for me. I love having others to motivate me on a run! The run seems so short when running with so many girls.

In addition to a run, we have been doing speedwork (sprints) and Core work and Leg work. It's HARD! The front of my right leg hurts a lot. Crossing my fingers I'm not getting shin splints.

I only got 2 days of camp because tomorrow at 3:30AM I head to the airport. Bahamas, here I come!

This means I will have to say goodbye for a few days :( I'm not going to have a computer, and, well, I just want to enjoy my vacation and not even think about blogging. 

I will, however, be on instagram! (: Follow my new BLOG account, @emilysmilesformiles. 

As far as running, since I have the workout schedule, I want to stay as on-top-of-it as I possibly can! I'm really hoping there is a safe path that I can run on by my hotel. The gym I would have access to costs $15 for a day pass, or $50 for a week. That's a lot of money to pay to run!

My question is... Should I bring my garmin? Without it, I will have no idea how far I've run, but I also don't want to lose it. Comment and tell me what you think. (:

I've got a TON of packing to do! Check back in a week for my vacation recap. Till then, find me on Instagram (:

~Emily

Do you take selfies when you get dressed up, or is that just me? (; 

Do you bring your GPS watch on vacations? What is your instagram username? 

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Not my photo

This picture was taken near my house. This morning, Chicago got the most crazy rain. I don't know if flooding has ever been this bad in the town I live in. It surely hasn't in my lifetime. School was canceled and I am stuck in my house all day. I hope everyone is okay. It seems like it's just one thing after the other these days. Terrible things. There have been a lot of deaths due to trains where I live recently, and then the horrendous news of the Boston marathon bombing, and now this flooding.
I don't know what to say, I really don't. We just need to keep moving. Keep running. Stay positive.

Needless to say, I won't be using my early birthday gift anytime soon...

MY NEW BABY <3

 I have done a 4 mile long run on this and a 3 miler too. I LOVE IT. I have nothing but good things to say about the Forerunner 10 and the garminconnect website! Thanks mom (:

I had nothing to do so I ate lunch at 10:00... Oops. At least it was a Eat Clean meal!

Today, school was cancelled because of the weather, so I have taken advantage of the lazy day to catch up on blogs and friends, and now to blog. Looks like I won't be running outside today. Yesterday I did Speed at the YMCA and today it looks like I will be lucky if I can even get to the YMCA at all!

I have plans to run a 10k on June 1st or June 2nd, and I am using this training plan from Women's Health. I love that it says intermediate, it makes me feel very proud of myself. (; I am on week 2 so far.

I run the Komen for the Cure 5k on Mother's day, so I am also hoping the training plan will help me achieve a faster time for that. Crossing my fingers for under 30:00!!


Have a thrilling Thursday!
I hope everyone is safe and well during these storms.

-Emily

Running: My journey so far.

Happy Easter everybody! Sorry I have been MIA for the past few weeks. Blogging has just taken a backseat to...well, life! I'm back though, and here is my running story.

I did it.

I ran 3 miles, without taking a single break to walk or rest.

I loved it.

Two months ago, if you would have told me I could run a 5k I wouldn't have believed it. I had written it down as a goal- but that's all it was. A goal, a dream. When I signed up for my first 5k and began the Couch 2 5k plan, I couldn't run half a mile! WOW that program works. I used the C25k app up until week 6, and then since it was just running miles, I decided to (loosely) do the same thing on my own. 

Only went to Week 6 on the app.... But I did the rest on my own (;

I ran up through Week 6 on a treadmill at the local YMCA. It was just way too cold in the Illinois weather (and sometimes too snowy!) to comfortably run outside. I highly recommend starting on a treadmill! While it is boring, you can watch TV or get some reading done during the early weeks of the Couch 2 5k program. It is also nice to know how many miles you did-so you can brag to all your friends (;

For the past week, with temps in the 40's, I've gotten the chance to run outside. WOW, it's a little bit harder! However, I discovered, much to my surprise, that I love road running. I love smiling at people, feeling the breeze, and the sense of accomplishment that doesn't come from the treadmill. I see why people call it the Dreadmill now...

When I ran those three miles, I pushed past the little voice telling me to slow down or walk, to cut out the last part of my run, and I just did it. I believe they call the feeling I experienced a runner's high. I felt like I was on top of the world. When I looked down at my ipod (I have been running with nike+) and saw 3.02 miles and 28 (TWENTY EIGHT!!!) minutes, I was ecstatic! I have never run that fast in my entire life. I had beat my goal pace for the Mother's Day 5k on the very first time I ran a 3 miler!

I think you can say that I have officially fallen in love with running. (:

My running shoes!<3

My first official 5k is the Sprint for Spastics and it is a week from today- I am so pumped.
I'm hoping to come in under 30 minutes, and that 3 mile run makes me very confident in that goal (:

Wish me luck!!

-Emily

A good start.

I've been two weeks in to the Couch to 5k program: and I am so excited.

It's only been TWO WEEKS but I can already see myself improving. I can go longer without feeling tired, and I am running slightly faster. The biggest improvement is that my legs don't hurt when I run now. During and after the first run, I have to admit, they hurt a little! Not a bad hurt, but the kind of hurt that happens when your muscles are working hard and then have to repair themselves. (I think.... Health class, did I remember that correctly? Haha!) These improvements are only little ones, but they keep me motivated to keep this up. 

How do I do it? I get up at 5:15 Mondays and Fridays and I go with my dad to the YMCA. Normally I get up around 6:30 or 7, so I thought getting up at 5:15 would be impossible...... But Pinterest was there to save me! (: I found some tips for getting up early. The ones I like and have used the most are:

1. Pack your gym bag the night before. 

2. Sleep in your workout clothes or have them right next to your bed.

3. Turn on a light as soon as your alarm wakes you up.

and the most important....

4. GET SOME SLEEP (: I go to bed between 9 and 10 the nights before I'm going to get up at 5:15. This is really the most important part to getting up early!!

Surprisingly, I'm not tired the days I run. In fact, by the time I get to school at 8, I am much more awake than I would normally be! My energy seems to last all day too. Also, maybe it's just luck, but I seem to have a more positive outlook on the days I work out in the mornings. (:

Have you tried the Couch to 5k program?

What motivates you to run?
What are your tricks to getting up early?
Are you happier on the days that you work out?

Have a marvelous day!

Emily

Goals.

Sorry I have been MIA for the last week or so. I was having crazy sugars and had to adjust some things with the pump... I was high enough to throw up a couple times, so I've been focusing my time on my numbers and then getting caught up at school. #teenagediabeticprobs.

Anyways......

I have always looked up to those people who can run for miles and miles just because they love it. I've always wanted to be one of those people, but I've never really.... done it. Now's my chance. Things with school are slowing down a tiny bit (without marching band) and I'm antsy to DO SOMETHING with my life. My blood sugars had been way off for about a month, when I finally made the switch back to the pump and started really putting the effort in to care about my body and my numbers.

A great number! I'm doing better! (:

I've decided that I'm going to run a 5k. I'm doing this to prove to myself that my body isn't broken, and to show others that I'm strong despite having a difficult disease. 

I'm using the Couch to 5k plan, using the app "C25K free" on my iphone. 

I'm working out at the YMCA three times a week. I'll run a 5k (or 10k if I'm ready) in June. 

However, I don't want that race to be the end of my journey. My ultimate goal is to run a half marathon in September of 2013. 

I'm looking into the Indianapolis Women's Half Marathon. 

When I run the half, I will raise money for the American Diabetes Association through their fundraising site. 

I'll be blogging about my running journey over the next couple of weeks (:

Have you ever run a race?
Do you have any helpful tips for someone just getting started?

What has been your favorite race, and why?