Weekly Goal Update: Running (August 5th to 11th)

I ran three times this week - Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I was away during the weekend and had grand plans to run while in Calgary, but hotel beds make it difficult to start early in the morning (even if they are uncomfortable!).

A disclaimer: I live on top of a mountain, and I don't think there is a single flat street to be found in town. I feel like I get a small pass for having to run uphill for multiple portions of my run! I'm confident that I wouldn't have to stop and walk as much, if at all, if I were running in say... Saskatchewan!

Mondays run was kind of a mess, which I expected as it was my first time out. I ran 1.34 km without stopping and had to walk twice.

Tuesdays run was a little bit better. I did the same route, but backwards and it was a little bit easier. I ran 1.38 km without stopping and only had to walk once, up the really big hill near the end of my route. I improved my pace by 0.03 seconds.

Wednesdays run included a new route, with more uphill sections (though they were smaller). I ran 1.39 km without stopping, and only had to walk once (though I did walk for awhile). I improved my pace significantly, but I would say the increase of downhill sections (to counter the uphill) helped with that.

All in all, I'm very pleased that I managed to get out three times during the week. My goal is to get out six of the seven days, but would be happy with at least four. 

Run Kelsey, Run!

Let me preface this post by saying that running and I do not get along. I hate the way my butt jiggles, and I'm constantly thinking about how dorky I must look! But, I need to get in shape and running seems like the best "beginning" step in doing that. 

I have two major running goals:

1. Run 5K by September 1st.
2. Run 10K by November 13th (which just happens to be my twenty-sixth birthday).

Seems simple enough, right? We'll see.

My Goals

Something that has been very hard for me to admit, in this time of self-reflection, is that I don't have any goals. I'm not striving towards anything, content with moseying through life without a sense of purpose.

Well, that all changes now.

This list is not exclusive. It will change. A lot. But, I'm okay with that. As long as I keep building upon what I've set out to do, I'll be happy. Mostly, I'm hoping that accomplishing these goals will lead to me discovering new things that I'm passionate about and those things will then lead to new goals. 

So, here is a quick overview of the goals I've come up with as of right now. I will go into more detail about each goal in their own posts.

1. Make 26 new, different, or challenging recipes before I turn 26.

This is the main reason for my starting a blog, other then the whole accountability thing. I want a place to post the recipes I've tried, the changes I've made, and the successes (or failures) I've had. I love to cook and bake, so I know I am going to have a lot of fun during this process. 

2. Running! 

My 26x26 list is chalk-full of ridiculous recipes, from puff pastry to baked Alaska to the perfect vanilla cupcake. I need to keep active during this process and I've decided that running is what I'm going to do (along with some supplementation, but I don't know what that will be yet). A loves to run and I love discovering things that we can do together, so running it is!

3. Reading.

I love to read, but find myself picking up my laptop or the TV remote more often then my Kobo. So, I'm challenging myself to make reading my first choice instead of something I only do in the bathtub!

4. Learning to sew.

Pretty self-explanatory, but something I've been "meaning to do" for quite awhile. My mother-in-law (MIL) gave me a sewing machine two years ago, and beyond the short tutorial she gave me I have never used it. 

This is where I sit so far. Like I said, I hope to gradually add more things to the list but I'm happy with where I sit right now. It's going to be an adventure, and I hope that you'll all be along for the ride!