Thankful Thursday: the treadmill

Yes, winter has truly sucked the life out of me already and we only really started getting snow a month ago (as opposed to last winter where we had snowdays already in November).

I guess I should be thankful about that too?

Since I'm training for a February half marathon if I ever actually register I've needed to crank up my mileage pretty quickly.  Nearly all of my workouts have been on the treadmill at the gym - including my long runs.  I don't have the time luxury of a potential injury from falling on ice or snow so here I am, trying to not be bored out of my mind for extended periods of time.

I've done a few interval workouts (2 minutes fast (at about a 9 m/m pace) alternating with 2 minutes slow) and some ladder workouts (progressing from 5.5 to 6.5 mph).  Yesterday I did a "hill" workout where I climbed for a mile (at 10% grade), then walked 1/2 a mile, then did it again.

After perusing Google, I found a couple other workouts that might be useful.

These are nice, shorter, workouts, but what about this weekend's 8 miler?  Any suggestions besides Netflix?  I finished binge watching Making a Murderer so I need something else to keep my mind busy for about 100 minutes.  Throw me some suggestions!

Fit + Blogging = #fitbloggin

So, there's this really amazing blogging conference that's I've had the pleasure of attending a couple times - Savannah in 2014 and Baltimore in 2011.  FitBloggin is more than just a conference - it's a community.  It's a community and tribe I have missed.

Like their tagline says, "using blogging, social media, and digital communication to motivate, inspire and foster a culture of health and wellness where everyone belongs."

My goal between now and July, when I *hopefully* attend my 3rd FitBloggin conference in Indianapolis, is to bring back some of that "fit" and "blogging" since both have been sporadic at best.

Here's the "fit" part:

 I am finally getting the scale to move back in the right direction.  (I weigh in at home on Wednesdays and at Weight Watchers on Saturdays - hopefully the 2 numbers match this week because I've been ON POINT for the past week since returning from Atlanta.

The "blogging" part will come.  As I have things to say, I'll say them.  If you want to read and comment, hopefully you will do that too :)  I used to be so consistent here, with a "schedule" and everything, but honestly, I got really burned out.  Maybe July and my tribe will motivate me to get my voice back out here.

Here's hoping 2016 has started off with a bang (in a good way) for you.  Are you planning to attend FitBloggin'16?  Please let me know if you are and if I actually make it (I'm registered but there's a lot that still needs to fall into place), we will definitely meet for hugs!

The Next 24 Hours

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I found this image on Pinterest and it really hit home to me.  So many people focus on the end result that they can't get past all the baby steps it will take to get there.  They look at this seemingly insurmountable task - maybe it's losing a significant amount of weight or training for a marathon - and decide never to start because it seems impossible.

You know that silly question "How do you eat an elephant?"  The answer is the same as the message in this image - One bite at a time.  Focus on what you need to do in the next 24 hours to get yourself that one bite closer to your goal.

I've decided to give the new Weight Watchers SmartPoints plan another chance.  It seems impossible to stay within the tiny number of points I get now but by meal planning and focusing on fruits and vegetables, I'm planning to see another nice loss next weekend.

What will you do in the next 24 hours to get yourself closer to your goals?