A Little Monday Inspiration and An Update

photo courtesy of guidance.fidelity.com

"Progress is rarely a straight line.  There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead. "
Kara Goucher, American long-distance runner

In the first 6 months of the year I have ran/walked a total of 64.72 miles.  I know to a great many of you, that may not seem like much.  But, for me, it is more than I have ever ran in my life.  I have never liked running and I don't expect to ever really enjoy it. But it is something I am trying to do to feel stronger, be healthier, and gain more energy.  Even though this averages out to 10+ miles per month, some months I did much less and some months I did much more.  There were plenty of "bumps in my road". My schedule got in the way.  My laziness got in the way.  Excuses were easy to come up with for why I didn't need to run.  But, when I added up the miles, I was surprised just how much I actually did.

I have noticed some progress so far this year. I ran a 5K in June, beating my previous time by 2 minutes.  I can run for longer periods of time without needing to stop.  I am not so out of breath at the end of my run.  I have more energy on the days that I run.  But, the best part is that I am so glad I did it.

 There are never any regrets after a run. 

 Just regrets on days I don't run.  

I have found the best way for me to get running is accountability.  If I say I am going to run, I need to run.  If I can make a running date with someone (even virtually) that forces me to stop what I am doing, then I am more likely to run.  If I have a movie or TV show to watch, I am more motivated to get on that treadmill.

So, I will be looking ahead to the end of the year.  How many more miles can I get in?  Can I get to 100 miles?  Can I get to 150 miles?  I think I will make 150 miles in 2013 my goal.  I'm going to need some good fall shows to DVR to keep me motivated.  I am curious about the new Netflix series, Orange is the New Black.  I've also started watching Devious Maids from Lifetime.  Any show/movie recommendations?