Couch to 5K

One of my goals for 2011 was to lose a significant amount of happy newlywed weight. I'm not really doing a great job of the exercise part of that, although my eating habits have improved greatly and I've stopped drinking all manner of Cokes.

After a lot of thinking, some researching, a few inspiring conversations and a scale that's not moving (probably because I'm not), I've decided to start the Couch to 5K program. As of today, I am officially Week 1, Day 1 into the program (ha!).

If you follow me on twitter, you have probably seen me playing around with DailyMile, RunKeeper and C25K. Of the three I prefer RunKeeper and C25K. I really like the "training" option of C25K, but I like the stats function on RunKeeper. I think there is an extension that allows you to do essentially what RunKeeper does on the C25K app, but I don't know what it's called or how to access it.

Some things I'm confused about on the C25K app:

• There is a GPS "button" on the home screen, and when I push it, it stays red but has a sunburst-looking thing around it. Is this how I calculate distance/map my exercise?
• The music shuffle option repeated two songs on my 31 minute workout. Not a fan. 
• Under the goals tab there are fill-ins for Distance/Run Pace/Walk Pace/Weight. What does it all mean? Are those actually my "goals," or is that where I enter my current progress?

I suppose my next step would be to actually find a 5K and register for it. I don't know about that, but I think it would be a good way to commit! 

Anybody else use any of these? Suggestions? Comments? Can you make it so I can understand? 

:)

Resolved: April 2011

Resolved: February 2011

Resolved: March 2011 

and now, Resolved: April 2011:

First, the accomplished:

• learn how to use my sewing machine. sew a pleated ruffle. make a table cloth. make pillows. maybe a bedskirt? 
• paint the headboard in our bedroom or replace it. paint the kitchen cart. if the alamo sells, rejoice. if it doesn't sell, finish painting it.
• cook a new recipe each week. bake. meal plan. (so far, so good). This month: Pasta ai Quattro Formaggi, Greek chicken, and others I can't remember. I need to be better about writing these down. 
• read books. This is Your Brain in Love and Black Heels to Tractor Wheels in March.
• travel and explore. Bald Point State Park. Need I say more? 
• get a coffee table (or similar) that I love. Done.
• study the Bible with more frequency. I did better in March. I read all of Matthew and Psalms and am reading Jesus Calling each morning. Really enjoying the latter. 
• make sure we survive thesis. oh em gee. aaand exhale.

In progress:

• lose the lbs. and wear the polka-dot bikini. Major slackage around thesis filming week and definitely during editing week. Sigh. 
• simplify, simplify, simplify. 
• write letters to my grandparents. I need to do a better job of this. This could also go under the fail label. 
• don't buy things that i don't really love and really need. edit, edit, edit what I do have. get rid of what i have and don't love.
• be patient with aaron. praise him out loud. laugh at the silly things he does out loud.
• appreciate beauty, and make a point to talk about it.
• celebrate being young and untethered. also, this month, poor. thanks a lot, Thesis film. 
• keep a journal of daily activities so I can track my progress. I started this but I didn't keep it up. No good excuse.
• follow-through on my goal to lose 10 lbs. If this takes the form of fitting into smaller pants size and not necessarily losing the weight, I'll be just as happy. In the month I lost about 3 pounds total. Not good at all. I need to ramp it up in April. 
• Finish the gallery wall. I put frames up, but I took them down again because I just didn't like how they looked. I'm thinking I might do something different than the white frames I have. We'll see. 

Not this month:

• visit at least one of the states on my list. 
• find a church.
• have friends over to our apartment.
• learn how to use a camera and buy a dSLR. 
• go on a proper vacation, even if it's only for one day. 
• start that thing.
• hang up my clothes every day when I get home from work instead of putting them on the chair.

I am too tired to write down my April goals, but I promise to do so before this weekend and link back up. 

Update: Resolved in February

Here are my updates for the month of February 2011:

• learn how to use my sewing machine. sew a pleated ruffle. make a table cloth. make pillows. maybe a bedskirt? Check. I made pillows and started on a tablecloth with pleats. Pictures of both to come! I don't know if I'll tackle the bedskirt yet, though. 

• lose the lbs. and wear the polka-dot bikini. I didn't do a very good job of this for most of February. I hurt my arm and then just quit going to the gym. Coupled with Aaron being home for several evenings, I was just plain lazy about getting out there. However, with our weight loss challenge at work, I am happy to report that I am back-on-track. I go when Aaron's not home without him, and we have made a new routine to go every night together when he is home. I lost 2 lbs. this week, too. Good motivation, as is posting this on my blog. Yea fitness! 

• paint the headboard in our bedroom or replace it. paint the kitchen cart. if the alamo sells, rejoice. if it doesn't sell, finish painting it. (seriously). Didn't do a dang one of these. This weekend when my parents are visiting I am giving my dad several of these tasks. He will paint the Alamo, retouch the trim in the living room, and the kitchen cart. We might tackle the headboard, too. Leave no natural wood surface untouched :) 

• visit at least one of the states on my list. February had no exciting adventures out-of-previously traveled areas. Still hope for the rest of 2011! 

• simplify, simplify, simplify. working on it.

• cook a new recipe each week. bake. meal plan. The common response: When Aaron's on set I am terrible at gaging if he will be home in time for dinner, if he'll eat out instead of eating at home, etc. That said, I have made a new recipe every week without fail. My meal planning hasn't been going too well, but this fitness challenge has pushed everything in that direction. 

• send birthday cards to arrive early. Sorry Chels, I bought the card but couldn't find stamps. I can fix this in March by sending Aaron's mom's birthday card early. I bought it in January and clipped it to the calendar so I wouldn't forget to send it on time (highly recommend). 

• write letters to my grandparents. Nope. 

• don't buy things that i don't really love and really need. edit, edit, edit what I do have. get rid of what i have and don't love. Four bags and three boxes to Goodwill. More to come once I transition all of my winter clothes to the other closet and go through everything else. I feel good about this, and I think I'm on track. Still working on selling things on Craigslist. 

• read books. This has gone woefully wrong. For March I want to read Black Heels and a few others, but I aimed high and then dropped the ball. 

• find a church. Still nope. It's weird to go to church without Aaron. I don't know what I'll do about this one.

• have friends over to our apartment. Nope. See: thesis film production.

• be patient with aaron. praise him out loud. laugh at the silly things he does out loud. Tried harder, gotten better results. It's not science with a good man. Not to say that things are ever easy- graduate school is a suck of time, money, passion and just about everything else. I think I could write a whole post about what being married has been like so far. All this to say my husband drives me crazy about 75 percent less often than he did last fall. 

• appreciate beauty, and make a point to talk about it. I need to do better than this. Some people are polarizing. 

• learn how to use a camera and buy a dSLR. This is the "thing" I want the most. Aaron and I discussed getting a dSLR or a new computer for me, and I think I want a camera more. I can make do borrowing Aaron's machine when I need to for now. 

• travel and explore. Not really, unless you count the back roads in Tally, as I aim to avoid traffic flow from hell. 

• celebrate being young and untethered. We do a good job of this. Cue the wine. 

• get a coffee table (or similar) that I love. Got this, don't know if it will stay where it is or migrate to a different room. 

• go on a proper vacation, even if it's only for one day. This is more of a long-term goal. Hoping in early May to take a trip somewhere. Also planning on going to the beach with my family this summer.

New goals for March 2011:

• keep a journal of daily activities so I can track my progress. 

• follow-through on my goal to lose 10 lbs. If this takes the form of fitting into smaller pants size and not necessarily losing the weight, I'll be just as happy. 

• study the Bible with more frequency.

• start that thing.

• hang up my clothes every day when I get home from work instead of putting them on the chair.

• make sure we survive thesis. oh em gee. 
• Finish the gallery wall. Frames are up, just don't have pictures in them yet.

February 2011 goals

resolved.

• learn how to use my sewing machine. sew a pleated ruffle. make a table cloth. make pillows. maybe a bedskirt? 
• lose the lbs. and wear the polka-dot bikini.
• paint the headboard in our bedroom or replace it. paint the kitchen cart. if the alamo sells, rejoice. if it doesn't sell, finish painting it. (seriously).
• visit at least one of the states on my list. 
• simplify, simplify, simplify.
• cook a new recipe each week. bake. meal plan. (so far, so good).
• send birthday cards to arrive early.
• write letters to my grandparents.
• don't buy things that i don't really love and really need. edit, edit, edit what I do have. get rid of what i have and don't love.
• read books.
• find a church.
• have friends over to our apartment.
• be patient with aaron. praise him out loud. laugh at the silly things he does out loud.
• appreciate beauty, and make a point to talk about it.
• learn how to use a camera and buy a dSLR. 
• travel and explore.
• celebrate being young and untethered. 
• get a coffee table (or similar) that I love.
• go on a proper vacation, even if it's only for one day.