Slow. It. Down.

Graduation is fast approaching... except not really.

Do you guys ever get trapped in the planning-for-the-future-and-forgetting-the-now wormhole?

For a while, I've thought I kindof sortof knew what life would look like come May and the end of my student career at KU. Not the exact job, or the exact home, but a state, a region, a fuzzy poloroid of what my life would look like. Due to a series of events, though, my potential future has suddenly shifted ever-so-slightly and now I want to spend Every. Waking. Second. planning for a future that isn't set in stone yet.

(Besides, when is anything ever set in stone?)

But there's so much good in store before then. I need to sloooow dooooown. I need to be here, now. I need to stop bugging Pat about what's going to happen, stop looking at jobs I can't apply for yet and stop looking at puppies I can't adopt yet.

There are still days-weeks-months-half a year before graduation. And there will be so many great things in those times. Promise.

Like crunchy leaves blowing across the sidewalk.

Like my favorite student coming by my cube just to say hey.

Like the first basketball game of the season tonight.

Like hot chocolate and warm blankets.

Like Thanksgiving home with my family and a fire in the fireplace.

Gotta keep my head in the game or all these beautiful, joyful, wonderful moments are going to blow by me and I won't even have noticed.

Do you guys ever get stuck thinking about the future? Any sure-fire tricks to slow your brain down?

A (modified) Couch to 5k plan -- How I started to run

Hey friends!

Today I thought I'd quickly share the training plan I used when I first started running.

One thing I really loved about this plan was that it's based on times, not distances. Many running training plans are distance based. As in, run 1.5 miles Monday, 2 miles Wednesday, etc. I thought that was so intimidating! When I started, running two minutes straight was a challenge. There was no way I was going out and running half a mile on my first try.

Also, at the time, I didn't have a smart phone with apps to easily measure distance, but I did have a phone with a stop watch. So a time-based training plan was perfect for me.

Week One
Run two minutes, then walk one. Do four cycles.

Week Two
Run four minutes, walk two. Do four cycles.

Week Three
Run eight minutes, walk two. Do four cycles.

Week Four
Run ten minutes, walk one. Do three cycles.

Week Five
Run fourteen minutes, walk two. Run sixteen minutes, walk two. Run fourteen minutes.
*This was the scariest week for me, but I did it! If you can only do 14 on the middle run, that's ok too.

Week Six
Run seventeen minutes, walk two, run seventeen.
*This week they also asked that we start practicing a finish-line push: for the last 30 seconds of each run, see if you can up your pace!

Week Seven
Run seventeen minutes, walk one only if you have to, run seventeen minutes

Week Eight
Run 34 minutes or a 5k!!



I also made this picture version that should be pinnable/printable/shareable!

A couple more things about this plan:

Every week was scary. Each week I was terrified of the new number I had to run -- whether it was four minutes or 17. But I was able to complete each week's challenge. It wasn't always easy, but I did it. I bet you can too.

If you can't, though -- if you find that you're super struggling with a week, figure out what you can do. Can't do ten minutes yet? Repeat the week before. Or, try nine minutes.

Finally, we were advised to do a five-minute warm-up "brisk walk" and to run three or four times a week on this plan. I think I mostly did three times a week. See what you can do, check out your energy levels, and go for it!


If you're trying this plan, please let me know! I'd love to hear about if/how it works for you!

Have any of you made running- or fitness-based goals for 2013? I'd love to hear about them!

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