I saw this posted on the ESPNW Facebook page the other day and it really struck a chord with me. It really doesn’t matter if you are running (or walking) a 14 minute mile or a 7 minute mile – it is still a mile and YOU DID IT!

I love all these motivational sayings!

But, my 5K time is still slow. 40 minutes slow. And the scale continues to hover in the same place it has since I lost the initial 15 lbs. Now I have gone down one size in jeans, but no major weight loss. Actually the slow 5K time is more frustrating to me than the scale not moving. I know that is hard to believe but the scale is no longer my measure of success (and that is a huge victory for me). I want to run faster!

At my last 5K I started the race feeling strong and about a 1/4 mile in my friend Karyl-Lynne passed me. Then I passed her. And this leapfrogging continued the whole way. The difference was that I ran the whole thing and she did a combination of walking and running. In the end, she finished the race before I did – not by much – but still…

Yesterday we did our normal Saturday morning girls run of 5K and I decided to take a step back and not be so worried about running the whole way. It was time to change things up. If I want to run faster, I have to stretch out my stride, get to the point of really breathing hard, and do something different!

I ran the first 1.5 miles at a much quicker pace than I normally do and then I walked the hill as fast as I could. When I got to the straight away I ran again. This time as fast as I felt I could sustain. Then walked that next hill as fast as I could and ran the last bit.

The result? Change. My time was a little faster and I realized that in some cases I can walk as fast if not faster than I can run. And, I still felt like I got a great work out.

In order to get the scale to move, I am going to have to make some changes, too. I can’t rely on the exercise to make the weight come off. I am going to have to drastically reduce sugar intake and really watch portions.  And I am going to have to cut myself a little slack from time to time, too.

My motivation this week is going to come from Frank Zappa – “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.“  What are you going to do differently this week?

I saw this very inspirational running poster on Pinterest, but can not find the original source. Either way, I LOVE THIS!!  No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everyone on the couch! What a fantastic reminder that its not important how fast you run, how high you jump, or how long you workout – what matters most is that you just get off your tush and get it done!

What inspires you? Do you have a saying that always gets going?

We have been looking at the races coming up in the area and picked one that benefits the local SPCA. My son has recruited a handful of his friends to run it with him and has continuously bugged me to get us registered. Got the registration done which means the countdown is on. Thirteen days and counting to our next race. My only goal for this race is to finish it with a time in the 30′s.

And now for a word of advice… always have a spare set of compression shorts handy! On impulse I decided to take a run yesterday evening. I had about 2 minutes to get ready or the urge to run might just have passed. My only pair of compression shorts were in the washing machine and it was way too hot for capris. I grabbed my golf skort (which has built in compression shorts), threw on a tshirt and my shoes and took off. I wasn’t even out of the driveway when I realized I  had made a big mistake!! Not only had I failed to recognize the importance of running with a sports bra instead of a regular one, but the compression shorts in my golf skort are much shorter than my running compression shorts and I could feel my thighs rubbing together with every step. UGH!

It wasn’t the most comfortable run, but it did accomplish its purpose. I had to let out some frustrations and the road was the best way to go!

As for my training this week, my hip is feeling a lot better and my goal is to run every other day and do 20-30 minutes of the elliptical or kettleworx on the in between days. Nothing fancy, just following my goal of moving everyday.

Have you signed up for a race in the near future? How is your training going?

This weeks plan goes like this:

• Sunday – I did a walk/run combo of 2.4 miles followed by a lot of  stretching
• Monday – 15 min. on the elliptical, 3x 30 sec. plank holds, 3x 15 stomach crunches, 3x 12 torso twists in squat with a 10 lb. kettlebell
• Tuesday – 3 mile walk
• Wednesday – Stretching, Kettleworx week #1 cardio, followed by more stretching
• Thursday - Sprint work at the track (thanks to my good friend Lorraine of TrackMom for this great tip) – 8 laps of sprinting the straights and walking the turn
• Friday – 15 min. on the elliptical, 3x 30 sec. plank holds, 3x 15 stomach crunches, 3x 12 torso twists in squat with a 10 lb. kettlebell
• Saturday – off

The other thing I am going to be more conscious of is hydration and muscle recovery based on what I learned a few weeks ago while at the Gatorade Headquarters. I know that days where I am properly fueled before a workout are much more productive and if I can work on getting good protein in to my system within the 30 minutes after my workout, my muscles should recover faster.

What’s your plan for this week? Join us by posting your Workout for the Week! Plan, share, do and you will SUCCEED!