Well, it’s officially been one month since I published my first blog post. I’m also officially on spring break now, so woohoo for that!  I am so happy that spring is finally here – I am also very excited to get a short break from school. I have some fun ideas for my week off of school, so I’ll let you know how those go next week.

This Week’s Workouts

So, this week I finished up the bootcamp workout class I had been attending. I went to 8/8 sessions, which means I will be getting my free t-shirt! I know I’ve already said multiple times how much I’ve enjoyed going to this class, but honestly, I was extremely nervous about the class before I started. I haven’t pushed myself out of my comfort zone in a while, so trying something new was really scary for me at first. I’m so glad I did the class though. It was a really good way for me to get back into working out and helped me start to build my confidence back up.

Also, this week, I went running outside! I’m so glad spring is starting to come around and it is nice enough for me to build up my miles outside now. However, running outside is physically much more difficult than running indoors on a track is, mostly because there are no hills on the track. I do think running outside is a little more fun though. I enjoy having a change of scenery while I run.

So, here’s a couple of funny stories about my outdoor runs this week. The first outdoor run I did happened last Saturday, and I made my boyfriend go with me. He also enjoys running and we’ve run together before, so asking him to go with me wasn’t too out of the ordinary. What was out of the ordinary was the fact that, for the first time in our relationship, I was more in shape than he was. I figured we’d probably run for two miles, taking walking breaks when needed, of course. However, my boyfriend was done after a mile. I felt pretty good about myself though, because I felt like I could’ve gone for at least another half mile.

My second funny story happened on Monday. I was getting ready to grab some chocolate chip cookies and milk to snack on, when my roommate asked me if I wanted to go on a run. It was a beautiful day, and originally planned on going for a run that day anyway, so I said yes.  I think I must be transforming into an actual runner, because I don’t think I’ve ever turned down cookies for running. Don’t worry, I still ate the cookies, just after the run!

Monthly Recap

I feel better about myself than I did a month ago. I mean, I didn’t hate myself before, but I just feel more confident and healthier now. I’m not sure if it’s the weather warming up or if it’s because I’ve been working out, but I just feel so much better about everything. When I work out I practice positive self-talk, because otherwise I would not be able to push myself to run further than 20 feet. I’ve found that this positivity has carried over into other areas of my life. For example, I really struggle focusing on my Medicinal Chemistry homework sometimes. The assignments require me to do a lot of research, and honestly they can feel repetitive at times. Since I’ve gotten back into running, I’ve found that it’s been easier for me to encourage myself to stay focused when working on those assignments.

I’ve also found myself becoming more goal-oriented. Even when I started thinking about what I was going to do over spring break, I immediately thought, “Okay, what are my three main goals for the week.” (FYI, they’re filling out scholarship applications, playing with my dog, and going on an adventure. We’ll see what happens with that last one…)

I don’t think that running and working out is some sort of magic cure that has helped me become a more focused person. Also, it’s only been a month so who really knows how long this will last. I do like these changes though. I really feel like I am becoming a better version of myself, and that is really exciting.

And for the most exciting change I’ve noticed – I walked up to the third floor of the library, and I wasn’t out of breath! Were my legs still a little sore from my workouts that week? Yes. But I wasn’t out of breath, and that, my friends, is an accomplishment.   

Wrap Up

Thank you so much to all the people who subscribed to follow my blog last week! I love that I am able to share my experience with you, and your support means so much to me. I would have an extremely hard time following through with my goal if I didn’t have you all holding me accountable.

If you have not signed up to get an email notification about this blog, please do so by clicking the follow button on the lower right hand corner of the screen. Also if you like this blog, please consider sharing it with other people you think may enjoy it.

As always, you can also follow along with my running adventures by following me on Instagram @myrunningstart. Next week, come visit me back here for an update on all of my spring break and running adventures. I hope you have a great week, and continue working towards you goals!

Week 5:  
Miles run this week: 4.5
Miles run total: 11
Overall mood: Spring break!! (That's officially a mood).