Wiaw #5 + kickboxing + survey!

Breakfast: Chocolate Protein Powder, frozen raspberries, strawberries, soy milk and oats. Chocoberry.. mmm.

Three of these - coffee

apple!

Two lots of the above for lunch... which I still feel full from at 5.45pm :( Must have put too much almond butter on... or bread overload... but that bread is amazing... four seeds - poppyseed, sesame seed, linseed and I dunno what the fourth is, but it's yummy.

I also had one of these pumpkin muffins.

Today I spent most of the day trying to study but failing miserably because the whole house smells like paint, and every time I tried to escape the painter he'd come in and paint a door or windowsill in that room, and my head hurt!! So I went out like three times... shopping, the gym, and then back to my old kickboxing gym - who had a "50% off for old members" deal!! SOOO... I signed up! Kickboxing was my first passion... I've had to leave several times.. 1st time moved house... second time.. I was in the depths of the ED and I just couldn't do it. It's a pretty high intensity sport and I was failing abysmally at keeping up, and it looked like I wasn't putting any effort in.. but honestly I just had no energy! Plus with all the fibre I was eating from copious amounts of vegetables - had a baaaaad gas situation and it was embarrassing.

Here is a picture of me in the last tournament I participated in before leaving. I really struggled with this one, I felt so weak, and all I could think about the whole time was how much calories I was burning. I no longer enjoyed the sport in the same way and was thinking about the calories. It totally killed it!

So I'm pretty excited to be going back :) I don't know how I'm going to manage with two passions - running & kickboxing, but I'm sure it will work out! haha. Plus who can pass up 50% off?!?!

What I worked: 30 mins elliptical, 10 min treadmill (just a walk, I'm sore from yesterday!) so I probably won't kickbox tonight 'coz of that... as much as I want to... or will I... arrgh.

And... here's a survey just to fill out the entry with some goodness.

1: What’s your favorite type of running shoe?

I stuck with Asics for a while, but have since moved to Nike Lunarglide +2 (bought them just before +3 came out, bummer!!) and they are fantastic, so I may be a convert...

2: Do you run to music? If yes, what’s you’re favorite song to run to?

It depends on the situation... most of the time I have my iPod app Runkeeper logging the run as I go, so I put music on with it... I'm pretty happy running without though. Favourite songs?? Prodigy - Breathe, Voodoo People, Out of Space, Pendulum - Watercolour, Witchcraft, The Island, Propane Nightmares and Plasticworld. Ok - let's just say most Prodigy or Pendulum. They're so upbeat and really get me going when I struggle!! 

3: Do you run in a gym or outdoors?

Waaaay prefer outdoors, I even love running in the rain - but I like doing intervals on the treadmill because outdoors I always go way too hard and am sore for days! Easier to regulate myself on the tready...

4: Do you bring a sports drink or water out with you when you run?

No, but I never really go for too much longer than an hour... if I did I would consider it. I drink a lot of water during the day so it's not usually an issue.

5: How many miles can you run without breaking?

Probably not a lot. I did a 14k at the start of the year without break, although at some points my running was almost walking speed ;)

6: Do you prefer long, mid or short distance running?

The longest I've done is 14k and really enjoyed it, but I do really enjoy a quick, short run around the block if I'm short for time... I still have yet to decide this!

7: How long have you been running?

Pretty much May 2010 was when I got "serious". Where has it been all my life????!

8: What do you think about when you run?

I don't really know... if I'm trying to improve my pacing I say "1,2,1,2,1,2" in my head... but mostly just random stuff, I guess... what I'm going to do later, how I'm feeling, blah blah...

9: Do you run when you’re emotional?

Absolutely, it's a great pick me up!

10: Have you noticed any changes in your life since you started running?

Everything... I'm happier, healthier, more confident, I now think about food as "how can it fuel my running" and every other exercise I do "how can this help my running"... even when I take the stairs instead of the escalator (which I've always done anyway) I think about how it's helping my running! :)

11: Do you stretch?

I'm trying to get better at this.... but sometimes I forget!

12: Do you plan your day around your run or your run around your day?

At the moment I have to plan my run around my day... my schedule changes a lot due to uni, work and that kind of thing so I usually make a plan at the start of the week and then change it throughout or even daily... I wish I could find a way to be more consistent!!

13: Do you run with someone else?

Pretty much always alone... I can't keep up with most people! Although I'm thinking of giving it a go in the future...

14: What motivates you to run?

Fitness, fun, the feeling afterwards, being outdoors, being healthy, losing weight, to beat previous times, getting my vitamin D, getting away from the house, stress relief, mood improvement... you name it, it's a reason :)

15: Are you surprised with how well you run?

Haha. I wish! I'm more often disappointed with how I go...

16: Do you run marathons/races/both?

I've been doing City 2 Surf for three years now, which is a 12 k race, but I mostly have done it in the past to "participate" and be part of it because it was fun being out there with so many people... hopefully soon I'll actually race it properly. Just gotta work on the speed... also planning half marathon next year, and maybe some 5ks!

17: What’s your best mile time?

I've only ever run 1 mile exactly once (since we mostly use km's in Australia) and my time was 9.15... that was at the start of boot camp! So pretty slow ;)

18: Do you run to keep fit or keep fit to run?

Both... I love keeping fit but at the same time all the other exercise I do is to benefit my running.

19: Do you prefer to run in heat or in cold?

The cold, but in fairness, it never really gets that cold where I live. Even on the coldest mornings, you could still get away with shorts and a t-shirt and be warm enough once you get going.

20: Is it hard for you to get out of the house to run?

No, I find it way easier to just grab some shoes and leave than to drive off to the gym (where there's never any parking) and do other workouts!!!

21: Do you ever regret not running?

I wish I'd started many years earlier...

22: Do you keep a record of your running times?

Yep, I use Runkeeper to log my runs, and also keep a note in my 'little black book'. Just ordered a Runner's World one off Amazon though... although it's taking forever to get here...

23: Do you have a running idol?

Sweet Tooth Runner & XCFoodie make me jealous with their speed, and I love their passion for it!!!

24: Does anyone else in your family run?

My brother did couch to 5k and then stopped running (not sure why? think he prefers cycling...), otherwise nobody else!!

25: Are you currently trying to become a better runner?

Always!

26: Do you run when you have nothing else to do?

I never have nothing else to do! But occasionally I go on an impromptu run...

27: How often do you run?

3 days a week at the moment, slowly increasing.

28: What is your biggest running-related dream?

I'm just looking short-term at the moment since I'm still really a beginner... I haven't been consistent enough for long enough. So my first goal is to do a 5km run in 25 minutes or less. Then we'll see how I go... half-marathon is in there too though.

29: Will you run for the rest of your life or just until you become what you want?

Hopefully the rest of my life!

30: What are your favorite exercises to team with running?

Swimming!