Become a Runner in a Summer | Fitness

Every summer I get back into running and it reminds me why I love to run. I always regret falling away from running during the school year/winter months- hopefully this year I won't stop when it gets cold! 

I feel like getting back into running is really hard. I mean, the last time I ran (last summer) I was making my best 5km times and now I can barely do a 60 second interval... very discouraging. However, also very motivating because I know where I can get to!

Using my fitness plan from last summer, combined with new knowledge and goals I have put together a weekly plan to get back to a place where I can consider myself a runner.

Here it is:

Monday: 

run 45-55 minutes + brisk walk 35-40 minutes

Tuesday: 

optional cross training day

Wednesday: 

run 35-40 minutes

Thursday: 

run 30 minutes + cross train 30 minutes

Friday: 

complete rest day

Saturday: 

run 35-40 minutes

Sunday: 

cross train 45-55 minutes

For the runs I'm not just jumping the gun and running for the whole time frame. I'm using the app Couch to 5K to coach me through the runs and build my endurance back up in a healthy way.

Week 1: 

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

alternate 60 seconds jogging, 90 seconds walking

5 minute cool down walk

Week 2:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

alternate 90 seconds of jogging, 2 minutes walking

5 minute cool down walk

Week 3:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

two repetitions of the following: jog for 90 seconds, walk for 90 seconds; jog for 3 minutes, walk for 3 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 4:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds; job 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes; job 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds; jog 5 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 5:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 8 minutes, walk 8 minutes, jog 8 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 6:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 5 minutes, walk 3 minutes; jog 8 minutes, walk 3 minutes; jog 5 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 7:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 25 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 8:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 28 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 9:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 30 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 10:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 32 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 11: 

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog 35 minutes

5 minute cool down walk

Week 12:

brisk 5 minute warmup walk

jog a 5k route- try to make good time

5 minute cool down walk

As far as warmup and cool down, the times are VERY short and should be extended. Before running I do a 10-15 minute warmup of dynamic stretches. After my run I will walk around my back yard for about 10 minutes and then spend about 15-20 minutes stretching out my muscles/doing a bit of light yoga. It's so important to not skip warmup and cool down! 

On my cross training days, I will either power walk, go for a bike ride, or go for a swim at the YMCA- whatever I feel like that day!

I'm so excited to get back into running- I'm already two weeks in and I feel great! I have SO much energy and I feel so much healthier than I did before. I think running can be so daunting but if you take it one run at a time and listen to your body so you don't push yourself way too hard, it's such a joy!

Are you a runner? Do you want to be a runner? 

Let me know about your running experience- good or bad- in a comment!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo

10 Min, 10 Moves + Progress Update | Fitness

I have never been so busy as I am now that I'm in college- between school, work, and keeping the apartment clean there seems to be no time left to keep up with my fitness. Because of this lack of time, I have put together a ten minute workout that I do every morning as soon as I wake up!

My ten minute workout is only ten moves- go hard for 40 seconds, then rest/switch to the next move for 20 seconds. It's a quick workout that gets your heart rate up and your muscles burning!

10 Minutes, 10 Moves

1. High knees

2. Front kicks

3. Butt kickers

4. Mountain climbers

5. Plank walk star

6. Spider plank

7. Jumping jacks

8. Bend and reach

9. Windmill

10. High knees

I think we can all admit to having a spare ten minutes during our day and spending it working out is a great option! Being healthy and active is so important- please always take care of yourself. My health and fitness journey has been on going since the beginning of 2014. The progress has been slow but steady and I'm very proud of how far I have come. I'm not showing these progress photos to brag in any way, I'm sharing them to hopefully inspire some of you who maybe aren't completely happy with your body or are thinking of making some changes. Taking your health and fitness seriously is 100% a lifestyle change and you can never go wrong by practicing self love.

 I'm really happy with all the progress I have made- I'm getting so close to where I want to be! I have lost 63 pounds- I'm sitting at 107.6 pounds- and have dropped from a size 12 to a size 2. But it's not about the numbers, it never has been, it's all about how I feel! I have more energy, I feel healthy, and my self confidence has improved immensely! If you are thinking about taking your fitness a little more seriously I HIGHLY recommend you do. When I started making my fitness and diet a priority, my life changed (get an idea of my diet in my last What I Eat In A Day post). My decision to practice self love in this way was one of the best choices I have ever made.  

I wanted to throw in this little side by side to show you all the importance of posture- a hunch back adds about 10 pounds haha. Spending the majority of my time either sitting in class or sitting at my desk doing homework/photo editing has taken it's toll on my posture. I have been doing the exercises from the Blogilates Perfect Posture video and it really is starting to make a difference. 

I hope by sharing my progress I will inspire some of you to make your health and fitness a priority. How do you make a healthy lifestyle work for your busy schedule?

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn