UM…. I just got really excited because I realized there is actually 29 days left until the wedding, NOT 30!  It’s like I just flew forward in time. Woo hooo! 

In other news…. I should’ve mentioned in last night’s post that the lovely Coach duffel was not, in fact, a Coach duffel.  I bought it from Chinatown in NYC for $30. The pretty tan bag is a Target original.  And the sexy black pumps are from Payless!  I roll cheap, people! You can always find cute and stylish stuff at the less expensive stores,  you just have to do more digging and pay attention to fabric types, hems, stupid embellishments, and cuts — those are the things that make an item look cheap.

Didn’t want you all to have the wrong impression that we’re millionaires…. cause…. we’re not!

Breakfast was simple and filling.  I need to stock up on oatmeal, as I may not get a lot of healthy meals in this weekend!

My oatmeal contained:

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• Splash of vanilla extract
• 1 sliced banana
• Toppings: pumpkin granola and three dried apricots.

It was a delish bowl of oatmeal that I ate verrrry slowly due to my little blue spoon.

Staying Motivated in Winter

I think my lack of enthusiasm to go running lately is mostly due to the fact that its winter.  Sure, it doesn’t get very cold here — but it does get dark at 5:30, which is when I get off of work!

Staying motivated in the winter is very important!  You don’t want to undo all the hard work of the summer — fall off the running bandwagon and you’ll lose endurance, muscle mass, mental toughness… and you’ll probably put on some weight.  Plus, there are fun Spring races to look forward to!

I did some research on how to stay motivated in winter, and here’s a summary of what I found:

• Find a winter race and SIGN UP.  If you can’t find a winter race, pick an early spring-time race and PAY THE ENTRY FEE NOW!  Having a goal in front of you requires you to prepare and gives purpose to your training program.
• Focus on getting FASTER by doing speedwork on the treadmill at the gym.  Do 0.25-mile sprints, followed by 1 minute of easy jogging.  Repeat 8 times or more!
• Replace some of your runs with winter-time cross-training, like skiing or showshoeing…. or enjoy some gym activities, like treadmill running, spinning, or yoga!
• Focus on building muscle strength by incorporating more weight-lifting.
•  Set a weekly mileage goal and "reward" yourself for reaching the goals.  Don’t use food rewards — reward yourself with a new book, tickets to the movies, a manicure, etc.  Set larger monthly mileage goals and give yourself bigger rewards, like a back massage!
• Buy some pretty winter running gear.
• Whenever you catch yourself being negative about the winter, remind yourself of all the times you complained about the heat and humidity of the summer!
• Think about how hardcore of a runner you are for continuing to run in the winter. You deserve a medal!
• If possible, switch from evening workouts to morning workouts.

Have an excellent day!