Who is sheeee? lol. If you didn’t know I am currently training for my half-marathon in April 2025 and when I tell you it is a total mind f*ck every time I train for a race because even though I’ve done it before, it’s almost like I have to remind myself that I am a bad b*tch. So after today’s run I was just really proud of myself especially because training hasn’t been easy here in Minnesota. It’s been in the negatives back to back, which result me being on the treadsโ which isn’t my favorite. I freaken dread it the most and will choose to be outside in the cold if it’s do-able enough (btw. I learned that if it’s above 10 degrees, I’ll be outside!).
But today’s weather was perfect. I had my running vest ready with water and gel. I also went on a different running route that really challenged my endurance because of the HILLS!!! and the entire time, I kept thinking about how far I’ve come. I used to hate running because I was underfueling eating 1200 calories a day and used it to burn as many calories as possible when I ate “bad” food when really it was just hot cheetos so the thought of me enjoying this run made me realize that I am such a different person now. And this is all thanks to past Sam for choosing to have a better relationship with food by quitting her restrictive diets because with the amount of carbs I am eating for this training… she would freak tf out if she was still in that headspace.
I am sharing this with you because having a good relationship with food and no longer having weight loss as a goal (because you’ve done it and ready for new things) allows you to have fun fitness goal. Your mind isn’t clouded with calories or burning it off. You are not constantly feeling guilty about how often and how much you’re eating– you are just focused on staying consistent and trusting the process until you reach your goal; which reminds me… I actually had a thought that if I ran more back then, I would be faster now but the truth is my weight loss journey really played a role in why I LOVE running so much now. I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
So if you are feeling like you should be “further” along in your weight loss/fitness journey, I am reminding you that there are lessons in this season that will help you in your next adventure. You will blow your damn mind because you won’t even know what that is yet (umm if someone told me I would be training for my second half-marathon to prepare for a marathon in Oct 2025, I would be like WTF? byeeee). Your next fitness goal could be a 5K, 10K, getting strong asf with muscles, or who knows but the reality is, you are building strong foundation for that version of you right now. This is exactly why I don’t shame myself for all the diets I’ve tried because each of them play a role in why I take care of my body a certain way today.
Now let’s go over how I felt at each mile and what I did to finish this run. I love documenting this because it helps me remember how each run feels like and how unique they can be depending on how I feel and fuel for the day. Gotta always look back and repeat what works so I hope this is fun for you to see!
What I ate before my run: quakers banana nut oatmeal, 4 apple gates chicken sausage and 1 once upon a farm fruit and veggie blend smoothie
I was a bit surprised at how well I felt for the first 3 miles because I’ve been dealing with some shin splint and achy hips on my left side. I did some mobility and stretching the night before to help relieve some of this but I was worried about not making a 10K run happen today. However, I did tell myself that I was going to work with my body. If I felt pain, I was going to allow myself to stop and pivot if needed. I already had the mindset that it was totally okay to move this run a different day if my body wanted that. This made the run feel less pressury and I just really allowed myself to settle into it without worrying about pace. My mind was focused on distance rather than how fast I was going. I ended up taking my first gel (gu raspberry lemonade) at 1.8 miles and that helped a ton to get to 5K.
My run was starting to feel hard here because my breathing wasn’t aligned with my pace. I was breathing slower while running faster since I was all warmed up already. There were a few times, I had to stop at the street lights to allow traffic to come and in the those moments, I felt my thighs/quads muscle tighten and my shin bothering me a bit so it felt like I had to build momentum slowly again vs going back to the pace I was at to make sure I wasn’t hurting my legs.
I started to feel sluggish so I had another gel at mile 4 with water and I felt energized again while getting back to my original pace. It definitely felt like I was cruising again like from mile 1-3! I eventually made my way back to my starting point and decided to go towards a route around my neighborhood. Not gonna lie, this was hard because I was used to seeing everything here compare to the new route I was just at. I had to mentally tell myself I didn’t get this far to quit with a couple of miles left! I pushed through, relaxed my shoulders and looked forward.
OMG, when I tell you I almost wanted to quit. I mean it. When I got to mile 5, I was like omgggg I still got 1.2 miles. I am so tired right now. My legs were starting to ache. I picked the wrong underwear so the entire time I felt like I had a wedgy (this is why I will only run with cotton undergarment going forward). I was getting hot in my running jacket and the more I looked at my watch, I got discouraged because I still had “so much left” to go while feel meeehhhhhhโ but this is where I told myself let’s just focus where we are right now. Not the next .5 miles or mile, just be in the moment NOW.
This was super helpful since my brain loves fast forwaring towards the future. I centered myself, became present and went back to my breathing to finish the remaining .2 miles near my house proudly! Today’s run was an 7.5/10 hard for me but the way I spoke to myself and how kind I was, it deserves a 10/10!!!!
I hope you enjoy this running diary as much as I did. I can’t wait to update you on my next run as my mileage increase with race day getting closer! Let me know what your thoughts are and don’t forget to connect with me on IG @superlysam and Facebook at www.facebook.com/superlysam.
Talk soon,
Sam ๐
Every week, you'll have me in your inbox to help you stay consistent in your weight loss journey. Doesn't matter if you only have 15 mins or you are traveling, got 3 kids or a busy schedule? I will help you show up for yourself in those moments so you can lose weight this time. It's time you stop waiting until Monday to restart and follow through on your weight loss goal in a sustainable way. I got you. ๐
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