Why You Should Connect with Other Bloggers + A Liebster Award

I'm back! Posting on a day besides Friday!

Recently, in a leadership workshop/ropes course, we were tasked with identifying the top five things we value in our personal and professional lives. Among accomplishment and some other values, I came up with recognition. I like (is need a strong word?) affirmation and positive feedback when I've worked really hard to accomplish something.

As such, I was excited to hear that a blogger I follow, Go Go Mountain Girl, nominated me for a Liebster Award. It's given to up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers. It's a peer award that gives bloggers the opportunity to recognize each other and the work we're doing.

When I first started blogging, I struggled with growing my audience. I do believe in the old saying that content is king, and that was my first focus. I spent a lot of time thinking through my mission statement and brand for the blog, what topics I wanted to write about, what I wanted readers to take away from my blog posts, and how to let my personality come through my posts.

I'm such a marketing geek. One day when I make it big I'll write a book on how I did it. In the meantime...

So I think having a strong mission, brand, and relevant content are the most important parts, yes, but then what? How do I drive an audience to this amazing content?

I, of course, started with social media and my own personal network. That only got me so far. My blog started REALLY taking off when I connected with other bloggers.

Why was that so helpful? Let me share...

1. Bloggers are blog readers, too! Why on earth would someone take the time to create a blog and write one or more posts per week? We'd have to be pretty passionate about blogs, right? We love sharing our stories, and we love the personal touch with which other bloggers share information. In fact, I've found fellow bloggers to be my most loyal readers.
2. Bloggers bring their audiences, and the blogosphere is big enough to share. I don't buy into the territorial view that we should limit any mention of another blog to out readers out of fear that we'll drive traffic away from our own blog. It's simple. Readers want content. We want readers. Connecting with bloggers and link-ups gives our audiences more content, and gives us more exposure.
3. Bloggers create communities, which drive traffic for all of us! See above. I've seen huge growths in traffic as I've participated in the Running Bloggers and Sweat Pink communities.
4. There's a lot to learn from other bloggers! Seriously, I get some of the best information from other bloggers (see #1) on running and blogging. I love that bloggers speak from the heart on their personal experiences. You get advice from a real person perspective you can relate to.Not only do you get the advice, but you get their stories. You experience their joy, their disappointments, their frustrations, and their laughter with them. You hear what worked and didn't work for a real person in their endeavors.
5. Following other bloggers keeps you up to date. Admittedly, I fall behind trends in technology, fashion, new running products, apps, etc. Bloggers keep me in the know on all of these things in an easy format to follow.

Long story short, once you nail down your blog, I highly recommend connecting with other bloggers in your genre to learn from others and grow your audience.

How do you connect with other bloggers, you ask?

Oh, you know. Write "OMG your blog is so awesome! I literally want to be just like you! Let's be BFFs" in comments, ask for their phone number, email them pictures of you and your cat, offer to visit them at their home, or try to friend them on Facebook.

Or you could flood their blog's comments and Facebook wall with links to your blog, tweet at them constantly with "follow for follow", tell them that you liked their Facebook page and they are now a terrible awful person if they don't like you back.

Or not! There are ways to go about it without being creepy. I recommend finding a link-up where you and other bloggers can share your posts (generally along a common theme) in a common place. Many of these are weekly or monthly and ask bloggers to post about a certain theme. I choose several link-ups, like Fitness Friday on Talk Less, Say More, Running Bloggers, and Jill Conyers, and Marathon Monday with Coffee and Macarons and Marathon Mom.

I also recommend engaging with other blogs through social media and comments. I don't necessarily mean posting something like "I added you" (implying "now add me"), I mean read their blog! If you read an article that you can relate to, write a meaningful comment. Maybe they tried a new workout that happens to be something you love. Maybe their training for a type race that you are also training for and you can share tips. Maybe you bond over your mutual love of cats. Maybe they are struggling with an issue, and you have advice for them. The point is, engage in the conversation in a relevant way.

With that said, let's talk Liebster, shall we? I was nominated by Sami at Go Go Mountain Girl. I recently discovered her blog and I'm impressed! She's not only a mom and teacher, but a runner and lives a very active lifestyle. I have no idea how she does it all, but it gives me hope that maybe one day I'll be able to balance it all if I decide to start a family. Bonus - she posts BEAUTIFUL pictures of Colorado. I grew up in Wyoming, near the CO border. I'm dying to visit the Rockies again, but for now I'll live vicariously through Sami's pics. :)

You can find her Liebster post here.

As part of the activity, I've been asked to let you "get to know me" through a list of questions.

1. If there was a movie made based on your life, who would play you and why?

The one and only Zooey Deschanel is my actress of choice. If you can't tell through my posts, I'm quite the odd, quirky kid. I LOVE Zooey's quirky personality, fun fashion (seriously, I wish I could buy all of Anthropologie to dress like her), and that she's simply beautiful and classy.

2. What was the last thing you Googled?

Oh boy. If you really want to know someone, check out their Google history. Actually, you probably don't want to know...

Mine is actually pretty tame. Today I Googled "The Small Things Blog Bun". The blogger, Kate, is a super cute hairstylist with amazing style. She posts amazing video tutorials on hairstyles and makeup that break the information in a way that even I can follow! I love that she's a real, down-to-earth girl with adorable style and a quirky personality. Today I didn't have time to wash my hair, so I followed her mid-knot bun tutorial. It turned out great!

3. What is one of your guilty pleasures?
I have too many to list. Scouring the internet for magical solutions to change and organize my life, reading self help books, making lists of home improvement projects I'll never do, browsing Target and T.J. Maxx, watching reality shows like Big Brother, reading Real Simple on my front porch with coffee, and eating snacky foods like Nutella, olives, hummus and pita chips, chips and salsa, popcorn, cheese, or ice cream. Gotta watch those caloric guilty pleasures. 

4. What is something you know now that you wish you knew "then?"
That you can make your life what you want it to be. It doesn't matter where you came from, what people think of you, what stereotype you think you fall into, etc. At one point, I thought I'd always be nerdy and unathletic. I finally pushed myself out of those artificial boundaries I'd set for myself. You can choose to go after your goals and make them a reality!

5. What do you consider to be one of your greatest accomplishments?
I have to go with my half marathon. I probably should say my education, but that was within my comfort zone and the path that I'd established since I was young. Running required me to get out of my comfort zone. To be vulnerable. To ask for help. To push myself beyond what I've ever been pushed. To break out of my belief that I would always be the nerdy, unathletic kid. Doing that opened up my confidence in other areas of life. I've grown in my relationships, personal development, happiness, and career since I started running!

6. What is one thing not many people know about you?
At home, I sing CONSTANTLY!! Once I get an earworm - it's on! Everything from my favorite pop artists (Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Kelly Clarkson, etc) to the alternative/indie artists I dabble in that B thinks are weird (Passion Pit, Lana Del Rey - LOVE her!, Band of Horses, etc) to my favorite 90's songs. I'm probably not a good singer, but I like to believe I am. I NEVER sing in front of people out of fear that I'll confirm that I'm not a good singer. At the very least, B and the cats tolerate me, and I can live with that.

7. If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about your life, would you? What would it be?
I wish I could stop worrying about stupid little things. I am the queen of first world problems. I worry about what people think of me and if they'll accept me. I worry about theoretical "what-if" situations that never come to fruition. I worry about failing. On top of all of that, I feel guilty for worrying so much about these things, knowing that people out there have real problems.

I would absolutely let a magic wand take all of this away from me. In the real world, I'm working on healthy ways to stop.

8. What is your favorite Disney movie?
Pixar based: Toy Story franchise
True animated film: The Lion King

9. What is something you've never done, but would like to try?
I'd like to travel overseas and see other parts of the world. I'd love to see Europe - Paris, London, Italy, etc, and Australia. One day, I hope I have the chance to do so.

10. Where is your favorite place to be?
Keeping it local - either at home, grilling out on the patio, relaxing on the front porch, or chillin with B and the kitties, or enjoying an afternoon at Market Square/Downtown Knoxville perusing shops, grabbing coffee, enjoying brunch or dinner, and of course, people watching!

11. What is your favorite blog post you've written?
10 reasons why running is awesome! It was a great way to re-energize myself as I remembered why I loved running in the first place.

As part of the Liebster process, I'm nominating 11 more blogs for this award. Should you so choose to participate, here's what you should do:

Rules:

1. You must link back to the person who nominated you.
2. You must answer the 11 questions given to you by your nominator.
3. You must pick 11 bloggers, each with under 200 subscribers, to be nominated for the award.
4. You must come up with 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
5. You must go to their blogs and notify your nominees.

I love too many blogs to mention, but here are my 11 nominees (in no particular order):

• The Lady Okie Blog
• Healthy in Cville
• Beauty and the Greek
• Journey to a Healthy Life
• Coffee and Macarons
• Marathon Mom
• Worn Out Soles
• Vodka and Soda
• Mavrocat Strength
• Miss Adventures in Running
• Run Mum

I'm not really sure what the metric is for "followers", so I looked at Twitter, etc. Shout-out to Talk Less, Say More, Jill Conyers, In Healthy Habits We Trust, Mommies Runs, and Runs with Pugs, who I would love to include, but appear to have more than 200 followers. :)

That's it! What have you learned from other bloggers? 

-Amy

Fitness Friday: Big Stuff!

Big Stuff Happening! 

I'm back in the real world after a crazy couple of weeks. Trying to bring back consistency to my work schedule, workouts, and life. It seems to be going well so far! Over the last two weeks, I've had two new milestones for the blog.

I'm a Sweat Pink Ambassador!

I was recently very excited to find out that I've been named a Sweat Pink Ambassador with Fit Approach. It's a great community of bloggers who are real people like me sharing how they achieve their fitness goals and dreams. I've been introduced to the community through several inspiring running blogger friends, and I'm excited to contribute to the group!

To get started, I just received my pink shoelaces! I'm buying new running shoes this weekend and can't wait to put them on!

My First Local Media Mention!

A couple of months ago, I was approached by a writer for Cityview Magazine, a local lifestyle magazine here in Knoxville. She was writing an article about bananas, their health benefits, and how they can help runners in their fitness goals. I shared how bananas keep my runs fueled, as well as a tropical smoothie recipe. To add to the excitement, my RunKNOX coach contributed some great advice to incorporate bananas in a healthy diet to support our fitness goals, and a banana "ice cream" recipe I'm dying to try.

Check it out here! 

With those big news out of the way, let's talk about the week:

Saturday - 5 Miles, and Falling Out of "The Zone"

Picture it. 7:30 AM. Sunny but not too hot. Nowhere near as humid as it had been. Me - energized and feeling like a champ. Ran a little over two miles feeling great! I was faster than my usual "easy" pace (<12 minute mile) and feeling good about the run. 

And then this sweet elderly man stopped and asked for directions to the UT football game.

Don't get me wrong. I'm more than happy to help. I'm even more happy to help since he was dressed in UT orange. The problem is that stopping and starting again threw me off my game. I wasn't tired before I stopped, but now I was thinking about being tired. I was so sluggish during the next mile now that I was out of "the zone".

Alas, I kept on fighting the good fight, and finally got back in the zone for my last two miles. My running buddy and I finished the run in exactly an hour. Not our goal, but not bad either.

Sunday - Off Day

 

Monday - Taking Boot Camp a Little More Seriously

Okay, I do take boot camp seriously and work really hard to keep up. However, I don't take it as seriously as I do running - i.e. fueling before and after, etc. As a result, I wake up on Tuesdays exhausted, sore, and miserable during my run. So I decided to fuel before with a banana and half a pack of sport beans, and drinking some of B's 2:1:1 recovery drink afterwards. I felt great during boot camp! It was still hard, but at least I never got dizzy and weak. I also woke up Tuesday with very little soreness. Win!

Tuesday - The Energy Continues at RunKNOX

I had 3 miles to run during RunKNOX practice Tuesday. I got there super late from work and had to dart into the locker room to change while everyone was already staring, I was a super flustered hot mess! I put the crazy behind me and set out with my friends for an easy 3 miles. Again, I got in the zone and ran my 3 miles faster than my most recent (not so great) 5K! I was very impressed with a friend and fellow RunKNOXer who kept up with me the whole time, despite the fact it wasn't her usual pace.

Maybe I inspired someone without even trying. :)

Wednesday - 20 Minute Run

Yay for a light week in RunKNOX! We were only prescribed 20 minutes! I came home from work, ran near my home, and jammed out to Robin Thicke and other fun artists (no twerking involved) for a quick 20 minutes. Done!

Thursday - Off Day

 

Friday - 3 mi Run (Tentatively)

As part of my employer's corporate wellness initiative, we now have an outdoor running track. I hope to get out of work at noon and get 3 miles in. Hopefully I can get away from the office to get out there. We'll see how it goes! 

That's it! I'm also wrapping up another fun post about connecting with other bloggers and how it has helped tremendously in growing my blog. I've been a little absent in this area lately, and look forward to reconnecting with my blogger friends soon!

Have a great weekend!

-Amy

See what others around the web are doing with these great fitness communities:

 I was not compensated by any of the above organizations for this post, nor are they affiliated with this blog. I am simply sharing my honest opinions and experiences. The views expressed in this article are solely my own. Also, I'm not a health or fitness professional of any kind. See my  Terms and Conditions page.
Want more? Follow the CSRS Blog on  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram for the latest updates, articles, and more!

Fitness Friday: I'm Back!

Get Ready!

I'm thirty! You know, I think it's going to be a great new decade. I started it off right with dinner with a few family members and friends, balloons, a tiara, and cupcakes last weekend!

Would I have it any other way?

No! And the celebration has continued through the week as I have been meeting up with various friends and family for dinners, etc. I'm so grateful for all of the people who have reached out to me with kind thoughts on my birthday. It has really been a great week! Like all things, it must come to an end. Next week, I'll be back to my normal routine and schedule.

Speaking of my usual routine...Now that I'm thirty, it's time to get wordy!

Whoa. That was rough.

What I mean is, I'm ready to start blogging more. 

Lately, with a lot on my plate as well as my birthday last week, I've slipped from two posts per week to one per week. 

I have mixed feelings on this. 

I do STRONGLY believe that all of my posts should be genuine, provide content that I believe is relevant and valuable to you, the reader, and fit my mission for the blog. Maybe not every post has Pinterest-worthy advice, but I do try to write about my own real stories from an honest, genuine place so that maybe you'll take away something that I learn in my trials and errors. I'm not willing to lower my standards on content for the sake of posting frequently. 

However...

I miss posting more often! I love sharing my recipes, favorite beauty products, gardening and DIY adventures in addition to my weekly Fitness Friday post! And let's face it; it has been too long since I posted a picture of my cats on the blog.

So as part of my fall rededication to my goals, I'm excited to go back to two posts per week starting next week!

So many ideas for posts...

• The finale to my tomato adventure and my favorite fresh salsa recipe

• My new eyeshadow looks from my new Urban Decay Naked 2 palette, a birthday gift card purchase. It's the best neutral palette I've EVER used!

• My fall favorite looks and beauty products
• What I wear to run in the fall
• My favorite running fuel/hydration products, and a part scary/part funny story when I discovered I needed them

All I have to say is, get ready! I'm back!

I don't think you're ready for this - My blog's too blog-a-licious for ya!

Not better.

With all of that said, let's start with Fitness Friday and this week in running, shall we?

Saturday - Last Run in My 20's

Because I didn't have plans until that evening, I was able to attend RunKNOX for my very last run of my 20's. It was a 5 mile easy run. It actually was great! It is still warm and very humid here in TN, but thanks to being well-rested and better fueled, I actually had energy while running. I didn't go fast for me (probably 12:30/mi), but it was a good run. It was also great to have already burned some calories before consuming dinner and two cupcakes later (oops!).

Sunday - Boom! It's my birthday!

It was my birthday! I didn't work out. I went to brunch with my husband, sister, and brother-in-law, which was yummy. I also stopped by Sephora to burn through my birthday money (it didn't take long!). Later that evening, we went to Boomsday, one of the largest fireworks displays in the country. It's kind of a Labor Day tradition in Knoxville, and we always enjoy going!

Monday - Recharging with a hike

Since the weekend had been so busy, I took Labor Day off (it's not a designated holiday where I work). My sister and brother-in-law had already headed out, so it was just me and B. As fun as the weekend was, I was feeling a little exhausted from all of the festivities. I wanted a chance to recharge.

A few weeks ago, my husband took me on my first hike. Prior to that experience, I didn't get the point of hiking. I thought it was just walking. After my first experience, I learned to appreciate the thought of "unplugging", the sense of accomplishment I get from walking up a mountain, and seeing beautiful scenery.

We went down to the Smoky Mountains, not to far from Knoxville. Sadly, we're those people who don't take full advantage of our surroundings. We chose a trail that went to a waterfall called Laurel Falls. I'm not good with directions, but it's close to Gatlinburg, TN.

It was amazing! The hike was all uphill, which was a great workout. It was about 1.3 mi to the falls, and of course 1.3 mi back. It was paved (loosely), but still felt like a hiking trail. Be careful though - there are steep drop-offs as you wind around the mountain. Bears frequent the area, although we didn't see one. Once we got to the falls, we had a great little stop. We waded through the water around the falls (it's not deep), sat on the rocks and relaxed for a few. We saw aquatic salamanders and butterflies. Highly recommend for a short day hike!

Tuesday - Back to RunKNOX

All good things must come to an end, and Tuesday we went back to work. Luckily, I had RunKNOX to look forward to. We did a 4 mi run, but instead of a steady pace, we incorporated 10 intervals of 1 minute running fast/1 minute running very slow in the middle of the workout. I love those! It keeps the run from getting monotonous. I like running fast in short bursts! Done!

Wednesday - So...yeah...

Long weekends toy with my sleep schedule! I had planned to get up early to run before work. I overslept and had just enough time to get ready for work on time. No running. I had plans after work and couldn't run in the evening either. Total slacker.

Thursday: Making Up with a VERY Early Run

Sigh...one downside of getting old is my odd sleep schedule. While some days I oversleep, I have frequent nights in which I wake up randomly at 4 AM and can't go back to sleep. Or I don't fall back to sleep until 6:30 AM, which is when I'm supposed to wake up. This time, I stayed up, got some things done for the blog and my home, and went running at 6 AM. Usually I run at 6:45.

Surprisingly, I loved it! It was dark, quiet, and so crisp and cool! I got in the zone listening to 90's music and felt great! That evening, I also attended core class with RunKNOX, so it was a double whammy.

Today: Back to Boot Camp

It has been a week and a half since I attended boot camp. I was looong overdue! I'm going to feel this in the morning. We did squats, lunges with our knee tapping the ground (which hurts my hips oddly), planks, sprints in the sand, push-ups with our hands in straps suspended from the ceiling (okay, I couldn't do them), and all kinds of crazy exercises! It was great!

And that's it! Stay tuned for my big return to blogging next week!

How do you stay charged and active through the week?

- Amy

See what others around the web are doing with these great fitness communities:

 I was not compensated by RunKNOX for this post, nor is it affiliated with this blog. I am simply sharing my honest opinions and experiences. The views expressed in this article are solely my own. Also, I'm not a health or fitness professional of any kind. See my  Terms and Conditions page.
Want more? Follow the CSRS Blog on  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram for the latest updates, articles, and more!

Fitness Friday: Turning 30 and Rededicating Myself to My Goals

What a Friday!

It's only two days before my 30th birthday. Believe it or not, I'm happy about it! Happy that I've worked hard in my 20's, happy (and grateful) that I have the life I have with my husband, family, friends, and cats, and happy to be celebrating this weekend! 

As I mentioned last week, it's a milestone that lends itself to questioning where I am in my goals and my life. I've had a stressful few weeks. I've been quite busy at work, and I'm in a challenging time in my running. I've been trying to run a 30 minute 5K for months now, and haven't gotten there. I've had much less energy and motivation when running. Instead of feeling pumped up and excited, I feel exhausted and stressed about running. I sometimes even dread it. It has been so frustrating that I've even considered (for like, two seconds) not running anymore.

Whoa. I went there. False alarm! You know I wouldn't quit on you!

In times like these, it's important to reflect.

A year and a half ago, I couldn't even run a quarter of a mile. I have now run a half marathon.

In the last years of my 20s, I overcame fears and became more confident through running.

I'm starting my 30's healthier than I've ever been in my life!

It would be dumb to quit! Instead of quitting, let's just address whatever is causing this temporary stall in my running progress. After looking holistically at my life over the last couple of months, I've identified the following factors that are probably affecting my running:

• Inconsistent diet. I don't talk about diet a lot on the blog. Long story short, I'm "that girl" who obsesses over calories, inevitably fails miserably, feels incredibly guilty, and obsesses again. Don't get me wrong, there are many positives in how I eat - I eat mostly natural foods, I love fruits and veggies, I rarely eat processed or fast food, etc, but the portion control issue is my hang-up. 
• To get to a goal weight on my birthday, I tried to hit a daily calorie goal (1,200-1,500) that may have been inconsistent with my running needs. When I tried to hit those goals, I'd find myself starving, acting like Betty White on a Snicker's commercial (sorry B!), and VERY weak and depleted while running. Inevitably, I'd break down afterwards and find myself drowning in ice cream or Nutella. This isn't good, people. Don't do this at home. 
• The whole thing was completely counterproductive. It hurt my running performance, and because I was constantly cheating, I wasn't even losing weight. 
• Stress. I let this 30 minute 5K goal really get to my head. Instead of enjoying running, it made me feel pressured. I felt that if I didn't reach my goal, I was letting myself and others down. I have to let that go so that I can focus. I've also been stressed about other things in my life: work, relationships with others, etc. I have the unfortunate curse of being a people-pleaser, and I worry about a lot of little things. This is a personal goal I want to work on in my 30's. I hope to write a separate post about this soon.
• Inconsistent training. Don't get me wrong, I've stayed with RunKNOX and barely miss a practice. I haven't stayed as diligent running on my own outside of our practices as I should have been. Part of the reason was that I was taking "rest days" before the plethora of 5K races I was running. This is why I don't want to race for awhile.

With all of that said, fall is coming and it's a perfect time to rededicate myself to my goals. Here's how I plan to do it.

• To my running - It's time to take my running schedule more seriously! I'm going to stay diligent to the program each week. I'm also going to wait awhile before signing up for a 5K.
• To my health - Per my the advice of my RunKNOX coach, I decided to up my goals to 1,500 - 2,000 calories (YIKES!! I thought I was going to pass out when I heard 2,000!). It's a little scary, but I think a more realistic goal that keeps me energized and less prone to cheat could help. I also plan to seek out an iron supplement (that doesn't make me sick!), as my iron tends to run low. I'll let you know how it goes...
• To my blog - I tend to be really inconsistent in the time I spend on my blog. I'll go for days and not write anything (although I do keep up with social media), then I have to crunch to write at the last minute. If I could just spend a half-hour each day writing, it would go a long way.
• To my career - While I am passionate about my career and work hard, we can always improve, right? I tried something this week that was really effective. I started going in a little earlier. Few people were there. I used the time to go through my email and sort through all of the things that need to get done. I often have a lot of irons in the fire at work. This "pre-sort" time helped me start my day feeling organized and together before I started my tasks. I plan to keep this up!
• To my loved ones - As I get older, I start realizing more and more the value of time. We have so many people to see, so many things to do, and so little time to do it all. And one day it will all be over. While I love work, running, and all of the other things I do, I want to make sure that I'm fitting in time for the people I love. It just takes a little more balance.
• To MYSELF - Again, with the time thing, I never prioritize doing the things I love to do by myself - lighting candles, curling up and reading a book or Real Simple, getting my nails done, etc. While I love spending time with people, I'm an introvert who needs this downtime to recharge. I don't do enough of it!

All of these become effective Tuesday. In the meantime, I have a birthday weekend to enjoy!!!

Have a great holiday weekend! Do you ever find yourself in a place where you need to rededicate yourself to your goals?

-Amy

See what others around the web are doing with these great fitness communities:

 I was not compensated by RunKNOX for this post, nor is it affiliated with this blog. I am simply sharing my honest opinions and experiences. The views expressed in this article are solely my own. Also, I'm not a health or fitness professional of any kind. See my  Terms and Conditions page.
Want more? Follow the CSRS Blog on  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram for the latest updates, articles, and more!

Fitness Friday...Countdown to 30!

Y'all, it's official. 

As of today, my countdown days to turning 30 is in single digits. Overall, I'm fine with it. I'm excited about celebrating with friends and family and walking around with some obnoxious "30" tiara or sash (you listenin, B? Better make this happen.).

For me, my concern in turning 30 isn't about worrying about aging, it's about questioning where I am in life. Perhaps I'll write a dedicated post on this. This is the first time I've reached this kind of milestone birthday. I think there's something about these milestones that naturally make you question your past decisions and accomplishments. Did I accomplish everything I hoped to accomplish by this point (in terms of career, fitness, personal development)? Sadly, no.

Who am I? What am I doing with my life?

That was a little dramatic. I thought I'd have everything figured out by now. I'd be this cool, confident, perfectly put-together person. I thought I'd have at least figured out what I wanted in life. Instead, I still worry about little things, don't know exactly what I want in 10-20 years, and feel unsure of myself at times.

Will this ever go away?

But I can be proud that I've worked my hardest to reach my goals so far, and plan to continue to do so. I'm proud I earned an MBA and now work in my chosen field of marketing. I'm proud I finally faced my fears, started a running journey, and launched this blog to hopefully help others. I consider myself fortunate to have a wonderful family, friends, husband, and cats. I'll take it! I really can't complain at all.

One accomplishment that I'm especially questioning right now is my current running goal of hitting a 30 minute 5K. After a particularly traumatic 5K race on a track, I've been hovering around 32 minutes lately, and I don't feel close to improving. At the end of running a 32 minute 5K, I'm so exhausted I am dragging myself to the finish line and feel like I'm going to pass out or throw up! I'm not sure if I'll hit it by my birthday, but I'll try my best to get there as soon as I can.

To help me get there, I'm glad that the fall program of RunKNOX has started up again. While B is doing the half marathon program, I'll be doing the speed training program to get to a 30 minute 5K, and then perhaps progress to half marathon training.

With all of that said, here's how the week went:

Saturday: Butterfly Fund 5K

B and I were excited to run the Butterfly Fund 5K Saturday. It supports a good cause (research for childrens' cancers) and we met up with his aunt there who was also running the race. She started a running and fitness journey in her 50's and is doing AWESOME! Proof that it's never too late to start! The weather was a little cooler than usual and we were very familiar with the course. Great conditions for a race!

And how did the actual race go? Not spectacular, but good. I pushed myself the entire time. As I've written before, I don't think 5K pace is easy or comfortable, so it felt challenging the whole time. Not overwhelmingly so until the end. I managed to sprint the last 100m or so and felt like I usually do after 5Ks - exhausted, weak, and nauseous. My time was in line with my last few times, just over 32 minutes. Not a PR, but not a regression either. I had a fun morning, so I'm good with it.

B and I before the race. No makeup + my new Lululemon shorts from my Mom. :) Thanks, Mom!

Sunday: Off-day

Although, I'd argue vacuuming, dusting, and grocery shopping count for something.

Monday: A Harder than Usual Boot Camp Class

Lately, I've been doing a boot camp class. In the past, it has been challenging, but manageable. For some reason, this time it was harder. We did planks with weights on our backs, lunges with weights above our heads, sprints, and all kinds of crazy stuff. We were outside for most of the class, and it was hot. There was a point when I had to slow down, I was so tired! I think it was partially my fault for forgetting to eat my afternoon snack beforehand. I looked around and everyone else looked like they felt like I did! Luckily, we all made it through and had a good workout! I may have consoled myself with ice cream later...

Tuesday: Back to RunKNOX and Sassy Again

The official fall RunKNOX program began! While we continued practicing as a carryover from the summer program, I'm glad to have a fresh start in the program. I saw many familiar faces and some new faces. In fact, I met another lady who is going after a 30 minute 5K, too! It will be nice to have someone close to my level. We ran an easy 3 miles with a few sprints at the end.

Oh sprints. In small doses, I think they are so fun! I was next to a really nice guy in our group while doing our sprints. It just so happened I beat him to finish, and he said he couldn't keep up with me. Out of nowhere, I said:

Oh, it's not a race...but if it was I would have won!

I mean, talk about #nofilter! I can't believe it flew out of my mouth! Fortunately everyone took it in good fun!

Wednesday: 35 Minute Run

Usually, our prescribed runs per our training program are in miles. This time, it was in minutes. I got up early to beat the heat and set a timer on my iPhone. You know what happens when your requirement is minutes, not miles? There's no motivation to run faster!

What's the point? You won't finish any sooner. Maybe that's just me.

So, I cruised around listening to a running playlist on Songza until the timer went off and had a great time. At the end, I realized I had been running really slow for me - 13+ minute miles. Oops. Hey, I ran and enjoyed it. That's a win, right?

Thursday: Core Class

With the beginning of the RunKNOX fall program came the reinstatement of our Thursday night core class. Yay! It incorporates similar exercises as my boot camp class, but I feel like it's a little more focused. We stay on each exercise longer and really focus on strength. This is great for me, because I don't get a lot of strength training. This week it was pretty simple - lunges, planks, side planks, etc. It had been awhile since I'd held these poses for awhile. It was challenging, but doable.

Today: Resting Up

I'm not working out today so that I'll be well rested for another (yes, another) 5K tomorrow. It will be my last 5K in the 25-29 age group.

The ending of an era.

B and I are running the Man Run, which supports prostate cancer research. Yes, women can run in it. :) A friend of ours has started his own running journey in the last few months, and we're excited he's running in it with us! I'll shoot for my 30 minute 5K, and try my best. B has even offered to pace me.

We may or may not be still married afterwards.. :)

That's it for this week!

How have you stayed active this week? Do milestone birthdays inspire you to reexamine your goals and accomplishments?

-Amy

See what others around the web are doing with these great fitness communities:

 I was not compensated by RunKNOX, or the Knoxville Track Club for this post, nor is any organization affiliated with this blog. I am simply sharing my honest opinions and experiences. The views expressed in this article are solely my own. Also, I'm not a health or fitness professional of any kind. See my  Terms and Conditions page.
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Fitness Friday: Moving on and Loving Running Again

Fitness Friday is Back!

So...if you read my most recent post, you've heard that last week wasn't such a great running week. I ran a 5K race on the track, which I let intimidate me and throw my attitude off completely. I was disappointed that I still haven't hit my 30 minute 5K goal. I took some time to reflect on the situation and realized I need to stay in the positive and not put so much pressure on myself each race.

Lately, everything I've been doing has been about speed. I've been really pushing myself in our speed-focused workouts  in RunKNOX. Even on the "easy runs" scheduled in to our training, I've tried to push myself and I've worried about my pace. Honestly, all of this speed work and pressure to get my 5K time down has just sucked all of the fun out of running for me lately. 

I'm conflicted because I want running to be fun and enjoyable. However, my 5K goal pace is not fun and enjoyable. It's challenging. It's uncomfortable. It's hard to keep going sometimes.

I don't think I'm alone in this internal conflict. I happened to have a conversation with some running friends this week, who shared they also want running to be fun. They shared various ways they keep running enjoyable - focusing only on slower, long distance runs, training less aggressively, or even skipping racing altogether and only running for enjoyment and health benefits.

It was great to hear these perspectives and know I'm not alone in feeling this way. Ultimately, I want to keep training towards becoming a faster runner. I know it's going to involve some training runs and races where I will have to push beyond my current capabilities to make real progress. Those will feel tiring, uncomfortable, and sometimes even miserable (like they'll never end). However, there is (and will always be) room for fun, enjoyable runs - social runs, easy runs in my training. I haven't had enough of those lately!

Enough is enough. I'm going to hate running if I keep this up. This week, I took the pressure off myself and tried to enjoy running again. A couple of runs with RunKNOX, as well as a social run with the Knoxville Track Club gave me the opportunity to do just that!

Here's how the week went:

Saturday - 5 mi run

This was my first attempt at enjoying running and not taking it so seriously. I failed at the first of those objectives, but managed to accomplish the second. The problem - it was SO HUMID that morning I could see the humidity hanging in the air. It made running feel miserable. I did my best to enjoy my music, take it slow and not worry about pace, and enjoy the scenery. The temperature and humidity made that tough, but I did enjoy certain parts - especially running in the shade on 3rd Creek greenway.

The one interesting thing about the humidity is how it created a "dreamy" effect as the sunlight came through the trees.

Sunday - Off

 

Monday - Boot Camp

I really enjoy my new boot camp class right after work. This week we did everything from squats to lunges to mountain climbers to sprints, etc. The toughest exercise for me was side planks. I think planks are hard in general, but side planks are even tougher! I was the only person who couldn't hold the plank as long as instructed. I'll get there. :)

Tuesday - 4 mi Run with RunKNOX

 

FINALLY! I enjoyed running for the first time in forever! The weather was cooler, several friends close to my pace showed up, and we ran an easy 4 miles. I made a point to run at a very easy pace, listened to a great playlist on Songza (I knew it would be a good night when "Funky Cold Medina" was the first song!), and just chilled out. I only looked at my watch for distance purposes (we turned around after 2 miles). Afterwards, I found out that my pace was indeed slower than usual for me (12:30 min/mi), but that's okay. I consider the fact that I got back out there and enjoyed it a win!

Wednesday - Directionally Challenged...

As we like to do as often as possible, B and I planned to attend a social run hosted by the Knoxville Track Club. This time, we were to meet at 6 PM and were given an address where to meet. I arrived on time, but wasn't familiar with that specific area of downtown (I've never lived or worked downtown). My GPS got confused and took me to the wrong address. By the time I arrived at the correct address, the group had already left.

I was mad at myself for being such an idiot (really, I've lived in Knoxville 8 years), but I turned the evening around. The route we were to run had been posted online, so I followed the directions and ran a little over 3 miles. This was a little out of my comfort zone, as I never run by myself for safety reasons. However, the route took me through very populated areas, and it was still light out. I texted B and sent a Facebook message to the group so that they would know where I was and what I was doing.

I finished my run not long after the group finished theirs, and was still able to meet up with them for dinner. All's well that ends well!

Tomorrow..

The last couple of days, I've taken a quick break from running. I'm running another 5K tomorrow, however! I don't know if I'll hit my 30 minute goal time. I hope I do, and it is the goal I'm shooting for. However, my expectation of myself is to try my best and maintain a positive attitude!

Do you find it difficult to balance the enjoyment of running as you push towards your goals? How do you manage it?

-Amy

See what others around the web are doing with these great fitness communities:

 I was not compensated by RunKNOX, or the Knoxville Track Club for this post, nor is any organization affiliated with this blog. I am simply sharing my honest opinions and experiences. The views expressed in this article are solely my own. Also, I'm not a health or fitness professional of any kind. See my  Terms and Conditions page.
Want more? Follow the CSRS Blog on  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram for the latest updates, articles, and more!

Unexpected Life Lesson: Sabotaging Our Own Success

I never expected to write this post.

If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you may have seen that I posted this week that I didn't reach a goal I was going for, a 30 minute 5K goal at a track race this Thursday night. I apologize for my demotivating caption. I still have a few weeks to go before my self-mandated deadline (my 30th birthday!), but I was REALLY hoping to get it that night. And I was REALLY disappointed that I didn't get it.

I thought I would write a post on how I did or didn't reach my goal, and the training tips or next steps that went along with the outcome. Instead, I learned a bigger life lesson.

Why didn't I reach my goal? Because I let my own self-doubt and anxiety sabotage my efforts.

I want the CSRS blog to be a positive, inspiring destination that hopefully lifts you up as you work towards your personal goals (whatever they may be).

I also strive to be real and honest. I don't wish to pretend that pursuing my running endeavors are all about me running effortlessly on a magic rainbow in my perfectly messy-on-purpose bun and Lululemon clothes laughing with my running friends about how wonderfully awesome we are (even though my friends are great!). The truth is it's often hard, mentally and physically. I don't always reach my goals and I deal with disappointment and frustration sometimes.

Being real and honest with you doesn't mean whining, and complaining, however. You come here to be entertained and get good firsthand information, not to be my punching bag to whom I can vent.

That's what husbands are for.

Thanks, B!

And let's be honest, it's really not that big of a deal. I'm not a college or professional athlete, so nothing is really at stake. Not to mention, this is really a #firstworldproblem, right?

That's why instead of rushing to get this article out for Fitness Friday, I took a little while to reflect on the situation and draw some learning. I love participating in the link-ups and connecting with my running blogger friends, but it's even more important that I provide honest, real stories with (hopefully) useful and valuable information.

Before the Race

Earlier this summer following my first half marathon, I set out to run a 30 minute 5K before my upcoming 30th birthday. My first race this summer was the Expo 5K, at about 33 min. I was unhappy with my time, which inspired me to work to this goal over the summer. My running program, RunKNOX, was focused on getting us faster. We did all kinds of track workouts -  anywhere from 200m to 800m repeats. These helped us get used to our goal pace in short bursts. It wasn't always fun. The track is an overwhelming environment for me. The workouts were hard.

As much as I disliked them, however, the workouts proved effective. I ran a 5K each month in June, July, and the first weekend of August, each progressively a little faster than the last. I ran the Hotter 'N Hell 5K last weekend at 32:01 - my best time of the summer. Considering that there was a long hill that slowed me down, I figured I was more or less prepared for a 30 minute 5K. Since I'm counting 30:anything as success  (I realized I hadn't clearly defined my goal early on), I was only 1:02 away from my goal. Without hills, I could do that, right?

Hence why I decided to try a 5K on the track. My coach, husband, and friends thought it would be a great opportunity to hit my goal since it was flat. I had already raced a mile two times at a local track race series. I'd even gotten down to a new mile PR of 9:04. I really enjoyed the events, but I wasn't a huge fan of doing a 5K on the track. The idea of it overwhelmed me, but I agreed with the logic that it would be a good opportunity to PR.

Given that last week I'd had a great workout on the track that even inspired some sassy smack-talk, and I'd had a great 5K Saturday, I was feeling confident throughout the week.

The Day of the Race

The day of the race, the anxiety hit me.

I have made such a big deal out of my 30 minute goal on my blog, and to everyone I know. What if I don't hit this goal? My friends are rooting for me - what if I let them down? Not to mention in front of everyone! 

Suddenly, I put pressure on myself and wasn't feeling so confident, and I started to worry about the race. Not to mention, the day of the race happened to be a stressful one. I showed up to the track feeling anxious. Anxious that I would fail, and anxious that the race would feel miserable.

That's another issue. I want running to feel great and be fun. The problem is that kind of running doesn't make you faster. The kind of running that makes you faster feels miserable and hard. I'm internally conflicted by my desire to be fast and my desire to enjoy running.

Seeing and cheering for my friends in their events took my mind off of it. B ran his 5K first with the men. He had a funny moment where he lost count of his laps. He thought he was finished when he really had one left to go! He stopped, realized his error after 10 seconds, finished his lap, and still PR'ed with a time less than 23 minutes. Go B!

The Race

Finally, it was time for us womenfolk to run our 5K. As I lined up, the anxiety intensified. It didn't help that I was standing next to very accomplished local runners and I knew I'd be last. It felt like this was going to be 12 laps of torture - I'd be worrying about my goal, exhausted from running, and mortified in front of everyone.

And that's exactly the reality I created for myself.

I let my anxiety magnify throughout the race. Early on, I felt like I didn't have a lot of energy. I was well hydrated and fueled via my magic running jelly beans. It could have been because I did a bootcamp class the day before, or because I'm watching my calories to hit a weight goal on my birthday (a different story for a different day), but it was likely due to my mental state. I saw in the first mile that I was tracking slower than my goal pace, and resigned to the fact there was no way to make that time up. 

Around me, fast runners were lapping me left and right, and I let that bother me. My heart sank when I heard 15 minutes called out, and I wasn't even close to halfway done. I felt so defeated. Honestly, I didn't even want to finish. But I couldn't quit (at least I had some resolve). It must have been obvious, because B and another RunKNOX friend were kind enough to run a couple laps with me and encourage me. I was thankful the crowd was supportive as well. Round and round the track, I thought it was never going to end. Everyone else finished when I still had a few laps left. I finished, but my time was the worst of the summer. I can't even bring myself to type it.

At first, I was upset and disappointed, and I even thought about not running again. Hence why I didn't write this post that night! Now that I've had time to think about it, I now see that it didn't have to be that way. 

I envisioned this outcome, and therefore it happened. By doubting myself and letting my emotions take over, I sabotaged my own success. I am responsible for this. 

B always says I have a cartoon cloud following me around. Thanks to my mad Photoshop skills, this image has been brought to life.

But how do I know I would have reached my goal had I stayed positive?

I don't know, of course, if I would have reached my 30 min. goal if I'd stayed positive. At least I would have given it my best effort, felt good about it, and enjoyed the race.

Where to Go from Here?

Good question. I'm not going to quit running, and I'm not going to give up on my goal. I only have a few weeks before my 30th birthday, and I'm going to do a 5K race every weekend up until the day. Now that I've seen the impact that self-doubt and negative thoughts can bring, I'm going to work to safeguard myself from negative, destructive feelings. I admittedly have no background in psychology, but here's how I plan to do it in my running:

• Keep training. No brainer.
• Not treat each race like a do-or-die situation. I plan to strive to reach my goal at each race, but it's not the end of the world if I don't hit my goal on that particular day.
• Accept the fact that running in a race isn't an easy, comfortable, fun activity. There are many training and social runs in which I can run at an easy pace, chat with others, and have fun. A race is not one of them. To get the job done and achieve my goals, I need to push myself and not cling to my desire to be comfortable.
• Envision a race scenario in which I'm positive, energetic, running strong, and successful. Plain and simple. I envisioned I wouldn't succeed, and I didn't. It stands to reason the opposite would work, right?
• Accept that trying my best (in whatever conditions I'm given) is what I should expect from myself. While I am working towards a quantitative goal, my first and foremost goal should be to do my best each day, taking whatever conditions (weather, hills, uncomfortable environment, etc) I'm handed into consideration.
• Don't worry about pleasing others. Haha - if I could do this, I would be a totally different person. At the very least, I would have tried out for American Idol.

This doesn't just happen in running, but in many areas of our lives where we hope to achieve big things. I hope that if I can adopt these practices, I'll become this:

Ninja skills, nunchuk skills, Photoshop skills...

Have you ever sabotaged your own success in running or other endeavors? How do you stay confident and positive?

-Amy

See what others around the web are doing with these great fitness communities:

I was not compensated by RunKNOX for this post, nor is it affiliated with this blog. I am simply sharing my honest opinions and experiences. The views expressed in this article are solely my own. Also, I'm not a health or fitness professional of any kind. See my Terms and Conditions page.

Want more? Follow the CSRS Blog on  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram for the latest updates, articles, and more!