The Beginning

Hi There!


There is so much I want to begin with, so I will start with what I will be writing this blog about. I started my New Year with a resolution that I am determined to keep. For the past couple of years I have wanted to start running. But that's really as far as it has gotten. I thought about it, talked about it, but never took any action. However, this is year I have decided enough talk, time to run. My goal is simple... to run a marathon. However, I have broken that goal into chunks to make my end goal more attainable. So this blog will act as a journal and I will document my journey to my marathon and maybe beyond... depending on how well it goes :) The reason why I am blogging about it, is I am hoping I can inspire more people to follow my footsteps to becoming healthier. I am not only trying to inspire people, but also help those who are trying to do a running program stay motivated to keep going. I know there are days where I feel like I am asking myself... why? It helps to have someone going through the same things. It will also be like a real life testimonial. I am just an average person, following advice, reading books and becoming a healthy, active person.  


What I will be doing is posting information on my training and updating on my progression. I will also post changes or additions to my training routine. I am hoping to do weekly entries, but it may be more monthly. 


So with all that said, ere is a little about me and who I am... I am a young mom (25 years old) with a very vibrant 3 year old daughter (almost three). I have a husband who is extremely active and loves to be outdoors. 

My beautiful Girl

My husband doing something he absolutely loves... off roading!

I have never been an overly athletic person, I dabbled in some cheerleading in elementary school, but really enjoyed horseback riding. Around 17 years old I competed a little bit, but ended up developing some pretty bad allergies. Which sucked, but if you can't really touch a horse you can't ride it. So that's my athletic career... it's pretty pathetic. However, I managed my weight and didn't have problems. Then I got pregnant and had a little girl. From that point on, my body didn't recover well. I used my daughter as a crutch and allowed myself to get really lazy, to put it honestly that's what happened. I didn't try to loose the weight and used the excuse "Oh I just had a baby so I am allowed to be 40 lbs over weight." Sure having a newborn was lots of work and I had to move around a lot but I didn't eat well and I didn't exercise enough. So here I am 3 years later with 2 attempts at getting fit and this time (attempt number 3) I am sticking to my guns. Other then my family inspiring me to get fit (lets face it, it's so I can keep up to them), was my job. I am a newly graduated physiotherapy assistant and if I need to instruct someone on how to do a proper squat. I had better be able to do one myself. 

Me in the Summer (not a flattering picture)

I began by getting a gym membership at Goodlife Fitness and started going there 2 times a week. Doing some cardio and not really knowing what I am doing. That was back in December. I thought that I really needed to get some help. I bought John Stanton's book called "Running", which has been a phenomenal help. He is very inspirational and has great advice. I also had a free assessment for Personal Training and although I couldn't afford it. She was very helpful as well. So those 2 people can really help start your training! 


So let me break down my goals.
 Long Term - Run a full marathon by September (ultimate goal)
                     - Run a half marathon by the end of July
                     - Compete in August
                     - Improve my overall health, endurance and energy levels
                     - Loose 15-20 lbs of body fat
                     - Increase strength to (comfortably doing the following): leg press 125 lbs, to do 10 chin ups unassisted and to perform weighted squats and lunges with excellent form, by the end of training
Short Term - Run the Goodlife 5 km in May
                    - Increase conditioning weekly
                    - Increase energy levels weekly


So my first suggestion, is to begin by taking measurements of your biceps, chest, waist, hips, thigh and calf. I will tell you right now. You will not start by loosing weight. In fact, expect to gain some. Muscle is heavier then fat and you'll start with gaining more muscle. You will loose inches and those measurements are going to make you feel like you're actually progressing if nothing else does. I started training 3 weeks ago and have gotten caught in the frustration of not loosing weight AND I knew better. 


My starting measurements:
Biceps - 13 inches
Chest - 37 inches
Waist - 33 inches
Hips - 41 inches
Quads (thighs)- 21 inches
Calf - 15 inches


Weight: 150 lbs
Height: 5 feet 5 inches


My starting point for my cardio workout is 3 to 4 times a week. 5 minute warm up at a brisk walk, 26 minute walk/run intervals (walk 1 min, run 1, walk 2 repeat), 5 minute cooldown. I started there only because walking 30 minutes was comfortable for me. This beginner conditioning program I am following is from John Stanton's book. So if you pick it up, it is a great resource. That's it for now.


Stay Tuned!
Julie