second trimester

Got your attention, didn't I? :)

Yesterday afternoon, while mentally preparing myself to get out and run for the first time since my hugely successful Fargo half, I got to thinking about all this running I have been doing lately. Not only all the running I have been doing, but all the healthy eating habits Nic and I have adopted, all the extra trips to the gym we have been making, etc. We have made a huge lifestyle change and we are both benefiting from it in so many ways. I don't think a day goes by without one of us flexing our HUGE biceps and telling the other person to, "Look how strong I am!" :) lol, really, that does happen every day.

So with my first race behind me, I started thinking about some goals that I could set out for myself before my next race on July 4th. And then I got to thinking that my spring/summer/fall running schedule is really broken down into three spans of time - hence the title of this post.

1st running "trimester":
January-ish until Fargo Half Marathon

2nd running "trimester":
Now until Red, White & Boom TC Half Marathon

3rd running "trimester":
July 4th - Des Moines Half Marathon

Due Date:
San Antonio Rock 'n Roll Marathon (or some other marathon...)

Pretty clever, eh?! With the first trimester being so successful I really want to make sure I continue on this path so I can continue to be successful throughout the summer and fall.

Highlights from the first "trimester":
Lost somewhere between 15-25 pounds
Increased my running pace by over a minute from Summer '09
Re-introduced weights into my workout routine
Smashed my half marathon PR by about 20 minutes

Goals  for the second "trimester":
Lose 10 pounds by focusing on portion sizes and protein intake - I really do have about 10-15 more pounds to lose, but I also want to focus on building more muscle mass. So I feel that by focusing on portion sizes and protein intake, I will be able to accomplish this. Now the challenge is finding great sources of protein that are not dairy...

Sleep schedule - you've heard it here more than once, but I really need to focus maintaining a better sleep schedule. I really do feel better and am more productive when I go to bed early and wake up early. This is especially necessary now that it is getting H-O-T out. I hope to get my workout in as well as Maia's walk in before the heat of the day strikes with a vengeance.

Speed work - I truly surprised myself at the Fargo Half Marathon when I ran eight of my miles under 8 minutes. If I can do that during a half marathon, I should always be able to run at a sub 8-minute pace during my training runs. Now, I know this won't always be doable, but now that I know I can do it, I can push myself just a little bit harder, knowing that I will not keel over and die.

Swimsuit season - Yup, swimsuit season is upon us. But don't think you will catch me at the city pool catching some rays, I am not there yet. By "there" I mean, unless I am swimming some laps at the Y (which should also be a goal for this 2nd "trimester"), you couldn't pay me to put on a swimsuit and go out to some public place and feel comfortable. But with a trip to Belize possibly on the calendar for January, I need to get there. So I will be incorporating three 15-minute ab workouts every week. Tentatively Nic and I will be using Ab Ripper X from the P90X dvd set.

Stretch - yoga pilates hot yogo piyo - whatever is out there, I need to do it. My flexibility, wait - what flexibility?? I need to start stretching more.

So, here's to my second trimester!