A day in my life: Wednesday December 23th 2009

Thoughts:
Ladies and gentlemen: I’ve got it! My Garmin arrived today and I’m so happy with it. I will read and learn about it’s options tonight or tomorrow so I can use it next time I go running. In the gym I will still be using my Polar heart rate watch. My Garmin is for running.

This afternoon at 2 pm my vacation started. I’ll start working again on January 4^th and I’m really looking forward to my days off. We don’t have many plans but work has been busy lately and my latest holiday was a week in July so I can really use some time off.

Tomorrow I have to clean my house and pick up my orders. First Christmas Day my mother is coming to us and I’m cooking dinner for the three of us. Second Christmas Day we are going for coffee to my mother in law in the morning and spend the rest of the day at home and have dinner together. In Holland we don’t really celebrate Christmas Eve but we have two days of Christmas.

Exercise:
Finally it’s not snowing anymore and it’s not freezing anymore during daytime so today I went running outside. It was very cold but I love being out there again. I didn’t run for distance or time just for the running itself. I had to walk sometimes because the road was slippery but overall most roads are clean. I ran 4.38 K/2.7 miles in 32:32 and felt great when I returned home.

The Ultimate Diet Log:

Research Report: It’s never too late to adopt healthy habits. In one study, adults ages 45 to 64 who started eating five fruits and veggies daily and exercising 2.5 hours per week and who maintained a BMI of 30 or less reduced their death rate 40 percent compared to people with less healthy lifestyles.

Nutrition shocker: Nearly one-third of the calories in a typical American’s diet come from soft drinks, sweets, salty snack foods, alcohol and fruit-flavored drinks.

Workout goals 2010
These are my workout goals for 2010. This year I’m focussing on running faster, strength by weight training and Pilates.

I thought about how many workouts in a week I would do. I thought about 6 but decided I will stay at 5 times a week. I have a 36 hour workweek, a social life and a house that needs to be cleaned. So 5 is a realistic goal for me.

My ultimate goal is to run a half-marathon once but before I can even think about that I have to get faster at my 10K. When I’m faster at my 10K I’ll start a program for a 15K and run a few runs of that distance. Only then I will start training for a half-marathon. My goal is to accomplish that in 2011. This year focus is on running faster and the 15K.

I did set a goal on my total km/miles this year. I started running on March 30^th and till today I have run 426 K/265 miles. My goal is to double that in 2010. First because I like a challenge, second I will run 12 months instead of 9 this year and I’m running more K’s/miles now than when I started. So my goal for 2010 is 900 K/560 miles.

I will add a Pilates class once a week. I’ve read (again) an article in the latest Runner’s World that Pilates is a great combination with running. My gym has Pilates classes which I can follow.

I will post an update of my goals every month.

I would like your opinion if you think these are realistic goals for me.

Running goals:

• Goal kilometres/miles in 2010: 900 K / 560 miles.
  Total till …. :

• Run a 5K < 35 minutes -> 34.06 on 12/13/2009
  Run a 5K < 32 minutes
  Run a 5K in about 30 minutes

• Run a 10K < 1.15
  Run a 10K < 1.10
  Run a 10K < 1.05
  Run a 10K in about 1.00

• Start training for a 15K (14 week program, starting around May)

12 months, 12 runs:
In 2010 I want to participate in a run every month.

Run, Distance, Time
January 17, Wintercup Baarn
February
March 28, Zandvoort Circuit Run
April 18, Nike Ladies Run Hilversum, 10K
May 16, Marikenloop Nijmegen, 10K
June
July 3, Olde Wierdenloop Opende, 10.3K
August
September  Singelloop Utrecht or Bridge to Bridge Arnhem
October
November
December

Strength training:

• Pilates, 1 class a week.

• Strength:
  Finish the Matt Roberts Weight Loss Plan
  13 out of 36 workouts completed.

  After finishing this choose one of his other fitness plans:
  – Bikini program
  – Upper body for woman
  – Perfect legs
  – Strength programs for shoulders, arms, chest, back and legs
  – General condition program for woman

• Home workouts:
  When I don’t have enough time to go to the gym or go running I will do a workout of the Shred or at the WII (Active Sports). I still want to complete the Shred program but it’s not my priority. That’s all of the above mentioned workouts.
  
  Shred: 10 days completed.
  WII Active Sports: haven’t started yet.

I will be back blogging on Sunday so I’m wishing all of you a Merry Christmas surrounded by your loved ones.