2009 is fast approaching!

In just a few hours (5, to be exact!), we will say goodbye to 2008 forever and greet 2009 with new hopes, ambitions, and smiles.

At least, that's how I'll be greeting 2009.

I've been planning how I'm going to train for the half marathon and thinking about how I'm going to be eating in order to be best successful in the new year.

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

I've tried this stuff already, I know how it works, and I know myself, so that's why I rely heavily on a plan. I need to see the plan laid out in order to be successful.

Won't this be exciting?

I'm pumped!

I've totally decided that I'm doing the June 7th, 2009 halfie in Chicago. Anyone that wants to join me, just note me!

I'll be posting my plans and ideas soon enough, and soon you'll be bored of my tracking and reflections, I know it.

Have a wonderful and safe New Years!

13.1 Thoughts.

I've looked for half marathons in the Chicago area, and I found one on May 3rd and another on June 7th. As I've mentioned, I'm a chorus teacher, and I may have a few concerts on May 3rd, so that halfie may not be possible. June 7th is right after school ends, and also a week before the wedding -- which has its own pros and cons. December was extremely impossible for me to do much of any workouts because of its insane schedule, and May could be similar due to the school year winding down. However, I may be wrong! Plus, it will keep me working out up to the wedding, which is always a great thing!

I am currently devising a plan that will focus primarily on running (and strength training), but will also leave room for some cycling enjoyment and whatever else I choose (elliptical, swimming, etc.). I'll post my week-to-week plan with mileage, calories consumed, sleep, and general mood -- modeled from the amazing SMURFETTE0725 from Sparkpeople.com -- my savior site.

The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning toward the June 7th half-marathon. I'll be motivated longer and will love it. There will be about 23 weeks of training for this -- I can SO do this!! I'm pumped!

2008 was about learning to run (around this time last year, I started running for the FIRST TIME!) and participating in 5Ks -- 4 of them, to be exact, PRing at 30:22. I was determined to get sub-30, but I didn't quite make it!

2009 -- Half-Marathon and sub-30min 5K!

2010 -- DUATHLON!!!

I also have plans for a marathon and for a triathlon -- don't know when, but I WILL DO IT!!!

3 Days Out....

Yesterday, Jordan (Fiancé) and I spent an excellent hour at the gym, getting back into gym mode. Jordan hasn't been to the gym in quite a few MONTHS, and I haven't been in a little over a week and a half (I finished a 27mi bike ride). I really pushed him with the cardio -- he didn't get up to 157bpm at ALL through the entire 30min elliptical session (which I kept urging him to do....), and he kicked my bootay with arms and back weight training.

I am REALLY sore today, but I know it's the step in the right direction!

I'm going to the gym tomorrow to do a bunch of cardio in the morning (I'm a teacher, so I have this week off!) and then some cardio plus weight training in the evening with the fiancé. I need to create a plan for nutrition and workouts, which I will definitely post here!

In other news, I went to Sephora today to enjoy some new eye shadows and eyeliners!

"Travel set of 5" eyeliners in the one closest in the photo.
Yeyo (metallic white), 1999 (plum), Zero (black), Bourbon (brown), and Stash (green)!
Love it!

AND

Smog, Maui Wowie, Mildew, Shattered, Oil Slick, Polyester Bride, Last Call, Grifter, Chopper, and Sin!

I wouldn't call myself the girly type, because it's rare I splurge on makeup, but I LOVE urban decay and needed a bit of a change of eye shadow/eye liner!

5 Days Out.....

As I finish eating the "Carlos V" chocolate bar I received for Christmas, I am reminded that it is one of the last few chocolate bars I will be indulging in.

There are exactly 170 days until my fiancé and I's June 14th, 2009 wedding. In another perspective, that's 5 months, 2 weeks, and 5 days. Like most every bride, I want to look and feel the best that I possibly can on that day.

At 125lbs in October (down 15 from the start of 2008!), I purchased an absolutely perfect fitting wedding dress in a whopping size 2 -- ZERO alterations needed. I took the dress HOME because it was THAT PERFECT! Needless to say, I want to keep it that way! I wear a solid pants size of 6 (with some 4s) and small shirts, and due to how my body distributes fat, I knew I'd have a small dress size, but a petite size 2? Crap! I figured it would be a 4 at the very least!

Like most Americans, I know I've gained a few pounds over this holiday season. I generally work out 4-5 days a week, and have scrapped that for the past few weeks, combined with holiday eating and parties and everything...I'm expecting a good 5lbs, 7 at most (YIKES that's a little scary!) to have been put on. The awesome thing is that because it is so new, and once I get back into my hardcore plans, I'll be able to snuff those pounds out in a jiffy.

Did I seriously just write that? Snuff those pounds out in a jiffy? What?

January 1st begins week 1 for me, and I will be cycling, running, and strength training my way to overall fitness, more energy, lower body fat, and shaping my body. I have a pretty high fitness level already (with the exception of strength training, which I loathe but will make myself do!), so I will definitely be beginning at a moderate level.

I've participated in many many 5Ks, and a goal for this year is to run a half-marathon....preferably BEFORE my wedding (as I know that the entire month of June will be shot and will seriously throw a wrench in my training plans).

I will also be committing more to Clean Eating, which is a concept that I discovered sometime here in December. 80% of what you look like is HOW YOU EAT. I've been researching, incorporating, and preparing to completely turn myself over to clean eating, which I know will be essential to having that rockin' wedding body.

I'm excited to begin -- I'm an achiever, so here I go!!!