I’m done my challenge! Back in September I wrote a blog post about my first month of my running challenge which you can read here. Otherwise keep reading below for my update.

The Truth

Honestly, after running everyday for 2.5 months I got really, really sick of it. In October, my husband and I planned our first getaway without the kids to New York City (check out my haul video here). Wes was going to attend a conference in New Orleans for a few days and then meet me in New York. I was so excited but our trip landed in the middle of my last week of running. I thought, “No problem! I’ve been running for 2.5 months. Easy, Peasy.” However, once we got to NYC vacation mode set in and I just wanted to sleep, eat, shop, and explore. For the first 2 days of our trip I tore myself out of bed and ran in the hotel gym for my required 20 minute minimum but I had the worst attitude about it. By day 3 my back was so sore from walking all day in stylish/uncomfortable/not supportive shoes (oops) that I was afraid I was going to injure myself so I stopped running at 11 weeks.

Set-backs

It felt so weird to stop when I was so close. I kept reminding myself that my body was just really tired and it was for the best and I decided to redo my last week when I got home. When we did arrive home Wes had to rush our daughter to the doctor because she was so sick. It’s hard to go on vacation as a parent, leaving your kids behind (and we left them in the best hands possible) but it’s disheartening when you arrive home to a sick child. There’s guilt for leaving then there’s guilt for not being there for your baby. October had been a crazy month. Everyone in my household had been on antibiotics for an infection except me. Wes got sick soon after our trip along with my sister so running wasn’t a priority- surviving this month of sickness was. After we were on the mend I finally finished my last week of running and it felt great!

It’s hard to get back into a challenge after you lose momentum. But I’m thankful for the intensity of my challenge for running for 3 months as it helped me to develop running as a habit. I only wished that I had not been so strict about the 3 month mark and ended my challenge before our trip to NYC so I could fully relax and celebrate there.

Tips for a Running Challenge

Make it short and doable. 3 months was too much for me and I wish I had stopped at 2 – 2.5 months because I would’ve felt happier when it finished instead of tired.

Listen to your body! You only have one body and injuring yourself isn’t worth it. If you start to feel any aches or pains take a day off, visit your doctor/trained professional for advice, and check your running shoes. My hips started bothering me after a month of running and new running shoes cured my aches. When buying running shoes make sure you talk to someone with running experience- I went to the running room (check out my vlog about it here.)

Start slow. For me losing momentum was my biggest driver to challenge myself to run every.single.day but I started with slow (so slow) short runs.

Be clear about your goals. One of the biggest differences between this and any other workout challenge/regime, etc. that I started is I was very clear about the challenge, the schedule, and my goals. I had two main goals in this challenge: 1. To become a runner/establish running as a habit 2. To lose the remainder of my baby weight. And I lost 10 lbs! After running for a month I focused on my eating habits and the weight just melted off. At the beginning I stuck to a pretty flexible eating plan (seen here) but to stay focused on my weight loss goals I counted calories using the MyFitnessPal app. I initially didn’t want to count calories as it is so easy to eat food that has no calories but also no nutritional value, ie. a diet coke but I also wanted to educate myself on what I was actually eating. I’m not a nutritionist or doctor so my only advice is to be mindful of what you are eating and eat real food.

Carve out the time. I decided to run every morning and if I missed it I would run in the evening no matter what (including running in stormy weather which wasn’t fun but made me feel like a badass). My husband and I discussed my running schedule and we figured out how to make it work for everyone. He was completely supportive which I’m so thankful for.

Be safe. I ran as the daylight shortened so my 7am runs were in complete darkness. I also ran at night and as mentioned above, through stormy weather. Each time I wore a bike light so drivers could see me. I also made sure to lock eyes with drivers who were turning in front of me. I wore headphones but I always made sure to be aware of what was happening around me.

Final Result

I feel like a true runner now! My husband asked me the other day, “So, what will happen when it gets cold? Will you still run?” and I said, “Yeah… I’ve never thought of stopping at all”. In Canada it can easily get down to -30 degrees celsius so I’m going to do my research into winter running and get the proper gear so I can keep going. At this point it would feel really weird to stop. I really love running and doing it 3x a week is definitely manageable after doing it everyday for 3 months straight.

Future Workouts and Challenges

I plan to continue to run 3x a week and add strength training by way of Goodlife’s fitness classes 2x a week. I did their Body Pump classes to get in shape for my wedding and I’m looking forward to seeing the results from it.

Go Back and Read Part 1 of my running challenge here

My new challenge is to keep this schedule until the week of Christmas and pick it back up January 3rd. The holidays are so busy and full of delicious treats so this year I want to stay organized (ie. buy gifts early, plan all Christmas events now) so my workout schedule remains stable.