5k – Jenna Jamieson, Author

Slow, steady, and consistent wins the race ;-)

By Jenna Jamieson | October 23, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to write about today, but as I drove my boyfriend to work he brought up his half marathon that I “spectated” over the weekend…if you can even call it that! It was more like I got to see him start and finish the race, which honestly was a pleasure and while the 5:30am alarm was not what I would call pleasant, it was an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world. After all, it was his first half marathon and, well supporting him is what it’s all about, right?

I was people watching, talking, and kind of doing my own thing as I passed the time until my boyfriend would come running across the finish line. I began to believe and probably even realize that these half marathoners and full marathoners might be considered half crazy or completely crazy. (No disrespect to those who train, love, and compete in them, but I got this feeling the more I talked and overheard competitors discuss the race…most said race day would come and they would wake up feeling crazy!) Sure, I can get my butt out of bed to do interval training early in the morning because it’s fast paced, interval exercises that go quickly and are ever changing, but running? Really, are you kidding me? Get up at 5:30a and be ready and willing to run at 7am seems nuts! I hand it to any and all runners who choose to get up and run 13.1 or 26.2 miles before the sun has even begun to come up, but I will stick to my interval training that keeps me on my toes and my eyes wide open! That’s why a 5k would need to be fun or adventurous for me to take part. Maybe even a triathlon at some point…that would at least be more similar to high intensity interval training…kind of, right?!

So, you might be asking yourself what’s the point of this post? Talking about half and full marathon runners along with high intensity, fast paced interval training is like comparing apples to oranges…or is it?! This is where the important stuff comes in. 😉 Both are very different exercises and both fit different people’s lifestyles, interests, and personalities, but one thing is that both are workouts. And with workouts, especially running and long, cardio interval training is that the best way to maintain your workout is to go at a slow, steady, and consistent speed to maintain pace throughout your entire workout.

Whether it is running, interval training, yoga, or some other type of workout, it is best to build yourself up as you go through your workout. The best way to go about your workout without getting tired too soon is to realize that going at a slow, steady, and consistent speed will allow you to keep pace. Don’t challenge yourself or go fast too early in your workout. You should think of the beginning of your run or interval training as your “warm-up” so that you get your muscles moving, ready, and prepared for the middle part which should be the most challenging part of your workout. The middle part should push you to your limits. This is the part of your workout where you can increase your speed, increase the number of reps and sets, and set your goals higher than the beginning or end.

The moral of the story? We may all be different shapes and different sizes with different personalities, hobbies, interests, and even different fitness goals, but in the end we are all working out to stay healthy. So whether you are running, walking, doing interval training, or yoga you should still realize that we are all in it together when it comes to working out. This means we all need to maintain a slow, steady, ad consistent speed in order to get the most out of our workouts. After all, while being fast may seem to pump you up and get you going, it is slow, steady, and consistent that wins the race!

Happy running, training, and working out! 🙂

~jj

A walk, jog, walk/jog kind of day with a 5k finish!

By Jenna Jamieson | July 7, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to post about this week because I hadn’t given it too much thought, but after doing several walks and jogs with my boyfriend over the weekend I thought I would do an entry inspired by him. He does more running than me because truthfully I don’t really like running unless it is on outdoor trails in nature in the middle of nowhere where I can clear my mind and soak up the sun in the woods! I guess I get that side from being an outdoor enthusiast and lover. Call me crazy, but something about being in nature on your own running provides some major freedom and relaxation. (For me, anyway!) Anyway, back to this week’s blog. We often go on walks together throughout the weekend, but we don’t typically do runs (because I don’t like them) and because we usually do our own workouts during the week and do less strenuous workouts during the weekend.

This weekend we were pressed for time, but still wanted to fit in some fitness, so we set out on our usual walking path and decided in order to meet our walking goal and finish by the time we needed to be done we would have to run at least part of it. I think it may have actually been my idea! I know that’s shocking since I just said I don’t like running! 😉 Maybe I hate running, but I just love fitness! That was on Saturday, but we set out for another walk on Sunday afternoon. Not nearly as cool as the Saturday evening walk/jog and basically no breeze to counteract the heat so we decided we better run at least part of it again. We started out walking, but he suggested we run to beat the heat to get back to the house faster. It was his idea this time to run, which was fine. It didn’t seem so bad since we had just done it the night before. This time not only did we run much more than the previous night, but we also managed to run almost the entire time. We weren’t really trying to run the entire time, but it was pretty warm and then I had to go pee, so I wanted to get back. You’re probably thinking what’s the point of telling you all this, right?! Well, the point is that someone that is as much of a wellness, nutrition, and fitness enthusiast as myself still doesn’t find much pleasure in running because I consider myself a cross trainer and much prefer cross training and interval exercising. I think this could become a trend for us because we actually enjoyed it and while it wasn’t my “typical” crossing training, it did have a cross training like feel because we walked and jogged. Walking and jogging in intervals has actually been proven in many studies to be as good and in some cases better than just running or jogging.

I think this is a great example where starting something new that may not seem that appealing (like running, in my mind) may turn out to be a new hobby or a fresh start to a small workout that can be enjoyable and quick. You might start off hating running (like me) and then gradually decide it’s not so bad. In my case, I am sure it didn’t hurt having my boyfriend beside me since I know he enjoys running so it is something I can do with him to enjoy time together. He loves 5ks and is much better than I would be at them because I don’t find pleasure in running nor do I enjoy competitions against others. I LOVE competing against myself, but with others in a crowded atmosphere on roads or in cities has no appeal to me at all.

The flipside to 5k competition runs is this: My boyfriend and I eventually plan on doing a “fun” 5k together such as a color or graffiti run, glow run, zombie run, warrior dash, mud run, cupcake run, or something of the sort. I would like to do a graffiti run, but obstacle course and fun 5k runs are perfect mergers for beginner runners, those who don’t love to run, or even cross trainers because they often are “stop and go” runs meaning you run for a short period and then stop to do the obstacle or color/graffiti at stations along the way.

Happy walking, jogging, and walking/jogging. Remember a 5k can be a fun finish or a fun goal to work towards even if you don’t run the entire thing. After all, life is about having fun AND making a few healthy choices that are fitness, nutrition, and wellness related! 🙂

~jj

To workout or not? …WORKOUT!

By Jenna Jamieson | March 15, 2014 | Comments 2 comments

Do you ever have one of those days where you aren’t sure whether you want to workout or not? Of course you do, because we all do at one point or another. The point when you say to yourself, do I really want to workout today or should I take the night off. It’s one of life’s burning questions! Well, maybe not exactly one of life’s burning questions for all of us, but you know what I mean! 🙂 You get off work at 4:30, the kids have soccer practice at 6:30, and you aren’t sure whether you have time to fit in a workout, shower, and get the kids fed before practice. Trust me, time management will allow you to do it and you will thank yourself later! Skipping workouts is one of the worst things you can do for yourself because it takes you out of your routine. Even if you can’t do your regular 30-45 minutes of cardio, strength training, or yoga, go ahead and fit in a small workout whether it be a walk or 30 minutes of stretching and at home exercises (i.e. jumping jacks, lunges, squats, push-ups, etc). Maintaining a routine will help encourage you to stay on track, reach your fitness goals, and make you feel healthier and happier (aka less stress)!

The question at hand: Should you workout today? Answer: See the infographic to the left! There aren’t too many reasons that will get you out of the workout, so if you are looking for an excuse you will need to look elsewhere! There are too many benefits of working out! If you are considering skipping a workout this infographic will reaffirm to you why you SHOULD get up off your butt and go workout!

It’s March, which means it is time for 5k runs, outside workouts, yard work, walking on trails, swimming, etc so no excuses! Go WORKOUT! Why? Because you will thank me later (and yourself too)! Plus, your physical and mental health will be happier as well!

~jj