i'd rather be running.

i never thought i'd say this...but i can't stop thinking about running. somebody call 911, i'm addicted to the feeling that i get when i put on my lunar swifts and hit the pavement hard. it's come to a point that i enjoy the feeling of jogging to the mailbox or even to the car when i'm trying to make it to work on time.

it's something about the way i stride when i'm in the mean streets of tempe...letting everyone know ((with my body language)) that i'm a road runner...and yep, that's right, I RUN TEMPE. here i am, sitting at my desk, and all i can think about is what time i am going to hit the pavement, and how many miles i plan on running. who cares about what's for lunch? i'm just going to burn it off when the clock strikes 5pm.


"Exercise, like drugs of abuse, leads to the release of neurotransmitters such as endorphins and dopamine, which are involved with a sense of reward," Kanarek said. "As with food intake and other parts of life, moderation seems to be the key. Exercise, as long as it doesn't interfere with other aspects of one's life, is a good thing with respect to both physical and mental health." [Source: msnbc.com]

i'm offically down 14lbs as of this morning. the funny thing is that i'm running fun and i'm eating to lose weight. i can't wait to post before and after pictures. i'll make sure to do this new year's eve after i beast on my 210 mile challenge.

peace,

t.

The Countdown Begins...

Oh-EM-gee !

I have 5 days and 18 hours until the Phoenix AIDS 5K run !! You guys, this will be my first real race as a RUNNER. I am preparing myself mentally to really beat my new 5K time of 37:55. My goal is to get in under 37:30. I know I can do it!

I was thinking about what to wear, which shoes to run in...but ya know what? I could go out there in my pajamas and come in at 38:00..what really matters is that I'm out there for a good cause. I'm helping people that are living with AIDS in Phoenix.

If you'd like to run, it's not too late to sign up. http://www.aidswalkphoenix.org/

I'll make sure to take tons of pictures and post them so that you all can see the event.

CHEERS !

QLTiffany

growth

I will never forget the way I felt when I stepped off that treadmill yesterday. Allow me to re-introduce myself....I am now a RUNNER.

The time was 9:07pm. I looked down at the Nike+ on my iPhone and noticed that the time said 38:08 with a pace of 12:15. That's right, I ran a 5K (3.1 miles) at about 12 minutes per mile. This is a great accomplishment for me, and I am so proud of myself for pushing my way from the average 13:10min/mile pace to 12:15. WOW!

I was huffing and puffing with sweat rolling down my pretty little face. This queen gave that treadmill a run for its money! I instantly thought about the journey that I took to get to where I was at 9:07pm 9/22/2010. I began to have flash backs of the old Tiffany, you know...the I Hate Running Tiffany. I tried to keep my composure as I walked past the current treadmill runners and Planet Fitness staff....but I had an itch inside of me.I'll never forget the feeling of ACCOMPLISHMENT.

This wasn't just any old accomplishment. I shaved almost 1 minute off of my average pace! I had that kind of itch that made me want to do a cartwheel right there in the gym parking lot. You guys should've seen me. I had a grin on my face from ear to ear.

Now there are runners out there that would probably laugh at my 38:08 5K run. But F them. It's about reaching MY level...not theirs. For anyone that has been reading my blog and may feel intimidated by the term "pace," know this...running is a process. You don't go from 0 to 10 over night. The art of running takes the power of discipline. Take your journey of running one day at a time.

After leaving the gym, I called a running guru friend of mine and he congratulated me on such a great run. I'd like to take this time to personally thank any and everyone that has ever pushed me to go to the next level. Although running is a personal task, you all must realize how much motivation I get from my friends and family. When I am running, you all are right there with me...in my heart, of course. Come January, you all will be with  me when I am running my first half marathon.

Cheers to moving to the next level. Cheers to the sore legs in the morning. Cheers to the bragging rights.

xOxXXOoXOoX,

Tiffany

i'm a hustler baby.

Hey Guys!

I have soo much to blog about! I will try not to overwhelm you but I will make sure to leave you wanting more ;) I hope everyone is doing well this week on their running journey. I am becoming more and more excited about my life as a runner. I feel so good!

Many of you may feel like you don't want to run. But hey, don't ever be stuck in this situation...

Make time for exercise! Do it! If you don't, I'm afraid your health won't be good....and who wants to die due to something that they could've controlled? Today is a new day for you. If you are reading my blogs and still haven't stepped up to the plate, now is the time. Stop creating excuses for yourself.

((You too could be a runner if you stopped creating excuses for yourself. I'm proof.))

This weekend was great for me. I created a goal on Nike Running.com to run 12 miles in 1 week. It was Saturday night at 11pm, and I realized that I needed 0.60 mi to meet my goal. Of course Nike sees Sunday as a new start of the week...I jumped up and ran to the gym and hit a 5k. Hehe.

((That's right. I'm a hustler. I can't lose dude. I'm a hustler.))

With that, I wanted to say to everyone. Don't cheat. Don't take short cuts! Shiv Khera says, 'There are no shortcuts to success.You have to take the stairs. Your hard work will definitely pay off...so just stop cutting corners. Realize that if you cut corners you are only hurting yourself in the long run. 

 Hahaha. That's effen hilarious, isn't it? LOL. Ok, so that's it. Be a hustler. Real athletes hit the pavement hard. Do it.

Peace,

Tiff

Sore and Celebrating

Hey Bloggies!

I hope everyone's day is off to a great start. Let me just say that I am so happy that today is Thursday! I have got some news to share with you...I ran my first 5K solo dolo style last night, and I am so proud of myself! It was my day off and I still went in and ran 3.1mi last night. I felt amazing when I finished my run, although I finished in 40minutes...no bueno. I need to shave that down to 30 minutes at the least.

This morning I woke up sore, as usual, but I have to say, I have lost 10lbs since I've started blogging! Words cannot express how good it felt wearing my favorite black slacks today. The best thing about this all, is that I don't feel like I'm dieting or even trying to lose weight! I'm really just walking into my calling as a RUNNER!

For breakfast I eat yogurt and granola (total under 200 calories), for lunch a nice salad with chicken, and for dinner after my work out I only eat protein, no carbs after 5pm for me. I usually on average run off about 400-750 calories. You guys, the weight is just falling off of me. WOW.

Now don't get me wrong, I am a foodie. I can eat whatever and love the hell out of it. But with me being a runner, I am very conscious about what I put into my body because I need it to perform well when I'm training. I don't want to put junk in my body because when I run a 5K I will seriously want to kill myself and quit right in the middle of the run.

Anyway, although I am sore as hell I am celebrating! Yes, I'm celebrating for 2 reasons, first because I earned all the pain I feel right now. If you go to the gym and walk away feeling like you never went, this is an issue. Secondly, I am celebrating because of the 10lbs that I lost all due to my passion for running.

Not trying to sound weird, but I don't even feel like I'm training for a half marathon, or even dieting. I truly feel like I am  becoming a runner and this to me feels great. I challenge you to make changes in your diet if you're just throwing food down your face. Key word:: CHALLENGE. I challenge you to make fitness a part of your daily routine, make it fun...make it something that you look forward to doing.

Talk Soon!

Tiffany

HOT WATER

Hey Roadrunners,

I did it! I ran 4mi yesterday people!! Can you believe it?! I am sooo happy right now, I could just scream across the state of Arizona. I went to a soft track at Phoenix College downtown where I ran with tons of people from the community. It was a great experience to be around people who had the same goals as me. I loved it!

I am so thankful for the track at Phoenix College because my knees don't hurt this morning! That concrete did nothing for my legs, except kill them! So here's the plan, MWF I will run 2-3mi on concrete in my neighborhood, and TTR I will run 4+ mi on the soft track. This will prepare me for the half marathon in January.

I just thought about something...I cannot wait to see and hear people cheering me on at the PFChangs half marathon. The thought of someone pushing me to reach my goal is awesome. That's what you all do for me, you push me to accomplish my goals. THANK YOU!

So of course, after my run I felt SUPER hyped up! I was so happy and pleased I didn't know what to do with myself. I took that energy and invested it in myself. I began to demonstrate the power of affirmation in my life long journey to be a runner.

I am a winner. I am a runner. Running is a part of my life. The words "no," "can't," and "not sure" do not belong in my vocabulary. I'm a woman in hot water...

Talk to you all tomorrow! XOXO

Ms.Road Runner

Challenge !

This morning, my legs hurt! What a good way to start off today's post. My legs hurt guys!! But I'll tell you one thing, I hit the pavement hard last night, even though it was my day off.

Last night, 2 of my friends decided to run with me. This was awesome because we were able to spend some time together and really encourage each other to succeed. So anyway,  another friend of mine who happened to be out of town challenged us to a 2mi run in under 23minutes. In my group, I was the only consistent runner, but we were pretty excited to beat this goal.

((shout out to nike+ for making long distance competitions amongst friends possible))

In the end, our Nike+ friend beat us, but we finished off the race as WINNERS. We had tons of energy after the race was over and were extremely happy that we finished together. There's nothing better than the feeling of accomplishment. There is no excuse for why we didn't beat our Nike+ friend, but in regards to yesterday's post, tomorrow is a new day!

So today, I will be hitting the track hard for my first 4mi run. Yep, I'm gonna do it. I'm not even thinking negative thoughts...I'm going to complete this run with a smile on my face, and proudly submit my run to Nike+.


This post is for me. It's for you. Hell, it may even be for the person that's not even a runner, who just may need a push in their life. You need to start challenging yourself. I know it's uncomfortable, but that's what life is. It's about continual growth.

Stop being comfortable with your daily run. Start challenging yourself. Instead of just running 1mi or 2mi consistently, go ahead and run 4mi. I gotta tell ya, 4mi seems overwhelming right now to me, but I came this far, and I can't wait to show you all who I am in a year.

p e a c e ,

queen la tiffany

tomorrow is a new day...

Hey Bloggies!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I definitely had a busy one, which is why I am just now getting online and updating you all on my life. So yeah, I gave my muscles a  break on Friday and hit it hard Saturday and Sunday. I'd like to point out that Saturday was physically a difficult run for me, I don't know why?

I got home after my run and was immediately discouraged. I was really hard on myself, wondering why the 2mi run took so much energy out of me, and I wondered especially why I didn't blow it out the water. Well, I spoke to my friend and #1 running supporter and she reminded me that this was a lifetime journey. Running is something that I am going to be doing until my legs no longer work. She had a valid point here. The  best part about this conversation was that she was the one that gave me my running shoes and Nike+ monitor, in other words, she has been with me the entire time and has seen me grow.

It's great to have someone remind you of how far you've come. I appreciate her willingness to inform me that although Saturday's run wasn't the best, that Sunday was still waiting for me.

In other news, on Nikerunning.nike.com they have different levels for runners and of course they are color coded. The beginner level is yellow, the next level is orange. In order to move up to another level, you have to run a certain amount of miles...and guess what?? I made it to the orange level yesterday!! I'm really proud of myself!

b e f o r e

a f t e r

When you change levels, the background color you see changes and a video pops up of an amazing athlete who congratulates you on your accomplishment. I must admit, I played my video about 3x before I left the site.

The next level I am looking forward to is my favorite color, green! I have about 120 mi before I reach that level, but I'm not worried...I'll reach that in no time!!

I have officially signed up for the Nike women's half marathon training on the website. I now have a 12 week schedule that I must stick to in order to be ready for the PF Changs half marathon in Tempe on January 16.

For those who don't know a half marathon will be 13.1 miles. So anyway, on the nike website Coach Jay defines my workouts and it's really cool because I know exactly what I need to do everyday for the next 12 weeks.

This is really awesome. Yesterday I ran 2mi, so today, I have been advised to get my cardio done in the pool. I have to be honest, I really want to run tonight :-/ maybe I'll run and then hit the pool, LOL.

Ok...one last thing, I met a lady yesterday that lost 60lbs from running! She has been looking for someone to train with for the 1/2 marathon in January, and of course I told her I'd train with her. So starting Tuesday, we will train at a local college downtown 2x a week with her running coach! WOW! I'm super excited, and cannot wait to start! I'll definitely take some pictures so you all can see how things are going!

That's all folks, I hope everyone has a peaceful Monday.

Tiffany

I'm a hurtin' unit.

Hey Road Runners,

I have been hitting the pavements hard these past few weeks. Yesterday after work, I ran errands, met a friend for dinner, and decided to go to a lounge to celebrate a friend's birthday. Well before going out, I told myself that I had to get in at least 2mi. I hit the road, ran 2mi, loaded it up to Nike Running and hit the shower. Wow! I was so proud of myself.

Well, this morning I woke up, and could barely walk. My knees and legs are sooo sore. I'm not sure what to do. It seems to be getting worse. I played sports throughout high school and college and I've never been this sore. I'm a bit worried because I am preparing for my first 5K, half marathon, and also I have this 210mi goal to complete. I CANNOT fail these important goals.

Although it's painful, I don't have the interest to quit or give up. I need to be smart though...I need to be careful about really injuring myself and never being able to run again. I'll go see a Sports Medicine Doctor and see what they can do for me.

But other than my knees, I feel great! I have tons more energy and I'm a lot happier. Can you suggest any remedies or suggestions that may help solve this issue? If so, you could be a real lifesaver!

Enjoy your Friday friends. I look forward to blogging about an amazing run I had this weekend very soon.

p a c e (peace in Italian),

tiffany

Networking

Hey Road Runners,

I just wanted to stop by and say thank you for all your support. I am sooo happy about being a runner. It feels good to have control over my thoughts and flesh. I feel like I am a powerful and disciplined being.

I have received so much support and encouragement about this blog...so I wanted to say thanks to each and everyone one of you for following this blog and participating in dialogue with me about running.

I'd like to introduce you all to the running blog that keeps me motivated. As you've probably guessed, it's on Nike Running's website.

http://inside.nike.com/blogs/nikerunning_reporter-en_US/

Nike has put together a team of running correspondents. They are all truly awesome, and they offer running advice for people like you and me that are becoming runners.

Check out this website, I'm sure you won't leave unsatisfied. If anything, you'll leave motivated and ready to reshape your life.

Until Next Time,

T i f f a n y

Creating Balance

Hey Bloggies!

So this weekend was awesome, I went to Las Vegas for a friend's birthday celebration. Of course it was Friday-Monday and we stayed at the beautiful Venetian hotel.

I'm sure you're wondering, "did Tiffany go running at all during her party weekend?" Well YES I did! You all would be so proud of me! I figured that I must create a balance in my life and hold true to myself. Just because I'm vacationing doesn't mean I don't deserve to do something positive for my health!

I woke up, and of course I was tired from the events the night before. I did not want to get out of bed, let alone go running in a busy city. I made up my mind when I brought my running shoes along with my pumps...I am a runner, and running is a part of my life. I called the front desk and immediately requested information on the gym.

Not only did I make my way to this huge gym, but I beasted on my run and beat my personal best! Yay Tiffany! I'm so proud of myself! I noticed that when I got back to my room, I had a huge smile on my face...and of course my friends were so proud of me for handling my business. This was a great experience, I even made friends at the gym (again, the corn ball in me).

After my run, I went to the Nike store in town. I just have to share with you all the laces that I bought for my running shoes. For only $4 you can walk away with some cool Nike red laces and save someone's life in Africa.

Join the movement. See, running can be fun....

Ok, so back to the lecture at hand. Creating balance is something that everyone needs to do in their life. Too much of one thing will have you off balance. Use me as an example...I can't starve myself of celebrating with friends, and my body and health don't deserve to go without attention. I encourage you to be disciplined, and control your thoughts.

Create balance in your life.

PAZ,

Tiffany

My First 5K Run !

Hey Road Runners !!

After last night's amazing run with one of my blog readers, I decided to challenge myself and sign up for my first 5K run in Phoenix. Yep, that's right. I'm holding myself accountable for not only beating my 210 mi run before 2010, but I'm also pushing myself to run against other people in the community for a great cause.

If you're in Phoenix, come join me! We have 32 days to prepare together on Nike Running's website. The race is only $30, and all proceeds to go the AIDS network. Sunday, October 3rd, 2010 @ 7am at the Cesar Chavez Park. For more info, visit http://www.aidswalkphoenix.org/.

I'm freaking out a bit because my time will be recorded and I'll be running against people who have been runners for years, but at the same time I'm really excited and celebrating the fact that I am going to run my first 5K in Phoenix! Who do I think I am?

Taking it a step forward, it's time to take what I love doing and apply it to a great cause. For those who don't know, infection rates are on the rise, and our communities of color, especially the African American community, have experienced alarming increases in the number of people testing positive for HIV.

So with that being said, it's time for me to step up and contribute to my community. Keep you all updated with pictures from training and from the race.


p e a c e