Fitness goals!

So with my life being so busy lately, I decided I really need to nail down my fitness goals. I've decided this is the year that I will finally feel good about my body in a swimming suit! (I say this to myself every year and it never happens).

One of the main things I need to work on to improve my running is to find my weak spots. I already know my hips, especially my gluteus medius muscles, are fairly weak compared to my quads and hamstrings. This is because (and excuse the physical therapist assistant language, but I love it!) running is a linear motion, meaning the quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles do all the work, while the muscles on the side of my hips (like the glute medius) are basically along for the ride without doing much work. This can cause IT Band problems (for reasons that are too long to explain) and can cost me energy during a run because my hips rock up and down too much during my stride. The funny thing is, I have known this for a while but haven't felt too determined to fix it. It hasn't caused me any problems except for after one race this past fall, so it isn't a pressing problem for me. However, I know if I start working on strengthening my hips all the way around, I can greatly improve my running power.

Speaking of running power, I definitely need to do more plyometric workouts! Things like jumping, running up steps, or anything else that has an "explosive" quality to it. If I build up that explosiveness, if you will, in my muscles, then each stride will feel even easier, which will make it much more fun to go the extra mile. Lately I've felt like my legs don't have that extra oomph and extra powerful stride that I would like to have. I could probably fix this a little bit by just strengthening my calves, but when you think about specificity of training, it would make more sense to do workouts that involve pushing off from the ground. That's what I do in every stride, so why not simulate it and challenge that motion in a workout? I feel workout epiphanies happening right now!

I have my second Ragnar race coming up at the end of next month, and I'm hoping to not be the slow one on the team. Even though I haven't trained as much as I should, I think if I nail some good long runs in the next couple weeks, along with some speed training and several good strength workouts, I should be fine. I ran the Zion Relay on little training, and Ragnar is pretty comparable. I'm so stoked! It's going to be another weekend to add in the "best weekend of my life" section. Haha. Expect a full recap of that race soon afterwards!

Let's see....what else? I would absolutely love to do another marathon this year, but I'm thinking I may shoot for the Phoenix Marathon next year. It is the first week of March, which means I can train all during the Arizona winter which is so ideal. In my other two marathons, I trained all summer which basically meant I was drinking my weight in water every day and that every run was a real challenge. I am thinking training during the winter might be better :) I would love to do the Big Cottonwood Half again because so far that has been my favorite race!! So beautiful! The one thing Utah has over Arizona is their races, most of them are in canyons and I loved every single one that I did! It was amazing.

Anyway, this has been another random "journal" post from me, hope you weren't too bored :)

Never in my life....

....Have I been this busy! Holy crap! I'm doing 40 hours a week at my clinical, trying to squeeze in 6 to 8 hours of study time a week, attempting to keep my social life alive (kind of succeeding), training for Ragnar in like 6 weeks, keeping an 8-week-old puppy from crying all night long (she is doing great so far!) and also keeping up with Church responsibilities (this week I fail at that miserably). I am feeling stretched pretty thin! So if I am not heard from in the next 14 weeks....that is why.

Luckily the national licensure exam is only 12 (!!!!!!!!!) weeks away. After that I will have much more free time. Twelve weeks seems like such a short time, considering that tomorrow is two weeks done of my clinical. Studying is hard, there is so much content and I feel as if I am not retaining any of it. Today I took my first practice exam. It was supposed to take 3 hours...I did it in just over an hour. Even though I rushed through it, I still managed to get a pretty great score that boosted my self-esteem a bit.

Even with all of this going on, I am still managing to have fun on the weekends. In fact, last weekend I went up to a cabin in Heber and had the most glorious time! And I plan on going again in a couple weeks. Even though I have all these responsibilities, I feel like it is more important than ever to find time to relax and unwind. If I didn't, I would probably go crazy. The thought of the cabin trip is the only thing that is keeping me going right now!

Also, we have an Australian exchange student staying at our house right now. She is AWESOME and honestly I could listen to her talk all day because her accent is so cool. Now that I have someone to visit  Down Under that just means I'll have an excuse to go there someday!!

Busy busy busy...

I am soaking up these last few days of freedom before I am thrown back into the craziness that is real life.

First things first, we got a new chocolate lab puppy and she is the cutest thing. Why I thought getting a puppy at the busiest time of my life was a good idea... I don't know. But her cuteness makes up for it. Anyway...

Here's how it is all going down for the next four months.

Clinicals start Monday. Which means I am basically working for free, 40 hours a week. 7 weeks at a physical therapy office in Gilbert and then 8 weeks at Banner Desert inpatient therapy. I am actually really looking forward to it all! My schedule is killer, too...

MWF is 8-6:30. Come home, run, study for an hour or two, shower, play with puppy, and go to bed.

T and Th is afternoon only. Which means I have time for spin class in the mornings and time to walk the dog too. Also get some quality study time in.

So there's 7 weeks of that schedule. I'm not sure what my Banner schedule will be like but hopefully it's just as good.

April 8th is the most important day of my life thus far. That is the day I take the national licensure exam! That's why I have to study at least an hour a day plus more on the weekends. I would really like to pass it on my first try :)

Anyway, you will notice this doesn't leave much time for socializing. Meh, I'm over it. Haha. I figure if I just forget about dating for a while and stop trying so hard, maybe that's when things will take a turn for the better!

One last thing: resolutions!!!

Notice we only use this word once a year? That's because it's important!

Here's mine:
Healthier lifestyle (eat better, exercise smarter)
Become a morning person
Learn to love and rely on the scriptures and prayer in my daily life
Become completely independent from my parents by years end (yes, I am 24 and dependent. Deal with it)
Go skydiving again.
Hike the Grand Canyon.
Try not to be so mean to the guys. Haha
Take genuine interest in other people's lives

So this isn't exactly a "to-do" list, it's more of a "to-be" list. What are New Years resolutions for, if not to make us better than we were last year?

Also the best part of it being 2013: my little brother comes home from his mission!!! April 30th!