To avoid setting my goals and expectations too high, I set myself a goal to go for just one 5k run per week. I've been running on and off for a few years but never managed to make it a consistent habit. Now, nearly 4 months into the year, I'm pretty amazed to find I've stuck with my plan. I even did my weekly run in Thailand when I was on holiday and swallowed my million excuses and did my 5k in -22 degrees Celsius at the end of January. Old me used to run only in the summer when it was nice and warm outside.
I did run on a treadmill all of February and March, though, thanks to the icy roads and the fact that my favourite running track in the nearby forest turns into a cross country skiing track in the winter. I'm not a fan of running on the treadmill and never have been. I find it boring and all too easy to quit whenever I start feeling the slightest bit tired. Running outside, on the other hand, I've slowly grown to enjoy. The change of scenery and the fact that I need to run back home anyway make me much less likely to stop half-way through. I was therefore excited when the snow and ice finally melted away and I could start running outside again. I even invested in a new pair of trainers to motivate myself.
I was expecting to enjoy running more now that I can run outside again and have some new gear, but I was definitely not expecting to get absolutely addicted to it. I received my new shoes in the mail on Wednesday, and was outside testing them within a half an hour of getting home from work. I ran my fastest ever mile straight away. I was so excited about the shoes and how much fun it was to run that the next morning I got up extra early and went for a run before work, which is something I never imagined doing. I ran my fastest 5k that morning. Yesterday, I set out to go run 10k (a distance I've only ever run twice before) and ended up running 12k, my farthest ever. It also ended up being my personal best for 10k. I never thought a pair of new running shoes could make that big of a difference.
I'm literally so excited about it all. I mean I'm still a rather slow runner and my personal bests are not impressive, but to me they prove I'm moving to the right direction and getting better. They motivate me and as a naturally competitive person, I can't wait to try to beat my own records. The most amazing thing is how much I find myself loving going on runs. I feel so accomplished when I'm done with a run that I've got addicted to that feeling of achievement.
Now I just hope I can keep up the habit and stay motivated. Any great tips and tricks on how to do that are more than welcome!
Now I just hope I can keep up the habit and stay motivated. Any great tips and tricks on how to do that are more than welcome!
I was incredibly lucky and fortunate to get to live abroad and go to an international school when I was a teenager thanks to my dad working abroad. It's definitely had a massive impact on who I am today. Anyway, one of the (if not the) best thing about going to an international school was making friends from a bunch of different countries who now live all around world. I love catching up with them, and it's always amazing to meet up with them somewhere. Earlier this month I got to visit one of my old school friends in Prague for a long weekend, and it was the most fun I've had in a long time.
I had heard a lot of great things about Prague and I had been meaning to visit my friend for years, but somehow never got around to it. In early March I spotted a great deal for flights, though, and just went ahead and booked them without thinking it over much more than that. I did not regret my spur of the moment decision, either: Prague as a city was absolutely lovely. Full of tourists, but not in a horrible way. Can't blame them, either, it was definitely worth visiting. Beautiful buildings, friendly people and relatively inexpensive, so I definitely fell in love with the place. I was there on the first weekend of April, and the weather was amazing, too. Here are a few snaps from the trip, more to come in another post :)
Where should I start? I've been gone for over a year and a lot has changed. I've been meaning to get back into this for a long, long time, but somehow I kept putting it off. Now I'm finally back though, and more determined than ever to post regularly. Anyway, a little catch up is in order.
I really wish I had more to post about, but my life for the past few months has been filled with the library, academic journals, staring at a word document titled 'DISSERTATION' and hoping I could get it done faster. I just have no life at the moment. The deadline is in exactly a month, and I should be done with uni in just over two months, which makes me happy and scared at the same time.
It is, however, time for the Easter break in a few days, and I am off to the Alps for one last time with the ski society. It's exciting and sad at the same time, I'll really miss these insane weeks of boarding with my uni friends. I just hope I can forget about all the dissertation stress for the week and make the most of it. Hopefully all my stuff will make it to the resort this time as well so I'll actually be able to do my job as the photographer.
We're going to Val d'Isère this time and I haven't been there before, so it'll be nice to explore a new resort. We leave on Friday and I just can't wait to get there for a week of snowboarding, apres and nights out. In preparation, here are some of my favourite songs from my snowboarding playlist.
I can't believe it's already the 9th of March. I'm so late with this post and everything else too at the moment. I did manage to go on a great road trip to Manchester and back the other weekend with a few friends to unwind, but other than that my dissertation is just slowly sucking out all the life in me. After a 9-5 in the library I have no energy for anything other than a bit of TV, food and my bed. It doesn't help that the deadline is getting closer and closer and I still have so much to do...
Anyway, here are a few of my favourites from February:
Although it feels like my dissertation and other university work are taking over my life at the moment, I found some time for a little weekend trip to Brighton last weekend. One of my best friends from back home is there for an exchange semester at the University of Sussex and besides wanting to see a little more of the south coast go England, I was in need of a good catch up with her. It was a great way to forget about all the stress of final year, too.
Brighton was such a lovely city. I could've spend much longer wandering the streets and exploring all the funky little cafes and shops. The colourful buildings, lovely beach (even in rainy and windy February), and pretty narrow street made me wonder why I decided not to apply to a university in Brighton when I was considering that option four years ago.
January has been and gone (so fast!) and I thought I could start making monthly compilations of my favourites and other things that were in one way or the other important during the month. So, here's the January edition.
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