My First 5k

One of my New Years Resolutions was to run some 5k's and 10k's this year.  I never would have ever thought that running would be something on my resolutions list.  I used to be the person who said, if you saw me running, you better run too, because something bad is happening to make me run. Ha.  I have since changed my mind.  I ran my first long distance in October of last year in the throws of my weight loss journey.  I had no idea how fit I was getting cardiovascular wise, but 1 hour a day on an elliptical for a month had really done wonders.  I was able to run 4 miles, only taking a couple of walking breaks.  The next time I ran  I didn't walk at all.  I have ran 6 mile runs without walking.  It became a time for me, where I was just concentrating on the music in my ears and releasing stress.

I decided my first 5k experience should be fun and not a serious race.  I signed up for the Color Me Rad 5k.  I was supposed to run it with my husband, but he had to go away for training that weekend, so I gave his spot to a friend of mine from church named Melissa.  We were perfect running partners because she is short like me.  Our strides matched and we pretty much kept the same pace.  I was so glad that she came out to run with me.  My friend Danielle ran it with her husband... she is a good 5 inches taller than me so she was KILLING it.  She ran the 5k about 2 minutes faster than Melissa and I did.

All in all, it was fun.  I want to do some more fun races, but my next run is a 10k on the morning of the 4th of July.  I have never run 6.2 miles so I am hoping that I can conquer it.  Usually by the end of my 6 mile runs I am ready to stop running, so adding 2 tenths of a mile onto that run seems so daunting, but I know I can do it.

One thing I made sure to go out and purchase after this run was some running tights.  My loose fitting pants are annoying to run in... so I will be good to go for the 10k.

What are you doing to stay fit and have fun?

Catching Up

I go back and forth on whether or not I want to blog anymore or not.  I can say with certainty that blogging is not on my top list of priorities right now.  I am BUSY... but, I just can't seem to abandon this place completely.  I actually deleted this blog... and undeleted it.  I realize that this is an outlet for me and I need to take advantage of that, even if the only person reading it is me.

First off, I want to state on my blog that after 2 years of school at OTC slowly chipping away at prerequisite courses, I have gotten accepted to a BSN program at Cox College here in Springfield.  I begin in the fall, and I am so super excited.  When I first decided I wanted to be a nurse, I really didn't have a specific plan in place, I just kinda went for it.  I knew I wanted to go through Cox College though, so I specifically worked toward their list of classes to take.  I quickly realized that I was one of a very few that didn't get an LPN first then go for my ASN or BSN.  Most everyone in my classes already have their LPN and are entering into RN bridge programs.  I never even entertained going the LPN route, because I saw it as a stop in the road. I just wanted to go straight for the goal. 

I have three more prerequisite courses that I am currently taking: Microbiology, Lifespan Psychology, and Humanities.  I am enjoying the classes and Microbiology is like my most favorite class ever.  

Back to my blog.  I have decided that I am going to use my blog as an outlet for my journey through nursing school.  I have heard that it will be the toughest 2 years of my life, and I am hoping to give a play by play and use my blog as a dumping place for all of my school successes and frustrations (all within HIPPA guidelines, of course).  I'm hoping that it will serve as an example of what going through a BSN program is like.  We will see if I follow through.  I get these grand ideas, and then I get so dang busy I just don't have the time.

This summer will be the first summer, since starting college again, that I will be taking classes.  I will be taking Statistics (which I attempted this semester, but dropped it... it's that difficult) and Intro to Nursing.  This summer will be rough, and then I jump right into nursing school in the fall.  When I look at all that I have coming my way, I tend to get overwhelmed, but my mother in law gave me great advice to focus on what comes first, first, then I can focus on what's next.  One step at a time, one course at a time, one day at a time... don't get overwhelmed, basically.  It has been the one cliche piece of advice that I always repeat to myself when I start to worry and get upset about all that I have yet to do.

I am nervous, I am scared, but more than that, I am optimistic.  I am so excited about the future.

Class of 2016! eeeep!