I made some MAJOR changes in the healthy living arena last year and I’m looking forward to continuing on this path in 2013!

The Hubby joined a gym in January and I watched him change his lifestyle while I waited out the last few months of pregnancy. By the time Double J was born in March, I was ready to get moving!

I started running in the middle of April with the Couch to 5K plan {HIGHLY recommend}, but I didn’t start tracking my miles until June 10. In just over six months, I ran 387.87 miles! Those miles included five races – a 5K, 5-mile, 10K, 15K, and half-marathon trail run! Still hard for me to believe I tackled all of that in 6 months!

I had about ten pounds of baby weight left when I started running. That came off fairly quickly when I got serious about exercise. I lost another 15 pounds after that to get me to my goal and within five pounds of my wedding weight! Although I’m not a “dieter,” I have become much more conscious about what I eat and WHEN I eat. Moderation, lots of water, and limiting nighttime eating were key factors in my weight loss.

Of course, I couldn’t have done any of this without The Hubby’s support and encouragement. He has taken on the role of trainer and is always challenging me – something I definitely need!

At the end of 2012, he gave me a list of goals to set for myself. To keep myself on track, I’m sharing a few of them with you today for accountability!

Tracking my goals: I’ll be tracking all of my workouts in a few places – MapMyRun, SparkPeople, and a mini-moleskine notebook. MapMyRun will help me keep track of miles run, but it can also track other exercise as well. SparkPeople is a great app for calorie and weight tracking. I didn’t use the calorie-tracker in 2012 much, but Im considering it more this year to see where I could make some adjustments. The mini-moleskine notebook is because I love pen and paper {and I want a backup in case any of the technology fails on me}!

Running: My goal for 2013 is 800 miles! I will be doing one or two long runs a month, ranging in length from 8 to 14 miles! My longest run in 2012 was 13.1 and I’m not sure I have any desire to run much farther than that, but I’ll give 14 a try and see how it goes!

Races: I enjoy having races as a training goal. And the atmosphere is fun! I’m planning on doing at least one 5K, one 10K, and a REGULAR half-marathon in 2013. No trail runs for me, thank you very much. Been there, done that, not my favorite thing!

Cross-Training: I can’t run every day, so I’m looking to expand my other fitness activities to mix things up! I’ve really enjoyed adding yoga and kettlebell into my fitness plan this year and will continue them in 2013! I also did the elliptical and strength-training circuits at our gym, which were very positive as well. I’m tossing around the idea of giving swimming a try – that would require several new purchases for me, but I know it would be a good cardio workout AND a break for my knees! I’m also researching the classes our gym offers. I really enjoyed Zumba, but the twisting was not great for my knees.

Injury Prevention: I’m super blessed to have a sister who is physical therapist. She has given me a bunch of exercises to do to help prevent knee and leg injuries. I plan on doing these regularly in 2013 to keep everything working properly! I’ll be using a foam roller and Range Roller to work out any tight muscles. I’ll also be planning rest days into my training – recovery time is important!

I’ve set some monthly mileage goals and weight goals, as well as race time goals to keep me motivated! Breaking it down into smaller goals has really helped me keep focused and not get discouraged!

Speaking of small goals, my goal for today is to get in a five-mile run. And I must go do that now!

I would love to hear your health and fitness goals for 2013! Wherever you are in your journey, let’s keep moving forward!