But I think I’ve found a super basic way to help myself not stay on the internet all night long: I’ve been keeping my laptop/laptop charger at my desk. This seems so stupid, I know. But it is really working!
My desk is in our “den” aka office, which usually is just where Dan hangs out when we are doing separate activities (he has a whole big computer set-up in there and likes to play games/tinker on it). I usually take over the living room, with my laptop plugged in there, where our big comfy couch and TV are. Well this usually results in a lot of inertia--it feels difficult to get off the couch and why would I, when I have everything I want to do within arms reach (TV and internet). If I’m watching a TV show, my laptop is right in front of me when I finish, so I just naturally go on to internet reading as the next activity.
My desk in the office, on the other hand, is separate from the TV and features a quasi-uncomfortable chair (or at least a chair that doesn’t invite me to sink into it for long periods of time like our couch!). When I go in there, it feels very “work” mode--sitting up straight, cleared off desk, etc. It definitely doesn’t feel as relaxing as the couch and living room, and the chair is uncomfortable enough that I don’t really want to stay in it for too long. Luckily, Dan doesn’t seem to mind too much that I’m crashing his party in the office. :)
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| Terrible picture of austere desk set up. The whole "desk" (large table) + chair set up cost literally under $45 from Ikea. Oh those crazy Swedes. |
Plus, by keeping the charger in the office, I’m self-limiting my time that I can spend on the computer because my laptop is super old and dies in 90 minutes, tops. Eventually, when I want to computer-game for an extended period of time (yes, I’m a nerd!), I’ll move the charger to the living room. But I’ll be sure to move it back when I’m done!
I’ve only been keeping at it for a little over a week, so we will see how it works in the long-run. But for now, this is a great solution. Creating self-imposed barriers to doing things I don’t want to do is maybe an odd way to go about building a habit, but it is working!
Weekend Wrap-Up
I failed on the pictures front, so this will be short. On Friday night, I went with my friend to Oyamel for DC Restaurant Week. It was really delicious, and I actually liked going for Restaurant Week, despite hearing negative things in the past about the whole experience. It was definitely crowded, but the service was on point (they knew they had to perform!) and the fixed style menu encouraged me to try things I wouldn't have normally ordered.
On Saturday, after my long run (details below!), Dan and I headed up to visit his sister, brother-in-law, and their NEW BABY in Balitmore. I hadn't seen the baby since the day he was born! He had grown so much and is just as a really cute age. Really enjoyed spending time with him!
We didn't get back from B-more until dinnertime on Sunday, so the weekend felt a little short/full. But full of fun and people I love, so no complaints!
Weekly Workout Summary: February 4 - February 10, 2013
Monday: 5 miles at 11:12. Pretty standard run! Crazy to me that 5 miles is now seeming not-super-daunting and do-able after work.
Tuesday: 20 min yoga at home. Ugh. I really wanted to go to yoga in the studio that night, but ended up getting held up at work. Bummer. I tried a new Yoga Download 20 min routine that I was just not feeling, so I didn't do a second one. Lamesauce.
Wednesday: 4 miles at 10:55. I only decided half-way through that this would be a "pace" run, so it probably should have been a little faster. Also notable was that I had originally intended this to be a morning workout, but failed miserably and reset my alarm when I woke up before it and felt terrible--and then ended up not falling back asleep. Don't you hate that? Lesson learned.
Thursday: REST. I'm trying out switching my rest day from Friday to Thursday, and so far I'm liking it. It gives Dan and I some extra time on a weeknight, and Fridays are actually kind of nice days to work out--not so bad to do so in the morning (the promise of sleeping in the next day), or at night, no rush to get home.
Friday: 3 miles on the treadmill, with 4x400 at 6.0-6.2 mph. This was in the morning! For whatever reason, the treadmill is seeming much more appealing in the morning (whereas at night I'll always prefer outside). Who knows, but if it gets me up, I'm fine with 1-2 treadmill sessions a week.
Saturday: 8.5 mile long run at 11:10. Woot! New PDR. I was running into the wind for the first half, so instead of doing a loop like I normally would, I turned around at half way to enjoy the wind on my back. Haha, that was definitely the way to go. I felt good on the run and even at the end (maybe all that wind?)--like if you really wanted me to, I could probably go another 1.5 miles for 10. Which means training is paying off!
Sunday: Unintentional rest day (Baltimore visit!).
Total mileage: 20.5 miles.
Happy with my running this week, but I really need to be better about getting to yoga and doing strength training. I know they ultimately help my running and help my body recover faster!
