Date & Time Activity
Thursday, This evening, I met with
August 30, my facilitator and sat
2017 down and discussed my
6:00 pm - 7:00 objectives for this
pm project. Because it is
1 hour based on physical activity
and nutrition, she helped
me write a meal plan,
which included healthier
food alternatives, and
certain workout routines
to help prepare me for
being able to complete a
half-marathon. Then, she
weighed me and
measured my body fat
percentage to assess
where I am at physically.
Today, I went grocery
Saturday, shopping to pick up some
September 2, of the items my facilitator
2017 recommended for my
meal plan. I focused
heavily on picking up
11:00 am - protein-filled items, such
11:30 am as eggs and oatmeal. I
30 minutes also picked up some
better snacking food, like
carrots, yogurt, and nuts.
Next, I picked up wheat
bread and bananas. While
Commentary Pictures with Captions
During this meeting, I
discovered a whole
variety of healthy eating.
I realized that I did not
just have to eat fruits and
vegetables to be healthy.
There are many ways to
maintain a healthy diet,
such as just choosing
low-fat version of an
item. Also, portion
control was helpful in
working on the meal plan
because it is very
important to know when
your body is full. Also,
being introduced to a My facilitator and I discussing how
variety of work-outs to balance my eating habits. The
made it seem easier to most important part is getting 90-
complete running. There 100 grams of protein per day.
are so many different
activities besides running
that will prepare me for
this race.
I’m interested to see how
well my meal plan works
for me and if I’ll come
across any struggles in
eating.
While at the grocery
store, I was more aware
of the nutritional values
on the back of items than
I had ever been. Because
I am considering the
nutritional side of things
for my project, searching
for different foods than I
usually consumed really
opened my eyes
regarding what is healthy This is me holding a box of Quaker
and what is not. Instant Oatmeal Protein Banana
 I was there, I also bought Nut, which is high in protein. This
the items for a protein I do not believe following is a healthy breakfast item to start
smoothie that my this meal plan will be the day and boost energy.
facilitator told me to try difficult, but I am excited
for morning breakfasts or that I have found healthy
before a work-out. alternatives that still taste
good.

Sunday, This morning, I decided I never imagined reading

September 3, to look into a runner’s a book on running, but it
2017 guide that my facilitator proved to be very helpful
gave to me. This book, in understanding the
10:00 am - titled Chi Running, gives importance of correct
10:30 am insight on proper running training and effort to
30 minutes techniques that allow reduce knee pain, shin
injury-free running. I splints, and other
read over the first running-related injuries.
chapter, which informed Next time I meet with my
me of why people tend to facilitator, I will be
get injured running and excited to show her the
the benefits of proper techniques I learned.
training.

Here I am reading Chi Running.

Reading for a half-marathon is not
ideal, but it is very helpful in
gaining knowledge in order to
successfully complete a half-
marathon.

Tuesday, Tonight, I completed a During my run, I kept going

September 5, long run at Hobgood Park back to the idea of wanting to
walk, but after I got into the
2017 on the track. This routine, it went by faster than I
included a pre-stretch thought. I normally only
6:00 pm - 7:00 before running, a five- complete two to three miles, so
pm mile run, and a cool- this is the start to upping my
1 hour down with stretching mileage. Since the half-
marathon is thirteen miles, this
after. While running, I is a good start. I also realized
focused on the advice my that stretching is extremely
facilitator gave me on my important to reduce the risk of
form and breathing. soreness and injury. This is me completing my last mile.
It is very tiring by the last lap, but
It felt good to exercise and do
something I normally do not. I
being mentally prepared to finish it
really can’t wait for when my is important.
endurance is higher, and I am
able to run even longer.
Thursday, Today I trained in the
September 7, gym, rather than run
2017 outside. I focused more
towards muscle building
4:30 pm- 5:30 and weight exercises in
pm order to become stronger.
1 hour Because running is
rigorous, my muscles
have to start training and
working in different ways
versus solely running.
While at the gym, I did
multiple sets of weight
lifting. These involved
barbells and dumbbells.
Wednesday, This evening I ran sprints
September 13, at the turf field of
2017 Hobgood Park. I did ten
twenty-yard sprints and
5:45 pm - 6:30 had my dad time me in
45 minutes order to see if I was
maintaining a constant
pace. During the sprints, I
did have a minute break
in between. Overall, I
maintained a pretty
consistent speed. After,
my legs were definitely
tired, so I just stretched it
out to reduce soreness for
the next day.
I have lifted weights
before for lacrosse,
however; during this
work-out I began to
realize the importance of
working on all parts of
my body. My arms were
not the strongest, but by
doing exercises that
involved weights,
improvement was
noticed. It was slightly
difficult because I was
not used to all the weight
being added throughout
the sets. Overall, I am I am completing a set of power
satisfied with how my clean and jerks. There are three sets
work-out went and how it of six, which makes it difficult to
is going to help me in the finish strong
long run.
Although running long
distance builds
endurance, sprinting also
improves endurance.
These sprints kept me
winded, but I know they
will be beneficial. I did
not find it too daunting to
finish all ten sprints, but I
was not a breeze either.
I prefer sprinting over
long distance, so I
enjoyed this work-out.
For me, sprinting and
running is mental. Here I am running one of the
sprints. My face reveals the fact that
I am tired, but running ten sprints is
a good workout.
Tuesday, Because it is September
September 19, break and I am on
2017 vacation, I had to get
creative today. Since I
8:45 am - 9:45 didn’t have a gym this
am morning, I did body-
1 hour weight exercises on the
beach, as well as ran half
a mile. The circuit
included pushups,
burpees, squats, and leg
lifts. These build strength
without the use of
equipment.
Monday, I ran at Etowah High
September 25, School this evening with
2017 my friend, Katie Bishop.
We did two miles that
7:15 pm - 8:00 included stadiums every
pm two laps. That made it a
45 minutes total of 8 laps, with 4 sets
of stadiums. After, we
did abdominal exercises,
which included planks,
crunches, leg rows, and
v-ups. This entire
workout was good for
working all parts of the
body.
Because I do most of my
training, besides running,
in a gym, it was difficult
to go a whole week
without one. However, I
really found out that there
are so many exercises
that don’t involve the use
of equipment that build
muscles just as
efficiently. The hard part
was figuring out a routine
that worked best for me,
but once I was able to get
into the groove of
everything, it became a This is me completing my body
very well-rounded weight workout on the beach. It is
workout. hard when you do not have a gym
filled with equipment.
Working out with friends
always makes it easier to
complete the task because
you have someone to
push you. I was also able
to blow off steam by
working out and talking
about my day with
someone. Social
interaction is good for
mental health, so I was
able to knock out two
things at once. Because I
was running with Katie and I doing our abdominal
someone, I felt as if it exercises, which are always
was easier to do enjoyable to do at the end of a run.
everything.
Thursday, Tonight, I focused only
September 28, on my arms. For this, I
2017 did a circuit work-out,
meaning I did a rotation
7:00 pm - 7:45 of 4 exercises and did 3
pm sets of each. The
exercises included pull-
45 minutes ups, barbell bench press,
push-ups, and barbell
curls. Although running
uses your legs more,
building strength all
around prepares the body
for more endurance.
Monday, I ran 5 miles today. I only
October 2, 2016 focus on my running and
did no other exercises. I
5:00 pm - 5:45 stretched before and after
pm I ran, which is extremely
important to do in order
45 minutes to prevent injury. I did
not run on track, instead I
ran throughout my
neighborhood and around
Townelake. I have begun
to notice a steady
decrease in my mile
times, for my endurance
is beginning to increase.
Before I started training, I
had little upper body
strength. However,
tonight was very
accomplishing because I
reached a goal of mine
that I have had for a
while. I was finally able
to do pull ups, which
require an immense
amount of effort.
Reaching this goal felt
very satisfying. It makes
me all the readier to take
on the half-marathon.
Here I am accomplishing my long-
term goal of being able to complete
a pull-up. Although two is the
maximum number of reps I can do
in a set, it is still exciting that I can
finally do it.
The hardest part of this
run was not the running
itself, but the heat. Just
making sure I was
hydrated made all the
difference in my ability to
run. Because I am
actually running the half-
marathon in December, it
will be cold, so making
sure I can adapt to such
environments will help
me along this journey.
I’m happy because my
running has definitely
improved since the
August. I am able to hold This is me on the last leg of my run.
my ground on longer Finishing all the way, without
runs. slowing down at the end, is
mentally difficult.
Saturday, This afternoon, I spent a Today was demanding,
October 7, 2017 longer amount of time at the mentally and physically.
gym because my trainer Being able to focus for a
1:00 pm - 2:30 recommended doing an long duration of time and
pm advanced full body maintain a constant
workout. first half was
composure was tough. By
cardio, so I did twenty
1 hour and 30 minutes on the elliptical and the end of the workout, I
minutes ten minutes running. Then I was exhausted. However,
did a quick 10-minute before I started training, I
abdominal workout I found could not lift weights like
online, which included I can currently. So, I am
three minutes of variation building muscles, which
planks. Finally, I did a will help tremendously
weight workout, which with my running ability.
consisted of: I am completing a barbell squat,
which kills my legs. This biggest
1.Barbell Bench Press
thing to focus on is your form when
2. Dumbbell Bench Press
3. Bent Over Barbell Row you go down into the squat position.
4. Barbell Curl
5. Dips
6. Barbell Squat
(3 sets of 10 repetitions)

Thursday, Today, I met with my By the end of my

October 12, facilitator to work on workout, my arms were
2017 building strength. We extremely worn out. I
focused mainly on my arms, found it hard to finish out
6:00 pm- 7:00 really working my biceps. the entire workout, but
The workout consisted of
pm my facilitator really
box jumps, dumbbell curls,
butterfly curls, arm motivated me. I know
kickbacks, and overhead during the marathon, I’m
dumbbell press. We did going to have to push
three sets total of through, so today was a
everything. reminder to always keep
going. Building muscle is
hard, but these work outs
are very beneficial in
maintaining a healthy
figure. My facilitator and I doing dumbell
curls, which require a lot of control
within the arm area.
Monday, This morning, I focused on
October 16, building my endurance and
2017 maintaining speed, so I ran
on the treadmill. I did not
10:00 am- solely run. I did a variety of
exercises while on the
10:45 am
treadmill. I did running on
an incline, back pedaling on
an incline, and side
shuffles. Switching up my
running styles will help
prepare me for running on
hills or any other obstacle.
Thursday, This evening I worked out
October 19, with my facilitator again.
2017 We did a full body workout.
This included:
Leg press (20 reps)
6:00 pm – 7:00
Triceps Dips (15 reps)
pm
Leg Extensions (15 reps)
Machine Bicep Curl (15
reps)
Shoulder Press (15 reps)
Abs on Lateral Pull Down
(20 reps)
It was a very solid workout
that targeted all of my
muscles.
Although I am working
towards building muscle,
I also have to keep
increasing my endurance.
This will help better
myself for actually
running the half marathon
in December. I enjoyed
doing different work outs
on the treadmill because I
find it boring to just run
regularly for the set
amount of time. Overall,
it was nice to switch
things up.
Here I am running on an incline
backwards, which helps with
different running styles.
I’m still not used to being
pushed to the limits, but
my facilitator has done a
great job showing me
new exercises and
different ways to work
my muscles. This
particular workout, I
enjoyed. Although it was
difficult, I really felt that
it helped me hit all my
targets.
This is my facilitator talking me
through how to do an ab exercise on
the Lateral Pull Down, as I do them.
This is a new exercise that I have
never done before.
Thursday, Today I worked out with
October 26, my facilitator in the
2017 evening. My warm up
consisted of a one-and-a-
6:00 pm -7:00 half-mile run. Then, we
pm focused solely on arms,
1 hour more specifically my
shoulders and triceps.
The circuit included:
Lateral pull downs (15
reps)
Jumping pull ups (15
reps)
Lateral bicep curl (15
reps)
Jumping chin ups (15
reps)
Dumbbell curl (15 reps)
Shoulder press (15 reps)
Triceps dips (15 reps)
Triceps press (15 reps)
We repeated each
workout 2-3 times.
Wednesday, I decided to focus mainly
November 1, on cardio today, with a
2017 little bit of upper body
workouts. I went to the
5:00 pm-5:45 gym and did an interval
pm run on the treadmill. For a
warm-up, I did a light run
(45 minutes) for ten minutes. I then
increased my speed and
every two or three
minutes, I would include a
sprint run. I continued this
pattern for twenty-five
minutes. After, I began my
workouts for my arms. I
did barbell bench press,
pull ups, and triceps dips.
To top off my workout, I
ended with abs.
Targeted specific areas of
the body and only
working those parts for
the duration of a workout
is physically demanding.
Those muscles are
constantly working to
perform the workouts,
which eventually causes
the soreness and burning
sensation. For me, it was
difficult to maintain my
consistency throughout
the workout because my
shoulders and triceps
were growing more tired
as we proceeded.
However, it was a very
successful workout that
allowed me to push My facilitator and I performing one
myself and continue to of the workouts in the circuit. This
build my stamina and specific machine targets my back
strength. and shoulders.
I particularly enjoyed this
workout because it
contained a good mixture
of working different
muscles. I’ve begun to
understand how to work
different parts of my
body instead of just
focusing on one area all
the time. Being able to
diversify my training has
shown a huge impact in
how prepared I am to run
a half-marathon, as well
as just maintaining a This is me completing a set of
healthy lifestyle. I can see barbell bench press. This exercise is
a difference in my difficult because it requires a large
attitude and motivation as amount of strength.
well.
Wednesday, After school, I went on a
November 8, run throughout my
2017 neighborhood. After I
reached the end of my
3:30 pm - 4:15 neighborhood, I ventured
pm onto the main road for
(45 minutes) around half of a mile,
until I made a circle back
to the front of my
neighborhood. Overall, it
totaled to be around three
and half miles. I ended
the workout with a cool
down, which consisted of
stretching.
Sunday, This morning was a leg
November 27, day at the gym.
2016 Normally, I try to include
full body workouts,
11:00 am- however; my arms were
11:30 am too sore from a previous
(30 minutes) work out to be able to
involve them in my
exercises. Therefore, I
only did a work out that
required the use of my
leg muscles. I warmed up
with a ten-minute jog,
then I went into leg press,
reverse leg ups, and TRX
mountain climbers.
This run was beneficial
because it was not just a
flat area that I was running
on. Throughout my
neighborhood there were
various hills that I had to
make my way up, which
was a good simulation for
what I will be facing in
December when I run the
half-marathon. Running in
different conditions allows
for better training and it
also forces me to be
adaptable and adjustable.
Therefore, I enjoyed this in
the sense that it allowed
me to be able to I am running up a slight hill in my
experience something neighborhood, which can be
other than treadmill
completed if you push yourself.
running or running on flat
areas.
Today was a more of a
quick workout, but I did
accomplish my goal by
the end of it. It was only
three work-outs,
however; my legs were
burning the entire time. It
is important to work your
muscles to their full
potential to maximize the
results you want to see. In
order to maintain a
healthy, fit physique, I
need to keep training and
keep my focus. Today
helped in putting me one These are the reverse leg ups and
step closer in my TRX mountain climbers that I am
preparation for a half-
completing.
marathon and for a better
lifestyle.
Saturday, Today at the gym, I I enjoy full body
December 9, decided to do a mixture workouts the most
2017 of everything. I warmed because I am able to work
up using the stair master all areas of my body, not
10:00 am- and the elliptical for just one. I also enjoy
10:45 am fifteen minutes. Then I circuits because I’m
(45 minutes) did a circuit workout that constantly being active
included: and doing something
3 sets of barbell squats different. It is prominent
(10 reps) to have diversity in your
3 sets of bench press (10 exercise, just like it is
reps) needed in your diet. You
3 sets of pulls ups (10 have food groups that you
reps) need, just as you have
3 sets of crunches (20 different muscle groups
reps) to work. So, maintaining Because I can not do 30 pull-ups
variety is proving to help on me own, I am using a pull ip
me in the strive for a machine to help me accomplish my
healthy lifestyle and three sets of ten repetitions.
being able to complete
the half-marathon.

Sunday, Today was the day I Overall, I can say that I

December 17, finally ran the half- was prepared for this
2017 marathon. It was 13.1 half-marathon. Until mile
miles of pushing myself ten, I was completely
8:00 am – to the limit. Every couple fine. It was not until then
11:00 am of miles, water stations that my legs started to
were set up and people grow sore. But despite the
were cheering. It was soreness and fatigue, I
very cold, but I crossed the finish line. I
completed the run in two enjoyed running it for the
hours and fifteen most part. It was self-
minutes. There were rewarding and extremely
many hills and a large satisfying. After all the
amount of people training and hard work, it
running. was worth it.
 This is me running and crossing the
finish line. It is the most
illuminating feeling when you cross
the finish line and complete the run.

Thursday, This morning was my last Since this was our last
December 21, session with my work out, I was slightly
2017 facilitator. We did a full glum. I enjoyed working
body circuit workout. My out with my facilitator
8:00 am-9:00 heart rate was up the because she truly pushed
am entire time. I warmed up me to my limits, but also
with a mile run and then showed me a plethora of
we went straight into new workouts I can
different workouts, that complete on my own.
included battle ropes, Throughout this process,
kettle bell swings. my facilitator helped
Walking lunges, push- prepare me mentally and
ups, dumbbell lateral physically to run a half-
raises, and bench crushes. marathon, but also for life
in general. I believe I am
a stronger and more
motivated person because
of this. This is me and my facilitator
holding my race number from last
weekend. This is our last session
together.