Balancing It All

I've spent this last week easing back into some work stuff. Next week gets even more intense. You see, teachers don't get all summer off like many people think we do. Sure, we get several uninterrupted weeks of fun in the sun, but that is intertwined with professional development classes (thus far I've done 37 hours, still have 27 more before school starts on August 15th) as well as meetings, and classroom set-up--which is a week long process for most. I tell you this not to complain, but to update you on my what my summer vacation really looks like.

source

I've been thinking, "how in the world am I going to work full-time, attend after school meetings and more professional development, plan excellent, motivating lessons for my students, keep up with mounds of paperwork, take care of my child, keep my house clean, finish reading the series of books I've started, and train for a half-marathon???" The answer is "I DON'T HAVE A CLUE!" and I'm freaking out a little bit, as I always do this time of year. The difference this year is that I am training, which I was not last summer when school started. I was barely even running at all.

Anyone have any advice?? I know some of you have to work full-time, have kids and run or workout even more than I do. How do you balance it all?? What's your secret? Do tell...

Running at Night

Somehow, last night around 8:45, after being gone from home for over 12 hours, I found the energy to run 2 miles. And I did speed work nonetheless. I have learned that my body has more energy and feels better when I run at night. And then I had a glorious feeling when I was finished and it did not keep me from going to sleep 2 hours later. I slept like a baby!

I've tried working out first thing in the morning with no food on my stomach, blech! I feel like I'm going to pass out.

I've also tried late morning or early afternoon about an hour after a meal. Just don't seem to have any energy then, either.

The few races I have participated in, I ate big carb filled dinners the night before and then had toast and a banana and some almonds about an hour before. That worked well for me. So I'm going to plan to stick to that for this upcoming half. 

And I'm going to train whenever I can find time and energy, which will most likely be at night. And then hope for the best come race day!

What is your best time of day to run or workout? What do you eat before a run or a race?

Mini-Vacay and the Beginning of Something Big!

 Mini-Vacation...

This weekend we headed to Newport, KY which is right across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, OH. Our plans were just to drive up there for the day to take the little one to the Newport Aquarium. Fortunately, my Dad travels a lot for business and had a free night in a hotel room that we could use. We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, which I had never been to. It was probably the nicest hotel room I've ever stayed in!

She had to break in the bed for us!

We had access to an indoor pool, and I swam more than I have since I was a kid. My legs were so tired on Monday morning! I also used their small gym, which had an elliptical, a recumbent bike (which was broken!) and a treadmill. I did a few minutes on the elliptical (1 mile) and then 1 mile on the treadmill. It was nice running on a different treadmill than my own. I felt faster, even though I really wasn't. And I was able to continually run with only a few short walk breaks. Maybe it was being in a different environment. I think I have burnt out on my treadmill...I really need the weather to cool off so I can run outside!

The aquarium was nice, a great place for kids. It's always fun to see their faces light up when they see something for the first time. There were a few times she acted scared of the fish:

Don't know what was so scary about Nemo...

 Some of the delish food I let myself partake in:

This was our only vacation this year. It was short and sweet, and we succeeded in not spending much money.

The beginning of something big....

Well, half marathon training officially started yesterday. Yesterday was a rest day for me because of traveling  and just being exhausted from hours of swimming. This week is a low mileage week. The training calendar I have has 9 miles for this week, but because I am replacing one running day with cross-training, I will only get 8 miles in this week. My long run is 3 miles, which is doable.

Next week is a completely different story! 4 mile long run next week will be the longest I have done in over a year. My plan is to only increase my weekly mileage by 2 miles per week. Here's how it looks for the next month:

Week 1:   8 miles

Week 2:   9 miles

 Week 3:   11 miles

 Week 4:   13 miles

My hope is that this way I won't get injured if I don't increase my mileage too fast. 3 days a week of running, 3 days of cross/strength training. 1 complete rest day. Sounds simple, right? With starting back to work full-time in a few weeks, we will see how simple it really is. Why in the world I decided to do a half when the training starts right before I go back to work is beyond me...

Five Thing Friday

Because I'm not cool enough to come up with "15 Thing Friday" like Cely, here's my 5 things:

1. I am super excited to go see Bad Teacher tonight with some of my teacher friends! We will be having dinner and drinks before hand, and maybe even some birthday cake. We found out after ordering a birthday cake for one teacher friend that she could not make it to the dinner, so what do good friends do, eat her cake for her!! Also, can't wait for Justin Timberlake on the big screen, in all his nerdy "teacher" outfits! So hot!!

2. Speaking of J.T., here's the video of him and Jimmy Fallon doing "History of Rap Part 2". So great...




3. I went to an Optometrist yesterday to have my eyes checked. I have had horrible headaches, dizziness and nausea all summer, brought on by spending time on the computer reading, writing (blogging!), using my iPhone to play games or read stuff on the internet, and just reading a book. So, long story short, my vision is 20/15 which is better than 20/20, but I have what is called "Accommodative Insufficiency" and I have to have Vision Therapy starting next week. Apparently the old eye muscles are weak and are struggling to focus at things up close. Glasses would have just been a crutch, and with therapy, the muscles will strengthen and the headaches from straining will go away. Guess I've been spending too much time working on other muscles in my body!! Can't wait to learn how to do eye exercises!

4. It's still hotter than Hades outside, like my Mom always says. I've been saying this all along:

5. I'm almost done with week 2 of Ripped in 30. I have noticed improvement in my ab strength, and some of the other exercises have become easier as the week goes on. However, I STILL HATE THE PLANK. Apparently, Jillian thinks it's funny to make someone plank and do other impossible movements while in the plank pose.

I have no upper body strength, although I am getting stronger, and my arm muscles are becoming more defined. My wrists feel like they are going to snap when I am planking. Even on my knees (the modified position). That's why I don't do push-ups.

Does anyone else have this problem, or is it just my little weak wrists?? I have had carpel tunnel syndrome in the past and have had to wear a brace on my wrist from over use injuries. Somehow, my weak wrists paired with my weak arms, cannot support my upper body in the plank pose. But I'll keep trying. It's all I can do!

I call this "Satan's pose"

What do you eat before a run?

I don't know if it's the heat or my diet or what, but lately I am finding myself struggling to make it through even a short run or a 25 minute workout with Jillian. Yes, it's hot outside, but most of my workouts have been indoors in the comfort of my air conditioned home.

Excuse the shweatiness

I once read that summer workouts, whether indoor or out, are affected by the air temperatures outside, as well as the humidity. Of course it is more humid in my house in the summer than in the winter when the dry hot air is blasting through the vents. But could that really be why I'm struggling to push through a workout? I seriously doubt it.

So then I turn to my eating habits to see if that has something to do with my energy levels. This morning I ate a granola bar (almonds and yogurt, not the little chocolate filled kind) and drank half a cup of coffee. Then I proceeded to eat a small container of low-fat strawberry yogurt. And now I am munching on some plain wheat toast. Lunch will typically be a salad with chicken and fruit, and sometimes if I eat out, like yesterday, a chicken or turkey sandwich with my salad. Dinner is often some kind of lean meat, a vegetable or two, like corn, and then fruit for dessert. I think I eat pretty balanced, but it seems like something is missing.


Maybe I need more protein? I'm not a huge meat eater, other than chicken and turkey or lean pork. Red meat and fish are just not my thing. I try to get protein from nuts, protein powder in my smoothies, and some dairy products. Sometimes I even eat energy bars like Luna or Powerbars. Yesterday post-workout, I had a whole wheat bagel with almond butter on one side, peanut butter on the other (I'm conservative with that expensive almond butter!!) with banana:

Yeah, don't hate on my Christmas plate in July!!

 I also have a love/hate relationship with caffeine. Of course, I am a sweet tea lover (real or fake sugar) and I have coffee every morning. On the days I drink a ton of caffeine, I feel like I can workout harder if I do it before I crash from post-caffeine wind up. But like yesterday, I had tea at lunch and then by the time I started Ripped in 30, I was exhausted and that was after a nap.

Most days I drink lots of water and/or Powerade Zero (after a workout). The last few days I have been lacking on water because I was sitting in professional development classes with a big cup of sweet tea. And I drank and drank until it was gone--I prefer to drink my calories, obviously. I started wondering about dehydration last night when I had double Charlie Horses in my hips. Talk about painful.

After everything I've eaten this morning, I still don't seem to feel energetic enough to hit the treadmill and run a few miles. Some days are better than others, but lately, I just feel drained when running or working out.

Sometimes when I try to run in the morning or around lunchtime, I struggle more than when I run at night. Maybe I need to have a full day's calories before I workout??

So I guess my question for you is,  

What do you eat before you run or workout to give you the energy to keep going?

Another Teacher Day And Why I Will Always Strength Train

Today I was in another lovely all day professional development session, but this time, no physical stuff. I really think these meetings where I sit all day are the worst. I cannot sit all day, I am a little ADHD (self diagnosed!). This was the first time I had to sit and focus in a long time, so I was really done by 2:00. And these little treats did not help the situation...

Don't get me wrong, it was a good session, just too long for me to sit. We did do some activities that were related to the new math standards that we will be teaching this coming year. Here's a sample of what my group did to show our strategies for solving a difficult math word problem:

This is what we would ask kids to do in a group to practice solving problems and having discourse about math with their peers. I love this kind of teaching. Inquiry based, student-directed and meaningful.

On to my running (or lack thereof). I have not ran since Sunday night. I took a rest day yesterday because of all the physical stuff we did in my training. I should have ran anyway, because today my glutes and hamstrings are screamin'!!! A little run will loosen them up, but Satan Jillian and her strength training is going to have to wait until tomorrow. I could easily do the upper body stuff, but lower body strength training is not happening.

Speaking of strength training, I read an article Weights Vs. Cardio: Your Guide To The Perfect Body (as if...). I have recently become aware of the need to strengthen my body by cross-training, which includes strength training. I have been injured in the past from just running and doing nothing else.

"It's not that running as an exercise is bad, but it puts a fair amount of stress on your muscles and joints. Recreational runners can have injuries caused by weakness in the core and hip-stabilizing muscles. The better plan is to take time to develop the muscles of your core and hips first instead of jumping off the couch and running three miles."

"For the hip stabilizers, start off with basic single-leg exercises like split-squats, lunges and step-ups. For the core, exercises like front planks, side planks and bird dogs will help get you stronger and more stable, making you much less likely to injure yourself when you do decide to run that 5K."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/421082-weights-vs-cardio-your-guide-to-the-perfect-body/#ixzz1SbG8rwaG

I cannot say enough about Ripped in 30. Though I may complain, I love the way my body is changing. Running changed my body, yes, but not in the same intense way as a little strength training has. I look more toned, I am losing weight (which I have not from running) and I feel stronger. Holding my 4 year old does not wear me out in 2 minutes like it used to.

I am stronger at 32 years old than I have ever been in my life. I'm not saying you need to go out and buy Jillian's DVD's or even any workout "program", heck, you could strength train with some hand weights on your own and get results. But for me, I needed directions on what to do and how long to do it in order to be successful.

Running is definitely improving my cardiovascular health, as well as my mental health. But because I haven't been running extremely long distances, there hasn't been a whole lot in the way of weight loss or improve strength. Yes, my calves have gotten more muscular from running, but the rest of my legs and body have been lacking. Since I have been strength training, I have been able to run longer distances without walking, and I am improving my time per mile by a few seconds every time I run. I highly recommend strength training to anyone, runner or not, in order to improve your overall fitness, lose weight or to just feel better. I know I do.

A Weekend Trip and A Day Back to Work

I had a nice weekend with family. We traveled a few hours away to visit my sister-in-law and her fam for my nephew's baptism on Sunday. I forgot my camera, so all I got were these crappy iPhone pictures:

My nephew, daughter and niece

I mostly ate horribly. But I did have one really big, yummy salad. Sometimes I can make good choices when everyone else is eating burgers and fries...

 I was able to workout on Saturday before leaving, and then I ran a mile last night when we got back. I was literally running at 10:45 last night. Oh what I won't do to get a run in...

Then today I got a taste of what's to come. Back to work for the day.

I had a 7 hour "professional development" on Safe Crisis Management. This is what we use in our schools in any incidence where a student becomes physically violent towards themselves or someone else. Basically, if I have to, I can safely restrain a student to prevent  him or her from hurting someone. Everything from breaking up a fight to calming a kid down in a crisis situation. I work in a large urban school district with a large population of students that come from proverty, abuse,  and neglect and don't always have those coping skills to handle anger or other strong emotions.

Every year I have a 1 day "recertification" and then every other month I attend practice sessions. For the recertification today, I had to perform a lot of physical holds, first in practice and then for a test. It's almost like wrestling, only methodical and only used in an emergency. There is a lot of lifting, bearing another person's weight and moving up and down on the floor. My knees are sore and bruised. But I did notice that strength-wise, I am able to handle someone larger than me, which was really difficult a year ago. I guess all this strength training and running is paying off in more ways than one!

 My plan was for today to be a rest day. But I'm feeling antsy and really need to get back on the Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 wagon. I am having a hard time lately taking a rest day. It's almost like I'm afraid I'll gain weight or lose some muscle tone if I don't. I feel lazy.

How many rest days do you take? Is it hard for you to take them?

Maybe one day I'll learn

I'm kicking myself right now because I indulged a little too much today and now I am paying for it. I took the little one to see the new Winnie the Pooh movie, which was so cute, by the way, and perfect for little ones with short attention spans (it only runs 1 hr 3 mins). Before the movie, my mom and I took her for lunch at our favorite fast food restaurant, Chick-fil-a. Let's just say I did not make good choices, and then proceeded to eat an entire bag of these during the movie:

425 calories of yumminess

Those sugar filled drops of goodness paired with a huge cup of sweet tea from Chick-fil-a, and I was ready to crash at the end of the movie. I was dizzy and sick to my stomach. Why did I think I could just eat like that after two weeks of eating nothing but healthy balanced meals and drinking only water?? I dunno either.

I have no self control when it comes to fast food. That's why I only allow myself to eat at Chick-fil-a once every 2 weeks or so, if that. I almost never eat at McDonald's or other fast food places. That's a disaster waiting to happen. Besides the bad food choices, almost every restaurant in this city has sweet tea now. It haunts me, every where I go...

 I also think that I really need to go to an optometrist and have my eyes checked. I have been getting headaches, neausa and feeling dizzy when I sit here at the computer, read a book for long periods of time or watch t.v. So during the movie today I noticed that a headache was starting. I don't wear glasses or contacts. Haven't had my eyes checked since I was in college.  Definitely time to have the eyes checked out.

Later this evening, after mowing heartbreak hill the yard, I hit the treadmill for a quick run. Had to stop a few times because of intense indigestion and reflux. When I finally thought I had my stomach settled, I hit it hard, running my fastest mile yet! But when I got to around 1.42, I accidentally hit the emergency magnet thing (doh!), stopping the treadmill, and losing my time. I guessed at where it was, started again, but only lasted for another .2 miles or so. The reflux was back with a vengence, and I didn't want to lose my dinner. That'll teach me to eat greasy, sugar-filled food and drink sweet tea like it's water. Until I forget how horrible I felt today and find myself at Chick-fil-a. I found out they are building a new one only a few miles from my house. I'm in TROUBLE!!

Do you struggle with self-control when at restaurants? What food can you not resist?

Love and Hate

What I'm loving right now:

Morning hair. 

I don't normally get to see this, during the school year I am gone to work before she wakes up.

Runner's World SmartCoach App

My Nike flip-flops. 

I wear these things everywhere. So comfy.

 Raisins. 

Good for my sweet cravings.

 

Growing my own veggies. I

Although, I'm a little impatient for the results.

What I'm hating right now:

Netflix: 

Thanks for the price increase. 

Now that I know they are doing it to get more people to move to digital only (streaming), I get it.

But sheesh, you had a good thing going!

source

Jillian Michaels. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Satan sent her. 

source

My jogging stroller. 

Arnold Swarchenegger must have invented these because you'd have to be that strong to run with one, seriously! The one in the picture is much nicer than the one I have. My little one only weighs 32 lbs. but the front wheel does not rotate so when you turn I have to push down on the handle and turn the stroller in the right direction. I'm selling that sucker ASAP!

What are you loving or hating right now?

Will run for ice cream...

Today's weather was more like your typical summer day. Hot but not so humid. Satan decided to release us from his armpit for a few days...we'll see how long that lasts. Thanks a lot, Satan.

Here's a recap of the last 2 days' workouts:

Tuesday:
Elliptical - 20 mins.
Treadmill - walk at 4% incline for 15 mins. (1 mile)
Day 6 of Ripped in 30

I was feeling a little extra energetic and mixed it up a little. We have an elliptical, but in my opinion, elliptical workouts suck. My least favorite form of exercise.  It doesn't get used much. So I dusted it off, did as much as I could stand and then walked on the 'mill. Then it was on to week 2 (day 6) of Ripped in 30. All I can say is, crap. I'm screwed. Today I am very sore, therefore I did not attempt to do day 7 yet. I know my body and I know I need to rest those muscles. Week 2 is going to be the death of me. But I will finish!

Today:
Treadmill - 2 mile tempo run

This was hard, I really had to push myself. I don't know about anybody else, but running does not come easy to me most days, and today was just like most days. Good news, though, I got a mile PR for the second mile. I have cut about a minute of my mile time since spring. Not bad for a non-athletic lazy bum. Still slow, though, and I'm sure I always will be. 

I have found a training schedule that works for me, and I am going to listen to my body and only run 3-4 days, cross-train 2-3 days and rest one day. That is what I have been doing, and I have been getting faster, as well as increasing distance.

The training schedule that I have from the "elite athletes that create training schedules" requires 5 days of running, with 4 of those being consecutive. Not for me. I will injury myself that way. I need to build strength through cross training. It's the only way I am going to stay injury free and be strong enough to run 13.1.

Here's some pics from today's activities:

A yummy snack...

Playground fun...(thanks to better weather!)

A nice cold treat...

 A nice cold treat all over our face...

 And some blogging...

Questions for you...

I have been keeping a list of questions related to running my half-marathon this November. I've searched online and read what the "pros" have to say, but I'm really interested in finding out what other runners like myself do when training for half and full marthons. If you want to answer any or all of these questions for me, I'd be so thankful for your wisdom. Just leave your answers in the comment section, please and number them for me. I am going to answer them with what I am currently doing. Here goes:

1. Do you train for races outside, inside on a treadmill, or both?

• Lately, due to weather, I have been training inside on the treadmill. I want to run outside more when it cools down some.

2. Do you buy new shoes for a big race and then break them in a few weeks prior or stick with what you've trained in?

• My only experience with this was last years half, and I wore the shoes I trained in. Had no problems, but I walked pretty much the whole thing.

3. Do you pay attention to, or track your heart rate during runs?

• I am very interested in doing this. I am buying a Garmin with a heart rate monitor. I want to learn how to monitor this and use it to my advantage during training. 

4. The only hills I have really run for this training are on my treadmill. A 10% incline was like death for me. How do you train for hills?

• At 10% on my treadmill, I can only run for like a minute. In my neighborhood, there are some pretty big hills, but most are short and quick. I typically have to slow down and even walk sometimes.  I am working on hills on the treadmill 1 day a week. 

5. Do you cross train? What kind of activities do you do?

• I walk, do elliptical and fitness videos for strength. I would like to bike and swim more. Just too hard with a little one. 

Last one, I promise!

6. What is your favorite piece of running gear/clothing/shoes?

• I love my Brooks Ariel's. I am sure I would love my Garmin if I had one!

Thanks for answering my silly questions. I appreciate it!

I ran a 5K!!!!!

I know, you're saying "whoopty-doo". But for me, it is the longest distance I have done since April 2010. It wasn't an "official" race. Just me and my treadmill, avoiding the wrath of satan outdoors.

 I felt strong.

 I felt good.

I could have kept going, but I knew I still had the other wrath of satan to deal with: Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30.

Today was day 5 of week 1. The final day of the first week. I have to say, so far, so good. I can do a few more push ups and crunches than the first day. I can hold my plank pose longer. And I increased my weights for some of the arm strength exercises. I am already noticing changes in my arms. They feel more toned. So do my legs. But maybe that's from running, too. Dunno. All I know is, I'm going to keep it up. I guess any workout video works if you actually do it. I'll keep you posted on my success (as well as my failures, as always!)

Lastly, I'll leave you with a little motivation:

Motivation on a Monday

I need some motivation to go run and do day 5 (week 1) of Ripped in 30. It all sounded so great last night at 2:00 in the morning. I could have ran for miles without any problem. Why didn't I get up and just run? Probably because I had to get up early this morning for a play date for the little one. I did get up and quietly roll the garbage cans and recycling out to the street because the dear hubs forgot to put them out again. Thanks, honey for contributing to my insomnia. As if your snoring doesn't do enough for that...

Yesterday was a eat every carb in sight and lay around, a.k.a. rest day. We had a church picnic, complete with canoeing in the 100 degree, 100% humidity weather. So needless to say, I ate a lot of broccoli salads, potatoes and cake. And then there was my husband's grandma's 94th birthday party. With Kentucky Fried Chicken. And cake, again. Other than getting up to refill my plate and a little rowing on the canoe, I was a big lump of lazy yesterday. At least I got some cute pictures.

Today's weather is even worse. It feels like it's about 5 degrees cooler than hell outside right now. We have another "excessive heat warning", so there is no chance I will be running outside today or tonight. I need to run, but not bad enough to die doing it. So my treadmill will be my best friend again today, like so many hot (and cold) days before.  I hope it is not as hot where you are...

Runners are CRA-ZY!!!

I have seen my share of crazy people in my lifetime. Heck, I used to work in a mental hospital when I was in college. And like most people, my family has it's share of the mentally unstable (I kid, kind of). Lately I have seen and heard about some runners doing some crazy things. I guess I'm not as hardcore as others, and maybe that's why I consider myself a "wannabe" runner, or a jogger, rather than an actual runner in the athletic sense of the word. Here's a few examples of the crazies I've seen running around:

• Today, as I was leaving my house to drive to my second home Target, I saw a man running down the sidewalk in my neighborhood. On any given day, that would be fine and dandy, except today is not any given day. You see, we are under a heat advisory here in the great Ohio River Valley. We have been warned not to spend too much time outside, to not exert ourselves from the hours of noon until 7pm while outside, and to stay indoors if at all possible. Our heat is a HUMID heat, so 92 degrees feels more like 102. I saw this fellow running around 3:30 p.m. this afternoon. The hottest part of the day. Why???? Runner's are CRAZY!

• Last Monday, on the 4th of July, I was enjoying fireworks at my in-law's house around 10:30 p.m. There were probably 4 or 5 houses around us lighting off fireworks in the middle of the street. Not just small ones. Some large, explosive things that scared me. And suddenly, this women comes jogging by (wearing running clothes, so I know she wasn't just running to get away from somebody). Now I'm all for running at night when it's cooler (ahem, Mr. heat advisory runner), but right down the middle of the street where everyone is shooting off fireworks after dark??? Isn't that how people lose an eye??? Runner's are CRAZY!!!

Clearly, I kid about these runners having mental health issues, but to the average person who is not a runner, some of the things we do seem so, well, crazy. Running has caused me to go outside my comfort zone physically and mentally, and if that makes me appear crazy to the average non-runner, then so be it!

I wish I had the guts to run outside no matter the weather, time of day or presence of explosives. I can only hope that I will not be afraid to be a little crazy when necessary, and train for and run this half marathon no matter what. That we shall see...

*This post was inspired by Running on Faith's post "Running makes me look crazy". Check it out, so true!

Five for Friday

1. Running related - I am dying to get a Garmin Forerunner 305. I have been researching and then searching for the cheapest price online for weeks now, just gotta commit to spending the money...

Hello, beautiful...I wish I could run 3.82 miles in 28:28!!!!

 

 

 

2. Insomnia - I am having a hard time sleeping at night...then of course, all I want to do is sleep during the day. Tylenol PM does nothing for me. Any suggestions? Ever try Melatonin?

3. I am going to cut back on artificial sweeteners after reading that they can lead to weight gain. I usually drink coffee with Splenda every morning, and my yogurt is artificially sweetened.  I'm sure there's other stuff I'm not thinking of, but I am going to really pay close attention now.

4. My child is terrified of the cow from Chick-fil-a. The person in a costume came walking around today because it was "Cow Appreciation Day". The little one hid until he was gone. She is a boisterous, outgoing kid, who I always thought was afraid of nothing. You learn something new everyday...

5. I have not been on a vacation in 8 years. My last vacation was to Pawley's Island, S.C. with my family in 2003. Other than traveling to visit family in middle Tennessee, and a weekend in St. Louis and another in Cincinnati, I have not left home. Every year there has been a reason why we don't go somewhere. Work schedules, having a kid, money. Whatever the reason, it stinks. Looking at other people's vacay photos on Facebook really stinks. Just sayin'.

Tonight's workout is Day 3 of Ripped in 30. I am so not looking forward to this. But I know I'll feel better, so here I go...

Thunder Thighs and a Big Booty

As a "runner" (I use that term loosely...) I have been working hard to run longer as well as faster. I began running in 2010, but became injured during training for a half-marathon and had to take 2 weeks off completely and then work my way back into training 2 weeks before the race. Needless to say, at that point I was using a run/walk method to train and complete the half.

Since I started attempting to seriously run again this spring, I have continued using the run/walk method, gradually working my way into more running than walking. So my time per mile is typically between 12 and 14 minutes. The fastest I have ran a mile in is 12 minutes exactly. That was during a speed workout on the treadmill. So I really feel bad for those of you who run a sub 10 minute mile and think you are slow. Please...

Stay outta my lane...

http://completerunning.com/archives/2008/02/18/photo-of-the-week-slug-lane

I read today that for every pound a runner loses, they can typically run 2 seconds per mile faster. So my goal of losing around 15 pounds would give me a 30 second faster mile time. But, you see, the thing is, I am having a hard time losing ANY weight. I have fluctuated between 142 lbs. and 144 lbs. over the last month. At 5'3" that puts my BMI into the lowest end of  the "overweight" category. I've always been considered "muscular" and have been told I'm built like a cheerleader, short and stacked. But there's nothing like your Wii Fit telling you that you are fat! I have never had body image issues until after my pregnancy and more so since I started running. It's like I am comparing myself to other runners, and I know I shouldn't. I mean the whole purpose in running is to feel good about myself, right?

Dressing room self portrait from today...

Another self portrait from today...workout clothes.

Where I am struggling now with the weight loss is that I typically watch what I eat (meaning out of approximately 21 meals a week, about 18-19 are low fat, healthy meals), I work out 5-6 days a week, and I still seem to be stuck. Maybe it's the sweet tea I drink once or twice a week? I've cut down tremendously, and I even get unsweetened tea and use Splenda pretty often, too.

 This is my new 'Tea Tumbler'. 

It's one of those reusable cups so I can get 99 cent tea for the rest of 2011!

 It's an addiction, I promise I can't help it...

Maybe it's the Sunday lunches at my MIL's house? Or maybe I'm not working hard enough or long enough when I do workout? I have tracked my calories for weeks at a time, to no avail. I don't think I can pinpoint any one thing. Too many calories consumed, too little calorie burning and too much worrying about it!

Obviously in 18 days when I begin to follow a training schedule for the half marathon in November, my workout intensity will increase somewhat. I hope that by running more, running faster and continuing to eat healthy 95% of the time (moderation, right?!?), that I will see some results. I just hope that increase in intensity does not find me injured again.

I'll leave you with two of my favorite posters by Nike about positive body image:

So I want to know, What advice do you have for losing weight, running longer and faster or both?

Count Your Blessings

I struggled with what to post today.

My day started by attending the wake of a 13 year old former student that drowned a week ago. He was in a 5th grade class that I co-taught in 2 years ago, and his younger siblings still attend our school. We were all devistated, needless to say, by this young life ending in such a tragic way. Our local paper said that all he wanted to do was play professional football and get his mom out of the difficult conditions (poverty and violence) she and his siblings are living in. He was a hard working, good kid with a kind heart. Plain and simple.

I tell this story because I had to take some time today to reflect on what is important in my life and to really feel the emotion of grief for his family but also to refocus my priorities regarding my own family. And to realize that no matter how bad I think it may be, it could always be worse. I'm glad I had my pity party yesterday and got it all out.

Life is precious. It's funny how it takes a tragedy so close to home to cause you to count your blessings.

 Workout

Tonight was day 2 (of week 1) of Ripped in 30. I put in a little more effort on the abs today. It took my by surprise how difficult the same exercises were on the second day in a row. My muscles were definitely fatigued and sore from day 1, so I am going to skip tomorrow and resume day 3 on Friday. I am also going to hit the pavement with the doggy again in a few. That was refreshing last night to get out and just run, no pressure.

The Pity Party is Over

Today I had my pity party. I was the only guest. I spent a good portion of the day laying around upset, crying, frustrated, and just feeling sorry for myself. There were several reasons why. Some involved running and my body, some reasons were financial and some were just plain stupid stuff.

So now the party's over. I put on my big girl panties and decided it was time to move on.

Sunday and Monday, I was fortunate enough to swim in my neighbors pool. I forgot how much of a workout it can be. Just running around the pool carrying some kids on my back wore me out like no other workout has done in a while! It was really nice to invite myself be asked to swim on such hot days!

Tonight I began working out using Jillian Micheal's "Ripped in 30" workout DVD. I started with week 1. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't as hard as I expected, either. That gave me a confidence boost. Let's see how long that confidence sticks around once I move on to weeks 2, 3 and 4!

Ripped in 30

This video uses the 3, 2, 1 method. Basically, it's a 24 minute workout. There's a warm-up then you head into 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs. This repeats 4 times for a total of 24 minutes. The activities change each round, so it does not get boring. A short cool-down at the end involves light stretching.

I found the cardio to be easy, maybe because I've been running and also doing the Cardio Max DVD, which involves 20 minutes straight cardio work. So 2 minutes seemed like a piece of cake! The strength activites invovled hand weights and were challenging but not horrible. The 1 minute of ab work was pure torture. I'm the first to admit I have no ab strength. I've really, really got to work on that. I will keep you updated on the progress!
(side note: I am not being paid to review or use this product, I just wanted to share my cross training activities with you)

Then, right around dusk, I took my dog Heidi out for a "walk". Now, Heidi is an Irish Setter and she was born to run. She takes off like a rocket for the first tenth of a mile. So we did some jogging, alternating with very fast walking. We did 1 mile around the neighborhood, and I felt great! I forgot how good it felt to get outside, quit worrying about the numbers on the treadmill and just do it!

Heidi

So maybe running and I aren't going to take a break after all. Maybe we just need to see other people and then meet in a new environment, namely outside. I have been so focused on time, speed, and distance that I lost the love for it. Before my half marathon training starts in a few weeks, I need to take some time to work on strength (especially those abs) and to get out and run for the fun of it. No pressure, just me and the road.

And maybe the dog. 

Heidi, collapsed after a run

Losing My Sanity

For the last 3 days, I have hit a wall before even finishing one mile.

For the last 3 days, I have tried really hard to push myself, and I failed.

For the last 3 days, I have beat myself up about how slow I am.

For the last 3 days, I have seriously questioned my ability to do 13.1 in November.

I am losing my sanity.


Running has been my sanity, it has made me feel strong, made me feel good about myself, made me happy.

I have a love/hate relationship with running.

Today it is hate more than love.

If I lose weight, I will be faster.

If I push myself, I will run longer.

Mind over matter. Not as easy as it sounds.

I am losing my sanity.


If running is my sanity, then I am losing at running...

I think running and I are going to take a break.

For a few days, maybe a week. We'll see.

I'll be back, I've got a date with 13.1 in 130 days, 19 weeks or 4 months.

I'm not a quitter.

Today in a Nutshell

Today in a nutshell, crappy iPhone photos and all...

Church.

Lunch:

 Raspberry Tea (unsweetened, I might add!)

 Chicken sandwich and fries. 

(I know, not healthy. Today is my "eat anything day")

 Dessert. Shared with the little one.

 Nap.

Run (miserable...will post more tomorrow)

Swim.

Party time.

The main event. Fire Marshall and ATF were involved, but fortunately, no one went to jail!

My beverage for the evening.

Our hosts' bathroom. All decked out for the holiday!

Funny bathroom mirror photo.

Sparklers for the kiddos.

 The night ended with dancing to some oldies like Marvin Gaye and The Beatles!

I hope your 4th of July festivities were as exciting and fun as mine!