An Unexpected Day Off

Working and blogging apparently don't work well together for me...hence the last post being from last Wednesday. I started back to work last Thursday, and today was suppposed to be the first day of school in my school district. BUT IT WAS CANCELED! How often does that happen? First day of school...canceled!

Saturday we had a pretty mighty storm that literally blew through the city (70 mph winds) and 150,000 people lost power. That included about 48 schools. As of last night, there were still around a dozen schools without power, so classes for the first day were canceled. I got an unexpected day off. What to do, what to do??


Running

Over the last 4 days, I have been taking the dog out for a quick 1 mile run at night. Thank God the weather has been cooler and actually bearable to run in. I have taken my iPhone with me and used several different apps with GPS to track my mileage and time. Here's my last 3 runs:

Thursday - 1 mile - 12:00  (really fast for me!)

Saturday - 1 mile - 11:14  (fastest time thus far!)

Sunday - 2 miles - 27:58  (what the heck, Cindy?)

What the heck happened last night? Shins were screaming, so I stopped at 2 when I was supposed to do 5. I knew from the first few seconds of that run that I wasn't going to make it 5. I know my body and can definitely tell when it's going to be a crappy run early on. I'd rather have a slow, short run than no run at all, I guess. 

Ripped in 30

I am on week 4 now, and I am just going to continue a few times a week, mixing up which week a do from this point on. I really, really love this workout. And I really, really hate this workout. 

I love it because it has changed my body. Running has done a lot for my confidence and cardiovascular endurance. But I never lost weight. And I really didn't build much muscle. Ripped in 30 has given me a weight loss boost (just a few pounds, but still good for someone petite like me) and I can see a difference in the muscle tone in my arms and legs. I feel stronger. I have "slimmed down" as my husband has told me. He says I've lost weight in my face. That's interesting. 

I think a combo of running and this workout have been the 1-2 punch that I needed to build strength and lose a little weight. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick strength workout for cross-training. I hope now that I'm going back to work I can keep it up. 

Today I guess I will do a Ripped in 30 workout, take the little one for allergy shots and run some errands. I need a running break today to let my shins rest. I will try to run again tomorrow, hopefully completing the 4 miles on my schedule. Today is one of those days I think that a half marathon is not in the cards for me. But a big part of me says don't give up. Only time will tell...

I'm baaaaack!

Did you even realize I was gone?? Here's an update of what's being going on...

Work

Been a wild and crazy week so far, with no slowing down for the next 2 days. It's that time of year when teachers start getting ready for the new school year by spending countless hours in professional development, meetings and setting up our classrooms, or for me, my closet.

I am a resource teacher, so I spend most of my time in other teacher's classrooms working with kids that need extra support, as well as teaching with the classroom teachers. But I do have a small room that I share with someone, and I use it to pull kids out that need one-on-one help or for testing, etc. Unpacking, rearranging and paperwork have consumed the last 3 days. I'm ready for the kids, but I really am not ready for all the "logistical" and "political" parts of my job.

Speaking of political, I wanted to share this awesome video clip of Matt Damon going apesh*t on a reporter asking a question about teachers having incentives for test scores and job performance:

Training

I've had good days and bad days, as expected. Saturday's long run of 3 miles was pushed back to Sunday because Saturday was so busy. But I got it done. Not gonna lie. It. was. hard. I began to rethink the whole half-marathon thing. Again. But that was nothing compared to Monday. That was my first full day back to work. I was exhausted. It was a cross-train day, so I did Ripped in 30, at least I did most of it, and called it a night. Again, I am not a morning workout person, so going back to work then taking care of the little one, and finally working out at the end of the night was tough. I had forgotten how tough. 

Last night was a repeat of Monday night. Except, I was supposed to run 3 miles. Again. When I got home from work, we swam in our neighbor's pool for over an hour. I did lots of laps, and some with kids hanging on me. So needless to say, I was wiped out. So I modified my schedule and only did 1 mile. I would have done more if my chest didn't feel like it was going to explode. Sharp pain when I breathe. Weird side effect of swimming?? ever had that happen?

Today is back to cross-training. I'm thinking walking at an incline on the treadmill while watching Big Brother sounds like a plan. Maybe a little Ripped in 30 before that starts...I dunno. We'll see.

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?

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...

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...

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...

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.