Rest days suck!

I never in a million bajillion years thought I would ever feel that way. I took two rest days, Friday and Saturday because my knee was hurting. I was afraid running or any other activity would jack my knee up to the point where I would have to take weeks off my half training. Or maybe not be able to do the half at all.

Those two days were hard.

Friday, I was busy at work, cleaning out and organizing with a teacher friend, getting ready for the upcoming school year (school starts on the 15th). I was exhausted that night, but still wanted to 'get my sweat on'. I just don't feel good about myself if I don't have sore or tired muscles. You know, that good tired.

Then Saturday, I went out to lunch with my mom and did some shopping. We ended up at Dairy Queen with blizzards. I got the Nutter Butter blizzard, which by the way, is fabulous if you love peanut butter the way I do! As we sat outside eating our blizzards and enjoying the abnormally mild 85 degree weather, I saw, not one, but two people run by. An omen? A sign that I shouldn't be eating that blizzard? Whatever it was, I knew I had to try to run again, soon. I was not going to give up.

Aren't those DQ commercials annoying?? Especially the chest hair?

Finally, last night I did it. I had 4 miles on the schedule for Saturday, but like the week before, I pushed the long run to Sunday. It wasn't easy. This was the longest distance I have done in over a year. There was a lot of stopping to stretch out my right calf and knee. There was some tightness, and some weird feeling like my hip, knee and foot were somehow out of line with each other. There were times when I really just wanted to stop. But I did it. I finished 4 miles without any of the horrible pain that I expected. My hip and knee are a little sore today, but nothing unbearable.

This week brings a 5 mile run for the weekend. That in addition to going back to work should be interesting.

I worked all last week and found it hard to workout without having a decent amount of caffeine before hand. I think Coke Zero and I are going to become great friends. Except for the fact that it makes me burp the whole time I'm running or working out.

God only knows what Phenylalanine does to my body. But hey, at least there's no calories, right?!? I'm probably better off drinking sweet tea...

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...

Ugh...

I have no one to blame but myself. I am sick as a dog. All because I decided to eat healthy many months ago and then botched it up this weekend.

We traveled to Tennessee to visit my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and such, and in the process I consumed God knows how many calories. And it's not even about the calories, it was the quality of the food. Bacon and eggs, meatloaf, mashed potatoes (soaked with butter and milk--I'm lactose intolerant), apple crisps and vanilla ice cream, cake, burgers and fries...the list goes on and on. It was all so good. Not so good now. I cannot turn down food made by family. Down there everyone eats home cooked meals made with tons of grease, butter, and salt. Like I thought I could just jump right in where I left off months ago...

So here I sit, too sick to do anything that even resembles walking, much less running. I knew this weekend was going to be hard when it came to making good choices about what I eat, but I had no idea it would make me this sick to eat like I used to for 2 or 3 days. Ugh. Try to eat healthy and it bites you in the butt...

 My new BFF

So for the next few days, I am on detox from anything that contains butter, sugar, salt or milk (with the exception of yogurt...it seems to help the stomach issues). We will see how I feel tomorrow or the next day. Hopefully this doesn't last. Ugh.

One of My Inspirations

Beth from Shut Up and Run! had a blog post this week that really resonated with me. She talks about her choice to eat healthy, even though she is naturally thin and could eat just about anything, because she runs, bikes and swims like a madwoman, burning off a million calories a day:

 I may have stolen borrowed these pics off her blog.

"I believe it’s a lifestyle. It’s finding the connection between how you feel mentally, emotionally and physically and what you put into your body. There is NOTHING I eat in a given day that I eat without being completely conscious of how it is or is not contributing to the well being of my body. Awareness is key. When we get disconnected, we make poor choices."

Disconnected. That is truly how I felt the majority of my life. Disconnected from my body. Like I had no control over how my body looked, and more importantly how it felt. It has taken years of my adulthood to realize that I have a choice. I can feel good, or I can feel bad. That is one reason I started this blog: to record my journey to become connected to my body again through healthier eating habits and exercise.

No, I am not naturally thin, athletic or fast. And I have to work like hell to just maintain where I am physically. I have to exercise 4-5 days a week. I can't eat donuts or ice cream or pizza or even drink sweet tea 7 days a week without blowing up like a beluga whale. And believe me, I would love to drink sweet tea everyday, all day long.  But, in the end, I have to take care of my body. It is the only one I have. It can do amazing things like grow a baby, give birth, and run. Maybe not fast, but boy can I run!

Beth is an inspiration to me. Not because she is super thin, or because she is totally hilarious (which she is, you should read her blog). But because she takes care of her body by eating well (most of the time, nobody's perfect...) and consistently working to maintain and even improve her fitness level--if that's even possible. The woman's a athletic freak of nature, just sayin'...;-)

There May Have Been Ice Cream...

It has been HOT! There's no other way to put it...90+ degree heat, humidity and the lack of rain have made for a miserable week. Today I decided take my little one to a "splash play area" at one of our local parks. Our city has such a great park system, and the sprinkler area at this particular park is really nice. This park is a big running/walking/biking park because of it's hills and scenic trails. I admire the people who were running, walking and biking on a day like today. By the time we left the park, my car's temperature gauge said 99 degrees. I'm sure it really wasn't that hot, but in the direct sun, it sure felt like it!

That being said, I am a wimp when it comes to extreme temperatures and running. Since I bought a treadmill last year, I have avoided going outside to run in really cold and really hot temps like I'm some kind of recluse. I have been spoiled by my temperature controlled basement, with a T.V., speakers for my iPod and a fan blowing on me as I pretend to run.

And the heat has not helped our garden out at all. This is apparently what happens to lettuce plants when it's too hot or too wet (like it was last month). They become freakishly tall and skinny. Oh, well, I really didn't want to eat any salad anyway...

As for exercise today, I ran this morning, on the treadmill (of course), 2 miles. Then tonight I did CardioMax with Bob (the trainer from The Biggest Loser). He kicked my butt, as always. I can barely walk now. Guess I won't be doing that long run until never Sunday (wink, wink). I did the double workout today because at some point there may have been ice cream. I'm not saying from where or what kind, but knowing I spent hours outside in 90 degree weather, you can't hate on me.  And anyway, lunch was very, very conservative.

couscous, carrots and veggie pasta with chicken

This is a small plate, I promise.

My lunch choices were almost as good as my dinner choices. Dinner was a turkey wrap with hummus, lettuce, tomato, Dijon mustard and crumbled blue cheese. Yum. Much better than ice cream...