Worst Run...

My worse day of running is still better then no running. I am having a hard time wanting to workout in the mornings. Even with caffeine it's still hard.

Is it always going to be hard? Well, yes and no. Some days I feel like exercising but more and more I don't feel like it. I always go and exercise no matter what because even if I don't try hard, I'm still getting exercise. I'm still there doing something  and something is way better then nothing. I don't ever regret going but I'm sure to regret not going to exercise.

I had a lazy day off yesterday. I had big plans to do a bunch of stuff. Instead, I sent the kids off to school, climbed back into bed for 2 hours. 6 hours of sleep at night are not enough and I needed 8 yesterday. My extra sleep wasted away the morning. I'm lucky to be able to catch up on sleep.

This morning was no better, after getting home at 6:30am, I climbed back into bed and slept for another hour. I'm sure my body needs the extra rest. I've been craving it. All that hard work of building muscle and running has taken a toll.. time to repair and refresh myself.

Today, I'm working in the morning. Burning more calories, around 500 or so with the extra bending, cleaning, and lifting I'll be doing. I also want to find time to run 4 miles. I do love my outdoor running time. Even if it's hard to get going.. after 15 minutes I feel great and am glad I went out and did it. I've just been going slow.. 10 minute miles just to be out there is good enough right now. No need to push myself. I'm just coasting along until I find the energy to want to do more. Right now.. I'lll keep plugging away...

Monday Already?

It's Monday. It came so fast! I need a 3 day weekend, wait I do have today off. No work for me.

It was still hard getting up early and working out this Monday morning. I even took the weekend off from the gym, but of course didn't take it off from running.

I'm tired of working out every day at the gym. I know I have to keep going... Just wasn't feeling it this morning. I know this too shall pass. Week 20.. last week in my fitness book!

This weekend I ran outside, which I love. I did realize that I need better running shorts. My knee length running shorts work fine for the length, but they like to slowly fall down as I run. I'm constantly pulling them up and pulling down on my top. I need a tighter pair at least tighter around my waist. My mission today is to find that perfect running short!

In addition to running today, I want to mountain bike. That's right... go out and hit the trails. I've been putting it off even though I do like it. Guess, I just think I'd enjoy it more with someone then alone. I've waited long enough and now I'm on my own.

This week I won't be able to do any rock climbing on Tuesday or Thursday since my work schedule is too busy those days. I'll go next week instead.

This week, I'll go to the gym every morning at 5am, run for an hour then lift weights for 20 minutes. I'll try to run outside as much as possible in the afternoons or evenings. Try to take less naps during the day. Work on the yard a bit, weeding and planting flowers.

I also have plenty to do inside the house. Go through the kids toys and get rid of some, clean up the laundry room art area. Wash my floors, do laundry and do whatever else needs to be done.

I do want to find time for my Pinterest projects. I'm going to spray paint some wine bottles and roll them in salts for flower vases. Hoping they turn out nice.

So that's my week.. in addition to celebrating Steve's b-day all week... and with Celina's tennis starting today.. busy busy,..  the way I like it!

Mow.. mow.. mow your lawn...

I just love a good excuse to get in some exercise. I don't hire out mowing our yard. I didn't get Steve or the kids to do it. I do the lawn. I do it because I know I'll be burning calories.

I always love it when people say they are too busy to exercise. Yet, they have plenty of time to sit inside, watch tv or surf the internet for hours.

Progress report....

I ran today, just 4 miles and did them slow. It was windy and there were lots of worms to jump over and go around.

I purchased a few fitness book, the same one. Why change something that works?

Tomorrow, I start week 20... then I start all over again from week 1 in my new book.

The week ahead is busy with working Tuesday - Friday. Exercising at 5am, and running more outside this week. Celina also starts Tennis on Tuesdays/Thursday fro 6:30 - 7:30pm so I'll be running around Rosemount while she plays tennis. Using my time while she is at her activity.

We are also celebrating Steve's birthday.. having cake and ice cream... and enjoying life.... one day at a time...

Weekly running totals = 45.5miles.... going down but a needed break!

Looking forward to ?

I was sooo looking forward to running outside this morning. I took a week off from running in the afternoons. I was up and ready to go at 6:30am this morning. It was drizzling just a tiny bit, but it wasn't very cold out. The drizzle actually felt good, cooling me down and keeping me from over heating.

I ran the 4 mile neighborhood route, through the woods and down the dirt road came back into our neighborhood where Steve put away his bike and joined me running. We ran back out to the main road and around the neighborhood for another 2 miles. He was done running/biking for the day so I took off and ran down our path, behind the houses and around the lakes and back through our neighborhood and did that 2x's plus, went around our little circle 3x's which is another mile. I'm guessing I ran for 50 minutes then another 55 minutes.

I felt good running. I did the first 4 miles in 36 minutes for a 9 minute mile. When I ran with Steve I had my heart rate around 125 and when I run by myself it's around 145. So, it's a very leisure run with Steve. After, Steve was done with his 2 miles, I continued running and decided to just keep my heart rate around 125 to 130.

I'm guessing I ran about 10 to 11 miles today?

It was nice just running and not worrying about how fast or where I would run.. just to be outside looking around the time went by fast. My right foot toes still cramp up, so I have to stop every once in awhile and flex my toes to continue running.

Looking forward until tomorrow when I get to do a long run again.... Oh sooo nice taking a gym break. Love, love the fresh air!!!

Journal

My trusty fitness journal has been with me now since the first week in January. I started recording number of miles, how long I lifted weights, how many days a week I worked out, what I ate and my todo list for the day etc.. It's now been 19 weeks.. coming up on 20 and the last line in my journal to record all.

I'm saying good bye to a trusted source of keeping me going, motivated and honest about my daily workout and eating. If I could, I'd keep adding on to the pages where I keep my totals but there is no room. I need to start fresh again.

It's off to the book store to pick up a new fitness journal. I won't get the same one. I like this one I have but I'm sure to get new motivational advice and tips in a new book. They don't come cheap at $15 or more for a journal. It is cheap in comparison to not doing anything. I'll gladly shell out $15 if that's what it takes.

Come next Monday, I'll be starting fresh. Hopefully, with a new sense of motivation.. with 20 more weeks to record all in one place.

It's nice to look back at all the weeks, seeing how I changed and how far I've come. I haven't made huge strides but more little ones along the way. My weight really hasn't changed that much in 19 weeks.. but I feel more fit, more tone and know my lungs & heart are stronger. My will power is stronger then ever to keep going.

I'll keep the used up fitness journal to keep a record for myself to know how far I've come and how far I have to go....

So start fresh with me next Monday.. get yourself a journal and track everything on a daily basis. Your life will look so much more full.. You'll feel good about your accomplishments and you'll have a record of it.

Activities any one?

We all make sure our kids are signed up for endless activities throughout the year. Well, what about you? What are you signed up for. Are you running to your own sport 1,2, 3, 4, 5 days a week? Do your kids tell you to be on your "A" game before you go for a workout? Do they make sure you never miss a workout?

That's right.. we need to take a look at what we expect from our kids and turn the tables. We need to participate in just as much as our children. DO we all need to be on our "A" game all the time?  Maybe there would be less obese adults if we did what we expect out of our own children?

I see parents run their kids ragged. Every day of the week after school they participate in sports or some other form of activities. We as parents take on the bystander role. Pushing our kids to perform for us as we stand on the sidelines. It's easy to give advice and tell someone what to do. It's a lot harder to get out there and do it.

We make sure our kids practice and what  do we do while they are doing that? Sit on the couch? Stand there and watch them. Is that really the example we want to set?

Why not run yourself ragged. Follow your own advice you give your children. Participate in activities 5 days a week, always be on your "A" game and see how long you last! Is it realistic? Probably not but you need to try it. You need to do it so you can know if your pushing too much or not at all. Run to your own activities. Make your kids proud because I can tell you ... they aren't proud of you sitting on the couch or the sidelines, not understanding they are trying their best, being told how to do it by you.. so get off your own butt.. do your own activities! 

It's time to be fit and healthy just the same standards you set for your children you need to set for yourself!

Flat Stomach

It it possible after 40 to have a flat stomach? Not sure??? I do countless sit ups, crunches every day on various machines and use my own body weight to tone and firm up.

I think my stomach looks better for just doing some form of stomach toning. I have some definition of muscles. I won't ever have that six pack look. I'd have to get down to really low body fat and I'm still not sure that would make my lower stomach smooth and flat.

You eat, drink some water and there it goes.. all round and puffy. Do I really care? Nope.. I've come this far, I know it's just from eating and not fat.

So why worry about it? I'll keep at it.. keep doing my crunches, sit ups and using the machines every day to tone but I won't obsess over it!

And for the record.. My arm pit area hurts on my body today.. Could that be from rock climbing or heavier weights? Not exactly where I was hoping to tone up! lol....

Becoming the "B I T C H"

Your inner BITCH.....
B - Become
I - Inspiring
T - Totally
C - Confident
H - Hot

I love this new book I found at the library.. "The Female Body Breakthrough" by Rachel Crosgrow. This is her books term for being a BITCH.. and I like it! It's one of the best fitness books I've ever come across. I've pretty much read them all thanks to my local library.

Out Of My Comfort Zone..

I had to get out of my comfort zone to make any new progress on my fitness. Today, I upped the speed on the treadmill. I went from my leisure 6.0 to 7.0mph. That's a nine minute mile for 1 hour. I didn't add in any hills like I normally do when I run a 10 minute mile. I figured this was enough change for one day.

I finished my run and my totals were 7.0 miles and I burned 766 calories. I had 20 minutes left to lift weights. I increased the weights I lift too. I never feel any soreness after lifting so it's time to add in more weight. Due to the heavier weights, I did less reps. I'm sure as my body gets use to heavier weights I'll be able to do more but for now I'll just work on making small changes.

I thought I'd be sore from rock climbing yesterday since my forearms were tired after climbing for the hour. Nope, woke up and nothing hurt. Guess that's good but then I got to thinking... maybe I didn't work as hard as I could have. No, no need to push myself past exhaustion.

So, I was out of my comfort zone today.. running my butt off and liking the changes I made to mix things up and keep me motivated. I'm now working on speed.. not distance and I'm working on more definition of my muscles instead of maintaining.

I do know that I need to keep moving out of my comfort zone. It's soo easy to stay where I've been and figure it's good enough. I'll never reach my next goals if I don't keep my body moving and ever changing.

So I challenge you to get out of your comfort zone. Work hard, sweat and make that fat really cry today!

Can't be on a diet forever!

No, it's true that you can not be on a diet forever. I am slowly going back to old bad habits.

I use to love rice and salsa. That all ended yesterday. I didn't have it for a at least 2 weeks and decided I'd make a fresh batch of rice. I had rice with my favorite salsa and I could barely eat it. It was spicy enough but just not what I wanted to eat for dinner. I joined my family and ate pasta instead but limited the portion size and had a salad with fresh asparagus.

I've taken up eating frosted flakes for breakfast with 2 bananas or toast with my fruit. I still love bananas, so at least that's all good!

I also still like sweet potatoes plain and sometimes popcorn. Plus, we always have almonds around the house to nibble on even though they are not low ,but a good source of fat.

I still think about what I'm eating and I do record what goes into my mouth in a journal. It seems more and more I'm tempted by sugar. Not just once a day, but throughout the day. Salty and sweet two very good combinations.

I know that I really need to be careful. I still weight myself every day and the scale has not changed much. I'm not at my lowest but in my normal range. I was hoping to have lost the last 5 pounds by now but that is not happening. I'm holding on to just maintaining, even with all the sugar I've been eating, is all I can expect. 

I've also cut back on running this week. Seems the few days were I was sick made me slow down. I felt better today about working out then I have in a long time. Maybe I was over doing it? At any rate..

Here's my plan.. because yes you always need a plan!
Try to limit sugar.. find something else like fruit that is sweet.
I'm trying rock climbing today.. will run if I feel like it
make some coleslaw for lunch and dinner so I won't be tempted to make poor choices.
Quit buying M&M's and Frosted Flakes! Even if the kids want it! I can't have it around and I know this!!
Give myself permission to not have to run 12 miles a day, there is nothing wrong with 6.

Rock Climbing update!! Yes, I went rock climbing today at Vertical Endeavors in St. Paul.  Every Tuesday & Thursday they have a lunch special from 11 -1pm you can rock climb for $8 and that includes a harness! It's usually $15 plus $4 for the harness. It's not busy at all and I'm sure that's why the special is in place. I went around the room in order as much as possible to all the auto belay climbs. I took any path up the wall. At one point, a 40+ year old guy suggested that I follow the color markers on the wall to make it more challenging. Yeah right! It's challenging enough since I knew my arms would give out before the rest of me was done climbing. I managed to do all but 1 climb. The last one I had to skip due to someone being on that climb. I had forgotten about it until the very end. I had done all the walls some even 2x's plus did take that guys suggestion and try the easiest route up the wall. Still not easy! Well, the last wall my arms were tired, I was hot and sweating. I just couldn't do it. It was more of a challenge then I was up for!

Glad I went.. conquered many climbing walls. I'll be back again next month because for the hour I climbed, I burned about 500 or so calories and had fun doing it!

Will I go for a run outside today? Not sure.. Plenty of time as it's only 2pm but now it's time to read and rest. Plus, it's pretty windy out there. What happened to 77*F?