C25K, w1d2 reprised

We’ll start with yesterday’s news.  I was SUPER exhausted yesterday.  I have no idea why, but it took every ounce of strength I had to crawl out of bed…and then to keep staying awake.  I ended up taking a nap in the middle of the day because I was just that tired.  I knew there was no way I’d get my steps in yesterday, but I have discovered that I can play Harvest Moon (Magical Melody) and walk at the same time.  So, I walk all throughout one day, and then I rest one day. Then, if I need more steps, I walk another day.  Good way to get in some exercise indoors and not feel super bored.  I didn’t really think I deserved my “workout” star last night, but Lovebug said I did.  He said there is no way I can get to 10k steps staying at home unless I’m specifically doing something to get those steps, and that that activity counts as dedicated exercise.  Well, I’m not sure if that’s true, but I let him give me the star anyway.

Today’s run went pretty well.  I think I’ll be ready to start week 2 on Monday.  My preferred trail is clean enough to use now, so I’ll be going there unless there’s another crazy blizzard.  I think maybe I shouldn’t start my timer until I actually get to the trail- today I ended up in a run segment but stopped at a large street crossing.  Plus, I had to run up the hill on the way back, which made me think death was imminent.  It’s a big hill!  Plus, that hill is the only thing pretty much still covered in ice, so I should really be walking it. That means each of my workouts will contain a little more walking at the beginning and end, but I’m cool with that.  I use mapmyworkout.com to map each run now (I didn’t at first because I thought I’d run out of data but it apparently doesn’t take much), and I can see that I’m getting faster bit by bit.  That’s encouraging.  I’m actually a little excited to be running a bit more next week.  Hopefully I still feel that enthusiasm when it gets here!  

Once again there is no school tomorrow.  Hopefully going to jump off my butt and get some stuff done- including a 2.25 mile walk.  Going to start doing that on my off days and working up to 4 miles…increasing .25 mile each day.  I really like walking and just thinking so that will be good, I think 🙂  I’m thinking maybe when the weather gets warmer, I might take Lovebug and DK to the park to play and I’ll do my workout while they do that.  Just for a change of scenery.  We could visit a lot of parks like that.

Anyway, time for flute practice and then probably bedtime.  Woo!

c25k, day 1 reprised

This, of course, is actually my 4th run.  I just didn’t want to get out there at all, but I knew that once I got home, I’d feel so much better about myself.  And, of course, I do.

This run was actually really hard.  Usually (as in the last 2 times), I didn’t really feel like quitting until the half.  This time, I wanted to quit right away.  But, I didn’t (yay me!).  Upon comparing my gps tracking (I use mapmyfitness.com …well the app on my (bleh) Android), I actually took time off my average mile time.  So, I ran/walked a little faster than I did before.  That’s good.  I also went primarily uphill (not drastically, but still) until the half, when I got to come back down (because I just turn around and head back home).  So that explains a little bit of why I felt so much like crap at the beginning.  Hopefully today will be the last time I take this route- I’d rather be running/walking on the Greenbelt (15 mile stretch of paved surfaces that surrounds the city).  I feel like I’m less “in the way” there, plus I don’t feel like people are staring at the fat girl running.  However, it’s been a little icy lately (I didn’t see it today, but I didn’t want to get over there and find out it was impassable), so I’ve been doing my runs on the streets by my house.

So, I was definitely pleasantly surprised to get home and find out there was a reason I felt like crap through the beginning of my run.  And, it definitely makes me feel like I’m growing as a runner.  I’ve said before that I don’t know if running is something I’m going to want to do long term.  I don’t see myself ever really wanting to do a 10k or mini- or half-marathon (or a regular marathon lol).  I don’t yet LIKE running.  My goals right now are to get healthier and to lose weight.  I can’t remember if I posted that last week I lost 2.2 lbs.  Hopefully I can continue that progress 🙂  Now to go play my virtual farm game! 🙂

C25K week 1, day 3

I really didn’t want to get out and walk today.  I don’t know what the high was, but I never saw it come out of the 20s.  I’ve had some persistent knee pain from my first run in the snow.  I just didn’t want to!  But, I did anyway.  I got to halfway, and I said to myself “this really isn’t too bad.”  It wasn’t until the last rep that I felt like dying.  That’s a major improvement!  I really credit my feeling-goodness to doing workout activities every day.  I don’t do the same thing every day, but I’m keeping those muscles moving.  I’m going to repeat Week 1 (Week 1 reprised!), but I’m fairly certain that I could move on to week 2 if I wanted.  Still, I like success, and it seems that I’ll feel more successful redoing week 1 before continuing.  My mantra for week one is still “anyone can do anything for just a minute.  It’s just a minute!”  I posted on FB today about how I’m only covering about 1.5 miles during my “5k” run because I’m a turtle in molasses.  So many people commented to tell me how proud they were of me and how well I’m doing.  So, I’m just going to keep in mind the necklace that my friend B posted a few weeks ago.  It was a turtle and two little circles.  The first circle said “13.1” meaning of course it was for a half marathon.  The second circle said “my race, my pace.”  That’s the part I like.  It’s my run.  No matter if I am running a 22 minute mile (which I currently am) or a 6 minute mile (maybe one day who knows)…a mile is still a mile.  It’s my run, and I’m proud to be doing it.

I had a ton of “know it all” thoughts today, most of which no longer seem important enough to share.  That’s the bad thing about being a thinker.  You think over things so much that by the time you get to where you can put the thoughts down, you’ve overthought them and they matter less.  The biggest thing I’ve thought about today is how I’m not terribly happy that I moved my wedding date back.  Originally, I wanted to get married in October 2013.  My Lovebug proposed on March 16, and I just didn’t think that was enough time to get everything together.  I hadn’t done much planning by that time, and I didn’t know that really I could have.  So, I set the date for April 26, 2014.  But, there are some financial implications with Lovebug and I getting married, and as a “just in case” scenario, we decided to move it back.  Originally we moved it back a whole year, but I just couldn’t take that.  We had only been dating 6 months when we got engaged.  We knew from the first week we were dating that we would be getting married (we even discussed it lol).  I hated having a long engagement.  I was so mad at all the financial crap.  So, I compromised and moved it to October 5.  Still in 2014, but long enough to where Lovebug will be in school and hopefully the financial things will be taken care of by then. Even if they’re not, we’ll find a way to make it work.

I still hate that our engagement is so long.  I know all these people that got engaged after us and are getting married before.  I just have to keep telling myself it’s not a race.  Everyone has their own timeline that is right for them.  Ours just happened to be a little longer- but at least he didn’t wait to propose haha.  Really, only two things will change when we get married.  First, my last name 🙂  (which is a whole other deal- wondering how to change my last name in the middle of the first semester next year if I’m teaching).  Second, taxes.  We’ll be filing jointly instead of me filing as single (he doesn’t currently file taxes).  Everything else stays the same.  We still live together.  We still see his (our) son every other weekend (hopefully more as he gets older and summers are here and whatnot).  We still grocery shop, play video games, and fight about silly things like who gets to unload the dishwasher.  We still love each other beyond measure.  Marriage is a legal contract- a piece of paper.  I get a pretty new ring (and it’s beautiful…and pink!).  Our love doesn’t need a contract to be love.  He stole my heart when I wasn’t even looking.  He makes me feel safe and protected.  He holds me when I cry, even though sometimes I don’t even know why I’m crying. He tells me I’m beautiful when I’m covered in sweat, when I haven’t showered for 3 days, when I’m sick and in bed and covered in snot.  He is my best friend, and none of this will change because we get married.  Life is not a race- we all have to do things on our own schedule and terms.  I get upset because I can’t wait to be his wife, and I wish it’d come faster, but really, it’s just a party.  I’m already his.  He’s already mine.  I know God has brought us together, and what God has brought together, no man shall part.  So I’m a little more okay with our wedding having been moved back.  I’m just going to take that extra six months and work on being healthy.  Healthy for me, pretty for the wedding dress that doesn’t quite fit yet, healthy for our family pictures we’re taking in April or May, healthy for him- to be here with him until God takes us home. ❤

steps don’t come easy

It doesn’t help that I was pretty slothy today.  I really thought my 2 mile Leslie Sansone walk would net me more than 2700 steps.  I know it definitely wore me out!  Tomorrow is my next c25k day- I try to do 1 major thing every day.  I need to do more little things though.  If it’s a snow day, I’m pretty much just chilling out on my butt.  Tomorrow we have to go shopping, so that’ll get me some..then plus my run.  I can’t wait until school is back in session so I have a reason to move!  My biggest thing right now is not quitting in the middle of a workout.  I just don’t want to do them!  But, I feel so good when I finish.  Hopefully, one day I’ll feel good about starting to work out as well as finishing it.  I know the middle will always be hard 🙂  Well, time to walk around the house and try to get my missing 4k steps in for the day…bleh

C25k Week 1, Day 2

I did it!  Well, I almost did it, I guess.  My neighbor (that I have recently complained to the landlord about due to her loud whining/barking dog) stopped me towards the beginning to talk about her dog.  Hopefully that issue will be taken care of.  But, I did pause the workout, but I probably missed most of 1 run segment.  I’m still really proud with how I did.  I’ll definitely be repeating week 1 at least 1 more time (likely 2), but I felt really good for finishing and hearing “this ends your workout” or whatever it says at the end.  I use the C25K  5K Trainer Free from Zen Labs (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.c25k&hl=en).  Still, I’m really proud of myself today for finishing.  I just kept thing “anyone can run for 1 minute.  Just one minute”  I’m a complete snail, but at least I’m trying!  I still have 5kish more steps to get today, but hopefully I’ll get that cleaning the house and maybe doing a 1 mile workout this evening.  Next week, I’ve really got to start working on what I put into my body.  I’m already not drinking sugars, but I eat more regularly and healthily when I’m working, and I’ve been out for 3 snow days now.  I know I can do better!  It just takes planning and commitment 🙂

Rest Day, Snow Day

I’m really surprised that people read this.  I’m even more surprised that someone commented on my last post to encourage me.  That makes me feel really good 🙂  I didn’t start this blog with the intention of people reading it, but hopefully my journey will be helpful to someone else struggling.

This snow is really getting me down.  I woke up this morning with a splitting sinus headache.  I have a feeling I have a sinus infection.  So, I took a bunch of meds and went back to bed.  I woke up a bit later and went over to my mom’s to do some work (I work part time for my dad’s company).  I got a fair amount done, and if I were smart, I would have taken a walk before I left there.  Alas, I had too many things on my mind and was feeling lazy.  I went to the mall to get my ring inspected and cleaned (every 6 months my jewelry store requires it as part of my warranty), Target to buy teachery supplies (seriously, the $1-3 bins are my favorite thing as a teacher!), and Walmart to get meat because I let ours go bad 😦  I did walk the perimeter of the mall while I was there, and the perimeter of Target (but not Walmart- just wanted to go home!).  I thought that might put me kinda close on steps.  Alas, it did not- I only had about 5000.  I came home and crashed for a few hours due to all the allergy/sinus meds in my body, then made dinner.  Not doing so good on my step count today.

I did get in a 1 mile Leslie Sansone walk.  I really like her videos, but usually the 1 mile just kills me.  While there was a point where I was slightly out of breath today, it was nothing like it usually was!  I’m so proud of myself for that.  School has already been cancelled for tomorrow, and it’s currently icing outside.  It looks horrible.  I’m 90% sure I’m not going to be able to go on my run tomorrow.  That really makes me mad because I’m trying really hard but the weather is just not cooperating.  There is a treadmill at my mom’s work, but I don’t really want to go there because there’s other people there.  I know they’re not really paying attention to me, but I still feel really self-conscious.  I’ll try to make it over there tomorrow (might not be able to with the roads like they are).  If not, I’ll do the 2 mile Sansone walk tomorrow.  I’m going to inter-library some more of her videos to see if I like them- I saw some on Amazon that I thought I might like but I’d like to try them out first.

I have a feeling we’re not going back to school all week, but hopefully it’ll clear up for Thursday- I meet with my choir on Thursdays and I changed some stuff, so I really need to meet with them!  Plus I have all the cute stuff I just bought for my classroom, so I want to be there to put that all up too 🙂

I hope anyone reading has a fantastic week, and I hope your weather is better than ours!

C25K Week 1 Day 1

First run ever.  I’m proud that I attempted it.  I’m proud that I got over halfway through it (6 of the 8 run intervals).  I’m not proud that I didn’t finish.  I actually came home and cried.  I feel like I just listened to a bunch of excuses in my head and that I could have finished. Maybe I could have, I don’t know.  But I’ll try again on Wednesday, and hopefully I’ll be able to finish then.  To be fair (or to make excuses), I was running in 22 degree weather in 3 inches of snow on a path I kept slipping off of because I couldn’t see the edges.  I did learn a few lessons though.  

1. Tie back your hair.  Wind whipping it into your face is not fun.
2. I bought sunglasses that go over my regular glasses because ice glares.  This was a good thing because I would have been too blinded to see otherwise.
3. Pants can’t touch the ground.  I wore my yoga pants today because I always work out in them.  However, I’m shorter than they are 😛  So, I need to hem them.  They kept gathering ice and snow and hitting me in the leg with it.  Plus sometimes I’d step on it which was like trying to walk on a snowball.

So, I guess I should be proud that I started, but I’ll be more proud when I can finish it.

Mighty Machines!

I’ve watched like 10 episodes of Mighty Machines this morning.  It’s DK’s favorite show.  We don’t just sit there and watch it though- we’re building train tracks, cars, airplanes, and whatever else he wants while it’s on in the background.  We’ve had quite the busy morning!  I’m used to waking up early in the mornings now due to work, so I get up with DK while Daddy catches up on sleep.  I’ve actually always gotten up early with him but usually I wasn’t this alert haha.  He’s such a sweet kid.

So, I just got back from my morning walk.  I walked 16 minutes out and however long it took me to get back.  My goal is to be getting 30 minutes active per day (at least).  My fitbit says I got 24 active minutes.  I don’t know if that’s because only part of the time at the end was “active” enough for the last 15 minutes that the fitbit measures…I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone else but me haha.  Fitbit measures your activity in 15 minute increments.  So while I may have walked 30-32 minutes (I doubt I cut my walk back down by more than 2 minutes), only 5 of those may have been in the last 15 minute increment measured…so it doesn’t count that as an active portion of time.  Of course, it could be that I was so cold that I sped up without knowing and really made it back in 9-10 minutes lol.  In any case, I ended up with 4500 steps for my walk and whatever I did this morning (fixing breakfast, playing with DK, etc.)  I’ll get some more steps going to the grocery today, but if I need to, I’ll go for a smaller walk this evening to get up to 10k 🙂  I can meet these goals!

I’m so blessed to have such good role models to help me on this journey.  My friend B is really an inspiration.  In college, she lost a lot of weight, but she gained a lot back after she graduated.  We were never really close, but I still keep up with her some on FB.  She started running and working out last year, and I’m just so proud of her progress.  She was close (but probably not at) to my size, so it really makes me feel like I can do it, too.  Plus, she’s so motivational and positive.  I really don’t know if I would have had the strength to start again right now if I didn’t have B’s shining example to help me along.

My other awesome role model is my cousin and bridesmaid S.  S has always been so beautiful, so skinny.  She’s the kind of person that you look at and just know she has to be stuck up because she’s so beautiful.  Luckily, she is actually a very beautiful person inside and out.  She is also a great motivator, and she’s convinced me that I should run my first 5k (well, run/walk) in March.  I never would have thought I could do that one without her doing it with me.  I’m so blessed to have these two wonderful women to encourage me on this journey!  Of course, they’re not the only people that are encouraging and motivating me, but I really don’t think I could be doing it without them.

Well it’s almost time to return DK to his mom, so I’d better hop in the shower.  Then it’ll be grocery time and hang out with my Lovebug time. 🙂

Two posts in one day?!

Ahh!  lol.

So, I did really good today.  I did my walk this morning- 30 minutes.  I got more steps cleaning up the living room, doing the dishes, and later cleaning off the table.  Visited my mother-in-law since DK is with us this weekend.  Didn’t eat so great, but that’s okay!  Sometimes it’s okay to eat bad for you foods.  I did, however, make the excellent choice to drink water instead of soda, and for that, I am proud.  Lovebug and I got into a bit off a tiff on the way home, so just to make him pissier, I went for a walk by myself in the dark.  I just walked around the block (which I’d actually never done before- I always go on the green belt).  But, because of that walk, I hit my 10k goal for the day!  So, when I came home, I gave myself 2 stickers on the calendar (1 for my morning workout and 1 for hitting daily step goal).  Of course, all those endorphins get to you when you’re walking so I no longer felt all pissy with Lovebug, and by that time he was good too.  So yay 🙂  And DK saw me with stickers, so I gave him 2 and he put one on me and one on daddy (Lovebug).  So I put a green one on his shirt 🙂  

Even more goals got set today!  I found a really cool FREE app on Google Play for C25K so I’m starting that on Monday.  I’m going to do the color run 5k with my cousin and bridesmaid Sam in March (I won’t be running the whole thing by that time, but that’s okay!).  I see a lot of 5ks coming up, so that will give me something to keep working for.  I’m pretty excited.  I know I can do this!  I also read back through some old FB posts today and realized my current shoes are over a year old.  So, I’m going to buy new shoes soon.  I’ve been meaning to, but this is just a good reason to.  I will probably also get Lovebug some.  I need to get nicer black running shoes (great support!) for work.  I walk a ton at school!  I bought my current ones from Walmart, and they’re okay, but they’re slightly too big.  It causes some pain sometimes.

So, to sum up all my goals- starting C25k on Monday, getting 10-15k steps a day, no more sugar in liquid form, going to get healthy!  woo!

I’m bad at posting, I know

But good things are happening!

1. I love school.  This school is really fantastic.  Sure, every once in a while I get a class that makes me want to tear out my hair and go sit in a corner, but mostly, the kids are pretty well behaved.  I have resources.  The faculty is so helpful and friendly.  I seriously love it here.  The only downside is how far away it is.  I’m so blessed to have gotten this job!

2. School is a lot of walking!  So, when I tell people my job description is that I sing and dance all day, I’m not kidding!  Plus, all that dancing, plus walking kids to the next class, walking around the classroom to help or correct students…those steps add up!  I average 7000 steps a day before I even leave school everyday.  It helps that I have early morning and late afternoon bus duty, both of which involve a lot of walking.  I consider this a bonus!

So, with February now here, I have some new fitness goals.  In January, I found a pin on Pinterest that was 5 weeks to better eating. 
Week 1: Add real fruits or vegetables to every meal.
Week 2: No more fast food!
Week 3: Give up white breads and grains.  Switch to whole wheat varieties.
Week 4: Use a fruit or veggie as the base for every snack.
Week 5: No more soda or sugary drinks.

I have already been trying to do week 1.  I’m rarely successful at breakfast because all I eat is a Belvita breakfast cracker package.  I always eat breakfast in the car going to school, so I need something easy and portable.  Maybe I can start slicing up an apple before I get into the car and eating it too.
I have decided to go out of order and focus on week 5 now.  I drink sweet tea a lot.  Lovebug makes it for himself to keep at the house (and it drives him nuts that I drink so much of it because he has to keep making it haha) and I drink it at lunch because the school provides it (I tasted the unsweet- I don’t mind unsweet tea- but theirs was so strong I needed the sugar to cut the tartness).  When I worked at Large Insurance Company (hahahaha), I made my own tea (I like my unsweet very weak).  Or, sometimes, I used the cherry Mio packages.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the cherry Mio last time I went to the store.  I will look again, because that would be an excellent breakfast drink for me (plus its got a little bit of caffeine and I definitely need that bump in the mornings!).  And then I can switch to water for the rest of the day (I refill at lunch).  Drinking water at home is not a problem really (other than temptation) because I do keep cold water in the fridge.  Plus, I like the way the water tastes here (not so when we lived in Indiana).  So February is going to be the month of no more sugary beverages.  I was talking to Lovebug last night about my goals, and I had decided I want to do a fruit snack when I get home (I’m always starving because I eat lunch at 11- so by 4 I’m so hungry!).  So I’m going to start doing like celery and peanut butter or an apple and peanut butter.  We always have PB in the house for DK’s visits so yay 🙂  I already try to get whole wheat when possible.  We’ll save no fast food for another day, but we are trying to cut it down (it’ll probably never get eliminated completely- sometimes it’s just the only real option!)

So, I have a clear food plan for February.  And because of all the walking I’m doing at school, I’m going to start aiming for 10k before I leave school every day.  I’m already close, so I know I can do it!  Also, I’m going to start coming home, eating a small snack, and then going back out and doing my work out.  For right now, I’m working on walking a solid 30 minutes.  After a week or so of that (when I feel strong!), I’m going to start the pre-C25K program I found.  Lovebug has agreed to make me tracks that tell me when to start walking versus running because I don’t like to walk with music (I feel I have to match the tempo- ahh music teachers!).  I’m very excited 🙂  So, my new daily step goal is 10k on the weekends, 15k during the week.  I can do it!

My “sorta goal” is to lose 50 pounds by May.  Like, 50 more pounds (I’ve already lost 30).  I know it’s a big goal.  But, I’m a big girl, so maybe it’ll happen.  I feel like a know-it-all today…hopefully I sound like one in my next update when I tell you that I ROCKED MY WALKS OUT OF THE PARK.  I don’t know why I yelled that 😛