Tuesday Weigh in for the Challenge

Another week already? Time to weigh in I suppose. I have not been weighing myself lately. Perhaps I just don't care anymore. That is a nice place to be. For me I'm using the measurement of my self confidence and my clothes....and how long I can run for.
I already feel like a winner :)

Great run tonight

Went for a 43 minute run tonight. It was my longest yet since starting to run 2 months ago. I feel great. My legs need a really good stretch but I feel just fine. It helped to have my fabulous running partner Cheryl again. It made the run go by so much faster.

What has helped us get this far is starting slow. We started off run/walking, added biking to strengthen our knees and now we are pushing the distance.

The only problem we are facing is time. We are both moms of three kids and need to fit the runs into our schedule. We are both blessed to have mothers and mother in laws to come over and hold the kids but don't want to manipulate their time.

Our goal is to run the 10km Terry Fox Run Sept 16th so we will continue to try long runs untill then. After that we will cut it down to one long run on Sunday mornings and short interval training during the week.

Motivation

"Your biggest challenge isn't someone else. It's the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells, "CAN'T," but you don't listen. You just push harder. And then you hear the voice whisper, "can." And you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you really are." Unknown


My Friend posts this saying on her e-mail. I love it and copied it. I think it is just so perfect.

Running and my Christian Walk

Running for me reminds me of my Christian Walk. At first the task seems daunting, and the journey can seem long and painful. You hit times when everything kicks into gear and is running smoothly. Other times you trip over your own feet and fall to the ground.

The journey is long and the road is Hard but in the end the reward is far better than anything you could have imagined along the way.

Yesterday I was in a grump and having a not so good day. I really felt the devil pulling at me. I was feeling alone, it was raining and my children were CRAZY!! I was ready to explode and he was starting to win.

I called my mother in law and asked her to come over for an hour while I ran out the door to recuperate. I really did not feel like going for a run. I would have rather drank or run into traffic. I knew however what I needed and I was not going to let him win.

So out the door I went.

I ran for 40 minutes with Third Day playing on my MP3 player. It was an incredible run. I used the run to remind me that I can conquer through anything. I can push back and triumph in the end. I refocused and worshiped the Lord my God who gave me breath and created the fabulous country I was running in. I pushed Satan away from me with every step.

'With Christ in my life I can do All Things' Philip. 4:13.
I can triumph in my running goals and in my life. Without him I am weak.

I am a strong Christian but Satan is stronger than I am. He is subtle and works with your weaknesses.....but Christ is stronger. With Him by my side I can do anything.....

If I let Satan win yesterday I would have driven to the local store and bought alcohol. I would have screamed at my kids and been a terrible mother. I'm not sure where the strength came to get out the door and start running. Satan gets a good hold of us and sometimes it is hard to breath...I would say the power of Christ in me gave me that strength.

Thank you Lord for intervening in what could have been a terrible day.
Thank you.

Thank you for allowing me to refocus on what is important and love my children for the crazy people they are :)

(I finally slept really well last night and feel completely refreshed this morning

Fat cures all....right?

It is raining and I could not go for my planned 40 minute run. I suppose I could go anyway but no thanks.....

I am grumpy and irritable. My first instinct is to have a drink...but thank God there is nothing in the house. So...my second instinct is to eat...

Toasted bacon,egg,and cheese with loads of butter. Fat always cures the blues right??

Wrong...I'm not grumpy anymore (maybe my blood sugar was low), but I just want to go for a run even more.

A Date

Went for a 30 minutes run downtown with my husband last night. He pushed the baby stroller and I followed along. We went by the river, and through the beautiful old stone houses. It was fantastic..

Then we dressed in the car and went to a local pub for beer and fish and chips :)

It was a great date :)

Skinny Chicks don't always look Good Naked

125 pounds. Five more to go. Yay for me. Funny how I am fitting into most of my clothes all of a sudden. It took me 10 entire weeks to be able to fit a SINGLE pair of pants, and now everything is on. Some are still a little snug, but whatever....Yay

The nitty Gritty.....

I'm kinda a 'skinny chick'...but let's be honest here. I am turning 30 this year and have created and breastfed 3 kids...all at the expense of my body.

I may be 'skinny' but that does not mean I look good naked yet :)

I wish the magical fitness fairy would come along and...

make me touch my toes again,
get rid of that cellulite,
zap those ugly granny spider veins ,
Laser the hair from strange places,
smooth out the wrinkles,
make my abs not roll over my pants when I sit down, or sag when I lean over,
and magically give a little plump to my boobs and butt....o.k alot of plump.

So there you have it...skinny chicks don't always look good naked :)

That is a little Tuesday humor for you...but on a serious note.....

Feeling great for me has everything to do with how I'm 'feeling'. I was a miserable and self conscious teenager because I was not 'perfect'. I am way more self confident and self assured now that I'm older and saggier. I guess I always thought that if I hit that magic number that I would be 'happy'. Happy did not come with the number....it came with loving the person I am and accepting that I am
PERFECTLY IMPERFECT...and that is alright with me.

As for the current goal weight of 120 pounds....that is not going to determine my happiness. It will determine me fitting into all my clothes and still being able to breath.

First Run Non-Stop

I went 12 out 12 back today for a total of 24 minutes. It was the first non stop run I have done. I feel pretty good. The cool weather helps. My knee was a little tender as I have not done any biking. Wow does the cycling ever make a difference.

There was also no need for my MP3 player as I had my chatty five year old riding her bike next to me for company :)

Today my schedule seems daunting to me and I'm not sure if I will reach my goal of 10km in four weeks. We will see. I am not going to push too hard or dissapoint myself. As long as I'm running 10km by the spring I will be happy.

INTERMEDIATE RUNNING PROGRAM

This program is for people who just want to complete a 10km, not for winning the thing. That is why this program focuses on TIME and not distance. Focusing on time prepares my body to run for that period of time without hurting....too much :)

I am going to write down a 6 week program beginning at the ability to run 25 minutes without stopping. I have a 10km run I would like to complete in only 4 weeks so I am going to up the intensity a bit....however like always I am going to judge what my body is telling me. If I am not ready to run the 10km in four weeks I will run/walk it. After all....if Terry Fox can do it so can I.


* This program is based on running four times a week, and biking twice. The biking is necessary for leg muscle strength to prevent knee problems. It will also help to alleviate stiffness and soreness.
* Make sure you stretch every night. Flexibility is also important.
* Play with the days depending on what is good for you
* The Goal is to increase the time by no more than 10% a week.
* We are assuming it will take about an hour to complete the 10km.

Week M T W Th Fri Sat Sun Total Running minutes/week
1 Off 30 Bike 30 Bike 25 45 130
2 Off 30 Bike 30 Bike 30 45 135
3 Off 35 Bike 30 Bike 30 45 140
4 Off 35 Bike 35 Bike 25 50 145
5 Off 40 Bike 35 Bike 35 50 160
6 Off 40 Off 35 off 10 RUN
If you notice a lack of energy....cut back the bike rides to zero or once a week.
It is very important to rest and recover the week before the run as well.

Ready for the Next Phase

I've been exercising for 8 weeks now. I started six weeks after the birth of our third child May 13th. Although I am an avid runner I started with a Beginner's program. Click Here to view.

The Program worked well. I started developing knee problems so I added biking on the days I was not running. This helped develop my leg muscles and strengthen my knee and now I don't have any problems. I also slowed myself right down on my runs so I did not push myself too hard.

I can now run for 25-30 minutes without stopping. My body is ready to begin the next phase of training.

The Intermediate Running Program will include biking and some very necessary yoga stretching for my really....really tight hamstrings. Flexibility is an important part to fitness. This is an area I am quite weak.

I've lost most of my weight. ( I have 5 pounds to go). My goal is not really weight loss because I know the weight will simply come off when I increase my exercise. I am also still breast feeding so I need to be consuming enough calories. I will just keep trying to eat well. The focus will be having enough protein in my diet to keep up my energy levels.

REMEMBER TO GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. Sometimes taking time off will actually help you lose more weight. You can't keep increasing and increasing....you will plateau and get frustrated. I took two weeks off (I was sick), and I feel just fine. My body is rested and recovered.

Also....at this point, re-establish goals. Short term and long term. Look at your schedule. School is coming...does that change things?? For me, my husband is going away for three months of training which means I will need to actually schedule my workouts.

I have a goal of 10km Terry Fox run in mid september. My goal is to just get through it. In the spring I will try a 10km to race it....or maybe a 23km. I'm not sure yet.

So here we go....my next entry will be my Program.

Goals for Motivation

Went for my first run yesterday since becoming so ill. It felt great!!
My fabulous running partner came with me. We ran 12 minutes and walked 2 minutes, then ran another 12 minutes home.
My lungs felt great and I could have kept going.

It is important for me to start slow again. This way I end the run with a positive feeling. This will increase my chances of wanting to go again :)

Cheryl and I have also set a goal. We are going to do a 5km local run in September. We know we can do that and it will be a great motivator to keep going.

We are also going to try for a 10km run in the spring. This will help keep us motivated over the winter. Once that is accomplished it will be half/full marathon training time.

So set goals for yourself to stay motivated!!
These are mine...

1)Imediate goals.... A goal of getting out the door twice a week
2)Short Term Goals....a local run/walk in a few months
3)Long Term Goals....a goal of a marathon or something in a year or two.

Victory

After two weeks of doing nothing...o.k of being really sick I finally got out tonight for a bike ride.

It was no easy task I'll tell y'a

I almost did not get out the door as excuses started piling up...
1) I'm sick
2) I'm tired and grumpy
3) The kids are not in bed yet
4) It will hurt
5) my husband has to leave in an hour for baseball

So...I just fed the little baby, handed him to my husband and out the door I went. It was then or never and I knew if tonight I let those excuses win they would win tomorrow night..and then the next

Now I should have gone for a run but with the laziness I was feeling I figured just a little bike ride would be better....less pressure you see.

It worked!! I pushed myself a little and got my lungs breathing and legs burning, and now I feel refreshed.

Even better is that now I feel motivated to get my butt out the door tomorrow night to do a run.

Victory for me tonight.

Salmon in a Can

I WAS STARVING YESTERDAY.

I needed something QUICK and Good FOR ME...Something I could do with a baby attached to me. So I reached into my cupboards that are DESPERATELY bare as I have to wait two more days before I can go grocery shopping

I FOUND THE PERFECT SOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM ;)

A CAN OF SALMON.

Quick....easy....packed full of protein and one of my favorite foods.

The Salmon helped keep me full untill supper (another 3 hrs away), and it also stabilized my blood sugar.

yay for me.

126...126.... I should be loving this number but to be honest I feel crappy. Probably has EVERYTHING to do with the fact that I've been so incredibly sick for two weeks and I have not done anything. I need to at least go for a short bike ride or I'm afraid I will fall into a rut...and quick.

It is difficult to go from working out a half hour six days a week to nothing.

Body's at rest like to stay at Rest!!!!

My little 13 week old has also been up all night lately (why I don't know). Feeding him being the only thing I do best at 3am I am feeling a little drained that way as well. I'm continuing to eat really well but I don't think I can keep up right now.
But I MUST for the sake of him AND my health.


My Weight Loss secrets

Water
Breastfeeding
.5 hour exercise daily (when I'm feeling better)
I fill my plate last after my husband and children...this keeps my portions lower
Sleep (as much as I can)
Absolutely no junk food or soda in the house. Only dark chocolate pieces and popcorn.

on the mend

I'm on the mend. I'm still coughing up stuff but I feel so much better. Two weeks of sickness is enough for me. I've also had two weeks off exercise and I'm itching to get moving again!!!

At the same time I have to admit that it is more difficult to get out the door. It is so easy to use my cough as an excuse, and since I'm out of my routine of forcing myself out the door tonight will be quite difficult.

However I am making the commitment right now. I am going for a bike ride tonight no matter what!!! I need to get out or it will get even harder.

I weighed myself this morning and I'm 126. I have probably lost a bit of muscle but really I just have not eaten alot these past few weeks. I am going to go make myself a power shake now though. I need to keep good nutrients in me if I am going to recover from the respitory infection. I want to be thin, but I want even more to have a healthy nourished body.

Still the same weight obviously since I'm sick and have not worked out in a week and a half. AT 127 the only way seven pounds are coming off will be running.

Weekly Tip:

GOOD FAT VS. BAD FAT

Butter is considered 'bad' because it has cholesterol in it. That artery clogging stuff. However so does milk and cheese. In fact fats that come from animals have Cholesterol in them. So do we not eat it animal products? Some say no....I say yes but in moderation. Just make good choices and keep a balance in your diet. Make sure you include in your diet other good stuff like soy milk, low fat cheeses, and tofu.

We have recently discovered Mayonaise made with Olive oil! Soooooo good and creamy, and made with the not so artery clogging other stuff.

A really good oil to use is Flax Seed oil. Keep it in the fridge and add a cap full to salads, or stirr into a smoothie or your favorite yogurt.

One important thing to keep in mind is that When HEATED, most oils and things that contains the good omega 3 oils will LOSE THEIR CHOLESTEROL REMOVING PROPERTIES!!!

For example: Almonds if roasted are no longer as good for you. Because of this we buy the non roasted, non salted kind and keep them in a dish on our counter for snacking. My kids love them and we are just used to the plain taste now.

Another thing to keep in mind is that just because something contains the GOOD OILS, it still is packed with calories!! It may be good fat but it is still fat. Avocados are a good example. They are full of the good Fats but are still high in calories.
For a while I was eating an avocado a day untill I remember that I was trying to lose a few pounds. I cut my intake to twice a week and voila! When I want to add some calories to my wrap I definitely add avocados. I would rather do that then add more cheese.

All this means is that you need to keep in mind that you are still eating the calories if you are a calorie counting kind of person. So just because something contains fats that are good for you does not mean you should eat a ton of it!!

List of foods with good for you fats:

Almonds
Flax seed oil (or ground flax)
Salmon
Avocados


A little side note on Margarine......It may contain the better fats and claim to be good for your heart, but personally I would not put into my body something that is so chemically produced and unnatural. That cannot possibly be good for you. That is a personal oppinion.

I'm glad I'm inspiring people even with this terrible cold. I am pretty sure now I either have Influenza or Pneumonia. I'm starting to weeze an awful lot, cough and my head is pounding. hmmmmm I'll keep you all updated.

Gee when I get sick I get sick!!!!

recovering

I am now starting to cough up stuff and weeze a little. I'm glad that things are loosening up and I'm getting better but I don't think I'll be running this week.
so....I'll concentrate on good nutrition this week.
My husband bought double Churned Vanilla ice cream and it was gone in two days. That could not be good for my goals....but oh was it good !!!!
So I'm going to focus on smoothies and wraps and lower fat stuff.

I suppose I'll also try to go for a gentle bike ride. A week off exercise of all sorts has not been good and everyday gets harder to get out the door.

My body at rest definitely likes to stay at rest :)

Getting better

Turned out I am quite ill. I have had a fever for four days and now my lungs are 'itchy'. I'm going to go for a nice bike ride tomorrow to see how I feel. I took a week off exercise and I feel so tired.
A little movement will help my blood flow and get this cold out of me.
I'm staying hydrated as much as I can as I'm still breast feeding and it is hot.

smoothies are working to keep the good stuff in me and bring my fever down.

I weighed myself and I'm now 127. I've lost a pound but probably in muscle from last of wanting to eat.

Next week I will try to get back on track.

Exhaustion

I've missed my run tuesday and bike ride wednesday. I'm hot and swollen from the heat. I went to bed last night at 8pm. This morning I don't feel any better. I think I have the flu....or exhaustion...or something.
I just want to go back to bed but I have three kids to take care of.
Perhaps just running around after then today will be my 'workout'.
pray for me....please.