The Good And The Bad

It has been so long since I was able to call myself a runner and it seems  I have forgotten a few things that come with it. 

#1. Somedays you feel like you could qualify for the Olympics and other days you can barely run a mile. This was me today. Thursday I was running an 8 minute mile and today I could barely run 2.5 miles. My legs were heavy but I was breathing fine. I just couldn't seem to push myself past it and ended why should have been a 4 mile run a mile and a half early. Maybe I wasn't ready to up it a mile and need to stick with 3 miles for another week or so or maybe it was just a bad run. 

#2. If you don't use it you lose it and his is something I can really understand. In 2009 I could run 14 miles, but due to some medical issues I was basically forced to stop running. That means I was starting from scratch and couldn't even run a mile without stopping to walk. I never thought I would be able to run 1 mile again and I can now run 3 miles. Next up comes 5 miles and hopefully by spring I can get back on my favorite trail. 

#3. The more you run the hungrier and thirstier you get. I am finding myself chugging more and more water these days and I am hungrier than usual. My diet had drastically changed since the last time I was running consistently and I can't rely on my pre run english muffin pizzas anymore. Now I am not anywhere near my ling distance pizza runs, but I guess I will have to find a gluten free substitute as my distance grows. 

#4. It takes time. My running buddy and I decided to run a half marathon before we started running. We started training in March 2009 and ran the half in December 2009. It took us 10 month running 3-4 days a week to get to 13 miles and we upped our miles every month. I need to remember this. My goal for next year is to run the Road Race Series. It begins in July and runs until November. It consists of 2 5k's, 2 5milers, 2 10k's, 2 10milers, and 2 half marathons. I think by then I could definitely be running 5 miles consistently and a great way to train for the St. Jude half in December  

So slow and steady for now and maybe my legs will start to remember what they can really do. For now I am happy with where I am am and where I am going 1 mile at a time. 

Life Changing

I haven't done any menu or clean eating posts in a while and I figured the day after eating a giant blueberry muffin and an entire plate of veal parm would be a great time to talk about why I love eating clean and the changes my body have gone through in a short amount of time. I have now been eating clean for about a month and a half and I feel better than I ever have in my life. Yesterday made me appreciate my new lifestyle and reaffirmed why I initially wanted to change. My day started off with my typical morning breakfast of eggs, turkey bacon, and coffee with coconut milk creamer and agave. I knew it would be difficult to be completely clean this day because we would soon be heading to a play date including coffee and muffins. Mckinley ate most of the muffin and I enjoyed a few bites along with my coffee and vanilla creamer. I fee like If I make good choices 99% of my life then a few bites and sips won't ruin all of my hard work plus like I always say what's life without cake and I will NEVER live without cake! Later that night was when I actually regretted something that I ate. 

My sister graduated from her ultrasound program last night after 15 long months of hard work and usually all big events like this include a special dinner out afterwards. My sister chose one of our family favorites a little Italian restaurant with the best veal parm you have ever eaten. Their gravy is as close to our family gravy as you are going to get plus their ravioli are amazing! I had spent 2 hours chasing my precious child around the graduation ceremonies and by the time we got to the restaurant I was STARVING and this was after eating a peanut butter sandwich (made for my child to eat knowing she probably wouldn't eat it because she would rather have real food than a sandwich and eaten because I was starving) which led to me over eating and eating foods I typically wouldn't have eaten. The dinner comes with 2 pieces of veal parm covered in spaghetti gravy and cheese with 6-8 ravioli. Now I could lie and say I had a few bites of everything, but the honest truth is I ate every single bite on my plate plus close to 1 1/2 pieces of extremely overly saturated buttery garlic bread. Needless to say I was very very very sick last night and woke up feeling quite yucky and completely rededicated to eating clean.

I decided to take a progress picture today because despite feeling yucky about what I had previously consumed I was feeling pretty good about myself today. I have definitely noticed a downward move on the ole scale, but I am having a hard time seeing changes in my body. I know my face is much thinner and my arms are firming up from my usage of heavy weights and push ups, but the mama belly is still an eye sore that  is the hardest to notice any change. I was pleasantly surprised when I did a side by side of my 2 progress pictures how different parts of my body have already changed in such a short time. I don't believe this picture is the best example of the difference because my before picture seems a tad closer making it look exaggeratedly bigger than my second picture so I don't think my results are as drastic as they seem, but regardless there is definitely a change. 

I am going to really kick up my ab routine these next few months because I have a feeling bridesmaids dess trials will be in my somewhat near future and I really don't feel like purchasing or having to squeeze my behind into any spanx, but I am not ruling it out. I am also hoping to ramp up my running schedule these next few months and I am hoping to be up to at least 6 miles by May when sign ups for the St. Jude Marathon and Half Marathon opens up. I am pretty confidant I will be there by then which will give me a pretty good head start to 13.1 by December

So here it is in all of its ungloriousness. The second picture seems much closer to camera making it look like my changes are even more drastic than they truly are, but I think you can still see the areas that have changed the most. 

I am now going to set msyelf some goals from now until March 1 2014. I don't really care about losing any weight, but I am really concentrating on toning my entire body. I not only have a wedding with a lot of pictures coming up in a year, but this summer in only a few short months I am planning on taking Mckinley to swimming lessons. This means I have to get my butt into a bathing suit and I don't want this butt hanging out or scaring any children. That means the lunges, squats, and wall sits are getting kicked into high gear along with my abs and my mileage. I have done it before and I will do it all again with a toddler sitting on my stomach as I crunch and a stroller packed with sippy cups and veggie chips. 

Wish me luck and if you see me sitting around you are allowed to yell at me and throw things.

Hold Up

I have only been back in the running saddle for a short while now and I can't even describe how much I have missed it. If you are a runner you know how it can kind of become an addiction. You can't wait to hit the streets, trails, or wherever you go and push for just one more mile. And when you increase your pace it feels like you could run with the Kenyan's! I had one of those mythical runs the other day. You know the one where you just seem to fly, your breathing never changes, and you are shocked when you look at your time. I couldn't believe I made it over 3 miles in 30 minutes without stopping on the scary hill behind my house. 

Nicole and I after one of the Winter Cross Country Races

Then I woke up the next morning, swung my feet over the side of the bed, and planted my feet on the ground. I expected to be sore, but I wasn't expecting the pain radiating from my achilles. I spent most of that day limping around my classroom and I even taped the sucker up for stability which helped along with some anti inflammatory meds (ibuprofen). I have been icing and stretching, but that sucker is still pretty tight and when I sit for long periods and try to get up it is sore. 

The while point of my story is I was supposed to meet my running buddy for a morning run this a.m. (She has been out due to other medical reasons), but the ole foot has put the kibash on my running career for the moment. This friend just so happens to be very accident prone knowledgeable in the leg and foot injury area and she suggested I keep icing and stretching and we try again in a few days. I know she is right, but I may or may not have stalked around my house like a teenager who was told they couldn't have the keys to the car. I was so excited to get out with my running buddy and see if my last run was a fluke or if I should try out for the Olympics next year. 

I have decide that I will be running the St. Jude Half Marathon again this year and i know my husband is super excited! He loves it when I really get into running mode. he loves talking about how far I ran that day, and what expensive shoes I need to get, and how excited I am about the nasty calluses I have developed on my feet and haven't lost any toe nails just yet. I will probably be posting a lot more about running because writing down what I have done always makes me feel like the internet is holding me accountable for getting up and doing it again. 

So here is to another year of race training and more bodily injuries!

Road Injuries

I never thought I would miss bloody ankles, 

Yes, when I run I somehow kick my ankles. I don't know how and I don't know why, but I also dig grooves in the side of my shoes. It is a true talent. 

I got in 3 miles today and I even went the hard route (up hill at the end) and I didn't die! I had to walk once or twice going up that last hill, but I finished in 45 minutes! Now that I have accomplished my first goal of 3 miles I shall next conquer my old 5 mile route I used to do with my old running buddy. I still can't believe we got up and ran 5 miles twice a week before school! We were in some awesome shape and I plan to get it back! After I hit 5 miles I want to get back into some trail running with my 6 mile trail at the Farms and then who knows  maybe 13.1 in December. I've done it once I can do it again dang it!

I am loving working out right after school be it at the gym or on the streets (that sounded better in my head) because I don't have to worry about waking up any earlier than I already do at 5:00 a.m. and I know I won't do it after I pickup the monkey. She makes working out so much fun and the best part is she lovingly hits her witching hour between 4-6 every night. If you aren't a parent you might be wondering what the witching hour is. Well my non baby friends this is a phenomenon known to many parents when their sweet precious child becomes a monster and nothing makes them happy no matter you give them and  no matter what you do. This this just happens to be right about the time we get home and I am cooking dinner every day before Brent gets home and then add in working out on top of that and she is a mess. And this my friends is why I will not have another child for quite some time. It is all I can do to handle this wild child of mine and until she is a bit older and a little less wild don't ask me when we will have another small wonder.

I might even try for 4 miles tomorrow. We'll see how everyone sleeps in our house tonight. If I can do 3 on 1 hour hopefully I can go a little farther with hopefully a little more sleep. You would think when you run around like this all day long you would sleep ALL NIGHT LONG!

Better

I actually didn't run, but I may as well have. I tried my first cardio mix class and LOVED it! I loved how it wasn't a step workout or a kick boxing workout or an intervals workout is was all 3 mixed together! 

I don't care if I get skinny, but I do care that I feel good!

Our Weekend

I celebrated my birthday and fell asleep at 8:00. I didn't count any points and I ate whatever I wanted.
 It was a great birthday!!

I ran an Ugly Sweater Race with the other Roxanne. We did some walking and some running. I forgot my id and some awesome girl in an old school onesie stamped her stamp on my hand and Angry Orchard is my new favorite.

We saw Santa Clause and didn't really care for him.

Last but not least we bought a potty and peed on it 5 times!

My Birthday

It's my Birfday!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm doing this

Getting Healthy

{Weekly Workouts}

Saturday December ~11.87 mile run  

Monday December 3~ 1.5 mile run with jogging stroller and 22 pound child Activity Points earned 4
Thursday December 6- Cleaned House Activity Points earned 1 (yup that counts)

{What I Ate 12-6-12}

Breakfast- Coffee with creamer and Splenda 0 Points

Cream Of Wheat with a dash of Milk and Splenda 2 Points

Snack-2 slices of cheddar cheese 2 points

2 Milton's Crackers 2 Points

Lunch- BBQ Sandwich  9 Points
BBQ Beans 2 Points
 5 Tater Tots 2 Points 
2 Orange Slices 0 Points

Snack- 1 Clementines .5 Point
Snack- Grapes 1 Point

Dinner- Taco Soup 2 Points
sour cream 1 Points 
 20 baked Tostitos 2 Points 

Water-40 oz. with sugar free fruit punch 0 points

Daily Total- 26 points

Activity Points Earned Today- 1

I actually had something else planned for my lunch, but that did not pan out and I ended up buying lunch at school all while staying  within my daily allotted points (pat on back).

Day 2 in the books and tomorrow I go to pick up my race packet for the Ugly Sweater Run Saturday!! SO stinkin excited that that will be my first race after not running for almost 2 years.

And to top it all off how about a hallway fit throw down! The Terrible 2's are going to be a blast!

Push It Real Good

1 & 1/2 miles with a stroller really counts as 3 right??

I now wish I hadn't eaten those 2 mini butterfingers! 

I think I might restart my weight watcher tomorrow. Anyone wanna do it with me?? 

I have a new running buddy now all I need is a don't eat that buddy.

I have missed you my friends

Ready To Run!

Looking through all of my drafted posts the majority of them are all about getting in shape and running. I am seeing a pattern here and I don't like it. I am committing myself to a race at the end of January and I will be finishing that 1.86 miles!

Mckinley and I took advantage of a beautiful fall day last week and gave our running stroller a mile on her log. We went around our little neighborhood and ended up at the park down the street from our house. We are very lucky because our neighborhood is sandwiched between 2 parks with 2 great walking paths and we will definitely be taking advantage of them.

I finally got up and out today while Mckinley napped and Brent cleaned out the old dresser so we could put in our newly redone by yours truly (pictures coming soon) and he told me to get out and go while I could (I love my man) and get out I did! I set out from my house and ran to the park across the street, ran the trail, and then came back home. I am pretty darn proud of myself because I haven't run since before I got pregnant and it wasn't too bad! I told myself I would run a full mile without stopping and was pleasantly surprised when I got home to log my run on Map My Run and realized I had almost run 2 miles!! Now that may not seem like a lot, but if you have ever started all over again after taking a long time off of running you know how it feels.

I am happy and I am ready! My legs are aching in a good way today and it feels SO good!
St. Jude 1/2 2013 here I come.

Run

Man I am ready to run again and I think Mckinley agrees.

Sweatin With The Belly

 Before I got pregnant I loved hitting the gym and running. I had just finished my first 1/2 marathon the previous year, but when we started trying to get pregnant something happened. I started having awful pain after about a mile into my run. Turns out I had cysts on my ovaries that were being appeased by my birth control and once I stopped taking it then they had free range to do as they please. Fast foreword to a ruptured cyst and the end of my running career for a while. Sadly I have not really run for almost a year now and just seeing my running stroller in the office/dog room/ junk room makes my feet start itching. I am hoping that being pregnant or having baby girl will somehow fix this problem because I am going to be putting some serious mileage on that stroller.

When I found out I was pregnant I figured I would definitelyy keep up my work outs, but that was just a lie I was telling myself to make myself feel better. Surprisingly I have not gained that much weight so far and it mostly seems to be going to the belly. I did buy myself a pregnancy workout video and I went as far as to open it up and put it in the dvd player, but I have yet in my 3 semesters (thanks Jean for that one) even turned it on. Now that school is out and I have absolutely nothing to do but sit around, eat, blog, check email, clean, nest I I keep telling myself this is the perfect time to do my 3rd trimester workout. So today I have made a date with Summer Sanders and the 3rd tri portion of the video. I have also been told by a trainer at my gym that I should try spin class on Friday mornings and to bring my gel bike seat for comfort so I am hoping next Friday my gym buddy Heather and I will go check it out. If not we will stick to treading it in the YMCA air conditioning.

Now to a pregnancy update. We potentially have 6-7 (maybe more) weeks left of being pregnant. In 7 weeks I will hit my actual due date. Brent and Jen have both said (separately which is creepy) that they both think Baby Girl is coming the 15. That is 10 days before my due date, but I am ok with that. Everything should be fully formed and ready to go by then. Jen has also said if my water breaks during Harry Potter which comes out on the 15 that she will not be making me to the hospital until after the movie is over which I am fine with because there is so much time between then normally and when things really start happening. Brent has said he will gladly rush me to the hospital (he doesn't care for Harry Pooter as he calls it). I am now taking bets on when everyone think Mckinley will arrive. Some people want her to be late because it is their birthday or someon else's birthday. I believe this is really cruel. That makes me think that they want me to suffer longer in the Southern heat and humidity. Why would you ever wish that on a pregnant person. Still we are waiting for the waking up every hour thing to start to prepare me for when Mckinley gets here. I am still sleeping great and only waking up maybe once in the night. Is it odd that I am waiting to sleep like crap. I am just so afraid I won't be prepared for waking up to feed Baby Girl and I will be even more grumpy and tired. So everyone start praying that I start sleeping like crap very soon.

I Miss Thee

ingThe #1 thing I miss from B.P. (before pregnancy) is my running shoes. About a 2 years ago a good friend had the grand idea that we should become runners and run the St. Jude Half Marathon. Of course without thinking iot through I said "OK". Well the beginning of my running career was slow and it took me a very long time to feel like I was really a runner, but there is something about running that gets into your blood. I don't know if it the the endorphins or the friends you make in the running community, but man do I miss it!

I had some of the greatest running partners and hopefully after Baby Girl gets here I can rejoin them and start all over again. This is the part that stinks the most. I worked so hard to get where I was and now I am starting from the beginning. I know I will have to start slow and I will have to wait FOREVER until I can even start walking again.

So I am stating my goal here and now and hopefully someday soon I will accomplish it.

I want to run the Nashville Half marathon in 2012 (maybe 2013).

I know physically I can do it because I have done it before, btu it is the mental preparation I am worried about. After Baby Girl gets here we will see how well I keep up with this goal.