My Husband Ran Instead

Huh. If I don't run soon, there will be no point in my having a blog with running in the title. I worked a few minutes late tonight and then came home and got sucked into a TV show one of the kids was watching. (No, I won't tell you what it was because then you'd know that I watch Nickelodeon and Disney.) We turned it off and I started making dinner. My husband had a softball game and wasn't coming home for dinner, so there was no running instead of cooking.

After dinner I helped my son with homework, cleaned up, helped my daughter with her hair, did reading time with the kids and it was all of the sudden 9pm...way too late to run 12 miles. I also had some freelance work that I really needed to do. I sat down with my laptop and my husband went for a run.

I have a video editing class today for work and it's over an hour away. I'm really hoping that I get home in time to eat a quick dinner (breakfast casserole in the crockpot!) and then run in the evening. Oldest daughter has art lessons, but I think husband can handle that. I need to get this run in before it's really time to taper and do light runs before the half.

So, hold me accountable, ok? Let's talk about how the run went in my next post instead of talking about why I didn't run. Again.

Crazy Weekend With No Run

I recently read a tweet that talked about how everyone is busy and it's really annoying to have to read or listen to someone complain about their particular brand of business. I kind of agree with this statement, as those conversations tend to turn into people one-upping each other instead of listening with compassion and empathy. In light of that, I won't really go into why this weekend was so busy but I will say that it was busy to the point that I didn't run. I'll also admit that there were a couple of missed opportunities due to some poor decisions on my part. My plan, though, is to run after dinner and just run up and down my street, treating it like a track workout.

Some of my weekend did involve rest, which was lovely. Because I needed to do 12 miles, I decided not to run at all when I had the chance on Saturday. I figured that if I couldn't do 12, I shouldn't do any at all. (Flawed logic for sure.) Instead I drank a vodka tea, ate jalapeno chips and read. I don't recall where my children were, but my husband was watching football (this will be the norm for the next 3-4 months) so no one even spoke to me. It was heaven.

My half marathon is approaching on the 21st, so I certainly can't afford to ignore running altogether. I'm going to forgive myself for allowing my schedule to interfere with a planned run, though. If I make it to much of a chore and force it in where it really doesn't fit, then I think I'll resent it and that won't do at all. But acknowledging that this weekend was going to be tough, I let it go and figured out how I could do it this week. Will it be a lot to do 12 miles on a work/school evening? Sure. Will it be better than cramming it into a ridiculously scheduled weekend? Definitely.

Did you get any runs in this weekend? What else did you do?

Five for Friday...or something like that

People list five fun facts on Friday, right? It's a thing? I don't know. I think it is. I'm not sure if these facts are actually fun, but there are five of them.

1. I have signed umpteen school papers in the last three days. The kids started school (8th, 6th and 4th grade) and I've had to verify my phone number, decide on emergency plans and read classroom rules more times than I'd care to count. Yes, I understand that my children should turn their homework in on time.

2. Fall is coming. Mornings and evenings are cooler, and I LOVE IT. I love fall. I love sweaters and jeans. I love long sleeve tshirts. I love sleeping under blankets. I also love celebrating my birthday

3. I take bad pictures. See:

Meg, Amelia and Frack

4. I'm running out of facts. I didn't realize this would be so hard. Perhaps this post wasn't my best idea. How about telling you I love to bake? I made cookies last night. In related events, I haven't stopped eating cookies in 24 hours.

5. Meg would like you to know my favorite colors are green and pink.

Wow. I'll try to do better next week.

So, what are you doing this weekend?

Update about me

So, summer was rough. Well, not rough in the bad-sense, but rough in the scheduling sense. As much as I really wanted to blog and get out there, life just took over and I would run out of time and just get too tired. I really like to write, though, and I really like to blog. Here's to another shot!

In running news, my daughter and I did the Color Run here in Buffalo. I highly recommend this 5k - it was so much fun! Everyone was really friendly; lots of high-fives and encouragement. The volunteers were really excited, which always makes a good race. We obviously ended with lots of color on us...which is exactly what is supposed to happen. It was great!

Me and Meg, August 2013

Training is ongoing for my September half-marathon. My friend and I have 12 miles on the calendar for this weekend. I haven't been as good about my weekday runs, but I'm making an effort to change that. The same schedule the got in the way of blogging impacted my running and my contract work. But, I'm making a weekly schedule for the week and getting back to it. (I'm also trying to stick to a dinner plan, which makes school and work days so much easier.)

So, plan to keep coming back...ok? I'll have some recipes, I'll have some stories and I'll talk about some running. For now, I'm going to work on next week's meal plan and keep baking the chocolate chip peanut butter (gluten free) cookies I'm working on. Yum :-)

Here I Am

Huh. It has been a while since I've here. I'm a little over a month out from my half...and I guess I'm getting closer to being ready. I've got 8 miles to do tomorrow. I guess I can do it, right? (Hint: the answer is yes.)

We just got back from a neighborhood party where there may have been some adult beverages. I'm doing everything in my power to ensure that I still get my run in, though. I can't miss it! Perhaps I should check back in tomorrow to let you know how I did?

Catching Up

Wow, I've been gone a long time. I kept thinking I need to post and then...I didn't.

I didn't get up to do anything on Friday. But, I did go to spin on Saturday. I had a pretty bad headache and contemplated not doing it, but I perservered. I'm definitely glad I did. Later that day Meghan had softball practice, then Brett had his first house baseball game and then we went to dinner at some friends house. It was a great day! It was the first warm day we've had here in a while.

Sunday, we went to Sunday School and then came home. Dave and I did week 3, day 1 of C25K, which ended up being a mile. I had every intention of doing another 2 - at least - after that. But, after 1 mile I was dying. Seriously. It turns out that only eating edamame for breakfast wasn't enough to fuel me through a run. Who knew? So, after 1 mile at 11:33, I stopped and sat with Dave on the driveway and enjoyed the sunshine.

I was pretty annoyed with myself about not doing a longer run, even though I know 2 miles is better than nothing and I didn't eat enough. But, just to make sure I got something else in, I did 50 regular crunches and 25 on each side. Then, I did some  work on my triceps with the medicine ball.

Brett had a travel game in the afternoon and then we went to my parents house for dinner with the family. It was a great weekend and I really didn't want it to end.

I didn't get a workout in today. I slept really poorly last night and have literally not stopped since I left for work this morning. Actually, since before that since I had to run to the store so we had food for breakfast :-/ Guess what I did after work and taking Meghan to swim practice? Yep - I actually did some grocery shopping.

Did I mention that I've given up caffeine after noon every day to see if it helps me sleep better? Does anyone else do that? I'm a big black coffee drinker, so this is a big deal. I hope giving up my afternoon cup helps! Today I had a cup of decaf hot tea instead.

Let's hope for a workout tomorrow, shall we?

I Have Nothing

So, I promised someone that I would be "real" in this blog. I will promise all of you that, really. To that end, you should know...I didn't work out again. I want so badly to be the person who must work out every day, but I'm not. There are many times, like today, that I actually to want to go for a run...but it ends up being at a time that I can't - like when I'm at work. All day I planned to run before dinner, but when I got home I was freakin' exhausted. I couldn't bear to do anything!

Because I have no workout news, I'll tell you that I'm on Instagram now. Want to follow me? I'm missymichelejill. It would be cool if I could find some other adults to follow, since I'm currently following my daughters and their friends. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.

In completely unrelated news, I made the kids a fun breakfast this morning. (Actually, I guess it is related, since I also posted this pic on Instagram.) The kids had state testing *again* today and they insisted this breakfast would help. Who am I to argue?

Toast with PB and chocolate chips

Here's to another day and another chance to run!

Nice and Easy

I didn't wake up for yoga yesterday. (That's becoming a common theme, isn't it?) I was so incredibly tired! I went to bed around 9:30 on Sunday and didn't get out of bed until almost 7. I guess I needed it.

Brett had house team practice yesterday (Dave's the coach and Amelia is the bench coach), so I took Meg to swim practice. When we got home, the couch looked really inviting. I snuggled with a blanket and both dogs and hoped Dave would forget about c25k. He didn't.

 He was on week 2 day 3, which is 90 seconds running with 2 minutes of brisk walking, 6 times. We apparently did an extra minute of running in there because he got a phone call and that somehow messed up the app for a bit. Overall, though, it was a nice and easy workout for me. (Dave struggled a bit more, but he'll get there. I remember when I first started - holy cow was it hard!) He asked if I was going to keep going for another mile or so like I normally do when we're done, but I decided that last night I was done. I came back in and spent some time with Brett, who had a headache and just needed some love.

Meg is the only one with something going on tonight. Maybe I can get another run in? We'll see. I'd really like to get to yoga in the morning, so I don't want to get to bed too late.

Do you stick to weekly workout plans? How did you do it?

Happy Tuesday :-)

That Time I Had a Non-Race PR

I was out way too late last night, having a great time with a friend. We worked on baby shower stuff, drank wine, ate dinner and laughed. Then, just as we thought the night was winding down, friends of hers got engaged and we ended up going out to meet them - at 11:15. I crawled into bed at 1:30! I was pretty tired today.

We made it to Sunday School and church. All I wanted to do when I got home was go to bed. It was cold here today, which made snuggling in for a nap sounded even more appealing. But, Brett had a baseball game (first travel game of the season!) and he needed to be there at 3:15. I didn't have time for a run and a nap. I groaned and moaned and finally got ready to go.

I convinced myself that I only had to do two miles. I figured even two would be a decent workout and was better than nothing. Somewhere around mile one I decided that I should just do a 5k. My first mile was 11:22, which surprised me. I felt pretty good, maybe a bit winded, and actually ended up 11:23 for the second mile. At that point, I was getting pretty tired. I walked a house at one point and then ended up walking a house again after a quarter mile. I figured my third mile was going to be pretty slow. Then, when my watch finally beeped, it said 11:19. 11:19! I ended up finishing the 5k at 35:14!!!! I actually ended up beating my 36 minute goal, which I was working to complete in June.

Brett ended up winning his game, too. I still haven't been to the grocery store, so we ate dinner at a local Chinese buffet to celebrate his win and my run. It was really a great day. But, it also meant that the dishes didn't get done and there's still laundry left. But, we had great times with family and friends and I am beyond thrilled with my run.

How was your weekend run? Anyone else wish we had just one more day?

A(nother) Break

Seriously, I'm starting to lose it with these unscheduled breaks I've been taking! I ran on Tuesday with Dave and then didn't do another thing. I had late meetings this week, which meant I couldn't drag myself out of bed in the morning. The kids had lots of stuff going on at night, which meant it was too difficult to fit anything in before bedtime. I did walk with some mothers at swim practice the other night, but it was short and I can't imagine counted for much. Oh well - there's nothing I can do about it now.

I went to spin this morning. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong because I actually had fun! I wonder if I'm working hard enough? It was definitely a workout, though, so I guess that's all that matters. I'm really looking forward to a run tomorrow - hoping to do 4 miles. Hopefully the weather cooperates so I can do it outside. I'd also like to find someone to run with me out on the bike path. (I won't go out there alone.) If not, a neighborhood ride it is.

A friend of mine took me to opening night of a play last night, The Clean House. If any of you are in the Buffalo area, I highly recommend it! I laughed and cried...a lot. It stirred a lot of emotion and touched on some issues that many of us are all too familiar with. Go see it!

Today I'm hanging with a friend, shopping at Penzeys and picking up some cans/bottles that a friend is donating to my mission trip. It's shaping up to be a good day! Fingers crossed that the weather is good enough for Brett's first baseball game of the season tomorrow!

Happy Saturday!

A Nice Run

Dave and I ended up sleeping way too long to get a run in Tuesday morning. (It's inhumane that too late is 5:15am. But, whatever.) He said we'd go in the evening, which sounded like a great idea...at the time. It turns out, though, that getting up that early and not running meant that I would be essentially asleep all freakin' day. It was great!

Anyway, after work and dinner (crockpot sloppy joes! I took a picture, but it was awful. You'll have to take my word for it - they were delish!), we took Meghan to swim practice. We got home close to 8 and I literally ran up to my bed to snuggle in. Apparently Dave remembered that we needed to get a run in, though, and started getting ready. He said I didn't have to go, but I knew that meant I really did.

Once we got out there, I was glad we did it. I know a lot of people went on various runs for Boston and I was glad that, even though this wasn't a declared memorial run or anything, I had some time to reflect and make sure that I contributed to runners get back out there. After we finished the C25K portion, Dave cooled down and I got another mile in. It wasn't fast and it certainly wasn't long, but I did it.

There's a Solidarity Run on Sunday here in Buffalo at 9am. I really want to go, but have my daughter and I have a meeting about a mission trip we're going on next February to Belize. It's crazy that I: 1. have multiple places I could be that early on a weekend; and 2. am going to Belize! Amelia really wants to do this trip and she needs an adult to go with her. We've never done anything like it.

Between work and dinner yesterday, I made muffins. The kids are going through NYS testing this week (let's not even get started on that) and Meghan said they needed a hearty breakfast. They are typically frozen waffle eaters. However, yesterday I made them egg sandwiches and tomorrow I'm making them smoothies (with fruit, PB, chocolate soy milk and spinach). Today, they're eating muffins. I got the recipe here.

Horrible cell picture with glare from window

We each tried one last night and they're So. Good. Meghan liked them. Amelia said they were ok. Brett said he liked them, but he didn't like all of the oats on top. (I think I can chop them finer, though, so he'd like them more.) They're definitely hearty and I think will get the kids through testing and me through the morning at work. I also think they'd be great to munch on after a long run or something.

Keep running!

Sadness

It's hard to say much after what happened in Boston. I had planned to talk about how I didn't go to yoga today because I didn't sleep well. (I think having at coffee at 4:30pm on Sunday wasn't my brightest choice.) But, I'm sitting here consumed with thoughts about the tragic deaths at the end of what should have been a victory for so many. I'm worried about a woman whom I've never met. I know she was running today and I've seen no action on her blog or on Twitter. I do know that a coworker's friend is ok...so there's that.

On top of the feelings of grief over a senseless tragedy, I wonder about those who trained for so long for this chance at running at one of the greatest races in the world and have to stop without ever finishing. People were redirected. People died. So many emotions.

I'm going to go for a run in the morning with Dave. I'm going to run for those who can't. I'm going to run and think of Boston. Whoever is responsible will not win - because we're still going.

Who is running today?

I Did It!

Don't worry - I went for my run, so you can allow me back. That was a close one!

My friend and I went for a 4 mile run on a local bike path. She wants me to help her get faster, but I really wanted to focus on distance instead of speed today. (Please understand that speed to us is not what speed is, to say...a turtle. Ok, we're not that slow, but we're not speedy at our speediest, either.) I think the run went really well and I'm thrilled that we got it done. I was in a pretty lousy mood and really didn't feel like getting out there, but we did. We rock.

For dinner, I made pork roast that we won at a meat raffle. Do you have those near you? It's a fundraiser where they raffle off meat by selling tickets and spinning a wheel for each game. (We also won 2 racks of ribs, a corned beef brisket and a pork tenderloin.That was a good night.) I also served white beans and green beans. Can anyone tell me why one of my children always has to dislike something that the other two like? (I'm referring to the white beans.) They do take turns being the one who dislikes something, so at least there's that.

I didn't have a big enough pan.

Yum!

Yoga is definitely planned for the morning. Then, I'm heading to Rochester for work. It should be a decent day, though, since I'm going there for a brand launch celebration. My manager and director made sure to get gluten free food for me to eat - and my director is making a flourless chocolate cake! It should be a pretty decent Monday :-)

Have you ever heard of a meat raffle?

What does your Monday look like?

I Failed

So, I didn't check back in yesterday; I guess time got away from me! My run never happened, either. I ended up getting FANTASTIC Sabres tickets for Dave and Brett and the game started at 3. (Bonus: they actually won!) I thought I would just go for a run without him, but the girls begged to go to the mall and use their gift cards, since the boys were doing something "special."

I have to say I'm a little concerned that it has been days since my last workout. Grrrr....

In other failing news, I forgot to take a picture of the banana bread I talked about. Well, I remembered after it was almost gone :-)

Note: I'm typing this on my phone and have no idea where the banana bread picture is going to show up. I may have to fix that later.

I also failed to take a picture of dinner last night. There are no leftovers, either. I guess you're going to have to take my word for it that it was good!

Next up today (after I type this, drink coffee and snuggle with my dogs) is church. Then, we need to take the kids places, but I'm getting a run in no matter what. Really. Don't let me come back here if I don't, ok?

The Morning After

I had some girls over last night for a jewelry party. What we really did was eat, drink wine and make it hard for the jewelry lady to do her job. We had some great (not very healthy) snacks, including gluten free crackers with a cheesy onion dip - the surprise hit of the night! We also had chip, salsa and guacamole from Moes. And, no party is complete without a mixture of peanut and almond M&Ms. It's a good thing I didn't eat dinner beforehand!

Bad phone pic of our snacks

The last guest didn't leave until well after midnight. So, you may have guessed...I didn't go to spin this morning. Seriously - I need a kick in the butt! Dave and I ARE going for a run this afternoon and I'm doing another one tomorrow. I can't go now because he's at baseball practice with Brett. Then, he has coaches meeting and then Meghan has softball practice. It's going to be a full day!

I'm making a gluten free banana bread right now. Bananas don't often make it long enough to become banana bread in our house, but when they do...yum! I've never used this recipe before, but figured a cake mix can't be bad, right? I'll try to remember to post a picture and a review. I can't wait!

Dinner will be a variation of this, a cornbread/taco/cheesy casserole kind of thing. My father-in-law is a butcher and gets ground beef at a very good price. So, every now and again I buy 10 pounds (it comes in bulk). I got some the other day and immediately thought of this recipe. The whole family loves it and it's gluten free! Win-win. Again, I will try to post pictures. In fact, perhaps this can be a two-post Saturday with an evening recap, including discussion of my run, along with pics of banana bread and dinner.

Have a great day everyone!

I've Got Nothin'

The weather is still terrible. So, there was no outdoor run for me today. I also got home very late from a meeting last night, so I didn't feel like dragging myself to the gym today. :-( I guess I have one more forced day off. (I'm having some people over tonight, so I'll be drinking wine and not working out. I'm actually somewhat upset by this, although I imagine I won't be as I'm actually doing it.)

Also? Something is wrong with our heat. David is going to try and fix it. But, in the meantime, it's cold. Not terrible, but not as warm as one would like in the morning.

I think I'll try to focus on some good things. First, I successfully made coffee with the reusable pod thing for our Keurig. I wasn't sure I'd remember, but I did it. Phew! No one wants to deal with me if I haven't had my coffee. Second, it's Friday. This has felt like a very long week, but we made it! Third, I finished a project at work that was hanging over me; I feel so much better.

Ok, I think that's better. Here's my revised workout schedule:

Saturday spin
Sunday 5k
Monday Yoga
Tuesday C25K
Wednesday Yoga
Thursday C25K
Friday 5k

Have a great day everyone!

The Weather Than Got in the Way

So, (I'm using names for my family now because not doing so felt awkward and made writing difficult) Dave and I were supposed to go for a (C25K) run today. But, last night all the news could talk about was the freezing rain that was coming and how terrible it was going to be. I canceled a drive to Rochester today for work because I didn't want to deal with it. Then? I woke up around 6 and heard birds chirping. I don't think it started raining until a few minutes ago (it's almost 7 now) so we totally could've gone. I am not pleased. We won't be able to go tonight, either, because Meghan has a chorus concert. This will apparently be a forced day off.

My arms are actually sore from yoga yesterday. I knew I was in trouble when the instructor said (after saying good morning), "You guys are quiet today. I guess you probably want things a little easier and quiet? Not going to happen." I've never known yoga to be as difficult as it was yesterday. That's probably better, though, because I was a miserable, PMSy mess the rest of the day and it most likely would've been worse if I hadn't gotten a good work out in.

The mood I was in yesterday was so bad that I ate nachos for lunch and had a frozen cappuccino in the afternoon. Sometime during the drink I received a motivational email from my nutritionist and I ended up throwing the drink away a little more than halfway through. I'll consider that a victory, even though I probably consumed a week's worth of calories and fat. I will say that my lunch filled me more than it would've a few months ago and that all I ate last night was a piece of leftover Italian sausage before taking Meghan and Amelia to their respective activities; I had no other dinner.

Thursday means an 8am department meeting. I guess I won't get my normal scrambled eggs with veggies from the work cafeteria because, at this point, I don't think I'll get there in time. Sadness.

What do you eat when you're hormonal? Does working out help?

How to Stop Eating When Something Tastes Good

I actually have no expertise with the title of this post. There have been many-a-meal that I've eaten well past being full because I didn't want the experience to end. Tonight we had Wegman's gluten free spaghetti with Italian sausage and red sauce. It was delicious. I had one serving and was pretty full. I knew I should stop eating, so I did. I even talked to my kids about not eating any more because I wasn't hungry. After dinner I had to get some work done, so I cleared the table and got my computer out. While it was turning on...I grabbed half a sausage and inhaled it. I guess it's a good thing that's all I took.

It appears the title of this post should be asking for help in not eating when something tastes good.

I'm actually not as bad as I'm leading you to believe. I'm using MyFitnessPal.com to track my food consumption and it has really been helping. I've also been meeting with a nutritionist every three weeks to help keep my on track and to answer any questions I have. I just get frustrated sometimes when I feel like I have no control.

The (hopeful) schedule for the rest of the week is as follows:
Wednesday Yoga
Thursday C25K with husband, with possible additional mile if there's time
Friday 5K
Saturday Spin
Sunday rest

Do you have trouble putting the fork down when something tastes good? Do you have any advice for this?

Bad at New Blogging

I had a blog several years ago that I kept up for a few years. It was based loosely on recipes, although I definitely spent time just rambling. This current blog rolled around in my brain for quite a while before I started it. The problem I'm having now is that many blogs have a lot of pictures. I admit that the ones I love are picture-heavy. So, why can't I get it together???

We had pizza for dinner because I was in the mood and the place near our daughter's swim team practice has a gluten free crust available. I ordered spinach, onion and bacon on top - so good!!! I had every intention of taking a pic or two before eating, but I was so hungry I didn't think about it until I was eating the last couple of bites. (It's essentially personal-sized.) This is a sad situation.

I am trying something that many blogs do: writing the night before. We're planning to go for a very early run tomorrow morning and then I have to leave for work. (I'm heading to Rochester for the day.) It makes much more sense to get this in now than stress myself out writing something short in the morning. I even got my husband to fill my gas tank on the way home from swim so I don't have to worry about that in the morning, either. It's perfect!

I have to say that yoga this morning did a great job stretching me out. I'm definitely ready for a a quick run in the morning to get the blood flowing. Tonight, though? Tonight. I'm watching TV with my husband and sipping vodka. Life. Is. Good.

Back At It

Our weekend trip was awesome. We ate, drank and played and stayed up too late. In other words, it was all the things a weekend getaway should be.

I didn't plan well AT ALL for the drive home yesterday and didn't have very much food I could eat. I also didn't think through where dinnner would be. (We left much later than expected because we went for an incredible lunch at Han Dynasty - link to come when I'm not posting from my phone. So. Good. You must eat there when in the Philadelphia area.) Because we're typically back home by dinner time for road trips, I never thought about stopping. We ended up stopping at McDonald's because there just wasn't time for anything else. Ugh! I went online and found out I could eat a burger without a bun and the french fries with a relatively low fear of being glutened. (It certainly wasn't healthy, though!)  Even though I managed to get through the drive, I feel gross for eating that. So, this morning I got back at it: sunrise yoga.

It was a great class today! Lots of really good stretching and some ab work thrown in. We has a substitute teacher today and I really liked her.

I have just enough time for a little coffee before waking the kids up for their first day back after spring break. Getting back to a routine is so hard after a break!

Have a great Monday!

Early Morning Run, 2

I had decided yesterday that running 3.1 miles this morning would be a good thing to do. My husband decided that he would go out, also, although he would do the next scheduled day in C25K. I was undecided as to whether I would run outdoors or go to the gym and figured it would be a game time decision.

Husband's alarm went off at 5. I was not pleased. He immediately got out of bed and went downstairs. I heard him letting the dogs out, but then it got awfully quiet. I stayed in bed, wondering if I really wanted to go running or not. It was cozy in bed and I went for a (short) run yesterday, so it's not like I needed to go. I argued with myself for a while. (This went on for almost 30 minutes. I apparently like to talk to myself.) Actually getting up won, though, because I know I won't do anything until Monday because we're going to Philly for the weekend!  I have to work a half day today and then we're heading out.

Anyway, I got up. I got dressed. I found my husband asleep on a couch downstairs. He mumbled something about not going today and I rolled my eyes. After grabbing my watch and ear warmers (it's still in the 30s - although it felt great today!) and headed out the door. (I decided to go sans music today - I think it was a good decision!)

I decided to do a warm up walk until my watch found a signal. I ended up not looking at my watch AT ALL until it  beeped for 3 miles and then I only watched to stop right at 3.1 (because God Forbid I do more than that).

GUESS WHAT?!?!?!?!??!!??!?!?!

I did it in 36:11! That's only 11 seconds from my goal! And, it's faster than the 5k I did on the treadmill a couple of weeks ago. I AM SO EXCITED!!! My splits were:

11:50
11:39
11:32

I'm definitely glad that I got up now :-)

Off to do a half day of work - have a great Friday!

Early Morning Run

I never made it to pilates last night, which had been the plan. Seriously - working out would be much easier for me if I didn't have three kids ;-) (Ok, I'm sure I would just come up with other excuses. But, they're just so easy to use!)

Anyway, no pilates. Husband mentioned that he wanted to do his third C25K of the week before work this morning because we'll be away this weekend. It sounded like a great idea and I was totally on board...until his alarm went off this morning. I have to tell you, 5:00am is pretty early. Also? It's below 30 degrees.

We managed to get his day 3 run in. I totally should've kept going, but I didn't. He insists I shouldn't worry about it, but I know I could've done more. I guess I really do have consistency issues. I do fine as long as I follow my routine, but as soon as something changes (like the kids being on spring break or a late meeting), then I lose my mojo.

Oh well. I can't worry about it. I'll shoot to do one more run tomorrow morning before we go. Hopefully I'll make it!

Sometimes It's Just Hard

I had to go to Rochester for work today, which meant I had to leave earlier than I normally do. I was initially supposed to meet a friend for dinner after work, but she cancelled. So, I spent all day thinking that I would get some sort of workout in before dinner. At some point my husband and I decided that we'd do the second day of C25K and I figured I'd stretch it to a full 5K when we were done with his part. Middle daughter decided that she'd join us, too. I spent all afternoon knowing this was the plan and feeling good about it...until I got in the car for my drive home.

The weather in WNY yesterday was ridiculous. Really. I'm not someone who complains about snow and late spring and all of that, but seriously, I think Mother Nature is having some issues. I drove through beautiful sunshine and near white-out conditions within minutes of each other. It was freezing. I'd need my sunglasses and then would almost have to rip them off because it suddenly got too dark. By the time I got home, running was the last thing I wanted to do. But, I rallied and got ready.

My husband has a hard time breathing in the cold, so I was definitely worried about how he'd do. I typically do better in the cold than I ever do in heat, so I thought I'd be fine. I set my Garmin (I really love that watch!), husband set his 5K app and off we went.

The first couple of runs were fine. Cold, but fine. After that, I could tell my husband was struggling. He kept asking our daughter for water and we were definitely slow. (I'm pretty sure our daughter could have lapped us. I was going slow for my husband, but wouldn't have been able to catch her even at full speed.) I began struggling at some point in the middle and was dreading the remainder of my run. I figured I had to get it in, though, and told them I was going to keep going after our final run (while they cooled down). Now remember, I finished the 5K last Friday when we ran, so I knew this shouldn't be a problem. Last night was different, though, and I was DYING. Like, I was pretty sure my legs were made of stone and my lungs were about to collapse. I forced myself to get to two miles. (I'd say we did not quite 1.5 miles with the app, so I didn't add much more.) That run was one of the hardest I've ever done.

I was surprised to see my splits at the end. The first mile, done with my husband, was 15:02. Then, sometime during the second mile I left on my own. I kind of figured I maybe did it in 13. Nope! I did it in 12:05. I made up some pretty good time there, which may have contributed to how hard it was. (The cold and going faster than normal for me.)

My point to this very long, rambling post is that sometimes it's just freakin' hard. But, we have to keep going...right? Maybe tonight should just be pilates or something a little less intense - definitely something inside, though. I'm sure that my next run will be better. It kind of has to be, really.

Full and Tired

Easter Sunday was a great day! Lots of yummy food and family time (a successful dinner made for 10 people and an Easter egg hunt for the kids), church and a special production by the kids. The only thing missing was a run. Early in the day I was thinking that I was missing a workout, but after a great dinner and some wine, being active was the last thing on my mind!

If possible, I'd like to get in at least one day of yoga this week, if not two. If I don't end up doing two days of yoga, maybe one of yoga and one of pilates. I'm hoping that the husband wants to keep going with C25K; maybe we can get in two more days of that. If I manage to get a couple of runs in, as well, I'll be happy! We're going away next weekend, so it will be a couple of weeks before spin happens again.

I don't have much else to report, so I'll leave you with this picture of the family from Easter. I hope you all had a great day!

Saturday Spin

I'm trying spin again today. I'm actually excited! I hope it's a little easier this time, but I know it will be a good workout either way. (Today I'm wearing Capri workout pants, a dry fit shirt and my Brooks PureFlow IIs.) Then, I'm off to pick up the middle one from a sleepover...and have a mimosa or two with a good friend!! (Best Saturday ever!!!!)

I did end up getting a run in yesterday. Husband started C25K and asked me to do it with him. He has never liked running but desperately wants/needs to get into shape. I agreed and figured I could use it as some speed work; I have way more endurance right now, but he is much faster. Day 1 ended up taking us about 1.5 miles. He went home at the end and I went on to do the rest of the 5K. I intended to just take it easy and not worry about speed and had a nice run. So, I was shocked to see that I did my third mile at 11:25...that's really fast for me. Maybe this cross training thing is working?

I don't believe I'll get a run in tomorrow since it's Easter, but hopefully I can get some yoga in and a run on Monday.

Happy Saturday! I hope you can enjoy some fun/drinks with your friends, too!

My Absence

It's Holy Week and my son made his First Communion last night. I've spent the last couple of days baking, cooking, cleaning, worshipping and celebrating. While it has been fun, there has been no working out. Husband and I are both home today, along with the kids, and it has been a great morning so far. I'm trying to convince myself to go for a run before our neighborhood frozen yogurt place opens at noon. (Spin is on the agenda for tomorrow.)

Anyone have any encouraging words for me???

Tick Tock Tick Tock

Holy cow is time flying! I can't believe we're already at the end of March. We have a First Communion coming up, then Easter..and then it's April. We have a weekend trip to celebrate a birthday after that and then we'll be full into baseball and softball season. I need everything to slow down! (I also need to figure out how to get my schedule to mesh with all of the ball games. Whose idea was it to have 3 kids?)

It's been over a month since I recommitted myself to being the healthiest I can be. There are times that I think I won't be able to do it, but then I realize how long it has already been! If I can do it for a week, then I can do it for two. If I can do it for two, then I can do it for a month. At this point, why not hold out for two months? (If I have a vodka or two...can I still be healthy? That is really the important question.)

It will be summer soon. I'll need to start training for my September half marathon. Training then will be much easier if I continue good habits now. If I focus on my goal of a 36 minute 5K for June, that will also help my half marathon training. Of course, I did 2 miles after work last night and it almost killed me. That was hard. I'm sure some of it was because I hadn't eaten dinner and had a very sparse lunch, but I wanted to stop the entire time. Like, within a few houses I thought going back to my house would be much better than going on. I did it, though, and averaged a 11:54/mile average. Not too shabby...I'll take it!

(NOTE - I started this post a few days ago and have no idea where I was going with it. So, forgive the abrupt end!)

Happy Wednesday!

Just a Little Patience

I am not a patient person; I never have been! It doesn't matter if it's a big surprise or a small thing...I don't want to wait. I realize that being impatient isn't a good trait in any situation (although, I think it can sometimes be a motivator!), but I can't help it. I am who I am.

My impatience spreads to my body image and workouts. I'm working so hard right now, at both my actual work outs and the balance between fitness and regular life. I'm paying attention to my diet and ensuring that I'm eating what I need to eat, having occasional treats and being healthy overall. This should be enough!

But it's not.

I want to look better NOW. I want to be in smaller clothes NOW. I want the number on the scale to be lower NOW.

In my rational moments, I know this isn't going to happen. I recognize that I will see results over time and that I should count other victories instead - like the 5K I did yesterday! I can even hear the advice in my head that I would give any girlfriend who complains to me about this very subject. Somehow, though, I can't follow the advice myself.

There have been so many articles and blog posts about why we shouldn't be so hard on ourselves. I don't have any new thoughts or advice. This is a day by day journey for all of us. I'm trying to focus on the things I'm doing each day that I didn't do before. I did that 5K yesterday. I went to yoga this morning. I've improved my diet. This is all good stuff!

You're probably beginning to see that I have no point. I have no way to end this post, except to say that I'm working on it. I'm trying to exercise patience. The same patience I will preach to my kids and friends. I will try to bask in my accomplishments and not worry about my supposed shortcomings. I will try.

Do you struggle with this? How do you handle it?

Monday Stretching

I can't make it to pilates on Wednesday night because I have a meeting. So, I tried sunrise yoga at the gym this morning. I was pretty excited about it; I've always loved yoga and know that stretching is very important if I'm going to become a better runner. My big concern was timing. The class is from 6:05a - 6:50a. I need to be home and ready for work by 7:30 in time to wake the kids up for school and be at work by 8. I wasn't entirely sure I could make it happen. But, you never know unless you try, right?

I made it to the gym just before 6 and waited in my car until they unlocked the doors. There were quite a few people waiting to work out, but I'd say that there were not even 10 in my class. It was a nice, small group. I was a little nervous going into this, because my only yoga experience has been using Wii Fit or doing home DVDs/videos. However, it all worked out. The teacher was easy to understand and I was able to keep up. I was able to do a little more on some poses and never felt silly if I had to hold back on others. There was definitely many different levels of yoga practice in there. I definitely think I'll try to make the Wednesday class, too.

I didn't want to make the same clothing mistake I made at pilates (wearing pants that sit too low and a shirt that rides up too much). Instead, I wore stretchy capris and a longish warm-up jacket. I was hoping that I wouldn't get too hot and it ended up working out just fine.

The nice thing about working out in the morning is that I don't have to worry about it after work. The husband has his baseball team draft tonight, so I need to take middle child to swimming. My evening will go much more smoothly without having to fit a workout in. (We're getting ready for youngest child's First Communion - taking place on Thursday - also, which means major house cleaning needs to happen at night. I'm excited for the Communion, but not so much about the cleaning.)

When do you prefer to workout?

And on Sunday, I Didn't Rest

If things had gone as planned this week, I would be resting today.  Because I didn't work out on Wednesday or Thursday, however, I'm going to run this afternoon.

We just got home from church and Sunday School a little while ago. The youngest is at baseball practice and the middle one was just picked up from a sleepover. The dishwasher has been unloaded and reloaded and some laundry was folded. I'm going to eat lunch and then, after waiting a little bit, will attempt a 5K at 36 minutes. I can do it...right?

I'm a little nervous about adding the mile in its entirety today. I've been doing 2 pretty consistently lately, so a whole mile added to that seems like a lot. But, I guess we'll just see what happens. I need to remember not to be disappointed if I can't do it. My actual deadline (meaning, the race I'm planning to attend) to do this is in June, so I certainly have time.

Late this afternoon we'll be coloring Easter eggs with our nephew and having family dinner.

Happy Sunday!

Small Victories and a New Goal

My workout plan this week didn't end up working. I did pilates on Wednesday and really wanted to get a run in on Thursday. But, I had a meeting that I knew would go very late on Thursday night and thought it wouldn't be wise to get up too early that morning. Then, because I was up so late, I couldn't myself out of bed on Friday. I intended to run after work yesterday, but we were invited to spend the evening with friends and that sounded more fun! (And it really, really was!)

Saturday morning arrived with a slight chardonnay-induced headache. 8:45 spin? It didn't happen. I sat with my coffee, thinking about running and also thinking that the gym didn't sound even remotely appealing. The 29 degree weather didn't really sound nice for an outdoor run, either, but I knew something had to happen. I would've been pretty annoyed with myself if I hadn't done anything. I talked myself into bundling up in my cold running gear and heading out the door. And, guess what?!?!?!?! My first mile was 11:40 and my second was 12:02 - and that was with stopping for three cars to pass!). Woo hoo!

(I meant to take a picture of what I wear when I run in the cold, but I got distracted by my neighbors and I forgot. I'll try to remember for next time!)

I'm so pleased that I managed to get going this morning and I'm beyond thrilled that I'm managing to get faster. Remember, it's all about personal victories. There are certainly bazillions of people in the world who are faster than me. But, I went faster today than I have in the past and that's what matters. Those bazillions of people don't care how fast - or slow - I run.

Even though I already planned out my races for the year, my great run this morning made me decide that I need to shoot for a 36 minute 5K in the spring. My husband mentioned an evening race that happens in our neighborhood in June - I think that will be it! It was a really hot one last year, though, so I'll need to be careful with that. However - it's a goal and I'm in!!!

Happy Saturday, everyone! Get your exercise in and then do something with your family and friends :-)

How much is right?

When I first did C25K, I ran every other morning before work. I rarely missed a run and had a great schedule. However, changing jobs changed my schedule. The kids have also gotten busier. My husband's job changed. The end result is that I stopped running.

Last summer I had the brilliant idea to do the Disney Princess Half Marathon. I roped my sisters and mother into going on the trip, too, and doing the 5K. I started training in the fall and did pretty well with it. But, around the holidays, my plan just fell apart. I had a really hard time getting back on the wagon, despite a lot of very positive people in my life. I did manage to finish the race (it was at the end of February), but I know I could've done better.

Since the beginning of the year, I've been working with a nutritionist through a program at work. With her help, I began modifying my eating habits and have lost a few pounds. I've also been running a couple miles at a time, focusing on increasing my speed. Now, I joined a gym where I can take classes to help round out my workouts. But, how much is right?

I think my plan, for now, is to run 3 times a week (possible doing C25K with my husband and one kid), spin 1 time a week and do pilates 1 time a week. I know I should strength train, too, but I'm going to hold off for now. It's almost baseball/softball season for two of my kids, which means that my schedule is going to fill up pretty quickly. I know that I need to take time for me, but I have to make sure my family's needs are met, too.

What I hope is that my plan is enough. Once we're fully into spring I'll need to focus on a half-marathon training program, so I'll need to reevaluate then, anyway.

Any of you training for anything? What's your workout schedule?

My Race Schedule

So far in 2013, I plan to run the following:

The Color Run (5k with my daughter and some friends), August
Mighty Niagara Half Marathon (with a friend), September
Turkey Trot (8k, November)

You may notice that my first run isn't until August and I'm good with it, although I'm not positive I won't do anything before that. But, for now, I need to focus on getting faster. It's not that I'm particularly worried about being speedy, but I know that to improve I need to be faster and stop taking as many walk breaks. So, my goal is to run a consistent 12 minute mile. (I'd say that right now I span between 12:30 and 14.) My last run was a treadmill run set for 2 miles at 12. It was hard, but I did it. The one before that was outside and I averaged 12:06. (My first mile - courtesy of my pink Forerunner 10 - was 12:17 and my second mile was 11:54.)

I'm going to be helping to organize a run to help a school in Haiti. (Info on that to come as I have it.) So, that race will definitely be added to my list. Otherwise, I'm content with it as it stands. My plan to work on my speed and work on my cross-training. My husband and daughter will be doing C25K, so I know I'll be running with them. I have more endurance than both of them, but they're definitely faster. I think I'll be able to count those workouts as speed work.

What's on your race schedule? Do you do speed work?

My Core is Weak

When I say that my core is weak, what I really mean is that it's non-existent. Is it possible for me to be functioning with no abs? I'm pretty sure I have been.

Ok. Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic. But the lady outsides of the pilates room who told me that it wasn't hard IS A LIAR. It was hard. Like, I'm pretty sure getting out of bed tomorrow will be a huge accomplishment. I hope my husband is prepared to carry me to work.

In all seriousness, the class wasn't terrible. I didn't bring a mat with me, so had to use a gym mat. (If you're considering a class, make sure mats are available if you don't own one.) The teacher, Shannon, dimmed the lights as we were putting our mats down and removing our shoes. She put very mellow music on and then asked if there were any new people. I was the only one! She told me to keep up the best I could and not to worry if I wasn't doing everything because no one actually does. (That may b a lie, but I'm choosing to believe it.)

For 60 minutes, we rolled, stretched, crunched and all kinds of other things like that. Our legs kicked and swayed, our arms waved and bent. We took a lot of deep breaths. If I didn't know how sore I would be, it would've been relaxing.

My one rookie mistake was my clothing. I didn't realize that my pants would seems so low and that my shirt would ride up. I was incredibly self-conscious while I was rolling around that I was mooning everyone behind me.

I believe I'll take another class. If I can get into the habit of once a week, that will be good. This one was in the evening, so I just made dinner for everyone and set mine aside until I got back home.

I really hope that all of this ridiculousness is helping!!

Spinning Away

A friend of mine recently convinced me to try spinning. There were many months (years?) that I thought it was a terrible idea. However, she caught me in a weak moment and I agreed.

I spent the few days leading up to my first class alternating between insane nervousness and complete terror. I HATE BIKES. I've actually never owned a new bicycle of my own. Growing up, I used my sisters old bikes until I realized I prefer to walk. Now I was putting myself into the position of willingly climbing a bike for exercise - not even for the ultimate prize of an ice cream cone!

The biggest reason I agreed to try spinning is because I've heard that cross-training is a big deal. Apparently I can become a better runner if I try other types of cardio. Since I finished my half in OVER THREE HOURS, it stands to reason I could use some improvement.

In order to try the class I had to register as a guest at a local gym. I arrived early, filled out my form and waited outside the spinning room for my friend to finish her early strength/cardio class (because she's slightly crazy and was doing two class in one day!). She had saved us two bikes in the back so I didn't have to worry about not finding one or feeling stupid walking into the room for the first time. (That was a total relief because I'm pretty insecure about things like being an adult and walking into a room.)

The instructor was really cool and helped me get fitted on my bike. (This is important - the first class anyone takes should have an instructor who helps newbies get situated.) She assured me I wouldn't fall off, even though I assured her I would. She ended up being right.

My first class was 45 minutes long. I rode (spun?) next to my friend, with my legs going the whole time. The music played (I actually really liked the music she chose - it wasn't all rap/hip/current), the people sweat and everyone moved up and down. I occasionally attempted to stand and sit when everyone else was, but I didn't always succeed. But, I swear, I NEVER STOPPED CYCLING. I felt self-conscious when my belly seemed to stick out. I was embarrassed that I was very rarely in sync with anyone else. I also know that no one was actually looking at me.

I left the class and joined the gym. I have every intention of going to spin again next Saturday. I figure I have to do better than I did last week. And? My friend will be out of town, so I'm going alone. Can any of you join me?

My legs felt ok later that day. My legs felt ok earlier today, too, until I ran two miles at a 12:00 minute per mile pace. Now my legs are mad at me and yell every time I go down stairs or try to stand up from a sitting position...like a toilet. I think I'm trying pilates tomorrow to give them a break.

Here's what I wore to my first spinning class: my running sneakers (Brooks PureFlowIIs), spandex shorts (at least 10 years old) and a t-shirt. I also wore a sparkly head band that I bought at the Princess race expo. I love that headband with my whole self.

Stay tuned for more spinning adventures!

In the Beginning

I started C25K in early 2011. That winter (into spring), I lost 40 pounds. I had given up gluten, as well (more on that later),  and was generally healthier and more fit. I did my first 5K in May and was thrilled to cross that off my bucket list.

In July, I started a new job. I left a group of coworkers that I really enjoyed and a schedule that was conducive to working out. My new routine started earlier and went later. Many days, I was driving over an hour to and from work. Running and eating well took a back seat.

Until now.

I managed to complete the Princess Half Marathon in Walt Disney World this past February, despite not finishing my training program. I was disappointed in my finish, though, and have signed up for another half taking place in the fall. I'm determined to train smarter - and completely - for this one. Due to health issues, I've also resigned myself to life without gluten, rather than just a few months.

This blog will document my journey. I'm not a professional runner. I'm overweight. I'm a wife, mother, full-time employee, volunteer and countless other things. In other words, I'm very much like you. I hope you enjoy my story!