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Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category

squirrely sunday: bein’ healthy

Sunday, April 27th, 2014

I generally try to live a healthy lifestyle. Mainly by making good food choices and being active. I don’t always achieve 100%, but I shoot to make more good choices than bad choices.

This guy is a pretty good reminder to read those labels and stay healthy. Especially with the weather slowly making a turn for me to pull out a more revealing wardrobe!!

nutritional squirrel

Happy Sunday, friends!!!
xoxox

weighed down

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

I started a post a couple of days ago, and after writing on it, then writing some more, I realized what I wanted to post was really much shorter. I also have a feeling my readers (yes, I have optimistically decided I have readers) want to read something shorter. So, here we are.
This whole situation started when I got an e-mail with and offer to register for a fitness quick-start plan. I looked into it, and it seemed genuinely helpful. I signed up. To do so, you enter in all your pertinent information: user name, e-mail address, password. I entered all the requested information, and hit “next.” Yikes. There it asked the hard questions: weight, height, measurements. I felt like I had weighed myself pretty recently, but with the holidays having just passed, I thought I should weigh in again just in case. I went to the bathroom and pulled out the scale. I stood on it, watching the number flash as it calculated. “My eyes must be getting really bad,” I thought. The number I was seeing couldn’t actually be the number. The result came up. I stepped off, tapped the reset button, and got back on. The same result came up. My eyes aren’t getting worse, just my ass is getting bigger. I went back to the sofa, sighed, and entered the sad number.
I’ve never been “thin.” I come from farm stock and hippy women (as in women with large hips, not women who attended Woodstock). I could starve myself to a skeleton, but it would be a skeleton with junk in the trunk. However, in my youth, I could eat terribly and maintain a decent figure. I was active in high school, but didn’t participate in sports in college. Still, I did all right for myself. I could drink regular soda, and eat deep fried food, and use half the sugar bowl on my cereal, and maintain my weight. I knew I could do better, that if I really watched what I ate and worked out I could be “thin.” But I was fine with my self.
Over the years, I started watching what I ate, reading labels and such. I still just maintained my weight, but felt better about what I ate, and it made it easier to maintain my pocketbook as well. Then, I got put on a prescription. I was told of the side effects, including weight change which could be either gain or loss. Foolish me, I thought the pills might affect my appetite and the gain or loss would just be a result of eating more or less. My appetite and eating stayed the same. I gained about 25 pounds. Later, I found out that it was because the medication affected metabolism. So, my metabolism was permanently altered, and not for the better.
I decided to try the South Beach Diet. Which isn’t a diet in the sense of eat this way for a little while and drop the weight fast, more a diet in the sense of this is how you eat correctly, lose weight, and maintain the weight. I learned a lot about what I was putting into my body, reading labels, and avoiding really bad stuff. It worked really well. When I was halfway to my goal, I got a gym membership and between the two I got really buff and hit my goal. When I would start to creep up, I would adjust and keep the weight off. Due to finances, I had to cancel my gym membership, and while I didn’t go back to where I started, I crept up a little more than I liked. I also had to give up eating poultry and waterfowl because I can’t digest them (I already couldn’t eat red meat or pork). We found a more affordable gym. I started actually training. Then, I started running. When I turned 30, I was in the best shape of my life, and even got better from there!
Then, one morning I woke up in agony. My neck hurt so much I couldn’t sit up. I rolled over onto the floor, facedown. I managed to get to all fours then stand up. I went into work, getting a chiropractor recommendation from a friend, and having her take me over as soon as they opened. I was able to get more comfortable, but the pain lingered and I developed numbness and tingling. I had to give up almost all working out. I got referred to a neurologist. I got tests and MRIs. I got different meds to try. I tried steroid injections.
I deeply regret those injections. They gave me some relief, but didn’t fix the problem. They made me ravenous. All. The. Time. I would eat, and still be starving. Painfully hungry. I started gaining. I tried to pick up working out, but with all the limitations, it wasn’t enjoyable anymore. I tried to keep running, but it was hard, because the movement aggravated my neck. I canceled my gym membership because I didn’t think it was wise to spend money on something I couldn’t use. Finally, I was referred to a physical therapist. He fixed me! However, by this point I was way out of shape, and overweight. My regular doctor told me I needed to lose weight. I needed to exercise. I wanted to, that’s for sure.
Then came the exhaustion. Again I tried starting to work out, but I was so tired. As I walked, ran, ellipticalled, I could have easily dozed off. I came home from work, and often fell asleep. I went back to the doctor. So, I have had all the blood tests known to man, and am healthy there. I did a sleep study, and need to go in for a follow up.
Regardless of those results, I need to do something. I’m not at a healthy weight. My low back problems are starting up again, just like they did when I gained before. So, I started that little kick start program. I need to tighten up on my food a bit more, but I am getting there. I started taking the stairs to the apartment at least once a day. Since we live on the 13th floor, that does mean something. Yesterday, I thought I might die on those stairs. Today, less so. Regardless of sleepiness, I need to get back on track. I will not buy any fat clothes (outside of the pair of jeans I got because they frown upon it if you come to work without) and I will not spend so much time lamenting how my back aches. Also, I do not want any larger bras. (They are already beasts. If five pounds of loss is boob weight, bring it.) Which also probably has something to do with my back aching now.
So, there you have it. Yes, that was the condensed version. You’re welcome.

another reason to love my hometown!

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Okay, technically not my hometown, but rather that of my great-grandparents. I think more places should do something like this! I don’t have a problem with people wanting to eat meat. I do, however, think that we (society) depend on meat more than necessary. There are plenty of dietary sources of protein and iron these days, without needing it to come from meat. The benefits of lessening the amount of meat in one’s diet are plentiful, both in terms of personal health and of the environment.
Check out how awesome Ghent is with its vegetarian day!!

i did it!

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

I completed my first half marathon!!!!
I think a little recap is in order.
We planned our trip such that all the Disney fun would be before the race, so that I wouldn’t have to hobble around Disney after completing the race. We managed to pack a lot in, though it seems like no matter how much time one has at Disney it just isn’t enough! I set aside time on Friday to get my race packet, as I wanted to get that out of the way. If I didn’t have the packet, I couldn’t run, and I didn’t want to have to stress about it at all. So, at noon on Friday, G and I set off to Disney’s Wide World of Sports for the Half Marathon Expo. We got there, and with the help of some cast members, we found the Expo, and the place to pick up my packet. First, we waited in a line to get my bib, chip, and pin. The lines were broken down by bib numbers, so the line was pretty manageable. I wasn’t sure which princess I picked as my favorite, since I tend to prefer the villians. When the gentleman handed me my bib, I found I’d chosen Sleeping Beauty. So, my bib had the Half Marathon logo at the top, then it read “Princess Amanda,” then my bib number, then Sleeping Beauty at the bottom. The bib was pink, which worked out nicely with what I planned to wear on race day. I signed off on receiving everything, and headed over to verify my chip. One quick scan, my name popped up, easy peasy. From there, we headed to the opposite end of the building to get my goodie bag that accompanied my packet. There wasn’t a line at all for that, pretty sweet! The bag was a drawstring knapsack with the HM logo on it. Inside was a plethora of treats! A pink tech shirt with the logo and sponsors on it, a pair of LifeFitness shoe inserts, some energy chews, a stick of deodorant (secret!), a Sharpie Marker, flyers on all sorts of races across the country, all the rules and info about the race, coupons, and safety pins for my bib. I think that’s everything. The lady that gave me my bag then told me where I could look at the medal. We looked…it was big and heavy! A real medal!! I was picturing it around my neck. We then had to head to yet another line to pick up our tickets for the post race party. This one was a real line. It took about half-an-hour or so to pick up the tickets. We got those, and I wanted to check out some of the vendors. There were lots of people there also checking out vendors, so our perusal was pretty quick. We did check out a booth that had some funny shirts, one of which said, “will run for wine.” We decided that G’s mom needed one. She’s been talking about running, so we thought this would be a bonus incentive. They also had a shirt that read, “this seemed like a good idea three months ago.” Had I not already had a shirt for the race, I would have picked that one up!! On our way out we checked out the official merchandise booth. There were some cute things, but the lines were huge, so I decided I didn’t need anything. We finally were able to make our way to Epcot to enjoy the rest of our day.
Saturday, we had decided to divide our day between Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. I had a meet-up scheduled with the SparkPeople group that got me through the training, which was to be the divider of the day for G and I. Between our Friday night excursion to see The Watchmen, and this trip to meet up at Downtown Disney, we learned that Disney transit is tough when you are trying to be somewhere at a specific time. Anyhow, we made it, and I finally was able to put faces to all the ladies I’d been chatting with online for so long! I felt a little bad, as I tend to be shy in situations like that. However, I did have some good chats with some of the team. They are all pretty cool, and they are all very supportive. Some are old pros when it comes to running, some are first timers like me. It was a nice time. We grabbed some delicious food before making our way to the Magic Kingdom for some last fun before my big race. We did pretty much all the things we wanted to do at MK. The park closed at 10, and silly me thought that would allow me plenty of sleep before the big race. I forgot to factor in several things. The lag time of getting out of the park, waiting for the shuttle back to the resort, and the biggie—Springing Ahead! After I got everything prepped for the morning, I got a whopping three hours of sleep. Oops!
Now, what you have all been waiting for–The Big Day!! The alarm went off at four, and was a little painful. After a round with the snooze button, I got up. I got in a shower, and put on my racing clothes (a pair of black running capris with fucshia trim, a black running bra, a black tank with a sparkley silver and pink tiara on it, running socks, and my running shoes). I made sure everything I needed was in my bag, things like ID, cell phone, room key, snacks…I threw on my Tink hoodie to keep warm until I checked my bag, put some jam on a croissant, whispered some good-byes, and was off for the bus. We were instructed to be on the bus by five am, to get to the start on time. When I got to the pick-up area, I was greeted by a HUGE line of runners waiting for the next available bus. Hmmm…I did get there before five….I hoped that those instructions allowed a little lee-way!! I found the end of the line, and tried to be patient. Every minute was putting me closer to the race!! There were runners of all types waiting in line. There were even some men! There were lots of costumes, some of which I truly wondered how the person would be able to run in! I love wearing a full length gown, don’t get me wrong. However, I don’t love them for running! Eventually, I was on a motorcoach and on my way. I drank one last bottle of water on the way, and tried to be calm. Though it would have been nice to have some company, I think maybe it was better I didn’t. I probably would have been chattering a mile a minute!
We arrived at the start area, and got off the bus. I could hear the DJ stand playing some dance music to get everyone pumped up. There were lots of tents set up, and people everywhere. It was still dark, so there were lots of large floodlights set up to make it a little easier to navigate. I decided to check my bag right away, so I wouldn’t have to worry about it, should race time arrive. They had the check broken down alphabetically by last name, and then by bib number within that. Pretty cool, I had wondered how they were going to manage up to 8,000 bags. After checking my bag, I just needed to find something to do with myself until the race. I found a patch of pavement, and again tried to be somewhat calm. I made sure my intervals were programmed into my Garmin, I did some stretches for my hip flexors and calves. I hopped up and down to put my nervous energy somewhere. Finally, we were instructed to head for the corrals. I followed the mass of people to the start. It turned out that the mass of people did not know where they were going, and we all turned around and headed for the real start. We were told that the port-a-potties were the last ones until after the start, so if we had to go, to do it now. I declined and headed for my corral. I felt a little sad that I wasn’t in a corral further ahead, but this was my first time, and I could always work up to that. I watched the crowds make their way to the correct corrals, and kept looking behind me to see how mine was filling up. Wow, there were a LOT of people! I stretched some more, and tried to keep warm. Despite all the people around me, it somehow felt cooler here. I had no idea what time it was, and tried to be patient for the start of the race. Suddenly, there was movement. Our corral walked ahead, through the next corral, picking up speed. Eventually, we were jogging. Then, we were across the start line! I started up my Garmin, and decided to run my first two intervals, skipping that first walk break to give myself a buffer between the sweepers. Right away, there were folks cheering us on. There was music. Before I knew it, I was passing the first mile marker! Each mile marker depicted a different princess, with the appropriate theme music playing. We were told there were hidden Mickeys in the mile markers, but I honestly didn’t want to waste time stopping to try and find them. I journeyed on. People were running off to the bushes, I think some to pee, some to puke, ick. Soon there was a water station, but I didn’t need that yet. Onward! We looped around an on ramp, which was a little tough to run on. The right to left slope made it hard to maintain form. Oh well. Onward! Soon there was trivia along the roadsides. Questions about the various princesses. I read them when I was able. Soon enough we were met by more water, powerade, and a medical tent. Lots of runners started getting Biofreeze. I kept going. Soon, there were characters to greet us, and many runners got in line for photo ops. I remained focused, and kept going. The mile markers kept coming. On our way to the Magic Kingdom, there was a drum line (at least I think that’s what the kids are calling them these days). The runners cheered for the drummers, and the drummers cheered back. A wheelchair racer passed in the opposite direction, and we cheered for her, and kept going. I finally grabbed a water to tame the tickle that threatened my throat. Just before the Magic Kingdom there was a group of Chinese-style drummers. They were in traditional dress, it was beautiful…just like the Olympics!! There were also spectators. I kept my eyes open for G and his parents, as I wasn’t one hundred percent certain which spectator option they chose. They weren’t in this batch, but that was okay. We continued in to the Magic Kingdom. Through Tomorrowland, through Fantastyland (hi spinning teacups!!), and to Cinderella’s Castle! There were constant cast members cheering us on, which was cool. Then, through the castle! We continued through Frontierland, and backstage. More characters awaited. It was kind of cool to be in the cast members only area. Like we got to be in on a secret. We continued running. Then, I saw Maleficent. For a split second, I wished I had my camera. Oh well, more running!!! Around mile eight, I saw the fam. I waved, and worked my way over. Quick hugs, I apologized for being gross and sweaty, and some pictures, and I promised to see them at the finish line. Off for more running!! I was beyond the halfway point and into the home stretch. I was doing this thing! As the sun got higher in the sky, I tried to maintain cool thoughts. Before I knew it, we were passing the drum line again. I overheard someone point out that we were going to have to run up the hills we came down on the way out. I was glad I trained in a hilly neighborhood! Up one hill, up the on ramp (stupid slope!), and we were headed to the big hill up to Epcot. I pushed up them all, and headed for the park, past the mile 12 marker. By this time, the park was open. It was funny to be running in the park, with all these guests! I kept going, and thought maybe some of us would inspire more runners. I smiled at as many people as I could, as guest, cast members, and spectators cheered us on. We were getting so close!!! We looped through the park, and I kept reminding myself the finish line was getting closer. I could hear the crowds as I came up on mile 13. As the finish line came into sight, I started tearing up. I was almost there….I was really going to finish this thing!!! I smiled at Mickey and Minnie, and bam, I was across the line. I maneuvered over to have my chip cut off, then the big moment I was waiting for, I got my medal! The fairy godmother sprinkled my with fairy dust, and there it was. I decided to grab a Powerade off the table, and started drinking…gross. Luckily, there was the fam waiting for me on the other side of the fence. Hugs and pictures ensued. I begged off for a moment to claim my bag, and met back up. We got in line to see about having my medal engraved. The combination of the $20 cost and having to give up my medal for the process turned me off, so we decided to head back to the hotel. G got the alert to his phone with my chip time. 2:37:30, 12 minute miles. I didn’t quite make my goal of sub 2:30, but it was darn close. He showed me my chip times during the race, and I sped up as it went on. Part of the problem was starting in the last corral. It took me a while to get into the right pace group. I think that would have easily put me under 2:30. Oh well, next time!
My MIL has promised she is going to run it next year. I sort of committed my husband into doing it, as well. I guess this means I have to keep running!!

i’m going to disneyworld!

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

In just a few minutes, actually. I started down this long winding path early last fall, and what seemed so far off in the distance is now here. In less than a week, I will reap the benefits of months of training. When I started, I could just eke out thirty seconds to one minute of running. Now, I can run for several miles straight, as many as fourteen with using Jeff Galloway’s walk/run intervals. I’ve run in rain, snow, heat, below zero temps, on ice, in water up to my ankles. I’m still surprised at how impressed people are when they find out I’m doing a half marathon. I’m not gonna lie, it’s been a lot of work. However, it is totally attainable. I mean, I’m just shooting for a finish, and getting my medal. No record breaking or anything. Mostly just proving that my lazy butt can do it. If my lazy butt can get off the sofa and do this, I am pretty confident that anyone can.
I just want to give a thank-you to everyone around me who has offered support, listened to my incessant running chatter, and put up with my lack of free time. It has been truly incredible to me how supportive everyone has been, be it family, friends, co-workers or internet acquaintances. I have met some incredible and inspiring people who have kept me going on those days when I just wanted to give up. All the support has been so crucial during my training…I don’t want to let any of you down!!!
I finally got my last long run in yesterday (the last couple of weeks have been off kilter with my bad back flaring up and getting some sort of sinus infection) of 14.3 miles. I had to take a couple of unplanned walk breaks as my knee was grouchy in the middle, but I finished in three hours. Slow, yes. However the max time for me to finish the 13.1 is 3.5 hours, so I should be good for getting my medal, even if I have to slow down a bit for heat or the like. I have two short training runs left, then BAM! The half is here. I don’t know if I will be around the internets too much this week, but my goal is to keep my Flickr page updated with pictures, and to get a post-race recap in ASAP.
Thanks again!!!!!

onward and upward!!

Saturday, January 3rd, 2009

Since I never got around to sharing my birthday goals, and it is the traditional time for sharing one’s aspirations for the new year, and since everything I have been reading/seeing has been pointing me toward getting off my ass and getting my life in gear…here are the things I am going to accomplish this year (in no particular order)
1) Enter CONvergence masquerade 2009 (this includes building at least two costumes for the entry I have planned)
2) Construct amazing Goth Prom dress
3) Get Etsy store up and running
4) Participate in at least one local craft show
5) Finish installing paver walk in the backyard
6) Redo porch pavers and screen in front porch
7) Have enough dollars in my savings account to redo both bathrooms (Main bath will be a a complete demo and remodel–including new studs, the other is mostly cosmetic)
8) Clean out the garage and make into a funtional parking and workspace
9) Run Disney Princess Half Marathon
10) After completion of HM, run 15-20 miles per week
11) Hit goal weight and lower body fat percentage to 18%
12) Take a ballet class (which reminds me, I really should tell the story of ballet class as a child)
13) Take a tap class
14) Do Flickr’s 365 days
15) Make at least one post a week in Wardrobe Remix
16) Post at least once a week in each of my blogs
17) Go out dancing at least once a month, preferably twice (Event nights, such as Rubberball or Goth Prom don’t count toward this total)
18) Host three non-birthday gatherings at our home
19) Get my three tattoos
20) Have a big honking garage sale to purge all the unnecessary stuff we’ve accumulated and have whatever didn’t sell loaded onto a truck and hauled to charity immediately
There it is…I may add to this later, but those are the main things I need to happen this year. I can do it, because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!

a great start to my birthday week!

Sunday, October 19th, 2008

What a busy day! On one hand, I did get many things done today. On the other, I was the queen of procrastination. I managed to keep putting off my run until it was nearly bedtime and it could wait no more. I did this in part, because I was trying to get a number of other things done. Let’s recap, shall we?
Now, about a month-and-a-half ago, we were at PetSmart, looking at kitties, picking up food for our kitties…the usual. When looking at the wee furries, G spotted Robo Dwarf Hamsters (robo being short for Roborovski, the dude who discovered them, not for robot). From that moment on, they became an obsession. So, for our anniversary, before we left for our trip I gave him a card, and a hamster transport pod. I promised that I would buy him his hamsters, bedding, food, and a habitat. Today was that day.
We started at the local costume shop, to get a necessity for G’s costume. Then off to Red Robin, as I had a free burger coming my way for my birthday. I got a fish burger, and it was delish. We then hit up Michael’s so I could pick up a couple of tee-shirts they had on sale and fabric paint to make a cheesey New Kids on the Block tee shirt for their concert I am attending on Tuesday (another swell part of B-day week) and to peruse their wares and see if they had anything useful for the creation of our Halloween costumes. Then it was off to JoAnn fabrics. I purchased most of what we needed. I will have to hit up others this week, as the one thing I am missing, a pattern, they only had in boys sizes, not men’s. Then, it was Robo Dwarf time.
We wanted two, and they only had three left. I felt bad leaving just the one in there, but not all of them get adopted in pairs. But, if you only get one, you can’t add one later. Otherwise, you will still wind up with one…hence our wanting to start with two. So, we picked the fat one, and the little one. They are girls. We got their food, bedding, house, some treats, and a mineral disc. I held their little transport pod on the way home, and we marveled at their cuteness. They managed to poo a lot, so mission one was getting them set up in their new digs. Mission two was cleaning their pod.
The little one is named Rhymenoceros, and the fat one is Hiphopopotamus, after the Flight of the Conchords episode where Brett and Jemaine had rap names. Rhymenoceros mostly likes checking out the new place, and Hip-hop loves running in the wheel. They finally wore themselves out a bit and did some napping. It will be a task to make sure the cats know they are NOT food, but we have them in our room where we can close the door when we aren’t able to watch closely. Their habitat is fully enclosed, so the cats can’t get in, but we are worried they will scare the tiny furries.
Then, I did much cleaning. So much cleaning. I kept trying to get one more thing done…then one more. Finally, I had to run, or it wouldn’t happen, and my training schedule would be totally screwed up! I think part of why I wasn’t wanting to run, was because it was my first real day of doing the run/walking. Five miles. I was mostly dreading having to break up my running with walks. I mean, it feels like starting over back when I started C25K. However, once I got going, it was actually pretty great. My running was actually faster than usual, because I knew I had a walk break coming. I wound up doing 5.1 miles in 56:16. Considering I was running three minutes, walking one…not bad. Once again I am reminded to trust the training plan. People far wiser than I have put it together…I should not question. However, I will be honest. There came a point when each interval got just a little harder, and I had to push a little more. Then, in that last half mile, I really dug deep and pushed myself that little bit more. I really wanted to book to the end of the block and clock in under the 56 minute mark.,..but it was not to be.
Tuesday and Thursday I am up to 43 minute runs. If I can get in an even four miles in that time, I will be happy. Those runs are all about getting my endurance up right now.
On the bright side, as I near the end of another decade, I can honestly say I am in the best shape I’ve ever been in. Sure, my metabolism isn’t what it used to be, and I have more dimples than I’d like, but I can kick butt at the gym, and I can run. Pretty exciting stuff. Mostly because I said I was going to do it, I lazed about and put it off, and now, I am doing it for real. W00T!

now i lay me down to sleep

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

I don’t know why I am so sleepy today. Seriously. i just could not get out of bed this morning, and it was all I could do to not just nap when I got home (because i knew I wouldn’t get up). I even skipped my workout today, because I couldn’t get out of bed this morning 🙁 I’m trying not to beat myself up about it, but since I am still quite the beginner, it is hard not to!!
I need to really fight this night owl thing!! I must start getting into bed before 10 each night, especially since I can’t seem to stay asleep.
On the brighter side??
I ran my first 5K!!! Saturday was the Step Out to Fight Diabetes. I ran it in 30’22”. Better than I expected. Originally, I wanted to be under 30 minutes, but that changed as I realized that this was my first run, and I should just enjoy finishing. However, something about the event, and the course, and other runners, and it all came together. I felt really relaxed, and the miles flew by. I didn’t have to take any walk breaks, I wasn’t getting winded, it was AWESOME!
We spent the rest of that day at RenFest, and I let myself just enjoy some treats I can only get there. It was a really lovely day.
Now, I am in training for the half marathon. I am reading Jeff Galloway’s Half Marathon book. I am already learning tons. I am using my two regular runs to work on my endurance, increasing my times each week by 10% until I am at 60 minutes of continuous running (this will take about 9 weeks). I will also use these runs to work on technique. Then I do one long run each Sunday. These mostly increase up in distance, with some shorter runs to mix things up. These are where I have to work on my walk breaks. Since it is my first half marathon, I shouldn’t plan to run the whole thing, and not have a time goal. I have to keep reminding myself of that. I am excited to build up my running. I am hoping this will help losing some fat in my trouble zones.
I am glad I started this before I enter the next decade. While I will be in better shape in my thirties than in my twenties, at least I can say that in my twenties, I was in the best shape of my life…if only for part of them!!!
(I also have to say, in non fitness news…I just finished cleaning my kitchen. I took things out of cupboards and wiped them down, and tossed things, and cleaned the cupboard doors. Serious cleaning…it feels good! Hopefully this will encourage my eating to match my fitness!!)

no, i’m serious

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

So, I thought I should make it known. I signed up for a half-marathon yesterday. No, the race isn’t until March, but I turned in my dollars and forms yesterday. It was many dollars, none of which are refundable, so I have to stick with this!! I run my first 5K on Saturday (the Step Out to Fight Diabetes. It is important enough to me, that I started running…if you would like to support me please go to my walk page: click here ) If all goes well, I jump right into training on Monday. It is a 16 week program, so I have a few weeks buffer before the big day. All the sites say that it’s okay to not run the whole thing your first time out, and to not have a time goal, so I am just in this one to finish. If I like it, I will train for a marathon, either the Twin Cities or Chicago.
No, this isn’t a joke. Yes, I still have control of all my faculties. I’m just getting healthy, and this is part of it. I want to prove to myself that I can do this. Of course, who knows? I could be the next Deanna Kastor!!
(BTW, I have lost 13 pounds, and my waist is down to 24.5 inches, just shy of where it was when I was in high school. I have a bit more to go, and lots of goals ahead…I am just trying my best to be patient and hit one goal at a time!)
If you want to see details on my progress more often, I post regularly on Sparkpeople. (e-mail me if you want specifics). It’s where I found the running program I am currently doing, and the support that’s getting me through it. So, the next time you see me, I will be a lean, mean, running machine!!

can’t help it…

Sunday, August 10th, 2008

..but for once I feel like I actually got something done today! I managed to finish week 2 of both the C25K and 100 pushup challenge. I went grocery shopping and got food to make breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks all week (which should help both the budget, and the waistline). I cleaned the fridge (which was ickier than I thought…my apologies to anyone who’s been in it). I weeded and did most of the prep in the garden bed I am moving all my non-echinacea plants into (I just need to move a bit of dirt into the low spots from the pile that was left from putting in our walk). I divided up and planted the hosta my coworker gave me. I did a few loads of laundry, and am almost through the giant laundry pile, which includes Lollapalooza laundry. I did another post in my Lollapalooza blog adventures (two more days of fun to go!)
Now, I am about to cycle another load of laundry, start my crock pot of chili, and get my things ready for work tomorrow. I may even make it to bed at a reasonable hour!!!!
If only I could be this motivated all the time!