... is a treadmill. Seriously. Any treadmill companies out there that want to set me up with a treadmill to review and use for the next few months or the year or whatever, I will be grateful! I need a treadmill because I have not been able to get out for a decent run in about 2 weeks. seriously, my last good run was on the treadmills at school, and that was 2 weeks ago. The weather around here has not been awful, but it has been too cold/damp most of the time to take 2 squirmy boys that have been sick out in the jogging stroller for a decent run, and the hubby has been more less out of town for 2 weeks. The days he has been home, the schedule has not been conducive to getting out to run - but if I had had a treadmill those days, I could totally have gotten a super awesome run in anyway.
I of course have DVDs I can workout to at home, but the thought of using them has left me so depressed I cannot even put on my workout clothes. Getting back into strength training is also taking far more effort than I would like. It seems to me like everything is taking too much effort these days...
I am still working on the Paleo eating, and most days it is going pretty well. I am not stressing myself on trying to be perfect through the holiday season, but I am striving to do well every day indulge only in things I really love. No eating something junky just because it is there. And through some wonderful forums and websites and blogs devoted to the Paleo lifestyle, I am getting some fantastic ideas of things to eat, ways to cook them, and so on. So many great ideas that I think I will be able to shop very well for the coming month when I head to the store next week.
As the year comes to a close (and another "fat" birthday has passed) I am feeling a bit better than I have in a while. I am not where I want to be, but I finally feel like I am on the path to get there.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
So 'Licious - Mamavation Monday
"So 'licious, so yummy" ~ the Moose "Mommy, my dinner is very alicious tonight" ~ the Monkey.
I had a tough week. Tuesday the boys starting throwing up while we were an hour from home grocery shopping. They continued all night Tuesday night. Wednesday the Moose was better, but the Monkey was so bad I got scared enough to take him to the emergency room. 7 hours (3 on an IV drip) later, he finally looked, talked, and felt like himself again. He still did not want to eat though, so on Thursday, when he told me he was hungry I was trying to shove whatever food I could into my little boy.
I made him hot chocolate, macaroni and cheese, plied him with granola bars. No go. Grilled chicken, a big fat salad, and some Paleo style eggs worked. My carb-rific kids did some paleo eating of their own this weekend as I adjusted to eating differently. They drank all of my coconut milk (darn them!) They kept eating all my eggs, they gobbled the veggies out of my salad, and stole broccoli cooked in coconut oil off my plate. All the while they told me it was so alicious or so yummy.
My week overall was not good in terms of general stress level, workouts, or anything else. I got kicked out of one of my presentation groups at school (last minute, on Wednesday when I spent the day at the hospital) and told I would have to find something else to do for that grade. It's okay now, I got it taken care of, but it was one more stress that I did not need. I tried to get oil for my furnace, only to be told that HEAP benefits have been cut and it has not been opened yet this year. I am lucky to have an electric blanket and a space heater in the boys' room, because my house will be chilly this winter. I caught attitude from a grocery store cashier when I tried to get all natural peanut butter using WIC (my family is struggling hardcore while I am in school, so I use every available means to keep us afloat and look forward to June when I will have graduated, and pray to the gods that I have a job) when they tried to tell me I could only get the store brand - which isn't true, and I contested it.
My head is all over the place, and I feel like I am falling behind in my life, trying to do everything I need to do. My mamavation Monday post today is late, rambling, doesn't make a whole lot of sense, so I appreciate the efforts of everyone who took the time to read it. Next week I will be more coherent, I promise.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Aiming for a better week
Despite my intentions of getting back to my runs Thursday, I was derailed. The hubby has been out of town since Thursday night, meaning no chance to run alone. Although even if I had the chance, I don't think I would have gone for my runs this weekend anyway. Friday afternoon the muscles on my left side seemed to lock up on me. By about 7 Friday night I was shaking and feverish and desperately trying to figure out how to feed the boys dinner when I didn't even feel like I could get off the couch. Saturday was not much better, but after another night of extra strength ibuprofen and snuggles with my moose (who has not been feeling so hot himself) I feel almost human today. Possible even good enough to take the boys for a nice walk before dinner later.
I have been reading / hearing / downloading podcasts a lot recently about the Paleo Diet. I've done low carb before - I did Atkins a few times (best when I was away in college. Lost all my progress when I came home and had carb laden foods tempting me). The more I read about Paleo, the more it seems to be a clean eating version of a low carb diet. It emphasis real foods, whole foods, no processed food. No to low grain consumption, lots of vegetables and fruits, nuts and nut butter (but not peanut butter as peanuts are a legume). Lean meats, poultry, seafood... I feel like that is a way of eating I can get behind and sustain. I know I feel absolutely awful when I eat too many wheat products. When I put a greater emphasis on vegetables and lean protein I feel better about what I am eating, get fewer headaches and no heartburn. When I start eating too much wheat (pasta especially) I suffer from awful heartburn!
So as I plan out our grocery list for this month it will look more like a paleo list. Nuts, lean meats, frozen vegetables, a little dairy, some healthy fats. I am hoping that this will help jump start me in the right direction and set the end of my year on a good course.
Mamavation Monday question: How has Type II diabetes affected your life?
I'm lucky that even with my weight being so high, I do not suffer from type II diabetes, in fact that last time I had my blood work done and asked to check that out, my doctor said my numbers were so good I did not have to worry about it. However, my father was diagnosed as pre-diabetic 3 years ago and my MIL has Type II diabetes, so I have seen how it can complicate a persons life. My MIL has to take extensive medication everyday - and I am fairly certain that most of her more sever health problems (including the diabetes) are directly related to the fact that she is at least 100lbs over weight, if not more. That thought more than any other makes me motivated to be healthy. I want to be able to play with my children and eventual grandchildren and not suffer from weight related illness.
“This post is sponsored by Better’n Eggs and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women“”
I have been reading / hearing / downloading podcasts a lot recently about the Paleo Diet. I've done low carb before - I did Atkins a few times (best when I was away in college. Lost all my progress when I came home and had carb laden foods tempting me). The more I read about Paleo, the more it seems to be a clean eating version of a low carb diet. It emphasis real foods, whole foods, no processed food. No to low grain consumption, lots of vegetables and fruits, nuts and nut butter (but not peanut butter as peanuts are a legume). Lean meats, poultry, seafood... I feel like that is a way of eating I can get behind and sustain. I know I feel absolutely awful when I eat too many wheat products. When I put a greater emphasis on vegetables and lean protein I feel better about what I am eating, get fewer headaches and no heartburn. When I start eating too much wheat (pasta especially) I suffer from awful heartburn!
So as I plan out our grocery list for this month it will look more like a paleo list. Nuts, lean meats, frozen vegetables, a little dairy, some healthy fats. I am hoping that this will help jump start me in the right direction and set the end of my year on a good course.
Mamavation Monday question: How has Type II diabetes affected your life?
I'm lucky that even with my weight being so high, I do not suffer from type II diabetes, in fact that last time I had my blood work done and asked to check that out, my doctor said my numbers were so good I did not have to worry about it. However, my father was diagnosed as pre-diabetic 3 years ago and my MIL has Type II diabetes, so I have seen how it can complicate a persons life. My MIL has to take extensive medication everyday - and I am fairly certain that most of her more sever health problems (including the diabetes) are directly related to the fact that she is at least 100lbs over weight, if not more. That thought more than any other makes me motivated to be healthy. I want to be able to play with my children and eventual grandchildren and not suffer from weight related illness.
“This post is sponsored by Better’n Eggs and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women“”
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Race Report and a Call For Help
Okay, I am way late with my race report on my first race!
Saturday October 29, 2011 I ran the Pumpkins in the Park 5K in Rochester, NY at Cobbs Hill Park. I grew up in a suburb of Rochester and have moved away and back to the area more times than I would care to admit.
On the Thursday before the race we had our first official snowfall of the season. Big fat flakes coating my yard in white. The snow nixed my initial race outfit of lightweight capris and my Race Ragz tech shirt. A desperate call to my mother provided me with warm compression tights to run in on Saturday.
I almost did not get to the race on time. I live in the middle of nowhere (seriously, NOWHERE) and my house is difficult to find in full daylight. At 5AM in the pitch black it is impossible! My mom was picking me up (she was in town staying with some friends for a long weekend) and taking me to the race. She got lost a couple of times and only got to my house at 7:00AM. The race started at 9, and registration (which I still needed to do) opened at 7:30 - and I live 1.5 hours away from the city. I bundled my half sleeping boys into the car, grabbed my bag to make sure I had everything and we were off.
I droveway faster than was legal just fast enough to get there in time. A pleading call to my dad (my parents are divorced, but very friendly, which makes my life so much easier) had him registering me to ensure a spot at the starting line. We managed to find the perfect parking spot - right at the starting line! I put on my shoes, grabbed my fanny pack and phone, and ran inside to the bathroom (a long drive, a large coffee... had to pee before the start). With 2 minutes to spare I got outside and at the starting line, ready to go.
It was a costume race, and there were some great costumes. Unfortunately the one thing I forgot to throw in my bag was my camera. Next time, I promise!
I had my miCoach app running, my 2:1 run / walk timer set, I was ready to go! The starting gun went off and on mass the crowd moved. I started with a v v e e r r r y y slow jog and kept that up for a good portion of the first mile. I started actually listening to my run/walk timer at about 10 minutes - when I was out of sight of most spectators! :D
The course itself is quite hill, but it is nothing compared to my daily running route! The hills outside my front door are higher and steeper, so I really felt like I had a training advantage on those hills. I was able to run up at least part of every one.
I passed the first mile at 13:26 - easily my fastest mile for starting out. I felt like my pacing was good throughout the race, and I followed my timer after the first 10 minutes, without taking any extra walk breaks. Mile 2 was a little slower (mostly uphill) at 14:46 - still faster than my average pace. My face hurt at that point from all the smiling! Mile 3 looped around the reservoir and was downhill to the finish. Downhill for most of the last mile! Mile 3 had me at 12:53! The fastest mile I have run since high school, maybe even junior high! I crossed the finish line, sprinting it out for the last few hundred feet, at 42:18. My goal for the race was 45:00 so, I was more than 2:30 better than my race goal!
I rode the high of that race for the whole day, and a good part of Sunday. Unfortunately I seemed to take a downturn after that. I have not really gotten a good run in since the race. I feel apathetic and unmotivated. I want to sit around and eat candy and kind of give up on getting fit and healthy. Of course at the same time I want to run another race (4.4 mile Turkey Trot) on Thanksgiving, and another in December, and another and another and another! The race was great, and I can't wait to run more. I just need to find my motivation again.
Do you have any motivation tips? A way I can find my get up and go again?
How about races? Ever run one, or are you planning a race?
Saturday October 29, 2011 I ran the Pumpkins in the Park 5K in Rochester, NY at Cobbs Hill Park. I grew up in a suburb of Rochester and have moved away and back to the area more times than I would care to admit.
On the Thursday before the race we had our first official snowfall of the season. Big fat flakes coating my yard in white. The snow nixed my initial race outfit of lightweight capris and my Race Ragz tech shirt. A desperate call to my mother provided me with warm compression tights to run in on Saturday.
I almost did not get to the race on time. I live in the middle of nowhere (seriously, NOWHERE) and my house is difficult to find in full daylight. At 5AM in the pitch black it is impossible! My mom was picking me up (she was in town staying with some friends for a long weekend) and taking me to the race. She got lost a couple of times and only got to my house at 7:00AM. The race started at 9, and registration (which I still needed to do) opened at 7:30 - and I live 1.5 hours away from the city. I bundled my half sleeping boys into the car, grabbed my bag to make sure I had everything and we were off.
I drove
It was a costume race, and there were some great costumes. Unfortunately the one thing I forgot to throw in my bag was my camera. Next time, I promise!
I had my miCoach app running, my 2:1 run / walk timer set, I was ready to go! The starting gun went off and on mass the crowd moved. I started with a v v e e r r r y y slow jog and kept that up for a good portion of the first mile. I started actually listening to my run/walk timer at about 10 minutes - when I was out of sight of most spectators! :D
The course itself is quite hill, but it is nothing compared to my daily running route! The hills outside my front door are higher and steeper, so I really felt like I had a training advantage on those hills. I was able to run up at least part of every one.
I passed the first mile at 13:26 - easily my fastest mile for starting out. I felt like my pacing was good throughout the race, and I followed my timer after the first 10 minutes, without taking any extra walk breaks. Mile 2 was a little slower (mostly uphill) at 14:46 - still faster than my average pace. My face hurt at that point from all the smiling! Mile 3 looped around the reservoir and was downhill to the finish. Downhill for most of the last mile! Mile 3 had me at 12:53! The fastest mile I have run since high school, maybe even junior high! I crossed the finish line, sprinting it out for the last few hundred feet, at 42:18. My goal for the race was 45:00 so, I was more than 2:30 better than my race goal!
I rode the high of that race for the whole day, and a good part of Sunday. Unfortunately I seemed to take a downturn after that. I have not really gotten a good run in since the race. I feel apathetic and unmotivated. I want to sit around and eat candy and kind of give up on getting fit and healthy. Of course at the same time I want to run another race (4.4 mile Turkey Trot) on Thanksgiving, and another in December, and another and another and another! The race was great, and I can't wait to run more. I just need to find my motivation again.
Do you have any motivation tips? A way I can find my get up and go again?
How about races? Ever run one, or are you planning a race?
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