Rain Rain Go Away!

I woke up at 4:30am to a thunderstorm.  Ugh...not again!

When my alarm went off at 5:30, it didn't sound like it was raining anymore.  Yay!

And when I actually got my hiney out of bed at 6:00am, it was almost clearing.  Even better!

So I put my running shoes on and hit the pavement.

I hoped to run 6+ miles.

Until I rounded a corner and saw this:

At this point, I look at my GPS and I was only at 3.4 miles.

So, my not-so-normal brain thought

"Hmmmm....well, I've never ran in the rain before.  It could be fun"

Then it began lightening.  Big lightening.  Lots of big lightening.

I decided I'd go ahead and head home.

I ended at 4.06 miles and about 5 minutes before the rain.

Guess I'll have to run in the rain another day!



No More Excuses

Mother Nature ruined my planned outdoor run this morning.

When my alarm went off, I could see the lightening thru my windows and knew my plans were shot.  So I was immediately like "well, there's that idea.  Guess I get to sleep". 

Then I remembered that I pay for a gym membership.  A gym that has plenty of indoor equipment that works come rain or shine... and I knew I had to get my rear out of the bed and go to Plan B.

People will always be able to come up with excuses for not working out, when in reality, they just don't want it bad enough.  Even if you don't have a gym membership, you have legs....legs capable of jumping jacks, squats and lunges.  Arms capable of pushups and tricep dips.  There are plenty of things we can do inside the privacy of our own home....for free!

I want it.  I'm determined to get it.  So I sucked it up and did it.

And you know what?  I am SO GLAD I DID.  I had a great workout.  Probably a better one that I would have had if I'd gotten to do my original plan.  I killed the incline on the treadmill.  I must have climbed Mt. Everest. 60 minutes, 5.4 miles of hills....hills that I tend to avoid when I run outside!

So it just all goes back to that saying.....I've never once regretted a workout I've completed, but I sure regret the ones I haven't done.

Before you decide to skip your workout, is your excuse really a valid one?  Search deep....cause usually, you'll find it's not.

Long Weekend = Little Exercise

Hope everyone was more dedicated to working out than I was this weekend!

I skipped Saturday (spent 8 hours in the car instead, so a semi-valid excuse, right?!).

I ran a little over 5 miles Sunday morning before church (yay).

I skipped Monday.  This was an unplanned skip.  I thought I might make it to the gym at some point, but between trying to score $4 tank tops at Old Navy and napping....I just didn't make it!

The good part is I wasn't absolutely terrible in the food category.  I wasn't great either.  I'm sure the scale will stay exactly the same this week.....as it has for the past 2 months. 

I can't complain.

I am the only one to blame!

13 in 2013

Yes, that's right.

I'm putting it in writing now.

I'm going to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) on February 24, 2013.

I'm SO excited.

And nervous already!

13 miles is just really far!

I have 3 others lined up to run with me.  We're hoping to form a team (which requires at least 5 people), so we need to recruit at least one more.  Any takers???

I've been toying with the idea, and yesterday I just decided to suck it up and commit. We can do anything we set our minds to.  Well, almost anything.  I never could grasp Chemistry.

There's something special about running 13 miles in 2013.

The race will be 2 days before my 33rd birthday (ok, not 13th, but still a lot of 3's)

The race will also be on the 13th anniversary of my first date with Jason.

I mean, basically, the universe it telling begging me to do it!

Ice Ice Baby....

I bet the title of this post definitely got my mom to read! Thanks by the way...for all those years of picking me up from school and trying to humiliate me while you jammed to something like Vanilla Ice.  Appreciate it.  :)

I used to get shin splints nearly every time I ran, whether it was a treadmill run or an outside run. I haven't had them in a long time.  Either they became less and less as I lost weight or just because I got used to running.  I assume it's probably a combination of the two.

I ran 6 miles this morning and stretched pretty good afterwards, but within minutes of being home, my shins were already crying.

So I decided to ice.

I'm pretty certain most people don't ice for a mere 6 miles and would call me an amateur.

So be it!

I sat at my desk, feet propped on a dining room chair, with my wireless keyboard in my lap and worked with ice on my legs.  It felt SO good!  I'm really really hopeful it will mean they won't be as sore tomorrow!

And if you haven't noticed, I have a 3 year old; therefore, I have age-appropriate ice packs.  Once these were no longer doing the job, I did get baggies of actual ice.

Good thing I didn't plan on running tomorrow.  It's BodyAttack day!  I've only been once, but it was really good.  It's a sports-influenced cardio class.  It was really high impact...move, move move...which is right up my ally.  Hopefully by Friday, when I plan to run again, my shins will be healed.

If anyone has any tried and true tips for either preventing shin splints or curing them, feel free to share!  I'd love to hear!



Motivational Pins

I *heart* Pinterest.

I've gotten so many great ideas...decorating, recipes, kid crafts...you name it, it's on Pinterest. And I actually really DO make the recipes and do some of the things I pin. Amazing concept! Lol I do have a Fitness/Motivational board. And I do go back and read them sometimes. There are a couple of these that I repeat to myself on a regular basis, so I thought I'd share. Maybe they'll inspire you (or at least make you laugh) as well.

This is a good one...

I actually did this once.   I did 1,000 jumping jacks in a day (and planned to continue for the week).  I stopped after Day 1.  I do not reccommend this!  My calves were so sore I couldn't walk for days! Lesson learned!

LOVE this one too.  So true...and we've ALL been guilty of saying it.

I know ONE person that would like this....but that's it!  :)

And we'll end on a little humor mixed with a little truth!

Dining Out

This one is going to be short & sweet.  Promise!

The absolute best advise I can give for eating out...look up the nutritional information before you go (if available).  Have a plan in place!  Know what you are going to order before you get there and are too hungry to make healthy choices!

I am always SHOCKED by the calorie/fat content when I look up a restaurant's nutritional information.  It will definitely make you think twice about what you order....or whether you eat the entire dish or just 1/2 of it.  Most chain restaurants have this information readily available to you on their websites.

So just a little tip.  I don't always practice this approach, but I know when I do, I eat FAR fewer calories!

Commitment

I work from home (this began about 5 weeks ago....when I was blessed with an awesome opportunity). 

To MANY, this means that I'm a "stay at home mom".  That couldn't be farther from the truth.

I'm in my office from (at least) 8am-5pm.  I have conference call after call after call.  It's not some "cushy" job where I just sit and watch TV all day.  Promise!  I was actually talking with a friend the other day about how I've only turned on the TV ONCE in those 5 weeks.

That being said, I do have more flexibility than at my previous job.

I'm not driving 50 miles EACH WAY to work...in traffic.  I've gained at minimum 2 hours of my day back and a lot of sanity!

If I need to run an errand and I don't have a meeting, it's possible to run to Target and pick up necessities (or a cute skirt). 

If I need to pick up Olivia 30 minutes early to take her to her first swim lesson, it's much easier to do so.

  There are major benefits that FAR outweigh any negatives.  I feel normal.  Trust me.  I'm NOT complaining!!! 

But a "problem" has come up....

Originally, I thought since I was going to be working from home that it would be SO easy to find time to workout.  I could workout after I dropped off Olivia or in the middle of the day between meetings.

Boy, was I wrong! 

Like I said, from 8-5, I am in my office.  I barely remember that I can get up and put a load of laundry in!  I know I can't just go missing for 2 hours in the middle of the day to enjoy a workout.

The first couple of weeks, I did manage to get in a few outdoor runs in the middle of the day.  I didn't have much going on.  Now it's getting so hot in North Texas, even if I had time to go out and run, I just don't want to!  I DESPISE the heat and don't really do very well in it. 

You still reading??? Hang with me....I have a point, I think.

So, pretty much daily for the past 5 weeks, my alarm has gone off at 5:00am.  It's better than the 4:30am alarm that used to go off, but it's still not exactly what I had envisioned!  After all, I work from home (i.e. makeup and even showers aren't necessary. LOL).  I should be able to easily sleep until 7:00, but unfortunately, that's just not reality.  Sure, I could sleep until 7:00 every day (like my husband told me to do), but I'd rather be healthy.  I'd rather be a smaller size.  I'd rather feel good about myself.  I enjoy feeling strong when I work out.  Apparently, I'm also fairly competitive, which is something I never really knew about myself! Ha.

So instead of sleeping in, I get up before dawn and hit the gym because that's the only time I can realistically fit it in.

Oh...my point...I almost forgot....

If you want something bad enough, you'll make it happen.

It may have to happen differently than you had planned.  It may not be ideal.  It may take some sacrifice.  If it truly matters and it's something you truly want, you'll do it.

This entire thought process came from after having a conversation with my husband that I was tired of getting up so early and that I shouldn't "have" to...cause I work from home!  An alarm that early when you work from home  is crazy!  Where's my extra sleep?!?!?!  He just looked at me crazy and said I didn't HAVE to.  Anyway...just got me to thinking...hence, this really long wordy blog that really doesn't say a whole lot!  Really...if you're still reading...I'm impressed!

 

Changing It Up

I originally planned to run another 6 miles today....to see if I could beat my time from Monday; however, when I started running, I immediately knew that wasn't going to happen.  My legs are really tired from the past 2 days...and I have minor shin splits....so rather than give up, I decided to "change it up".

I ran an initial 3 miles on the treadmill.

Then headed over to the machine that I am pretty sure was made by Satan himself.

The stair climbers/masters at my old gym were different than this (although the same brand).  The ones I was used to were, um, dare I say....easy.  This thing was killer.  Maybe it was because I was already tired...or because I hadn't done one in a few weeks.  Or maybe it really is that much harder, but after 10 minutes (and over a mile climbed), I got off and headed back to the treadmill and ran another mile on an incline.

So, I guess I ended up with about 5 miles today....some I ran and some I climbed!

There are a couple of other "new to me" machines in this gym.  I plan on taking them all on soon!  And at some point, I guess I will probably develop a love-hate relationship with this stupid stair climber....cause I refuse to let a stupid piece of equipment beat me.  Until then....

PW's Healthier Green Beans

First things first:  after yesterday's 6 miles, I took it a little easier today.  I did about 25 minutes of high intensity interval training on the treadmill, then about 30 minutes of strength training.

Now, on to food.... :)

My husband has always told me that he hates fresh green beans.

So for the first time in our marriage (6 years), I decided to buy some anyway.  I just knew I wanted a way to fix them that he would like.  Not just steamed and plain.

Enter: Google.  Enter:  Pioneer Woman. 

Everything she makes is awesome, so I decided to give it a try.

Here's the original recipe.  I made a slightly healthier version.

Let me start by saying I am NOT a fan of onions....at all, but I do enjoy the occassional onion ring.  We used to saute mushrooms & onions in college and I always enjoyed that as well.  When/if I eat onions, I need them to be mush....just basically non-existent. 

I made quite a few changes to Pioneer Woman's recipe, but it was the basis for mine.

My ingredients:

(that's an onion, 2 pieces turkey bacon, "butter", EVOO & fresh beans)

No fancy Napa Valley olive oil at my house.  Just the cheap stuff!  Super cheap stuff at that!

Oh, and low sodium chicken broth.

I used 1 T olive oil and about 1/2 T of the butter (it's not really butter.  It's made with olive oil)

I threw in the bacon and onions and sauted until they began to slightly carmelize
(the first time I made this, we used red onion.  I think it was better than the yellow onion)

Then you throw in the green beans and 1 cup of the chicken broth.

Salt and generously pepper.

Cover it - but not all the way.  Let the steam escape the side.

Cook for about 30 minutes or so.  All of the broth should be gone.

And you're left with this.

Ok, so they aren't the prettiest beans in the world, but they taste good!

As I made them, I calculated about 150-175 calories for a decent size serving.

Probably not something we should eat every night, but it is a new side we'll be having on occassion this summer.

"Boiled" Eggs

I'm a fan of boiled eggs.  Well, actually, I'm a fan of low calorie/high protein snacks; therefore, I'm a fan of boiled eggs.  They aren't my favorite tasting thing in the world, but I eat them.

I do not, however, enjoy boiling eggs.  I never ever cook them the same every time.  And you know when the yellow turns all ugly and gray??? Ugh...even though I don't eat the yolk (whites only for me), I don't want it to be yucky and gray.  So unappealing.

So when I saw on Pinterest that you can BAKE eggs and they'll come out perfectly, I had to give it a try.  (boiled is the only way my daughter will eat eggs, so I like to keep some in the fridge for her as well).

So, I put them in a mini-muffin tin to prevent rolling.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Finished product:

Anyone have a clue why they came out speckled??????

After peeling off the shell (effortlessly, I may add), I found a perfectly perfect boiled egg!

This should also make Easter egg dying so much easier.  You'll be able to bake 24 eggs at once!

Sometimes, it's just the little things...



Determined

Well, forget what I said the other day.  I didn't focus on being healthy this weekend.  BOO!

We all have moments (weeks) of weekness.

Today is the day I get back on track.

I started by running S-I-X (woo-hoo) miles on the treadmill at 5:30am.  Until today, the farthest I had run without walking was 5 miles, so I'm super excited to have reached 6 miles in 58:14.  I wanted to keep going, but I had to get back home to relieve the hubby so he could go to work!

I may try tracking calories this week via MyFitnessPal (sigh).  I hate tracking calories.  And to be honest, I don't lose anymore weight when I track than when I don't track.  BUT...since I've been so bad lately, I think it will help me pull back the reigns a little and get me back to eating the types of foods I should be eating.  It at least makes you aware of every bite you put in your mouth.  So after 2-3 days of tracking, I'll probably be back to being more mindful about what I'm eating.

4 weeks until I'm forced to wear a bathing suit.

SIGH.

On a happier note, check out what my daughter has decided she likes!!!  This spinach smoothie! 

Finally, I might get some veggies in this girl! 

Haven't tried the smoothie yet?  Still scared?  My picky 3 year old likes it!  Give it a try.  You won't be disappointed!

And why do I want you to like it so much?  I have no idea!  LOL.  I just know that I was skeptical, and I know several others that were too...and now we all drink them on a regular basis...and we could all use a little extra spinach in our diets!!!

I haven't been, but I WILL....

So, I've been weak when it comes to food the last few days.  My mom was in town visiting last weekend, which means we ate out a lot.  Normally, on Monday, I get right back into my healthy eating. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened this week!  I havne't gone crazy or anything, but I definitely haven't been as strict as I need to be in order to lose the rest of the weight I would like to lose.

And we're going to the beach in a month....that means bathing suit....and that means PANIC.  I'm not kidding when I say the thought of getting in a bathing suit is mortifying to me.  I don't even like to wear shorts or shorter skirts (i.e. above the knee!), but I'm working on becoming more comfortable with it.  BUT A BATHING SUIT????  It's amazing to me the people I know that just put one on and go out in public like it's no big deal.  Hey, I guess I'd love to have that confidence.  But even at my thinnest and even growing up going to the lake, I don't think I was ever COMFORTABLE wearing a bathing suit.

I'm thinking I better get my hiney in gear!

I've at least put the workouts in this week. 

Monday - 1 hour of step

Tuesday - 1 hour of BodyPump

Wednesday - ran 5 miles (well, 4.8, but I'm rounding up)

Thursday -  off

Friday - planning to run at least 2-3 miles/weight room

Saturday - planning to run

Sunday - off (probably)

I think I've had cheese every day this week.  I've also had quite a bit of dark chocolate.  Oh, and let's not forget the chips, but that's a given!  I've also had spinach, grapes, egg whites & turkey bacon.  That's balance, right?  (wait, don't answer that...)

I didn't plan on making this confession time, but I guess that's why I write this blog.....to be held accountable!

With the weekend approaching....I WILL be more mindful of what I eat!  I WILL remember that my thighs still jiggle in places I wish they didn't!  I WILL remember that I still have a lot of work to do and that it is NOT time to maintain!  I WILL focus on doing what I need to do to get where I need to go!

Workouts & Personal Trainers?

I'm tired this week.  You'd think since I'm working from home and not driving a minimum of 2 hours every day that I wouldn't be as tired....but this week my body is just physically exhausted.

This week's workout schedule

(cause if you put it in writing, you have to do it!)

Monday 5:30 pm - BodyStep (quite a bit different than regular step!)  CHECK!

Tuesday 6:00 am - BodyPump (2nd time; used a lot more weight this time...loved it)  CHECK!

Wednesday 6:30 am - Personal trainer/Weights CHECK!

Thursday - undecided - either 6am BodyAttack or run

Friday - run

Saturday - off

Sunday - run

When I joined this gym, I received 2 free personal training sessions.  I thought I'd do them and be done, but I'm thinking it may be beneficial for me to hire him.  I've been "stuck" for the past month or so.  No real weight change.  No real inches lost that I can tell.  Just maintaining.  I'm sure all of the changes with my job & schedule are partially to blame.  I'm sure the chips I have with my lunch are the other part!  I know if I put my mind to it, I could lose the last few pounds; however, I'm just kind of "content" at the moment and don't have that desire to be strict with my diet!

Need motivation!

I discussed briefly with the trainer this morning about my goals.  He said a 15 pound weight loss is probably a little much but that he thought he could get me where I wanted to be physically...even if it meant staying the same weight.  Of course he's going to say that...he's selling himself....but he did give me good workouts, pushed me to lift heavier and made me do things I hadn't done before....SO......maybe it's worth it?

He's on his honeymoon next week....at least I have a week to decide if the money would be well spent!