Woah!

Well would you look at that!!  I went all the way through November and didn't even post an October update!   Not sure how that happened aside from the fact that life went nuts! It's been a busy one.  I've kept to my schedule for working out for the most part.  A few runs have been missed but that's usually been because I'm not going to bed early enough to get up and run in the morning and I'm not giving myself the time to go in the evening.  I said this was my year and I need to continue to make myself a priority moving forward.  

Some cool things that have happened since my last post are that I bought an adult colouring book and some pencils.  I find the whole "adult" qualification in the name funny.  Like there is a stigma that colouring is for kids.  I find it very therapeutic, very relaxing and just plain fun.  Christina and I even coloured a page together one evening.  The main reason I bought it was to occupy myself in the evenings once the girls are in bed.  I'm a boredom snacker and was sabotaging myself with it.  The colouring has helped:)

The other fun and out of the ordinary thing that's been happening is the girls taking cursive writing lessons. They don't get to learn it at school and I think it's very important.  Luckily I'm not alone in that and knew someone who wanted to teach it.  Anna loves it and could sit forever doing it.  Christina loves the idea of it and the creative side of it but isn't as dedicated, she does have a talent for turning the letters into pictures though:) I love when they want to learn something new!!

December is just about here and that means lots of opportunity to over eat and skip workouts.  I'm doing my best to stick to my plans and not sabotage everything.  I'm going to make lots of time to workout, ensure that I eat well at all times that I can control what I have to eat and not let the few indulgences give me excuse to let it all fall apart.  It's one of my favourite times of the year and I plan to fully enjoy it!!

Sneaky September

Yeah it's halfway through October and I didn't post a September update.  It was a crazy month where I only half tracked things.  The good news is I got to go back to my two favourite classes at the gym and feel way stronger.  One of the instructors even commented on my core strength.  Somewhere hiding in there is a six pack waiting to be revealed.  One day it will show:). 

I didn't run as much as I may have liked but we did hike several times and enjoyed a lot of family time with the girls.  

This month is off to a fantastic start.  I've run, been to the gym several times and spent a good chunk of time this weekend out walking around fall craft shows!  The next few weeks we'll continue to hike, until it gets too cold that is.  

This month I'm also going to chat with one of the trainers at the gym and she said she'll set me up with a bit of a boot camp style routine.  I'm super excited about that!  Watch out there's a beast waiting to be let loose!

Here are a couple of pictures from our hikes that I liked:)

What was it all about? Five years later.

Five years ago today I took the first step into Runners' Edge and began this wild and crazy journey.  Since that day my life has been anything but boring.  What started out as a "we'll see what happens" and "I'll probably die" turned into something life changing.

I've been thinking a lot lately about why I started.  I didn't do it so that I could hopefully one day run a 10k or half marathon. I didn't start it to make new friends or to become part of a group.  Those were all just wonderful side effects.  I did it for my health and my kids.

Somewhere along the last five years it became so much more.  I like the feeling of nausea I feel when stepping up to the starting line in a race and I love the smiles and waves from random strangers when I'm out for an early morning run.  I love the connections I have made because of running.  I love the confidence I have gained since starting.

Most of all though I love that I found a physical activity that I love and that has in turn made me love physical activity of all kinds.  I joined a gym.  I bought a bike.  I use the bike and gym as much as I run.  I have more energy.  Running has become one of my best friends.  At risk of sounding cliche it has been life saving.  I'm so much healthier than I was five years ago.  I can run with my kids. I can spend all day walking around the CNE and not feel dead at the end of the day.  I can go for a hike with my family and get lost and not worry that I won't make it out because I'm too out of shape.

I love running as much today as I did at the end of that first week of the beginner clinic.  That's why I have decided not to do a race this fall. It was becoming a chore, taking me away from what I started this journey for.  Fall is my favourite time of year, the time I like to be out doing things with my family not figuring out how I can get everything done and have a nap after I have run three hours.  I totally plan to keep running.  I've got a full out plan actually.  I'm creating myself a schedule of runs just like I would for a race only they will be no longer than 6k during the week and 10-12k on the weekends.  Come January I'll start ramping things up a bit more because I love the Niagara Falls Women's Half and want to do that in June.

The next phase of this journey is going to focus more on strength training.  It's no secret I want to lose some weight.  I have been talking to a few people who have dropped a significant amount of weight and  I've learned, through their experience and mine that training for a half marathon alone is not going to help me lose.  In fact many people actually gain a few pounds while training.  I have also learned that the more muscle I have the easier the fat disappears.  Now don't start to freak out thinking I'm going to be come a crazy body builder,  I just want to be strong and lean.  At the beginning of this year I was faithfully doing two classes a week at the gym that focused mostly on strength and I lost more in that time than I did all of last year.  As I was training for my half I backed off some on those classes for fear of injury and because I was really tired.  I found out my iron was low but by then soccer season was here and I couldn't attend those classes anymore.  Next week I will be able to get back to those classes and will be able to do them faithfully for a while.  Hopefully by the time I start ramping my distance up for that June Half Marathon I'll be much stronger and perhaps a little faster!

I'm so glad I took those first steps five years ago.  I've changed in ways I didn't know were possible and all of them good.  I don't know where I'll be in five years but I know it's going to be wicked!

August Review

August came and went in the blink of an eye.  It went so fast that and was so busy that I didn't even keep track of my workouts.  I worked late a couple of times and had two weekends in a row of soccer with the kids.  Not to mention Christina's birthday party to plan and throw.  So all in all it was a super busy month.  

All that doesn't mean I didn't workout it just means that I didn't keep track of it well.  I just forgot to log things.  I can say I got to the gym more than I did in July.  A few mornings I rode my bike to and from the gym and did some strength training.  I ran a few times but not what I planned to do.   I was active most days but not in structured workouts.  Mornings are now too dark to ride my bike unless I invest in really good lights and I don't even know if that would be enough.

So now September is here and Fall is looming.  Fall is my favourite month by far!  Cooler temperatures,  lots of fresh local veggies at the market and beautiful colours.  I have a plan for the next few months but will save that for another post.  I assure you it's going to be great!

Keeping Things Interesting

I've had a great week!!  I kept things in order and got lots of workouts in.  Looking at my week in a Monday to Sunday way I got 4 intentional workouts in plus soccer coaching for a 5th.  I don't see the coaching as a workout exactly because it is start and stop stuff but I do average 2k of movement up and down the field with the kids.  Soccer is almost done but half training is starting up.

Today I did my first longer run since my half.  I was aiming for anywhere from 10-12k.  I ended up doing a tough 9.5k.  The heat was insane and the humidity, according to my weather app, was at 97% when I left.  It was brutal and by 9k I was running out of water so decided to take the shorter route and head home.  Next week I'll increase by a fair amount and try for 14k.  Hopefully it will be less humid at least.

As for food this week I decided to get creative.  My salads were quite tasty and my dinners were good. I had a scramble a couple days.  Loads of veggies and a couple eggs mixed in.  Very yummy.  Today's lunch was by far the tastiest meal of my week.  My mother in law was coming for lunch so we bbq'd burgers.  I topped mine with blue cheese, cooked onions and mushrooms, hot sauce and avocado. I had a burger like that in a restaurant recently but it didn't have the onions and mushrooms.  They added just the right touch.  It was awesome.

This coming week I'm aiming for some more creative meals.  I have stolen some ideas from a friend and will have some variety rather than eating the same meals for breakfast and lunch every day.  Dinner is always fun because some days it's all of us together and some it's the kids eating early and me eating after the Y.   For exercise I plan to do pretty well the same as this week except next weekend is a longer run and two soccer games.  

I'm playing with a few things this week as far as calories and tracking go.  I'll talk more about that another day though.  For now it's time to relax a little:)

Return to Routine!

Last week I was on vacation while my brother and his family were here visiting.  It was a great week but because we were on the go a lot there was a lot of eating out and while I made some good choices I also made some not so healthy choices.  By then end of the week I was ready to get back to my routine.  So that's what I'm doing this week.  

One of the things I have looked at over the years and tried once or twice is mason jar salads.  They are all over the internet on Instagram and Pinterest.  I decided a few weeks ago that I would pick up a few jars and give them a shot.  The idea is that you can layer all the ingredients in the jar with dressing on the bottom and lettuce on the top.  They will last several days in the fridge that way.  So Sunday night I lined up my jars and pulled out the salad ingredients.  Some jars have chickpeas on the the bottom, some have tuna and most have veggies straight from our garden or local farms:)  I made four of them and two have been eaten at this point.  They keep really well.  I'm looking forward to having them for a couple of days.  One thing all the posts about them fail to mention though is that you really need to have a plate or bowl to dump them into.  I tried to eat one out of the jar and it was not easy.

I have also gotten up both mornings this week to workout.  Monday I decided to get up and ride my bike to the gym.  I found it took me about 15 minutes each way and my weight routine took just over half an hour.  So an hour workout and I was home by 6:30am.  Today was a run morning so up I got and headed to the canal path for a good old 6k run.  It felt great to be out with the world waking up. What made me terribly sad though was how dark it still was both mornings.  A few weeks ago it almost full light at 5:30am when I walked out the door.  Two weeks ago it was barely light at 5:30am when I went out and today it was just getting there when I got back home at 6:30am.  The worst part is that once it is too dark in the mornings I have to change my run route.  The canal path is just too dark and creepy to be running in the wee hours of the morning once the sun starts sleeping a little later.  I said today that I want to plan out a nicer route than I was using last year.  It was a good enough route but took me past some of the less desirable streets of our city.  None of them are terrible but they also aren't the best.  I can find a better route.

Adryanna's soccer practices are over which means we can get back to the gym on Wednesday nights.  I really like my class that night so that's what we'll be doing.  The girls can go to their programs and play with friends while I workout.  I like those times because they have fun while I do,   Then the rest of the week will be the same as the beginning just backwards:)  Sunday will be rest day and I am already thinking of fun things to do with the kids to stay active.  

Community

Sometimes your best friends/supports can be people you have never met. A couple of years ago I joined an online challenge.  It was something like 12 weeks and each week had a different theme.  All themes were about self improvement and fitness.  Early on we were encouraged to connect with someone else from the challenge and partner up.  Something of an accountability partner.  I waited until someone posted that they were in need of a partner and jumped on it.  Turned out that the person I partnered and I had a lot in common aside from just wanting to get fit.  We both had about 100lbs to lose, we both had two little ones and worked in the social services field and we both love to try new things.  When the challenge ended we managed to keep in touch.  We still talk to this day and have somewhat reconnected over the last few weeks.  See she has decided to take her journey to the next level and has set a goal to loss her 100lbs by July 30 2016, which happens to be her birthday.  You can read all about her and follow her journey at "The Jiggle Journals".  There you'll find posts from Megan(my friend), her sister and her cousin who are all working together for this.  When she told me her plans and what she was going to do I was so proud of her.  It's no secret we both struggle to keep going on this crazy ride but she has definitely been a big support of mine.

This got my mind working.  I've never been one to set a timeline on my weightloss.  The number on the scale has always taunted me but I also know it's not the only thing to work for.  I want to be fit which is such a vague word when you think about it.  The media would have us believe that "fit" is a number whether that be BMI, a specific weight or a clothing size.  More and more though you are hearing about people who aren't the media ideal size but still healthy and fit. This doesn't mean I don't want to be a healthier weight.  I know that long term carrying this extra weight isn't going to be good for my back, my knees, my ankle or my heart.  I know it makes all of these things work harder.  I also know that my near perfect labwork won't always be that way if I don't take care of myself.

That being said I have looked at my current weight and my personal goal weight which according to the charts will still be overweight but I really don't care.  So my ultimate goal is to be a strong, lean 150lbs.  That doesn't mean I will necessarily stop there.  I may stop sooner.  I may keep going.  I believe the charts say I should be between 120ish and 140ish.  I can't ever imagine being at the lower end.  I would have no muscle and I that would suck.  I want to be strong, I want muscle.  To get to my goal I need to drop another 62lbs.  I can do that in the same time line as my friend is going to lose her 100lbs.  Really it works out to just over one pound a week which is nice and slow.  I have promised her that as her birthday present.  If it happens sooner great, if not that's okay too.  I've lost 50lbs so far in my journey but it's taken me almost 5 years to do it.  That's not a bad thing but I just haven't been as dedicated as I could be.

Summer is always a crappy exercise time for me which doesn't make any sense.  I don't have to worry about getting the girls ready for school, the weather has been generally great this summer and I have had lots of time.  Sadly I also like to sleep in and since I wasn't training for a race my running slacked off.  I still ran and July wasn't a terrible month for workouts but I let my distance slide and my runs have been sporadic.  The great thing is I haven't quit running like I so often have done after a race.  I have no doubt that I'll be in great form for training for my fall half, which is going to happen this year.  The date for the one I want to do falls after my daughters birthday so it won't interfere with her celebrations.

So here is to more consistent posts(I have a computer again), more consistent food tracking(I only cheat myself by leaving things out) and renewed weekly weight tracking.   It's going to be great!!

Jolly July!

July came and went in a flash.  We camped twice, spent a lot of time with friends and just had a good month.  I vowed to get back on track and I did, exercise wise anyway.  Eating was up and down but overall pretty good.  I joined a food tracking challenge to help get back on track with recording everything that I ate.  I'm happy to say that while some days were ugly, everything got tracked.

I ran much more than I did in June.  I decided not to total my mileage for the month because I just wanted to run without worrying about how far or long I went.

I cycled a lot more too.  I got out a couple of mornings a week for a 17.5 route that I found.  It's a nice straight route along the canal which makes for a wonderful sunrise ride.

I also made it to the gym a couple of days.  That one is harder because mornings I like to do outside stuff while it's not too hot and while it is very peaceful.

August has started out pretty good.  It's only a couple days in and while I haven't done any intentional workouts I've moved more than I have sat.  We have family here for this week so we are doing a lot of different things.  This month is the start of fall half marathon training.  I'm aiming for a race that is on October 25th so my running distance needs to start increasing this week.  I should be running 12k this weekend.  Our company is leaving early Saturday morning and we are going to spend Friday walking around a Scottish Festival so I suspect my run will happen Sunday and be somewhat dependent on how my legs feel but I'll get it done one way or another.   I'm definitely looking forward to the cooler temperatures of Autumn.

A Camping We Did Go!

Yeah so I realize I've been a bit of a slacker in the posting department.  June was pretty quiet and as usual I got inconsistent with fitness after my half.  I ran a few times, cycled a few times and went to the gym a couple times.  I ate pretty mediocre.  Now we're almost half way through July and I'm getting back to where I want them to be.

The first weekend of July was a wonderful weekend for me.  We went camping and I love camping.  This year was the same group of people and the same campsite as the one we always go to but the trip was different for me.  See I usually see camping as a free for all when it comes to eating and drinking.  This year I made a conscious effort to eat well and not drink too much (aside from water of course).  I also brought my bike and running stuff AND used them.  I always bring my running stuff but have yet to actually use it.  Until this year.  I ran on the first morning we were there.  It was a beautiful early morning run.   Then we biked all over the camp grounds through the weekend.  We didn't take the car at all.  It was a great weekend and a great start to the month.  I'm feeling pretty good about July.  We have lots planned and most of it involves physical activity of some sort including another camping trip.  It's taken a long time but I seem to be getting this fitness thing a little more every day.

This weekend was also great!!  Saturday we had a block party and I stuck to my plan if one plate of dinner.  Sunday we went for a nice long bike ride with the girls to the local beach and carousel.  We hung out there for a couple hours then took a nice long ride home.  Everyone was exhausted hot when we got home so of course we went into the pool to cool down.  It was a great day of being unplugged and disconnected.  

Now onto another week of work and fun.  Almost vacation time!!  Two more weeks!

Niagara Falls Women's Half Marathon - Take 3!

On Sunday I ran the Niagara Falls Women's Half Marathon for the third time.  It's such a great race to run.  It's mostly flat and along the water.  This is the only half marathon that I have ever run so I might be a little biased when it comes to this race.

As you arrive you can hear the music and feel the energy.  This year I was running a little later that I would have liked.  I needed to used the little girls room but no fear there are plenty to use and the lines move fast.  I made friends with two ladies in line who had also run this race before and were back because of how great it is.  We chatted away about the race while we waited then said a quick good luck as each of us got our turn.

I then took off for the starting line with no time to spare.  I found Céline, had a quick picture and found my starting spot.  It was nice not to have to stand around forever waiting.  In the couple minutes I did have to wait I chatted with another lady who had run this race all but one year and was looking forward to it again.

Once it was time to run we took off.  I was careful to make sure I didn't start out too fast and watched my pace through to the first turn around.  I have a tendency to take off to fast not to mention the fact that the first couple of kilometers are a slight decline making it even easier to go too fast.  Before I knew it I was at the first turn around where I saw one the first sign to make me giggle.  It said something like "Don't trust a fart from this point".  I giggled and headed back the other way.  I felt great and enjoyed the mist from the Falls.

The rest of the race was fairly uneventful.  I felt good overall, no pains, no tiredness and no desire to walk.  At the 10k point I was on target for a very good personal best.  If I had stayed on pace I would have finished around 3:10.  Around 16k I felt a weird sensation in my achilles though which made me walk a little.  It didn't hurt but it didn't feel right.  From there I did more of a run/walk but was okay with that.  I knew I had time to walk and still set a PB.

I ended up finishing in 3:17:59 which is almost one whole minute faster than my fastest so I got my PB.  I also beat last years time by a full seven minutes.  The kids were all there to help me with that last couple hundred meters.  It was a good day indeed!!!  Maybe next year I can finish in under 3hrs??  It could be tough but so am I:)

I wanted to share the above comparison picture.  The left is me during the same race and the right is this year.  I knew that I had lost weight but it is hard for me to see a difference.  Here I can actually see it:)

I also realize I didn't do a May wrap up.  Things got kind of crazy half way through the month with soccer and kids activities.  I kept running and did some cycling.  I ran 88km in May and did some form of exercise all but two days.  June will have somewhat less running distance because I'm not training hard for anything but I will keep going.  No slacking of for this chick!

Who knew?

Just about 5 years ago I was getting ready to return to work from my second maternity leave.  I was fat, tired and felt like crap most of the time.  I decided enough was enough and started walking most mornings.  After a while walking wasn't cutting it.  I can only walk so fast and so far before work.  So I talked to a friend about running.  I didn't know if I could do it but I knew I had to try.  

That fall I began running. Slowly and for short distances but with some encouragement and the help of the local running club I did it.  I even got to 5k.  

Then that wasn't enough.  One Saturday morning someone asked how far I was running and when I said 5k he said "why not farther".  It wasn't a judgement is was just "why?"  So I went farther.  I signed up for a 10k.  That went so well I decided maybe, just maybe, I could do a half! There was no stopping me now! 

So I did a half, then a second one.  Now I'm training for a third one.

Somewhere along the line I joined the gym.  I have favourite classes and the instructors know my name.  I feel like I belong.  

I started taking a CycleFit class last fall.  This week I got a bike!  A good bike!  

Tonight I had to run 5k.  It was my fastest one ever and it was hot!  But I wasn't ready to sit just yet so out came the bike.  The girls and I took a wee ride then they stopped to play with friends and I took a spin around the block.  The 4k block:). It felt great and I totally could have gone farther.  

I sit here writing this and thinking who was that girl 5 years ago??  She wouldn't even recognize the one here today. Movement is a part of my life and I am so very thankful she decided to take that first step.  Who knows where I'll be in another 5 years but I know it will be awesome!

Who knew??

Woah Nelly!

Guess who just got a bike??  What in the world is happening to me?  I went from hating anything to do with exercise to running, going to the gym and now cycling!!  This is crazy town!  

I went on Friday to pick it out and then had to wait to pick it up.  Today they called to say it was ready.  I went as soon as I heard.  The girls wanted to go to the park tonight with some of the other neighbourhood kids.  None of them are quite ready to go alone so a couple other mom's and I grabbed our bikes and off we went.  All together I think we rode about 4k but that was with a break to play at the park.  

Christina just learned her bike so I was worried she wouldn't make it or wouldn't keep up but she did great!  She was way ahead on the way home too.  

I was a little worried that it had been so long since I rode but the saying is right.  Once you learn it's just there!  I'm pretty excited about this new one.  I feel like we are going to have a very fun summer!

Here's Nelly!!

Awesome April

It seems like just yesterday I was wrapping up March and here it is May already!!

April was a wild and busy month.  Lots of running, lots of fun!

I ran a total of 113k in April.  That could possibly be the most running in one month ever for me.  My longest run in April was 20k.  My total for the year is 285k.  I started the year out slow but in March the training kicked in:)

I logged a total of 24 workouts in the month including my first ever full hour CycleFit class.  I'm pretty happy with that.  This year I have been very consistent with working out and it is definitely paying off. I can see the difference when I look in the mirror and can feel the difference in my clothes.  I lost 4lbs in April for a total this year of 18.4lbs I have about 60lbs to go until I hit my goal weight:)

May is the last month of training for the Niagara Falls Women's Half and will be my highest mileage month with my longest run being 22k then tapering for the race.  It's getting really warm out there so I should be well prepared if race day is as hot as last year!  

Did it!

Saturday morning I was up and out the door early for my 20k training run.  It is one of the bigger mental hurdles involved in this training plan.  I did it last year and remember it feeling like forever.  This time happily it went really well and I felt pretty strong all the way through.  Nothing hurt too much and I wasn't too tired at the end.  I was definitely running out of gas but I made it.

This week is rest week and I'm planning to love every minute of it.  I'm running a couple short runs and 10k on the weekend. 

Next week will be my absolute longest run ever.  22k!!  It's longer than the race which I think will remind me that I can do this race.  If I can run further than the distance I can certainly run the actual distance.  I'm strangely looking forward to the 22k.  I haven't run a new distance in a long time so it's exciting.  

I'm officially signed up for the race, it's happening whether I'm ready or not, so I guess I better be ready!! 

Spring has Sprung!

The weather is finally warming up!!  This Sunday was gorgeous.  I started it off with my 16k run, then did some grocery shopping and finally read a book in the backyard.  It was wonderful.

The run was okay.  It was tough.  Probably due in part to the fact that I had a glass of wine (or 3) the night before.  We had company for dinner and while it was super fun and delicious I learned that I can't do that the night before a long run. The other issue might have been that the temperature jumped by 10 degrees while I was out there.  I was completely over dressed and hot!!   This weekend's long run is 18k.  I'll be much more prepared.

Monday's have been gym days for a while now.  CycleFit is going very well and in a few weeks when the girls start soccer I'll switch the the 5:30am class.  It's a full hour long.  Group Power is my other class and it is still my favourite.  It is hard and I work hard.  I feel great after.  

This morning I was up before the sun for my short run.  It was probably my best run this year.  I felt strong and happy the whole time.  I remember why I like these early days.  

Tonight since I was already done my run we took the girls for a walk to the park, played there for a bit then walked up to get a coffee(tea for me) and treat for the girls.  It was wonderful.  

Spring has certainly arrived and with is always comes more movement!!  I say bring it on!!

A couple years and a big change!

In 2012 I ran my first half marathon.  Right now I'm training for my 3rd.  I was looking back at posts I wrote during the first training and my training log.  

One of the fun things is I ran the same distance today as I ran on this weekend the first time.  

The difference this time is amazing.  Most of it is pretty subtle but my weight is the most drastic.  I am 20lbs lighter this time around.  

The first time all my runs over 10k were firsts.  I had never run farther than that and didn't have a clue what to expect.  This time I know and it's no less scary each week.  

This time I'm running on my own while the first time I was with a group.  I know someone else training for the same race so we can talk about things and compare plans but when I'm out there it's just me and the road.

The biggest difference this time is the fact that I know what's coming next and how it has gone the last couple times.  I have run all the distances multiple times and know that I can do them.  That helps a lot!!

My times are pretty much the same.  I'm slightly faster but not enough to make a difference when it comes to race day. I'm okay with that.  Sure I would love to be faster but right now I'm focusing on finishing and finishing strong.  

We'll see in two months how this training works out.  This will be the third time I run this race.  The first was kind of cool and started out rainy.  Last year all the training was cool and race day was hot, hot, hot! Hopefully this year will be more like the first year!  I much prefer cool weather for running!  

Three years can make a lot of difference! Let's see how this all turns out!

March Madness

Well this month went well for the most part.  I didn't eat as well as I should and came out the same weight as the beginning of the month.  The positive?  At least it wasn't higher:). 

Running is going well.  I have started ramping up my distance and feel great so far.  I got new pants.  Tights for the first time.  I can't believe I ever ran in big baggy pants!  The next month will be my biggest mileage of training then May will taper back a bit.  Tonight I had my first outside run of the year where I didn't need a toque, gloves and an extra top layer.  It was glorious. 

My goal for March was to not snack in the evenings.  It didn't go so well.  I started out strong but the mindless eating is terrible.  So April's goal goes a lot like March but not quite as strict.  I will aim to stay within my calorie goal for the day.  I will eat half of what My Fitness Pal gives me for extra calories.  On long run days I will make sure to have lots and lots of veggies available.  Evening eating will be limited to staying within my calories and only fruit or veggies, maybe yogurt.  

April will also mark the return of morning runs.  I was doing some when I was still on the treadmill but once the outside running started I didn't like the idea of being out, alone, in the early morning darkness. Now that it's a bit warmer and getting light a tad earlier I'll get back to it.  That will free evenings up for playing outside with the kids.  I'm even considering a bike this year!

It's hard to believe this year is already a quarter done!  Time needs to slow down don't ya think??

February Followup!

The month of February was a cold and snowy one!!  It started out with a big dumping of snow and more has fallen through the month.  We've been under an extreme cold alert for most of the month too.  This kind of weather makes me just want to sit on the couch with a good book, a blanket and perhaps a glass of wine (or two).  This month was definitely a tough one but thankfully it was also a short one.  

Exercise wise I did quite well.  I ran 10 out of 12 planned runs.  Exercised 21 out of 28 days and tried to be at least a little active on the other 7 days.  I successfully completed the last round of Group Power at the Y and will start the next round on Monday.  I received several comments from instructors that I am showing increased strength and form.  Overall it was a great month of activity!

Food wise I kept my goal of bringing lunch to work all month.  I am sure I saved a good chunk of money and ate much better.  I need to get a little better at planning and maybe pre-cooking dinners for after the gym so I'm not grabbing things like a sandwich or whatever looks good in the fridge.  That's easy enough to do though.  I just need to make sure the days we aren't at the Y I make extra so there are leftovers or make a big pot of chili or stew on the weekend that will keep for a couple days. 

A couple other things happened this month. My old lady kitty passed away at the beginning of the month.  She was 20 and lived a good long life.  We were all very sad.  

For the last couple years the girls have been asking for a kitten and the answer was always after the old lady died.  We have another cat who is about 11 and the 20 year old would not have taken well to a kitten.  Once she passed we told the girls it would have to be a couple of months wait....then we went to buy fish food. Of course we went to the pet store for that and of course they had an adoption event on.  The girls were great at first.  I told them that they weren't getting one that day.  They looked at all of them and said they knew and were okay with it. They walked away from every kitten and cat.  Then just as I thought we were gettingg out without a meltdown or begging Macey bumped her head against the door of her cage and the girls were done.  She looks just like our other cat and was so sweet.  We came home with a new family member that day.  She was 12 weeks old.  

Isn't she cute???  

She's such a good kitty.  She tolerates the girls loving and purrs like crazy!

March's goal is to not eat after dinner unless I am under my base calorie goal for the day.  If I have exercised that does not give me permission to eat for the sake of eating.  I'll have my meals and snacks through the day but come evening I know I eat because I'm bored not because I'm hungry.  If I'm truly hungry I'll have some fruit or veggies.  No more snacks for the sake of snacking!

Challenge Complete!!

No Junk Food Challenge is complete and I can happily say it was a success!!  Today was the first day that I could eat whatever I wanted and I didn't touch any of the candy in our office.  There were jelly beans during our staff meeting and they didn't even tempt me.  

The whole point in doing the challenge was to teach myself that I don't need that stuff and that there are things way better than junk.  It worked!  I just feel so much better since starting that I don't want to ruin it. I have more energy, my workouts are better and I can see the difference.  

This week I have already run twice and been to the gym three times and each workout was better than the last.  Monday in CycleFit the instructor commented on how she has noticed a change in my workout.  That my form for some of the positions was improved and it was clear that I got it.  She even said she thought I could handle a full class not just the beginner class. Yesterday in Gravity the instructor told me he could see that I was getting stronger. 

The thing with becoming physically healthier is that I also feel more confident.  Last week in our training I was far more vocal and engaged than I have been in a long time.  It was in part the fact that I was comfortable in the group but I also know that feeling better overall improves my mood.  

So what's the plan from here??  Keep doing the things I've been doing and increase my running distance!  It's Half Marathon training time!!  

So Awesome!

Every year at work at this time we have our annual Training Weeks.  It's a chance for everyone to get some mandatory training as well as some time spent together away from the daily workload.  It's always fun and I always come away energized. 

The problem is there is always candy, cookies and junk.  As mentioned I am doing a No Junk Food challenge.  I went into this week knowing there would be daily, even hourly temptations.  I knew I could either give in or be strong.

This year we got "points" in the form of lifesavers!  As soon as the first one was handed out I thought "oh shit!" I really wanted to participate and get my team some points AND I really like lifesavers.  Then came the gummies that the person sitting beside me brought, then cookies and more candy that was in the kept in the kitchen.  

I went into the week with a plan though and was determined not to touch any of it!  And I didn't:). 

Each day I loaded up my lunch bag with good healthy foods and stuff that would satisfy that want for the candy.  It took some willpower and a lot of internal dialogue but I did it.  I also knew that I would be very disappointed in myself if I caved.  

Next week is back to my regular schedule.  I'll be back to my crazy days with meetings and paperwork.  I'll continue to bring my food and not have crap.  I have 5 more days of the challenge but I have learned so much.  

Oh and guess what else happened this week??  I got up at 5:30am and ran twice!!  I have always preferred morning runs but the winter cold makes me not want to get up.  I'm back at the mornings though and loving it!  Maybe the healthier eating really does make a difference ;)

January Round Up!

Wow!!  It's already one month into 2015! My goal for January was to move everyday. I kept track of my movement in a note on my phone so that it would be quick and easy to enter things.  I also started wearing my Fitbit Zip again.  For the month of January I had purposeful exercise (running, walking or the gym) 24 days and the other 7 involved long shopping trips, trips to the library and market and tourist stuff in Florida.  Some days I had purposeful exercise and leisurely movement.  I'm very happy with how January went. 

Near the end of the month I decided to join a challenge in a facebook group.  It's called a no junk food challenge and there is a list of things we aren't allowed to have.  

It's a 21 day challenge and I am currently on day 11(12?).  I'm very proud of how I have done.  The first couple of days I was dying.  I joined the challenge becaus I wanted to try to train myself to choose healthier things for snacks.  I also wanted to cut out pop and decided what better time to try.  I have had nothing on this list.

Since the beginning of January I have lost 7.2lbs and am back to where I was a couple months ago before the wheels fell off.  I feel great.

February's goals will be to keep up the daily movement and bring my lunch everyday for the month.  I know, I know!  I've said that before but this time I'm much more serious.  I spent today making soup, chopping veggies, making hummus and Glo Bars.  I'm going to make a big salad tonight that should last a few days too.  This week is the perfect week to start this one too, it's my annual week of training and there is not enough time to go out and buy something.  

Don't forget!  February is "Heart Month" and not in the valentine sense.  It is a month to raise awareness for heart health and heart defects!!  More on that as the month goes on though;)  

Runs for Cookies Virtual 5k Report

Several months ago, maybe even a year, I started following the blog "Runs for Cookies".  The writer is a runner who has lost a bunch of weight and is part of a documentary (yet to be released) called "From Fat to Finish Line".  There is also a facebook group of the same name started by the people in the documentary.  These groups and blogs have been very inspirational to me over the last few months.  A few weeks ago Katie posted that she was holding her Virtual 5k again to celebrate her birthday so I decided to sign up.  I've never done a virtual race before but thought it would be fun.  People from all over the place had signed up and today was the day.  

I had planned to run it outside because the weather hasn't been too bad the last few day.  Last night it was very icy though so I decided to move it to the treadmill.  I run on the treadmill most of the time now but sti don't love it.  I usually keep it to 30 minutes or so.  Also my treadmill may be on its last legs.  It takes a bit to warm up and the first few minutes the belt seems to slip making footing odd.  I did the 5k though.

It took me a significantly longer time than it would have in a road for several reasons.  On the treadmill I tend to stumble and trip easier. I also run slower and am more likely to take walking breaks. Today was no different.  I was happy with what I did though and am so happy I signed up.

I have been running pretty consistently but not very far over the last few months.  Today's run was the longest in weeks!  This run has shown me that I can still push longer and feel good at the end. It helped me decide that I will start training for a spring half which I hadn't been sure of for the last couple weeks.

Runs for Cookies and the whole From Fat to Finish Line Family are some pretty amazing people!!

Here's my "proof picture".  I'm really not a selfie person so that's the best I got:)