…”this life is more than just a read through”

I felt it from the second I started running at 0.050 mi. I got into a “groove”. My pace & breathing just felt right. I reached my goal that I had set for myself. I felt really comfortable at a 12.30 min mile. I know that all of you marathoners and speed demons (who haven’t fallen asleep while reading to this point) are thinking “slow poke”, but I think that I have found my comfort zone for now. What kept me going was watching David Blaine on Oprah setting a new world record for underwater breathing. He did it for 17+ minutes. If he can do that, I can run 2 miles straight. And I did.

Lets see if my body forgets again tomorrow ; ^ )

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 04/30/2008
• Time: 16:20:00
• Total Time: 00:27:02.00
• Calories: 326
• Distance: 2.05 miles
• Average Pace: 13:11.21/mile

Well, I tried the pilates video. It is a Mari Winsor video using a “circle”. It was really easy, the time flew by and I can already feel it in my abs, butt & legs. I will mix that video up with my other video and do my run every day. That should do it, one would hope.

I have revamped my eating habits again. I am within the acceptable weight range for my height, but I would like to lose about 10 lbs. to be at what I think is my ideal weight. When I lost the 10 lbs. after the last child came along, I had really taken a good look at my eating habits and cut out all unnecessary fats and calories. I was still eating VERY well and also eating more often. I lost the 10 lbs in about 4 weeks with good food choices and exercise. I was really careful shopping this week, bought egg whites, spinach, chicken breast to have already grilled & in the fridge. I am going to boil up a batch of brown rice and I have a huge roasting pan of veggies in the oven right now. We always eat VERY healthy. Mostly everything we eat is organic (if available). We don’t eat any beef or pork at home (I don’t eat it at all). My husband loves beef & pork, and the children enjoy it also - I stopped eating it when I was pregnant with the last baby, so I don’t cook it. It was just a personal choice. However, we do eat a lot of turkey and chicken. Always roasted or baked, we never “fry” anything.

My biggest issue is, we spend a TON of time in the car, not always having the time to prepare healthy bagged snacks - so I find that we stop at Dunkin’ Donuts - a lot. Not for donuts per se (though I do LOOOOVE a donut), but mostly for a “quick bagel w/ cream cheese”, for the kids & for me. They are so used to stopping at D & D, that when we drove by the other day, the baby started crying “nunkin nonuts” because we didn’t stop. Sick that a 22 month old recognizes the logo. Mommy’s fault.

I need to be better prepared so that I can make wiser choices. So, my new thing will be to make sure we have little bags of apples, carrot sticks, fresh bananas, power bars (not necessarily that brand), pretzels, etc. when we leave the house, in the car and ready to eat.

Workout:

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 04/30/2008
• Time: 10:30:00
• Total Time: 00:20:00.00

O.k., so my body does not remember that it ran 1.75 miles straight yesterday w/o stopping to walk. Uggghhh! I was so tired about 1 mile in, but persisted. I got to 1.5 mi. and had to walk. I walked 1/4 mile and then ran the last 1/4 mile. I wanted so badly to run 2 miles straight, but my body was having NONE of that!

First, my legs felt really tired and if I wasn’t on the treadmill, I probably would have been walking briskly. I could barely keep up @ 12 min. mile. Maybe fatigue from the video I did this a.m.

Second, my head felt like it was going to pop off of my body. Does anyone else get that feeling. My face gets so red & hot when I run. It also happens when I am gardening or working outside in the heat. I have completely normal (sometimes low) blood pressure. What do I do to stop that from happening when I am running?

Third, my breathing just wasn’t right. I was huffing & puffing.

But, I did “match” my running for yesterday, I am not going backwards, only forward. Maybe I am pushing myself too hard. Who knows, I will just try to do the same if not better tomorrow. Just happy that I have run every day for - I think - 5 days now. Pretty good, I have really stepped it up and I am proud of myself.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 04/29/2008
• Time: 16:00:00
• Total Time: 00:26:41.00
• Distance: 2 miles
• Average Pace: 13:20/mile

Did it again, plan to run 2 mi. this afternoon. I have made an executive decision that the video is strength training and not cardio.

Workout:

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 04/29/2008
• Time: 11:00:00
• Total Time: 00:25:00.00

So I actually ran 1.75 miles straight - YES - without stopping. Amazing. I was going to try for 2 miles and said to myself “no, you did 1.25 yesterday straight, go for 1.5″ and then when I got to 1.5, I said “keep going!!!” (I am saving the milestone of 2 for next run, come on, I need to have incentive for tomorrow. tee hee!)

I feel terrrrrific! Tomorrow - I go for the 2 miles.

Off to cake decorating class (tell me about it, real tempting but I bring it home for the kids, not worth the calories for all of the work I am doing!)

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 04/28/2008
• Time: 16:05:00
• Total Time: 00:25:56.00
• Calories: 319
• Distance: 2 miles
• Average Pace: 12:57.54/mile

Well, I did the first 5 mins. a fast walk warm-up while talking with my mom on the phone. When I started to run I found it difficult to run, talk on the phone and pay attention to the treadmill, so I hung up. I ran about 1 1/4 mile of the 2 miles, and walked the rest at a rally fast pace. I will try to fit in my work-out video this afternoon. When I woke up this a.m., my legs were really sore from yesterday’s squats so there was NO WAY that I could have done the video. So, I put down some fertilizer on the lawn this morning because it was raining (1 1/2 acres) and then ran, so I have worked out the soreness. How long should I stretch after I run? This I do not know. Off to the grocery store.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 04/27/2008
• Time: 11:45:00
• Total Time: 00:28:19.00
• Calories: 302
• Distance: 2 miles
• Average Pace: 14:09.06/mile

I ran a mile straight without stopping to walk! Pretty good. Then, probably walked a 1/4 & ran the other 1/4.

My husband was tired since he was working on set until 5:30 a.m. and then drove an hour home. So, I sensed a bit of resistance when I said that I wanted to run and he needed to watch the children. But I insisted, did it and feel great that I logged another 1.5 miles. Hurray for me.

I will do my video tomorrow a.m. and run again in the aft.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 04/26/2008
• Time: 18:20:00
• Total Time: 00:20:31.00
• Calories: 239
• Distance: 1.5 miles
• Average Pace: 13:40.05/mile

Got it done this a.m. - in my p.j.’s. YAY! Though, not sure wether to call it general cardio or strength training. It is NOT using weights, but it is squats, lunges, plies, abs, etc. I will run this afternoon (husband home). And, hopefully I can convince him to work on the stone wall with me a bit this weekend, hopefully I will be really sore by Monday morning - that would be good!

I read my SHAPE magazine last night in bed (one of my favorite relaxing things to do!) and everyone that does pilates always says “pilates completely changed my body.” I have a pilates video that I never used. So, I think I may give it a try this week.

I may do a 2 mile mountain ride on the dirt road tomorrow. Wow, I am sooooooo ambitious.

Workout:

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 04/26/2008
• Time: 09:00:00
• Total Time: 00:25:00.00

I approached my run today without really thinking about the training plan that I have been following. Every time I start - I don’t run again for a few days (um, like 7) which is obviously going to get me nowhere fast. I really need to say to myself each day - “o.k. - now take the 20 - 30 minutes, get your #%$ on the treadmill and do it, cause I always feel satisfied and better after I run. It seems that I can always find something to clean, someone to drive somewhere or an errand to run that takes the place of my run time. I am going to start blocking out my run time every day. I think I am worth the 30 mins., no I know I am. I am also going to add in a video workout that helped me to effectively lose 10 lbs. about a year ago (after I had my last child). I have about 10 lbs. that I would like to drop to be my ideal weight. I can only assume that running is easier on your body is you are lugging less weight.

I did the usual 5 min. brisk walk and then ran 1/4 mile, walked for I think 90 seconds. then ran almost 1/2 mile, walked 90 seconds, etc. Felt pretty good. Lugging more rocks this weekend!!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 04/25/2008
• Time: 17:30:00
• Total Time: 00:21:35.00
• Calories: 223
• Distance: 1.51 miles
• Average Pace: 14:17.14/mile

So why isn’t there an “activity type” category for “digging and running rocks” (kidding). On Sunday, my husband and I began building a stone wall behind a border garden that I installed last year. The is not a small border garden, it is 165′ long. After I put the border in, I realized that it needed a backdrop - so this is where the rocks come in. We live in the woods and realized that we do not need to purchase rocks, but can dig them out of the woods. WOW - those farmers in the “old days” that used rocks to build the walls that represented the borders of their property must have been in AMAZING shape! Man, what a freakin’ work out. But that was on Sunday with my husband here to help. And we actually did about 30′ of wall. (this is with boulders approx. 50-150 lbs. each)

Well, he was back to work on the movie yesterday, I decided with the only two free hours I had yesterday that I was going to dig rocks out of the woods myself and lug them up the hill. I guess he was doing most of the carrying on Sunday because man, I could barely lift 1/2 the rocks that I dug and running them up the hill to the yard was VERY difficult. But I managed to build about 6′ of wall by myself. I could not get up yesterday afternoon when I sat down (stiff old lady syndrome). This morning isn’t as bad ad I thought it would be.

The fact that my husband helped on the wall for hours on Sunday is amazing. He is not a big fan of yard work. I do all of the gardening, planning, planting, clean-up, etc. He will dig a hole if we have a tree/shrub to plant, but beyond that does not take an interest. He has been rolling his eyes at me whenever I have said that I wanted to build this wall. But, for some reason the wall has him hooked and he almost took it over as his project. Well, he is home from work today - I think I will guilt him into doing some wall work! As for me, maybe a run today.

Congrats to everyone who ran in Boston. What nice weather you all had!

Workout:

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 04/22/2008
• Time: 11:00:00
• Total Time: 2:30:00.00