Training Recap: Week 3

Ran/Walk: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday
Cross Train: Tuesday
Rest: Thursday, Friday, Sunday
Weigh Lifted 31,305 lbs.

We're home. Vacation is over. The house is in Ultra After Vacation Chaos Mode. The laundry is taking over every inch of my house and we're trying to get back into schedule. We had a great time in Texas and the weather was beautiful - we all got sunburned!! Pictures coming soon.

On to the training:

This week has been a little different. Because of vacation, I haven't had my "regular" workout schedule, though I haven't NOT been doing it either. So, I decided this weeks update would be a good time to fill you all in on Things I've Learned (since I started this).

Ready??



Things I've Learned So Far:

1. This is really HARD work.
2. I smell when I sweat.
3. I don't mind sweating - it makes me realize that I'm really working.
4. My appetite has gone through the roof - I feel like I'm eating all the time.
5. I don't want sweets as much anymore. It kind of feels like I would be ruining all of the
work I'm doing, so why would I want to do that.
6. I feel so much better after I work out.
7. GOOD shoes make all the difference in the world.
8. This is going to be really hard!!!

So there you have it. A few things I've learned up to now. I'm back to the gym today - Hubby and I will go tonight! It will feel good to get back into a routine. As much as I love vacations - the work to get back into "normal" life is really irritating to me. Oh well, vacation is worth every minute of it!!

I'm glad to be back friends, we'll talk again soon!

Adios, mi Amigos!

Today we're heading south to the great state of Texas to spend a few days with my dad and step mom. The whole family is going, and the boys are so excited. They left for Texas the first week of December and aren't coming home until mid to end of April - so they're gone for a while. It will be really great to see them!!

And don't you worry one little bit - not that you would - but I plan on keeping up my workouts while we're there. Mike will have to run anyway, as he's a lot closer to his race, and going a lot farther than me. But we'll be outside running!! I'm a little nervous for that - I've only been on the treadmill up til now - maybe I'll like outside better.

I'm going to try to have my Training Week Recap post up on Monday, but we'll see. It depends on how many Big things we find to do in the Big state of TEXAS!!

Have a great weekend, amigos!

Training Recap: Week 2

Week 2 is completed!!



3 days of Run/Walk combo

2 days of cross training for 30-40 minutes

Weight loss: 0 this is frustrating

Total pounds lifted this week: 41,400



The week went well, and for all practical purposes - I feel really great about it. The runs went great. Well, as great as they can go when one hasn't run since the 8th grade. A little huffing and puffing and I made it through! I'm still running for 1 minute and walking for three, with 6 repetitions. This week, I move up to 7 repetitions.



My knee has been bugging me a little bit, but I bought a brace, and it seemed to feel much better after that. If it keeps hurting, I'll get it checked out by one of those doctor types, but I figure chalking it up to " I haven't run in 20+ years" sounds like a really good reason right now! And Mike has been giving me some pointers to get a more efficient run. I never knew there was so many things to know about running.



I'm getting better with the emotions. I've been really shocked at how much this has affected me. I go back and forth between "I can do this." and "What on earth was I thinking?" I've been trying to do some soul searching and figure out why and how I let myself get to this point. Don't they (Oprah, Dr. Phil, etc...) always say that you've got to figure out why you gained weight before you can figure out how to change it? Maybe, just maybe though, I just like food. I like food. I dislike exercise. Can it be this simple. I don't know. I'm still working on this!



I do know that I couldn't get through this without the support of you, my friends. Your comments inspire me every day when I don't want to go. I read through them and get the strength to go. I've had some great heart to heart talks with Denise and Krista about this journey. Those have helped me through and made me realize that I have the best friends in the world. (as if I didn't already know that) Girls, you are priceless and I love you. And the support of my husband......I couldn't do it with out him. I am a blessed woman.



And because I don't want to end on a sappy note, I'll leave you with the 2 goals I've set for myself with the 5k.

1. Do not finish in last place.

2. Do not puke.



Happy exercising, friends!

It will be missed

In Monday's post I promised the next post would be about crafting again. This may not be so much about craft-ing , as much as it is about things I found to be craft-y. I hope I'm not breaking my promise here, but haven't had much time to be so crafty lately.

Maybe I should spend less time buying crafting supplies, and more time using them. There's a thought. But in this economy, I feel it's my American duty to help stimulate consumer buying. Yeah, that and the fact that I've been working everyday for the last few weeks and it will continue throughout March. Welcome to my part time job. I could go for a good snow day, or sick kid day. I didn't just say that, did I???

I'm off track - back to the craft-y stuff. It's a sad day here. Our local Wal*Mart, who I'm not normally a fan of, is doing some remodeling and "restructuring" of their merchandise. And apparently the big wigs at WM decided that the fabric department isn't as profitable as they would like, so they are removing it. Gone. No more. This is very sad.

We had a great WM Fabric department. One of the best in the area. And believe me - I checked the other ones. Ours was the best. Now it wasn't "quilt shop" quality or anything, but it was good fabric. You need interfacing? Run to WM - it's cheaper than JoAnn's. You need plain red broadcloth? Run to WM - it's 30 miles closer than the next fabric shop. Not anymore people. I will have to travel at least 30 miles now to buy fabrics. Oh, this is not good.

What is good though is that I was in there just a day or so after they started reducing their fabric. They started at 50%, and will end at 50% - so there was no reason to wait it out. 50% was as good as it was going to get. So much to my children's anguish, I shopped around and stood in line for a few goodies.

These are for kids lounge pants. Hopefully I'll get some time this week to work on these! This was just pieces of some of the prints I liked. Nothing special planned for it. It will fit in somewhere, sometime. Amazingly - for catching them at the beginning of the sale, it was still pretty picked over.

But I went back in yesterday to check what's left and found ribbon. These were 1/2 off as well. As you know, ribbon isn't very expensive anyway, so I hit the jackpot. I don't sew with a lot of ribbon, but use it a lot in card making, so I stocked up.

I got all of this, and some yellow that's not in the picture, for just over $6. And I think it's close to 30 yards of ribbon. Woo-hoo! What a great deal. How can you pass it up??

I knew it was a good deal when the fabric cutter lady at WalMart (yes, Amanda - they are all still the same ladies there) even thought I was getting a good deal. Such sweet ladies that work there - Wal Mart's Fabric department and their sweet ladies will be missed.

Happy Friday, friends! Have a great Valentine's Day with the one you love!

Training Recap: Week 1

First off - thank you, thank you, thank you. You guys have no idea how great all of your comments made me feel, and how many times I've gone back and re-read them. I'm sure I'll continue to do that. It makes all the difference in the world to know I've got great friends behind me.

I've decided to update on my training on Mondays, as that's when the new week starts.

Week 1 was tough.

My schedule consisted of run/walk combo on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. I run for 1 minute, walk for 3 and repeat 6 times. It doesn't sound like much, but let me tell you, these legs are NOT thanking me for this just yet. I felt pretty good during the runs, but the aching after is crazy. I've got to get better at stretching before and after, and watching my diet a little closer to eat better "after work out" foods.

On Tuesday and Friday I had 30-40 minutes of cross training. That means biking, swimming, elliptical, walking or anything exercise other than running. No problem - and these are going to prove to be my favorite days, I just know it.

Thursday and Sunday are rest days. Those are great too!!

I've done all of this plus I've lifted 22,620lbs. in the weight area. That, too is adding to these sore muscles!!

So, week 1 is DONE!!! What have I learned????

Running makes me sore.
I'm really tired.
I have lots more energy during the day, though.
I'm very emotional. To begin this journey has brought a lot of emotions to the surface.
I have the coolest friends in the world.

and of course,
Week 2 will always be better than Week 1. right?

ps - i will return with crafty type blogs with in a few days - i promise!! :-)

I've done it........

.....I've committed to it. I said it on Facebook. And now I'm going to say it here.

I've started training for my first 5k in August.

There. It's out there. I can't turn back without admitting defeat to the tens of people that read my blog!

I started training on Monday and let me tell you....I hurt. This is not going to be easy. Or fun. But it's necessity. Necessity for my health, my well being and because I know I have to do this.

If you're still with me, and not rolling your eyes at me - let me fill you in on the last 20 or so years.

When I was in my "The Ugly Duckling" years - when you're awkward, don't know what to do with this puberty thing you've been handed, don't know what to do with your hair or anything about fashion and are just trying to learn who you are - I was kind of chubby. What ? no one else had those??? C'mon......tell the truth....

Anyway - I fought the weight a little back then. Then I got to be about 16, discovered boys and school sports and the weight fell off without even trying. I survived on Coke, chips, dip and pizza. I graduated high school at 102lbs. I'm only 5'2" - I was one skinny little thing. Off to college and the Freshman 15 came knocking on my door, along with the pizza delivery guy. I'm sure sneaking beer at the local establishments didn't help either, but that's a whole other story. I didn't mind the 15lbs, and in fact never even noticed it.

Slowly, those 15 turned into many more. By the time I got married I was the heaviest I'd ever been at 155. I bought a size 14 wedding dress. Again it never seemed too much. I never thought I was heavy. I never saw it.

After the second child, I realized what I had done to myself. The many years of not exercising, eating whatever I wanted and not taking care of myself had led me to a weight of over 200lbs. Now what I wouldn't give to be that 155lbs again.

This brings me to the present. 37 years old. A wonderful husband. 2 kids. 200lbs. (I can't believe I just typed my weight to be broadcast on the world wide web. If that's not pressure - I don't know what is.)

I don't like my weight. But I also don't like exercise. I'm working on both of those. I've blogged before about my learning to like the gym and I did. I still do. But after my surgery in December, I had to take some time off to recoup, and am now just getting back into it.

I have decided to run a 5k this August. For many reasons. My husband is a runner, and I want to enjoy this with him. My kids are becoming runners. They both want to run in August and I didn't want to be the mom waiting at the finish line eating donuts. I'm tired of not being able to shop in "regular" areas of stores. I need a jump start. I have a 20 year reunion coming up in October and don't want to have those additional 100lbs still that I've put on over the last 20 years. I want to get on a roller coaster without worrying about it. I want to do it for my kids. I want to be healthy. I need to lose weight.

So here I am broadcasting this to the world. I'm planning on posting once a week about my progress, aches, pains and accomplishments. I'm hoping that somewhere between the pressure of telling everyone and the accountability of documenting it will help keep me motivated. If you're so inclined - and I haven't posted about this journey in a while - please feel free to ask where my post is, why I haven't written. I'll need the nudge!

Thanks for listening. Here's to 3.2 miles on 8.8.2009!!!!

Travel Companions

I know it seems as though I've been ignoring this little ole' blog here, but I'm really not. At least not intending to. I can't figure out where the time has gone, and how on earth did it get to be February already???

Anyhoo, in my spare time between work, vacations, the gym, sick kids and snow days - I did get a little time in there to craft. We purchased a Netbook a few weeks ago. Have you seen these things? Little, itty-bitty computers that measure no bigger than 9x11. It's so cute. But it needed a little case so when I carried it on the plane with me, it doesn't get all scratched up.

I had this wonderful stripey-flannel that I loved and found some great polk-dot to go with it. Ya know - is there anything better than stripes and polka-dots together? I think not.

And of course, I needed a little zipper pouch for the power cables and headphones!

I will be traveling in style now!!