I Just Kept Run-ning. . .

Did 3 miles yesterday, ran 2 of them!!!!!! Today is a XT day, so I'll just walk a mile today and do the Tony Little Total Body Workout.

I am up to 158 lbs! Could it be the cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting?? Ha, no way! Yes, it's muscle, I'm gaining muscle, that's it!

Totally lovin' this weather. And, it's lighter outside when I finish work!

Happy Training!

Cream Cheese Frosting

I can't believe I actually ran most of the 2 miles Saturday! I did walk about .15. It felt pretty good. The cinnamon swirl bread was soooo good! A little too good. I was inspired to make cinnamon rolls topped with, you guessed it, cream cheese frosting. Not very health conscious, but yummy all the same.

My arm hurts from holding a very heavy toddler in the church nursery. When her parents came to get her, she literally jumped out of my arms and walked to them! Whenever I would put her down to walk, she'd wail. So the next time, that kid's gonna walk.

I tried a mile after church, but, I was still feeling a little sore from Saturday. So, I walked instead. It was SUCH a beautiful day! :)

Stuff?? What Stuff?? I don't have no stuff!

When Mark mentioned "stuff" last Saturday, I must admit I was rather perplexed. I felt undefeatable--I am GOING to do this! Felt great, full of energy--nothing's gonna stop me. Nope,
doesn't apply to me.

Then, the migraines hit. :( Doubts have started creeping in. I missed 3 days of training. I want so very much to do this! Why is this happening??

My husband & I had been trying 4 years to start a family only to find out we have a 3% chance of ever having a child of our own. We've sought treatment from specialists who've offered expensive alternatives, but weren't very confident they would work for us. We're currently on a waiting list to adopt. The dream of parenthood seems so far away.

Also, I don't like my job. Haven't liked it for years. You know how when you ask little kids what they want to be when they grow up and they say, "A basketball player!" or " A doctor!" with such excitement?? I've never had a passion for anything. Getting a degree & taking
a boring job to support myself should be enough, right??

That's it! I'm going for a long walk after work.

Ugh, Migraines

I was doing so well with training, then a "flat tire" happened. I get migraines from time to time and it's been a while since I've had one (I credit the training for that). So, I missed yesterday and I'll miss today's training too :( Wish there was some way I could never, ever have another one. Hopefully Thursday, I'll be back on track.

Happy training everyone--see ya Saturday! :)

PEACE
Kim

Just Another Manic Monday. . .

Actually, it's pretty calm around here. Saturday was just awesome! The "Y" at Fortification is where I train, so I felt right at home running on the levee. There's a 1 mile track below the levee, which I like to use.

The nutrition lecture wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Felt SO much better when Robin said, "Moderation is the key." Many of the foods she brought I already have. As a child, my mom usually fed us hot cereals, sometimes with wheat germ, and encouraged us to eat fresh fruit and to drink lots of water. I was introduced to ground flaxseed by an active older couple in our church; it tastes a little like wheat germ and I sprinkle a little on my yogurt now & then.

After the meeting, I went grocery shopping and got some Kashi cereal--the oat bran stuff. It tastes like heartier Cheerios and I got natural peanut butter (the crunchy kind). My dear husband prefers crunchy peanut butter, he saw the natural pb & balked a little. After some coaxing (actually nagging), he's willing to try it. Also at "Wallyworld" that day, they offered free blood pressure & cholesterol checks. I'm happy to report my BP was 115/70 and my cholesterol was 142.

Tonight is Rex's step class. Happy training everyone!

PEACE
Kim

Sometimes, I don't like my husband

Can ANYONE explain to me how a man who hasn't run in years can out run his wife who runs fairly consistently???? Is it because he's 6'2" and I'm 5'4"??

We decided to do only a mile yesterday because we had dinner guests coming in an hour. So, I set my mobile phone (which has a stopwatch feature) and we're off. By about the .5o mile marker, he PASSES me! And, stays consistently ahead of me until about the.10 marker when I pulled ahead (which he probably let me do) and finished in 10:44 (his time was 10:55). He was right, it shaved nearly a minute off my time. He was VERY winded. I was OK.

Dinner was nice, I prepared taco salad and my dear mom in law made brownies, which we had with ice cream and chocolate sauce. I made the chili with ground turkey, black beans, kidney beans & corn , so see that was healthy! :)

I hope it's warm tomorrow! See ya all Saturday!:)

Stuff I Should Have Known. . .

OK, I ran in the c-c-cold outdoors after work yesterday. I ran a mile; did it in 11:42:23 *sigh*. Here's what I learned:

1. Your nose may run continually.

2. Wear a cap on head next time (if there IS a next time--kiddin').

3. Wear gloves--your hands WILL get cold.

4. Your ears may ache--another reason to wear a cap or headband.

5. It's good to warm up prior to--I didn't have that annoying hip cramp that I had when we ran in Belhaven--which I've NEVER had before even when I was a regular runner.

Perhaps I'm overdoing it a wee bit, but I like to run a mile in addition to cross training, just to improve my time. Now, it's time to make a trip to Fleet Feet (don't yell at me). I have 2 pairs of running shoes I alternate and it's time to retire one pair. The other ones still have a little life in 'em and I don't have shin splints--yet. Plus, I'm going to need warmer clothes to run in.

My husband always asks me about my time when I run and he's telling me I need to do an 8 minute mile. So now, he's offered to run alongside me to help improve my time. This guy hasn't run in YEARS! When we used to run together, he could outrun me. So, now I have a coach.

zzzzzz

Overslept this am. I took it easy Monday and only walked a mile. Yesterday, I did 2 miles on the treadmill (fast walking on an incline) because it was SOOOO C-C-COLD and windy. Mark, PLEASE, tell me if it's like this on Saturdays we can use treadmills indoors (pretty please)????

I feel leaner and but I'm still eating like Seabiscuit. And, I weighed myself yesterday: 157 lbs! AAAUGHHH! Three lbs HEAVIER than I when I started MM, RATS! My dear sweet husband assures me the extra weight is muscle and not fat. We're supposed to talk about nutrition this Saturday and I am dreading it. Don't get me wrong, I eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and drink plenty of h2o, but if I have to give up bread, potatoes, butter, whole milk, sour cream, cheese and sugar, someone's in for an uphill battle! BTW, my blood pressure, cholesterol, & triglycerides are all normal.

Today's an XT day (Yay!). I hope to walk a mile and do Tony Little's Abdominal Workout. It's not as tough as his Total Body Workout. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

PEACE
Kim :)

Feeling Blah

The Saturday meeting was fun! I was surprised to learn the youngest MM participant is 17 and our oldest is 70! Too cool! The lining up by age & birthday was fun, too. I found a birthday buddy (we were both born 3/8/1968), but I forgot her name :( I am TERRIBLE with names. Maybe the blogging will help with that. I completed the 1.5 miles in a little over 21 minutes. Don't know why I can't seem to consistently run/jog in colder temps. Perhaps I should be more intentional in getting acclimated to that, since after all, we'll running in the Windy City.

As for the title to today's post, some of you ladies might relate. I had wondered how this training would affect my cycles. I still feel blah & achey, so that hasn't changed (boo-hiss). But, the aches aren't bad enough for me to take Tylenol yet. Wonder if I should skip today's workout (Rex's step class at the "Y") & stay home & rest? Nah, think I might just tough it out. Sunday, I ran a mile in about 11:30--not my best time--walked another mile, & did the Tony Little workout when I got home.

Forgot to mention I had a "Girl's Night Out" with my cousins/friends Saturday night in celebration of my dear friend/cousin Monica who's 39 (we're about 4 weeks apart in age--she'd KILL me for publishing her age like that). We went to dinner at Las Margarita's and had chimichangas. Guess who cleaned her plate???

Pancakes for dinner, a hamburger for breakfast

Am I the only one whose appetite has picked up?? Yesterday, my husband said that I'm eating like a lumberjack (haha). We usually have lunch almost everyday at my in laws; my mom in law is pretty good at preparing meals where all the food groups are represented. Yeah, I'm supposed to be eating 6 small meals a day, but I'm so used to eating 3 medium/large ones and I'm usually done eating by 7 pm each night. And, I'm drinking more H2O.

I ran a mile (woo-hoo!) and walked a mile yesterday (yay 2 miles). When I got home, I dusted off the Tony Little Workout VHS tape I got like 10 Christmases ago from my brother. I had to laugh at the dated workout outfits (& big hair!) TL & crew had, but the workout was a good one! So, I'll be doing that one on Sundays from here on out.

Haven't lost any real weight, but my clothes are starting to fit differently. Here's hoping I can stay on schedule. I am really beginning to enjoy the workouts! However, I am glad tomorrow is Friday. \o/

Tuesday Afternoon

Actually, it's in the am, but, I like the song :). Last night, I took a step class with my favorite instructor, Rex, at the "Y". His routines are full of squats and lunges. Then, he has this killer ab routine towards the end. Today, my thighs feel like they're encased in concrete. Before, my shins were killin' me, but now they feel much, better.

I've scanned all the blogs and feel so inspired by what I've seen. And thanks, thanks to you who've commented on my blogs--really appreciate it. :) It's nice to know that people are cheering each other on and giving encouragement. This is a MAJOR undertaking. And last I heard we were 190+ strong?? WOW!!!!

I don't use an Ipod or anything like that when I run/jog/walk. Usually, I think about the day's events, plan ahead, pray, or even play little games like coming up with songs with running themes and humming them. "It Keeps You Runnin'" by the Doobie Bros, "Running on Empty" Jackson Browne, "Runnin' with the Devil" Van Halen--not exactly very inspiring, but you get the point.

Lately, it's been lighter outside at 5pm. Might try running outdoors today.

PEACE,
Kim :)

After the 1st Training Meeting. . .

Boy, did I get schooled!!! The hilly streets of the Belhaven Heights area nearly did me in! I mean, I run a mile like every other day, doggone it!!! But, in the comfort of a nice, warm gym & on a treadmill. I had a pain in my hip while trying to jog on those hills--never have I felt THAT kind of pain before!

So, I'll stick to walking for the time being. :( I didn't get to crosstrain yesterday, but I walked 2 miles outdoors instead. Tomorrow, I'm taking the step class at the "Y", so that should make up for it.