Rest Day / Yoga

Today was a rest day because my schedule was busy. I needed a day off. I'm still feeling TKD from Monday. Add yesterday's ball workout, and my muscles are sore. Rest is good.

I'm working on being calmer and more positive. I've done yoga in the evenings, and I've meditated in the morning. I'm definitely feeling more relaxed and less scattered. I'm eating healthier and just feeling better overall.

I'll definitely do some yoga tonight. It will feel good to stretch, and I've been sleeping much better. I'm a light, restless sleeper, so it makes a huge difference when I actually sleep well.

I've enjoyed my rest day. I'm going to have the kids do yoga with me tonight. It'll be fun and help them relax before bed. Perfect end to the day.

Sore Legs and Yoga Dreams

Last night we had a killer TKD class. My legs are super sore today. They felt a little better after a walk with my friends. We were pelted with ice, but it was a great walk. I love winter walks.

I threw in circuits using my exercise ball. It was a good workout. I stuck to mostly upper body and abs to give my legs a little break. I'm really starting to feel last night's workout. Definitely looking forward to yoga tonight. Two days in, and I am sleeping better.

Healthy Habits / Starting Again

This weekend my parents came up, and we went on a family snowshoeing excursion. It was a blast. The day was perfect, and we spent two hours exploring the trails at Hazen's Notch. It was a great day.

Today's my hubby's birthday. We celebrated this weekend, and we made some healthy goals. I'm going to do a couch to 5k program with him while doing my half training. We're planning on running a 5k together in May. I'm excited to have a training buddy.

We also decided to go back to one of the first healthy changes we made. Years ago, when we first decided to get healthy, we started by doing yoga almost every night. It was great. Last night, we started it up again. We did a half hour of yoga before bed. The kids joined us, and we had fun. Everyone was relaxed and ready for bed when we finished. Even the Artist, who would stay up all night if we let him, went immediately to sleep.

I woke up feeling refreshed and ready for this week. It's a nice change after a few not so great weeks. I even went for a run this morning. 3.15 miles on slippery sidewalks. I had to walk more than I wanted, but it was sketchy in some spots. Still, I'm glad I went.

After work, I practiced Do-San. It's getting better. Slowly. Tournaments don't start until March, so I've got a little time. I'm psyched for TKD tonight!

Circuits and Carbs

Consistency is the goal, and I'm doing well this week.

With exercise, that is. Eating is another story. I'm doing better, but I am having major bread cravings. It didn't help that I made banana bread. The recipe I've been using is amazing, but I want to eat the whole loaf.

Exercise has been going well. My run on Sunday started the week off right. Monday was a rest day. Tuesday I did a great circuit workout. Yesterday was a treadmill day, and this morning I did another circuit workout.

I'm really enjoying circuits right now. Today's was a mix of bodyweight cardio (mt.climbers, plank jacks, etc), TKD kicks (another 200 kicks!), and core. It took 30 minutes, and I was pouring sweat. In between circuits I practiced Do-San. It's getting a little smoother. Slow progress.

Goals for today - salad for lunch, lots of water, and yoga tonight.

Hugs For My Legs

On Sunday, I tried compression socks for the first time.

I bought them right after Christmas with a gift card (thanks, Sis!). I've always wanted to try them, but I have to admit I wasn't sure how much they would help.

The first three miles of my run were brutal. My shins burned, and my calves ached. My feet were cramping. It did eventually go away, but the first half of my run was not fun.

I didn't think of the compression socks immediately after my run. I didn't put them on until a few hours later. They were really tight (obviously) and hard to put on, but once I got them on they felt great. It was like a hug for my lower legs. They stopped aching, and my foot cramps went away.

I wore them for a few hours. I took them off before bed, and when I woke up my lower legs felt good. My quads were sore all day, but my lower legs and feet felt great. I'm definitely going to use them after long runs, and I'll probably invest in more pairs.

Love them.

Yesterday ended up being an unintentional rest day. I was busy all day, and there was no TKD class.

Today, I did circuits that incorporated strength, abs, and Taekwondo kicks. I also practiced Do-San in between sets. It ended up being a great workout. Feeling great!

Starting Over Is Never Easy

Training has officially begun.

This week has been a tough one. I did what I could. Lots of walking with friends, which is the best. Yesterday I did run/walk intervals with friends. I struggled with it, but it got done. I felt great about it for the rest of the day, and my legs were pleasantly sore.

Today, I was determined to do a longer run. I have time before the half, but the sooner I start upping my mileage the better. The first three miles were rough. My feet cramped, and my shins burned. It got better after that. I got into a groove and only walked when is was necessary to avoid ice or cars. I decided I would run for 1.5 hours instead of a specific distance. I covered 6.8 miles in that time. Slower than I used to be, but I'm just happy I did anything. Starting over is never easy, but I'm staying positive. It's the longest run I've done in a while.

Goals for this week:

• at least 2 shorter runs (or speed work on the treadmill)
• 8 - 10 miles this weekend
• exercise 6 days
• drink enough water!!

Do It For Yourself

It's a happy day. I've been battling with my thoughts lately. I needed to start running, but I was constantly battling every negative thought possible. I've done a couple treadmill workouts, but I did intervals because I get bored out of my mind running on a treadmill. I've gotten in some great walks and a snowshoe with my friends.

This morning I decided I was just going to do it. I ignored the annoying, negative thoughts and set myself up for success. It was cold, but not unbearable. I started a new audiobook, and I went slow to avoid the ice. I ran for as long as I could and did better than I expected. I only walked a few times, and I felt great when I was finished.

I'm really proud of myself. I set myself two mantras for this year. The one I am using for exercise is "Do it for yourself." I've always exercised and lost weight for external reasons. When I was younger, I wanted to be thin and attractive. I had stupid, unrealistic priorities that stemmed from a lack of self-confidence. Later on, I felt more confident, but I wasn't self-motivated. I needed someone telling me to run. I rarely ran alone. I would go if other people invited me. Even marathon training was to please someone else. I had to check in every week and was embarrassed when I skipped a run.

If I am ever going to make a lasting change, I need to do it for myself. I can't rely on others to be my motivation. I need to just get out there and do it. Today was a first step in what I hope will be a productive year.

I forgot how great it feels to run. I'm looking forward to going out on a regular basis. Today was a great start.

Positive, Fun Resolutions

First snowshoe of the season!!

Winter is quickly becoming my favorite season, and it's mainly because of snowshoeing. I've been waiting impatiently for snow this year. I want to snowshoe a lot this winter. I think I only went twice last year because it was so cold. Here's hoping we have a lot of the white stuff and temps above 0 this year!

2016 has started well. Yesterday, I got up early for a walk with two of my favorite people, and we spent the morning sledding with all the kiddos. It was such a fun day. This morning was an early morning snowshoe and some more sledding later on.

I decided to set some resolutions this year, but I wanted them to be positive and fun.

• get passports for the whole family
• hike Camel's Hump with Andy
• finish my next book
• simplify my work life
• read at least 1 book/month
• more cooking/family dinners
• go somewhere new

This list makes me excited for 2016.