Double Digits

Happy Easter!!

I started my day with some jelly beans. They're part of a balanced breakfast.

Yesterday I got in a 10 mile run. I'm pretty psyched about that. Yesterday was a day where I had to make the time to go for a run. On top of that I was not feeling motivated. I chose a long loop that started with hills and ended with the Rail Trail. It was a pretty good run.

My run can be broken into three parts.

Part 1: My shins, my shins, my shins are on fire.
The first two miles were bad. My shins burned. I walked a lot. I wanted to quit. I kept making myself go just a little bit longer. Finally, at the top of a big hill, my legs loosened up and started to feel better.

Part 2: I love this. I can run forever.
Luckily, this was the longest section of my run. My legs felt good. I didn't need to walk. I got to enjoy the beautiful weather and scenic run. This part ruled. This is why I like running.

Part 3: I'll just run when I can. Ow.
The last couple miles I had to do some walking. My hips were tired and ached. My legs, ankles, and feet were sore. I just kept going.
10.16 miles!

Aftermath: Everything from the waist down is cramping... But, I did it... But, ow...

A Simple Leg Workout

Today's workout: walking with friends and a "simple" leg workout.

I started the day with a nice 3.25 mile walk with two of the best people I know. No better way to start the day.

When I got home from work, I needed to do Week 1/Day 6 of my lifting program. It looked nice and simple. Two exercises. Five reps. Five sets. No problem.

The first exercise was squats. No problem. I love squats. Five sets done.

Exercise #2 was something I had never done before - High Bar Good Mornings

Wow. I just finished my fifth set, and I love this move. It was challenging. I could feel it working my back and hamstrings. Perfect balance for the squats. I really enjoyed this workout.

This will probably make tomorrow's run interesting, but it was awesome.

Recipe For A Bad Run

How to ensure a bad run:

1. Do an intense leg workout two days before your long run
2. Work late / get home / binge on unhealthy foods made almost entirely of cheese
3. Stay up late writing
4. Do not drink enough water
5. Get up after 4 hours of weird dreams and go running in 16 degree weather

At least I was prepared for the run. I remembered my headlamp and my glow armband. I brought fuel. I wore my compression socks and enough layers to be comfortable. I didn't forget the body glide. I was ready for an early morning long run.

As I am sure you can guess, it didn't go well.

My legs were heavy. Even walking to warm up was a struggle. When my quads feel like lead, I know I am in for an unpleasant run. My shins joined the party, and I spent the first two miles dealing with a burning pain in my shins. I kept stopping to stretch my quads. It would help for a while then the pain would come back. It was brutal. I walked a lot.

Then I hit the magic time around 3 miles when my body accepts that I am running and everything loosens up. Unfortunately, this only lasted a couple miles, but it was nice to get in some longer stretches of running. Honestly, I was thrilled just to have the shin pain gone.

Around 6 miles things got difficult again. My legs felt heavy again, and I struggled. I feel like I handled it better than I have in the past. I ran as much as I could, and I stayed positive. I think a good attitude is going to be important for the half - especially on the beltway.

I had less than 8 miles when I finished. Normally, I am fine with doing a little less, but it was bugging me as I got in my car. I am training, and I need to push myself. Yes, my run sucked, but that's really when the most progress is made. I parked my car and ran another small loop around town. I ended up doing 8.6 miles in total.

The last loop was terrible. I ate some fuel before my second loop, so my energy level was good. My legs were not. They weighed 1,000 pounds each, and my running was more of a shuffle. My legs, which had been numb from the cold, were starting to ache. I didn't want to be running anymore.

This is why I love a bad run. Even during the worst of it, I know that I'm making progress. I'm getting stronger. I haven't pushed myself in a long time, so while I was hurting and struggling, I still felt like I was successful. My bad run was a good run.

Back To The Barbell

Trying to stick to my healthy goals this week. It's been somewhat challenging. Things at work are ramping up because we open for the season this weekend. Plus, I've been putting in a lot of time on a major revision on my new book. Not enough time in the day.

Tuesday, I squeezed in a couple miles. The weather has been amazing, and I want to spend as much time outside as possible. Running always sets me up for a better day. It wasn't a great run. My legs were tired and heavy from TKD class. Still, I felt good for most of the day.

Tuesday night I started feeling really sick, and that carried into Wednesday. I spent most of the day in bed and didn't get anything done. Unplanned rest day.

Today I am feeling better. Not 100%, but definitely better. I took the Moon Dog for a nice, long walk. It was a pretty morning.

I also started a new lifting program today. I've been considering it for a few weeks. I miss lifting, but I need to keep it moderate while I'm doing my half training. I waited until the TKD tournament was over because I knew starting up again would make me really sore. I set today as my start date and got it done.

I forgot how much I love lifting. It really is my favorite. Today was a chest push/pull day. I got it done and feel great. I can't wait to have muscle definition again. I decided to go with a plan instead of making my own because I know it will help keep me on track until lifting becomes habit again. Then I might branch out and do my own program. For now, it's nice having someone else do the thinking for me. I like this plan, too. It uses simple, basic movements, and I like the way the days are split up.

My eating has been okay. Yesterday was rough, but I did okay. I'm focused on cleaning up my eating and taking things one day at a time. It's nice to have motivation again. I'm already feeling better and sleeping better. Forgot how good it feels to take care of myself.

An Active Weekend / Tournament Recap / I Cry A Lot

This weekend was fabulous. It was filled with fun, family, and fitness! :)

Friday night my husband hosted his high school Rock Show. He started it years ago, and every year it gets better. This year's show was great. The Bean got to participate with her band, and they were amazing. I love that she's already in a band. It was really cool to see these kids hold their own with a bunch of high school performers and an audience of almost 400 people. Of course, I cried because I am apparently incapable of not crying when my kids are doing something. So proud of her.

Saturday was the TKD tournament. I have to admit, I did not feel great about how much practice I had done. It was a busy week, and I couldn't fit in as much as I wanted. I was nervous, but I set myself some simple goals, which I mentioned before. How did I do?

1. Stay calm/don't let nerves take over.
I did not achieve this one. I thought I was doing okay, but when I did my pattern everything went bad. I was super nervous and messed up a lot of things. Goal for next time - don't mess up my pattern.

2. Remember anything my "plan" for sparring.
So, usually sparring is my worst event. My brain goes blank, and I forget everything anyone has ever taught me. This time, I think it was my best. It was the only thing I got a medal for. I remembered to do combos. I looked for openings. I moved around a little. I still need to work on blocking, but I did okay. We tied, and I lost during the tie-breaker. I felt good about it, and I definitely felt like I had improved. I'd say I met this goal, but it will definitely be on the list of goals for the next one. I want to get better.

3. Break the board on the FIRST try.
This was the big one for me. I've been working on my 360 back kick for a while, and it's been frustrating. It took my 4 tries at the last tournament, and it took 4 tries when I tested for my high yellow belt. I did not want it to take 4 tries again. I practiced with one of the black belts from our school, and she made a suggestion that changed everything. It made the move easier and more accurate. I went into it feeling a lot more confident.
I got it on the first try!
If there is anything better than putting your foot through a board, it is the relief after it's done. I was pumped the minute my foot went through.
I'm looking forward to trying something new for the next tournament. I want to break something with my hand.

I love going to the tournaments. I've gotten to know some of the other competitors, and we have made friends with other TKD families. It's fun to see them and compete with them. Everyone is really positive and supportive.  It's a lot of fun.

My kiddos had a great time. The Bean got to compete in weapons for the first time. She did great even though she was nervous, and I was so proud of her. (Yes, I cried.) I love watching the weapons patterns. Can't wait until I can try it.

The Artist had the best day out of all of us, and I was so happy for him. He's grown quite a bit since the last tournament, and he's gotten more coordinated. He's also been working really hard on having a positive attitude. At the last tournament, he didn't do as well as he wanted, and he stayed angry the whole day. This time he told me he would be happy even if he didn't get any medals, and he was excited to go and have fun.

He was amazing. He got a silver in his pattern and did it better than I've ever seen him do it. He only took three tries to break his board (last time it was 7), and he stayed positive when he came in fourth. His sparring was incredible. He remembered everything we'd practiced, and he did it all. He went up three times, and the last match was really exciting to watch. They went back and forth on points, and it was tough. He ended up getting gold for sparring. It was so great to see him so excited and focused and proud of himself. (I also cried during his sparring. It's was a proud, tearful day.)

Signing my kids (and myself) up for TKD is one of the best decisions I have made. I love what it has done for their self-esteem. Amazing.


This is turning into a long post, so I will keep the rambling to a minimum from now on.

Sunday was an active day. The weather was absolutely perfect. It was the kind of day when you feel obligated to spend as much time as possible outside.

I started with a 6 mile run before the sun came up. It was Daylight Savings, so it was very dark at 5:30am. The stars were out, and it was beautiful. The sunrise was amazing.

It was a good run. I've been struggling with the first three miles of all my runs. This started when I was training for the marathon years ago, and it's never gone away. It's frustrating, but I know if I can get through it, the rest will be fine. After three miles, I get into a rhythm and just go. That's how this run went. I struggled, walked, and over-heated until about halfway through, and then I felt great for the second half. This will be good as my mileage increases.

My legs were pretty sore after that, but I took the Moon Dog for a walk and also went for a bike ride with the Bean. I was completely exhausted by the end of the day, and it was the best feeling. I miss that feeling.

Today, I am doing a short run on the treadmill because the wind is really strong, and wind is my nemesis. I would rather run in anything else - snow, pouring rain, heat, anything. Since I am hitting the treadmill, I am going to mix up speeds and inclines to keep things interesting. I also have TKD tonight, so it's going to be another active day. I'm looking forward to continuing this all week.

Daily Goals Met

The weather today is gorgeous and spring-like. I had to go for a run. I squeezed it in after dropping the kids off at school. I got in almost 3 miles and felt great when it was over.

It didn't start out well. My shins and calves were burning, and my muscles felt tired and heavy. But, I had a new audio book on my iPod, and the weather was too perfect. I kept going. Eventually, my muscles loosened up, and the second half of my run felt great.

I'm doing well with my daily goals. I meditated this morning. I got in a run. I'm hoping to fit in some TKD practice later. I've got a little time to write, and I'm on track with my eating. I love the days when I can meet all my goals.

Night time is when I struggle with overeating. I'm tired and can finally relax. I always want something sweet. This time of year is difficult because Cadbury mini eggs are my nemesis. I can't stop eating them. Tonight I am focused on not overeating. I'm going to find a healthier way to handle my sweet cravings. Good thing strawberries are on sale. Sweet, healthy, and delicious!

Happy International Women's Day!!

Happy International Women's Day!!

I started my day with some of my favorite women. Nothing like a walk with friends to start the day.

Today I want to celebrate my favorite little woman. There is a TKD tournament this weekend, and I watched her prepare last night. She's doing her first weapons pattern this weekend, and I love watching her practice. She's strong and confident, and I admire her so much. I wish I had even half of her courage and confidence. So proud of my girl!!

I went for a second walk with the Moon Dog. The weather is amazing, and we had a nice walk. I also did some practice for the tournament. I'm not feeling overly confident, but practice will help. I've set a few basic goals - mainly stay calm/don't let the nerves take over, try to remember anything my "plan" for sparring, and break the board the first try. At the last tournament, it took 4 tries. When I was testing for my high yellow belt, it took 4 tries. This is my break until I get it on the first try.

Hopefully, that will be this weekend, and I can try a hand break.

Staying Positive

Keeping the healthy trend going today. My eating is on track. My meals are planned. Today is an exercise-filled day.

I started the morning with a walk with two of my favorite people. It was the perfect start to the day. After getting some work done, I went home and did a half an hour of yoga. I needed a good stretch, and I want to be loose for class tonight.

I'm finishing the day with TKD. I haven't been to class in a few weeks due to work, vacation, and sickness, and I am feeling a little nervous. I feel like I haven't practiced enough. There's a tournament this weekend, and I am a little worried about it. I'm trying to stay positive, though. That's the goal.

One day at a time.

Getting Started

Yesterday, I woke up super early and went for a run/walk with my friends. It was great, but so cold. My legs were frozen by the time we were done. I got in almost 6 miles. It's been a while since I did an early morning run, and I remember why I like it. I felt great all day.

Today I went for a walk. The weather is absolutely beautiful, and it was great to be out in the sunshine. My walk involved some pretty big hills, but I loved it! 2.5 miles done.

I'm going to stretch out with some yoga later. I need it. My quads are tight from running, and I could use the relaxation. Since I am going to be running a lot more, I want to try to do yoga more often.

Setting Goals For Motivation

March has begun and so has official half marathon training. I'm ready. The roads were icy today, so I did a run on the treadmill. I did minute intervals of walking and running. Nothing difficult, but miles are miles. I also did a back/leg workout with some pushups thrown in for fun. It was great.
I'm excited for a long run this weekend. Long, slow runs are my favorite.

I'm looking forward to several races this year. Nothing longer than a half, and I am doing them with family and friends. The goals are to keep running all year and have fun. I know eventually it will become a habit again, but getting started is tough. These races should keep me motivated.

I'm also making other plans for spring.

Thanks, mom and dad for the awesome gift!!!

I'm really looking forward to an active spring/summer. I'd like to do the Leaf Peeper again with the Artist, so that will be my fall goal - along with more hiking. I need to keep setting goals and keep myself motivated!!