Consistency.

Right now, my biggest day-to-day fitness goal is consistency. It's a struggle. I've been doing okay. I really love lifting, and I've been following a good training plan. My biggest struggle with consistency right now is my parathyroid. It's been about two years, and I have some pretty painful days. I did just have some tests done, so hopefully things will move forward soon. 

Until then, I will do what I can. There are some days when walking is my only option. Some days even walking is too much. I've been identifying how my body reacts to different things. Running destroys me. It's such a bummer. I like running. I want to run. I have some big goals that require running. I just have to plan for some serious rest days afterward. Yoga is hit or miss, but it's relaxing. TKD depends on what we do. Jumping is rough. We did lots of jumping in class on Monday, and I can still feel it in my ankles. Walking and lifting are my best options. Lifting actually makes it feel better. I don't know why, but I'm just going to go with it. Walking is the best. I've been trying to get in my Moon Dog miles.

I've been consistent with workouts since Thanksgiving. Lots of lifting. TKD was awesome and totally worth the ankle pain. Post-Thanksgiving workout = cardio and so many push-ups. Loved it. Moon Dog and I have been on some cold winter walks. 

Yesterday I took a complete day off. I needed it. That's the silver lining of this whole thing. I am forced to listen to my body. I am forced to slow down. This is something I have probably needed for a long time. I tend to do too much (in all aspects of my life), and I never take days off. This makes me take full rest days. If I don't pay attention, I end up needing two.

Today, I got in 2 miles with the pooch and lifted. Other than my ankles, things are feeling pretty good! 

A Little Progress - Slow And Steady

Making progress - slowly but surely.

Yesterday, Moon Dog and I walked almost 2 miles, and my ankle felt fine. I was excited. Every little bit of progress counts. I have been feeling a little on edge from not being able to exercise. It felt great to be outside and moving.

The weather has been amazing. I really wanted to run this morning, but I was a little concerned about how it would go. It took a little while to convince myself to go, but I did. I went really slow and walked if things started to twinge. I ran 2.7 miles with only two brief walking breaks, and I even powered up a hill near the end.

It felt so great. The sun was shining, and it was a cool, beautiful morning. I got into a good rhythm quickly, and I felt strong. When I pushed it up the hill, I focused on my form and remembered why I used to love running hills.

I had to change my thinking. Lately, I've faced hills with dread. Something to struggle over. I felt weak at the thought of the effort it would take. Today, I felt good. I felt energized until I got to the hill. As I got near it, I started walking. Not because I needed to. Then I decided to power up the hill like I used to. I fixed my form, my pace increased, and I got up it and still felt strong. It was nice to feel that way again. In addition to consistency, I am going to focus on my thoughts - before, during, and after my runs.

The ankle is a little sore but not too bad. I'm going to try some yoga later. Limping has caused my muscles to get really tight. I need to loosen up.

Travel, Hike, Love

Life has been a whirlwind.

Last week I got to take an awesome trip with my favorite person. We spent a couple days in Knoxville, TN and had a blast. It's a cool city with lots of good food. We stayed within walking distance of downtown, so we got in quite a bit of exercise. Which was good since we spent a lot of time sitting in our car on the way down and back.

It was great to have an adventure. We used to travel quite a bit, and our honeymoon was driving across the country and staying in campgrounds. This time we didn't go as far, and we stayed in places we rented from Air BnB. It was a great early anniversary celebration. My husband is the master of planning unique, inexpensive trips., and we had so much fun!

The best part about any trip is coming home. The kids stayed with their grandparents, and it was the longest we've been away from them. I definitely missed them, and it was nice to pick them up and go home to our very-happy-to-see-us pets.

My goal when we got back was to continue being active and really work on consistency. I knew this was going to be a challenge. I have theatre camp all week, and that means long days. So far I've done pretty well. We got home on Friday and had all of Saturday free for a family adventure.

The Artist and I started the day with a run. He really enjoys running, and I love the company. He asked if we could go for a run, and I can never say no to that. He chose the route - a mile of almost constant uphill. Usually, we do walk/run intervals. This time he wanted to run the hills and walk the small amount of flat area. That last hill was killer. I love running with him because he pushes me. He would be a great trainer. He's absolutely relentless.

During our walking breaks we had some great conversation. He has so many great ideas, and I really love the person he is becoming. After a brief rest at the top of the biggest hill, we sprinted down the hill to our house. Everyone else was awake, and it was time to hike Wheeler Mountain.

This was a new hike for all of us, and we had a blast. My dad got me a book of day hikes in VT, and it suggested going up the red trail (if you chose to) and back down the white trail. The white trail was longer but in the trees and less steep. The red trail was steep, open, and shorter. We were planning to follow the white trail up and back. I have a fear of heights, and while I do try to challenge it, I was not looking for anything scary. Just a nice, fun family hike.

In true Andy and Em fashion, we chose the wrong trail. It ended up being a great choice. We went up the red trail and down the white. It was incredible. It was terrifying, but I kept my eyes down and kept going. When we got to a flat part I would look out at the view, and it was magical.

It was like being in a Tolkein novel. Incredible.

I'm so glad that we took that trail. It was not easy, but it was so worth it.

Saturday was a very active day. 

On Sunday, I decided to do leg day. I'm easing myself back into lifting, and I love it. In addition to leg day I did "pool circuits" with the kids. We've been creating workouts in the pool. It's so much fun and good exercise.

Monday I got up ready to run. It had been a while, and I didn't have a lot of time. Still, I felt ready to go and got in 2.5 miles. It felt good. I haven't had a good run in a long time, and I needed one. I ran almost the entire thing. I've been taking a lot of walking breaks lately, and I was happy I didn't need them this time. It's amazing what a few days of exercise and better eating can do.

Yesterday was a tough one. It was a good day. I got up early and did a chest/back workout. I had a great day at camp except someone kicked over my coffee, and I had no caffeine all day. By the time camp was over, I was tired. 

But, my day wasn't over. I watched the kids' TKD classes, and then I had class. I was excited to be back since I missed the week before, but I was also feeling incredibly exhausted. It ended up being a great class. It was a lot of conditioning, and we were moving almost the whole time. I like classes like that. They're difficult but keep me focused. It was also one of those days when things clicked, and I felt good about how I did. That doesn't happen all the time, but it's nice when it does. 

I was completely wiped out when I got home and went to bed early. This morning I'm feeling pretty sore. My back is really tight from lifting, and my legs are SO SORE from class. Today is going to be a yoga/patterns day. Something to loosen up my muscles while giving me time to recover.

I've got workouts planned for the rest of the week, and I am determined to stick with it. Consistency is the goal! 

Starting Over

It's been a long time since I posted. Life has been crazy. I've been sick, had an injury, and really have just been feeling blah. No mojo. No interest in eating healthy or exercising. The thing is - this is the time I most need to be focused. Halloween through Christmas is a difficult time. Yummy food is everywhere, and our schedule is crazy.
I've set a couple of goals for November. I need something to keep me accountable. I follow this awesome blog called Run, Eat, Repeat. She does an accountability event every November called Pile on the Miles. You set a goal, check in weekly, and can possibly win prizes for staying on track. I've never participated before, but this seemed like the perfect thing to keep me focused. I set a goal for consistency - running 3x a week (one long/ two short). I need to get back into the habit of regular running, and I want to rebuild my base.
I've added one other goal. My friend, Michelle, invited me to join a virtual race during the Thanksgiving holiday. It benefits ALS and is put on by Swim Bike Mom. I like that I can choose my own distance, and it will be a good goal to train for during November. Plus, a perfect jump start to staying consistent this winter.
Starting over. It feels like I am always starting over. I'm definitely ready to get focused and feel better. I always feel better when I eat healthy and workout.

Consistency and Junk Food

This morning I got up early and met Michelle for a run. We did one of my favorite routes. Lots of rolling hills and beautiful scenery. It ended up being 6.2 miles - a 10k. I walked quite a bit. My legs were super sore after the 20-mile bike ride yesterday. I'm happy with what I did today.

It's all about consistency.

You know what hasn't been consistent lately (always)? My eating. I'd been doing okay, but last night was not good. Today has been half and half. I find healthy eating to be difficult. I'm thinking about following a stricter plan for a little while. I need the motivation and it will make me feel better when I'm working out (and all the time).

Overall, I'm feeling good. Life is good. I'm motivated to train for my half. I'm excited about it. I just need to fix the eating. It will make everything easier.