Self-Discipline

Self-Discipline is the character trait of the month at my school for February.  We have had some great conversations about what that looks like and how do we get it.  The funny thing is, and the kids got a kick out of this, I didn't have a good way to explain how someone gets self-discipline.   You have to figure out how to get it on your own and that looks different for each person.  It can be anything from having the self-discipline to get out of bed in the morning, doing homework, brushing your teeth, working out, to putting on deodorant.  These are just a few of the things that my students came up with.  They were excited to see that they have self-discipline in many areas of their life.  That made them realize that maybe having self-discipline isn't so far fetched for middle schoolers after all.  We decided as a class that the self-discipline of using deodorant was much appreciated in a middle school setting.  :-)  

The dictionary definition of self-discipline is: "correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement."  I define it as being able to do what needs to get done, even if it is hard.  

I have been working hard at having self-discipline in my exercise and food choices in order to be a healthier woman.  There have been frustrations and times where I just didn't feel like working out or days where I just wanted to eat lots of chocolate.  I am by no means doing everything perfectly but I am determined to do the best I can.  

After seeing the doctor on Thursday I am determined to continue to do everything I can to be healthy since that is all I can control.  

Friday I was supposed to run three miles.  It was POURING outside when I got home from work.  I don't mean a little rain, drizzle or rain shower.  It was dumping!  I decided to use the treadmill.  For whatever reason I just have a hard time running on the dumb thing so I just set it at a nice brisk walking pace and got the three miles in.  

Saturday I had my long run.  This week on the training plan was a 7.5 mile run.  I woke up with a really bad headache.  Headaches are not fun and for whatever reason when I wake up with one it is even worse.  So I took some medicine and drank a lot of water.  I didn't start my run until 10:00 a.m. and the headache was less intense but hadn't gone away completely.  I decided to not push it for negative splits or a faster time but to just keep a steady pace and get the run done.  Mission accomplished!  I kept a steady pace for the entire run and ran the entire time.  I even managed to stay under a 14 minute mile average pace.  I didn't really hurt during the run, just got tired.  I am going to have to start working on what to carry with my for a little recharge on my longer runs.  I'm also going to have to figure out what I can eat for breakfast that doesn't make me burp my breakfast during my run.  That's so nasty!  Overall I was pretty happy with my run and glad that I had pushed through the headache and got it done.  

This was a nice steady pace, exactly like I wanted.  Average pace of 13'44 per mile.  :-)  

 

Today we went hiking with friends and were rewarded with a spectacular view.  The weather today was awesome!  The sun was out, the trail was great and the friends were fabulous!  It was a great way to spend the morning.  

We took a different route to the top then we did last time.  It was fun try something different.  I was still slow but wasn't feeling the extreme soreness while we were hiking that I have had in the past so that was fun.  I felt like I'm making improvements in my abilities.  I would probably be getting faster too but it is hard to haul this big body up the hill very quickly.  :-)

I had sunglasses on!  It's been awhile since the sun has been out and it was great to be out enjoying it!  

This is the view from the top.  It was breathtaking.  We stood at the top and just enjoyed the sun and the view for quite some time.

My hubby and I with the view behind us.  I love that he is willing to take a break or change his training for the Ironman to do hikes with his wife.  It is one of the few activities that we can do together since he is so much faster than me in running, biking, swimming, etc.  :-)  

The training plan I am doing for the Half Marathon has me doing a recovery week every month.  This coming week is my first one.  It means that I ratchet down my runs a little bit as far as distance.  The cross training is upped a little bit and I will be doing some interval work too so it won't be a week off, that's for sure.  

This week had some ups and downs for me.  But I'm feeling good about where I'm at, how far I've come and the direction I am going.  Can't ask for much more than that.  

Dr. Visit

Today was my visit to my doctor.  In preparation I made up calendar pages to cover December 26th through yesterday.  I put down how many miles I ran or what other cross training I had done and then the calories I took in for the day.  I wanted to be able to show that I really, truly have done everything that I'm supposed to do.

Good News:  I have lost 9 pounds since my last visit which was in the middle of December.
Bad News:  Unfortunately I lost that the first week I started running and counting calories.  I'm pretty sure that was the holiday bloat/yukkyness fleeing my body.  lol  I haven't lost anything since then.

Good News: I am doing a great job with the exercising and counting calories and my doctor was totally impressed with my commitment to the running and said I was doing everything right.
Bad News:  Doc said that he would expect that with the level of exercise that I would have lost around 20 pounds.  He said he understood why I'm frustrated because I was working hard and should expect better results.

So next step is to see a hormone specialist and see if maybe things are out of whack in some way that isn't showing up on regular tests but are keeping me from making progress.

As far as being tired.  We are going to do B12 shots (at least thats the plan once he sees the blood test results).  He also wants me to have a follow up visit with the sleep doctor and possibly do another sleep study.  He is thinking that maybe there is something going on that is interfering with my REM sleep.  What apnea I have was very slight so we shall see.

Looks like more doctor visits and more waiting.  But I promised that I would keep on keeping on.  Don't want to lose my momentum.  And hey, 9 pounds is 9 pounds.  At least I didn't gain 9 pounds!  It could be worse.  I could be doing all this and gaining weight.

On a more fun note.  I had another great run on Wednesday night.  I really didn't want to go.  I was SO tired!  I needed 4 miles and hills.  I changed my clothes at work and then drove to North Albany so I could run on Thortan Lake Road.  It has rolling hills so you go up and down the entire time.  I started off and it started to rain.  Got about a mile in and it hailed.  Then it went back to rain which now seemed nice after the hail.  There lots of mud puddles and cars going by fast so it was certainly a run where I had to pay attention, both to where my feet were going and what was going on around me.  I do not want to end up as road rash!

I wanted to try for a 13:30 average pace for the run and I wanted to run the whole thing.  This seemed like a lot to ask for after the awful run I had on Monday.  Running seems to be about balance, at least for me.  I have a couple crappy runs and then I get a couple of good ones.  Or I have a truly terrible run and then the next one is amazing.  Weird.  Anyone else have that or is it just me?   The balance this week was a really good run.  Which was a much needed boost for Madam Cranky Pants!

Once again I'm choosing to focus on what is going well and continue to pray that either my body figures out the program or we figure out what's going on so that we can fix it.  

I was reading a blog of an amazing lady tonight.  She was Goober #3's teacher a few years ago and a mentor to me when I was an Instructional Assistant at the same school.  She lost her husband a year ago and kept the blog while her husband was ill and now she writes about life after.  Because there is a life after.  It reminded me that I have so much to be thankful for.  I have every right to be frustrated but I also need to focus on all the many blessings in my life!  Thank you Di for helping me put things in perspective.  :-)

I've got a long run of 8 miles on Saturday.  I'm going to keep moving and working!  And maybe even dance along the way! 

Madam Cranky Pants

Being tired all the time is, well, exhausting.  Seems redundant doesn't it?  I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday and we will be talking about what I have been doing and what the next steps are in figuring out what's going on.  I'm praying that we can have some real answers.  I have had so many doctor visits, blood draws and various tests of one kind or another since last April!  I know we have made a lot of progress in figuring out what is NOT wrong with me and this is helping narrow it down to what IS wrong but it is a very frustrating process.

For awhile it was a bit better but since the end of January the tired factor has gotten worse and worse again.  I'm about where I was before the holidays.  It makes it really hard to make it through the work day, let alone get my workouts in.

I spend a lot of time pushing through the things that I have to do or want to do badly enough.  I spent Friday and Saturday at my daughter's State Swim meet.  Lot's of driving and energy expended in all the excitement.  Sunday and Monday were literally curled up on the couch not wanting to do anything.  I did go do my run on Monday and even that was ugly.  I ran not quite three miles and then had to walk the rest because I just didn't have the energy to push it to the end.  I missed a favorite family function on Sunday because I was just too tired.  Not the "I'm depressed and don't want to get out of my PJs" kind of tired, just in case you are going there.  More like "I'm coming down with the flu and have no energy" kind of tired but I never actually get the flu.

When I'm tired like this I get crabby and weepy.  To be perfectly honest it looks a lot like PMS on steroids when I'm like this.  Only it lasts longer than a week.  My poor husband has been dealing with the brunt of me being Madam Cranky Pants.  I wouldn't be surprised if he was more than happy to go to work this morning just to get a break from me.  I want a break from me!  lol

I ran 4 miles on Monday and swam for 30 minutes today.  I am keeping my promise to myself to continue even though I'm struggling.

If you are reading this and you are a Believer then I would appreciate prayers.  Both for a better attitude on my end and for guidance for my doctor.  Or healing.  :-)  Healing would be good.

Thanks for letting me vent.  Not the most uplifting or positive post ever but it's where I am at and it's real.  I figured since I have about 3 followers then it would be okay.  :-)

Seriously!

Because I have been sharing about my running and exercising I have had many wonderful people give me helpful suggestions on why I am not losing weight.  I know they mean well but seriously!  I don't think I would be working this hard and only doing it half-assed.  Here are some examples:

• If you are running so much and not losing weight you must be eating too much.  It's simply a case of too much food in and not enough exercise.  (Gee, why didn't I think of that!)
• Anybody who runs will lose weight, you must not really be running that much. (Put in 17 miles this week, guess I need more!)
• Your knees hurt?  If you lose weight that would help.
• You are running slow?  If you lose weight you would get faster.
• Are you sure you are doing everything you are supposed to?  Really?  (No, I'm lying and secretly eating a ton and not really working out.  Seriously, why would I lie about that?)

It has gotten almost comical because I know that people are trying to be encouraging and trying to help me figure out why I'm not losing weight but I PROMISE that I am counting every calorie that I eat and I am working out 5-6 days a week.  :-)  

Here's what I have done since my last post on Monday.

Tuesday I ran after work but before my DC trip meeting.  It was only four miles but I wasn't feeling great, was really tired and really didn't want to go.  I went though.  It wasn't my best time because of how I felt and then I had some interruptions.  lol  My hubby called while I was running and he almost never calls unless he needs something right away.  He usually texts me.  So of course I stop and take the call because I thought something was wrong.  He just wanted to know when I'd be home.  He had forgotten I was running and then going to a meeting and wanted me to pick up Goober #3 from the pool.  He felt really bad.  No worries.  I got going again and was just about to the 2 mile mark so that I could turn around and head back and there was a train.  Luckily it was almost by and I didn't have to wait really it just made me laugh to have a train in my way.  I was about a mile away from the school when my phone rang again and this time it was my DC trip partner and she wanted to know if I was at the school yet.  She had forgotten her keys at home and had to go back and get them.  I was going to be a few minutes late because of my run but wasn't too worried about it because she is always there early.  That didn't work to well.  So I finished up as quickly as I could, grabbed my stuff out of the car and headed in to where all the parents were waiting.  I still had my safety vest and flashy light on, was sweating and breathing hard.  Luckily, the other teacher arrived almost at the same time and my new favorite student went and got me a water bottle.  So glad that we have understanding parents!  :-)

Hubby had to work on Wednesday so I decided that I should do my 30 minute swim in the morning so that it was one less thing I had to do in the afternoon with swim practice, church and hauling kids around.  That was a good call!  I got up early and got my swim done by 6:00 a.m.  It wasn't as crowded in the morning and both sides of the pool are open for lap swimming.  It is also really quiet compared to swimming in the evening when there are swim lessons, club practice, water aerobics and in general lots of people sitting around talking.  I enjoyed it a lot, I'm just not sure I enjoyed it enough to get up at 5:00 a.m. every time I need to swim.  lol

Thursday was a rest day.  It was also Valentine's Day.  Hubby worked a 12 hour trade so he wouldn't be home until after 7.  We don't really make a big deal about Valentine's Day.  It's not really our thing.  We give each other cards or maybe go out to dinner but usually we go on dates when we want some special time together not when the calendar and commercials say we have to.  Which means I get more special times with my hubby than just once a year.  Lucky me!

Friday was the first day of the State Swim Meet for Goober #2 so I had the entire day off.  I got up and got in my 3 mile run in the morning because I knew it was not going to happen after a long day of driving and sitting in bleachers and then driving again.  That was a good call.  I ran through the neighborhood and then finished on the track since hubby was there doing intervals.  I finished pretty strong and then because hubby wasn't done yet I walked another 1 1/2 miles while he finished up.  It was nice to just walk and not be worrying about pace and time.

Goober #2 did well at State.  She came in 7th for the 50 freestyle and was an alternate for today.  The 200 medley relay got 9th.  She got 10th in the 100 freestyle relay.  The 200 freestyle relay came in 7th and was an alternate today as well.  The heart breaker for the girls is that there was an error on the scoreboard when the race finished and they thought they came in 6th and got to swim today.  When they found out they didn't they were very disappointed.  The Goober is disappointed that she didn't get to swim today but I think later she will be able to focus on the accomplishment of getting there at all.

It was a gorgeous day!  Here is a picture of Mt. Hood from I-84.  I love living in the Northwest!

Today was my long run.  The longest one I have done since before Christmas. I was a little nervous about it.  I needed 7 miles and I needed to get done before we had to head back to Portland.  We went back up for the second day of the swim meet because it would have been terrible if we didn't go and then Goober #2 got to swim after all as the alternate.  That would have sucked!  We weren't willing to take the chance.  It was still fun to watch the kids swim!

I decided that I would take it slow and just try and maintain a steady pace for the whole 7 miles.  The first mile wasn't too bad, but I slowed down a little on the second mile.  I worked hard at trying to keep going and as the miles went I could hear my average pace per mile getting lower.  Hmmmm, maybe I will have negative splits on a few of these.  That would be cool.  I had to really push through the last mile, I was so tired!

Holey Moley!  I had negative splits for the last five miles!!!  Wasn't setting any land speed records or anything but I got just a bit faster each mile.  My fastest mile was my LAST mile!  Crazy!  (I know, lots of exclamation points but I'm excited!)  My overall average pace was under 14 minutes and my last mile was 12:51.  It didn't feel great but it didn't feel terrible either and I did so much better than I thought I had.  That's a great feeling.

All that green on the route means that I kept a very steady pace then entire run.  Usually there are red or yellow spots where I slow down.  Not this time!!

The bottom line for me is that I made it through the week.  I got all my workouts in, come hell or high water.  I am really struggling with being tired and that has been especially hard this week where there didn't seem to be any down time.  It was all go, go, go, go, sleep.  Get up and repeat.  To do all I was supposed to do and not take the easy route and skip a workout is a big deal for me.  Skipping certainly was tempting and would have made life easier for me in many ways.  I'm looking forward to going to see the doctor next week and see what he thinks about how things are going.

Progress-ish :-)

Today I ran right after work.  I didn't wait to come home because I knew it would be dark by then.  I only had to do 3 miles and since I had a meeting at the District Office till 5:00 p.m.  I figured it would be better if I just changed at work and ran from there.

As usual I started out too fast.  When I got to my first half mile point my Nike friend (Who I call Lilly) informed me that I had a 12:58 pace.  Normally I would try and slow down so that my first mile isn't too fast and then I can work on negative splits.  This time I decided to try something different.  Don't want to get bored so it is fun to change things up once in awhile.  I decided that if I kept that pace or even got it a bit faster for another half mile then I would try to keep it for an additional half mile after that.  Which meant trying to keep my pace under 13 minute miles for a mile and half total.  This may not sound too hard but for me it is a big deal.  My agreement with myself was that if I was able to do this then I would walk (fast pace) for a half mile and then jog the last mile.  If I didn't then I could slow down my pace but I couldn't stop running.

I got to walk my half mile.  :-)  I know this might seem silly to some people but for some reason it made me happy.  I had to push hard to keep that pace, it's fast for me right now and I set a goal and I made it. I really feel like I'm making good progress with my running.  I wish the weight would start coming off because I feel like that would really help with how fast I can go.  No matter how "in shape" I am, it is still hard to lug 260 pounds down the road.

I decided to compare today's run to the first one I did right after Christmas just to see if there was improvement.  Um....yep!  Much better.

This was the very first run the day after Christmas.  I went 2.85 miles.  This was my splits for the first two full miles.








This was a run that was a few days later that was four miles.  The first mile wasn't too bad but it wasn't too great after that.  

This is today's run.  Mile One rocked!  :-)  Mile two was slower because I walked for 1/2 a mile. My pace for my last mile wasn't terrible considering how I pushed it earlier.  It was still quicker than that first runs first mile.  :-)

I'm still trying to focus on the positive and continue to work on what is working.  Not always easy but I'm trying!  

This week will be a challenge to get my workouts in.  Seems like there lots of activities and meetings that would make it easy for me to say forget it.  But I haven't skipped a workout yet so I will figure out something.  Don't want to break my streak!  

Goober #2 made it to the State swim meet in all four of her events from Districts!! So happy for her and how all her hard work has got her to this point.  I love being able to cheer my kids on and be there for their successes.  Especially after being there for the not so successful times.  So much easier to support and encourage others.  Need to remember to support and encourage myself!  

Here's my newest meme about running.  I'm having fun creating them and putting them on here.  Makes them feel more my own.  I took a few from Pinterest initially but I like creating my own.  It's like scrapbooking.  :-) 

Have a great week!  

Great Run!

Ok, I don't like to put something on here everyday because I don't want to be a pest but....

Today I had to do my long run for the week.  I was supposed to run 6 miles.  I had a hard time with my three mile run yesterday so I was a little apprehensive about going double the distance today.

This is the first run that I didn't hurt at all.  Usually I deal with an assortment of aches and pains.  Some days are better than others but I feel like for the past two months I have been really pushing my body to change and it has been grumpy about it.

The weather was great.  No wind, about 38 degrees and it didn't rain.  I had just the right amount of clothing so that once I got going I was warm but not overly hot.  The first mile I felt awesome and started out too fast.  I tend to do that.  I'm working on starting out slower so that I can get faster as I go instead of starting out fast and then getting slower every mile.  So mile two I slowed down quite a bit but still kept a pretty good pace and I still felt really good.  My goal was to have negative splits for the remaining 4 miles of the run.  Mission accomplished!

I can't believe I got faster each of the last four miles.  I was so stoked when I got done.  I am making progress.  My body is changing and getting stronger.  The lack of weight loss is a puzzle but everything else is telling me that I am improving my health.  Today was proof of that!  

I am going to hold on tight to the days that I feel successful and look back on the days where I'm feeling defeated and know that I CAN do this.  

I watched my beautiful daughter finish her District swim meet today.  She was incredible and I am so proud of her.  She didn't come in first in any of her swims and her chances of swimming at State are slim but she was so happy!  She had her very best times in every single race today!  She had set goals for herself and what she wanted to accomplish and she didn't just beat every goal, she annihilated them!  I'm so proud of her.  She worked hard for this day and it was so fun for her dad and I to watch and see how she just beamed.  How can I do any less then set goals for myself and work at annihilating them too?  She is such an inspiration to me and I'm blessed beyond belief to be her mom!  

It has a been a most excellent day.....I think I need a nap now!

These aren't the droids you are looking for...

It's been a busy week!  I'm sure my three followers have been wondering if I have been working out this week.  The answer is YES!  I just haven't had a spare moment to sit and write about any of it this week.  Here is what I did this week:

Monday: 3 Miles
Tuesday: 4 Miles
Wednesday: 30 Minute Swim
Friday: 3 Miles

See, and you thought I was being a slacker.  No faith people, no faith.  :-)

Monday's run wasn't too bad.  I had a pretty good average pace and didn't feel terrible during the run.

Tuesday's run was the pits!  The wind was blowing really hard but it was okay for the first two miles, partly because the wind was on my back most of the time.  However, when I turned around to head back it started to rain.  At first it was a tiny drizzle, then it was rain, then it was just dumping.  I got soaked.  My baseball cap was soaked through and rain was dripping off the bill.  I had two shirts and a jacket on and I was wet all the way to my skin.  I was so cold!  I had run after work so I still had a 25 minute drive before I got home.  Luckily I had brought an extra shirt so I swapped out the wet shirts for the dry one while sitting in my car.  Blasted the heater all the way home, took a HOT shower and I was still cold.  Just couldn't seem to warm up.  I hate that!

Wednesday I had a pretty good swim.  I'm feeling stronger so I'm not complete jello when I am done.  I can tell I worked hard but I am able to get out of the pool without feeling like I need a forklift to help me out.  That's progress in my mind.  And right now I take every success I can get!

Thursday was a rest day, which was good because it was a crazy day and when I got home I had to put all our tax stuff together.  Today my oldest daughter, Goober #2, is participating in her District Swim Meet.  She was in a small car accident last year at the end of her swim season that resulted in a broken collar bone.  She was so bummed not to be able to swim at Districts and have a shot at going to State.  This year she is healthy and hale and we are heading out soon to see her in action.  I got the day off so I won't miss a thing.  Because of our appointment with the tax man (the tax man cometh..sorry, couldn't resist) and then the swim meet I wasn't sure when I would have a chance to get my run in today.  I knew I wouldn't feel like it when we get home tonight.  My training plan calls for a 3 mile run today.  All the calorie counting also has me thinking about the calories in vs. calories burned more and Goober #2 has asked for pizza tonight so she can carb load for day two of Districts.  I had decided to get up at my normal time and run my three miles so that it was just done and I could enjoy the rest of the day AND eat pizza guilt free.  (Not go wild but not deprive myself either.  I'm learning that balance is a good thing.  If I deprive myself all the time then I will just be crabby and probably will self-sabatoge.  Don't want that!)

I woke up a little after 5:00 this morning.  I'm awake but all nice and cozy and warm.  Why oh why would I want to get up early, on my extra day off, when I could sleep in and go run?  Why?  Oh yea, because:

1.  I want to be healthy.
2.  I have a training plan and need to stick with it. (Remember the Runaway Pumpkin Half!  No training = much pain!)
3.  I want guilt free pizza!  lol

So I dragged my lazy butt out of bed and went for my run.  It was cold and I just couldn't seem to find my rhythm this morning.  Then it must have gotten colder because it started getting a wee bit slick and I just decided to walk the last half of the 3 miles.  My get up and go wasn't with me this morning.

I was thinking about this as I ran.  Wondering why some days I can work through the aches and pains and eventually find a really good groove and other days every step is a struggle.  I feel like I'm searching for something even while I'm on my run and I'm not finding it some days.  Kind of like the Stormtroopers in Star Wars looking for C3PO and R2-D2 and just never finding them, even when the droids are right in front of them.  (Yes, I'm a geek, love my Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Firefly, and the list goes on.) :-)

So today I didn't find my droids, or my mojo, or that extra kick to make the run great.  But I didn't give up, I didn't cut the route short.  I finished my three miles.  I had to walk 1.5 but I still did it.  Two months ago that would have really frustrated me.  Today I feel like I worked the kinks out and tomorrow's 6 mile run will be better because of it.  We shall see.

In the meantime, I'm off to cheer on Goober #2!!!  No matter how she does I am incredibly proud of her.  However, I hope she finds the droids.  :-)

Never Give Up!!

My school district has these great "Core Value" shirts that we wear.  Everyone in the district wears one on the first Monday of the month and our school staff wears one every Thursday.  We have 10 core value statements.  I own three of the shirts and I think I might need to get more. 

Today as I after I got dressed I looked at myself in the mirror and realized what my shirts says.  

I have worn this shirt a bunch of times throughout this school year.  I try and model the behavior and integrity I would like to instill in my students and it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't really been modeling this statement.  Last fall I gave up.  I quit running, I quit watching what I eat and I just let it all go.  How is that showing my students that you should NEVER give up?  It's not!  I'm glad that I have been working hard since Christmas.  I am going to continue to work hard.  Even if I don't see results I am going to keep working at it.  I tell my students to never give up and now I am going to make sure I do the same.  I'm sure I will have my blah days where I feel like a walrus and my days where I am a bad ass.  lol  But I will NOT give up!  I'm too important!  

Today was the first day of my training program for the Eugene Half Marathon in April.  I have the Shamrock Run and the Corvallis Half Marathon between now and then.  Eugene is my goal though.  It was the very first Half Marathon I ever did and I want to improve my best time.  My best time at the Eugene Half is 3:07.  I want anything under three hours and I am going to work my ass of to make that happen.  Seven minutes faster doesn't sound like much but it can be a lot over 13.1 miles.  Hopefully I will have less ass by then which should help my speed.  haha

Today's run wasn't too bad.  I didn't cramp but during mile two my legs got really tight.  It was as if my muscles were complaining (loudly) about going for a run after the brutal workout last Saturday.  I worked very hard on working through it and not giving up (to me giving up would have been walking).  Mile two was much slower than one but I was able to pick up the pace for mile three and got a negative split there.  My average pace was just under 14 minute miles.  I think I'm getting stronger if not exactly faster.  

Getting stronger and learning things about myself that I am praying will help me make changes that are lasting and not just for the moment.  

If you are out there, good job.

If you didn't get out there today, no worries, start tomorrow.

If you have given up, start again!  NEVER give up! You are worth it!!

If you see me out there and give me a honk or a wave, thank you!!  It makes me smile and helps me keep going!

Happy Monday!!  

Bad Ass Day!!

It's almost noon and I have run a 5K and then did a intense STAR workout for an hour after that.  What have you done today?  :-)

What a difference a week can make in attitude.  Monday I felt defeated, like I would never win this battle.  Today I feel like I am a rock star.  Granted, I was still slow and uncoordinated.  Many of the stations were really HARD!  But I tried, made my muscles quiver, groaned and grunted.  I think I wasn't the only one.  :-)  Who knew that pushing a tire (laying flat) up an incline would be that hard!  I am here to tell you it is not an easy task, and there were two of us pushing one tire!

I don't know why today was so different.  Maybe I was PMSy on Monday.  lol

This is what I had to keep reminding myself all week:

Source: fitsugar.com via Kayla on Pinterest

This is what got my through my mental funk this week.  I was NOT going to waste all the effort I have put in since December 26th by giving up!!

I did a 30 minute swim on Thursday for my cross training.  I think I like doing the swimming so much because I get to sit in the hot tub when I'm done as my reward for sucking it up and getting my big self in a suit and trying not to drown for 30 minutes!

Yesterday was a rest day.  We had a Spaghetti Dinner/Silent Auction fundraiser for our 8th graders going to DC/NYC this coming June.  So it wasn't very restful.  And I wasn't feeling very good so I was already dreading this morning.

I was supposed to run today and I was pretty sure that it wasn't going to happen after the STAR workout.  So I got up early and ran before the class.  I technically was supposed to go between 4 and 5 miles but since I knew that I would probably be working a bit hard in the class it would be okay if I didn't go as far or as fast.

I ran a 5K around my neighborhood.  No rain or wind and not much traffic.  It was cold but I got warmed up in no time.  I was slow but I didn't push it.    Here's my info about the run:

I'm sore and tired.  I still haven't lost any weight.  But you know what?  I kind of feel like a bad ass today!  I did TWO workouts and one of them was WAY out of my comfort zone.  Didn't do it well but I TRIED everything.  

I think I will take a nap now.  :-)