I'm running in the rain and I like it.

Bam! Just like that. I got out and ran in the rain. 

It was a tough run. I had the wind and rain pushing against me at every step. This was about just getting out the door when it's chilly, raining and cloudy to get in my daily run. I was not worried about pace but I still wore my Garmin. 

Slow pace moving times, but necessary for injury recovery and tackling hills 4x's running that big neighborhood hill. I did my loop around our neighborhood four times. 

I'm all cooled down and chilled.. Time to rest, relax and get ready for the day. I am going to try getting out of workout clothes and dress in some of my new outfits. 

How I start every morning. Happy Halloween.

I have a pretty simple morning routine. Get up early, get on my workout clothes and head down stairs to stretch/do yoga for an hour. During that hour of yoga, while I'm holding a pose I read motivational fitness and personal growth advice on my ipad. I also go over my todo list getting out my fitness book and start recording my progress for the day. It helps me start the day mindful. It's an hour I take for me. I plan ahead so that if I need to be some where I can just get up earlier to fit in my hour of yoga. 

During that first hour I'm not only doing yoga, reading but eating my breakfast slowly. Everything is done slow and relaxed. It's after this hour I start my daily exercises, planks, bridge, twists and triceps dips, then and only after all this I go for my daily run... 

One of the benefits of being self employed is that I choose my working start time.  My start time varies from day to day depending on when I want to be done working. Some days I start earlier and other days it takes a long time for me to get out the door. Its all a matter of what I want to accomplish so I have that luxury that a lot of people don't have. If I worked 40 hours a week 9 to 5, I would still fit in a way to get in my morning yoga and mediation as it sets my day off right and mindful.  

I was happy with Friday's run. I took my running to the trails at the local park. Hunting season starts on Nov 1, 2 and 3rd so no running will happen on the trails during hunting season. I wanted to enjoy the last few trail runs of this year. My leg just hurt a tiny bit but not as much as it usually does which was nice. I ended up feeling the pain later on after relaxing in the evening but again woke up without any major leg pain. Things are looking up and finally improving. 

I've been doing nice and easy miles to make sure I don't over do it on my leg. 5.86 miles of trails done in one hour and 3 minutes, burning 600 calories! 

I had no idea of what to eat for lunch since we were out of soup. I found this 250 calories cheese ravioli meal in our freezer. It was very good and filling. I might not have got in any veggies for lunch but it kept me from reaching and eating something high calorie. 
Running makes you really, really hungry so its important to think about what I'll eat before my run is done so I don't just grab any thing I see and eat it. 

I still need to go on a Saturday run. It's raining and cold but I'll still run outside. Nice and easy.. Just have to dress for rain and wear a visor to keep the rain out of my eyes. I won't melt and I won't freeze after I get going.. I'll warm up and the rain will feel good, keeping me cool. There is always a low calorie hot chocolate waiting for me when I return home from my run. 

It's day 13 of my low 1500 calorie diet.. Starting to see my abs come out just a tiny bit. 

It's Halloween tonight.. I haven't decided on a costume if we go out for a few drinks, Mine will be water with a flavor drink package to keep me from drinking calories. I'm also going to keep my hands out of the candy bucket. This might be the hardest thing I've had to avoid since being on my diet the last 13 days. I didn't buy any peanut butter cups, my weakness. I hope that is the answer to not wanting to dip into the candy by not having one of my favorites to eat. 

Happy Halloween......Boo

Reaching for my goals!

Every single day is tough. It's tough always making good healthy choices. I make it a little easier by setting some goals, some little and some big. You just have to have goals and take a few steps each day to get where you want to be. All those tiny changes add up to reaching my goals.  

It's easy to get side tracked. I've done it a million times. Started a diet only to give up, toned up and then stopped lifting weights. Lost weight only to gain back some of it. Eating healthy for months only to start diving into sugary snacks. Your going to have set backs. Its best to think of it as so I screwed up this meal or day.. tomorrow is new and a fresh start. 

I was a daily weight lifter when I first started workout at the gym. I'd lift weights for 20 to 30 minutes every single day and as a result my arms looked the best they ever had. Of course at the time my only goal was to not gain back the weight I lost and to tone up. I didn't stop to really look at my progress and then I stopped lifting weights when our morning schedule changed with the kids starting school at a different time. I no longer had time to run and lift weights and well, something had to go. Lifting weights went and so did my toning. 

Through new goals, I'm trying something different. To see if this sticks with me. I'm running in the mornings and doing make up miles in the afternoon (if needed, I like to run at least 6 miles a day) and lifting weights for 20 to 30 minutes. Celina and her friend are also going to the gym so its a good win/win for both. I'll be tone once again! Spreading out my workouts so I'm not pressured to do all at once. 

I'm focused on another goal of dropping some pounds, making healthier food choices to lose fat and see those abs and muscles I'm building in the gym. It's slow process but I'm going to keep sticking with it to reach another goal of being fit all over! I want to be able to see my efforts! That means clean up the diet, lose some weight so the muscles can come on out! 

I'm sticking with 1500 calories because, I don't need to starve myself. Its not a quick way to lose weight. My goal is to re-teach myself to make good healthy good choices. Not reach for some junk when I'm tired and just hungry but to crave the good stuff, like veggies and fruits. I'm getting there. I actually had salad for an after dinner dessert. We tried a new salad with Kale, broccoli slaw, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and Brussels sprouts, with a tiny bit of poppy seed dressing. 

Drinking more water as always. A healthy habit I started 5 years ago by giving up diet pop. I don't miss pop at all. Once in a great while I have a full calorie root-beer but I'm giving up that too for water. I just don't need to drink my calories!

Happy run Friday.. time to start moving and working on my daily cardio goal. 

A reward and thoughts about Education..

I needed a reward for my dieting efforts. Day 11 and I'm still on track to losing weight. I might not have stuck to my diet 100%, had a few poor food choices, but that's life and there will always be those temptations so no need to feel deprived. 

What was my reward? A few new tops and a scarf. Who thought I'd be a scarf wearing person. Seems everyone wears them. so its time I try this too. I actually liked it, but only in winter. You won't catch me being that person who wears a scarf year round. No thank you! I'll save it for cold weather! 

I do love the color black. It hides all those lumps that I'm trying to lose. It's that arm bra fat and little bit of extra skin around my waist band. It's not much but enough to bother me into my diet to lose a few pounds. I'm getting there and yes, I will still love the color black. I did buy this cute top in three colors. When you like something, you must get it in all colors asap. I found that if I don't do it right away, I end up going back three times to the store to buy all the colors. I now have this top in Black, Gray and Red. Just one scarf, I didn't buy the cream color one that I was debating on. One scarf to start and maybe more later on? 

I have two pairs of long boots and I've been noticing the trend of short boots. I'm not much into noticing what people are wearing so I'm a bit fashion challenged. I've been searching Pinterst for ideas. Loving my new gray swede just above the ankle boots with a heal. I was tempted to get black but convinced myself that I needed some other color in my life.  

I might not have reached my goal weight so its a little early to be celebrating with a reward. What I am celebrating is reaching the goal of 10 days eating more healthy, feeling better about myself, probably dropping a few pounds and most of all, my continuing efforts to workout, run/bike lift weights and do my daily exercises. That deserves a reward! Plus, I just needed some real non-workout clothes for last nights Tennis banquet for Celina. 

Celina was the first to be called up to be recognized. The head coach had a lot of nice things to say about Celina and her tennis playing skills. I was not expecting her to be first up, so I never took a photo. Plus, it was so darn cold in the room we all had our jackets on and were freezing.

I tried a new lunch, three scrambled eggs. Super good for a lunch but it didn't really fill me up so I had a banana too. I'll be trying to add a few more foods to my healthy diet. I've been kind of stuck on soup and salads for lunch. It was a nice change and a healthy choice. 

Which bring me to thoughts about Education. Every two years I have to renew my ACE Personal Training Certificate. I have to get 2.0 credits of continuing education. I keep thinking about what I want to do to fulfill my requirements. This morning while reading another blog, they mentioned getting certified to be a running coach. It was also ACE approved for 2.0 credits. They did a home study and took the test on line. Credits come at a price so I'm trying to figure out the quickest, cheapest and less time route. Plus, I want to do something that interests me. While I've thought a lot about just doing an ACE program in weight management or nutrition. Those programs are spendy at $500, plus test costs. This program for a running coach would only be $250. I'm hoping that includes test costs. I've thought about going to DCTC and getting another certification in group fitness or an Advance PT certificate too. That's the more expensive and very time consuming route where I'd be working on 6 or more credits for at least 3 to 4 months. Not sure I want to spend that much and put in that much time at this point. 

I need to figure it out ASAP because if I'm going to do that certificate, classes start in January. 

I don't know what to do!

I have no idea of what to really do about my calve. It's feeling a bit better but then I still run when  I probably shouldn't. I have been taking it easy with running less miles and running slower at an easy pace plus avoiding the big hill and trails. 

I am just having a difficult time knowing if I should run, bike or ? today. I know my calve will never get better if I keep running on it but I want to run and I don't want to not do it for fear of quitting. I guess after 4+ years of running there is still that chance that I'll just quit and never start back up. So I must do something in the mean time. 

Day 9 of dieting was a tiny bit crappy. I decided that I just wanted to eat in the afternoon. That's what happens when I wait to eat lunch till 2pm. I'm starving and can't seem to feel full. I ate a salad, then I saw 4 leftover ribs from Sunday night dinner. Ate those and was still hungry so I had my popcorn. Took an eating break till dinner. Chicken tacos, guacamole and rice. I only had a tiny bit and was still hungry so I had my Greek Yogurt.. then this is where the crappy part came in.. I had a few of my frosted sugar cookies and a few of the homemade granola bars.. over my 1500 calories for the day.. more like 2200. hum... okay not a total fail but 700 calories OVER.. 

Moving on to Day 10 diet. Foamed rolled that calve. Did my planks and other daily exercises. I can get back on track to my diet to see my abs. I work so hard every day on my core. I know my muscles are under there and I just need to focus on cleaning up my diet. Abs are made in the kitchen and what you put in your mouth. The only way to see them is to have lower body fat. It's slow going diet and I haven't noticed any huge changes other then my abs are a little easier to see, I feel better about making healthy choices. Just because I had a small fail with a few things I ate, I'm not letting that derail me from reaching my weight loss goal. 

Happy middle of the week day.. 

Please don't end fall...

I am really liking fall running weather. We've had some pretty nice days so far and it just feels the best when running. I might start out a little chilly with a few layers but I always warm up and start shedding my mittens, and jacket before mile 1. 

What I'm not loving is my right calve still getting all tight on me. I just want it to feel normal and not have to cut back on my running miles. I just don't want to over do it and end up not being able to run. This morning was three miles, super easy pace around and around our little block. It was dark out so out came the night vision lights and clothes reflectors. 

I did a little fall sugar cookie baking. I figured out that using whipping cream instead of just milk makes the frosting much smoother and glossy. 

I also had a ton of fun with Evan playing in our pile of leaves. He just loved walking through the leaves and throwing them up in the air. 

Celina had her first 10th grade band concert last night. 4th chair. 

Happy Monday.

How was your weekend? 

My weekend went by way too fast. Don't they all! I did enjoy some pretty great trail running. I have a weird running story too that happened on Sunday!

In the parking lot of the park, it was a gathering of sheriff cars, and under water rescue vehicles and trailers. A dozen or more people standing around in a circle. I wasn't sure what was going on but I decided to run the lakes. As I got to the lake, I notice a kayak over turned in the lake and a wet life jacket. Were they doing a practice search and rescue early Sunday morning? I'm not sure they would need to do this on a cold morning but hopefully, no one was in the lake to recover. We never did stick around to see if they found any body. I ran my two laps around and just when I finished they were in the water. I was tempted to ask what was going on but in a way, I didn't really want to know if it was someone dead. The weird stuff you come across while being a runner! 

I've been taking it easy running. Not over doing it for my calve to heal. It's still not 100%, but it sure feels a lot better then it use to. I'm still not pain free so I continue to foam roll and I'll be back at the chiropractor for another round of acupuncture. 

My diet or healthy eating plan is going well. I passed the week or 7 day mark.. on to day #8. I had two days were I ate 150 calories over my 1500 for the day but that's okay. Still on track to keep losing weight and losing body fat. If nothing else, I feel better for eating more healthy. I do wish it was faster to drop the pounds but I'm not willing nor do I think its smart to go on a starvation diet of less calories then I'm already eating. This is not a short term weight loss I'm going for. It's suppose to be maintainable and teach me good eating habits to reach for healthy foods instead of a lot of empty sugar filled calories. 

I didn't run this morning, as it was too dark out. I'd rather save my workouts for daylight. I'll be running this afternoon and going to lift weights while Celina runs at the gym. Lifting weights really does make a difference. It's tough going getting back to were I use to be at lifting certain weights but I'll get there. I'm not exactly starting from ground zero, I didn't lose everything in my absence from the gym but I do have a bit to get back to feeling like its easy. I'm not sure it ever should feel easy, but I don't remember my usual workout to feel this difficult either. 

Some photos from the weekend, Trails of Terror. 

A cool idea I want to try for a holiday decoration on a cake. 

We played some family cribbage. Love this game! 

My Monday fun day with Evan.. I think we are going to make some sugar cookies in the shape of fall leaves. Maybe go to the park and of course play trains, his favorite thing to do. 

Happy Run Monday!

Set Backs and Steps forward

Staying fit doesn't always go how you have it all planned out. It's all about making small changes and re-directing your steps to push you forward. When I started working out, I wanted to keep off the 50 pounds that I had lost. I didn't want to gain back the weight that I worked so hard to lose. I thought all I had to do was exercise. I took a bunch of steps forward only to go back a few. I went back to poor eating habits, but kept up exercise. I knew I was gaining weight, and for me its easier to workout for an hour or more then to be mindful eating all day long. I am back on track with my healthy eating. I'm on Day 7.  I made it one full week of eating 1500 calories or less. 

I have no idea if I lost any weight. I'm not going to weight myself. What worked for me while I was losing 50 pounds was to never think I need to lose 50 pounds. I just said, I want to lose weight. I never stepped on a scale because I didn't want it to be about a number. I just wanted to look and feel better. 

This was my week.. 

Day 1 of dieting 

Ate 1500 calories

1 hour yoga in the early morning, 1 hour night yoga

Daily 7 exercise with increased planks of 10 minutes total

I concentrated on my diet and didn't do cardio. Saying off my injured leg. 

Day 2

1140 calories

1 hour yoga

Daily 7 exercises with planks 10 minutes total

4 miles trail running

Day 3

1500 calories

1 hour yoga

Daily 7 exercises with planks 10 minutes total

30 minutes weight lifting

1 mile stationary bike

Work burned 600+ calories

Day 4

1300 calories

1 hour yoga

Daily 7 exercises with planks 10 minutes total

10 miles bike dirt roads

30 min Weight lifting

2 miles stationary bike

Work burned 400+ calories

Day 5

1640 calories

1 hour yoga

Daily 7 exercises with planks 10 minutes total

5 miles stationary bike

30 minutes weight lifting

Day 6

1100 calories

2 hours yoga

Daily 7 exercises with planks 10 minutes total

6 miles trail run = 1 hour 

30 minutes Weight lifting 

4 miles stationary bike

Day 7

______ Calories

1 hour yoga

Daily 7 exercises with planks 10 minutes total

Run ____ miles

____ Minutes Weight lifting

____Stationary bike

This Sunday, I'll be running trails.. looking forward to running 6 miles around the lakes. 

I might have had some running set backs, some dieting fails and some weight lifting muscle loss but I'm ready to get it back and take some steps forward.. 

5 hours and I'm done!

I started out doing Yoga this morning at 7am.. done with that by 8:30am, then went for a run at my favorite park. My calve actually felt great. 

 I took my run nice and easy. I wanted to soak up the fall colors as much as possible. The leave were still wet from the rain we had over night so the colors or what's left really popped! 

It was a really nice weather morning 50+F and just a tiny bit of wind. 

I ran the lakes 3 times to get in 6 miles. Felt pretty great not having calve pain. 

I had so many great ideas to write about this morning while I run. I get home and I forget all. Why is that? 

After my hour run on the trails, I drove home and did my daily planks and other exercises. I usually do my exercises before I run, but I just skipped it this morning till after running. 

I'm making progress.. Off to the gym with Celina. I lifted weights even thought my body was sore. She wanted to run and lift weights so I had at least 45 minutes to an hour to burn up time. I finished my weights and then peddled on the stationary bike for 4 miles at random hills at level 5. Nothing too difficult but not super easy either. 

After all that working out, I was STARVING! Soup for lunch after my 1 slice of whole grain bread with chunky PB for breakfast at 7am. I waited far too long for this soup! I am loving soup right now and I think it's time to try making my own. I just like how I get exact calories with portion control right out of the can. 

A little recovery time this Saturday will be spent reading this Vegetarian magazine that came in the mail today. Some day I might even make something out of it. It does give me good ideas about some more vegetable options. 

Speaking of options... while at the MOA yesterday with Steve we stopped in at the new Hotel and saw these cool chairs and fireplace in the lobby. I think our next family room might have look something like this. How fun and don't those bed/chair things look super comfy. I just wanted to curl up with a good book. 

There is not much time to lounge around.. I'm off to the store and to back some granola bars with Logan. He made some at school and wanted to make them at home. We had to toast the coconut flakes first and then he can start to put it all together. Peanut butter, Mini chocolate chips, oatmeal, coconut and other nuts. Form them into balls and eat. Sounds pretty good to me even thought I am not a coconut fan. 

Now to refrigerate and then cut into bars..