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June 30, 2010

WiW: Week 14

Weight: 148.2

Waist: 30.5
Hips: 37.5
Thigh: 24

I don't know what's up, but for the last couple weeks I've had repeated nasty headaches and felt just physically worn out. I had about gotten used to the morning hot flashes that seem to have become the new normal, but now I'm starting to get them randomly throughout the day. I haven't been sore, exactly, other than last week's speed intervals, but my legs tire out just going upstairs. I'm pretty positive I'm taking in enough calories (HA!) and I'm not exactly melting away here. I thought maybe my thyroid was off in the other direction, but the only trouble I'm having sleeping is when my pesky kids wake me up. I'm not going to admit to my thyroid running hot until I make my goal weight, in any case.

I thought exercise was supposed to make you feel all healthy and shit.

Whatever. The cool weather has been doing wonders for my pace, regardless of how I feel. If it stays cool, I'm going to ramp up my time again. I still can't decide if I'm going to go for a half marathon in December, but I still have a couple months before I have to start the training program. I really need to get a 5K race under my belt, so if I decide to go a different direction with my exercise routine I still get to cross "Finish a race" off my list

Posted by me at 10:26 PM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2010

WiW: Week 13

Weight: 148.0

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

The heat is really getting to me. Somewhere inside me, I decided that 87 was the maximum temp that I'd go out and run, and yet tonight it's 90 and I'm still planning to run. A shorter run, sure, but still. I shudder to think what July and August will be like.

On Monday, I thought I'd try to mix things up a bit and do some speed intervals. I decided to cut it down to 20 minutes to make up for the extra effort, and do 60 second of running alternated with 90 seconds of jogging (I picked those times because that's what the C25K app has, and it's easier to let that ol' bitch keep track of the timing.) After my first run interval, I downgraded to running/walking. I wasn't managing to recover in the 90 seconds of walking, either, and by the end of the 20 minutes, I felt like I had started the C25K all over again. WAY harder than I thought it was going to be!

By this morning, the tops of my thighs were pretty sore. I really didn't think it was going to be that big of a deal. Especially since all the metrics (pace, calories, distance) are so far below my usual long run, which doesn't hurt at all once I cool off.

I guess that's a sign I need to keep doing it.

Posted by me at 8:10 PM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2010

WiW: Week 12

Weight: 148.0

Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

So I finally managed to get back on schedule after last weekend, and then my wonderful Monday night girl's night knocked me back off again. It was totally worth it, and I'd throw my physical fitness over for an emotional workout like that any day.

Anyhoo. Tuesday morning was cooler than usual, and a lovely shade of gray, so I took Owen to a track at a local school to finally calibrate my Nike+. Only I forgot to google track length before I went, so instead of basing my calibration on a 400m lap, I based it on the ever-so-much longer quarter mile lap. In any case, my walking was almost spot on without calibration (based on my erroneous distance), and the running wasn't far off, but I calibrated it. I'll have to go back and do it again correctly, so for the moment my numbers don't really relate to my past mileage OR real mileage. Brilliant!

I also did less total distance, and more walking, but at least I did something. I plan to run tonight and be back on schedule again.

[Insert angry rant about my weight here. Even I'm getting tired of hearing about it.]

Here's hoping the heat doesn't kill me.

Posted by me at 8:45 PM | Comments (0)

Royalty that will keep you dry

"Cinbrella" aka Princess aka Queen aka Cinderella

Posted by me at 7:39 PM | Comments (0)

June 15, 2010

The clinchers

Last night I went out with a couple of my neighbors for a girl's night. At some point, things started seeming a little fishy and secretive, and I thought maybe they were planning to do a little something for my birthday that had just passed. I was excited that they remembered, didn't really know what to expect, but figured they were going to take me somewhere yummy for dinner and embarrass me with loud singing waitstaff to show they cared.

Honestly? I was thrilled. It's been a long time since I've had friends that were close enough physically and emotionally to celebrate with.

I was overwhelmed when we walked into the restaurant and five more friends were awaiting my arrival.

I've never had a group of girlfriends like this.

I've complained a lot about living in Dallas. Leaving friends. No family. The wind, the heat, the snow. The unfamiliarity with the area.

There have been good parts: The preschool my kids (and I) adore. The elementary school. Finding activities for the kids that suit us all. There's been happiness.

I'd even gotten to the point where I wasn't sure I would jump to move if the opportunity presented itself. To the point where if you asked me, I would have answered, "Well, it depends..."

But this? This group of girlfriends who came out for *me*, who gathered money for a gift and signed a card and stayed out too late talking?

These women have made me want to stay.

Posted by me at 9:31 PM | Comments (0)

June 10, 2010

Update in pictures

I was going to write a little ode to Katie turning 5, but since her birthday was over a month ago and that hasn't happened (but a lot of other stuff has), I'm going to take you on a photographic journey instead. Here goes:

Five!

Belt test

Jamie earned red, Katie earned blue!

I baked...

And baked...

For the bounce house party. (Easiest and most awesome party EVER.)

There was puking (I'll spare you a picture), then a gymnastics exhibition. Jamie was awesome!

Katie won the trophy for her age group! I was so proud I may have teared up a bit. (Shhh, don't tell anyone that I really have a heart!)

Katie had a music program and graduation ceremony.

And everybody sat down at the same time.

Katie's last day of preschool...EVER!

I wanted to include Owen, and found this awesome picture of him, taken by Jamie! She even caught her reflection in her sunglasses!

The end!

Posted by me at 9:16 PM | Comments (1)

June 9, 2010

WiW: Week 11

Weight: 150.6

Waist: 31.5
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24.5

This week was MESSED UP. I got my period, we were traveling through two runs, I managed to get on a treadmill and learned that my Nike+ calibration is probably off a whole lot in the wrong direction, and I was dehydrated and not doin' right that night so I cut it short. In spite of not eating poorly (I thought) on the trip, I was up a cow and a half when we got home.

Some of those are fixable. I'm hoping some of the weight is water and bloating and will drop off quickly. If I run Thursday and Saturday, I won't technically be down any runs, although I'll still have a hard time making my Nike goal for the month, which is as much due to losing the data for that one run as anything. I managed a full 30 minute run last night, and even though it was on the slow side, I felt pretty good through parts of it.

The biggest bummer that I can't overcome is the calibration issue. I always knew that the "out of the box" calibration was probably off, but I figured it would be close, and that what was most important was being able to compare each run to the others. I figured if I was really lucky, it might even be off in my favor.

My first clue that there was a real discrepancy was on the treadmill Sunday. My Nike ped said 1.74 miles, the treadmill said it was only 1.5. That's a big difference on a short distance. I checked last night's run on mapmyrun. The site said 3.37 miles, my ped said 4 miles even. Yikes!

I still want to check the ped against a measured track, but let's face it, the thing is off and off bad. It's unlikely I've actually run 5K, and my pace is way slower than what I've been counting on.

In my race against myself, I'm doing great. But my race in reality isn't getting too far.

Posted by me at 9:12 PM | Comments (1)

June 2, 2010

WiW: Week 10

Weight: 148.0

Waist: 31.5
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24

Yay! I finished the C25K program!

Now what?

As much as I don't really like running, I do feel like I need to do it now, if only to keep up the level of fitness I've achieved. And while I don't like the actual run, I do like the feeling of accomplishment and strength. Without the C25K app, I feel like I'm losing some of that accomplishment, since I'm not checking off workouts to a goal anymore. Nike+ gives me some of that, but I need all I can get! And while I could up my goal to a 10k and find an app for that, I'm not sure I want to spend that much time every week doing something I don't love.

Plus, the heat is getting to me, and I'm already running late enough as it is.

So far, I've come up with running some of the less flat areas of the neighborhood, since up until now I've felt every inch of elevation like they were steep hills. At some point I want to throw in some sprint intervals. I also need to add in some upper body work. We have a Bowflex, I just haven't managed to go upstairs and use it. Stupid, I know. I do better when I have someone (or something!) telling me specifically what to do.

Which is why I'm trying to decide between a treadmill (have I mentioned the heat? And it's not going to get any cooler.) and maybe a gym membership.

But not right now. Right now, I'm going to bed.

Posted by me at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)