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January 26, 2011

WiW: Week 44

Weight: 146.2

Waist: 30
Hips: 37
Thigh: 23

Last week, I started getting a cold. When I felt kind of assy, I took it easy, hoping not to anger the cold and give it a reason to take me all the way down. When I didn't start feeling worse, I made up a run on Saturday (30 minutes! I'm back!) Monday I was feeling worse, and it was too cold to run, so I took off. Tuesday I made myself do Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown. Less aerobic than the Shred, but still quite painful.

I had grand plans for tonight. I really wanted to run. The weather is nicer than it's been in weeks. I don't want to lose all that extra mileage. But I'm stuffed, and I cough every time I take a deep breath. The longer I sit here, the more it hurts each time I swallow. I'm pretty sure I made the right call, but I still feel like I'm making excuses.

I registered for a race at the beginning of March, to make sure that I don't let myself back off.

Posted by me at 9:08 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2011

WiW: Week 43

Weight: 146.6

Waist: 30
Hips: 37
Thigh: 23.5

Apparently Shredding myself into oblivion did something for me last week, because I was able to start back up with a 25 minute run. Go me. It didn't do anything for my weight, though, which has done nothing but go up since Christmas. Maybe that damn level 2 was putting on muscle? I don't know, and to be honest, I don't really care. I was just hoping to be down 5 pounds at the beginning of February, and it doesn't look like that will ever happen.

Posted by me at 10:10 PM | Comments (2)

January 12, 2011

WiW: Week 42

Weight: 145.4

Waist: 30
Hips: 37
Thigh: 23.5

This is one of those weeks that rationally isn't so bad, but it *feels* like crap. My weight finally stabilized at 2 pounds up from my low, which is where I would normally feel moderately svelte, but now that I hit that low I feel fat and blobby. And in spite of planning (and doing) the Shred on the regular days, plus every day it's too cold to run, I still feel like I'm turning into a squishy ball of lard because I'm not running. Not to mention I'm afraid after finally breaking the 25 minute barrier I'm going to go back to square one.

To sum up: Feel like crap, no good reason to.

Posted by me at 6:56 AM | Comments (0)

January 7, 2011

Oil and water

It's been a long time since I've picked up my camera to do more than just take a snapshot. I'm not sure why. I think part of it is just a general mental funk, and part is that I just can't figure out what to shoot.

Then I read this post, and I literally jumped off the couch to see if I could do it too!

I had a few setbacks: My lens wasn't macro, my sink was filthy, and Owen was upstairs chattering and calling my name when he should have been napping, so I was really rushed. I could have spent a lot more time messing around with my settings, different angles and maybe even my kit lens. I'll have to give it another go on a day when Owen actually sleeps!

I cleaned my sink, added a few drops of food coloring, and flipped the cap on the baby oil. Then I unscrewed the cap and removed the safety seal. Anyone tells you to stock up on baby oil before you have a kid, hold off. I've owned that bottle for 8 years!

These aren't as cool as Jodi's, but I still think they're kind of fun!

I've also decided to participate in MCP Project 52. A picture a day always becomes such a chore, but I think I can have some fun with one a week, especially since there's a suggested theme. I'm nothing if not suggestible!

Posted by me at 10:50 PM | Comments (0)

January 5, 2011

WiW: Week 41

Weight: 147.2

Waist: 30
Hips: 37.5
Thigh: 23

Well, this has been a surprising week. I've miraculously managed to up my runs 5 minutes without crying, and I've gone from my lowest weight in a year to nearly where I started nine months ago. I'm pretty sure the four pounds in four days is water weight from my overly friendly Aunt. I'm hoping I've hit maximum hydration, because I've fairly sure I'm carrying enough water to float a cruise ship.

It's really hard to be so excited about my accomplishments when I'm losing so much ground toward my ultimate goal.

Posted by me at 9:47 PM | Comments (0)

January 3, 2011

More and less

For the last few months, since I got sick and fell so far behind in my "training," I guess, I've been having a really hard time on my runs. Most of the time I manage to make my 20 minute minimum, but it seems like the only reason I push that far is because I know the end is coming up, and I refuse to give up. Which, goody for me, but I feel like death, and there's no way I'm going to make 25 minutes, much less a 5k.

I've kept pushing on, thinking it would get easier, it's because some weeks I'm only managing two-a-weeks, the Shred is wearing me down, it's cold. I finally came up with a new plan to extend my running: I was going to run 20, walk 2, then run another 5. The C25K had done something like that, and I figured it couldn't hurt. I didn't want to start that tonight, though, since I'd only run twice last week, on Wednesday and Thursday, and I didn't want to step up when I was probably already going to be short of oomph.

And then.

And then!

I ran tonight. And I felt good. For the whole run! Even the extra 5 minutes I tacked onto the end, because I didn't feel like I was going to die. And when I finally did stop, it was because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow if I didn't, not because I was wheezing and my legs felt like lead.

I wish I knew what made tonight different, so I could do it every time I run. And I truly hope this is the new normal, and not just a fluke.

The only down side of tonight (and I hate to bring it up, on such an upbeat post) is that I ran with both my old iPod/Nike+ pod combo, and my new iPhone using the Nike+ GPS app. The mileage didn't just not agree (which I expected), it was off by nearly a third of a mile. I'm not 100% convinced that the GPS app is strictly accurate (mostly based on iTunes reviews, which I don't necessarily trust, either,) but I'm sure it's closer than the pod.

Maybe that's why the 5k races I've done have felt so much longer than my 5k training runs!

Posted by me at 10:12 PM | Comments (0)

January 2, 2011

Now can we get back to normal?

As much as I looked forward to Christmas, and enjoyed having my family here, and loved gorging myself on holiday meals, I have to admit that by the time I dropped everyone off at the airport Tuesday evening, I was ready for life to get back to normal. Or at least as normal as it can be while the girls are still home from school on break.

Naturally, Owen had other plans.

Wednesday, he felt a little warm and had bouts of coughing that were bothersome, but not really worrisome. Oh, and he barfed.

Thursday, his fever was high enough that I gave him ibuprofen, but he managed to appear mostly normal otherwise. He was still coughing, but his breathing still seemed fine. I considered trying to get in to see the doctor, but opted to ride it out. I was sad to be homebound for what seemed like the last warm day of winter.

Friday, he was still warm, but less so. I thought about the doctor again, but he really seemed to be on the upswing. Rex was off, so the girls and I ran out for lunch and to see Tangled. SO GLAD to get out of the house for a while.

Saturday, his fever was back up. I tried to take him to after hours at our doctor, only to find out they were closed Friday and Saturday for the holiday. Figures. At least I didn't have to feel stupid for not taking him in Friday anymore. Rex worked til 3, after which we decided to go to the AT&T store and get our iPhones (Finally!!) Owen had behaved fairly normally when drugged, so I didn't think it would be that rough on him. Unfortunately, I had misremembered the last time I had dosed him, and he was miserable the whole time we were waiting. I didn't yet realize my mistake, and was starting to wonder if we would be able to wait until Sunday for medical attention. Luckily he perked up with some medicine, although he still asked to go to bed (!!) right after dinner.

And then today. Today, he slept in til 7:30, and woke up cool and perky, although still with the damn cough. He's stayed cool all day, drug free. After four days of worry and indecision and middle of the night wakings (his and mine), I think we've made it through.

Posted by me at 9:36 PM | Comments (0)