Breath of Fresh Air Run

Style/Workout: Go-To 5K
Setting/Route: Out my front door
Progress: (running mileage):  3.2 today/ 38.25 this month/ 369.6 year-to-date

 

Today's run was great. I finally got out there, finally made time for it and finally broke out of my rut! I am determined to make a routine stick, even when I am busy! 

 

Today I ran my go-to 5K route with some flat, a big hill and a loop. It went great! My pace for miles 1 and 2 were slower then I vamped it up big time for mile 3. I finished really strong and it felt just awesome! 

 

It has been rainy here today and much cooler. Still not cold enough for long pants or a long sleeved shirt, but definitely cooler. It felt a little bit like the everyday weather in Oregon this time of year which was kind of cozy. 

Stop Talking Yourself Out of it!

(Today, I am kind of writing to myself)

If you are like me, you are your own worst motivator. I would like to say it is not true, but it is. I have a million reasons not to go for a run, as we all do. My "excuses" are usually centered around the lack of time I have in my day, and other things I could be doing instead. Even the nasty, "I don't want to" voice rears its head. Then there is the procrastinator voice saying, "I'll just do it later," which never happens! It is easy to talk myself out of a run. That's why often times I have to argue with myself and then straight up quiet my own self's voice telling me I have other things to do. When it doubt, don't think, just go.


But I think the important thing to remember is that the reasons TO run far outweigh the reasons NOT to run. Today my TO list includes:

Running to:

-relieve stress
-maintain my fitness level
-conquer the hill
-snap out of my rut
-to feel great!

And like I knew it would, my run felt great, and I felt wonderful afterward. It's funny this little mind game we play with ourselves!

Pumpkin Smoothie

For some reason, lately I have not been into vegetables much. I will munch on carrot and celery sticks, and I'll make steamed veggies with dinner and load lettuce and tomato on my sandwich but as far as salads I have not been into it. One way to sneak in veggies and fruits that always works for me is smoothies!

In true autumn fashion, I tried my luck throwing some things together to make a pumpkin-y smoothie and it turned out pretty good! Pumpkin is chock full of Vitamin A, important for many body functions including immune function, vision, reproduction and cell growth and maintenance.

I don't really do measurements per say in smoothies because you really can add different amounts of everything to make it to your taste and texture. Just assume my ingredients are listed in order of "more of this" to "less of that".

Pumpkin Smoothie

Canned Organic Pumpkin 
Unsweetened Applesauce
Silk Light Vanilla Soy Milk
Stonyfield Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt
Pumpkin Pie Spice

If you make it just like this, the smoothy is not overly sweet and very pumpkin-y. If you like a bit more sweetness, use Vanilla greek yogurt.

A Real Update

My last post was kind of a cheat. I posted an old work-out and a quick update with some exercise I have been doing. But overall my exercise life has been weird to say the least. I make a goal to get out and do something active every day, that's the best I can do right now! Sometimes I have it all planned and I get a workout in before the day begins, others I know I will exercise in the evenings at flag football practice. 

But it's been a hard month. First I got sick, then I tweaked my back. Since then our family has had more things to do then time or sanity to do them. I commute way more than I want to. That will change, I'm just praying it changes soon!

Then this week my son got the stomach flu. Puking and diarrhea all night and no sleep for Mom either. Then I spent all the next day disinfecting the house from top to bottom. Energy zapped. Did I mention I have been on my period through it all? Life is not fair sometimes. 

I need rest. I need a massage. I need yoga. 

For starters I'm going to go on a Power Walk! See ya!

Five and I'm Alive!

It only took me 3 weeks to post this run!! As a disclaimer, since this run, I have been doing more biking with my husband and I'm playing on a fast-paced ladies' flag football team. I won't bore you will fill-ins on the rest, just suffice it to say I haven't been totally sitting on my butt. 

Style/Workout: 5 miles/46:52/9:22
Setting/Route: Lake Miramar
Progress: (running mileage):  5 today/ 35.05 this month/ 366.4 year-to-date

Like I said, it has been 3 weeks since I completed this run, so I really can't remember much! I do remember being totally stoked to bang out a 9:22 pace and as usual I thoroughly enjoyed the setting. 

I will say, ever since we moved I have felt like my "normal" life has been rocked to the core. Everything is so off kilter lately and usually I can grab onto a routine and stick with it for weeks. Lately it seems things are so different from week to week that I have not been able to accomplish that. 

Biking: I am really enjoying biking! First, my husband and I go together so it is something we really enjoy together. Do I love the exercise of biking? Sometimes. Others I hate it. I would much rather run hills than bike them and biking makes my sit bones quite sore. But biking takes you further and is so exhilarating. Every time we get out and bike, I feel lighter and faster. My husband has been my inspiration-he bikes 30 miles a day to and from work! The other part about biking that I love is that we find fun, beautiful destinations, of which there are limitless options in San Diego. 

Flag Football: I am having so much fun! I will say, I have not sprinted in a long time and it is NOT the same as running long distance. It is far from it! I learned very quickly that a good warm-up is crucial when sprinting. I have come dangerously close to pulling both of my quads in practice. With longer distance running a warm-up is good, but when you don't have time you can run your first mile slowly and consider that your work-out. 

That's all I have today kids, sorry my blog is so lame lately! Life has been beyond nuts!

Tweaked Back

Somehow over the weekend I tweaked my back. It is literally the injury I am afraid of most. Maybe it is the field of nursing that I am going to with its high incidence of back injuries or maybe it is the agony of past experience by I take special care of my back.

Well somewhere along my husband and I's 22-mile bike ride Saturday I think I hit a pothole or something and took the impact the wrong way. I noticed a slight soreness develop then somewhere at 12 miles I really started to notice. The rest of the day it was evident that some sort of trauma definitely occurred.

So I have been down for 2 days now with a hot pad and ibuprofen *trying* to take it easy. I am not good at taking it easy. I just came off a week's worth of coughing and phlem and I may have stayed in bed one day. Taking care of a household makes it hard to let go of the reigns.

But I'm going to try, for the sake of getting back on my feet sooner. I will not lift anything heavier than 5-10 pounds or twisting. I will ask for help. I will go slow and be careful. I will be patient with myself.

In the meantime I can focus on other muscle groups and areas of health (like diet!)

Me, For Real

Lately I have been surrounded by inspiration. Whether it be a Facebook post by a friend, the fall weather, something my kids did, or the fact that my husband rides his bike a gazillion miles a day to get to and from his work. It is a blessing to be inspired every time you turn a corner. Although I do believe it is something you can find if you are willing to look for it as well ;)

I felt inspired to write a little about the real me. The me #nofilters if you will. This will be a bit of a here-and-there post but here goes:

I am me. I am a woman, a mother, a very proud wife. I am the backbone of the US Coast Guard. I am strong, and I love staying active and in shape. 

My family has the genes for muscles. We are middle height, dirty blonde with what I like to call a "schnozz" and we are athletic. Both of my brothers and I were high school hurdlers in track and field and we were all really good at it. My younger brother went on to play football for USU, got his bachelors in personal training and has dabbled in MMA as well as other training disciplines. My older brother is the ultimate "man's man" and has worked very hard for many years as a logger and in other tree-trimming professions which are very taxing physically. He has to stay strong.

So I have always been muscular.  In high school I was teased to no end and called "manly" by boys who, let's be honest, I could have kicked the crap out of. I even had one really mean boy draw a picture of me with huge muscles and male genitalia. I can rationalize now as an adult that they were just self-conscious and intimidated. However, as a young, developing girl, to say it made me self-conscious of my physique is an understatement. I have struggled with it ever since. It was only when competing in sports-especially track and field-that I felt comfortable in my own skin, because performance reminded me that being strong was a gift. It made me proud of my muscles.

As I grew out of the awkward phase of high school and started having kids, my priorities changed but I have always craved physical activity. My pregnancy with my oldest son was a surprise at 18 years old when I was the fittest I have ever been. I ran up to 6 months pregnant, and didn't really "show" until about 7 months. I gained an ideal 25 pounds and fit back into my pre-pregnancy jeans 1 week later. This was in 2000. I laugh about that now! 

I had never been much of a long distance runner but the desire to "get my body back" motivated me to run in the mornings before my husband went to work. My runs were usually about a mile and a half. 

Fast forward about a year and a half and we were pregnant again! Determined to have as great of a pregnancy as my first (and bounce back as well), I was running as I had before. I ended up losing that baby to miscarriage and was devastated. I don't remember how much I ran after that, but I did take my son on daily walks that probably added up to a mile and a half or so. 

In 2003, we were blessed with our 2nd son. I gained a bit more weight (about 45 pounds) and did NOT get back into my pre-pregnancy jeans one week later. I discovered pilates and continued to go on daily walks. I think I felt pretty much back to "normal" by his first birthday.

In 2005 we had moved to a brand new city in a whole other region of the US and I had delivered our third son. I gained 55 pounds with him and noticed a real change in my body. My thighs and butt were definitely heavier, as well as basically the rest. I had my work cut out for me. I was busier than ever now with one in Kindergarten and 2 babies at home. I would put them in the stroller as soon as our oldest was off to school. I wouldn't even go inside the house except to grab sippy cups. Then we'd be off! Gradually I walked further and further, reaching about 3 miles. Some days it would be less because squirmy kids could not tolerate the stroller that long. I also did some biking in this season since I could convert the stroller into a bike trailer. In the summer it was crazy hot so I would swim laps while the kids swam.

One winter day in 2006 I found myself jogging down the hills on my route and eventually these stretches of jogging got longer and longer until I was jogging the entire walking route. I had "accidentally" become a long-distance runner. I ran my first 5K in 2006 and the rest is history. Having a way to "compete" with myself and gain a sense of accomplishment in something related to physical activity was awesome as an adult.

I have never been the fastest, but I have gotten faster. I have never felt like I look good running but it makes me feel so good that I don't even think about it. I don't always love running while I am doing it, but I never regret getting myself out there on the course. 

I am not a skinny runner. During times of intense training I have gotten trimmer, but I lose weight in my abdominal area first and start to show ribs (unflattering in my opinion) before my legs and butt lean out. I have a big butt, I have meaty legs and arms. I have great abs and shoulders. I am shorter, my legs are short and I have a flat chest (although my kids were breast-fed and I'm proud of that!). My right arm is bigger than my left. I don't know how many times people have asked me if I were a gymnast. I am my own runner.

I have been called many things: thick, in-shape, stalky, buff, ripped, yolked (a new one to me). We do not have control of others' perceptions of us, all we can do is be kind to ourselves. 

I have stretch marks near my breasts and on my butt although it is through the grace of God that none of them show in a bikini. I have some extra skin on my middle that shows if I bend over or sit in certain positions. It is all me. I have great hair. I tan well. I have some acne issues and age-expected wrinkles. I don't have to shave every day thanks to blonde leg hair. I have cellulite, and my butt isn't as "lifted" as before.  I don't like pictures of me point blank and prefer them taken at an angle. My husband says I am most beautiful right when I wake up in the morning. And I am just me.

I fall off the training wagon from time to time, but I always get back on. I'm 32 and can do pull-ups. I ran a freaking marathon this year and P.R.-ed in the half marathon. I can keep up with my kids and almost out-sprint my 13-year old. I inspire my kids to be active and reach for their goals. They love running the kids' races at my races. I am me. 

So there you have it. If you want to say I am naturally muscular you would be right...underneath I am. But genetics can only take you so far. Guess what happens when you don't work muscle? It turns to fat. Guess what happens when I eat badly? I store it on the backs of my arms and legs, not to mention I get cavities and feel like crap. I have to work, diligently, consistently to stay in shape.

My point is that whoever you are, your goal should be to be the best YOU. Discover your strengths and celebrate them. Discover your weaknesses and work on them, but understand having them makes you a human being and without them you might not have the motivation to strive for improvement. Never give up and always keep trying. Always keep improving.

Then, remember to celebrate the unique, one-of-a-kind YOU. YOUR journey. YOUR achievements. The influence YOU have on this world. It's a beautiful thing! Just be you.