I had posted on facebook earlier that I had tweaked my ankle doing a dance aerobics thing, thank you Billy Blanks jr. I felt it as soon as I did and tried to stretch it but that did not make it feel better. The next day I rested it in terms of exercise. Today I was totally ready to wake up and get on the road for a nice long walk, even if I could not run. The ankle felt worse, right in the back in the Achilles tendon. I went to see my mom, who is not a doctor but plays one on tv. :) After a lot of massage and stretching it felt a lot better, but her orders were to rest it for several days. I kind of already knew I should, but I really did not want to believe it. I have such a hard time getting into an exercise routine that I hate to have to break it. I guess maybe it is good to have the first week back to work off to get back into that routine. Part of what makes me so upset is that I was so careful about not doing too much running too fast or too soon. It was the aerobics on my off day that did me in!
I just really do not want to lose my momentum and motivation. Help me friends!! I am starting to feel a little discouraged here. Thanks!!!!
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Summer's End
Here we are at the tail end of my summer break and I am facing all the expectations that I promised myself I would not have this year. In the beginning of the summer I had written about my usual laundry list of expectations for my summer break and had said that this summer I will not have that list. I promised myself that I would not stress out about not completely de-cluttering and re-organizing my house. I am happy to say that I did not let myself get too stressed about it all. In normal summer mode I would be disappointed with what I did not get accomplished this summer. This summer I am happy with what I did get done around the house. A lot of it was just the daily cleaning that occurs with a smallish house and a preschooler. :) I also worked on my bedroom; and even though it is not completely finished there is a HUGE improvement. (Okay, Vinnie might not agree with the huge part. lol)
Looking back on what I had written in early July, I initially wished that I had done more craft stuff with Lilly and arranged a few more playdates. Some people I had reached out to for playdates were not available and that is okay, even if a bit disappointing. And sometimes the timing just did not work out. Maybe I wasted a few too many mornings doing nothing. And then I realized all that we did do! But we did go on tons of fun playdates and attended our library's summer preschool reading program. We visited friends and family down the shore and at lakes. We explored different playgrounds in our area. I reconnected with many of my girlfriends, attended a great free music festival and traveled to North Carolina.
Personally, I started on the path to a healthier, running me. Of course this past week has been difficult with the area still recovering from hurricane Irene. Not to mention my ankle/Achilles tendon is being a bit funky. But I am committed to continuing this healthier lifestyle once school resumes next week.
I have to admit that today I was starting to feel that ball of anxiety in my belly about not organizing the basement or finishing my bedroom or insert chore. But I stepped back and took a deep breath and looked at what I did. And if I took a lot of naps this summer, maybe it was because I needed them. I reminded myself that I had surgery the 2nd day after school let out and I was also ill in July. And if Lilly is disappointed that I did not play princesses or babies with her every time she asked, I console myself with the knowledge that she would have me play every possible minute. And dinner does not cook itself! So in that I learned about the balance of being a SAHM again. It is not all fun and games. Chores have to get done, too.
I hope everyone else had a fun summer! What was your favorite thing you did this summer? Come on...leave me some comment love!!!
Looking back on what I had written in early July, I initially wished that I had done more craft stuff with Lilly and arranged a few more playdates. Some people I had reached out to for playdates were not available and that is okay, even if a bit disappointing. And sometimes the timing just did not work out. Maybe I wasted a few too many mornings doing nothing. And then I realized all that we did do! But we did go on tons of fun playdates and attended our library's summer preschool reading program. We visited friends and family down the shore and at lakes. We explored different playgrounds in our area. I reconnected with many of my girlfriends, attended a great free music festival and traveled to North Carolina.
Personally, I started on the path to a healthier, running me. Of course this past week has been difficult with the area still recovering from hurricane Irene. Not to mention my ankle/Achilles tendon is being a bit funky. But I am committed to continuing this healthier lifestyle once school resumes next week.
I have to admit that today I was starting to feel that ball of anxiety in my belly about not organizing the basement or finishing my bedroom or insert chore. But I stepped back and took a deep breath and looked at what I did. And if I took a lot of naps this summer, maybe it was because I needed them. I reminded myself that I had surgery the 2nd day after school let out and I was also ill in July. And if Lilly is disappointed that I did not play princesses or babies with her every time she asked, I console myself with the knowledge that she would have me play every possible minute. And dinner does not cook itself! So in that I learned about the balance of being a SAHM again. It is not all fun and games. Chores have to get done, too.
I hope everyone else had a fun summer! What was your favorite thing you did this summer? Come on...leave me some comment love!!!
Monday, August 8, 2011
To 5K or not to 5K?
I was visiting a friend recently, who had just celebrated her year anniversary of running her first 5K. (you can correct me if I'm wrong Steph.) My sister-in-law Gina started running 5Ks recently, as well. An old high school friend does triathlons! My world is full of inspiring women who show me just what is possible.
Stephanie had told me that I should do this 5K in the fall that her brother is organizing. I immediately thought that I could never do that. Times, they are a-changing. If you have been reading along, you know that I decided last week, to stop thinking, and just do.
I have been following a plan, mostly based on the couch to 5K program, of walking and running intervals. I am not overextending, but also not stopping just because I feel like I am not a runner. I always believed: that running was something you were good at or not; that people who run feel great the whole time; that people who run are thin. All of those are not true. Maybe some people are better runners than others. Maybe some people are actually bad, but I don't know. I do know that because I am following a plan and only pushing myself a little more each time I go, I am feeling better about it.
Stephanie put the seed in my head that yes, I could run this 5K, even if that means that I walk/run it. I had basically put that aside though, even as I started running. And then. Yes, here it is...a completely different friend sent me a message when she saw my cardiotrainer run time and distance pop up on facebook. She said that she knew about this 5K, the same one that Stephanie told me about, and wishes that she could do it. (I won't out you unless you out yourself. xo) Huh. Now I want to run this 5K. Seriously! Did I ever think in a million years that I would want to even register for such a thing????
Thank you friends for getting me thinking that, YES I can!
Stephanie had told me that I should do this 5K in the fall that her brother is organizing. I immediately thought that I could never do that. Times, they are a-changing. If you have been reading along, you know that I decided last week, to stop thinking, and just do.
I have been following a plan, mostly based on the couch to 5K program, of walking and running intervals. I am not overextending, but also not stopping just because I feel like I am not a runner. I always believed: that running was something you were good at or not; that people who run feel great the whole time; that people who run are thin. All of those are not true. Maybe some people are better runners than others. Maybe some people are actually bad, but I don't know. I do know that because I am following a plan and only pushing myself a little more each time I go, I am feeling better about it.
Stephanie put the seed in my head that yes, I could run this 5K, even if that means that I walk/run it. I had basically put that aside though, even as I started running. And then. Yes, here it is...a completely different friend sent me a message when she saw my cardiotrainer run time and distance pop up on facebook. She said that she knew about this 5K, the same one that Stephanie told me about, and wishes that she could do it. (I won't out you unless you out yourself. xo) Huh. Now I want to run this 5K. Seriously! Did I ever think in a million years that I would want to even register for such a thing????
Thank you friends for getting me thinking that, YES I can!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
I think I can or I know I can?
I have spoken about trying to lose weight and eat better in this blog before. It has not happened. For various reasons that I could go on and on about, I did not lose, but gained weight. I became out of shape, not in better shape. I made poor food choices and blamed it on many outside things/forces/whathaveyous.
Little by little in recent months, I began to see what I looked like and did not like it. Not necessarily because I looked bad, but because I felt like the extra weight was my costume so that I could hide.
I have tried weight loss programs in the past and I would be marginally successful. There have been two times in my life that I was very successful in losing the weight: once in college and when I was pregnant and then gave birth. The latter has the easy reason of having morning (noon & night) sickness until about 4 1/2 months. I had a 2 week reprieve and then for the remainder of the pregnancy I still had aversions (Chinese food and yogurt - blech!) and the added pleasure of throwing up every day. Until I delivered, basically. Within 18 months I gained back all the weight I lost while I was pregnant and directly after. And then some.
The previous time that I lost a lot of weight was when I just made a decision one day to live a healthy lifestyle. I literally went to bed one day deciding to change the next day; and I did. The problem was that I was ultra strict with myself and it was very sudden. I know some programs (OA) can be like that, but you have the support then. This was just me, on my own. It did not last long because it was not sustainable. At least not for me. I did not want to watch other people eat birthday cake. There is a lot more to that story, but that is a story for another day, maybe.
Okay so back to the past few months... I started to see my weight as a costume or shield. From what, I still have to figure out. I also started to take responsibility for my weight. Yes, there are lots of reasons that I could say, "I gained weight because..." but nobody force fed me. I put the food in my mouth. Most of the time I even bought the food that I put in my mouth! There is a freedom in accepting that I did this because it also means that I can undo this. My recent focus has been away from dieting and on healthy eating and living. Eating healthier, finding relaxation techniques that work for me and exercising are becoming a priority in my life.
I have always secretly wanted to be a runner, but I could never really get there. I can walk pretty darn fast, but running makes me want to puke. But I want to! I have researched running programs, tried to figure out how I could do this. But I never took that figurative first step to becoming a runner. Last week I started walking again. I had started right before and in between both my hand surgeries but now I really have nothing in the way. Today I started running, a little bit, just to see if I could. I always think that I can't. That I am not a runner. Yet today, I just did it. I stopped thinking and did. I walked as needed, but then started again. This was already after 20 minutes of walking, so I knew I was not going to injure myself. I felt powerful and graceful and like I could be a runner. That momentum carried me through my day. It made making healthy choices easier. It cleared a lot of fluff from my head. I want to run more.
Little by little in recent months, I began to see what I looked like and did not like it. Not necessarily because I looked bad, but because I felt like the extra weight was my costume so that I could hide.
I have tried weight loss programs in the past and I would be marginally successful. There have been two times in my life that I was very successful in losing the weight: once in college and when I was pregnant and then gave birth. The latter has the easy reason of having morning (noon & night) sickness until about 4 1/2 months. I had a 2 week reprieve and then for the remainder of the pregnancy I still had aversions (Chinese food and yogurt - blech!) and the added pleasure of throwing up every day. Until I delivered, basically. Within 18 months I gained back all the weight I lost while I was pregnant and directly after. And then some.
The previous time that I lost a lot of weight was when I just made a decision one day to live a healthy lifestyle. I literally went to bed one day deciding to change the next day; and I did. The problem was that I was ultra strict with myself and it was very sudden. I know some programs (OA) can be like that, but you have the support then. This was just me, on my own. It did not last long because it was not sustainable. At least not for me. I did not want to watch other people eat birthday cake. There is a lot more to that story, but that is a story for another day, maybe.
Okay so back to the past few months... I started to see my weight as a costume or shield. From what, I still have to figure out. I also started to take responsibility for my weight. Yes, there are lots of reasons that I could say, "I gained weight because..." but nobody force fed me. I put the food in my mouth. Most of the time I even bought the food that I put in my mouth! There is a freedom in accepting that I did this because it also means that I can undo this. My recent focus has been away from dieting and on healthy eating and living. Eating healthier, finding relaxation techniques that work for me and exercising are becoming a priority in my life.
I have always secretly wanted to be a runner, but I could never really get there. I can walk pretty darn fast, but running makes me want to puke. But I want to! I have researched running programs, tried to figure out how I could do this. But I never took that figurative first step to becoming a runner. Last week I started walking again. I had started right before and in between both my hand surgeries but now I really have nothing in the way. Today I started running, a little bit, just to see if I could. I always think that I can't. That I am not a runner. Yet today, I just did it. I stopped thinking and did. I walked as needed, but then started again. This was already after 20 minutes of walking, so I knew I was not going to injure myself. I felt powerful and graceful and like I could be a runner. That momentum carried me through my day. It made making healthy choices easier. It cleared a lot of fluff from my head. I want to run more.
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