I woke up this morning feeling pretty good. A little tired because I stayed up later than I should have last night reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. It's a page turner, what can I say? I was a little surprised to feel as good as I did, quite honestly. I thought surely I would have been a little sore from yesterday's run, but I'm not. YAY!
We got the kiddies ready for school, Mr. Darcy headed out and I corraled the little ladies through putting on their shoes, eating breakfast, and getting into the car. Amazingly, they got themselves in the car nicely and put on their seat belts and everything while I went in to grab my coat. When Mr. Darcy takes them to school, this is usually one of the hardest parts of the morning. I bet once they get used to me taking them to school, they'll revert.
Ladybug was wearing jeans, a spring light blue gingham dress with flower appliques, a cornflower blue long sleeve shirt that had a flower stitched on it, a turquoise necklace, pink socks (her favorite socks to wear are pink - every day of the week), and brown mary janes. Mr. Darcy told her that the dress looked silly, but I defended her and said she liked it. I didn't want wailing to ensue about her dress. Whatever it takes to have her get dressed in a happy fashion is fine with me. She's 3. I'm pretty sure she'll begin to conform to standards of dress after awhile.... even if Angelfish already knows that you don't wear shirts and pants with dresses. She informed me the other day that those things just don't go together. Luckily she hasn't said much about it to Ladybug. I can see a fight ensuing if she did.
Once we got to school, Ladybug decided to have a fit over the fact that I closed the car door instead of her doing it. She stomped her little foot and demanded that I go back outside, open the car door, and then she would close it. I stayed firm and did not discuss the issue with her other than to say no and tell her we were going to her classroom. It worked for a change. So that was nice. In the classroom, she told me that she didn't want to go to school today and that she has days when she doesn't want to go to school. I told her I understood because there are days I don't want to go to work, but we just have to do it anyway. Then she asked me to tell her the story about the first day they ever went to daycare and how I cried all the way to work. Not sure if she was trying to guilt trip me, but it didn't work. Lots of kisses and hugs. Angelfish decided she was "shy today" but told Ms. Marianne "I'm feeling shy today, but not for you." and then gave her a big hug and a huge smile. That kid is super sweet.
Then it was work and a call at lunch time for sorority business, more work, and then the gym. I still wasn't sure what I was going to do at the gym today until it was time to leave... would it be strength training or speedwork?
I decided I needed to do my speedwork, plus it was only a 40 minute workout in all. Before I left, I double checked what it was that I needed to do. And that's when I got a good chuckle at my own expense. Know how last week I did 2 sets of 5 minutes? It was supposed to be 5 sets of 2 minutes. So I was an amazon woman! This week, though, I was sticking to the schedule. 4 x 3minutes. Off I went. I ran the 10 minute warm up at a 12:14 minute pace taking it nice and easy. Had that wierd pain with my ankle again so I stretched and rotated and started back running, and it was fine. I felt a little tight so I decided to push myself but not beyond what I thought was a good idea. The 1st 3 minute set, I did at 10:10 and that was a bit tough. So, Idid the 2nd 3 minute set at 10:20. Still a challenge but I wasn't feeling like falling off the treadmill. As I was doing the 2 minute recovery walk, I thought this was a little harder than it should be. I didn't think it was all the run from yesterday or even that I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. And that's when it hit me - I forgot to eat lunch. I had a cup of hot tea after my noon conference call and then forgot all about eating. Not sure how I forgot to eat, but I sure did. And I didn't even drink any gatorade before the run because well, it was just a 40 minute run. So I went and got some water and came back. Next set, 10:20. Then I decided I would do the last set at 10:10 again. I had to tell myself that I was only doing 2 minutes at first and then once I got to the 2 minute mark, I told myself to go 15 more seconds and then another and then another until I was at the 3 minute mark, but it got done. And cool down was definitely cool - I walked the cool down because well, I was at that point where you need food and you're light headed and your muscles are yelling at you.
So after showering and changing and jumping in Mr. Darcy's car (filled with the little ladies - Mr. Darcy was intent on getting his XBox 360 with his Christmas Money and the $250 gift certificate we got from our rewards credit card -"free money" from points), it was all about food.
I bet it would have been better if I had eaten lunch - and I bet I would have been faster too.
So I had a burrito (no rice though) with beans and chicken, salsa, and lots of lettuce for dinner. About 1,000 calories right there. You know your body is mad at you for not eating enough that day when about 20 minutes after you eat your hungry again. So when we got home from the store around 8:30 (we ate at 6:45) and I was still hungry, I had a piece of bread with peanut butter and drank some water. I think my stomach and I are friends again (not to mention my muscles - they were all pretty tight and tired by the end of it all. : )
Tomorrow I'm guaranteed to have lunch - I'm meeting a friend. Tomorrow is weight training. And with proper eating and hydration, it's gonna be on!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Happiness is a 5 Mile Run
First, let's just say that getting myself out there to do the 5 mile run may have been the hardest part of the run. It was on the schedule for Sunday and it didn't happen. I'm having some issues with my endometriosis that I went to the doctor about on Monday and had an ultrasound today (of course it didn't show much of anything - I can't remember ever having one that actually showed my endometriosis unless I had giant endometrial cysts on my ovaries), and well I just didn't feel like exercising with pressure in my pelvis.
And then I felt guilty about it. I want to do the Princess Half Marathon in March. I'm all paid up, as are the girls for their kids run. The off season was supposed to be about getting faster at running, and before I knew it, a calf strain and Mom's breast cancer surgery later, I'm sitting here thinking I need to get my butt in gear. Coach has been patient as all get out, but both she and I know: If you don't train for it you're not gonna do it. So she told me do the 5 miles instead of cross training.
Yesterday by the time I got a chance to even contemplate going for a run, it was getting dark, I was a bit in shock from the doctor saying it might be a good idea to remove my uterine lining without even seeing an ultrasound (I'm getting a 2nd opinion from my regular OB GYN, who is in the same practice, once they look at the ultrasound), having my mammogram, and knowing I had to go back for the ultrasound this morning. So I did an hour of yoga and told myself that I would run the 5 miles today. I really did need the yoga. I was much calmer about everything afterwards. But I still had that 5 miles hanging over my head.
And I held myself to it. Coach emailed this morning and asked if I ran the 5 miles yesterday. I told the truth, but she didn't email back. I'm just hoping she was busy at work today and isn't too annoyed with me. Rightfully so, she gets annoyed when she's coaching you and you don't do what she tells you to do.
But, I think I made up for it. The run was supposed to be a 5 mile run at a pace that is 1-2 minutes slower than you want to run in the race. I want to run a 10 minute mile pace (that is probably the fastest I will have ever run in my life... honest to goodness), so I figured I wanted somewhere between 11 minutes and 12 minutes per mile.
I was nervous about running it. I haven't run 5 miles straight in awhile. It's been long enough that the loop I did in the neighborhood I was pretty sure was my 5 mile loop that I came up with last year, but I couldn't remember if it was the 5 mile or the 6 mile one while I was doing it. Coach wanted me to do it running 5/1's. As she put it to me, all we need is for you to hurt yourself between now and the race and you can kiss your finisher's medal good-bye. And I am a girl who likes me a nice finishers medal. It's all about the bling, dahling! Not to mention that Team in Training starts up February 1st. Hello, St. Anthony's!
Once I got myself out the door (in my under armour running pants - I didn't need them... should have gone with the running shorts after all. I got pretty hot.), I focused on doing my 5/1's and realized I was going along at a decent clip and when I got to the point to turn for the last of the 5 miles, I realized I still felt pretty good and wasn't having aches, pains, etc. I felt like I could have gone farther even. I saw on the watch that my last running 5 was going to be close to put me at the door step to my house - the 5.0 miles exactly. So I ran a little harder. Not a lot harder, mind you, because I heard Coach's voice in my head that this was supposed to be a long "easy" run. But a little bit harder. And I finished in 58:12. That's just a smidge over an 11:38 minute per mile pace. Not super fast, but pretty much right near what I was supposed to run it in.
Oh yeah. Happiness is a 5 Mile Run. Let's just hope I can get my speed work done tomorrow... although I'm tempted to move the speedwork to Thursday and do my strength training tomorrow. We'll just have to see what happens...
And then I felt guilty about it. I want to do the Princess Half Marathon in March. I'm all paid up, as are the girls for their kids run. The off season was supposed to be about getting faster at running, and before I knew it, a calf strain and Mom's breast cancer surgery later, I'm sitting here thinking I need to get my butt in gear. Coach has been patient as all get out, but both she and I know: If you don't train for it you're not gonna do it. So she told me do the 5 miles instead of cross training.
Yesterday by the time I got a chance to even contemplate going for a run, it was getting dark, I was a bit in shock from the doctor saying it might be a good idea to remove my uterine lining without even seeing an ultrasound (I'm getting a 2nd opinion from my regular OB GYN, who is in the same practice, once they look at the ultrasound), having my mammogram, and knowing I had to go back for the ultrasound this morning. So I did an hour of yoga and told myself that I would run the 5 miles today. I really did need the yoga. I was much calmer about everything afterwards. But I still had that 5 miles hanging over my head.
And I held myself to it. Coach emailed this morning and asked if I ran the 5 miles yesterday. I told the truth, but she didn't email back. I'm just hoping she was busy at work today and isn't too annoyed with me. Rightfully so, she gets annoyed when she's coaching you and you don't do what she tells you to do.
But, I think I made up for it. The run was supposed to be a 5 mile run at a pace that is 1-2 minutes slower than you want to run in the race. I want to run a 10 minute mile pace (that is probably the fastest I will have ever run in my life... honest to goodness), so I figured I wanted somewhere between 11 minutes and 12 minutes per mile.
I was nervous about running it. I haven't run 5 miles straight in awhile. It's been long enough that the loop I did in the neighborhood I was pretty sure was my 5 mile loop that I came up with last year, but I couldn't remember if it was the 5 mile or the 6 mile one while I was doing it. Coach wanted me to do it running 5/1's. As she put it to me, all we need is for you to hurt yourself between now and the race and you can kiss your finisher's medal good-bye. And I am a girl who likes me a nice finishers medal. It's all about the bling, dahling! Not to mention that Team in Training starts up February 1st. Hello, St. Anthony's!
Once I got myself out the door (in my under armour running pants - I didn't need them... should have gone with the running shorts after all. I got pretty hot.), I focused on doing my 5/1's and realized I was going along at a decent clip and when I got to the point to turn for the last of the 5 miles, I realized I still felt pretty good and wasn't having aches, pains, etc. I felt like I could have gone farther even. I saw on the watch that my last running 5 was going to be close to put me at the door step to my house - the 5.0 miles exactly. So I ran a little harder. Not a lot harder, mind you, because I heard Coach's voice in my head that this was supposed to be a long "easy" run. But a little bit harder. And I finished in 58:12. That's just a smidge over an 11:38 minute per mile pace. Not super fast, but pretty much right near what I was supposed to run it in.
Oh yeah. Happiness is a 5 Mile Run. Let's just hope I can get my speed work done tomorrow... although I'm tempted to move the speedwork to Thursday and do my strength training tomorrow. We'll just have to see what happens...
Friday, January 8, 2010
A New Thought
Today was a stretching day, and I usually do yoga on those days but Mr. Darcy asked me to take the girls to daycare this morning, I'm supposed to be having lunch with a new friend this afternoon (my idea), I have a 4:30 call with a chapter (which is right when I get off work), and we overslept because neither of us turned the alarm clock on last night. So, I stretch I did - for the 20 minutes it takes Mr. Darcy to shower, shave, dress, etc. Started with the calves, then hamstrings, quads, lower back and abs, arms and upper back and repeat.
While I was stretching, I thought about the comment made yesterday - saying no to myself versus saying no to others. I think I have a problem with both. Part of the problem in saying no to myself is tied to the problem of saying no to others. People ask me to do something, it's something that I'm flattered to be asked to do, and I don't want to disappoint the other person, so I say yes, and even will pursue it. But then there are these other things I want to do and instead of thinking about making sure I have time for it all - because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and refuse to do anything 1/2 way - I add those to the mix. Then something gets added that I'm not thrilled with but say I'll give it a try and I get to a point where things are all coming together and my mind wants to explode. I get agitated easier, I'm tired a good bit. It lessens up a little because something gives and I think it's not so bad, really. And I avoid the point I need to realize I need to say no - not just to myself but to others for myself.
While stretching, it dawned on me that when we send our Christmas cards out we typically get responses like "where do you find the time for it all?" And one year, "when do you sleep?" I've always laughed at these in the past, but now I'm realizing slowing things down is a better idea. I tried to look at all that I'm doing from the eyes of someone who isn't the one doing them... and I'd probably be worried about me because I'm always going with full cylinders blasting because that's the only way to get it all done. (Little Sister calling me out for emailing someone while talking to her because it's the only way I can get everything done that "needs" to get done, made me realize that I multitask almost all day long.) At some point, those cylinders are going to freeze up because of all the wear and tear and lack of oiling, aren't they.
I've committed to some things so I will see those through for the promises already made to a variety of sources, including myself, but I am going to have to pare things down after those things commitments are fulfilled. Knowing me, there will be Pro and Con lists involved, some sleepless nights, possibly a few tears after the lack of sleep sets in, and then a decision will be made. I will have to teach myself temperance with my time so my engine gets to rest, batteries recharge, so I can motor on with a smile on my face living in the moment instead of always (and I do mean always) thinking about what I have to get done next. It will be hard to learn to say no to myself and to others....especially when it is something that is exciting, new and fun. But I must persevere. I have a feeling that my happiness and my athletic performance depend on it.
If I'm less tired from the craziness, I bet I'll have more energy that will be able to dedicate itself to training while I'm training. Of course, there's the worry that I'll get bored... but I'll keep enough to keep me occupied. Training is a chunk of time in itself, and that I definitely won't be stopping. It's the other things I have to weigh in my mind.
Tomorrow or Sunday is a 5-6 mile run. I had hoped to do this outside because it is sheer boredom for me to do that on a treadmill, especially since I'm supposed to run it at 1-2 minutes slower than I want to run on race day. (I really want to do 10 minute miles on race day.) An hour on a treadmill sounds horrendous to me. BUT, it's supposed to be 29 and "rainy" on Saturday. I think that's really snow since it's below freezing, or it's sleet. Either of which doesn't exactly call to me, "Come run!" (For goodness sakes - this is FLORIDA!)I'll get it done - it's just a matter of where. As usual, I'll keep you posted.
While I was stretching, I thought about the comment made yesterday - saying no to myself versus saying no to others. I think I have a problem with both. Part of the problem in saying no to myself is tied to the problem of saying no to others. People ask me to do something, it's something that I'm flattered to be asked to do, and I don't want to disappoint the other person, so I say yes, and even will pursue it. But then there are these other things I want to do and instead of thinking about making sure I have time for it all - because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and refuse to do anything 1/2 way - I add those to the mix. Then something gets added that I'm not thrilled with but say I'll give it a try and I get to a point where things are all coming together and my mind wants to explode. I get agitated easier, I'm tired a good bit. It lessens up a little because something gives and I think it's not so bad, really. And I avoid the point I need to realize I need to say no - not just to myself but to others for myself.
While stretching, it dawned on me that when we send our Christmas cards out we typically get responses like "where do you find the time for it all?" And one year, "when do you sleep?" I've always laughed at these in the past, but now I'm realizing slowing things down is a better idea. I tried to look at all that I'm doing from the eyes of someone who isn't the one doing them... and I'd probably be worried about me because I'm always going with full cylinders blasting because that's the only way to get it all done. (Little Sister calling me out for emailing someone while talking to her because it's the only way I can get everything done that "needs" to get done, made me realize that I multitask almost all day long.) At some point, those cylinders are going to freeze up because of all the wear and tear and lack of oiling, aren't they.
I've committed to some things so I will see those through for the promises already made to a variety of sources, including myself, but I am going to have to pare things down after those things commitments are fulfilled. Knowing me, there will be Pro and Con lists involved, some sleepless nights, possibly a few tears after the lack of sleep sets in, and then a decision will be made. I will have to teach myself temperance with my time so my engine gets to rest, batteries recharge, so I can motor on with a smile on my face living in the moment instead of always (and I do mean always) thinking about what I have to get done next. It will be hard to learn to say no to myself and to others....especially when it is something that is exciting, new and fun. But I must persevere. I have a feeling that my happiness and my athletic performance depend on it.
If I'm less tired from the craziness, I bet I'll have more energy that will be able to dedicate itself to training while I'm training. Of course, there's the worry that I'll get bored... but I'll keep enough to keep me occupied. Training is a chunk of time in itself, and that I definitely won't be stopping. It's the other things I have to weigh in my mind.
Tomorrow or Sunday is a 5-6 mile run. I had hoped to do this outside because it is sheer boredom for me to do that on a treadmill, especially since I'm supposed to run it at 1-2 minutes slower than I want to run on race day. (I really want to do 10 minute miles on race day.) An hour on a treadmill sounds horrendous to me. BUT, it's supposed to be 29 and "rainy" on Saturday. I think that's really snow since it's below freezing, or it's sleet. Either of which doesn't exactly call to me, "Come run!" (For goodness sakes - this is FLORIDA!)I'll get it done - it's just a matter of where. As usual, I'll keep you posted.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Good Advice from Little Sister
I realize that the title to today's blog entry may seem a little misleading. I am and always have been an only child. But, I'm a sorority girl. Yep, a 34 year old sorority girl. For me, I've been lucky enough to get sucked into the vortex of remaining active with my sorority as an adult. And two of my closest friends in all the world are my Little Sister and my adopted Little Sister. (I adopted the other Little Sister, who ironically is older than I am in years but not in years in the sorority, after her Big Sister graduated.) We've been through it all and back again together. They might as well have been my own flesh and blood because we're family. I thank God for them everyday, especially since he took Angela a bit earlier than I was ready for. (She was not a sorority sister, but friend who became family like them. You're not just friends with someone from the age of 12 on in a passive sort of way.)
Well, last night after a bit of a stressful day, I called Little Sister. She has grown so wise it's amazing when I think back to the girl who first joined Alpha Xi Delta - cute as a button, smart, but nervous and a little bit shy and a little bit unsure of herself. Who isn't at 18? I used to be the one giving her good advice, but now she gives good advice to me!
I went through my littany of everything that stressed me out and wanted her to know that a comment I made on email about being stressed wasn't because of her or Adopted Little Sister (we planned our girls' weekend for the year). And she said to me, "So, let me get this straight. You have a full time job, 2 children, a husband, a household to run, you're having phone calls, emails and travel for Alpha Xi Delta, you have fundraising, mentoring, and training for Team in Training, you joined Junior League and with that have a time commitment to a team to develop a community program to teach life skills to underpriviledged kids, you're trying to train for a 1/2 marathon and triathlons, you're trying to lose weight, and you can't seem to figure out how to take better care of yourself. Maybe, just maybe, do you think that you might have too much going on and maybe you should take some things off her plate?" I laughed because she was right and at one point we had a similar conversation with Adopted Little Sister because she was stressing herself out with all the things she was doing too. I told her that, and she said "Yep. You two have the same personality." I reminded her that she did too but that instead of it being extracurricular activities, it was with her family life. She admitted it readily and said, "Yes, we all have that aspect of our personality that doesn't want to let anyone down. We want everyone to be happy." And then she told me that she learned the key to controling that personality. "Yes, but I learned how to say no to people."
I laughed again because when the truth hits me that hard in the face, that's what I do. I laugh. Some people cry, get upset. I laugh. But every word was true. I have to acknowledge that I have 3 things that drive me beyond end in this life - I want to make a difference in the world. I want to be the best at "it" (whatever that "it" may be). And I want the people I care about to be happy. But but not being able to say no, I take on too much and let my own happiness slip a bit and make myself just a little bit crazy and wear myself down physically to a certain extent.
So I have to learn to say No. This morning, I told Mr. Darcy about the conversation I had with Little Sister last night. I think he was amazed that Little Sister could get away with telling me something like that, right to my face and everything. And probably even more so that I didn't just ignore it. It's funny because your closest friends can tell you truth and you don't want to fillet them with ginsu knives, but your husband? Not necessarily. Of course, that might be because your closest friends do it in this way that is very "I'm worried about you because I hear you stressing yourself out and I want you to be happy." Husbands try to do that too, but somehow it comes across as telling you what to do - even though they don't mean it that way and mean it just the way your closest friends mean it.
Mr. Darcy chose to agree with it by making a joke, that I didn't even realize was a joke at first. Mr. Darcy said, "Can you take the girls to daycare for me this morning?" I sat there actually considering whether I should say yes when I really wanted to get my strength training done this morning when I saw his lip twitch like he was trying not to smile. So I said "no." Then he smiled, said "good job!" and gave me a kiss.
Yeah, so I have to learn to say no to people. Easier said than done. And in some situations, it can't be done until a few months from now. But it could still happen... as long as I remember to just say no.
In my amusement during work today, I discovered that Virginia has a Peanut Advisory Board. I know the peanut industry is a serious matter, but I couldn't help but think of 3 people advising someone "don't eat that one, eat this one!" Other amusement is Ladybug's choice of clothing - a long bright yellow dress paired with dark blue jeans and a cream colored t-shirt that has some pink and purple flowers on it. I really need to get some pictures of these fashion travesties! Of course, Angelfish opted for a red t-shirt that has cream sleeves (made to look like you're wearing 2 shirts) that says "snow bunny" with a picture of a bunny and purple leggings. The 3 year-old fashion world has been turned on it's head!
Well, last night after a bit of a stressful day, I called Little Sister. She has grown so wise it's amazing when I think back to the girl who first joined Alpha Xi Delta - cute as a button, smart, but nervous and a little bit shy and a little bit unsure of herself. Who isn't at 18? I used to be the one giving her good advice, but now she gives good advice to me!
I went through my littany of everything that stressed me out and wanted her to know that a comment I made on email about being stressed wasn't because of her or Adopted Little Sister (we planned our girls' weekend for the year). And she said to me, "So, let me get this straight. You have a full time job, 2 children, a husband, a household to run, you're having phone calls, emails and travel for Alpha Xi Delta, you have fundraising, mentoring, and training for Team in Training, you joined Junior League and with that have a time commitment to a team to develop a community program to teach life skills to underpriviledged kids, you're trying to train for a 1/2 marathon and triathlons, you're trying to lose weight, and you can't seem to figure out how to take better care of yourself. Maybe, just maybe, do you think that you might have too much going on and maybe you should take some things off her plate?" I laughed because she was right and at one point we had a similar conversation with Adopted Little Sister because she was stressing herself out with all the things she was doing too. I told her that, and she said "Yep. You two have the same personality." I reminded her that she did too but that instead of it being extracurricular activities, it was with her family life. She admitted it readily and said, "Yes, we all have that aspect of our personality that doesn't want to let anyone down. We want everyone to be happy." And then she told me that she learned the key to controling that personality. "Yes, but I learned how to say no to people."
I laughed again because when the truth hits me that hard in the face, that's what I do. I laugh. Some people cry, get upset. I laugh. But every word was true. I have to acknowledge that I have 3 things that drive me beyond end in this life - I want to make a difference in the world. I want to be the best at "it" (whatever that "it" may be). And I want the people I care about to be happy. But but not being able to say no, I take on too much and let my own happiness slip a bit and make myself just a little bit crazy and wear myself down physically to a certain extent.
So I have to learn to say No. This morning, I told Mr. Darcy about the conversation I had with Little Sister last night. I think he was amazed that Little Sister could get away with telling me something like that, right to my face and everything. And probably even more so that I didn't just ignore it. It's funny because your closest friends can tell you truth and you don't want to fillet them with ginsu knives, but your husband? Not necessarily. Of course, that might be because your closest friends do it in this way that is very "I'm worried about you because I hear you stressing yourself out and I want you to be happy." Husbands try to do that too, but somehow it comes across as telling you what to do - even though they don't mean it that way and mean it just the way your closest friends mean it.
Mr. Darcy chose to agree with it by making a joke, that I didn't even realize was a joke at first. Mr. Darcy said, "Can you take the girls to daycare for me this morning?" I sat there actually considering whether I should say yes when I really wanted to get my strength training done this morning when I saw his lip twitch like he was trying not to smile. So I said "no." Then he smiled, said "good job!" and gave me a kiss.
Yeah, so I have to learn to say no to people. Easier said than done. And in some situations, it can't be done until a few months from now. But it could still happen... as long as I remember to just say no.
In my amusement during work today, I discovered that Virginia has a Peanut Advisory Board. I know the peanut industry is a serious matter, but I couldn't help but think of 3 people advising someone "don't eat that one, eat this one!" Other amusement is Ladybug's choice of clothing - a long bright yellow dress paired with dark blue jeans and a cream colored t-shirt that has some pink and purple flowers on it. I really need to get some pictures of these fashion travesties! Of course, Angelfish opted for a red t-shirt that has cream sleeves (made to look like you're wearing 2 shirts) that says "snow bunny" with a picture of a bunny and purple leggings. The 3 year-old fashion world has been turned on it's head!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Realizations on Food and Treadmills
Last night, I made the realization that Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet could not really work when I'm running and working out like I am. It was already kind of bothering me that I would be 1,000+ calories below what Daily Plate suggested I eat - especially when I have Daily Plate set up to lose 1.5 pounds each week. But when I was leaving daycare and I went to (physically) pick Angelfish up and I got a wee bit light headed. I realized that that headache I had for the 2nd day in a row was probably due to lack of food. So for dinner we had soup and meat. The girls had chicken noodle soup (with Dora character shaped noodles) and I had a hearty chicken gumbo (the girls don't do spicy). We also had some deli chicken meat (they didn't want a sandwich, just meat - 3 1/2 year olds are funny). Amazingly, my headache went away. And when I got hungry at 9, I ate again... healthily though.
I decided that perhaps I'd try out Phase 2 with a little extra volume of food. Oatmeal for breakfast before the run this morning was a good idea. I didn't feel woozy at the end of it like I felt at the end of yesterday's spin class. As Coach (who restrained from calling me because - as she said in her email this morning when I told her I changed my mind - she was waiting to see if I figured it out on my own) said, those sorts of diets aren't intended for endurance athletes.
Anyone know of a good plan for losing weight while training? I know that sounds silly because for most people, the weight falls off. For me, my PCOS makes it a battle and a half. Thus, the Daily Plate being at 1.5 pounds per week because I figure if I follow it, I might just get a pound off. I'm probably the only person you know who can honestly say that she ate very healthily while training for a 70.3 Ironman and only lost 2 pounds. Yup. This is part of the accepting my body for what it is goal for the year. I figure if I do all I can, then I know that I am what I am. Of course, maybe that's too much pressure. Still reading The Art of Happiness, so my mindset is not quite 100% there yet.
This morning's run was a good one. It was cold. The coldest morning yet - 28 degrees with a windchill that made in feel like it was 21 degrees. So I hit the gym. I think that it was good that I used the treadmill. I just heard you who know my distain for the treadmill gasping! Yep, I found a use for the treadmill that I liked!
Speed work is great on the treadmill because it makes me keep going faster when I would probably get slower if I were on the road because it's getting harder. A 10 minute warm up (12:30 pace for the 1st 5 minutes and 12:00 pace for the 2nd 5 minutes), 5 minutes hard (I did a 10:00 pace, which is hard for me but as I realized today it may be more mental than physical). After a 2 minute recovery walk (during which I got a drink of water and then walked at a 15:00 pace for the 2nd minute), another 5 minutes hard (this time at a 9:50 pace). I had to tell myself that I could do it over and over and count down the minutes, but I was able to do it. All because of the treadmill because unless I wussed out and pushed the button, I had to keep up with the treadmill or make a complete fool of myself as I flew off of the back of the treadmill. Counting the time down helped. Then a 10 minute cool down - I walked 2 minutes at a 15 minute pace and then did a 12:00 pace for 3 minutes and then 12:30 pace for the last 5 minutes of cool down. I was sweating hard and red in the face, and it was great!
Tommorrow is strength training, so it will be back to the gym again! Now I'm off to have lunch with the happy knowledge that my 2 conference calls are done for the day! Whoo Hoo!
I decided that perhaps I'd try out Phase 2 with a little extra volume of food. Oatmeal for breakfast before the run this morning was a good idea. I didn't feel woozy at the end of it like I felt at the end of yesterday's spin class. As Coach (who restrained from calling me because - as she said in her email this morning when I told her I changed my mind - she was waiting to see if I figured it out on my own) said, those sorts of diets aren't intended for endurance athletes.
Anyone know of a good plan for losing weight while training? I know that sounds silly because for most people, the weight falls off. For me, my PCOS makes it a battle and a half. Thus, the Daily Plate being at 1.5 pounds per week because I figure if I follow it, I might just get a pound off. I'm probably the only person you know who can honestly say that she ate very healthily while training for a 70.3 Ironman and only lost 2 pounds. Yup. This is part of the accepting my body for what it is goal for the year. I figure if I do all I can, then I know that I am what I am. Of course, maybe that's too much pressure. Still reading The Art of Happiness, so my mindset is not quite 100% there yet.
This morning's run was a good one. It was cold. The coldest morning yet - 28 degrees with a windchill that made in feel like it was 21 degrees. So I hit the gym. I think that it was good that I used the treadmill. I just heard you who know my distain for the treadmill gasping! Yep, I found a use for the treadmill that I liked!
Speed work is great on the treadmill because it makes me keep going faster when I would probably get slower if I were on the road because it's getting harder. A 10 minute warm up (12:30 pace for the 1st 5 minutes and 12:00 pace for the 2nd 5 minutes), 5 minutes hard (I did a 10:00 pace, which is hard for me but as I realized today it may be more mental than physical). After a 2 minute recovery walk (during which I got a drink of water and then walked at a 15:00 pace for the 2nd minute), another 5 minutes hard (this time at a 9:50 pace). I had to tell myself that I could do it over and over and count down the minutes, but I was able to do it. All because of the treadmill because unless I wussed out and pushed the button, I had to keep up with the treadmill or make a complete fool of myself as I flew off of the back of the treadmill. Counting the time down helped. Then a 10 minute cool down - I walked 2 minutes at a 15 minute pace and then did a 12:00 pace for 3 minutes and then 12:30 pace for the last 5 minutes of cool down. I was sweating hard and red in the face, and it was great!
Tommorrow is strength training, so it will be back to the gym again! Now I'm off to have lunch with the happy knowledge that my 2 conference calls are done for the day! Whoo Hoo!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Starting on those Resolutions
I know, I really started them yesterday. But today I jumped on a few more - like accidentally finding the prescription for my crestor in the house after I called both the pharmacy and the doctor's office to get a new one. I fixed it by calling them both back. And I took my crestor after about 4 days of missing it. I won't be missing anymore thank you very much and my heart and veins are happier for it.
I also emailed a contact at the American Cancer Society about any ideas for getting involved in a volunteer lobbying type position since nonprofits aren't hiring. He was super nice and gave me some ideas. Perhaps I'll discover if that's where I'm supposed to be this year.
Then I called my insurance carrier. I had called my OB-GYN the other day about getting a mammogram and they told me that they wanted me to talk to my insurance before they arranged for it because women who were getting mammograms for family history reasons were getting denied coverage. So I called Aetna. And sure enough, even though my mother had her entire right breast removed, that's not a medical event for me and thus it is a "medically unnecessary" screening that would not be covered. The only way the screening would be covered until I reach the age of 40 is if I actually have a lump in my breast. Ironically, my mother's cancer wasn't able to be felt in either her routine examination or in the physical exam in her doctor's office. But no, the insurance companies knows best.
I was not about to give up. No sir. My goals included a mammogram, so by golly, I'd find a way. I called the OB-GYN back and got the phone number for the radiology location they would send me to, explained the situation to the radiology group and they put me through to billing. I was told that if I paid in full the day of the mammogram, it would be $173. If I opted for a payment plan it would be $85 down and a total of $347. They take credit cards. So, Mr. Darcy and I decided that for $173, it was worth it for the scan which both my OB-GYN and my mother's oncologist and surgeon said was a good idea. This coming Monday afternoon, I'll be enduring the mammogram (affectionately referred to by a friend's Mom as the "booby squish"). I expect it will be just fine, but no need to take chances.
In other news, Mom called and said that her oncologist told her that she does not have to do any chemo or radiology or shots or other treatments because they got it out before it had penetrated the wall of the duct and her lymph node biopsy was clear. If it had penetrated the duct, she would have had to go with chemo. Turns out that they couldnt' give her the pills for hormone treatment because my Mom had leg throboses when she was pregnant with me (way back in the day), but the doctor said she didn't really need them anyway because since she had a full mastectomy on the right, there's a 0% chance of return on the right and a little less than 12% chance of recurrence in the left. So she is considered 100% cancer free today! YAY!!!
As for my training, I couldn't pull my booty out of bed this morning. Mr. Darcy had trouble sleeping and left the bed so as to not disturb me, but I ended up not being able to sleep well because he wasn't in the bed. Plus it was cold for Florida. LOW 30's. But, I stuck to the plan - which was to get on the bike and do a medium to hard ride for 60 minutes. It wasn't out on the road or on the trainer, but I went to the Y and did a 15 minute warm up with good resistance on the spin bikes (this one had aero bars so I spent 3/4 of the time in aero) and then did a 45 minute spin class. Spin class is hard. Getting out on the road seems easier to me, but then I don't have someone yelling at me to change into a harder gear every 15-20 seconds and then make me sprint in a super hard gear and tell the class we need to pedal harder. I was pouring with sweat, but liked it. Jumping from position to position while keeping your resistance high and focusing on not bouncing but pushing and pulling with your legs seems harder than getting in aero (which is sort of like position 4, except your standing in position 4) and staying there. I was so hot that I walked 1/2 a block to my car in 43 degree weather in my bike shorts and t-shirt and only got cold when I hit the shade right next to the car. I even steamed up the windshield a little. Not to mention that in that 45 minutes I drank 20 oz of water.
Tomorrow is a little bit of running speed work, which I'm actually looking forward to...I'm going to try to be brave enough to run outside in the morning, but if I wuss out it will be on the treadmill instead.
And I'm proud of Mr. Darcy - he did some weight training at the gym last night on the way home from work. I am hoping some cardio will work its way in there, which he says it will, but it's a great start. He even said he might be interested in doing an evening spin class with me. : )
Oh and I even started re-reading the Dalai Lama's book The Art of Happiness yesterday evening. And I'm officially on Day 2 of Phase 1 of South Beach, and only slightly concerned that after entering all I plan to eat today The Daily Plate food tracker says I can eat 1,009 more calories. Of course, a little more than 500 of that came from their calculation of calories expended during my workout. (I almost expect a phone call from my Coach within minutes of publishing post.) But after adding back the weight I lost during the first part of the recovery season and then a couple of pounds - from stress eating during the holidays, I have to do something and South Beach worked really well for me in the past.
Has anyone heard of Clean Eating? I've seen it on some blogs and a friend is giving it a try. I looked at the website and it looks like it's just eating less refined foods. Anyone know more about it?
It's 2010 and I'm on the case!
I also emailed a contact at the American Cancer Society about any ideas for getting involved in a volunteer lobbying type position since nonprofits aren't hiring. He was super nice and gave me some ideas. Perhaps I'll discover if that's where I'm supposed to be this year.
Then I called my insurance carrier. I had called my OB-GYN the other day about getting a mammogram and they told me that they wanted me to talk to my insurance before they arranged for it because women who were getting mammograms for family history reasons were getting denied coverage. So I called Aetna. And sure enough, even though my mother had her entire right breast removed, that's not a medical event for me and thus it is a "medically unnecessary" screening that would not be covered. The only way the screening would be covered until I reach the age of 40 is if I actually have a lump in my breast. Ironically, my mother's cancer wasn't able to be felt in either her routine examination or in the physical exam in her doctor's office. But no, the insurance companies knows best.
I was not about to give up. No sir. My goals included a mammogram, so by golly, I'd find a way. I called the OB-GYN back and got the phone number for the radiology location they would send me to, explained the situation to the radiology group and they put me through to billing. I was told that if I paid in full the day of the mammogram, it would be $173. If I opted for a payment plan it would be $85 down and a total of $347. They take credit cards. So, Mr. Darcy and I decided that for $173, it was worth it for the scan which both my OB-GYN and my mother's oncologist and surgeon said was a good idea. This coming Monday afternoon, I'll be enduring the mammogram (affectionately referred to by a friend's Mom as the "booby squish"). I expect it will be just fine, but no need to take chances.
In other news, Mom called and said that her oncologist told her that she does not have to do any chemo or radiology or shots or other treatments because they got it out before it had penetrated the wall of the duct and her lymph node biopsy was clear. If it had penetrated the duct, she would have had to go with chemo. Turns out that they couldnt' give her the pills for hormone treatment because my Mom had leg throboses when she was pregnant with me (way back in the day), but the doctor said she didn't really need them anyway because since she had a full mastectomy on the right, there's a 0% chance of return on the right and a little less than 12% chance of recurrence in the left. So she is considered 100% cancer free today! YAY!!!
As for my training, I couldn't pull my booty out of bed this morning. Mr. Darcy had trouble sleeping and left the bed so as to not disturb me, but I ended up not being able to sleep well because he wasn't in the bed. Plus it was cold for Florida. LOW 30's. But, I stuck to the plan - which was to get on the bike and do a medium to hard ride for 60 minutes. It wasn't out on the road or on the trainer, but I went to the Y and did a 15 minute warm up with good resistance on the spin bikes (this one had aero bars so I spent 3/4 of the time in aero) and then did a 45 minute spin class. Spin class is hard. Getting out on the road seems easier to me, but then I don't have someone yelling at me to change into a harder gear every 15-20 seconds and then make me sprint in a super hard gear and tell the class we need to pedal harder. I was pouring with sweat, but liked it. Jumping from position to position while keeping your resistance high and focusing on not bouncing but pushing and pulling with your legs seems harder than getting in aero (which is sort of like position 4, except your standing in position 4) and staying there. I was so hot that I walked 1/2 a block to my car in 43 degree weather in my bike shorts and t-shirt and only got cold when I hit the shade right next to the car. I even steamed up the windshield a little. Not to mention that in that 45 minutes I drank 20 oz of water.
Tomorrow is a little bit of running speed work, which I'm actually looking forward to...I'm going to try to be brave enough to run outside in the morning, but if I wuss out it will be on the treadmill instead.
And I'm proud of Mr. Darcy - he did some weight training at the gym last night on the way home from work. I am hoping some cardio will work its way in there, which he says it will, but it's a great start. He even said he might be interested in doing an evening spin class with me. : )
Oh and I even started re-reading the Dalai Lama's book The Art of Happiness yesterday evening. And I'm officially on Day 2 of Phase 1 of South Beach, and only slightly concerned that after entering all I plan to eat today The Daily Plate food tracker says I can eat 1,009 more calories. Of course, a little more than 500 of that came from their calculation of calories expended during my workout. (I almost expect a phone call from my Coach within minutes of publishing post.) But after adding back the weight I lost during the first part of the recovery season and then a couple of pounds - from stress eating during the holidays, I have to do something and South Beach worked really well for me in the past.
Has anyone heard of Clean Eating? I've seen it on some blogs and a friend is giving it a try. I looked at the website and it looks like it's just eating less refined foods. Anyone know more about it?
It's 2010 and I'm on the case!
Monday, January 4, 2010
I Return
Happy New Year everyone! I am returning to a few things today: work, blogging, training, and taking better care of myself on a multitude of levels. (warning - it's a bit of a long one!)
Where I've Been
On vacation with the family. Mr. Darcy was able to take the Monday and Tuesday after Christmas off and they closed their office early on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. The week before Christmas was full of getting things together and finishing up Christmas preparations. The week after was kind of like a recovery week, but not from a physical event. We lounged around from Christmas Day until I couldn't take it anymore and melted down from being stir crazy and not doing anything but cook, clean, and sit around on Tuesday. I had the meltdown late enough in the day that we didn't get to do anything but errands. But that was okay. A few errands made me a happy girl. We also took the girls to see "The Princess and the Frog," which was a great movie. Of course, when we were playing with some green tree frogs we found this weekend at Senior Darcy's house we had to remind them that you don't kiss a frog unless it talks, dances and sings. (And I joked that was how I found their Daddy. They thought that was pretty funny.)
I had a lot of fun playing with the girls. Ladybug did my hair a few times, with results that were quite amusing. One of the best things though was Angelfish waking us up on Christmas morning. "Hey guys, I have something to tell you." Me: "What's that?" Angelfish: "Santa brought me a motorcycle." Me: "He did?!" Angelfish: "Yeah, it's because I was really good this year." And then later Ladybug telling us that "Santa must have been all out of airplanes by the time he got to our house." Me: "Why is that?" Ladybug: "Because he didn't bring me one. But I like the motorcycle he brought." Me: "Did you ask Santa for an airplane?" Ladybug: "No. I thought he'd just know." But she was happy all the same.
Another favorite was when Ladybug found a picture of her class and started talking to it and telling her friends that she missed them. Angelfish told her that they weren't there, it was just a picture. Ladybug said, "I know. I just wanted to talk to them." Or when Angelfish told me after I gave her a kiss that "I like your kisses all day long, Mommy."
On New Year's Day, I woke Mr. Darcy up and told him that we needed to start the New Year off right. A few minutes later, I came back and told him we were going to be "wild and adventurous" in the New Year. The girls were in on it too and told him, "Yeah, we're going to the zoo!" So eventually we got ourselves to the Brevard Zoo. It was rainy and cold, but we had a really good time and the girls loved getting to feed a deer. We had to explain that it was a deer and not a reindeer though because Angelfish kept saying how much she loved the reindeer. We saw a variety of monkeys, birds, alligators and crocodiles, tapirs, rhinoceroses and a cheetah before it got too cold and we had to head back to the car. Then we made an impromptu visit to Mr. Darcy's parents. We were on I-95 anyway... the girls took a nice 2 1/2 hour nap and were happy campers for their grandparents while we ate the traditional collard greens and black eyed peas so we'll get lots of "cash money" this year. It was nice to do something completely unplanned - even if none of us had pajamas, toothbrushes, etc. We made it work nicely and had a great time!
Yesterday, we sort of lounged around and then put together the grocery list and the new table and chairs we got for the girls' play room... and then rearranged the playroom and cleaned and organized it. Then it was grocery shopping and dinner. Time flew by amazingly fast yesterday.
Where I'm going.
So with the New Year come New Thoughts. Or just acknowledgements of the thoughts you already had with a willingness to do something about them.
You know it's time to turn over a new leaf when even your New Year's horoscope says that the past few years have been rough ones and you've done a lot of taking care of others and that for 2010 to be a good one, you need to learn to take care of yourself just as well as you take care of others. The irony of the statement was that a few days before I decided that my new year's goals were to take better care of myself: emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
I once taught a course with a component just about goal setting. So I know that you can't just say I'm going to take better care of myself. I must be specific. So here I go:
I am going to take better care of myself physically by:
1. putting myself before "others" by making sure I take the time to bathe, brush and floss, and eat healthily and in a relaxed manner on a daily basis. I know it's gross but sometimes to get things done for the house or the kids, I skip it.
2. leaving each morning at 7 am to do my training (no more skipping or half-butting it because I hung around to help get lilliputians in the car when Mr. Darcy says he's got it)
3. pushing myself harder (but still listening to my body) when training;
3. taking my medications and going to my doctors appointments;
4. having a mammogram (even if I have to save up for it in case the insurance company doesn't pay for it since I'm only 34... my Mom had a mastectomy. I need a mammogram.)
5. Cutting out soda, sugars, and as much refined foods as possible. That's not to say that I won't have any soda or sweets again ever... that would be lunacy because every once in awhile you should have a treat. It's just to say that I'll be doing without them on a regular basis.
I am going to take better care of myself emotionally by:
1. working on being happy with where I am in life as well as finding the path that I feel I need to be on instead of dwelling on the ideas of "things could be better if...";
2. accepting that my body is what it is and that short of elective surgery there is not much more I can do;
3. dressing each day like I would if I were going into an office or out with friends, make up and hair done. I feel better when I feel like I look good.
4. buying clothes that look good on me now - slowly over time without breaking the bank of course - not how I'd like to see myself; and trying to get over the size number on the clothing.
5. having fun with my husband and my children instead of always thinking about all the things that "must" get done.
6. reading books for fun again.
7. loving myself as much as I love the other people in my life and realizing that without me putting myself first I can't take care of my lovies the best that I can.
I am going to take better care of myself spiritually by:
1. reading the Bible more. I'd like to say daily, but for now I'll say weekly (other than while in church).
2. attending church more often. It's 1/2 an hour away, but it's important enough to make the drive.
3. raising more money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Team in Training for cancer research.
4. re-reading the Dalai Lama's Book The Art of Happiness
5. getting more involved in the community, hopefully through Junior League or other ways.
Now, I know that this seems like an awful lot and when it comes to goal setting, the rule is to not focus on more than 3 things at a time. The good news is that I'm already doing or in the process of doing alot of this. And the reality is that there really are only 3 things: care of physical, emotional, and spiritual. It's the implementation that gets a little more complex, but that's how it is with goals - especially with long term goals like these.
And you know what? I'm pretty sure that it's going to work out nicely and 2010 and the coming years are going to be good ones.
I already started by running 3 miles on the treadmill this morning at an 11:06 pace for all 3 miles, which is good for me - especially after the lack of training during the month of December. The day of my Mom's surgery is the last time I remember really having a true workout - and I ran 2.1 miles in 20 minutes because my Dad asked me not to go too far because he was worried about the foggy weather and traffic. I felt like I had run super hard. Then I did yoga for about 30 minutes. Not much else has happened since.
So this year, I'm returning to a lot of things: blogging, training and myself.
Where I've Been
On vacation with the family. Mr. Darcy was able to take the Monday and Tuesday after Christmas off and they closed their office early on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. The week before Christmas was full of getting things together and finishing up Christmas preparations. The week after was kind of like a recovery week, but not from a physical event. We lounged around from Christmas Day until I couldn't take it anymore and melted down from being stir crazy and not doing anything but cook, clean, and sit around on Tuesday. I had the meltdown late enough in the day that we didn't get to do anything but errands. But that was okay. A few errands made me a happy girl. We also took the girls to see "The Princess and the Frog," which was a great movie. Of course, when we were playing with some green tree frogs we found this weekend at Senior Darcy's house we had to remind them that you don't kiss a frog unless it talks, dances and sings. (And I joked that was how I found their Daddy. They thought that was pretty funny.)
I had a lot of fun playing with the girls. Ladybug did my hair a few times, with results that were quite amusing. One of the best things though was Angelfish waking us up on Christmas morning. "Hey guys, I have something to tell you." Me: "What's that?" Angelfish: "Santa brought me a motorcycle." Me: "He did?!" Angelfish: "Yeah, it's because I was really good this year." And then later Ladybug telling us that "Santa must have been all out of airplanes by the time he got to our house." Me: "Why is that?" Ladybug: "Because he didn't bring me one. But I like the motorcycle he brought." Me: "Did you ask Santa for an airplane?" Ladybug: "No. I thought he'd just know." But she was happy all the same.
Another favorite was when Ladybug found a picture of her class and started talking to it and telling her friends that she missed them. Angelfish told her that they weren't there, it was just a picture. Ladybug said, "I know. I just wanted to talk to them." Or when Angelfish told me after I gave her a kiss that "I like your kisses all day long, Mommy."
On New Year's Day, I woke Mr. Darcy up and told him that we needed to start the New Year off right. A few minutes later, I came back and told him we were going to be "wild and adventurous" in the New Year. The girls were in on it too and told him, "Yeah, we're going to the zoo!" So eventually we got ourselves to the Brevard Zoo. It was rainy and cold, but we had a really good time and the girls loved getting to feed a deer. We had to explain that it was a deer and not a reindeer though because Angelfish kept saying how much she loved the reindeer. We saw a variety of monkeys, birds, alligators and crocodiles, tapirs, rhinoceroses and a cheetah before it got too cold and we had to head back to the car. Then we made an impromptu visit to Mr. Darcy's parents. We were on I-95 anyway... the girls took a nice 2 1/2 hour nap and were happy campers for their grandparents while we ate the traditional collard greens and black eyed peas so we'll get lots of "cash money" this year. It was nice to do something completely unplanned - even if none of us had pajamas, toothbrushes, etc. We made it work nicely and had a great time!
Yesterday, we sort of lounged around and then put together the grocery list and the new table and chairs we got for the girls' play room... and then rearranged the playroom and cleaned and organized it. Then it was grocery shopping and dinner. Time flew by amazingly fast yesterday.
Where I'm going.
So with the New Year come New Thoughts. Or just acknowledgements of the thoughts you already had with a willingness to do something about them.
You know it's time to turn over a new leaf when even your New Year's horoscope says that the past few years have been rough ones and you've done a lot of taking care of others and that for 2010 to be a good one, you need to learn to take care of yourself just as well as you take care of others. The irony of the statement was that a few days before I decided that my new year's goals were to take better care of myself: emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
I once taught a course with a component just about goal setting. So I know that you can't just say I'm going to take better care of myself. I must be specific. So here I go:
I am going to take better care of myself physically by:
1. putting myself before "others" by making sure I take the time to bathe, brush and floss, and eat healthily and in a relaxed manner on a daily basis. I know it's gross but sometimes to get things done for the house or the kids, I skip it.
2. leaving each morning at 7 am to do my training (no more skipping or half-butting it because I hung around to help get lilliputians in the car when Mr. Darcy says he's got it)
3. pushing myself harder (but still listening to my body) when training;
3. taking my medications and going to my doctors appointments;
4. having a mammogram (even if I have to save up for it in case the insurance company doesn't pay for it since I'm only 34... my Mom had a mastectomy. I need a mammogram.)
5. Cutting out soda, sugars, and as much refined foods as possible. That's not to say that I won't have any soda or sweets again ever... that would be lunacy because every once in awhile you should have a treat. It's just to say that I'll be doing without them on a regular basis.
I am going to take better care of myself emotionally by:
1. working on being happy with where I am in life as well as finding the path that I feel I need to be on instead of dwelling on the ideas of "things could be better if...";
2. accepting that my body is what it is and that short of elective surgery there is not much more I can do;
3. dressing each day like I would if I were going into an office or out with friends, make up and hair done. I feel better when I feel like I look good.
4. buying clothes that look good on me now - slowly over time without breaking the bank of course - not how I'd like to see myself; and trying to get over the size number on the clothing.
5. having fun with my husband and my children instead of always thinking about all the things that "must" get done.
6. reading books for fun again.
7. loving myself as much as I love the other people in my life and realizing that without me putting myself first I can't take care of my lovies the best that I can.
I am going to take better care of myself spiritually by:
1. reading the Bible more. I'd like to say daily, but for now I'll say weekly (other than while in church).
2. attending church more often. It's 1/2 an hour away, but it's important enough to make the drive.
3. raising more money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Team in Training for cancer research.
4. re-reading the Dalai Lama's Book The Art of Happiness
5. getting more involved in the community, hopefully through Junior League or other ways.
Now, I know that this seems like an awful lot and when it comes to goal setting, the rule is to not focus on more than 3 things at a time. The good news is that I'm already doing or in the process of doing alot of this. And the reality is that there really are only 3 things: care of physical, emotional, and spiritual. It's the implementation that gets a little more complex, but that's how it is with goals - especially with long term goals like these.
And you know what? I'm pretty sure that it's going to work out nicely and 2010 and the coming years are going to be good ones.
I already started by running 3 miles on the treadmill this morning at an 11:06 pace for all 3 miles, which is good for me - especially after the lack of training during the month of December. The day of my Mom's surgery is the last time I remember really having a true workout - and I ran 2.1 miles in 20 minutes because my Dad asked me not to go too far because he was worried about the foggy weather and traffic. I felt like I had run super hard. Then I did yoga for about 30 minutes. Not much else has happened since.
So this year, I'm returning to a lot of things: blogging, training and myself.
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