Back in the Groove and Going Strong

I am very proud of myself. Our new Y opened this weekend. Each morning, I have gotten up and headed to the Y to work out. It is still relatively quiet there first thing in the morning, so I have had no trouble being able to be the master of my own workout. The track is open, the equipment I want is open, it has all been working out well. With it being the week before Christmas and all the hub-bub associated with getting ready and winding down, I am guessing that not as many people are choosing to work out. I will be curious to see how quiet it is after the new year.

The first day I thought I was going to pass out on the track. It is above the field house and they must have had the heat on as high as it would go. It was a bit like walking/running in the Sahara. I couldn't drink enough water. So, I cut the walk/run portion short and headed to the equipment. I decided to check out the stationary bikes. They have these Expresso bikes, where there is a video screen in front of you showing you the route that you are riding.

I liked mixing it up, that now that is my routine. I run and walk for two miles on the track and then I go and ride the bikes. Because time is limited, I have done a 1.5, 2, and 2.4 mile ride so far. It makes the changes in 'elevation' seem more reasonable and I think that the interactive screen makes the ride go by quicker than it would without.

They also have a full gamut of resistance training equipment. I think that I would like to go in on a weekend and have someone walk me through all of the equipment, which muscle groups, what reasonable weight I should be using for each. That way, I could opt to rotate through the muscles and add a little strength training to each day. If I want to run/walk 2 miles and ride 2 miles, then I will only have about 15 minutes to do strength training each day.

Eating - well, that is another story. It is the week before the holidays and there are treats galore at work and this dinner and that dinner, plus I made cookies - which I can't resist. Good thing I give most away, or I would gain some serious cookie weight.

Monday

I did it! I got up this morning and did the first workout of P90X. I can tell you without a doubt, I am feeling it now. I started with P90X Chest and Back. I didn't get up as early as I hoped, but still early enough to fit in the whole workout. I can tell that I have lost ground since the last time that I completed the series. It was a struggle to do at least 15 of each type of push up. My arms felt like rubber bands when I was done.

Eating was mostly good today...right up until the thought of pretzels and dip called my name this evening. It wasn't the worst snack, but I might have been better off skipping it. It set me past my daily calorie goal for today. But, regardless, I know that I wasn't that far beyond my goal and it was a better day than it might have been if I had not been making conscientious decisions all day.

On a positive note, my weight this morning was down 2# from where I was the day before. Unfortunately, I have a long way to go. But, the journey will be worth it.

the time is now....

I know that I keep thinking, I need to start again soon. I need to return to tracking my food and being more active. The time is now. I must start again, before I give back all that I gained (or lost rather).

I started my day today with a bowl of Cheerios with a sliced banana. I had coffee with cream and sugar - the cream though is fat free, so it was only 30 calories for the tablespoon I used. Lunch, I am not sure yet what I will eat, but I will find something that is both satisfying and healthy. For dinner, I am trying a new recipe for Crock Pot Beer Chicken and will serve it with corn. The recipe says that it is only 143 calories per serving (2# of chicken, 1 bottle of beer - 8 servings). I think that sounds about right for 1/4# chicken serving.

Activity for today? It will be 'normal' stuff - like laundry, raking leaves, walking the grocery store. I can't say that I am making an extra effort, but I am moving. I might try to fit in a short video later today or try some of the things I have pinned.

Tomorrow though, I hope to start back into some strength training. I am going to use a combination of the various DVDs that I have to mix up my routine. On days where I am short on time, it will be the 10 Minute series from Tony Horton. Other days, I think I would like to use the P90X strength videos. My friend and I have put Zumba back on our calendar - but not until next week. So, I will strive for morning activity every day and supplement with evening activity where I can.

Hoping to Get Back to an Active Lifestyle

I finally seem to have gotten over that crazy fall cold that I started as we drove home from vacation. Unfortunately, my foot is still sore. As I did some reading, I think it might be plantar fasciitis. I actually think that my inactivity is the cause. It seems that tightness of the leg muscles can be a cause. Now, I wasn't exerting my muscles, but I also wasn't stretching them. I am doing my best to stretch my legs a couple of times a day and they are starting to feel better.

I don't think that I will rush back into running though. It is about 28 most mornings when I wake up, so it seems like a good time to revisit P90X. I have an early appointment tomorrow, so although I would like to start tomorrow, I will have to play it be ear.

Eating - it hasn't been bad, but I haven't been tracking either. That is something that I need to get back to.

I'm Still Here

I just haven't been active and so, I haven't felt the need to post.

It all started two weeks ago when we went on vacation. Really, it is very hard to believe that two short weeks ago I was on vacation. I acted ambitious and packed work out clothes and shoes, I had good intentions. Then, we were there and we were setting the alarm for 7 am every morning and not getting to bed until close to midnight most nights. I simply didn't have a window of opportunity to run. I would have had to get up at 6 and I'm just not sure that 6 hours of sleep would have worked for me - actually, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have. I didn't feel too bad about it though, because we were in constant motion. Unfortunately, we ate very well too! I came back from vacation up about 5# from where I had left.

So, I get home and I have a cold. So unfair! I want to be active and to work out, but sitting in a chair is enough activity to cause a coughing fit, so the thought of running or doing some sort of aerobic exercise just makes me cringe. Plus, my nose is congested, so that wouldn't help at all - I would be breathing through my mouth, making the need to cough increase.

The good news is that I have been trying to be more focused on my eating. I have lost about 3# since we got back, which considering that I have been inactive is a good thing. I am confident that when I feel better and can start to exercise that I will be able to get right back on track...I just having lost this time because of a cold.

And now, the bottom of my foot hurts. My right heel to be exact. I can't figure out when it started to hurt but by last night it was so sore that walking on it is killing me. I'm going to avoid the shoes that I wore this weekend, the shoes I wore yesterday and my slippers for a few days and see if I can get this to feel better. Once I do, I might have to cycle them back in one at at time to see if it is a shoe/slipper issue or just something. Of course, if it doesn't feel better soon, I might have to go to the doctor and make sure that it isn't something else.

So, if I am quiet for a few days at a time, don't worry, I am still here and I haven't lost motivation, I just haven't been active - I have no achievements to share.

Another Cold Beginning

As I was hanging out this morning, allowing myself to wake up and get ready for my run, I was reading my friend's running blog. She had shared about how she completed her first 10 mile run. I paused and thought about that - at a rate of 10 - 11 minutes per mile, that is 100 - 110 minutes or just under 2 hours. I am not sure when I would find the time to do that length of a run. I am glad that I can fit in a couple of miles of run/walk each day, but I am not sure how I would ever fit in much more. Sure, when the sun comes up earlier or when the indoor track reopens in the morning, I can get back to doing 4 to 5 miles round trip. But, where would I find 2 hours. Perhaps on a weekend, or on a day off. I guess I will have to be content in the time that I have and be glad that I am that much more active than I used to be and in that much better overall health.

The other thing that struck me was that she complained about how hot and humid it was on her ten mile run. I guess this caught my attention because as I walked out the door, it was 43F. I think I prefer the cool to the hot, thank you very much.

Either I am just getting faster with continued effort or the cold really makes me move. Today, I fit in 6 laps at the track. I started out running and after a couple of laps, the cold air was tough on my lungs. I switched back to walking, although, I only did 1/4 of a lap before returning to running. I wound up running a lap, walking 1/4, running 1 1/4, walking 1/4 and finishing with a lap of running. I knew that I could handle the cold air for short periods and figured it was better to keep on running. I know that with time, my lungs will adapt to the cooler air and I will be able to go further. The best part was that my average pace for the total outing was 11:15. When you consider that I walk up and walked some at the track and walk part way home, that is a pretty good pace.

Eating was pretty good yesterday. There were some caramels sitting around at work and well, I can't resist a soft, buttery caramel that melts in your mouth - unfortunately, I think I had like 4 or 5 of them. Hopefully, they are all gone and won't tempt me again today. Today should be good for eating - not much to stand in the way, plus I have fresh tomatoes that I am taking for a sandwich today. Yum!

Brisk Morning!

Well, suffice to say, it was cold outside. But, there must be some value in that, as my pace for my walk/run was at 11:30, a full 30s faster than my typical morning. I wound up pushing myself to do 3+ laps of running followed by sprint intervals for a total of 5 laps at the track. Again, I was time constrained. In theory, meeting the other ladies bright (or should I say dark) and early, sounds like a great plan, but I have yet to fully execute on it. Sure, it was dark up there this morning, but I could go earlier and do more distance. Although I did have to really push myself to complete three laps. I started with a plan of running 4 laps straight and then walking 1 lap. That turned into, maybe I run 1, walk 1 and then run 3. I decided I could keep going after 1 and then was good. I likely could have pushed for the full 4, but allowed myself a chance to catch my breath, besides I love sprint intervals.

Eating was a mess this weekend. We had more meals out then I care to remember. We even went for ice cream - but at least we walked there. Yesterday was a pretty good return to normal, so hopefully, today won't find me munchy mid-day simply because I ate bigger this weekend.

With the cold and the dark, I'm thinking that in a couple of weeks (October?), I might have to change up my schedule and workout inside 2-3 days and run outside the other 2-3 days. I guess I will just wait and see, when it is too cold, I will likely have to move it all indoors for a few months.

I need to get back to walking at lunch as well. It is a great stress relief and makes me feel good too. Plus, bonus activity like that will help me reach my goal faster. This will make me feel better about working out inside in the mornings too.

Friday!!

Well, where did the week go? I actually made it to the track each morning this week, but I was trying to wait on light and eventually concluded that if I continue to wait for light, I will have no time to exercise. I talked to the two women that I see up there every day and they told me when they get there and I said that I would target that time and if I saw them, I would stay and if not, I would go. It sounded like a great plan, but still life gets in the way and I didn't get there quite that early. The good news though is that I did get there early enough today to actually fit in 5 laps. Of course, I felt completely out of shape and only ran 3 of the 5 laps. I could have probably done 6 if I had actually run them all.

Eating - oh no! I'm not really sure why, but it has been a really tough eating week for me. I think that our busy schedules are a contributor, stress is a contributor and being tired. I had a bowl of Cheez-Its the other night and they were so good, I had more - when I went to get them, they were almost out, so as any (in)sane person would do, I finished them. I'm not sure why I would allow 3 servings of Cheez-Its for a snack, except well they are addictive. Then, last night, we switched around meal plans and went to dinner at the local Mexican restaurant. That wasn't the problem, the problem was that it was after 8. So, I was hungry and ate more chips than I should. I had a reasonable dinner. But, it was so late, I still felt stuffed when I went to bed.

Needless to say, the scale was not moving the way that I wanted...but, I at least know why.

I am hopeful that today will be a better eating day. There are no specific evening plans, except perhaps a friend staying over.

S-T-I-C-K-Y!

When I woke up this morning, I checked outside and saw that the roads were dry. This was a good start, as it was supposed to be raining this morning. I got ready and came down to check out the weather. I was glad to see that it was not supposed to rain for the next couple of hours and the radar was reasonably clear. For whatever reason, as I got ready this morning, I failed to drink any water. I don't go for very long runs, so I don't carry water with me - it seems awkward to me to run with something in my hands - so, I always hydrate before I go. I headed out and it was dark. Now, like I said, it is supposed to rain so it is overcast. I got to the track and my walking friends were there. I was glad, I had decided on the way up that if they weren't there, I wasn't going to stay with the darkness. I started out with a one mile run. I probably could have run further, but since I hadn't had water, I thought it was probably best not to push. I walked a half mile and then ran the last quarter of a mile and after a walk out of the track, ran the .45 miles from light post to home. Unfortunately, even at 6:30 when I was leaving the track, my friends were but shadows on the track. I think that means that I will have to definitely stick with my approach of only staying if they are there. It is just too dark to stay alone.

What really surprised me was how humid it was. Even though it seemed cool out, it was very sticky. On the run home, I think that it was actually misting. Either that, or the air was so wet that you could almost feel droplets.

It was a pretty good run. I am noticing that when I run, my pace fluctuates from around 8:40 per mile to 10:00 per mile. I am actually very pleased with that pace range - I never would have guessed that I was running that 'fast'. I think that I could actually sustain the range pace over the course of a 5K and could do a 30 minute 5K. I don't have any planned right now.

It was good that I got out and ran, because I did not go for a walk or run all weekend. I had great plans to get up and go, but it was so cozy in my bed and our days started so early that I would have had to get up like I do during the week. I just couldn't see myself getting up at 6 am to run on the weekend. I am more of a 7 am runner on the weekends, especially now that it is darker in the morning.

Eating was reasonable over the weekend. We ate out and snacked, but I was able to balance my portion size with enjoying the treats and was able to sustain my weight for the weekend. I just need to get it down - I am just a few weeks from my goal of being half way through the weight loss and starting to think I won't get there. We will see, if I eat well and run everyday, maybe I can pull it out.

Just Two Laps

Now on the surface, I am a bit disappointed when I say I only ran two laps, but in reality, I am glad that I ran even though it was only two laps. You see, a while ago, when I got busy doing something and wasn't ready to start my workout on time, I might have been inclined to simply skip it. I would have wondered at the value of only having a few minutes or only going a lap or two. The fact that it was suddenly 20 minutes after 6 and I hadn't left for my run yet would have been a deterrent. But now, I recognize that all activity is good and even better than the activity itself is maintaining a habit. If I allowed myself to skip the workout, then I might be more inclined to do it again the next day and progressively, I would get away from doing it all together. So, today I only did 2 laps at the track, but a total of 1.55 miles. It was good to get out. I need to get moving earlier so that I can fit in more in the future.

Yesterday, I was more successful - I did sprint intervals. I started with a one lap warm up run, did sprint intervals for 4 laps (1 mile) and then wrapped up with one lap cool down run. It felt great. I haven't had a chance to see how fast my sprint was, but I know that I was much slower on the walk between sprints - suggesting to me that I was going faster on my sprint. I really think that it is helping me with my overall speed and breath control. There is something about pushing yourself routinely that changes you.

Eating was a challenge yesterday. I did really good until we came home from the soccer game. I was feeling munchy and found some Cheddar Jack Cheez-It. Yum! Normally, I control myself and have just one small bowl of crackers. Last night, it was three! Not only that, but I had a glass of wine (a tall one, the bottle was almost out and I couldn't leave that little bit behind) with them. It was yummy and it is okay to have a treat on occasion.

Hoping that the eating is better controlled today. I don't think I can stay away from the Cheez-Its, but hopefully I can have just one bowl.

Wednesday

Today was the first day of school for my kids. Not all of the schools in town are back in session, but ours went back today.

In spite of, or maybe because of, I was actually up early today. I wanted to head to the track before getting them up and ready for school. Unfortunately, the sun rise wasn't cooperative and I still only had a short amount of time to actually work out. I decided today that I would run when I got to the track. I wound up completing the same amount of distance today (1 mile run at the track) and I did it in 7 minutes less! I guess that is the difference between 11:26 pace and 14:40 pace. I wonder if I just ran, what my actual average pace would be? Of the 2.1 miles, I actually walk for about .8 miles, so I think that if I just ran, it would be better. I rely on the .55 miles walk to start to be my warm up and need a little cool down as I leave the track.

Eating has been less of a challenge now that I am back into a more routine schedule. The biggest challenge is that we have so many sports activities over the coming weeks. It makes our dinner time shift back and forth - some nights very early, other nights very late.

The scale continues to progress towards where I need to be.

What a Weekend!

I love a busy weekend. I love company. I love going out to eat with friends and family. The problem - I don't fit in my exercise, I tend to eat more. I do well at meals, but seem to have more opportunities to snack, enjoy dessert and share a glass of wine with friends. The result - I feel disappointed in myself. I wonder why I couldn't enjoy with going so far beyond my daily targets. I wonder why I couldn't make time for a quick walk or run.

Then, I spend the next few days trying to re-adapt my body to normal. I find myself hungry at times that I shouldn't be, simply because I had more food the days before. I find myself struggling to work out - not only convincing myself to do it, but then feeling 'unfit' when I do.

The good news is that I do make it back to a good balance of healthy eating and beneficial activity - the problem is that I have lost days in advancing to my goal, because I have spent them heading the wrong way and recovering.

I am only a few weeks from my mid-point of my goal period and my lowest weight is still 2# from my goal and I haven't yet fully recovered back to that lowest weight. I so much so had hoped to not only meet, but to exceed my goal for the mid-point. Now, I am hoping just to make it to my goal. A fact that leaves me disappointed. I am happy for the progress that I have made, just bummed that I allow myself to make decisions that set me back.

I started my day with a 1 mile walk at the track, which is a 2.1 mile walk in total. I ran yesterday, but my knees were bothering me, so I felt that a walk was a smarter workout. It is staying dark way too late anymore. I keep leaving home later and later and the past two days, when I finish my workout, the street lights are still on. That is not a good thing, there are still two plus months before we fall back, eventually I will not have light to go outside for a workout in the morning. I will have to return to some DVD workouts. That is not necessarily a bad thing, I just like the outdoor workout.

Eating was mostly on track yesterday. Right up until I had some ice cream for dessert. We have a leftover cake and ice cream from my son's birthday. I just needed a little something at the end of the day. At least it wasn't a large serving. Today, I'm hopeful for another good day of eating, which will help me continue back in the right direction.

Thursday

Well, I know that my legs were definitely feeling the sprint intervals from yesterday. When I headed up for my run this morning, my walk up pace was over 17 min/mile. That is slow! I am normally on the high end of 14 min/mile when I walk up. Today, I decided I would just run. I wound up doing 6 laps, 1 1/2 miles. As I was starting lap 4, I wasn't fully convinced that I was going to get the whole second half in. But, then, I found my groove. I think that if had the time, I could have gone double what I did. As I was completing the 6th lap though, I got my Run Keeper update and knew that it was time to head home and get ready for work.

Yesterday was a good day for eating, right up until it wasn't. I had my protein shake and banana for breakfast. I had my toasted wheat thin with goat cheese, cucumbers, spinach, tomato and banana peppers for lunch. My afternoon snack was an apple. My dinner was late and it was Mexican. We took my son out for his birthday, but it was after soccer practice. I made a reasonable dinner choice of one chicken taco and one chicken enchilada, no rice. Unfortunately, because we were late at eating and because I was feeling famished (should have had a snack when I got home), I ordered the queso. They brought out a big bowl, not the little bowl that they normally do. I ate way too many chips and cheese.

Today should be easier. I know that I am having pizza for dinner and will plan accordingly.

Sprints!

When I headed up to the track this morning, it was on the edge of dark. This is going to be a challenge. I am going to have to find someone that I can meet at the track each day or I am going to simply run out of 'morning' time to run before work. I may have to return to running in the neighborhood if I want to still run. At least in the neighborhood there is random traffic, street lights, people walking dogs, getting their paper, etc. So, even if it is a bit pre-dawn out with only a glimmer of pink on the horizon, it seems less so.

I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do at the track today. Yesterday, I pushed myself to run the whole time and was able to get in 6 straight laps of running. Today, I started with a walk, not to mention my journey up was slower than normal. Part way around, I decided that I would match yesterday's run with sprint intervals. So, I wound up walking 1/2, doing 6 laps of sprint intervals, running 1/2 lap. I wound up doing 1/4 mile more in distance, but since I started the sprints in the middle of a lap, I didn't have a choice if I wanted to meet my goal. Here is my run chart:

You can't tell on this one, but when I run my mouse along the path in Runkeeper at the dips (the peak of my sprint) there were several where my pace was about a 6:35 minute mile and even one that went down to 6:27 minute mile. Awesome! When I just run, I tend to be between a 9:20 and 10:30 minute mile. The interesting thing is that overall, my pace is very similar, whether running the whole time or doing sprint intervals the whole time. My walking recovery between each sprint leg drags me down just the right amount to match a run.

The workout felt great.

I did okay with eating yesterday, until we went to my daughter's kindergarten picnic. There was pepperoni pizza and then there were ice cream sundaes. I couldn't help myself. I would like to say that I will be more focused today, but it is my son's birthday and he wants to go out for dinner. I will have to be conscientious and make sure that I make good decisions. Enjoy being out but make wise choices.

The scale simply chose not to respond yesterday. I keep thinking, if I had skipped the second piece of pizza or the sundae, it would have been a move in the right direction. I still am trying to recover back to the low.

Going the Distance

Well, that might make one think that I really had some sort of a record breaking outing today, which I certainly did not. What I did experience is how your mind makes all the difference in your outing. When I got to the track, I wasn't really sure what my work out plan was. As soon as I got to my lane, I started to run. I thought about what I might want to do. Before I even finished my first lap, my body was ready to be done. I simply couldn't allow that. I convinced myself to try to run 4 laps. Then, when I got my time/distance update near the middle of my third lap, I decided I would run at least until the next update - that would put me into my fifth lap. As I got the update, I decided that I really should keep going. I decided I would complete six laps. As I was completing my sixth lap, I decided that it was important to me that I finish strong, so I decided I would sprint the last 1/4 lap - which actually would put me to 6 1/4 laps of running. When I completed the sprint, I got my update which was the one that I needed to head home on. Rather than finishing the 3/4 lap remaining, I walked back the 1/4 that I had just run. It was a good outing, especially considering that yesterday I wasn't sure about running even one lap.

Eating was mostly good yesterday. I started my day with a protein shake and a banana. Unfortunately, my banana was squishy on the bottom. I had designs on making some oatmeal, but one thing lead to another and it was lunch time. I had lunch with a friend. We met for Mexican, which when you are hungry is a challenge - those chips kept calling my name! I had the chicken fajitas, no rice, no beans, no tortillas. Essentially grilled chicken and veggies. Makes me not feel so bad about those chips. In the mid-afternoon, I stumbled upon a banana cream pie - I couldn't help it, I had to have a sliver. I skipped most of the crust (if that is a plus?). Dinner was coconut shrimp (baked) and pierogie.

The scale responded nicely on the road to recovery of my current low. If I stay strong today and don't give in to chips and banana pie, I am confident the scale will respond again tomorrow.

Back in the Groove

That cold last week really zapped me. I couldn't convince myself that getting up and running (or even walking) was a great idea. I knew that if I exerted myself I would start to cough and I just didn't want that. Of course, to counteract the cold, I was trying to hydrate and stock up on Vitamin C. That left me consuming lots more juice than I normally do over the course of the week, as well as more honey than normal too. Couple that with some quarterly meetings at work that found me eating catered breakfasts, lunches and dinners; a fun day out with my son that included breakfast and lunch out and milkshakes; a kid birthday party; and dinner and a movie with friends, and my weight loss journey was doomed from the start.

No exercise + increased beverage calories + increased eating calories = big challenge!

Thankfully, although up slightly, it was all in all not horrible. I was only up a little bit and I was really worried that it could be more.

Do you ever have those days where you just know that you just ate bad and you allow one more snack/treat because what's the harm now? I do that sometimes and then, like today, the scale actually gives a lower than expected result and I think to myself, if only I hadn't had the one last treat, maybe it could have been even a bit lower. I think I need to learn that if I am exceeding target for calories, that it is better to call it a draw than to pile it on.

Oh well! This week is hopefully a more normal week. I am feeling better. I headed up to the track and fit in a 1 1/2 mile visit - ran for a mile, just not consecutively. It was a challenge to run after over a week off. I am back on track with measuring and tracking. I fully intend to recover the gain and then some before the week is over.

Summer Colds are the Worst!

So, I noticed the other evening that my throat was a bit scratchy. I shrugged it off and decided to not worry about it. The one thing that has held true while I have been more active and eating better is that I tend to not be sick as often or as long. Well, I woke up yesterday with a bit of head congestion, but a lot of sneezing. That sneezing with that tingle that you just know is going to be something more than just a few sneezes. Last night was miserable. I think I slept about 2 minutes the whole night. I told my husband that I was going to skip the run, but get out for a walk this morning - I know that my experience has been that activity helps me fight the cold quicker. After only sleeping what felt like two minutes, my alarm was going off and I decided to choose sleep over walking for getting better. As I sit here, my nose is still congested and I hate that feeling of I can't really breath. My lips are already becoming chapped from breathing through my mouth continuously.

The other challenge I face with a cold is that food loses flavor. I eat for the flavor and texture experience. Without it, I have to watch that I don't start to pick, looking for something, anything that I can taste. I am going to rely on fluids to help flush this cold out of me. Gatorade is a favorite illness fighting beverage at my house, but in the interest of calories, I will have to alternate it with good old-fashioned water and hot tea.

Sunday was a good eating day and the scale was kind enough to show slight movement (0.2#) in the right direction. It's not much, but every ounce counts on this journey.

I'm Still Here..

Honest! I am not sure what has happened but clearly I have been very busy, as it has been well over a week since I last checked in and my intention is to check in daily.

Last weekend was a very busy weekend and as such, very challenging. We had out of town company for the weekend, a wedding, a post-wedding picnic, dinner out with our guests - all activities that make tracking of eating a challenge and left me with little time (I was up too late to get up early) to fit in extra activity. It was a great weekend, and I wouldn't change it, it just set me back a bit.

Monday morning, our company had an early morning flight, so once they left, I headed to the track and got in a really good trip. I walked the first mile, did sprint intervals for a mile and then cooled down. It felt really good to be so active and I love the sprints.

Tuesday, I was back up at the track - I had overslept, so it was only a one mile run at the track, but it was still good to be active. Wednesday, I overslept again (I think this theme is a result of the busy weekend and busy evenings). It was a little later, so I only got three laps of running in. I also learned that when I don't get up early enough to do some things around the house, I am a lot more tired when I head up and really struggle.

Thursday, I was up on time and the sun failed to show. I headed up to the track late - but got in 3 laps of running and 2 laps of sprint intervals. Having been up for a while, waiting on the sun, which finally made an appearance as I was wrapping up my workout, made me feel less tired and more able to run.

Friday it was raining. I had great intentions of fitting in my run, I got dressed came downstairs, had some water and heard the start of the rain. I was going to do a DVD workout, but decided instead to make apple crisp to take to work. It took me a while and then it was time to shower.

Saturday, there wasn't time to fit in a workout, but we did walk around the mall doing a bit of back to school shopping.

Overall, the eating was okay. I struggled over the weekend, but have done well since. Unfortunately, I was at the top of the target range most days, so loss was slow. The good news is that I am back at the low that I recorded about two weeks ago...now, I just need to get moving back down. I am at the point where I am about to intersect my goal line. I was bummed to realize this when I entered the weight this morning. I have been ahead of my goal all along, I know that when I get to the last few pounds that it will be a struggle and I will likely catch it, but I'm not ready to be at goal or behind on the journey. Of course, it makes me realize that I have to keep giving it my all, or I will not be able to achieve my goal.

Of course, keeping up with this journal helps me be successful on my journey, so I need to give it more effort too!

Finally Friday!

Okay, the other day I questioned why it seems that time goes by so fast and today I am cheering about the fact that it is Friday. Yes, I guess when it comes to time I am a 'have my cake and eat it too' kind of girl. There never seems to be enough time, especially enough weekend time - time to be at home, time to be with the kids, time to relax.

I skipped my run on Thursday morning - it had been a late night on Wednesday and I had an early morning meeting. I was a little bit bummed to miss it, but there wasn't much that I could do about it. Eating was okay on Thursday, except we ate out for lunch. I tried to manage my food, but it was Mexican and my friend ordered queso.

I got up on time this morning and headed out for my run. I decided that I would go with a goal of 6 laps or 1 1/2 miles of running. I got up there and walked the first lap, I needed some momentum I guess. I started running and by about lap two was fully convinced that I would never complete this goal. But, I kept on pushing and pushing. As I would finish one lap, I would think I can do at least one more lap. Before long, I found myself finishing my 9th lap of running. It felt good to run the distance. I have been enjoying the sprints, but they aren't helping me with endurance, which is another goal that I have.

I never did get back to the 30 Day Ab Challenge. This month, she is doing a Clean Eating Challenge, which I am not sure will work for me. I am thinking that next week, I will simply restart the Ab Challenge and hopefully, be able to finish it.

It is a busy weekend with company, weddings, and more..hopefully, I can at least try to stay within target and try to get in a little extra activity. The scale is still hovering and I am convinced that one of these days it will simply drop again. The plateau will be overcome.

Where Does the Time Go?

Okay, so clearly, I missed providing an update on my progress for several days - Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday to be exact. Crazy! My life that is. I have been so busy that I have been sleeping in in the morning. In an attempt to fit in some level of exercise, I have had to squeeze other stuff out of my day.

Let's start with today. I finally was up at the right time. I got some laundry done and headed out for my run. It felt great. I went up to the track and was able to fit in 9 laps, I alternated between running and sprint intervals on a 1-1-2-1-2-1-1 pattern - starting and ending with a run. I must say that getting up there much earlier would have been tough. My 'normal' time is starting to be on the cutting edge of dawn, much earlier and it would have been still more dark than light out. I am going to have to see how much longer 'normal' will work. They installed new lights by the track, but they weren't on this morning.

Last night, I was able to go to Zumba. It really is a fun work out. The more I go, the more comfortable I become with the regular songs/moves. Of course, last night, she introduced some new moves and my body can feel the changes. I am sore in new places. Felt great. Yesterday morning, my run was short. I only went to the track for 3/4 of a mile. I did one lap of running and two of sprint intervals. I was just glad to do what I did, since I had slept in past when I would normally head out for a run. Eating was good yesterday. The family went out to dinner while I was at Zumba (less temptation for me) and so I had two eggs over easy and toast for dinner. That really is a favorite meal for me and the protein was a good choice after my Zumba workout.

Over the weekend, Friday included, there really wasn't any working out. It was raining on Friday morning and the weekend was busy with baseball tournaments, going out with friends, grocery shopping, Bible study and more. Eating was of course a challenge because we were on the go, plus two of my meals were at a Winery - lunch one afternoon for work and dinner out with my husband and some friends. So, of course, there was wine! I also fell behind on the 30 Day Ab Challenge. I hope to pick up day 25 tonight (I was already a day behind, now I am 5 days behind).

Overall, the scale is hanging tight. I am hoping to overcome this plateau and start moving in the right direction again.

Wednesday & Thursday

Well, well, here it is Thursday already. The time seems to go so fast. I always feel like I have a lot I want to accomplish but never seem to have the time to actually make it a reality. Of course, some times, I am my own worse enemy when it comes to time. I have this ability to get lost in something and realize that what I had meant to do for a few minutes turned into a lot more.

Wednesday when I woke up, I was thinking to myself, I need to mix it up. I thought, you know I have heard that interval training is more effective at losing weight and burning fat. I decided that since I have been plateauing for a couple of weeks now that I needed to find something to make a difference. I headed up to the track and formulated a plan. I decided that rather than running the whole time, I would walk some. Then, I decided that I would walk, but I would do sprints intermixed with it. By the time I arrived, I had a plan. I decided that I would alternate a lap of running with a lap that I alternated Sprint-Walk-Sprint-Walk. I was at the track for a total of 6 laps. I was able to 'make up' enough time in my sprints that even with walking, my pace was the same for the total outing as when I run the duration. And, it felt GOOD! I can't remember the last time that I ran all out. There was something about feeling the wind in my face and feeling my legs strive to make it down the straight away, that was amazing. By the time I was done with the 6 laps, I was spent. It was great. Scientifically, I can't demonstrate that the workout was better or worse, but it sure felt like I burnt more calories.

Eating wasn't bad yesterday. I had sushi for lunch, it was yummy, but more calories than I normally eat for lunch. It also left me hungry and mid-afternoon, I had a snack of cheese and crackers (fortunately I had a meeting with a snack break). This of course, was also out of character and suddenly, it was dinner time and I had not as many calories available. We were grilling out, so I went with a hot dog with no bun for my main dish. It saved me 110 calories over a burger, saved me the 90 calories of cheese and the 140 calories of bun - 340 calories saved.

Wednesday was a recovery day for me on the 30 Day Ab Challenge, because I am off by a day. I think that I might have tweaked a pectoral muscle the day before doing the plank with a grab a ball move. It was sore (still is), so it was probably best that I had the day off.

Thursday I woke up at 1:30 am in the morning to the sound of rain and thunder. I got up at my normal time and was planning to work out at home, but when I checked the weather and it was not supposed to rain for a while, I decided I should get out. Since it was 77 and VERY humid, I went with a walk for today. I think this was wise, I was splashing my leg with the water that was on the track.

The scale did respond to my workout yesterday (at least that is what I will claim). After a couple weeks of plateaus, I was down 1/2# since last time I recorded my weight - but 2# from yesterday.

Tuesday

When I got up this morning, I headed up to the track and it was crazy warm. It was already 77 at 6 am. The sky was very cool looking - to the East was beautiful with lots of pink, to the West dark and ominous.

(dark and ominous didn't photo so well)

Ever hear that saying of Red Skies in the Morning, Sailors take Warning? The phrase certain felt appropriate this morning. I decided that the skies, coupled with my early morning meeting, meant that I should shorten my workout. I set a target of 1 1/4 miles and decided to start running from the beginning, like I did yesterday. It felt good. I probably could have gone farther, but again the skies and the meeting had me confident in my decision to stop after 5 laps.

Eating was good yesterday. We even had fast food (I fed the family for $2.56) - Arby's Roast Beef and 1/2 a value curly fries - only came in at about 560 calories, including the Arby's and Horsey Sauce. I had some cheese as a snack, because I was just shy of my daily calorie target and about 10 g shy of the protein target. I finished the day just within all targets and 2 g shy on protein.

Monday

I let myself do it again! I checked the weather before bed and there was a 40% chance of rain starting around 3 or 4. I internalized this and when it came time to get up this morning, I kept hitting snooze. I knew that I wanted to get up and run because I think that I am skipping Zumba today. My friend is out of town and things have been so busy lately that I feel like I have a lot to catch up on at home and while I love the class, something has to give - we have plans every night this week (at least someone does). By the time I got up, it was already 6 am, I was already behind schedule. Then, I had to get dressed and get some water to drink. By the time I laced up my shoes, it was already almost quarter after. I decided that although I only had 15 minutes, that I would allow myself to stretch it so that I could fit in a full mile. I knew that if I wanted to do this and not be late that I would need to skip my warm up lap at the track. I decided that the 1/2 mile plus walk to the track was a sufficient warm up. So, today, for the first time ever, I ran every lap at the track. It was only a mile, but it was still something I had not ever done before. I have always walked a warm up lap and frequently a cool down lap, but not today.

It felt good and I am glad that I got the mile in. There is something so energizing about starting your day with a good run (or other workout). I just feel more awake, more alert, ready to think through things and tackle even the most challenging of problems. I'm also in a better mood.

I missed last night's 30 Day Ab Challenge workout. We got home late and I didn't have it in me. I will try to do two tonight, I guess or I could just be a day behind.

Eating was a challenge for me yesterday. Since we were out, we picked up pizza for lunch. Then, another birthday party - I was pretty good there, only a bite of cake and a popsicle. Then, dinner and Bible study. At Bible study, one woman brought a spinach artichoke dip that was garlicy and addictive. Another, rice krispie treats. Yum - one of my weaknesses, there is just something about that marshmallow goodness.

Hoping for a better eating day today.

the Weekend

Well, Friday was a crazy sort of day. I got a late start (I actually was up on time, but it was supposed to have been raining, so I came down and logged on to check the weather and suddenly, it was 6 am and I was still sitting in my kitchen), so I had a very short run at the track. I was only up at the track for 4 laps and ran half of them. A busy day and a late dinner made for a strange eating day. I had a lunch meeting with ice cream for dessert - it was so yummy, I had toppings and everything. I had that heavy feeling after eating it, but it tasted so good when I was eating it. As a result, I wound up exceeding my calorie target for the day but managed to be within all of the other targets.

Saturday was another busy day. I had planned to allow myself to sleep in, which I did. I knew that I had to be on the road by 9:20 and didn't want to be running behind. It was good to have a break. Eating was a challenge again (story of my life!) with a birthday party (they had barbeque pork from Old Carolina Barbeque) followed by dinner out with a friend whose family is relocating to the area. I exceeded my calorie target, but not by as much as Friday.

The bad thing is that based on the scale holding steady for the past couple of days, my body was in a 'recovery' sort of mode and if I had been on target instead of over, I would have lost weight - I guess I should see the positive of not gaining, but am bummed over not losing.

Sunday morning, time was tight but I found 1/2 hour to get up to the track. I ran 1 1/4 miles and then headed home. I quickly fit in my ab workout from yesterday (will do today's tonight). Today we have (hopefully) two baseball games, a birthday party and Bible study this evening. Plus, I have to make a snack to share at the Bible study and two dozen cookies for my daughter for Safety Town tomorrow. Whew!

Well, I am off to have another busy day. Enjoy!

Thursday

When I went to bed last night, I checked the weather and there was a 30% chance of rain this morning. So, before I really 'got up', I came downstairs and checked out the weather - both by looking outside and pulling up the radar on my computer. I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't get drenched if I headed out. Fortunately, the radar looked clear, but here I was downstairs, not in work out clothes. I started to fiddle with a few things on the computer, like respond to some e-mails, check out my friends' pictures on Facebook. I found myself not feeling very motivated. I finally decided that I better get upstairs and get myself dressed and get moving - or there would be no time. As it turned out, I left really late and only really had time for about 30 minutes. When I got to the track, it was crowded. The woman that runs many mornings with me was there, I like that we run about the same pace - so neither of us generally passes the other (except on cool down/warm up laps). Then, there were these three men (boys?) that were doing some sort of interval thing. As I approached, they took off and ran a lap. As I arrived, they stopped and then moved off to the side to do push-ups. I wasn't really sure what to expect, so I started in lane 5. By the time I came around to start my first lap of running, they were in lane 8 picking up the hurdles - I asked which lanes are you using and they told me that they were done - so I promptly moved over to lane 2 and started my run. I was originally going to do something more interval like, but decided to see if I could run 1.5 miles. I knew I 'could', I didn't know if time would allow. I actually pushed my workout an extra 3 minutes to allow myself to get in the full 1.5 miles. It felt good.

The scale was holding tight this morning. Overall, I think that is a good thing. Life happens (like travel, eating out, imbibing) and knowing that I can stay constant through that is a good thing. Plus, it makes me hopeful that a return to normal will kick-start the scale to moving the right way. Which makes me think that there is some merit to those diets that have a 6 days on, 1 day off approach - I think the day off has to still be reasonable, but I think your body needs the shock of change to lose weight. I have always found that to be reasonably true for me. If I'm plateauing, sometimes the best thing I can do is allow myself a little extra one day and then back in motion I go.

Wednesday

It occurred to me yesterday morning that I never actually posted about my run on Tuesday morning. I did run, I did an alternating 1-2-1-2-1 approach to the outing. Again, I had done over 2 miles the day before, so I wanted a bit of a break.

Eating was a challenge for me on Tuesday. I had a catered lunch meeting at work and then traveled for work, having a team dinner out. At lunch, we had tacos. I knew I could just make a salad, but the tacos looked so good, so I compromised with both a taco and some salad. Dinner, well I had seared scallops (awesome!) and a bit of pasta. Unfortunately, it took forever to come and i wound up having some bread and two glasses of wine. Both were very tasty, but had me finishing my day about 300 calories over target.

With traveling, I wasn't able to do my Ab Challenge for Day 17 - working out on a hotel room floor gives me the heeby-jeebies. I did the Day 15 moves, cause I could do those on the bed. So, I will see whether I try to do Day 17 after Day 18 tonight or how I fit those in.

I was very proud of myself for running this morning. I'm not a big fan of treadmills and started out with a plan to walk, but found myself wanting to run. The stop string on the treadmill was very sensitive and stopped my workout several times. The first time was about 12 minutes into my workout and I managed to reset the treadmill. So, I restarted and did 30 minutes, plus a 5 minute cool down. I wasn't expecting the 5 minute cool down and had already cooled down the last few minutes. Either way, I got my 2 miles plus of running in.

I needed it too! Once again, traveling left me less in control of my eating. I made wise decisions, but even at that, it was more calories than I normally would have at the respective meals.

I am home now, so tomorrow will be back to normal for workout and eating (I hope).

Tuesday

Yesterday was a great day. I started my day with an awesome run and then in the evening, I had the chance to go to Zumba with my friend. I really am enjoying the Zumba. It is a decent workout and I don't feel completely uncoordinated in the class - which in most aerobics type classes I have taken before I am completely uncoordinated. Next week, if I go, I am on my own because my friend is out of town.

Eating was good yesterday. I actually found myself below target for the day and relaxed and enjoyed a little cheese and crackers and a small drink with my husband, while we watched the pilots for The Food Network Star. Which reminds me, I need to go vote. I think that I like Justin - he is just wacky enough to be entertaining. Second choice, not sure if I would go with Martie or Yvon. I just know that Michele is my least favorite, just couldn't see myself watching her show.

Travel enters the mix tonight and tomorrow. I will have to see how I manage the eating out and limited options for working out. Ab Challenge Day 15 (which I did on Day 16 because I flipped my recovery day due to schedule), wasn't too bad. It is always refreshing to find one that I can do. I will have to see about Day 17 at a hotel - that might just have to wait until Day 18 when I can lay on my own floor.

A couple of days off, but right back in the groove

So, Saturday, I planned to take the day off. I decided that since I had a busy day, that I would allow myself a little extra sleep and didn't want to try to squeeze in a run and find myself running late to start the day. As promised, it was a busy day. We had lunch out, I went with the Chicken Fajita, hold the rice, the beans and the tortillas. It was pretty tasty. The place that we went doesn't seem to use much oil, as the chicken and vegetables were 'dry' - not to say they were overdone, but there wasn't that oily mess that you sometimes see on fajitas. Dinner was a bit of leftovers - I was sort of glad that no one really wanted much for dinner, as I was worn out from the day. I did manage to fit in my 30 day Ab Challenge workout, but learned that I am weak. I was barely able to do either of the ab exercises. I hope to do better at them next time I try them.

Sunday morning, I woke up with a headache. I got up got the kids breakfast and went back to bed. I had bouts of nausea, but when I got up, I felt much better. I guess my body decided that it needed another day off. Sunday for dinner we had Marlin on the grill. This is one of my favorites. We had originally planned to have Chicken Caesar salads but they were doing a recipe demo with Marlin, which meant that they had this not always available fish in. I couldn't resist. It did not disappoint. We still had salad on the side, as well as a little bit of rice. A late evening caused me to miss my Abs, I will make them up today. I think that today will be a recovery day, so I will just have bumped the days.

Monday morning I got up and my hamstrings were tight. I guess because I didn't do any running, I didn't do any stretching over the weekend and this must have led to them getting tight. I just wasn't sure that I was going to get far at the track. I headed up anyway and figured that even if I do a full alternating workout, that anything is better than nothing. After I completed my first lap, my legs were feeling better, so I decided I would try for a 1-2 pattern. Next thing I knew, I had completed 4, then 6 and I decided I would go for 8. When I got to 8, I thought, why not try for 9, just to show myself I could do it. I did! Yeah! It felt awesome. My legs felt much better after the workout than they did before. I stretched when I came home, but I think that I will stretch again after my shower. I don't want them getting tight on me.

The scale was down nicely on Saturday, now on Sunday and today it was up about a 1# from that low - so maybe it was a false low, but now I have a goal to get back to it. That should keep me moving.

A Little Recovery

When I got up to the track today, there were four people there already and they were running backwards, so I decided a clockwise day would be appropriate and joined them. I had pretty much decided that I would treat today a bit like a recovery day (at least by my definition) and not go the distance. I decided that a 1-3-1-3 pattern would work for me. I knew that I could do 2 miles at the track and still be home at a reasonable time. I sure am glad that I had already decided that I would not try to go for distance today. As I was completing the second lap of running, I was really pushing myself to stick to my guns of running 3 laps. It was a good workout and I think that alternating between days of distance and days of intervals might be a good way to improve my endurance and speed. I did also come to the conclusion today that if I think I want to get to the point where I can run a full 5K, I'm going to need to start to move earlier. I am up in plenty of time, it just takes me a while to get out the door. I figure even if it is only 3 or 4 minutes earlier each week, it would allow me to progressively lengthen my overall workout.

Eating was a little rough yesterday. I wound up in my target, but made some poor for me decisions. It wasn't even really a question of calories, but rather a question of how it made me feel. I had a chipotle shrimp quesadilla for lunch. It was tasty - shredded cheese, chipotle grilled shrimp, fajita peppers and onions and some fresh diced tomatoes on a tortilla. The problem was that my body isn't used to that type of food anymore. It made me feel like I had a weight in my stomach - I felt miserable. I drank lots of water in the afternoon trying to get rid of that feeling. I need to clearly think before I eat. It would have been better to have that same chipotle shrimp on a salad. Dinner was on the go, as my son is playing in a ball tournament. It was a sandwich and a rice krispie treat.

Scale is holding steady for now. But, I am okay with a plateau, drop, plateau, drop, pattern. I figure it means that my body is adjusting to a new normal and will return to weight loss once it has.

Going the Distance

This morning, I finally got up to the track at a reasonable hour. I wasn't sure if I would get to 6 laps like I had the other day, but I figured that since time was not as much of a constraint like the past couple of days, I would like to at least try. Well, I wound up running 9 laps - in a row! I couldn't believe it, 2.25 miles of consecutive running. It felt awesome. When I was done, I walked a slow lap and wandered home.

I loved last night's Ab Challenge workout. Finally, it was a workout, that although tough, I could do. I didn't do the advanced versions, but I successfully did the beginner version and did the reps that she recommended. I even did the metabolic move - the prior night I skipped because my toe was bothering me.

Eating was pretty okay yesterday. I had chips at dinner, but stuck with just a serving. I even splurged on a glass of wine and stayed within my target.

I am not sure that I will/should run that far tomorrow. I will see what tomorrow brings, but I am just happy to say that I am over 2/3 of the way to being able to run a consecutive 5K.

Wednesday - back on track!

Is it just me, or do you sometimes feel lighter on your feet just knowing that you have lost a little weight? It doesn't seem to matter if I am down even just 0.1#, there is something mental about knowing I have lost weight. When I went for my run today, when I got to the run, I just felt much lighter on my feet.

I didn't sleep in today, but I didn't have my workout clothes upstairs and when I came down in my pajamas and got started on a project, I suddenly lost track of time and discovered that it was after 6! I didn't want to completely skip my workout, after all I had finally gotten back on track with the scale moving the right direction. I decided to head up to the track and do a mile. I knew that it was about 10 more minutes than I should have gone for based on my starting time, but I also knew that 1 mile at the track was better than nothing and would be over 2 miles in total workout. I'm glad I went, I feel better for having gone. It was almost like taking a break, not pushing my body with an extended run - in fact, I only ran 2 laps total and they weren't even consecutive.

Eating was good yesterday. Lunch was my standard and dinner was homemade pizza. There is just something so amazing about homemade pizza. It has a flavor that no other pizza can compare to.

I did Day 10 of the Ab Challenge last night. I really struggled with the 'rockers' that she did. I can barely do a v-up, let alone hold my body in that position and rock back and forth. I'm not sure if I'm just a wimp or if I am just that much out of shape. She makes it look so easy! I did like the move she did for the obliques though. I really think that when I am done with the 30 days, I will take a day or two off and try it again. I am convinced I should be able to do these exercises and maybe if I build up this month, next month I can rock it!

The scale, as I mentioned was down. In fact, compared to where I was after one month (a week ago Saturday) I was down another 0.8#. Awesome. Based on the Spark People chart which tracks my weight against the goal line (a straight line from my starting weight on Day 1 to the goal weight I set for January), I am still ahead of target, but the gap is closing. I need to stay focused and not lose entire weeks to recovering from bad choices and/or busy life.

Just in the Nick of Time

When I woke up this morning and checked the weather, there was rain showing up to the west. It seemed to be almost on top of us, so I decided I would wait a few minutes before I headed out. Well, a few minutes turned into 15 and still no rain, so I checked the map and it seemed to have moved south but not east. I decided I would give it a go and hope for the best. Well, it was a good decision. I got up to the track and resumed my counter-clockwise approach to the track. I started with my standard 1 lap of walking to warm up and then moved onto running. I wound up running 6 laps, but could have run more. Well, except for the fact that as the sun was getting higher in the sky, the dark blue sky to the west became more and more ominous looking and then as I was finishing the 5th lap, I noticed a rainbow. As I finished the 6th lap, I decided I would capture the rainbow and sky:

As I headed home, I could feel the breeze picking up against my back. I was hopeful that I would get home before the rain started. After opening the garage door, I snapped this picture of the rainbow, now more fully developed and a hint of second rainbow starting:

Then, it started to sprinkle. I headed inside, content in knowing that I had run 1 1/2 miles straight and had seen a beautiful rainbow at the end of my run. It was a great rain too, the sun was shining and it was coming down. Beautiful to watch from the dryness of my home.

Last night, I fit in both Zumba with my friend, as well as Day 9 of the Ab Challenge. I am not yet feeling the Ab workout, which has me worried that I am not giving it 110%. I will just have to be sure to give it more.

Eating was good yesterday. I tried a new recipe at dinner - it was shrimp and pineapple kebobs with a brown sugar and lime glaze. Very tasty and pretty healthy too!

The scale is finally starting to respond and I have almost fully recovered the last week and a half of intermittent picnics, parties and nights out.

Monday

Why do we run around the track counter-clockwise? I can tell you that after months of doing that, running clockwise feels very strange. It's like being on a new track - I noticed things that I had never seen before, and I struggled to motivate myself based on track markings. When I walk/run in the neighborhood, I make a concerted effort to balance the number of cul-de-sacs that I turn to the left and to the right, but at the track, it is always the same and I worried that I was doing my body a disservice by always stressing the same joints as I rounded curves.

I got a late start this morning, as I had to fold a load of laundry to find my exercise clothes. I had intended to do it last night, but headed off to bed because I wasn't feeling well. I am proud to say that I was able to complete a 1 1/4 mile run while I was there. That simply was all the time that I had, or I think I could have run further. It was so refreshing to have the temperatures be under 60 this morning, although still very humid, it sure beat the mid-70s that I had been running in. I felt really good after the run.

Eating was good yesterday. I was at the lower end of my target for calories and at or just below the target for Protein, Carbs and Fat. I was planning to have a small snack, but when I started not feeling well, I headed to bed without a snack. I was worried that I would be hungry when I woke up, but I was not.

Yesterday's 30 Day Ab Challenge was a recovery day, so that was a nice break. I will of course, do Day 9 tonight. Also, tonight I am planning to go to Zumba with my friend. I can't wait to exercise with someone and to get in a bonus workout.

Sunday

What a day! Yesterday was ridiculously hot. We were outside briefly, while we ran errands and it was amazing how that wall of heat just hit you.

We went out to dinner with some new friends. My husband went to college with a woman that is moving to the area because of her husband's new job. They arrived in town yesterday to start exploring and house hunting, but he starts work on Monday. We met at the Melting Pot. It was a great evening of visiting, eating and a bit of wine drinking. As we walked back to the car, in a much cooled down temperature, my husband commented that he didn't think you ate as much food there as you normally would. I think that the fact that you eat over a 2 hour plus timeframe allows your body to feel full sooner. I did my best to be conscientious about what I chose. With the cheese fondue course, I stuck with broccoli, cauliflower and apples for dipping in the cheese. I know that the cheese may not have been healthy, but by choosing fruits and veggies over bread, I reduced total calories in that course. For the salad course, I did the dressing on the side and used very little of it. They have these Parmesan encrusted pine nuts that they put on their Ceasar salad and they were wonderful! For the main course, we used vegetable broth for cooking - again a healthier option than oil or wine. I focused on the shrimp and only had a couple pieces of the filet and chicken. I had mostly broccoli and just one potato. Dessert - well, it was dessert and I allowed myself to indulge. I sent them an e-mail asking for nutritional data, but based on a chart that I found online - the cheese fondue was around 300 calories, the salad around 154 (plus a bit of dressing), the protein prepared in the broth was around 335, and the dessert about 400 calories. I certainly went over...but it could have been worse!

This morning I struggled for motivation, but I knew that I had splurged last night and the scale didn't show it, so if I moved, I could recover and be on the road to losing again. I got going and surprisingly, I was able to push myself to do 5 consecutive laps - 1 1/4 miles. Then, I was only going to do one more lap, but pushed myself to do 3 consecutive laps. So, I wound up running over 8 laps of the 10 lap workout at the track. I was very proud of myself. When I walked in the door, my daughter reminded me that I had promised we could mop again soon. So, I got the opportunity to fit in a quick vacuum and mop. Then, I did Day 7 of the 30 Day Ab Challenge that I had skipped the night before. All of this before 9 am!

Today should be an easier day for eating. There are no social plans or crazy schedules. It will be good to get my body back to normal intake. There have been enough things - 4 picnics, 1 night out and friends visiting this last week to leave my body unsure of what 'normal' should be. I am sure that I will find my belly growling at strange times, since I haven't had a normal schedule of eating in a few days. I will be strong and ignore it if I know that I have eaten well.

Hot and Muggy!

That has been the theme around here lately. Thursday we were in the 90s, yesterday we were in the high 90s, today we are going to be in the high 90s. It certainly has had some impact on my workout.

Thursday morning, as I was lacing up my shoes, I heard the siren going off outside, so I logged on to check out the weather. Sure enough, we were under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning. I looked at the radar and was convinced that I could still fit in a quick workout, but would just stay in the neighborhood. My husband disagreed, so I skipped the run. Later that morning (I had the day off), I did a three mile workout using a Leslie Sansone Walk at Home video. In the evening, when it cooled to 80-something, my daughter and I went for a walk around the block. It was nice to get in an extra mile walk.

Friday morning, it was already 70 and over 80% humidity when I went out for my run. The air was too heavy, I just couldn't run for long. It also didn't help that some random guy, who I haven't seen at the track before, showed up, I dropped to walking so that he would pass me...I like to have strangers in front of me so I could see him, not behind me. It was broad daylight and there were workers at the construction site, so I wasn't really that worried, but still my friends weren't there so it was just me and this guy. He only did about a mile and left. I wound up running a total of a mile, but I did it one lap at a time.

This morning it was already mid-70s and 90-ish% humid when I went to the track. The drawback of going at 7 is that the sun is higher in the sky and makes it feel warmer. It dawned on me as I was running this morning why they start all of the runs so early in the morning, as the sun continues to rise it starts to really feel hot. Today, I wanted to do better than yesterday, so I decided to push for two laps of running each time. I wound up doing 2-2 1/2-2 running of a total of 9. So, just over 1 1/2 miles of running and less than 3/4 mile walking.

I continue to complete the 30 day Ab Challenge. It is amazing how out of shape my Abs are. She recommends doing 15-20 reps, 4 rounds on most exercises - I am lucky to do 10-12 reps. I can tell the day after a workout that I did something with my abs, so I am hoping that means that they are getting stronger.

Eating has been pretty reasonable, aside from the 4th. Unfortunately, the scale isn't recovering. I have faith though that it will all come back together and I will start to see improvement on the scale. The good news is that I am feeling better, feeling healthier.

Happy 4th of July!

So, normally, I like to think - it's a holiday, I can take a workout holiday - but not today. Despite it being a holiday, I decided to get up and go for my run. Granted, I allowed myself to sleep in over an hour, which felt great, but the point is I went and ran. It was 73 and 86% humidity when I checked. The sun was higher in the sky. I was very surprised to arrive at the track and see a bunch of cars parked at the school. I guess one of the teams meets for the weight room, sprints, etc. in the morning. I think I see the first few arrive normally when I am at the track, but today since I was an hour later than normal, they were in the thick of their workout. There were a few others at the track as well. I like having a little bit of company, gives me incentives and allows me to push myself on different guideposts.

As usual, I walked the first lap and then started into my run. I wasn't even 1/2 way around that first lap when I started thinking, I'm not going to be able to go 5 1/4 laps like I did yesterday. I'll be lucky to finish 1 I thought, but at each turn, I had another milestone that kept me moving towards the next. As I entered the second lap, I was close to passing a woman that was walking at the track. Then, RunKeeper gave me a 5 minute update. Then, I was half way through my goal of 5. Then, I finished 3 laps. Then, I got another five minute update. Then, I finished 4 laps and told myself the rest is gravy, if I do it, I do it; if not, I still ran a mile. As I was approaching the 3/4 point on that lap, I thought about stopping, but realized that was 1/2 lap shorter than the day before. Then, I was thinking, I will get a five minute update shortly. Next thing I knew, I completed the save 5 1/4 laps as yesterday. Then, I thought I might just walk out the last lap and head home. As I was reaching the end of the lap, the guy next to me passed me and I decided to run and see how we paced. He was faster, but I finished the lap and that was what mattered. I did walk home though. The sun was making that 86% humidity feel very sticky.

I did pretty well with eating yesterday. A lunch time tornado warning resulted in a later than normal lunch, but I was able to resist the temptation to get something not as good for me simply because I was feeling famished. I did well at the two picnics, generally avoiding chips and sweets. At the first picnic, we started out with a kickball game - a good active way to avoid picking at the food. They had pulled pork, which I enjoyed without a bun. I had a couple of chips with it. The brownies I had brought were already long gone by the time we went through the line. At the second picnic, I did pretty well. I stayed away from the food for a good while and then had a bowl of chips with some cheese dip and some wine. Based on my estimates, I was well within target and even had some room for error on my estimates of portion.

After our picnics, I did come home and complete the 30 Day Ab Challenge. I did sort of okay on the two exercises, but the metabolic exercise was too hard for me and I simply couldn't complete it.

Of course, the scale didn't respond to a good day. The good news is that the evening weight is moving down, so again, one of these mornings the scale will just respond.

Today, we are hosting a picnic, so I will just have to make sure that I have a good balance of food that allows me to indulge wisely. We are picnicking at lunch, which gives me some flexibility to eat a lighter dinner, if necessary.

I'm On a Roll

WooHoo! I was a little nervous about running today. Not only was it 70 degrees and 70% humidity at 5:30 am when I checked before going out for a run, but my sides were very tender from having completed the first two days of the 30 Day Ab Challenge. Even as I was walking up, I could feel the heaviness of the air and felt a bit like I was walking with a stitch in my side like you get when you over exert. I decided, as I frequently seem to do, that I would just do what I could. My first goal was one lap. My second goal was to get a five minute update from RunKeeper. My next goal was to make it until that next five minute update. Then, it was to complete one mile. Then, it was to give it all and see how far I could get on the fifth lap. Then, it was to get that next five minute update. In the end, not only did I do the 5 laps to match yesterday, I went an extra 1/4 of a lap. I was very happy. I slowed down and took this picture of the sunrise:

Then, I ran one more lap for good measure and headed home from my workout. I decided that I needed to water and rake my garden, so I spent a few minutes tending to my garden before coming inside.

I seem to be stuck again. I went a little beyond on Saturday and can't seem to fully recover. The biggest challenge is that again tonight, I will face challenge. We were invited to two picnics and I ran into one host at the grocery store buying a case of wine. I am just going to have to make sure that I plan today for an evening with more calories than normal. I'm not yet sure how I will do this. If it weren't supposed to be so warm, I would consider an extra walk at lunch time. I will have to see what I can do.

Monday

Well, Saturday on the run and a friend's engagement party had me well over consumed for the day. So, no activity and eating beyond my calorie target, quickly negated the fact that I had exceeded the 10# mark. I was a little disappointed with myself. I did really well, for the most part. I shouldn't have had the extra piece of pizza at lunch - I had packed a lunch that I knew fit into my calorie target, but after eating it, I foolishly accepted a piece of pizza. It was tasty, but I had already eaten lunch. Then, at my friends party, I stayed with the fresh cut veggies for the most part, but at one point I dipped them in the cheese dip and they had that veggie pizza made on a crescent roll with cream cheese. I couldn't resist.

Sunday was a little bit better. I didn't start my day with activity. I ate reasonably well, having a light lunch in anticipation of making homemade pizza for dinner. I even splurged on some Sierra Mist - why I ask myself. I was able to stay on target for the day. In the evening, I did Day 1 of the 30 Day Ab Challenge. The exercises were hard, I wasn't able to complete the number of reps that they wanted us to, but gave it my all. I did do 1000 jumps, sans jump rope. I had to break it up into 100 - 150 jumps at a time, but I did it. I can't wait to see what Day 2 has in store for me.

Today, I got up late and decided that I might just walk today. Well, when I got to the track, I was alone. I don't know what that has to do with anything, it is more so a statement of fact, I suppose. Anyway, after the first lap, I decided that I should probably make the most of the time that I have at the track and run some. After the first lap, I felt like I had to push myself to complete the second run lap. Next thing I knew, I was negotiating with myself to finish the fifth run lap. I ran 1 1/4 miles straight! So, I was at the track for 6+ laps and ran 5+ of them. Woo Hoo! It felt awesome. Of course, knowing that once the lap was done, I would head home made it easier to convince myself. I hope I can repeat it when I know that I will be walking a lap and then returning to running.

One Month

WooHoo! I knew that the scale would do it one of these days. I was down almost 2# when I stepped on the scale. I didn't actually 'lose' 2# in one day, but I have been plateaued for about a week now. I think my body was adapting to things and making sure, before it 'released' this weight. I've seen it happen this way before, so I was just waiting on it.

The best part is that I have been doing this now for one month - started tracking on 5/29. I am down just over 10# in that window. That means that I am well on target of reaching my interim goal of being down 17# by my birthday. I would love to be ahead of that, but recognizing that the first few pounds are easier to lose, I am not yet ready to accelerate the timeline.

No run today - it is raining. We are going to spend our day with swimming lessons, soccer, and t-ball - so I'm guessing there won't be a work out today, but I am okay with that. I was able to run all five days last week, so I can afford a break in my routine. A chance for my body to recover and re-energize.

Another Mile and then some!

When I went out for my run this morning, despite it being before 6 am it was already mid-70s and 80% humidity. I was immediately struck by the heaviness of the air. It was very evident to me with how slowly I made the walk up to the track. I started to question whether I would be able to run very well in this weather. My 'friends' were there when I got there and another gentleman, who I learned grew up in Virginia, joined us. I walked the first lap and then started into my run. As I was in my second lap of running, I passed my friends and they asked if I ran yesterday. I told them I had and said that I missed them. They told me that they had left because two strange guys had showed up and just seemed to be hanging out. They were still there when I got there, but by then they were doing sprints and steps and shuttle runs, but there were other runners too. They were glad to hear that I wasn't alone at the track with the other guys. It made me happy to think that they were looking out for me. Needless to say, our conversation slowed down that second lap, but I was able to complete it and then the third one and then I figured I would do what I could. I was able to complete the fourth lap and started into the fifth. I think I could have gone a little further, but didn't want to push too much, so I settled for 4 1/4 laps. I walked out the balance and followed it up with 3 + laps of running. I was very pleased with myself - I overcame the heavy, stagnant air and ran over a mile and then followed it with 3/4 of a mile more.

Eating was good yesterday. I had a couscous stuffed tomato for lunch. It was couscous, grape tomatoes, zucchini, squash and feta cheese inside a tomato, sprinkled with some bread crumb and bit of Parmesan. I also had a side of steamed broccoli and red peppers. It was very tasty and satisfying. I was a little worried there wasn't enough 'meat' to it. Dinner was pork tenderloin, but I skipped the bun, making it a better option for me. I finished my day with a nice cup of milk. Milk is a favorite treat of mine. I find that when I am watching calorie intake, I tend to drink a little less than normal, so when I can find the 100 calories at the end of the day, I am very happy.

I was a little bummed that the scale didn't respond at all today. Maybe it was by design....I had said that if I was down, I might skip the run and do the laundry and dishes. Turns out, I did it all.

I Ran A Straight Mile!

So, my title might be cheesy, but I am excited. I mentioned yesterday that my goal was to be able to run a straight mile, 4 laps and that I hoped to do it by the end of the week. On Monday I was at doing 3 laps in a row and did that twice. So, stretching to a full 4 laps may not sound like much, but trust me, for me it was quite a stretch. I essentially added about 1/4 lap each day. I wasn't convinced that I could finish the 4 laps today, but I was determined and I did. I even allowed myself to walk a full lap since I ran the 4. Then, I wrapped up with 2 laps of running. So, I actually ran 4+ and 2+ of 8+ laps. My plus is equal to about 11 strides (or the distance from the start line to the first big arrow on my track). Continuing my recent practice of running home instead of walking, I was able to complete my journey today in just 37 minutes. Not bad for a 3.2 mile journey. Now, I think I will stay at the run 1 mile thing for a while, but will try to get going earlier so that I can increase the second run interval from 2 towards 4. That would really only need about 10 more minutes, I just need to get moving faster in the morning. Well, that and the fact that it was really a challenge to finish the 2 after running the 4. Then, I want to get back to the point where I am at the track for the equivalent of a 5K. By the end of summer, I want to be able to run a 5K. I have a ways to go.

Eating was good yesterday. I was so proud of myself. I was in a meeting and the cookie tray was sitting beside me. I picked at the fruit and after about 2 hours, I had a small piece of a brownie, but that was it. Hours of staring at cookies and brownies and only having a nibble is a great stride in self-control. I just need to keep that up. Ate within my target calories, even with having bread and olive oil dip at dinner. This bread that my husband buys is just airy enough that I can have 3 decent slices for only 120 calories. It makes me feel like I am really splurging and yet, am not.

Scale is still holding steady in the morning, but the night time is coming down. Hoping that means I am ready for the morning to start moving again. Plateaus are discouraging.

Wednesday

I was feeling very sluggish this morning. I got up a little late and by the time I was ready to go out for my walk, I was already really late. I was feeling a little bit stiff, but I decided that a quick stretch and getting moving was the best remedy. I headed up to the track, which seems to be becoming progressively more crowded. There were the same two women walking when I arrived, but while we were doing our thing, another pair arrived to run and then another pair to walk. Suddenly, there were 7 of us at the track. I think that I might need to get back to arriving early, I find it more relaxing to be there with just the two others, versus a huge crowd. I was able to 'best' myself on the first run sequence, by going several strides past the 3 1/2 lap mark. With time limited, the second sequence was just 1 lap plus a few strides. I was happy that I completed over a mile run on a morning that I was contemplating not going, and recognize that I need to get moving in the morning to allow myself to continue to improve. My goal is to get to running a full four laps, I would like to get there this week. I was stretching towards that today, getting a good distance towards 3 3/4 laps, but I think the crowd left me conscientious, as the one pair passed me just as I was completing 3 1/2 laps. It was the first time I was passed while running. It was a little disheartening.

Eating was good yesterday. Forgot my packed lunch, so I enjoyed my goat cheese and veggie sandwich. Today, I will remember to pack. I hate to waste leftovers and I still have some turkey soup, plus I have a big bag of cherries.

The scale seems to be stuck. It was up big unexpectedly the other day and though I have nearly recovered from that up, I seem to be hanging. My guess is that this will be like other plateaus and one day, I will step on the scale and find myself suddenly down 2 - 3 pounds overnight. I just hope it comes soon. I get discouraged when I am plateaued. I need to move past this and continue to progress to my goal. I have an engagement party to attend this weekend and was hoping to be down another pound, in hopes that my dress will look better.

Tuesday

I did it! I 'bested' myself again today. I know that at some point I will not be able to make much improvement, but now, while I can, I want to celebrate. Today, I was able to run 3 1/2 laps and then after only 1/2 lap of walking, ran another 3 laps. I did the same distance as yesterday and finished one minute quicker. It was awesome.

Yesterday, we had friends over for dinner and grilled out. I am not sure what I expected, but the hamburgers that we have are chock full of calories. I exceeded my daily target for yesterday. I was a little bummed with myself for not thinking ahead. Not that a hot dog is healthy by any means, but it would have been a better fit in my daily target. Oh well, you live and you learn.

The good news is that I was down from yesterday, but not back where I should be on the scale. I tend to have more faith in today's number than yesterday's seemingly inflated number. Hopefully, tomorrow all will return to normal.

Monday - a new week

Wow! What an invigorating workout! I think sometimes that I have my best workouts when I feel least like I am going to. I had a few obstacles today, but I worked through them and came out on top. I wasn't sure on the walk up that I would run much at all. I wasn't quite through the first lap of my run and was wondering why my legs hurt so much and my breathing was so heavy. I have to thank the two women at the track for helping to keep me going. They don't know that they did anything, they were simply walking and talking, but it became my goal to lap them, while I was running. This got me through the 2nd lap of running and by then, I was able to go for the run until the next 5 minute update goal. Then, I walked nearly a full lap before starting into my run again. Again, a target of lapping the other women became my goal again. It took me two running laps to do it and by then, I decided that in order to improve on what I had done last week, I would need to do one more lap and wanted to run as much as possible. Needing at least 1/4 lap to best my total run from last week. Well, I did it! I was at the track for 2 miles/8 laps and I ran 3+ and 3+, with a 1 lap walk before each. It felt so awesome. Best part - my pace for the whole outing was 12:21. A full :38 better than last time on a longer distance. I ran a full 1/3 mile more in only 1 minute longer than I did last Monday.

Eating was good yesterday. We went out for lunch after taking the kids for pictures. I planned ahead and printed off the pdf of the calorie information, so that I was able to make the best choices for me. Dinner was turkey soup, which I just find very simple and satisfying. I topped my day with a cheese and cracker snack, as I was light on protein for the day. I finished within my calorie target.

Which, is why, I am a little confounded today. The scale was right where it was supposed to be yesterday and yet this morning it was up 3#! Now, I get that things fluctuate and don't consider anything up or down 1/2# to really mean much, but 3#. Especially after a day where I was right on target with my eating. My body is doing something strange. I will do my best to 'ignore' it and hope that things correct for tomorrow.

Saturday

Well, Friday was a good day. I headed out to lunch as planned. I ordered the chicken fajitas with no rice, no beans, no tortillas, no oil. So, pretty much chicken, peppers, tomatoes and onions. It was still very tasty. I had a few chips, but not too many. Dinner, we had pasta arrabiata and bread. The arrabiata sauce is mostly tomato, so it was reasonably low in calories, I had 1/2 serving of bread and a serving of pasta. Again, yummy!

I started my day out with a Zumba class. It was a lot of fun and I felt really energized after the class was over. So much so, that I did a lot of errand running. Lunch was simple and mostly leftover clean-up. I had open faced grilled cheese, an ear of corn and some fruit. Dinner is a picnic, it could be a challenge, but I will persevere.

We have a busy day ahead of us.

It's finally Friday!!!

Of course, last week, Friday was even better because I was off! But, I am still very glad that it is Friday. I feel like I have so much stuff to do - nothing big, but still lots of stuff to do and it will be good to have a weekend to catch up on some things. It is a busy weekend, but perhaps a little less busy than the past few.

I started today with my run. On my walk up to the track, I wondered to myself, what if I don't do as well as yesterday, what would I say. I mean, being honest, eventually I won't 'best' myself everyday. Eventually to do it in less time or do more distance is going to get harder and harder. Eventually, sleeping in will not work because to continue to press, I will need to add time to my run. But, the good news is, despite my concern, I did do better today. I ran 3 1/4 laps and 2 1/4 laps of the total of 7 laps. The first lap is always a walk, so really, I have about 1/2 lap improvement before I need time! I actually even ran part of the way home too! I was about 1/4 of the distance home and when I got my update from RunKeeper, I was at 12:00 min/mile for my pace. I was so excited, I wanted to see if I could keep it, so I decided that despite my exhaustion, I would try to run most of the rest of the way home. When I got home, it said the pace was 11:59, but after it 'adjusted' down the .01 distance that it sometimes does on transmission, it moved to 12:01. Still pretty darn good! When I was running my pace ranged from 8:59 - 9:57 min/mile. And...I did the same distance that I have over the past couple of outings and did it in 2 1/2 minutes less time.

Eating was reasonable yesterday. I didn't do so well with tracking dinner. I had chicken bruschetta, but I completely failed to weigh my portion and then, I went with a user entered option, so I am not quite sure that what I ate was a serving of what they entered. Today, I have a lunch out, so I am sure that I will be more challenged than usual. I will just have to find something that is satisfying and not too high in calories.

Tomorrow, if the schedule permits, I would like to go to Zumba class. It is the first Saturday in a while with no soccer. We will see when baseball is - won't know for sure until the teams that play tonight finish because it is a tournament game and the game time depends on your seed.

Thursday

It was a really warm morning for a run/walk. I was a little bit surprised, to fine it 70 and 90% humidity. I was just glad that I don't walk in the afternoon or evening. It is supposed to get up to 92 again today. I did really well. I think that although not ideal, taking the break yesterday was probably a good thing. I wound up running 3++ laps and 2+ laps, out of a total of 7. It was a little strange to walk almost a full lap between the two stretches of running. I only was planning to do 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 laps the first time, like I normally do, but I had started a bit late and I thought to myself, if I run 2 laps then I will be done sooner. Then, as I was completing the second lap, I thought, if I push a little harder, I can get a little further. Then, as I rounded the 2 1/2 lap point, I thought I really should see if I can finish this lap. As I approached the 3 lap point, I thought my app should tell me I've completed 5 more minutes, I can run until it does. So, I wound up several strides past the 3rd lap. It felt great. I took the rest of the lap to walk, although I had debated running at the 3/4 point. It really felt good. I actually spent the same amount of time as Tuesday, but since I ran 1/4 lap less, meant I must have moved a little faster this time.

Eating has been well. I don't have bananas, as they were all over-ripe and I turned them into chocolate banana bread, which I have been eating every morning. Awesome! I have been getting my workout protein from bars lately. I used up all of my shakes. After I use up the bars, I have some powder that I will use for some smoothies and then I will need to buy more. I just want to make sure that I use up what I have on hand. For lunch yesterday, I had this really yummy Rainbow Trout Oscar with a side of string beans. I just wish that there was an option for the asparagus on the side too! It was really flavorful and left me wanting more. Dinner was eggs over easy, toast, pierogie and sausage. It was a very satisfying meal and one that we haven't done in a while.

The scale responded favorably today. I have been back in the groove for under a month and pacing well. It is so motivating when your efforts pay off.

Wednesday

I got up on time this morning, but had a 'quick' thing to do for work. Next thing I knew, I was running late. I had used up all of my run time and my post run time and no longer could get out and run...and was rushing around to get to work on time. Not ideal!

Eating was good yesterday. Actually, because I had cereal for dinner, it was light on protein, but otherwise was on target. We had a community parade and we didn't get home until after 8. It was hot and no one was interested in much for dinner, so cereal seemed like a nice choice.

I got in a bonus couple of miles yesterday because of the parade. I parked at the end of the route and walked towards the middle, then after the parade, I walked back. Not a workout pace, but still a little extra activity that is not part of a normal day.

Weight was at 'recover' point, before my eating out day. Now, hopefully, it continues to move in the right direction.

Tuesday

I got up on time today, but I wound up logging on to my work computer to disable my out of office, which I got a reminder that I failed to do yesterday. One thing led to another and suddenly it was 5:50. I wasn't going to let that discourage me, so I headed out for my run. I am glad that I did. It was a great run. I did the same 7 laps at the track that I have for the past few days, in less time! Of course, I know that the real reason for that is that I ran more than I did but it still sounds great to me. Also, today I took the paved walkway into and out of the track. Evidently, this adds a few hundredths of a mile to my journey. You see Friday, the paved path was closed and I had to enter and leave through the grass. Yesterday, I entered on the grass and left on the path, as the grass was squishy. There was 0.06 miles different between the all grass and all paved paths. Today, starting on the second lap and ending on the 7th, I ran 1 1/2 laps, 1 3/4 laps and 2 laps, for a total of 5 1/4 laps, just over 1.25 miles. Not bad, considering I was only at the track for 1.75 miles and I ran that great of a majority. Even with my approximately 1.15 miles of walking up and back, I was still able to have a total pace under 13 minutes/mile. I am glad about that.

Eating was good yesterday. A change in evening sports plans left dinner a little strange. I had a small piece of turkey loaf that the family ate without me in anticipation of soccer and baseball. Then, after the kids were in bed my husband needed something to complete the 'Florida' dinner that he had at 4 pm, so he heated a frozen pizza and I had a slice of that. After burning my mouth, I switched to my evening snack of Wheat Thins and string cheese. I was on target for the day with my calories, but came in just shy (2g) of the target range for protein. Everything else was well within range.

I feel so good about myself. I am proud that I continue to get up and go for a run/walk. I recognize that getting healthy and losing weight is hard work, but it is work that I am willing to complete in order to achieve my goals.