Life Happens

Yup, agreed.  In the end, I just want it to all be a fun, loving, amazing journey.

Ben Does Life...it's going to be a lifelong journey

An eggcellent idea

I love eggs.

Green machine

I need more greens...decided to start a daily smoothie with 2 cups greens, berries, pineapple & water. Icy but yum!

New Day

Back on track after a fabulous spring break.

Life, what you make it

Pondering what I want to do. I'm not a bucket list person, I like to live more by 'feel' than by goal. So thinking of a few things I hope to accomplish in the near future... I'm not one to do something I have zero interest in, regardless of it 'broadening my horizons' or some other notion. For example, I have no interest in: learning guitar, dramatic readings, writing poetry, knitting, watercolor painting, excel programming, performance art.

I am interested in possibly:

Marathons
Triathlons
Ultra running (30+ miles)
Swimming events
Centuries
Bike treks, like 3-5 days long
Camping
Bike repair (learning how to fix my own bike)
Reading some of the classic novels
Seeing classic movies
Building something (out of wood)
Zumba
Bar strengthening
Martial arts
Canoe/kayak
Hiking
Dog walking
Dancing
Counseling

To be continued....

Getting back in the groove

A few thoughts from my last run. I have calf & achilles aches for sure but I think SO much of my difficulty in finding my groove for running post marathon is emotional/mental.

To get to the start & finish line of a marathon, I suck every last bit of mojo, energy, fuel & passion from my bones to do it. So the weeks following it's not a surprise that I am physically & emotionally depleted. I just forgot that. On my Saturday run it came rushing back to me as I was wiping away tears from aches & pains but more so an overwhelming sense of 'where's the joy!? The lightness!?' now that I've felt that lightbulb go off in my brain, that the mojo from my bones is depleted, I do feel lighter. Go figure. Ready to build it back up, one run & motivating thought at a time!

Mojo after a marathon...

If you find my mojo, let me know.  I've lost it somewhere.

Pantry Pain

This is the pantry...I need to wean the kiddo off this crap for sure but like the Buddhist story of telling the kid not to eat sugar, "I need to do it for myself first before I can lecture."

Have been on gluten/wheat light all week & felt fine....and tonight had a few slices of artisan garlic bread....right now I'm dying. Belly in so much bloated, churning pain.  I think I felt like this a lot before but never realized it, I just thought that's how I felt after eating sometimes. Wow. Ugh. Never again.  Really going to think about how gluten, wheat, dairy, sugar...makes my body feel & how I function when I eat it or don't eat it!

Bare Naked

Laying off dairy hasn't been that rough...until today.  A taco salad without sour cream & cheese...ouch.  It was all right, tasted very fresh & yummy but I have to admit, I missed my dairy!  This whole experiment with *limiting dairy & sugar (I say *limiting because if I do eat it I refuse to feel guilty about it. I am too old & life is too short for that type of pressure about a piece of cheese:-) has been a wonderful exercise even for the first few days.  I am so much more AWARE of what I eat & what I grab and throw in my mouth out of habit.  I have been hungry a lot the past few days because I am not snacking on all of dude's leftovers and stuffing my mug whenever the mood strikes.  So this awareness has been great.  I just need to get better at making sure I have lots of non-sugar and non-dairy snacks on hand!  So I don't get ravenous and feel deprived, there is no reason for me to be hungry.

Took a nice 4 miler today, a bit of a calf/achilles ache but not horrible.  I ran out of energy before I ran out of time and that is kinda a bummer.  I had the entire day to run & the weather was perfect but I only ran 50 minutes...which is totally healthy & fine in the fitness scope of things...to a person who loves distance and loves to be out for 2-3 hrs running, well 50 min is nada :-(  

Running & listening to music and being alone & being out cruising town for hours on end is my BLISS.  When I have the time but not the energy or body to enjoy that bliss it makes me feel down and I can't stand that.  I need to find a way to manage my addiction to running :-)  Not a bad addiction to have but definitely one that needs to be put in perspective when I can't run for 2-3 hrs because of an injury or recovery of an injury or just because life gets in the way.  I just need to remember that I am in it for the long haul and will soon be back to long runs, pain-free.  I just feel very far away from the endurance I had for my January 26.2 but I am reassured by the fact that I have tons of time before my next 26.2 and the next and the next and the next.

Hit the pool right after my run to burn off some steam (from not being able to run for hours) and it was awesome.  Love swimming, almost as much as running :-)  Now if only we could have been on our bikes this week....when the rain clears out, we'll be back to climbing.  Been loving Bar & Zumba, wish I could go more often and that the timing of morning zumba fit my schedule better.  Oh well, can't do everything...but I can try :-)  Have been sore lately from classes and the squats from the crazy exercise I got from SD, love that sore feeling, hurts so good.

Thank you SD for the workout

The Past

This is how I used to feel before I started to run, bike, swim.

Hydrate hydrate hydrate...

Fuel & a bit too sweet

My smoothies taste awesome but I am finding I am adding honey each time because unsweetened almond milk, frozen berries & spinach tastes like ICE.  I need to buy some bananas I know they sweeten and bulk up flavor.  I am cutting myself some slack since it is the first 24 hrs but I am finding it really rough to SEE everything I eat written down.  Never said accountability would be easy!  I am also in major H20 deficit, like big time, I need to really truly seriously no really, amp up my water intake.  Like seriously.

Great BarSculpt class, I really need to give 110% when I'm in there or it doesn't work.  If my abs aren't sore tomorrow I will know I was faking it.  I am prone to major leg cramps & charlie horses when doing some exercises~so excited to get my muscles in line (strong) so I won't be cramping up.  I didn't make it to Zumba before Bar and I was so jealous as I watched the ladies leaving the building after class, soaked with sweat & looking so happy & worked.  Tomorrow!

Hit up Ives for 25 minutes of quick laps.  Always worth it!  As I sped off to pick-up Dude, my blood was still rushing in my ears and my muscles were sore.  Almost fell asleep on the couch this afternoon, not sure if that is from Bar/Swim or lack of sugar.  

Definitely hungry...a direct result of not snacking all day or stuffing my face with Dudes leftovers.  I need to have easy to grab snacks (carrots, PB, celery, etc)  Not great to be hungry all the time, can eat, I'm not on a 'diet'....just need to make the right decisions. I want to make sure I keep my energy level and don't get hungry headaches or get too hungry and pig out.

Again with the WATER....drink it already!

Get this party started!

Ok....commitment time.  Was going to put a label on it, 21 days, the length of Shape Up etc but not really sure about the time frame yet, not sure if I want a time frame.  I am going to try & be focused & aware and if I consciously make a choice to consume outside the lines (that I have drawn below) so be it :-) I hope I at least give it a real college try and stay on track.  I want to write down all my food & track my headaches, energy, sore achilles/calf muscle, etc...and see if I can pinpoint any food related links.  I will feel really silly if I cut out something and say, my migraines disappear or my achilles feels rad...such an easy solution I never attempted before.  Silly Lazy Goose of a Girl :-)

I am already quite proud of myself.  I was going to begin this 'tomorrow' but instead started right away, passing on the red velvet cupcakes, banana bread cupcakes & ice cream cake at a birthday party this afternoon.  That was harder than I thought, I found myself reaching for a cupcake (mini ones at that) but stopped myself.  I am still thinking of those cupcakes, drats.  Then I came home and had mid-afternoon coffee, with no sugar...surprisingly good.  

No {cow} Dairy

Bring on the pecorino & chevre! I am also game for trying goat/sheep milk yogurt, I tried it a few years back and too musky.  Maybe they have upgraded, I hope.  I ate a LOT of soy yogurt when I was pseudo vegan and it was ok but tasted a bit fake.  Not keen on replacing all dairy with soy this time around, made me feel heavy. Going to try and just cut out the cow dairy and not replace it in most cases if possible.  I always wonder why people make a big effort to make Tofurky loaf at Thanksgiving instead of just making something else...so I'm going to try to change things up and not just replace one dairy with another.  Goat cheese is a whole other ballpark tho, love that stuff easily:-)  Last time I went off dairy I felt so much better (which makes one wonder why I started chowing down on it again? Habit & it tastes goooood).  So we'll see this time around, I already eat way less dairy overall since I went on that vegan kick.

No {raw/white} Sugar

I am a raw or white sugar addict.  Going to try and lay off that.  Not going to restrict honey or maple syrup or molasses since I usually don't have a problem with those.  if I start to drink honey from the container, then we might need to re-group. Not going off alcohol either.  I usually only have a drink 1-2 times a month and I am not going to swear off a whiskey for the sake of it.  I really only want to try and overhaul areas that I really feel I have no self-control over...SUGAR.  Coffee with soy creamer today and NO sugar I thought would suck... surprisingly it didn't.  If anything it was good, tasted more like coffee instead of warm sugar & cream with coffee essence.  Going to try and pack healthy snacks for when I am working out but I am not going to limit my sugary fitness fuels (GU, Powerbar, etc) when running or riding.

Gluten 'Light'

 I really have zero idea about gluten-free or gluten-full, this little experiment will hopefully help me with that. I don't disagree with grains but maybe that is because I was raised on the USDA food pyramid and Grains were hailed as 'good' when I was growing up.  I have read (need to read more) that gluten can cause inflammation and lord knows I need to reduce my inflammation of my muscles.  So we'll see.  I thought laying off Gluten would be pseudo easy, until I looked at the ingredient list of my huge box of Special K (that I just recently bought after a 4 yr cereal hiatus) and  it only has 4 ingredients, the 2nd of which is straight-up WHEAT GLUTEN.  Boo.  Maybe Special occasion Special K will be allowed :-)  I do know I NEED to lighten up on the pasta, the past year has been pasta rich in our house and I can feel it.  Hopefully it will be fun to find alternatives to white & whole wheat pastas, for me & the whole family.  I really want to just experiment and try more varieties of food & flavors.  Going vegan for a while really got me on the raw coconut train, nuts, dates, etc.  I really hope to find even more foods to fill up my diet that are flavorful and good for me.  AVOCADOS!  

More Fridge, Less Pantry

A nutrition book I read once said not to eat anything that has a shelf life or can be stored in a pantry.  That idea stuck with me but I gotta disagree.  I love canned beans, tuna, etc... So not going to lay off on those things or even on healthy (gluten free) crackers, snacks...Just going to be much more aware of the choices I make.  

Other highlights:

DRINK MORE (much more) WATER

Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep MORE*

Cook & Bake & create more healthy, nutrient dense & tasty foods

*Sleep:  I know that much of the reason I do not lose weight/lean out even with all the activity I do, is my lack of sleep.  I sleep 5-6 hrs a night and usually that is interrupted.  I need to make an effort to Go the F*ck to Sleep at a reasonable hour & try to rest my body more so it can recharge and refuel and spend more energy on burning calories.  I have come to love my late evening ME time and I really need to find a way to allow myself that solitary time when it isn't midnight & beyond.

Rolling in the Deep

Cha Cha Cha changes.....a nice run at the coast got me thinking about a diet overhaul.  Belonging to the Shape Up group at the dance studio has been phenomenal, their daily FB updates & motivations are INSANE.  I have never felt such positive energy towards healthy living before.  I can commit to almost any fitness goal but when it comes to diet & food...not so much.  I went nearly vegan last January-summer and I have NO idea how I did it.  Reflecting back I felt very balanced & I was not giving up anything truly, I was easily in the zone for the vegan way of life, at that time.  Not so much anymore.  I love my fish & goat cheese & turkey bacon too much :-)  I am feeling the annoying & alluring buzz within for a change though...commitment & consciousness.

Active

I might be loafing on the Internet (for way too long) but at least my laptop is covered in active propaganda!

Rest

Friday fun day with kiddo. I would have loved to: zumba, bar, swim, run, bike...oh well. I love getting antsy to workout, reminds me I've got the fitness bug in my bones. Makes exercising sinning easier that way. Love it all.

Feeling good & strong.... hope I get in a solid run Saturday. Won't hit Z & B till Monday, kinda a bummer for nearly a week in between classes but... There are worse things :-)

Jazz hands, unicorns & rainbows

That's kinda the world I live in and I like it :-)

Be Nice

Great day all around!  I knew I wanted to take a short run & I think that made me weepy all morning.  Not sure why, fear probably.  Fear of pain & not being able to run.  I had a bit of soreness in my quads & abs from: zumba, bar & bike the previous day.  The fact that I wasn't more sore, showed that I wasn't giving it my all in Bar :-) Usually I feel that class for days!  I stretched, choked back my tears for fears (pun intended) and set off on my run..

...no screeching pain..BOOYAH.  A minor dull ache but nothing compared to what I had been dealing with on my previous runs.  I kept it slow & steady, walked and stretched a lot and by the end of the short run I could feel my achilles a bit more (but knowing it isn't really my achilles but more my calf muscle and the loop around the ankle) I think I chilled out.  My brain was no longer thundering "you are going to rupture your achilles RIGHT NOW!!"  I really wanted to go 5, 7, 10 miles and I could have.  The ache I felt was nothing compared to long run aches but I know how much I want to RUN forever (well at least until I'm like 94yrs, give or take) and so I called it at 3.5.  GO me, being a responsible adult and all that jazz.

Took a gorgeous swim at Ives later, non-crowded pool, hilarious compared to the 5 people to a lane on Monday.  LOVE swimming, laps to me are not a workout, they are like yoga or a nap, totally refreshing and invigorating.  Love it.

Tonight is Cane & Ice and Elevate.  Sending thoughts of warm fuzzies & unicorn tears & rainbows to my ankle for continued healing and hopefully a longer run this weekend...5-7 miles...Yes, Please!

A friend told me lately that her new motto in life is "just be nice, just be kind" and I have thought about that A LOT lately.  I like to think of myself as a happy, jovial, fun-loving and easy-going gal but I'm not always.  I can be persnickety and petty and selfish and crabby and witchy and...well, you get the point.  I'm not always Miss Sunshine but those words "just be nice, be kind" have floated through my head for the past few days & I am taking them to heart.  Whenever I feel any of the above emotions, or anxious & stressed & tired & spent....I just think softly to myself ...be kind....be nice....and I feel better.

1,2...3 workouts today

Zumba ~ So awesome. Still finding my hips & groove but so happy I'm showing up & trying to get in the zone. Achilles was killing by last song :-( Tried to do last routine without using my left foot, not easy to do. I really want to get an achilles-ectomy, is that possible? :-) Achilles pain is so 2011 already. Over it.

BarSculpt ~ Pretty dang tired from Zumba & a BarSculpt/Swim on Monday but I stayed for class #2 anyway! Did ok, not great. Sore muscles & migraine building (awesome right? Not!) Got it done, wasn't pretty but done.

Bike Ride with Miss A ~ Windy! Chilly! Sunny! So easy & nice to chat & roll. Love being on the bike, love. Muscles were cool until the last few miles & then again, with the achilles :-( which usually doesn't bark on bike rides. Migraine was there for the ride but do-able, we woman are strong stock I tell 'ya.

Three routines in one day, a bit much I admit but I coulda cancelled or quit any of them at any time... I didn't. Fitness = 98% emotional/mental game. That's why I love it, I'm stronger than I think.

Gorgeous Tuesday

Rolling

What a big smile, we must be rolling :-)

The Cane

That would be my new physical therapy tool.  Had a great meeting with PT today, he really looked over all my mechanics & reassured me I am NOT on my way to rupturing my achilles.  It is in fact a calf strain, representing itself in throbbing pain near my achilles.  The course of action is the dreaded deep massage that always makes me silently cry when I get worked on by one of the PT docs.  Now I get to make myself silently cry at home, yeah! UGH.  This cane can be used in soooo many different ways to rub out tight muscles or tense areas that need to be kneaded.  Now I just need to make myself use it, how to sign up for daily torture I have no idea.

Took Barsculpt today, have a stuffy head -cold and was 10 min late due to PT appt but I still went.  So proud of me, to enter a packed room in session and squeeze in the back, so not my style but dude I am committed.  Only gave about 70% in class, just felt achy & tired and weak but again, I was THERE!

This afternoon was so in the mood for a nap but I knew if I swam in the sunshine it would help my cold, swimming always helps head-colds.  So I forced myself to go, only had 35 minutes and I still got there & got in.  Busy as anything at the pool, a full lane (4 swimmers and 1 person doing aqua therapy on the side) kinda crazy but everyone was so nice and I wasn't aggro about getting a solid workout, I was just happy I was THERE.  Great swim and the woman in the locker room told me I was "so nice & accommodating" with her in my lane (there is slow swimming and there was this woman's sloooooooow swimming) and I was like "no worries." and that's truly how I felt, No Worries.

Hope this head cold kicks it soon, only been a day but I am slamming Wellness Formula and already feel better. Excited but nervous for Zumba this week, love the energy & sexy of it...and am also nervous about the energy & sexy of it.  I gotta get back in the groove of "put your hands in the air and shaking it like 'ya just don't care"  :-)

Sweet

Today I ran...achilles tender & barking but do-able. Glad I see PT Monday, hoping deep massage will work, also hope he says "do this & you're golden". Oh well, one can hope :-)

Despite dull pain, evening run was Exquisite! Great weather, setting sun, amazing. Pounding tunes, Gotye, Adele, MFA. I am a runner & I thrive when I run.

Love this RW pic, this is how I feel~cupcake on the brain! RW this month ROCKS!

Happy Weekend

Cinnamon raisin toast, plain yogurt, apples, cinnamon. BEST.

Mantra...it really IS all about YOU

Outlook

Nutrition Facts: total bad-ass 100g

So pumped for Shape Up program, getting my groove back with zumba, finding my strength & stretch with Bar, 'going with the glide' in my swimming, hill training for Death Ride and running for halfs & most of all for ME.

Also need to:
Read more
Be on time
Sleep more
De-clutter & Re-org
Buy Less
See The Artist & other great films
Make plans... For adventure.

Rad Peeps

I love friends who think of me when they get swag called 'totally rad' heartfelt thanks K! Love it :-)

Took zumba today, bad-ass! Loud music, so grooving. I need to find my hips again, big time. Going to be an awesome new fitness outlet.

I miss running so much I get a lump in my throat thinking about it. Only 5 days off but...nervous about running this weekend. Hoping less or no pain. So hard to go from 3-4 days a week running to nil. Lots of swim bike bar zumba but once a runner always a runner.