Motivation Monday ~ Weekly Goals, New Plan

Hello folks! Happy Monday!

I hope that you had a good weekend.

Mine did not go as planned. I went to my sister's baby shower Friday afternoon. It was so nice and they were blessed with so many nice gifts. Afterward, I went to a doctor's appointment for some skin issues I've been having recently. I think I'm experiencing some hormonal acne. I never had breakouts like this when I was younger. This had been horrible, painful and terribly embarrassing. I was given a perception for oral antibiotics and a topical ointment.

Sometime during the night, I woke up ill from the antibiotics. I was supposed to get up and run later that morning but just didn't feel like it. As a matter of fact, I didn't feel well enough to do anything until about 2 pm. I forced myself to get up and go do the grocery shopping.

Yesterday, I was supposed to go volunteer at the Oklahoma  City marathon but again wasn't feeling well. I did get up at 0630 to watch the marathon on tv as I had many friends running it. I turned the tv on just in time to see that the start was delayed until 7 am due to severe thunderstorms with hail and lightening. They delayed the start until 7:15 and then again until 8 am. There was real danger of them having to cancel but the storms passed enough, that they were able to start at 8:15. It was so exciting to watch it on tv and made me sad that I there. But with the weather, I was glad I wasn't actually.

I did my house work while watching them run. Then I did meal prep. After ward, I did a total body strength workout and then yoga. I was finally able to sit down and put my feet up for a little while.

This week, I prepped baked chicken, ground turkey, stir fry veggies, brown rice, spaghetti squash, green beans, roasted sweet potatoes, hard boiled eggs, salad, and fresh veggies for snacks.

Our meal plan/workout plan is going to be a little different this week. We're trying the 21 Day Fix from Beachbody. It is a meal/workout plan that comes with multiple, colored portion control containers. Each container/color corresponds with a food group: red - protein, green - veggies, purple - fruit, yellow - carbs, blue - fats/cheese, orange - seeds/oils. You calculate your calorie intake and each day you're allowed x number of containers based on the required/desired calorie intake. I'm on the lowest calorie plan, so I'm allowed: 3 green, 2 purple, 4 red, 2 yellow, 1 blue, 1 orange and 2 tsp (nut butter)

It also includes a 7 day workout plan. Now, I have to tell ya that I cheated and started the workouts last week. I love them! They are led by Autumn Calabrese and when I'm done, I feel like I've done work! Each day is different and each workout is only 30 minutes. They are easily modified if one needs to.

I've joined up with Danielle Prestejohn and a few other bloggers for this challenge. You'll follow us while we do the program for 3 weeks.

I'm a little skeptical about the meal plan. I already do a good job of meal planning/prepping. And I measure all my portions on a food scale. I feel like this is something I've already got a
good handle on. So far, I'm not impressed with the "if it fits in the container, you can eat it" mindset. Especially when it comes to vegetables. When I was preparing my salad today, one green container of lettuce wasn't quite enough for my taste, so I'm going to have an extra green container today. There are worse things I could eat. :-)

We'll give it a go though and I'll try to be open minded about it.

My fitness goals for the week include the 21 Day Fix workout plan with 2-3 short runs included in there.

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving! And whatever you do today, be awesome!

Your friend,

Theresa

Weekly Wrap Up!

TGIF y'all! I'm feeling pretty much like the little girl in the picture. It's Friday, the weather is beautiful here, and I'm off work early today!

I'm leaving work at noon to drive to my hometown for my sister's baby shower. I'm super excited!

Tomorrow, I'm meeting a few friends for a 3-4 mile run in the morning. After that, hubs and I will be en route to Oklahoma City for the Okc Memorial Marathon. Neither of us is running it, but I'm volunteering at the medical tent. There is severe weather predicted for early Sunday morning. I'm hoping that it won't affect the start of the marathon. They have had to delay it for lightening and hail before.

I've been faithful about cross training this week. Last night, I did a pilates routine and really enjoyed it. I can tell a difference in my energy level. I think I've gotten out of my rut and plan on staying out of it!

Until next time--get up, get out and get moving. Whatever you do today, remember to be awesome!

Your friend,

Theresa

Workout Wednesday & Hump Day Motivation

Good morning friends!! 

Woohoo, we're halfway there!! We just have to get over this hump and we're on the downhill side!!

What? You need a little motivation to get over the hump? Well, you came to the right place!!  I certainly can understand the lack of motivation. I've struggled with that myself lately. But, thanks to good friends who believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, I think it's safe to say that I'm back at it!! 

Last night, after work, I got in a 3 mile run with my friends at Turkey Mountain in Tulsa. It was Karen's first run since having foot surgery, so we took it easy with occasional walk breaks. After I got home, hubs and I completed a good core and upper body workout, so I ended my day feeling quite accomplished. It feels good to have that fire re-ignited!!  Now, let's just hope that I don't burn myself out again. :-(

Wednesday is the day that I share one of my favorite workouts with you. So, here's what I've  chosen for Workout Wednesday this week: 10-x-10-climb-and-descend-upper-body-workout-challenge

 

Whew!!  That's a lot of reps y'all!!  It will surely give you those toned, sexy tank top arms just in time for summer!!  Remember:

 

 

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today!!

Your friend,

Theresa

Tuesday Thoughts

Hello, hello y'all!

I hope that you're having a terrific day so far!

Thanks for all the love and support about my food prep post yesterday. It's something that I think I'm pretty good at and enjoy sharing it with others. I would love to develop it into some kind of side business someday ;-)

How inspiring was the Boston Marathon yesterday? I watched an interview with Meb once and have been a big fan of his since then. He is such a talented and humble athlete, which is quite refreshing now days. I was thrilled that he won, he deserved it! I'm so jealous of my friends who are running the Garmin Marathon this weekend. Meb is the key note speaker at the pre-race dinner! I've met a few running legends and some day, I hope to get to meet him. I had a few friends there. It was fun following their social media and tracking them on race day. I probably wasn't as productive at work as I should have been. It's probably a good thing it only happens once a year, otherwise my boss might start to wonder just what I'm up to :-)

As you all know, I've been struggling with my motivation lately. I don't know exactly what the problem is. And, truth be told, it's probably a combination of things. But, I think I may have had a revelation. I've been talking to a good friend about my lack of interest and he's been trying to encourage me but I still really wasn't feeling it. A co worker suggested I try some vitamin D, which I am. But the real "Ah Ha" moment was a comment on my FB page that really resonated with me. I posted a picture of the weekly food prep. One of my friends commented that I was her hero. I asked her why and she said:

"You are so organized! You work out very faithfully, and created all this food for the week! I am happy when I have planned a menu!!!"

That's when it hit me! I try to lead be example and lately I haven't been setting a good one. I'm not practicing what I preach. I've been selfish and wallowing in some kind of self pity for who knows why. Well, all of that stops NOW! People are watching what I do. I've got too many people that I would let down, especially myself, if I don't get it together and start walking the walk again. I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say "because of you I didn't give up".

The lesson learned here is, we all struggle from time to time and sometimes we need help from our friends, those who believe in us when we don't believe in ourselves. The important thing if you get knocked down, is to get back up and keep going. You never know who you might be inspiring!

With that being said, I got in a good total body workout last night. Tonight after work, I'll be running a few miles, then I'm going to do an upper body workout.

Ok, until next time--get up, get out, get moving, and be awesome today!

Your friend,

Theresa

Do you ever struggle with motivation? How do you stay motivated?
Did you know anyone who ran the Boston Marathon

Motivation Monday~~Boston Strong

Good morning sunshines!!

I hope that you all had a fabulous weekend/Easter.

It was a good weekend here. Saturday morning, we went to Stillwater and I got 3 miles done at Boomer Lake. I had a little bit of pain in the right Achilles but it wasn't too bad. I am glad that I taped before I ran and stretched well after. Later, I remembered that I was using a new pair of Superfeet that aren't really broke in yet. Maybe that was part of it. Or maybe it's because my pace was a little fast. I don't really know, but it was better later that day and on Sunday so maybe it was just a fluke.

After my run, we ate some lunch, did some shopping then we came home and did some front porch sitting. I think that's my current favorite past time!!  The weather has been fabulous recently and I love sitting out here watching the birds, rabbits, etc

Yesterday, we did our usual household chores including weekly meal prep

Lemon pepper pork tenderloin, grilled chicken, turkey meatloaf stuffed peppers, baked sweet potatoes,
steamed squash, steamed asparagus, roasted carrots, green beans, mixed veggies, brown rice,
turkey sausage egg muffins, hard boiled eggs, fresh veggies for snacks
 

After the chores were done, it was time for more porch sitting! Afterwards, we had a fabulous dinner and then we tried to watch SALEM, the new series on WGN. But it was too disturbing for me.

Today is the Boston Marathon. There are 36,000 expected to run today. That's all my Twitter feed is about this morning. I've got a personal friend running it, so I'll be checking on her progress as often as I can.

There is a Run for Boston run at Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa tonight, but I don't think I'm going to run tonight. I've got something else up my sleeve and we'll talk more about that later.

I've got to get back on the wagon with my working out/cross training. That was one of my goals this year but I just haven't had the motivation. I'm hoping to try to change that starting tonight! So, with that being said, here are my goals for the week:

Monday: cross train
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednesday: cross train
Thursday: 3 mile run
Friday: REST
Saturday: 4 mile run
Sunday: Yoga

Hopefully I can stick with it!!  Wish me luck!

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving, and be awesome today!

Your friend,

Theresa

What are your workout goals this week??

And the award goes to.....

Good morning sunshines!

Last week, Britney and Rachel both nominated me for a Liebster Award. The Leibster Award is a blogger award given to new bloggers. It's a fun way to get to discover new blogs.

The rules:

1.) you must link back to the person who nominated you
2.) you must answer the 10 Liebster questions given to you by the nominee
3.) you must pick 10 bloggers to be nominated for the award (with a small following)
4.) you must create 10 questions for your nominees
5.) you must notify your nominees


Britney's questions:

1.) what is your most-loved fitness gadget? Garmin Forerunner 210

2.) what is your favorite store/brand for fitness clothes? I don't have any one favorite. I am a bargain shopper, so I have a tendency to buy clothes that are on sale or clearance.

3.) who is your biggest support system? My husband

4.) how do you relax after a race? I like to take a hot Epsom salt bath, put on my compression socks and elevate my feet. The next day, I do yoga and foam roll.

5.) what is your favorite post-workout snack? Lately, it had been beef jerky

6.) what was your first race? The 2011 OSU Scrub Run 10k

7.) what is your favorite distance to run? I like the half marathon the best. It's long enough to be challenging, but not too long

8.) what goal are you currently working on? Recovering from an Achilles injury and returning to running, injury free. I would also like to complete  

half marathons in New Mexico and Colorado, maybe this fall.

9.) when did you start considering yourself a runner? I don't really remember exactly when I thought of myself as a "real runner" probably after I completed my first half marathon

10.) what are you most looking forward to this year? Returning to running, injury free

Rachel's questions:

1. What is your sport or fitness activity of choice? RUNNING!

2. Wine, beer, or liquor? WINE

3. Where are you from, and what do you love about your city? Perry, Oklahoma but currently live near Tulsa, Oklahoma. I love all the running trails in Tulsa!

4. Why did you start blogging? Initially, I started blogging to keep up with my family then it morphed into a fitness blog after people started asking me about my story.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? I would love to live at Lake Tenkiller in northeastern Okahoma. I currently spend every summer weekend there and ultimately plan to retire there.

6. Do you have a sweet or salty tooth? Both, actually. I like sweet in the morning and salty in the afternoon/evening.

7. How many siblings do you have? 2, 1 brother and 1 sister

8. If you could meet any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why? Steve Prefontaine, because he fascinates me. I think he had an uncanny, natural running ability and I would love to pick his brain.

9. What’s your favorite song? Currently, "Play it Again" by Luke Bryan

10. And most importantly, what is your favorite blog post you have written to date? It would probably be the one about my weight loss story. You can read about it here if you want to.

I nominate:

1: Fleurty and Fit

2: Jen B

3: Gwen

4: Mama B

5: Fat to Fit Confessions

6: Tiffany

7: A Different D

8: Run Ginger Run Blog

9: The Lady Okie Blog

10: Ange

Questions for my nominees:

1) what is your favorite way to sweat
2) what are you most proud of
3) why did you get isnto blogging
4) what is the the last book you read
5) what is your secret guilty pleasure
6) what is your favorite way to pamper yourself
7) chocolate or vanilla
8)  if you had a warning label, what would it read
9) if you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take 1 item, what would it be
10)  what's your favorite healthy snack

That was fun!! 

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today!

Your friend,

Theresa

Mid-week Motivation

Hello, hello my lovlies!

I hope all is well with you and that you're having a fabulous week so far! It's Wednesday and we're half way through another work week! Wahoo!

Have you ever had one of those days where you were just a little bit out of sorts? Well, that's where I am today. It isn't really any one thing, it's just a series of multiple little things not going quite right to the point of frustration.

One thing that I'm frustrated about is my lack of consistency when it comes to cross training. I know that I need to and I have the desire to, I just lack the motivation. I don't get the same sense of accomplishment from cross training that I do from running. Sometimes, I don't feel challenged enough so I get bored and give up. I really need to find a way to maintain consistency. Typically, I would try a new workout to keep it fresh or buy myself a new workout outfit, but that's not even working right now. I think that I'm going to try a new group fitness class tonight to jump start me. I'm hoping that will get me out of my workout funk.

On the other hand, I think it's safe to say that I'm in the process of regaining my running mojo! I met a group of my friends at Turkey Mountain last night. We ran 3 miles on the road there followed by hill repeats. It was another relatively painless run! I'm still reluctant to day that I'm healed 100% but I'm closer than I was a day ago. :-)

And that's all I've got time for today.

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today!

Your friend,

Theresa

How do you stay motivated to workout?

Do you ever get bored with your workout routine? What is your current workout regimen?

Monday Motivation/Meal Prep Monday

Good morning folks!!

It was an absolutely fabulous weekend here!

Saturday morning, we got up early and went to Stillwater, Oklahoma for the Lake McMurtry 12k trail run. I've lived in this area all my life. I've been to Lake McMurtry on more than one occasion but I never knew that the trails there existed and how pretty the area was. Hubs and I have never run a trail race/run officially. We didn't have a goal time in mind. Our plan was to run/walk and just enjoy nature. That's exactly what we did. We started out toward the back of the pack. Most of the other runners passed us early on. The trail started out fairly wide but quickly narrowed. We were meeting the 25k and 50k runners at times. There were quite a few steep declines/inclines and the trail was dry as we hadn't had significant rainfall for a while. It could be slick and treacherous in places if it were wet/muddy. It was an out/back course which I didn't mind because it looked quite different on the way back than it did on the way out. I stayed fairly close to hubs for the first 4-5 miles but I ran ahead on mile 5 and walked most of the last mile as I was following 2 walkers. This was the longest run I've done in several weeks and I didn't want to do too much, too soon so I didn't mind the walking. I lost some endurance and conditioning while I was recovering. Initially, I felt out of shape but then I got warmed up and felt better. Overall, it was a good experience and I'm so glad we did it! Hubs has a little bit of pain in his knee but he did great too!! 

 

 

After the run, we had lunch then did our weekly grocery shopping. It was a beautiful day so I finished putting the groceries away, took a shower and then we sat on the porch for a while. It's been so long since we did any front porch sitting that I forgot how enjoyable it was!

 

Yesterday, I got up and did our taxes. Yeah, I know! Nothing like waiting until the last minute but I wanted to prolong the inevitable as long as possible. We sold a home last year so I was dreading the outcome. The damage was bad enough but it wasn't as bad as either one of us expected.

 

When that was done, I did a little closet clean out. Then I tackled the weekly meal prep.

 

I don't have time to cook during the week, so I do weekly food prep on the weekend, usually Sunday. I try to start making my meal plan on Thursday or Friday. I usually try to plan at least 2 protein choices. I try to fix things that will make multiple servings. And I use my crock pot when I can because its a huge time saver!!  Ideally I will shop on Saturday and prep on Sunday.

 

I have a subscription to Emeals.com and I'm currently on a low calorie, 2 person plan. I get some of my meals ideas from there. I also find good ones on Pinterest. And we've got our favorites that I rotate. I don't do anything that isn't easy because I simply don't have time! One of my favorite, go to meals is what I call "dump chicken".  I put 1.5 - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast in the crockpot with whatever seasoning you choose (taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes, salsa, barbeque sauce, soysauce w/brown sugar and garlic, etc) and cook on low 4-6 hours. This will make several meals. It can be shredded for salads or lettuce wraps.

 

I also use steamer bags as often as I can. They are another huge time saver because they don't take long in the microwave and there is no clean up. Birds Eye steamer veggies and Minute Rice steamable brown rice, found in the freezer aisle make meal prep a breeze! I try to prep at least 1 starch (brown rice, quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes) and 2 veggies. Sometimes, I will chop raw veggies for hubs lunches or lettuce for mine, too. I always fixe hubs sausage egg muffins. They are so easy and he loves them. I typically spend 2-3 hours meal prepping including clean up. I keep my trash can on one side of me and a bucket on the other for veggie scraps. Those go out to a compost heap. So, that's how I do it. I find that if I don't do a good job of meal prepping for the week, we make poor choices during the week. Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Weekly meal prep--upper left: turkey sausage egg muffins; upper right: jalapeno turkey burgers, roasted sweet potatoes; lower left: balsamic mustard pork chops, zucchini ribbon salad; lower right: grilled pesto chicken, grilled mixed veggies

 

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today!!

 

Your friend,

 

Theresa

 

Do you meal prep?

What's on your menu this week? Ever tried Emeals?

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Weekly Wrap Up

TGIF folks!!

Woohoo!!  It's finally Friday!! 

I hope that you all had a fabulous week!  The weather has been beautiful here. I've been taking advantage of it as much as I can!

Yesterday was a busy day at work. I had plans to run with my friend, Kelly. She texted me about 4pm to tell me that she wasn't going to be able to run. I decided to go ahead and run anyway. I did 3 miles on Riverside. I wasn't really worried about running alone as there were lots of people out enjoying the weather. I ran in my Brooks Ravenna with the green Superfeet inserts. It was a pain free run and still no pain this morning. That hasn't happened in a very long time!! I'm still reluctant to say that I'm healed or 100% yet. I'm still nervous about doing too much, too soon. With that being said, I'm seriously thinking about a 12k trail run tomorrow. I know that doesn't really sound like taking it easy but there are a lot of good reasons to do it. With it being a trail run, I'll have no choice but to slow my pace and I'm sure there will be areas where I have to walk for safety reasons. Plus, the unpaved trails absorb more shock than paved roads so it will be kinder and gentler on my healing tendons. Also, the weather is supposed to be beautiful tomorrow so it will be a great way to get out and enjoy the weather and nature.

 

The rest of the weekend will be pretty low key. After the run, we'll do our weekly shopping. And Sunday, I'll do the weekly meal prep. I haven't decided what I'm cooking yet. I'm planning to do a meal prep post next week so I'm hoping to have some good recipes to share with you next week.

And that's all I'm planning right now.

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today!!

Your friend,

Theresa

What are your weekend plans??

Trails or roads??

Don't Call It A Comeback, But....

Hello, hello folks!!

Happy Wednesday!!  We're halfway through another work week, which makes me so happy, happy happy!!  I hope you're having a great week, so far!

Yesterday was a beautiful day here. The weather was supposed to be fabulous, so I packed my gym bag with my running clothes and threw it in the car, just in case. About mid day, one of my friends posted on Facebook that they were going to run at Turkey Mountain. That's the place that we went trail running on Sunday. In addition to the unpaved trails, there is also a paved road that runs parallel to the west bank of the Arkansas River. I have a group of friends that meet there nearly every Tuesday for what has affectionately become known as "Turkey Tuesday" The trail starts and ends with a pretty decent hill and is a great place for hill repeats. I was feeling good, so I decided to go give it a try. I advised them that I wouldn't be going fast or far. They understood and said that was ok, we would all go our own pace. I got there, changed my clothes and was happy to see my friend, Edna there. I knew she would be running a comfortable pace for me. We went out for 1.5 miles then turned around and headed back. So far, so good with my foot! We were at about 2 miles when I heard a bird overhead screech a couple of times. I was going to keep going but I happened to glance up and saw that it was a bald eagle!!  What an awesome sight to see!!  Of course we had to stop for pictures!!  LOL

 

The greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity or power, but self-rejection.

Henri Nouwen

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/henri_nouwen.html#JB6XCFTvwJsGVLpi.99

After the bird flew away, we continued on the trail. It's uphill all the way back! My endurance isn't what it used to be and Edna has had some injury issues too. Rita was with us and was supposed to be keeping our pace down. We walked a little bit after the pictures and before we got to the hill. I wasn't planning to run the hill because it is very steep and I was concerned that it would hurt my foot/heel/Achilles. But, we were running a comfortable pace and everything was feeling good when we got the hill, so I just ran! And I made it to the top without any pain!!  It felt so good!!

Post run, happy girl selfie
 

So, don't call it a comeback, but I think I'm back!! 

 I can't tell you how exciting this is for me! My running friends will understand!!  I am not going to push it. I don't have any races planned at this time so I'm just going to take things slow and steady. I'm going to run when I feel good and when I can. I'm going to be thankful for the any run that I can get in. I really think that the arch support is making a huge difference.

Being able to run again has definitely boosted my mood and increased my motivation. I'm feeling like working out again. I've joined a challenge group on Facebook for additional encouragement, motivation and accountability. I'm planning to get back on track with my cross training starting tonight! 

So, last week I was lost and looking for my mojo; this week, I seem to have found it! It's amazing how much joy I get from running!!

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today!!

Your friend,

Theresa

What is on your workout schedule for today??

Motivation Monday

Good morning folks!! Happy Monday!!

That was a great weekend!!  We had fun with my family at my niece's birthday party Saturday. I tried to get a picture with my little "mini-me" but with her friends and pony rides, it was hard to get her to sit still long enough.

Saturday is typically my "long run" day but I wasn't able to this week due to the party. I agreed to meet my friend Kelly on Sunday morning instead. Kelly hasn't been running much lately.  Neither have hubs and I. We're all trying to get back at it and gradually build up our miles. Since this would be hubs' first attempt at running post meniscus repair and not sure what to expect due to my recent injury issues, we decided to try something different. We met at Turkey Mountain in Tulsa. It's known as Tulsa's urban wilderness. The main trailhead is only 7 miles from downtown Tulsa. One can run/bike for miles without seeing another soul – a testament to the many trails at Turkey Mountain. Crowded with roots and rocks, blessed with views of the Arkansas River, and basically untouched by humanity in general. There are multiple running/hiking/biking trails.

Unpaved trails are generally softer and provide less resistance during running. Your feet sink in slightly upon impact on an unpaved trail, which partially absorbs the force of impact with each stride. Also, trail running not only helps save your knees from intense jarring, it also intensifies your overall workout. Trails are almost never straight and even. They generally include various inclines and declines, roots sticking out of the ground, tree branches, water obstacles such as streams and puddles, and a variety of other natural elements. Such terrain typically doesn't allow for steady, paced running. Trail running incorporates lots of jumping, twisting, directional changes and pace variations. The natural obstacles can give you a more effective overall workout and help improve your sense of balance and reaction time.

We decided to try the yellow trail, which is about 4.4 miles. We agreed that we would take it slowly. We implemented a run/walk/run approach. It was a beautiful morning! We got to the yellow turn around point and decided to take the pink train back for a change of scenery. It was much more narrow so we ended up hiking most of the way back. We eventually intersected the blue trail and took it back to the trailhead. It was so much fun!!  Even though we didn't run all of it, it was still a good work out! Hubs did really well. And I'm pleased to report that I minimal pain in my heel/foot/etc. I had taped my foot up with kinesio tape really well. I used my green Superfeet inserts in a pair of broken in Brooks Ravennas. I'm not sure if it was the taping, the inserts, the shoes, the trail, or a combination of all of the above but it was a good run. I've now got so much more hope than I did last week!!  :-)

After a great brunch, we did a little shopping. When we got home, hubs worked to prepare our garden spot for the summer. We're going to plant squash, okra, cucumbers, beans, peas, corn, peppers and tomatoes. Meanwhile, I meal prepped for the week. This week, I fixed sirloin steak, peach chipotle pork tenderloin and oven roasted turkey breast with green beans, asparagus, and salad. That should be enough to feed us for the week! I'm not good at taking pictures of my meal prepping as I go, but one of these days I will so you can see that it really isn't all that difficult.

Last week, I really wasn't feeling well at all so I really didn't do much cross training. This week, I'm feeling much better, so I'm planning to get back at it!!

Until, next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today!

Your friend,


Theresa

Random Rambles

Hey y'all!

Happy Friday!

This has been the longest short week ever! I had a respiratory virus early in the week and that has just zapped me. I'm looking forward to some rest this weekend!

Tomorrow, we'll be going to visit my brother and sister in law for my niece's 3rd birthday party. She is my mini me! I'm really excited to give her my gift. I got her the most adorable pair of running shorts and matching dri-fit top! We also got her the movie Frozen, but I'm more excited about the clothes! :-)

I finally did it! I ran! It wasn't very fast or far and wasn't very pretty, but I did it! I ran 3 ish miles in 37 minutes with some walk breaks. It was not pain free, unfortunately. I had a dull ache in my heel for the majority of the run.  Although my mind is ready, apparently my body is not. I guess I still need a little more time and rehab. I also need to find a good insert for my running shoes. I don't think I have enough arch support, which is probably a contributing factor.  But I am encouraged and more hopeful than I was a few days ago.

Another thing that's been on my mind for a few days--mean people suck! I attended my college reunion last weekend. I was genuinely happy to see everyone and truly enjoyed myself. However, some people's behavior made me realize a few things:

1. Once a mean girl, always a mean girl.

2. It doesn't take much to stir up my old insecurities.

Although I was in their group, I wasn't in their clique. And I desperately wanted to be. I just wanted to belong, to fit in, to be accepted. I probably tried too hard. I'm sure I was ostentatious and obnoxious. I probably wouldn't have liked me very much either.

I guess my expectations were way too high going to the reunion because I expected  that they would have outgrown that childishness. Boy, was I wrong! I was really upset about it for a couple of days.  I've finally come to the realization that it is their problem, not mine. I am proud of who I am. I'm proud of where I am today and what I've accomplished/overcome to get there. I am who I am and their approval is not required. I guess I need to remember to be kind to unkind people, because they need it the most. I don't know what issues they are dealing with, so I'll reserve judgement.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today! Have a fabulous Friday and a safe, wonderful weekend!

Your friend,

Theresa

Do you use inserts/insoles/orthotics in your running shoes?
What brand do you recommend?

Mental Overtraining?

Good morning folks!!  Happy Wednesday! We're halfway there!!

Happy AHA National Walking Day!

I guess I was having a little pity party yesterday. Sorry 'bout that! Actually, I'm glad I could get all that off my chest.

No, I didn't run yesterday. I desperately wanted to. I was invited to join my friends for "Turkey Tuesday" but it wasn't meant to be. I was sick with an upper respiratory infection for a couple of days. I thought that I was feeling better, so I went ahead and went to work. But, before I even got there, I was running a fever again. I stayed as long as I could tough it out, but I left early. I came home, got on my pj's and got back in bed. I feel better today just weak. The most I could probably muster today, if anything would be about a mile if even that. But 1 mile is better than no miles, so we'll see what happens after work. ;-)

Getting all that out there yesterday really made me reflect on what's been going on with me lately. We know that training takes so much physically. We get in the miles, we do the stretching, foam rolling, pre-hab and rehab, etc required to achieve our goals. But, do we think about how much mental prep is involved in training for a big race??  I know that I don't.

Last fall, when I decided that I would train for a marathon, I was gung ho. I was excited because I had a new goal and I approached it with reckless abandon. Then, in late January, I had the realization that a marathon wasn't a realistic goal for me. That was a little bit of a let down. I lost some of that gusto. Then, 2 weeks later, it became obvious that my Achilles injury was going to be an issue. Another let down.....   More wind out of my sails......   

So, when the half marathon rolled around, I wasn't really as excited about it as I should have been. Race day came and it was a less than desirable experience. After the half, not only did I have the normal post race let down, but I had an injury that was going to take some time to heal. I didn't know how long it would be before I could run again. Or if I would ever be able to run again. As  result, I didn't have any races planned, so nothing to look forward to our goals to work forward. Looking back at all this, it's easy to see how I've gotten so discouraged and down in the dumps. I try hard to always maintain a positive attitude. But one can only fake it so much.

Ok, so now I recognize it and I'm owning it. Now, it's time to figure out how to move past it. I think that I'll eventually get my mojo back. But I don't want to force it. If I do and I have problems, then I'll probably stop forever. I'm pretty sure that I'll know when the time is right and I'm thinking that it will be sooner rather than later!

I've got to form a game plan and figure out how to take better care of myself mentally and emotionally, not just physically when I'm training.

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today.

Your friend,

Theresa

How do you take care of yourself while training?

Tuesday Thoughts ~~ Lost My Mojo

Good morning folks!!

Can you believe that it's the first of April already??

I hope that your week is going well so far.

I have a confession to make to you: I still haven't tried to run. I keep saying that I'm ready but when it comes down to it, I'm scared! It's been a month--what if I can't do it? What if I still hurt??  They say running is 90 % mental and I really do believe that now! Something has happened to me in the past 3 months. I'm not sure what, I've allowed so much fear and self doubt to creep back in. I've lost my confidence and running mojo. I don't know how I'm going to find it again. I'm not really sure how to move past the fear and doubt. I've tried to embrace weight lifting and cross training, but I'm not getting the sense of satisfaction that I get from running and I miss that. I need it!! Is today the day I start to overcome the demons? I don't know. We'll see. I'm taking running clothes to work with me and I'm going to hope for the best!

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today!!

Your friend,

Theresa

Any suggestions on overcoming a running injury??