Friday Follow Up

TGIF folks! Woohoo for finally Friday!! Even though I'm off work today, I'm still glad it's Friday!

I'm enjoying the new work schedule so far. I was especially thankful for the break from work this week. I got sucked into a workplace drama vortex of astronomical proportions and it has been quite the ordeal!!  I guess I must be kind of a Pollyanna, because I just expect that people will always do the right thing for the right reason and be kind to one another. Every now and then though, the hateful side of people rears its ugly head and it is almost more than I can bear! I typically try to avoid those situations but I got brought into this one by default as I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I so badly wanted to just tell them all "it's not my circus, not my monkeys"! I think the worst of it has blown over now and hopefully when I return next week, it will be forgotten!!

 

This is the final week of Pathways, with the Tulsa Run 15k being tomorrow. I'm so proud of my group! They started strong and finished strong! They endured heat, humidity, rain, wrong turns, etc and still stuck it out!!  Their longest run (9 miles) was in the rain. Our maps quickly turned to mush that day, so we had to wing it on the route a little bit. They were probably annoyed but they took it in stride with grace!!  Last Saturday, they did Golf Ball Hill which has become a rite of passage for Pathwayers. It is a long, fairly steep hill with an elevation of 800-ish ft. At the top of the hill sits a water tower that resembles a golf ball on a tee, hence the name. There may have been a couple of wrong turns that day as well, but I plied them with mimosas at the end of the run to keep them reasonably happy! And tomorrow, they will run with perseverance the race that is laid before them like the champs that they are!!  Last night was our last run as a group. We tried to keep it fun and light hearted but I couldn't help feeling a little bit somber and somewhat melancholy. They've been such a fun group to work with. 3 of my girls gave me a really sweet card and QT gift card that will help fuel my sweet tea addiction for a while!  I can't wait to line up at the start line with them!! I've got the 12:00 min/mile group but we have anywhere from 11:45 - 13:00 minute/mile runners. And, until this week, they have been running intervals. My plan is to start at about an 11:45 with them but my goal finish time is 1:40 so I will need to maintain an 11:15-11:20. I don't plan to run intervals either. I run until my body feels like it needs a break, then I walk for a few seconds and run again. The weather is going to be quite warm for October and this is a new route, so I'm just hoping for the best really, but a shiny new PR would be nice!!

 

 

Hubs and I have been consistently strength training. I was a little pressed for time when I got home from work on Monday night. I wanted to workout but didn't want to spend an hour doing it, so we tried the BodyBeast Bulk Chest. Holy sore pecs Batman!!  The bulk workouts are no joke!!  They are about 30-35 minutes in length. They incorporate the same super sets and drop sets as the build phase but there is less rest between sets. There is more stress/tension on the muscles therefore we should see some serious growth soon!! 

I'm still trying to clean my diet up but I just like sweet treats too much!!  I'm going to try a couple of different things for the next couple of weeks to see if I notice any difference. Cross your fingers for me!!

Ok, that's all I've got for today! Until next time--get up, get out and get moving!!  Whatever you do today, be awesome at it!!

Your friend,

Theresa

Its Been A While

Good morning folks!!

It's been a little while since I last posted, so I thought I would pop in and catch up.

I hope that you've all been doing well.

My life has been a little busy, hectic and unpredictable lately, hence the lack of posting. I've trying to get to work earlier therefore I've had less time for posting. It really started a couple of months ago at work when my work assignment was changed. There was a mistake and a misunderstanding. Consequently, I was reassigned. I was removed from the unit that I had worked on for 2.5 years. I felt like I had built good relationships there and I was devastated when the change was made. I was hurt and I was angry! I was now the "float" case manager, meaning I didn't have a "home". I would just go fill in where there was a need. I often don't know my work assignment until the morning of sometimes. It felt like I was being rejected, like I was just an after-thought. I got up and kept going to work because I didn't know what else to do.  I tried to be as positive as possible while I pursued other options. I applied for a transfer to another department and got it. But, along the way, something else happened. I began to realize that I enjoyed working with and getting to know other co-workers. I realized that working my 8 hours and going home, not having to own any of the drama wasn't so bad after all.

Well, my boss must have picked up on this. She called me into her office and said "you seem a lot happier since you've been reassigned. What can I do to keep you in the department?" I didn't really have an idea, but I told her that I would like a permanent assignment as soon as she had one available. She then told me about some changes that are in the works for our department. I told her I would consider staying. Several days later, after much consideration, I told her I would stay. My co-workers have been so supportive during all of this and that's the primary reason I chose to stay. Then, last Friday at our staff meeting, we were discussing the future changes to our department and the subject of weekend coverage came up. We were brain storming about how we could cover the weekends with the staff that we have currently when someone suggested that she could work 4 10 hour shifts from Wednesday - Saturday. The boss said "we just need someone to cover Sunday - Tuesday and that could work" I used to work 3 12 hour shifts Sun, Mon, and Tues and loved it! I immediately piped up and said that I would do it. So, effective next Sunday, I will work 3 12 hour shifts, Sunday - Tuesday. I will have 4 days off every week. I'm so excited that I almost can't stand it!!  Now, I will be able to pursue the personal trainer certification that I've been wanting to pursue but haven't had the time!!

What I've learned from all of this is that sometimes you have to give up the good to go for the great!

And in other news, hubs and I are negotiating on a house at our favorite lake!! I'll post more on this later when it's a done deal but it would be amazing to be able to live full time at our happy place!

I've been keeping up with my Pathways running group. Saturday, we did 9 miles in the rain. It was our last long run before the Tulsa Run 15k. This week, we begin to taper.

I'm also trying to keep up with my cross training on a routine basis. And I'm still eating about 80% clean. Last night, I meal prepped ground turkey, turkey burgers, quinoa, sautéed veggies: tomatoes, onion, peppers, mushrooms, baked sweet potatoes, and hard boiled eggs. I do fairly well with my nutrition most days, I just wish I didn't like treats so much!!  I need someone to follow me around and slap me really hard when I pick up something crappy to eat!!  Any volunteers??

Ok, that's all for now.

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

Your friend,

Theresa

Workout Wednesday--October Goals

Hello y'all!

 

Happy first day of October!

 

 

I've been super busy since our last visit!

 

My Pathways group is ramping up their mileage in anticipation of their goal race,  the Tulsa Run 15k.  We've increased our intervals to 10:1 and our pace to 12:00 minutes/mile. We've  had some pretty good hill training recently.  They  really dislike hills, I think! I have heard quite a bit of grumbling from some of them.  ;)  But,  overall, they are doing a great job! This has been one of the most enjoyable groups I've had the opportunity to work with.  I hope some of them are planning to run the Route 66 half marathon.  I have run it for the past 3 years. I wasn't really going to run it this year  but they have  changed the route again so I think that I'll go ahead and do it. I just hope the weather is better than last year. It was  so cold that it wasn't an enjoyable run at all!

 

Last night, before our run, I stepped on the scale at  Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa. I really can't recall the last time I weighed myself. I'm not really sure what I was expecting.  I haven't lost any weight. Actually, I might have gained 2 or 3 pounds. I was surprised when I saw  127.8 on the scale. Usually a 2 or 3 pound gain makes me feel fluffy.  But, not this time.  My clothes don't feel any tighter. As a matter of fact,  they may be a little more loose. I've been trying to watch my macros and keep my diet "clean" for the most part.  I plan and prepare, but I have a difficult time curbing my late day snacking. Somedays, I want sweets and other days I want crunchy and salty.  I know if I cleaned up my diet even more,  I'd see the results that I'm wanting to see. But in the meanwhile,  until I learn to kick the snacking for good,  I'll keep doing what I'm doing and just trust the process! Obviously, its working!

 

A new month means new goals!

 

This month, I'm planning to clean up my diet even more. I'm hoping to reduce my "treats" from a daily occurrence to 1or 2 times/week.

 

I've been better about doing my cross training / strength training.  And I'm planning to continue this trend for October.  My goal is to workout at least 5 times  / week.  I'm still doing the Body Beast and plan to continue it.

 

Sometimes,  time is a factor when it comes to working out. The  BB workouts are about  40 minutes each.  I'm always  looking for things to do if I'm pressed for time.  And that brings us the W.O.D for this Workout Wednesday.  I got this from one of my friends at work.  He said it's pretty intense. I'm eager to try it!  Check it out and let me know what you think!

 

 

Until next time - - get up, get out, and get moving! Whatever you decide to do today, be awesome at it!

 

Your friend,

 

Theresa

 

What are your fitness/nutrition goals for this month?