Fitness Friday

Howdy y'all!!  Happy Friday!!

Whew, it's been a busy week!!  I worked in the office with the boss all week, so I had to be on my best behavior which meant limited time on my phone.....no FB, IG, or blog posting from work. I started out the week way far behind and felt relatively caught up when I left yesterday. I hope the co-worker that I was covering for appreciates my efforts!! I haven't been able to start my 3 12 hour day work schedule yet due to some unexpected personnel changes at work, but I am thankful that I have a boss who is flexible and has allowed me PTO time on Sunday so that I can run my half marathon!!

After work last night, I met my Pathways group for our last run before the Route 66 half marathon. It was an easy, flat 3 mile run. It was a little bit chilly but everyone was in a really good mood, relaxed and laid back! I think we're all ready to #rocktheroute despite a 40% chance of rain! At least it should be warmer than it was last year. That was just miserable!!

Today is technically a rest day for me, but I just couldn't sit still. I started my day with P90 Ab RipperX and TurboFire Stretch 10. It was a great way to start the day! I'm seeing great changes with the Body Beast program but my core is still pretty weak, so I think I need to do a little more concentrated core work from time to time. And stretching is always good to help relieve some of the DOMS that I have from lifting. I'm really excited about the changes I'm seeing so far and I can't wait to see what I can accomplish.

Typically, after the fall season of  Pathways, we take a break until the spring session, which starts in January. But, they've changed things up this year and we are having a winter session which starts in December. I was looking forward to some time off to concentrate on weight training but I'm excited about this new direction Pathways is going as I've got a pretty full race schedule too!! So far, I'm planning to do the Hot Chocolate 15k in St. Louis 12/2014, Fleet Feet Sports Go Short, Go Long, Go Very Long 25k 01/2015, Rock and Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 01/2015, Fleet Feet Sports Sweetheart Run 15k 02/2015, Go Girl Run Half Marathon 03/2015 and that is just the beginning!!

I found this bad boy on clearance sale at Target the other day!

I've wanted a kettle bell for some time now. I used it for upright rows the other day and it was awesome! I can't wait to use it for goblet squats, etc. I'll be perusing Pinterest and the interwebs now looking for kettlebell exercises!!

I followed up my workout with a protein shake this morning and this delicious treat from KIND snacks

 I was intrigued when they introduced these savory bars. I've been wanting to try them and I'm absolutely IN LOVE!!  They all have 10 grams of protein. I think the jalapeno is my favorite but I haven't tried the Thai chili or the smokey BBQ yet. KIND snacks is supposed to be at the Route 66 Marathon Expo this year, so maybe they'll have samples.And, speaking of the expo, I'm working it this morning, so I guess I better go get ready. Have a fabulous Friday #fitfam and a wonderful weekend!!

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving!  Whatever you decide to do today, make it count!!

Your friend,

Theresa

What are you planning to do this weekend??
Have you ever worked out with kettlebells??

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

Friday Wrap-up

TGIF y'all! Happy Friday!

We made it to the end of another week.

It's been a pretty good week here,  all things considered.  Last night was the first hill night for  Pathways. Despite a couple of snafus, it was a good run. I'm proud of my group thus far. They are eager and ambitious. That will serve them well over the next 10 weeks.

Tomorrow morning we are  running  a relatively flat  4 mile route.  After that,  we're either going to the lake to make the best of the remaining summer weekends. Or  we're  staying home because I've got some errands I need to run.  I'm torn and undecided.

I've been hitting my macros pretty close this week but  have been slacking on my strength training....oops! I've got to get back at it!  I was worried that I had lost my endurance during my running hiatus.  But,  I think that because of the strength training that I have been doing,  I'm not as far behind as I initially thought.  And for that,  I'm glad.  I am having some of the pain in my lower leg,  heel,  ankle area that I was experiencing with my  Achilles issue.  I'm going to try taping in  the  morning and plan to do  some rolling/stretching or maybe even yoga tonight.  I don't want to be injured again!

Wel,   I've got a lot on my mind,  but I won't bore you with all that today.  We'll save that for next week. Ok,  so  y'all have a super weekend! Same time,  same place next week!

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

Your  friend,

Theresa

What's on your agenda this weekend?
How many miles are you running?

Friday Confession Session

Hello,  hello folks!

TGIF!

I hope you had a great week!

I have a confession to make. I haven't run at all this week!  Eek! I've been doing my strength
training,  but I haven't run.  :(  I am fairly certain that I sustained a heat related issue last weekend.  According to  the  American  College of  Sports  Medicine, one should take at least a week off from exercising after a heat related issue. I had 1 physician at my work who recommend 2 weeks off.  At least the weather had been cooler this week, that will help when I get back out there.

Another reason I've limited my running this week is the amount of residual soreness I had after last week's long run. In the past,  I would have taken a day off and then got back of there,  never fully allowing my body to recover. I've been injured so many times though that I felt it wise to allow the soreness to resolve.  Meanwhile,  I've been doing some research into why I was  so sore.  I'm sure part of it was the dehydration,  but I believe my existing muscle imbalances played a role as well.

In the past,  I've had knee pain,  shin splints,  IT band problems,  Achilles tendinitis,  blisters,  etc.  My recent gait analysis indicated that I have "dead butt syndrome"  meaning my glutes don't  fire like they  are supposed to. It is basically caused by sitting all day. When the glutes and hamstrings don't fire properly, that forces the quadriceps muscles to overwork which contributes to injuries, especially knee injuries. I also have problems with tight calf muscles resulting in pain in my ankles and peroneal/Achilles tendons. I've spent most of this past week resting, stretching, rolling and cross training. I've also been reading articles trying to figure out how to correct these issues. I was delighted to get this email from Lisa @ The Conscious Runner regarding how to avoid dead butt syndrome.

I seems that I need to do squats to strengthen my booty. But I'm confused about that. If I'm "quad dominant" and trying to do squats, won't that only make my quads bigger? How to I squat properly so that I feel it more in my backside rather than in my hip flexors and quads??  I don't know, but I'm determined to figure it out because I'm tired of being injured!

Meanwhile, I'm really enjoying the strength training that I've been doing. I'm really starting to see some changes! I had a good pump going on last night after BodyBeast Build Shoulders. I spent probably 30 minutes in the bathroom flexing and ogling myself in the mirror. LOL

We're leaving after work tonight to go to the lake. I'm planning to get in 6 miles in the morning. Its not supposed to be as hot as it was last week and I'm going to make sure that I'm well hydrated. I plan to take it easy and not over do it. I don't want to be sore all week! We're staying through next Wednesday so we're temporarily putting Body Beast on hold (I don't want to pack all my free weights) but we'll do body weighted workouts while we're there. And of course, I've got a health menu planned.

So, that's what I've been up to all week. What have you been doing??

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

Your friend,

Theresa

My week in a Nutshell

Hey  y'all!  Did you think I had forgotten about you?

Nuts pretty much sums up my week.  It's been way busy but productive.  The best part is,  today is Friday!  And you know it's going to be a great day when you get a good parking spot! The parking situation at my work is ridiculous beyond belief.  I've  been trying to arrive early this week so that I could get a good spot.  Yesterday,  I had to park on the top of the parking garage in a thunder storm. Needless to say,  I was soaked despite my umbrella. Today,  I got lucky!

I've be fairly consistent  about clean eating this week.  And I've been 100% compliant with my cross training. Monday,  I ran with friends before work.  I had a gait analysis that afternoon. A lot of the issues I was already aware of were confirmed  but I also found out that I over-supinate when I push off and over-pronate when I land.  1 foot is a fore front  striker  and the other is mid foot.  I have what they call a "shuffling gait"  I have no idea how to fix it but they gave me exercises to do,  of course.  That evening,  I did a chest and triceps workout.

Tuesday,  my Team Beach body Body Beast program arrived.  The first day of that is chest and triceps.  Since I had done that the previous night,  I skipped to  day 2: Build Legs.  Let's just say that I'm almost able to walk normally  today  ☺ Wednesday was  back and biceps, probably my favorite so far.  Yesterday  was Beast Caudio.  I really  didn't like it and will be subbing the 21 Day Fix Cardin oran Insanity workout in the  future.  Today was Build Shoulders.  It was a great routine,  but I was really tired this morning,  so didn't lift as heavy as I should  have.  I'm really eager to continue this routine and see where it goes!

I'm still tracking my macros but still not 100% sure I'm doing it correctly.  I need a little more time to play around with it.  I'll keep you posted on that.

Hubs and I are going to the lake after work tonight,  so I'm looking forward to that  R&R!

That's all I've got for you now.

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

Your  friend,

Theresa

Friday wrap-up

Howdy folks!

I hope you're having a fabulous Friday so far!

It's been a pretty good week here thus far.  On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I met my friends at 0530 to run.  And today I got my but kicked by my trainer at 0530. I am adjusting to the morning workouts much better that I expected.  I have officially gotten ready for work at the gym more times than at home. And that's not necessarily a bad habit to have.  Tomorrow, I'm going to meet my friends for a Saturday run.  I haven't run with them on a Saturday since I don't remember when. We're planning to run 4-6 miles.  I'm a little concerned because I'm having a little pain in the posterior heel today.  I hope it's not related to the Achilles injury I had early this year. I'll try to tape it and hope for the best. I haven't been as good about my cross training this week as I should have been. But I've worked out our run 4 out of 5 days,  so it could be worse.

I've been playing around with my macro nutrients on My Fitness Pal this week. I don't think I have a good enough understanding of it yet,  but I'll do a blog post about #iifym when I do.

I'm starting to plan my fall racing schedule and that's always exciting!  I'm hoping to have a big announcement for you all soon!

So,  thats it in a nutshell.  Until next time--get up,  get out, and get moving! Whatever you decide to do today,  be awesome at it!

Your friend,

Theresa

Weekly Wrap Up

I don't know about y'all, but I'm so glad it's Friday!

I can truly say this has been one of the most challenging weeks I've had in a long time. I try my level best to be as positive as possible here on the blog. Nobody wants to hear from a "Negative Nancy" or "Debbie Downer" all the time. As bloggers, we put ourselves out there for public scrutiny.  But we choose what we want to share with our readers. Obviously, we don't share every aspect of our lives. So, as readers, you might think you know us. But, just remember, not everything is as it seems. We are human beings too with faults and imperfections just like everyone else :)

This week, I'm thankful for my wonderful co-workers. I'm not sure I would have made it all week without their grace and support!

Despite feeling poorly and all the stress in my life, I've been consistent with my diet and my workouts. I'm super excited about starting to work with my new trainer next week! I'm sad about not coaching Pathways this session, but I'm excited about gaining some strength to hopefully help decrease running injuries in the future! And I'll try to sneak in a run with Pathways here and there for old times sake!

No big plans for us this weekend. I'm going to sleep until I'm not tired tomorrow morning. Then I think I'll treat myself to a pedicure for Mother's Day.

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

Your friend,

Theresa

Wrappin' It Up

Hello, hello folks!! TGIF

Sorry about the lack of posts this week. It's been busy and I've had a bit of writer's block. I'll try to do better next week.

So, here's a quick recap of what's been going on lately.

I haven't really run very much. :-(   I have, however, been consistent with my workouts this week.  I mentioned earlier that I was trying out the 21 Day Fix from Beachbody. It's a nutrition plan based on portion control along with a workout program. I'm loving these workouts!!  They each 30 minutes in length and are easy to modify if needed. Even hubs can do them!!  Here's what I did this week:


Monday: Total Body Cardio Fix
Tuesday: Upper Fix
Wednesday: Lower Fix
Thursday: Pilates Fix
Friday: Cardio Fix
Saturday: Dirty 30
Sunday: Yoga Fix

Yesterday, in addition to the pilates workout that I did yesterday, I did an upper body strength workout at lunch and then I met a couple of friends after work for a little run. We ended up walking most of our 3 miles because Patty's leg was bothering her. And I was ok with that after doing the Lower Fix on Wednesday, my left quad was a little tight too. The pilates workout helped stretch that out a bit though.

So, for 2 weeks, I've been working out consistently and I'm happy about that. I've been thinking about my long term goals and I think that I'm going to take some time to focus on strength training. I love running but I'm tired of being an injured runner. I hired a personal trainer yesterday and we're going to take the next 6 - 8 weeks to work on strengthening my non running muscles so that I'll be ready to return to running, hopefully injury free, when that fall training programs kick off in mid-July. I'm taking a hiatus from coaching the 10k program during this time. I've agreed to be a substitute coach on an as needed basis only. I need more flexibility and I have my own agenda at this time. I feel like I wouldn't be able to be as dedicated to that runners as I should be, so I think it's best to take a break.

This weekend, we're going to Lake Tenkiller to get our trailer set up in our usual camping spot for the summer. It's going to be warm this weekend, so we're going to take the boat out and I couldn't be happier!! I'm definitely a warm weather girl! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE warm sunshine and floating on the water!!  It soothes my soul! So, for the next 6 months, you'll find me at my happy place every weekend!!  We have some friends and family meeting us to go out on the boat, so this should be a very fun weekend! I'm been waiting for this since last September!!  It will be difficult for me to be very productive at work today! I've been trying to make out a list of food and supplies that I need and I'm discovering that boat snacks are going to be tricky this year since I've drastically cleaned up my diet. I still don't have it all figured out, but I will.

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

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??

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?

Finally Friday!!

TGIF!!

It's finally Friday! I haven't been this excited about Friday since last Friday!!  Yesterday was terribly busy at work. I wasn't sure if there was light at the end of the tunnel but I somehow managed to get it all done and get out of there pretty close to on time. I got some retail therapy afterwards which always makes for a good day!!

I'm really excited about this weekend. I briefly mentioned that I had a college reunion. Way back when, when I was in college, I was in a singing/dancing show troupe (think Glee). We travelled all over the state of Oklahoma to high schools to perform and recruit students for the college. It was so much fun and truly one of the best experiences I've ever had. This year is the 50th anniversary of this group, so we're having a reunion. I'm friends with several of the members on Facebook but I haven't seen them for at least 10 years. I'm expecting this to be a lot of fun! I'll have to see if I can dig up some old pictures so you can see my 80's hair!!  LOL

Sunday, the weather is supposed to be beautiful, but windy. I'm thinking that it's going to be a good day to get out and get in a few miles!!  I'm super excited about that!!  My fingers are crossed that everything cooperates!!

Other than that, I've got the usual grocery shopping and meal prep to do. So that's what I'm planning for the weekend.

And that's really all that I've got for now!! Have a fabulous Friday and weekend!!

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

Your friend,

Theresa

What are your weekend plans??

Friday Followup

TGIF friends!!

Yay!!  We finally made it!!

Yesterday was VERY busy at work. It seemed like things were going well then, out of the blue, things suddenly went south and everything blew up! I went from "ok, this is going great, I might get out of here on time" to "I'm sorry honey, I'm still working and don't know when I'll be finished" Even my co-workers were surprised. They kept saying "what are you doing here, isn't it time for you to go home"

When I finally got out of there, I blazed a trail straight home. I had a new workout to try and I was eager to get to it (not really, but trying to be enthusiastic for your sakes) Hubs and I have been doing our 30 day strength training program pretty faithfully. I'm really liking it. I think I can see some changes in my arms already. We adjusted our rest day this week to accommodate schedules though so we were taking last night off. Well, I was browsing the interwebs the other day and I saw that Jillian Michaels has a new workout DVD out, the One Week Shred. I was intrigued.

I'm a fan of Jillian. I have most of her DVD's. It's an intense 7 day workout and custom diet plan designed to help you lose the last few stubborn pounds that you've been dying to lose for a special event. Well, I just happen to have a college reunion next weekend, so I bought it. You're supposed to start with the strength workout in the morning and do the cardio workout in the evening. Each workout is about 30 minutes. Well, I did them both back to back last night. I've done several of her workouts in the past and I have to say that this one is pretty challenging. When I finished, I felt like I had done some work! It will be interesting to see the results at the end of the week!

I'm supposed to meet some friends for happy hour after work. I really would like to go, but I don't want to miss my workout so we'll see. No big plans for us this weekend. We're just going to play it by ear. We may stay home and chill but we might fly by the seat of our pants and find something fun to do. Who knows?!

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

Your friend,

Theresa

What's on your agenda for this weekend?

5 for Friday

Howdy folks! TGIF

Happy Pi day!!

Personally, I'm ready for the weekend!!  It's been a long, crazy week at work. I went in early yesterday due to my 4 pm appointment at the chiropractor. But I had to cancel that because I was too far behind at work. I didn't leave until 6pm. And I'm almost dreading going in today. I know it's going to be just as busy. But, at least it's Friday!

And, it's "jeans day" too. Yippee!!  It's a fund raiser for the American Heart Association Heart Walk. We had to pay $5 to get a sticker to allow us to wear jeans. I typically wear business casual attire to work and often wear scrubs on "casual Friday". I don't do direct patient care anymore. I'm usually behind the scenes but I do interact with patients and their families, so I try to look professional at all times. I joke about being a happier, more productive employee if I could wear pajamas to work!!  I don't think we've had a jeans day in the 2 years that I've worked there, so I'm taking full advantage of this opportunity!! It really doesn't take much to make me happy. :-)

Since I did a mini weekly recap yesterday, today I'll talk about 5 things that have been on my mind this week. It's a combination of rants and raves and is totally random. So, without further ado.....

1: Thigh gap--In humans, a thigh gap is a gap between the thighs when standing upright with both knees touching.^[1] Some women aspire to this for reasons of a perceived increase in attractiveness, with some considering it a sign of femininity and fragility^[2] and some go as far as to say it symbolizes "the ideal body shape" according to Wikipedia. What the heck?! When did this become an issue and what's the big deal?! This week, national retailer went as far as photo shopping pictures of one of their bikini models to create a "thigh gap"

 They botched that up pretty badly and have been blasted for it. My concern is that society is fueling a dangerous weight loss goal for young women. What's wrong with being a little curvy? Skinny doesn't = beautiful, strong does!! 

2: "I ran 6 miles last night" Well, good for you! Ordinarily, I would be supportive of my friends and co-workers who run. But since I'm currently unable to, don't be surprised if I throat punch you instead! It's great that you're out enjoying the weather and getting some miles in, but please understand why I'm not really enthusiastic about it right now. Thanks!

3: Addaday Ultra Marble--OMG!!

I splurged on this little gem the other night and am so glad I did. It's my new favorite roller!!  I especially like that I can get in the area around the ankle and Achilles (right where I need it the most) really well! I have lots of other rollers and tools, but this one does large areas as well as those smaller nooks and crannies that some of the others can't get to. Go getcha one of these! I highly recommend it!!

4: Strength training--I'm loving it! We did our upper body chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps workout last night. Tonight is legs. I ran through it once last night for hubs, so he would know what modifications that he needs to make. I think he feels pretty confident about it. I'm eager to see how it goes. He was asleep in his chair when I got home late from work last night. I was afraid that he would say "just skip it" but he got up and got it done. I'm so proud of him!!

5: I'm so thankful for the beautiful weather we've had this past week. It's going to be cool and rainy this weekend, but that's ok. We haven't really had any significant rainfall since last October so I'll welcome all the rain that we can get. I think that it's supposed to be sunny and warm again next week. I'm determined to get out and enjoy it. I need my vitamin D fix!! I'm planning to pack my running clothes on those warm, sunny days. If I can't run, I can at least walk!!

Ok, that's all I've got for now. Have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend!!  Be safe!!

Get up, get out and get moving! And don't forget to be awesome today!!

Your friend,

Theresa

Are you going to run 3.14 miles today??
What is your favorite kind of pie?

Week in Review

Good morning folks!  TGIF

I hope that you all had a great week.

There really isn't too much to report here in my world. I'm finally feeling better after the half last Sunday. I was really sore. I'm not sure if it was the cold or what but I was pretty beat up. I felt good enough to go to spin class Wednesday night but didn't stay for boot camp. Hopefully next week I'll feel good enough to do both classes.

Yesterday, I went to the doctor for follow up on my existing injuries. He filmed me running and is really surprised that the pain is in my right foot, not my left. He thinks that my left should be the one with the issues based on my running form or lack thereof. I'm a heel striker so he recommended a new shoe, the Mizuno Wave Prophecy. I did a little research and these babies are not cheap!!  But, at this point, I'm willing to try anything!! And apparently, the issue isn't just the Achilles but includes the peroneal tendons as well. He did some ART and gave me some exercises to do. Also, I earned myself a couple more weeks of rest, rehab, and low impact activities. I guess now I have no choice but to concentrate on strength training. :-)

I think nutrition-wise, I've had a pretty good week, but I'm feeling "off" I've been feeling a little bloated and just overall kinda "yuck" this week. Hopefully that will subside soon and I'll feel lean and mean again!!

Ok, I told you it wasn't much and I wasn't kidding!!  That's all I've got for now!!

Until next time...don't forget to be AWESOME!!

Take care and have a GREAT weekend!!

Your friend,

Theresa

What brand of running shoe do you wear??
Ever heard of/tried Mizunos/the Mizuno Prophecy??

Finally Friday

Good morning folks!!  TGIF

This has been a long, challenging week at work. One thing I don't talk about too much here is my work. I really wanted to write a long, ranting post yesterday, but I refrained. I tried very hard to be positive even though I didn't want to. And I think it worked. It actually wasn't a terribly bad day after all! But I'm more than ready for the weekend!

It's going to be a busy weekend here! We're getting up early in the morning to travel to Little Rock, Arkansas. I was going to run the marathon there on Sunday. But, after an eye opening 15.5 mile run, I changed my registration to the half. I've been nursing an ankle/heel/Achilles/peroneal tendon issue since the first of the year. I've been on a 2 week running hiatus. I'm a little nervous about trying to run this race. The smart thing to do would probably be to defer until next year. But I'm hoping for "fresh legs" after this rest period. I've called it the "ultimate taper" I would be a little more excited about it if the weather wasn't going crazy here. I could have at least had fun with it.  But the good old "polar vortex" is going to return over the weekend. They're predicting a winter storm for our area for this weekend. It looks like it will be cold and rainy on Sunday. I'm not thrilled about this. I don't like to run in the cold and the rain is just ok, but cold rain is another issue. This is one race where I'm really not even sure how to dress. I've been told to bring "everything" so I guess that's what I'll do. With the weather conditions and my injury issues, I'm just hoping to finish. I could really use some good running karma and thoughts on Sunday morning if you're so inclined. :-)

I've been concerned about nutrition and fueling since I made drastic changes (no gluten, no dairy and limited sugar) to my diet recently. But I think I've got a plan that will work out well. I used dried fruit and nuts a couple of weeks ago when I did 12 miles. At mile 10, I felt like I was out of gas. I needed more carbs I think. So, I'm planning to make a "trail mix" of nuts, fruit, dry Chex cereal and a few M&M's. I'm thinking that will work out pretty well. I plan to use my Nathan Minimist hydration vest, so I'll use Gatorade G2 for additional carbs. And I plan to have my old standby Honey Stinger chews in case I need more fuel. That should be enough :-)

Alrighty, that's my weekend preview. What's on your agenda for the weekend?

Whatever it is, be safe and have a GREAT one!!

What a week!

TGIF!!  I'm so glad it's Friday!  It has been a long, strange, busy, hectic week!! 

Wednesday was so busy and stressful at work. I was able to burn off some frustrations at spin class and Urban Fit after work though. Yesterday, I had a headache that I just couldn't shake. That made for a miserable day! Today, I'm taking the day off to go get my hair colored and pamper me just a little bit. I believe that we don't do that often enough.

Tonight, hubs and I are going to a concert. We're going to see Jonny Lang at the Riverspirit Casino in Tulsa. We're making a night of it and spending the night afterward. I am scheduled to run 6-8 miles tomorrow morning, but I'm still not running. So, hubs and I are heading to the lake to check on a property that we're interested in purchasing.

If you've followed me for a while, you know that the lake is my happy place. It's the one place that I can completely relax and unwind. For 3 years now, we've rented a site for our RV trailer. But we have a dream to eventually buy some property there and build a little cabin for our retirement home. I've been doing a lot of research on small homes and off the grid cabins recently. Hopefully this piece of land we're going to look at will get us one step closer to making our dream a reality!

So, that's all I've got for you today!!

Have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend!!

Week in Review

Good morning folks! Happy Valentine's Day!!

Today is my anniversary! 9 years ago today I married my best friend. It hasn't always been easy, but it's been a great ride so far. And I'm looking forward to many, many years with him!!  He's such a good guy!! He sent me flowers, which I usually get upset about because I think they are frivolous. But it was so thoughtful and the flowers were beautiful!

 I was a little confused because they arrived yesterday. The florist couldn't guarantee delivery today so he had them sent early. :-) We aren't doing a big celebration tonight. I have a race/training run in the morning. We're staying home tonight and having something simple like breakfast for dinner. Then tomorrow night, we're going out the dinner and dancing with some friends. Our "big" celebration is next Friday night. We have tickets to the Johnny Lang concert at the Riverspirit Casino in Tulsa. And the weekend after that, we're going to Little Rock, AR so I guess you could say we celebrate all the time!!

Weekly recap:

This is week 2 of the #Movenourishbelieve challenge focusing on nutrition. I would say that the food and nutrition part come a little bit easier for me than the workout part. I try very hard to eat mostly clean, but recently I've been out of control. I've been eating cookies, crackers, chips, etc with reckless abandon. Consequently, I've been bloated and having stomach issues. So, I decided this would be a good week to do a reset and eliminate "junk" from my diet. I've cut out gluten completely. Aditionally, I have had very limited dairy and very limited processed sugars. I was expecting to be fatigued, irritable and have cravings like mad. Well, guess what. I haven't. And I feel great! I usually don't like to do progress pics but I've noticed such a drastic difference, that I just had to share! The pic on the right was Monday morning and the left was this morning. Wow!

Here's how the challenge had gone this week:

Monday: Go meatless. I made a huge pot of homemade minestrone soup for the week, so that was my meatless dish for the day.

Tuesday: Take your lunch to work. I always take my lunch to work because my cafeteria is the most unhealthy place in the world!

Wednesday: Write it down. I used to use Myfitnesspal faithfully but have gotten out of the habit recently. So this week, I started logging my meals again. It really is very eye opening!

Thursday:smoothie day. I have been enjoying a smoothie for breakfast for a while now. My favorite combination currently is: 1 cup almond milk, 1-2 handfuls of spinach, and 1 cup of frozen berries. Yum!

Friday: go raw. This one is going to be tricky for me. I didn't plan for it, so i'm not entirely sure what I'll do for it.

Tomorrow is the Sweetheart Run. My training schedule is for 12 miles. I'm going to do the "double" at the run (5km plus the 10km) and then I'll add on some more afterward. I'm looking forward to it this year. The past couple off years have been extremely cold. It will be about 36 when we start in the morning with bright sunshine with a high breast 60! Yay! Perfect running weather in my opinion!

Ok, y'all.....I'm out! Happy Valentine's Day! Have a wonderful weekend!

How are you celebrating Valentine's day?

Move Nourish Believe Challenge

Happy Friday!!

Wahoo! We made it to my favorite day of the week!!  I hope that you had a good week!

Wednesday after work, I went to spin class. It was a great class!!  I got a good sweat on! Afterward, I came home and completed day 3 of the Core Power Challenge #corecommit  I took yesterday off because it was a sick day for me :( I'm still not feeling 100% but I'm looking forward to getting back at it after work tonight.

Tomorrow, I'm leading my Pathways AP2b on the Saturday "slow run" I think we're doing 4 miles. I need to get in 8-10 miles, so I guess I'll do the course twice.

They are forecasting snow for our area for Super Bowl Sunday, so I plan to do my weekly grocery shopping tomorrow after the run and will do food prep on Sunday, before the Super Bowl.

I have some exciting news to share with you today!!

I recently became a Sweat Pink Ambassador!! What does that mean? Well, basically this means that I believe in sweating hard, playing hard, and inspiring others to be the best that they can be.

As a part of that, I've joined the Move Nourish Believe Challenge by Fit Approach and Lorna Jane
I would like to invite you to join the challenge as well.

The challenge begins on February 3 and is 3 weeks long.  If you want to join, RSVP to the Facebook Page.  You can also be entered to win a $1000 Lorna Jane gift certificate (fitness gear) if you complete the challenge and post daily pictures on Instagram or Twitter of yourself completing the challenges. Make sure you tag @LornaJaneActive @FitApproach along with #MNBChallenge, #SweatPink

So, what will the challenge be like? 

I hope you'll join me in this challenge!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

What are your weekend plans? Anything fun?
Will you be participating in the MNB challenge?

Embracing My Crazy

Howdy Folks!!  TGIF!!

Whew!!  This has been the longest. week. ever!  I thought Friday would never get here!! It has been a busy, hectic week!

I had a good spin workout Wednesday night followed by 3 rounds of the workout that I posted for Workout Wednesday. I got a pretty good sweat on!

Thursday, I was supposed lead Pathways on a 3 mile run. Well, my boss had scheduled a staff meeting for 4pm. She told us that she would try to keep it at 1 hour, but that almost never happens. Consequently, I didn't get out of there in time to make the group run. I'm not entirely that upset about missing it either because it was about 18 degrees/felt like 6 with the wind chill at run time. I thought about getting some miles in on the treadmill but I'm scheduled to run the Go Short, Go Long, Go Very Long 25k tomorrow morning. My Achilles is feeling pretty good right now and I didn't want to risk irritating it again. I'm not sure that the treadmill isn't a contributing factor to the injury in the first place. I increased my pace and mileage but I also had never run on the treadmill until recently. I think in this instance, rest and erring on the side of caution was the right call to make.

So, this is going to be a pretty personal, revealing post. If you're not into that, then stop reading now. Otherwise, you've been forewarned.

I've been trying to wrap my mind around my meltdown the other day. I've been trying to figure out what happened. I remember from a very early age trying to be a "pleaser", trying to make everyone happy so that I would feel accepted. I struggled to fit in. I didn't make many friends. I didn't participate in sports or extracurricular activities other than band and choir. I was only mediocre at those. I didn't push myself or challenge myself because I was afraid of failure. I was not encouraged to either. I'll never forget my first grade teacher yanking me out of my chair and shaking me so hard that I wet my pants because I colored outside of the lines on the first freaking day of school even! Or the 5th grade teacher who ridiculed my art projects and belittled me/put me down every chance she got. I hope karma wears stilettos!! Apparently I never successfully mastered Erikson's developmental stage of industry vs inferiority. I've always had a low self esteem and confidence issues. I have had problems starting things and not finishing them. I've always sought approval and validation from others. I never learned to love myself and I often set unrealistic expectations for myself.

But all of that has changed recently and running has played an integral part in that. People joke about running being cheaper than therapy. Well, for me it is therapy. Running has empowered me. It is something that I can do for myself that no one can take away from me or diminish. It's not easy but I'm out there doing it and they aren't! I'm not a fast runner but my running friends and community accept me just that way I am. And the sense of accomplishment that I get when I cross the finish line is better than any drug could ever be!! I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far and have been so looking forward to completing my first marathon. Then this stupid Achilles acted up. I started to have doubt and fear. Additionally, there was negativity directed at me by one of my runners and I've really taken that personally. I had such a positive, inspiring group of runners last session and I guess that I expected that same thing with this group especially since they're in the advanced group. But I don't think that is going to be the case and I'm feeling discouraged and disappointed already. So, the other day when the doctor was trying to get me to engage my core and I couldn't do what he wanted me to do was the icing on the cake. All those old feelings of inadequacy came rushing back and the pent up frustrations that I've been dealing with came spilling out.

We all have our own issues and our own "crazy" to some degree. I really thought that I had made good progress in burying those old feelings but I guess they are still there and closer to the surface than I thought. I really don't know how to defeat all my demons, but 1 thing is certain, I've got to got to keep moving forward! I've got to accept myself and be happy with who I am, including that little bit of crazy that will apparently always be with me. The best thing that I can do right now is lace up my shoes and kick some serious asphalt! I'm not really worried about running with fear and doubt, I'll just outrun them!!

Have a fabulous Friday and a great weekend!

What are your plans this weekend?? Any races?