Enough is Enough

Howdy folks!!

I realize I haven't been here in forever, and I'm sorry for that. Life has just been so hectic lately & I just didn't really have much new or interesting to talk about.

I've been busy with weight training recently as I've had a little set back in the running world. About a month ago, I started having pain in my foot which has progressively gotten worse despite the typical rest, ice, compression, elevation treatment. So, this afternoon I'm going to my PCP for an xray. I'm hoping and praying for no stress fracture but I'm fairly certain that's what it is. Bummer!!  I was planning to fun the Route 66 Marathon this fall but that plan is currently on hold. Usually I would be upset that I couldn't run, but I'm really enjoying the weight training right now.

I've also tweaked my macros some and consequently, I'm seeing some results that I'm really pleased with. Last week, my stomach was flatter than I've ever seen it. Now, mind you, I wasn't very careful over the weekend and may have had a couple of high carb days in a row. But I'll just keep plugging along and try to trust the process. 

What I came here to talk to you about today is "body shaming". Body shaming is defined as: shaming someone for their body type; they're too fat, too skinny, etc.  Now, I am not going to deny that I have found myself doing this from time to time. I've looked at an over weight person and judged them harshly. And that was wrong! I don't know that person. I don't know their story or their struggles and I don't have any room to judge them. I really never gave this much thought until recently.....when it happened to me.

Two times in the past week, I've been judged harshly by women because of my body type: too skinny. One woman made derogatory comments to my husband about me "Well, she's got an 8 inch waist" Another commented about me wearing a bikini. Well guess what? My body isn't perfect and I'm not really where I want to be yet. But I'm much better than I used to be. And I'm DAMN PROUD OF IT!!  So, I'm going to continue to wear bikinis or skirts that accent my waist because I have worked for it and earned it!! 

I am sure this is just the old green-eyed jealous monster rearing its ugly head. I'm sorry that they aren't happy with their bodies. That really is unfortunate. However it is their problem, not mine. And my self worth doesn't depend on their acceptance of me.

I wish every woman felt confident and comfortable in their own skin. Body shaming is the primary reason that we don't!!  Women judge each other so harshly. When we first began boating several years ago, I wouldn't be caught dead in a bikini. I was scared to show my body. I knew it wasn't perfect and was afraid I would be judged for it. But I saw other women who weren't perfect either and they were in bikinis so I eventually overcame that fear. It made me strive to work harder and be a little bit better every day. I'm proud of where I am in my journey. I realize that it is much easier to project one's insecurities onto the other person rather than facing them & dealing with them. But it's time that we stop this trend. Instead of bashing the other person who you know nothing about, reflect on what you like about yourself and what you could improve. If you're jealous then do something about it!!  Everyone can change their story....I did!!  We're all born with traits & characteristics that make us unique and individual. When we learn to let go of our own insecurities & quit sweating the small stuff (yes, it is small stuff) then we truly are happier. So, ladies....stop with the childish, jealousy, mean girls stuff! It's so middle school and really isn't very becoming. I truly says more about you & your character than that of the other person.

Confidence is the most beautiful accessory a woman can wear! Strong women build each other up instead of tearing them down! So, be strong, be courageous, accept yourself for who you are & where you are in your journey, and most importantly, learn to LOVE yourself!

So, let's quit with the body shaming, judging, and jealously stuff! 

Or anyone, for that matter!

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

Your friend,

Theresa

Have you ever been body shamed?
Have you ever body shamed someone else?

Catching Up

Howdy, howdy y’all! I haven’t forgotten about you. I’ve been meaning to pop in here more often but I’ve been so busy that this is the first opportunity I’ve had to update in quite a while.

 

March was a busy running month for me. I logged 85+ miles, the highest 1 month mileage for me since I started running and I ran 3 half marathons. You would think that would have been a big enough challenge for me, but nope. I wasn’t satisfied. I was fairly certain that I had more in me, so I set out to prove to myself that I did.

 

I’m a member of a group called the Half Fanatics. Toward the end of March, I started looking at the membership criteria to see what it would take to move me up to another level. I tried every way that I could to make the half marathons I had already done count but I couldn’t get it to add up. They were just too far apart. One thing became apparent to me, I would have to run more! So, I made a plan and signed up for not just 1 more, but 3 more half marathons!!  If I did 3 in 3 states in 10 (or less days) I would move up to Mars level. So, that is precisely what I did!!  I ran the Garmin Half Marathon in Olathe, KS on Saturday, April 18. It was rainy and I was hurting badly from a trip/near fall over a parking block so I was surprised by my finish time of 2:24. I got a post race massage, took an ice bath (as advised by the pacer I ran w/ for a while) then a hot shower.

 

After food and Advil, we loaded up and headed for Springfield, MO where I ran the Go Girl Half Marathon on Sunday, April 19. Yep, that’s right….I did 2 halfs back to back!!  I was slower on the second race, finish time was 2:27 but that’s ok. I wasn’t really running for time. I was running in honor of my friend, Crystal who was still recovering from a brain aneurysm (that’s another story).

 

 

 

I didn’t do too much running during the next week as I had one more to go. I focused more on recovery: stretching, yoga, rolling, etc. that week and just ran a couple short maintenance runs. On Saturday, April 25, I ran the Tulsa Golden Driller Half Marathon. This was an inaugural run. It was rather warm and humid that day plus I was tired. It was not my best race ever but this was definitely not about finish time, it was just about finishing upright. And I did in 2:30. I had done it!!  3 half marathons in 3 states in 8 days!!  I moved up to the Mars level as a Half Fanatic.

 

 

 

I am very proud of this accomplishment because exactly one year ago, I was struggling to find my running mojo again. I learned some valuable lessons along the way. This was about endurance. This was about setting a goal and doing whatever needed to be done to achieve it. It was about finishing what I started. And I did it!!  I proved to myself that I’m capable of accomplishing anything I set my mind to. I tell my runners this all the time, but now I’ve got the personal experience to back it up. I’ve already got my sights set on my next goal, but that’s also another story…..

 

Since then, I’ve taken a break from runner to rest and heal up a little bit. I was pretty beat up after all those miles. My IT band was starting to be a little bit irritated because I’ve slacked off of strength training pretty badly. For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been focusing on cleaning up my diet and strength training.

 

My diet was way out of control again! I was eating treats and candy like there was no tomorrow plus drinking too much sweet tea. On Monday, April 27, I did the Team Beachbody 3 Day Refresh. I did it once before and swore that I would never do it again, but I was desperate and had to take drastic measures. I was surprised that it wasn’t nearly as bad as the first time I did it. I didn’t lose lots of weight or inches, but I did succeed in controlling my sugar intake. I am feeling much better, less bloating and stomach upset without all the processed sugars. My clothes seem to be fitting better and I think I look better so that’s a win as far as I’m concerned! I’ve still got some work to do to cut out all of the mindless binging in the evenings after work but that’s drastically improved as well.

And I’ve picked up the weights again. I don’t really get as much of a rush from strength training as I do from running but I know it is a necessary evil and I do like the changes I see in my body. I feel stronger, have more energy in general and am less prone to running injury. Plus I know it increases my running endurance. Pathways summer session starts next week. I’m moving up to coach a faster pace group but I intend to keep the strength training up on my non-running days. I’ve even got a couple new workouts to share with you on Workout Wednesdays.

 

Another change that has taken place is a change in my work assignment. YAY!!  I can NOT express how happy this makes me!!  I won’t bore you with all the gory details, but suffice to say that I’m in a less toxic environment and have a much better work/life balance now!! WOOHOO!!

 

So, that’s a brief update for now. I’ll try to do a much better job of keeping you posted on the goings-on in my daily life once again. I’ve missed blogging on a regular basis and hope to get back to it at least 1-2 times weekly. So, until next time—get up, get out, and get moving.

Whatever you do today, be awesome at it!

 

Your friend,

 

Theresa

Workout Wednesday/Quick Update

Hey, hey, hey y'all!!  I'm still here and still alive!

The old ticker is still ticking, without any abnormalities!! I'm still wearing the heart monitor x 1 more week, but the arrhythmia episodes have decreased, so I'm expecting a bill of clean health from the cardiologist. In retrospect, it was all probably unnecessary, but better to be safe than sorry.

Since the first week of December, I've been filling in for a co-worker who injured her foot. She is unable to bear weight and has been off work. This role is very tedious and time consuming. I often have to stay late at work to complete my daily tasks, which is against everything I believe in. I also don't have great internet in my office. The browser on the work computer is outdated, so I can't access blogger. And the reception on my phone is poor to say the least. Therefore, my social media time and specifically my blogging has taken a HUGE hit!!  I'm sorry. I keep thinking that there has to be a light at the end of the tunnel and my life will be able to return to some resemblance of normalcy soon!!  It better because I'm exhausted and starting to feel burned out!!

In other news, I'm still running with the Pathways group. We're on week 9 of our training, just about 1 week away from our goal race: the Sweetheart Run 10k. They are a very fun group to work with. I've enjoyed this inaugural winter session of Pathways!!  And we've been blessed with some really great weather thus far this winter, so we aren't complaining too much!!

I'm also still trying to stick to eating as clean as I possibly can. And I'm still accomplishing that about 80% of the time.

I have kind of fallen off of cross training the past couple of weeks. Hubs and I have been doing the Body Beast workout. We enjoy it and we will get back to it but we're taking a little break from it at the moment. Right now, we're doing a program I found at www.simplyshredded.com 

 

This is a 12 week program. This is week 1-4. On week 5, the reps decrease to 6-8. And on week 9-12, they decrease to 4-6. You should be getting stronger each week, so the amount of weight that one lifts should ideally increase. So, we'll see. We worked up quite a sweat doing legs last night!!  We have to make some modifications here and there as we don't have machines at home but I think this will be a good program to follow while we're taking a break from the Beast. As you can see, there isn't a workout scheduled for Wednesday, so I'll probably throw in the 21 Day Fix Dirty 30 dvd or find some HIIT workout for us to do.

And, speaking of the 21 Day Fix. I'm so excited that the 21 Day Fix Extreme was just released by Beachbody. I ordered it as soon as it became available and we'll incorporate that when it arrives!!

Ok, gotta run! That's all for now!

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving! Whatever makes you happy, do more of that today!!

Your friend,

Theresa

What workouts are you currently doing??

Workout Wednesday!!

It's Wednesday!!!  Woot, Woot!!

If you've followed me for a while, you know what that means. If you're new here, I love Wednesday because it means we're halfway through the work week. And it also means Workout Wednesday!!

The New Year is in full swing and so many folks have resolved to lose weight, get in shape, work out more, etc. For the first few weeks, you'll see these people at the gym and it seems like they are on track. But then something happens. They get sick, they get busy.....whatever. It seems that the majority get side tracked and time seems to be the biggest thief of their success. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. I understand that we have jobs, kids, lives, etc.  I know too well how easy it is to fall into the "I don't have time" trap. But I've tried to adopt a new attitude about exercise and working out lately.

 For me, working out is not a necessity. I do it because I want to, NOT because I HAVE to. Yes, I'm tired at the end of my work day. All I want to do is come home and put on my pajamas. But I choose to workout first. Why? The time is going to pass anyway whether I'm slinging iron or in my chair with my feet up. Because it's my ME time. Its a positive little thing that I do for myself at the end of the day. Its a great way to burn off the frustrations of the day. Its a small investment in myself. When you think about it, its really no different that getting a pedicure or a massage. That's an investment in one's self. So, why not start thinking of your workout in the same way and see if it makes any difference in getting your workout in.

Here is one of my very favorite total body circuits for you. This is my go-to workout when I'm pressed for time. It is short and sweet but I always feel like I accomplished something when I'm finished. You can modify to add more rounds or you can add additional exercises. I've added triceps extensions and flies before.

 

Now, you have no excuse!! 

 

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving!!  Make time for yourself today! You'll be glad that you did!!

 

 

 



Your friend,

Theresa

Tuesday Thoughts

Good morning folks!

Just checking in quickly to say happy Tuesday. Am I the only one who thinks that Tuesday is the worst day of the week? You've got Monday in all it's manicness and Wednesday with it's humpiness, Thursday is like Friday-eve, and then of course it's TGIF. But Tuesday really has no identity of it's own. Maybe I just have too much time on my hands to think about obscure things!

I'm excited because the inaugural winter season of Pathways starts tonight. In the past, we have taken the winter off. We still run together, but it's loosely structured and not organized. I find myself struggling with motivation or lack there of because it's dark and/or cold. Well this year, Fleet Feet listened to it's participants and initiated a winter season. I'm glad. It will be good to run with an organized group during what I think is the toughest running time of the year. I'm moving up a pace group this session. I'll be coaching the 11:30 group with my friend, Dave. I'm looking forward to this session. I plan to make it as fun as possible to help keep them motivated. I've got a fun idea, team building idea that I can't wait to implement!

I believe that my job as a coach is to help keep them motivated and find their confidence. I often say that I'm not a perfect pacer, but I'm their biggest cheerleader. One way to help them be successful is to have a fun, cohesive group. Let's face it, running alone is ok sometimes; but running with a group is the best! You're sharing a common interest with like minded people and often times, you make life long friends. I'm really looking forward to this adventure!!

In other news, I'm still eating clean and sticking to the 21 Day Fix meal plan. So far, so good!!  I haven't had any candy in over a week, with the exception of peppermints. I have allowed myself  to have coffee with 1 tsp of sugar and 1.5 TBSP of coffee creamer. This doesn't seem to be too much as MFP allows for 40g of sugar a day. This is way under that!!  My stomach is much less bloated, so that's the goal that I was hoping to achieve!!  I'll keep plugging along with it. I know there will be tempations and struggles but hopefully, I've broken the sugar addiction!!

This weekend, we're travelling to St. Louis, Missouri for the Hot Chocolate run. My friends and I ran it last year. It was so cold, but so much fun that we're going back!!  Hubs had just had knee surgery so he couldn't participate but this year he is walking the 5k. I hope this gives him the motivation that he needs to run/walk again. He has some pain in that knee post meniscus repair, probably arthritis. But he is afraid that he will reinjure himself. I keep telling him to stick to shorter distances and walking but I haven't been able to convince him. I just don't think that he is that committed. But, fear can do strange things!

I'm still slacking on my weight training. I was doing so well with consistency and not missing workouts until last week when I did the 3 Day Refresh. I had no energy whatsoever and physically felt ill, so I didn't workout. I have been so busy with day to day stuff and holiday preparation that I haven't got back to it. I'm hoping to change that tonight. When I get home from running, I'll immediately workout, then I can put on my pajamas!!  Here's what I'm hoping the rest of my week will look like, workout-wise:

Tuesday: Pathways run, Body Beast Build chest and triceps
Wednesday: Body Beast Back and biceps
Thursday: Pathways run (2.5 or 3) Body Beast Lucky 7
Friday: Body Beast Shoulders
Saturday: rest
Sunday: Hot Chocolate 15k

So, now that you're updated, you can carry on with your regularly scheduled programming!!

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

Your friend,

Theresa

How do you stay motivated to run in the winter??
Do you run with a group or prefer to run alone??

Monday Motivation

Good morning folks! Here we go again!!

 Happy fall y'all!!

 I hope that you had a great weekend!!  It was a whirlwind busy one here, as usual!

Friday was my birthday. I took the day off work and ended up driving my son to the airport in Oklahoma City to pick up his friend. It was a long day but I really didn't mind. At 25 y/o he doesn't really ask to hang out with mom very often so I took advantage of the situation, even though I think I was only there to navigate. :-)

Saturday morning was the Quarter Marathon at Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa. We usually have a Pathways training run on Saturday mornings, but we were running the race for our training run instead. I encouraged them to consider it a "dress rehearsal" for their goal race, the Tulsa Run 15k next month. I had already warned them that I was going to run my own race. I wasn't planning to race this and didn't have a goal finish time in mind. I started with a group of my runners but I was feeling pretty good, so I passed them. We've been running intervals. I didn't run intervals in my race. I usually don't. I run until I feel like I need a break. This is exactly what I did Saturday morning. The humidity was ridiculous at 97% and it was warm, plus I've been dealing with copious amounts nasal and chest congestion. But, I was feeling pretty good, so I just ran. I finally had to take a short walk break at mile 4.4 I couldn't breathe anymore so I had to blow my nose.....YUCK! I only walked for about 30 seconds then I picked up the pace again. I ran loose run/walk intervals for the remaining 2 miles. At mile 5, I met another Pathways coach. He was walking too! We both commiserated about the heat, humidity, etc, for a couple of seconds, then started running again. I ran with him for a short little bit then he stopped to walk again, I kept going. The course was VERY hilly!!  I was so glad when I topped the last hill! I knew I was about 3-4 blocks from the finish. I turned the corner on 2nd street and kicked it back into high gear. I saw my hubs waiting for me. I high fived him, smiled big for the camera and pushed onto the finish line. I stopped my watch at 1:13 which I was fairly certain was a PR for me. I checked my previous finish times later and discovered that it was in fact a 3 minute, 49 second PR!!  What a birthday present!!  The rest of the day was spent visiting with good friends that I hadn't seen in a long time and watching college football! It was all around a great day!!

Yesterday, hubs and I got up early to go get our shopping done. When we got home, we did our usual household chores, including decorating for fall and meal prep. This week, I made: crockpot chicken, turkey burgers, brown rice, baked sweet potatoes, green beans, mixed veggies, cut up raw veggies for snacks, and HB eggs.

I'm really excited that the fall TV season starts tonight! I'm eager for my favorite shows like the Voice and Blacklist to return. I plan to DVR them so that they don't derail my fitness goals though!
I'm continuing the Body Beast/21 Day Fix hybrid this week. Here's my schedule:

Monday BB Build Chest and Triceps
Tuesday: Run w/ Pathways, 21 Day Lower Fix
Wednesday: BB Build Chest and Back
Thursday: Run w/ Pathways, 21 Day Dirty 30
Friday: BB Build Shoulders
Saturday: Run w/ Pathways 7 miles
Sunday: 21 Day Fix Upper Fix and/or BB Lucky 7

So, that's all I've got for now. I hope you have a fabulous Monday!!

 

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

Your friend,

Theresa

What TV shows are you looking forward to this fall?
What did you prep this week?
What's your workout schedule look like this week?

Monday Motivation

Good morning folks!

Happy Monday!!

It was a busy but otherwise great weekend here! I was off work Friday, so I had a 3 day weekend.

Saturday morning, we got up early and drove to my hometown of Perry, Oklahoma for the Cherokee Strip Landrun 5k. This is the 3rd year I've run this race. My goal was to win my age group. It was about 45 degrees when we woke up that morning and about 47 - 50 when we started. I wore a tank top and shorts in spite of the cold. I knew that I would be running as fast as I could and would warm up quickly. There was a very small turnout. It was chip timed, though. We lined up and at 7:30, they told us to GO because the gun wouldn't work. The cross country track team was there and they lined up in front. I've made the mistake of lining up right behind them before, so this year I tried to start more mid-pack.  It's a downhill start though and I always have a tendency to start too fast. And I did again this year. I looked at my watch as we rounded the first corner and I was at a 7:30 pace. I knew there was no way I could sustain that so I tried to back off a little bit. It was at this point that the one person I knew I had to beat passed me. She strutted right by me and made a 7:30 look effortless! I wanted to quit right then. But I didn't, I kept going. I got close to my parents house and thought about quitting then. No one would ever know if I got a DNF. But I would! I kept going! I knew that I wasn't going to come in first in my age group, so now I had my sights set on 2nd. So I kept pushing myself as hard as I could. I knew that the finish is also downhill so I kept plugging along. I flew across the finish line at 29:00!!  AMAZING!!  That's a 9:23 pace and was a 2 minute and 30 second PR for me. It was not good enough for 1st in my age group or even 2nd, but it was still a decent finish time! I've wanted to run a sub 30 minute 5k and now I've done it. The point here is that it isn't really about being better than anyone other than myself. Its about being a little bit better everyday and I certainly accomplished that!!

The rest of the day was spent with my family at the parade and at my parents house where we had a big spread for lunch. It was great to see my parents, brother and sister, and my baby nieces. It was a great day!

Yesterday, I did the weekly chores and meal prep. This week, I fixed fajita chicken for homemade "Chipotle" salad bowls, crockpot BBQ chicken, grilled turkey burgers, baked sweet potato fries, mixed veggies, green beans, salad, and HB eggs.

My fitness  goals this week are to continue my cross training and complete the  Quarter Marathon with my pathwayers. 

Monday: Body Beast Build Chest and Triceps

Tuesday : 3.5 mile run with  Pathways; 21 Day Fix lower fix

Wednesday: Body Beast Build Back and Biceps

Thursday : 4 mile run Fartlek  run with Pathways; 21 Day Fix upper fix

Friday: Body Beast Build Shoulders

Saturday : Quarter Marathon

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

New Week, New Day

Howdy folks!

Happy Monday!

I hope you're having a great day so far.

We had another relaxing weekend at the lake. The weather was so perfect yesterday, it was really hard for me to leave. We only have a few more warm,  boating weekends this season.  I usually fight the end of summer tooth and nail, but this year has not been quite as enjoyable as usual. So,  I'm not going to be real sad to see it end. I am looking forward to some fall camping,  sitting around the campfire and relaxing though!

I flew through the chores and weekly meal prep when we got home.  I fixed  ground  turkey,  turkey  burgers,  brown rice,  baked sweet potatoes,  broccoli,  mixed vegetables,  and hard boiled/baked eggs in literally  1 hour!

I've been running with my Pathways group,  but have been neglecting my strength training workouts the past 2 weeks.  I'm am hoping to get back at it this week.  My fitness goals for the week are:

Monday: Chest / Triceps
Tuesday: 3 mile run ; Body Beast Lucky 7
Wednesday: Back / Biceps
Thursday: Shoulders
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 5-6 mile  run

So,  that's what's up with me right now. 

I hope that you all have a great week!

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

Your friend,

Theresa

Positively Wednesday

Howdy,  howdy y'al!  Happy Wednesday!

We're already halfway through another work week,  and personally,  I'm more happy about it than usual.

This has been the  most  craptastic week from hell ever!

I've had a very difficult,  unsettling work situation to deal with this week.  I'm finding out the hard way,  that you can't trust anybody these days.  It's been rather difficult  for me to process this.  I'm not usually a  mean person and I get my feelings hurt very easily when someone is mean to me.  Someone at work felt the need to attack my character. I'm trying as hard as I can not to take it personally,  but that's easier said than done.  I've been told that "I did a great job"  and "consider the source".  Well,  I'm trying!  My sweet hubs  said  last night  "sometimes,  when a fly lands in your tea,  you just have to dump it out and get a fresh one". I think that's  the best thing I've heard in a long while,  so now I'm in search of "new tea"

But,  in the meanwhile,  I'm trying to stay as positive as I can.  A couple of weeks ago,  I was challenged by a friend  to  post 3 positives for 7 days. During the course of this little  challenge,  I realized that despite all the negative in the  world,  I really  have  a lot to be grateful for.  It made me realize that not every day may be good,  but there is something good in every day.

So,  I challenge you all to write  down  3 positive things daily for the next  7 days!

In the meanwhile,  PW3 had a good run last night.  It was track night and that scared some of them. But  they did a great job,  especially considering the  heat index was 100 degrees.  We did  800m x 2 then  400m x 4.

Our splits were:

800 @ 5:45
800 @ 5:45
400 @ 2:33
400 @ 2:45
400 @ 2:44
400 @ 2:33

Personally,  I  was glad to leave some of my frustration  behind on the track!

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

Your friend,

Theresa

Monday Motivation

Good morning!! 

Here we go again!!  It's a new day and a new week, lets make it count!!

We had another fabulous weekend at our lake place. Yep, we just left and we went right back! That's how much we love it there! Plus, there aren't too many more summer weekends left, so we're trying to take advantage of it while we can.

So far, Pathways is going GREAT!!  I'm so excited to be back. It's so exciting to work with these runners. I enjoy watching them pursue and achieve their goals. It really is very rewarding! We ran 3 miles last Thursday night and 3.5 on Saturday morning. Its been rather hot and humid here recently. We really aren't acclimated to that because we've had such a mild summer. I keep telling them to hang in there, it will get better. I'm not sure if they believe me, though. :-)

I really enjoyed our time at the lake recently but I'm ready to get back into our regular routine. I haven't been as careful with my macros as I should have been and I've slacked on my strength training. When we got home last night, I meal prepped, of course! I fixed ground turkey, baked chicken breast, brown rice, black beans, baked sweet potatoes, broccoli, mixed veggies, salad, and HB eggs. Tonight, we'll get back on track with our strength training with Body Beast chest and triceps.

And, 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

Back to Reality

Hello, hello!!

I hope that you're all doing well and having a good week, so far. Hang on, we're almost there!!

Its been a great week for me, but its back to reality today. Hubs and I decided to take a little extended time at the last this past weekend and I am so glad that we did!! It is always so beautiful there but I was surprised at how peaceful it was. Monday and Tuesday were nearly perfect. There were very few boats, so the water was very calm. The weather was perfect! We had the campground all to ourselves. It was so quiet and relaxing! I could have stayed for days and days!!  Hubs got the chance to do a little fishing while I got to float and soak up the sun. The highlight of our trip was getting to see the goats on Goat Island. We've gone to this lake for several years now and just recently learned that this island is called "Goat Island" We heard there were goats on the island but we were skeptical, as we had docked there before and never saw or heard one. We've seen pictures of them recently but until Sunday, we had not seen them with our own eyes. We had a chance to see one of them Sunday and then on Tuesday, we saw them both.  Needless to say, it was a great week!

I didn't work out as much as I had planned. I probably ate way too much junk and consumed a few too many adult beverages, but it was all worth it! I think that we spend way too much time wrapped up in our daily lives-working, working out, watching what we eat, etc. Don't get me wrong, that's all very important. But I believe that if we truly want to be the best that we can be, we need to learn to lighten up and relax. Rest is just as important as exercise and clean eating!!

I packed my gym bag for a run after work today. And for the first time in about 6 months, I packed this shirt:

I have to admit that I'm more than a little bit excited about returning to coaching this group! It was such and integral part of my identity then I got injured and a little burned out. I've taken a break and now I'm looking forward to working with this group, preparing them for their goal race, the Tulsa Run 15k. I had such a fun group last fall. I haven't met them yet as I missed the first run Tuesday night but I'm hoping that we have as much fun, if not more! Some of our Pathways alumni have graduated to coaching, including my sweeper coach. It will be as much fun working with them too. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted with frequent updates and pictures!!  I just hope that I can keep up!!

 

And, back to reality for us includes back to our healthy habits: eating and working out. Of course I meal prepped when we got home yesterday. I fixed turkey sausage w/ potatoes, peppers and onions, baked chicken, baked sweet potatoes, salad and HB eggs. In addition to running tonight, I'll continue my strength training with an upper body workout.

 

OK, gotta go get ready for work now. I'll check in with ya again tomorrow!

 

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

 

Your friend,

 

Theresa



Inspiration

Howdy folks! I hope you're having a great week so far!

I can't complain and even if I did,  it wouldn't do me any good.

My legs  are still very sore from my long run last Saturday. I did 7  miles,  up to the  top of  Bullet  Mountain  and back so that I could work on my downhill running technique.  It is 1100 ft elevation,  pretty much straight up! It was hard and wasn't a pretty run by any means.  I didn't feel well afterward.  I was nauseated and had chills and severe leg cramps .  My hubs thinks that I overheated and got dehydrated.  I think he might be right,  but shhhh......don't tell him I said that!

I didn't run yesterday morning.  I gave the legs another day of rest.  I did  Body Beast build  chest and triceps instead.  Today is leg day!  I might go have make  some modifications  because of the residual soreness. The forecasted high temp for tomorrow is supposed to  be in the 70's,  so I'm hoping to get in a few recovery miles then.

I've had a couple of insightful conversations recently that I wanted to talk to you about.  Last Wednesday,  after my personal trainer session,  I posted a flex selfie.  A good  friend sent me a message to tell that I was looking good,  happy and healthy.  He went on to say the he was "a work in progress" and thanked me for the inspiration. I replied with my usual "not where I want to be  but  closer than I used to be"  line and didn't give it much thought.  Then yesterday, I was scrolling through Instagram and ran across a new account that really struck me.  I followed it and commented on  her photo that she was inspirational. To which she replied "aren't we all"  That comment really resonated with me and I completely got what my friend was trying to tell me last week.  The definition  of inspiration is: a person or thing that motivates mentally or emotionally. It was in that moment that I realized no matter where I am in my journey,  there is someone out there who is just starting.  Who knows who you might  be influencing today,  so do your best to put your best self out there! Everyday you  should strive to  be a little bit better than you were yesterday! #relentlesspursuitofbetter #rpob

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

Your friend,

Theresa


Who or what inspires you?
How do you try to improve yourself everyday?