Food wasnt perfect. I had a little brownie with a scoop of light ice cream after dinner BUT aside from that my day was pretty much on target. Today ofcourse will not I had a good breakfast but didnt pack my lunch because Friday is the day my sister and I go to lunch (since Ive decided to pack the rest) and Im meeting a couple friends after work for happy hour/dinner. Luckily the place we are going isnt one where I could go and eat the entire menu. Im sure ill find plenty of bad stuff but I shouldnt go too crazy either. I will give a good effort over the weekend to balance it out. As for exercise, my run yesterday was 6 miles. I felt great at first then kind of tired around mile 4. Im really bad about letting my head take me out. So I kind of did a little evaluation...Legs feel fine, not tired or heavy. Breathing is hardly increased at all. I wasnt too hot. All in all I felt great and the feeling like I was having a hard time was just in my head. After that I finished out pretty good. Not as strong as some days but just fine. I felt like I was going slow but really my pace was about a 10 minute mile, kinda slow for me but definately ok for a 6 miler. Tonight Im supposed to do 5 miles but since Im meeting friends Im going to take tonight off and try and squeeze a quick 3 mile run in tomorrow morning. It'll be tough because the game starts at noon and we are heading to our friends house at 10:30 but I really want to get it in. Sunday is 9 miles! I am excited to do it but at the same time Im really nervous. I had a tough time with 8 miles but breezed though 7 so who knows how this one will go.
I cant stand to look at my stupid weight chart. Its just climbing higher and higher. I gained another pound this week. 1 Pound isnt the end of the world its that it has become a trend. Yesterday I did great at work. I ate a decent breakfast, my packed lunch, and light snacks, but I was STARVING the entire day. I went home and ate immediately. I ate way too much because I was so hungry. I dont understand. I used to eat about 700-800 calories during the day at work and save about 1000 for dinner. Yesterday I even took the eat more earlier approach in hopes that I wouldnt be so famished at night. No luck I ate 1000 calories during the day and still went home and had about 1300 more, and thats actually the best day Ive had in a long time. Today I packed my lunch again. Between breakfast, lunch, and snacks, I should have about 900 calories. Im going to try and keep my dinner and pm snack to another 1000. 1900 calories should be plenty to support my running and low enough not to gain and maybe even lose slowly. I'll try that approach and see. If I can just do it today then I can show myself its possible and maybe then the next day wont seem so tough.....
My husband called me on his way to work yesterday to say that the dog food bag had a hole in it and had attracted a bunch of ants to out pantry so he spent a good bit of time this morning throwing that out , cleaning up the floor in there, spraying for ants, cleaning again. So I needed to stop and get dog food and a rubbermaid container to keep it in on my way home. So that shot my running on the way home plan. I ate as soon as I got home from that so I couldnt run still. By the time that digested it was dark BUT I made myself head to the gym and hit the treadmill and it actually wasnt bad at all. So Im really proud of myself for finding the determination to go.
Food wasnt so great again. I brought rice cakes and peanut butter but when I went down to the cafateria they didnt have any milk. Now I could have just had water or even gotten a string cheese to get a little calcium and protein in place of my milk but nooooo. I got a pop tart. Then lunch we went to Taco Bell/Pizza Hut express and I got the whole pizza meal, pizza, breadsticks, and a pop. UHhh! I wasnt even stuffed after I ate it all. How disgusting! Dinner I did better but then I made brownies and had that with ice cream and later made some chips and cheese. What is wrong with me!?!?!? Today I stuck with the rice cake and peanut butter. Still no milk in the cafeteria so I'll have to think of what to add so I dont starve and then over eat at lunch. I did pack my lunch but Im already dreading its bland plain and boringness. Im just completely unsatisified with healthy food right now. I know its because Im so picky and my selection of 'healthy' foods is very limited and I get burnt out on the same old thing over and over. I know that I should expand my food choices. Still, how do I make myself go eat a bunch of foods that make me gag because I cant stand the taste or texture? I feel like such a little kid. My sister keeps telling me that all the running is increasing my appetite so its ok to eat and eat. To an extent I aggree, you gotta feed your body for what you are asking it to do, but I also think I use that as an excuse to eat anything and everything I want as often as I want.
Well I didnt plan to go on that much of a food rant but its driving me crazy. As for exercise, I tried a new trail last night. It was a fairly nice trail. Some areas were through woods and following a creek but others were along busy roads in full sun. Anyway, I was supposed to run 3-1mile intervals. I didnt know this trail and where the markers were so I just carried my cell phone and set my alarm for 9 miutes and ran at what I thought was a little faster than my usual pace, assuming that would be atleast a mile. Then Id walk for 3 minutes to recover. I did that 3 times. So hopefully it was good enough. Im not trying to win any races so I suppose anything would be good enough Im sure I'll go back to that trail from time to time but I couldnt tell where the markers started and finished and which ones went together. So for the most part I think I'll stick to the one Ive been running.
My long run was much much better this week. 7 miles and I felt like I could have kept going. I really focused on going a little slower, just keeping a nice steady pace and finishing. Id love to be able to run much faster and its a little disappointing that I cant but I feel much better jogging the whole 7 miles and feeling great than when I go too fast and feel like crap and cant keep running. I did skip one of my short runs but it was a busy weekend so I think I got in plenty of extra walking. Tonight Ive got a short run scheduled and Im looking forward to that.
Food on the other had was horrid. Friday my husband suggested a chinese buffet. I dont even like chinese but I found plenty of rice, pizza, cheese sticks, chinese donuts, and ice cream to eat. Then there was the nachos at the Buckeye game, make that super nachos. Oh, and the sweetcorn festival. Finally cooking out last night where I ate lots and lots. I just cant seem to get a grip. I think part of it may be not getting enough water on the weekend. Ive heard its easy to feel hungry or have cravings when you dont get enough water. Or it could be alcohol. Since our friends moved in next door with the pool. We spend half our weekend floating with a drink in hand. I eat a lot more when I drink, even if its just a couple.
Eatting aside, this weekend was WONDERFUL. My DH got home early friday, which made it seem like an extra day to the weekend already. Then Buckeye football started! Finally having Monday off made for and extra long weekend. We did so much and still had a little time to get stuff done around the house. Aaahhhh if only every weekend could be like that
I gained a half pound I guess thats not too bad considering I ate everything in sight everyday but 2. So if I can put it together this week and and stay on trach 5 or 6 days I might actually lose something! Its been raining here for a few days so I havent gotten to take my new shoes out for a try. I did go to the gym Wednesday night and try em out on the treadmill. Treadmill running always feels different to me but the shoes felt good! I did 4 miles a 6 mph so I think that was a good pace but a nice easy run like I wanted. Last night I did 3 miles in my hilly neighborhood. Hills are always hard. Tonight Ive just got a short easy 3 miles on the flat trail. Then tomorrow is a rest day and Im going to the BUCKEYE game! Wooo Whooo!!! I finally fit into the girly jersey my DH bought me 2 years ago!
This monring I had 1 piece of toast with peanut butter and a yogurt. A good start. I got that new Fiber One yogurt. It is really good! I can tolerate a little yogurt but I usually just enjoy it in smoothies. This stuff is really good. It tastes like yoplait La Creme, but half the calories and you get fiber. Ok, so thats my advertisesment Lunch will be more challenging. I, as usual, didnt have time to pack a lunch this morning so I will have to go out and pick something up. I could pick somethign nice and healthy but its also the friday before a long weekend, half the office took the day off, including my boss, and the people left are all about a long delicious lunch and I have a hard time saying no.....So we will see. Then my DH is off half a day tonight!!! but that also means we may end up getting bad food and having a few drinks.
and so did I. DH got me new running shoes that I soooo desperately needed. I have literally had my old shoes since 2004. I love them dearly and they have actually held up wonderfully but the souls were just wearing down to nothing. Finally this past weekend they started to give me blisters. So his gift came just at the right time. Heres a link to them, hope it works
He got the crimson and silver ones, naturally. What else would a Buckeye girl that bleeds scarlet and grey want? I cant wait to try them out! Ofcourse its raining today and I dont want to get them all dirty just yet so I may have to hold out til tomorrow.
I got him a pair of straight jacket oakley sunglasses. I know hes needed and wanted new ones forever but would never go spend money on good sunglasses right now. He bought a cheap trendy pair at target a few weeks ago but they dont really go for golfing, yard work, etc. I was worried about what style he'd want. I knew he didnt want them to look too old school oakley but wanted them kinda sporty and less trendy. He loved the ones I picked. As soon as he put them on he said "oh yeah, i definately like these.' then after looking in the mirror he still loved them. So yay! I feel really good about that.
Ok, on to diet and exercise. Yesterday was just a 3 miler and I was really looking forward to it after my rough runs this weekend. I did great! I walked my 1/4 mile warm up, ran 3, and walked a 1/4 mile cool down in 33 minutes. So my best estimate is I ran the 3 miles in about 26 minutes! (still need a watch to be accurate) I am definately improving my speed. Even while I was running it I felt like I was keeping a really good pace and never felt tired. I definately needed that to get my head right again. I researched a lot yesterday to see what may have caused my problems with Friday and Sundays runs. It could have been any of the things I listed yesterday but I also read that almost all of my training runs should be at a significantly easier pace than I hope to run the actual half marathon. I havent been doing that. Ive been going as hard as I can most days, not like full out sprint ofcourse, but like the best pace I can do for the distance. I guess thats kind of counter productive, tiring my body rather than building stamina and strength. So now Im going to stick to speed work on my short run like yesterday, then keep my pace in check on all other runs or at least try to. Im not real good at setting a pace. Yet another reason I need a watch.
Food was ok. I had a snack of tortilla chips and cheese that I didnt need late in the evening but other than that all was good.
Food was so/so yesterday. I ate good for breakfast and lunch. I had a good dinner and even opted for a fiber one yogurt, frozen strawberries & bananas, and skim milk smoothy when I wanted something sweet. HOWEVER, I went to the mall yesterday after work to pick up an anniversary gift for my DH. Why did I even walk in to Cheryl's cookies!?!?!? I couldnt decide between a peanut butter celebration and an iced cut out so I got both. Then I ate both So that was very bad. Over all a not so good but not the worst day. I thoroughly enojoyed having my day of rest and my legs are feeling much better today. Just a short run tonight so Im feeling really good about that. I think my ego needs a short flat easy run
As for the gift for the husband. This is the absolute hardest adjustment to being married.....Thats a great thing right, if thats the hardest part .......Anyway, its weird buying each other presents from the same bank account. 1. because it seems like buying him a gift with his money. Its our money but still his check is in there same as mine. 2. When I bought a gift before marrage and shared accounts, I knew exactly what I could afford, even if it meant splurging some. Now its like well if I want to splurge and get something nice is he going to think 'gees I wish we woulda spent that money on the new window we need' or something like that. 3. Then theres also the fact that we dont have tons of money so should we just pick out a gift together thats for both of us, like for the house or something, or should we get each other something we need rather than spend money on something else in an attempt to be more romantic. Ultimately I decided on something I know he wants but probably wouldnt go spend the money on himself anytime soon. I know he'll be greatfull but hopefully he really likes it.
Mondays are sooo hard. Its not that my job is so aweful or anything. Its just that Monday means so much more than returning to work. It means a return to having everything schedule, being careful eatting, even if I get to meet friends for happy hour or dinner I have to make sure to plan the rest of my week around it so I can fit all my exercise time in and not go too crazy with calories, and most importantly it means not seeing my DH for a week. I get so excited when Friday comes and then the weekend flies by and then Im just completely down when Monday starts. Anyway, thats my rant on why Im in a bad mood.
Part of me wants to be really proud of the effort I put forth this weekend but part of me also feels like a failure. I had slacked a little last week on my running because of my groin. So when Friday came around I absolutely had to run. I tried to go 5 miles but couldnt even make it. I had to walk the last mile. It could be that TOM was here or that I ran a lot in the full sun. The trail I usually take is about 98% shade. Anyway, then I went to dinner with my friend and ate way too much and had 3 drinks. I was super excited for DH to come home that night but my dog had tore up a tube of red oil paint while I was out and I didnt know how to clean that up. I figured if i tried Id make it worse and then itd never come up. So I left it until my husband got home assuming he would know what was best to use. Well that put him in a bitter mood, after a week of long days and to come home and have to clean red paint out of the carpet. (I dont know if I mentioned that he got promoted which is great but it means hes expected to work 9 hour days now instead of 8) Anyway, saturday I had a short 3 mile jog, I made it but had to walk up the last steep hill. That night we went to dinner and listened to our favorite local live music, John Andrews, http://www.johnandrewsmusic.com/ at a lakeside bar. Sunday I had an 8 mile run scheduled. I felt fine the first two and then it was all down hill. I felt aweful just getting to the 4 mile marker to turn around. I made it back to the water fountain, at about the 3 1/4 mile mark, got some water, and decided to walk 1/4 mile. I hated that I had to walk. I felt like I was quitting. Still, from talking to others, a lot of people walk during their training. So partly I was proud that I made it to the 8 mile run without walking. So after walking the 1/4 mile I picked it back up. Then I started to get the chills, goosebumps all up and down my arms and legs. That shouldnt happen when its near 90 degrees. I remembered hearing that if you start to get the chills or stop sweating to get outta the heat immediately. So i felt my arms, dry as a bone. So at the two mile marker I decided to walk the rest of the way. I actually didnt feel as aweful on the return trip as I had the 4 going out but it totally freaked me out that I was that cold. I hated that I didnt run the whole thing but Id rather walk it than be found on the side of the trail. My husband told me from now on I have to carry my cell phone and I know hes right. I dont understand though. I have ran up to 7 miles just fine and it wasnt like I made it that far and then that extra mile was just too much. I felt like poo after just a couple. So who knows, it could have been that I was at the tail end of TOM, coulda been that Id eatten nothing but greasy junk food, it coulda been that I didnt work enough during the week, could be that Im getting faster but havent figured out how to keep the pace slower on my long runs, it coulda been that it just got into my head that I was tired and therefore I talked myself out of a good run. I'll make sure I stay on top of all my mid week runs this week and hope for a better shot this weekend.
Stupid food. I just cant seem to eat a normal amount of food I just have no determination. I wrote down my calories again so I am atleast aware of how much exactly I am eatting but I just watch the numbers pile up higher and higher. Today I didnt pack my lunch so I'll have to run and get something AND Im meeting a friend for dinner after work. RRRRRRRRR, not to mention any adult beverages.
I skipped running too. I had to work a little late so I shortened my evening from the start. I ran to target to look at running skirts. They had some that I really really liked but when Iwas trying to decide what color to get I thought I better wait until I decide what shoes Im getting. I want to look somewhat decent when I go to my DH's work 5k because his company is all about appearances. I dont want to run in my normal older brothers highschool football shorts from 1994 and an over sized t-shirt. So I decided to wait but eventually get a cute skirt. I was telling my DH about it later on and he said he didnt really like the skirts. Ok so I'll wear shorts. Well he doesnt like the typical running shorts either. I think he wants me to wear cute little Abercrombie cutoff sweats short shorts. Thats a problem. 1.) Im 168 pounds. These thighs dont look cute in those shorts. 2.) Those look cute when you are just lounging around but they are absolutely aweful to run in. They just arent made for motion. So Im trying to find a semi cute pair of shorts that are also halfway decent to run in. I know truly he doesnt care and if I took him with me to the store and tried on a real runners outfit he'd think it looked fine. Anyway, that made me get home even later and I was starving so I ate when I got home. Then it was too late to run outside. I thought about heading to the gym but just decided to take one more day of rest. Im sure it wouldnt hurt my groin to rest again anyway. I just absolutely have to run today before I meet my friend for dinner!
I had a good breakfast but didnt pack my lunch because Friday is the day my sister and I go to lunch (since Ive decided to pack the rest) and Im meeting a couple friends after work for happy hour/dinner. Luckily the place we are going isnt one where I could go and eat the entire menu. Im sure ill find plenty of bad stuff but I shouldnt go too crazy either. I will give a good effort over the weekend to balance it out. As for exercise, my run yesterday was 6 miles. I felt great at first then kind of tired around mile 4. Im really bad about letting my head take me out. So I kind of did a little evaluation...Legs feel fine, not tired or heavy. Breathing is hardly increased at all. I wasnt too hot. All in all I felt great and the feeling like I was having a hard time was just in my head. After that I finished out pretty good. Not as strong as some days but just fine. I felt like I was going slow but really my pace was about a 10 minute mile, kinda slow for me but definately ok for a 6 miler. Tonight Im supposed to do 5 miles but since Im meeting friends Im going to take tonight off and try and squeeze a quick 3 mile run in tomorrow morning. It'll be tough because the game starts at noon and we are heading to our friends house at 10:30 but I really want to get it in. Sunday is 9 miles! I am excited to do it but at the same time Im really nervous. I had a tough time with 8 miles but breezed though 7 so who knows how this one will go.
I cant stand to look at my stupid weight chart. Its just climbing higher and higher. I gained another pound this week. 1 Pound isnt the end of the world its that it has become a trend. Yesterday I did great at work. I ate a decent breakfast, my packed lunch, and light snacks, but I was STARVING the entire day. I went home and ate immediately. I ate way too much because I was so hungry. I dont understand. I used to eat about 700-800 calories during the day at work and save about 1000 for dinner. Yesterday I even took the eat more earlier approach in hopes that I wouldnt be so famished at night. No luck 
I ate 1000 calories during the day and still went home and had about 1300 more, and thats actually the best day Ive had in a long time. Today I packed my lunch again. Between breakfast, lunch, and snacks, I should have about 900 calories. Im going to try and keep my dinner and pm snack to another 1000. 1900 calories should be plenty to support my running and low enough not to gain and maybe even lose slowly. I'll try that approach and see. If I can just do it today then I can show myself its possible and maybe then the next day wont seem so tough.....
Im sure I'll go back to that trail from time to time but I couldnt tell where the markers started and finished and which ones went together. So for the most part I think I'll stick to the one Ive been running.
I guess thats not too bad considering I ate everything in sight everyday but 2. So if I can put it together this week and and stay on trach 5 or 6 days I might actually lose something! Its been raining here for a few days so I havent gotten to take my new shoes out for a try. I did go to the gym Wednesday night and try em out on the treadmill. Treadmill running always feels different to me but the shoes felt good! I did 4 miles a 6 mph so I think that was a good pace but a nice easy run like I wanted. Last night I did 3 miles in my hilly neighborhood. Hills are always hard. Tonight Ive just got a short easy 3 miles on the flat trail. Then tomorrow is a rest day and Im going to the BUCKEYE game! Wooo Whooo!!! I finally fit into the girly jersey my DH bought me 2 years ago! 
I cant wait to try them out! Ofcourse its raining today and I dont want to get them all dirty just yet so I may have to hold out til tomorrow.