Fun in the Sun!

I had a wonderful day today - it was 74 and sunny, so we grabbed the dogs, and took off hiking.  We 'only' got in 2 miles, but much of it was vertical.  :)

We followed that up with a Harley ride, then I put on my running shoes, and ran 3 miles.  It was just too pretty out to be cooped up indoors. 

I wish it could be like this all of the time, though I didn't get any laundry done.  I suppose I'd never get it done if I kept up this pace... it just felt good to be out and moving. 

Momentum

I've had a good week.  Walking or hiking every day.  (Working half days this week gave me the time to do that.)  I got up ealy, worked out on the BowFlex, then did a walk/run for 3.5 miles.  All before 11!

Now I just need to keep it up.  Tomorrow, I have a dental appointment in Santa Barbara, so I'll take the dogs, go early, and do a 4 mile hike/walk on my favorite mesa path.  It's on a cliff ovelooking the ocean, so it's just gorgeous.  Bailey can be offleash, so a fun time is had by all!  :) 

It'll take a while, but hopefully, the weight will go down with all of this added activity.  It sure piles on quickly enough!

Frustrations

I've been majorly frustrated lately.  I've been working extra hours getting ready for a conference, and haven't been able to get out to exercise as much as I'd like to.  Therefore, my weight keeps creeping back up.  The eating part is ok, mostly, but I need to get back to running for stress relief.

To top it off, family members at home are cranky.  It's tough to come home to cranky people at the end of a long day.   Even worse to wake up to them.  I'd rather not spend my down time hiding out in my den.  Just not a fun way to live.

Things will get better.  The big conference is Monday, so the long hours will be in the past.  The rainy season is almost over, so the weather will be inspiring me to run more often.  So it's all looking up!  I'll take advantage of my day off, get out for a run, hike with the doggies (who are NEVER cranky), and enjoy life. 

If it's not one thing...

... it's another!  I had some type of stomach bug for a week.  Feel good for a day, and then this morning, wake up sick as a dog w/a sore throat, fever and body aches.  I can't win!

On the plus side, while I felt fine yesterday, I got out for a hike w/hubby and the dogs, and had a blast.  I even snuck out for a 20 minute run afterward!  

I'm looking forward to feeling better.  I'm super busy at work, and can't take a day off in the next 2 weeks.  I might do slightly shorter days, but that's as light as I can go. 

Also on the plus side, I'm loving life in CA.  The job is great; the people there are terrific.  I need to concentrate more on school, but will wait til I feel better.  Reading law school books when you're dizzy doesn't make sense.  I won't retain a thing. 

Maybe I can talk DH into a gentle back rub?! 

Continuing with the theme...

I'm still eating a bit better, and working out.  It's pouring and windy in 'Sunny CA', so I put on a WATP dvd, and did a 5 mile workout.  Of course, now I'm starving!

I'd love to get back to running again.  I never seem to make the time for it though, and I really miss it.  I guess I'll have to add my runs to my day planner, and make it part of my day, period. 

Also, I've found a local marathon which also has a walk/run half marathon.  It's a small race, 4 months away, which might be just the ticket to get me back out there.  I'll investigate further, and see if I can get moving. 

A New Year; a New Start

It has been weeks since I've written in my blog; shame on me!  The holidays were hectic, to put it mildly.  My stepson visited from VA, and my stepdaughter moved in with us.  I had a week off between Christmas and New Year's Day, but we've been racing around doing touristy stuff (and eating), so I haven't gotten back to a schedule yet.

Over the holidays, I gained 5 pounds, but have lost 3.5 of them in the past few days.  My husband and I have been hiking each day, mostly straight up and down steep hills in deep sand. 

We're making an effort to eat at home now that we have 3 of us to feed.  Eating out isn't cost effective, nor is it necessarily healthy.  And we'd gotten into the habit of eating out at least one meal a day.  No wonder my weight went right back up!

Anyway... I'll be getting in synch with a new work/exercise schedule now that I'm back to work.  With any luck, they'll hire my replacement, and I'll get to study and work out even more regularly.    =)

Happy New Year!!!

Stumbling

I always have high aspirations for my days off.  I plan to get tons of things done - errands, household chores, holiday stuff, and of course, exercising. 

So I'm always bummed when my day off is coming to an end, and I've only completed a few things from my list.  Today, for example, I didn't work out at all.  On the plus side, I did finish my holiday decorating.  However, I have to work the next few days, so it'll be Friday before I get to run.  UGH!

Hopefully, by the end of January, I'll be able to go down to working only 2 days a week.  That will help, but school started up again this week, so I'm gonna be swamped. 

I'm feeling terribly overwhelmed, and just want to eat.  PMS doesn't help. 

Any ideas???

Goals

Goals... I need 'em.  I need to have something to work toward.  When I slog along, day to day, without them, I tend to gain weight, and get more out of shape.  Ugh. 

So I decided to look for a race to train for.  I thought a Half Marathon sounded fun.  I've always wanted to do the Rock n Roll Marathon in San Diego.  Now that I'm on this coast, it's an option.  I checked out their site, and while its counterparts in Nashville and Va. Beach have Halfs, the one in SD does not.  Bummer.  I'm not in the kind of shape I'd need to be in order to run a full marathon.  (I can't run a half now either, but I could walk it, if I got too desperate.) 

So, I found another 'fun' half, in Huntington Beach.  They have surfer bands playing along the route, and you end up at a beach party at the finish line.  Sounds like a blast, but it's in 8 weeks.  And the training schedule I MIGHT be able to push myself through is 12 weeks long.  ARG!

I shall NOT give up, I WILL find 'the perfect race' for me. 

Settling In

Two exhausting months later, we're just about settled into a nice home (a rental) in CA.  The dogs are thrilled to be in Sunny CA, only 7 miles from the beach, and 2 miles from a state park with 1900 acres of hills perfect for hiking.  It was a pain to uproot our lives, and move cross country in a matter of weeks, but now that we're here, it was well worth it!

I re-connected with my old job, and am working on a few special projects for them, a few days a week.  But it's 100 miles round trip now, and with the gas prices here hitting $3.50 or more this week, I think I'll keep that work to a minimum, or find a way to do them here at home. 

In December, I'm hoping to start the next year's studies in law school, so that'll keep me entertained, anyway.  In the meantime, I'm doing my best to get out for walks and hikes.  There is a municipal pool nearby, and I'll look into it when things settle a bit more.  The Pacific is a bit chilly in November, and I don't have a wet suit.  Maybe that'll be a goal for me - when I can get INTO one, I can get one?   lol 

I'll do my best to not be a stranger...

Thanks for reading! 

Holding Pattern

Well, we're still waiting for the official transfer papers from my hubby's company.  Until we get them, we have no clue when we're moving, can't go on the house hunting trip, etc.  It's frustrating, but on the plus side, I've cleared out tons of stuff, so when we do move, it'll be that much easier.  I've donated 4 bags of clothing and linens to a local charity, so my closets are much lighter!

Now, I need to focus on making ME lighter, too!  I've been walking and running 6 days a week throughout this process, but need to ramp it up, as I can't break the plateau at this rate.

I'm looking forward to doing my walking/running on the beach!