Its been a very stressful week, so I was tempted not to run. I knew though, that I had a holiday party for Mr. F's work and probably needed to burn some calories before hand!
The temps felt tropical compared to the subzero stuff from before. Its amazing how relative tempature feels. I remember complaining bout running in 30 degree temps earlier in the season. Now Im particularly thankful for a 20 degree day to run in!
I ran my alternate neighborhood route. Basically I run from my house, through a neighborhood and out of town on a gravel/dirt road. It works well since the traffic ie really light and the roads are fairly clear of snow and ice.
Overall it was a good run, had a few slow spots but I did 3 miles in 44 minutes. Not too shabby for cold weather running. I keep reminding myself, its not so important how fast but that Im out there moving and improving my fitness.
Weight check went well. I was hoping for two pounds down but I'll take the 1.2!
I'm enjoying being in the 160s's even if its on the high end. Im down a total of 14.3 pounds. Seeing the weight come off definitely helps on the motivation end. Plus if I run, i can eat some chocolate. You know the important stuff!
Im hoping to get to run with my eldest son over break. Hes been super busy with wrestling, that we havent had a chance to run together. Im sure he will take off and meet me on the run back but hey, we can start together. Some of my younger kids want to come run too. They will likely not make it hte entire three miles but it should be fun getting out together.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The run around the lake, number two
The temps were warmer, a balmy 10 degrees, and the sun was shining -- so I took off for my long run around the lake ( 4 miles). It was nice not having subzero winds blowing for a change.
The first two miles are the tougher of the 4. So I reminded myself of that as I was running. I didnt get to borrow a watch, so I carried the cell phone instead. That gave me a starting and ending time but I elected not to pull it out as I ran each mile. Good thing I didnt, it died right after that lol.
I was looking forward to the mile segment of the trail I often run on. Last time, I was able to make up some time on that stretch as its mostly flat. Not this time! The recent snows left the trail tough to run down. Snowmobilers had packed down some of the snow but it made it hard to get traction to run. The uneven terrain of snow bumps didnt help either. I ended up walking 3 different times during that segment. It really was just hard slogging along. I allowed myself those walking segments, for 15 or 30 seconds. I figured I was at least moving!
Next time I run around the lake, I plan to take the parallel road nearby. It will add some distance but not too much more. It seems to parallel the trail fairly closely. I think though I will lose my flatness and have more hills to run.
The last mile seemed the easiest. Perhaps cause I knew I was almost done or perhaps just getting back to the mostly clear roads. It was much easier runnign there, than on the snow covered trail.
All in all, it was pretty tough running it out but IM glad I got out there and did it! I did 4 miles in 58 minutes. For comparison, last time I ran around the lake I did it in 52 minutes. It was warmer and no snow too though.
I made some good choices on food today as well. I knew I wanted a bigger sandwich at mcdonalds (the crispy chix), so I elected to skip the fries and go with water as well. I did ask my son if I could have a few of his fries and that satified my desire for those. Been busier and more stressed lately and less time for snacking. All good for weight loss, I suppose.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
The first two miles are the tougher of the 4. So I reminded myself of that as I was running. I didnt get to borrow a watch, so I carried the cell phone instead. That gave me a starting and ending time but I elected not to pull it out as I ran each mile. Good thing I didnt, it died right after that lol.
I was looking forward to the mile segment of the trail I often run on. Last time, I was able to make up some time on that stretch as its mostly flat. Not this time! The recent snows left the trail tough to run down. Snowmobilers had packed down some of the snow but it made it hard to get traction to run. The uneven terrain of snow bumps didnt help either. I ended up walking 3 different times during that segment. It really was just hard slogging along. I allowed myself those walking segments, for 15 or 30 seconds. I figured I was at least moving!
Next time I run around the lake, I plan to take the parallel road nearby. It will add some distance but not too much more. It seems to parallel the trail fairly closely. I think though I will lose my flatness and have more hills to run.
The last mile seemed the easiest. Perhaps cause I knew I was almost done or perhaps just getting back to the mostly clear roads. It was much easier runnign there, than on the snow covered trail.
All in all, it was pretty tough running it out but IM glad I got out there and did it! I did 4 miles in 58 minutes. For comparison, last time I ran around the lake I did it in 52 minutes. It was warmer and no snow too though.
I made some good choices on food today as well. I knew I wanted a bigger sandwich at mcdonalds (the crispy chix), so I elected to skip the fries and go with water as well. I did ask my son if I could have a few of his fries and that satified my desire for those. Been busier and more stressed lately and less time for snacking. All good for weight loss, I suppose.
Keep on running
Mrs. F
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
A short run
I knew I needed to get out last night, since I didnt run this weekend.
It really was an out of sorts day. I was really super tired and grumpy. So I elected to just go for 2 miles or so. It was getting colder and with the windchill warnings hitting like 30 below. I knew I wouldnt want to run in that!
It actually felt slightly warmer than when I went out in the 3 degree weather. I was dreadfully slow of course but I kept reminding myself that Im getting out there and moving!!!
All in all, I think it ended up being like 2.25 miles. I even got to try out my new headlamp since it was nearing dark.
I really enjoyed the run but coming home to chaos wasn't so much fun. My off day turned into the kids off day too. Sigh. Oh well, today is a new day.
I did semi okay on the eating. A bag of one of my favorite types of xmas candy did not help. Thankfully I ran, so i had a few extra calories of indulgence.
Keep on running folks
MRs. F
It really was an out of sorts day. I was really super tired and grumpy. So I elected to just go for 2 miles or so. It was getting colder and with the windchill warnings hitting like 30 below. I knew I wouldnt want to run in that!
It actually felt slightly warmer than when I went out in the 3 degree weather. I was dreadfully slow of course but I kept reminding myself that Im getting out there and moving!!!
All in all, I think it ended up being like 2.25 miles. I even got to try out my new headlamp since it was nearing dark.
I really enjoyed the run but coming home to chaos wasn't so much fun. My off day turned into the kids off day too. Sigh. Oh well, today is a new day.
I did semi okay on the eating. A bag of one of my favorite types of xmas candy did not help. Thankfully I ran, so i had a few extra calories of indulgence.
Keep on running folks
MRs. F
Into the new week
I woke up tired and sore yesterday, and woke up down today. My calves are sore from running in my winter gear this weekend, and from hiking over many hills throughout the day. I came home from work yesterday not excited to run, but ready to run, but then I realized that all of my tech undergarments were still in the wash from this past weekend's camping trip, so I took a pass on the run. I made productive use of the time, however, and got nearly all of this week's coursework done by the time I turned in. I now only need to stay active on the course discussion board for the balance of the week. That will let me get a head start on next week's work.
I remember my mother being after me regularly to get my room clean. Typically, when I set about to do it, I'd find something interesting that would take my mind off the task and the task would then drag on and on and on. I think I started keeping my room better when I discovered girls, and was allowed to have an occasional visitor of the finer persuasion. Perhaps it is only fitting that my kids seem pretty much cut from the same cloth. Unlike my childhood home, where my mother would not let us do household chores apart from our rooms (she said it was her job, after all), our kids have been doing chores since they've been able to follow instructions. There's enough of them to spread out the work (perhaps that's part of the problem?), so none of them are overloaded. Each has one chore room or area to care for each week, along with one specific dinner-related chore (e.g., clearing and washing the table, washing up the little ones, doing the dishes, sweeping the floor). They are on a rotation. Yet getting them to do that oftentimes feels like trying to pull teeth from a velociraptor. If we put our attention one one or two who are slacking, the others start slacking. If one gets a room cleaned well and early, some others will toss some things in it or make it a complete mess again. I now understand why one of my schoolmate's parents made some rooms of the house off-limits, but that's a policy I would not be able to tolerate. Perhaps I'll resort to my mother's course of action: wishing that her kids would grow up to have kids just like them. No, I would not wish that on my kids, though should they ever have kids of their own they might finally understand why I could so often get so frustrated so easily.
Anyway, I just wish they would realize that they get more freedom, and more privileges, when they take care of the house and keep up on their chores. Time spent on chores--doing them, doing them again, re-doing them yet again--is time that could be spent elsewhere. The extra wear and tear on the house and furniture means we need to repair or replace things more often, taking monies we could have spent on other things.
To top it all off, I'm not super-handy when it comes to home repairs. There are some things I can do (I really like mudding and taping drywall), but most things take me so much longer and are so far outside of my comfort zone that I'm always second-guessing myself. When the budget allows it, I'd rather hire one of the handy fellows from the church to come over and take care of project A or B, but the budget rarely affords such luxuries.
I'm really starting to sense that being healthy goes way beyond nutrition, rest, and exercise. It has to do with limits and margins; it encompases how you live in all areas of life, not just what goes into the body through the mouth.
The cabin this past weekend had no TV, no computer, and no phone. Heat was a wood stove. While there was time for fun and conversation, much time was spent preparing meals and keeping the fire going (to keep warm). It hearkened unto a much simpler life. Admittedly, a much harder life, but a simpler one. I would just love to figure out some ways to simplify my own life, without making a drastic change like joining the Amish or moving to a cabin in the woods. I really believe that a lot of the inner struggles that plague me arise from all the craziness I've allowed to come into our lives. Running should be one of those things that gives me a taste of that simpler life, but in many ways it seems more like "just one more thing" I'm supposed to be doing.
Until my outlook changes, I just need to keep my feet going, my intake limited, and my sleep regular. For now, that's all I can do.
I remember my mother being after me regularly to get my room clean. Typically, when I set about to do it, I'd find something interesting that would take my mind off the task and the task would then drag on and on and on. I think I started keeping my room better when I discovered girls, and was allowed to have an occasional visitor of the finer persuasion. Perhaps it is only fitting that my kids seem pretty much cut from the same cloth. Unlike my childhood home, where my mother would not let us do household chores apart from our rooms (she said it was her job, after all), our kids have been doing chores since they've been able to follow instructions. There's enough of them to spread out the work (perhaps that's part of the problem?), so none of them are overloaded. Each has one chore room or area to care for each week, along with one specific dinner-related chore (e.g., clearing and washing the table, washing up the little ones, doing the dishes, sweeping the floor). They are on a rotation. Yet getting them to do that oftentimes feels like trying to pull teeth from a velociraptor. If we put our attention one one or two who are slacking, the others start slacking. If one gets a room cleaned well and early, some others will toss some things in it or make it a complete mess again. I now understand why one of my schoolmate's parents made some rooms of the house off-limits, but that's a policy I would not be able to tolerate. Perhaps I'll resort to my mother's course of action: wishing that her kids would grow up to have kids just like them. No, I would not wish that on my kids, though should they ever have kids of their own they might finally understand why I could so often get so frustrated so easily.
Anyway, I just wish they would realize that they get more freedom, and more privileges, when they take care of the house and keep up on their chores. Time spent on chores--doing them, doing them again, re-doing them yet again--is time that could be spent elsewhere. The extra wear and tear on the house and furniture means we need to repair or replace things more often, taking monies we could have spent on other things.
To top it all off, I'm not super-handy when it comes to home repairs. There are some things I can do (I really like mudding and taping drywall), but most things take me so much longer and are so far outside of my comfort zone that I'm always second-guessing myself. When the budget allows it, I'd rather hire one of the handy fellows from the church to come over and take care of project A or B, but the budget rarely affords such luxuries.
I'm really starting to sense that being healthy goes way beyond nutrition, rest, and exercise. It has to do with limits and margins; it encompases how you live in all areas of life, not just what goes into the body through the mouth.
The cabin this past weekend had no TV, no computer, and no phone. Heat was a wood stove. While there was time for fun and conversation, much time was spent preparing meals and keeping the fire going (to keep warm). It hearkened unto a much simpler life. Admittedly, a much harder life, but a simpler one. I would just love to figure out some ways to simplify my own life, without making a drastic change like joining the Amish or moving to a cabin in the woods. I really believe that a lot of the inner struggles that plague me arise from all the craziness I've allowed to come into our lives. Running should be one of those things that gives me a taste of that simpler life, but in many ways it seems more like "just one more thing" I'm supposed to be doing.
Until my outlook changes, I just need to keep my feet going, my intake limited, and my sleep regular. For now, that's all I can do.
Monday, December 14, 2009
The weekend
Mr. F was gone for the weekend, camping with 3 of our boys. It was a looong weekend with doing some deep cleaning and not getting enough sleep. Sick baby girl added to the fun.
I found it much more difficult to make good choices and get out and run when tired. So I didnt run either Sat or Sun. And I ate an entire small supreme pizza -- no I didnt track that day! I really dont want to know how many calories I overate!!!!
But Im trying to get back on track today even though kids were up again last night. Its hard not to reach for food when you are tired. I already had an extra cup of my coffee. That added enough calories with my creamer!
Mr. F and I plan to run tonight. So Im hoping to get my body back into submmission.
Mrs. F
I found it much more difficult to make good choices and get out and run when tired. So I didnt run either Sat or Sun. And I ate an entire small supreme pizza -- no I didnt track that day! I really dont want to know how many calories I overate!!!!
But Im trying to get back on track today even though kids were up again last night. Its hard not to reach for food when you are tired. I already had an extra cup of my coffee. That added enough calories with my creamer!
Mr. F and I plan to run tonight. So Im hoping to get my body back into submmission.
Mrs. F
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