tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88435127936486157632024-02-20T08:46:37.930-07:00To 5K and BeyondKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-66467459916359714302010-05-08T22:59:00.003-06:002010-05-08T23:31:40.200-06:00Barefoot run, day 2I did Day 3 of the 100 push ups workout today. I'm am all the way up to 5 push ups! Woot! Even last year I was doing way more than that, and I'm surprised I can lose that much power/endurance so easily. Maybe it's more mental than physical. Anyway, I'm up to 5 in a set. <br /><br />My whole legs have been pretty sore since Wednesday. But by yesterday (Friday) afternoon, they were feeling pretty good. I prefer being comfortable rather than doing difficult exercise, and I never got around to going running today. However, I did go outside with the kids to supervise YoungestSon's bike riding. I figured I might as well run around instead of walk right by him. So I decided to take off my shoes and go for it. It was in the parking lot (asphalt) and on the sidewalk. I was easily able to avoid gravel/rocks. <br /><br />I was going along, and thinking "hmm, I seem to be wasting a lot of energy on really short strides and up and down movements rather than forward movements. I bet I can push off and move forward more fairly easily." So I tried it. And it seemed to work very well. However, as I was pushing off, my toes were kind of gripping and twisting against the ground. I then noticed a stinging, squishy, slimy feeling on one toe. I thought "oh, I'll just ignore that." Yeah, that wasn't such a good idea. When I finally looked at it, a layer of skin was gone on that toe. It was kind of like a popped blister. <br /><br />The ultimate rule of learning to run barefoot is to pay attention to your skin. Your skin will tell you to slow down, so that you protect your feet, which need time to strengthen after being in shoes for so long. So yeah, I totally ignored that rule. I only ran around the building a couple of times, about 0.4 miles total. But now my bones in my lower legs ache a little, my feet ache a tiny bit, and obviously the skin on that toe hurts. <br /><br />I confess that I'm doubting barefoot running a little bit. However, when I look at running in shoes with a heel strike, it just doesn't look right. I think that it's totally reasonable to expect that my body will need some time to catch up after exercising in shoes. And it makes sense to run truly barefoot rather than in Vibram Five Fingers to start out. But I'm not sure what to do in the meantime. Running 0.4 miles a few times a week isn't much of a workout. Maybe I can run barefoot for a while, and then switch to shoes.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-67630288272661284442010-05-05T13:49:00.002-06:002010-05-05T13:52:38.660-06:005/5 - SoreWednesday, 5/5 - Day 2 of <a href="http://hundredpushups.com">hundred pushups</a> workout. I have already doubled the number of pushups I can do in a set. I am amazed. <br /><br />Calves still pretty sore. Mid-upper back is sore. As I was running to chase YoungestSon this morning, I had a little jolt of pain/soreness in my lower back too. I assume both are from the push ups. <br /><br />After the first day of the Push Up Challenge, I realized why I don't exercise. Well, it's really a Catch-22 sort of thing. When I get muscle soreness, I associate that with being REALLY sick, like when your body aches from the flu. So when I exercise, the next day I feel sick. Mentally I take an inventory and realize that everything actually feels fine, except the muscle soreness. But my brain has experienced muscle soreness along with the flu, so it apparently associates the two. Perhaps if I get sore often enough, my body will associate it with good workouts instead of illness. <br /><br />Is being sore always a desired result? Or is that only when you're starting out? I'm not talking about pain. I consider pain and muscle soreness to be two completely different things. But they say that to build muscle, you need to tear it down and then let it recover. So is this an on-going process? Or do you get to a level where you've built up a decent amount of muscle and then it doesn't happen any more?Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-64277666346883076112010-05-04T21:00:00.000-06:002010-05-05T13:49:18.393-06:005/4Tuesday, 5/4 - No foot soreness/tenderness at all. However, my calves were sore. Stretching them out does not help, so I think they might actually be overstretched, which would make sense, given the mechanics of running barefoot (with no heel) versus running in a running shoe (relatively high heel).<br />My chest and arms were pretty sore from the push ups, and I ended up skipping the entire day for push ups.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-86476811436058102212010-05-03T21:00:00.000-06:002010-05-05T13:53:30.494-06:005/3This blog is about to get even more boring. I'm planning on logging my information here, so that I can keep it all in one place. <br /><br />Monday, 5/3 - 1 mile barefoot run<br />Day 1 of <a href="http://hundredpushups.com">hundred pushups</a> workoutKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-62240562492144151982010-05-03T16:20:00.002-06:002010-05-03T16:29:56.126-06:00Push Up ChallengeI saw a link on Facebook to a Push Up Challenge. The goal is to do 3000 push ups in May. They can be any style - full, knees, wall, whatever. I thought this sounded like a great idea and signed up. <br /><br />I am really embarrassed to admit how many real push ups I was able to do on May 1. I think it was something like 10. Split into two sets. With poor form. I don't look like Jabba the Hutt, but I sure feel like a slothful slug-like blob. I did about 30 knee push ups, and filled in the rest with 60 wall push ups. <br /><br />On May 2, I was so sore! That is so pathetic! Oh well, I'll press on anyway. I found a website that gives you a training schedule to get up to <a href="http://hundredpushups.com/">100 push ups in 6 weeks</a>. They recommend doing your push ups three times a week with rest days in between, just like if you were a new runner. I thought that sounded like a good idea, so yesterday I did a light day of 100 wall push ups. I am still a little sore today, but it's not too bad. I forgot to do any push ups before work, so I'll have to fit them all in after work, which probably means I'll end up doing most of them wall style again. I'll get there eventually though!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-19218584624180720962010-04-30T09:21:00.002-06:002010-04-30T09:26:07.295-06:00CompetitiveSome guys at work are talking about running. I am suddenly finding new motivation to get back on track to do a 5K (or more). Obviously I'm not thinking of beating these guys -- they're both seasoned runners, and one is close to winning local 5Ks. But I do have that competitive spirit that wants to say "hey, I'm a runner too!" <br /><br />My biggest excuses right now are time and kids. It's still so difficult to run with the kids! If I take the jogging stroller and put the kids on bikes/scooters, it turns into a family fight session. The kids are continually endangering themselves or trying to crash each other, and I end up yelling at them the whole time. If we go to a track or field, YoungestSon stands there sobbing, and each time I run past him, he screams "holdj meeeee! Not leave meeee!!!!" and runs toward me with his arms outstretched. So sad! Money for a babysitter 3-4 times a week is not in the budget. I love making excuses, because then I have a reason for my failure. I'd rather move past that and do something even if I do fail!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-23849232277159015632010-03-26T13:14:00.004-06:002010-03-26T13:48:28.078-06:00AmazingI've written about and been chastised/encouraged about my struggles with eating sugar/getting off sugar MANY times. This isn't news to anyone who has ever read more than 3 of my blog posts.<br /><br />Guess what I had yesterday? This is all in addition to regular meals:<br /><br />- 1 Girl Scout cookie after breakfast (YoungestSon broke into them, so I helped myself to one)<br />- 2 Zingers (out of a package of 3 from the vending machine) as a mid-morning snack<br />- 1 Creamie after lunch (we had them for a work lunch the other day and there are leftovers)<br />- 2 Girl Scout cookies as an after-lunch snack (I have a couple of boxes in the freezer at work that haven taken me a few weeks to get through)<br />- the other Zinger as an afternoon snack<br />- a disgusting 'car' made out of a Twinkie with Oreo halves for wheels at the Pinewood Derby. I did not enjoy the Twinkie in the slightest. It was gross, and I had plenty of Oreos to satisfy my cravings. So why would I eat it? Why??<br />- a few bites of a Georgia Mud Fudge blizzard (went to Dairy Queen as a post-Pinewood Derby treat) -- I saved most of the blizzard for today.<br /><br />When I look at that, I think, "oh, it's not that much, especially spread out over a whole day!" Yeah, right. I'm afraid to even calculate the grams of sugar in all that stuff. I used to pour table sugar into empty SoBe bottles to show people how much they were drinking with each bottle. I wonder how big the pile of sugar would be if I added all this up?<br /><br />OK, I'm adding it up. . . 4 (Tagalong), 36 (2 Zingers), 13 (Creamie), 6 (2 Thin Mints), 18 (1 Zinger), 19 (1 Twinkie), 8 (frosting), 42 (4 Oreos?), 7 (1/10 Blizzard). . . . 153 grams of sugar<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fotobank.ru/image/FC01-4310.html"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FOmglY6gDqcSVYcV7BA7GYMpp4sA_LretiY0Nf_Ue_srpZ1-iccjmFWFG8L1wJQ7LFZxq_Ew0yqG0tIiugJeHp2bB0suuW59zPxxCy7Pd_i38WdUmMZrpPvC1pceiN4aOhJH1sdYQLHd/s320/12TSugar.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453030552455928258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://fotobank.ru/image/FC01-4310.html">Image from Fotobank</a></span><br /></div><br />That's 12 Tablespoons!! I do take some comfort in knowing that people who drink several soft drinks per day are getting far more than that. That's rationalization though, right?<br /><br />Apparently posting my sugar intake isn't enough to shame me in to quitting. Is it going to take severe health problems? Diabetes, adrenal fatigue, heart problems (recent evidence shows they're caused more by simple carbohydrates/sugar rather than fat/cholesterol)? I am sure that I am setting myself up for problems, whether they manifest now or in the future.<br /><br />I'm amazed that I have so much knowledge about the real effects of sugar, but so little interest in actually doing something about it (besides whining, I mean).<br /><br />Perhaps the one thing that (sadly) will motivate me is that a 'gut roll' has appeared around my waist and I am going to have to start wearing dresses every day if I don't do something about it soon. I know I need to exercise for many reasons. I think that I would see a huge improvement if I just quit eating all the crap! I truly enjoyed the week I ate all raw. It tasted SO good and I did not crave sugar. Each day I did have some 'raw' coconut/chocolate pudding that was sweetened with honey/agave, but I wasn't eating vast quantities of it, just one normal serving each day. The batch of pudding lasted me the whole week. So I really have no excuses left.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-20649918016846198322010-02-19T20:04:00.002-07:002010-02-19T20:27:37.214-07:00Back in the saddle?Today I suddenly had this idea that I should start training for the Ragnar Relay, even though I don't have a team. I looked up the novice training schedule, and they're still doing 15-minute runs (the schedule started February 1st). I figured I could do that. <br /><br />But it would be so hard to train with my kids. Then I started thinking creatively. I realized I could take them to a park and run around while they play. I could run at lunch time. There are a variety of things I could do if I REALLY wanted to. So I decided I'd go on a 15-minute run tonight. Of course then it started snowing. <br /><br />I left work at 6:00. We went straight home and started getting ready. I got running clothes on. I found snow pants, gloves, hats, helmets, coats, and bikes for the kids. We finally got going and got to the park just before 7:00. By this time of course it is dark. I start running and within 30 seconds I can't see the kids at all. Great. But then YoungestSon realizes I am running away from him and he starts sobbing. That's awesome, because now I can easily keep track of him. Instead of doing big 3-4 minute laps around the field, I switch to 1-minute laps right around the playground. Within a few minutes, it's totally foggy and creepy. I expect a kidnapper or killer to show up any second. YoungestSon continues to cry during my whole run, sobbing especially loudly each time I pass him and decline to pick him up. MiddleSon tries to help YoungestSon the whole time. He takes care of his little brother so well! <br /><br />Finally 15 minutes is up. I didn't even die! I walked for about 30 seconds but jogged (through the snow) during the rest of the time. YoungestSon was very traumatized by the time I was done, so I sat on a bench and cuddled him for 5 minutes. He had missed out on riding his bike because of all the sobbing, so then he wanted to ride his bike for a few minutes. I followed him around and then we went back to the car and went home. <br /><br />It seemed like a ton of work for a 15-minute run. But I guess it's a better use of time than aimlessly wasting time at home! Measuring my route on Google Earth, it seems that I went almost exactly 1 mile, though I think those measurements are somewhat sketchy since my lap was so tiny. A 15-minute mile isn't too bad for my first run in months, running through snow while listening to screaming children.<br /><br />I don't know that I'll train for the Ragnar. I don't need to have an intense exercising schedule right now. However, I would at least like to make exercise a regular part of my life and get ready for the 5K that started this blog!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-6447467316763468352010-01-19T11:52:00.000-07:002010-01-19T12:16:02.566-07:00Whoops!So, in my last post, I said that I had lost some inches due to the divorce diet. And apparently I had no appetite. I guess that's over now. <br /><br />I took my measurements at the end of November so I could buy a dress and I had gained about 1/2" on both waist/hips since September. No problem; it didn't even register on my radar. But over the last 3 weeks or so, it seemed like my pants were fitting differently. I am fabulous at not noticing things, but it really seemed like one week they were falling down and the next week they were cutting off circulation. I finally took my measurements again and I have gained an inch on waist/hips since the end of November. This puts me back exactly where I was last June when I started this blog. Weirdly enough, I'm 6-7 pounds lighter than I was last summer. I don't put much stock in weight because of variations like this.<br /><br />Everyone's thinking "oh yeah, people always gain weight around the holidays." I just don't know if that can be blamed in my case though. I don't really do anything differently as far as eating around the holidays. I had already fallen off the exercise wagon long before November, so there was no difference there. I had my Christmas shopping done quickly and early this year, so it wasn't due to running around shopping. I didn't go to a lot of parties or receive a lot of treats. The only thing that could be related to the holidays was that I won a jar full of over 2500 M&Ms at my work Christmas party. Yep, they're gone now. My kids and I ate most of them. Some got thrown away, but most were eaten.<br /><br />The real problem is fast food. I have been a little burned out at cooking recently. Then I got some gift money in November, and we pigged out on more fast food over the last 2 months than we probably did in the previous 2 years. We probably ate out 2-3 times per WEEK. When I get fast food, I don't order massive meals, but still, it's deep fried garbage. And of course I've been eating massive quantities of sugar whenever I can. We made cupcakes (23 of them) with buttercream frosting and M&Ms on Saturday night. As of this morning (Tuesday), they're gone. We just don't do well with eating 1 treat at a time. <br /><br />Along with body changes, I feel tired/exhausted/gross much of the time. Nothing really terrible, but just 'blah'. Maybe all this will motivate me to get back on track with exercising. The title of this blog was to 5K <i>and BEYOND</i>. The 'beyond' part was supposed to be the bulk of the blog, but I haven't even made it to the 5K part yet!<br /><br />One thing I've been thinking about is that I do not like focusing on weights and measurements and calories and minutes. I could see myself going a little overboard on this. But on the other hand, it's probably good for me to be at least somewhat aware of what is going on with my body. As I mentioned before, I tend to be very good at not noticing things. I could see myself gaining weight very slowly over time until 10 years later I notice that I'm 50 pounds overweight. The only thing that would stop this from happening is that I'm very cheap and try to hang on to my clothes as long as possible. Most of my clothes aren't tight/fitted, but I do wear jeans occasionally, so I would eventually notice that my jeans weren't fitting, as I did a few weeks ago and back at the beginning of this blog. <br /><br />Do you like how I go on and on forever and then just end suddenly? I hope so.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-62011238693661812732009-09-18T19:35:00.000-06:002009-09-18T19:35:00.318-06:00FraudMy stated goal when I started exercising was to stop what I thought was a pretty sudden weight gain. Thanks to the 'Divorce Diet', that's not a problem now. I would feel like a fraud if I was to continue to update this blog with my status in terms of inches/measurements. In my view, a fitness blog is for holding yourself accountable and for sharing what might work for others, whether it's actual techniques/training schedules/diets, or whether it's your motivational attitude. I don't think it would be very motivational for anyone to read about results due to the 'Divorce Diet'. <br /><br />But instead of giving up entirely, I will continue to focus on my true goals going into this:<br />- to be stronger<br />- to have more endurance (better cardiovascular capacity, ability to run with ease, ability to play, hike, etc.)<br /><br />Regardless of how my body looks, I want to feel great. I want to be full of energy. I want to be strong and tough and be able to play and hike and swim and run as long as I want to. <br /><br />Today I took the garbage out to the dumpster. I had really loaded it up with heavy stuff. I could easily carry it with two hands, but when I got to the dumpster, the lid was on. I am only 5'3" tall, so the dumpster is already taller than me. There was absolutely NO WAY I could hold the lid way up over my head and fling the garbage bag in at the same time. It was a tiny little thing, so stupid, but it was SO FRUSTRATING. Fortunately my kids were there, so they lifted from the bottom and I pulled from the top, and we got it in just fine. But if I was actually in good shape, things like that would not even be a problem. <br /><br />I have an 8-hour test coming up for work at the end of October. I may put my exercise goals on hold until after that is over. I know exercise would have so many benefits for my mind (more energy, better ability to study/think clearly), so I will try to do both. But I may go really easy in the next month. After that I'm not sure what will happen since it will be getting cold outside and I am a huge wuss. But anyway, we'll see.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-1224595740141573542009-09-13T02:34:00.000-06:002009-09-13T02:55:26.484-06:00The Divorce DietI mentioned in a previous post that I had been under a lot of stress. I finally spilled the beans on my regular blog and admitted that I am going through a divorce. Apparently I am now on the Divorce Diet. I have been told I look like I am losing weight, and I was somewhat dismayed to find out today that this is true. I was getting ready to go to swimming lessons this morning, and put on my lace-up board shorts. The last time I wore them was August 21st, 3 weeks ago. The shorts fit completely differently this time. I had to lace them much tighter. I'm not sure what my weight in numbers is, but I measured and have lost over an inch around my hips since July. <br /><br />Now, of course I want to be skinny and hot. But I want it to be on MY terms, because of MY effort. This just felt like another way I'm not in control of my life. I assure you that this difference is solely because of the stress and resulting way I've been eating, not because I decided to eat better and followed through, and definitely not because I've been exercising consistently. <br /><br />Friday's food is a good example of how the Divorce Diet is going for me. Before I left the house, I grabbed a piece of whole wheat toast with butter, which I usually love. It tasted like cardboard. I ate about 3 bites. I got to work and started drinking my green smoothie. It was gross, way too sweet. I made myself drink about half of it. When I walked upstairs and opened the door, I could literally smell the Cookie Friday cookies 10 feet away, which I've not experienced before. I grabbed four cookies off the plate, but saved them for later because they didn't seem appealing at all right then. I had a peach and an apple sitting around, so I cut them up. They tasted really weird. They had been sitting for a few days, but they looked fine. Either they weren't fine, or my taste buds are messed up! <br /><br />Finally, it's lunch time, and I'm absolutely starving. I brought leftovers from the night before, when I made whole wheat pasta with Onion-Blue Cheese sauce from <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/grilled-ribeye-steak-with-onion-blue-cheese-sauce/">this recipe</a>. The sauce is supposed to go with steak, but I haven't purchased beef in quite a while and didn't feel like doing so now. The sauce was pretty gross. Blue cheese used to be my FAVORITE, but now it made the sauce nasty. I think it would have been great without the blue cheese. Again, either my taste buds are weird, or I just got some gross blue cheese. Either way, lunch was gross and I didn't eat much. By 5:00 I was absolutely starving and remembered my 4 cookies. I ate them and they tasted fantastic -- the first thing of the day that was palatable! I don't even remember if or what I ate for dinner. I think I ended up making Kraft Macaroni & Cheese for the kids. Nice. I usually refuse to buy it.<br /><br />So that's my general pattern -- I'm not in much of a mood to cook real dinners, the food I eat tastes weird, and then I get so famished that I'll eat something really unhealthy/sugary. At least my form of the Divorce Diet involves losing weight instead of blimping up -- I am grateful for that :-)Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-29478613339788913162009-09-10T22:17:00.001-06:002009-09-10T22:19:52.967-06:00Red!!Megan posted an <a href="http://runfatmomrun.blogspot.com/2009/09/soim-fat.html">after-run picture</a> in which she thinks she looks bad. I figured I'd post mine as a show of solidarity.<br /><br />This is how red I get when I run. And I don't even run that hard yet! I just thought I would share this in case anyone things they look funny after they run -- you're not the only one. I guess I should be grateful, because when people see me, they probably think "Wow, she must have worked out so hard!!!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujnOhIwG-hAhs5N1DDULuAb8AM0EINNjpDwkH187SSoScdiWYY-ESWOCp4m9ApWfEP5kh5cxvrQ6cgF4amSFXwHTrt01VJ2PUbfbkg1HlPpDdbAos5wYZGO0VvECnxhsAsCnWsp-Nvi3L/s1600-h/Red.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujnOhIwG-hAhs5N1DDULuAb8AM0EINNjpDwkH187SSoScdiWYY-ESWOCp4m9ApWfEP5kh5cxvrQ6cgF4amSFXwHTrt01VJ2PUbfbkg1HlPpDdbAos5wYZGO0VvECnxhsAsCnWsp-Nvi3L/s320/Red.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380059329342307346" /></a>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-55339033803125712982009-09-10T10:57:00.000-06:002009-09-10T11:04:00.843-06:00Barefoot RunningI went barefoot running last night and loved it. I went to the high school track, because I don't trust the roads/sidewalks for barefoot running, and I don't have the cash for a pair of <a href="http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/">Vibram Five Fingers</a> yet. My theory was that the kids could play on the field/track while I ran. I figured my 2 year old would scream the whole time, but hoped for a miracle. He screamed the whole time. He did the same thing when I started doing the Shred DVDs -- he was incensed that I was right there but wouldn't hold him for THIRTY MINUTES! At the track, I was actually running away from him, so you can imagine how much worse that would be. <br /><br />I hate running with the jogging stroller SO MUCH that I was hoping to find a way to bring the kids and not have to use the stroller. Maybe he'll get used to it and realize that I'm not leaving, I'm just running around in circles. But I'm not sure I'll be able to stand running around in circles very long anyway. <br /><br />Barefoot running was very comfortable and felt very natural. I'm a very natural girl at heart, and anything that brings me closer to nature feels right. I've always thought the idea of shoes was ridiculous and have never put shoes on my babies when they are inside or on safe surfaces outside. So it made perfect sense when I found out I didn't need shoes to run either. <br /><br />The main benefit of barefoot running is supposed to be injury prevention. I have not been running long enough to have had any injuries, and I hope to keep it that way! I really do see myself as a runner. I'd love to keep running and do some races, and keep it in my life as a way to stay healthy and strong for many years to come. So I love the idea of barefoot running for injury prevention. <br /><br />The only time I had any discomfort whatsoever was after my run, when I walked for a lap. My feet were stinging a little bit. I'm not sure if it was the actual motion of walking that caused this, or if I just hadn't noticed it until I slowed down. Anyway, I think barefoot running is a keeper and I'm going to have to save up for those Five Fingers!!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-91622092229666899092009-09-09T15:48:00.000-06:002009-09-09T15:51:15.970-06:00SleepSleep is related to exercise, so I'll write this here!<br /> <br />Last night I don't think I got any sleep. I got in bed very late, 1 AM or so, and my mind was racing. I have a relaxation meditation I listen to when I can't fall asleep. It's called "<a href="http://www.petertongue.com/products.html">A Meditation for a Deep Rejuvenating Sleep</a>" by Peter Tongue. I did Hypnobabies hypnosis for childbirth when I was pregnant, and I fell asleep EVERY time I listened to one of the CDs. The sleep meditation sounds very similar, so I am very well conditioned to fall asleep when I hear it. I have literally never made it through the entire meditation before falling asleep. In fact, I found out last night that I have never made it past the first 3-4 minutes of the 14 minute track! <br /><br />Last night I listened to it THREE TIMES and heard every word. It was actually kind of cool, because I found out that the meditation calls upon the archangel Michael as a protector during the night. That's cool because I have my own little Baby Michael who sleeps with me every night, thought technically I'm protecting him rather than the other way around. <br /> <br />Anyway, I listened to the relaxation thing three times. Nothing. My mind was just going crazy, imagining all the fun possibilities my future holds (at least it was a happy sort of racing mind!). Laying there awake was starting to make me feel really weird, so I got up and dug out my old high school yearbooks. Everyone was so hilarious! I was actually laughing out loud (usually I just smirk a little when I see something funny). Of course, this could have been the direct result of it being 3 or 4 am, not an actual measure of how funny it was. After a little while, I got back in bed. Still nothing. Just lying there awake. I didn't ever look at a clock because I knew I would be horrified about how little sleep I was going to get. <br /><br />The kids weren't sleeping well either. Michael woke up repeatedly. My 5-year old had come in during the night, and every time Michael would kick him, he sounded wide awake. It was just a really weird night. I think I may have finally fallen asleep fitfully for a little while. It was relatively easy to get up when my alarm went off at 6:30, because I didn't feel like I had gone to sleep in the first place!<br /> <br />Now I feel compelled to run hard and fast to reset myself. (That is, if I can stay awake long enough!) I am going to make a very concerted effort to go to the track as soon as we get home tonight. And I am going to run barefoot. I have been wanting to try it for a while now. In my mind, I see myself running fast and easy, flying, completely effortlessly, completely strong, for miles on end. My reality is different, but I love that picture in my mind. <br /><br />Here's hoping to a great run and a better night's sleep tonight!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-62435066346583606772009-09-03T22:19:00.000-06:002009-09-03T22:24:37.067-06:00Sweet ToothSomething very strange has happened. My obsession for sugar is missing in action. I haven't been exercising. I haven't been eating all that well -- OK, but not great. The only thing I can think of to explain this is that I have been under a tremendous amount of stress. I still eat, but food usually doesn't taste very good. I noticed over the past few weeks that I haven't been buying candy bars at work or taking cake/candy/cookies to work with me, and I've been just fine. <br /><br />Of course, if sugar is offered, I'll definitely eat it. On Cookie Friday, I had a big handful of cookies. Today, I was thinking about how I hadn't been eating much sugar and decided to be rebellious and buy some M&Ms. They are typically one of my favorite candies, but this time they were absolutely disgusting. I felt like I was eating paint. Then, my kids had an orientation at their school, and they had tons of cookies and other treats. I had a chocolate M&M cookie, and it was also gross. <br /><br />This is very weird. I still think about sugar and bought ingredients to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, but my usual sweet tooth is nowhere to be found.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-26642094536632448422009-08-19T14:51:00.000-06:002009-08-19T15:00:35.501-06:00The GoalNow that it is very unlikely that I will be able to train for my secret goal, I can safely reveal what it was! :-D I wanted to race on a Ragnar Relay team. To do this, you get a team of 12 people, and each of you races three relatively short legs of a 188-mile course. Each leg ranges from 3 to 8 miles. I felt that this would be a goal that would stretch me quite a bit, but would still be do-able. <br /><br />Now with my husband gone to work in another state, I don't think there's any way I can train for this. In order for me to run, I have to take all three kids -- one in the crappiest jogging stroller ever, and two on bikes or scooters. The training schedule is 20 weeks long. By the 8th week, you are up to three 30-minute runs and one 50-minute run each week, and they only get longer after that. I think 30 minutes is about the limit my kids would be able to do on their scooters/bikes. They are only 5 and 7 years old. Also, the jogging stroller slows me down SO much and I hate it SO much. <br /><br />We have zero money to pay for babysitters, especially not 4 times per week. Same goes for running at a gym. I suppose maybe if I found another mom to trade babysitting with, it might work. But that's quite a commitment. It's one thing to leave your kids sleeping at home with Daddy. It's quite another to haul them off to someone's house 4 times per week, likely requiring them to miss out on sleep. <br /><br />But maybe I can still do it by taking the kids with me. Maybe the kids will get stronger as I do and will be able to do the longer times. Maybe I will be able to use the jogging stroller effectively and not have it make my shoulders/arms kill. Or maybe I am just looking for an easy way out of this goal!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-47582474576434701022009-08-19T14:30:00.000-06:002009-08-19T14:49:24.992-06:00FallenI have totally fallen off the exercising/eating well bandwagon. As far as I remember, the last time I Shredded or ran was July 29th. My son had a doctor's appointment that day, so I weighed myself. 119 pounds. So I have lost 4 pounds since my previous weight of 123 on June 12th! However, I am not sure if this is a success. I was hoping to build a lot of muscle through Shredding. But I'll take it as a success for now ;-) Although given all the information below, it may be a moot point. <br /><br />I ate mostly raw the week of July 27-31, ending the experiment with salmon and potatoes for dinner on Friday the 31st. I felt great the entire week. My abdomen was always flat, and I just felt good. I didn't have hugely massive amounts of energy or any big changes, but I felt good. The most dramatic thing that happened was that on Cookie Friday at work, I was able to SKIP the cookies EASILY -- I had no craving for them at all. It was EASY. That has never happened to me with sugary treats like cookies, ever. <br /><br />The next week, I continued to eat raw some of the time, other healthy foods some of the time, and also some crap (Moose Tracks Ice cream, Zingers, etc.). I had made some raw veggie wraps, so I was able to have those for lunch every single day. <br /><br />By the next week, August 10-16, I was back to eating excessive crap. One day, I had a banana, toast/butter, nuts/seeds, cookie dough, asparagus soup, chocolate bar, spaghetti, a Blizzard, and fries. A little treat is fine, but cookie dough, a chocolate bar, a Blizzard, and fries all in one day is not fine. The only raw foods the entire day were the banana and nuts/seeds. It seems that with me, it's all or nothing (name that song). If I am doing well with raw food for breakfast and a green smoothie later, I am usually doing well the rest of the day. But If I am eating crap, I am eating a lot of crap, and few to no raw foods. <br /><br />Looking back, I think the main problem contributing to this lack of good eating and exercise is some major stress I was under. On July 28th, my husband casually asked "what if" he looked for work in a city 1500 miles away. On August 3rd, he was offered a job there. On August 5th, his background check was finalized and the job offer was official. On August 12th, he left for the far-away city. Incidentally, that was also the Blizzard day. My husband has done this before, gone to far-away cities to work for a few months. But I don't like it. I need a LOT of time to get used to new ideas, way longer than 1-2 weeks. So to say that was and still is stressful is a huge understatement. I am now essentially single parenting, which means I am under a lot of stress and I cannot jog alone.<br /><br />Sunday night I made a dark chocolate cake with dark chocolate frosting. Mmmmmmm, so good. I have planned all healthy or raw meals for dinner and leftover-lunch this week. Last night my mom took the kids and I school shopping, so we had Red Robin for dinner. And of course we'll be working on that delicious cake all week (and I have a recipe for another, far more decadent, chocolate cake I HAVE to make). But hopefully I can get back on track with healthier eating habits and start exercising again, even if I can only do DVDs at home. Maybe I'll save that other cake for my birthday (the ingredients I would need would be $20-$30, so it really is a special occasion cake), and then take most of it to work to get rid of it.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-88865368467708984822009-07-29T23:05:00.000-06:002009-07-30T11:38:41.619-06:00Finally Shredded AgainAfter my two short jogs on Saturday, I was all fired up to Shred early Monday morning. But Sunday night, our baby got sick with a high fever. He's still sick (Wednesday night), so it's been difficult to get any time at all to exercise. Baby (who is almost 2) woke up repeatedly Sunday night, and Monday morning I needed to stay in bed with him to cuddle until I absolutely had to get up to leave. Tuesday was much the same. <br /><br />This morning I had to stay home with Baby while my husband went to the surgical center for a diagnostic test, and I did get a chance to Shred (Day 17, by the way). I ate mostly raw Monday and Tuesday, and today I woke up shaky and weak. I had a bit of my coconut chocolate pudding and a sip of almond milk. It didn't seem to make any difference at all. I tried to Shred anyway. Surprisingly, I was able to get through the workout quite well. I did mostly non-modified exercises. I felt much more shaky and weak after my workout. I ate some nuts/dried fruit and still didn't feel much better. I still hadn't had an actual breakfast at this point though. Then I went to pick up my husband from the surgical center. When we got the news that he was absolutely fine, suddenly my shakiness/weakness were gone. So it may not have been food related at all :-)<br /><br />Sick baby calls again, so this post is over!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-75592328690088466192009-07-27T21:39:00.000-06:002009-07-29T23:05:32.386-06:00Back in the Saddle (I Hope)The last time I exercised (Shredded) was July 15th. Extra work, family, etc. kept me busy in the evenings, and since I was staying up so late, I was getting up late too. I finally managed to get some exercise in on Saturday the 25th. I jogged 1.5 miles (to work) and then a couple of hours later jogged 1.5 miles back home. Each time I was running at approximately a 12 minute per mile pace. I am pretty sure that on my past runs, I was running at a 15-minute per mile or slower pace. The main difference might be that I was running without a jogging stroller this time. While this running time is still pretty slow, it gives me great hope that I may be able to reach one of my exercise goals (which I still have not revealed on this blog).<br /><br />Today I decided to start eating all raw. I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep up with it long term since I've put almost no planning into it, but I did OK today. I had:<br /><br />- hot pink smoothie (coconut water, beets, carrots, dates, cashews [not raw], strawberries)<br />- Bubbie's naturally fermented pickles [100% raw]<br />- 1/2 cup almonds, walnuts, dates, dried apricots<br />- spicy sprouts<br />- green smoothie (greens, flax oil, bananas, peaches)<br />- raw stir fry salad (cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, bean sprouts, garlic, ginger, soy sauce [not raw], olive oil)<br />- a bite of chicken that the kids were warming up [obviously not raw]\<br />- chocolate 'pudding' (coconut meat, cashews [not raw], walnuts, cocoa [not raw], honey [not raw], agave nectar, vanilla [not raw?])Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-92060364440000647372009-07-17T23:00:00.000-06:002009-07-17T23:04:13.006-06:00SlackerI thought about jogging today, but I ended up making excuses and slacking off. I didn't Shred either. Tomorrow our schedule is packed, and I'm not sure if I'll have time to do anything. We are going swimming (though I heard it was just a splash park) at our family reunion, so I will make an effort to walk around instead of just parking my bottom in one spot. I'll also try to only eat what I'm actually hungry for. I will be bringing Chandelle's <a href="http://wholefoodwholefamily.blogspot.com/2009/07/raw-peach-crumble.html">Raw Peach Crumble</a> for the potluck. I had been looking for potluck recipes, and she posted this in the nick of time. I had all the ingredients except peaches on hand, and I picked up some nice ripe peaches tonight.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-59836915970516388072009-07-16T23:19:00.000-06:002009-11-10T14:33:39.468-07:00Before Pictures (Kind of)I took some true 'Before' pictures back in June, but I am too scared to post them. I wore a sports bra and bike shorts, and I NEVER exit my house wearing that little. Even when swimming, I wear a swimming suit with board shorts over it. So I'm not brave enough to post those yet. Since I couldn't post them, I took fully-clothed pictures on July 1, 2009. This is about 10 days after I started exercising. <br /><br />(Side note: I am guessing that a lot of my body image issues could be solved by not wearing Mom Jeans. I thought the only way you could avoid Mom Jeans was by wearing low rise jeans. There is no way those would work with my body, and I would be very uncomfortable in them. So I figured it was a lost cause. But I stumbled across <a href="http://www.graspingforobjectivity.com/2009/03/mom-jeans-and-dreaded-long-butt.html">this fantastic post about wearing flattering non-Mom Jeans</a> and my life has been changed! I actually know what to look for now! I keep waiting to be able to afford some awesome jeans, but I think I'll give up on that for now and go to the thrift store and see what I can find.)<br /><br />Don't mock my awesome smile:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJPas4jUD6fVEmuZuu1s0loFeKsmtqdizYvBT-cEWhiQnWCUIcMOMFCDtjUCrxCJEZCspMEd2iJlD46qrGrNx0L1qxC6yEQQvcdeeIZn0bXsR8XualLHtyb9bBW5JAMNddKY82SZcr6UP/s1600-h/BeforeFront.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 128px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJPas4jUD6fVEmuZuu1s0loFeKsmtqdizYvBT-cEWhiQnWCUIcMOMFCDtjUCrxCJEZCspMEd2iJlD46qrGrNx0L1qxC6yEQQvcdeeIZn0bXsR8XualLHtyb9bBW5JAMNddKY82SZcr6UP/s320/BeforeFront.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359298215028063618" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLsYP86FSAl7cqaSbJwZz5NjR6s9MB6Fc-N_fXWgZ_M4SCFwlhR_YU1APb4ai0RIG7UoKraocXBKbNxdskyTcrXDYS1H6TTHi_VgFCprYyEvFpef0iHMNfhuuVkHWjlQCkosHTk1GajI_/s1600-h/BeforeSide.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 123px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLsYP86FSAl7cqaSbJwZz5NjR6s9MB6Fc-N_fXWgZ_M4SCFwlhR_YU1APb4ai0RIG7UoKraocXBKbNxdskyTcrXDYS1H6TTHi_VgFCprYyEvFpef0iHMNfhuuVkHWjlQCkosHTk1GajI_/s320/BeforeSide.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359298217187130722" /></a><br /><br />As I hope you agree, I don't have a weight problem. However, I would like to stop looking pregnant from the side and I would like to reduce some flab around my high hip area. All my excess weight goes straight to this area, and if it gets worse, it will look really bad. <br /><br />Regardless of the above, I have decided that my primary goals with this exercise program are to be strong, feel full of energy, and feel healthy and joyful. I need to refine those a bit, but that's my main focus, rather than getting to be a certain size or losing a certain number of inches.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-82593948215241471632009-07-16T23:14:00.000-06:002009-07-16T23:19:11.623-06:00Emotional EaterI'm definitely an emotional eater. I don't go crazy with it, but food definitely helps soothe me or energize me. If I get a difficult assignment at work, I always want chocolate, immediately. This evening I had a rough time emotionally and was left feeling drained. I didn't think I would be able to move my body enough to exercise. So I made some brownie batter and ate that instead. I know that working out would have lifted my mood instantly, but I chose the less healthy route instead. If I ever feel like that again, I will take the middle route and go on a walk. A walk is easy enough that there's no excuse not to do it, and it's much healthier than downing a ton of sugar.Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-27882557013506569032009-07-16T17:27:00.000-06:002009-07-16T17:31:18.153-06:00No More Ow!I didn't want to leave that last post hanging so long. <br />After last Thursday I continued to Shred every other day, but doing only low impact exercises. By yesterday, I felt like I was healed enough to try the full impact again. I did it last night and as of this evening, I still feel great!! <br /><br />Yesterday was Shred Day 16, and Calendar Day 26. <br /><br />Food is going kind of well. I used to have to bring loads of sugar to work or buy 2 candy bars during the day. I haven't done that in a while now. I am still weak if sugar is presented to me, and sometimes I'll really pig out, but overall, it's not the constant day-to-day thing that it was. <br /><br />Today I had to drive 170 miles, and no matter how far I drive, I get SO TIRED. I picked up a shake at Arby's to keep me awake on the way back. I figured Arby's would be a lot lower in calories than Baskin-Robbins. Turns out I was wrong. I should've just gone to Baskin Robbins - it tastes much better. The Arby's shake had 640 calories! Oh well, I'd rather be alive and drinking a 640-calorie shake than dead in a car crash!Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-81333702763247747082009-07-09T22:13:00.000-06:002009-07-09T22:20:13.167-06:00OwToday is Shred Day 13. Everything from my knees down aches or is very tender. It doesn't feel like muscle pain. It doesn't hurt badly, but it is very, very tender, and I'm a little worried. The outer sides of my knees, the fronts of my knees (right below the kneecap), down the outer sides of my calves, and my ankles all hurt. The calf muscles themselves don't hurt. This seems to be bones, tendons, or ligaments. <br /><br />If I knew what exercise specifically was causing the problem, I would modify it, but I'm not sure what it is. It does hurt to do jumping jacks. But it would make very little sense for them to be the culprit now. I did tons of them with no problem in Level 1. There are only a few as part of the warmup in Level 2. Maybe it's the high-impact of the high knees? The high impact of all the cardio? I don't know. I think I'm going to need to rest tomorrow and do something else. And then after that maybe I'll try running in place instead of some of the cardio exercises. <br /><br />Despite what I said two days ago about just wanting to take the easy way out, I'm starting to want to master this thing! So having to modify heavily is quite disheartening rather than relieving. <br /><br />Food today:<br />1 oz. pepper jack cheese<br />1 piece toast with little butter and honey<br />2 C green smoothie<br />BBQ beef on white roll<br />gross Wal-Mart potato salad<br />baked beans (with tons of kinds of beans, from garbanzos to limas!)<br />Fat Boy (I should have resisted; I picked it up literally on the way out the door from work!!)<br />delicious homemade potato saladKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8843512793648615763.post-64344116737792017252009-07-08T21:44:00.000-06:002009-07-08T21:52:02.265-06:00Checking InIt feels like it's been days since I last Shredded, but I only skipped one day. Yesterday we went on a 'hike' to a waterfall, but it was a nearly level trail, so it was more of a saunter/walk. <br /><br />Anyway, today is Shred day 12, calendar day 19. Today's Level 2 workout was so much easier than Monday's. Kind of. The difference may have been that I'd only had 5 hours sleep before Monday's workout. Also, today I did some of the modified lunges from the beginning, knowing that otherwise I'd die at the end. I thought that by the end of Level 1, I was the cardio master. But the Level 2 cardio exercises really do me in! Today I felt a lot more interested in taking on the challenge and beating the DVD! <br /><br />As for food:<br />yesterday:<br />peanut butter/honey sandwich<br />tortilla + squash/chickpea salad<br />a tiny bit of trail mix (almonds + raisins + M&Ms)<br />single scoop of Baskin Robbins ice cream<br />rotisserie chicken, potato salad, macaroni salad<br /><br />For me, that was actually a VERY good sugar day. The trail mix had maybe 5-10 M&Ms in it, and usually I prefer eating a huge bowl of ice cream, not a single scoop :-)<br /><br />today:<br />3 cups green smoothie<br />squash + chickpea salad<br />2 tortillas<br />small apple<br />3/4 Kit Kat<br />a bunch of rotisserie chicken<br />3-4 bites of ice creamKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16981415125894714419noreply@blogger.com0