I can't believe May is over and June is already a week in. My life this last month was crazy and will probably continue in craziness throughout the summer. My 30 days in May were a complete failure because I simply did not step foot into a CURVES after my last post. Not sure what happened other than I've been out of town all but one weekend and am exhausted every day. June isn't looking much better as I will be traveling a lot yet again. In my pre-baby days, I loved to travel but after baby, traveling is very different and very tiring. I realize that this is just the season of life I'm in currently and that it will get easier as Matthew gets older.
In thinking about my life right now and all that is going on, I've decided I have to take a break from my 30 days. I will probably do a life update sometime during the month and share some of the things that are going on with me that I'm not completely at liberty to share right now.
I'm hoping to tackle my 30 days resolutions again in July but we'll see where things are at. Before I sign out for the month, I thought it would be valuable for me to reflect on what my past 30 days resolutions have given me and taught me about myself and life. Here goes....
January: I spent time in the Word every day for 30 minutes. During this month, I learned that the continual coming eliminates the clutter that often keeps me from God. Spending time each day with the Lord keeps me in a more balanced and satisfied place.
February: I tackled the clutter in my house. This was one of my favorite tasks because it showed me that nothing is as intimidating as it seems. Once I started facing the clutter, I knew that I was more powerful than all the mess. I also realized that I have the ability to choose how I want to live and organize my life and clutter doesn't have to stand in the way. This was a very empowering month for me.
March: I ran a lot this month. My goal was to cut my 3 mile time by two minutes. I started the month with a 3 miles time of 26:30 and finished the month with a time of 24:29. This resolution taught me to trust my body. If I eat well and exercise consistently, my body will do amazing things. I gained a lot of confidence this month.
April: I pushed the boundaries of my comfort zone this month. I decided to add creativity to my life every day. I defined creativity as creating opportunities for myself that caused me to do things I normally would not do. As a result of this resolution, I ended up having a lot of fun and inspiring moments.
May: I love to workout and so for this month, I decided to try out CURVES for 30 days. I started out very good and actually enjoyed my experience the first two weeks. There were several trips this month and a lot of life stuff that happened which pushed this resolution to my "I'll-do-it-tomorrow-to-do-list". Well, tomorrow is still a day away and the month is over. I officially declare this resolution a failure as far as completing it. I did learn some things though: 1) I love to exercise but I need concrete goals in order to maintain motivation. 1a) Weight loss is not a strong enough motivator for me to change into my workout clothes and head to the gym. 1b) Sticking to a workout plan that doesn't incorporate a running plan into it is like eating an Oreo cookie blizzard without the Oreos. 2) Trips interfere with fitness unless you are incredibly committed to your goals and aren't afraid to come across as slightly OCD. 3) CURVES is probably not the best workout plan for me. I need more variety and spontaneity and less focus on scales and tape measures.
With five resolutions behind me and a month of reflection and regrouping ahead, I feel pretty good about my upcoming resolutions. I was actually feeling pretty discouraged about not finishing May strong and taking a break in June. As I reflected on the previous months, I realized that taking time off to think about things and refocus is not all bad. It may be just what I need to give me the fuel to finish the rest of the 30 day resolutions left in the year. Till next time....
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Getting the Heart Rate Up
I completed my first week of CURVES! In order to get my running and CURVES workouts in, I made it a goal to get in to their fitness center at 6:30am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The first workout left me wondering if it was possible to sweat during their circuit. There is one machine that measures your heart rate and my target was to get it between 132-152 bpm. When I hopped on and started moving, my heart rate was at 103. I sped up but only managed to get it to about 106. I decided that if this CURVES workout was going to be worth my time, I needed to somehow make the circuit harder.
I am a goal person and so for my second workout I was ready to take it up a notch. I decided that before I got to the heart rate machine, I needed to have already gotten my heart rate up because that machine alone was not going to do it. During the cardio circuit stations, I did jumping jacks, jumping knee lifts, and whatever jumping exercise I could come up with. I felt a little out of place because all the other ladies were just walking in place. I tried not to let that phase me and just kept going. When I came to the heart rate machine, I had definitely broken a sweat! My heart rate: 132. I'm used to working out in the 145-165 range and so I knew I needed to kick it up another level. With the CURVES workout, you go through the entire circuit twice and so the second time around, I pushed harder and manged to get my heart rate up to 141. Not bad for my second workout. I left feeling optimistic about their set up. If you want to get a good workout at CURVES, it is possible.
During my third visit, I pushed harder and got my heart rate to 152. Very fun! The only complaint I have about their workouts so far is that I was not sore at all. This of course could have to do with me. I guess I'll see how it continues to go. Since I have finished my first three training workouts, I will get my SmartCard on Monday. From now on, my workouts will be personalized to me. This of course makes me super excited because now I can track my progress!
Another thing I did this week was try their eating plan. I was pretty happy with my current eating habits but decided that since this is CURVES month, I should test out their plan. Here's what I think after one week of being on it. I'll start with the positive things first:
1. Good recipes that are organized by phases and specific meal plans.
2. Recipes are written for one person.
3. Good variety of foods used.
4. You don't feel hungry throughout the day.
5. Provides vegetarian alternatives for almost all of their recipes.
Some of the not-so-good things:
1. Recipes use a lot more processed foods than I would like.
2. Many of the recipes include cheese. This can get expensive especially if you buy organic.
3. High sodium vegetarian alternatives.
4. Because of the processed foods, there is craving for more of the processed stuff. This could be just my thing because I really like the whole, minimally processed food which pretty much eliminates cravings and the tendency to overeat. I found myself gravitating towards the not so healthy food choices this week.
Overall, not a bad eating plan but I don't think it's the right one for me. I decided to go back to my regular eating for now.
My goal this week at CURVES is to strike up a conversation with someone during every visit. I tend to focus on what I'm doing and sorta ignore other people, which is something I realize I have to work on. There's more to fitness and health than achieving physical goals. Relationships with others bring a level of well being that can't be achieved on a treadmill. I love interacting with people but my natural tendency is not to initiate encounters. I am very friendly when others approach me but rarely take the initiative myself. This week, I will try to step out of this comfort zone and reach out to my fellow CURVES ladies. Wish me luck!
I am a goal person and so for my second workout I was ready to take it up a notch. I decided that before I got to the heart rate machine, I needed to have already gotten my heart rate up because that machine alone was not going to do it. During the cardio circuit stations, I did jumping jacks, jumping knee lifts, and whatever jumping exercise I could come up with. I felt a little out of place because all the other ladies were just walking in place. I tried not to let that phase me and just kept going. When I came to the heart rate machine, I had definitely broken a sweat! My heart rate: 132. I'm used to working out in the 145-165 range and so I knew I needed to kick it up another level. With the CURVES workout, you go through the entire circuit twice and so the second time around, I pushed harder and manged to get my heart rate up to 141. Not bad for my second workout. I left feeling optimistic about their set up. If you want to get a good workout at CURVES, it is possible.
During my third visit, I pushed harder and got my heart rate to 152. Very fun! The only complaint I have about their workouts so far is that I was not sore at all. This of course could have to do with me. I guess I'll see how it continues to go. Since I have finished my first three training workouts, I will get my SmartCard on Monday. From now on, my workouts will be personalized to me. This of course makes me super excited because now I can track my progress!
Another thing I did this week was try their eating plan. I was pretty happy with my current eating habits but decided that since this is CURVES month, I should test out their plan. Here's what I think after one week of being on it. I'll start with the positive things first:
1. Good recipes that are organized by phases and specific meal plans.
2. Recipes are written for one person.
3. Good variety of foods used.
4. You don't feel hungry throughout the day.
5. Provides vegetarian alternatives for almost all of their recipes.
Some of the not-so-good things:
1. Recipes use a lot more processed foods than I would like.
2. Many of the recipes include cheese. This can get expensive especially if you buy organic.
3. High sodium vegetarian alternatives.
4. Because of the processed foods, there is craving for more of the processed stuff. This could be just my thing because I really like the whole, minimally processed food which pretty much eliminates cravings and the tendency to overeat. I found myself gravitating towards the not so healthy food choices this week.
Overall, not a bad eating plan but I don't think it's the right one for me. I decided to go back to my regular eating for now.
My goal this week at CURVES is to strike up a conversation with someone during every visit. I tend to focus on what I'm doing and sorta ignore other people, which is something I realize I have to work on. There's more to fitness and health than achieving physical goals. Relationships with others bring a level of well being that can't be achieved on a treadmill. I love interacting with people but my natural tendency is not to initiate encounters. I am very friendly when others approach me but rarely take the initiative myself. This week, I will try to step out of this comfort zone and reach out to my fellow CURVES ladies. Wish me luck!
Monday, May 3, 2010
May is about CURVES
My resolution for this month came to me unexpectedly. Last week I was sorting through mail at the church when I came across an envelope addressed to me. I opened it and found a very nice letter from the owner of the local CURVES fitness center. It so happens that they want to do something nice for pastor's wives in the area and are giving us a free 12 month membership to their facility. I was touched on various levels.
After the warm fuzzies cleared, I realized that I knew nothing about CURVES other than that a lot of older women enjoy going. Immediately, I started to visualize all these elderly women in a little gym working out together. I could hear the elevator music that probably played in the background, and I started to put the letter and free membership aside. But then I started to think about some of the great things I had experienced as a result of my April resolution. One of the main lessons I learned was to try new things even if at first you think you may not like them. So in that moment, I made the decision to set up an appointment and go. After all, it was going to cost me nothing, other than the commitment of 30 minutes a day, several times a week. I really had nothing to lose.
If you have never tried CURVES and are wondering what it's all about, this month, I will be documenting my experience. My May resolution is to attend CURVES faithfully and do their program. I will share my thoughts about CURVES, the people I meet, and the results I get in the next 30 days.
I went in for my first meeting with them on Friday and during that time, I also had a fitness assessment done. I don't remember all my numbers, but I will share the ones I do. But before I disclose my weight, measurements, and body fat percentage, I have to tell you about my first real life experience with my local CURVES fitness center.
First Visit
CURVES is everything I thought it would be and more. The receptionist was extremely friendly and chipper. I just had to smile being around her. As I looked around, there were older ladies working out at the various machines. I couldn't help but notice that I was by far the youngest one there. While I was filling out paperwork, the owner came over and commented on how young I looked. "Are you in High School?" she asked. Before I could answer the receptionist piped in, loud enough for all to hear "Oh no, she's 30! The conversation that ensued, much to my embarrassment, was about how young I looked and how amazing it was that I had no wrinkles at the age of 30. All the little old ladies just looked at me. Yes, it was a little awkward but in a strange way, it made me feel good. Not having as many noticeable wrinkles is definitely a compliment even if it was a little embarrassing that it was pointed out to everyone there.
After that conversation ended, the lively receptionist explained the CURVES philosophy and program. I must say that I was drawn in. The hook that got me was their nifty computer program that tracks ALL your workouts and progress. I love having goals! They also reward you for meeting your goals which is a definite plus because I LOVE to get gold stars :) Because everything is computerized, yes, even their machines, your workouts are designed based on your targets. I thought this was a cool feature. Another thing I liked is that you can work as hard as you want. The machines adjust to the intensity you put out but also encourage you to go at a certain level in order to meet your target. It will be interesting to see if I am able to get a hard workout. I am somewhat skeptical because older ladies are drawn to it. If those machines had really hard workout potential, why aren't more fit people using them? I guess I'll find out.
There were some things that I didn't think were so great. The checking in process seemed a bit complicated but that could be because I'm new and was getting a lot of information all at once. When you come in, you have to change shoes. I think this is annoying. The other thing that caught my attention was the interesting background voice that periodically chimes in to prompt you to move to the next station. "You are smart!", "You are intelligent!", "You are sexy!" Not sure what else to say about that other than it was hard not to laugh every time I heard her. In time, I may find her motivating. I'll just have to wait and find out.
After I was somewhat oriented to their process, it was off to the scale, tape measure, and body fat device.
Fitness Assessment
Here are my Day 1 stats as I remember them.
Height: 5'9
Hips: 41 inches
Biceps: 12 inches
Waist: 33 inches
Thighs: 23 inches
Weight: 166.5
Body Fat Percentage: 30%
BMI: 24.6
The exciting thing about my numbers is that they were all within the normal range. Granted they were in the higher range for normal, but normal nonetheless :) What this means is that I am no longer in the overweight category! I'm not sure what CURVES will do in terms of my numbers, but I think something is bound to change. The changes I would like is to see is in the weight and body fat percentage areas. I weighed in during the afternoon, with clothes, so my actual weight is lower. But by the end of the month, I would like it to be 160 on their scale. Body Fat Percentage wise, I'd like it at around 28-29%.
I'm excited to begin the CURVE journey. I have a feeling I'm going to meet some great people along the way! Maybe I'll even start liking the voice-over-motivation lady. Bring on May!!
After the warm fuzzies cleared, I realized that I knew nothing about CURVES other than that a lot of older women enjoy going. Immediately, I started to visualize all these elderly women in a little gym working out together. I could hear the elevator music that probably played in the background, and I started to put the letter and free membership aside. But then I started to think about some of the great things I had experienced as a result of my April resolution. One of the main lessons I learned was to try new things even if at first you think you may not like them. So in that moment, I made the decision to set up an appointment and go. After all, it was going to cost me nothing, other than the commitment of 30 minutes a day, several times a week. I really had nothing to lose.
If you have never tried CURVES and are wondering what it's all about, this month, I will be documenting my experience. My May resolution is to attend CURVES faithfully and do their program. I will share my thoughts about CURVES, the people I meet, and the results I get in the next 30 days.
I went in for my first meeting with them on Friday and during that time, I also had a fitness assessment done. I don't remember all my numbers, but I will share the ones I do. But before I disclose my weight, measurements, and body fat percentage, I have to tell you about my first real life experience with my local CURVES fitness center.
First Visit
CURVES is everything I thought it would be and more. The receptionist was extremely friendly and chipper. I just had to smile being around her. As I looked around, there were older ladies working out at the various machines. I couldn't help but notice that I was by far the youngest one there. While I was filling out paperwork, the owner came over and commented on how young I looked. "Are you in High School?" she asked. Before I could answer the receptionist piped in, loud enough for all to hear "Oh no, she's 30! The conversation that ensued, much to my embarrassment, was about how young I looked and how amazing it was that I had no wrinkles at the age of 30. All the little old ladies just looked at me. Yes, it was a little awkward but in a strange way, it made me feel good. Not having as many noticeable wrinkles is definitely a compliment even if it was a little embarrassing that it was pointed out to everyone there.
After that conversation ended, the lively receptionist explained the CURVES philosophy and program. I must say that I was drawn in. The hook that got me was their nifty computer program that tracks ALL your workouts and progress. I love having goals! They also reward you for meeting your goals which is a definite plus because I LOVE to get gold stars :) Because everything is computerized, yes, even their machines, your workouts are designed based on your targets. I thought this was a cool feature. Another thing I liked is that you can work as hard as you want. The machines adjust to the intensity you put out but also encourage you to go at a certain level in order to meet your target. It will be interesting to see if I am able to get a hard workout. I am somewhat skeptical because older ladies are drawn to it. If those machines had really hard workout potential, why aren't more fit people using them? I guess I'll find out.
There were some things that I didn't think were so great. The checking in process seemed a bit complicated but that could be because I'm new and was getting a lot of information all at once. When you come in, you have to change shoes. I think this is annoying. The other thing that caught my attention was the interesting background voice that periodically chimes in to prompt you to move to the next station. "You are smart!", "You are intelligent!", "You are sexy!" Not sure what else to say about that other than it was hard not to laugh every time I heard her. In time, I may find her motivating. I'll just have to wait and find out.
After I was somewhat oriented to their process, it was off to the scale, tape measure, and body fat device.
Fitness Assessment
Here are my Day 1 stats as I remember them.
Height: 5'9
Hips: 41 inches
Biceps: 12 inches
Waist: 33 inches
Thighs: 23 inches
Weight: 166.5
Body Fat Percentage: 30%
BMI: 24.6
The exciting thing about my numbers is that they were all within the normal range. Granted they were in the higher range for normal, but normal nonetheless :) What this means is that I am no longer in the overweight category! I'm not sure what CURVES will do in terms of my numbers, but I think something is bound to change. The changes I would like is to see is in the weight and body fat percentage areas. I weighed in during the afternoon, with clothes, so my actual weight is lower. But by the end of the month, I would like it to be 160 on their scale. Body Fat Percentage wise, I'd like it at around 28-29%.
I'm excited to begin the CURVE journey. I have a feeling I'm going to meet some great people along the way! Maybe I'll even start liking the voice-over-motivation lady. Bring on May!!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Lincoln Marathon Race Recap
Today was the perfect day to be running in the Lincoln Marathon. There was no wind and the temperature was perfect. While I was waiting for the race to start, I had a sense of peace. I knew that I would give it my best and that I would feel strong throughout the course. It's funny that in that moment, I didn't even think about how it would feel to finish or if I would achieve my goal of a sub 2:00 half marathon. My focus, at least before the race started, was on taking everything in. There is something magical about being surrounded by people that share the same passion as you. Right before the gun sounded, I was imagining us all as super heroes, all dressed up in our special attire, meeting together to conquer something. On any other day we would all be dressed in our regular clothing going about the day like everyone else, without anyone noticing that underneath the normalcy of our lives, we are runners. I know this probably sounds a bit dreamy but that's what I was thinking about right before we took off. To top it all off, I had a silly, almost giddy smile plastered on my face.
I can remember every mile because from the time I crossed the start mat, I worked very hard. Every single step and mile took effort. I spoke very little the entire time and tried to focus on keeping a good pace. Every once in awhile, a smile would appear on my face as I thought of all the running superheros out to conquer the world together. But overall, I was very focused. My husband stayed by my side the entire time and made sure I knew where we were in regards to making our goal. He was amazing the whole time with affirmation, support, getting me water, guiding me as we wove through people. I know I couldn't have gotten the time I did without him. In regards to pace, I was all over the place but for the entire race stayed on track to meet the 2:00 mark. Here are my mile splits:
Mile One: 9:12
Mile Two: 8:52
Mile Three: 9:16
Mile Four: 9:10
Mile Five: 9:06
Mile Six: 8:34
Mile Seven: 8:47
Mile Eight: 9:15
Mile Nine: 9:30 ( big hill and stomach issues)
Mile Ten: 9:03
Mile Eleven: 9:17
Mile Twelve: 9:34 (Stomach issues again)
Mile Thirteen: 9:38 (Hit some kind of wall and had a hard time picking up the pace to finish strong)
the last tenth of a mile: 53 seconds
When we hit mile twelve, I was really struggling. I knew that I had to keep a fast pace and I wasn't sure If I could do it. Looking back now, I know that I could have but at the time, it felt impossible. We crossed the finish in 2:00:14. I remember feeling annoyed. If I would have pushed just a little harder, I would have gotten my sub 2:00 time. 14 seconds! Going just a few seconds faster each mile would have done it. But alas, it was not mine to be had this time. I've had some time to reflect on my finish time and have found comfort in several things. First, I ran hard today and I'm proud of that. Second, I set a PR! I totally smashed my previous half marathon time. I cut it by 21 minutes! Third, I am very motivated to train for another half and totally kill it.
I would say that today was a good day. No, I didn't meet my ultimate goal but I still feel good about the race. When we were heading out of Lincoln on Hwy 2, I looked over at the empty bike trail. Just a few hours before it had been packed with super hero runners and now they were gone. We all had returned to our normal lives. Many will never know what took place on the trail today and the dreams that were realized. But as I was driving by, I understood the sweat and effort that every runner put out today, and it made me smile. In a strange way, the connection I felt to all those other runners, brought me comfort and a renewed commitment to lace up my shoes tomorrow and keep running.
Here are some pics from today's race :)
I can remember every mile because from the time I crossed the start mat, I worked very hard. Every single step and mile took effort. I spoke very little the entire time and tried to focus on keeping a good pace. Every once in awhile, a smile would appear on my face as I thought of all the running superheros out to conquer the world together. But overall, I was very focused. My husband stayed by my side the entire time and made sure I knew where we were in regards to making our goal. He was amazing the whole time with affirmation, support, getting me water, guiding me as we wove through people. I know I couldn't have gotten the time I did without him. In regards to pace, I was all over the place but for the entire race stayed on track to meet the 2:00 mark. Here are my mile splits:
Mile One: 9:12
Mile Two: 8:52
Mile Three: 9:16
Mile Four: 9:10
Mile Five: 9:06
Mile Six: 8:34
Mile Seven: 8:47
Mile Eight: 9:15
Mile Nine: 9:30 ( big hill and stomach issues)
Mile Ten: 9:03
Mile Eleven: 9:17
Mile Twelve: 9:34 (Stomach issues again)
Mile Thirteen: 9:38 (Hit some kind of wall and had a hard time picking up the pace to finish strong)
the last tenth of a mile: 53 seconds
When we hit mile twelve, I was really struggling. I knew that I had to keep a fast pace and I wasn't sure If I could do it. Looking back now, I know that I could have but at the time, it felt impossible. We crossed the finish in 2:00:14. I remember feeling annoyed. If I would have pushed just a little harder, I would have gotten my sub 2:00 time. 14 seconds! Going just a few seconds faster each mile would have done it. But alas, it was not mine to be had this time. I've had some time to reflect on my finish time and have found comfort in several things. First, I ran hard today and I'm proud of that. Second, I set a PR! I totally smashed my previous half marathon time. I cut it by 21 minutes! Third, I am very motivated to train for another half and totally kill it.
I would say that today was a good day. No, I didn't meet my ultimate goal but I still feel good about the race. When we were heading out of Lincoln on Hwy 2, I looked over at the empty bike trail. Just a few hours before it had been packed with super hero runners and now they were gone. We all had returned to our normal lives. Many will never know what took place on the trail today and the dreams that were realized. But as I was driving by, I understood the sweat and effort that every runner put out today, and it made me smile. In a strange way, the connection I felt to all those other runners, brought me comfort and a renewed commitment to lace up my shoes tomorrow and keep running.
Here are some pics from today's race :)
Before the race
Me after the race
My Love :)
My Running Buddies! They did great today too!!!
So now that the race is over, I have decided to keep training for another half marathon. Fourteen seconds will not stand in the way of me and my goal of a sub 2:00 time! I will get it and I know that it will happen soon. This race gave me great insights into some of my weaknesses, which in the great scheme of things truly is a gift. Not making my goal, has caused me to pause and reflect on how I could have run the race differently. I know that I am capable of much more than I thought and that there truly are no limits other than the ones I set for myself. I am a better person for having run this race today :)
Friday, April 30, 2010
Comfort Goals
Two more days till the big day!! Yesterday I went out to run 5 miles and it was effortless. That run was what I needed to give me that confidence boost for race day. I have a short 2 mile run today and then my training is officially over. Hard to believe how fast these last four months flew by! As race day draws closer, I find myself thinking if my training was enough to get me my goal of a sub 2:00 half marathon. I didn't follow a pre-made training plan. I made up my own based on basic principles of training schedules, my running level and past personal running experiences. In the future I may opt to go with a professional training plan especially if I am significantly off in my estimated finish time. I guess I'll just have to see how it goes on Sunday :)
I know I will be heartbroken if I don't get my time but I know that there are things that are just beyond my control on race day. This week, I have spent some time thinking of other acceptable finish times that will help me find comfort if I don't get my ideal goal time. So here they are:
Make My Heart Happy Goal 1: Finish the Half Marathon in under 2:00. I don't care if it's only a fraction of a second under 2 hours. I just want to see a 1 as the first number in my finish time.
Comfort My Heart Goal 2: Finish in under 2:10. I am pretty confident I can do this. I can run very comfortably at a 9:30 min pace. I have noticed that it's also my default pace. I naturally fall into this pace stride.
Sorta Comfort My Heart Goal 3: Finish in under 2:21. This is my current PR for the half marathon. I have only done one. I think one of the main reasons, I have not trained to do another one is because I wanted to get a significantly better time and I knew that it would require lots of time and dedication. Now is my time. I've put in the work.
On a completely random thought... This week I came across the yummiest milk beverage ever! Silk has come out with Almond Milk that tastes amazing!
If you haven't tried it, you should. It tastes great straight up, no need to put in in cereal. The vanilla flavored one is the best! Great after a run or just as a snack is yummy too :)
I know I will be heartbroken if I don't get my time but I know that there are things that are just beyond my control on race day. This week, I have spent some time thinking of other acceptable finish times that will help me find comfort if I don't get my ideal goal time. So here they are:
Make My Heart Happy Goal 1: Finish the Half Marathon in under 2:00. I don't care if it's only a fraction of a second under 2 hours. I just want to see a 1 as the first number in my finish time.
Comfort My Heart Goal 2: Finish in under 2:10. I am pretty confident I can do this. I can run very comfortably at a 9:30 min pace. I have noticed that it's also my default pace. I naturally fall into this pace stride.
Sorta Comfort My Heart Goal 3: Finish in under 2:21. This is my current PR for the half marathon. I have only done one. I think one of the main reasons, I have not trained to do another one is because I wanted to get a significantly better time and I knew that it would require lots of time and dedication. Now is my time. I've put in the work.
On a completely random thought... This week I came across the yummiest milk beverage ever! Silk has come out with Almond Milk that tastes amazing!
If you haven't tried it, you should. It tastes great straight up, no need to put in in cereal. The vanilla flavored one is the best! Great after a run or just as a snack is yummy too :)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Taper Week
I love and dislike taper week. Love it because I know that race day is just around the corner. What I don't like about it is the feeling that there's nothing more I can do. Training in a sense has come to a close and now, I just have to wait and see what the fruits of my labor will end up being. I found myself growing a bit restless today. Still trying to figure out the right balance between doing too much or not doing enough during taper week.
I started the day with a 2 mile run. I decided to take Matthew in the stroller. It was a bit chilly but I bundled him up and he had a blast. He 'Vroomed, Vroomed' the whole way which made me feel like I had extra bursts of energy along the way. Very fun!
I normally work out for much more than 20 minutes a day so I decided to do a little cross training and mow the lawn with our new nifty-save-the environment-50's-mover. I have to admit that I was very skeptical when my husband decided to make this purchase but after trying it out today, I am sold. There's something mesmerizing about watching the blade go round and round and quietly cut your grass. I ended up doing the whole lawn with a little help with little man Matthew and my sweet husband.
After the lawn mowing cross training workout, I still have pent up energy that needs to be released. Since I can't go run for an hour, I think I'll probably go to the gym later and do some upper body strength training and some core work. That should give me my fix for the day and shouldn't interfere with my taper :)
I started the day with a 2 mile run. I decided to take Matthew in the stroller. It was a bit chilly but I bundled him up and he had a blast. He 'Vroomed, Vroomed' the whole way which made me feel like I had extra bursts of energy along the way. Very fun!
Here he is after the run
I normally work out for much more than 20 minutes a day so I decided to do a little cross training and mow the lawn with our new nifty-save-the environment-50's-mover. I have to admit that I was very skeptical when my husband decided to make this purchase but after trying it out today, I am sold. There's something mesmerizing about watching the blade go round and round and quietly cut your grass. I ended up doing the whole lawn with a little help with little man Matthew and my sweet husband.
Here I am. Check out my straight lines :)
Here's Sir Matthew. His first attempt at moving.
Here's the Sweet Husband :)
After the lawn mowing cross training workout, I still have pent up energy that needs to be released. Since I can't go run for an hour, I think I'll probably go to the gym later and do some upper body strength training and some core work. That should give me my fix for the day and shouldn't interfere with my taper :)
Monday, April 26, 2010
***Breaking News Interruption***
I'm one of those weird people that actually enjoys the Breaking News interruptions on TV. I know many find them quite annoying but there's something about them that is exciting to me. There's an element of suspense and anticipation that gets me every time. I know, it's weird.
Anyway, as my creativity month continues and I engage in all sorts of new things, I find myself thinking, obsessing, and dreaming about the upcoming half marathon in Lincoln. Since the race is only a week away, I am making an executive blogger decision to execute a Breaking News Interruption to my April resolution that will last until the end of the month. I will still engage in my creative projects, I just won't write about it.
My breaking news is that for the next week, I will start my race countdown and blog about it each day. I figure if that's what I'm thinking about all the time, I might as well share some of my thoughts with the rest of you. I realize that you may not all be running freaks but at least you will temporarily enter my running world and see what makes me excited about running.
Before I go into my "interruption" week, I will share what I've been up to the last few days in regards to my creativity. But after that, I'm out.
Day 19-21: Garden Love: I am not a gardener. I have never been and probably will never be. I love flowers and people who garden but it's really not my thing. We currently live in the parsonage which has a beautiful back yard. The previous pastor's wife kept an amazing garden with a variety of flowers, ferns, and other plants that I can't identify. When I first saw the beautiful cared for garden, I was amazed and sad at the same time. I knew in my heart that it would probably never look that great again. Needless to say, a year and a half later, my fears were confirmed. The once amazing garden is...well, let's just say..no longer amazing. As part of my creativity month, I decided to tackle the project of restoring some dignity to this garden. After several days of pulling weeds and probably some non weeds too, (I'm still working on figuring out which are the good and bad plants. I know, it's pretty pathetic!) the garden is looking SO much better. Here are some pics of my progress so far.
I know this is still a pretty sad looking flower bed but it was so much worse several days ago.
Those tree branches in the background, yeah, our trees needed some help too.
The yard behind ours is a constant reminder of what our yard is not.
So there it is, our garden in progress :)
Day 22-24: Musical expression: I like to sing but am not very fond of the whole special music thing at church. Although, I am asked to do it from time to time, I always politely decline. I know I can carry a tune and overall don't have a bad voice BUT that still does not give me the golden ticket to do special music. I reserve that privilege for the ones who actually have above average talent in that area. In the last several months, I have become a fan of Kari Jobe. If you've never heard her sing, check her out on YouTube. She's amazing. There's a song she sings called 'Beautiful' that my husband loves and plays over and over again in the car. Yes, this is one of his annoying traits. Anyway, I decided to offer my services for the church service this last weekend. My creative gift to him and the church was to learn the song in sign language and throw in a little dramatic expression into it as well. I figured I could do that and save myself the embarrassment of attempting to sing the song. I wish I had a video of it because it rocked! It goes without saying that the credit goes straight to the Lord. I was just blessed to have showed up at the same time the Holy Spirit graced our church with His presence and anointed that space in time. The people were incredibly blessed as well. I praise God for that!
So there it is, my creative process so far this month. It's been quite a ride! Now, for the week of running filled blogs! Stay tuned....
Anyway, as my creativity month continues and I engage in all sorts of new things, I find myself thinking, obsessing, and dreaming about the upcoming half marathon in Lincoln. Since the race is only a week away, I am making an executive blogger decision to execute a Breaking News Interruption to my April resolution that will last until the end of the month. I will still engage in my creative projects, I just won't write about it.
My breaking news is that for the next week, I will start my race countdown and blog about it each day. I figure if that's what I'm thinking about all the time, I might as well share some of my thoughts with the rest of you. I realize that you may not all be running freaks but at least you will temporarily enter my running world and see what makes me excited about running.
Before I go into my "interruption" week, I will share what I've been up to the last few days in regards to my creativity. But after that, I'm out.
Day 19-21: Garden Love: I am not a gardener. I have never been and probably will never be. I love flowers and people who garden but it's really not my thing. We currently live in the parsonage which has a beautiful back yard. The previous pastor's wife kept an amazing garden with a variety of flowers, ferns, and other plants that I can't identify. When I first saw the beautiful cared for garden, I was amazed and sad at the same time. I knew in my heart that it would probably never look that great again. Needless to say, a year and a half later, my fears were confirmed. The once amazing garden is...well, let's just say..no longer amazing. As part of my creativity month, I decided to tackle the project of restoring some dignity to this garden. After several days of pulling weeds and probably some non weeds too, (I'm still working on figuring out which are the good and bad plants. I know, it's pretty pathetic!) the garden is looking SO much better. Here are some pics of my progress so far.
I know this is still a pretty sad looking flower bed but it was so much worse several days ago.
Those tree branches in the background, yeah, our trees needed some help too.
The yard behind ours is a constant reminder of what our yard is not.
So there it is, our garden in progress :)
Day 22-24: Musical expression: I like to sing but am not very fond of the whole special music thing at church. Although, I am asked to do it from time to time, I always politely decline. I know I can carry a tune and overall don't have a bad voice BUT that still does not give me the golden ticket to do special music. I reserve that privilege for the ones who actually have above average talent in that area. In the last several months, I have become a fan of Kari Jobe. If you've never heard her sing, check her out on YouTube. She's amazing. There's a song she sings called 'Beautiful' that my husband loves and plays over and over again in the car. Yes, this is one of his annoying traits. Anyway, I decided to offer my services for the church service this last weekend. My creative gift to him and the church was to learn the song in sign language and throw in a little dramatic expression into it as well. I figured I could do that and save myself the embarrassment of attempting to sing the song. I wish I had a video of it because it rocked! It goes without saying that the credit goes straight to the Lord. I was just blessed to have showed up at the same time the Holy Spirit graced our church with His presence and anointed that space in time. The people were incredibly blessed as well. I praise God for that!
So there it is, my creative process so far this month. It's been quite a ride! Now, for the week of running filled blogs! Stay tuned....
Monday, April 19, 2010
Pressing On
This month is whizzing by and I've had a hard time finding the time to document the journey. Although, my consistency with blogging this month has been somewhat lacking, my creativity "projects" press on. Here's a summary of what I've been up to this past ten days.
Day 8-10: Pastor's Wife's Retreat: At first I wasn't planning on going mostly because of the hassle of trying to figure out how Mike was going to juggle watching little man while preaching at two different churches. About a week before the retreat, I realized that I really needed some alone time and that it was important that I take that time away. In that same moment I also realized that I didn't have to figure everything out for Mike in order to go. I am blessed with a very capable husband who is an amazing father that is able to figure out how to take care of our son for a few days. Sometimes I forget that and try to do more than my share of everything which of course leads to unnecessary frustration. Thanks in large part to my April creativity/break out of the routine month, I decided to do things differently. Once the decision was made, I let Mike know what I was planning to do. He happily agreed to step in and let me take the time that I needed. The weekend ended up being a great blessing! I came back energized and happy. Mike and little man Matthew also had a great weekend!
Day 11-13: Picture Prayer Book: I got this idea from the speaker at the retreat and decided I wanted to do it too. A picture prayer book is a photo album of pictures and prayers. You can include any picture you want that reminds you to pray over someone or something. Below the picture is a prayer you write out for that particular person and/or situation. I decided to make a prayer book that focuses on my family and close friends. I will use this book to pray for my friends children, marriages, walks with the Lord, relationships, or whatever else is going on in their lives. I'm not finished with the book yet, but I will continue to work on it throughout the month.
Day 14-17: South Dakota Trip: We decided to take a family trip to unwind and have some time of reflection. This was the first trip that we have taken with just the three of us where we are not going to visit friends or family. It felt a bit strange because we had a huge cabin all to ourselves. It ended up being an amazing weekend! We didn't take any maps or GPS devices and were blessed by the spots and places that we happened to drive by that we were interested in checking out. We went to Mt. Rushmore, Crazy horse, a running store, walked a section of the Mickelson Trail (so beautiful!!), a health food store, a super yummy ice cream place, Honda dealership (we had some car issues on our trip), beautiful lakes, and I forget what else. We were amazed at how effortless this trip was and how much fun we had stopping at places along the way that we normally probably wouldn't have stopped at.
Day 18: Random fact tradition begins: I love gathering and sharing information. Many times, my random pieces of knowledge don't fit into day to day conversations, so I have to keep them inside. This seems like such a waste to me. So I decided to start the Random Fact Tradition. This is how it works: At the end of the day Mike and I exchange a random fact we came across that day. Here are some we've shared: 1) did you know that the Mickelson Trail goes for 109 miles? 2) did you know Grover Cleveland was the only man to serve two non-consecutive terms as president? 3) did you know that the ceiling in our cabin is divided into 38 sections?
Day 8-10: Pastor's Wife's Retreat: At first I wasn't planning on going mostly because of the hassle of trying to figure out how Mike was going to juggle watching little man while preaching at two different churches. About a week before the retreat, I realized that I really needed some alone time and that it was important that I take that time away. In that same moment I also realized that I didn't have to figure everything out for Mike in order to go. I am blessed with a very capable husband who is an amazing father that is able to figure out how to take care of our son for a few days. Sometimes I forget that and try to do more than my share of everything which of course leads to unnecessary frustration. Thanks in large part to my April creativity/break out of the routine month, I decided to do things differently. Once the decision was made, I let Mike know what I was planning to do. He happily agreed to step in and let me take the time that I needed. The weekend ended up being a great blessing! I came back energized and happy. Mike and little man Matthew also had a great weekend!
Day 11-13: Picture Prayer Book: I got this idea from the speaker at the retreat and decided I wanted to do it too. A picture prayer book is a photo album of pictures and prayers. You can include any picture you want that reminds you to pray over someone or something. Below the picture is a prayer you write out for that particular person and/or situation. I decided to make a prayer book that focuses on my family and close friends. I will use this book to pray for my friends children, marriages, walks with the Lord, relationships, or whatever else is going on in their lives. I'm not finished with the book yet, but I will continue to work on it throughout the month.
Day 14-17: South Dakota Trip: We decided to take a family trip to unwind and have some time of reflection. This was the first trip that we have taken with just the three of us where we are not going to visit friends or family. It felt a bit strange because we had a huge cabin all to ourselves. It ended up being an amazing weekend! We didn't take any maps or GPS devices and were blessed by the spots and places that we happened to drive by that we were interested in checking out. We went to Mt. Rushmore, Crazy horse, a running store, walked a section of the Mickelson Trail (so beautiful!!), a health food store, a super yummy ice cream place, Honda dealership (we had some car issues on our trip), beautiful lakes, and I forget what else. We were amazed at how effortless this trip was and how much fun we had stopping at places along the way that we normally probably wouldn't have stopped at.
Day 18: Random fact tradition begins: I love gathering and sharing information. Many times, my random pieces of knowledge don't fit into day to day conversations, so I have to keep them inside. This seems like such a waste to me. So I decided to start the Random Fact Tradition. This is how it works: At the end of the day Mike and I exchange a random fact we came across that day. Here are some we've shared: 1) did you know that the Mickelson Trail goes for 109 miles? 2) did you know Grover Cleveland was the only man to serve two non-consecutive terms as president? 3) did you know that the ceiling in our cabin is divided into 38 sections?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Creating Fun
Today I completed my first week of creating fun and out-of-my-regular-routine experiences. I must say that it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Since making the commitment at the beginning of the month to be more creative, I find myself looking for opportunities and/or ideas everywhere I go. Most of my ideas though have come in the shower. As a mom, this is one of the only places of quiet uninterrupted time where thinking can happen.
For those of you who are curious about what I did this week. Here's my first 7 days of creativity/trying something new/breaking out of the rut activities:
Day 1: Fancy Breakfast Day: The menu included crepes, oatmeal-blueberry muffins, eggs, and OJ. I set the table with our best dishes, silverware, and glassware.
Day 2: Family outing to Fort Cody museum and later in the day enjoyed a "Silent" Family Sabbath Worship (10 minutes of listening to praise music, 10 minutes of personal prayer, and 10 minutes of reading the Word to yourself)
Day 3: Agreed to take Matthew to an Easter Egg Hunt and took a yam casserole to share for Sabbath lunch. I had never made one before but it turned out pretty good.
Day 4: Family Gift Exchange: each family member (there were three of us because my sister is staying with us for the week) had $10 to buy special gifts for each other.
Day 5: Sister Fun Date: I took my sister to the salon, lunch, and then to the mall.
Day 6: Family Cleaning Day: We all went down to our house in McCook (that we are still trying to sell by the way) to give it some much needed TLC.
Day 7: Story time at the Library with Matthew
For those of you who are curious about what I did this week. Here's my first 7 days of creativity/trying something new/breaking out of the rut activities:
Day 1: Fancy Breakfast Day: The menu included crepes, oatmeal-blueberry muffins, eggs, and OJ. I set the table with our best dishes, silverware, and glassware.
Day 2: Family outing to Fort Cody museum and later in the day enjoyed a "Silent" Family Sabbath Worship (10 minutes of listening to praise music, 10 minutes of personal prayer, and 10 minutes of reading the Word to yourself)
Day 3: Agreed to take Matthew to an Easter Egg Hunt and took a yam casserole to share for Sabbath lunch. I had never made one before but it turned out pretty good.
Day 4: Family Gift Exchange: each family member (there were three of us because my sister is staying with us for the week) had $10 to buy special gifts for each other.
Day 5: Sister Fun Date: I took my sister to the salon, lunch, and then to the mall.
Day 6: Family Cleaning Day: We all went down to our house in McCook (that we are still trying to sell by the way) to give it some much needed TLC.
Day 7: Story time at the Library with Matthew
Thursday, April 1, 2010
April is about Creating
As I lay my March resolution down and move on to my April resolution, I am filled with excitement. I love starting new things and it's just so invigorating to do it every 30 days. I find myself sharing my resolution idea with whoever will listen. Today, I told my massage therapist about it and I think I have recruited another follower. She told me how happy she was that I was coming to her because now she has started walking with her friends around a mile loop I pointed out to her and now is going to start the 30 day resolution thing. When she told me that I felt like I had just received my gold star for they day. I love getting gold stars!
Anyway, onto my April resolution. This month my focus is on creativity. Let me make it clear that by creativity I don't mean craft-type creations. I don't think I could succumb myself to that kind of torture for any length of time.
Creativity for me means creating opportunities and experiences that lift you out of the ruts of life and transport you to places of exploration, fulfillment, and fun. Although, I have not always thought so, I am a creative person. I love to learn, explore, create, and try to do things where I can leave traces of who I am. Life has a way of taking our creative side and pushing it out of our conscious radar to a place where it can often be forgotten. I have noticed this phenomenon happen in my life way to often. I see it when I cook the same three meals over and over again. I see it when I can't think of any fun games to play with Matthew. I see it when the only thing I can think to do for date night is dinner and a movie. I see it when I play the same songs over and over again when I run. I see it when I read the same genre of books. I know I can do better than that but it seems so exhausting to think of changing what comes so easy. So I stick to what I can do without thinking and leave the creative things to the people that have more time. Well, no more. April for me is going to be about stretching my brain so that I can find the creativity that I know is hiding there and is waiting to be unleashed.
This is how I plan to tackle the month:
1. Everyday I will do something creative. Which in essence means doing something I would normally not do because it requires more work.
2. I will have three areas of focus that will be split into 10 day segments. My focus areas are family, ministry, and self.
These are some of the things I am thinking for each of the areas...
Family:
-Making meals that are different than what I normally cook.
-Have meals in out of ordinary places
-Creating fun play time experiences with Matthew
-Spice up date nights
-Plan fun day trip activities on our family day
Ministry:
-Drama
-Graphic Design-poster design, church logo, etc.
-Website
-Church events-women's ministry and church social
Personal:
-Work on my writing project
-Make a 1/2 marathon shirt
-improve blog
-Do something fun for 5K race.
Throughout the month I will post some of the creative things I am doing. If you have suggestions, please send them my way!
Anyway, onto my April resolution. This month my focus is on creativity. Let me make it clear that by creativity I don't mean craft-type creations. I don't think I could succumb myself to that kind of torture for any length of time.
Creativity for me means creating opportunities and experiences that lift you out of the ruts of life and transport you to places of exploration, fulfillment, and fun. Although, I have not always thought so, I am a creative person. I love to learn, explore, create, and try to do things where I can leave traces of who I am. Life has a way of taking our creative side and pushing it out of our conscious radar to a place where it can often be forgotten. I have noticed this phenomenon happen in my life way to often. I see it when I cook the same three meals over and over again. I see it when I can't think of any fun games to play with Matthew. I see it when the only thing I can think to do for date night is dinner and a movie. I see it when I play the same songs over and over again when I run. I see it when I read the same genre of books. I know I can do better than that but it seems so exhausting to think of changing what comes so easy. So I stick to what I can do without thinking and leave the creative things to the people that have more time. Well, no more. April for me is going to be about stretching my brain so that I can find the creativity that I know is hiding there and is waiting to be unleashed.
This is how I plan to tackle the month:
1. Everyday I will do something creative. Which in essence means doing something I would normally not do because it requires more work.
2. I will have three areas of focus that will be split into 10 day segments. My focus areas are family, ministry, and self.
These are some of the things I am thinking for each of the areas...
Family:
-Making meals that are different than what I normally cook.
-Have meals in out of ordinary places
-Creating fun play time experiences with Matthew
-Spice up date nights
-Plan fun day trip activities on our family day
Ministry:
-Drama
-Graphic Design-poster design, church logo, etc.
-Website
-Church events-women's ministry and church social
Personal:
-Work on my writing project
-Make a 1/2 marathon shirt
-improve blog
-Do something fun for 5K race.
Throughout the month I will post some of the creative things I am doing. If you have suggestions, please send them my way!
March Complete!
My third New Year resolution has come to a close. A part of me is sad because I enjoyed the challenge and accountability. This was by far the resolution that was the most time consuming but in the end left me with a great sense of accomplishment. Before embarking on my March goal, I was afraid that I was setting myself up for failure. Was it possible to really cut my 3 mile time by two whole minutes? Well as it turns out, it is actually possible to do. It was not an easy task but, I am proof that if you put in the training time, it is achievable!
End of the month results:
1 mile time: 8:00
2 mile time: 16:20
3 mile time: 24:29
Weight: 169 (I was hoping to get down to 167 but a trip to KC (to many yummy food temptations) during the last week of my resolution coupled with two missed runs pushed me up 1/2 lb. Nevertheless, I sill lost 3 lbs this month which is great :)
Overall, March was a success! I ran the fastest 3 miles in my life and think I can get faster. I have 19 lbs to lose to get to my goal weight and I think that the shedding of that weight will allow me to run even more efficiently. Who knows what I can achieve if I am actually going at my optimal fitness level. Whenever I think about it, I get inspired to keep pushing and moving forward.
End of the month results:
1 mile time: 8:00
2 mile time: 16:20
3 mile time: 24:29
Weight: 169 (I was hoping to get down to 167 but a trip to KC (to many yummy food temptations) during the last week of my resolution coupled with two missed runs pushed me up 1/2 lb. Nevertheless, I sill lost 3 lbs this month which is great :)
Overall, March was a success! I ran the fastest 3 miles in my life and think I can get faster. I have 19 lbs to lose to get to my goal weight and I think that the shedding of that weight will allow me to run even more efficiently. Who knows what I can achieve if I am actually going at my optimal fitness level. Whenever I think about it, I get inspired to keep pushing and moving forward.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Week Three Update
I've been meaning to write my weekly update since yesterday but the last couple of days were spent in a frenzy of activity and I am just now finding the time to sit down at the computer for a few minutes.
This last week was interesting. I completed all my workouts and logged my food intake 90% of the time. As far as my actions went, I did pretty well. My stress level though was pretty high this week. I found myself worrying about little things as well as big things. I even got a massage which was great but it didn't take me long to tense up again. My weight loss this week, I think was hindered more by my mental attitude than what I was doing physically. I still lost weight but not as much as I was hoping.
Here are my weekly stats:
3 mile run: 24:39
Weight: 168.4
Total weight loss: 0.4 lbs
This Weeks Goals (my final week of the month!):
Monday: Upper Body and Ab workout
Tuesday: 4 mile tempo run
Wednesday: Lower Body and Core Strength
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday:6 mile run
Saturday: Stretch
Sunday: 9 miles @ race pace
Monday: I'll be in KC--might do my long run today instead of Sunday since we'll be traveling. So I'm leaving this day open.
Tuesday (Day 30): 3 mile speed
Weight Loss Goal: 1.6
I'm excited that this is my last week of my March resolution. It's been a great month so far and one that has kept me motivated. I will post my 30 day results on the last day of the month and will also announce my April resolution.
This last week was interesting. I completed all my workouts and logged my food intake 90% of the time. As far as my actions went, I did pretty well. My stress level though was pretty high this week. I found myself worrying about little things as well as big things. I even got a massage which was great but it didn't take me long to tense up again. My weight loss this week, I think was hindered more by my mental attitude than what I was doing physically. I still lost weight but not as much as I was hoping.
Here are my weekly stats:
3 mile run: 24:39
Weight: 168.4
Total weight loss: 0.4 lbs
This Weeks Goals (my final week of the month!):
Monday: Upper Body and Ab workout
Tuesday: 4 mile tempo run
Wednesday: Lower Body and Core Strength
Thursday: 5 mile run
Friday:6 mile run
Saturday: Stretch
Sunday: 9 miles @ race pace
Monday: I'll be in KC--might do my long run today instead of Sunday since we'll be traveling. So I'm leaving this day open.
Tuesday (Day 30): 3 mile speed
Weight Loss Goal: 1.6
I'm excited that this is my last week of my March resolution. It's been a great month so far and one that has kept me motivated. I will post my 30 day results on the last day of the month and will also announce my April resolution.
Friday, March 19, 2010
The Ups and Downs of Running
I struggled with most of my runs this week with the exception of my 'no-watch, smell the roses' run. It took the majority of my will power to actually go out and run my scheduled miles. Every time I made the decision to go run, it was with the promise that it would make me feel better. Running always makes me feel better regardless of how I feel before starting. I can't say that was the case on all my runs this week. This was a bit disconcerting to me.
After thinking about my lack of energy and motivation, I came to the conclusion that part of the problem may be that I'm starting to run longer distances. I'm slowly coming to accpet the truth of what my heart has been trying to tell me ever since I did my first 5K... I don't like running long distances. My favorite races are the 5K and 10K distances. I like to push hard and be done. After running my first 5K, I felt like I had found the distance that was made just for me. The 10K distance left me with a similar feeling. This weekend I have a 9-10 miler to do. I'm only slightly looking forward to it but it's mostly because I love to accomplish the goals I set for myself and not because I like to run that long.
Afte this half marathon, I may just stick to shorter distances. There is a part of me that is tempted to continue training and do a full marathon in the fall. I realize that this temptation comes from the part of myself that constantly pushes to achieve more and not necessarily the part of me that strives for doing only those things that stay true to who I am. It is possible that there is a marathoner hiding inside of me waiting to be discovered. I was reading that between the ages of 20-40 we are figuring out who we really are. If this is true, I have 10 years to figure out what kind of runner I am.
For now, I get great joy from doing my speed and tempo workouts. It is these workouts that bring back the excitement of running. I'm glad I scheduled my speed run on Friday. After I finished, I felt like my running week had been redeemed and the little flame that keeps me running started burning brighter. I ran 3 miles in 24:39 today!! There are 11 days left in this 30 day resolution and I'm pretty confident I will make my goal time of 24:30. I may even do it faster! Wohoo!!!
After thinking about my lack of energy and motivation, I came to the conclusion that part of the problem may be that I'm starting to run longer distances. I'm slowly coming to accpet the truth of what my heart has been trying to tell me ever since I did my first 5K... I don't like running long distances. My favorite races are the 5K and 10K distances. I like to push hard and be done. After running my first 5K, I felt like I had found the distance that was made just for me. The 10K distance left me with a similar feeling. This weekend I have a 9-10 miler to do. I'm only slightly looking forward to it but it's mostly because I love to accomplish the goals I set for myself and not because I like to run that long.
Afte this half marathon, I may just stick to shorter distances. There is a part of me that is tempted to continue training and do a full marathon in the fall. I realize that this temptation comes from the part of myself that constantly pushes to achieve more and not necessarily the part of me that strives for doing only those things that stay true to who I am. It is possible that there is a marathoner hiding inside of me waiting to be discovered. I was reading that between the ages of 20-40 we are figuring out who we really are. If this is true, I have 10 years to figure out what kind of runner I am.
For now, I get great joy from doing my speed and tempo workouts. It is these workouts that bring back the excitement of running. I'm glad I scheduled my speed run on Friday. After I finished, I felt like my running week had been redeemed and the little flame that keeps me running started burning brighter. I ran 3 miles in 24:39 today!! There are 11 days left in this 30 day resolution and I'm pretty confident I will make my goal time of 24:30. I may even do it faster! Wohoo!!!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Playing Nice
Matthew loves other little kids, especially ones that are younger than him. He likes to hug them and pat their cheeks. He sometimes underestimates his strength and pushes them over or pulls their hair. As a new mom, I don't always know what to do. Most of the time, I'm uncertain as to what Matthew can truly understand and so I struggle with how to explain things in toddler language. I sometimes say things to him that really don't make sense even to me. The other day I said, "We don't push little babies Matthew" and then realized that the "baby" he was pushing was almost a year older than him. I tried to ignore the laughing coming from the other moms in the room and pretended like I knew what I was doing.
I'm hoping to eventually be one of those moms who say really smart things to their kids but for now I just have to settle with telling Matthew to 'Play Nice'. 'Playing nice' covers a multitude of situations and so I think I'm covered for the moment.
Today as I was running, a life changing thought occurred to me. We teach our kids to 'play nice' which in essence means to treat others with tenderness, gentleness, and kindness but somehow we miss telling our kids to 'play nice' with themselves as well. Somewhere along the journey of life, I missed the importance of treating myself with tenderness, gentleness, and kindness. So often in running and in my life, I push hard. I set goals. I make plans. I work hard. In all of that, I stop listening to my body, I stop looking at my surroundings and instead look at the clock, the number of miles run, the goal to achieve. Sadly, I tend to miss the simple joys along the way. I don't 'play nice' with me because I'm always pushing myself to do more and be more.
As I ran today, I made a commitment with myself to 'play nice'. During my run, I slowed down to a pace that was comfortable. I didn't look at my watch. I decided to run until I felt like stopping. I forgot about the miles. I admired the blue sky. I enjoyed the sun shining on my face. I said 'hi' to the people I passed. I refrained from getting in my car when I got home and drive the route I had just run to see how far I had gone. I enjoyed running for the first time in several weeks because I wasn't pushing myself to the limit. It felt good to be nice to my body.
Later in the day I got a massage and was able to fully enjoy it. When my massage therapist leaves the room, she always tells me to stay awhile and relax before getting up. "Take your time," she says. Today, I actually did.
I'm starting to realize more and more that goals can add structure to life, a level of fulfillment, and even a sense of control. All of which are good things. But when goals become a way of defining who you are and their attainment a validation of self worth, it is time to do things differently. It is time for me to start doing things differently.
I will probably always be a goal person but I don't want to miss the life that happens in between each achievement. I want to enjoy the journey and experience the small treasures along the way. I want to be flexible with my goals and give myself permission to do things the 'nice way' (which means doing things that suite my life, body, spirit in the kindest way possible) and not the 'perfect way'(which means doing things according to the standards of others and/or perceived standards of others). I want to 'play nice'. Researchers make the argument that it isn't goal attainment but the process of striving after goals that brings happiness.
Funny, the things that can pop into your head when you run....
I'm hoping to eventually be one of those moms who say really smart things to their kids but for now I just have to settle with telling Matthew to 'Play Nice'. 'Playing nice' covers a multitude of situations and so I think I'm covered for the moment.
Today as I was running, a life changing thought occurred to me. We teach our kids to 'play nice' which in essence means to treat others with tenderness, gentleness, and kindness but somehow we miss telling our kids to 'play nice' with themselves as well. Somewhere along the journey of life, I missed the importance of treating myself with tenderness, gentleness, and kindness. So often in running and in my life, I push hard. I set goals. I make plans. I work hard. In all of that, I stop listening to my body, I stop looking at my surroundings and instead look at the clock, the number of miles run, the goal to achieve. Sadly, I tend to miss the simple joys along the way. I don't 'play nice' with me because I'm always pushing myself to do more and be more.
As I ran today, I made a commitment with myself to 'play nice'. During my run, I slowed down to a pace that was comfortable. I didn't look at my watch. I decided to run until I felt like stopping. I forgot about the miles. I admired the blue sky. I enjoyed the sun shining on my face. I said 'hi' to the people I passed. I refrained from getting in my car when I got home and drive the route I had just run to see how far I had gone. I enjoyed running for the first time in several weeks because I wasn't pushing myself to the limit. It felt good to be nice to my body.
Later in the day I got a massage and was able to fully enjoy it. When my massage therapist leaves the room, she always tells me to stay awhile and relax before getting up. "Take your time," she says. Today, I actually did.
I'm starting to realize more and more that goals can add structure to life, a level of fulfillment, and even a sense of control. All of which are good things. But when goals become a way of defining who you are and their attainment a validation of self worth, it is time to do things differently. It is time for me to start doing things differently.
I will probably always be a goal person but I don't want to miss the life that happens in between each achievement. I want to enjoy the journey and experience the small treasures along the way. I want to be flexible with my goals and give myself permission to do things the 'nice way' (which means doing things that suite my life, body, spirit in the kindest way possible) and not the 'perfect way'(which means doing things according to the standards of others and/or perceived standards of others). I want to 'play nice'. Researchers make the argument that it isn't goal attainment but the process of striving after goals that brings happiness.
Funny, the things that can pop into your head when you run....
Monday, March 15, 2010
14 days complete!
This last weekend was so packed. I left for church Saturday morning at around 9:30am and returned home the next day at 6:30pm. Within that span of time we went to three church services, spent some long overdue time with friends, ate amazing carrot-coconut-flax seed muffins, enjoyed award worthy caramel cinnamon rolls, and drove a couple of hours in the car. It was great times but a bit hectic with Matthew who was having a bit of a rough weekend. He got his 15 month shots on Friday and they did not settle well with him. First they made him very drowsy and by the time I got him home he couldn't stay awake to eat and was asleep before Mike put him in the crib. He slept over 3 hours. Friday night at about 10:30pm at night, I hear him cry and go into his room only to discover that the poor little man had thrown up in his sleep :( He's had very poor appetite for the last couple of days and just hasn't been 100% himself. He did eat a little bit more for dinner last night so I think he'll be back to his old self soon.
Despite the busy weekend, I did manage to get my long run in. I ended up having to split it up for times sake because of all the things on our schedule on Sunday. In the morning I ran two miles. I had planned on going longer but had one too many fiber muffins the night before and had some bathroom issues. By the time that was over, I had run out of time to do the remaining miles. When we got back to North Platte at 6:30pm in the evening. I quickly got ready for my Ladies Bible Study that meets at 7pm. We finished that at 8:30pm. I knew that I still had 6 miles to do and that I could not put it off. For some reason I think that if I put miles off for another day it's cheating and that propels me to just go run. So I put my running shoes on and headed to the gym. It was a great run and I'm glad I did it. I was done with the run and stretching by 10pm. Late workouts are not my favorite because it's hard for me to go to sleep!
Overall, my week was great! I did all my workouts with the exception of an hour of stretching and one core strengthening workout. Running wise, I got all my miles in for the week. A total of 20.5 I kept my food log every day this week and was over in my calories on several days (about 100-200 calories over). Even with going over, I was still able to lose weight.
Here are my 14 day stats:
3 miles: 25:15 Month Goal: 24:30
Current weight: 168.8 Month Goal: 167
Pounds lost this week: 1.6
Next weeks goals:
Monday: Upper Body and Core Strength
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: Lower Body and Ab workout
Thursday: 6 miles
Friday: 3 miles speed
Saturday: 1 hour of stretching
Sunday: 9 miles
Total Miles: 23
Weight Loss Goal: 1.5 lbs
Half way there...2 more weeks to go until the end of the month! Bring it!
Despite the busy weekend, I did manage to get my long run in. I ended up having to split it up for times sake because of all the things on our schedule on Sunday. In the morning I ran two miles. I had planned on going longer but had one too many fiber muffins the night before and had some bathroom issues. By the time that was over, I had run out of time to do the remaining miles. When we got back to North Platte at 6:30pm in the evening. I quickly got ready for my Ladies Bible Study that meets at 7pm. We finished that at 8:30pm. I knew that I still had 6 miles to do and that I could not put it off. For some reason I think that if I put miles off for another day it's cheating and that propels me to just go run. So I put my running shoes on and headed to the gym. It was a great run and I'm glad I did it. I was done with the run and stretching by 10pm. Late workouts are not my favorite because it's hard for me to go to sleep!
Overall, my week was great! I did all my workouts with the exception of an hour of stretching and one core strengthening workout. Running wise, I got all my miles in for the week. A total of 20.5 I kept my food log every day this week and was over in my calories on several days (about 100-200 calories over). Even with going over, I was still able to lose weight.
Here are my 14 day stats:
3 miles: 25:15 Month Goal: 24:30
Current weight: 168.8 Month Goal: 167
Pounds lost this week: 1.6
Next weeks goals:
Monday: Upper Body and Core Strength
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: Lower Body and Ab workout
Thursday: 6 miles
Friday: 3 miles speed
Saturday: 1 hour of stretching
Sunday: 9 miles
Total Miles: 23
Weight Loss Goal: 1.5 lbs
Half way there...2 more weeks to go until the end of the month! Bring it!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Self Doubt
After I finished running today I felt a bit discouraged. Feelings of self doubt started creeping in during my run. I started to doubt my ability to run the half marathon in under 2 hours. I started to doubt my training plan. Will it get me the results I want? Should I be doing more? I started to think about the weather the day of the race. What if it rains? What if it's windy? I then thought about my health on the day of the race. What if I get injured right before? What if I come down with the flu the day before the race? These and other thoughts plagued me as I ran my 4 miles today. There was a lot of wind today and it's possible that it was a factor on how I felt while running. I finished in 36:00 and it was a struggle. It made me wonder how I will do 13 of those at around that pace.
There are 7 weeks left until the half marathon and I know that there is time to improve. I keep telling myself that I have to stay the course and continue to follow my training schedule. There are certain things that are beyond my control no matter how much I train. Although at times it's hard for me, I will try to enjoy the journey and not worry so much about the results. Oh, how very hard this is for me!
There are 7 weeks left until the half marathon and I know that there is time to improve. I keep telling myself that I have to stay the course and continue to follow my training schedule. There are certain things that are beyond my control no matter how much I train. Although at times it's hard for me, I will try to enjoy the journey and not worry so much about the results. Oh, how very hard this is for me!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Why I Eat Organic Food
Several months ago, I decided to start buying organic as much as possible. The idea of eating high quality, healthy food has always intrigued me somewhat. I of course have not always made the best of food choices and have indulged in seasons of eating out way too much, going for the cheaper, easiest to prepare foods, and of course drinking more than my share of diet soda. During these times, I wish I could say that I was ignorant of what I was putting in my body and was unaware of what effects these types of food could have on my health. But of course I was not unaware, thanks mostly to my mother who at a fairly young age ruined me to the innocence of categorizing all food as actual "food".
So maybe the path I am currently on was a part of my destiny and something that was inevitably going to happen. Nevertheless, here I am eating better than I ever have and loving it.
When I made the decision to eat organic, I can't say that I made it based on extensive research on the food industry. It was mostly information that I had gotten from different sources throughout the years. Some had come from friends, others from my dear mother, many from Dr. Oz, and some from articles, books, or websites. I can't say any particular bit of information changed my behavior but it moved me further along the path to eventually be able to make the decision to change.
In December I watched the Academy Award nominated documentary, Food Inc. and I guess you can say I was a prime candidate for receiving all it had to say and taking it to heart. After finishing that movie, my behavior changed immediately. I knew that I would never see food the same again and I knew that I would chart a path for myself that involved making good food choices without feeling like I was depriving myself.
Last night I watched an interview with a Dr. guy from San Diego who apparently knows a lot about organic food, the food industry, farming, and other stuff that I can't even pronounce. I want to share some of the stuff I learned about eating organic vs. non organic. Hopefully, it will be helpful information. But I figure, if anything, by typing it out, it will help me process and internalize it much better.
Why Eat Organic Food?
1. It's better for your body. For the last 40 or so years, the focus of the food industry has been on producing large quantities of food for the lowest price. This of course has given us the opportunity to have a wide variety of food at an affordable price. We've often heard the wise sayings: 'all things come at a price' and 'if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is'. Well the food industries philosophy on production is not exempt from the truth of these antidotes. The "cost" for producing food in the way that it is has certainly come at a price...our health. The use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, feeding cows grain instead of grass, giving growth hormones and antibiotics to animals, inhumane living conditions for the animals that we eat, and genetically modifying food is not without serious effects on the overall well being of our society.
When a food is certified organic it means that there are certain things that are not allowed to go into the food such as pesticides, growth hormones, and antibiotics. This is huge because the effects of these chemicals on your body are significant. The lack of nutrients present in foods that are grown using chemicals is staggering compared to organically grown food. Organic produce has 300-400% more nutrients than non organic produce! So even though organic is more expensive, if you look at what you're buying nutrient wise, it actually ends up being the better financial decision.
2. Organic food tastes better. Current farming practices have caused much damage to soil. Because of all the chemicals used, farmers are able to farm a section of land over and over again. In time, this soil is depleted of rich nutrients. It has gotten so bad that some produce is completely void of essential trace minerals that our bodies need for optimal health. Although conventionally grown produce looks great on the outside, the inside is not so great. Because this is what we're used to tasting, we don't even notice that tomatoes don't really taste like tomatoes should taste. Organic produce has a better taste overall because the soil that it comes from is healthier and richer in nutrients.
Is All Organic Food Created Equal?
No. Even if a food is labeled as organic, it's important to read the fine print. If you buy organic meat, it does not guarantee that the cows, chickens, or whatever animal were fed a diet that is natural to their system or that they are given the freedom to roam in a open air environment. All it means was that they were not given any hormones, antibiotics, and were fed organic grain (which of course could be corn vs. grass). With all that said, it is still better to buy the organic meat vs. non organic. On a further note, some food that says it is organic may only be a certain percentage organic with the remaining ingredients being quite unhealthy. You've heard it said before: 'Read the label!' This is also true for organic foods. Another thing to remember is that organic does not mean healthy. There are certain foods like candy, cake mixes, ice cream, cookies, etc. that may be organic but still are not the best for you. Are they better than the non organic kind? Probably, but that still doesn't mean you should eat them on a regular basis.
How do I Start Making the Change to Organic?
Start slowly. There are certain foods that you should immediately stop buying if they are not organic: all animal products...meat, eggs, yogurt, cheese, and dairy. This is not only a health decision but also a conservation, animal rights decision. From there, start buying the foods that are naturally higher in fat (extra virgin olive oil, butter, meat, nuts, etc.) The reason for this is because pesticides/chemicals bind to fats and so the foods that are higher in fat tend to be more contaminated than those that are not. This does not mean that low fat diets are better. Good fat is necessary for our bodies and we should consume it in it's most natural form. After you feel more comfortable with buying organic start buying organic produce. Some of the most important produce to buy organic are tomatoes, potatoes, and apples. The reasons for this are explained below. FYI: I took the following info from an article I read online several months ago.
the following material was taken from the article, 'The 7 foods experts won't eat** you can read the entire article by going to http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/the-7-foods-experts-wont-eat-547963/.
The reason to buy organic potatoes: Potatoes grow in the ground which makes them more susceptible to all the contaminants in the soil. Potatoes are treated with "fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."
The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.
The reason for buying organic apples: They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.
The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first.
I hope this was helpful and not too overwhelming! If you are interested in finding out more, here are some resources I would recommend:
1. Food Inc. (DVD)
2. King Corn (DVD)
3. The End of Overeating by David Kessler (book)
4. The Truth about Organic Food (DVD)
If you are interested in eating out and would like to eat at a place that prepares their meals using organic foods, check out this website: www.eatwellguide.org
FYI: Oprah is airing a show today on the food industry that should be pretty interesting. Not sure what all she's going to say but it looked like it would be watch worthy :)
So maybe the path I am currently on was a part of my destiny and something that was inevitably going to happen. Nevertheless, here I am eating better than I ever have and loving it.
When I made the decision to eat organic, I can't say that I made it based on extensive research on the food industry. It was mostly information that I had gotten from different sources throughout the years. Some had come from friends, others from my dear mother, many from Dr. Oz, and some from articles, books, or websites. I can't say any particular bit of information changed my behavior but it moved me further along the path to eventually be able to make the decision to change.
In December I watched the Academy Award nominated documentary, Food Inc. and I guess you can say I was a prime candidate for receiving all it had to say and taking it to heart. After finishing that movie, my behavior changed immediately. I knew that I would never see food the same again and I knew that I would chart a path for myself that involved making good food choices without feeling like I was depriving myself.
Last night I watched an interview with a Dr. guy from San Diego who apparently knows a lot about organic food, the food industry, farming, and other stuff that I can't even pronounce. I want to share some of the stuff I learned about eating organic vs. non organic. Hopefully, it will be helpful information. But I figure, if anything, by typing it out, it will help me process and internalize it much better.
Why Eat Organic Food?
1. It's better for your body. For the last 40 or so years, the focus of the food industry has been on producing large quantities of food for the lowest price. This of course has given us the opportunity to have a wide variety of food at an affordable price. We've often heard the wise sayings: 'all things come at a price' and 'if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is'. Well the food industries philosophy on production is not exempt from the truth of these antidotes. The "cost" for producing food in the way that it is has certainly come at a price...our health. The use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, feeding cows grain instead of grass, giving growth hormones and antibiotics to animals, inhumane living conditions for the animals that we eat, and genetically modifying food is not without serious effects on the overall well being of our society.
When a food is certified organic it means that there are certain things that are not allowed to go into the food such as pesticides, growth hormones, and antibiotics. This is huge because the effects of these chemicals on your body are significant. The lack of nutrients present in foods that are grown using chemicals is staggering compared to organically grown food. Organic produce has 300-400% more nutrients than non organic produce! So even though organic is more expensive, if you look at what you're buying nutrient wise, it actually ends up being the better financial decision.
2. Organic food tastes better. Current farming practices have caused much damage to soil. Because of all the chemicals used, farmers are able to farm a section of land over and over again. In time, this soil is depleted of rich nutrients. It has gotten so bad that some produce is completely void of essential trace minerals that our bodies need for optimal health. Although conventionally grown produce looks great on the outside, the inside is not so great. Because this is what we're used to tasting, we don't even notice that tomatoes don't really taste like tomatoes should taste. Organic produce has a better taste overall because the soil that it comes from is healthier and richer in nutrients.
Is All Organic Food Created Equal?
No. Even if a food is labeled as organic, it's important to read the fine print. If you buy organic meat, it does not guarantee that the cows, chickens, or whatever animal were fed a diet that is natural to their system or that they are given the freedom to roam in a open air environment. All it means was that they were not given any hormones, antibiotics, and were fed organic grain (which of course could be corn vs. grass). With all that said, it is still better to buy the organic meat vs. non organic. On a further note, some food that says it is organic may only be a certain percentage organic with the remaining ingredients being quite unhealthy. You've heard it said before: 'Read the label!' This is also true for organic foods. Another thing to remember is that organic does not mean healthy. There are certain foods like candy, cake mixes, ice cream, cookies, etc. that may be organic but still are not the best for you. Are they better than the non organic kind? Probably, but that still doesn't mean you should eat them on a regular basis.
How do I Start Making the Change to Organic?
Start slowly. There are certain foods that you should immediately stop buying if they are not organic: all animal products...meat, eggs, yogurt, cheese, and dairy. This is not only a health decision but also a conservation, animal rights decision. From there, start buying the foods that are naturally higher in fat (extra virgin olive oil, butter, meat, nuts, etc.) The reason for this is because pesticides/chemicals bind to fats and so the foods that are higher in fat tend to be more contaminated than those that are not. This does not mean that low fat diets are better. Good fat is necessary for our bodies and we should consume it in it's most natural form. After you feel more comfortable with buying organic start buying organic produce. Some of the most important produce to buy organic are tomatoes, potatoes, and apples. The reasons for this are explained below. FYI: I took the following info from an article I read online several months ago.
the following material was taken from the article, 'The 7 foods experts won't eat** you can read the entire article by going to http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/the-7-foods-experts-wont-eat-547963/.
The reason to buy organic potatoes: Potatoes grow in the ground which makes them more susceptible to all the contaminants in the soil. Potatoes are treated with "fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."
The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.
The reason for buying organic apples: They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.
The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first.
I hope this was helpful and not too overwhelming! If you are interested in finding out more, here are some resources I would recommend:
1. Food Inc. (DVD)
2. King Corn (DVD)
3. The End of Overeating by David Kessler (book)
4. The Truth about Organic Food (DVD)
If you are interested in eating out and would like to eat at a place that prepares their meals using organic foods, check out this website: www.eatwellguide.org
FYI: Oprah is airing a show today on the food industry that should be pretty interesting. Not sure what all she's going to say but it looked like it would be watch worthy :)
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
My Pace Man
I am so excited that my sweet husband will be running the half marathon with me! He secretly signed up for it and then couldn't hold it in and ended up telling me he had actually registered. The plan is that he will be my pace man and make sure I make my time. How sweet is that?!
Although, I'm excited that he's willing to run with me, there's a part of me that wishes he would go all out and see what time he could get. Mikey is a natural runner. It's an effortless activity for him. He can take a break from running for months and eat brownies and pizza till his heart's content and then be able to go out and run 7 minute miles with little effort. I often have wondered how well he could do in a race if he actually trained and gave 100% effort. Maybe one day I'll get to see him in action. I've been trying to convince him to run a 10K this summer and beat out a guy whose been winning this particular race for the last 4 years. I know he could do it but so far it hasn't sparked his interest too much. I'm still holding out hope though :)
I know I said that I would post my weekly progress on Mondays but I'm finding it hard to keep it all in until then! So I'm just going to post my weekly weight loss goal then and update on my running during the week.
Today I ran 3.5 miles. I warmed up for 1/2 mile and then did my 3 mile speed run. I wasn't sure what to expect and I was a little anxious about the whole thing. I didn't really have a game plan on how I was going to break down the miles. Was I going to keep the same pace the whole three miles? Would doing intervals be better? Maybe doing sprint blocks followed by recovery blocks would get me a faster time? I debated back and forth until I finally decided that I would do intervals. I would start at an 8:40 pace for a couple of minutes and then go down every minute for four minutes. This was the progression.. 8:34, 8:27, 8:20, and 8:13. After that I went back down to 8:40 for a minute of recovery and then I would do the progression all over again. I did this for two miles. My last mile I decided to recover at an 8:34 pace and then go down from there. My last minute or so ended up being at a 7:30 pace. My final time for the three miles....25:15! This time is a whole minute and 15 seconds less than my last week time! If you are a runner, you know how hard it can be to shave off time, so I'm feeling pretty accomplished right now :)
I have three weeks to go and a lot of miles to run in between but I'm thinking that these legs of mine might just be able to go faster than I thought :)
By the way...Mikey went out and did three miles as well today. His time: 21:42. A little part of my heart is jealous :)
Although, I'm excited that he's willing to run with me, there's a part of me that wishes he would go all out and see what time he could get. Mikey is a natural runner. It's an effortless activity for him. He can take a break from running for months and eat brownies and pizza till his heart's content and then be able to go out and run 7 minute miles with little effort. I often have wondered how well he could do in a race if he actually trained and gave 100% effort. Maybe one day I'll get to see him in action. I've been trying to convince him to run a 10K this summer and beat out a guy whose been winning this particular race for the last 4 years. I know he could do it but so far it hasn't sparked his interest too much. I'm still holding out hope though :)
I know I said that I would post my weekly progress on Mondays but I'm finding it hard to keep it all in until then! So I'm just going to post my weekly weight loss goal then and update on my running during the week.
Today I ran 3.5 miles. I warmed up for 1/2 mile and then did my 3 mile speed run. I wasn't sure what to expect and I was a little anxious about the whole thing. I didn't really have a game plan on how I was going to break down the miles. Was I going to keep the same pace the whole three miles? Would doing intervals be better? Maybe doing sprint blocks followed by recovery blocks would get me a faster time? I debated back and forth until I finally decided that I would do intervals. I would start at an 8:40 pace for a couple of minutes and then go down every minute for four minutes. This was the progression.. 8:34, 8:27, 8:20, and 8:13. After that I went back down to 8:40 for a minute of recovery and then I would do the progression all over again. I did this for two miles. My last mile I decided to recover at an 8:34 pace and then go down from there. My last minute or so ended up being at a 7:30 pace. My final time for the three miles....25:15! This time is a whole minute and 15 seconds less than my last week time! If you are a runner, you know how hard it can be to shave off time, so I'm feeling pretty accomplished right now :)
I have three weeks to go and a lot of miles to run in between but I'm thinking that these legs of mine might just be able to go faster than I thought :)
By the way...Mikey went out and did three miles as well today. His time: 21:42. A little part of my heart is jealous :)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
7 days finished
I have completed the first 7 days of my March resolution and am feeling pretty good. I feel encouraged after this week and I hope I can keep it up. I always start things really well but sometimes find it hard to finish strong. I have noticed this in my running too and am training in such a way so that my ending miles are better than my beginning miles. So far it's working on most of my runs. However, this was not true for my 8 miler yesterday. For some reason I really struggled after about mile 4 but was able to keep the pace until mile 6. After that instead of speeding up I slowed down by about 20 seconds per mile. I tried not to let that get to me and told myself that some runs are better than others and just because that run didn't feel the best doesn't mean all future runs will be a struggle.
Accomplishments this week:
1. I was able to meet my weekly mileage goal, two days of strength training, and on my day off did 1 hour of stretching. I also squeezed in a full body massage on Tuesday which was amazing. I have had two in the last month and will continue to do them every other week leading up to the half marathon. I'm hoping that this will keep everything in good working order :)
2. Food wise this week was also really good. I kept my food journal every day and was able to stay within my caloric goals with the exception of one day which was only 25 calories over. As a result my current weight is 170.4. A total of 1.6 lbs lost!
3. On track to meet my 3 mile goal time. There was a bit of a mix up with my 3 mile run this week (see previous post)and so my time for this week is for 2.5 miles which was 20 minutes. This time was more than I had hoped for with only a week into my resolution. This gives me hope that I can actually meet my 3 mile goal time by the end of the month!
What I hope to accomplish this next week:
Monday: upper body workout, core strengthening
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: lower body workout, core strengthening
Thursday: 3.5 miles speed workout
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday: 1 hour of stretching
Sunday: 8 mile tempo run
Weight loss goal: 1.5 lbs.
Bring on the week!
Accomplishments this week:
1. I was able to meet my weekly mileage goal, two days of strength training, and on my day off did 1 hour of stretching. I also squeezed in a full body massage on Tuesday which was amazing. I have had two in the last month and will continue to do them every other week leading up to the half marathon. I'm hoping that this will keep everything in good working order :)
2. Food wise this week was also really good. I kept my food journal every day and was able to stay within my caloric goals with the exception of one day which was only 25 calories over. As a result my current weight is 170.4. A total of 1.6 lbs lost!
3. On track to meet my 3 mile goal time. There was a bit of a mix up with my 3 mile run this week (see previous post)and so my time for this week is for 2.5 miles which was 20 minutes. This time was more than I had hoped for with only a week into my resolution. This gives me hope that I can actually meet my 3 mile goal time by the end of the month!
What I hope to accomplish this next week:
Monday: upper body workout, core strengthening
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: lower body workout, core strengthening
Thursday: 3.5 miles speed workout
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday: 1 hour of stretching
Sunday: 8 mile tempo run
Weight loss goal: 1.5 lbs.
Bring on the week!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Gift of the Treadmill
I am so excited that the weather is taking a turn for the better so I can start doing my runs outside. For the last two months the majority of my runs have been on the treadmill. When I first contemplated the idea of running indoors I was filled with dread and anticipated fatigue. The thought of being on a treadmill for over an hour was torturous. My treadmill limit at the beginning of the year was about 20 minutes. After that I mentally would start to break down. But I had two choices, I could run outside in the snow and ice (which had the potential of slowing me down significantly) or I could run inside on a treadmill. I chose the treadmill.
At first I would play mental tricks with myself to make the time go faster and then I moved on to playing with the speed button. Staying at one pace for any significant period of time is absolutely miserable to me. After two months of this type of training I started to feel more comfortable with my once dreaded foe. I started looking forward to our times together.
Yesterday, I was surprised to discover that when I had to make a decision between running outside (it was amazing weather) or going to the gym. My heart started leaning toward the treadmill. I realized in that moment that the reason for this was because I like predictability and routine. A part of me wanted to keep things that same and even doubted that I could even run outside as well as I did indoors. This of course is ridiculous because I still have two legs, the same heart, and the motion is almost exactly the same.
One of the things I love about running is that you have to face your fears and doubts all the time. With running there is always a goal and depending on the day, your mood, the weather, or your body, there is always a chance that you won't meet that goal. Facing this fear always makes you stronger.
Anyway, back to yesterday. I finally decided to run outside. My daily run was a 3 mile speed run. Earlier that day, I had driven around mapping out my 8 mile route for my Sunday run and I had taken note of different mile markers for future runs. I clearly remembered where the 1.5 mile point was and so I decided to run there and back to my house. I started my clock and took off. Since I have been running on the treadmill, which tells me my pace all the time, running outside again seemed a bit awkward mostly because I had no idea how fast I was going. After about a mile, I looked at my watch at it was at exactly 8:00. I decided to not look at my watch again until the finish and just keep in the rhythm I was in. I sprinted the last half mile home and looked at my watch...20:00. Something was wrong! There was no way I could have done 3 miles in 20 minutes. I must have remembered the mile markers wrong. Being who I am, I got in my car and measured the distance I had just run. Pulling into my driveway the odometer read 2.5 miles. I felt annoyance and joy at the same time. Annoyance because I was suppose to do 3 miles and didn't and joy because I did 2.5 miles in 20 minutes!!!
Reflecting on my run, I realized that my once dreaded enemy..the treadmill, had actually given me a gift in the last two months....speed. I was able to run faster outside than I do on the treadmill. My confidence in running outside has returned. Today for the fun of it, I ran to the gym, worked out, and ran back home. It was glorious. An unplanned run on a sunny day is amazing.
At first I would play mental tricks with myself to make the time go faster and then I moved on to playing with the speed button. Staying at one pace for any significant period of time is absolutely miserable to me. After two months of this type of training I started to feel more comfortable with my once dreaded foe. I started looking forward to our times together.
Yesterday, I was surprised to discover that when I had to make a decision between running outside (it was amazing weather) or going to the gym. My heart started leaning toward the treadmill. I realized in that moment that the reason for this was because I like predictability and routine. A part of me wanted to keep things that same and even doubted that I could even run outside as well as I did indoors. This of course is ridiculous because I still have two legs, the same heart, and the motion is almost exactly the same.
One of the things I love about running is that you have to face your fears and doubts all the time. With running there is always a goal and depending on the day, your mood, the weather, or your body, there is always a chance that you won't meet that goal. Facing this fear always makes you stronger.
Anyway, back to yesterday. I finally decided to run outside. My daily run was a 3 mile speed run. Earlier that day, I had driven around mapping out my 8 mile route for my Sunday run and I had taken note of different mile markers for future runs. I clearly remembered where the 1.5 mile point was and so I decided to run there and back to my house. I started my clock and took off. Since I have been running on the treadmill, which tells me my pace all the time, running outside again seemed a bit awkward mostly because I had no idea how fast I was going. After about a mile, I looked at my watch at it was at exactly 8:00. I decided to not look at my watch again until the finish and just keep in the rhythm I was in. I sprinted the last half mile home and looked at my watch...20:00. Something was wrong! There was no way I could have done 3 miles in 20 minutes. I must have remembered the mile markers wrong. Being who I am, I got in my car and measured the distance I had just run. Pulling into my driveway the odometer read 2.5 miles. I felt annoyance and joy at the same time. Annoyance because I was suppose to do 3 miles and didn't and joy because I did 2.5 miles in 20 minutes!!!
Reflecting on my run, I realized that my once dreaded enemy..the treadmill, had actually given me a gift in the last two months....speed. I was able to run faster outside than I do on the treadmill. My confidence in running outside has returned. Today for the fun of it, I ran to the gym, worked out, and ran back home. It was glorious. An unplanned run on a sunny day is amazing.
Monday, March 1, 2010
My March 30 Day Jumbo Goal
I love to run. I go to bed thinking about it and wake up thinking about it. I've been training for a half marathon for the last couple of months and love the feeling of accomplishment that comes from meeting my weekly running goals. This month, I wanted to do a resolution that would focus on my running, mostly because I need an outlet for my thoughts and ambitions for this upcoming race.
My goal for the half marathon is to finish in under two hours. In order to accomplish this I have to keep a pace of under 9:05 per mile. To increase my speed, I have been doing speed work and tempo runs each week and have seen a great improvement on my times.
I've come a long way since last year when I started running again after I had Matthew. It took me about four months to get some semblance of fitness back into my life and I was able to run 2 miles in 19:50. Not bad for my first post c-section "race." The feelings after that run were one of relief that my body had not fallen apart and also of determination. That day, I resolved within my being that running would never feel that bad or hard again. I am happy to say, that it has slowly but steadily improved. The other day I ran 2 miles in 17:15 and I could have easily gone faster.
So this brings me to my March resolution: By the end of March, I want to be able to run 3 miles in 24:30. This goal is ambitious for me but a part of me believes that it is possible. As of Friday, my 3 mile time was 26:30 (this was not an all out effort and there was definitely room to go faster) which means that I have to cut my average mile pace by about 40 seconds.
In order to accomplish this goal I have to get stronger and lighter. To do this, there are two things I will focus on daily for the next 30 days.
1) Exercise-- Run 4 days a week (one long run, one speed workout, one easy run, and one tempo run), cross train 2 days (upper and lower body strength training), and rest and stretch 1 day.
2) Eat--Make healthy food choices every day and stay within 1,300-1,600 / day calorie range.
Food wise I have no idea what my daily caloric intake is at the moment. All I know is that over the last couple of months, I've lost about 3 lbs and have managed to maintain. Which technically is a good thing but I got to thinking the other day and realized that if I stopped working out as much as I am and didn't change my food intake, I would definitely gain weight. Now if I was at my goal weight, this wouldn't be a bad arrangement...workout regularly, enjoy reasonable amounts of food, and maintain a healthy weight. Unfortunately, I am not at my goal weight so I have to change something. I can either work out more which I don't have the time for or I can cut down on my portion sizes. I pick portion sizes. This means I have to keep a daily food log which is something I totally hate to do but according to what I have read, it is something that is pretty important at least until you truly understand what real portion sizes look like. Apparently, I don't have this figured out quite yet so I will keep the dreaded food log.
If I can actually stick to the food aspect for the next 30 days, I should be able to lose at least 5 lbs this month which will prove very helpful in reaching my goal time.
So here's my starting day stats:
1 mile time: 8:30 Goal: 8:10
2 mile time: 17:15 Goal: 16:20
2.5 mile time: 21:50 Goal: 20:24
3 mile time: 26:30 Goal: 24:30
Weight: 172 lbs Goal: 167 lbs
Throughout the month, I will post my weekly progress every Monday for my three mile time and my weight loss. I'm excited to see what this month brings!
My goal for the half marathon is to finish in under two hours. In order to accomplish this I have to keep a pace of under 9:05 per mile. To increase my speed, I have been doing speed work and tempo runs each week and have seen a great improvement on my times.
I've come a long way since last year when I started running again after I had Matthew. It took me about four months to get some semblance of fitness back into my life and I was able to run 2 miles in 19:50. Not bad for my first post c-section "race." The feelings after that run were one of relief that my body had not fallen apart and also of determination. That day, I resolved within my being that running would never feel that bad or hard again. I am happy to say, that it has slowly but steadily improved. The other day I ran 2 miles in 17:15 and I could have easily gone faster.
So this brings me to my March resolution: By the end of March, I want to be able to run 3 miles in 24:30. This goal is ambitious for me but a part of me believes that it is possible. As of Friday, my 3 mile time was 26:30 (this was not an all out effort and there was definitely room to go faster) which means that I have to cut my average mile pace by about 40 seconds.
In order to accomplish this goal I have to get stronger and lighter. To do this, there are two things I will focus on daily for the next 30 days.
1) Exercise-- Run 4 days a week (one long run, one speed workout, one easy run, and one tempo run), cross train 2 days (upper and lower body strength training), and rest and stretch 1 day.
2) Eat--Make healthy food choices every day and stay within 1,300-1,600 / day calorie range.
Food wise I have no idea what my daily caloric intake is at the moment. All I know is that over the last couple of months, I've lost about 3 lbs and have managed to maintain. Which technically is a good thing but I got to thinking the other day and realized that if I stopped working out as much as I am and didn't change my food intake, I would definitely gain weight. Now if I was at my goal weight, this wouldn't be a bad arrangement...workout regularly, enjoy reasonable amounts of food, and maintain a healthy weight. Unfortunately, I am not at my goal weight so I have to change something. I can either work out more which I don't have the time for or I can cut down on my portion sizes. I pick portion sizes. This means I have to keep a daily food log which is something I totally hate to do but according to what I have read, it is something that is pretty important at least until you truly understand what real portion sizes look like. Apparently, I don't have this figured out quite yet so I will keep the dreaded food log.
If I can actually stick to the food aspect for the next 30 days, I should be able to lose at least 5 lbs this month which will prove very helpful in reaching my goal time.
So here's my starting day stats:
1 mile time: 8:30 Goal: 8:10
2 mile time: 17:15 Goal: 16:20
2.5 mile time: 21:50 Goal: 20:24
3 mile time: 26:30 Goal: 24:30
Weight: 172 lbs Goal: 167 lbs
Throughout the month, I will post my weekly progress every Monday for my three mile time and my weight loss. I'm excited to see what this month brings!
Cleaning Finished
I'm happy to say that I have successfully completed my second resolution of the year! My house is finally clutter free. Over the course of the month, I spent anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours organizing something every day. I was able to organize all my closets and even managed to get my garage looking in decent order. There's still work left to be done in the garage but that will have to wait for some other time. My most gratifying accomplishment was the kitchen where I was able to implement a system for all incoming, outgoing, and filing of mail/magazines/etc. My cupboards, drawers, and fridge also received some much needed attention.
Here are some 'after' pics of the areas I posted at the beginning of the month:
This month I discovered that I love to clean. It takes away stress and makes me feel fulfilled. It has the same effect on me as exercise does. If I feel stressed out or am having a bad day... I clean something and I automatically feel so much better!
After completing two 30 day resolutions, I discovered that my attention span for any one repetitive activity is about 20 days. After that, I start thinking about what I'm going to do next and start to lose motivation for my current resolution. I don't know what that means but it was interesting to me to discover :)
Bring on my March Resolution!
Here are some 'after' pics of the areas I posted at the beginning of the month:
This month I discovered that I love to clean. It takes away stress and makes me feel fulfilled. It has the same effect on me as exercise does. If I feel stressed out or am having a bad day... I clean something and I automatically feel so much better!
After completing two 30 day resolutions, I discovered that my attention span for any one repetitive activity is about 20 days. After that, I start thinking about what I'm going to do next and start to lose motivation for my current resolution. I don't know what that means but it was interesting to me to discover :)
Bring on my March Resolution!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Closets
"Oh my!" is all I have to say about my closets. I have cleaned out and organized three of them and have three more to go. Here's the life lessons I learned about closet mess...
1) Hiding your mess behind a closed door only works for so long. Eventually, you will have to deal with it, so why not tackle it today?
2) Closet mess is not as intimidating as it seems. Once you get started, the hugeness of the task begins to diminish. Although, there are those times within the process where you think the closet mess will win and it is tempting to give up. But if you keep going, you will overcome!
3) Throwing away things is difficult but after you choose to do it, you will experience a great sense of freedom.
4) Mess begets more mess.
This is what my closets have taught me so far. Hopefully, I will remember these lessons and keep my closets clean from now on!
1) Hiding your mess behind a closed door only works for so long. Eventually, you will have to deal with it, so why not tackle it today?
2) Closet mess is not as intimidating as it seems. Once you get started, the hugeness of the task begins to diminish. Although, there are those times within the process where you think the closet mess will win and it is tempting to give up. But if you keep going, you will overcome!
3) Throwing away things is difficult but after you choose to do it, you will experience a great sense of freedom.
4) Mess begets more mess.
This is what my closets have taught me so far. Hopefully, I will remember these lessons and keep my closets clean from now on!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
My Husband the Cook
This week I focused on my kitchen. Every day I tackled a small project...the top of the microwave, then the junk drawer, the top of the table, the top of the fridge, and on and on. I am amazed at the progress and the organization that is now mine to enjoy! But I couldn't have done it without my husband, "Mr. Cook". Let me explain...
Mike decided that he was going to cook this week. It's important to note that he has never truly cooked an entire meal in the eight years we've been married but he felt confident he could handle the task. His motivation was to prove to me that we could live off of $50 of groceries for the week. I didn't want to dash his dreams with the reality of how expensive food is so I went along.
(Thanks to his cooking challenge, I was able to focus on organizing the kitchen this week instead of planning meals which helped a lot).
With a clean kitchen as his playground and me as his handy kitchen aid ( I washed all the dishes he used and gave my tidbits of wisdom only when asked :), my dear husband pulled out a stellar performance in the kitchen and only spent $50. His secret was to make everything from scratch...yeah, I know who has time to do that? Well apparently he did while working a full time job. I tell myself that it was possible because he had me as his kitchen aid but I have to say, I was impressed and a little intimidated.
You might be wondering about some of the meals/foods that he made... well, here's a few: Whole Wheat bread, almond butter, Vegetable-Tofu Stir Fry, Chili, Lentils, Salads, Sandwiches (made with bread he made), oatmeal, fruit smoothies, and Pumpkin bread.
Although he did an amazing job this week, he didn't let it go to his head. He humbly realized how difficult it is for one person to think of healthy meals, prepare them, clean up, and then do it again and again and again. All that to say, I think I will have more help around the kitchen from now on :)
So my kitchen is clean. My husband is a cook and I lost 2 lbs as a result. Can I ask for anything else?
Mike decided that he was going to cook this week. It's important to note that he has never truly cooked an entire meal in the eight years we've been married but he felt confident he could handle the task. His motivation was to prove to me that we could live off of $50 of groceries for the week. I didn't want to dash his dreams with the reality of how expensive food is so I went along.
(Thanks to his cooking challenge, I was able to focus on organizing the kitchen this week instead of planning meals which helped a lot).
With a clean kitchen as his playground and me as his handy kitchen aid ( I washed all the dishes he used and gave my tidbits of wisdom only when asked :), my dear husband pulled out a stellar performance in the kitchen and only spent $50. His secret was to make everything from scratch...yeah, I know who has time to do that? Well apparently he did while working a full time job. I tell myself that it was possible because he had me as his kitchen aid but I have to say, I was impressed and a little intimidated.
You might be wondering about some of the meals/foods that he made... well, here's a few: Whole Wheat bread, almond butter, Vegetable-Tofu Stir Fry, Chili, Lentils, Salads, Sandwiches (made with bread he made), oatmeal, fruit smoothies, and Pumpkin bread.
Although he did an amazing job this week, he didn't let it go to his head. He humbly realized how difficult it is for one person to think of healthy meals, prepare them, clean up, and then do it again and again and again. All that to say, I think I will have more help around the kitchen from now on :)
So my kitchen is clean. My husband is a cook and I lost 2 lbs as a result. Can I ask for anything else?
Monday, February 1, 2010
Clutter Be Gone!!!
The month of February will be about cleaning out all the clutter in my house. I am for the most part a fairly organized person and like to live in a space that is clean and free of clutter. This of course does not always happen, especially in the spaces that have doors or coverings of some kind. If I can't easily see it, then I don't tend to worry if it's messy. There are days though, that I think about all the hidden clutter in my house and I get bothered. What does all this hidden clutter say about me? According to my good friend Oprah,it says a lot. She says that our homes are a reflection of our souls. If that is true, then my soul is in need of some work.
I decided to take pictures of my problem areas. I don't have all of the pics yet, but I will post the ones I have. There are six problem areas:
1) Paper, paper, paper. Junk drawer. It piles up in the kitchen table, counter, or any flat surface near the kitchen. No matter what I do, paper is always somewhere it shouldn't be. This month I WILL win the war against this annoying foe.
2) Coat closet. When we moved in a year and half ago, I put boxes in there intending to unpack them later. Well, that never happened. They are still there along with everything else I don't have a place for. When people come over and they have their coats, I don't offer to take them because I'm afraid that when I open the closet things will fall out.
3) Mike's office. I don't even know what to say about this room. It just needs some serious help.
4) The garage. I have cleaned the garage out twice since we moved in and it just keeps getting invaded by more stuff. I am not going to cast blame on why this is so, but I have a feeling it's not all me!
5) The guest room. This used to be a room free of clutter but somehow became the place where I fold laundry that never makes it upstairs to the closet or drawers. This room shouldn't take much work because all I need to do is take the clothes upstairs and put them away.
6) Family room. Toys, toys, and more toys. I need to find a good way to organize all of Matthew's toys.
I have taken pics of some of the problem areas as they are now. At the end of the month I will take pictures of the same areas and post the after shots. My hope is to see some improvement! My plan is to spend some time every day (not to exceed one hour) tackling clutter. There are several days this month when I will be out of town. To stay faithful to my resolution, I will offer my organization service to my host. In this case, it will be my mom :)
I'm excited about this month and am anxious to get started!
I decided to take pictures of my problem areas. I don't have all of the pics yet, but I will post the ones I have. There are six problem areas:
1) Paper, paper, paper. Junk drawer. It piles up in the kitchen table, counter, or any flat surface near the kitchen. No matter what I do, paper is always somewhere it shouldn't be. This month I WILL win the war against this annoying foe.
2) Coat closet. When we moved in a year and half ago, I put boxes in there intending to unpack them later. Well, that never happened. They are still there along with everything else I don't have a place for. When people come over and they have their coats, I don't offer to take them because I'm afraid that when I open the closet things will fall out.
3) Mike's office. I don't even know what to say about this room. It just needs some serious help.
4) The garage. I have cleaned the garage out twice since we moved in and it just keeps getting invaded by more stuff. I am not going to cast blame on why this is so, but I have a feeling it's not all me!
5) The guest room. This used to be a room free of clutter but somehow became the place where I fold laundry that never makes it upstairs to the closet or drawers. This room shouldn't take much work because all I need to do is take the clothes upstairs and put them away.
6) Family room. Toys, toys, and more toys. I need to find a good way to organize all of Matthew's toys.
I have taken pics of some of the problem areas as they are now. At the end of the month I will take pictures of the same areas and post the after shots. My hope is to see some improvement! My plan is to spend some time every day (not to exceed one hour) tackling clutter. There are several days this month when I will be out of town. To stay faithful to my resolution, I will offer my organization service to my host. In this case, it will be my mom :)
I'm excited about this month and am anxious to get started!
30 days complete!
My first resolution is finished. With the exception of three days, I kept to my resolution of spending 30 minutes reading the Bible every day. When I started the month, I felt somewhat disconnected to God but had a longing to come closer and to experience Him in a deeper way. The 30 days were exactly what I needed to bridge the gap that I had created. It's hard to capture everything that I experienced during the last month so I will share the highlights.
The feelings of fear I had at the beginning of the month...gone.
What I learned about Jesus....He is kind and compassionate.
Reading the Bible everyday even when you don't feel like reading it, will change you for the better...always.
My favorite gospel...Luke.
Salvation has nothing to do with sacrifice, tradition, or doing the right thing...it's all about belief (faith in Jesus) and showing compassion to others.
You can read through the four gospels in 30 days if you read 30 minutes every day.
The feelings of fear I had at the beginning of the month...gone.
What I learned about Jesus....He is kind and compassionate.
Reading the Bible everyday even when you don't feel like reading it, will change you for the better...always.
My favorite gospel...Luke.
Salvation has nothing to do with sacrifice, tradition, or doing the right thing...it's all about belief (faith in Jesus) and showing compassion to others.
You can read through the four gospels in 30 days if you read 30 minutes every day.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Freedom
Last night as I was putting Matthew to sleep, I had one of those moments when something suddenly clicks and you are able to see things more clearly. For those of you who read my previous blog, you know that one of my barriers to truly worshiping and communing with God is fear. It's fear in all sorts of forms...fear of not being heard, fear of God not coming through, fear of my sin, fear of not being good enough. Sometimes it's fear in my everyday life that brings me down and the discouragement that comes from believing lies about myself or others keeps me away from the Lord. Fear is the one emotion that has always existed in my life in one way or another.
So back to last night, I'm sitting there with Matthew and I start to pray and talk to the Lord about this plaguing emotion of fear. During that prayer, the Lord opened my eyes to a supernatural reality. I was able to see Satan's evil assignment against me and how he has used fear to steal my joy so many different times. I was also able to feel the burden of fear on my shoulders in such a vivid way. In that moment, I called on the power of the name of Jesus and asked that He would lift that burden from me. The scripture that came to my mind as I was asking this of the Lord was one that I had read earlier that day in the book of Matthew. It says that when we ask anything believing that we will receive it, it will be done for us. True to His word, the burden was lifted and peace filled my heart.
As I have gone through my day today, there is a joy inside because of the freedom that I received last night. My worship today came from a deeper place in my heart because I encountered the God that I was worshiping. It never ceases to amaze me at how quickly and effortlessly He can remove burdens we've carried for years and years. In one week of being in the word, a heavy burden was lifted from me. I am exited to see what He will continue to do as the month goes on.
So back to last night, I'm sitting there with Matthew and I start to pray and talk to the Lord about this plaguing emotion of fear. During that prayer, the Lord opened my eyes to a supernatural reality. I was able to see Satan's evil assignment against me and how he has used fear to steal my joy so many different times. I was also able to feel the burden of fear on my shoulders in such a vivid way. In that moment, I called on the power of the name of Jesus and asked that He would lift that burden from me. The scripture that came to my mind as I was asking this of the Lord was one that I had read earlier that day in the book of Matthew. It says that when we ask anything believing that we will receive it, it will be done for us. True to His word, the burden was lifted and peace filled my heart.
As I have gone through my day today, there is a joy inside because of the freedom that I received last night. My worship today came from a deeper place in my heart because I encountered the God that I was worshiping. It never ceases to amaze me at how quickly and effortlessly He can remove burdens we've carried for years and years. In one week of being in the word, a heavy burden was lifted from me. I am exited to see what He will continue to do as the month goes on.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Getting to Know Him
So I'm four days into my 30 days, and I have to say that it's been pretty easy to keep this first resolution. Thirty minutes a day is not much time and since it's my only resolution, I am feeling pretty accomplished at the end of every day.
In these few short days of reading the Bible and thinking about how to better worship God, I've learned one thing: In order to worship God, I must become acquainted with who He is. I can not worship that which I don't know. The two main attributes of God that I have meditated and read on are God as Creator and God as Liberator. Here are three scriptures that caught my attention:
"By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars: he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him." -Psalm 33:6-8
"I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalm 34:4-5
"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." Psalm 34:8
The second scripture was especially significant to me because my barrier for worship and intimacy with God is often fear. Today I praised God that he is the liberator of fear. I asked him to take away the spirit of fear and to teach me to take refuge in Him. Today I am choosing to trust in the safety the Lord provides and to accept the peace He desires to give to me.
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