Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thankful and Weekly Workout Plan

This time of year is when we remember all that we have to be thankful for.  Throughout the year I think about it also but not as often as I should.  Life gets so busy and I take things for granted.  I vow to think and talk about what I am thankful for on a regular basis in the coming year.
  •  I am thankful for my awesome family and my amazing friends.  I am who I am because of them.  They stand by my side through the good times and the bad.
  • I am thankful for a job that I enjoy (most days). :)
  • I am thankful for this fantastic blogging community.  It keeps me motivated.
  • I am thankful for my health.  
  • I am thankful that I have the ability to run.  Some days my runs really suck but when I am having a bad running day, I try to think about what life would be like if I couldn't run.  I don't want to go there.
There is so many more gifts in my life that I am thankful for but this is a start.  What are you thankful for?

Weekly Workout Plan

Monday: 3.5 mile run - done (3.5 miles) I struggled through this run.  I didn't fuel properly.  Lesson learned.

Tuesday: Rest Day

Wednesday: Elliptical

Thursday: Turkey Trot 5k - done (29 minutes!!!)

Friday: 3.5 mile run (and Black Friday shopping!!) - just Black Friday shopping

Saturday: 3 mile run

Sunday: 3 mile run

~Jessica


Friday, November 16, 2012

Run Like You've Never Run Before

I have never been very athletic.  Sure I played some organized sports growing up but not a lot and I was never very good.  I was one of those girls that walked the mile because I was sure as heck not going to run it.  And when I did try to run, I felt like fire was going through my lungs.

I decided a couple of years ago to try the Couch to 5k plan.  I stuck with it for a while but to be honest, I half assed it most of the time and I never finished.  I came to the conclusion that running was not for me.  But I continued reading the blogs that I had always read and most of them are either food blogs or running blogs.  If you read about running every day, it makes you want to run.  A little over a year ago I decided to sign up for a 5k and I was going to run it no matter what.  The race I signed up for happened to be our town's Turkey Trot.  It was a fun run so it was not chip timed and no results were posted online but there was a clock at the end so I did know my time.  I finished in 31:15.  The fact that I actually finished was enough for me but I was really proud of my time.  For a few weeks after, I didn't run at all.  Then I decided to run here and there on the treadmill over the winter. Nothing too crazy. 

Summer came and I thought....I am signing up for the 5k that happens on the weekend of our town celebration which was in August.  So I ran.  I soon learned that I enjoyed running outside much more than inside and I could go further in my training runs because I wasn't so bored staring at the clock on the dreadmill. Tristen, my 10 year old son, decided he wanted to run with me too.  He is not a runner but is a very athletic kid.  A couple of weeks before the race I told him that he better start running with me to see what it is going to be like and to get some miles under his belt.  I believe he ran with me 3 times and never over 2 miles.  Each time we stopped to walk half a dozen times at his request.  Race day was upon us and I told him to push through it as much as he could and to let me know when he needed to stop.  We stayed at a nice, easy pace and to my surprise, he ran the entire thing.  We finished in 31:20.  I was such a proud mom!  As we talked about the race, he said that he could have gone faster but thought he better stick with me.  Drats!  I could have gone faster too but was trying to pace him.  Oh well! Next time!

My next race was in October.  I continued to train but I didn't push myself too hard. Most of my runs were around 2.5 miles with the occasional 3 mile run here and there.  That one I finished in 30:10.  After I saw my time, I wished I had pushed myself just a tad bit hard to get under the 30 mark.  Again...next time!  Shortly after this race, I signed up for a 7k.  This race is happening in March.  I have a lot of time but it has been on my mind and I wanted to prove to myself that I could run that far in hopes of easing my mind a little.  I decided to start increasing my mileage.  I had a 3.35 mile run about a month ago but then went back in to my comfort zone of 2.5 - 3 mile runs.

Well things have changed.  Last week I decided to increase my mileage again and I am so excited to show you what I have done. Now I have to warn you, I am not fast.  But the mileage is what is exciting to me right now. I will work on speed next.




 ~Jessica

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Weigh-In Day and Weekly Workout Plan

Wednesdays are my weigh-in day right now.  I have a love/hate relationship with this day.  I had a small loss this week but I expected it.  I spent my weekend at a couple of different gatherings and gave in to temptations too many times.  But I am back on track and was just glad to see a small loss this morning.  With the holidays around the corner, I need to make sure to steer clear of the temptations or just have a bite so I don't reverse all of the progress that I have made.  As of today I am down 16 lbs. since I began this journey!

Weekly Workout Plan

Monday: 2.5 mile run - done (2.56 miles)

Tuesday: 3.0 mile run - done but a little short (2.85 miles)

Wednesday: 3.5 mile run - done (4 miles)

Thursday: Elliptical - didn't happen :(

Friday: 2.5 mile run - done (4.51 miles!!!)

Saturday: 3.5 mile run - done but a little short (2.54 miles)

Sunday: Rest day/walk the dog

In other news:

My 10 year old son, Tristen, shot his first deer over the weekend.  This is his first year being able to hunt and he was so excited.  Proud mom moment!  He looks like such a little peanut next to that big deer.  We told him it was about time he started feeding the family :)

6 point buck shot on 11/10/2012

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Willpower

I started a weight loss journey months ago but was not too successful.  When I decided to embark on a journey to healthy life instead of just focusing on the weight loss part, things became a lot easier for me.  I definitely want to lose the old l.b.'s, but that is not all.  I want to be healthy. 

Part of this journey has been building up my willpower.  That has probably been the hardest part for me.  I get my workouts in without too much trouble.  Sure there are days that I don't feel like it but somehow I find the motivation and they get done.  Willpower is a whole other story. When I first began this journey, I removed all of the "junk" food from our house.  I figured out of sight, out of mind was the way to go.  It really did help me but was that fair to my family?  Of course I want my family to be healthy also but having a treat every now and then is something they should be able to do.  I had to get over it.  Depriving them was not the answer. 

So now I buy treats in moderation and they are so much happier.  Can I say that I never have a treat?  Absolutely not.  I would be miserable. But it is all about willpower.  I think...do I really want it that bad?  Am I really hungry right now?  And have I earned that treat? And then I savor every delicious morsel and log it in My Fitness Pal.  It works.

How is your willpower?  What do you do to overcome the temptations?  Do you deprive your family too?

And now I will savor one of these.....















~Jessica

Monday, November 5, 2012

Workout Plan

From here on out, I plan to post my workout schedule on Sundays.  Having it planned out will help me stick to a workout and hold myself accountable. Getting started is 90% of the battle for me and having it laid out for me will hopefully motivate me to get it done.  I really am pretty good about getting my workouts in but in the past I have done whatever sounded good that day.  I want to stick to a loose training plan and hopefully this does the trick.

Monday: Elliptical, 30 minutes - done (along with 100 jumping jacks, 50 mountain climbers and 20  crunches)

Tuesday: 3 mile run - done (3.06 miles)

Wednesday: 2.5 mile run - done (3.25 miles)

Thursday: Elliptical - unfortunately this didn't happen - impromptu hockey parent meeting during my workout time

Friday: 2.5 mile run - done (3.5 miles)

Saturday: 3.5 mile run

Sunday: Rest day/walk the dog for a little activity

Do you follow a training plan?  How do you motivate yourself?

And now for some inspiration and motivation....

{Via}

{Via}

{Via}
{Via}


~Jessica

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Trick or Treat

Here is my little trick or treater....



I guess he isn't so little anymore.  He is 10 and in the 5th grade.  He doesn't really understand what the big deal is with Halloween and the last few years he has told me that it is his last year trick or treating but he changes his mind every year.  I'm pretty sure that has something to do with his friends.

As you can see, he wore the same mask as I wore over the weekend.  He actually picked out the mask and I figure instead of buying 2, we would just share this one.  The rest of the costume was thrown together last minute.  It worked.  We picked up two of his friends and went out for a little over 2 hours.  They got tons of treats and had a great time.

Join me in signing up for Pile on the Miles over at Run Eat Repeat.  Today is the last day to join.  The idea is to pile on the miles in November instead of the pounds throughout the holidays.  It runs today through December 1st.  There are prizes to be won also so head on over and get yourself signed up! Any little bit of motivation helps keep me going.

Did you have any treats yesterday?  I was pretty good and only had two fun size candies and I made sure I saved some calories for them. 

~Jessica