Keep Moving

So as you may have noticed I took a few days off from running. Our snowboarding weekend wore me out! It was so much fun though…I fell in love with Summit Run and could have done that one all day. I definitely did my best snowboarding ever on the first day. The second day however was another story. After quite a few spills on the rather hard icy snow, I was exhausted. A couple hits to the head resulted in a mild concussion, and thus the need for a few days off to recover.

I am finally feeling back to my normal self today and am looking forward to getting back on track with my eating and workout schedule. I plan on going to the gym later today to get a run in and some strength training. After so many days off, I really need the treadmill to keep me going. When I run outside it is just so easy to stop. Does anyone else have that problem?

I have also noticed I’ve been doing way too much snacking and unneccary sweet eating. I think that when I feel tired and worn out I am more susceptible to eating junk. I’ve never noticed that before, but the other day I felt like a human vaccum…it was ridiculous!

C is going out of town for a couple of days on Saturday and I’m definitely going to take some ME time to vamp up my workouts for a couple of days. Paint my toes, watch movies, and enjoy the weekend. It’s supposed to be kind of rainy/foggy so I probably won’t be spending much time outside anyway.

I have been craving bagels lately, so we picked some up from the grocery store last night (ha!). I had one this morning and it was pretty good…not all that I was hoping for. I have also been craving oatmeal, so I had some of that for lunch. I made cinnamon spice with a banana heated up together in the microwave and it was amazing!! I will definitely be eating more of that in the next few days.

I’m really trying to get my weight down and I feel it creeping back up, so I need to watch what I’m eating and workout! It’s a lifestyle change and if I want to stick with it, I have to keep moving.

C’s surfing friend invited us to run with him & his fiance at Torrey Pines, so maybe we’ll have to plan on doing that soon

I Killt It

As Lil Mama would say “you killt it!” I totally killed my workout today. I’ve been having a hard time pacing while I run lately so I decided to hit the gym today. I set the treadmill at level 6 (10 min/miles) and ran for 30 minutes. I definitely felt strong. It was hard, but I made it and I know that I can do it. It just seems easier when the ground under you is moving. It might have something to do with a traumatic experience I had when I was young…ha! I was at my Aunt & Uncle’s house and I thought I would be cool and show my little cousins how to use the treadmill. It started going too fast and I fell. Out of shock I just held on instead of letting go and falling off the back. I have scars on my knees to this day. So when I’m on a treadmill I know I just have to keep going!!

After my run I did some arm strength training and the rowing machine for about 25 minutes. I burned around 600 calories and feel great! Sometimes you just need a change of scenery to get yourself motivated again.

I made banana oatmeal for breakfast and it has kept me full all morning! Never underestimate the power of oats. They are amazing. I started with 1/3 cup oats, 1/3 rice dream, and 1/3 cup water on medium heat. I added in half a banana slice very thin, a Tbsp of flax and a Tbsp of pumpkin butter. Topped with the other half of banana – I love bananas!! It was delicious.

I am planning on having left over sweet potato fries for lunch with some yogurt and fruit on the side. C & I are going to our first MeetUp tonight. It’s at a bar in North Park. Several people signed up, so there should be a pretty big crowd there. I’m a little nervous, but mostly excited. Hopefully we’ll meet some really nice people. I’ve never been to anything like this, so I’m not really sure what people do…just walk around and introduce yourself to people?! Sounds a little overwhelming, but I made a pledge to have fun! So fun is what I’ll have! Happy weekend!

We are going to be out of town this weekend-going snowboarding. Crazy that you can go from 80 degrees to snow just a couple of hours from here.

Great Success

I woke up and went running first thing this morning. It really improves my mood and starts my day out right. It always helps me keep my diet in check. Are you really going to want to scarf a bunch a junk food after your morning run just kicked your butt!? I don’t.

I made some vegan banana muffins with blueberries yesterday afternoon, and had one of those before my run. They are definitely the best ones I have made yet. I usually manage to mess them up somehow by adding too many chocolate chips and it’s like eating a cupcake, so I left those out this time and they are absolutely delicious!

I am so excited, I have an 18.2 body fat %. I know I have some weight to lose yet, but I am very confident in how far I’ve come. I have no idea what it was a year ago, but I have a feeling it wasn’t good. I never imagined myself being in the athlete category for my weight and height!

My run today was a short one, 2 miles, and it was great. I felt like I was on auto pilot, and when I felt myself going to fast I made a concious effort to slow it down and I actually made it home without stopping. I think I’m getting a handle on this mental game. I am gaining control and creating success.

I can’t believe it’s Thursday already! C is teaching a surf lesson tomorrow morning! There’s a first time for everything. Hope you’re having a great day!

The Search Continues

Today has been somewhat uneventful. I was awoken by the handsome C this morning, begging me to take pictures of him surfing. The waves looked great and as much as I wanted to be laying in bed, it was nice to get up and watch him in the waves. He’s improved quite a bit in the past couple of weeks…look out Kelly Slater! ha!

I headed out for my 4 mile run at around 9:30 and did great for the first two miles. After that I let my mind take ahold and did a little walking. A couple of girls passed me that were keeping up a pretty good pace, so I ran with them for a while. I probably ended up running about 3 miles, maybe a little more. I still feel good about it though. I really need to work on my endurance, I’m not sore, so I know I can definitely run longer…I just give up too easy. Does anyone have anything that works for them to keep going? I try to talk myself into it and listen to music, but sometimes I just get so distracted by how long I’ve been running and how much I have left that it’s overwhelming and I stop. I think I have a ways to go before I run 8 miles, but I’m going to try!

After my run I came back to the house and I ate a bowl of cinnamon Life cereal. I know, right?! It was amazing…I love taking in a little childhood indulgence now and then. I spent the rest of the afternoon on craigslist and idealist looking for the perfect job. I haven’t found it yet, but hopefully soon I will find something. There seems to be a lot of social work jobs available here, I just haven’t figured out how to get an interview for any of them yet. I kind of just need something to get me through and then I’ll feel better about taking my time to find something that I really like. Anyone have any ideas?

I just started reading the book “Unlimited Power” by Tony Robbins. It sounds like something that might help me with motivation and making myself into something better. I’m only on the 3rd chapter, but am enjoying it so far. Has anyone else read it?

Pushing Through

Go figure! Training was never meant to be easy. I’m going to chalk this one up as an operator error. C and I went out for a 2 mile run just a bit ago, the first uber easy run on my training schedule. Unfortunately I didn’t wait long enough after eating to go, because by the time I got back home, I had a huge enormously painful stomach cramp!

It would be easy at this point to give up, but running longer distances is something that I would really like to do in the future. I may not be able to run a half marathon next month, but I will definitely be able to run a 5k, and maybe even a 10k. I am just using this training schedule as a way to CHALLENGE myself, and as a working point to running longer distances.

So, Day 1: 2 miles completed. Hopefully there will be much better and longer runs in my future!

Day 1

I am starting this blog out as a diary of my personal eating and fitness goals. I’ve never been one of those people that find it easy to commit to doing something every day. So I’m going to start out slow. I’m going to share my daily goals and accomplishments and use them as a working point to go harder and stronger the next day.

I had a great day yesterday with Erica and C. We went to breakfast at Kona’s Cafe which was amazing. It never ceases to amaze me how long the line outside of that restaurant grows every weekend. It was well worth the wait. The food was very simple, yet delicious. I had the special, wheat french toast with a side a fresh fruit. Exactly what I needed to get me through an afternoon of body boarding.

It was my third time out body boarding since moving to San Diego. The waves were perfect for beginners yesterday. Erica and I caught several waves and C did as well on his long board. Yesterday reminded me how awesome it is to have girlfriends around to share things with. After body boarding we spent the afternoon soaking up some sun and went to the Ale House for dinner and some drinks. I had the spicy ahi tuna sandwhich with sweet potato fries. All in all, the perfect day!

Today is Day 1 in my quest to perform the seemingly impossible. I am training for my first half marathon. A little over a year ago this would have never crossed my mind. But I am looking forward to it. I was an emotional mess last night, second guessing myself, wondering if I could actually do it. But I know I can, and that I will! Here’s to an excellent Day 1, and my first 2 miles of training.