Loving today

Today I am heading out to do a bike ride with my very bestest friend Margie.  

We are heading down to the bike path and going to put in however many miles she wants to do.  She is not real big on any type of exercise but she does try to stay a little active.  I, on the other hand, love to run(even though I'm slow and its hard right now), walk and absoluely LOVE to ride.  It's a great day when I can get out on the bike path and just go.  I don't push it hard but just enough to know I am working it.  I like to keep my speeds to about 14mph.  Some days I might go a little faster but only on shorter rides.  

The weather here is still just totally awesome!! Today we are expected to be in the low 80's and complete sunshine.  

So, how awesome is it that I have this gorgeous day, ride my bike, AND all with my Big F!! 

Life is good!! 

Loving this weather!!

This weather has just been awesome! Hello is this really March??  This is crazy for sure!  But hey....I'll take it!  

My runs have been getting a little better.  I am oh so slow but I'm out there.  I'm running.  I'm finishing what the planned run is.  I have decided to stop stressing about my speed or how I'm not where I was at last year.  I've been through a lot.  My body has been through a lot.  I need to give myself a break.  Cut me some slack.  

This past week I have gotten to run outside and it has been awesome.  I also got to get the bike out and did a 16mile ride!  Love love love bike riding.

I'm completely beside myself here.  

Today I did a 2 mile short run and was able to run it a little faster than I have been.  And it felt great.  

Tomorrow is a rest day but I still might go for a bike ride with my Hannah girl.

How have you been enjoying this fine weather we have been having?

Heaven in a bowl

This was my post workout treat!! I love Chocolate Cheerios Whole Grain Cereal.  It's a little bit of heaven in a bowl.  Yum!

So I decided that since my calf has been feeling a lot better I would try to see how it would feel if I would do a walk/run for 45min. on the treadmill.  At first I thought I would do 60min but thought I better not go that long since I was just getting back at it.  

It really was a great 45min.  There was no pain whatsoever.  I was tempted to just keep running but I didn't want to push it.  I will probably do this workout Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  It felt so good to run again.  I had been feeling pretty icky and missing my runs.  The elliptical is nice but just not the same.  

This is my Belle.  She did the elliptical for 30min and it was really nice having a workout partner today.  

Let's keep our fingers crossed for a great week this week with my runs.  

Being thrifty

So this post won't be on running(that will be tonights post).  This post is about me learning to be a little more thrifty.  I have used coupons from time to time but really haven't been faithful to it.  Clipping coupons is work! And it's kinda time consuming! But once you get a little system down it is so worth it.  I only clip coupons for the items I normally use but will clip some if I think that it's worth it and only if I know I will use the product.  Kinda exciting actually.  

These were my coupons for my last shopping outing.  And what I didn't use and knew I wouldn't, I just placed on the shelves for somebody else to use.  I know, I'm kinda cool like that. 

Anywho, do any of you use coupons when you shop?  If so do you have any tips to share?  Please feel free to leave me a comment because I could use all the help I can with this =)

Just a little running side note.  I did try to run yesterday for 400meters and it wasn't bad at all.  Today I am going to walk/run for 45min and just see how that goes.  I will give an update tonight.  

Learning to be patient

So I am trying to be more patient and listen to my body especially when it comes to injuries.  I pulled my calf muscle almost 2 weeks ago and it has not been fun.  I have had to ice it and rest it at least a couple times a day.  This past Wednesday I went to the park and was going to try and attempt to do a very slow run and see how it felt but I only made it about a half of a mile and had to quit.  The pain was still there even though not as bad but enough for me to not push it and take the chance on hurting it worse.

So since the injury my workouts have consisted of still doing weights and I have been doing the elliptical a lot more.  My plan is to keep doing the elliptical and I will go back out to try and do another small run a week from today.  I'm hoping that I can at least run 2 miles slowly and then maybe walk a mile.  We'll see.  

Another thing that I want to try and work on again is the no eating after 7pm.  This always makes me feel better anyways.  I have been really off my eating plan more so lately than ever.  This is not good!! I need to stay focused and maybe even get back to my journaling in my food journal again.  

What I have done since last week:

Sunday 2/19- Elliptical

Monday 2/20- Elliptical and a few weights

Tuesday 2/21- Elliptical and leg extensions before work

Wednesday 2/22- Tried to run that half mile but couldn't so I just did a slow walk for another 1.5miles

Thursday 2/23- Worked out with Jess doing upper body

Friday 2/24- Elliptical before work

Saturday 2/25- Elliptical then did lower body and abs

This week my plan is going to be about the same with doing the elliptical in the mornings before I go to work then try and get outside and do some walks in the evening and definitely hitting the weights.

I'm going to be patient with this injury and I'm going to be okay with it.  

A little frustrated!

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here Ohio.  I usually plan my long runs on Saturday mornings, so I have been pretty excited since the weather forecast for Saturday would be sunny and the high of 46.  Perfect!! 

After I had my coffee I chose to also eat a slice of wheat bread with low fat peanut butter and a carb masters yogurt.  I go to lace up my shoes and drive to the bike/running path and this is what I was greeted with....

Yea!! How perfect is this??  I have only ran outside one other time and it was a walk run with my daughter who is wanting to start running herself.  
I set out with my Garmin and no music....just me and this gorgeous path.  Now, my pace is extra slow just because I'm just getting back from all the stuff my body has been through the past 4 1/2months.  I'm okay with that!  My new outlook on when I go out to do my long runs is not to focus on the speed its to just enjoy it and finish it and to hopefully finish it without stopping or hurting myself.  So I start out and for the first mile my pace is around 13:10...okay, snail pace but your going and you feel good.  I eventually settle into a 12:45 pace and feels really, really good.  I start to notice that my right calf has a little pain in it.  No! No! this is not happening.  It's there but I can keep going.  I get to mile 3.70 and my calf brought me to a complete halt!! It hurt even to walk on it.  But I had to because I was about a mile and a half from my car.  This is crazy!! I have been doing things like I should.  Only 3 runs a week...speed work, tempo then long run.  I have been cross training the other days with either doing weights and abs or even doing some elliptical then doing upper body.  The ONLY thing that sticks out that I did that might have caused this would be the major calf raises I did a little over a week ago.  Tons of calf raises.  So much to the point that they felt like somebody had litterally sucker punched the back of each calf.  Even as of yesterday they still felt a little sensitive when putting my lotion on.  
So what I thought was going to be a perfect 5 miles...didn't.  Total miles though was 5.5 running 3.70 miles of that.  Good miles.  The kind that you felt like you could just run, run, run. And then keep running.  So, I'm just a little on the frustrated side.  I'm just getting back at this and I don't need this.  


My plan for today is to rest it.  Take tomorrow off too except maybe try the elliptical and do some upper body if the pain isn't as bad.  Today its still there but not as bad as yesterday.  I'll have to see about the rest of the week.


What do you guys think?  Do you think it's from the calf raises I did?  Should calf raises be in my workouts or is the running enough for the calves?  
Thoughts please...

My Run for Sherry Arnold

Life has been crazy this past week and a half.  Birthdays, Anniversaries, Valentines...man I haven't' had much time to do anything.  However, I did do my run for Sherry Arnold.  

It was a 4.5 mile run, on the treadmill, by myself.  But it was a great run and even though it was by myself I couldn't help but feel the closeness with all who were running for Sherry.  I did my moment of silence as Beth had asked and then it was just me, the treadmill and zillions of other people running for Sherry.  Usually my runs start out pretty stiff, but not this run.  I felt great and really could have kept going. 

Totally AMAZING how this has brought so much awesomeness and so many great people from all over the world!! Tells me that the good will always out weigh the bad.  

I will continue to keep Sherry and all her family in my thoughts and prayers.

Even in the desolate wilderness, stars can still shine......

- Aol Jiyuu Shiroi Nozomi