Wednesday, May 20, 2015

OMaD - Week 20 Recap

One Mile a Day challenge update with more rain.... or not! It's like playing a game guessing as to what's going to happen with the weather. Basically you can't plan a run until the day or a few hours before cause the weather is nuts! At least we're getting over the drought we've been in for so long!

May 10 - May 16 

Day 124: 6.2 miles - Happy Mother's Day.  I had to run on the treadmill today before work (I've realized that I've worked Mother's Day for the past 3 or 4 years! Oh, well!). After a storm there was still enough lightning around and light rain that it made me go, "Nope, not happening." But I HAD to do a 10k as a way to get myself back to the grind if I want to be ready for a Memorial Day 13.1 training run! Ack! In order to get 6.2 miles in I had to start enough training session on the treadmill since I wasn't allowed to set a workout over an hour long (stupid gym rules), but thankfully there was practically no one else there longer than 30 minutes. It may have felt like it took forever to get to 6.2 miles compared to running outside, but I'm glad I did it!

Day 125: 1 mile - Since I had to work yesterday, I'm celebrating Mother's Day with my Mom today! I took her over to the Irving Arts Center to look at the Golden Book Legacy exhibit. It was awesome!!! My brother is in town for a while, and so I got to walk my mile with him!

Day 126: 1 mile - Squeezed in a walk after work.

Day 127: 6.54 miles - Cross Training Elliptical Wednesday! The gym was full of women that you will always eye and compare yourself to. I've decided that, one day, I'm going to finish a workout then jump into the pool that I look at through the window.

Day 128: 0 miles - I was off today. Rolled out of bed just in time to get to my hair appointment. Then stood in line to get my car registration taken care. I spent the evening with an old college friend JR who I hadn't seen in ages! Then I got home late and was hit with an allergy attack. So! No time for a walk today.

Day 129: 1 mile - Managed a late night walk after chilling with Netflix, doing a facial, and talking to a friend. Oh, and by the way! It was National Pizza Party Day and National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! So, my coworkers and I did our duty in celebrating these days by calling in an order from Papa Johns!

Day 130: 10.02 miles - I was free from work today (freeeeeedom!) and needed to get my butt kicked back into long distance runs. Ran White Rock with Running Buddy H at the ungodly hour of 6:30am, and killed it. I was tapping the Wall around mile 8.5 or so when it came to facing a hill on the Santa Fe Trail before we turned around, but doing a couple of quick walk sessions helped a lot! I need to try  to get use to the 2mi:1 interval that H wants to try to train for during our marathon training in the fall. We'll see how that goes!

Total Miles this week: 25.76 Miles

Total Miles Thus Far: 288.52 Miles



How was your week?

So It Finally Happened....

It finally happened. After making the decision in the days leading up to Christmas last year... After a year of not giving into peer pressure (seriously, this wasn't a peer pressure thing this time around - I made this decision on my own).... After already making plans for my fall training season....

I have registered for my first full marathon!


AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

Whew. OK. Got that out. Yes! I registered for the Dallas Marathon this morning!!!! 

I'm a bucket of full of emotions!

I'm excited!

I'm anxious!

I'm badass determined!

I'm scared!

I'm.... I'm.... I'm....

I'm a runner facing a new adventure.

My running friend and seasoned marathon runner J thinks that I'm ready for a full marathon, which is really reassuring for me. I'm really hoping that I will stay injury free as much as possible and everything that I need to prove to myself (and not) and to others will pay off!

Not wanting to dwell on things that will fuel the anxiety part of my emotions.... I had a lull at work and did a little research to make this moment on the upbeat and fun!


As you guessed it.... I looked it up!

For me, according to how many calories I burned during my last half marathon, I would maybe burn just over 3000 calories.

That's approximately eating one selection of the following... 

  • 438 regular M&Ms
  • 478 dark chocolate M&Ms 
  • 144 peanut M&Ms
  • 75 strawberry Twizzlers twists
  • 27 cups of Froot Loops cereal
  • 12 Oreo cookie Klondike Bars

Maybe I should keep a list going of things that I could eat after running a marathon (or during training) that I should not eat just (it'd certainly help when it comes to staying on track with my nutrition!). Oooh, more fun to be had!

 So! Starting in August - Marathon Training! Whoo hoo! 


Images found here

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Life's Little Thing - Cereal Marshmallows

I don't buy cereal very often - let alone sugary ones, especially with marshmallows. No, I typically only have those types of breakfast options when I'm visiting family. So, what's so awesome about them? Obviously it isn't the nutritional value or the slight guilt you have after you eat a bowl (at least I don't eat the cereal with milk!). It's being slightly devious and trying to....

Life's Little Thing: Get as many cereal marshmallows as possible! 




This is almost on the same level of deviousness as getting the last corner from the brownie pan!


What sugary cereal do you like?







Sunday, May 17, 2015

Life's Little Things: Easy Contact Lense Pop-In

I got contacts this past year with the plan of wearing them during my runs, but I haven't really got use to the idea of popping in before I go for a run or a gym workout. I did wear them often when going out with friends and such. But then, back in November, I had a scare when a contact disappeared on me when I woke from a nap. Talk about freakout! 

Well, since I have a big night out coming up next weekend, I decided that I didn't want to wear my glasses, no matter how awesome they looked. So! I had to get use the wearing them before Saturday. 

Life's Little Things: Easy Contact Lenses Pop-In



I got each contact in on the first try! It was amazing! Then it wasn't too hard to take them out later too! Amazing! 

Image found here

Friday, May 15, 2015

OMaD - Week 19 Recap

One Mile a Day challenge update with lots of rain, humidity and eating "normally."


May 3 - May 9  

Day 117: 3.12 miles - I was lazy and didn't get back to my weekly 9 mile run on Sundays. I was hoping for a 10k, but ended up doing a 5k instead. I felt so disappointed that I didn't do 6.2 miles. Maybe I should've tried harder? I remember having tired legs, I paused my Garmin during a water break and forgot to start it again after I had already run another 0.20, and my left foot kicked my bruised ankle a couple of times too. Ugh. But I had a great day afterwards - spent the day with Jennie, watched her daughter's soccer game, and I ate healthy. Oh, and I got to speak to my friend J about my marathon training! Looks like I have a good training plan going - though she wonders about the 2mile interval idea that my running buddy H is wanting to do.

Day 118: 0 miles - I didn't really do much today. My best friend from Tennessee was in town and we finally got to meet up. I tried La Madeleine for the first time. Then we walked around the giant mall in Frisco for a bit before we really started to talk about the heavier things that has happened to us since the last time we saw each other a year ago (away from the ears of her teen who was with us), which was emotional for the both of us. Then it was a semi-healthy dinner at the food court. I had a plate from Panda Express. My biggest portion was the veggies, then a small portion of chow mien (yum!) and a small portion of Orange Chicken (double yum!). It was a good day. Beautiful weather. I love and miss my friend D so much. Maybe I need to consider visiting her again for my vacation in August.

Day 119: 0 miles - Oh. My. Holy. Crap. What. A. Day. Work started out well, but I was almost in a wreck during my dinner hour (complete with a coworker in the car!), then there were some big issues at work when we got back (and I'm in charge of the facility while the boss is out for a week), but the work night ended well and calm. But I got a Frosty and my first Diet Dr. Pepper in ages on the way home. Then I dumped a nearly empty bag of cat food on my cat Jackson, and for a while he wouldn't stop complaining. At least I didn't go out for my nightly walk with my Frosty cause otherwise I would've had gotten caught in the rain that started not so long after I got home. Can I just stay in bed for the rest of the week??? My boss isn't allowed to leave for a week during the Full Moon phase. Not. Ever. Again!

Day 120: 6.75 miles - Cross Training Day! I was able to use another elliptical with a working TV screen, but the sound didn't work! Ack! Closed captioning worked fine and I got an episode of Survivor in. Got to see Mom after my workout for a bit as she helped me work on some things with the apartment. In all, not entirely a bad day!

Day 121: 3.12 miles - First. I lost my Garmin. Well, it's more of misplaced, but it really felt like lost. I posted my dilemma to my friends on Facebook in hopes that it would initiate Murphy's Law and it would appear.... And it did a couple of minutes later! Yay! I squeezed in a 5k run before the storm hit, which meant I had to face some serious lightning way off in the distance. The farther I'd run the closer it would get. A little scary. Ten minutes after I came back inside the storm it. After my shower, I discovered that the re-caulking of my windowsill done my by apartment's maintenance crew only fixed one leak. I, in fact, have LOTS more! I'm a runner-turned-Little Dutch Boy Girl tonight!

Day 122: 0 miles - After a long day at work I went out with a coworker to her little girls night out at Brick House Tavern + Tap. For the record the Zucchini Curls are awesome. The Filet Mignon Salad is awesome. The Candied Bacon in the salad - AH-MAZING! The Apple Crisp dessert is sooo good. Washed it down with lots of water and some Angry Orchard. Totally a pig out day, but it was so worth it! Got home so late I went straight to bed. I need to hone in the big meals and get back to running more. I'm suppose to run 13.1 training run on Memorial Day! Ack! Granted, the weather needs to cooperate with me!

Day 123: 0 miles - Another quiet and long day at work. Almost had a friend convinced to come over to be a guinea pig for my first attempt ever at cauliflower pizza, but it didn't happen. My pizza was pretty tasty. A little salty, but I think I didn't use the right salt. I started to doze off before I realized how late it got.

Total Miles this week:  13.09 Miles

Total Miles Thus Far: 262.76 Miles




How was your week?


Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Life's Little Thing - Nighttime View

I was on the phone with my Oklahoma-based bestie SB for a few hours one night (that's how we roll), and at one point I walked past a window. I saw this in the corner...




The photo doesn't really do the view any justice. The moon was a beautiful crescent shaped with Venus (I think it's Venus?) just above. The glow from the setting sun and the city just made the clear evening blue sky even more amazing.



Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Life's Little Thing - Post Run Beauty

Some running days are just plain beautiful. Some days less than perfect. Some days are just normal.

I had a good run on a normal day, and had finished by a picnic table at the park. I stretched and laid down on the table, and looked up.

Little Thing: Post-run view of nature's art 


Beautiful.



Monday, May 4, 2015

OMaD - Week 18 Recap

One Mile a Day challenge and weekly fitness update... with LOTS of food.

I think I need this shirt...

 


April 26 - May 2 

Day 110: 1.5 miles - Spent the morning walking around the Dallas Arboretum with the family. We also tried out Keller's Burgers for the first time. Mmmm, tasty! I haven't had a beef burger in a long time. It's always good to eat regular food once in a while! There was more walking around later in the day, but that was during shopping. I did buy a new pair of work pants in a new smaller size though! Whoo hoo!

Day 111: 2.12 miles - The weather was nice this morning after a giant storm blew past without hitting us (whew!) last night, but it was blustery. I wasn't feeling up to a 5k run outside so my mom and I did a small gym workout. Me... 2.12 easy miles on the elliptical and 50 stomach crunches on a ball. Felt like I didn't really get a real workout, but I keep telling myself it's OK. I'll make up for it on Wednesday. Ate healthy for lunch, but mom made pizza for dinner! YUM!

Day 112: 0 miles - Daaang! It got cold today after last night's storm! By the time I got off of work at 9pm I wasn't up to bundling in sweats to do a mile walk. I should have, but I totally gave in to comfy clothes, TV, the kitty, and foooood.

Day 113: 6.58 miles -  Weekly cross-training on the elliptical. Spent the first twenty minutes being slightly rude and texting my besties about the guy lifting weights and making unattractive sounds and heavy breathing. I really wanted to eat a fried chicken sandwich and fries for dinner post-workout, but I was a girl and a veggie and pasta thingy. Plus I ate so much chocolate today and last night at work. But... I have sneaky plans for tomorrow's lunch though!

Day 114: 0 miles - Yeeeah, that chicken sandwich and fries were so tasty for lunch. THEN I bought a jar of Archer Farm's Handful of Everything Trail Mix at Target. I snacked on that crack all. day. long. Needless to say, when I got home at 9:30 I wasn't ready for a 5k run.I feel asleep an hour later.

Day 115: 3.12 miles - Finally got my ass out the door and for a run after work. I've decided that this week has been the week of junk food. Boss bought Fuzzy's breakfast tacos for the staff today (I had one and a half tacos) then I ate a Tex-Mex place for lunch (did I ever mention my love of chips and salsa and chicken fajitas?!). Ugh. I'm starting to feel it all. Running a 5k so helped me!

Day 116: 3.1 miles - Good day at work if you don't count the five moderate amount of donuts I ate and ramming a folding table (I was moving to a storage closet) right into my ankle. OW! A nice 5k walk while talking to BFF Jennie helped.

Total Miles this week:  16.42 Miles

Total Miles Thus Far: 249.67 Miles


Shirt image found here.





How was your week?

Do you ever find yourself snacking way too much? What do you do to stop it?