Thinking about…
Being good…
Monday morning and the weekend is over. Kids are at school and BF is at work. It’s pretty here in the big city and I have been up since 4:30 a.m. thinking about the future. And the past. And the right now. Got a big cup of coffee, checked some e-mail, and wasted as much time as I could until…
6 a.m. when I worked out with Jillian for 45. Circuit training. I am so bad at this type of exercise. I think that I am so strong until I have to prove it with various exercise positions using weights and bending and lifting, and then I realize I am weak and kinda lazy. Plus, my heart is beating out of control, I’m sweaty, my arms and legs hurt, I can barely drink my coffee and I think…yeah right…this just is a lot of WORK!
I, far and away, prefer running. It’s easy and I can go slow or fast. I choose the lazy level. I mean, I prefer it, but I’d rather do neither. I wish I was one of those naturally tall, skinny people that eat french fries and say, “Oh I’m so hungry; I forget to eat all the time; I just get so thin if I don’t eat at least 8 meals a day…blah blah blah.”
But at least I am healthy-er…and I do feel like a bad-ass after I lift those weights. I like seeing the bicep muscle. Round and cut like a little scoop of ice cream sitting on the top of my upper arm. I like the round shoulder and the tight back; Unfortunately sitting on the couch just doesn’t develop the look I want. And speaking of the look….
Let’s go WILD! Run Wild! It’s over. The day started, raining, at 6 a.m. when we left the house. By the time we got to the start line at 8 it was warming up, rain stopped, and the sun even came out. My sister and I finished at the exact same time. One minute faster than our last 5K in December. Took us 33 minutes. That probably doesn’t sound super fast for 3 miles, and it’s not. It’s actually slow. It’s mid way through the usual pack that signs up. But I’m not racing to win, maybe next year…it’s alot of time to shave off and train for speed. I can run a fast mile, but not 3 in a row! But the Zoo was awesome, the animals were out, and the people were friendly and happy to have us.
The only thing I was wrong about was the ease of the actual running. I thought it would be a breeze because we were running in the zoo. Like it wouldn’t be like running at all. “Wooh-hoo we’re in the zoo!! I’m just running and looking at the animals!!–Oh! is the race over already?? Didn’t even feel like 3 miles!”
No, not quite. The zoo is cool, but running three miles is still running three miles. Doesn’t matter where you’re at, you still have to MOVE.
So next up…Warrior Dash! This is the reason why I got my lazy butt up and out of bed at ungodly hours to do exercise and why, hopefully, I will get up all week and do more of this “circuit training” and keep running in the afternoons. The Dash is about 4 miles, plus obstacle course work; so I’m going to need a little more in the trunk to haul it up and over cars and buildings and stuff. And I need to step up on the diet front. I have been eating far too much junk. I even feel kind of sick from it all. So it’s back on a combo of Extreme Fat Smash (click on it for a review) See the Book, HERE, and Body For Life. (Site) It’s all low-fat, lower cal, protein and carb balance type eating. I like to mix them up and find the perfect mix of healthy and weight loss. I want to drop about 20 more pounds before I tackle the Dash. It’ll be alot easier to throw myself over things if there is less of me to lift up. Better on my legs too, and I’ll look really ripped! Ha. Pre-first-marriage weight here I come. Gotta have something to aim for! I’ll keep a little running list for you’re amusement. Right now: Pounds lost: ZERO (0). Haha. 9 (full) weeks to go! Wish me Luck! (And my sissy too! –and her hubby–she’s doing it with me. It’s how we’re spending her birthday! It’s not all just exercise–there’s beer at the end and a cool hat!)
Anyway, after that we’ll be doing the Scenic 5 (five mile run) in the town I live in. It used to be 10 miles, but the town changed it for some reason or another, and now it’s 5 miles. Either way, it’s in September, Labor Day Weekend, so we will have an event a month to keep us in training for the fall. (And that’s how we’ll be spending MY birthday! Aren’t we a fun family?!?) I’ve done the 10 miles and it’s hard. I figure five has got to be a little better and I’ll actually be fit this time around so I won’t feel like I’m dying! Next year we are planning on tackling the bigger races—the ones that use words like, marathon…and tri-athalon….and insane distances….
Well, that’s enough I for now. I ate my first meal; Yogurt and a measured bit of granola. Now I must vacuum and get to the store for groceries and things for the week. Kids need lunches and the BF and I need our specific foods. The Body For Life and Extreme Fat Smash (click on it for another review) plans use regular food that we all eat, just modified for us. Eggs, milk, bread, chicken…it’s the same food, cooked leanly and with rice instead of potatoes. The kids eat it too, I just tweak it down (or up) in portion and fat content for the ones who need it. That was a diplomatic way of description. I’ll have to remember that for the future.
I made up a real nice playlist series too…being good, being bad…made me think of angels, devils, God and hell…But to combine them all gives you a 99 song playlist—which is fine–I like them long—but for typing sake I broke them up into categories for specific flavors. You can pick your best (or worst) or combine them all for yourself. The categories are these:
Posted below just because that’s how I do it. Strangely, there are few songs about God. He/She/It/They, might be mentioned in some, but it’s hardly the star subject. People seem to like Heaven and Angels and they like the Bad Guys, however you call them. Makes better music right?? And you can dance to it.
Ready, Set…Go!
Oh and did I mention my awesome playlists?
I forgot to pat myself on the back for the awesome playlist that I was listening to while running today.
It’s one thing to make them up and imagine what they sound like in theory, but when you actually listen to them AND they help keep you motivated, I can’t help but want to pass that along.
Check these out for a little extra boost in the caboose when you are dragging out on the track of life….
Combine them for the longest, most effective play. I only split them because I thought it was too much for one post.
This is the list I used today. I was very impressed with me. Such modesty. Anyway, I try to put the lists in a good order; probably a little too much effort if you know what I mean; but feel free to mix them up. I listened to them on shuffle and it was still great.
If you totally think I’m full of it… please feel free to keep that to yourself! Thanks! Hardy har har…
Next Up…RUN WILD!
It’s a 5K at Brookfield Zoo, in Chicago. Only two weeks left not to embarrass myself. The run is awesome! We get to be in the Zoo before it opens and then run the race on the Zoo grounds and then hang out at the Zoo all day if we want! It is going to be so much fun! I won’t win or anything, I just participate as fast as I can.
So I went out running around my favorite outdoor track in the forest preserve. I swear those trails are the best thing the Park Districts/Counties have ever done. I love them. This particular one is perfect for me because it’s 3.6 miles so it covers me for everything. If I can make it around there I can make it….well, you know. After that is the Warrior Dash! 6K Plus. I’m just training to run—I’ll probably just wing it for the rest of it. How do you really train for crawling over cars, or thru the mud? I guess next time I’m at the Forest Preserve I could run through the little swampy areas and then start jumping over everybody’s cars parked in the lot…I’m sure I’d be VERY popular after that. “Hey! I’m training for the Warrior Dash!!” is what I’ll be shouting from the back of the police car. People just don’t understand!
It’s beautiful today. 72 and sunny in the burbs and I just couldn’t sit in the house at the computer, or on a treadmill at the gym. But I’m back now and posting up for the race and then some new scanned in things for another fun post!
We are still following Extreme Fat Smash but we keep getting derailed in the middle of the week. You would think it would be easy to eat pretty much nothing and move on with your life, but less food means more planning. But I’m not knocking it. I think it works really well. I am the same weight as I was last week, and I’ll admit that I cheated on the food and did not exercise to the book. Luckily, if you live pretty well, normally, you can deviate to the dark side somewhat and not throw the whole cart off the path. Another mini philosophy break.
Here’s a mini tip on yogurt eating:
I like to mix in granola, which technically is not on the list but if you work out extra hard and buy a good product with good ingredients, I think its worth the extra calories. Plus it really makes you feel like you are getting a good meal.
Anyway, I like to let it sit a bit to get the granola to a softer consistency, like cookie dough, but with bite. Today though, after I put the yogurt and granola together I got distracted with a phone call and the kids and it sat extra long. IT WAS EVEN BETTER! I mean, like really good. It was almost the texture of oatmeal with lumps. Tasty, delicious, granola lumps. Still firm enough to chew, but with none of the hard edges. Try it and see what you think. If it sounds gross, just try it anyway, you might be surprised!
And I also ate a hard boiled egg. I just love those too.
It’s supposed to be a good week so here’s to 4 more days of running the trails and eating smart. Hopefully I’ll go into this race at my lightest weight since before I had my children. A girl can dream.
Do anything to just feel better….
My poor boyfriend is not feeling good. He seems to be catching a cold that came on fast Friday afternoon and has gotten worse over night.
He is on his way out to go play racquetball right now in the hopes that his friend will hit him square in the middle of his forehead and break up all the congestion.
I, on the other hand, am sitting here wishing him well, typing, drinking coffee and eating Peanut M & M’s. Dark Chocolate Peanut M & M’s. Yum!
I do what I can.
Later, we are going to a Communion party for one of my cousin’s sons. I’ll be taking my Mother with me and the sick boyfriend if he feels like going.
I told him Id make him a nice playlist for today that we can listen to in the car on the way there. I have had this idea in the hopper for awhile and here is the perfect lead in. Songs that just make you feel better….
And I think, since I’m feeing so good (knock on wood) I am going to make a sick list too!
How productive of me on the weekend! Like I said, I do what I can.
Load up on the cold medicine, grab more tissues, your favorite blankie, and curl up on your couch with a bad movie and listen to:
Then when you’re done with that, get outside and take a walk or drive to this:
I don’t know where you are in the world but it’s sunny and pleasant in Chicago after a cold, pitiful, rainy week.
It’s Saturday and the air is fresh and clean! Well, clean enough.
And tonight don’t forget to watch our CHICAGO BULLS basketball team in Boston! One more games guys!! You can do it!!
Enjoy your day! GO BULLS!!
Thursday Afternoon and life is just beautiful…
It really is.
The temp is 62°. The sun is shining. I ran a quick 4 miles earlier, outside at the Forest Preserve, listening to my Warrior Music List (Warrior Dash training) and just feeling happy. Only people that live in climates that go from cold to hot and back again can really understand the joy you feel when the weather breaks. And lucky for us it happens really often in Springtime in this part of the country! It was 35° steady a week ago. It was rainy and 40 degrees just 2 days ago. Then it was clear and 45 degrees just yesterday. Today, sunny and 60. Tomorrow is supposed to be 70+!! Next week? Who knows? Probably back in the 40’s. Then back in the 70’s. It is a constant rollercoaster of bad/good weather. And you can count yourself extra lucky if you don’t catch pneumonia by summer! That’s when it will be 90 and everyone is begging for the cold again. So unsatisfied we are.
But, back to the happy. I ran, and I’m done for the day, thank goodness. Now I can concentrate on dinner. Still off the strict-diet wagon, but not all that bad. Luckily my scale ran out of batteries and I don’t know what the damage really is. I still fit in my small jeans so I guess that’s ok. Kids are still gone, but they have a good daddy so I know they’re happy. And the weather in Kentucky is mostly nice all the time!
Went to the old job yesterday to see the people before they have to leave the premises. Kind of sad really. Took the train to the city. Chicago. Over an hour–don’t miss that. Walked another 20 minutes to the Merchandise Mart–housing the company–it was a bit chilly and windy as it always is–didn’t really miss that either.
I actually thought I would take some pictures, because I never do. I just slogged off every day back and forth barely even looking around ya know? Just avoiding the homeless and trying not to get in the middle of any altercations they would be having amongst themselves. Funny story once: a man and woman were fighting over a rolled up umbrella. On the corner of a busy street at 8 in the morning. It wasn’t even raining. And there wasn’t anything else around. No other people, none of their stuff…it’s like they were just walking along together when they decided to start fighting over that umbrella. Just both of them holding onto it, pulling it back and forth between them, both shouting, “Call the Po-lice! Call the Po-lice!” Cross the street, don’t look back.
Anyway, I pull out the camera. It wasn’t really sunny yet, so that’s always better I think for pictures, when, “Crack!” I drop the damn camera right onto the ground. Lens first. Broken. Just like that. Had it for almost 2 years—so that’s pretty good actually. I fiddle around with it on the sidewalk and manage to get the zoom lens things out and back in, although not as easy and neat like BEFORE it was broke. It keeps turning off. I finally get it to come on, open and even take 3 pictures, but now I feel bad and kind of sad that I broke it, so I just put it away. I didn’t even tell the boyfriend until much later, like much later…after 8 pm and vodka…no, he was fine. It was his present and all–just a point and shoot–not anything REALLY fancy, but now I have to get him a new one. I’ll post the picture I took and you can see. It still works. I figure I can use it or the kids can. Now we don’t have to worry about them breaking it. Ha! Thank you, ME.
Anyway, really off track here…all my old friends seem ok. Sad but surviving. Everybody has the summer off so that’s kind of a good thing! And we can all find jobs together! School is an option being thrown around alot. I highly recommend it. Never too late! So I hung out all day, picked up some cd’s and a mini-chattering-teeth wind up toy and called it a day.
I’ll go back with the kids so we can say goodbye proper. I’ve been bringing them since they were in carriers and they’ll want to see the place and the people they know, one more time before everyone scatters. It really is like a second family (19 years put in for me) and I’m not very sentimental. But it felt like a funeral.
After that, I phoned my lawyer friend and walked over to her offices. Swanky. First time in all the time we’ve been downtown together. That’s funny isn’t it? Then we hustled it to the train—Pit-Stop for StarBux(downtown Starbux)–and rode home.
Went to Portillo’s with the BF, picked up 2½ Men/Season 2 and some chocolate cake and made it a night. Got up this morning to the sing-song call of the cardinals, drank coffee, paid bills and did dishes and laundry until it was time to run. You know the rest. Happy.
FYI: My Warrior Music List Part 1 Part 2 really does rock. I highly recommend it. (Check it out in my Music Lists) I used it today–shuffled up–and it worked great!. I could have run for another ½ mile–ha. I been slacking off on the lists. I’ll get back into it. Got some new music to peruse so we’ll see what I can come up with.
Anyway, wherever you are, enjoy the evening. Hope the weather is fine for whatever you want to do.
It’s almost the weekend! Cheers!
just shy of pretty 