I completed Week 2 of the Couch to 5K Running Plan today and it feels great! Running is little by little getting easier for me. I am very excited to be heading into Week 3! Because I have a grad class on Mondays and Wednesdays, those are my off days, so the 1st day of Week 3 will be on Tuesday after work.
AND I am so excited to say that my first 5K will be on June 26th! A friend of mine runs in this one every year and has invited me to run with her. We want to get a team of 5 people to run together. I have two that would like to do it with me, so we need one more. It will be so exciting to have so much moral support as I am running in my first (hopefully of many!) race! I want to find one in July to run as well to keep it up, because I am going to also run one in September with my dad and my uncle. I have wanted my dad to get healthy with me so it will be exciting to run one with him! He is an avid golfer, along with me, and used to run quite a bit every day but as he got older, and as his ankles got weaker from multiple sprains, he has stopped running. I sent him the program I am doing as well and can't wait to hear his progress. Jeff and I are going on vacation with my parents this summer and I look forward to hopefully running with him then.
Off to the store right now! Have a wonderful, and hopefully active day!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Motivation
Motivation is difficult. Sometimes you have it and it is overflowing from your barrel, and sometimes you are scraping the bottom of the barrel to find the very last drop. It is hard to stay motivated for something that seems so distant. In those times, the times you are scraping the bottom of the barrel and wondering if you can even take one more step in your run or lift one more weight, those are the times you draw your motivation from those around you. That is why people have workout partners. That is why there are motivational speakers. That is why the news stations do feel good stories about someone who has achieve something. And so today I bring you a feel good story. Actually, they are feel good storIES, as in more than one. These are submissions from the people running the Boston Marathon and why THEY run. Check it out!
http://www.boston.com/newsprojects/whyirun/#/story-715
Why do YOU run? (or workout, or whatever you do to get/stay in shape)
http://www.boston.com/newsprojects/whyirun/#/story-715
Why do YOU run? (or workout, or whatever you do to get/stay in shape)
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Negativity Breeds Negativity
I saw a bumper sticker on a car when I was leaving the gym yesterday that said B+. I thought to myself: "That is weird. Why would they have their blood type on a bumper sticker?" and then I put two and two together... B+ = BE POSITIVE! Oh how right they are too!
There is the age old saying "do you see the cup half empty or half full?". This week I was teaching my first graders about halves and wholes and one of the examples was a cup that was half full with a question: "is a cup that is half full equal to a cup that is half empty" and almost all of them said that the cup that was half full was MORE than the cup that was half empty. They were wrong in real life of course, but figuratively speaking I think they were right. I mean, think about it. If you see your cup as half full, your life is fuller. You are a more positive person. You see things for what you hope they become. If you see the cup as half empty, you aren't reaching for what you want your life to become. You are sitting there in your "woe is me" world, hoping that someone gives you a break on something. Well, here's the thing: You have to make your OWN breaks in life, not sit around waiting for someone to hand you something because they feel sorry for you! (Of course this isn't saying that every single person in the world who see's the cup half empty is a negative person, or sees the cup half full is a positive person.)
You make your own life. I know someone who is a chronic downer. Every single facebook post I see of hers is negative. Every time I am around her she whines and complains about how hard her life is. I don't know how she LIVES with herself! But the thing is, she isn't living. She is sitting around waiting for someone to hand her something. For someone to MOTIVATE her! But you know what? No one will. No one will motivate her enough for her life to change. No one will say "I feel sorry for you, here is $1000 to cheer you up because you complained about money to me." Sorry. Life doesn't work that way. YOU have to go out and make YOUR life positive. No one can ever motivate you enough to change your life.
I realized that on my own. I was sitting around waiting to get motivated. I would go to the gym, but not regularly enough. I would see things that need to be done and think "I'll get to them, but not now. I'm not motivated.". Well, that isn't cutting it ANYMORE. Guess what: motivation and a positive attitude doesn't just knock on the door. doesn't knock on the door. I am now pushing my butt because I HAVE TO! NO ONE is going to do it for me. I have to much working against me with my family genetics to let myself fail because I didn't push myself hard enough when I was young enough to work it into my routine. Yes, others can motivate me. Yes, I may be able to motivate YOU, but in the end it is the individual person who needs to motivate themselves to get moving on changing their life. No, it won't always be easy, but I have to do it. I have to do it for myself. I have to do it for my husband. I have to do it for my future children.
So how do you see your cup? Half empty or half full? I know how I see mine... B +
There is the age old saying "do you see the cup half empty or half full?". This week I was teaching my first graders about halves and wholes and one of the examples was a cup that was half full with a question: "is a cup that is half full equal to a cup that is half empty" and almost all of them said that the cup that was half full was MORE than the cup that was half empty. They were wrong in real life of course, but figuratively speaking I think they were right. I mean, think about it. If you see your cup as half full, your life is fuller. You are a more positive person. You see things for what you hope they become. If you see the cup as half empty, you aren't reaching for what you want your life to become. You are sitting there in your "woe is me" world, hoping that someone gives you a break on something. Well, here's the thing: You have to make your OWN breaks in life, not sit around waiting for someone to hand you something because they feel sorry for you! (Of course this isn't saying that every single person in the world who see's the cup half empty is a negative person, or sees the cup half full is a positive person.)
You make your own life. I know someone who is a chronic downer. Every single facebook post I see of hers is negative. Every time I am around her she whines and complains about how hard her life is. I don't know how she LIVES with herself! But the thing is, she isn't living. She is sitting around waiting for someone to hand her something. For someone to MOTIVATE her! But you know what? No one will. No one will motivate her enough for her life to change. No one will say "I feel sorry for you, here is $1000 to cheer you up because you complained about money to me." Sorry. Life doesn't work that way. YOU have to go out and make YOUR life positive. No one can ever motivate you enough to change your life.
I realized that on my own. I was sitting around waiting to get motivated. I would go to the gym, but not regularly enough. I would see things that need to be done and think "I'll get to them, but not now. I'm not motivated.". Well, that isn't cutting it ANYMORE. Guess what: motivation and a positive attitude doesn't just knock on the door. doesn't knock on the door. I am now pushing my butt because I HAVE TO! NO ONE is going to do it for me. I have to much working against me with my family genetics to let myself fail because I didn't push myself hard enough when I was young enough to work it into my routine. Yes, others can motivate me. Yes, I may be able to motivate YOU, but in the end it is the individual person who needs to motivate themselves to get moving on changing their life. No, it won't always be easy, but I have to do it. I have to do it for myself. I have to do it for my husband. I have to do it for my future children.
So how do you see your cup? Half empty or half full? I know how I see mine... B +
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Week 1 Day 1 of Couch-to-5K down!
I decided to start a program to help me achieve my goal of running a 5K. I am not a runner right now, but I wouldn't mind being one! I've heard great reviews of the Couch-to-5K program and decided to start it! I did my first workout yesterday and it was GREAT (although I realized I tweaked it a little... OOPS! It is hard to remember some details after teaching 21 1st graders all day long!). Today won't be tweaked though, haha.
I also went to the gym after work yesterday for the very first time and it felt great (although a little crowded... hm, may have to do an outdoor run on Fridays). I am so proud for doing that! I know that I need to take my clothes to work and change there or else I won't go. I tried to go Thursday but I got home to change and Jeff was awake and the dogs were wagging their tails and it killed me that I would have had to leave, so I just stayed home. BUT I went on Friday and I am proud of myself. Unfortunately, because I have grad classes Monday and Wednesday for another month, I won't be able to go on those days
Anyway... I encourage you to check out the Couch-to-5k program! Follow me as I do it! Do it with me! Whatever you choose, but I hope it gets you thinking about fitness. OH and this is cool (although I don't have an Ipod :( )... if you have an Ipod you can download a podcast and it will work you through the workout. It will tell you when to run and when to walk and it is set to music, so you will have music to listen to. I think that is pretty awesome!
Ok I am off to the gym and I hope you are off to check out that website! By the way... if you are doing it, drop me a comment and let me know! I would love to know who is going to do this with me!
I also went to the gym after work yesterday for the very first time and it felt great (although a little crowded... hm, may have to do an outdoor run on Fridays). I am so proud for doing that! I know that I need to take my clothes to work and change there or else I won't go. I tried to go Thursday but I got home to change and Jeff was awake and the dogs were wagging their tails and it killed me that I would have had to leave, so I just stayed home. BUT I went on Friday and I am proud of myself. Unfortunately, because I have grad classes Monday and Wednesday for another month, I won't be able to go on those days
Anyway... I encourage you to check out the Couch-to-5k program! Follow me as I do it! Do it with me! Whatever you choose, but I hope it gets you thinking about fitness. OH and this is cool (although I don't have an Ipod :( )... if you have an Ipod you can download a podcast and it will work you through the workout. It will tell you when to run and when to walk and it is set to music, so you will have music to listen to. I think that is pretty awesome!
Ok I am off to the gym and I hope you are off to check out that website! By the way... if you are doing it, drop me a comment and let me know! I would love to know who is going to do this with me!
Monday, April 5, 2010
The "I Want to Live" Campaign!
I was working out in the gym today and thinking about all of the different things I would blog about now that I have added health to my blog and then the song "I Want to Live" by Josh Gracin came on my MP3 player. If you don't know it, here is the video (and I'll post the lyrics at the bottom of the post):
It is so perfect for my situation right now. I am so tired of just sitting around, waiting for things to happen and waiting for life to pass me by. I want to get off my ass and actually make life HAPPEN. As Josh Gracin sings, "I want to take every breath I can get"! So this is now called my "I Want to Live" Campaign! Because I WANT TO LIVE! I want to enjoy life. I want to make the most out of what I can. I don't want to cut it short by living unhealthily and just sitting around watching TV. I can't promise I will always be positive and I CAN promise that it won't always be easy or that I won't always be this motivated. But then I will read these first few posts and I will make a list of WHY I want to live and hopefully that will keep driving me!
And I'm not letting this stop at fitness and eating healthier. I want to devote myself more to my husband and family. I want to walk in fund-raising walks to earn money for good causes and get healthy at the same time! I want to throw myself into my students and make sure that they have an energetic, enthusiastic teacher. I want to be a better friend. And I don't want to be a "Negative Nellie". I really want to keep this up and I really need you to hold me accountable! That doesn't meant hat I can't have a post once in a while that is down about what I am going through, because life is hard. But every single post won't be hard anymore.
I want to LIVE!
And to think I almost changed the MP3 player when the song came on.
Here are the lyrics:
Sometimes I feel like I need to shake myself, to wake myself:
I feel like I'm just sleep walkin' through my life.
It's like I'm swimmin' in an ocean of emotion,
But still, somehow, slowly goin' numb inside.
I don't like who I'm becomin', I know I've gotta do somethin',
Before my life passes right by.
I want to cry like the rain, cry like the rain,
Shine like the sun on a beautiful mornin'.
Sing to the heavens like a church bell ringin',
Fight with the devil an' go down swingin'.
Fly like a bird, roll like a stone,
Love like I ain't afraid to be alone.
Take everything that this world has to give,
I wanna live.
Sometimes I wonder why I work so hard to guard my heart.
Well, I hardly feel anything at all.
I've spent my whole life buildin' up this ivory tower.
And now that I'm in it, I keep wishin' it would fall.
So I can feel the ground beneath me, really taste this air I'm breathin',
And know that I'm alive.
I want to cry like the rain, cry like the rain,
Shine like the sun on a beautiful mornin'.
Sing to the heavens like a church bell ringin',
Fight with the devil an' go down swingin'.
Fly like a bird, roll like a stone,
Love like I ain't afraid to be alone.
Take everything that this world has to give,
I wanna live,
I wanna live.
Somethin' deep inside keeps sayin life is like a vapor,
It's gone in just the twinklin' of an eye.
I want to cry like the rain, cry like the rain,
Shine like the sun on a beautiful mornin'.
Sing to the heavens like a church bell ringin',
Fight with the devil an' go down swingin'.
Fly like a bird, roll like a stone,
Love like I ain't afraid to be alone.
Take everything that this world has to give.
I wanna take every breath I can get,
I wanna live.
It is so perfect for my situation right now. I am so tired of just sitting around, waiting for things to happen and waiting for life to pass me by. I want to get off my ass and actually make life HAPPEN. As Josh Gracin sings, "I want to take every breath I can get"! So this is now called my "I Want to Live" Campaign! Because I WANT TO LIVE! I want to enjoy life. I want to make the most out of what I can. I don't want to cut it short by living unhealthily and just sitting around watching TV. I can't promise I will always be positive and I CAN promise that it won't always be easy or that I won't always be this motivated. But then I will read these first few posts and I will make a list of WHY I want to live and hopefully that will keep driving me!
And I'm not letting this stop at fitness and eating healthier. I want to devote myself more to my husband and family. I want to walk in fund-raising walks to earn money for good causes and get healthy at the same time! I want to throw myself into my students and make sure that they have an energetic, enthusiastic teacher. I want to be a better friend. And I don't want to be a "Negative Nellie". I really want to keep this up and I really need you to hold me accountable! That doesn't meant hat I can't have a post once in a while that is down about what I am going through, because life is hard. But every single post won't be hard anymore.
I want to LIVE!
And to think I almost changed the MP3 player when the song came on.
Here are the lyrics:
Sometimes I feel like I need to shake myself, to wake myself:
I feel like I'm just sleep walkin' through my life.
It's like I'm swimmin' in an ocean of emotion,
But still, somehow, slowly goin' numb inside.
I don't like who I'm becomin', I know I've gotta do somethin',
Before my life passes right by.
I want to cry like the rain, cry like the rain,
Shine like the sun on a beautiful mornin'.
Sing to the heavens like a church bell ringin',
Fight with the devil an' go down swingin'.
Fly like a bird, roll like a stone,
Love like I ain't afraid to be alone.
Take everything that this world has to give,
I wanna live.
Sometimes I wonder why I work so hard to guard my heart.
Well, I hardly feel anything at all.
I've spent my whole life buildin' up this ivory tower.
And now that I'm in it, I keep wishin' it would fall.
So I can feel the ground beneath me, really taste this air I'm breathin',
And know that I'm alive.
I want to cry like the rain, cry like the rain,
Shine like the sun on a beautiful mornin'.
Sing to the heavens like a church bell ringin',
Fight with the devil an' go down swingin'.
Fly like a bird, roll like a stone,
Love like I ain't afraid to be alone.
Take everything that this world has to give,
I wanna live,
I wanna live.
Somethin' deep inside keeps sayin life is like a vapor,
It's gone in just the twinklin' of an eye.
I want to cry like the rain, cry like the rain,
Shine like the sun on a beautiful mornin'.
Sing to the heavens like a church bell ringin',
Fight with the devil an' go down swingin'.
Fly like a bird, roll like a stone,
Love like I ain't afraid to be alone.
Take everything that this world has to give.
I wanna take every breath I can get,
I wanna live.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The gym
I went to the gym today. My second day (in almost a row... it wasn't open when I was able to go yesterday) after becoming determined. I felt so great walking out, knowing that even though I didn't want to go I still went.
I did everything I wanted to do, which means I didn't lose as much as I thought I lost from a few months ago. I was able to do all of my ab routine, I was able to do all of my treadmill time at the right speed, which means there will be nowhere to go but UP from there! And I even added an arm weight. I didn't go on it last time because every time I went to use it someone was sitting on the machine... just relaxing, not lifting, talking to the person on the machine next to them... ie preventing ME from lifting with that machine! But I did it!
Now, today being Easter, I can't say I ate the healthiest. Sigh. I am going to hide the Easter candy. I won't get ride of it. But I will put it somewhere where I actually have to work to get it, which means I need to be determined, which means that if I do get it I will actually NEED that piece of candy because I was determined enough to climb somewhere for it. (I just hope that my husband doesn't mind, because I bought it for him too!) And I will have apples readily available. :)
I did everything I wanted to do, which means I didn't lose as much as I thought I lost from a few months ago. I was able to do all of my ab routine, I was able to do all of my treadmill time at the right speed, which means there will be nowhere to go but UP from there! And I even added an arm weight. I didn't go on it last time because every time I went to use it someone was sitting on the machine... just relaxing, not lifting, talking to the person on the machine next to them... ie preventing ME from lifting with that machine! But I did it!
Now, today being Easter, I can't say I ate the healthiest. Sigh. I am going to hide the Easter candy. I won't get ride of it. But I will put it somewhere where I actually have to work to get it, which means I need to be determined, which means that if I do get it I will actually NEED that piece of candy because I was determined enough to climb somewhere for it. (I just hope that my husband doesn't mind, because I bought it for him too!) And I will have apples readily available. :)
My Goals
Well, I'm starting to feel very frustrated with myself. I've always struggled with self esteem issues. In high school I went through a lot, as I am sure every high school girl has dealt with a bit. I don't want to get into everything I went through because it was in the past and it won't help me move forward to rehash it. I've changed a lot since high school and my confidence has grown, but not to where I'd like it to be and I have been analyzing WHY it isn't where I want it to be and a lot boils down to my appearance. Now, I don't consider myself ugly, but I don't see myself as beautiful. I am coming off of a "fat WEEK" (not just fat day), and my self esteem really took a hit this week. I also think that the weight I put on since high school may have an effect on our fertility problems, although they probably aren't the entire source, but it isn't helping!
So here it goes. I am adding to my blog. I plan on blogging about my progress. I plan on blogging about going to the gym and my workout routines, etc. I plan on blogging about the extras I do on top of going to the gym (ie walking the dogs, working in the garden, hiking, golfing, playing sports, etc). I will also blog about some of the healthier things that I eat. I can't promise that I will change 100% of how I eat because my husband is going to be hard to change. He holds strong to being a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so we will see how I can do with the eating thing. If anything, I will narrow down portions, and make most of my snacking good snacking (though I'm a chocoholic, but I will be limiting myself to one small piece a day) and try to make my lunches very healthy. I will also be blogging about my downfalls. What did I do that day that took me two steps back from where I was? I think it will help to hold me accountable.
I also have goal to run a 5k in the fall. I shared about this goal in the past and it is still real. I had a few downfalls with the gym. I was very faithful and then student teaching threw me for a loop and my schedule was 100% out of whack! Then I got back into it and sprained my ankle. Now I am back. I will be working up to running... I am walking for 20 minutes on the treadmill very fast a day, plus doing some lifting. I hope soon I will extend it to 30 minutes on the treadmill. And then start to run. And hopefully work it up to a 5k length so that I know I can at least endure running that long. Oh, did I mention I *HATE* to run????? But I have to do it! I know I do!
I am doing this for my husband, so he can have a healthy wife. I am doing it for my family to have a healthy family member. I am doing it for my angel in heaven and my future children, so they can have a healthy mother. But most of all I am doing it for ME!
Please support me!
So here it goes. I am adding to my blog. I plan on blogging about my progress. I plan on blogging about going to the gym and my workout routines, etc. I plan on blogging about the extras I do on top of going to the gym (ie walking the dogs, working in the garden, hiking, golfing, playing sports, etc). I will also blog about some of the healthier things that I eat. I can't promise that I will change 100% of how I eat because my husband is going to be hard to change. He holds strong to being a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so we will see how I can do with the eating thing. If anything, I will narrow down portions, and make most of my snacking good snacking (though I'm a chocoholic, but I will be limiting myself to one small piece a day) and try to make my lunches very healthy. I will also be blogging about my downfalls. What did I do that day that took me two steps back from where I was? I think it will help to hold me accountable.
I also have goal to run a 5k in the fall. I shared about this goal in the past and it is still real. I had a few downfalls with the gym. I was very faithful and then student teaching threw me for a loop and my schedule was 100% out of whack! Then I got back into it and sprained my ankle. Now I am back. I will be working up to running... I am walking for 20 minutes on the treadmill very fast a day, plus doing some lifting. I hope soon I will extend it to 30 minutes on the treadmill. And then start to run. And hopefully work it up to a 5k length so that I know I can at least endure running that long. Oh, did I mention I *HATE* to run????? But I have to do it! I know I do!
I am doing this for my husband, so he can have a healthy wife. I am doing it for my family to have a healthy family member. I am doing it for my angel in heaven and my future children, so they can have a healthy mother. But most of all I am doing it for ME!
Please support me!
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