Gulf Wars, Randomness, and Slacking

Still having sinus issues. I go see an ENT on Monday.

Gulf Wars was fun. Friday I dressed as 14th century, which is way later than I usually dress (Anglo-Saxon or Viking). I think I will be more comfortable with it once I figure out how to deal with the veil. My cotehardie is already a little big for me - I will have to take it up before I wear it again - you can tell how it puckers under my belt.



Totally random item #1: I got a pair of the Sketchers Shape-ups shoes. I have been wearing my running shoes to school and I want to save them for running, so I thought I would try these and see what they are like. I doubt ALL the claims they make in their propaganda pamphlet are true, but they were comfortable enough for me to buy.

Totally random item #2: I got the Eat Clean Diet book. Sounds interesting. I might try to incorporate some of it into my life. I just started reading it.

Totally random item #3: I got a bike helmet and Joe bought stuff to fix our bike tires - yay!

Totally random item #4: I got a bunch of seeds for herbs and veggies (I got, I got, I got - can you tell we got our income tax refund?) and I am going to try my hand at growing something. Maybe I have outgrown my 'black thumb' and they will actually live.

I have hardly exercised the past few days. Monday I did circuit and yoga for a total of 2 hours at my new gym. Tuesday was 1/2 hour of wii fit. Wed. was 1 hour yoga. Thursday I did nothing. Friday I did about 2 minutes on the treadmill and then started tidying up my random exercise stuff. Today Miss Priss and I walked around a nearby wildlife refuge for about 2 hours, but it was slow walking (short six-year-old legs!). I totally blew off the Couch to 5K I planned to do Friday. I WILL do it tomorrow. I am going to chalk it all up to getting over the crud and being a little run down. I also think week 4 scares me.

I really want to get back on the bandwagon - I feel like I've fallen off. I think part of the problem is we are having a huge high school art show at a local gallery this week and I have been focusing on that, and I haven't had time for SparkPeople like I normally do. I am hoping tomorrow to have a little time to catch up with what all my SparkFriends have been doing this week. I really enjoy seeing what everyone is up to, and I miss it and kind of get mopey without it.

Sinus Issues

I had a good time at Gulf Wars. We left Sat. afternoon since it was supposed to rain Sat. night and we didn't want to have to pack up a wet camp Sunday. Got home late last night. I have a raging sinus infection - I am about to go to the Dr. in a few minutes.

I am so frustrated - as soon as I get over one, I get another! I have tried allergy medicines, a neti pot, and trying to stay away from stuff that I know sets me off (like smoke). I probably have one now from all the campfire smoke.

Good Things

Good thing #1 - Yesterday I finally got up the nerve to tell my husband that since I like the Wii boxing & Gold's Gym Cardio Boxing so much, I wanted a punching bag. I knew we couldn't get a new one, and my brother got one a few years ago that I don't think he uses. So I told Joe that I wanted to ask my brother if he'd sell me his. Joe told me that he had one in his car that his stepdad gave him to get rid of. He was going to take it to his work (the Habitat ReStore). So he gave it to me instead! Joe took me to the local sports store & got me some pink boxing gloves.

Good thing #2 - I am losing weight - the weigh-ins are going well.

Good thing #3 - I did Week 3, Day 1 of Couch to 5K today with no trouble. After I finished I continued to walk for the rest of 5K. Same as last time - 55 min. but I know during my intervals I was walking pretty slow to catch my breath. At least it didn't take longer than last time!

Hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!

I Did It! Neener, Neener, Neener!

Today my daughter had a 2 hour activity across the street from a park with a 1.5 mile walking trail. I did Week 2, Day 3 of Couch to 5K after not having done it for several days (I did day 2 Friday of last week, and couldn't finish running the last interval & a half). I did it no problem! I do SO MUCH BETTER outside than on the treadmill. Not only did I finish Week 2, but I walked around the track 2 more times to take up the full 2 hours.

I saw a little old lady using a metal detector under a swingset.

I think I might have been going the wrong way on the track - I was constantly meeting people going the other way. I only saw one jogger and one bicyclist going the same direction as I was. But all the mile signs were facing me, so I don't know.

I am so thankful for Podrunner Intervals. I think one of the reasons I do better outside is that I'm not watching the seconds on the treadmill and waiting for the running portion to end. When I'm outside and feel like I can't go on during the running part, I say to myself, "if I make it to that trash can and it hasn't given me the signal to switch to walking, I'll go ahead and stop." Then, when I get to the trash can, I think, "surely, it'll be over by the time I get to that light post." And it always is. I can hold out just a little longer when I can't actually count the seconds.

I am ready for Week 3!

Off Track and Okay

I am feeling much better about my exercise issues. I didn't like falling behind on the Couch to 5K, but the comments I got on SparkPeople made me feel better. I kept feeling the pressure to 'make up' what I had missed and 'catch up' on my schedule, but last night I was exhausted and gave myself permission to lay off the exercise until I'm not coughing so much.

It made me a little nervous, because I had missed exercising and we had gone out for dinner (first time since I re-started Spark) and I was thinking, "here it comes, I'm going to go back to my old habits, going out to eat, not counting calories, not exercising."

But I only ate 3 chips/salsa and I didn't order cheese dip, and I drank water, and yesterday I stocked up on some more healthy food. I didn't 'fall off the bandwagon!' I am keeping within my calorie range and I will start back exercising this week when I feel better.

I have to learn that it's not all-or-nothing. I think I'm doing what I need to do.

Setback

I am beginning to learn my limitations. I am having trouble with Week 2 of the Couch to 5K program. Here is what I have done so far:

Wed., 2/24 – W1D1 (Week1, Day 1), did okay. Walked 4.0 Km/hr, ran 6.0 Km/hr. 2.0 Km/30 min. total.

Fri., 2/26 – W1D2, did okay. Walked 3.2 Km/hr, ran 6.2 Km/hr. 2.0 Km/30 min. total.

Sun., 2/28 – W1D3, did great. Outside, so don’t know speed, but did over 2.6 Km/30 min. total. Kept walking and did 5K total in 55 min.

Tues., 3/2 – Sick with sinus infection.

Wed., 3/3 – Went to the Dr., still sick, did W2D1 anyway, one day behind schedule. Walked 4.5 Km/hr, ran 6.5 Km/hr. Had to hold on to the front of the treadmill twice. ‘Speed walked’ the last two running intervals instead of running. Felt awful afterward. My head was full of pressure and I had a raging headache. Not sure if it was caused by the sinus infection or maybe my blood pressure was up? Will exercise raise your blood pressure? I know some of the decongestants that I am taking may raise it.

Fri., 3/5 – Got up super early so I can get back on my schedule. Still one day behind. I figure if I am supposed to have a rest day between sets and I am behind a day, I can do W2D2 early Friday morning and W2D3 late Saturday evening and be back on schedule. Started out great – walked 4.5 Km/hr, ran 6.7 Km/hr (this is actually more comfortable than the 6.5, which seems too slow. Also, the faster pace won’t allow me to ‘speed walk.’), and I made it almost all the way through. Halfway through the next-to-last running interval, I had to stop. I felt like I was going to throw up. I walked the rest of the half hour, still got 2.1 Km in. I was shaky for a little while afterward.

I don’t know if it is because I am just so out of shape, or if it is the sinus infection and medicine that is causing me the trouble. I am hoping it is the latter, but since that’s pretty much only affecting my head & sinuses, I think it may just be that I need more time. Also, I think I sped up my walking interval too fast. I’m not getting my breathing as controlled as I would like it between running sets.

I am still going to do W2D3 tomorrow (Sat.) evening. That will get me back on my schedule. It should be lovely weather outside, and I seem to do better outside than on the treadmill. If it is as easy as W1D3 then I will go on to Week 3 next week. I will probably slow my walking portion down to 4.0 Km/hr. to make sure I can catch my breath between running intervals. If I have trouble, I guess I will have to stay on Week 2 until I can do it. I will be a little disappointed, but I’ll get over it. It might actually be good for me to have a setback, because I have been afraid that I would ‘fall off the bandwagon’ but I don’t think I will.

If I am able to stay on track, there is a local 5K run that happens on my last day of the Couch to 5K program. If I don’t stay on track, there’s another race Memorial Day. That’s still over a month before my main goal of running a 5K by the end of June, so it will be okay.

What’s funny is right now, I feel great! I am excited about running outside tomorrow. I hope I am over the sinus crud so I can enjoy it.