Thursday, July 28, 2011

I didnt disappear

My mom was in town and then we went to Maine to visit my cousin.  She lives in the mountains.  It was the best time ever.  It was a truly relaxing vaacation that me and the hubs (and our kids) totally enjoyed.  There really wasnt any place to run though.  Its odd because I suppose I could have *found* somewhere to run on her 20 acres but it just didnt seem natural to run on non paved wooded land with no paths or trails.  So instead we ate lots of ice cream, drank some wine, and ate very very yummy food.  Now, keep in mind that before I went I was in the middle of my half marathon training schedule and was already up about 10 lbs from my lowest weight.  I was disappointed to see the scale said 183 when I got home.  That is 22 lbs up from my lowest.  Ugh.  It just doesnt seem deserved.  Who gains that much weight that fast?  I just dont get my body. 

My pants were snug by the time I left.  My joints all hurt for some reason and it has taken me most of this week of being home to start to feel better.  It was a very valuable learning lesson for me to realize that how I was eating was making my body physically hurt.  Interesting right?  I am happy to say that I am back on track and back into full swing of my half marathon training schedule.  I might backpedal a few weeks because my friend decided that she might run the half marathon with me!  She is a few weeks behind me on the schedule.  And, I have extra weeks from when the schedule ends and the time of the half.

I am so excited that I now have a running partner on some days!  I never thought I could run with a friend and manage to talk instead of using my Ipod.  But we have been running together several times during the past few weeks and its been great!   I think she is hooked!  She did 4 miles the other day and was so proud of herself!  And I was so proud too!  She was so proud that she went home and signed us up for a 5K this weekend!  We checked out the route yesterday and it was very hilly and also seems to be smaller scale than the ones I have done before.  So it will be interesting.  Our hubbies and 5 girls are going to watch and have even made us signs.  How great to have a support systems!  She is already looking at other races we can run and is considering the half in October with me! 

Here are some pics of our trip to the mountains:
This goat loved to give kisses!  He is so sweet!



Me and the chicken.  She is so cute.



At the beach.

Sunset

At the lake 

She was so happy to see me in the morning!  I brought her grapes  :)

We went on quadding

sparkly water

Ahhh...the ocean.

So peaceful.

What a view.

Loved this beach.

So thats it for now. Yup, obviously I love animals and really enjoyed our time at my cousins house.  My hubs is an animal person too.  I am trying to convince him to let me get goats (just two!) and maybe some chickens...  He isnt really going for it.  But I will keep working on it!  I loved going out everyday and getting the chicken egg!  And her goats (not the milking kind) were so adorable and loving!  I am a country girl at heart for sure.  I am now wishing we had more than an acre of land.  Maybe someday!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

My Birthday Surprise!

Yesterday was my birthday.  I got up and went for a 4 mile run with the hubs since my mom is in town and stayed with the girls.  It was so hot and humid and I hated every last second of it.  I ran a little faster pace than usual for me (avg 11 ish min/mile).  I was happy when we were done.  Here we are:
Before(we just got up!)

After- ewww, yet I loved it!

Then we made a plan to go to the waterfalls.  Its so pretty there and my mom has never been.  Here it is:
the top

Nana and the girls


Me and the hubs

Then we headed home for some yummy pizza and my bday cakes.  There were two.  We couldnt decide so we got both(and it now all makes sense)!  So when I got home I see cars in my driveway and streamers in the trees!  A surprise party!  For me?!!!  I was so excited and touched that I have such a wonderful hubby and friends.  Here's some pics:
This is what I saw when I pulled up!

I hung the balloons on the mailbox so people didnt think my house was vandalized...hehe.

I gotta say I am a little disappointed by the rollage going on in my midsection here... but hey....I am working on it.

My awesome buds!

So we hung out, had some pizza and cake.

This cake was too cool not to get...

Then we had some smores and the kids caught fireflies.

Then everyone left and the hubs and I enjoyed some time by the fire.

And here are some pics from my long 6 mile run on Sunday.  I kept the pace slow as the book says to do it and it was great.


This little frog was just sitting in the road...not moving even when I came toward him.  I knew a car would get him if I didnt intervene so I took his picture and then picked him up and put him in the grass :)

So there you have it!  That has been my last few days in the way of pictures!  Hope you are all doing well.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Kelly wants more sweaty pics

Since I did my 2 mile run last night I figured I would wait until tomorrow morning to do my 4 mile run.  I prefer to run in the morning outside.  But tonight my hubs said he was going to work out and I decided it would be fun to hang with him.  Plus I figured I could get the run "out of the way" and not have to worry about getting it done in the morning.  So I hopped on the treadmill.  I did two miles at 6.5 mph and then a mile at 5mph.  The last mile I went back to 6 mph until the last minute when I did 8mph.  I was sweating something fierce.  Kelly wants more sweaty pics...so here they are.



Of course the last two pictures were taken after I caught my breath and could stand in an upright position again!   It was a tough run.  I pushed myself again.  Its just who I am I guess.  Its easier to push myself on the treadmill because there are numbers staring back at me.  When outside I use the garmin watch but unlike the treadmill my speed varies minute to minute.  Todays run was 4 miles in 41:55.  605 calories burned according to the treadmill.  But in all seriousness, while its nice to push myself once in a while I found that I really wasnt enjoying the run.  Going that fast too often is just too much for me.  I am more of a 12 minute mile girl (5mph).  That is my comfort zone and I can enjoy the run at that speed.  Today I couldnt wait for the run to end.  So, I will keep my speed workouts limited to my once a week two mile run. 

After my run I knew I needed some sort of protein.  I had already consumed my calories for the day.  But I am learning just how important recovery is, especially when you push yourself.  So I asked the hubs to share one with me.  Here's what we had:

Its one of the bigger ones I have tried and therefore had more calories and protein.  But since we split it that was fine.  However, while I enjoyed the taste of it initially, the aftertaste was awful.  I will not buy this one again.  In the second pic I stuck some of the other samples I am trying out.  I have tried a few different protein drinks and  have found some really tasty ones.

Well, thats it for tonight.  Hopefully I can sleep.  It seems that when I run at night I usually have a hard time sleeping.  I wonder if thats common?

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Pushing myself

I have been in the habit of running regularly now for several weeks.   Before that I took a break partially because I am not a fan of treadmill running.  But really that was an excuse.  Before "my break" is when I first began running and even did my first 5k...and then did two more shortly after.  My normal runs were 2 or 3 miles with a 4 miler thrown in here or there but not very often.  My best 5k time was 30:38.  My timing nowadays for 3.1 miles is like 36-38 minutes. 

So that got me thinking. What the heck?  I have been running regularly (on a schedule even).  Miles and miles.  And yet my times arent even close.  Is it because the weather is warmer than it was at those times?  Is it just that I lost some of my pizaaaz along the way?  Am I not pushing myself hard enough to improve?   I decided that on my optional two mile run days (once a week) that I will work on speed.  Then it dawned on me that maybe I should use my treadmill to ensure that I am keeping a consistent speed and really pushing myself.  I guess I just figured that all these miles that I am building would increase my speed but I guess not.  Tonight on the treadmill I set it at 6mph (10 min /mile) and told myself I would do my 2 miles at that speed.  What a difference at this speed.  I burned 300 calories for two miles.  I even did 8 mph for the last minute! I was sweating like crazy.  It was drippiing off of me onto the treadmill.  Ewww...yet so exciting at the same time! I had pushed myself and it felt good even though I was really struggling during it.  Like I always say... no matter how I feel during a run I always feel great after! Here is a picture of me (Kelly style) after my two miles.


nope...thats not a necklace  :) 

Having said that...I have been reading my running books and because this is my first half marathon I should only be focusing on finishing and not on speed.  So as for my long runs I will do them at a very comfortable pace.  Plus, I want running to be enjoyable most of the time.  Most of the info I have read actually suggests you run slower than your normal pace on a long run.  Interesting. 

It seems that I have lost a follower.  This happens now and then and thats fine.  But I joked to myself that maybe it was because there was another ice cream lover out there who was in denial about my post yesterday!  hehe.  I tell you, I am still heartbroken having learned how many calories are in one of my favorite things  :(  

 

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Well that explains it all...

I have posted about how I have been enjoying a lot of ice cream this summer.  And on some days I even got two :(  Yup.  Sometimes at different times in the day, and sometimes right after I finished the first.  I guess I didnt see the harm in it.  If I ever buy ice cream at the grocery store I always buy the light 90 calories per serving stuff.   That way if I eat two servings its not the end of the world.  I guess I never realized the damage I was doing by frequenting these ice cream parlors(and there have been many). 

Until today.

I had a conversation with my mom a few days back, and then the same conversation with my husband on another day, about my recent and sudden weight gain. They each suggested to me (separately) that it was all the ice cream I have been eating.  I thought no way!  Until today.  I went to an online calorie website and saw that one of my favorite types of ice cream (mint chocolate cookie) has a whopping 260 calories per 1/2 cup serving!!!!!!!!!

WHAT?!?!?!?!

Well that explains it all.  Let me make it a little more clear.  When I go for ice cream I dont get a little cone with a small amount of ice cream.  No.  I get the big waffle cone with chocolate and sprinkles on it, in size large which easily has a full cup to a cup and a half of ice cream on top of that bad boy.  Oh...and sprinkles.  Cant forget those.  The waffle cone alone apparently has 160 calories in it!   OMG!  No wonder I have put on 15 darn pounds!!!!!  

If I calculate it right, a full cup of ice cream (and I am sure many of my cones had more than a cup) in a waffle cone with sprinkles is.....700 calories. 

Is there really anything left to say?

Nope.

Other than I expect to see a drop in my weight with the removal of ice cream from my diet on a daily basis!  I will leave this tasty treat as just that...a treat, as in once in a while.  Can you imagine my weight gain if I hadnt been running?!!!

Lesson learned.   Did you all know this or am I the only naive one?   I feel almost heartbroken!


Monday, July 4, 2011

Another long run done!

We went to camp this weekend.  It was a nice time.  I had a 5 mile run on the schedule for Sunday morning.  My husband decided to come with me which I love.  Its amazing to me how much training I am doing to be able to go farther and farther every week and he just pops in on my long runs like its no big deal.  He has never been much of a runner but has been through a few police academies and I am pretty sure that has helped him.  He is a almost a foot taller than me so our paces are much different.  So when he comes running with me he runs at my pace.  He says if he was running at his pace he probably wouldnt be able to run longer distances.  I really enjoy his company when we get to run together.  We dont speak much other than me flailing my fingers in his face to tell him how many miles we are at.  We both have our earphones in (with very different choices in music...hehe) but just having him next to me makes the run so much better.  He is a man of few words.  After we pounded fists after the run I asked him what he thought of the run.  His response?  "It was good."

Anyway...so we were at camp.  Where I have blogged before about  "that hill".  Its steep.  Nasty really.  I meant to take a picture of it but I forgot.  Anyway, we did the loop twice which means "that hill" twice.  The first time up it I had to walk for some of it.  I gave myself a minute.  And then I went right back to running.  The second time around the loop which was around 3 miles into the run, I figured I would really be struggling.  So I told myself not to look ahead at how far I had to go but to focus on the ground directly in front of me.  I took very small steps as I jogged.  To my surprise I made it to the top before I allowed myself to walk for a minute!  whoo hoo!  Those were the only two walk breaks I took during the run.  The hubs didnt need to walk at all.  Superman I tell ya...

When all was said and done the run ended up being 5.5 miles.  It was humid out and I was sweaty.  It felt good.  My hubby's shirt was drenched.  It felt great!  We went inside and had a protein drink.  I realized the other day that things really have changed when my three year old was talking to me about protein drinks...haha.  And just today my four year old told me that when she gets bigger she wants to run with me.  How stinking cute. 

I did a lot of walking this past week along with my many miles of running.  Which is a good thing because again, my food choices were less than stellar this holiday weekend.  But I am not going to dwell on it and I am going to move on.  I realize that I need to make better food choices and I am going to the store tomorrow morning to stock the fridge  :)  I have to keep reminding myself that good food choices will really maximize my results...both in running and in my weight loss journey.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Still at it...

I am still at it.  3.5 miles today.  I received two of the three running books that I ordered.  I am in the middle of Jeff Galloway's "Half Marathon:  You can do it".  Its a good book but I find myself lost sometimes and having to go back to understand it.  It would be so much easier if I could just *see* how to do the drills.  But overall I am learning a lot of interesting things.  Like walk breaks... I dont take walk breaks but he makes it sound like it is actually better for you to do so and will actually improve your running.  So, its good to know that I can if I want to and I will play around with this "run, walk, run" technique in one of my shorter runs and see how it affects me.  Also, he says that for a first half marathon I should NOT concentrate on time at all, but instead to concentrate on finishing.  I wish I could get that through my stubborn head.  I dont really consider myself competetive, only with myself I guess.  For those of you who have done half marathons....did you walk at all?   Also interesting is that his training schedule is different than the one that I am following (Hal Higdons).

My eating has been better.  I wont say perfect, but better.  I am trying to find that happy medium between what I should eat and how I was eating while also incorporating protein drinks into my calorie allowance.  But it feels good to know that running is surely only helping the shape of my body.  I went back into my old journal that I used when I was calorie counting.  I realized very quickly that I probably hit a plateau because I was eating a lot of the same things day after day.  I am working on changing it up so my body doesnt get bored.

I havent been on the scale since my huge gain the last time (15lbs!).  But between TOM finally coming and my improved eating my body is already feeling so much less bloated and nasty.  Now thats a good feeling :)  It amazes me that I was so unhappy with myself that I couldnt get below 160 and now that I am over 175 I wish I could be 160 again!   Its one of those little lessons learned.  I need to learn to accept and appreciate the little successes along the way.

Hope you all have a great weekend.  Here is a picture of our Sugar boating :)

watching her daddy!