It's about damn time!!!

I finally bought my most important piece of running gear yesterday.  Yes, shoes are obviously important and a necessity but I've been lacking something else for too long.  I needed a sports bra to hold these bad boys up and in for a looooong time.  And since I was having a case of the Mondays I decided to brighten my own day with an early birthday splurge at the running store. :)

I knew right away what bra I wanted since I've been researching online for a couple months now.  I bought a Moving Comfort Juno sports bra in black.  This bad boy feels like a suit of armor.

Wish I looked like this in the bra.  One day...

Then I decided to continue to look around at some cold weather running gear.  I run in the same Nike capri running tights EVERY DAY.  I try to wash them after every run but let's be honest, sometimes things happen and I end up having to wear them twice before washing.  Trust me, I even gross myself out but what's a girl to do.  Running pants aren't cheap.  A couple of weeks ago my running pants were dirty (aka worn 2x without washing) so I decided to wear some Nike running shorts instead and I was gone for not even 5 minutes before I had to turn around and run back home to change into the smelly, still sweaty, running pants.  Couldn't take it.  The last thing I need when I'm trying to keep my body running is to be thinking about how uncomfortable my clothes are and be digging shorts out of my crotch.  Pretty hard to stay in the zone.  I tried on a few different pairs of running pants that the nice sales lady, Kathy, suggested for me.  I told her I am used to running in "tights" (I guesss that's what they call running pants that are tight all the way down the leg) because often the waist on a straight leg pant will ride on me or move and I end up pulling at it, etc.  I have this problem because it's hard for me to find pants that fit around my waist that still fit on my butt and thighs because I carry most of my weight in my stomach.  I'm glad I tried on Kathy's suggestions anyway because I ended up loving the Moving Comfort Fearless pant and the waist is high (sexy I know) and it has a thick elastic band at the top so hopefully it won't give me any problems as I run.

Yep, that's my stomach. :)

I wassssss going to stop there.  I swear I was.  But they had so many cute thermal tops and trust me, I need one of those too.  I've been wearing my very old and very thin black Northface fleece over a t-shirt to run when it is cold outside. Not cutting it for many reasons.  1. It's black and has no reflectors on it. 2. Not water repellant. 3. Not very warm (very old and extremely thin) 4. It's my everyday jacket and only "winter" coat so like my running pants, it doesn't get washed as often as it should.  So I bought this lovely thermal top from Nike:

Nike Element Thermal Hoodie

I wore the bra and Nike top yesterday during my run and both were great.  I don't know how I ran with my old sports bra before. (I would have to wear TWO and it still wasn't cutting it!)  Going to test out the new pants right now when I do the Zumba Strength and Toning DVD.  We'll see if they ride, fall, move, twist as I lunge, salsa and thrust my pelvis.  :)

Uh Oh?

I absolutely hate this time of the week.  Sunday night, getting ready for bed, thinking about Monday and how much it's going to BLOW when that alarm goes off at 6 am (ok...and 6:25) and it's time to go back to work.  That has not changed in the past 4 weeks.  But what HAS changed in the past 4 weeks is how I am starting to look at food.  Emphasis on "starting".  As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I had a really good week this week.  I ate well and I worked my ass off and it paid off.  I'm down another 4.5 lbs!!!  Yep...and then comes Sunday.  Since yesterday I weighed in and I worked out I decided that I deserved to slack off a little bit today.  It started with McDonald's breakfast.  1.5 breakfast sammies, a hashbrown and a peppermint mocha (with skim milk because I was obviously counting calories!)  I'd also like to note here that it wasn't even that good.  Just saying.  But did it stop me from eating it? Hell no.  Then a few hours later I had some chips and guacamole.  Then a couple hours after that I had a homemade meatball sandwich, baked potato and salad for dinner.  Then a few hours after that a piece of cheese pizza.  Followed by some more chips and guacamole.  And here you have me: bloated, gassy, ashamed and full of regret.  I spent too many days over the past 28 years eating like I did today and where did it get me?  Unhappy and very overweight.  And it wasn't even worth it.  That's all I keep thinking.  It wasn't like I was eating at some five star, once in a lifetime restaurant in Europe. McDonald's and a meatball sandwich for cryin' out loud!!!  I even said to my boyfriend at one point post gluttony, "I don't miss feeling like this after I've eaten".  And that's the truth.  I hate it.  It's a miserable feeling that sits with you for hours after you've filled your body with crap.  Nothing compared to that feeling I had when I ran 5 miles this week.  I know I still have 71 lbs to go but I can FEEL the changes in my body as I've been running this week and that feeling is one of the best I have ever felt.  Even with the 70+ lbs of extra weight I have felt stronger and leaner and...confident.  And eating like an asshole today just sucks.  Could I have indulged in one thing today? Sure.  But I didn't need to go bat shit crazy the whole day because now I'm going to be spending the next 2-3 days working off ONE DAY of eating instead of adding to my current 16 lb weight loss.  Frus-trat-ing.

Back at it tomorrow and determined to have another successful week.  If Da Bears could recover today and pull out a 1 pt victory then I sure as hell can too!!  Go Bears!

71 Fat Ones To Go! (pun intended)

Down 4.5 lbs this week! Holler for a dollar! I'm really happy to see that big, solid number because I really worked hard for it this week. Tracked my food, worked out 5 out of 7 days and am chugging along on my Couch to 10K program.

I didn't elaborate on it the other day because I was sort of speechless but Thursday I ran 5 miles and I ran them "well". Don't kid yourself, I hated every step of it and couldn't wait for it to be over but I didn't feel as though I was going to die like I have so many times before. As I reached the 5 mile point, I could feel myself losing my breath. Not from the run but because I was getting choked up. 5 miles. Tears streamed down my face. I couldn't believe it. 5 miles.

I'm excited to continue to push myself and see what I can do. The past 4 weeks have been a challenge but definitely not impossible and as long as I keep getting results, I'll keep moving this ass. :)

Short Lived Celebration.

I ran 5 miles today.

Have I mentioned today is Friday?!?!

I may have left my coffee at home this morning but that's not enough to break my spirit today because... It's FRIDAY! I live for Fridays! I long for Fridays! Fridays mark the return of my sanity (at least I'd like to believe so) and SLEEP! Shout out to Friday! HOLLA!!

Ok enough already.  :) Yesterday was a really good day.  Nothing super special or major, just one of those days where everyone and everything seem to be on the same page and headed in the same direction.  Affirmation that the future is bright as long as we keep reaching for it.  That's all someone can really hope for.  Not going to lie, the beginning of the week I didn't have very good days.  I was losing it mentally and breaking down 2-3 nights in a row.  Even now as I write this I can't put my finger on why (no, not my period).  I think it just comes down to communication.  It wasn't as if I felt as if I wasn't being heard, it was more of I wasn't able to express myself the way I wanted to and it was physically and mentally exhausting.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and feelings but has to be given the chance to express them without judgement.  I'm sure I'm guilty of not wanting to hear someone else's opinion.  Hell, I know I'm guilty of it.  Believe it or not, confrontation scares me.  It makes me mentally want to shut down and keep my feelings inside until they just explode. (Eureka.  Maybe that's what happened this week.) What exactly am I getting at here?  I'm not sure.  But all I know is that this personal journey that I've started to better myself physically will ultimately better every aspect of my life.  I won't feel as insecure as I often to.  I will have the confidence to tell someone how I feel without fear of being shut out or rejected because I won't need their validation, I will have my own.  I will fill my life with happiness and it will ultimately outshine any darkness and negativity that weighs on my heart.

Have I mentioned today is Friday?!?! Ok sorry, snapping myself out of the seriousness for a second! :)

Yesterday was a good eating day too.  Another fruit and yogurt parfait from McDs which is so tasty I can't take it.  I have a moment of sadness when it's all gone. :(

For lunch I had some chicken noodle soup from Mariano's.  Pretty tasty and low calories.  I think I need to start making my own soup.  In fact...yesterday I checked my mail for the first time in almost two weeks (bad, I know) and was thrilled to find...

I have a Cooking Light subscription and often flip through and mark recipes that look interesting but then I rarely make them.  However, this edition is like the best of the best and I want to make a bunch of things! Like loaded baked potato soup, a couple chocolate desserts, some mongolian beef stir fry, burgers... Monday will be my first Cooking Light dinner.  Mark.  My.  Words.

And like I've said before my runs are becoming a bit more difficult for me so I'm trying to run every other day and get in another workout in place of running so yesterday I did ZUMBA!  What Amy told me the other night about her leg muscles getting huge and her upper-body being nonexistent scared me so I think on my non-running days I'm going to do Zumba strength training.  I have both the old and new Zumba DVDs and it took me awhile to get used to the new ones because they are SO different but I actually do really like to do the cardio of those but I don't dig the new strength training as much.  It's divided into two 25-30 minute parts.  The first part is great but then the 2nd half is strength training with a chair in the middle of the room.  Backstreet Boy style, dancing around it, straddling it, spinning it, etc.  My place is not big enough for those shenanigans and I just can't get into it soooooo I did the older version of the strength training which is good and I think other days I'll do the first half of the newer version and then do the Zumba ab dvd or something.  We'll see.

Beto and his bitches shakin' their toning sticks.

Dinner was a 6 inch ham sub from Subway and some sour cream and onion baked lays.  They didn't have BBQ baked lays.  BBQ are wayyyyy better.  Oh and a beef jerkey stick at about 8:30/9 pm because I was hungry! But only 80 calories!

Ok that's all for now.  I need to start getting on with the day as much as I'd like to just sit here on my couch and soak up the weekend.  Have I mentioned it's Friday?!? :)  And I have a big run this afternoon.  More intervals but instead of 10 minute runs....12 minute runs! I can do it!!!

Don't Sugar Coat It

The other day I said I had wished I took a picture of the football field I ran around as I envisioned myself being Rudy.  Here it is from my run today.  Now just imagine overcast, rainy and more leaves.

Thursday! More importantly, almost Friday!! I can't tell you how much I need the weekend to catch up on some sleep. Very lacking this week.

Anyways, it has been unusually warm the past couple of days. We're talking 78-80 degrees! I've been trying to get my runs in during the day so I can enjoy the sun and warmth. Yesterday's Couch to 10k run was a repeat of the previous run. The one I had been dreading, remember? 50 minutes of intervals. Well I did it again yesterday and it still was hard but I have to admit, a teensy bit easier so that's something to be proud of. I might as well just suck it up and put the worries to the side because from here on out, the runs are getting significantly longer and more difficult.

Post run.Nothing to brag about here.  Didn't even want to post a full body pic but hopefully this can be considered my "before" and eventually there will be a foxy "after" months from now.

Super Super Delicious.  150 calories.  YUM

Snack Time.  Beef Jerky.  Jury is still out on this one.  I like it.   120 calories for the Jumbo (anywhere from 60-80 calories per serving)  High Protein.  Low Fat.  High Sodium though...

Last night I met up with my friend Amy for coffee after work. I haven't seen Amy in probably 10 years! We went to high school together and played softball together and I reached out to her recently because I saw on Facebook (shocker) that she was getting ready to run the Chicago Marathon. She's obviously not the only person I know that was running it or had run it, but I particularly wanted to talk to Amy about it because I don't exactly remember Amy being a "runner". Sorry, Amy. :) We joked last night as we reminisced that we used to bitch the whole time when we had to run one lap around the school during softball practice. Now...she's a marathon runner!

After we "caught up" on the last 10 years,  I had a million questions to ask her about the marathon. I literally considered writing down her answers but was trying to play it cool. Here are some of the million things I wanted to know:

Was she running before she decided to run the marathon? If so, how much and how often? She said up to 6 miles 5 days a week when she got serious about it.

When did she start training? May or June

Did she alter what she was eating at all or just eat normally? She ate pretty normally but obviously if she had a long run the next day she tried not to eat anything to greasy or heavy the night before but she didn't really make an extra effort to eat more protein or more/less calories, etc.

What did she wear? Shorts.  She usually runs in running pants but her friend told her to wear shorts because even though its so cold you will get too warm.  She said she felt like she was constantly pulling at her shorts. (I already know I'd have to wear spandex running pants.  Sexy.) She also wore a tank top with a track jacket that she ended up handing off to her parents in the crowd around mile 9 or so.  

Did she piss or shit herself? I heard that could happen. No but she had to pee a bunch of times.  Even stopped at mile 25 to pee! And she said to take Imodium before the race because that will help with the urge to deuce. Take advil or tylenol too.  She said you become so dehydrated the next couple of days that you don't shit at all.  (Good to know.)

Was she shitting her pants before the race? She said she could barely sleep the night before and was so scared.  Mile 8 she said she panicked and was on the verge of an anxiety attack because all she kept thinking about was how much more she had to go.  She said take it one mile at a time and don't think "ok now I have 16 miles left....13 miles left..." One mile at a time.  She also said that the friend that she ran with had run it two other times and she was still nervous her third time.  She said "I don't know what's worse.  Not knowing what to expect like the first time, or knowing what to expect!"  Uh oh.

What would she do differently? She said she knows that she could do better.  She said their goal was to run it in 4 hours and 45 min and they ended up finishing at 5 hours and 45 min.  (That means that they hoped to keep an 11 min mile pace and ended up averaging around 13 minutes per mile.) Also told me that she wasn't prepared for what happened to her body.  She said she gained so much muscle in her legs and her thighs especially got super big and her upper body lost weight but not muscle so she just felt disproportionate.  She would look into some upper body strength training in the future. Please, God, please don't let that happen to me.  I'm really doing this to lose weight so I'd hate to end up looking like a freak.  Not lying, even if I had completed 75% of the training I would probably scale back A LOT if my body ended up looking weird.  Don't get me wrong, I want to run a marathon but I'd rather have the body than the medal at the finish line.

Did she use body glide or something for chaffing? YES! Put it all over.  Your thighs, under the bands of your sports bra, the waistline or your pants/shorts and don't forget between your toes! Didn't think about that one! They have a guy along the race that holds up this giant pole covered with vaseline that runners can run past and just scoop off a handful of it to use where they need it. Ummm...you sure that was vaseline Amy?!?!

How many pairs of shoes did she go through during her training? Two.  Her shoes were completely shot 2-3 weeks before the marathon and she had to get new ones.  Next time she'd get them at least a month or 2 before the race.  They ended up being ok but not as broken in as they could have been.

What did she do after the race? Die?  Had a beer.  Goose Island is there handing out beers to the runners and then found their families and went to lunch.  Picked at turkey sandwiches/turkey burgers because you really don't want to eat much.

Would she do it again?????  "Ummmm....  Yea, probably?  Because I know I could do better.  I don't know if I'll do it again this year but we'll see.  Talk to me again in a few months."

So there you have it.  An honest account of the marathon.  And yes I'm STILL considering doing it.  One day at a time. One mile at a time.

"Who's The Wild Man Now?!?"

Well, my legs are super sore and my knees throb but I accomplished a big one today. I've been eyeing this run for a few days and it was quickly approaching. Couldn't deny it any longer. I set out today in the wind and rain and got it done.

Now for the ridiculous part. I owe the first 37 minutes of the run to The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of Rudy; my all time favorite movie. I swear I was running in an actual scene from the movie. It was quiet, overcast, leaves of yellow, red and orange and even a football field! I ran my heart out to the entire soundtrack and once it was over, I hit a wall. It got rough. But I tried to keep a good pace and take consistent breaths and just told myself to keep going. Just keep going.

Happy Sweetest Day!

Because of a packed schedule, yesterday became my rest day and no run for me. Apparently I had plenty of time to eat though. Not that I went crazy exactly but I did not use my fitnesspal app as much as I should have this week and I'm afraid it's going to show on the scale tomorrow. Last night we went to my parents' to see the family and for homemade pizza dinner (wine too). Damn good homemade pizza. Normally I would eat like 8-10 pieces, last night I had probably 6. Progress? Hours later I also may have had a ham and cheese sandwich and some pita chips and hummus. Not a good idea at 1 am before bed.

Today I knew I had to bust my ass so I got my ass out there and completed Week 9 Day 2 of Couch to 10K. I did NOT want to go out and do it but I did. Getting out there and starting is hands down the hardest part. It seemed a teensy bit easier this time around than Week 9 Day 1 I completed Thursday which was the same run.

When I was finished I came back to the apartment and Johnny and I made a lovely breakfast for Sweetest Day. Ok not for Sweetest Day, I just wanted some hashbrowns. Don't judge because I logged all of the breakfast and it was more of a brunch. Filled me up for the rest of the day until it was time for dinner so it was worth the whopping 550 calories. :)

Dinner was much lighter and healthier since I splurged at "brunch". Grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, spinach and mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing and even though watermelon is in the following picture it tasted like ass so was not eaten. I guess watermelon season is over. Wah waah waaaaah! :(

Also had a couple spoonfuls of sugar free chocolate pudding (a container is like 70 calories and I only had 1/2) but other than that, done eating for the day and focusing on eliminating snacks after dinner. Kitchen is closed!

Pit of the Day: nothing was on tv. This sounds very lazy ass of me but I can't tell you the last time that we just sat down on the couch and watched tv for hours. Just relaxxxxxxed. Today was the day and I enjoyed every second of it (until I accidentally deleted the whole entire DVR of recorded shows) and I didn't feel guilty about sitting on my ass since I ran about 3.5 miles this morning.

Perk of the Day: new iPhone headphones with microphone for Sweetest Day today. Hopefully I won't lose these ones for awhile. :)

Nuff said.

Bam!

So close...and yet so far.

I finally did it. Sort of. I have been stuck on the same 35 minute run on my Couch to 10K app and today while I was out running (doing the same 35 minutes) I thought to myself "I'm going to keep going. I think the next run in the program is 40 minutes so I'm going to run through the 5 minute cool down. I can do this!". And I did. My legs hurt so bad. I haven't been able to sit without cringing or go down the stairs without moaning since I did ONE DAY of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. But I kept going. I was glad I pushed myself. As the 40 minutes came to an end, I was excited to check off the next run on my app. The run I have been putting off for two weeks. And then as I looked down at the app on my phone and went to check off the fete, I saw it. Week 9 Day 1 is a 43 minute run! FORTY THREE MINUTES! Not 40!!! Mother F'er. So close and yet so far. Still stuck at Week 8 Day 3... Until next time.

I was really proud of this run today regardless of being short 3 minutes. I wanted to stop and didn't think I'd be able to move ahead but I kept going.

And I've been proud of it all day...until I ate pizza and a small piece of birthday cake. :-/

But it's ok. The rest of the day was crazy and hectic and I barely got breakfast in (some pieces of honey ham) and grabbed a quick lunch out the door (more honey ham, string cheese, an apple, another coffee and some water) and that was it. Tomorrow I need to do better planning. I'm not worried about the scale going UP this week but I sure hope it goes down. We'll see. Still a few more days in the week to crank it up a notch. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get some feeling back in my legs.

*i didn't take a pic of my run today because I was too busy telling myself to keep moving so I took a post-run pic. Not flattering but evidence.

Good with the Bad

I'm a day late so I better get caught up! I did not write a blog yesterday and already I'm slacking today. Where's the accountability?!

For the past two days I have worked really hard during the day to get all of my work obligations done so that I can get in a 35-45 min run. I've failed. Both days. Yesterday was so busy I thought a workout was a lost cause. By the time I even had chance to sit down and have dinner it was after 8 pm. And then I don't know what came over me but I thought I'd put dinner on the side and do my Jillian Michael 30 Day Shred DVD. Boy, am I feeling it today. My ass hurts. My thighs hurt. My calves Hurt. It's only a 20-25 min DVD but like I said, kicked my ass.

Now the bad news. Another super bust day and didn't get a run or workout in. However, I did meet Lindsey C for dinner at Cheesecake Factory tonight and we shared an appetizer and I had the Carlton salad. And a skinny margarita for 150 calories. Ok 2 of them.

Tomorrow I'm going to get a run in in the morning or early afternoon no ifs ands or butts. Tomorrows already Wednesday and I can't fail this week. Gotta step it up.

Ok, call me pathetic, but I'm literally faking asleep writing this so I need to wrap it up. Tomorrow will be better and I'll have a run under my belt to blog about.

I'll also leave ya with these beautiful pics of the sky last night. Too pretty not to share. Looks like the sky was painted on. That was the perk of the crazy crazy day.

Also just wanted to share my baking skills with ya. Baked up these bad boys for the kids I nanny for and showed some restraint and didn't eat one. Housewife material!!!

Until tomorrow...

Chin up!

This is the WORST part of the weekend.  Sunday night when it's time to start getting ready for bed and time to start another week. Boooooooooooo.  I hate it.  Makes me so crabby. Ok enough complaining, trying to be more positive...

This weekend was nice; Birthday celebrations, tv cabinet building, free cheese knife at Sam's Club (why give away knives of all things, not sure), much needed sleep, Real Housewives of New Jersey... but I kind of ate like poo.  Yesterday AND today.  Nothing crazy bananas but I just wasn't in control exactly.  No calorie counting and I didn't really say "no" to much.  Slutty eating you might say.  That birthday cake that I was so proud that I didn't eat Friday? I ate a piece Saturday.  I also snacked late night Saturday and had two helpings at dinner Sunday and more dessert.  None of it was even worth it. I noticed tonight that I haven't missed this full icky belly feeling the past two weeks.  I haven't felt "gross" in a couple weeks and its been nice.  Let me tell you the feeling of waking up in the morning (preferably on a Saturday where you get to actually sleep in) and then stretching in your bed feeling physically stronger and maybe even a little bit SMALLER than the day before? Now that's a good feeling.  Much better than the "why did I eat that?" feeling.  Still working on training the brain to eat food that my body needs and not feed it what my brain wants.  There's a big difference there.

I did not run yesterday because we had plans to go to this Fall Fest with my niece and nephew and family but it was raining and plans feel through and call this a lame excuse but I was already showered with makeup did and I did not want to run and then have to shower again so yesterday was my day "off" and today I ran.  It was pouring outside but out I went.  I'm STILL at the 5k run on my Couch to 10k program and that's still ok with me.  I'm just going to keep at it and one day it will be a little bit easier and I'll add on some more time or distance.  Maybe as the lbs come off I will be able to push myself more.  Not being discouraged

Running in the rain.

This was waiting for me when I got back from my run in the rain.  What a guy.

So here's to a new week and another 7 day opportunity to make good choices, move my fat ass, and be thankful for the great things I have in my life.  And let's hope the first 5 days go by fucking fast because I could already use another weekend!!

75.5 to go!! Whoop Whoop!

Did not post yesterday because it was a busy day but at least I have a 4.5 lb weight loss this week to make up for it! So excited.  I was worried that I wasn't going to have as great of a week as I did last week because I can't be expecting more than 1 or 2 lbs per week but 4 lbs? I'll take it!

Yesterday I spent the morning at the laundromat washing my comforter.  It's king size and doesn't exactly get "clean" in a top load washer and I made the mistake of spending $40 to have it cleaned at the dry cleaners.  Plus who wants to sleep in a stiff, icky chemical smelling comforter anyway.  So I hit up the laundromat with my coffee, luna bar, and Women's Health magazine and it was quite peaceful actually.  Had the whole place to myself.

I also managed to get a run in in the afternoon but did not use my Couch to 10k app.  I'm still trying to get comfortable with a straight 30-35 minute run before I move on but I'm ok with that so for now I'm sticking with Week 8 Day 3 and maybe Monday I'll move on to Day 4.  We'll see.

I also didn't want to push it too much since I pulled a Michael Scott an hour before my run; improper carbo loading at lunch.  I had a Fettuccini Alfredo Lean Cuisine for lunch.  Not a good idea.  This was me... Michael Scott Carbo Load  LOL (But only 250 calories!  Kind of tasted like soap so didn't even finish it though.)

And then last night was another test of willpower.  Johnny's brother's birthday is this weekend so we had cake last night.  Before dinner.  Well they had cake, I had 2 or 3 bites of Johnny's and then a burrito bowl from Chipotle for dinner.  I felt like I ate wayyy too much and was worried about the scale this morning but I still rocked it!

And now I'd like to take this time to give Mr. Johnny DiTommaso a shout out for so kindly building my new tv cabinet last night.  We powered through the bubble guts (cake and chipotle), and successfully translated the directions and we did it!  Thanks, Sugar Bear! 

Roseanne of course.  Best episode EVER. "Stash from the Past"

Ouch!

Ouch ouch ouch! Yesterday's 5k in the cold really kind of kicked my ass today. Probably has something to do with the fact that I didn't stretch at all afterward. On my Couch to 10k program you are supposed to run every other day so that your body has a chance to recover. Well I haven't been doing that. I've been pounding the pavement 6 days a week and moving on to the next run each time. Well not today. Today my legs hurt a lot and I just couldn't get warmed up enough to increase my running time so I planned on running last nights 35 min 5k again. Well, I ended up alternating running and walking 2 or 3 times. I probably walked a total of 6 minutes and ran the other 29 which is what it is. I need to make sure to listen to my body and repeat runs if I have to until I feel comfortable enough to move on to the next one. Despite hurting I did it anyway and that's what's important.

For breakfast I had some Quaker Apple Cinnamon oatmeal and my coffee with Splenda and sugar free hazelnut creamer. (164 calories)

Hungry for a midmorning snack so I had a banana (besides the big black bruised part. Ick)-110 calories

Lunch: Salisbury Steak Lean Cuisine with potatoes and carrots (270 calories)

Snack: honey crisp apple and a string cheese (160 calories)

704 calories total so far... Dinner tonight is going to be easy and just a 6 inch subway ham Sammy with pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, onion, hot giardinierra, seasonings (520 calories) and maybe just maybe their fruit and yogurt parfait depending on hunger level. That would put me slightly over my calorie allowance but I never calculate my cardio into my calorie allowance so I don't think it would kill me. We shall see.

It hasn't been a very fun week this week. Too many unexpected things have happened that have ruined/changed plans and frankly I've been drained. I'm still working on getting into a running routine and it seems like 5am is the best time for me to run. There aren't many things that can come up at 5am to prevent me from running. Aside from my own lazy ass refusing to get out of bed. I really need to work on it because it would be nice to just relax after work at 6:30/7 and not have to get in a run and a shower and then after I finally eat I'm so tired.... 5 am it is. FUCK!

Better get warm running clothes this weekend for those 35 degree mornings.


Feeling like such a negative nelly. Need to go back to writing positives from the day:

Pit of the Day: I need new tshirts. Just tshirts to run in. I used to have a million and now I can never find ONE!

Perk of the Day: 1. I got my run in this afternoon and it was beautiful out! 67 degrees probably and sunny. (we won't focus on how I struggled) 2. Tomorrow is Friday! Sleep is just around the corner! 3. Got 3 loads of laundry done today and washed my sheets so they are ready for my Saturday Sleep Fest!

Not exactly according to plan...

Today I experienced something that I don't think has ever happened before. I was so pissed because my running plans got messed up for the day. Pissed off! About running! Me! It's starting to get pretty chilly here and I have yet to stock up on winter weather running gear so 5am runs are looking pretty sucky so I was going to run today around 10am when it started to warm up. Well that didn't happen. I ended up having to go into downtown Chicago today which was fine (beautiful sunshine and I got to do a little walking on Michigan Ave) but had I known I would have brought my new running shoes and ran in the city while I had an hour or so to myself but my dumbass was wearing Uggs. Anyways, the last minute trip into the city also threw a curve ball into my eating plans. I ended up eating Corner Bakery for lunch and had half of a chicken pesto sandwich and 1/2 wonton Asian salad with water. (458 calories). Not too bad since I had my usual coffee and Luna bar for breakfast (224 calories). I was ready to crawl out of my skin come 4 pm and was really getting bummed about my run. I had a 5k run scheduled and really wanted to run at my favorite forest preserve but it closes at dusk and there was no way I could pull if off since its now getting dark at 6pm. Anyways I took a chill pill and decided to make the best of it. After getting out of work late I went home at 6:30, changed into my running things and just went for a run outside around my boyfriends neighborhood. It was a pretty decent run but I did have to circle back a couple of times because I'm not 100% familiar with all of the side streets and certain areas were pitch black. Wasn't feeling it. But I did it. I earned my Couch to 10k "5k badge" today. Hip hip! Hooray! Then I came in to a nice grilled chicken breast, some broccoli and a salad for dinner. What a great boyfriend. (288 calories...probably more because the chicken breast was probably more than 4 oz)

Now I'm super super exhausted. I wish I could sleep 10 straight hours. 15 really but I'd settle for 10. Zzzzz...

Here are a couple random pics from the day:

Runners' High

It was inevitable.  I went to Runner's High N' Tri today after work and bought myself new running shoes.  If I'm going to continue to take this running thing and this healthier lifestyle seriously then I need to start getting some gear.  Shoes were a must.  I've been running in a pair of Nikes that I bought a half size too big from Kohl's and while they have been good enough I knew that I would be hurting my knees, ankles, etc if I continued to increase my time and distance of my runs while wearing shit shoes.

I spent almost an hour at High n' Tri talking to one of the owners who was very helpful.  After asking me a few questions about my running mileage per week and what running plans I have for the future, she watched me walk around the store to see if I turned my foot in or out, was flat footed, how my weight shifted, etc.  No idea what info she gathered specifically about me but she brought out 3 pairs of shoes for me to try.  The first were a pair of Brooks.  They were definitely comfortable and up for contention.  The 2nd pair I tried were a pair of Asics. As soon as I slid them on I liked them.  They were supportive and had a  good cushioning.  For good measure she also brought out a pair of Nikes.  The last time I was at High N' Tri I left with a pair of Nikes and they worked ok for a long time but not going to lie, they were cute and you're not supposed to buy running shoes based on looks.  I eliminated the Nikes right away because as I jogged around the store (oh yeah, they have you do that) I didn't feel any support on my arch or any cushion.  I ended up going with the Asics and am very happy with my choice.  (After some reasearch I think she chose shoes because I "pronate"... a pronated foot is one in which the heel bone angles inward and the arch tends to collapse. It flattens the arch as the foot strikes the ground in order to absorb shock when the heel hits the ground, and to assist in balance during mid-stance. If habits develop, this action can lead to foot pain as well as knee pain, shin splints, achilles tendinitis, posterior tibial tendinitis,piriformis syndrome, and plantar fasciitis.) *stolen from Wikipedia

What do you know?! They're cute too.  Purely coincidence, I swear.  I wish I could have bought the whole store while I was there but unfortunately I don't have unlimited funds to throw down.  Next on gear list is a sports bra (to hold these puppies up and in!), some warm and reflective running clothes since its getting colder and darker and then hopefully I can afford the Garmin running watch that I want that tracks my distance, pace and time.  Slowly but surely I'll get it all. :)

As soon as I got home I changed clothes, laced up the new shoes and went for a run.  Today was Week 8 Day 2 of Couch to 10K.  A 30 minute run not including the warmup and cool down.  As soon as I started running I felt something in the bottom of my shoe.  My brand new shoe.  I stopped.  Popped off the shoe, didn't see or feel anything, straightened out my sock and continued on.  Still there!  Something was bothering the shit out of the ball of my foot.  I stopped again and took off my shoe.  A fucking hole in my sock the size of a quarter!  Not much I could do about it now so I ran the rest of the way with the annoying hole which you wouldn't think would be a nuisance but trust me, it makes it really hard to get into a good groove.

The hole.  Pardon the dirty black foot. :(

The run wasn't the greatest but the important thing is I finished.  Not sure if it sucked a bit because I pushed mnyself farther than I was supposed to yesterday or because of the holey sock or maybe I still need to break in the new shoes.  But again, as long as I finished.  Tomorrow's a new day and a new run.

New shoes.  So fast my picture couldn't catch get me in focus! Ha.

Today I ate...

Breakfast: Folger's KCup, 2 splenda, 2 tablespoons sugar free hazelnut creamer and a Smores Luna Bar-214 calories

Lunch: Planned on having Tomato Basil soup but tasted like ass (carrots and celery in it and who knows what else) so I had 6 pieces of honey ham, a lite string cheese and a banana-318 calories

Snacks: Starbucks Tall Skinny Hazelnut Latte-130 calories

Dinner: Chipotle Burrito Bowl (again)- rice, salsa, cheese, sour cream, guac, lettuce, steak-720 calories (I regret getting cheese and sour cream.  Didn't need it.  Even after my shoe purchase I wasn't in a super mood)

Total Calories:1382

Goal: 1260

Exercise: Ran 30 minutes (2.5 miles approximately), warm up and cool down walk 10 minutes

Back to the grind.

Blogging from my bed via my blogger phone app. Let's see how handy this thing can be!

Today was an odd day. Unfortunately I did not have the day off. If you did, you're damn lucky. I would have given my left breast (the smaller one) to have the day off. But no. I'm a full-time nanny so not only does Columbus day mean workday but it also means double workday because the 3 boys I watch are home from school. Thankfully we had a play date planned so it wasn't too excruciating but I was face with another challenge today. Eating at someone else's house. At this particular play date I stayed the entire 4 hours (don't ask) and attempted to make small talk with the other moms and help out. Snacks were flowing and those were easy to dodge but I felt obligated to accept a sandwich from the mom hosting. Jo big deal a sandwich but the danger comes in not knowing exactly whats on it. I THINK there was ham, salami and cheese on it and it was on a giant piece of turano Italian bread (140 calories alone!). Very kind gesture, tasty sandwich, but threw my day's eating plan into a tailspin. I already used almost 400 calories on breakfast, had planned a very light lunch and I wanted to "bank" 600-700 calories for dinner. No such luck. But i rolled with it and just used the unplanned calories as motivation during my afternoon run.

So let me get caught up. For breakfast I had a waffle and two little sausage patties. I swear I brought a Luna bar but got sucked into the boys' breakfast and again didn't plan on a greasy sandwich for lunch. Dinner was a steak burrito bowl from Chipotle with brown rice, mild salsa, guacamole, lettuce and tobacco. I could have ate two. I was pretty hungry after my run. Which I dominated by the way.

After work I ran at my favorite forest preserve. I ran Week 8 Day 1 of Couch to 10k which was 28 straight minutes of running. I could do it! I started off slow and and tried to find a groove when roughly 5 minutes into my run I looked at the app on my phone and the timer had stopped running. 5 minutes doesn't sound like much but trust me, increasing 3 minutes sound like death. So I decided to just keep running and I'd stop with 5 minutes left on my run since I had already been running 5 minutes. But a crazy thing happened. I didn't stop! I ran the whole 28 minutes on top of the 5 additional minutes I had already ran. A total of 33 minutes!!! I was very proud of myself and it was a pretty good run.