I can so deal with this...

getting some muscle thing :). So amazing to actually see some definition in my legs and especially in my arms =)! I haven't ran since Saturday...BUT I have been working out at home and using weights. Light weight and high reps and boy does it BURN after awhile and I have learned to keep PUSHING. It is definitely paying off and the best part is I feel great! I want to be strong and toned, and I am finally working for that for the first time in my life. My stomach is SO SORE which is so exciting because I know I really worked out my abs ;). Now I just need to kick up my running a notch so that nice layer of fat on my tummy can disappear and show all my hard work. Granted I still have my stretch marks from my amazing littles, and I would not trade those for the world. My littles ARE my greatest achievement and I am PROUD to have my "memories" on my tummy. Speaking of my littles they are just LOVING working out at home with me. They try so hard to do all that I do and they give me that extra push to keep going even when I am dead tired. Hearing "come on mommy keep going!" is all I need to hear for that second wind to kick in. I sure hope that they carry on these good habits and enjoy being active for the rest of their lives :). The greatest blessing in our lives is to have each other and to be HEALTHY. We are so fortunate to be HEALTHY and have the ability to eat good food, and to drink CLEAN water. I have taken these things for granted far too much in my life. We're now teaching our littles to appreciate every little blessing in our lives and to give thanks for them. I'm a very proud mommy because they have the purest of hearts and care SO much for others and truly are the epitome of innocence. I love them more than words can describe and they ARE my happiness. It is a blessing to watch them grow and to be the one to help guide them towards being the BEST they can be.

One of our favorite books is Oh the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss and our favorite line is "You can move mountains", and I truly believe that they will :).

finally

After 5 LONG weeks of not running I did it! I ran this morning and it felt great! Yes, it totally kicked my butt and I even felt a little nauseous at the end...but I loved it! A bonus was that my knee didn't hurt and my ankles feel fabulous :)! Granted my ankles tend to act up when I've ran for a few days in a row so we'll see how they are next week. I followed one of the days from C25K where I did an easy 5 minute warm up walk, ran for 3 minutes, walked for 90 seconds, ran for 5 minutes, walked for 2 minutes, ran for 3 minutes and then 5 minutes cool down. There was another run to do before the cool-down but I decided to take it easy. Sad how when I was running everyday I thought that this program was too EASY and now it is kicking my trash!

So that was on Friday 11/11/11 :) Great day to start getting back into something I literally can not go a day without thinking about. I got up Saturday 11/12/11, got the littles ready and headed to the gym. My friend Katie works in the gym daycare and was there that day. Thank goodness she was there because mr. man hates that place. If she hadn't been there they would've came out to get me because mr. man was crying :(, but being the AWESOME lady that Katie is she held him so that I could get a workout in. Unfortunately I think this means no gym until he grows out of this phase. Anyway I went straight to the treadmill and got in a run. I did the C25K again and did the whole thing this time:)

5 minute warm up walk
3 minutes run
90 sec walk
5 minute run
2 1/2 minute walk
3 minute run
90 seconds walk
5 minute run
5 minute cool-down

Now I was TIRED and sweaty BUT I was pain FREE :) Seriously a HUGE thing for me. So I walked for probably 15 minutes after that and wanted to run some more....well my issue is I push too hard too fast and I had knee pain immediately and only lasted a minute. I stopped to stretch it out which helped but thought it wise to walk to out. I walked until I got to 3 miles and stopped to stretch like crazy. I ALWAYS want to do more and obviously my body can not handle it. I NEED to LISTEN to my body and just BE PATIENT. Anyone who knows me, knows how good I am at that lol.

I did not run yesterday...obviously and I have no knee pain today. I plan on running tonight so hopefully it will go smoothly. I'm DETERMINED to get through this and be able to run miles and miles without having to stop. I KNOW I WILL get there I just need to be DEDICATED and persistent.

Here's to a pain free run tonight :)!

Food IS Fuel

So I hate to admit this but I have not worked out in a week! I went on a mini vaca with the hubby ate bad and swore that I would get back to working out and eating healthy when I got home. Well I did one of those two things…From our trip I went up 3.5 lbs and was less than thrilled to say the least. My stomach HATED me because of all the CRAP food I consumed. So I cleansed my first day back and felt TONS better the next day. Since then I have been eating really well and am really making an effort to eat every few hours. I have had a BAD habit of not eating all day at work and then stuffing my face when I got home. I wasn’t gaining BUT I wasn’t losing either and the most important thing was that I didn’t feel good. SO I have been SO good at eating, eating healthy and NOT binge eating :).

I also have a REAL problem with weighing myself every morning…I am obsessed and know that its not just about the number but I can’t seem to stop myself. So because of this obsession I have watched my weight decline everyday, not by a lot since I am not working out, but by a few ounces. It honestly gets me SO excited because I eat A LOT and I love it. I am losing MORE frequently now than when I was skipping meals. I’ve been reading and hearing “eat every few hours to keep your metabolism going” for years and I never believed it until now.

I LOVE this healthy journey and all the things I am learning, even at 26 ;) You’d think I would know better by now. Seriously though I am going to start working out again TODAY. I get off at 3 and it is on when I get home. I’ll most likely get my littles :) to workout with me. They LOVE our little dance parties.

Hope everyone is having a GREAT day :)!

8 Common Running Myths Busted!

Myth: You Should Always Stretch Before You Run
The Truth: “Static stretching is not the optimal way to warm-up before you run,” Olson says. Believe it or not, you could actually strain your muscles with static stretching, and it might even slow you down. Instead, focus on getting oxygen to your muscles and warm them up—literally, Olson recommends. “Start out by walking and trotting: swing your arms; shrug your shoulders and slowly elevate your heart rate for about 10 minutes before you pick up your pace.”
That doesn’t mean you should skip stretching completely, Olson says. Just make sure to do it after your run, when your muscles are very warm and full of oxygen and nutrients; and then engage in static stretching, focusing on your leg, hip, and low-back muscles
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Myth: Muscle Cramps are Always Caused by Too Little Potassium
The Truth: Muscle spasms can certainly put a cramp in your running style, but that doesn’t mean you need to load up on potassium to prevent them. “Cramps are primarily caused by either being low on glucose (the form of sugar your muscles thrive on for energy) or low water and sodium levels,” Olson says. When you are working out very hard (like lifting weights or with intense intervals), you use up glucose faster than what can be delivered to the muscles, and this causes that muscle-burning lactic acid to form. The best way to get rid of cramps caused by low glucose levels is to take a 60-90 second break to help rid your body of lactic acid and allow glucose to travel to the muscles, Olson says.
To prevent cramps caused by excessive sweating during steamy outdoor runs, be sure to stay well hydrated and nourished, Olson says. “When you sweat, sodium is also excreted, and water and sodium go hand-in-hand. Losing significant levels of potassium is actually quite hard to do. Potassium lives inside our cells and is not excreted as readily as sodium. Sodium, like water, resides outside the cells in your body.”

To read the rest click on Shape below :)
Shape

make it work

True words stolen from Tim Gunn :) Oh I love Project Runway....my guilty pleasure for sure!

Anyway, I decided last night that I was fed up with not running and said "HEY WORLD! I'm going to shake my booty right now!". Well I didn't literally say that but that's how I felt ;)! So I turned on my running play list and did my run/dance around my house workout. Yes, I LOVE to shake it, when my hubby isn't around that is...afraid he would die from laughing at me lol! My girls LOVE to join me and mr. man hangs out on the couch, safely out of harms way (we get crazy), and he dances right along with us. I love that my children love music as much as I do :). I did a combination of running in place, running in circles, jumping jacks, jumping lunges, squats and calf raises. I'm proud to say that although I had to workout at home I still worked up my infamous dripping sweat. I still can't get over how much I sweat when I workout. It. is. extreme. TMI?? Sorry, but this is my journal :).

It felt AMAZING to be TIRED, I have been missing that tired legs feeling. Granted I SO prefer running outside BUT you do what you have to do. I seriously took the NO EXCUSES to the MAX. No more will I sit and throw a pity party when I can't get outside to run or go to the gym. I now will workout wherever, whenever I can...NO MATTER what! It made my mood soar through the roof and I REALLY NEEDED that. I still dream about running every night but hey, it'll still be there for me when I can get back to it. Not like those roads are going anywhere and besides when my kiddos are sick they need their momma. Plus I got their endorphins going too and endorphins never hurt anyone :).

See you tomorrow!

p.s. I am SO over feeling sick so I am cleansing today. Had Green tea this morning and am drinking water like my life depends on it...because lets face it, IT DOES!