Reality Check

I am having a bit of a hard time. I had actually convinced myself that running wouldn't be this hard. My good friend Mark told me "Sarah, the first four weeks will be so hard, you'll want to quit". And he was right.

I have a laundry list of "excuses" as to why I shouldn't run. It's too cold out, so I find it hard to breath. My knee hurts. My back hurts. It's snowing, or raining, or the sidewalks are icy. My running pants are dirty (lol)!

I made a commitment to myself that I was going to do this. That I could do this. But everytime I try to run, it feels like I am suffocating, like I can't catch my breath.

And then their is the otherside. The weight loss side. The first time I tried Weight Watchers, I rocked it! I lost eighty pounds in eight months. This time, it just seems so much harder. And I really didn't let myself go that badly while I was pregnant (both times). And of course, there is a lot on my mind right now, so I turn to food. I have eaten this week: A box of KD, a cinnamon bun, half of a brownie mountain, Wendy's. The list is continuous. I am in a funk, and all I want is to get out of it.............

WI Week Three

I had my first real bump in the road this time around. I was UP 2.2 pounds. It's disappointing, but it comes with the territory. I need to figure out if eating all my activity points is going to work out. Right now I am not, and it looks like I should be. So we will see. It is so hard some days to eat every point. I know that some people think that is silly, but there are just some days that I am not hungry. So I need to start eating those points.

Tonight we talked about how to prepare for parties. That is HUGE in my life, since it seems that EVERYDAY we are celebrating something. This weekend is our annual Superbowl Party. It should be a good time, but there is always so much food. I am hoping to keep my fingers crossed and make a good showing, since WI is the next day.

On a completely different note, I have applied for a job that I can do from home. So wish me luck! I hope I get it!

Wardrobe Malfunction

There is something to be said about wearing the right pants when you go out running. Instead of wearing my running pants, I decided to wear a pair that were warmer, but much looser. I spent the entire run holding my pants up. I am sure the neighborhood loved it! But I managed to get my best time for a KM (7:14)! So I was pretty pleased!

How does one get a battery for their Nike+ Receiver? Anyone know? Apparently, mine is going dead. Should I be turning it off or something?

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

Thursday Blues

Last night was a bust! Mom & Dad were supposed to babysit the kids, but that fell through. So I had to head out on my own and ended up wiping out on the snowing sidewalk. I know that if you can run through the winter, you can run through anything. But COME ON. This weather is brutal, and my groin is sore to prove it. I ended up taking tonight off to run some errands and I am back at it tomorrow!

I am up right now. I know I shouldn't be weighing myself during the week. It's bad luck, and the scale can be deceiving, both ways. But still, it is sad to see the numbers going up instead of down.

So we are going into the weekend. I plan on watching some movies and getting some small stuff done around the house! I hope that everyone is having a great week. Let's all get out there and do something active, like skating or snow shoeing. Or even a nice run!

Running Clinic - Week Three

I am more convinced now that running is all in your head. I never realized just how hard this was going to be.

Last night we needed to do two minutes running, one minute walking. I did it, but it was so difficult. My cardio is nowhere near where it needs to be, so that is something that I am going to have to work on.

Tonight, Colin is going to come with me. I am really excited about that. He is going to find it pretty tame, but I know that he will get me to run my butt off. I wish I could run with him EVERYDAY!

Starting today, I will be updating "The Daily Five". These are five things I would like to share, such as pop culture, tips etc. My inaugural list is the Five Episodes of Lost that I think you should watch before next Thursdays 2 hour premier! I am so excited!

WI Week Two

Good Tuesday Morning Everyone!

I am down 2.8 this week! Yay!

Last night we discussed how Success is Habit Forming. We could all name the habits that helped contribute to weight gain (mine were eating fast food and not getting enough exercise) and the new habits we can begin to use to help us lose weight.

We also talked in depth about how using food as a reward is also a habit that a lot of people have. A treat is good once and a while, but make sure your bad habits aren't sneaking back into your pantry.

Tonight it's back to the Running Room for my Learn to Run Clinic. I am excited to get back out there. It's snowing a lot here today, but that's ok. I think that I am going to be fine. 2 minutes running, 1 minute walking. Last night I asked Colin how he does it. He can run 5k straight. He said "I just do it". No pain no gain I guess LOL!

Sunday Mornings

What a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Does anyone ever notice that Sunday mornings are the best? I mean, rain or shine, hot or cold, there is nothing as wonderful as a Sunday morning.

Sundays in our house are always the best. We wake up, make a great "big" breakfast ( this morning it was an egg, 1 turkey sausage, hashbrown and some pumpernickel toast), drink coffee, and listen to the 70's on galaxy. Colin and I play with the kids and generally relax. Sunday morning is my FAVORITE time of the week.

So this week could have been worse. I managed to stay OP every day this week, including last night at the movies. No Sugar Added Peppermint Patties are my new best friend! But I only exercised twice, and the second time was pretty brutal. I managed to get out on Thursday night, but only completed 4 full minutes of running out of ten. My pace was 8:41 per kilometre, so I was WALKING really fast. I took Friday off as per the schedule.

Saturday was a bust! I bundled up, stepped outside......and fell flat on my face. Literally. Flash freezing and outdoor running? Not such a good match. And I didn't even bother this morning. Why? It's -20 with the windchill and I have a session with Chris tomorrow. On Tuesday I will go to clinic and do the best I can.

I want to say hi to anyone new out there that is taking the time to read my little blog! And to my new friend n8te.....from the bottom of my heart.......thanks!

Bleeeech

Well this week has been a sucky one!

I am officially sick. Is it a cold? The flu? My Strep Throat flaring up? Who knows, but I have been on my butt since Tuesday morning. I am JUST starting to feel better. Tonight I am going to try to get out there and run. I hope I can do it.

On a lighter note, I am going to see a movie this weekend, so that should be fun! I can't wait until Saturday!

WOOHOO!

WI Week One

So I had my first Weigh In (WI) last night. And I was down 3.8 pounds! Success!

This cold is still here. Nothing new there. I went to the gym last night and worked with Chris for an hour, which was actually really great. Even though I felt like crap before, I did the full hour and felt great afterwards.

Tonight is week two of my running clinic. I will be going to here this weeks topic and deciding after if I feel like running. I probably will run, since it is Bring a Buddy night. So Colin will be coming with me! YAY!

Have a great day everyone!

Monday Blahs

Well it seems this cold just won't let up. And I am pretty disappointed. Colin basically sat on me yesterday so that I didn't go for my run, because he says I need rest. REST? I have been resting for two years LOL!

C'est La Vie, as they say.

Tonight is my weigh in. I am a little nervous. But it should be OK. I ran four days and had one session with Chris. So I certainly got enough exercise. And except for an awesome dinner with M last Monday, I am sure I did pretty good. But being a woman, anything can happen on WI day. Bloating, water retention, etc.

Tomorrow night at clinic is Bring a Friend. So Colin is going to come with me. I am really glad that he is going to be there. I am going to find doing the next level hard, and having him there for support is HUGE for me. He's my biggest fan after all! And I love him for it!

Mothers Don't Get Sick

Someone once told me this. Apparently that isn't the case for this mother.

Now, I am not sick......yet. But I woke up this morning with that dull lump in the back of my throat. You all know the one: your sinuses seem a little bit more stuffed, your throat is just a little bit sore. The usual fighting off a cold symptoms. I had it in my mind that I would maybe try to go out for a run this morning. Not so much. I trudged through four sets and by the fifth I was toast. So I dragged my butt home and am now enjoying a nice cup of tea.

Here is hoping this passes without too much fanfare. We start new sets of 1 minute running, 1 minute walking on Tuesday night. EEK!

Working it Out

I think I like this. No, I KNOW I like this.

I went out for a practice run last night with my clinic and I finished every set! That in itself was a huge victory for me, considering that I didn't finish the night before. So I am going to run on my own tonight, then I am going to be taking tomorrow off. But I will be seeing Chris tomorrow night for a session. I am going to try to run again on Saturday, and on Sunday I am going to meet my group in the morning for another run. This should be interesting........

On a complete other note, I am waiting for Bell to come. They told me they would be here between eight and noon. Surprise, surprise, noon has come and gone and NO BELL. So now I am waiting some more.

Have a great day everyone!

One down......

........a million more to go!

I have to say, that was as easy AND as hard as I thought it would be. My instructor, Tonja, is awesome. She loves running and is very dedicated to it. She actually goes to Running Expos and plans on attending the races with the best medals! She was a blast and really supportive.

I am not sure how far we ran, but it was 1 minute of Running, 2 minutes of Walking for six sets, then one more run. I was great the first three sets. All down hill and I was at the front of the pack. We turned around for the fourth set, which was also good. The fifth set was hard. I barely made it. And the sixth set, I could only manage about forty seconds.

For the final run, Tonya came back with me a basically willed me through the run. And we went 1:30 instead of one minute. I know to anyone reading that may not seem like a big deal. But when every second FEELS like a minute, that was huge for me.

So I feel great this morning. Going back tonight to run with the clinic again. I think the weather might be a bit cooler tonight though.

Thanks for the support M. You know I love ya!

I can't believe it's here?

So, tonight is the night? THE night. Tonight I begin my "Learn To Run" clinic at the Running Room. And just to preface, I think I am terrified.

But not of anything bad happening. It's just, this is it. This is the point where I have decided to become a runner. In December when I signed up for the clinic I thought "hey, this will be a good way to start running.". But now that it's here, I am so unsure of myself. Can I do this? Will I get hit by a car? Will I get blown away by a tornado?

Well that last part is ridiculous, but anyone that knows me knows I worry about the stupid stuff.

So here I go in my Cool Max Shirt, Brand Spanking new pants, sock, shoes and Reflective Jacket.

Is this nuts?

Happy Freakin' New Year!

Hello Anyone that is still out there reading!

Well Christmas 2007 has come and gone and who can believe it? I sure know that I can't. 2008 is upon us!

We had a very successful Christmas here and a good time was had by all. We had our annual Christmas Eve Party and it was a very good time. Lots of good food and lots of laughs! Then it was a huge Christmas morning brunch at my Mom and Dad's place. That was also a very good time. And everyone spoiled Connor and Sydney rotten! Their room looks like a Toys R' Us!

And Santa spoiled me too! In a bid to get fit, he brought me all kinds of goodies. I got a new iPod Nano, Polar Heart Rate Monitor, Nike + iPod running system, many running clothes and a new pair of shoes! Very nice!

I am looking forward to using most of these things on Tuesday, when I begin my Running Room Clinic. I am still kind of nervous about this one. I was hoping that I would have gotten some running in before the big day, but that hasn't been possible. I am going to try to run at least ONCE before Tuesday though.

Also Monday is the big day: I return to Weight Watchers meetings. While I have enjoyed the online Weight Watchers program, the bottom line is, I am not accountable on weigh in day. So I think that might be damaging me. Plus my BFF joined a few weeks ago and we will be going together. I won't post her name, but you all know who she is LOL! And she is kicking a$$ so I figure, what a great motivation. Colin will be going to the meetings begining on Monday's too, but they are the men only meetings. So hopefully we will get back on track!

We are wishing you all a very Happy New Year! Thanks for reading and catch ya real soon!