My Thoughtful Spot

Wordless Wednesday: Tae Bo Edition

Screen Time Break Trivia

Geography

• Bobby and I read some of the Cape Cod info in the awesome package Tracy sent me to help us plan our upcoming vacation - Thanks Tracy!

Entertainment

• Bobby, Hannah and I had a dinner date at Longhorn's
• Snuggler went to see Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian with my father
• The girls had a sleepover at their cousin Abigail's home
• Dinner as a family at Ruby Tuesday (using up those gift cards!)
• A trip to Fran Johnson's and the mall to purchase: a car seat and a potty chair for Sweet Pea, Pokemon cards for Snuggler, books for Worker (using up those gift cards!) and tennis rackets for Worker, Helper and me
• I decluttered, cleaned and straightened my kitchen cabinets and drawers (all while listening to HP 6 - multitasking!)
• Mom's Bible study/kids play at the Ford's, then at our home the week after
• Another lunch at Antonio's Pizza  

History

• Snuggler received First Holy Communion on June 14th, 2009

Arts and Literature

• We listened to talented Jim Dale reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• I started reading this book by this woman that I received from this woman for winning this contest
• We signed up for the summer reading program at our local library (I paid $50 of the $63 I owed in late fees. I'd call myself an idiot, but that would be thinking too negatively of myself.)
• I did my own little Bible study using the Teri Maxwell book and study guide called Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit
• We're up to "Kreacher's Tale" in HP7 audio
• An afternoon at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art 

Science and Nature

• The kids and I checked out the Grossology exhibit at the science museum
• We took a walk through a wildflower garden at Stanley park
• Worker and I took photos of many of the wildflowers growing in the lot next to us
• Worker and I watched a lightning storm
• I planted more plants in my little garden, removed a few that I didn't really like and planted the extras in our mulch beds
• We keep feeding the birds and unfortunately, the squirrels

Sports and Leisure

• Worker and I played badminton
• Helper and I played tennis
• A morning at the park playground 
• All of us (except for Bobby) started Week One, Day One of the Couch to 5K, but we turned around when I popped one of the double stroller tires on pieces of glass
• Worker and I did Week One, Day One of the Couch to 5K and then never got around to Day Two
• Worker started a golf camp
• Snuggler and I played a couple of games of Mystery at Hogwarts, which gave me a desire to play Clue, which we do not own 

Going Back to Basics (Again!)

1. Go to bed early. For me this means get in bed by 9:00 with hopes of falling asleep by 10:00. Last night I was in bed by 10:30 and probably asleep by 10:45, but I was up with Hannah longer than usual and today I am exhausted. It is an improvement over last week though, in which I was up nutty late.
2. Get up early for prayer and meditation. For me this means around 6:00. The hope is to also take care of my personal hygiene before the kids wake up. Last week I slept in too much. Besides losing my prayer time, I don't think it's fair to the kids if I change the schedule because I feel like it. 
3. Drink water. I know this is good for me, and I think the can of soda each day is unnecessary.
4. Eat better. My weak times are the afternoon snack and the evening/late night snack. These are the times when I eat sweets. It seems I have no energy after the afternoon snack, and after the night snack I get just enough energy to stay up later.
5. Exercise. I have two goals: some kind of running or walking or run/walk activity and ab work-outs. The first I just need to plan for and carry out. The second... well... I've been saying I'd do them after every pregnancy... after Hannah I really thought I do them... I got off the couch last fall and everything... but now she's 10 months old and I haven't started them.

I'll let you know how the week goes.

I'm Back Off the Couch Again

Thinking Aloud, Nothing Important

The wind is whipping. It's in the 40's, and it's supposed to rain today. It's quite a change from some of the days we had last week. The sun was out, along with some neighbors I haven't seen since the fall. There were frisbees, lightsabers and kids on our street. Sure signs of spring. Bobby cleaned out the garage on Saturday. After a busy weekend, I'm trying to get the house back in order and plow through a mountain of laundry. I'm considering changing my four days a week laundry schedule to a Monday through Saturday one. I know you were probably hoping for something more exciting since I haven't blogged in a week, but I'm in journaling mode right now. This is what's on my mind. Today's plan (when school is finished) is to go through everyone's potential spring clothes. Tonight Hannah and I will take a trip to the mall with my sister. I want to return the spring clothes I ordered online for myself from Lands End. I measured and followed the size chart, but everything is too big.

Speaking of too big clothing... although I have lost weight, I have fallen away from working out. I just couldn't get into going to the Y this winter. And that stretch of time between Superbowl Sunday and Lent was a very dark time for eating well. But now spring is here. It's a season of renewal. I think I'm going to do the old running program again. I may even start it at Week 5 this time.

Snuggler has joined a baseball team and is playing the sport for the first time ever. He has practices on Wednesdays and Fridays. My friend Kari and I have started a book club (of which we are the only members) to discuss the book A Mother's Rule of Life. We had our first meeting last Saturday afternoon at Dunkin Donuts. We spent some of the time discussing homeschooling curriculum because I'm already thinking about next year. I decided after our meeting that this week's focus will be on: early to bed, early to rise, prayer and drinking water. It's a very fine place to start. (I love that line from The Sound of Music.)

It's time for me to go. I hope you are enjoying the beginning of spring.

Running Rut?

Two weeks ago I had some trouble.

Last week was great.

 

This week...not so good. The plan was to run Monday and Wednesday nights after dinner and Saturday afternoon during Hannah's big nap. Monday night I felt exhausted, so I decided to skip the workout. I felt OK about it. I still had the rest of the week to get in 3 workouts.

Well last night I had a big debate in my mind after Hannah fell asleep for a nap. I was feeling really tired, but not as tired as Monday. I thought that I should go because not feeling like going is really a poor excuse for not going. But it's so cold out there and I'd have to drive all the way to the Y (about 9 minutes). And it's kind of cold in the basement, so I don't feel like staying home and riding the bike. I was already feeling some guilt, so I decided to go. I put on my workout clothes, fixed my hair, brushed my teeth and then Hannah woke up. This brought on another debate. In the end I settled for a hot bath with some Tension Tamer tea and a couple of books. What am I going to do to get motivated again?

Getting Off the Couch Again

I've been back on the couch (i.e. I stopped working out) for three weeks.  I don't remember why exactly.  I think it had to do with birthdays, Christmas celebrations, snowstorms, other commitments, a bit of laziness and a cookie swap.

Last night I returned to the YMCA treadmill, where I walked and ran along with many other people who were likely making another start in January.  I journaled my first entry into my new Runner's World Training Journal.  That's got to be motivating.  Who wants an empty journal staring back at them? Certainly not me.  I'll be writing in my workouts, and a "V" if I remember to take my prenatal vitamin (for nursing) and a "W" for each 16 oz. cup of water I drink.

Here's my plan for the winter:

• follow the RUNNING FOR MORTALS 5-K RUN-WALK TRAINING PROGRAM WEEKS 8-10
• follow the RUNNING FOR MORTALS 5-K RUN TRAINING PROGRAM WEEKS 1-10
• enter a local 5-K race in early April

(I love bulleted lists.)  One thing I noticed last night was that according to the treadmill heart rate monitor, my maximum heart rate was always over 80% for my age range while running. The program suggests 65-75% of maximum heart rate.  I think I'm going to do some reading on this, because I don't know much about it. I don't know if I'm running at a conversational pace because I've never tried talking while running.  I just run slowly and I slow down even more when I get tired. Look at the size of this post. I'm always surprised at how much I can think of to say about running.

Getting Off the Couch: Week Nine

Monday - I joined the local YMCA.  Moving the clocks back guaranteed that it would be dark outside during my workout time.  I decided that I didn't want to run around the neighborhood in the dark, mainly because the roads are uneven in many places and I didn't want to injure myself.  It was very different running on a treadmill.  I was afraid to look around much because I felt like I was losing my balance.  It was also a lot noisier at the Y.  The music in the exercise room was drowning out my podcast (and fortunately, my heavy breathing).  I think I ran about 18 minutes, walked for a minute, and then ran the rest.  I probably could have made it without walking.  I ran around 4.6 mph most of the time and my distance was 2.4 miles.

Wednesday - Day 2 at the Y.  I ran about 15 minutes, walked for a minute and ran the rest of this week's 30 minute workout.  I was going about 4.8 mph on the treadmill and my distance was 2.44 miles.  I'm not sure how I should go about getting to 3.1 miles.  Should I increase my time each week by a few minutes?  Or should I start including my warm-up and cool down on the treadmill workout and do a 5K every time, even if I'm walking some of it?

Friday - Bobby came home early so I was able to run around the neighborhood.  (I ran on Friday because he'll be away on Saturday.)  I did it!!!  I ran 30 minutes non-stop.  I have completed the 9 week program that I set out to do.  Although I'm still not running 5K yet, I am so pleased that I stuck with the program times of the program as was my goal.  I found a nifty tool on the Internet for creating running routes.  I figured I'd use it to find out the distance I ran without driving around in my van, but it turns out that the streets I ran on weren't on the map.  I live in a new section of the neighborhood.  I usually run on the older streets, but tonight I wanted a change. So I'll be driving the route as soon as possible.  Not tonight though.  Bobby took the three older kids to see Madagascar 2 and I'm already in my nightgown.  I'm going to think of what my new running/exercise goal(s) will be and I'll post them soon.

Getting Off the Couch: Week Eight

Monday - I'm still doing it...  Twenty-eight sloooow minutes straight!  Woo Hoo!!!

Wednesday - Windy and really cold.  I decided to push Wednesday's workout to Thursday.  Wednesday night Bobby and I went on a date with Hannah.  Chili's for dinner and Dick's Sporting Goods for a workout clothing shopping spree.  I now have a running wardrobe.  The clothes were expensive so they are my birthday gifts.  I'll be 39 on November 2nd. (This Sunday.)

Thursday - I went out in a brand new outfit - new sports bra, black running pants and purplish long sleeve shirt, new socks and black gloves.  I didn't wear my new jacket because I figured that it should be worn when it gets really cold, like the 20's.  (I think it was in the high 30's.)  I spent the first 14 minutes of the workout thinking it's really cold.  It was so windy.  My breathing kept getting interrupted by sniffling.  I wished I had brought kleenex.  Eventually I wiped my nose on my new shirt sleeve.  I thought that the moisture wicking probably kept my arm clean.  The clothes kept me going.  There was NO WAY I was going to quit running in my new clothes.  Not on the first day anyway.  I am a runner.

I finished about 30 feet away from the sewer that I made it to on Monday. So I didn't go as far, but I was running against the wind, and running for 28 minutes straight was the goal, so I was happy.

Saturday - I went out around 3:30 pm.  My body just does better in the afternoons and evenings.  It was about 57 degrees, mild for November.  I wonder, if I ever read these posts again someday, if I will be interested in my weather observations.  I ran for 28 minutes and I even went two lots past Monday's sewer! I drove around my route to find out the distance I ran.  It was 2.3 miles, which means my rate was a teeny bit slower than 12 minutes a mile. I am pleased with my ability to run so much longer than I could at the beginning of this program, BUT it is likely that at the end of next week (my final week of the program) I will not be able to run 5K.  I'm thinking that (after Week 9) I will change my focus from running time to distance.  I will work on going farther, not necessarily faster. 

The new clothes are still "working out".  It's amazing how a shirt can make you look and feel like an athlete.

Getting Off the Couch: Week Seven

Monday - Slow and Steady... I did it!  I jogged for 24 minutes, then actually ran for 1 minute, with no walking!  Here are some of the things that I think helped me do it:

• I feel better when I go out right after dinner
• I was encouraged by blog comments I received
• I used the power of positive thinking, I am an athlete
• I pretended that I brought my camera and I took imaginary photos of fall decorations in my neighborhood for the Fall Drive By at The Inspired Room blog
• I had a stressful day and it felt good to burn the energy

Wednesday -

I did it again!!! This time I even went past a few more houses, which means I was going a little bit faster.  I used the Week 7 podcast for the first time because I wasn't prepared on Monday, so I had to use the Week 6 podcast on that day .  Week 7 was good, but there is one part with some strange male laughter.

Thursday, Friday - Read my new book, Running for Mortals.

Saturday -  It was very disappointing.  I think Saturday mornings are hard for me mentally.  I run in a large neighborhood.  On Monday and Wednesday evenings I imagine that everyone is coming home from work and preparing dinner while I run.  On Saturday mornings, I just know they are all under the covers of their beds, resting.  My own happy family was all in the living room doing the Saturday morning snuggle when I left.  It was hard to leave, not like on the weekday evenings when I can't wait to get away from the dinner chaos and noise, noise, noise...

Anyway, I wanted to quit running right after I started.  I told myself I could walk after I made it to a certain cul-de-sac that's about 10 minutes away.  I made it there and then walked for about 5 minutes.  Then I started running again.  After a few minutes I came to a couple of landscape trucks that were sucking up leaves.  Some of the debris made it's way into my contact lens wearing eyes and I had to stop running for a couple of seconds, which turned into probably 5 more minutes of walking.  In the end, I think I walked about 1/2 of the 25 minute run.  But still, I did get out there and exercise.  I'm not sure if I will do another Week 7 next week or move on to Week 8.  But I will keep on trying.

Here's a photo of my red face from Week 6.