Turning a #Negative #Mindset Around

So, here I sit almost half way thru July and WOW it has been a crazy couple of months. I have had some ups and some downs. I have been struggling with getting my #motivation to keep up with my #workouts and #running.

I am now loosely training for Carlsbad Marathon. I do mean loosely! Let me explain. I have a new running friend who uses a coach. I thought that would be a great idea. What I didn't realize is this coach practices the Pose Running Method.  For more information on Pose Method of Running check out an article from competitor.com here.

I am completely fine with this because I understand what it is. However, what I didn't realize is how much harder it would be to implement thru my body what I know in my head. It seems weird, I realize to talk about "learning" to run. But it is learning a new way to run. It is a more efficient way and I am totally down with learning it. I just have also been really #down on myself for not getting it perfect after the first 2 practices. I try to tell myself that I have been running for 3 years so that is a lot of muscle memory to try and recreate. But it get frustrating and brings up a lot of negative self talk.

Let me just give a little back story here. I tend to be a lazy person. I want to be healthy and active, but at the same time if I could be a skinny me and sit on the coach watching TV, I would not mind at all. I also tend to do a lot of self sabotage. Self esteem has been a downfall for me pretty much most of my life. I don't think I deserve to succeed so I make sure that I don't. I can't tell you how many times I have started something to quite when it got hard. Or to not even start because I thought it would be to hard and I wasn't capable. Sticking with something until the end has not been my strong suit. I could list the reasons, but I will save that for another day.

Running partner and I after our first session with Coach Bill, poured on us but it felt great!

The point is, I am queen of self doubt and negative talk. After the first session I was feeling good. Coach Bill took it pretty easy on me. It rained on us, it was a humid muggy day, but I had fueled well that day and it was a new fresh experience. As you can see from the picture I came away from the experience optimistic and excited.

Session 2 was a little more difficult, but still went ok. I have a hard time not over thinking things. That is another problem. But I would get to much in my head. I was still thinking positively. That was on Monday.

Wednesday came and I was in a funk. All day I spent thinking about how I can't get off the ground fast enough and thinking about everything I do incorrectly. I didn't eat properly or drink nearly enough water. This led to a difficult time getting excited about running practice. I was also nervous because we were meeting in Coronado at the beach. Gorgeous setting but running in the soft sand is HARD!

Coronado Beach - yes I was running in the soft sand!

Both my running partner and myself were struggling on the drive out there to get in a happy mood. We were more in the mood of lets just get this done. It is only an hour and we can do this. When you are learning a new running technic this is not the best mindset to have!

We got there and we started warming up. My feet felt like lead, I was not getting off the ground soon enough, my form was awful, and I felt like I was having an asthma attack (I don't have asthma I have seen the doctor about it already). So, I decided to just tell Coach Bill exactly how I was feeling. In the past I would have kept it to myself or just given up. But this time I told him exactly what I was thinking and feeling.

You want to know how I know I have the right coach for me? He didn't ease up on me, but he did show me how my own thought process was hindering my learning and progress.  I was saying things after a drill like "I wasn't pulling, I was on the ground to long, I wasn't leaning enough." All those statements are negative and looking at what I did wrong. However, Coach Bill started asking me what I did right each time. I started realizing that I was running with the right foot placement, I kept my arms where they needed to be, etc. Then he would ask what I need to do better this next time. Then it became statements such as "I need to get off the ground sooner, I need to lean more." But as he wisely pointed out to me, the mindset is how to improve ( #positive thinking) in the future instead of what went wrong in the past ( #negative thinking).  I still have a lot to work on, but I felt much better after practice that while I am not doing everything perfect, I am doing more things correctly then I was doing 2 weeks ago! I will get it and I won't give up.

Carlsbad Marathon is roughly 6 months away. I am setting my goals now. 1 - Finish in 5 hours or less, 2 - Finish the race, 3 - Not be injured in the training or racing process! With a positive mindset, great running partner and coach I feel confident today that I will do just that! I have always tried to be a person that thinks of the glass as half full, not half empty. But every know and then I need a reminder of how to do that!

Carlsbad Marathon Here I Come!!

Are you are #glasshalfempty or a #glasshalffull type of person? What do you do to turn a #negative into a #positive?

Ready...Set...Marathon???

Well, I did it, I signed up for a Marathon! I will be training and (if all goes well) running on January 17, 2016 in the Carlsbad Full Marathon. Who is excited? This gal! Who is scared to death? THIS GAL!! In case you haven't heard, it is a long freaking way to run!! 26.2 miles of one foot in front of the other! I got this and I am ready! Stay tuned as I do some major strength training and weight loss to make sure I am in the best shape I can be in going into the training.

Here is my plan for the summer to get ready! First I plan to do about a 20 week training plan so that puts me starting towards the end of August. Leading up to that I am going to start consistently running 3-4 days a week. I want my average mileage each week to be around 20 miles, so I am going to start getting in 3 - 5 mile runs a week with a longer run on the weekends. However, since I have been pretty lax the last month that means I need to work up to that, so I am giving myself until July to get there, should be sufficient time since I already run about 10 miles a week.

Along with running I am going to start a new 30 minute work out program that should last about 60 days. This will be 5-6 days a week of 30 minute home videos using my own body strength to get my strength where I want it. I need you all to help keep me accountable. Please feel free to ask me regularly how I am doing! I know if you are asking me I will want to make sure I can give a good answer and make my goal!

I am also going continue eating a cleaner and healthier diet. That is the best way to make sure I continue to lose weight. Exercise alone will not get weight off. I need to eat to fuel my body for optimal performance while burning the excess fat.  Sounds so technical and easy and yet it is so hard when I am craving all that sugar and junk food!

I am going to post weekly how my work outs are going. Once I finalize my training plan for the Marathon I will let you know :-). Happy Last Weekend in May 2015! Lets make it a fun, fit and healthy one!

Motivation and Transformation

So, I am feeling lazy these days. I am focusing on work and my business but it is coming at the expense of my work outs! I find myself needing to remember what my why is and what my next goal is. So here I sit. Have no fear, I will be running this afternoon. Goal today, run to my daughters school (about 3 miles) and then walk her home. It is a win win for us all. We can all get our exercise in!

Today I am working on remembering where I was, am, and where I want to go! Feel free to come along for the shortened version!

So, today I am here with my pants about to fall off me. I did solve that problem and found that Levi's make a great jean for us ladies with curves :-). I have hips, always will (thank you Dad for that gene :-)). I am happy where I have gotten, but I am not done with my journey.

May 15, 2015 Where I am now!

To really appreciate where I am I have to think about where I came from. When searching my photos to try and find a good "before" photo I realized that I really don't have many. Funny thing, when you aren't happy with the way you look you don't want to document that look! So the best I can do is April 2013 getting ready for a girls night. I stayed away from colors because black hides the weight right?

April 2013

As all of you know I started running to help me lose weight. Like a lot of late starting runners, before December 2011 I HATED running. But I kept hearing that it burned the most calories and thus best way to lose weight. Well, it worked a little. I dropped some weight, but it wasn't coming off like I wanted. I finally realized I needed to do something about my nutrition. Running helped so I didn't continue GAINING weight, but it wasn't getting any more off. 

This led to me connecting with a great friend from High School who got me into the Insanity Max:30 program. And wow! Along with drinking Shakeology daily I started seeing definition and toning in my body. 

Breakfast of Choice

The Shakeology helped me to stop the sugar cravings, but I knew I was still lacking on my portion controls. After the 60 day program finished I knewi needed something else in March to continue the slow momentum.  I had some big races, and vacation, in April that I wanted to really be ready for. Thank you Autumn Calabrese for coming out with 21 Day Fix Extreme just in time! Once I got a hold of the food containers and the program the weight finally started to drop! I was focused and ready to get the weight off. From January 2015 to March 2015 I lost 20 lbs and have been able to keep it off even after all the "big" events!

April 11, 2015 End of Ragnar So Cal!

Now, I have nothing major to train for until next fall and I find myself at a lack of motivation. I need to remember that now is the time to get these next 20 lbs off so my marathon training goes smoothly. (Yes stay tuned I will be training for a marathon starting in August). 

I will be posting this on my mirror so that I remember every day that my body is the only one I get in this life. I need to treat it with respect and take care of it! I am going to do another round of 21 Day Fix Extreme starting on June 8th! If anyone would like to join me please email me at carriesjouney2health@gmail.com and we can get you started on your journey too!

I Own This Hill #runlajollahalf

So, I had a busy weekend! It was jam packed with fun. Ok, some may think my idea of fun is a little warped since it includes running 13.1 miles up a very big couple of hills. But I can't think of a better way to spend a beautiful Southern California weekend morning. Let me break down the week/weekend briefly (or not so briefly) for you.

My last run before my goal race, La Jolla Half Marathon, was a treadmill hill workout. I was not feeling like running on the treadmill, but didn't want to push the stroller either, so treadmill won. I decided to mix it up and make it interesting by doing a little hill interval workout. I did an easy 10 min jog warm up and then the fun began. I did 1 min intervals starting the incline at 1 and then jumping to 3, 6, 9, and then 12% inclines. I ran each incline for 1 minute and then did an easy 1 minute recovery run on 0% incline. Then I reversed the inclines and did 12, 9, 6,3, and 1% with the 1 minute recovery run in between each increase. So, if you are doing your math I have now ran for 30 minutes, when I didn't want to run at all! After a 10 minute cool down run I have now ran about 3 miles and feeling great! I am confidant after that run that I can conquer La Jolla and "the Hill" at Torrey Pines. I got this!

I can run any Hill after that workout!

I thought I would beat the packet pick up rush for the La Jolla Half Marathon by picking up my packet on Friday afternoon. I thought surely on this rainy afternoon the expo won't be to busy. I spent the morning cuddling with my youngest cutie watching movies and praying the rain would disappear before Sunday morning.

Tapering Friday cuddling with my youngest daughter.

So, after cuddling with cutie, and Hubby got home from his rainy golf game I set off for the expo. I was very wrong about the expo being a quick in and out. Apparently the majority of the 7,500 runners thought Friday would be a better day to get their bibs. It was crowded. I was to lazy to wait in lines so I decided I didn't need to buy any GU. They had them at mile 7 when I ran in 2013, surely they would again this year, right? But I did run into my Ragnar Team Mate and had time to snap a selfie as before I escaped the madness that was Road Runner Sports! Always fun to see Cristina at any event! Her smile is contagious and she is such an encouragement to anyone that knows her!

Cristina, queen of selfies!

Bib picked up and now I am ready to relax on Saturday. Funny thing is, normally you get your bib on Saturday and the race is the next day. Something about packet pickup makes the race very real for me. So know I found myself with an extra day to stress about the run. Thankfully I was still feeling confidant from my great Ragnar runs and my mid week treadmill hill work. "I own this hill" was going thru my head over and over again!

We also spent Saturday with family celebrating birthdays. That was a nice distraction. Other than sitting in a LOT of traffic it was a nice slow day. My legs got a lot of rest. According to my fitbit I didn't even walk a full 2,000 steps that day. I may have been a little TOO lazy, but hey, I was tapering!  We got home and cooked up a pizza we had in the freezer. Carb loading has never been a big deal to me. Studies debate the benefits of it so I never worry about it, but it was late in the evening when we got home and we wanted to eat what we had, so pizza was better than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Because while I am not worried about carb loading before a race, I am worried about getting some nutrition and calories in me. I admit, I also enjoyed a beer after getting done laying out my clothes for the race. I have a hard time passing up a Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout, I will admit it! It just tastes so good! Plus 1 beer is just enough to help me get a good night sleep before a race.



Flat Mama ready to go!

So finally, around 10 PM I head to bed. Alarm is set for 5 AM. I want to make sure I have plenty of time to eat something and get to Del Mar for the MRTT (Mother's Run This Town) Group picture. at this point I am scared and tired. I own this hill is my mantra for this run. Nerves make for interesting dreams. I always forget what they are exactly but remember they are weird!

Often plans change and it is key to be flexible, even on race morning. Originally hubby was going to drive me and pick me up. He was supposed to run with me, but due to injury that had been axed a month ago. However, Sunday morning he became sick. So, adjusting and I drove myself. I was glad I got up a little earlier then necessary. Left me time to deal with traffic getting into Del Mar Fairgrounds. Thankful they allow free parking and free shuttle back to start! Really is a great setup!

I got there, parked, grabbed my garbage bag to keep me warm and headed for the bathrooms. If you get there early enough they aren't smelly yet and the lines are not bad. Remember I am trying to hydrate for the run. Thankfully, after the rain on Friday and Saturday I woke Sunday to a cool and clear sky! I was so happy to see the sun. I love the rain but was not prepared to run in it when I was trying to PR. I got to the start corals just in time to meet up with a few of my Ragnar teammates (who I had been missing since we finished 2 weeks ago).

#teamfoxinsocks From Ragnar SoCal

 After a fun quick meet up and pictures time to get warmed up and ready to run. Now in my head I was questioning if I had done enough training. These are some major hills I am about to face. I felt good. I have lost some weight, but am I being realistic with a goal of 2:30-2:40 for La Jolla? I was really questioning myself. I decided to start just behind the 2:30 pacer. I figured if I could stay with him until the hill I would have a strong shot at making my goal.

I made it thru the first 4 miles and feeling strong. The miles seemed to fly by. I was running alone and had my music and the beautiful setting to carry me thru. I saw another Ragnar teammate at the 3rd water station, that was awesome to have her tell me I was looking strong when I was beginning to feel weak gave me the push I needed to keep going. Then around mile 5 as I came down a small hill heading towards "THE" hill I saw Cristina. I knew if I pushed myself just a little I would catch up to her, and I did. She is not only the selfie queen, she is also a "runfie" queen. I had never heard the term before I met her, but she snapped an awesome picture of us with the pacific ocean in the background as we came up on mile 5.5. 

"Runfie" with the always smiling Cristina

Then it was on to the hill.  I wanted so desperately to slow down but knew I had to push thru. I was so excited to finish it and see my time was right on track with my goal. I pushed thru the blisters I could feel coming on and came up the last hill at mile 12. I had about .6 miles left when my watch read 2:30. I knew I was almost there and it was all downhill so I decided there was absolutely no stopping at that point. I literally gave it all I could and started running as hard as I could. I knew I would make the 2:40 goal if I just allowed my body to go. Never did I think I would cover that .6 miles in 4 minutes and 33 seconds. But I did! I crossed the finish line with an official time of 2:34:33. Yes, on a hilly course I BLEW away my previous PR by over 12 MINUTES! It is ridiculous to think of what I accomplished with hard work! I got my weight down, did cross training, and got most of my runs in. Hard work pays off! I am getting faster every day and I will continue!

Finish Line photo, I got my medal!

Official Time

What is next for me, I am thinking some PiYo to continue the weight loss and then. . . Marathon training! Yes, Marathon time for this gal!


Hills, Blisters and Prepping for La Jolla

I reached a major milestone in my running this last weekend. I ran 8 miles with NO walk breaks. Yes I know for some of you that is nothing. But this gal hasn't done more than 6 miles in over a year. I know, I know I completed a Half Marathon in November. However, I was woefully undertrained for that and did a run/walk after mile 5. Not only did I do 8 miles with no walking I also did it on HILLS!!!! Oh yes, I am prepping for La Jolla 1/2 Marathon.

This isn't the first time I have attempted this beautiful course. Oh no, hubby and I completed it back in 2013. He was working on the San Diego Triple Crown and I just liked the price so thought I would give it a try.

 

 I was CLUELESS when people referred to the "Hill" I had really no idea what they were talking about. I mean in my mind I said:

 

 Until I came around the corner and saw the masses that were beginning the ascent up the hill. I saw where I was headed and thought, "Oh S$#!%!! I have to get up that!" But I finished it. I actually finished it in a PR time for me. Again that was amazing because I really had not been training for it other than on a treadmill and never longer than 6 miles. I just kept reminding myself to

 

 So, that was my state of mind for La Jolla 2013. This year is a little different. I have actually been training a little more. As I said in my opener, yes I RAN 8 miles and it was no treadmill flat course. Oh no, it was full of rolling hill after hill. I even finished it in a good time. I will be honest, I didn't plan on there being SO MANY hills on my training run. I was just being lazy and decided to leave my front door and run 4 miles in one direction and then turn around and come back. What I forgot about was that the road I chose is a hilly one. But I got thru it. I started to experience the blisters and the pain that hills will bring and I ran thru them. My view from the run this weekend was not nearly as beautiful as the La Jolla Half will offer.

 

 

This year I know what I am about to run in a little less than 4 weeks. I have ran this hill quite a few times since then. I feel good now. I have learned a lot about myself and what running can do for me. I can finish things. I can reach the goal that I want to reach.  2015 I am going to say to the Torrey Pines Hill:

Vacation Count Down

 

I am sooo ready for vacation. We finally booked a family vacation in the wonderful location of Hawaii. Of course I booked the vacation based on an unapproved school calendar. What does that mean you ask? That means my children get an extra week out of school this year. I am okay with that. Hubby and I have been running in ever direction lately and so it is time to unplug and unwind with the family. I am excited to be to a new place and just relax.

 

At this point you may be wondering what that has to do with eating clean and my new health kick. Well, it has everything to do with it! With a trip to Hawaii that means I HAVE to be in better shape. I don't want to be embarrassed to get into my swimsuit, I want to feel confident and relaxed.

 

 

That being said I turned to my friend and who became a Beachbody Coach and jumped on the bandwagon. I signed up for an Insanity Max:30 challenge that began 1/1/15. I will admit I was not as focused as I should have been. My diet was lacking, but I was working out. Add the 5 days a week 30 minute intense work out with running 3-4 days a week and I have really started to see some differences!

 

 

 However, in the process I have started to realize that change needs to be on the inside as well as the outside. I have to change my thinking about food and certain aspects of my life. I am not a super mom or super hero. I have limitations, and that is okay.

As for food, the mindset I want to have is it is okay to enjoy food, but the important thing to remember is that food is fuel for my body, not just a taste good thing. Crap in means crap out. I never used to buy into the idea that a shake could work to reduce cravings and my sweet tooth. I am not sure if it is the Shakeology or a combination of Shakeology with working out, but I have actually been able to walk past the case of Girl Scout Cookies in my pantry and not be tempted to eat them all in one sitting. In fact I think I have had a total of 6 cookies since the season started. I enjoy the shakes and actually feel full afterwards. I will gladly go into the benefits of Shakeology,  if you would like to email or comment below I will respond! But what I can say is that I don't want sweets nearly as much and love fueling my body with real whole foods!

 After I finished Insanity Max:30 I couldn't wait to try the next thing and this time get my nutrition under control! That lead me to 21 Day Fix Extreme. Literally I am working out doing a 30 minute video every day for 21 days! I was nervous but I have pushed play every day (Ok I missed 1 day but I made up for it). Along with the program came to portion control color coded containers and wow! I started seriously dropping some inches. I am determined to have a body I am happy with. It may not happen by Vacation, but I will be so much closer!

Thanks to my successes, and all I am learning, I have decided to pay it forward and became a coach with Team Beachbody! If anyone is interested in finding out more about the challenges, programs, or Shakeology contact me and we can discuss. You can now find me on facebook at facebook.com/carriesjourneytofitness to follow more of my journey on a regular basis!

       

Lessons from an 8 Year Old Swimmer

Wow, so I am trying really hard to keep up with life right now. With sick kids, work, school, husband on travel. . . well it is just a little crazy to keep up around here. I sometimes feel like I am barely keeping my head above water. Normally running is my saving grace. Daughter #2 is almost always up for a ride in the jogging stroller so I can get some stress out and she enjoys the ride, usually breaking at a park for play time. After last weeks 7 at 7 mantra I was ready to get moving more. Wednesday we spent the day at her first Preschool Field Trip - Oma's Pumpkin patch.

 

She had a blast, and yes I know fail on my part for putting her in shorts to go to a pumpkin patch, but it has been SSOOOO Hot I was not thinking about the hay as much as the comfort of not over heating. We got home from the Pumpkin Patch all set to get a 3 Mile run in. I had mapped out the course so that I could run from the house to Daughter #1's school that would be a 4 mile run. The weather was low 70's and slightly overcast, perfect running weather! I was going to run to the school and then walk home with the girls (shortest route is 2.5 miles). Daughter #1 LOVES walking to or from school, so I was all set. Got dressed, loaded up jogging stroller with water and snacks, loaded up Daughter #2 and started to move, realizing that the stroller had a flat tire. No big deal, we have an air compressor so easy to fill up the tire. One BIG problem, husband had loaned the air compressor to a co-worker and had not gotten it back yet. UGGHHH, no running to the school! Then, plans to run on the treadmill were derailed with daughter #2 became sick with the nasty flu/cold going around.

 

So to shorten what became a very long week, no running occurred either on the road or the treadmill due to sick child interrupting at the worst times and so no run and barely enough time for a shower. Then just when I thought I would maybe get to sleep in we realized we would have to be at the pool by 7 AM for Daughter #1's first official year round swim meet. That is life right?

 

Attending her swim meet and seeing her determination was a lesson that I hope to carry over to my running

 

What to Eat . . . .?

Why on earth is it so difficult to lose weight or even just figure out what is best for our bodies. I am constantly trying to figure out a way to eat healthy. There are so many fads and diet “cults” out there. Let me preface this blog post by stating that I in NO WAY am judging what anyone eats or does. We all have to make our own decisions and conclusions of what is going to fuel our bodies. Those are the words that so often we don’t use when it comes to food, fuel. Ultimately the food we put in our body is supposed to be the fuel our bodies need to accomplish the work we need our bodies to do for us. For some people that means fueling your body to sit at a desk for 10 hours and then drive home to sit on a couch. For others it means fueling for the body to clean the house, run after the kids and entertain friends and family. For many of us it means not only fueling for the above activities but also those training runs that range from 2 miles to 22 miles of running/biking/swimming etc. For the athletes out there looking to drop a few pounds it becomes almost more difficult.

When I first started running the goal was to lose weight. So I jumped in full force with the running and signed up and loosely trained for a ½ Marathon. While that was the catalyst that got me running I am still struggling with the food aspect of this. Many people, myself included, eat food because we LOVE food, not because we NEED the fuel.  The other thing I didn’t realize was that as I started to run longer my appetite got bigger! My body needed more fuel.  I have always joked that I run because I love to eat. I used to get upset because my wonderful husband, who can get out and run an 8 min mile with no work and not seem out of breath at all, lost a ton of weight as we trained for that first ½ Marathon. He didn’t really need to and here I was needing to but I stayed the same (at least I wasn’t gaining was my motto). I realized after a while that his view of food was much different. He ate to LIVE and ran because he LIKED it. I ran because I LOVED to eat. Main difference is he looks at fuel as food; I look at it from a much more emotional point of view. Food is a comfort thing. I also love the different flavors and to bake in general. My main point in this rambling is that while I am running much more consistently and a little faster my weight is really not changed much in the 3 years.

I gave up on dieting a long time ago. I realize that “diets” don’t work. I am looking food now as fuel for my body. In the last year I have started to recognize that food is fuel. Don’t get me wrong calories in and calories out is still something I think about a LOT. However, I don’t really count them as much. I am trying to think of food as if I am hungry I eat, if I am not hungry I don’t eat. On the same vein what I am eating I am thinking about more carefully. I still eat junk food and processed food, but it is not as often. Before when I would see a cookie or piece of cake at the store I wouldn’t be that hesitate to buy it and eat the whole thing, then feel guilty afterwards. Today I can safely walk by the bakery and while it looks and smells good I don’t buy. Mainly because I am more aware of what could be in the processed cookies and cakes. I would much rather make my own with a few substitutions to make them healthier and less full of sugar and oils. Dieting may help you lose weight in the short term but they rarely help you keep the weight off. The key is to making healthier choices, fruits, veggies, all that stuff we know about.

This leads me to nutrition and running. I am sure most of you have heard it called rungry, it is horrible. I go out for a long run spend 2 hours running, I come home and drink my after run Chocolate low-fat milk and banana. Then finish cooling down, maybe eat breakfast with eggs, cheese, spinach (or other veggies) and toast. Then an hour later I will feel like I haven’t eaten in a week and could eat everything in the fridge. Rungry is not fun, and if the goal is to lose weight it is very frustrating. But I have started researching. As I start contemplating running a Marathon next January (2016) I recognize a few things:

1)      Food is fuel and your body needs it to operate properly and give you optimal performance. As fuel the more nutrient rich the better. This means shopping the outside of most stores and avoiding, for the most part, the inner aisles.

2)      Natural foods can taste just as good as the processed foods when cooked correctly!

3)      Not everyone needs the same fuel so don’t compare yourself to others

4)      Processed foods may seem easier, but sometimes it is faster and easier to just make food yourself

I won’t lie; I am researching different diets because some have some very interesting ideas. I have read books lately like The Fast Metabolism Diet, The Daniel Plan, The Whole Foods 30 Day Diet, as well as books and blogs about Paleo.  All seem to have the same underlying idea that the more natural and less processed the better. Don’t get me wrong they all have some major differences and I am not an expert on any of them to say one is not better than the other, nor have I tried to follow all of them.  I have just read the books. What I am learning in my research is what works for one person to fuel them and help maintain their goal may not work for the next. Everyone has different genes that play a role in how they process food. The basics are the same, but we need to educate yourselves and then do what is best for you. We also need to stop judging other people for doing it a different way.  If the goal is living a healthier life we will get there. It may take a while and we will always be learning, but even one step towards being healthier is better than nothing.

If you have any suggestions of healthy whole food ways to fuel during marathon training please let me know! I would love to hear what others do!

Fitting in the Workouts

Ever feel like there is just not enough time? I have been feeling very stressed and frustrated with myself lately.  I was told one time a saying from my mom, not sure where she got it from, “Some days I am a great mom, some days I am a great employee, rarely am I the both on the same day.” I feel I should tweak that statement a little to include runner as well. I love my runs and know they are important, but so often I feel like they are taking time away from my family. I struggle almost daily with the idea that I should be doing something other than my run. Or just as bad I struggle with myself and feel like if I was just a faster runner it would be so much easier to get the runs in and still have time for everything else.

So often I used to think that stay at home moms should have plenty of time to do everything. Haha! I was SOOO wrong. Now that I am a stay at home mom I feel so much more stressed and have even less time for my workouts it feels. I need to be working 4+ hours a day to keep up with the work. Then the cleaning (let’s face it that takes last priority). All this is around kids’ schedules of school, swim, tutoring, and homework, not to mention just playing with them. It seems like there should be plenty of time. But let me lay out the day. Wake up at 6-6:30 and it is get kids/husband lunches ready, and kids ready for school. By 8 it is out the door for school drop off. This is usually a longer process then I plan because I indulge my kids and walk them to class and then end up running into a parent or two to say hi to and talk with about life. So instead of getting home by 8:30 it is usually 9. Then I try on MWF to get my runs in, anywhere from 3-5 miles depending on the training plan. Due to my pace being so slow this is anywhere from a 36-60 min time. After you account for getting the little one set up with her movie or snack and all the other interruptions it is usually 10-10:30 before that is done.  From there I usually clean up a little (not a shower yet who has time for that). By 11 I MAY have time to sit down and get to my job. “Work” from 11 AM-2 PM interrupted frequently by youngest needing something or wanting help with her coloring or reading. Of course at some point in there I have to get lunch. At 2 we get ready to pick up the oldest from School. Again that rarely goes as fast as I hope pick up will go. So by the time we get home it is 2:45-3. Then it is snack time and homework until 3:45 and then off to Swim until 5:30-6. After that it is home for dinner/showers/cuddle time/bed. If I am lucky kids are in bed by 8-8:30 and actually settled by 9. At this point, if you are following along I still need to work for another 1-2 hours to get all my time and work done. Just looking at that typed out makes me cringe and think that running really should be cut out so I can clean more.  However, then the family would really dislike me! I would be so grouchy.

The perfect schedule would be me getting up at 5 AM and getting my work out in before 6:30. However, I am just not a morning person. 5AM just comes SOOOO early! I haven’t had my running partner lately due to life so I have no motivation to get out of bed! I am trying so hard to be perfect and fit it all in. I think the facts are we can’t always fit it all in. No matter how well we plan our schedule there has to be flexibility. Life is great at throwing us curve balls. I did a weekly schedule with cleaning and work outs. It included getting up every morning at 5 AM to get it all in. What it left out were important things like helping with homework and grocery shopping. I will have to revisit that some day soon.

For now I am going to do my best to keep plugging away and make time for the most important things, my family and taking care of myself. While some, and even myself sometimes, think my running time is selfish, I would argue it is needed. Without it I would probably gain even more weight (a subject for another blog post) and be very grouchy. So, my “me” time is running and the rest of the day is flexible depending on what my family needs. I try to remind myself that by doing this I am setting an example to my daughters that it is important to take care of yourself, even in busy times.  Life happens but how we react to it is the important part!