Weeks 14 and 15

Life has been so busy!  Holidays! Changing jobs! The darn fitness center is shut down until January! Yet, somehow I've managed to keep up with my fitness!  It's a challenge to come up with something effective to do at home with limited equipment but I love the progress I've made so I will not give up now!

No fitness center:
Ryan & I were so disappointed when we made our way to the fitness center and discovered that there is major construction going on throughout the fitness center & that all the doors were locked :-(
When I want something, I want it NOW & I don't want anything to stand in my way.  So, after spending a minute or two pouting, I drove over to Walmart & bought some 15 lb. weights.  They do not make up for access to the fitness center but they at least allow me to get some strength training in for the next month.

Running:
So now that I don't have access to the fitness center treadmill, I put on my running shoes & went OUTSIDE for some exercise.  After taking a full three weeks off from running and easing back in to running in week 13, something came over me & I just wanted to run Run RUN!!  So, I ran.  I hit this mental breakthrough point in Week 15.  You see, I really really really wanted to run the Dallas Half Marathon (more on that next week) but I have not been training at a half marathon level.  I wanted to run the half so badly because 1) it's something I get to do with my sister - I love when we run races together 2) I want to do it annually - as in Every year 3) running feels so good lately and 4) the forecast predicted that the weather would be Perfect on race day.  Considering I ran the half last year in rain, cold, wind with soppy shoes and a face so wet they started handing out Kleenex's, I figured I could handle 13.1 miles if all of those elements were Not in play.  I was a little bit worried that I'd show up at the race & fail half way through so I did a test run with my wonderful sister.  I ran/walked about 8.3 glorious miles with Elisa & decided "I'll go for it!  I'll run the half!"  A very important part of that 8.3 miles is that I took a break about halfway through to walk for a bit.  I've always been of the mentality that there this huge difference between 8 miles and 5 miles plus 3 miles separated by a walk.  I don't know why but I held myself to this completely arbitrary standard that a run should be just that, one long run with no slowing down.  I am so glad that I finally overcame that hurdle & accepted that two relatively long runs separated by a short walk is just as good (if not better) for my body as one continuous run.  There is no way I could have handled 8.3 miles of straight running.  I have not been training at that level & I did not want to push myself so hard that I ended up injured again.  I am so excited to get out there and start logging ridiculously long runs now that I ALLOW myself to slow down when my body asks for it.  I have no idea why it took me so long to make that mental breakthrough but I think it will lead to many additional miles in my weekly check ins!


Week 14:

• 4.9 miles walking
• 4.7 running 
• 1 hour 35 minutes of strength training 

Week 15:

• 3.6 miles walking
• 12. 5 miles running 
•  2 hours 25 minutes of strength training 

Getting Stronger in Week 13

Wow! It's hard to believe that I've stuck to my fitness plan for this long!  I am super determined to eat clean & work out often with only 80 days left until my 30th birthday!! I want to enter my 30s looking fabulous & I feel like I'm well on my way.  Sometimes I look at myself & think that I look the same as when I started this blog but I definitely receive comments about the changes (mostly from my wonderful hubby) & I'm well aware of the fact that I can lift so much more than I could three months ago.

My Instagram fitfam continues to keep me motivated & my Fitocracy friends provide great encouragement in keeping me on track.  I keep finding more & more recipe ideas as well as ideas for workouts from looking at my feeds.  One of the fit women I follow on Instagram encouraged me to participate in flexfridays to show my progress.  Her encouragement reminded me that I haven't taken or posted photos of my progress in a long time.  So...December 1 I will have what I call a "like it or not photo shoot".  Part of me wants to wait for everything to look perfect before I share more photos but I know that many other people benefit from seeing their progress photos so I will take some photos whether I like it or not & hope for the best!

My family continues to encourage & support me in my fitness goals.  My mom tweaked the Thanksgiving dinner menu to include more veggies & less of the foods I can't eat this year.  My Hubby is being super supportive & spots me at the gym even if he isn't lifting.  Both of my sisters are attending bootcamp, looking great & helping me stay motived! Check out my wonderful Hubby & Sister logging some serious mileage at the Turkety Trot on Thanksgiving.  I am so proud of my Hubby.  This was his longest race to date!  I am so glad he had Elisa there to run it with him!

Pre-race:

Halfway - 4 miles in:

Ryan crossing the finish line:

Elisa crossing the finish line:

Week 13:

• 10.1 miles walking
• 2.5 miles running - My plan is to increase distance by half a mile per run each week.  My right leg is finally feeling good & I don't want to mess it up.
• 4 hours of weight training - Say what!?  I had a few days off from work & have been cooking less due to Thanksgiving leftovers - both of which freed up time for me to work out!

Perspective in Week 11 & 12

Something happened to me in the last couple of weeks. I had a bit of an existential crisis & came out the other end of the crisis with a new perspective. I really needed to step back, see what I was investing myself in & re-arrange things based on what I want to be invested in. Sometimes it feels like I'm in control of my life & sometimes it feels like life is dragging me where it pleases. I spent a good deal of time thinking & re-evaluating & I'm ready to move forward with renewed excitement & determination. There are some aspects of life that seem to always fall into place & there are some aspects that really require determination, planning, effort, time & energy. My faith, my loved ones and my health are absolutely central to how I handle the rest of life & how fulfilled I feel in life. If I'm serious about giving these things the amount of investment & attention they deserve, it is not going to happen in little chunks of time here & there - these central aspects of my life require day in and day out attention. With that, here are some recent thoughts on each & their affect on Fitness Health & Happiness:

1) Faith: I listen to podcasts by Alistair Begg at least a few times a week. Each sermon is about 20-25 minutes long and my drive to work is 30 minutes long so I usually get a sermon in on the way to work. This week I faced a real challenge. I listed to a sermon on called The Power of Proper Thinking & it really challenged me. In particular, the sermon centered around Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Hearing that made me stop & think about what it is that I put through my mind on a daily basis. Do I put in positive things? Do I think constructive thoughts? Do my thoughts expose envy instead of encouragement or hatred instead of understanding. In large part, we are the sum of our actions (how we treat ourselves and how we treat others) but the actions are all born in the mind. If we really want control over how we act, we need a good firm grip on the driving force, which is the mind. I spend silly amounts of time wasting mental energy on things that don't matter. I need to focus that mental energy into things that are for my benefit or for the benefit of others. I need to work on sowing the thoughts that will turn into positive action and good mental, physical, emotional & spiritual health.

2) Loved ones: I am married to a wonderful an amazing person. I am so thankful for the fact that I have a self-less & devoted husband. It exhausts me just thinking about all of the things that he does for me/for us. Although he would never complain to me about it or demand special treatment, he does not get the praise or attention that he deserves. Sometimes I just seem to forget that my best friend in the world is right here in the house with me & that I should get the most of it. I know my mom has told me this before, but sometimes it takes time for things to sink in. When Ryan invites me to do something with him, I need to do it. I need to recognize that I'm being invited into a shared experience & not turn down that invitation to do something else - especially when that something else ends up being something so silly like reading gossip websites and not something more constructive! I have a renewed focus on sharing experiences with Ryan. He has done so much to adopt my interests. He eats healthier because I'm here, he runs because I got him started on running. He actually has thrown himself into running so much that he walked 3 miles & ran 17.5 miles this week & is running the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving!! I am so incredibly proud of him & I am so happy that he has really integrated something that I enjoy so much into his lifestyle. want to reciprocate & show Ryan that he is worth the mutual effort by participating in his interests & by expressing my gratitude for the things he joins me in. I sometimes feel gratitude right there in my heart but I never tell him! I want him to know it.

3) Health: Overall health is always the goal. The desire for good health is a given. No one asks "why do you want to be happy" or "why do you want to be healthy". Although reasons may be given for wanting health, health is a thing to be desired in itself. If you get bogged down in the details when trying to be healthy, it is hard to ever be pleased with yourself. I love logging workouts because it reminds me that I am making that effort and that I am progressing. It is not the individual little workouts that are the real accomplishment, it is the fact that they add up to an overall picture of strength, endurance & efficiency that really matters. I fear that too many people never develop a love for their health. We crash diet. We injure ourselves by pushing too hard & not listening to our bodies' need for rest. We go to all sorts of extremes, fads & quick-fixes when what we really need to work on is building a huge composite of healthy choices that is built on determination, planning, effort, time & energy. Good health is an awesome reward but it requires a long-term consistent commitment.

I feel great after clearing my mind & focusing in on the essential things. I hope I don't soon forget this moment of mental clarity & that it carries over to the practical aspects of reaching my goals!

Week 11
Travelling chaos to New Orleans & Wisconsin. I will be better prepared next time I travel!

Week 12
Still no running but my leg finally feels better!
Walking - 11.9 miles (bam!)
Weight training - 2 hours (Less sessions but I really pushed myself with heavier weights!)

Encouragement & Motivation!

Let's face it, being health isn't easy. People who look great tend to provide the same response when asked their "secret": Eat clean & Exercise often.  Lately I've come across so many great resources to serve as my source of encouragement and motivation in keeping up with the two-prong road to health.

1) My family & friends: The people that care about me & that want what's best for me are always there cheering me on, reminding me to take it easy when I'm hurt, ensuring that I see my doctor regularly, etc.  My loved ones serve as a great driving force in helping me stay healthy.

2) My set goals: It is always easier to train with a goal in mind whether that goal is a particular race, a strength goal (I'm currently maxing out my pushups every week!), or whatever else you might be working towards.

3) Complete strangers: This is something I had taken for granted until recently.  I have started following other fit people's blogs, Instagrams, facebooks, etc. and it is a huge help in keeping me motivated.  When I woke up Saturday I totally wanted to lazy around in bed for a while, but flipping through my Instagram feed motivated me to get my butt out of bed and start lifting.  I felt awesome afterwards!  I also love that Instagram is such a quick easy source of recipes!!  I've prepared several dishes this week based on recipes I found on Instagram & have posted the recipe, a link to where I found it, and a photo of my version of it below:

Loaded Sweet Potato or Yam from fitmencook.com.  This did not satisfy Ryan's sweet-tooth at all.  He requested marshmallows & ended up using whipped cream to sweeten it up.  I put a little honey on top instead of the Stevia listed in the recipe.

Salmon that I made up today.  I used to coat with mayonnaise to hold in moisture but I've started using egg white instead. It works well!

Turkey Omelette Cupcakes (or Loaves) from fitmencook.com - although I removed turkey & added prosciutto & included cheese as a side for those members of the household who do not follow the paleo diet ;-) This doesn't look like much in my photo (the photo on his site is amazing) but it was delicious - especially for something filled with vegetables & protein.  This is a great meal to start the day off right!

Although I can point to many inspiring people to follow, I highly recommend following these two:

1) Instagram: thebettyrocker / web http://thebettyrocker.com/  She posts great workout ideas AND recipes. Her Instagram & website are great resources for strength training exercise and for gluten-free recipes.

2) Instagram: fitnessandfaith / web http://fitmencook.com/ This guy posts a great variety of recipes including some which are paleo friendly & I love that he is committed to his faith and & that it informs his perspective & his goals.  The sweet potato and omelette cupcakes are his handiwork.

Week 10

NO RUNNING!  I need to fully recover first.
Walking - 6 miles

Bootcamp - 2 hour 40 minutes (still focusing on arms due to my injury, but bringing in my legs a bit)

Highs and Lows

I have some highs and lows to post about this week.  If I sound preachy it's only because I care about you!

Highs:
I realize that most women dread getting their yearly "well woman" check ups but these check ups are SO important in order to ensure good health.  I've struggled with lots of stress, pain and treatment in my reproductive areas for the last several years, so I find it absolutely necessary to be diligent in my well-women appointments.  I strongly encourage all women to go to their yearly well-woman exam and perform breast exams even if you feel great and have a healthy lifestyle.  I'm finishing out this year with GOOD news about all of those lady areas.
- First, (sorry if TMI guys) my periods are regular for the first time ever.  I've had periods two weeks apart, two months apart, etc.and that is not the sort of variety I need in my life.  However, since I started eating (mostly) paleo friendly foods and exercising regularly, my periods come much more regularly - every 29 days plus or minus only a day or two. Praise the Lord!  It is much easier to prepare for and deal with something like that when it comes on a regular schedule.
- Second, my pap results were normal.  Woot woot!  I've actually had to go to the dreaded well-woman exams every 6 months (instead of the 1 year standard) due to an irregular pap a while back.  Having an irregular pap was a huge scare for me.  I am so used to going to my appointment & hearing from the doctor's office shortly thereafter letting me know everything was regular.  It was pretty traumatic getting a phone call from the doctor saying "your results weren't normal - we need to follow up".  I vividly remember that I was in downtown Dallas walking past a McDonald's near the courthouse when I received that call.  My mind immediately jumped to every worst possible conclusion.  Do I have cancer?  Can I not have babies?  Do I need major surgery to get things removed?  My doctor performed a colposcopy shortly after that irregular pap to rule out the worst possible scenarios and remove some tissue.  The procedure was not a pleasant experience at all but I'd go through it 5 more times if it means I don't develop something serious.  I am so thankful that we detected the problem early and were able to deal with it before it became serious.  I am also thankful that my Hubby is so supportive and encouraging when it comes to staying on top of my health.  He knows that I get major anxiety about these tests and procedures due to issues from the past, but he is always there to be supportive of me.  He absolutely will not let me miss a scheduled appointment and he is always in the waiting room after any procedure, even if means taking time off of work, to give me a gift and make sure that I'm okay.  After all the anxiety that I now associate with these tests, having a normal pap was the highlight of my month!!  It is so much easier to appreciate something like that when you have had an issue in the past.

Lows:
I hurt myself and it stinkin sucks.  Looking at my weekly workout updates...it's not too hard to see why I'm injured right now.  Instead of being consistent with my routines, I pushed extra hard with weights one week, neglecting runs, and pushed extra hard with runs the following weeks without a gradual buildup.  Also, I ran in the dark without paying attention to where I was running and managed to step into an area that was deeper than expected.  I could feel the unnatural stretch in my leg at that step. Ugh.  Now, I get to pay for my carelessness with mandatory rest!!  Booo.  The worst part is that I hear injured hip flexors can take several weeks or even months to heal.  I'm going to try to rest my legs for three weeks (today is only day 5 and its killing me not to run!) because I really don't want to re-ignite the injury and put myself out for longer period of time.  Rest days are no fun for me but, again, my overall health is what matters - not my weekly stats.  The whole point of the weekly stats is to ensure regular exercise and promote my overall health.  I won't be thrilled about my running/walking stats for the next few weeks but I'll keep doing other exercises and focus on all the things I can do to stay healthy.

Weekly Workout Updates:

Week 7

Running - 2 miles

Walking - 1 mile

Bootcamp - 3 hours 15 minutes (this is a record for me! - up from a Week 1 time of 1 hour 50 minutes)

Week 8

Running - 5 miles

Walking - 2.1 miles (up from a Week 1 distance of 1 mile)

Bootcamp - 3 hours 5 minutes (another strong week! - up from a Week 1 time of 1 hour 50 minutes)

Week 9

Running - 6.1 miles

Walking - .35 - I didn't track some other walking I did here and there because my speeds are ridiculously slow and my walks are completely sporadic due to my injury.

Bootcamp - 1 hour 55 minutes (I'm killing my arms & core here while my legs heal - go biceps!)

Week 6

What a great week!

My sister & I have been working out TOGETHER so much!
We started the week off right with a nice 4 mile jog & then started attending Bootcamp together!  I've been going to bootcamp for a while but Elisa was previously unable to go...she gave birth so...
I love going to bootcamp with Elisa!  She pushes herself really hard & it makes me push myself!  No whiners!  We're hard core!

My husband's food preferences don't always line up with mine, so I am always excited when I prepare a recipe that he really likes!  This week's hit was Enchilada Chicken Stew and it can be found here: Enchilada Chicken Stew
Crockpot recipes are my friend. My favorite recipes are those that allow me to eat healthy & delicious food without spending a ton of time in the kitchen (or a ton of money).  This is one of those recipes!

I've been having some food struggles lately & it's made me realize that I need to prepare ahead of time for "emergency situations".  I can be discipled about what I eat at home & about being selective when buying groceries to eliminate unhealthy foods, but putting together meals for work hours is more difficult.  At times, my schedule is very unforgiving, not even allowing for lunch breaks, but I've always managed to get by in the past by having processed food as my holdover.  My go to "meal" when I couldn't take a lunch break used to be protein bars.  However, now that I am on the paleo diet, I don't have an emergency go-to meal!  I'd love some suggestions.  I keep a few items around my office such as bananas, almonds & hard-boiled eggs, which I eat in the event of an extremely busy day, but I never have anything on me (like in my purse) for when I'm stuck in court for a long stretch of time or when I'm sitting in a deposition for six hours through lunch.  My goal for the month is to find a great portable healthy snack/light meal for times when I find myself in a pinch.  I need it.

In happier news, check out my stats!

Weekly Workout Update:

Running - 10 miles - double digits baby!! (up from a Week 1 distance of 6)

Walking - 3.23 miles (up from a Week 1 distance of 1 mile)

Bootcamp - 2 hours 20 minutes (up from a Week 1 time of 1 hour 50 minutes)

Week 5

Not a bad week!

I ran a 5K with my hubby, sister and brother-in-law.  I am so excited that the temperatures are finally dropping out here in Texas, so it is now perfect running weather!  This was an extremely enjoyable organized race.  It was fun to run in a big mass of people & it was so inspiring to see wee little people running the shorter races.  I LOVE when I can run a race with my hubby and/or the rest of my family.  Of course I love spending time with my family and, beyond that, I love knowing that they are out there getting some exercise & maintaining their health.  I need to step it up to prepare for the Turkey Trot (8 mile), Dallas Half-Marathon (13.1) and I will scatter several 5Ks, 10Ks or other runs in between!  Let's do this!

SISTERS!!!

OUR HUBBIES!!!

Two serious subjects.
First: Without going into my health background...yet...I have a few doctor appointments coming up this month.  I am hoping for a clean bill of health from each doctor but each of the doctors I'm seeing have previously given me some stress-inducing news.  I am certainly hoping for the best but it's hard not to get a little bit of anxiety in the wait period... All prayers & other forms of support are greatly appreciated.
Second: The good that comes out of hitting health lows in the past is that the upcoming appointments Definitely serve as a good reminder of why we must Eat Healthy, Exercise, Manage Stress, etc.  We only get one body.  We need to treat it with care so that we may maintain our health.  There are some inevitabilities that our genes will throw at us, but overall we choose our own future health.  The decisions & actions of today will manifest themselves in our future.  With that said, I'm kicking off 27 days worth of health push.  I do not believe in a lifestyle that involves NO indulgences.  I know that it will not destroy my body if I have a glass of wine now and then, nor will it destroy my body if I take a longer-than-normal break from exercise.  But, I want to prove to myself that I can be disciplined, go beyond my comfort levels, and treat this body as the temple that it is.  Especially at a time in my life when murmurings of potential baby-having are in the air, I really want to prove to myself that I can give my body & any future co-habiting bodies all the health benefits they deserve.  Feel free to share tips with me & wish me luck!

Weekly workouts:
5.40 running
2.16 walking
1 hour 50 minutes bootcamp