Changing places

So, I've decided to switch where this blog is hosted (this doesn't apply to my LJ at all, just my running journal). If you still read this, please update any links/feeds to the following:

www.gettingfitandhappy.com

Now that summer is almost over

And September is right around the corner, it's really time for me to get back into running. I miss it. I miss how I feel when I run. These past few summer months have just been so crazy! Vacations, day trips, birthdays, cookouts, etc. left no time for anything. Allbeit, they were good times, too good! I started my new job last October taking a paycut but with the idea that I would have more time, which to me, is more valuable than money. Well, I keep finding ways to fill that time and make life hectic, but I'm not filling it with the things I had hoped. But now it's time to get serious.

Here's the plan:

Get back into running.


That's as far as I've gotten. I need to spend this weekend thinking about the food and nutrition. Do I want to do points? Do I want to do clean eating? Do I want to do the BFL plan again?

Each has it's strong points:

WW Points: Lots of variety, easy to work into daily life and cook food for the whole family, but gives me the option to have junk. I always feel that I eat way too much junk and processed foods while doing WW. Why? Because I "can". If I could stay away from the junk, this would be the best option. Plus it would fit into my massive couponing craze that allows me to buy non-clean foods for cheap.

Clean Eating: Still lots of variety, I like the foods and eating this way, but it can be tough to cook meals for the whole family. Not sure if there's enough structure.

BFL: Pretty much clean eating, but with structure. Maybe too much structure. Not sure if I'm ready to embark full-force into this plan again because it can be time-consuming, although I was my fittest ever when I did BFL.

So, I need to think what will work best for me. Any opinions? (if there's anyone still reading :) )

Trying to get back into it...

Vacation really, really took away any enthusiasm that I had, but I'm really, really trying to get back into my running. I was on a nice streak there. I had planned to run yesterday, but I was just so busy with work, being my first day back after vacation, that the only time I could squeeze in a run was at about 4:00pm before I picked up my daughter. Unfortunately, it was way too hot at that time. I have a feeling it will be the same story today. I will try, though. I just can't deal with the heat. I'm slow enough as it is, but the heat just makes me run like a turtle!

Will be back later today to post any results. I'm not giving up at all. It's just been a tough couple of weeks not having a regular schedule. And with this being a short week, it's not making it any easier.

Not feeling the Run Love today

Ugh, I'm s.o.r.e. from Monday's long (for me) run. Still. I've been stretching the last couple of days, and felt that I could give my run a try today. After the first mile, my left outer calf really started to hurt. I pushed it slowly for another mile, stopping for a stretch break twice, and finally deciding I wasn't going to push it any further. I'm kind of bummed about it because I really wanted to get in one good final workout before we leave for our long weekend on Friday morning. I most likely won't get a run in until Monday. I'll bring my sneakers and Nike+ with the hopes of running this weekend, but I'm not sure I'll be able to sneak away for any length of time. We will be doing lots of walking, so the weekend won't be without exercise, but it also won't be without good food, too ;) I just need to keep reminding myself that in order to have the good days like Monday, I need to have days like today, and if I pushed myself to injury, then days like Monday would be few and far between for quite some time.

Here's the run in all its unsatisfying glory:


I guess the good news is that I went to WW today and was down 1.2 lbs, even after a small splurge of a slice of pizza, ice cream and cake at a bday party last night. I went in with a plan to eat the smallest slice of the large pizza, lots of salad, and a small serving of cake and ice cream. I guess I can be proud that I followed through with it.

Song of the day: Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar

1...2...3...FOUR!!!!

Yep, I logged FOUR miles this morning. I didn't run all of it, but I did run about 3 miles of it. I'm pretty proud of myself. That was the first day of my Nike+ 1/2 Marathon training, and I love going into my training profile on nikeplus.nike.com and seeing that bar all filled up with accomplishment. Here's my run:

And I ran outside on the track. This is my first time doing that since I started running about a month ago. I actually really liked it much, much better than the treadmill. The time FLEW by. A minute on the treadmill drags by, but a minute on the track is like a blink of an eye.

I was quite nervous about running in public. I like the fact that in the basement nobody can see me. I can wear just a sports bra and my shorts/skirt, and I don't have to care about the flab on my belly bouncing around or the shorts riding up. When I got to the track, nobody was there. It was pretty gray and windy and ready to rain at any second. One girl showed up as I was starting my workout. And then an older man came and walked a mile. As I was leaving one other girl showed up to run. I know nobody cares what I look like, and frankly, I don't care either. I wore my shorts with bike shorts underneath, and if they rode up, oh well. I did spare everyone and wore a tshirt :P

New Feature:

Song of the day: Goodbye to You by Scandal

Saturday Night Fun!

I really wanted to accomplish my 6mile weekly goal, and since I had such a short run on Monday due to the heat, I was shy about 0.5 mile. Now, I wasn't gonna get all sweaty and have to shower for such a short distance, so I ended up doing my longest run yet. Some Saturday night fun, huh? I guess that's what happens when you're an old mom. LOL! I'm treating myself to a mojito as soon as I shower, though. So, it's all good.

Here are my stats for tonight:

My eating pretty much sucked today. I'm not sure why. I had a late breakfast, and then I had nothing healthy in the house for lunch, so I ate a Bagelful - totally wasn't satisfying because I was so hungry. I did have a healthy supper of lean steak, grilled veggies and a little rice. My jello is brewing and should be just about ready for me for my before-bed snack. That's totally a bad habit, but I've switched to sf/ff jello or a 100 cal Kettle Corn. Much better than what I used to have.

Actually, since I've been running this past month, most things are much better than they used to be. I still have the old family drama, which is not suitable for my running posts, but I'm handling things differently, more calmly, looking at the big picture and trying to not be angry about things that I can't control. That's the best I can do, and running has been a great stress relief for that. And the new clothes! I'm totally enjoying shopping again. My wallet isn't enjoying it, but it's nice to finally have some in-style clothes that fit and look somewhat decent on me. I don't want to buy too much because I'm hoping my weight keeps dropping. I've only lost 4 lbs so far, but my face is thinner, my old clothes are looser, and even if people don't notice that I'm looking a bit thinner, I feel like a completely different person. And runner's high aside, that's really what gets me running.

DH is in the garage installing his Father's Day gift - a new air conditioner. For the garage. That's what he wanted. I wanted Pyrex for Mother's Day, and that's what I got. Oh well. He practically lives in there now that he bought his new table saw. We won't even get into the cost of that (care to know - google Powermatic), but he's hoping he goes on strike in August so that he has ample time to use it. Pray for me - I work from home, and I like my current, lonely schedule :)

Gadgets

I am so not a gadget person. I don't get all excited about the latest cell phone or video game or any of that, so this is quite surprising to me that I made such an impulse purchase. After reading about Roni's experience with the Nike+ iPod, I decided I had to give it a try. I'm nowhere near purchasing a Garmin, so for $30 this seemed like a nice fit for my beginner level. One catch: I have an iPod mini and to use this gadget you need an iPod nano. Hmmm, haven't I been wanting to upgrade for a couple of weeks now? Just another reason to splurge!

I'm a total bargain-hunter, so I searched and searched for the best deal on the 6GB vs. the 4GB. I really wanted to the green, since it's my favorite color, but since I only have less than 1 GB on my current 6GB mini, I went with the 4GB that only comes in silver. Not a huge deal, I'll just get a green case for it ;). Then, I couldn't find the Nike+ in stock anywhere around here. For some reason, I stopped in Circuit City on my way to pick up Cecilia, and I almost bought it there, but I started feeling guilty for spending so much $$. I had to pee, and Target was right next door, so I ran in there. And of course, I checked to see if their website was wrong about having no Nike+ in stock. Well, it was my lucky day! They had one hanging there, just waiting for me to grab it. And bonus - get a $15 gift card when you buy the 4GB. So, I bought that and then used the gift card to help fund the $30 Nike+.

So, onto my run. It was great!! Best run yet. I decided I was just going to listen to my own music (note to self: make some decent 35 minute playlists!!!) and run 3: walk 1 until I hit 2 miles. Well, since I don't have Nike+ shoes (I have my ugly, but fantastic, NB 882's) and I didn't calibrate the Nike+, my mileage was a bit off. I opted to do a 2mile program while running on the treadmill. The treadmill said I did 2 miles in 31 minutes, while the Nike+ said I did 2.5 miles in 31 minutes. Either way, I seriously trimmed my time time and I completed all of my 3:1 intervals with a 5 minute warm-up and a 4 minute cool-down. See for yourself:

So, yeah, totally cool, but not entirely accurate...yet. I've always had a feeling that my treadmill was a bit off (it's old and clunky and not really of the highest quality to begin with, which is why I hope to hit the real roads soon!). Plus, the online software has some really cool features like training and goals. Oh, and the best part is on-demand voices telling you your stats as well as Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods congratulating you when you PR. Definitely worth the $30 IMO, so far.

Even though I didn't run until 9pm tonight, I made it a point to go sit on my deck with my book and a mojito because I was looking forward to it all day. It's almost 11:30pm, I'm beat, and I'm ready to go watch the season finale of Grey's Anatomy (I'm so behind on my viewing!). I feel great, had a great run, and I'm hoping I can shed 1+ lbs before I leave on vacation next weekend. Going to have my jello and cool whip now because I totally earned it. Plus I think I have about 5 pts to use up...oh, wait, I just used 3 of those on my mojito. ;)

The Most Perfect Ending

I just had the most perfect ending to a pretty good day. First, Cecilia went to bed tonight without a hitch. Not even a wimper or cry for "mumma" when I left the room. She blew me a kiss and that was the end of it. And after that, I made myself the most delicious mojito and sat on my deck, listened to the beautiful songs of a nearby bird and read my book until just now, when there was no longer enough light. It was fantabulous! I can't remember the last time I went out and just relaxed on my deck, by myself, just me. It was probably about 2 years ago when I was 8 months pregnant, and I would hardly say that it was relaxing (if you've been 6-9 months pregnant in the summer heat, you know what I mean). So, it's been a long while. And I was dying to do this for the past few weeks, but DH had been re-supporting the deck, so it wasn't stable enough for us to go out there. All I can say is "Ahhhhh".

As for my running, I did the C25k W3D1 workout. I didn't really know what to expect since I didn't check ahead of time, but I was quite surprised that we were jumping from 90 seconds of running to 3 minutes of continuous running. I didn't stress; I just took it slower than usual, made it through the workout easily and threw in a 2:1 and two 1:1 (run:walk) intervals at the end. I struggle at the beginning of my workouts and labor a bit, but once I hit that 20 minute mark, I get the extra push to do a bit more and make the most of the workout since I've made it so far. Body felt good, legs felt good, I pushed towards the end of the 3 minute intervals, but overall a great run.

After that, since I was dripping with sweat beyond belief, I decided to go to my mom's and do a few laps in her pool and cool off...oh, and I needed to pick up Cecilia there too. It's quite convenient that there's a pool there. ;) I hopped in, did 2 sets of 10 laps, mainly because the little one wanted me to throw her around and needed some attention. I could have done 16 laps continuously, but she just wouldn't wait for me anymore. Oh well, it was a bonus workout.

Ate great today. Down 1lb for the week. Just overall calm and collected and I'm not letting my messy house ruin that mood.

I think I'm in Love!

Yep, I'm running in a skirt. Sounds crazy, right? Well, I thought the same thing. Apparently, they're becoming quite popular, and seeing that I haven't been on the running block very long, I never even knew they existed. Really, it looks like a tennis skirt with bike shorts underneath, but you know what? I don't really care because those little bike shorts DO NOT RIDE UP! Hallelujah! I got it at Target for $19.99 after reading all the positive reviews it was getting. I bought a large, and it was too big. Crazy big in the waist. So, I returned it, but they didn't have the dark blue with light blue shorts in a medium, so I got the black skirt with pink shorts. I'm totally looking forward to getting the dark blue, though, since I think they had it at our other Target.

So, I may look like a sissy girl in the skirt, but who cares. I'll wear them until my thighs slim down and I can hopefully find a normal pair of shorts that don't ride up.

My Staples!

Since starting this post-baby, weight-watcher/running gig, I've found that there are food items that I can NOT live without. First is Joseph's Lavash Bread. For 2 points, these things are pretty big and filling. My favorite use for them is flatbread pizzas. Spread a little tomato paste (Muir Glen is my favorite because I get it for free), some fresh basil, 2% Italian Shredded Cheese, Garlic Powder and fresh Steak Cut Mushrooms if I have them. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. YUM!

Another staple is Joseph's Oat Bran and Whole Wheat Tortillas. These are just 1 pt each. You can totally create any meal without regret. I use these for pizzas all the time too, especially when I feel like eating a lot. I often make two of them. Even though it's not really more food or more filling than the 2pt Lavash, I'm eating TWO pizzas. And I can! Mind over matter type of thing. Some other uses for these and the Lavash are Quesadillas (I just made one with mozzarella, fresh basil and fresh tomatoes - delish and quick!), egg burritos, wraps, of course, and just about any place else you'd use bread. I love 'em and go through several pkgs. a week.

And finally, there's Jello. I love Jello, especially in the summer. I make at least one package each and every day. For 1 pt, throw a little cool whip on it, and it's totally sweet and refreshing and kills that sweet tooth craving. Usually, I have it for dessert every night. I mush it all up, then break up one of those little shortcake shells they have in the fruit section of the market (2 pts ea), mix that up and add a little cool whip to the mix. Smush it all together and it's like a mini-trifle. All for 3 pts! So, so good! And easy.

And there you have it. These are the things that get me through the week. :)

Missing it!

Yesterday was an off day from running, and it gave me a bit of anxiety. I really missed it that much. I find that I get the munchies more on days that I don't run, and it's almost like I don't know what to do with myself. I feel unfocused. Crazy, huh, that only 30 minutes can have so much impact on the rest of my day? I'm really happy that my mom opened her pool yesterday, and it should be ready for swimming today. I hope that I can get in a few laps on my non-running days to help ease this anxiety.

The scale was down on Friday night after my run. I hope it stays that way. It would really make me happy to be down a few pounds before I leave for vacay in a couple weeks. I had an NSV yesterday. I had bought a pair of navy shorts last week (along with a grass green shirt - I'm lovin' that color combo lately!). The shorts didn't fit - couldn't even button them. I put them in the bag and had them ready to return. Yesterday, I was going to be near that store, so I pulled them out of the bag and gave them one last try. They fit! They buttoned! I wore them!!!

Nutrition Daily

Breakfast: 3 mini cookies - (4)
Lunch: Tortilla Pizza - (3)
banana - (2)
Pasta salad - (4)
Snack: Popcorn - (1)
Dinner: lf hotdog - (1)
2.5 ears of corn - (2.5)
Jello with shortcake and cool whip - (3)
banana - (2)
Jello with shortcake and cool whip - (3)

Daily Total: 25.5

Ugh, no music!

I started my run at about 9:00pm tonight. Not ideal, but I seriously needed the stress relief and to feel the rush that I'm feeling right now. So, I hopped on the treadmill. New headphones sucked. It was like I could feel/hear this hollow sound every time my foot hit the treadmill. Very annoying, although they did stay in seriously well. I switched back to the original iPod pair about 3 minutes in. Another new pair of shorts were riding up, but what else is new?

I got through most of the W2D2 workout and I think at about minute 22, I decided to switch over to my own music. I love the C25k podcast, but I need me some words to sing to get me through some of the time and to keep my breathing in check. And right then, my iPod froze. Ugh! I look forward to just walking slowly for about 5 minutes at the end, listening to some good relaxing music. Not tonight! That new iPod I've been drooling over is starting to look better and better with every run!

Oh well, I made it through, I'm proud of myself. Not much to complain about.

Nutrition Daily

Breakfast: 1 whole egg, 2 whites, 28g lf cheese - (4.5)
Lunch: Boston Market - 1/2 chicken carver on white with cheese - (10)
side of stuffing - (6)
Dinner: 2 Tortilla Pizza - (6)
Snack: Jello with shortcake and coolwhip - (3)

Daily total: 29.5

I deserve a pat on the back

Really, I do. For getting yesterday's run completed, I really do deserve a pat on the back. Eating crap = feeling like crap = crappy run. But I pushed my way through W2D1 of the C25k. Every problem that could have occurred during my run did. First, my shorts started riding up (different pair than the night before). Then my earphones kept popping out (bought a new pair last night), and my glasses kept slipping down my nose due to all the sweat. After my run, of course, I felt great, and I was very proud of myself for completing it. It's still not totally easy, but I love the feeling afterwards. Hoping to run at least today and Sunday, and I owe some Nutrition Dailies as well.

A very short run

Yesterday DH had the day off. We had plans to go to the zoo, but it rained. So we ended up at the mall. I ate a bit of junk, but I planned to do my run at night when Cecilia was in bed. I needed to do my run. I was really, really looking forward to feeling that after-rush. Well, it took a little longer to get Cecilia to sleep since we forgot to buy the stinkin' batteries for her Tweet Tweet. It was a little rough, but she finally got to sleep.

I received my package from Sierra Trading Post yesterday, so I was excited to try out a new sports bra and running shorts. I've been using some old ratty stuff that just wasn't cutting it - too small, no support. I was looking forward to something holding the girls in place! I suited up, went down to the treadmill and started the c25k W2D1 workout. Immediately, the shorts started riding up! UGH! I HATE THAT! Why can't I find a decent pair of shorts to run in. They were awful, despite all the non-riding-up reviews they received. I will say that the sports bra did its job very well. I decided I would keep going and just deal with the shorts. When I started the first running interval, something just didn't feel right. No energy, 9pm, oh and AF arrived after her almost 3-month absence yesterday! Things just weren't going well. I shut down the treadmill after 7 minutes and just resolved to do my workout today, regular time, in different shorts, when I could actually enjoy what I was doing (did I just say enjoy in relation to running?).

Great run!

I forgot to mention my run yesterday. I did the C25K, W1D2 workout, and it was too easy! Crazy, huh? On the last interval, I ran 2 minutes instead of one, and I added another 2 minutes of lighter running to the end before my cooldown. Not bad, eh? Oh, and my fastest speed was 5.0. I think the Serena training for the last few weeks really set a good foundation for my C25k workouts. I mean, I run 4-minute stretches with that workout, so the 1-minute stretches of this first week of the C25k are a bit easy. I do say that the time on this workout FLIES by even though the music isn't my favorite.

Since I'm in such the beginning stages of this, my main focus is the length of time I can run, which in turn will enable me to run one mile in a stretch by the end of the month, hopefully. I still keep track of distance (which was 2.0 miles yesterday) and speed, but time is the short-term goal.

Nutrition Daily

Breakfast: 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg (hardboiled) - (3)
1/2 orange - (.5)
Lunch: 2 Tortilla Pizzas - (6)
Dinner: Oven Fries - (6)
Chicken Breast - (4)
LF Hot Dog with Lite Bun (2)
Snack: Jello with Cool whip - (1)
Snack 2: Mini Bag of Kettle Corn (2)

Total points for day: 24.5

A New Week, A New Month, and A New Me!

I'm happy to say that June is here. I love summer! Although, it's not the perfect weather for me for running, but since I've been running on the treadmill in the basement, it really won't affect me that much. I just love June. Everything is green outside, the days are long, swimming, lots of cookouts, and I just feel much happier this time of year.

Speaking of cookouts, we went to one for my MIL's bday yesterday. My SIL has one of those big Bonzai waterslides that's about 10 ft. tall. It's a little big for Cecilia but we let her go down from halfway. She LOVED it! The water was freezing, though, and she was shivering. The reason I didn't do a Nutrition Daily entry for yesterday was sort of due to the cookout. I had already planned what I was having and I pretty much stuck to my guns. I loaded on the veggies as my appetizer. I made the Pasta Salad with Smart Taste Pasta, I had a little bit of grilled chicken/steak, lots of grilled veggies, and an ear of corn. I made the cake with Fresca and sf/ff chocolate pudding for the frosting. So, I knew what my points were for basically everything I ate. Add in chasing a toddler around a large backyard for 3 hours in the sun, and I got in a few activity points. The damage to my eating came after the cookout.

We went home, all exhausted. I had the munchies, so I cut up a bunch of cucumbers and grape tomatoes. An hour later, I was hungry for supper, but DH wasn't ready yet. So, I made a waffle and put a tbs of pb on it. And then I made another. Oh, and one more. So that was 12 pts. right there. I'm sure I can add up the points, and I really should do so as a lesson to myself.

I also didn't get my run in last night. I was too tired. Not a huge deal because it would have been run number 4 for last week, but I was looking forward to the rush afterwards. I think dealing with Dr. Destruction during her witching hour when she tears our whole house apart the hour before bedtime really made me extra tired.

As for the New Me part of the title - I was upset, angry, frustrated, and hurt by an incident with my side of the family this past weekend. I won't get into it on this blog, but it was totally out of my control and my actions really couldn't have prevented it. I really need help with not letting the actions of others affect me like this. I need to be stronger and focus on myself and loving my daughter and husband. I spent a lot of time crying in bed last night and I know this incident added to my eating the waffles. If anyone has any self-help reading they can suggest on how to make me a less-sensitive person to things like this, please bring them on! I'm so sick of focusing on things that I can't control rather than living my own life.

I have set a running goals for the month, too. Run/walk 30 miles in the month of June and run one complete mile without walking. I'm doing the C25K workouts and the Serena Interval training, so that's about 24 miles doing those 3x per week.

Tales from the running shoe store

I wrote the following a couple weeks ago...

So, I started running on the treadmill in our basement this week. I downloaded the Nike/Serena Williams (just in time for the French Open next week) Interval Training from iTunes (which is quite good, btw), and I did a pretty decent workout for not having run in about a year; however, my shins and calves were completely killing me. Horrible, horrible pain. My shoes were old, and there's a mirror right in front of our treadmill and I could see how bad my feet were spilling over the outside of my shoes.

I went onto the Road Runner Sports site and plugged my info into Shoe Dog, and it came back with a few recommendations. I know lots of you have great luck with Asics, so I targeted those since I've never had a pair, and went to Kohl's. I picked up two pairs. I tested them out today, each for 15 minutes during my workout, and I was in pain the entire time. Ugh. Miserable.

I decided to suck it up and go get properly fitted. I al

ready spoke to Stephanie about how I felt ridiculous and scared about getting fit. I seriously thought if they made me run in the store that the store was going to start shaking. Add to that my fear that they would think to themselves, "Why is this fat ass looking for running shoes. Apparently, she's not really a runner." But I put all of that out of my mind, and dragged myself to the little mom and pop store. I already had it planned to say that I was starting running to help get rid of the baby weight, and if they asked how old my baby was, I was telling them 6 months. LOL!

The salesguy was very knowledgable. He knew right away that I was a supinator, wide foot, low arch. Basically, fat feet and I walk/run on the outer sides. He measured me and had me walk around just to be sure. He pulls out a bunch of Asics, and then he grabs the holy-orthopedic New Balance pair (you know, the ones that don't have the arch on the inner sole - they're completely flat). All my life, I've avoided this style. And not only is this pair orthopedic, but they're the most horrible colors - not the nice yellow, orange, pink, or purples of all the other cool shoes (NB WR882 for those in the know). But he forces me to try them on first. And they feel pretty good. He then has me try on a pair of Adidas and a bunch of Asics. You know where this is going, right? Yeah, the ugly-ass pair fit the best. I haven't given them the official trial, but I hope tomorrow to be semi-pain free in the calf area while running.

Update: My shoes rock! I highly, highly, highly suggest getting properly-fitted for running shoes. I will never buy another pair of non-approved shoes for my feet. I've been running pain free for 2 weeks now.

Nutrition Daily

Breakfast: 1 whole egg, 2 egg whites - (1.5)
1 ww tortilla - (1)
28g lf cheese - (2)
Lunch: 2 lf hot dogs - (2)
1 lite roll - (1)
Snack 1: 1 angel food cupcake - (1)
Dinner: grilled chicken - (3)
rice with veggies - (2)
corn - (1)
grilled peppers (0)
yello with 2 angel food cupcakes - (3)

And then it goes a bit downhill. I don't think it's too bad considering I was only at 17.5 pts above for the day. I made a cake for a bday party tomorrow, and I tested the frosting a few too many times. Luckily, I made it as lowfat as chocolate frosting can be, though. Then I had 3 slices of cheese from the cheese platter, and a stole a bunch grape tomatoes and cukes from the veggie tray. So, not too bad, but I definitely ate up the 7.5 pts I had remaining with that frosting. But, mmmmm, it was good!

Umm, yeah

So, I can't believe what I just did. I entered a 5k. It's on Sept. 14, 2008. A ways away, but it was the closest race to where I live that was more than 3 weeks away. Hopefully, I'll be good and ready by then. It gives me a goal to work towards. And I've already paid the registration fee. The best part: the finish line is an Irish Pub that will have an Irish BBQ and an Irish band. I'll be sprinting towards the finish line. ;)

Nutrition Daily

Breakfast: 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg - hardboiled (3)
Lunch: 2 Tortilla Pizzas with mushrooms (6)
Cucumbers (0)
Snack 1: 2 mini angel food cake muffins (2)
Snack 2: Yello with 1 angel food cake and cool whip (2)
Dinner: Chicken Breast (3)
Brown Rice (2)
Grilled Veggies (0)
Snack 3: Yello with 2 angel food cakes and cool whip (3)
Snack 4: Popcorn (2)

Total points: 23

Two weeks down

and a lifetime to go. It's crazy that I've only been at this running thing for 2 weeks, and I'm already getting that runner's high I've heard so much about. Don't believe me? I just ran. On a Friday night. At 9:00pm. And I feel great!

Maybe I should back up a bit. I'm out of shape, and I have been since before giving birth to my beautiful daughter just over 21 months ago. I used to try and stay in shape prior to that, but then I started my own business, and things got crazy. I barely had enough time to shower and eat, nevermind actually exercise. My view on a lot of things changed after I had my daughter. I want to be strong and fit so that I can do all the things she's doing. I don't want to be afraid to go down the slide with her at the park, fearing that I might break the slide. I want to be a healthy, positive role model for her. So, that's my driving force.

Oh yeah, I'm 32. I'm a virgo. And I'm a slooooow runner.

A couple weeks ago I downloaded the Nike+ Running Program with Serena Williams from iTunes. I toughed through it the first week, and I'm going strong at about a 13-minute mile, if I could run for that long in one stretch. I also just downloaded the Couch to 5k podcast, and I think I'll do that once or twice a week, mix in the Serena program once, and maybe find one other to help keep the variety. I'll get into the specifics of my progress on all of these on a semi-daily basis, but right now just know that my maximum continuous run is 4 minutes at about 4.7 mph on the treadmill.

And let the journey begin.