11.30.2010

Running obsessed?

I am debating whether I should sign up for the Frosty Fun Run that takes place on December 11th. Its for a good cause - supporting 2 child advocacy groups. I'm still not where I need to be for running, but I'm continuing on my training and improving. My family will probably say I'm too obsessed about these events. But in my defense, I like pushing myself to see how far I can go. My next goal is to be able to increase my running so that I'm running more than walking and eventually running a 5k. I believe I have participated in 6 walk/run events this year so far.  This sounds like a fun event, as long as the weather cooperates. No chip timing - it's just for fun. A 4-mile run on the cart path of a local golf course. Today is the last day to sign up online, so I will think about this today and make a decision soon.

11.28.2010

Thanksgiving with family

We had an enjoyable Thanksgiving meal at my sister's house the day after Thanksgiving. So, while many were out shopping for black friday, we were having our family get together. It was wonderful! So much good food and I even managed to take some sides that were more healthy than the traditional sides. Of course I overindulged on the desserts, but since I did a 4-miler the day before I didn't feel too guilty. Also, my 14 year old nephew took me out to their home gym in their garage and worked me out harder than Jillian Michaels would have! lol! It was rough, but I can see how that works for the contestants on the Biggest Loser. It was almost...motivating in a sick kind of way. :) Sorry I don't have any pics of that. But let me tell you...it wasn't pretty.

Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving!

Me and my hubby

me and Whitney
After dinner and after the older folks left, we played RockBand and Guitar Hero with my sis and her family. I was saddened though to hear my brother-in-law's grandfather passed away that day. He was 91 years old. But it gave us a chance to get back home before it got too late since we live almost an hour away.
How was your Thanksgiving?

11.26.2010

Race pics

Here are some pics of me from the BoroDash race on Thanksgiving Day. It felt good to cross the finish line.


I made it to the finish line!

Race start

11.25.2010

Race results

The day is here! Its time for BoroDash! It was a great morning for a run. I woke up around 6 a.m. and got ready to go. I had a protein shake for breakfast and headed over to MTSU for the race.

Here are the BoroDash Race results. I didn't come in last place! But my motto for the day was to finish and not worry about my time. I felt good about my results since my time for the 4 mile race today was better than the last 5k race I did in October. Its all about progress. I managed do run some for this race instead of walk the entire thing. I ran into some high school buddies of mine and we did it together. It was good catching up with them. Here are some pictures from the race.




I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. We are actually eating our dinner tomorrow at my sister's house. I am making a promise to my family to not nag anyone about healthy eating at our dinner. It's one day...right? I must remember that I shouldn't try to push my healthy eating ideas on everyone else, especially on a holiday where spending time with family is more important.
Have a good one!

11.24.2010

My race bib


Sprint PictureMail
Originally uploaded by g_len68
Here it is! I'll be wearing this in the morning at BoroDash! I am so excited. I'm going home after work to load up on some carbs and get a good nights rest. I'll be posting pics after the race. Wish me luck! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Race packet pickup

We are almost to the front of the line!
Sprint PictureMail
Originally uploaded by g_len68
I spent a few hours this morning waiting in line to pick up my race packet for BoroDash. I didn't expect the wait to be so long, but it gave me a chance to get out of the office for a while. I'm looking forward to the run in the morning but a little nervous too. I am determined to have fun no matter what happens. I just hope I'll be able to run more than I have to walk. Since this is my first race that I'm attempting to run, I will be happy at whatever I'm able to do. The most important part is finishing it, not my time.

11.22.2010

It's lunchtime


Sprint PictureMail
Originally uploaded by g_len68
It's time for lunch. I have much more success with bringing my own lunch to work. I brought brocoli with low fat cheese sauce and brown rice with black eyed peas for lunch today. I am also having a cup of Motts cranberry rasberry applesauce with added fiber. I also added flaxseeds to my applesauce for some extra omega 3's. And to drink...water. I am going to try hard to eat healthy at least until Thanksgiving day so I won't feel too guilty about indulging. And even then I know I can make better choices by eating smaller portions and filling up on the veggies that i will be making. I'm on track!

Morning Snack


Sprint PictureMail
Originally uploaded by g_len68
Have you tried these yet? It's the cranberry oatmeal cookie Power Bar with no transfat or high fructose corn syrup. I think they are yummy! I just had one for my morning snack. I should be good until lunch now.

11.20.2010

Weekend fun

Today was a good day. I actually got to sleep in - which was very weird by the way since my kitty usually wakes me up around 6 a.m. no matter what day of the week it is.


It was nice for a change, but I felt like the day flew by since I got a late start. But plenty of sleep is good for me! And I probably needed it since I drank several glasses of merlot last night.



I made breakfast for the family consisting of scrambled eggs, southwest style hash browns and toast. And coffee of course!

After breakfast, I made it into the exercise room to work out. Today I began the Couch to 5k running plan. The first week workout is fairly easy since I have been running a little already. But I felt it was time to start a training program since I have struggled so much. It was a good workout to start the day.



After working out, we just chilled out at home. I talked to my sister and made plans for our Thanksgiving dinner. Looking forward to that. Small portions is my plan. I will have to taste everything since she is such a great cook. And I know there will be way too many desserts and carbs! I am glad that I am running/walking 4 miles on Thanksgiving day in Borodash. At least calories will be burned before eating dinner.

My husband and I went out for dinner. We decided to go to Five Guys Burgers and Fries. That was my first time going there. It was probably the best burger I have ever had. I did get the "little" burger and shared fries with John so I don't feel too guilty about the splurge. I am glad I worked out this morning.

Have a great weekend!


11.19.2010

Savory lunch

I decided to treat myself to lunch at McAlister's Deli today. I was really in the mood for soup and a sandwich. I guess that's because I have been sick. I had a cup of chicken tortilla soup and half turkey sandwich on wheat, with iced tea. (a southern girl's must-have.)  I wish I had taken a picture before I gobbled it up. My lunch was delicious!!! I think chicken tortilla soup is my favorite soup ever. And I don't feel guilty about eating too many calories. My combo meal cost me around 700 calories.

My day is about halfway over! I'm looking forward to happy hour and beginning my weekend!

T.G.I.F.

It's Friday and I am feeling a little better today. I began the day eating a little healthier than I have for the past few days. I had oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast and my new favorite Fuze juice - peach mango! Very yummy! I also had coffee of course! Actually I managed to go the past 2 days without my morning java! I guess thats what happens when you get sick.


Hopefully this day will go by fast so I can get my weekend started!

11.18.2010

Being sick is not fun


Tuesday night I started feeling sick... ugh! It feels like a head cold. I had to take off work yesterday and stay in bed. I lived off juice and nyquil most of the day.

My favorite juice!

I slept most of the day away too. And the only food I had were things that were easy to grab since I didn't feel like preparing anything. Let me just say it wasn't anything healthy. But I didn't eat much since I slept most of the day. I am very thankful for my teenage daughter, who handled all the household chores for me. She is such a sweetheart!

Whitney - she always comes to my rescue!

I came to work today but it was after noon when I arrived. I am heavily medicated with non-drowsy medicines. I will be so glad when this passes! I do not like being sick at all. I had just begun to get into an exercise groove and now I get sick. I don't feel like exercising at all. I am scheduled to participate in BoroDash where I will run/walk 4 miles in just 7 days so I hope I am back to normal soon.

And for more bad news....since I was out sick on Wednesday, I'll have to work on my regular day off which is Friday. Oh well, at least I have the option of doing that instead of using sick/vacation time. And since most of our office takes off on Friday, it should be a quiet day.

I am going to try and do some light exercise tonight after work. I'm sure it will make me feel better!



11.16.2010

Our new room

We have done some remodeling in our house over the last few days. We decided to turn our extra bedroom into our exercise room. So now we have our treadmill, exercise bike and other equipment in one central location, rather than scattered all over the house.




I don't believe I will be able to move in my heavy bag though, so it will have to stay in the garage.


We have also moved my fitness dvd's to this room. I think there is enough room in there to work out.
I'm glad we have everything in one room. It's much easier to workout without the excuse of it being too cold in the garage or not being able to workout to a dvd because someone else is watching tv. I have also noticed other members of my family taking advantage of the room to work out. That's awesome!


I still have some work to do on the room but I'll take it one day at a time. 

I did notice that I had trouble keeping up with drinking water today. I usually have no problem with that since I keep a water bottle on my desk and fill it with filtered water throughout the day. But for some reason today, I needed more caffeine and had the urge for a Dr. Pepper. I have almost given up soda completely so I found this a little strange. So after coming home from a long day at work, I managed to drink a few more bottles of water. My job was a little stressful today so I'll use that as my excuse. Mental note:  find better ways of dealing with stress than to consume hundreds of empty calories!



11.14.2010

A Salute to Veterans

On Saturday, my family and I went to a MTSU football game where veterans were honored during halftime. It was a great day for football in TN - mid 70's weather and lots of sun. We had a nice time. Here are some pictures.




11.13.2010

Taking it to the streets

I went out this morning for a run in my neighborhood. My next event, BoroDash is less than 2 weeks away. I want to be able to run at least part of this race. I seem to be able to run on the treadmill with little pain or exhaustion, but for some reason, I am having trouble running on the street. And since this event is not going to take place on my treadmill, I am a little worried. I walked/ran 2 miles this morning but most of it was walking. I have some working to do.

11.11.2010

The "Me" movement

I just joined the ME movement! Here's a link to the webpage for more information.



http://nurtureprinciples.com/the-me-movement/pledge/

I am all about setting goals and doing my best to stick to them. Especially when the goals are about taking care of myself. Therefore....I pledge to take care of myself during the holidays this year. It's easy to get stressed out over family dinners, shopping, and December is the month I have more family members birthdays than any other month. I will make sure to plan time for myself during the stressful times that the holiday season can bring. I have set 3 goals:

  1. I will be more mindful of what I eat and try to stay on track. but i will not feel guilty if i indulge occassionly. 
  2. I will stay active every day and continue training for a 5K. I will celebrate small victories and not stress over obstacles. 
  3. I will schedule time for me - time for relaxation, alone time doing things i enjoy in a non stressful environment. i'm working on a "mom cave."
What a wonderful idea! Being able to set goals to help me remember to take care of ME!

"Mom cave"? The "mom cave" is an idea I have for creating the perfect room for relaxation, a tranquility room. I imagine a room with comfy seating, lots of pillows, scented candles and relaxing music playing softly. A mini fridge for wine to be chilling and one wine glass. (It's for me, right?) A massage chair and foot spa are other additions that I feel are necessary. I began getting relaxation massages a few months ago and I cannot tell you how much they have helped me. I suppose my "mom cave" is representative of the feeling I have after getting my massage. I almost forgot....one small detail. There are no kids or husbands allowed. I don't feel that I would need to use the room very often, but how wonderful it would be after a stressful day!

So, here I go. I pledge to take care of ME!

Rachael Ray's Official Website :: Pecan Balls

This sounds very good and easy to make. Maybe I'll try to make this for my family Thanksgiving dinner. Since my sister is cooking most of the meal, I only need to bring a few sides.

Rachael Ray's Official Website :: Pecan Balls

Happy Veterans Day!


I'd like to begin by honoring all the men and women serving or who have served our country in the armed forces. We should honor them not only on Veterans Day, but everyday. My husband, is one of them....so Thank you!

It's Thursday, and that means it's my Friday since I only work 4 days a week. I am very happy for that. I am eating a healthy lunch at my desk today since tomorrow, my husband is treating me to Mimi's Cafe where I'm sure to over-indulge.

For lunch I am having a lean turkey sandwich on Sara Lee white wheat bread with low fat mayo. I'm also having organic guacamole chips and a fruit cup with water/Crystal light strawberry lemonade. The chips are a little past their prime, so I will probably not finish them. I will also have one piece of Dove chocolate as a treat!





After eating my lunch, I plan on taking a short walk around my workplace. Its a beautiful day! I'm glad I brought my shoes with me today.
Have a great day!

11.10.2010

Afternoon snack

After eating too much for lunch I tried to keep my snack on the healthy side....I had a cup of Dannon Light and Fit blueberry yogurt. Yummy!


 I am ready for the weekend. I'm so glad I only work 4 days a week. I am due for my monthly massage at Massage Envy! Yay!

Have a nice evening!




Me...after a long day's work at number crunching!
 







Time to get back on track

I needed to get out of the office at lunch today so I over-indulged. Ugh. I went to Sir Pizza with a friend and had the pizza buffet. At least I started off with salad. So, needless to say....I will be hopping on the treadmill tonight after work.  Don't pay attention to the junk around my treadmill. I am in the process of moving my workout equipment to my spare bedroom. But it will have to do for now. It's not too bad being in the garage to workout.  The cooler weather makes it much more enjoyable to work out there.


I need a good workout anyway. During the week its a challenge for me to get a high intensity workout in since I work late. I did manage to exercise last night during The Biggest Loser, but I don't think I even broke a sweat. Do you have any thoughts on the result of last nights show? I am a little annoyed with Lisa. If she doesn't really want to be there, why on earth is she still on the show? I was sorry to see Aaron and Jesse go, but they looked great!

Have a great afternoon!

11.09.2010

No More Excuses

There are 16 days until my next event, Boro Dash. Its a 4 mile race in my community. I do more walking than running, but am hoping to be able to do both at this event. I am going to work hard training for this, but I wish I had more time. Currently, I can run approximately 1/4 mile continuously. My goal is to be able to increase this to 1/2 mile this week.I know that doesn't sound like much for all the runners out there. I sprained my ankle last year and it took longer than expected to heal. In fact, I still don't think its completely right. And I'm not so young anymore - I'm in my 40's. Let me see if I can come up with any more excuses ....lol. Now that I have given my excuses, I promise to give it my best shot. Any advice for beginner runners? I'd love to hear from you.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

"Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory." -General George S. Patton


11.08.2010

Is it Monday already?

It's Monday morning and back to work for me. I had a nice weekend but realized last night that I can't push my healthy ideas on everyone around me. I tend to become a little obsessive about things and I admit that I have tried to get my family to jump on board with me. I just hope they know that I love them and the only reason I push this is because I want all of us to be around for a long time. I know obesity is a risk factor for many diseases and anything I can do to prevent problems as I age is a priority for me. My scare with heart disease this year really affected me to start living healthier. I plan on continuing on my healthy journey and if others want to join thats wonderful, but I will not nag them. It is harder to stick with healthy eating when other family members buy foods that I have chosen not to eat anymore. But I look at it as a challenge! It will only make me a stronger person.

I am very glad to report that my mom called me this morning and she is going for a walk in her neighborhood this morning. She doesn't usually exercise but I believe participating in the Start! Heart Walk yesterday had an impact on her. Way to go, Mom!

I think I'll have a healthy snack...


I love these!!!













I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. -Henry David Thoreau

11.07.2010

Start! Heart Walk 2010

Here are some pictures from the Start! Heart Walk today. It was a beautiful day for walking. It was a lovely, sunny day. Now its time to relax!

Waiting for the walk to begin.

Here we go!



My mom went to the walk with me! Thanks Mom!


I wore a sticker in tribute of my grandmother, Lola Meadows.