Overindulged today - must go to workout!

I watch my caloric intake pretty closely. So, today I knew I was in trouble when Gigi's cupcakes showed up at my office. I resisted the temptation for an hour or so, but finally gave in. Here is the one I chose:

Kentucky Bourbon cupcake from Gigi's -photo compliments of their website

I don't know the exact nutritional information for this decadent cupcake, but I'm sure it exceeded the amount I needed. Their website doesn't publish that information. But I'm glad to say that I didn't eat the whole thing. I only ate a few bites of the frosting and only about half of the cupcake.

It's a good thing that I brought my clothes to work with me, so I could head to the gym right after work. If I have to go home to change first, sometimes I don't ever make it there.

My workout clothes and new running shoes

I got a good treadmill workout in and tried out my new running shoes. They feel great so far. I'm glad I didn't talk myself out of going to the gym. I have been able to do that over the last few weeks and don't like that. It's been a while since I have set foot on a treadmill. I have been walking/jogging outside more often since the humidity in Tennessee has slacked off some. I'll be glad when fall gets here and it will be more comfortable to exercise outside.

Walking trail

How soft drinks impact your health - Do you agree?

a-sip-of-soda-how-soft-drinks-impact-your-health

I found this article and photo today and thought it was an interesting topic for discussion. I've read for years that drinking soda is not good for you. Do you agree with this article?  Does your family drink soda? I personally have almost completely cut soda out of my diet. Once in a while, I will have a Dr. Pepper or Coke at a restaurant or when I have a migraine. Most of the time I drink water and occasionally green tea. I'm interested in hearing your ideas....

Adventures in Nashville - Day 2

The Parthenon at Centennial Park

Day 2. I woke up early and had the free breakfast at the hotel. I was able to choose a few healthier options. They had fruit, low fat yogurt, coffee, juice and a few healthy cereals to choose from. I passed on the eggs, sausage and biscuits.

After breakfast, I decided to head out to Centennial Park to do some walking/jogging. It was a lovely morning. I walked around the pond a few times and around The Parthenon. If you ever visit Nashville, this is one stop you should make. Click on the links above for information about this park and the Parthenon.

After my easy workout, I got back in my car and drove a few miles downtown to the Nashville Women's Half Marathon 5k course I will be doing in less than a month I wanted to drive the course and see what to expect. It looks like it will be a good course. There are a few hills but nothing too daunting.

It was a nice weekend to explore in Nashville. It wasn't as hot and humid as it usually is. I really should do this more often, especially since I only live about half an hour away from Music City! There's so much to do, even if you aren't a fan of country music.

Here are some photos on day 2 of my adventures in Nashville:

Nashville skyline

The ducks in the pond at Centennial Park

My semi-healthy breakfast at my hotel

Looking a little tired after my walk/run this morning

Adventures in Nashville

I decided to spend the day in Music City....a.k.a. Nashville. My kids are almost grown and have their own plans. I could write an entire post about those feelings....but I'll save that for another time.
Its been a fun day. I stopped at a local shoe store and got fitted for a new pair of running shoes. They felt so good I wore them out of the store. I'm looking forward to trying them out in the morning at Centennial Park. I also want to scope out the 5k course for the Women's Half Marathon here in Nashville.
I arrived in Nashville around 3 p.m. and had lunch at Qdoba Mexican Grill. My chicken queso burrito was yummy. But I'm not looking forward to logging those calories today. I'll have to do some walking to burn those calories.
I'm staying in a hotel near downtown. After relaxing a bit, I decided to get out and explore. I parked several blocks away from the action and did some walking. There is alot going on here today. There is a BBQ championship at Riverfront Park and the Tennessee Titans have a football game. I walked around for an hour or so, then headed back to the hotel to relax.
I'll give more details on my adventure tomorrow. Goodnight.

new running shoes!!!

downtown Nashville

Exploring Nashville - that's LP Field in the background, where the TN Titans play

Lunch from Qdoba

BBQ championship in Nashville

Hiking at Cedars of Lebanon state park

 What a great morning for a hike! I made it to Cedars of Lebanon state park and explored until I found the hiking trails. It was almost desolate at the time I went. I guess that is a good thing. The first trail I found was a half mile loop through the woods. The trail was narrow and I wasn't sure at times if I was going the right direction. The only thing that saved me was blue paint marks on some of the trees. Luckily I made it out just fine. After getting back in my car and driving, I found another trail near the main welcome center. This trail was much better for me. It was easier to tell where the path was and I wasn't as nervous about getting back to my car. This one was half a mile also. It was already warm out so I was thankful for the shade from the trees. It was a fun experience and I'm looking forward to doing this again. I don't feel like it was a great workout, since I stopped a few times to take in the scenery. Here are a few pictures I took:

Entrance to the state park

Scenery on one of the trails

The blue paint on the trees is the only way I made it out!

Hiking at Cedars of Lebanon

one of the trails I hiked

 

 

 

 

Going on a hike?

Do you visit state parks in your area? Luckily I am surrounded by many of them. I am seriously thinking about visiting one this weekend for a hike. The closest one to me is Cedars of Lebanon State Park. They have several hikes to choose from and the park only about 15 minutes away from my home. Now I have to decide when I'm doing this. I'm thinking either Friday or Saturday morning will work out fine. Essentials for my adventure: healthy snacks, water, fully charged MP3 player and comfortable shoes.

I'm trying to stay in shape for my upcoming events. My next 5k is only 29 days away. I am doing the 5k on the same day as the Nashville Women's Half Marathon. My goal is to finish in :45. That is 5 minutes under the 5k I did last weekend. I didn't run as much as I wanted to during that race, so if I continue training, I feel I can do that. It's my favorite time of year. I have 3 events planned for the fall. They are spread out about a month apart, giving me plenty of time to train. As long as I continue to improve, I'll be happy. The transition from walking to running isn't as easy as I had hoped. But I'm not giving up! Here is one of my favorite quotes/pictures I found on tumblr. This keeps me motivated.

Happy Trails!!

Taking care of ME

I am very glad to say that I'm taking the rest of the week off work to concentrate on ME. I needed a break and decided this was the best thing I can do. At first, I was going to go away for the weekend with my daughters. But after thinking about it (and realizing they have plans of their own....) I think it will be best to stay home and do some things for myself. It's easy as a working mom to neglect myself. Every once in a while I have to slow down and take care of ME.

My husband is taking a trip to see his folks in Washington state. I wish I could join him but work and school just didn't cooperate this time. So, without my hubby for the weekend I'm trying to figure out some fun things to do. I plan on getting some running in. I might even visit one of the state parks for a hike. There will be a BBQ championship in Nashville also this weekend that sounds like fun. I haven't made any definite plans yet but am keeping my options open. I'm sure that it will include rest, relaxation and running.

What do you do to recharge when you feel run down?

Fenton Payne & Fred 5k

Another 5k is in the books. I overslept and almost missed it. I'm glad it started early though since its so hot and humid here. I managed to do walk/run intervals for the duration of the race. Running across the finish line is......AWESOME!

My official time was :50:34. I could have been a little faster, but I had a few complications. I wore thin socks so I could feel my shoes slipping. I'll probably get a blister. Then the shorts I wore over my tights, the elastic broke so they kept falling down. I finally removed them. I'm glad I had tights on. That would have been embarrassing! This is a learning experience. I'll be better prepared for my next 5k on September 24th.

I'm glad I did it. It would have been easy to hit the snooze button and go back to sleep. 

Now off to rehydrate and refuel for my day.

Here are some pictures of the event:

Race bib

Hot, sweaty mess!!

One more race t-shirt

Inspiration of the day

I'm struggling with motivation this week. I like this photo. My next event is in 2 days......I'm trying to mentally prepare for this.

What are your favorite inspirational quotes? Please share....

Next on my agenda....5k in 6 days

If my leg soreness will subside, I will begin concentrating on my upcoming 5k on Saturday. I'm so glad my hubby is joining me. I'm planning on working out tomorrow at my gym.

I'm a little surprised at my leg soreness from the 9 mile walk. I didn't expect that. As long as I keep moving, I feel fine. But after sitting too long, I'm stiff and sore. It's been 2 days and I'm still suffering.

I love the fact that John and I are doing races together! It motivates me even more!

WZTV FOX 17 :: Newsroom - Top Stories - Fallen Soldiers March Pay Homage - John Dunn

 Here's a video about the Fallen Soldier's March I participated in yesterday. I'm so proud to be a part of this!

WZTV FOX 17 :: Newsroom - Top Stories - Fallen Soldiers March Pay Homage - John Dunn

I can do 9 miles!

We finished the 9 mile Fallen Soldiers March yesterday. I was very happy that my husband decided to join me.

The thought of 9 miles was daunting to both of us, but knowing it was walking and not running gave us confidence. It was a wonderful event to be a part of, honoring the fallen soldiers from Tennessee. This is the 7th year of this event and there were over 150 participants. Most of the people walking were soldiers, but there was a good turnout of civilians as well.

Safety meeting and roll call -John & I are in the blue shirts surrounded by soldiers

Roll Call

And we're off!

It began at 4:00 p.m. and it was a hot day in Tennessee. I am used to working out on a treadmill in an air conditioned gym. So, its no surprise that the heat began to wear me down.The first 4 miles were pretty easy, but when the sun was beating down on me I started feeling exhausted. I drank tons of water. Thank goodness they had several water stations along the way. I did have to cool off in one of their vans for a few minutes but soon was able to catch up with the group. I think I was a little surprised that since I've been working out I thought I would be able to do this with little difficulty. My husband got quite a bit ahead of me at one point. I was very impressed that several soldiers passed me and asked me how I was doing. I felt a little guilty of complaining about the heat when the soldiers were dressed in uniforms and carrying packs. Since I took a short break, my total distance was 8.06 miles. We were finished in 2 1/2 hours. That was a shorter time than I expected since we were walking, not running.

Finish at the Wilson County Fair

After the walk, my husband and I felt like we had really accomplished something. We are doing a 5k next Saturday, so that should be a breeze! I'm really enjoying doing fitness activities together. I am a little sore today with a few blisters on my feet. I think it was a great idea for me to schedule a massage for today.

Preparing for my 9-miler

 
I'm preparing for the 9 mile walk I have on Friday in honor of the Fallen Soldiers. We will begin at the Armory in a town nearby and walk a total of 9 miles to the fairgrounds where the County Fair begins on Friday night. I am somewhat nervous about the distance, since the most I have personally done is 4 miles. I am comforted that we will be followed by EMT staff and vans that will transport those that are in distress. It looks like the weather may be nice and only in the low 90's instead of 100. There is a chance of rain, but I'll take my poncho just in case. They are also letting everyone know that there will be water stations at every mile. I feel confident I can do this. This isn't a run, but a WALK. Surely I can walk 9 miles. I'm very excited about participating in this event to support the Fallen Soldiers. I work with veterans in my day job, and it is very rewarding. Our motto is: "Proudly serving those who served." One of the coolest things about this event is that a group in Iraq is doing the same event at the same time we are. I'm very proud to be a part of this.

I am starting to think about any changes I should make to my diet over the next few days to prepare for this march. I will begin hydrating tomorrow. And I suppose I should do some carb-loading tomorrow night.

The good thing about running/walking events - CARBS!

Hydrate!

Here is a link to the event on Facebook - 7th Annual Fallen Soldiers March in case you're interested.

If any runner/walker friends of mine have any suggestions, please comment! I'll be sure to post after the event with pictures and details of the walk. Wish me luck!

Where Have I Been?

It  has been a while since I have posted, so I thought I should explain. I have found myself in a busy mess! My boss has been on vacation since Aug 1st, so I have been left to handle things while she is out of town. I'm glad she was able to take a vacation. She deserves it! But I have become overwhelmed with the extra work and have not had the time or energy to get my workouts in for a few days. I'm feeling kind of guilty about that. I'll be glad when things get back to normal and hopefully I can take a day off and get back into my workouts. I love my job but sometimes I envy those stay at home mom's who have time to get everything done.

I think I will try to get a brisk walk done in the morning before work. I usually don't have much luck with that, but since I am so tired after work I'm hoping this will be the answer. And hopefully the weather will be cooler in the morning hours. July and August are terribly hot and humid here in the south. It makes it difficult to exercise outside. I'll have to trick myself somehow in order to get up and actually do it.

I have managed to keep my healthy eating on track even though I haven't been working out like I should. I'm glad to have my smart phone app, My Fitness Pal to help me out. I have been able to stay under 1200 calories each day. Now I just need to get the fitness part back into the program.

What are ways you fit in fitness into your busy schedule? This one has always been a struggle for me. I'd love to hear your comments!