Monday Runday and Mental Health

Improving my outdoor pace. I am basically redoing the c25k outdoors.... warming up, running until I can't run anymore, then reverting to walking.... wash, rinse, repeat for 30 min and I average about 1.5 -2 miles... depending on how much energy I have.  My HR monitor is really helping me... it seems that running outside really gets my HR up.... too high at points so I need to stop and walk until it lowers... I think It's a pacing, breathing, practice makes perfect issue.... I am not sure what my pace is but I am sure I need to slow down.  Running outside definitely challenges me and my body.. I am still feeling Saturdays run.


I have been a little to snacky at my new job..... eating out of boredom/stress. This has probably accounted for my weight gain. Again I need to choose fruits & nuts for snacks and not the high sugar 100 calorie packs that my sweet tooth is drawn too. My new job has been a big adjustment in my life....been there just shy of 3 months and I have days that I really miss my old job. I am not crazy about my 45 min commute. I feel more isolated at my new work place.... lonely.... it's less of a social job.. and I did not realize how social we were at my old job.... it may have been toxic and dysfunctional at times... but those Ladies really were my sounding board. I am slowly getting to know my new coworkers and it is a very professional mostly drama free environment. I have been trying hard to connect with friends and luckily have been able to meet up for lunch, play dates and have a lunch date  with my old coworker next week that I am looking forward to.


I decided to seek out a therapist.. I am uninsured which is what has deterred me in the past. There is a place near my job that has a sliding fee scale and based on my income I need to pay about $30 a session. I have my first visit later this week. That copay doable if I go every other week. I think just having someone to talk to regarding some of my concerns is only going to help me. I have a very positive view of therapy and I have gone on & off for several years. I think this could also help keep my emotional eating in check if I am getting those feelings out in other ways.

I really want to overcome my elevator phobia... this is a newish problem for me and I am extremely embarrassed by it. It seemingly came out of nowhere.. I noticed that my throat started feeling dry when in an elevator and then feeling anxiety when it took awhile for the doors to open and then I was in a old faulty elevator that shuddered and that did me in so to speak. I have read about this particular fear and some say it's hard to overcome as the rides don't last long enough for a person to wait out the symptoms. I don't have any irrational fears of being stuck... by avoiding elevators I am avoiding those uncomfortable feelings. I know it will pass.. I know I will be fine... but they are terrifying enough to take the stairs/

I am perplexed by this.. I rode elevators without a care for 40 years and then one day... anxiety.


really hoping I can find a good therapist to help me through this and just be a sounding board .

Monday Run day

I did good today with my outdoor run..... it was the longest distance I ran outside without stopping..... none of you will know what this means... but so I document this for myself I warmed up inside on the treadmill for 6 minutes, then ran from home to mrs. wolfs/parkland and then back down to Willowick drive and back home. It prolly took me 9 minutes and was prolly a little over 1/2 mile or 3/4 mile. Then I walked back to mrs.wolfs and ran back home. Then I came inside and ran a mile on the treadmill in 10 minutes.. I did about 2 miles total.


My biggest thing with outdoor running is pacing and getting so winded. I don't get that winded running 3 miles on the treadmill. I just keep trying, keep practicing and slowly I am improving.




I am think by next Monday I will be able to do the full mile... That will be amazing.

Morning workout

Today I did my cardio in the early Am and I loved it...It has been a long while since I worked out in the morning. I forgot how great it feels to be jazzed up in the morning and go about my day knowing I put myself first. I had a really great sweat. I am disciplined enough to do my workout after work if needed.. but there are so many unforeseen work factors and home factors that can zap my energy and make my pm workouts more ho-hum. I came home today and did some weights & ab work for about 20 minutes.Looking forward to doing my workouts in the morning a few days a week.. that means waking up earlier.. but it is so worth it.

phew

Worn out after todays outdoor couch to 5 k walk/run

.... outdoor runs are challenging but I am slowly improving my pace.. I am about a week 3 couch to 5 k outdoors.

Stairs

you all would be proud of me..... today during Liv's acting class instead of sitting and reading for an hour... I did 29 flights of stairs. what a workout. I always take the stairs..... I aim for 10 flights a day minimum.. my office is on the second floor, kitchen & copy machine is on the first floor so I usually get 8 flights in before lunch.

week 49

 morning weight 134


I killed it yesterday with my workout.....45 min of cardio, 15 min of arms on NTC. Today I did the bare minimum a quick 30 min on the elliptical and I did not push myself.. that is how it goes some-days... but hey at least I did something. When I feel strong I push myself and vice versa. I am still sore from Saturday's advanced Nike workout.Nike training club advanced power up workout is the bomb... but I am not ready to do it again yet...I have to modify it. This one exercise in particular had my upper core abs & rib area so sore.. its called a plank arm row.. your on hands & toes in a plank position and with a 10 lb weight your lifting your right arm up quickly and then switching sides. Your balancing all your weight and engaging your core. I felt like I was in a bad fight the next day.. it hurt to laugh, it hurt to cough. I have never done an exercise that has engaged those muscles so good... prone jackknife gets the lower core. I tried doing it again today... Nope... My body screamed at me... not ready. I over did it on Saturday. If you are a beginner I would suggest no weights... I started with 10 lbs and reverted to just my body weight when it became to hard..can't wait to do it again but just a few at a time and working up to weights.


1 month away from my 1 year anniversary

Ouch

I asked for it.. I put up a post on the MFP community about changing up my workout routine... basically in the past 11 months.. my routine has stayed the same and I feel as if my body has adjusted to it. A MFP member suggested Nike training club.. a really cool free app on my android phone. It's like having a personal trainer on your phone, they walk you through each exercise and you can watch a demo video. I tried it... picking the advanced workout in the strength category. It was called Power up.... it was very challenging.... and today my body is sore in places it has not been..I can't say its a good sore....lol.. cause I am hurtin... I know next time to start lower and work my way up.


But I think this just may be the change I need to rev things up.... today I sip on my protein shake and rest on the heating pad.

Elliptical

did 45 minutes of cardio today... earned 10 petals on my fitbit.. feels good

a Room of my own

I did not get a ton of support in creating this room. My husband did not believe I would stick with it, he begrudgingly helped me pick up the items and move them into the house. My daughter was upset I was taking over her old room.. she wanted the best of both worlds and to have two rooms. I love having my own space to workout in. I wish it were bigger... it is a tight squeeze and I have to fold up my treadmill to have the space to stretch and do my other workouts. I would love a wall mounted TV w/dvd player so I could add some fitness dvds to the mix. This room makes me really happy... in this room I am all about taking care of me and that is good.

Week 47- arms

am weight 138

It takes work to change the shape of your arms.........WORK!!!!! I am not where I want to be yet... but I am working on it and hope to be there soon...... it did not help that my arms were pretty thick to begin with. It's a hereditary thing.. like I said I am petite in stature but not small boned. I come from hearty stock.  See attached picture where I am posing with my Mom on our family camping trip in June. I was just a few weeks in at that point. I am working so hard on shaping up my arms so that this is the year I wear a tank top with confidence.


My arm routine is using 5,8, 10 and 15 lb weights and a medium resistance band. I usually work my arms 3 days a week for about 15 minutes or so.I have injured my upper body more than anything (  upper back, shoulders, forearms,elbow).... My elbow is still not right.... but it is getting better. 10 lbs is to light, but 15lbs is to heavy..etc... I usually don't find that out until after I strained something and over did it. So I take time off, heal and then start up again.. but then I am nervous about getting hurt again. They tell you to increase your weights slowly and I have a decent selection of weights and a weight bench... what I need is the in-between weights of a set of 12 lb dumbbells

My weight was 138 this morning.. I nearly fell off the scale in shock... but who knows why? I am killing it with my workouts. Today I did  1 hour of cross training ( 30 elliptical, 15 treadmill and then 15 min of weights). I have been eating well but nothing too cray cray..... I can always improve. I count every morsel I consume on MFP . It could be anything... not letting it get me down.

how are your arms? ready for spring?

Healthy lunch & double cardio day

I had a great fitness & healthy eating day...

I did 30 min on the elliptical this morning and after work I still had energy and since I had a pretty sedentary day and was rather low on my steps per my fitbit, I decided to hop on the treadmill for another 30 min...... double cardio... why not? next I had a big bowl of healthy for lunch..... a big green salad with some wheat thins and fat free balsamic dressing 3 days a week really keeps me on track.  If I add an hard boiled egg and some turkey for protein.. it can be really filling. Whenever we eat out John is always pointing out salads to me... I rarely want a salad when i eat out.. that is usually on a weekend and weekends are my splurge days typically. I am also very picky about salads...I am a lettuce snob. I hate wild greens, I like dark leafy greens... just not the weedy greens.I strained my elbow.. yes my elbow.. prolly lifting weights or doing french press.. so I am laying off the weights until I does not bother me anymore.

Prone jackknife

This workout really works your core & abs.....it takes a little practice & balance.. you will def feel this in the morning.