Trouble getting motivated

So... my little devil child is still sick. I love her dearly and want more than anything for her to get better....AND I seriously need to get out of this house. Actually - I need to get out of my LIVING room. You know how it is when your kids are sick - you can't really go that far from them. They need you. Well - I am officially sucked dry. Please, please, please dear husband - hurry home!

So..to roll on with the excuses...my eating habits have fallen apart (sorry HBBC), my new half marathon training schedule is already off track and now I'm supposed to be out of town for the next 2.5 days. How am I supposed to get motivated? I seriously want to run out, grab a donut or two and then lounge around (alone in a quiet room) for the rest of the night.

What I will end up doing is trying to figure out what we will have for dinner (especially since my sick one is refusing to come with me to the store), finish the laundry, straighten up this "sick house", pack for my business trip (even though we haven't thoroughly worked out plan "b" if this fever doesn't break and I will have tremendous guilt leaving the house) and climb into bed tonight praying that my husband and I will have the bed to ourselves for the WHOLE night.

Getting back on track isn't going to be easy. I will pack my running clothes and hope that I can press the reset button on Wednesday. (Tuesday is already fully booked and accounted for!)

How do you manage to find time for yourself (and the motivation) when it doesn't seem that there's a minute to spare?

Weight for it.....

So...today was my "weigh in" day. Down a half a pound. So frustrating...but it was Thanksgiving and I didn't exactly hold myself back (stuffing might be one of my all time favorite foods). I need to determine if weight loss or weight maintenance is my plan for the month of December. It is such a difficult time to try and lose those extra pounds!

Based on all of the different challenges I've seen - it seems I'm not the only one struggling with this. There are so many good ones I want to join all of them - I just don't want to over commit.

So far I'm doing the HBBC that Amanda at Run to the Finish has. I'm doing the 12 days of a Fit Christmas Run with Jess and Stef over at RUN ON has a Making the Cut Challenge she's starting up in a few days. I need to go dig out, dust off and skim thru that Jillian Michael's book I purchased quite some time ago and see if I'm up for that one!

Technically today and tomorrow are days I have blocked off as rest days so that my legs are fresh for the 5 mile run I'm doing on Saturday. I'm not gonna lie - I look forward to these days - there's no guilt about taking it easy on these days! HOWEVER, with all of these challenges popping up - it is making it very difficult for my lazy butt to appreciate just how good it's got it.

That said - after weigh in I went home - finished up my 6th serving of fruits and veggies (just one more to go for the day!) and did 20 minutes of power yoga.

Thank you Run to the Finish and Run with Jess for keeping me moving.

To run....or not....

SO....It's 65 degrees today in the North East - seriously! I would love to spend the day reading my book ("The Help" - so I'm a little behind on my reading list...) but how can I NOT run when it's so nice outside? Not to mention that the HBBC keeps me feeling just guilty enough to force me to lace up. I'm off....

A rambling post.....

I've got a few things on my mind tonight so please bear with me....

For starters - I need to modify my goals for the week. Not because I can't physically do it or don't have the mental drive - but because I know better. I KNOW that running everyday - especially when I am trying to improve - is not smart. My body needs recovery days.

Instead of running everyday - on my rest days I will walk and weight train. As I have more time I will try and fold in either Pilates or Yoga - but this week - there is no extra time to be found. PLUS my legs are sore and I need them to be in top shape for the Turkey Trot on Thursday.

Which leads me to my second topic. The Turkey Trot ...

I am new to this world of running and racing so I don't necessarily think of some of the things a more experienced racer would. I don't or should I say didn't think to look at the course map ahead of time.

IF I had - I'd have known that the first half of the race was uphill. I mean....seriously uphill. Hindsight's 20/20 - I could have been training on that hill. So, because I am so predictable - I "raced" home yesterday after scouting out the course, laced up my kicks and headed for the biggest hill I could find.

I'm sure I'm not the only runner that slacks off on hill training...so let's just say that my last minute effort has only made my already tender legs ache. They actually woke me up last night. I'll call it a "wake up call" on consistency in hill training as well as a reminder of how important rest days are - especiallly after a long run.

At this rate my 5 mile Turkey Trot is looking more like it could be a Turkey Crawl.

Lastly (finally)....my quest for healthier eating...

This isn't new for me - I am very aware of what I should and shouldn't be eating. My fridge is stocked with flax seed, wheat germ (although I am considering investigating that whole gluten free thing), chia seeds and bee pollen (yes - I said Bee Pollen). What I lack is consistency. I am a full fledged sugar addict and find it a very difficult habit to break. As part of the HBBC (Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge) I'm trying to drop 15 pounds so I'm refocusing on my daily diet. I've paired up with a wonderful friend and tomorrow morning is our first weigh in. Wish me luck - stepping on the scale in front of someone is NEVER fun!

In the future I will try and find a better way to structure these posts. Focusing on different topics different days. Today I just needed to get it all out there.

thanks -

Bear with me as I figure out exactly how this blogging thing works.....

I've decided to start blogging as a tool to hold myself more accountable for my goals. I figure if I put things in writing, out there for "the whole world to see" (as my father says) then maybe I'll take more responsibility for myself.

As I go along - hopefully you'll see improvements and changes to the format of this page. It may take me awhile as I'm not too saavy about these things!

I started running back in June. And when I say started - I mean I have never been a runner. I'm not the kind of gal that one would consider "athletic". I certainly didn't think I would find myself at the age of 42 starting something new and lacing up my running shoes on a regular basis. When I signed up for the Warrior Dash my husband kept asking me - 'are you sure you know what you are getting yourself into'?

It's been slow, literally. I have a running shirt that says "Why run faster when you can follow this a$$?" on the back of it and it's no joke.

When my friends comment on how much I must really like running - I actually have to stop and think about it. Do I love it? I'm not gonna lie - when my feet first hit the pavement - what's running (pun intended) through my mind isn't how much I'm enjoying myself. Usually I'm thinking "how come this doesn't seem to be getting any easier"?

What I do love is race day. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the energy that you feel when you are standing there with all those other runners waiting to start. Right now - that's what keeps me going. I imagine years from now (at least I hope) as I am still running - I will realize it is something I can't live without. For now - what keeps me moving is my next race.

That said - since June I've run:
(2) 5k trail races
(2) 5k road races
The Warrior Dash
(1) 10k (my greatest accomplishment to date)

My goal now is to be able to run a half-marathon in the spring. Increasing my mileage over the winter won't be easy - but having the goal will help. If anyone has any suggestions for half-marathons in the North East let me know. (preferably FLAT terrain! HA)

More to follow.....

BTW- I did just sign my self up for the HBBC Challenge (Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge) - this should motivate me to rack up those miles!