Logging it...

I haven't been posting the last month or so, but that is about to change.  I need to hold myself accountable and this is the best way to make sure I stay honest and stay connected. 

So far this year I have registered for three events:

1. Race to Wrigley 5K
2. Bark in the Park 5K
3. Soldier Field 10 Miler

Today was my first official day of attempting to train for the races.  I finally used my Nike+ system to track my progress.  I went for a 5K walk, but my neighbor and her dogs went too which means I didn't move as fast as I would have wanted.  Also, she wasted about 6 minutes waiting in line at Dunkin Donuts to get an ice tea (on a cold day, go figure).  She then complained the rest of the walk about how cold she was.  There is nothing more annoying than someone that slows you down because of their own stupidity.

But I digress.  The 5.46 kilometer walk took me 1:06 for a pace of 20:20 m/m.  Hoping to improve the pace tomorrow when the dogs and I will go by ourselves.  This was our second walk of the day, the first one being 2.7 miles and taking about 45 minutes (poor Casey was freaked out be the el and caused a diversion)

I feel good and am happy that I am on my way to achieving my goal.  Another goals is logging in every day to track my progress.  Let's hope I continue on my current path.

Race Update

Ok, I signed up for the soldier Field 10 miler before the price increase but missed out on the Shamrock Shuffle. So other races I must consider:
Race to Wrigley 5K - totally forgot about this one. Will register this week.
Chitown half marathon and 5k - I would do the 5k.
There is a Chicago half marathon on 9/11, I would do this if I can't find a travel buddy for the Disney Wine and Dine.
Just found a new St. Paddys Day race on 3/20

I start training tomorrow using my Nike+ tech products while Casey is at the groomers.

On another note, I have my first acupuncture session on Friday to address my heel pain.

My goal is to lose 43 pounds and do 43 miles worth of races this year. First race is in April unless I can find one in March. No more excuses.

Goal for 2011

I have made a goal for 2011 that is attainable and if I put my mind to it, I can easily succeed. First part of the goal is to run 43 miles worth of races in 2011. Second part of the goal is to lose 43 pounds by my birthday, June 16th. The races I will be attempting are:
Shamrock Shuffle
Soldier Field 10 Miler
Rock and Roll Half Marathon - chicago
Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon

I will add one more 5k in there to get to my goal. Training starts tomorrow. Must be disciplined. Any encouragement is greatly appreciated and encouraged.

New Year, New Me

As 2011 starts, I am making real changes in my life. Changes in eating, changes in exercise, changes in friendships. I have lost 10 pounds since December and hoping to continue the progress with a goal of 43 additional pounds by my 43rd birthday in June. I will also be more active in documenting my progress, failures and successes.

Follow me in this amazing journey to discovering who I am.

Best Christmas Present Ever Challenge

I follow Marathon Misfit.  Connie has become an inspiration to me (one of many, by the way) in her training and completing the Chicago Marathon.  She came up with the idea of the Best Christmas Present Ever Challenge to help herself lose her last 10 9 pounds. 

Here are the basics:

We're going to wrap up our current weight in a Christmas gift box along with the least-flattering picture of yourself that you can find. On Christmas morning we'll open it and either have given ourselves the best Christmas gift ever- or we'll weep awkwardly over a bunch of Old Navy Fleeces. But hopefully that won't happen.

Here's how we'll succeed:

Exercise- you can pick any fitness challenge you want. Like running? Run your butt off. Biking? Bike away. Whatever you think will make that reindeer sweater a little less snug- do it. The goal is to exercise at least 20 minutes a day, 6 days a week.

Diet- Since I'm not a dietitian and thought the Twinkie diet was a cool idea, I'm not going to tell you what to do. I will provide us with dieting tips and tricks to stick to the plan, but whether you want to count calories or go vegan is up to you.

 

Read more: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/marathon-missfit/#ixzz14nfUfzUH

I will post the picture of me and my present by the end of the week.  You will not see the unflattering photo until Christmas Day.  I am excited to have a goal to work towards; one that is more attainable.

Food is my Anti-Depressant and that Needs to Change.

Due to some overspending last month, I found myself in a little bit of a financial hole.  This  lack of control meant that some items would need to be postponed until my photo profits were deposited into my account.  One of the items I put off was my anti-depressant.  I have been taking this medicine for about 2 and a half years.  I have gone off of the medication several times (thinking I was "healed") only to find that I relapsed even worse.

I ran out of my prescription in early October and as much as I tried to stay upbeat, the darkness soon enveloped me.  This cloud, coupled with my whooping cough, meant I was spending entire weekends in bed, sleeping.  Not because I was tired, but because I just couldn't function.  There were a few days where I managed to get myself out into the real world, but those were driven by the idea of shopping (another addiction).  Over the past 30 days, I have eaten tons of crap food, mostly processed carbs and refined sugar.  This would result in a momentary elevation of my mood, only to have it crash around me a few hours later.

As soon as I saw the profit check hit my account, I refilled my anti-depressant.  For the $15 co-pay, I should have definitely refilled it sooner, but I seem to have my priorities a little messed up lately.  Mental health is important and should not be treated as an afterthought.  My lack of motivation is directly tied to how I felt about myself.  I didn't have the anti-depressant so in turn I ate junk food, which in turn made me depressed about my weight gain.  This was a never ending cycle that I found was easily fixed.  I won't make that mistake again. 

The weather here is going to be awesome all week, so I think I will take some nice long walks with the boys to help clear the cobwebs from my mind.  Need to set some more goals as well, but as my therapist says..."baby steps...baby steps."

I Might as Well Face It, I am Addicted to Sugar

Since returning from Disney and getting sick, I have been trying to eat better without much success.  That and the fact that I haven't had much exercise lately have resulted in a 5 pound weight gain.  The funny thing is I only get real cravings for sugar while at work.  Once I am at home, cravings are gone.  I don't eat much crap on the weekend, I tend to have cereal and chicken with vegetables.  So why so I fail Monday through Friday?

I believe part of my craving for sugar has to do with its soothing tendencies, for me anyway.  If I am stressed, a little candy bar will do wonders to take the edge off my mood.  Lately however, one candy bar isn't cutting it.  I have to have two candy bars, and a handful of Milk Maid caramels, which were only $.57 a bag at Walgreens. 

I need to do another diet cleanse, not in the true sense of the word (no maple syrup or cayenne pepper for me).  The cleanse I am talking about has to do with removing sugar, dairy, alcohol, pop, salt and all processed foods.  A few years ago I found this website from Chet Day.  I religiously followed the program and my cravings disappeared as did my asthma.  The problem is, the program didn't have enough flavor for me...I love flavor. I think I may have to modify the program with spices.  The idea is simple, fresh fruits and vegetables...as much as you want.  I think I can have chicken too.   I am thinking that when I take a few days off later this month to purge myself of the items I no longer use, nor have used in over 3 years, I will use that time to begin the cleanse.

I want to be healthier and not as tired all of the time...which means the Diet Mountain Dew will have to go as well.  Beginning November 18th, the quest for healthier living will begin.