Getting Motivated Again

Yesterday was my first day back to the gym after a two week break.

I was looking forward to it all day, then on the way I started having anxiety. I kept trying to think of reasons to just go home. I've been doing that a lot lately with everything. I have been skipping out on activities, exercising, and friends. I am fighting the hermit mode part of me wants to go into. Part of it I think is from not feeling good*, but I'm feeling better now and I'm trying to keep the hermit mode out of my routine.

The other part of it is just this time of year. Its cold. I tend to eat to much which means if I can stay at home and not wear pants, then I will. Holidays stress me out, all the traveling and money it requires. My parents are divorced and my extended family is spread out, which means sometimes someone doesn't get a visit. Then I feel guilty. Then I get more stressed out. Then I want to stay at home, in my pjs. (really though, who wants to put on too tight jeans and go out into the cold??)

Anyway, I got sidetracked. I still went to the gym, despite my excuses. (The traffic is bad, its raining, blah blah blah) It was worth it. I missed the gym. I am supposed to take it semi-easy. I did the precor elliptical (which is turning into my new favorite thing!) for a little over a mile and did some weights. I also did some sit ups and some other core moves. It was nice just to be back. 

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving! I am excited to go see my family tomorrow, and for Willow to see them too! :)




*In my last post, I was talking about my back/stomach pain and the causes. It turns out I had a fairly large cyst on my right ovary. It was about 6.5 cm (an ovary is the size of an almond) when I went to the ER and last week when I went to my doctor it was down by 2 cm. That was Friday, and now I'm feeling much less pain and slowly getting my energy back. Its amazing how much energy hurting can take out of you. I'm hoping it stays small and eventually goes away on its own.

Just keep Swimming

 

 

I was hoping by now that I could at least be in the running (get it?) for a 10k. I was hoping that I could run 6 miles NBD by now. I thought. I hoped. Life (obviously) isn't about all that I want or hoping or thought though.

 

I've been having a nagging lower back ache for a while now, it wasn't enough for me to go to the doctor about it. Then it turned into spasms and now it hurts to bend over. Then on top of that, Sunday the pain spread to my lower abdomen. It has gone from them thinking its a UTI, to a Pinched Nerve, to a Ovarian Cyst. It could still be a combo of the last two. All I know is that it is effecting my daily life and my routine, and I'm not used to hurting all the time. Its making me so angry! (not going to the gym is also not helping with my mood)

 

It doesn't help either that it costs money to go to the doctor or to the ER. And to go to those doctor appointments costs me time at work which being paid hourly means its costs me money. Oh yea, and its the holidays which also puts a dent into my dwindling bank account. I'm already struggling, and I guess its getting to me. You could say this is a vent post.

 

Anyway, I decided today that I'll take Dory's advice and "Just keep swimming." Leaving work early to go crawl up into a ball at home isn't going to help. That only makes things worse. I've been falling behind on everything lately, the house, work, school, all because of whatever is wrong with my back/abdomen. I'm just going to have to grin and bear it (or bare?), and hope it will dissipate eventually.

 

I am going to meet my advisor at Mary Baldwin College on my lunch break to enroll in classes for the Spring. I'm looking forward to that. Friday I go to the doctor again, so until then I'm taking it easy on the workouts.  I hope everyone is enjoying their fall weather runs!

Another Month Has Gone By (Bye)

Wow, did that month just fly by or what?

It has not been a great October so far.

I have been suffering from back aches for a few weeks (months) and since I now have insurance I got to find out why. I have a uti...great. Just what I needed. Apparently avoiding the bathrooms all day while out chasing a two year old is a no-no. Seriously, have you ever tried peeing in a public stall while keeping a toddler from touching everything and peeking under the stall at the next person over? I'll hold it, thanks. (I mean I did hold it. I guess I just have to bring a leash for bathroom trips now.)

Anyway. I also ran into the back of someone else's car in morning traffic. How's their car? fine. Just a scratch. I'm thankful for that. She had a kid in the back seat but they were both okay. How's my car? um....not so great. Luckily I have a great Mom and brother, and Josh's Dad has been a  bigger help than he probably even knows. It was a stupid accident. Luckily Willow wasn't with me, and no one was hurt (except my pride). And I realized what a great support system I have.

I'm driving a manual mom found for a great deal (again, thank you mom!). I am not great...or good, with a 5-speed. But I actually kind of like it. Driving is when I do my thinking for the day so driving a manual keeps me focused on the road instead of what's going through my head. Which is probably a good thing, after the latest events.

 A co worker passed suddenly last week, which has kept the office quieter than usual.  She is definitely missed.


On to fitness updates...................................................................................................................

I am still going to the gym about 3 times during the work week and at least a good run on the weekends. Going to the gym on my lunch break is definitely better than nothing, but I miss those few afternoon runs after work. I didn't feel as rushed, and it was fresh air. Now I can barely get one gym session or run in after work during the week without it being a problem some way or another. And I'm too drained to butt heads about it lately. I blame the uti for making me feel so tired and sore.

I am looking for an upcoming 10k to train for.  I am going to push myself and not let anyone tell me I can't. As fast as Willow is, I should just get her to train with me! Kidding, but seriously, she's fast. Maybe in a few years?

Add caption



Add caption

Trying Out New Gym Locations

I am a member of the Y in my area and there are quite a few locations to choose from. Mostly, I go to the one about 6 minutes away on my lunch break. There is also one that's about 15 minutes from my house that I go to on weekends, or the nicer one that is about 20 minutes away from my house.

I wanted to find one that is in between my house and my work so I went to the Shady Grove one on Monday. Its a nicer area, and I have come to realize that the nicer the area = the more people that go to the gym = the more people to judge you.

Now, don't take that the wrong way. The gym was nice, huge. The people weren't mean. But its just not as friendly as some of the other locations. I'm sure some of that was me, I get intimidated in new situations and so I avoid eye contact/conversations with new people. So that's something.

So, I'm standing in the "fitness" area trying to figure out the set up. there are about 10 treadmills squeezed one by one against a wall/window. In front of those are the ellipticals, different brands, each with their own weird options. I don't like ellipticals. I feel stupid on them, but guess what I ended up doing the longest? yup.

I tried the treadmill first. There is always that one in every gym that makes some weird noise when you get to a running pace. I ALWAYS FIND THIS ONE. I got to a running pace and it sounded like I had hammers on the bottoms of my shoes. So I opted for a 5 minute walking warm up and then weights. Then I did the dreaded elliptical and felt stupid. I just don't like all that bouncing motion I get. (and I don't mean from my -A boobs...just...everything else. My cheeks. My pony tail. My knees. But my boobs? nah.)

After this embarrassing spectacle I made of myself I did some sit ups and went home. There is a good chance no one even noticed I was in the gym. It was just one of those times I felt silly. Ever have those?

I returned to my go-to lunch time location yesterday and felt much more at home. Plus, only about 3 people are there when I am. So If I trip up on the treadmill or fall off the exercise ball, there are less witnesses :)

Winery!

Saturday = Girls Day.

It was the first Girl's Day that didn't involve Willow since...she was born, I think. Jessi H is getting married this Friday so we went to Colonial Beach for the night. We went to a 25,000 square foot antique mall and did about 3 miles of walking Saturday. We also went to a winery (a first for both of us! It's important to know how to make a proper sangria), and went to a kind of Tiki Bar to see a band.


So, this is kind of embarrassing, but I always thought sangria was just any kind of wine mixed with fruit and ginger-ale. Nope. Turns out the proper wine to use is Port. I'm not a big fan of the stuff, its a little strong tasting for me, but turns out it is perfect for sangria. Oak Crest Winery in King George, VA has a free wine tasting which was nice. It seems like a small winery but most of their wines were really good. There was one called Hot Jazz that had jalapeño juices in it. It would be awesome for cooking, not so much for drinking.


The hotel we stayed at has just been remodeled at the start of the summer, and it was right at the beach. It was a clean hotel but nothing fancy, but when you are coming from Bumpass that is not something required! The staff was nice though, and the rates were very reasonable. We stayed at Rivers Edge Inn.

I didn't know this, but Jessi H pointed out that the "sand" (aka pebbles) is where VA stops and Maryland ends. We ate nachos at a casino that was right over the water so technically we ate them in Maryland. That, for some reason was quite entertaining to us.

We had a great time, and it was nice to get out and go somewhere new.

When You Get In A Slump

What keeps you motivated when you get in a fitness slump?

I've been going to the gym at least a few times a week, plus weekends for about a month and a half now. I don't know if I just don't notice or what, but I feel like I look no different. Not that I was expecting to become a 6-packed, guns for arms, running machine or anything. I was just expecting a little more...firmness? Which, by the way, is hard to find in some areas after having kids. I don't care who you are.

Sometimes not seeing the results you want can leave you unmotivated. We have to remember that everything takes time, and its more about how you feel than how you look. (Right now I feel b-l-o-a-t-e-d)

Also, its good to switch it up a bit, or kick it up a notch. Try doing 20 reps instead of 15. Try adding 5 lb. to the weights. Go an extra quarter, half, or even whole mile. Try a group class. Any (or all) of those can be helpful.

I haven't ran outside in a while, so that will be one of my goals for next week. Maybe switching it up and getting some fresh air will help.

Still not seeing the results you want? Keep these in mind:

- Give your body a break. Those rest days allow those muscles to heal and strengthen.
- Drink enough water, if not your body will retain it.
- Sleep! Sleeping 8 hours (or trying) is essential for your body, mental focus, and well...everything
- Eat! Eat for fuel. I'm not saying skip the ice cream because that would be hypocritical of me. Ice cream can be fuel....right? Just be sure that the bulk of your food is veggies, fruits, grains and lean meats.
- Try cardio and weights. Doing cardio for at least 10 minutes before weights helps to speed up your metabolism and it warms those muscles up!
- Last on my list- Stretch! Before. After. Both.

from Theberry.com

So...I Took a Little Break...

Okay, lets go back about what? 2 months? Whoops!

I draw a sweet dirt family for Josh, and he draws a dinosaur. Romance isn't dead here! lol 

I'm just going to do a quick update and then get to it!

New happenings:
-Willow is 2...its terrific and terrifying at times
- I joined a gym. You can call me a gym rat, because I love it!
- I started back with school.
- We took Willow fishing for the first time and she was so good she took a nap on the boat.

Wow, nothing big ever really happens in my life. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.



Anyway. With everything going on in summer, I haven't been running like I was. I would rather come home after work and play with my daughter. I did join a gym and one of its locations isn't far from my job so I will go on my lunch breaks at least 2-3 times a week plus on the weekends too. I have an hour lunch, so I will fit in about 10 to 15 minutes of running on the treadmill, then weights. I also will do the elliptical but I hate it. That thing is just awkward.

Another reason I've been going to the gym more than running outside is because it has childcare. So on the weekends when I go I can take Willow. She gets to socialize and play with other kids while I do my thing. If we don't have errands to run then we will go to the pool after, which she loves too. I see it as a win/win.

I went to a new location Sunday, and it was the biggest gym I've been to yet. The Y in Ashland was 2 stories. It even had an indoor track. I was compelled to use the indoor track but then I saw the treadmills. They have touch screens! They have different "paths" you can take while running! Its like traveling virtually to Italy, Germany or other places. So, I had to try it. I ran 1.5 miles and loved it. After that I used the usual machines. Chest Press, Leg Press, and some that I can't remember the names. Let me just say, its Wednesday and I'm still sore. I'm going to my usual location at lunch today.

Another reason I've been shortening my runs is because I want to focus on other fitness goals. I would like to see an improvement in over all strength. I will always continue running as long as I continue fitness but since I have not signed up for any races I am not training for anything. I do enjoy seeing the difference in my strength in my arms, shoulders, back and legs. Abs are another thing. After have a baby those things might take years to build up!



Okay, so catch up is done. not much is new. But I will continue to write, just in case some one might be interested (but lets not get my hopes up here, okay?)