Fresh Start

Yes, I know I've been a bad blogger. Also a bad eater and an inconsistent exerciser. Not unsurprisingly, these things are all related. However, tomorrow is a new day, a new month, a new year, and a new decade. I'm ready for a fresh start, how about you?



Whatever your plans entail, be safe tonight! Happy New Year!! Catch you on the flip side!

Merry Christmas

mid-week ramblings

1) Woke up to this sight - a slighly white Christmas Eve Eve! It's supposed to snow a bit more today...exciting stuff.
2) Is it wrong, when shopping for an upcoming bride/groom, to find something on the registry that you want for yourself? 'Cuz that's what I did. Fear not, got the bride and groom some nice stuff from their registry. But one of the items - anchor hocking mixing bowls that are also oven safe - caught my attention. Could not get it off my mind. We could really use those. Especially for Christmas. So I went back later and bought it for myself!

3) I really need to make a trip to the recycling center. Should have gone on Saturday, but my back was acting up. Thought about going today, but the news is reporting closed icy roads. Cautioning to drive only if necessary. Maybe tomorrow.

4) Ditto for running.

5) I've been looking for a local January race to kick-start 2010. May have found one that will work for me on Jan 17th.

Turning point?

The shortest day of the year is behind us *and* I'm off work starting today until January 4th. Double Yay! I'm counting on this being a turning point...

Today I need to finish my Christmas shopping. But first, an appt with the electrician with regard to getting out backyard onto a timed drip system. The plants haven't been installed yet, but the hardscaping is coming along nicely. I was hoping this would be done by the end of the year, but it looks like it will take a bit longer.

My back has been problematic again. Which means I'm stalled on the push-up challenge and haven't been running. Blah. I'm not stressing over it though. With the days getting longer, my motivation and energy is sure to return, and my back should get better with a few more days rest.

Hope you all are well.!

solar powered

I've come to the conclusion that I'm basically solar powered. As the days have become progressively shorter, my motivation and energy has all but disappeared.

Not to fear, the shortest day of the year is coming soon, and it's uphill from that point on, right? Right?!?

The running program that I participate in runs from late Jan to early November. Got an email from Coach asking if he should save me a spot for next year.

Quickly responded YES! I don't always run with the group, but having a training schedule and someone to hold me accountable to it really helps me out.

We start up again on Jan 23th. Until then, let's hope I don't put on another 10 lbs...

P.S. I'm still stalled at Week 4 Day 1 on the pushup challenge. Drat!

Coming up for air

I'm still alive and kicking. Just really busy right now.

* Stuck on Week 4 Day 1 pushups. Just can't seem to break through past that point of the program. Although, I figure being stuck at doing 63 pushups over 5 sets is nothing to be too upset about.
* Had to travel on business this past week and it really threw my schedule off in many ways. Did manage to eek out 1.5 miles on the treadmill and some strength work in the fitness center at the hotel on Thursday.
* Slow progress on Christmas shopping this year. Ditto on Christmas cards. Perhaps this will finally be the year that we truly scale back on the madness. That would be just fine with me.
* Did absolutely NOTHING resembling exercise over the weekend. I think I've mastered laziness at its finest.
* Slow progress on the backyard renovations this week - the weather just wasn't cooperating. Hopefully things will speed up this week.

Enough with Winter already!

At the moment is is 35 deg. Much warmer than a few days ago, but the wind is howling at 25mph with gusts up to 40mph. Kids are on a 2 hr delay due to icy roads. It is supposed to show/rain/sleet later this afternoon. Bleck!

I stayed inside this morning (no way I'm going out running in that mess) and repeated W4D1 pushups. I just didn't think I could move to D2 quite yet. 63 push-ups later, I'm sure that was a wise decision. I'll try D2 on Thursday...

They are making progress on the backyard, but yesterday they attempted to cover some of the aresa they worked on with tarps. Ha! Their efforts were no match for the gusty wind. The tarps are now in a heap over by the fenceline. They are going to have to try harder if they really want that stuff to stay covered.

I'm not a winter person. I'm ready for it to be over. And the sad part is...it hasn't even officially started yet. Sigh...

Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis

It has been freaking cold here in the high desert of New Mexico. This morning was no exception. It had only warmed up to 24 degrees at the start of the Jingle Bell Run. Brrrrrrr. Freezin' our assets, we were...

I decided to run in a hat, gloves, tights, short sleeves, long sleeves, and a fleece. This turned out to be just right. I was chilly at the start line, but comfy after we got moving. Of course, I was freezing again at the end when we stopped running.

The course consisted of two unequal "loops"; the first loop was long and the second loop was short. They started the runners ahead of the walkers, but I encountered quite a bit of walker traffic on the second loop. I will never understand why walkers always seem to feel the need to walk 6 abreast, leaving little room for the runners on the trail. *shakes head*

Husband told me he was going to run his own pace, so I was on my own this time. No worries, that's what I expected. But WOW, he really kicked some ice out there. His finish time was ~25:30 which was good enough to earn him a 3rd place AG award. Yay!!

I was quite pleased with my finish time of ~29:10 until I realized that the course was short; it measured 3 miles instead of 3.1. Still not a bad time for me, just not as good as I thought, and right on my typical 5K pace.

This was my 4th year running in this event, and it's one I hope to be able to do again next year!

Friday Fodder

While doing my pushups, I spotted my missing exercise log book. Under the speaker! YAY!!!!!!! Clearly this is a sign of good things to come. :-)

Speaking of push ups, not sure how "good" my good form push ups are, but I'm still doing them straight legged. This morning I completed W4 D1 column one. 12+14+11+10+16 = 63 push ups! It was tough, but I did it. Yay me!!

I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go. Running clothes are on, but I'm not heading out until it is above freezing. It was 13 deg when I woke up, with a high expected at 34 deg. Brrrrrr.

I canceled my appt with the trainer for two weeks. Today because of laziness, and next week because of business travel. And guess what? I found out that she's leaving at the end of the month anyway.

I'm *thinking* of putting up the Christmas tree today. Not decorating it quite yet, just putting it up. Guess I should start by taking down the autumn stuff, ya think?

[edited to add: tree is up! and I ran 2.1 miles once it warmed up to 22 deg. brrrrr]

Fail

Today I evaluated my options for running.

Option A - Early Morning.

I got up, got dressed assuming the early run was a GO, checked out the weather forcast, and stepped outside. Wow. Colder than I imagined. And what is that noise? Like something is hitting the ground. And that feeling on my cheeks. Why...it's snow! Dunno if it's safe to run in that. After all, I am a weather wimp. Back in the house for more coffee instead.

Option B - Lunch Time.

Nice break in my calendar. Surely enough time for a run. But man. Still cloudy and cold out there. Still see occasionaly flakes falling. I decide to go to the post office instead.

Non-Option - Early Afternoon

Wouldn't you know it. The clouds have given way to sunshine. It's warmed up. Quite nice out there at the moment actually. Of course this would happen. Because I have a work meeting and can't go running now. Grrrrrr.

Running today - FAIL!

Guess I'll try again tomorrow...

checking in again

Life is still going at me in all directions, but I have hope that things will settle down in a few weeks. Really. Until then, commenting and blogging will be spotty.

* Completed w3 d3 pushups - 10+13+9+9+13=54. Bring on week 4!! Note - I only seem to be able to do them 2x per week, so this is going to take a loooonog time to complete, but I figure forward progress is forward progress.
* Wanted to run this morning, but it's not happening. Booooo.
* Reviewed my splits from Sunday run. 12min miles up a hill, 10 min mile down the hill, 10:30 on the flats. Not bad.
* Jingle Bell 5K on Saturday. I really need to run tomorrow.
* Dogs are at day care while work is going on in the back yard. Took them to a new one yesterday which worked out great. And they gave me the first day free. Woot! Dogs are heading back today.
* I lost/misplaced my exercise tracker notebook, so no totals for November. :-(