Shamrock Shuffle Complete!!!

And I ran it all! My time was laughable - but I'm still 100% proud of the accomplishment.

I am so damn sore in my right hip right now. We just got back to WI and I'm laying on the couch. I have a 6:45 am doctor's appointment so I am going to crash. I will write a longer wrap up, complete with pictures, either tomorrow or Tuesday. I have a super crazy week coming up- big boss in town at work, RE visits/meds/monitoring for IVF, bridal shower for SIL this coming weekend, appraisal on Wednesday morning for our refinancing, etc. so I will do my best to get the race wrap-up done asap. 

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Weigh In Wednesday

I'm holding steady which is slightly miraculous seeing as though I feel I've been eating like a 900 lb. trucker. I'm constantly hungry. I have a feeling it is because of the birth control pills I just finished up in preparation for IVF.

And yeah - cat's out of the bag. I'm currently doing IVF and that is why I can't run the Shamrock Shuffle this week. I'm still going to finish it though, even if I feel like a fraud just walking it.

But the good news is that I am back to 214 lbs and my 40 lb loss! That is something I am very proud of. I just hope that in a month I will be gaining some pregnancy weight.Keep your fingers crossed for me. If this fails (please no) then my plans for running the Disney Half are still in play. If it works and I am able to carry to term, well then...screw the race ;-) I've been trying to beat infertility for over 6 years now. I need this to work.

Tasty Tuesday

I'm trying out something new here for Tuesdays. Since I'm in a weird place in regards to training and races, I need some other regular ideas to post about. So here comes my Tasty Tuesdays series. I'm going to try to share some healthier food dishes with you. Many will be ones I haven't tried yet myself but I have a goal of making everything I share :)

For the first installment, I have Skinny Italian Beef and Peppers

(Photo courtesy of Skinny Mom)

Decription:

"Get ready to give your pizza cutter a rest and dig into my beef and peppers casserole! This dinner is my answer to the challenge of cooking low-carb Italian meals, and the results couldn’t be more delicious! Peppers, onions, celery, and a little surprise (garbanzo beans!) balance out the hearty ground beef in this perfect weeknight meal! This dish keeps well in the freezer, making it a great make ahead meal, and the leftovers are easy to reheat and still taste fantastic for a small lunch!"

Now...this Chicago girl knows that Italian Beef is nothing to joke about. You just don't go around calling any meat you want Italian Beef...but I will give this one a pass because it sounds like a tasty meal. A friend made it this weekend and is eating it for lunch. I forgot to ask her how it was but I will try to report back as soon as I find out :)

Motivational Monday

Today's message is simple. It comes at a time I need to remember that when I set this goal of completing this 8k, I had my doubts on how well I could do it. I didn't know how much weight I would be able to lose before this race. I also didn't know that because of another decision (to be discussed at a later date) I would be sidelined from actually running this race. 

The thing is, I still have a lot to be proud of. I still did it. I made it. I will be able to say I participated in an 8k after this week. That is something I am very proud of. 

1 Week Until the Shamrock Shuffle 8k!!

Eeek! It's race week!!!

Am I prepared for it? Well, had I been able to continue training I don't doubt I would have been able to run the entire 5 miles. I don't doubt I will be able to finish this by walking. I just hope that I'm not the only one that is strictly walking. If I don't see anyone else, yeah I'm going to hang my head in shame, lol. 

I don't have much of a training plan this week.
Monday: walk a couple miles and weight train (upper)
Tuesday: run a couple miles
Wednesday: pool? walk?
Thursday: run a couple miles
Friday: off
Saturday: off
Sunday: 8k

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Weigh-in Wednesday

I like my sick weight from last week better than today's, lol. 

Last Thursday I hit a low of 214.2 - which brought me to 40 lbs lost. But between then and now, I am at 216.4. That still gets me to 38 lbs lost. 

I'm just at a holding point right now. Per doctor's orders my training is to be toned down and I will not be allowed to run the Shamrock Shuffle - only walk it :-( I know it's for the greater good so I'm trying to stay positive. Being on meds right now that normally cause weight gain is making it harder to lose plus you add in a week of being sick and you just get a case of the "blahs."

Enough of the whining though. I am still down a pound! Woo hoo!

Stay well y'all - I have heard of people in many other states battling the virus I had. it is not a fun time!

2 weeks until Shamrock Shuffle 8k

Well Hello!

I am still alive. I don't feel like I've been doing much else other than sleep, cough, and rest for the last 5 days. It all started with a cough on Tuesday. No other symptoms. By Wednesday at 11 am I was packing up my work laptop and going to work from home because I was rapidly declining. The aches were horrible. I'm sure I had a fever in there that I managed to break around 1 am Thursday morning. Of course I got the loving husband sick too. So now I think I am on the mend. I'm probably back to about 60%.

Needless to say, I have not exercised all week. My weight has been a yo-yo up and down. Some days I barely eat and others I just can't stop. Oh well. I honestly just don't care, LOL. 

I'm not sure when I will be back to working out. I'm not planning on it on Monday and Tuesday. If the cough (and the coughing up of all the congestion) is gone on Wednesday I might try to walk a couple miles and call it quits. I could run but I'm almost positive that will be the cause of my coughing up a lung. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week and do not catch whatever is making the rounds out there!

Sick time out

Basically....nothing going on over here except me being really sick. I haven't worked out since Monday and I didn't even weigh-in.

Sorry, as soon as I'm back on my feet I'll get back to the grind.

Motivation Monday

Today's motivation stems from the fact that I've had some up and down days over the last couple of weeks. 

It's ok to have a cheat day. It's not ok to have cheat days - especially right in a row. 

Weekends are my downfall. Always have been, always will be I fear. Workdays have a routine to them. I know what I am going to eat for breakfast, snacks, lunch, and most likely dinner. The guess work is gone. I even know approximately when I am going to be eating all of them too. I also have the added security of not being able to just go open the cabinet or fridge and grab something to eat. 

With the weekends, it's all a game as to what we're going to eat and when. We have been really trying to have a better idea of our game plan before the weekend hits. If we at least know where we will be out and about, we have a better chance of making better decisions. That is one of the things we are working on going forward. 

That is why I choose these motivational phrases today. Health, wellness, and fitness is always a commitment. It is always making a conscious effort to make the best decision you can. I am far from perfect when it comes to these decisions. But I always have these two thoughts in my head when I am "cheating." I cannot afford to just give up and let all the progress go down the drain.

3 weeks until the Shamrock Shuffle 8k!!

Today was one of the nicest days we've had here in Northeast Wisconsin all year long so I took the opportunity to actually get outside and get my run in. By nice, I mean about 38 with a feels like temp of 29 due to the wind, and partly sunny. But hey - it felt DAMN good to be out on the road getting that run in! I also had my longest run to date today - 4.09 miles according to Map My Run and I didn't stop once. I was/am pretty proud of that.

If the race was today, I know I could have pushed another mile out. I just know it. I felt it. If only it were today. I am still unsure if my doctor is going to allow me to do it. I'm honestly guessing no, even with my protests that my mile time is more than double an elite runner, lol. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get major side eye from him. Oh well, it's ok. It's for the greater good.

I believe it is supposed to be about 46 tomorrow and if I get home and there is still light out, I'm thinking about adding a nice and easy walk into the plan for the day. Maybe with the dog. I'm sure he would be in heaven getting out of the snow covered back yard. Thursday I have a doctor's procedure during the day so I'm not sure if I will have to make that a rest day or if it will be ok to keep trucking.

For the week ahead:
Monday: walk, stretch, strength (arms/upper)
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednesday: 4 minute cross train (try #3 for swimming)
Thursday: rest day or 2 mile + strength (legs)
Friday: rest or water fitness or Thursday's plan (play it by ear)
Saturday: play it by ear. If Th & Fri end up being rest days, 50 min cross train
Sunday: 4 mile run (man I'd love for this to be outside but forecast only says 26)

Have a wonderful week everyone! Keep up all your hard work!

Weigh In Wednesday...errr Thursday

So I'm a day late. Meh. ;-) 

I've been off my game this week. I was so drained on Monday I skipped the gym. Then I had to go to the doctor's office on Tuesday and they took a ton of blood (like, 10 vials) and I had a migraine by 4 pm. I went to bed early. 

Even after a stressful day and some shitty kids being disrespectful at the Y, I got an "ok" workout in yesterday. However, I got my 2 mile run in today and some weights so I'm happy. I also forgot to weigh in yesterday so I did that this morning too. 

The scale showed 217.2 this morning! That now makes 37.4 pounds lost in total. I hope to get to that 40 lb mark shortly! We shall see. I have some other things going on right now so I'm not sure that I'll be able to continue my pace but I will do my darnedest!

Happy almost weekend!!

Motivation Monday

This one is pretty self explanatory. I know I am guilty of this a lot around these parts. Each step and little marker that I take or make it to is a major accomplishment. 

It's so hard to be looking at the overall big picture and still see the goal barely on the horizon.  The problem is that you have to be able to see all the smaller details that you are passing along the way. How will you ever know how many miles you have to go if you neglect to look at the mile markers on the side of the road?? 

My grandma called me tonight and she was telling me how she was creeping on my pictures on fb (she fully admits she writes nothing on fb but uses it to only look at people's posts and pics, LOL) and she mentioned that she saw my picture from a couple weeks ago at Miller Park and how wonderful I was looking. Yesterday I got to see my other grandma and she also mentioned that she can tell I lost even more weight. I am so close to my grandmas and it made my day(s) that they noticed and gave me compliments on it. I am working hard at this. It isn't easy but I'm doing it. 

Along the way, make sure to stop and smell the proverbial roses. Take in the scenery. Check out the new sights and sounds. You owe it to yourself to completely experience this journey.

4 Weeks Until Shamrock Shuffle

I'm writing this post late. I was so tired by the time we got home and I plopped my butt on the couch to watch the Oscars last night that I completely forgot about writing this entry. Oops.

I managed to get a ton of exercise in by walking about 30 city blocks going to and from the Chicago Blackhawks game at Soldier Field on Saturday night. In 2 degree weather and 6 inches of snow coming down. Plus being outside for that many hours trying to stay warm had to have burned a million calories right??? I think so. I'm going with that theory. 

It was such a fun and once in a lifetime experience. My mom gave us these tickets for our Christmas present this year and I have to say it for sure ranks up there in the best present ever category, lol. Go Hawks!!!

For my training this week, since I skipped yesterday's run, I am just going to repeat last week:
Monday: stretch and strength (upper/arms + abs)
Tuesday: 2.5 mile run
Wednesday: 45 minute cross (swimming or elliptical)
Thursday: 2 mile run + strength (legs/lower)
Friday: 60 minute water fitness class
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 4 mile run

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!