Sunday, July 31, 2011

a legacy of athleticism

is that the right word? im not sure, but you get what im going for, right?

jason and i have been talking a lot lately about the difference in our lives. tonight it was about his 7 mile run. i told him, its just 7 miles, youll be fine. he laughed and said what a difference that now we say "just 7 miles." a year ago, that was a killer. his 6 miles were rough last august for his last triathlon, and the farthest id run in recent years (and possibly ever) was when i was running with heidi (was emma around? now i dont remember, but i think so...) and we went 2-4 miles at a time. 7 would have killed me. but not now.

growing up, he played a lot of team sports. he was athletic in high school and in college. i played volley ball for all of jr high and half of high school, and as an early adult i had a pretty active life walking around for shopping or errands in eugene. but neither one of us had active parents. athletics were a part of team sports in school and they stayed with that time in our lives. that wont be the case for our kids.

george and emma, and whatever kiddos are still to come have parents who are intentionally physically active on a regular basis for the purposes of good health, and enjoyment! its not just about loosing weight (thats maybe the spark, or the first draft, but not the whole story, or the coals the keep the fire hot) its about finding something active that we enjoy, and making it an integral part of our daily lives.

we have been doing a lot of studying lately in several different parts of our lives (college classes for jason, run training, injury, weight management and healthy eating for me, bible study together and apart, leadership through role modeling with the teens) and have noticed changes take place over the last year in our attitudes and parenting and so many things. not a very eloquent sentence, i know, but im having a hard time putting a feeling into words. its just been pretty great to make these changes now, and to know that the impact they have on our kids will be a lasting one.

whew. okay, that said, i did level 2 again today. that makes 3 days in a row. its pretty tough, but in a good sort of way. the plan is to do it again in the morning with jason as we start our first week (of 3) of summer. we are testing out a couple new schedules and morning work outs are one of them.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

level 2

last night i did level two again, this time alone. jason had the kids and i paid close attention to the instructions and watched each move. i felt much more capable at the end, and i did at least one set of each move, and both sets of most of them!

this evening the kids were asleep and jason was still at work so i popped in level 2 again. it went really well. i am feeling weak all over because i havent been able to run, but i dont want to actually get weaker, so im trying to change my mindset about my hurting leg. i plan to take it out for a little jog tomorrow and see how it goes.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

i took a little walk with the kids yesterday to the park and back. my leg felt mostly fine. this morning jason and i did level 2 of the shred and that was a lot more difficult. jillian does a lot of planks and plank related moves in those 20 minutes. i dont have the upper body strength. next time i will go through it a little more slowly and figure out the moves and i think that will help.

with the reduced work outs comes a reduce in calorie burn (duh). but not a reduce in consumption. so, this week i am up 0.4 pounds and weigh 155.6 pounds. now its time to be more conscious, and more active, even if i cant run.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

running injured

on thursday i ran at the gym. for a mile and a half. i switched to the eliptical for a few minutes before giving up entirely and coming home. after a weekend of rest, and ice, and wrapping my leg i headed out last night for a nice easy 4 mile run.

it was not nice, or easy, or 4 miles. it seems i have a combination of runners knee and a grade 2 calf strain in my left leg. recommendations include a 4-6 week heal time. (the race is in 4 and a half weeks.) after a lot of ice and compression last night it felt so much better. today i walked to the park and back (stretching it out first) and it still feels okay.

my plan is to walk it often, ice it often, and keep it wrapped at night to keep swelling down. i will try to jog some short distance and see how it feels, but for the most part i think i am going to be cross training the next couple weeks to see if i can speed the recovery a little.

to be honest, im pretty bummed.

Friday, July 22, 2011

just fyi

i had a pretty down day yesterday all around. from the errands i had to run in the morning (a whole different story) to failed naps, a lousy run and sick babe (georgies got a fever hanging out around 102 that is still here this morning.)

but- after a night of rest, ice, compression, and elevation for my leg, and 7 hours of sleep for my mind i am feeling better. im planning to mow the lawn this afternoon while its cooler and to finish up sewing my quilt. its amazing what some rest will do for you.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

from the gym

with this leg pain and the stomp of my feet on a treadmill, i sure do feel like i have thunder thighs. :( hope to feel better when im finished in 4 more miles.


i wrote that text from the gym this afternoon. 18 minutes and only a mile and a half into my 5 mile run i had to turn it down to a walk and call jason. i hurt too much to just push through without any advice. we decided that i should try a different approach, maybe elliptical, and see if that helped, but to stop running on it.

the elliptical felt SO MUCH BETTER. i finished out a few minutes then drove to walmart and bough a new bottle of ibuprofen. i am resting, icing, compressing and elevating, and praying it feels better tomorrow.

sarah thinks ive done something to my ligaments, and that rest should help.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

last wednesday i weighed 156.4 pounds. this morning i weigh 155.2 pounds, a loss of 1.2 pounds for this week.

i am getting there.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

speed work-or- i run like a six year old

jason got home late again tonight but i felt like i needed to squeeze in a run or be overwhelmed by guilt for missing mondays 4 miles.

i left at a pace that felt a bit quick for me, but i decided to keep it up anyways. a couple times i felt my speed slipping, but picked it up again and on the downhill stretch of my mile i really had to remember to keep it up. i ran in strong to the house and checked my time: 8:54! the fastest i have ever run a mile (that i can remember tonight) is around a 10 minute mile. and definitely not under 10. i took a walk break to the quarter mile loop in our neighborhood to continue the speed work and sprint a quarter.

now, when i try to run fast, i feel ridiculous. i think i look like a 6 year old, arms bent at 45 degree angles and held tight to my chest with legs just flailing.

i did .25 mile in 1:44. excellent. i walked a little ways and ran again, this time at a slightly slower pace in an attempt to feel less dumb. (i noticed that if i run REALLY fast, my form is better and i feel less silly. or, if i run slower i feel less silly. its that in the middle fast pace that brings out the 6 year old.) i sprinted in the last straight of my .25 mile for 1:54. still a GREAT quarter time. and now i have something to check back to if i ever decide to do speed work again.

i finished up 2.5 miles total with a total time of 25:15, and i feel much better about my lack of running. i might even try to get up on time in the morning and get in some cross training.

stress

its finally happened. i am so stressed that my body is fighting back. my hair is coming out and i have acne for the first time in years. yesterday i caught myself stress eating. i did not run my 4 miles yesterday. i could have asked someone to watch my kids, but i didnt. and jason didnt get home from work until 930 last night.

i am snippy with my kids, i am not sleeping well, (last night i finally decided to take some benadryl in order to get some sleep. trouble is, i have weird dreams and a hard time waking up when i take it. but the 8 hours of sleep might still be worth it...) i am not eating well or exercising as i ought to.

in sunday school this week we watched a video from skit guys, there was a line in it about feeling as if we have let God down. the actor playing God replied "you could never let me down, because i hold you up."

Monday, July 18, 2011

9 miles

on saturday i went for a run. a thunder storm was rolling in and the kids were kind of asleep, so i left jason to watch them and left earlier than usual. i did my 2 mile loop for the first 6 miles, and i was getting tired. i decided to do the 1 mile loop in my neighborhood for the last three. at 7.25 my ipod died. i just caught a glance at the time before the battery was completely gone. with luck, i was close to home so i came in and swapped for jasons watch to finish out the run.

i had wanted to bump it an extra mile and do 10, because jason and katie both did 10 saturday, but after that break at home for a couple minutes my legs were so dead. i finished up right at 9 miles, 1:47 minutes. the longest i have ever run before.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

10k+

im off to run my two mile loop of the neighborhood three times. ill let you know how it goes!

final time 1:09 for 6.26 miles. that went really very well. my last (and only previous 10k) was almost 78 minutes. i tried out a new perspective tonight (and running clothes, my skirt and a cotton tank) and kept negative self talk out of the run. several times i had to literally shake it off, but i felt much better throughout than before.

one year

tomorrow morning, around 10, marks exactly one year since i first sat down on the couch and cried out. i sat crossed legged in tears after a hard morning with the kids and feeling so completely lost and sent an email to jason.

sarah fitch to Jason

show details 7/14/10
date Wed, Jul 14, 2010 at 9:42 AM
subject im having an emotional day today
mailed-by gmail.com

im cry-y today. i miss the girl i used to be, and im feeling a little trapped at home, and im frustrated. i know you are super busy, and i have all this extra time at home- but i cant use that time however i want because i have these two little people to schedule and tag along with me. can we sit down and figure out some time for me to have a break, even if its just three or four days a week?
i need you to encourage me, and tell me i am worth the effort because im feeling very low and discouraged. if we can make time for your work outs, and your classes, and changing your habits, then we can make time for mine too, right?
i want to be a better wife for you, and a better mom for our kids, and to do that i need to take better care of myself.
i love you, and could use a hug.
sarah

that email was the beginning of a change in my life. i set a goal to loose 65 pounds. i didnt do it by the end of the year, and i didnt do it by my birthday, and one year later im still not there- but i have made a change. today is wednesday, and this morning i weigh 156.4 pounds. no gain, no loss this week, but i have lost 57 pounds in 12 months. i am 8 pounds from my goal and as i work towards it i have changed my focus to running. its not my favorite thing, but two people who have been a great encouragement to me love it and its my turn to support them. jason and katie and i are running a half marathon august 27th in san leandro california.

so how have i changed in the last year? there are the basics, like a general knowledge of food components that i need and need in moderation, or tricks for making delicious (but high calorie low nutrition) foods into foods that are actually GOOD for me. i also dont long to be that girl anymore. ive become this girl who runs! who makes self care a priority, who CLIMBED A MOUNTAIN WITH A KID ON HER BACK!

what a year it has been. cant wait to see the changes in my life, and the lives of those around me over the next year.

Monday, July 11, 2011

5 miles at home

jason wanted to join me on my run this evening, so we took the double stroller and headed out in the heat for a 5 mile loop on the green belt.

it was HOT and miserable. it too us an hour and 6 minutes for the 5.25 miles. just under 13 minute miles. i ran like a slug and walk several times. i am a big baby in the heat. baby baby baby.

but i got the run in, and ill sleep good tonight.

i forgot to mention that i spent almost 4 hours in the heat of the afternoon weeding my garden. i didnt get it finished. i did get an incredible sun burn on my back from the low scoop neck of my tank top. that contributed greatly to the stink that was my run.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

vacation work out wrap up

i really had to guess after we got off onto the trail at the butte, but i think this is pretty close to what we ran today.

katie said it was 67 minutes. there were a few hills that were so rocky and steep we had to walk to keep our footing, and several places where we ran hills in sand. on the return trip i could see a two inch drag in my foot prints. it was hard work. im planning to take a quick picture of the trail on our way home in the morning to remember my first trail runs.

going back a bit, friday was a rest, thursday we did jillian, and wednesday we did our 45 minutes running again. i think that covers everything. this is definitely the most i have ever worked out while on vacation. :)

Friday, July 8, 2011

last night katie and i did level one of the 30 day shred again. today we "rested" by taking the kids for a walk, playing tag, simon says, and red light green light. tomorrow shes got a 6 mile run on the schedule, so thats the plan. but i gave full permission to leave me in the dust if she wants.

ill let you know how it goes.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

camping and working out

well, we arent really camping. its more of a plush condo with hotel suite sized rooms that happens to be near a camp site and fishing. but, im working out this week because i promised i would. last evening katie and i did the 30 day shred together in my room upstairs, and in a little less than an hour we are going on another run. 4 ish miles, or however far 45 minutes takes us.

i weighed myself this morning (yes, i packed the scale, and have stepped on it 3 times in the last week to help stay on track) and i weigh 156.4 pounds, for a gain of 0.2 pounds. its been a good week full of lots of different physical activities to keep me moving (a lot more walking than usual), but i havent had control over my food. we stopped to eat out on the way over friday and saturday, sunday and monday we had camp food and fast food again. im sure the different foods ate up the extra calories that i had burned. but- andie shopped for us for this week at the camp site and got some really great food. ive been eating pretty well since we got here monday night and expect a better number next week.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

family reunioning

jason and the kids and i drove to camp latgawa for his moms family reunion this weekend. we arrived saturday morning just after 2. after a couple hours of sleep we loaded the family up in grandpas truck and drove to the family mine and cabin, and hiked the mountain named for the father of the family.

and when i say hiked, i mean we scaled a mountain. i am so not kidding. there was rock climbing and everything. here we are close to the top (thanks katie) and georgie and i at the top.




katie and i took a run together last night on some pacific trails that come from our camp grounds. ive tried to map the run and this is the best ive come up with, though i am certain that i am off. when i mapped it though i did notice that the graveled trail is on gmaps, so running that one would allow me to track distance too. but the dirt trails were fun. this was my first ever trail run. we went 45 minutes and the pace felt good the whole time. i felt much better when we were finished too. katie let me jabber her ear off the whole time which definitely make time pass faster for me.

so its tuesday and we have all week to explore those trails!