Sunday, January 7, 2024

New Year New Goals

 I had an amazing first week of the year.  The consistency and morning workouts were great and made a difference in the way I felt.  I hope I can keep it up.  I hope I don't get any major colds or sicknesses this winter though I will probably get something at some point.  Here's what happened this week...

Monday (1) = Ran Intervals for a total of four miles at the track and went to Power 30 afterwards and thankfully did not have to deal with News Year Resolution people.  It wasn't very busy

Tuesday (2) = Ran 4.08 miles before work and felt good

Wednesday (3) = Went to Power 30 in the early morning

Thursday (4) = Rest Day--trying to make Thursday my rest day

Friday (5) = Swam 1,100 yards at South before work

Saturday (6) = Went to R30 at Battlecreek and did 7.3 miles

Sunday (7) = Ran 4.38 miles in Independence.  I did not feel great due to female problems but I pressed through.

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Christmas and New Years Week

 Even with it being Christmas week I am trying to keep a good routine going.  Once 2024 hits I am logging in miles and trying to slowly build...and maintain a better routine than I did this fall.

Monday (25) = Good Christmas run of 3.16 miles in the neighborhood

Tuesday (26) = Power 30 at Keizer (I was shopping on that side of town...kind of liked the vibe at this club and wish it wasn't so far)

Wednesday (27) - Power 30 at Battlecreek plus rode the stationary bike for 40 minutes and went 8.19 miles on it.

Thursday (28) - Swam 1/2 mile at South

Friday (29) - 5 mile hike at Cape Lookout.   Beautiful hike.  Srava said only 3.9 miles but something got messed up on the hike back.  I found I just need to leave Strava alone.  When I check it enroute on a hike it can get messed up.

Saturday (30) - 2 mile walk at Bob Straub State Park

Sunday (31) - Last day of the year! Rest!  Tomorrow I start the 2024 challenge!

I am not ready to go back to work but I am starting to feel more ready.

Sunday, December 24, 2023

Ending 2023

 Well it has been a good fall.  I can say that.  I love my new job.  Youth group is going great.  Our family is all thriving in their various educational opportunities and actiivites.  Exercise wise I never got a good routine down.  The first week of October I felt settled in my job which was only about two miles from my house.  I even bought a montly bus pass and really enjoyed taking the city bus to work saving money on gas.  That same week, my supervisor pulled me aside and asked me to relocate to our other job site...now 19 miles away.  My commute time quadrupled.  Settling into my classroom, office, and figuring things out took a long time. With not having a regular IA and so many subs--we're not there yet.  But it's a lot better than it was.

I was sick with a very nasty cold the first two weeks of work.  I had a two week break.  Then I caught some kind of throat thing which was a sore throat that never turned into anything else.  On Veteran's Day I got a stomach bug that started with Derek two weeks prior (thought I was off the hook but it has been two weeks...not the case) and circulated through the rest of the family.  I was sick mostly Friday and part of Saturday.  Rob and Kara had it Sunday and Monday.  While in Michigan Kara caught what she thought was a mild cold and turned into one of the worst coughs she's had since she was a baby.  The timing was awful as it was tech week for her play.  Antibiotics and a cough supressant helped.  It lasted over two weeks.  I spent a few nights on the couch because her coughing was keeping me up.

Then I caught a mild version of her cough a little over a week ago.  Spent a night on the couch but I was coughing and waking myself up.  I am still not fully over it.  I am coughing at night when laying down.  I think we have gone through at least two bottles of cough medicine.

Sickness is the one thing that throws off my routine big time.  I get over stuff very quickly.  Surprisingly I did not miss any work due to sickness.  But getting back into exercise is very very hard.  I am slowly trying to get back there.  Before my stomach bug in November I was up to 7 miles and running so comfortably.  I don't feel that right now.  Even when I did the Turkey Trot 5k with my family, I really enjoyed it.  But I felt weak and sick.  I have felt that way every single time I have run since because I am out of shape and not consistent.

So I am hoping Christmas Break will help get me moving and I can get more consistent in the new year and figure out a routine that works best for me.  Because early mornings are still really hard.  Here's my workouts this week.

Monday = Ran 2.4 miles doing intervals at the SS track and Hailey came along.  Again felt really weak and sick and not strong at all.

Tuesday - Stationary bike for 40 minutes.  I woke up in a cough medicine fog.  It was pretty bad.  I could not wake up.  I sat at the kitchen table for an hour with my coffee and had to go lie down again.  I felt so much fatigue.  It did not really go away until the afternoon.  I was able to go the gym and get a good workout out on the bike.  Afterwards when I got home, I felt fatigue again and had to lie down again for twenty minutes before Kara's program.  I think I am done with this cough though.

And I did sign up for the 2024 kilometers in 2024 so I am comitted!

Wednesday = Swam about 1,000 yards.  Really good swim.  Nice to be in the pool.

Thursday = Christmas lights run with Emily. We ran 4 miles at the Keizer lights

Friday = Hiked 14 miles!  Rob and I did a long hike at Silver Falls in the backcountry.  So fun.

Saturday = Rest. Lots of cleaning and catching up on stuff around the house.

Sunday = Rest.  Was going to run but my glands are swollen and throat hurts again.  It is the either the tail end of the cold or a new cold.  So frustrating.  I laid on the couch a good part of the afternoon.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Trying AGAIN to make a comeback

 So my plan was to start the exercising the week before I went back to work so it did not hit me so hard once the fall started.  Then on Wednesday the 23rd (Rob's birthday) I felt a sore throat coming on.  By Friday it turned into a nasty cold and I had to go into work anyway because it was my first day.  I spent most of Saturday afternoon and evening in bed or on the couch.  Honestly the cold lasted about two weeks and I still feel a dry cough at times.  Kara caught it too.  All the same symptoms.  

I am almost positive I caught it from Head Start.  My last two days on the job--this is what we're leaving you with.  And it is what they left me with because rarely anyone said good-bye.  That's OK.  My new job is so far, so good.  And I'm pretty happy.

While traveling to South Carolina on Tuesday Rob and I were talking about weight.  We both have gained weight.  His is a little more than he is comfortable with.  It is mostly attributed to cheese and desserts.  Though I think chips play a factor too.  He does walk every single day and is active so exercise is not really an issue.  My jeans are not fitting well and I think I am the same weight when I started Weight Watchers in 2010.  I have not been exercising enough...at least not consistently...since I broke my arm.  My other issue is snacks and soda.

So Rob and I are doing WW together and we started today.  I feel good that we are doing something.  We have not eaten great all summer.  It is much easier if we are both doing it.  I am not setting any lofty running goals right now.  I would like to do a long distance race again but I am thinking it won't be until the spring at the earliest.  So I have some time to start eating better and I can add more distance running as I establish that habit.


Saturday, August 19, 2023

Trying to make a comeback

 I started out the year with this ambition to run/walk/hike/bike 2023 miles and gave that up rather quickly when I realized that's A LOT of miles.  I would need to bike a couple of rides a week to achieve that goal.  I decided to train for a half marathon.  Then I decided not to.  Then I decided to simply track my mileage all year and try to hit 1,000.  Then on an afternoon when I felt fatigued and didn't have a great day, I made that day even more not-so-great by falling while running. And broke my wrist in two places.  A week later I had surgery and now have a plate and three screws in my arm.

Getting back into running has been hard.  Not physically.  I tried to stay active.  I went on a few hikes, walks, and rode the bike at the gym a handful of times.  But mentally it has been challenging.  I remember falling, how much it hurt, how it seemed to come out of nowhere, and the mental stress that followed.  I had no idea that April 25th would be my last day in the classroom of the school year. 

The day after I broke my wrist I had a job interview with another agency and got the job which I start on Friday!  What a crazy spring.  Not to mention the oldest graduating and going off to basic training. Parents aging with health issues.  We think the cat is dying and I don't know she survived this whole summer.  So much going on.

I am slowly easing back into things not making any huge goal at this time.  I am happy to be doing SOMETHING again.

I love routine and yet I hate it.  I like predictability and consistency but I hate the same thing all the time.  I get easily bored with things.  I also get distracted.  I need some consistency going into the fall because it helps me achieve goals and just generally makes life more doable.  Or maybe more tolerated?

This is what I think I want to try...

Monday:  Power 30 at BC

Tuesday:  Run

Wednesday:  Power 30 at BC & Run Intervals

Thursday:  R 30 at BC

Friday: Swim

Saturday or Sunday:  Long Run

Then I would maybe run on Mondays as well.  If Kara has theatre Monday nights I would run after work and then go to the 5:30 Power 30 class.  I think it's a good plan I'd like to try.



Sunday, April 2, 2023

March Recap

Two things I will remember about workouts in March...first of all I got sick the night of the GEMS Auction.  I could feel a sinus headache coming on.  It turned into this lingering cold which felt like COVID.  My legs hurt during the right and I felt achy for three days.  But I tested negative so maybe it was a virus.  I did not exercise for ten days straight.

Once I get back into it (and it the same week I worked overtime and put in long hours) I hit it hard and completed a lot of workouts including going to Power 30.  The weather was terrible for many of my runs--rain, very cold rain mixed with hail, and temps close to freezing.  Not normal for March and not thrilling to run in.  Also one of my swim workouts was in the South pool which apparently had a broken heater and I felt like a popsicle after the workout.  My ears stung and I never fully warmed up.  The hot tub almost too much of a temperature shock.  

April is going to be a full month.  Lots of track meets, coaching junior high track, Easter events, travel, youth group--everyday has something.  We're also getting closer to end of the year events.  Exercise helps me tremendously.  The one thing that always throws me off is getting sick.  Busy schedules usually don't.  But I am hoping I can stay consistent.

I had thought about training for a fall marathon but I don't want to make a decision on it yet.  I love running.  I like the feeling after the long runs.  I like drinking Ultima and snacking on gu gels.  I like the summer mornings.  I love running at Minto and Bush.  I also get very burned out, lose motivation, and I don't have a ton of people to run with anymore.  I want to go on some long hikes as well.  I have a few more weeks before I have to decide.

 March Stats:

Run =  52.01 miles

Swam = 1.5 miles

Stationary Bike = 17.36

Hike = 0 miles (no hiking in March sadly)

Walk = 7.56

Total Miles = 78.43

Total YTD

Run = 125.61 miles

Swam = 3 miles

Stationary Bike = 29.09 miles

Hike = 15.82 miles

Kayak = 7.62 miles

Walk = 7.56 miles

Total Miles = 188.70  miles

Saturday, March 4, 2023

February Stats

 February was a good month for me because I was way more consistent with exercise.  I did get sick early in the month a week after I came home from Florida.  I had a strange stomach bug that came out of nowhere.  I actually had not had a stomach bug since February of 2019. I always keep it consistent by getting sick in February.  The timing was horrible as it was days away from our Soup and Pie fundraiser.  I was grateful I prepped a lot ahead of time.  Rob and Matt were able to pick up the slack.

February stats 

Run = 37.31 miles

Swam = 1 mile

Stationary Bike = 11.73 miles

Hike = 4.75 miles

Total Miles = 54.79

Total YTD

Run = 73.6

Swam = 1.5 miles

Stationary Bike = 11.73

Hike = 15.82

Kayak = 7.62

Total Miles = 110.27