Running Wid Scissors

I have been battling with trying to resume my run activity for about a week. My homegirl in Michigan recently heard she had high cholesterol and immediately (same day as doc appointment) went to get a gym membership and the next day ran/walked a couple miles AND has already registered for her first 5K at the end of May! How AWESOME is that?! :) I mean, some people just get it started right off bat... no hesitation. And I love that. However, since I don't have THAT kinda luxury (I mean who will watch The Sun?!) I have to plan out how things are going to happen to a fine print so that there's a less chance of it falling through (i.e., failing) on me.

So wid that in mind, I am in the process of finding a running stroller so I no longer have an excuse as to why I can't go running. The gym membership is a dead issue to me since it's trying to get nice outside. Since I am a toddler's mother, I can find excuse after excuse as to why I can't do something... but not anymore. Yesterday, I had to get out of the house while contractors were working on the porch... (well not HAD to, but they were loud) so I did all my errands on foot. I already have a stroller, but it's not for running. The running strollers are made wid a special three-wheel set up for easy pivoting, built for speed etc. Some can get very, very expensive because they're trying to be lighter, have better tires, hold big ass children (up to 150 lbs) etc. Yesterday and today are the "research" day where I looked into the top recommended brands and how much they run. I will use a couple days trying to see what I can do/find on eBay as Craigslist in my area left one lonely stroller and it was listed for $200! Get back, jack! That's slightly above my budget. If I could find a gently used one for $100 or less, I'd be happy. I can upgrade later yanno? All else fails, I'll spend $150 or so at Target and call it a day.

My background while not very intensive says that I CAN run, I've just chosen not to. I've done slightly-competitive 5K WALKS and have started Couch Potato to 5K more times than I can remember... but now that I am back active, for the first time I don't feel like I am forcing myself to get involved. I was a runner in high school... so I know I got it in me. Plus there's nothing like a runner's body... *wolf whistle*

So here's the plan:
1. Subscribe to Runner's World Magazine. I received a subscription special in error in the mail and took that as my first sign that maybe I should stop thinking about it and DO it. (I've been considering running again off and on for years). *writes check, seals envelope*
2. Find a stroller. Any leads, recos highly encouraged.
3. Go find a nice, comfortable shoe made for my weird feet. I ain't gwan spend more than $120... so don't even try to make me. The trial issue of the magazine they sent to encourage me to get started said you can go out (to start) wid the shoes you already own so long as they are comfy, but my current trainers have quite a few miles on them (they're two years old) and I have shin splints from my track days, so I would rather just get a new shoe off bat. But will start in them if everything else falls in line.
4. Start fixing my diet. As a runner, you kinda HAVE to get your diet in better check because the food fuel literally gets you through the run. So there's an idea. I hope to be hitting the old dusty trail wid in a week or two (depending on shipping). Till then I am scheduled to do 4-mile walks twice a week and my strength program I've been up to.

Wish me luck in finding a good, sturdy running stroller, for an affordable price. That's truly the most important component... if I had that I could at least get started and the rest will come. Early morning run, strapping him in and getting to it. Don't talk about it, be about it... get runnin and put the scissors down.

Breast Milk!

I need to replenish.

With all the workouts, my boobature is finally shrinking, returning to my C cup and I am so sad about it. I thought I might luck up and get to keep 'em since I haven't breastfed in six months, but one month of determined workouts have completely shut down that plan.

Quick, somebody give me a baby to feed!!

Hungry, Hungry Hippo Slimmo!

Sooo, there's defo an increase in appetite when doing so much strength training. I am learning the hard way, but trying my very best to make the most healthy choices. I think I may start counting points again... I figure something is better than nothing since I clearly have some sort of issue wid tracking calories. Plus, I have all these fancy schmancy unused, but paid for, Weight Watchers journals... at least then I am still tracking what goes in. I am still undecided. But I am wondering if I can perfect that atleast, it might get me geared into tracking calories? *shrugs* Iono... I do know Wednesday workout is done and while I can feel my muscles working, I'm not in excessive pain which is good. That always happens once you get into a groove... I smile at the fact that I am in a groove. Yay.

In other news, here are some favorites I ran across since starting my workouts ... in the healthy eating quickies... take a looksee...


Smart Ones Santa Fe Rice and Beans served with a huge salad wid Balsamic Vinaigrette and a sprinkle of feta? *drool*




(I drink the protein shake as my breakfast drink, after my morning workout.)

So far I've only tried French Vanilla (left in my fridge by accident of my weekend guest) and I really like it. I will try the other flavors. 10g of protein! 5g of fat and only 180 calories... and extremely tasty.

One Easter Sunday...

So, I had company in over the weekend and didn't drift far away from the plan. (That's the plus.) The negative is, I missed my Sunday morning workout but positively because I went to a place of worship in honor of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, I woke up this morning and did my Sunday workout and WILL do my Monday workout later today to make up for missing. I said I was going to get all workouts in this week and I meant it. Since I couldn't get cheap heavier weights so soon, I had a lightbulb moment: I used my wrist/ankle weights. I have four 2.5# weights and two 5# straps so I incorporated those this morning to lift 10# and 13# respectively and didn't curse but only on one exercise... fyi, the Bowler's Lunge wid Single Arm Row is the devil!

I've added a couple photos of my new "workout closet." I converted the closet in my study to a little classy storage area of my workout materials and I think it's awesomely great. I find it the best way to keep everything I need in one place so that I don't ever misplace any workout equipment from my body fat monitor to my stopwatch and, most recently, even my scale. Which I am buying new batteries for today. Usually I just weigh in on the Wii, but I find that the scale is a little more accurate... heh, irony.

You will learn I hate the scale. Because of this I will only weigh myself when I measure, which is instructed to do after every 30 days (of which the first 30 officially began today).

I will also be adding photos of the healthy recipes I make so you can see and know what I am eating. Contrary to a very popular belief we cannot just eat whatever we want and workout hard and expect to see the drastic changes in our body that we seek. Which is why under every before and after picture on those commercials you see "results not typical. One thing those people have is usually a personal trainer that sits with them through every workout to make sure they don't cheat on the workouts, are eating what they're supposed to as prescribed by usually a nutritionist who has figured out the exact amount of calories they need or a prepared food service that sends you the exact meals you're to eat for the week. Lucky devils!

Many of us are not as fortunate or just don't have the deep pockets for that kind of luxury so we have to be our own personal trainer and make sure we don't cheat ourselves and fill our bodies with fuel food that feeds and helps us from the inside out. I think of that phrase: I don't live to eat, I eat to live! And the truth of the matter is, what we choose to intake today can affect our health tomorrow. So we have to be cognisant of what goes in. What are the goals I am trying to accomplish by eating / drinking this? Will it help me toward my main goal. I admit, I was not always following this. But it felt SO good this weekend to know I could make better decisions about my food (didn't eat fast food ONCE... I cooked and ate home cooked meals) I had just a few drinks and no had liquor (only wine and ONE beer). It is those baby steps that are going to cement my hard work... and eventually I will have no alcoholic beverage but every blue moon vs. "on the weekends" and then I'll really be something.
I plan to arise out of this a lean, mean, toned machine. Jah willing, I will not fail and I will not be back in this predicament ever again. Nothing outside of something out of my control will return me to my overweight status. And that's what we all have to say.

We control this!

We are in charge of our weight. WE are in charge or our body.

LET'S GET HEALTHIER... for our children, for our families, for our mind, body, soul... for you.

Workout 2 (and 3) on deck. Burn Intervals and Ab Burner later today... (approximately another 40 minutes of activity). Don't forget to eat well, be well, and take your multivitamin! :)

The Catch-Up: Full Speed Ahead...

Preface: I apologize for having such terrible response time to posting your comments to the blog... I have recently updated the email address so they come to a more often checked account. I hope I haven't lost you... thanks for continuing to read my stuff! I hope you're able to take something away with you...

Good Morning!

I am up and at you before 8 a.m. today... I've already gotten my workout out of the way, sippin on a banana-strawberry protein shake and about to start cleaning in preparation for my homegirl coming in from out of town for the weekend to see me (well, she's really coming to see my sun... but whatevs lol).

Anywho, I realized I had been grossly neglecting this blog and with the decision to finally stop TALKIN about it and BEING about it, I finally got off my arse and moved full speed ahead. I realize I may have (eventually) two different groups of people who like and enjoy my reads on different levels... in laments terms, people who read this blog could care less about what I am feeling or going through that day, what kinda mood I am in, but they DO wanna know what I am lifting and what I am listening to when I workout, etc. And that is perfectly fine and normal.

I have taken the liberty to add some of the posts from my Master Cleanse last month (even days) in succession and with edited dates to show you some of the ups and downs I went through during my 10-day detox. It was liberating to say the very, absolute least. I also posted something old(er) about meditation. In conjunction with my workout I am doing Yoga pose stretching and meditating, daily. Directly after that I ordered ChaLEAN Extreme with Chalene Johnson and started breaking into that and posted a couple reads pertaining to my workout... I have copy and pasted some excerpts from the past few weeks here for backdrop.

March 25...
...my schedule will be Fri-workout; Sat-rest; Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed.-workout; Thurs-rest. This will also work in conjunction for when I do walks wid the Healthy Hikers group. Most walks will be on Thurs or Saturday... the first walks don't really gear up till the 23rd so hopefully by then my body will be conditioned a lil more to the workouts and walking won't be too much of a strain.

I really love Chalene, her teaching style reminds me of my own, very bubbly and funny but takes no sh*t. hahahaha

April 6...
I did the entire workout this morning after missing my workout yesterday... next week and weeks after, I commit to getting them all in....

....I am admittedly out of shape, I did the first 25 minutes to my highest energy level making low-impact modifications where necessary and then took a short 2-3 minute break while drinking lots of water and then finished the last 20 minutes with the same intensity.

April 8, 2009...
I need some frickin product that's gonna keep my locs maintained a lil longer. All this sweating has my babies already puffy again when I retwisted like a week ago. I don't want build up in em though, so not sure what plan of action to take. I'ma hafta figure it out tho, cause I went from working out none to five times a week and my locs are like, "Naw, naw, naw HELL naw! We ain't on that!"

I was thinking about giving my facial moisturizer (aloe vera gel) a try for my retwists.

Thought? Suggestions?

So now that brings us back to about present day. So Friday (today) is actually the first day of my workout week (see prior 3/25/09 excerpt to understand if confusing) and I am happy to say that I feel much stronger than the first time I did this exercise a week ago!

With the program in general, I see I am actually going to have to up my weights for some of these exercises (currently using 5#, 8# and 10#) because I am much, much stronger than I thought in certain areas (yay!) but that means, more pain. But no pain, no gain right?

And what am I gaining? Muscle! Yah!!

I almost feel like I cheated myself today because I don't feel exerted like I have been. So hopefully I can find some cheap heavier weights before Sunday... Saturday is my second rest day... then big bursts of energy Sunday THRU Wednesday... this will be interesting. But I am hecka excited to see my progress.

I looked into the Bowflex jawns, but um, a sista ain't got that kinda dinero to be shelling out. Though it is a write-off come tax time... hmmm, perhaps soon. I did look into some cheaper alternatives... but they are pricey also. So for now, I will try to spend a good $40-60 on a 15# and 20#... that should keep me steady for the first 30 days then it'll be time to re-evaluate.

In the interest of fairness to ME. This is technically my first week that I am counting toward my first 30 days of my transformation (really a reformation to get back to my previous fitness status) since it will be the actual first week where I commit to all the exercises in succession. NO extra breaks or REST days besides the one afforded me in the workout plan. "Is ya wid me? Ohhh yeahhh."

I must say it feels good to be writing over here. K... time for scrambled egg whites.

Make today a great one!

By no means are my links to encourage and/or solicit that you buy the products I am using but to merely provide more info direct from the source so you can see, visualize and better understand what I am using / doing / following.

I Meditate, Therefore I.. am.

I love meditation. It is my time for a release, a relaxation, a prayer, a moment to regain clarity. It's a lot deeper than people give it credit. It's not a weird cult-like activity either. For me, it's no different than people who have alters in their home and pray to their God of choice. Use the chart (click on it to enlarge) below for a very brief visual of the act of meditation.

Give it a whirl sometime?