Category Archives: Life

Five Friday Favorites

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I absolutely love reading those posts where bloggers mention current favorite things in their lives. The posts are fun and often introduce me to something new. So I thought I would give it a try with just a handful of things I’m enjoying these days.

  1. Victoria Secret’s Love is Heavenly fragrance. I’ve never been complimented on a scent I’ve worn until I started wearing this. My husband and my son were practically taking turns sniffing me the first time I wore it!
  2. The Orchestra App which is essentially a “to do” list. I like the voice activated command feature which allows you to speak your tasks while the app automatically jots them down. You can assign tasks to different people like I do with my husband. Orchestra will email or text the person the information. With a quick touch you check off items once completed. I’m always experimenting with new ways to stay organized and this has proven to be very useful and user friendly.
  3. Vega One Nutritional Shake in Chai Vanilla flavor. I love the flavor of this, warm and spicy. It is not gritty or chalky once blended into a smoothie. The flavor is light yet adds enough sweetness that I do not add any sweetener to it. It is vegan as well as gluten, dairy and soy free. Probably the only downfall is the price. It is about $60 for a 30 oz. container. To offset the price I usually use only half a scoop. I’ve tried other protein powders and shake mixes, but this is by far my favorite.
  4. The extended service plan from Radio Shack.  My son has quite possibly gone through more headphones in his short life than I have owned in my long life. OK maybe not, but close! About 2 months ago I bought him yet a new pair of headphones from Radio Shack because we had a road trip and well, there are only so many times I can listen to the dialogue from Cars 2 shrieking in the backseat. The cashier asked if I would like to purchase the extended service plan for $1. I’m not big on warranties and things like this. They tend to be difficult to use and not worth the money, but I decided to go for it given the sheer number of headphones we’ve replaced this year alone. Lo and behold about 6 weeks after buying the headphones they broke. Now my son assures me it’s not his fault so it probably was his doing, but that doesn’t matter because we have an extended service plan. We popped back into Radio Shack, provided some information and in about a week my son had a brand new pair of headphones at no charge. OK that’s not entirely true. I paid the $1 to get a new extended service plan. Well worth it in my opinion.
  5. If you don’t follow Satu at Bodycapable.com you should head over there. She writes about her journey to live a healthy lifestyle despite the challenge of having a sedentary desk job. Her posts are often based on articles and books she has read and provide thought provoking information. Yesterday she put up a post that, I am honored to say, features my fitness story. Thanks so much Satu!

What are your favorite things?

Skin Deep: College Years

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College was a bit of a bumpy ride in the beginning. I went away to college, then transferred to another out of state college before finally settling back into my childhood home just before the beginning of second semester my freshmen year. I attended community college for the rest of freshman and sophomore years before transferring to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. I commuted throughout my junior year and then finally moved to Amherst the summer before my senior year.

Needless to say my first 3 years of college did not at all mirror the mental image I created before leaving high school. I struggled both physically and emotionally. My weight crept up higher than ever. By the time I moved to UMass I was not only obese, but I was indulging in some terrible habits. I was, at that time, a pack per day cigarette smoker. I drank coffee first thing in the morning and other times throughout the day which would be ok if it hadn’t been loaded with milk and sugar. I turned 21 the summer I moved to Amherst and subsequently enjoyed my share of Zima (anyone remember those!), wine coolers and Kamikaze shots that summer and well into the fall semester. It took me all of a few months to realize that drinking was not my thing. Instead I began drinking Diet Coke like it was going out of style.

My eating habits went from bad to worse. Once I moved from my Mom’s house to an off campus apartment in Amherst my diet consisted of things like bagels, calzones, pizza and burritos. I didn’t eat vegetables then and I was most definitely a meat eater. I also didn’t cook, so much of what I ate was from restaurants or a box, as in Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

During my winter break junior year I did a 3 week intensive Spanish class in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I quickly became friends with the two other women from UMass. Within days of knowing each other they both encouraged me to stop wearing my big baggie T-shirts. They told me that I didn’t have to hide my body. One night before going out my new friend suggested I tuck in my shirt (gasp!). Not very fashion forward but in many ways better than the shirt dress I had been wearing. It took some getting used to but it was the impetus for thinking about what I was wearing rather than simply covering myself.

The second semester of my senior year I lived in Mexico again for a study abroad experience. I had the time of my life. This time I lived in Taxco, a beautiful silver mining town located south of Mexico City in the state of Guerrero. The town was carved into the mountainside which made for lots of hills. I walked everywhere and naturally slimmed down enough to feel somewhat comfortable with my body. I was still pleasantly plump and curvaceous, but it turns out the Mexican men find that attractive. For the first time in my life I was asked to dance at the discotecas. I received harmless cat calls and one funny marriage proposal on the way to school in the morning. It didn’t go to my head if that’s what you’re thinking. I found the attention a bit comical, but it was never crude or degrading. Honestly it made me smile. I met a lovely man towards the end of my semester abroad. We dated briefly. He was kind, thoughtful and made me feel beautiful. Our time together was short but it left a lasting impression on my self-confidence.

There was one other factor in Mexico that significantly improved how I felt about myself. I became friends and later roommates with two young women from England. They were the two most confident, brazen, hilarious women I had ever met. As if that wasn’t enough they also had those great British accents! Only a Brit can tell you to F off and make it sound like they are paying you a compliment. They put up with my self-loathing for all of a minute before one of them was fashioning together an outfit to wear dancing and the other was giving me a makeover. They simply wouldn’t stand for my negativity and therefore in order to hang out with them I had to start liking myself…at least a little.

At the end of the semester I spent an extra few weeks traveling all around southern Mexico by myself. This was a very empowering journey. It was a tremendous experience. I learned a great deal, met interesting people along the way and saw some amazing places like the pyramids of Chichen Itza, the quaint colonial town of San Cristobal in Chiapas, the ancient Mayan ruins of Palenque, and the pristine beaches on the Oaxacan coast. I discovered that I was resourceful, capable and much more confident when exploring life on my own.

Family and friends couldn’t help but notice how much better I looked upon my return home. It wasn’t just that I had lost a little weight, it was that I had gained some self-confidence. I was refreshed and so enamored with my entire experience in Mexico.

I still fell prey to the vicious cycle of dieting throughout college. The negative self talk seemed to be most rampant when my friends were dating. I felt left out and lonely. These feelings were  inevitably linked to how I felt about my appearance. I set unrealistic goals on the weekend, vowing to make drastic changes just about every Monday and by Tuesday I would be back uptown chowing on a huge slice of pizza. I joined the gym, I quit the gym. I began vigorous walking and roller blading routines only to find other more important things to do with my time like hanging out at a pub with friends.

My college years were fun. I finally had friends and a social life. College life didn’t quite end upon graduation for me because I took a job on campus. My bad habits continued as did the yo-yo dieting. The little bit of self-confidence I developed remained, but I wasn’t truly happy. At a time when I should have been meeting the world head on with enthusiasm and ambition I shrunk back. I had dreams and plans, but they were buried under doubts and skepticism.

“If you really put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price.”  ~Author Unknown

Shelburne Half Training – Week 6 and 7

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My half marathon training came to a screeching halt as of last Sunday when I stopped all formal exercise due to left shin and ankle pain. I rested, I took my homeopathic remedies, I iced, I ate healthy and drank lots of water. I did not exercise at all on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday.  I really babied the left leg. By Wednesday I was ready for something but not running. The pain had diminished to a vague awareness that something had been sore. While Carlos was in school I went to the gym and did some upper body strength exercises as well as 20 minutes on the Arc Trainer which placed no impact on my legs. The weather was sunny and cool. I was itching to get outside so I left the gym and headed to the college for a walk around the pond. I ended up walking a very leisurely two miles while reading blogs on my phone and soaking up the sunshine. In my calendar I jotted down that I felt no pain just an awareness of sensation on the inner aspect of my left ankle. The shin actually felt fine, but I still returned home and iced my lower leg and ankle immediately.

Not wanting to push it I took Thursday off completely from exercise. By Friday I was pain free, no twinges of pain or sensations so I decided to run. I didn’t wear my Garmin. I just took off at a slow pace and I ran one full loop around the reservoir. I told myself before I set out that if I felt any discomfort or the slightest hint of pain I would stop running. It was ridiculously windy at the reservoir, but that didn’t stop me. I ran at a very comfortable pace. I was really just happy to be back out there. I walked at times because of the wind pushing at me. There seemed to be no escaping it. I felt like I was in a gigantic bowl and never once had the wind at my back.

This photo doesn't really show how windy it is, but the waves were kicking up with the wind.

After the run I went home and iced. I felt fine throughout the day and into the night at work. However, I decided to take it easy over the weekend and just do strength training and the Arc Trainer at the gym. I’ve discovered the medicine ball recently. Thanks to my Nike Training app and a Tone It Up workout posted by Errign the other day. I know it’s no big discovery but it’s new to me and I like the variation of exercises. Both Saturday and Sunday mornings were spent at the gym doing whatever I wanted except for running. I had no plan, just kind of winged it. It was a welcome change for me.

The weekend was busy but very enjoyable. On Saturday morning Orlando, Carlos and I were on clean up duty at the park where Carlos plays soccer. We raked and packed bags full of leaves and other debris still left over from the crazy fall weather last year. We returned to the field later in the day for Carlos’ soccer game. He scored his first goal and his team won!!! It was so exciting especially considering his team did not win one game last season. Carlos has been on cloud nine since, but not so much about scoring the goal. He is just really loving soccer this season. His new coach is fantastic. Many of the kids are the same and all the parents are super nice so it’s a good time at practice and the games.

My little soccer player

On Sunday Carlos and I played outside all morning into early afternoon. We played catch, cars, lounged on the grass and chit chatted. Later in the day Orlando and I walked along a local rail trail while Carlos rode his scooter. Despite the chill in the air we hit a nearby farm for local homemade ice cream on the way home. I had the honey ice cream. It was delicious. I’ve learned to order a kids size cone so I can enjoy myself without going overboard, plus I try to keep dairy to the bare minimum if possible. We were all exhausted that evening. Everyone chuckles when I tell them that my child goes to bed around 6:45-7pm most nights. It’s true but he’s also usually ready for bed by then. He sleeps really well because he is so active all day.

My precious boy...peeking in on him sleeping never gets old.

Since my longest long run throughout this training was 11 miles I woke up Monday itching to get a longish run in. I had absolutely no intentions of running a double digit run so I settled on about 7.5 miles, half of the half. Again I didn’t bring my Garmin, I just ran at a comfortable pace. I felt great throughout the run and after. I iced and took some Ibuprofen to ward off any exercise induced swelling. Perhaps it did its job or maybe I’m healed. Whatever the case I plan to take it easy the rest of the week. Today I did some strength training at the gym. Tomorrow I will do something, not sure what yet, maybe a walk while Carlos is at school or possibly a light short run. Thursday will be a rest day and Friday a walk.

I think it’s important to have goals and to strive to improve in everything you do, but not at the risk of injuring yourself permanently. I’m not an elite athlete, hell I’m not even an athlete. I cannot afford to hurt myself and risk being unable to work or care for my son. I hope to continue running comfortably for a very long time. I will always set goals and try to get better, but I assure you I will only push so far. If running has taught me anything it has taught me to listen very carefully to what my body is telling me.

Saturday morning is the half marathon in Shelburne, VT. I will be running this one for fun and with complete gratitude to my body for healing itself once again.

Shelburne Half Training – Week 5

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You might notice in my workout chart that as the week goes on the running comes to a complete stop. I’m officially side lined at the moment with left leg shin pain. The issue was brought on by ice skating not running. My shins were always a little sore after ice skating, but never as badly as when I started taking ice skating lessons. I’m not going to diagnose myself and declare I have shin splints because I really don’t know. I could walk with little pain and I could even run, but the pain after running scared me enough to finally cool it. I thought the elliptical was a reasonable solution, but then the discomfort began to bother me when I wasn’t working out. So I’m currently taking a break from everything.

Date

Scheduled Workout

Actual Workout
Sunday, 4/15/12 3m with speed intervals, 15 minutes on elliptical
  • .50 warmup at 5mph
  • 6×400(7.0, 7.0, 7.1, 7.1, 7.2, 7.2)
  • Total miles = 4.10 includes warmup and 2min cool down in 45 minutes
  • Elliptical for 15 minutes – 2.10 miles
  • Some strength training
Monday, 4/16/12 5 mile pace run No workout. Went to Boston to cheer on the marathoners.
Tuesday,  4/17/12 60 minute tempo run 60 minute tempo run. 6 miles was done in about 1:01:30. I continued on and ran a total of 8 miles.
Wednesday, 4/18/12 Speed Training – 11 x 400 meters
  • 11×400 mostly at 7.0 but with some 8.0 and 7.5 thrown in on the last 3.
  • Total miles 5.10 in 54 minutes
Thursday, 4/19/12 Plyometrics Rest Day
Friday, 4/20/12 3m + strength
  • 6.55 miles on elliptical in 45 minutes
  • upper body strength exercises
  • 1.5 hours hike with Carlos
Saturday, 4/21/12 12 mile run
  • 8.70 miles on the elliptical in 1:05
  • 3.30 miles on recumbent bike in 22 min.
  • Total = 12 miles

I’m trying to look at the bright side of things. I have 11 days until the half marathon in Vermont. I feel a marked decrease in discomfort today. I am listening to my body and hopefully doing the right things to ensure a speedy recovery.

I have stopped ice skating. I was disappointed to have to cut the lessons short, but I am 100% certain that it is what initiated the problem. I hope to return to the lessons next year because I really enjoyed them and learned a lot in just a few lessons.

As with my rib injury last fall I have reached out to my local herbalist. I’m taking a Complete Tissue & Bone supplement and a calcium supplement. I’m also drinking a mineral tea 2-3 times a day. I haven’t exercised since Saturday. Today is the first day I’ve felt a real improvement. I have had almost no pain. However, I am really feeling a strange apprehension toward running. I miss it a lot. I am anxious to start running again, but there is a whisper of a voice inside of me telling me to wait a few more days. So I’m going to listen to my body.

I plan to go to the gym in the morning while Carlos is at school. There are plenty of other activities I can do without aggravating my shin. Whenever I take time off from planned exercise it is difficult to get back into it. Losing momentum seems to make me lose motivation. I think just being back at the gym tomorrow will help my mood.

If the pain was increasing with the addition of my home remedies then I would make an appointment to see my doctor and have the leg X-rayed. My goal is to be active in the most healthy way possible. I do not intend on doing anything that will cause ongoing injury or additional injuries. I welcome any comments on shin injuries, shin pain or helpful treatments.

*I am not a doctor. I am writing about my personal experience. If you are experiencing pain, running related or other, you should seek medical attention.

Friend Makin’ Mondays: Q & A

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If you have taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s questions on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: http://www.alltheweigh.com so others can see your FMM questions and answers. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers by posting your own FMM post and commenting on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: Q & A

1. Share one thing that has changed about you since you began blogging.  I’ve discovered a genuine network of support and encouragement which has motivated me to continue setting fitness goals and keep trying to accomplish my weight loss goals.

2. If you were forced to give up chocolate or potato chips for an entire year which one would you choose to live without? I don’t eat potato chips so that would be the easier of the two to give up, but realistically I should give up chocolate. I really love chocolate.

3. What’s more attractive?  A man in a suit, or a man in uniform?  I love a man in uniform! However, my husband does clean up quite nicely when he has to wear a suit.

4. If you could be a guest star on a reality show which one would it be? The Amazing Race. My husband and I would make a great team plus we have a cool story of how we met and we tend to disagree about things like directions and instructions which would lend just the right amount of bickering to the show.

5. What is the last meal that you prepared for yourself?  Rice and beans Mozambican style.

6. Is your hair colored, or is it natural?  I started going gray at age 25 so my hair is colored as closely to my natural color as possible.

7. If you could leave town today and go anywhere, where would you go? Anywhere would be fine! I always love visiting Mozambique. Life is slower there. I can actually shut myself off to technology and relax.

8. Do you prefer to exercise at the gym, at home or outside? I prefer to run outside, do strength training at the gym and the occasional work out DVD at home. If I could only do one it would be outside.

9. Have you ever asked someone out on a date?  No, but my husband would disagree and say I pursued him. He lies!

10. How many cups of coffee do you drink on an average day? I only drink coffee at work and usually I drink 2 small cups per shift.

11. Do you pack lightly, or do you over pack?  Well b.c. (before Carlos) I packed lightly. When my husband and I go away just the two of us we strive to bring only one carry on each and are usually successful. This is very rare though. Generally we are traveling with Carlos and packing lightly is nearly impossible. First it was diapers, wipes and formula and now it’s electronics, gigantic stuffed bunny and a million changes of clothing because boys get dirty very quickly! I keep trying to pare it down though.

12. What color are your nails now?  Clear polish in need of a manicure. Light pink on toes in desperate need of a pedicure.

13. If you could have lunch with one notable (living) person who inspires you who would it be?  This is the most difficult question for me. I am inspired by so many amazing people. I am particularly inspired by young people who are motivating change in their communities and beyond. I would have lunch with any one of the kids mentioned on the Kids Are Heroes website including its organizer 13 year old MaryMargaret who launched the website in 2008 with the help of her Dad, Gabe.

14. Who is your favorite professional athlete? Papi David Ortiz! Go Red Sox!!

15. Gum or mints?  Mints. I really hate hearing people chew loudly so I try not to offend. If offered I will take a piece of gum because I worry the person is trying to tell me something. Gum on a plane is a must also.

16. Have you ever eaten crawfish? Yes in Mozambique they have giant crawfish (though I called them crayfish and after a few google searches learned they are essentially the same thing).

17. List one or more human characteristics that are a complete turn-off.  Just one?! Laziness is at the top of my list. Move it!

18.  What is your favorite season? I adore fall. I love the smells, the colors and the cool crisp air.

19. Do you prefer to shake hands or hug?  I’m very affectionate with my husband and son, but outside of family I prefer to shake hands.

20. Can you quote lines from Saved by the Bell from memory?  If so, what’s your favorite?  No I never  remember lines from anything. I admit that I did watch the show.

Sunny Saturday

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It’s gorgeous out today. I am sitting on my back deck catching up with blogs, email, etc. The sun feels fantastic.

About a week ago I wrote about a few things that were on my mind. I was really pleased to receive such honest comments on the post. I thought I would revisit the topics as to where things stand today.

  • Easter was full of candy as I expected. My mother actually fit entire Cadbury eggs into those little plastic eggs she used for the Easter egg hunt! There were also Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs and M&Ms. Seriously! I wanted to scream. Why can’t she at least put junk I dislike in the plastic eggs like Starburst and Skittles. I managed to unload the Cadbury eggs on another guest. The rest came home with us and went directly into the candy bowl high atop the pantry shelves so Carlos couldn’t get into it. It should have been put in a locked safe that only my husband could open.
  • Sugar – my food demons and I met head on this week. The demons won! I caved amidst a big bowl of acquired Easter candy, bake sale cookies I just had to sample before sending them off and PMS to boot. Yikes a recipe for disaster. I felt so weak and powerless. It was as if one bite led to more intense cravings and so on. I felt guilty and guiltier with each bite, yet I didn’t stop when I should have. It’s officially over now though. I haven’t quite hashed out all my feelings about the episode, but I know for a fact in years past I would have thrown in the towel completely. All bets would have been off and before I knew it I’d be praying that I didn’t get rid of my jeans in the next size up. Not this time. My pants still fit fine actually. In exchange for the sugar I’ve turned to fresh fruit and vegetables while my body recovers. I hope between now and the next time I will have found better coping mechanisms when confronted with an excess of the sweet stuff.
  • Grad School – my meeting with the Assistant Director of Graduate Studies went extremely well. I let her know up front of my intention to start the program next year and she was very supportive of my decision. She outlined the program for me. We discussed my goals and future plans. She also mentioned the possibility of incorporating one of our vacations to Mozambique into a potential practicum experience for me. There is the potential for tuition reimbursement if I decide to run clinical groups for their undergraduate nursing program. I left feeling rejuvenated and enthusiastic about continuing my education and much more sure of my decision to postpone my plans for a year.

In other news I had the most incredible run yesterday even though it wasn’t quite as long as I planned. I will discuss it more in my training post.

On Monday I am heading to Boston to watch the Boston Marathon will my best college friend. We haven’t seen each other in ages. I’m so excited about spending some time with her while cheering on all of the amazing runners. Carlos will be going to the Red Sox game with my sister while I’m at the marathon. Lucky duck!! I’m a teensy bit jealous that my 5  year old with experience Fenway before I do. I will finally see the famed Green Monster in person when my husband and I go to Fenway for a game on his birthday later in the summer. I have seen the Red Sox play only once before and it was at Yankee Stadium. I do not recommend this if you are a Red Sox fan. It was brutal.

On Thursday we went hiking at a new location not far from home. The Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary is part of the Mass Audobon Society. It was so tranquil and beautiful. The park offers 5 miles of hiking trails, mostly flat and along the Connecticut River. They were running a special deal on Mass Audubon Memberships so I joined. I’m looking forward to exploring the area more and also visiting other Mass Audubon locations across the state. They even have these really cool “Nature Quests” you can print out from the website and follow along to find a hidden treasure. Carlos is going to love that! (OK who am I kidding I’m super psyched about the Nature Quests too. I’m also dying to go Geocaching!! When did I become such an outdoorsy girl?!)

Have a wonderful weekend!!

On My Mind

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My mind is full of random thoughts today. Here’s what’s swirling around in my head right now.

  • Last weekend’s 60 minutes report on Sugar. I had previously read the article “Is Sugar Toxic” in the NY Times by Dr. Robert Lustig who is featured in the interview on 60 minutes. Sugar and it’s effects on the body has weighed heavily on my mind for some time. I have toyed with giving it up, but find it very difficult to make such a drastic change. Sugar is everywhere. It’s very challenging to stay away from it.
  • Easter is not about the bunny! I saw this on Facebook and it’s so true. But try telling my mother that. She believes that I am trying to suck the life out of holidays because I shun the excessive gift giving that has become the norm in my family. My child still has Christmas gifts in the basement because it was simply too much. I am also trying to discourage the candy aspect of Easter and of course this makes me the Grinch who stole Easter.
  • Graduate school…I have a meeting next week to discuss a new Master’s in Nursing program at a local college. The program starts in July and runs for two years. It is every Tuesday night. Carlos starts full day kindergarten in September. This will be the first time in 5 years that I will have some “free” time. I have enjoyed every single precious moment I have had with my son, but the truth is that we are both ready for him to be in school. I am not sure that adding another responsibility so soon is a good idea. I’m leaning towards waiting a year and beginning in July 2013.

What’s on your mind?

April First

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I stink at April Fool’s Day jokes and normally I spend the day praying I am not a victim of someone’s clever prank. Some people are so good at that kind of stuff. This was the first year that Carlos really understood the meaning of the day so it was full of 5 year old type April Fool’s jokes. Here’s one I’ve been hearing all week:

Carlos: “Mom why do you have a spider on your head?”

Me: Ahhhhhhhhh get it out, get it out!!

Carlos: “April Fool’s”

Me: Haha you got me!

We put our heads together and tried to come up with a lively prank to play on my husband. This is all we came up with. We are pitiful, but determined to get better by next year.

I called my husband last night from work and told him that I wanted to register for the Philadelphia Marathon as soon as registration opened at midnight. I also asked him for the credit card information. Half asleep he gave me his blessing. After work I went to the gym and then finally home where I found Carlos downstairs alone. I reminded him of our plan and we gave each other a high five. Orlando came down a few minutes later with some laundry to bring to the basement. When he returned to the kitchen I excitedly reminded him that I registered for the Philly Marathon. He gave me a hug and said congratulations. I replied, “Congratulations to you too!” He was instantly confused so I explained, “I registered both of us so we can run it together.”

My husband backed up and started to question me, what?, why?, how? Then came the uncomfortable excuses, “I can’t run a marathon,” “I don’t like running that long,” “I only want to do 5K races.” I started encouraging him with comments like “It will be great. We can cross the finish line holding hands,” “You can totally do it. Look at your muscles.” Meanwhile Carlos was cheering for his Daddy “you can do it Dad” over and over. 

I was seriously ready to burst into laughter the more concerned my husband got. He was pacing around the living room and got more frustrated when I told him how much the registration cost for both of us. “I just don’t understand. I never said I wanted to run a marathon. I’ll run 5 miles, but not the whole thing. Can’t we get a refund?” Finally I lost it and blurted out April Fool’s!!! Carlos tried to keep it going, but the jig was up. Orlando looked so relieved once I told him it was all a joke and of course started nervously laughing hoping we were really kidding.

We were definitely kidding, but only about his participation in the marathon. The other part about me running it, well that was the truth!

Registration Confirmation for:

Dear Aimee,

Congratulations! You are now registered for Philadelphia Marathon Weekend. Please check the event’s official website for updates: http://www.philadelphiamarathon.com/ 

 

MARATHON REGISTRATION

CONFIRMATION!

 
I have had the registration date on my calendar since I returned home from Disney. I wasn’t sure how difficult it would be to register for this particular marathon so I decided not to mention my intention until it was official. On November 18 I will participate in the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon. This will likely round out my race schedule for the year. 2012 started out with a marathon, my very first, and will end with another marathon like bookends holding between them the contents of what so far promises to be a very active, challenging and fun year. While I may not cross the finish line holding anybody’s hand, my son and my husband will be there to cheer me on as always!

 

Shelburne Half Training – Week One

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I am currently training for the Shelburne, VT half marathon on May 5, 2012. My husband and I love Vermont so any excuse to visit is perfectly fine with us. Even though the race is early on Saturday we are taking advantage of the opportunity to make it a full weekend getaway. The main reason I chose this half is because one of my dearest friends lives nearby and there is a very good chance that we will get together so I can finally meet her beautiful baby boy. He was born in February and I am dying to squeeze his adorable little cheeks in person.

Here is week one in half marathon training.

Date

Scheduled Workout

Actual Workout
Sunday, 3/18/12

 

 Ice Skating No Workout
Monday, 3/19/12

 

 5 Mile Run 5 Mile Run
Tuesday,  3/20/12

 

 Rest Day Rest Day
Wednesday, 3/21/12 Speed Training – 7 x 400 meters 7.0mph to 7.6mph each x 400 metersTotal miles run = 5.7

P90X Plyometrics DVD

 
Thursday, 3/22/12

 

 4 Mile Pace Run No Workout
Friday, 3/23/12 3 Mile Run 7 miles in 1:07:56
(I combined Thursday and Friday’s mileage.)

 
Saturday, 3/24/12 8 Mile Run

 

 8 Miles

Sunday was the day after the St. Patrick’s Day Road Race which meant it was also the St. Patrick’s Day parade. We arrived at the parade at 11am. It was a nice day for the parade, but after watching float after float go by we finally left at 3 and the parade seemed to have no end in sight. I was supposed to go to ice skating at 4pm, but by the time we got home I decided to skip my lesson in favor of grocery shopping and dinner with my guys.

My runs this week were awesome. The weather was incredible and I felt speedy all week. Wednesdays have become my speed training days. I always hate the thought of doing speed intervals but once I’m done I feel great. I do these workouts on the treadmill at the gym. The goal is to run a certain number of intervals for 400 meters or .25 miles. I set the treadmill time at 60 minutes. I generally do about a half mile warm up before beginning my speed intervals. This week my first interval was at 7.0 mph for 400 meters. When I reach the distance I slow down to a fast walk to recover and have a few sips of water. I then return to a jog for about 45 seconds before beginning my next speed interval. This week I increased my speed by .1 each time so my second interval was 7.1, my third was 7.2 and so on until I reached 7.6mph on my last interval. After completing all 7 intervals I run at a normal speed until my time is done. This week I threw in some short bursts of speed at 8mph for 20-30 seconds during my last mile or so.

My 7 mile run on Friday rocked my socks off. I flew around the reservoir like there was a wind pushing me from behind. I loved it. I definitely wasn’t expecting to have a great run on this day. I didn’t get to bed until almost 3am and was up by 6. Why you ask? Well I was at the midnight showing of the Hunger Games! It was a fun night with friends, not something I would normally do. I enjoyed the book and really liked the movie.

On Saturday I decided to do something I rarely do, I lounged in bed. By the time I got out of bed it was time to make the little guy breakfast and get him ready for his ice skating lesson. I missed the window of opportunity to get my run done early. As the day wore on I toyed with skipping the run. Oh the mental conversation I had with myself. We got home late in the afternoon and I ignored my own thoughts, got my Garmin, headphones and ran out the door. Eight miles later I returned to the house feeling really great that I completed my run.

I have come to the conclusion that I thrive on a training schedule. I love having my calendar full of planned runs and workouts. It doesn’t stress me out to have to move things around or alter the schedule here and there. It does stress me out to have no schedule or plan. Since my first half marathon in October 2010 I have been consistently training for a race. Training for races keeps me focused and provides the structure I need to stick with a regular fitness routine.

FMM: Current Favorites

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Happy Monday! If you have taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s questions on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: http://www.alltheweigh.com so others can see your FMM questions and answers. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers by posting your own FMM post and commenting on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: Current Favorites

Song – I am diggin’ anything with Pitbull or Flo rida.

Drink – I’m a water girl. I’ve been throwing a fruit flavored tea bag or two into my water bottle at work for a little taste.

Physical feature that you find attractive – My husband’s super sexy muscular arms (I say blushing!). He doesn’t even lift weights though he is a mason and his job requires some serious upper body strength.

TV Show(s) – I’ve been catching up on How I Met Your Mother on Netflix. I love it. It’s cute, witty and I really hope at some point we meet the mother if we haven’t already.

Actor/Actress – I don’t really have a favorite actor. However, I have to say Jennifer Lawrence who played the main character, Katniss, in the Hunger Games was terrific and strikingly beautiful despite being cut, dirty and battered in many scenes in the movie.

Book – I’m reading Sarah’s Key right now and I wish I could devote the rest of the day to finishing it. It’s terrific.

Form of communication – I prefer communicating through letters. Something to be said for good old fashioned pen and paper. I have a severe slight sarcastic edge that is often misunderstood. I have a bad habit of saying things sort of off the cuff and inadvertently pissing people off  though I’ve gotten much better at controlling this. Even worse than my sarcasm is the fact that my every emotion shows on my face. This is a tough one to change, but I continue to practice my poker face. While I don’t actually communicate by writing letters I think if I could I would be much more effective at sharing my point of view and my feelings.

Exercise – I still love running and coming in at a close second is ice skating. I had lesson #2 last night.

Food – I have been on a serious mushroom kick lately; sautéed with a smidge of Earth Balance and some spinach.

Quote – “If we have intelligence, imagination and the ability to dream, things can happen.” Graça Machel (current wife of Nelson Mandela and the widow of the first Mozambican president Samora Machel)

Now it’s your turn to answer the questions. I hope you are having a wonderful Monday. I plan to return tomorrow with a recap of my first week of half marathon training.