One Step at a Time

Off to the college today for a lab day for my students taking the course I teach by a correspondence program. Packing my shoes and looking forward to a nice river valley run/walk after the day is done.

Went to the gym last night with a friend, and it was PACKED with high school students on spring break. I felt soooo old! I think it’s great that all of these people were out moving their bodies instead of standing outside of 7-11 trying to look good … I just couldn’t believe the numbers! They even had the music catered to this age group, and my friend and I felt exceptionally old while we tried to play “name that tune” and failed miserably. I don’t think we stretched very well last night though, because I’m feeling it in my shoulders and hamstrings this morning. I’ve said it before, I’m not a very conscientious stretcher unless someone is leading me, ie. in a class. I need to get better at that. I’m not feeling it in the worst of ways, but I think I may be doing “stretch breaks” with my students today just for my own personal benefit!

Have a fantastic (dare-I-say-spring-like?) run today!

Lovely, lovely run yesterday, thanks. Took my far-too-early-rising son with me, and he rode his bike while I ran, with some walk breaks. We covered 5.34 km, and I have to say, it was the perfect way to start the day.

Today, I’m doing a food log and trying to drink a whole lotta water. Writing down every bit that goes into my mouth is an eye-opener for me everytime.

I have this pitcher I slice lemons and limes in, and then fill with ice and water and drink from it all day. When I lost weight before, I used to drink 3 of those pitchers per day. As I’m drinking it slowly today, I’m wondering how I did that. Moreso, I’m wondering why I stopped that?!?!

Why do I get lazy with good habits? I had a great water habit, one that probably left me so full and hydrated that I never felt a big need for a Diet Coke. Somewhere along the way, I let that habit slide out of the window. Sometimes I think that when I see success, I get a bit cocky, and think, ahhh, I don’t need to be so “gung-ho” about that anymore, because I’m doing well. Guess what? Cockiness leads to laziness. Laziness takes you right back to square one, I believe. No passing go, no two hundred bucks.

Getting my head around the “lifelong habit” concept this morning. You?

“Snow?? We have PLENTY of snow, let me tell you.”

So … I packed the skis. I dozed most of the drive down to the in-law’s farm (if I’m not driving, I am lulled to sleep on even a five minute drive; it’s a strange phenomenon). When I awoke, I looked around for the “plenty” of snow. Nope. Nada. Two or three piles in different parts of the farm, but certainly a lot more mud than snow.

I’m sure Lou Bob is giggling as she’s reading this, because she did leave me a comment saying there was no snow in this part of the woods, but I didn’t check my blog moments before we drove away!?

Ah well, the skiing was the best of intentions, that’s for sure. Instead I tried to go for a run, but I have to say to people who live in the country, I completely respect what you have to endure to run. My run was relatively short (1.9k to be exact) because word got out among neighbouring farm dogs (I’m sure they have a blog-world of their own … ARF: Attack Runners Family???!), and soon I was being chased greeted by four, count ‘em, four very large dogs. I love dogs but this scared me to no end. Only one had a wagging tail, and the others were not supporting my fitness efforts, if you know what I mean. I could see the rural headlines: “Runner Mauled While Trying to Work off Easter Candy”. Yikes.

So, that was my weekend. I did eat too much chocolate, and I did roll my eyes a bit too much at my zany in-laws. But my kids had a fantastic time at the farm … they were outdoors all day, which is so much fun.

The flirting challenge is another update, really … my marriage basically re-lived a Three’s Company episode this weekend where a travel agent called the house and asked for my husband, so I took that to mean he was surprising me with a family trip to Hawaii (a biiiiig jump, I know in hindsight… ), and the flirting then came VERY intense naturally at that point of course, until BING!!!the truth came out just before the Ropers come home …. blah, blah, blah … you get the idea. No Hawaii trip, but lots of good laughs about:

1. how life can resemble a sitcom. You gotta just laugh sometimes.

2. how a person (namely me) can just read into anything to fit a pre-conceived notion (ie. my husband put on “Lilo and Stitch” for the kids, and I thought for sure that was a clue?!?!? Oh my.)

My husband is still off tomorrow, so I look forward to starting the week with a morning run!

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend … God bless!

We’re heading to the in-law’s farm tomorrow, once my husband sleeps off his night shift.

Question: How come the smallest people in the family have so much stuff!?? There’s hardly room for Diet Coke in the vehicle after it’s packed! (Actually, if you knew my mother-in-law, you’d know I actually need to pack myself white wine. Enough said.

But … I did pack those skis … full report on Tuesday …

Happy, happy Easter!

Chris Brogan issued a fitness challenge this morning to do something outside of the box … check it out, if you haven’t committed yourself to it already. Iy-yi-yi, I have a love/hate relationship with the phrase, “I dare you.” I always picked “truth” in the game as a kid … then again, I almost peed my pants everytime I had to hide at hide ‘n’ seek! (I’ve grown up a lot since then!)

So, for the challenge, I’ve decided to dust off the cross-country skis and take them to my in-law’s farm on Saturday. I’ve been complaining that I’ll be four days with little fitness opportunity, and then I realized just how “in the box” I sound. Reading Chris makes me tilt my head at my monitor with that very realization often, and take a good look at what I can shake up in my pursuit to fitness. If you’re not reading him, you need to. He has a climbing rope in his way-too-cool brick-walled home … do I need to convince you more?

And then I read Brent’s non-fitness challenge. Brent is going to flirt more. I love that! I’ve decided to be a copycat with that, and flirt much, much more with my husband in the next week. I wouldn’t say things are bad at all, but we’ve been remarkably busy with stuff with the kids, and really crazy times at our respective jobs, so I think a little more flirting is quite timely. And flirting more as a non-fitness challenge sounds a lot more fun than increasing my fibre or drinking more water! (And I’m sure it’s just as healthy!)

Lastly, on a running note, I ran/walked in the snow today. A lovely 5.1 k, but I really, really wished I’d brought sunglasses for the snow blindness factor. Yikes.

Heard an interview tonight with a woman who had lost 270 lbs. (bow now.) She said she had 8 years of her life with no regular exercise. In eight years she went from 140 lbs to 410. It was a cool interview, because she talked about life being a daily choice (ie. run or not run?) and how those daily choices add up to big successes, or in the earlier part of her case, big weight gains.

Besides a period in University when taking care of myself meant ordering a more expensive beer … hmmmm …. I had a period of 2 years or so when I tried to be supermom to two baby boys, work fulltime at a highly demanding job, be a wife, and help my mom through her own health issues. I totally put myself and my health on the backburner. The most exercise I got in that time was a walk to the park, and then I’d mostly sit on the bench and stare in awe at my two monkeys. I felt overwhelmed and watched my weight soar as my energy level plummeted. Now I recognize that time as depression, but I refused to call it that at the time. It was not a great time for all involved, needless to say. I feel like a different person today, I’d say happily.

So, I’ll put it out there … What’s the longest period in your life you’ve gone without regular exercise?

It’s a snow day here … kids are home from school. Yep, 3 days from spring break, and school is cancelled. Moms everywhere are pulling out their hair! It seems when I was a kid, school was NEVER cancelled. Of course, my dad was the kind who insisted on “braving the elements” and tried to drive us everytime the busses weren’t running due to weather. And he even asked if we should pick up my friends?!?! Uh … no, Dad … I wanna HAVE friends when school is back in!?!? Way to make a girl instantly unpopular, yikes.

Snapshot of 7:30 a.m. at our house: 3 kids and mom in PJ’s dancing to Streetheart in the living room. This is good cardio, and helps make up for the fact that I won’t be getting to the gym today.

We’ve done alot for only being 10 a.m.! So far… we’ve made up Easter treats for our friends, and we’re working on our latest collaborative book. This is a stretch for my 2 boys, who get along with their fair share of sibling friction. (“You’re coloring that BLUE!?!?” “Why does Spiderman have to be on every single page?!?”) It’s a story about Spiderman meeting the Easter Bunny, and taking him for a spin on his web to get the eggs handed out faster. In the middle, Spidey runs into a cross and (very) briefly remembers the real meaning of Easter (spiritual component by Troy) before the Bunny gets quite motion sick and chooses to get back on ground. (All grossness usually is Derek’s brainchild.) (Yes, my kids are warped, but I LOVE this stuff!!! )

We’re going to suit up soon and go shovel snow (great cardio there, and could theoretically take all day!

Picked up my son at kindergarten at noon, and I got stuck in the snow right outside of the school. (Did I mention I’m SICK OF THIS WEATHER??) I could inch backwards a foot; but I couldn’t go a bit forwards. It was frightening and really irritating … tires spinning … Camryn in the back crying because she’s sick and needs a nap … Derek in the back chanting “Go mommy … go mommy…” as if he goes out to clubs on Saturday nights and does this regularly. I was getting more and more frustrated, and it was more and more clear I wasn’t going anywhere.

Grrrrrr.

Then, this guy of about 17 years old pulls up in his car. Butts out his cigarette, and says, “Can I push for you?” Camryn cries harder; I say, why not?? He tries, but it doesn’t work. So he offers to try and drive it out for me. I hop out (yes, my kids are in the vehicle … yes, very dumb in hindsight…. but yes, it’s a small town and my gut says he’s OK). He tries again and again but no luck. I can’t believe this. Adults … adults I even know are just driving on by, even waving. Then five of this kid’s friends pull up, (when you’re seventeen and it’s lunch hour, you fill up every seat in your car, don’t you??) and they ALL pushed while he drove, and they got me out!!!!!!

His name was Justin, I found out … and he made me sorry for anytime I’ve ever rolled my eyes about a teenager. Because when I said, “Thanks so much for stopping, because you really didn’t have to do that, you know” , he replied: “What was I gonna do? Drive on by and get on with my day?”

Wow. Incredible attitude, Justin. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!!!! And “well done” to Justin’s parents!

1. It’s bloody cold out here.
2. I hate wind.
3. There’s nobody on this path because it’s too bloody cold out here.
4. Is being a wimp genetic or learned?
5. Do I really have to go home to play Round 12 of Junior Yahtzee?
6. I sincerely love the town workers that clear this path of snow twice a day, it seems.
7. Next time I bake, I should take them cookies. Anonymously, or something.
8. If I blog that, it’s not a “Random Act of Kindness”.
9. When is spring coming?
10. Do I have time to check seat sales to Hawaii tonight?
11. Why didn’t I wear something with a hood to protect my neck better?
12. Where would I buy mitts at this time of year, when they’re selling suntan lotion??
13. Why am I so grouchy?
14. Is being a wimp genetic or learned?
15. Oh my …………. I just ran 2.51 k without stopping for a walk!!!!!!!!!!!!
16. The Girl is NO wimp!!!!!! Wahooooooooooo!

Went to the leisure centre to run at the track today, because the weather here was blowing snow, and that doesn’t thrill me. I realized how much I’m loving running outdoors, as the track completely bored me today. Funny thing is, I started running on the track orginally … now, it couldn’t have been over soon enough. Did some elliptical and weights too, so I got in the full body workout.

I can’t WAIT for the snow to be gone, and spring to really be here in Alberta. There’s something about that fresh smell of spring that really inspires me.