Going for a walk...

There is a bike path that I have driven past many times and wondered where it went. Today, I fed my little girlies breakfast and we got out the bikes and the stroller and drug Lisa and baby along with us. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

We walked about 1 1/2 miles (girls complaining all the way about WHY we were doing this and how tired they were and how hot it was...you know the drill) before we even found the beginning of the path. Once we did however, the little ladies seemed to be rejuevenated and took off on their own down the paved path along a raging river! It was shady (and therefore a little cooler, thank goodness) and wove its way along back yards that line the river banks. It turned out to be a beautiful walk/ride that they are determined to take their father back to maybe tonight.

We finally decided to head back home. I'm not sure how far we went but we were gone for 2+ hours. I had to have a nap this afternoon! It also reminded me of a quaint little tune "Pioneer children sang as they walked, and walked and walked and walked and walked....and walked". Next time, I think we will drive to the trail head and just enjoy the bike path as it was intended!

Sisters' Weekend and 2nd 5K Race

I have the most adorable husband in the world! He just kept the kids for me for 3 whole days, while I went off to play with some of my favorite people...my little sisters. We have been holing up in a hotel room (not too far away from home!) for the past couple of days. We attended our church's "Women's Conference" at BYU where we went to classes on how to be less critical, how to evaluate our lives and re-set our priorities, how to have more meaningful prayers, improve our marriages and be better parents. I have been going every spring for the past 5 years and I come home re-charged and motivated to improve my life! Wish me luck!! I could use some improvement!

Wednesday was my sister Nancy's birthday and so we celebrated with dinner and a movie. Thursday night we attended a concert, Friday we ate out again (seems to be a favorite past time) and hung out in the hot tub. We also ATE and ATE and ATE....stuff like BYU's famous mint brownies with walnuts, and chocolate covered cinnamon bears (my favorite!).

This morning, however, there was no junk food in sight! We got up at 6:30 AM to get ready to run in the Provo City Half Marathon and 5K. It was so cold! About 41 degrees...and part way (I'm guessing about 3/4 of a mile into the 5K) it began to rain/snow/hail on us. When we got to the finish line we were soaking wet and pretty chilly. Magelby's had a french toast breakfast that they provided for all the runners and as we stood in the park, in the rain and the cold, waiting for the results to be announced....it started to snow/rain a little bit harder.

This was a first race for 2 of my sisters and 1 in particular was excited to find out her time and to see if she may have placed in her age group. Some of us (ok, mostly me) didn't really care to hang out in the rain to find out how I had done (there were hundreds of people who ran the 5K and what are the odds???)...and just wanted to head back to the hotel and that delicious hot tub. Since she wasn't ready to leave for the hotel without knowing the results...we decided to wait it out in the car where at least we could get out of the rain/snow and turn a heater on. About half an hour later, she came back to the car with a big smile and a medal around her neck!! She won 3rd place in her age group. Wahoo!

End of story? NO! She had a medal in her pocket for me! I also placed 3rd in my age group! I guess I don't deserve the medal, for not sticking it out in the rain to claim it...but it made being cold ALMOST worth it. And ultimately after about an hour in the hot tub, our body temperatures returned to normal and we feel like real people again! Maybe next time we ought to try a 10K!

My First 5K-November 21, 2009

At a service project a couple of months ago, a friend and I started talking about running. She told me how she had run a couple of 5k's and was thinking about training for a half marathon. I expressed a little interest in doing a race myself (5k) and she asked if I wanted to join her that very weekend in a high school swim team fund raiser 1m/5k race. I told her to let me know details and I would decide. That was on Wednesday.

On Friday evening, I still had not heard from her and the race was Saturday morning, so I assumed she had decided not to race. I got up on Saturday morning and did my normal routine which consisted of strength training for about 45 minutes, followed by running on the treadmill for about 15 minutes.

I had just come upstairs from working out when the phone rang. It was her. She said she had tried to reach me a day or two previous, then had seen the weather report and figured it would be too yucky to want to participate. So she gave up on the idea. When she woke up on Saturday morning, the weather looked ok and she decided to go for it.

I told her about my just finishing working out...to which she replied that it was great to follow strength training with some cardio and it would be good for me!!!! So, like a fool, I consented!

It was interesting. I finished in 33:17 minutes (which I didn't think was horrible, especially considering my workout an hour before!), and came in 5th in my age group and only 1 minute (almost exactly) behind my friend. I wonder how I would do without exhausting myself first!

Family Biggest LOSE-ORR Contest and Newspaper Article

This is an article done recently about my brother-in-law and his amazing weight loss story (well my entire family's weight loss saga). It's unbelievable!!! Check it out! Way to go Stephen!

Running with Ducks?

I have recently taken up jogging around my neighborhood for exercise. I started walking, but moved to jogging quickly when I realized my heart rate was only slightly elevated at the pace I walk!

About 2 weeks ago, on a beautiful spring morning I was jogging down a neighborhood street when I saw 2 ducks enter the street not too far ahead of me. I decided that if I continued at the pace I was jogging and they continued at the pace they were waddling, they would be across the street and out of my way before I reached them. Well, I don't know if you have been around ducks before or not, but as I approached they started to serpentine back and forth.....like ducks do, and not to continue on in their straight course across the street. I slowed to a walk, because they were a little unpredictable, but kept on going figuring they would continue on their merry way after I passed. Not so! They fell into step with me, the male occasionally getting under foot. I tripped on him once or twice. I turned around and stomped my foot at them, trying to scare them away (you know like you do to a cat or dog that is pestering you!) but they kept coming. I tried to run away from them, but they flapped their wings to sort of fly/walk to keep up with me!

It was about this time I noticed a lady standing on the sidewalk watching all of this, a little further on (with an amused look on her face, I might add!). I threw my arms up and shrugged my shoulders at her, to which she responded, "They're not your ducks? I thought maybe you were taking them for a walk!"

As my little entourage got closer to her, the dog she was walking became interested in my walking partners and began to bark at them, which luckily scared them off a little ways. However, the street I was on was a DEAD END. As I was contemplating how to handle the return trip without picking up unwanted company again, she suggested that I cross the park and continue on another street totally unconnected....which I did.

I'm not sure I'll jog on the same route again, but it made for an interesting morning!

Old Age and Over-Worked Back Issues

About 2 weeks ago, on my lovely day off, I bent over to tie my shoes and something slipped in my back. It has happened before (several times). I always rest and in a day or two I am feeling much better. Well, I ended up going to the Chiropractor (twice), the doctor, the hospital (for x-rays, nothing serious), and finally a physical therapist. The x-rays show Osteo-arthritis and a possible herniated disk. I have been told to take it easy on my exercise (which is frustrating to say the least, when I am in the middle of a weight reduction battle!! 17 lbs. and counting) and I have been placed on FMLA from work.

I was able to move about fairly normally after 4 or 5 days, but am not allowed to lift more than 5-10 lbs. and "no bending, stooping or pulling" which basically means everything! And definitely not stocking shelves at COSTCO! There isn't anything there that only weighs 5-10 lbs.

I went back in to the doctor today, for some more paperwork for Costco and now he wants to do an MRI. They asked if I was claustrophobic....which I am. Not looking forward to that test....but what I am looking forward to is a more specific diagnosis, or prognosis. How long is this going to take? Will I be able to return to work and exercise the way I want to? Am I going to have pain for the rest of my life? Hopefully not!! I think probably attitude is at least 50% of the battle, right? Now if the stress-/frustration-/angry- EATING would stop, I'd be ok!! :)

Update on "30 day Shred" by Jillian Michaels

Ok, I just wanted to let you know that I have been doing this exercise video now for 3 weeks now...several times a week. Sometimes I do it twice a day (it's only a 20 minute workout) and sometimes I do 2 levels of the workout in one session (for a total of about 40 minutes). I really like it. It's tough! I have been using 5 lb. hand weights (which isn't very much, you know) but with these exercises IT IS ENOUGH and sometimes TOO MUCH!!

I like the 3,2,1 system of 3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio and 1 minute of abs repeated 3x for 1 session with a warm up and cool down. I think it keeps your heart rate up enough to burn extra calories the entire workout.

I like that there are 3 levels. I think I would be bored with just one. Each level has different exercises and increases in difficulty. If I do 2 levels of workouts, I just skip the cool down from the first session and the warm up of the second and go right on with the circuits. I also have used cardio from one of the easier levels for part of level 3 because I don't like the "rock star" jumps....they bother my knees. I figure cardio is cardio.

I love that it is only 20 minutes. It's easy to work into a busy day. Sometimes I do it in the afternoon before I make dinner. Keeps me from snacking a lot too, as afternoons are my "eat everything in sight" time of day.

I have lost a total of 8 lbs. so far (although I joined weight watchers 2 weeks ago, so the dvd can't take all the credit) but I sure think it has helped.

Exercise....who me?

For as long as I can remember (which at my age isn't too far back...) I have gone to the gym to work out almost daily. I love it! I know, that's weird, but I do. You'd think I'd be really thin. Ah, well.

Anyways, since my Costco "career" started (I start work at either 4 or 5 a.m.) I haven't been going very regularly. It went from almost daily at 6:00 a.m., to two or three times a week after work or evenings or on days off, to hmmm..... not since October!! So, with the new year and all-recommitting to my old exercise routine has been on my mind. Or at least, trying to maintain SOME kind of exercise routine.

I saw an info-mercial on Turbo Jam (which apparently is like a dance party in your living room! :p). There was so much hype and freebies and "if you call in the next 18 minutes..." that I couldn't even tell how much it was going to cost. Then I saw Jillian Michaels on the Ellen show. You know the tough coach from tv's "The Biggest Loser". I have been researching her dvd's. They are rated fairly high. People seem to like them. She's tough, but effective...so they say. So I took the plunge. I spent that whopping $9.00 at Walmart for the dvd "Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred"! Here is a link to a video clip of the workout at Amazon. I would be interested to hear if anyone has tried it. I watched it (literally...I laid on my bed and watched her workout. That's how motivated I am!) She looks pretty buff, and it looks a lot like some of the things I did when I went to the gym and took some pump classes, so at least I think I should enjoy it. We'll see. I'll update you if anything of note comes from it. First, I guess I need to do more than lay in bed and watch it! Wish me luck!