October Workout Calendar

I can't believe September is over!
I only missed one workout all month.  I've been working so hard and my running has really improved.  I've been spending a lot of time taking care of my very sick mama, so I just  needed a day off and a little extra rest.  Honestly, I think the workout would have made it better.
Here's what I plan to do in October.  I'm sure it will be another busy month, but I'm getting addicted to working out!

My 5k for the month is the Komen Race for the Cure.  I have a very dear friend who is battling breast cancer right now. She is SO loved by many that we have a HUGE team running in her honor.  Some will walk, and she will crawl if she has to, but we will all cross that finish line to find a cure and catch it early!  I'm looking forward to the 20th!

I have made some changes to it.  Instead of the Shred, I'm doing the 30-day May Challenge from BodyRock.tv.  I'm in week 3 of the challenge and it is still a challenge!  If I get results anywhere near what other people have gotten I'll be thrilled!
I'm using Hulu to find yoga videos.  I think I've done most of the available videos and I've found my favorites.  I can usually find just the type of yoga I need each Wednesday.
The AT runs are an Intermediate 5k Plan from Active Trainer.  It has been challenging, but I've taken almost 2 minutes off of my mile since I started running!

Week 4: Sugar Free

Challenge Week 4: No Sugar!
And if you can handle that - try to cut out all those bad (white, refined, simple) carbs!

So, what's wrong with sugar? Basically, it's all about blood sugar and insulin levels. The Glycemic Index is a rating scale of how the carbs in a food will raise your blood sugar. It is explained here. I am not doctor or nutritionist, but I can share what I've learned through my own research here.

Sugar is in everyday items such as peanut butter and the bread we put it on. It is added to many processed and "healthy" foods. Watch out for packages labeled "low fat." That usually means added sugar for flavor. Avoid pre-packaged and processed foods.

Sugar messes with your body's insulin production. This is why Diabetes is so prevalent and why so many diabetics must take insulin on a regular basis.

Natural insulin is needed to process sugar into energy. Insulin should be able to regulate itself, but our bodies can no longer do this even in the pre-diabetic stage. High insulin levels can affect many other functions of the body. It can lead to high cholestorol levels, extra fat storage, and heart disease.

Here is a video from Active.com about stopping the sugar addiction.

Week 2: Be Still

Week 2 Challenge: Be Still
That sounds weird for a fitness challenge, doesn't it?  I had this idea last week at church when the worship leader put those two words up on the screen.

I'm horrible at being still.  Being still implies doing nothing.  Not thinking.  Not moving forward.  Not getting anything done.

Ooh.  Scary!

I wish I had thought of this challenge before.  I should have started here.  But, I was too busy thinking, moving, and doing to come up with it.

This week, we will take 7 minutes a day - all at once, or a few minutes at a time - to be still. Just sit.  

Breathe in.  

Breathe out.

Pray or meditate.

Take this time to think about why you need to worry about your health and your fitness. Why are you doing this work?  Who are you doing it for?  Do you really see your body as a temple?  

Ask God to help you when you feel weak or tired or hungry.  Ask Him to help you understand your body and how He created it to do His work.  Tell Him what you need.

Just be still.  No TV.  No email.  Nobody else.

Every day.

Be Still.
7 minutes.

It is amazing how simple the act of being still is and what a profound impact it can have on your day - even your life. 

I truly believe that anything you do in life starts with your thinking.  Losing weight and being fit is a mindset.  You've got to make up your mind about your choices before you make them.  Asking your Creator to change your mind will change your actions.
This is a lesson in self control.
This is a lesson in discipline.
This is a lesson in using your deepest desires to control your actions.

PLEASE share with us when you do this.  I can't wait to hear how He speaks to you during this time!

***For past challenges, click the CHALLENGES tab at the top of my blog.

Happy Fall Y'all!

My super fun friends and I had a Burlap Bash today!  We all made door decorations out of burlap - and ate "healthy" junk food!

Some of us made footballs - very cute - and we all made pumpkins.  We each had our own style and they all turned out great!

I couldn't wait to share mine with you!  I'll add a tutorial later - very simple!

Yup, it's huge.  But I am very happy with it!  I can't wait to make one for Christmas.  Ooh!  Maybe I need a turkey for Thanksgiving too!

Here is Allison's football - I love it, but it should be purple and gold - GEAUX TIGERS!!!

Hemming Jeans

I hemmed my own jeans!!!

While this is a mundane and simple task for many, it was a small victory for me.  My mother has always been a wonderful seamstress.  She made most of my clothes as a small child and a few things as I got older.  I'll never forget her staying up late the night before 4th grade picture day to sew my vest that I HAD to wear for my picture.  (If you didn't have a vest, you weren't cool.)  Thanks, Mom!

My mother has been on hospice care for over a year now.  She can't get out of the house very much, so I like to think of special things we can do together at her house.  It is hard to think about, but every time I'm with her I want it to be a special memory.

One of the things she has tried to do with me before is to teach me to sew on her sewing machine.  As a pre-teen/early teen I didn't see the importance of this.  Why learn to sew?  We can BUY clothes at the store!

Now that I understand that it's more about the shared experience and the passing down of a skill, I want to learn from my mommy while I still can.

Recently, I lost enough weight to buy a new size in jeans!!!  They were WAY TOO LONG though!

Here was the perfect opportunity to spend some time learning from my mom.

I had found a pin on Pinterest that was a tutorial for hemming jeans and keeping the original hem.  Bazinga!

Mom hadn't used her sewing machine in a VERY long time, so we spent most of the afternoon remember how everything goes and getting it threaded.  We should have taken video - it was hilarious!

Once we got everything done it was pretty simple.  Mom was behind me coaching and I was sewing!

Nice clean line!

A lot had to come off!  I'm only 5'2".

I think it looks pretty good for a newbie!

Her directions were thorough and easy to follow.  I should have paid closer attention to where I was cutting when I cut the excess off.  I cut right through the stitching.  I'm pretty sure I can just go back over it and it will be fine - oopsies!

  

I'm thrilled to have jeans at the correct length, but I'm even more thrilled that I learned how to sew from my Mommy.  

I won't forget that day. 

I want to keep sewing and learning so I can tell people when they ask, "My Mom taught me to sew."

September Workout Calendar

So, I know we are about halfway through September, but I haven't shared my calendar for the month!

There it is!
I have made some changes to it.  Instead of the Shred, I'm doing the 30-day May Challenge from BodyRock.tv.  I'm loving it because it is so challenging and different every day.  You can't get bored with it because there's something new every time.
I'm using Hulu to find yoga videos.  This week I did a Yoga Zone video for conditioning and stress release.  It was a great sequence of stretches after a tough week of running.
The AT runs are an Intermediate 5k Plan from Active Trainer.  It has been challenging, but my speed and endurance are both up!

I think I'm finally over ear infections/pneumonia/sinus infections/bronchitis/etc.  That has made sticking to my workouts really tough.  I've missed about 5 workouts in the last month.  I guess that isn't so bad in the grand scheme of things.

I am struggling with craving sweets lately.  My friends and I are working on a weekly challenge.  I think sugar free will be a challenge soon!

Week 3: Losing It

Week 3 Challenge: Lost 1% of your body weight this week.

Some of you may not need to lose an ounce - lucky you! Maybe try to lose a percentage of fat rather than weight.  Turn some of that body fat into muscle.
One pound of fat is made up of 3500 calories.  If you cut out 3500 calories with healthy eating and exercise, you will lose a pound!  Make sure you're not starving yourself or your body will hold onto as much fat as it can.

***For past challenges, click the CHALLENGES tab at the top of my blog.

Week 1: Drink Up!

I've mentioned before that I have a group of ladies who I share my victories and struggles with in my quest to be fit.  We have decided to start weekly challenges.  We will check in daily to share how it's going.
Week 1 Challenge: WATER!
Every day we will drink half our weight in ounces of water.  For example, if you weigh 100 pounds (like me - HA!) then you would drink 50 ounces of water per day.

I've found some pins on Pinterest that may help us with this challenge.

Mark mini-goals on water bottles to get it all in.

Make it pretty and flavorful - plain water can get boring.

Don't want to write on your water bottles?  Keep track this way instead!

How do you make sure you get your water in?  Share your ideas with us!

Dashing Dish Recipe - Cake Batter Protein Shake

YUMMY!!!!!

I recently found out about a website/blog called Dashing Dish.  She is a precious Christian woman whose mission field is helping people live a healthy life.  She provides recipes, meal plans, and even one-on-one coaching.  Many of her recipes are free, so I gave a few a try.  I like them so much that I got a membership to have access to more.

I have a giant sweet tooth.  Satisfying that sweet tooth without overdosing on sugar and therefor, calories, is always a challenge for me - especially after dinner.

I love me some cake batter!  Maybe it's because Mom used to make cakes all the time and I got to lick the bowl.  Or maybe it's just because it's so yummy and I'd be crazy not to love it!  So, when I stumbled upon this pin, I knew I had to try it.

Her pictures are always beautiful too!

This was a super easy recipe to make. I can whip it up any time I have a craving without too much planning.

Mine wasn't as pretty as hers, but it tasted great!

Mickey Mouse Countdown to Disney!

I am PUMPED about my upcoming trip to Disney World!!!
I had never been to Disney until I was 29 and on my honeymoon.  I've been making up for all of the years without it by being a big 5-year-old every time I go.  This next trip with be with out besties and their children who are six and two.  Their mom, Blondie, and I may be bigger kids about this than the actual kids!
I found this pin on Pinterest for a Mickey Mouse countdown chain and I knew making one was in my near future.

Here is the original.

Mine is a little different - and very long!  I couldn't wait until we were 30 days out.  I had to go ahead and make it!  

I promise I made it for the kids - the actual kids!  I really kinda want one for myself now too.

It was super easy - here's how it happened:

1. I bought the pack of large construction paper at Target - pretty cheap!

2.  I used my ruler and an exacto knife to cut the paper into strips.  You can just stack the pieces and cut through 4-5 pages at a time.  I used black, red, yellow, and white to match Mickey!

3. I used some leftover black paper and cut out 2 circles with a little flap on each.  I just taped the flap to one of the black strips and folded the ears up when I was done.  This is the top of your chain!

4. I stacked all of the strips in order and wrote the date that each piece of chain is to be removed before putting it all together.  It's easier to write on a flat surface than a circle!

5.  Then you just start stapling!  Be careful to keep your dates in order.

Super easy and so cute!  

Maybe I'll go start one of my own!!!

My Color Run Experience

Those of you who know me know that I've been training to run a 5k for a few months now.  My first 5k to tackle was The Color Run here in Birmingham.  I have been looking forward to this race since I first heard of it.  I couldn't wait to sign up.  I'm pretty sure I was one of the first to register here!
The idea of The Color Run is to start out clean and white and end covered in a rainbow of colors at the finish line.  There are people stationed at each km to douse you with a different colored powder.  Sounds fun, right?

Well, the week before the race I was out of town and caught a cold.  On the flight home, my ears protested to popping and I ended up with a miserable ear infection in each ear.

Not. Fun.

But, I went to the doc, got the booty shot and some antibiotics, and got as much rest as I could before the race.
The day of the race, I could actually hear out of both ears and my face didn't feel like it was going to explode.  I hadn't been able to run in over a week, but I was determined to do it!  My sweet friend Alice, who is a cross country coach, ran with me.  She's been sick too!
We met at her house with the rest of our team bright and early in the morning and made a quick drive over to Barber Motor Sports for the race.  The sky wasn't quite sunny, but it was clear.  We were an hour and a half out from the race and dressed in our new white clothes - ready to run!

And then it happened...the sky opened up...and the rain came down...

and came down....

and came down lots more...

Before we even started the race, we were standing in lakes and rivers of rain!

   

 We weren't really sure we were going to be running.  My fingers even got pruney waiting for the start!










The start was delayed a little bit, but everyone was still ready to go for it.  Some people got antsy waiting in the corral, so the color started flying a little early!

My first bit of color and I hadn't run at all!

And then it happened - we started running! The rain kept coming down, sometimes pretty hard, and we even heard a little thunder, but I did it!  

Driving rain and ear infections - who cares?  I was COLOR RUNNING!

The track was kind of hard - lots of hills, but I can say I ran about 90% of it - not bad for a sick girl who has never run hills before!  

It was so much fun!  I've never done this race when it wasn't raining, but I think the WaterColor Run was even more fun!

Our group saved our powder packets to throw at each other - and look, PURPLE AND GOLD!

It was a great experience.  Not only did I accomplish a personal goal (mostly), but I was part of a big fun event in Birmingham!  If you are thinking about doing it - JUST DO IT!

Our team, The Red Letters, worked together to raise money for Team 1Verse - a Bible translation mission.  We are raising money for the Rutara tribe in South Asia.  They've never had the Bible in their language, but they will with your help.  Please click here to donate a verse or a few!

My favorite picture of the day!

Before and After

After our team powder fight

Super thankful for a clean DRY shirt and Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte - my favorite!!!

Sick and Frustrated

Walking pneumonia and bronchitis a few weeks ago and now double ear infections?!?!?!
Sure can't run or do yoga or anything else that involves moving my head without whining like a little girl right now.

I've got my first 5k on Monday - this steroid shot better work like magic!

I can't figure out why I'm getting sick. I thought a healthy diet and regular exercise were supposed to make you healthier.  I haven't had an ear infection since I was a little kid - why now???

Am I working too hard?  I really don't feel like I am.  I feel good after workouts and I'm never hungry, so what's up?

Thoughts/advice?  HELP!