Monday, March 31, 2014

Til the Wheels Fall Off

This weekend was a whirlwind. Thursday night I ran my 3 miles in the basement then hit the showers and spent most of the evening with my friend Vicki. We had WAY too much fun catching up and then cruising and shopping in our new Highlander. Friday I got off work early and got Brian and I packed for a weekend in KC. My first organized run ever was Saturday morning. I did the Diva Dash in KC. I finished in the first 1000 runners, out of more than 2000 and had a great time. After I got cleaned up we met Uncle Wayne and Aunt Mary for lunch at Jack's Stacks and then headed home, after a quick stop at the Legends for the cutest ever pair of purple Nike's! Sunday morning I got up semi early (I was really tired) and then ran 8 miles. Our house to the Bob Devaney Center is a long way! My legs are still sore - must be from the back to back runs. I spent the rest of the day on the couch drinking a LOT of water and watching bad television and we were asleep close to 8:30 last night. My poor kitty Angel has been sick for a little more than a week now. I'm not sure if the antibiotics are really doing anything and we can barely get her to eat. She is 17 now and I've had her 6 years longer than I thought we would so every day is a blessing... and I really don't want her to suffer. Brian is calling the vet this morning and either I'll take her today or he'll take her tomorrow. If we have to have her put down I want to make sure that Erik can say goodbye to her!

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Talk About Getting Blown Away

Lincoln had 29 mph sustained wind and gusts up to 60 mph yesterday so the dogs didn't get to go for a walk before I hopped on the trainer for an hour of pedaling. Last night I dreamt about what I wore to the interview for the job I am hoping to get and then dreamt that I got it =) Hopefully it's a premonition, like the dream I had about my $100 wedding dress. I'm starting to feel a little nervous about Diva Dash - but I'm sure it will be ok - it's only 3 miles - how bad can it be?

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Hot and Cold

My work life is CRAZY busy right now. Some days I work all day and I'm not sure if I produce anything. Yesterday it was in the low 40's with bright sunshine when I got off. I got into my running gear and had Brian drop me off at Shopko so that I could run home. My times felt very slow and I worked myself completely out of breath, but in the end I was averaging 12-13 minute miles. It is odd, when I am only running two miles I run a very consistent time but longer distances are definitely affecting my times, even if it just one mile further. When I got home I was covered in sweat so I hit the showers and then we had egg cups for dinner. Hopefully the protein burst worked its magic. After dinner I delivered the neighborhood newsletters and was freezing cold and then ran a few errands. On run days I am usually exhausted by the time we go to bed so last night I crashed out hard and felt really refreshed today. Hopefully spring will be here soon!

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Vegetarian Night - With Too Many Snacks

Yesterday when I got off work I was almost at 10,000 steps. By the time that I walked the dogs, did a little housework and worked out with Denise Austin (we'll get back to that) in the basement I was over 18,000. Brian and I had veggie patties for dinner with rice, pineapple and asparagus (I love spring) and then I snacked all evening. With my half marathon training schedule two nights a week I have cross training. I usually do aerobics for one night and ride the trainer for the other. I LOVE the Ellen Barrett workouts and am always surprised by how much I sweat even though there isn't a lot of jumping around. Her workouts on You Tube are somewhat limited and she is completely off the Fitness on Demand for Time Warner Cable so last night I bit the bullet and did a Denise Austin dance workout. It was AWFUL... but I just wanted to get my workout over with so I pressed on til the end. The stretching at the end was nice but it was a terribly disorganized workout and I don't feel like I got anything out of it. I know you have to take the good with the bad so next week I'll either tackle Jillian Michaels or I'll go back to the incredibly painful Tracy Anderson method videos!

Monday, March 24, 2014

Chewing the Fat

The weekend was pretty cold in Lincoln and Brian can attest to that since he slept outside with the scouts - the low Saturday night was 9. I'm pretty sure I would have frozen to the ground! Friday afternoon I did an hour on the trainer and took the dogs for a short walk in the cemetery. Saturday morning Brian left for camping and the 20 mph wind kept me indoors for my long run. I did 7 miles in the basement (where I am always slower), took an amazing shower and then had Chinese (my favorite post run treat!). Sunday was a slower day in our house. I went to church, walked the dogs, did laundry and put in 45 minutes on the trainer but I ate a LOT of fat Sunday. My breakfast started out healthy with overnight oats from the oatmeal artist http://www.theoatmealartist.com/2012/06/banana-cream-pie-overnight-oatmeal.html and then went downhill. My friend Susan shared some delicious Guinness Stew with me so I had that for lunch and then for dinner I made Brian the Barefoot Contessa's chicken pot pie. It has a stick and a half of butter..... and a pie crust. It was delicious, but I think I can feel my arteries hardening. With all that fatty goodness it is no surprise that I was up 3 pounds this morning. I am hoping that with lots of water, walking and a good aerobic workout tonight I can get things back under control - keep your fingers crossed!

Friday, March 21, 2014

Dehydrated and Miserable

Last night I ran three miles from Shopko to our house. It was a BAD run. My times were good but I felt terrible. I did a Tri Berry GU (it gives me powers like a super hero) and Brian dropped me off with my iPod, my phone and the knowledge that I could get in at home =) About half a mile in my right ankle started to feel a little tender, the same for the side of my left foot. At one mile my left hip raised an objection and I told it where to go. On the way down the big hill I felt out of breath and my right knee and calf felt like they just couldn't work together. Usually around the end of the second mile I begin to feel amazing and love the thrill of the run, but not last night. Last night every section of my familiar path was miserable. I pushed through, walked 4 times and finished in 43 minutes. I am not sure if it was because I was dehydrated or that I haven't had adequate rest time, or if this is the first time I've run that distance with temperatures in the 60's. For the upcoming week of training I will focus on pre-run hydration for the whole day. (Diet Cherry Pepsi will be consumed in limited quantities in favor of water). I am also planning to take ibuprofen an hour before my training runs to see if that will help with joint irritation during the run. I know there are a number of purists who say you should listen to your body, but seriously, if my fat had its way - we would eat ice cream for dinner, read mysteries all day, and cap off every night with tequila shots... someone has to be a responsible adult!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

My 600 Pound Life

On Wednesday nights I do an hour on the trainer - coincidentally, it is usually the same hour that My 600 Pound Life is on The Learning Channel. Last night's episode involved a nearly 600 pound woman who was convinced that she would have the surgery, change none of her previous behaviors and become magically thin. She would set lofty goals with no plans to achieve them, refused to participate in physical therapy and readily adopted the role of victim. She acted as though the weight had been added to her body by another person and not through her own bad habits. She spent the last 30 minutes justifying the reasons that she was a better parent than someone who was active since she was always available to her son. It was the oddest episode I have watched and she was eventually kicked out of the program. The last part showed her around Thanksgiving consuming plate after plate of food. I was glad to have had a double workout! When I got off work I walked the dogs an hour while Brian rode an hour outside and after dinner (fish, asparagus, sweet potatoes, salad and strawberries) I put in my trainer time. While the show definitely keeps me pedaling, this episode was so sad to watch!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Walk/Run/STOP

Yesterday was sunny in the morning, windy in the afternoon and snowy at night. Oh Nebraska, why do you think these weather games are so amusing? I got off at noon and met Brian for lunch at Florio's. The regular chef was off and his relief wasn't quite on point - the vegetables were over salted, the meat over seasoned and the cream sauce for my chicken pasta was a little runny. It was good, but not as good as it usually is. After lunch we zipped through Sam's and then I took the dogs for a 3 mile walk and went for a 2 mile run by myself in the cemetery. While my run times were good (average of 13 minute mile) I felt awful, out of breath, sore and frustrated. My left hip is bothering me again and I don't have another massage scheduled for WEEKS. Hopefully I can get in some extra stretching and yoga this week to help it feel better. In the evening I had to go for my lovely STOP class. It really lasted the entire 4 hours, and was pretty boring. I'm glad that it's over with and I swear I will not ever get another speeding ticket, because I don't think I could sit through it again!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Goodbye to Bucket

I was completely emotionally exhausted from John's funeral yesterday. The service was very nice. Although John was raised in a Catholic family he didn't practice religion as an adult. His funeral had more than 500 people and the priest was his first cousin Michael. Father Michael knew the great things about John and how he loved to help people. John's brother Bill talked about their life as children and how John was influenced by a few of his father's sayings. One of those was that when times got tough the Zimmer's would be there. And John was. I have so many stories about John and Lynda and their boys and the times I shared with them. John was always willing to help, fix, care, share and tease. He was a major influence on my life, and I'm not sure I realized it until he was already gone. There will never be another person like him in my life. At the graveside service everyone did a shot of Crown Royal for John. A toast to a man who loved life, and people, and food, and whiskey, and motorcycles, and his family most of all. A man who I will always miss!

Catching Up

This weekend was an absolute whirlwind! Friday after work I took the dogs for a walk and then did 45 minutes on the trainer. Brian and I went to Omaha to meet up with Diane and Greg for dinner at Cheddars and comedy at the Funny Bone. It was a REALLY fun evening. Saturday morning I slept in a little and then ran 6 miles. It was totally empowering. I decided to run the first three without stopping so that I am ready for the Diva Dash in less than 2 weeks and then took two very short breaks on the way back. We took the dogs for two miles in the afternoon and then went grocery shopping in the evening. It was officially my first day with 20,000 steps on my Fit Bit! Sunday we spent the whole morning at church and then walked the dogs, got Erik back to campus and did 30 minutes on the trainer. Monday Brian and I walked the dogs for an hour and I did 35 minutes with three different aerobics programs. First was a ballet workout that was pretty boring, then an old You Tube of a Buns of Steel with kickbacks, gliding and "running" and finally a squat burner with Fitnessista. They were ok. I couldn't get Ellen Barrett to run on You Tube last night and all her videos are off Fitness on Demand now. Hopefully neither of those problems is permanent.

Friday, March 14, 2014

So Sad!

I made it through my run last night, and my times were actually pretty good. I did 3 miles in 42 minutes with a little bit of walking and I got stopped at 4 stop lights - so that has to be at least 2-3 minutes =) At this stage of training I am totally happy with a 13 minute mile. When we got home I drank 32oz of water and had a burger with hummus on a whole wheat bun. I eat and crave some whacky stuff when I get done running! After meeting my protein needs I watched a little tv with Erik, stretched out and went to bed. This morning when I got to work I learned that my mom's neighbor passed away on Wednesday. Even though John and Lynda have since moved out to the country they are still neighbors. John was amazing when we first moved to Lincoln. He was a programmer for a large food distributor, and on the weekends he rode his Harley Davidson. He was even part of a local club. I babysat his kids, his friends' kids, and anyone else who showed up. I can't even tell you the number of weekends I spent inside their house when I was young. He had a giant heart, a strong mind and an infectious laugh and I will miss him so much!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

My Weekends Are Booked

So literally, I have been out of grad school for 9 days =) And my weekends from now until our summer vacation are almost completely booked. We have concert tickets, 5K's, the Lincoln Half Marathon, the first Bryan Bash ride, the Wear Yellow Ride, Boy Scout rides, the Norfolk Triathlon, and then some family fun. Plus getting things done at my mom's that have spent the last 6 years on the back burner. Yesterday Erik got his wisdom teeth out - he was a total trooper! We iced, ate, took pain medicine and watched a lot of television. He was able to sleep through the night (YIPEE) and today he is on his own. Last night after dinner (homemade tomato soup) Brian and I took the dogs for a walk in the cemetery and talked about future jobs for me and when we got home I rode the trainer for an hour and watched Big Bang Theory, Real Housewives of Atlanta and My 600 Pound Life. I was completely exhausted by the time we went to bed and I think I was asleep before Brian even had the dogs kenneled!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

A Bit of a Stretch

Yesterday was run day, but by the time I got off work we had temps in the 30's and 30 mph wind, so I changed clothes and ran two miles in the basement with Pandora. The Songza and I weren't feeling each other yesterday so I rocked out to some Prince and then to Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean and Sage the Gemini. There are many jokes in our house about this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=X8LUd51IuiA since Erik's football coach has a "catchphrase" - All Gas - NO BRAKES!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

You Tube Workouts

My workouts are getting more high tech! Fitness on Demand through Time Warner Cable has gotten rid of some of my favorite Ellen Barrett workouts, but the good news is they are available on You Tube. Working out through the laptop would be a pain but since Brian got Chromecast for Christmas I can send You Tube from my phone to the TV - which is AWESOME!!! I did the 45 minute Power Fusion workout last night and then had to lay on the floor and pant for 10 minutes after the workout was done. There has to be at least 200 squats in that workout. Hopefully these strong quads and calfs will help me push forward for the half! Before dinner we took the boys for an hour walk since we had record breaking temperatures yesterday (78) and snow forecast for today. Oh Nebraska - you're so crazy!

Monday, March 10, 2014

I Made it to the TOP of the Hill!!!!

Erik is home for spring break!!! Friday I got off early, took the dogs for a walk and took on some deep cleaning at my mom's house. I had planned to ride the trainer but then I went and got my toenails done and got groceries and I was ready to crash and burn. Saturday morning I put in an hour on the trainer with the documentary A Place at the Table (it's excellent) and then went to my mom's for clutter cops and donating clothes to the mission. It was a productive morning and in the afternoon we took the boys for a walk and then relaxed a bit as a family. Sunday morning after church I went for my 3 mile run and for the first time ever I ran all the way to the top of the hill. I averaged 13.5 minute miles which I think was pretty good for this stage of training. After the run we had lunch, I hit the showers and then Brian and I took the dogs for a walk in the cemetery. I'm not sure if it was the run, the fresh air or the time change but I had to have a nap yesterday afternoon before we watched the Husker Men secure their spot in the playoffs! Hopefully we'll settle in to a normal week now!

Friday, March 7, 2014

Wind Training is my Archnemesis

Yesterday after a busy day at work I went for my massage (Sharon Maricle saved my sore hip!!!) and then met Brian to sign the loan papers for our new car =) Very exciting! When we got home I threw dinner in the oven, changed into running clothes and did 3 miles - slowly!!! VERY slowly. With an average of 15 minutes a mile. I thought my hip was better but maybe it was still slowing me down. At the end of the first mile I considered giving it up but I made it to the end. In my defense, we had a south wind at 20 mph! Dinner was "made up" and delicious. I took 1 baked chicken breast and 1 can of white beans, 1/4 cup of cilantro, 2 Tablespoons fat free sour cream, half a teaspoon of cumin, half a teaspoon of onion powder and half a teaspoon of chili powder and let them "mesh" all day. When we got home I cracked open a can of mild green chile enchilada sauce and in an 8x8 pan poured a little enchilada sauce, 3 torn corn tortillas, all the filling, a small sprinkling of shredded mozarella (I wanted it white) and 3 more torn corn tortillas and the rest of the sauce. Brian baked it at 350 for 45 minutes and it was perfection! I plugged it into the recipe calculator as 4 servings (1 cup each) and it is 300 calories per cup. We had it with brown rice and salsa and then I had to have a big romaine salad with mine. The rest of the night was housework and laying on the couch watching television.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

I Should Never Be Left Alone with the Netflix

Last night we had not spicy Beef Chow Mein for dinner. I added some hot sauce to make it yummy!!! Might have to go get sriracha pringles at Walmart this weekend. I LOVE spicy food any more. After dinner I did an hour on the trainer and watched part of a documentary called "Hungry for Change" which was all about the need to eat a clean diet. I totally get it. But it seemed like a lot of other things I had watched. The one thing I really didn't like was the effort to place the blame on someone for America's poor dietary habits. Oh well - I'll try another documentary next time!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Never Eat and Run

Yesterday was CRAZY busy. I worked all day, went to a funeral visitation, registered for STOP class and then stopped by Brian's office to look at a new car. We are now the proud owners of a Blizzard Frost (white) 2012 Toyota Highlander. Pretty exciting stuff! After that I took our dogs for a 3.5 mile walk, made dinner (Eggbeater Frittata with yellow and orange peppers, roasted mushrooms and fresh strawberries) and then went downstairs for my 2 mile run. I obviously ate WAY too much for dinner. At just over 1 mile I had some pressure and fullness but I decided to push through. (That's what runners do isn't it?) The last quarter mile I felt like someone was kicking me in the back and squeezing my ribs. After my run I took off my shoes and socks then laid on the floor in the basement and prayed for relief. Finding none I went upstairs and took an alka seltzer (Brian is AWESOME) and rested on the couch until it was time to go to bed. The rest of the week calls for two 3 mile runs (I'm trying to pick a route) and then my usual cross training. I promise to some day be a better runner and do regular strength training and yoga!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Run, Run, Bike, Run, Practice the Method

Sorry, I haven't fallen off the planet, even though it seems that way! Thursday after work I ran two miles in the basement with the Songza. Some days we are completely in sync, other days I think the device is confusing me with Erik. Friday I got off early, and got a speeding ticket! I was scheduled to run on Saturday, when the forecast high was 8, but Friday was a gorgeous spring afternoon so after lunch out with a friend I put on my running gear and did 5 miles (our house to Essex and back). After the run I collapsed on the couch for a bit, chugged a bunch of water and then we headed over for dinner at my father-in-law's office. Saturday was bitterly cold as promised but Erik was home and we went to see Wayne Brady at the Lied. After an hour on the bike laughter was the best medicine! Sunday morning was all about church, then we had lunch with Erik, I ran two more miles in the basement and I submitted the final project for my Master's!!! Monday I worked later than anicipated, threw together leftovers for dinner and then did 30 minutes of Tracy Anderson Method - Beginner 2. This morning my legs, butt and shoulders are still on fire. It is amazing to me that I don't sweat during the workout but feel like I might die the next day!