i thought it had to be all about running

The first couple of weeks of this blog have not been very impressive.  I read other friends blogs and get discouraged.  Am I a blogger for real, or just a wanna-be?

I can do it, I can do it, I can do it.

I realized that I thought that this blog should be all about running.  Well that's not the case.  This is a healthy life blog.  So what does that include? 

Mental, physical, spiritual, emotional health.  I can do this! :o)

The other day, I was so proud of myself.  I made a really good, healthy dinner for Rolando and I.  Steamed veggies to include carrots, beets, potatoes, broccoli, green peppers.  Seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper, a bit of cumin.  We had a feast! :)  It's fun to cook when you have choices.

My new favorite website: www.allrecipes.com.  It's so great!  You can search by ingredients you have in your cupboards and come up with a nice treat for dinner that evening. 

I'm currently reading Maria Callas: An Intimate Biography.  Man, it is so incredible to read about her life.  Anyone interested in singing (mostly classical/opera) should read this biography.  It's fascinating and hilarious!  She was an absolute diva!  Next time the Dicken's Carolers quartet gives me a hard time about being a diva...I'm quoting her!!!!!!

Speaking of Dicken's Carolers, I have a call-back to go to today!  I can't believe it's that time again!  I really hope that I get to be with the same group that I've been with for the past two years.  I'm really trying not to get my heart set on that, but it's so hard.  I've been with the same quartet for two years and have thoroughly enjoyed my time with them.  I can't imagine singing with another group of people.  I know that I'll make the best of whatever circumstance I'm given.  I'll focus on that part. :)

Well, I'm signing off to practice the two songs that I haven't sung in 9 months.

Run entry

3.5 miles
45 minutes

I felt this horrible side cramp about half way through and had to speed walk the rest of the way.  The two other girls I was with finished about 5 minutes before me with there walk/run combo.  I think I did okay.  Man, I've never experienced something like that.  I thought my insides were going to come out!!!

well...i'm really bad at blogging :)

Today, I realized that I haven't tracked my runs in a week! Yeah i'm that good! :(

So, today I walked 2 miles, ran 1.5 miles and walked another .5 miles.  It's not that I didn't feel like running a long time, but I felt more like walking :)  I think it's because I'm not feeling like myself these days.  I feel happy, healthy, energetic, and all that.  But also, I feel an undercurrent of unsettledness (that's right I said it!)  It's all good and I don't really want to write about stress or sad things.

Do I like running?  I'm not sure yet.  I think I like running, but then on days like today, I like walking so much better.  Maybe I'll switch it up a little and do some cardio videos or something.  Do I like cardio videos?  YES!  :o)

On a different note, I made a TON of baba ganoush last weekend and had a TON left over :)  I brought it in to work today and everyone liked it EXCEPT my boss! :)  I thought that was pretty funny!  She didn't even try to save face a little! She came right out and said "No, not really!"  At least I can always count on knowing what's on her mind.  Tonight I made fruit smoothies for Rolando and I (yougurt, honey, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)  YUMMY!! I'm enjoying a bit of it right now and I must say they are so good.  Being healthy can be so good sometimes!  It just takes a little bit more work than unhealthy stuff.  So worth it though.

Okay, I think that's it for now.  Don't want to go over board on the blogging.

Ape Caves

Wow!!!

Tom Susan James Jack Rolando and I went on an amazing hike today.  It took a total of 2.5 hours and 2 of those hours were underground in these amazing caves.  It is a lava tunnel that's 2000 years old! If you live in the Oregon/Washington area, adventurous and okay with climbing up rock walls you should totally look this up!!!  I'll write more later, but I just HAD to get this on here before bed.

Goodnight!!

Run entry

7:05a - 7:40a
3 miles
max heart rate: i'm getting a new heart monitor
Hot and humid
Felt okay, made it up all the hills without walking

I do not like heat.  I liked running on Tuesday because it was cool.  Today it was hot and humid. Literally like Indiana humid.  I got back in the car after running and heard it was up to 92%.  What the heck!?!  Oh well, I survived and so did Kristy.  It's nice running with her.  There's no pressure to run faster.  She and I are on the same tempo. :)

Run entry

7:02a - 7:42a (8/3/10)
3 miles
max heart rate: stupid watch wasn't working!
Overcast and cool
Felt good, but had a rough time getting up the hills
 
I'm already a day behind, but I'm brushing it off and catching up now!  Yesterday I ran with my friend, Kristy.  She's decided to run the Portland Half Marathon as her first race in a while! :)  So excited for her.  I decided that I would support her in her training adventures.  She's the same height as me so it was super fun to run with her.  I'd say we are pretty evenly matched as far as how fit we are.  We kept good pace. 
 
I ran in the morning for the first time ever!  I felt good all day, had good energy, I knew my metabolism was flying because I was burning up all day.  I think I like running in the morning.  Now if I could just convince myself to get out of bed to do this in the mornings....one step at a time, one step at a time! :)

Run entry

7:48 - 8:32
3 miles
max heart rate: 172
Sunny day
Felt sluggish

I haven't run a second since my 8k last Wednesday.  I wasn't at all good today.  In fact, it took me almost the same amount of time today to run 3 miles as it did a week ago to run almost 5 miles.  Just goes to show what a week of laziness will do to a girl!!!

Let's get caught up

Three years ago I moved to Portland, OR and began my life transformation.  At the beginning of my journey (the most I'd ever weighed), I clocked in at 256.  Now I'm 6 feet tall but, that's still heavy!!  I was totally unhappy, always uncomfortable, and totally embarrassed when I couldn't fit in the roller coaster ride.  And thus the transformation begins.  :)

I started on the NutriSystem plan/working out every workday on my lunch break and lost a lot of weight (very quickly).  I was down to 192 and loving every minute.  I ran my first race ever (a 5k in 49 minutes).  I had picked up an awesome hobby of salsa dancing thanks to a couple of my friends pushing me to do something different.  I was salsa dancing almost every weekend for hours at a time.  But I hadn't learned how to be a healthy eater and started gaining weight the second I was off the NutriSystem plan.  I met my future husband at a salsa club.  We went out all the time and I gained a few 'love-pounds'. :)  We got engaged and I gained more, during the stress of planning the wedding I gained more.  I woke up one day and my skinny pants were TIGHT!  What happened???

I started exercising.  I hired a trainer to help me.  I started running a little at a time.  Next thing you know, I'm losing inches...not pounds...but I'm still happy!! I start running longer amounts.  I start watching what I'm eating (watching as it all goes in! just kidding)  and I started losing pounds! Woohoo!  Now I'm down 18 pounds and have lost about 10 inches all over my body.  I'm trying Medifast right now just to jump start my metabolism and it's really working.  I'm trying to teach myself to be a healthier person, to learn how to eat better and in lighter amounts.  I'm trying to train my body to enjoy running (I just finished my first 8k and it took me 61 minutes).  For me, that will be a major accomplishment.

I think the one thing I want to get from this blog is tracking my running.  I'll be very impressed with myself if I keep it up, but I'll be very happy if it actually happens!  Wow, I could be on the break of having another good habit! :)  Let the running begin.