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Showing posts from January, 2011

Toot Toot

Just a recap post to remind myself of the progress of my New Years Resolutions. And, okay, a little toot of my own horn for some extra special hard work that I did this week. I realized at the end of last week, that I had run 50 miles in January. With one week left (and an 8 miler on the schedule), I wondered if I could make it to 70 miles for the month. That meant that after I burned myself out with speed drills yesterday, I still had to run a mile and a half to make 4 miles, and that today I had to squeeze in another 4 at the expense of not eating dinner until 7pm. Boy, did I flub that one up. NOT enough fuel in the tank for that run. But I made it, and now I can say... I RAN 70 MILES IN JANUARY! God is good and chubby girls really CAN run! So, on to my resolutions. One, was to eat less sugar. I think I have done that...I mean, I don't track sugars but my "crap" intake has been greatly reduced. I quit eating protein bars after being irritated about the second

Which Came First...

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...the diet or the exercise? It seems like when making a lifestyle change, this is the crossroads we find ourselves at. You can't start both. Honestly. Just how realistic is it to quit eating Doritos and watching American Idol on Sunday and then on Monday begin snacking on broccoli and hitting the gym instead? The reality of making too many changes is that it might last a week or two. Tops. I've heard it said that "you can't out exercise bad eating habits." But let me put forth this as well - if all you do is eat right - you might loose weight, but your cardiovascular system will not benefit - and trust me - you need that. You need to exercise to turn your body into a calorie burning machine. Here's a thought. Scrap the broccoli (for now) and concentrate on the removal of the hook from you butt that binds you to your couch. They have TV's at the gym - our YMCA has them on each and every cardio machine. Buy a pair of headphones for $5 and you ca

Being a Fruitful Tree

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What do you think of when you look at this tree? Being from Nebraska, this tree looks to me, like it is sleeping. This appears to be fall or winter, the leaves have all fallen off, there is no shelter for birds or squirrels. The branches look weak and brittle, It looks dormant. What about this tree? Looks like a great place for animals to build a home, children to play on strong branches, and even a place to take shelter from the rain. It looks alive! My devotion today centered on this passage from the book of Psalms, chapter 1. 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord , and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

Joyfully Unhappy

Well, chalk four more things up to the list of "Things Out of My Control." Liam, age 12. Alahnnah, age 8. Susan, age 3. Cameron, age 21mo. Lord, I'm sorry that I thought I had any sort of influence on my children. They are your children, after all, and maybe some day they will listen to you. They SURE aren't listening to me. But whatcha gonna do? I go the positive reinforcement route for one, negative for the other, time outs, and consistency across the board. At the end of the day, I can say that I did what was right (well, except for today when I bruised my hand by smacking it on the counter when I was mad) and didn't try to belittle, injure or bully anyone. The last couple of days have been better. Cameron wakes at 5am (nearly) each and every morning. Dave gets up at 5 for work, so he goes in and lays him back down. The last two days he has gone back to sleep for 30 - 45 minutes without screaming, so that's something. Several days I just put the pill

The Survey

I took this from my Home Schooling-Running-Momma friend over at Wanderer In a Strange Land . Yes, actually, there are more of us out there...including my compadre at Random Thoughts of a Wanna Be Runner . It seems more crazy women than myself find solace in running! Now this survey is as the question relates to your training, whether it be running, biking, dance, weights, etc. In my dreams, I ...can run fast and far. My legs feel long and strong and my feet never seem to quite make contact with the pavement. My favorite book is ...Arena by Karen Hancock - not a running book, but my fave nonetheless. My favorite movie is ...Spirit of the Marathon, but I just saw Hood to Coast and that one might replace the other. My breakthrough was ...when I started seeing actual progress. I came back from a 4 mile run and was faster than I had ever been without feeling wiped out. My favorite run is. .. Speed Work - I feel so accomplished (exhausted) when I'm done. My favorite season to run i

Seriously

There are many, wonderful, kinds of people in the world. Women are more complex than men and there are more types of us than there are stars in the sky, I'm sure! Its not really fair to categorize people, but we all know a fancy girl, a tough girl, a coupon lady, and an earth day mom. Soccer mom, diva and the "wow, what is she wearing" woman. Whether we admit to judging, we most certainly categorize. I happen to be kind of a no nonsense person. I favor jeans and t-shirts with comfy shoes. I have used the same hair spray since 1996...and the same eyeshadow color. I tend to say what's on my mind, though I have learned a lot about holding my tongue. I enjoy work, and like having things to do. I enjoy working with my hands and don't mind feeling tired and ready for bed at the end of a good days work. Whining? Doesn't usually fit in to the plan. But here goes... Oh why, oh why, WHY the heck is all this stuff happening to ME!? It seems like nothing is co

One Good Pat

Sometimes all you need is one good pat on the back. Things pile up and it seems like you are kicked and kicked and can't catch a break. Struggling to keep your eyes on Jesus, you get discouraged, and even feel guilty for second guessing your fate. This last week has seen me crying more than I'd like. Out of frustration, irritation, anger, embarrassment, and shame. I've pleaded with God, and later accepted my situation with resign. Things have been very difficult with my children. Between sibling rivalry and pre -teen drama, we've also had a 20mo old that won't sleep. I've gone back to the Sleep Lady method that I used over a year ago to get him to sleep more than 1-2hrs at a time. I feel defeated. I feel like I am being punished. And due to the fact that I am home with the kids the bulk of the time, I feel alone. I use my training as a healthy outlet for the frustration. But as you know, when you are over tired and stressed, even that can suffer. I of

First Day of School

It's 8pm and I'm ready to pack it in for the day! Today was one of the more exhausting and aggravating Mondays in a while. Thankfully, as I was heaving the 3rd load of laundry up the steps, I was reminded that at least my back didn't hurt really bad today! Silver lining and all. I had dreaded this day. While finishing up lesson plans last night, I could see the handwriting on the wall. Alahnnah hasn't had a full day of school in almost 2 weeks - it was going to be hard to keep her on task. I picked the wrong kid! Liam was the one that was the issue. He couldn't stay on task, kept bugging his sister, getting out of his seat and talking back to me. He didn't show his work in Math and tried to get away with incomplete sentences in English. At 2pm he put an whole frozen banana in my blender and I snapped. He ended up finishing his work in his room. I haven't graded his Math OR English yet. *fume* On the upside, I did get most of my Monday work done.