The Okey Doke

After my day at the dentist and only 3.5 hours of sleep, I had no interest in running whatsoever.

I woke up from my "nap" with that jittery, nauseated feeling that spoke to my lack of sleep. In addition, my household is fighting some sort of mild sneezy virus or maybe just plain ole' nasal irritation from the dry heat. Needless to say, I felt pretty crappy.

I told myself all I had to do was pick up my son from school and get back home and I could go back to sleep. Screw the gym. But, I made myself put on my gym clothes just in case. I suspected I might feel differently once fresh air hit me...

Well, I didn't. But I drove to the gym anyway.

We got to the gym too late to run before my groove class. There were no parking spaces. And there were no available treadmills when I got inside. The voice in my head kept telling me, "It's okay to just go back home." Instead of listening, I just waited, sitting cross-legged on the gym floor, still uninspired.

Boy, am I glad I did.

I did a long, walking warm-up (10 minutes) to see if I would start circling the drain early. It felt okay.

I increased to 5 minutes running with 1 minute walking. No breaks, no gasping, no cramps, nose cleared up... for a full 30 minutes (2.54 miles). I couldn't believe it (and still can't). How could I run the best and the farthest on the day I felt the worst? I can't explain it.  But, I'm so excited.

Net Carbs: 50 grams

Weight: thinking I'll only weigh once a week at weekly tally.

Workout: 30 minutes on treadmill: 5 minutes running, 1 minute walking. No groove class.

Days 'til first 5K: 59

My Poor Teeth

We've all heard how important dental health is to keeping our hearts healthy, yet for some reason, the dentist is the last appointment I remember to make, if I ever do. I probably floss once every few months. And I have a habit of ignoring random tooth pain until I can't anymore. 

Today, I got off work at 7am and spent my hard-earned napping hours at the dentist for a down and dirty cleaning (i.e., scraping), and addressing a cracked tooth I unsuccessfully tried to forget about.

I had a really nice hygienist that got me to thinking -- I'm doing all this dieting, working out and running so I can be fit and heart healthy going into 30, yet I'm not doing basic things that can also keep my heart healthy -- like flossing. 

So, this year, despite my absolute aversion to flossing, I'm going to try to fit it into my routine. My poor teeth and my aging heart deserves at least that. I'm adding "flossing once a day" to my list of health and fitness goals  (I know it's supposed to be twice, but let's be realistic here). Let's see how it goes...

Running: The Answer to My Fitness Goals?

So, I think I figured out a way to stay interested in being fit: Running.


It's been a long time since I've run. I used to run cross country in high school (since you all know how old I am, you can do the math), and I tried for a few weeks this past summer, but I haven't run consistently in forever.


The cool thing about running is that it's one of the few sports that you can pick up in adulthood and still compete.


So I started running today. I'm following the Runner's World 8-week Beginning Runner's Training Program. I ran on the treadmill for 1 minute then walked for 2 minutes, over and over for a total of 30 minutes. It felt great to run again... not as hard as I expected.

Time For Change

The scale doesn't lie. Especially when it gives you the same number 3 days in a row. 

Apparently, I gained 27lb since the summertime. Yes, my gym did close in June (and I failed to find a new one). And yes, I have consumed rich sauces and tasty desserts in a way I never have before. I do work crazy hours. I'm often too busy to eat well. But, no matter what the reason (or frankly, the excuse), the fact still remains: 27lbs.

The extra 27lbs don't make me obese, but I still don't feel healthy. Over the last few months, I have felt increasingly sluggish. So it's time to make a change. This isn't how I want to bring in my 30s -- at all.

NOW

SUMMER 2009: