Saturday, November 27, 2010

Maybe I figured it out...

So my post complaining about putting on weight yesterday. Well, I measured myself and I am the same, if not a little less in measurements, so maybe Mark is right, and I am putting on muscle, not fat.

I know that I also need to curb my lack of self control when it comes to eating unhealthy foods. I was sooooo good, and so healthy earlier this year. I knew that I should not be feeding my body fatty, calorie laden foods, chock a block with High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated fats and salt. But I guess that the past few months two things have happened. Firstly, life has been very busy and being pretty much the lone chef in the house means I get bored sometimes of having to create different meals all the time. And because Mark has the ability to eat whatever he wants, he doesnt always measure things when cooking. Plus when he cooks, it's almost MORE effort for me because I have to stand there and tell him what to do. Not being a bitch...if I were to make bookshelves, he would have to stand over me to tell me what to do.

Anyway, I think the second thing is that I feel like I am missing something right now. I desperately wanted to go on holiday next year but it looks like it is 99% impossible because I have to reapply for my visa in March, and I cannot leave the country until my visa has cleared. So we cant book a holiday because it could end up a massive waste of money if we cant go. So basically I am a big Debbie Downer, wishing I could do all these things I cant do, so instead I eat, because I do very very well at that.

I need to get back into my healthy eating mind frame. I dont think I ever really lost it, but now while I am stuffing my face with pizza or fries, I know that I should not be doing it, but I do it anyway, because i feel I deserve a treat.

Bottom line, I need a vacation, but will not get one in the near future. Yeah I know I have plenty to be thankful for. I know. I know. Instead I will stuff my face to try and be happy. But it makes me even more sad.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Running is making me fat

Shame on Dan who told me that when running he can eat and drink whatever he wants and he dropped a shed load of weight, etc, etc.

NOT FOR ME!!! I have been eating out  a little more than usual lately, but have certainly been steering for healthier options but I have been putting on weight which is super frustrating.

Maybe it's something in the water in this country. Before I moved to America I could absolutely eat whatever I wanted and not put on weight. Now I wasn't in the best shape of my life. Bugger it, I weighed 2lbs less than I do now! But I could eat ANYTHING, including one day where I ate Burger King for both lunch and dinner.

Nowadays I always eat a super health breakfast, a relatively healthy lunch but unless I stick to around 500 cals for dinner with high protein, high fiber and low fat I just get fatter and fatter :( I generally am happy to be watching my calories but bloody hell it gets so boring and exhausting!!!

 To make it even harder Mark eats and drinks whatever he wants and stays the same. I cook myself a meal, measure everything out...and he just throws it all on a plate. Men are so lucky!!!!!!!!!

Yeah so thats my whining for the day.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

We did it - our first 'Long' run

We actually held off on doing our long run yesterday, instead heading to the gym for a quick 10 minute run, then 20 minutes on the weights.

Today though we did it! We went out and ran 3.1miles, around our neighbourhood in the beautiful weather. It was sunny and not even cold.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

A busy, exercise filled week!

Well we certainly got back on track this week. After recovering fully from Strep (it took a while) and bracing ourselves for some cold-ass mornings, we got back on it and slotted ourselves right back into the Shamrock Half Marathon training schedule for beginners.

At the start of the week Mark and I could both feel how we had been out of the game for a few weeks. We took more frequent breaks, and it took longer than usual to do our run.

So the past few days we did the following
Saturday - Run 2 miles
Sunday - walk 2 miles
Monday -Run 2 miles
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - Run 2 miles
Thursday - Yoga 30 minutes
Friday - Run 2 miles

And the plan for today, in line with the schedule, is to go and do our first "long" run of 3 miles. We are yet to decide whether to hit up the W&OD trail, or whether to plot out a 3 mile circuit on google maps.

I will keep you informed on how it went!

On a side note, Mark and I went to a new Mexican restaurant in Leesburg Market Station last night, and it was brilliant! Service was speedy yet unobtrusive; the drinks were delicious and the food was sooooo good. We both opted for the lamb fajitas which were very very good. I LOVE FOOD! And maybe one day I will love running as much!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Back on the plan!

Woohoo!
Feel so happy that Mark and I are back on  our training plan. Saturday we ran 2.35 miles, Sunday we walked 2.35 miles, and today, Monday, I ran 2.31 miles. Woohoooooo!

I am so glad that we are back and kicking it! Let's keep it up!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

We finally did it, we ran!

After saying that we would this morning, Mark and I did run around midday. It was sunny but not too hot.

When we got home I took my new running clothes out of the bag finally, and washed them so they will be ready to go tomorrow, and I will be a snazzy runner!

Where have I been?!?

What a crazy few weeks. During Steve's visit Mark and I definitely did not run as much as we should have. I think we managed a measly two runs in ten days. BUT family will always win for me, and if you don't get to see someone too often, your priority will be to spend time with them.

A few days after Steve's visit I felt a little under the weather, and just kept getting worse. Last Tuesday I went to the doctor, and found out that my illness had turned into strep. So I spent three days off work, two of them being in bed resting.

I am still not feeling 100%. It almost feels like I have forgotten what it is like to wake up without a sore throat (though that bit has gone now) or without a lung full of nastiness. But despite this I am determined to get back into training. The training schedule on the Shamrock Half Marathon website actually starts on Monday, so I feel like I am not as far behind as I believe.

So the next few steps are to head right back into training, and then start contemplating what our plan of training attack will be for December when we visit the UK. It is a ten day trip, so I want to have a plan of action and have specific ideas in mind of which days we will run. I don't mind missing maybe one day of training, but do not want to fall off the band wagon again.

Also I am excited to be cooking again. We spent a lot of time eating out at phenomenal restaurants with Steve, who is a chef, and then after that due to Mark and I being sick we ate out a lot. I love eating out from the lazy point of view...I do 99.9% of the cooking at home, and whilst I usually do it happily, it is tough to muster up enthusiasm for it after a ten hour shift in work sometimes. But I want to get back to eating healthy and eating at home. When you are at a restaurant, you never know exactly how many calories, how much fat, how much sugar you are eating. And I want to eat the very best food that I can!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

back on track

We did a good job yesterday, getting back on track and heading out for a run. we mapped out a new route so we could measure our distance more. Considering we had not run in a week, we did pretty well, and now that we have a new route we can use that to see how we improve. Our initial route took us 32 minutes to run and we sped up so we had to keep adding in new side streets and cul-de-sacs to run along.

Today we are going to head to the gym and do some weights, i want to do some pull ups and really work on building my upper body strength.

Glad to be back in the game!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Ugh

Ok, well so you all know the running this week just did not happen, although Mark and I are planning to run today and then work out tomorrow (weights and stuff).

With Steve visiting, literally every day we were running around doing things from 8am til 12 midnight or later, so I found no time to take out and run. Thursday and Friday I could have run, but after a ten and a half hour work day on Thursday, and a ten hour work day on Friday I was frazzled. I am glad that Mark and I have pretty much no plans today and tomorrow so that we can spend some time relaxing, but also get right back on track with our running schedule.

I am looking forward to getting back in the swing of things!

Friday, October 22, 2010

We ran 30 minutes straight!

We did it! This morning we ran for 30 minutes, non stop! I am so proud of us!

It got off to a rough start when mark asked to walk after only 2 minutes. So we walked for one minute, then ran for thirty! We were out for 35 minutes in total and I was so pleased with our progress!

At what point can one call themselves a runner? I contemplated this as I ran this morning. Six weeks ago the thought of running for 30 minutes was a little terrifying. Now here I am running, albeit at a slowish pace, for 30 minutes. But can I be called a runner? Shouls I call myself a slow paced jogger?

ANNNNNDDDD I am desperate for us to acquire a tracking device to figure out exactly how far we are running. If anyone can recommend one, let me know!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

A hit and miss week

So Monday started off unexpectedly well with an afternoon run while Steve and Mark slept soundly. But here we are at Thursday,no second run in yet, and the chance of it happening today are slim to nil, Admittedly, I could leave work for an hour at lunchtime to hit the gym. However, I did that one time before and it was frustrating fighting the traffic just to get there and back. Plus I dont like to use their showers if I can help it!

Anyway, my current plan is to run tomorrow morning (Friday) and then run either Saturday or Sunday morning.

I am working my way through Jeff Gollaway's book regarding the half marathon, and I really enjoy all the things I learn.

Next thing to discover. what do you do if you need to poop during the race?!?!

Monday, October 18, 2010

more like a nature run today!

Well despite my brother Steve arriving less than 3 hours ago, I left him at home to go out for a run.  Kind of. Having been awake for over 30 hours Steve decided to have a kip...then Mark  decided to have one too. Not being the napping kind, I sprawled out on the sofa with a bag of Monster Munch (UK crisps), read women's health and did some sudoku.

Suddenly I though pah I should have gone for a run...and so I threw on my running clothes and out I went. I ran faster than usual, and only took one one minute walking 'break' and was really pleased with how I did.

While out I saw a deer. A DEER! I was so excited! It just looked at me, and was probably 10 feet awat at it's closest. I wish I had my camera, but then again, I never take my camera running. Nature wise I also saw a billion squirrels (well four), and some rabbit poo.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Something is up with my knee :(

I am not sure what...it is not painful per se, just an almost popping feeling when I bend it or lift it. It might be due to a lot of standing up yesterday, a lot of which was in the very cold weather. I am hoping if I take it easy it will be fine in a couple of days.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

I did run yesterday...

we did pretty well on our run yesterday - we walked 2, ran 9, walked 1, ran9, walked 1 then ran 8. We were proud  of ourselves especially as I had awoken feeling below par, and wanted to stay in bed and sleep more. I am proud of how our fitness levels seem to be improving.

So today, after my first oyster shot and only 4 hours sleep, I attended my first tailgating. It was fun, although we naturally bought too much food.

I am now sat blogging at the Navy football game because I am so bored.Seriously, this game is so slow, so stop and start, so anti-climatic, so dull. I would almost rather watch cricket, and that is saying something.

I did enjoy drinking at 10am though...

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

It feels so good to run!

Yesterday we gave ourselves the day off as it was a holiday...well I say that, Mark worked really hard all day finishing the handmade bookshelves, but we had a day of rest from running.

However, this morning we did the right thing and got up early, and ran...and ran some more! It's been great lately as we have added in little extra loops, and have still been running for the same length of time. It is incredibly satisfying seeing our improvements what feels like every time we run.

I also started  reading Jeff Galloway's "Half Marathon: You Can Do It" book. I totally multitasked and painted my nails at the same time...perhaps I can learn to knit while running or something ha ha ha!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

We totally didn't run yesterday morning...

...But we did run today!! Fair play to us for getting out of bed on a Saturday morning and taking a great run around the neighborhood. Mark and I Ran mostly our usual route, but also added some extra loops because we are taking less time on our usual route. We are not running for most of the thirty minutes, taking mayeb two-one minute walking periods. This is such an improvement already!! So proud!!

Tomorrow Mark and I are spending time with some friends, one of whom, Diane, has recently completed a half marathon. From what I have heard her dad is a bit of a marathon fiend!! I am excited to talk with Diane and pick up some more hints and tips for running the half marathon.

On a side note, I am totally addicted to coffee. TOTALLY. We had to make a pit stop at Wegmans at 11pm last night to buy some more coffee to get us through this morning, as we ran out yesterday. Dangerous!! Maybe when I grow up I will BE a cup of coffee. Or maybe I will be the spinach and artichoke dip at Vintage 50, I consume a lot of that too.

My weight 'control' is going well. Despite drinking most nights this week, and having Chinese foor for TWO meals yesterday I have lost a little this week. Always a good thing.

Today will consist of cleaning, cleaning, cleaning!! I am trying to get the house ready for Steve's arrival a week from Monday, and with us having to go away next weekend I have today plus two evenings this week to get the place sorted. UGH! I will blast some Jersey Shore Music and have a Jersey Shore Party while I clean!

Friday, October 8, 2010

I need to get a wriggle on...

Well I suppose the struggle that is finding the motivation to run outside when its cold has stuck me. I had no issues waking and getting up, its just that now Id rather stay in with a cup of tea or coffee than get dressed and head out to run.

BUT I have just downloaded an app to  track how far Mark and I run each day so I should go and give that a try...

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Getting the munchies...

So one of the things I had been concerned about when it came to training for this half marathon was that I thought that my appetite was going to rev up massively. As someone who has a pretty hearty appetite as it is and can pretty much eat a horse at every meal, I was concerned that soon enough I would be eating a horse AND cow at every meal.

But the last couple of weeks my appetite has remained the same, if anything I feel like it is reducing slightly. The only time I get the munchies as such is when Ive had a beverage or two, and then all I want is Dominoes pizza!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

So now Im an elephant...

Hahahaha Dan did it again, this time likening me to an elephant. To his credit, I was walking around with rolled  up rugs on my arms and probably looked like an animal out of lion king. Good job the marathon training is going well and the pounds are dropping or I would have a complex...

So yesterday morning we did not get up and run. After the busy weekend at the Rennaissance Festival in Maryland we were shattered. BUT we DID take a longer lunch break than usual and spent the time at the gym! I walked 1 min, ran 27 and walked the final 2. I also ran faster than I have before, which I was pleased about, though I know speed isn't a goal for me.

I am still really enjoying "Chew on This", and just got "Fast Food Nation" out of the library too. I find books on subjects like health and nutrition fascinating. It's fascinating but scary at the same time!!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

An amazing weekend...with a sore head...

What an amazing weekend! Mark and I went with a group of friends to the Renaissance Festival in Maryland on Saturday, then camped out in a cute little log cabin...being round the campfire was fun, trying to sleep on the bunk bed without a pillow, not so fun.

So now my head and neck ache (though the head ache may be from too many Bee Sting drinks yesterday...) and my left leg is a little sore from sleeping weird I think. PLUS its raining outside, and will probably be raining in the morning...will we get up to run? OF COURSE WE WILL!

Well, I say that now, check in tomorrow for an update!!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Fanny packs at the ready!

Mark and I just signed up for the half marathon! We filled in the forms, paid our pennies, and now we are official entrants in the 2011 Shamrock Half Marathon! I am SOOOOOOO excited!

Now to figure out what to wear. Apart from my essential fanny pack of course...

Motivation took over me this morning!

I did it! Despite the darkness and the rain pounding down AND a poorly husband still asleep, I arose this morning and hit the gym for a sweatalicious running session I was super proud of!

I walked 1 minute, ran 5, walk 1, run 6, walk 1, run 7, walk 1 and then ran the last 8. I have an obsession with the  numbers on the treadmill, and like to push myself each time. Some days I dont push as  hard, but today I was so proud.

Although I did jump off the treadmill to find a row of gym bunnies behind me...for a sec I was intimidated, and then I thought "pah, I am improving my health and who cares if I dont have perfect gym clothes and a skinny little arse?!"

Thats all for now!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

When your running partner is sick...

So Mark isn't feeling too good right now, and my guess is that he will not be well enough for training tomorrow morning.

Where will this leave me? Where will this leave my motivation at 7am when my alarm goes off?

Oh and on a side note, Mark left work to go home early because he was poorly. THEN I get home at 6.45pm and he's only gone and eaten some of my bloody UK chocolate!!!!! Revenge will be mine wahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!

Monday, September 27, 2010

choosing food wisely...

Tonight I was stuck in a typical scenario of many - it got to 7.50, Id only just got to the grocery store and had to quickly select something for dinner. Naturally tonight was not going  to be one of my culinary inspired evenings, so i tried to scout out something quick and easy.

I cant deny, my first  idea was to look at the fresh pizzas, but whoa am I glad i checked out the label.  At 290 calories for 1/8 of pizza (who ever really just has one serving?), plus a bit of hydrogenated fat, some high fructose corn syrup (yep in pizza) and probably enough saturated fat for the week.

I put it down, and instead chose some fresh lean chicken breast which I grilled, and served with a mixed salad and a balsamic garlic dressing. My whole meal probably came in at around the calories of the one pizza serving, left me feeling satisfied, and I was happy in the knowledge that what I had fed my body was balanced and nutritious. Yeay!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

I am so proud!!

Now, I know that for seasoned runners this will not be too exciting, but it is an achievement I am proud of - for the first time today I ran for the whole 30 minute training session!

I am so so proud - as someone who hadn't really run much at all four weeks ago, to now be running for 30 minutes non stop I think is a great achievement!

I am a culinery goddess at times...

With Mark waking up late I had ideal opportunity to create a super delicious, pretty healthy rosemary chicken, spinach, red pepper crustless quiche.

I love experimenting with fresh, healthy ingredients trying to create new dishes. And then I love eating it all afterwards!!!

Heading for another run this morning!

Not just yet as it's only 7.39am and the hubby is still sleeping, but once he arises from the depths we will be heading out for a run. So far we have been doing one loop of a trail near our house, but I think that today we may add on an extra section to bump our time to 30 minutes. Last time we ran it was 27 minutes on our usual loop.

AND I have tried to be organized and already plan in when Mark and I will run next week! I am getting ON it!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Maybe this should be renamed "I eat and talk about food..."

Well so far it appears that I pretty much talk about anything BUT running the half marathon!

This week has so far shown a lack of training due to some early starts in work, and my continuing battle with insomnia. However, this weekend looks promising - we have nothing planned until the evenings, so there will be large windows of opportunity for  running.

I do want to invest in some new running sneakers...mine are fine and I feel well supported, but they are getting old.

Speaking of which, I must be getting old...I found a grey hair yesterday! It's obviously been yanked out now, and I think it was just a rogue one. I am most certainly not getting old yet!

On a positive note today is birthday cake day in work! Last month we were doing our staff training on birthday cake day which disappointed me SO MUCH! I am such a cake fiend!!!!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Brilliant run this morning!

We did it again folks...Mark and I woke at 7am to go running, and it went really well. We are so fortunate having so many great and safe places to run near our home. It's also like a nature run, this morning we saw a bluebird, loads of squirrels, and a couple of dogs (ok not so naturey but I ran out of other things we saw!)

The only downside was getting a bug bite, but kudos to the bug, he climbed not only into my tshirt but also into my underwear. I think he deserved to take a bite after that effort!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Forgot to mention...

Tomorrow, providing that no insomnia keeps me up for hours on end through the night, Mark and I will be heading out for a run. The alarm will be set for 7am which will give us plenty of time for a pre-work run!

ALSO...I tweeted about the Mayo Clinic book, all about health and alternative medicine...then chuckled to myself when I saw the tweet appear...next to my profile pic of two sexy alligator shots! I am an oyxmoron!

A new, fascinating book!

Ok, ok fair play. Dan, my boss who didn't really call me fat but still makes us laugh when I say that he did, well he brought in a book to work for me to read today. It was a busy old day so I hadn't really had chance to look at it until this evening, but wow I am thoroughly enjoying it!

It is "Mayo Clinic Guide to Alternative Medicine 2011".

I am very open minded to what alternative medicine can do for us all. It takes about weight, about alcohol, about herbs, about yoga, about fighting disease, about fighting stress...EVERYTHING (it seems!) to be a healthy, well- rounded person.

As a (relatively!) young female it is incredible the amount of crappy, faddy, unhealthy and unrealistic diets that so many magazines, websites and even celebrities, promote. I can see why primarily young women although less so also young men, can get drawn into these diets. If you have a less than slender boyish figure, why wouldn't you get excited at the thought of losing 10lbs in 10 days?? Anyway, this books examines some of the ingredients in many of these ridiculous weight loss tablets/ patches / drinks, and REALLY, tells you what they can and can't do for you.

I am loving this book, and ridiculously give myself a little cheer for everything the book encourages you to do that I already do, such as eating plenty of garlic and taking a Vitamin D supplement.

WOOHOO!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

It's rest day...

Kind of ironic seeing as I have barely rested, instead being generally busy with laundry, cleaning, tidying and all that jazz. Right now I have ants in my pants and would actually love to go out for a run. However, I know it's important to rest my muscles. Since working out Thursday and running Friday, the muscles in my leags can certainly feel it...not in a painful way, more in a "yeah I worked out!" kind of way.

Will be up at 7am for a run in the morning before work!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

First official half-marathon training run!

I can't deny, when Mark was late getting up this morning, I really thought our opportunity of heading out for our first official half marathon training run was kind of shot to pieces.

BUT I WAS WRONG!!

We indeed headed out and completed our first session, and it was great. We ran on a beautiful path near our house, saw lots of friendly people, and had a lot of fun.

Good Times!

Friday, September 17, 2010

working up a sweat...

Well at long last I finally worked out today! I didnt go for a run as the creepy man from the neighbourhood was around, instead choosing to do a 30 minute Jillian Michaels workout DVD.

Also I later went for a 30 minute walk down the W&OD trail...not too intense but it got me moving.

A couple of nights ago a made, in my humble opinion, a PHENOMENAL seafood lasange! I will definitly post the recipe on here - it was super delicious and pretty health - bonus!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Rough start...well not even a start to marathon training...

Well today was supposed to be the day that Mark and I started half-marathon training proper but sadly it didn't happen this morning :(

After not being well this past weekend I think I still wasn't 100%, and last night insomnia hit good and proper. I think contributing to it was work stuff ticking over in my mind, which is never a good thing!

So I went to bed around 10.45 and 2am comes and after much tossing and turning, short spells of getting up to read I was STILL wide awake. I think I fell asleep sometime after 4, then got hooked into some weird Jersey Shore Twitter dreams, and I kept waking up...

After only a few really rough hours of sleep my alarm went off and I knew that my body could do with more rest. Maybe a crappy excuse, but I would rather have a normal functioning day and skip training, then have a terrible day and do training.

That said, I will head to bed soon and hope I sleep better tonight!

Monday, September 13, 2010

A balanced diet

As I have previously mentioned,  over the past few months I have read a LOT and learned a lot about food, and how our bodies react to it.

Take High Fructose Corn Syrup. It was introduced in 1982 - the year I was born - and since then the occurence of obesity and type II diabetes has sky rocketed. HFCS occurs in most non-diet sodas, in tomato ketchup, in certain crackers, many cookies, and even in things you wouldn't necessarily think of, such as pasta sauce.

Mark and I shop as carefully as possible to avoid buying products with HFCS. All it takes is some label reading. Also, we tend to buy a LOT of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, fresh meat, wholegrain rice and pasta and organic dairy...these leave little opportunity to wind up with nasty additives!

And what is my standpoint on organics? Well, Jillian Michaels wrote about this in one of her books, saying that you should buy what you can afford. And that is the policy that we have adopted - we buy organic when possible.

We also avoid any kind of hydrogenated oil or tans fats. Hydrogenated oil is oil that is blasted with hydrogen, to extend it's shelf life and to change the consistency in the fat. Increasing research is showing that hydrogenation of oils is contributing to the increase of degenerative diseases.

There are continually food scares, with everything from eggs to potatoes to various meats being put under the spotlight. Yes, I believe that there are times when, because of certain outbreaks of disease, we should use caution when choosing our foods. For example, when the UK had it's BSE / Mad Cow crisis, would I buy beef? Well, no.

Like Michael Pollan insists, eat what your grandmother would recognize as a food. Would she recognize a Twinkie that would probably outlive most of us? NO! Would she recognize a piece of chicken, with carrots and green beans? YES!

So what is my usual food intake? It varies day by day, often with the weather, and whether I have worked out that day. Today I worked 8.30-6.30, and ate the following meals:

Breakfast: 8am, breakfast smoothie

Snack 11.30am, carrots, half a sliced bell pepper and 2 tbsp hummus

Lunch: 2.30pm - Three slices of turkey (50cals) on two slices of fiber wheat bread, with a 1oz serving of extra sharp white cheddar cheese

Dinner 7pm - 1/4 cup barley, 1 extra lean chicken thigh, 1 sliced bell pepper, 4 large mushrooms, sliced, the juice of 1 lime and lots of garlic!

Calorie wise it isn't a very high day, but I didn't do any exercise, and my job was quite sedentary today.

Tomorrow is the day training officially starts!

So far Mark and I have been trying to work out at the gym to raise our fitness as much as possible before....Duh duh duhhhhhhhhh - MARATHON TRAINING OFFICIALLY BEGINS!

Today I have gone back to my better balanced diet, try to cleanse away the alcohol from the last few days! Although I did enjoy some chocolate while Mark was out this evening...!

I have spent some time on various websites recently, compiling advice on running and more specifically running a half marathon for the first time.

Jeff Galloway's website has  had some really sound advice, and the comment he made which I related to best was to aim to finish the half marathon, not to over push myself and create an unrealistic time goal.

I attend the gym at best 3 times a week right now, and so would say I have an ok fitness level, but I certainly do not want to set myself an unrealistic target, that I could not finish. the clock at the race will run for four hours, so as long as I complete it in less than four hours I will be satisfied (Yes I know that sounds like a contradiction, but I could probably walk the whole race in four hours - I am a super fast walker, ask Mark!)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

running as a stress reliever...

I totally want to start using running as a means to tackle my stress. The last couple of days have been stressful ones in work, and I wish that i wasn't so afraid of running in te dark, so that I could have gone out and run my stress right out of my system. I believe that exercise can really help you release stress, anger and frustration, part of it for me is also listening to awesome music, with a fast beat, at a high volume! My absolute favourite at the moment is the Jersey Shore album. I have never really been into much dance music, but this album I LOVE, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants music with a great beat to work out, run or dance to.

My tip top track right now is Girlicious - Drank...with the stress in work alcohol has naturally played quite a part in my evenings! Love it!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Today my boss called me fat..

It wasn't as bad as it sounds really. My boss, Dan, was asking what size shirts and hoody I would want to order, and he pointed out that the sizes would shrink in the wash. I decided that as my small shirts have been fine, I would order a medium, and any shrinkage should leave it fine fitting. "Hmmmmm" he says, "so if you are usually a medium, you would want a large". No! I tell him, I want a medium. "You don't want a large?". Now I know I am not teeny tiny, but come  on! I ridiculed him all day for calling me fat.

In fact it was Dan who got me onto this whole half marathon business. I have always enjoyed watching the London marathon, and have seen people of all shapes and sizes complete it. But could I run even a half marathon?

What began as a casual conversation between a few of us in work turned into  an exciting, thought provoking, potential group task. When Dan spoke to Dena and I about the marathons he has run, I dont think he could have known that not only would Dena and I be getting psyched for training, but also my husband Mark, our co-worker Wendi, and possibly even more.

EXCITING TIMES AHEAD FOR US ALL!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Books I have read in my quest to get healthy...

  • Jillian Michaels - Master Your Metabolism
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  • Jillian Michaels - Making the Cut
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  • The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps
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  • The Biggest loser Family Cookbook
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  • Michael Pollan - The Omnivore's Dilemma
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  • Michael Pollan - Food Rules - An Eater's Manual
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  • Michael Pollan - In Defense of Food
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  • Marion Nestle - What to Eat 
  •  
  • David Kessler - The End of Overeating
  •  
  • Brian Wansink - Mindless Eating
  •  
  • Michele Simon -How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back


DVD
  • Food Inc

For me these books and DVD are not even so much about weight loss, they are more about educating myself so that I may have the healthiest body possible, and in turn so that one day when I hopefully have children, they too will be as healthy as possible. 

I think we should all be aware of where our food comes from, and what impact the food that we choose to buy has on the environment, on the economy and on our bodies.

And in the beginning...

I have never been sporty, and generally was usually in the last three to be picked for most sports in school, except for cricket. In cricket I was always amongst the first three to be picked, which I never understood!

I have always been average weight, average height. When i lived in the UK I would eat what I wanted and generally never put on too much weight.THEN I moved the America and shazam, I dont know if there is something in the water or whether I just got excited at a new selection of goodies, but all of a sudden (well maybe over about 8 months) I realised I was 20lb heavier and not happy about it.


So I watched Biggest Loser, and like millions of people, got inspired by Jillian Michaels. I read her books, then others like those by Michael Pollan. It made me realise that the junk going into me was not doing me any good, was draining my body and preventing me being truly healthy.

Right now I am mostly healthy. I think compared to some people I know it is uber-healthy, compared to others it is still a little alcohol and junk filled.

But NOW I have the biggest task ahead of me - I am running a half marathon in March. I have never been a runner, and so the thought daunts me somewhat. But I am excited as well as scared witless! I am going to be blogging about what I do, and how I do it, over the next few months. I am concerned about how being at home in the UK for 10 days over Christmas might hamper training (and healthy eating!), I wonder how well I will be able to stick to a training program.

It will all be a trip I'm sure!