Mexico Beach Bodies

I did it!! I finally convinced Bart to take us on a beach vacation. We're talking 6 days  at an all inclusive resort with unlimited room service, a beach outside our door and did I mention no baby?

It's going to totally rock.

Almost immediately after booking our getaway Bart said, "We need to start working out, I don't want to be the fat guy on the beach". Which- amen and amen for both of us. I have been exercising pretty regularly but I always love exercising with Bart so I was all for finding something we could do together and help motivate each other.

Enter: INSANITY. I got the videos back in March and did the Fit Test, had a big L-O-L that's not happening and never looked back. Bart dug them up and now...we're doing it. We are on day 9 and OMG it's freaking hard. INSANELY HARD (see what I did there??). Like: dripping sweat, smelly body, sore muscles, can't breathe hard. Those first several days we could barely make it up the stairs and crawl into our beds to hopefully die. Muscles we didn't even know we had came out with a vengeance. I learned my hips are SOOOO weak and Bart's calves hate him pretty much every day. And I am totally loving it.

I think being a runner has made us a little more patient in the "how long do I have to feel like this" category. Sure, we can't breathe and our muscles are about to give out- but it's only for a few more seconds. You can do anything for a few more seconds. I know I learned that from running. Training for those 9, 10, 13 mile runs- it gives you the mental toughness to keep going. And now we are taking those lessons and putting them toward this crazy hard home workout.

At the end of the workout when we are going through the last 5 minutes of stretches we are panting and dripping sweat and I say "it was really hard- but now it's over". That's the thing about hard stuff- it always ends eventually! This lesson when it comes to fitness is so important to me. It's like when my mom taught me how to clean she always said "Megan, you can always wash your hands". Meaning it's OK if your hands get nasty when you're cleaning something, use your nails to get that crusty thing off the floor- you can always wash them when you're done!

I'm rambling- but you get it. Right?

Basically all I'm saying is that Bart and I are going to have BEACH BODIES by the time we hit the beach in December and you better believe I'm celebrating with unlimited room service and tiny bikinis.

Eating a full bag of chips for 9 miles

Here's the thing about exercise. It's stupid. Sometimes I just want an instant reward and exercise does NOT give that to you. Exercise is long term and the rewards usually creep up on you and 90% of the time it's just not instant.

I feel so strong and tough and sexy when I go for a run and then I come home and no, those pants still don't fit and no, your baby rolls aren't all gone and yes, you actually look exactly how you looked this morning. WTF? What's the freaking point of going for a 9 mile run when you look the same after? That's what my brain has been saying these past few days.

You know what else doesn't have instant results? Eating a full bag of chips.

That being said, the Salt Lake Half is in 3 weeks so....I'll be out for a run.

The runner's mind during hill repeats

Bottom of hill- ok. You got this. Just three of these

Halfway up- this totally sucks. Hills are stupid. You are stupid. 

3/4 way up- you might die. You're probably going to die. If you make it to the top you can be done! I won't make you do the other two

Top of hill - your such a BA. That wasn't so bad. Beautiful view! Fist pump 

Down hill- you're such a great runner. Your body is pretty great. This is easy! Go  you. 

Bottom of hill- ok I can totally go up that hill again! Let's do this thang. 

Half way up- oh ya, this totally sucks still! 

3/4 way up- I think my legs are going to fall off. Yep...I'm going to just sit over there and die 

Top of hill- yay! You did it! Not that bad... Let's go again! 

(Repeat) 

4 miles of emotion

I went running tonight 

The first mile was filled with anger and frustration. I knew my anger wasn't anyone's fault but my own and I didn't want to take it out on my family. So I laced on my sneaks and ran out the door. I mumbled under my breath and swore and took all my anger out on the wind. 

The second mile was spent letting go of my stress and frustration. My anger turned to sadness and I wondered what life was supposed to look like and what more I should be doing. Still running against the wind, I let my body take me further and further away from my problems. 

The third mile I decided to turn around and head back home. Most negative feelings were gone and now I was focused more on my physical state instead of my emotional one. I just kept running, my mind finally clear. 

The fourth and final mile was filled with gratitude and pride. The wind was now helping me push up that last hill and my body allowed me to go the distance I had chosen. My anger was gone, my frustration soothed and my sadness put away for now. 

I ended my run with a little prayer of thanks and help as I stepped back inside my home - a much better version of myself. 

Distance: 1 mile Time: 16:21

I haven't been running for 4 months. I haven't been running regularly for 8 months. 2 months before I got pregnant I ran my first half marathon. I still consider myself a runner and getting my sneakers back on and hitting the pavement is something I have been looking forward to for a really long time.

3 weeks postpartum and I ran my first mile! I have been out walking with McKenzie every day for the last week and a half and have felt great. Abdominal surgery can't keep me down! I have been really blessed with a great recovery and have been itching to get back into an exercise routine. It's no secret that I didn't exercise when I was pregnant. I hated exercise and pretty much gave it the middle finger. Since this pink squishy thing made her arrival I am back to craving that sweaty, out-of-breath feeling.

Today we headed out for a walk. I wasn't really planning on running. We were almost done with our first mile walk when I decided to do the "walk 1 minute, run 1 minute" and see how I felt. I did about 4 of those before the first mile ended.

Then I decided to run the second mile.

At first I was just going to see if I could make it 5 minutes....then it was to the end of the block...then it was to the top of the hill....then it was the end of the mile. It took me 16:21 to finish. But I finished. My boobs needed more support and my knee was a little sore, but we did it! I was talking to my sleeping baby by the end of it, giving myself a pep talk.

It felt so great to get back out there and realize my body isn't as different as it sometimes feels. I now have something to look forward to and new goals to set. Macs loves her little seat and we enjoy our time outside.

Now that my swollen cankles are gone and I fit back into my shoes, I will be enjoying my 16 minute pace and the beautiful sunshine!

Pregnancy Dreamland: Exercise or Die

Reasons To Exercise Now

The benefits of exercising during pregnancy begin immediately and will last your whole life.

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BySuzanne Schlosberg

When I first got pregnant I signed up for a few weekly emails. Yes I want to know what my baby is doing this week! She's the size of a what? Best sex position? These were all things I thought I would need to know. About 12 weeks in I stopped reading most of them. They usually just annoyed me. I look back and think those were written for women in Pregnancy Dreamland.

 I specifically remember when I got the "33 Reasons to Exercise Now". I'm sure I read it as I was sitting on the couch NOT exercising. 

Here's the thing. There is above mentioned pregnancy dreamland...and then there is reality. Reality is different for every pregnant woman. My reality was that I was too sick to exercise at first, then I was too busy, then it was too hot and I was too big. There was a 2.5 month period where I exercised 5 days a week around April and May...but other than that I haven't been as great as I should. I'm over it.

So here are 9 reasons from that article, followed by my 9 reasons of why their reasons are stupid. 

-(side note: I LOVE to exercise. I love to run and move my body and keep it strong. I know there are 934785 benefits to exercising regularly and I believe that. I just hate stupid articles that tell prego women everywhere to EXERCISE OR DIE.)

1. You’re likely to gain less weight. 
- obviously this makes sense. But I would argue that most women are going to gain the same amount of weight either way. I have had a lot of moms tell me they exercised a lot more for one of their kids, and they ended up gaining the same amount of weight. Why? Because the "weight" we are gaining isn't just fat (and most of the fat we do gain is because we're going to need it to breastfeed later). Exercise or not, you're still going to have double the blood volume and a huge uterus filled with a chubby baby.

2. Labor and delivery may be easier.
- the next line in this tip is "there's no guarantee of course". What does "easier" mean anyway? It takes less time? You don't get as sweaty? You're strong enough to damage your husband's hand as he holds it?

3. You lower your gestational diabetes risk 
- I was one point away from the edge of having gestational diabetes and I was told that even though diet is a way to treat it once you have it, it doesn't really cause it to begin with. Family genetics, weight before getting pregnant and how your baby affects your system are all bigger factors. 

4. You get that “prenatal-spin-class high.” 
- has anyone even gotten a "not pregnant spin class high"?? didn't think so.

5. You’re less likely to cry, “Oh, my aching back.” 
- As much as I hate my couch, it hasn't given me any back pain either.

6. You’re less likely to get constipated.
- I have a pretty great digestive system thanks to my Hashimotos program....so my couch hasn't been a problem here either. p.s. you could also just drink lots of water and eat nutritious food? crazy I know.

7. You have more energy. 
- I will agree with this one...unless it's 98 degrees from 6am-10pm. Then that heat will suck all energy from your system

8. Odds are, you’ll deliver a svelter baby. Babies born with excess fat are significantly more likely to become overweight kindergarteners.
- bullshit. I don't believe chubby babies equal chubby children. I would take a happy chubby baby over a skinny sick one any day of the week.

9. You can enjoy the greatest flexibility of your life. 
- even when I was exercising 5 days a week with my baby bump I didn't really notice an increase in flexibility.....

2 Cents: Finishing last

I read this article on Facebook and couldn't resist! When I ran my first 10K two years ago I hoped I was ready. Little did I know that my body was sick and my addrenal glands were pretty much not functioning.

I had trained and ran and was nervous but ready! The idea of coming in last didn't even cross my mind...until 10 minutes into the run when I was in last place. Actually that's a lie, I was barely in front of 3 women who were walking. 

When the race first started it only took a few minutes for most people to get ahead of me. Whatever I thought, they are all going to burn out and I will just pass them later (it had happened in previous 5Ks I had ran). Well those peeps never burned out and I stayed in last place all the way to the finish line. 

I crossed that finish line, went straight over to my mom who was waiting for me and cried on her shoulder. It was the hardest thing I had ever done. Honestly looking back I would compare those 6 miles closely to the 13.1 I ran for my half. 

Before the race (happy and ready to go!)

After the race: I was NOT happy

I didn't know I was sick at the time, that that was the reason I had such a hard time. But even though I finished last, I finished. And I was pretty proud of myself. 

As the cheesy saying goes: it's not about finishing first or last, it's about finishing.

Shut up and run

It was such a beautiful day today with the  sun shining and a light breeze. A perfect day to run. So I laced up my sneaks and hit the pavement.

Within two minutes my swollen feet were yelling at me saying "these running tennies don't fit!" And my hips were saying "hey, we're busy getting ready for birth and this running thing isn't our idea of a good time." Even my pregnant belly was a little irritated. 

I told them all to shut up and deal. 

And I ran. 

As a runner you learn that discomfort isn't a reason to quit. It's a reason to prove to yourself that you are in charge- not the aches and pains that try to tell you otherwise! 

My shoes are too tight and my running pants no longer "hug me in all the right places" they more squeeze me into submission.  But my lungs still work and my heart still loves it. So I am going to keep on running. 

Getting my butt kicked by Jillian Michaels

Jillian Michaels kicked my butt tonight! As I type this my arms are shaky and my husband is grouchy...a good indication that it was a hard work out! I use to hate workout videos. They really are pretty tough for only 20 minutes! But then we moved away from a gym and I would rather stay home than drive across town...and now we do workout videos.

Bart and I have decided to run the Ogden Marathon next Spring and decided we needed to do a little strength training along with our running routine. Tonight was the first night of strength training. I have a feeling we're going to be a bit sore tomorrow!

I have been dealing with an inner battle for the majority of 2013 when it comes to working out and exercising. When I first started my Hashimoto's treatment I had to stop all kinds of physical activity. Short of going on a walk...I was more or less assigned to the couch. I hated it! I missed running with Bart and going to the gym most days of the week. I missed pushing my body and making my muscles hurt. However I quickly got over it and within a month was thoroughly enjoying sitting on the couch. It made sense that I couldn't exercise since I was barely eating enough calories to sustain life (or so it felt)...much less an active one. During my time on the couch I also lost 20 pounds. Why in the world would I want to get off my butt and do something??

Once I got the OK to exercise I didn't go to the gym..I hit the pavement. I started running and really that's all I did. 4 days a week I ran and ran and ran and eventually I ran 13.1 miles. It was awesome! I felt strong and healthy and pretty dang cool. Once the race was over I went back to my couch (literally and figuratively) and it's been hard to get off of it!

I use to exercise and work out because I was worried I would gain weight if I didn't. I didn't feel good about myself if I sat around all day. I felt tired and insecure. Then I was diagnosed with Hashimotos and once I started the treatment I felt amazing-without going to the gym once. See the problem? I no longer gain weight randomly if I don't exercise for a week. I don't feel tired or fat or sluggish. I just feel normal and a bit lazy.

I need to re-train my brain to think of working out as a way to make me stronger-no thinner. a way to prevent injury and become faster. There are so many benefits to regular exercise that has nothing to do with a smaller waist....I just need to remember that when it's time to do something!

Split Personalities

Since accomplishing my goal of running a Half Marathon I have taken a step back from running...mostly because I needed a break from training...and Bart got too busy with football to run with me...and the couch was just too dang comfortable...and because a few weeks later my foot started hurting.

The couch and the football and the feels-like-broken foot made me kinda lazy the month of September and first of October. I gave my foot a few weeks off, doctor's orders, but once I started running again it would hurt within just a few miles. No bueno. It didn't just hurt when I ran...it hurt for HOURS afterwards. As you can see, my couch was just looking better and better.

The last few weeks I have been trying to amp up my game a little bit and after talking to some friends today I realized I just needed to push through the pain and go a little further than my typical 3-4 mile runs. As soon as I got home today I changed into my running clothes and hit the pavement. If I sit down for even a minute it's that much harder to get out the door!

I was happily surprised that my foot was feeling good today. That was about the only thing that felt good. My shoulder...my neck...my hamstring. WTF? Before I started I made the goal of 5 miles and by mile 1 the mind games started. One personality just wanted me to turn around and head back to my trusty couch. The other personality kept me going, determined to accomplish the 5 miles. Isn't it interesting that the thing that holds us back is usually our minds? My body could have gone all afternoon (until I hit the last few miles uphill..then it was pretty much toast) but I physically I felt good. My lungs were peachy and it was a beautiful afternoon. My body aches eventually went away and I was enjoying the sunshine and my Step Up Soundtrack (don't judge).

I'm proud to say I ran the whole 5 miles today despite my alter personality wanting me to stop every step of the way.

13.1 Miles and a Whole Lot More

The craziness has finally subsided! We moved into our beautiful new home and have most everything unpacked. I am back to producing just ONE show a day instead of TWO. The half marathon is OVER and school is in full swing.

I can finally breathe!

Bart and I have been internet-less the last 10 days since moving in and it's been interesting to say the least. I spent most of my evenings/afternoons on Campus (40 minutes away from home) and Bart has been going to work early to make his lesson plans. Who knew we needed internet so much?? Hopefully we will have it by the end of the week. 

On a side note, we LOVE our new house. It's so big and quiet compared to our past apartments. Our bedroom echos because the ceilings are so high. We have an empty second bedroom and not enough stuff to fill up the space, but I love it. I know it will fill up eventually. We haven't seen much of our neighbors which isn't a bad thing since we both hate most people. Someone parked in Bart's assigned spot and he through a little bitch fit...but other than that there have been no problems :)

I was finally able to figure out how to log video from home (without a MAC computer and without internet) and to be honest I was almost more excited about that discovery than I was about finishing my first half marathon (which we will get to soon). Now I can spend countless hours logging video from the comfort of my own couch instead of paying $23974 for parking at the University of Utah library (F-YOU for raising prices BTW). This semester is going to be long and time consuming and honestly I have been making it a priority over work, but I just have 3.5 more months left...forever...so that is what I keep telling myself. 

Week 1 of my new responsibilities was last week at work and I thought it went really well! I have a good groove down and everything seems to be working out.

Now for the exciting part of my weekend...I ran my first half marathon! My official time was 2:27:11! It was really fun..until about mile 11 and then I just wanted to crawl to the side of the road and die. It was fun to have Bart run with me. Since we were running a few minutes/per mile slower than his usual pace he was fully enjoying himself and was a great cheerleader..especially toward the end. I sprinted to the finish line even when my body was all out of juice. I almost passed out after the finish line but I'm just going to take that as I really did give 100% to that race! We made a few friends along the way and I achieved my goal of finishing without having to walk. 

6 am it's-dark-outside-keep-me-warm pic

matchy shoes. matchy bibs.

WE DID IT!! I'm so happy Bart was able to run with me!

After I finished..before I almost passed out.

All done :)



It's amazing what our bodies are capable of! It never ceases to amaze me. I am so proud of myself and really happy training is over :) Around mile 10 when we were feeling pretty good we started talking about training for a full marathon...we may or may not start training when football season ends...stay tuned! We have the Dirty Dash this weekend which is always a good time! Who doesn't like to get dirty every once in a while??

Childbirth vs. Running Downhill

I woke up this morning in severe physical pain. in fact it was the pain that woke me up, and it was the pain that kept me in bed for more than an hour. I was afraid of the pain that would come if I attempted to move my body off the comfort of my bed. Over exaggeration? well it's not like I have given birth or anything so no, not an exaggeration.

My body is NOT interested in running downhill. the side effects of said hill are making me rethink this half marathon I've committed to running (did I mention it's 13.1 miles DOWNHILL???) 13 miles? no freakin way. I only ran 7 and I couldn't walk in a straight line this morning. I was shuffling around my house like a fat old person. Bart says it will be worse tomorrow. I want to punch him in the face.

I would like to mention that running 9 miles yesterday morning was HARD. it was one of the harder things I've had to do and I'm honestly not looking forward to running 10, 11 and then 13.1 miles. For some reason it was much much easier to run 8 miles in the middle of the Grand Tetons on a beautiful morning with no one else around than it was to run down Big Cottonwood Canyon with bikers, runners and drivers taking up your space. The fact that the last few miles to our car were UPHILL  didn't help the situation either. But I did it, and I'll do it again next week and the week after that. Because I'm a runner and that's what we do.

On a side note: I drank MILK for the first time in 4 months yesterday. It's time to test out my body's reactions to it and react it did. I gained a few pounds (Bart grabbed my stomach pudge this morning and said "that must be the Milk! it wasn't there yesterday" Gee ,thanks babe.) and my stomach made weird noises all day. That might sound normal to you, but my body doesn't fluctuate in weight throughout the day and my stomach definitely does NOT makes weird noises anymore. It's not the worse reaction to have but now I know milk won't be added to the permanent list of "to-eats".
 







*p.s. if you're tired of reading about my running adventures or Hashimotos stories then feel free to stop reading my blog altogether. my ego isn't big enough to care. This is my little piece of the internet and I can write about whatever.i.want.

8 Miles

I was M.I.A last week from the blogging world but there was plenty of stuff going on! I started the week off sick and spent Wednesday on the couch watching Million Dollar Listings L.A. it's my new guilty pleasure. 

On Thursday we took off to Jackson Hole Wyoming for a little Bowen family reunion! 4 days of camping. I think that's the longest time I've spent in a tent and smelling like a fire. It was a blast. We biked, hiked, swam and floated our way through the weekend. I will post pics of our adventures later. 

The best part of the trip? The 8 MILE run Bart and I went on early Saturday morning. We took off and headed south down a long road with the Grand Tetons on our right and giant trees on our left. It was a beautiful morning and an amazing run. It was full of hills and we totally rocked it! I felt super hard core with my CamelBak and headlamp strapped on. It was my longest run to date and I was so happy. Bart and I were having a great time. I can't tell you how amazing it feels to be able to run long distances. I could have kept going that morning. It was the perfect equation for a successful run!

6 Miles

I ran 6 miles today. Not only did I run 6 miles, but I ran 6 miles without crying which technically means I accomplished one of my new years resolutions (run a 10K without crying).

13 months ago I ran a 10K and it was the most miserable thing I had ever done. Even after training for 5 months it was hard! not only was it hard, but it was painful. I walked a lot of it and hated every step. At that time I just thought I hadn't worked hard enough. I thought my body just wasn't made to run. Little did I know that I was half correct

My body was too sick to run. It wasn't producing the chemicals bodies need in order to not only improve, but recover. My cortisol levels were pretty much non existent so when I was pushing myself and putting "stress" on my body there was nothing there to back me up. My body was not supporting me! Of course I didn't realize that until 4 months ago. I stopped exercising all together and just 2 months ago I started up again. I could Immediately tell something was better. So THIS is how it feels to have your body function properly! I'm no longer in constant pain when I run, and I can see improvement if I train.

Which leads us today and my 6 miles. Last weekend Bart ran his 3rd Half Marathon

 
I was so proud of him! He is such a stud and trained hard, beating his personal record! My friends Jess and Debbie were there and were talking about the Nebo Half Marathon on September 7th. 6 weeks away....it got me thinking....could I do it? I was currently training for a 10K and the thought of running twice that distance made me a little nervous. I asked Jess what she thought and she told me to run 15 miles this week with a long run of 6 miles and see how I felt. So I did! That was a 4 mile increase from my total weekly distance and I was curious to see how my body was going to handle it.

This past week I ran 3 miles three separate times and then this morning I ran 6 more. And guess what? I didn't cry. I kicked butt. I felt strong. I felt empowered. I felt my body working like it normally should.It gave me the confidence I need to say YES to that Nebo Half Marathon. Next Saturday will be 7 miles, then 8, then 9, 10 and finally the half. I know my body is going to have some aches and pains. But I also know if I don't commit to something like this half, than I'll never have an excuse to train and see what happens.

It's amazing how bodies function when they're healthy. When everything is in order they are a MACHINE! A well oiled machine that is capable of so much. I'm so thankful to have my machine working correctly and I look forward to pushing that machine to places it's never been before.

Some Thoughts...

Things About Today


Never try to take a "faster" way home. There is no such thing. Chances are your "faster" way will take longer than your original route.

(Some of you maybe don't want to listen to this but since it's my blog I don't care. My blog, my rules!) I actually got sweaty at the gym today. Pat on the back for making an effort. It's hard to get back in the habit of exercising when you have lost 20 pounds without it! I use to go at least 4 times a week, and now I struggle with making it 2 times. It's officially off my radar- not good! I need to get to the gym because it's good for my body, not because I want to lose a few pounds. Obviously my body is all about "you are what you eat" when it comes to weight loss. So for now I'll just admire the buff girls in front of me and create new goals. Weight loss can no longer be one of those goals or I just won't go!

 Ya know that math test I thought I bombed? I got an 80%. Go me!

I'm officially into this season of the Bachelorette (Caitlin, are you watching??). I usually don't get into the Bachelorette, just the Bachelor. I didn't know what I had been missing! This is reality TV at it's finest. (It's even better DVR'd so I can fast forward through the boring parts....bring on the man drama!)

I need my hair cut and colored...professionally. "But Megan, you are a professional!" No, no I'm not. Not when it comes to color, and not when it comes to my own hair! The only problem? My fav. hair dresser is 5 hours away and I don't want to shell out full price. Ha! I'm a cheap-o...but only because I haven't paid for any kind of salon service at full price for at least 6 years. I just need to suck it up and do it.

Runners Day

Today is National Runners Day where runners from around the world celebrate their passion and encourage others to give it a try. So why do I run?

I run because I LOVE to be outside

I run because the sun on my face just feels oh.so.good

I run because it gives me confidence

I run because it's better than sitting on the couch

I run because my body thanks me for it later

I run because I like to be able to say "I ran -insert miles here-"

I run because it makes me feel strong

I run because it gives me a chance to jam out to the latest tunes on Pandora

I run because it's a great way to spend time with Bart ( and apparently it has other benefits....)

I run because it makes me happy!

Why does Bart run?

"I run because that sit on the couch just doesn't feel right without it anymore. Happy Runners Day! "

                         

My moment

Day 9, : A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)



I started running 15 months ago. It was hard, my body seemed to hate it, but I figured I would just get stronger and better and eventually my body would catch up. 

I ran races every month with Bart and went running multiple times a week. Last July I ran my first 10K and it kind of scarred me. It was miserable and I clearly wasn't ready to run that distance. I was frustrated because I had trained just as hard, if not harder than Bart was, and he was dominating every race we went to. He was excelling while I stayed the same. It was discouraging but I didn't give up. 

In January I committed to the goal of being able to run a 10K without crying, and running a half marathon. I met a few great friends who were willing to help me get there. I was fired up and ready to go. Despite the fact that running 3 miles was STILL hard I figured I just needed to work harder and train more. 

Then 2 months ago my life changed. I was diagnosed with Hashimotos and was told that because my adrenal glands weren't functioning properly I couldn't exercise.  I was so disappointed. I thought all of my hard work was going to go down the drain because I had to stop running completely. Little did I know that the changes I have been making the past 2 months would make it so I could run better than I ever had before. 

I got the green light last week to start exercising a few times a week and on Tuesday I went running for the first time in 8 weeks. I figured it would be worse than when I started running a year ago since I had been completely dormant and losing my hard earned muscle. I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to run a mile on the treadmill with no problems. I stopped at a mile since my Dr told me not to push myself....but that mile was enough, I wanted to start running again.

This morning I woke up alone since Bart is gone coaching and decided to go for a run. I knew a 3ish mile route I could try and went for it. The first mile was straight up a hill but I was feeling good! In the past when I run my legs are tired and in pain, my ankles are sore and my feet hurt. I felt none of that today. I was elated! At 1.5 miles it turned into a downhill and around 2 miles it tapered off onto a flat surface. I had to pause a few times to get rid of the stitch in my side but other than that I felt great. For the first time in my short running life it was my CARDIO that kept me from going further, not the aches and pains of my body and muscles! I wanted to cry I was so happy. I was finally experiencing my body in the way it was meant to function. I realize now that all those months spent running in pain wasn't because I wasn't working hard enough, it was because there was something else going on inside my body that was out of my control. I can honestly say I enjoyed my run today. I've only been able to say that maybe  a handful of times the past 15 months, but I have a feeling it won't be the last time I get to say it.

Corpse Pose

So after talking to my Dr. on Wednesday he said I could do easy to moderate exercise a few days a week and then see how I feel.

Well I thought Yoga would be easy to moderate exercise and I was wrong. dead wrong. I convinced Bart to come with me Saturday morning and let's just say we are both having a hard time walking around today!

About 30 minutes in whenever the instructor said "downward dog" I looked at Bart and we both had a look of despair in our eyes...eventually I had to stop looking at him because laughing and yoga don't mix.

Bart actually did pretty well with this move....his bald head was supporting him as he leaned forward and he was lower on the ground...but you get the point.

Our favorite position was the very last one "corpse pose". We could do that one all day long!

There is another yoga class tomorrow night and I'm going to go. At this point I don't care what kind of physical activity it is..I just need to do something!

Slushy Hills

It's been more than 3 months since Bart and I have ran any races so we decided to do one this weekend. My cute friend Jess helped us find a fun downhill (yay) 5K. It was cold and snowy and I was slightly afraid for my life as I ran down a slushy hill, but the race ended ( as it always does) and it was fun.

 Bart keeps telling me I need to be more competitive and today a little bit of that edge came out. As I was running I heard these dog tags behind me and BAM a lady and her stupid little dog were gaining on me! There was no way in hell I was going to let that duo beat me so I picked up the pace and beat them.

So my bracket was doing okay...before all the games started. Now it's kind of a disaster. An Explorer beating Wildcats? In what world?

Napping on a Crappy Couch

I have been wanting to blog for a while now, but it's definitely not a priority anymore. I have lots of thoughts (usually funny) that remind me that I have a blog to use, but by the time I get the chance to actually blog those funny thoughts are gone and I can't fake it till I make it in a case like that.

I have time tonight for a few reasons 1. Bart is gone at parent teacher conference B. I took a longer nap than planned and missed class 3. I am avoiding the gym because I'm still feeling tired/lazy/tired.

After this I am going to force myself over to the gym because I need to continue with my good habits, especially because I am going to be running a half marathon this summer! I know for some people this may or may not be a big deal, but I'm pretty excited about it. I'm also telling my blogging family so there's no backing down! The more people I tell, the more motivated I will be...isn't that how it works? (i'm also motivated by small pant sizes but that doesn't sound as noble). My sweet friends over at Discover your Happy are taking time from their busy schedules to help me accomplish that goal and I am so grateful for them! You should go check out their blog, they have tons of great tips, stories and advice for anyone who is active, especially runners!

It's sad when you meet nice people and immediately your mind goes to ....are they really this nice? do they just want something, is there an alternative motive here? My life hasn't really been filled with great loyal friends so I have trust issues, but luckily now that I am an adult and meet more and more people I realize there are genuinely kind and friendly people out there. So anyway, these ladies will be kicking my butt these next few months but it will totally be worth it!

I went to the physical therapist today since I'm a 23 year old trapped in an 80 year old's body. I hate filling out those questionnaires that ask you to rate your pain from 1-10. "Your pain prevents you from doing your daily tasks" okay so if I don't put more than a 5 are they not going to take me seriously?? No, my back doesn't hurt RIGHT THIS SECOND but that doesn't mean the pain isn't there...."what doctor referred you here? None? So you're self referred?" Why yes, yes I am self referred because I'm not going to go pay $30 to talk to a doctor who doesn't specialize in back pain only to have them recommend me to go see a physical therapist, I'm cutting out the middle man here thank you very much!

Luckily the therapist was a very nice guy who explained things well (stupid gravity, you're causing all sorts of problems!). We went through a few exercises that proved just how weak my neck really is. I came out of there in more pain than I started, but I guess that's the idea rrrrright?

As soon as I got home I passed out on our stupid couch. I really hate this couch, it's not comfortable at all. If I had a choice between a bean bag and this couch, it would be a very close call as to which one I would choose. Usually this means I can't take naps on this thing, but for some reason I was able to sleep just fine on it yesterday and today. I didn't set any kind of alarm today and ended up missing class (first time this semester though so....go me!).

I was told once that your body isn't going to sleep if it doesn't need to sleep. Is that true? Can you make yourself sleep for a few hours during the day if your body really doesn't need it? I am all for taking naps if my body needs it ( I credit my not getting sick this year to getting plenty of sleep), but if I can just force myself to sleep then I will be staying OFF the couch the next few days.

Okay well I'm going to leave for the gym now because Bart will be home soon and let's be honest, if he gets here and I haven't left yet I will plant my butt right next to his on this stupid couch that I hate and hang out with him.