What a LOVELY day!

Today was like most Saturdays.  I worked from 7am to 1pm and then returned home to swap off parenting duties with my husband, so he could go to work and then I ran around until the baby's bed time.  I spent time with both my girls and that is all I need

 (of course, until the hubby returns home  ;P).

I am sitting down checking my emails, FB, Twitter, blog, etc and what do I find?!?!

A nomination for the ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD!!!!!!!! 

My friend Jen at MILES MUSCLES AND MOMMYHOOD nominated me. 

WOW!!!!!  I am so excited.

It's great to be recognized and very motivating. 

The One Lovely Blog Award is a "pay it forward" kind of way to recognize your favorite blogs.

Here are the rules:

1. Post the award logo and and picture on your blog and link back to the person who nominated you.

2. Tell seven things about yourself.

3. Nominate up to 15 additional bloggers who you think deserve the award.

4. Post a comment on the blog of each nominee to tell them him/her they have been nominated.

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1.  I use to be 'stalked' years ago by this girl named Jen.  LOL

Now, SHE inspires me. 

2.  Not a lot of people notice or know this, but I 'lost' a finger a couple of years ago, while 7 months pregnant.  No, not just the tip.  No not just the first knuckle. 

I have just enough of  a stub to hold change in my hand, but not enough to get in the way.

3.  I have two daughters that are 13 years apart.  For some reason, I thought this would be easier, since there is such an age gap.  One has just started walking and the other doesn't have a license yet.  WHOA!!!!! What was I thinking.  I wouldn't change a thing.  Love them to pieces.

4.  I JUST realized that i've left a batch of cookies in the oven for about 45 minutes!  MY HUSBAND IS GOING TO FREAK WHEN HE WALKS IN THE DOOR!  He hates the smell of burnt stuff.  (but I love slightly burnt rice cakes and popcorn.  is that weird?)

I am making them for a 'father's day gift', but really just because I needed an excuse for my craving.  Well, less to go in the cupboard. 

5.  I love to paint, sew, craft, cook and workout.  None of which I have a lot of time for.  The necessities win.  Cooking (because I can't starve my family) and working out (because I NEED to or i'll go absolutely crazy) win.

6.  I am really new at this whole blogging thing.  Follow at your own risk.

For some reason (which I can't figure out) when I preview this post, it's messed up.  Sorry.  I even 'followed' myself and don't know how to undo it.

7.  The first half marathon that i've been training for, filled up.  :(

I am still training, but wondering if everything happens for a reason.

I've just started teaching a morning Plyo Bootcamp class twice per week and have cut some of my run days, but my booty and legs are really loving the class intructing!

My Nominees are:  (drumroll please)

  1.  Cookies and Crafts

     This girl Katie gives such an eclectic, homey, comfy, down to earth feeling to her blog.  She makes me smile, because in many ways, she reminds me of myself.  I enjoy reading her posts very much.

 2.  Rebecca @ Mediocreathlete

  WOW!!!!  She makes me laugh.  That's all I have to say.  Check it out.

Knees, Instructing and Kids

Should I keep running or start biking??!!! 

My knee is a little better, but still bothering me. 

I stopped powerlifting, because I hated the way my knees felt when I wasn't working out.  You'd think the knee issue would've been from squatting and deadlifting, but nooooooooo.  It was from the darn angle that I'd twist my legs into (back and under the bench) when setting up to bench.  It helped me get a good lift, but did a number on my knees.

I told myself that I hated the way it cut into other fitness adventures.  There was no way I could go out for a jog back then. (Not that I wanted to.  LOL)

Now, my knee seems to bother me more than both of them did back then.  Or maybe it's just time making the problem from back then seem less.

I forgot to mention, in my Sunday post, that I had run that morning.  It didn't go so well on the knee.  Better than I'd thought, but worse than I'd hoped.

I will work on some things to help this work out.  I WILL work on my stretching and IT band. I AM getting new running shoes.  (I got new shoes, but tried a less expensive pair and added support to help w/my overpronation.  I'm thinking it's not working.)  I WILL fuel better, before going running.  I WILL eat cleaner from now on.

Phewww.  I feel better now.

So.... my Plyo Bootcamp class started on Tuesday and I had 3 people show up. 

 I was happy with this, since  I'd expected NO ONE to show up.  I ran into a few members in the lobby after class and they had no idea about it.  One came into today's class and one will be there next Tuesday.    YAY!!

I had 3 people again in today's class.

I also realized that you should not participate in a whole early morning class, if you've given blood the evening before.  JUST SAYIN.  OK,  I'll start listening to the instructions that the nurses give me when I donate.  ; )

I'm actually glad that the class is starting out smaller, so I can get a handle on this instructing thing.  I need to plan myself a whole bunch of classes ahead of time, though.  I say I'll plan it earlier in the day and then it's 10:30pm and I'm sitting down with my notebook, thinking about getting up in 6 hours.

I WILL write up classes sooner and get to bed earlier!

I did get to the gym yesterday for my own lifting workout, which felt great.  It was a quickie, but good for the back and bis.

Today is my oldest daughter's last day of Freshman year in high school.  UGH. 

The year went by faster than expected, just like EVERY other year.  We/she learned some things and I'm glad that I'm not still in high school.  All in all......it was a pretty good year. 

She can't get a job until the end of summer, but is eagerly awaiting the chance.  She won't be able to get her license until the end of next summer, which is a relief and pain, all at the same time.

My Babies back in April.

(This is being written by a rare naptime 'during mommy is home time', but Baby Girl is stirring in there, so time to go!)

Plyo Bootcamp and SLACKING

This week I committed myself to teaching a Plyometric Bootcamp twice a week, for the next 6 weeks!  AGGHHH 

I was trying to think of  a different type of class to teach at the YMCA that I work at, but since I don't really teach or take many group exercise classes........I am limited to my abilities.  I've subbed in for a few Bootcamp classes and Barre Sculpt classes withing the past 6 months.  I must say that I am MUCH more comfortable instructing the Bootcamp class, than I ever was during the Barre classes.  I don't think I'm cut out for anything graceful.  LOL

I think that this will be fun and get me way more comfortable being the center of attention.  Hopefully it'll open me up to a whole new world of fitness instruction and I'll keep broadening my horizons to new classes.

Next up:  SLACKING.

This week, I slacked off.  I did manage to make it to the gym and lift twice this week, which felt great.  I did not however run. at. all.
It rained most of the week and my left knee has been giving me problems, so I thought it best to give it a rest.  Remember my last post about not overdoing it?!  I'm trying to listen to my body.


At least on Saturday I took a 3-4 mile walk down the Eastern Trail with my two baby girls.  It was a nice afternoon.  It was nice an leisurely, but enjoyed by all.  Here are some pics.

On Sunday,  my oldest asked me if we could go back down the trail.  WOW!!! What a surprise!  She is usually asking when we can turn around.  LOL

We took our bikes out and rode for 12 miles or so.  It was a great ride, once again.  :) 

 Love my time with my girls and my oldest Baby deserves some one on one time.
She's 14 now, so i'll take it when I can get it!

I should've named her Grace.  She took a digger off the bike, when she hit her handle bar on a post at the end of a bridge.  She's OK, though.  She's more and more like me every day.  LOL

Don't tell her that!

Next week.....I will be more productive!!!!!!!

STAY TUNED.

Week in Review

This week started a little off schedule.
I trained with a client on Sunday morning, so I pushed my longer run to Monday.  This was OK, because of Monday being a holiday. 
I then decided to make Tuesday a rest day, where Monday should've been.  Much needed.  My left knee has been a little tight.
Ran Wednesday, which should've been a rest day and Thursday, which was normal.  Wednesday, I did manage to make it to the gym with my older daugher and got in some lifting.  Must get more in!!!
Friday I made a rest day, because I taught bootcamp for a friend during my run time.  This was actually another good thing, because rest was needed. 

I've told myself :  "This time around, listen to your body!!!!!" 

Meaning that every time I get into a new fitness addiction, I push myself hard, over do it,  and then move on to the next thing.

Most evenings this week were devoted to cooking.  This is something that I do often, but have not been as strict with preparing my OWN meals for the week.  I make food for everyone else, but scrounge around for something quick for myself. 

Here's what my fridge looked like after day one:



Top shelf:   eggs, cut up strawberries, cooked chicken breast, and a bunch of containers of semi-cooked or cut up softer foods for the baby

Center shelves:  milk and milk,  100% juices for the hubby and teen,  lots of fruit, salad, peeled grapefruit, and cooked chicken and veggies for hubby to take to work

Bottom shelf:  jar pasta sauce for my daughter to make tortilla pizzas with and marinated chicken chunks (waiting to be cooked)

Drawers:  cheeses, lots of salad veggies, apples, wheat bread and tortillas

Ok, may not be perfect.......but i've also added hard boiled eggs, cooked salmon and many clean meals to the freezer.

I finally feel like my fridge is back to where it should be.  Now I have to keep up with it.  LOL

This afternoon it POURING!!!!  I had a nice lazy afternoon with my girls, though.  My older daughter wanted to watch old dance recital dvds and the baby just danced to the music.  It was really nice, but do you think I could get to my camera and catch the baby dancing?  Noooooooo.  Never happens.

Here are a couple of cute pics from the past week. 

Making silly faces

Under Armour girl already

If you look real close, you can see that there is a tiny pony tail on the top of her head.  :)

That's it for today!  See you next time.

Improvement!

I've been running for two weeks now and this makes my 6th run.  Until today, I had only run 1.5 miles w/out stopping to walk.  (The full runs, including walks, were between 3-4 miles.)  I'd been getting farther before my walk portion, each run.  The distance of the walk was also getting shorter.  I had been walking a whole street last week and this week I had only walked appx 50 ft. 

Today I didn't walk at all!!!!!!

This morning I ran at a 10 min/mile pace for 2.6 miles and I didn't even take ANY walk breaks.  I know that's not very far for a lot of people, but that's far for me!

My runs are getting better.  YAY!

Oh, did I mention that the race I wanted to do in July is full?  Bummer. 

It was only the second year of the race and they didn't expect it to fill up so quickly.

I signed up on the waiting list, in case there are enough cancellations.  Fingers crossed.

I'm trying to find another half in my area around the same time.  I found one for 3 weeks later, so I'm planning on that one, but still training for July.  A few extra weeks will be great for me though, since I only started running a few weeks ago.  I'm following a plan where I was supposed to be able to run for 30min, prior to starting it, and that was not possible.

The Garden Attempt

I had always dreamed of having a garden.  I wanted to grow my own vegetables.  Think of how good we'd feel eating what I'd grown and save money too!

We finally bought a house a few years ago and I couldn't wait to put one in. 

Then we had the baby. 

The garden did not happen last year.

This year, hubby says "Didn't you want to make a garden?".  I told him I did, sometime.  He said, "Well, sometime will be too late."  OK, so he's right. 

 We went to get some supplies and he built me a box outside and I started some seeds indoors. I planted some of everything that I had bought seeds for. There were snap peas, green beans, cukes, zucchini, green leaf lettuce, romaine, carrots, and spinach in my boxes.

Some of them came up quickly and some of them did not.

A few weeks later, I started some seeds directly outside.  The peas, lettuce, romaine, spinach and beans that I planted directly in the ground are growing great!  YAY!!!!!!

I had been keeping a log of how my seeds were growing, so that next year, I could separate certain veggies that took longer to germinate. 

I put the seed boxes outside to 'harden' them, before planting them in the ground.  I am just learning about all of this as I go, so I will make a few mistakes.  The cuke leaves started turning kind of yellow. 

I transplanted some of the cukes, beans and peas into the outside box.

My husband tells me the other day, "I think some of them (in the seed box) aren't growing well, because we are over watering them."  WHAT!?  What do you mean WE are over watering them?!  I told him to leave them alone.  Now all my notes don't mean a thing, because there were more variables than I was writing down.  UGGGGHHHH

We have seen deer prints in some sand in our yard and last year we had skunks and a groundhog.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the animals don't ruin my garden, before I get to it.  So far, so good.  I look at it each morning, before my run.  Every time, I am amazed that I am still seeing plants.

Hopefully the critters will stay away and I will soon be able to tell you about my wonderful garden. 

Hike w/ Baby Girl

So today, Baby Girl and I took a hike. This was only a couple of miles round trip, but it was her first experience being in the backpack.

  She loved it! YAY!!!! I'm so glad, since she may be spending a lot of time in it, this summer.  I'm thinking............lots of backyard lunges with these two attached!

This was the only 'exercise' that I got today.  It was a rest day from jogging in the morning and Saturdays are 'Children day', so I don't get any training in later in the day.  The BIG problem with this low exercise day is:  I've eaten like crap all day.  Why is it, that when my body isn't sore or tired from training, I eat worse?   Do I really need that physical reminder to MAKE me listen to my head?  I KNOW what i'm supposed to eat, but it doesn't always happen.  Tomorrow is another day and enough talking about my bad choices of today.

The only problem was.......there was one child missing.  The teenager wanted more friend time.  OK, I can give in once in awhile.  She doesn't know what she's missing.  LOL!  She does not find the little hike as exciting as we do!?

Just wait and see what I have in store for one-on-one time tomorrow.  HEHEHEHE (evil laugh)

Maybe a nice long bike ride.  Sounds good to me!  But, not till after my Sunday jog.  Hopefully, I'm not really regretting my poor eating choices of today.