Actually (kind of) running again

The final line of my last blog post was this: Here's hoping I don't go too long before blogging again.

And I wrote my last post on May 17, 2014, which was over four months ago. Sigh.

Soon after I wrote that post, I must have been inspired to start running again. I wish I had kept better track of when I started and how often I did. But my best guess was right around four months ago, though I guess I could have started as late as June. I do know that by the time we went to OC MD the last week in June/first week in July, I had had a few runs under my belt, and I did manage to run twice while at the beach (once along the sand and actually into the ocean at some points).

About a month or so ago, I decided I want to try to run the Race for Pace, which was the last race I ran in, two years ago. Back then I think I was running about once per week, but don't recall. I do know that I was swimming and doing Zumba regularly. Now, I run two to four times per month. Yeah, not that good.

But I am running. And I think if I keep this up, I can run in that race and hopefully do it in around 35 minutes.I just checked my time two years, and I did it in under 28:55. The competitor in me is sad to read that, and I now want to run the race in around 30 or 31 minutes, but I just don't think I can realistically do it.

My best run since I started running again was around 20 minutes for two miles (I think I probably ran a little less than two miles). One would think I could translate that into a 31-minute 5k, but since that was my best (again, I think; I have not measured the distance of my runs over the the past two months), I have to be realistic. Even though the longest I have run is 30 minutes, and most of the time, I have been running about 25 minutes, I am optimistic that I can finish the race without having to walk. And most of me thinks that should be my goal. So in that respect, 35 won't be so bad. But if I don't walk, maybe I could do it in under 35.

Clearly I am just thinking out loud here.

Here is the other wildcard: This year, the Race for Pace is having a super hero theme. So I could totally forgo the competitor in myself and just have fun.

Wonder what I will do...

30 for 30 (my memory is crap)

I did not realize (or rather, I had forgotten) that I started blogging again in January. Here I thought I did it once or maybe twice and stopped. No, I blogged eight times that month. And then I stopped!

So how has my physical activity been going? Well, apparently since the end of January/when I stopped blogging, I dropped about half of the 8 to 10 pounds I had gained last fall. So I have been/am doing something right.

About 10 days ago, a friend challenged her Facebook friends to do 30 minutes of exercise daily for 30 days. Five days a week, I do, at a bare minimum, 25 minutes of exercise from my car to the bus, from the bus to the office, and the reverse. Most (but not all!) weekdays, I walk anywhere from 10 to 35 minutes with coworkers. The weekends are a mixed bag.

I accepted my friend's challenge, which meant I could not blow off a walk at work. Even harder. there would be no day (or two) of sitting around on the weekend.

So far, so good. Even on a bad (short walk day) at work, I make sure I get in just over 30 minutes. Most days, I do more. Today, we spent several hours walking around Phipps and around Oakland. I am tired!

This past Monday, I lifted reams of paper off and on for about an hour. I got in three sets of many arm exercises. I have tried to do wall push-ups a couple of days since I hate regular pushups so much. I do need to be more consistent about weight-lifting.

Last weekend, I danced with my kid for almost 30 minutes (and I lifted weights for the other time).

Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I am determined to keep it up.I may not lose all 8 to 10 pounds I gained this past fall, but if I can drop 6 to 8, I will be okay with that.

Here's hoping I don't go too long before blogging again.

I'm drinking a beer right now, and I am over 40.

That statement above is a big part of why even though I originally had dropped a few pounds, I have since gained them back and I am, more or less (okay, maybe less one pound) where I started.

I had that utterly stupefying sheets/blanket/comforter injury two weeks ago. And since then, my knee has mostly healed, but there are days it hurts too much to walk up and down the however many steps there are in my office building. I blame the poor healing on age.

I also blame the general difficultly in losing weight on age. In past attempts, when I was in my 20s and 30s, I could always drop a few pounds in a short period of time, and usually keep it off for a good chunk of time. Now it is nearly impossible to take the weight off. And when I did, well, it found me again.

I am back to larger portions and eating sweets, but not every day as I did before. I just got too bored, sad, whatever, to live that way. And we have had some good beverages around here lately. I used to average about one, maybe two, drinks a week. Now I have a drink about six nights a week. Just one drink, but when that drink is sometimes kahlua and cream, well... And Pittsburgh Popcorn Company is the devil, let me tell you.

And with the stupid frigid weather, who wanted to be outside?

This past week, I did take a lunchtime walk three times and then did the stairs two days. So I have not gone completely soft. But I have gotten lazy with the hand weights and squats. And I have done push-ups only a few times in the past week.

I am not giving up, just lowering my expectations and kind of feeling a little sorry for myself. But, still, I am eating better, I am moving some. So I have to focus on the positive.

A nightmare's setback

On Thursday night, after a particularly grueling, long work week, I was having a nightmare kind of early on into my sleep (I think it was around 12:15 a.m.). I recall thinking that I needed to be able to get out of my room before the door, which was really like an elevator, closed, as it was between floors and I would be trapped. Apparently, I tried to kick my way out, as when I woke up, my right knee was in quite a bit of pain. I was hoping, in my groggy state, that I might have just been dreaming about the pain. But, alas, when I woke up about six hours later, my knee still really hurt. And Mr. Bear, the little pink bear I have slept with since college, was halfway across the room. Not sure what that was about!

After explaining my limping to coworkers, I realized that I must have kicked really hard, and because I was underneath the covers, I must have twisted my knee. I might even have some broken blood vessels (or they could have been there before). Fortunately, the husband was not in bed at the time, or I am guessing I would have really hurt him.

In any event, this means my exercise has been and will probably continue to be a little limited for a few days. Fortunately, I lifted weights and did a bit of walking and stair climbing on Thursday. But Friday, I pretty much just hobbled up the stairs and back down at work (force of habit) once. I did walk to lunch, but it was slow going. Yesterday, I did a little walking, but only to get from my parked car to a swim meet and back. Today was just a bit of walking with errands.

I think tomorrow (or maybe tonight) I will at least try to do some arm weight. But anything involving my legs and bending is out. Oh, squats, I miss you. And push-ups, I will not miss you (but I did struggle through six this morning).

Hopefully I can get back on track soon. And I also hope I don't have any more crazy dreams like that!

Six push ups

I am up to six okay push-ups (five pretty decent ones). If I keep this up, I should easily be able to hit 10 in a month. If I stick with it. 

So far the exercising and eating is going pretty well. Friday we took a decent walk at work, at least 20 minutes but maybe more. Then a couple hours later we walked up and down the stairs. I did two at a time for a few flights to give the glutes a good workout. Saturday I cannot remember what I did. Sunday we walked around doing errands. Yesterday, we took about a 20 or so minute walk at lunch. Today was also that long.

I have also been lifting weights. I am shooting for twice a week, though three times would be ideal. I did it twice last week and again tonight. I try to do squats and some type of ab exercises four times a week. I throw in some lunges a couple days. And I am trying to do push-ups five times a week.

I continue to eat less, but I do have seconds most nights (though not as big of portions as I used to). I am definitely eating less at work and eating less sweets in general. I actually turn people down at times when they offer me food. 

The most important thing I am trying to do/remember is that anything is better than nothing. So if I go days without doing something or if a eat a lot, I try not to beat myself up about. I can always right back to it; no need to give up!

My weight was down to 153.5 for two days this weekend, but it was back up to 155.3 the past two days. It is obviously going to be quite difficult to get back down below 150. But some progress is better than none. And I do feel better/notice a difference. 

Now that is progress.

A little cardio

Tuesday, thanks to hell pretty much freezing over, I got very little exercise. Other than 10 minutes walking from the parking garage to the office, the steps in the garage and the office, and the reverse trip, that was it. 

Yesterday, I did even less cardio, but I did break out the 8 lb. weights and to do a bunch of arm, shoulder, leg, back, and ab stuff. I also managed four push-ups. They were not pretty, but I think I can be up to a solid five in another week.

Today was better cardio wise. I had the usual bus-related walk in the morning, but we also walked about 25 or so minutes outside at lunch. Later in the afternoon, I took a solo stair walk. In just over six minutes, I walked up and down the 258 steps, plus another trip up and back our 75 steps. I managed to jog up the one set of 75 early on, which winded me. But I did get a lot of steps in. I did okay eating. Whereas I would normally have had two donuts, I had 2/3 of one. Progress!

I ended the day walking about 10 minutes to a friend's car and then around Phipps. And we had a small dinner. Because of yesterday's weights, I skipped all the weight and leg/arm stuff, other than four not-pretty push-ups.

Here's hoping this weekend goes well. I really do feel as if I am making progress. Even my clothes, after just one week, feel a little less tight. 

A lot of steps

Let me first start off by saying that when I weighed myself this morning, I was back up 1.5 pounds. But I won't let that discourage me too much. I want to get back in shape and eat better/less as much as I want to lose weight.

It is cold right now. I think hell may have frozen over or it might soon. This morning, I was parked even farther away from the bus, so I had about a four-minute walk. I got off at the closer stop, which meant about three or so minutes. Then it was up the steps to the building and up the 75 steps upstairs.

After lunch, some coworkers and I walked down the 75 steps to the first floor; walked up the over 250 stops to the 9th floor; did some lunges, squats, and wall push ups; walked down the over 250 steps to the first floor; and then back up the 75 steps to our floor. I might have pulled a muscle while doing some of the lunges, but fortunately felt better within an hour (ah, age).

I did not snack at work, which is what I was doing like crazy the last month or so of last year. I had a large portion of tortellini and an apple for lunch. And I did have one piece of dark chocolate during our hall walk. But that was it.

I had my usual walk down to the bus and then back to my car, in real-feel temps of around -10 or so. Then I had a reasonable dinner with just a few bites for seconds. 

I think today was quite successful. My kid, like most others, has no school tomorrow so not sure how much movement I will get. We shall see.