The Next Step

Monday, May 31, 2010      Time:  7:30 a.m.           Temp: 68 degrees    
Skies: Mostly clear          Winds: S at 5-10 mph    Humidity:  94%

My sweet friend Lynn and her husband Greg are visiting us over this holiday weekend.  They have left the rat race of north central Illinois to swing on our porch and watch our horses canter through the fields. We cook side by side, laugh about growing older, compare notes on raising our sons, and thoroughly enjoy conversation.  It's a delight to have them in our home.

One of the best things about lazy weekends with great friends is that it's totally okay to do nothing (everyone napped Sunday afternoon)...or they'll go along with anything we have planned (like a family gathering at my father-in-law's)...or they'll help out with things already on the agenda (Steve and Greg are pulling an engine from a 1956 Ford truck as I type this.)  On my agenda this morning was getting started on the current week's plan in my C25K journey.  Of course, Lynn went along...though a knee injury kept her at a walking pace.  I just turned around and walked back to her after my running spurts.

Did I say that I've jumped up to 90 sec run/90 sec walk, then a 3 minute run/3 minute walk this week????  Not sure I'm ready for this.  Since the humidity was so high this morning I found myself panting considerably, and my heart rate jumped way up there...so I eliminated the bounce and went from a jog to a very quick race-walk, moving at the same pace.  I was pretty proud of me for not stopping completely.  Oh, and if you'll allow me, pretty proud to report that my MMW (Monday Morning Weight) is down to 180.5!!!  That's 10.5 lbs. in four weeks!! Nowhere near the Biggest Loser pace, but I'm tickled pink!!!!  I'm really excited about the next ten pounds...those are the ones that will be noticeable.  Have a super week!

From my road to Princess Avenue

Thursday's run,  5/27/10
Time:  6:40 am    Temp: 69 degrees
Humidity:  91%   Distance: 3 miles total

I suppose it's ok to call my time outside on the road a "run" isn't it?  I mean, I do run part of the time.  Actually 12 minutes worth at this point.  Within this 3 miles there are 6-2 minute run intervals.  If I plan it well, I'm able to do them on my road.  If I really plan well, I do them without being hit by a car!  I actually struggle to choose the time of day based on my being awake and mobile (two very different things), The Cowboy's plans, the heat/humidity factor, and traffic patterns when deciding to do this.  Not an easy task.

However, Thursday's run time was a no brainer.  I had a special morning planned.  So I was up and out the door before I was awake.  Unbelievable that the humidity was 91% at 6:40 in the morning and no breeze "atall"...not a puff.   Good grief!  But it was worth it.  Here's why.

My special morning was with a long lost friend.  Diane J lived across the street from me when we were tiny girls.  She was a year younger than me, little (to my big 5 year-old-ness) and blonde so I thought she was beautiful.  She became "Little Diane" to everyone in the neighborhood since we also had another Diane that was older (Love you, Di!).  She was a delight to me because she was younger!...all the other girls on the block were older.  I had an older brother and she had two.  I think we relished our time together just to get away from the boys!

Facebook brought us together again.  I think my brother connected with her brother Bob, and then we found one another that way. We've been chatting for about a year and discovered that she's passed my way every Memorial Day recently to visit friends in Tennessee.  This year, she and her husband, Wayne, stopped to say hello.  We met for breakfast at Bob Evan's then drove out to the farm. We swapped stories.  She remembers playing dolls under our picnic table (we had a picnic table?) before getting hit by her brother's baseball bat and sitting on my mother's lap on the way to the hospital for stitches.  I remember getting my own head busted open when that same big brother threw a rock at my brother, missed him, and hit me. Aaaaahhh...childhood.

Diane's family moved a few miles away when she was seven.  She was in a different school district, so we never saw one another again as girls.  She remembers me as an adult coming in to the bank one time where she worked while I had a child in tow.  I don't remember that at all.  (The lack of memory thing is beginning to get to me.)  We both remember all the kids (Stortz=5, Jurewicz=3, Bristow=5 between two families of them, Pheifer=2, Paul Kemmer, Vicki Bush around the corner, and others farther down the block) who made our block of Princess Avenue a place where you could always find a friend.  I'm glad to have found mine again.  Come again, Little Diane.

I will never be the same again

On Thursday last, it was a weird weather day...some sun, then clouds, then rain, then sun...typical spring I guess. For me, though, it was the first day since I've started working on running again that I really wanted to get out there. If you've followed my musings, you know that we live on a killer-hilly road, and running here brings challenges these legs are not yet up to. But I was motivated and wanted to see if I could do this smarter.  I wondered if I could plan wisely and work this road to my advantage without it besting me. I decided to walk the hilliest (is that a word?) part of the road, then begin the C25K workout while on relatively level ground.

I geared up.  iPod set with my Hillsongs "Shout to the Lord" CD, earphones in, shoes laced tight.  I took off.  Once beyond the sharpest inclines I tapped in.  The music took over.  I was moving and inspired at the same time.  Five minute warm up, then my first run.  WooHoo!  Walk, then run again...as it started to rain.  It was one of those raining-while-sunny moments.  And in my ears I began to hear...

"I will never be the same again.  
I can never return, I've closed the door.
I will walk the path, I will run the race.  
And I will never be the same again."

I choked.  I dripped.  I cried with the rain.


"Fall like fire, soak like rain,
Flow like mighty waters, again and again.
Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff,
And let a flame burn to glorify Your name.

"There are higher heights, there are deeper seas,
Whatever you need to do, Lord do in me.
The Glory of God fills my life,
And I will never be the same again."


It was an unexpected moment.  A blessing in the midst of hard work and rain.  I loved it so, I had to stop...and spin...and lift my hands to the heavens.  


I hope I will never be the same again.  I learned today from the writings of Pastor Scotty Smith of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN that, in the language of Scripture, a 50th year should be one's Jubilee year--"a year to be marked by grace, freedom and forgiveness".  This is my Jubilee year.  It started out with a bang in the freedom department as I was released from a job that robbed me of joy and almost robbed me of my health.  Grace continues to be poured into my life and I will try to continue to pour it out in the same measure to others, especially my family.  Forgiveness has become a way of life...a daily decision to let go, trust God, and love.  Who knew that a workout would be a wake-up to my soul?


My MMW today is still 183.  Could have something to do with eating out twice this past week and maybe celebrating with birthday cake yesterday.  Or, it likely is that it's that one week of the month (will it ever end???) where I'm sure I'll gain before I lose again.  No matter.  I'm seeing inches lost, my soul sweetly stretched, and blessings in the rain.

Favorite pose

Before it began raining cats and dogs here today, The Cowboy and I grabbed our saddlebags water bottles, headed to the park, and did our "wogging" today.  We started at about 8:00 am.  Temp was 62, but the humidity was 88% (it had dropped from 92% earlier this morning). I'm wondering how much the humidity affects my breathing capacity...or maybe it was just our second day with the 90 seconds of running, and I've been a slug all year. Either way, I exclaimed a loud "Hallelujah!" when we finished our 5th and final period of running. The Cowboy gave me a pat on the back. I was pretty excited that I kept up with him each time we ran, though that's not my goal. My goal is to remain conscious during my run.

After each workout we step under one of the pavilions to do some stretching. It only takes about 15 minutes, but I'm so glad we do it. It can be very relaxing. We start with neck stretches, head rolls, shoulders, sides, and work our way down. As a helpful workout partner, I've been able to encourage The Cowboy toward greater flexibility ("Hold on to this pole, grab your ankle and pull your foot toward your butt.  Yes, you can touch your foot to your butt.  It's a quad stretch.  Like this.  You should be able to do this.  Try harder.  You are not.  What?  No, I don't want to hear where you want to put your foot.")

I've also been able to introduce him to some yoga poses.  We always save our favorite for last.  It looks like this...

What?  Do I have to get up now?

The Roadkill Mystery

On Monday this week The Cowboy and I had busy schedules during the morning, so we decided to walk in the late afternoon.  It was one of our wogging days, and we bumped up to a 90 second jog/2 minute walk for a total of 20 minutes.  (Can I just say that the additional 30 seconds of running were the longest 30 seconds of my life?!!!) Anyway, it left us pretty bushed as we ended the day...and started the next.

So on Tuesday, instead of walking first thing, we decided to make it fit into our day as we could.  The Cowboy ended up going to the park and doing his cardio there.  He actually managed to run a 1/2 mile without me!  Yay for him! (she said with a little selfish envy.)  I chose to dash out the door at 5:00ish to walk our long, rolling, obnoxiously hilly road, which I had not done this spring.  It was a tough workout, and I ended up really kicking it at the end, but even better--I had a few interesting sights along the way.

A nearby pasture with a pond and an abundance of fragrant honeysuckle. The fragrance alone made me stop.  It was heavenly.

This little sweetheart lives with a few other new calves up the road from me.  She came right up to the fence. Cows are curious creatures.  I was pretty amazed at how fearless she seemed to be!












The picture that is not here was the one I missed.  I realized later I would have to go back and get it.  It was, actually, roadkill...but interesting roadkill.  It was a HUGE snapping turtle that had lost the race across the road.  Shell cracked, snapping jaws wide open, feet splayed at full reach.  It was so cool!!! 

Late today I decided that I would go back down the road and add this picture to my collection.  But...it was GONE!  Other less interesting roadkill (a coyote...too fragrant) was of course still there.  But the turtle was gone!  Not in the ditch.  Not anywhere.  This begs the question...who would take this?  What would someone do with it? Good Lord.  What would someone do with it???  I shiver to think. Then again, who would go back to take a picture of the thing?

Monday Morning Results...ta da!

Let me tell you about this Couch-to-5-K plan and what we did this week...

On this exercise plan, we are asked to "wog" aka walk/jog 3 times per week.  The first week (last week) we did this:  5 minute warm-up walk, then run 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds, run 60/walk 90 for a total of 21 minutes; then another 5 minute cool down walk.  (I have the app on my iPhone that prompts us when to run/walk so we don't have to watch the clock!)  We go ahead and finish a total of 3 miles, so the final walk might take longer.  Then, we take about 10 minutes to stretch from top to bottom (ask The Cowboy about our "bottom" exercises!  Makes for some funny sights there in the park!)  While we may only wog three days a week, we're trying to get in a total of 5 days per week of walking.

Each week, it gets a little more challenging.  This week we move to running 90 seconds, walking 2 minutes until the total workout, again with the warm up and cool down, takes about 30-31 minutes.  It seems so easy when you read it, but when you've never done any serious running at all, it's a challenge...at least it is for me.  I'm inspired by current Biggest Loser contestant Michael, who while still at 384 pounds, was able to run 3.1 miles after about 13 weeks at the Ranch!  So, if he can do it, I can too!  Just taking it one workout at a time.

We also added a BowFlex rotating routine...one day upper body, one day lower, for a total of 4 days per week.  This is whipping my butt!  I upped my resistance levels this past week to bring each exercise "to fatigue"...meaning by the end of the second set of 15, I can barely do the move!  Pushing myself this way is insane a change...I like to baby myself.  You know, justifying going slowly, "being careful", etc.  But I doubt that Jillian or Bob would approve! So I'm working harder.  It surely will pay off, right?  Otherwise, how am I going to get rid of these granny-flab arms!

Results this week?  Two pounds!  So my total loss for the last three weeks has been from 191 to 183!  As long as I'm headed in the right direction, I'm going to keep at it.  The Cowboy is doing well, too!  And fortunately, he's NOT losing like tons more than me--you know how men usually do.  Don't know how he feels about that, but I'm okay with it!  Thanks for checking in on us.  We're encouraged that you are at least curious about this, and just maybe, a little inspired yourself!

MMW (Wednesday version)

My "Monday Morning Weight" (Wednesday version) is... 185! That's a whopping ONE pound loss since last week.  Now, it's possible to be discouraged by that, but I swear I've watched my weight swing by the stupid hour, so I'm not hanging my hat on that one very much. FYI...when I weigh, it is always first thing in the morning, right after the bathroom and before the shower.  I weighed five pounds heavier after showering, eating and getting dressed (with shoes) this morning.

Here's what I am hanging on to:
1) I feel better.  Mentally, more optimistic.  Physically, more energy.

2) I know my body is responding to all this healthy food.  My skin is softer and clearer, and my nails are significantly stronger. (This is a very pleasant surprise!)  Plus other things are functioning well that you can probably figure out on your own.

3) I was able to run for at least SOME distance twice last week.  Maybe only a minute or two at a time, but that's progress.

Speaking of progress, this week The Cowboy and I are attempting to add the BowFlex to our exercise routine.  He's been using this occasionally throughout the year, but we're trying to establish a consistent Upper Body/Lower Body 4-day plan each week.  I had been intimidated by this monstrosity of steel and cables, but once I found the instruction book (!!!) and learned how to set it up myself, I'm actually okay with it now.  Next week, if all goes well, we'll tap into the Couch-to-5-K app on my iPhone and do the "wogging" (walk/jog/walk, etc.) according to the prompts.  It's a very handy tool...and maybe it will keep me from falling and twisting the other ankle!

Haaaaawkk Too!

There is definitely a difference this time around...working out with The Cowboy.  First, he actually makes me motivates me to get up, out the door, and do this!  Second, we get to talk through issues and events, prayer concerns and disappointments, plans, hopes and dreams while we're walking together.  We can also fuss somewhat vigorously about the challenge it is to "talk through" these things while walking in relative privacy--communication between male and female is still on the list of "yet to be conquered".

But the most interesting thing so far is the differences in our...um...social graces while exercising.  I'm sorry.  It's just not right to...hawk and spit in mid-stride!  And goodness, it's certainly an EMERGENCY situation only for one to stop and help water the tree roots.  Finally, there is absolutely no chance in hell heaven that any of my female friends will even  think about slinging snot over her shoulder while walking with me!  Am I right, girls?!  Am I??  Should I even think about walking with him again?!!

I need perspective here.  Ya'll weigh in and let me know your thoughts.


p.s. Speaking of weigh in...I postponed until Wed morning.  Come back tomorrow and see!

Just for the record...

I hate "before" photos. Probably because I have never experienced the joy of an "after" photo. (Sigh)

But I'll be glad to have one if I ever do get to when I submit my future super-shapely-stats to the Biggest Loser website! So I dug out the one I took last year. Funny, it's dated May 19, 2009.  I was five pounds lighter than my current starting weight on that date last year.  Besides my "summerier" hair color, everything looks to be the same.  My starting weight on this Spring's adventure, on my 5'6" frame, was 191.  That was two weeks ago.  I weigh in on Monday mornings.  It either really excites me for the week or kicks my butt to work harder.  I think I'll enjoy my Mother's Day Sunday first.  See you at the scale on Monday!

Splat!

If you remember, I didn't do too well on my C25K plan last year.  I also didn't drop many pounds.  I'm back at it this year, and the Cowboy is going along with me.  One of the differences this time is that we're seriously changing what we eat as well as being more consistently dedicated to moving our bods.

We are on week two of a food plan designed to help me get back into some of the dresses I have hanging in my closet.  He has a few things he'd like to wear again as well.  Ok, I confess...it's the plan developed by The Biggest Loser Club!  I joined online two weekends ago.  Yes, I love the show, and follow the writings of Jillian Michaels, so this seemed to be the next right step. (Now stop that judging right now.  You know you sneak to watch the show.)

I put in all my stats, preferences (no soy or pork) and goals and they developed a very well balanced, flexible, healthy and filled-with-variety food plan to get me to my goal.  But here's the coolest part...when I print out the menu list, I also get all the recipes, and...ta da...a shopping list!  I review the list, cross off what I already have, and head to the grocery.  I'm spending less and we're eating three good meals and three snacks every day.  I'll keep you informed on this as we go along, but there hasn't been hardly anything on the menu that we wouldn't fix again!  And of course the greatest gift is not having to think about what to make!!! It's all right there! Absolutely loving this!

Today we found an adorable little park in Plano near our home that has a relatively level .5 mile trail.  The Cowboy and I did three miles this morning.  I supplied the music via my Ipod.  While we were on the first loop I was adjusting the selection to get the right beats per minute (BPM) for our brisk walk, when I pulled a Sandra-Bullock-in-Miss-Congeniality SPLAT right in the gravel!  The trail had been washed a bit in places after this weekend's deluge and I stumbled, twisted my left ankle, and scraped the dickens out of my knee.  The Cowboy stood there and looked at me.  Like I was joking.  Or did it on purpose.  "Should watch where you're going there, babe."  Let's see if he gets dinner tonight...

Will Wonders Never Cease???

Ok, pleeeeeaaaaase don't fall over dead with shock! It's been a wild-ride-of-a-year, and I know...I KNOW...I abandoned this blog in the midst of it. Please forgive me. Suffice it to say that a once out-of-control-demanding job is now history, and I'm now on the farm full-time here in southcentral Kentucky. So, maybe I'll have time to do this right this time (if I can remember how to do this blog thingy at all!)

My running attempt last spring lasted into the summer, then crashed big time. The job took over my life, and I let it. Until of course, my body began crashing as well. So, the automotive industry and I have parted ways. I'm now spending most of my days assisting my cowboy/farmer/paper-industry-tech-stud husband with running our small farm. I'm learning about cows (another post indeed!), chickens, tractors, dogs, harnessing hydro-power, etc. to make this our little piece of heaven.

In the meantime, Honey and I have also turned our attentions, once again, to our health (aka...gut, backsides, granny-smack-arms, flab, what-used-to-be-a-waistline, etc.) and are working TOGETHER to make some changes. If you'd like to follow us in this journey, tune in often. As a matter of fact, go ahead and register as a follower. If you register with your email address, an email will come to you every time I post. I like this option for other blogs I follow (i.e. Homegirl!) and you might, too.

I'll be posting our plans, goals, results, etc. Wait...ok...I'll post MY results. (I still have to live with the guy, so I'd better not publicize his stuff.) I'll start out with this: one week into our new food choice/exercise program--this girl dropped SIX, (6!!!) pounds. I'm pumped to see how this week goes. Feel free to pump me up with all those sweet words of encouragement!!