Is this realistic?

[~~Darci~~]

Seriously!! Ugh. I give.

 

[StayCool]

Yeah, for some of us, planning ahead stinks. Hopefully he'll stick with it. And congrats on the weight loss, too.

High school cross country is usually 5k, junior high/middle school students it's right around 2 miles. So running 5ks with you would be great for everyone. And hey, a WDW 5k is way cheaper than a longer race...maybe a family incentive to get their miles in!

The Shamrock Half this weekend was good, and as a weekend, it was great. This was a group celebration of the end of chemo for my friend T, who I ran Avengers with mid-chemo. It ended up with four of us (T, her brother, our friend D, and me) running the half, and her husband running the full. We have friends down there, and T's brother and sister-in-law, and their two boys came down, and T's brother's new GF came up from North Carolina. About two weeks ago, T's brother (who refers to me as "Big Sis") got in touch with me for some mentoring, then asked if we should run the race in team shirts...so after some intense internet searching, we ended up with a simple white shirt with a big teal (ovarian cancer) ribbon and "Team T" on the front. We bought enough for all the runners, the spectators, and two of our friends who couldn't be there. It was pretty cool to hear people cheering for "Team T" and three of the four of us ran the entire race together from start to finish. D has damaged lungs and can't run outside if it's below 40 degrees, so her training has been limited - she finished about half an hour after us. The good news is that we beat our November time by 25 minutes (well off each of our best half times, but three months post-chemo we'll take it) and D finished under three hours, when she was expecting to run around 3:15 to 3:30 (also well off her best half, but...winter).

The only bad part was the stop-and-go traffic for the last 60 miles of the drive back to DC...turned a four hour drive into a five hour drive. Still worth the pain!

Thanks for the info on cross country. It gives me an idea of what I'm working with. I'm totally thinking selfish thoughts though because one of the things I really enjoyed about running was the solitude. My kids never stop talking! lol Guess I will have to adjust.

That is a great thing to be celebrating. It is amazing that she is able to do all this already. And I could not imagine dealing with DC traffic regularly.

I hope you can BOTH stick to it for the 21 days. I think the reason they do 21 days is because it takes that long to change a habit. Hopefully you can change your habits.

That's awesome your kids are considering cross country. That is because of you!!!! You started all this!!!! Hoooray for you! Keep us posted on the results please.

I made it to the gym. As I mentioned, it didn't go well. My ankles and feet were killing me and wouldn't loosen up. I did 25:00 on the treadmill and then switched machines. I keep seeing the stair climber type machine so I thought I'd give it a try. It was OK. Works the muscles differently, which is good. Total I did about 45:00. Went out shopping with the family and I made it to ****'s Sporting Goods to look around. I tried on new sneakers. They were pricey but it felt like my feet were on clouds. I may have to buy them. I will just look for a good deal. I bought some running socks and some compression sleeves to sleep in that will hopefully help me feet/ankles. I'm skeptical but its worth a shot. I was so excited to be looking for goodies today. I have a lot more to shop for but it was a good start.

They have always had other interests so it surprises me. I guess we will have to see how many times they run with me. lol

And yay about getting to the gym. It's time for me to get new shoes too. It is just such a pain in the butt. I hate shopping for clothes and this is kind of an extension of that for me. Trying on things is not my favorite. lol

Seriously!! Ugh. I give.

Don't give up. When you type your post, but before you post it, hit control and A at the same time. That will highlight everything. Then hit control C and that will copy it all. Try to post. If it doesn't go through, then go back to the text box and hit control V. Then everything you wrote will come back. I do this just in case my post disappears too.

 

[StayCool]

Ok, well it is official weigh in day... Down 1 lb so I have surpassed the 20 lb mark finally. Yay! lol

We have temporarily bailed on the 21 day fix. We will start it next week. I found that I do not have enough fruit in the house currently. Weird but true. We have been eating lean meats and a lot of veggies but not so much on the fruit. So I will shop this weekend with that in mind. Restarting on Sunday.

 

[Chiomaca]

No, I still have no answer about my money. I am getting quite annoyed. Even my district manager, who I thought would care, has not responded. So, the job search continues. I have another phone interview in the morning. The others just didn't pay enough. But, at this point I may need to take less than I want to start on the ground floor of a new field and possibly start a new career.

I know Wine and Dine is one of the more popular races but 49 minutes is insane. It makes signing up for the races even more stressful than all the training to get ready for the race. But, I don't have to worry about it for a while anyway, especially if I take a job for less money.

Glad you had a good race and congrats to your friend for her first race post chemo. That's awesome. Must be fun to have a group to run with and support each other. As for the traffic, it is small price to pay for the feeling of crossing another finish line, in my opinion.

I made it to the gym. As I mentioned, it didn't go well. My ankles and feet were killing me and wouldn't loosen up. I did 25:00 on the treadmill and then switched machines. I keep seeing the stair climber type machine so I thought I'd give it a try. It was OK. Works the muscles differently, which is good. Total I did about 45:00. Went out shopping with the family and I made it to ****'s Sporting Goods to look around. I tried on new sneakers. They were pricey but it felt like my feet were on clouds. I may have to buy them. I will just look for a good deal. I bought some running socks and some compression sleeves to sleep in that will hopefully help me feet/ankles. I'm skeptical but its worth a shot. I was so excited to be looking for goodies today. I have a lot more to shop for but it was a good start.

Sorry to hear that they are not being responsive. Continued best wishes on the job hunt.

The Avengers DVC registration was today - I got myself and my family in, but the Challenge and 10k were sold out within 40 minutes. Admittedly, it's a small number of registrations they release, but I suspect that's going to be similar to when it opens in April. I'm just glad I don't have to worry about it anymore. But between my brother and me, we ended up with eight registrations for the 5k - we both did his full family thanks to a communications error. So now I have to call and cancel a set, unless you want my registrations Dizzy (kidding...)

It really is great to run with people, although not when I'm going for time. Then, I run my own race.

I've heard that the rowing machine and bike are great cross-training but I think the stair climbers work the same basic muscle sets. Either way, if it builds your cardio base, I'd say you're making progress. I love my compression sleeves, but after the race, not during. I know some people really like them during the race, so I'm curious to see what you think. I did wear them during Avengers, because the red ones paired with my red shoes looked like I was wearing boots with my costume.

Dizzyr~you have my interest peaked and since tomorrow is a cardio day I am going to run the river!!

Cool! How did it go? And please don't give up. Not sure what the issue is - maybe your browser? Or are you on your phone?

Thanks for the info on cross country. It gives me an idea of what I'm working with. I'm totally thinking selfish thoughts though because one of the things I really enjoyed about running was the solitude. My kids never stop talking! lol Guess I will have to adjust.

If they run fast enough, they won't be able to talk! But yeah, I know what you're saying. Sometimes it's nice to be out by yourself.

That is a great thing to be celebrating. It is amazing that she is able to do all this already. And I could not imagine dealing with DC traffic regularly.

T is my hero, seriously. As for DC traffic, I almost never have to deal with it. I live half a mile from the metro station, 3.5 miles from the office, and even if I have to drive, I'm against traffic both directions. All of which means I whine when I have to drive to somewhere I can't walk, bike, or take a train or bus. In my world, that might as well be North Carolina!

Ok, well it is official weigh in day... Down 1 lb so I have surpassed the 20 lb mark finally. Yay! lol

We have temporarily bailed on the 21 day fix. We will start it next week. I found that I do not have enough fruit in the house currently. Weird but true. We have been eating lean meats and a lot of veggies but not so much on the fruit. So I will shop this weekend with that in mind. Restarting on Sunday.

Congrats on the continued weight loss! Weird that you need more fruit. The 21 Day Fix requires you to buy stuff, right? What is it? I'm generally unwilling to do that sort of thing, but I do need to reassess my diet again. Of course, I could just cut the sweets...

 

[Waiting2goback]

StayCool- Congrats on breaking the 20 lbs barrier and now commit to yourself and don't ever go back. I go through tons of fruit so I know what it means to not have enough.

Chiomaca- Congrats on getting your race all signed up for. It is a huge achievement to get registered for a Disney races nowadays.

I have a couple job interviews scheduled so hopefully I get a couple offers and can make a move. They are Friday and next Tuesday. Hopefully I can get a couple more scheduled too.

I made it to the gym last night and got home late. I did just under 4 miles. But, the pain is becoming an issue. I have been researching plantar fasciitis, thanks to Chiomaca's suggestion, and it is looking like that's what I have. Before it didn't hurt to run, now it does. Things just don't loosen up. For now I will have to avoid running 2 days in a row. The compression sleeves feel good, and seem to help. But, they are already ripped after 2 days and no washing yet. That's not good. I may just buy some compression socks and sleep in those.

I'm hoping to get one of these new jobs that will take me off my feet all day. I may also have to break down and get the bike to keep off my feet a couple extra days a week.

OK, I am just typing out loud. I am off to look for more jobs. Everyone have a great night.

 

[Chiomaca]

Yeah, it's kind of dumb how hard it is to register. I told my friends to just get in touch with the travel agents and buy through them so they don't have to deal with the computer frenzy. I was theonly one registering for the challenge, so I did myself first and then got everyone in in decreasing order of how I thought they'd sell out...so 10k, then 5k. It helps to be a DVC member, too. Slightly less competition.

What brand of compression sleeves did you get, and did you get them fitted? Mine are two years old and hold up great. I don't think they did anything for me PF though. The PT gave me some exercises, mainly self-massage and single leg calf raises on stairs (raise yourself up on one foot, lower to below the level of the step on both feet, then repeat) to stretch the fascia. And rolling on a golf ball something hard. He told me not to use ice because the point is to stretch the muscle, not contract it.

What kind of jobs are you looking at? I hope the prospects are good.

 

[StayCool]

If they run fast enough, they won't be able to talk! But yeah, I know what you're saying. Sometimes it's nice to be out by yourself.

T is my hero, seriously. As for DC traffic, I almost never have to deal with it. I live half a mile from the metro station, 3.5 miles from the office, and even if I have to drive, I'm against traffic both directions. All of which means I whine when I have to drive to somewhere I can't walk, bike, or take a train or bus. In my world, that might as well be North Carolina!

Congrats on the continued weight loss! Weird that you need more fruit. The 21 Day Fix requires you to buy stuff, right? What is it? I'm generally unwilling to do that sort of thing, but I do need to reassess my diet again. Of course, I could just cut the sweets...

Ha. My kids never stop talking. Never. I need quiet sometimes and they get offended when I ask them to stop talking!

You don't have to buy anything but you can use shakeology if you want. I got a box to try but so far I don't like it. The reason I need more fruit is that I am supposed to have 4 servings a day. Normally I have it on hand but for whatever reason I don't this week.

StayCool- Congrats on breaking the 20 lbs barrier and now commit to yourself and don't ever go back. I go through tons of fruit so I know what it means to not have enough.

I have a couple job interviews scheduled so hopefully I get a couple offers and can make a move. They are Friday and next Tuesday. Hopefully I can get a couple more scheduled too.

I'm hoping to get one of these new jobs that will take me off my feet all day. I may also have to break down and get the bike to keep off my feet a couple extra days a week.

Thanks! I eat some fruit but not a ton. Oh well. Shopping on Saturday.

I hope you find a job that you like to do.

Work is picking up and interfering with my ability to get back in time to go to classes. Blah. I used to complain that I was bored and now I'm running all the time. Feast or famine I guess.

 

[~~Darci~~]

Hi guys!

I didn't give up as in forever I had wrote huge post and talked to everyone and it got cut off so I wrote it out again and bam! It was gone. I had spent about 45 minutes and was DONE. But I came back. I've been extremely busy at work so exercise has been minimal this week so far. hopefully the rest of the week will be better.

Staycool~I had to LOL my son is quite the talker too. when he was younger I would almost beg for 2 minutes of silence. Great job with the weight loss! slow and steady wins the race!

Chicomaca~Congrats on Avengers!! I am soooooo jealous! Also that's awesome that you all ran for/with your friend!

Waiting~Good luck with the job search! how have the interviews gone?

Dizzyr~hows the river running?

 

[Waiting2goback]

What brand of compression sleeves did you get, and did you get them fitted? Mine are two years old and hold up great. I don't think they did anything for me PF though. The PT gave me some exercises, mainly self-massage and single leg calf raises on stairs (raise yourself up on one foot, lower to below the level of the step on both feet, then repeat) to stretch the fascia. And rolling on a golf ball something hard. He told me not to use ice because the point is to stretch the muscle, not contract it.

What kind of jobs are you looking at? I hope the prospects are good.

I got the ankle sleeves from a company called Feetures. I am going to return then and just spend the money on some good compression socks. I was reading on the stretching and I was thinking about the golf ball idea too. But the last few nights I was woken in the middle of the night because they hurt so bad so the thought of the golf ball was not exciting. I spent some time this morning stretching my calves and stuff and my feet hurt less today. I took the night off from the gym so I can hopefully get a good night sleep.

All this has done is show me that I really need to get back to my P90X3 and do some Yoga. I have been slacking because I just can't motivate myself to start it up but I need to strengthen my body overall and work on my stretching.

I also think I might need new sneakers. All of these problems got so much worse when I switched to my new sneakers. They are the same model from last year but these are not as soft and comfy as last year's model. So, I might need to get shopping and spare no expense. With the amount of miles I will be running I can't afford to be in pain.

Ha. My kids never stop talking. Never. I need quiet sometimes and they get offended when I ask them to stop talking!

You don't have to buy anything but you can use shakeology if you want. I got a box to try but so far I don't like it. The reason I need more fruit is that I am supposed to have 4 servings a day. Normally I have it on hand but for whatever reason I don't this week.



Thanks! I eat some fruit but not a ton. Oh well. Shopping on Saturday.

I hope you find a job that you like to do.

Work is picking up and interfering with my ability to get back in time to go to classes. Blah. I used to complain that I was bored and now I'm running all the time. Feast or famine I guess.

I DID NOT like Shakeology either. I love Beachbody and they push that stuff but I couldn't force one shake down.

Waiting~Good luck with the job search! how have the interviews gone?

As for the job search, the one on Friday is at a bank. The one next week is selling insurance, which is what I have always done in one form or another. The base is higher than I will make at Verizon this year total, even with commissions.

My district manager came in today because I still hadn't heard about my missing money so I emailed his assistant to find out if she could help me. So he came in to let me know he got my email and they have been working on it. He said he didn't say anything because my manager was supposed to let me know they were working on it. I said, "If he told me he was working on it I wouldn't have emailed anyone else but this is the first I heard of it." And my manager was sitting there.

Off to massage my feet. This running thing sure is A LOT of work.

 

[StayCool]

Waiting - if your plantar fasciitis is unrelenting, do the stretches and take ibuprofen to help reduce swelling. But there are also braces that you can wear at night on your feet so that it is not quite as painful in the morning. I'm not sure if you can get them over the counter or not, but when I had issues with my foot last year I mentioned that I've had PF and they were willing to get them for me. I didn't get them because right now my feet are fine. I do have to be careful with shoes though. Hope this helps.

 

[Chiomaca]

You don't have to buy anything but you can use shakeology if you want. I got a box to try but so far I don't like it. The reason I need more fruit is that I am supposed to have 4 servings a day. Normally I have it on hand but for whatever reason I don't this week.

Wow, that's a lot of fruit! I don't think I've ever eatn that much in a day. I eat a lot of veggies, but fruit is maybe once a day. Is it to replace sweets?

I got the ankle sleeves from a company called Feetures. I am going to return then and just spend the money on some good compression socks. I was reading on the stretching and I was thinking about the golf ball idea too. But the last few nights I was woken in the middle of the night because they hurt so bad so the thought of the golf ball was not exciting. I spent some time this morning stretching my calves and stuff and my feet hurt less today. I took the night off from the gym so I can hopefully get a good night sleep.

All this has done is show me that I really need to get back to my P90X3 and do some Yoga. I have been slacking because I just can't motivate myself to start it up but I need to strengthen my body overall and work on my stretching.

I also think I might need new sneakers. All of these problems got so much worse when I switched to my new sneakers. They are the same model from last year but these are not as soft and comfy as last year's model. So, I might need to get shopping and spare no expense. With the amount of miles I will be running I can't afford to be in pain.

I have some Feetures socks and like them, but haven't tried anything else of theirs. I also prefer Darn Tough and Brooks for socks. My calf sleeves are from CEP and Zensah. They make socks, too. I massage my feet and calves before I even get out of bed and when the pain is bad, I sleep in a strassburg sock, which keeps your foot flexed overnight - I think it's similar to the braces Stay Cool mentions but is just a sock with a strap connected to the top of the sock. You can get them at running stores and sometimes even drug stores.

New shoes might be a good idea though. I've found that sometimes I don't like a shoe from year to year - just switched from my Nike Frees to Mizuno Sayonaras a couple of months ago. Much happier with these than this year's Nikes.

Waiting - if your plantar fasciitis is unrelenting, do the stretches and take ibuprofen to help reduce swelling. But there are also braces that you can wear at night on your feet so that it is not quite as painful in the morning. I'm not sure if you can get them over the counter or not, but when I had issues with my foot last year I mentioned that I've had PF and they were willing to get them for me. I didn't get them because right now my feet are fine. I do have to be careful with shoes though. Hope this helps.

You can get some things OTC but maybe these were fitted for you?

Darci - Sorry to hear you're still having those posting troubles. Maybe cut and paste before you send - there's a board I have to do that with still.

Supposed to be cold and rainy/sleety for Saturday's long run. I know you guys are still buried in the snow but I think we can all agree that spring would be nice.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Waiting - if your plantar fasciitis is unrelenting, do the stretches and take ibuprofen to help reduce swelling. But there are also braces that you can wear at night on your feet so that it is not quite as painful in the morning. I'm not sure if you can get them over the counter or not, but when I had issues with my foot last year I mentioned that I've had PF and they were willing to get them for me. I didn't get them because right now my feet are fine. I do have to be careful with shoes though. Hope this helps.

I read about the braces but I don't think I could sleep with those on. I typically can't sleep with anything on my feet, even socks. It was hard sleeping with the compression sleeves on. But, the stretching and massaging seems to be working. The last 2 days have been much better. I even went running today. Did almost 4 miles and wasn't in much pain at all. I came right home and did my massage. Tomorrow morning will be the test.

I have some Feetures socks and like them, but haven't tried anything else of theirs. I also prefer Darn Tough and Brooks for socks. My calf sleeves are from CEP and Zensah. They make socks, too. I massage my feet and calves before I even get out of bed and when the pain is bad, I sleep in a strassburg sock, which keeps your foot flexed overnight - I think it's similar to the braces Stay Cool mentions but is just a sock with a strap connected to the top of the sock. You can get them at running stores and sometimes even drug stores.

New shoes might be a good idea though. I've found that sometimes I don't like a shoe from year to year - just switched from my Nike Frees to Mizuno Sayonaras a couple of months ago. Much happier with these than this year's Nikes.

Supposed to be cold and rainy/sleety for Saturday's long run. I know you guys are still buried in the snow but I think we can all agree that spring would be nice.

I will keep yours and StayCool's suggestions in the back of my mind in the event the stretching and massage doesn't work long term.

I will be visiting an outlet mall when I get a day off that I don't have an interview on. They have everything from Asics, Brooks, Saucony, etc...

Our snow piles are shrinking. It is currently in the 50's and raining at 10pm and tomorrow is supposed to be in the 60's. I may start running outside all the time next week. We'll see what happens with the weather. I hope you get in your long run this weekend Chiomaca.

Hope everyone has a great night!

 

[StayCool]

Wow, that's a lot of fruit! I don't think I've ever eatn that much in a day. I eat a lot of veggies, but fruit is maybe once a day. Is it to replace sweets?

Supposed to be cold and rainy/sleety for Saturday's long run. I know you guys are still buried in the snow but I think we can all agree that spring would be nice.

I think it is just to get you to balance your diet. Since I'm so overweight I get 4 servings of fruit. I've never eaten that much. As you lose weight the number of servings decrease. Idk.

We are getting a lot of rain which freezes overnight. Makes for some interesting walks to the car in the morning. lol I'm ready to start seeing buds on the trees and green grass. I miss being outside.

I read about the braces but I don't think I could sleep with those on. I typically can't sleep with anything on my feet, even socks. It was hard sleeping with the compression sleeves on. But, the stretching and massaging seems to be working. The last 2 days have been much better. I even went running today. Did almost 4 miles and wasn't in much pain at all. I came right home and did my massage. Tomorrow morning will be the test.

Our snow piles are shrinking. It is currently in the 50's and raining at 10pm and tomorrow is supposed to be in the 60's. I may start running outside all the time next week. We'll see what happens with the weather. I hope you get in your long run this weekend Chiomaca.

Glad your feet are starting to get better. Just as a random aside, my feet were bothering me and then I found out that I had hypothyroidism. There is a link between the 2 but obviously it is not the cause for everyone. Once I was regulated and on medication, my feet improved. FWIW.

Snow is shrinking here too. Can't wait until it is gone. I would love to open all the windows and doors in my house!

Well today I did something a little impulsive. The kids have been upset that I did not sign them up for the Color Run with me. So today I signed us up for a Super Hero 5k in a local park. It is on April 18th which is the weekend before the Color Run. It looks like fun. We will get a medal and a cape. lol I hope the kids are excited. It means I need to get moving...

On that note, life is very stressful right now and I am floundering. I haven't been exercising. My eating habits have gotten off track some, but not enough to make me gain weight so that is something. I'm not going to start the 21 Day Fix next week because my heart just isn't in it. We will be putting our dog to sleep today which is killing me. I've had her since before my son was born. So I need to get myself out of the funk I am in. I think I am going to give myself the weekend to lick my wounds and then try to get motivated. I need better weather so I can get outside.

 

[Chiomaca]

Our snow piles are shrinking. It is currently in the 50's and raining at 10pm and tomorrow is supposed to be in the 60's. I may start running outside all the time next week. We'll see what happens with the weather. I hope you get in your long run this weekend Chiomaca.

Yesterday was beautiful, in the high 60s, so instead of walking the dogs to the park and thorwing the ball, I ran them for two miles. It took about the same amount of time and I got in a decent run. Our pace averaged 11 min/mile but it was a neighborhood loop, which means I waited at about half a dozen crosswalks. Rush hour traffic = no jay walking opportunities. It felt good and was a good thing because if I hadn't had that run, my 5th graders might not have survived the night. They're doing test prep, so even though they get outside during the school day, there's still a lot of tension. I'd say 80% of them were having a DAY.

Saturday...well, I haven't put my gloves, handwarmers, or woolies away...

I will be visiting an outlet mall when I get a day off that I don't have an interview on. They have everything from Asics, Brooks, Saucony, etc...

Have you been fitted at a running store yet? I can't remember. You should do that before you buy, especially if you can find a place with a treadmill. You don't have to buy there, but at least you'll have an idea what else is out there. That's the only reason I tried the Mizunos on, otherwise, I buy mine at discount places since I knew what I liked.

I think it is just to get you to balance your diet. Since I'm so overweight I get 4 servings of fruit. I've never eaten that much. As you lose weight the number of servings decrease. Idk.

I guess that makes sense. I signed up for My Fitness Pal today and entered in my current and desired weight and it gave me a recommended caloric intake of 1200. Not going to happen, that's just crazy. It did add a handful of calories when I entered the dog walk in this morning, so I think it would end up giving me an extra 300 calories a day to balance my daily routine (2-3x20 min brisk dog walks), but 1200 is a really hard benchmark. And two servings of fruit on top of my breakfast and lunch seems to have put me in the negative as far as sugars are concerned, which is why I thought four servings of fruit was strange - that's a lot of sugar. I'm not so sure I'm going to keep using MPF but logging my food is probably a good way for me to really look hard at my habits, which have been backsliding lately without the extra miles to counter.

Well today I did something a little impulsive. The kids have been upset that I did not sign them up for the Color Run with me. So today I signed us up for a Super Hero 5k in a local park. It is on April 18th which is the weekend before the Color Run. It looks like fun. We will get a medal and a cape. lol I hope the kids are excited. It means I need to get moving...

That sounds like a great treat for all of you! Good motivation for kids that want to run cross-country, too. If they really do make the teams, you need to get them the tee-shirts that say "My sport is your sport's punishment."

 

[Chiomaca]

I'm going to reply to this separately because it deserves it's own space.

We will be putting our dog to sleep today which is killing me. I've had her since before my son was born. So I need to get myself out of the funk I am in. I think I am going to give myself the weekend to lick my wounds and then try to get motivated.

I am so, so, sorry to hear this. It is crushing to lose such a big part of your family. She was lucky to have such a loving family, one that has stuck with her through age and illness - and as an animal rescue person, believe me that there are plenty of people who don't do that. You were lucky to have a wonderful companion for so many years. Hugs and peaceful thoughts your way as you deal with such a difficult time.

 

[StayCool]

Thank you. It's been a really rough day. She was almost 13 which is good for her breed/size. But she's been a part of my life for so long and she looked so sad today. The nurse in me knows she's better off but the selfish part of me wants her here still.

Anyway. I've thought about fostering but held off for a couple of reasons. I don't know that we are home enough. And I think I would get attached and not be able to let go. I have a tough time not "fixing" everything and we have too many pets because we didn't want anything bad to happen to them. Plus I have a little male Pekingese that is a whole hot 10 lbs that will not allow another male dog. He's about 10 years old so I guess he's entitled.... Lol.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Glad your feet are starting to get better. Just as a random aside, my feet were bothering me and then I found out that I had hypothyroidism. There is a link between the 2 but obviously it is not the cause for everyone. Once I was regulated and on medication, my feet improved. FWIW.

Well today I did something a little impulsive. The kids have been upset that I did not sign them up for the Color Run with me. So today I signed us up for a Super Hero 5k in a local park. It is on April 18th which is the weekend before the Color Run. It looks like fun. We will get a medal and a cape. lol I hope the kids are excited. It means I need to get moving...

On that note, life is very stressful right now and I am floundering. I haven't been exercising. My eating habits have gotten off track some, but not enough to make me gain weight so that is something. I'm not going to start the 21 Day Fix next week because my heart just isn't in it. We will be putting our dog to sleep today which is killing me. I've had her since before my son was born. So I need to get myself out of the funk I am in. I think I am going to give myself the weekend to lick my wounds and then try to get motivated. I need better weather so I can get outside.

I have had my thyroid tested many times and it always comes back normal. I think it is PF. The pain has reduced by probably 75% since I started stretching and massaging. I ran last night, like I said, and I massaged both feet as soon as I got home. The pain did not increase at all when I woke up this morning. I found one of the kids jumbo superballs and I just stand on that and move it around the whole foot. So far it is working great.

That's great that you signed you and the kids up for a run. It's so awesome that you are changing the culture in your house and that your kids are now interested in running. That is all because of you.

Don't worry about the 21 Day Fix. It will be there when you are ready. I am sorry to hear about your dog. I have always wanted one but my son is allergic. So, while I don't have one, I do understand how they can become a member of the family. So I am sorry.

I hope the weather changes soon and you can get outside. I have a feeling that once you recover from the loss of your dog and you can get outside that a major breakthrough is just around the corner.

Yesterday was beautiful, in the high 60s, so instead of walking the dogs to the park and thorwing the ball, I ran them for two miles. It took about the same amount of time and I got in a decent run. Our pace averaged 11 min/mile but it was a neighborhood loop, which means I waited at about half a dozen crosswalks. Rush hour traffic = no jay walking opportunities. It felt good and was a good thing because if I hadn't had that run, my 5th graders might not have survived the night. They're doing test prep, so even though they get outside during the school day, there's still a lot of tension. I'd say 80% of them were having a DAY.

Have you been fitted at a running store yet? I can't remember. You should do that before you buy, especially if you can find a place with a treadmill. You don't have to buy there, but at least you'll have an idea what else is out there. That's the only reason I tried the Mizunos on, otherwise, I buy mine at discount places since I knew what I liked.

I guess that makes sense. I signed up for My Fitness Pal today and entered in my current and desired weight and it gave me a recommended caloric intake of 1200. Not going to happen, that's just crazy. It did add a handful of calories when I entered the dog walk in this morning, so I think it would end up giving me an extra 300 calories a day to balance my daily routine (2-3x20 min brisk dog walks), but 1200 is a really hard benchmark. And two servings of fruit on top of my breakfast and lunch seems to have put me in the negative as far as sugars are concerned, which is why I thought four servings of fruit was strange - that's a lot of sugar. I'm not so sure I'm going to keep using MPF but logging my food is probably a good way for me to really look hard at my habits, which have been backsliding lately without the extra miles to counter.

I'm glad you had some good weather. We didn't end up hitting the 60's, just the mid 40's. It is hard to believe that next week is April. It felt like the winter would never end. It was brutal.

I have never been fitted. I need to find a running store and give it a shot probably. I just hate going to those kinds of places.

Chiomaca, I feel your pain. I am having the same issue. I am supposed to be at 1700 calories a day per the nutritionist. It is hard. I feel hungry a lot more than I like. There is little room for error. I mean you have to eat pretty perfect to be able to do that every day. I go over my calories 2 days a week, not by a lot but I give myself about 2000 calories those two extra days a week. So it really depends on what your goals are and how important losing weight is. If you are happy with your weight don't stress about the calories. Tracking the food and changing some kinds of foods might be all you need.

Not much of a day for me. Had my interview at the bank. It lasted 20 minutes. I am assuming it didn't go well if it was done that quickly. They didn't discuss money or benefits or anything. So, I am onto Tuesday and focusing on that one now.

 

[Chiomaca]

Thank you. It's been a really rough day. She was almost 13 which is good for her breed/size. But she's been a part of my life for so long and she looked so sad today. The nurse in me knows she's better off but the selfish part of me wants her here still.

Anyway. I've thought about fostering but held off for a couple of reasons. I don't know that we are home enough. And I think I would get attached and not be able to let go. I have a tough time not "fixing" everything and we have too many pets because we didn't want anything bad to happen to them. Plus I have a little male Pekingese that is a whole hot 10 lbs that will not allow another male dog. He's about 10 years old so I guess he's entitled.... Lol.

I had to put my cat down not quite two years ago. It was one of the hardest days of my life - I got her the first time I Went to shore duty and she stayed with me through 15 years, 12 moves (6 cross-country), and three deployments. It's hard to accept that it's better for them when you miss them so much. I'm sure your Peke is getting lots of extra love right now.

Fostering is great, but you have to be ready and in the right spot. I was worried about a lot of the same things with fostering and I did end up keeping one dog, but it really hasn't been that hard. I keep saying that I will only let a dog go to a family that will give them as good or better a life than I can, and so far I have been able to find people that meet that criteria for about a dozen dogs, not counting the other 8-10 short term pups. It's so neat to see a new family together that it makes it easier to send them on their way. And there's always another dog who needs me. There's a 10 month old Border Collie in NC that's set to come to me as soon as Wendy gets adopted.

 

[Chiomaca]

I'm glad you had some good weather. We didn't end up hitting the 60's, just the mid 40's. It is hard to believe that next week is April. It felt like the winter would never end. It was brutal.

I have never been fitted. I need to find a running store and give it a shot probably. I just hate going to those kinds of places.

Chiomaca, I feel your pain. I am having the same issue. I am supposed to be at 1700 calories a day per the nutritionist. It is hard. I feel hungry a lot more than I like. There is little room for error. I mean you have to eat pretty perfect to be able to do that every day. I go over my calories 2 days a week, not by a lot but I give myself about 2000 calories those two extra days a week. So it really depends on what your goals are and how important losing weight is. If you are happy with your weight don't stress about the calories. Tracking the food and changing some kinds of foods might be all you need.

Not much of a day for me. Had my interview at the bank. It lasted 20 minutes. I am assuming it didn't go well if it was done that quickly. They didn't discuss money or benefits or anything. So, I am onto Tuesday and focusing on that one now.

Yeah, brutal is right for you guys. It was 29 this morning when I got to the run point this morning and it was 30 when we finished an hour and a half later. Even after a hot shower I haven't been able to get warm. Standing outside for two hours with the dogs in the afternoon did not help. We did 7.25 miles. I wanted to do 11 but the friend I have been training with has been having a rough patch and needed a little less. I dragged her through 8 two weeks and and she cut her planned 7 mile run short last weekend when I wasn't there. We spent the first half talking through her mental block, but she needed to run less. I cut our intervals to 3:1 from 4:1 for the first five miles, then cut it to 2:1 to try and make her feel better about her ability to run 10 miles without getting swept. The nice thing is that I got to tell her we ran a 12 min/mile average (walk breaks, but no waiting at red lights!) and that she could totally keep that up for another three miles. I suspect I'll be running the race with her at least through the first five miles to keep her motivated. I hear it will be in the 60s next week...won't know what to do with myself!

I don't really have a weight loss goal, and I haven't logged a thing today. I might just log during the work week. Or I might not log at all. It was out of curiosity more than anything - and the realization that I have a bad habit of snacking on something sweet that needs to change. I don't think 1200 calories is at all good for an active person, so there's no way I'm following that.

Sorry to hear the interview didn't go so well. Hopefully you'll find a good fit soon.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Yeah, brutal is right for you guys. It was 29 this morning when I got to the run point this morning and it was 30 when we finished an hour and a half later. Even after a hot shower I haven't been able to get warm. Standing outside for two hours with the dogs in the afternoon did not help. We did 7.25 miles. I wanted to do 11 but the friend I have been training with has been having a rough patch and needed a little less. I dragged her through 8 two weeks and and she cut her planned 7 mile run short last weekend when I wasn't there. We spent the first half talking through her mental block, but she needed to run less. I cut our intervals to 3:1 from 4:1 for the first five miles, then cut it to 2:1 to try and make her feel better about her ability to run 10 miles without getting swept. The nice thing is that I got to tell her we ran a 12 min/mile average (walk breaks, but no waiting at red lights!) and that she could totally keep that up for another three miles. I suspect I'll be running the race with her at least through the first five miles to keep her motivated. I hear it will be in the 60s next week...won't know what to do with myself!

I don't really have a weight loss goal, and I haven't logged a thing today. I might just log during the work week. Or I might not log at all. It was out of curiosity more than anything - and the realization that I have a bad habit of snacking on something sweet that needs to change. I don't think 1200 calories is at all good for an active person, so there's no way I'm following that.

Sorry to hear the interview didn't go so well. Hopefully you'll find a good fit soon.

Good for you for helping your friend. Hopefully she appreciates it.

I have been reconsidering my weight loss goals too. I like eating healthy. I really do. But the 1700 calorie goal is killing me. It is taking the enjoyment out of all of this for me. But, my mind won't allow me to just relax and enjoy. It is a problem. My friend just told me I put to much pressure on myself, and I know I do. If I eat 2000 calories a day and never lose weight I am not sure I will be satisfied. I want to get rid of another 20-30 lbs. So frustrating. Why do I need to qualify for the Boston Marathon so early? Why does my mind work this way? Can't I just run for fun and eventually qualify?

Sorry, having a crappy week. This job stuff is bugging me. I ate so many Doritos tonight, of course feeling guilty and stupid the whole time because I knew it was wrong. But the stress of the job issues was on my mind the whole time. I haven't given in to stress eating even with the marital stuff.

So, I am talking out loud and it just happened to be along the lines of what you are talking about with the calories. Lucky you guys for hearing me vent.