Just my thoughts | I Tri and Craft

January 28, 2014
by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

Running Log week 7 & 8

I didn’t want to write a bunch of bragging posts about my running advancement. Then I thought; ummm…do you really think it is bragging to say you are able to run now?

Since I made the Official Race Announcement I figured I could everyone updated on how I am doing.

First: running is hard.

Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but it is hard to maintain. I am not at that place yet, where skipping some days doesn’t affect me.

So here is how week 7 went:

Week six starts out with intervals and the third day you have to run for two miles or 22 minutes. With no walking (except the warm-up and cool-down). Then on week 7 you run for 2.5 miles or 25 minutes. Each day. No more intervals.

I run Sun, Mon, Wed & Thr. I completed the third day of week six on a Thurs. I timed it so I wouldn’t have to add three more running minutes to my time with out a break. So come Sunday I was ready to run for 25 minutes.

Since I don’t run 10 minute miles yet, I knew I wasn’t going to reach the 2.5 mile goal.

I was nervous about running 25 minutes and wasn’t sure I could do it. So I decided that I would run for at least 22 minutes before inserting a walking interval. So come the 22 minute mark and I was so close to the 2 mile mark. I told myself, just reach two miles then you can walk. Well after I went past two miles my app told me I had one minute left! I figured I could run for one more minute. And I did.

I ran the whole 25 minutes. No walking.

I did the same thing on Monday. And Wednesday. I just kept giving myself small goals that I knew I could do.

run log from Sun & Monday

On Thursday I was supposed to start Week 8. Which is 28 minutes or 2.75 miles of running, with out walking intervals. But I had gotten this horrendous headache and knew I couldn’t do any running, and thought I would go on Friday. Turns out the headache stayed with me till Sunday.

I just knew adding those three minutes was going to be torture. I hadn’t run in four days and wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it. I went to the gym making my list of small goals.

Who do I see on the treadmill? An old coworker from my gym-rat days! (we used to work at a gym together) I haven’t seen him in over a dozen years!

While I ran we kept talking, which is a bit difficult for me as my lungs are not that in shape yet. But I was able to maintain fairly good speech. And you know what happened… I ran the whole 28 minutes with out even realizing I had done so.

OK, so that is not really true. I realized it. Boy oh boy was I aware of it. But I didn’t have to keep telling myself, only one more minute, or only 3/10 of a mile to go. I was distracted so I wasn’t focusing on the time or distance.

The second day of week 8 is another 28 min/2.75 mile, but the third day is 30 minutes or 3 miles. I don’t run a 10 min mile, I am more like 12 min miles.

week 8 day 2

But this pace allows me to run the whole time. Technically I should be able to run a 5K by Wednesday, but that is not really going to happen, but I will be running 30 minutes, and that is awesome.

photo/quote by Julian Bialowas

C25K interval information can be found here

Happy Running

January 15, 2014
by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

I Run. I am a Runner. I Run.

I have to keep telling my self that fairly often.

When I was younger I was a runner.

I ran for me. I ran because I enjoyed it. I ran to collect my thoughts.

I started running at the athletic club where we belonged. In high school my mom canceled that and I had to run outside on the street. Which I found I enjoyed more.

click picture for source

I loved clipping on my walk-man, yes that says walk-man, and heading out of the house. There was so many directions I could run, to change-up the scene a bit. My mind would wonder and clear. When it got hard, I would push through and keep going, because I had to get back to the house somehow.

Eventually, it was harder to find the time. We lived where it wasn’t safe for me to run alone. We lived where it was too cold to run outside. Many reasons, well mostly excuses on why I stopped running.

For a while now I have wanted to start running again. I didn’t because I had a mental block. I knew I couldn’t just run like I used, I had to start out slowly, and run intervals. However, I just couldn’t figure out how to start.

click picture for source

Sometime last October my cousin was talking about how she started this Couch to 5K program. Which I thought was just a name she thought of, cause she is funny like that.

Turns out it is an actual program. Someone sat down and thought about the best way to get people to run a 5K (about 3 miles) in nine weeks time. It is specifically designed for people who have not run in a long time, or have never been running. It is designed for a 30 minute workout, three times a week.

There are a lot of resources out there, some are free, some you pay for. I like this website because he has complied a whole list of resources for you to get started.

In October I joined a gym and I started running. I am too old for running in poor weather right now, so I run on a treadmill.

I downloaded this free app. There was some complications and then the holidays, so I didn’t quite keep on schedule. I still ran, but sometimes I repeated some of the days. I am now on track to be able to run a 5K in two weeks time.

I am not gonna lie. It has been hard. My lungs are not happy, my knees hurt and I need a new sports bra. I have to learn to breathe again.

My run on Monday night was the most difficult yet. I was just sooo tired, Baby Sid is teething, and both him and Ian woke me up a number of times the night before. It was the first time since I started that I had to sneak in a minute of walking during a running interval. Because I felt I was going to fall over.

But here I am now. I am a runner. I run. I run. I run. I am a runner….well almost.

Happy Running

January 9, 2014
by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

Procrastination!

Why do today what I can put off till tomorrow?

Procrastination has become my middle name.

For more than a week I have wanted to write a particular post. In fact, I keep going over how I will start it, and what it will contain.

I have not done it. I don’t know why. I just can’t seem to start.

I am trying to get more stuff listed on my Etsy shop. I can’t seem to finish doing that either.

I need to make a “Thank You” card using my new Silhouette Cameo. Nope not even designed.

I need to start making the decorations and invitations for Ian’s birthday party. Nope.

It is all up in my head, I just can’t seem to get anything done!

Well, anything that needs to be done. I did organize my contacts today…

Because I always like to leave you with a picture, here is one of my boys be extra super-duper cute.

How do I get past this “I can’t seem to start anything” problem?

December 9, 2013
by Dawn Marie Leave a comment

Menu Plan Monday Dec. 9 ~ How to make your deli meat last longer

So I am not actually planning any meals this week. We have some family in town and my days/evenings will be consumed by them. But in a good way.

So I thought I would share something else useful with you.

I love sandwiches. Love them. Eat them a lot, probably would every day if I could. Apparently I have passed this on to Ian, along with some family OCD. On his first day of school I made him a ham and cheese sandwich. Now I have to make him one everyday he goes to school, luckily he only goes three days a week.

I tried to switch it up and make it on a tortilla, or give him other things for lunch. Nope. Always a sandwich, preferably ham and cheese. Even though he likes other kinds of sandwiches. We have had a discussion about it. He has rules for me to follow.

I thought I was pretty smart when I would buy a pound of deli meat and then freeze half of it. Or sometimes I would buy more than one pound, if it was on sale.

Let’s be honest. Making sandwiches everyday is a lot of work. So I would never go through a half pound, let alone a pound of deli meat before it went bad. Lots of waste with that. (even though I love sandwiches)

When I would freeze some, I would have to remember to take it out to defrost on Sunday. Not always possible. If I didn’t take it out on Sunday night, I wouldn’t take it out that week and would end up buying more deli meat.

There was the logic for that. I most likely wouldn’t eat it on the weekend, but I might get through most of it by Friday. So if it wasn’t defrosted by Monday morning, it would just be a waste.

Even with all these problems, I still always did it this way. Buy a pound of ham, freeze half, leave in freezer while buying more ham…

Till one day. I didn’t have any normal sized zip lock bags. I only had the small snack size. But I had to freeze the deli meat. Like right then.

So I put three pieces of ham in each bag, which happens to be the perfect amount to make Ian sandwiches all week. Or enough for one adult sandwich.

I realized I could buy a pound of ham, spend five minutes putting it in to many snack sized bags and freezing them. I could pull out one bag for a week of Ian’s lunches and if I wanted a sandwich, I could grab another. It takes way less time to defrost three pieces of ham then half a pound. If I didn’t use it all then I was only throwing away one piece of ham. Way less waste. And the pound lasted longer, so I am only buying about a pound a month.

OK. I know, seems like common knowledge but I was pretty excited about my idea so I thought I would share it with you.

It’s ok, you don’t have to use the word genius, even though I know you will *wink, wink*

Menu Plan 12/09-12/15

Mon: Dinner @ mom’s

Tue: Dinner @ sister’s

Wed:not sure

Thr: Dinner @ mom’s

Fri: Dinner with hubby

Sat: Kitchen is Closed

Sun: Gingerbread House Day!!!

Happy Cooking

Need something to help plan your meals? I use the Plan to Eat online meal planner. Try it free for 30 days

I Tri and Craft

thoughts from a mother of boys, a marathoner, a triathlete, a crafter, a wife, and a scientist

Category Archives: Just my thoughts

Running Log week 7 & 8

I Run. I am a Runner. I Run.

Procrastination!

Menu Plan Monday Dec. 9 ~ How to make your deli meat last longer

Menu Plan 12/09-12/15

Find more recipes at I’m an Organizing Junkie

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Menu Plan 12/09-12/15

Find more recipes at I’m an Organizing Junkie

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