Altered Running Schedule

I have been exhausted.....

.....utterly and thoroughly 

 EXHAUSTED!!!

I took a few days off from running and everything else going on in the house this weekend. We had a massive snow storm here on the East Coast so it was a good excuse not to go anywhere. I even slept in until 7am for 3 days in a row! I am feeling completely new and ready to tackle the world!  

However,  I cannot help but to pause and reflect on how I bottomed out in the first place.

I always try to do too much. ALWAYS!!! The new year started with finishing up old projects, starting new ones and pledging to start a full exercise program. All this mixed with my day to day obligations as a mom to five itty, bitty ones and a wife to one amazing man. As well as regular house chores, meal preparation, homework tutoring, running to and fro for school, groceries, and activities, blogging, my business ..... not to mention early mornings and late nights trying to squeeze it all in  ..... has left me less than vibrant.

So how can I correct this? 

Hire a housekeeper, a nanny, a stand-in wife for a day or two per week? 

No thanks! This may work for some, but it's not for me .....( although I'm sure my husband may smirk about the latter .....)

I finally came to the conclusion that I just need to get better organized, start delegating more, taking on less and doing things less hastily. Good place to start, eh?

My daily observations have also lead me to believe that a lot of my exhaustion comes from stress. For example; Since I have started running, I start thinking about it as soon as I get up in the morning. Worrying about where I am going to find time in my day to run, and what I am going to have to sacrifice to get it done. This sound counter-active I know. Exercise is suppose to bring less stress to my life not more.  Activity for better health and a stronger body ..... right?

AND... I am EXTREMELY sore! The constant aching is tiring in itself. I know it will ease with time, but in the meantime ..... ouch!  My doctor suggested that I start off slower, and build towards a goal of a daily run. To schedule in more rest days to give my body time to repair.

So with this advice in mind, I decided to start with adjusting my new running schedule. I have altered the title to read my February Pledge to Run!!! rather than, my February Pledge to Run ..... Daily!!!

My husband rises early four days a week to go to CrossFit. So I am going to match his schedule and run in the early morning as well. I have never been a fan of exercise first thing as I love rising to fresh coffee and a quiet house. But if I still start my day at 5am as usual, I should be able to exercise, shower and still claim a quiet 30 minutes before the kids rise.

I really feel this small but significant adjustment will give me more time to complete my daily chores and projects. And rather than thinking about exercise all day, I will get it out of the way first thing and give my mind the freedom to think of other things ..... like my Spring wreath collection, landscaping plans, or a new paint colour for my living room!

Less stress, more time ..... sounds like a good plan .....

Cheers!

Blackboard adhesive....and Day 6 Results!

Hi there! I've had an idea that I have been wanting to test for sometime now. You've seen blackboards/chalkboards EVERYWHERE in Blogland in every which way, shape and form. I love the look, but have always been worried about the mess .....

With five kids in the house, a chalkboard sounds like a great idea. And I have toyed with the idea multiple times ..... a giant one in the toyroom for the kids, one in the mudroom for our daily schedule/chorelists, one in the kitchen for a grocery/menu list. But I just couldn't bite the bullet. What if I didn't like it? How hard would it be to cover up when I was tired of it? What about the nasty odour I hear so much about?

Then one day,  I was strolling the aisles of my local dollar store, and I found this .....

Light bulbs were going off in my head! But, like a lot of things that seem to good to be true, especially from the dollar store, I proceeded with cautionary disbelief.  I bought one roll (just in case it was crap), brought it home (with a bag full of other stuff I didn't know I needed), and then it ended up somewhere at the bottom of my craftroom ..........

I discovered it a few days ago and decided it was high time I give it a try. I wanted to first test it in the places I was already picturing a real chalkboard, like the kitchen. 

The appliance pantry door that is the first thing you see when you enter the kitchen, so having something interesting there is key. I peeled off the back, rolled it down and stuck it to the door.  Seriously, that's all I did! It went on so very easy.  I used a damp cloth to smooth out the odd bubbles ..... but nothing like the bubbles in the frosted window adhesive that I just installed in the garage ..... post coming soon!

In less than 2 minutes I was writing out my menu for the day!

I am so impressed with this. I am now dreaming up a million uses for it! And it will give me a good idea how much I will really use a chalkboard in this space without having to paint.  So awesome!

And for those of you that think the quality must not be there, it wipes off like a breeze! I use a damp micro-fibre cloth at the end of each day before I put up the next day's menu. And I'm just using regular Crayola chalk I found in at Michaels.

Sooooo smooth, and no bubbles!

The kids love it too. Although this one is Mommy's right now, they are requesting them else where in the house. They are no longer asking, "what's for supper?" Because it's right there on the wall! AND ...... when my kids come home from school and see what we are having for afternoon snack, they want to help me prepare it.  I just may be onto something here!

It would look so much better with a big farmhouse frame around it or have the full door painted, but for now, this works. (It is only a test after all.)

So, I'm sure you will see lots of projects in the future using this handy little product. That reminds me, I should run to the dollar store and grab a few more rolls before it's all gone!

Here are the results for Day 6 of my February Pledge to Run.....Daily!!!

Some slight adjustments again today ..... depending on how I feel while running .....

Manual Program: 25minutes

-4mins walk 3.5, 3.5 incline
-16mins run 5.0
-1.5mins sprint 6.0
-4mins walk 3.5, 3.5 incline

1.91 miles

229 cals burned

25 minutes total workout

    

Muscle Aches and Day 5 Results

Every day I am seeing small by encouraging changes in my workouts, energy, and attitude. Today was a tough start on the treadmill. It took a good 8-10 minutes into my run to stop wincing. Every muscle, tissue and fiber holding my body together ached ...... Every time my feet hit that belt I felt it! In my hips, thighs, quads, you name it, it hurt!  But I pushed through the pain (Biggest Loser here I come!) and ended my run with better results than the day previous. So again, I am impressed. (Being a red-haired, firey Aries sometimes has its benefits!) 

Here are the results from Day 5 of my  February Pledge to Run....Daily!!!

Bad iPhone photo of my finish screen...just for proof!

Manual Program: 25minutes

-4mins walk 3.5, 2.5 incline
-16mins run 5.0
-1min sprint 6.0
-4mins walk 3.5, 2.5 incline

1.90 miles

223 cals burned

25 minutes total workout

Zen Inspiration and Day 4 Results

I start each day with first my iPhone alarm, a glass of water and an inspirational quote from my Zen calendar. Now I am far from being "zen", but I am working towards a more genuine and fulfilled life. These quotes start your day on the right foot and get your mind focused ..... a couple cups of coffee will do the same thing ..... but for now I'm talking Zen. 

My husband gets this daily desk calendar for me each year for Christmas. It sits on my kitchen counter where I can reference it throughout the day. It is an easy way to refocus when things get a little chaotic and truly inspires you to make changes and move forward in a positive direction. 

There are different categories of quotes such as Meditation, Awareness, and Thought. The past few days have been focused on Purpose, Preparation & Progress, which has been very fitting for what I am currently experiencing in my own life. 

Just for an example, here is the quote for today:

"The perfecting of one's self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development."  -  Confucius

 

If you ever see this series of calendars by DateWorks, pick one up and be inspired!

......... My husband also has a daily desk calendar that he keeps in his office...... although the quotes are not so much about inspiration and progress, but more to do with annoying yellow characters and Duff beer .......

Does anyone else have this Zen calendar? Or reference another like my husband? Maybe an inspiration board to pin quotes up? Or an online version of the same?

Here are the Day 4 Results for my February Pledge to Run....Daily!!!

Manual Program: 25minutes

-4mins walk 3.5, 2.5 incline
-16mins run 5.0
-1min sprint 6.0
 -4mins walk 3.5, 2.5 incline

1.89 miles

221 cals burned

25 minutes total workout

Shaklee Shake and Day 3 Results

Hello! I'm writing a lot these days trying to catch-up on my running results. Since I've been reworking my schedule and working-out, things have been busier than ever! Plus we've been experiencing some wintery weather which equals school cancellations...so I've had five little ones under my toes while juggling all of my commitments.

So today I wanted to share with you a recent yummy discovery. I have been obsessed with Shaklee products for about a year now. I discovered them while searching online for the best natural household cleaners. And they did not disappoint, they are AMAZING! 

I've been so impressed with them that I am considering selling them as they are not widely available here in Nova Scotia...Cape Breton in particular. But before I sign on the dotted line, I want to personally test the products so that I have confidence and experience to back them. 

Now I have tried the Shaklee Get Clean products, vitamins, supplements and facial care products and love them all. But for the past couple of months, I have been fighting these last 20lbs of my weight-loss journey. So I thought this would be a good opportunity to try their Cinch products. They are a bit like SlimFast, where you replace either breakfast or lunch with a shake, but much healthier and more natural. At the same time, I was looking for a recovery shake for after my run. Because this is milk (or soy milk) based and full of protein, I could use it for both purposes.

The first day, I did my run and mixed up a shake for my recovery and lunch. I love vanilla, so I chose the vanilla powder and mixed it with light vanilla soy milk.  I will admit, I was not fully impressed. It was delicious in flavour, and extremely filling (I even skipped my afternoon snack!) but it was.....powdery.....almost gritty in texture.

The next day, my husband was home and was making his NutriBullet shake and suggested I use his machine to mix my Shaklee shake. 

My adjusted recipe is as follows:

-2 scoops of Cinch Vanilla powder mix

-1 cup of light vanilla soy milk

-1 cup of ice

- half of a banana....

Holy Cow! YUM!!! No more powdery taste, just deliciousness!

So I've been using it everyday since and I will be sure to keep you updated with the results. But so far, I am impressed with another Shaklee product. Have any of you tried or currently using any Shaklee products? Other weight-loss products? Recovery shakes? I love hearing results! Let me know!


Speaking of results...here are the Day 3 Results for my February Pledge to Run...Daily!!!


Manual Program: 25minutes

-4mins walk 3.5, 2.5 incline
-16mins run 5.0
-1min sprint 5.5
-4mins walk 3.5, 2.5 incline

1.84 miles

214 cals burned

25 minutes total workout

Super Bowl, Crayons and Day 2 Results

I'm here, I'm here, I didn't skip town on you.....although, in all seriousness I don't think I could "skip" anywhere right now.....my thighs are on fire!  This February Pledge to Run...Daily!!! has been hard on this old girl.

We had a few friends in for the Super Bowl last night (Go 49ers!!!!....I guess it's a little too late for that....boo!) so I didn't get a post together yesterday as there was a tonne of stuff to do around here in prep for our guests/party.

As many of you know, life with kids is a constant discovery show. My boys are crafty kids. Everyday there are markers, glue, glitter, stickers, paper bits, and clay everywhere. Our dining room is the most under-used room in our house, (we are pretty casual around here) so it has become a makeshift craft room. Until yesterday, when we were expecting guests and I had a boatload of food to serve. I needed to rescue my table, so I grabbed a handy laundry basket and filled it with the table contents. And much to my horror, under all of the pencils and paper, I discovered this....

This was just after I had wiped it down with a damp cloth.

Now, I love that my kids enjoy crafting as much as I do...but Hello!, THAT is a HUGE mess on my dining table!  I know, I know, Mommy should have put down a protective cover of some sort, but Mommy is busy and really didn't think of it.....until she was in a mad dash prior to our house party. 

What is that? crayon? marker? I have no idea! So I grabbed my Shaklee Get Clean Scour Off, thinking it needed a little grit to get things moving. And move it did!

With a damp micro-fibre cleaning cloth, a touch of Scour Off and some elbow grease, the "artistry" was removed from my dining room table. I didn't want to really scrub like I would my kitchen sink, as I was afraid of lifting the finish. So I gently wiped back and forth, going with the grain of the wood, Now it did take a little bit of time... around 10 minutes for the whole table. But using Shaklee's Get Clean line of natural cleaners makes me feel a lot more secure... especially around food surfaces.

After finishing with Shaklee Scour-Off.

Added a touch of orange oil to recondition the wood after cleaning.

So thankful, as we were too close to guests arrival for fussing. We covered the table with lots of munchies and a big pot of chilli...YUM! (Go 49ers!!!....still no?....boo!) 

Super Bowl food table.

Fun was had by all and even though my team didn't win, we enjoyed our Super Bowl night.

I even squeezed in my workout mid-afternoon, as I knew that I had a pledge to uphold as well as a night of high-calorie indulgence ahead. 

Here are the results from Day 2 of my February Pledge to Run....Daily!!!

Now you'll notice a jump from Day 1 Totals. I set a manual program of 20 mins to include a 5 minute cool-down. But while I was running and getting into my groove, the clock reached the cool down portion of my workout. However, I felt like I had more left in the tank...so I kept going. And let me tell you, I felt like I had just won a gold medal! Breaking through barriers and personal goals are the ultimate motivators!

Manual Program - 20 minutes (4mins walk 3.5, 2.5 incline)(16mins run 5.0)

1.54 miles

185 cals burned

Extra 5 minutes - Cool Down (walk 3.0, 2.5 incline)

0.25 miles
21 cals burned

25 minutes total workout

Cheers!

Day 1 Results are in.....I am Impressed!

OK, the results are in, and I am still breathing! Therefore, Day 1 of my Pledge to Run...Daily! was successful!

Yesterday began with adjustments in my schedule as I had an extra little person in the house. Elliot had the day off from school due to an in-service, and lets just say that he is a very busy little four year old boy.  But I bribed him with my iPhone convinced him to be my cheering section while I did my run.

Here is Elliot's photograph of Mommy running...ha!ha! It's me, I swear!

I was reminded as to why formal exercise had fallen to the wayside in the past. Life is busy...especially with little ones. Your schedule is always being altered no matter how hard you plan. Little ones get sick, forget their eye glasses (another event that happened yesterday) and sometimes are just stubborn and don't want to do what is on your schedule (and maybe a little bit of this happened too!) That's why wanting change is so important. I want to change. I want to be healthier, happier, stronger, more energetic, more confident. So even though these obstacles were presented to me yesterday when I was all geared up to start my new program, I still made it work....because I wanted to change.

So, after I did the morning school drop-offs, grocery shopping, another school run for forgotten glasses, snacks for Elliot, Audrey & myself, and put baby girl down for her nap...it was time for my run. I was already behind schedule and a little frustrated because of the fore-mentioned interruptions, so I took few quiet moments to collect my thoughts, gave myself a pep-talk and squeezed into some spandex! Wow, so glad I'm running today! TIP: If you ever need to get motivated to workout, pour yourself into some workout gear and take a good long look. Ouch!

Now I'm not going to lie, I was nervous. Nervous because I had set myself up for this challenge and was afraid of poor results. But what are poor results if nothing other than proof that you need to be doing this? So I logged-in (my treadmill has a user profile) and I was instantly overjoyed! The last time I had used my treadmill was 30lbs ago! So to start my workout, I had to press that down arrow 30 times!!! What an energy boost!

There are so many programs on my machine, but I wanted just a straight run to see what I could do, so I chose the Manual option. I set it for 15mins...being more than generous, but not self-doubting...and started...

-I walked for the first 2 mins at 3.0 (2.0 incline) to warm-up 

-increased to 3.5/4.0 for 2 more minutes and then I couldn't handle it anymore!

-upped it to 5.0 (0 incline) and ran!

For 11 full minutes I ran.....comfortably.  

That 30lb loss obviously made a difference since the last time I ran. I then started feeling like I had sold myself short, that I should have added more time, pushed myself. 

-I added 5 mins at 3.5 for a walk to cool down 

When I was finished, assured myself that I had done enough for my first day. 

Now, I am no Bob Harper (secret hearts), but I did on the treadmill what I felt like doing at the time. When I felt I could run, I ran. I didn't plan this workout ahead of time, it was my first day and I wanted to see what I could do.  I'm sure the days ahead will be full of adjustments and challenges.

For Day 1, the results are in and I am impressed with myself!

Here are my stats according to my treadmill monitor:

Manual Program - 15 minutes (4mins walk/11mins run)

1.18 miles

147 cals burned

Extra 5 minutes - Cool Down (walk)

(outside of these results)

20 minutes total workout

Not too bad for an out-of-shape girl trying to make a come back! I hope you are all pushing yourselves to do a little more physical activity each day. You don't have to run on a treadmill, or go to the gym, just move more than you did yesterday!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Scheduling Time for LIFE

Well, here we are...Day 1 of my February Pledge to Run Daily! It is 5am and I am up planning my day to include my run. It will take some adjustments in my schedule, but I am truly looking forward to it! 

When I first started brainstorming this pledge, I became fully aware of how chaotic my daily schedule had become. No wonder there was no room for daily exercise! I was exhausted from running in circles all day, from one task to the next with lists upon lists of things still left to be done. Constantly frustrated and unfulfilled. 

I was reminded of my sister when she had her second child and made the decision to stay at home to raise her family. And while to some this sounds ideal, the endless days of cleaning, cooking, and changing diapers, was a HUGE change for her. She would call and ask, "how do you do it?"....."don't you get bored?" I remember telling her to treat her job as a stay-at-home Mom the same as being a career woman outside of the home. Start each morning with the same routine as if you were leaving for work; hop up, shower, dress, eat breakfast and write your to-do list. (TIP: Always wear a pretty pair of earrings and a squirt of your favorite perfume...it makes you feel special and ready to tackle the day!) With each task you accomplish, cross it off, same as you would at your office. Schedule appointments for yourself, it may not be with business executives, but with play-dates or the doctors office.  

Make your job important and it will be!  

Well, it must have worked, as she now has four beautiful children and is loving life!

 

So taking my own advice, I opened my trusty "LIFE" binder to a clean page and wrote a list of all the things I had done since my feet hit the floor that morning. I continued to do this until bedtime... and then the next day ...and the next day. It lays open on my kitchen counter (where I spend most of my day) so I don't forget to log what I have accomplished.

First thing in the morning, the sun is bright = poor photos. But you get the idea! 

From the first hour of tracking my day, I knew this was just what I needed to get into gear!

TIP: Use bright fun coloured pens to track your activities...it makes work seem a little more fun!

 

It is the same idea as tracking what you eat. Until you start logging your intake, you are unaware of how many calories you are actually consuming. So not only did this daily task tracker show me what I accomplished throughout the day, it also showed me what I failed to accomplish. 

The second day I started by reviewing the previous day to see what took a lot of time, what I didn't have room for, and why I never had my afternoon snack!  Schedule it in people, coffee breaks too! So I slightly rearranged a few things, and the next day the same and so on. I am hoping by the end of two weeks I will have a pretty tight, working schedule. 

It is amazing what you can find by reviewing this data. How much time opens up that you thought never existed. I even found an extra 15 minutes to do a Sudoku puzzle! Today, I have opened up the time-slot of 11-11:45 am (when the baby naps) to hit the treadmill. And even though I will not be running for the allotted 45 mins (ha!ha!) I plan on warming up immensely before I start and using the remainder of the time peeling myself off of the floor! 

Is anyone else starting a fitness routine? Trying to find time in your schedule? A stay-at-home Mom who needs time for a coffee break?!!!

Check back tomorrow for the first entry in my Running Log! 

Just for fun.....I did a close-up on this grasshead that my Oliver made for me at his school. It is a constant source of smiles and inspiration. Not only is he fun, but it was made for me with love. 

TIP: Keep things that make you smile close to where you work. 

Cheers!

 

February Pledge - To Run....Daily!!!

Hey there, Hi there, Ho there! Well, I'm finally starting to feel the affects of old man winter....my energy and creativity is at an all-time low, I'm sluggish and grumpy and constantly hungry.  I am forcing myself to finish projects and when I work this way,  I don't enjoy them as much. So it's time for a change. Time for a challenge. A personal challenge.

I have mentioned before (in this post) that my husband and I have both lost a lot of weight. And even though he goes to Taekwando and Crossfit faithfully, I have not raised an exercise finger through this whole journey. Now, that being said, I am a very busy Mom of five that runs around with laundry, groceries and babies all day...but its not the get your heart-rate up, sweaty(well, sometimes) kind of exercise. 

Because it is Winter and I reside in Nova Scotia, daily outdoor exercise is just not practical.  I also have a busy one year old at home with me through the day. We have a family membership to the YMCA, which we use, but baby-minding is only available on certain days. So I need something that I can do on a daily basis, without any help or excuses. I decided to start with running, at home, on my treadmill.

Years ago, when I was between pregnancies, I asked my husband for a treadmill to burn off the extra baby-weight. So being the wonderful husband that he is, (are you reading this Rob?!) I received a beautiful, heavy-duty treadmill and used it almost daily.

Our previous house workout area.

Then we moved, and moved again, and moved again, and my poor machine has now landed here....

Our current house workout area.....needs some work....

One of my new years' resolutions for 2013 was to be more active, which I have been...just not on a consistent basis. But I am here to renew my pledge and stick to it! I am going to rescue my treadmill from the Lego jungle and RUN! EXERCISE! GET MY BLOOD PUMPING! Save myself from this winter funk and in turn, benefit everything else in my life. Because when you feel good it reflects on your energy, attitude and outlook.  I feel unstoppable when my body and mind are focused. And we all  know that "When Mommy's Happy, Everyone's Happy."

Now, I'm not a big-time runner, (ha!, not even close!) I will run my first day until I can no longer breathe...I'm guessing around the 7 minute mark. But everyone has to start somewhere, right? That's why tracking your progress is so important! You can see your improvements on paper and not even to mention, the scale!

For the month of February, I pledge to run daily and track my progress right here for everyone to see.

Now, I guess today's challenge is to clean the toyroom and carve out an inspirational space to exercise. Making a change, no matter how small, is empowering.  I can't wait to get started!

Have any of you made small changes that have had major impact? Did it start with a resolution? Are you following through? Any stay-at-home Mom's struggling with fitting exercise into their busy days?

Cheers!

Healthy Tweaks for 2013

Hi Everyone! I hope everyone is holding true to their New Year's Resolutions. The first few days are always the hardest aren't they? I am so excited to say that I have had an awesome start to the new year! My husband and I each lost 50+ last year when we changed to a clean eating platform for our family. So this year we are adding a few more tweaks to our healthy lifestyle. 

1. Fun/natural/outdoor activities with the kids - snowshoeing, skiing, skating...we are in Canada nonetheless!

2. Toning up with exercise and weights - hitting the gym. Hubby wants to try the new Cross Fit craze. I'm going to start with a morning run and then add in a couple of classes/week at my local YMCA. We bought a family membership last year and have never used it!

3. Incorporating new/flavourful dishes into our meal-plan. Need to mix it up to keep it interesting!

It sounds crazy to say that I lost 53lbs without any formalized exercise, but it's true. And I know, I know that I would have gotten to my goals a lot sooner had I burned more calories in the gym. But for me, this was a lifestyle change, not a crash diet. I needed to slowly cut out things that were bad, add things that were good, make adjustments as I went along. This is a forever thing, right? So this year, getting my heart pumping is a big one on my list. I feel great without the extra weight, but I have about 20lbs to go, and I know that I would feel unstoppable with a good 30-60mins of sweating it up each day. I have five small children, so to say that I was inactive is definitely an understatement. But it's not the kind of exercise that I need to push my goals. 

So here's to a healthy 2013!

...........I really don't know how this post happened. I signed on to talk about my new website/shop that I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning dreaming up.  It was a resolution to get my business up and running in the new year, so I am super pumped that it is finally happening! But I guess that is another post for another day. 

Note to self: Don't start composing your morning post without consuming coffee first.