Mostly Fit Mom

Tower of Terror Training: Sucking Wind

mostlyfitmom — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:31:55 +0000

As I mentioned in my last post, my husband and I signed up for the Tower of Terror 10-Miler October 5th. Now, I haven’t been doing much running lately, but I’m really looking forward to getting back to it. I’m going to try and keep things easy and not push myself too much, as I don’t want to end up injured. That being said, my cardiovascular system has been given a lot of slack over the past year and a half, so getting back into running is definitely challenging.

The Tower of Terror training plan that I’ll be following doesn’t officially start until June 4th, but I figured it would be good to get my feet and body moving beforehand. Yesterday was a beautiful, if windy, day here in Saskatoon and since I had an extended lunch due to a patient canceling, I threw on my running gear and headed out.

The training plan recommends a 13-15 minute warm-up and then a 30 minute run every Tuesday and Thursday, so that’s what I did. A few weeks ago, I went from running 1 min/walking 1 min to running 3 min/walking 3 min. I figured run/walking 2min/2min would be okay. Um…not so much. It was SO HARD! My heart rate through the running intervals was through the roof and there may have been excessive gasping, too. I’ve been here before, though, so I know that it will get better. My legs felt tired but okay afterward. Really, my heart and lungs seemed to take the brunt of the workout. I plan to run again tomorrow and I know that it will feel (at least a little bit) easier than yesterday’s run/walk.

I’ve also been contemplating whether or not to put together some sort of costume for this race. It is Disney, after all. If you have any suggestions, through them my way!

A Kick in the Pants: Tower of Terror 10-Miler

mostlyfitmom — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:49:02 +0000

I haven’t been blogging much lately. I haven’t felt particularly inspired and have been focusing on other things, like decluttering my house (baby steps on that front), sleeping, and a fantastic Hawaiian vacation (to celebrate our 15th anniversary).

Not blogging is not necessarily reflective of how my life is going, though. My work schedule is steady and more manageable than it was when I first started working, the kids started a new school after the Easter Break and are doing really well, I’m getting home from work at a reasonable time most days, though I’m still pretty tired at the end of the day. For a while, my workout motivation was high and I was fitting strength training and cardio in. And then I went on vacation.

Strangely enough, I worked out almost everyday while we were in Hawaii. We often got up early to go for a walk/run (I’m still having left hip issues, but I think it’s more from sitting at work everyday than from running), went for a few hikes, and hit the gym a couple of times. After we got back from vacation, though, I had a hard time getting back into a routine, what with catching up with work, catching up on home stuff, and dealing with jet lag.

Enough is enough, though. I needed a kick in the pants, so I’ve signed up for a race: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler. In fact, with very little sweet-talking, my husband also decided to sign up, and my kids are both running the 1 mile kids’ race. The nice thing about Disney races is that they have training plans on their website, so my husband and I will be following a plan for beginning runners that you can find here. As long as you can maintain a 16 minute mile pace, you’re good to go. I figure that if I have any problems with my left hip/IT band, I can always walk it…and I’m pretty sure I could walk a 16 minute per mile pace if I went out and did it today, without training. My biggest concern is the potential heat and humidity, since I’m used to much cooler temps in October. Heck, the snow we received last October didn’t disappear until early this month. A whole lot different than Orlando’s weather, that’s for sure. Regardless of the weather, I’m sure it’ll still be a lot of fun.

Do you have any race plans for 2013?

On Beginning

mostlyfitmom — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:52:32 +0000

I often have so many things running through my head that I have a hard time relaxing. I realize that this relates to the fact that I am rather Type A, and also to the fact that, like so many people I know, I am balancing multiple roles: mom, wife, dentist/health care provider, business owner, sister, daughter, friend, boss, etc. It feels like a lot to sort out and I often feel completely overwhelmed by my to-do list, especially since I want to do everything and do it really well, though that is a completely unrealistic expectation. I recognize that I can’t have it all – no one can, though some may seem to. Rather, I have to choose what my priorities are and learn to let go of the rest.

This is often easier said than done, unfortunately, but in order for me to manage my stress, I’m going to have to be realistic about what I can tackle, especially over a short time frame. At the same time, when I have a arm’s-length to-do list, I feel bad about myself if I don’t at least make some progress in crossing items off. What’s a girl to do?

I’m sure there are a few books out there that I could read about stress management, time management, and work/life balance, and I might get to a few someday, but today, I was inspired by the poster to the left, which is available as a free download from Paper Coterie here. It was created by Angie Warren and it gets to to heart of what I’m feeling these days. I need to stop overthinking everything and start doing what I feel is important.

Spring is a really great time for me to start living and feeling rather than letting the same thoughts run through my mind over and over. My mind has been crowded by “send out birthday invitations” and “buy paper plates” and “rent a car for Hawaii” and “book a bikini wax.” I want to start getting organized rather than just thinking about getting organized. I can make all of the lists I want to, but if I lose those lists or spend hours worrying that I should start by organizing the basement storage room rather than the office, then what’s the point?

As part of this desire to focus on living and feeling, I’ve recently started a new blog over at www.mfmhappinessproject.wordpress.com. I was inspired by the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, though I’m putting my own spin on it so that it doesn’t feel overwhelming. In a couple of days, I’m putting together 5 resolutions for April 13th-May 12th, and organizing will be part of that, but I think 1 of my resolutions will have to relate to Being Myself and letting go of the pressure I put on myself to do everything.

You’re probably wondering why on earth I would create another blog when I’m not exactly blogging regularly here. Isn’t that just another item to add to my pile of to-dos? Honestly, I blog for myself, mostly as on online journal, though I enjoy reading the comments I get and love some of the suggestions I’ve received from readers. In addition, writing helps be sort out my thoughts and the blog format allows me to store everything online rather than cluttering up my space with paper (I have enough of that already). I may not blog frequently, but I do enjoy the time I spend mulling over my life as I put together a post.

Have you read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin? How do you de-stress?

P.S. Yesterday, I ate really well, ran/walked over lunch, lifted weights in the evening, and got a short yoga sesh in. Feeling sore and tired today, but in a good way, and I feel really proud of myself for having a great day yesterday.

Falling Off the Wagon

mostlyfitmom — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 23:19:56 +0000

I was doing really well with eating and working out for a couple of weeks, and then halfway through last week, I hit a wall. I couldn’t seem to dig deep enough to convince myself to workout and I ate way too much (and way too much sugar) over the weekend. I’ve been beating myself up about it and decided I needed to LET IT GO.

While I’m willing to let it go and move forward, I do recognize that lack of consistency is a big thing for me. As in, it’s consistently a problem for me (see the irony there?). I have been struggling with it for years…actually, a couple of decades, if I’m perfectly honest. I guess the good thing is that I haven’t completely given up on trying to be healthier; I just happen to fall off the wagon a lot. I did get back on today and went outside for a short walk/run. To be clear, I’ve still got nagging ITB and SI issues, but despite the snow and cold that we’re still living with around here, I needed to get out into the sunshine and get running, because running makes me a happier person.

Tonight, I’m lifting weights and getting some yoga in. Tomorrow, I’m planning to do some cardio and yoga. Thursday, it’ll be the weights, yoga, and intervals. Friday = cardio. Saturday will be weights, cardio, and yoga. Sunday, I plan to take it easy and maybe do some yoga.

If anyone has a strategy for maintaining motivation long-term, I’m all ears! Note: I’m probably not talking to you if you’ve always found it easy to be active and eat healthfully, as I’m totally jealous of you

Beach Reads

mostlyfitmom — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 01:04:25 +0000

In less than a month, my husband and I will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary, which seems…completely crazy to me, because surely I’m not old enough to have been married for 15 years. (I’m also sure I’m not old enough to have a son turning 9 and my own dental clinic.) In any case, we’re celebrating our anniversary by going to Hawaii – specifically, Oahu – and I’m lining up some books to read on the plane over and on the beach, naturally. So far, I’ve come up with the following list, which has mostly been put together by googling “best beach reads” and “best beach reads hawaii.” I was not wanting anything too heavy, because I don’t want to think too much.

I’m still narrowing down my list, but here’s what I’ve got so far:

Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport
House of Many Gods: A Novel by Kiana Davenport
Haole Wood by Dee DeTarsio
Murder in Waikiki by Fred Zackel
The Last Aloha by Gaellen Quinn
Honolulu by Alan Brennert
Where’d You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple
Wife 22: A Novel by Melanie Gideon
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

FYI – The first 6 novels listed are based in Hawaii.

With the beach vacay looming, I’ve been feeling motivated to workout again. It’s been a week-and-a-half since I’ve really started getting back into it and I’ve been lifting weights, stationary biking, and doing yoga. I feel great that I’m getting my workouts in and I’ve already seen strength gains. I bought The Women’s Health Big Book of Exercises by Adam Campbell and have been following The Get Your Body Back Workout (Phase 1). It’s basic, doable, and covers the important stuff.

Healthy eating is still going pretty well, even with it being Easter this past weekend. I restricted my chocolate ingestion to Sunday only, so I’m feeling pretty impressed with myself.

Back to Working Out

mostlyfitmom — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 19:42:18 +0000

Hockey is officially over for the season and I’ve taken advantage of the room in my schedule to get some great workouts in this week. Did yoga a few times, lifted weights a few times, and rode my stationary bike a few times. In addition to my suddenly lighter schedule, the weather is finally improving and we got above freezing late this week, which has really helped to boost my mood. It’s totally sloppy outside, though, since we got the most snow we’ve had in years this winter, so my workouts are still restricted to my basement, but it’s sure easier to feel happy when it’s not snowing – again – and it’s light out before 8:30am.

On the eating front, I’ve been using the Lose It app for a few weeks now and have lost about 4 lbs. My fruit and veggie consumption is much improved and treats have been few. I feel pretty good about my eating, though I know there’s still room for improvement. This weekend is challenging, what with the Easter Bunny leaving treats tomorrow and visiting my parents for a couple of days, where I tend to want to snack on whatever happens to be lying around and end up consuming way too much. So far, though, I’ve been doing quite well avoiding the cheese and crackers and ice cream. Tomorrow will be trickier, with it being Easter and my mom planning a big meal, but I’m allowing myself 2 treats tomorrow and will be tracking my food. Food journaling helps keep me honest.

Adding to the motivation is the fact that my husband and I are celebrating our 15th anniversary in a month and we’re heading to Hawaii (thanks to reward points from our credit cards) for a week. Nothing like knowing you’re going to be in a bathing suit to give yourself a little kick in the butt to workout harder and eat better.

I’ve never been to Hawaii before. Have you? We’re going to Oahu, which is totally not my vacation style – I usually like more laidback. Any recommendations on things to see and do? Pearl Harbour is definitely on our list, but we don’t really have anything planned beyond that.

March Madness

mostlyfitmom — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 03:11:43 +0000

My kids’ hockey seasons are wrapping up in the next couple of weeks, I’m happy to report, and my son’s soccer winds up this weekend. Looking forward to less driving and more time at home. If I’m totally honest, though, my husband has been shouldering the bulk of the running around for the kids’ activities, so I’m sure he’s going to be ecstatic come March 24th.

Workouts have not been happening for a couple of weeks. I have been totally exhausted (work has been really busy) and have tended to choose more sleep over workouts. On the other hand, my eating has been pretty good, and last week I started using the Lose It app (loseit.com) and totally love it. I had previously resisted my dietitian’s attempts to get me to food track electronically because I’ve always found anything online to be a pain in the ass (PITA), but this app allows you to scan food labels into your phone and then tracks the nutritional data, to enter your own recipes easily, and is, according to my dietitian, fairly accurate in calorie counts vs. other apps out there. I was already food journaling, but using this tool helped me I was eating plain ol’ too much, even though the food I was eating was generally good for me.

Still making my way through The Book of New Family Traditions (Revised and Updated): How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays and Every Day and have started Sundae Mondays for the kids. Basically, I’m putting together breakfast sundaes for them every Monday morning so that they have something to look forward to that day. Mondays suck for pretty much everyone, and I’ve definitely noticed that it boosts their moods at the beginning of the week to start out with something fun.

Off to do some yoga before bed. Today was a long, tough day at work and my back needs to decompress.

What are your favourite apps?

Overreaching

mostlyfitmom — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 04:07:35 +0000

Remember when I said I would come home from the hockey tournament and workout? Yeah, totally didn’t happen. And I’m okay with that. Have been up since 5:20am and am so tired I’m short-tempered and somewhat incoherent, so bed is a good idea. Tomorrow morning, though, I’m totally planning to get a workout in. Unlike today’s planned-workout-that-didn’t-happen, a workout tomorrow morning is not overreaching: I’ve got a relatively open agenda and a need to relieve some stress.

Happy March

mostlyfitmom — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 02:06:50 +0000

I woke up earlier than planned today and, in a particularly grown-up move, told myself to get out of bed and workout. So I did. It was about 4:45am when I rolled out from under my cozy covers, found the workout gear I had set aside earlier in the week but didn’t use, stumbled into the bathroom, and then headed down to the basement. By 5:30am I had made my way through a full body workout and was immensely proud of myself. I ended up being tired all day, but there was no way I was going back to sleep so at least I did something productive.

Tomorrow will be spent at a rink out-of-town, and I will likely have to leave the house around 6:30am to get there. I’m hoping to get home by 8:30pm but may not. As I’m heading to bed immediately (it’s just after 8pm here) since I was up so darn early, I’m laying out clothes just in case I’m unable to sleep all the way to when my alarm goes off. And if I don’t wake up early, I’ll have the clothes ready for a late day workout once I get home. I know I will be really low energy when I get home so it’s going to take some major self-talk tomorrow night to get onto the treadmill. I’ll let you know how it goes! I’m predicting that I will be working out much more predictably in March…

Resolution Review

mostlyfitmom — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:46:32 +0000

It’s been about a month and a half since I posted. I think that’s the longest I’ve gone without blogging since I started! It was not a deliberate choice and I’ve missed the process of sorting through my thoughts that occurs when I write a post.However, January and February were taken over by the kids’ activities and work. I have been working out more regularly, but I’m still finding that it’s something I put off when my schedule fills up. I’ve also been going to bed ridiculously early, have managed to sneak in a few dates with my husband, and have started organizing a few things around the house.

As for the rest of my resolutions, here’s a summary:

Lose 25 lbs: lost a few, and then gained them back. My eating has improved a ton, but I’m still eating too much to lose weight and the treats keep on sneaking in there.
Get back in shape (can it get any more broad than this statement?!?): haven’t make significant strides here. The workouts I’ve been doing have been very basic, but I feel like consistency with exercise will be the key here, so I’m viewing this as a long-term resolution.
Clean out and organize my home office: office has been cleaned out (just this past weekend), but we’re still working on the organization part.
Put together a list of family traditions to try out this year: I’ve been reading The Book of New Family Traditions (Revised and Updated): How to Create Great Rituals for Holidays and Every Day but haven’t put together my list yet. Some great ideas, though!
Be nicer to my husband: I have definitely been nicer, but I know there’s room for improvement here.
Host friends and families for suppers every other week (but keep it casual and don’t turn it into a chore!): Just had the first supper of the year yesterday, so I was a little delayed in starting this resolution, but we do plan to continue on with this.
Start learning Portuguese: haven’t started yet, but having been eying up the Rosetta Stone website.
Put the drama of dental school behind me: I took all of my notes out of my office, put them in a closet, and labeled them for destruction in 1 year’s time. I also shredded some correspondence from my school and felt good about it, and any time a negative thought comes up, I tell myself to let it go, and I do.
By January 7th, break my resolutions down into attainable, measurable goals and build some reminders into my calendar to follow through with everything: This did NOT happen, but this is something I will be working on tonight – it’s time.

How have your resolutions/goals for the year been going?