September 21, 2016

Busy busy busy

I have been so, so busy lately! I've been looking for a chance to sit down a write a post, but things have been crazy around here. I have about an hour right now to write a quick post. (Not complaining--being busy feels good!)

I've been doing really well with the calorie counting. It still just astonishes me that it's so much easier  (for me, anyway) to eat well and exercise in September versus July. Since I started logging my food again (a couple of weeks ago, after we got home from vacation), I have felt much better, too. More energy, more awake in the mornings, sleeping better, etc.

All I've been doing is following the same things I did last year, when I started calorie counting. It worked so well then, that there was no reason to change it.

I have been listening to my appetite (for portion size), and eating on a schedule. I log my food, and aim to keep the calories at a decent level. I don't have a "cap" on calories, but I typically like to see between 1600 and 2000. I've been aiming for one high calorie day per week, although I had two high-calorie days in a row over the weekend. I don't feel like I'm in a huge rush to lose my summer weight, so I'll just adjust things if needed.

Today is actually the last day of summer--tomorrow marks the first day of fall! I really hope that the temps drop soon. We've had a few days that felt good, but for the most part, it's been in the 80's and humid all month.

Yesterday was my team's first cross country meet. About half of the kids were on the team last year, so they knew what to expect; but the other half were just running their first race yesterday, so that was exciting. It was very hot to run--82 and humid--but the kids all did great! Eli said it was the hardest race he's ever done, because of the heat and the hill (the race has one tough hill to run up). He finished the 1.3 miles in 12:22, which is about a 9:31 pace. All his training is paying off!

Eli charging up the hill!

I got quite the workout at the meet, too. I did the warm-up with the kids on the way to the starting line, and then as soon as they started, I had to run FAST to the top of the hill, so that I could be there to cheer and take photos. I was totally sweaty and out of breath once I got there, but I was just in time to see the first kids approaching the hill. I stayed there for a while, and got to see Eli. A minute after he passed through, I realized that if I wanted to see him cross the finish line, I'd better book it. I took off down the hill and ran as fast as I could to the finish line (not the same direction as the kids) and got there just in time to see Eli finish. I was exhausted.

I've been running in the mornings after I drop the kids off at school, and it feels good to get it done early, before breakfast. When I drop the kids off, I'm already halfway to the State Park, so yesterday, I just went right to the park to run. I'd been dreading running lately, and I realized that it's probably because I stopped heart rate training. I was doing my "easy" runs too hard, and they just weren't fun that way. I decided to get back to keeping a low heart rate during easy runs, and I was right. It was MUCH more enjoyable!

I felt really good the whole way. I had been planning on running three miles, but I ended up taking a detour so I could get in a little more distance, and it ended up being 3.5 total. My mile splits were 10:53, 10:51, and 11:03 at a 144 bpm heart rate--about what I expected.

This morning was kind of chaotic. I had been planning to run five miles or so before meeting Andrea to aqua jog, but then I remembered that today is my dad's birthday. Yesterday felt like a Monday for some reason, so I thought I had another day before his birthday. Anyway, I always make him a pecan pie for his birthday, so while I was getting the kids ready for school, I was also making a pecan pie. It baked while I took the kids to school, and then when I got home, I quickly ate breakfast and headed out to meet Andrea.

I only had enough time to get in a one mile run before the pool, but that was better than nothing. I was already in my running clothes, so it would have been a waste if I didn't run a little. Usually, Andrea and I aqua jog for an hour, but today we cut it short at 30 minutes, since I had to go all the way to Sam's Club. Andrea decided to come with me, and even though it was "just" Sam's Club, it was actually really fun!

We each fell in love with these faux leather jackets, and ended up buying one (different colors).



The color doesn't really show right in either pic (for some reason, it looks brown), but it's actually a grayish color. It was only $25, and it's the most comfortable jacket I've ever worn! Now, if only it would stop being 80 degrees, I can wear it :)

I also had to get photos developed for the "The Story of Me and My Grandpa" books my kids have been working on for my dad. I wrote about them before on Father's Day, when the kids filled out the books ("The Story of Me and My Dad") for Jerry. I liked them so much that I bought some for my mom and dad as well. They're basically fill-in-the-blank type journals with prompts for kids to write about their parent or grandparent. It's really fun to read them, because kids see things a little differently than adults do, and their responses are so funny! ;)  They'd been working on the book for my dad for several weeks, and all it needed was some pictures. I got the photos developed at Sam's, and the kids put them in the book just in time.

Now we're heading over to my parents' house to give my dad his pie and books. I have another busy day tomorrow; but, this weekend, I should be able to catch up on everything!

14 comments:

  1. That jacket is adorable...and I was just at Sam's but I usually have the mentality of get it and get out so I did just that...no wondering around the clothes this time.

    (I may need to go back..;-)

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  2. I was already planning a trip to Sam's this weekend...now I'm adding that jacket to my list!

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  3. I hope Jerry was home while the pie was baking since you were gone. Big safety issue leaving the oven on if no one is home. Just call me "Ms. Safety".

    Love your blog.

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  4. It's so funny how busy feels good-- I completely agree! I always feel better when I'm on a schedule and have a routine. When I've got a bunch of time on my hands, things get trickier.

    Pointfivekorean.com

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  5. Wow, that's cheap for such a cute jacket! Wish I had a Sam's Club membership. One just opened up not too far away from me but I'm a devout Costco member haha.

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  6. That jacket is wonderful! I wonder if they have that at my Sam's club, even though we're pretty far away!

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  7. The jacket is beautiful! I hope I can find one in Washington. :)

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  8. Ha! I have that exact same jacket, I got it at Fashion Bug before they went out of business years ago :-) I love it, I wear it through fall and spring and it's holding up wonderfully.

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  9. Happy Birthday to your dad! We don't have Sam's club but we have Costco. I try to not look at all the stuff in the middle lol.

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  10. My husband and I go to Costco for "dates." It's fun to just browse and look at everything without the kids. That jacket is really cute!

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    1. We that too, and if we time it right we make lunch out of the samples, especially during the holiday season.

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  11. Just a quick comment from Denmark! - just watched the movie From Fat to Finish Line - what an inspiration you all are! - I'm in the process of losing weight - have lost 14 kilo (approx. 33 pounds) and still have another 22 to lose - but I have discovered that I love running - I used to run a lot when I was in my twenties - now I have just turned 50 and the freedom of running makes me so happy again. - thank you for an inspiring blog! Lise

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  12. Diddo to Lise..just finished From Fat to Finish Line as well. Loved it.

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  13. Diddo to Lise. I also just finished the movie and enjoyed it. I have about 15lbs to lose that I gained back over the summer. The movie helped me realize I can make small changes (again) and still be successful.

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