Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 107

Every week, I have nothing but the best intentions for the upcoming week in regards to diet and exercise. Sometimes I meet or even exceed my expectations; many times, though, I don't even come close.

This week, I actually did really well with the exercise. I ran three times! I started doing Jeff Galloway's run/walking method; I can't say that I really love it so far. It's hard to get lost in my thoughts (or in a podcast) when I get an alert every time I switch from running to walking and vice versa. Also, the 30 second walk breaks seem SO short!

As of right now, I've been doing 30-minute runs--that means 15 repeats of the 90-30 run-walk intervals. When I think of it that way, 15 repeats makes the run sound so much longer than it is. When I am running, I can't get it out of my head how many repeats I have left. I can't imagine what it will be like doing a longer run (six-ish miles)--that's a LOT of repeats.

I'm going to continue with the method, though, because I do like the novelty of trying something new and it is definitely less intimidating than running without having walk breaks to look forward to.

For my eating habits this week, well, I'll get to that in a minute. First, the scale. Last week, I was at 142.2. Today?

I was at 143.4. Honestly, though, I did better this week than I did the previous. I have been eating great all day long, but then for some stupid reason, I eat a big scoop of peanut butter before bed. It's not out of hunger. It's like I'm self-sabotaging for no reason at all. I know that all I need to do is just go to bed before it gets to that point, so I'm going to try that.

There were a couple of nights this week where I sat on my bed and organized a bunch of crafting stuff, and the last thing on my mind was a snack (I love to organize and I hate to leave things unfinished, so I was very focused on finishing before bed).

When I organize things like my closet, I take everything out and dump it on my bed--that way I have to put it all back in order to go to bed that night! ;)  Maybe this week I'll pick some things to organize before bed, when I typically want to snack.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how the week went. Even though the scale was up, my eating habits improved over the week before AND I ran three times during the week. So it was definitely an improvement! I just wish the scale would show it. (Maybe it will if I just stop with the peanut butter, haha.)

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Deep Thoughts With Jerry #18: Father's Day

Jerry asked me what he should write about today for his "deep thoughts" post, and I suggested that since Father's Day is coming up, he could write three things that he loves about being a dad. So here is Jerry...

Three things I love about being a dad:

1: Hanging out like a kid

When Katie used to be our family globetrotter, I would take the time off work to hang out with the kids. She would be gone for a weekend or even just a day or two once or maybe twice a year.

When the kids were really young we could make forts or a giant bed in the living room and watch movies and snack at night. During the day we would go play putt-putt golf, do the batting cages, and ride the go-carts. When it was time for bed they would fall asleep on my bed.

I have very fond memories of doing all these things, and it didn't seem like much at the time but it meant the world to me. Through the years, this has transformed into more individual things like fishing with Eli and disc golfing with Noah. When a new Star Wars or Marvel movie comes out we go to the theater opening weekend and watch it together. It's really become our thing. 

2: Giving advice, being supportive, helping them grow

I love sharing my life experiences with the kids. I almost feel like Jim's dad from 'American Pie'. I share everything with them that could help them in the future. It could be anything from relationship advice to what the workplace is really like, owning a home, to how to properly load a dishwasher. I like showing them things.

When they were little it was all about teaching them little things like chewing your food and how to catch and throw a baseball. Every little thing I did was teaching them something; they mimicked my every move.

Now that they've grown it's become less fun to show them things because it's none of the "fun" stuff. It's about being an adult. About paying taxes and getting real jobs and how to take care of a car and how to save money. However, it doesn't matter how old they are; I will always have something to show them, advice to give. I'm always here. 

3: Seeing them grow

My boys are the best. However, I always question if I should've done things differently with them. Always. They're at the point now where I just have to let them make their own decisions and hope that I did okay. From the time they were born I was in awe of watching them do the little things. And, it was amazing to see how their little personalities developed as they grew. 

NOAH: Noah had the squeakiest little voice and this laugh that reminded me of 'Bambi'. He was always so proud of his little achievements. As he got older he just seemed to take life in stride, he made things look easy and always seemed like he knows what he wants. He's thorough and tries to make informed decisions. He's truly a great kid. 

ELI: Eli has always been an individual. He had this super raspy voice when he was younger and this belly laugh that, still to this day, is incredibly infectious. He has always marched to the beat of his own drum and can be content to just be by himself with a fishing pole in the water. He has compassion and a heart of gold. 

Overall, I am so lucky to be their father. I've tried my best, maybe stumbled along the way. They are amazing young men. I couldn't be prouder of them and I'm excited to see what the future has in store for them.

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Like Nothing I'd Ever Seen

I (like usual) was procrastinating my run today. When I was in bed, I told myself that I was going to get right out of bed and into my running clothes. And then Jerry told me that he'd made coffee for me, so I decided to do the Wordle and Duolingo while drinking my coffee, then I'd head out.

I still had coffee left after Wordle and Duolingo, so I decided to look at my craft board on Pinterest and see if there was something that I'd want to work on this week. I had so much inspiration--but not the right fabrics/clothes. So, continuing my procrastination I decided to head to Goodwill and see if I could find any good deals for project clothes.

I didn't end up getting what I needed for the project I had in mind, but I think I really need to make a list--it was hard to remember things when I was there. I did come up with a cool idea to do as an experiment, and I was planning to write about that today. But then.

Then.

Once I got home and talked myself into running, I had quite the eventful run that I thought was worth writing about. First, remember when I said IT ALL COUNTS, no matter whether you stop and chat with a neighbor or tie your shoe, or get, say, mauled by dogs.

I was running--or walking--I'm doing run/walk (90 seconds running, 30 seconds walking), so I'm not sure. Anyway, I heard a noise behind me (I wear ear buds, but I have them on an "aware" setting, so I can still hear everything around me). I turned to look and couldn't believe just how close a dog was to me--a VERY aggressive dog. (I'm not sure what kind of dog it was--maybe a boxer or boxer mix? I don't know dog breeds very well. There is a picture later in the post.)

I've seen umpteen dogs since I started running 13 years ago. I know the body language of friendly, scared, playful, protective, warnings to stay away, and--aggression. If you've ever been confronted by an aggressive dog, it's scary as shit! When we first got Joey and I brought him for a temperament test at a doggy daycare, he failed immediately because the hair on his back stood up and he bared his teeth. (Later, the owner called and asked if he'd like to come back to try again--she had a good feeling about him--and he passed.) Whenever Joey is confronted by a bunch of dogs, that's how he reacts. He's not being mean or aggressive, however--it's just his way of introducing himself to the pack. He's cool after 30 seconds or so.

The owner of the doggy daycare had explained to me the major signs of aggression, and one of them is baring teeth on both sides of the mouth. I've only ever seen a dog do it a few times, usually right before biting.

Anyway, I was running, heard a noise, and then stopped in my tracks and turned to face a very aggressive dog. I started firmly and loudly telling it to go home. (Usually, that works like a charm for unleashed dogs; they aren't aggressive, however.) I was starting to panic, though, because this dog kept coming closer as I was slowly backing up. My voice got louder until I was yelling at the top of my lungs, "GO HOME!"

Then, out of nowhere, I see two more dogs--they are running full speed toward us. They were about the same size--one of them looked like the aggressive one, and the other looked like an Australian shepherd(?). I had basically resolved that I was going to be mauled, and I was desperately trying to think of a way out.

Suddenly, something happened that I'd never seen before. It was amazing and SO cool to see and I wish I had it on video.

The two dogs coming up behind the aggressive one (all three coming toward me now), simultaneously flanked the aggressive dog. The other boxer (I'm going to say boxer, even if I'm wrong, just for clarity) rammed into the side of the aggressive dog while the Aussie bit the neck of the aggressive dog and PINNED HIM TO THE GROUND. The other boxer grabbed the other side and they held him there for a moment. I took the opportunity to get away (backwards, because I was afraid to turn my back).

On my left, I could see an elderly couple come out of their house. The man yelled something to the woman and then he started walking toward the street. All three dogs noticed and got up. (I was far enough away that I stopped and took a couple of pictures because I wanted to call animal control when I got home.) Right as I was taking the pictures, the dogs noticed me again and the aggressive one started coming toward me. The Aussie and other boxer sort of forced the aggressive dog back (the other boxer actually jumped onto his back). 

This picture is right after the aggressive dog noticed me for the second time, and the other two stopped him from going farther. The aggressive dog (the center one in the photo) looks SO innocent here, I know--but I can't even describe how terrifying it was when it was just six feet or so away, hair on end, teeth bared, deeply growling, barking, and looking like it was about to lunge at me and tear my face off.

The man yelled to the woman as the aggressive dog started running toward their driveway. Once they were back in the house, the aggressive dog ran right up to the door (so I assumed that's where he lived). The other boxer and the Aussie crossed the street to another house.

I went on my way, shaking horribly with adrenaline. I'd never stopped my Garmin, so my intervals were messed up. I ran during the walking by accident, walked during the running, etc, several times. The whole incident was on my mind and I wasn't worried about the run/walk intervals getting screwed up. I did 30 minutes or run/walking, so it counts! ;)

I circled the whole neighborhood (about a mile) and when I got back to the front, I saw a police car go by, heading the direction I'd been when the dogs came out (the far back of the neighborhood). I was very curious if he was there because of the dog incident, and I debated whether to run all the way down there. Since I'd been planning to call animal control anyway, I decided to go check it out.

As I was getting pretty close, I noticed the car was parked in the driveway of the elderly couple's house. I saw the car backing out and I ran faster to try to get there. But then I noticed the officer turn around and go to the house of the boxer and Aussie.

I caught up just as the officer was getting out of his car. I stopped (gasping for breath, haha) and asked if he happened to be there because of dogs, and he said yes. I explained to him what had happened to me and he said that the elderly couple had come out to try to help me when they heard me yelling, but when the aggressive dog started going toward them, they went back in the house to avoid getting attacked. They called the police for help. All three of the dogs actually lived in the house where the Aussie and other boxer went.

Anyway, the owner was outside and talked to the officer (who issued her a ticket). He gave me his business card and asked me to email him the picture I'd taken.

So, after a terrifying run, I'm glad (and lucky) that I didn't get bitten--and it was mind-blowing to watch as those dogs most likely saved me from being severely hurt. I truly had never seen anything like it.

Post-shower, I'm going to head over to the elderly couple's house to thank them for looking out for me--it was very nice of them. What a run!

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Friday Night Photos #119

Not a super eventful week, unfortunately. The biggest thing for me was that I started running again. Sure, it's only been two runs so far; but considering how difficult it's been for me to convince myself to run for the last couple of years, running twice in three days is pretty good!

We don't have any plans for the weekend, and I'm really looking forward to that. If the weather is nice, I really need to pull weeds and tighten loose screws on the deck.

Anyway, here are the photos I have in my camera roll this week...

Jerry took this picture a couple of minutes ago... I'm trying to write a blog post and Duck *always* senses when I'm working. Then he comes over and walks all over my lap, preventing me from doing anything. I just threw my head back, closed my eyes and sighed.

And speaking of Duck, he LOVES the backpack that Noah bought for the cats. He goes in there and just chills for a while.

I started the 2,000-piece puzzle I bought at a garage sale last weekend. I just took a few progression pictures of how *I* put together puzzles... (I love puzzles!)

First, I start sorting by obvious colors or patterns. If I come across an edge piece, I set that aside as well.

This puzzle has way too many pieces to sort them all at once, so I started to piece together chunks of similar colors and/or patterns.

This is how much I got done a couple of days ago

And this is how it looked yesterday. I haven't touched it today, though.

It feels so good to be able to do puzzles again (my chronic pain kept me from being able to do them for a few years). However, I noticed that the day after I started the puzzle, my calves were *killing* me. And I realized it was from standing on my toes while I worked on the puzzle!

Remember when I wrote about the pan that I completely ruined when I was making a tofu "ham" for Christmas? I was super bummed--it was a pan that I had since my wedding shower! It sat in the sink for about two weeks, and Jerry and I would give it a scrub every day to see if we could save it. And finally... we DID! We were able to use the pot again.

Well, the other day I was cooking soy curls in curry sauce and I completely forgot about it. The curry sauce completely evaporated away and was stuck to the whole bottom of the pan. Now, the pan is in the sink, hahaha. I don't think it's nearly as bad as last time, though.,

Jerry had to kill time in an area we never go to, and he went inside a grocery store. He found these vegan marshmallows--they are SO SO SO good!! These are part of the reason for my weight gain this week. 

This was my run on Wednesday. I started the Galloway run/walk method (with a 90 second run and 30 second walk split). I'm following my Base Building for Beginners plan to slowly build up mileage. (I actually finished the run at 30:00 minutes, but forgot to stop the watch.)

A few weeks ago, I had a bunch of peppers that were going to go bad if I didn't use them, so I sautéed them and added a bunch of homemade fajita seasoning mix. Then I rehydrated some soy curls in water with fajita seasoning mix and combined it all together. It was SO GOOD and Jerry and I were craving it again.

Last week, peppers were on sale and I wanted to make the fajita bowls again, so I bought five. A few days later, I noticed that the veggie drawer was super full--and discovered that Jerry had bought five peppers as well! So, I had to use up the peppers yesterday--I cut up all 10 peppers and a few onions. Then I sautéed it all until still a little crunchy, added the fajita seasoning mix and some water. Rehydrated the soy curls in hot water and fajita seasoning mix, then squeezed out the liquid and added them to the pan. I don't have a picture of the final product (naturally, I'd forget), but I thought all the peppers looked so pretty after I cut them up!

I would never normally take a photo of this, but I was in a humorous mood, so I figured, "Why not?"  I came across these wax strips that I've probably had for 10 years and I decided to wax my "mustache", hahaha. My roommate and I used to do it in college all the time and it was kind of nostalgic, actually.

And lastly, this is my run from yesterday. My pace was quite a bit faster (I ran farther in the same amount of time) but it may have something to do with the fact that I didn't bring Joey with me on my run yesterday. It's hard to pace myself when he's with me. I felt better (physically) during this run than I did the first, too. I hope I feel motivated going into tomorrow's!

And that's all I've got. Have a great weekend. xo

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Three Things Thursday: Bringing It Back

I've gotten more and more nostalgic as the years go on, and I hate that I've gotten "set in my ways"--just as I always swore I'd never do--but I'm trying to embrace things as they are now. However, these three things are things from the past that I wish I could bring back--I miss them!

Things I wish would be "a thing" again:

1) PB Max candy bar

I debated whether or not to include this because it's so insignificant (especially considering I'm vegan now) but when I think of things from the past that I wish would make an appearance again, I can't help but think of the PB Max candy bar!

It was only around for a short time--it was introduced in 1989 and discontinued in the very early 90's. You know why it was discontinued? The Mars family DID NOT LIKE PEANUT BUTTER.

As a fat kid, I'd tried all the candy bars. The Whatchamacallit and the Butterfinger were favorites, as well as the beloved Reese's Cups. When PB Max was introduced, I was in LUST. It was very thick with peanut butter (picture the texture of the peanut butter in a Girl Scout Tagalong cookie, but a much thicker layer), a crunchy layer on top (I think it was peanuts) and covered in milk chocolate. Yes, it sounds like several other candy bars out there, but it was different--the peanut butter layer in it was SO amazing.

I loved this candy bar so much that I actually brought one to a local ice cream shop and asked if they'd make me a flurry with it, haha. Yes, I was like eight years old.

2) Catalogues

Sadly, my kids will never experience what it's like to receive the Sears catalogue around Christmastime. I remember getting so excited to look though and circle all of the things I wanted for Christmas. Now, I kind of compare it to browsing on Amazon (adding to the wish list), except it's SO easy to buy things on Amazon. Back in the day, we had to order from the catalogue--writing down the item number and sending a check by mail, then waiting weeks for it to arrive.

Yes, it's far less convenient, but I really miss browsing through catalogues. I can't remember ever buying things from it, but I know my parents did. The best part was just the excitement of seeing new items and imagining owning them ;)

3) Family dinners

I'm not sure about this, but I have a feeling that family dinners are becoming a thing of the past for a lot of families. We used to sit down as a family at the table to eat dinner (I even remember the kids asking, "May I be excused?") but sometime around the time the kids started high school and/or after school activities (and getting driver's licenses) that we started eating either solo or in pairs. It's super rare to have a family dinner these days!

I have memories from growing up where my family (four kids and my parents) would all sit around the dinner table to eat. I don't remember a lot about it--just that we would do it and it was the only real time of day that I would see everyone, especially my older siblings. We did family dinners for a long time; even after my older siblings moved out, I can remember sitting down with my parents and Nathan to eat dinner.

I do have one very specific memory at the table, though, and it's kind of funny. My dad told us to bow our heads to pray. I had the habit of glancing around when everyone had their eyes closed. I noticed Brian had his eyes open, and he tattled, "Jeanie has her eyes open!" and before anyone could react, Jeanie said, "How would you know unless your eyes were open?!" (Of all the things to remember about family dinners, haha.)

This is a terrible picture to represent family dinner, but it's not surprising that I don't really have pictures of family dinner--because how often does one take pictures of that? But this was on Thanksgiving shortly after I broke my jaw and my jaws were wired shut. My mom made the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner, while I had a pumpkin smoothie ;) (Not pictured are Jeanie, Shawn, and my mom)

This list could have been so much longer! I had about ten items and then I narrowed it down. What are some things that you wish would be a "thing" again?

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Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 106

If I had written this post a couple of hours ago, it would have been much different.

I don't know what the deal was with my mood yesterday, but my anxiety went sky-high on Monday night and remained that way all day yesterday. I can feel it starting to come back down now, but dealing with anxiety like that for such a long time period is mentally exhausting.

This week only showed me that in order for me to thrive at all, I need routine. (This is nothing new.) Having a routine helps me tremendously when it comes to diet and exercise, but also to most other parts of my life. I've always wanted to be a "go with the flow" person (like Jerry) but I am the opposite--I like to know all the details about everything. And of course, I have to overthink it all!

Just about every week, I mention that I need to get back in the habit of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and possible evening snack every day; right now, I've been terrible about eating whatever, whenever, wherever. I won't get into that yet again, because I have said it a million times and I just haven't *done it already* ("it" being eating on a schedule).

I ate terribly this week. Poor choices, too much food, snacking, etc. I thought for sure I'd gained 10 pounds, but thankfully, I was only up one pound on the scale:

I realized today that I only have a couple of months until my annual physical with my primary care doctor. I can't believe it's been almost a year! I had been really excited to see my lipid profile (since I'd been eating vegan for about seven months at that point) to compare to the previous profile. I also wanted to get my ferritin checked (and I'm so glad I did!). Now, I'm excited for those things again.

There is something really motivating to me about going to get a physical. I want my health numbers to be as good as possible, especially since becoming vegan. Since I've strayed away from some of the habits that were super helpful to me last year, I'm going to try to get back to them--the biggest one being eating a lot of fiber. I put a lot of focus on fiber and I was eating healthier than ever. I also want to get back to a routine with my meals (and cook new recipes).

Finally, last week I said that my only goal for the week was to go for a single run. That's it! Well, as of noon today, do you think I went for a run yet? I was already writing this post in my head, about how I'd failed that one simple task.

Then I thought about how it wasn't too late--I could go run and then I'd be able to say on my post that I DID IT. Also, I am starting the Jeff Galloway method of running (run/walk). I set my Garmin for run/walk intervals (90 seconds running, 30 seconds walking). I felt guilty not taking Joey with me, so I grabbed his leash and we headed out.

I may save my running recaps for a weekly post (it just depends on if I actually stick with it!) so I won't get too detailed here. But we ran 30 minutes (15 repeats)--a total of 2.3 miles. I like the run/walking, but I felt like the time went by much more slowly that way! It's definitely less intimidating than choosing to go for a run, though.

As far as a goal for next week, I think I'm just going to really focus on eating regular meals--the routine will help my anxiety for sure.

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Deep Thoughts With Jerry #17

I'm having a very bad day today--my anxiety is really high--so I'm glad that it's Jerry's "Deep Thoughts" post today. Here he is...

Happy Tuesday! I figured instead of doing the ice breaker questions again I would change it up once more. Last week I named my favorites in miscellaneous categories; here are the same categories, but rather than my favorites, I'll list ones that I think are overrated...

Overrated movie:

Right off the top of my head came 'Scarface'. A lot of my friends thought this movie was so awesome. Posters hung on walls in their rooms, popular athletes during the 90's quoted Al Pacino's Tony Montana. It was supposedly the ultimate "must watch" if you were a guy. But I didn't see the appeal when watching it. There's a lot of movies that I watch over and over and over again... not this one. One and done. The acting wasn't bad, the story wasn't terrible. I almost feel like the hype around the movie kind of raised my expectations and I was hugely disappointed. 

Overrated TV show:

Out on a limb, but The Simpsons. I watched this show when I was a kid. Everyone was into it, all my friends were saying 'Cowabunga' and telling each other 'eat my shorts'. But, not me--I just didn't see the show as funny or even entertaining. Maybe it's animated TV shows. I'm just not that into them. (Well, unless it's South Park. That's a genius show that finds a way to make fun of social dilemmas and get away with it. The world has tried to cancel the show so many times and failed.) 

Overrated band:

So easy... Dave Matthews Band. I despise that man's voice. It's so cringy and reminds me of listening to Adam Sandler's character from 'The Waterboy' singing an entire album. 

Overrated sport:

Basketball. I used to love basketball. The 90's was the best but after that era ended the era of selfish players and soft athletes came in and it totally ruined the sport. The theatrics surrounding some of these players was just too much. Players got really good at making it look they were fouled and then fly across the floor like they were shot from a cannon. Lebron James, one of the greatest players ever in the game, is the king of this. He's honed this craft and has taken all the joy out of watching the game. 

Overrated video game:

I've played my fair share of games in my lifetime. When it comes to popularity and overall hype that I didn't get that into the award for Most Overrated Video Game goes to 'Grand Theft Auto' or 'GTA" for short. This game became wildly popular on the Playstation console, it was an exclusive title that only Playstation owners could play and if you had a Xbox like me you were shit out of luck.

Years later, Playstation's exclusivity rights with 'GTA' developer Rockstar Games ended and 'GTA' became available on Xbox. I was so excited when I heard the news. 'GTA' was criticized for years because of it's depiction of violence and sex. That was the appeal to teens and they loved it.

I was a young adult when I was able to play it and I wasn't that into it. In the game you could drive around and mow people down with your car, car jack someone, hire hookers and strippers, get into shootouts with the police, and pretty much do whatever you wanted. You could play endlessly. Me, I just wanted to finish it and be done. Most people say it has a very high replay value but this has been collecting dust in my collection for years. 

Overrated food:

I may lose my man card for this, but to me the most overrated food of all time is steak. The big, juicy slabs of red meat have never been my thing. Ever. I was always envious of the guys talking about the steaks they made over the weekend; it felt like I didn't fit in because when I would say I wasn't a big fan of steak they cast me aside like a leper. It's not to say that I haven't had some good steaks though, but more often than not, just not a favorite of mine. Never really been a red meat guy, I was always about the pork or chicken. 

Overrated snack:

I can't think of any for this one. People don't really talk about snacks that much, but if I had to pick one it would be movie theater popcorn. It sounds like it would be awesome, such a great idea when you get there. Soon into the movie I always find myself picking it out of my teeth for the rest of the movie and it's just not worth it. 

Overrated beverage:

There are some beer styles that are just extremely overrated. The main one to me, that stands out, is Guinness. People love them some Guinness, especially in March. The beer calls itself the 'Worlds most iconic brewed beer' and I can't say that they're wrong because you would recognize the logo anywhere. However, stouts like this without any carbonation are just gross to me and so ridiculously filling that they're not even enjoyable. 

I was going to write something about an overrated chore but people don't really like chores. It's hard to be overrated when no one likes it in the first place. Anyways, it was kind of a short post but I love answering these kinds of questions. Again, if anyone has questions for me that you would like me to answer reach out to Katie and I will answer them weekly. You can ever ask me things like what  I'm watching or what I thought about this or that. Anyways, thanks for reading.

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Run-Walking

I really debated whether to write about this, for fear of failing (again). But I'm kind of excited about it right now. Also, I tend to work much harder at goals when I make them public. Whether I succeed at this or not, at least I'll have it documented. I like that.

As I've said many times, I haven't been able to find one tiny part of me that wants to run. I miss running! I really, truly miss running. But the thought of going out for a run just doesn't appeal to me. I know that doesn't really make sense, but it's the best I can explain.

Anyway, I've tried getting back into running lots of times now. Using MAF training, 80/20 training, all easy runs, just heart rate, with pace, without pace, etc. One that I haven't done (since 2012, when I trained for the Detroit Marathon) is a run-walk method of training.

Jessica and I were both injured (runner's knee; IT band syndrome) so we did a run/walk method. We just decided to run 0.9 miles and then walk 0.1, and do that for our entire run. Interestingly, our pace was very similar whether we were run-walking or plain running.

I believe this was a round mile 24--we were MISERABLE in the heat!

I always get excited about trying new things--the novelty of it can sometimes carry me through until it becomes a habit. A habit is what I'm hoping for!

The most common training method for run-walking is the Galloway Method (developed by Jeff Galloway). In a nutshell, you run a "magic mile"--run your fastest mile and that speed is used to determine what ratio of run:walk you should do.

Me, being resistant to running has hard as I can for a mile, just guesstimated what my time would be. If I was to run all-out, going-to-puke fast, I think I could probably run a 10:30/mile pace. So, based on that, my recommended run to walk ratios (in seconds) are: 90/30; 60/20; 45/15; 60/30; 40/20.

That's a lot of options! So, you make a choice about which ratio you want to use (the first number being the number of seconds run, the second number being the number of seconds walked). And then you do that ratio for your entire run. I think I'll probably start with the 90/30 ratio. Since I'm used to running straight through a run, it'll feel weird to talk such frequent walk breaks. But I bet it will feel so good! 

As far as a training plan, I am going to follow my own plan--Base Building for Beginners. There isn't any speed work; it starts at 30 minutes, 3 days a week; and it's meant to be done at a very easy pace. I think it'll be perfect for experimenting with the Galloway Method. 

Since I stopped caring at all what my running pace is, I think the Galloway Method is a good way to get back into running. I have no idea what my pace will be with walk breaks compared to running straight through. But I'm looking forward to trying something new and seeing if it can get me motivated to get out the door for a run--over and over ;)  I'm actually, 100% honestly, excited to get started tomorrow!

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Friday Night Photos #118

Almost all of my pictures today are of crafty stuff--I spent a lot of time over the last week with my sewing machine (and a needle and thread). Last weekend, we didn't have anything going on; and after all the crap that is 2023, I took most of the weekend to enjoy one of my favorite hobbies: sewing.

Lately, I've really been into altering my jeans. I love repurposing old clothes and when I recently lost weight, I kept the clothes that were too big--just for that purpose. I've added an extra waistband to several pairs after discovering just how comfy it is--the jeans stay over my hipbones, so I don't have to keep tugging on them. They just feel very well-fitted.

I've also added gussets to the sides of the calves to several pairs. I had a few pairs of jeans that I really liked, but they were straight-leg cut. The gussets flare them out a bit, giving me more room in the calf (I have huge calves, and sometimes jeans don't fit me *because of the calf*--not the waist, not the thighs, but the calf!).

Rather than using matching denim, I picked a few contrasting fabrics:

This one is with lace from a bedsheet. I've been wanting to use it for a while (with denim) but I just hadn't figured out what to do with it. I really like how these turned out!

I'm not sure how I feel about these ones (below). I think they'll look better once I finish them (I have to sew along the edges of the seams so that they lie flat). My mom had given me a shirt that she was going to donate; I wasn't crazy about the shirt, but I decided to incorporate it into something else. I knew I wanted to use the grommets for something, and I decided to try using them on the hem of a pair of jeans.

And these (below) are my favorite pair. These were my "goal jeans" for YEARS. They're a pair of Silver brand skinny jeans, and I was so excited to be able to wear them when I reached my goal weight in 2015. Now that skinny jeans aren't "in" anymore (I can't even describe how happy I am about that!), I was very resistant to getting rid of them. Besides the sentiment, I just really love how comfy these are. I was so worried I was going to ruin them, but I knew I wouldn't wear them if I just left them as skinny jeans. (Thrift stores are LOADED with skinny jeans right now. 

I used denim that was the same color, but I turned the gussets over and used the wrong side of the fabric on the outside. I love the contrast of denim! 

I was kind of dreading sewing along the seams (to flatten them) because it's really hard to get my sewing machine that deep inside the leg of a pair of jeans. Then I remembered--hey, I have hands and people used to sew *everything* by hand. So, I got out a needle and thread and then sewed each side with contrasting thread, which you can see better below (on the left is before sewing along those seams.

I've also been wanting to try embroidering fun things on a pair of jeans. I basically want to cover a pair of jeans with patches, contrasting fabric, and embroidery--a total mess, but intentional. I had never done embroidery before, but I browsed around Pinterest and tried to just copy the look of other ones I found cute. I was using this piece of denim as practice, but I may just turn it into a patch.

Last week, I posted a picture of the passion fruit Jerry bought for me. I had been excited to eat them, despite the fact that they looked small and probably underripe (I have no idea how to "age" a passion fruit). Well, I cut into one and I was surprised to see just how little fruit is in there! It was probably a tablespoon altogether. But it looked just like I remembered--yellow snot with ants in it ;)  The last time I'd had a passion fruit was in Punta Cana--they were much bigger (the size of my hand) and sweeter than these--but these still tasted SO good.

Passion fruits were served breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Punta Cana--I thought they looked gross so I didn't even try one until halfway through our vacation. I was SO missing out! I ate about a million and half of them after that.

Noah and I went to some garage sales this morning with my mom and Noah bought this cat-backpack. It's surrounded by mesh, so the cats can see and smell outside. (I used to have a cool-looking "astronaut" one, but it wasn't ideal for cats. It just looked fun.) This is much better! Noah took Estelle outside and she LOVED looking around. We unzipped the top so she could stick her head out and she found the apple tree fascinating.

I also bought a puzzle. It's been ages since I put together a puzzle! When I was in so much chronic pain, I had to stop doing them (it hurt my hands, shoulders, neck, and back). I absolutely love putting together puzzles, and this one is 2,000 pieces--so it shouldn't be too easy ;)  I used to do 1,000 piece puzzles and I didn't even know there were puzzles with 2,000; I'm looking forward to working on this one. I may have to do it in the garage to keep the cats away, but that actually sounds really nice. I can open the garage doors so I can feel a nice breeze while I work on it. That sounds like a very relaxing summer evening, actually! Jerry would like it, too.

Anyway, that's all I've got. Hopefully I'll have more variety next week; but despite the few pictures, this past week has been refreshing. Have a great weekend! xo

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Three Things Thursday: Wasted

I'm not sure why this idea popped into my head, but I was driving a couple of days ago and I saw something (I can't remember what it was now!) that made me think "That's really overrated." I thought it would be a fun topic (three things that I think are overrated) but once I sat down to write, I couldn't really come up with ones I wanted to write about.

Jerry started suggesting things and then I realized those fit into a different sort of category: Things that are wasted on me. Things that most people really enjoy, but I just don't care much (if at all) about.

1. Traditional Romance

I have never been a romantic. I'm talking the type of romance on The Bachelor: rose petals on the bed, ten million candles scattered about, soft romance music in the background, chocolate covered strawberries, etc. Jerry, interestingly, is 100% into the romance stuff! He hates that I'm not into flowers or jewelry, because those are "easy" gifts.

I like the idea of romance, but I always tend to think practically. I would rather have a new kitchen appliance than jewelry, haha. Jerry used to buy me flowers once in a while before he finally understood that I was serious when I said I don't want flowers. They are so expensive and they just die in a couple of days anyway. I know a lot of women LOVE getting flowers; they are just wasted on me!

Our 19th wedding anniversary... which we spent at The Container Store! Sooo much more interesting than flowers or dinner ;)

2. Music

Another category where Jerry and I differ. He's obsessed with music and I hardly ever listen to it. I've actually never even been to a concert! He thinks it's crazy that I can get in the car and drive for 45 minutes before I realize that the radio isn't even on, hahaha. Jerry, Noah, and Eli all use Apple Music because they listen to all sorts of new things; when I do listen to music, I just listen to what I already have downloaded--because it's what I like. My playlist is mostly 90's music. Probably mostly cringy.

Not being into music might have something to do with how I was raised. I wasn't allowed to watch MTV or listen to non-Christian music, so I definitely don't think I was exposed to the music scene like most teens in that day ;)  I listened to a little music in the late 90's, when I was in high school--I think that's why my playlist is from that time. It's nostalgic! (I do love my podcasts, though.)

These earbuds came with my iPhone 4 in 2012. This photo is from 2017! I really didn't want to change what I was already comfortable/familiar with. I only switched from them when my iPhone 6 died and I had to get a new one.

3. Technology

I really wish I could embrace new technology; 15 years ago, I swore I was going to be one of those parents that keeps up with modern times, but I find that the older I get, the further from the truth that gets. It feels like just when we get used to some sort of technology, it's taken away and a new or improved version takes over. (When referring to technology here, I am talking about the last 20 years or so; obviously I don't think electricity or plumbing or something like that is overrated.)

In my lifetime, we went from collections of VHS tapes, only to have to replace with DVD's; only to have to replace with Blu-ray; only to have to replace with downloads to stream.

I miss buying something and having it last forever--I still have the same stupid alarm clock I had in high school! Since technology is constantly improving, it seems like electronics are meant to be disposable now. I can't imagine buying a new cell phone every time a new model comes out. I hold onto things until they truly can't be used anymore (or fixed), no matter how outdated they get. I'm stubborn! I'm set in my ways.

My alarm clock that I've had probably 30 years.

Usually, after several updates and/or new models of something, I stop resisting and give it a try. Then I realize what I was missing out on all this time, haha. I resisted getting a Kindle Paperwhite for YEARS, and when I finally did, I wished I'd tried it ages ago. I think I'm just very resistant to change, even if it's something that truly improves the old way or the old version. 

I'm super old-fashioned, and it gets worse by the day, I think. I like things that are straight-forward and simple; the less bells and whistles it has, the less parts there are that can go wrong with it.  Well, except when it comes to power tools versus hand tools. I don't have the patience to do woodworking by hand! Also, most of my injuries came from hand tools--my hands have way less control than power tools do.

I do absolutely value a few modern technologies, though: 1) Google Maps. I would still be lost in New York somewhere if I didn't know how to use Google Maps. 2) Being able to Google anything, anytime with a cell phone. 3) Kindle Paperwhite. I wouldn't read, if not for the Kindle. (Here is a post that explains why I love it so much.) 4) Power tools. It's hard enough on my carpal tunnel as it is, but if I had to use only hand tools, I wouldn't be able to make anything out of wood!

Okay, well those are three things that are wasted on me. I'd love to hear some things that you think are wasted on you! Please share.

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