Friday 2/3

After working out in the gym on Wednesday, I hurt my knees...bad. So badly in fact that walking on Thursday was hard and running was impossible. Today, wasn't as bad. I spent the day geocaching again with Ian. We had to finish a series so we could collect a geocoin from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection...worth it!

We did see a lot of really cool stuff along the way too. Here's Bayou Tarlkin in Northwest Pensacola:

We also managed to pick up a bottle of AMAZING hot sauce from the local Creek tribe in Perdido Key:

Once we got our coin and came home, it was time to go to the gym. Since my legs were still hurting so badly from Wednesday, I did cardio on the stationary bike (not exciting but better than not going at all and I got the opportunity to sweat my ass off).

Tonight, we went and watched the movie Chronicle which just came out and it was surprisingly good. Overall a pretty interesting evening and saw a lot of places geocaching that I would have not otherwise seen.

2/1 Woot!

So, I promised myself I wouldn't get on the scale for a month, but the news today was worth it. Even though it was only 3 lbs, losing 3 lbs is awesome!

Ok, so it was rainy today so Ian and I went to the gym. I elliptical'ed a full 3 laps without stopping at 4 mph or more. I like the elliptical because it exercises my left leg as much as my right (or sometimes more if I choose to).

Anyway the diet of the day goes like this:

Breakfast:

Protein Shake with Skim milk and Mixed berries

Lunch:

Canned Tuna with half a pita bread and carrots

Dinner:

Chicken with rice and Cajun seasonings (using Zatarain's Smothered Chicken Mix) with a side of mixed veggies.

Evening snacks:

100 Calorie Pack of Ritz Crackers

By the way, I am NOT counting calories. I firmly believe that counting calories leads to a very unhealthy obsessive behavior. I choose to eat foods that I know are good for me and low in fat and calories.

Days without a post. No more breaks

So, as boring as it is, I have been spending time on the elliptical rather than on the track. 


The main thing this week is that my diet has changed. I've been trying to regulate my sleep schedule as well as supplement my previously poor diet with vitamins and other nutrients. So far so good. B12 is amazing, when I take it I feel better and helps me stay awake, particularly in the mornings when I'm super tired. 


Going to start taking more calcium and incorporating more fish in my diet. The other evening I made shrimp and tilapia simmered in garlic sauce with a brown rice pilaf. It was quite tasty. 

Spending this blog talking about food rather than exercising is a bit different only because no one wants to read an entire post about "well today I spent 20 minutes on the elliptical. Here's my playlist."

Going to take more pictures for the next post!

Geocaching in the woods. 1/28

Alright, so today Ian and I skipped the gym and decided to go geocaching instead. We walked through brush, thorns, and hells half acre to find this:

Later we found another cache in the woods where I knew that we might find it while the local bar and the restaurant were closed. Here's our pictures:

Through hiking through the woods then spending 4 hours cleaning the car, I think we're good for exercise for the day :)

Thursday 1/27

Yesterday was a great day for a break for my shins and thighs. Ian and I placed our first geocache yesterday (we originally placed one but it was declined by the website so we moved it). After he got off work, Ian's legs were pretty sore and honestly, mine were too.

Today, my friend Kristine came over and we worked a bit, I showed her how to use the site I contract on and referred her to one of the clients I was doing work for that I simply don't have time for anymore. She also said that she would join Ian and I on the 5k in March. It looks more and more like that's going to be my birthday party, which is absolutely fine with me!

Today, I really wanted to go out and run a whole lap without stopping. I made 3/4 of a lap and my shins started killing me. I walked it out for a while then started jogging again, alternating on and off, after about a mile and a half, I had to stop because I couldn't feel my right leg. I came home and iced it. 

The track at Pensacola State College

That seems like bad news, but there is a positive to all this (which I need to look at the positives), I made a mile in 16:30. That's literally the best time I've ever made a mile. Not bad either after being fairly sedentary for almost a year then just going out and starting after a week. :)

Walking with Ian (sometimes I stare at my feet)

After the jog, Ian and I played wall ball. I was feeling the tennis bug again. The weather's been so nice and tonight it was about 65 and breezy. It was a fun game (again, I haven't picked up my tennis racket in over a year and I have never really played tennis).

Tomorrow night is Gallery Night here in Pensacola. Ian has a physical therapy session at the hospital in the morning then we have another geocache to place, then running/exercising, then we get to shower and get ready to go out. I'll try to make sure to update the blog before we go out!

Tuesday 1/24

Today's jog around the Pensacola State College's track yielded a new result. I walked around the track four times with Ian then started jogging. I made it about halfway down the track, then my shins started stinging. I didn't push any harder, but I would walk hard for about a minute then jog until my legs started stinging again. I don't exactly know if it's right, but as of tonight, I don't feel too bad. 


My cousin gave me some great advice. I'm going to try the style of "barefoot running" as soon as I can get my stamina up enough. 


As it turns out, I have been doing sit-ups wrong the entire time I've been doing them...and doing them the right way is freaking hard. :( It does suck, but I also know that I can work up to it and core strengthening is an important part of getting in running shape.


Eating wise, I started the day with what can only be described as hell in a cup. I drank a protein shake (dry cookies and cream powder mixed with skim milk). Then lunch was a single lean pocket, then a grilled chicken salad for dinner. 

Out and about doing errands and getting in a jog!

So, today wasn't too bad. After sleeping in a bit, we got up, went to move our geocache (because apparently it wasn't far enough to be considered) and then drove around Pensacola for the better part of 2 hours looking for a spot that was woodsy enough for our cache size and far away enough from other caches. We found the perfect place, but will have to wait until tomorrow to place it because it started pouring rain as soon as we found the spot.

So, we came home and napped while it rained then got up and went to work out. We drove to the track at Pensacola State College and I was able to run half a lap today without stopping which is good for me. Overall I did 8 laps. My average speed was 3 miles per hour (I mostly walked again) and I ran up to 6 mph. Listening to Paper Tongues and M83 works to help me power through when it feels like my lungs are going to explode.

Oh...and the Giants are going to the Superbowl!

Sunday 1/22- A Geocache in a Hobo Camp

So, after not being able to fall asleep due to horrible muscle pain followed by some fairly intense heartburn, I finally did fall asleep around 6 in the morning. Ian woke me up around 1:00 this afternoon and I got dressed to go on our walk. We went out with a purpose this afternoon, going on a geocache about a mile away which was supposed to be neat and easy and fast, but ended up being creepy and weird.  It was completely destroyed inside of a hobo camp. Here's a picture:

 

As you can see, that's not too much fun. However, the point of the trip was still to get out, go for a walk and find a cache...all of which we did. 

After coming home, we realized the group that hid the cache in the beginning hasn't really been active and the majority of their caches have been deactivated or are in such horrible shape that they have been marked as "needs maintenance." 

Other than that, I'm writing early today incase I forget to later. Remember,I'm a Giants fan...

And tonight, they're playing in the NFC championship game against the San Francisco 49ers...another nailbiter but let's see what happens.

Intentions of this Blog and First Post!

The main point of this blog?

Its time for me to get off my ass and get in shape. Unlike lofty new years resolutions, I am working daily to this goal beginning yesterday (this is important because I say "yesterday" not tomorrow or next week). This blog will help me track my progress and pitfalls along the way. My goals are not based on weight but with my overall quality of life. My first goal is to run in the annual McGuire's 5k on March tenth, just 2 days after my 26th birthday.

This is me (after a heartbreaking Giants loss):

Actually, this one is a little better and a better representation of myself:

I'm going to be trying the "couch to 5k" program I read online with other core strengthening exercises to get the rest of me in shape.

My boyfriend, Ian, is the greatest motivator right now and goes with me. He is always there to offer words of encouragement and walks and jogs along with me when he is clearly in better shape and has the stride of a gazelle. (The height difference here is important as I am barely 5'3" and he's about 6')

Here's a picture of us from last week:

This one is one of my favorites: 

Enough picture time for now, here's what I've managed to do so far:

So far I've managed to jog for about an eighth of a mile without stopping but it hurts. I walked about 3 miles on Friday, 1 Saturday and also on Saturday spent the better part of the day hiking through the woods geocaching. Tonight, I hurt everywhere. My core is the worst with my shins being a close second. Took some ibuprofen before laying down but it barely touched the pain. I do still plan on working out tomorrow but hopefully can go for a nice long walk rather than a hike or pushing too much jogging.