So like I said...

That I was going to talk about how I had deviated from the original topic of this blog/journal/witness to myself......

Yes, well....I originally started this with the intention of documenting how I was going to take myself to a simple 5K. But since then I have decided that my life is just more complex and there is more to it than that. I have alot of other things on my mind. It's not that I think a 5K is unimportant, I just think it's more of a topping or accessory.

I have decided that I am going to focus on well, "myself", of course - but having said that, "myself" is more than a 5K. "Myself" is a mom, daughter, wife, sister, friend, teacher, child of God, humanist, intuit and a few others and not necessarily in that order. If I am going to write about me then it has to be about more than a 5K for crying out loud. AND, when I do that 5K, it will probably be a footnote, not a thesis.

I have many roles and ultimately feel my purpose is to love others in all those roles. I know we all have a commission and so I have to try and be the best I can be while fulfilling that. I think that is what it is all about. The problem, is how hard I struggle with being my best and sticking to my commission.

I love Erma Bombeck and her wisdom is usually spot-on. This is one of my favorites:
"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'."
That's my goal. My real one.

I also remember that C.S. Lewis (my favorite <3) summed it up best when he said, "You don't have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body."  I know what my soul is supposed to do and I have to be about the business of doing it. I have to pull myself off the proverbial couch to my soul's purpose.

This is my journey.

Chocolat???

I have to say I had the most awesome weekend! We set out to drive north for about an hour to Ellijay, GA - apple capital of the state. I found an apple orchard and we went with the plan to pick our own apples and make a sugar-free apple pie and have an adventure of a day ...... AND, we did.
We picked our own apples (me, hubby & youngest son), got rained on in the orchard, ate from the bakery (sugar-free....mostly), headed to the town square and had a fantastic afternoon/evening at an antique car show, local diner, block party with live music and food vendors. We finished it off in a tiny soon to open tea and chocolate shop.
Rewind to the block party. We were sitting in a huge parking lot listening to great Beatles music by a great local band. Storm cloud moves in....AGAIN! We run to the storefronts and up under an awning. We wait there with a charming older gentleman named "Harold". We see a lady coming up the stairs and we ask her to join us to get dry on the porch and she replies, "How about we go inside?" ....... SHE was the owner of this soon to be aforementioned eatery. She wanted us to sample her soon to be menu of fresh hot cookies, muffins and gourmet teas. Had we died and gone to heaven???
Anyway, in the next hour a small army had amassed outside her tiny shop and began paying her for these wonderful treats. I wondered if I had stumbled into the movie "Chocolat". We made delightful conversation with wonderful people (some from the same area of FL that we are from....imagine that?) and vowed to return the 2nd Saturday of every month of the season.
Quite possibly the best day I have had - almost surreal - in quite a long time. Almost magical. You know, God works that way. :)
Peace.
PS - next time I promise to talk about how I have deviated away from the original topic of this blog ;)

3 Months? I am the worst blogger, ever.

This is true. I am a very BAD blogger. Why? Don't know, just am. I guess because I have so much stuff in my head and spend so much time sorting it out, that the last thing I want to do is write it down...
So, still no 5K, BUT - I hiked 5 miles last Saturday and another 2 on Sunday. This is something, I don't care what anyone else thinks. My hubby and oldest son (now moved into his college dorm!) went away for Labor Day weekend to a place that can only be described as perfect for the witness location program. Just us and a few other guests at a state park with lots of trails, a golf course, archery & skeet shooting ranges. It felt awesome to be in the woods - out in nature and out of a classroom for a few days.
I wanted to do this and I did. Me - for the win.
I'm still not there, I still make bad food choices, put off walking in the afternoon, delay my hair appointments, etc... but I felt good about what I did and my body did too.
SO take that - 3 months of no blogging!
Peace - Until next time!

Well, What Now?

So here I am almost two months later. Yeah. So where do I begin?

School is finally out. May was a whirlwind. I have a high school senior and he graduated almost two weeks ago. There were more programs and activities than I had brain power for. I also teach and so there were more programs and activities there than I had brain power for. It should be illegal for a teacher who has a child graduating at home to have to do anything during the month of May.

Now, I am home. No more papers to grade, grades to enter or lesson plans to make.  Strange and also an adjustment (believe it or not). So I am finding a routine of some sorts and also dealing with a son who will very soon go off to college.

Stay tuned...

Wow...What a week.

This past week has been atrocious.  I walked again last Monday in my neighborhood.  That night my son had a very severe asthma attack.  My husband was out of town, it was awful.  He is still not completely well. Long story and more Dr. appointments to add to an already very long list.  Tired, frustrated, angry, sad...lots of emotions.
Anyway, I was able to walk the neighborhood again Wednesday, but not again until tonight.  I know, terrible. At least I got three workouts in (since I count it from Monday to Monday).
On the not so good side, I ate sweets, pizza, ice cream, etc... Not exactly the recipe for someone who is trying to train for a 5K.  I am vowing to start anew tomorrow. My son is stable and I am praying for a better week.
So I really hope I can get some steam.  Failing is very depressing. I wish it was as easy at it was 15 years ago. Age is a very sucky thing.
I did however learn to really love smoothies with fresh fruit, greek yogurt and cranberry pomengranate juice. Even with all the upset of last week - something good remains.
Peace out.

The beginning of a new week...

Today I shopped for new cereal, fruit, yogurt and whole grains.  I've done this shopping before, it's not like I never buy this stuff, but I made sure I didn't buy any other "bad" stuff either.
I walked in my neighborhood today instead of getting on the treadmill.   My neighborhood is harder than the treadmill with it's extreme of rolling hills and such. My friend says this is "cross-training". It is something alright. I walked for 30 minutes but have no idea what the distance was. Maybe tomorrow I will drive my walk and see how far it was.  I spent more time on the pavement than the treadmill and was much more tired due to the hills.  I hope I will see a change on my scale this week. Just a little change, something....throw a girl a bone.
Back to work tomorrow after a week off. This will be a test for sure.  I already made my low-carb wrap for lunch. How long can I do the whole lunch prep thing?  This remains to be seen.  I have roughly 6-7 weeks of school left (I'm a teacher.). I cannot run to get a salad, go home for lunch or meet a friend at a nice lunch spot for soup, half a sandwich or a nice salad. It's me and the cafeteria...two options.
I'm tired. Going to bed.  Goodnight Moon.

I think I know.

Well, I think I definately have to do the June 5K.  I drove past the rock pit today. Not good. Hilly road to get there, bad terrain on the inside, not fully trained = no go. So I will need to register for the Suwanee 5K, I forget the name.  My son said he would like to do the 5K as well.  My hubby also said he would like to.  Maybe I shouldn't encourage them to train that way I won't be the last person to finish...haha!

I am not a bad blogger for not blogging yesterday, but my kiddies have been sick. I did not train / workout yesterday, nor have I as of yet today.  But, that is OK - it only says 3x a week and I have already done three workouts.  I plan on doing more just because I don't think I go fast enough for it to be a "real" workout.  I can do more than 3x.

I had lost 3 pounds and gained back half a pound and I noticed it was this morning and I did not work out yesterday, so I think if I want to lose pounds, then I must have to workout everyday!!! Oh boy.

To top it off, I think I am lactose intolerant.  I ate beef on Easter Sunday and got sick.  I ate beef yesterday and got sick.  Those are the only two times I have gotten sick.  Pain on the left side under my ribs and lower abdomen. What to do? I guess, not eat beef.  I did take one of those dairy ease tablets and it helped a little.  Maybe I can just take one of those if I eat beef???   Wow, that sucks.  I love beef.

Maybe I will walk/jog tonite....let's see.  If not for sure tomorrow.  I am getting my hair done tomorrow. Something to look forward to!

Peace out.

Which 5K to do?

Yesterday I did not one, but two workouts.  I know I am not supposed to, but I did. They say 3 workouts a week, but I felt fine and even better after two. I certainly slept well. I ate very reasonable yesterday.  We went to "Sweet Tomatoes" as I really wanted to fill up with salad instead of going to the grocery store and coming home to cook.

So, on the way home, we passed a billboard sign for the "Boulder Dash 5K" here in town.  It is a 5K run from the local hospital to and through the local rock pit (I am not joking.). The problem is that it takes place on May 1st (and sidebar - "it is in a ROCK PIT").  I will only have been training for 3 and a half weeks at that point (probably not trained enough to not fall in said "ROCK PIT"). This one sounds really cool (pending any accidents) and I would like to do it but don't know if I will be ready.

So, I came home and did two things.  One, I checked online for other 5K's in the area and found only one to fit my timeline and it is on the 1st Saturday in June. That is definately do-able.  There is also a walk/run at the end of May, this is also do-able. Second, I texted my friend who runs marathons mind you, and she said the Boulder Dash is probably not the best idea.  This would be for a variety of reasons (none of them having anything to do with the fact that it takes place in "A ROCK PIT"): 1) I might not be ready, 2) I might train too much and end up hating the whole jogging/running scene and 3)if it were a walk/run thing it might be OK and I think this is a "run" thing.  So whilst I am still pondering, I am leaning to the June 5K.  My friend also recommends that, due to the heat in June, I spend the last two weeks of training outside instead of on my treadmill.  I will have to find another place to walk/run/jog, whatever. Remember from my 1st post about the hills? Yeah, they are not nice.

Well, here's to another decision on the 5K and constant decisions about what to eat.  I have to go to the store. (I think I want to try another 20 minute workout today....I'll let you know how that goes!)

So, I am off...

So today I started...

Ok, so today is as good a day as any to start this. Right?
Yeah, that's what I said too.

So anyway, this is the only way I think I can even have a snowballs chance in hell of trying to find my way back to getting "right", being what I'm meant to be, etc... Back from obviously being "wrong" for me and not what I am supposed to be. My body is a temple and it definately needs to be taken care of. If I put anything in black and white print, then I am making a commitment to myself and no one else that I must honor.

OK Kel, so honor yourself and don't chicken out, give in, etc...

So my thing is that to motivate myself (and help keep from the pitfalls ahead), I have decided I need to run a 5K. I'm not sure if that means I can run/walk a 5K or if I have to just run all the way, but either way - it is a start. Baby steps....baby steps.
So, I started my training regime. I did the 1st workout already. This week is 20 minutes of walk/jog three times. So I'm thinking today, Thursday & Saturday? I'll let you know if my days change. I'm sorta embarrassed that my top speed was only 3.5 mph and I lowered it to 3.2 so I would not get discouraged. I have to be able to do this and feel good about it. If I make it too hard, I will quit. On the bright side, I burned over 100 calories and went about a mile and a quarter. This is on a treadmill, mind you. My neighborhood is such that the hills not only have eyes, but they would kill me.

The online guide says I need nine weeks to train for a 5K. So I need to begin searching for a 5K in my area that will take place sometime in June. This is my next task, along with trying to fit a proper diet into all this. OH, and don't expect any weight postings, not happening here peeps. I will, like any semi-diva, only tell you how much I lose (hopefully that will occur).

So, I am off...