I mentioned a couple posts ago that I signed up to run a 5k on Thanksgiving day. Now before you think I'm crazy, or that I've been running all my life, please hear me out!
At this point I haven't actually run the race yet so it may sound cocky to say, but I really do think ANYONE can run a 5k.
I have probably made it known on here that I LOATHE exercise and I LOVE to eat. A
terrible combination, right?!
For the past several years I have started and stopped diets and exercise plans
at least a dozen or more times. I'm one of those people that starts out doing well on Mon, Tue, Wed and Thur and then ruins all my good work by being lazy and splurging too much on Fri-Sun. ;)
I have also always been the kind of person to make excuses and say that because I'm a busy homeschool Mom I just don't have time for exercise. Or that I can't go to the gym because I have the girls with me all day, every day.
Well I'm not sure what changed, but this fall I began to notice that I had gained a bunch of weight over the summer. I couldn't fit in most of my clothes and could not afford to go out and buy new, bigger ones. I have a closet full of things that are just too small and tight. And it's really NOT in our budget to go out and get a whole new wardrobe! I guess all that
loathing exercise and loving food finally caught up with me!
I decided to try 'learning' to run. I know that sounds silly but when I first got started I could not even run for ONE full minute without stopping to walk. So I loosely followed a plan called the
'Couch to 5k' plan which is something I would highly recommend for anyone who would like to learn how to run. You start off really easy by running 30 seconds, then walking 2 minutes and you keep doing intervals like that. Each week you increase your running time as you slowly decrease your walking time. All of the sudden you are running most of the time and hardly walking at all!
As of this week I can run between 2 and 3 miles without stopping. It's still not easy. It's still hurts almost every time. I literally have a running conversation with myself in my head the WHOLE time - it goes something like this -
keep going, you CAN do this, don't stop, YES, you CAN do all things through Christ who gives you strength, almost there, hang in there, don't quit, not much further .... and so on and so on. I can't talk to other people when I run because I'm too busy 'talking' to myself! hahaha
As of right now my plan is that I run 3 times per week and on the in-between days I do some other form of exercise. My current faves are the
TurboJam videos which I can do in the comfort of my own home. Some days I do the elliptical machine, meet a friend to walk, or go for a hike with my family. And then I always take Sundays off to rest. So my goal is to exercise 6 days per week.
Out of the past 32 days I have done 23 days of exercise. I have missed some days but instead of feeling like I've failed, I just pick myself up and move on. As someone who has constantly failed to make exercise consistent in my life I am very amazed at what I've accomplished this month. I'm not trying to be proud or cocky - just trying to encourage everyone that it IS possible.
They say it takes 21 days to make a new habit stick. I'm really hoping and praying that this will stick and that I will stick with it even in the coming winter months. I admit I'm a little fearful of how I will run once the weather is too cold or how I will keep up with this. But I'm praying that I will just keep doing my best.
Finally, I can't really say that I've lost any weight or that my clothes are all fitting better now. But I KNOW that I'm making better choices for my health. And I can feel my endurance getting stronger. I still splurge on treats sometimes but I'm trying to just focus on being a healthy person and not worry so much about what the scale says.
Oh yeah - yes it IS so hard to make the time to schedule exercise. But Bob has been super supportive of me and helps out any time he can. I also take advantage of things like when the kids are at soccer practice - instead of sitting in a chair watching the practice, I walk/run laps around the field. Or while they are at Awana I walk around the mall. I also have to rearrange our schedule some days so that I can run before hubby goes to work or things like that. It takes a lot of juggling but it's so worth it. And the
TurboJam videos I do many days while the girls are playing together in the afternoons. Some times they even sit and watch me! I think it's great that they see their Mom making good health a priority.
So anyway, sorry this has gotten so long winded. I guess my point is that if I can go from not being able to run for a full minute without stopping to being almost prepared to run in a 5k - YOU CAN TOO!
Check out the
Couch to 5k plan and remember YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO GIVES YOU STRENGTH! PHIL 4:13
{I will make one quick comment on this one. On our hike we were hiking through pretty thick trees and then came through the trees and were suddenly on the top of a huge mountain. I just like how it was like we were coming through a tunnel out into a vast opening. Pretty cool!}
If you are interested in knowing the places or locations of any of the photos please let me know. =)
The inside area still has a TON of leaves, but we ran out of time to do them this week.
Oh and see how nice this area looks? Well guess what? It's TOTALLY and COMPLETELY covered in more leaves again! Yep, lots more rakin' in our future!
The area inside the fence is where the doggies run and play ...
This is looking towards the pool and house - kinda depressing to see the pool covered for the next 6-8 months! :(
We've been bakin' a lot too! These are Pumpkin Kiss cookies. The recipe is from my friend Kristi and can be found here. We took them to MOMS on Friday and they got rave revues - they were moist and delish!
I also tried a new recipe for dinner on Thursday night. You take chicken breast or boneless pork chops and dip them in egg, then coat with crunched up French's Fried Onions. Then bake at 400 deg for 20-30 min. I did boneless pork chops and used a baking stone and mine took about 28 min. The pork came out so juicy and yummy! We loved it!
On Friday we made cookies for Hope to bring to soccer on Saturday, and since hubby wasn't fond of the pumpkin flavored ones we decided to make his favorite. It's really very simple - you follow the choc chip cookie recipe on the back of the TollHouse bag, then I add about a cup of dry oats to the mixture. They turn out soft and yummy every time! 
Today was Hope's last day of soccer for this season. They had a tournament and they played 3 games {with 1 hr and 15 min breaks between each game! Yes it was a LONG day!}
I have to say, we were SO blessed by the team she ended up on this year. She knew a couple of the kids already {one is one of her BFF's}, and the rest of the team was made up of really great kids from really great families. We also had a great husband and wife coaching team and they did a wonderful job with the kids. There were several other coaches who chose to yell and scream at their kids and were all about winning at all costs - but our coaches were quiet and calm and coached only with encouraging words and not negativity. Ironically we ended up being one of the best teams in the league and won all but one of our regular games and also 2 out of the 3 tourny games. It just goes to show that all the yelling and competitive craziness doesn't always produce the best team! The kids worked so well together, encouraged one another and passed the ball often. It wasn't at all about who was getting the glory. I hope and pray that we get another great team like this next year!
Here is Hope with her trophy!
And here are the 5 girls from our team - they were all such good friends by the end of the season and I know they will keep in touch and remain friends.
Oh and the shakin' thing .... Joy had her dance class today too. She is taking beginner Jazz/Hip Hop and is loving it! She is having a lot of fun with it and I'm so happy that she has found something that she really enjoys!
3. Dress in loose layers and make sure you have extra items in case of climate changes. We have been on hikes where we were wearing shorts and t-shirts at the bottom of a mountain and were sweating like crazy - but by the time we got near the top of a mountain there was snow on the ground and we were freezing!
4. Speaking of backpacks - BRING ONE! You will want to pack several items in it, but also try not to overload it and make it too heavy. If it helps, have each adult in your group carry one. In our packs we carry:
5. Take lots of snack breaks. Good things to snack on while hiking are; trail mix, granola bars, and protein bars. They're easy to pack, lightweight and give a good protein and energy boost each time you stop. We have found that our girls are very motivated by M&M's - so make sure you add some to your trail mix! We try to hike for about 15 minute increments. That way when the girls start saying they are tired we can give them a countdown and say 'don't worry, we're stopping for a snack in exactly 5 minutes!'.
6. Bring ENOUGH fluids. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH! We once did a hike in NH {before we had kids} that took about 7 hours. When we were about 2 hours into the hike we RAN OUT OF WATER! There was a station to get more water, but we had to hike for about 3 hours without it and it was really hard and we were VERY de-hydrated. How much should you bring? I guess that depends on many factors ... a general answer would be 4-8 ounces every 10-20 minutes for a moderately sweaty hike. We tend to bring about 2 bottles of water or gatorade per person for a 2-3 hour hike.
7. Choose hikes that have something interesting to see. It could be that you hike around a pretty lake, or over a covered bridge, or up to the top of a mountain! Either way, find something that makes it worth your work. For us, getting to the top of a mountain and seeing the GORGEOUS creation of God is the best natural high I can think of!
I did mention taking lots of breaks, right?! Good, just wanted to check!
8. Take pictures along the way. Either when you stop for breaks or just as you hike. I tend to hang towards the back of our hiking group and just snap away as we go. We all love looking back through the photos {on the computer} later that day and seeing all the neat places we have been. If you carry your camera around your neck you are ready to snap photos at any given moment. You can catch some really great moments and some beautiful nature shots! And if your kids are into it, let them take some pictures too, it's always neat to see things from their perspective!
And more than anything, make it FUN! Enjoy the outdoors, enjoy the beauty of creation, enjoy your family and just have a good time.
The girls are pretty smart ... they use the 4 wheeler and then sit on the handle of the wagon so they can pull people behind them! It's pretty funny.
Cute little R in the leaves ...
Joy and I ...
Hope in the leaves ...
On Thursday night we visited the Jack-O-Lantern castle that I posted about last week. 
Then we went to visit my Mom where she works - they allowed the employee's families to come in and trick or treat. My Mom loved having her granddaughters come to her work and introducing them to everyone. The girls had a bag full of candy that night and it wasn't even Halloween yet! 
On Saturday we ran here, there, and everywhere - to soccer, dance, a couple errands, and my oldest got to attend a 'Mystery trip' through our Awana program - it ended up being a trip to the Corn Maze so she had a fabulous time!
On Sunday afternoon/evening we went to our friend's house for a fun Halloween party and trick or treating. It was soooo much fun! I love that many of the adults dressed up too and have just as much fun as the kids. 
Here is my donut girl. She came up with the idea herself, then we found a picture online and we made the costume for under 10 bucks! 
And here is my GYPSY girl - we found the white top and skirt at Goodwill and bought the fabric for 4 bucks - so again the whole thing was less than 10!
My daughter and 3 of her friends were all gypsies!
Hope and I ...
After we got home that night Bob was goofing around and I took this silly pic of him! Glad to be married to someone with a good sense of humor!!
This week we are starting to think about and plan Thanksgiving. I am hoping to make my first ever batch of homemade laundry detergent and we have our November MOMS meeting this Friday.
