A New Look & a Virtual 5k

It appears that it's that time again ~ time for a change, time for a new look.  Every time I feel as though I am starting a new chapter in my life, my blog also gets a makeover.  

I have changed my blog name (again) cause I don't feel that my old title fits me anymore.  Although I am still very much on my journey to shed the fat suit, see, here I am inside it......

.....the title just doesn't feel right anymore.  I still love attempting to run running, but swimming has also become a huge part of my life.  I have learned a lot over the past year, I am a little more accepting of myself and I even like myself a little now.  Anyway, I just felt the need for a blog makeover, something that was a better fit to how I am feeling now.

Yesterday I completed my 5k Virtual Jelly Bean run that was put on by Jess from runwithjess.com  I haven't run since January so I only chose to do the 5k - there was also a 10k, half marathon or a 21 km bike ride.  I will definitely join in again next year and am aiming to do the 10k, the bike ride and maybe, just maybe the half.  You can chose as many or as little of the events to compete in during the week it is held.  This year the Jelly Bean virtual was held from the 1st - 8th of April.

My 5k was very slow, but my goal yesterday was simply to complete the run.  It was hard, but I just kept going even though I wanted to give up a few times along the way.  After the first 1k I was thinking "this isn't so bad, only 4 more to go", after 2.5 kms I was thinking "great half way", after 3 kms I was thinking "I don't think I can keep going" and all the way to 4 kms I was thinking "just finish the rest tomorrow", but when I got to the 4 km mark I told myself "only 1 to go, I can do this - easy" and I put the speed up to 12 and ran at that speed for as long as I could (which wasn't very long).  I desperately wanted to finish the run under 50 mins and to my surprise I ended up hitting the 5 km mark at exactly 49 mins and 30 seconds - yay!

Even though I struggled through most of the race, I felt so good when I finished because I had finished it.  I pushed myself to keep going and that is all I really wanted to achieve.  I am so glad I took part in the race cause it's what I needed to give me that running kick start again.

I could really feel the run in my back afterwards and of course hubby said "your back's sore because you don't workout enough" I replied with "it's sore because it's always sore" stupid man!  My heart rate also soared towards the end of the race yesterday.  I paused everything (treadmill & HRM) and had to just stop and breathe till my heart rate came back down.  My HRM said my maximum heart rate was 235, but I think that's because it's the highest it goes, I honestly think it went higher than that.  I could feel my heart beating in my head, I had pain in my face and I just felt like poo.  After my little break I felt much better so I finished it.  I'm still here so all is good, but I think a trip back to the doctor may be a good idea.  

*HRM Stats*  For total session including cool down

• Duration : 1 hour 25 seconds
• Calories : 522
• Average HR : 146
• Maximum HR : 235
• In Zone : 30.12 mins
• Distance : 5.6 kms

Virtual events, what do you think about them.......

• Do you ever compete in virtual events?
• What's your favourite event (virtual or not) to compete in?
• Have you or would you ever hold a virtual event?

Shelving the Scales

That's right!  I am putting the scales away for a few months.  I am a daily weigher, sometimes more than once, twice, three times a lady and it is getting me nowhere.  I have decided to give myself a 12 week challenge starting next Monday (9 April) and I am only allowed to weigh myself 3 times in the entire 12 weeks. I will weigh myself in weeks 1, 6 & 12 and will also be taking measurements in weeks 1 & 12.

The reason I have decided to do this is because that I am finding myself more and more reliant on what those stupid scales say each week and I thought that this 12 week hiatus will allow me to focus more on what I should be doing rather than what the scales will be saying each Monday morning.  

I am hoping to will be focusing on healthy food choices with the occasional treat or Mexican meal here and there and I will be more focused on moving my body for fun, instead of exercising to see a reduced number on the scale the next time I get on there.

I really, really enjoy exercising.  I love my swimming and my treadmill and the other day I took a Zumba class for the first time in about a year.  I think I laughed the whole way through it - I had forgotten how much fun it is to dance around while looking like a total fool.  

I am also enjoying eating healthy foods.  I had pizza the other week and it was horrible, I didn't like it at all and I could feel it just sitting in my stomach for the rest of the night.  I was wondering though whether it was just badly made, but over the next few days (after the pizza) I made some bad food choices and I didn't feel good at all.  My tongue felt like it needed a shave from all the extra sugar I had eaten and I just felt blah.

All of this is good news for me cause it tells me that I am making progress and even though it's extremely slow with one step forward and 100 backwards, I am getting there.  I am changing my lifestyle to a healthy one and the best thing of all is that I am enjoying it.

Speaking of exercise, healthy foods and weigh-ins, here are mine :

*Weigh-in*

Up 2.2 kg since I last weighed myself on the 19 of March, I am back to 98.7 kg.  I was down to almost 95 kg.  All I can say here is boooooo to me.

*Workouts*

This morning I went to the pool nice and early and completed 2 kms in just over an hour.  I would have shaved 5 mins off my time, but I was too busy talking to the lady in my lane.

Last Sunday (1st April) I dragged my butt to the gym and did a Zumba class followed by a nice 30 min swim completing 1 km.  I was surprised at how many people were at the pool cause it wasn't an overly hot day.  

*HRM Stats*  For Zumba 

• Duration : 58.54 mins
• Calories : 525
• Average HR : 145
• Maximum HR : 171
• In Zone : 29.48 mins
• Distance : -

After this morning's swim I indulged in a smoothie.  Well, a smoothie isn't really an indulgence, but when it tastes like banana ice-cream it feels indulgent.  

*Banana Cinnamon Ice-Cream Smoothie*

Into the blender :

• 1 cup Almond Milk
• 288g* frozen Bananas
• 1 tsp Cinnamon Sugar
• 1 tsp (7g) Honey

*There were 2 average sized, frozen bananas used*

The total calories for this smoothie were 333.  I actually had to eat it with a spoon cause it was so thick and creamy from the bananas.  Here's a picture to get you into the smoothie mood.....

still in the blender

in the glass ready for my tummy

How do you get your groove back.......

• What motivates you to exercise?
• Do you find that a sugary treat can make you feel awful?
• How do you get back on track after falling off the wagon?

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

*The Good*

 My treadmill is back and ready for use - very happy :)

I woke up to a wonderful surprise yesterday, hubby had opened the treadmill for me and cleaned the motor out.  There were pens, pegs, bits of paper, corn chips and some dried apple although it wasn't dried when I gave it to the kids.

I know I could have opened it and done it myself, but if I had of broken it in some way I would never have heard the end of it so if hubby broke it instead, nothing would have ever been said about it which is best for everyone.

I decided not to do any intervals yesterday and opted for a TV Workout.  I chose one of my many recorded programs (I get last dibs on the foxtel) to watch and started "wogging."  I have come across this term on Daily Mile, it's a combination of walking and jogging - I walked during the show and then ran during the ads.  My speed varied from 6.5 - 10 depending on how I was feeling at that particular moment.  I ended up doing 6.5 kms in 60 mins.

There were many times I just wanted to stop, but I was watching the US Biggest Loser and I just pretended that my best mate Jill (you can see a picture of us together here) was yelling at me.

*The Bad*

My HRM died yesterday, well the battery anyway and of course it's an unusual size and the 3 different stores I went to yesterday didn't carry it.  I later checked the internet and found that I can get a "pack" of batteries for $6.95, but they are currently out of stock.

I have so much to do to get the house ready for Mama Solis (Desperate Housewives reference) who arrives tomorrow.  Most of the house is done, but I still have heaps to do - must get moving.

*The Ugly*

I gained 1.4 kg this week!  I don't know what I did so bad that caused the gain.  I did some exercise, clearly not enough, but I was careful with my food.  I didn't track though, which I am certain is my downfall.  I probably ate stuff I wasn't aware of because I wasn't writing it down and I am pretty sure I didn't drink enough water.  Never mind, just a small set back, but it's enough to get me right back on track.

What are your weight loss tips.......

• Do you need to track EVERYTHING?
• Does the amount of water you drink effect your weight loss?
• How much exercise do you need to do to see results?

Beads 'n' Beads

Who doesn't love beads? Who doesn't love to put beads in their ears? Me, that's who.  One of my little turds Angels decided to put some beads into her ear.  I don't even know where she got them from.  After her bath last Wednesday when I went to clean her ears I noticed something shining in there.  This was at 4.30pm and after 2 different doctors and the hospital emergency department for a total of 6 hours the bead was still in her ear.

The bead culprit

"I didn't do it, I don't know how they got in there"

Apparently it was really deep and she had to be referred to an ENT specialist.  On Friday we had that appointment and they thankfully removed the bead, but only to find that there was a second bead sitting on her ear drum and there was no way that my little Miss was going to let the doctor near her again.  She is now booked into hospital again this Wednesday where they will remove the bead under anesthetic.

Going under anesthetic freaks me out, but when it's one of the kids, well that freaks me out a million times more.  So I've been a bit of a mess the last few days.  I know it's just a routine procedure and that it has been done before, but I just don't like the thought of her being put to sleep, I am feeling sick now just thinking about it. 

 

*Workout*

This mornings treadmill workout (#8) was a speed workout and was rather a wonky one.  The workout was going well and I was really enjoying myself up until the 19th minute.  I was running along quite nicely then all of a sudden I started to feel a little weird.  Luckily my HRM links to the treadmill so I can see my stats on the treadmill screen and my heart rate was at 219!

I slowed down straight away and just walked slowly until I got my heart rate back under 200.  Once it dropped down to the 140's I started to run again, but it shot straight up to the 200's again.  I ended up just walking the rest of the workout.  I had some chest pain before I started my workout so I didn't really want to push myself too much.  I had an ECG a month or so ago, but it was all clear so I think today was just a result of my worrying about Wednesday when my little Ava has to go to hospital.  Not looking forward to that at all :(

*HRM Stats* 

• Duration : 36.43 mins
• Calories : 394
• Average HR : 165
• Maximum HR : 235
• In Zone : 12.50 mins
• Distance : 3.5 kms

*Weigh in*

Good weigh in this week. I lost 1.7kg :)

Planning is the Key

I have lots of little plans to help me achieve my weight loss - plans to do this, plans to do that, plans to do this again, plans to do that again, I am sure there are others out there who know what I am talking about. Now, all I have to do is put them all together and I'll be unstoppable - well, that's the plan.

I have discovered that when I plan my meals and have them ready and in the fridge, this whole weight loss eating thing is so much easier.  Now, when I say weight loss eating, I don't mean low fat, low calorie, low carb. rice cakes that taste like cardboard, I'm talking about fresh, healthy food that has nutrients and is beneficial to me.  I like carrots, so why not have some carrot sticks waiting for me in the fridge? 

I find it so much easier to just cut everything up the night before when I am already in the kitchen preparing dinner.  This way I have good, healthy snacks ready and waiting to be eaten.  I often can't be bothered to prepare food and end up just eating whatever is easier, which is always, always higher in calories and a lot less beneficial.  I think it's what Jill calls "empty calories" and yes, I say Jill cause I like to pretend that we are best friends - Jillian Michaels is just way to formal.

Hahahaha, you're so funny Jane

So, planning it is!  A little extra time in the kitchen each night is really worth a day of good, wholesome eating :)

*Workout*

I jumped on the treadmill this morning and I loved it, the time just flew by.  I chose an incline workout (#11) cause I wasn't in the mood for speed, but I think that was because I did a combination workout, which was mostly speed (#2) yesterday morning.

*HRM Stats* 

• Duration : 35.05 mins
• Calories : 335
• Average HR : 147
• Maximum HR : 172
• In Zone : 16.19 mins
• Distance : 3 kms

STRETCH-A-ROBICS

This morning while I was pinning from my iPhone my husband kept yelling at me to "get off the phone and go workout".  Still not feeling 100% I reluctantly went and got changed into my workout clothes - black track pants and a black  t-shirt (very sexy indeed).  The thing was that I really didn't want to put my shoes on, I was really, really comfortable in my slippers, they make me happy :)

Anyhooo, after receiving some more abuse, I put my shoes on.  I looked at, and sat next to the treadmill for about an hour and I just couldn't bring myself to get on it, it just didn't feel right today so I went and perused my DVD collection.  I saw Jillian, NO!  I saw Denise, NO!  I saw The Firm, NO!  Then I spotted my OZ Style collection - I looked at the cover of On the Ball and it looked too hard and then I found this little beauty......

Yellow's a happy colour, maybe it will make me feel better?  You know what?  It did, it did make me feel better.  It felt so, so good to do something physical.  Even though I didn't break a sweat, it still burned 290 calories and that makes me very happy.  Best of all though, I got to take my shoes off!

It wasn't a full on workout, but at least it was something and I didn't end up in the bathroom visiting Percy Porcelain and that's always good!  I also enjoyed visiting my friends, Michelle, Wendy & Jodi from my old, reliable OZ Style tapes.  I just hope the next time they make a yoga video that they wear pants - lots of visible buns and thighs here today, lots!

*HRM Stats* 

• Duration : 53.35 mins
• Calories : 290
• Average HR : 110
• Maximum HR : 134
• In Zone : 15.44 mins
• Distance : 0 - DVD

"Find Your Strong!"

This is a good motto for me today because I think I actually did it.  I think I just might have found my inner strength.  When my alarm went off this morning and instead of hitting snooze (10 times) I told myself that "no one else to going to run the fat off" and I got up and did a workout.  I started with workout #2 and then finished with #3.  I felt really good during #2 and it seemed to fly by, but I think that was more due to the fact that during the walking / catch my breath part I was searching Foxtel for shows to record and boy did I find a blast from the past.........

The treadmill isn't the only thing that causes me to catch my breath :)

After finding my 21 Jump Street gem to record I finally found what I was actually looking for - The Biggest Loser on channel 10, USA series and not sure what season, but I haven't seen it yet.  It was on a few weeks ago on a Sunday, but the past few weeks something else like the racing has been on and those things take allllllll day.  Anyhooo, I have found it again and am excited - easy to please I guess.

The second half of my workout didn't seem to go as fast, but at least I made it and without any changes so I was really happy with that.  I was about ready to fall off the treadmill at the end, but noticed that I wasn't far off the 6 kms so I just kept going till I got there.  I felt good after my workout this morning.  I wish I could capture the feeling in a jar and sprinkle some on me every morning I didn't feel like working out, I would be out of bed in a flash! 

*HRM Stats* 

• Duration : 1 hour 10.04 mins
• Calories : 765
• Average HR : 159
• Maximum HR : 180
• In Zone : 16.44 mins
• Distance : 6 kms

Not much else to report except that my computer died from old age and I was devastated because I have 15 months worth of photos on that computer waiting to go onto disc.  Luckily the hubster works with a computer wizz who is going to take the hard drive and burn everything off it for us - all I want is those photos!!!

I am using my son's laptop at the moment luckily he has a spare one, what, doesn't everyone?  His aunt (my sister) got him a laptop for Christmas last year for high school, but the school actually provided him with one as well so now he has 2

*Weigh-in*

I lost 1.8 kilos (3.9 lb) this week which I think was due to me actually tracking for a whole week.  I didn't miss a single item that went into my mouth including that delicious white chocolate Magnum ice-cream I had on movie night.  I find the counting calories so much easier than the points, yes, I have left Weight Watchers again and am back to counting the calories.  

The calories just make more sense to me - I know how many I am eating and I know how many I am burning.  It was a good first week of counting calories and I know I can keep it up.  I did it for a week so why can't I do it until I need to????  There is no reason why I can't continue counting and tracking for as long as I need to.  It's not even hard, I just made it a priority.

My Unusal Alarm Clock

This morning the kids were up extra early and I was woken up by a wet, lipstick wearing dog kissing my face.

 The dog in question!

in the laundry tub ready for a bath

The dog was wet because it had been "swimming" in the toilet bowl. I don't really think I need to say anymore about this.

*Workout*

This morning when I was looking for a workout to do, I still wasn't in the mood for running so I chose an incline workout (#6) with very limited running involved.  I still wasn't feeling like Woooooo Hoooooo I'm on the treadmill, but at least it wasn't as bad as yesterdays workout, that was a shocker.

As I was on the treadmill and reading what intervals were coming up, I kept hearing my head saying "you can't do that, just amend the workout a little."  This happened more than once and I was starting to bug myself so I told myself to shut up and just get on with it.  It also reminded me of this......

I need to remember this a little more often

*HRM Stats* 

• Duration : 1 hour 5.37 mins
• Calories : 618
• Average HR : 151
• Maximum HR : 183
• In Zone : 22.06 mins
• Distance : 5.5 kms

A Pack of Wild Animals

Ava, Christian & Holly

My kids have been like wild animals all day today!  I wonder if there is a zoo close by that will take them?  I'll wait till Hayden comes home from school and he can go with them :)

Ever since they woke up this morning, they have been screaming, fighting and attacking each other with kitchen tongs.  The second I turn my back, they are off.  Does anyone else have kids who think it's a fantastic idea to rip apart a toilet roll (or 2) and soak it in the toilet to make huge 'spit balls' which then end up stuck on the walls and windows?  I can't go to the bathroom without something being destroyed!  It must be so much fun to open a box of Jatz and then ride your bike over them and add water to create some sort of biscuit paste!  Maybe I could use it as a pie base??

Anyhoooo, these are the days that I love to be able to get on the treadmill and shuffle my cares away. Today was NOT that day!!!!

*Workout*

My workout (#8) consisted of  speed intervals.  After about 4 mins I just wanted to cry, I didn't want to be there, it was too hard, blah, blah, blah.  All the usual excuses came out so I decided to look at Pinterest for an hour a minute looking for a mantra that would give me the kick I needed. Heading to my motivation board, I found exactly what I was looking for.......

pretty good advice

I felt this mantra was specific to how I was feeling today so I used it.  I scribbled it onto a piece of paper and stuck in on the Treadmill right in front of my face.  It seemed to help and I pushed myself to finish the workout which took me to 30 mins.  I was happy just to make the 30 mins today, but while trudging along in my cool down I checked my HRM and wasn't happy so I decided to keep going until I burned at least 300 calories.

By the time my 300 calories came round, I was close to 5 kms so I kept going.  Once at the 5km mark I thought well, I'm not far off 60 mins and I kept going.  I do have to confess that I hated every single second of the last 7 mins, but I was so close to 1 hour that I wasn't going to give up.  I refused to give up today and I really pushed myself.  It was more of a mental challenge than a physical one, but that didn't stop my legs from burning.

I felt blah about the workout today, but I am glad that I didn't just give up.  It feels really good to push yourself to achieve something and I burned off another 3 donuts!  Gotta be happy with that :)

*HRM Stats* 

• Duration : 1 hour 4.57 mins
• Calories : 572
• Average HR : 150
• Maximum HR : 193
• In Zone : 24.42 mins
• Distance : 6.1 kms

*Diet Coke Mentality*

It's been 126 days since I have had any diet coke or other type of soft drink which is a huge deal for me.  Diet coke played a big part in my previous diet and it has been fairly easy to do without it.  Some days it's not so easy and I just want to grab a 2 litre bottle and drink it in one go and then do a great big burp like Buddy the Elf and considering my husband is never without his coke, this would be pretty easy for me. 

Every time I get one of those urges to just drink it, I remind myself of how long I have gone without and that I don't want to start at day 1 ever, ever again.  I'm not saying that I will never have a glass of soft drink ever again, but at the moment, it's just not part of my lifestyle.  This is the mentality I want to bring to my fitness / workouts.  

After not doing any exercise for so many weeks, I am struggling with the workouts I had written for the treadmill which shows me that when I wrote them, I had been making progress in the fitness department.  This mornings workout was awful, but I think another reason (apart from my mantra), that I forced myself to keep going was because I feel like I am starting at day 1 again.  Each day I give up and do nothing is just another day of my old fatty-boom-bah lifestyle where the scales don't shift, but if I continue to push myself to keep going and don't look back, in time, it will get easier again and the scales will start moving again.

Good-bye to Day 1's forever :)

The Pungent Odour

My heading sounds so enticing doesn't it?  I will get to that a little later.  First up I lost 600 grams this week so I am pretty happy with that, the scales were my friend this morning and there were no tears in sight.

*Workout*

This mornings workout consisted of not 1, but 2 treadmill workouts! I know, shocking.

I shocked myself

I stared off with workout #2 cause it's a favourite of mine and although it takes 30 mins, it only feels like 5 mins, well not really, but the time does seem to fly on this one.  At the end of the workout I was thinking thank goodness it's over, but during the cool down I realised I wasn't feeling too bad so I decided to flip the card over and do workout #1.  I don't know why I though this was a good idea, but I managed to get it done (just).

This was me this morning -

run piggy run

I was sweating like a little big, fat, piggy, but I am proud to say that I definitely didn't throw that towel in this morning, I used it to wipe the sweat from my face.  I figured that if I did this today, there is no reason why I can't do this everyday and soon, very soon in the distant future I should look like this instead -

"Ewwww, I don't sweat, I glisten"

*HRM Stats* 

• Duration : 1 hour 10.24 mins
• Calories : 650
• Average HR : 156
• Maximum HR :212
• In Zone : 15.58 mins
• Distance : 6.6 kms

*Breakfast*

This mornings breakfast was very fast to prepare and very yummy to eat :

*French Toast Roll*

• 1 bread roll
• 2 eggs
• 20 ml sugar free Maple Syrup - optional (thanks Sammy)

1. Beat eggs together
2. Cut roll in half and dip in eggs
3. Cook in non-stick pan
4. Cook left over egg (if any)
5. Drizzle with syrup

without syrup

with syrup - just call me Buddy

Buddy has syrup too!

*The Pungent Odour*

I was woken at 3am by a smell!  My question is, how does a smell wake someone up?  It's a smell.  It's not a slap in the face or a bucket of cold water, it's - a - smell!!!!!

The source of the smell was coming from beside my bed, it was Holly (poor little thing).  My next question is, how do you get poo from your toes, up the back of your legs and all the way up your back to your neck?  She was fully clothed and wearing a nappy!  How does this happen????  Guess what I was doing at 3am :)

A VERY late breakfast!

Love the purple leopard print leotard :)

No mucking about today, I am running sooooo late!

*Workout*

This morning's workout consisted of a trusty old favourite - an interval workout on the treadmill.  I couldn't decided whether to do speed or incline, but luckily I have a few combination intervals on hand to choose from - the lucky winner was workout #12 (I wasn't so lucky - it was hard).  Fortunately, I was forced to stop and take a naughty miss Holly upstairs for hair pulling - her punishment was bed, she hates it.  

I had to stop at around the 27th minute. My legs were so grateful until I hit the stairs - my legs were burning all the way up and felt as though they were covered in concrete.  I was relieved to get back onto the treadmill.  Those last 3 minutes felt like an hour!  It was actually easier for me to do a slow, shuffling, jog type movement than to walk - my legs were burning, but I suppose that is what a workout is supposed to do.  It's not meant to be easy :)

Minute	Speed	Incline
26 - 27	4	13
27 - 28	6	13
28 - 29	6	14
29 - 30	6	15

After the 30 min interval workout I had done 2.7kms so I thought I would just walk slowly as my cool down until I got to 3 kms.  Once I got to the 3kms I decided to do 5 kms.  I tput the speed up to 8 and just jogged for a little while and then threw in some random intervals ranging between speeds of 4 - 12 to get the heart rate moving and burn some calories.  I then finished off the workout with Week 2, Day 3 of my squat challenge. 

*HRM Stats*

• Duration : 1 hour 2.26 mins
• Calories : 623
• Average HR : 155
• Maximum HR :233
• In Zone : 22.34 mins
• Distance : 5.1 kms

*Very Late Breakfast*

Today's breakfast was delicious and very late - I didn't have breakfast until 1 pm which I know is really bad, but due to in-law circumstances, it couldn't be helped.  My sister-in-law thinks that because I don't work, even though I have 4 kids and a husband to clean up look after, that I have nothing better to do than apply for jobs for her 19 year old son.  

The sad thing is that my husband seems to agree with her. I told him last night about the 9 new jobs she had found for me to apply for.  I told him that I can't understand why I am having to apply for jobs for a 19 year old?  His response was "because he won't do it" so I asked why can't your sister do it then?  Arse face Hubby said "she doesn't know how to upload documents plus she has to work all day"  I find the whole situation upsetting and it makes me want to cry :(  I am so glad I have my treadmill to take my frustrations out on otherwise sometimes I think I would just break down (and not get back up).  That's enough frivolity for now :0 On to breakfast - it was a real treat.

*Breakfast Egg Wrap*

• Crushed garlic
• Sliced mushrooms
• Baby spinach leaves
• 2 egg whites
• 1 pita

I started by putting some crushed garlic and a little bit of water in my fry-pan (I very seldom cook with oil, it was something I picked up from WW the first time I joined back in 1817).

Next I threw in some sliced mushrooms which I cooked down a little and then added some baby spinach leaves until they were cooked (or wilted).

Once the mushroom and spinach were ready, I removed them from the heat and started to dry-fry my egg whites in my new mini pan.

I didn't really think too much ahead because when I did (think) I wondered how I would flip my egg?  I decided to drain my mushroom mix, which turned out to be a good idea and use the bigger pan to finish off the eggs.

Look at all those extra juices - not good for a wrap, glad I drained

Yummo!  I love fried egg whites

Lastly, I put the mushroom mix onto my pita (I think a tortilla , Lavash or Mountain Bread would work really well with this as well), ripped up my egg white patty, threw that on top of the veges........... 

.........folded the wrap and ate.  It was really good, much better than I was expecting.  The garlic really made a difference to the flavour - I am a huge garlic fan :)

I was still a little hungry after my breakfast wrap so I chopped up a green apple and ate it with a low-fat, stawberry Jalna youghurt.  It hadn't had Jalna before and I was surprised at how thick and creamy it was for a low-fat yoghurt. 

Can't wait to try the vanilla flavour.  Should I eat it with an orange or stick to my traditional yoghurt mate of apples??  No, I have strawberries in the fridge, I will definitely have it with those.  I can't really handle yoghurt on it's own - another weird, texture thing.

Off to bath the kiddies, have a great night!

I Ran the Run : Take II

Howdy, "there's a snake in my boot", well not really, but the kids are watching Toy Story (again & again) and that's what I keep hearing.  

*Weigh-in*

Sunday is off to a good start with a weigh-in.  I won't say it was a great weigh-in or a bad one, it was just a weigh-in.  I lost 100 grams this morning which is less than the weight of my pj's, but a loss is a loss and I will take it.

*The Run : Take II*   The Run : Take I can be read here

Not looking excited?  I wasn't!  My head just wasn't with it today

Well I did my run again this morning, but I am sad to say that my head wasn't really in the right place for 5 ks today.  I didn't get up when I should have (I was too cosy and warm) and when I finally got around to the run it was 8am.  As I stepped onto the treadmill my silly head said (to myself) - I should have finished this 2 hours ago!  That thought there should have signaled a warning for me, but I just ignored it and got on.

I started at a slow 6 for a few minutes just to warm up a little and then I went up to 8.  I feel really comfortable running at 8 now.  When I first started I ran at 7 - 7.3, but 8 is now my go-to speed.  Not too fast and not too slow - juuuuust right.  After about 300 mts I upped the incline to 6% (still on a speed of 8) and just decided to see how far I could go on my hill.  Seeing I forgot my hill completely last time I wanted to get it out of the way nice and early in the run.  I amazed myself by making it to 1 km on the 6 incline.

Top left - incline / Top right - speed / Middle right - distance

 

After that first kilometer my legs were really tired.  Normally my mind just forces me to push through it, but today nothing felt right.  My heart wanted to be there doing the run, but my legs and brain just weren't interested so I had to rely on my heart to get me through the 5 kms and I knew then that it was going to be a long run.

I desperately didn't want to give up so I kept plodding along.  I set the incline to 2% and just got on with it at a steady, slowish speed.  I let my mind wander away from the screen.  I didn't want to focus on distance or time, I didn't really care how far I had gone or how long I had been running, I just wanted to finish the 5 kms.  I actually found myself thinking about my MDC Fun Run that I ran outdoors and remembered a few things I had learned along that run :

• I was running for 'fun'
• It's my fun run and I will run it the best I can
• If I have to stop for a toilet break I can do that
• If I need to slow down or even walk I can do that too
• I'm not competing in the Olympics so it doesn't matter if I am slow

Remembering these things is what I think helped me finish the 5 kms today.  I wanted to beat my time from my first attempt, but at the halfway mark I was already over by a minute or 2 so I knew that wasn't going to happen and I started to get a little anxious about the whole thing - I told you my head just wasn't in the right place today.  Then I remembered something Janae (The Hungry Runner Girl) had said - "There will always be another race"  Janae is so right, especially when running inside on a treadmill.  I can do this same 5 kms over and over and try to beat my time each 'race'.  There is no pressure here, I can take my time, all I need to do is finish.

Thanks to Janae's (always) awesome advice I managed to finish my run and feel good about it.  I don't care that I was a little slower today because I achieved something that 6 months ago, I never thought would be possible.  I ran for over 40 mins and completed 5 kms in the process so today whether I beat my time or ran as fast as Flash Gordon didn't matter - I still succeeded.

Nice & sweaty - at least my face doesn't match my shirt today

*Comparison Pics*

Beetroot Steel - Zoolander eat your heart out!

I also completed Week 2, Day 2 of the 200 squats program.  These were an effort, I really, really didn't want to do these.  Half way through the second set I thought I just can't do it, I will do them later and then I remembered how resentful I felt of myself for not getting up earlier and doing my run first thing in the morning and I didn't want to feel like that again so I forced myself to keep going.  After the 3rd set everything seemed so much easier and I powered on to the end.

*HRM Stats*

• Duration : 56.49 mins
• Calories : 611
• Average HR : 155
• Maximum HR : 196
• In Zone : 23.40 mins
• Distance : 5 kms

Have an awesome Sunday :)