Swings & Personal Bests!

Happy Thursday all! Thanks for all the supportive comments yesterday. They really help push me to be stronger! :) And I had a wonderful day yesterday so that really helped!

My mom had the day off of work so she called me up tuesday night and asked if I wanted to have a picnic in the park with her, Dyson, and Layla. I of course have no objection to this. So we grabbed some panera before heading off to the park. It got up to 75 yesterday! So beautiful. So here are a few pics of our park afternoon. And this first one was my trying to be creative before we left. Key word trying!

yay or nay?

Layla and Dyson together were too cute

Can you find the swan?

swings are always a given, or as Layla calls them-wee wee!

who doesn't love swings?

time to drive!

she was trying to give Dyson kisses

she wanted to give the pole a hug

and one last one before we left!

I wanted to go back to the park after work and try to run over 4 miles. I wanted to see if I could do it and if I would be able to, then I would run the 10k next month. If I couldn't then I was just going to x-nay the 10k. I was super exhausted from being up half the night and I was fighting to talk myself out of it. So I naturally did what anyone would do. Started doing yoga. I know, what is happening to me right? I actually am remembering this stuff! I did about 15 minutes and it actually felt good and my legs felt a little less sore from spin the previous 2 days. And it gave me some energy, so I set off to the park after work. It helped it was so beautiful out.

I got the park and it was crazy crowded which I expected. But I think having a place to go that has trails and it's 4 miles around, helps make me want to run outside. I actually liked it. Which I NEVER thought I would say I like running outside more than the mill! But now I hate the mill! Plus I am not constantly looking behind me for cars. There are no sidewalks in our neighborhood so I have to run in the street which freaks me out. But I almost got ran over a few times from bikes!

So I set off and I was doing good, had to slow my roll to get a good pace. I got to 1.64 miles and whabam my watch dies. I was so infuriated and was about to just call it quits, but I had to turn around to get back to my car and knew it was 1.64 miles to get back. Then a light bulb went off. I tried to calculate it to run back 1.36 do get the whole 3 miles. Then I would do the route a second time and try to turn around at 1.5 miles so then coming back would equal 3. Then I would have 6 miles. I have never run more then 4, so I knew if I made it back to 3 and turned around and had to force myself to be far away, I would have to finish the 6 miles even if I walked back. 

I looked at my watch time and then used the stopwatch on my ipod and added the time from my watch the end. I had no idea what pace I was going, but just tried to run what felt good to me. I was using the run walk run method and would run 3, walk 1, run 3, etc. Those little one min breaks helped get my breathing back down and give me a break to recoup and push myself forward. Funny enough the time it took for me to add up the mileage and figure that all out distracted me quite a bit. I forgot to stop running for my 1 min break. So thinking about math while running is a good distraction apparently! I got to 4.5 miles and knew this was it. Can I finish this without quitting and being forced to walk? I could feel a blister forming and was trying hard to ignore it. My legs were also starting to hurt. I got to mile 5 and about puked since I had never gone so far or ran that long. I got to 5.5 and knew I was almost there and after a walk break, I decided to push for the home stretch. When I saw my car I almost teared up because I was so proud of myself.

So my distance may not be exactly accurate but in the end I DID IT! I finished those 6 miles with a smile on my face. I needed that victory so badly! I was on top of the world until I stopped running and the pain set in and I wanted to die. My body hurt so bad. I timed in at 1:09:50. I will take it! Even though I know it probably isn't accurate either for 6 miles. Oh well. I was just ecstatic I got a personal best for distance!

I can not believe how much spinning has helped my breathing, my cardio, and my endurance. A month ago I would have never been able to run that before I started spin class. My pace was better for 6 miles than it was when I ran 4 miles a month ago! I couldn't believe it! So this just shows everyone, if you really put your mind to it, you really can excel and improve in things you aren't good at. I am not a runner, still not one. But I know if I really push myself and try, I can succeed! But I am good with 6 miles for now!

This was the casualty of running 6 miles though-

poor foot! :(

Good thing it's a rest day and I can wear flip flops! Have a good day all!

Your turn

-what was your favorite thing at the park growing up?

-ever beat a goal in the fitness world you never thought you would? how did you feel?

Blog Envy

I hate to say that I still struggle with Blog Envy. It is hard to go to other people's pages and see them all fancy and done up and have all these followers and giveaways, comments, pictures, etc. I think I may be having dailymile envy too! But alas I saw this quote and reminded myself to snap myself out of it!

via Pinterest

And I must remind myself why I created my blog in the first place. It wasn't to get "popular" and to waste endless amounts of time on a blog per day as if it were my hobby. It was a place where I could go to express my thoughts, even though sometimes my husband makes fun of them, ok not sometimes like all times. It was a place where I could have a chance to minister unto others and maybe reach those I don't know or see often. It was a place to share my experience in becoming a new wife and what entailed with this new life and future. To log my adventures in life! So as much as I would love to have all these adoring fans, I must remember why I started this blog and be faithful to that. Not be faithful to the hub bub of the Blog world. But to remember to just be me and do what I wanted to do, not blend in.

via Pinterest

In other news, ran 3 miles yesterday! Woo been awhile since I have done that. I won't lie, it wasn't collectively. I did 2, then walked for 5 minutes then ran the second one. It will be nice when I can get back to where I at least used to be with running. Miss when I could run for an hour. I did run 5 or 6 miles once I believe. A few years ago, but I did it! So I know it is in there, and I know I can get to a 10k with hard work! I am thinking about the Martian Run in May before our honeymoon. I was debating about Big House, Big Heart 10k because they moved it up. But Megan said the Martian Run you get a medal for 10k.. and well.. I WANT a medal! I mean who doesn't? It would be so nice to have a medal for my first 10k! I am so proud to have a bff like Megan by my side as she gives me such great inspiration to be a better runner! I am excited to watch her train for a full marathon this year! She's got this! To read more about her journey click here.

My knee isn't much better, but I could run on it. It bugged me at some points of the run but I kept pushing through and really tried to stretch it. I think I just inflamed it doing leg stuff a few weeks ago, and I am hoping lots of stretching, icing, and Ibprofin will help! I remembered I had an ace bandage that has the ice bag in it! Yes no more ice cubes in a baggy for me! 

Yes! Minus hairy man's leg! Via google.

Then I finished up my workout with some abs, arms and shoulder weights, and lovely planks. Which I swear Brent is never at a loss to make us do planks and squats every work out. We are lucky to escape either! I still will never like planks! Next Tuesday I am hoping to try a BodyFlow class. It is Tai chi, Pilates, and Yoga mixed. I have to time this well because if I do it too closely to PT, then I will be sore while I train, and no that's a bad idea. And after I train, I am sore for about 2 days to the point of I can not move much, so that will not work either. So it looks as though Tuesday is my only window of oppurtunity! And it's a 6:30 class, so hopefully I can make it by then! 

Then I came home and had some dinner, and watched the Biggest Loser and cooked our turkey meat, chicken, beans, quinoa, and cleaned up the kitchen. I swear it is a never ending battle! I can empty dishwasher, refill it, clean some of the pots in sink, and it still looks like I didn't touch it! Then I get it all nice and clean and in 5 minutes BAM dirty again! Man I can't wait till we have kids, I don't think it will ever be clean!

Go from this to this:

then finally to this:

and 5 minutes later I swear this is what happens!

NEVER ENDS! All images via google

I did see this picture on Pinterest that made me laugh for multiple reasons.

via google

1. REALLY? I mean REALLY? Who thinks of this crap.

2. I really hope that isn't a little kid.

3. Red? Uhm, is she the wicked witch of the south? Why red?

4. They could have at least made her shoes a little cuter, just sayin.

5. Why does a sink with human legs, have better muscles than me? Not fair.

6. Yet I still laugh at this.

Ok, one last thing, a marriage thing. I did not realize before getting married that sleeping in the same bed can be quite difficult. If one of you has a restless night, so does the other. Aka, Lyndsey is tired today! Thinking about an early bed time tonight.. ya I always say this, never happens! We shall see! Have a good day all! I leave you with this.

via Pinterest