As I mentioned in my last post, I have been kind of Blah this week. Unmotivated and tired. Not physically tired. Not really sleepy. Just mentally tired from the toll of work, kids, commute, no downtime. It is exhausting. Yesterday, I skipped my run just because I didn’t feel like going. I treated myself to a trip to the mall during lunch instead. It was wonderful to spend an hour window shopping and it was very motivating. I want to wear pretty clothes again!
Today, I was feeling the same apathy towards my planned run. I was looking for excuses. Maybe it’s raining. No. Meeting? There were no excuses, the weather was perfect and I just needed to do it. I made a deal with myself that I could walk if I did 10 minutes and still wasn’t feeling it. Walking is better than sitting on my butt. So I read a few posts in my favorite running blogs. Looked at my motivating pictures. Changed into my running clothes and got down to it.
The first half mile sucked as much as I thought it would. I started out uphill and just felt so tired. The next 5 minutes got better and I knew that I could do this run. They might be slow and uninspired but I would get my 3 miles in, but it was still sucking. The next 10 minutes got a little better and little better. Then I had to quicken my pace a little in a crosswalk to get out of the way of a truck and I realized that pace felt good and that miracle of miracles, I felt good. I decided to keep up the quicker pace for as long as it felt good and wouldn’t you know, it felt good all the way back to my finish point.
I’m so glad that I made myself get out there. I feel so much better this afternoon for having gone. I feel much more eager to run tomorrow and do my monthly 5K assessment. The cure for not wanting to run is running.
Blah. It’s how I feel right now. It’s no wonder. Friday and Sunday, I ate crap and way too much of it. I am really angry at myself. Especially, yesterday because I was only eating out of boredom and I was perfectly aware of that with every bite of cheese and crackers I stuffed into my face. Add to that, the run I skipped yesterday and well, it really wasn’t my finest day.
There was a good day sandwiched in between the badness. Saturday, I completed my 5 mile run before most people even roll out of bed. The joy of having a toddler and an infant means there is no such thing as sleeping in. The run went well, it was a cool morning and I ran on the path behind my subdivision that goes along the Monocacy River. I decided to do 9/1 run/walk intervals and it worked really well for me. I had 12-12:30 miles throughout. I would love to be faster but this is where I am right now. The only bad part of the run was this:
Blurry image. I took it through my armband holder.
Mud! A big stretch of it that was about 15 yards long. No way around it, I had to tiptoe through it. My Saucony’s are not so pretty anymore.
Saturday night I made a dinner of Bourbon-spiced pork with sweet potatoes and apples. Or as I like to call it Autumn. It was beyond delicious and you will definitely be seeing the recipe here since Hubby asked to have it again next weekend.
Hopefully, the bad eating is behind me and I can muster up the enthusiasm to get in all my runs this week. I’m glad I don’t have one scheduled today. I didn’t get much sleep last night. Scott was at the Ravens game and didn’t get home until almost 2:00 AM. I hate night games, I can’t sleep well until he is safe at home. Also, because I watch way too much ID channel. I’ll be getting to bed early tonight.
How do you cure the blah’s?
Welcome to my workout weekly.
Running
Sun 9/16- 5 miles, 66 minutes (maybe, GPS issues)
Wed 9/19- 3.12 miles, 37 minutes
Thu 9/20-3.01 miles, 34:47 min
Total: 11.13 miles
Eh, life got in the way this week and I wasn’t able to get all of my runs. Saturday turned into super family fun day and I never found time to
Family Fun Day at the Frederick Fair
run. Tuesday, I was meant to have run 3 miles but tornado warning squashed my plans. These things happen. This weekend should be a little calmer and I’ll be able to get runs in on both days. Likewise, work looks to be slow next week so lunchtime runs shouldn’t be a problem barring more natural disaster warnings.
In fact, next Thursday my work is having a 5K during lunch. It would be a no brainer to do it except that it takes place on the main campus and I work at a satellite site. So do I gear up, catch the shuttle and run or just do my normal run around the office? I’ll probably decide on that day. It would be a no-brainer if I had someone to do the 5K with me but my co-workers aren’t big on activity or socializing.
I’ll be repeating my 5 miler this weekend. I am just trying to build as good a base as I can going into my 10K on October 14. 5 miles this weekend, 6 miles next weekend and then I haven’t decided weather I’ll do 5 or 6 the next weekend, i.e. the last long run before race day. The schedule I have been loosely following has 7 miles scheduled but I don’t think that is right for me right now.
I also signed up for another race in November. the Baltimore Zoo ZooZoom 8K on November 18. This is one of my favorite races, in no small part because it was the first race I ever ran. Way back in 2003. I can’t believe that was 9 years ago! I remember it like it was yesterday. I haven’t run it since 2007 and can’t wait to go back. It is a hilly course that winds through Druid Hill Park in Baltimore and ends with a mile through the exhibits at the Baltimore Zoo. Such fun. All the proceeds go to the zoo and quite frankly, it is a zoo that needs the help. Best of all my friend, L., who will also be running the Freedom’s Run 10K and who has run all the past ZooZooms with me, will be there too. Only this year, we have kids to take on our trip to the zoo. The last time we ran this, neither of us had kids, now we both have two. I can’t wait.
Other workouts:
A couple of walks. I am still struggling here.
Food:
I’ve done OK. I had some treats over the weekend and have just been snacky all week. I am still in the lose weight range but it is more calories than I am aiming for. I’m trying to stay off the scale this week. I caved last week but this week, I’m not as eager to see it since I haven’t been at rock solid with my eating and I missed some runs. I can tell that the pants I have on are a wee bit roomier.
Goal for next week:
Run 15 miles
One non-running workout (still)
Track every single bite that goes in my mouth. Slay the night time snacking demon that dwells within me.
I was going to run at lunch today and then this happened..
I will run in heat. I will run in cold. I will run in wind (but I won’t like it). And I will run in rain up to a certain point. But I have to draw the line at tornados. 
I knew there was a strong chance of nasty weather today so I really wanted to go running last night after getting my kids to bed, but a certain little guy has a bad cold and needed to snuggle with his mommy all night.
We here at Fat Mom Industries put mothering above all else, so I made the difficult sacrifice of snuggling up with the cutest, sweetest baby boy in the world on my nice comfy bed, instead of going out for a sweaty run. Tough life.
I hate getting off schedule but these things happen. Such is life, such is Mango.
Yesterday, during lunch I went for a run. During that time, I was in a helicopter crash but I survived. Unfortunately for me, we crashed down in zombie territory and I was forced to run for my life. Luckily, I had radio communication from the nearby town and they were able to guide me and have me pick up some crucial supplies on the way. The zombies were hot on my tail the whole time.
It was all great fun!
I completed Mission 1 of the Zombies, Run game/iPhone app. And I have a new running love.
There is a video on the website that describes the game much better than I can.
https://www.zombiesrungame.com/
When the zombies get close you can hear them growl, a sound that I found ridiculously unnerving and caused me to pick up the pace to escape them. It was excellent fartlek training. That is great for me because I tend to be a lazy runner and am hesitant to really push myself. Clearly, I’m going to have to though because I think the zombies got a little too close.
I can’t wait to go out today for my next mission.
fat mom gets fit 