Finding Time To Do It All

The Creeping Crud and Other Musings

Summer is coming to a close and things are getting back to normal around here.  The first week of school was…the first week of school.  One son loves his teacher and his class, the other isn’t so sure just yet (actually he claims to hate it but time will tell).  Their personalities and learning styles are very different so I’m not surprised they have differing opinions on how the first week went.

I spent the last two weeks fighting off a cold that turned into pneumonia and it was miserable - especially because I was doing job interviews at the same time.  I finally made it to the doctor and got some much-needed antibiotics and decent cough medicine.  I think my husband is really glad about the cough meds because I've been waking him up in the middle of the night for the last four nights!

Las week I had –count ‘em – nine job interviews!  Three were with one company, two with another, and then the other four were one-timers that may or may not play out.  I’ve found two favourites though and I’m hoping at least one of those will come to pass.  I wish I could say I was champing at the bit to go back to work (I’m not) but I will say it will be nice to get back into a routine and have some money to spare.  It was a tough summer as far as playing goes, as since I wasn’t working we were on a much tighter (read: responsible!) budget than usual.  We didn’t go anywhere to speak of and I think the boys were bored.  But the truth is, where do you want to go, when everyone else in the world is there?  I mean, you can’t do Disney in August (especially if you’re a native Floridian). 

I wish I could say I stayed in shape over the summer but the truth is I was too busy getting my house cleaned up to do many push-ups.  I plan on getting back to them soon (had planned to do it last week but this cold prevented it) and with any luck I’ll make it to 100.  Don’t hold your breath though!  I have still been running (yes, barefoot!) and still loving that.  It’s been awesome to get out early enough in the day to not worry about the heat for the most part.  And by “heat” I mean the heat on the road; it’s been hot as hell down here this year.  Amazingly though, the last few weeks the humidity has dropped to around 40% (and this morning it was actually at 27% for a little while), which is completely unheard of this time of year.  Say what you want to about hurricane Irene, but I love that beast!  I’m no weather forecaster but I’m sure she’s sucking every bit of moisture out of our air and I thank her for that.  I wish she would just go away after she is done instead of heading up north, but my wishes don’t always come true.

So what else has been going on…?

Oh, I bought beer recently and got carded.  For those of you who scoff at those of us who wear hats in the sun, remember that.  I thought the cashier was kidding me when she asked for my ID and she said, “We have to card everyone who looks like they’re not 35.”  She was very apologetic, and I was thrilled that she wasn’t joking.  She said, “Whatever you’re doing, keep it up; I never would have guessed!”  Yes, it made my week – and no, I wasn’t dressed like a 12-year-old.

That’s about it for today peeps.  Hopefully I’ll have a barefoot adventure to share with you sometime soon.  I want to try taking a video of it so you will be my guinea pigs to see how it turns out.  Until next time, take it easy!

Update: I was offered one of the jobs I wanted, which is awesome!  I start on Tuesday and although I said I wasn't champing at the bit to go back to work, this will be an interesting position and I'm bound to learn a thing or two along the way.

Push-Ups: A Love-Hate Relationship

In case you were wondering, push-ups are a great all-around exercise.  They work your arms and your core, and by moving your hands and elbows to different positions you can work different muscles.  They'll even work your butt if you squeeze while you're doing them.

And this is why I love push-ups.  They don't require any equipment, and you can do them almost anywhere (I say "almost" because there are a few floors I wouldn't dare put my hands on!).  You can do them while you're watching TV, you can do them while you're playing with the kids (even better, have them climb on your back when you do them), on vacation, you name it, you can do push-ups.

I have started the 100-push-up challenge at least three times, but I never seem to make it to 100.  I'm not sure if it's because I get bored doing them (I do), or because after six weeks I've gone on vacation and missed a few days, and getting back into it isn't so easy (yeah, I know, I just said you can do them on vacation, right?  I didn't say you will do them on vacation ;-).  Maybe my body can only handl about 80 and that's it (my max was 81 and I was completely diminished).  I've enjoyed trying to get there, but I never seem to make it.

I despise push-ups because they're freaking hard.  Despite the ease of doing them anywhere, I just always feel completely worn out after doing them, even if I feel like I'm taking it easy.  They don't always make me sore or anything, but after doing them I always feel like I just can't do anything else the rest of the day.  If I always worked out in the evening that wouldn't be a big deal, but I don't, so it becomes troublesome.

Before chastising me for always doing too many, I maxed out my pushups today at 31 (it's been a few months, OK?).  I'll be sore tomorrow because I haven't done them in awhile, and in a few days I will start the challenge again.  After maxing out/doing a test, I expect to be sore the next day, and that's fine.  However, if I had plopped down and done five pushups, I wouldn't be able to get a bowl down out of the cabinet for the rest of the day - even though I wouldn't be sore the next day.  I know, it makes no sense, but my body just rebels I guess.

I try mixing up push-ups with other similar exercises, but the truth is, there aren't many exercises that give that much of a work out at one time - I would have to do pullups and sit-ups and all kinds of other exercises to target the same muscles, and that takes longer.  I don't have all day to work out; I'd prefer to keep it to an hour or less if possible.

Maybe it's just because I'm easily bored, I dunno.  I'm sure that's why I can't finish the 100-push-up challenge at least.  I do like to switch up my exercise routine frequently so all my muscles don't get complacent with what they're doing (because they have a mind of their own and I like to keep them on their toes you know).

What exercises to you have a love-hate relationship with?  What are your favourite exercises?  Sound off in the comments.

My Running Mantra

Some people, when they work out, constantly have a mantra going in their head.  I've never been one to need something like that, except on rare occasions when I've decided to run too far and I don't want to have to walk (because I'm too proud).  Then I sometimes talk to myself just to keep going - and I'm sure some of the people in my neighbourhood think of me as the "crazy barefoot lady who talks to herself".

I had a friend who used to try to run because he wanted to lose weight.  He was a big guy, 6'4" and an eighth of a ton of fun (that's 250 pounds, in case you're wondering).  He was fun, but he despised running and working out.  He would run two miles and chant "every step is a victory" as he ran.  It was disheartening for me because this guy was more or less my hero in a lot of ways, and running two miles reduced him to a whining puddle of flesh.  But I never would have messed with him despite that!

I've tried chanting that, or other things, when I get low or hit a wall.  Then I give up and just start saying, "I'll run to that light pole and see how I feel."  When I get to the light pole I'll say, "I think I can make it to the corner."  I do this until I make it home and collapse.  Of course, this mostly happens in the summer when it's miserably hot out, but we all have our days that are less good when it comes to exercising, right?

When I lift weights, I don't have a mantra.  I just make a lot of noise if I need to.  Being a 120-pound weakling, lifting anything is pretty difficult for me, so moving a chair across the room sounds like someone's being beaten in our house.  When I actually lift weights, like most people I tend to overdo it and pick up stuff that weighs far too much.  So then I get frustrated by the third set, and of course make all kinds of noise doing that as well.  I'm sure the neighbours often think I've fallen with the barbell on me sometimes when I put it down - because dropping those things on concrete, even with only 20 pounds on the 45-pound bar, makes a whole lot of noise.  And don't even get me started with leg lifts!

Anyway, my mantra is usually something like "I need to work out today" or "Just get through this last mile" - but it's more of a declaration than a mantra.  I don't feel the need to say it over and over in my head - although the out-loud conversations I have probably are a real substitute for having a mantra. ;-)

What about you guys?  Do you find that chanting something (out loud or in your head) helps you get through a run or some other workout?  Or, do you find that music works just as well?

Ramblings

Howdy, remember me?  I'm that boring chick who left you earlier in the summer with a semi-announcement and then disappeared off the face of the Earth.  I'm really good at doing that you know.

If you're my friend on Facebook, you've probably figured out the big secret.  I am unemployed!  It's been a great summer being free of the stuff that goes with a job.  My house is the cleanest it's ever been, and hopefully I can keep it that way (not counting on it, but it's nice to dream).  I've spent quality time with my children, worked on my tan (shame on me!), visited friends, and watched movies.  I've been a complete and total slacker and I am a better person for it.  In fact, if you have the means, I highly recommend you take a few months for yourself sometime.

Through the heat, I've managed to stay in shape this summer.  All the housecleaning has allowed me to not sit and watch soap operas and eat bon-bons (soaps watched: 0.  Bon-bons eaten: 0.  Movies watched on Netflix: 6 (one a week)).  I've run as much as I wanted, when I wanted, where I wanted, and not been rushed (for the most part).  Having free time has shown me how long it takes to get a workout in, and I appreciate them even more now than I did when I was working.  In order to get a decent workout, you need about two hours including shower time.  That's a lot of time away from your family in the evenings.  I guess I knew that before, but it's amazing when you have nowhere you have to be at a specific time, that the entire morning is gone by the time you get out of the shower.

I'm on the prowl for a job now, and I am toying with the idea of something a bit different.  I'm enjoying blogging and would love to do it for a living, but somehow I doubt it will bring in the money like a programming job does.  Although, if I can blog on my own time and not have to warm a chair at specific times of day, I think I can do it (even if I have to write six blogs to make any money at all).  Who knows.

So, what have you been up to this summer?  I hope it's been a blast, and that you've been able to find time to whatever it was you wanted to do.  I really hope you found time to spend with the people you love most though; they are what's truly important!

I. Just. Run.

OK, maybe it's just me, maybe I'm boring, maybe I'm not competitive (actually, I am), maybe I'm doing it wrong.  But when I run, I just run.

Let me explain.  I don't run races very often, maybe three a year.  One of those is a family event (my whole family does it, including my parents), so it's more of an excuse to get together than to really race.  Besides, that one is about 25,000 people, and I don't exactly come in near the front of the pack.  When I do race, I try my best and I've found (at least locally) I'm very competitive in my age group (I always come in top three women in my age group - at least, so far).

But, I don't run to race.  I run because I enjoy it.  I run because it gives me some time alone.  I run because it allows me to eat that piece of cake whenever I want to.  I run because I like to sweat.  I run because it feels good.  I run because I love the weird looks I get because I'm barefoot.  I run because I like to show off my hawt bod.  Ok, that last part isn't really true, but it sounds good sometimes.

So, when I'm out running, I just run.  Yes, I time myself and measure my distance.  I also measure my heart rate and my cadence.  I don't do these things though to constantly improve.  I measure these things to get an overall feeling for my general fitness.  If I'm improving, I don't really pay any attention to it.  I'm over 40, so my years of turning pro have surely passed, and at my age I'm just happy to be somewhat consistent and be able to get out and do it as much as I can, without hurting myself too much (which I am also prone to do).  In the sweltering Florida summer heat, I watch my heart rate very closely because I overheat easily.

When I set out on a run, I know whether I'm going to do a long run or a short run - usually based on the amount of time I have available.  Given the amount of time I have, I know how far it's going to be.  Every once in awhile I'll plan a "really" long run just for the fun of it - but if I decide I can't do it or don't feel like it, I go for a shorter one.  If it's a great run, I'll stop in at the house and make sure it's "ok" for me to be gone another half hour and run a little further.  About once a year I will do a very short run as fast as I can.  This is the only time I really care about how fast I am.  The truth is, I'm not very fast at all!

When I read about people doing sprints and hills and intervals and all this other training mumbo-jumbo, I laugh to myself.  I don't laugh because I think they're silly (I don't - I'm a firm believer in "whatever floats your boat").  I laugh because I feel like I'm the only person who runs for FUN and only for FUN.  The flip side is, I have intervals built into most of my runs because I live in a hilly area.  If you don't think hills are intervals (assuming you maintain your pace), you're an idiot.  This is also why races that involve bridges don't bother me in the least; I have at least two hills in my neighbourhood that are as nasty and long as the Hart Bridge in Jacksonville, FL.  The bad part is that I don't get to go down the back side; it's just uphill and then a very gradual slope along until I come back down.  No reward unless I go backward on my route - but where's the fun or challenge in that?  Not much that I see.  

So why do you run?  Is it to win awards?  To meet people?  Is that what motivates you to run at all (I'm all for that!)?  Or do you run because you look hawt doing it? ;-)  Let fly the comments.

*In case you're wondering, I did an 8:33 mile, with said hill, barefoot, without warmup, in 85 degrees and about 80% humidity.  Told you I wasn't fast, but I can run just about all day long.