Wellness Wednesday...Ep. 20 and 21

Wow...2 more weeks have flown!  And I have barely gotten any exercise in...I went to Yoga once last week...have yet to make it this week.  So no plan, and not a whole lot to talk about.  But I'll try my best anyways.

This time last year I was prepping for my first Half Marathon.  And around this same time, I crashed and burned and did almost no training for close to a month.  So as I find myself in a similar scenario this year (races to run but no training happening) I have to really take a long look and try and figure out what is going on.  And I really think it's just that time of the year.  Summer is the worst time for me at work, and I've been going full throttle the past two weeks...whenever I do get home at the end of the day, the last thing on my mind is exercise.  I don't think this is a 100% bad thing.  I think it's my internal voice saying TAKE A BREAK!!  So I have been.   But the question comes...where do I go from here?

I've been feeling the mojo kick in a little bit the past two days or so...the WANT to run/exercise but haven't physically felt up to it yet.  So I think it means my body is just about ready to return to a training cycle.  I have a plan for it...

I plan to work the next few weeks on my running "base."  I would like to improve my overall running times, and to do that, I think I really need to go back to basics and work on those first 3 miles.  So for the next few weeks, that's what I will do.  I will go back to the plan that got me going in the first place...Couch to 5K!  Now...I will be doing some things different, I will still try for a "longer" run on the weekends, and still keep trying to go to yoga...but I think I want to spend a bit of time focusing on that shorter distance.  And in another month or so, get back to looking at the half marathon distance.  I want to arrive at my Fall half healthy and excited...so I don't need to go full throttle for any reason this summer.

So that's the plan...for now!

ALYoF...June update

Well...it's been a little quiet here for the month of June...but I have gotten a tiny bit of sewing done...so here is where I stand on my June A Lovely Year of Finishes goal (original post here):

I finished 2 blocks, have a total of 7 finished, leaving 5 left!  I better kick it in gear to get this done this month.  These blocks are the only sewing I have done this month (and now I want to sew all the things!) so hopefully I'll get some time this weekend to dedicate to just being in my sewing room!

and now edited to add that I have 3 blocks done (got this one done right after posting originally) and 4 left!

making progress!

Wellness Wednesday...Ep. 18 and 19

Happy Wednesday all!  Welcome back to Wellness Wednesday, took last week off so I could have a mini-vacation with the family.  My batteries have been re-charged and now it's time to talk about my health and fitness plans!

Last time I posted, here was the plan for week 18:

• Wednesday: rest rest
• THursday: yoga 1 hour yoga class
• Friday: 3-4 mile run 4.1 mile run and 25 min yoga for runners video
• Saturday: yoga rest
• Sunday: 4-5 mile run 4.75 mile run
• Monday: rest or yoga rest
• Tuesday: 3 mile run and yoga rest

I was doing pretty good, but towards the end of that week, we at the last minute decided to go out of town, so I spent a little longer working and a lot less time exercising.  So I basically took a week off (week 19).  Yesterday I headed back to yoga (morning class!  It was a great start to my day!).  I'm on a weird night kind of shift at work for a good chunk of June, so I will be adjusting as I go.  I don't really have a plan for this next week, as I'm getting used to the different hours at work.  So for this week, my goal is to do yoga everyday.  And try and run some.  That's about it.

Have a great rest of the week!

ALYoF...June Goal

Wow!  June already???  Oh well...on to this month's goal in A Lovely Year of Finishes.  In 2011 I signed up for the Fat Quarter Shop 2012 Designer Mystery Block of the Month.  And at one point, I tried to keep up...that lasted about 5 months.   I have 7 blocks left to complete!

So my goal for June is to finish up all of the blocks!  I did not purchase the finishing kit for this one, so I'll need to figure out a layout for the top...but for now, I'll be happy to get the blocks done!

Wellness Wednesday...Ep. 17

Once again, Wellness Wednesday brought to you on a Thursday!  Our house has been crazy this week, wrapping up the last bits and pieces of middle school...in a week I will officially the the parent of a High Schooler!!  Ack!!!  Anyways...here is last week's plan and how I did in red:

• Wednesday: 3 mile run 3.4ish treadmill
• Thursday: yoga 1 hour yoga class
• Friday: bike rest
• Saturday: 3-4 mile run 3.1 mile run (5k race)
• Sunday: rest 40 min yoga video
• Monday: 3 mile run 4 mile run
• Tuesday: yoga 1 hour yoga class

I have been wanting to expand my yoga practice outside of the two classes a week.  I'd like to take more classes, but my schedule and the class schedule don't mesh up too well.  I've been exploring some online classes/videos, and so far...I'm still exploring.  In a few weeks my work hours are going to shift around, so I may actually be able to take more classes, but that would only be for a short period of time.  So I'll continue to explore what's available online.  I had a WOOOHOOO! Yoga moment on Tuesday...I held crow pose for about 1 second!!!  Considering last Thursday I could barely do the pose on my tip toes...Tuesday was huge!  Sometimes you just need to here the instructions from a different person or in a different way...get your brain thinking about things slightly different and see what happens!  Now for next week's plan:

• Wednesday: rest
• THursday: yoga
• Friday: 3-4 mile run
• Saturday: yoga
• Sunday: 4-5 mile run
• Monday: rest or yoga
• Tuesday: 3 mile run and yoga

Have a great rest of the week!

ALYoF...May Finish!!

Woohoo!  Glad to be back on track with A Lovely Year of Finishes!  After missing my April goal, I chose for my May goal (link #26) to make a baby quilt by the end of the month.  Specifically, yesterday, as the baby shower was yesterday afternoon!  Happy to say I finished up my Strawberry Jam quilt:

Back:

I basted, quilted and bound in about 3 hours yesterday morning (love how quickly you can take a baby size quilt top to a finish!).

Details:
Pattern - Jelly Roll Jam
Fabric - top: Strawberry Fields by Fig Tree; backing - California Girl by Fig Tree
Thread - piecing: Mettler, quilting: Aurifil
Batting - Hobbs

Wellness Wednesday...Ep. 16

I am so happy to be able to say that I'm finally over that ridiculous cold!  I still have a little residual cough, but not enough to keep me from being active! 

So on Monday I ran for the first time in 2 weeks (and it felt great!  I bought a new pair of running shoes on Sunday!) and last night made it to yoga (again, first time in 2 weeks).  Of the two...I think yoga was tougher.  I as seriously dripping sweat last night...my shirt was soaked by the time we got finished.  But it felt GREAT!  And even better, another person in the class told me "good job"...and that they had thought to themselves as class was going on "that girl is working."  It reminded me why I truly enjoy attending yoga class.  I was terrified at first, I wanted to try yoga so bad, but was super nervous about everything.  The first class was great, and definitely made me want to come back, but more than anything, I feel COMFORTABLE attending yoga class.  I never worry that someone is going to be judging me or watching me or laughing at me.  We laugh together...at ourselves and each other, and we do so openly. 

My mom has asked me about yoga and if I enjoy it, she would like to try it as well, but not sure where to go for classes.  She has some of the same fears I had when I first started, that the other people in the class would make the class uncomfortable.  I explained to her the vibe in my classes and she's really looking for the same thing.  I hope she's able to find something near her! 

Anyways...point of all of this...don't be afraid to try something new.  If I had allowed my fears and nerves make the decision for me, I never would have attended yoga and found out how much I love it! 

Now on to this week's plan:

• Wednesday: 3 mile run
• Thursday: yoga
• Friday: bike
• Saturday: 3-4 mile run
• Sunday: rest
• Monday: 3 mile run
• Tuesday: yoga

Later!