In Other News: Time to Start Training

This week I had a horrible nightmare about my upcoming Half Marathon in Portland on May 19th.  Essentially everything went wrong in the most bazaar ways.  I woke up with my heart pounding and feeling as though I had not slept a wink. Maybe my brain knew training way coming?

This morning I received an email the the course route had been revealed.  Not a huge deal since I live out of state, it's not like I can train on the course but it is nice to know.  It looks like it will be beautiful!  Then I got to thinking, I threw out my old training plan but had written a good guideline in my planner at work, How many weeks do I have before I need to get on it?  None, well this week.  Training officially, and gradually, starts next week. Holy Moly!  Reality set in big time!  My boss is doing several races so we chatted about how nervous we are, it's nice to have her to bounce ideas off of.

The moral of the story; I'm not too worried.  I can go out today and do 5 miles with relative ease (my current pace is: 11:36-11:00). I'm about 40% of the way there, not too shabby.  Don't get me wrong I will have to work for the other 8.1 miles but I feel like I can do this.  I've been cross-training , Hello Bodycombat, which I believe is helping immensely.  And having done my first race under a year ago I feel like I have a good grasp on my body (what it needs, what helps etc).

Who else is doing a race soon?  How are you feeling?
-Jen

Rock & Roll {Half} Marathon Series 2013

Today (on 12/12/12) you can save yourself $20 off the registration cost of Rock & Roll Series Races.  Today I bit the bullet and registered for my 2nd Half Marathon...Portland Rock and Roll Half Marathon.  Yikes!  Looks like I'm actually doing this!

I actually told V that I wanted my registration fee for the race to be at least part of my Christmas present since I thought it would be over $80 (I paid $66.50 with today's discount).  I'm blessed to have his total support and the support of my amazing friends.

I have at most 6 weeks before I start training and cleaning up my eating!  I'll post my training plan soon!  This will also be part of my 2013 Goal List I'm working on (and also promise to post soon).

Yikes, lots happening soon quickly!  I also need to post about the flooring I picked out (I pick out other finishes tomorrow!  Lots of posts coming soon, promise!

Much Love,
Jen

Feeding a Tiny Person

When we first starting giving Liam solids around 5 months I remember thinking this isn't so bad!  Until we ran through all the basic purees.  Then it was like hmmmm....what else can I make him?  (I made ~90% of Liam's food, it was easy even for this working momma!).  As Liam grew I'd try to change it up with the ultimate goal being...I didn't want to raise a picky eater!  I tried hard to expose him to a wide variety of foods, still do!  Overall I think I did a good job, he eats just about anything and has even grown to like carrots (once his arch enemy).

Now that Liam is One Year Old! (How did that happen?)  I feel like he's in this brand new place, he can eat a vast majority of things we eat!  It's wonderful, most of the time. We just introduced Whole Cow's Milk and in true Liam fashion he likes it.  We are in the process of eliminating bottles as well, almost there!

Here's the thing.  I sorta liked it a bit more when Liam was around 8-9 months, when there were still things I felt he wasn't ready for so I was making him a meal and making us a different one.  It really wasn't all that bad, most of the time I had things I could throw together quickly for him that were healthy.  Liam loves to eat right when we get home, right when we get him...5pm sharp.  (V doesn't get home until about 6pm).  Sometimes when I felt lazy I'd make Liam his healthy little dinner and skimp on V and I (or we'd have something super easy like cereal).  Now that Liam is big enough to eat most things we eat so it's silly, and way too much work, to make two dinners....but I don't always feel like eating a healthy dinner! Most of the time yes, not always though.  But my Momma brain doesn't really want Liam eating these less healthy items.

In the grand scheme of things I realize one less healthy dinner is not the end of the world but my stance is this:  He has his whole lifetime to eat whatever he wants, I'm responsible for giving him a healthy foundation. I guess I just need to be more prepared and plan out our dinners a week at a time, that's going to take some motivation! 

These are the things that I think far too much about!  Someone tell me I'm not the only one who thinks (or once thought) way too much about this!

Much Love
-Jen

Running Stuff I Love

Every once in a while I ramble about stuff I'm loving, it's just a nice way to do a fluffy post.  This afternoon one of my female co-workers and I went on a run over our lunch and I got to thinking about the running item I've invested in and thus invested in my health.

Without further ado; Running Stuff I Love (in no particular order)

1. New Balance Watch & Heart Rate Monitor!  The hubby got this for me last Christmas (upon my request) and I love it.  If you click the link it leads you to amazon where it's cheaper than we purchased at Target, still worth the investment.  You can track your heart rate, calories burned and it's helped me track my time. I thought the band would be uncomfortable but I don't even notice it.
2. Nathan Sprint Handheld Bottle Carrier! Or as I call it; a water bottle.  You can't carry much in this but it has adjustable Velcro so it doesn't feel like you are carrying anything.  Worth every penny!
3. Life is Good Hat! Mine is actually a different style and super old but I find a hat necessary.  This one sure is pretty and the brand is great quality.
4. Danskin Running Capris.  To be honest I bought these out of necessity.  If you run enough cotton will wear out in areas it rubs, take a moment to think about that.  I wouldn't normally chose these pants because they showcase everything (every-little-thing) but they are light and comfortable.  Also they are half the price of this link at wally world.
5. I Pod Shuffle.  Need I say more?  Mine is really old and sadly on it's last leg but I keep bringing 'er back to life.  We've logged so many miles together!
6. Sports Bra.  More specifically a padded one, the boobies will never be the same after my pregnancy/nursing.  It's half vanity.
7. Myfitnesspal.com  (no image above).  This helped me loose the extra baby weight, I'm now officially ~15  pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight, and I have been for months.  I'm super proud of myself for getting it off and keeping it off.  I'm pretty much in the best shape of my life.

What exercise items do you love?
Much Love,
Jen

Bountiful Basket {a Reivew}

Hello!

This post has been a long time coming, life seems to speed by me with the little guy...who is *gulp* almost 8 months old!   

You recall how I taught you about Bountiful Baskets {dot org} in this post, yes? Well I finally found the time to tell you MORE!  

Sorry about the quality of the pic, like I said...eight month old consumes my time (in the best way possible). Here is what I got:

• head of cabbage 
• head of romaine lettuce 
• bag of small baby red potatoes 
• bunch of asparagus
• bag of green beans
• container of blueberries
• 5 apples
• 2 grapefruit
• 8 oranges 
• 4 tomatoes
• 4 big red peppers 
• 4 medium green peppers 
• 5 onions 

With my $3 first time fee and the $1.50 fee to charge my debit card it totaled $19.50 and I received (what I consider to be) far more than $50 worth of goods! I've enjoyed blue berries in my morning yogurt, yummy salads for lunch and made up a few new recipes for dinner. It's been glorious! I can't wait to do it again.

I want to remind you that this is a national co-op so click and check your area, it's so worth it!

*I am in no way being compensated for this blog post, this is simply my opinion of a great resource I found and wanted to share.

I have also posted this info on my Health and Fitness Blog {Wildflower Fitness}.

Bountiful Basket {dot org}

If you have read this blog for more than a moment you know I'm passionate about health and fitness (*points to Fitness Blog link to left*).  Today a co-worker shared this website with me:

Bountiful Basket (dot org)

First this is nation-wide, cool!!  $50 worth of fruits and veggies for $15! Sign me up!  I get my first basket this Saturday and I could not be more excited!  I think this will be the jolt I needed to make Liam some new and different foods and get V to try some different things!  I promise to take pics of MY bountiful basket this weekend!

(I am not being paid in anyway shape or form for this post, I just wanted to share it with YOU!)

Much Love,
Jen

My Fitness Blog

Hi Peeps,

Today is a proud exciting day for me, I have finally accomplished something I've wanted a long time....I am now officially a Certified Personal Trainer!!!  You've heard me talk about my love of all things health and fitness for awhile so I introduce to you my health and fitness blog: Wildflower Fitness.  I will not try to sell you anything, ever! This is my promise to you, I want to encourage you and be along side you on your health and fitness journey and if that means at some point you do pay me them wonderful, if not then hopefully the good karma will come back around to me one day.  I'd greatly appreciate it if you would hope on over and follow me there.

If you are my 'real life' or 'facebook' friend I will not be publicly discussing this until after the new year when I have my business license and liability insurance up and running, I need those things to function so until them mum is the word (plus I need to remove a few co-workers from fb since my boss won't be supportive).

Thank you for your continued support,
Jen

I don't "Diet" & Workout Post

Someone asked me if I'm dieting today at church, I laughed.  Nope.  Have I changed how I eat?  Yep, but I truly consider it a lifestyle change and not a diet.  Diets don't work (in my opinion).  Will I count calories forever? Hellz no, but for right now it's working and I'm not done yet (I want to lose another ~5lbs & tone up more).  I suppose I should take it as a compliment that someone would ask me what I'm doing but at the same time I'd hope I don't still look all pregnant and what-not considering Liam is four months old (four months, where is time going?). 

I talk about health and fitness on here a lot, at least I feel like I do, but that is because I'm passionate about it.  I so want to spend my life helping people be and become healthy.  I'm still finishing my Personal Trainer Certification (I have until December '11).  And I'm trying to work out how to do something more meaningful (and in the health field) with my life without going back to college [since I'm still paying on the student loans from my first degree].  You can clearly see my problem since I'll have to do some type of training/education to work in the health field (beyond being a Personal Trainer).

Speaking of counting calories etc I'm actually looking forward to being weighed in tomorrow when I see Dr T, I mean I might at well look forward to something about this whole thing right?  I'm not sure what I think will happen beyond that...I have two new bruises (one I can explain) so I kinda worry my numbers won't be what they need to be.  Gosh I am so sick of thinking about my platelet numbers.    Anyway my original thought was that I consider their scale to be accurate and I don't weigh myself knowing I'll be weighed on Monday mornings anyway.  I'm really hoping to break 150, we'll see.  I'm eating salads with either my lunch or dinner and snack on a ton of veggies daily, I also quit cereal that stuff is junk. (yogurt and berries replaced it). I've felt really good lately and healthy... probably more healthy than I've felt in a long time.

So while I'm here some workout updates:
10/9

• Elliptical Trainer-- Manuel Program
• Goal: Sweat! (achieved)
• Resistance: 3-4 Cross ramp (incline): 9
• 30 Minutes
• Calories Burned: 288
• Distance: 2 1/2 miles
• Mood Status: Good
• +120 sit ups (four sets of 30, variety)
• 10/13
• Elliptical Trainer--Cross Country Course
• Goal: In and out! (Boss let me off early and I could only fit in 25 mins before I had to pick up Liam)
• Resistance: 4 (can't adjust cross-ramp on this machine, boo)
• 25 minutes
• Calories Burned: 294
• Distance: 2 1/2 miles
• Mood Status: Go me, I'm covered in sweat
• 75 sit ups variety
• 10/15
•  Elliptical Trianer-Manuel Program
• Goal: kill time before yoga
• Resistance: 2
• Calories Burned: 171
• Distance: 1 1/2 miles
• One Hour Yoga I estimate ~200 calories burned
• Mood Status: Fair (I wish yoga would have been more intense, lol)

After typing this all out I'm considering challenging myself to a weekly distance goal.  I was trying to improve my minute/mile number but I can't consistantly workout so I'm sturggling with that.  Hmm I wonder if I can do 12 miles a week....I'll have to test it out this week.

Anyone else out there care to share some of your health and fitness success tips, stories etc?

Go me!

I've mentioned before how I'm trying to loose and keep the baby weight off. Breastfeeding was amazing for this but now that I don't have that to rely on I've had to find other tools. I've also mentioned before that I use an app on my ipod touch by myfitnesspal.com, and I love it! (link to app HERE, link to website HERE) I've been using it for about two weeks and it's really helped me stay on track! Don't get me wrong, if I really want ice cream I'm gonna have it, even if I don't have any calories left, thankfully I've only done once! ;) Each day I log everything I eat, this helps me see when I'm eating too much of something (carbs) or too little of something (protein) and I can adjust mid-day. I try to get to the gym once or twice a week, if I absolutely can't make it to the gym I do my Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga DVD at home for 20-35 minutes twice a week.

So why am I jabbering about all this? Because tonight I'm super proud of myself! Tonight V and I had a planned date night. I had an hour before V got home from work (Liam was with G'ma) so I threw in my Biggest Loser Yoga DVD for a quick 30 min yoga session, just as I finished up V got home and but one pair of "after maternity" jeans were still in the wash. I had no choice but to see if one of my pre-Liam pairs would fit. I pulled the stack of jeans from the darkest part of my closet.....gulp. Then I saw them, my favorite pair, the ones I assumed I'd never fit into again. Dare I try??? V came in just as I was slipping them on and mumbling that this was probably a bad idea....then it happened....they slide up my thighs with ease, and zippered AND buttoned with no problem!!!! WHAT!?!? Can you see me strutting around the bedroom? I giggled and said to V "you have one hot wife!!!!" to which he replied "yes honey I DO!"

I am so proud of myself! I've worked for this! Whether my weight gain was mostly swelling or not I feared never loosing it, I feared keeping it on and being unhappy with my body. It's no where near the same shape but it's getting better and better and I'm proud, I feel good, I feel healthy. It's just a really nice feeling! So ya know what? Go me! Way to go self!

Workout Post #2

I managed to squeeze in another workout this weekend, go me!  But I have to admit I was exhausted (I woke up at 3 am with an insane head ache, super fun...) However I promised myself I'd go so shortly after 8:30am I wondered off while Liam slept and V watched tv.  The best part about our University having home games is no one is at the gym the day of or the next day!  Glorious peace!

Today's workout:

• 20 minutes on the Elliptical Trainer; Manuel Program (resistance Level 4)
• 1.7 miles covered, 200 calories burned
• 11.7 minute/mile
• 10 minutes on Treadmill; Manuel Program (speed 3.3 mph, incline 4.5)
• 1 mile covered, 118 calories burned.
• 10 min/mile
• 100 crunches (variety)
• 20 push-ups (I was insanely sore from the 30 I did yesterday, sad!)
• I only allow myself to weigh-in once a week so we'll assume I'm still 153lbs until further notice.
• Mood Status: Despite being tired I'm glad to be sore and proud to have fit in another workout!

Also, I found a app for my ipod touch (myfitnesspal) that I really like.  I'm loading in all my meals/snacks/drinks and it's helping me keep on track for further weight loss.  I really like it because it helps me see where my calories are coming from (% of carbs, protein and fats) so I can adjust mid-day and stay on track.  I clearly need more protein and fewer carbs in my life, one step at a time!  Anyway it's a pretty great app so far, especially since it was free so I thought I'd mention it!

I hope your weekend is turning out to be all you desire!

Feeling Good [Workout Post]

It's no surprise I missed the gym while pregnant (I was too swollen to workout).  I started back at the gym at about five weeks post partum working out here and there and it was glorious but a struggle to find time (and energy).

Flash forward to almost 14 weeks post partum and working out is a full blown priority.  We are in enough of a routine that I can somewhat plan at least two workouts a week (usually on Saturday and Sunday) for about 30-45 minutes each.  It may not be much but it provides me the "me" time I need and let's face it those endorphins help so much!

So I thought I'd start some Fitness Journals on here, I can't promise I'll post them consistently but I'll try.  So let's give it a go, shall we?

Today's Workout:

• 30 minutes on Elliptical Trainer Hills program
• Goal: Leisurely workout (more for sanity than waistline)
• 262 calories burned
• 2.4 miles covered (12.5 minute/mile)
• 100 sit ups, variety and 30 push ups
• Cool-down & Stretch
• Current Weight: 153lbs  (42lbs lost, most of which are from breastfeeding)
• Goal Weight: 140-145 (main goal is for toning)
• Mood Status: Feeling good both physically and emotionally...life is good.