Run, Gym Session, New Gear!!!

Hey guys. How's your week been. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone, whether you're in a relationship or not. If you are, I hope you get very very spoiled by the one you love. If you're not... I hope you spoil yourself. Have an at home spa day, or mani/pedi, treat yourself to lunch or dinner, then some decadent dessert. Whatever it is, enjoy it. Today is about love, not just being in a relationship, and you need to love you.

Ok, pump up is over :D

So, Monday morning I got up and went for a run, like I said I would. It was great. A little over 3km in 30 mins. Not my best time, but not bad for someone who hasn't run for over 3 months, and hasn't run that particular route in 9. I felt so good after, and I got stuck into my study. I didn't make it to the gym that afternoon, but I did go after work with some work mates. I didn't do too much, I mainly showed the girls what to do, and how to use the machines. It felt nice to act as a personal trainer again and use my qualifications and skills.

However, I haven't been on a run or to the gym since. I know... WHAT!!!

Well...

Tuesday I went shopping with a friend. I needed to see the Apple store about my iPhone playing up (they said just uninstall everything and re-install it. If that doesn't work, well, your contract is up in July, so just upgrade then. But I don't want to upgrade. I like my phone. I've had it almost 2 years, and I see no point in upgrading it when it works perfectly fine (most of the time). That and I don't want to have to transfer everything onto another phone.

Anyway... M has signed up with me for the color run in Newcastle on May 5. I'm very excited about it, and I really want to run/jog the whole thing as I've said before. Hence the training plan... that hasn't been executed this week. But, that's beside the point. She said from the outset that she needed new runners, and some new gym gear (sports bra, pants and shirts). So... into Lorna Jane we wandered....

There should have been flashing neon lights going off in my brain with the whole 'warning, warning', thing going on. Because I can very, very, very rarely enter a Lorna Jane store and leave without buying anything. (If you haven't checked out Lorna Jane, you really really must. It's amazing active wear. I love it.) And Tuesday was no exception. I left with:

• 2 sports bras (one in blue, one in black)
• 2 inspiration singlets and
• a blue headband

My stash... isn't it gorgeous

So, $170 and a free cooler bag later, I left the store. M bought 4 singlets, 2 pairs of flashdance pants (one 3/4 and one full length. I have 2 pairs of these and they are so comfortable), 2 sports bras, and a headband.

Side note... we have both put on a little weight recently... is it bad that I breathed a sigh of relief when she had to get L's in the shirts, and XL's in the pants, and I had M's? I don't want to be a bad friend, but I was glad that my weight gain was about 6-7kg, rather than what she has put on...

Anyway... that was a successful trip.

But...

We also went into Typo. For those of you who haven't seen/heard/visited, it's basically a stationary store plus. It has so many other things like pillows, lanterns, etc as well as notebooks, stamps, pens/pencils/ erasers/markers/blackboards etc. Really cool. I don't usually go into these places because I love stationary, and I would buy lots of everything if I could. Sooo... I avoid temptation by not going in.

However, on Monday I used the last of my notebooks or study (and uni hasn't even started yet. In fact I got the syllabus and lecture notes in the mail today for math, still waiting for chemistry and biology). So I wandered in there too. 

And walked out with 2 A4 notebooks, and 3 A5... All for only $20. Score!!!

Do you sense a theme?

But, the shopping is kinda what has prevented me from working out the last few days. I have stupid ankles/knees that ache at the most random times for no reason (according to the dr's, specialists and physio's that I have been to). But, on Tuesday night I had to strap my right ankle before I went to work. It was so tight that when I got home I had to take the strapping off because my toes were starting to go numb. So, yesterday and today have been no go's on the exercise front because my ankle has been so sore, even just to walk on. And I really don't feel like pushing it. I know from experience that if I don't let it rest and settle, it will affect my knees as well. And it's not fun. Anyone who has experienced joint pain know what I'm talking about. 

I'm hoping that I will be able to get back out there tomorrow. 

How do you guys deal with injury?

Back into the study... boo! I hate calculus

Back into it!

I finally made it to the gym yesterday. I went to work for the lunch session, from 12-2, then went to the gym straight from there. Well, after I went home because I forgot to put a shirt into my bag. I packed my bag while I was running out the door. So I packed my sneakers, my tights, sports bra, socks, Iphone, and headphones. I had to run home to get my shirt, and my weight gloves. Then I got to the gym and realised I forgot my towel. *facepalm* oops. Oh well. I got an hour in (cardio and weights) and burned 521 cals. I'm a little sore today across my shoulders, arms, and the top of my back. A little less sore across my chest. Surprisingly my legs don't hurt at all. I really thought they would be. But yay for not being sore.

via swisse.com.au

via sydney.concreteplayground.com.au

So, on Wednesday I finally signed up for the Newcastle Color Run. One of my Contiki friends set up a team so I joined her team. It was my idea to do the run, but Nat's idea to make the team. Morag signed up yesterday. It'll be so fun to do this run with friends. It's the weekend before my birthday, so I'm thinking of making a weekend out of it. Maybe doing dinner/movies/girly day the Saturday before. I can't drink the Saturday night then run the next morning, but I'd like to make a weekend out of it. Do a combined birthday/color run weekend.

I'm gonna start to train for it come Monday. I always feel like Monday is the best day to start things. I don't know why, but I do. Stupid I know. I've got plenty of time though, which is good.

I think I prefer my gym scales to mine. My scales said 86.6kg this morning. My gym ones said 85.2kg yesterday at lunchtime. And that was after breakfast and lunch. So, I figure I'm at about 86kg. I'd like to get to around 70-75kg by the time the color run comes around. There's 12 weeks between then and now. I know when I start to run again I'll lose the weight a little faster. I'm still keeping my food diary on mfp, but I need to clean it up a little. I've been looking for clean recipes online, and I'm gonna use the weekend to come up with a meal plan and shopping list. I'd like to cook on Sunday, then be all set to start everything from scratch on Monday. 

Off to make a timetable for study/workouts/sleep/work aka life, eat some lunch (very bad, but craving party pies with tomato sauce), and study :(

Have fun people :D

Oh! My! God!!!

I need to get a routine!!!

I know I've said this before, but I really, really, really need to get a routing. I'm a typical Taurean in this regard. I don't like things to be set in stone (I like a little flexibility, and I don't go crazy if my routine is interrupted), but I like to have a framework for my day/week/month. This is why I have to do lists and goals. It makes my life easier and it makes me feel better.

Friday and Saturday I ate fairly well. However, I was waaayyy under my cals on both days (by just over 300 cals and nearly 500 cals respectively. I had 1172/1500 and 1007/1500). I just wasn't hungry. The fact that I had a dentist appointment on Friday and the entire right side of my face was numb didn't help on Friday, but I have no such excuse on Saturday.

Sunday I was within range (I try to get between 1200-1500. If I'm over one day then under the next it's fine, as long as it kinda evens out). I ate 1335 cals, but I finally went to the gym. I only did cardio but yay for finally getting my ass to the gym. 25+ mins on the cross trainer (I was playing with my phone and didn't realise the machine was still asking for info like weight/time etc), 5 mins on the stair master (or torture by the end of it), and 25 mins on the treadmill. *Note to self, run before the stairmaster/cross trainer not after!!

By the end of, including cool down/stretching I was there for 1hr 6 minutes and burned 731 cals. So technically I still had nearly 900 cals to eat to hit 1500 but I'm not eating them back atm. As long as I get to 1200 cals eaten min before exercise, I'm not worried about eating them back. Especially as I wasn't hungry then anyway.

Then came yesterday... boo!

Yesterday was a complete blow out. I've been craving chips for some reason. I have no idea why. I haven't eaten them in ages, then last week I had a huge craving and I bought a few bags of them. And proceeded to eat my way through them. Then on Monday I had another dentist appointment (why put fillings in my wisdom teeth when I just want them taken out anyway???), so once again my mouth was numb (left side this time). And I was again craving comfort food, so I bought more chips. I've eaten one bag, thrown another one out, and there's a third one sitting here mocking me. 

I did however, on my little shopping trip, buy the stuff to make meatballs and pasta, and some bananas.

So today I made the meatballs and pasta. Fairly quick, easy to make, little mess (unless you're like me and spill the pasta sauce on the bench, then on your white shirt), and yummy. I split it into 8 serves instead of the 4 on the sauce bottle, or 5 on the pasta packet. My mince/carrot mix (I grate carrot into the mince mixture with an egg, and usually zucchini but I didn't have any today). made 17 tablespoon size meatballs, but I think next time I'll make them half tablespoons. They didn't look so big when I made them, but they are when you eat them. So glad I decided on 8 servings. It came to 397 cals (I had 3 meatballs when I would normally have 2), and was very filling.

I'll have an orange, and maybe a glass of milk before I go to work. My vitamin c and calcium has been pretty low lately, so I'm working on that.

And the study just isn't happening either. I've downloaded all the available Math and Biology notes/lectures/assessment info/class info etc. Class doesn't officially start til the 25th, but I've been trying to get a head start on everything. I just find it so boring!!! And I know, I have to get through it to get to the fun, interesting stuff. And I have been. Math mainly because it's the one worrying me, but I'm getting there. Excel textbooks for math have been a great help.

So, schedule/routine. Must include gym and running (I have done neither since I went to they gym on Sunday despite my best intentions), study, work, me time and sleep. Hopefully my sleep will improve and then everything else will start to fall into place. Will work on that.

Gotta run. Need to eat, shower and head to work.

Cya

February? Already?

Happy February internet peoples!!! *waves*

Can you believe January is already over??? We're into the second month of the year already! It really doesn't feel like it should be February yet. It feels like January has only just started.

So... how did we all go with our New Years Resolutions? Did you fall off the wagon, or are you still going strong?

Personally I didn't make resolutions this year. I find that if I make them I just feel bad and guilty when I inevitably break them later, whether that be in February or July.

I've felt that January was a month of getting my head around everything, and preparing for the rest of the year. So, now that I'm settled in myself, and a little more organised, I feel I am ready to tackle the rest of the year. What about you?

I'm starting February off with a No Added Sugar challenge. The challenge is to reduce or cut out the sugar that you eat. I'm trying to cut the processed foods. I'm keeping the natural sugars like honey and fruit. But I'm staying away from anything added to food. It's supposed to go for 2 weeks (1st - 14th). I'll see how I go at the end, and I might try and do it for the rest of the month.

So far today I've had oatmeal for breakfast (I would have added honey or a banana but I was going to the dentist), leftover chicken and cheese (not great but the was the last of the leftovers) for lunch. I've had a banana, and some dried fruit/nuts as snacks. I've also had a ltr of water. Not the greatest start, but definitely not the worst.

How has your day been shaping up? Me? I started with an early wake up call (bad dreams). I've been like this for about a week. Waking up half panicky 3 or 4 times a night. I don't know whether it's because it's so hot and sticky here (35+ degrees every day), or what it is but it's really starting to piss me off.

After breakfast was a trip to the dentist for a couple of fillings and a clean. I needed them done before I went to Canada in June, but we couldn't fit me in before I left. Luckily, nothing has deteriorated from when I saw my dentist in June which is nice. Why is it always the numbing needle that hurts so much more than anything else?

I've spent most of the day the right side of my mouth and jaw numb. I felt a little like someone who'd had a stroke. I couldn't chew properly because my lips wouldn't work properly, I was dribbling water every time I tried to have a drink... it just felt really strange. So now, when the numbness has gone away, and I can actually use my mouth properly again, my gums are aching. I know it's just the injection site, and it'll go away but it still hurts :( All I want to do is suck on ice blocks or ice cream, but I can't have either. I don't think we have any either.

I woke up fully planning to go to the gym. I like to go about 2pm because there's really no-one there. The lunchtime people have gone, and it's not knock off time for everyone else, so I don't have to fight with people for the machines *does happy dance*

But... it didn't happen. I didn't get home from the dentist until after 10, then I hit the books. I've been studying the year 11 and 12 excel study guides for math because it's my weakest subject and the one that scares me the most. It's been 8 years since I last did math, and I struggled with it then. So, I studied for an hour or so then my dad got home from his skin check with our new dishwasher. So, I spent the next few hours or so helping (i.e. being ordered around by dad) put the new dishwasher in. This involved grabbing it
off the truck and moving it into the kitchen (very heavy), then crawling around on my hands and knees and manipulating the cords and pipes. Then it was back to study after lunch. Then house looking. So the gym kinda got pushed aside.

I was house looking for my sister. Her boyfriend has just gotten a job here, so they're looking at a house to move into. Not sure if they'll get the one that we looked at today, there were a few people there. I didn't really want to go house looking. I wanted to go to the gym. Especially because I know my mum will ask me if I went today, then give me that sad pitying look when I say no. We'll, Holly could have come home and looked at the house, and gone back on Monday. Uni for her has finished for the trimester and it won't kill her to be away from him for a few days...

Anyway...

Goals for the month of February...

*Run 40km. That's 10km a week. I think I can pull this off. My usual running route is a little over 3km so as long as I run 3 times a week I can do this.
*3 gym sessions a week. I've lost a little weight since I've been home, but not enough. And I need to tone up more too.
*Study!!! Uni officially starts on the 25th Feb. I need to block at least 6 hours of study time a day (maybe not Sundays. A girl needs a day off).
*Sign up for the color run. I got an email last week to give me the date of the color run in Newcastle!!! It's the 5th of May, the Sunday before my birthday!!! Now I'm eagerly awaiting registration so I can officially sign up.
*Keep tracking my food. I've been using Myfitnesspal. It's been really good. I've set my calorie limit at 1500, and I'm usually pretty good at sticking to it. Must remember to eat back to 1200 after exercise for a while to see if I lose weight or not.
*lose 4kg this month. I'm not sure how realistic this is... it's only 1kg/week, which is doable, and I'll be adding the exercise.
*stick to the no added sugar challenge.
*plank 3x1 min every day. I don't care if I break it up into 30 sec chunks. I want to plank for 3 minutes every day!

I think that's enough for this month. What are your goals for the month?

Danni xo

The view of the sky this afternoon on the way to the open house. Not a great view coz it's from my car window. It's raining now, and cooled down a lot. Hoping it stays around for a few days to keep the weather cooler.