Crazy Running Legs

Living life in moderation...one run at a time

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A Little Optimism

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So it’s day five after my meet and greet with the concrete.

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This is also an extreme close up of my pores. Scari.

I’ve got the typical black eye thing going on. It’s pretty sexy, right?

I’ll probably go in to get my stitches out either Saturday or Sunday. I think the cut has pretty much healed. There will definitely be a scar, but it will be minimal.

That’s actually not what’s bugging me though. Makeup can cover scars. Makeup cannot make my ribs and chest race ready.

Yeah — UGGGGH — my freaking ribs. They hurt. Especially in the morning. It hurts most to sleep (go figure – like I need something else to keep me from sleeping!). BUT I’m crazy because I’m hopeful. Walking, I can do — which makes me think… I can run!

For some reason, I’m staying optimistic about Sunday. I’m actually NOT much of an optimist, I’m more of a realist, but in this situation I’m just going to go with my gut and hope for the best. My gut is currently saying “You’ve got this.” Right now my plan is to pick up my bib, get in line, and start the race. If it hurts too much, I’ll stop and get my first DNF.  Until then I’m living by these quotes… and  I do love me some inspirational quotes (yes, I’m a complete cheeseball):

RainbowQuote

PositiveThinking

GreatestWeakness

PositivePossibilities

Are you an optimist or something else? What’s your favorite inspirational quote? INSPIRE ME!

I’m not crazy, right? RIGHT?

Ode to My Saggy Skin

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I confess… Some days it’s hard to look to down and see my “baby muffin.”

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Hot. I know. What I don’t know is why I keep posting pictures like this. Is it a sickness?

It’s an unfortunate side effect of pregnancy, especially when you have a big baby. My abs are slowly returning, my pants {mostly} fit, and my weight is in it’s happy place — but the skin…oh the skin. The skin is all stretched out and saggy. It’s jiggly and smushy. It’s soft and squishy.

It’s super cute on babies. I mean look at all that squishy chub…

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But it can be a bit discouraging on me. Why is that?

I wish one of those people who said they didn’t care. Wait, hold that thought. About 90% of the time I DON’T care. Seriously. I love that my body was able to carry around a human in it for 9 months – and not just once. I love that the wrinkly and saggy skin means that I worked for something. I am proud of myself for working out my entire pregnancy and I felt pretty damn good about how I look just shy of 2 months postpartum. But that stupid, ridiculous, hormonal nagging voice in my head doesn’t always agree and that 10%  sneaks in.

And it is RIDICULOUS.

I mean does anyone BUT ME actually care that I have flabby skin? Do people go places thinking “Wow – look at that flab??” I certainly don’t. No, I am just hard on myself. FOR NO GOOD REASON.

I know there are others out there that feel me on this and I’m here to say – SUCK IT nagging, hormonal, stupid voice. I am proud of my skin. I am proud of my belly and jiggly arms and thighs. I worked HARD for my body to look like this! Pregnancy is not for the meek. Ask a pregnant person. While I will definitely be working hard to whip myself into shape again, I know that hard work and patience (and maybe a boob job?) are necessary and it’s going to TAKE TIME.

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And 6 months or a year from now when I am in shape and I can run and lift and I don’t feel like a hot mess – I will still have some of this flabby, saggy skin. And I’ll remember how much it was worth it. I mean, how adorable are these little people??

The birthday boy. And he's SUCH a boy.

That thumb must taste good. #savingnowforbraces

Sunday smiles #8weeks #monsterbaby

So to my saggy, flabby skin I say thank you. You make me work harder, and my life much, much fuller.

Disclosure: This post was brought to you by my post-partum hormones. You’re welcome Internetz.

Move Monday: 10 Tips for More Motivation

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One thing I forgot to mention yesterday was that it was my brother and sister-in-law’s first wedding anniversary! It’s crazy to think that a year ago we were celebrating in Vegas…

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AJ&C3

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And this year I spent the day wishing I could celebrate in Vegas. Ha ha. (OK, maybe I’m NOT quite ready to go back to Vegas yet, but I do wish I was celebrating!).

Back to reality…

Actually, the reality is that I’ve really lost a lot of mojo in the past 2 weeks to work out. I knew this was going to happen and I’m not beating myself up (too much) for not making it to the gym as often or not giving it my all, but I KNOW that even just making the effort and pushing through makes me feel so much better – mentally and physically.

So what’s a girl entering her 9th month of pregnancy to do? Throw in the towel? Give up? Heck no! That would mean at least 3 months off of working out. I’d probably stop for a week and then go insane. No, despite the general malaise I feel towards working out right now, I know I need to keep going. In addition to these motivational strategies I posted just a few months ago, here are ten more tips for getting your sweat on.

1. Reset goals.

If you’re feeling burned out or overwhelmed with a workout – do something about it!! I have been aiming for 4-5 workouts a week for the past 9 months and I’m now at the point where my body is saying NO. So my new goal is 2-3 times a week. If my alarm goes off at 4:45 and I’m JUST NOT FEELING IT, I’m not going to give myself grief. However, if it’s just because I’m being lazy – that’s a different story.

2. Create a new playlist.

I don’t know WHY, but the thought of new music always gets me excited to work out. Here’s what I’ve added recently. Yes, it’s all over the place, but I am ready to put it into effect tomorrow morning.

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3. Buy new clothes and shoes (or in my case, just think about buying new clothes).

I am literally drooling about the thought of buying new workout clothes and running shoes.

I’m already planning this purchase once I start running again…

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And I’ve been researching the crap out of new shoes. I might try the Brooks PureFlow — but does anyone know if Mizuno has a similar shoe? I love the Wave Riders, but they are just too damn heavy. I’m also contemplating trying out theses Saucony Triumphs.

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Aren’t these pretty? And you know it’s all about the pretty (not really).

4. Get everything ready the night before or put your clothes on IMMEDIATELY.

If I don’t everything set out the night before, there’s no way in hell I’m getting up. That’s a given. Some people sleep in their workout clothes, but that’s not happening here.

Another trick – instead of changing AT the gym after work – I change before. Or, if I’m doing a workout at home I change into my workout clothes immediately– once I get home and before I start making dinner. For some reason, if I have the clothes on – I’m gonna do the workout. I don’t know why it works, but it does.

5. Squeeze in a workout while watching TV.

In the case that I skip the morning workout and I try to make up a million and ten excuses on why I “can do it later.” I remind myself that I can still watch TV and workout at the same time. I’d say you could do your workouts during commercial breaks – but who REALLY watched live TV anymore?

Speaking of commercials (and totally unrelated any of this! ha) — those AT&T kid commercials are at the top of my list right now. Maybe it’s because I have a kid that age – but I assure you those are not scripted responses. I think the Nicky Flash one is my favorite…

http://youtu.be/CaQ5AZgwEfE

6. Join a challenge or a group for inspiration.

You don’t HAVE to join something like Best Body Bootcamp to join in a group or find supporters (though I highly encourage it!). No, there are TONS of fitness challenges going on. Just do a Google search. For example, my fellow runner/Orlando blogger- Carissa just started a challenge today.

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7. Browse Pinterest for workouts and motivation.

I love Pinterest for this reason. It motivates me to get out of my comfort zone and try new workouts (and discover new blogs!).

 WorkoutsFromBloggers

The best part is that it’s free!

8. Set yours sights on a reward.

New shoes? New clothes? New music? Food?

Figure out what extrinsically motivates you and tell yourself you can have it – as long as you meet your goals.

I’m in a weird position right now where most of the stuff that would typically motivate me is silly to buy right now. The end game for me is having this baby – I’m hoping that continuing walking, spinning, and strength training will actually HELP put me into labor in a few weeks. If not, I KNOW if will help me during labor and postpartum. So I’m focusing on that. A baby seems like a pretty good reward!

9. Aim to make it a habit.

They say (whoever “they” is) is takes between 21 and 60 days to form a habit. I think this mostly depends on what kind of person you are, how well you intrinsically motivate yourself, and how “addictive” your personality is. Regardless of how LONG it takes, in order for you to really see the results you want – you need to make it a habit. You can’t sabotage yourself if you want to see results or meet a goal. You need to set realistic goals and you need to follow through. Making it a habit doesn’t mean you still don’t have to motivate yourself, because you do. It just means it’s a little bit easier and you don’t have to think about it twice.

 

And finally…

10. Never stop setting goals.

 

I know there are other ways that you can motivate yourself through a rough spot, but I’m blanking. Anyone have any tips to share? What motivates YOU?

Move Monday: Motivation

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Do you ever have those days (weeks, months, years?) where you just lack motivation? Yeah, I’m kinda in that funk right now.

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While I really am loving the Best Body Bootcamp workouts, if I DIDN’T have them right now I would be stuck in a rut for sure. During my previous pregnancies, I stuck with cardio until the bitter end (plus some). It kept me sweating, but as the weeks dwindled down to my due date, my motivation did too. I went from going to the gym 4-5 days a week, to 3, to 2. I still worked out, but  it’s a slippery slope. When you are feeling huge, uncomfortable, and like there is no end in sight – it’s hard to get motivated. Hell, it’s hard enough to roll out of bed.

Looking back, I was working out MOSTLY on the elliptical (with a few spin class thrown in a few times a week) – so I guess that’s understandable. Does anyone actually LOVE the elliptical? As I’ve vowed to keep up with strength training this time, as well as walking and cycle (I am seriously trying to stay away from the elliptical as much as possible!) here are 6 tips that I am telling myself to get my workouts in throughout the week. While I may only have the energy to do 2-3 workouts a week in the next few months, I want to do everything possible to make those workouts COUNT.

1. I tell myself I can break up my workout.

 

The awesome thing about exercise is that you DON’T need to do a ridiculously long workout to stay healthy. Don’t have 45-60 minute to fit in cardio/strength training? No problem. I’m sure you can find 20 minutes to fit into your schedule a few times a day. It’s even easier if you invest in a few free weights (I have 8, 10, 12, and 15 pound dumbells). As for cardio – you can always go for a walk break during lunch or do a quick cardio workout consisting of jumping jacks, burpees, and jumping rope (even if it’s a fake rope).

There’s no RULE that you need to do everything at once. The important part is that you MAKE THE EFFORT.

2. I tell myself I will feel better when I’m done.

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As someone who is NOT a morning person but does her workouts in the morning – this is a big one. I hate, hate, hate waking up and getting out of bed. But, as much as I hate getting out of bed I hate that feeling that I missed my window of opportunity to fit in a great workout. I absolutely LOVE how I feel after a workout (90% of the time) and HATE how I feel when it’s 4:30 in the afternoon and I realize I still need to workout. Blerg. So most of the time when I try to talk myself out of working out, I replay the scene in my head that involves me at the gym at 5:30-6pm when I could be spending time with my family.

 

3. I remind myself that Working Out = Less cranky + More sane

Source: s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

 

I can totally see how working out can become an addiction because I am not very nice if I skip too many workouts. I know it sounds crazy, especially if you aren’t someone who works out regularly – but give it 6 weeks and I promise you — you will understand what I am talking about. You can do something for 6 weeks, right?

4. I tell myself I’m missing out on something/letting someone down.

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This may sound like crazy person logic, but try it. I used to meet my friend Heather at the gym (until she moved away *sniff*) and I always felt horrible if I overslept or skipped a workout with her. Since I don’t have a regular workout buddy at the moment (any takers??!!), I do see regulars at the gym and if I don’t go I feel like I miss on seeing them and catching up with them. OK, this still sounds crazy, but I swear it works!

 

5. I tell myself I can splurge – a little.
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I am really an “everything in moderation” kinda girl (as I sit here eating a bag of SweetTarts), but let’s face it – in order to maintain a healthy weight calories in need to equal calories out!  And while I try not to associate working out with food (I feel like that’s a rabbit hole that turns into nothing good), I am definitely more lenient and relaxed about treating myself if I work out frequently.

6. I remind myself why I really want to stay healthy.

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My life is not just my own. I want to set a good example for my kids and I want to be around long enough and be healthy enough to my life after my kids are raised.  So if not now, then when?

What are your reasons for working out? How do you find YOUR motivation?