When I think back on my running adventures, I remember how I finished up Couch 2 5k and was disappointed that I still couldn’t run 3 miles in 30 minutes. That was fine though, because I was running for the first time in my life.

I would get on the treadmill and run at 4.0 mph. Outside, I’d run about a 14-15 minute mile. I know, some people walk faster than that.  I was able, over the course of a few years and pounds lost,t0 increase to about a 11-12 minute mile.

Fastforward to post baby #2 and here I was at the beginning again. Unluckily, or luckily as it turned out, I was mostly contained to a gym for my running. As much as I hate the treadmill, I have to admit that it really aided me in increasing my speed. I started out a 4.0 mph, increased to 4.5 and stayed there for awhile, slowly edging into 5.0 on occasion.

Currently, I’m hanging out at 5.0 as my nice ‘n easy speed. I’m also doing intervals on the treadmill of 5.0-6.0 for about 30 minutes twice a week. My goal right now is to be at 6.0 mph comfortably. I know that weight loss would very much help this goal so, as always, I’m working on it! So treadmill, as much as I hate you, thank you for helping me to get a little bit faster in this fat suit.

I’m also running outside a bit. I love finding the spots in my area that are located next to eye candy such as the pictures below.

In other running news, I ran a 5k this weekend. It was a costumed 5k and I’d planned to go with my whole family. I was really looking forward to it because my son was going to do the 1 mile run as Spiderman and I was Venom (the bad spiderman) but in a dress. Blah, it’s confusing. Anyway, my husband was going to come along with my baby, who was going to be dressed in her kitty costume.

Well, hubby ended up having to work late, so he was exhausted that next morning. I also woke up the morning before the race with a sore throat. My kids had been sick the week prior so I guess I got it from them. I made sure to eat well and get plenty of sleep the night before. I woke up the morning of the race feeling so much better, though I still had a tickle in my throat.

I dawned my costume, along with a scarf and an undershirt, dropped my kids off a friend’s house where they could play with more kids, and went to the 5k, just barely making it in time.

Funny story: They were having a health fair at the same time as the 5k. This is good and all, but with all the tables set up, it made it very hard to find the registration table. After asking another runner where they got their number, I was directed to a table in a back room.

Lady: “May I help you”

Me: “I’m pre-registered”

Lady: “Your name?”

Me:”Kcurly”

Lady: (searching list) “You’re registered for the free breast exam?”

Me: “Eek! No! The 5k!”

Haha, it was funny afterwards but I was so frustrated at the time. I finally found the race packet table, but neglected to get any safety pins for my number so I held it the whole time. My car was too far away so I had to stash my tshirt and other goodies under a random truck in the parking lot.

It was a great race. The course was pretty flat, the weather was beautiful, and, best of all, no one stole my race tshirt from under that truck . This was the same 5k that I did a few years ago, my very first 5k ever. I did it in 37:02 back then. This Saturday, my time was 35:32. Yay 30 year old me!

I know that is a snail’s pace to some, but for me it was lightning fast. I really put my heart into it.

It was so much fun. There were so many wonderful costumes to look at too.

Anyway, after the race, I searched for my picture online and was only able to find this one.

I’m looking around for a race for my son and I to do together soon. I really want events like this to becomes a part of our lives, something where we can have fun and be active together.

I’ve heard a lot about vision boards which, from what I can gather, is pretty much a board with visualizations of the things that you want to attain. I thought it would be a great idea for helping me when I felt like not eating the way I should or just need a little inspiration.

I thought about what I wanted from this journey. And I came up with 1) Eating food that nourish my body 2) Getting a lot of muscle tone 3) Being strong 4) Being better at racing 5) Losing weight  6) Wear cute clothes.

Uh, for that last one…I mean wearing cute clothes and looking cute in said clothes. I have the number 150 lbs written because ultimately that’s what I’d like to be.

Anyway, here is my board. I think most people use a picture display board but I just used a big piece of 12×12 paper. It took me about 20 minutes total to do.

I’ve mentioned before how my workout opportunities, particularly my swimming and biking, are so limited by the lack of childcare. Well compounding that issue is a little renegade  disk in my husband’s spine that will not allow him to stand upright on some days, let alone watch a baby and 4 year old. Hubby was told, as of right now, not to lift anything heavier than a dinner plate.

In an attempt to have more oppurtunity to workout, I decided to put my little one in Mom’s Morning Out. It’s only twice a week for a few hours, but I still felt a little selfish doing it. However, I know that to be a better mom to her and her brother, I need to be healthy. I also need a little (just a little!) time to myself.

So, I was very excited about this! I started off the morning swimming, followed by some biking. I haven’t been swimming regularly because there’s been no one to watch the kids. I still have my 24 hour gym membership but there’s no pool there.

Anyway, I swam laps for about 20 minutes with about a 20 second break in between every 2 or 3 laps. I got frustrated a few times because it was hard to get back into my  total immersion swimming form. I’d hoped to be able to still do my 1/3 mile swim with a lot of effort but I could not without stopping.You see,  there’s a triathlon this weekend that I would love to do and this swim was going to be something of a trial run…but I don’t fancy being pulled out of the water by lifeguards

I was initially depressed at not doing the tri but was still excited about my long bike ride. Well, I got out of the gym and opened my trunk to put in my gym bag when I noticed my bike tire looking a little off. I felt it and it was a bit deflated. I got out my pump and pumped it until it was at 90 PSI again. I crossed my fingers that it would be ok.

I then noticed that I’d left my helmet at home. Doh!

It’s funny. When I was a kid, I never wore a helmet. I see a ton of people now that dont’ wear helmets. But I am deathly afraid of not wearing one. If I wouldn’t look like such a dork, I’d be wearing knee and elbow pads as well.

So I could’ve continued on without a helmet but I decided to drive the 10-15 minutes home instead and ride around my neighborhood.

I got home and hopped on the bike. My back tire went ker-plunk…or whatever it is that flat tires say. After I stared at it for awhile, I gave it a swift kick. Then another.

Since that didn’t do anything, I really considered calling it a day and hitting the shower. But suddenly, I felt the need to not let bad situations get the best of me. I decided to change the flat.

I usually take my bike to the bike shop for all repairs, etc. Deep down, I’m pretty scared of repairing and maintaining my bike. I have a kit to repair a flat, but it’s never been opened. I’d always hoped that the powers that be would know that I could not handle a flat and just never let it happen. Silly, I know.

So, I pulled out my phone and looked at the following video on how to change a flat.

The ladies on this video did it a lot faster than I did.

First I had to pop the wheel off. This always makes me nervous because then I have to mess with the chain. And the chain makes me nervous. I have no idea why.

Anyway, long story short: I changed the flat.

I was certain I'd broken it off for good LOL

But I got it back on! And changed the tube.

Eww...what a dirty job.

I gave it a trial ride afterwards and was expecting the wheel to come tumbling off as I switched gears LOL. But it worked great! Yay me!

This really made me feel good about myself. I have always, like a lot of women, felt that I was not mechanically inclined. This made me realize that the only reason I think that is because I’ve never bothered to learn otherwise.

A few days later, after some research, I re-caulked my bathroom and stained the grout. Not a super big deal, but something I’d always thought I needed to hire someone for.

In other news, there are some 5ks out there that I hope to do in the coming weeks as well as a dualthalon (just biking and running). I am re-reading Total Immersion, so hopefully I can get my swimming game back to where it was.

Take yourself to the store, get a Kinect and Dance Central stat.

Ok, I admit it. When I’m alone, I pull the blinds closed, dim down the lights (you know, for that club effect), crank up the music and dance my heart out. (FYI, if you really want a club effect, make your four year old stand by the light switch and flash it on and off over and over again…Hey, he’s gotta earn his keep around here!)

These moves, if they were ever seen in public, would raise me to the heights of mortification…the likes of which I would probably never recover from.

But in those private moments, I am the best dancer ever. Janet Jackson and Beyonce are calling me for tips. I’m the one that wows the judges on “So You Think You Can Dance?” Anyway, you get the idea.

Dance Central is the closet dancer’s best friend. I’ve learned a lot of moves. And if I ever go somewhere where no one knows me… or any of my friends, relatives or coworkers…it is SO on.

Here’s a few tidbits of info about the gameplay. There are hard songs and there are not so hard songs. You can pick pretty much any song, but you have to start on “Easy” with all of them before you can unlock the “Medium” and “Hard” levels. You’re graded on a 5 star scale.

The dancers that you mimic are hilarious. They have a good representation of all races and genders. They all talk a lot of smack if you do a good job (“And that’s why everybody knows my name!”) and if you do a terrible job. Each upcoming move is shown on the right section of the screen so you know what’s coming next. Eventually, I was able to remember a lot of the moves. If you finding yourself doing a really horrible job, you can do a “break down” of the song, which pretty much means you get to practice each move slowly.

There is also a “workout mode” that counts your calories based on your weight. We all know how inaccurate these can be but it’s still nice to have an idea. You can play with two people, though not simultaneously. There is a “dance off” mode that you can enter and that pretty much means you swap off with the other person.

Probably my one of my favorite aspects are the snapshots it takes of you while dancing. Let me tell you, these have given me some good belly laughs. I actually decided to take a few pics with my camera to share how crazy I look since I have no idea how to access the ones that my game takes.

Yes..I was feelin' it.

Dancing to "Evacuate the Dance Floor" I had on a hair tie but that sucker got shaken off by my vigorous head tossing

If you are laughing, good! Just don’t tell me about it.

Anyway, I love this game because it’s something I can do with my son that lets us both be active, my best friend loves to play it too, and it’s exercise for when I get bored with my workout routine. Not only that, it can be a really good workout. My thighs are absolutely burning after certain songs.

You may not like Dance Central if:

• You don’t like pop/rock or rap music. There is a small selection of  oldies like “Brick House” or “FunkyTown” but most of it is more current, mainstream music.
• You don’t like to dance. Obvious, right?
• You don’t have a lot of room. The Kinect is prejudiced against people like myself who do not have a big living space. My living room just barely makes the cut…and that is with me pushing the couch back considerably.

I can’t wait for Dance Central 2, due to come out in the fall/winter!

It was a great day to go biking.

The heat index around here has been in the 100s lately but it’s also been raining off and on. It rained last night and will probably rain today…this made it slightly overcast but cool this morning.

Big thanks to my DH for being up this morning and taking care of the kids while I went biking. I only did about 40 minutes but it was heavenly. I especially enjoy the section of the trail that goes through a patch of woods.

I know it's crazy, but I always wonder what I would do if Big Foot came out of the woods while I was riding my bike. The things that go through my mind!

Funny story: I was taking this picture when I saw someone coming. Embarrassed, I hurried to take the pic and ended up with this crazy face.

On more thing before I end this post.

It’s a general rule in biking to call out “on your left!” when you are passing someone…this rule applies whether they are on foot or on a bike. For some reason, people get very confused and instead walk or ride to the left where the biker is trying to pass. This can lead to accident and injury.

I was finishing up my ride and saw my car about a hundred feet ahead. A walker heard me coming up behind him and immediately went over to the left. Luckily I ‘d stopped near my car to walk my bike over, but that could’ve been bad. So I’m just putting the word out: “On your left” does mean “go to your left”.

Equipment needed: Your body, 2 sets of dumbbells (or none if you prefer), maybe a yoga mat

Price: $10.99

Time: 52 minutes

This is an excellent DVD for beginners.

This was one of the first Firm DVDs I ever purchased and I still revisit it on days when  I want to work out but don’t feel like doing anything intensive. Don’t get me wrong, it can be intensive if you increase the weights.

You know the person in the back on these DVDs who show you how to do the modified beginner moves? Her name is Soon Mei (I know I totally jacked up the spelling) and she gets a lot of play in this DVD which is another reason it’s good for beginners. It can be a little frustrating if you’re trying to do the advanced modification though because they do focus on Soon Mi a lot.

I really like Allison, the main instructor. She’s pretty upbeat but not so insanely upbeat that it makes you want to throw your dumbbell through the screen (side eye to Denise Austin).

Be warned that there is a lot of jumping and lunges involved though Soon Mei shows you very low impact alternatives. You pretty much do a few minutes of cardio, and then some weight lifting. I never really find myself wishing for one or the other to be done early…they are spaced apart really well.

Another great Firm buy!

It may not be possible to get a “proper” workout when caring for your young one, but you can definitely stay active while at the same time encouraging physical activity in your offspring.

Got a workout DVD? Get them in on it. 

Now this is not foolproof. Kids are so unpredictable sometimes, but this method has allowed me to get in at least 15-20 minutes of a DVD…all while my child was awake.

First, get yourself some 1 lbs weights, a towel,  and a good sturdy box. These served as my child’s dumbbells, yoga mat,  and step bench, respectively. I tell you he loved it. He was just like Mommy. That doesn’t work these days, but he loved it ages 2-3. It allows you to get a little workout in and it also provides hilarity as the child tries to repeat the instructor’s moves.

Near  a walking track? Get to it!

From my experience, toddlers love to walk. They love to explore and be outside. My son’s favorite days were a visit to the park (which can be a workout within itself if you play like a kid) followed by a walk around the walking track. It may be a little slow at times but it’s exercise!

I started out bringing a stroller in case he got tired and letting him out as he requested. Later, as he got older, we played a game he dubbed “run-run-stop” where I’d shout “run” and we’d run for a bit until I shouted “stop” and we’d walk. Sometimes he’d direct the running, or we’d run everytime we passed a tree. It was a fun game that we could change up.

Pool time

Walk the length of the pool while letting your toddler “swim” in your arms. No joke, best workout ever. My thighs are always burning afterwards from the water resistance, my arms are aching, and my child is ecstatic.

Got any more ideas or tips? Post them in the comment section!

I’ve been getting a few requests to start posting on my blog again. And I really need to…so thank you to those who encouraged me.

What have I been up to?

I missed my triathlon. It hurts to type that. It actually wasn’t something that I could help (for once).

My son had a stomach flu a few days before. I woke up the morning before the tri throwing up so badly that my abs were sore for days. The next day, the morning of the tri,  I seriously considered going but was discouraged by my own feelings of physical weakeness and the worried requests of my family members.

So not only did I lose that 65 dollar entry fee, I also lost a lot of self respect.

Yes, I was down on myself for a long time. I was bitter because I’d let other people “talk me out of it” and started feeling self pity because I am rarely able to get away and do my workouts at a time that I want, where I want. This seems to be a vicious cycle for me…feelings of resentment and bitterness, blaming other people for my own shortcomings.

So, I decided to take a break from working out and focus on my eating for awhile. I mean, if I have to face the truth, my eating is my biggest downfall. There is a saying on weight loss boards that weight control is 20 percent exercise and 80 percent eating. I believe it.

I discovered Intermittent Fasting (IF). IF is pretty much just eating between certain times of the day. I usually have about a 5 hour eating window. I drink plenty of water during the hours when I’m not eating. Since starting  this on May 29th, I’ve lost about 10 pounds. I’ve also done several 24 hour fasts which has been good for my mind and soul.

I haven’t really been sharing with people in real life that I’m doing IF. You know that person that is always trying to lose weight? Always on a diet? But they stay the same size or just get bigger. I feel like it’s me. I feel like people are probably saying “Dang, she’s doing yet another diet?”

What I hope distinguishes me from those who crash diet is that I am trying to find my way to living with my propensity of being overweight. I wish it weren’t this way and that I could eat what I want without being constantly worried about my weight. But it’s not. And I have to face the reality that it’s a constant fight to reach my health goals.

Back to other people in real life…I just don’t want to talk about it with them anymore. I don’t want to hear the criticism and I don’t want to explain myself.

I tell you what: Weight loss is the most simple and difficult thing in the world. All you have to do is create a calorie deficit…but my gosh, you’ve actually got to create a calorie deficit! 

So I eat healthy with the occasional treat. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a bad day here or there, but at least everyday is not a bad day. I work out every other day, at present. I’ve started making use of my 24 hour gym again and even running on the treadmill, which is something I generally hate.

I feel like my break for working out was good for me. It made me mellow out a little. I still have goals that I hope to accomplish.

I will try to take a progress picture soon to see if I can notice any difference from the pictures I took at the beginning of the year. Thanks again to those who’ve been encouraging me and I hope to start updating more often.

My attempts to get running and swimming in have been failing a lot more than succeeding.

Current situation: DS goes to a church program twice a week. Before my second child, this was the time I would go swimming or do a bridge workout (a combination of 2 workouts like run/swim or bike/run). Now that I have two kids, she’s with me 24/7 for the most part. While I love having her with me more than anything, it hinders my workout schedule.Technically, she’s not old enough to ride in a jogging stroller until she’s reached six months old. That will be May.

The initial plan was for DH or my best friend to watch them for me on the weekend. This has been falling through due to various reasons which ends up leaving me with only one workout (and occasionally no workout) for the weekend.  DH doesn’t get home until late so the pool would be closed by the time I got there and it’s usually too  dark to run.

Mostly, I end up riding my bike (on the trainer) for exercise in addition to the occasional workout video and weights..This would be fine, but just biking indoors is not going to get me ready for my triathlon. It also is very boring even with Netflix to keep  me company.

Something I’ve learned during this fitness journey is that you have to depend on yourself, not other people. I’ve also learned that sometimes you have to make changes and do things you don’t necessarily like in order to get the results you want (ie working out at night instead of the morning).

Therefore, I’ve decided to join a 24 hour gym in addition to my other gym membership. Before you think Kcurly has become Kcrazy, listen to the benefits.

• Gym #2  is new and has a discounted rate right now which will not change for members who join now.
• It’s closer to my house than Gym #1
• No contract. So if I don’t like I, I can get out easily.
• Right next to the police station. Safety is a big issue for me.
• Considering that I also receive a discount at Gym #1 for being a healthcare professional, the combined dues are less than the average gym membership.

As much as I hate running on a treadmill, I can at least run. I will also be able to do a bridge workout with the stationary bike and treadmill. It would be better to be outside, but *shrug*.

Sooo, here’s my (yet again) revised schedule until the triathlon. After the tri, I will be revising once again to focus on running.

Sunday: Swim, Strength Training (Gym #1)

Monday: Run 3 miles (Gym #2)

Tuesday: Bike 45 minutes (Home)

Wednesday: Run 3 miles, Strength Training (Gym #2)

Thursday: Bike 30 minutes, DVD of choice- (Home)

Friday: Run 2 miles, Bike 8 miles  (Gym#2)

Saturday: Swim (Gym #1)

Of course, things may not go as planned but it’s a good goal to shoot for. I am sure I will miss probably a workout every week, but I’m not concerned.

In other news, I went swimming yesterday for the first time in a while and I have some improvement to do. I had to pause quite a bit. Yesterday was also the first time I’ve shared a lane with someone at the pool. I was scared to death that I would hit her in the head or that she would do the same to me. I made it out alive though

I (kind of) spur of the moment decided to do a 5k this weekend. I needed some motivation and I also needed to be around people who live to run. I love the excitement in the air before a race. I love the sense of camaraderie. I love the food at the end

I was by myself at this event. Hubby was watching the kids and my only other friend who might have done it was working. But that’s ok! I spent my time before the race people watching. Families, teenagers, fit young men, overweight older women, elderly little old men…it’s all good at a 5k!

I started out pretty strong with an 11 minute mile. For Kcurly, that is excellent. Of course, it didn’t last LOL. There is something about that gun going off and the stampede of runners that really gives me a boost for the first mile. After that I started crashing a bit. I knew I had overdone it.

If I overdo it, it’s not pretty the rest of the way. I ended up walking some of the remaining 2 miles. It was a beautiful day and the course was relatively flat. I managed to finish in about 41 minutes. Not stellar, but not terrible.

Most importantly, it got me out there and I finally felt like I was back into things.

I’m the one that’s farthest away from the camera.

I had to exercise a lot of positive thinking during this race, I must admit. Here are some examples.

OK, no,  really…speedwalkers are amazing but it can be a little disheartening to see one pass you up on your “run”. My advice if this happens to you in a race:

• Try not to stew about it. Enjoy the scenery
• Race yourself, not other people
• Anyone who passes you is now officially inspiration!