I started a blog in April-ish of 2012 because I was attempting the couch to 5k and it just seemed logical to share my misery of doing such with my people. I've never been one of these runners who loves running. I started because I needed to, I wanted to do a 5k and it was/is healthy. When I see these poor winded people running down the road or at the park..I'm not envious. Not even remotely..most of my thoughts are...I really don't like running AND I'm glad that's not me. Maybe I am the only one who feels this way or the only person who has openly expressed this opinion. If there are others out there like me, I allow you to use this as a vehicle to express your dislike to running as well. I fought the feeling for a while. My mindset was, everyone starting out doesn't like it..and then after months of this..I realized that my mind had not changed and probably never would. With that being said I'll have a lot of complaining about running and or exercising but also other things..like how hilarious my cat is or how my child is almost 12 and is knocking on the moody hormonal door. Now, some people could care less but for those of you who are nosy like I am I'd probably read my blog as well. It's an outlet I enjoyed and needed to get back to it. 
    Ramone, as most of you know is my cat who was graciously given to me about two years ago. You will hear a lot about him...mostly because as I've said in previous posts he is the poster child for Valium and or anti social behavior  Prime example. Last weekend we had a visitor. Ramone was perched in front of the window on top of the couch. I noticed he had popped up then crouched down and then started swaying back and forth...weird was my first thought then he begins to bob his head up and down while swaying. Humorous at that point I thought what on earth has he seen..then I hear a knock at the door and at that point he bolts off the couch and sprints down the hallway and hides under the bed. My first thought was...omg this cat is exactly like me when a stranger comes to the door. Once again maybe I am the only person that tries to ignore the dreaded unexpected knock on the door. I'm the type that sinks into the couch hoping no one saw my head through the window..melts into the floor like a ninja and finds the safest window to slowly peak out of to see the dreaded. Normally company comes when no shower has been taken and i'm still in lounge clothes...probably bra-less...tmi...but the truth. 
    So, this was "get my feet wet" blog. Follow me, join with google friend and comment. We can vent together about kids and exercise and whatever else I happen to write about. It keeps me encouraged to continue writing. One thing I ask. Don't grammar Nazi me.  About the only thing that may be correct is spelling and that is only because I have spell check. Love me for who I am....  :-)

Superior catlings and son-lings

So, if you own a cat you have an interesting life. If you have a stubborn, curious, sassy cat you get this above picture. Those treats were in an above cabinet(closed at that). She sniffs it out, opens the door, knocks them into the floor and proceeds to open the treats. Unassisted. I assure you. Miss Lily thinks she owns the kitchen table, the couch, the bed..basically anywhere she finds. What is completely ridiculous....Lily is a bad influence. Once she thought she could run across the table, bar area and couch, Ramone did  the same thing. Here is the worst part....my human son thought it was a good idea as well.........wait...what????!!!? Yes Eric. Who guessed that? 
  I ran today around the neighborhood. Half hardheartedly I said "who wants to run around the neighborhood?".  Really, did not expect anyone to volunteer. Then...I hear "I'll go". Crap! Now I have a child who wants to run with me. Pressure, harassment, blah. No turning back. 
  When I first started running I could not run the entire neighborhood. Today, I ran without stopping. In the background I hear "wait", "Oh my ankle", " I gotta take a break".  No worries people, Eric was just fine, his ego on the other hand....eh. His day will come but not in elementary lol!!

Storms,running,no sleep

    Not in complete order. For me it started last night around 11pm taking a sleeping aide. I started feeling sleepy after midnight and as I am slipping away we get the most intense severe weather ever. Shazam!(a nod to the Andy Griffith Show). Lightning in the backyard. It is safe to say any sort of sleepy evaporated from my body. There goes a good nights rest.....again. I go to our main weather man Spann. There is a Flash flood and high wind advisory for where my sister lives. Too late to call and check on them. Then I scroll down and on the street my Bro and sister in laws live on, is a house fire. Luckily all were OK. Minus a pair of my neighbors across the street. They both had tree damage. So, I am very thankful that the only thing I lost was sleep last night. Can I just say the lightning was non-stop for hours. There was about an hour reprieve early morning and then the second storm came through. Done with my pity party and insomnia.....but really.... shouldn't exercise and good foods help with sleep? 

This is my view while writing this. Cat's don't care and have zero shame. Whatever lily you do yo thing.
 Today was gym day. I set my goal and achieved it. I only increased it by 2/10 of a mile. It's my goal not yours. Some people set huge goals and some set baby goals. I'm totally good with it all. I saw this photo in my news feed from http://www.thedatingdivas.com/ and before anyone gets offended these ladies are all married and provide great advice and neat dating tips for you and your spouse. It's sad I have to clarify that.

As a female this is especially true...for me. Which reminds me of another quote that says "Don't let comparison steal your joy". Today I logged 2.60 miles. I ran 1.80, walked .20 and ran .60 to end. Good day over all.


 

Retro Run and stuff

Well....as you can see that's me (needing a tan) running. This is the end of the line for me about 30 yards ahead was the finish line. In this moment I had Chas telling/yelling at me to run faster and my mind telling me "your about to puke". I am shocked I didn't. I could not have done this without her talking to me the whole way. Checking my breathing, making sure I wasn't running sideways and reminding me of that rainbow (God's promise) we had most of the run. I felt guilty that she had to run with the newbie while her aunt and bestie were so far ahead. I tried to tell her to go ahead of me but apparently I'm not the only stubborn female in the world, here I thought I was unique.

 
Before the run, happy and nervous and wondering WHAT I was thinking. Actually most of the day and run I was thinking "what was I thinking!!???????????!!!". So, that's that. My next goal is to improve my pace and time. Nothing about that is fun. I hate hills and the heat but if I focus on the things I don't like it will override all the good things. With anything it is easier to focus on the negative things. I only know a few people that don't focus on negative all the time............gah. There is so much good in life yet negative things seem like they are ten feet tall and bullet proof. While the good things about life and people hide in a corner sucking it's thumb. I'm not perfect nor is my life. Anyway, blah blah blah as your fast forwarding to something else.
    Positive things....making goals and accomplishing them. Your mind gives up before your body does. That's me.
     It was awesome meeting up with an old friend again and meeting new positive people. Looking forward to new races and adventures. 
  On a side note....while I was laughing inside about all the uncomfortable pictures being taken of people who ran the race I found mine. Shame on me....I still wonder why photographers post the most awkward pictures of people you could ever imagine. As we all know, NO ONE ever post a bad picture of themselves on social media.

lonely runner

    I have been a bit discouraged these past few weeks. Blogs not posting, general life stress' etc. I was running but not as often as I should have. I started analyzing the cause of this gloominess. My conclusion was that I really didn't have a daily routine. I just kind of went with the day with no structure. I think most can agree we get along better with life when you have a plan, routine, structure. I remembered this great website. http://flylady.net/ 

  It is a SUPER website for getting organized and de-cluttering. I've been reading it for the last two days and feel so much better. I guess I never realized how important a routine is. Now you know I have a cluttered house. Oh well, we can't all be perfect. Kudos to those who are happy all the time with pristine houses or pretend anyway.

     NEXT! My run today. So, another reason my running has slacked. I'm a lonely runner. 

 I don't know many people that run. Maybe I should say I don't know many beginner runners. Most I know run 10 plus miles. I've looked up running clubs, but ones I have found, like with any club, there is a fee. Not.Cool. Why is there a fee for eeeeevvvverything? Speaking of money and rabbit trails which I have just gotten off on. Running can be very costly! Running shoes in themselves are easily over one hundred dollars, not to mention a Garmin. I know for competitive runners, good shoes are a must. Clothes....I wish I was related to the poor sap who runs Lulu Lemon. In passing and I do mean passing Nike running shorts/pants are 70 bucks. I did stop, look at them and ponder how the heck are they that much? I am cheap, rather thrifty. That sounds more appealing. The running clothes are cute, so are purses and 100 dollar jeans. Maybe one day(when Dave Ramsey allows)......(daydreaming of that day). 

     Anyway, my run today. I did my normal 5 minute warm-up and then ran my mile. Halfway through I just took my head phones off. I hate them. I feel like that wrap around my arms and I can't be as fluid with my shoulders and arms. Once "they" were gone my run became more fluid. I just stared at the tv's trying to zone out. I'm not really sure of my time but I will make a point of pin-pointing it tomorrow. Unless it's like 19 minutes or something. I know my friend Chas will laugh at my measly mile but I also know she is proud of anyone striving toward their goals. Thanks for that Chas. 

   I kept this "in mind" the entire run. It is so true. Especially for me. So after the mile I walked a half mile and began running again. Then "it" happened. The be all end all. I'm not saying I said bad words because bad words constitute using speech sounds that produce words. In my head it was more like what  whathareaohmgrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr as my head phone wires get tangled in my HANDS and propels my phone between my legs 10 feet behind me on the floor. OH-MY-GOSH-ARE-YOU-FOR REAL-THAT-JUST-HAPPENED-#$@$#&^%*&$#!#@!#@^%$ then a bunch of fuzzy words as I get back on the treadmill and started walking. Because, at this point I could have used my death ray stare at "the Headphones". I certainly was not running anymore because I was so mad.

 I am certain this was my face. Minus the headband. Anyone have an armband for an iphone 3gs they no longer use? (remember I'm thrifty). I know you don't want me to have that face again......do you??????????? I cooled down, literally, mentally and physically. I ended up running a mile and walking a mile. All in all the good out weighed the bad.

 Hot, sweaty, oily and red. Anyone know the reason behind some people turning into a beet while running and others look.......normal.

I had company for this run. I decided for this "training" I would run my neighborhood. I thought I would give my neighbors something to giggle about as I struggled like a lame horse. I'd love to know if I actually looked like a lame horse. Or...like this

Either way it's not very becoming. I'd like to think someone would bring that to my attention. I figure one of my boys would tell me. Anyway, back on track. I thought I would have a peaceful run (if that's possible) alone, at the very least. But, Eric wanted to join me and assured me he could run faster and longer than me. Piff! Proved him wrong. ;) It was a decent run, it was hot and the hills killed me but I kept running until it was time to start walking again. I could have used a little less hey momma, momma, momma, momma but it did help in a way by temporarily distracting me every 30 seconds. Then Ethan joined us for the last lap. No shirt, no shoes, on the pavement running. Whadaya do..

Tomorrow starts week four. I'm excited, I guess. I wish I had a treadmill at home. Maybe one day though it may be frowned upon in a town home. I'm sure my boys are quite enough aggravation for the nice neighbors on both sides of me who don't have kids.

I took a longer repose than normal from WK 2 day 2 to WK 2 day 3. Hip issues, busy, tired, homemade water slide. I think it worked to my advantage. I went to my climate controlled heaven, aka the gym. I ran the last eight and a half minutes. Though the program calls for 90 seconds run, 2 mins walking for week 2. I felt like I could run longer so I diverted from the norm. It was super awesome. I honestly don't remember the last time I ran that long. I know for most of the population 8.5 minutes is laughable and amusing to most runners. I like to think myself humble (which by even suggesting I am humble makes me haughty). This is after all is a diary to a degree of couch to 5k. 

Random, my oldest ran in a one day/no prior practice, track and field event sponsored by The Trak Shak. He finished third in his heat. In the above pic he is in the blue shorts. There were kids that I believe ran faster than I ever could. It was impressive. Next training starts with week three, Day 1. Which if I recall is basically the same as week 2. 

My tee-shirt read today "failure is not an option". Thrift store find, for a 1$. Score!

Stole this from Chas :)

yo momma runs, foam earbuds

Week 2 day 1

 

So........thankfully this was not my entire day. Just the part where I attempt to use the internet. Google Chrome you make me VERY sad...or mad if you reference the above. I probably looked close to the first picture and wanted to do the second photo, but do have a stitch of self control. Speaking of sad/mad. Pandora is dead to me. I am sick of commercials and freezing up. Bye. I switch to I heart radio. No commercials, no pauses..no silence. Thanks Jon White. Two thumbs down Pandora. SHESH! All that that to say, I went to the gym today to run. Umm, Oh my, so much better than dying out in the wilderness or being dragged off a trail by a nut. http://yomommaruns.blogspot.com/ would be proud, I kept my mouth closed while running the whole time. :) I felt I could run longer with the climate controlled Big *** fans they have. I don't promote cursing but that is actually what they are called. No nausea, no bugs no heat stroke. This couch 25k is so awesome and slow. I don't stick with things. This I have stuck with. This blog keeps me motivated. Join this site, follow me, leave me messages. You just don't understand how much it helps. Who doesn't love motivation? Anywho, treadmill running...you don't get that awesome nature/flower/tree/fresh/sky/bee sting/ feeling. Companies would be wise to along with the fan option on the treadmill to add the nature flower smell within the fan. Makes sense to me! When I got bored I had a plethora of TV's ranging from the food network(REALLY???!...insert i die for pasta don't show me pasta at the gym) to Fox news to a voluptuous women/man discussing celebrity topics. I think I am spoiled. Climate controlled running. WIN!  All I know is Week 2, Day 1 yes!!

 

Day 3 (late)

I look as if this is my last few yards of the run. I don't know if  I even picked my feet up or was just shuffling along. (Every day I'm shuffling.... shuffling ) Is that a song? Apparently it's a song in my head. I woke up this day completely unmotivated. I was tired and had zero energy. My weather app said 76

The above is an idea of how much wind there was that day. A big fat nothing. So, yes 76 does seem pleasant but with no wind it's torture.  On a random note which is how my brain works. Am I the only one who misspells words so terribly that auto correct has no idea what your attempting to communicate......It's a theme in my life. If I don't see "no replacements found' at least once a day I feel lost. Not really, I would LOVE to be one of these grammar Nazis'. My point here, is it Nazis, Nazis', or Nazis's. I don't know!! I just misspelled grammar. There is no hope for me. Moving on. I completed my first week of "training". I feel silly saying that. My hip pain was with me anytime I stopped to walk and all day yesterday. It is manageable. I was reading up on bursitis/tendinitis. A lot of people seek a sports chiropractor and find that their back is totally out of whack or their pelvis is misaligned causing one leg to be longer. Symptoms can be similar to bursitis, allegedly. Perhaps a SC will be in my future. I am looking forward to this three day rest. 

My oldest son picked these for me today. So sweet :) I need to wash my windows as well. Our front door has a glass door to. It is absolutely covered with hand prints. I clean the door and literally 10 seconds later it is covered again. Needless to say...it just stays dirty. If I know I will have company I wash it and threaten the boys every other minute to NOT TO TOUCH THE GLASS. Our car windows are just as bad. I figure I still have about 3 or 4 more years of this nonsense. Tomorrow's high is 80...I'll try and run earlier in the day to avoid nausea and heat stroke. Yes I am aware 80 is not 90 but my internal temperature gauge is a bit sensitive.

Day 2

Today was the absolute perfect running weather. If only everyday was this glorious! 71 degrees! SUPER! 

I decided to stay around my neighborhood and explore a few places I had not been before. It definitely kicked my butt. It's funny when driving you really don't notice hills. That being said the training was easier today. I had cold cereal(raisin bran). I did have a few side stitches, but they went away. Nausea hit just once after running a hill and that was it! I had two dogs who joined me for a short time. A three legged husky and a cocker spaniel. Unfortunately these pretty dogs had escaped their home. The husky was found but not the Spaniel. After my cool down I got a familiar twinge in my hip. Back in the summer last year I began walking at the park and got this same pain. I think it's trochanteric  bursitis. After my exercise high it took a depressing plummet. This is Day 2 of a 2 month training. Why...why...why! I'm quite stubborn. My plan is ibuprofen and stretches. Unless my hip falls off I have zero plans to give up. So take that Bursitis. The plan is rest tomorrow and run again Friday.

My first blog....I meet an engaging mom at my sons soccer game. She inspired me to step out and do some things I have not done before. 1.Blog 2.Run. Not to give her complete credit, I had been thinking about the running thing for a few days. I see random people on FB delight in this torture (my opinion not theirs). I weigh the benefits in my head. Fix that jiggle,yes! Lower cholesterol,sure! Relieve stress, I'm in! Then my cynical side kicks into gear. I have an immediate flashback to High school track. I won't say I was the least talented but I will say I was not determined. I have zip, zilch, zero will power.I usually give up mainly because it is easier to do (duh). We all have our faults. That's mine. So, don't hold it against me. Anyway, I hear of these superhuman people running miles and miles and well you see the pattern. In the heat at that! Another flashback to band camps in the dead of summer. I thought I was dying then and I was just standing there in the heat..dying. Running in the heat sounds like a sure fire recipe for unseemly bodily convulsions. Not only unattractive but demoralizing. Not to mention having children........it moves things around inside. I'm not a DR. but I know there is a difference. I will leave it at that. I researched running(what any good procrastinator does), what to eat before running, what to wear and even a system to go from couch to 5k. It sounds awesome. I can totally run 60 seconds and then walk 90 seconds and so on. Tomorrow is the day. I've checked the weather, muggy and 80ish. Perfect weather for puking I mean training..whatever. I don't look forward to it but I know it is something with many benefits. My husband runs so he is stoked about the possible running buddy. I should have more positive thoughts but I think I can feel my lungs aching already. Stay tuned!