I am contemplating running the Disney Half-Marathon. I would start the Couch To 5K running program in April, then work up to the 10K, then go from there. I am pumped at the idea, but pee-myself-scared too.
I will pull the trigger (or not) and register by Friday. I need to decide either way by then, because after all, it's almost April! I want a full 9 months to train slowly and steadily. I want to feel like running 6 miles is nothing...then work up to 13.1.
That's all I've got for now...eeeeek!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Here I Go Again On My Own....
...going down the only road I've ever know...
Thanks, Whitesnake, for those apt lyrics. Yes, folks, again I am relaunching my weight loss journey. I have (by some miracle) held steady at 50lbs lost, but I have another 60 to lost at least, and I have been on hiatus for far too long.
So, "here I go again".
I am trying to shake it up this time. I have been doing Weight Watchers on and off since 2003, and I am just burned out. It is a great program, and it works if you work it. BUT, I was eating crap on it. I would eat junk because it was "only 1 Point". I want to be thin AND healthy.
So. www.sparkpeople.com is the website, and I so far I am loving it. It tells me how many calories I should eat per day, and where those calories should come from (fat, protein, carbs). It lets me track other nutrients as well (like, say, sodium, which I eat far too much of). I can also look at awesome graphs showing when in the day I eat what percentage of my calories, the calories I've eaten in a day vs calories burned, compare my exercise over time, etc. It is awesome. And it is FREE.
I hope to be able to come back here often and update my progress. I am nervous "going down this road" again, but it has to be done. I have my 10 year high school reunion this summer, and a huge family reunion for my husband's family. I also want to be able to run again. I liked doing it, but I am just too heavy right now to put my knees through that.
It's March Madness time, baby! Balls to the wall, and let's do this thing!
Thanks, Whitesnake, for those apt lyrics. Yes, folks, again I am relaunching my weight loss journey. I have (by some miracle) held steady at 50lbs lost, but I have another 60 to lost at least, and I have been on hiatus for far too long.
So, "here I go again".
I am trying to shake it up this time. I have been doing Weight Watchers on and off since 2003, and I am just burned out. It is a great program, and it works if you work it. BUT, I was eating crap on it. I would eat junk because it was "only 1 Point". I want to be thin AND healthy.
So. www.sparkpeople.com is the website, and I so far I am loving it. It tells me how many calories I should eat per day, and where those calories should come from (fat, protein, carbs). It lets me track other nutrients as well (like, say, sodium, which I eat far too much of). I can also look at awesome graphs showing when in the day I eat what percentage of my calories, the calories I've eaten in a day vs calories burned, compare my exercise over time, etc. It is awesome. And it is FREE.
I hope to be able to come back here often and update my progress. I am nervous "going down this road" again, but it has to be done. I have my 10 year high school reunion this summer, and a huge family reunion for my husband's family. I also want to be able to run again. I liked doing it, but I am just too heavy right now to put my knees through that.
It's March Madness time, baby! Balls to the wall, and let's do this thing!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Stepping Back
Obviously I haven't been posting; I have been really busy with my thesis writing, research, and presentation. I will be back to more regular updates in May, I promise!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Monday, November 23, 2009
I wish I drank more...
This school year has been tough so far- really, really tough. I am very upset to have such trying children and (in general) thoroughly unsupportive parents. Most of the teaching staff I work with is not helping either...though my principal has been helpful.
I haven't posted here in over a month. I have been busy, sure; I helped put on a musical at my school, I'm taking a grad class, and I have had parent/teacher conferences. I have ALSO had 6 meetings with parents outside of the regular yearly conference. That means 6 kids out of 6 have been really terrible. I can think of another 10 whose parents I wish could meet with. I am just miserable teaching this year, and that has never been the case.
So I guess I'm saying the reason I haven't posted here is because I've been miserable. I know I tend to focus on the negative- just by nature, I'm a pessimist and a glass half empty kind of girl- but this year has been very hard. When a veteran teacher on my team who has been in education for 35+ years said this class is in her all-time Top Three of most difficult, I know I'm really up against something.
This is also my second year with these cherubs, since we loop. I've been with this class since August of 2008, and will get rid of them only in June of 2010, God help me.
I guess the one up side here is that I've been reevaluating my career choice, and I think I may want to work on my M.Ed in Psychology once I've finished my M.Ed in Reading this summer. I will probably give myself a breather in between, but originally when I went to school for teacher, moving on to the counseling side of things had always been in the back of my head. Now it's moving to the forefront.
Anyway, Thanksgiving break is coming up this week, so I get 5 days away from the kiddos to get perspective. Or just get loaded.
I haven't posted here in over a month. I have been busy, sure; I helped put on a musical at my school, I'm taking a grad class, and I have had parent/teacher conferences. I have ALSO had 6 meetings with parents outside of the regular yearly conference. That means 6 kids out of 6 have been really terrible. I can think of another 10 whose parents I wish could meet with. I am just miserable teaching this year, and that has never been the case.
So I guess I'm saying the reason I haven't posted here is because I've been miserable. I know I tend to focus on the negative- just by nature, I'm a pessimist and a glass half empty kind of girl- but this year has been very hard. When a veteran teacher on my team who has been in education for 35+ years said this class is in her all-time Top Three of most difficult, I know I'm really up against something.
This is also my second year with these cherubs, since we loop. I've been with this class since August of 2008, and will get rid of them only in June of 2010, God help me.
I guess the one up side here is that I've been reevaluating my career choice, and I think I may want to work on my M.Ed in Psychology once I've finished my M.Ed in Reading this summer. I will probably give myself a breather in between, but originally when I went to school for teacher, moving on to the counseling side of things had always been in the back of my head. Now it's moving to the forefront.
Anyway, Thanksgiving break is coming up this week, so I get 5 days away from the kiddos to get perspective. Or just get loaded.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
My Dog is a Failure
I took my Golden Charlie to a therapy dog training session on Sunday. In my area of the country, therapy dogs might lay quietly while students read to them, or make visiting to nursing homes or hospitals. Charlie is friendly and handsome. He is also only 2 1/2 years old, which is still a very hyper young age in dog years.
The first hour of the session was the assessment, to see if the dog would pass; the second hour was a class on how to improve the areas on which the dog failed.
Charlie did not pass the assessment. He was a super boy on all but two things: he would not heel well, and he jumped up.
I am the one who walks Charlie, so I know he doesn't heel. He pulls, drags, tugs, yanks, and hauls, but he doesn't heel. And this is with a pinch collar on! FAIL ONE.
In several different instances, Charlie jumped. He jumped on a man in a wheelchair, on a man who came over to pat him, and on a group of people who surrounded him. To be fair, in the first two instances the person was patting his lap/chest and egging Charlie on. That is just too tempting to a Golden, but he must learn not to jump. In the last instance, myself and four others encircled Charlie to see if he freaked. He didn't; he just jumped up to say hi. FAIL TWO.
So, I know what I need to practice with him. I am proud of how well Charlie worked and how hard he focused. I hope someday he and I can contribute to the wonderful group that is Therapy Dogs of Vermont.
The first hour of the session was the assessment, to see if the dog would pass; the second hour was a class on how to improve the areas on which the dog failed.
Charlie did not pass the assessment. He was a super boy on all but two things: he would not heel well, and he jumped up.
I am the one who walks Charlie, so I know he doesn't heel. He pulls, drags, tugs, yanks, and hauls, but he doesn't heel. And this is with a pinch collar on! FAIL ONE.
In several different instances, Charlie jumped. He jumped on a man in a wheelchair, on a man who came over to pat him, and on a group of people who surrounded him. To be fair, in the first two instances the person was patting his lap/chest and egging Charlie on. That is just too tempting to a Golden, but he must learn not to jump. In the last instance, myself and four others encircled Charlie to see if he freaked. He didn't; he just jumped up to say hi. FAIL TWO.
So, I know what I need to practice with him. I am proud of how well Charlie worked and how hard he focused. I hope someday he and I can contribute to the wonderful group that is Therapy Dogs of Vermont.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Maine
I am headed to Maine this weekend to visit my mom's dad. He is turning 80 in March, and is the only grandfather I've ever know. I love him. But he doesn't talk.
I don't mean not at ALL...I just mean he is very taciturn and is usually happy to sit back and observe. I know how much my visiting means to him, so I go, and he is a sweet, kind man. But it is odd to travel 4 hours one way over a weekend to hang out with a guy who will probably speak less than 4 sentences.
Grandpa has always been this way, and I think I could learn a thing or two from him. Still, it's in my nature to be chatty and his to be quiet, so I think sometimes we both feel at a loss. I know that his lack of need or desire to speak is what made him able to be married to my grandmother all those year, that's for sure. Maybe there would be more peace in my household if I kept my mouth shut once in awhile.
Here's to a weekend that will prove this phrase: do not speak unless you can improve the silence.
I don't mean not at ALL...I just mean he is very taciturn and is usually happy to sit back and observe. I know how much my visiting means to him, so I go, and he is a sweet, kind man. But it is odd to travel 4 hours one way over a weekend to hang out with a guy who will probably speak less than 4 sentences.
Grandpa has always been this way, and I think I could learn a thing or two from him. Still, it's in my nature to be chatty and his to be quiet, so I think sometimes we both feel at a loss. I know that his lack of need or desire to speak is what made him able to be married to my grandmother all those year, that's for sure. Maybe there would be more peace in my household if I kept my mouth shut once in awhile.
Here's to a weekend that will prove this phrase: do not speak unless you can improve the silence.
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