RIP

I got out on my bike for my first ride of the season.   It started a bit rough.  I was checking tire pressure and my tire blew.  I'd rather have it blow at home versus while out on a ride.   So I had the pleasure of changing the tube on my bike.   All good.  :-)     We laugh at our house.   As limited as I am with mechanical stuff, I am the repair person for our bikes.  I change out the flat tires and do the really basic stuff.  My only problem with the tire change?  When I finally got on the bike I realized that I had forgotten to hook the brakes back up.  Oops.  It's all good, I figured it out before I picked up too much speed. 

 It felt GREAT!  Normally I take that first ride and feel like hell on wheels.  It usually hurts I'm panting for breath and I'm well.. feeling horrible.  I am always anxious to get out to ride but dread those first few rides.  So today it was with some fear and trepidation that I set out.   It was GREAT!   I couldn't get over how good it felt.  The main difference is the advent of  running in my life .  In the last few years I've been doing zumba and took my first ride...but still felt the pain of the first ride.  This year the main difference is running.  It really made  difference!  WEEEE



I had to say goodbye to a good friend after my ride.  I have had my red helmet for a few years. Inside the helmet there is a plastic system for holding the helmet in place on your head.  Last year the plastic system started to crack on my helmet.  I limped along with it...yeah, bad I know.  Today I went out and all that was left was the shell of my helmet...uhhhh that is barely better than not wearing a helmet at all.  So I had to say goodbye to my red helmet.  RIP.



We left the canal (where we were riding) and I headed across the river into Shepherdstown and went into the bike shop.  I bought a new tube for my bike.  There is nothing worse than needing a tube for a bike and not having one!  I also bought a shiny new helmet!  I'm gonna look 'styling' in my nice white helmet.  Yes, like I always do, I have the bike shop guys fit it to my head to make sure that I have it set to be positioned correctly and tight enough.  No use wearing a helmet that is not fitted properly....won't help you when you need it!

I got my zumba in last night also.  It was stinkin' hot in that room!  But I pushed through.  I'm going to exercise this weight right off my body!

I leave you with a cat......because every good post should have a gorgeous cat! Meet Ethel.  She is my 13 year old sweetheart!

Sniff sniff...what is that?

Last night at zumba my legs were heavy heavy heavy.  I pushed through though.  I went home and watched The Biggest Loser.  It was the makeover week.  I always find that week intriguing because it's almost as if that is the first time that the contestants realize how much they have shrunk.  It's almost like that is the episode where they see their efforts for the first time.  After TBL, I went to bed.  The plan was to get in bed and read for a while...at least until Todd came home.  However, I crawled into bed and realized how tired I was....I never picked up the kindle.....I was asleep in mere minutes.  I was so sound asleep that I never even heard Todd come home late when he got off of work.  (he is still sleeping on the couch...has been ever since he got sick...he may have wanted to come back to bed last night but I'm sure I was sprawled across the whole bed and that kinda disallowed his return...ahh what a pity).

I woke up early and was  ready to start my day.  I laid in bed and texted someone about taking their pictures. (I'm so excited!...I love photography...and I'm itching for a chance to do some 'real' photography versus the quick snaps on my cell phone that I have been using on my blog of late.)    I finally got up, did a bit of laundry and dressed for a nice winter jog and I headed to the battlefield.  I started.  It wasn't a bad run.  I was tickled to see that my breathing was pretty well regulated the whole time.  Maybe the panicky breathing that marked the first few weeks of running is behind me.  :-)   Amazing that my breathing today was so easy.....my bucolic run was through fields that had just been spread with manure.  Fun stuff.....ahhhh fresh country air!

 

Freshly spread manure and my shadow

I was alone for most of my run. (an old man was out at one of the privately owned houses and I stopped and said high to him...I was actually already done with my run and was just cooling down).  The battlefield was empty.  When it's cold this is the case in the mornings!  I guess most people are sane and stay in where it's warm!  No fear...I had lots of guards to monitor my progress!

One of my many guards

Life is keeping me busy..don't know how but it feels like I'm on the go constantly.  Oh well, it's working for me.  I weighed myself today just for ME...my official weigh in is on Monday.  The scales were friendly today......it's looking like I may make my 20 pound mark for this year very soon..... Maybe I should start looking for my next charm (I've got an idea of what I'm going to get).   I'm utterly focused on my goals and nothing is going to derail me!

Desi the cat grudgingly accepts me...he is most definitely Todd's cat.  He doesn't usually come near me.  There are two exceptions!  One, he is a ham and LOVES to have his picture taken....he poses and lets me near him with my camera.  (Todd swears that the wound on his nose was inflicted by one of MY cats.  I cry foul and say that none of MY cats would do anything like that...surely it was a self inflicted wound!)

The other exception is ice cream.  Desi LOVES ice cream.  I had enough calories to enjoy some ice cream last night.  Desi sniffed at it and would have started licking it had I not scooped my bowl away!

Cracker Debacle

Yesterday I got home.  My food was planned out and I knew what I was doing.  I made my dinner which was grilled cheese and tomato soup.  I didn't have the calories planned in for crackers in my soup...and I've eaten it without crackers so it didn't bother me.  However, I sat down at the table and I couldn't stop myself.  I WANTED crackers in my soup.  I ate them....not just one or two...I ate probably 20-25 crackers.  (yeah, I like a LOT of crackers in my tomato soup...I eat the crackers out and then put more in......sad isn't it?)  I then made a fruit dip and prepped some fruit and even though I was full and kicking myself for  my cracker debacle I ate about 2tbs of the dip and a few strawberries.  And yes...that was my binge/splurge....crackers, fruit dip and fruit.  I knocked about 200 extra calories for my day.  I was beating myself up over this and immediately sent an email to my friend Sherry  (I had to email her a link anyway...and check up on her progress) who talked me down from the ledge  and made me see that 1. I probably needed those extra calories (I had exercised so I was still under my calorie goal for the day) and 2.  Even if I didn't need them that my splurge was laughable in reality...looking at what my splurges USED to be.  Thank you Sherry!!!!  In talking to her we discussed her day and her urges and desires too.  We both talked about how this is a journey that we are on..but it is also a thing of us learning how to deal with life pressures and the normal ebb and flow of our cycles (which DOES affect our hunger)...just life.  This journey is NOT a race to the finish line...this journey is about learning how to eat and be healthy within the restrictions of life!

Today is a potluck at work...it's a birthday celebration.  We are celebrating my managers birthday...my manager is also working on her weight. SO I was able to steer everyone  to bring to  more healthy flair.   One gal is bringing some Asian Turkey Lettuce wraps. (it is a recipe from the cooking light magazine...she's brought them before....one is roughly 140 calories).  I have one girl bringing a veggie tray.  I'm bringing  fruit tray (thus the fruit dip and fruit).  I don't know what the other gal is bringing...she's one that is actually trying to GAIN weight...so who knows.  I've got this potluck by the horns and I'm going to ROCK my eating today!  Why yes, that is grapes, apples, pineapple and strawberries with the fruit dip in the center.  The fruit dip is only 18 calories per tbs. LOVE it!




Took a sneak peak on the scales this morning...I'm down but not as much as I thought...but no worries...I've got until Monday before my official weigh in!  Plus, I woke up incredibly thirsty...and that usually doesn't mean good things on the scales for me.  Water.....soooo important to our existence!!!!!


I have to say that I'm very happy that today is my rest day.  I need the rest....we all do in our journeys.  I was thinking about my week of exercise and thinking..wow..I did so much.  Then it hit me....I always do 3-4 zumba sessions...and have been for three years.   I've been consistently doing the running thing for the last four weeks too.  I only added in two 30 minute sessions on the elliptical.  Crazy.   Am I nuts????  And even though I'm glad for the rest day....part of me is itching to do something...anything!!!!!!   Nope...nothing taxing for me today!  :-)

I'll leave with a photo of the prettiest cat.  Lucy is getting old.  Makes me sad to think about losing my cat.  She is 16 and is suffering from arthritis.  But I LOVE her attitude.  She is too proud to let it stop her.  She refuses to use the steps I put for her to get onto bed.  The sad part..she jumps down and you can her her thump when she hits...she used to be graceful and light as a feather.  BUT her attitude is great.  She enjoys being the matriarch of the cats and takes her duties seriously!