Just call me the Cat Calmer

Today the weather was gorgeous!  I had a run planned.  I knew where I was running, when I was running and how (slow as a turtle through peanut butter).   I was going regardless of the weather so having temps in the 50's was a delightful plus to my day. (I think Christmas morning when I ran it was 20 degrees....lol).    However, my body had other ideas.

We got up and ran some errands in the morning.  Early morning...we went to breakfast and then picked up groceries.   I was doing great.   We got home and Todd had a repair job that he wanted to do on the house.  It required that the cats be locked up for a bit.   Now the cats typically go nuts when we lock them up.  So nuts that on three different occasions I've had them locked up and one or the other has scratched so hard and viciously to get freed that they have started to pull up the tile/linoleum from the edge of the door.  Seriously.   So I took over the very difficult job of going into lock down with the cats....trying to keep the calm.  I laid down on the bed with my kindle and pretty soon they were all curled up beside me.   I had a few tense minutes with the two youngest ones. (Winni and Mertz) At two different times they each got a bit panicky about being locked up...but my tender loving care helped them calm right back down).

Pardon the unmade bed...I was working hard keeping my kitty cats calm and couldn't be bothered with trivial things like bed making!  And I don't know what was happening with my sweatshirt...I was laying on my back, but somehow it got all twisted around on my body.  Oh well.

I honestly don't know if my morning activities (cat calming) set me up for a lazy day.  But I just couldn't function the rest of the day.  I have felt off kilter and just not right.  I ate lunch and then promptly fell asleep on the couch in the living room (a few of the cats followed me).

So my run went out the window.  I'm not going to beat myself up about it.  Why?   My general feeling of lethargy could very well have simply been a side affect of my lazy (but oh so important cat calming duties)....but I'm trying to learn to listen to my body in all ways.  That doesn't just include eating and exercise...it means that when my body is demanding rest I listen to it.  I listened to it today......and I'm feeling much better this evening.

But seriously.....what a waste of a GORGEOUS GORGEOUS day!!!   GRRRRR

Mentally ready

Tested out my new shoes.  Yes, I bought new sneakers the other day.  I bought shoes specific for running.  I used to always buy Nike, but then for some reasons I switched to Asics (they just felt better on my feet).  However, this time around I had a $40 gift card at Sears so I was tied to buying my shoes there.  They didn't have many options for running shoes at my Sears.  I tried on every pair they had.  The New Balance ones felt the best...so that's what I bought. The shoes were about $70 bucks to begin with...on sale for $50.  I used my Sears/KMart rewards points (of which I didn't have many...but 4 bucks is four bucks) and then the gift card...so I paid $6 bucks for these shoes.  I'm happy to say that they felt wonderful!  :-)   (Unlike the zumba shoes I bought and tried out last night...those puppies are going back as soon as I can get back to town to return them.)

My run today went well.   My breathing never once became choppy and harsh.  I could feel myself breathing more deeply and heavily but it wasn't that out of control breathing that has negatively affected me.  Even though my breathing wasn't out of control, I still made myself think about my breathing.  I want to totally train myself to breathe right...that's the only way I will succeed at this running thing.  And let me tell you.  I do feel alive when I'm out there working on this goal.



Today I was thinking a lot about playlists.  I threw some music on my playlist that is within my c25k app without much thought.  Today was really the first day that I got to listen to that new playlist and I was blown away.  I started my run with "I'm too sexy"  by Right Said Fred.  I ran to some Twisted Sister, "I Wanna Rock" and then moved on to Chicago "Alive again" and "Feelin' Stronger every day."   I heard some "Brick house" and "Fantasy" by Earth Wind and Fire.  I had a little "Cheers" by Riahanna (ok ok ok and I heard S&M) also.  I was pretty amazing.  They were mostly songs that were peppy which is good but they were all just perfect for me.  They were affirming to me.  I'm too sexy...I"m alive again.  I'm feeling stronger everyday.  Seriously...could it have been any better?  (totally unplanned too!)   I had one song come on....Lady Antebellum.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with Lady Antebellum....obviously, as I was willing to put a song (or two) on my playlist.  But it just didn't fit into the mood that my playlist was generating. It wasn't generating that feeling of power...that feeling of kick-assed-ness that all the other songs were instilling in my mind.  ANd with that one song (which I do like in normal circumstances) made me realize exactly how important music and what we put into our minds really is in relation to our mental psyche.  Right now I need kick ass music.  I need take no prisoners music.  It matches perfectly with my mission and my determination.   The right music helps the mental battle....and this really is a mental battle.  And with my kick ass music this morning...I'm READY!!!

After my training run I went home and rushed around getting ready for work.  I didn't time it quite right so I only had about 20 minutes to shower, dress, eat breakfast and pack my lunch and head out the door. (luckily I had already packed my gym bag for zumba tonight after work so that was one thing I didn't have to worry about.....I just had to kick Desi, our white big cat out of my gym bag so that I could grab it when I left as he had obviously decided to take a nap in my gym bag).   I showered and dressed in record time and then headed out to the kitchen. Breakfast was easy.  I had made baked oatmeal the other night.  I cut a serving size...and then my head got in the way.  I was SOOO hungry that I cut a piece and a half and chowed it down.  It wasn't until I was in the car on the way to work that it hit me that I totally ate way too much baked oatmeal.  Uhhh seriously. I had accounted for ONE piece.  One piece would have sufficed for my bodily needs.   I didn't need that extra half piece!   I know my training run will have burned off the extra calories. But I just want to scream. (and yes, myfitnesspal has already been adjusted for the extra 1/2 piece).  What's worse.....I feel like a poor bird that has eaten some dry rice and it has puffed up inside that birdy.  I'm STUFFED!  Not sick..but full!

I will leave you with a picture of three of our cats. I apologize for the unmade bed.....but seriously...how could anyone with a heart disrupt these three cats to make a bed??????    Desi is the big white boy..he will be 11 years old this year.  He spent the day at the vets yesterday..his prognosis....he has asthma.   Lucy is the calico that is at the top of the picture. She is now 16 years old. She's starting to show her age..she's more wobbly and doesn't jump near as much because her legs are just getting old.  I put steps up to the bed for her to use...however she's too proud to use them. (Desi on the other hand LOVES them).   Ethel is the little squirt on the bottom of the picture.  she will be 13 years old this summer.  She is an absolute sweet heart to humans and to the other cats...during the recent cat flea baths that have occurred at our house....Ethel is the cat that sits and watches and cries right along with the cat that is being washed.  We have two more...two youngsters.........Winnifred and Mertz. Who knows where they were during the picture session...off being crazy is my bet for at least Winni.

Sick and tired and some gorgeous cats

OK, so I'm just feeling sick and tired.  Literally.   I have been on the go all day. And I'm just whipped.  My sinus' have been draining and my throat is raw and that rawness is causing a cough.  (or maybe I've got a cold or something and just refusing to admit it..I'm sticking with a little sinus drainage).  So I've been sucking on the Halls today.  Dang, I wonder how many calories those things are per lozenge (isn't that a fun word....lozenge lozenge lozenge)???   If those darn Halls threw me over my calorie count today I'm going to be one made cat lady!   CRAP!   each one of those drops are 15 calories!  Shucks!  I've had maybe  5 of those suckers!....that's what I'm counting.  So 75 freakin' calories wasted!!!  That...that's a half piece of cake!   Or maybe a whole apple (a big one)!!   I've been robbed!!!!!! 

Even with my halls cough drops I am still OK on my calorie count today.  I have NO CLUE HOW.  OK OK OK, I DO know how.  Let me recap.  This morning Todd and I went to town early.  We stopped at Waffle House.  I REALLY wanted a Texas melt (egg bacon and cheese...it's one of the only times I break my pork ban...for that sandwich) and hash browns.  But the sandwich alone is something like 750 calories.  I opted instead for a waffle.  I drank water and I had no hash browns.  Todd and I did our thing in town.  I took him back down to the studio (remember, we are sharing a car......very interesting to share a car...but surprisingly it's going well).   I almost immediately turned around and headed back to town to be with my family.  I got to congratulate my niece for her GREAT scores at her gymnastic meet yesterday.  I got to visit the museum in my 5 year old nephews bedroom.  (Lots of interesting artifacts....things like his Halloween costume, his favorite Christmas card....highly interesting things) and I got to talk to my extremely intelligent 12 year old nephew (I had to pretend I knew what he was talking about half the time.. ha ha ha).   And then we went out to eat.  Yes, the kids usually get to pick on Sundays...so we went to .....are you ready?   McDonald's!!!   I planned ahead and got a small fry and a grilled chicken snack pack wrap (although I get tongue twisted when I say that).     We hit up Sam's Clule and then we went and I bought a new mattress. I'm HOPING that a better mattress helps my back issues.  I needed a new mattress and box springs desperately.  My brother helped me get it with his truck.  Everyone came down to my house and it was a few minutes of out with the old and in with the new.  Then we all traipsed out into the woods for a brilliant winter walk.  I let them take out my metal detector and they had fun as we hiked.  :-)     After they left, it was dark and I had to set up my bedroom. (I upgraded sized bed also....so things had to be shuffled a bit).  I put my new sheets on the bed and then took a shower.  I finally sat down to eat something but my sore throat is just taking any desire to eat (swallow) out of me so I just had an English muffin and jelly.

Some of the cats seem to approve of the new bed and sheets (the sheets were an incredible deal at Target....and the plum color is so fun!) Of course I had already tried the bed out and read a bit in bed, so it didn't look all neat and proper when I took the picture.   

Lucy and Ethel giving their stamp of approval to the new bed.

When I first made the bed Ethel pulled her normal stunt of running under

 the sheets as most cats love to do. However, instead of playing

 under there, she curled up and took a nap!

 

 

So more a lot more carbs than normal.  And few few veggies and fruits.  But still within my calories!!  That is  victory! 

 

THINK THIN!