Fit with Ruthie

just a very fast post before heading out the door to celebrate the new year :) I got my 40 min run in .. but it turned into a 50 min walk run :) 4.5 miles completed! it was 43 degrees outside and yes.. my friends i ran outside :) three layers and a stocking cap did the trick! got a thumbs up from a college guy as he ran past me and two sweet smiles from an older lady out walking.. I think we were all thinking the same thing "way to go .. way to end 200 8 ! with a bang" how did you end 200 8 workout wise? see you next year :) ok that was really really funny. got up this morning to check in and found that i had done a whole post about my lst 2007 workout LOL .. it was either a blonde moment, i was really in a hurry, OR i deep down inside want to forget.. atleast a bit of 08 . :) .. OH no wait... it CAUSE I AM 40! and starting to go :) LOL happy 09 everyone!

her website

here is the information for the Transformation Challenge... His book comes out this month but this link has the challenge info and weekly assignments This differs from Body for Life in that it is 18 weeks and it takes into account the inner struggles we all have :) here's a part of assignment #1 article by Bill: "Being physically out of shape isn't 'cured' by just working out and eating a different way. You see, the condition of the body is a reflection of so much more than just exercise and eating habits. Truth is, our physical form is a manifestation of our thoughts, feelings, intentions… our collective ‘inner/non-physical condition.’ To achieve a sustainable and truly healthy change on the outside, we have to do the work on the inside." click here to see the rules (no money required or supplements sold) ... it has the links to the first 12 weekly assignments just finished lower body workout squats 12.10.8.6 and 24 lunges burnouts (ouch) deadlifts 12.10.8.6...

Here is a video telling about my story.... the last photo is June of 2009.

another 5k today.. felt great. I ran outside.. I was so cold when i left but once i got out there i warmed up and it felt great. and yes.. it was a nice warm 70 degrees outside and NO wind! beautiful. I ran 2 miles around campus and then a mile in my neighborhood. My nikeplus didnt work correctly again.. I think it was because my ipod was not charged enough... so just know instead of the measly .33 miles i actually did 3.1 miles :) stretched when i got home and then did wii yoga :) I am lovin yoga.. might need to get a dvd again on that :) feelin great OH and i AM sore from yesterdays weight lifting and yes my abs are still screaming too! all evidence i am back in the game :) and making progress. and finally. if you have not seen the biggest loser finally.. its a MUST see. click here to take youself to view the whole episode on line! (the main way i watch tv these days :) Progressing towards the goal!

What a year. What a year. Needless to say.. when it comes to fitness and trying to stay healthy .. this year has been pretty darn tough for me. In an effort to refocus, re-motivate and re-dedicate myself to staying on course i decided to do a post reviewing the events of the past year. I will try and make it as brief as possible.. Dec 31 2007 .. I ended the year with a bang! a huge success... the last post of 07 was filled with excitement of being able to squat 100lbs SIX times! Jan 2008 .. first post of many this past year about giving up sugar. Yes.. the dreaded sugar. took a country western dance class with my hubby 6th: posted "be strong, be confident, and believe Feb 2008 The month of the flu (everyone in the family got it... I got it TWICE... actually lasted more like 6 weeks.. but we will call it the month of the flu) 26th: posted "already lost lots of strength" March 2008 the month of the shoulder injury. stopped lifting for good for a month April took up the th...

I just finished a 20 min session of HIIT training .. I am on vacation but we go home today .. i really wanted to do a 3 mile run this morning but my ipod was not charged (i went with it in red) and i really didnt feel that comfy running by myself in a place other than home .. so.. i might run another few miles tonight on the tread but will wait and see how i feel. so i ran about 6 intervals with the hills that are naturally occurring here it was a workout. now to go stretch and get my ab work in :) i look forward to next week and getting back into weight training :) YIPEEEEE ok.. going back through my blog i found this guy.. remember him? click here to see an amazing transformation! lady lost over 110lbs! I think i need to go through and do a post called "the best of" .. for a way to celebrate the end of 08 :) .. wonder what i am forgetting i wrote :) LOL get up and get going! :) and remember sprints are FUN :) OK just a fast update i did stretching and abwork I knew it was...

so happy my nikeplus works right now! YIPEEEEEE was a great run. tried to take it easy stopped and stretched.. didnt wanna but feel GREAT now. I just cant miss anymore.. so i did it :) now to pack, wrap, pack some more, clean and be santa :)

not a bad run tonight :) felt great. dont miss my plan below AND join my nikeplus challenge if you wanna :) (see post below) tomorrow is a non-run day but i will get on the mill for a few mins to see if i can get my nike plus to register correctly. love that thing but it is a bit frustrating to have it and it not register my runs correctly. I know its just me :) i am doing something wrong :) gotta go eat now.. nothing like a long run to make you hooooongry:)

This is my plan... 13.1 to be completed by ME on Feb 28th.. :) None run days will be alternating upper and lower body workouts... Runs during the week: These runs will be on Mondays and Wednesday Weeks 1-2 run those days for 40 mins weeks 3-5 run those days for 50 mins weeks 6-7 run for 60mins week 8 50 min week 9 run for 40 week 10 run for 30 My long runs will be on Saturdays: week 1 = 3miles week 2= 6 miles week 3 = 7 miles week 4 = 4 miles week 5= 8 miles week 6= 6 miles week 7=10miles week 8= 8 miles week 9 = 5 miles week 10= 13.1 miles NIKEPLUS Challenge anyone.. i set up a challenge for anyone who has a nike plus.. let me know if you have one and i will invite you via email (i need your email address to add you to the challenge as i made it a private challenge and not open to everyone at nikeplus) email me at ruthieartworks@yahoo.com if you wanna join in. the challenge is who can run-walk the most miles by Valanetine's Day :) come on and join the fun!

so i found out another way to make a run go by fast. try programing your nikeplus sensor to your pace... do you know what i am talking about? how you calibrate the sensor to your step .. anyway.. thats what i tried to do tonight when i ran. tried and tried and tried but i couldnt get it to stick... dont know what was wrong.. so i just switched it back to the settings it came with and decided to try again later i would love to hear what the trick is... so share if you know :) now for the run 2.6 miles and i feel better. now to go get things moved around so i can get the weight bench into the bedroom for the winter :) THEN decide what my next plan will be. i havent quit yet.

yeah.. its been busy around here.. mostly ME making the CHOICE to work on my children's book instead of anything else. I am happy I finally finished it.. heres a link if you wanna take a look. I am really glad it is all done and i can move on to something else. I hope to send it to a publisher and see if it gets picked up but have to do a bit of research on that first.. Elephants of Art An Element of Art ... By Ruthie Swedlund Book Preview I will not run tonight. but plan on it tomorrow.. :) I did a ton of cleaning scrubbing, organizing etc.. and then i got to go grocery shopping (urgh) .. I need to workup a def. workout plan for this week as we will be traveling for holidays a bit a big goal is to not miss a workout. I am mulling over joshas tag about plans for the new year.... will be...

today is a busy day.. but i am determined not to miss my run! I have a xmas party to go to in a few minutes.. then a xmas dinner tonight.. so i prob wont run until 9pm tonight.... I will post as soon i am finished. I did some looking through the nikeplus challenges.. and considering entering a few.. I am also going to prob use the training element of nikeplus to train for another half marathon... the beginning program is what I am considering as i dont want to work up too many miles two quickly ... I havent decided when i will start the training... but hopefully soon :) ok .. all for now just wanted to post that I promise to workout :) i will be back later.. until then burrrrrrrr ! its cold :) UPDATE 10:14 PM just finished a great run with my nikeplus it didnt register correctly on the nikeplus site.. so i dont know if my mimi me will have the correct information .. i think i need to calibrate my new plus.. will do that tomorrow.. :) i did 2.5 miles on the treadmill 10.88 pe...

I am so excited!!! remember a while back (like a year ag0? .. i dont remember when... but its been a while) josha sent me a nike plus .... i loved it. used it.... loved it more and then... LOST it. well tonight i got another one!!!! and i cant wait to use it!!!! and esp after seeing those cool shirts josha got from running in the nike plus races.. i will for sure be entering some.. just for the shirt :) I also got a new running bra :) I bought mine at academy its called the fiona click here for the website ok.. i am now off to look a nikeplus website and load my new info woooooo whooo.

OH i have missed it for so long! My happy place. That point in a run where .. it feels like you are just free.. the cares of the world are gone and you are just in this place... peaceful and happy. It happened between mile 1 and 2 today :) ahhh. just nice to have that feeling back. :) I did 3 miles today. warmed up first for .25 miles ran until 1.25 miles (a mile straight) walked until 1.5 (.25 walking) ran again until 2.5 (another mile straight) walked until 2.75 (.25 walking) and ran FAST the last .25 finished 3 miles average of 11.53 per mile not too fast but i am not going for speed just yet.. wanting to just get into that happy place and stay there for a bit. the happy place is what makes running fun. Its what makes me want to run.. without the happy place running is a drag. so i am so very excited i found it again :) after i ran i did some pushups, leg lifts, situps and hip-ups. :) (and you thought i was going to miss today too huh? :) This song is so fitting for me these days......

got up first thing to work out... went to let the cat in from the garage when i picked him up my back started spasming .. I was like URHG .. NOT AGAIN! but i got my shoes on anyway and got on the mill.. I did todays workout according to my plan... not going to fuss or worry or feel bad about missing the last two days.. I am just moving on .. so today 2.5 miles done. I felt bad the whole time.. I am telling you gals I feel like I am starting allllll over.... I feel like I have never run farther than a mile in my life.. it was tough. frustrating, emotional, and just down right depressing where I have let myself get too.. but you know what.. today is the start of climbing out of the pit.. of getting up and getting myself back. and THAT makes me happy! I have done it before I will do it again. NO Big. here's to feeling better ... its just a matter of time :)

yeah well planning isnt everything i keep thinking that one of these days i will actually be back in the routine i miss so much.. walking around in the body i miss so much and feeling the energy I miss so much. but again.. today.. it didnt happen. very late night last night and very very busy day today equals no energy so.. again.. I am here wondering when this will all begin to make since. Why.. after 2 years .. so long being determined, disciplined, and motivated.. .. why have I struggled so much for the last 8 weeks. I dont understand it... all i can hope is that this place i am in now will somehow make me more determined, more motivated and more disciplined to NOT GIVE UP. To keep myself focused on being healthy and fit until a ripe old age.... I know that life will never be perfect, i will never be perfect... but for goodness sakes.. enough is enough. I am ready for this to be a bit easier now.. SO i am off to bed.. praying for rest and a morning that finds me on the treadmill.. ...

urgh.. not they way i planned my day to start. 430 am our fridge woke up our daughter ... it was spewing water allll over the floor. got that taken care off and tried to go back to sleep but then was woken up at 7 by a loud noise.. our dog was in my daughters room on the floor having a seizure :( ... took her to the vet.. he thinks she has epilepsy. i am bummed. but so thankful she didnt die this morning like i thought she was going to do right there in front of the kids :( urgh.. love pets but i hate it when stuff like this happens. (we already lost one dog who got hit by a car when she got out of our yard when we were gone..so i dont want to go through that again) all this to say i am exhausted. and i am so tired of typing those words . i will run later this afternoon before 5... promise i will post here later when i do for now i must finish breakfast.. laundry, schooling, and take a nap :) hope your day started less exciting than mine! ------- GOOD NEWS .. BAD NEWS good news is i go...

BE SURE AND READ THE POST BELOW TO SEE MY NEW PLAN.. AND YOUR INVITATION TO JOIN ME !!!! :) did 2 miles :) and I am finally warm! . took 1.5 miles before my feet warmed up.. isnt that crazy! I hate to admit but i couldnt run the whole thing. 2 miles. wow. so sad.. to go from 14 mile run to not being able to do 2 is just flat out depressing. hopefully this will all come back quickly ... i still have some muscle in my legs.. see :) .. so thats good news.. Heres more proof of my exhausting workout: gotta love my mac :) and the great laughs my daughter had snapping these :)

I have had two misses in a row. I am not upset about this fact though.. as I am mentally back in the workout game.. Wednesday I did a huge amount of house cleaning which always feels better and really did help my soreness (which i had left over from the day before :) .. Yesterday was coop.. and its just too exhausting of a day to workout when i get home ... Thursdays will always be my day off until coop is over :) The winter has hit here (24 this morning) and although its a bit warmer here than where you are .. I miss those HOT days of summer. I dont understand why my body reacts to the cold the way it does but once i get cold .. i stay cold. its like I cant get warm. I know I know.. you are thinking .. "girl.. its 74 in your house right now" .. arent you warm now? .. the answer.. no. i am not. (weird huh). so.. Because of this cold issue.. I have given myself another " ultimatum " .. Start getting those runs in and see if that helps, OR go to the Dr. .. As all ...

did my day 2 workout just now.. right before i eat lunch.. should have done it first thing this morning but i woke up starvin and wanted to eat breakfast. I did the mile.. squats, deadlifts and biceps .. i took it easy on squats this time cause last week i THOUGHT i took it easy and i couldnt walk for 2 days! not good when the family is sick and your walking around groaning with every move.. so i learned my lesson.. easy grasshoppa :) happy i got it done busy day today gotta go blessings OOOOO not good.. already sore.. guess i didnt take it as easy as i thought :) hehe r

Its all about never quitting. Plain and simple. what other choice do I have? do I want to weigh 170lbs again? Do I want feet that hurt ever second of every day? Do I want those pains back that woke me up at night when i would simply roll over in bed? Am I going to choose to be tired and depressed everyday? Do I want to hate every single piece of clothing I put on? Do I want to feel old and weak? Do I want to return to going to the Dr every 2 months because I am sick, or just don't feel "right"? nope. sure don't. I like the me I worked so hard for.. and I am going to keep her. No matter how many obstacles get in the way. No matter how many times I pull my back out, or how many shoulder injuries that come my way, no matter how many days off i MUST take to get my family well and back to normal. I just cant quit. not an option. How I feel effects who I am. Who I am effects who and what I will become. Who I am effects who my husband will be and who my children will be. Who...