Fit with Ruthie

well.. i should be use to this by now... figuring out where to start or start over again.. i have done this enough times this year it should be easy for me :) i guess i will 'restart' the marathon training.. with 40 min sessions during the week and start with week 2 or 3 as my long runs. I AM SO FRUSTRATED WITH THIS! its like i am on a stupid hamster wheel and can make any progress!!! urgh . but what else is there to do but keep going. I will still be doing bfl for weights .. it was working great before i got sick :) so thats the plan.. which more simply is a plan not to quit :) I feel like I need a friend who will actually run a race with me .. a 5k or 10k .. anything :) course i guess i could just run it with my daughter huh? hum. ready to start feeling like an athlete again and not a frumpy housewife ... i am tired of wearing the same pair of jeans all the time cause the others are too tight, i am tired of having to adjust my jeans over my baby skin belly (which is bigge...

wow .. where does time go? YIKES... 1000 posts????? thats just nuts! ok .. is it a sad day or an exciting day? I havent decided. This officially is my 1000th post on this blog. I am wondering where the time went and thinking surely by now i would have found better things to do with my time than post 1000 times on a blog. But the truth is . this blog keeps me going.... keeps me movin.. and keeps me from returning to the person i use to be :) I havent reached all my goals yet .. . and if injury and illness are any indication i probably never will! BUT.... i will keep trying :) so.. heres a celebration of 1000! and what it really represents.. my refusal to quit! :) i walked 3 laps and jogged about 200 meters at noon today and thought i would die! hopefully friday i will be feeling a bit better and able to do more... but today's goal was reached. "focus on being active again" :)

wow what a crazy week and almost half! .. we have officially survived the Flu... and all are mostly feeling well and back to normal. :) we will are "blessed" with a bit of coughing which happens mostly at night when i am trying to sleep.. but its getting better :) I woke up this morning finally feeling back to normal! Flu Demon had a big hold on me for sure :) I will begin working out again tomorrow... my plan for until monday is to just work back up to just being active :) and hope to be back on plan on Monday :) I have been working on my kitchen redo... heres some pictures. above is the before picture.... tan and white and pink :) yes.. i have a pink kitchen.. original 1950s pink with oven, stove, and sink to match :) I like it cause ... well.. who else do you know that has pink counter tops etc? I have been wanting to add more color to our house for while now.. so i started with the kitchen.... I painted the ceiling a high gloss white which really makes it look crisp and c...

well last night i started feeling better. but the kids coughed most of the night.. leaving me "sleeping" in a chair and catching a hour or two of sleep.... the nights are starting to become a blur... I am so thankful i feel better but lack of sleep makes it so hard to function. i guess for now i will sleep during the day when i can. oldest is still running fever... all three coughing...i am figuring 2 more days (i hope) and we will be well. hope its not wishful thinking.

I seem to be better... still have a cough and def not 100% but i am actually up and making dinner right now :) Cat is the one who got it last.. she is still running fever but the boys seem almost well.. heard the cough lasts a week after the flu symptoms leave. Looking forward to next week and feeling like running :)

yep.. Nate has the flu Joseph started with fever while i was at the dr with nate Cat doesnt look to hot either.. I feel bad... could it be cause i was up every 2 hours last night or cause i have it too? being up all night doesnt usually make a person cough.. so i assume its the flu .. URGH>

got a sick little boy at my house woke us up at 5ish this morning with fever it got up to 104 today!!! scary! we now have it down and hopefully it will stay that way with tylenol and motrin ever 2 hours... i have a docs appoint early tomorrow morning. dont know if i will run today. i am pretty sleepy and know i will prob not sleep much tonight so i will wait and see how i feel.

I ran today at the kids track practice. I have no idea how many times i went round and round and round the track.. but figure its close or over 3 miles for sure. I ran one mile right behind a long legged 12 year old! that was fun! The rest of the miles i ran 3 mins walked 2 like the plan says :) feeling stronger everyday and I am so happy to be able to say that! busy day today. I teach art class tonight to 10 kids in my house.. so i am off to get the house clean and do errands to get ready :) more tomorrow after legs .. OH and need to be inspired? watch this .. (i watch most on my computer while i lifted weights wednesday) and check the guy out ! (he was in the video above!) Heres a question: if a 72 year old woman can finish an iron man triathlon .........whats my excuse? SEVENTY TWO!

decided to take today off. busy day with teaching, then supper, etc... I will adjust the schedule to do my long run on Sunday. I am sure my runs will all take place on the treadmill cause a cold front is heading our way :( I was happy to wear a pair of pants today that I couldnt zip 7 weeks ago! so progress is being made for sure! I am so happy to be feeling strong again .. mentally and physically. I have no more doubts that i will get back to where i use to be :) who knows.. maybe reach new goals too! more tomorrow after my workout :)

Just finished my upper body workout. not much time have to take kids to track i posted progress photos you can see here I AM SO HAPPY I AM FEELING STRONG AGAIN!!!!!!!!! sweet.

ok.. ran before breakfast. feeling good have to get going taking the kids to the museum.. only 10 mins to get ready.. 40 min run-walk.. 2.93 miles FEELING STRONGER EVERYDAY!

ok so I am up way to late .. but i tried to sleep and couldnt so i got up and ate a few triscuits and some skim m. cheese stick. then i realized i havent posted today.. so here is what i did. I worked out at track today while the kids were running. walk a lap to warm up. 1 set of bleachers to make sure 12. 10. 8. 6 of slow walking DEEP bending lunges .. the kind where the back knee almost touches the ground. I focused on slow movements and sometimes held the position until i was 'shaky' in the legs. walk half a lap. do 5 "jump ups"on a platform that was about 2 feet off the ground. grabbed a concrete ball and did a set of deadlifts, the a set of squats, then deadlifts. did a few more walking lunges then a few more bleachers and stretched. I planned on lifting a few weights when i got home but my legs were spent.. so i didnt :) eats were good today. breakfast eggs and toast with tea lunch HUGE veggie salad with lean ham and triscuit snack almonds and a few dark choc m...

make sure and watch all the videos.. awesome.. i am so inspired by this guy wow. UPDATE! 9:53 PM Just finished a 4 mile run on the treadmill. not worrying about time these days... just distance :) I didn't feel good until mile 2 :) ... and i feel GREAT now that i finished! I am off to stretch some more and hydrate :) determined to get it back. Happy Running! here you see my "fancy" set up where i can watch tv on my computer while i run :)

mural progress from today. spent 6 hours working on the rocks, tree and sky above the tree.. yes.. the tree will have leaves :) but i have to wait for this to dry :) and LOTS more vegetation will be there too.. flowers.. etc :) New style for my long runs :) I am liking the ability to braid the hairs :) Su misses me after being gone.. this is just before my run on Phriday :) more after upper body workout UPDATE: YEAH see.. I am right.. I MUST get the workout done first thing in the morning. here it is almost 1025pm and no workout.. well I did 2 sets of chest and 1 set of bis but then got called away... I am doing 25 pushups and calling it good enough. more tomorrow after i run (maybe in the rain.. i hope and pray) UPDATED (again) 1037 ok.. scratch that. I decided i could squeeze it in.. heres what i did 2 sets of chest flies 1 set of curls count of 12 24 pushups mens style :) 1 set of curls count of 12 with 20lbs each hand tri extensions 24 5 pushups with hands on the exer. ball. 1 set ...

"why didnt i think of this before????... working out first thing in the morning.. wow.. what a concept. Lots of the mental reasons i struggled with are just GONE when i get up and just DO IT! GET UP, GET DRESSED, LACE UP THOSE SHOES AND JUST DOOOOOOOO IT. (no fussin about "trying to squeeze in time" or "i just dont feel like it" or "i have this and that that needs to be done first" .. its just DONE>) wow.. amazing how well it works.. should have thought of that earlier :) hehe Just off the treadmill.. 5 min walk for warm up.. ran 35 min alternating 3 mins of running and 2 mins of walking. not quite 3 miles. It was great.. I got that "OH I FEEL GREAT" feeling again.. hadnt had that in a while.. right at mile 2 :) like i could run forever. Ran while i watched the biggest looser on my computer. Loving that show :) Talk about motivating.. if THOSE people can run, jump, and lift carrying all that extra weight.. whats my excuse with only 15...

Set the alarm for 6am . Woke up very tired. Got up anyway. Not tired anymore. Heart pumpin. Body sweatin. Mind relaxed and ready to get on with the day. LBW: Squats 12. 10. 8. 6 Deadlifts: 12. 10. 8. 6. lunges: set of 24 DEEP bend lunges as burnouts Abwork: ex. ball crunches 1 set of 24 1 set of 12 1 set of 24 1 set of 12 so happy i have it done before the kids are up.. nice quiet time to think. I am off to teach.... better get going. OH and I failed to mention that Feb 3rd was my official ONE MONTH with NO Sodas! now.. to make it 2 :) 8.29pm UPDATE: LOVED working out this morning.. made my day just go by so GREAT. One problem. ... now i am tired.. and its only 830 :) I had my moments of "oh i am tired" but mostly it was a great day :) well worth getting up early to get it over with so it isnt on my mind allllll day. :) Good news.. I am SORE already :)

I am done with my workout for the day!!! YIPEEE why did i EVER stop working out first thing in the morning! I feel GREAT .. happy dance going on over here thank you very much :) I did a 5 min warm up walk then ran 3 min walk 2 mins for 35 mins. It was fun. It was relaxing :) Now I can get on with my day :) relaxed refreshed and ready to go :) OH and my foot was GREAT!

OK gals. I know it takes a while to get back at it.. but i am officially fet up with myself :) LOL I am thrilled i am getting my workouts in ... but.. what has changed... what is different NOW than a year ago..? or less than a year ago? I know what works. I know what it feels like to be fit, confident, strong, and no aches and pains :) I remember what it feels like to be able to run for miles and miles and feel GREAT and LOVE every minute. I have been fighting myself... still.. i know.. I have made progress.. dont get me wrong.. but I have done some things to get me off track. Here are some things that are going to change.. right now.. tonight.. I use to get up first thing in the morning and workout.. it was a habit.. it was just something i did like brushing my teeth before bed.. so. starting tomorrow morning.. My workout is done as the kids eat breakfast .. like it use to be done. It will be finished. Done. Out of the way for the day. I USE to drink water like it was.. well.. water. ...

you know.. its all about perspective. yesterday was a good and bad day.... but the bad day part was just flat out uncalled for. I know the journey to fitness and health is an emotional, physical and spiritual one. Its about loving me where i am NOW but looking forward to who i will become. My perspective on yesterday all changed in a few seconds. My husband had cleared off some images off his old computer (one he hasnt used in years) and we spent a fun hour looking at old photos. Some of those photos were from one of the many times i took before photos and didnt finish the body for life program... The photos were me at my largest... Heres just a tiny sampling of what we found :) And suddenly I had a change in perspective. I was a size tight 16 in these photos. This one was after I had lost some weight.. I have an even larger photo I will share but didnt get it off his computer. And we found this picture.. This is 6 month AFTER my first successful transformation I had two more months t...

well my foot is still feeling like its wanting to be an issue URGH.. makes me mad.. but what can i do.. so today i walked while the kids were at track.. 2miles. I keep holding on to my someday. Today was my day for healthy eats ... if i cant get those long runs in i am going to have to be particularly spot on with my eats to keep making progress. I am happy with today... and frustrated at the same time. (is that possible?) I am happy because: I added NO sugar to my ever so slightly sweetened tea :) You see I use to sweeten it in the pitcher to my husbands liking (just a slight sweetness) and then i would add 2 or 3 TEASPOONS to my glass .... but not anymore. not today. I had NO tortilla chips today .. i made my 100% wheat ones out of whole wheat flour tortillas. I had salad twice today. :) both along with other meals :) I tried a new recipe and LOVED it:) I am frustrated because: I am craving sugar like crazy and it just makes me mad it has such a hold on me. I have been putting mysel...

OK gals.. i am on a mission.. to get back to the way i use to eat :) I have some old favorites as far as recipes.. I am on the search for new and exciting recipes to fuel this body of mine :) I found THIS site that has some great videos ... of one of my old favorites of oatmeal pancakes .. but i lost the recipe :( but the link above has a video for it :) so its going back on my meal plan :) My main goal this week is to eat squeaky clean and drink that water! So. I just if you are reading this.. consider yourself tagged.. sometime this week post your favorite recipes for healthy eats :) MONDAY UPdate I just ate these.. and loved them!