Fit with Ruthie

Today was a great day... I did a few laps walking tonight at track while the kids ran fast and worked hard... then i came home and lifted weights.. upper body... chest, tris, bis, and shoulders.. hit tens.. felt great! on a nutritional side of things.. as of tonight i am 2 days meat free. I have given the veg thing a try before.. but i decided to add this to my "stepping off" of things list. first it was icecream, then candy bars, then donuts, cake, then.. (the list goes on).. and now with sodas gone.. and sugar better than its been ... I decided to go meatless. :).. I am doing it more to give my system a bit of a break and to see how i feel... it didnt take long .... tonight after i ate supper i had a "rush" feeling.. a feeling of "oh that tasted so good and I could go run 5 miles right this second" feelin.. strange and cool all at the same time! tomorrow is 4o mins... .. i am looking forward to running.. although i would like to not have to run it around...

click here .. you might have to register.. but its free :)

Well.. It didn't happen yesterday.. I planned it but it didn't work out.. so.. this morning I am leaving a few mins early for track so i can try and get all 5 miles in today.. we will see not worrying about my yesterdays but doing what i can do today. :) more later afterwards do you see that glow that happens after a run! proof that i do feel better after a nice run :) WOOOOOOOOOOOOOWHOOOOOOOOO! I FEEL GREAT! 5 miler done.. I walked to the track from our house and while the kids practiced .. I ran and ran and ran and walk a tad .. around in circles ... 20 laps YIPEE. feels great to have it done.. BUT I HATE RUNNING IN THESE RUNNING SHORTS! (note to self.. running skirt is MUST for runs longer than 2 miles)

today I looked back a bit.. I watched Josha's video and mine.. I looked at before pictures.. and afters... and I decided .. esp after a great talk with my sweet sis.. .. what a better post than to look back.... The picture above is me.. from 2001... here i was 4weeks into my body for life program... I was a size 16. I often ask myself what is it that motivates me to run, to lift, and to not eat that bowl of ice cream.. short and simple answer.. I don't ever want to look and feel like i did in the picture above I DO .. however.. want to get back to the strength, energy, and enthusiasm I had this past summer.. .. What a difference a few years makes.. Interestingly enough.. I would have NEVER guessed that 8 years would have made such a difference.. I talk to people some times and they say they never remember me "being THAT big".."you have always been small".. uh.. NOPE.. and theres a picture to prove it :) .. If you would have told me in 01 that i would run a h...

wednesday was to be upper body... but i missed. It was a busy day.... so i ended up deciding to do upper body on thursday with my run. Thursday was coop day... we went to track practice last night but practice was not running.. it was to watch the college level track meet at the stadium we train at everyday. We got to see the 800 meter, 100 meter dash, 4 by 400 relay, 3000 meter, and lots of field events. It was great fun. I did, however, end up taking my kids and two other gals from the team on a run around campus... so we at least got 2 miles in yesterday despite the meet. All this track watching meant i didnt get home until after 8.. had to cook supper etc... so.. i didnt do upper body yesterday either. Today at noon i am meeting a photographer from the local newspaper who is coming to take pictures of me training for my half marathon. They are writing a article on running and people training for a race and i was interviewed for the article. Its a bit wierd to think of myself being ...

got that run in today.. at 6pm.. took the kids to track this evening for an extra practice this week. i did 3.25 ish miles in 40 mins.. i lost track of laps but know it was atleast 3 miles for sure.. I feel good... sore. and my leg is still tender from the ankle twist but did not hurt when i ran :) on eats front... i am cutting back on sugar again.. drank 1.5 glasses of tea today as compared to a normal 4 or 5 glasses :) .. drank water the rest of the day... had a major headache but when i started running it went away :) ... only to come back a hour later... more tomorrow after i lift :)

ok.. had a mile walk this morning at track in the 50 mile per hour wind! :)  busy day.. and had to split the workout in two .. like Josha has been known to do :)  I did squats, leg extensions, and walking lunges BEFORE my board  meeting..  then came home .. drank a shake and finished the workout..  more squats, leg extensions, dead lifts, and stationary lunges :)  will be sore.. and glad i got it done even split in two :)  my right leg is sore :( ... the outside of  my lower right leg from my knee to my ankle.. i was trying to figure out what i did... and i remembered.. i went to give Jo a high five during the race and twisted my ankle.. so much so i almost feel :) ... .. my foot is fine.. and there is no swelling etc.. just a sore muscle feeling..  i will try and run through it tomorrow.... will let you know.. :)  being patient as i move forward... means someday i will get where i wanna be :) 

a few more pictures :) thanks Sarah! these are great! Look at my baby flying! UPDATE Catherine F 9-12 00:31:24 Ruthie F 40-49 00:31:25 I LOVE THIS! the results came out on line... and i LOVE the one second difference between Cat and I.. whats even cooler. is that we could both have done better .. but Cat's stomach started hurting with about a mile left to go...so she ran through the pain and we finished together :) We are going to have to get her up about 3 hours before a race and get her to eat a meal :) .. Looking forward to our next 5k together :) and i am sure she will beat me again :) What a GREAT way to spend a Saturday morning! Up before the sun! all smiles and ready to go! cat and I before the race :) The boys ran the 1.5 Jo finishing strong! Nate finishing strong too :) Above is Cat going through after her first lap.. just one more to go! Here Cat (in the blue) and I am behind her in the white shirt with back running skirt :) PLEASE NOTE THE SHIRT I AM WEARING JOSHA! ...

You know when your in the middle of it... the middle of YOUR long winter? Feeling like your in a cave and keep searching but cant find your way out? I am here.. I am proof that if you just don't give up SOMEDAY you will be out of that Long Winter. I had years of winter before... years of when i kept thinking .. surely someday .. it wont be like this. The extra weight, the exhaustion, the stress i carried around for years. ... For the last 2 years ..i have had seasons of doubt. But the longer i stick with it.. the shorter the periods of winter last. My latest Long Winter is OVER! I have made it through doubt, worry, and wondering if my life will ever be like it use to be. If it would ever again be active and positive, and making and reaching goals. I am thrilled to be back! To be out of that darkness and constant self-doubt and back to working hard, sweating, and feeling great about myself. I LOVE the different person I am when I am eating healthy and working out. Its a different me...

3.25 miles tonight AFTER co-op i might add... took the kids to track practice at 6pm and ran around and around the track while they ran round and round too! :) I did 3 miles in 37.55 min.. which isnt that fast at all .. BUT i shortened my stride and took it slow.. walking a bit after each mile completed... I am sooooooooo HHHIIIIPPPP HIP HIP Happy that my hit doesnt hurt! what a relief! what great news after months of disapointment and struggles :) gotta go cook supper.. after running tonight Nate said he was empty.

who needs root beer when you can have a strawberry, banana and protein smoothie for lunch! I just got home from track practice.. the boys ran a little over 2.5 miles.. cat ran 3.5 :) I walked about a mile and a half (i think.. lost track when i was visiting :) ....I came home and hit the gym-garage.. did this: deadlifts, squats, lat pulldowns, leg extensions, and twists with the bar on my back the lifting session only lasted about 15 mins but it was enough :) I am already sore from yesterdays run in my upper thighs.. so i KNOW i will be sore tomorrow from lifting weights. I have been having pain in my hip again.. so i think i need to shorten my stride and really need to research that chirunning (josha).. I miss the days of pain free runs... but i know the more i stick with it the more my body will adjust and i will get stronger... so i just need to keep going :) Can we talk about EATs for a bit? I am focusing this week on getting back on track with eats. When we were on vacation I had ...

I havent been this sore in ages! guess that workout yesterday did the trick :) UPDATE: just home from my 2 mile run.. ran the first mile in 9:07.. walked and ran most the second mile 10:17.. for a grand total for a 2 miler at 19:24. WOW IT FELT SO GREAT! I HAD TO PUSH MYSELF TO GET THROUGH IT.. but to sweat, to be by myself.. to have the music in my head and nothing else except to keep telling myself i could do it.. to be away.. to destress, to relax... to feel the breeze on my skin, to have the sun shinning on my face (with my new glasses!).. FANTASTIC! I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO MY NEXT RUN! it was a crazy busy day but i came home cooked supper and didnt eat... told the fam to save some for me for AFTER my run! more tomorrow after i do lower body in my clean(er) garage!

Just finished my upper body workout ... bis, tris, shoulders, and chest... did bfl style 12 10 8 6 and burnouts. can tell i am already feeling it! I also did ab work on the exer. ball... and just a bit of leg work. We were also back at track at noon today... the kids ran and ran .. and I walked 2 miles ... looking forward to at least 2 mile walk run tomorrow.. i am so ready to be in SHAPE again! ... UPDATE Ok i am happy with how today turned out :) so glad i finally got a workout in ! I cleaned the garage-weight lifting gym out today ... during the winter it tend to turn into a massive donation pile :) ... so now i can get to my weights to do legs on wednesday when it will be in the EIGHTIES again !!! yes! i am thrilled!.. .. I am also back into my protein shakes.... had my first shake tonight after 5 months or so of NO shakes :) ... yummy strawberry, yogurt, and vanilla protein! :) and it tastes GREAT! plan on running in the morning before schooling the kidos :) if i have to get on th...

We are finally well and I am looking forward to Monday and getting a few good weeks of fitness back on the blog :) I cant believe its been a month since any major run or lifting workouts. Feb. is just a fog.... I updated my workout plan on my sidebar and added a ticker to help me keep track of the weeks until my half on July 4th.. More on Monday after I workout:)

(in progress) DH is sick. upper resp infection. i have a sore throat and headache :( urgh. didnt workout to day.. i did this instead: (eeeooooo.. nasty under the carpet!) (before the carpet came out... )

feeling better! 2mile walk this morning before 8 .. felt grand! more details later. :)YIPEE hey any of you readers on facebook? i started a facebook group called Independence Day Half.. come join us to run-walk- or crawl and celebrate your independence on July 4th. .. email me at ruthieartworks@yahoo.com or comment below and i will send you an invite to the group if you can find it :)

(photo via http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Injury-when-Falling-off-a-Horse) just posted on Transformation.com.. still sick :(.. -------------- so my last post was Feb 6th. I was back into a great routine of working out first thing in the morning and looking forward to a nice long run the following Sunday. Then .. Sunday came .. and instead of running.. I was taking care of my youngest who came down with a horrible fever and cough. SIXTEEN days later our family was finally well. (all by my DH got the flu). Last week we were well! I was getting back to working out a bit and trying to get my energy back after being so sick for so many days. Then... it happened again! This past Sunday.. the Stomach bug! 4 days of caring for my son and he is well.. but I am not! We will have gone almost a whole month with only one week of being well! to say i am frustrated is an understantment. In Aug i was training for a full marathon and in the best shape of my life. Month after month since then has been inj...

good grief.. where did our health go? Nate is still sick.. thinking its the stomach flu. now i am pretty sure i have it.. a milder version so far... will spare you the details URGH>

I was up last night with Nate but also with my own tummy issues... It seems the 'cleaner' i eat the more drastic my stomach reacts when i deviate from my normal diet. I am amazed what 12 little animal crackers can do to my digestive system. 2 hours of tummy trouble is no fun. I am very happy though to announce today is officially 2 months with NO Sodas :) During and after the Flu I craved cokes like crazy.. but i didnt give in to the urge to drink them :) Funny how when we start feeling bad the old cravings come back. Since i was up late last night i started looking on the internet at Vegsource .com and contemplating my next plan of action as far as diet goes. I am def tired of having tummy aches and low-fluctuating energy levels.. .. I have begin to think i am lactose intolerant.. and of course still have issues with sugar .. although now that the cokes are out of my life that seems to be much better :) I have also come to a point where saying NO to cakes, blizzards, and candy...

(UPDATE ... monday 8:22am ..Nate woke up at 330 with fever :( URGH> this is just nuts) Ok gals.. how about March 21st? is that too soon for you ??? I was thinking of running in a 5k race that day but i could do the 5k two times :) ... I painted yesterday and today :) ... have about 5weeks to have all the murals at church done :) AND i got a lead on a possible job at another local church (which will be nice if it works out)... I love painting :) like.. LOVE IT. . I will be running 40 mins tomorrow morning.. I am feeling better... still lack energy but think running will help with that .. (and sleep which seems rare these days)... My youngest woke up last night throwing up! I am like URGH when will the illness in my family end! ... he is better.. no fever but just feels bad... i assume its a virus again:( .. so let me know what day is good for you all and we will do the 10k. I NEED a plan with people :)