What Do You Do When You Fall Down?

My knees - 11/26/2011

I re-learned a valuable lesson this past week. When you fall down, you need to get back up again. This applies to so many areas of life, especially healthy living. Even if your knees get bloody, get back up.

First, let me tell you what happened on Saturday morning. At o'dark-thirty, I was out for a run. Yes, I like getting up early to run. I can sneak out of the house while the rest of the family is still sleeping. I can have some alone time, and I can get a good workout done with minimal traffic interruptions.

I was running a long route around town, and I wanted to add a new loop to extend my mileage a little. In order to do that, I had to cut down a main street that sometimes sees more traffic at that hour. So to be safe, I stayed on the sidewalk. Even though I run with a light and a reflective vest, I didn't want to dodge cars. I don't usually run on the sidewalk because it's more uneven than the asphalt, plus concrete is a harder surface.

All of a sudden, I caught my toe on a crack in the sidewalk, and I went tumbling. It all happened so fast. I was lying in a heap on the sidewalk in the pre-dawn light. I told myself to GET UP! Don't lay there, get up, get moving again. I got up and started walking. Once I made sure nothing was sprained or broken, I started jogging.

I could feel the stinging pain of ripped skin and once I got under a street light, I stopped to see how much blood there was. Thankfully, I had leggings on so it kept the dirt out, but my knees had a nice case of road rash, as well as the heels of my hands where I caught myself.

I decided to keep going. I had two more miles to go. I could have taken a direct route and made it home in a half mile, but I wanted to finish my mileage. As I got moving, the coolness of the morning air numbed the stinging.

I'm glad I kept going. It was a good run, in spite of the fall. It added up to one of my highest mileage weeks since I began running.

Just as I did on Saturday morning, when my 4 year old daughter falls, I always encourage her to get right back up. And the same principle applies to healthy living. There are a lot of ways to fall, but the important thing is to get up again. It's only failure when you don't get up again.

Don't lie there on the sidewalk after a piece (or three) of pie. Recommit to your healthy living goals. Remind yourself that food is FUEL and not comfort. Schedule your workouts when life is chaotic and over-scheduled. Reach out for help when you need encouragement. 

*** Pep talk done ***

Personal Update: I have a Reindeer Run 5k this Saturday. I'm really looking forward to this race! I know several people who will be running, I'm wearing a costume of sorts to get in the holiday spirit, plus the race course is one of the routes that I have been training on.

I have not weighed myself recently. Since our move this fall, I've been struggling to get back in the saddle, I've been eating my stress away, and life has been too chaotic. Time to pick myself back up, jump back on the wagon, and re-focus. This week, I'll be focusing on 7 servings of fruits and veggies EVERY DAY. It's one small thing I can do to get moving in the right direction.

Have you fallen? Do you need to pick yourself back up? Just do it!
 

Ten Reasons I Don't Blog Much Anymore

In no particular order...

1. I am studying to be a Certified Personal Trainer, and studying means not much computer time.

2. The four year old needs my attention when she's home.

3. The husband needs my attention when he's home.

4. I am finally unpacking the last of the boxes from our October 1st move.

5. I can't say that I haven't been inspired, just that when inspiration strikes, I'm not near the computer.

6. I'm still focusing on fitness and healthy eating, which actually takes a lot of time.

7. I have been posting & promoting giveaways and reviews over on bookieboo.com. What little computer time I have is spent there some days.

8. Family and church life has been very busy this fall.

9. Pinterest... need I say more?

10. I sometimes struggle with the purpose of my blog, so when I do have inspired thoughts, I'm not sure how to share them.


For more inspiring Top Ten Tuesday posts, be sure to visit ohamanda.com

Controlling What I Can

Last week I mentioned that life has been crazy. So I made a plan, and it helped tremendously! Life is still just as busy, but having a fitness plan and menu plan for the week helped me take control over a few small things. Even a small amount of control goes a long way!

Fitness: I was able to stick with my plan and had 229 fitness minutes last week. Adding the core workouts this week was most excellent.  I really had been neglecting my core. My running legs are feeling strong, and I know I'll be ready for my next 5k on December 3rd.

My fitness plan for this week (thanks to Janice for helping me tweak my schedule):

Monday - a.m. run - hill workout
Tuesday - a.m. core workout, p.m. cardio/strength class
Wednesday - a.m. run - speed workout
Thursday - a.m. core workout, p.m. cardio/strength class
Friday - a.m. core workout, power walk
Saturday - long run
Sunday - rest day

Nutrition: It was a good week. I knew I had been eating way too many sweets, so I focused on reaching for fruit when I had a sweet craving. I also make an afternoon smoothie to share with my 4 year old daughter twice last week (that's when my sweet cravings always hit). I know my veggie intake hasn't been great lately, so I'm planning to have salads instead of leftovers for lunches this week.

Here's my menu plan:

Monday - veggie/cheese egg scrambles, whole wheat biscuits/toast
Tuesday - baked chicken, baked potatoes, steamed veggies
Wednesday - church night
Thursday - paninis & salad
Friday - vegetable lasagna, salad, garlic bread
Saturday - BBQ with friends
Sunday - FIFI (Find It, Fix It) a.k.a. leftovers

Having a plan really did help last week. Even if I didn't follow the plan to the letter, it helped to manage the chaos. Maybe it was just the chaos in my head, but whatever....

The Scale: Frankly, I haven't weighed myself recently.  But I did re-check my measurements. Bust & biceps remained the same. Thighs are down 3/4 inch each. But my waist & hips are both up 1/2 inch. Yes, I've been neglecting my core!

Non-scale victory: My running! Never would have thought that running almost 4.5 miles would be fun, but it is!

Thanks for all of your encouragement & support!

Making a Plan

Life has been chaotic lately. I feel like I'm on a roller coaster, and I forgot to fasten my seat belt. I know from experience that when I have a plan to tackle the chaos, I do a better job of hanging on when things get crazy.

Here's my fitness plan for the week:

Monday - a.m. run (hill workout)
Tuesday - a.m. core workout, p.m. cardio/strength class
Wednesday - a.m. run (speed workout)
Thursday - a.m. core workout, p.m. cardio/strength class
Friday - power walk, or Pilates, or yoga (depending on what I need)
Saturday - a.m. run (endurance)
Sunday - rest day

Making a menu plan has been challenging because of the busyness, but here's this week's plan:

Monday - baked chicken, pasta, sauteed veggies
Tuesday - breakfast for dinner - veggie/cheese scrambles, turkey sausage, biscuits
Wednesday - dinner at church/Bible study
Thursday - crockpot chili, cornbread, side salad
Friday - chicken cordon bleu casserole, steamed veggies
Saturday - FIFI (Find It, Fix It) a.k.a. leftovers
Sunday - personal pizzas, side salad

Non-Scale Victory: My next 5k is December 3rd, and this past week my Hubby told me he wants to run it too! He has four weeks to prepare and is planning to run/walk, but I'm VERY excited that he wants to do this with me!

My goal for this week is to manage the chaos and not feel like I'm a chicken with my head cut off. Hopefully making a plan will help! Have a great week!