Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Let's make this year count!

A very happy New Year to everyone!  I have accomplished more in the last year in regards to my health and fitness than I have in all the previous years of my life.  I read my post from last New Years, and I didn't make a resolution per se, because I don't believe in them.  I did however commit to eating well and to do the best that I could to become the healthiest person I could.  I accomplished what I set out to do.  Read the snippet below...

I never make New Years resolutions, but this year I think I'm going to resolve to be conscious of one thing and one thing only.  Taking each day one day at a time and not worrying about what next week or next month might bring me.  We worry too much about making goals for ourselves.  Other than work related goals, I have never been able to keep personal goals.  That is mainly because I have sabotaged myself year after year because I'm the queen of making unrealistic goals for myself.  That being said, I'm making a resolution right now...to not make a weight-loss goal for myself, but to continue to eat the way I am and focus on my health.  There.  I just took the pressure off and now I think, no I know, I can keep that resolution:)

This year will find me focusing less on weight-loss, and more on maintenance and running of course.  Moving on to maintenance has been a scary prospect for me, but Caron over at  At Goal Weight Watcher made an excellent point.  I've been on maintenance for the past year.  This is true.  I've already made adjustments along the way and I believe I'm currently in my comfortable eating zone.  No refined sugar, no processed carbs, low fat, low sodium.   A recipe for success.  It has been for me anyway.  And the only way it will continue to work for me is if I continue to eat this way forever.  Something I can totally commit to.  The other option is not at all appealing.  I'm never yo-yo dieting again.  Or at least that is the plan Stan.

My running?  After my half marathon in March and the 2 person relay for The Bay, I'm going to start teaching clinics again. I'm also going to make a goal to run my first full marathon in the fall. I'm going to attempt the Road 2 Hope, a local Hamilton marathon.  It's also a Boston qualifier and although I'll likely not qualify for Boston this year, I'm gonna try.  I need to complete the marathon in under 3:45:00 to qualify for Boston.  That's a 00:5:03 kilometer doing 10:1 intervals.  I have a lot of work to do this year.  I'm not likely to qualify for Boston come the fall.  And that's okay.  I'll try again in another year if I don't.  No biggie. I'll definitely try though.  I need a running goal to work towards.

Yesterday I woke up at 6am to go out and get a quick run in.  I had grocery shopping to do, a couple of visits, and hors d'oeuvres prep for the evening. My BIL came for the night to celebrate the New Year with us.  Every New Years eve hubby and I stay in and eat appetizers for dinner.  I threw together some that I could eat too and drank a couple of glasses of wine.  My days eats were pretty simple...Breakfast was 2 hard boiled eggs, coffee with cream and a couple of handfuls of nuts over at my gal Tanya's place.  Jules and I went over for a play date with her little guy in the morning.  We went home and ate lunch around noon.  The rest of my food intake is detailed below...

Lunch was left over chicken curry with rutabaga from Saturday...
Mid afternoon snack...I ate about half of what's here.
New Years eve spread. I stuck to the carrots, hummus, shrimp
and I had some olives...Hubby and BIL ate the rest!
Yesterday afternoon we went to visit my running partner Beverly and her family.  I hadn't spent time with her since before her surgery December 6th.  It was great to catch up and she gave me a very special Christmas gift.  The mug on the right is mine.  It's purple of course since purple is my signature color   I just made it my signature color right now.  Everyone knows I LOVE purple!  The mug on the left is Beverley's.  On the back it says...Walt Disney Marathon 2014.  That is our "together goal".  What a wonderful gift!  I will also always think about Carol when I use my mug...Carol's partner Lou made them:)



What was the one thing I wanted to do this New Year's day?  Run of course.  My hubby and I decided to do a New Year's run together.  Because my BIL was visiting, we had a baby sitter.  I'm making a turkey dinner for today and after I got my turkey in the oven, we headed out to the Running Room for a 9+K run.  This was super exciting because it's my hubby's longest distance to date.  I chose a course I ran about a month ago with my clinic.  There was no snow the last time I ran this trail, but it was breathtakingly beautiful and I'm so glad we did this together.  There's no one I would have rather done this run with.  Here's to a healthy and happy 2013!  Let's make this year count!

At the 5K mark!  Goofy faces:)

My most beautiful run to date:)