love and be loved

Woke up constantly last night to Jane crying. She is still getting over a cold and still was not feeling well. I finally decided to get up at 7am and get changed for a run. I stretched and ran 4.0 miles at 6.2mph and 2% incline. Then I did a cool down of 0.5 miles at 4.1mph and the same incline. As I was doing my lunges, squats, and leg lifts, my brother brought Jane down to the basement and experimented with Jane on the treadmill. She absolutely loved it! Her face was priceless and she is a god little runner! (being held up by my brother, of course). We want to dress up up like a little runner with a sweatband and long socks and take a video so that I can show Benn. I finished up with free-weights and stretches.

Stretched. Ran 3.6 miles at 6.2-6.6mph and 2% incline. Then did a cool down for 0.5 miles at 4.1mph and 2% incline. Stretched and spent the entire day cleaning house and moving furniture!

Spent a phenomenal day hiking Monument Mountain with my Benn. Since Benn captured the events of the day so well, I suggest you read his blog for today to find out more. I can't compete with THAT articulation!  :)

Stretched and ran 3.2 miles on the treadmill at 6.2mph and 2% incline. Then did a cool down for 1.3 miles at 4.1mph and 2% incline. (By the way, all my cool downs have been at the % grade, unless specified otherwise). Next, I did several lunges and 3 sets of different squats. Then I lifted free weights, doing 8 different exercises, for a total of 220 repetitions. (Skyler was with me, and I gave him 2-lb.ers to "grow muscles" too). Stretched my arms and moved on to crunches. Skyler insisted on sharing the yoga mat with me, which led him to inadvertently kicking me in the head while he also did his "crunches." So, I took it easy with 8 different positions for a total of 185 crunches. Finished of with 80 leg lifts (40 on each side) and whole body stretching.

Stretched and ran 3.2 miles on the treadmill at 6.1-6.2mph and 2% incline. Then did a cool down for 2.3 miles at 4.1-4.2mph and 2% incline. Next, I stretched and did a few lunges and 3 sets of different squats. Then I lifted a bunch of free weights, targeting different areas. I Stretched my arms and did lower ab crunches on the yoga mat. I would like to do some chair dips next time I work out, but I didn't feel like it today. Lastly, I did leg lifts and more stretching.

SOO looking forward to going to Benn's this weekend!

Woke up with my stomach growling and hungry, so I made breakfast and tea. I played with Ruby & Oola (the two cats) for a little while to let everything digest. Then stretched and went on the elliptical at resistances 5 & 6 for 3.1 miles. My right achilles tendon has been hurting on and off for the past couple of days and, the other night after work, I noticed that my right ankle was swollen again. That was the ankle I sprained back in late November. I wanted exercise with less impact today, which is why I chose to work out on the elliptical. Plus, I know it is good to mix up the routine. After I "ellipticised," I hopped over to the treadmill and walked at 4.1mph and 2% incline for 1.1 miles. Afterwards, I did leg lifts and a couple of squats. I finished up with some full body stretches. I also noticed that my right tricept is really sore, especially when i touch it. I think it is definitely from when I pushed myself with weightlifting about 2 days ago.

Later, I am goingto my grandfather's house to see him, my mom, dad, and out-of-town aunt and uncle. Then I have errands to run at a lot of different stores and then need to come back home, pack, and drive to Benn's house for Easter weekend! :)

Wore the ankle support for exercising today. Stretched and ran 3.2 miles on the treadmill at 6.2-6.3mph and 2% incline. Then did a cool down of 0.8 miles at 4.1-4.2mph and 2% incline. Did stretching afterward but ran out of time to do anything else. Had to go babysit Skyler before work!

Woke up and made a big breakfast of yogurt, a veggie eggwhite omlete, and tea. Chilled with the cats and did some research online for wedding venues while I digested. Then went downstairs, stretched, and ran 3.3 miles at 6.2mph and 2% incline. Then, it was so cute- my mom came home and came donstairs with her breakfast and coffee to sit on the couch and watch tv with me while I was on the treadmill. I did a 1.2 mile cool down at 4.2mph and 2% incline while I watched tv and chatted with my mom. Next, I stretched and did a bunch of weight lifting, 90 leg lifts (45 each), lunges, and squats. Stretched good again, making sure to relax my neck, shoulders, and back, too.

Got up this morning around 6:45 and went for a drive to Canaan, NY. I brought my camera because I liked the look of the sun shining its first rays onto the day. There is a fantastic lookout on the way, but after I pulled over, got out of the car, and found a good shot... my camera read "Charge the Batteries." DOH! I did that as soon as I got home. Then I decided it was a good day to give Ruby (my cat) a bath. I figured it was warm and sunny enough for her to dry out comfortably afterwards. After her bath, I brushed her with a pet comb for at LEAST a half hour and was shocked and apalled by the amount of excess fur that kept coming off of her( mind you, she is a short-hair)! And I still don't think I got it all. Next, I did a bunch of yard work and raking today. It was beautiful outside. Skyler "helped" me a lot carrying sticks and brush. I found a bouncy Batman ball that Skyler has thrown off the carport in the winter. It must have gotten embedded in a snow bank and has finally surfaced! I also found a baseball in the woods that I cleaned of so Skyler could throw it around the yard. I made a new friend, too, while I was spending time in my backyard - a collarless cat that I see frequently in the far back of the yard and in the woods around my house and the neighbors' yards. It is a sweet cat and has similar color and markings to my cat, Ruby. I know it must belong to somebody because it it clean and is very friendly with people. I sat down in the grass and it trotted up to me and immediately started rubbing on my hand, my legs and my shoes. It plopped on my lap and laid there for several minutes while I pet it. Then, it just got up and walked off. I saw it later in the woods with a mouse in its mouth. Yuck! Later tonight, I decided to get on the treadmill and take it easy while I watched an hour-long show. During the show, I walked at 4.2mph and 2% incline. For every commercial break, I ran at 6.2mph and 2% incline. I did these intervals through the entire show and walked a cooldown after the show was over, for a total of 5.1 miles. THE END :)

Stretched and ran on the treadmill for 3.2 miles at 6.1-6.2mph and 2% incline. Then did a cool down of 0.8 miles at 4.1mph and 2% incline. Did stretching, leg lifts, free weights, and more stretching. Had to hurry up because I had to meet some friends afterward. Had a great time, got home and hung up some laundry, then Benn showed up! YAY 8-D

Benn and I started a GINORMOUS bonfire in my backyard on Saturday morning around 10am. We lugged armfulls upon armfulls of sticks and branches from the back of my yard up to the fire to burn. We spent the morning doing this but took a break around noon for some lunch. Then spent HOURS more until we had cleared the area of brush that we wanted to clear. I know we must have burned a ton of calories!! And, it was a lot of fun!

Woke up this morning- cold and gray. Changed and went straight downstairs to stretch and get on the treadmill. Ran 3.2 miles at 6.2mph and 2% incline. Then did a cool down for 0.9 miles at 4.1mph and 2% incline. Didn't get a chance to do a complete workout (lunges, leg lifts, squats, crunches, free weights) because my mom told me she had to go to work early and that I needed to babysit Skyler. So I strecthed and had breakfast with him - Light N' Fit pomegranate yogurt with fresh sliced strawberries and Rice Crispies on top. Skyler was so thrilled.. you should have heard him saying "Yuuummmmm, MMmmmmMMM" over and over again. It was so adorable. Then I got him all dressed (which took quite a bit of time and a lot of giggling) and we went out on the carport to play soccer and shoot hoops.

At work tonight, I used my break to walk to Dunkin' Donuts because I heard that it was 50 cent iced coffee day! So I walked 0.6 miles from work to DD  for the coffee goodness and ate my salad I made for lunch on the benches there before making the 0.6 mile walk back (for a total of 1.2 miles). It was still gray outside but nice and mild. My hair didn't like it so much, though - very frizzy! ;-p

Feeling weird today and not much time to do a full workout before work. Strecthed and  decided to switch it up and do fast walking for 3.2 miles at 4.4 - 5.7mph and 2% incline while using 2 pound free weights the whole time. Did cool down stretches on the carport with Skyler and the kitties in the sunshine :)

Woke up, stretched, and ran on the treadmill for 3.2 miles at 6.2mph and 2% incline. Did a cool down for 1 miles at 4.1mph and 2% incline. Then did more stretching, leg lifts, squats, lunges, and free weights.

Having a great time at Benn's house. The weather is actually HOT and the sun is shining. Did some stretching and ran on the treadmill for 3.3 miles at 6.3mph. Then did a cool down of 1.7 miles at 4.1mph. Meanwhile, Benn was biking on his wind trainer - A nice exercise date :-)

Really hot again today. Stretched and jumped on the treadmill for 1 mile at 6.3mph and 2% incline. Was already starting to sweat 5 or 6 minutes in and had a stitch on the left right under my rib cage. Deep breathing helped but I think it could have to do with the fact that I had yogurt and milk with cereal for breakfast haha. Decided to lower the page to 4.1-4.2mph with 2% incline and do fast walking for 3.1 miles. During the last 0.6 miles, I remembered to use the 2 lb. free weights while I walked to get my arms pumping. When I was finished, I went upstairs and stretched outside on the carport with Skyler. He had a bucket of water and was scooping it up and splashing it on me with a measuring cup. I actually felt quite nice!! Then I finished up with free weight lifting.

Really busy day today and did not get a chance to get a workout in before work. I counted my work route I take to walk to my students' in-apartment sessions. I had to calculate on Google directions: walking but it ended up being over a mile, which I thought was cool. I do this a few times per week for work but had never actually counted it. I guess it does add up!