As most of you know, I am on a running break. I am not "breaking up" with running, just taking some time off until it feels right to lace up again. We came home a week ago from a wonderful spring break at the beach. It was really hard to get back into our school, activity routine after staying up late and sleeping late for nearly a full week!!
Monday, I headed back to the gym to work legs with hubby. It had been a few weeks since I have been there, but went up in weight for squats on the Smith Machine. I like doing squats using that machine instead of just a barbell with weights. I have to use the sports pad for the bar to cushion my neck and back. I have had so much stiffness in my neck lately which may have caused all of the headaches last month. So leg day it was!
I was able to squat 3 x 8 (3 sets 8 reps) using 75 pounds! I did 4 x 10 leg press using 150 pounds, 3 x 10 leg extension using 50 pounds, 3 x 10 hamstring curls 50 pounds, and I went back over to the Smith Machine to dead lift 70 pounds and I only did 2 sets of 10. Those hurt my back and hubby said I wasn't doing it right. Sigh. So I grabbed some 15 pound dumbells and did some step ups on the bench. This is where you step up one leg at a time for 10 reps then switch. This really engages your quads and glutes. They are much easier on your knees than lunges and I do not like lunges. I went to a small park in our community and did some yoga. I have joined a new yoga challenge called Honor Your Zen. The pose for day one was Cow Face pose.
I have enjoyed starting yoga again and it has really helped me feel better. There is just something calming about yoga. I went home and cleaned house all day to get ready for my home Bible Study group ladies that were coming over Tuesday morning. My legs were already sore when I got home.
Tuesday, I had my Bible Study group over and we visited, drank our coffee, ate donuts and pimento cheese (yum), prayed, and watched a video of our new study called Breathe. I am really excited about it. I did not sleep at all the night before due to bad weather so after my mother left, I took a nap. When I got up I did some yoga! Day 2 of the Honor Your Zen yoga challenge was Crescent Lunge.
This stretch felt great for my back which was sore from my workout the day before. My son had a tee ball game that night and I got to be the dugout mom. I was in charge of getting all the kids ready to bat and keeping up with all of their hats, helmets, gloves, and bats. It was a lot of fun!
Wednesday was bike riding day. My husband and I had to work at our lake house we've been builiding for nearly 9 months so I thought we should ride our bikes. He "forgot" to bring his and borrowed our neighbor's bike.
My bike's tires were flat so we only rode 4 miles in a little over 30 minutes. It is very hilly at the lake so I got in a great workout. I love this picture my husband snapped of me on my bike.
I was thankful the week was going so well and that I was feeling better each day. We worked the rest of the morning at the lake house and my hubby took me out to Barbecue for lunch! I did my yoga back home and day 3 was Compass pose. Can you say... OUCH?
Thursday, I could tell I was starting to get irritable. I had not run consistently all month and when I was running before, I would designate a time to do it so I would get a little time to myself. By this day, I had not had any time to myself in two weeks and I was feeling a little grumpy. Hubby went to work and I took care of my son all day. I did some yoga and it helped me feel better. Today's pose was Cobra pose.
Even my white lab, Chuck got in on some yoga action as I was filming my video.
I sure do love him. He is so easy to please. He doesn't ask for a thing from me; he just wants love. My husband asked me that morning if I wanted to come to work for a few hours. I was trying to be a good wife so I said yes. We own a restaurant and I have been working there since 1998 believe it or not! That is how Christopher and I met! I waitressed for 8 years then have been filling in as a cashier whenever they need me since 2006. I thought it would be a good idea to get out of the house. I got to the restaurant at 4 with all of our kids. We thought Aubrynn, our oldest who is 12, could watch the little kids next door at my Father-in-law's. I did okay at first but the busier we got, the more overwhelmed I began to feel. I told my husband I wasn't going to last very long. Plus the kids had come back to eat so I left around 630 with them. I had made it 2 and a half hours. I think it was just too much too soon. The fish house as we call it, is stressful enough even when you are not struggling with anxiety. Any job working with the public is tough. I felt better when I got home and got all the kids bathed and in bed.
On Friday, I cancelled an appointment and made an appointment with myself. It was much needed and it's okay to do that. It's been a long week and I can tell not running had been making me irritable. That's okay too and I will just have to get over it. I think this was the first time I had used 20 pound dumbells for one armed rows.
It felt great to go up in weight today on just about every upper body exercise even though I have not been very consistent with my weight lifting. This morning's workout went like this-- 4 x 10 Lat pull downs and I went up to 60 pounds the last rep, 4 x 10 seated cable rows up to 60 pounds the last rep, 3 x 10 single arm dumbells rows, 3 x 10 bent over rows, lower back 20 reps, 3 x 10 tricep pull downs up to 30 pounds last rep, 3 x 10 tricep extension with 20 pound dumbell woo hoo, 3 x 10 tricep dips, and 4 x 10 bicep curls using the cable machine up to 50 pounds last rep! Yay! 2 mile stationary bike ride in 8 minutes for a little cardio.
I did not enjoy that 8 minutes at all. I would rather ride my bike outside any day! I tried my tripod head stand for day 5 of my yoga challenge and it was a disaster lol. Hey, I tried!
Now it is Saturday and I have spent the day with my kids, niece, and mother. I did my day 6 yoga challenge pose at the park! Today's pose was Goddess pose. It made me feel a little awkward lol.
I picked up my oldest daughter at her sleepover and we will head to my mother's for dinner. I will get to visit with my brother which is always nice. I had a really bad night last night. I got pretty upset because I can't be in Destin this weekend to run the Destin Half Marathon. I originally signed up for the marathon in January and training became too hard. When I first started running 3 years ago, things were so easy and simple. I only raced 5k's and would go by myself. I signed up for as many as I could. As I started running distance, I felt more and more accomplished. I made running friends and these are people I have known for years and I got my heart broken when they all stopped talking to me and inviting me to races. We all go to the same ones so I just did not understand. Well, I do know why, but I will keep it to myself. I just wish women would be nicer, more kind, loyal, and think about how it would feel if they were the one excluded or left out. I am feeling much better today, but this is why running has become so difficult. It's hard to train for a race then have to go alone. Our restaurant is open on weekends and hubby has to work. I get that. What used to bring me joy and a sense of accomplishment ended up causing me a lot of heartache. I just have to get back to running being my friend again. Maybe it was too much of an addiction before and need to find balance. I have started applying for jobs and praying God will open a door. I think it would be great to get out of the house a few days a week and contribute financially. We will see!! Thank you for being here and for your encouragement. I really need it during this tough season of life. I love you all!
