Saturday, June 29, 2013

Slimy Saturday Running

Whew ~ made it through a humid and slightly hilly 5 mile run today and boy are we 2 slimy people right now!  This humidity and heat is nasty but I am so proud of myself for making it through the 5 miles and just walking when I need to and not getting ticked off about it ~ a big accomplishment for me physically and mentally. Lukas has seen way too many tantrums in the past during hot/humid runs, and I haven't been able to get through 5 miles in the past 7 months due to IT band issues, so I get an A for the day in both categories lol.

A coworker suggested I try my knee band again to see if that helps my IT Band not rub on my knee so much and he is a genius... it felt a little irritated at the end of our run, but I think that was mostly due to me being super tired and having bad form. Otherwise tho, no pain and I didn't feel like I was bothering it as much as before. I really think strength training is slowly helping, so I will keep at that and hope the band helps me in the meantime as well. I purchased this band in 2011 when I was having major pain and we had to cancel our half marathon plans the first time. I think if I'd known about the foam roller back then, it and this band could have gotten me through the rest of my training but o well... hindsight is 20/20 as they say. Anyway, since then I completely forgot I had this thing until my coworker mentioned using one for his issues and how much it helps if you are doing all the stretching/rolling/strengthening you can and just need something extra while running. Genius man... genius :)

I haven't been able to follow my half marathon schedule exactly in the past 3 weeks, but I've had a lot of good runs, made a lot of good effort, and am still pretty much on target. Hoping to have a successful week of 5ks in the morning and then another 5 miler next Saturday. It is nice to be back to training again, these past 3 weeks have been fun getting more runs in than usual but weird also because I'm exercising less than I was the few weeks before that. I need to get more strength training in and not focus so much on cardio as I have in the past and hopefully that will give my muscles the rest they need from cardio, as well as the strength they need to overcome muscle imbalances and keep me injury free!

I also think I'm going to try and get one run a week in on the treadmill, it helps so much for speed training without making me pass out due to the weather. I ran a new treadmill 5k PR on Friday - 9:16 average at 28:44~ woo hoo! That might be slow for most runners but I'm super happy about it ~ and I didn't have any pain and didn't walk at all which is great. The more I work on speed inside, the faster I will be outside once I get used to the weather and am able to push a bit more, espec. if my knee decides to cooperate.

Happy happy happy... but also tired tired tired haha. Time for a sewing break and then some homework before a nice relaxing nap at the pool. Life is good over at the Fischer's today ~ hope your Saturday is equally as enjoyable and relaxing!

Monday, June 10, 2013

Inspiration all around us...

I have a major case of the Mondays today, including some ill fitting cranky pants ~ not a good start to the week!

I am feeling sorry for myself because I was so busy doing fun stuff this weekend that I didn't get to my long to do list of things around the house, crafty obligations, etc. It was pouring rain this morning so I didn't get my workout in and I also start a new round of homework today which is going to keep me super busy throughout the week after work.

Whine whine whine... sad face... and then I had a chat with a co-worker:

He is working full-time 6am - 3pm, then he is going to school full-time on top of that. He also has a new baby at home and a wife who is finishing up her residency as a doctor and is super busy herself. He spends all weekend doing homework - Friday - Sunday and doesn't really have time for his little family, much less anything else.

Work, 1 online class and "not enough time for working out/sewing" doesn't really sound so bad now :-/ While it doesn't take away the fact that I truly am busy, it does help me keep things in perspective and stop feeling sorry for myself. He also inspired me to re-evaluate how I'm spending my time (Candy Crush Saga ring a bell? lol) so that I am more efficient and can maybe work in more things I SHOULD and WANT to do around the rest without stressing out and wanting to bite people.

Sometimes God changes our situations, other times He changes us. Today was one of those days where it was me that needed changed ~ more specifically my bad attitude.

So now I'm going to stop wanting to kick everyone at work, am looking forward to my last work lunch with Lukas, and ready to hit the books after work ~ and who knows, maybe I'll even have a little time for a workout or sewing if I avoid time-wasters like Facebook and Candy Crush all evening ;-)

Monday, June 3, 2013

Fischer Family Update ~ NEWS!!!

The beginning of the year was pretty crazy for us as far the job situation goes. Lukas had a few interview opportunities come his way that we just couldn't pass up and both turned into viable job opportunities. One was an international opportunity that would have moved really quickly if it hadn't been for a cancelled flight to Europe which pushed everything back a few months. In the end, this turned out to be perfect timing because it gave the other opportunity a chance to catch up and I'm happy to say: LUKAS HAS A NEW JOB! And not just any new job, an AWESOME new job :)

Starting the middle of June he will be working up in PA for Siemens  He had an internship there before we met and he will be back in the same department. His time at CSC has been good experience and a great resume builder, but after 5 years and getting his MBA, it is time for him to move on and expand his career opportunities. 

We are soooooooo grateful for this huge blessing, especially as it is a big enough move up that I may get to stay home should we have children in the near future. That is definitely something I did not expect would be possible (school loans, they're a killer!) so I am overjoyed at the prospect... and terrified at the same time, thank goodness I'm not pregnant yet! lol 

Lukas is really excited for this new opportunity and I know he will learn a lot and grow at this new company and I'm so very happy for him. He has worked really hard and he definitely deserves this chance. 

It will be hard to not have him at work with me every day tho - I will miss him on the commute, for lunch break workouts in the gym, for little walks in the sun to warm up, etc. Having him in the same office and same department definitely has made the past 3 years of my first "real after college job" a lot easier and more comfortable and I'm very grateful for that. I feel comfortable and confident at work tho and have friends and good colleagues here so I won't be nervous or lonely or anything silly like that... but I will definitely miss all the extra "husband time" that I've grown accustomed to. At the same time, perhaps it is good that we have a little distance from each other during the work day ... it will be that much more exciting to see each other after work and maybe we'll have more quality time during the week at home together since we haven't chatted periodically throughout the whole day :) 

Aside from that super exciting change, we will also be moving in the middle of July. We will be getting a bigger 2 bedroom apartment that is much nicer ~ family housing instead of student housing, thank goodness... it is about time! lol It will put me only 10 minutes from work and push Lukas a little further north, even tho he will still have about an hour commute. The main attractions, aside from a little saved time, are the extra space, closet space, central air, washer/dryer, and dishwasher! After living in a hot, cramped, "student quality" apartment for the past 4 years, I am sooooooooooooo excited for this move! Sure, I wish we were moving to a townhouse or buying our own home... but I'm ok with baby steps! 

God has really been with us along the way, helping the right job situation be possible at the right time, as well as enabling us to move when we didn't think there would be space. I know He always watches out for us but after months (really YEARS) of extra prayers and wondering what He has in store for us or why certain things happened the way they did, it has been amazing these past 2 weeks to see how He pulled it all together. We are certainly filled to the brim with gratitude and love for a loving Heavenly Father whose plan is ALWAYS much better than our own! 

See.... I can write about something other than just running and whining about my knee, aren't you all proud? (I say that like someone other than my Dad reads this haha). Speaking of my #1 reader, stay tuned for a post on Dad's visit to Delaware over Memorial Day... and pictures! 

Fitness update

Well last Tuesday was the end of my personal training sessions. I feel like although not much has changed physically, I certainly learned a lot and I am ready to build on that. Hoping to go to the gym tonight or tomorrow and sign up for a 1 month trial membership.

Realistic Fitness goals this month:
Cardio 3x/ week
Strength training 2x/ week

Fitness Challenge this month:
Cardio 5x/ week
Strength training 3x/ week

The cardio part is pretty easy since I can work out on my lunch breaks at work, just gotta force myself to get up in the morning and go to the gym 2 or 3 days a week ~ the getting out of bed part is the biggest challenge whether for cardio or strength workouts :-p

Last week was pretty good for as far as running. Tuesday I ran my fastest 5k on the treadmill in 29:08 and I didn't have any knee pain so that make me even happier! I got in 12 miles of running for the week, including a couple on the trails, and my knee pain seemed to be less bothersome... but I only ran outside twice so that isn't much of a test.

I really want to get outside more this week/month and build up resistance to harder surfaces for my knee (or whatever it is that is being bothered and causing that knee pain.) I hope between that and the strength training, I can get back into training shape and start working towards another half marathon in the fall if all goes well.

In other news, I've been doing really well with watching what I eat on top of exercising more and have been able to lose 6 or 7 lbs in the past couple of months. I am sooooooooooo happy about that because:
1. It is annoying to see the scale creeping up, espec. when my 30th birthday is just around the corner ~ old AND fat is not ok with me lol
2. Summer is here and I want my pants, not to mention my swim suit, to fit!
3. The lighter I am, the faster I can run!

For the past couple of years I've yo-yod between 140 and 160lbs, closer to 150 consistently. My goal for June is to get back to 145 and goal for July is to be down to 140 or lower for my 30th birthday. Although "numbers don't matter" and "muscle weighs more than fat", I know what a fit weight for me is and 135-140 is definitely an acceptable goal. That end of the spectrum is harder for me to maintain as I get older but this time around it should be a lot easier because:
1.  I've developed some really good eating habits in the past 2+ months that I've been able to stick with
2. I plan on staying active and training for more races & continue strength training

So I'm feeling pretty optimistic going into June. Hopefully I can keep up the good work from the past few months and continue to build on it and get rid of this darn knee pain! Wish me luck!