Very Bad Run

Debated if I should take another day between runs or go today.....wanted to do it. It was raining at 4:30 and 5:30 and 6:00.... grabbed my old workout pants and decided I'd do the elliptical....didn't want to wake up family so had a lovely tryst with God first.....then.....

It wasn't raining. I couldn't find my trusty shoes.......but I DID have a new pair of Asics running shoes "the runners" talked me into buying in May. They felt I should trade out shoes more than once a decade.

I've been using the Asics for the elliptical to break them in. I've only run in the Saucony. My knees have been fine. My shins and ankles haven't hurt....I was doing good and dreaming of running like a 20 yo in 2 months.......

Today was

A Very Bad Run!

The humidity and heat are both higher at 0800 than they are at 0430. 

There are real PEOPLE out in the rice paddies and fields at 0800. I don't like audiences. 

Within the first 5 minutes my SHINS and ankles were burning. Really hurting. I did about 1/2 the run and decided this was not a good thing. I simply MUST find the old Saucony shoes and possibly order a new pair online. 

THEN.....well....I'd noticed my workout pants weren't as snug as they used to be. Go ME! But they continuously FELL DOWN as I ran....try running with your pants drifting down to your knees. 

At 15 min I turned for home and decided I'd finish my time on the elliptical - which I did. 

My knees feel fine...my shin and ankles still burn...can a shoe make that much difference? Here I thought I was more in shape and thus able to run again but it could have simply been that the Saucony was better for me to run in than the New Balance which I had in my earlier attempts. 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Cars and Fireworks

Chapel.....I was in the nursery today and got my baby fix....saw a few friends after service....good. 


Lunch. 


RUSH to theater for Cars 2. I must confess I fell asleep after Tokyo and woke up for a quick bit in Paris and then London......but what I saw was cute. They did a great job with the Japan scenes....Mater in the bathroom - priceless....and Tokyo...Narita Airport... Very cool to watch it in Japan. 

I have the wasabi experience of not knowing what it was and taking a big bite. LOL 

After the movie I met Annette for a fun surprise we were planning.

I got home and was SOOOO tired. Michael told me to take an hour nap.....the kids were playing with new neighborhood kids. I was proud that they went and knocked on their door (they moved in yesterday) and asked them if they'd like to come play.

We headed to the beach - our old beach with the new access. We had our OWN fireworks display. It was fun. Gorgeous to sit on the beach, warm and content, moon reflecting on the waves and set off our fireworks. Not being able to read what type of firework you are about to unleash certainly adds to the fun! ::snort::

She nearly blinded several of us with these "night vision spy glasses". ::snort:: 

We had so much fun we are planning to do Friday Family night at the beach this week.....I can envision a bon fire, s'mores...just need to figure out some real food....


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Staciaism

Stacia's observation of the day: "Bre Goecker was born first and I am NOT jealous of her. I will not be jealous of birth things."  A wise stance to take, m'dear.

Bre has told Stacia she is "my bookend"...not sure Stacia grasps that quite yet.....

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Ode to the Arachnids of Misawa

Photos by Michael, I appreciate his efforts at documenting our Epic Battle. 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Fireworks...or NOT!

The children and I went to Kosuimaturi (Towada Fireworks Festival) last year. Michael was deployed. He LOVES fireworks.  We looked forward to going with him this year.  It was fantastic last year (these are not my photos).

As we prepared to leave town for the festival, we realized Mike is DUTY CHAPLAIN. What are the chances? (Well, really pretty good with our low manning ::snort::).

Mike went in to the chapel to get a bit of  work done. The kids and I lazed around home.

We decided to go down to the ocean and set off our own fireworks in the evening. As we drove to the beach the fog got so THICK we literally could NOT SEE. We came home.

Michael and I went out for a nice walk - alone - in the dark and foggy rice paddies. It worked. We'll try fireworks tonight.

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

My New Personal Trainer

I have a goal - Lookin and Feelin Great by 48. To that goal, I've lost 25 lbs. I have 15 - 25 more to go.  The thing is, I've been stuck at 25 down for about 8 months...I go up when I travel and back down when I get home. I have been eating 1,000 - 1,400 calories a day, work out 6 days a week (60 min cardio).....but I deal with Hashimotos and so my metabolism is sluggish and I simply am not going to lose a lb a week. LOL 


I've learned I have to set goals other than weight loss. I really can't control what my metabolism will do. I CAN set new goals with diet and  exercise and reach them. 


I've been told NOT to run due to my knee...but I've lost 25 lbs and I'm ready for a workout that is a bit of fun and different. I love my walks, but they don't make me sweat. High impact aerobics lead to swollen knees by evening. Enter C25k - Couch to 5 K. I figure it's light enough to start off that it may not blow out my knee....and I may slowly build up to 5 K. This may be a mid-life crisis. I want to run again. The runners in the house are great cheer leaders.  I'd love to be able to run 5K next time in Korea - for our regional conference. I may settle for brisk walking and jogging...but hey....it's something.

I finished week one today. That means I can jog for 8 minutes and do a brisk walk for 22 minutes.  I do the elliptical on the off days. I'm considering doing 30 min of elliptical after the 30 min of  "wogging" to keep my workouts at 60 min. The nutritionist and trainer from GAFB all assure me with my thyroid induced sluggish metabolism and age I need to do 45 - 60 min of cardio 6 days a week...so I'm a bit leery of  this 30 min run thing.....but we shall see.

Things I learned this week:

• In high school you can get away with skipping the stretching. A middle aged female should stretch. 
• My knee is NOT swollen and doesn't really hurt....just sort of feels "off"....so 
• Don't do this every day and be prepared to stay at the wogging stage if the knee can't handle running. 
• My knee may be able to handle this is I build up GRADUALLY (ala C25K) and now that I've lost a significant amount of weight. 
• I may reward myself with an armband for my ipod so I can have music cues, watching for potholes, keeping my eye on the tiny second hand, and avoiding snakes is getting a bit scary. 

In addition, I've hired Zander as my Personal Trainer. He's currently obsessing about fitness. I tend to go with his obsessions....what else is an aspie mom to do? This means I'm doing bridges, planks, and all manner of strange stretches..... This a.m.

Zander: "Mom, do this...."

Me: "Why, what is it good for?"

Zander: "It's a bridge, I don't know - but it hurts. Do it."

As I do push ups  - which I would not do except for the little nazi at my side.....

Zander: "GREAT you've done 10 - I bet you can do 18 more."

Me: "You have GOT to be kidding!"

Planks.....

Me: "Why am I doing this again?"

Zander: "It hurts so it's a good one to do a lot of."

Zander: "Mom, I love you."

Oh - hearing him say that still sends me over the roof when I think of him sitting and rocking......

Me: "I love you more."

Zander: "I love you most."

I'm hoping he will see me working on something really hard and be motivated to continue working on that blasted, elusive phonics. He's smart as a whip and will get this reading thing soon. Meanwhile I continue to feed his mind with great science books which I read to him - because he LOVES science.

One last tidbit  - I'd been in the midst of a sugar/chocolate fast in March and never reported. Earthquakes and tsunamis have a way of changing one's focus. I continued for 3 months. It wasn't that tough. I began eating more refined treats when we went to the states in May.....I need to cut way back again. I'm not sure if I'll go to a fast again or just to a once a week treat. We shall see.  I need to do some praying on it.

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Search for a New Family Member

We continue to look for a dog that will be fun, but not CRAZY jumping excitable.....small enough for a trailer -as Mike evidently plans to live in a travel trailer when he retires- but not a toy breed, not a lot of hair, provide companionship.....good with kids - though it would appear our youngest is about to be 6 and so good with "older kids" will work fine.  Michael seems to be averse to poodles or dogs that may EVER show up with a cute bow in their hair. ::snort::  Care to see what we found as we searched the internet last night?

We looked at Shiba Inus....but here they are a bit arrogant and tend to socialize with one owner....Mike is also concerned about the size.....I think most we've seen are mixes and therefore bigger...because the sites say Shiba Inus are not much more than 18 inches.  These are still in our minds....or most of our minds.

Beagle - which keeps coming up as a match for us - and I know they piddle...so do I. ::snort:: 

American Hairless Terrier - so ugly he's cute and I'm drawn to him - but I appear to be in the minority.

Beaglier

Bedlington Terrier - OMW

Rasta dog - Mike was adamant this one is not for us. ::snort:: 

We've been trying to find one on base - they mostly seem to have "shiba mixes".....we started looking for breeders but then are not sure they will ship HERE.... and what IS the difference between a breeder and a puppy mill...how do we tell? 

We're trying to decide if we "settle" for what we can find here, because 2 years after the loss of our Beatrix we are all finally ready to find a new dog to smother...really ready.....or do we wait until we are in the states and can buy a beagle..... Beatrix was a corgi/basset/something else mix according to vets. 

It is NOT hard to leave Japan with a dog. Japan is rabies free. No one hassles you when you bring a dog from Japan to their country. It is HARDER to move to Japan with a dog...but now we fly directly from Seattle to Misawa and so even that is easier.  Maybe we should look for a breeder in Seattle and see if I could hop over, pick up the dog and hop back the next week.....

The Sheba would be a bit of Japan to carry with us......but the hair and the arrogance...since most we see are older, the personality would be set....

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...