Dealing with a Head Cold

It's summer.  You're not supposed to get sick in the summer.  But the kids and I all have a cold.  It's just a runny nose and a nasty headache.  Thanks to sudafed, I was able to run this morning. :)  I got 5 miles in.  It was humid, but there was a nice breeze.  I was running around town where my kids swim.  Their practice is for 2 hrs, so I ran for an hour, stretched, then hit the shower (they have a wonderful facility).  After swim practice we went to try and find my 15 year old daughter a pair of sandals.  We struck out.  We tried 4 stores, but everyone has summer stuff on clearance, meaning we couldn't find her size (9 1/2).  

Anyway, running has been getting better.  I'm still doing kettlebell.  I'm on week 4 of BeSlam (2nd time around).  I'm running 3 times a week.  The first time doing BeSlam I cut my running down to less than 10 miles a week.  I want to do between 15 and 20 now, plus the kettlebell.  Next week the program moves to 3x's a week strength training.  It will be challenging.  

My muscles are definitely feeling it.  This has been good.  I'm really enjoying getting back to more running. I enjoy running, and I was feeling down about losing my running fitness.  I'm still not back to where I was, but I'm getting there.  I believe it will be worth it.  

On the more fun/personal front, I took my daughter to Sephora for a makeover.  She had fun and got some new stuff, and so did I!  I've never been much of a make-up person, but as I've, ahem, gotten older I need it more.  I prefer the good stuff (who doesn't it!).  I  don't buy a lot, but I get the basics.  This time I got a Smashbox eye palette and a new lipstick.  Love the eye palette, I getting used to the lipstick.  I always get a boring, neutral color, so this time I decided to step out and try something a little different.  It looks weird to see color on my face.

The rest of my week is busy, of course.  I'm planning on running Wed and Thur, then doing kettlebell on Friday.  Saturday is the swim finals!  It will be nice to be done with swimming for the summer.  Somewhere in the next few days, I'm desperate for a haircut.  I hope it happens.  

Summer is flying by

It's been a crazy, busy summer.  The kids are swimming at least 3 days a week and have music lessons as well.  I can't seem to keep up.  But the work-outs are going as planned.

I finished BeSlam 3 weeks ago.  I took 1 week off from kettlebells and then restarted the program.  This time around I am always combining the Strength and Conditioning (not doing them on separate days), adding push-ups between sets, and adding an extra day of high-volume swings.  Also, I have a goal of getting my running back up to speed, so to speak.  I had dropped down to around 8 miles a week while adding all of the strength work.  Now I am trying to run at least 12 miles a week, and I want to get it to 15.  The goal this BeSlam cycle is to increase running while doing the kettlebells.  The last 4 weeks will be hard, I'm unsure how I'll do it.  Maybe I try running just 1 mile on kettlebell days.  But for now I'm trying to run at least 3 days a week, do kettlebell and yoga.  I bought a membership on Yogaglo and I'm trying to do a little yoga everyday, even if it's just 15 minutes of meditation.

Part of me is frustrated with the running.  I'm a lot slower than I was before I started kettlebell.  I know that's because I dropped down my miles so much, but still I enjoy running and I don't want it to become too hard or even impossible because of kettlebell.  I still want to do kettlebell, but I am aware that it's hard to pursue strength and cardio goals.

I figure that if I keep my strength goals modest, like say squating 53lbs, pressing 35lbs, then I'll be able to keep running.  It's not like I'm trying to break records with my running.  I would like to be able to run at least 1 half marathon a year and get my time under 2:30 (not too ambitious).

I told myself that I would take 3 cycles of the BeSlam program and see how it went.  I am happy with my strength gains.  It's hard when you want it all.

I want to try and get back to blogging more often.  I've just been so busy, but I'm hoping writing it out will get out some of my frustration as well as help me find a focus.

On the personal front I'm thinking of painting and redoing our "playroom".  My youngest is 8 and we don't really use it for that anymore.  There is still a ton of Playmobile in the room that I don't know what to do with.  But still, I would like to paint it and rip up the ugly mint green carpet.  There is hardwood under there.  I have no idea what condition it's in, but I would like to find out.   I want to eventually move my treadmill in there and get a tv for the room.  We have an old futon.  I would love to get rid of it, but I'm unsure what would be good for there.  I will be looking at options.