Shelly’s Journal

A while back I mentioned that I had a new approach to my fitness. Last year was all about losing the baby weight and getting into shape. The vehicle I used was running and the goal to run a half marathon was the motivator. I finished roughly with a 2:13 time and pushed through.

As the fall began, I started to get back into weight training some. Then around Thanksgiving, I strained my rotator cuff and everything went for a loop. It was a real demotivator. Because it happened during the winter months when the weather affects my personal ability to workout, it pulled me down that much harder. I did not run at all during the month of February, maintaining some workouts and physical therapy. I put on about 4 lbs. and slowed down.

While visions of improving my half marathon time danced in my head, I seriously wondered if I could put the miles in to do that - especially since my dh schedule was all over the place and he wasn’t much of a help in keeping the boys so I could run or coming with me. I knew that I wanted to be stronger all over and continue my weight training. I also knew that if I got into the running too hard, that all other exercise would fall by the wayside.

I decided that I wanted to increase my overall fitness level more than I wanted to train for races. For the last few months, I’ve been trying to work out a schedule that allows me to do that. It’s been a frustrating time as more schedule changes have really thrown a wrench in the matter.

Finally, things have worked out to some degree. My plan is to weight train on M-W-F using DVD training. I want to workout hard and increase my weights. On T-Th - Sat, I’ll run. Sunday will be my day off. Weather is a factor in my running schedule. If I need to, I can try and switch a day - especially at the end of the week when I can fiddle with my day off. Or once summer comes, we might do an extra run on Sunday as a family. Since we’ve been back in church the last few months, that has been harder to do.

I’m also diligently working my shoulder with some additional exercises I picked up in PT, doing ab work and throwing in Yoga stress relief here and there where needed.

In the last week I’ve decided to run with the stroller on my days rather than wait for my dh to get home from work in the afternoon. I do so much better with exercise in the mornings than in the afternoons. This week, it worked out fine - except for the weather. So, I just do the best I can. I got 5 of 6 workouts this week - which is more than I’ve done in some time.

I do my weight training when we first get up, while the boys are watching their morning show. It takes away computer time for me, but is well worth the effort.

So far, I’ve been doing well. Over the last month, I’ve dropped my additional poundage, and started to get muscles in areas that were not so muscular before. I feel better overall, although I still have a mini afternoon crash of about a half hour. I am sleeping better as well - that is when the other members of my family don’t wake me up (count both boys, dh and the dog).

I haven’t completely counted out racing for this year. As I’ve worked my body through weight training, my running is improving despite how few miles I’ve logged this spring. I know that the overall strength I’m building is fueling that.

I’m still blogging regularly at my fitness blog - mostly just summaries of my encounters and feelings toward my workouts. I am working on eating subtly, too - but still refuse to embrace the diet mentality.

So that’s where I’m going these days!