Getting back into the groove

Where have I been? Skiing, hanging out with this bunch of cuties, celebrating birthdays, working, & occasionally running. Yesterday was my first solo trip to the mountain with the boys, & we all survived! Just one minor encounter with the ski patrol when Nick got lost. Let me tell you, skiing with two kiddos, & all of us being at different ski levels (& more importantly - speed!) is no small feat. And, one of those mini skiers can't read, so trail signs are of no use. Anyway, we had a great day at the mountain, & I felt like a super hero mom.

Ski season is winding down, & I have a bunch of races on the horizon, so time to get serious & get back into a regular running groove! I know what this means, & I've been putting it off. . .it means finally motivating myself to consistently run at 5:00 am. Oh boy, this should be interesting. I've been trying to do this for a year, but the time has come. With Michael's travel schedule, it's either 5:00 am or never on most days.

What I really need to do is fix my running location, because currently our treadmill is in the basement, facing a wall. If you enjoy feeling like you're in prison, this is definitely the place to be! I can run outside in the mornings as long as Michael isn't traveling (about half the time), but I need to make the treadmill running more enjoyable. We're thinking of hooking up a DVD player, or something. More on that.

I've also gained six pounds, & while I'd love to tell you that it's all muscle. . . I'm pretty sure it's not. I had to film a video for work, & seeing the footage was a cold, hard reality check. I've actually been getting quite a bit of exercise, so given that I'm still gaining weight - that should be a solid indicator of how much I'm eating. Gulp.

Recap from last week:

• Monday - Rest day. Ran 11 miles on Saturday & skied all day on Sunday.
• Tuesday - Ran 2 miles on the treadmill. All I had time for.
• Wednesday- 45 minutes of cross training (elliptical) + weights
• Thursday - Ran 2.5 miles on the treadmill. Because I was that lazy at 5:00 am.
• Friday - Ran 3 miles on the treadmill. I know, I know, such improvement! :-)
• Saturday - We were supposed to ski with a bunch of family for Sam's 7th birthday, but it was pouring buckets at the mountain. So, we went bowling & drank beer. And then followed that up with a movie + wine. Obviously, it was a stellar workout day.
• Sunday - 60 minutes of cross training + weights. Could have run at the gym, didn't. Have a cold, feel like dog doo.

So, there you have it! I did three runs, for a grand total of 7.5 whopping miles. My goal for the week was 22. And, I did two cross training workouts. Holy smokes! I have a half marathon coming up in three weeks, so it's time to get really serious.

Here's my plan for this week:

• Monday - The boys had the day off, so we went skiing. We skied 15 runs (that's a ton with kids!), so I got in quite a bit of exercise. 
• Tuesday - 5 mile run at lunch + arms. Pilates tonight.
• Wednesday - 4 mile run at 5:00 am.
• Thursday - 60 minutes of cross training at lunch. Yoga in the evening.
• Friday - At the beach! Taking a long weekend as the boys are on mid-winter break. I love running at the beach ! 6 mile run.
• Saturday - Long run for my half in a few weeks. 12 miler.
• Sunday - Rest day.

How do you get back into the groove with eating well and working out consistently? I'm going to lower my calorie goal on My Fitness Pal & get more serious with recording each food item. I've been lazy lately & just adding big bunches of calories at once (i.e. Lunch - 600 calories) & I'm clearly underestimating, according to the scale. :-)

Also, if you're on My Fitness Pal, & would like to connect, please let me know!