Fitness and other Reindeer Games

Last weekend I ran a 5K.

It's actually been quite some time since I last ran a race.

Apparently it's been too long.  I simply don't have the stamina!  I was seriously huffing and puffing before the first mile!

Combine that with the realization that the end cycle of my current workout was NOT going work...  And I need to make some changes.

Well, I've been trying to make changes for years now.  I just need something to stick.  Maybe I'll start small.  I'll make sure to measure and track EVERYTHING tomorrow, and make that commitment for the next day.  I'll make a commitment to not half-ass my workout.  To stretch after.

I now have a goal!  And a reward!

When I lose 20 pounds, I'm going to happily drive my butt to the Williamsburg Winery and buy myself a bottle of Adagio.  (Don't look at the price... this is why it's a reward)  Sadly, it's a wine that needs to sit in a cellar and mature for a bit... so I can't open it for another 10 pounds.

I need to find some sore of daily reward/motivator as well....  A reward for tracking, portioning, working out and doing my chores.  Is it sad that I'm contemplating a sticker chart.  Like I'm 4?  And in all of this madness, I was actually considering going back to Beachbody Coaching to see if I can make a buck.  I don't know if it'll actually happen, though.

I just need to find a similar motivation for the Spousal Equivalent, who has gotten on the health bandwagon with me.

In other news the anxiety is better, but still not great.  I know it's a contributing factor with the unhealthy eating and all.

Here's to picking goals and sticking with them!

I'll check back next Monday to give a progress report!

High Anxiety

Or the better version:

(At the 2:55 mark)

I've been struggling with anxiety BIG TIME lately.  And who can blame me?  A lot of people are!

All day long we are bombarded with the ins and outs of candidates and awful things they say.

(And, frankly, Donald Trump scares me...)

Between negativity on television, and negativity with my friends on social media, it's all a bit much to take.  (And honestly a lot of this might just be hormonal!)

And this year it's especially bad.

I've been teetering on this edge of dissolving into tears.

And I did just that last night while starting dinner.

I pulled sausage out of fridge and lost it.  I was all:

Thankfully, The Flash wasn't full of his usually stupidity and I was able to watch it.  Yes, Barry's

convenient forgetting that messing with the timeline is BAD drove me out of the room last week.  This week, he apparently got a clue.

It's been a bit of a struggle to get up every morning and exercise.  I'd much rather sleep longer.  But I know that that's not what I need.

Though, today I did 40 minutes of Yin Yoga.  I know that I need cardio, but I just couldn't.  Actually, I think it helped!  I might try to add 15 minutes of yoga in the mornings.... if I can get up for it...

I think until this passes, I need to simply do the best that I can.

I'm trying my best to work on my diet.  I know that it helps.  But sometimes the occasional glass of wine with dinner is consumed.


I'm trying my best to exercise.  I'm about to finish up Focus T25.  I'm also running.  In fact, I had a race this weekend!

As long as I get up in the morning and DO something, it'll get me through.

You know what also helps?

Kittens

Puppies (even if they ARE sitting on my work clothes)

And Spousal Equivalents 

That didn't turn out the way that I hoped... My first and last time donating blood

I've never given blood before.  I don't know my blood type!

But when Busch Gardens advertised their blood drive I signed up.  What's to lose?  I'd get a free ticket for next year and there'd be the Fiends naughty nurses there?  Sign me up!

Why did I sign up?  This right here!

It was all going pretty well.  I gave my blood.  I had a snack and some water.  I was feeling pretty good.

So we walked across the park to the BBQ place.  They did say that eating meat after the donation would be good.

The line was long.  The longer we stood in the line, the more I began to yawn.  Finally, I decided to step out of line, and go find a table.

It was there that things went really wrong, really fast.  I was becoming light headed.  It left like my ears were stuffed with cotton.  I felt hot and sweaty.  Medic.  I needed one.  I looked around.  Since it was William and Mary student day, there were obviously college students all around.  Luckily, one of my student workers was two tables over.  I yelled over that I was going to pass out and to please get me a medic.  He laughed.  That was the joke before we left work today, that I was going to pass out.  But it only took a second or two to realize that I was serious.

He stood up and looked for help.  The help came around the time that the Spousal Equivalent showed up with the food.  By this time I'd added difficulty breathing and numb hands to the mix.

I was placed in a wheelchair and whisked off to the first aid station where I could finally lay down.  Slowly I regained feeling in my hands and my breathing eases.  We needed up eating our dinner sitting on the infirmary beds.  I was cold, but I was HUNGRY.

An hour and a half after I gave blood we were headed home.  My car is still in the parking lot.

This morning I'm feeling pretty good.  We still have to head back to Busch Gardens and get my car.

I am incredibly HUNGRY, though...

My family better enjoy their free tickets.  I know that I'm not going to give blood again!