HippieMommy

posted by amanda on Jan 2

We are finally settled into our new house! Yay! DH is dragging in some new book shelves as we speak. Once my books are in place, I’ll really feel “home”

A group of friends and I decided to go ahead and attempt our first half marathon! Its actually a 15-miler, so it is longer than a typical “half”, but I really think we can do it. We talked amongst ourselves and decided to go with Jeff Galloway’s Half Marathon Schedule. I’m super excited, but totally nervous at the same time. I went for my first run at the new elevation (1500ft lower than our old house) and it felt amazing. I felt like I could run forever. I wonder how long that’ll last? Hopefully through May so I can feel that way on race day, hehe.

In reading news, I have picked up several more books. The librarians here in town already recognize me when I come in the building (probably as “the weird girl with the hoop through her nose and the crazy hair, but hey… whatever). Here are my current reads:

The Complete Woman: Being a Whole Person
By: Patricia Gundry

Patricia Gundry is an author I’ve wanted to check out for a while. This book was written when I was a year old, but it is still so applicable. I love the way that she tackles the lies that so many women believe. I will definitely be blogging about this in the very near future.

Classic Christianity: Life’s Too Short to Miss the Real Thing
By: Bob George

This book was recommended by a friend, so I picked it up when I saw it for a quarter at Goodwill. It is very grace-based and I have been surprised (in a pleasant way) by a lot of things he has said. I’m still not sure if its too focused on works not mattering, but we shall see.

How Children Fail (Classics in Child Development)
By: John Holt

John Holt is considered a “classic” for homeschooling, and I was quickly able to see why. This book has had me laughing out loud. My mom has been a teacher for the past 20 years, and I could hear her saying everything that he says in this book. I’ll be blogging about this too!

I wish all of you a happy and blessed new year, and I am excited about what it holds for me and my family. I’m off to look up parks and hiking areas now, because my kids have been scratching at the doors to get out due to all of this snow! Have a great night

posted by amanda on Dec 7

After a bit of a break thanks to selling our house, buying a new one (we’re still waiting to close on each), I am back running! I went out yesterday and today and it felt great I’ve been doing about 3/4 of my runs with the kids in the stroller and then the other 1/4 I jog around the playground while they play at the park. That way they get to stretch their legs, I’m still near them, and everyone is happy.

Today’s workout:

posted by amanda on Oct 23

I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently, and I really want take another step forward in my goal of running a marathon.  As of right now, I am hoping that I will be able to run the “mini” marathon (15 miles) in the Colorado Marathon next May.  I have lots of time to plan, and my weekly base is strong enough to start 

I hope to make up a full training schedule and post it here in the next few days 

In other encouraging news, our family was at a BBQ restaurant up in Boulder, and I was feeling pretty good that day  ;)  One of the ladies who works at the restaurant came by our table and said that she saw me helping the kids and wanted to say that I had an awesome figure, especially considering that I have two kids so young.  She asked how I did it and gushed on for a bit.  It felt so good 

I’m not trying to lose weight or even firm anything else, but I am excited about continuing to strengthen my body and make it healthier.  I love the thought of treating my body right!

posted by amanda on Dec 17

“I want to run a marathon.”

I could hardly even believe myself when the words came out of my mouth. I had just given birth a few months earlier, and I was weighing in at my highest weight ever. I was a size 12/14, and I felt miserable. The most I ever ran was when the phone rang, and even then I was out of breath.

As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I realized that I needed to take action. Some people would’ve laced up their shoes and bolted out of the door, but not me. I researched. I am an excellent researcher - as a matter of fact, I am a far better researcher than runner, so I dug right in.

Within a few days, I realized that I needed a plan. I studied all of them, looked for reviews online, and planned out when I could run my first race, a 5k. After a short amount of time, I decided on Cool Running’s Couch-to-5K Program. It looked doable enough. I only had to start running 60-seconds at a time, and within 9 weeks I’d be a bonafide runner. I would start the next day.

After day 1, I was sore, tired, and had barely made it through my intervals, but I survived, and for that I felt like I was on top of the world! The feeling of accomplishment was amazing! I wrote the following in my running journal:

“Today was my first day in my new training. It definitely got me sweating, and I’m so proud of myself for getting out and running. I already feel better. The headache that I woke up with is gone.”

I wondered how I could run 3.1 miles in just 9 weeks, but I trusted that I would get there if I tried. My mom decided to join me, and we set off on our latest adventure.

Throughout that 9 weeks, I developed some knee problems and my mother’s shin splints started acting up. We bought real running shoes, recommended to us by running store experts, not just kids who work at the mall. That solved our issues. With our injuries behind us, we were ready for our first race!

Just as promised, we ran the entire 5K on race day, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. By the end of the 9 weeks, I had lost a few sizes, had noticable definition in my legs, and had so much more energy. I felt fit for the first time since my skateboarding days in college

Now, almost 4 years later, I am a healthy size 0 (as you can probably assume, I have a very small frame, which is why a 12/14 was so unhealthy for me). I give running the full credit. Since I have started running, I have become a much healthier person in general. I eat much healthier. Our lives are more active in general. I vary my workouts so that I’;m not just running, but also skiing, bellydancing, practicing yoga, hiking, etc, etc.

There is no magic pill for weight loss or health, but I was able to change my life, one step at a time. Those first few months of running were challenging, but now its second-nature. Running is my release, my meditation/prayer time, my opportunity to relax… Its wonderful, and I invite you to try it.

I hope to run my first marathon next Summer/Fall. I have already started to amp up my training, and I promise to keep you updated!

posted by amanda on Aug 26

I’m so bummed.

One of my very closest friends here in Colorado Springs has just found out that they’re moving for her husband’s job. We knew it was a possibility, but I’m really sad now that I know its true. My kids are going to be really upset when they figure out that their friends are leaving, since they have kids about the same age as mine. Its such a bummer.

Last night I had trouble sleeping and kept waking up gasping for air. At first I thought it was panic attacks, but I couldn’t figure out why. Then I thought that maybe it was an asthma attack. Then I realized that I’m stupid and only breathe through my nose, and my nose was stuffy, so I wasn’t breathing very well. I’d concentrate on mouth breathing until I fell asleep, then I’d start nose breathing and gasp for air. I took some Robutussin and propped myself upright with pillows on our big fluffy couch in the front room and I was finally able to fall asleep. It was no fun at all though. I think that I may have been having asthma or anxiety issues that were compounding it. Whatever it was, it sucked.

So now I’m trying to decide if I should go work out. Running usually helps to clear out my sinuses, so maybe I’ll give it a whirl. I just cleaned the house, so I can go do fun stuff now I’ll probably go to the park with my friend later and lament over the fact that she’s leaving me. Oh, and I have to go by the library because I reserved Run the Rockies : classic trail runs in Colorado’s Front Range and its ready. I’m looking forward to finding some new trails!

My mind seems hazy this morning. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t sleep well, huh?

posted by amanda on Aug 23

I am so psyched! My little running group is filling up! There’s already 8 ladies from my church joining me. I was worried that I’d be out there running alone (which I actually do already, but I still had some kind of lame fear of rejection). So now I need to go get my packets ready for them and give them all of the info that they need to get started.

I’ve been working on one of Hal Higdon’s base building programs, and it has felt really great. Nothing beats crisp Colorado air when it comes to running The hills used to kick my butt, but now I’m finally able to chug through them.

This past weekend was the Pikes Peak ascent, and one day I’d love to do that, although I get lightheaded just thinking about it… It’d be cool though. Before that I hope to do the ADT marathon… that’s why I’m building my base.

Oh, plus I love being a size 0 =P LOL. That doesn’t hurt when it comes to keeping me motivated.