Reena Jacobs's Blog, page 55

Slave Driver #twitloss

Recently I decided to reenter the military. I remember from previous experience, running was a problem area for me. I dread going back in and having to run my buns off. So, I've been trying to prepare. It's been a full week since I last ran. In fact, it's been a full week since I've done any exercise since Tuesday was the last day I went to karate also. My excuse? Laziness.

Well today I decided to get back in the groove. I planned to run first and head to karate directly after. My husband called around 6ish. By then I'd started to waiver about the run and/or karate. I told him over the phone I think I'll just skip karate, but I'm going for my run now. Hung up the phone with him, cleaned a little, then hopped in the shower. :)

By the time I got out of the shower, my dear hubby was home. We dinked around a bit then he asked me how my run was. Run? What run? In an ever so unassuming way, the bastard guilted me into running. Reminding me of my goal to get into the military and all.

So how did I do? To begin, my goal is modest. I walk up my drive (not sure the distance, maybe 100 yards), run to the stables (0.4 miles), run/walk back (another 0.4) miles, then walk back down the driveway (another maybe 100 yards). Eventually I want to run the entire 0.8 miles to the stable and back without walking. I just need to pull out the motivation, cause I know physically I can do it. It's the mental block which gets me.

The entire trip took me 12 minutes which comes out to be 15 minutes miles. WAY TOO SLOW for the military. If I'm generous and say it takes a minute to walk up the drive and another down, I'm still a bit on the slow side 12.5 minute miles. Ultimately, I need to get my run time under 2 miles in 22 minutes (11 minute miles).

I feel like i should be apologizing for rambling, but this is senseless chatter.

Anyway, here's to my slave driving husband who convinced me to run today. I really needed it.

Mental Hurdles #twitloss

I'll be the first to admit that I hate running. I hate it with a passion. Even when I was in the military, and it was my job to run, it was the biggest chore in the world. Well, I'm back at it again with 2 miles as my goal.

Unlike some of you run-gurus, I'm starting off slow...VERY slow. I started running on Monday. So, let me tell you what I did this week.

Monday: 0.6 miles - One circuit around the block made my first run nothing short of torture. Seriously, it was all I could do not to pass out, but I didn't walk once. Woot! Big triumph.

Wednesay: 0.6 miles - Despite being sore from Monday, I hit the road again. More torture. A little less motivated, I did stop running and probably walked 0.2 of a mile back home.

Friday: 0.8 miles - I came to the conclusion before I set out that I didn't have to run the entire time. Even when I was in the military, I never ran the entire 2 miles of the AFPT test. I did it in a combination of walking and running. So I ran to the stables (0.4 miles)...well almost to the stables. I was actually a few yards short. Then I walked/ran back. Not the best run time, and really, I wasn't nearly as tired as I was on Monday and Wednesday.

Saturday: 0.8 miles - Okay. I woke up this morning thinking I could do better than yesterday. Honestly, my body was getting used to the running. The torturous feeling I had the first two times was gone. And I remember yesterday reaching a point where I just didn't want to run any more. Not really that I couldn't run. I just didn't want to do it, and I didn't. Today I set off with the point of assessing my mental as well as my physical state and here is what I found.

About a quarter of the way to the stables I felt the run in my legs. Yes, I wanted to stop, but kept going cause I knew I could. Half-way to the stables my legs received their wake-up call, but my cardiovascular system wanted to make a fuss. Three-quarters of the way to the stables, my body stabilized and was some what on board with the run. It was my mind which said screw this shit.

I finished the 0.4 miles to the stables without walking then walked/ran back. Because I knew it was more of a mental thing, I managed to do more running than walking and shaved off 2 minutes from time from yesterday. My ultimate goal is to do the round trip without walking.

One thing about today's run, I'm feeling a bit more motivated. I might actually get out there and run again this evening. My goal is to push to the stables and a quarter of the way back before walking. Then pull off my walk/run routine. I know I can do it, I just have to keep telling myself not to stop...just a little more.

So my question is: How do you manage to get over mental hurdles?

Red Man Pummeled Me #twitloss

Last week I didn't make it to karate. Bummer too, cause I was supposed to take my yellow belt test. I was so prepared. That's okay, though. I got to take it today. Passed. Woot! Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about Red Man.

Tournament sparring.

Sensei Sadist put gave us two rules while transforming into Red Man. Rule #1: No pulling on the gear. Rule #2: No groin kicks.

No groin kicks? Fine. Be that way. Before I go any further, let me tell you a little about Tournament sparring. Main thing is no hits below the belt. Plus, you get extra points for head shots, especially kicks.

So Sensei Sadist gives us some advice: Get in and get out. Cause if Mr. Red Man grabs you, he'll get you good.

WTH? Grab me? We're sparring right? That doesn't sound like tournament sparring. Sensei Sadist gave me a wicked smile. "No. This isn't tournament sparring."

First up was a second degree black belt. I quickly learned this was a fight for your life type of spar. One minute of constant whip ass. So I'm watching Red Man grab and pound this girl nonstop (of course she fought back, but still) and thinking you've got to be kidding me.

Next up was me. I started off well. But I tell you, I'm out of shape. STILL. Yeah Reena, you've given that excuse before. I'd say for the first 45 seconds I gave it all I had. Eventually I got tired.

Before I continue, I've got a story for you. Years ago when I was in high school, I had this friend who said her ex-boyfriend beat her. She said some days he'd get so out of hand all she could do was lay in the corner exhausted and let him finish. Not making light of her situation, but holy hell. That's that's how I felt the last 15 seconds. I just wanted to lay down in the corner and let him finish me off.

The second round was even worse. I think I lasted 30 seconds before it was all over for me. I probably let him pummel me for a full five seconds while he had me in a headlock once. Okay. Maybe more than once. Yeah, it didn't feel so great, but at least he held me up. The third round I was so tired I practically just let him beat me unfettered. He actually yelled at me to hit back. "Kick me! Do a roundhouse!" Dude, my legs are barely keeping me standing.

I left the dojo tonight with wobbly legs, a sore nose, and a severe headache. Good news though. I've lost a total of 3 lbs since joining. Very slow weight loss, but that's okay. As long as it's coming off and not going on, I'm good.

WTF iS WroNg wiTh My EyeBaLLs

So yesterday evening, my muse hit me hard. The lines were flowing, and I thought I'd really make some major progress. Then an odd thing happened. My vision did this funky thing. The best I can describe it is kaleidoscope action. You know how the picture is still there, but it's blocky like? Well that's what happened. One small area about the size of a dime and in the shape of a C played on my computer screen. I ignored it for a while thinking it would go away, and that I must have spaced out while looking into the light on the ceiling or something. Well it didn't go away. About five minutes later kaleidoscope was the size of an orange. I could only see what I was typing if I didn't look at the screen directly.

"Husband! Something's wrong with my vision!" Yeah, I call him "Husband" just like I call the dog, "Dog," and my kids "Daughter" and Son." Sometimes it's easier than remembering names. I gave him a quick description, mean while my funky C had grown to the size of a watermelon, and my right eyeball had started to hurt.

"Sounds like you might have a migraine coming on." My husband settled back in his seat. He'd been nursing his own headache that evening. "At least that's how my migraines start. Only I see squiggly lines."

Migraines? I don't get migraines. I heard those things suck! "What do I do? Should I take an aspirin? and Advil?"

"I've found nothing helps."

I couldn't accept this, especially since only my right eyeball hurts. OMG, as I wasted time talking about it, the pain had traveled across the bridge of my nose and was migrating to my forehead. I headed to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Advil. My head didn't hurt so much, one would be enough. At least I hoped. I opened the fridge. Holy cow! I felt like a vampire in the sun. The PAIN! THE PAIN! I barely managed to find the carton of juice through the blinding light.

I washed down my little green pill and tried to work on my manuscript again. It didn't take long for me to realize my time in front of the bright computer screen was over. Since it was late, I hit the sack and tried not to move. I learned moving wasn't good. No, it was bad. Very bad.

The interesting thing about this headache or migraine, whatever it was, was the pain. It wasn't a throbbing sensation or sharp sting. It just was. Really weird. Like all of a sudden my brain was just too small for my skull and wanted to escape.

Anyway, I made it through the night, and I'm back on track. So I'm wondering. What are your bad headache/migraine cures? Not that I plan on having one again, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared.

It's All about Me

Okay, it's my birthday and I'm totally into myself right now. My husband gave me a kiss and wished me happy birthday on his way out. He just called me again for another birthday wish and asked where I wanted to go for dinner. :) I put in my birthday wish list, so I'm totally getting what I want--a Kindle, $$, and gift certificates to bookstores. FEED THE ADDICTION! Hubby surprised me with a laptop stand a couple of days ago as an early present. My face hurts from smiling. We're celebrating my birthday (late) over the weekend, and Mom promised me strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting. YUM!!! I know I'm bad. I don't care about surprises as long as I get what I want. I learned it from my mother, btw. Try it sometime, and you might be pleasantly not so surprised when you get what you want too! :D Anyway I'm sure you're tired of hearing about me. Cause really, it's kind of conceited. Anyway, I just want to leave you with this little video.

Don't forget to enter my Birthday Giveaway! It ends tonight, and we're only 3 followers away from adding 2 more winners!

A Shoulder to Lean on

Hello, my lovely website. Have you missed my neglectful ways? Sometimes I get so involved in the blog, I forget I have this website rotting on the side. :) So what's with the chatterbox? I'll tell you. It's reserved for all my non-related writing bull. Like how karate wore me out tonight. I'm still dreading what my shoulders will feel like in the morning.

We seem to spend a lot of time on the legs at the dojo. I was just thinking it would be nice to get a arm workout. And low and behold, Sensei Sadist pulled out a cane and a walking stick (he had some special name for the stick which I can't remember). I tell you, by the time we finished my arms were so tired, it took all my strength just to lift my gatorade to my mouth. The only reason I can type right now is because I can rest my arms on the keyboard. You think I'm lying? :)

I had so much fun beating Bobby with my sticks. I don't know about the rest of you #twitloss gurus and your exercise regimen, but I love karate! I swear that's the key to sticking with an exercise program--finding something you like to do. Now if I can only find a diet plan I love.

Other ramblings: I've mentioned I live in a little town. Well, have I mentioned I'm horrible with names and faces? Especially women. I think it has something to do with them not being important to my sex life. Sometimes I'll recognize a face but for the life of me can't place it. When I hit the dojo, there was an exercise class in progress. One of the guys looked fairly familiar. So when he got of the mat, I asked him a few questions about how I might know him. Do you own a business? Nope. Do you go to my church? Nope. Do you know me? :)

This is where the roles reversed, and he started asking me questions. :) Do you live close? Yep. What neighborhood? What street? I gave him the info. Then he smiled at me; I smiled back.

"Are we neighbors?" I asked. This is how bad it was. Not only are we neighbors, but our properties are adjacent. My husband does their HVAC. I've invited his wife to Pampered Chef parties. We're not buddies or anything, but we yell at each other from across the fence. Small world.

More small world news: Another guy at the karate place walked in a few weeks ago. Again I couldn't place the face. Then he opened his mouth and heard his accent. Two + Two = Five, I think. He was my youngest daughter's friends' dad. Did I get enough apostrophes in that? Anyway, I've talked to him quite a few times when picking her up. Duh.

EVEN MORE Small world news: I helped with the census this year. BTW, Awesome job. Low stress, great people to work with, and decent pay considering the work. The US Census Bureau paid me for mileage from the time I left the house and got back. I got paid  an hourly wage FROM the time I left my house and got back, including driving to meetings. I worked on my own time, which meant I never had to worry about daycare.

Okay, I digress. I got called for some last minute work. I drove out to one house, and what do you know? The house belonged to one of the ladies from the karate place. Even weirder. She lives two doors down from my in-laws. My in-laws talk about her all the time. They adopted one of her cats.

I'm done rambling for now. Thanks for listening. :)