A PREGO MOMMY'S RUNNING DIARY

Just got through a couple pregnancy/running sites.  Some of these women ran all the way to their due date in races!!!  WOW!  That’s pretty incredible.  I imagine after they gave birth and recovered briefly, they were able to run forever since they were suddenly 3o pounds lighter!  Incredible!  Incredible!  Incredible!

I read on another site:  “If you’re pregnant, now is not the time to start training for a triatholon or marathon.”  WHAT???  Who the hell does that?  I mean, who FEELS like doing that????  Good heavens. 

Ok here’s the whole paragraph from http://www.babycenter.com/0_running-during-pregnancy_7877.bc:

“Pregnancy’s also not the time to start training for a marathon, a triathlon, or any other race, cautions Tupler. “The first trimester is when the baby’s major organs are forming, and overheating’s a real issue. If a woman’s core temperature gets too high, it could cause problems with the baby, so why risk it? Instead, train for the marathon of labor by strengthening your abdominals and pelvic floor muscles,” she says.”
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Ok in reading more, I’ll say this is why I’m reading it.  When I fix my treadmill belt, I’ll start walking on it.  Now, I have a problem where I can’t really get on a treadmill and just walk.  I ALWAYS am compelled to run.  Well, it seems that kinda a no no unless you already are a runner.  But then again I think they are referring to people who run for HOURS!  I think a light brisk run is ok if you’ve been a runner.  I mean, pregnant animals in the wild run all the time, don’t they??  I mean it says it’s ok if you get doctor order but also there is the risk of injury.  Because of the Progesterone (the same stuff I was taking NOT to get pregnant!! ha ha) loosens your joints and muscles.  Probaby why when I was pregnant with Eli I laid my ankle over. It went over easily because of that because I had never had ankle issues before.  But always will because of it now, at least in my right ankle. 

Anyway, in short.  I’ll need to limit myself to fast walk no matter what.  I can’t get overheated because that’s bad but I imagine a soft sweat and some light heavy breathing will be a good workout.  I’ll update progress as I do more 

As far as races of any kind, yeah, probably best to just sit those out until the little one is out of your body.  It’s only 9 months but then again, there’s a part of me watching my body expand AGAIN thinking Oh I have to do something about all this. 

I took my 3 year old downstairs and we worked out.  Ok he was VERY angry when I started the treadmill BECAUSE it makes this awful noise now because some CHILDREN  (who aren’t mine) messed it up about a month ago and the belt folded.  Grrrrrrr.  It’s why I’ve said a MILLION times in the past NOT TO PLAY ON THE DARN THING!  But that’s ok, I think I know how to fix it without having to get a new belt so I’m going to try that tonight. 

Anyway, instead of the treadmill and so my 3 year old would come back downstairs and keep his mama company, I got on the stair master.  Ok so I could only do 2 minutes but I had it on the hardest setting and I’m JUST starting so don’t laugh at me. When a woman is pregnant, like me, it’s VERY miportant not to get the heart-rate above like 120 because blood flow to the organs starts to decrease to make up for it including the uterus.  So you have to keep it light at least to start. After that I did some stretching and some lifting.  I also did some ‘lunges’ across the family room and back just to touch up my tooshy and thighs.  I felt not so good after.  HA HA. But I feel not so good all the time.  At least I broke out in a sweat and that was my goal for first time. 

Tonight I’ll try and get the treadmill fixed and hopefully get on it.  The stair master at this point is kinda overkill.  I just need some brisk walking and not climbing. 

You see, when you get pregnant, everything sloooooooows dooooooooooooooooooown.  Food you ate today could still be hanging around in a couple days.  Bathroom visits are usually quite slow and sometimes produces no results but you have to pee often OF COURSE.  You become QUEEN AND KING of gas and all you ever knew about being female is out the door.  So, excercise is the way to go to help ‘move things along’ and also help find nausea.  I’m looking forward to it tonight assuming I can get my blessed treadmill back online.    It runs now and I ‘think’ the folded part of the belt (it kinda bends up now) is just rubbing the plastic cover.  I think if I flip it around, put the rubbed edge on the side without the plastic cover, it will be silent again.  If it works then it’ll save me belt money for now.

Pregnancy so far:  9 weeks.  At 12 weeks I am supposed to start feeling release from all this morning sickness.  I am begging for relief!!!  Come on 12 weeks!  Doctor prescribed me Ondansetron (generic for Zofran).  It’s for patients going through chemo to help battle their sickness afterwards.  It’s also for pregnant women with the great addition of the sickness.  I don’t take them unless I REALLY REALLY need to function better like with the kids.  I’m a beast.  I’m cranky and easy to piss off.  I don’t want that. . .    but I don’t want the baby to be born with issues because of extra meds.  Doc and my research says/shows that this is a class B drug meaning even though it hasn’t been exclusively studied, pregnant women using it haven’t come back with issues about their babies born on it.  Tylenol, for example, is a class A drug but it’s mostly because it’s been around so long now that it’s marked ’safe’ to take during pregnancy.  My doctor made a good point, “what mother is going to say YES!  Test me on this drug!  while carrying their child in womb?”   

Anyway, I try not to take it at all but sometimes, like Saturday morning, I had to and did take one but haven’t since then.  Depends on what I feel I can handle I guess. 

To help with Nausea naturally:  Don’t get hot.  Keep yourself cool because heat makes you feel more sick.  Eat small meals often because being hungry increases the feeling of nausea.  Iced water with lemon is a good temporary one for me.  Stay away from fried food no matter how you feel. . .or at least limit it.  The grease makes you feel worse after and I’ll say now, it’s not worth it no matter HOW yummy that fried chicken looks and tastes!!!  Don’t sit on a full bladder.  Somehow, having full bladder makes me feel more sick.

I’m getting closer to the 2 month pregnancy mark.  So far to go!  I can’t know the sex until like 16 to 18 weeks.  I have another sonogram in a few weeks to take a look at everything.  I just got done doing my in office stretches.  I always feel pretty good after so I’m trying to make it a daily regimen.

What are some general pregnancy questions. . .let’s see:

Is cramping normal:  Yes only if it’s mild
I sneeze and sometimes I feel pain in uterus area.  Is that normal?  Yes.  Everything is stretching everyday.  Sneezing puts more pressure on already aggitated ligaments and muscles.  Best way to avoid that is to hold your tummy when you know you’re oging to sneeze or at least lean foward.
Brownish discharge, is that normal?  Yes, for some.  I seem to have it with two babies now.  As long as it’s not fresh blood and lots of it, you should be ok.  It’s hard to see, though, but try to take deep breath and tell yourself it’s normal and you’re not alone.
Can I drink coffee?  You actually FEEL like drinking coffee????  Well if you do, they say one cup a day is ok.
Can I eat seafood?  Yes, but only certain kinds and only certain amount.  No RAW seafood period.  You can have small freshwater fish but limit to like one serving a week.  Try to get regular tuna and not albacore. NO SUSHI.  NO CAVIAR.

But there are so mnay other questions.  Aren’t there?  Morning sickness (MS) generally stops around end of 1st trimester but not for everyone.  The more MS you have, they say, the more your pregnancy is proceeding and less chance of miscarriage. 

What to do what to do.  I’m rambling and babbling.  I’m antsy is what it is. I haven’t actually put on any weight which is cool.  I mean my middle area is getting thicker and I’m pooching more but the rest of me seems to be steady.  DIG IT!   Or course, I don’t eat really anything bad because I can’t stand the thought of fried foods and most greasey foods.  Been mostly lean stuff and fruits and veggies. 

I haven’t been smoking at all though have missed it.  Too bad. . .not an option to smoke.  I’m not getting enough sleep though.  I stay up too late as always but I enjoy me and hubby time so it’s tough.  I don’t carry my other kids around as much but still give the occasional horsy ride and piggy back. 

Only thing I take for headache is Tylenol and benadryl to help me sleep.  What have I missed since being pregnant.  Hmmmm. My period but can’t say I’ve really MISSED it (ha ha), smoking yeah I miss that, I miss the thought I could start running again anytime (can’t do that right now), ummmmm, that’s about it.  I don’t drink hardly at all.  I can’t say I missed eating some things because I’m sick too much to care.  I do drink a ton of water.  I love water anyway but I’m bone thirsty all the time so I have to drink a lot of it which makes my visits to Ms. Bathroom much more frequent now.

I’m a little edgier but I’m trying to stay aware of that so I don’t make my hubby too stressed.  I’m TRYING!!!!  My skin seems to be clearing up.  I get much more tired much faster.  Still always very cold most times and still really sicky feeling most times.  I think I’m just getting used to that but I can never be used to freezing.  I dress more warm now. 

My neighbor gave me some of her maternity clothes she had and clothes she wore before he awsome weightloss.  So I hopefully dont’ have to buy much if anything.  HOWEVER, I am an advocate for the belly bra.  I wore that with Eli my soon to be middle child and it helped a lot.  I’m sure that has something to do with stretch marks too as I wore it and didn’t end up with a single one!  I fully thought I’d have them bad but didn’t have any.  I’m hoping this time around is the same thing! 

That reminds me.  I need to go online and find one.  Hope all are good and God bless!  Being prego is TRULY an adventure 

That is the word of today.  It’s how I feel.  Absolutely lousy.  More tired and sleepy than I can describe.  Very sick feeling.  I have eaten a couple small meals today and at least I’m not hungry right now but I’m beat.  Absolutely beat.

Eats for today are: 

a banana
breakfast bar
2 glasses orange juice
deer chili and white rice
saltine crackers
lots of water

That’s about it so far.  I don’t really eat horrible.  I can’t have chocolate because just putting it in my mouth makes me sick.  Fried food doesn’t sound good.  I’m lucky that way so far.  Seems to be light and healthy does the trick.  No, I’m not interested in Taco Shop today.  All I’m interested in is a pillow and a blanket.  That’s it. 

I’ve done some Yoga stretches at my desk thanks to the teachings of my buddy Meri.  Some of those poses and holds really do make your body feel better and get some blood going.  Helps.  I will have to say.  But now I feel crampy.

Anyone hear that?  It sounds like a violin. . . it’s my whiney waltz.

When you have bad morning sickness everyday; every minute of the day, the FIRST thing you want to do is a sweaty workout. HA HA HA. Rrrrrrright…. I just want to sleep. And eat. And sleep some more. Sleep is not always an option but I sure do enjoy it when it is!

Doubt I’ll be able to do any sort of working out this month. Seriously feeling way to sick to even think about it. I do try to stretch as often as I remember to. I guess that is a small form of excercise. I am thankful I have a sit-down job. I feel for the ladies out there that have to stand up all day and are pregnant. I don’t know how you do it. I salute you!!!!

Here is Mr or Miss Baby. He/She is the little speck next to the arrow. The rest is his/her home for the next 7 months. I am about 2 months along (7 weeks) so we have a ways to go and worry is at every turn for me. I think God gave us morning sickness to get our minds off of worrying about the little citter inside our bellies. If we are too sick. . we’re to passive to worry. Ok that’s not true. I think worrying just make me more sick. Bleh.

So what do you think? Boy. . .or Girl?

Oh.  In case you were wondering.  I have not had a cigarette 

THIS is my NEW vice – my…… CRAVING!!!  TACO SHOP!!!!

I haven’t had a cigarette since last Wednesday!  Can you believe it?  But it has nothing to do with fitness!  I found out I am pregnant again! 

When I’m past all this morning sickness I’ll post about pregnancy fitness IF I decide to start that up.  By the way.  Morning sickness. . .ain’t just for the mornings. . .  **sigh**

One of my girlfriends just asked me if i wanted to join a kick boxing class.  Ummm I had to say no.  HA HA HA.  She knows I’m pregnant.  I said ‘are you kidding me?’  she said ‘no!’  I said no way!  . . . any other time I’d jump on that but I know there will be more times I say oh go without me than I would actually go.  If I can’t get myself on a treadmill here at my own house, how on earth will i go somewhere and do kickboxing with a bunch of strangers with a baby cooking?  Ummm, no thank you.  Silly girl.

Welps. . .here’s proof of baby-on-board:

Children are the MOST happy, MOST sad, MOST scared, MOST excited, MOST heartbroken, MOST loved, MOST worrid, MOST conent. . .you could EVER be in your whole life.  This one here. . .shock of my life.  I have NEVER been this stunned in my life.  Time literally stopped.  I couldn’t hear anything except my own breathing. . . what a Christmas gift!

….is home 

OH yes, this IS one of thsoe days where I cannot get started.  I’m easily irritated.  It’s Friday and I’m glad but it’s NOT going fast enough.  I want to be home with my kids and my hubsy.  There’s isn’t anything that’ll suffice but that.  Maybe temporarily some CHOCOLATE but only superficial and only for a moment.  I’m finding myself trying to focus but it’s difficult.  …..sigh

Guess some people don’t understand (or give a crap) that what they do affects.  Ripples in the water don’t just stop after you throw a pebble, they go outward and return.  Do some people not understand that everyone feels?  Yet, everyone is different?  Ever have a moment where you only had a good intention but you were treated as though you broke some law just by asking? 

Had to make a call today.  Ended up with a very heartless, rude and thoughtless woman talking to me as though I had just killed someone.  She actually had me in tears by the end of the call just because she couldn’t find a way to say the SAME words. . .kindly.  That’s ok. . .I got over it for the most part.  I look at pictures on my desk of two boys and a great husband who mean the world to me.  I will guess anyone who works at this particular place is the perfect person for that kind of place.  Otherwise, how can anyone feel good about being sh*tty to someone you don’t even know. . .

At the end of the day, it’s the family you can kiss and embrace that makes you realize. . yeah, there are some people in the world without remorse, without caring, without any kind of love whatsoever.  What’s sad is, THEY are ok with it.  She’s not my family so she’s no one.  I have a life.  I have great kids.  I have a great husband and though we’re going through things in life that aren’t always easy, we always have each other. 

I love my family and THEY are the reason I feel like I am someone.  I feel like I have a purpose.   So, bad call. Mean person.  Not my problem.  When I go home. . .I have everything waiting for me and those three reasons. . .are everything.

I am happy that this ’stranger’ has no baring in my life.  I don’t keep that kind of company and I don’t EVER talk to my clients as though they deserved to be treated with humiliation.  Much love for my friends and family who have tact.  Who have jobs that don’t require consorting with the Devil. . . Who can work in a job where your job is to fight with someone on the other end.  Who can work a job where you make people cry.  Who can work in a job where you get so arrogate you feel god-like?  Maybe that job is the perfect fit for someone like her who didn’t have any kindness in her voice.  Who I could tell enjoyed correcting me.  Well, she’s a telemarketer for a living and I am not so regardless of how she snapped at me, TRIED to put me in my place and actually hung up on me. . . I just suppose that job is perfect for her then – cold, heartless, mediocre…..her problem not mine.         

No time to blog much but I ran 15.14 tonight.

I have two unopened issues of Runner’s World at home I just remembered! I never open those unless I’m actually running. I’m quirky I know but I don’t feel I have any business reading them if I’m not involved in some way.

On the quit meter I have on my sidebar there to the right, what I like about that is seeing how much I’ve saved in money :d THAT puts a smile on my face. When you are smoking you hardly ever think about what you’re spending one pack at a time. Just in this week alone it’s almost up to $20. I can dig that!

The following chatter is from my family blog I just updated today and I’ll just copy and past it here since it started going more towards fitness:
It’s Friday and that IS super cool!!! I’m heading home in just a few hours and ready to start my weekend!

My crankiness subsided by yesterday. Since quitting smoking I’ve had an incredible amount of energy or at least it is to me. I’m pretty happy with that. Last night was the pinnacle of it where I was pretty much bouncy and happy. Huge difference since the days/nights before that I’ve been terribly cranky but trying my best to be cool. I’m feeling it again today, pretty happy and energetic. . Of course I’ve been running with Logan. He LOVEs it and well so do I. He brings it up every night. We went out last night even though it was FREEZING. He sticks with me. Even if he goes up ahead and turns around and comes back to me. It’s really fun! I’m proud of him and I hope he knows how hard I’m working to not smoke but I think he does. We actually talk about it every night either he brings it up or I do. last night I brought it up and said Logan, I had a cigarette today and he immediately looks up, mouth agape and then I said I’m joking!!!! and then he said well let’s go run and bike!

Logan has taken some scary falls on that bike but I’m VERY proud of him that he keeps going. Thank goodness he actually enjoys it!!!! GOOD BOY! He asks to go ride a lot and we’re so proud of him!

My goal is to be able to run with him no matter how long he rides or rather have him quit riding first but. . .running and biking do not compare. Person on a bike will always be able to go farther however running will always be the highest burning calorie workout there is. If you want to know why, try running and you’ll soon see why. It’s a lot of work but so mind clearing. It’s wonderful to do a lot of thinking or NO thinking and your brain can completely relax even though your body is working really hard. Oh my gosh this sounds like I’m on my fitness site. . .I’ll stop that now! — But I am now on my fitness site so I guess this is appropriate here!

I don’t know that I’ll be running outside tonight but I will do the treadmill. But we’ll see what my son has planned for us. If he wants to ride while I run I probably will not turn him down. . .

I seriously feel GREAT and I’m happy that I’m taking better care of how much I run. By this point I’d already be pushing to run over 20 minutes at a time but I’m not trying to discourage myself this time around. Again, no smoking is my number one goal. . .running keeps me from smoking but I need to run enough to be effective but not so much I get burned out. I want this to be a habit not a chore.

Now that I think about it, Logan is my support system. I begged to have a partner and now I have one!

Haha! I was taking the fish oil capsule and drinking a glass of skim milk and my husband said ‘oh just what I waited for my whole like!. Poke fun all you want! Skim milk has all the vitamins you need after youwork out minus the fat AND the fish oil is great for the brain, muscles and skin (youthfulness).

I just got done eating some deer chili my friend brought me for lunch.  I’m stuffed.  There were a couple really great things about this meal other than it tasted delicious:

1)  Deer meat is very lean so this chili is probably very good for me and my diet!
2)  It was FREE!

Ha ha.  Sometime in the next hour I’m going to walk the stairs and get some extra calorie burning incentives going.  I’m looking forward to running with my oldest son tonight and getting some relax time ont he treadmill.  I could have run last night I think but I was really tired and thought the break in between is not a bad thing.  As long as I’m not smoking that’s the number one issue/goal right now.  Because of my break away from the habit, I feel really good.  I sure do miss it though but I admit I am feeling better.

I’m looking forward to my 9 days off in November.  Cooking Thanksgiving dinner like I do every year (and I AIN’T gonna be shy about calories!)  I have a good amount of time off and I’m saving it for November.  Maybe I’ll see if there’s a fall race going on in November I can shoot for.  I doubt I’d make it but something to look for.  

**Ok I had to go look so here’s the schedule:

How could I forget the annual Turkey Trot?  TSK!  Silly me.

There seems to be a couple races in the beginning of November a couple days after my birthday. 

Ahhhh, who am I fooling.  I don’t have the balls to run in a race.  I DO enjoy contemplating the thought of it though.  :d

I’ll post my runs tonight.   Anyone struggling to get in shape, take one goal at a time.  Don’t load up on several because the feeling of being overwhelmed has a GREAT chance of discouraging you into feeling like you’re failing.  It’s much less pressure to handle one goal at a time.  For example:  Normally I would quit smoking, stop eating much at all AND pushing really hard to be running more each time I run AND more often.  Right now, I’m focussing on staying away from smokes.  It’s much less pressure AND not smoking is a HUGE step.  So one thing at a time.  :d

I took a running break last night.  That’s a good thing to do EXCEPT that when I don’t run I feel like smoking more.  There were a few times I thought just one wouldn’t hurt anything.  And that’s probably true but I know once I pick ONE up it oculd be FOUR by the end of the night.  I have no self-control in moderation.    BLEH!  I was good.  No smoking at all.

Tonight I’ll be running with Logan while he bikes.  Then after they are in bed I’ll run on the treadmill.  The quick pass outside is great.  Not enough to make me too tired to run later but because it’s on pavement it’s getting my legs even stronger which makes the treadmill easy.

I’ve been eating casually and not gulping tons of food.  In short I’m doing well and proud enough to keep going.  I do feel pretty good really.  Only thing I need to work on is getting to sleep by 11:30 at night.  I like staying up with hubby and watching scary movies! 

Tracing the alphabet with your foot works GREAT for busted ankles!  I’ve been doing that every morning and I AM noticing a difference.  Another difference is tracing lower case as opposed to upper.  Upper is more of a challenge and more effective.  Funny as that sounds, it’s true.  There’s more work in tracing all caps alphabets!  If you don’t believe me, just try it! 

Also, for nonsmokers. . .you want to know how hard it is to quit?  Stop doing something cold turkey you enjoy doing.  Watching TV, shopping online, drinking soda.  Whatever it is you enjoy, just stop doing it for a week.  To really be fair, stop two things since a smoker actually smokes more than one cigarette a day.  It’s not easy.  But possible! 

I got on and ran last night.  Made sure I didn’t push myself as I most always do.  I don’t want to get burned out like I did last time.  I’m not training to run a race, I’m running to save my life.  So far I’ve gone 3 days without smoking.  Ok end of today is day three but you know what I mean. 

Last night I merely got my tunes going and ran what I needed to and ate decently yesterday.  Nothing huge and nothing too bad for me.  I didn’t get to sleep until almost 2:00 last night.  I’m glad I took a tylenol PM because it never fails, when I start running I have a hard time sleeping (I run too close to bedtime).  Of course we stayed up until 1:00 watching a scary movie.  I expected to wake up exhausted and wake up late.  I didn’t and I felt pretty good.  I’m sleepy and I am tired but I feel good.  Side affects of not smoking that I know well.

I’ll be runinng tonight.  I’ve missed spending my smoking time with Daddy but I know it’s best to stay the way I’m going.  If I just run 10-15 minutes a night we still have plenty of time together 

Note:  I do not like the Asics too well.  For being $140 they aren’t any better than a $90 Nike soe (not Shox).  When these blow out, I’m going back to Nike as I should have done when I left in the first place.  Nike may not be right for all but for some reason they are right for me.

Three year old boy taken by a man driving a 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse.  Plate #98B351 in Delaware County, OK.

Tell yourself everyday:  I AM AMAZING.

I never fails.  Whenever I run the night before, regardless if I have ran for the first time or been running for months, I am ultimately very hungry the next day.  That hunger is hard to ignore and at times I eat more than I should.  I know that starving yourself is definitely not the thing to do.  But overeating is bad also.  I find that grazing helps.  Much a little here and there so you kill the hunger but you didn’t over eat. 

I am not really in any big hurry to lose weight.  I’m more interested in getting healthy.  Not smoking is the BIG one (and I haven’t smoked at ALL since night before last).  Plus running casually will help my stamina with the kids.  I also will be eating somewhat less.  That’s a HUGE step to getting healthy.  I’ll worry more about the weight loss by the time summer gets here.  For now, I will not overwhelm myself with GOALS.  First one is NO SMOKING.  Second is keep running to stay not smoking.  Try not to overeat.  It’s a light set of goals that I can easily do. 

Day 2 doesn’t seem like much but it’s huge when you’re an everyday smoker.  It’s easy for never smoked before folks who say OOOOO bad habit.  Or you should STOP SMOKING.  It’s not easy.  Everyone makes choices in their lives that have consequences.  Just because a nonsmoker never smoked doesn’t mean they didn’t make some bad choices in their lives that ended up with some bad consequences.  Smoking is just one of the more obvious of the choices and happens to be addicting and easy to get.  I encourage those to help someone stop smoking but don’t be too harsh.  Judging someone and turning your nose up at it is saying you’re without guilt or sin??????  I don’t think so.  I imagine there are those who have their ’secrets’ and problems filled with bad choices.  Rememember, pissing off a smoker or someone trying to quit only pushes them towards it.  I know because I have walked both sides.  Everytime I quit I hope it’s the last time I have to.  But I don’t give up.  I’m still trying.  The smoker knows when it’s time and they know when they are ready.  Warm encouragement is wise but you can’t force someone to feel something they aren’t ready for.

I plan on a short run tonight but no pushing myself.  Last time I was up to running about 45 minues in July, I had not lost a pound but I was running everyday.  I pushed myself too hard and was too hard on me.  I have to remember, the main reason I am running is to NOT smoke.  When I’m safely past the urge to smoke, then maybe I’ll look into distance running.  For now, Day 2. . .I do what’s best and I am happy I FINALLY stood back up and tried again.  I don’t know if I’ll succeed and I say that a lot.  I keep trying and I DO that a lot.  One of these days, I’ll get it right.

I’ve been scared lately.  I’m not getting any younger the boys aren’t going to stop growing older.  I want to be there for them as best I can as they get older and have their own children.  I’m scared I’ll find myself dead before I’m 50 if I dont’ stop smoking.  I have already not been setting good example for the boys by smoking.  Imagine the impact of it all if I died young.    it’s cold hard truth. 

Last night, when I asked Logan to ride his bike while I ran outside, the first thing he said was NO SMOKING!  You have to promise you won’t smoke if you go with me.  I told him I had not had anything to smoke today (yesterday) and he said GOOD!  Then we got back inside from that and he asked if I’d smoked yet and I said no and he said GOOD!  Then later he said no smoking tomorrow!  I said I’ll try and so far, I have not smoked. 

Ok. . here’s a fun thing for me – maybe not for you.  I’m going to try and figure out how many years I’ve actually smoked because I haven’t smoked all the time since I started when I was younger.  So here it goes:

16 – started smoking – did not inhale until I was 17 so lucky for me I didn’t actually start smoking until I was 17.  I remember that day.  I was hanging out with friends at lunch in a burger place across from my high school.  Some dude yelled from across the little place:  “You’re not enhaling that!  You’re wasting it!”  I was so embarassed.  Most everyone in there was a smoker.  It was the place to be if you were.  So I taught myself that night to smoke.  I ran into that guy later in life and told him HE was to blame.  But we know who is, don’t me I mean we.  HA HA HA.

(17 – that’s 1 year)

Age 18 I started running as my friend was a runner.  I went out with her one night and I had never ‘run’ to run before and I literally could not run more than 1 minute.  Can you believe that?  I was that out of shapr (though skinny) and that untrained since I never ran before that 1 minute was all I had.  I was VERY upset with myself.  I had no idea how weak I really was.  So I immediately dropped the cigarettes and started running every night.  Eventually got up to 1 hour.  I could run more but my Daddy wouldn’t let me stay out THAT long at night. 

Then when I turned 19, I started back up again.  What the HELL was I thinking????  But I did and that was mistake number 2.  I HATE that I did that.  HATE it.  I smoked until I was 22 so that’s 3 years there.  (17 =1 year plus 19-22 = 3 years is 4 years total so far. 

Then when I turned 22 I stopped smoking and started working out faithfully.  I didn’t smoke again until I was 25.  Even then it was very short lived as my friends at the time were not smokers so it helped.  So we’ll add 1 more year to the 4 years total so far.  (5 years at this point)

When I turned 27 got new friends and they were smokers so I smoked off and on until I was 29.  I stopped for about 6 months in there and worked out like crazy.  BEST shape of my life!  So I know my potential.  Anyway, we’ll say 2 years to be safe.  (5 years + 2 years = 7 years).  Between 29 and 32 I didn’t smoke at all.  Worked out off and on so that was good!  Between 32 and now I’ve smoked off and on.  I stopped completely when I was pregnant and in the months after for breastfeeding.  Also quit smoking for about 7 months a few years ago after deciding to drop the baby far and got myself down to 118!  Misc off and on starts and stops during this 5ish year period so we’ll say:  32 to 27 - 2 = 3 years.  (7 years + 3 years = 10 years).  So in short, I am a 10 year smoker.  I say that because if I were a straight smoker, here would be the results in comparison. 

What might have been:  37 – 16 = 21 years
What IS:   1 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 = 10 years

My point to all this is, even though I’ve failed MANY times to quit smoking, my ‘trying’ to quit allowed me to go 11 years (totaled) smokefree as opposed to smoking since I was 16 and not trying at all.  Failure in and of itself is a hard one to swallow.  You fail.  You try.  You fail.  You try.  The only TRUE failure is when you stop trying.  If I had, I would probably be much worse off as a ’smoker’ than if I had not tried so many times.  I suppose when you add up all your failed attempts, you acutally see they were at least STILL worth something.  I feel better about that.  I feel I can get myself healthy knowing that I have 10 years of damange rather than 21 years.  So my efforts have been worth it all along, including this time around. 

The best bet was NEVER to have started but there is no going back.  There is only forward and what I’ve written above is proof that trying does matter.  I’ve never added that up before so I’m seeing those numbers for the first time as well.  I have to say, it makes me smile.  I feel really good about that.

I got this from ANKLE EXCERCIES – A COMPLETE GUIDE. Below is a paste from what I found interesting. Especially the end where it talks about writing the alphabet with your foot. THAT IS PERFECT! I can do that at my desk at work. Anyway here’s the past for wasy reference:

Use these exercises to increase ankle range of motion after injury.
All exercises (except The Alphabet) should be performed in sitting with your legs fully extended, knees straight, out in front of you.

Dorsiflexion
1)Pull your foot back toward you (while keeping knees straight) by moving your ankle. Continue until either discomfort is felt or you can no longer pull your foot back.
2)Hold this position for 15 seconds
3)Return to neutral position
4)Repeat above steps 10 more times

Plantar flexion
1)Push your foot forward away from you (while keeping knees straight) by moving your ankle. Continue until either discomfort is felt or you can no longer bend your foot forward.
2)Hold this position for 15 seconds
3)Return to neutral position
4)Repeat above steps 10 more times

Inversion
1)Turn your foot inward by moving your ankle. Continue until either discomfort is felt or you can no longer turn your foot inward.
2)Hold this position for 15 seconds
3)Return to neutral position
4)Repeat above steps 10 more times

Eversion
1)Turn your foot outward by moving your ankle. Continue until either discomfort is felt or you can no longer turn your foot inward.
2)Hold this position for 15 seconds
3)Return to neutral position
4)Repeat above steps 10 more times

The Alphabet
1)Sit on a chair with your foot dangling in the air or on a bed with your foot hanging off the edge
2)Draw the alphabet one letter at a time by moving the injured ankle and using the great toe as your “pencil.”