Great Day for Running

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. but I’m still holding steady at 25 pounds down

I was hoping to report that I’m down more pounds but I did lose the water weight and that’s it so far.

What I’m happy about is my run today. Yesterday my legs felt like lead and I could barely finish 4 laps at the rugby pitch. K also called it a day after 5 laps. He told me not to be discouraged and that I would probably have a better day, today. He was right.

As we were walking over to the park I was having doubts about running. My tendinitis in my left ankle was bothering me and I was still feeling tired. When I started running I decided to run as far as I could without stopping before walking. Once I got going I couldn’t believe how much energy I had.

I ran a full 500 m (1 lap) before I walked and when I did walk I went 1/4 lap and then started running again for the rest of the lap. In total I ran 5 1/4 laps and only walked 3/4 of a lap for a total distance of 3 km not counting the trip there and home again. I’m feeling very good about my accomplishment and running 5 km without stopping doesn’t seem that far off any more.

Here’s something we haven’t seen for awhile in Toronto…. mud! After yesterday’s big thunderstorm there were actual muddy patches on the field.

I’m heading to the cottage today for about a week so I won’t be able to write anything on the blog for that length of time. As some of you know I don’t have electricity up there so I’ll be channelling my creative juices into other pursuits. I’ll definitely take more photographs, read, swim, run and get out my paints and start or finish a painting.

Stay in touch. Cheers!

It Only Took Almost 60 Years

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. to like running

Today K and I headed out for our daily walk with Frances, early in the morning. I didn’t have any high hopes or goals for the running portion of the trip, especially after partying the day before.

When we got to the rugby pitch I placed my water bottle on the line as a marker for the beginning and end of each lap. Of course K passed me right away and I could see that beautiful form he used to have was beginning to return.

The rugby pitch where we run.

I’ve been doing interval training where I run 1/2 a lap, walk for 1/4 and then run again for 1/2 a lap. I did this for 4 laps today and then I decided to go for a fifth lap. I started walking the first 1/4 and then to my surprise I ran the remaining 3/4 without stopping. It felt great. K did 7 laps today (3 1/2 km).

I thought we were going to walk home from the rugby pitch (cool down) but to my surprise K started running so I followed him. We ran for 2 blocks and then walked for 1 and continued to do this until we got home.

The rest of the day turned out to be a good food day with very little salt and lots of water. Hopefully I’ll see some better results on the scale in the next few days.

We talked about our running experience today at dinner and I told K how proud I was of him for starting to run again. He was also very pleased with himself and knocked on the wooden deck in hope that his old injury wouldn’t come back to haunt him and put a stop to his now daily routine.

As for me I had to laugh because it’s only taken me almost 60 years to actually run and more importantly like it.

Cheers!

Down 2 1/2 More Pounds

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. was hoping for 1 or 2 but that extra 1/2 is definitely a bonus

After being at the cottage for 5 days I took a leisurely trip home and stopped at numerous places that I usually pass by because I’m in a hurry to catch a ferry or get to an appointment in the city. I checked out several stores in downtown Midland and made a stop over at the outlet mall off the 400 (used to be called the Cookstown Mall).

In Midland I tried on some designer clothes, very funky and fun and ‘on sale’. Such a treat to put on an XL and find it too big. Unfortunately the dress didn’t come in a large and I thought I would be pushing it if I went for a medium. I’ll go back at the end of the summer and try on the smaller sizes after I’m down another 10 pounds.

The last 3 pairs of pants/shorts that I’ve bought have all been size 16. I thought I was doomed to always wear a size 18/20 when it came to pants because that’s where I carry most of my weight. My next goal is size 14.

At the outlet centre I treated myself to 2 new pairs of sandals. I need to go through my closet at home and start throwing away some of my older shoes that I haven’t worn in awhile.

When I got home last night, K was prepping for his colonoscopy so I quietly warmed up chicken I had pre-cooked the day before and arranged it on a plate with raw vegetables and dip and sat on the deck and enjoyed my dinner by myself.

We got up early this morning and as usual when I’m home I got on the scale and was thrilled to have lost 2 1/2 more pounds. I’m down a total of 25 1/2 pounds. If I keep going at this rate I might be very close to reaching my next goal by my birthday on August 28th. By the way I finally got an appointment for a complete physical. The first available date was August 28th. I’m not thrilled to be spending part of my big day at the doctor’s but the next appointment was on the first day of school. No one takes the ‘first day of school’ off, ever!

Now that I’m feeling better I’ve started to think about running again. I think I need another race to motivate me. I’m going to look into what’s happening in September on the running circuit. If I had someone to run with me it would be even better. Any takers out there?

Cheers!

New Sandals

A New Haircut and a New Lease on Life

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. at least that’s how I feel tonight

I came back from the cottage yesterday so that I could get my hair cut. I went into school this morning and managed to clear away all my ‘stuff’ so that the caretakers can clean my room. Well I guess it’s not ‘my’ room anymore.

I’ll probably go back next week to sort through some more papers and move some of my things to the library. I could leave it for the week before school starts but I think it’ll be too big a job and then I’ll start the school year tired and not refreshed. I have to come back to the city next week anyway to drive K to his doctor’s appointment.

I stayed at school until 3:00 and then I went home, showered and drove downtown for my hair appointment. After listening to the radio I thought I would be spending time in traffic but I actually got to the appointment early. They took me right away and in the next 45 minutes Dee did her magic and gave me a new hair style.

I called K and told him we needed a date night. We ended up going to a restaurant we hadn’t been to in almost 2 years. The owner recognized me right away and I brought him up to date on K’s health while I waited for him to join me. The restaurant has undergone a few changes, one of them being that Tony no longer does the cooking. He has hired a new chef who is passionate about good old fashion Italian cooking.

We had a great meal. I had the baked bass and a Mediterranean salad. I have to admit that I did have one glass of white wine. While there a young family came in and sat at the table next to us. The woman recognized me from when I taught at Hilltop. I was her Family Studies teacher and taught her how to sew and cook. Her partner and K had a long discussion about soccer.

It was a perfect evening and I felt like a princess. I’ve decided to use the picture that was taken at the hair salon as my first official ‘after’ picture. As I write this I’m not sure what I’m going to use as my ‘before’ picture but anything that was taken in the last 3 years will do the job.

Before After

Friday, July 13, 2012 – 23 pounds lighter. Who said Friday the 13th is unlucky?

Cheers!

17 More

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. only down 1 1/2 pounds in 10 days

I don’t have a scale at the cottage. I was anxious to weigh myself this morning. My weight has been fluctuating up and down; a pound up, 1/2 pound down, etc.. Before I left for the cottage my weight had levelled out and I was were I was on the July 3rd.

So in actual fact I’ve lost another 1 1/2 pounds since Sunday. The good news is I’m down a total of 23 pounds and weigh less than I have in over 4 years.

It’s going to be a scorcher today. I’ll probably sweat off another pound at school trying to finish cleaning my room. Keep you posted.

Cheers

Reached My Goal and Beyond

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….yesterday I was 1/2 pound below my goal but was hesitant to share with you

As often happens when I reach a weight loss goal I go up the next day. Because of that I was hesitant to share my joy with you. I’m ecstatic today. When I got on the scale this morning I was down another pound, for a total of 21 1/2 pounds.

My next goal is another 20 pounds for a total of 40 pounds. I hope I can reach that goal by the end of the summer. It is exactly 8 weeks before my next BIG birthday, nine weeks before Labour Day and 11 1/2 weeks before the end of summer.

The last date is probably the most reasonable date to choose for my goal. With 18 1/2 pounds to go, Labour Day is also doable. I don’t want to jinx myself so I think I’ll just leave the actual timeline open for discussion.

I’m keeping today’s post short. I have to go into school to continue the clean-up and then I’m off to see a new doctor this afternoon.

Cheers!

Yesterday’s Post Went Up Today

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. all references to ‘today’ happened on Friday

I was up 1 pound this morning but I knew that might happen. I find that with Asian food I tend to retain water.

I did get out for a really good long walk/run this morning with my baby sister, K and the dog.When we got to the rugby pitch I ran about 3/4 of it and then I ran along the road to the point, along a side path off the main road and then from 11th St to 8th St., walked one block and then finished the last stretch by running. Feels good.

According to gmap-pedometer.com I ran about 1.3 km. I think that’s the most I’ve run to date. I actually feel like I could run further. I actually want to run further.

Watching us on our walk this morning.

The Girls Won!

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Mama Cormier

… and we’re off to the city championships on Wednesday

The temperature was over 30 degrees celcius today and there was a smog warning. Luckily neither of those factors seemed to impact negatively on the girls’ soccer team. Our first game was suppose to be at 10:00 in the morning and there was still a nice breeze. Of course the soccer fields are in large open areas and the girls and coaches were exposed to a lot of sun today.

The first game was delayed because the team before us arrived 45 minutes late. This was the first of many delays today. When we finally played we won 2 – 0 and then we had to wait and see who our competitors would be. It seemed like all the other games today went into overtime and shoot outs.

Our final game took place at 2:00 in the afternoon. We were fortunate enough to find a tree to sit under while we waited. The last game was against a school with whom we have a history. In the last few years we have been unable to beat them and it was a personal goal of our principal that we defeat them this year. No Pressure!

I’m happy to say that the girls never gave up and in the second half scored 2 goals and won the West Conference Championship. Special thanks to Coach Susan and Coach Laura. Their leadership and coaching skills really paid off today.

We get to do this again in two days. Yipee!

Cheers

I’ve Got My New Computer

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Mama Cormier

… but now I have to figure out how to use it!

I thought I knew how to navigate around Apple computers but this new MacPro is giving me some challenges. I have an appointment on Friday at the Genius Bar. I was hoping to have my photos ready to go but I can’t transfer my data from my external hard drive into this new laptop. So unfortunately today’s post will be sans pictures.

This time of year all my non teacher friends and the parents at school ask if I’m ‘winding down’. I know that there are only 3 weeks of school left but I can’t even allow myself to think about that. I have report cards to write, report cards to proofread, correct and print, costumes to cut and sew for the year end production, Girls on the Run to train for, soccer practices, soccer tournament, grade 5 visit to next year’s middle school, biography and social studies projects to finish and mark and the year end activities to organize. I’m tired just thinking about it.

On a personal note I’m continuing to have success on the scale. I’m down 15 1/2 pounds and I’m finding that making good food choices is becoming second nature to me. I’ve had a few challenges, such as attending a retirement party, preparing snack day for the staff and buying $50. worth of chocolate for 20 gift bags that I made up as thank-you gifts for the staff. I can honestly say that I don’t feel deprived. My reward is the large number of compliments that I’ve been getting on my ‘noticeable’ weight loss.

The weather has not been great and I haven’t been as successful with getting out for my walks/runs. I’ve been wearing a pedometer and I’m only tracking 4000 to 5000 steps a day. My goal is at least 10 000.

Anyway I have to ‘run’ and proofread about 25 more report cards.

Cheers

Feeling Better About Myself

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. all the compliments don’t hurt either!

Today was photo day for the grade five students that will be leaving us at the end of June. Traditionally the girls get all dressed up and the boys not so much (but there’s always one or two who wear a suit). This year I decided to wear a dress that I had bought at the end of last summer. I don’t very often wear dresses but I thought I should go the extra mile this year.

When I got to school I had a lot of compliments about how good I looked and some of my friends even noticed that the dress was a little bit too big. I’ve only worn it one other time. I think I’ll invest in getting it altered but I’m going to wait until I lose some more weight.

It’s interesting that I didn’t say “if I lose some more weight”. The difference on this weight loss journey is that there’s no question in my mind about my success. I am going to lose more weight.

After school the girls in Girls on the Run had their first 5 km run. I was worried about the heat today but everyone of them did it. As a coach I can’t always run with the girls because one of us has to stay behind and make sure all the girls drink their water and keep moving. Today we took turns running with the girls. I’m pleased to announce that I actually ran today and walked/ran at least 2 km.

I know that I can walk 5 km pretty easily. My goal is to run a little farther everyday until I’m running 50% of the time. I have 3 weeks and 3 days before our 5 km race to reach my goal, barring any more injuries.

Cheers!