it feels good

 It feels good to be motivated to run. This was the second week that I ran 4 days.  I have been planning on running tomorrow, Sunday, 3 miles.  I have not run more than 2 miles since February.  This month I've run 20, so far.  I have not run that far in a month since July 2023.  If I keep the schedule I have been doing for the last 2 weeks (and I plan to), with 3 miles tomorrow instead of just 2, I'll have run 27 miles this month.  May 2023 was the last time I ran that much.  I remember when 20 miles was my weekly mileage, it's weird that it's now my month mileage, and I'm happy with it.  Excited even.  

I think what feels the best is that I'm planning what I'm going to do, it's not just a "I should run today" it's "I'm going to run today, tomorrow, and then take a day of a break and run again after that."  I haven't been in this mindset for a long time.  Even before I ended my runstreak.  I ran to keep the streak, but wasn't planning runs.  I'm enjoying it again.  And I'm sore. Just a deep body ache, not specific soreness., but still....

......

I've been wearing my hair curly lately, but have been thinking about a change.  I don't want to cut my hair, I love the length, but it seems that curly hair is actually more maintenance than straightening it.  When I straighten it, I only have to straighten it after I wet it, and then it pretty much stays the way I like it until I shower next (I do not shower daily).  With curly hair, I always have to "refresh," or wet it and redo, and I'm kinda tired of doing my hair everyday.   

I had more to say, but we watched a movie and now it's late.  I'll leave it short tonight, but here is my curly hair vs. straightened hair.  

Running again?

 Last week I felt like running.  Almost everyday I wanted to run.  So I ran.  I ran more days last week than I have since ending my run streak.  January 2023 is the last time I ran 4 days in one week.  I am only running 2 miles at a time, but it felt good to be running again.  I actually wanted to run on Thursday and Saturday but decided I needed some breaks. I didn't run Saturday because I ran on Friday and wanted to do 3 miles on Sunday.  I wish I had run though because on Sunday I really didn't want to run, and I did not run 3 miles, only 2, but I ran.  

I have been a little concerned about my feet, which is why I didn't run on Thursday.  I do not want to injure myself because I increased my miles too fast.  I mean, I did though... I doubled them (or more) from my previous weeks.  The first 2 weeks of July I only ran 2 miles . . . for the week.  The last couple weeks in June I ran 4 miles weekly, and last week I ran 8 miles.  They don't increase more than 10-15% of your weekly average, and I increased it at least 50% last week.

I don't know if it will last (running more days), I'd like it to, but right now I'm doing what I feel like with my running and not forcing myself to.  Maybe that's my problem, I should force myself to do it, I used to.  Even before my run streak I always ran on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday and Saturday.

I am planning on running again tomorrow.  I thought about it today, but didn't.  I've never really ran much on Mondays because it was my rest day after my long runs on Sunday.  I don't have long runs anymore, but I hope to one day and Mondays should be rest days.

The last couple weeks have been warm here.  Since the beginning of July we have had hotter than normal days.  I love the hot weather, I love having a pool in the hot weather.  

Yesterday and today have been considerably cooler, and today I don't think I saw the sun at all.  I think our high was 70 today, which is so annoying (and cold) after such a long stretch of sunny hot weather.  I am not jealous of the 100+ weather elsewhere, just want to know why it's so chilly here in the middle of the summer.  

I am 2 weeks away from our cruise.  I'm not sure what I think about it right now.  I'm more nervous than excited, I don't know why.

Still plugging away.

 I had a pretty low number a few weeks ago on the scale, and then I went camping for 4 days.  I'll tell you, Saturday was one of the weirdest days of my life.  A friend of mine asked to meet me because she's going through a nasty divorce and had a hard morning with her soon-to-be ex-husband.  We went to lunch, then a wine tasting, then to my campgrounds where she drank more.  I don't want to be too specific, but it was strange.

I didn't drink as much as her, but I definitely slacked on my water intake and felt really dehydrated the rest of the trip.  I drank so much water Sunday that I was using the bathroom every 15 min and barely able to hold it to get to the restroom.  I was worried that my weight would be up when I got home, and it was . . . but it was up to my newest high number.  I know that's only 2 lbs lighter than my previous high number, but I feel it was a win.  (163.8 vs. 167 when I came back).  

Pictures from camping:

The day after we got there a burn ban went into effect, so we went into town (we were only 30 min away from our house) and bought a propane fire pit.  It also rained the whole time, so thankfully Damian was able to bring a canopy with him, so we could enjoy the outdoors.  

Unfortunately, I have not been able to get back to being that low again.  I changed up what I was eating and I noticed it didn't have the same benefits.  I've gone to high protein, trying to keep my fiber up as well (much harder for me) and low carbs.  If I can get all three of those things in place, I lose weight.  After camping I decided I wanted to eat salad again, and didn't have the same success.  I don't know why, it's not like it's super unhealthy.  Maybe it's the processed ham and ranch?  I don't know.  My high protein lunch has been cottage cheese and an apple.  I am not a huge cottage cheese fan, but it works, and keeps me full all afternoon.  

Then two weeks after camping I went to the Lake for another 4 days (well, really 2 with 2 days of travel) for the 4th of July.  I ate okay, but drank too much wine.  Definitely not as much as I usually do when I go there, but more than I have been at home.

Pictures of our July 4th trip (it was a very quiet trip):

So basically since the middle of June, I've been between 167 and 166.  And we leave for our cruise in 3 1/2 weeks.  I know I'm no where near where I wanted to be by now, and will not reach my goal of 150 and my modified goal of 160 is iffy.  Maybe if I starved myself for 3 weeks, but that is not healthy.

I was running more and then the weather decided to get hot.  So I haven't been running much.  I have sorta been aqua jogging in my pool, but it's not really deep enough so I have to keep my knees bent and with aqua jogging, you're supposed to keep good form, as if you were really running.  But I figure it's better than nothing.  

I'll tell you, this perimenopause thing sucks!