Healthy Heart, Happy Heart

me on my run

This is me in all  my sun squinty glory!  You may not be able to tell, but I am pretty happy in this pic.  Ok, you can't tell but come on now, I'm blinded by the sun and trying to take a selfie while running. :)  I have made mention MANY times before (Running Along, Have running shoes, can travel, Re-program my run, Put my face on the milk carton!) my love of running.  I used to run multiple times a week...then the doc said no more when I was prego with mini me.  After that little ball of perfection came forth, I started again and things weren't quite right...but I muddled through.  Then I broke my foot (and didn't realize it) and after a year of on again off again pain, had to have surgery.  Since that point...I have been trying to find a show that didn't feel like it was basically killing my feet when I run/workout/etc.  I am hoping that the most recent order I made is my "knight in shining treads"...more on that is to come though in a later post. 

I decided to start the couch to 5K program, well I talked about it and the good ole hubs actually pushed me into finally starting...and I am LOVING it!  I forgot JUST how good that runners high can be.  I'm easing back in and just loving it.  It's my time for just me...and my kiddos are loving seeing me go!  Now, I've said before on my face book page that I have been lucky enough to join the ranks of three other AMAZING writers on another blog page as well, The Journey, and I hope you will check us out over there too!  Lots of great things happening!  Well last week to get ready to kick off Get Active America Week I talked about this whole "getting back into running thing."  I it has been go time ever since.

Something different this time around is where I am running.  To keep it as easy as possible to start, I am just running in my neighborhood.  I used to be a trail runner...and then was relegated to the treadmill when the weather didn't cooperate...but this time I am just hitting the pavement (literally)  which means no excuses!  C25K is a 3 day a week program, so as long as I check the forecast...I am good to go.  It rained and rained yesterday so as I was leaving work I bundles up in my raincoat, got on my rain boots and headed down the 3 flights of stairs...imagine my surprise when it was sunny and beautiful!  I mean, I went for a short walk at lunch and it was MISERABLE...so this was practically a miracle.  My first thought...I can run tonight!

So I am on track...and loving it.  I am making my heart happy and healthy and making time for me and being cheered on (literally) by my family!  What an amazing feeling.  I am so blessed.  On top of that...we are continuing our "get outside when you can" plans with the kids and being active and playing outdoors whenever the weather allows.  So after dinner last night and before family dog walk time...mini me and I got in some badminton, bubble mowing and chalk drawing.  Then it was dog walk, bath, treat and bed right before the storms rolled back in.  All this healthy activity is making my heart healthy yes...but this precious time with my family is what is REALLY making my heart happy!!

my beauty making something beautiful

Add on to ALL of this excitement the fact that I just found out yesterday that I was selected to be an I'm Fit Possible Ambassador!!!  I feel like this is the start of a wonderful windfall of good fortune due to good health!  How exciting! 

Making Waves

Mini me and me at the beach


What an AMAZING weekend!  While we are all a bit sad this week while my oldest is off with her Aunt in South Carolina, it is giving the hubs and I a great opportunity to spend lots of 1 on 1 time with the wee one.  After we packed up Maddy and sent her on her way, Arden decided she wanted to go to the beach.  Once Momma's little bull headed baby gets an idea in her head its nearly impossible to sway her.  We had a laundry list of errands that needed to be taken care of but Dadoo announced, "ok lets get our swimsuits on and go."  It is moments like these that make me stop and really appreciate how lucky I am to be teamed up with him.  He reminds me that there is always time for Home Depot and mulch buying...he makes me a better parent.  So we slathered ourselves in sunscreen, got in our suits and hit the beach.

It was a PERFECT morning.  We got there before the crowds rolled in, before the oppressively hot temps took over (which they did later that afternoon) and just played and laughed and had a blast.  It was especially nice to mark another milestone off of her list...baby's first trip to the beach.  Living in NE Ohio, nice beaches are few and far between...but this weekend we seemed to find our own little slice of Heaven in the sand.



sandcastle by dadoo and daughter designs :)

 

On Sunday we took the dog to the park to swim in the river and walk the trails some.  Now back in the day these trails were well worn by my hubby and me.  We would take the dog over and run 2-3 miles, then "dunk the dog in the river" and head home.  I LOVED these runs!  Even in crazy hot weather, running along the bridle trails under the tress with my hubby was always one of my favorite times of day.  Soooooo as we were walking along yesterday on the trails I decided that I wanted a bit of a run, but how to make this fun?  I tried tag and it worked BEAUTIFULLY!  We got mini me engaged in about a mile or so of interval running trying to chase and tag me, me trying to chase and tag her, chasing Dadoo and the pup, being chased by Dadoo and pup.  It felt amazing to run, and even more so to run with my little miss and hear her giggling along the way.  Bu doing it as tag and in intervals no one was overworked, we let her set the pace...and afterwards she asked it we could do it again.  How amazing would it be to instill my love for running into my wee one?!?!  I am hoping this could be the start of a healthy and fun new activity for us to do as a family. :)

 

The benefits of getting us all up and moving is obvious, but we can also bond as a family through exercise....I LOVE IT!!