End of week 9

As week 9 comes to a close, I am once again trying to focus on the positives.  I met all of my workout goals.  I had a fun time running my Turkey Trot with Priscilla.  Later at dinner, we were laughing because she had seen on Facebook posts about people running 3 miles to prepare for their Thanksgiving dinner.  We, however, ran 12 miles.  I felt like I did overeat somewhat (I ate another clean whole wheat roll that Priscilla had made after everyone had left), but it was nothing like last year.  We pooled our resources and came up with a very clean dinner, except for the gravy, which I did eat.  Priscilla even made clean pumpkin pie, which I have to say that her rolls and pie and pumpkin/peanut butter dip were my favorite, probably because I didn't make them.  I also pushed myself with my other workouts.  Priscilla told me about how her trainer kept telling her to do "3 more." So on Friday and Saturday I looked at what I lifted last week and then I made sure that I did at least 3 more.  I am so sore today from my Bicep/Tricep routine today, OUCH!!!
The most exciting thing though was my run today.  I have a route that I call "3 hills."  I warm up on a somewhat flat road for 4 minutes and then I start my HIIT.  And then I run up a hill that is a 130 ft gain and then I run into a neighborhood that has 2 smaller hills.  Then I come back on the road with the larger hill and run home.  I haven't ever ran this course before in under 10 minute miles, except for today.  Today I averaged 8:48!!! I know that the climb isn't much, but it still is pretty awesome to me.  When I reached the 2 mile mark, which is also the end of climbing any hills, my average was a 9:03 and then I ran down the hill and home, shaving off 21 seconds from my mile average.  This is seriously the fastest I have ever ran 3 miles.  I owe it all to my chia seeds:)

There are some low points about this week though.  I'm still trying to straighten out my GI problems.  I started to add more flax and that seems to be helping.  Also I have been mixing my ACV with water in the morning in a measured bottle.  I put the bottle on my counter and it helps me remember to drink my 2 tsp before each meal.  That's right, I'm drinking 2 tsp before all 6 meals.  It was a rough week, but so far today has been great.  I fell like a whole new person.

I struggled this week with snacking too often.  I'm totally into the whole 6-7 meals idea.  I eat whenever I'm truly hungry, even if it is only one hour after I last ate.  BUT, I have also been cooking A LOT this week in preparation for Thanksgiving.  I did so much "sampling" that it is totally ridiculous.  I have felt like I have fallen off the wagon these past 2 weeks and I finally realized why.  I'm a total control freak.  I love to have lists and to be organized.  What does this have to do with that stupid wagon (when my daughter read that I had written that I had fallen off the wagon, she asked if I had actually fallen off of a real wagon), these past 2 weeks I have been slacking on my food journal.  I don't know why.  Maybe I did just need a break, but I have to be more diligent with tracking what I consume.  My OCD personality seems to do better when I am meticulous about recording everything.  I know, I'm a little bit nutty.