Couch 2 5K: Week 9

This was my 9th week of my running quest!

What a GREAT week! I officially LOVE running!





That does not mean it is easy for me, it just means when I finish my runs I feel great and I am actually looking forward to the next run!

My progress this week:
RUN 1:
Walk 5
Run 5
Walk 3
Run 5
Walk 3
Run 5
Walk 5

Run 2:
It was a really nice day so I decided to run at the lake again. According the weather.com the wind was not too bad and I texted a running friend that runs at the lake and asked if I should go for it.  Well, little did I know that the wind a my house and the wind at the lake are not the same even though I am only 4 miles away! I decided to give it a try anyways and when I finished I looked on my phone only to see that the wind was 25 mph and because I have NO concept of N-S-E-W I never know where to run to not have the wind at my back or feel like I am running in a wind tunnel!

Anyways...

Walk 5
Run 4
Walk 4
Run 4
Walk 4
Run 3
Walk 7

Run 3:
I have started to enjoy pushing myself each run so I looked at the program and it suggested that I run for 8 minutes!
I talked myself into trying it and my cousin-in-law Brooke suggested that I try this new Pre-Workout Drink Made my Vegan Sport (And yes! It is Daniel Plan Approved!)

       I really think it made a difference in how much I was able to do!

Walk 5
Run 8
Walk 5
Run 5
Walk 2
Run 1
Walk 5

I felt this week was a week of running victories. I love only focusing on the current run and not thinking about the next one until it is over.  It once again reminds me of my recover journey:
 "One Day at a Time, One Moment at a time" only "One run at a time, One step at a time."

Couch 2 5K: Week 8

I cannot believe I have been "running" for 2 MONTHS!! 

Valentines day was this week and my supportive hubby got me new running shoes for the special day!


This week was a good!! 



The first two runs I did:
Walk 5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Run 4 30 minutes
Walk 2 minutes 30 seconds
Run 3 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Run 4 minutes 30 seconds
Walk 5 minutes

On Saturday I was just planning on doing what I did the other 2 days but Misa was home and he suggested I try five minutes and we would do it together. I agreed to try it so I finally after 4 weeks shifted my workout to the suggested "week 5" run.
Walk 5 minutes
Run 5 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Run 5 Minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Run 5 minutes
Walk 5 minutes

and I DID IT!!!
I felt sooooooooooooo accomplished at the end of it!! I have been doing this now long enough that I know when I push myself how great it makes me feel afterward and I also know when I do not push myself enough how I feel. I am starting to like running and can see myself even maybe loving it eventually!  I feel great and I am sleeping better at night.  I like the discipline I have in doing it and I feel more balanced and not on a "roller coaster" of highs and lows I have lived in recent years!

I feel I can think more clearly and feel even more focused on God. I have really learned to love christian music and really feel close it God when I run. My favorite running song this week is "It is Well" by Chris Tomlin. 

Couch 2 5K: Week 7

Well, I have finally embraced the idea that the couch 2 5K program is a "guideline" and not a set in stone. My running coach has been telling me that but she also send me an article this week finally made things click. Here is the article (http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Running-Tips-for-Newbies.htm?cmp=1747)

So I have decided to just call the weeks the number of weeks I have been attempting to run. SO I this was the 7th week of my running adventure!

This was my progress:

RUN 1:
Walk 5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Run 3 minutes 30 seconds
Walk 2 minutes 30 seconds
Run 3 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Run 4 minutes
Walk 5 minutes

RUN 2
Walk 5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 2 minutes 30 seconds
Run 4 minutes
Walk 2 minutes 30 seconds
Run 3 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Run 4 minutes 30 seconds
Walk 5 minutes

RUN 3:
Walk 5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Run 4 minutes
Walk 2 minutes 30 seconds
Run 3 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Run 4 minutes 30 seconds
Walk 5 minutes

I got an awesome running shirt in the mail this week along with some running CDs and a list of running songs!

I felt very accomplished this week and I am hoping to move forward next week and push myself a little further each time!

Chloe's Kumon Success!

Chloe started Kumon in 3rd grade (she is in 6th grade now)!

For those of you not familiar with Kumon here is the wikipedia definition:
"Kumon is a math and reading enrichment program. Students do not work together as a class, but progress through the curriculum at their own pace, moving on to the next level when they have achieved mastery of the previous level. Students are often guided by tutors to develop their mathematical and reasoning skills. Mastery is defined as speed (using a standard completion time) and accuracy.They take an achievement test at the end of each level. The ratio between the time the student takes on the test and the number of mistakes will determine which group level the student will be in on the test. There is a total of four group levels on the achievement tests, and the lower the group number the better the score."


Chloe has really improved with her reading and math! She is almost to grade level in both subjects!

On Thursday Chloe took her DI level test ("Level DI marks the beginning of the Paragraph Building Block. Students learn to write compound and complex sentences by combining simple sentences. Then, students learn to extract statements from paragraphs to identify a statement as a single unit of thought. Students also expand their vocabulary by studying selected words from expository passages.") It seems like we have been working through that level for a LONG time! Each level consists of 200 pages and if you do not meet your time goals or accuracy goals you repeat the page. 
Chloe was so proud that this was by far the hardest level for her and she got her first 100% on a Kumon test!

YAY Chloe!!! I am so proud because she NEVER complains about doing Kumon and she tells Allie when she does. "Allie do you remember when I used to cry about school because it was SO hard and I did not understand things and had to go to special classes! Now that I do Kumon I don't have to." I believe in this program so much and I am so thankful to be a small part of it with being able to help out with the day to day computer and billing work! I know that my girls will be able to get through school with confidence and achievement and be REALLY successful in college.

As is our tradition when a Kumon test is successfully passed we went out for ice cream and because this was EXTRA special with Chloe achieving a 100%, Misa cooked out steaks on the grill for her!

Happy Birthday Oscar the Boxer!

Yesterday 2/6/2012 our sweet Oscar turned 1 year old.

The First Day we brought him home!

Oscar on his birthday!

What a year it has been!
Oscar's First Year Highlights:

• He ate a bottle of ibuprofen and had to have his stomach pumped.
• He ate a box of Kleenex and had to eat bread for 3 days to get it through his system.
• He made his first trip to Michigan.
• He went to his first doggie day care!
• He went on 2 camping trips.
• He has been to Tulsa 3 times.
• He traveled to Dallas to help move his Uncle Matt.
• He had a tumor on his ear removed.
• He is bell trained and can ring a bell when he wants to go outside.
• His cousin Lucy came and stayed for 2 weeks.
• He has gone to the dog park A LOT and loves it!
• He can sit on command.
• He loves to chew bones.
• He loves to jump on the trampoline.
• He loves to play ball.
• He loves to wrestle with his dad!

He is such a blessing to our lives and has really been the best medicine for me and my depression.  He is a cuddle bug! He is always happy and excited to see me.  He has taught the girls responsibility and has become a GREAT protector of them! I hope we have MANY more years with Oscar! We celebrated his birthday with Oscar's favorite treat.... a cheese stix and he got a new bone (which he reluctantly shared with his new brother!)

Couch 2 5K: Week Four (or what I call Week 3.5)

WHAT A WEEK! The program this week called for:

Walk for 5 minutes
Run for 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Run for 5 minutes
Walk for 2 minutes 30 seconds
Run for 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Run for 5 minutes
Walk for 2 minutes 30 seconds
Walk 5 minutes
TOTAL: 33 minutes

Well, I never was able to do that this week and to be honest I was REALLY discouraged by the time it was time to attempt the 3rd run of the week I REALLY just wanted to give up but I ALWAYS give up when it come to exercise and I saw this on Pinterest this week and I just kept saying it over and over to myself.

This is what I actually did:
RUN 1:
Walk 5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 9 secs
Run 3 minutes
Walk 4 minutes 30 seconds
Run 3 minutes
Walk 90 secs
Run 3 minutes
walk 4 minutes 30 seconds
Run 3 minutes
Walk 2 minutes 30  seconds
Walk 5 minutes

RUN 2:
Walk 5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Run 2 minutes
Walk 5 minutes 30 seconds
Run 2 minutes
Walk 6 minutes 30 seconds
Run 2 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
IT WAS POURING the day of run 2!  I don't know what was going on with me but I didn't even finish the run and I was wheezing! I left the gym feeling like a failure but keep telling myself that I can do it and will the next run!

RUN 3:
Walk 5 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Run 3 minutes 30 seconds
Walk 4 minutes
Run 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Run 4 minutes
Walk 3 minutes 30 seconds
Walk 5 minutes

The 3rd day I decided to try a new YMCA by the church. When I walked in I was very nervous because it was soooo hot in the building! I got on the treadmill with the goal of just running what I did the first day.  I noticed the person next to me was walking and running a little slower than I do so I adjusted my speed to theirs. I then noticed after I started running that I was not as focused on the time on what was supposed the 5 minute run so I said I was going to try to push it 30 more seconds and then by the time I got to the 4th run I had talked myself into pushing for 4 minutes! I wanted to jump up and down on the treadmill screaming I DID IT!
Next week I will stick with week 4 and just keep pushing myself a little more each run!

Lesson Learned: It is funny but I never would have felt as accomplished as I did with run 3 if run 2 had never happened. Reminds me of so much that has happened in my life that I would not appreciate what I have now and the blessings if I had not gone through the hard times.

Buster Boy!!

Well, we have a new addition to the Escobar Clan!

BUSTER BOY!

He is a boxer/pit mix! I am already experiencing some judgment from people (who do not have pit bulls or have been around any) about him being part pit bull but I wish some people would give me credit for being smart enough to research it and talk to a professional before adopting one. Usually mean people want pit bulls so they raise them to be mean.

We had been talking since before Christmas about getting another dog. A while back I became a friend with OKC PUPS on Facebook and the other day this photo showed up in my news feed!

I texted it to Misa and he really liked it! He called the contact and we decided we wanted the "odd man out!" He was the only one that was black and white. The rest really looked like Oscar! We found out that his mom and the litter of 9 were rescued and were close to death. Their wonderful foster mom nursed them back to health.

Buster's Mama Returned to Health and Ready for a Home!

We filled out the application and then we waited for our vet check! After all that was approved all we had to do was pass the house check! On Wednesday they brought the puppy from Tecumsa and checked over our house and WE PASSED!

He is a sweet boy and we have already started on the potty training! He and Oscar are still working out the pecking order around here!

Oscar wants to play but he is SOOOO much bigger than him! But they are showing signs of friendship!

I know we might be crazy but Misa is happy the house is now even (3 girls and 3 boys)!