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In Glasgow!

January 12th, 2012 | Posted by cindy in exercise | Glasgow | grad school | life | money woes | running | Scotland | travel | UK | winter - (0 Comments)

I’m in Glasgow! Horray!

Ok I have been here for a week, and I have been pretty busy looking for flats, trying to get things for school set up, going to Boots and Tesco, and having some sort of weird vertigo thing for the past 2 days, which hasn’t helped matters. It has been rather nice; sunny and cold which works fine for me. I need to get a picture of the sunrise or sunset over the River Clyde. Being on the 8th floor gives us great views, but the windows are dirty which is why I haven’t taken any as of yet. I’ve done a fair amount of walking, but I haven’t run since the 10K. Eep! I do have a pass for 5 free days at LA Fitness in Glasgow, so as soon as this dizziness thing sorts it self out, I can get my running on! {Or at the very least run along the river while it’s nice and sunny!}

So far I am waiting on my loans, so we can get a flat, and I can get some more clothing! I didn’t bring a lot of my stuff and I would like to get some basics of long sleeved tops and a pair of jeans and some wellies before I get too caught up in school.

I’ve been reading a lot as well, as I am not sure how much time I will have for it. If anyone has any recommendations about schooling and education in the UK, I would love to read them. Most of my knowledge is fiction based from Waterloo Road and an old copy of Scottish Education I had rattling around the old flat. I’d like something a bit more contemporary and not too dry. {I’m not asking much!}

I hope everyone is having a great week!

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Christmas wishlist

December 13th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in David Tennant | deep thoughts | Doctor Who | exercise | fitness | Glasgow | goals | grad school | health | life | motivation | nsv | Scotland | shopping | workout - (1 Comments)

Wow 2 posts in one day? Who am I?

In my new {almost} running shoes I banged out nearly a 6k in under an hour. AND despite not thinking I would have a new PR, I DO! Thanks to my clever oldest niece who had showed me how to take screencaps on my iphone you can see it. Go me!

The sky was very, very blue today. It was such a great day out for a run!

Now, to the actual point of this post. This Christmas isn’t going to be great. In fact, in some ways it’s going to suck, and there isn’t anything I can do about it. I miss my mum, end of. So I decided to try to make myself feel better by coming up with the most crazy Christmas wishlist, a top ten you may say. Please do not think that I actually believe I will get any of these things. Especially #1. I wish!

10. All this retail work has made my nails a mess. I’d love a shellac manicure and a pedicure {I don’t even need toe polish I would just kill for the foot rub!} to start off the New Year right!

9. I could sure use this for my iphone.

8. Since I am being totally frivolous here, I can see myself in Buchanan Square with this bag.

7. While I am waiting for the coffee {see below} I should stretch.

6. I will need plenty of coffee to keep me going, so those Starbucks gift cards are always welcome. :)

5.Since I am going to be working hard on my thesis for my PhD, a new computer would be a huge asset! In my dreams, I know! I can be reasonable, even if it is still a stretch.

4. I guess new super cool running shoes would be great to get as well! The New Balance 993′s would be perfect. Grey/pink is fine. Size 7. :)

3. Now that I am running I really need a Road Id. I’d like the wrist id slim, in black. But I think I need to wait until I move until I get it.

2. While I’d love to have this at my door as well I will probably have to settle for this.

Or this, even.

1. What I would really love most of all would be to open the door on Christmas and have this waiting for me.

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TGIF

December 9th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in couch to 5k | exercise | life | running | weigh ins | weight | weight loss | workout - (1 Comments)

TGIF! Not that it really has any relevance to me, as I have to work tomorrow. But I know it does matter and is relevant to most other people I know.

Today was a good day. I managed a great run with a new 3 mile PR of 45:45!

Full workout time:

I was really surprised I did it, as my foot has been hurting. I was glad to get outside even though it was cold, and to wear my new running tights! They were so comfy and amazing. I may have to get another pair!

Anyways, my foot. It’s hurting on the top across right where my toes meet my foot. I have no idea what this is, and I am sure I should see a doctor, but I am giving it another day or so as I will have to go to the ER as there is no way I am spending $25 to go into the city to see my primary only to have her send me off for an xray when I can just do that at the ER. If there was a walk in care clinic around, I would go to that, but unfortunately no.

I also am still not seeing any results on the scale. I am running longer and faster, which is great, but for all this calorie burning I would like to see something change! I know it is a number on the scale and it shouldn’t define me, but it’s really hard not to. I suppose I should do measurements again; I have to find a measuring tape.

I have to work tomorrow, as I said. It is going to be another long day, but then I am off until Wednesday unless they ask me to come in on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.

Have a great weekend!

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Sunday catchup

December 4th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in exercise | fitness | Glasgow | goals | health | life | motivation | running | Scotland - (0 Comments)

Thank everyone for all the kind words. I am so excited about going back to Scotland!

Since I last posted I had a work shift at work, which I thought was going to be me actually working. But it was an orientation that ended early. I work for real tomorrow- not in the department I am supposed to be in, but in mens. Nine hours. Should be fun. My feet are already dreading it.

This week I work Monday and Saturday. Wednesday I go to Boston to do biometric data for my visa, and Thursday I have a family obligation. The following week I have more shifts, including 2 days working at the Coach counter!

Today I have been for a run and am going out soon to do some errands. I did 3.1 miles in 47 minutes, which is 3 minutes shaved off my previous PR. I am getting faster! I I wish all this running and activity would show up as a result on the scale or at least in my jeans! Of course it doesn’t help that I dry them in the dryer, or at least that is what I tell myself.

Overall I got an hour in, which I am happy with. I technically didn’t work out yesterday. It was freezing out and by the time I got home from work it was getting dark. I cleaned my room and moved things around instead. I *should* have gotten up early yesterday, but I didn’t sleep well the night before and decided that sleep was more important, since I thought I was actually working yesterday. Whether or not I manage to get up early tomorrow and walk or run is another story b/c I know after nine hours on my feet I will not want to come home at 6:45ish and do anything but crash. {I haven’t worked on my feet like that in years, and teaching certainly doesn’t count since I could sit whenever I felt like it, so yeah I am being a wuss about it LOL.}

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December goals

December 1st, 2011 | Posted by cindy in couch to 5k | exercise | fitness | goals | health | life | motivation | running | workout - (8 Comments)

I haven’t really been setting any goals, unless sleeping as much as possible or setting the record for re-watching Mad Dogs counts. No? I didn’t think so.

So my goal for this month {unless I am sick or dying or something} is to work out every day. Even if I am working. Even if I have to get up earlier to run, or come home and do a video. I am proud to say that I achieved this goal today. I even managed a new PR for myself which was 3 miles in 50 minutes. I managed the first 2 in about 30 minutes {today was a C25K day}. I started the HRM a bit early to make sure it was working and left it on as I stretched at the end.

I’m feeling especially good about this because in the past I always shied away from working out outside when it got cooler. It made me wheezy which I didn’t care for. But now that I am an adult and have an inhaler for this, I really have no excuse not to hit the outdoors. It was chilly but not, freezing. I think I was overdressed, but it was hard to tell leaving the house.

I did really feel it in my feet and legs and am SO happy to be getting new trainers tonight!

Other than that, I can say that my super secret secret should be revealed any day now. :) So if you are in the know, shhhhh! And if you aren’t, but have perhaps guessed, all shall be revealed as soon as possible.

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Truthful Tuesday

November 29th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in exercise | fitness | health | life in general | money woes | surgery | true confession tuesday | walk | workout - (3 Comments)

{I really need better titles}

Since I last posted I . . . .
*still have received no comments. And whether or not it’s bad manners or tacky to keep whinging on about it, it is my blog and I can say what I want.
*have walked/run 12.5 miles. I know for some of you that’s a day’s total, but it’s better than nothing. {and my dad doesn’t believe me that I did a 5K today.}
*have continued to purse super secret plans.
*obsessed over the fact that one bit of my surgical revision site hasn’t healed well.
*read 2 novels.
*made 2 trips to the grocery store.
*have gone to the library.
*got a part time job for the month of December.

That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. I can tell you I will be working in a major department store in a what I call funky clothes section. I have basic training tomorrow, and department training Saturday. {I’ve worked retail at Christmas so I know what it’s like.} I will be working days so I am hoping I will be able to get home while it is still light out to walk/run.

I’m pretty tired right now; I had a hard time sleeping last night, so I think I am going to catch up on some tv and read.

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Insert witty title here

November 25th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in fitness | health | life in general | pain | update | walk - (0 Comments)

I had a blog post all made up in my head as I was on my walk today. Can I remember any of it now? No, of course I can’t.

I have figured out what is causing my hip/back pain. From Dr. Google I have determined that it is most likely Sacroiliac Joint Pain. I need a foam roller and a massage. Donations care willingly accepted. ;)
For the most part I will just have to keep stretching as much as I can and icing it as well. There isn’t much more I can do. Hopefully I will be able to make it bearable so that I am not being lapped by grannies with walkers on the track.

I know if I hit post, I will remember all the other things I was going to say, but it probably wasn’t very important. So here, have a picture I took on my walk yesterday. It would have looked the same as today, but today was 20 degrees warmer and I didn’t need to wear 3 layers of clothes and gloves. :)

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Update

November 9th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in boring cindy is boring | exercise | food | health | money woes | stress | surgery | walk - (0 Comments)

I can’t believe I haven’t posted in over a week. Granted I didn’t really have anything to say last week other than that I was resting and healing from the revision.

Monday I went for the post op check, had an annoying stitch pulled and was cleared for “normal” activities. I found this funny, as my before, during, and after revision activities were all the same. Sit on my ass and read and watch tv. Sad but true.

Now that I have been cleared and it’s been so gorgeous out here in the Boston area I did take advantage of it and went for a walk yesterday and today. It’s funny that the leaves still smell the same as they did when I was a kid. On today’s walk it seemed like I had done this walk 100′s of times, yet I was astounded when my Nike+ app told me it was a hair over 2 miles. I always thought it had been SO much longer. Today it felt like forever walking up there, but I remember being nineteen and taking that same path up a hill and through the woods in the dark and in heels . . . .

In other news, I did finally {after 2 months of dealing with the state} get EBT benefits. I hate that I have to go this route, with the stigma attached to receiving food stamp benefits, but with no money at all, and no job, I really need this. It isn’t fair for my family to have to pick up the slack of my picky eating habits, so I am very glad this finally worked out, despite the pain in the ass it was to deal with the state over this.

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State of Play

October 18th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in anxiety | depression | headache | health | I don't want to go | life | meds | money woes | update - (0 Comments)

Wow, I haven’t blogged in a while. I just haven’t had much to say that I haven’t blathered on about already. It’s unfortunate that nothing has changed. I feel like I can’t catch a break. I know I am not the only one out there, but my situation isn’t going to change without a change of luck.

Job search:
It’s not going well. Every day there are fewer and fewer jobs I am actually qualified to apply for. Retail jobs have been a bust. I had an interview at a large family clothing store with crap commercials {not to disclose names} and it was ridiculous. I got all dressed up to be interviewed in the front of the store. I apparently am not even qualified {or didn’t pass the background check} to work holiday retail. It was a real boost to my self esteem to say the least. I got another rejection email today; I’ve been applying for any and every teaching and assistant position in my area.

Depression/health/headaches/etc:
Well it goes without saying that I am miserable. I’m not sleeping well which doesn’t help. I’m out of medications so I’ve been without my anti-depressant for some time now {which was also helping with the pain}. I’ve also had nothing to help the headaches either. The pain level has been averaging about a 7 now most days- adding to the depression/lethargy/basic inability to do anything at all.

I feel very whiny and pathetic right now, which I know isn’t helpful or positive. But it is really hard to have a positive outlook when nothing at all is going right. I just feel out of sorts and being back here hasn’t exactly been what I had hoped or expected. I think I overestimated what would happen and how I would feel. I had hoped I could walk back into my old life and it would be all sunshine and roses. But the year away changed me, it changed what I want and expect out of life, and I want that back. I just wish it would happen.

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Back to it

September 13th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in calories | couch to 5k | exercise | fitness | food | food choices | life in general | money woes | Red Sox | running | update - (3 Comments)

Yesterday I left the house 4 times. Amazing, innit? We took the kids to daycare, went to the post office, I went on a walk, and then a quick trip to Target with my sister later in the day. Wow, I know.

The walk/run C25K was fine.

It was hot. Well compared to Glasgow, 70 F is hot, so…… I hit the track at my local middle school for about an hour. Other than a leg cramp it was ok. My back seems to be feeling better, considering I’ve done nothing for the past 2 weeks. It feels more like it does when I need an adjustment and I am hoping that is all that it is. Once I get health insurance [or a job] I can pursue that line of inquiry.

Eating has been fine calorie wise [as I've lost 10 pounds since being home], but quality not so much. There is a huge lack in fresh fruits and veggies but what can you do with no money? I just have to make sure not to eat large quantities of cereal! Not much I can do about that; I just have to make smart choices in what’s around the house. Breakfast has been cereal and coffee, lunch, either 2 eggs or pasta, and dinner a mix of what’s been made or what I make myself. Last night I was hungry, but not in the mood for chicken so I had a Shakeology shake and cereal. Luckily my sister happened to have an unopened Shakeology package that I can use.

So far nothing on the job front. I’ve been applying for any job I remotely have qualifications for- education, teacher aide, sub, barista, customer service. I haven’t heard anything yet, except the rejection emails from positions already filled. It sucks and it is depressing. I know I am not the only one out there looking but it sucks all the same.

What is even more frustrating is not having a phone. My BFF told me about Safelink, and I just checked my application, and I have been approved and should be receiving a phone soon. This will have to do until I have a job. Horray for one thing going right!

I’m also going to see the Red Sox on Saturday courtesy of a lovely friend. I can’t wait. Fenway Park I missed you so!

Now all I need is a job and things will be smashingly brill!

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