Ericka: I Want to Ride My BICYCLE!! 10.10.14

This morning I rode a bike for the 1^st time since who knows how long, probably since our trip to Chicago summer 2013 when Chris and I decided to brave the busy main streets. What were we thinking?!

I started my workout with my solo C25K week 6 day 2 jog (two 5 minute jogs, one 8 minute jog, and two three minute walks in between- 10 minutes for warm-up and cool down). Yes a solo mission because once again my husband couldn’t pry himself out of the bed to jog with me. In light of yesterday’s battle with the dogs, I decided to stick to the well lit main street.

The plan was to get on the elliptical to finish off my hour of exercise, but then I discovered a bicycle I could actually ride. When I saw the bike, all I could hear was Queen's "Bicycle Race".  I’m so over the elliptical, and this bike provided the much needed change up.

Last weekend I attempted to ride my dad’s bike…no bueno. My dad is 6’2 and I’m 5’3. I needed assistance just to get on the bike. I didn’t even make it out of the driveway without falling off, and by falling off I mean laid out on the ground. Of course I blamed my husband for not helping me off upon request.

Even though the bike I rode this morning was closer to the size and frame I need (thanks Casey for forgetting your bike at our house), I was still a little gun shy after last weekend’s debacle. But hey, it’s second nature just like riding a bike right? Wrong. For the first block I actually had to keep turning the wheel left to right just to steady myself. I felt like a 5 year old learning how to ride for the first time, but then Daft Punk’s “Lose Yourself to Dance” came on and it was at that moment that I hit my stride.

I  was feeling so good that I decided to give riding with no hands and with my head tilted back  with eyes closed so I that could feel the breeze and revel in all of the morning’s tranquil glory.

I raised one hand, started to veer off into a curb, and was reminded that I am not good at this, yet. In fact, I've never been able to ride with no hands, or pop a wheeley. I’ll add riding with no hands to my bucket list, along with learning how to double dutch, and roller skate backwards.

I have two more jogs to get in to complete week six. I don’t want to go into week 7 with a week 6 jog still looming over my head. That’s why I have to do four jogs this week versus three because I didn’t finish week five.

Until next time.

Here is some Happy Friday music for your listening pleasure!

E

Ericka: FIGHT OR RUN 10.8.14

On August 18^th, I exercised for the 1^st time since my miscarriage in April. Yes, I had a miscarriage, and I allowed it to derail my journey to becoming fit and healthy.  Before you think this is a woe is me post, it is not. I just want to fill you all in on what's been going on in my life. The good, the bad, and the not so pretty.

The day I learned I was pregnant I happened to be with two of my friends and of course immediately told them. One of them then went on to tell me that she too was pregnant. We were so excited. I didn't think I could be happier, but then a couple of days later I learned another dear person was pregnant too, and we were all due around the same time. My first thought was of happiness and excitement. My second thought was the odds were not in our favor. I made a deal with God: if someone had to lose a baby, let it be me.

Everything was running smoothly, well smoother than my 1^st pregnancy. No morning sickness, no cravings, nothing. That’s when I started to worry, because it was the opposite of my experience with my 1^st pregnancy. When we were told that the baby’s heartbeat was lower than normal, I did my research and knew this little one had a 50-50 chance. I tried to exchange my realistic viewpoint for cautious optimism. As the weeks went by, the baby kept chugging along despite his low heartbeat and his slower growth progression.  I continued to exercise, but not strenuously and never to the point of exhaustion. My husband was optimistic, and towards the end I even allowed myself to believe we may beat the odds. I had a bit of scare the Friday before the miscarriage, but I saw the heartbeat and was told everything was fine; I felt encouraged. I started to believe the other shoe was not going to drop, because I was just one week away from being out of my 1^st trimester. My research told me that the baby’s odds of survival would go up to 70% if I made it out of the 1^st trimester. But by that Monday, there was no more heartbeat.

FIGHT OR RUN. I chose to run. To ostrich really. I buried my head in the sand and succumbed to my sadness, I ate. I drank and I ate some more.

After a month and a half of binging, I decided to stop emotionally eating. I thought to myself, if someone had to go through a miscarriage, at least it was me. However, I learned a week later that another one of us was losing her baby. It’s still just so surreal. I cannot help thinking about all the people who have children and not value their children’s lives. I get so angry every time a hear about a child being abused, neglected, abandoned. It’s not fair that we are going through this again. Knowing how hurt I was and still am, I can’t imagine how someone who is going through a worse situation handles it.

FIGHT OR RUN. I chose to run again. Turning to food and wine caused me to gain 20 pounds over 5 months. Clearly that is not the way to handle your emotions. I was just so angry at God for letting this happen again.  I thought we had a deal. 

FIGHT OR RUN. After awhile I stopped running. The turning point was talking to the other person who lost her baby. She told me that as soon as she was cleared by the doctor she started working out again. I did not even know about her lifestyle change until she told me she lost 11 pounds by exercising and eating smaller portions. She started with taking walks with her husband. It was their time to talk and process things. Then she began the Couch to 5k program. I was so proud of her. I am still proud of her. She didn't let life knock her down. She is my inspiration. She is the reason I finally chose to fight again. My husband and I started with walks, beginner Nike Training Club workouts, and a no whites detox diet for the first two weeks. We exercised about three times a week. After two weeks, we started the Couch to 5K program. I've never made it to the end of the nine week program, but I am determined to make it through this time. We're on week six now.

FIGHT OR RUN. Today I had to jog for 20 minutes straight. I had been putting it off for three days. I was nervous. I was scared of finding out that my body could not do it. At the age of 30, correction 32 ( I am going to stop lying about my age), I had achy knees, which has always been a problem, but extra weight does not help, plantar fasciitis, and just overall completely out of shape. To say the task was daunting is an understatement, but somehow I did it. Well there was a 45 seconds stop within the first 10 minutes of the jog. Have you ever been faced with decision to either literally run or fight when being charged by two dogs?

I wish I could say this was the first time this has ever happened to me, but alas, it was not. About 15 years ago, I was out in the country for a family picnic. My cousin, sister, and I decided to take a walk. Our walk turned into a run for our lives scenario when a pack of wild dogs started chasing us. We darted into an abandoned shed of some sort to catch our breathe. My cousin saw a car and made a mad dash for it. He didn't even tell us he was leaving. My sister and I ran and hopped into the stranger’s backseat. On top of his glove compartment was a gun. We did what any would do when faced with whether to get back out and run brave the dogs or stay in the car with a stranger with a pistol…we stayed in the car. I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the kind stranger for not robbing us and for returning us to safety. It’s funny now. Hell it was funny then.

FIGHT OR RUN...somewhere in between.The difference between now and then is 15 years, 80 pounds, and the realization that there was no way in hell that I was going to out run the dogs. So I stood there, quickly checked for a weapon I could grab without making the dogs any angrier, of course there was none, and I silently cursed my husband for not joining me for the 5am jog. I resigned myself to having to fight. Who am I kidding? I neither fought nor ran. I resigned myself to getting mauled and hoping for the best. Ha! Luckily, the neighbor/owner of the dogs ran out of his home and shepherded his dogs back inside. He told me “They really are friendly dogs.  They just wanted to say hi.” Ha! I’m sorry, I can’t trust that they are friendly when they charge me while barking and growling. It was not funny then, but I can chuckle about a little bit now that I am relaying what happened.

Despite the false start, I fought through it. I even got on the elliptical afterwards for 20 minutes. Not only am I fighting now, I am on my way to actually becoming a runner. So far, I’ve lost about 8 pounds, give or take a pound or two depending on the day, and I am on my way to consistently exercising 300 minutes again. For my birthday, I started the day off with yoga and then a jog. Last Saturday, I returned to that boot camp style step class from hell for the 1^st time in a year. It was not a pretty sight, especially when she made us run around the studio three times, do 50 jumping jacks and then repeat until we did 400 jumping jacks. Well until they did 400 jumping jacks. I am not about that life, well not yet. I was proud of myself for keeping up pretty well for the jogging portion. I’ve also made some strides with my eating habits, but I must admit, changing my diet is a lot harder than adding exercise into my regime. 

My husband and I do plan on trying to get pregnant again, but for right now, I'm focused on getting healthy. I wasn't 10 pounds lighter the second go around; a goal I had previously set. I am determined to get there for the next pregnancy if that's in our cards. FIGHT OR RUN...DO BOTH!

Wish me luck guys. I hope you are all doing well. Sorry about the long hiatus and sorry about this extra long post.

Until next time…

P.S. I’d like to give special shout outs to Daft Punk (Around the World) and Disclosure (White Noise) for getting my jog started on a good foot. To Taylor Swift (Shake It Off) and Rich Homie Quan (Lifestyle) for helping me tough it out during the middle, and to Kiesza (Hideaway) for putting some life back into my jog for the last 4 minute stretch. Honorable mention goes to Charlie XCX; Boom Clap was the perfect cool down song.

P.P.S. 

Deuce Updates:

1. He tells me I embarrass him...he is still only 2
2. He is completely potty trained at school, but tells us he prefers pull ups at home
3. He is going through a superhero obsession. He pretends to talk to Commissioner Gordon. Apparently the joker has kidnapped 100 of New Orleans' finest citizens and something about central lock up

 Family Updates:

1. In one month Chris and I started new jobs and sold our house. That was only three months ago. We now live on the Westbank with my family while we look for a new home/fixer-upper. 
2. Plan A is to look for a fixer-upper in either a good neighborhood or an up and coming neighborhood that is at the tail end of transitioning into the next (Bywater, Marigny, Treme, etc). I know a fixer upper is a huge undertaking, but it's my second home and I want to put my own stamp on it. Plus I'm committed to finding a home in the city, not in the burbs or burbs adjacent.
3. If you know anyone who wants to unload blighted property in the nicer parts of Treme and Mid-City holla at your girl :). No seriously, please let me know.

-Ericka