Motivation - I Don't Haz It

I'm stuck in my busy work/no motivation to exercise cycle again.

The last couple of weeks, I've been feeling better physically, but work has been busy.  I've been coming in early (slightly before 8) and getting home at 8, 8:30, 9.  If I'm not home late because of work, I'm home even later because of other obligations (choir, Young Women's, etc.)  I don't really feel like going to bed at 10 when I don't get home until 8:30 and still need to eat dinner, and want to hang out with Jason and watch a little TV to decompress.

So I get to bed at 11:30 or 12, and then when the alarm goes off at 5:45, there's no way I'm getting up and going to the gym.

Repeat cycle.

I'm feeling more and more frustrated as the positive healthy steps I made in January feel further and further away.  The good news is, I have a deadline: 3 months until the St. John swim.  And my swimming buddy and I just made a plan that starting Saturday, we're swimming 3 times a week.

I'm really hopeful that getting back in the pool and having to get up early at least 3 days a week or else my friend will be at the Y all by herself will motivate me to shift my sleeping patterns a little, and motivate me to get out of bed early those other days and make it to strength training.

However, I'm not quite sure how to make work ease up.  Dear clients, stop calling for 2 weeks so we can catch up!

The Latest Craft Project: Maple Syrup

On my other blog.

A Walking Advertisement for the Flu Shot

Yes, in fact, it's taken me this long to fully get over the flu.  I kept thinking I was fine, while I was sitting at my desk doing nothing.  Then I would speedwalk with my boss to his car to head to a meeting, or walk up a couple of flights of stairs carrying laundry, and I would be completely out of breath and have a coughing fit (or in the case of the boss, suppress a coughing fit as best I could) and have to sit down and rest for a few minutes.

I'm finally, FINALLY starting to feel normal again and up to working out.  I even went for a lunch walk yesterday because I was so sick and tired of stting at my desk, feeling my bum spread ever further.

I took a good first step today and signed up for the swim in St. John!  My swimming compadres and I discussed it Monday night and rather than swim side-by-side, we're going to do the relay.  The swim can be broken up into 3 chunks (1, 1.25 and 1.25 miles), which is perfect.  I'm planning to swim one of the 1.25 mile chunks.  Maybe I'll even anchor, like the good ole swim team free relay days.

But, man, am I out of shape!  This is going to take some serious training over the next 3 months.  I'm excited to get to it finally!

Recipe: Coconut-Crusted Swai

Swai is my new white fish of choice.  I think it tastes MUCH better than tilapia (which I always think tastes a bit like dirt), and it's a little firmer than tilapia.  Also, it's cheap, when it's actually at the store.  I always stock up because it seems like everyone else who shops at my grocery store has discovered swai too and the shelves are empty fairly often.

I thawed some swai for dinner tonight and came up with this recipe on my way home from work.  It's my new favorite.  Here's the recipe, though some of the measurements are estimates since I eyeballed it, so use your own judgment.

Coconut-Crusted Swai
3 swai filets (or your favorite thin white fish, 4-5 oz each)
2-3 T. coconut oil
1/3 C. coconut flour (or regular flour if you're not worried about gluten)
1 egg
1/4 C. whole milk
2/3 C. shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 T. seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus, which goes great with the coconut.  Regular salt and pepper would work too.)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

Put flour in medium-sized bowl.  Whisk together egg and milk in a second bowl.  Mix coconut and seasoning together on a plate.

After oil is heated, dredge swai filets in flour, then egg and milk, then coconut and seasoning, and place in hot oil.  Cook 3-5 minutes on each side, until browned.  remove from pan to a plate with a paper towel on it (to absorb excess oil).  Enjoy!

Stupid Cough

You know what's not conducive to exercising?  Heavy breathing and coughing attacks.

I am much, much better.  Today for the first time my head isn't very clogged and I think my hearing is back to normal.  Sound has been coming through a phlegmy filter for the last week and a half or so.  I still have an occasional cough. It gets worse when I do crazy things like get up from my desk and walk around.  I still have to sit down and rest after I climb two flights of stairs.  My lungs are still recovering, apparently.

So, the upshot is, I have not been to the gym.  I didn't swim on Saturday because, really, all I wanted to do was sleep in, take my Mucinex, and be still.  I got in 3 1/2 days of work last week and by Friday night I was beat.

Last night I got home late from a work meeting and although I was physically exhausted, I felt really antsy.  I'm getting frustrated with not being able to work out, or even go for a decent fast-paced walk, and I'm hoping that's a sign that I'm getting better.

My swimming buddy and I have a plan to swim THIS Saturday.  Hopefully my lungs are up to the task.