Calling all healthy people

Here's the deal. I am sick of being sick all the time. I am so unhealthy right now and I need help figuring out how to get my body back where it needs to be. The way Jordan and I are living right now is obviously not working, so I'm coming to you guys for help.

I'm in my last semester of college, taking 12 regular hours and 3 online independent study hours. I have a very demanding job that takes soooooooooo much of my time and energy. On top of all that, I'm struggling to figure out the housewife thing. I'm not a natually domestic person. I hate to clean and with my busy schedule it is hard for me to get into the routine of keeping the apartment tidy, and cleaning really stresses me out.

The kitchen is the one place I don't get stressed (well most of the time anyway). I'm getting better at creating menus two weeks at a time, so I can buy all the ingredients I need, to minimize our grocery bills and the junk food we eat during the week. I try to cook with fresh, healthy ingredients. 

So you see the general picture. The stress from going to school full time and working so much has just beaten down my immune system. I have been sick more days in the past month than I can count. My job isn't one where I can call in sick very often, especially when I'm sick on the weekends, like today. Migraines rule lately, along with colds and digestive issues that really hinder my ability to go about my day. As much as I would love to go to the gym every day, it's just not an option, and by the time I get home at night, I'm exhausted. I do ride horses once a week, but it's not enough. I've gained 15-20 pounds in the past year, and I just feel disgusting.

Help me please! Any suggestions on ways to motivate myself to exercise, vitamins you take that make you feel great, tips on how to keep my apartment less of a mess, anything would be amazing. I've gotta figure something out or I'm never going to make it until graduation. I'm losing the battle with stress, and I know I have much less crises than a lot of other families do right now. Thanks guys!

Question of the Day

What is your favorite time of day and why?

Evenings. I come home from work, and have time to wind down and make dinner before Jordan comes home. Now that I have a bike, I can take off and ride for an hour and get a good workout in before I need to start dinner. I just got back from a ride and I feel fantastic, albeit a little tired and sore since it's only my second day out.

No matter how much I love him, Jordan can be a bit overwhelming if I don't have that wind down time. My job is so stressful that I need do to something to calm my mind, whether I sit down to read, copy down a recipe, or listen to the Dawn and Drew Show while riding on the Cardinal Greenway.

The two or three hours before he gets home has also given me a chance to really cook. I can try out new recipes (more fail than succeed though) and Jordan and I can sit down for a real meal at the end of the day. No, 9pm really isn't the ideal time for a big dinner, but we both really enjoy good food and having a few moments of quiet together to share about our day.

Miles biked: 6.68 for 1 hour

I want to ride my bicyle, I want to ride my biiiiiiiiike

After 2 months of me saying, "We should really get bikes, it would be such a great way for us to exercise AND spend time together," Jordan and I finally bought new Schwinns today. Well, of course we had to break them in! I had the phones, but I hadn't had any calls all day, so we took off on a ride, making sure to pack my phone and notebook in Jordan's pockets (thank goodness for cargo pants!). We were not a half a mile down Walnut before my phone went off! Sigh. So back to the apartment we went, to dispatch a tech. Blah Blah Blah I worked some.

Flash forward to Take Two of our Maiden Voyage. This time, we were off smoothly. The sun was setting, the air was cooling, not a cloud in the sky. What a beautiful night! Our only real hitch was that Jordan can't figure out his gears--they keep changing on him for no apparent reason. We were really enjoying ourselves, talking about how happy we were that we finally bought bikes, making plans to go out again tomorrow. We took Walnut north to Riggin, then cut over west to the Cardinal Greenway. It really was a beautiful night, though we both said that my allergies are probably going to dislike all of the wild flora. We crossed 400 N, considered turning around, but we were having so much fun, we decided to keep going, even though our quad muscles were screaming by this point (we really have done NO exercising since he's been home). However, fate would have it that coming in the opposite direction was a very attractive jogger, in a tight fitting top. After we passed her, Jordan turned to me and made a comment about how he resisted gawking at her as she ran past. Sigh. We laughed and he put his arm out for a high five.

Seems innocent right? Well, if you know me well, you know that I am not so coordinated. And I hadn't been on a bike for YEARS. I went off the trail just a bit, and overcorrected on the gravel shoulder. I ate asphalt. It was inevitable that I crash on our first time out. I'm a Harnish, that's what we do. We fall. Anyway, all I did was scrape up my ankle a bit on the pavement. It stings quite a bit, but not a serious injury. It was more my pride that was hurt. It shook Jordan up though! He thought I was really hurt. He can be sweet on occaision :).

Obviously, that was the end of our ride. We turned back and made our way back to the apartment. My phone only rang about 5 times on the way home. Sigh. On the way home, we talked about what we needed now that we have new bikes. Helmets (since I can't stay upright), lights (since he works so late that we may go out at night on occaision), water bottle and racks (kind of self explanitory). I think I could really get into this. I really enjoyed it, even though my first time out was frustrating. I'm really out of shape. But, if I keep this up and go out on at least a semi-regular basis for the next few months, I may fit back into my wedding dress. Once I get into better shape, I may start riding to class or work, which will help save on gas. It's about a 10 minute car ride to campus, probably 30 on a bike. Not a bad ride for those days when I don't have to wear heels for a presentation. I really do miss being fit. I miss the high I get when I work out, the joy I get from being outside, the thirst I get for more once I get started.

Ok, time for a shower, then at 10, the Bob Saget Roast!

Miles biked: 6.634 in 1 hour