Happy New Year!

Today's workout: 5 min. warm-up + 2/1 x 8 + 5 min. cooldown - DONE!

The whole family carted ourselves off to the Texans' final game of the season today. The Texans WON! Yippee!! We have season tickets and usually try to go as often as we're in town and able, but normally it's just Joel and me without the kiddos. We've taken Nicholas a few times and that's worked out well, but today was the first time in ages that we brought both of them along. Midway through the game, a guy sitting next to me complimented us on how well behaved the kids were. [For you non-parental types out there, this is every parent's dream come true!] I was pretty impressed with the little munchkins myself - as far as kids go, they're pretty cool. And now the little guy is all tucked into bed and Hunter is having a sleepover at a friend's house. Things are quiet here, and Joel is watching football while I mull over my goals for 2007.

First, these goals have got to be specific and not fluffy. That's worth repeating: NOT FLUFFY! "Consistent resistance training" sounds fine, but it's not measurable. I want to define these goals in a way that's not overkill, not fanatical and jumping in considerably faster than I can maintain, and most of all, I do want to challenge myself. Keeping that in mind, below is my attempt to list my goals, all of which are subject to change.

2007 Goals

Fitness

1. Lose 30 lbs PERIOD. [This one is non-negotiable and is entirely for health reasons despite the fact that Joel thinks it's all about vanity.]

2. Train to run an under 10 minutes mile. [Yes, this is still phenomenally slow, but for me, it's a huge improvement! Baby steps, right?]

3. Incorporate resistance training (i.e., weights) 3 X per week, with cardio (primarily running + cycling) 4-5 X per week.

Events

1. Cycle the BP MS150 - registered & ready to ride on 21 & 22 April! Safety training course on 6 Jan, and regularly scheduled training rides to follow.

2. Run 3 5Ks (races tbd)

3. Run 2 10Ks (races tbd)

Career

1. Maintain performance at current level consistent with requirements to retain position in employer's high-potential program.

2. Better organize self so as to complete all work in office and not have to bring it home at night.

3. Identify position for next move and determine requirements for achieving a managed move into desired position. Discuss with mentor and map out plan for success.

Day 11

Surprise of all surprises, I actually ran MORE than I was supposed to do today. haha! The cool thing is that I was impressed with the fact that my hr didn't go haywire and that I could have run more. I'm intentionally going slooooooowly (you just don't even want to know how slowly!) and only running the minimum as prescribed by the simplest of programs that I'm using.

Today's workout, for instance: 5 min. warm-up + 3/1 x 5 + cooldown.

Okay, so I remembered the run/walk part wrong and ended up doing 3/1 x 6. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I did it and felt good about it. After that, the kiddos and I did an ab workout and some squats, lunges, planks, and pushups. There was a side plank thing that I found in an old M&F Hers Magazine that I'd wanted to try but was really hesitant because I thought I couldn't do it. I tried it - I did it. Yes, I did! Both sides, and I held the position for the requisite 30 seconds. Go me! (when you run as slowly as I do, you don't get to gloat about much often - this is me gloating - it's not likely to happen again for a while!)

About the Fat Flush, if I had a clue how to link to it when I type the name, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'm still blog-challenged for now, but I'll work on it. It's fair to say I'm only doing a modified (i.e., half-assed) version of the Fat Flush because I'm not starting something that I'm not likely to be able to continue when I return to work on Wednesday. For now, I've added the cran-water to my diet, as well as the Long Life Cocktail (surprisingly, this has not made me hurl yet), and other than some odd tummy noises last night, I have no complaints. But God help me if those noises continue. I don't know how long I could stand that.

Goals for 2007. I've been thinking about these lately. I had some great goals for 2006 (www.gojudi.blogspot.com) and except for the ones regarding finishing my MBA, no work at home until after finishing my MBA, and reading to my kiddos more, well, I blew it. All things considered, I think I accomplished what I could. I'm sorry that I let my fitness goals go by the wayside, but we'll call this starting over my penance and enough said about that. Since the school thing is out of the way, and I absolutely will NOT be back in school again unless and until I pursue law school, I can now focus more on fitness. yay!

Flushing the Fat??

So I've been reading lately about the Fat Flush Plan, as well as the Perricone Promise. This all stems from an interest in detoxification, looking younger (or at least not any older than I am), and a desire to stick around for my kiddos a bit longer. If anyone out there is looking at my food journal, you'll notice a few new things in there pretty regularly -- at least until I figure out 1) if it's do-able on a daily basis and 2) if it's actually working for me.

The main factor in the Fat Flush plan is cran-water, and it's certainly not the most tasty drink on the planet, but if it does actually flush my liver and get it working better, I'll suck it down without complaint. Another key component to this plan is the absence of all caffeine. Well, that's not happening yet for me. My thermo-plex contains about the same caffeine as a couple cups of coffee, and since I don't drink coffee, I'm not going to feel guilty about it. Some of other new additions (i.e., ground flax seed, kefir, etc.) may enable me to lose some of the diet supplements I have been taking. We shall see!

Between figuring out meal plans for the next week, doing the shopping, picking up Hunter and then putting all the stuff away, it was 2:30 today before I realized I hadn't eaten yet. Obviously, not off to a great start there. Exercise will happen sometime later today.

LATER: Exercise did happen, but Joel suggested Outback for dinner and boy did I indulge in the crab dip - yummy! At any rate, it's done now, and I don't think I went too far over my limits for today. With the recent lack of calories I've had, I'm sure I'll live. I've set the goal for a 2-lb loss per week, and week 1 worked out better than planned, which is normal considering water-weight loss, etc. This week should work out well, also!

Day 9

Today's workout: warmup + run 2/1 x 6 + cooldown (easy & done!); UBWO (nothing fancy, but I did it!); ab workout

I'm getting bored already with what I've been eating, so I spent some time checking out other people's daily menus on LL and picked up some good ideas. Since we're planning a run to the store tomorrow, I'll be able to add the new items and try them out pretty soon. (It doesn't take much to get me excited these days!)

I go back to work in just under a week, and I'm pretty nervous about it. I love my job - no doubt about that. It's a rewarding career that allows me significant growth. Unfortunately, my ass grew in parallel to my career this past year. I've put some "personal" appointments on my calendar, which will allow me to prioritize my workouts. No more cancelling appointments with myself - I do enough work from home as it is, and I'm never out of contact thanks to the crackberry. I don't think it will harm the company at all for me to prioritize my health & fitness. If anything, they should ultimately benefit from my having more energy, right? Anyway, that's the last I'll say about work because I do love my job and want to keep it; hence, I do not blog about it.

Day 8 (of 3 Weeks to a 30 Day Running Habit)

today's workout: 5 min warm-up; 3/1 x 4; 1/1 x 4; 5 min cool-down
55 min. cardio
UBWO

more later...

The workout was great. I really enjoyed the run. The 3 min. intervals were run veeeeeeery slowly, so I was able to keep my heartrate under control. The final 1/1 x 4 I ran at a much quicker pace. It felt so much better than the plodding along that I did for the 3 min. portions. I can't weight until I can run farther/longer faster. The cardio dance stuff was fun, as usual. The dogs needed to be bathed so there went any time I'd have had for an ubwo. (pics of the dogs below!)

So far, I'm doing well to incorporate the running & extra cardio into my days while on holiday. I've got to figure out how to get some strength training in as well.

The Day After Christmas

The kids enjoyed Christmas day. First is the before picture. Below is the after - like a HUGE explosion of wrapping paper and toys strewn everywhere, of course!

Exercise yesterday was some light cardio and running around trying to keep up with the kids. Today - running (5 min warm-up, 2/1 x 6, 5 min cool-down) then 35 more minutes of cardio kickboxing. During the run, my hr kept going up way too fast (well, faster than it normally would) and then it didn't normalize as quickly during the walking phases. Ugh! I don't know what's going on, but it's almost time for a wellness exam anyway. I might as well get my fitness level checked and let the doc confirm that I need to go even slower than I do now. Is it even possible?

I still have this messed up love-hate relationship with food. I love to cook. LOVE it! I loathe being fat. So I'm trying to cook healthier foods, and I suppose that's going okay. So far, everything tastes pretty decent, except for that berry tart thing I made with Splenda. Here's the problem, and it's one I've complained about before. I have a difficult time eating as many calories as I should when I eat healthy foods. It's not like I need to eat an enormous amount, but I end up averaging 900 - 1200 calories a day and that's forcing it with a couple of protein shakes. Coach Dave's LL program says I should fall between 1100 and 1500 calories per day, doing the zig-zag thing. Why am I struggling? When I eat crap, I easily eat way too many kcals; hence, the reason I gained 30 lbs in no time at all. I guess it's time to add more veggies, but that'll throw my ratios off and I'll need to add protein also. damn, damn, damn! more shakes - blah!

Merry Christmas Eve!

I got up early this morning and did my run on the treadmill before we left. It's a good thing, too, because after what I ate there, I can't imagine running this evening. I had hoped to wake up early enough to take Molly with me (she needs to ease back into running also), but we woke later than planned, and it was raining, and she's just getting over a doggie ear infection (excuses ad nauseum). Suffice it to say, I did the run - just without the doggie.

Today was a great day with the family at mom's. My sister and niece were there, as well as Daddy, Mom, Donnie & our gang. Dad let us pressure him into reading the Cajun Night Before Christmas to the kids. They're so far removed from the life we lived growing up in and around New Orleans that they didn't know half of what he was talking about. When he fell back into his true accent, I thought Hunter would flip! She kept looking at me like, "what's going on, mom?" but she still loved it! The day culminated with the kids singing Happy Birthday to "baby Jesus" as they do every year. Mom always bakes the birthday cake, and the kids always sing. It was adorable seeing them, aged 19 through 2, singing their little hearts out, then once the candle was blown out, Nicholas piped in with "happy birthday!" He's my adorable little guy!!

Nicholas was so exhausted that after getting home, he ate dinner and immediately went to bed. I don't think Santa needs to worry about the little guy surprising him in the middle of the night. Hunter is another story, though. After we finished dinner, she helped me bake cookies for Santa. (The ones we made last week were all eaten already!) She made some really cute cookies that I think Santa will love. Since he's already begun snacking on them, I can say that with a high degree of confidence.

Tomorrow is a *rest* day per the running plan. I do intend to do some sort of cardio and definitely some stretching. My legs could really use the stretching. I think I've been too lax about doing that properly. Oh! And next week, I'll call the trainers/gym at the office and schedule 2 sessions per week for upper body training. Having an appointment to keep will work well towards establishing a routine for me.

Have a wonderful Christmas Day!

[eta: In the spirit of looking forward and being thankful, in addition to all the wonderful blessings I have (family, friends, gainful employment, my health, etc.), I'm also thankful that my supplements arrived yesterday - yay!]

Coincidence or just good timing?

I woke up to a nice little drop on the scale, but also to my doggie having puked at some point in the middle of the night in our bedroom. How we didn't hear her, I don't know. Anyway - got that cleaned and breakfast made for the gang and I was ready to exercise. Excited about it, even. [this is actually a big deal!] Joel wanted me to wait until Nicholas' naptime, and I was worried I'd find some way to procrastinate and ultimately skip the workout, but I didn't. The enthusiam was even greater after I looked up my day 4 treadmill workout (3 weeks to 30 minute running habit compliments of about.com) and saw that I could move beyond the 1/1 run-walk. yay!

Today's workout: 35 minutes treadmill, 5 min warmup, 2/1 x 5, 1/1 x5, 5 min cooldown. 1 hour cardio (samba) dvd. This is still so elementary in the grand scheme of things, but I'm trying to remind myself that I've got to ease into it so I don't get hurt and acquire an excuse to do nothing.

On to the title of the post. Shortly after finding the doggie mess (see Molly in pic at right), I heard my crackberry making that ominous noise that tells me I have a new e-mail. If it wasn't for the fact that I also get personal e-mail there, I'd not have touched it since this is vacation time, but I did. What I found when I did check it is that in March of 2008, there will be a Texas Independence Relay. It's a 2 day, 200 mile run for teams of 8 to 12 persons. I REALLY think I want to do this! http://www.texasindependencerelay.com/

Is that not the coolest thing?? A year is enough time to prepare for it, and my company has a number of individuals who, I think, would be interested. I plan to send an e-mail out to the group next week to see if I can drum up some interest. In the meantime, I am about to begin preparing to ride the BP MS150 (Houston to Austin) in April 2007. There's a safety seminar I'll be attending on January 6th, and from there, I'll be ready for to begin the training rides. Joel and Sandra (long-time friend and also former smoker!) are both riding as well. Sandra & Tony have done the ride for the past 2 years, and Joel's done it many other times, but this will be my first.

All sorts of good things happening in the near future, and I'm more and more excited about the possibilities!

Yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus!

Today ended up as an unplanned *rest* day, as I have open wounds (read: blisters) on each of my feet. I've put some lotion on and are planning to run tomorrow no matter what. I'm sure what did them in today was walking the mall for hours with the kiddos, but we got that Santa picture taken, so it's all worth it, right?

My legs are sore, but more than that, they feel a bit heavy today. It actually feels good to move and know that I've been doing something. I like this feeling. A LOT!

What else?? Well, we've had a blast getting ready for the holidays this year, and I finally got the last of the gifts wrapped. Initially, we wanted to go light on things for the kids since they've each just had birthdays and frankly, received more gifts than even they have time to play with. Somehow it didn't work out that way, and we've overdone it again. It's a good thing they appreciate what they have and aren't little ungrateful buggers! We are very fortunate to have such sweet kids who love to share, and we do recognize that life could be much more difficult if they weren't so easy-going. Don't get me wrong - they're each a handful! But underneath it all, they're sweet, good kids. Yes, I'm biased.

Starting Over & Looking Forward

There's absolutely nothing like taking up laziness as a hobby and gaining 30 lbs in less than a year. So, as of yesterday, I'm giving up that bad habit and embracing (again) the better habit of exercise and eating well. I swear that it was almost like a race to see how much weight I could gain and in how little time. Almost 30 lbs in 2-ish months, and then I just kept right on eating... yuck.

On to more positive things - enough of what I've done wrong. Here's what I'm now doing right. For starters, I did 30 minutes on the treadmill yesterday - 5 min warmup; 1/1 x 10 (5mph) and 5 minute cooldown. Nothing phenomenal, but after complete inactivity for a year, it was something. Also did a Core Rhythms dvd, which I love! Dancing is fun, my abs can use the work, and Hunter was able to do it with me, which was a bonus - quality time with the kiddo!

Today included a nice long walk with the kiddos & both doggies, as well as more dancing with Hunter and treadmill time for me. We only have 2 more Christmas gifts to purchase, so we're really enjoying the time off from work and school and just doing fun family stuff. No more rushing around doing the last minute Christmas thing - this might be the first time in years I've been ready early!