Get ready for it.. it's going to be good. Life, I mean. Life is so good. Everyone's healthy, happy and moving in the right direction.
I'm on Day 11 of a 21 day Ultimate Weight Loss Program run by Chef AJ and John Pierre. It's amazing. It takes my vegan diet and makes it a truly whole-foods, plant-based nourishing one. It doesn't hurt that I've lost 10lbs since beginning either.
So, some thoughts on it all...
It's overwhelming to think of the foods we don't eat -- foods to the right of the red line. What's helping me not to panic and binge on those foods ROTRL is focusing only on eating ENOUGH of the foods to the LOTRL. Sure, I'm weighing food each day but not because of a perceived necessary limitation. It's because I want to be certain I eat enough of the nourishing non-starchy vegetables - at least 3 lbs per day.
I'm eating so much food by volume. In addition to my 1lb of non-starchy vegetables at breakfast and the others as I get hungry, I'm eating beans each day. And potatoes and brown rice. Sometimes I have both in the same day, if not the same meal (I love my potato curry over brown rice!). I grew up in New Orleans and rice is a staple food there. I can pack it away -- a couple of cups (measured cooked) is nothing for me to knock back with 8 oz kale & 8 oz carrots.
On Feb 15, I weighed a certain amount. Today I weigh 10.4 lbs less than that amount. Prior to it, I was plateaued or gaining for the past 4-6 months.
I'm sharing this because I think it's important that we see that yes, it's tough at first to remove the old faithful foods from your day. But with any addiction, moderation isn't the solution; instead it exacerbates physical cravings. If you're a food addict, seriously think about the value of the word FREE in SOS-Free. It doesn't just mean we don't eat salt, oil & sugar. It means we are FREE to focus on other things. Free of the cravings and the negative impact on our bodies.
I'm still quite a ways from my goal, but I have no doubts I'll reach it and within a reasonable period of time without taking any supplements or counting calories or angst about points. This is how I feel now. Hopeful. Free. Healthy. Grateful.
Running towards fitness and never, ever, away from a challenge!
Friday, February 27, 2015
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Vegan ~ day 8 complete
Well, wow. I'm thrilled and more than a little surprised at the immediate improvements in how I feel (joints aren't achy, sinuses aren't clogged, head doesn't hurt). I'd been forcing myself to eat animal protein despite having to gag it down. It did nothing positive for my longstanding eating issues. Instead, I'd find myself feeling numb while I ate, and consequently eating too much, too wrong, and too often.
Beginning Friday, September 16, I've eliminated dairy, meat, seafood, poultry, etc. My diet consists of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, potatoes, and soy or rice milk when cooking. I'm eating an estimated 1200 calories per day (tracking on myfitnesspal.com) and this morning I was 5.4 lbs lighter than when I began. I should mention that last week was a serious PMS week and yet I'm not bloated. That alone is worth it!
I do find myself forgetting that everyone in the house isn't eating exactly as I am, and I struggle to find animal protein choices for them at the last minute. Fortunately, they love salmon and I've got plenty frozen that can be baked easily.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Snow??
I'm in Denver for business for part of this week. There's snow. It's pretty. 'Nuff said.
No complaints about Denver - the people are great and we're in a swanky-ish hotel. I'm making healthy eating choices and the gym here rocks. But I just read SUAR's post about her daughter and now I'm missing my kiddos even more than normal. We spoke on the phone tonight but that's never really a good substitute for a hug & a kiss goodnight. I miss the little turkeys, even if I do enjoy sleeping in a bed without Nicholas' foot in my face or my abdomen.
So I've been thinking it probably seems weird that my blog is still titled See Judi Run when I had such a hiatus from the sport. Here's the scoop on why: March 29 (yes I know the date because it was our 7th wedding anniversary and we were hosting a cookout), I returned from a run behind our house on the trail by the bayou. My wonderful trusty yellow lab, Emma, was with me and she got excited and took off -- literally off the trail -- and instead of dropping the leash I thought it would be fun to sprint the last few hundred feet. We were *that* close to home. Only I didn't make it because my left foot went into a 6" deep hole and my body kept moving with the 90lb lab. yeah, ouch.
I sent the kids to find Joel while I sat there looking at my rapidly swelling foot. Eventually it was discovered he was out inviting people over to the cookout (it was impromptu) so I hobbled back home. Then I proceeded to spend 6 hours on my feet cooking and hosting and generally hanging out with friends who wanted to help us celebrate not killing or divorcing each other.
It was a good time. It wasn't good for my foot.
The very next day I took the CLP exam, which required parking 6 blocks from the university building and hopping on one foot since the unsightly purple swollen foot that wouldn't fit into any shoe but a Croc wasn't enough to convince the security gal to let me park in one of the 10 unoccupied handicapped spots available. No biggie.
Next day I went to doc's and after x-ray after x-ray and mri (I think?) it was determined I had torn ligaments. I was told I couldn't run for 6 mths. Depression set in and I ATE.
As it turned out, that 6 mths turned into almost 2 yrs. It was 6 mths before I could wear flat shoes for more than an hour or two. Then when I went shopping for flats, I found out they were all ugly. More depression = MORE EATING
I went out a time or three with the gals from the Big Red running group at KatyFit (L.O.V.E. them!) but I couldn't complete the shortest of distances at the slowest of paces without having my foot swell and hurt for days. More depression = MUCH MORE EATING
So here I am now. B.I.G. I don't recognize myself but I'm doing something about it and change is ongoing. I've hired an executive wellness coach (David Greenwalt) I'm eating right. I'm accountable and leveraged (I'm going to lose a lot of something this year and it can be LBs or $$$)
I'm also beginning to run again but it's like I've never done it before. I'm a complete novice except that I remember what it felt like for my body to cover 14 miles (training run/walk but I finished damn it!) It's still frustrating but I'm doing it.
The Run Less, Run Faster plan for beginners training for a 5k seemed like a wise decision so I'm following it. The 3/2 plan (I think) is my best chance to avoid re-injuring the foot. So far, so good -- no pain while running or afterwards. And instead of having a swollen unrecognizable object at the end of my left leg the next morning, I see a foot that's had all the excess fluid pounded out of it. Soon, very soon, I expect to see muscles in my feet again. I miss them.
So that's my story. That's why I call myself a runner even though I don't vaguely resemble one at the moment. On the inside - the me that only I see - I'm a runner. Not a fast one, but I'm there and I'm going to continue to be one long past the point of anyone looking at me and recognizing my kick ass runner's legs.
No complaints about Denver - the people are great and we're in a swanky-ish hotel. I'm making healthy eating choices and the gym here rocks. But I just read SUAR's post about her daughter and now I'm missing my kiddos even more than normal. We spoke on the phone tonight but that's never really a good substitute for a hug & a kiss goodnight. I miss the little turkeys, even if I do enjoy sleeping in a bed without Nicholas' foot in my face or my abdomen.
So I've been thinking it probably seems weird that my blog is still titled See Judi Run when I had such a hiatus from the sport. Here's the scoop on why: March 29 (yes I know the date because it was our 7th wedding anniversary and we were hosting a cookout), I returned from a run behind our house on the trail by the bayou. My wonderful trusty yellow lab, Emma, was with me and she got excited and took off -- literally off the trail -- and instead of dropping the leash I thought it would be fun to sprint the last few hundred feet. We were *that* close to home. Only I didn't make it because my left foot went into a 6" deep hole and my body kept moving with the 90lb lab. yeah, ouch.
I sent the kids to find Joel while I sat there looking at my rapidly swelling foot. Eventually it was discovered he was out inviting people over to the cookout (it was impromptu) so I hobbled back home. Then I proceeded to spend 6 hours on my feet cooking and hosting and generally hanging out with friends who wanted to help us celebrate not killing or divorcing each other.
It was a good time. It wasn't good for my foot.
The very next day I took the CLP exam, which required parking 6 blocks from the university building and hopping on one foot since the unsightly purple swollen foot that wouldn't fit into any shoe but a Croc wasn't enough to convince the security gal to let me park in one of the 10 unoccupied handicapped spots available. No biggie.
Next day I went to doc's and after x-ray after x-ray and mri (I think?) it was determined I had torn ligaments. I was told I couldn't run for 6 mths. Depression set in and I ATE.
As it turned out, that 6 mths turned into almost 2 yrs. It was 6 mths before I could wear flat shoes for more than an hour or two. Then when I went shopping for flats, I found out they were all ugly. More depression = MORE EATING
I went out a time or three with the gals from the Big Red running group at KatyFit (L.O.V.E. them!) but I couldn't complete the shortest of distances at the slowest of paces without having my foot swell and hurt for days. More depression = MUCH MORE EATING
So here I am now. B.I.G. I don't recognize myself but I'm doing something about it and change is ongoing. I've hired an executive wellness coach (David Greenwalt) I'm eating right. I'm accountable and leveraged (I'm going to lose a lot of something this year and it can be LBs or $$$)
I'm also beginning to run again but it's like I've never done it before. I'm a complete novice except that I remember what it felt like for my body to cover 14 miles (training run/walk but I finished damn it!) It's still frustrating but I'm doing it.
The Run Less, Run Faster plan for beginners training for a 5k seemed like a wise decision so I'm following it. The 3/2 plan (I think) is my best chance to avoid re-injuring the foot. So far, so good -- no pain while running or afterwards. And instead of having a swollen unrecognizable object at the end of my left leg the next morning, I see a foot that's had all the excess fluid pounded out of it. Soon, very soon, I expect to see muscles in my feet again. I miss them.
So that's my story. That's why I call myself a runner even though I don't vaguely resemble one at the moment. On the inside - the me that only I see - I'm a runner. Not a fast one, but I'm there and I'm going to continue to be one long past the point of anyone looking at me and recognizing my kick ass runner's legs.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Monday & another confession
It's a crazy busy day for me as I leave for Denver tonight. I'm still enjoying Run Like a Mother and I'm reading Run Less, Run Faster (not only reading it but following the new runner - get ready for a 5k program). See, although I have done one half-marathon and used to run pretty regularly, I tore ligaments in my foot 2 yrs ago (or is it 3 now) and I've only recently been able to wear heels again, much less run for any sustainable distance or with any consistency.
During the course of being laid up and in flats, I ate my way through the depression that enveloped me and here I am now, trying to lose the poundage and acclimate myself to running again. The very positive good news is..... drumroll please there is NO pain or swelling in said foot when I run.
Sure, I don't run far and I don't run fast but I'm reinventing myself as a runner. This is the year of "new Judi runner chick" rather than "old Judi sits on her ass and is bummed she can't run" model.
Life is good.
Confession: I almost NEVER remember to log my runs at btt and hence my gadget thingie is ridiculously pitiful. There you have it.
During the course of being laid up and in flats, I ate my way through the depression that enveloped me and here I am now, trying to lose the poundage and acclimate myself to running again. The very positive good news is..... drumroll please there is NO pain or swelling in said foot when I run.
Sure, I don't run far and I don't run fast but I'm reinventing myself as a runner. This is the year of "new Judi runner chick" rather than "old Judi sits on her ass and is bummed she can't run" model.
Life is good.
Confession: I almost NEVER remember to log my runs at btt and hence my gadget thingie is ridiculously pitiful. There you have it.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Confession # 1 (More to come!)
I almost forgot! Someone reminded me that confession is good for the soul, so let's see how many days I can come up with something to share that's not too out there.
Today's confession ---- I love Nelly's Just a Dream, but really it's Nelly I love.
There, I said it out loud, or in print.
Today's confession ---- I love Nelly's Just a Dream, but really it's Nelly I love.
There, I said it out loud, or in print.
The scale is finally moving but not quickly. I'm okay with that. See, I'm not feeling deprived. I'm not obsessing over food / exercise. And my goal is to lose 60 lbs this year, having lost the first 5 during December. I feel like I'm off to a good start. I'm 5 lbs away from my goal for Feb 1, and I'm confident I'll get there. Also, there's no feeling of "omg - how am I ever going to lose THAT MUCH WEIGHT in this short a time???" Yeah, I've felt that before. There's nothing like a little pressure to send me straight to the chips & salsa bowl!
On to things that are much more fun than the scale..... I had dinner with 2 wonderful friends / former colleagues last night. Lia was in from London and Vero and she had the one night available to see us (busy woman!!) so we all met at Escalantes Town & Country location. Our server was so helpful and friendly, the food was delish (shrimp & veggie fajitas, ff black beans, no rice), and of course the company just couldn't have been better. I don't get out enough for just girlfriend time. I think I'll try for more of that this year. I have wonderful friends and I am always energized after spending time with them - why would I deprive myself ??
Speaking of depriving myself, I'm foregoing my usual morning snack of grilled chicken & veggies or fruit for a new protein bar. Since I'm traveling next week (Denver here I come!) I wanted to test run one of these things before I break it out mid-meeting. Holy f*ck, no one told me it was going to taste like vomit!! Lest ye think I went in blind, I did read the reviews - this is the one that's supposed to taste better than the others. If nothing else, this will teach me not to treat each fueling opportunity as a celebration of food, which is probably what led to my needing to lose 60lbs in the first place. Just think, I used to complain about having to eat chicken more than once a day (it's not my fave food either).
Work beckons... I love my job. Happy running, everyone! I'll be on the treadmill tonight - life is good.
On to things that are much more fun than the scale..... I had dinner with 2 wonderful friends / former colleagues last night. Lia was in from London and Vero and she had the one night available to see us (busy woman!!) so we all met at Escalantes Town & Country location. Our server was so helpful and friendly, the food was delish (shrimp & veggie fajitas, ff black beans, no rice), and of course the company just couldn't have been better. I don't get out enough for just girlfriend time. I think I'll try for more of that this year. I have wonderful friends and I am always energized after spending time with them - why would I deprive myself ??
Speaking of depriving myself, I'm foregoing my usual morning snack of grilled chicken & veggies or fruit for a new protein bar. Since I'm traveling next week (Denver here I come!) I wanted to test run one of these things before I break it out mid-meeting. Holy f*ck, no one told me it was going to taste like vomit!! Lest ye think I went in blind, I did read the reviews - this is the one that's supposed to taste better than the others. If nothing else, this will teach me not to treat each fueling opportunity as a celebration of food, which is probably what led to my needing to lose 60lbs in the first place. Just think, I used to complain about having to eat chicken more than once a day (it's not my fave food either).
Work beckons... I love my job. Happy running, everyone! I'll be on the treadmill tonight - life is good.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Today I was a victim of the iPhone alarm clock bug. Either that or when I turned off the alarm yesterday morning (since I woke up early), I forgot to reset it. Probably the latter....
I had a great workout last night on the spin bike, and an equally challenging UBWO w/ the Cathe DVD "High Reps" yesterday morning. On the agenda for tonight is 45 minutes spinning and 45 minutes swimming. Still LOVING that I insisted we have the pool heated.
Yesterday's coaching call was helpful. In my planning for next week's business trip, there was one key area I overlooked and Coach was able to point it out to me. Thank God. Otherwise I'd have been in "oh shit!" mode and it all could have gone to hell in a heartbeat. I'm feeling moderately confident about the plan; I think I just need a couple of instances of successful execution in order to feel more confident. I don't trust myself yet. How weird is that?
I d/l'd and began Run Like a Mother, the book last night. I'm enjoying the little bit I read so far.
Crazy work day today -- will post more later.
I had a great workout last night on the spin bike, and an equally challenging UBWO w/ the Cathe DVD "High Reps" yesterday morning. On the agenda for tonight is 45 minutes spinning and 45 minutes swimming. Still LOVING that I insisted we have the pool heated.
Yesterday's coaching call was helpful. In my planning for next week's business trip, there was one key area I overlooked and Coach was able to point it out to me. Thank God. Otherwise I'd have been in "oh shit!" mode and it all could have gone to hell in a heartbeat. I'm feeling moderately confident about the plan; I think I just need a couple of instances of successful execution in order to feel more confident. I don't trust myself yet. How weird is that?
I d/l'd and began Run Like a Mother, the book last night. I'm enjoying the little bit I read so far.
Crazy work day today -- will post more later.
Monday, January 03, 2011
Exercising with intention -- good grief, but I gave new meaning to the phrase last night! 90 minutes of hard spinning - it felt sooooooo good!!
Today I was .4 lbs off from making my weekly weight goal but I am on track to meet next Monday's goal without exception.
This morning's exercise was the upper body workout from Cathe's High Reps DVD. 40 killer minutes. Tonight I plan on more spinning. I am surprised (pleasantly!) about how good it felt.
Happy running / spinning / living to you all!
Today I was .4 lbs off from making my weekly weight goal but I am on track to meet next Monday's goal without exception.
This morning's exercise was the upper body workout from Cathe's High Reps DVD. 40 killer minutes. Tonight I plan on more spinning. I am surprised (pleasantly!) about how good it felt.
Happy running / spinning / living to you all!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Today is a good day. Up early to do Insanity - Core Cardio & Balance - and by early, I mean 4:flippin':30 am.! Healthy breakfast eaten and now I'm working at home. I love the productivity while at home, and I love that I can be here while Nicholas is on winter break. I can't wait for Hunter to get home this week!!
Weight loss is going well. This Elite business is driving me to look deeper into areas of my life that I've avoided for a long time. I'm not complaining... just sayin'. Wow, right?
When I take time off from exercising I forget how much I enjoy exercising with intention. It feels good. It makes me look better. My skin is naturally so pale that I love the glow I get when I start the day with cardio. I've wanted to work on better, more healthy circulation for years .. this ought to do it, right?
Still tracking my nutrition with Leanness Lifestyle. Did Cardio Coach 4 on the spin bike last night. AND watched the Saints whup the dirty birds!! Geaux Saints!!!!
Weight loss is going well. This Elite business is driving me to look deeper into areas of my life that I've avoided for a long time. I'm not complaining... just sayin'. Wow, right?
When I take time off from exercising I forget how much I enjoy exercising with intention. It feels good. It makes me look better. My skin is naturally so pale that I love the glow I get when I start the day with cardio. I've wanted to work on better, more healthy circulation for years .. this ought to do it, right?
Still tracking my nutrition with Leanness Lifestyle. Did Cardio Coach 4 on the spin bike last night. AND watched the Saints whup the dirty birds!! Geaux Saints!!!!
Monday, December 06, 2010
Today is my first "Elite" call with Coach David Greenwalt of Leanness Lifestyle. I've worked with him previously when losing weight and getting fit. Now I'm embarking on a year long program to not simply reach my weight loss goals but to learn to live at my goal weight in a healthy manner, obviously minus any of the eating/compulsive exercise disorders I used to maintain "thin" in my younger years.
I'm a little nervous and a lot excited. I began using the LL tools again 2 or 3 weeks ago and I'm already doing better at planning healthy meals. Planning enough meals. And eating according to plan. I still need to work on consistent exercise, and this is one of the reasons I see this as a year long journey. Not only will the transformation not occur overnight; I also cannot expect to perfect my actions immediately.
Every day I make choices. This morning I chose to get up 20 minutes later than planned and do squats and lunges rather than 60 minutes on the treadmill. I'll do treadmill work tonight, but only because the thing we thought the kids had to do tonight is actually scheduled for Thursday night instead. yippee! I got lucky there. Otherwise, I'd have skipped some much needed cardio in lieu of sleep.
And that's something else I'm changing. I'm sleeping much more. Not because I'm depressed. Not because anything's wrong. Simply because I feel better when I go to bed early and rest. It's also a heck of a lot easier to wake up at 4a.m and exercise when I am in bed by 9pm.
I'm a little nervous and a lot excited. I began using the LL tools again 2 or 3 weeks ago and I'm already doing better at planning healthy meals. Planning enough meals. And eating according to plan. I still need to work on consistent exercise, and this is one of the reasons I see this as a year long journey. Not only will the transformation not occur overnight; I also cannot expect to perfect my actions immediately.
Every day I make choices. This morning I chose to get up 20 minutes later than planned and do squats and lunges rather than 60 minutes on the treadmill. I'll do treadmill work tonight, but only because the thing we thought the kids had to do tonight is actually scheduled for Thursday night instead. yippee! I got lucky there. Otherwise, I'd have skipped some much needed cardio in lieu of sleep.
And that's something else I'm changing. I'm sleeping much more. Not because I'm depressed. Not because anything's wrong. Simply because I feel better when I go to bed early and rest. It's also a heck of a lot easier to wake up at 4a.m and exercise when I am in bed by 9pm.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Holy wow ~ I'm back! Last year was tough. First an ankle injury, then a lengthy healing process, then weight gain due to being on my tail (as opposed to a trail!) for most of the year. I'm fortunate in many, many ways, and I am quite thankful for them all. But wow, the things that went wrong last year took a toll on my body and it ain't pretty!
Of course I'm certain it will be again, with much hard work. I'm eating clean again and that's the best start for me. I'm also trying to begin running again with the ultimate in babysteps - the Couch to 5k program. I've done it before and it works, and I just happen to have a cool iPhone app for it, so there's no excuse really.
Week 1, Day 1 tonight. I can't wait!
Of course I'm certain it will be again, with much hard work. I'm eating clean again and that's the best start for me. I'm also trying to begin running again with the ultimate in babysteps - the Couch to 5k program. I've done it before and it works, and I just happen to have a cool iPhone app for it, so there's no excuse really.
Week 1, Day 1 tonight. I can't wait!
Saturday, October 04, 2008
This has been a crummy week. Last week, Nicholas came down with a horrible tummy thing on Thursday and then Sunday Cindy had it. I stayed home with the kids on Monday, ran very l ittle that night and bam! about 4:30 a.m., I was awake wishing I could die rather than continue the violent retching that had begun. Missed work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday... finally able to eat on Friday and dang it all if I didn't get up and run 13.12 miles with the group this morning.
That's right ~ I did. Those days of purging all the crud from my system actually left me feeling better than I had pre-illness and today's run, while slow, was a good one. My legs are going to hurt so badly tomorrow. Good thing we're not doing much but going to the Texans' game and then home to the Brownie troop meeting.
Life is good again.
That's right ~ I did. Those days of purging all the crud from my system actually left me feeling better than I had pre-illness and today's run, while slow, was a good one. My legs are going to hurt so badly tomorrow. Good thing we're not doing much but going to the Texans' game and then home to the Brownie troop meeting.
Life is good again.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I haven't had time to blog in what feels like ages. I haven't made time to run in that long either. Everything is catching up with me and there's no way I can slow down the time between now and the marathon, so.... some stuff will just have to wait while I train.
I did run with the group on Saturday. We were slated to do 12 miles but the turnaround was filled with debris from Hurricane Ike; we cut it short and thought we'd made it up on the extra distance to the restrooms. As it turns out, we didn't. The run ended up at a distance of 11.67 miles: 2 hrs 56 minutes. That's not going to be good enough for the <6 hour target for the full marathon. It was really humid, somewhat hot, and toward the end, my legs (hip flexors mainly) were causing me serious pain so I walked more than I planned. I can counter that negativity by saying that prior to Saturday, I'd done one 3 mile walk/run (mostly walk) in 2 weeks. I think that was it. I did run 9 miles two-Saturday's before but then I didn't do much of anything else. Well, I did loads of stuff, just not running/fitness-stuff. Considering that, I'd say that even finishing the almost-12 miles was an accomplishment.
We have 10 miles on the plan for Saturday and I'm looking forward to it. I will try to finish in 2 hrs 15 minutes. This week I've already logged 6+ miles. Sunday, Dakota and I did almost 3 miles of a fast walk with a little bit of running ~ just to stretch my legs and to get her accustomed to pacing herself. Monday all the kids and I went for a 1.5 mile walk to the track, around it once and back home. After they went to bed, I did another 3-ish miles on the treadmill. Overall, it felt good and my legs were strong. Consistency this week will make it all that much easier on Saturday.
Gotta run now ~ work is still a priority. Happy running!
I did run with the group on Saturday. We were slated to do 12 miles but the turnaround was filled with debris from Hurricane Ike; we cut it short and thought we'd made it up on the extra distance to the restrooms. As it turns out, we didn't. The run ended up at a distance of 11.67 miles: 2 hrs 56 minutes. That's not going to be good enough for the <6 hour target for the full marathon. It was really humid, somewhat hot, and toward the end, my legs (hip flexors mainly) were causing me serious pain so I walked more than I planned. I can counter that negativity by saying that prior to Saturday, I'd done one 3 mile walk/run (mostly walk) in 2 weeks. I think that was it. I did run 9 miles two-Saturday's before but then I didn't do much of anything else. Well, I did loads of stuff, just not running/fitness-stuff. Considering that, I'd say that even finishing the almost-12 miles was an accomplishment.
We have 10 miles on the plan for Saturday and I'm looking forward to it. I will try to finish in 2 hrs 15 minutes. This week I've already logged 6+ miles. Sunday, Dakota and I did almost 3 miles of a fast walk with a little bit of running ~ just to stretch my legs and to get her accustomed to pacing herself. Monday all the kids and I went for a 1.5 mile walk to the track, around it once and back home. After they went to bed, I did another 3-ish miles on the treadmill. Overall, it felt good and my legs were strong. Consistency this week will make it all that much easier on Saturday.
Gotta run now ~ work is still a priority. Happy running!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
No time for updates, except to say I had a great time at the Nike Human Race 10k in Austin, and just last Saturday I ran 9 miles with KatyFit. It was fun and I felt like I could have gone farther. Very odd, but good since we're running 10 miles this Saturday ~ assuming the hurricane doesn't smack us.
If it does, at least it will get cooler. This place is still like a sauna.
If it does, at least it will get cooler. This place is still like a sauna.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Ya know, it's absolutely freaking unreal that every single time I write about a new outlook and feeling good about just being out there and "oh, going slower than the slowest little turtle out there isn't *that* bad" .. every single time... I end up going into some sort of illness inducing depression and I skip a week of workouts. What the heck is that about ?
So last week was a wash. It sucked. I did next to nothing from Sunday through Saturday. Granted, on Saturday morning/Friday night I woke at 1:00 a.m. with a migraine that I'd had most of the day and I didn't get back to sleep until about mid-morning when Joel returned from his cycling. He was sweet enough to let me rest most of the day but dang that headache just wouldn't dissipate. On Sunday, I woke up and ran out to the neighborhood track (paved 1k) and did just under 3 miles. Holy cow but it was hot at 8:00 a.m.!! Again I ask, what is that about?? Will it ever cool off in this godforsaken climate??
I was scheduled to run 8 miles. This was the long run before the Nike Human Race 10k coming up this Sunday. Well, 8 miles didn't happen. However, lest you readers think that I bailed after "just under 3 miles", allow me to set the record straight. I came home, told Joel he could head out for a ride before it got too far beyond 100 degrees, and I cranked up that treadmill. Another 3 miles and I was done. So I didn't do the full 8, but I did almost 6. Talk about intervals!
Tonight I ran a 5k on the treadmill. I'm still terribly slow. The finishing time (on the treadmill, in a climate controlled environment, with a treadmill fan blowing on me!) was 35:36, which by the way, is just one second slower than my fastest [treadmill] 5k ever (35:35).
They (the infamous *they* who decide these things) should just let me run all my races on treadmills. Under climate controlled conditions. With loads of water and a tv at my disposal.
It wouldn't be as pretty as it was on Sunday morning. Our little park is actually looking much better these days and I enjoyed seeing the neighbors, but I can't wait for it to cool off.
Check back with me when I begin whining about the cold rainy days. It's certain to happen.
Until then, I run... and run... and run.
So last week was a wash. It sucked. I did next to nothing from Sunday through Saturday. Granted, on Saturday morning/Friday night I woke at 1:00 a.m. with a migraine that I'd had most of the day and I didn't get back to sleep until about mid-morning when Joel returned from his cycling. He was sweet enough to let me rest most of the day but dang that headache just wouldn't dissipate. On Sunday, I woke up and ran out to the neighborhood track (paved 1k) and did just under 3 miles. Holy cow but it was hot at 8:00 a.m.!! Again I ask, what is that about?? Will it ever cool off in this godforsaken climate??
I was scheduled to run 8 miles. This was the long run before the Nike Human Race 10k coming up this Sunday. Well, 8 miles didn't happen. However, lest you readers think that I bailed after "just under 3 miles", allow me to set the record straight. I came home, told Joel he could head out for a ride before it got too far beyond 100 degrees, and I cranked up that treadmill. Another 3 miles and I was done. So I didn't do the full 8, but I did almost 6. Talk about intervals!
Tonight I ran a 5k on the treadmill. I'm still terribly slow. The finishing time (on the treadmill, in a climate controlled environment, with a treadmill fan blowing on me!) was 35:36, which by the way, is just one second slower than my fastest [treadmill] 5k ever (35:35).
They (the infamous *they* who decide these things) should just let me run all my races on treadmills. Under climate controlled conditions. With loads of water and a tv at my disposal.
It wouldn't be as pretty as it was on Sunday morning. Our little park is actually looking much better these days and I enjoyed seeing the neighbors, but I can't wait for it to cool off.
Check back with me when I begin whining about the cold rainy days. It's certain to happen.
Until then, I run... and run... and run.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Last week's workouts
Running
11 Aug: 35 min/easy DONE! 5k
12 Aug: 30 min / DONE! 2.51 mi.
14 Aug: 30 min / DONE! 2.63 mi.
16 Aug: 7 miles / DONE!
Pushups
11 Aug: 15/12/12/10/max DONE! 18/12/11/10/12
13 Aug: 16/14/14/12/max
15 Aug: 20/15/15/12/max
NOTE: I'm repeating this week 3 due to doing too many pushups in the P90 Sculpt 1/2 workout on the off days and screwing up my timing and recovery. Will just do extra squats and lunges and curls during the pushup section in the future.
Running
11 Aug: 35 min/easy DONE! 5k
12 Aug: 30 min / DONE! 2.51 mi.
14 Aug: 30 min / DONE! 2.63 mi.
16 Aug: 7 miles / DONE!
Pushups
11 Aug: 15/12/12/10/max DONE! 18/12/11/10/12
13 Aug: 16/14/14/12/max
15 Aug: 20/15/15/12/max
NOTE: I'm repeating this week 3 due to doing too many pushups in the P90 Sculpt 1/2 workout on the off days and screwing up my timing and recovery. Will just do extra squats and lunges and curls during the pushup section in the future.
Edited to add: I almost forgot!! I saw a rainbow Saturday morning. If I hadn't been running slower with M, I would have missed it. I am so thankful for that!
Saturday was weird. I woke up on time to meet the girls for a 6:00 a.m. 7 mile run. But I think I wasn't quite fully awake. See, I put on the wrong shoes, but I didn't realize it until we were a few meters into the run and I thought "better turn that nike+ thing on ~ don't want to miss out on logging this great run!" And guess what? It couldn't find my sensor. Know why? That's right. There was no sensor. I'd put on my Nike's but had my sensor in the shoe wallet on my Asics. Okay, so I'm a spaz.
So we were rocking right along ~ Trish and I discussing how we're going to continue motivating ourselves and each other ~ and I looked at my garmin and saw that we'd only gone 1.37 miles. What the hell? It felt like we'd been running forever. That's when Trish said we'd gone almost 2.5 miles and were 35 minutes into the run. My garmin showed a 20 minute run thus far. Clearly I was more of a spaz than could have been anticipated that morning and somewhere along the way I hit the stop button. That meant my nice 7 mile run wasn't even going to record properly on my garmin. Could I not catch a break??? just a little one???
Anyway, off we went to the turnaround point where we stopped to stretch. I felt surprisingly good. We had jogged at a slow enough pace that it felt comfortable for that "long-slow-run" day. Here's where things got a bit hinky though.
A few of the group came up as most of us had finished stretching. Rather than head off with the larger group I stayed behind to stretch with one of the gals and then we took off. She was struggling a bit so we went slower than I might have done alone and certainly slower than the rest of the group. We had a really good talk about motivation and continuing to run even when you think you suck. For instance, going that slowly felt to both of us like "wow, we suck at this" but one could argue that just being out there qualified us for as non-suckers. Or something like that. During the course of our conversation, we realized that we both tend to try to overdo things. From having been athletic in the past, it's a struggle to admit that a few decades and couple of babies later and we're no longer capable of the same things. That doesn't, however, mean we need to lie down and give up, right?
Giving up seems to have been what we've both done in the past. We made a pact that we wouldn't get down on ourselves for moving slower than others, and instead, we'll consider it a victory to continue.
Okay, that all sounds good but at the end of the run I felt like the 7 miles had been easy. Partly because of the squats and lunges I'd done during the week ~ my legs felt strong. But also because we moved so slowly on the way back that I felt like the second half of the workout was negated. I mean, you can't actually cover 3.5 miles and have it count for nothing, can you? And there was no way in the world I was going to leave her behind. Even though the path is well-lit and there were tons of people out there, you just don't leave someone behind. Especially when that someone is mentally struggling to continue.
So I'm glad I hung back with her. I was able to get to know a really nice person by doing it, and it's the sort of thing that I would have wanted someone to do for me. Knowing how I can't just accept things as-is, I worry that this could be something I allow to become a repeat event. The only downside to that is my not being fully prepared to run the marathon in under 6 hours. If I go too slowly on the Saturday runs, will I be able to pull it together on the big day? I mean, I like helping others but I didn't volunteer to coach. I'm actually out there trying to improve my own running and ..... wow, I sound like a witch, don't I?
I think that I'll just have to step up my weekday runs so that if our group coaches aren't able to accommodate all the runners in our group, I can do it again, if needed. That way I can meet both goals ~ improve my running and maintain my ability to face myself in the mirror.
Saturday was weird. I woke up on time to meet the girls for a 6:00 a.m. 7 mile run. But I think I wasn't quite fully awake. See, I put on the wrong shoes, but I didn't realize it until we were a few meters into the run and I thought "better turn that nike+ thing on ~ don't want to miss out on logging this great run!" And guess what? It couldn't find my sensor. Know why? That's right. There was no sensor. I'd put on my Nike's but had my sensor in the shoe wallet on my Asics. Okay, so I'm a spaz.
So we were rocking right along ~ Trish and I discussing how we're going to continue motivating ourselves and each other ~ and I looked at my garmin and saw that we'd only gone 1.37 miles. What the hell? It felt like we'd been running forever. That's when Trish said we'd gone almost 2.5 miles and were 35 minutes into the run. My garmin showed a 20 minute run thus far. Clearly I was more of a spaz than could have been anticipated that morning and somewhere along the way I hit the stop button. That meant my nice 7 mile run wasn't even going to record properly on my garmin. Could I not catch a break??? just a little one???
Anyway, off we went to the turnaround point where we stopped to stretch. I felt surprisingly good. We had jogged at a slow enough pace that it felt comfortable for that "long-slow-run" day. Here's where things got a bit hinky though.
A few of the group came up as most of us had finished stretching. Rather than head off with the larger group I stayed behind to stretch with one of the gals and then we took off. She was struggling a bit so we went slower than I might have done alone and certainly slower than the rest of the group. We had a really good talk about motivation and continuing to run even when you think you suck. For instance, going that slowly felt to both of us like "wow, we suck at this" but one could argue that just being out there qualified us for as non-suckers. Or something like that. During the course of our conversation, we realized that we both tend to try to overdo things. From having been athletic in the past, it's a struggle to admit that a few decades and couple of babies later and we're no longer capable of the same things. That doesn't, however, mean we need to lie down and give up, right?
Giving up seems to have been what we've both done in the past. We made a pact that we wouldn't get down on ourselves for moving slower than others, and instead, we'll consider it a victory to continue.
Okay, that all sounds good but at the end of the run I felt like the 7 miles had been easy. Partly because of the squats and lunges I'd done during the week ~ my legs felt strong. But also because we moved so slowly on the way back that I felt like the second half of the workout was negated. I mean, you can't actually cover 3.5 miles and have it count for nothing, can you? And there was no way in the world I was going to leave her behind. Even though the path is well-lit and there were tons of people out there, you just don't leave someone behind. Especially when that someone is mentally struggling to continue.
So I'm glad I hung back with her. I was able to get to know a really nice person by doing it, and it's the sort of thing that I would have wanted someone to do for me. Knowing how I can't just accept things as-is, I worry that this could be something I allow to become a repeat event. The only downside to that is my not being fully prepared to run the marathon in under 6 hours. If I go too slowly on the Saturday runs, will I be able to pull it together on the big day? I mean, I like helping others but I didn't volunteer to coach. I'm actually out there trying to improve my own running and ..... wow, I sound like a witch, don't I?
I think that I'll just have to step up my weekday runs so that if our group coaches aren't able to accommodate all the runners in our group, I can do it again, if needed. That way I can meet both goals ~ improve my running and maintain my ability to face myself in the mirror.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Yesterday was a great day. It was a bit too hectic at work, as is normal, and I even had to bring work home, but I didn't let that interfere with other priorities. Other priorities being: 1) eat clean and 2) exercise.
I swear, this is such a huge feat for me that I should make it a public announcement: I ATE ALL OF WHAT I PLANNED TO EAT AND ONLY WHAT I PLANNED TO EAT, AND I DIDN'T BINGE ALL DAY (OR NIGHT)!!!!
Silly? Sure. But a huge accomplishment nonetheless. See, I had this plan to go home and fix salmon and I actually did it. Often in the past, I'd have that plan, get home, realize I had tons of work to do and wanted to carve out time to exercise, so I'd either skip dinner altogether and find myself too exhausted to have a good workout or binge on cheese-its & bbq sauce (yea, weird, but it's my thing) and find myself too queasy to have a good workout. So not only did I fix the planned healthy meal, I was so glad to find out it was quite delicious!
It's been a long time since I've tried to plan my meals and log them and eat according to a 40/40/20 distribution of macronutrients. I seem not to be one of those people who can just make good choices at each meal and have it all balance out at the end of the day. It's safe to say I'm not there yet, although I still remain hopeful.
Today looks to be another good day, even if it will be another long and busy one. More later on an interesting e-mail I received from TrainingPeaks.
I swear, this is such a huge feat for me that I should make it a public announcement: I ATE ALL OF WHAT I PLANNED TO EAT AND ONLY WHAT I PLANNED TO EAT, AND I DIDN'T BINGE ALL DAY (OR NIGHT)!!!!
Silly? Sure. But a huge accomplishment nonetheless. See, I had this plan to go home and fix salmon and I actually did it. Often in the past, I'd have that plan, get home, realize I had tons of work to do and wanted to carve out time to exercise, so I'd either skip dinner altogether and find myself too exhausted to have a good workout or binge on cheese-its & bbq sauce (yea, weird, but it's my thing) and find myself too queasy to have a good workout. So not only did I fix the planned healthy meal, I was so glad to find out it was quite delicious!
It's been a long time since I've tried to plan my meals and log them and eat according to a 40/40/20 distribution of macronutrients. I seem not to be one of those people who can just make good choices at each meal and have it all balance out at the end of the day. It's safe to say I'm not there yet, although I still remain hopeful.
Today looks to be another good day, even if it will be another long and busy one. More later on an interesting e-mail I received from TrainingPeaks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
