Wow. As much as I love sweets and all the delicious food that surrounds the holidays, I feel SO MUCH BETTER after a week of eating fairly healthy. It is ridiculous. The last couple of weeks I was getting pretty bad headaches, which I'm going to assume were caused by not enough water and way too much sugar, well and maybe lack of sleep.
This past week I was MUCH better about eating healthier meals, and besides the occasional dark chocolate chips I stole from the cabinet (a bad habit that I really need to break), and my one sweet treat I plan a day I really didn't have any excess junk. I'm still not getting enough sleep, but that is because my insomnia is creeping back up. I lay awake for an hour or two in the middle of the night, or I'm wide awake all on my own at 5am. Not sure why that is happening, but oh well, that is not what I really wanted to talk about. The important point to make, is I can't believe that I used to feel gross almost all the time. I was always eating unhealthy meals and too much junk, and I just felt miserable. Why did I do that to myself? I'm so happy that I've changed my habits.
And the other good news? I'm back down to .4 pounds under my goal weight. Huzzah!
On that note, a friend has sent me a couple texts asking about my weighloss/healthy living journey, and I thought one question in particular was a good one to share. How did I decide what my goal weight was? I think it is all too easy to set unrealistic goals that one might fail to achieve. And if too many failures occur, you're bound to give up.
In my ideal world? I would totally weigh 10-15 pounds less than I do now. And the reality is I could probably get there. But I would have to change my eating habits even more drastically than I already have, and put in a little more effort at the gym. It is doable, but the truth is I'm not ready or willing to do that right now. So there is no use in having that goal number hanging around when I don't plan on doing anything to get there, and just beating myself up for trying harder.
My first deciding factor was that I wanted to get in the normal or healthy BMI range. Obviously the BMI calculators can't take into account your muscle mass or things like that, but for my body and build I knew it was suitable scale to go off. The second thing that helped me pick that goal number, was selecting a weight that I knew I felt good about myself at. I currently weigh about 2-3 pounds less than I did in the photos I shared of myself (that I was using as inspiration) when I started my journey. I knew that weight was possible for me to maintain while not being overly restrictive with my diet.
Another good goal to set is body fat percentage. This is obviously a bit more difficult because you have to be able to calculate your body fat, but it is an excellent way to check your progress and set realistic goals without looking at the scale. The average body fat percentage for women is 25-31%, while the fit range is 21-24%. So another part to my goal is not to go above 22%. When I was working with my trainer I got down to 17.7% and I was mostly very happy with the way my body looked. I can guarentee you I am getting closer to the 22% number again, simply because I've stopped doing so much weight training. Nonetheless I think monitoring your body fat percentage is an excellent way to help set realistic goals.
I hope all that rambling was slightly helpful for someone :o). How did you arrive at your weightloss/fitness goals?
Showing posts with label mcfatty monday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mcfatty monday. Show all posts
January 9, 2012
January 2, 2012
chasing the wagon
Sorry that I've been MIA with 'move it monday' the last couple of weeks. As I'm sure it was for the rest of you, life was busy, I didn't feel as though I had anything motivational or significant to say health and fitness wise, and I decided to just take a break.
In the last couple of months I'd say I had started falling off that healthy wagon I have been riding. In the last couple of weeks I feel like I'm chasing the damn thing. Sweets everywhere I look. Food in general everywhere I look. A million excuses as to why I really don't feel like working out. But it's a new day and a new year so I can only choose to try and be better right?
Looking back at my December goals, I'd say that I did alright. Not fantastic, but alright.
1. Complete a 30 minute (or more) workout 5+ times a week.
I'm pretty sure there was a week or two that I only managed 4 workouts. But a couple of the days that I missed we went shopping for a couple hours which equals walking. I just didn't count it as a workout. Eh, I'll take it.
2. Run/walk 15+ miles a week.
The mileage seemed to be the easiest for me to accomplish (not surprising, seeing as I've deemed running my favorite form of exercise). I might be a little off, but it looks like throughout the month I covered 74.5 miles running and walking. Definitely an average of 15 miles per week.
3. Complete one solid strength workout per week.
Fail. I know I did a couple, but man, I cannot convince myself to do weights for anything anymore. It is terrible! Something I need to fix in 2012.
4. Only gain 0-2 pounds
Errr I was semi successful at this? Not really. I'm embarrassed to say that when I weighed myself the day after we got back from Christmas (so Tuesday) the scale told me I was up 5 pounds. EEEK! But by Friday I was only up a pound. We've been at my parents all weekend, so I'm not sure how I finished out the month, but I guess I'll take it. It could have been a lot worse!
There is no denying it, I over indulged throughout the holidays. I wanted to give myself a little leeway, but I've definitely been going a little overboard. No use dwelling on it though. It is time to set some goals for this new year. These aren't set in stone just yet (nor would they ever be I guess!), but here is what I'm planning on right now for 2012.
2012 Fitness Goals
1. Run/walk 500+ miles.
That really is only an average of just under 10 miles per week. If I train for another half marathon or two, I really don't see that as being a problem. Quite honestly I should probably set the bar a little higher, but I'm also trying to be realistic. You never know what life is going to throw at you.
2. Participate in 6+ races, including at least one half marathon.
Races, whether you are going in trying to PR or just going to have a good time, are really just fun. I love the atmosphere, and I love the motivation to push myself a little bit harder. I already have a list of five that I would possibly like to do this spring, so it is just a matter of making myself sign up and actually do them! Maybe I can manage a 5k in under 27 minutes, and a half in under 2 hours. I'd be flying high with that for sure.
3. Include strength training AT LEAST once a week.
Really that is a semi pathetic goal. I should be shooting for a minimum of twice a week. Strength training is very important to maintaining what I worked so hard for. I can already tell that I have lost a lot of muscle tone since September.
4. Try to incorporate yoga or stretching.
I'm not taking the best care of my body. I ask it to do a lot as far as the running goes, but then never properly stretch. I know I'm going to pay a price for it sooner or later, so I really want to make myself do yoga once a week too. That is probably going to be the hardest fitness goal for me to achieve.
Something else I'd like to do in 2012? A freaking pull-up. Which means I am really going to have to work on the arm strength. I don't think I'll add it as an official goal, because it is something I have yet to achieve and I know would be very difficult for me. But it would be pretty awesome.
And right now I really need to work on getting my eating back in check. Too many sweets have creeped back into my days. No good, no good at all. I plan to track calories for the next two months and see if that can help refocus my relationship with food.
Really, this year, I'm most excited for more running. I can't believe I'm writing that. I most certainly would have never thought I could enjoy running, but I love it. I am constantly competing with myself, trying to do better. It can be draining on the brain at times, but a good run just feels SO good.
How did you do with your December goals? What are your fitness goals for 2012? Link up below!
In the last couple of months I'd say I had started falling off that healthy wagon I have been riding. In the last couple of weeks I feel like I'm chasing the damn thing. Sweets everywhere I look. Food in general everywhere I look. A million excuses as to why I really don't feel like working out. But it's a new day and a new year so I can only choose to try and be better right?
Looking back at my December goals, I'd say that I did alright. Not fantastic, but alright.
1. Complete a 30 minute (or more) workout 5+ times a week.
I'm pretty sure there was a week or two that I only managed 4 workouts. But a couple of the days that I missed we went shopping for a couple hours which equals walking. I just didn't count it as a workout. Eh, I'll take it.
2. Run/walk 15+ miles a week.
The mileage seemed to be the easiest for me to accomplish (not surprising, seeing as I've deemed running my favorite form of exercise). I might be a little off, but it looks like throughout the month I covered 74.5 miles running and walking. Definitely an average of 15 miles per week.
3. Complete one solid strength workout per week.
Fail. I know I did a couple, but man, I cannot convince myself to do weights for anything anymore. It is terrible! Something I need to fix in 2012.
4. Only gain 0-2 pounds
Errr I was semi successful at this? Not really. I'm embarrassed to say that when I weighed myself the day after we got back from Christmas (so Tuesday) the scale told me I was up 5 pounds. EEEK! But by Friday I was only up a pound. We've been at my parents all weekend, so I'm not sure how I finished out the month, but I guess I'll take it. It could have been a lot worse!
There is no denying it, I over indulged throughout the holidays. I wanted to give myself a little leeway, but I've definitely been going a little overboard. No use dwelling on it though. It is time to set some goals for this new year. These aren't set in stone just yet (nor would they ever be I guess!), but here is what I'm planning on right now for 2012.
2012 Fitness Goals
1. Run/walk 500+ miles.
That really is only an average of just under 10 miles per week. If I train for another half marathon or two, I really don't see that as being a problem. Quite honestly I should probably set the bar a little higher, but I'm also trying to be realistic. You never know what life is going to throw at you.
2. Participate in 6+ races, including at least one half marathon.
Races, whether you are going in trying to PR or just going to have a good time, are really just fun. I love the atmosphere, and I love the motivation to push myself a little bit harder. I already have a list of five that I would possibly like to do this spring, so it is just a matter of making myself sign up and actually do them! Maybe I can manage a 5k in under 27 minutes, and a half in under 2 hours. I'd be flying high with that for sure.
3. Include strength training AT LEAST once a week.
Really that is a semi pathetic goal. I should be shooting for a minimum of twice a week. Strength training is very important to maintaining what I worked so hard for. I can already tell that I have lost a lot of muscle tone since September.
4. Try to incorporate yoga or stretching.
I'm not taking the best care of my body. I ask it to do a lot as far as the running goes, but then never properly stretch. I know I'm going to pay a price for it sooner or later, so I really want to make myself do yoga once a week too. That is probably going to be the hardest fitness goal for me to achieve.
Something else I'd like to do in 2012? A freaking pull-up. Which means I am really going to have to work on the arm strength. I don't think I'll add it as an official goal, because it is something I have yet to achieve and I know would be very difficult for me. But it would be pretty awesome.
And right now I really need to work on getting my eating back in check. Too many sweets have creeped back into my days. No good, no good at all. I plan to track calories for the next two months and see if that can help refocus my relationship with food.
Really, this year, I'm most excited for more running. I can't believe I'm writing that. I most certainly would have never thought I could enjoy running, but I love it. I am constantly competing with myself, trying to do better. It can be draining on the brain at times, but a good run just feels SO good.
How did you do with your December goals? What are your fitness goals for 2012? Link up below!
December 12, 2011
i was wrong...
... people are paying attention to me at the gym.
You see, I am easily embarrassed. Very easily (surprising I know, since I have posted so many ridiculous pictures of myself lately, but it is true). I'm not very brave at the gym because I'm worried I won't be doing something right and someone will see me, maybe laugh at me, or make fun of me in their head. But I always tell myself everyone is just there to workout. No judgement. Get over it and just do something.
Now I know that might now always be 100% true, but I keep saying it in my head so that maybe I'll go out on a limb and actually do some weighted squats without nervously checking over my shoulder to make sure no one is watching. But this past week I was totally proved wrong.
For the most part I tend to just run on the treadmill. One reason I love running? You don't really have to think about it. I mean you do, but I don't have to necessarily plan a 30 minute workout. I show up, hop on the treadmill, and do what feels good. I try and make myself do some ab work and weights at least three times a week. Usually it only consists of push-ups and a variety of crunches. Well last Monday I finished up my cardio and headed over to a mat to do some just that. For the first time in a while I decided to actually do real push-ups instead of girly ones...
"Glad to see you finally bucked up and did some real push-ups today. I was sick of seeing you wuss out with those girly ones."
I'm pretty sure I looked up with a completely dumbfounded look on my face as my cheeks started to flush. It was a personal trainer. He is frequently in that area with his clients. I honestly didn't know what to say because I was so embarrassed by the fact that someone was paying attention to me. I'm pretty sure I mustered up an 'oh... yeah...' before getting back to my set. He then said, "I definitely contemplated putting weights on your back the other day, you can do real push-ups. Quit being a wimp."
Cue awkward laugh from myself, "oh sure, ok." He said all of this in a playful, not mean at all way, just for the record. I'm sure he really was just trying to encourage me to try harder, as I know I should. But sheesh! I guess I should be flattered that he thinks I am strong enough to do real push-ups, right? I suppose I need to write up a decent strength workout now...
More running related tidbits... I was pretty proud of this run yesterday:
I haven't increased my speed quite as quickly as I want to, because my right knee and hip are frequently begging for mercy. But 6.5 miles at an 8:56 pace? That is a heck of a lot better than where I was a few months ago. Ryann, my mom and I scheduled a trip to Georgia in January, and even though I'm sure it will still be a bit chilly, I'm thinking I'll be able to get in some outdoor runs. I can't wait to test my legs outside, I think I have been on the treadmill for almost a month straight!! Say it with me, BORING!
Oh, and so far so good on all of my December goals. I was a wee bit worried weight wise, seeing as I have eaten an embarrassing amount of cookies this week, but the scale was nice to me. I think I put in 18.8 miles on the treadmill, but honestly I forgot to write down/take pictures of my workouts, and I can't completely remember what I did. I'm pretty sure it was at least 15.
Have anything to share health and fitness wise? Link up below!
You see, I am easily embarrassed. Very easily (surprising I know, since I have posted so many ridiculous pictures of myself lately, but it is true). I'm not very brave at the gym because I'm worried I won't be doing something right and someone will see me, maybe laugh at me, or make fun of me in their head. But I always tell myself everyone is just there to workout. No judgement. Get over it and just do something.
Now I know that might now always be 100% true, but I keep saying it in my head so that maybe I'll go out on a limb and actually do some weighted squats without nervously checking over my shoulder to make sure no one is watching. But this past week I was totally proved wrong.
For the most part I tend to just run on the treadmill. One reason I love running? You don't really have to think about it. I mean you do, but I don't have to necessarily plan a 30 minute workout. I show up, hop on the treadmill, and do what feels good. I try and make myself do some ab work and weights at least three times a week. Usually it only consists of push-ups and a variety of crunches. Well last Monday I finished up my cardio and headed over to a mat to do some just that. For the first time in a while I decided to actually do real push-ups instead of girly ones...
"Glad to see you finally bucked up and did some real push-ups today. I was sick of seeing you wuss out with those girly ones."
I'm pretty sure I looked up with a completely dumbfounded look on my face as my cheeks started to flush. It was a personal trainer. He is frequently in that area with his clients. I honestly didn't know what to say because I was so embarrassed by the fact that someone was paying attention to me. I'm pretty sure I mustered up an 'oh... yeah...' before getting back to my set. He then said, "I definitely contemplated putting weights on your back the other day, you can do real push-ups. Quit being a wimp."
Cue awkward laugh from myself, "oh sure, ok." He said all of this in a playful, not mean at all way, just for the record. I'm sure he really was just trying to encourage me to try harder, as I know I should. But sheesh! I guess I should be flattered that he thinks I am strong enough to do real push-ups, right? I suppose I need to write up a decent strength workout now...
More running related tidbits... I was pretty proud of this run yesterday:
I haven't increased my speed quite as quickly as I want to, because my right knee and hip are frequently begging for mercy. But 6.5 miles at an 8:56 pace? That is a heck of a lot better than where I was a few months ago. Ryann, my mom and I scheduled a trip to Georgia in January, and even though I'm sure it will still be a bit chilly, I'm thinking I'll be able to get in some outdoor runs. I can't wait to test my legs outside, I think I have been on the treadmill for almost a month straight!! Say it with me, BORING!
Oh, and so far so good on all of my December goals. I was a wee bit worried weight wise, seeing as I have eaten an embarrassing amount of cookies this week, but the scale was nice to me. I think I put in 18.8 miles on the treadmill, but honestly I forgot to write down/take pictures of my workouts, and I can't completely remember what I did. I'm pretty sure it was at least 15.
Have anything to share health and fitness wise? Link up below!
November 28, 2011
its not a diet...
...its a lifestyle change.
I'm sure you've heard that before. But it is so true. Successful weight loss can not stick if you don't change your current eating habits, FOR GOOD. Yes, you can slip here or there, indulge a little bit, but if you are unhappy with your body while still continuing to eat the way you've always eaten it will be incredibly difficult to see the results you want. You can't just 'diet' for 4 or 8 or 12 or whatever weeks and plan to go back to whatever you were doing.
Last week I received a couple of questions, this first from a new reader. "So I was wondering, how did you lose 33 pounds so quickly?" The short answer? Running + counting calories + a serious amount of will power. You can also check out some of my older posts by clicking the mcfatty monday label to your right!
The real answer is a bit lengthier, and ties into the other question I received, "I know from reading you run a lot. But I was wondering, you are always cooking up some awesome yummy looking dishes. Do you make sure you cook healthier? Any secrets you have learned? Or do you just cook and eat whatever since you run?"
I made some drastic changes to my diet when I first started my journey towards a healthier lifestyle. You know how a lot of people have to give up soda? For me it was orange juice. I've never liked pop, but I LOVE juice. Do you know how fast the calories in juice add up? Fast. Now I mainly drink water and lemonade light (5 calories a can). I can't tell you the last time I had a glass of juice. After that I sort of discovered that I really don't like wasting calories on liquids. I would MUCH rather eat my calories. What I'm getting at is I also rarely have an alcoholic beverage anymore. That is partly for the calories, and partly because my body just functions better without the alcohol. I'm definitely not saying I'll never have a drink again, but I have to really REALLY want it for me to give in. Because it just doesn't feel good to get up and run in the morning after I've had a few drinks.
Other changes that have really helped... we switched from white to whole wheat bread (including hot dog and hamburger buns), also to whole wheat pasta. We don't eat as much red meat, mostly chicken, turkey, fish and pork. I switched my favorite treat from full fat ice cream to fat free frozen yogurt. We rarely eat fast food anymore, unless it is something like Subway. If we are going to eat out, I try and find somewhere that has nutritional information online, so I can consult that and make a meal choice before we ever go (Side note, if there is a California Pizza Kitchen in your area, try the roasted vegetable salad. Bonus points if you get it with shrimp. SO GOOD. A half order, which is filling, is only 394 calories. And that is if you use all the dressing.) Ask for salad dressings on the side.
And the big one? Our meals are generally dominated by vegetables as opposed to carbs. I LOVE a great pasta dish. Love it. But the calories can add up so fast. I also love to eat in large volumes. Portion control is still something I'm not great at, so to make it a bit easier on myself I just eat tons of vegetables. I can pretty much eat to my hearts content without making a huge dent in my calorie budget. I almost always double the vegetables and halve the amount of noodles called for in a pasta dish (unless it is already a 'healthy' recipe).
When looking for recipes, if it is a one pot meal kind of dish I look for things that are under 400 calories per serving. If it is a main dish with sides I try and find recipes where the main dish is under 250. Lots of recipes on allrecipes.com list the nutrition facts, and skinnytaste.com is also a great resource for lower calorie recipes. For the most part I focus only on the calories. Even though other nutritional items are also important to your overall health, weightloss tends to boil down to calories in < calories out.
But overall, what has been the biggest help for me, is out of sight out of mind. When I first started this lifestyle change I managed to have amazing will power. Saying no to this and that, walking past the chocolate bowl at my moms house without picking up a piece. However that will power has started to slip. I do think it has a little bit to do with running, after putting in five or six miles I know I have a little leeway in my day. But do you know how quickly you can eliminate a 500 calorie deficit? Pretty dang fast if you're not careful. Especially when your favorite indulgence is dark chocolate covered almonds.
On average you burn 100 calories per mile, whether you're walking or running. So if I only go for a three mile run, I only have approximately 300 extra calories for that day. Grab a brownie and a glass of orange juice and that is gone. So no, I know I can't just eat anything I want, whenever I want it. But all of the running has allowed me a few more indulgences. It is those indulgences, however, that have stopped me from losing any more weight. Sometimes you have to pick what you want more. For the last couple of months I felt like I needed to relax a bit on the strict diet, but I think I am almost ready to pick it back up again. To see if I can make any more changes. It is a rough time of year to do it, but at least keeping that in the back of my mind might make me think twice about eating too many holiday cookies.
Link up your health and fitness related posts below!
I'm sure you've heard that before. But it is so true. Successful weight loss can not stick if you don't change your current eating habits, FOR GOOD. Yes, you can slip here or there, indulge a little bit, but if you are unhappy with your body while still continuing to eat the way you've always eaten it will be incredibly difficult to see the results you want. You can't just 'diet' for 4 or 8 or 12 or whatever weeks and plan to go back to whatever you were doing.
Last week I received a couple of questions, this first from a new reader. "So I was wondering, how did you lose 33 pounds so quickly?" The short answer? Running + counting calories + a serious amount of will power. You can also check out some of my older posts by clicking the mcfatty monday label to your right!
The real answer is a bit lengthier, and ties into the other question I received, "I know from reading you run a lot. But I was wondering, you are always cooking up some awesome yummy looking dishes. Do you make sure you cook healthier? Any secrets you have learned? Or do you just cook and eat whatever since you run?"
I made some drastic changes to my diet when I first started my journey towards a healthier lifestyle. You know how a lot of people have to give up soda? For me it was orange juice. I've never liked pop, but I LOVE juice. Do you know how fast the calories in juice add up? Fast. Now I mainly drink water and lemonade light (5 calories a can). I can't tell you the last time I had a glass of juice. After that I sort of discovered that I really don't like wasting calories on liquids. I would MUCH rather eat my calories. What I'm getting at is I also rarely have an alcoholic beverage anymore. That is partly for the calories, and partly because my body just functions better without the alcohol. I'm definitely not saying I'll never have a drink again, but I have to really REALLY want it for me to give in. Because it just doesn't feel good to get up and run in the morning after I've had a few drinks.
Other changes that have really helped... we switched from white to whole wheat bread (including hot dog and hamburger buns), also to whole wheat pasta. We don't eat as much red meat, mostly chicken, turkey, fish and pork. I switched my favorite treat from full fat ice cream to fat free frozen yogurt. We rarely eat fast food anymore, unless it is something like Subway. If we are going to eat out, I try and find somewhere that has nutritional information online, so I can consult that and make a meal choice before we ever go (Side note, if there is a California Pizza Kitchen in your area, try the roasted vegetable salad. Bonus points if you get it with shrimp. SO GOOD. A half order, which is filling, is only 394 calories. And that is if you use all the dressing.) Ask for salad dressings on the side.
And the big one? Our meals are generally dominated by vegetables as opposed to carbs. I LOVE a great pasta dish. Love it. But the calories can add up so fast. I also love to eat in large volumes. Portion control is still something I'm not great at, so to make it a bit easier on myself I just eat tons of vegetables. I can pretty much eat to my hearts content without making a huge dent in my calorie budget. I almost always double the vegetables and halve the amount of noodles called for in a pasta dish (unless it is already a 'healthy' recipe).
When looking for recipes, if it is a one pot meal kind of dish I look for things that are under 400 calories per serving. If it is a main dish with sides I try and find recipes where the main dish is under 250. Lots of recipes on allrecipes.com list the nutrition facts, and skinnytaste.com is also a great resource for lower calorie recipes. For the most part I focus only on the calories. Even though other nutritional items are also important to your overall health, weightloss tends to boil down to calories in < calories out.
But overall, what has been the biggest help for me, is out of sight out of mind. When I first started this lifestyle change I managed to have amazing will power. Saying no to this and that, walking past the chocolate bowl at my moms house without picking up a piece. However that will power has started to slip. I do think it has a little bit to do with running, after putting in five or six miles I know I have a little leeway in my day. But do you know how quickly you can eliminate a 500 calorie deficit? Pretty dang fast if you're not careful. Especially when your favorite indulgence is dark chocolate covered almonds.
On average you burn 100 calories per mile, whether you're walking or running. So if I only go for a three mile run, I only have approximately 300 extra calories for that day. Grab a brownie and a glass of orange juice and that is gone. So no, I know I can't just eat anything I want, whenever I want it. But all of the running has allowed me a few more indulgences. It is those indulgences, however, that have stopped me from losing any more weight. Sometimes you have to pick what you want more. For the last couple of months I felt like I needed to relax a bit on the strict diet, but I think I am almost ready to pick it back up again. To see if I can make any more changes. It is a rough time of year to do it, but at least keeping that in the back of my mind might make me think twice about eating too many holiday cookies.
Link up your health and fitness related posts below!
November 21, 2011
embrace the journey
Lately I've been browsing photos from the past 18 months. Partly because I love to see my sweet girl as a baby (I'm pretending she isn't turning two in just over four months!) and partly because I have WAY too many photos and I need to delete some. It is fun to look back, and also incredibly tough at the same time.
When I see photos of myself I cringe a little bit. Mad at myself for letting my body get that way. Cursing myself for eating too much junk and never exercising. It flat out sucks to hate SO many of the pictures of myself from even less than I year ago. I love photos and memories and all that, but I get embarrassed for myself just looking at them. Why did I let that happen?
But I'm trying to stop kicking myself about it. I am a completely different person than I was just a short while ago. I have a lot more motivation for everything. Of course I still have my lazy days, but in February something inside me clicked and I simply wanted so much more out of life. It has been exactly one year since my 'before photo' was taken. My how things have changed in a year.
In five and a half months I lost 33 pounds and changed my life for the better. I'm so much healthier, so much happier, so much more driven. I still struggle from time to time to keep my chin up, but I can honestly say my life is probably the best it has ever been. So even though it is all too easy to be mad at myself for not taking control of my life and my body sooner, I am learning to embrace the journey.
I never would have gotten where I am today in regards to my health without this blog. All of you readers pushed me to succeed. Other blogs inspired me to keep going, keep reaching higher. I can sure as heck tell you that I would never have run a half marathon, more than likely I would have never started running without all of you great ladies out there inspiring me. And every time I hear that I've inspired one of you? My heart soars, and I know it has all panned out exactly as it should.
When I see photos of myself I cringe a little bit. Mad at myself for letting my body get that way. Cursing myself for eating too much junk and never exercising. It flat out sucks to hate SO many of the pictures of myself from even less than I year ago. I love photos and memories and all that, but I get embarrassed for myself just looking at them. Why did I let that happen?
But I'm trying to stop kicking myself about it. I am a completely different person than I was just a short while ago. I have a lot more motivation for everything. Of course I still have my lazy days, but in February something inside me clicked and I simply wanted so much more out of life. It has been exactly one year since my 'before photo' was taken. My how things have changed in a year.
In five and a half months I lost 33 pounds and changed my life for the better. I'm so much healthier, so much happier, so much more driven. I still struggle from time to time to keep my chin up, but I can honestly say my life is probably the best it has ever been. So even though it is all too easy to be mad at myself for not taking control of my life and my body sooner, I am learning to embrace the journey.
I never would have gotten where I am today in regards to my health without this blog. All of you readers pushed me to succeed. Other blogs inspired me to keep going, keep reaching higher. I can sure as heck tell you that I would never have run a half marathon, more than likely I would have never started running without all of you great ladies out there inspiring me. And every time I hear that I've inspired one of you? My heart soars, and I know it has all panned out exactly as it should.
November 14, 2011
half marathon training plan
Make sure to check out the My Memories Suite giveaway. The giveaway will close tonight and a winner will be announced tomorrow!
Several people have e-mailed me asking what plan I used for my half marathon training. As I've mentioned before I based my training on Hal Higdon's novice training plan. When I originally started training I was planning on having 17 weeks, so I didn't increase my mileage as quickly in the beginning. I wanted to build a strong running base since I wasn't used to running quite that many miles in a week. Thankfully it ended up working out, and I survived the half with only 14 weeks of training, and my higher mileage only coming in the last few weeks. I figured since more than one person had asked for specifics, I'd be nice and lay the training plan I followed out for you.
This may not be EXACTLY what I did, but it was what was on my calendar. I usually did another light strength workout sometime during the week, but nothing major for my legs, mostly arms. Circuit refers to a circuit aerobics class I took at my gym. Higdon's plan calls for cross training that day, but I figured since it was a circuit class I was getting an endurance workout along with my strength. As far as running miles, I always tried to make sure I actually RAN the miles listed, but also included a warm-up and cool down walk, making my mileage at least .5 miles more for each workout. I switched my rest days from Fridays to Thursdays, because the back to back days of running was starting to take a toll on my joints.
Also, even though none of these workouts are listed as speed workouts of any sort, because the majority of my shorter (weekday) runs were done on the treadmill I messed with speed a lot just to keep myself entertained. I believe that is why I went from averaging a 10:30 pace in the beginning, to a 9:14 pace the day of the race.
Remember, I am by no means an expert! I did not start 'running' until March of this year. I had zero clue what I was getting myself into. I just googled half marathon training plans and picked the one I thought looked the most doable. From there I tweaked it a bit to fit my schedule and my personal fitness level.
To tell you the truth, I'm kind of happy I ended up running the race when I did. I think another three weeks of training would have stressed my body, and I was starting to get a wee bit burnt out. But having the training plan/something to train for really held me accountable. Right now I really really REALLY need something to focus on again. A couple people are trying to persuade me to run the Georgia Marathon in March (cough cough Krissy and Kelly), but I'm not sure I have the time to fit all the training in, not to mention I don't know if I could physically make it there. Chris will be working and my dad has a business trip, so it would be just me, my mom and Ryann. Not really the ideal situation when I'm trying to accomplish a marathon.
We'll see though. I'm going to start following one of the Hal Higdon marathon training plans, most likely Novice 2. The only thing I'm really worried about? The last couple times I've run I haven't been able to make it farther than 3 miles straight without feeling like I was going to die (aka stomach issues, boo). I need to take a look at my diet and see what is giving me the trouble, probably um, too much chocolate or something. I've gotten really bad with the chocolate again... The other problem is I've been running later in the day because of the colder morning temps (that is if I get the opportunity to run outside). I'm sure that is messing with me a bit, I am definitely a morning runner. But I hate the cold...
Link up your health and fitness related posts below!
Several people have e-mailed me asking what plan I used for my half marathon training. As I've mentioned before I based my training on Hal Higdon's novice training plan. When I originally started training I was planning on having 17 weeks, so I didn't increase my mileage as quickly in the beginning. I wanted to build a strong running base since I wasn't used to running quite that many miles in a week. Thankfully it ended up working out, and I survived the half with only 14 weeks of training, and my higher mileage only coming in the last few weeks. I figured since more than one person had asked for specifics, I'd be nice and lay the training plan I followed out for you.
This may not be EXACTLY what I did, but it was what was on my calendar. I usually did another light strength workout sometime during the week, but nothing major for my legs, mostly arms. Circuit refers to a circuit aerobics class I took at my gym. Higdon's plan calls for cross training that day, but I figured since it was a circuit class I was getting an endurance workout along with my strength. As far as running miles, I always tried to make sure I actually RAN the miles listed, but also included a warm-up and cool down walk, making my mileage at least .5 miles more for each workout. I switched my rest days from Fridays to Thursdays, because the back to back days of running was starting to take a toll on my joints.
Also, even though none of these workouts are listed as speed workouts of any sort, because the majority of my shorter (weekday) runs were done on the treadmill I messed with speed a lot just to keep myself entertained. I believe that is why I went from averaging a 10:30 pace in the beginning, to a 9:14 pace the day of the race.
(click the image to make it larger)
Remember, I am by no means an expert! I did not start 'running' until March of this year. I had zero clue what I was getting myself into. I just googled half marathon training plans and picked the one I thought looked the most doable. From there I tweaked it a bit to fit my schedule and my personal fitness level.
To tell you the truth, I'm kind of happy I ended up running the race when I did. I think another three weeks of training would have stressed my body, and I was starting to get a wee bit burnt out. But having the training plan/something to train for really held me accountable. Right now I really really REALLY need something to focus on again. A couple people are trying to persuade me to run the Georgia Marathon in March (cough cough Krissy and Kelly), but I'm not sure I have the time to fit all the training in, not to mention I don't know if I could physically make it there. Chris will be working and my dad has a business trip, so it would be just me, my mom and Ryann. Not really the ideal situation when I'm trying to accomplish a marathon.
We'll see though. I'm going to start following one of the Hal Higdon marathon training plans, most likely Novice 2. The only thing I'm really worried about? The last couple times I've run I haven't been able to make it farther than 3 miles straight without feeling like I was going to die (aka stomach issues, boo). I need to take a look at my diet and see what is giving me the trouble, probably um, too much chocolate or something. I've gotten really bad with the chocolate again... The other problem is I've been running later in the day because of the colder morning temps (that is if I get the opportunity to run outside). I'm sure that is messing with me a bit, I am definitely a morning runner. But I hate the cold...
Link up your health and fitness related posts below!
November 7, 2011
workout gear i love
Today I'm coming at you with some of my favorite workout gear. First thing to know? It is nothing fancy. That is for sure. The majority of the time I'm wearing stuff from Target.
The purple top is a Nike, and I swore it was called a combat or something, but I'm having a hard time finding it online. I think it is very similar to this one. I like it because it is tight fitting, but doesn't ride up on me. I usually have issues with tighter shirts riding up, but this one gets the job done. I also really like the top I wore for the half marathon. It has thumb holes :o). It is from Target.
So far, my favorite capris are from Target. I believe they are these ones. They are a great length, lightweight, and have a drawstring waist. I DO NOT wear shorts. At all. I'll pass on my legs rubbing together for an hour or more. That just isn't pretty. I also have a pair of Nike capris that I like, but they don't have a drawstring waist, so I am constantly pulling at them. I've purchased a pair of long running tights from Target, but haven't worn them yet. I've been to chicken too brave the cold :o).
My sports bras are also from Target. I have several, all in very absurd neon colors. When it comes to socks, I LOVE my balega hidden comfort socks. My mom had them several years ago and I stole a couple. After a while I had a hard time finding them in stores, so I had to resort to Amazon. They are so comfortable. You can find them here.
Finding good shoes was definitely tough for me. I need a stability shoe, I don't know what all my issues are, but my feet apparently do crazy things while I run. But everything people showed me always felt too clunky or slipped off my heels. Oh yeah, apparently I have narrow heels too. Thankfully I did manage to find a pair that worked. I am currently in the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11. I was sad that the colors weren't all that fun (red isn't really my thing :o), but they fit so I sucked it up. It looks like there is a GTS 12 in hot pink, maybe I'll have to give that a try... Honestly? I'd love some insane crazy colored shoes. Like full on bright pink or turquoise or something.
I simply can't wear ear buds. I've tried several kinds, including ones that have a piece that wraps around the ear. But they never stay in. If you know of the magic pair, let me know. Until then, I wear really awesome giant discs clipped to my ears. They usually work pretty well, except for the last time I went for a run of course. I love running to music, so it really stinks that I have such a hard time with headphones. You can find these puppies here.
Since I'm not super cool :o) I'm still rockin' my iphone 3GS. Most of the good arm bands are made for the 4, and now probably the 4S. So I ended up with this tuneband that I found on Amazon. It gets the job done, but I'd like a little more protection for my phone. Plus it isn't the most comfortable thing all the time. And I get mildly annoyed that I have to switch out cases when I want to go for a run. But that is just me being a little lazy. Unfortunately I currently seem to have misplaced the thing.
When I realized I would need to carry some fuel, along with maybe an ID and some other items, I decided to pick up a spibelt. It is a great little pouch that expands to fit a surprising amount of stuff (that is my phone in there in the picture). The fit is pretty comfortable, and I was impressed at how little it bounced around. I could see it being useful on short or long runs. Generally if I'm not bringing fuel though, I don't take it. I can slide my ID behind my phone and tie my key to my shoelace or the drawstring on my pants.
Speaking of fuel, I tried a few things close to my half marathon. I never tested out a gel, I was pretty sure the consistency would make me gag. I thought shot bloks were hard to chew and didn't really like the texture. I didn't mind jelly bean sport beans, and I liked the honey stinger pink lemonade chews. They were definitely my favorite. When it came down to it, I couldn't figure out how to successfully eat and run, and opted not to take in any fuel during the half marathon. Maybe not the best idea or smartest move, but I did survive without it.
I bet there are a lot of great products and running 'toys' I haven't come across yet but for now this stuff is definitely getting me by! Oh, and Ryann sort of participated in this photo shoot... obviously...
The purple top is a Nike, and I swore it was called a combat or something, but I'm having a hard time finding it online. I think it is very similar to this one. I like it because it is tight fitting, but doesn't ride up on me. I usually have issues with tighter shirts riding up, but this one gets the job done. I also really like the top I wore for the half marathon. It has thumb holes :o). It is from Target.
So far, my favorite capris are from Target. I believe they are these ones. They are a great length, lightweight, and have a drawstring waist. I DO NOT wear shorts. At all. I'll pass on my legs rubbing together for an hour or more. That just isn't pretty. I also have a pair of Nike capris that I like, but they don't have a drawstring waist, so I am constantly pulling at them. I've purchased a pair of long running tights from Target, but haven't worn them yet. I've been to chicken too brave the cold :o).
My sports bras are also from Target. I have several, all in very absurd neon colors. When it comes to socks, I LOVE my balega hidden comfort socks. My mom had them several years ago and I stole a couple. After a while I had a hard time finding them in stores, so I had to resort to Amazon. They are so comfortable. You can find them here.
Finding good shoes was definitely tough for me. I need a stability shoe, I don't know what all my issues are, but my feet apparently do crazy things while I run. But everything people showed me always felt too clunky or slipped off my heels. Oh yeah, apparently I have narrow heels too. Thankfully I did manage to find a pair that worked. I am currently in the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11. I was sad that the colors weren't all that fun (red isn't really my thing :o), but they fit so I sucked it up. It looks like there is a GTS 12 in hot pink, maybe I'll have to give that a try... Honestly? I'd love some insane crazy colored shoes. Like full on bright pink or turquoise or something.
I simply can't wear ear buds. I've tried several kinds, including ones that have a piece that wraps around the ear. But they never stay in. If you know of the magic pair, let me know. Until then, I wear really awesome giant discs clipped to my ears. They usually work pretty well, except for the last time I went for a run of course. I love running to music, so it really stinks that I have such a hard time with headphones. You can find these puppies here.
Since I'm not super cool :o) I'm still rockin' my iphone 3GS. Most of the good arm bands are made for the 4, and now probably the 4S. So I ended up with this tuneband that I found on Amazon. It gets the job done, but I'd like a little more protection for my phone. Plus it isn't the most comfortable thing all the time. And I get mildly annoyed that I have to switch out cases when I want to go for a run. But that is just me being a little lazy. Unfortunately I currently seem to have misplaced the thing.
When I realized I would need to carry some fuel, along with maybe an ID and some other items, I decided to pick up a spibelt. It is a great little pouch that expands to fit a surprising amount of stuff (that is my phone in there in the picture). The fit is pretty comfortable, and I was impressed at how little it bounced around. I could see it being useful on short or long runs. Generally if I'm not bringing fuel though, I don't take it. I can slide my ID behind my phone and tie my key to my shoelace or the drawstring on my pants.
Speaking of fuel, I tried a few things close to my half marathon. I never tested out a gel, I was pretty sure the consistency would make me gag. I thought shot bloks were hard to chew and didn't really like the texture. I didn't mind jelly bean sport beans, and I liked the honey stinger pink lemonade chews. They were definitely my favorite. When it came down to it, I couldn't figure out how to successfully eat and run, and opted not to take in any fuel during the half marathon. Maybe not the best idea or smartest move, but I did survive without it.
I bet there are a lot of great products and running 'toys' I haven't come across yet but for now this stuff is definitely getting me by! Oh, and Ryann sort of participated in this photo shoot... obviously...
On another note, was there anyone else out there doing the Pile on the Miles challenge over at Run Eat Repeat? It's week number two! I'm feeling good, 11.5 miles this week and still four days to add in some more! And no, that is not all running. I wish, but my will power to run straight for long distances is already fading. Must find something to train for! Anyone in the KC area want to do the Great Santa 5K on December 4th? :o)
Please link up your health and fitness related posts, I'd love to read them!
Please link up your health and fitness related posts, I'd love to read them!
October 31, 2011
don't judge.
First, Happy Halloween! I hope Ryann is feeling good enough to do a little bit of trick-or-treating tonight. She makes such a cute little penguin, I want to show her off. Ha :o). Moving on...
Don't judge my music selection that is. I suppose if you really want to know what I listen to while I run I'll tell you. Just be warned, most of it is pretty inappropriate. But more or less I want to feel like I'm rockin' out in a club (because that is totally something I do ALL THE TIME. ha!). It is what definitely gets me moving! Ok not all of them are raunchy, but it is definitely quite the eclectic group of songs. So here you, go, everything on my workout playlist...
Apple Cobbler, LL Cool J
Be OK, Ingrid Michaelson
Control Myself, LL Cool J & Jennifer Lopez
Chaotic, Brittany Spears
Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Michael Buble
Dangerous, Ying Yang Twins
Do Somethin', Brittany Spears
Dog Days Are Over, Florence + The Machine
Don't Stop the Music, Rhianna
Fire (Yes, Yes, Y'all), Joe Budden
Flavor of the Week, American Hi-Fi
Firework, Katy Perry
Fit But You Know It, The Streets
Fuego, Pitbull
Gettin' Over You, David Guetta & Chris Willis feat. Fergie and LMFAO
Go Girl, Pitbull
Hit the Lights (feat. Lil Wayne), Jay Sean
I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked, Ida Maria
Imma Be, Black Eyed Peas
Jump (For My Love), Girls Aloud
Mercy, Duffy
Move Shake Drop Remix, DJ Lax, Flo Rida & Casely
Ooh La La, Goldfrapp
Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO
Power, Kanye West
Pretty Woman (it's an acapella version I got from a friend, not sure who it's by)
R&B Junkie, Janet Jackson
Sexy and I Know It, LMFAO
She's Freaky, Pitbull
Shake Your Pom Pom, Missy Elliot
Tambourine, Eve
Technologic, Daft Punk
Temperature, Sean Paul
The New Workout Plan, Kanye West
The Way I Are, Timbaland
When I Grow Up, Pussycat Dolls
When You Wasn't Famous, The Streets
Of course I'm always open to new suggestions, but pretty much I have to want to dance to it. Or it has to be entertaining and have a great beat. Some people choose their running music based on beats per minute (bpm). If you are aiming for a certain mph, the bpm can help you keep your stride. But I REALLY REALLY have to like the song in order to distract myself from the running.
Actually on Friday I ended up covering 3.5 miles outside without any music. My headphones were refusing to stay on my head so I just gave up. I finished the workout in 32 minutes (and this included about .5 miles of walking), so I think not having the music actually made me faster. Mostly because I was really bored :).
What is your absolute favorite workout song?
Please link up your health & fitness related posts below. Make sure to link back to here!
Don't judge my music selection that is. I suppose if you really want to know what I listen to while I run I'll tell you. Just be warned, most of it is pretty inappropriate. But more or less I want to feel like I'm rockin' out in a club (because that is totally something I do ALL THE TIME. ha!). It is what definitely gets me moving! Ok not all of them are raunchy, but it is definitely quite the eclectic group of songs. So here you, go, everything on my workout playlist...
Apple Cobbler, LL Cool J
Be OK, Ingrid Michaelson
Control Myself, LL Cool J & Jennifer Lopez
Chaotic, Brittany Spears
Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Michael Buble
Dangerous, Ying Yang Twins
Do Somethin', Brittany Spears
Dog Days Are Over, Florence + The Machine
Don't Stop the Music, Rhianna
Fire (Yes, Yes, Y'all), Joe Budden
Flavor of the Week, American Hi-Fi
Firework, Katy Perry
Fit But You Know It, The Streets
Fuego, Pitbull
Gettin' Over You, David Guetta & Chris Willis feat. Fergie and LMFAO
Go Girl, Pitbull
Hit the Lights (feat. Lil Wayne), Jay Sean
I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked, Ida Maria
Imma Be, Black Eyed Peas
Jump (For My Love), Girls Aloud
Mercy, Duffy
Move Shake Drop Remix, DJ Lax, Flo Rida & Casely
Ooh La La, Goldfrapp
Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO
Power, Kanye West
Pretty Woman (it's an acapella version I got from a friend, not sure who it's by)
R&B Junkie, Janet Jackson
Sexy and I Know It, LMFAO
She's Freaky, Pitbull
Shake Your Pom Pom, Missy Elliot
Tambourine, Eve
Technologic, Daft Punk
Temperature, Sean Paul
The New Workout Plan, Kanye West
The Way I Are, Timbaland
When I Grow Up, Pussycat Dolls
When You Wasn't Famous, The Streets
Of course I'm always open to new suggestions, but pretty much I have to want to dance to it. Or it has to be entertaining and have a great beat. Some people choose their running music based on beats per minute (bpm). If you are aiming for a certain mph, the bpm can help you keep your stride. But I REALLY REALLY have to like the song in order to distract myself from the running.
Actually on Friday I ended up covering 3.5 miles outside without any music. My headphones were refusing to stay on my head so I just gave up. I finished the workout in 32 minutes (and this included about .5 miles of walking), so I think not having the music actually made me faster. Mostly because I was really bored :).
What is your absolute favorite workout song?
Please link up your health & fitness related posts below. Make sure to link back to here!
October 24, 2011
time to refocus
First, thank you for all of your sweet comments last week. Really, my journey has been what it has in large part because of your support in motivation. I also really appreciated the fact that you didn't beat me up for being slightly disappointed in my time, and thought Carrie's description of it as the 'deal or no deal syndrome' was perfect. I think I must have the sweetest blog readers out there :o).
With the half being over I was completely at a loss for what to do in the gym. Well, partly because last week I knew I should be taking it easy. My body was crying for it. And I did, I didn't work out at all last Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday. Monday I did the elliptical, and Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday I went with a run/walk combo. I still probably went a little harder on the runs than I should have last week, but it is like I don't know how to function without running anymore (not to mention I sort of LOVE the calorie burn, but that is beside the point). Funny isn't it? I toyed with not running anymore after my 5K. I still hated running. Now it is all I want to do (sort of). When we were in Georgia my dad said to my mom "When Ashley was growing up did you ever think she would be a long distance runner?" She of course said no, and I said "Hey, in January did any of us think I'd be a long distance runner? Absolutely not." Life can change so quickly.
As far as running goes I would love to run another half, possibly in the spring, but I don't know. In the last three months or so my, ahem, monthly friend, has gone a little wacky, and my only guess it is because the increase in running. Not a huge deal, except I know at some point we are going to want a Baby J 2.0 and I don't want running to make that more difficult than it needs to be. I think for the time being I'm setting a goal of running a 5K in 27 minutes or less. I figure if I can run the half at a 9:13 pace, with a little speed, tempo and hill work I should be able to manage a 9 minute mile for three miles. Right? I plan to run at least 3 days a week, and I'm going to try and make sure my total mileage is no less than 10 miles a week. That way the next time I do want to run a half I've definitely got a solid running base and can work on speed training then as well.
Also? I have GOT to get back into strength training more. Without a trainer I'm a little unmotivated to do strength workouts, and I'm still a wee bit embarrassed with trying to set stuff up and what not. I don't know why. I know what I'm supposed to be doing, and surely no one at the gym really cares what I'm up to, but I'm always paranoid people are judging. Lame, I know. On Saturdays I've been taking a class, sometimes it is great, sometimes I don't get an excellent strength workout. But at least I do something! My goal is to find another class that I like (that incorporates strength training) so I can attend at least two a week.
The other thing I need to do is get my nutrition back in check. I've probably said that a couple times, but with the holidays coming up I need to find some of the will power I had during the beginning of this journey. Running so much the last few weeks really skewed portion control and such for me. I needed more fuel and I constantly felt hungry, not to mention I was paranoid about under-fueling and not being able to perform at my best. I've maintained my weight loss so I'm not too worried about that, but I know I'm taking in too much sugar, and if I keep eating like I have been I will start to gain some back. I had a little goal to lose another 5 pounds, and I'd still love to, but it isn't something I'm going to kill myself for. Again, I know at some point in the next year I'm hoping I'll be growing a human, and there is no point in making myself miserable to lose 5 pounds when I'm going to gain it back anyway. If I can maintain where I'm at and eat healthy in general I will be happy.
In regards to the holidays coming up, I wanted to pass on something from a blog I read, Run Eat Repeat. Monica is hosting Pile on the Miles this year, where the goal for November is to rack up miles instead of pounds. You can get all the info here, but the short version is you turn in your mileage each week (only walking and running are counted) and if you cover 5 or more miles your entered into a drawing for prizes. Motivational tools are great so if you're looking for a reason to keep moving go check this out!
And lastly, because posts without pictures are generally lame. I let you laugh this one up. I was excited to get pictures from the half, hoping there was an awesome one of me running at some point. Errr, there wasn't. Most of them looked like this:
Yep, the only photos of me were from the finish line. I was literally SPRINTING to the finish, so I was more or less on the verge of death, and apparently running with a girl wearing superman underwear. I can tell in this photo that I had crossed the first mat that they announce your name over the speaker, so I was trying not to cry because I was so happy, while still trying to get to the finish line as fast as possible. I definitely finished strong, but maybe wasn't the most attractive about it :o). Oh well.
Again, do you guys have any questions regarding weight loss, fitness, running, etc. that you want me to answer? I had a reader request to do a Q&A on Move it Monday, but I can't throw out any answers without any questions :o). Thanks!
Link up your health/fitness/weight loss related posts below! Also, if you are going to link up, could you have a little link back here in your post please? I'd love for others to come join us, I need you guys for motivation!
With the half being over I was completely at a loss for what to do in the gym. Well, partly because last week I knew I should be taking it easy. My body was crying for it. And I did, I didn't work out at all last Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday. Monday I did the elliptical, and Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday I went with a run/walk combo. I still probably went a little harder on the runs than I should have last week, but it is like I don't know how to function without running anymore (not to mention I sort of LOVE the calorie burn, but that is beside the point). Funny isn't it? I toyed with not running anymore after my 5K. I still hated running. Now it is all I want to do (sort of). When we were in Georgia my dad said to my mom "When Ashley was growing up did you ever think she would be a long distance runner?" She of course said no, and I said "Hey, in January did any of us think I'd be a long distance runner? Absolutely not." Life can change so quickly.
As far as running goes I would love to run another half, possibly in the spring, but I don't know. In the last three months or so my, ahem, monthly friend, has gone a little wacky, and my only guess it is because the increase in running. Not a huge deal, except I know at some point we are going to want a Baby J 2.0 and I don't want running to make that more difficult than it needs to be. I think for the time being I'm setting a goal of running a 5K in 27 minutes or less. I figure if I can run the half at a 9:13 pace, with a little speed, tempo and hill work I should be able to manage a 9 minute mile for three miles. Right? I plan to run at least 3 days a week, and I'm going to try and make sure my total mileage is no less than 10 miles a week. That way the next time I do want to run a half I've definitely got a solid running base and can work on speed training then as well.
Also? I have GOT to get back into strength training more. Without a trainer I'm a little unmotivated to do strength workouts, and I'm still a wee bit embarrassed with trying to set stuff up and what not. I don't know why. I know what I'm supposed to be doing, and surely no one at the gym really cares what I'm up to, but I'm always paranoid people are judging. Lame, I know. On Saturdays I've been taking a class, sometimes it is great, sometimes I don't get an excellent strength workout. But at least I do something! My goal is to find another class that I like (that incorporates strength training) so I can attend at least two a week.
The other thing I need to do is get my nutrition back in check. I've probably said that a couple times, but with the holidays coming up I need to find some of the will power I had during the beginning of this journey. Running so much the last few weeks really skewed portion control and such for me. I needed more fuel and I constantly felt hungry, not to mention I was paranoid about under-fueling and not being able to perform at my best. I've maintained my weight loss so I'm not too worried about that, but I know I'm taking in too much sugar, and if I keep eating like I have been I will start to gain some back. I had a little goal to lose another 5 pounds, and I'd still love to, but it isn't something I'm going to kill myself for. Again, I know at some point in the next year I'm hoping I'll be growing a human, and there is no point in making myself miserable to lose 5 pounds when I'm going to gain it back anyway. If I can maintain where I'm at and eat healthy in general I will be happy.
In regards to the holidays coming up, I wanted to pass on something from a blog I read, Run Eat Repeat. Monica is hosting Pile on the Miles this year, where the goal for November is to rack up miles instead of pounds. You can get all the info here, but the short version is you turn in your mileage each week (only walking and running are counted) and if you cover 5 or more miles your entered into a drawing for prizes. Motivational tools are great so if you're looking for a reason to keep moving go check this out!
And lastly, because posts without pictures are generally lame. I let you laugh this one up. I was excited to get pictures from the half, hoping there was an awesome one of me running at some point. Errr, there wasn't. Most of them looked like this:
Yep, the only photos of me were from the finish line. I was literally SPRINTING to the finish, so I was more or less on the verge of death, and apparently running with a girl wearing superman underwear. I can tell in this photo that I had crossed the first mat that they announce your name over the speaker, so I was trying not to cry because I was so happy, while still trying to get to the finish line as fast as possible. I definitely finished strong, but maybe wasn't the most attractive about it :o). Oh well.
Again, do you guys have any questions regarding weight loss, fitness, running, etc. that you want me to answer? I had a reader request to do a Q&A on Move it Monday, but I can't throw out any answers without any questions :o). Thanks!
Link up your health/fitness/weight loss related posts below! Also, if you are going to link up, could you have a little link back here in your post please? I'd love for others to come join us, I need you guys for motivation!
October 17, 2011
i did it.
As of Saturday at 9:10am I can officially say I've completed a half marathon. Woot woot!
Friday night I was freaking out. No joke, my heart was pounding, I was completely anxious and stressed out. I don't know why I got so worked up. I kept trying to remind myself that I wasn't in it to win anything, it was just a run. I've been training for 12 weeks, I would make it to the end. I could do it. It took me forever to get to sleep, and I woke up before my 5:30AM alarm still incredibly anxious.
For me there were two tough decisions that morning, what to wear and what to eat. What to wear was tough, because it was definitely the coldest morning that I had been out for a run (I think it was 48 degrees at the race start time) so I felt like I wanted to wear long sleeves. But I also didn't want to overheat and regret my decision. However the hour by hour said it would only be about 54 degrees by 10am so I figured the long sleeves were probably an ok choice. I got a little warm, but nothing terrible at all. As far as what to eat, I was worried to have too much in my stomach, but in the end went with what I always eat in the morning, a slice of peanut butter toast.
My parents were at my house by 6am. My lovely father drew the short stick (ok he is just awesome like that) and accompanied me to the race start. Traffic was a little rough and we didn't really get there in time for me to use the bathroom. Thankfully it never ended up being a problem (holy cow the lines for the porta pottys during the race were long!). I followed the crowd and made my way to the start. The race started right on time (7:05am) but it took me almost five minutes to actually cross the start line.
I really wanted to follow a pacer because pacing is something I am pretty bad at, but I was too far back when I started. Thankfully I managed to start off at a decent pace (not too fast, not too slow), and the first two miles FLEW by. Really, I felt like the mile markers had to be wrong because it went by so quickly. I wasn't going super fast or anything, there was just enough going on to keep me distracted. However shortly after the 2 mile mark we hit the hills. The first set of hills was AWFUL. I'm pretty sure I wanted to die at mile 3. It showed in my pace, the first 5K was my slowest portion.
Miles 5-8 were pretty nice, no crazy hills, everything was nice and gradual. Enough downhill for me to catch my breath and refocus. Right around mile 7 I was surprised to see Christopher, Ryann and my mom. We had planned on them being between mile 8&9, but they had made it a bit earlier. It put a smile on my face to know they were there. I needed that bit of happiness, because miles 8-10 were a long (relatively gradual) uphill. It wasn't near as bad as the first, but come on, two miles of hills is a lot when you've already run 8. I finally saw my dad again around mile 9, and Chris, Ryann and my mom were shortly after him on the other side of the street. I was at the point where I was kind of wanting to die, but Ryann gave me the biggest smile and a huge high five when I passed her. It put a little extra juice in my tank.
I walked for about 30 seconds through every aid station, alternating between water and gatorade. I also walked a bit up the first huge steep hill (again maybe 30 seconds) and a little bit just before mile 10. At that point I was messing with my freaking music. When I started my playlist it shuffled a bit, which was incredibly lame because I had planned out when I wanted to hear certain songs. So I needed some music to pump me up but it wasn't happening.
After the 10th mile it was more or less smooth sailing to the finish in regards to the hills. The last three miles of the race were downhill or flat, with only a tiny uphill here and there. I was so excited to make it to that point that I stepped on the gas. Probably a little too much, because by mile 12 I was wanting to die again. But I channeled Amy's post, and her advice to just imagine my family at the finish line, and pushed on. When I finally saw the finish line I used up everything I had left and gunned it to the end. The announcer said my name over the speaker and I just about cried. I couldn't believe I did it. As I crossed under the finish line the clock read 2:04:52.
Before the race started I had a three part goal. The first was to just finish the race, that in itself is obviously an accomplishment. The second part was to finish in 2:30. I was giving myself some leeway for the hills (see the elevation map below, ugh, rough!) and the fact that I had never run 13.1 miles before and didn't know how it would go. The third part was to finish in 2:15. Just over a 10 min mile. I was pretty sure I could do that, but again, I just wanted to finish. Secretly though? I wondered if I could finish in 2 hours or less. I can maintain a 9 minute mile on the treadmill for a decent amount of time, so I thought if I pushed myself I might be able to do it.
I knew that it had taken me a while to cross the start line, but I wasn't sure how long. So the two hour mark was going to be pretty close. I didn't look up the results right away, and instead went to breakfast with my family (after I quit feeling like I might die of course :o). Holy cow breakfast tasted so good. I ate a huge plate of eggs, bacon and french toast (plus some potatoes from my mom's plate). I was starving. My stomach is definitely not used to having that much at once so it was probably a bad choice, but man, it really tasted so good.
We went back home and I jumped in a very hot shower. That also was amazing. When I was finally all clean and ready to collapse I got on the computer to check my time.
2 HOURS 32 SECONDS.
Obviously I beat my three part goal, and by a good amount. I was ecstatic about that. But really? Only 33 seconds away from being sub 2? I won't lie. I am disappointed. Yes, I am proud that I did the race, my time is great. Especially for someone who just started running in March. I know I should be so so happy. But it just leaves me wondering if I had any left to give. What if I would have just let my stupid playlist do whatever. Could I have run any faster? I'm trying not to dwell on it, and just enjoy what I've accomplished. But it is just my personality.
Please nobody take this as me thinking anything over 2 hours or 2.5 hours or 3 hours or whatever isn't good enough. Running is completely personal and your best is your best and that is amazing. Running isn't for the faint of heart! It takes a lot of motivation and dedication and will power to get out there day after day. If you're putting one foot in front of the other and moving your body, you are doing great! I'm striving for my personal best and I don't feel as though I've gotten there just yet.
I finished the first 5K in 28:59 (9:21 pace). The 10K in 56:11 (9:04 pace, that I was DANG proud of :o). Overall I was the 1694th person to cross the finish line (not sure on the total number of runners). I was 143/610 of females 25-29. 627/2809 out of all females. My overall pace was 9:14 per mile. Yep, not too shabby.
With all that I am definitely determined to run another half, and come in under two hours. I had a great time, and even though I thought my legs were going to fall off on Saturday, yesterday I felt pretty good. I might go for a short easy run on Tuesday or Wednesday, but I haven't really decided my plan as far as fitness and running goes from here on out. I need to get on that, I function much better with a plan.
And something to train for. Any suggestions for races (5K or 10K) in the KC area in the next couple of months? Anyone want to be my running buddy? :o)
Thank you so much for all of the support through out this whole process/experience. You all have given me tons of motivation and inspiration and I really appreciate it!
In the next coming weeks I want 'Move it Monday' to be what you want to hear about. So if you have any health/food/fitness/weight loss/running related questions that you want me to answer (that relate to me and my journey, obviously, I am NOT an expert by any means!) please please please ask in the comment section or over on my facebook page.
Got a health or fitness related post? Link up below!
Friday night I was freaking out. No joke, my heart was pounding, I was completely anxious and stressed out. I don't know why I got so worked up. I kept trying to remind myself that I wasn't in it to win anything, it was just a run. I've been training for 12 weeks, I would make it to the end. I could do it. It took me forever to get to sleep, and I woke up before my 5:30AM alarm still incredibly anxious.
For me there were two tough decisions that morning, what to wear and what to eat. What to wear was tough, because it was definitely the coldest morning that I had been out for a run (I think it was 48 degrees at the race start time) so I felt like I wanted to wear long sleeves. But I also didn't want to overheat and regret my decision. However the hour by hour said it would only be about 54 degrees by 10am so I figured the long sleeves were probably an ok choice. I got a little warm, but nothing terrible at all. As far as what to eat, I was worried to have too much in my stomach, but in the end went with what I always eat in the morning, a slice of peanut butter toast.
My parents were at my house by 6am. My lovely father drew the short stick (ok he is just awesome like that) and accompanied me to the race start. Traffic was a little rough and we didn't really get there in time for me to use the bathroom. Thankfully it never ended up being a problem (holy cow the lines for the porta pottys during the race were long!). I followed the crowd and made my way to the start. The race started right on time (7:05am) but it took me almost five minutes to actually cross the start line.
I really wanted to follow a pacer because pacing is something I am pretty bad at, but I was too far back when I started. Thankfully I managed to start off at a decent pace (not too fast, not too slow), and the first two miles FLEW by. Really, I felt like the mile markers had to be wrong because it went by so quickly. I wasn't going super fast or anything, there was just enough going on to keep me distracted. However shortly after the 2 mile mark we hit the hills. The first set of hills was AWFUL. I'm pretty sure I wanted to die at mile 3. It showed in my pace, the first 5K was my slowest portion.
Miles 5-8 were pretty nice, no crazy hills, everything was nice and gradual. Enough downhill for me to catch my breath and refocus. Right around mile 7 I was surprised to see Christopher, Ryann and my mom. We had planned on them being between mile 8&9, but they had made it a bit earlier. It put a smile on my face to know they were there. I needed that bit of happiness, because miles 8-10 were a long (relatively gradual) uphill. It wasn't near as bad as the first, but come on, two miles of hills is a lot when you've already run 8. I finally saw my dad again around mile 9, and Chris, Ryann and my mom were shortly after him on the other side of the street. I was at the point where I was kind of wanting to die, but Ryann gave me the biggest smile and a huge high five when I passed her. It put a little extra juice in my tank.
I walked for about 30 seconds through every aid station, alternating between water and gatorade. I also walked a bit up the first huge steep hill (again maybe 30 seconds) and a little bit just before mile 10. At that point I was messing with my freaking music. When I started my playlist it shuffled a bit, which was incredibly lame because I had planned out when I wanted to hear certain songs. So I needed some music to pump me up but it wasn't happening.
After the 10th mile it was more or less smooth sailing to the finish in regards to the hills. The last three miles of the race were downhill or flat, with only a tiny uphill here and there. I was so excited to make it to that point that I stepped on the gas. Probably a little too much, because by mile 12 I was wanting to die again. But I channeled Amy's post, and her advice to just imagine my family at the finish line, and pushed on. When I finally saw the finish line I used up everything I had left and gunned it to the end. The announcer said my name over the speaker and I just about cried. I couldn't believe I did it. As I crossed under the finish line the clock read 2:04:52.
Before the race started I had a three part goal. The first was to just finish the race, that in itself is obviously an accomplishment. The second part was to finish in 2:30. I was giving myself some leeway for the hills (see the elevation map below, ugh, rough!) and the fact that I had never run 13.1 miles before and didn't know how it would go. The third part was to finish in 2:15. Just over a 10 min mile. I was pretty sure I could do that, but again, I just wanted to finish. Secretly though? I wondered if I could finish in 2 hours or less. I can maintain a 9 minute mile on the treadmill for a decent amount of time, so I thought if I pushed myself I might be able to do it.
I knew that it had taken me a while to cross the start line, but I wasn't sure how long. So the two hour mark was going to be pretty close. I didn't look up the results right away, and instead went to breakfast with my family (after I quit feeling like I might die of course :o). Holy cow breakfast tasted so good. I ate a huge plate of eggs, bacon and french toast (plus some potatoes from my mom's plate). I was starving. My stomach is definitely not used to having that much at once so it was probably a bad choice, but man, it really tasted so good.
We went back home and I jumped in a very hot shower. That also was amazing. When I was finally all clean and ready to collapse I got on the computer to check my time.
2 HOURS 32 SECONDS.
Obviously I beat my three part goal, and by a good amount. I was ecstatic about that. But really? Only 33 seconds away from being sub 2? I won't lie. I am disappointed. Yes, I am proud that I did the race, my time is great. Especially for someone who just started running in March. I know I should be so so happy. But it just leaves me wondering if I had any left to give. What if I would have just let my stupid playlist do whatever. Could I have run any faster? I'm trying not to dwell on it, and just enjoy what I've accomplished. But it is just my personality.
Please nobody take this as me thinking anything over 2 hours or 2.5 hours or 3 hours or whatever isn't good enough. Running is completely personal and your best is your best and that is amazing. Running isn't for the faint of heart! It takes a lot of motivation and dedication and will power to get out there day after day. If you're putting one foot in front of the other and moving your body, you are doing great! I'm striving for my personal best and I don't feel as though I've gotten there just yet.
I finished the first 5K in 28:59 (9:21 pace). The 10K in 56:11 (9:04 pace, that I was DANG proud of :o). Overall I was the 1694th person to cross the finish line (not sure on the total number of runners). I was 143/610 of females 25-29. 627/2809 out of all females. My overall pace was 9:14 per mile. Yep, not too shabby.
With all that I am definitely determined to run another half, and come in under two hours. I had a great time, and even though I thought my legs were going to fall off on Saturday, yesterday I felt pretty good. I might go for a short easy run on Tuesday or Wednesday, but I haven't really decided my plan as far as fitness and running goes from here on out. I need to get on that, I function much better with a plan.
And something to train for. Any suggestions for races (5K or 10K) in the KC area in the next couple of months? Anyone want to be my running buddy? :o)
Thank you so much for all of the support through out this whole process/experience. You all have given me tons of motivation and inspiration and I really appreciate it!
In the next coming weeks I want 'Move it Monday' to be what you want to hear about. So if you have any health/food/fitness/weight loss/running related questions that you want me to answer (that relate to me and my journey, obviously, I am NOT an expert by any means!) please please please ask in the comment section or over on my facebook page.
Got a health or fitness related post? Link up below!
October 10, 2011
can I just get some veggies? + my favorite snacks
Let me start off by sharing a huge accomplishment for me. I ran 10 miles straight Sunday morning without stopping. Not even for a teeny tiny bit. I ended up completing 10.96 miles in 1:43:36. The KC Half is less than a week away, bring on the 13.1! I'm incredibly nervous, but so excited. Hopefully I can have a great race.
Alright, onto the veggie portion of my title. Ryann and I traveled to Georgia with my parents for a little vacation, since Chris is working, oh, all the time. We have been going out to dinner every night, of course. My question, seriously, where the heck are the veggies?? Almost every restaurant we've been to has maybe one real vegetable option (usually green beans, generally the canned variety, gag me) or a lame little side salad. The rest of the food is great, but some of us don't want to eat fried everything! I know there are ways to solve this problem (not eat out all the time, of course) but really. I'm surprised that there are so few even remotely healthy side options available. I asked at one restaurant if I could sub fruit or corn for the fries in the kids meal for Ryann, they had neither. Lame.
On to my favorite snacks. A reader e-mailed asking me to share a weeks worth of my food diary for the most part so they could get some healthy snack ideas. Honestly? I haven't been doing a great job of actually tracking everything I'm eating. Or I give up around 3pm and don't write stuff down. Meaning my food log is pretty sporadic, and not all that helpful. So instead I decided to share a list of relatively healthy snacks that are my go to during those between meal fillers.
Sorry this post is short and lame (you're probably sick of my long run recaps anyway). It's 11:52 Sunday night, and we have to be out the door by 7:30 AM to catch our flight back to KC. I'm not thinking clearly and need to get some sleep!
You never know who you might inspire or connect to. Link up health and fitness related posts below!
Alright, onto the veggie portion of my title. Ryann and I traveled to Georgia with my parents for a little vacation, since Chris is working, oh, all the time. We have been going out to dinner every night, of course. My question, seriously, where the heck are the veggies?? Almost every restaurant we've been to has maybe one real vegetable option (usually green beans, generally the canned variety, gag me) or a lame little side salad. The rest of the food is great, but some of us don't want to eat fried everything! I know there are ways to solve this problem (not eat out all the time, of course) but really. I'm surprised that there are so few even remotely healthy side options available. I asked at one restaurant if I could sub fruit or corn for the fries in the kids meal for Ryann, they had neither. Lame.
On to my favorite snacks. A reader e-mailed asking me to share a weeks worth of my food diary for the most part so they could get some healthy snack ideas. Honestly? I haven't been doing a great job of actually tracking everything I'm eating. Or I give up around 3pm and don't write stuff down. Meaning my food log is pretty sporadic, and not all that helpful. So instead I decided to share a list of relatively healthy snacks that are my go to during those between meal fillers.
- 1 medium apple and a stick of light string cheese
- a handful of red grapes plus 10 raw almonds
- carrot 'chips' and guacamole
- carrot 'chips' with a mix of salsa and a Chipolte Laughing Cow cheese wedge
- carrot sticks and sunflower seed butter
- Dannon Light & Fit Strawberry Yogurt with 1/2 cup Quaker Oatmeal Squares
- air popped popcorn with a serving of dark chocolate chips
- Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Hummus with homemade Tortilla Chips (from a La Tortilla Factory tortilla)
- 3 hard boiled egg whites and half a banana
- a small muffin or slice of whatever baked good we have on hand
Sorry this post is short and lame (you're probably sick of my long run recaps anyway). It's 11:52 Sunday night, and we have to be out the door by 7:30 AM to catch our flight back to KC. I'm not thinking clearly and need to get some sleep!
You never know who you might inspire or connect to. Link up health and fitness related posts below!
October 3, 2011
gps fail, again.
Yesterday I set out for my nine mile run. Because the trail I had been running on is closed after 3.5 miles in one direction and I didn't want to have to run in one direction than the other, I decided I would just run to the trail and then only run on it for a bit before heading home. I strapped on my phone, plugged in my headphones, and grabbed some Jelly Belly sports beans. Which I ended up having to carry because I didn't have anywhere to put them. Mildly annoying, but I ordered a spibelt on Amazon last night.
The first mile was excellent, seriously when the voice prompt told me I'd already reached a mile I wasn't expecting it at all. But then it seemed to take FOREVER for the second mile prompt. I'd checked the mileage to the trail the night before, so I knew I should have at least hit two miles... stupid freaking gps malfunctioned at 1.69 miles. I wanted to chuck my phone in the street right there. I'm not looking to set any records or anything, and I had an idea of mileage, but I'm just the kind of person who wants to know EXACTLY how far I've gone. Not to mention I'm paranoid I won't hit the mileage, and that just isn't cool with me.
I had no choice but to keep going. I figured I'd use time plus the mile markers on the trail to roughly gauge my distance. I thought it was about 3.3 miles to the trail, so I'd need to run for just over a mile on the trail (I walk about .2 miles before and after my run, so I needed around 9.5 miles total). I made it to the trail in almost 30 minutes flat and was feeling pretty good. It was probably only a tenth of a mile before I saw the first trail marker, so I knew I'd have to run for a couple of minutes after I passed the next marker.
With probably half a mile left on the trail I started to feel a little out of sorts. I don't carry water with me (bad, very bad, I know) and I'm guessing that was part of the problem. I took a little walk break and ate some of my sports beans right before getting off the trail. I figured I had a little over three miles to go. I started running again, but literally, it was a slow and steady uphill climb for almost the next two miles. I was EXHAUSTED. Last week I was on such a high, making it my 8 miles without walking at all, now I was feeling a little defeated.
There were definitely way more little walk breaks towards then end than I would have liked, I figured my pace was super slow. But the hills! Seriously, it was killing me. And I knew I started out too fast if I had made it to the trail in half an hour. Eventually I made it home, after an hour and thirty-eight minutes. My guess was that I had covered 9.5 miles, which would have made my pace just over an 11 minute mile. Not the end of the world, but not really what I was hoping for, based on my last couple of runs.
Fast forward to yesterday afternoon, I was really irritated not knowing exactly how far I'd gone. Chris found me a website to calculate my mileage, runningmap.com. It was pretty easy to use, just click along the street where you'd gone. When I put in the last location point I checked the total mileage. 10.48 miles. No wonder I was freaking exhausted! I definitely felt a little bit better about my walk breaks and my pace (just over a 10 minute mile). And holy cow I did a double digit run! My guess is that I was actually running for just under 10 miles.
The half marathon is in less than two weeks!! I'm getting more and more confident that I can actually do it. Really I have almost no doubt that I can cover the distance, my worries are more about what my time will be. I would LOVE to finish in under 2:15, but I think I'll still be happy with under 2:30. Obviously just crossing the finish line will be a great accomplishment considering where I started six months ago. But I'm one of those people that can't go into something just hoping to 'pass' if you will. If I'm going to do it, I'm going all out.
Questions for any runners out there: how do you deal with hydration while on a long run? I really don't want to actually carry a water bottle in my hand, but I also don't want to pass out on a sidewalk somewhere. That probably isn't good.
And for everyone, does anyone have a recomendation for a mileage tracker app for the iphone other than imapmyrun? I'm very close to smashing my phone into little pieces.
Please link up any of your health and fitness related posts! I love reading them.
The first mile was excellent, seriously when the voice prompt told me I'd already reached a mile I wasn't expecting it at all. But then it seemed to take FOREVER for the second mile prompt. I'd checked the mileage to the trail the night before, so I knew I should have at least hit two miles... stupid freaking gps malfunctioned at 1.69 miles. I wanted to chuck my phone in the street right there. I'm not looking to set any records or anything, and I had an idea of mileage, but I'm just the kind of person who wants to know EXACTLY how far I've gone. Not to mention I'm paranoid I won't hit the mileage, and that just isn't cool with me.
I had no choice but to keep going. I figured I'd use time plus the mile markers on the trail to roughly gauge my distance. I thought it was about 3.3 miles to the trail, so I'd need to run for just over a mile on the trail (I walk about .2 miles before and after my run, so I needed around 9.5 miles total). I made it to the trail in almost 30 minutes flat and was feeling pretty good. It was probably only a tenth of a mile before I saw the first trail marker, so I knew I'd have to run for a couple of minutes after I passed the next marker.
With probably half a mile left on the trail I started to feel a little out of sorts. I don't carry water with me (bad, very bad, I know) and I'm guessing that was part of the problem. I took a little walk break and ate some of my sports beans right before getting off the trail. I figured I had a little over three miles to go. I started running again, but literally, it was a slow and steady uphill climb for almost the next two miles. I was EXHAUSTED. Last week I was on such a high, making it my 8 miles without walking at all, now I was feeling a little defeated.
There were definitely way more little walk breaks towards then end than I would have liked, I figured my pace was super slow. But the hills! Seriously, it was killing me. And I knew I started out too fast if I had made it to the trail in half an hour. Eventually I made it home, after an hour and thirty-eight minutes. My guess was that I had covered 9.5 miles, which would have made my pace just over an 11 minute mile. Not the end of the world, but not really what I was hoping for, based on my last couple of runs.
Fast forward to yesterday afternoon, I was really irritated not knowing exactly how far I'd gone. Chris found me a website to calculate my mileage, runningmap.com. It was pretty easy to use, just click along the street where you'd gone. When I put in the last location point I checked the total mileage. 10.48 miles. No wonder I was freaking exhausted! I definitely felt a little bit better about my walk breaks and my pace (just over a 10 minute mile). And holy cow I did a double digit run! My guess is that I was actually running for just under 10 miles.
The half marathon is in less than two weeks!! I'm getting more and more confident that I can actually do it. Really I have almost no doubt that I can cover the distance, my worries are more about what my time will be. I would LOVE to finish in under 2:15, but I think I'll still be happy with under 2:30. Obviously just crossing the finish line will be a great accomplishment considering where I started six months ago. But I'm one of those people that can't go into something just hoping to 'pass' if you will. If I'm going to do it, I'm going all out.
Questions for any runners out there: how do you deal with hydration while on a long run? I really don't want to actually carry a water bottle in my hand, but I also don't want to pass out on a sidewalk somewhere. That probably isn't good.
And for everyone, does anyone have a recomendation for a mileage tracker app for the iphone other than imapmyrun? I'm very close to smashing my phone into little pieces.
Please link up any of your health and fitness related posts! I love reading them.
September 26, 2011
i am a runner
Six months ago, I would have told you "I can never be a real runner. It's too hard, why would anyone want to do that for fun?" Three months ago I would have probably told you "I'm not really a runner. Sometimes I walk. I don't go that fast." Now, in the midst of training for a half marathon, I still have a hard time looking at myself as a runner. But the truth of the matter is, I am one.
I am a runner.
Yesterday Meghann from Meals and Miles completed the Augusta Ironman 70.3. She swam, biked and ran for a total of 70.3 miles. Are you kidding me?? That is crazy. But she posted on Saturday that she was having a hard time calling herself a triathlete, because she is so new to the sport. But let's think about it, she has completed a triathlon (more than one!), therefore she is a triathlete.
Just because you may not win races, or can't run an 8 (or 6 or 7 or 9 or 10 or whatever) minute mile, doesn't mean you're not a runner. If you want to be a runner, all you have to do is run. Do you have an interest in running, but think you are too out of shape, or there is no way you could ever do it? I suggest you read this post by Ali of food.fitness.fashion.
This week, I can truly say I think I am falling in love with running, and dare I say, am addicted to it? On Thursday while Ryann was at MDO, I decided I wasn't going to spend the whole day in the house cleaning. I wanted to get out and enjoy my freedom a little bit. I decided on a trip to Home Goods. Whoa, crazy, I know. :) Anyway, for some reason I couldn't enjoy myself and check out all the goodies. I felt weird without Ryann. I really missed her and it was making me all emotional. The really crazy thing though, was that instead of wanting to eat pounds and pounds of chocolate, I wanted nothing more than to jump out of my car and just run.
That, people, is PROGRESS.
Not that I always really want to do my runs everyday or anything. It is so mental, I'm pretty sure almost every morning I try and talk myself out of running for a million reasons, but somehow I make myself do it anyway. Yesterday morning was no different. My legs were sore, it was a little chilly, and 8 miles sounded terribly long. But I sucked it up and laced up my shoes anyway.
The first mile was brutal. My legs were cold and tight and all I wanted to do was turn around, go home, and have my mom make me waffles or something. Thankfully just after passing the 1 mile mark I started to feel a little bit better, a little warmer and more awake. The second mile flew by and the third wasn't too terrible either. But the time I finished my fourth mile I was starting to wear down again, and with the route I was running I was getting closer to home again. Extremely tempting to just head home. But I didn't.
I told myself once I hit 5.5 miles I could take a little walk break. Why I decided on that distance I have NO idea, but whatever. Except when I hit 5.5 I was going down a hill and feeling pretty good. So I kept running. I went about another mile before I started feeling really tired again, but when I realized I had under 1.5 miles to go, I decided to just suck it up and keep running. I was ready to be done.
I finished 8.43 miles in 1:17. Are you kidding me? I covered nearly 8.5 miles yesterday morning!!! I'm pretty sure I'm going to feel like that every week until I finish this half marathon. I still can't believe I'm doing it. Only crazy people run for fun. (Wait. I'm pretty sure we all know I'm crazy). I really wanted to run around the block screaming with my arms in the air I was so proud of myself.
If that doesn't make me a runner, I don't know what does.
But then again, I've actually been a runner since March, haven't I?
Do you consider yourself a runner or an athlete? Why or why not?
I am a runner.
Yesterday Meghann from Meals and Miles completed the Augusta Ironman 70.3. She swam, biked and ran for a total of 70.3 miles. Are you kidding me?? That is crazy. But she posted on Saturday that she was having a hard time calling herself a triathlete, because she is so new to the sport. But let's think about it, she has completed a triathlon (more than one!), therefore she is a triathlete.
Just because you may not win races, or can't run an 8 (or 6 or 7 or 9 or 10 or whatever) minute mile, doesn't mean you're not a runner. If you want to be a runner, all you have to do is run. Do you have an interest in running, but think you are too out of shape, or there is no way you could ever do it? I suggest you read this post by Ali of food.fitness.fashion.
This week, I can truly say I think I am falling in love with running, and dare I say, am addicted to it? On Thursday while Ryann was at MDO, I decided I wasn't going to spend the whole day in the house cleaning. I wanted to get out and enjoy my freedom a little bit. I decided on a trip to Home Goods. Whoa, crazy, I know. :) Anyway, for some reason I couldn't enjoy myself and check out all the goodies. I felt weird without Ryann. I really missed her and it was making me all emotional. The really crazy thing though, was that instead of wanting to eat pounds and pounds of chocolate, I wanted nothing more than to jump out of my car and just run.
That, people, is PROGRESS.
from the Race for the Cure, photo by Action Sports Images
as a side note, when I showed Chris that picture he said "wow it looks like you're power walking or something." I could have smacked him. I thought it looked like I was running really fast. I mean I know my form sucks but hey...
Not that I always really want to do my runs everyday or anything. It is so mental, I'm pretty sure almost every morning I try and talk myself out of running for a million reasons, but somehow I make myself do it anyway. Yesterday morning was no different. My legs were sore, it was a little chilly, and 8 miles sounded terribly long. But I sucked it up and laced up my shoes anyway.
The first mile was brutal. My legs were cold and tight and all I wanted to do was turn around, go home, and have my mom make me waffles or something. Thankfully just after passing the 1 mile mark I started to feel a little bit better, a little warmer and more awake. The second mile flew by and the third wasn't too terrible either. But the time I finished my fourth mile I was starting to wear down again, and with the route I was running I was getting closer to home again. Extremely tempting to just head home. But I didn't.
I told myself once I hit 5.5 miles I could take a little walk break. Why I decided on that distance I have NO idea, but whatever. Except when I hit 5.5 I was going down a hill and feeling pretty good. So I kept running. I went about another mile before I started feeling really tired again, but when I realized I had under 1.5 miles to go, I decided to just suck it up and keep running. I was ready to be done.
I finished 8.43 miles in 1:17. Are you kidding me? I covered nearly 8.5 miles yesterday morning!!! I'm pretty sure I'm going to feel like that every week until I finish this half marathon. I still can't believe I'm doing it. Only crazy people run for fun. (Wait. I'm pretty sure we all know I'm crazy). I really wanted to run around the block screaming with my arms in the air I was so proud of myself.
If that doesn't make me a runner, I don't know what does.
But then again, I've actually been a runner since March, haven't I?
Do you consider yourself a runner or an athlete? Why or why not?
September 19, 2011
rambling and running
Let me preface this with the fact that it is that time of the month where I am irrationally emotional and everything stresses me out and makes me cry. Seriously, ask Chris, every 4-6 weeks (because my body sucks at sticking to a schedule, FAIL BODY, FAIL), I make no sense and cry a lot. I can't help it. Anyway, sorry to those of you who didn't want to know that, but it is semi important.
Friday afternoon my friend Hanna wrote on my facebook wall, saying that she was pretty sure I had said I was going to be out of town during the KC Marathon and Half, but would I be interested in being a part of a marathon relay team if I was around. I almost instantly replied nope, I would be out of town, and then I looked at the date again. I SWORE the KC Half was October 8th, but it is the 15th. I will be in town.
That totally threw me for a loop. Chris actually has that day off. I wouldn't have to travel to run a half. It would make so much more sense for me to run the one in KC. Only problem? That's four weeks away. Before today (more on that in a minute) my longest run was around 6.3 miles. Was it (is it?) at all feasible for me to run 13.1 in just four weeks? I have no idea. I'm still not signed up for either race and am at a bit of a loss on what to do. I know that it would logistically make so much more sense to run in KC, but I don't want to set myself up to fail (or get injured) by running something I'm not quite ready for. Right now I'm planning on running in KC, so I know I have to really buckle down and train hard these next four weeks.
Saturday morning I went to the gym for the 8:15 group fitness class. Previously it had been no limits circuit, or as I previously had described it, the 30 Day Shred on crack. I'm not 100% why, but they decided to change it to 50/50, half cardio half strength. Same idea, just not a circuit. Well Saturday we more or less did 80's style high impact aerobics for 35 minutes. I would equate it to jumping rope, while throwing in some high kicks, jumping jacks and other various ridiculous moves. My calves? They didn't appreciate it. I was a little disappointed because the strength portion of the class didn't really do a whole lot for me, and that is really what I'm looking for on Saturdays. I'll give it one more chance, and then I might just have to do my own strength workouts. The best part of the class though, was a small 65ish year old man with a big old mustache rockin' out in his socks at the front of the class. Seriously, his energy was crazy. He wasn't doing ANYTHING that the instructor was doing really, but he never stopped moving :). It definitely made me smile.
When I checked weather.com Saturday night, it wasn't looking good for a long morning run. There was a 70-90% chance of rain from 6am-3pm. With no more wiggle room left in my training schedule, I went to bed praying that the rain would give me a break so I could finish my run in the morning, instead of trying to fit it in later in the day.
Sunday morning I woke up to rain. Booooo. And then I cried. It was pathetic. I knew I couldn't skip my run altogether, and I didn't want to run in the rain, nor did I want to do 7+ miles on the treadmill, so I would just have to wait for it to clear. But the reason I was so upset? Because all I really wanted to do was to get my run over with, come home and take a shower, and BLOW DRY MY HAIR. I never have time to actually fix my hair, and it is starting to drive me crazy, so thanks to my irrational emotional state I was incredibly upset over the fact that yet again, I wouldn't really get the chance to shower and get ready for the day. Pathetic, I know.
Around 10:30 the radar looked clear for a bit so I decided to set out for my longest run to date. I was worried it wouldn't go well. The path was wet (for the record, the trail that I run on is paved, not a real 'trail', so thanks for the props last week Amy, but I didn't exactly earn them :o), my calves were so tight from Saturday's ridiculous aerobics, and I had eaten more than I usually do before a run (you never know how that will end...). Not to mention the GPS on my phone still wasn't working. I figured I'd do my best to use the trail markers to gauge 7 miles.
A couple minutes into my run I passed mile marker 6, so I figured I run a little ways past marker 9 and turn around. But wouldn't you know, probably just before I got to the 9th mile, the trail was closed due to construction and I had to turn around early. I ended up walking for a minute, probably somewhere around 5.5 miles in to the run, mentally I was telling myself I couldn't make it, even though I probably could have kept running. But that quick walk break really helped me, and I picked up pace to finish up. I decided I would run past my car (that was painful) until I hit mile marker 5 and then ran back to my car. So once again I'm not sure exactly how far I ran, but I'm guessing just over 7 miles in 1:10.
SEVEN MILES. AHHHHHH!!!! When I'm looking at that in comparison to what I know I have to run in the next few weeks, or what the girls are running on all the crazy healthy living blogs I've been reading, it doesn't seem like much. But that is a personal distance record for me. Seriously, six months ago I would have laughed in your face if you suggested I run seven miles. But yesterday I did it. It felt really good.
Now, now I just have to figure out for sure if I want to sign up for the KC Half Marathon. I know that if I allowed myself to use a run/walk combo, I could definitely complete the race. Well I'm 99% sure anyway. And there is nothing wrong with a run/walk method. But for me personally, I want to be able to pretty much run the entire 13.1, to say I've done it. So I'm not exactly sure what to do. I guess the best thing would probably be to figure out how to come to terms with accepting a few walk breaks here and there for now, and maybe plan on running another half in the spring sometime. Look at this first half as just another part of training...
Have a health & fitness related post? Link up below, lets keep each other motivated!
Friday afternoon my friend Hanna wrote on my facebook wall, saying that she was pretty sure I had said I was going to be out of town during the KC Marathon and Half, but would I be interested in being a part of a marathon relay team if I was around. I almost instantly replied nope, I would be out of town, and then I looked at the date again. I SWORE the KC Half was October 8th, but it is the 15th. I will be in town.
That totally threw me for a loop. Chris actually has that day off. I wouldn't have to travel to run a half. It would make so much more sense for me to run the one in KC. Only problem? That's four weeks away. Before today (more on that in a minute) my longest run was around 6.3 miles. Was it (is it?) at all feasible for me to run 13.1 in just four weeks? I have no idea. I'm still not signed up for either race and am at a bit of a loss on what to do. I know that it would logistically make so much more sense to run in KC, but I don't want to set myself up to fail (or get injured) by running something I'm not quite ready for. Right now I'm planning on running in KC, so I know I have to really buckle down and train hard these next four weeks.
Saturday morning I went to the gym for the 8:15 group fitness class. Previously it had been no limits circuit, or as I previously had described it, the 30 Day Shred on crack. I'm not 100% why, but they decided to change it to 50/50, half cardio half strength. Same idea, just not a circuit. Well Saturday we more or less did 80's style high impact aerobics for 35 minutes. I would equate it to jumping rope, while throwing in some high kicks, jumping jacks and other various ridiculous moves. My calves? They didn't appreciate it. I was a little disappointed because the strength portion of the class didn't really do a whole lot for me, and that is really what I'm looking for on Saturdays. I'll give it one more chance, and then I might just have to do my own strength workouts. The best part of the class though, was a small 65ish year old man with a big old mustache rockin' out in his socks at the front of the class. Seriously, his energy was crazy. He wasn't doing ANYTHING that the instructor was doing really, but he never stopped moving :). It definitely made me smile.
When I checked weather.com Saturday night, it wasn't looking good for a long morning run. There was a 70-90% chance of rain from 6am-3pm. With no more wiggle room left in my training schedule, I went to bed praying that the rain would give me a break so I could finish my run in the morning, instead of trying to fit it in later in the day.
Sunday morning I woke up to rain. Booooo. And then I cried. It was pathetic. I knew I couldn't skip my run altogether, and I didn't want to run in the rain, nor did I want to do 7+ miles on the treadmill, so I would just have to wait for it to clear. But the reason I was so upset? Because all I really wanted to do was to get my run over with, come home and take a shower, and BLOW DRY MY HAIR. I never have time to actually fix my hair, and it is starting to drive me crazy, so thanks to my irrational emotional state I was incredibly upset over the fact that yet again, I wouldn't really get the chance to shower and get ready for the day. Pathetic, I know.
Around 10:30 the radar looked clear for a bit so I decided to set out for my longest run to date. I was worried it wouldn't go well. The path was wet (for the record, the trail that I run on is paved, not a real 'trail', so thanks for the props last week Amy, but I didn't exactly earn them :o), my calves were so tight from Saturday's ridiculous aerobics, and I had eaten more than I usually do before a run (you never know how that will end...). Not to mention the GPS on my phone still wasn't working. I figured I'd do my best to use the trail markers to gauge 7 miles.
A couple minutes into my run I passed mile marker 6, so I figured I run a little ways past marker 9 and turn around. But wouldn't you know, probably just before I got to the 9th mile, the trail was closed due to construction and I had to turn around early. I ended up walking for a minute, probably somewhere around 5.5 miles in to the run, mentally I was telling myself I couldn't make it, even though I probably could have kept running. But that quick walk break really helped me, and I picked up pace to finish up. I decided I would run past my car (that was painful) until I hit mile marker 5 and then ran back to my car. So once again I'm not sure exactly how far I ran, but I'm guessing just over 7 miles in 1:10.
SEVEN MILES. AHHHHHH!!!! When I'm looking at that in comparison to what I know I have to run in the next few weeks, or what the girls are running on all the crazy healthy living blogs I've been reading, it doesn't seem like much. But that is a personal distance record for me. Seriously, six months ago I would have laughed in your face if you suggested I run seven miles. But yesterday I did it. It felt really good.
Now, now I just have to figure out for sure if I want to sign up for the KC Half Marathon. I know that if I allowed myself to use a run/walk combo, I could definitely complete the race. Well I'm 99% sure anyway. And there is nothing wrong with a run/walk method. But for me personally, I want to be able to pretty much run the entire 13.1, to say I've done it. So I'm not exactly sure what to do. I guess the best thing would probably be to figure out how to come to terms with accepting a few walk breaks here and there for now, and maybe plan on running another half in the spring sometime. Look at this first half as just another part of training...
Have a health & fitness related post? Link up below, lets keep each other motivated!
September 12, 2011
dear annoying gym goers
Are you really working that hard loud breathing elliptical man? Maybe you are, but I think your breathing is a wee bit excessive.
Seriously. Every Sunday morning there is a guy on the elliptical. He blows out EXTREMELY LOUDLY every third stride. It kind of stresses me out. I've considered going to the gym at a different time just to avoid him, but that is when it fits best in my schedule. Boo.
Whoa, loud breathing elliptical man turned extra loud screaming while weight lifting man, I'm worried that you're over doing it.
No kidding. Same guy. One morning he was lifting weights and I'm pretty sure everyone in the gym was concerned with whether or not they should be spotting him. I would have sworn he was picking up a truck or something. Even the guy sitting at his office desk was leaned incredibly far back in his chair trying to figure out who the noise was coming from.
Excuse me, sir, yes you there on the treadmill directly behind me (even though there are a million other treadmills open, sorry another pet peeve). Maybe you could take your phone call after your workout?
So I know sometimes people have to get in touch with you, but I was on the elliptical (which I hate, but my legs would probably shatter into a bajillion pieces if I ran everyday) and the guy behind me got a phone call. It sounded like he was probably catching up with a friend or something, there was laughter and such. Oh yeah, and the entire 25 minute conversation was in a language I couldn't even make out. I tried to just tune it out as noise, but it didn't work.
Holy cow ladies on the elliptical across the gym from me! I can't believe you spent $25 on your kiddos concert t-shirt either. Also, thanks for sharing with me (and half the gym) your plans for the next month.
When working out can be a social event, it sometimes adds a bit of motivation. I totally get that. But some of us can't put in our headphones because our kid is in the child center and we have to hear the intercom. So I can't tune out your entire life story as you try to yell it to your friend. Last week there were two women attempting to talk over each other and every noise around them about what they had been up to and what they planned to do for the next oh I don't know, forever. I wanted so badly to just zone out and run, but they were SO LOUD.
Really, I try to ignore people at the gym, not worry about anyone else and just focus on myself. I try not to judge what other people are doing or compare myself to them, because I have NO CLUE what their story is. But there have just be some people driving me nuts lately! Sorry, rant over.
If you belong to a gym, what is your pet peeve with other gym goers?
Switching gears here... Yesterday I had 6 miles on my training schedule. Wait, oops, 7. Except I didn't look at my calendar until after I got home. Whatever, I still have plenty of time before the race that I haven't even signed up for yet. Mental note, do that. ANYWAY...
I've been tired of doing odd loops around our neighborhood. Weaving up and down streets for even four miles can get annoying, so thanks to some friends I located a trail. When trying to look up where to park, I actually came across another trail even closer to our house, so yesterday morning I hopped in my car and headed out for my run. It felt really weird to drive somewhere to run, but not having to battle intersections and crappy sidewalks is a HUGE plus.
I was a little nervous because I wasn't 100% sure where the trail went, but it claimed to be almost 17 miles long (as did the other trails, strange that they are the same length), so I figured I'd just hop on, run a little over 3 miles in one direction and turn around. Everything started off just fine, the weather was great, I was feeling way better than I had in a couple weeks (funny what really eating healthy for a few days will do for you) and I was excited to get in six miles. I had set my phone app to give a voice alert after every mile, so I didn't have to look at my phone. It seemed like it took forever to hear the first mile, and when I did eventually check my screen out of curiousity it said I had only gone 1.25 miles. Lame. Boo.
Shortly after that there were a couple forks in the trail. For the life of me I could not figure out how to stay on the actual trail. I kept ending up on roads that led me up to the street. I know for small parts of the trail you do go up on to the sidewalks, but there was no where to keep going that I could find. I check my mileage again. 1.25. WAIT WHAT??? Crap. I'm assuming there was too much tree coverage and I lost GPS. The trail had mile markers, so I could try to go off those, except, oh yeah, I couldn't find the stupid trail! I got on the trail around the five mile mark and had passed mile marker 4, so I knew I still had plenty of room in the other direction to keep going. If I could stay on the trail of course :).
I decided to give it a shot, turned around and kept on running. Using my timer between two mile markers, I'm guessing I was averaging just under a 10 minute mile, so I decided I would just run for an hour and call it good. It was a little sad to pass my car and know I still had 20 minutes to go, but the trail was much easier to figure out in that direction. I should have started that way in the first place! I guess I know for next time.
Besides the whole being lost and confused part, the run felt great. I honestly got a second wind probably just after the fifth mile, and I felt like I could have easily ran another one or two. Hopefully I'm feeling that good next week!
Did you have any great workouts this week?
Seriously. Every Sunday morning there is a guy on the elliptical. He blows out EXTREMELY LOUDLY every third stride. It kind of stresses me out. I've considered going to the gym at a different time just to avoid him, but that is when it fits best in my schedule. Boo.
Whoa, loud breathing elliptical man turned extra loud screaming while weight lifting man, I'm worried that you're over doing it.
No kidding. Same guy. One morning he was lifting weights and I'm pretty sure everyone in the gym was concerned with whether or not they should be spotting him. I would have sworn he was picking up a truck or something. Even the guy sitting at his office desk was leaned incredibly far back in his chair trying to figure out who the noise was coming from.
Excuse me, sir, yes you there on the treadmill directly behind me (even though there are a million other treadmills open, sorry another pet peeve). Maybe you could take your phone call after your workout?
So I know sometimes people have to get in touch with you, but I was on the elliptical (which I hate, but my legs would probably shatter into a bajillion pieces if I ran everyday) and the guy behind me got a phone call. It sounded like he was probably catching up with a friend or something, there was laughter and such. Oh yeah, and the entire 25 minute conversation was in a language I couldn't even make out. I tried to just tune it out as noise, but it didn't work.
Holy cow ladies on the elliptical across the gym from me! I can't believe you spent $25 on your kiddos concert t-shirt either. Also, thanks for sharing with me (and half the gym) your plans for the next month.
When working out can be a social event, it sometimes adds a bit of motivation. I totally get that. But some of us can't put in our headphones because our kid is in the child center and we have to hear the intercom. So I can't tune out your entire life story as you try to yell it to your friend. Last week there were two women attempting to talk over each other and every noise around them about what they had been up to and what they planned to do for the next oh I don't know, forever. I wanted so badly to just zone out and run, but they were SO LOUD.
Really, I try to ignore people at the gym, not worry about anyone else and just focus on myself. I try not to judge what other people are doing or compare myself to them, because I have NO CLUE what their story is. But there have just be some people driving me nuts lately! Sorry, rant over.
If you belong to a gym, what is your pet peeve with other gym goers?
Switching gears here... Yesterday I had 6 miles on my training schedule. Wait, oops, 7. Except I didn't look at my calendar until after I got home. Whatever, I still have plenty of time before the race that I haven't even signed up for yet. Mental note, do that. ANYWAY...
I've been tired of doing odd loops around our neighborhood. Weaving up and down streets for even four miles can get annoying, so thanks to some friends I located a trail. When trying to look up where to park, I actually came across another trail even closer to our house, so yesterday morning I hopped in my car and headed out for my run. It felt really weird to drive somewhere to run, but not having to battle intersections and crappy sidewalks is a HUGE plus.
I was a little nervous because I wasn't 100% sure where the trail went, but it claimed to be almost 17 miles long (as did the other trails, strange that they are the same length), so I figured I'd just hop on, run a little over 3 miles in one direction and turn around. Everything started off just fine, the weather was great, I was feeling way better than I had in a couple weeks (funny what really eating healthy for a few days will do for you) and I was excited to get in six miles. I had set my phone app to give a voice alert after every mile, so I didn't have to look at my phone. It seemed like it took forever to hear the first mile, and when I did eventually check my screen out of curiousity it said I had only gone 1.25 miles. Lame. Boo.
Shortly after that there were a couple forks in the trail. For the life of me I could not figure out how to stay on the actual trail. I kept ending up on roads that led me up to the street. I know for small parts of the trail you do go up on to the sidewalks, but there was no where to keep going that I could find. I check my mileage again. 1.25. WAIT WHAT??? Crap. I'm assuming there was too much tree coverage and I lost GPS. The trail had mile markers, so I could try to go off those, except, oh yeah, I couldn't find the stupid trail! I got on the trail around the five mile mark and had passed mile marker 4, so I knew I still had plenty of room in the other direction to keep going. If I could stay on the trail of course :).
I decided to give it a shot, turned around and kept on running. Using my timer between two mile markers, I'm guessing I was averaging just under a 10 minute mile, so I decided I would just run for an hour and call it good. It was a little sad to pass my car and know I still had 20 minutes to go, but the trail was much easier to figure out in that direction. I should have started that way in the first place! I guess I know for next time.
Besides the whole being lost and confused part, the run felt great. I honestly got a second wind probably just after the fifth mile, and I felt like I could have easily ran another one or two. Hopefully I'm feeling that good next week!
Did you have any great workouts this week?
September 5, 2011
training isn't everything
No matter how hard you train, you won't perform your best unless you take care of your body. You just can't.
The past couple of weeks I've fallen off the healthy eating wagon just a bit. Since hitting my goal I'm focusing more on training (running mostly) and maintaining my weight loss, rather than carefully watching and counting every bite that goes in my mouth. (Funny, since just a couple of weeks ago I was talking about how calories count...). That was working fine for a couple weeks, but then I started to pick up too many sweets, and not enough vegetables. Too much lemonade light, not near enough water. Definitely not enough sleep.
And I'm feeling it. My runs are much harder. I just feel, gross. We've had a couple of weekends full of family fun (have you ever seen a house full of Norwegian women? quite the party :o), and I really wanted to enjoy them. And I did, I had a great time seeing all my family and socializing and, well, EATING.
But now I need to really focus on what my goals are. I want to lose a couple more pounds and get more lean, build more muscle. And I REALLY want to be able to run a half marathon in November. I know I won't be able to do that if I feel as uncomfortable as I did yesterday during my long run. My body was tired, my stomach was uncomfortable, my muscles were crampy (hello dehydration, NEED MORE WATER!).
Something especially interesting to me this weekend, was how my body reacted to the unhealthy food. I haven't had an acoholic beverage in such a long time. I'm not anti drinking or anything, but I decided that I'd rather eat my calories than drink them, and who really wants to get up and run 6 miles after an evening of drinking? I know I don't, so I figured it would just be easier if I didn't. Plus, when I used to drink, the next morning I would have pain down the back of my neck, upper back, and all over my arms. To the point that I wouldn't let Christopher hug me for a day or two. We really thought it was related to the alcohol.
But after a week of not watching what I was eating, I woke up yesterday morning with my same 'drinking' pain. Obviously, it wasn't the alcohol. I guess maybe dehydration and too much sugar? It is so uncomfortable. Just another thing to emphasize that eating right and drinking TONS of water does wonders.
There is still tons of food and sweets leftover from all of these get togethers, so I know I won't be perfect (and I can't let good 'better than crack' brownies go to waste, seriously?). But my goal for this week is to drink a minimum of 72 ounces of water a day (three camelbaks full :o). AND get in three good strength workouts. I really need to focus on those now that I'm planning them on my own. Wish me luck with that!
Speaking of good strength workouts... my run on Friday was rough because I was so freaking sore from my strength on Wednesday. Since it was my last workout with my trainer, she wanted to do something 'fun'. Um, I'm sorry, anything called the 'filthy fifty' most likely will NOT be fun. It went a little something like this:
I didn't complete the workout exactly as prescribed. I think my weights were slightly lower, and instead of 50 double unders I did 100 single jumps, because I couldn't quite get the hang of the double unders. My knees to elbows were, um, probably not fully correct. Burpees and box jumps? Two of my least favorite things. That workout was MISERABLE. But I finished in just over 35 minutes. I'm not sure I EVER want to try it again :o).
What is the hardest workout you've ever done?
The past couple of weeks I've fallen off the healthy eating wagon just a bit. Since hitting my goal I'm focusing more on training (running mostly) and maintaining my weight loss, rather than carefully watching and counting every bite that goes in my mouth. (Funny, since just a couple of weeks ago I was talking about how calories count...). That was working fine for a couple weeks, but then I started to pick up too many sweets, and not enough vegetables. Too much lemonade light, not near enough water. Definitely not enough sleep.
And I'm feeling it. My runs are much harder. I just feel, gross. We've had a couple of weekends full of family fun (have you ever seen a house full of Norwegian women? quite the party :o), and I really wanted to enjoy them. And I did, I had a great time seeing all my family and socializing and, well, EATING.
But now I need to really focus on what my goals are. I want to lose a couple more pounds and get more lean, build more muscle. And I REALLY want to be able to run a half marathon in November. I know I won't be able to do that if I feel as uncomfortable as I did yesterday during my long run. My body was tired, my stomach was uncomfortable, my muscles were crampy (hello dehydration, NEED MORE WATER!).
Something especially interesting to me this weekend, was how my body reacted to the unhealthy food. I haven't had an acoholic beverage in such a long time. I'm not anti drinking or anything, but I decided that I'd rather eat my calories than drink them, and who really wants to get up and run 6 miles after an evening of drinking? I know I don't, so I figured it would just be easier if I didn't. Plus, when I used to drink, the next morning I would have pain down the back of my neck, upper back, and all over my arms. To the point that I wouldn't let Christopher hug me for a day or two. We really thought it was related to the alcohol.
But after a week of not watching what I was eating, I woke up yesterday morning with my same 'drinking' pain. Obviously, it wasn't the alcohol. I guess maybe dehydration and too much sugar? It is so uncomfortable. Just another thing to emphasize that eating right and drinking TONS of water does wonders.
There is still tons of food and sweets leftover from all of these get togethers, so I know I won't be perfect (and I can't let good 'better than crack' brownies go to waste, seriously?). But my goal for this week is to drink a minimum of 72 ounces of water a day (three camelbaks full :o). AND get in three good strength workouts. I really need to focus on those now that I'm planning them on my own. Wish me luck with that!
Speaking of good strength workouts... my run on Friday was rough because I was so freaking sore from my strength on Wednesday. Since it was my last workout with my trainer, she wanted to do something 'fun'. Um, I'm sorry, anything called the 'filthy fifty' most likely will NOT be fun. It went a little something like this:
50 box jumps
50 pull-ups
50 kettlebell swings
50 walking lunges
50 knees to elbows
50 push press
50 back extensions
50 wall ball shots
50 burpees
50 double unders
I didn't complete the workout exactly as prescribed. I think my weights were slightly lower, and instead of 50 double unders I did 100 single jumps, because I couldn't quite get the hang of the double unders. My knees to elbows were, um, probably not fully correct. Burpees and box jumps? Two of my least favorite things. That workout was MISERABLE. But I finished in just over 35 minutes. I'm not sure I EVER want to try it again :o).
What is the hardest workout you've ever done?
August 29, 2011
motivation on the road
Over the weekend we were in Omaha visiting family. That of course was lots of fun, but gave me a good 'ol excuse to skip a strength workout on Saturday. I thought about working out, honest I did. Friday night (around 10pm, nothing like waiting until the last minute) I got on the crossfit website to see if there were any good workouts I could do in the hotel fitness center quickly. I saw things like 15 foot rope climb, toes to bar, double unders, and muscle ups. Yeah, none of those were going to be happening.
If I had planned ahead, I might have been more motivated to actually put in some work. There are plenty of exercises I could have done, even in the comfort of my own room (that requires it's own kind of motivation), but I didn't really have a plan before going to bed, so when I got up in the morning it was much too easy to decide another half hour in my pjs and eating breakfast with the fam was much more fun.
Don't get me wrong, sometimes you should definitely allow yourself to skip a workout in favor of family time or a special occasion. Life can't be all work and no play. But really, I had the opportunity to workout, I just didn't take it.
Thankfully Friday we spent just under three hours walking around the Omaha Zoo, and there was a great trail behind our hotel, so I was able to get in a five mile run on Sunday. So the weekend definitely wasn't a bust in terms of exercise. It is so much easier for me to be motivated for my runs, than for strength workouts. That is something I need to work on, considering I only have one session left with my trainer!! Which do you prefer, cardio or strength?
Do you workout while traveling? What kind of workouts do you do? Any tips for staying motivated to exercise while on vacation?
Link up your 'Move it Monday' posts below! Don't know what the heck I'm talking about? Go here.
If I had planned ahead, I might have been more motivated to actually put in some work. There are plenty of exercises I could have done, even in the comfort of my own room (that requires it's own kind of motivation), but I didn't really have a plan before going to bed, so when I got up in the morning it was much too easy to decide another half hour in my pjs and eating breakfast with the fam was much more fun.
Don't get me wrong, sometimes you should definitely allow yourself to skip a workout in favor of family time or a special occasion. Life can't be all work and no play. But really, I had the opportunity to workout, I just didn't take it.
Thankfully Friday we spent just under three hours walking around the Omaha Zoo, and there was a great trail behind our hotel, so I was able to get in a five mile run on Sunday. So the weekend definitely wasn't a bust in terms of exercise. It is so much easier for me to be motivated for my runs, than for strength workouts. That is something I need to work on, considering I only have one session left with my trainer!! Which do you prefer, cardio or strength?
Do you workout while traveling? What kind of workouts do you do? Any tips for staying motivated to exercise while on vacation?
Link up your 'Move it Monday' posts below! Don't know what the heck I'm talking about? Go here.
August 22, 2011
you don't have to count calories...
...but calories count.
A couple weeks ago I read that on Monica's blog, and I thought it was such a great way to think about healthy eating and calorie counting.
Although exercise is very important to a healthy lifestyle, what you put into your body can be even more so. It can seem rather daunting to calculate the calories for everything you eat during the day, and no, I bet no one really wants to do that everyday for the rest of their lives. But the truth of the matter is that weight loss (or gain) is highly dependent on the ratio of calories in vs. calories out. So even if you don't want to be a calorie counter, it is necessary to be aware of the calorie counts in various foods. And remember that every nibble/bite/quick handful counts.
Some of my favorite healthy foods, almonds and avocados, happen to be pretty high calorie (go figure) so it is important to eat them in moderation and really pay attention to portion sizes. If you are interested in losing weight, I definitely suggest tracking your calories for at least a week. You might truly be surprised at the amount of calories, high or low, in certain foods. Get on restaurant websites, see what your favorite meals add up to. Find out how many calories are in the things you eat everyday.
When I started my weight loss journey, I downloaded Calorie Counter Pro by MyNetDiary on my iphone. It was one of my most important tools I used throughout this process. Now I don't necessarily track everything I eat, because I'm pretty aware of what most of my meals add up to. But if I plan on splurging on something here or there, it is awesome to put in that calorie count, and see how I need to adjust my eating for the rest of the day. Something else that was really helpful, was putting in what I planned to eat the following day, before I went to bed. I could see how everything added up, and if I was lacking any nutritional elements.
Through this process I've also learned that I really like to eat large volumes of food. I'm not really satisfied with a small portion of a slightly higher calorie food, so I'm finding ways to get more, without sacrificing calories. For example, I've taught myself to like egg whites. At first I was eating two scrambled eggs for breakfast, then I switched to one egg + two egg whites, and now I'm eating three egg whites. I add a little milk and garlic salt to keep them from being too bland, but the calories I save are huge, not to mention the cholesterol (however the cholesterol is not something that is a major concern to me). If I decide to give in to my craving for Panda Express (like I did last night) I get mixed veggies instead of rice. In order to still eat the pasta dishes I love, I've swapped out half the pasta for more veggies. And to tell you the truth I like it that way a lot more!
I challenge you all to track your calories for one day. Did you find any surprises?
Although exercise is very important to a healthy lifestyle, what you put into your body can be even more so. It can seem rather daunting to calculate the calories for everything you eat during the day, and no, I bet no one really wants to do that everyday for the rest of their lives. But the truth of the matter is that weight loss (or gain) is highly dependent on the ratio of calories in vs. calories out. So even if you don't want to be a calorie counter, it is necessary to be aware of the calorie counts in various foods. And remember that every nibble/bite/quick handful counts.
Some of my favorite healthy foods, almonds and avocados, happen to be pretty high calorie (go figure) so it is important to eat them in moderation and really pay attention to portion sizes. If you are interested in losing weight, I definitely suggest tracking your calories for at least a week. You might truly be surprised at the amount of calories, high or low, in certain foods. Get on restaurant websites, see what your favorite meals add up to. Find out how many calories are in the things you eat everyday.
When I started my weight loss journey, I downloaded Calorie Counter Pro by MyNetDiary on my iphone. It was one of my most important tools I used throughout this process. Now I don't necessarily track everything I eat, because I'm pretty aware of what most of my meals add up to. But if I plan on splurging on something here or there, it is awesome to put in that calorie count, and see how I need to adjust my eating for the rest of the day. Something else that was really helpful, was putting in what I planned to eat the following day, before I went to bed. I could see how everything added up, and if I was lacking any nutritional elements.
Through this process I've also learned that I really like to eat large volumes of food. I'm not really satisfied with a small portion of a slightly higher calorie food, so I'm finding ways to get more, without sacrificing calories. For example, I've taught myself to like egg whites. At first I was eating two scrambled eggs for breakfast, then I switched to one egg + two egg whites, and now I'm eating three egg whites. I add a little milk and garlic salt to keep them from being too bland, but the calories I save are huge, not to mention the cholesterol (however the cholesterol is not something that is a major concern to me). If I decide to give in to my craving for Panda Express (like I did last night) I get mixed veggies instead of rice. In order to still eat the pasta dishes I love, I've swapped out half the pasta for more veggies. And to tell you the truth I like it that way a lot more!
I challenge you all to track your calories for one day. Did you find any surprises?
August 15, 2011
exciting stuff
Lamest post title ever right? I bet you thought hmm, bet there is absolutely nothing exciting in that post. But really, to me there is. I'm just not feeling real witty right now (I've been up since 5:25AM, it's currently 11:36PM as I start this post. Witty has completely gone out the window). So where to start...
I'll start with the biggest thing for me... WEIGHT LOSS GOAL #1 REACHED! That's right, on Tuesday I stepped on the scale and about had an all out party. Like I said last week, I am now very much attune to the fact that the scale isn't the measure of my success. But I am so freaking proud to have met my goal. I've wavered up and down a pound or so over the last week (this morning I was right at my goal, no point this or that!), but I saw the number I'd been waiting so see for the last five+ months. I know I can be there.
I had Chris snap some progress pictures (they aren't the greatest, not Christopher's fault though!). Personally I don't see a huge difference from my last photo, but I can definitely see it in the mirror. I've only lost about five pounds between the two photos, but I've gained a decent amount of muscle. (The newest photo is on the left, it drove me nuts, but I faced the wrong way for the side view, and I couldn't have me looking to the edges of the screen, that just felt weird. OCD much? Yes, a little bit.)
My last bit of exciting stuff for the day? I'm taking over McFatty Monday. If it weren't for linking up with Blair, I 100% wouldn't have gotten to where I am now. Having that little bit of accountability, plus reading posts from other women who are either living a healthy lifestyle or are wanting to, was incredibly inspiring and motivating to me. So I'm very thankful to BA for letting me keep the McFatty community alive. I'm changing it up a bit, and will be referring to my posts as 'Move it Monday', in an attempt to stay as positive and upbeat as possible. But... It will still be McFatty Monday in my head. At least for a while. Both are good for me.
I'll start with the biggest thing for me... WEIGHT LOSS GOAL #1 REACHED! That's right, on Tuesday I stepped on the scale and about had an all out party. Like I said last week, I am now very much attune to the fact that the scale isn't the measure of my success. But I am so freaking proud to have met my goal. I've wavered up and down a pound or so over the last week (this morning I was right at my goal, no point this or that!), but I saw the number I'd been waiting so see for the last five+ months. I know I can be there.
I had Chris snap some progress pictures (they aren't the greatest, not Christopher's fault though!). Personally I don't see a huge difference from my last photo, but I can definitely see it in the mirror. I've only lost about five pounds between the two photos, but I've gained a decent amount of muscle. (The newest photo is on the left, it drove me nuts, but I faced the wrong way for the side view, and I couldn't have me looking to the edges of the screen, that just felt weird. OCD much? Yes, a little bit.)
The difference between my starting picture and my most recent, however, is quite obvious. More or less, roughly what a 33lb weight loss looks on a 5'4"-5'5" frame. No crazy fad diets, just watching what I eat and good ol' fashioned exercise.
I am 100% proud of what I've done, and looking forward to working on more healthy lifestyle changes.
Other exciting tidbits... yesterday I participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. It was interesting. I'm sure the event was great, and I'm glad I supported the cause, I however, had no idea what was going on :o). I didn't sign up to be a competitive runner, because I'm not a competitive runner. But didn't really take in to account that there would be a TON of people in the non-competitive 5K run/walk that were just there for a 3 mile stroll. That is 100% ok. Just made the fact that I wanted to run a little more difficult.
Ok really, the most difficult part, was the fact that we had no idea what was going on. Chris was pushing Ryann and walking with me, trying to figure out where the heck the start was. We were just wandering along following the heard. And then we crossed the start line. Chris: "Umm. That thing we just walked over said 5K Start." Wait what? That was the start line? I thought this thing wasn't supposed to start for another 5 minutes? So, like, I'm going? Yeah. For a minute I debated whether I just walk the course with Chris and Ryann, or try to run through the mass of people. But I came there to run, so that is what I did.
After we realized we crossed the start, I checked my phone, 7:41AM. I didn't get a chance to start my stopwatch or put in my headphones or anything, just jumped behind a girl who ran by on the sidewalk and started going. The first mile was tons of weaving, sprinting, awkward slow jogging, jumping over curbs, basically just trying to make my way through the course as quickly as possible. Finally I made it past the majority of the slow walkers and it was much easier to hit a stride, more or less. Until we merged with the people doing the one mile walk. More weaving, lots of awkward running, but I crossed the finish line at 8:09AM. Roughly 28 minutes? Who knows. I'll take it. I still had a good time. And was very thankful that the hubs and the babe came out to support me :o).
My last bit of exciting stuff for the day? I'm taking over McFatty Monday. If it weren't for linking up with Blair, I 100% wouldn't have gotten to where I am now. Having that little bit of accountability, plus reading posts from other women who are either living a healthy lifestyle or are wanting to, was incredibly inspiring and motivating to me. So I'm very thankful to BA for letting me keep the McFatty community alive. I'm changing it up a bit, and will be referring to my posts as 'Move it Monday', in an attempt to stay as positive and upbeat as possible. But... It will still be McFatty Monday in my head. At least for a while. Both are good for me.
So here are the rules. First, please link up directly to your Move it Monday post, not just your blog. Second, the post must be healthy living/weight loss related. Does your post have to be positive? Absolutely not. I've had my fair share of issues that I've posted. But please don't randomly link to a post about stuff that doesn't pertain to health/fitness/weight loss issues. Tell us your progress, your triumphs, your failures, share a workout or a healthy recipe, that kind of stuff.
All of you out there who've said I have inspired you? Here is your chance to do it for someone else. Link up below!
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