Workout weekend & annoying people

Well it's day 11 and I've been keeping up with my goals of working out & I've been trying to be really conscious about what I'm eating and I'm really proud of my progress.

Because my usual Monday meeting was canceled for Independence Day, I weighed in Friday morning. Unfortunately the scale went up a bit, but I wasn't discouraged because I know I'm working hard. Plus I went right to the gym after that.

Even though my official training for my half marathon is done, I'm continuing to do weekly runs with the group. Plus workouts. I ran four times this week which I'm pretty sure is a record for me, even in the best of my training. It helps to have the amazing group of girls I run with who help the time and miles pass.

At the gym I've discovered a new machine...I call it the in-line skating machine. I think it's called a floating elliptical or a sand-elliptical or something because it imitates the action of walking in sand (you know...where your foot sinks a little and you need an extra push to keep the momentum). I think it feels a lot like inline skating. Either way, it's a GREAT workout for my problem areas (abs, butt, thighs...chub-rub...). I have only been able to do 10-15 minutes on it but I can definitely feel it working where it needs to.

I also had a free personal training orientation at my gym. The stats weren't great, but he helped me develop a short routine which include a lot of weighted squats (since lunges are my nemesis), and even kettlebells. Yay. Low weights, high reps & I am good to go.

Since I'm currently working part time, I have two days off which I can devote to actually working out. No excuses. It's great. Of course the other half of the day I have to devote to job hunting, but it's a lot easier knowing that I have burned a ton of calories & am working towards my weight goal again.

Speaking of which, I had a really frustrating encounter with a really annoying old woman yesterday during my run. I parked to wait for my teammates and while I was waiting this woman pulled in the spot next to me. She asked for help to figure something out on her car, which then turned into a how-to session on Toyotas. Batty-old-lady syndrome aside, I was patient & friendly with her & then excused myself when my teammates got there to go run.

When I got back, I apparently made the mistake of spending a little extra time stretching & found the same woman coming back to her car. Before I realized she was there, she said hi, and almost immediately ruined my day by telling me in her thick european accent--"You know if you want to lose weight you should really cut out gluten" and proceeded to go into a whole explanation of why gluten is bad and I should go gluten free (which I was toying with the idea with anyway since I've been having some digestive issues, but that's totally besides the point).

WTF??!?!?!?

First of all, if I wanted to know, I would have asked. But I didn't.
Secondly, what is it to her what I look like? I obviously just came back from a run so I'm doing something rather than just sitting around wasting time.
And thirdly, mind your own business!!!

Most of all I got mad at myself afterwards for how I handled it which was to basically defend myself by saying how I already lost weight & am still working on it and that I love bread so it would be hard for me to eliminate it, and basically made excuses instead of just telling her to bugger off or something.

I mean up until that point, I felt really good about myself, my run, and my overall recent fitness. And within SECONDS I felt fat & sweaty and the insatiable need to hit something. Or eat something.

I've had these experiences before where people need to put their two cents in...often in a backhanded compliment kind of way. Like "oh you're so pretty, you just need to lose some weight". Why do people feel like they need to be helpful in a completely insulting way? My dad has been guilty of this too--saying things like "so how much weight have you lost...you better not put it back on!" or "those jeans look a little tight--are you still losing weight?" I know he's saying it to help me, but it just makes me feel like shit. Especially if I actually AM working to keep my diet under control.

And I'm never any good at handling it the right way other than to get defensive.
Have you ever had this type of backhanded compliment or "helpful" suggestion happen to you? How did it make you feel? How did you handle it?

Anyway-all I can do is keep plugging along and keep my goals in mind, keeping my blinders on. And avoiding little old ladies who drive Toyotas.

Until next time.

Injured...

So I am injured. Not from running oddly enough...

My neck and shoulders are injured. It's a cross between a pinched nerve and a strained muscle. Whatever the hell it is...it HURTS. It radiates down my arm and down my back...Currently it's a dull pain, but yesterday and even into this morning it was a sharp pain.

I should just go for a run and ignore it since the running has nothing to do with my neck...but my mentor suggests I rest so I don't injure myself worse.

In any case, it's going to be a tough 8 mile run on Saturday...

I'll try to keep from whining too much in between

Until next time

One small step or one GIANT LEAP?

Pardon the title...it's a full moon out & I liked the analogy. :)

And I've been feeling quite ambitious lately.

As I've mentioned, I am training for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon in May with Team in Training. It's going splendidly (is that a word)--my team is great, I've been consistently going to the weekend meets and I am officially running 8 miles now :) I'm still bad with fitting in weekday runs but I'm averaging 1-2 per week so its better than nothing.

On the flip side, I've been fundraising for the team (see TNT side bar) and it's been going incredibly well. In just one month, I've raised $1,000. My goal for the Pittsburgh Marathon is $1,500, and I have some money coming in from a group fundraiser we did last weekend, so I should be pretty close to my goal with that. And I have three months to go.

So yesterday I had this idea...I'm not sure if it's crazy or not, but I figured I'd want to raise as much money as possible for this cause and bump up my fundraising goal.

And if I bump it up, I might as well go for a different event to get the full TNT experience out of it...and a vacation. Coincidentally, TNT just started their kickoff for the summer season and included in that is...the San Diego Rock & Roll marathon.

It's three weeks after my Pittsburgh Half...and $1,400 extra to fundraise. My friend Megan who is doing the Pittsburgh half is also signed up for the San Diego full marathon. I would rather do the half, but I think it would be an exciting opportunity and most importantly...I NEED A VACATION!!!

I'm still up in the air because even though I got this far with fundraising, another $1,400 is a lot to think about. If I switch over, the 67% I have now will drop back down to 34%...it's all a state of mind of course, but the thought of it still overwhelms me. But on the other hand I'm stoked to visit San Diego--and to participate with some of my running teammates. Personally I want to hit up the zoo wearing short shorts a la Three's Company (flamingo leg!) and of course the Pacific Ocean. I haven't been to California in ages & I want to take advantage of the sunny West Coast.

Anyway-those are my plans. I think I've basically made up my mind since I started this post. heheheh-the wheels are turning and I see sunshine in my future.

Until next time!

Running in circles

Maybe not exactly what I mean, but certainly how I feel sometimes!

Well as I mentioned I am officially in training for the half marathon in May. With my Team in Training group, we've been meeting on Saturdays for our group training run--coaches, mentors and teammates alike--we're running on those cold winter mornings where most others are cozying up in bed glad they dont' have to be anywhere.

Remember that 6 miles? I did it! I did it the first time, and I did it again last week. The first one was a bit of a laborious trip, but I completed it...hill and all. Last week a small group of decided to run/walk the 6 miles and it was definitely better. My Nike+ is telling me I'm running 11 minute miles which is way off (I'm averaging between 13 & 14)

The biggest problem is fitting in training runs during the week. I'm averaging about 1 other run per week which is NOT good because as we start increasing our distance, I'm going to need to keep building strength, endurance and speed...

Between not getting up on time in the mornings and a busy evening schedule...and sheer unwillingness to go out in single digit degree weather at night...I'm falling behind on the weekday runs. Even trips to the gym would seem like a good replacement, but I haven't done that either.

I also haven't been to Weight Watchers in a couple weeks...I've been avoiding the scale. And I'm definitely noticing a difference in how I feel--even with the running. I'm trying to keep my motivation going with weight loss, but I just keep falling behind on that too.

The title of this post really hits home because I really do feel like I'm running in circles. I'm trying, but not whole-heartedly, and I just feel like I'm getting nowhere fast. But I know I'm on the right track, I just have to keep my goals in mind and make those small changes to get to the big picture.

Anyway--I'm pumped because I found a new DVD which I ordered called Booty Barre. (Note...Booty Barre and Booty Bar are two completely different types of DVDs). This fitness DVD by Tracy Mallett is a ballet inspired lower body toning workout with pilates, yoga, cardio all wrapped up into one. I'm excited about it because a) my lower half is my problem area and ballet is a perfect toning workout to target those spots, b) it looks like it's an apartment friendly workout so my downstairs neighbor won't have a fit and c) I can wear a tutu. Okay--I probably won't, but just knowing that I can is motivation to do the workout.

I also ordered a stretching DVD by Karen Voight called "Pure and Simple Stretch" to help improve my flexibility and to help keep my muscles and joints in good condition after my runs.

I am not familiar with either of the instructors, but the clips and reviews looked promising for both, and I'm hoping will supplement my running so that way my body will become stronger and more toned.

Share your thoughts...
Has anyone tried these DVDs or anything by these instructors?
How do you keep your mojo going when it starts to falter or get out of a cycle of on-again, off-again motivation?

Until next time

The plan...it's WORKING

"it isn't enough to WANT to meet your goal, it take blood, tears, and sweat to ACHIEVE your goal."-whomever Megan stole it from...

Well, things are moving swimmingly in the right direction with the new Weight Watchers Points Plus program. Last night's weigh in had a loss of .8lbs which may not seem significant but it is for three reasons

• I actually ate before my weigh in last night (just a 1/2 sandwich but still)
• It's PMS week...I always gain during PMS week
• Two big dinners in a row this weekend and I still lost.

I'm proud of the .8 lbs. And I took that to the gym afterward and jogged 4 miles.

So I have not mentioned that I am in training for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon in May. It's the same one I did last year which I ended up walking all but the last 3 miles. This year, I'm preparing for it though. And I'm doing it through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. You raise money for them, they will train you for an endurance event. It's pretty cool and a great group of people. You get assigned a coach, and a mentor who will help guide you through the process. as well as an honored person--a cancer patient or survivor--to help inspire you and share their story as you raise money.

The official training doesn't start until January, but this week I had my first run with my mentor and a group of women also training for a race. I was nervous because I had just started running again and didn't know how I'd fare with a group of people. Surprisingly it went really well and I was able to keep up. It was a reasonably cold and sunny day and we went to a nearby college to run. We did 3 miles and it was great. It was definitely a slow jog but made me feel better about being able to do this. My mentor Melissa is really nice & along with a couple of other mentors, made it a fun experience. Who knew?

Anyway--here are my successes of the week:

• Tracked 5/7 days (and sort of tracked over the weekend)
• Stayed within my points all but Fri/Sat/Sun
• Earned 26 activity points with 3 days of running
• Was able to run 3 miles consistently without too many breaks
• Made some great food choices (like passing on pizza for a better lunch, snacks like Greek yogurt & berries to keep me satisfied, lots of fruit!, paid attention to portions...)

And my goals for this week:

• Run 3x (four if possible, at least one day outside); 3-4 miles each
• Keep tracking
• Focus on getting in all healthy guidelines each day (water, fruits & veggies, milk, oil, protein, whole grain, exercise).
• Plan out obstacles for week & how to get around them
• Start to incorporate strength training workouts

This week's meeting topic was planning ahead for obstacles such as holidays, holiday parties, office treats, etc...What have you done or what can you do to plan ahead for your obstacles?

Until next time

Overkill

I hurt. I'm gonna hurt even more tomorrow.

4 miles on the treadmill. Plus swing dancing. In one day.

I am going to have to figure out how to pace myself with this training. The1/2 marathon training schedule has me running 5 days/week. It's going to take a lot of dedication to keep up with it...I dont know if I'm going to be able to do it all, but there's no room for lag time...ugh.

Maybe I'll cut out one of the days of running to make sure I get a break and don't overdo it. But I'm afraid I won't be ready in time if I do.

How do you guys pace yourself in your training?

Until next time

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!

Red Gloves

Laziness WILL be defeated

I dont' know if it's just this week or I'm getting lazy again in general but I can't seem to get myself out of bed for morning workouts anymore. I haven't been at all this week before work.

I did manage to go after work on Tuesday and Wednesday, and I'm planning on the same for tonight, but the workouts also seem harder at the end of the day. I fight with myself to not just go home and veg out.

So what has changed and what can I do to not fall into my usual trap of letting the lazy side of me win?

Well for one, I have my event goals of the 5k (SUNDAY!!) and the 1/2 marathon (21k). That's the number one reason I can't start losing momentum. There's no way I'll make it through 13 miles if I'm not training regularly.

Secondly my accomplishments of getting myself to reach new distances, times, and speeds should be motivation. I was ecstatic that I was able to run the 3 miles last week, and each time I try to step it up a bit-either running outside, or on an incline, or just pushing myself a little extra longer. By the end of the month I want to be able to do 5 miles.

Also, even though I haven't been losing big numbers since I started training, I am definitely seeing a difference in my body in the past month. Seeing the difference and feeling the difference again in my clothes should definitely be huge motivation for me.

And lastly--I don't want to be a quitter. I don't want to let laziness win this time!! I want to for once, accomplish a goal I've set for myself without letting life get in the way.
Laziness--that evil demonic weight loss villain has ruled my life for so long

along with it's sidekicks...
Procrastination and The Excuse


Well, this time, they will not win. Why?

Because I am...

K--I did not choose that name. But I love the costume :)

Okay, that seemed to work. Now I'm pumped and off to the gym!
Have a great weekend and FIGHT EVIL!

Until next time

Welcome February-Let's see if you can top January

Turning the page of a calendar is refreshing--often feels like a fresh start on life. A whole new month full of potential!

Unlike most retrospectives though, January was literally a kick ass month! I set up goals for myself which I accomplished with flying colors (even though I actually forgot all about them). No regrets here!!
40 lbs down As of last week--Check
Tracking food 5x week Check (Fridays can be tricky--weekends still a problem)
Exercise 4x week every week Check!! (My biggest accomplishment!)
Meal planning Check (More like making sure I have healthy food on hand)
Revisit WW lessons Check (Part of WW meetings)
Don't gain. Check!
35 lbs down
Re-join gym

As I mentioned, my biggest accomplishment is my increased activity. Since Jan 7th and joining the gym, I have earned at least 89 APs (11, 21, 24, 33) and been active for 22 out of 31 days. I hear it takes 21 days for a habit to stick. Even though those 22 days weren't consecutive, I definitely feel like being active is becoming a staple in my life (including feeling guilty for Rest Days!)

This has been a milestone month for me too since it's the first time I've ever been able to run 3 miles, and at least 2 of those miles is without stopping!

And as of next weekend, I'll have accomplished one long overdue goal of my "Winning Outcomes" list and my "Feats of Strength" list...the 5k!

Once I finish my 5k, I'm going immediately into training for the 1/2 marathon in May. It's 12 weeks from that point. It's going to be grueling, but it's going to be good. I of course want to continue my weight loss progress, but I hear when you're training for long races, it's common for weight loss to plateau. Since my main goal is to run, I'm going to have to evaluate where I want to be in May with my weight.

The one thing I absolutely have to get under control is my eating patterns. I go a few days eating really good and then the nighttime eating begins. Even after writing my 10 things last week, I paid no attention to that list as I made my way through far too many wheat thins, skinny cows and other snacks. I can't blame it on being hungry from exercise--it was definitely lack of mindful eating.

So, to finish this off, here are my goals for February:
-Run 5k!!
-Start 1/2 marathon training
-Run 5 miles
-Assess goals for May
-Practice mindful eating
-Track 5x week
-Exercise 4x week
-Healthy guidelines!

And as I think I've mentioned, if you want a peak into my running/workout routines, I've started a new blog (Live to Fit to Live) specifically as a fitness log for myself.

Happy February everyone!!
Until next time

Ms. Mojo Risin'

Okay. So last week...um...not so great.

I was fine until Thursday. Which from Tuesday isn't really an accomplishment.

Thursday hit and I was dragging. I didn't get to the gym in the morning. My lunch was o-kay, and after choir rehearsal I made the fatal mistake of going to the supermarket--and stocking up on crapola. Vienna fingers on sale? SURE! Pop Chips 2 for $4??? YES! They're low-points!

Seriously Julia. WTF. You should know better. I spent $15 on food that was not good for me (I did get milk though). The rest of the week was pretty terrible in terms of eating. And I didn't get to the gym after Wednesday. I did go running outdoors on Saturday--but that was after lying around all day catching up on TV shows. Did I go running when it was sunny & bright? Nope. Went after dark when it was bitter cold.

Anyway--this week is better. Despite all my efforts (lack thereof), I did manage to lose 1.4 lbs. When my leader weighed me in, I swore she said .4. I'm like--okay--well, that makes sense, and I guess exercise was the only reason I didn't gain. But when I looked at my book, I saw the extra 1 lb there and was in shock. Well for a previous week gain of .6 after all my hard work, I guess it does make sense, but whatever--I'll take it.

So now I'm fired up again. Whether it has to do with the nice loss, or just a general rise in ambition, I'm happy for it. I was really dragging last week.

Today I did make it to the gym and really made the most of it. I have two weeks left until my 5k and I needed to up my mileage. I've been running about 2miles consistently, so today my goal was to push myself to the 3 mile mark & I did it! Even 3.1 (the actual 5k distance). I did stop a few times, but for my first time at that distance, I'm pretty proud. And when I say first time, I seriously have never in my life run three miles, so this is a pretty big accomplishment. I have high hopes for the race on Feb 7th.

I just have to keep up with the training, working on increasing my endurance and speed. Though I don't really care what time I finish with, I do want to do my best. I don't know how I would have done this in the spring/summer--I certainly was not able to run even 2 miles consistently.
Anyway--I decided to start another blog called Live to Fit to Live for my fitness training--particularly running. Even just to log reps & distance/time so I can keep this blog more of a weight loss blog. Obviously my running and training is a part of weight loss, but that blog is more for the nitty gritty-especially once I start training for the 1/2 marathon.

To Eat or Not to Eat
Last night at my meeting, we talked about emotional eating, how we know when we are actually hungry, and why we eat when we're really not hungry. Sound familiar? We all do it. (Weight Watchers article here) Anger, loneliness, stress, BOREDOM (me), time of day, etc. So we were challenged to ask ourselves when we overeat, why we overeat, and what can we do to replace overeating. Our task is to come up with 10 alternatives to eating from these emotions.

So that will be my next blog topic. Tune in & feel free to make a list with me!

Until next time

Fartlek

Pardon me?

I learned a new word today. Fartlek. I seriously had to look at it twice. Apparently it's a Swedish word for "Speed Play". And it's used in training for runners. This wildly amusing word refers to bursts of speed in the middle of a training run, that you vary in time and intensity.

I learned this while I was looking up training schedules for the 1/2 marathon. It was recommended to me that I should start training now. Initially I figured I would train for the 5k first and then pick up the pace after that. But I really should just train for the longer run, and the 5k will seem like a cake walk after a while.

Seventeen weeks until the race.

I found a training plan on CoolRunning.com which I found to be reasonable. It's for twelve weeks of training and a pre-training (which will essentially prepare me for the 5k). The time-frame works out perfectly for it. I'm sure there are other training plans, but this is free, and it's by the hosts of the Couch to 5k program which I had done back in March.

Right now I'm running only about 2 miles in 20 minutes. But that was based on the 20 minute time limit I was scheduling myself for cardio. I've slowly been increasing my speed in that 20 minutes to help improve my endurance. I'm debating whether to continue to do that 20 minute segment at higher speeds, or to start working towards completing the mileage for the pre-training and the 5k (which varies between 3 and 5 miles). Suggestions?

This weekend, I told my mom I had signed up for the 1/2 marathon. Her reaction? "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!" Where's my supportive "you can do anything you set your mind to" mother??? What the hell?? Her rationalization was that it takes people so long to train for these races & I'll never be able to do it. Well, it really only made me more determined. I was disappointed that she didn't have faith that I could train for it, you know what I say to that??

Fartlek you.

Until next time

Long and hard day-at least gym's outta the way! (Keep reading for a Spontaneous moment of Stupidity)

I'm exhausted. Seriously like may pass out at any given moment exhausted. It's a combination of lack of sleep (though I've been getting at least 6 hours a night) and body weariness.

I did a morning workout for the third day in a row today, though I didn't make it to the gym. I couldn't drag myself out of bed early enough that I would have gotten a good workout if I drove to the gym and came back, and I was not in any state to put together a gym bag to shower there.

I did however...eventually...throw on my workout gear & do a Biggest Loser workout strength routine (about 20 minutes), and then I went for a run. And what a run it was. It was absolutely freezing, but sunny. And I walked for about five minutes before I started my run. I felt under-dressed for the temps though I had on three layers of shirts, plus hat & gloves, but once I started running I completely forgot about the cold, other than seeing my breath streaming out at every exhale.

I ran (okay, jogged) a route that I used to do when I was doing the Couch to 5k training last winter. Brisk walk down Broadway, start running at the elementary school, turn around at the college, run back, slow to a brisk walk at the elementary school. It's about 2 miles, 1.5 running span. Even when I was running on a regular basis, and in warm weather I always needed to slow it down to a walk at least a couple of times before I got to the college to turn around, and by the time I made my way back, I always was struggling to breathe and had a stitch in my side.

Today, in the 20something degree temps, I ran without stopping to the college, and even did an extra loop into the campus so I didn't physically stop to turn around, and about 1/4 way back before needing a break to slow to a brisk walk. I think I slowed down only twice more once for a hill), and was able to finish further than I normally do before I did my cool down walk.

Can it be true then? I actually AM getting stronger? I actually am getting more FIT? I might actually someday call myself an...athlete? A runner? Heaven help us all.

I'm surprised I was able to do it. Not that it was easy--I was definitely struggling at the end. But I've never ever EVER been able to jog that long without stopping--ESPECIALLY outdoors. Treadmills are different. They move you. Not that I am very good on a treadmill either, but these days, I'm able to jog my 20 minute routine at the gym. This is real pavement pounding running.

Spontaneous Moment of Stupidity here
Though it may have something to do with something stupid that I did yesterday. And by stupid I mean exciting and great and brave...but stupid. I signed up for two races. Next month, a 5k called the Freezer Five (Feb 7th), and in May, the mother of all ridiculous ideas...a 1/2 marathon. In Pittsburgh. I signed up, I paid. Signed, sealed, delivered...I'm running. What in heaven's name was I thinking? But I am pumped.

I think the 5k is definitely doable, even if I have less than a month to train, I'm well on my way. Just have to build up my endurance for the cold and the distance. That will be fun.

It's the 1/2 marathon I'm scratching my head about. 13.1 miles. WTF??? My friend who lives in Pittsburgh is doing the marathon with a group of friends. I figured...hey, why not right? It'll give me something to train & look forward to! How am I ever going to be able to run 13.1 miles??? Oh, and I did sign up to run the race, as opposed to most of the other girls who signed up to walk it. Yeah. Well, it's definitely a challenge. It may be the challenge I need to keep me motivated. My WW leader is going to get a kick out of this.

Anyway--I'm excited and scared and every emotion in between.

But at the moment I'm still exhausted. At least I dont' have to go to the gym tonight! Early to bed for this chickie.

Until next time

Back in action

I broke down and joined a gym today. I really did think I would be able to work out on my own, but now that the weather's gotten cold and icy, I knew outdoor workouts & runs were out the window, and indoor workouts are now few & far between.

On the plus side, it's Planet Fitness & it's $20/month. It would be $10/month, but I wanted the flexibility of multiple gym locations. Plus I get unlimited use of massage chairs. Rock on. :) It's a bare minimum gym with just machines; no classes or fancy stuff (other than massage chairs and tanning booths); but there are a lot of machines, so even tonight when it was really busy, there were treadmills available.

I brought my workout stuff and went straight from signing up for a membership to the treadmill. It was already late because I was at work, so I only did about 20 minutes on the treadmill (15 jogging!!). I figured I shouldn't overdo it. Start slow. Baby steps (right Ashley?) I've been walking all week on my lunch break, plus swing dance, but this was my first full out sweaty workout since the beginning of December, so I figure just because I joined a gym doesn't mean I have to go crazy on my first day. I'd like to actually stick with it this time.

So here's to running towards my goal!

OMG IT'S THE CAN CAN SALE!
Sorry, I just saw the Shop Rite commercial and it's the semi-annual Can Can sale where everything that's in a can is on sale. I guess I'll be stocking up this weekend. Tuna, soup, etc...yay!

Until next time

Oh the weather outside is...

I have a love-hate relationship with winter.

This time of year it's kind of inspiring--the first snowfalls of the season, the excitement of the upcoming holidays, the warm & cozy sweaters...(notice I'm omitting the foods...)

Of course it also puts a damper on exercise (and motivation in general). Whether outside or inside, there is no bone in my body that craves exercise in cold weather--my bones are craving couch time and comfort foods.

However, when I do get my butt in gear, I find exercise in the winter can be invigorating. As long as it's not cold & rainy anyway. Then I am dragged outside kicking and screaming.

There are fun outdoor sports like ice skating & skiing that I like to partake in, and I plan to at some point this season, but I'm not used to really pushing my workouts outdoors.

Last night I went jogging. It wasn't ridiculously cold--probably in the 40s. High 30s maybe? And I layered up & was perfectly comfortable. But it was hard. My body felt every cold step, my knees were aching, my ankles felt pressure, and there were a few times where I thought I might pass out from how my lungs were dealing with the cold. Even though my body was technically warm, it was still fighting against the cold and struggling to adjust.

I'm glad I went and I did feel good once I finished. I could see myself doing this every once in a while on a sunny winter morning or relatively mild evening, but I'm wondering if there should be some extra steps I should be taking to prepare myself for the winter outdoor exercise. I know most days I won't be pushing myself to brave the bitter cold, but I want to take advantage of the natural gym as much as I can.

How do you guys handle outdoor exercise in the winter?

Tonight is dropping into the 20s. It will be an indoor fitness night :)

Until next time

Get mad

I don't get mad often. I've got a pretty even temper and laid back personality.

But sometimes that results in me swallowing emotions instead of releasing them and then they build up.

And they brew.

And they fester (great word isn't it?)

And then...

BOOM. Full fledged emotional demons come flooding out. Beware.

So this weekend was one of those weekends. I've been letting some stuff build up for weeks now, but I thought it had settled. I had a great week with lots of positive energy & great experiences (other than Monday's frustrating weigh in) and I was really looking forward to this weekend. On Friday however there was that change of tides.

First I encountered a series of rude people one right after the other who pissed me off first thing in the morning. After that it seemed everything started going wrong, but I tried not to let it get to me. I went out that night and had a great time and seemed to have recovered. Saturday I was very efficient in preparing for the wedding I had later that day, and even fit in a half hour run. It was tough, but I was happy I did it. The wedding though was a bit tough--between my friend who is post-breakup getting upset every time she heard "their" song, and being surrounded by couples while dealing with my own issues, and some other useless senseless drama which came up...my head was continuing to clog up with chaos.

To top everything off, yesterday's trip to the Ren Faire proved to put the icing on the cake and by the time I came home I was bubbling over with hurt, anger, and every emotion in between and it all came pouring out. In the privacy of my bedroom I just let everything release uninhibitedly and eventually settled down.

And then I ran. I couldn't eat anything and needed to do something, and I knew that pounding the pavement would be the only thing that was going to help. And it did. It wasn't just all jogging either--I actually ran. And I ran further than I ever have before. And it felt good. Sure I was tired. Sure I could barely breathe. Sure I had a cramp in my side which felt like it was ripping apart my organs. But I pushed and by the time I returned, I proudly collapsed on my couch in contented exhaustion.

I know this week is going to be a difficult week, but I'm planning on using that to my advantage. Channeling those emotions into my running--I feel strong physically and I think this will help me cope emotionally--plus it will help me reach my 50 lb mark on the scale which will also help my overly-emotional state.

Get mad. Since I can never have all parts of my life cooperating at the same time, I'm going to at least use adrenaline and endorphins to my advantage.

Tonight should be a good night on the scale because I was pretty good this week & did fit in lots of walks and a few runs. I don't know what the loss will be, but it should definitely be a loss. Hopefully after today my mood will start to calm down to it's normal tepid state.

Goals for the week:

• Run
• Lots of protein, healthy foods, fewer carbs (other than fruit)
  
• Track
• Water
• Distract myself
  
• Keep my 50lb goal in mind.

Until next time

Back in...

...the Saddle
(That could totally be me...if...I rode...horses)

Good Afternoon to all you lovely friends of the blogosphere! I hope you're enjoying your day. I certainly am. I spent my morning at Bloomingdales...for work. Could it get any better?

Okay--back to the topic at hand. I am back in the clichéd saddle. I finally went running last night and it felt great. After 45 days of not doing any exerted exercise other than walking, I finally just got up and did it. And granted I probably should have started off a little slower than I did (I ran most of the 2.5 miles), I pushed through some of my usual struggles including breathing issues, side cramps and leg fatigue and I did it. And I'm going to do it again tonight. Even with the heat during the day, it cooled down nicely by 9pm and it was perfect for running. Plus my apartment was a sauna so it was actually nicer to be outside.

My energy level was high yesterday--and I was ready to take full advantage of it. If that wasn't enough, my meeting last night was another driving factor--both positive and negative.

Negative first.
I had another gain. It was only .4 lbs, but being that this was the 3rd week in a row I've gained (which has not happened to me ever since I started WW), it was a slap in the face. I need to start making changes. I can't skirt by as I'd been doing for a while with the bare minimum expecting to see results. I won't go into details about the negatives of last week because I don't want to dwell on them*. Moving forward...

The positives:
The meeting topic was about getting off track. My leader specifically talked about Plateaus, but it was entirely appropriate to what I've been going through the past few weeks--addressing why you aren't losing weight. Lack of focus, getting sloppy, monotony etc. I don't know if it necessarily enlightened me on anything, but it did reinforce the fact that I need to take control of this before it gets out of hand.

Even more helpful was after the meeting, my leader came up to ask how I was doing & we started talking about helping me get back on track. Just talking about it seemed to get me back in the momentum. AND one of my fellow meeting members came up and asked me about how I lost my weight. I have to admit I probably was a bit of a Debbie Downer because I was still a bit cranky about gaining, but I tried to give her some of my tips (basically everything that I wasn't doing for the past month). Next week I plan on being a little more helpful to her. So all of this, plus the fact that I felt like I was finally getting my head together to get back on track really helped to motivate me and give me back that positive spirit I'd been missing.

Looking back...
Even though last week didn't go as well as I'd hoped, there were some positive improvements:

• I tracked...most** of my food--on WW.com and in my work planner
• I brought my lunch every day. Home made is always better.
• I walked at lunch during the nicer days. Hey it was a start right?
• I hydrated! Boy did I ever. Bathroom trips were frequent.
• I limited TV, at least at the beginning of the week. I didn't necessarily take that time to do something productive, but even going to bed was better than sitting there mindlessly.
• I did not drink unnecessary alcohol--only on the weekend at two parties--and that was also limited.
• I started practicing a new habit (mentioned at Losing My Thighs) of putting my food down between bites to be able to savor the taste and slow down eating. When I am conscious of it and practice it, it actually works! It makes food last longer too. Point in case-my chocolate chip cookie is only 1/2 eaten 10 minutes after I started it! Chances are I won't be wanting a 2nd one.
  
• Even though I had a rough week last week, my obsessive blog-browsing got me psyched again for moving in the right direction.

*Note to self-don't fall for two-for-one deals on snacks. Like Goldfish. They're evil.
** Most of my food...weekends still tend to get lost in the shuffle. Don't know if I'll ever get past that.

So here's to a fresh week of conscious efforts to get back in the saddle and keep on riding!
Until next time

Boot Camp Day Eleven

I am so proud of myself for yesterday's run. I did so well. I really pushed myself and then I had boundless energy the rest of the night.

This morning on the other hand...

Anyway, I was out jogging/walking for about 40 minutes, but we went further in our intervals than we usually do and I felt so much stronger. The last push was a killer, but we made it.

I used my nifty new WW pedometer for the first time. Tracks steps, mileage, and even APs for the day or for a specific workout. I got 2 for the run.

Then it was off to my little cousin's house for his b'day party. I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for my favorite Turkey Sausage Egg White Flatbread & an iced coffee. Well that iced coffee kicked in almost immediately because when I got to my cousin's house, I was dancing around and was even coerced into running some more with the kids (after ice cream cake of course). Insane. It was great though.

After all that I went home and had some more of those cherries which actually seem to be getting sweeter.

Today my meals were o-kay...breakfast was cereal again but then I didn't have a prepared lunch and decided to get chili in the cafeteria and some vegetables which was all fine, but my points just disappeared. After a snack of a super sweet kiwi, I have just 2.5 points left for the rest of the evening. That is not good news. Plus I dont' think I'll have time to go for a run before choir tonight.

I'll make the most of it, but I definitely want to keep up this good momentum.

Rain rain go away....

Until next time

Feeling good

A bit sore, but good.

My shoulders are sore from my grocery weight lifting I did the other night, but yesterday I went jogging and it felt damn good. I was out of breath, but not like I felt I had to stop. My friend & I went for about a half hour with intermittent walking & jogging.

Considering I hadn't gone in weeks, I wasn't sure how I was going to do, but it felt good. And we pushed each other which was good. And we even held full conversations while jogging.

We were definitely tired at the end, but not unbearably so. Being our first trip out together I think we did a great job. I can't wait to go back out there.

Of course its raining again so I can't go out tonight, but I'm going to try to do some indoor strength training tonight after rehearsal.

Gotta keep this up! No excuses right?

Until next time

PS...is anyone else having annoying issues w/the site the past few days? I've lost all my side links. Ugh.