Day 233: I have a pain in my rear

Thursday, February 07, 2013

Well, I've survived the week thus far.

Monday I did nothing but walk.
Tuesday was 5 miles of hill repeats.
Yesterday was my Cross Training Class
Today is 3 mile Thursday.

My butt and hips feel soooo sore.

So, on Tuesday night's hill repeats we ran up and down the hill 5 times. I was slow and appreciative of the faster runners who tolerated my presence. I was in the back with the rest of the 11 - 13 minute pacers. We're on repeat number 4 and of the six of them I started with five of them gave up. Well, that just lit a fire under my ass and made me HAVE to do repeat number 5. I may be slow, but I'm no quitter! I was so inspired by the girl behind me. She was probably a 15 minute pacer and all of 5 foot nothing. She was a little heavy, but she NEVER quit. Really, she inspired me.

In other news now I sit at 187 - that's two pounds up from my low of 185. I don't care, I'm just going to keep on keeping on.

Alright, time to kick work's butt!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SKEETOR 2/8/2013 12:37PM

Your hill experience reminded me of one time when I was working out with a really fast runner who said running hills was the best way to increase your time. So we were running up this steep hill and he said "No, you have to run your FASTEST!"....I was running my fastest! You're doing GREAT! Report Inappropriate Comment

POMATOJUICE 2/7/2013 12:02PM

you have a pain in your rear.. AND I HAVE A CRACK IN MY ASS! Sorry, I had to :X I'm glad to hear that you are stubbornly hanging in there, though! And seriously? Go go chick behind you! Report Inappropriate Comment

REFFIE1 2/7/2013 11:09AM

Exercising is such a pain in the butt! Let's kick it! Report Inappropriate Comment

FARRAH511 2/7/2013 10:05AM

Wow No pain, no gain... but listen at your body, you may need some rest... Have a Marvelous Day! Farrah Report Inappropriate Comment

Day 231: Making a run of it

Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Goooooood MORNING!

I'm just going to take three minutes to thank everybody for all of the comments and support lately - especially on the protein shake blog - I know the whole 'weight gain' thing is a fallacy; but, it doesn't take the fear of 'bulking up' away!

One of the things I did realize from that blog is that I am almost vehemently opposed to 'natural' eating. You know, like, going organic or that kind of thing. First off - Organic is expensive. Second off, for me to go from a powder-shake to a food-based shake takes up more time.

I'll say it for the millionth time: I just don't cook, peeps. I don't do it. Some day, when I'm rich and famous I'll have a staff to cook and clean for me. Until that happens I'll just have to make due with pre-made tuna salad, powder-based protein shakes, and Subway six inch subs.

This week is going to be insane. Outside of having been hit with a wave of hormones yesterday (stupid girly-things) I've also planned a lot on my plate. First and foremost, I have a 5 mile hill run tonight. It's actually through the neighborhood I grew up in, so it's going to be AWESOME! Tomorrow morning at 6AM is my new cross-training for runners class. I'm stoked. I just hope that I'm not too fat/weak to be able to do the exercises well. I'm quite certain that they're not expecting someone like me at this class. On top of what I've planned workout wise I also just got crapped on (again) at work. I don't mind the long nights / fire drills; I just hope this one is a bit more planned out than the last one. It's always nice to see the crap-storm coming, though. I'm going to make a run of this week - slow, steady, paced, planned, and measured. I can totally fit all of this in if I just focus on what I'm doing as I'm doing it.

In other news, looking to chop all my hair off - I just can't take it anymore!

So far I'm on track for my plan - even if the scale still has me two pounds up from last week's low.

Oh, I did have ice cream for dinner last night.

Yeah, the ice cream is no longer welcome in my home.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SKEETOR 2/6/2013 9:03AM

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! I hope you enjoyed your run through the old neighborhood...Be sure to post a picture of your new hair! Report Inappropriate Comment

GRACEOMALLEY 2/5/2013 4:08PM

I too am sorry you don't cook. You can accomplish amazing things with relatively little time and effort if you do, but it is what it is. I will suggest the frittata /omelet option. You can throw all sorts of veggies, chopped up, fresh or frozen, into a skillet with a lid or into a baking dish/pan. You can jazz it up by adding a little salsa to the mix, or salt and pepper, or a little hot sauce, and a little shredded lowfat cheese is always a good addition. You can use plain greek yogurt as a "sauce" and that can be flavored with curry powder, soy sauce, pepper, hot sauce, even a little ketchup. This is a quick, easy variety that doesn't really require cooking. If you use eagbeaters type product you can mix the egg portion heavier on the egg white and that makes it lower cal/fat and fluffier. I wish you well in your endeavors and hope the issues at work head far away. Ciao Debi Report Inappropriate Comment

REFFIE1 2/5/2013 3:20PM

Can't resist having that ice cream in my house either. It is definitely kryptonite. Report Inappropriate Comment

SIMONEKP 2/5/2013 2:21PM

Another awesome entry, I love to cook but it does take up time and often time in my world, convenience is king. I try to get around it by cooking a bunch of stuff on the weekend to serve me throughout the week. I also use plenty of premade stuff, like Tyson anytizers grilled chicken from the freezer section. Report Inappropriate Comment

POMATOJUICE 2/5/2013 9:42AM

I'm against organic for other reasons :X Yeah, it's expensive. I've had a terrible aversion to it for a while that I just couldn't put my finger on. Then I saw the Pen& Teller BULLSH*T (spark wouldn't let me type that) episode on organic foods, and it gave form to my hatred! Very informative :P I do realize that some people with chemical allergies and reactions to preservatives and whatever need to have the option to buy organic to just be able to EAT veggies, and that's fine. It's the stuff in the Bullsh*t episode that makes organic like some sort of cult the things that bother me about it. I'm sad that you dont' like cooking! I know it's not for everybody, but I enjoy it so much! :D You should take some vacay time and come visit me. I will cook for you! I will also teach you my bag-fu. That is how I make healthy dinners out of a bag when I don't feel like real cooking. If you come visit, though, I don't know if I can run. I may try running. But you can just stare at me spinning on the bike :P Report Inappropriate Comment

Day 230: I want to be an Athlete

Monday, February 04, 2013

Gosh, I am in one FOUL mood today.

I know it's all hormonal, but it's hard to pull out of a tailspin when you're in it.

Add to that the cold and feeling like a piece of beef jerky - all dry and brittle - and I'm just ornery.

This morning during my drive in to work I had the thought: I want to be an athlete.

By it's simplest defintion and Athlete is someone who is proficient at sports or other forms of physical exercise.

That definition doesn't say 'best'; it doesn't say 'fastest'; it says 'proficient.' That means someone has competency or skill. Again, nothing about being the best.

So, it kind of turns the idea of beating myself up for never being able to run an 8 minute mile on it's head, doesn't it? After all, I can be a proficient or skilled distance runner and not do it the most quickly. I can be an efficient runner. I can be a capable runner. I can most certainly be an able runner.

Being that I am such a competitive person by nature it's hard for me to get past the idea that can't be first at this. It's a mental challenge. It's taking a race and running it against myself. I'm running against that voice in my head that tries to bargain and tries to get me to stop. I'm running against the cold and the wind that tells me that if I just go back inside I'll feel better. Feeling better hasn't helped me be better at anything ever.

In other news with the hormones comes extra weight. Up an incredible four pounds this morning. I don't get it. I never will get it. I hate being a girl.

Time to go kick some butt at work... I've done enough wining for today.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

PROUD-GRANDMA 2/4/2013 9:34PM

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OLIVIANIGHT 2/4/2013 4:17PM

Being a girl does suck sometimes. I always go up 4 lbs just before TOM, and it always terrifies me that this time they won't go away again and I'll just keep on going up in 4 lb increments. Curse you, womanhood. Also, have some hugs. *hugging!* Report Inappropriate Comment

ADARKARA 2/4/2013 1:01PM

I think you already are an athlete. And I totally get your 'beef jerky' reference. I feel that way too! Report Inappropriate Comment

BARBANNA 2/4/2013 11:31AM

You sound determined and what I am hearing in this message is someone who will be able to do what you want. When you feel bloated and out-of-sorts is when you need to just move, whether it is slow or fast. There are hormones produced by our amino acids that regulate weight gain and appetite. You may already know about them but I was very relieved to find an answer to my intervals of rapid weight gain. They are called Gherlin and Leptin. Gherlin is the one that causes our appetite to increase and they facilitate production of the growth hormones. Leptin is the one that decreased appetite. When you eat regulary and at breif intervals you decrease the Gherlin hormones and increase the Leptin hormones. Aerobic exercise increases the Leptin Hormones. Estrogen, lack of sleep and stress all increase Gherlin hormones. We have a proportinate amount of Gherlin hormones as the fat content in our body. Exercise reduces the fat content and therefore the Gherlin hormone. If you want to be more like a man then exercise like one or increase your aerobics so decrease the Gherlin that is causing your weight gain! Good luck! Report Inappropriate Comment

COOP9002 2/4/2013 11:27AM

Sounds like are already an athlete. Nice job on the progress that you've made. Report Inappropriate Comment

Day 227: Groundhogs, Victories, and The FoozeBall.

Friday, February 01, 2013

Instead of being mean as it had been in the past when I worked out three days in a row, the scale graced me with a 1lb loss this morning!

I knew there had to be SOME kind of reckoning soon, I've been working too hard for it to keep kicking me in the teeth with 187.2.

Down to 185.6 - CRAZY TALK.

Plans for this weekend include a fantastic 5 mile course with the road runners! Why am I so excited? Because it's just shy of half of my half-marathon distance AND it takes place almost entirely on the course for the Half itself! There is NOTHING more empowering in my mind than running the course before the race - to know what the challenges could be and to knock them down. Really, it's alllll mental.

After crushing my mental foes in the morning then it's time to go to the movies and catch Groundhog day at a local cinema. Come on, who can say no to Bill Murray?

Sunday is the Superbowl 5K. I'm looking forward to having a nice, lazy run. I wouldn't call it a race ;-)

Last night I learned that Muscle Milk lite is best prepared with a little bit of ice and skim milk. I tried it with water and the taste and texture were simply awful. I was reminded of when I was in college and used to drink these chocolate Atkins shakes. Yeah, tasted more or less the same. I'm hoping that adding these shakes to my routine help me feed my body better - that's my only goal. I don't think a shake will ever be something I Can look at as being 'filling' and it certainly won't stave off my mental hunger. But, I think so far I've found that the inheirent sweetness does keep me from considering the run out for icecream at 8PM.

For the curious about why I'm ditching my Fitbit it's not because I'm frustrated with it; it's because I'm not using it. My BodyMedia already tracks everything that the FitBit does and I need to wear the armband for the study.

Well, time to get some real work done. What are you guys doing this weekend?

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

POMATOJUICE 2/2/2013 9:00AM

One of the serious bonuses of mixing powder shakes in a blender is that you can add all sorts of stuff to it. When you start dropping in peanut butter and bananas, you make it a meal! XD lol. I think if I was going to do the powder, I'd probably get one of those blenderball cups, because I seriously hate washing my blender parts. I don't know. I think it's some sort of complex. The thing I don't like about the taste of most shakes (even the pre-mixed ones) is that unavoidable artificial sweetener+ protein powder taste. One thing I found really masks that protein flavor is green tea powder. Not all of the shakes taste THAT bad, but if I'm stuck with one that has a really strong protein taste, I'll scoop just a little bit of green tea powder in there, and it really helps cut the taste. Report Inappropriate Comment

SKEETOR 2/1/2013 11:12AM

I hope you have fun this weekend. I'm not sure what I'll be doing. Probably something exciting like helping my hubby put up window trim and picking branches up out of the yard (the wind here has been just brutal these past few days!) Have a good run! Comment edited on: 2/1/2013 11:13:51 AM Report Inappropriate Comment

JAHINTZY 2/1/2013 10:54AM

Sounds like a good weekend, I certainly couldn't say no to some good Bill Murray. Now I'm wondering if any of the movie theaters around here play Groundhog day this time of year. I've got a lot of work to do this weekend, I have a solo gallery opening in March and I really want to have some new paintings to hang for the show. I plan on putting in some quality time in front of the easel along with my normal chores and whatnot this weekend. Report Inappropriate Comment

Day 226: Fail to plan, plan to fail

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Today, the last day in January, I'm taking stock.

It's been a great month, not going to lie! Though, for as great as it's been, I definitely find myself subject to a learning curve.

By the numbers:

30 miles ran
720 Fitness minutes
4lbs banished
1069.8 Average daily calorie deficit
2 Races

When I look at the numbers like that, I'm really happy. Really, really happy. I mean, I've done some work! I think what I want to improve upon (and will improve upon) are my numbers in minutes, mileage and poundage.

You see, I spent the last month playing it by ear and allowing the weather and work to dictate how and when I worked out. So, my minutes are pretty low - five days taken completely off certainly didn't help with that number. In truth, I need to stop paying as much attention to the minutes calculated by BodyMedia and more attention to the minutes I know I do intentionally for exercise. Of course, what's made matters worse is that I didn't set a plan for how I was going to accomplish my goals last month - I literally played it by ear and that just doesn't work for me!

With more miles come more minutes, with more minutes come more pounds banished. It's all a very easy cycle.

So, I've recallibrated my projected weight loss curves for next month (Aiming for between a total of 4 - 6 pounds in February) and I've also added much more specific minutes targets. I can't believe I thought I could get away without projecting my minutes. If you don't set a goal you have nothing to try and achieve!

I also had my check-in call with the Study last night - the idea is to discuss things that are impacting our weight loss to date. The things I know I need to do are 1) track EVERYTHING. Yes, that means tracking the candy-dish, too; 2) eliminate convenience foods like canned soup; 3) Get back on track of running over my lunch. I do admit that I had two very contradictory thoughts: I'm so glad to continue to make downward progress; but, I'm also disappointed that things aren't happening faster! "It's like YAY 1 pound gone forever" and "Boo, just one pound!" Happening at the same time. I'm sure you guys can relate.

So, the revised planned totals for this coming month (February)


58 - 67 miles ran
1150 Fitness minutes
4 - 6 lbs banished
1000 Average daily calorie deficit
1 Race

I know, you're probably looking at what I did this month and saying: Good God, she's doubling or QUADRUPLING her numbers! Why is that? Because I have a PLAN to execute it.

Mileage: Well, my miles are prescribed by my Half Marathon training program. The low number is based on missing 1-2 runs in the month. The high number is based on reaching the minimum mileage set for the month
Minutes: A few things went into this. First, I calculated out my slowest mileage (12:30 pace) for my miles and applied that to the training program; I also signed up for a 60 minute cross training class on Wednesday mornings (I have to pay for it, so you know this cheap, cheap bastard will be there!); Finally, I'm assuming one day a week I can get to the gym and kick the Elliptical's ass. Or bike. Or something for a total of 30-45 minutes.
Pounds- Based on a 1lb - 1.25lb / week loss projection
Race: Already signed up for a 5K

Sample week's plan (My weeks start on Tuesdays):
Tuesday: Prescribed hill repeats (5 miles / 60 minutes)
Wednesday: Cross Training for Runners class (60 minutes)
Thursday: Prescribed mileage (3 miles / 40 minutes)
Friday: OFF
Saturday: Long Run (5-7 miles / 60 - 80 minutes)
Sunday: Off / 5K
Monday: Eliptical (Unless preceding day was a race)


Those are all completely do-able numbers. I just have to hold myself accountable to get them done!

The best / worst part of the Wednesday class? It's at 6AM. That means I have no excuse not to go. Except that it's at 6AM.

So, how did everyone else's January stack up? What has the first month of the year taught you about meeting your goals?

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SKEETOR 2/1/2013 8:17AM

Great planning! Report Inappropriate Comment

GRACEOMALLEY 1/31/2013 6:54PM

I admire you perseerance and dedication. Keep up the good work. Sometimes you need to slack off or back off a little just to gain perspective on what does and doesn't work among what you were doing previously. Report Inappropriate Comment

REFFIE1 1/31/2013 11:00AM

I admire your dedication and I think you plan a lot more than most of us including myself. Way to go! Report Inappropriate Comment