New Goals

Thursday, August 19, 2010

I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 5 K on November 6 in Chicago. By that time I want to:

1. Finish the C25K program.
2. Be able to run the whole race without walking.
3. Be in 170ville.
4. Touch my toes. I have never been able to do this, but neither have my brother or sister so short hamstrings might be genetic. Still, I'm gonna try.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LADYSHERRY 8/23/2010 2:37PM

Great Goals Report Inappropriate Comment

KT-NICHOLS-13 8/19/2010 6:00PM

Those are awesome goals! I'm so jealous about the end of season 5K! Enjoy the journey and the hot chocolate. Report Inappropriate Comment

CHARANN3 8/19/2010 5:22PM

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KITHKINCAID 8/19/2010 4:17PM

Little bits every day! I'm determined that we're ALL going to run the whole thing. Report Inappropriate Comment

Why I Began the Couch to 5K Program, and How My First Day Went

Monday, August 16, 2010

More than a week ago I bought a new scale. I was pleased with what I saw, but DH wasn't. He was a lot heavier than he thought. And he started taking blood pressure pills in his late 20s - high blood pressure runs in his family - so the extra weight is very bad for him. In fact, it's probably killing him. As a newlywed, this kills ME.

I did the Healthy Cooking Challenge and have been doing very, very well. I already kept a healthy kitchen, cooked pretty healthily, and am an adventurous eater. But this took me to the next level. Yet that flab is stubborn and just won't budge.

Which probably had something to do with the fact that I haven't been tracking my calories like I need to. Or the fact that I haven't been working out like I know I should. Even my biweekly checkins showed that my motivation was flagging. But I don't want to gain the weight back. In fact, I want to keep losing.

Sooo, what to do about this?

One of my fabulous SparkFriends started C25K last week and blogged about the Hot Chocolate 5K in Chicago. I thought "You know what, this might be just what I need! A big kick in the pants to get serious about cardio and finally get losing again." I live in DC but have family in the Chicago area, so doing a special trip out there just to do a 5K makes some kind of sense - especially if it's my first.

According to DH, I "sprung this on him" Friday morning. I say I laid it out calmly and rationally, and asked if he'd like to participate. Ah, marriage. But he agreed to do it - the scale scared him into action. (Those little blood pressure pills didn't hurt, either.) Oh, yeah, and he knows that he married a hard-headed woman who would just do it herself. He knew he's going to Chicago one way or another, so he might as well get on board. rofl.

So we spent a good chunk of our weekend shopping for fitness gear. DH didn't have a shred of workout clothes to his name - not a solitary pair of gym shorts - and I needed a few key pieces. Like running shoes. (My cross trainers won't cut it.) Therefore we spent an unseemly amount of money on shoes, compression shorts, socks, and tech fabric gear. I'm buying a pair of new sports bras ASAP. Was this strictly necessary? Of course not. We could get away with less, cheaper, or less specific gear. But I'm a specialty gear whore, and DH is just as bad. (Yeah, we're enormous geeks. We've learned to live with it, lol.) Plus, making that financial investment is a darned good motivator - we can't let all that gear languish, untouched, in the closet. We're too practical for that.

At least that's what I reminded myself of when the alarm went off an hour early and DH tried to weasel out of running. It worked: we both got up, got dressed, and ran in our neighborhood. I kept the stopwatch and kept him going. DH had some foot cramps and I'm better shape than he is (and carrying a lot less extra weight), so I got a bit in front and set the pace.

Shockingly, I really liked it. REALLY LIKED IT. The last running rep was tough, but I pushed through and did it. And I'm very proud of myself. And even more so of DH. He had a very rough time of it; he said that his 2 hour dentist visit today (the first in 12 years, ahem) was easier than the 20 minute run. But he DID it. And he committed to do it again - without prompting from me. DH realizes that it'll get easier each time.

As for me, I've been bouncing around all day from a combination of runners' high and pure, unadulterated pride and motivation. Even the customary stupid grenades thrown my way at work didn't bring me down. I'm not sore (that'll be tomorrow) and my energy and well-being levels are off the charts. Hells yeah, I'm going to keep running!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

KITHKINCAID 8/17/2010 12:40AM

So proud of you both! Can't wait to meet you in November! Report Inappropriate Comment

Unexpected Benefits and Results

Sunday, August 15, 2010

I've been doing SP a while, and my health is better. I eat better, exercise more, have lost 18ish pounds, and overall just feel better. But there have been other unexpected benefits and results. Here, in no particular order, are the strange, new, and wonderful things SP has brought into my life:

1. More energy. Serious amounts of energy.
2. A cleaner house.
3. More organization - across the board but especially in the house.
4. A desire to improve other parts of my life.
5. Better work ethic, especially outside of my job.
6. An obsession with tech fabrics for work out gear.
7. An obsession with work out gear.
8. Healthy is my new normal.
9. DH is actually working to improve his health now, too, that he sees how much progress I am making.
10. Our awesome garden.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

MJMONE 8/16/2010 11:07AM

this lifestyle change is great, ain't it. Report Inappropriate Comment

KITHKINCAID 8/16/2010 12:48AM

They say it creates a healthy lifestyle for a reason :) Way to go! Report Inappropriate Comment

PTCAKES 8/15/2010 8:38PM

Fantastic!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

PTCAKES 8/15/2010 8:38PM

Fantastic!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

REYHNE 8/15/2010 6:53PM

lol, I have 1, 4, 5, 6, 7! Report Inappropriate Comment

_ROODIE_ 8/15/2010 6:49PM

Good job! Don't you just love the 'fringe benefits'?! Report Inappropriate Comment

YOGAGIRLNH 8/15/2010 6:18PM

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Confession and Game Plan

Friday, August 13, 2010

I have a confession to make: I have only been half heartedly doing SP for the past two months. The past two weeks have been particularly bad: I haven't tracked a full day's worth of food or worked out in that time. Ugh.

And, of course, I'm paying the price. So it ends today. I finished the Healthy Cooking Challenge and have been eating very well. I plan to keep that up. But I need to make sure I log my food.

The biggest problem is fitness. I've never really hit my stride in that department. So I've decided that my only option is to work harder. And more consistently.

Here's where SP interceded: One of my SparkFriends, the delightful and irrepressible KITHKINCAID, blogged about the Hot Chocolate 5K race and the C25K program. So I got inspired and decided that this is exactly what I need to get me off my over-padded butt.

The best, and most surprising part, is DH's reaction. Not only does he support my efforts, but he's decided to join in!!!!. DH said he'd start tracking his food and will join me in C25K. He said to sign both of us up for the race - even though it means traveling to Chicago (from DC) to do it. I was totally blown away. And now I'm totally inspired. We bought DH some work out clothes today - and I got new socks - and tomorrow we're going to the running store to get fitted for shoes.

On that note, I'm going to run off and do my first strength training in, well, YEARS. I'm going to warm up with a little cardio, then do some push up, crunches, supermen, and walking lunges. My goal is to push out 10 pushups, 30 crunches, 4 supermen of 10 seconds, and 10 walking lunches. That's probably pathetic, but it's where I'm at.

And ladies, please help me out here and keep me accountable. I need to blog about my progress to keep myself honest. If you don't see a blog, pesterize me.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LOTUSFLOWER 8/13/2010 7:01PM

Awesome!!! I am friends with Kithkincaid and am running in the Hot Chocolate run too! I think it's awesome that your husband is going to do it too!!! Looking forward to meeting you! Report Inappropriate Comment

KITHKINCAID 8/13/2010 6:43PM

Yes yes yes. We're so doing this! Now I can't even wait until November! Yey for Spark buddies!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

What 3 Things Make You the Happiest?

Saturday, July 10, 2010

I saw this on GRANDMAAMIE's blog, and decided to copy her. Sometimes it seems like we all - myself definitely included - spend so much time on our to-do lists and solving problems that we don't take a step back to focus on the positive or be grateful.

The three things that make me happiest are:
1. My husband and family.
2. The fact that we have enough to be comfortable but not so much that we are jaded or too pampered.
3. My job: it's demanding and challenging but very rewarding. I can maintain a good work/life balance while feeling like I'm making a difference and doing good.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SLIMSOLO10 7/10/2010 1:33PM

thank you for what you do for us to keep us safe. My son just graduated in Criminal Justice and is interested in Homeland Security and it scares me but your blog made me remember that he is helping people be safe and I need to put my own needs behind that and support him. The 3 things that make me happiest- 1. My faith in my Lord. 2. My husband and family 3. Being outside and exploring nature and I can't leave singing out! Report Inappropriate Comment

JENJESS48 7/10/2010 12:54PM

I work counternarcotics issues for the U.S. government. Thusly all the travel to Latin America. It's hard work and I realize we're never going to beat the problem until we successfully reduce demand here in the States, but helping other countries build themselves up and fight against the violence and corrosive corruption that drug trafficking brings is really gratifying. And I feel like I'm helping to make the world a safer place, which is great. Report Inappropriate Comment

BRITT831 7/10/2010 12:41PM

If u dont mind me asking, what do u do for a living? Report Inappropriate Comment

KITHKINCAID 7/10/2010 12:40PM

I would have to say: 1. My personal successes and learning to achieve for myself in ways I haven't done before 2. My cats 3. My city and all it has to offer. I'm a BIG fan of living in Chicago! Report Inappropriate Comment