Disappointing, but knowledge is power

Saturday, February 04, 2012

I took my new Garmin for a spin today. The disappointment is in how fast I run - I knew I was slow, but my average pace was 14 mm - not the 12 1/2 mm my iPod reported (I ran it to get that comparison).

I understand that even a garmin isn't 100% accurate, bu I also know it's much closer.. And that means that i've probably been under training, at least somewhat. Many weeks I did go a bit further than my plan, so that's good. And I'm pretty sure I get my 10 miles in last week.

Still, even an average of 14 mm is - sadly - faster than my first HM. My main goals for this HM are the same as the first: finish, hopefully pain free (altho my knee was just beginning to bother me a bit toward the end of this run). Anything under 3 hrs is gravy.

I have a couple things working against me:

1. It will most likely be a whole lot warmer. In fact, the temp at the beginning could very well be warmer than my warmest long run.

2. This is a hillier course.

I know I've had faster long runs according to my iPod, so this may have been a slightly slower than usual long run. I've been really sleep deprived the last few days & TOM just started - the good news is I won't have to deal with TOM during this HM! Yippee!

I think I can only benefit from knowing how fast I'm really running. It let's me push myself more.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

KKINNEA 2/6/2012 10:33AM

I think you can get under 3 hours on your course if you plan well - don't kill yourself on the uphills and be as steady as possible throughout. You've got this! Report Inappropriate Comment

CRAZYDOGLADYBO 2/4/2012 5:58PM

I struggle with pace too. Glad TOM won't be around for the HM. Report Inappropriate Comment

PCOH051610 2/4/2012 3:41PM

What Garmin model did you buy afterwards? I think you are doing fantastic with your running and I will be sending positive vibes your way! Report Inappropriate Comment

LAURIE5658 2/4/2012 3:24PM

Like Natalie said, your training runs are supposed to be S L O W. You are right on track! Report Inappropriate Comment

MADDIEMOM27 2/4/2012 2:47PM

Keep it up!!! I have ace issues as well, but am looking to just finish the half in under 3 hrs as well!!! Report Inappropriate Comment

NATPLUMMER 2/4/2012 2:24PM

Your long runs are supposed to be slower than your race pace, so I wouldn't worry about it. Report Inappropriate Comment

TEMPEST272002 2/4/2012 2:23PM

I keep thinking how awesome & amazing it is that you are doing HMs - regardless of your pace. Hopefully race day won't be too hot and you'll just fly down those hills. Report Inappropriate Comment

LOOOKINGOOD 2/4/2012 2:18PM

I'm also struggling with pace, but as you said knowledge is power! The great thing about hills is that what goes up comes back down-be sure to post your finish time! woo hooo! Report Inappropriate Comment

Planning can bring pleasure

Friday, February 03, 2012

I know, I know - planning is a PITA. But right now I'm anticipating all the yummy food I'll be eating over the next few days. Plenty of healthy foods with a few treats thrown in there. There's nothing quite like looking forward to what you're going to eat rather than dreading it - or feeling guilty about it.

It feels good to make out an exercise plan & check off your workouts. Maybe even earn yourself a reward!

Try it - you might just surprise yourself & like it.

Don't forget to start off small, not beat yourself up if you don't follow your plan to a "T", and above all - be consistent. Consistency is way more important than intensity. Yes, Donna, I'm thinking of you.

Now I have a confession to make: part of the lure of my long runs is the food I get to eat. I can't go crazy, but I do get to load up on carbs & probably sneak in a few more treats than normal.

Yesterday my buddy Dispatcher asked why it's inevitable I'll gain weight on vacation. I had an answer almost typed out & then it went pouf into cyberspace! So I'll be lazy & answer here: because I have about 3 yrs of data that says I will.

It's not that I go crazy. I really don't know why it is, but it is & you can't fight mother nature. Throw in a HM which will cause you to retain water like crazy - not o mention actually somewhat restrict your exercise before & after . . . well, it's pretty inevitable. Bestto embrace it. I'd love to be proven wrong!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

KKINNEA 2/3/2012 2:26PM

Agree, scheduling is so important. And knowing your body's tendencies lets you counteract them when needed! Report Inappropriate Comment

NATPLUMMER 2/3/2012 12:44PM

Yay for a good plan. Report Inappropriate Comment

MELODYSUE 2/3/2012 9:28AM

I also plan everything out. My works are planned out with some changes here and there to keep my body guessing. My food is a little more loosely planned out but it is planned. I plan for enough meals for about 2 weeks at a time. I include some quick and easy meals for those days when time is at a minimum, crock pot meals for when there is no time, and nicer meals for those days when we can stop and enjoy our selves. So there is def. a plan and it is working wonderfully. So YES plans are WONDERFUL! Report Inappropriate Comment

IFDEEVARUNS2 2/3/2012 8:21AM

I'd like to say the weight you gain from a HM is temporary but I know better. LOL. Report Inappropriate Comment

MSKRIS7 2/3/2012 8:11AM

I like how you schedule everything out!! Report Inappropriate Comment

Tracking keeps you on track . . .

Thursday, February 02, 2012

. . . even when you're off track.

This is what I've learned: even when I'm having a munchy attack, I am more likely to lose weight when I do my best to track it. It's when I think "oh, a couple extra chocolate chips won't matter" - day after day - or I make no attempt to track because I feel guilty about what I've eaten - that I'm "surprised" by a weight gain .

There was a very small weight gain this week, but I think it has far more to do with TOM than the attack of the munchies this past tuesday (which no doubt had to do with TOM anyway).

Sometimes a gain is just a gain, but usually there's something behind it even if it's really subtle. It's taken me many yrs to learn this simple fact!

Looking at January start to finish, I just barely lost weight overall . . . which I find oddly encouraging rather than discouraging. Even if I stayed the same over the next couple of weeks, I'm still going into my second HM thinner thsn the first - and that feels good.

The discouraging part is knowing I WILL gain wright while I'm away. For me, it is inevitable. I'm just hoping I can minimize the damage & bounce back quickly.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

DDOORN 2/3/2012 9:59AM

There isn't anything as effective, which has the greatest impact as tracking...! Don Report Inappropriate Comment

DISPATCHER04 2/2/2012 8:11PM

Out of curiosity, why is gaining while you are away inevitable? Report Inappropriate Comment

LADYBUG1107 2/2/2012 5:43PM

I think that you are right. Tracking even over your points makes you think. Report Inappropriate Comment

DDHEART 2/2/2012 5:35PM

I have also learned that tracking, especially when I would least like to see the proof of my eating, is a true key to success. I have learned something else too............our lives and our journeys in these lives, are not straight lines...fluctuations in our weight, our commitment, and our fitness efforts, are all a normal and reasonable thing (I like that expression). You told me today that sometimes a run is just a run and we both know that sometimes the reading on the scale is just that...a number to guide us but one that is affected by many things. Report Inappropriate Comment

FREELADY 2/2/2012 1:35PM

Maybe you can look at it as a normal & reasonable fluctuation. You are still in control; you are living intentionally; it is simply an interval where your focus is on something else meaningful. Like you said, you can adjust that later. It's fun and intriguing to hear about your plans! Report Inappropriate Comment

KKINNEA 2/2/2012 1:25PM

I know where you're coming from on the extras - I have to remind myself not to do that when I am making my oatmeal with strawberries and chocolate chips in the morning! I'm trying to be better about the tracker for the reasons you note above. It's how I lost the last 10 pounds and I want to keep those pounds off. Report Inappropriate Comment

NATPLUMMER 2/2/2012 12:33PM

It certainly does! Yay for going in to the second HM thinner than the first. Report Inappropriate Comment

SKINNYPOWELL1 2/2/2012 12:14PM

I have no doubt that you will bounce back from any little slip-ups. You are a true SPARKETTE, you know the ups and down and what it takes to be truly successful. I'm always encouraged my your honesty in the food department. Being honest with others and oneself keeps it real and in the forefront. I think you're the Report Inappropriate Comment

Resourceful

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Having the ability to find clever ways to overcome difficulties.

Anyone who tells you that weight loss is easy either has a really good metabolism, isn't in it for life, or is young. Thinking of Jordin Sparks, who when asked about her 30 lb weight loss on the Today Show said it was easy. She's young . . . it was a lot easier for me when I was in my late 20s, too.

It all boils down to being resourceful: having the resources you need in place.

Of course SP is a huge resource!

The resources you need might be different than the resources I need. Support is a big one - I get that here & at WW. You might get that from friends & coworkers, too. Or relatives.

I need the resources of a gym, workout DVDs when I can't get to the gym & various other workouts that I've either purchased or found online. I need the workout DVDs I've ripped to my iPad for travel, too. And my resistance bands for travel, too.

I need lots of freggies available to me. I need some treats available to me, too. You might not be able to have anything tempting in your house. Maybe you need to only buy treats away from the house. Or maybe you need to make your car a no-eat zone (not a problem for me).

I need peace & quiet when I eat. I don't multitask. Sometimes I have to take my food into the bedroom to eat because DH is watching tv.

You gotta do what you gotta do, no matter how weird it may make you appear to your loved ones. You've got to be resourceful!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

DDHEART 2/1/2012 8:22PM

AND....going back a few days...the biggest resource is planning and then implementing with flexibility. Report Inappropriate Comment

FREELADY 2/1/2012 6:31PM

You just gave us a whole array of practical ideas! Thanks!! Report Inappropriate Comment

LADYBUG1107 2/1/2012 5:32PM

Great ideas! I completely agree about the great metabolism in your 20s. Report Inappropriate Comment

NATPLUMMER 2/1/2012 11:17AM

Exactly!! Report Inappropriate Comment

KKINNEA 2/1/2012 10:42AM

So agree - you have nailed this! Well said! Report Inappropriate Comment

SLIMMERJESSE 2/1/2012 9:08AM

Yes, I have to have peace and quiet to eat as well. I do not, for example, go into the Hard Rock Cafe when the music is blasting. And at home, it's alway eating only. Nothing else. I enjoy the meal more that way. Report Inappropriate Comment

A waste of time

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Or is it?

I often think about it. Losing weight - and especially maintaining that weight loss - is time consuming. Sometimes I feel as tho I've wasted years of my life worrying about my weight.

Just think of all the things I could accomplish if I weren't on spark, logging food, attending WW meetings & exercising.

But what did I accomplish when I wasn't doing those things? While exercise has been a constant in my life for yrs & yrs, I had yrs when I didn't log my food. Or go to meetings. Did I get more done?

The answer is no. It's not about the number - well, it's mostly not about the number. It's about living a fulfilled life - cause remember, that's my word this yr: fulfillment.

What actually started this chain of thoughts this morning was worrying about this week's WI. I don't feel as tho I've lost weight & with TOM potentially breathing down my neck, a small gain would not be unexpected.

And let's be honest: I've been really, really hungry the last few days. I have done my very best to concentrate on whole foods - and really pretty successful there. There has been no double dipping into the chocolate chip bag.

But one of my downfalls has always been simply eating too much.

This morning I got to thinking about how I'd lime to NOT be thinking all this.

Part of why it seems so important is I'd really like to go into this HM lighter. So far, so good. 3 or 4 lbs really CAN make a tremendous difference.

That's what it's all about: not what the number on the scale says, but how you feel in your own skin. And that's never a waste of time.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LADYBUG1107 1/31/2012 9:49PM

I agree that logging your food, attending ww, sparking, and exercising are not a waste of time. I am trying to spend less time on line because I feel that I use it as time waster and filler. Report Inappropriate Comment

DISPATCHER04 1/31/2012 5:34PM

Absolutely. :) Report Inappropriate Comment

KKINNEA 1/31/2012 4:22PM

Agree! Report Inappropriate Comment

KANSASROSE67 1/31/2012 1:11PM

I think you're exactly right...I've been backing off of Spark a little just because I'd rather be living life than talking about it. And I don't really like thinking about food and calories ALL the time. But I like the alternative even less! Report Inappropriate Comment

NATPLUMMER 1/31/2012 12:58PM

It's not a waste of time, you are right there. Eating to much...I know that one. I wish didn't have that problem. I would love to be one of those people who forget to eat....really??? who forgets to eat?? Report Inappropriate Comment

KARENE10 1/31/2012 11:07AM

I know what you mean. I feel like I am always thinking about food,points,calories,exercise etc. But I also know that if I didn't think about it then I'd be heavier. Also, I would be worrying about something else. . Report Inappropriate Comment

SLIMMERJESSE 1/31/2012 9:28AM

I know it's not a waste of time, but I DO get frustrated because I don't like being so self-absorbed. Letting up a bit on the time I spend on all this. Report Inappropriate Comment

DDOORN 1/31/2012 8:15AM

What a nail you've hit perfectly on the head: "living a fulfilled life!" Love that word, "fulfillment" and I think it is so important to think of how it applies not only to our health and wellness in a specific sense re: weight, etc. But to think beyond to ALL the aspects of our life in which we want to be healthy and well! Don Report Inappropriate Comment

SKINNYPOWELL1 1/31/2012 8:10AM

It's never a waste of time to live a healthier lifestyle, which is what we are all doing. Sure there are many things we could do with all our free time instead of logging food, etc. (not that I can think of any at the moment, hahaha), but like you said, would we be happy and fulfilled? My success at weight loss has come from Sparking, logging food and exercise - for me there is no other way. My goals are being fulfilled on a daily basis by sticking to SPARK. Report Inappropriate Comment