Put the Fork Down

Dust, dust, dust

2012-01-25T05:55:00.002-05:00

Yes, the house is full of dust with the kitchen remodel going on. However, I'm really dusting off the blog. Not trying to be funny or entertaining, just trying to put together a journal for my nutrition, fitness and anything else that I care to remember.

Since a little before the first of the year, when I visited the sports nutritionist, I have been trying to clean up my eating habits. As much as she would like me to log all of my food, I find that one gigantic pain in the ass. I am trying to incorporate 5-9 fruits or veggies per day. This is hard, particularly when you have no kitchen. When I'm successful, I find that I eat very well, overall. I spend so much time on this that I don't eat the junk!

I'm also off of the sweet snacking. I don't go searching for chocolate at 2:30 - I would like to, but I don't. Instead, an apple and string cheese. I may have a cup of tea. OMG, this is like a damn mean!

With this, I am down to a weight lower than my pre-Christmas holiday weight, but would like to do better.

I'm also back in the Dead Runner's Hundred Day Challenge - working out for 100 days consecutively. So, will be writing this down here to keep myself on track.

Adios.

Effed up

2010-01-21T21:44:00.002-05:00

I think I've messed up with the heart rate training. I have been running with a friend on Tuesday nights. I ignore the monitor on those runs. Now, when I use the monitor, it is nearly impossible to keep it within my recovery zone. I may be starting from scratch. The thing is, I like running with someone. This stinks.

Observations

2010-01-10T21:04:00.002-05:00

I turned 48 in October. Along with turning 48, I started noticing a few changes in my body. Where PMS used to result in cramps, grouchiness, etc, it now results in a lack of sleep and night sweats. I have difficulty sleeping after drinking too much red wine. Red wine seems to be a much bigger culprit than white wine, beer, or any other form of alcohol. My eyesight is failing and I notice my skin aging some. I won't complain about gray hair, since I've been finding gray hairs since I was 18. This seems to be the extent of my aging process.

I have friends my age and older that are of a normal weight, exercise regularly and maintain an active lifestyle. I also have friends that are of similar age or older that do not exercise, maintain their weight or keep active. The difference between the 2 groups is not slight. In fact, there is a freaking continental divide between the two.

The active group will complain about the symptoms/problems that I do. The symptoms are a pain in the @ss for a few days, or they resort to taking advil PM's or another sleep aid. While they don't loose weight as quickly, they are still within a normal weight range and able to maintain it. Yes, I'd love to be able to lose 7 lbs in a week again, but it's not happening.

What I see in the other group is that they are crippled by pain. Arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc. Walking around the mall results in pain that exceeds what I experience after a marathon. Enough pain to warrant going to taking a pill and going to bed. Oh, I've never experienced pain after a marathon, and I typically go out to eat immediately after. I've experienced extreme soreness, but it's not pain. Never once would I reach for a vicodin. Yet, a trip to the mall can be vicodin worthy for these folks. Hell, I hat breast surgery and that didn't warrant vicodin. I wasn't in pain following surgery, I couldn't sleep. That warranted Nyquil.

Is there a chemical difference between us? My trainer recently quit her job at the gym. This resulted in her having to leave behind her clients. She paired each client up with another trainer that she felt was worthy. Each client declined and quit. These were the same clients that were at the Christmas party where she explained how differently she trained me, because I was an athlete.

I've never considered myself to be an athlete. I will reserve that title for Meb, Brett Favre, and others that have devoted their life to a sport. I do differ from the normal 48 y/o woman in that I feel the need to move my body every day. I need to lift a weight, run a few miles, or do anything to break a sweat. Why am I different from all of the others that don't want to break a sweat? Also, what happens when I break a sweat that causes me to not experience the pain that so many others of my age group experience? Seriously, someone needs to unlock this magic bullet. I may not have found the bullet that keeps you thin, I am far from thin. But I have the ability to move my body in the ways that I would like to each and every day without experiencing pain.

So, what is the difference? Is there something in my body that prevents me from falling to their ways? Whatever the difference is, I thank God that I am on the correct side of the divide.

Week 11

2010-01-10T20:52:00.001-05:00

Training while on vacation is tough. I got my miles in while in California, actually training was a different story. I had set out on New Year's Eve for 6 miles to give me 1000 miles for the year. Ran along the boardwalk at Newport Beach, CA. Well, running alongside the ocean in a shorts and tshirt was too good to stop at 6. I ended up running 8 miles at 75% at a 10 mpm pace! 45 secs faster than normal. I will attribute that to NOT wearing a bunch of extra clothes and the beautiful views.

I made sure that I was up early enough on the next 2 days in California to get a run on the beach. I was 3 for 3. Love southern California and LOVE Newport Beach.

A quick stop in Omaha, NE - where it was -17, yielded no runs. Running in Columbus was a bit tough this week as well. First week back to work and school and throw in a snowstorm. Didn't get a ton of running in, but did my 9 mile long run in snow and 18* temps. Sunday was 5*, but sunny and no wind. The 4 mile recovery run was a piece of cake. My face got a bit chilly, but overall, I was comfortable.

It's That Time of Year...

2009-12-29T09:10:00.003-05:00

The making of the resolutions/goals for 2010. I'm limiting the # this year in hopes of being more successful. Here goes:

1. TV off at 10pm during the week, unless completely engrossed in a sporting event of monumental proportions. No more channel surfing and losing sleep for no reason.

2. Cyber-free Sundays. No websurfing on Sunday. I need to cut down and this is a start.

3. Focus on nutrition. I ended last yr at 134 and I'm ending this yr at 134. I need to get serious. Garbage in = garbage out.

4. Get out of my comfort zone. Last year, it was a century bike ride. I believe this year will be a Tri.

5. Stick to a training plan. 9 weeks into HR training. I am going to follow this thru.

6. Appreciate life. Make note of one thing that I am happy or thankful for on a daily basis. No worries, I won't be posting this crap to facebook. It's an internal reflection.

Week 9

2009-12-27T12:05:00.003-05:00

Another week of minimal workouts. I'm holding my own, but sure not improving this month. Actually, I think I may have taken a step back.

First of all,I think my coach has died. Have not heard from him in 2 weeks, and my schedule ran out a week ago. Since I am just barely getting workouts in, that's fine for now.

Prior to today, I managed 2 easy recovery runs for approx 8 miles total. Today, I wanted a long run. Planned on 8 miles at or below 75%. I really didn't feel like pushing myself.

Ran the Glacier Ridge loop. A good deal of this loop is in the open and it was WINDY today. In fact, so windy, that running into the wind would make the HRM go off. For the most part, I was able to keep it near the 75% mark. With about 2 miles to go, I started to smell barn and I picked up the pace. Turned the alarm off and just went with what felt good. My last mile turned out to be a 9:45 mile and an overall 10:15 pace. The run really, really felt good.

I also dug back thru my logs and checked out my recent 5k times. Hadn't run one since summer 2008, so nothing recent. However, last week's slippery 5k was better than 30 secs faster than anything that I'd run in 2008! whoo hooo.

Looking forward to running in some sunshine in southern California this week!

Week 8

2009-12-20T19:01:00.000-05:00

Nothing exciting to report. Again, I made every attempt to get my runs in. The holidays really don't mix well with training schedules! Here's the recap:

Mon: 4 recovery miles. screwed up the watch, again, but stayed pretty close to the recovery zone. About a 10:50 pace for recovery, seems to be about avg. Christmas party that night.

Tues: Planned on 5 miles of speedwork, but was completely unprepared when I got to the gym. I mean, I was a freaking disaster. Forgot something to keep the hair out of my face, forgot the ipod. I ran for 2.5 miles, done. Onto my Christmas party!

Weds: weights. Another party.

Thurs: freaking exhausted, called it a night. Nada.In bed at 9pm.

Fri: 5 miles. Middle 3 miles 1x1 min intervals. Asthma issues. Ran it, but not the best. Felt like I was breathing thru water. On the bright side, I mentioned my issues to a buddy/asthma researcher/pulmonary doc and I'm seeing him in the clinic.

Sat: Most freaking awesome 10 mile run in the fresh snow. 2-3 inches of the fresh stuff and I did a 10 mile recovery run, with no problems. Hardly set off the monitor and never had to walk. Nice rhythm from the start and maintained it. Of course, my @ss and legs went numb from running in the snow. It uses all different muscles, and I could tell I had a workout. Overall, felt awesome!!!!

Sun: 5k. First one in years. Did a 1 mile warm up. Slippery as heck. Just went for it on the run. Kept pretty even splits. Was a bit slippery for the majority of the course. Ran a 28:14, 9"05 pace and good enough for 1st out of 9 in my age group. It's good to be old!

Recovered this afternoon by going to see the Nutcracker, where I promptly fell asleep.

Awesome!

2009-12-19T14:23:00.001-05:00

I woke up today to the first measurable snowfall of the season. About 2-3" of the white stuff, a true winter wonderland outside. Temps were warm, right around 30* and I had a 10 miler on the schedule. This is the longest that I've run in months. The plan was to run it at 70% of max.

Prior to heading out, I set the watch to 75%. I didn't want to be frustrated with the run and I thought that running in fresh snow would be a bit harder than normal. I immediately settled into a comfortable pace and the miles just clicked by. Very few people were out and I had the running paths to myself. I think I managed to make it thru 8 miles before the HRM ever alerted me to a rise in my HR. It was also about that time when my butt and legs started feeling the strain. Running in snow tends to use a few different muscles than are normally used. Even when the alerts went off, a little backing off on the pace shut them up. I never once had to walk. Not once.

I believe I finished 10.13 miles in 1:51, just over an 11 mpm pace. Slow, but I'm always a bit slower running in snow. I feel good. Again, not wiped out by running a longer distance or harder run. Yes, I'd like to see the pace dropping faster, but I'm happy to be feeling good when I run.

Week 7

2009-12-13T15:11:00.002-05:00

Was a bit of a disaster. I managed to get out at 5:30am on Tuesday for 3.5 miles. Unfortunately, the run was a BUST. Could not keep the freaking heart rate down for a recovery run. Walked more than I have in a LONG time.

The week was full of work and social commitments. My next fitness adventure was on Friday afternoon, where I had booked time with my trainer. I knew that I could not blow it off and I didn't. Nice weight session, although, she took it easy on me.

Saturday was supposed to be 9 miles at recovery pace. Piece of cake, right? Nope. Could not stay in the recovery zone. I think I owe this one to having run out of Advair and had a difficult time breathing in the cold weather. This was done at a 12.5 min pace. OMG.

Sunday - my true success of the week. Woke up to freezing rain, which was still steadily coming down. I wanted to get my speed day in. It called for a 1 mi warm up, 6x800 meter repeats w/4 mins of rest, and a 1 mile cool down. I had used work as an excuse all week, weather was not going to be my excuse today. I headed to the gym.

First of all, do you know how easy it is to run at 70% on a treadmill? OMG, mindless. I set it at a 5.5 mph pace and my hr stayed right where I wanted it. Ok, let's start the repeats. First 800 at a 8:35 pace, HR got up where I wanted, but felt I could do a bit better. Next 800, bumped the pace to 8:25, and so it continued. The last repeat, I bumped it up to an 8 min flat pace for a bit. It didn't last. Repeats finished, I was onto my 1 mile cooldown. Again, set the 5.5 mph pace. No wonder I can't keep my HR down on my cooldowns. It was impossible to run that slow after having been running faster. I kept this pace until the last 400 meters, where I cranked it up to a 6 mph pace. Even so, I never got over 75% and felt good at the end.

Again, even after speedwork, I feel invigorated! And, I've learned that I can run on a treadmill. I don't think I'll buy one, but take my butt to the gym instead. I still can't see using one enough to get the $$ out of it.

Next week, I have 2 speedwork days and a long run. I also plan on running a 5k. I wonder if I should sub the 5k for a speed day? I guess I can email the coach.

Week 6, HRM Training

2009-12-06T15:20:00.002-05:00

For the first time in 6 weeks, I didn't accomplish my schedule. A combination of work commitments, babysitting commitments and a stomach bug just did not let it happen. The recap:

Mon: 6 recovery miles, did 6.2 at a 10:50 pace. Easily kept it in the zone, although it's slow.

Fri: 3 recovery miles, did 2.8 at 11 min pace. Cut it short, not feeling well.

Sat: 8 miles, 5 easy, 3 hard. Accomplished it. Ran the first 5 at 70%, let it rip for the last 3. Ended up with 8.4 miles at a 9:55 pace. Improvement.

Sun: 5 mile, middle 3 miles with 1x1 min intervals. I did 1 interval. It was not happening. Ended up with 4.2 and I haven't even looked at the time. It wasn't pretty. Walked a bunch.

Next week is full of work and babysitting commitments as well. I have got to space the runs out better. Hopefully, no more stomach issues, either.

The Hardest Part

2009-12-05T10:58:00.003-05:00

of running in the winter is walking out into the cold, dark morning. In most cases, once I get outside, I am invigorated by a crisp morning run. While it may be cold, the winds are typically quiet at 6am, making for a pleasant run.

Week 5, HRM Training

2009-11-29T10:01:00.002-05:00

Another week in the books and another week that I completely stuck to my schedule. That is a first. 5 weeks in a row. The deal is the recovery runs are so stinking easy that I don't want to miss and I'm afraid to miss the hard runs, or I may never see any improvement.

The week went down like this:
Mon: 5 recovery - ran 5.4 thru campus. Had monitor problemos. It kept screwing up, so I just turned it off and ran easy. 11:05 pace
Tues: 2 easy, 2 hard, 2 easy. Somehow, I read this that I should run the middle 2 miles at 75-85%. Those 2 middle miles were challenging, but not all out hard. In fact, they felt good. They were run at a 9:18 & 9:38 pace. The first 2 miles were just over a 10 min pace. The last 2 - who the frick knows. Screwed up the watch again.
Weds: weights
Thurs: 4 easy, that's what I did. Ran to the Flying Feather and watched Alex run the kids race. Ran home.
Fri: rest day. Should have done something, since I felt like a slug.
Sat: 5 recovery. Ran 5.22 @ 10:26 pace. Felt painfully slow, but this is the fastest that I've run this course since starting HRM.
Sun: 6 at 75-85%. Gave myself half a mile to warm up and then kicked it in. I may have started out too fast because I felt like I was dying by the end. Overall, a sub 10 min pace. First since the HRM started. Mile splits as follows: 9:54, 9:05, 9:42, 9:47, 10:26, & 10:13. It felt hard the entire time.

Next week comes a drop in mileage. Good thing because my work schedule is crazy. 2 hard days, 2 easy and a total of 22 miles.

Glimpses of Improvement

2009-11-24T20:13:00.000-05:00

No freaking idea how I ran. #1, misread the training schedule. Thought I was supposed to run 2 easy, 2 @75-85%, & 2 easy. So, I set the HRM for what I think is 75-85%. First 2 miles at a 10:03, 10:36. Middle 2: 9:18, 9:33 avg hr 153. For the last 2, couldn't keep the HR below 70%, so turned the alarm off. the freaking watch turned off as well. Piss. However, the 75-85% felt good. Really good. Was not balls to the walls, but a bit beyond comfortable. Overall, the run felt great. While frustrated at the slowness, seeing glimpses of something better and enjoying not feeling fatigued and no dead legs.

The POS Polar monitor seemed to be ok tonight.

Breakthru?

2009-11-23T19:34:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure. For one thing, this Polar HRM is a POS. For the first 2 miles, my HR showed as 160. Don't think so. I reset it and it seemed ok for the remainder of my run. I was able to run comfortably without setting off the HRM. In the few instances where it beeped, simply backing down for a few seconds brought the heartbeat back into range. I ran an 11 min pace, but I think it was slow due to running on campus. I got stuck at several lights where I seemed to wait for-freaking-ever. All in all, the run felt very good. 5.4 miles and I'm fresh as a daisy. Figuratively, still smell like a trash truck. :)

Week 4, HRM Training

2009-11-21T21:15:00.001-05:00

Hmmm, I don't really have much to say about this week of training. Monday's run was rather crappy. I had a hard time staying within the recovery zone. I thought that this was improving. Tues was a rest day. Weds was weights, where I was simply exhausted. Fortunately, my exhaustion is a lack of sleep and not due to training.

Thurs was my hard run. I was scheduled to do 12 1x1 min repeats. The weather was great, right around 50*. I got to the park around 5pm and it was already getting dark. Argh, no headlight. I did a mile warm up and then started the repeats. My goal was to keep running during the recover minute. I'm telling you, by the end of my total of 24 repeats, I was ready to run easy. However, the run totally felt great and exhilerating.

Friday morning was another frustrating recovery run. Stomach issues forced me to cut the run short. This morning was 9 miles with the 5th mile to be run hard. Stomach issues again. Had to turn around at just past the 1 mile mark and return home. Pit stop and back out the door. Ran the championship course, meaning rolling hills. My hard mile hit at the hilliest, twistiest part of the course. I thought my chest would explode it was so darn tough. I managed to finish the mile and was looking forward to dropping back to 75% for the rest of the run. Well, dadgumit, that 75% was pretty hard to achieve. I had a hard time staying in the zone and it seemed that any incline had the monitor beeping away. I ended up with 9 miles even at an 11:15 pace. Sucks.

I think overall, I'm going to say that I'm getting frustrated. On the upside, I am not exhausted all of the time. My legs have never once felt like lead weights over the past 4 wks. However, how long until I'm going to be able to stay in my recovery zone without walking and when is the pace going to fall a bit?? I can't say that I'm seeing any improvement. Nada.

Recovery Run

2009-11-16T20:03:00.001-05:00

My last post was full of optimism, now fast forward to tonight, where I was supposed to run 6 at recovery pace. Within 1 mile, the monitor was beeping even on the flats. To make matters worse, I was running the championship golf course, meaning that the entire course was rolling. Lots of short, but steep hills. I elected to run the hills and walk the flats until I could get back into the zone. My overall pace was 11:25 miles – almost 1 min off of normal recovery pace. Overall, my avg HR was at 70% and my max went slightly above 75%, so not terrible, just slow. This is the 2nd time I have had a very slow recovery run 2 days following a long run. I’m wondering if the long run is a coincidence. Also, is this an illustration on the advantage of using an HRM? Typically, I would have figured that I did not run yesterday, so I should be running a 10 min pace. I probably would have felt like crap by the end and been frustrated. Later in the week, I’d be tired, sore, etc. I don’t know, but that’s my hypothesis.

Got a little chilled at the end of the run. I guess that means more cider & rum!

Week 3, HRM Training

2009-11-14T21:42:00.000-05:00

I've now finished week #3. Running with the HRM is getting to be less annoying. I find that I am able to run within the range for the most part. When I do set off the monitor, just slowing down for a few steps typically puts me right back into the range. I haven't missed any of my recovery range runs because, quite frankly, they are too enjoyable to miss. I finish feeling refreshed/invigorated. My recovery pace seems to be falling at 10:30 min miles.

I have also found a coach to work with. This guy owns the local running store and had formally run on the Hanson's team, up north in Michigan! He's quite a bargain at $40 for the entire training period. Since my goal race is in March, it's $40 for now thru March. I'm currently in a base building phase and he's also doing some experimenting to narrow down my HR zones. My runs this week have been:

Mon - 4 recovery
Weds - 5, with 6 2min x 2 min fartleks in the middle
Fri - 4 recovery
Sat - 8 at 75%, but run the last mile hard

I ran today's 8 miles an avg of 30 secs per mile faster than last week, a 10:15 pace. Again, I finished running strong and feeling good. I've been on my feet all day and I am just now getting tired. Also, I ran the entire 8 miles with only exceeding my zone 2x and that was on hills. I still ran the hills and then slowed it down once I crested. Again, the hr fell right away.

I am enjoying the training and seeing the potential enough to stick with it. Like I said, the recovery runs are soooooo easy and enjoyable there is no sense in skipping them. It would be like skipping a chocolate milk shake. The harder runs are few enough that I'm typically feeling like I want to push it a bit. It's also leaving more energy for me to get some strength training in.

If I could just get my nutrition under control, I would be gold. I was traveling 2 weeks ago and this week was busy, so it's been way too much take out. I guess there's always something to complain about.

2 Weeks Down

2009-11-09T19:54:00.002-05:00

Yep, I'm on my 3rd week of HRM training. It's still frustrating!!!

On the bright side, I find that I'm typically able to run my first 2 miles at a low 10 min per mile pace before the monitor starts dinging. For the most part, I can slow my pace down and have the HR drop back into my range within a few seconds. The brightest spot was my long run, which was done at 75% of max. It felt incredibly slow, but I ran the entire 8.5 miles at a 10:45 pace and felt fresh at the end. I've only done an 8 mile or longer run 3x's in the past 2 months. 2 of those runs were at an 11 min pace and I was dead at the end. Saturday's 8 miler did not faze me.

Tonight's recovery 5 miler was extremely slow. Over an 11 min pace, 2 mins overall slower than the same route last week. I was happy it got dark so no one would see me out there plodding away. I was ready to smash the watch with every beep.

I am now following a schedule provided by a coach at the Columbus Running Co. He's got me doing 6 2x2 repeats (2 mins fast/2 slow) and throwing a fast mile on the end of my long run. I'm supposed to record my heart rate on those runs, and do the same for my "hard" runs over the next 3 weeks. He'll tweak my HR ranges from there. He wants me to hang in there with the HR training as well.

Argh. frustration abounds!

Max Out!

2009-11-02T18:27:00.002-05:00

I tried running the hills at Highbanks in order to test out my max HR. Alas, could not get above 156. I think my max is fairly low, but not sure it's quite that low. I think I'll keep my calculations where they are. I'm currently basing my calcs on a max of 170 and resting HR of 40.

How can I sum up my first week of HR training? 21 miles of running, 1 strength session and I feel rested. Legs are fresh and I'm not wiped out. I'm looking forward to kicking up the training a notch in another week.

Also, watched the NYCM on tv. Really tempted to register for it next yr. The only thing holding me back is the $185 entrance fee. Dang, that's a lot of dinero!

Pain in the Ass!

2009-10-31T17:44:00.002-04:00

The heart rate monitor doesn't monitor worth crap. My heart rate bounced between 160 and 00. WTF? I'm going to try changing the battery again. If that's not it, it goes in the trash.

I am proud of myself for getting out for the run. I ran 4.13 AFTER the OSU game. That means after drinking 2 bloody marys for breakfast and sitting in the chilly air. Yep, I got it done.

Totals for Oct:
Run - 66.7
Bike - 28
Strength - 7

Long time, No post

2009-10-30T14:42:00.002-04:00

It has been awhile. On the bright side, I've been lifting on a regular basis. I've improved my core strength by leaps and bounds. Overall, I am much stronger. I decided to sign up for a bike ride. 2 months later, I rode a century ride. My running miles weren't up to par, but I've been enjoying the runs due to a cool summer.

On the not so bright side. I've not seen any weight loss and I was actually up a few pounds from normal at the end of the summer. I was supposed to run the Indy Half Marathon, but was never motivated for the training, I didn't sign up ahead of time, so I blew it off.

Long story short, I decided I needed to change up something with my running. After doing a bit of research, I have decided to implement heart rate training. Tired of always feeling tired and like I'm not getting anywhere. So.... 3 training runs later, I don't have dead legs. My legs feel fresh and ready to run. This is even after a killer strength session on Weds with tons of squats and lunges. This morning's run? Fresh legs!! After every run that has been run at 70% of my training range, I feel invigorated. I actually feel like I want to get out and push the pace.

My plan for the rest of this week is to do a 5-6 mile run at 70% on Sat. Sunday's run will take place at Highbanks. I want to tackle the hills in order to push the heart rate. I believe my max HR is around 170, but I want to take a stab at seeing how high that I can get it again. I've tested it in the past, and have yet to get above the 160's. I am a slug. I guess my heart doesn't have to pump much, since there's so little room for the blood to go. :)

I'm anxious to see how this goes.

Training, Week 1

2009-06-23T06:23:00.003-04:00

The plan called for:
Mon- cross
Tues - 3
Weds - 5
Thurs - 3
Fri - off
Sat - 5, pace
Sun - 8

I had to rearrange the plan a bit in order to accommodate an unexpected trip back to PA. Here's how it worked out:

Mon - 4.15, w/45 sec pickups
Tues - 3.52 mi
Weds - 3.51 mi, morning
strength training w/Holly in the afternoon
Thurs - are you kidding?
Fri - 5.09 marathon pace run, between and actually during thunderstorms
Sat - no time
Sun - travel day, no time

Eating? Are you kidding? I was in PA, the land of hoagies, perogies, and yuengling. Not quite a diet atmosphere.

A bit disappointed that I missed the first long run. I had intended to do 8 on Fri, but the weather did not cooperate. It was hard enough getting 5 in. I don't mind rain, but lightening lighting up the sky scares the bejeezus out of me.

Next weeks plan:
Mon - cross
Tues - 3
Weds - 5, strength
Thurs - 3
Fri - rest
Sat - 5
Sun - 9

I will get out on the bike this week as well.

Columbus 2009

2009-06-17T13:18:00.002-04:00

Welcome back, I haven't been posting here and also haven't made any progress on the fitness front. I've not been training for anything, so my training has been unfocused. My weight training has fallen off as well, simply because I was not seeing any benefit. In fact, 4 weeks of weights, 2 weeks of monitoring everything that I ate resulted in a 2 lb weight gain. Efff. I cannot win.

This week starts week 1 of marathon training. The goal? Columbus '09 on Oct 18th. I've decided to adopt Higdon's Intermediate I schedule. So far, so good. Unfortunately, I am heading back to Pennsylvania this weekend and will need to do my long run back there. Not sure that I'd call 8 miles a long run, but when you are staying on the side of a mountain, even a couple of miles are long. I am committing to posting my training recap on a weekly basis.

I have also made great efforts (and been successful) in cleaning up my diet. I don't want stomach issues to get in the way of training. Of course, this hasn't resulted in any weight loss either. Piss.

8 Miler

2009-05-23T14:28:00.002-04:00

Let me just say, the hardest 8 miles ever. My workouts are really, really kicking my butt. I hope that my body is just adapting. I don't think I've ever required a nap after an 8 mile run. Today, I did.

Holly Brown..

2009-05-23T08:20:00.002-04:00

That's my new trainer. I couldn't pass up the opportunity of working out with a trainer when I was presented with 6 sessions for $99. It has proven to be well worth the 99 bucks so far.

We have been working out for 3 weeks now. I am already seeing a difference in muscle definition and feeling a much stronger core. Her focus is all about core. Something that I totally HATE doing, but she's got me working on it. The workouts feel challenging, but they don't kill me - at the time. The next morning?? I cannot pry myself out of bed. I did the workout on my own yesterday and woke up at 8am this morning, still exhausted. That never happens! I am up by 7 on the weekend. Always.

My running has fallen off a bit. I attribute that to my disappointment at the Earth Day Half. I also had some PMS issues that knocked me out of the game for a few days - 1 of which happened to be the Cleveland Half. I'm cutting myself some slack and concentrating on the strength workout for a bit. I do need to get on the bike, since I'll be riding a 50 miler in Aug.

My strength workout have inspired me to clean up my diet as well. I was very faithful, almost obsessive for 2 weeks. Gained 2 lbs. This week hasn't been as good, simply because I'm pissed. I'm back to it though. Maybe not as obsessively. So, there you have it. Now I'm off for 8 miles.

Back on the horse

2009-04-20T19:59:00.001-04:00

Just when I thought I was ready to hang up the running shoes, I head out for an easy 2 miler. It was a misty, 50* morning, but everything has turned GREEN overnight. Everything is in bloom. My easy 2 miler became and easy 2.75, at a 10 min pace. Life is good.

Earth Day Half Marathon

2009-04-19T18:36:00.003-04:00

This was really the half that I thought I'd do well at. It was a small, no pressure race. It was advertised to be FLAT, wrong. Although, only the first 4 miles were hilly. To top it off, the weather was perfect. Temps in the 50's and overcast. I think it eventually got up to the mid-60's, but nothing too bad. But, it really was not my day.

I came home from the Clippers game last night with a killer headache. I scoured the doggone house for Sudafed, but nothing to be found. The race was scheduled for 8am in Gambier, Oh. I don't think we even passed a Walgreens on our way, let alone one that had an open pharmacy. I started the race with plugged ears and a headache, hoping for the best. Alot of times, running really clears my head up. Today wasn't one of those times.

The first 4 miles had us looping thru the town of Gambier, a gorgeous little town. I can truly see why Kenyon College, the host of the half, draws so many East-coast kids. It's a beautiful place and has craploads of money. The student rec center was un-freaking-believable. It exceeds quite a few Division 1 & 2 schools that I've seen.

Anyway, back to the race. There were some long, big climbs in the first 4 miles, but downhills to go along with them. The first mile had the biggest hill and my split was 10:38! Amazingly, by the end of the 4 miles, I was under a 10 min pace. I maintained that pace for the next 4 miles until my ever famous gut problems started. I made a pit stop. It cost me a min or two. But afterwards, I could not get going. The rest of the race had me alternating between thinking I needed another bathroom break or blowing chunks. I actually had dry heaves. I'm thinking it was the allergies, but I'm not ruling out the HEED sportsdrink they had. It's clear and I don't think I had any, but I'm not sure. The stomach stuff seemed to come on pretty sudden and I'm wondering if I didn't get some HEED instead of water. I've experienced HEED before and it did not agree with me at all.

Milt nicely came to watch me run. As I'm running onto the track for the final lap, I'm yelling at him to get me a Coke - no substitute. Apparently Coke only sponsors major universities, like THE Ohio State University, so I had to wait until I was 15 mins down the road to find a Coke. Supposedly there was food for the runners, but gah, I took my medal and my tree and left.

I couldn't even reward Milt with breakfast for leaving the house at 6am and watching me run. There was no way that I could eat it. We drove home with my seat heater and the heat on in the car and I was still cold - it was 67* outside. I got home, took a shower, ate a burger and took a 2 hour nap.

I'm still not feeling the best, even though I filled out the "No I don't have a meth lab paperwork" in order to get my allergy meds. I'm also terribly disappointed. If I was an individual that doesn't train, I'd feel like I deserved this, but I put in my miles. I'm having one of those days where I wonder why I run, or at least why I do races, since my runs don't usually suck.

Next race, 4 weeks in Cleveland. If that sucks, I'm done.

Training...

2009-03-07T12:43:00.002-05:00

About 6 miles into this morning's run, it dawned on me that I was training. Not the usual, I'll ramp up my long runs and everything else stays status quo, but TRAINING. I have a systematic training schedule that I am following. I am doing track work, long runs, speed intervals, and watching what I eat (and drink). It just feels different. In fact, it feels good. I seem to be excited for every new workout. Funniest of all, I'm looking forward to this week's 200 meter repeats, cause I've never done them in my life.

Don't get the impression this means that I had a good training run today. I didn't. The weather was warmer than it has been, in the 60's. I also found myself getting very hungry around mile 9. If the weather stays warm, I may need to carry a water bottle if I'm not in an area where I can grab a swig. Stuffing a GU in my pocket is another must do. Overall, the run wasn't bad, but I did slow down a bunch in the last 2 miles. 12 miles at a 10:30 pace. At least I stuck with the rolling route again.

Yesterday's run was a different story. Went out for a quick 2.5 mile recovery run. I threw 1 pickup in the middle of the run. I just run down to a street a mile from here and do a loop of the circle. I picked it up on the circle. My run didn't feel hard or fast, but I ran the 2.5 miles at a 9:45 pace.

Training, I might start liking it.

February Wrap-Up

2009-03-01T09:14:00.002-05:00

Again, the best incentive I have for working hard is the fear of embarrassing myself. I simply sucked at the Key West Half Marathon and I'm not going to do that again. So, how did I bounce back? By running 101 miles in the month of February. I also ended the month 5 lbs lighter than I started. My average pace for the month was 10:15, and I've started to add some speedplay into the workouts. I also lifted 6 times. I'm happy with that progress.

For the month of March:
- lose another 5 lbs
- decrease average pace, should be closer to 10 by 4/1
- strength train 2x per week
- pack lunches

I have a nice grocery list made up this morning and I will be preparing some soups to carry to work. It's too cold for salads and I could puke if I think about eating a sandwich.

Today's plan: weights and 2 miles.

Is that Spring in the Air?

2009-02-23T07:27:00.002-05:00

Temps were in the teens this morning, but the birds were making a racket and it was light enough to run without a lamp. Is it possible that spring isn't very far off?
3.5 miles, easy pace.

Doggone it, I'm serious!

2009-02-09T20:38:00.002-05:00

After my disastrous run in the Keys, I am completely serious about never embarrassing myself at a race again. I've already got another half marathon scheduled for the beginning of April and I'm following a training schedule. I was pretty successful following that schedule until Sunday - which happened to be the day that I came down with a weeeee hangover.

The Sunday hangover seemed to hang on and I spent the day on the couch. Didn't run, didn't lift, didn't eat, nothing. I was feeling rather puny. But, I didn't want to pass on one of my first long runs.

So, along comes Monday. I planned on scooting out of work and starting the run by 5. Oops, got a mtg from 4-5. Damn meeting ran long. I finally made it to the trailhead at 5:30. I kept debating about whether or not I could get 8 miles in. Will it get too dark? Will it get too cold? Blah, blah. I ended up running out 3.5 miles. I figured that I could easily get a mile in by running around the shopping center when I got back to the car. I got about a mile out from the car and took a bit of a detour, so that when I got back to the car, I was at 7.25. I did a lap of the shopping center and then back out onto the trail. All in all, I had 8.11 miles, running strong the entire way. I proved to myself that I could do this after work! In fact, I did just fine.

Not only did I run well, but I was treated to a little show of nature. AS I got to the river, I started hearing these cracking noises. It was huge chunks of ice busting up and rushing downstream. The ice chunks were taking down brusk and making a doggone racket. There was cracking, crunching and snapping going on. All of this got even more interesting after it got dark. Just think, if I had weenied out on the run, I would have missed it.

Fitday

2009-02-04T11:04:00.002-05:00

Ok, I think my blow up at the Key West Half was the best thing that happened to me in a long time. It has finally gotten me off of dead center with the weight loss. I have been packing my lunches, logging my foods, working out daily, and skipping sweets and alcohol. I'm feeling great and really haven't been all that hungry. I have noticed that I tend to go a bit heavy on the carbs, which comes as no surprise. I love carbs and could live on spaghetti. I am working on upping the protein and I know that I'll get there. The fruits & veggies would be easier if they were in season. I came home from FLA with a few tomatoes - YUM!!!! We also brought some oranges, but they were no great shakes.

I'm thinking of running a half marathon in NH the first weekend of April. I will guarantee that I will run a sub 2:10. Guaranteed.

Lot's of catching up to do

2009-02-01T16:57:00.002-05:00

Headed down to KW, FLA last week to run the KW Half Marathon. Training for the race has been iffy. I did well until a certain point and then I just quit fighting the weather. My weight was also up a tad going into the race.

Needless to say that I did not have a good run. I will not blame the weather, my pre-race meal. The only thing I blame is my lack of preparation. My final time was 2:30ish. I was walking by mile 4 (ok, that was the pre-race oysters), but I had no gas in my tank. For 13.1 miles, I vowed to myself that this would not happen again. Oh, and as a race, the KW Half is a good one. I'd highly recommend it. Nice scenery, well supported and a great post-race party.

One benefit of this trip, I ended up spending quite a bit of time with an old friend, Kitty. Kitty happens to be a personal trainer and dietician. I spent days picking her brain regarding nutrition, but more importantly, I ate all of my meals with her. We feasted on broiled fish - so darn fresh!! Kitty stuck mostly with fish, no bread, steamed veggies and rice. She did occasionally splurge for fries or chonch fritters. We were on vaca, so it wasn't like we were eating diet food, but it was a good example of how to eat sensibly even when splurging.

Overall, I managed a few runs and didn't eat out of control. I did drink quite a bit, and that's probably why I came home weighing 4 lbs more than when I left.

Saturday started the new fitness push. I am logging all of my food and Kitty is reviewing it. Since I log it, I don't eat as much cause it's too damn hard to log! Also, I won't stick that M&M in my mouth, because I'll have to write it down. I also got in 2 miles on Saturday plus an upper body and abs workout. Sunday was 8 miles of running in soft snow. I am exhausted, but I already feel better with the healthier foods. Oh, and I'm down that 4 lbs. :)

Just because I haven't posted

2009-01-22T22:51:00.002-05:00

doesn't mean that I haven't done anything. It has been a kind of cutback week. Just lazy I guess. I need to get another streak going.

I did run on Weds. Had planned on the gym, but it was too nice outside. Add to the fact that it's staying light later. I headed over to Glacier Ridge to do some running. B@st@rds had the gates locked! It closes at dusk, not 45 mins before dusk. I ended up parking in Tartan West and just doing a run thru the subdivision. The roads were pretty clear and it was still light. I ran until it got too dark to see. I think about 3.8 miles. The garmin read 5+ miles, but that was because I had forgot to turn it off and it counted the miles back home. Did wonders for my overall pace!

Today was upper body weights. My right arm strength is getting better. Still can't lift a jar, though. I need to get into the doc and get a shot in the elbow when I get home from FLA.

Speaking of FLA, I've got lots of running clothes packed. Plan on getting some miles in while down there, in addition to the race. Race prediction? 2:15. I don't think this is going to be a pretty one.

Nada.

2009-01-19T22:14:00.002-05:00

Didn't do anything today. I don't feel the best, just a clogged up head and tired. I'm not sure if it's allergies flaring up from all of the damn construction dust in the house. We have dusted and vacuumed more in the past week than I have in 6 months. It is getting better. I am tired, too. That makes me think it may be more than allergies.

Whatever, I am resting. Just got a page that my 7 am mtg was canceled for tomorrow. That means that I do have time to get to the gym in the morning.

I'm thinking of adding No Pizza (yikes! fear!) to the list of things I'm doing for the Shortest Month.

The Shortest Month.

2009-01-18T14:32:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking of some challenges for the month of February. I believe that I need to kick thing up a notch if I want to see some weight loss, and I do. Some things that I'm thinking of for next month:

- no alcohol
- no sweets (candy, desserts, ice cream, etc) Fruit is ok.
- no rest days
- pack my lunch

If I can focus on this being just 28 days, I think I can make it. This may help get the weightloss moving. I've said before, that clothes are fitting a bit better, but the scale is stuck.

Going Solo...

2009-01-18T14:16:00.002-05:00

This was one day when I was really wishing that I had a running partner. It was about 25*, windy, and we got about 3" of fresh snow ontop of what we had. I drove over to Glacier Ridge Metropark, where I knew the paths had been plowed. I got there before they had been plowed today, but running thru 3" of snow is better than all of the trampled on snow that we've had this week and I don't like running on the road. I simply don't pay much attention when running on the road, because I am not used to it.

The first 2 miles were at just under an 11 min per mile pace. Ugh, I forgot how much snow slows you down! Right around the 2 mile mark is when the plow passed me. He was coming from the other direction, so the remainder of my run was on a plowed path. Ya know what? I think I'd have rather had it unplowed. It was much slipperier and there were quite a few patches of just pure ice. I ran down to the wetlands, and alot of that run was in the wide open - which meant WIND!!! When I was out of the wind, I was toasty.

It was a pretty run, but I didn't see much. No critters and no people. When I got back to the main section of Glacier Ridge, there were 2 runners and someone on cross country ski's. The weather was not brutal, so I can only assume, I live near alot of wimps.

I guess I'm as trained as I'm gonna be for the Half Shell Half. I'm looking forward to a few days in Key West.

Halt!

2009-01-15T17:55:00.002-05:00

The streak ended at 19 days. We had 5-6" of snow yesterday and I simply chose to play in the snow. Since Alex didn't appreciate me throwing snow on her face and she went inside, I ended up drinking a beer in the snow and not playing. Thus, I will not count it as exercise.

However, with 2* weather, not counting the windchill, I went out for a run. I really did not get cold - other than my face. I need a baklava thing! The new streak starts.

Monday, Monday

2009-01-13T11:38:00.002-05:00

I was exhausted all day Monday. Heck, I was exhausted on Sunday. Even went to bed at 9:10 pm and fell right asleep. 9 hours of sleep didn't seem to do any good. I was sleepy all day long and a bit achy. Julia suggested that I skip the run and take a walk. I did just that, thus extending the streak, making the dogs happy, and truly invigorating myself. I felt awesome after the walk. I slept well last night and was up at 5:15 this morning to go to the gym. I feel like I'm hitting on all cylinders today. Thanks Jools!

Week 2 Wrap-Up

2009-01-13T11:21:00.002-05:00

01/05/09 - 7.5 on the bike
Lower body & core strength
01/06/09 - 2 miles running @ gym
Upper body & core strength
01/07/09 - 5 miles running @ gym, ugh.
01/08/09 - 3.5 miles running, outside, slippery. Nice!
01/09/09 - Upper body & core strength
01/10/09 - 6 miles running @ gym, double ugh. Freezing rain all day.
01/11/09 - 4.02 miles running, outside, slippery, 10:04 pace.

Workout streak is at 17 days! The weight is not moving, despite decreasing the food intake, eating better and dramatically decreasing the alcohol. I am avoiding the scale for now, it will kick in. I know it.

I really hate running indoors, but I figure that I'm training my mind. It's so boring, it should help me during the longer runs. I'm really not sure there's much more benefit than that.

Next weeks goals are:
Mon - easy run, 3-4 miles
Tues - lower body, core, easy 2 miles
Weds - 5 miles, intervals
Thurs - 4 miles
Fri - upper body, core, easy 2 miles or bike
Sat - 10 mi
Sun - 5 mi

We'll see. The weather is supposed to turn to shit.

Ice, Ice Baby!

2009-01-11T10:53:00.001-05:00

A 12 mile long run was planned for Saturday morning. The weather gods did not cooperate. Central Ohio was blessed with a healthy dose of freezing rain all damn day. So what to do? I took it to the gym and ran 6 miles in circles. That's all that I can stand, so it will have to suffice.

The roads this morning are in much better shape. In keeping with my "I only run indoors when it's too slippery" thought, I ran outside. 4 miles at a 10:05 pace. Not too shabby. The roads were in pretty decent shape. We have some snow flurries and it's enough to give some traction on the few slippery spots out there.

BTW, does a slimfast cancel out a cheeseburger?

15 days...

2009-01-09T21:24:00.001-05:00

just sayin'.

Streeeeeeekkkk

2009-01-08T21:44:00.002-05:00

I have now worked out 14 days in a row. The desire to keep the streak going has me getting workouts in where I might otherwise blow them off. Today's 4pm mtg ended up lasting until almost 6. I started to head to the gym - had pre-packed my stuff. About halfway there, I realized that I could not possibly run indoors again tonight. I didn't care if it was cold, windy, icy, snowy, and dark. Once home, I found that it was a good thing that I didn't try running at the gym. I had only packed penny loafers in my workout bag - yeah, WTF?

The run itself was uneventful. Yep, it was cold, but the only thing uncomfortable was my face. The wind was really stinging my face. The run was a bit slow, because I was being careful with my steps. Slid a few times, but never ended up on my butt. Overall, 3.5 miles, 37 mins. I said it was slow.

Sucks

2009-01-07T20:41:00.001-05:00

Running inside sucks. I had planned to run after work today. Packed my gear, but when I got out of the office it was cold, windy, icy, and getting dark. The heck with it, I went to the gym. Ran around in circles for 55 mins. I'm calling it 5 miles. I stopped to get water and tie my shoes, but I'm sure I had at least 5 miles. I will be so happy when the days get longer.

Oh, I think I like working out in the morning better. What's happening to me?

Neglectful

2009-01-06T20:10:00.002-05:00

I said I wanted to post daily updates here and I've missed one. The good news is, I didn't miss my workout. I hit the gym by 6 am on Monday morning. To my great surprise, the place was not overly crowded. I'm wondering where all of the New Years Resolution people are. Not to worry too much, I concentrated on my core and lower body. Went thru both workouts and then hit the bike for an easy spin. After running 15 miles in 2 days, I wanted to give my legs a break. 30 mins of spinning gave me 7.5 miles.

If I thought the gym was not crowded yesterday, today it was barren. I'm sure there were a lot of folks that stayed up late watching the Fiesta Bowl last night. Well, I watched most of the game and I STILL GOT UP AND WENT TO THE GYM!!! I knew that I wouldn't be able to get there at night and I don't want to ruin my streak of workout days. So, today's workout was core, upper body and 2 miles of running.

My only remaining thought is that I must stay off of the scale. The weight is not budging. That's ok, I feel better and my clothes are fitting better. The weight will come off, eventually.

Tomorrow: running, with intervals. I hope the freezing rain and ice goes away. I really hate running indoors.

Training, Week 1

2009-01-04T12:26:00.002-05:00

I guess I may as well consider this Week 1, after all the majority of the week was in January. Here goes:

Mon - 5.25 miles, 10:49 pace, legs were dead
Tues - Core/Upper Body workout, 6.25 mile easy spin
Weds - 4.5 miles at 10 min pace, at the gym
Thurs - 2.4 miles, 10:20 pace, just wanted to get out there.
Fri - Core/Upper body workout, 7.6 mi spin
Sat - 11.2 mile run, 10:40 pace. This was a character building run. The last 3 miles were tough. I kept making deals with myself and never walked a step. I told myself that I could quit running at 11 miles even. Ended up going a bit more, because I wanted to.
Sun - 4.13 mi run, 10:20 pace. Run felt good. Pleasant temps.

Next week:
Mon - Core/Lower body workout. 3 miles, easy run
Tues - Core/Upper body, 3 miles, easy or spin, if I can get a bike
Weds - 4 miles, 6x30 second intervals
Thurs - 4 miles, 2 easy, 1 hard, 1 easy
Fri - core/upper body
Sat - 12 miles
Sun - 4 easy miles

I kept going and going...

2009-01-03T11:32:00.002-05:00

I need to get some long runs in prior to the Half Shell Half Marathon. Planned on running 10 miles today. The thought was that I would run to the rec ctr and back. About halfway there, I couldn't face the boredom of doing the same loop again. I started venturing off course. I hit a few neighborhoods that I hadn't previously run thru and also ran thru the Red Trabue Nature Reserve. There's a little log cabin in the middle of the reserve, not sure what that's about. I guess it's Red's cabin. Ya think?

Temps were in the low 20's, but the sun was shining and there wasn't much wind. All in all, not back running conditions. I did have 2 bad dog encounters. But, mostly an uneventful run. I didn't do too well in estimating my course and ended up with 11.2 miles. I ran every step of it, but I was slowwwwwwwwwww, especially the last 2 miles. In addition to not being in prime shape, my breathing takes a beating in the cold temps. If I'd have had balls, I'd have coughed them off after my run. Serious.

I am now showered and dressed. Still cold, even after a hot meal. It may be time for a nap.

Happy New Years, grrrrrrr!

2009-01-02T19:36:00.002-05:00

First of all, I finished off 2008 pretty well. My buddy & running coach, JoeB, challenged me to do something for 20 mins everyday in December and end the month without gaining weight. I didn't quite make the 20 mins a day, but I did not gain ANYTHING over the holidays!!! Woot!! I kept up with the workouts fairly well and have jumped back into running and lifting daily since Dec 26th. As of New Year's Eve I needed 4.2 miles to finish the year at 900 miles. Well, doggone it, I did it. 900 miles is low for me, but probably ok since I had missed 6 weeks of running completely and then had to work my way back from surgery after that.

My fitness challenge for January is to do something everyday and drop 3 lbs. You can see that Joe & I are not over-achievers on the weight front. Slow and steady does it for us, since neither of us much care for giving up alot. But to the point, I had more of a lack of sleep hangover on New Year's than anything else. I will admit that I don't think drinking cosmos are for me, just a bit too sweet. I spent the entire day in my pj's and at 4pm I had a conversation with myself. The jist is I couldn't talk myself into blowing off the first workout of the month and the first workout of the year. So, I threw on my running duds and went out for 2.5 miles. I thought my head would explode for the first 5 mins, but everything started to feel ok after that. By the end of the 2.5 miles, I was glad that I did it.

Upper body and core work was on the schedule for today. I went to the gym and holy freaking kee-riste I have never seen it so crowded. What, did the entire city of Dublin decide to make going to the gym their resolution?? I couldn't find a big enough spot on the floor to do my core work - and I don't take up much space! I finally squeezed in and did the core, upper body and finished up with 30 mins on the bike. I upped my weights and the elbow is still not bothering me, but I still don't have much grip strength. I have put together a workout routine based on Mark Coogan's Workouts for Runners. So far, so good, I like the workouts.

Tomorrow is a long run day. Planning on 10 miles. I hope that it warms up.

The Streak Continues

2008-12-30T17:12:00.002-05:00

I decided that I needed to give my legs a break. Went to the gym and did core and upper body work. Again, the elbow really doesn't feel any worse and may actually feel better after lifting. I did lower my upper body weights, 8 lbs for curls, so I'm not stressing it as much as I had. I also did pushups, which I thought might aggravate it. Afterwards, I did 25 mins of easy spinning. I set the bike on level 5 and did intervals, trying to hold 88 rpms. I was pretty successful. My legs didn't feel abused and I was soaked by the end. On the other side of me was a younger woman, probably 30. She was a bit chunky and wore a sweatshirt. She biked for the same time as I did, hopped off and was completely dry. I was soaked, my bike was soaked, wtf?

I've been doing pretty well with the eating, but I've been cheating daily with a Yuengling Black & Tan and See's Toffeettes. Chuck was here visiting this afternoon and I've already had 1 Black & Tan for the day, hope I can hold it to that!

5 miles the hard way

2008-12-29T13:07:00.002-05:00

What an ugly run. I had nothing in my legs today. Must be the miles run over the past few days and yesterday's lower body workout. I even tried to pick up the pace to see if that might help. Instead of my lungs screaming, as normal, my legs were doing the yelling. I am planning on an upper body workout tomorrow. I may follow it up with some easy spinning on the bike or a bit of swimming.

Christmas has come & gone...

2008-12-28T18:41:00.001-05:00

Way too much eating, too many cookies and desserts, too many parties, too much wine. 3 weeks of excess. I am so glad to be taking a few days off and winding down. My goal is to get to work out for 60 mins per day. That's my first step in getting back into shape.

I did an 8 mile long run on Saturday. It was a lovely run since it was 50 some degrees and I wore shorts & a tshirt. Pretty unusual attire for late December in Ohio. Other than the weather, the run was not the best. I managed to run every step, but it all felt like a struggle. I felt like I should have been leaving divots in the pavement. However, when it was finished, I felt awesome. I know that I will never lose my fitness habits for the simple fact that nothing makes me feel as good as a tough workout followed by a shower. I feel absolutely renewed.

Today was a lower body weight workout at the gym. I need to get back to the weights this month. I threw in a couple of arm exercises, too. My damn tennis elbow has not been getting better, so I'm done babying it. It doesn't feel better when I rest it, so I'm going to use. it. Funny thing, it doesn't feel any worse and actually feels a bit better now. I showered and rubbed bio-freeze on the elbow.

I also ran 2.5 miles after the weights. I must add that now that it's winter, the kids are back at the rec center. I had 2 of them kicked of the track tonight. Little bastards were jumping out in front of people. I don't think they meant any harm and they were probably flirting with the girls playing basketball below the track. Whatever, they annoyed the piss out of me and I sent an attendant after them. Call me the bitchy old lady, see if I care.

It was a nice workout, which I followed up with a shower and my white chili. Yum. I'm now ready for bed.

Christmas Parties are Killing Me

2008-12-18T20:36:00.000-05:00

I was successful in sticking with fruit and a grilled chicken salad for lunch yesterday. May not have been the smartest move, especially when I ran a quick 2.5 miles after work and then headed to a Christmas party. Let's just say that the wine hit me HARD. On the bright side, my stomach feels much better after reining in the eating. I just cannot handle rich foods.

Unfortunately, I've been too tired to do anything today. I'm also big on the carbs today. Comfort food. :)

Stop the Madness!

2008-12-17T10:28:00.000-05:00

I know, it's been used. I have just decided that I cannot wait until the first of the year to start focusing on my fitness and weight. If I lose site of it for a day, I start to slip.

Yesterday was our office luncheon at Buca di Beppo - family style Italian. I had a serving of several different entrees. Just one serving, no seconds, no loading up on bread. I believe the dessert was too rich for me. At 2am, I was still sitting up and feeling miserable. My weight is up 3 lbs since the first of the month. Everything is tight and I feel like a slug. I gain weight so quickly.

I am starting this blog, so that I remind myself each and every day that I need to do something to enhance my health. So far today, I've eaten a grapefruit and a banana. Today's "goody" - an entire tray of cutout cookies remains untouched by me. Next year, they are going to have to move the goody station.

Party at Philip & Tara's tonight. I'm going to slip out of work early and get in a quick run before. Don't care if it's only 2 miles. Will be 2 miles more than yesterday.