Friday, April 29, 2011

50 Days and Still Counting!

I know I've posted this before but it is just amazing to me how fast time flies! There are only 50 more days until the race. I'm proud of how consistent I've been with my workouts but I'm really looking forward to getting in some more challenging runs. It's been tough going hard because everyone else in the group was tapering down (plus my bum hammy didn't help). However, I think it is time to get busy!!

Today's workout was P90X Chest & Back and it went well. It was also my last P90X workout for a while. I'm taking a recovery week next week and then doing a week of Insanity. I'm hoping that this shift will really move me toward the high level of CV conditioning that I will need for the race. However, I will admit that I'm a bit nervous about jumping back into the Insanity program. My initial plan was to do this month at the month 2 level but I think I might change that just a touch. I will be doing 4 weeks of Insanity so my "new" plan is to do 2 weeks of month 1 and 2 weeks of month 2. My right shoulder has also been bugging me a touch and I don't know whether the Insanity will bother it or not - I will have to be careful!

I did really well with my food yesterday. We went out for our special Cheesecake Factory family dinner last night. I was able to get a lunch portion (size) and then only ate 1/2 of the meal. This allowed me some extra calories that I used on some chocolate mousse cheesecake. I shared with my daughter and let her eat the majority of the piece. It was great enjoying the wonderful flavors but not completely overdoing it and feeling stuffed afterwards!! I didn't see any drop on the scale but I had cheesecake and didn't see an increase either! Now the goal is to keep moving forward and not get complacent about how things are going. It is not an easy thing - losing weight - so I need to be diligent but not obsessive! I need to strive towards making this a true lifestyle shift and not another short lived "diet" change.

Today's meals will be a little tough. I'll be away from my kitchen so I don't really know what will be available. However, my plan is to make the best choices available to me and to have some nutrition bars on hand so I don't ever get too hungry. I know I can do it!

One more thing really surprised me about today! Yesterday I spent about 45 minutes on my bike and I really thought my butt would be sore. Not really muscle soreness but that "I've been sitting on a really hard bike seat for 45 minutes" type of bone soreness. I don't really know what it means but I'm just happy it doesn't hurt to sit down!!

Until later!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

51 Days

Yesterday was my first full day of using MyFitnessPal.com and it was really helpful to be logging my food again. The day wasn't "perfect" but I didn't give up and I didn't throw the day away because one of my meals wasn't according to plan. There were times during the day when I felt REALLY hungry - this gave me an indication of just how much "cheating" I was doing. The effort also showed up on the scale. I dropped one pound yesterday! I haven't been updating my ticker but that brings me back to 155.5. I'm proud of what I accomplished yesterday and am looking forward to what I can achieve if no make that when I stick to my plan!

I have not been meeting with my running group this week because their marathon is this weekend. Their mileages have been way down so I made the decision to stay at home and do my own workouts. It has been a nice change of pace. To recap: on Monday I ran 4.5 mile (2 with Chip), on Tuesday I took Chip to the trails and ran a very hilly 2 miles and yesterday I did a fast paced circuit resistance training session. The rest of the week will also be different - today I've already completed a yoga routine and am planning to do a Cardio Coach bike workout. Friday will be a "normal" P90X resistance workout. Lastly, Saturday will be a long run alone - I really feel like this is something I need to do! I love to run with my buds but I've also come to realize that when I don't meet with them I tend to not run and with the Baltimore 10 miler just 51 days away, I need to start making sure I get those runs in regardless of weather &/or company!

Speaking of workouts - I'm off to the porch to get my bike workout finished! Until next time!!

Addition:
I did my Cardio Coach (Vol. 4) workout and it was awesome! I had forgot just how much I love those workouts! The bike is so much different than anything else I do so I love the workout that I get. I will say that the focus and drive that I gained through doing Insanity has really helped in all my workouts - there is never any doubt about finishing workouts or working hard throughout. It's an awesome feeling!!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

52 Days

This week has been awesome - the kids are with my parents and I miss them but it has been really fun to go out and run with Chip. Monday I was able to go on a 4.5 mile run (the last 2 with Chip) and then yesterday I took him to the park. We did a 2 mile loop and stopped in the middle so that he could try his hand at swimming. We hadn't had him to the water since he was a little puppy (he was still pretty hesitant then) but boy did his water instincts kick in yesterday! He really looked like he was having a great time. The run was good too! It wasn't long but there were some really hilly sections that showed me just how much work I need to do before the Half Wit! I also went on a great walk with my hubby last night. The night was beautiful and we walked around the river for about 40 minutes.

Today is going to be busy as well! I did a quick/modified P90X workout. I decided to do it in a fast paced circuit style and boy did it give me a great burn! It was the Shoulder & Arms workout and it gave my upper body an amazing pump and burn! I really liked doing it this way. I don't want to do it that way every time but it was a great way to just shake things up a bit. I'm also planning on taking Chip back to the park (different one) so he can swim. This "new" park has a parking lot really close to the dog park area so we can spend lots of time swimming and not worrying if he be able to make it back to the car. I also have to pick up the kids and get to soccer practice this evening

Starting May 1st there is a group on FB that my friend Jess has started to offer accountability. I am so looking forward to this - I really think it is what I need right now! I'm not fooling myself, I have the exercise part down - it's the food that is tripping me up! I realize that I am a healthy weight and that I don't have 100's of pounds to lose (I'm only 6 pounds heavier than I was when I got married and before having kids). But, to some extent, I think this is part of what messes me up! I look at it and tell myself the above things which are positives however, instead of using these facts as positives I allow myself to eat that extra "thing" because of those facts. I'm not sure if that really makes sense to anybody else but I think it is a very important mindset that I really need to change! I am really hoping that having others right there with me will help keep me on track and make me focus on those little changes that I need to make.

I'm also going back to keeping a food log. I haven't kept one since stopping my membership at Leanness Lifestyle. It is always such an important tool and really gives you insights that you may not see when you just do it in your head. It's always hard when you first start these - you have to input a lot of info but I'm using Myfitnesspal.com and it really seems to have a pretty good database.

I'll try to get back on and update the day later.

Monday, April 25, 2011

54 Days

Yesterday was a great day! I got up and ran 2 miles with my puppy and then had a wonderful Easter breakfast with the family. The kids and I went to church and the annual church egg hunt. The kids looked awesome in their Easter outfits! My body issues definitely reared their ugly heads. I find it very hard to really find nice clothes that fit me AND look good on me. I have relatively broad shoulders so if I get things to comfortably fit my shoulders it usually doesn't fit my body and if it fits my body then I usually feel cramped in the shoulder area.

Then there was "the comment". I'm not going to go into the specific statement because if the person who made the comment reads this it may hurt them and I KNOW it was actually supposed to be a positive comment - my brain just didn't take it as such. We were discussing specific body parts that people usually have trouble with and when I heard the comment I just thought to myself "Damn, I work out so hard and this person is right because the area is a problem." Why do we say and think these negative things to ourselves? Deep down I know I am making myself healthier even though I know I don't have a fitness model type body. But, I still get down on myself upon occasion. It's at these times that I have to be VERY careful because The Beast pops out and tells me that if I'm not perfect I might as well throw in the towel and eat, eat, eat away! I need to stay strong and say NO, NO, NO!!!!!!

Moving on to today. I missed the group run this morning because of rain - sort of - it was raining when I got up but then about 5 minutes after my leave time, I realized it had stopped. Oh well! I decided that it would be a good day to run at home and get Chip another run day. I went out alone and ran about 2.5 miles and then stopped back at the house and go Chip. Together we went another 2 miles and I averaged high 8s for the entire run. It was nice to run in the sunshine AND get out there with the pup. He was very energetic at the beginning and did a lot of pulling! A couple of times he even went after some squirrels and once he cut across my path to get a bottle - almost really ugly!! By the end he was pretty tired. It was (and still is actually) a pretty humid day. Funny though, yesterday the 2 miles did nothing but fire him up when we got home. Today, totally different story - he's been exhausted all day!

I've also been really productive at home. I've cleaned out the frig, changed sheets, did laundry and even have a nice dinner going. My wonderful parents are watching the kids so it's just the hubby and I for a couple of days. I love the feeling you get when you know you have done a good job at taking care of your home and family!

Tomorrow is looking like another beautiful weather day! I'm planning on doing my P90X Legs and Back tomorrow first thing. Then later I would love to get out for a trail run. I'm just afraid that the trails will be absolutely gross with mud and water. I have to come up with my own plans the next couple of weeks because most of "the group" have their marathon this weekend. That means their mileage is way down this week and they probably won't run next week. I'm thinking about trying to add some trail runs in after school on my lifting days. I haven't been running more than 3 days per week for about a year now because of my foot. I don't have any more trouble with that but I had made the decision that I would give up the extra run days to ensure I got all the other aspects of my fitness program completed. However, I think if I get out on the trails with Chip I will do it on my own and it will really help me get ready for Baltimore and The Half Wit Half Marathon.

Anyway, that is my plan for the next little bit. I have some more to do around the house so I'm going to get to it. Laundry and dishes never seem to end!!!Link

Saturday, April 23, 2011

56 Days

I am getting tired of the rain! It seems like for every nice day we have, we end up with 2-3 rainy days. I'm so happy that it is starting to get warmer out but I really feel like I need a longer stretch of sun.

The rain also put a stop to my run this morning. The plan was to meet the group and go for an 8 mile run - they are in the very end stage of their marathon training. I don't like running in the cold rain so I decided not to go. In addition, if they get there and decide that it is raining too hard, they can go into the gym - I'm not a member so I'm kind of stuck if that happens. I hope to maybe get something in later today. Maybe the kids could ride their bikes as I run or we could all go for a bike ride. That's all assuming the rain stops!

Now, you've got to know that I did SOMETHING to workout this morning. I wasn't a total slacker!! I actually did my P90X Kenpo workout. This is a workout that I haven't done in ages. I actually don't do any of the cardio workouts because I'm usually running for my cardio. However, I thought it would be a nice change of pace and it was! To up the intensity a bit, I added a little bit of weight to my hands (I held a roll of pennies in each hand) and I like it better. I worked up a great sweat but I didn't feel like my HR got very high. I think that was really my biggest complaint with the session all along and now that I have done Insanity......well, I've discussed that already. My perspective on workout intensity is totally different.

I have a touch of chest soreness from yesterday's workout which I'm very happy about. The hybrid I made up has me scheduled to do 4 weeks of actual workouts before I do a recovery week. I've been wondering if I should modify the program because I feel like I'm losing a lot of the cardio fitness I gained with Insanity (see prior posts). The truth is, I probably am losing some of that but I have to keep telling myself that every aspect of this plan is important. Just because something is different doesn't mean it isn't important or necessary. Yes, my goal is to train for this race but I also need to keep my body healthy! Last year's injuries came about because I got skewed towards 1 aspect of fitness - no stretching, no strength training, all running! I may or may not hit my 1:20:00 time goal but I will make sure I keep my body healthy.

I'm going to stick with the program as I wrote it. So next week will be my last week of P90X (month 1) and then I will do a recovery week. That will bring me to my first month of Insanity. There is no doubt that I'm looking forward to these workouts. The only question (and I may change this part of my hybrid) is do I do the first month or the second month of Insanity. I first wrote it so that I would do the 2nd month first so that I could do 2 sessions of the longer workouts over the duration of this hybrid. However, if I've lost some of my conditioning I'm wondering if it will be detrimental to do it in this way. But regardless of whether I do month 1 or 2, I think this will bring me right up to the race! I'm looking forward to how the program will prepare me for the race.

Have a great weekend and a Joyous Easter!!!

Friday, April 22, 2011

This needed its own post!

As I stated in my last post - we were headed to the park this morning. It was beautiful and we were the only ones there at the start so we let the pup off his leash so that he could run and burn off some of that puppy energy. He jumped off the trail a little bit, grabbed a stick and ran back to the trail and dropped the stick. My daughter bent down to pick the stick up for him and the next thing I know she is screaming. My first thought is that it was a snake....NOT! Here is what he brought us:


Yes, it is a deer leg! Luckily there wasn't any more of the deer in the area. Needless to say we were a bit freaked for a second but we were able to get a good laugh out of it. Chip was so proud of himself though - I think he probably would have made a pretty good hunting dog but I am SO not into that!! I guess you just never know what you are going to come across at the park!!

57 Days

I am so glad that I did my Insanity workout last night. It felt great to get that awesome sweat going again. I also slept like a baby! My hubby even got up in the middle of the night and I was sleeping so soundly that I didn't hear or feel a thing!!

I have the day off today (start of Spring Break - yippee!) so I actually slept in for about 30 minutes. I felt really good this morning! I did my P90X Chest and Back routine and felt really strong. I didn't feel like doing the ARX workout so I modified by doing an ab routine from my Cathe Ab Hits DVD. It was basic crunches but it was also a nice change. I've been doing a lot of core work (no crunches) with the Insanity, Hip Hop Abs & ARX and none of them do crunches. Part of me really likes that but another part "likes" (maybe that's too strong a word - LOL) the burn you get with 15 or so minutes of constant crunches - with variations of course! As Tony says: "Variation is the key!" Just like I love to do his (and Shaun T's) crazy variations there is something to be said for performing the old standbys. These exercises have been around forever because they work and are effective!

Anyway, there is lots of fun planned for the day! I'm taking the kids and the puppy to the trails this morning to get some more exercise. Then after lunch I'm taking the kids to see "Hop". It looks like a fun movie and I think it will be a lot of fun. My kids love to go to the movie theater and we don't do it very often because it is so darn expensive. So, it always seems like a great treat when we do go!! Then later today the rain is supposed to move in - I'm really getting tired of all the rain we've had lately. Everything is absolutely saturated!

Gotta get a move on - I'm boiling eggs for later (trying to tie-dye the eggs this year). I also want to get to the park early so we beat the rain. I may update later if something great happens at the park!! Have a great day!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

58 Days

I have really started to feel out of shape lately. I think my perspective has really changed since doing and finishing Insanity. I've been faithfully doing my P90X sessions and my runs (although my hamstring has impacted the quality and length of the runs) but at the end of each day I don't really feel the same way I did while doing Insanity. There was a rush that went along with those workouts that I'm just not getting right now!

I know that I want to eventually get Insanity Asylum (maybe my birthday if not sooner) and I will be starting a round of Insanity in a week or 2. But in the mean time I think I will try to add in an Insanity workout on some of my workout days. I really want to hit my mark at Baltimore and I don't think I will if I don't make some changes.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

59 Days

I can't believe that I am only 59 days out from the Baltimore 10 Miler! I started this countdown at over 100 days to go. I think it is actually been 49 days - where has the time gone??? It just goes to show you that time does not stop and every day that we don't go all out is a day lost! We can not get them back! When you look back over the last 50 or so days do you have a bunch of regrets or can you look back and see a majority of successes. None of us are going to be perfect but if you can honestly look back and be pleased with your efforts then you have something really positive to build on!!

Monday, April 18, 2011

61 Days - Boston

I was SO pumped today! Two of my friends were running the Boston Marathon and they both did awesome. Not that I had any doubts but it is so cool to see hard work pay off and work hard is what these 2 women do!! I think they both actually qualified for next years race as well!

I got my timing all messed up this morning and realized that I didn't allow myself enough time to get my workout finished. So what did I do....did I skip it....did I pout....did I go on a feeding frenzy...NO!!! I modified the workout and did what I could. It was legs and back and I chose to do just the leg portion of the workout. I had hoped to get the back portion done later in the day but didn't quite get to it. I'm not concerned though because my Friday workout also include back so I will get the work in.

Tomorrow is a running day and I'm planning on covering 4-5 miles with my buds. My hamstring has been feeling pretty good today so I'm hoping that I'll be able to let loose tomorrow. I'm anxious to get in a good run especially after the amazing Boston performances!!!

There are only 2 months until Baltimore and I need to get in some quality runs. I know I can cover the distance but it is the speed that I need to work on. I also need to focus a bit more on my nutrition especially if I'm not getting the types of quality runs that I want/need. I will have a plan for my nutrition in place by the time I go to bed tonight!!!

Speaking of bed - need to get a good night sleep tonight. Post more later!!

I got my Insanity T-shirt!




Who would have thought you could be so proud of a T-shirt?

Sunday, April 17, 2011

62 Days & a Splurge Meal

I treated myself last night to a wonderful splurge meal. We went to a Mexican restaurant and I had a cheesy chicken burrito. I tel you this because I think it is important to realize how a meal like this can affect what the scale says. I know there are a lot of people that get absolutely obsessed by what the scale says - to the point where it can make or break their day! I am not one of these people and I actually think it is beneficial to get on the scale almost every day (as long as you don't have the above mentioned mentality). By getting on the scale every day, you are able to notice trends that your body may go through - especially if you are a woman. Does you weight spike at the same time each month? If it does then we know that it isn't because "We are Getting Fat" it's our monthly cycle doing its thing. No need to freak out about that - it will correct itself in a week or so!

Back to my splurge meal. A high carb meal (especially if combined with higher fat content) is going to make our bodies retain water. Have you ever noticed the scale make a HUGE jump after one of these types of meals? You think to yourself - I can't believe I ate enough to gain "5" pounds!?!?! Guess what.....you didn't!!! One pound equals 3500 calories so in order to gain 5 pounds (of fat) you would have to consume 17,500 calories above and beyond your normal maintenance number of calories! If you can honestly tell yourself that there is no way that you consumed that many calories then there is no need to get upset. Your body is just retaining some extra water because of the higher carb content of your meal. Drink a lot of water and keep your carb intake a bit lower for a day or 2 and before you know it the scale will drop back down. And, GUESS WHAT?! A fair number of times, your weight will often drop lower than it was before the increase. Why??? Because your body gets a break from the lower calories days and tells itself: Yeah I'm not in starvation mode - I have plenty of calories to burn!!!! This is all assuming you get right back onto your sensible eating plans and you continue you exercise. You may also find that for the next couple of days you have absolutely ROCKIN' exercise sessions. Your body gets that burst of energy from the carbs and you just feel awesome!!

All that being said, I didn't get on the scale this morning - not because it would "ruin" my day! I'll be honest and tell you that I simply forgot. I like to get on the scale first thing in the am - right after I use the bathroom and before I get dressed (no eating or drinking). This will give you a true weight for the day. I had my morning drink and then realize that I forgot to get on the scale. No biggie..I'll just get on tomorrow. Don't let little things like this mess you up! Your days are never "perfect" and there will be challenges each and every day. If you allow these challenges to put you in a poor mindset then it is really going to mess you up! Remember: "You Are What You Think About Most!" When these are positive thoughts then you will view most things in a positive light. When they are negative well...guess how you are going to view life?

Onto today - I got up and did my X Stretch workout. I really needed this today. I was SO tight this morning that when I started I couldn't even get near my toes when I bent over. The back of my legs were screaming!! I was very tight but I didn't have any soreness from my runs this week (not including the hammy thing). I was afraid that I might experience some joint pain from all the increased mileage this week. Sometimes I get pretty sore in my hips and knees, especially after my long runs. I didn't have any of that this week! I'm hoping that this week will bring more positive outcomes from my running workouts (ie - no hammy pain during or after the runs) and that my P90X workouts keep progressing!

Tomorrow is the Big Day for my friends! I'm really looking forward to getting home after work and checking their progress in the race. Good luck you guys and enjoy the experience!!!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

63 Days - Long Run

I was able to get out for my run this morning - rain is holding off and my leg felt pretty good. We set off for a 12 mile run but only did 9. Right around mile 6 we hit a bunch of hills. They weren't real big but there was just one after another after another. These hills really tightened my hamstring (both of them actually) so I decided that cutting it a bit short was the best course of action. We ran it in less than 90 minutes so I'm pleased with the effort.

This was my 4th run of the week and my legs felt pretty good (weekly total was 19 miles). I expected them to feel burnt out but they didn't. This is really encouraging to me because I now know that, once the hammy thing is cleared up, I will be good to go for my run training. I'm really looking forward to the time when I can really let loose during my weekly runs. I will continue to ice, stretch and take my meds until this is cleared up and then WATCH OUT WORLD I will be back in action!

Friday, April 15, 2011

64 Days

I find it very interesting how differently I view my workouts now that I have completed Insanity. The runs that I used to find challenging seem to leave me wanting. The P90X workouts that used to have me sweating bullets don't offer that same sensation. In many ways, I view this as a good thing. I means that I am in better shape now than I was a year ago. The bad thing is that I'm feeling a bit empty after my workouts. I am still taking it a bit easy with my runs since I'm just getting back into multiple runs in a week plus my hamstring is bothering me. I don't really know what to do about it but I'll be interested to see how much I can do when I get things going at 100%.

I think I may have strained the hamstring Monday while I was running on the grass. It doesn't really bother me during my day to day activities but I can "feel" it when I run. So far I've been able to log 10 miles this week and I have 12 miles scheduled for tomorrow. That will be a huge increase over my prior weeks. So I will really need to pay close attention to how my leg is feeling. The last thing I want is a prolonged leg injury. That being said, I am just chomping at the bit to get out there and run hard. I feel like I'm losing all the cardio that I built up with Insanity!!

Back to Insanity - I got my shirt! I'm very proud of it and I had my daughter take some pictures. Did I mention that I really don't like to have my picture taken?! I will post them though!

I'm also very interested in the Insanity: The Asylum program. It is geared more toward athletic performance and looks absolutely intense! The only thing I'm not sure of is if you need a pull-up bar. It uses weights, an agility ladder and a jump rope so it incorporates more than Insanity. I don't know how I would incorporate it into my routine but with the summer coming up I may be able to double up on some workouts.

One last thing: Here's a great big shout out to my friends running the Boston Marathon on Monday. I know, deep down in my heart, that they are both going to have awesome races! I'm looking forward to being able to track their progress on Monday. I will be getting email updates on their progress.

GOOD LUCK HELENANN AND JESS!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

66 Days

My hamstring is feeling better today. I can still feel it a touch but no where near like it was yesterday. I'm glad I don't have any leg workouts scheduled for today and hoping that it feels even better tomorrow. Planning on running 3 tomorrow morning but I'm running with someone who likes to go pretty quickly. Normally I can keep up with her without much difficulty but it my hammy is still bothering me I will need to slow down.

I did P90X Shoulders and Arms this morning. I will be honest - I really didn't feel like lifting this morning. However, today is a crazy busy day so I knew I had to get it finished first thing. I did the workout but it really did leave me feeling blah about the whole thing. I know we all have those days and I'm hoping that the next couple of days will be better.

I'm volunteering at school later and then we have sports tonight. My dd was feeling real great earlier so I'm hoping she isn't coming down with something. So, I guess I need to get off this computer and get my act in gear!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

67 Days - Ouch!

I got up this morning and it wasn't raining!!! I was actually going to get to run with my running group! I was very excited so up I got and out the door I went. I was at our meeting place at 4:23 am unfortunately, they had changed the time to 4:45 and forgot to tell me. No biggie but I was starting to wonder if anyone was coming and almost made a phone call when the first car showed up.

Anyway, there were a lot of people there (8 I think) which was a really nice change over my last couple of runs (either by myself or with 1 other person). Now don't get me wrong, those runs are nice but it really was great to get most of the group together. Different people were running different distances (according to where they are in their race training). My friend who is running Boston was running 3 miles and since I ran last night, I had planned on that as well. So off we went! However, there was a problem. When I started, I felt this pain/tightness in my left hamstring. It isn't a "I pulled my hamstring" type pain but it was and is pretty sore. It loosened up a bit during the run but has since tightened back up again.

The part that concerns me is that I don't know what is causing the pain. I'm thinking it may have been running on the grass at the baseball field last night. Maybe I tweaked it running on the uneven ground. I didn't really feel anything last night but it is the only thing I can think of. I hope after some stretching and maybe some ice will help it calm down and that I can run again on Thursday. It is a 3 mile run and luckily I don't have any lower body workouts planned for tomorrow which will give me good rest day before the Thursday run.

"Do Your Best & Forget The Rest!"

Monday, April 11, 2011

68 Days

P90X Legs & Back with ARX went great this morning! I kept the weights the same this week because I was so sore last week (about 3 days worth). My plan is to increase a couple of the weighted exercises next week. I was also able to complete the ARX section of the workout. My puppy was still tired from yesterday so he slept through my entire workout. I did have to work around him a touch but at least he didn't sit on my lap - LOL!

I just received an application for a trail race I ran a couple of years ago. It is called the Half-Wit Half Marathon and it is one of the hardest and most challenging races I've ever done. I am hoping to get a few of my friends to agree to run it with me. It is one of those races that you just "hate" while you are doing it because it is that hard! However, when you are finished you get this awesome rush because you know that you have accomplished something amazing!!!

We have baseball practice tonight and maybe I'll be able to get some running in tonight. I have a 5 mile run planned for the morning but the weather doesn't look very promising. I actually should have run this morning and lifted tomorrow but I didn't really think about it. Too late to worry about that now. I will try to get in 3-4 miles tonight and hope to get something in tomorrow morning. If the run doesn't work out my plan is to do Insanity Max Cardio. Either way, it will be a good workout.

I was also pleased to see a small drop on the scale this morning! It is very important for me to drop these pounds. The 2 races I'm running this summer (Baltimore and hopefully the Half-Wit) are challenging races and I know it will be easier on my body if I'm not carrying those extra pounds. I know that is an obvious statement but I have to continuously remind myself.

Make it a great day!!

Addendum:
I got my 4 mile run in this evening. The best part was that my daughter ran a little over 1/2 a mile with me. This is truly amazing because she HATES to run. I'm hoping it is the start of her wanting to get out and exercise with me more. I don't really care what it is: we can run, walk, bike ride....whatever she wants.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

69 Days - WOW!

I'm finding it hard to believe that there are only 69 days left until my race! It seems like just a few days ago I started this countdown. It just goes to show you how important it is to make every day count! When you skip days or give into the "The Beast" you lose that day and you can never get it back. Is it the end of the world - definitely not but it is a day lost. Strive to be YOUR best just for today! Then tomorrow do the same thing and the day after that and the day after that. Before you know it......you have reached a goal that you never thought you would. That is how I'm going to go about these next 69 days!

Things have been a bit up and down recently because of my cold. I have not been sleeping well so I missed one of my runs (plus my other 2 runs were pretty low mileage). This week I'm planning on getting out for all 3 of my runs! Tuesday will be 5-6 miles but Thursday will be a low mileage day (about 3 miles). I'm meeting with my friend who is running Boston next week. It will give me a chance to catch up with her, give her encouragement and give me a low mileage/easier day before a 12 miler on Saturday.

My lifting sessions have been awesome! I did all 3 of them this week and did 2 sessions of Ab Ripper X. I didn't get the 3rd one in because my puppy decided to sit on my lap and get some lovin'. This is a huge problem when your puppy is about 84 pound (9 months old) - he's a big boy!!! I'm OK with that though because I did get some ab work in my yoga session today. Doing the yoga &/or stretching DVDs are going to be very important for me. The P90X workouts all have warm-up and cool-down stretching in them but I was still VERY tight this morning. I didn't even realize just how tight I was. The first hamstring stretch of the session was hard!! I feel so much better now.

I have been maintaining my 157#. I happy that I haven't put on weight because my eating hasn't been as good as I would like. Not awful but not really tight like it was during the last few weeks of Insanity. I've been telling myself that it was due to my cold but deep down, I know that BULL. I'm just not being as precise as I should be - see first paragraph!!! Make each day count!!! That is my mantra for today (and the next week). I want to keep an eye on the future but focus on today. Does a busy schedule make this a challenge - sure it does but it can be done if I plan. Today will be church (I teach Sunday school), lunch out and then baseball practice and a healthy dinner at home. This means I will be away from home for a big portion of the day. When I'm finished here I will sit down and plan out the rest of my day so that I have healthy options during the entire day. Planning is the key and when I give into "The Beast" is us usually because I haven't planned my day well enough.

Planning, being consistent in all aspects of my fitness & persistence create a combination that cannot be beat!

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

74 Days....It's been a while!

Man has life been crazy over the past few days! We've had lots of sporting events and my cold has definitely kicked into high gear. But we are all making it through!

Saturday was a big sports day but it started with me not sleeping very well. I was supposed to run in the morning but was awake all night coughing. I was afraid that I would be able to make it to the kids sports events so I decided not to run in the hopes that it would allow me to make it through the day. It worked! It started with Will's opening day activities, which I missed most of. I then took Ally to her first soccer game. They did very well but at the end of the game we realized that her team from the fall was still together and she wasn't placed on it. This was after 2 weeks of working on getting her to a team closer to home. Needless to say, I went up to the office and got her switched to the old team - she is very happy as am I.

Then we moved to Will's baseball game. The team did well and won the game. The kids played many positions and although they started off razzing each other, they came together and played well as a team. Will struck out twice which didn't make him very happy but I was pleased with the way he handled himself. We still need to work on his hitting a moving ball but he really seems to be having fun so I'm happy!

Sunday came and we went to visit our friends in Middletown. We all had a great time - including all of our dogs (they have 2 ). The dogs get along really well and always have a lot of fun. We all love going to their house and I will miss them when they go to OK for the summer.

Monday brought more sports. Ally had a soccer clinic Monday night and Will had baseball practice. I was able to do my Legs & Back workout in the morning and then got a 3 mile run in at Ally's practice. It was a beautiful day and I really wanted to take advantage of it. Running in the heat of the day is very hard for me because I never do it. It was good to do something different.

Today brought rain and cold weather again. It also brought really sore muscles for me!!! My butt is so sore it isn't even funny - but I LOVE it! I had another bad night sleeping last night so I didn't exercise this morning but I'm doing my Shoulder & Arms tomorrow morning. Off to a meeting tonight so I'm off.

Friday, April 01, 2011

78 Day & "I Get Knocked Down..."

It's funny how things happen! I entered this recovery week very high off of my Insanity finish and I would have "thought" that my body would respond well to break in intensity. Did that happen? No! My brain said eat - eat - eat! Then I got this congestion/cold thing and that eat, eat, eat thing started to spiral out of control.

All day yesterday, I knew what was going on and yet I still didn't stop. Then we went out last night to get my son his baseball socks. On the way a song came on and a light bulb went off in my head. The song was Tubthumping and the chorus goes: "I get knocked down ... I get up again ... You're never gonna keep me down." I knew right then that I had been knocked down - Insanity had me on such a high that when it ended, I didn't do very well. But I'm now getting up again!!

When I woke this morning, the sinus/chest congestion thing was still present but I made the decision to not let it knock me down again. I got off the sofa and completed the Insanity Plyo Cardio Circuit from month 1. I am going to exercise this gunk right out! I don't have a fever or anything like that (just the congestion) so exercising is OK. Over the last couple of nights I was also feeling "run down" and I attributed that to the cold. But honestly, I think it was my nutrition!

Ultimately, it comes down to never giving up. As long as I strive to do better I'm ahead of the game!