Cool Video

I found this video on You Tube and thought some of the exercises were really cool. I want to try the hamstring curl exercise he does on the plates!

First camera pictures

Here are the first 3 pictures. The first one is my son Will, the second one is of my daughter Ally & the last one is of me (my son took a picture just as I started to speak - hence the squinty eyes & funny smile) & my first baby Boomer.

Have a great day!

Birthday Pictures

Here is a picture of the camera that I got for my birthday! It is awesome and I love it! I will post the first couple of pictures that we took with the camera.

I've been doing much better with my nutrition and fitness programs over the past couple of days. It isn't much but I was able to drop 1/2 a pound. I'm also going to try a little visual incentive program with myself. I'm going to put a sticker on the calendar every time I have a successful day. Note, that it doesn't have to be a "perfect" day - I'm trying to get out of my all-or-none mentality and move toward a lifestyle.

Today's run was difficult because of the humidity. We have been in a pretty bad heat wave over the past week or so. It was nice for the kids swim lessons though - the hot temps and heated up the pool water nicely so that it is refreshing but not freezing! Speaking of swim lessons, the kids did well yesterday. Will struggled a touch because of his lack of confidence and I was actually nervous that they might try to move him down a group but he made it through yesterday and then we worked on some things when we stayed afterwards. He seems to be gaining confidence so I'm happy. Ally is her normal fish self and did great!

Off to get some work done before swim lessons!

The Day Has Come!

I'm officially 40!

It has been a really fun day. Early this morning, the kids and I loaded the dog in the car and went to the park. There is a pond there where you can let the dog off the leash and let him run and swim. My dog is 11 years old so he isn't as spry as he used to be. However, he did get in the water and retrieve some sticks (he's a choc. lab btw) and ran around with an obviously much younger dog. We all then did a little bit of walking on the trails and then came home.

In the afternoon, some of the kids friends came over and we ended up playing hide-n-go-seek and then we got the bubble machine out and chased bubbles. The whole afternoon was just a blast!

Then my hubby took us out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. I ate way too much but it was delicious! After dinner they gave me my totally fabulous present - I got a digital camera! I will post more about the camera in my next post. I'm still trying to figure it all out and the battery is charging. I can't wait to take my first picture!

Gotta run!

Not so good lately!

Talking about my food intake - I am making poor food choices AND eating way too much of it! The worst part (to me) is that as I make those poor choices, I'm conscious of what I'm doing and pretty much say f*** it and go ahead with an action that I KNOW I should stop dead in it's tracks. An action that I KNOW will make me feel worse afterwards. How utterly messed up is that?

On a positive note, my exercising has been going well. I've done 3 lifting sessions this week and have had some pretty good runs. However, I must keep reminding myself of something that Coach Dave says:

You can not outrun poor nutrition choices!

It is so true! I could run and lift for hours and hours every week (OK, I already do) and if I continue to eat crappy food and make crappy choices - I will continue to gain weight and not lose it, no matter how much I'm exercising!!!!!!

A friend from LL is having a "Junkless June" competition with 25 of her relatives. Each person writes down 3 thing that they feel will be difficult to live without for the next 30 days and then everyone much avoid every item on the list. Every "cheat" costs you $5 and if you drop out you owe $20. I thought this was a great idea and asked my parents if they wanted to join me in a similar competition. I will also ask my dh but I have a feeling he is going to say no - but it can't hurt to ask.

Off to do some chores around the house - until next time!

Saturday 5/24/08

I read something totally awesome on the LL website. The post was about putting a face to your Beast. What is the Beast you ask? The Beast is that little voice inside you that tells you: "go ahead and eat that crappy food - you've had a hard day and you deserve it!" I give into that Beast WAY TOO OFTEN!

Anyway, back to the post: it talks about how Coach David talks about putting a face to the Beast so that you have a picture in your mind when it calls. To me, that makes the Beast become concrete - something I can actually fight against - not an abstract concept that I just can't truly grasp. The person posting put a co-workers face to her Beast and obviously found motivation galore!

What does your Beast look like? I definitely have a face to mine now!!!

I had a great workout this morning! Got out and hit the trails first thing. If felt great to be back out there again. It was really tough but the weather was beautiful and the sunrise - awesome! We saw deer, squirrels, herons and rabbits. Part of the run was along a creek so we had the sun shining off the water and the wonderful sound of running water.

The run itself was slow and easy - most of us are either recovering from races last weekend or illnesses. We ran a touch over 7 miles and did it in a little under 1:30. I really didn't care how fast we went I just needed to get back out onto those trails. We are heading back out tomorrow too!

Nutrition has been good so far also. I stayed away from the donuts the kids had this morning and from the fries at lunch. I will also keep the rest of the day clean because my Beast now has a face and I WON'T let that face win!!!

Race Results and a Long Week

This past Sunday was the Bell Supply 10 Miler that I've been training for. Last year I ran it in 1:16:00 and placed 3rd in my age group. Over the past year, I have logged many "slow" miles and not many "fast" ones. I've also put on probably a good 10 pounds. However, I still had a goal of running this year's race in a faster time and moving up in my age group win. Well, I'm proud to say that 1 of those goals was achieved and I came really close to the other one. I was unable to run the 10 miles in a faster time but I was able to complete it in 1:18:10. Even though I didn't reach my goal, I'm thrilled with the time. I left it all out on the course and I honestly don't think I would have been able to go any faster than I did!

The goal I did achieve: I was able to move up a place in my age group and ended up with a 2nd place trophy (see above). They are cute little bobble head trophies! I was also the 4th woman to finish and 23rd overall finisher.

The busy/long week stems from the fact that it is our last week of school with the kids. So, there are programs, trips, picnics and report cards. I still need to go in next week and clean up the room and take things off the walls and those sorts of things but at least there aren't any after hours planning etc. I'm really looking forward to having the summer off so that I can get my head straight. It has been a challenging year with my co-teacher and I'm looking forward to moving on to something new!

I have also been maintaining my running. I've been able to get in 1 lifting session (still need to finish 2 more by Sunday) and I've gone out for 2 runs. My legs were still pretty tight and tired on Tuesday but felt much better today. I'm hoping to get out for 5 miles tomorrow.

Time flies when your blogging.....off to our school picnic!

Sunday 5/11/08

This was a really great weekend!

Saturday looked like it was going to be an awful day because of an insane schedule. We were supposed to have soccer pictures, soccer games and a birthday party that my dd was going to. As it turned out, the rain we've had lately cancelled the pics and the games which lightened the load tremendously. Instead of running around all day long, we actually got a chance to sit and relax. The birthday party was also good because it turned out to be a drop-off type party. So, instead of sitting in a bowling alley for 3 hours I was able to go home and relax - again. That never happens!!!

My workout was also good on Saturday. Because of the supposed insane day, I stayed at home and ran (1 less hassle). I was able to cover 8 miles in a little over an hour. Today's workout was also good. I met Cathy and we ran 10.6 miles in about 1:41:00. Not real fast but not real slow. Overall a good weekend of running! Next Sunday is my 10 miler and I really want to try and beat my time from last year so I probably won't run on Saturday. My schedule is also up in the air for this week because dh will be working some more overtime and the weather forecast is a bit iffy.

I also had a great Mother's Day! My dd tried to give me breakfast in bed - unfortunately, she put cereal in a bowl (with the milk) at about 6 am and I didn't get home until about 7:45 am. Needless to say, it was a bit soggy! However, I loved the thought and the effort. The kids made me some beautiful crafts and my dh bought me some Techwick running shirts - love that material. It's from EMS at it is absolutely awesome!

Total Different Topic!
I was reading a post by IronWil and she posted something right on the mark for me. Here is a section from her post:

I'm learning that habits, good or bad, are pretty powerful things. They're so powerful in fact, I've recently come to admit that some of mine have involved behaviors I didn't even enjoy, but simply felt compelled to repeat regardless of knowing I'd just feel like crap in the end. From oversleeping to letting people regularly waste my time, my actions and interactions weren't benefiting me at all, and I only felt regret and anger with myself for allowing them to continue. Problem was, however, I didn't know how to make myself stop.

I spent a lot of time and energy trying to find the big cause... that subconscious, psychological need now manifesting itself as said habits, but you know what? I finally just woke up and realized they were all just simple practiced actions, and like all animals, I'd been trained.

The comments that I've put in bold really jumped out at me. Many of my poor food choices are just unhelpful habits that I have felt compelled to repeat over and over again. I then also go through that painful experience of trying to figure out "WHY" I do these things to myself. I think I really just need to start "sucking-it-up" and work on breaking those habits. I know it won't be easy but as they say: It takes 2 weeks to form a new habit. I need to start working on those new habits right away!

Triple Crown Race Report and other stuff

I'll admit it - I'm not going to get a race report typed in here. I am mentally and physically worn down from work and it just isn't worth trying to get it typed. Suffice it to say, I had an awesome time and I honestly believe that I WILL do it again next year. The official results are in:

Finish time: 5:51:46
87th Overall finisher
13th Female finisher
3rd in my age group (30-39)

I am thrilled with the results especially knowing that I walked a number of miles with a friend who was struggling. I could have had a better time but friends and safety are (and always will be) much more important!

This week has been crazy with work, kid activities and hubby working OT. I haven't gotten in much running but it's probably a good thing because of all the other types of stress recently. I'm still hoping for a good showing at the Bell Supply Ten Miler on the 18th!

I had a rude awakening of sorts last night. We had a school function and I get my nice shorts out to put on and they were TIGHT! I know that I'm heavier than I would like to be but those shorts were pretty darn loose last summer. This has prompted me to get off my horse and set some goals (they aren't necessarily finished and polished but it's a start). My transformation goal is to get down to 130 and 19% body fat. I may not maintain that weight but I will get there! I still need to work on some intermediate goals but they will be up soon too.

Gotta go!

I'm Working on a Write-up

I have it written but it is taking a while for me to type it onto the computer. Short version: the race was awesome and I definitely want to do it again next year! I finished in 5:51:46 and made it through the river without difficulty. The only problem I had was a small blister on my right foot - it really wasn't a bad blister, it was just under my toe nail so that was a bit of a problem. The good part was that it didn't bother me until after the race so things were good.

I was able to run 3 time this week (Tues - Thurs), for a total of 13 miles, but then really crashed last night. I even started to get a sore throat. As a result, I'm running tomorrow (weather seems like it is going to cooperate more on Saturday than on Sunday) and taking Sunday off. Hopefully, the extra rest day will be enough to keep me healthy.

I'm hoping to get back into a lifting routine next week but will let my body tell me if it is ready. I also want to start performing track workouts and am hoping my friend Cathy will want to do them with me again!

That's all for now - will post that write-up when it's finished!

This is it!

Today is my first Trail Marathon! I've been looking forward to this race for a long time and I'm really excited that it is finally here. I will post a write-up as soon as I can.

Preparation for the marathon

I've done my last run before the race and I'm now trying to increase my carbs. I have to say that it isn't doing much for my weight loss goals. The good thing is that I know a lot of it is carbs and the water that goes along with it.

I want to make a public declaration: When this race is over, I WILL concentrate on my weight loss goals and I will lower my weight and my body composition. I will determine the specifics in the next couple of days.

Off to school!

Confession Time!

I have had a couple of days of: "I JUST DON'T CARE ANYMORE!" - speaking of weight loss and healthy living of course. There have been many factors contributing to this attitude and as a result I haven't been checking in here and I haven't been following a good program either. The only constant has been my running. I'm in my taper week so I ran 5 miles on Monday, 4 miles today and 4 more are on tap for tomorrow. After tomorrow, running will cease until the marathon on Saturday. I will admit that I have started each day with the best intentions but have given in to that inner brat each and every day. I'm writing about it now so that I can get the ship going in the right direction today!

Today has been going well. Here are my meals (actual and planned):
1. Fritatta
2. Smoothie
3. Crab & pasta salad with veggies
4. Veggies & cc dip (planned)
5. Buffalo steak, baked fries & salad (planned)
6. LL cheesecake (planned)

I will write again tonight to update today's results and plan for tomorrow.

Friday 4/18/08

Not much time but I did want to check in. Today wasn't a great day - started first thing when something wonky happened with my alarm and I overslept by an hour. Eating was only so-so and I never got my lifting in.

Tomorrow is my last long run before the marathon. I want to go at least 10 miles but that is going to depend on the people I'm running with. I won't run the trails alone so if they need to leave I will finish with whatever I have.

Gotta go - better planning tomorrow!

Review of Thursday & Plan for Friday 4/18/08

Had a few too many snacks today. I found myself eating some bite-size turnovers at work today. They are one of those things that if around....I eat. I tried to modify the rest of my meals but they were still calories that I didn't need to have.

Tomorrow is a room day at work. That means that the kids are off and all the teachers get a chance to do "whatever" needs to get done. We have an open house coming up and I'll probably be working on some of those crafts. I'm really looking forward to being on my own schedule and just doing what needs to be done.

I got my new running shoes today. Lori told me about Holabird and they do have good deals. Shipping is free if you order is over $50ish and I got the shoes in a day and a half. Lori has been using them for a while and has had nothing but good interactions. I may find myself as a regular customer as well.

Goals:
1. Monthly goal: I will weigh 146# by 5/1/08.
2. Weekly goal: I will lift 2x & run 5x by 4/20/08.

Nutrition:
1. Fritatta
2. Smoothie
3. Tuna and baby carrots
4. Veggies & cc dip
5. I have this planned but I don't' have the menu in front of me - it will be healthy
6. LL cheesecake

Workout:
Tomorrow is a rest day from running but I am going to do an UB workout.

Friday Goals:
1. I will lift in the am.
2. I will follow my nutrition plan - taking my snack and lunch to work.
3. I will drink 72 oz of H2O - did well today (over 72).

Review of Wednesday & Plan for Thursday 4/17/08

Today was an excellent day! It started with a small drop on the scale. Then I met my friends for a run and we decided to do an "easy" 5 miler. Well, that didn't last long! The group started out with a pretty quick pace - after about a mile I told everybody that I didn't want to go as fast as they were running and was slowing down. Now, that usually has at least one person drop back with that person but not today (at least for a bit). I decided to just hang onto the back of the group and not push the pace but they were pulling away. Just about that time, Lori decided to drop back with me - it was nice to have a partner again! However, at about the 3 mile mark she started to pick it up again and I knew I was fighting a losing battle so I decided to just go with it. Shortly thereafter, Lori made the comment that she would love to pace the other 3 runners (they always seem to push the pace). I told her that I had given up on trying to have an easy run and that if she wanted to go we were going. As we passed the other 3, they made a comment to the affect: there go our speedy down hill runners. My comment back was, "I've given up on an easy pace so now it's time to go". At this point I was pissed and ran like it. We ended up running the 5 miles in 45 minutes flat. A 9 minute per mile pace may not sound super fast but we usually go at about 10 to 10:30 per mile so the increase was substantial. I will not be running that fast again tomorrow - I've had 2 hard days in a row and I need to start a bit of a taper for the marathon.

My eating has also been good today as was my lifting routine. I followed my plan - I ate according to plan AND lifted after work. It really feels good to be back in a groove!

Goals:
1. Monthly: I will weigh 146# by 5/1/08
2. Weekly: I will weigh 148#, lift 2 times & run 5 times by 4/20/08

Nutrition:
1. Fritatta
2. Smoothie
3. Turkey sandwich
4. Veggies & cc dip
5. Steak Fajitas
6. LL cheesecake

Workout:
4-5 mile run with group

Thursday Goals:
1. I will run first thing in am.
2. I will drink 72 oz of water (freeze jug and then take to work)
3. I will follow my nutrition plan (take my snack & lunch to work)

Review of Tuesday and Plan for Wednesday 4/16/08

Today was a good day! I had a few snacks but overall I stuck with my plan and am pleased with my effort.

I'm going to go get some new running shoes tomorrow. While running today, I started to get some pain in the top of my left foot and last week I had some pain on the bottom of my foot. Pain on the top + pain on the bottom = New Shoes (in my book anyway). Speaking of today's run, it was a great one! We set out to run our 5.5 mile hill course and for some reason we started pushing the pace pretty early on. We ended up running 7 miles and had an average pace of 9:28m/m. I'm very pleased with that because the hill is steep and long and Danielle and I pushed it hard the whole way.

Goals:
1. Monthly: I will weigh 146# by 5/1/08
2. Weekly: I will weigh 148#, lift 2 times & run 5 times by 4/20/08

Nutrition:
1. Fritatta
2. Smoothie
3. Tuna & grapes
4. Veggies and cc dip
5. Chicken fried rice (Precision Nutrition)
6. LL cheesecake

Workout:
4-5 mile run (pretty flat course) & UB lifting session

Wednesday Goals:
1. Run first thing in am.
2. Lift when I get home from work.
3. Follow nutrion plan (bring snack and lunch to work).
4. Drink 72 oz of H2O.
5. Buy new running shoes.

Plan for Tuesday 4/15/08

Today is finishing well!

Goals:
1. Monthly: I will weigh 146# by 5/1/08
2. Weekly: I will weigh 148#, lift 2 times & run 5 times by 4/20/08

Nutrition:
1. EW omelet & 1/2 banana
2. Protein/fruit smoothie
3. Tuna & apple
4. Veggies & cc dip
5. Turkey, cranberry sauce & mixed veggies
6. LL cheesecake

Workout:
Run - 6 mile hill climb

Tuesday Goals:
1. Run first thing in am.
2. Follow nutrition plan - make sure I have everything made and ready to go tonight.
3. Drink 72 oz of H2O - freeze jug tonight and take to work.

I am hopeful that I will see a bit of a budge on the scale tomorrow morning. I will also start posting that info to keep myself accountable.

BTW - if you want a really inspirational read, try reading Julie's blog! She is an amazing person and a great runner to boot!

Monday 4/14/08 Review

Today was both good and bad in terms of my plan. I woke up first thing this morning, to do my lifting, and just couldn't get moving. I felt exhausted! So right off the bat things were going south - but that didn't stop me! I made sure I had breakfast according to plan and made my protein shake for meal 2. Off to work I go and then I realize that in all the morning preparation, I forgot to make my own lunch. After school was over and in between errands I grabbed a burger which again was not to plan - but that didn't stop me! I made sure I did my lifting when I got home and my next meal was according to plan. So far I have had 5 of my 6 meals and feeling confident that the last one will be just how I planned. I have also consumed 72 oz of water.

So, even though my day didn't go exactly how I had planned it, I am quite pleased with how I stopped myself from allowing the day to spiral out of control. Tonight, I plan on making all of tomorrow's lunches so that I don't feel as rushed in the morning.

Tomorrow's plan to follow later!

Plan for Monday 4/14/08

I'm going to try journaling here. I am usually most successful when I'm consistently journaling and it just hasn't been done lately and as a result my weight loss has stalled. I haven't had a plan most days and it has resulted in poor choices. My hope is that I will be able to write each night as my plan for the next day, so here we go.....

Goals:
1. Monthly goal - 146# by 5/1/08
2. Weekly goal - lift 2 times, run 5 days and weigh 148 by 4/20


Nutrition:
1. Fritatta
2. Protein shake with banana
3. Tuna salad with veggies
4. Veggies and cc dip
5. Baked chix strips & mashed cauliflower
6. Protein packed pumpkin pie

Exercise:
Lifting - UB

Monday Goals:
1. Exercise first thing in am
2. Drink at least 64 oz or H2O
3. Follow my nutrition plan

Hopefully by posting this and coming back and documenting how I've done will keep my mind a bit more focused on what I need to do to achieve my goals. Speaking of goals, my trail marathon is coming up in 2 weekends and I'm really starting to get excited about it! I've done 1 previous marathon but this is going to be completely different and I think that is why I want to do it so much. Lori was talking about possibly downgrading the other day and I told her that I DID NOT want to downgrade. Fact is, I know I can walk the distance so finishing the miles is not the issue. In fact, I'm planning on walking part of the race - I just want to run the best race I can and hopefully finish in less than 6 hours. LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!!