So Much Going On

I have been running nonstop. Highlights:

Left Friday for Gatlinburg. Was at my sickest with this last sinus infection. Felt better Saturday. Sunday I went hiking with Joe's stepdad. Joe can't hike because of his knees. Anyhow, we hiked to Rainbow Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. My hiking map says it's 5.6 miles round trip and rated 'strenuous' (as opposed to easy or moderate). I did it, and my legs were SO SORE for 2-3 days afterward. They are a tiny bit sore today - I noticed it while I was swimming. The good thing is, I wore my Vibrams and they were great! I was worried, because whenever I would step on a pointed rock, I felt it and I just knew I would have stone bruises all over the bottoms of my feet the next day - but they were fine!



Notice I am wearing my Decatur Tri Club shirt!

Unfortunately, all the family dinners out canceled out my hiking. At least I haven't gained anything (so far). We got back Tuesday night, and I was out of town all day yesterday and today, so I am behind on training. I am going to compare the 12 and 10 week plans I have and figure out what I need to do. I may have time to bike tonight before it gets dark. Even though I am behind, I have been walking and hiking and swimming. I need to do some yoga - it has fallen out of my rotation, and I am paying for it. Swimming, biking, running, strength, yoga - all that is a lot to do!

Edited to add: I went for a 30 min. bike ride - did the first 4 miles in 27 minutes. That's 1:50 for 16.2 miles at that pace. Pluses - I had to stop for lights & water, and there were hills. Minuses - I only did a little over 4 miles, not 16.2, and it wasn't right after a 600 yd. swim. But I did get over 19 mph at one point!

New Shoes

I finally got the shoes I have been wanting:



They are Vibram Five Fingers in the 'Sprint' line, the most versatile of their shoes. These can be used for running, climbing, yoga, and water sports. They are incredibly comfortable. I can't stand toe socks, but these are fine. It feels like I am barefoot, but with traction - I kind of feel like Spiderman. I have been afraid to run outside barefoot because I don't want to step on something. Now I can wear these. I normally run barefoot on the treadmill, and I wore these last night on the treadmill for almost an hour, and they were fine! I love them.

I am kind of in an exercise slump. I don't have any energy for some reason. I think I might need some protein or something. I am trying to talk myself into going to yoga tonight, but I think a bike ride might perk me up more.

Four Good Things

Thing the first: My mom is better & will probably get to go home Wednesday. Yay!

Thing the second: My 'Yoga for Healthy Knees' book finally came in, after being ordered about a month ago. My knees are the only parts of my body that really give me grief, knock on wood.

Thing the third: You know that big weight? The one that moves in 50 lb. increments on the medical scale when you weigh in? Yes, that one - I got to move it down a notch today!!! ::happy dance:: I had to move the little weight all the way up to 50, but the bottom weight was on 150 instead of 200!!!! I have finally hit the 200 mark and I am determined to break it - hopefully this Friday! So I have been exercising my little heart out this afternoon. Got my 30 min. bike riding and 30 min. swimming in for triathlon training, did 15 min. boxing (that's all I can do without falling over!) and 15 min. on the gazelle. I am considering doing 30 min. yoga before bed to stretch myself out so I will sleep well. I feel like the Energizer Bunny!

Thing the fourth: I have been swimming with my head out of the water, doing a 25 yard lap in just under a minute. By the time I am done, my neck is sore. I got goggles (and nose clips, but they make me feel panicky so I can't use them) over the weekend so I could put my face in the water. I am down to my last pair of contacts and I can't lose them! It wasn't as easy as I thought. I panicked a little, and felt very out of breath. It took me 15 minutes and several tries before I got the hang of it. My college swim class was a long time ago! Anyhow, I can only swim one length of the pool before grabbing the side and panting to catch my breath, but I can do that one length in 35 seconds! My goal Wednesday is to swim two lengths without stopping. I figure I can build endurance a little at a time. If I can't swim correctly the whole way, I can do the sidestroke for a while (45 seconds) until I can catch my breath.

Hope everyone else had an awesome Monday!

Busyness and Training

Well, I finished the dragonfly. Here's a picture:



In between finishing the dragonfly and delivering it, while it was drying, I managed to get my swim in. After I delivered it, I got my bike ride in, even though it was dark. One benefit to living downtown is there is very little traffic at night and there are some large, well-lit parking lots.

I felt better once I was done. I had been nervous - that training schedule is enough to make anyone nervous - but once I saw how easy it was to work it in even on a busy night I felt more comfortable with it. I am supposed to do strength training twice a week, so I decided to add it to Sundays and Tuesdays because I only have a run on those days.

This afternoon Miss Priss and I went to the gym (she said she has been wanting to go to see the kids' area, but I think it had more to do with the TV and Cartoon Network). I did 4 min. warmup, 12 min. run, and 4 min. cool down followed by 25 min. strength training. It wasn't bad.

I am going to have to do some planning. We are going out of town to visit family Friday night & won't be back until Sunday night. I don't know how I am going to get my swim in because Joe will want to leave before lap times at the pool. I don't want to get off the schedule this early in the game, but I'm not sure how to work it out. I will have to figure out something.

The days I don't exercise it is usually because I make it out in my head to be so much more tiring/time consuming/hard than it really is. When I do exercise, I always feel great afterward. So I have got to work on the mental aspect of getting my body healthy. The same thing goes with eating. It is quicker/easier/more convenient to grab some processed crap than it is to make a healthy meal. But when I make or eat a healthy meal, I always enjoy it more.

Hope everyone is having a great week! Almost halfway to the weekend!

Training Starts Today

After doing so well the end of last week, I did hardly anything Friday and Saturday. Sunday I played a little basketball, but didn't bike like I had planned. We had some unexpected company and I had to work on the dragonfly.

I found some sprint triathlon training schedules online and I really like two of them. I think I am going to shoot for the one that is about 3-4 hours a week (the other one is about 2-3). They kind of line up with each other, so if I have a busy day, I can do the shorter version.

Week 1 (starting today) looks like this:

Monday: 12 min. swim / 24 min. bike
Tuesday: 12 min. run
Wednesday: 16 min. swim / 32 min. bike
Thursday: 16 min. run
Friday: 20 min. swim / 44 min. bike
Saturday: off
Sunday: 20 min. run

I know I can run 12 minutes, so this looks like a good starting point for me. I have an unfinished dragonfly due this afternoon, so hopefully I can get it done before 7:00 and get to the pool. I really hope I can do this!

Gulf Wars, Randomness, and Slacking

Still having sinus issues. I go see an ENT on Monday.

Gulf Wars was fun. Friday I dressed as 14th century, which is way later than I usually dress (Anglo-Saxon or Viking). I think I will be more comfortable with it once I figure out how to deal with the veil. My cotehardie is already a little big for me - I will have to take it up before I wear it again - you can tell how it puckers under my belt.



Totally random item #1: I got a pair of the Sketchers Shape-ups shoes. I have been wearing my running shoes to school and I want to save them for running, so I thought I would try these and see what they are like. I doubt ALL the claims they make in their propaganda pamphlet are true, but they were comfortable enough for me to buy.

Totally random item #2: I got the Eat Clean Diet book. Sounds interesting. I might try to incorporate some of it into my life. I just started reading it.

Totally random item #3: I got a bike helmet and Joe bought stuff to fix our bike tires - yay!

Totally random item #4: I got a bunch of seeds for herbs and veggies (I got, I got, I got - can you tell we got our income tax refund?) and I am going to try my hand at growing something. Maybe I have outgrown my 'black thumb' and they will actually live.

I have hardly exercised the past few days. Monday I did circuit and yoga for a total of 2 hours at my new gym. Tuesday was 1/2 hour of wii fit. Wed. was 1 hour yoga. Thursday I did nothing. Friday I did about 2 minutes on the treadmill and then started tidying up my random exercise stuff. Today Miss Priss and I walked around a nearby wildlife refuge for about 2 hours, but it was slow walking (short six-year-old legs!). I totally blew off the Couch to 5K I planned to do Friday. I WILL do it tomorrow. I am going to chalk it all up to getting over the crud and being a little run down. I also think week 4 scares me.

I really want to get back on the bandwagon - I feel like I've fallen off. I think part of the problem is we are having a huge high school art show at a local gallery this week and I have been focusing on that, and I haven't had time for SparkPeople like I normally do. I am hoping tomorrow to have a little time to catch up with what all my SparkFriends have been doing this week. I really enjoy seeing what everyone is up to, and I miss it and kind of get mopey without it.

I Did It! Neener, Neener, Neener!

Today my daughter had a 2 hour activity across the street from a park with a 1.5 mile walking trail. I did Week 2, Day 3 of Couch to 5K after not having done it for several days (I did day 2 Friday of last week, and couldn't finish running the last interval & a half). I did it no problem! I do SO MUCH BETTER outside than on the treadmill. Not only did I finish Week 2, but I walked around the track 2 more times to take up the full 2 hours.

I saw a little old lady using a metal detector under a swingset.

I think I might have been going the wrong way on the track - I was constantly meeting people going the other way. I only saw one jogger and one bicyclist going the same direction as I was. But all the mile signs were facing me, so I don't know.

I am so thankful for Podrunner Intervals. I think one of the reasons I do better outside is that I'm not watching the seconds on the treadmill and waiting for the running portion to end. When I'm outside and feel like I can't go on during the running part, I say to myself, "if I make it to that trash can and it hasn't given me the signal to switch to walking, I'll go ahead and stop." Then, when I get to the trash can, I think, "surely, it'll be over by the time I get to that light post." And it always is. I can hold out just a little longer when I can't actually count the seconds.

I am ready for Week 3!

Off Track and Okay

I am feeling much better about my exercise issues. I didn't like falling behind on the Couch to 5K, but the comments I got on SparkPeople made me feel better. I kept feeling the pressure to 'make up' what I had missed and 'catch up' on my schedule, but last night I was exhausted and gave myself permission to lay off the exercise until I'm not coughing so much.

It made me a little nervous, because I had missed exercising and we had gone out for dinner (first time since I re-started Spark) and I was thinking, "here it comes, I'm going to go back to my old habits, going out to eat, not counting calories, not exercising."

But I only ate 3 chips/salsa and I didn't order cheese dip, and I drank water, and yesterday I stocked up on some more healthy food. I didn't 'fall off the bandwagon!' I am keeping within my calorie range and I will start back exercising this week when I feel better.

I have to learn that it's not all-or-nothing. I think I'm doing what I need to do.

What is Wrong with Me? Couch to 5K

One of my goals was to begin the Couch to 5K program next week. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to make it through the first day, so I decided to try it last night just to make sure I could do it. I started out walking at 4.2 km/hr and running at 7.2 km/hr and couldn't do it - so I slowed down to walking at 4.0 km/hr and running at 6.0 km/hr and it was really tough, but I did it - and I only had to hang on to the front of the treadmill once.

I felt like it was killing me, and my legs felt like jello when I was done, but I did it and felt fine afterward. My legs aren't even sore today. But what I don't understand is that all day I have been impatient for tomorrow so I can try it again. You are only supposed to do it every other day. I know when I get on that treadmill tomorrow, I will be thinking about how crazy I was to be looking forward to it all day today. I'm not sure what is up with that. Anyhow, I consider myself starting the C25K as of yesterday.

I used the Podrunner Interval Podcast while I was doing it, and it helped me keep my speed up - even at that slow pace I was going much faster than I normally go on the treadmill. And I felt like I had a much better workout when I was finished.

I am going for time, not distance. When I make it through week nine (or whenever I finish), then I will start increasing my speed to improve my distance.

Today, my off day, I did 45 minutes of Helix (just got it for wii, one website called it "DDR for your arms") and 15 of wii boxing. Can't wait until tomorrow!

Finally Home and How I Know I Will Be a Healthy Weight

I had a great time at the Alabama Clay Conference. Had coffee & raisin bran for breakfast each day (and an apple this morning). For lunch, the healthiest option was a 'triple-decker' wheat PB&J. I skipped the chips & pasta salad and just ate the sandwich and a piece of fruit.

Friday dinner was reception food across from the art gallery. I loaded up on grapes, carrots, and cucumbers, but still had a mini biscuit with ham & mustard and a couple of small pieces of cheese. Saturday was a lot of cheesy soups, except for the chili. So I got it and a single pack of crackers.

Today at lunch there weren't any mayo-free options, so I ate a banana and an apple and the granola I had in my purse. Now I know that it wasn't enough, because I was really hungry a couple of hours later. So I had some rice cakes. I am learning.

I exercised 15 min. when we arrived at 1:30 am Thursday night. Friday was so tiring that I forgot (!) but got up early Saturday to get 15 minutes in for Friday. Saturday night I did 20 min. treadmill and 10 min. bike, and today after I got home I did 17 min. wii fit. I am pooped and have had a long and busy weekend and plan to get back to my 30 min. daily tomorrow.

I have finally come to the realization that I do know that this is going to work. I have been feeling like I am trying to convince myself, but something happened this weekend that made me realize that deep down, I believe it. I saw a slender lady who was laughing and talking to some friends. Normally, my first though would have been, "I wish I was that skinny" or "I'll never be that skinny" or something similar. But the first thought that popped into my head was, "when I'm that skinny..." I don't even remember what the rest of my thought was, because I was so shocked that I had that reaction!

I am still learning to eat healthy, and still trying to keep myself motivated to exercise, but I will get there.

Talking to Myself

I usually do 1/2 hour of wii fit each day. Sometimes I do 1/2 hour of treadmill, but I always do the Wii fit. (Heh. I say "always" like I've been doing this for more than a couple of weeks. Maybe I've had a lifestyle change.)

Anyhow, I weigh in early tomorrow at school because I will be gone Friday. I got on the Wii fit and was up 7/10 of a lb. I thought, "I'll show you!" and promptly got on the treadmill for 1/2 hour. Afterward, I went to do my 1/2 hour of Wii fit (if I'm by myself I usually do the free step at the highest speed). After about 2 minutes I was ready to quit.

I realized that mentally I was saying, "I'm tired, I don't want to do this, my chair is right there, I can just sit, it's going to take me forever to finish a half hour."

What timing. A day or so ago I was trying to bump up my SparkPoints and I read a SparkPeople motivation article about the power of positive self-talk. I have always believed it worked, or at least helped. Just watching my daughter repeat "I think I can" when trying something new reinforced my belief. But I'd never actually DONE it. It never occurred to me to do it. But because I had just read that article, I thought of it before I gave up and I tried it.

I set up an "I can do this" mantra in my head as I stepped and watched the Olympics. Shortly afterward, I was surprised to realize that I was 20 minutes in and didn't want to quit. It had worked!

So, there are two morals to this story. First, the positive self-talk does work. Second, doing things on the SparkPeople site such as connecting with friends and teams, reading articles, and tracking really does help. If I hadn't read that article, I would have probably plopped down in my chair and not only missed the rest of my exercise, but felt terrible, too.

Weighing in at Work

We are doing the 'Biggest Loser' at work, and weighing in every Friday. I am a teacher, and we go to the medical students' classroom to weigh in. I am slowly losing a little weight!

Six servings of fruits & veggies today. I think I'm going to try out my (unopened) Dancing with the Stars Cardio Dance DVD in a little while.

And a three day weekend - WooHoo!

Haven't quit yet... and I'm not going to!

Fruits & Veggies

Seven servings of fruits & veggies - probably 8 if you count all the lettuce I had at lunch. Second day of 30 min. exercise. I set my goal at 10 minutes, but once I start I might as well do 30.

Starting a New Lifestyle

I am trying to improve my health. Both of my parents and my younger brother have had diabetes and high blood pressure for a few years now. I have always had normal sugar levels and blood pressure, but the past few times I went to the doctor my blood pressure was over 120/80. I blamed decongestants, but this last time I wasn't on anything, and the doctor at the walk in clinic looked concerned and gave me a coupon to a free gym visit.

My long term goals are to eat healthier foods, learn to cook, and exercise. I plan to use SparkPeople to help.