Weigh in Monday: week seven....REALLY?!

I am *trying* to be a patient gal and keep motivation high, but today guess what? I am STILL at 152 pounds. That's two weeks running and not a pound dropped. REALLY?!

I did a pretty good job keeping up with my workout schedule last week - Shred, cardio sessions, and my run. I'm wondering if I need to step up my nutrition efforts (I try to avoid the word "diet" on this blog.) I'll make the following two modifications and see if they do anything:

- no cereal for breakfast; only protein-based meal (I really need to grab some protein powder)

- no late night snacking whatsoever

Overall, I think I'm doing a good job of making healthier choices, water intake, and all. Hmmm. I just REALLY want to get under 150 pounds already.

As far as my workout plan, I'm sticking with last week's.

Mind over matter

Today was a typical Washingtonian Sunday in January. Thick clouds, rain, and cold. Don't get me wrong though: I love Washington through and through and wouldn't have it any other way.

Come three o'clock though, I would've much rather enjoyed my Sunday from inside my warm house, cuddled close to my babies, and maybe a cup of hot tea. Instead, I geared up in my long-sleeves, shorts, headband, and new running shoes and headed outdoors.

For the past three Sundays now, I've enjoyed the company of some good friends out at a local elementary school track. It's helped me stay committed, and it's been fun sharing the experience of getting back into running with others.

I was feeling sort of sluggish today, but I continued anyways. About lap 5 or 6 the rain really started to come down. No matter...Tia, Christine and I continued along anyways. You might recall I recently shared about the Courage to Start. I think today required a fair amount of courage. Today, my friend Christine showed quite a bit of courage. In spite of the weather, she managed to run 20 minutes consecutively - something she'd never done previously. And that's how it begins, doesn't it?

Running is every bit a mental sport as it is a physical one. Running is not easy. But after I finish a good, hard run like today I feel like I've really accomplished something.

It's been said that for every mile you run, you extend your life by 10 minutes. Perhaps one day, when I'm older and my days of running dwindle, I will enjoy the 30 minutes of extra life I earned today enjoying a Sunday afternoon indoors, lazily reading a good book and sipping my latte.

Photo credit Mylene Bressan

Weigh in Monday: week six + weekly workout schedule

Today I'm holding steady at 152 pounds. While it would've been nice to have seen that scale continue to inch downward, I'm just glad it didn't creep upwards after a week of less-than-fabulous eating!

My goal for next week is to see the scale continue its descent. I really want to end January below that 150 line and reach my first goal of 149 pounds. I'm only 3 pounds away!

Here is my plan for the week:

Monday: 40 minutes cardio
Tuesday: Level 3 Shred
Wednesday: 40 minutes cardio
Thursday: Level 3 Shred
Friday: Level 2 Shred
Saturday: Off
Sunday: 3 mile track run

To jump start things again, I'm working back in a second session of cardio. I think it's key to continue the fat loss.

Just signed up for the Seattle Rock n' Roll 1/2 Marathon!

Hooray! I did it. I just committed to run my next half marathon!

I selected the Seattle Rock 'n Roll event which is on June 26. My friend Crystal aptly pointed out that I got it wrong on my training schedule - it's in June, not July. Hmmm. So watch for a *revised* training schedule. Given that, I may well opt out of Sound to Narrows this year. That is a HARD race and I don't know that I want to have those races in the same month.

By the way, I was able to use coupon code AZSURVEY09 on my registration and it worked like a charm and saved me $10! The only bummer was that I ended up having to pay an online registration fee of $6.95, so it sort of negated my savings.

Oh well...now I'm committed to doing this thing and it's time to start ramping up. This wasn't the best week of eating for me, but I've done a decent job with my workouts. Tomorrow I've got a 3-miler to do and I hope that my weight will at least hold steady come Monday for my weekly weigh-in. Fingers crossed!

Has anyone else committed to signing up for a race? If so, which one(s)?

Oh Motivation, where art thou?

So after having a pretty good, solid month of eating mostly right and working out, these past few days I've found myself in a bit of a slump. Maybe because it's I'm craving those not-so-good-for-you foods, or maybe it's because I've been up late again and tired (as usual), or maybe because I feel on some level I've "earned" a break and hey - yesterday was my birthday, too.

Whatever the reason, I'm sitting here trying to muster whatever little bit of motivation I can to keep going and not quit. It's just too easy...you don't workout one day, or the next...and then a couple weeks go by. I've worked too hard to lose ground.

This week I've worked out Monday. That's it. Nothing for the past two days and there was a bit of unhealthy eating going on, too. Not good. Tonight after the kids go to bed, my plan is to do Shred Level 1 and 2 to sort of kick my butt back into gear. I may well do the same again tomorrow night. I also haven't kept up with the water intake as much as I'd like this week. So I see more of that in my future, too.

How is everyone else doing? What do you do to stay motivated when you're in the thick of reaching your goal?

Couch to 5k application!

I love running with friends! Yesterday, my lovely friends Christine and Jessie joined me out at the track. Boy, I swear it makes the time go by faster to see a friendly face or chat as we round the laps!

Incidentally, my friend Christine was doing this "Couch to 5K" workout that I thought was so awesome I wanted to share it with my readers. Go here to download the app. The plan consists of 9 weeks' worth of workouts. Each session is between 30 and 40 minutes long. By the end? You should be ready to complete your first 5K.

Then, plug in your earphones for your workout and you'll be given instructions on what to do and when. For instance, you'll be told when it's time to run, and when it's time to take a walk break. Brilliant!

So for all my tech-lovin' friends, be sure to give it a look! Thanks, Christine!

Weigh in Monday: week five + weekly workout schedule

Today I'm sitting (or standing?) at 152 pounds. So that's 1 pound lost from last week and a total weight loss of 10 pounds! I had wanted to reach my first goal of 149 pounds by my birthday, but seeing how that's 2 days away, don't think it's gonna happen.

Incidentally, I had a GREAT 3 mile run yesterday! I can totally see an improvement in my place. My splits actually got FASTER by the lap and I was able to sustain a 9-minute pace for my last lap around the track! What's more, I was able to do my run wearing my favorite running shorts - size medium - that I wasn't able to fit in even 3 weeks ago!

The plan this week? I'm going to drop one of the cardio sessions. The last couple weeks I've realized I've only been able to manage 1 at most, so I'm just going with it. I figure 5 out of 7 days of working out is working for me A-OK! Remember, my goal is to come up with a sustainable lifestyle here.

Monday: Shred - Level 3
Tuesday: Cardio - 45 minutes
Wednesday: Shred - Level 3
Thursday: Shred - Level 2
Friday: Shred - Level 3
Saturday: Off
Sunday: 3 mile run around the track

How's everyone else doing? Where are you at with the 30-day Shred if you're doing it? How about your running?

One month photo results

So I promised one-month photos. And guess what? I was all excited to take some to share, but of course my husband is working this weekend so I was forced to try to take them myself. (Of course I could've waited, but I'm really not the patient sort.) After struggling with the lighting and flash for a good while, I ended up with these. An advance apology to all my photographer friends.

I hope you can still see some improvement from my initial picture taken on December 7th. What do you think?

Start Photo...Dec 7

And tonight...January 8

I know it's sort of comparing apples to oranges since my pose, outfit, and lighting are all different, but I hope some of my progress is noticeable.

In the second photo, I'm actually 10 pounds lighter than the first! I'm right at 152 pounds and feel pretty darn fantastic! As a reminder, I'm doing the Shred 3-4 days per week, running once per week, and doing cardio 2 times per week. However, this week has been nutty and those extra cardio sessions just haven't worked out for me so well. BUT I'm currently doing Level 3 - and not entirely dying, either. I'm so excited to see my fitness level improving.

What sort of changes have I noticed in my body?

1. less tummy flab. I'm wearing size 12's in the first picture. In the second - size 10's. I hope to be in my good ol' size 8's really soon! That lovely "muffin top" is going away thank goodness.
2. firmer quads. My legs are starting to get SOLID again thanks to Ms. Michaels' use of lunges and squats in EVERY Shred workout. I really can't wait to see how this is gonna improve my running.

3. stronger arms. I'm not using heavy weights in the workouts, but I really think it's all the pushups that are working on toning and strengthening my arms. I especially notice stronger triceps.

I'll see if I can't get a better photo over the weekend to share. In the meantime happy to tell you I lost 10 pounds on the 30-Day Shred!

Weigh in Monday: week five

I am so excited! This morning I weigh 153 pounds! That's another 2 pounds down, and brings my total weight loss to 9 pounds (5.5% of total body weight lost)!

This means I'm only 4 pounds away from my first goal of 149. I was hoping to get there by my birthday (January 13th), but with only 9 days to go, I'm beginning to think that might be unrealistic. However, I'm pretty sure I'll be hitting my first goal sometime in January and I couldn't be more excited.

Incidentally, my "before" pictures were taken on December 7th. In order to be consistent, I'll do some updated photos on January 7th. I am curious to see if there's a noticeable difference yet...hoping so!

9 down...17 more to go!

Photo credit Gastin Thuavin

This week's workout plan & goals: 1/4

Tonight I decided to kick it up a notch. I did the 30-Day Shred Level 1 followed by Level 2! It was crazy...but the crazier thing is I did it without stopping and felt great the whole way through!

At some point during Level 1 I realized that tonight is four weeks from the first time I tried it. I remember huffing and puffing then...tonight I breezed through it. (OK, so I still can't do the two full sets of "real push-ups," but I'll get there!) After a quick water break, it was onto Level 2. I feel amazing. Seriously, this video has WORKED at improving my fitness in such a short amount of time!

Here is my plan for the first full week of workouts in 2010!

Monday: 45 minutes cardio
Tuesday: Level 2 Shred
Wednesday: 45 minutes cardio
Thursday: Level 3 Shred (here we go again!!)
Friday: Level 2 Shred
Saturday: OFF
Sunday: 3 mile run

I'm liking the mix of cardio at gym, workout at home, and running on track combo. The variety of activity, location, and times involved really keep things fresh and easy to stick with. So...you'll probably notice my workout schedule's gonna be more or less this type of combination for January.

You also may have noticed I like doing two sessions of cardio other than running per week. I try to make these between 40-60 minutes long for two reasons: 1) to burn fat, and 2) to build cardio endurance prior that will assist me as I begin to run.

As far as nutrition goes, towards the end of this week I started just feeling a bit sluggish again. And this afternoon I had a massive craving for something sweet and snacky. I ended up snacking on a few Apple Jacks - not the best, I know - but certainly not the worst either. This week I want to be more deliberate in my meal planning and to remember to be consistent about my water intake.

What are you going to focus on this week?

Photo credit Sanja Gjenero

The year ahead in running & racing

I've finally settled on the races I want to participate in and the schedule I want to follow this year. This time around, I've decided on (loosely) following the Galloway Training Cycle. His is a 30-week cycle - much longer than the 16-week cycles I'm used to. His plan takes you way up to 26 miles, and I'm gonna modify that slightly making my longest run 23 miles pre-race. I'm also opting to spice things up by adding a few races into the mix.

So here is my long-run and race schedule for 2010. Each of these distances is a single run most likely completed on a weekend. For January, I will run once a month. In February, I may add a second running day per week if I can get get below 150 pounds (I want to avoid injury.) Once I get into the thick of my training, I will run 2 30-minute sessions each week in addition to my long run - that's it!

January
(Pre-training schedule)
Week 1: 3 miles (done!)
Week 2: 3 miles
Week 3: 3 miles
Week 4: 3 miles
Week 5: 3 miles

February
(Pre-training, cont)
Week 1: 3.5 miles
Week 2: 3 miles
Week 3: 3.5 miles
Week 4: 3 miles

March
Week 1: 3 miles
Week 2: St Patty's Day 5K (Tacoma) on March 13th
Week 3: 3 miles
Week 4: 5 miles

April
Week 1: 3 miles
Week 2: 6 miles
Week 3: 3 miles
Week 4: 7 miles

May
Week 1: 3 miles
Week 2: 9 miles
Week 3: 4 miles
Week 4: 10 miles
Week 5: 4 miles

June
Week 1: 12 miles
Week 2: Sound to Narrows on June 13th (12K)
Week 3: 13 miles
Week 4: 5 miles

July
Week 1: 15 miles
Week 2: 5 miles + a magical mile (I need to read more about this)
Week 3: 5 miles
Week 4: Seattle Rock n' Roll 1/2 Marathon on July 26th
Week 5: OFF

August
Week 1: 17 miles
Week 2: 6 miles
Week 3: 7 miles + a magical mile
Week 4: 20 miles

September
Week 1: 6 miles
Week 2: 7 miles + a magical mile
Week 3: 23 miles
Week 4: 6 miles

October
Week 1: 7 miles
Week 2: Portland Marathon on October 10th
Week 3: OFF

Beyond this, I'm unsure what I'll do. I *might* consider doing the Seattle 1/2 or full Marathon as well in November depending on how I'm feeling. But right now, October's my target!

Photo credit Felipe Wiecheteck

Running in the New Year

I remembered last night that my husband goes on a 48-shift starting Saturday (he's a firefighter). Which meant of course, that if I was going to do my run, I'd need to go today instead so he could watch the kids.

I decided on a light lunch so I wouldn't be weighed down. 1/2 a vegetable korma meal (these Tasty Bite meals are on sale at Fred Meyer for $1.67 each by the way...), a couple pieces of apple, and the other half of the banana my lil' guy didn't finish. I drank it down with a tall glass of water and a cup of green tea.

I headed out the door at 1 and it was drizzling. I wasn't looking forward to this run so much as I was looking forward to getting over. Out on the track, the wind really picked up giving me some added resistance training.

About a mile in, I realized I was tired. REALLY tired. Not only had I gone to bed past midnight the last two nights in a row, I'd worked hard at home, and had worked out HARD 6 consecutive days now. My body wanted to rest. My time wasn't looking too hot, so I decided to stop monitoring my split times, and shuffle it out.

I was still able to run without stopping and even kick up the pace a little for my final lap, but my overall pace was 12 minute/mile. I think I see the importance of having that good rest day prior to running. Tomorrow is definitely a rest day!

In spite of the challenge, I'm glad I did it and gave it my best. I'm feeling good to be starting the New Year feeling better than I did at any point in 2009! Welcome to 2010 everyone!