This past week was amazing and anxiety-inducing all at the same time. How on Earth was I going to start watching what I eat right before a holiday weekend, with my sister visiting, a wedding, a couple of lunch meetings, sending Bea off to school, and any number of other factors and issues?
By just doing it, that's how.
Life happens. There will ALWAYS be weddings and funerals and birthdays and celebrations and life events, and using them as an excuse to start "next week" or have a "bad day" is lame. Here is where I draw inspiration from Sooz: the girl drinks and socializes to her heart's content. She eats (essentially) whatever she wants, within reason. She balances her socializing with training like a mad woman and also being careful about her eating: if she has a sushi dinner date planned, she will eat gently the rest of the day to accommodate. If she wants a crazy insane cheeseburger, she works out to cancel out the intake. She's never minced words about that. If our law school tribe asks her to go out to lunch and we're going somewhere incompatible with her plan for that day, she simply declines. We all know it's not personal with Sooz...while we love her company, and she ours, we just get it. It's not personal to us; it's personal to her, and we all have priorities. I think law school has desensitized us to taking things personally; I am far more likely to take a "no" at face value and move on than ever before.
And so, thinking about Sooz, I approached last week by eating gently whenever nothing was planned, and trying not to worry too much about situations like Jon & Julia's wedding last Saturday, or the State Fair, or whatever. I hate denying myself when I'm out! What's the point of going to a wedding if you're going to feel guilty about eating wedding cake and boozing up the groom? (For the record, I probably need to temper this attitude a *little*. Fuzzy navels all night and three(!) pieces of wedding cake might be considered a little excessive, but I only did one tequila shot with the groom. Only one! And I do love myself the tequila. PATRON, baby!) I also did a little mitigation by choosing the vegetarian plated dinner, which turned out to be a delicious butternut squash ravioli with leeks and a very light cream sauce. NOM.
As for the State Fair, well... let's be frank: there was no temperance there. None can be had, I'm convinced. The choice then, is to go once a year and get it out of your system, and give yourself the day to enjoy, or to not go at all.
My goal for last week was to eat breakfast every day, and I'm proud to say I did it. I hauled the blender out, and when I didn't have breakfast plans, I made a 5-Factor Smoothie for myself, following Harley Pasternak's recipe (below). I plan to continue this, as it really worked for me. Smoothies are quick, portable and tasty, and have enough natural sugar in the fruit to sate my sweet tooth.
Mara had to work late last Thursday, so we put off our weigh-in until Saturday evening (last night), before we went out for her birthday(which...awesome! Donny Dirk's Zombie Den gets two thumbs up, and Psycho Suzi's lives up to its reputation.)
The Results
Last week's weight: 288.0
This week's weight: 285.6
Weekly change: -2.4
Net change: -2.4
Not bad for a busy, social week!
This week's goals: continue with the smoothies/breakfast, and exercise a total of 180 minutes. That's 3x an hour-long workout, or 6x 30 mins, or most likely, 2 hour-long sessions and 2 30 minute sessions. I'm going to make it a point to get baby Elle in the stroller and go for a nice long walk a couple times this week, and we have found a new babysitter, and the school pool opens this week for fall hours, so SWIMMING!
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Virtual 5K
I challenged a bunch of Facebook friends to do Couch to 5k with me and do a 5K over the Labor Day weekend. Due to aches, pains, and a general lack of (enough) training, I put off my 5K until today.
I am pleased to report that I survived with no pain, no sore feet, no sore hips, no sore back, and finished in a time of 51:05.
My personal best came in 2006 at the height of my training, and it was a 40:16. I have never broken 40 minutes. A 51 is really slow and I walked except about 5 minutes of it, but I did it, without hurt, and with a negative split (the second half was faster than the first.)
I plan to go for another 5K this week and see if I can't break 50. I'm starting to feel my training come back to me, and it's an amazing feeling.
Today was also eight years since That Day. Unlike years past, I didn't dwell on the details. I remembered what happened, and decided my best tribute to the fallen (on all sides) was to say a silent prayer, enjoy the blessings of my day, revel in the September sun, and give thanks for new leadership and the hope of change.
Although we are healing and moving on as a country from the horrific acts of that day, I will never forget.
I am pleased to report that I survived with no pain, no sore feet, no sore hips, no sore back, and finished in a time of 51:05.
My personal best came in 2006 at the height of my training, and it was a 40:16. I have never broken 40 minutes. A 51 is really slow and I walked except about 5 minutes of it, but I did it, without hurt, and with a negative split (the second half was faster than the first.)
I plan to go for another 5K this week and see if I can't break 50. I'm starting to feel my training come back to me, and it's an amazing feeling.
Today was also eight years since That Day. Unlike years past, I didn't dwell on the details. I remembered what happened, and decided my best tribute to the fallen (on all sides) was to say a silent prayer, enjoy the blessings of my day, revel in the September sun, and give thanks for new leadership and the hope of change.
Although we are healing and moving on as a country from the horrific acts of that day, I will never forget.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Starting Over (Again)
As I mentioned in my last post, I'm restarting my efforts to lose weight. The fact is that I've been fat my entire adult life, and not much has changed that. However, I've never been this fat before, and it has really hit home with me. I can't train the way I want to, I hurt in places I shouldn't, and I'm far too young to be this disenchanted. I should love the way my body looks, feels and moves, and to be brutally honest, I never have. I don't know what it feels like.
But I want to find out.
I can't afford to go back to Weight W@tchers, and I wasn't thrilled with the leader I found here. She always emphasized "size" and "clothes" and yes, those things are important, but for someone like me, emphasis on health and good habits are far more motivating.
We're constantly bombarded with information on diet, and yet we're all still fat. I've come to the conclusion that it all comes down to the basics: portion control, exercise, eating whole foods and practicing everything in moderation, including moderation. In other words, yes, you must cheat in order to succeed. But then, it's not cheating, is it?
This may sound overly complicated, but I'm planning to do a combination of Biggest Loser, WW, Five-Factor and Insulin Resistance, taking the best of each of those programs and making it work for my situation. And I'm going to blog it, because I do well when I am accountable, and writing is my release. I don't want to turn this into a weight loss blog, any more than I wanted to turn it into a pregnancy blog or a law school blog or a triathlon blog or a "whatever" blog. It is meta, but that's okay, because it's me, and this is what I happen to be doing right now.
My dear friend and fellow fangirl Mara and I are doing this together. We are meeting on Thursday nights and she started a notebook for us with goals and weight. Each week, we'll walk two miles or so, and weigh in on her scale (hers is better than mine). I will post my weight and goal, for all the world and Internet to see, because it's embarrassing and public, and what I need to do.
So then. It begins.
The Program and Mission Statement:
I will(loosely) follow the P0ints program to measure food intake. I will watch calories, but I will also listen to my body and eat deliberately, stopping when full and fueling when hungry. I will balance my meals in order to track carbs. I will eat my fruits and veggies and drink my water. I will rest, and I will train.
I will turn to my friends and my blog in times of trouble. I will revel in my successes, and find resolve in my failures. There will be both. I will use the joy of cooking to learn how to fuel my body.
WEEK ONE
Weight: 288.0
Goal: Eat breakfast every day this week, without fail. This is a hard thing for me, as I've never been a breakfast eater. However, I have adopted Harley Pasternak's 5-Factor Smoothie as my breakfast of choice, and it is both tasty and quick.
But I want to find out.
I can't afford to go back to Weight W@tchers, and I wasn't thrilled with the leader I found here. She always emphasized "size" and "clothes" and yes, those things are important, but for someone like me, emphasis on health and good habits are far more motivating.
We're constantly bombarded with information on diet, and yet we're all still fat. I've come to the conclusion that it all comes down to the basics: portion control, exercise, eating whole foods and practicing everything in moderation, including moderation. In other words, yes, you must cheat in order to succeed. But then, it's not cheating, is it?
This may sound overly complicated, but I'm planning to do a combination of Biggest Loser, WW, Five-Factor and Insulin Resistance, taking the best of each of those programs and making it work for my situation. And I'm going to blog it, because I do well when I am accountable, and writing is my release. I don't want to turn this into a weight loss blog, any more than I wanted to turn it into a pregnancy blog or a law school blog or a triathlon blog or a "whatever" blog. It is meta, but that's okay, because it's me, and this is what I happen to be doing right now.
My dear friend and fellow fangirl Mara and I are doing this together. We are meeting on Thursday nights and she started a notebook for us with goals and weight. Each week, we'll walk two miles or so, and weigh in on her scale (hers is better than mine). I will post my weight and goal, for all the world and Internet to see, because it's embarrassing and public, and what I need to do.
So then. It begins.
The Program and Mission Statement:
I will(loosely) follow the P0ints program to measure food intake. I will watch calories, but I will also listen to my body and eat deliberately, stopping when full and fueling when hungry. I will balance my meals in order to track carbs. I will eat my fruits and veggies and drink my water. I will rest, and I will train.
I will turn to my friends and my blog in times of trouble. I will revel in my successes, and find resolve in my failures. There will be both. I will use the joy of cooking to learn how to fuel my body.
WEEK ONE
Weight: 288.0
Goal: Eat breakfast every day this week, without fail. This is a hard thing for me, as I've never been a breakfast eater. However, I have adopted Harley Pasternak's 5-Factor Smoothie as my breakfast of choice, and it is both tasty and quick.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Need To Do This
More later, I'm on my way to take the girls to the indoor waterpark. School started 3 weeks ago for me, next week for Bea. My sister is visiting this weekend with her (GASP) fiance (oh yeah, I've been away for a loooooooooong time), Dad came and visited a few weeks ago (!!!)
Yes, Internet. We're long overdue for a nice, long chat. Bring the booze.
In the mean time, I did a false start with WW in May/June, but I managed to keep off 10 of 15 pounds lost. Time to get back on the wagon, without the $20 per week group therapy. More on this too.
Food Diary for Today:
Breakfast
5-Factor Fuze Smoothie (Fage plain yogurt, 1 medium orange, 1/2 Fuze Mango)
5 pts/55 carbs/15g protein
Lunch
Amy's Tamale Verde frozen dinner
7 pts/55 carbs/ 7g protein
Snacks
1/2 fuze 2 pts
1 banana 2 pts
Cheese curds 3 pts
Dinner
No Name Salmon Filet 7pts
1 cup organic uncooked spinach 0 pts
For now, I'm going to follow a combination of the point system to calculate volume, the 5-Factor plan and insulin resistance guidelines to decide what to eat, and in general, limiting the amount of white bread, HFCS, and overall empty calories. I will probably also experiment with a "cheat day" - but I know myself fairly well, and I might start with a "cheat meal" once a week, rather than a full-on cheat day. Believe me when I tell you that one cheat day can be justified and extended into a full-on three day "weekend" of cheating.
I'm also going to be blogging about it. With any luck this will work and I can take a few pounds off before the holidays. Okay, more than a few. Okay, as much as I can. I'm hoping that's in the 25-35 pound range.
Yes, Internet. We're long overdue for a nice, long chat. Bring the booze.
In the mean time, I did a false start with WW in May/June, but I managed to keep off 10 of 15 pounds lost. Time to get back on the wagon, without the $20 per week group therapy. More on this too.
Food Diary for Today:
Breakfast
5-Factor Fuze Smoothie (Fage plain yogurt, 1 medium orange, 1/2 Fuze Mango)
5 pts/55 carbs/15g protein
Lunch
Amy's Tamale Verde frozen dinner
7 pts/55 carbs/ 7g protein
Snacks
1/2 fuze 2 pts
1 banana 2 pts
Cheese curds 3 pts
Dinner
No Name Salmon Filet 7pts
1 cup organic uncooked spinach 0 pts
For now, I'm going to follow a combination of the point system to calculate volume, the 5-Factor plan and insulin resistance guidelines to decide what to eat, and in general, limiting the amount of white bread, HFCS, and overall empty calories. I will probably also experiment with a "cheat day" - but I know myself fairly well, and I might start with a "cheat meal" once a week, rather than a full-on cheat day. Believe me when I tell you that one cheat day can be justified and extended into a full-on three day "weekend" of cheating.
I'm also going to be blogging about it. With any luck this will work and I can take a few pounds off before the holidays. Okay, more than a few. Okay, as much as I can. I'm hoping that's in the 25-35 pound range.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Swollen
My belly is swollen.
My feet are swollen, and have been since 9:30 this morning. My internal thermostat is also off -- I'll be freezing, then sweating, then freezing, then fine, but warm to the touch.
My hands are also starting to swell.
I am going to take a cool shower and then get a good night's sleep, and in the morning if I'm not un-swollen, I'm going to go to student health and have my blood pressure checked, and if it's high, I'm going to call my OB. I have an appointment on Thursday anyway but I generally trust my gut when it comes to my health. Since I'm so rarely sick, I know when I feel this way I should pay attention, especially since pregnancy brings its own set of weirdnesses -- what is one day a freak occurrence can turn into something serious very quickly. Granted, I've done this before, and I'm probably more laid back than a lot of other people about it, but like I said, gut reaction.
I am planning to clean up my eating a bit more in the next few months -- laying off the soda and sodium, caffeine and chocolate. I figure if I can lay a little groundwork now, I can hit the ground running, swimming, and biking after the baby is born. We've already got the strollers purchased (yes, plural -- I have my jog stroller from the girl, and we just bought a pram for the first six months), and I also have YakTrax for my shoes, so going for a stroll on "warmer" winter days will be doable. I also need to figure out how to get back into the pool - I can walk or do the elliptical with the bouncy seat or stroller next to me. The search for a sitter is on!
I will compete next year, and with any luck, better than ever. I want to break 1:50 at Danskin, and I want to do an Olympic. Sooz challenged me to a half Ironman, but I can't fathom that, even in the best of circumstances next year. I think I'd be satisfied with running a half mary at the end of next season, then ramping up to a half sometime next season.
I want my kids to be proud of me, and I want to set an example. I want to be able to write a story like this. More than that, I want to do this for myself. Because any other excuse isn't enough. It's not about a number on the scale, it's about my performance and training and knowing that I can *maybe* look in the mirror and be okay with what I see.
My feet are swollen, and have been since 9:30 this morning. My internal thermostat is also off -- I'll be freezing, then sweating, then freezing, then fine, but warm to the touch.
My hands are also starting to swell.
I am going to take a cool shower and then get a good night's sleep, and in the morning if I'm not un-swollen, I'm going to go to student health and have my blood pressure checked, and if it's high, I'm going to call my OB. I have an appointment on Thursday anyway but I generally trust my gut when it comes to my health. Since I'm so rarely sick, I know when I feel this way I should pay attention, especially since pregnancy brings its own set of weirdnesses -- what is one day a freak occurrence can turn into something serious very quickly. Granted, I've done this before, and I'm probably more laid back than a lot of other people about it, but like I said, gut reaction.
I am planning to clean up my eating a bit more in the next few months -- laying off the soda and sodium, caffeine and chocolate. I figure if I can lay a little groundwork now, I can hit the ground running, swimming, and biking after the baby is born. We've already got the strollers purchased (yes, plural -- I have my jog stroller from the girl, and we just bought a pram for the first six months), and I also have YakTrax for my shoes, so going for a stroll on "warmer" winter days will be doable. I also need to figure out how to get back into the pool - I can walk or do the elliptical with the bouncy seat or stroller next to me. The search for a sitter is on!
I will compete next year, and with any luck, better than ever. I want to break 1:50 at Danskin, and I want to do an Olympic. Sooz challenged me to a half Ironman, but I can't fathom that, even in the best of circumstances next year. I think I'd be satisfied with running a half mary at the end of next season, then ramping up to a half sometime next season.
I want my kids to be proud of me, and I want to set an example. I want to be able to write a story like this. More than that, I want to do this for myself. Because any other excuse isn't enough. It's not about a number on the scale, it's about my performance and training and knowing that I can *maybe* look in the mirror and be okay with what I see.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Has She Lost Her Mind?
Has he lost his mind?
Can he see or is he blind?
Can he walk at all, or if he moves will he fall?
Is he alive or dead? Has he thoughts within his head?
- Iron Man
Sooz just posted a new goal in her LJ blog.
I think I've created a monster!!
And I am thinking I might join her.
IMOO 2010, baby!!! (But first, a standalone marathon, a century ride, and a LOT of training.)
Can he see or is he blind?
Can he walk at all, or if he moves will he fall?
Is he alive or dead? Has he thoughts within his head?
- Iron Man
Sooz just posted a new goal in her LJ blog.
I think I've created a monster!!
And I am thinking I might join her.
IMOO 2010, baby!!! (But first, a standalone marathon, a century ride, and a LOT of training.)
Thursday, May 1, 2008
May Day, Mayday
I typed in the address of one of my old (failed) blogs - and lo and behold, it's still there! I perused the entries a bit, remembering that it helped the last time I wanted to lose weight. I think I will delete it, but I wanted to preserve a few of the old entries.
It's interesting to see what I thought of myself a few years ago. I remember that girl - the one who was starting a new job and taking a full year to train for her first triathlon. I also weigh 40 pounds more than that girl did when she stopped blogging, and a lot has happened since then. I'd like to remember a lot about who that girl was, and why she looked so great and felt so good about herself.
I am still active and working out, and food is still my drug. I need to get over the stress and anxiety (lo, that I had an attitude like Sooz - girl lets it all roll off her like water off a duck's back.) and get to doing.
Summer of Awesome = Summer of Awesome Me.
From the old blog:
June 7, 2005
Let me say this: I love McDonald's.
Seriously. I have a massive addition to anything with the golden arches on its packaging. I love nothing better for breakfast than a Bacon, Egg and Cheese biscuit sandwich with a lovely golden brown hash brown. The drink can vary- if I'm feeling healthy (or guilty) it is usually a bottle of water or an orange juice. If I don't care, it's a small diet coke.
My standard order otherwise is a 10-piece chicken nugget value meal with a diet coke, and a double cheeseburger with ketchup only.
This is only part of the reason why I now weigh 253 pounds at this point in my life.
Yesterday, I read the "I have made a decision" essay over at Oprah.com, and while I can't say that Oprah's voice came down from the heavens, imbuing my soul with the will to change, all heavenly light beaming down and weight-loss cherubim harmonizing, it did make me think.
I feel like shit.
Previously, I'd lost about 25 pounds- I was about 229 or so and feeling pretty good. Then: new job, new stress, inability to keep working out on my prior schedule, holidays, the ever-present lure of Mickey D's, and a free employee cafeteria at lunch (Lord have mercy...the DESSERTS)...and here I am.
I've never been thin- the closest I can figure I was to a healthy weight was probably when I was working out in college (yes, true) and I lost 15 pounds in a semester that I took a weight-training and aerobics course for credit. I think I was about 195 at that point. Still in all, I was pretty healthy, and I gleaned from that course that I probably could be smaller if I worked at it.
Life got in the way.
Now, I have to get in the way of my life. College is long past and I've got a daughter to think about. My dad was just diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes, and my grandmother has had it for over 25 years. So we have some genetics going on here. I am also having digestive issues, a-plenty... but we won't get into the particulars of my biohazardous waste. Promise.
So...here I am, one of thousands out there with a diet blog. Maybe it will help to write down my thoughts, maybe not. I will probably try to write down what I eat, because in the past, it has helped...I just hate carrying around those little journal thingies they give you at Weight Watchers.
Speaking of the almighty WW: here's my first goal. We have an at-work program at my job. Next session starts June 26. It's 15 weeks long. I have to do the bridesmaid thing at a wedding in October. That's about the same time frame. Mo over at Mopie.com has set a WW goal for herself: 25 pounds in 12 weeks (averaging about a 2 pound loss).
I'm going to do the same: 30 pounds in 15 weeks.
God help me, I'm going to do this, once and for all. French fries be damned.
June 8, 2005
Oreos.
There are Oreos afoot in my office...double stuf Oreos and Golden Oreos and they are in the cube next to me and God help me I've resisited for over 2 hours.... and now it's 11AM and I'm hungry for lunch and I need to eat the chicken breast and not the pepperoni pizza...and I should go walking but I don't want to go and get all schvitzy in the 88 degree heat but I really should...
And it's somebody's birthday here in office land, and he's bringing treats very very soon...and I will resist. I will resist.
I have decided to resist. (Oh, shit. Now it's about Oprah again.)
June 9, 2005
...it's so hard for me to keep control in social situations, but it's a weakness I need to get professional help with. Also: I had Reasoning on my side- I had a beer, I needed food to soak it up, and there were no healthy alternatives. Also? It was 5pm and I was hungry. And it counted as dinner.
July 12, 2005
As of yesterday on the WW scale, I'm now 251.2. That would be 10.6 pounds in 3 1/2 weeks. I've been to the gym no less than 3 times each week (and usually it's 4-5). I've discovered the absolute serenity and joy of a morning workout (joy in a 5am wakeup call? Who knew??)
The fitness center also overlooks a very benign piece of land- it's probably 40 x 50 of lawn surface that borders the building on one side, and the path around the lake on the other. Boring, right? Not if you see what I see.
I see the finish line for the Danskin Women's Triathlon 2006. I see cheering family members, a big sign that says "RUN FINISH", volunteers wearing red t-shirts, and a swarm of women competitors running in to the sound of victory. It is the actual finish area for the Danskin- not just a visualization.
When something chocolate screams my name, I say "triathlon" to myself. Turn. Walk away. Will I celebrate when an occasion presents itself? Of course. Just not to excess.
And I will compete in, and finish, the 2006 Chicagoland Danskin Women's Triathlon.
More old entries later - I'm having a good time rereading them. And thinking a lot about how I can recapture some of that momentum.
It's interesting to see what I thought of myself a few years ago. I remember that girl - the one who was starting a new job and taking a full year to train for her first triathlon. I also weigh 40 pounds more than that girl did when she stopped blogging, and a lot has happened since then. I'd like to remember a lot about who that girl was, and why she looked so great and felt so good about herself.
I am still active and working out, and food is still my drug. I need to get over the stress and anxiety (lo, that I had an attitude like Sooz - girl lets it all roll off her like water off a duck's back.) and get to doing.
Summer of Awesome = Summer of Awesome Me.
From the old blog:
June 7, 2005
Let me say this: I love McDonald's.
Seriously. I have a massive addition to anything with the golden arches on its packaging. I love nothing better for breakfast than a Bacon, Egg and Cheese biscuit sandwich with a lovely golden brown hash brown. The drink can vary- if I'm feeling healthy (or guilty) it is usually a bottle of water or an orange juice. If I don't care, it's a small diet coke.
My standard order otherwise is a 10-piece chicken nugget value meal with a diet coke, and a double cheeseburger with ketchup only.
This is only part of the reason why I now weigh 253 pounds at this point in my life.
Yesterday, I read the "I have made a decision" essay over at Oprah.com, and while I can't say that Oprah's voice came down from the heavens, imbuing my soul with the will to change, all heavenly light beaming down and weight-loss cherubim harmonizing, it did make me think.
I feel like shit.
Previously, I'd lost about 25 pounds- I was about 229 or so and feeling pretty good. Then: new job, new stress, inability to keep working out on my prior schedule, holidays, the ever-present lure of Mickey D's, and a free employee cafeteria at lunch (Lord have mercy...the DESSERTS)...and here I am.
I've never been thin- the closest I can figure I was to a healthy weight was probably when I was working out in college (yes, true) and I lost 15 pounds in a semester that I took a weight-training and aerobics course for credit. I think I was about 195 at that point. Still in all, I was pretty healthy, and I gleaned from that course that I probably could be smaller if I worked at it.
Life got in the way.
Now, I have to get in the way of my life. College is long past and I've got a daughter to think about. My dad was just diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes, and my grandmother has had it for over 25 years. So we have some genetics going on here. I am also having digestive issues, a-plenty... but we won't get into the particulars of my biohazardous waste. Promise.
So...here I am, one of thousands out there with a diet blog. Maybe it will help to write down my thoughts, maybe not. I will probably try to write down what I eat, because in the past, it has helped...I just hate carrying around those little journal thingies they give you at Weight Watchers.
Speaking of the almighty WW: here's my first goal. We have an at-work program at my job. Next session starts June 26. It's 15 weeks long. I have to do the bridesmaid thing at a wedding in October. That's about the same time frame. Mo over at Mopie.com has set a WW goal for herself: 25 pounds in 12 weeks (averaging about a 2 pound loss).
I'm going to do the same: 30 pounds in 15 weeks.
God help me, I'm going to do this, once and for all. French fries be damned.
June 8, 2005
Oreos.
There are Oreos afoot in my office...double stuf Oreos and Golden Oreos and they are in the cube next to me and God help me I've resisited for over 2 hours.... and now it's 11AM and I'm hungry for lunch and I need to eat the chicken breast and not the pepperoni pizza...and I should go walking but I don't want to go and get all schvitzy in the 88 degree heat but I really should...
And it's somebody's birthday here in office land, and he's bringing treats very very soon...and I will resist. I will resist.
I have decided to resist. (Oh, shit. Now it's about Oprah again.)
June 9, 2005
...it's so hard for me to keep control in social situations, but it's a weakness I need to get professional help with. Also: I had Reasoning on my side- I had a beer, I needed food to soak it up, and there were no healthy alternatives. Also? It was 5pm and I was hungry. And it counted as dinner.
July 12, 2005
As of yesterday on the WW scale, I'm now 251.2. That would be 10.6 pounds in 3 1/2 weeks. I've been to the gym no less than 3 times each week (and usually it's 4-5). I've discovered the absolute serenity and joy of a morning workout (joy in a 5am wakeup call? Who knew??)
The fitness center also overlooks a very benign piece of land- it's probably 40 x 50 of lawn surface that borders the building on one side, and the path around the lake on the other. Boring, right? Not if you see what I see.
I see the finish line for the Danskin Women's Triathlon 2006. I see cheering family members, a big sign that says "RUN FINISH", volunteers wearing red t-shirts, and a swarm of women competitors running in to the sound of victory. It is the actual finish area for the Danskin- not just a visualization.
When something chocolate screams my name, I say "triathlon" to myself. Turn. Walk away. Will I celebrate when an occasion presents itself? Of course. Just not to excess.
And I will compete in, and finish, the 2006 Chicagoland Danskin Women's Triathlon.
More old entries later - I'm having a good time rereading them. And thinking a lot about how I can recapture some of that momentum.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Training Log: 4/10/08
Swimming
Warmup: 100 Pull, 50 Kick
Main Set: 3x400 (45 RI)
Cooldown: 50 Breast
Total Yards:1400
Running
10 mins walking
Intervals - 5:2 x 2 (fast mile) 12:05
Total Distance: 2.5 miles
I went to the gym on Wednesday with my sister in law and did a fairly intense 30 minutes on the elliptical machine - then tried to up my intervals today. Bad news.
Oh right! We've been training for almost 4 solid weeks! Time to level off a bit and toss in a recovery week!
When I was running my "fast mile" yesterday, I could actually feel my upper body's weight. It's odd- I havent' felt the sensation of a really heavy front load since I was pregnant with the girl, but there it was yesterday on the treadmill. I think I really need to get my eating in shape - I've always had a really rough time losing weight, but I don't like the way my body felt yesterday.
In fact, I actually had the sensation of where I wanted my body to be (lithe, flatter, more toned) and it felt like I was wearing one of those expectant father's sympathy bellies or something. I could feel where I wanted my body to end.
I sometimes wonder whether I'm beating my head against a wall with all the training and working out, or if eventually, one of these days, something will change and I will maybe, just maybe, lose a little weight. I love the shape my legs have taken since I got back into the gym- I can feel the tone there and I know I'm stronger. Likewise, my arms are still chicken-wingy but I feel stronger, and the ache I feel after 1200 well-paced yards in the pool is a satisfying one.
I eat pretty well, most of the time. I don't play games with the number on the scale - I can tell myself everything I want about the number not mattering, and about muscles being denser than fat, and all the other things you tell yourself. Point is, if I want to be a better athlete I have to continue to train, and I'll get more out of my training if I fuel the machine properly.
Farmer's market opens in two weeks and I.CAN.NOT.WAIT.
Warmup: 100 Pull, 50 Kick
Main Set: 3x400 (45 RI)
Cooldown: 50 Breast
Total Yards:1400
Running
10 mins walking
Intervals - 5:2 x 2 (fast mile) 12:05
Total Distance: 2.5 miles
I went to the gym on Wednesday with my sister in law and did a fairly intense 30 minutes on the elliptical machine - then tried to up my intervals today. Bad news.
Oh right! We've been training for almost 4 solid weeks! Time to level off a bit and toss in a recovery week!
When I was running my "fast mile" yesterday, I could actually feel my upper body's weight. It's odd- I havent' felt the sensation of a really heavy front load since I was pregnant with the girl, but there it was yesterday on the treadmill. I think I really need to get my eating in shape - I've always had a really rough time losing weight, but I don't like the way my body felt yesterday.
In fact, I actually had the sensation of where I wanted my body to be (lithe, flatter, more toned) and it felt like I was wearing one of those expectant father's sympathy bellies or something. I could feel where I wanted my body to end.
I sometimes wonder whether I'm beating my head against a wall with all the training and working out, or if eventually, one of these days, something will change and I will maybe, just maybe, lose a little weight. I love the shape my legs have taken since I got back into the gym- I can feel the tone there and I know I'm stronger. Likewise, my arms are still chicken-wingy but I feel stronger, and the ache I feel after 1200 well-paced yards in the pool is a satisfying one.
I eat pretty well, most of the time. I don't play games with the number on the scale - I can tell myself everything I want about the number not mattering, and about muscles being denser than fat, and all the other things you tell yourself. Point is, if I want to be a better athlete I have to continue to train, and I'll get more out of my training if I fuel the machine properly.
Farmer's market opens in two weeks and I.CAN.NOT.WAIT.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Training Log: 4/8/08
Today's Training
Swimming
100 free warmup
25 minutes continuous swim (10 sec or less RI, minimal use)
(1000 yards/25:00 = 2:30/100 pace)
50 breast cooldown
Total Yardage:1150
Today I wanted to test my endurance - so far I feel like I've been doing better at the drills, and my 400's are coming easier to me. I decided to just swim continuously for 25 minutes, at a decent pace, and see how far I could go. This is a good way to gauge your training - I will do this again in about six weeks I think, and hopefully my yardage goes up in the same amount of time. Either that or I will extend the time and just decide to swim X yards no matter how long it takes.
My training plan says a 25 minute swim should be around 900-1200 yards, and I fell right into that with 1000. I will have to start increasing my distance soon - I will start throwing 800s pretty regularly now - and I'll work up to a second 800 so I do 2x800 with probably a 2 min RI...then start putting it all together. Once I've got that going, I can work into a "fast" 800 if that's all I'm doing, so I can pump my speed up for the tri.
By the math, I was averaging about 38 seconds per length (25 yards). Last week when I did my descending 100's, my first length was 34 - and I thought I was swimming slow. I definitely slowed down toward the end of the 1000 - my arms were tired and I was losing form. I will definitely need to do some recovery/drill work next week so I can up my yardage without killing my form, arms, or time. Endurance first, then speed.
Bike weather is coming up...I haven't NOT been on my bike in April since before I started triathon. In other words, NEVER. I need to get some cold weather rides in before too long - the spring winds and hills make for great force and endurance workouts. Will also make the transition to outdoor runs soon. That's tougher for me - running is easily my hardest challenge.
Swimming
100 free warmup
25 minutes continuous swim (10 sec or less RI, minimal use)
(1000 yards/25:00 = 2:30/100 pace)
50 breast cooldown
Total Yardage:1150
Today I wanted to test my endurance - so far I feel like I've been doing better at the drills, and my 400's are coming easier to me. I decided to just swim continuously for 25 minutes, at a decent pace, and see how far I could go. This is a good way to gauge your training - I will do this again in about six weeks I think, and hopefully my yardage goes up in the same amount of time. Either that or I will extend the time and just decide to swim X yards no matter how long it takes.
My training plan says a 25 minute swim should be around 900-1200 yards, and I fell right into that with 1000. I will have to start increasing my distance soon - I will start throwing 800s pretty regularly now - and I'll work up to a second 800 so I do 2x800 with probably a 2 min RI...then start putting it all together. Once I've got that going, I can work into a "fast" 800 if that's all I'm doing, so I can pump my speed up for the tri.
By the math, I was averaging about 38 seconds per length (25 yards). Last week when I did my descending 100's, my first length was 34 - and I thought I was swimming slow. I definitely slowed down toward the end of the 1000 - my arms were tired and I was losing form. I will definitely need to do some recovery/drill work next week so I can up my yardage without killing my form, arms, or time. Endurance first, then speed.
Bike weather is coming up...I haven't NOT been on my bike in April since before I started triathon. In other words, NEVER. I need to get some cold weather rides in before too long - the spring winds and hills make for great force and endurance workouts. Will also make the transition to outdoor runs soon. That's tougher for me - running is easily my hardest challenge.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Training Update: 4/1-4/3/2008
Forgot to add Tuesday's workout to my training log:
Swimming
Warmup: 100 Free
Main Set: 4x200, 45 RI
Descending 100 (34, 31, 24.8, 24.4)
Cooldown: 100 Free
Total Yardage:1100
I felt good on this one - forcing myself to keep a tempo through the 200's was good practice. Altogether the times were fairly consistent. The descender was a pain in the butt - the first two were fine, then on the third, I thrashed it out and took too much time off. Overcompensated and lost my form on the fourth and ended up chopping big holes in the water instead of moving quickly and efficiently. Life lesson.
Today's Training:
Swimming
Warmup: 150 (50 pull, 50 kick, 50 free)
Main Set: Down Ladder (400, 45 RI, 300, 45 RI, 200, 20 RI, 100) with descending pace
Cooldown: 50 Free, 50 Breast
Total Yardage:1250
The Down Ladder is a great pacing tool - if you know you have another 200 to go, you swim a little more conservatively. If you've only got 100 total, you push it. My times reflected that today - I'm really learning how to pace myself in the pool. Now that my form is coming back I'm better able to do some of the faster paces and sprints in the end of the workout, and that just bodes well for my ability to race this year.
Running
Virtual 5K (treadmill) Time:46:30
Intervals: Six minutes at a 3/3 split x 6 (36 minutes), 2.4 miles, 3.4/4.9 split.
10:30 at 3.5-3.9 to finish last .7 miles.
I can tell that I was pushing a bit with the intervals. I need to work on getting a full 3/3 interval through the entire 5K, then maintaining that until it's second nature. Once that happens, I can "graduate" to a 4/2 and eventually a full 5/1. Once I've got the 5/1 down for a 5K, I'll go back to a 4/2 or a 3/3 and add distance, then work up to speed again. I need to be able to 5/1 a 10K if I have any hope of making it through an Olympic by the end of this year. I also need to remember my water bottle if I'm going to be doing this kind of distance. One of these days I'll run a "fast mile" and see how I do pacing myself. I think I could get under 12:00 if I knew all I had to do was run a mile and cross the line.
Swimming
Warmup: 100 Free
Main Set: 4x200, 45 RI
Descending 100 (34, 31, 24.8, 24.4)
Cooldown: 100 Free
Total Yardage:1100
I felt good on this one - forcing myself to keep a tempo through the 200's was good practice. Altogether the times were fairly consistent. The descender was a pain in the butt - the first two were fine, then on the third, I thrashed it out and took too much time off. Overcompensated and lost my form on the fourth and ended up chopping big holes in the water instead of moving quickly and efficiently. Life lesson.
Today's Training:
Swimming
Warmup: 150 (50 pull, 50 kick, 50 free)
Main Set: Down Ladder (400, 45 RI, 300, 45 RI, 200, 20 RI, 100) with descending pace
Cooldown: 50 Free, 50 Breast
Total Yardage:1250
The Down Ladder is a great pacing tool - if you know you have another 200 to go, you swim a little more conservatively. If you've only got 100 total, you push it. My times reflected that today - I'm really learning how to pace myself in the pool. Now that my form is coming back I'm better able to do some of the faster paces and sprints in the end of the workout, and that just bodes well for my ability to race this year.
Running
Virtual 5K (treadmill) Time:46:30
Intervals: Six minutes at a 3/3 split x 6 (36 minutes), 2.4 miles, 3.4/4.9 split.
10:30 at 3.5-3.9 to finish last .7 miles.
I can tell that I was pushing a bit with the intervals. I need to work on getting a full 3/3 interval through the entire 5K, then maintaining that until it's second nature. Once that happens, I can "graduate" to a 4/2 and eventually a full 5/1. Once I've got the 5/1 down for a 5K, I'll go back to a 4/2 or a 3/3 and add distance, then work up to speed again. I need to be able to 5/1 a 10K if I have any hope of making it through an Olympic by the end of this year. I also need to remember my water bottle if I'm going to be doing this kind of distance. One of these days I'll run a "fast mile" and see how I do pacing myself. I think I could get under 12:00 if I knew all I had to do was run a mile and cross the line.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Training Log - 3/27/08
Swim
Warmup: 100 free, 150 kick/pull/kick alternates
Main Set: 2x200, 45 second RI, 1x400 (all at race pace, last 50 of the 400 at sprint pace)
Total: 1050 yards
This felt AWESOME. A vast improvement over last week - I was dying on Tuesday about midway through my 3rd 200. Today, I was practically unphased after 2x200. We got to the pool a bit late and so I made the executive decision to turn my last 400 into a solid set. I got into such a groove, knowing I was swimming faster than I had on Tuesday. Knowing I was up against a time limit, I wanted to get my yardage in, so I sprinted the last 50 yards - perhaps not an all-out sprint, but I amped it up quite a bit. Nice to know I can still dig deep at the end of a long-ish set. Now if I can do it after an 800, then I'll be impressed. If I can do it after a 1600 I'll be freaking insane with glee!
Bike
Warmup: 5 minutes easy spin (low resistance)
Main Set: 20 minute tempo ride (normal cadence +/- 88 RPM, medium resistance)
Mini-Brick: 10 minutes run/walk
Cooldown: 5 minutes walk
Total: 40 minutes
OW! Bike butt! First time on a spinner since...the stone ages. 20 minutes at a normal cadence was enough for me today. The spinners don't have computers so I can't check my mileage, but the time felt good - and I'll throw some hill intervals on next time I have a standalone bike. For now as a swim followup, it was all good. My calves cramped up like nobody's business when I tried to run - so a nice long stretch will be in order tonight, and hopefully everything else loosens up in the next few days.
Warmup: 100 free, 150 kick/pull/kick alternates
Main Set: 2x200, 45 second RI, 1x400 (all at race pace, last 50 of the 400 at sprint pace)
Total: 1050 yards
This felt AWESOME. A vast improvement over last week - I was dying on Tuesday about midway through my 3rd 200. Today, I was practically unphased after 2x200. We got to the pool a bit late and so I made the executive decision to turn my last 400 into a solid set. I got into such a groove, knowing I was swimming faster than I had on Tuesday. Knowing I was up against a time limit, I wanted to get my yardage in, so I sprinted the last 50 yards - perhaps not an all-out sprint, but I amped it up quite a bit. Nice to know I can still dig deep at the end of a long-ish set. Now if I can do it after an 800, then I'll be impressed. If I can do it after a 1600 I'll be freaking insane with glee!
Bike
Warmup: 5 minutes easy spin (low resistance)
Main Set: 20 minute tempo ride (normal cadence +/- 88 RPM, medium resistance)
Mini-Brick: 10 minutes run/walk
Cooldown: 5 minutes walk
Total: 40 minutes
OW! Bike butt! First time on a spinner since...the stone ages. 20 minutes at a normal cadence was enough for me today. The spinners don't have computers so I can't check my mileage, but the time felt good - and I'll throw some hill intervals on next time I have a standalone bike. For now as a swim followup, it was all good. My calves cramped up like nobody's business when I tried to run - so a nice long stretch will be in order tonight, and hopefully everything else loosens up in the next few days.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Beijing 2008
I read this story on MSNBC this morning, whilst awaiting Sooz's arrival for our twice-weekly swim training session.
And I saw a few pictures that look something like this:
In case you're wondering, that's a picture from a vocational school in China, where girls train to become flight attendants. Most of them are also learning etiquette in hopes of being selected to be medal ceremony hostesses at this year's Summer Olympics.
Excerpts from the article:
The young women practice posture by balancing books on their heads while squeezing a sheet of paper between the knees. A perfect smile is honed by hours in front of a mirror with a chopstick clasped between the teeth.
“The smile should be spontaneous. If it’s a fake smile, then it doesn’t look good,” Yang said, her hands folded primly at the waist. “When we practice smiling, we hold a chopstick between our teeth and try to think about something happy.”
Some of those will likely be picked for the actual games, said Li Zhanjun, director of the Beijing Olympics media center. He would not say how many would be chosen or what criteria was used to pick presenters.
The 32 students in Yang’s class said they were thrilled by the possibility of being part of the Olympics, an event China’s communist government intends to use to show the world it is ready to take its place among the ranks of great nations.
“We want (visitors) to think that China is a polite country that really lives up to its name,” said 17-year-old Feng Jiale, who wore a Communist Youth League pin on her airline uniform.
“I want them to know that the Chinese people are refined, that we really are confident about our country,” said 16-year-old Feng Shuo.
Beijing Olympics organizers’ pickiness in choosing hostesses illustrates the inordinate amount of planning that has gone into the upcoming games. Four years ago, the laidback Greeks selected hostesses from among the general pool of volunteers following brief interviews, a former Athens Games official said.
By turning to the state-run flight attendant schools, organizers are picking from among a group selected for their physical attributes and ability to make a good impression.
At Changping, students must stand between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-8 and weigh 110 to 120 pounds. They learn English, French, German, Japanese and Korean. Classes in applying makeup are part of the curriculum.
A class of young women, age 16 to 18, gave a demonstration in the school gymnasium on Wednesday to show off the proper posture and how to walk with a tray. (“The forearms and upper arms must form a 90 degree angle,” the teacher reminded them.)
They practiced bows of 15, 30 and 45 degrees, holding the poses even though they appeared rather uncomfortable.
China is often accused of human rights violations and torturing political prisoners. Unspeakable horror stories come out of dissenters, the brave students who sat in Tiananmen Square over 17 years ago are long forgotten. The Internet is censored completely by what the government calls "The Golden Shield."
I am certain that China is a country of great beauty, history and culture. However, there is enough evidence in my mind to suggest that Nicolas Sarkozy might just have it right this time; we might very well be best served to boycott this Olympics. I am certain it won't happen because the corporate culture of America won't permit it. Nike and Adidas have billions tied up in the athletes, the airline sponsorships are worth millions, the broadcasting rights alone are worth inordinate amounts of money, and no CEO would allow his stock to plummet over political issues and American values. Such is our culture now - the almighty dollar rules most everything, most of the time.
The picture above is just a kinder, gentler example of what China does to its citizens on a regular basis, in order to preserve its self image and maintain its devotion to outward appearances.
Sure, she's wearing a beautifully tailored suit, and she's got a smile on her face.
It still looks like torture to me.
Today's training:Swimming
100 free warm-up, 50 kick, 50 pull
Main set: 4x200, 45 second RI
50 breast cooldown
Total yardage: 950
And I saw a few pictures that look something like this:
In case you're wondering, that's a picture from a vocational school in China, where girls train to become flight attendants. Most of them are also learning etiquette in hopes of being selected to be medal ceremony hostesses at this year's Summer Olympics.
Excerpts from the article:
The young women practice posture by balancing books on their heads while squeezing a sheet of paper between the knees. A perfect smile is honed by hours in front of a mirror with a chopstick clasped between the teeth.
“The smile should be spontaneous. If it’s a fake smile, then it doesn’t look good,” Yang said, her hands folded primly at the waist. “When we practice smiling, we hold a chopstick between our teeth and try to think about something happy.”
Some of those will likely be picked for the actual games, said Li Zhanjun, director of the Beijing Olympics media center. He would not say how many would be chosen or what criteria was used to pick presenters.
The 32 students in Yang’s class said they were thrilled by the possibility of being part of the Olympics, an event China’s communist government intends to use to show the world it is ready to take its place among the ranks of great nations.
“We want (visitors) to think that China is a polite country that really lives up to its name,” said 17-year-old Feng Jiale, who wore a Communist Youth League pin on her airline uniform.
“I want them to know that the Chinese people are refined, that we really are confident about our country,” said 16-year-old Feng Shuo.
Beijing Olympics organizers’ pickiness in choosing hostesses illustrates the inordinate amount of planning that has gone into the upcoming games. Four years ago, the laidback Greeks selected hostesses from among the general pool of volunteers following brief interviews, a former Athens Games official said.
By turning to the state-run flight attendant schools, organizers are picking from among a group selected for their physical attributes and ability to make a good impression.
At Changping, students must stand between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-8 and weigh 110 to 120 pounds. They learn English, French, German, Japanese and Korean. Classes in applying makeup are part of the curriculum.
A class of young women, age 16 to 18, gave a demonstration in the school gymnasium on Wednesday to show off the proper posture and how to walk with a tray. (“The forearms and upper arms must form a 90 degree angle,” the teacher reminded them.)
They practiced bows of 15, 30 and 45 degrees, holding the poses even though they appeared rather uncomfortable.
China is often accused of human rights violations and torturing political prisoners. Unspeakable horror stories come out of dissenters, the brave students who sat in Tiananmen Square over 17 years ago are long forgotten. The Internet is censored completely by what the government calls "The Golden Shield."
I am certain that China is a country of great beauty, history and culture. However, there is enough evidence in my mind to suggest that Nicolas Sarkozy might just have it right this time; we might very well be best served to boycott this Olympics. I am certain it won't happen because the corporate culture of America won't permit it. Nike and Adidas have billions tied up in the athletes, the airline sponsorships are worth millions, the broadcasting rights alone are worth inordinate amounts of money, and no CEO would allow his stock to plummet over political issues and American values. Such is our culture now - the almighty dollar rules most everything, most of the time.
The picture above is just a kinder, gentler example of what China does to its citizens on a regular basis, in order to preserve its self image and maintain its devotion to outward appearances.
Sure, she's wearing a beautifully tailored suit, and she's got a smile on her face.
It still looks like torture to me.
Today's training:Swimming
100 free warm-up, 50 kick, 50 pull
Main set: 4x200, 45 second RI
50 breast cooldown
Total yardage: 950
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Oh Good Lord, Not Again
This morning, the girl and I were lazing about in bed, talking about the day ahead, and not doing much to extract ourselves from our cocoon of blankets and pillows and warm bodies.
Once again, she asked.
"Mom, can I get a baby sister?"
Uhhh...well, see...ahem, well...why do you want a baby sister?
"'Cause Ruth has one and she gets to hold it." (Ruth is her best friend at school.)
So you want a little sister like Ruth?
"Yeah, and um, Ruth has a big sister too but I can't have one of them because I already was born so I just want a little sister."
I thought you wanted a little brother?
"No, well... I want a sister, I think."
And what would you want to call her?
"Josie! I like Josie. It's a nice name."
Yes. Yes it is. Okay, kiddo - time to get up out of bed.
Twice in a month. Good Lord.
And now for something completely different:Sooz and I went swimming at school today - it felt GREAT to get back into the pool. I may keep a training log here just for simplicity's sake. Doubt if I'll get deeper than just a list of what I did - if I do, I'll make it a training-specific entry.
Swim: 100 warmup, 5x100 free (30 sec RI), 50 kick, 50 cooldown. 30 mins total. 700 total distance
Once again, she asked.
"Mom, can I get a baby sister?"
Uhhh...well, see...ahem, well...why do you want a baby sister?
"'Cause Ruth has one and she gets to hold it." (Ruth is her best friend at school.)
So you want a little sister like Ruth?
"Yeah, and um, Ruth has a big sister too but I can't have one of them because I already was born so I just want a little sister."
I thought you wanted a little brother?
"No, well... I want a sister, I think."
And what would you want to call her?
"Josie! I like Josie. It's a nice name."
Yes. Yes it is. Okay, kiddo - time to get up out of bed.
Twice in a month. Good Lord.
And now for something completely different:Sooz and I went swimming at school today - it felt GREAT to get back into the pool. I may keep a training log here just for simplicity's sake. Doubt if I'll get deeper than just a list of what I did - if I do, I'll make it a training-specific entry.
Swim: 100 warmup, 5x100 free (30 sec RI), 50 kick, 50 cooldown. 30 mins total. 700 total distance
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Kung Hei Fat Choi!
Things roll on in the life of me; not much to say other than it's still cold, I'm still in law school, and everything is copacetic.
Being on an even keel is a good thing. After the emotional upwelling of last week, it's nice to have a little in the way of normalcy. I'm finding my energy level to be up a bit, and I think I'm getting a handle on things. Doesn't prevent me from still being a bit overwhelmed at the demands of law school, but it's good to know what's required, and have the wherewithal to handle it.
I started SparkPeople, and I can already tell that my eating is getting better. Just the mechanics of sitting down and figuring out how many slices of pizza I can have. I don't feel like I'm really changing what I eat, so much as changing how much I eat and drinking a LOT of water.
I also re-started Couch to 5K yesterday, and I figure I'm about at week 3 or so - I did 5 minute repetitions of 3 minutes walking, 2 minutes running on the treadmill. I did well - I made it through to the end without killing myself, but it was still a challenge. I think I will stick with that through the weekend and then up it to a 2/3 iteration. If I remember my watch, I'll go run on the track, but for now, the treadmill makes it easy for me to mark time.
In the course of a week I've lost almost 4 pounds. I don't think it's easy by any means, and I know that my body is readjusting. But I also know that I've got a goal and I'm sticking to it, and I have something to work toward. It's also nice to have a couple of friends who are keeping me motivated; Kate and Sooz are working out with me after class on the weekends, and I have the pool hours - so I just need to adjust my schedule so I can go swim over the lunch hour.
New Year, indeed!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Coach Kate?
NB: If you are here from Holidailies, please leave me a comment...I don't have a site tracker and love feedback.
I did my first triathlon on July 9, 2006. I had trained for just under a year, found great training friends along the way, and found a passion for something athletic- something I never thought would occur in my life.
In a way it made me sad. Despite being part of the first generation of girls to have increased athletic opportunity in school, my parents never encouraged me to be active or go to athletic camp, or develop that aspect of myself. Looking back, I think I could have kicked some serious ass had I taken the opportunity or been encouraged to do so.
My coach was a tremendous source of encouragement in the process of training, and I stayed with him during the offseason and last year, parting ways only due to my move. He and I became friends, and he asked me to help him out at a few clinics during the last offseason. I had a tremendous amount of fun doing that- telling my story and giving the ladies in the audience (and by and large they were ladies- I think we had about three men show up to two clinics) real encouragement. The lights flickered on for more than a few of them and I was delighted to stay after class, answer questions about my equipment, my training and my overall feeling on triathlon.
I showed up to a few of Ken's classes this past summer- I didn't sign up for the formal tri-training class because I'd bought a personal training plan from him. He'd asked me to help marshal his group bike rides, and I got to chat with some of his students, answer questions and assuage fears. Anytime I'd run into any of the ladies in the class, I'd always ask after their training and encourage them to keep at it. I felt so happy to be able to give them the motivation to do just one more lap in the lake, run just 5 seconds longer, sprint out the last 100 yards on the bike. It felt cool to be a veteran.
Come Danskin race day this year, I felt more ready for a race than I think I ever had. It was my third race of the year and I was ready to kick butt. I had the swim of my life, a quick first transition, and the first half of the bike course was a personal best. I was on track for an overall PR, until I came around the halfway point on the bike course...and hit a wall of wind and heat. I was riding on an absolutely flat piece of pavement in a low gear...and going less than 10 miles an hour. I had to fight the entire way back, with very little respite.
What kept me going was the thought of those ladies who were fighting through the same things I was, some with inferior equipment, or just dealing with rookie fear. I eventually got back to transition and blazed through T2, making it out onto the run course. I started to run intervals but quickly found out that the wind had sapped my legs, and I would simply have to fight through the run portion by walking and running wherever I could, if I could at all.
After about a quarter mile on the run, I came up on one of the ladies from Ken's training class. She was fighting through the walk, and I yelled at her- one of the things I used to always do in class was make myself known- and I am not known for being quiet. I clapped my hands at her and just gave her as much positive energy as I could. She turned to me, eyes filled with tears and said words that brought me to tears and got me thinking:
"You're the reason I'm here."
I kept running, got to the finish line and realized that somewhere in the last half of the run portion of the fifth triathlon I ever participated in, that I might be halfway decent at being a triathlon coach.
After the tri, Ken and I took a bike ride together and I talked to him about it. He always gave me grief for having a big mouth in class, but I think he liked having a female counterpart- there are some questions it's just easier to defer to a woman on (i.e. What type of sports bra do you wear that can get wet?) and I know he liked that I had no fear about yelling (positively) at his students.
He said he thought I'd make a good coach- I listen, and despite not being a paragon of fitness, I am dedicated to the sport and can relate to the newbies quite well. He said he thought my physical imperfection was comforting to the students- sometimes being coached by a perfect Amazon of a woman with six pack abs isn't what the ladies want.
So one of these days...after I finish law school...and maybe after I do my Ironman race (just one, I only need to do one), I will probably go get a USAT coaching certification. What I will do with it, who knows. But it's one of those nice things to have in your back pocket.
Meanwhile, I need to do an Olympic this summer and see about training for a half marathon. First things first.
I did my first triathlon on July 9, 2006. I had trained for just under a year, found great training friends along the way, and found a passion for something athletic- something I never thought would occur in my life.
In a way it made me sad. Despite being part of the first generation of girls to have increased athletic opportunity in school, my parents never encouraged me to be active or go to athletic camp, or develop that aspect of myself. Looking back, I think I could have kicked some serious ass had I taken the opportunity or been encouraged to do so.
My coach was a tremendous source of encouragement in the process of training, and I stayed with him during the offseason and last year, parting ways only due to my move. He and I became friends, and he asked me to help him out at a few clinics during the last offseason. I had a tremendous amount of fun doing that- telling my story and giving the ladies in the audience (and by and large they were ladies- I think we had about three men show up to two clinics) real encouragement. The lights flickered on for more than a few of them and I was delighted to stay after class, answer questions about my equipment, my training and my overall feeling on triathlon.
I showed up to a few of Ken's classes this past summer- I didn't sign up for the formal tri-training class because I'd bought a personal training plan from him. He'd asked me to help marshal his group bike rides, and I got to chat with some of his students, answer questions and assuage fears. Anytime I'd run into any of the ladies in the class, I'd always ask after their training and encourage them to keep at it. I felt so happy to be able to give them the motivation to do just one more lap in the lake, run just 5 seconds longer, sprint out the last 100 yards on the bike. It felt cool to be a veteran.
Come Danskin race day this year, I felt more ready for a race than I think I ever had. It was my third race of the year and I was ready to kick butt. I had the swim of my life, a quick first transition, and the first half of the bike course was a personal best. I was on track for an overall PR, until I came around the halfway point on the bike course...and hit a wall of wind and heat. I was riding on an absolutely flat piece of pavement in a low gear...and going less than 10 miles an hour. I had to fight the entire way back, with very little respite.
What kept me going was the thought of those ladies who were fighting through the same things I was, some with inferior equipment, or just dealing with rookie fear. I eventually got back to transition and blazed through T2, making it out onto the run course. I started to run intervals but quickly found out that the wind had sapped my legs, and I would simply have to fight through the run portion by walking and running wherever I could, if I could at all.
After about a quarter mile on the run, I came up on one of the ladies from Ken's training class. She was fighting through the walk, and I yelled at her- one of the things I used to always do in class was make myself known- and I am not known for being quiet. I clapped my hands at her and just gave her as much positive energy as I could. She turned to me, eyes filled with tears and said words that brought me to tears and got me thinking:
"You're the reason I'm here."
I kept running, got to the finish line and realized that somewhere in the last half of the run portion of the fifth triathlon I ever participated in, that I might be halfway decent at being a triathlon coach.
After the tri, Ken and I took a bike ride together and I talked to him about it. He always gave me grief for having a big mouth in class, but I think he liked having a female counterpart- there are some questions it's just easier to defer to a woman on (i.e. What type of sports bra do you wear that can get wet?) and I know he liked that I had no fear about yelling (positively) at his students.
He said he thought I'd make a good coach- I listen, and despite not being a paragon of fitness, I am dedicated to the sport and can relate to the newbies quite well. He said he thought my physical imperfection was comforting to the students- sometimes being coached by a perfect Amazon of a woman with six pack abs isn't what the ladies want.
So one of these days...after I finish law school...and maybe after I do my Ironman race (just one, I only need to do one), I will probably go get a USAT coaching certification. What I will do with it, who knows. But it's one of those nice things to have in your back pocket.
Meanwhile, I need to do an Olympic this summer and see about training for a half marathon. First things first.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Mashup
NB: If you are here from Holidailies, please leave me a comment...I don't have a site tracker and love feedback.
If you want to know a little about me (since I missed the boat on the "tell me about yourself" Holidailies prompt yesterday) you can check my first post, which is still oven-fresh after only a couple months.
/housekeeping.
Today is going to be a mashup of random thoughts...because I can't think too much today about things other than law school.
I am really, really digging Roster McCabe right now. One of my law school buddies turned me on to them (he's roommates with a couple of the bandies) and they need to be signed to a major record label and unleashed upon the world, toute de suite.
I'm going swimming after class with a couple of fellow 1L's. This is my first time in the pool since Danskin. Hopefully I'm still seaworthy.
Class is such a freakin' waste of time sometimes.
I wish there was a Starbucks on my way to school. Either that, or I wish my husband would stop forgetting to bring in the thermal travel mugs from his car- we have a bunch and they end up collecting in there until I retrieve them.
I need to put my school sticker up in my rear window.
I need to get Minnesota license plates and a Minnesota driver's license.
I really, really dig my law school friends. We talk, we study, we laugh...we buy each other lunch, we commisserate. Hard to believe I barely knew them three months ago, and last year, they were faceless strangers. Now we're planning the Chicago roadtrip and there's talk of a post-graduation week long vacation someplace warm- either a beach or a boat (either option involving copious amounts of alcohol). All of my classmates are cool in their own ways...but the six of us have managed to make a little tribe of freaks and geeks. They are a tremendous source of comfort to me- as (relatively) close as I am to the hometown, I'm still in a foreign land here...getting my bearings and learning my way.
I've been Facebooking. A lot. More than I probably should.
My daughter has taken a liking to combing my hair at night, as I sit on the couch in front of my laptop, writing or studying or surfing. She climbs up behind me and sits on the back of the couch, the big blue wide-tooth comb in her hand. I take down my ponytail and as long as she doesn't tug, it's quite soothing.
The best five minutes of my day yesterday: waking up in a haze in the middle of my bed, my husband curled up behind me, my daughter snuggled in on my arm. I floated there on a cloud for a few minutes, fighting the urge to invite the world in for another day. Bliss.
this morning, there's a calm I can't explain...by the time I recognize this moment, the moment will be gone...but I will bend a light pretending...that it somehow lingers on... - JM, Clarity
If you want to know a little about me (since I missed the boat on the "tell me about yourself" Holidailies prompt yesterday) you can check my first post, which is still oven-fresh after only a couple months.
/housekeeping.
Today is going to be a mashup of random thoughts...because I can't think too much today about things other than law school.
I am really, really digging Roster McCabe right now. One of my law school buddies turned me on to them (he's roommates with a couple of the bandies) and they need to be signed to a major record label and unleashed upon the world, toute de suite.
I'm going swimming after class with a couple of fellow 1L's. This is my first time in the pool since Danskin. Hopefully I'm still seaworthy.
Class is such a freakin' waste of time sometimes.
I wish there was a Starbucks on my way to school. Either that, or I wish my husband would stop forgetting to bring in the thermal travel mugs from his car- we have a bunch and they end up collecting in there until I retrieve them.
I need to put my school sticker up in my rear window.
I need to get Minnesota license plates and a Minnesota driver's license.
I really, really dig my law school friends. We talk, we study, we laugh...we buy each other lunch, we commisserate. Hard to believe I barely knew them three months ago, and last year, they were faceless strangers. Now we're planning the Chicago roadtrip and there's talk of a post-graduation week long vacation someplace warm- either a beach or a boat (either option involving copious amounts of alcohol). All of my classmates are cool in their own ways...but the six of us have managed to make a little tribe of freaks and geeks. They are a tremendous source of comfort to me- as (relatively) close as I am to the hometown, I'm still in a foreign land here...getting my bearings and learning my way.
I've been Facebooking. A lot. More than I probably should.
My daughter has taken a liking to combing my hair at night, as I sit on the couch in front of my laptop, writing or studying or surfing. She climbs up behind me and sits on the back of the couch, the big blue wide-tooth comb in her hand. I take down my ponytail and as long as she doesn't tug, it's quite soothing.
The best five minutes of my day yesterday: waking up in a haze in the middle of my bed, my husband curled up behind me, my daughter snuggled in on my arm. I floated there on a cloud for a few minutes, fighting the urge to invite the world in for another day. Bliss.
this morning, there's a calm I can't explain...by the time I recognize this moment, the moment will be gone...but I will bend a light pretending...that it somehow lingers on... - JM, Clarity
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Decisions, Decisions
Tri season is coming up!
Aside from the fact that I've done practically ZERO training since starting law school, I'm really looking forward to this season. First, because it will be infinitely better than the chaos that was last summer...I was probably a little too ambitious to think I could get five triathlons into a summer where I was not only selling my house, but packing, moving, settling into and starting law school, finding a job for my husband, and generally dealing with about as much chaos as one could possibly imagine in the span of three months.
However, I did get three out of five in...so that ain't bad...so here's what I'm thinking:
1. I want to do five this year. If I can get an early race in like I did last year, this should not be a problem.
2. I want to travel again. I don't know if it's going to work, but I would love to go down to Austin again for either Danskin Austin or CapTex. CapTex was actually rained out/cancelled last year- but that was a freak occurrence. Danskin Austin was probably one of the most challenging races I've ever done (bike hill hell!) but I did it once and could probably do it again. If I can't get to Austin, I might try for the Octomax in St. Louis.
3. I will be doing Danskin Chicagoland. I promised my training buddies that I would come down and do it, and I've got some law school buds that will road trip down with me. That's like going home for me. Plus- there is talk of combining with a trip to Great America. Fun for the whole family!
4. Beyond the two "travelers" I want to do roughly two or three local races. There's a new race in Rochester that looks like it could be fun. It's the same weekend as Naperville, which I would also drive down for, but I don't know if I'll have the time. Spirit of Racine is also the week right after Danskin and I can't stay down there for the whole week- but neither do I want to be driving back and forth so much, nor do I want to do two races back to back. I'm not at that level yet.
5. God help me, I'm actually entertaining the thought of doing an Olympic this year. If I had my druthers, I'd do the Oly at Pleasant Prairie, but the timing is off- PP is the first weekend of class next fall. (At least I can get one last August race in this year...)
So...a preliminary race list:
May 3: Chain O Lakes Sprint (indoor swim): Alexandria, MN
May 18: Land Between The Lakes Tri (outdoor swim...brrr!!): Albert Lea, MN
Memorial Day Weekend: CapTex, Austin, TX
June 8: Danskin Austin, Austin, TX
June 14: Liberty Tri (Oly): Maple Plain, MN
June 21: Lake Minnetonka Tri, Minnetonka, MN
June 24: Mankato Tri, Mankato, MN
June 29: Rochesterfest Tri, Rochester, MN
July 13: Danskin Chicagoland, Pleasant Prairie, WI
July 19: Spirit of Racine, Racine, WI
July 20: Door County Tri, Egg Harbor, WI
August 2: Octomax, St. Louis, MO
August 3: Brewhouse Tri, Duluth, MN
August 11: Northwoods Tri, Nevis, MN
One of these days, I'll give up Danskin, or just go and coach or volunteer...I have probably outgrown it as a motivator- for me it's just another race now. However, I'll always have a place for it in my heart- after all, you always remember your first. :)
Aside from the fact that I've done practically ZERO training since starting law school, I'm really looking forward to this season. First, because it will be infinitely better than the chaos that was last summer...I was probably a little too ambitious to think I could get five triathlons into a summer where I was not only selling my house, but packing, moving, settling into and starting law school, finding a job for my husband, and generally dealing with about as much chaos as one could possibly imagine in the span of three months.
However, I did get three out of five in...so that ain't bad...so here's what I'm thinking:
1. I want to do five this year. If I can get an early race in like I did last year, this should not be a problem.
2. I want to travel again. I don't know if it's going to work, but I would love to go down to Austin again for either Danskin Austin or CapTex. CapTex was actually rained out/cancelled last year- but that was a freak occurrence. Danskin Austin was probably one of the most challenging races I've ever done (bike hill hell!) but I did it once and could probably do it again. If I can't get to Austin, I might try for the Octomax in St. Louis.
3. I will be doing Danskin Chicagoland. I promised my training buddies that I would come down and do it, and I've got some law school buds that will road trip down with me. That's like going home for me. Plus- there is talk of combining with a trip to Great America. Fun for the whole family!
4. Beyond the two "travelers" I want to do roughly two or three local races. There's a new race in Rochester that looks like it could be fun. It's the same weekend as Naperville, which I would also drive down for, but I don't know if I'll have the time. Spirit of Racine is also the week right after Danskin and I can't stay down there for the whole week- but neither do I want to be driving back and forth so much, nor do I want to do two races back to back. I'm not at that level yet.
5. God help me, I'm actually entertaining the thought of doing an Olympic this year. If I had my druthers, I'd do the Oly at Pleasant Prairie, but the timing is off- PP is the first weekend of class next fall. (At least I can get one last August race in this year...)
So...a preliminary race list:
May 3: Chain O Lakes Sprint (indoor swim): Alexandria, MN
May 18: Land Between The Lakes Tri (outdoor swim...brrr!!): Albert Lea, MN
Memorial Day Weekend: CapTex, Austin, TX
June 8: Danskin Austin, Austin, TX
June 14: Liberty Tri (Oly): Maple Plain, MN
June 21: Lake Minnetonka Tri, Minnetonka, MN
June 24: Mankato Tri, Mankato, MN
June 29: Rochesterfest Tri, Rochester, MN
July 13: Danskin Chicagoland, Pleasant Prairie, WI
July 19: Spirit of Racine, Racine, WI
July 20: Door County Tri, Egg Harbor, WI
August 2: Octomax, St. Louis, MO
August 3: Brewhouse Tri, Duluth, MN
August 11: Northwoods Tri, Nevis, MN
One of these days, I'll give up Danskin, or just go and coach or volunteer...I have probably outgrown it as a motivator- for me it's just another race now. However, I'll always have a place for it in my heart- after all, you always remember your first. :)
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Ow. Ow Ow Ow! (Lists)
In a fit of adrenaline and a desire to get my butt in gear, my sister-in-law and I walked 5.65 miles yesterday (according to Gmap Pedometer).
My hips are not happy with me right now.
I suppose I should do that more than once a week...
And I need to find out the pool hours on campus.
And call to cancel both our old gym membership at home and the DSL service that originally started off as a good idea but then turned into all sorts of wrong.
And I need to call Dish Network and get them to mount our dish on a pole instead of sitting in the driveway as we originally were told was acceptable.
And I need to get our parking permits from the housing office.
Fall break is next weekend! Whee!!
My hips are not happy with me right now.
I suppose I should do that more than once a week...
And I need to find out the pool hours on campus.
And call to cancel both our old gym membership at home and the DSL service that originally started off as a good idea but then turned into all sorts of wrong.
And I need to call Dish Network and get them to mount our dish on a pole instead of sitting in the driveway as we originally were told was acceptable.
And I need to get our parking permits from the housing office.
Fall break is next weekend! Whee!!
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